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FACT CHECK: Does a Nigerian legislator earn more than the US president, as claimed by Sagay?

Kingsley OBIEJESI
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FACT CHECK: Does a Nigerian legislator earn more than the US president, as claimed by Sagay?

At a public lecture in Lagos, earlier in the week, Itse Sagay, Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee against Corruption (PACAC), accused legislators of earning way higher than the US President.

SAGAY’S CLAIMS

“While the United States President earns $400,000 per annum, a Nigerian senator earns over $1.7 million,” he said.

The vocal professor of law said that though the basic salary of a lawmaker is about N2.4m per month, they earn many funny allowances adding up to N29.5m per month and N3.2bn per annum.

Sagay said the legislative arm of government poses the greatest challenge to the anti-corruption campaign of the Muhammadu Buhari administration.

SENATE’S REPLY

Aliyu Sabi-Abdullahi, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, described Sagay’s comments as false and borne out of sheer ignorance.

“Sagay has been one of the few divisive elements in the Buhari administration who believe their relevance is enhanced only when they create constant tension between the legislature and the executive while also setting members of the executives against each other,” Abdullahi stated.

“Let us make it clear that our salaries and allowances are open books and the details can be taken from the RMFAC by any interested party.”

THE FACTS

When the ICIR checked the website of the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), the column for ‘Remuneration Package’ read “Empty section. Edit page to add content here.”

This indicates that there was no information on the remuneration of public officers on the site as of Saturday, when it was last checked.

However, a report by Premium Times in August 2015 detailed how much each senator and member of the House of Representatives earns on monthly and annual basis at the time.

This includes their basic salaries and numerous regular allowances. However, legislators are also paid some other allowances such as estacodes and duty tour allowances.

“The earning of each of the 360 members of the House of Representatives is estimated at N18.26 million, (while) each of the 109 senators earns a bit higher, pocketing N19.66 million each a year,” the report said.

“Additionally, each senator collects N1.01 million a year for his or her domestic staff, while each member of the House of Representatives collects N1 million for the same purpose.”

All the allowances put together, “the 360 members of the House of Representatives gulp N6.58 billion from the nation’s treasury in annual salaries and allowances, while the 109 Senators cost the nation N2.14 billion in similar emoluments.

“Cumulatively, the country shells out a hefty N8.72 billion every year in salaries and allowances to lawmakers in the two chambers of the National Assembly.”

However, the analyses of the lawmakers’ pay did not include “the illegal but hefty quarterly allowances lawmakers pay themselves” in the name of “office running cost”.

“It is unclear how much it is now. In 2009, it was N192million per senator per quarter while their House of Representatives counterparts received N140 million per quarter,” the report added.

Courtesy: Premium Times

Similarly, a 2016 report by the Economic intelligence magazine, “Senators and Members of the House of Representatives received a total of N6.78 billion as their official salaries and allowances in one year”.

“The remuneration packages include annual salaries, accommodation, vehicle maintenance and fuel, Personal Assistants, House maintenance, domestic staff, entertainment and utilities allowances, constituency allowance, annual Leave, hardship allowance, wardrobe, newspapers and responsibility allowances.”

CONCLUSION

While the official earnings of each lawmaker is not as high as the N3.2 billion quoted by Sagay, the opaqueness that has characterised the remuneration of lawmakers over the years has made it difficult, if not impossible, to state with clarity how much they actually take home monthly, quarterly or annually.

For instance, in April this year, Yakubu Dogara, Speaker of the House of Representatives, released his  six months payslips in reply to a challenge by Nasir El-Rufai, the Governor of Kaduna State, who had dared him to make his earnings public.

The published payslips, which ranged from October to March 2016, showed that he earned a minimum of N206,577 and a maximum of N346, 577 within the six months.

But Abdulmumin Jibrin, the suspended former House Committee Chairman on Appropriation, countered Dogara’s claims, saying that if what the Speaker published was true, then he earned more than Dogara, which was impossible.

This only buttresses the fact that there is little or no transparency with regards to what Nigerian lawmakers earn and this does not augur well for the anti-corruption campaign.

Olanrewaju Adepoju: Blinded by 10 percent of N100m coronation fee

YEKEEN Akinwale
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Olanrewaju Adepoju: Blinded by 10 percent of N100m coronation fee

 

That Olanrewaju Adepoju, the Aare Alaasa of Ile Ibadan, also known as golden ewi exponent is blind, was not known to the public, until  August 1, 2017 when Abiodun Akinkunle, a journalist, took up his case.

