Headlines

Tinubu camp jittery as Osinbajo declares for presidency

Vice-President Osinbajo

–—as Asiwaju runs to meet APC governors

— I have requisite experience and insight to lead Nigeria—Osinbajo

The camp of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been put in a frenzy over the declaration of Professor Yemi Osinbajo to vie for the position of President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

In a Press statement personally signed by the Vice President, he said he has the requisite experience and insight to lead the country to a prosperous destination.

The declaration of Prof. Osinbajo came after months of speculation and denial.

In a statement he personally signed today, the Vice President said his seven-year tutelage under President Mohammed Buhari has put him in a vantage position to appreciate the challenges of Nigeria and Nigerians and equipped him with the necessary administrative and organisational acumen to solve them.

“In the past seven years, I have served as Vice President under a true Nigerian patriot, a servant of the nation in war and peace, and a man of integrity, President Muhammadu Buhari.

“We have, together, worked through some of the most difficult times in the history of our Nation, but we have remained focused on securing the country, providing infrastructure and growing our economy.

“As stipulated by the Nigerian Constitution, our tenure will end next year.

“In this period of seven years, I have served the government in several capacities, and have, at the direction of Mr. President, represented our country in sensitive high level international engagements.

“I have been to practically all local governments in Nigeria. I have been in markets, factories, schools, and farms.

” I have been in agricultural, mining and oil producing communities; in the Delta, in Kebbi, Enugu, Borno; Rivers, Plateau and Ondo; & in all other States of the federation, listening to the diverse experiences and yearnings of our people.

“I have visited our gallant troops in the North East and our brothers and sisters in the IDP camps.

” I have felt the pain and anguish of victims in violent conflicts, terrorist attacks, flooding, fire and other disasters.

“I have been in the homes of many ordinary Nigerians in various parts of the country.

” I have sat with our technopreneurs in Lagos, Edo, and Kaduna, with our Nollywood and Kannywood actors; with our musicians, from Lagos, Onitsha, and Kano.

” And I have spoken to small and large businesses.

“I stood where they stood and sat where they sat. I know their hopes, aspirations and fears; and I believe that in those hopes and aspirations are the seeds for the great Nigeria that we all desire.

“I believe that the very reason why the Almighty God gave me these experiences, these insights, and these opportunities, is that they must be put to the use of our country and its great peoples.

“Which is why I am today, with utmost humility, formally declaring my intention to run for the Office of the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, on the platform of our great party, the All Progressives Congress.

“If by the grace of God and the will of the people, I am given the opportunity, then I believe that first, we must complete what we have started;

*radically transforming our security and intelligence architecture,

*completing the reform of our justice system focusing on adequate remuneration and welfare of judicial personnel,

*ensuring justice for all and the observance of rule of law,

*rapidly advancing our infrastructure development, especially power, roads, railways and broadband connectivity,

*providing an excellent environment for businesses to thrive,

*taking the agriculture revolution to the next level especially mechanization and developing the farm to table value chain

*making sure that the government, its agencies and regulators serve the business community,

*creating a tech economy that will provide jobs for millions;

*enhancing our Social Investment Programme to a full-scale social welfare scheme,

*completing the promise of lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty within this decade,

*completing the task of ensuring that all Nigerians, male and female, attend school,

*reforming our educational system for relevance to the challenges of this century,

*completing the task of universal health coverage for all,

and

*strengthening the capacity of States and Local Governments to deliver on their respective mandates.

“Above all, front and centre of our efforts will be the provision of jobs and opportunities for our young people.

“I now most solemnly and respectfully seek the support of fellow Nigerians everywhere in this land, and the diaspora, young and old, male and female, in the great and exciting journey that we have ahead of us.

“We will work together, establish by the grace of God, the Nigeria of our dreams in a few short years.

” We will build on the foundation laid by our predecessors. We will need to move, with much speed, intentionality, and perseverance, towards the vision of a prosperous, stable, and secure nation.

“I am convinced beyond doubt that we have the creativity, the courage, the talent, and the resources to be the foremost black nation on earth.

” Let us now birth the expectations of greatness conceived generations before us.

