Vice-President Kashim Shettima says President Bola Tinubu ended petrol subsidy and multiple exchange rates in the official market because they were producing billionaires overnight.
Shettima spoke during a courtesy visit by a delegation of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) led by Gabriel Idahosa, president of the chamber, in Abuja on April 18.
Tinubu declared the end of petrol subsidy during his inaugural speech as president on May 29, 2024.
A month later, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) unified the multiple exchange rates in the official markets.
Also, Shettima expressed optimism about the performance of the naira.
He said the naira will continue to appreciate in the foreign exchange (FX) market.
After a consecutive appreciation trend from March 20, the naira depreciated by 17.14 percent to N1,230 per dollar on April 19.
He said the naira will strengthen in the coming days.
“Naira went haywire and some people were celebrating but inwardly we were laughing at them because we knew that we have the leadership to reverse the trend,” he said.
“Asiwaju knows the game, and truly the naira is gaining and the difference will drop further.”
Meanwhile, Shettima said the present administration is making every effort to address challenges in the power sector because it is aware that power is crucial.
“We are determined to ensure that we generate jobs for our youths. Honestly, the President’s obsession is to live in a place of glory, to transform this country to a higher pedestal,” he said.
Shettima said Tinubu wants to leave a legacy, one of qualitative leadership since Nigeria represents the hope of the black man and Africa as a whole.
Nigerian Immigration Introduces Compulsory Indigenship Document For Passport Renewal & Fresh Applications
AFOLABIThe Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) has made state of origin certificate a compulsory requirement for passport renewal and fresh application.
Immigration made this known to the public in a post on its X handle on Saturday morning.
It said passport applicants do not necessarily need to go to their states of origin to get the “indigenship document”.
NIS added that it is aware that most states have liaison offices in other states.
“For example, Anambra state has liaison offices in Lagos (Eti-Osa) and Abuja (Asokoro),” NIS said.
According to Immigration, these liaison offices are empowered to issue such documents.
NIS said every document that the it requires from passport applicants to produce/submit/upload was carefully thought through.
It further stated that each document is backed by certain laws and policy documents.
“They are approved by the Federal Government through our supervising ministry – in this case, the Ministry of Interior,” Immigration said.
“It is quite important, especially based on certain intel that we have (but cannot disclose publicly), that ANYONE, a Nigerian of course, who wishes to obtain a Nigerian passport – a document of authority for identification and travel – MUST prove beyond reasonable doubt, that he/she is a Nigerian citizen.”
NIS stated that for one’s claim of being a Nigerian citizen to hold water, there has to be a document that “ties” an individual to a local government (indigenous area) within the country.
This document is what NIS requests that an applicant presents to them, amongst others, to authenticate one’s claim of being a citizen.
Immigration has urged passport applicants to read up the particular part of the Nigerian Constitution that bothers on citizenship.
The basic requirements for first-time passport applicants are as follows: completed passport application form, a recent passport-style photograph and a copy of your National Identification Number (NIN).
Others requirement include a copy of applicant’s birth certificate, letter of consent from your parents or guardian and payment of N5,000 for the passport application fee.
The requirements for renewal passport applicants are as follows: completed passport application form, a recent passport-style photograph, a copy of old passport and payment of N2,000 for the passport application fee.
Following the decision of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to retain Ambassador Umar Damagum as Acting National Chairman, the battle for the soul of the party has now shifted to the forthcoming State congresses.
Sunday Vanguard gathered that Damagum’s survival, in what appeared to be a coordinated attempt to replace him, has opened new frontiers for the battle to control the party’s structure ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Loyalists of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, who are the main backers of Damagum are celebrating his retention as a victory over loyalists of former Vice President, Atiku, who wanted Damagun replaced.
The battleground for the soul of the party has now shifted to the usually contentious Ward, Local Government and State congresses.
Governors, who have powerful predecessors or party stalwarts, will be battling to either retain or take control of the party structure at the state level to enhance their chances of political survival.
Dispute
At the height of the political dispute between Wike and his successor, Similaye Fubara, the FCT Minister had told all who cared to listen “We will not allow anybody to tamper with our structure in Rivers State.”
But Fubara appears determined to do just that in order to consolidate his position as governor.
A member of the PDP National Executive Committee (NEC), who spoke in confidence for fear of retribution, explained that politics begins at the grassroots hence the decision of party leaders whose political relevance is at stake to return to the drawing board.
The party stalwart, who is sympathetic to Atiku, said, “This (the Damagum debacle) was just one battle, there are several ahead. We are going back to plan for state congresses.
“We will work with friendly governors in states where our party have them. In states where we don’t have a government in place, we will work with leaders to stabilize the party.
“As you are probably aware, these are areas where the battle is likely to be fierce. The state executives have a crucial role to play in organizing the party and the election of delegates for crucial elections”.
Gains
In the same breath, Wike’s loyalists are not leaving anything to chance as they are said to have set in motion a machinery to consolidate on recent gains.
Those familiar with the plan confided in Sunday Vanguard, “This group is not taking anything for granted. What is next is to ensure that the committees to be set up to conduct ward, local government and state congresses do not take us by surprise.
“To Wike’s credit, he has built a lot of bridges in the party over the years.
“He has a sizable number of loyalists nationwide. He remained and kept the party together when Atiku and his friends abandoned the party in 2015”.
An Imo State chieftain of the party, Dr. Katch Onanuju, whose sympathy lies with Wike, while speaking on the issue, said, “We have issues in our party no doubt, but we will sort ourselves out.
“All the noise about Wike doing anti-party is lacks basis. Whatever he did in 2023 is nothing compared to what the five northern governors and Rotimi Amaechi did to the party in 2015. Wike never left our party, he remained and has been helping to rebuild it ever since.
“The party will surmount its problems if there is sincerity of purpose. The congresses are coming up, there will be fresh crisis if some people think they can sit in Wadata Plaza and impose leaders on the states and write lists where people who never participated in the electoral process are named as leaders.”
[Vanguard]
[STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE] President Tinubu Congratulates Tunde Onakoya on New World Chess Record
AdminPresident Bola Tinubu congratulates Mr. Tunde Onakoya on setting a new world chess record and sounding the gong of Nigeria's resilience, self-belief, and ingenuity at the square of global acclaim.
Mr. Onakoya broke the Guinness World Record for the longest chess marathon on Saturday, after playing for over 58 hours and winning every match in tow.
President Tinubu celebrates the Nigerian Chess Champion and founder of Chess in Slums Africa for the rare feat, but especially for the reason driving this compelling demonstration of character, which is raising funds for African children to learn and find opportunity through chess.
The President states Mr. Onakoya has shown a streak customary among Nigeria's youth population, the audacity to make good change happen; to baffle impossibility, and propel innovations and solutions to the nation’s challenges, even from corners of disadvantage.
The President affirms that Nigeria's youths have demonstrated in all fields, including Afrobeats, Nollywood, the pulsating skit-making enterprise, education, science, and technology, that great exploits can truly come from small quarters.