Akinkunle, a staff of Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State (BCOS), covering the Office of Oyo State Governor undertook a journey to Adepoju’s house to confer with the man who in his hay days mesmerized all and sundry with beautiful Yoruba poetry. “I was privileged to meet Chief Lanre Adepoju at his Idi Orogbo private residence off State Hospital Ring Road, Ibadan” he writes on his Facebook page.

There and then, he knew that the man has lost his sights to glaucoma and cataract and would need just N7million to be able to see again. “Chief Lanre Adepoju is blind in the two eyes, the right eye suffers what is called retina detachment while the left eye is plagued by glaucoma after cataract had earlier been removed through surgery” he adds

Akinkunle has opened an appeal fund to raise the N7million to have the two eyes replaced. According to him, the renowned poet gave him the mandate to appeal to well-meaning Nigerians “to come to his aid to raise the needed fund”

But if you knew who Lanrewaju Adepoju was in the past, you wouldn’t want him to be in the hollow of darkness due to blindness. His genre, (ewi) -poetry sermonized, warned, criticized and of course entertained.

In the dark days of military rule in Nigeria, Chief Adepoju would at one time drop an album attacking the ruling junta, and at the other time drop another to chide societal ills. Many in Ibadan back then would jokingly jibe- Lanrewaju ti salo si Akufo (Lanrewaju has eloped to Akufo after attacking government with his album. He was such a powerful and influential performer that the voiceless ordinary Nigerian relied upon his numerous albums to vent his anger to the government and he never disappointed. He was an activist in his own right and some referred to him as controversial.

It is however sad and terrifying that such a man of talents has lost his sights and is not even getting attention deserving of a senior citizen and someone who had contributed his quota to the socio-moral and political wellbeing of the society.

This, presents a rare opportunity for the Abiola Ajimobi led government of Oyo State to, for once show its welfare side. This is when Lanrewaju Adepoju needs the state government most and not when he is dead and gone that abstract encomiums and eulogies would be pouring on him.

Now is the time to spend the public fund on a good cause that will no doubt attract public applause as against the mass coronation of Obas without territory with N100million which has already worsened to opprobrium-though the government seems not bothered by that.

Indeed, less than 10 percent of the N100million spent to re-invent the history of Ibadan would restore Adepoju’s sight and he would forever be grateful to whoever facilitated that. When contacted, Akinkunle said “the state government has gotten his letter and has requested for all his papers from India hospital.”

“So we are waiting for the government to release money to him soonest as he would be appearing in the Indian Embassy next week”. If this information is anything to rely on, then the earlier the better the state government makes the fund available. This is not a matter to be subjected to the usual administrative bureaucratic process if the government truly desires to come to Adepoju’s aid. He must be rehabilitated too-all will be to the credit of the government. Bola Tinubu provides an inspiring example in the handling of late Won Kere Si Numba Wa father, Fatai Rolling Dollar.

TINUBU’S ROLLING DOLLAR’S EXAMPLE

Bola Ahmed Tinubu surely knows politics- like him or hate him, he has earned his place among Nigerian politicians; living and dead.

His sobriquet, Asiwaju is not contestable, because, beyond debate, he has demonstrated on all fronts how he can easily and quickly rise to the occasion when it matters most. And that’s why he is a friend to all.  It was to his credit that the legendary late musician, Fatai Olagunju, known as Fatai Rolling Dollar became a landlord in Lagos before he died at the age of 86.

Despite his miraculous musical renaissance after Won Kere Si Nomba  Wa shot him to limelight, Rolling Dollar was still a tenant. But his latter days were sweetened by another significant miracle when the Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, then Governor of Lagos State came to his rescue as he faced eviction from his rented residence. Tinubu surprised him with the gift of a flat at Oko-Oba, Agege, Lagos; it was the icing on the cake for the guitar-playing lyrical maestro.

For a performing artist who was active for about 15 years from his beginning in 1953, inspiring and mentoring a number of talents that grew into big names in the country’s musical circle before his troubles, it was rather puzzling that he had to wait for so long for turning-point assistance, which in the end even came from outside the sphere. “Asiwaju Tinubu changed the end of my life for better,” he told an interviewer.

Rolling Dollar’s success story at his latter days is quite instructive that success can come to one at any stage of life. Adepoju too, like Rolling Dollar can still harvest his success at his old age if those who are ordinarily should take the gauntlet for his sake emulate Asiwaju Tinubu. Enough of frivolous spending, help Adepoju regain his sights.

