[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he All Progressives Congress (APC) says the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is in no position to talk about corruption, as this would amount to a prostitute preaching sexual chastity.

Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, National Publicity Secretary of the APC, said this in a statement on Thursday in reaction to PDP’s criticism of Adam’s Oshiomhole’s emergence as National Chairman of the ruling party.

After Oshiomhole’s emergence, PDP had said: “Nigerians are invited to note that some of the officials preferred, particularly, the National Chairman, are individuals overburdened by heavy corruption allegations, and whose expected investigation and prosecution have been traded for a Presidential ticket for President Buhari.

“The world observed with shock how aspirants and delegates who dared to raise questions were manhandled by thugs and intimidated by security operatives.

“It is instructive to state that the APC convention directly reflects the confusion, intimidations, violations and descent to fascism, that have characterized governance in our nation in the last three years.”
But responding on Thursday, APC lamented that having been kicked out of power, the PDP still has no idea what to do three years after, instead playing the busybody and so openly advertising their ignorance of basic electoral rules will make it even more difficult for Nigerians to grant them the forgiveness that they have begged for”.

“We read with dismay, but without surprise, the statement released by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), calling on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to annul the results of the highly-successful National Convention of our Party held last Saturday June 23,” read Abdullahi’s statement.

“We imagine the utter shock and disappointment the dying opposition party must have felt to see that their prediction of collapse for our party ahead of the convention did not come to pass. Unable to recover from the shock, they now indulge in ignorant whimper, calling on INEC to help them do what they are best at doing; annulling elections.

“It is quite distressing to see that a party that held power for 16 years did not know that INEC has no role in internal elections of a political party. We also wonder which position the PDP contested for at our Convention which entitles them to take it upon themselves to challenge the process. If the PDP now sees itself as an interested party in our internal elections, we would encourage them to send their petitions to the Convention Appeals Committee of our party. We however do not expect them to understand this process of internal democracy.

“It is clear to everyone that having been kicked out of power, the PDP still has no idea what to do three years after. However, playing the busybody and so openly advertising their ignorance of basic electoral rules will make it even more difficult for Nigerians to grant them the forgiveness that they have begged for.

“What is PDP’s grouse? That INEC should not recognize the new APC National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, as his emergence by affirmation is according to the PDP in violation of democratic requirements of direct voting by delegates. Our election guidelines provide that all Party posts prescribed by the party constitution can be filled by democratically conducted elections or by consensus, provided that where a candidate has emerged by consensus for an elective position, a vote of “Yes” or “No” is called to ensure that it was not an imposition. This was clearly adhered to in many positions, including the National Chairmanship position which was unopposed.

“But we understand PDP’s problem. They are terrified by Comrade Adams Oshiomole. They know that with him they will no longer have a breathing space. Hence the baseless allegations peddling and conspiracy theory which we are now accustomed to as part of PDP’s sorry attempt to play ‘opposition politics’.

“It is indeed ridiculous that a party whose convention was a bazaar where delegates were bought and sold with dollars could brazenly allege corruption against our Party. They should go ahead and show which governors contributed the amount being alleged to the convention. We have dealt with the issue of membership contributions in an earlier statement. We however ask this ‘new anti-corruption crusaders’ to start with the basic task of producing audited accounts. Till today, APC remains the only political party in the country to have done so. Nigerians know that PDP talking about corruption is like prostitutes preaching sexual morality. They don’t take them seriously.

“We also find it quite amusing, the PDP’s ill-informed attempt to politicise the recent poverty reports by a United States think-tank. Of course we do not expect the PDP to be aware that the Nigerian National Bureau of Statistics releases report on poverty rates every year to help the work of policy planners and not to play politics. The only difference however is that such reports were never allowed seeing the lights of the day under the PDP administration. Yet, this is the same party under whose Nigeria was not able to achieve a single one of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG), which they conveniently turned to another racket. For avoidance of doubts, we refer the PDP to a similar report by the Fitch International in 2016, which reported that which reported a “constant decline” since 2011 culminating in Nigeria’s 60% poverty rating by 2015. The challenge of poverty is a global challenge and not a competition among countries or a race for the bottom. Our party acknowledges this challenge and will continue to work hard with both local and international partners to find solutions. What we will not do is to exploit the reality of poverty to create another ineffectual “palliative” that will end up as another slush fund or “job for the boys.”