“Let us build a Nigeria where the man from Nnewi sees the man in Gusau as his brother, where the woman in Warri sees the woman in Jalingo as her sister, where the love of our nation burns alike in the hearts of boys and girls

from Gboko to Yenogoa.

“Where everywhere, in this land, is home for everyone, where our diversities, tribes and faiths unite, rather than divide us.

“Let our tribes become one tribe; the Nigerian tribe, where all are treated fairly, justly and with respect. Where all are given equal access to the abundant opportunities that God has bestowed on this nation. It’s time.

“God bless and keep our Republic and its great people.

The new development was said to have sent jitters into the spines of the political campaign organisation of Tinubu due to the enormous goodwill enjoyed by the Vice president Osinbajo, who is incidentally Tinubu’s political protege.

It was gathered that hours after Osinbajo’s declaration, Asiwaju Tinubu, rushed to meet the APC government for their reassurance.

The governors hold the structure of the party and are believed to also hold the aces over who will eventually emerge as the APC flag bearer at the primaries.

Political analysts told our reporter that the declaration of Prof. Osinbajo has introduced a new but interesting twist into the 2023 Presidential race among the contestants, especially Asiwaju Tinubu who many believed had better chances than the rest of the gladiators.

“But that was before the Vice President indicated his interest”, a political analyst observed.

“Now that he has thrown his hat into the ring, the political calculations and permutations have changed.

“Tinubu has the structure and a deep pocket but Osinbajo has vast goodwill of people, age is on his side, and has the intellects to steer the country through its difficult terrain” a political analyst declared.

Related Topics:featured Osinbajo runs for presidency

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Headlines

Lagos princess congratulates Tinubu, Sanwo-Olu

… tasks them on development of maritime economy

The eyewitness reporter

The President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Olushola Sanwo-Olu have been tasked with paying attention to the maritime economy for its development for the overall benefit of Nigeria and her citizenry.

Giving the task with congratulatory messages, a Lagos princess, Princess Ronke Kosoko, noted that developing the maritime economy would instigate the economic development of the nation.

Princess Kosoko who is the CEO of Employment Clinic and Coordinator, Project One Million Jobs,

congratulated Asiwaju Tinubu and Governor Sanwo-Olu on their well-deserved victories at the polls.

She was confident that the Nigerian maritime economy will gain immensely from the Tinubu administration even as she enjoined the President-elect to focus on the industry.

Kosoko noted that skilled maritime personnel is aging and there is a need to transfer their wealth of experience to the younger generation who needs to be prepared to take over from the retiring generation.

She disclosed that the Federal Ministry of Transportation had approved the request for Project One Million Jobs to interface with agencies under the ministry for a seamless flow of talks and synergy that will positively impact and lead to a new frontier in the industry.

Ronke Kosoko unveiled her pet project, Maritime Conversion Programme (MCP), which she explained was designed to introduce Nigerian graduates to the maritime sector and improve career prospects.

Kosoko said that the MCP, which has gotten the backing of the government, would give support and connect not less than 5000 Nigerian graduates with the right employers in the industry who can engage them in non-technical aspects of shipping.

She noted that women will be given an adequate percentage under MCP, stating that the MCP is not creating jobs but providing a fertile ground for the transfer of knowledge from old Nigerians in the industry to young ones.

Headlines

Ekweremadu, wife may go to jail as London court finds them guilty of organ tafficking

Ike Ekweremadu; his wife, Beatrice;

The Eyewitness reporter with agency report

A former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu; his wife Beatrice; and their doctor, Obinna Obeta have been found guilty of organ trafficking in the first verdict of its kind under the Modern Slavery Act.

Ekweremadu, 60; his wife, Beatrice, 56; and Obeta, 51; were found guilty of facilitating the travel of a young man to Britain with a view to his exploitation after a six-week trial at the Old Bailey.

They allegedly criminally conspired to bring the 21-year-old Lagos street trader to London to exploit him for his kidney, the jury found, according to UK Guardian.

Ekweremadu and his wife were charged in the United Kingdom after they allegedly lured a young man from Nigeria to harvest his organ for their ailing daughter, Sonia.
The lawmaker was last year arrested and had been in the custody of UK authorities after they received complaints from the young man about their alleged plans to harvest his organ.