President Tinubu commends the inclination of Nigerians - across artificial partitions - for unity, once again exemplified through their undiluted support for this epoch-making endeavour.
The President assures all citizens that his administration remains strongly committed to creating and expanding opportunities for the youth to explore and exercise their abilities and become the symbols of greatness our nation represents into the future.
Chief Ajuri Ngelale
Special Adviser to the President
(Media & Publicity)
April 20, 2024
Babajide Sanwo-Olu says Tunde Onakoya’s achievements show greatness can come from humble beginnings.
The governor, in a statement on Saturday, congratulated the young chess master for completing a 60-hour chess marathon in New York.
Tunde Onakoya is a Nigerian chess master, coach, and the founder of a non-profit initiative called Chess in Slums Africa.
He has organised several interventions for children across slums in Lagos state including Ikorodu, Makoko, and Oshodi.
The children are engaged in a two-week session to unlock their potential through chess while learning and acquiring literacy.
Onakoya would take on what became one of his most daring projects, opting to set a record for the longest chess marathon.
The Nigerian completed the Guinness World Record (GWR) attempt on Saturday after surpassing the previous mark of 56 hours.
GWR is typically expected to vet an attempt before confirming that a new record has been set on any task.
Sanwo-Olu said Onakoya’s achievement at Times Square New York captures “the true spirit of Lagos”.
“Your journey from Lagos, Nigeria to global recognition embodies the spirit of our great city,” he said of the young chess master.
“Tunde Onakoya continues to demonstrate that greatness can emerge from even the most humble beginnings.
“His remarkable story serves as a blueprint for all of us in Lagos city where his impact has been felt the most, showing that, with determination, dreams can indeed soar to monumental heights.
“Tunde’s entire journey was showcased on digital billboards and celebrated with watch parties, capturing the true spirit of Lagos. Despite enduring pain and fatigue, Tunde persevered, driven by his commitment to empower the children he champions.
“This is your moment, Tunde, and Lagos stands with you every step of the way.”
Onakoya learned to play chess at a barber’s shop in an Ikorodu Lagos slum where he grew up.
He got a diploma in computer science at Yaba College of Technology, representing the school in chess competitions.
Onakoya, aged 29, is a board member of the New York City-based non-profit The Gift of Chess.
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) is expected to take delivery of six M-346 fighter aircraft before the end of 2024.
In November 2023, NAF struck a deal with Messrs Leonardo, an Italian defence company, for the supply of 24 M-346 fighter aircraft.
The deal is reportedly worth around €1.2 billion.
On Wednesday, Claudio Sabatino, the vice-president of the Italian company, visited NAF headquarters in Abuja and met with Hasan Abubakar, the chief of air staff.
In a statement by Edward Gabkwet, NAF spokesperson, Sabatino was quoted to have assured Abubakar of the timely delivery of the first batch of the aircraft.
Sabatino said further agreement between NAF and the company would be necessary to complete some aspects of the projects.
He added that after the final agreement, the maintenance of the aircraft fleet would not constitute a challenge as there is a binding agreement for the 25-year maintenance support.
Sabatino disclosed that the manufacturing of the aircraft fleet has reached an “appreciable state”.
On his part, Abubakar commended the company for the “assurance of long-term maintenance support” for the aircraft fleet.
The NAF chief urged the Italian company to set up a maintenance hub in Nigeria to serve the needs of its African clients.
“Reflecting on the journey thus far, Air Marshal Abubakar also acknowledged the challenges overcome and expressed optimism for the future trajectory of the partnership,” the statement reads.
“Envisioning the operational impact that the M-346 fighter aircraft, Air Marshal Abubakar underscored its dual role in bolstering training capabilities and augmenting operational effectiveness in diverse mission scenarios.
“Moreover, the prospect of close air support, air interdiction, and tactical reconnaissance as well as advanced pilot training capabilities inherent in the M-346 fighter aircraft heralded a new prospect for NAF’s operational versatility.”
The federal government says it will pin down Ways and Means advances to deal with the problem of too much liquidity in the system to stem inflation.
Wale Edun minister of finance and co-ordinating minister of the economy, spoke to journalists in Washington DC, United States, shortly after a meeting with investors at the on-going spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank.
He told the global gathering that the current administration, led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is fully determined to “pin down” Ways and Means to alleviate the pressure of the excess money in the system.
The minister said the fiscal and monetary authorities are also working towards bringing down inflation.
“The two authorities are working hand in hand to bring down inflation and pressure on price stability and stabilising the exchange rate with the target of bringing down interest rates so that investors can borrow at a more affordable rate with a view to getting the economy going the right direction again,” Edun said.
“We need to borrow less and focus more on domestic resource mobilisation. We want long-term resources to avoid repayment and refinancing pressures.”
Speaking on food security, Edun said the present administration is dealing with the problem in order to provide farmers’ with access to their farms, especially in parts of the country where insecurity has played a major role in reducing food production.
Edun added that agro clusters are being developed in collaboration with the African Development Bank (AfDB) to increase food production in the country.
Olayemi Cardoso, governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN); Lydia Shehu Jafiya, permanent secretary, federal ministry of finance, and Zainab Ahmed, former minister of finance, were some of the top government officials who attended the meeting.
On February 9, Cardoso had said the CBN would halt its Ways and Means advances to the federal government.
He said the apex bank would no longer be a part of the Ways and Means agreement with the federal government until all outstanding debts are refunded.
Adesola Adeduntan, managing director and chief executive officer (CEO) of First Bank of Nigeria Ltd, has resigned from his position.
According to a letter addressed to Tunde Hassan-Odukale, the bank’s board chairman, Adeduntan’s tenure ought to elapse on December 31, 2024.
However, he voluntarily decided to step down on April 20.
“As you are aware, my contract would be expiring on 31 December 2024 after which I would no longer be eligible for employment within the Bank having served as the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of FirstBank for a record time of nine years,” Adeduntan said.
“During this period the Bank and its subsidiaries has undergone significant changes and broken new grounds. We have repositioned the institution as an enviable financial giant in Africa.
“I have however decided to proceed on retirement with effect from 20 April 2024 to pursue other interests.”
Furthermore, he expressed gratitude towards the board of directors of First Bank and FBN Holdings for the support he received from them during his tenure.
Adeduntan was appointed as CEO of First Bank in 2016.
Prior to his appointment, he served as the bank’s executive director and chief financial officer (CFO).
Before joining First Bank in July 2014, he was a director and the pioneer CFO/business manager of Africa Finance Corporation (AFC).
Adeduntan formerly worked as a senior vice-president and CFO at Citibank Nigeria Limited, as a senior manager in the financial services group of KPMG Professional Services, and as a manager at Arthur Andersen Nigeria.
The naira reversed the appreciation trend at the parallel section of the foreign exchange market on Friday.
The local currency depreciated by 17.14 percent to N1,230 per dollar — from N1,050/$ on April 17.
Currency traders, known as bureau de change (BDC) operators, quoted the buying rate at N1,200 and the selling price at N1,230 — leaving a profit margin of N30.
