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A popular group, Agricwatch Alliance has accused President Muhammadu Buhari’s Chief of Staff, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari of frustrating corruption allegations against the Managing Director of Lower Niger River Basin Development Authority (LNRBDA), Dr. Engr. Saheed Aremu.

This is contained in a statement signed by the Coordinator of the group, Alhassan Muhammad and the Scribe, Bode Bosun and made available to Newsmen in Abuja on Thursday.

The statement reads ” we have observed that the anti-corruption crusade of the present administration under the APC government is feign and selective.

” Our letter dated June 26th, 2022 calling on the Government to take necessary action on the issue of corruption allegations against Engr. Aremu was given deaf ears. We also asked the Government to monitor the activities of the agency across the country to curb wasteful budgetary spending and maladministration.

” The information we gathered was that the alleged MD is gallivanting in office and developing immunity through a compromised system. we learned the ICPC invited him few months ago over a petition concerning embezzlement and misappropriation of Public funds. The petition emanated as a result of projects that were awarded at the agency for execution in Anambra state but unfortunately the project was abandoned despite the payment for it.

” This was among other corruption allegations against the MD but we’re disenchanted that the government hasn’t deemed it fit to order him to step aside for full investigation.

According to the statement they also got information that the COS, Prof. Gambari has been frustrating the corruption case against him by covering him by dictating for the Minister of water resources among other top Government functionaries to protect him.

The statement concluded by appealing to Mr. President to prove his integrity of his administration by ensuring a full investigation into Dr. Aremu case to ensure that Justice is achieved.

The group also threat to approach the law court to ensure necessary legal action with evidences should the President fails.

*decries marginalisation

A group, Bade Progressive Forum (BPF) has frowned at the Senate President, Dr. Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan over his choice of Ibrahim Babagana (Yurema) as the Bade Local Government Committee Caretaker Chairman.

The group expressed this in a statement signed by its Coordinator, Alhaji Mohammed Galadima, made available to our correspondent on Monday November 14, 2022.

“It is of note that the constituents from Bade LGA and other communities in the Yobe North Senatorial District are not pleased with the leadership style of the President of the Senate, Dr. Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan, PhD, GCON.

These gross escalated when the President of the Senate, Dr. Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan nominated one Ibrahim Babagana (YUREMA), as the Bade Local Government Committee Caretaker Chairman,” the statement said.

The group said that It is generally believed that the nominated Ibrahim Babagana is not supposed to be the beneficiary of such elevated seat, despite commitments from other loyalists who stood firm in both thick and thin.

“Parts of what we can describe as marginalisation in Dr. Lawan’s style of leadership and selection are stated thus:

“Despite that Bade tribe is the majority in the local Government, the Commissioner is from Manga tribe.

“Secondly, APC Party Chairman is also from Manga tribe. The Co- ordinator Tinubu/Shettima is from Manga tribe and Chairman caretaker committee selected by Dr. Ahmed I. Lawan is from the same Manga tribe, Ibrahim Babagana (Yurema) by name.

“With all these imbalances, Bade tribe have been marginalized by Dr. Ahmed I Lawan and his so called Boys,” the group pointed out.

They reminded President of the Senate that, “all power belongs to Allah and He will give to whomsoever He wishes”.

They accused Lawan of deliberately hindering the political rise of any Bade and Katuzu sons in particular, an act they said, will not help him retain power forever.

BPF therefore, called on the Executive Governor of Yobe State, Alhaji Mai Mala Buni, CFR to also look into these marginalisation and act accordingly in redressing these anomalies.

“Our amiable governor should remember that the Yobe indigenes entrusted him the leadership, which is purely an act of Allah and every human will stand before Him on the judgement day to account for his or her deeds.

“For the President of the Senate to restore this love and cooperation from the Bade tribe, he must henceforth, shelve all personal interests in selecting political appointments and offices. When this is done, there will be cooperation and understanding among the people,” they said.

According to the statement, Bade people are well known to peaceful neighbourliness, “we are dedicated to the growth of our communities and we are fully in support of the activities of the President of the Senate when we are part of the plans. We urge our dear Leader, Dr. Ahmad Lawan to adjust these imbalances and place as part of his priority, the Bade tribe,” they demanded.

Chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress and the party’s Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Hon Yakubu Murtala Ajaka, has berated the campaign of calumny against the APC Presidential candidate ahead of the 2023 general election.

Earlier on Saturday, a press release purportedly issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) indicated that the commission was investigating the presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu over alleged involvement in drug trafficking in the United States.

The press release allegedly signed by INEC spokesman, Festus Okoye, stated that the electoral commission is liaising with Northern Illinois District Court to establish the veracity of the allegation against the APC candidate.

However, INEC, in a rebuttal issued on Saturday and signed by Festus Okoy, described the press release and all information in it as fake and contrived.

The Commission also said it has no plan to investigate Tinubu over alleged links with drug trafficking.

“We wish to state categorically that the said Press Release did not emanate from the Commission nor is it pursuing the purported course of action. It is the handiwork of mischief makers and utterly fake,” said INEC.

Also reacting to the misinformation, Ajaka, described it as an unfortunate attempt to malign the APC Presidential candidate.

