Angry, tired , fedup, frustrated and hopelessly losing faith in the leadership of this country called Nigeria, coupled with the non-functional system, the Nigerian Youths have taken their protest to a top notch by going spiritual .
With the birth of a revolution known as #endsars which has become a national phenomenon, spreading like wild fire, the Youth in their quest for a nation of their dreams have decided to touch the heart of God with a new movement known as #prayerwalk.
Inspired by gospel act, Samuel O.Imo widely known as Limoblaze, it’s a complementary protest to the #endsars which has United the Youths across the nation.
According to the organisers, the #prayerwalk is a movement to actualize the reasons behind nation wide protest. They believe that taking over the helms of affairs in the spirit realm is key which will transcend to the physical manifestation of their physical desires in the physical world.
Could this vision and mission be as a result of lack of confidence on spiritual fathers who some have called out to have been unusually quiet in the face of this phenomena? However, like a mustard seed, the dream and movement has yielded fruits as it’s now a national fire that is producing results .
According to the convener, Limoblaze on his official IG page two days ago, he said:
I and my brothers, @itsangeloh, @koch_dualedge, @amose_music, @kerusso418 made a call for a prayer walk two days ago and today over 600 Christian youths gathered to commune with the spiritual! My heart is filled with so much joy….
Surprisingly, checks revealed that most youth in most states have taken a cue and joined the prayer walk in the morning before going for the protest tagged #endsars.
And guess what? God gave them a sign that he is behind them . Few hours ago, Limoblaze posted a wonderful testimony they witnessed in Jos yesterday during the prayer walk:
This happened at Jos today and I am the most fulfilled … Earlier today, at the Kaduna #prayerwalk someone who walked in with crutches, dropped them off and was healed.
Interestingly, some Celebs too have identified with them . Delectable Nollywood actress, Toyin Abraham posted the movement on her official IG page , @toyin_abrahim with the caption “Peace Lord, Heal Nigeria Lord” which has garnered over 172,000 views with other celebs joining the movement.
Of a truth, with this movement, the Nigerian Youths are awake to their responsibility as the vehicle of change in a nation.
It would be recalled that the End Special Anti-Robbery Squad (End SARS) or #EndSARS is a social movement in Nigeria that started on Twitter calling for banning of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, a unit of the Nigerian Police Force. It is a call to end police oppression and brutality in Nigeria. The protests started as a social media campaign using the hashtag #ENDSARS to demand that Nigeria’s government should scrap and end the deployment of Nigeria Police Force Special Anti-Robbery Squad, popularly known as SARS. Within a weekend (9-11 October, 2020), the #ENDSARS hashtag had up to 28 million tweets. Nigerians have shared both stories and video evidence of how members of SARS engaged in kidnapping, murder, theft, rape, torture, unlawful arrests, high-handedness, humiliation, unlawful detention, extrajudicial killings, and extortion.
Femi Oyewale is the publisher of Sahara magazine, Sahara online and Saharaonline TV
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My attention has been drawn to a rash of social media posts concerning my health and the inhuman manner in which it is being orchestrated to look as if it was as a result of the outcome of the September 19, 2020 Edo State Governorship election in which I publicly supported Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu.
It is evidently ungodly for people to gloat over the fact that I am not feeling well. God does not approve of such disposition and those who engage in that pastime are only mocking and playing God.
I have never claimed to be a superhuman being. I do not deny the fact that I am not well. I am outside the country for my medicals, which were delayed because of the lockdown occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic.
After a series of tests, my doctors confirmed that I have some health issues.
It is, therefore, ill-advised and inhuman for those who are not comfortable with the position I took in the Edo election to joyfully circulate in the social media that I have health issues and that I have slid into coma. Well, I leave them all to God.
I am over 60 years. I thank God who gave me the gift of life, an opportunity to live a good life, the grace to build a legacy of achievements and, most importantly, a good name, which is better than silver and gold.
I hold dearly to heart the words of the scriptures that there is a time to be born; and a time to die. But what is most important in life is what I have done with my life. And, this applies to every mortal being.
Edo election, which is the reason they are doing this, has come and gone. Those who are opposed to me for taking a position in the election, which they won, should leave me alone and get busy with their life.
I have moved on with life. I advise them to do the same instead of dwelling in the past. Nevertheless, I wish them well in all they do.
God is on His throne and to Him be all glory, honour and adoration.
Captain (Dr) Idahosa Wells Okunbo, JP
Tuesday, October 6, 2020
For the sake of the electorate ahead of the September 19 governorship election, the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related matters Commission should promptly commence investigations into certain allegations of abuse of office raised against the incumbent governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki.