“The price of the dollar against naira increased since yesterday, probably due to the fact that there has been an increased demand since yesterday,” Aliyu, a BDC operator, said.
Meanwhile, the decline ended the upward trend of the naira at the street market since March 20, when the FX rate was N1,500/$.
At the official window, the naira depreciated to N1,169.99 against the dollar on Friday — a 1.38 percent drop from the N1,154.08/$ traded on April 18.
The local currency traded at a high of N1,236 and a low of N1,021, according to FMDQ Exchange, a platform that oversees official FX trading in Nigeria.
The development comes a day after the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) denied selling FX to BDC operators at the rate of N1,001/$1.
CBN, in a post on X on April 18, said a circular claiming the apex bank announced the sale of $10,000 to BDCs at the rate of N1,001/$1 was “fake”.
The apex bank urged Nigerians to always refer to its website for authentic information.
The Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) distributed a substantial sum of ₦1.123 trillion from the March 2024 Federation Account revenue to the federal, state, and local government tiers on Friday.
Naija News reports that the allocation, as reported by the Director of Press and Public Relations at the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, Bawa Mokwa, reflects an uptick in several major revenue streams, including import duty, value-added tax (VAT), gas royalty, and companies’ income tax (CIT).
According to a communique released after FAAC’s April meeting, the total distributable revenue consisted of ₦311.233 billion from distributable statutory revenue, ₦511.879 billion from distributable VAT revenue, ₦14.754 billion from Electronic Money Transfer Levy (EMTL), and ₦285.525 billion from exchange difference revenue.
The total available revenue for March was ₦1,867,808,000,000. Deductions for the cost of collection amounted to ₦69.537 billion, while transfers, interventions, and refunds totaled ₦674.880 billion.
March’s gross statutory revenue was ₦1.017 trillion, a decrease of ₦175.212 billion from February’s ₦1.192 trillion.
Conversely, the gross revenue available from VAT for the same period was ₦549.698 billion, marking an increase of ₦89.210 billion over the previous month.
The communique detailed that the Federal Government received ₦345.890 billion, state governments were allocated ₦398.689 billion, and local government councils received ₦288.688 billion. Additionally, mineral-producing states received ₦90.124 billion as a 13% derivation of mineral revenue.
From the ₦311.233 billion distributable statutory revenue, the Federal Government received ₦133.960 billion, state governments ₦67.946 billion, and local government councils ₦52.384 billion. A total of ₦56.943 billion was distributed as derivation revenue to the benefiting states.
For the distributable VAT revenue of ₦511.879 billion, the Federal Government received ₦76.782 billion, state governments ₦255.940 billion, and local government councils ₦179.158 billion.
The allocation of the ₦14.754 billion EMTL revenue saw the Federal Government receiving N2.213 billion, state governments ₦7.377 billion, and local government councils ₦5.164 billion.
Furthermore, from the ₦285.525 billion in exchange difference revenue, the Federal Government was allotted ₦132.935 billion, state governments ₦67.426 billion, and local government councils ₦51.983 billion, with an additional ₦33.181 billion shared as derivation revenue with the mineral-producing states.
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Founder of the INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Babatunde Ayodele, speaks with AJIBADE OMAPE on the circumstances surrounding his prophecies and how he told then-Governor Bola Tinubu in 2001 that he would be elected president of Nigeria
How did you become a man of God and Founder of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church?
My name is Primate Ayodele, how I became a man of God; I have started this mission as God directed; I’ve been to celestial, Cherubim and Seraphim, I’ve joined SU, I’ve been in the gospel church before God sent me a message to start the mission in 1994; and I was picked with other disciples because I did not want to do it. I wanted to become a military personnel, I wanted to be a lawyer or a mass communicator, but all these did not come to reality, so we started in 1994 till date, and God said that this was going to be my church; and that it was going to be evangelical and ever since then we have been seeing the hands of God.
In September 2023, you made a prophecy about states being in debt, was there an inspiration behind the prophecy, or was it due to the economic crisis in the country?
Well, I need to set the record straight, all my prophecies occur years before they come to manifestation.
In 2001, I had a personal encounter with the sitting president who was then a governor at his office called Roundhouse; and I told him that he would still become the president of Nigeria. One of his commissioners took me to the Roundhouse in Alausa, Ikeja to go and pray for him; and I told him, “Sir, I don’t know when it would come to pass but you will rule Nigeria and you will not understand how you will get there”.
So you see, this is not speculations and predictions, I have passed that level.
See I started prophesying in 1988 and I have prophesied not just for individuals but also for nations. I’ve given prophesies all over the world; so I am not a noisemaker. I act as God directs.
I want to be very humble, and this economic crisis is not news to me because I have known that it would happen and I know what is going to happen from beginning to the end, so whatever I’m saying I’m not saying it to go against anybody, and I’m not saying it because of money. See, I have seen money; God has blessed me there is nothing I want again in life; I have cars, I have driven different cars, and I think the only thing I want is a helicopter or a plane. I feel for the needy but instead of me to use that money to buy a plane, I would rather use the money to take care of the widows, orphans, and vulnerable children.
I started taking care of widows in 2002, and people supporting me then are still supporting me. They include people like Jimoh Ibrahim.
So when I say any prophecy, people tag it to be as if I’m favouring people; if it favours labour, they will say I am a labour prophet and I have collected money from them if it favours APC they will say I am an APC prophet. So I have been given different names in the course of my prophecy. If I make a prophecy, I will ask God correctly, whether it favours you or it does not, it’s not my business. I do not make prophecies because of money or because I want to scare anybody. So anything I say is to the glory of God and if it does not come to pass now it will come to pass later.
For crying out loud, I pray against my prophecies, asking God not to let them come to fulfilment, yes, if it doesn’t come to fulfilment , it’s my joy I owe nobody any explanation because I am answerable to God alone. So there is nothing behind it. I just said it the way God revealed it.
Before the dollar went up I said it was going to go up to N1,200, N1,300. Go and check there are records. When I said that we would not see a bread of 200 naira again, it happened.
Tinubu has not seen what is coming ahead of him. What he is seeing is just a preamble of what is to come. Let me be quiet because people claim that I do not like this government, but it’s a lie. I am only acting as God directs and I’m not saying anybody should like me. If they want to kill me let them kill me, I will continue to tell the truth. So I’m not saying anything for anybody to love me and I’m not saying it to gather any momentum or for anybody to give me accolades for what I’m saying.
Before the death of Yar’adua, I was the first prophet to say that he would not finish his term. it was published in Global Excellence magazine in December 2006. I even said that he would spend 67 days in office.
Some people say you only look at trends to arrive at what you call prophecy, Is there a truth to it?
See, it is only those who hate God who will hate me. Those who don’t want to hear from God will not want to hear the truth. Before Ali Bongo was removed from office, I said that his time had come to an end and he would be taken out of office through a coup. Anything I’m saying here is not for you to defend me or write anything good about me. It happened in 2023; before the coup in Niger, I warned the president that a coup was coming. I have it on record.
