Aluko Should Be Behind Bars

                                                                   Tope Aluko

July 10, 2003 will always evoke sad memories in the political calendar of the country, albeit for those who could very well interpret the import of that incident. It was a day Anambra State treated Nigeria and indeed, the world to a bizarre story of the abduction of a sitting governor, Chris Ngige, now Minister of Labour by the state’s self-styled political godfather, Chris Uba, also now a prospective senator, and aided by the late Raphael Ige, then an Assistant Inspector-General of Police.

The story was almost impossible. But it was true. And the tales that followed after were even the more “stories for the gods”. Uba would later tell the world how he, in cahoots with others, rigged Ngige into office. He told the story with such blitz and bliss that showed he was a very important member of the then ruling class. Confident and unperturbed, he got away with it, his guts and gush being his strength. What more, today, all things being equal, Uba might be a senator-in-waiting, courtesy of a Supreme Court judgment. Welcome to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, where everything goes.

As if that was not enough an image mutilating conspiracy of a morally debased political class, 13 years after, another clown by name Dr. Tope Aluko, who by now should be helping the police with details on their investigation (and remanded for a long time) is still grandstanding about town, having announced at a planned live television interview how they rigged Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti into office in 2014. He actually gave details of their electoral heist as if he was doing the people and the country a favour with his confessional interview.

What was he thinking before he chose to ply the ignoble road in the first place? Where then was his sense of decency and patriotism, which appears to have overwhelmed him now when he and his gang of “thieves” robbed the Ekiti electorate (according to him) and almost plunged the state into needless crisis but for the sanity of the other camp led by former Governor Kayode Fayemi? Wait a minute, could he be possibly waiting to be applauded for a job well done? Like seriously?

Of course, he would have no hesitation treating the people to such distasteful drama and shame. If Uba could get away with it and years after, he is set to walk into the hallowed red chamber in whatever capacity regardless of his deficient education, nothing stops the appalling example of an Aluko following suit. After all, if the deal with Fayose did not fail, he would not be out today spewing his claptrap. He is simply shameless. 

President Muhammadu Buhari, a question for you sir: do you really want to fight corruption and change this awful national psyche? Then, it must be total and without colours. Truth is President Buhari has not started yet. He is still just chasing shadows. It is understandable, therefore, the perception that he is merely victimizing identified enemies or Politically Exposed Persons, who are not in camp with him.

As a victim of alleged electoral fraud for many years, it would have been expected that the president would seek more than a passing interest in such cases and make good examples of them, at least, to make scapegoats of one or two. But soon, you will find this Aluko, a former ally of Fayose and PDP stalwart in their midst – pointing fingers, moralising, showboating and of course, ingratiating with the new order since that’s the way to go with new regimes.

Buhari Gives Marching Orders to EFCC, Security Agencies to Arrest Ex-Customs Boss

       Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), Alhaji Abdullahi Dikko

President Muhammadu Buhari has directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and other security agencies to arrest the immediate past Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), Alhaji Abdullahi Dikko, wherever he may be, a senior EFCC operative told THISDAY last night.

This came as the anti-corruption agency yesterday also invited some senior military officers in the Procurement Unit at the Defence Headquarters, Abuja to give more details about the purchase of some arms meant to fight Boko Haram in the country.

“We (EFCC) and other security agencies have just received a directive from the presidency to do everything possible to arrest former Comptroller-General of the (NSC),  Dikko, wherever he may be. And this must be done in the next few days or weeks’’, the operative told THISDAY.

“I think the directive is urgent and necessary in view of the weighty financial fraud levelled against him. And the federal government appears to be in hurry to get to the root of the matter and possibly recover the money from him.’’

The anti-graft operative had invaded his residence at No 6, Ahmed Musa Crescent, Jabi, Abuja recently and left with some vital documents. A similar raid, which lasted about 10 hours, was also carried out in his house in Maitiama area of Abuja recently.

Dikko was said not to be at home at the time of the two raids and the mission of the personnel was not disclosed to any member of the family, who were in the houses.

Meanwhile, in continuation of its probe of the arms deals---allegedly executed by former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki, some serving senior military officers were invited by the EFCC yesterday to give more information about the purchase of the arms.

According to the source, “The serving military officers were mainly from the Procurement Unit of the Nigerian Air Force in the Defence Headquarters. And those who appeared before us gave a useful information that is very vital to our investigation. And we are making progress.’’ 

3 bank employees docked for stealing N2.8m from customers’ accounts

Three Ecobank employees were arraigned in Lagos on Tuesday for allegedly stealing N2.8 million from customers’ accounts.

The accused persons – Oluwatoyin Adetunji (41), Oluwatosin Obademi (32) and Olushola Ogunshina (39) – are facing a three-count charge of conspiracy, forgery and stealing before a Tinubu Magistrates’ Court in Lagos Island.