The prosecutor, Hugh Davies KC, told the court on Thursday the Ekweremadus and Obeta had treated the man and other potential donors as “disposable assets – spare parts for reward”.

He said they entered an “emotionally cold commercial transaction” with the man.

The behaviour of Ekweremadu, a successful lawyer and founder of an anti-poverty charity who helped draw up Nigeria’s laws against organ trafficking, showed “entitlement, dishonesty and hypocrisy”, Davies told the jury.

He said Ekweremadu, who owns several properties and had a staff of 80, “agreed to reward someone for a kidney for his daughter – somebody in circumstances of poverty and from whom he distanced himself and made no inquiries, and with whom, for his own political protection, he wanted no direct contact”.

Davies added, “What he agreed to do was not simply expedient in the clinical interests of his daughter, Sonia, it was exploitation, it was criminal.

“It is no defence to say he acted out of love for his daughter. Her clinical needs cannot come at the expense of the exploitation of somebody in poverty.”

Ekweremadu, who denied the charge, told the court he was the victim of a scam.

Obeta, who also denied the charge, claimed the man was not offered a reward for his kidney and was acting altruistically.

Beatrice denied any knowledge of the alleged conspiracy. Sonia did not give evidence.

The judge, Mr Justice Jeremy Johnson, will pass sentence at a later date.

Headlines

EFCC arraigns bank manager, two others for N55m fraud in Makurdi

Owolola Adebola

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC,) on Tuesday, March 21, 2023, arraigned one Kichime Gomwalk, a branch manager of First City Monument Bank, (FCMB,) Michael Damkas Buayam of Tan Global Energy Limited, and Abbas Andrew Dayilim of Castlegate International Limited before Justice P. S. Gang of the Plateau State High Court Jos, on a five-count charge bordering on stealing, cheating and obtaining by false pretense to the tune of N55,000.000.00 (Fifty Five Million Naira) fraud.

Kichime Gomwalk, while serving as branch Manager, FCMB Plc, Murtala Mohammed Way Jos, in Plateau State is alleged to have forged COCIN GRATUITY CERTIFICATE OF PLEDGE/LETTER OF SET-OFF dated 30th DECEMBER, 2019, purportedly co-signed by Mrs. Monica Bitrus Tang and Rev (Dr.) Amos Musa Mohzo, Directors, which he used to secure an overdraft facility from FCMB Plc to the tune of N55, 000.000.00 (Fifty-Five Million Naira) with COCIN Gratuity account N0. 100GOMWALK379 domiciled with FCMB Plc

Count one of the charges reads, “That you, Kichime Gomwalk, Michael Damkas Buayam of Tan Global Energy Limited, and you Abbas Andrew Dayilim of Castlegate International Limited, sometime in December 2019 at Jos, in Plateau State within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court did conspire among yourselves to commit an unlawful act to with without Lawful authority engaged in the acquisition of N55,000.000.00 (Fifty Five Million Naira) overdraft credit facility from FCMB Plc and thereby committed an offense of conspiracy contrary to section 59 (1) of the Plateau State Penal Code Law, (20017) and punishable under Section 59 (2) of the same Law”.

Count two reads, “That you, Kichime Gomwalk, Michael Damkas Buayam of Tan Global Energy Limited, and you Abbas Andrew Dayilim of Castlegate International Limited, sometime in December 2019 in Plateau State within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court fraudulently used LETTER OF CONSENT to engage in the acquisition of N55,000.000.00 (Fifty Five Million Naira) overdraft credit facility from FCMB Plc knowing that at the time of acquisition of the said money, it was derived from the unlawful activity and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 18 (a) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment Act) 2004, and Punishable under section 18 (2) of the same Act”.

The defendants pleaded ‘not guilty’ when the charge was read to them.

The prosecution counsel, Uwaise Yusuf urged the court to remand the defendants and fix a date for trial.

The judge adjourned the case till May 18, 2023, and ordered the remand of the defendants at the Jos Correctional Center pending the hearing of their bail applications.