Also, before the emergence of this government, I warned Nigerians that if they voted for this government, they would see what would happen. People were fighting me and saying that I had collected money from Atiku Abubakar. I had never met Atiku in my life. I’m one of those people who has been called names on the internet and I’m not bothered.
Before petrol went to #650, I told Nigerians that they would buy petrol for #400, people were bashing me, there is nothing they did not say about me. So, I’m not making prophecies around the trends of what is happening. I say my own ahead of time.
In 2023, I said that cement would increase in price, how much is cement now?
Before Joe Biden emerged in 2020, I was the first to say he was the best candidate to win the election. Before the emergence of Rotimi Akeredolu as governor in Ondo, I was one of the first people to say that he was the candidate that would win in Ondo state. And before Akeredolu fell sick, I warned him of his sickness, but he did not listen to me.
In 2005, before Fashola emerged, I was saying that a greenhorn would emerge in Lagos state and it happened.
Some people call me a political prophet, but by the time you give a prophecy about a nation you become a political prophet; this is not my perspective, it’s what the Lord says.
Before the emergence of Obaseki’s second term, I warned Oshiomole that Obaseki would emerge. So that is just it.
Your prophecies are not usually specific. Sometimes you say people should pray that traditional rulers won’t die and so forth. Why is it always like that? What stops you from mentioning names?
I can tell you this straight, that is not correct. There was an earthquake in America recently, I mentioned some countries that will witness that earthquake, but let them pray. Remember I said I pray against my prophecies. One of my saddest days is when a bad prophecy comes to pass.
I must tell you this, in 2020, I met Herbert Wigwe and I told him to pray against an accident that would happen to him that could claim his life. Since I had his contact then, why would I go and publish it? It’s not anybody’s business because I have discussed with him if he likes it or not he should pray. Wigwe was so scared of my prophecy that he stopped talking to me. He said my prophecy was too scary.
So when I say pray against the death of traditional rulers, is it not a good recommendation? When God says I should mention a name, I do, and when he doesn’t instruct me to mention a name I don’t because I’m not in charge of the prophecy. Sometimes when I mention names people still say I am fake, maybe because the person is old; so I am not saying anything to satisfy anybody.
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Nigerian woman dies in UK after graduation
Nigerian woman dies in UK after graduation
A Nigerian lady, Oluwaseun Bello, died in the United Kingdom shortly after graduating.
Punch
AFCON: Ivorian fan apologises to family after caught wooing lady during Senegal game
AFCON: Ivorian fan apologises to family after caught wooing lady during Senegal game
The amorous moment happened in the heat of celebration of Ivory Coast's Round of 16 victory over defending champions, Senegal.
Punch
I love my critics because they make me more prepared; I started talking to journalists in 1994 and my first prophecy was published in Lagos Weekend Times when I said the Super Eagles would win the Tunis 1994 and it is on record. So, is it now that I will say I’m afraid to say specifically what would happen?
I’m the first to say that King Charles will have an ailment and I mentioned his name based on instructions, Sometimes God will instruct me to keep the prophecy but contact the person and tell him/her to pray.
I met Oba Isolo and told him ‘Kabiyesi pray for your health and long life’ but he did not listen to me, I even invited him, but am I supposed to publish that as well, I won’t. So, that is it. And more Obas and Emirs are still going to die mysterious deaths this year.
Before the assassination of two Obas in Ekiti state, I said it. I have documents on that and you can go online to verify. So when God says I should mention a name, I do and when he instructs me not to mention a name, I don’t and that’s the truth. So if I say something that is not favourable to some parties, they begin to hate me. All I say is as God says.
There are a lot of Tinubu ministers who won’t finish their terms. When Betty was removed, some people said I didn’t mention her name. Do I have to mention her name; the prophecy has already been laid. You go and do your own if you know better. Before Nigeria went to the Nations Cup, I warned the NFF president that Nigeria would see the cup but their hands wouldn’t touch it. But I won’t tell you about everybody I speak with. My words are for wise people.
If God sends me to you I will come, but it’s your decision if you will listen to me or not.
I warned Emefiele last year in February and I gave him a final warning in April but they said I was fake and they did not mind me. who is paying for it now? He is paying dearly for it; I said it specifically.
You likened the killing of sixteen Nigerian Army personnel in Delta State to a “civilian coup” against the military, what prompted that statement?
Let me say it this way; I don’t talk anyhow and I don’t talk when God does not ask me to. I salute the appointment of the service chiefs by the President. I salute him for picking the right people.
When it comes to security, on my page on Facebook and the rest, I do give warnings to states to be careful. Before that time God revealed to me that they would lay an ambush on military men and it would cost them their lives. I didn’t have a place to send the message, so I posted it on my page. If you go to my page you will still see that I warned military personnel. Now it has come to pass and what prompted that was a prophecy from the Lord. It was a warning from the Lord to the military personnel, but nobody yielded to it.
Another big king will die in Lagos state. There is more trouble for kings but I don’t want to mention anybody’s name. It will happen from the top. So back to the killing of military personnel, it was a warning from God; and it’s just what the Lord told me that it’s a coup.
See, some people are coming together to frustrate Tinubus’s government, to make his government unstable, and in less than a few months you will begin to see it. So Tinubu must watch out against a political coup towards 2027, quote my words. So this thing that happened in Delta is also a civilian coup against the military, and I still tell you that the military facilities will need to be careful because any attack can come again.
The following states also need to be watchful Yobe, Maiduguri, Borno, Kano, Kaduna, Sokoto, Anambra, Ebonyi, Niger and Taraba. They need to be very watchful because they will be threatened.
So that is why I am saying this now because these service chiefs are wonderful and I want them to prepare and be ready for battle from late June/July. Also, we don’t want any military personnel to be killed or kidnapped, now I have said this beforehand.
You advised that the government shouldn’t give anyone money for palliative purposes because it will amount to corruption, how will you say the government agencies took the advice?
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Tinubu approves national education data system
You see the government did not get the palliative well. In December, we tested it in our church with about 10,000 people where I sold a bag of rice for 20,000 and it’s on record.
I will be in Ekiti state on the 26th and I will do the same thing there. A bag of rice will go for 20,000 and a half bag will go for 10,000. We are the first to do it and I’m sorry to say this before they say I am too proud but that’s what happens when God inspires you as the first person to do such a thing. The government failed in the palliatives. They failed because they were not supposed to give the money to politicians but to technocrats, religious leaders, and traditional rulers; they would have identified the people who needed it better. Even with the market they go for the items, it’s a simple thing because we don’t need dollars. What we need is to have mechanised farming. We can produce rice mills, there are a lot of rice mills in Nigeria that the government can build and support to reduce the price of rice. And for petrol, it’s only when we begin to process our crude in Nigeria that we will not have problems. Dangote refinery cannot help the Nigerian economy at all. I’m not saying this for anybody to like me, but time will tell.
So for the palliatives, instead of sending money to individuals, let them use the money to buy more food. Get a government market and reduce the price of food. If I can sell a bag of rice for N20,000 as an individual, the government should sell for seven thousand. If I can sell half a bag for N10,000, the government can sell for two thousand. You will see it online in Ekiti state, I will reduce the price of food. I may not be able to reach the 1,000 mark, but I will make sure I reach 200 to 250 people because that is my capacity. Nobody is sending me, it’s God that is sending me. So I am not doing it for anybody to hail me.
