Northerners Disappointed With President Buhari, “Tinubu Has Taken Over”

The coming of Mohammadu Buhari to the seat of presidency as the change agent and the messiah of Nigerian politics had significant impact on the political psyche of the commoner the northern region of the country. The many quarters within the northern regions of the country hailed the arrival of the All Progressive Congress [APC] presidency as the arrival of the long awaited disciplinarian and correction factor that will right the injustices meted to the northerners and the northern region.

However information available to us obtained through a consortium of sources knowleagble of the ongoings within the APC indicate that the northern block within the APC who were formally basking in the euphoria of a northern victory have begun to reach anti climax over recent developments within and around the presidency. One major player around the media aide to the President, Garba Shehu reveals that the President had ‘fallen’ to the hands of the Lagos based APC godfather – Bola Tinubu.

According to the information gathered, the President had initially promised his northern followers that he would clip the wings of the Lagos based APC godfather against an anticipated overbearing influence in the naming of ministers and other cabinet members. “He assured us he will put Tinubu in his place… that Tinubu and the southwest block would not dictate the terms of his presidency“. But the President’s actions in the manner he fielded the members of his ministerial list shows he has bowed to the southwest block and to the Tinubu led APC team.

President-Buhari-2

“He told us he would reward the north for having voted for him enmass” lamented the APC member who also serves as a strong proponent of the Arewa consultative agenda. He complained that Tinubu has successfully wrestled “Buhari down to the mat” away from the controls. “Tinubu has taken over“. The same source continued that Buhari’s body language was clear in the beginning as per his choice for the Senate President. It was clear he did not want Tinubu’s choice for the seat. He wanted Saraki for the seat in order to checkmate Tinubu’s and APC influence inside national assembly. However the body language changed midway.

Available information indicates that Buhari’s sudden change in body language was principally responsible for the long delay in submitting the ministerial list to the national assembly. It was also responsible for the sudden probe of the new Senate president by the code of conduct tribunal. It was also gathered that the submissions of the ministerial names to the national assembly followed behind the curtains negotiations between the presidency and the senate president – for a clear way for the ministerial nominees in exchange for a tampered down probe at the code of conduct tribunal.

President Buhari is believed to have ‘grandfathered’ the negotiation process between the Tinubu led APC and the Senate president – and have paved the way to the soft submission of the ministerial names to the national assembly. The Senate President in turn is believed to have guaranteed a smooth passage of the ministerial names without fermenting embarrassing situations for the presidency or the ministerial nominees. A source from the Senate President’s office confirms to us that the Senate President has embraced the presidency with full arms – and have resolved to give the ministerial nominees a smooth sail to becoming a minister.

Complete ongoing projects, shun new ones, Fashola tells Oshiomhole

Former governor of Lagos State, Mr Babatunde Fashola, has advised Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State to shun the temptation of initiating new projects unless they are very critical to the well-being of the people, but should rather concentrate on completing ongoing ones before the end of his tenure in November 2016.

Fashola told the governor that he could not completely rebuild Edo State within eight years, as it is practically impossible for any administration to initiate and execute all the projects needed by people in the state.

Speaking as Guest Speaker at a three-day retreat for members of Edo State Executive Council and Permanent Secretaries, holding in Abuja, to brainstorm and re-strategise on raising the bar on governance in the state, with the theme, “Finishing Well”, Fashola said: “This gathering is auspicious because for me, it demonstrates the focus of your government. You are clearly mindful that the time is up. Let me emphasise that time is up, time is not running out, it is up, the government’s tenure is at an end. What you have now is the process to walk out. It is easy to say you have not finished the job. So in that sense, there is work to do, you must accept that and you must also be honest with yourself that you can’t finish the work. The reason is that, it is the work of the people, work of human beings and as long as the human civilization remains, work will never end because it is a continuous undertaking.

“If the work could be finished, Dr. Samuel Ogbemudia would have finished it. He had more time than you have and if it could not be finished at that time, the late Ambrose Alli would have finished it and probably John Odigie-Oyegun. So, in that sense, it won’t be finished. In the last few days, there would be a lot of talk about what you did not do, and there will be people asking you, before you go, come and do this, but you must be honest with yourself and be honest with them, having regards to the realities of your resources. The pressure can be enormous, but don’t see that it as negative, it is not. See it as positive because they are asking you to do it only because they trust in your ability to do it that is why they are asking you.”

My church is aware I’m member of Ogboni Confraternity —Ogunfuwa, 75-yr-old Remo chief

Otunba Joseph Adedayo Ogunfuwa,   the Babalaje of Remoland, celebrated his 75th birthday, penultimate Saturday. In an  interview, shortly after the birthday lecture, Ogunfuwa said he is a devoted  Christian, a member of the Anglican Communion and a strong member of   the Reformed Ogboni Fraternity. This, he claimed, his church is aware.