“It is unfortunate that someone aspiring or a group of people supporting the aspiration of someone can stoop so low with such a diatribe and cheap blackmail to malign the image of a respected personality like Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”

However, the APC chieftain called on the electoral commission and relevant security agencies to investigate the source of the information.

Ajaka said; “In view of the foregoing therefore, INEC, the Police and other security agencies have a duty to uncover and identify the overt and/or covert authors of this heinous document and be charged for forgery, deceit and deliberate misleading and misinforming the public for cheap political gain.

This action will definitely pave the way for a clean, transparent and acceptable electioneering process ahead of the 2023 General election.”

He also demanded that INEC should sanction political parties or candidates who sponsor falsehood, hate and inciting speeches capable of breaching peace.

*fhreatens to release documents

A pro-Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on the platform of Rivers State Democracy Sustainable Group (RSDSG) has challenged the Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike, to give account of all his recent giveaways to his allies allegedly causing disunity in the main opposition party and other donations.

The group wondered if those giveaways of Rivers State resources were presented to the Rivers State House of Assembly and approved by the lawmakers as party of budgetary allocation.

In a statement signed on Monday in Abuja by its Convener, Justin Chibuike, the group said from 2015 till date Gov. Nyesom Wike has received trillions of Naira from internally Generated Revenue, federal allocations, local and foreign interventions and sales of Rivers State government properties including the gas turbine Rotimi Amaechi acquired from Holland and Saipem; but has not spent one third of these Rivers owned resources.

The group, however, threatened to that “If the Governor does not speak to Rivers people and hand over their properties back to the state, all these documents will be revealed including sales agreements of these properties both locally and internationally.”

According to the statement, one may ponder on the ridiculous excesses of the governor in recent times against the party that has given him everything except being the presidential candidate of the party.

“The party in it’s wisdom settled for the former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar for their best interest but the Governor has gone rogue against the party and the presidential candidate.

“We have realised that the courage to fight an unknown battle has been fully funded by the purse of Rivers State. The Governor in his bid to service the loyalty of the characters masquerading as fighters for justice in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has resulted to throwing Rivers resources into the bellies of the fishes acting as militants in the PDP.

“Further more, the Governor of the state should explain to Rivers people if the monies that he doles out frequently to forces outside Rivers State are duly captured and approved by the Rivers State House of Assembly in the yearly budgets of the state.

“This is of importance because Rivers people have seen how the Governor went to Lagos State to endorse the APC Governor of the state against his party’s candidate and in so doing donated the sum of N300m to the National women conference organised by the Committee of Wives of Lagos State Officials(COWLSO) at the Eko Hotels and Suites.

“Also, we’ve seen in disgust how he attended the birthday party of his ally in Abia State, Okezie Ikpeazu and donated the sum of N200m for no just cause. We’ve also seen recently the donation of 25 buses each to both Cross River and Benue states PDP.

“Rivers people are tired and can’t continue in this charade of the governor in his utter wastage that has continually underdeveloped the state in times as such where there is serious unemployment and no human capital development or Empowerment to enable the youths create meaningful opportunities for themselves to grow the declining state GDP and of course the rising inflation in our dear state.

“We’ve also seen how about seven international trips of these Governors of his are sponsored by the governor at the expense of our state purse to hold secret meetings with political candidates in luxurious hotels for weeks in Europe that adds zero economic benefit to the state.

“It is quite unfortunate that a man who seeks accountability in his party is involved in actions that negates the core values of a just course. The Governor swore an oath to be accountable to Rivers people and we are of this notice asking him to give accounts of his ridiculous spendings of state resources.

“We have uncovered properties owned by the state especially the civil service quarters that is given to his friends and allies who are not Rivers people all to entice their support for his failed presidential bid. We ask, what have the civil servants done to Wike that for seven and half years they’ve not experienced promotion of any sort and that the state secretariate is kept in an unhabitable condition.

“The Governor in one of his many giveaways went to his kinsmen in Ogbumnuabali and doled out a mouth watery sum of N2b for doing nothing absolutely nothing. Such a fund would have been directed to fixing the unhabitable condition of our state secretariate because the civil servants in the state have seen nothing but neglect in Wike’s seven reckless years of mismanagement of state funds.”

While demanding for justice on behalf of the Rivers people, the statement said: “As a group we are asking the state governor who is demanding for justice in the party to first serve justice to Rivers people because charity begins at home. He must explain to us for posterity sake. Good men can no longer remain silent in times like this.

“Rivers people and Nigerians daily have seen that the self centred gimmicks of Wike are only to grant easy access to a Bola Tinubu presidency. In his attempt to demean Atiku Abubakar, Atiku has continued to enjoy public support based on the unjustifiable excesses of Nyesom Wike. Public opinions in the various states of those following the Rivers Governor and beyond shows that Atiku Abubakar is leading every other candidate as General elections gets closer. His wide acceptance has been censored and his presidency is now a reality.

“We therefore, urge the Governor, Chief Barr. Nyesom Ezenwo Wike to immediately account for all Rivers State assets he has appropriated to himself and his cronies; if he dares not, we will one by each release the places and locations of properties he has forcefully annexed to himself and co-conspirators. Also, we will release documents of monies he has hidden through proxies for himself. The Governor must declare those properties to Rivers people for the purpose of transparency and accountability, else he runs the risk of facing a national disgrace.”