Like student loans, the government has not gotten it right because it will still cause corruption. It’s a good idea but it will not last, except if the government does it in a better way, there will be corruption.
There are insinuations that you are a member of the PDP that’s why you said people should not vote for the APC in 2023.
Please, I belong to who? Is it not what I saw that I said? Not even Peter Obi can do it better. I have never met Atiku Abubakar in my Life. If I’m in the midst of people putting on ordinary clothes, it is just my face that people may know. I have seven million followers online. It’s open to people anywhere in the world.
Let me say this, in Niger, Idris will win the coming election. Now check this out, before the fall of George Weah, I warned him about the elections. I had the opportunity to speak with his deputy, a woman who said that I couldn’t see the president but I could talk to her. She sent a plane to pick me but I told her God sent me to the president and not her so I didn’t go. I said voting for this man for president, Liberia will face a lot of challenges. I also sent a warning to the Liberian president to pray for his health. So I guess the people will say I have collected money from George Weah right?
Also, in the Benin Republic, you will see that the president wanted to take many steps politically and the opposition will deal with him by coalition.
In Cameroon, the coalition will send away Paul Biya in the next election. In South Africa, the president will lose the majority in the House. Ramaphosa will lose the majority in the house, so that seat is shaking; so when I say this, I’m talking outside the country. Now they have not done their elections.
I warned John Mahama that they were going to lose this election if they were not careful and he is my friend.
I have never voted because I don’t have anybody to vote for. So if I were Atiku’s person, I would have enjoyed it. I was building a church worth billions of naira, and Atiku did not give me any money. At least if I belonged to his party he would have supported me. No politician has ever supported me, it’s only God. People just hate the truth, and when I said so I did not deny it. I don’t belong to those prophets who will deny what they said. If any prophet heals and wakes up people from the dead, then it means that nobody must die in their family again.
Before the Israel and Gaza war, I was the first to say it. When I talk, I should now say they should go and delete it, no. You can use it against me if it is the wish of God.
Now I have warned Mali. They want to frustrate the democracy in Mali. In South Sudan, the election would change and if the president goes for election if he wins, he will not last; like in Equatorial Guinea now, the president’s life is shaking. I’m only telling you all of this now so that you will know that I am not talking about Nigeria and our politics alone and I’m not talking about who becomes what.
I talk about everything, climate, education, security name it. Before the earthquake in the US, God had spoken to me since last year concerning it. I’m not a public person or a social or flamboyant pastor; you can’t just see me anywhere except a place where God instructs me to go; that is why I did not join the Christian Association of Nigeria CAN because they are political and there’s no constructive ideology in CAN.
The allegation against me is just that maybe I have collected money from politicians. You can’t blackmail me. Go and quote me anywhere, I don’t go out. If at all you call me for a church programme, I will ask God about it and follow his instructions on whether to go or not. And if I don’t go I will send a representative.
I am very prominent in the newspapers because of my prophecies. If you mention five prophets today in Nigeria, not pastors now, I mean prophets, if you don’t mention me first, you will mention me second or third. God has given me fame on his own not by a human. I have taken my prophecy beyond Nigeria.
Before the coronavirus outbreak, I said that a disease was coming from China. The prophecy was publicised, but nobody took it seriously until it started spreading.
When Buhari was brought in, I said Nigeria would not gain anything from his administration. Did we gain anything?
The economy will not be better until 2026. So I tell you this, Nigerians must help the president with prayers because the people he believes in so much will not help but condemn him.
The hunger issue you talked about then is almost a worldwide issue. Why did you talk about it in Nigeria alone?
I have a video where I said there would be a global famine and drought. If we talk about hunger, not everywhere will see hunger o, but I’m most concerned about Nigeria; Nigeria will witness not just hunger but anger. We have not finished, another phase of hunger is still coming if the government refuses to listen and that phase of hunger will lead to economic protest.
Some banks are shaking and I’m sure you’re expecting me to mention names but I will just leave it that way.
I warned Emefiele but he didn’t take it seriously. Besides, IMF advice and policy will kill Nigeria’s economy, I don’t know anything about the economy, I’m a novice. So I’m sure people will say I’m satanic or call me a doom prophet. They can call me any name, and I’m not bothered. Coups is not yet over in Africa, another coup is coming.
Has God told you who will win the Ondo and Edo governorship elections?
In Ondo state, the pendulum is swinging towards the present governor to win the primaries. In the Edo state election that is coming now, in a free and fair election with no rigging, APC will win.
In the Ondo state election, the PDP, Labour, and NPP, are wasting their time, APC will win unless God changes it.
Since I’m an APC prophet, some people will not like me. When I warned Adams Oshiomole that time, I was supporting Godwin Obaseki but nobody saw that one; I was given day-to-day updates, but for now, except God changes it, that election is going for APC.
Does God actually speak with you?
I don’t want to be a pastor who says he sees God face to face, or he sees God driving a Range Rover. One pastor says he drank tea with God. That is blasphemy. I see some pastors are making miracle money, but all these are fake. I don’t know them, so it’s not like I am afraid. That being said; the Lord speaks to me through his angels or clairvoyance. I close my eyes and I see it. I’m a prophet. I don’t have anything to think about. I have time to talk to God 24/7, and I fast for 200 days in a year every year, so that is just it.
Have you spoken with the President on how to turn the economy around and also stop the killings in the country?
So, on how to stop killings in the country, I don’t think that is the work of the president, it is the work of the service chiefs. If I have the opportunity to speak with any of the service chiefs, I will tell them a way out because I don’t feel that is appropriate for public consumption. Then to turn the economy around isn’t the work of the president, but the work of the people in charge. In this case, the people may not want to listen. For instance, when God revealed himself to Pharaoh when he was going to have a crisis, seven years of famine, and seven years of abundance, the solution was shown to him and someone interpreted the solution and he listened. Still, in this case, they may not want to listen because they believe I’m fake.
Tell Nigerians, who will win the US presidential election?
I have been talking much about that if the Democrats don’t hold Donald Trump through legal means which I said earlier before he left office in 2019, he would win. Sincerely, Trump is not the best candidate, and some people prefer Trump to Biden. Joe Biden’s economy will kill the world. So like I said, if Trump is not held down by any legal means, He will win the election.
The Kaduna state government recently decried the state of the treasury, will you say your prophecy has been fulfilled or are there more states to follow?
More states will not be able to pay salaries, and they will cry out that one of Kaduna’s states is just the tip of the iceberg. When we are talking about salary restructuring, they have to sit down to get it right otherwise the salary restructuring will not help at all. It will take the government one and half years to put the salary restructuring in order; and for the governors, let them pray not to be ambushed, they should pray against attacks and accidents, all the governors need to pray about that.
As a result of your prophecy in 2023, have you received any forms of threats to your life?