 What inspired your celebrating your birthday with a lecture?

I conceived   the idea of a birthday lecture 15 years ago when I clocked 60 years because I thought I would die before 60.   My late father died at 62 and, to me, when  you  clock 60 and die, it is not   a premature death. Initially, the birthday lecture was restricted to my immediate family and close friends. But when I clocked 65, people, mostly friends, advised me to extend the invitation beyond my immediate family so that it could be a legacy   that will not only benefit my immediate family but should be   passed on to generations   because of my experiences on knotty issues like world peace, religion as well as other issues that will always give people food for thought.

I also want to say that none of the fraternities that I belong to is against any religion or government. They all affirm the supremacy of God and oppose  discrimination of any kind.   The  world needs peace and not insurgency and the battle for God among different religions  must stop if the world must know peace.

So, this year, I changed the pattern of the lecture. I saw the need to invite  knowledgeable persons to deliver it. Professor Dayo Adekole  talked about  religion and fraternities and explored the notion of a conflict. Professor Rom Kalilu talked about religious intolerance –The Muslim point of view. I     spoke on religion intolerance =The Christian view point and religion and world peace. The whole essence of  this was to see how we can all bring about world peace. Without peace, nothing meaningful can be done, either as an individual or as a nation.

What exactly is your philosophy of life?

Do my best in all circumstances for everybody and without doing wrong to anybody.

 Your   dad died at 62. Did you envisage you will live this long?

Ogunfuwa

Nobody knows how long he or she   will live. People die through many causes. You cannot predict also what manner of death you will have. One can have the best of health and still die young.   When you live and abstain from what  is not necessary, you can live long. For instance, I gave up smoking over 30 years ago, and I was a bad drinker. My elder  sister kept warning me and weeping because of these habits because of the fear that I might die young. But, today, she is alive and I am also  alive. I had to stop smoking because I had medical challenge. As a child,  I was always ill. My mother died of  asthma at 32.   The doctor advised me to stop smoking, but I didn’t stop immediately.   I, however, gave up the habit when I realised that  I was pushing myself to the grave. One does not need much education to know that smoking is dangerous to health. And  it is not right, but it took me long time to be convinced that I needed to stop the habit.

 At 75, would you say you are fulfilled?

I have been a fulfilled man as far back as when I clocked   60. Death did not matter to me after that. People tend to associate  fulfillment with wealth or monetary worth. It is whatever you set out to achieve in life that makes you fulfilled. I set out to be what I am, to be kind to people, to be generous to live according to my conscience. I listen to advice but I don’t take every piece of  advice. I am not rich and I don’t have to be rich to be a fulfilled man.   I have 14 children and 23 grandchildren. I have always told my children, ‘what I have done for you, go and improve on it   yourselves’.

 Being the Babalaje of Remoland, what are the factors that shaped you to make you who you are today?

I don’t know why they conferred the title of Babalaje on me because I told them I didn’t want it. Babalaje is given to people who are rich. I am not.

 What is that thing that your parents inculcated in you while growing up that you have also passed to your children?

That is a secret. When my father was about to die, he compelled me to love all my siblings because he was a polygamist. Today, I am successful and my siblings are also successful and my children too.

 So when   you die, how do you want to be buried?

I have given my children instructions on what to do when I die. Not only that, I have consistently openly said it. Nobody should say after my death that I renounced any of the fraternities I belong to.   I am a Christian of Anglican Communion; when I die, my fraternities’ members should come in their full regalia and, if the church will not permit that, let the fraternities bury me.

Diepreye Alamieseigha is dead is dead

News Flash, former bayelsa state governor News Flash, former bayelsa state governor Diepreye Alamieseigha is dead is dead

Ministerial List: Buhari must be screened if he’s Petroleum Minister—SENATE

STRONG indications have emerged that tomorrow’s plenary session, where the Senate would unveil the ministerial list sent by President Muhammadu Buhari, may be stormy as senators are saying the President must, in line with the constitution, submit himself before the Upper Chamber for screening if he appointed himself Minister of Petroleum.

They are also set to reject an incomplete list, saying the constitution provides for a nominee from each state of the federation and that any list that did not cover the 36 states would suffer serious opposition on the floor of the Senate.

The senators have also vowed that they would not be cowed by the trial of Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, at the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, just as they promised to adopt stringent measures in line with the provisions of the Constitution during the screening of ministerial nominees.

They added that the tradition of take-a-bow for senators coming for screening as ministers would be jettisoned, adding that they were prepared to send names of nominees to the sender of such a list.

Senate President, Dr. Saraki, is currently facing trial at CCT, following a 13-count charge levelled against him by the Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB, bordering on alleged corruption and false declaration of assets in 2003 and summoned him to appear before it, which he did.

Details later..