When news broke that the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related matters Commission (ICPC) had been petitioned to investigate some allegations of financial malfeasances raised against Governor Obaseki, two quotable shares from two globally renowned personalities quickly came to mind.
First was the American whistleblower, who copied and leaked highly classified information from the National Security Agency in 2013, when he was a Central Intelligence Agency employee, Edward Joseph Snowden and claimed that, “There can be no faith in government if our highest offices are excused from scrutiny – they should be setting the example of transparency.”
The former United Nations Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan is of the view that “If corruption is a disease, transparency is a central part of its treatment.”
Bringing these views home to Edo State, where the state holds governorship election next month, the onus of ensuring transparency and that the people retain their faith in government absolutely lies with the ICPC, a body constitutionally charged with the responsibility of exposing corruption among public officials.
The agency should dig down into the details provided by the petitioner and let the electorate and other Nigerians know the veracity of the allegations. The implication is that where the governor is found culpable of these allegations, voters can make up their minds on what to do with him at the ballot and on the other hand, if exonerated, he would not be deprived of the much-needed support.
Interestingly, the allegations contained details that are easily verifiable.
A member of the governor’s new political party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ward 3, Orhionmwon LGA of Edo, Andrew Egboigbe, in a petition titled, “Petition against the unfairly advantageous awarding of Edo State Contracts to Afrinvest Limited by Governor Godwin Obaseki”, alleged that the governor abused his office by awarding inflated contracts to his company, AfriInvest Limited, an action that is contrary to the provisions of the constitution.
The petition already marked as received by the commission on Monday, August 3, 2020, also alleged that Governor Obaseki has been converting state funds for the purpose of setting up a regional bank awaiting approval by the Nigerian apex bank, the CBN.
Hence, Egboigbe charged the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to stand true to its core mandate of promoting sound financial system in Nigeria by declining the approval of the proposed regional bank purportedly linked to the governor and to investigate alleged payment of state funds into private accounts.
The petitioner alleged that Governor Obaseki, who founded his company, Afrinvest Limited in 1994 and stepped down as Chairman, Board of Directors in 2016, when he could no longer retain the position after he became governor, has been giving undue advantages to his firm, contrary to the provisions of Section 19 of the ICPC Act 2000.
Noting that despite the fact that the company remained “associate” as stipulated by Section 2 of the ICPC Act 2000, the governor’s emergence as governor has resulted in unprecedented financial boom for the company, whereas the governor and the company were unable to support his first term campaign with N10m.
“Mr. Godwin Obaseki’s emergence as governor suspiciously coincided with financial boom for Afrinvest Limited, leading to the firm winning contracts, notably from Edo State Government and making astounding profits it never posted since establishment.
“On one specific occasion, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, abusing his office as governor, single-handedly, without the approval of his cabinet and the legislative arm of government, awarded a I.8 billion naira consultation contract on the Water Storm Project to Afrinvest Limited without justification of the inflated sum and the nature of the contract,” the petition reads in part.
If investigation proves this allegation right, Governor Obaseki would have acted in contravention of Section 19 of ICPC Act 2000.
Egboigbe further alleged that, “The security votes of Edo State, increased to an annual sum of 7.5 billion naira by Mr. Godwin Obaseki, since 2018 has been deposited in Afrinvest Limited bank account, and serves, alongside other illegally obtained profits, as the starting capital used to resuscitate Primus Bank, which Mr. Godwin Obaseki, acting through his proxies, is now seeking approval for, to operate as a regional bank.”
The governor’s main challenger, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, has had the feeling that something was fishy about the security votes, not just because it was arbitrarily increased from N6 billion to N7.5 billion but because the police wasn’t getting enough to genuinely police the state.
In a maiden edition of his live broadcast on his Facebook page, Ize-Iyamu stated that: “The present government has not been able to show any serious commitment to the security funding of the state. Every month, the governor collects millions as security vote and gives the police little. That does not show commitment to security. The amount is not even enough to fuel vehicles.”
He expressed concern that Edo State was perhaps the only state in the South-south region without adequate investments in technology, which could be deployed to tackle crime.
“In this age, what is our investment in technology? Edo State might be the only state in the South-south that does not have trackers that can be used to trace kidnappers. The government must show sincerity in combating crime,” he said.
On the abandoned Water Storm Project, which Egboigbe alleged was awarded to Obaseki’s Afrinvest, Ize-Iyamu restated his commitment to ensuring its completion, even as he expressed surprise that Obaseki chose to not complete it when he became governor.
“The water storm project cannot be abandoned. I didn’t initiate it, but we must commend those who planned it. Even four years ago, when I was contesting, I commended the foresight because flooding is a major challenge in Benin.