The prosecutor, Insp. Nurudeen Thomas, told the court that the accused persons between July 10 and 14, 2015, forged signatures of several Ecobank customers and stole the sum of N2.8million from their accounts at Iyan-Ipaja branch of the bank.

He said that Adetunji and Obademi, were cashiers while Ogunshina was Information Technology personnel at the bank.

According to the prosecutor, Obademi and Ogunshina claimed that the Adetunji came to them with the deal and promised to pay them N350,000 each.

Thomas, said that the offences contravene Sections 285, 361 and 409 of the Criminal Code of Lagos State, 2011.

The Chief Magistrate, Mrs K.B Ayeye, granted the accused persons bail in the sum of N200,000 with two sureties each in like sum, and adjourned the case to Feb. 22 for hearing.

Prepare your will if you are coming to rig election in Rivers State – Wike warns

The Rivers State Government has approved January 27 of every year as a public holiday to mark the survival of the state from the forces of political conspiracy who attempted to subvert the mandate of the people.

The Supreme Court delivered her judgment validating Governor Wike’s election on January 27, 2015.

Also on Tuesday, Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike reiterated his warning to those planning to rig the rerun elections in Rivers state, noting that they will be treated as armed robbers by the people.

Addressing thousands of civil servants at the State Civil Service Secretariat in Port Harcourt , Governor Wike said that the public holiday signifies God’s intervention in the affairs of Rivers State.

He said: “Every January 27 will be observed as a public holiday in this state because that is the day God came down to save Rivers State. What people must understand is that power comes from God. We know God speaks last and he has spoken.”

The governor also announced that Friday, February 5, will be observed as a public holiday to enable all Rivers people prepare for the rerun elections.

Governor Wike urged civil servants and other Rivers people to ensure they vote for PDP candidates in the re-run elections to promote harmony in governance and sustain the development agenda of the state government.

He pointed out that the defeated APC in the State plans to use the rerun elections to enter the political arena through the window , having been shut out by the people and the Supreme Court.

Governor Wike said: “When someone cannot come through the door, he may want to come through the window. Rivers people must not allow them. Our people must stop them from entering through the window to obstruct the good works of this administration. ”

Speaking further on the rerun elections, Governor Wike said that the will of Rivers people will prevail, adding that the use of security forces and other electoral officials to rig the process will fail woefully.

According to him, the people believe in the transformational leadership of the PDP, stressing that it was exhibited in Bayelsa State, where the use of force by security agents failed to deliver electoral victory.

He said: “Anyone who plans to rig an election is an armed robber and should be treated as such. If you are coming to rig an election in the state, first, prepare your will before embarking on the journey. Inform your wife or husband and go ahead to say your last prayer.

“When they used the security forces in Bayelsa State, it didn’t work. It will also not work here in Rivers State. Rivers State is a peaceful state and our people are peace loving. We want to remain so”.

The governor assured civil servants and pensioners that his administration will continue to pay their salaries and pensions. He said all welfare issues will be given top priority.

He, however, stated that steps will be taken by the administration to verify the actual number of civil servants and pensioners to stop payment to non-existent beneficiaries.

The governor added that the administration will work out modalities to improve the state’s Internally Generated Revenue, IGR.

Earlier, Head of the State Civil Service, Barrister Rufus Godwins commended the governor for being up to date in the payment of salaries and pensions. He assured the governor of the loyalty of the workers.

Cameroon to use witchcraft in fight against Boko Haram

The president of Cameroon, Paul Biya has demanded that an aspect of witchcraft be integrated into the fight against Boko Haram sect.

Local chiefs in that country who were worried by the spate of attacks of the sect on the country had asked their president, Paul Biya, to give them the permission to use their witches and wizards to fight and destroy the bloodthirsty sect.

According to Bisong Etahoben, a respected Cameroonian journalist, the chiefs believe with the supernatural powers of the witches and wizards, Boko Haram will be decimated.

Confirming the development via his Twitter handle, Etahoben tweeted that President Biya has given them the go ahead to use their spiritual power to wipe out the sect from the shores of the country.

“The head of state has demanded that an aspect of witchcraft be integrated into the fight against Boko Haram,” he tweeted.

What you need to know about Zika virus

                 ZIKA VIRUS ALERT: Pregnant women are urged to stay away from                   regions affected by the Zika virus outbreak due to the risk of brain damage to foetuses.

The World Health Organisation has declared the Zika virus an international public health emergency, prompted by growing concern that it could cause birth defects. Until recently, global health officials paid little attention to the Zika virus that  circulated in the same regions as Dengue and Chikungunya viruses. It is estimated that four million people could be infected by the end of the year. Pregnant women have been urged not to travel to about 24 countries, mostly in the Caribbean and Latin America, where the outbreak is growing. Zika infection appears to be linked to the development of unusually small heads and brain damage in newborns.

