Reuben Abati, former media aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, has commended Acting President Yemi Osinbajo for his efforts at ensuring that Nigeria remains a united, but he believes the Acting President is not meeting with the right set of people.
In an articlepublished on his website on Tuesday, Abati said the meetings that have so far taken place between Osinbajo and elders of both the Northern and South-Eastern regions of the country may not achieve the desired result because many of the elders do not believe in a united Nigeria.
He said: “The Federal Government under Acting President Yemi Osinbajo has been holding meetings with key stakeholders within the Federation. The consultations are in order, but the Acting President is yet to talk to the right people.
“He is talking to people who carry their international passports in their pockets because they don’t know what tomorrow promises in Nigeria. He is consulting persons whose family members are mostly one-leg-in-one-leg-out Nigerians; many of them in fact have dual nationality.
“Nigeria is their trading post, the place where they make the money they and their children spend in Dubai, UK and wherever.”
Abati said it would yield better results if Osinbajo was to engage with “the angry Igbo youths who now kneel down to greet Nnamdi Kanu and call him their god; the Arewa youths who have told the Igbos to get out of Nigeria and get away, and who have called the Yoruba names while further insisting that they are not afraid of the Nigerian government arresting them”.
“The people to talk to are the leaders of the various other groups who are taking sides,” he continued.
“Leaders of the Middle Belt and the South-South are holding talks; some Yorubas are planning to hold theirs this week in Ibadan.
“Draw the map of the emerging rhetoric in Nigeria today; what you have is a divided country. The scenario is so painfully reminiscent of the early 60s.
“Crisis management is an important part of nation-building. We have failed to manage most of the crises that have befallen our nation, on a sustainable basis, and that is why every proverbial snake that is killed suddenly resurrects.”
Cyril Stober, the revered NTA journalist, once asked Yusuf Maitama Sule what had happened to the Arewa envisaged by the likes of Ahmadu Bello, the late Sardauna of Sokoto. Sule’s response was as stimulating as it was thought-provoking; it was heartbreaking in that it painted a grim picture of the society, but it was also refreshing in that no listener could resist marvelling at his intellectual prowess.
‘We are no longer what we were,” he began.
“What is happening today is not in our character. The norms and values left by Sardauna and our founding fathers are no longer with us. Today… the institution of family has broken down. Respect for elders and constituted authority, which used to be a cardinal principle in our society, is now at its lowest ebb.
“Honesty, where it does not pay, has become meaningless. Symptoms of revolt loom large in the horizon. In short, there is meaninglessness in philosophy, insecurity in polity, chaos in politics, immorality in society, corruption in economy, frustration in art, and lack of creativity in literature.”
Clearly, there’s a reason why he is an acclaimed orator, but that is not all there is to him.
GLITTERING POLITICAL CAREER
Sule (middle) at an anti-apartheid Un press conference
Sule was Nigeria’s Permanent Representative at the United Nations during the Second Republic. Before then, from 1959 to 1966, he was Minister of Mines and Power, with the oil portfolio under his ministry. While at the UN, he chaired the committee that sought to end apartheid in South Africa.
In 1976, he became the Federal Commissioner of Public Complaints — a position that made him the nation’s pioneer ombudsman. In early 1979, he was presidential candidate of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) but lost to Shehu Shagari. After the re-election of President Shagari in 1983, he was named Minister for National Guidance, a portfolio designed to assist the president in tackling corruption.
A ‘PLEASANT RASCAL’ LIKED BY ALL
Sule once talked about how he was liked by everyone around him because of his humility and simple attitude to life.
“As I told you, I like making friends,” he told Daily Trust’s Temitayo Odunlami and Yushau Ibrahim in May 2016.
“In life, if you are humble, if you are simple, if you are friendly, if you respect people, if you love people, they, too, will love you, respect you and like you. One good turn deserves another. Nigerians all over like me and I have no reason not to like Nigeria and Nigerians. I must like them. I am not a Kano man alone; I am Yoruba, Igbo, Ijaw, Itsekiri, Kanuri, Fulani, Ibibio, Tiv. I am all. I respect everybody.