 

 

 

What’s the fuss about Aisha Alhassan’s statement?

Kingsley OBIEJESI
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What’s the fuss about Aisha Alhassan’s statement?

By Sikiru Akinola

We have offended the gods. If not, we would not be tackling tissues instead of issues. Rather than look for solutions to the myriads of problems we are faced with as a country, we like politicising everything, just to curry favour and get those whose faces they don’t like out of the government.

With high hopes, we all supported and voted President Muhammadu Buhari into power in 2015. Most people did so because of his past records and not because he contested on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC. Few months into his government, people like me started seeing signs of bleak future; our ‘best man’ seemed to be unable to ‎perform magic. And instead of alleviating our many problems, the president’s men were always trying to scheme each other out, thereby elevating our problems.

I was shocked the day Buhari announced his men. Apart from the fact some are deficient in many ways, the age of the ideas of the nominees is something to write home about. This is despite the many months it took our president to select the ‘best 11’. The worst of it, critical ministries were ‎trusted in the hands of people without experience. And here we are in 2017, few months into election year, with no tangible achievements.

I had to summarise the Buhari administration in that three paragraphs before delving into the latest issue; the statement credited to Aisha Alhassan about her loyalty to Atiku. More than any important issue, it has enjoyed wide media hype, since the president’s men, trying to outsmart one another, ‘leaked’ it. But the sincerity that has been missing in this present administration came to the fore: ‘Mama Taraba’, as Alhassan is fondly called, dared them. She was quoted to have said that she would support former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar even if Buhari contests in 2019.

‎Explaining that she does not mind losing her job for supporting the Waziri Adamawa, she was quoted in BBC Hausa service ‎as saying: “Atiku is my godfather even before I joined politics. And again, Baba Buhari did not tell us that he is going to run in 2019.‎”

She went further to say: “Let me tell you today that if Baba said he is going to contest in 2019, I swear to Allah, I will go before him and kneel and tell him that ‘Baba I am grateful for the opportunity you gave me to serve your government as a minister but Baba just like you know I will support only Atiku because he is my godfather. If Atiku says he is going to contest.

“If because of what I said, I am sacked, it will not bother me because I believe in Allah, that my time has elapsed that is why… Baba is not a mad man like those calling for my sack. They have been sending it and spreading that if Baba sees this, I will be sacked.” she concluded.

But what is wrong the above? Some of us knew that Atiku, just like many other political appointees, were ‘donations’ made by contributors to the emergence of Buhari. Should they, because of position, deny their benefactor or godfather?

For me, the above is rare courage, especially when such is coming from the mouth of a woman.  I just don’t know why we like saying the opposite of what we mean, in Nigeria. I don’t know why we like following the crowd as if we will be crucified for holding opposing views. We should rather commend the woman for speaking the truth. Nigeria, I hail thee. So, because she has let the cat out of the bag, you want to ‘stone’ her?

Well, those of you who did not support her godfather should be pardoned. Are you telling me that if Asiwaju Bola Tinubu decides to run against Buhari, Nigeria’s information minister, Lai Mohammed will support the latter? Or spokesperson of the ruling APC, Bolaji Abdullah, will support Buhari against Saraki?‎ Who does not know that this government came in through coalition, of many forces? If I were Buhari, I would invite her and commend her for that rare audacity. I will purge myself of the ‘yes-men’ who are always nodding in agreement to whatever I say, just to save their job.

Though it is unfortunate, since Buhari got to power, he has been ‘coming and going’ for medical treatment outside the country‎. The ailment we don’t know. Whether he is jetting out for medical again, we are not sure. Will this continue? We don’t know. But in case the remaining few years he has in this first term are used like this, can we not consider another option? Buhari appears tired and we cannot continue like this. The issue of labelling one aspirant as corrupt or otherwise should not be the theme of the 2019 campaign but what he or she has to offer, to take us out of the mess we have found ourselves. Nigeria and Nigerians need urgent redemption and the time to start begins now. Making much noise about Alhassan’s statement will neither lead us out nor put food on our table.

Sikiru Akinola is of www.insideoyo.com. He can be reached via kenyatta4pen@gmail.com.

‘Bad news will dog your footsteps’… Adesina warns those unhappy with Nigeria’s exit from recession

iCiR
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‘Bad news will dog your footsteps’… Adesina warns those unhappy with Nigeria’s exit from recession

Femi Adesina, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, has lambasted the “haters” who are unhappy with the country’s exit from recession.

