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TUESDAY APRIL 19, 2016 • T H I S D AY
NEWSEXTRA
Gbajabiamila Writes Chinese President, Accuses Ekiti Gov of Economic Sabotage Fayose slams Oyegun, others for criticising him Damilola Oyedele in Abuja and Olakiitan Victor in Ado Ekiti
The Majority Leader in the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, has described the action of Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State for cautioning China against granting a $2 billion loan to Nigeria, as attempted economic sabotage and subversion. Gbajabiamila, in a letter dated April 18, 2016 addressed to President Xi Jingping of China, urged a complete disregard of the letter written by Fayose, whose duties, he noted, do not extend to foreign affairs or economic diplomacy. “Fayose is a governor who overreaches himself and can be described as a meddlesome interloper,” the majority leader said, adding that the governor’s actions
should be excused as vituperations and exuberance. “Nigeria’s principle of the separation of powers between the federal, state and local government, have made Fayose’s action a clear affront on the constitution, by delving into matters outside his state, particularly as it concerns international agreements between two sovereign nations,” he added. “Indeed the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution contains the oath of office sworn to by the governor of a state on assumption of office and it states:“........that I will exercise the authority vested in me as governor so as not to impede or prejudice the authority lawfully vested in the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” the letter read. Gbajabiamila added that for Fayose to refer to a $2 billion
Lagos CP Brokers Peace Between Warring Linda Ikeji, Wizkid Chiemelie Ezeobi The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, has brokered peace between the warring duo of blogger, Linda Ikeji and popular musician, Ayo Balogun known as ‘Wizkid. Owoseni was said to have waded into the feud after the blogger had petitioned the command over an alleged threat to beat her up made by the musician on social media. Using Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), both factions hashed out the issues of the alleged threat to life and left in peace. This is contrary to claims that Balogun would soon be arrested by the operatives of the state command on the orders of the CP.
The musician was said to have threatened to send his 16-year-old cousin to beat her up over a story the blogger published on her blog weeks ago. The blogger had published that the musician was evicted from his home over his inability to pay the rent. Confirming the incident, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Dolapo Badmos, said a peace deal had been brokered. She said: “Indeed the state police command received a petition of threat to life from Linda Ikeji against Ayo Balogun. “But the CP has waded into the issue between Wizkid and Linda Ikeji. Alternative dispute resolution was used and the parties left in peace.”
loan as a $6 billion investment package shows that he is not fully aware of the transaction between Nigerian and China. Meanwhile, Fayose has advised the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman, Chief John Odigie Oyegun; his Deputy, Segun Oni, and others who criticised him over his opposition to the alleged borrowing of $2 billion loan by the federal government to stop displaying hypocrisy in the interest of the nation. Fayose said his reaction to the attempt by President Muhammadu Buhari to borrow the money was done out of national interest and not because of his personal animosity against the president, adding that what the APC did against him was tantamount to hypocrisy. He described President Buhari’s non-signing of any direct loan agreement with the Chinese Government during his visit as a vindication of the governor’s position, maintaining that: “What Nigeria needs is the collaboration of the government of China in the area of technology transfer, rather than granting loan that
will be mismanaged under the guise of building infrastructure.” In a statement issued yesterday in Ado Ekiti by his Special Assistant on Public Communications, Lere Olayinka, Fayose said: “People like Oyegun, Oni and Prof Itse Sagay lack moral rights to complain even if Buhari is called whatever names because they never complained when as a sitting President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan was called unprintable names by APC stalwarts and leaders.” The governor said he only exercised his rights as a Nigerian, asking: “Where were the likes of Oyegun, Oni, Sagay and others when APC promoted crude politics and anti-Nigeria posturing to an unprecedented level when Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was in power? “It is on record that APC wrote to the United States of America not to sell arms to Nigeria, reported the country to the European Union, United Nations and went to the bizarre extent of reporting the then Chief of Army Staff, Azubuike Ihejirika, to the International Criminal Court (ICC), not for committing the kind
of genocide committed against the Shiite Muslims in Zaria and Agatus in Benue State, but for killing Boko Haram insurgents. “On one occasion, a certain APC stalwart insinuated that Jonathan’s visit to Chad was to plan further attacks on the North, tweeting that ‘Boko Haram: Jonathan visits Chadian President Idris Deby for the second time in two months, to plan further attacks.’ “It is also on record that instead of lending his voice to the federal government efforts to dislodge Boko Haram insurgents, President Buhari opted to describe the clampdown on Boko Haram as injustice against the North. He went on to accuse the government of killing and destroying the insurgents’ houses while the Niger Delta militants were given special treatment by the government. “Even when Oni was Ekiti State governor as a PDP member, Action Congress (AC) as APC then wrote against his government move to obtain a N5 billion loan. Isn’t it then funny that because he is now in APC, the same Oni is now against Fayose doing the same
thing done against him by the APC elements in Ekiti State? “Isn’t it also funny that in Oyegun, Oni, Sagay among others political dictionaries of hypocrisy that it was right for APC stalwart to have reported the federal government to ICC but wrong for Fayose to have written to the Chinese government on the federal government’s plan to mortgage the future of Nigeria and its people?” The governor’s spokesperson said since the federal government claimed it has recovered and still recovering trillions of naira allegedly looted from the treasury, there was no need to borrow money from anywhere to finance the 2016 Budget.“With the $200 billion they claimed is coming from Dubai, $700 million cash they said was found in Diezani Alison Madueke’s house, N3 trillion said to have been saved from the Treasury Single Account (TSA) and N4.5 trillion the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) said it will generate this year, what then is the rationale behind the federal government seeking any loan?