“When I was a boy, either before I went to the elementary school or when I was in the elementary school, in my quarters in the city, I would take a broom and sweep the quarters. Nobody told me to do it; I would do it on my own. I would sweep the whole quarters. I would also go into the mosque and sweep everywhere there, inside and outside. Why won’t people like me?
“It was also my habit as a boy to kneel down when greeting elders, even servants in my father’s house. My father taught me to respect them, to kneel down and greet them, though they were servants in our house. People, not only senior people, but even my contemporaries, would send me on errands and I would go gladly. That was how I grew up. In school, I was the errand boy of my seniors. Some people took me for a rascal, but I was a pleasant rascal, a kind of comedian just to please people.”
BECOMING SENIOR PREFECT ‘BY FORCE’
Sule was so playful in school that he was nearly expelled in his final year. By his own narration, the principal once noted in a report about him: “Too superficial and too much of an exhibitionist.”
This, though, didn’t deter his colleagues from ensuring he was named senior prefect, much against the will of the principal. Narrating the events, Sule said: “On the last day of the term, the final-year class was exiting and we were set to take over from them and to know who the new prefects would be. We were at the assembly ground and the principal was announcing the names of the new prefects.
“Oh! Before I go on, I want to say our compound (boarding house) was a new one called Montgomery House and one of rascals. They selected rascals from other houses and brought them to make this new one called Montgomery House.
“So when, at the assembly, the principal was announcing names of the selected new prefects from each house and he got to Montgomery House, my mates in the House didn’t even allow him mention any name before they started shouting, ‘Senior Prefect, Montgomery House, Mallam Yusufu, Mallam Yusufu, Mallam Yusufu’. The principal became furious; he had no intention of making me a prefect let alone the Senior Prefect.
“The second time, the principal began saying, ‘Senior Prefect, Montgomery House… But the boys didn’t allow him any freedom; they were just shouting, ‘Mallam Yusufu, Mallam Yusufu, Mallam Yusufu. Hold on, don’t give up!’ The principal noticed he would get into trouble if he announced any other name than mine. So he simply announced, ‘Maitama Sule’. Immediately, the boys started singing and drumming, Namu ya samu, namu ya samu (meaning ‘this is our own’). The principal stood wondering, then began laughing. It was actually the boys who made me a Senior Prefect.”
JOURNEY TO EXILE
Maitama Sule wanted to be President. In 1978, he contested for the presidential ticket of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) against Adamu Ciroma, who placed third, and Shehu Shagari, who won the ticket and, eventually, the 1979 polls.
Despite his loss, Sule was widely viewed as the most popular of the three candidates; therefore, to whittle down his power, it was agreed that he would be sent on ‘exile’ — as a diplomat to the United Nations. He welcomed the idea.
“Some said taking such a role would amount to sending me on exile but I was later telling them that it was a pleasant exile, because, of all the political appointments I took, that appointment to the United Nations, to me, was the best,” he said several years after.
“I went to the United Nations to serve the international community, to serve the world and humanity; it was a place where what made us prominent was our struggle against apartheid. Nigeria, being in the fore front of the struggle, was made the Chairman of the committee against apartheid. So, I found myself in the special committee against apartheid as its Chairman, which gave me the opportunity to tour the world, to talk about apartheid, to preach and pray for the release of the late Nelson Mandela and end of apartheid.”
NO REGRETS
Someone else in his shoes might have looked back at his life and picked the failed intra-party presidential bid as one the sadder moments. Not Sule. The ever-grateful soul that he is, he understands he can have no complaints. After all, he was barely 20 when he formed the Northern Elements Progressive Union (NEPU); he was widely respected at home and abroad; and for years, he occupied strategic positions in government.
“I thank God for everything. I am the luckiest at my age,” he said in 2015 when he was 85.
“Nobody of my age is looking as healthy, as young as I am. I am 85 now. You think I am 57? I became member of parliament when I was 24, I became a minister at the age of 29. So, I thank my God.