“To abandon the project the way it has been abandoned is imprudent and wicked, especially coming from a governor that was part of its conception. Afrinvest was involved in the financing of the water storm project. How do you rationalise a governor, who was part of that process to now decide that he is not interested in the project?” Ize-Iyamu lamented.
Meanwhile, the Edo State Media Campaign Council of the All Progressives Congress (APC), through its Chairman, Prince John Mayaki, who was until recently the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, has sustained its accusation that the Obaseki administration was emptying the state’s treasury by sponsoring nefarious political activities, fake protests and campaigns of calumny.
Talking from an insider’s perspective, Mayaki opined that Governor Obaseki has been chasing shadows, while neglecting important governance issues, especially the management of flood and protection of lives and property.
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) and Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) listed Edo as one of the highly probable flood-risk states in the country.
The campaign council said: “The warnings by NEMA, based on the predictions of NIMET and NIHSA, that Edo is among the highly probable flood-risk states in the coming months, should send alarm bells ringing on Osadebey Avenue (Government House, Benin), as a matter of priority for the government.”
Etsako East, Esan Southeast, Ikpoba-Okha, Oredo, Etsako Central, Esan Northeast and Ovia Northeast local governments were identified as flood-risk areas in the predictions of NIMET and NIHSA.
Definitely, this governor isn’t finishing well let alone securing another term. But, in all, Edo’s money must be properly accounted for.
I have been inundated with phone calls by those who felt my last week outburst against my party’s guber candidate was rather harsh. Rather than controvert my submissions, they tend to pander to undue sentiments to rein me into dropping my gauntlet. This I found somewhat awkward. Between conscience and Party, I will opt for my conscience over party. While party plays a temporary platform for acquisition and abuse of power, conscience defines the content and character of a man in his interaction with fellow beings and human emanations. While I am in constant touch with my conscience, my party abandoned me as it sold away my right of being heard in its negotiation to gift a “stranger” the party’s ticket. That is a bad omen for our collective sufferance and a sad commentary for democracy. It is a contradiction that leaves a gaping hole in the heart of proper democratic practice.
I have read all manner of responses to my principled stance. Some called me a mole, others said I am a spy, yet others called me unprintable names. For those who know me, they are aware that I am not an Oshiomhole’s lackey. In 2016, as an appointee of the then Governor Oshiomhole, I raised serious queries about the Obaseki project. When I joined others to form R-APC before i joined the PDP in July 2018, I was not a mole. As a member of the APC, I criticised the internal inconsistencies in the party and challenged the lacklustre leadership of Chief Oyegun-led APC then. During the 2019 elections, I was a regular guest on television programmes to interrogate the under-performance of the Buhari-led APC government. At those times, naysayers didn’t see me as neither a mole nor spy, but a good party man who kept PDP in the front burner of national discourse.
My current position is informed by a number of factors. First, it is utterly wrong for a party to surreptitiously surrender its apparati, privileges, structures and “ideological” stratophere to a new entrant as though there were no persons in the party. Within 24 hours, scheduled primary elections were postponed, and all processes leading to the scheduled event were disrupted. If the urge was dictated by altruistic intention to feature Godwin Obaseki on account of strong and result-driven leadership, or performance, one could have understood, but anywhere I turned, the motivation was that Godwin Obaseki has state funds to fund the campaigns. Should that be a selling point if truly we are serious-minded opposition?
Only three months ago, the state chapter of the PDP lambasted Governor Obaseki’s lacklustre leadership in the state, and scored him F9 in all the critical sectors of the Edo economy; health, education, human capital development, infrastructure, and economy. The party mocked his job creation initiative that had yielded no positive result other than recruiting his driver and a few domestic staff. We raised queries about his style of governance that dwells so much on Memorandum of Understanding without concrete implementation. In 2017, I wrote eloquently about the plans of the government based on those espoused ideas, but three years later, they remain a pipe dream, some kind of “OBUBUYAYA” as often said in local parlance, yet, you still want me to support such a leadership because he was gifted the party’s ticket? My conscience bleeds.
What has changed from the abysmal scorecard of the Obaseki’s governance barely three months ago? For me, that was a holistic appraisal of a regime that has become too combative for the wrong reasons, thus putting the state wrongly in the news as one troubled, restive environment. The PDP also challenged his academic claims in 2016 up to the courts until the court said the party filed out of time.This time round, I was expecting the PDP to direct Governor Obaseki to join another party, to create a stronger opportunity for the PDP to fly with older, loyal party members, since his exit from the APC will weaken part of its internal structure. Instead, the party swallowed all its initial vomit, embellished them in a contradictory and double standard manner, and grabbed Governor Obaseki’s trousers by the pocket. It was dollar rain, but it hurts the very soul of the party.