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) announced Nigeria’s exit from recession on Monday, but some critics of the government insist it’s not yet Uhuru until the common man has felt the progress in real terms.

Responding in a piece posted on his Facebook wall on Saturday, Adesina told such people to restructure their thoughts.

He said he was not cursing anyone but only warning those who always expect bad news from the government to “restructure their minds lest bad news dog their footsteps”.

Also, he submitted that what Nigerians need right now is not political restructuring but a restructuring of the mind.

THE FULL PIECE

Hearing some Nigerians speak (whether based at home or in the Diaspora) you discern that they are “in the gall of bitterness and in the bondage of iniquity.” They spew out things that give them away as “whited sepulchers, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones.”

What happened to grace? Where did decency disappear to? Are words not to be seasoned with salt again? What has happened to us as a people? The more rotten, the better, it seems. The fouler and odoriferous the cesspit, the more attractive, followed by applause. That seems to be the philosophy of some people today, and it doesn’t matter who they are. High or low. But we cannot continue that way, if we want to be acceptable to God, and to our fellow human beings. National development does not come by a sudden flight. You work at it.

The sing-song in the country today is restructuring of the polity. We want more states. We want a return to regional structure. We want a revision of the revenue allocation formula. We want six vice presidents, one from each geo-political zone. We want those zones to be the federating units, rather than the states. And so on, and so forth.

In fact, so loud is the cacophony of voices over restructuring that if you ask 100 people what they mean, they give you 100 different explanations. But as a country, I believe we will get there someday. And soon.
However, is political restructuring the most urgent thing Nigeria needs now? I don’t think so. For me, what is more urgent is the restructuring of the Nigerian mind. A mind that sees the country as one, that believes that we have a future and a hope, that believes that we are one people under God. But what we see now is ruinous for any country. It is hemlock, bound to poison the entire polity, and send it to a premature perdition.
On Tuesday, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) announced that we had exited from economic recession. It was cheery news for majority of Nigerians, save for those in the gall of bitterness. They spat in the sky, and collected the spittle with their faces. Who gave Nigeria the permission to exit recession? Who gave her the audacity of hope? How can the economy attempt to rebound, when it should sink deeper and deeper into the miry clay? They were in the doldrums, unhappy because good news came for the country. In their befuddled minds, Nigeria must never see a silver lining in the sky. The ravening clouds must ever remain victorious, must forever possess the sky, simply because of primordial reasons. The party in power is not my own, so why should Nigeria make progress under it? The President in office was not the one I voted for, so why should he succeed? He does not speak my language, he is not of my religion or ethnic stock, so why must Nigeria prosper under him? They, therefore, throw all sorts of tantrums,c like a child whose lollipop is taken away, and attempt to rubbish the news on exit from recession. And those same people would canvass for a restructuring of the polity. Big mistake. Wrong priority. They need to have their minds restructured first, so that they have goodwill towards their own country, and towards all men. Left to them, they wish that when NBS releases results for the next quarter, Nigeria should have gone back into recession. Filthy dreamers! Awful imaginations! They need a restructuring of their minds, and quickly, too.

Some people spend their lifetime expecting thunderstorms and hurricanes, so they never enjoy showers of blessing. Their addled minds expect negative news, so they never enjoy good tidings. They are the type that swallow poison, and then begin to hope that it will kill the person next door. Restructuring, restructuring, that is what such minds need.

Chase after him. If you catch up with him, kill him. If he outruns you, poison his footsteps. That is the chant in most parts of the country today. Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. Hate has become their natural language. When they speak hateful words, they speak their native language, their mother tongue. Don’t mind the elevated offices they occupy now, or which they have occupied in the past. They are in the throes, in the paroxysms of bitterness. Only a restructuring of the mind can save them. My dear senior friend, Ikemba Obosima, from Imo State, has good counsel for them, in a text message he sent to one of them recently, which he copied me:”Pain will follow him who speaks or acts with evil thoughts, as does the wheel of the foot of him who draws the cart. He is greater man who conquers self than he who kills a thousand men in war…Love will purify the heart of him who is beloved as truly as it purifies the heart of he who loves.” But will they listen? If they have not danced too far, and have not become like the dog fated to get lost, which refuses to hear the whistle of the hunter. Let them return home, to sanity.