“Even at that, one way or the other, my names keep coming up and I think maybe because I have finished paying my debt. I am still relevant by the grace of God. If I wanted to contest election, I still would, because politics is a thing of the mind. And even if it a thing of the body, God has given me good health.”
THE LAST OF A DYING BREED
Humility… Sule, an octogenarian, bows to VP Yemi Osinbajo, who was 59 at the time of the meeting in 2015
Due largely to his cosmopolitan upbringing in Kano and Lagos, where he grew up among the Yoruba, Igbo, Syrians and Lebanese, Sule was one of the truly nationalistic leaders around. He picked Nigeria over any ethnic group any time, and when he had to pick an ethnic group at all costs, he picked all of them!
“Nigerians all over like me and I have no reason not to like Nigeria and Nigerians; I must like them,” he once said. “I am not a Kano man alone; I am Yoruba, Igbo, Ijaw, Itsekiri, Kanuri, Fulani, Ibibio, Tiv. I am all. I respect everybody.”
ONE HOUSE, NO OIL WELL , NO ACCOUNT NUMBER
Sule (middle) with Goodluck Jonathan, former President (left)
For all his years in public office, including seven that effectively made him Petroleum Minister, Dan Masani Kano didn’t die a rich man. His son once told Punch that he did not have a single personal bank account anywhere in this world.
“I stand to be corrected,” Ahmed, the son, said. “He does not own houses, apart from the house he has in Kano. You can ask anybody who is close to him.”
Does he own companies, then? “He does not have any,” Ahmed replied.
“The people who know my father very well will testify to that. That is why we are respected wherever we go. No matter the wealth someone accumulates through corrupt means, eventually, people would not have respect for that person. Dan Masani is not rich. How can he be rich when he does not have an oil well and does not have a single investment? But he is comfortable, courtesy of the good people he has around him.”
Sule’s values are the type that are rare to find among present-day Nigerian politicians. Were that interviewer to sit down with a son of one of the country’s current leaders, the question wouldn’t be if the dad has an account. Instead, it would be how many are in Nigeria and how many are abroad. It would be about wondering how many are being investigated by the EFCC, and how many have been disguised away in Swiss or allied accounts.
To compare Sule’s life with that of the average politician of the day is to admit that, “in short, there is meaninglessness in philosophy, insecurity in polity, chaos in politics, immorality in society, corruption in economy, frustration in art, and lack of creativity in literature”.
The death of Maitama Sule, a former politician, former diplomat and elder statesman, at the ripe age of 88 has triggered tributes from prominent Nigerians on a life many believe was well-spent.
One common opinion about Sule’s numerous gifts is that he was an enchanting orator.
Never heard/watched him speak before? Here’s one video you should help yourself to.
Maitama Sule, former Minister of Petroleum, former Minister of Mines and Power, died in Cairo on Sunday, aged 88.
Although he spent extensive time in Nigerian politics, for instance being Mines Minister for seven years, he will arguably be most remembered for his post-political life.
Sule is popularly referred to as “elder statesman”, but he is also an accomplished orator.
Below are 11 of some of his most memorable quotes; in some there are lessons, in others just humour and wit.
Enjoy.
ON LAGOS
Lagos was my second home. In fact, I used to be more at home in Lagos than in Kano… I liked Lagos because people in Lagos liked me. I was the Onikoyi of Ikoyi (a chieftaincy title in Lagos Island) and the Bada of Lagos, as I was the Ada Ida Akei Igburutu of Calabar.
ON HUMILITY
In life, if you are humble, if you are simple, if you are friendly, if you respect people, if you love people, they, too, will love you, respect you and like you.
ON DIVERSITY
Nigerians all over like me and I have no reason not to like Nigeria and Nigerians. I must like them. I am not a Kano man alone; I am Yoruba, Igbo, Ijaw, Itsekiri, Kanuri, Fulani, Ibibio, Tiv. I am all. I respect everybody.