Well, when it was even difficult during the time of Abacha, there was no threat to my life; my prophecies helped the government to stand on its feet. There have been no threats to my life. You can call me any name on the internet, but I have not received any threats to my life since 1994. To the glory of God almighty, there have not been any threats to my life.
Are there any new prophecies we should expect within the next few months?
The present Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC chairman will do a lot. The moment he is doing what is right we will see it. EFCC will bring out a lot of hidden people who are corrupt in the country. Nigeria is going to France, I mean the Super Falcons, but they won’t go far and these are wonderful players. Except they do something immediately to come up.
We are going to see flooding and this herdsmen matter, if the government doesn’t get it right, it will affect Nigeria a lot.
More so, ISIS, Al-Qaeda, Hamas, and the M23, are coming up to attack African counties like Burkina Faso, Benin, Niger, Nigeria, and Chad. Let us pray not to see the death of a sitting president or the removal of a sitting president. Mali needs to be careful so another coup doesn’t happen. In Cameroon, only a coalition will defeat Paul Biya
In a time where the prophetic ministry has been constantly attacked and polluted by unbelievers and fake prophets, how have you managed to stay consistent over the years?
I am able to stay consistent because I follow God’s instructions. I do what he says I should do and I don’t do what he doesn’t ask me to do. If God sends me somewhere, I will make sure I find my way there. I will look for your contact and if I don’t get the contact I will use social media to share the message. If the person sees it, fine if he/she doesn’t, it’s still fine. I have done what God asked me to do; So that is it, I do what God asks me to do.
For invading the community, indicting them for killing 17 soldiers without police investigation, maiming, brutalizing, harassing, cordoning off community, demolishing homes, properties, and causing them to flee into forest
RESIDENTS of Okuama-Ewu, Ughelli South Local Government Area, Delta State, have instituted a N200 billion suit against the Nigerian Army at the Federal High Court, Warri, for cordoning off their community, destroying their homes, dehumanizing and accusing them of 17 military personnel without police investigations.
The 17 residents of the Okuama-Ewu community, whose lingering land disputes with the Okoloba community, Bomadi Local Government Area, escalated, leading to the intrusion of soldiers into the community, on March 14, are demanding N200 billion for general and exemplary damages from the Nigerian Army, which is the respondent.
The applicants, mainly farmers, traders, and businessmen, who applied for the enforcement of their fundamental human rights to a fair hearing, the dignity of the human person, private and family life, freedom of movement, choice of residency, private and family life, and the right to own property are Victor Akemor, Madam Omotiwori Olarehor, Victor Odi, Okrika Emmanuel, Austin Eferemua, and Evelyn Edjekola.
Others in suit no. FHC/WR/CS/41/2024 before Hon Justice I.M Sani are Pa James Ubredu, David Oghenewede, Lucky Orode, and Iwriogbo Best, Felix Orhiunu, Bernard Michael, Oghenekobiruo, Vero Joseph, Ebikawe Emmanuel, Francis Uphurie, and Hon Belvis Adogbo.
They are suing for themselves and for, on behalf of, members of, in the interest of and public interest of the residents of the Okuama community.
The applicants’ lawyers, Chief Malcolm Omirhobo, Akpokona Omafuaire Esq., Seprebofa Oyeghe Esq., O. L. Ofuasia Esq., and Ernest Ogbaga Esq. applied on Thursday.
The reliefs sought against the Nigerian Army are as follows:
“A declaration of this honorable court that the respondent’s accusation, media trial, and sentencing of the applicants, and the residents of the Okuama community for the murder of 17 soldiers, which they have no hands in, on March 14, without any police investigation, or any public inquiry indicting them for the crime without following due process of law, is a flagrant violation of the applicants’ rights. the residents of the Okuama community’s right to a fair hearing, which is, therefore, illegal, unlawful, and unconstitutional.
”A declaration of this honourable court that the respondent’s deployment of troops for the invasion, and brutal reprisal attacks on the applicants and residents of Okuama community for the death of 17 soldiers, which they have no hands in, without any police investigation, or any public inquiry indicting them for the crime, and without following due process of law, dishing out collective punishment on them, killing, maiming, brutalizing, harassing, intimidating, coercing demolishing, destroying, razing, and burning down of their properties, leaving only the Anglican Church, the Okuama Secondary School, and the Aderha Primary School buildings standing, causing them to disperse and flee to various towns, villages, forests, bushes and creeks for safety, living the life of destitute under torturous, inhuman, degrading and excruciating condition without shelter, food, drinking water, medication, money or means of income, and clothes, exposed to weather, diseases, snake and mosquito bites, and other dangerous wild animals is a flagrant violation of the applicants, and the residents of the Okuama community have the right to the dignity of their human person, and, therefore, illegal, unlawful, and unconstitutional.
”A declaration of this honourable court that the respondent’s troops invasion, and forceful eviction of the applicants, and the residents of the Okuama community from their homes in a manner that interfered, and robbed them of their privacy, family bond, and unity, causing them to disperse and live apart for the death of 17 soldiers, which they have no hands in, without any police investigation or any public inquiry indicting them for the crime, and without following due process of law is a violation of the applicants and residents of the Okuama community right to private and family life, and, therefore, illegal unlawful and unconstitutional.
”A declaration of this honourable court that the respondent’s cordon-off of the Okuama community, of the Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State, preventing, barring, prohibiting, and restraining the applicants, and residents of Okuama community from gaining access into their community, and homes to live their normal li, fe and carry on their normal business, and, thereby depriving them of their right to move freely in and out of their community and their right of choice to reside in Okuama community for the murder of 17 soldiers, which they have no hands in, without any police investigation or any public inquiry indicting them for the crime, and without following due process of law is a flagrant violation of their freedom of movement, and right of choice of place of residency, and, therefore, illegal, unlawful and unconstitutional.
”A declaration of this honourable court that the respondent’s troops razing and burning down of the properties of the applicants and residents of the Okuama community, leaving only the Anglian Church, the Okuama Secondary School and the Aderha Primary School buildings standing, forcefully and compulsorily seizing, and taking over possession of their land without any Delta State Government or Federal Government of Nigeria compulsory acquisition of the land and payment of compensation to the applicants and residents of the Okuama community, and without their input and the looting of the applicants, and the residents of the Okuama community’s moveable properties, the particulars which are contained in the affidavit in support of this application by the troops and neighboring villagers for the murder of 17 soldiers, which they have no hands in without any police investigation, or any public inquiry indicting them for the crime, without following due process of law, is a flagrant violation of the applicants’ and residents of the Okuama community right to own both moveable and immovable properties, and, therefore, illegal, unlawful and unconstitutional.