I have been receiving calls from all quarters, read the boring intervention from the national headquarters of the PDP on the APC campaign council. I found the tenor utterly nauseating. What you accuse the APC of doing including adding up names of persons who have queries to answer also apply to the PDP. You complained about Ize-iyamu’s allegations, but you have forgotten it was a PDP government that sent campaign funds to him for the 2015 election. You point one finger forward, three others are pointing backward at you. That is the immorality, lethargy and subterfuge of Nigeria’s party-based democracy, where often times, the opposition is at sea, to decipher what the real issues should be. Pastor Ize-Iyamu’s comportment, diligence at delivering responsibilities, sense of organisation and marksmanship, are direct opposite of Governor Obaseki’s combative style, laced with blackmail, pretentiousness and over santimoniousness.
Democracy talks about constructive engagement and collective bargaining. It preaches inclusion not exclusion. It reinforces participation, involvement and collectivity. Governor Obaseki is the opposite of what an ideal democratic situation should be. His politics is destructive, exclusive, and demonising. He acts alone, intoxicated by the sheer banality of being called the leader of the party, and glamourises in the vainglorious euphoria that he owns life and death. He demolishes houses, terrorises the populace, intimidates opponents and radicalises the youths as a mark of magisterial presence. He dishes out ingratitude in place of gratitude, a simple thank you becomes abominable in his elocution, as he gleefully spends tax payers money to fight imaginary wars. Such a candidate cannot enjoy my support. I had thought the party would interrogate him on all fronts before it gifted the tickets to him, but alas, in an age of money politics, the pockets speak louder than the mouth.
Directing my Chairman, ward 5 Okpella to suspend me or scouting for my polling scores in the 2019 election, would not suffice because my votes and those of my supporters cannot be suspended. For Edo’s combustible politics of late, occasioned by the intemperate response by Governor Obaseki, it is only human to have a man with subliminal humility and peace to assume the leadership of governance in the state. This is why Osagie Ize-Iyamu fits my endorsement. The man for whom Oshiomhole went above board to call Ize-Iyamu unprintable names has since shown his true colours. Pretenders cannot hide their traits for too long, something must betray their real self. Dr Pius Odubu served the state for eight years, Obaseki, a succeeding government refused to pay his legitimate severance allowance.
He fought against Dr. Odubu’s nomination as NDDC chairman, ditto for Victor Ekhator, both of them proud Edo sons. When Honourable Samson Osagie lost his appointment in the Space Technology agency, the Obaseki group celebrated. Till date, 14 duly elected lawmakers are still roaming the streets because the conquistador in Osadebe Avenue won’t allow them to be inaugurated. Where is the place of the Edo collective in the scheme of affairs in Nigeria. Insecurity has taken over the state, whereas security vote has continued to increase geometrically. The roads in my limestone community of Okpella have remained mere eyesore, begging for completion from where Oshiomhole took them, yet, Okpella contributes hugely to the internally generated revenue. Thrice, Governor Obaseki came to promise my people, raised their hopes, and dashed their hopes without qualms. Is that a candidate that should earn my vote? Tufiakwa!. I will come your way again.
Signed…
PRINCE KASSIM AFEGBUA
MEMBER, PDP
WARD 5, OKPELLA.
FORMER HONOURABLE COMMISSIONER FOR INFORMATION AND ORIENTATION, EDO STATE.
The conception, birth and ministry of Jesus Christ were nothing shrouded in secrecy. Long before each of the phases in the life of God’s only son, His father had announced them and true to the prophecies, they all came to pass one after the other.
But why did you think He was also crucified? The answer is not far fetched: because he fulfilled his destiny as prophesied long before his coming. That was His only sin. Besides, as the Bible records, it was also to fulfill all righteousness.
Pause a moment and spare a thought for some of the undeserving attacks on the person of one of Edo State’s billionaires and philanthropists, Captain Idahosa Wells Okunbo, and ask yourself: why is Captain Hosa, as many are wont to call him, suddenly an issue in the state’s body polity?
Curiously, his only sin is that Captain Okunbo remains one of the few incorruptible billionaires, who started making money some 30 years ago, with a consistent lifestyle, steeped in hard work, affluence, generosity, philanthropy, sympathy and the fear of God.
Now, let’s get it straight. As simple as all these may sound, they do not come easy. Operating in an environment, where sleaze, manipulation and official corruption are a norm, it’s hard to find individuals, who are better than the system that raised and produced them.