ON MATHEMATICS, TO HIS TEACHER
Excuse me, sir, this trigonometry is a little bit of nonsense. What is a little bit of x and a little bit of y? ‘X’ is ‘x’ and ‘y’ is ‘y’.
ON HIS INTEREST IN POLITICS
The Sardauna called me and reminded me he told me to be his private secretary but I refused. He added that they selected me to go to London to study Law but I said I didn’t like it. He asked me, “What do you want to do, for God’s sake.” I replied, “What you are doing, sir.”
ON AWOLOWO
…you know Chief Awolowo was a proud man. He did what he wanted to do against my advice and he told me that there was a time the North rebuffed him. I told him to avoid certain things but he did not. He was a principled man, he would not lie. He would speak out his mind.
ON ILL-GOTTEN WEALTH
You can’t eat your cake and have it. The present-day leadership wants money. You can’t have money and honour at the same time. Our former leaders didn’t want money, they wanted to serve the country, and that is why they were respected.
ON NIGERIA’S NEEDS
I keep saying what we need in Nigeria is leadership, not rulership.
ON YOUTH AND EXPERIENCE
You must seek the experience of the old, because the best organization is the combination of the old and young.
ON LIFE
…because we are masters of our fate, we should be captains of our souls.
ON THE STATE OF THE COUNTRY
Honesty, where it does not pay, has become meaningless. Symptoms of revolt loom large in the horizon. In short, there is meaninglessness in philosophy, insecurity in polity, chaos in politics, immorality in society, corruption in economy, frustration in art, and lack of creativity in literature.
Jimoh Moshood, Public Relations Officer of the Police, says it was the court, not the police, that released Emeka, the man initially thought to have betrayed Donatus Duru, his employer, to Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike aka Evans.
Moshood gave the explanation on AIT’s breakfast programme, Kaakaki, on Monday.
He said Emeka was granted bail because there was no proof that he actually provided the information that led to the kidnap of Duru.
According to Moshood, Evans himself confessed that he did not know who Emeka was, saying that it was one Baba Eko, an Igbo man who goes with a Yoruba alias, who provided information on the kidnap of Duru. Baba Eko is still at large.
“The case of Emeka has been mentioned before the court and there’s no reason why we have to still keep him after we have questioned his alibi and we have been able to find out from Evans that he is not part of the gang.
“We don’t have the right to release kidnap suspects; it is not bailable at the level of the police because it is a capital offence now in most of the states so we have to take them to court.
“So the court decided in its wisdom to use its discretion in granting him bail. Granting him bail is not the end of the matter; the matter is still coming up. He has not been discharged, he has not been acquitted. So if there are further evidences, why not we tender them in court.
“So we want Emeka to exercise restraint and to be patient that the full weight of the law will be visited on anybody responsible for the kidnap.”
When asked why he thought Duru accused his employee of aiding his kidnap, Moshood said: “I wouldn’t want to be dragged into this but since you have mentioned it I’ll just say a little about this. I believe that Emeka and Duru may have other issues; we wouldn’t know that.
“Because we believe Emeka is a pharmacist while Donatus is a business man, probably… I don’t have this responsibility so that somebody doesn’t take me to court and start asking for what have you.
“But we know that there are issues between them… our concern is to investigate the case of kidnapping.”
Moshood, however, stressed that “Emeka was not released before Evans was arrested. Emeka was released by the court, not the police”.
Asked if Evans was protecting Emeka, Moshood answered: “No, no, no. There’s nothing like that. Evans in custody protecting Emeka? No
“The matter is coming up on the 17th. If there’s any Nigerian even outside Donatus who has any additional information, they can make it available to the court.”
On provision of adequate protection for Duru, who escaped from Evans kidnap gang, Moshood said: “Donatus is very very vital to our investigation and we will do all our best to continue to protect him.
“But if he observes that the protection is not enough like I’ve said, he should meet the Commissioner of Police Lagos State and it would be improved upon because he is very vital to our investigation.”