What is the Zika virus?

The Zika virus is a mosquito-transmitted infection related to dengue, yellow fever and West Nile virus. Although it was discovered in the Zika forest in Uganda in 1947 and is common in Africa and Asia, it did not begin spreading widely in the Western Hemisphere until last May, when an outbreak occurred in Brazil.

Until now, almost no one has had major infections from Zika. Few have had  immune defenses against the virus, so it is spreading rapidly. Millions of people in tropical regions  of the Americas may have been infected. Scientific concern is focused on women who become infected while pregnant and those who develop a temporary form of paralysis after exposure to the Zika virus.

How is the virus spread?

Zika is spread by mosquitoes of the Aedes genus, which can breed in a tiny pool of water and usually bite during the day. The aggressive yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti, has spread most Zika cases. The mosquito is found in Nigeria and some other countries.

What is the danger?

Zika causes brain damage in infants. Experts aren’t certain how it happens, or even whether the virus is to blame. The possibility that the Zika virus causes microcephaly – unusually small heads and damaged brains – emerged only in October 2015, when doctors in northern Brazil noticed a surge in babies with the condition.

 What is microcephaly?

Babies with microcephaly have unusually small heads. In roughly 15 percent of cases, a small head is just a small head, and there is no effect on the infant, according to experts.

But in the remainder of cases, the infant’s brain may not have developed properly during pregnancy or may have stopped growing in the first years of life. These children may experience a range of problems, like developmental delays, intellectual deficits or hearing loss.

What countries are affected?

Pregnant women are urged to avoid about 24 destinations mostly in the Caribbean, Central America and South America.

Symptoms

It’s often a silent infection, and hard to diagnose. Until recently, Zika was not considered a major threat because its symptoms are relatively mild. Only one of five people infected with the virus develop symptoms, which can include fever, rash, joint pain and red eyes. Those infected usually do not have to be hospitalized.

What are the tests?

There is no widely available test for Zika infection. Because it is closely related to dengue and yellow fever, it may cross-react with antibody tests for those viruses. To detect Zika, a blood or tissue sample from the first week in the infection must be sent to an advanced laboratory so the virus can be detected through sophisticated molecular testing. The Centres for Diseases Control and prevention, CDC, testing algorithm for pregnant women who have visited countries in which the Zika virus is spreading.

Most of those who get the virus do not feel ill — and there is no evidence that babies are hurt only when the mother has been visibly ill. But at the time the guidelines were issued, the CDC and state health departments simply did not have the laboratory capacity to test every pregnant woman who visited Latin America and the Caribbean in the last nine months, as well as every pregnant woman in Puerto Rico.

How we rigged Ekiti polls with $35m, by Aluko

                                                                       Dr. Aluko

Contoversy over the June 21,2014 Ekiti governorship election is still raging almost two years after. A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr.Tope Aluko, who played a key role in the victory of Mr. Ayodele Fayose as governor, is divulging what his party did to compromise the integrity of the poll. He spoke at the weekend on Channels Television.

In fact senator Iyiola was very right. It was not a scheduled meeting. They were just in the middle of Ayo Fayose’s room. The strike teams were a mixture of DSS (Department of State Security), the military and MOPOL (Mobile Police). Yes, that’s about all.

Aluko presented documents purportedly showing names and ranks of the strike team and the people they were supposed to hit.

Not as in to kill but to just demoralise them; detain them, so that once you take out the opposition leaders and you take out the cash, they wanted to give their supporters, then that would be all. That was the agreement we had then. There were 44 teams, made up of about 11 per truck (Hilux vans) and they were supposed to have a contact person there. A contact person was somebody in the PDP that was supposed to show them where the opposition leaders. Before that time in May, we had 64 people coming together.

They brought in 1040 soldiers under the leadership of Brig Momoh and then a strong politician too, who somebody identified as Ubah but not Senator Ubah (Andy), brought in from Enugu another 400 (soldiers). With that, we had more than enough to cage the whole opposition in the state. What we did was to block all the routes leading into the state and to block all the APC-controlled areas.

Developments before the election

Let me tell you what happened. There was a small riot in mid-May in Iyin-Ekiti, my home town. And I think Governor Fayemi called in the military from Akure to quell the riot. And it was at that point that we realised that our plans were not going to work out well, because we did not have the control of the military. That was when we petitioned the former GOC so that he would be taken away from Akure and he was replaced him with a more amenable GOC in Brig-Gen. Momoh. That decision was taken at the last security meeting. It was there that the then President told Minimah, the former Defence chief, with others in attendance that Ayo Fayose would stand in for him. He said Áyo Fayose would stand in for me in Ekiti politics.’ He didn’t sy more than that, but of course to all the military men as the C-in-C; that they had to provide an amenable Brigade Commander to join the DSS personnel that were brought in from outside the state. Now, when you look at the strike team, we had 44 teams. In fact, all the van that organised for the 44-member strike team members were actually parked in my place, in my house. I was the party secretary and the chief returning officer, as well as the chairman of security and intelligence and also the co-ordinator of the campaign.