This is where Captain Okunbo is different and incidentally, it is also the reason his traducers have remained unrelenting in their fruitless efforts to dig up what is tawdry, smelly and non- existent, just to smear him, especially, their penchant for linking him with what he’s never had business with.
But for a man, who isn’t just doing things right but has also found favour before God and a majority of men as well as his people of Edo, the traducers of this rare creature would have to try harder to bring down a man, meticulously sculpted by God for a specific assignment on earth.
A pride of his people and sincere patriot by all standards, the good people of Edo, today, are proud to have one of God’s uncommon creatures amongst them. Humble, self-effacing and not by any stroke of imagination conceited, it is curious to know why his haters have refused to admit that Captain Hosa has paid his dues to deserve his current station in any human rating.
Not only are his businesses legitimate, he has been conscientious and consistent over the years, the result of which is his ever increasing wealth, the larger chunk of which he has also dedicated to improving humanity and healing the world.
It is simple logic, of course, that anyone, who has continuously maintained the same decent lifestyle for so long a time, out of outright hard work and God’s given providence, should be respected by his people, and at the same time adore the grace of God upon his life, especially, for having attracted some of the most prestigious recognitions both at home and abroad.
Without rejoicing at the misfortune of others, it goes without saying that many others had fallen off the ladder of success after a few years of joining the class of the rich.
This is also why Captain Okunbo cannot be described as rich but a wealthy man,
because he has been able to reach out to his people and those around him through his philanthropy.
Why then should anyone go to the gutters with such a man, who had said times with out number that he should be left out of Edo politics?
Well, hopefully they don’t finally get to drag him into the arena, where of course, he would do nothing but further display his goodwill amongst his people.
Although a fighter, he engages only in reasonable battles.
Suffice it to say, however, that it is not by sheer happenstance that the lines are constantly falling in the right places for him; it is instructive to mention for the record, that his dedication, transparency, sincerity with family, friends, colleagues and partners as well as reckoning the GOD FACTOR have combined to bring him this far.
Therefore, if Captain Okunbo’s only sin is that he is clean and unapologetically so, it is okay to let the failures continue with their journey on the highway to nowhere. It would not in anyway diminish what God began in his life over 30 years ago.
For a man, who is a rarity amongst the ‘characters’ that currently populate Nigeria’s social unit, wisdom and common sense celebrate such a fellow and not to continue to try effortlessly to destroy his hard earned reputation.
But, hey, here’s a note to Captain Hosa: don’t stop the sin of a decent and enviable lifestyle. It distinguishes you, sir!
*Olusile wrote from Abuja
One of the leading groups of journalists and media practitioners; AMPON (Association of Online Media Practitioners of Nigeria) has assured Nigerians that their optimism on the emergence of a better Nigeria is not in any way misplaced. This was contained in a Christmas message.
In the association goodwill message, made available said that every citizen of the great nation, Nigeria needs to imbibe the lessons of harmonious coexistence to engender development across the states of the nation.
In the statement, signed on behalf of its Chairman, Wole Arisekola by the Acting Secretary, Olugbenga Bada, the Association urged the Federal Government to reflect on the Christmas season and provide Nigerians with the kind of selfless leadership that Christ exemplified. “What Nigerians need from the government at all levels is selfless leadership as exemplified by Jesus Christ, who loved his friends so much that he gave his life for them”.
The statement also read in part; “our leaders should use the end of the year as a period of introspection. The same court orders that could not be obeyed for reasons known to the Major General Buhari administration were eventually obeyed after the United States waded in. Sadly, barely days before then, Major General Buhari’s handlers had given reasons for not obeying the order and had gone as far as reminding the United States Government that it has not been officially appointed ‘policeman of the world’. While it is shameful that the government refused to yield to the cries of Nigerians to obey the judiciary, which is the last hope of the common man, it is even more painful that it took only a letter from the United States to change the situation and secure the release of Col. Sambo Dasuki after four years in detention”.
The statement went further that “if we don’t give up and we collectively demand our rights, Nigeria will eventually, become a better place and not only will we have the ears of our leaders, we will eventually have a government we can truly be proud of”.
Lending its voice to the debate on the ‘Social Media Bill’, the Association described it as a ploy to gag the media. “Let it be known that AMPON will join Nigerians to resist every move to gag the media and subtly remove the freedom of the press. Nigerians have the right to express themselves and no government will be allowed to take that away from them”.
As every Nigerians look forward to a prosperous 2020, the group; AMPON urged its fellow citizen to let’s all love one another and be brothers keepers, and pray that the Almighty would touch the hearts of some persons who take joy in inflicting pains on the hapless common man.