Maitama Sule, former Minister of Petroleum and former Permanent Representative to the United Nations, is dead.
He died in Cairo, Egypt on Sunday night, according to family sources.
The Danmasanin Kano, as he is popularly called, was born in 1929.
The body of the former presidential candidate of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) will arrive Kano today, a funeral for him will be held at the Kano Central Jumaat mosque at 4:30pm.
Like every other young lady in the world, Terry Apudo looked forward to her wedding day with immeasurable excitement. Little did she know that she would be raped by a three-man gang on that exact day, and that her husband would die one month after their rearranged wedding.
On the eve of the original wedding, Terry realised she had some clothes of Harry, her fiance, with her, including his cravat. He couldn’t show up without a tie, so a friend who had stayed the night offered to take it to him first thing in the morning. They got up at dawn and she walked her to the bus station.
While returning home, a guy sitting on the bonnet of a car suddenly grabbed her from behind as she walked past, dumping her in the back seat and stuffing her mouth. All three men took turns to rape her and even stabbed her in the stomach. She could no longer give birth, the doctors said; the stab was so deep her womb had been damaged.
Harry would not give up on marrying Terry, despite knowing that she would forever remain childless. He took her home to nurse her out of depression and they eventually got married seven months later at a rearranged ceremony.
But more tragedies were ahead. Harry died 29 days later in a strange domestic accident, prompting many to brand Terry a cursed woman.
Somehow she survived it all, finding love all over again after three years and even giving birth to two girls.
Find out, in the full report published by BBC, how she emerged from these life-shattering tragedies to make happiness out of extremely turbulent circumstances.
Aisha Buhari, wife of the President Muhammadu Buhari, has travelled to London again to visit her ailing husband, the second of such visit in a month.
A statement by her media aide said Aisha “will convey to the President the best wishes of Nigerians and their fervent prayers for his quick recovery”.
She is expected to stop over at Addis Ababa to make a symbolic appearance at the meeting of the Organisation of African First Ladies against HIV/AIDS (OAFLA) on Monday 3rd July, 2017.
“She will join other members to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the organisation, and use the opportunity to reiterate the voting rights of Nigeria in the upcoming elections of the organisation,” read the statement.
“She will continue her journey to the United Kingdom on Tuesday, 3rd July, 2017.”
The President’s wife returned from a similar visit to London on June 6 and told journalists that her husband was recovering fast and will soon return to the country.
“I thank Allah for my safe trip to U.K, where I visited President Muhammadu Buhari,” she had written on her Twitter handle at the time.
“He thanks Nigerians for their constant prayers for his health & steadfastness in the face of challenges.
“He is soliciting for your continuous cooperation & support to the Ag. President, Yemi Osinbajo towards achieving the mandate of this administration as contained in our APC manifesto, so that we can build a very strong institution for a better future of our country Nigeria.”
Suspected billionaire kidnapper Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, popularly known as Evans, says he has no hand in the recent lawsuits filed on his behalf against the police.
Evans told Channels Television on Sunday from police detention that the lawsuits were attempts by some people to put him in more trouble.
“I have no hand in any case filed against the police and I did not speak with any lawyer or my father to fill a case on my behalf. All I will say is that they should temper justice with mercy,” he said.
The suspect noted further that even if he was released by the police, he would not go because his victims, whom he has kidnapped and collected millions of naira as ransom from, would kill him.
In a motion ex parte filed before the Federal High Court Lagos on Wednesday, Evans allegedly gave constitutional infraction perpetrated against him as he ought to have been charged or arraigned before the court.
He listed the Inspector General of Police, the Nigeria Police Force, the Commissioner of Police in Lagos, and the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Lagos Command as the respondents in the suit.
And in just 24 hours after the suit, Evans filed a fresh one in which he claimed the sum of N300million as general and exemplary damages against the police for alleged illegal detention and unconstitutional media trial.
The Federal High High Court in Lagos on Friday dismissed the suit filed by Olukoya Ogungbeje, the said lawyer.