”A declaration of this honourable court that respondent’s troops entering into the Okuama community to perform the statutory and constitutional duties of the Nigerian Police Force on March 14, 2024, and the respondent’s troops invasion, brutal reprisal attack, killing, maiming brutalizing. harassment, intimidation, and coercion of the applicants and residents of the Okuama community for the death of 17 soldiers, which they have no hands in without any police investigation or any public inquiry indicting them for the crime, and without following due process of law through collective punishment on 15/3/2024 without due process, and the backing of law that led to the forceful eviction of the applicants, and the entire residents of the Okuama community from their homes, the demolition, destruction, razing and burning down of their buildings, properties leaving only the Anglian Church the Okuama Secondary School and the Aderha Primary School buildings standing, the looting of their movable properties causing them to disperse and flee to various villages, towns, bushes, forests and creeks for safety, where they now live as destitute under inhuman, degrading and excruciating conditions, the cordoning off of the Okuama Community land from the applicants and the residents, refusing them access into their community, and their rights to live there and the unlawful seizure and taking over possession of their land by the respondent’s troops, is an abuse of power.
”An order of this honourable court for the enforcement of the fundamental rights to the dignity of the human person, right to a fair hearing, right to private and family life, freedom of movement and right of choice of place of residence and right to own property of the Applicants and residents of the Okuama community, against the respondent, her servants, and agents and/or privies
”An order of this honourable court restraining the respondent, her servants, agents, and/or privies from further violating fundamental rights to the dignity of the human person, right to a fair hearing, right to privacy, and family life, freedom of movement and right of choice of place of residency and right to own property of the applicants and residents of the Okuama community.
”An order of this honourable court compelling the respondent to stop her troop’s continued invasion and occupation of the Okuama community, enabling the applicants and residents of the Okuama community to take back possession of their land that has been illegally and unlawfully seized and occupied by the respondent to rebuild their community.
”An order of this honourable court compelling the respondent to stop her troops of the cordon off of the Okuama community to allow the applicants and residents of the Okuama community to have access to move freely in and out of their community and have their right of choice to reside there as Nigerian citizens.
”An order of this honourable court compelling the respondent to allow the applicants and the residents of the Okuama community to go back home from the towns, villages, forests, and bushes, where they are presently living as destitute fugitives under torturous, inhuman, degrading and excruciating condition without shelter, food, drinking water, medication, money and cloth exposed to weather, diseases, snake and mosquito bites and other dangerous wild animals to help them regain their right to the dignity of their human person and to rebuild their community.
”A perpetual injunction of this honourable court restraining the respondent, her servants, agents, and/or privies from killing, embarrassing, coercing, bullying, harassing, intimidating, tormenting, torturing, dehumanizing, debasing and frustrating the Applicants and the residents of the Okuama community from enjoying their fundamental right to dignity of their human person, right to fair hearing, right to private and family life, freedom of movement, right of choice of place of residence, and right to own property.
” The sum of N100,000,000.00 (One hundred billion Naira) as general damages against the respondent in favor of the applicants and the residents of the Okuoma community for the respondent’s violation of their fundamental right to the dignity of their human person, right to a fair hearing, right to private and family life, freedom of movement, right of choice of place of residency and right to own property and the destruction, burning and razing down of the whole buildings in the Okuama community, leaving only the Anglian Church, the Okuama Secondary School and the Aderha Primary School buildings standing, and the looting of their moveable properties, the particulars, which contain in the applicants affidavit in support.
The sum of N100,000,000.00 (One hundred billion Naira) as exemplary damages against the respondent, in favour of the applicants and the residents of the Okuama community for the respondent’s abuse of power to oppress, repress, and subjugate the applicants and residents of the Okuama community.
”And for such further order or orders as this honourable court may deem fit to make in the circumstances of this case.”
With the applicants applying, the respondent (the Army) has seven days to respond to the claim after proper service. The court will fix a date for the hearing of the application. Being a fundamental rights matter, they treat such applications with urgency, unlike civil cases.
What’s heartbreaking about Africa
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has explained why it advised Nigeria to remove fuel subsidies, adding that the subsidy regime was robbing the poor for the rich.
The Director of the African Department of the Fund, Mr. Abebe Selassie, provided insights into the organisation’s position, at the ongoing Spring Meetings of the IMF and World Bank in Washington DC. According to him, the Fund had provided robust content and how the poor could benefit from the policy in the provision of social safety nets.
His words: “Subsidies are about resource allocation internally within Nigeria. So Nigerians, the people of Nigeria pay for these subsidies.
“And what’s the reason why we counsel against such generalised subsidies is very simple. It tends to be highly regressive, meaning the benefits of such you know, fuel subsidies tend to accrue to the rich and segments to reach out to people and the poor people.
“So it’s people that are driving these large cars, with big houses are wanting to see subsidised fuel. They’re the ones benefiting relative to the poor and vulnerable in Nigeria.
“So you know, not only people paying for the subsidies Nigeria, it’s the poorest segments of society that actually are losing out and resources could instead, of course, be used to improve conditions for poorer people instead of accruing to rich people.
“That’s why subsidy reform is important. We applaud the government for the steps government took to reduce the extent of subsidies. I think as oil prices have become volatile, the level of subsidy has also moved up and down. “But I think you know, the direction of travel, I think, to remove the subsidies and use the resources to provide social protection for the most vulnerable households.”
Mr. Selassie revealed that the IMF has provided the sum of $58 billion to African countries since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and pledged it would do more.
The IMF chief cautioned African countries against commercial loans for the purposes of refinancing because of the current rate hike in most economies.
He advised that instead, countries South of the Sahara that have debt service challenges should look inward for domestic resource mobilization, which would be easier to deal with. The Director criticised the practice of discriminatory tax exemption to some companies and not extended to others.
These special favours to some companies, he observed reduce the effectiveness of governments to optimise tax revenue..
Positive developments in Africa
“Mr. Abebe said that after four challenging years and multiple shocks, Sub-Saharan Africa’s economy appears to be on the mend.
“We expect economic growth to rise to 3.8 per cent in 2024, from 3.4 per cent last year. After peaking at almost 10 per cent in late 2022, inflation has nearly halved to around 6 per cent in the early part of the year thanks to decisive action by central banks.
“This includes slower food price increases, a positive development for a region where the cost of crises has been acute in recent years. In addition, fiscal consolidation efforts are starting to pay off, with the median public debt stabilizing at around 60 per cent of GDP, halting a 10-year upward trend.
“And with global financial conditions easing, a few countries have been able to return to international markets, ending a two-year hiatus. These are encouraging signs.”
The Missing Chief said, however, “ the region is not out of the woods yet. Far too many countries still face a funding squeeze.
What’s heart breaking about Africa- IMF MD
Also, IMF Managing Director, Mr. Kristalina Georgieva, described as “heart-breaking”, the situation in which African countries spend large amounts of their revenue on debt servicing.
Her words, “African countries spend on average, 12 percent of their revenue on on debt servicing. This is more than double from the Las decade. They were at 5 percent a decade ago.
“What is heartbreaking is that in some countries, the debt payments is up to 20 per cent of revenues.
“What does that mean? It means that what could have gone to education, health, for investments in infrastructure and jobs is being sucked away by debt servicing. The ground for public capital to come in.
“We know that part of the reason is that interest rates are quite high. So what does it translate into for authorities in Sub-Sahara Africa?
“First, we see that those who have worked on public finances, to clean clean the ground for private capital to come in are doing better.