By Wednesday (June 18, 2014), the strike team members were distributed to the 16 local government areas and each council had an anchorage, who was a key leader in the PDP. All this you can see in the slide.

The slides showed the residence of some leaders and how the military laid the siege

Explaining…..Those were the routes that were blocked. They were about 10 and when you looked at those special polling units, we are not talking about all polling units in a ward. It’s either high volume polling units or polling units that were very weak or those that they must operate on. And when you come down, you’ll see that the man that was the contact person is now the current speaker; that’s Pastor Kola Oluwawole. He was PRO (Public Relations Officer) in my own SWC (State Working Committee) and the state PRO then. He was the one that co-ordinated that.  And then when you look at the other people there with their numbers, they were the ones that were manning the routes and taking care of the team. Let’s go now to where we have the team. Let’s go to the residences, we’ll call it the anchorage.

In some local governments depending on the size, those are the key residences where they were anchored, where their welfare was taken care of. You notice that those people in charge, one is now a senator, one is a commissioner and one is a member of House of Reps, somebody has moved out.

We had them in their anchorages three days before. They had targets that they were supposed to destroy. They went to houses of APC members and the people who were disgruntled with us. They were in PDP then but we didn’t want to take any chances.  So, they were also visited  as opposition members and they were harassed. At times, they were arrested and kept in special detention camps in primary schools or friendly police stations till Sunday morning. The strike force members operated till Sunday morning. And by Sunday morning when there was no opposition in sight again We told members of the team that they should keep any cash found on the opposition leaders.

On whether INEC manipulated the process

Answer: No, no, no no. INEC was not manipulated? INEC was settled. I don’t want to go into the issue of INEC.

On why he won’t discuss INEC role

No, because we’re talking about Ekitigate. Okay let me tell you what happened. INEC was the second option. INEC was the second option because by May in Abuja, we had given N1 billion to INEC for the two states, for the two states. And it was not Jega. Jega was not involved. Jega was not involved? It was to ensure that the returning officers from FUTA were our own. And I can give you the names of the two people who coordinated it. One was Oluwawole and the other was Adekanbi. They had to look for amenable returning officers from FUO.

On the integrity of lecturers

You are just saying that. They didn’t even know what was happening. The funding came for the primaries. It came from Ifeanyi Ubah who we met at the NNPC Towers in Abuja. He gave us $2 million on behalf of Mr. President. It was in cash and not too clean. $100 bills and he (Ubah) said that they had to retain 300,000 as courier fees for those people in the presidency.

On the implication of mentioning peoples names

Because I have to tell the truth and because I was there. I was privy to the process. I was there at the NNNP Towers. I was there with the Rt. Hon. Femi Bamisile. He gave the money in cash, less $300, 0000. And we now took the cash to Prince and princess into his house and he put it in his wardrobe. And he said we should go down to Ekiti for the primaries, to get them ready for the primaries. I was the head of the team, the head of the pro-primaries. That is the funding..(points to slide). You can see that that is the funding, that is Ekiti East and you can see that that is Ayodele Fayose’s signature. Let the slide go down.

On how much was spent on the election

It was $35 million and it came in January, not June 17. I was privy to all the arrangements. Obanikoro was just the courier. It came in from the former National Security Adviser Sambo Dasuki. The money was given from the former NSA in cash and by a courier. Because we asked for security and we asked for funds and Mr. President said everything would be made available. We had a meeting on Thursday, Wednesday, or Thursday. I think Wednesday 18th or so. And that is the money given out to the strike team. It was N1 million per van per day and they worked for three days, that is N132 million. And then for those people that blocked the road,  it was N4 million for the period and we’re talking about 16 local governments, making it N64 million.

On the involvement of Hon Kareem Abisodun

He was at the meeting thatwas attended by Koli. But, he was more of a personal friend to… If he says he was part of the security meeting, that’s a different thing. He wasn’t at the security meeting but he was at the meeting in Ekiti, in Spotless Hotel. Or Koli had lied about his presence?  If I’m saying he was there and Koli said he was there. I don’t have any issue with Hon Kareem. I’m just telling the truth to the whole world so that we’ll know how to manage our democracy.

Implications of blowing the whistle

Because I was part of it does that mean I shouldn’t have any proper legacy that I’ll leave to my children? Why should I be afraid? Have we not done it?