The National Bureau of Statistics announced our descent into recession. They embraced the news, almost with sickening glee. Now, the same agency has announced exit, and they begin to question its impartiality. What kind of people are they? They want to hear only bad news? May their minds be restructured, lest bad news dog their footsteps. Malediction? Am I cursing anybody? Not at all. Just a warning, and a call to new attitude, new thoughts, new conduct. The things we expect have a way of coming upon us. Ask the biblical Job. “What I feared has come upon me. What I dreaded has happened to me.”(Job 3:25).
One of the characteristics of a hateful mind is that it conjures a lot of mischief, and purveys same as truth. And the gullible laps it up. During the health challenge of our dear President, a thing common to any mortal, big or small, of high or low estate, they filled the land with evil tidings. Oh, he is on life support machine. No, he is dead and long buried. He will never return to that office, I swear. And then, God did what He knows how to do best. He showed the Deus ex machina, His Invisible Hands. Now, the reputation of those people is hanging on life support. If only men would restructure their minds!

President Buhari says exit from recession is cheery news, but until the life of the average Nigerian is positively touched by the economy, he doesn’t consider the job done. Very good. Even the NBS, which brought the good news, says the economy is still fragile, and the good work must continue, so that we don’t slide back. That is exactly what this government would do. That is the motive behind the ERGP (Economic Reconstruction and Growth Plan). So, let nobody be filled with diabolic thoughts. Government does not feel it is there yet. Action stations! All hands on deck.

A final word for haters, wailers, purveyors of fake news, or whatever you choose to call them. Evil minds wax worse and worse. A hater would envy others unnecessarily. He would conjure evil thoughts that would poison his system. He would manifest all sorts of negative tendencies that turn him into a proper child of the Devil. And at the end of it all, his master welcomes him home with open arms. “Abandon hope all ye who enter here.” (Dante’s Inferno). And there will be plenty weeping, and gnashing of teeth.

Suicide bomber sneaks into Gamboru-Ngala IDP camp, ‘kills six’ civilian JTF members

iCiR
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Suicide bomber sneaks into Gamboru-Ngala IDP camp, ‘kills six’ civilian JTF members

A suspected Boko Haram male suicide bomber on Friday gained entrance to the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp in Gamboru-Ngala, Borno State and detonated a bomb, killing six members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) and injuring six IDPs.

This is the first ever attack on the camp, which is less than 10 kilometres from the Cameroon borders, as inflow and outflow of human traffic is strictly regulated.

According to one of the IDP leaders in the camp, the suicide bomber got in from the rear of the camp, near the latrines and close to the CJTF post, before detonating the bomb that was strapped to his body.

“He came in through the north of the camp between 7pm and 8pm and sneaked into the CJTF members before detonating his bomb,” he said.

“Six CJTF members and the bomber were killed while six IDPs, including a woman, were injured. They have been taken to the hospital.”

Gamboru Ngala IDP camp is one of the biggest camps in Borno, housing about 70,000 IDPs from different local government areas, including Dikwa, Marte, Kala-Balge, Bama, etc.

It is located very close to the 3 Battalion Headquarters, which also oversees Rann, capital of Kala-Balge, where the military bombed civilians in January, and Logomani, a town bordering Dikwa and Gamboru-Ngala.

More to follow…

Lankesh, ‘courageous’ Indian journalist, gunned down outside home

YEKEEN Akinwale
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Lankesh, ‘courageous’ Indian journalist, gunned down outside home

The Indian journalism society has been thrown into mourning session following the murder of Gauri Lankesh, Indian prominent journalist and editor who was critical of the Hindu ruling party, by unknown gunmen.

Lankesh, who was reputed as a courageous journalist, was shot dead Tuesday night outside her home in Bangalore, just as she got out of her car.

She is known to be critical of Hindu nationalist politics in India. According to police, Gauri Lankesh, 55, was found lying in a pool of blood on her doorstep.

She was shot in the head and chest by gunmen who arrived by motorcycle. The motive for the crime was not clear.

The most high-profile Indian journalist murdered in recent years, Ms Lankesh was buried with full state honours.

There were also protests against her killing in several Indian cities, including the capital, Delhi.

Gauri edited a Kannada Language publication, and regularly spoke up for social justice, minorities, press freedom, and the right to dissent — at a time of growing majoritarianism and authoritarian politics in India.

She was increasingly threatened on social media and other platforms by supporters of right-wing Hindu groups.

Shell complicit in Abacha’s killing of ‘Ogoni Nine’, says Amnesty International

YEKEEN Akinwale
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Shell complicit in Abacha’s killing of ‘Ogoni Nine’, says Amnesty International

Amnesty International (AI) says multi-national oil company Shell is hoarding evidence that are crucial to a legal case in the Netherlands alleging its complicity in the unlawful arrest, detention and execution of nine men in Nigeria in the 1990s.