[dropcap]D[/dropcap]elta State Governor, Senator  Ifeanyi Okowa on Thursday congratulated, HRM Benjamin Ikenchuku Keagborekuzi I, Dein of Agbor Kingdom on the ocassion of his 41st birthday anniversary on Friday 29th June, 2018.
Okowa in a statement in Asaba, Thursday, signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Charles Aniagwu, commended the monarch for making Agbor kingdom peaceful and investor-friendly since he ascended the ageless throne of his forefathers decades ago.

The Governor noted that His Majesty’s ascension to the throne has brought immense development to his people noting that “Keagborekuzi is a man of reforms introduced myriad of reforms as are necessary to drive the kingdom, safe and sound, into the next millennium.

“His contributions to addressing the issues of unemployment, social deviance and value orientation among youths remains indelible leading to the establishment the Agbor Youth Learning, Development and Empowerment Centre.

“His Majesty equally instituted cultural and traditional reformes to enhance the cohesion of the kingdom, hedge up its competitiveness, raise its visibility at the national and trans-national fora, and increase its strategic relevance in the increasingly relevant traditional institution in our increasingly dynamic polity.

“On behalf of the government and people of Delta State, I warmly felicitate with HRM Benjamin Ikenchukwu I, the Dein of Agbor Kingdom on the ocassion of his 41st birthday anniversary on Friday 29th June, 2018.

The Governor joins the people of Ika Nation particularly the Agbor people in celebrating His Royal Majesty with good health, wisdom and strength to continue ruling the people of Agbor Kingdom.

Continuing; “As a bastion of culture and tradition, Dein, has played significant role in the promotion of harmony among Agbor people and their neighbours. The Governor thanked the people of Agbor for reposing confidence on the monarch as well as giving him the needed support and cooperation since he ascended the throne.

“We pray that the Almighty God will continue to give you good health and wisdom to pilot the traditional affairs of your
kingdom and offer valuable contributions to the development of our dear Delta State,” the Governor said.

[dropcap]W[/dropcap]hat would had been a happy ending for his historic visit to Delta State which initially seemed to be like a carnival, ended in agony and regrets as hundreds of PDP faithful got stranded and scores injured when political thugs ran amok over the largesse given to the party by Presidential aspirant, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

Alhaji Atiku Abubakar who is currently the major contender for the 2019 presidency under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was Tuesday received in the Delta State Capital, Asaba, as part of his consultative visits to the 36 States in the country to gather delegates supports for the party primaries in August.

Journalists who throng to the Airport to monitor his arrival, were however barred from accessing his entourage as security operatives detailed for his visit resisted members of the Press from speaking with the presidential aspirant.

Same was the case at the Government House Gate as awaiting journalists were denied entrance to cover his courtesy visit to the Governor at the Exco chamber.

Hundreds of party faithfuls and support groups who patiently stood watch for Atiku’s arrival to the Unity Hall, turned the arena to a carnival like scenario as various groups sang, danced and took memorable shots to document the much awaited visit of the former Vice President.

At the end of the meeting which lasted over an hour with Delta State PDP leaders and top government officials behind closed doors at the Unity Hall, Atiku in his usual style gifted the gathering an undisclosed sum money of running into several millions.

Sadly, hell was quickly let loose when the news of the largesse broke out which led to the invasion of the hall by political thugs usually associated with the party, as they broke through the hall and gunned for the table where the money was being unwrapped.

The thugs who were wreaking with terror swiftly swooped on the PDP leaders and party faithfuls with dangerous weapons, laid hold of Atiku’s gift and scampered away with the several the millions intended for PDP members from the 25 local government areas who rallied for the visit.

These mayhem was perpetuated under the watchful eyes of security agents who appeared helpless to the foul situation which recorded various degrees of injuries and thefts of personal belongings.

Efforts to restore peace failed as it became a free for all affair to scavenge for possible left overs by the dreaded thugs as hundreds of party faithfuls lost hope of having a share of Atiku’s largesse.

Meanwhile, criticisms have followed the reception of the presidential aspirant, by Okowa led administration as tax payers money and apparatus of the State Government were employed to give the former Vice President an edge over his counterpart, Alhaji Sule Lamido who visited the state recently in pursuant of his aspiration.