“When you have a tax/revenue of 26 per cent like Cote d-Ivoire, you can bear the debt burden. When you 12 per cent to GDP you cannot.”
The MD said that the IMF’ major peg of interaction with member countries in the region was focusing on the mobilisation of domestic resources, improving public spending and mobilising local savings with which to achieve growth prospects.
She added that African countries must keep their eyes on inflation because that problem remains unsolved.
Ms. Georgieva noted that Africa was blessed with huge potential, with huge a youth population that was earger to work and that its leaders should allow Africa’s resources to work for Africans.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) must choose its fights sensibly. An Ijele doesn’t go about dancing at babies’ birthday parties just to be noticed. The EFCC must leave some jobs for local Police DPOs. So, it can focus on serious financial crimes. This gbegboro attitude inhibits specialisation. More importantly, the EFCC must never forget that it wrestles against principalities and powers against whom it needs the confidence of the masses. Seeking to clean cobwebs while elephants freely defecate in the room is self-deceit.
The EFCC has recently set up a task force to prevent the abuse of the Nigerian currency, the naira. The focus of this task force has been on preventing celebrities and, perhaps, the public from spraying the naira at social events, as the EFCC sees this as a form of irreparable damage to the currency. Although the law is in place to preserve currency notes and save reprinting costs, the EFCC has taken it to be a serious financial crime. If lawmakers had trained their focus on stopping the display of exhibitionism or money worship in order to prevent the spread of lasciviousness and reset societal values rather than mere naira abuse, the people would have been happy. However, enforcing laws against harmless cultural practices portrays law enforcement as bereft of a critical sense of priorities.
In the United States, celebrities spray money on strippers. So, spraying cash on people isn’t such a universal crime as the EFCC’s preoccupation with it suggests. In Igbo land, if a grandma dances, she has to be sprayed cash. Putting the money in her bag or pocket drains the ritual of the ceremony. If that damages the naira, then the quality of the notes needs improvement to meet significant cultural uses. Money is more than a sterile medium of exchange. We used to have pseudo-plastic notes in the past. But this new meddlesome law also forbids the throwing of coins. So, the primary motivation for the prohibition can’t even be mutilation because it’s so non-discriminating. Now, the EFCC wastes its time and scarce resources pursuing young men and women spraying their hard-earned naira on their friends and relatives while indicted criminal suspects occupy ministerial positions at the nation’s capital
An institution with limited resources ought to define its priorities soberly. While the EFCC was running around Borisky, Yahaya Bello, who likes to call his narcissistic self White Lion, was still at large. If the EFCC was thinking of the Broken Windows Theory, then it should have focused on the obscene display of wealth, not the spraying of naira, which almost all poor and decent people in Nigeria do anyway. Now, Bobrisky is in prison after pleading guilty as a first offender, but Yahaya Bello can’t be arrested.
He wasn’t arrested a couple of days ago because after the EFCC laid a siege on the house where he refuged, the policemen protecting the man at large shut out the EFCC violently. That wasn’t the peak of the absurdity. While the EFCC agents were languishing in helplessness under the angry sun, a governor stormed the cordoned area with thugs and gained easy entrance into the house. The humiliated EFCC men watched like schoolboys. Such life-sucking impotence. All these happened a stone’s throw from the seat of power. The godson shoved the EFCC aside and whisked away his godfather from the trembling hands of the timid law. Sheer movie stuff. Blockbuster gangsterism.
After the EFCC chickened away in peace, it issued a press release. In that gutless release, it couldn’t dare to be specific let alone name names. In that statement that reeked of abject impotence, it found the verve to warn the public that in future, it would deal decisively with people who employed thugs to disrupt or obstruct its operations. A governor might have immunity, but does his immunity permit him to handcuff EFCC agents or commit criminal offences while law enforcement agents watch?
His immunity doesn’t confer anything on all the aides and security agents who may choose to assist him in committing the crime before newsmen.The next day was court sitting. Yahaya bello was still at large. The EFCC said they could be forced to invite the military to assist them. What more do they want to suffer? However, that statement was a naked indictment of the police and DSS. Granted, both can’t often handle bandits, but should a chicken-hearted white lion hiding in the Government House in Lokoja require military intervention too?
The helpless EFCC has declared the man wanted, begging the public to help track the man. The public is supposed to find the man the EFCC had in its claws and let a baby governor snatch away? The public should find a man being protected by the state. The world is watching. The Attorney General could have struck while it was hot in Abuja. But he dilly-dallied. A firm pronouncement from the Chief Law Officer to the police and DSS would have drained courage from the lawless governor.
When the Attorney General woke up from slumber the next day, he preached that citizens must always submit themselves to law enforcement agents when needed. He called no names. He issued no public orders. Tepidly, he said the world would have no respect for the country if governors started to act like wild animals. Such preposterous lukewarmness. Tomorrow, we will attend an African Union meeting and expect respect. He should remind the president that foreign investors are watching the spectacle of the travesty of the rule of law.
This atrocious precedent took place under the presidency’s nose. Many thought that naked disruption of EFCC operations by other law enforcement agents had ended with Buhari. If it had been some Bobrisky rather than the revered Bobkogi who mobilised thugs to evade that arrest, the security agencies would have remembered they had breached presidential security. Rightly, but belatedly, the policemen attached to Yahaya Bello have been withdrawn, but when will they be prosecuted? After all, we are only a generator republic and not yet a plantain republic.
The EFCC must choose its fights wisely. Some bemused young people are now planning to switch to spraying dollars at social events. That could mean more naira chasing the dollar. Some laws only exist to be part of the general legal architecture. And there are others, that must attract attention and venom. The EFCC’s greatest existential problem is corrupt politicians. However, it appears the agency has an exceptionally elastic capacity to absorb humiliation from powerful politicians.
Often, the public looks away with disinterest not just because the EFCC likes to make up by chasing small fries, but after the EFCC went through the roof to arrest Rochas and charge him, the then Federal Attorney General hijacked the case from the EFCC. That gradual and steady emasculation of the EFCC by big politicians has been quickened by Ododo. He knows he will suffer no consequences. Last year, an ex-governor publicly ridiculed the EFCC chairman who had fingered him for corruption. That ex-governor is now a minister. The EFCC lingers on his filthy files.
How does the EFCC feel when it goes against relatively innocuous offenders while those who have embezzled the state into penury swagger about in the corridors of power and thump their noses at it? Bobrisky went to prison at the speed of light. Bobkogi is still at large. When he is eventually arraigned, he might appear in a lion-skinned attire. His lawyers will secure his bail despite his having shown that he is a flight risk. Then he will return to Kogi to a hero’s welcome, drums beating, and women dancing under the sun, all arranged by his godson, Ododo. Most of the policemen withdrawn from him will return with him to Kogi for the triumphant homecoming. They might even receive awards from the state. We live right in a circus. Aristotle said, “At his best, man is the noblest of all animals; separated from law and justice, he is the worst.”
The EFCC must reassess its priorities to prevent politicians from turn the eagle into a chicken, a scaveger for small things.