It alleges that Shell’s US law firm is refusing to hand over more than 100,000 internal documents needed to prove complicity of the oil giant in the case.This is coming ahead of a US Court of Appeals hearing next week.

According to Audrey Gaughran, Senior Director of Research at Amnesty International, “Shell has gone to extraordinary lengths to withhold this critical information. Because the documents in question are so old, it is highly unlikely that there are legitimate business reasons for keeping them confidential. So what does Shell have to hide?”

In a statement released on Friday, Gaughran said: “Having reviewed the available evidence, Amnesty International believes that Shell was complicit in putting the Ogoni Nine at the mercy of a government it knew to be serial human rights abuser.

“Given the seriousness of the allegations, it is vital that Shell releases the rest of the information. It cannot be allowed to hide behind expensive legal teams and sleights of hand to avoid facing justice.”

The execution of the ‘Ogoni Nine’, including renowned writer Ken Saro-Wiwa by the Nigerian state in 1995 sparked global outrage.

It was the culmination of a brutal campaign by the military government to silence protests in the oil-producing Niger Delta region.

After a 20-year battle for justice, four of the men’s widows, led by Esther Kiobel, filed a legal writ against Shell in the Netherlands on June 28, 2015. But Shell is trying to prevent the release of information vital to the case.

On September 12, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals in New York will hear the first appeal by Shell’s lawyers Cravath, Swaine & Moore, LLP against a federal court order to turn over the documents.

Esther Kiobel is represented in the proceedings by EarthRights International, an international human rights and environmental justice NGO.

She first filed a lawsuit against Shell in 2001 in the US, but in 2013 the US Supreme Court ruled that the US did not have jurisdiction, without hearing the substance of the case. Shell was represented by Cravath, which still holds more than 100,000 confidential Shell documents produced through discovery in the original case.

On January 24, 2017 a New York district court ordered Shell to turn over the documents.

The international human rights organization says after reviewing the available evidence, it believes that Shell encouraged the authorities in their campaign to stop the protests, even after they knew human rights violations had occurred.

It adds that it has presented these allegations to Shell, which stated that it “did not collude with the military authorities to suppress community unrest and in no way encouraged or advocated any act of violence in Nigeria”.

UPDATED: El-Rufai: If Buhari doesn’t run in 2019, he’ll tell us whom to vote for

Kingsley OBIEJESI
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UPDATED: El-Rufai: If Buhari doesn’t run in 2019, he’ll tell us whom to vote for

Nasir el-Rufai, Governor of Kaduna State, says that his group, the “Buharists”, will ensure that President Muhammadu Buhari runs for the presidency in 2019.

El-Rufai said this while fielding questions from journalists on Friday.

He was reacting to the comments by Aisha Al-Hassan, Minister of Women Affairs, that she would support Atiku Abubakar, rather than Buhari come 2019 general election, especially as Buhari had told her in the past that he would only seek a single tenure in office.

“We have a group of Buharists among governors, ministers,” el-Rufai said.

“Our Group wants to ensure that President Buhari runs in 2019. And if he chooses not to run, he will tell us which direction to go and we will go.

“We are Buharists. We don’t have any personal ambition. We don’t have any personal aspiration. And we are waiting for him to decide. And every political effort we are making, every structure we are creating is towards that end.”

El-Rufai maintained that Alhassan’s comments were inconsequential, as she hadn’t even played any important role in the Buhari administration.

He said he was not surprised at Alhassan’s comments because she neither supported Buhari nor his ideologies, but it is left for Buhari to either sack or retain her.

“If Jumai Alhassan is performing as Minister of Women Affairs and is adding values to the government and the people of Nigeria, it is the President’s prerogative to retain her in spite of her political views,” he said.

“But if she is not adding value, in spite of her political views, she can be dispensed with. That’s the President’s decision.

“Her comments are not surprising; she has never been a supporter; she has never believed in the Buhari ideology, so I’m not surprised.

“As a Nigerian, as an individual, she has every right to express her views and support whoever she wants but what I’m saying is that Nigerians should not be surprised or shocked.

“This has always been her position because from time she has never supported Buharism or what Buhari stands for.

“But being part of the Buhari government is a different thing because government sets policies and if you are a minister, you execute the policy. You can execute those policies while pursuing a different brand of politics, and it is okay. There’s no problem with that.”