BAOSA Elects Idowu, Akiotu into National EXCO Two media executives were among nine officers elected to pilot the affairs of the Baptist Academy Old Students Association (BAOSA) for the next three years. They are Mr. Lanre Idowu, Chief Executive Officer, Diamond Publications and Mr. Tony Akiotu, Managing Director, Daar Communications. While Idowu emerged as the National President, Akiotu was elected National Public Relations Officer. In a keenly contested election at the association’s national convention held over the weekend in the hall of the 161-year-old school, the nine officers elected are: Mr. Lanre Idowu, president, Mr. Yomi Jones, Deputy President, Mr. Niyi Thompson, General Secretary, Mr. Dotun Lampejo, Deputy Secretary, Mr. Alex Okoh, Treasurer, and Mr. Olumide Ajomale, Financial Secretary, Mr. Tony Akiotu, Public Relations Officer, Mr. Niyi Onifade, Deputy PRO, and Mr. Ademola Adebise, Auditor. Held in an atmosphere of lighthearted banter and subtle campaign, the day started with an address of welcome by Chief Tunde Onakoya, the outgoing
president, who expressed delight at the association’s rejuvenation in the last seven years. He enumerated areas of intervention in the school that BAOSA has been involved in. These include the annual founder’s day celebration, prize giving day, inter house sports meet, and the ongoing library being built by its Chairman, Board of Trustees, Chief Adebutu Kessington. After receiving the reports of the treasurer, secretary, and school principal, the convention witnessed the accreditation of financial members for the purpose of the elections, which were done by secret balloting. Eminent Professor of Mass Communication, Idowu Sobowale was the returning officer. In his acceptance speech, the new president, Idowu promised to run an administration that would consolidate on the worthy legacies bequeathed by predecessors, consult widely on fresh initiatives, and communicate effectively to fellow alumni, the school and its proprietors and the public. Delegates thereafter went on a tour of the 161 year old school.
CHANGE OF GUARD
New Director General, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier General Sule Zakari Kazaure (left), taking over from Brigadier General Johnson Bamidele Olawumi, during the handing over ceremony at the NYSC Headquarters in Abuja ...yesterday Enock Reuben
Gumi: Boko Haram 100% Muslim Problem, Preaching Bill Unconstitutional A prominent Muslim cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has said that Boko Haram is 100 per cent a Muslim problem, accusing some people in the North of “cooperating with and working to protect them.” Gumi said in the current April edition of The Interview, that, “Boko Haram as it now is cannot prosper in Ibadan, because the locals will expose them. The same in Enugu. The people agitating for Biafra cannot prosper in the North because they will be exposed. “We have to understand,” he said, “that these people are from amongst us and that the society was not doing enough to bring
these elements out. I can tell you that Boko Haram is 100 per cent a Muslim problem.” Gumi, who also described the agitation for Biafra as “analogue,” challenged Muslim leaders to do more to combat Boko Haram. Commenting on the controversial bill to regulate preaching in Kaduna State, Gumi said the bill had gone too far and was an infringement on the constitution. “If you are trying to fight terrorism and extremism,” he said, “you don’t clamp down on the freedom of speech, freedom of thought and freedom of
propagation of thoughts. These liberties are enshrined in the constitution.” The Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai, had said the bill was an updated version of an existing law required to curtail inflammatory sermons by faith leaders. Gumi however said the bill could drive extremism underground. The cleric also spoke on the militaryShiite clash in Zaria; the ongoing investigation into the $2.1billion arms scandal involving the former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki; and the anti-corruption war of President Muhammadu
Buhari’s government. In this edition, Captain Lola Odujinrin, the Nigerian aviator who could become the first black man to make a successful solo flight around the world this April, also granted his first full-length interview. “You can only truly chase a dream when you are prepared to sacrifice the world for it,” Odujinrin said. The issue also contains interviews with former Lagos State Chief Judge, Justice Ayotunde Phillips; US-based Nigerian basketball prodigy, Temi Fagbenle; and computer scientist-turned-foodie, Nky Iweka, amongst others.