According to report put forward by the Press Unit of Delta State Government, it stated that Atiku was in the state to consult the people on his aspiration for the Presidential ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the 2019 general elections.

Alhaji Atiku Abubakar informed that his aspiration to be Nigeria’s President was borne out of his passion to ensure that the country make progress, disclosing, “the security architecture of the country must be reviewed and decentralized.”

He decried situation where security agencies does not take orders from the state governors, asserting, “as an individual, I don’t think this is true federalism, we must restructure the security architecture.”

The former Vice President also listed ways to tackle unemployment in the country observing, “to create jobs, you must liberalize the economy, support the private sector, create incentives to make the private sector boom and open up the economy to foreign direct investment.”

“I will have a very small federal government with powers and resources devolved to the states to manage the affairs while they pay tax to the federal government; with this, each zone can survive on its own without leaning on oil money,” he emphasized.

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday revealed that a petition by a widow, Hauwa Kulu Usman, led to the investigation, trial and conviction of a former Governor of Taraba State, Rev. Jolly Nyame.

Nyame was jailed on May 30 by a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Gudu, Abuja without an option of fine.

Justice Adebukola Banjoko convicted the ex-governor on 27 out of the 41 counts filed against him by the EFCC in July 2007.

Nyame was governor from 1991 to 1993 and 1999 to 2007.

But the anti-graft agency in its magazine, EFCC Alert, released a fact-sheet on how Nyame became a suspect while probing a petition by the widow.

The fact-sheet said: “Call it the serendipity of stumbling across a goldmine and you will not be far from the truth. Nyame was in fact, never in the purview of the EFCC, and no one at any time wrote a petition against him.

“There was no “witch-hunt”. Nyame’s financial crime was unraveled by the EFCC while investigating a petition written by a widow, Hauwa Kulu Usman, against Suleiman Abubakar, younger brother to her late husband, Usman Abubakar, Managing Director of Alusab International Limited.

“She had taken her cry to the EFCC to help recover money from Suleiman being payment to the company.

“The Taraba State government had issued a cheque of N135, 794,607 in favour of the company, as contract payment for rehabilitation of the Ibi-Wukari Water Project.

“But Suleiman collected the cheque and lodged it in a different account domiciled in Zenith Bank Plc, in Jalingo.  Hauwa sought the help of the EFCC to recover the money, accusing Suleiman who took over the company of “squandering” it.

“He was subsequently invited by the EFCC for questioning; then and there, the bubble burst. During interrogation, Suleiman admitted collecting the cheque, and though argued that he did not squander the money as alleged in the petition, confirmed that it was for the said project, which was ongoing before the death of his brother.

“He revealed that through Abubakar Tutare, then Commissioner of Finance in the state, the company applied for additional works, which was granted by the state government.

“According to him, the estimation for the additional works was N35 million, but Tutare instructed him to add N100 million to the estimation. Subsequently, a cheque of N135 million was issued to Suleiman, but along with it, was a complimentary card, with an account number written at the back. Tutare instructed him to pay the N100 million into the account. Suleiman had asked Tutare about VAT payment, to which Tutare told him to deduct 10 per cent as tax and to credit the account at the back of the card belonging to Nyame with  N80 million, and bring N10 million to  him.

“Suleiman duly paid the cheque into Alusab’s account and acted on the N80million as instructed, as per the complimentary card. He also gave N10 million to Tutare at his residence through his house aide, Husseini Ali.

“The confession of Suleiman sparked an extensive investigation, which saw the EFCC spreading its dragnet across the State Government House, the Ministry of Finance, and several companies. Tutare, himself was invited for questioning and he confirmed the  testimony of Suleiman, but stressed that he acted on the instruction of Nyame,  and that the N80 million was paid into  the account of Salmon Global Ventures Nigeria Ltd.”

The EFCC afterwards unraveled a slew of fraudulent financial activities perpetrated in the ministry of finance, with Nyame being the chief actor, including ordering Dennis Nev, then Permanent Secretary, Government House, to raise N101 million for a one-day presidential visit in 2005.”

The EFCC also explained that although Nyame made spirited moves to defend himself, his defence did not convince the judge.