Jonathan: I built 165 Almajiri schools even though I got the least votes from the north

Kingsley OBIEJESI
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Jonathan: I built 165 Almajiri schools even though I got the least votes from the north

 

Goodluck Jonathan, the immediate past President of Nigeria, says all he did while in office was led by his conscience, which is why his administration constructed a record 165 modern Almajiri schools in northern Nigeria despite scoring the least votes in the region.

This was contained in a paper titled ‘Conscience based leadership: the secret to global peace and security’, which he presented at the International Summit on Peace, organised by the Junior Chambers International, JCI, in Kuching, Malaysia, on Friday.

“I can confidently say that in all my public life, I was inspired to lead by conscience,” Jonathan said.

“This is in agreement with my personal philosophy which I first proclaimed while running for the office of the Governor of my home state Bayelsa in 2006, and re-echoed when I ran for the office of the President of Nigeria in 2011 and 2015.

“Then, I made it clear that my political ambition is not worth the blood of anybody. Ever since I said that in November of 2006 in Yenagoa, capital of Bayelsa State, I have always lived by it.

“This philosophy informed my decision to concede the 2015 Presidential election, even while the results were still being collated.”

Jonathan said it was his resolve to lead according to his conscience that made him pay special attention to education in order to get the vast majority of Nigerians out of illiteracy and ignorance.

“In Nigeria, there were 10.5 million (about 15% of the population) out-of-school children who were of school age, going by UNICEF figures, as at the time I became President,” he said.

“Over 80% of these children, majority of whom are known as Almajiri, came from the northern part of Nigeria, where I recorded the least votes in the elections I contested.

“Knowing the value of education…my administration decided to build 165 Almajiri Integrated Model Schools which combined both western and Islamic education in its curricula.

“They were designed to have significant impact in reducing the number of out-of-school children, and opening the space for them to dream like other kids in other parts of the nation.

“Constitutionally, the Federal Government which I led was not obligated to build primary and   secondary   schools.   It is the responsibility of the states and local governments.

“But I believed that without providing education to these children, the country would be fated to spend more money in fighting insecurity.

“…It was obvious that Boko Haram terrorists were exploiting these innocent children in the northern part of the country and using them as canon fodders to destabilize the country.

“The situation was so awful that security reports indicated that even parents were alleged to be giving out their innocent and illiterate children to terrorists for suicide bombing.”

Jonathan further stated that throughout the time he was in office, “education enjoyed the highest sectoral allocation in the nation’s budget.”

‘Ghana must go’… how manufactured penalties, denied goals fetched Ghanaian referee Lamptey life FIFA ban

Chikezie OMEJE
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‘Ghana must go’… how manufactured penalties, denied goals fetched Ghanaian referee Lamptey life FIFA ban

Ghanaian referee Joseph Odartei Lamptey on Wednesday lost his appeal to upturn a life ban from participating in any football competition after the Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) found him guilty of match fixing.

In March, he was banned for life by FIFA, following allegations he influenced the result of a World Cup qualifying match between South Africa and Senegal, played on November 12, 2016.

FIFA has ordered that the match should be replayed sometime in November.

Lamptey was initially given three-month ban by Confederation of African Football (CAF) but FIFA upgraded it to a life ban. The South Africa-Senegal game wasn’t the first time Lamptey would be at the centre of controversial decisions that determined the football matches, both locally and internationally.

IMMIGRATION OFFICER AND CONTROVERSIAL FIFA REFEREE

Lamptey was a FIFA licensed referee and was once named Ghana’s best referee but he had always been accused of influencing matches for betting syndicates.

Born on September 13, 1974 in Accra, the Ghanaian capital, Lamptey’s father  was a FIFA match official and later President of the Ghana Football Association.

His father’s influence was evident as he combined his job as a senior immigration officer at the Kotokoa Airport in Ghana with that of a football referee.

NUMEROUS MATCH FIXING

Ghanaian media have listed eight suspicious decisions that Lamptey made in domestic and international matches he officiated.

SOUTH AFRICA vs SENEGAL

In the last match that nailed Lamptey, he gave a penalty for a nonexistent handball against Senegal defender Kalidou Koulibaly during the game in Polokwane, South Africa, but replays showed the ball struck Koulibaly’s knee and dropped to the ground.

Following the controversial penalty, South Africa scored two goals in four minutes to beat Senegal 2-1, prompting the West African country to lodge a complaint with CAF.

 AL AHLY vs ESPERANCE SC

Lamptey officiated the match between two North African rivals, Tunisia’s Esperance and Al Ahli of Egypt in 2010, with the prize at stake being a place in the final of the year’s CAF Champions League semi-final.

He awarded a highly disputed goal in the match, played at the November 7 Stadium in Tunis.

Esperance striker Michael Eneramo scored a controversial goal with his hand just under one minute to deny the Egyptian giants an opportunity to win the title for the seventh time.

Television replays showed that the Nigerian clearly used his arm to steer the ball into the net after a headed cross. Al Ahly coach Hossam al-Badri said the referee could be blamed for causing them to miss the US$1.5m first prize and a place in the end-of-year FIFA Club World Cup.

 ANGOLA vs DR CONGO

In March 2016, Lamptey was again appointed by CAF to handle the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier between Congo DR and Angola. At 90 minutes, the game stood at DR Congo 2 – 0 Angola. Lamptey signaled for 5 minutes of added time at the end.

At 95 minutes, the referee didn’t call time. At roughly 95:30, a player went down and was stretchered off; this process took about a minute. The ref quickly signaled for physio staff to take him off and that was that.

At 99:30, he awarded a penalty in favour of Angola. Once the penalty kick was scored, the referee blew his whistle, signaling full time at almost double the added time.

HEART OF LIONS vs ASANTE KATOKO

Referee Lamptey officiated one of Ghana football’s most famous matches between Heart of Lions and Asante Kotoko in 2005.

Heart of Lions opened the scores in the 46th minutes but  Kotoko equalised in the 73rd minute from what many football analysts believed looked like an offside positioning.

The referee later awarded a dubious 86th-minute spot kick, which was met with a spontaneous reaction from the Kotoko fans. Not even a security beefed-up by the military police could stop the fans from ripping off the seats while Kotoko players and officials left for the dressing room.

The match is very popularly referred by Ghanaian soccer fans as Yenbo biom, which literally translates to ‘We won’t play again’.

ZAMALEK vs TP Mazembe

CAF appointed Lamptey for a match between Egyptian side Zamalek and TP Mazembe in the 2014 CAF Champions League group game.

Following a 1-0 defeat to Mazembe, Zamalek coach Ahmed Mido accused the Ghanaian referee of taking a bribe to cheat them. A 13th minute strike from Rainford Kalaba proved enough to hand Mazembe the vital win before their home fans to put them in full control of Group A with three matches left.

Lamptey came in for serious bashing from the Egyptian fans and media over claims he robbed the White Knights. Players of Zamalek charged on the experienced Ghanaian referee after he blasted his whistle to end the match to register their protest of his performance on the day.

MEDEAMA vs ASANTE KOTOKO

Ghana’s Asante Kotoko and Medeama SC clashed in the final of the 2015 MTN FA Cup at the Sekondi-Takoradi stadium.

The Porcupine Warriors were beaten 2-1 at the Sekondi Stadium but the talking point of the game was about Richard Mpong’s disallowed equalizer for Kotoko.

The substitute headed in a spilled ball from Medeama goalkeeper Muntari Tagoe but Lamptey whistled for an infringement inside the box, which was unclear even to the Medeama SC players.

Asante Kotoko coach David Duncan hit out at Lamptey, describing his performance as “appalling” and calling on the Ghana FA to sanction him accordingly.

DWARFS vs MEDEAMA

In a local match between Cape Coast Ebusua Dwarfs and Tarkwa Medeama, played on  on May 11, 2010, in the Ghana Division One final play off, Lamptey awarded a controversial penalty.

On the stroke of half-time, he awarded what could perhaps be described as the most astonishing penalty in the history of Ghanaian football.

Ebusua Dwarfs’ experienced striker Emmanuel Osei Kuffuor clashed with a Medeama SC defender and referee Lamptey didn’t hesitate to award a penalty in favour of the Cape Coast side, brushing off a heated protest from the Medeama SC players.

Replays clearly showed the incident was meters away from the goal area, with the referee too close to the scene to have missed it.

TEMA YOUTH vs GREAT OLYMPICS

Lamptey was in charge of a crucial decider in May 2014 at a promotional play-off between Accra Great Olympics and Tema Youth. The two sides were tied on points going into the game and required a win to seal promotion into the topflight.

Tema Youth made an 11th-minute penalty request when striker Ekow Benson was clearly brought down in the Olympic penalty box but it was turned down by Lamptey.

Tema Youth lodged an official complaint with the Ghana FA Referees Review panel but Lamptey was set free.

Only that for his latest offence, he hasn’t gone scot-free. if anything, whatever freedom he now enjoys will be exercised faraway from the football field.

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