By Ugo Egbujo

The sad tale of Abba Kyari and drug dealing

Let me break it down.

Abba Kyari called an NDLEA officer on 21 Jan 22.

The man missed the call and returned it.

Abba wanted a private meeting after Jumat that day.

After Jumat they met at a rendezvous

Abba said his boys had arrested a drug dealer who came in from Brazil with 25kg cocaine. Abba’s went from Abuja to Engu to pick their man.

Now this is the deal

Abba and his boys have taken out 15kg from the seizure and replaced it with dummy packages.

The Police boys took 8Kg. The informant, another drug dealer, took 7Kg.

1Kg= 7 million naira

The suspects are with Abba’s boys in the IRT cell

Abba’s boys will have to hand over the suspects to the NDLEA and clean up their tracks.

But drugs suspects always keep their eyes on the seized cocaine.

They will tell the NDLEA the real weight, and often seek to repurchase them through the back

If the NDLEA detects the dummy, then Abba’s boys are in boiling soup.

So Abba proposed to sell 5KG for the NDLEA so that the NDLEA will get only 5KG of real cocaine and 20KG of dummy as seizure

Upon take over of the suspects, the NDLEA will carry out an arranged testing of some of the packages in front of the suspects. Abba’s boys had marked the real cocaine packages. so therandom sampling will be arranged sampling. That way the arrested drug dealers wont know about the deal.

The officer briefed his bosses. They asked him to play along.

Abba proposed to send his brother to drop the cash value of 5KG ie 35M in dollars. The officer refused.

Abba turned up with cash at secret rendevous. Officer insisted on picking it in his car. Car was alreday wired.

After reviewing tape the NDLEA summoned Abba.

Abba has been nowhere

All these happened between January 21 and last weekend

The rot in the police is deep. This might consume the IRT

Sad.

Kudos to the NDLEA.

That officer deserves a national honour

The State Director, National Orientation Agency (NOA), Jigawa State, Malam Shu’aibu Haruna has said that the Agency would not relent in its efforts to instill sense of patriotism, self-discipline dedictation and loyalty to the father land among the citizens.

Haruna stated this in the side line of the 2022 Valentine’s Day celebration which the Agency has leveraged upon to promote love for Nigeria in a program titled “Fall in Love with Nigeria: My Role in Making Nigeria of My Dream” in Kazaure on Monday 14th February, 2022.

Highlight of the event was the presentation of award to Government Junior Secondary School, Kanti, Kazaure which emerged as the Jigawa State winner of the maiden edition of Integrity Club competition organized by NOA to further enlist young Nigerians in the fight against corruption and other social ills as well as rejuvenate our lost values of honesty, patriotism, self-discipline as a nation.

Stakeholders from the State Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Local Education Authority, SBMC committee etc. commended #NOA for the laudable initiative that is anchored on achieving a better Nigeria.

By Tunde Rahman

Shaka Momodu again last Friday walked the path of the inflamed mercenary with the verbal ooze he dared to call a journalistic article. Shaka seems troubled on all sides by ghosts and ghouls, which he claims show the evil spirit of others. In reality, these troubling spirits are solely internal to him. He is obsessed with Asiwaju Bola Tinubu to an unnatural degree. Such obsession is usually the by-product of unrequited admiration turned into resentment and evil imagining. Poor Shaka, he blabbered almost every insult known to man and not a dent was made by all of his exertions. Shaka, the stones you wanted to throw were too big for your petty hands. Try as you might, it was inevitable that you would not reach your target. All you did was crush your own feet. Yours was but the desperate heave of a mind shattered by hate and envy.

The things that you wrote show that you have abandoned all pretence at journalism. You are hurt to the quick by the achievements and status of Asiwaju Tinubu. In reality, you are the newspaper equivalent of a stalker. You probably have a picture of Tinubu on your ceiling above your bed so that his is the last face you see before entering the nocturnal realm of Morpheus. You probably have his picture on your favourite Egusi soup bowl so that you see him every time you dine.
What you have written is beyond propaganda. As you have done in the past, you have engaged in slander. You are so angry that you must have demolished several keyboards pounding out your torrent of hatred. Yet, in the end, what you wrote says more about your state of mind than it will ever say about Tinubu. Yours was but a desperate heave by a desperate soul.

It is obvious why you wrote the two-page ugliness when you did. You and the shadowy masters behind you were sent aghast and placed on your heels by the show of genuine support and respect accorded Tinubu on his birthday, and particularly exhibited at the colloquium bearing his name. Your masters fear that this same support and respect would follow him even more if he decided to announce his candidacy for president. You all were agitated by fear because you well know that neither you nor the political operative whose bidding you perform can ever attract such attention.

While Tinubu’s presidential candidacy is unannounced and a subject of ample speculation, one thing is beyond speculation: that is if you should announce a colloquium in your name and advertise it non-stop for ten long years, you would have but two attendants in the end- you and the ghouls that inhabit your mind. Thus, you must disparage Tinubu for doing yearly what you can never come close to in an entire lifetime of unanswered cravings.
Through your piece, you danced long if not very well for your masters. Although a clumsy and and over the top effort, no one can fault your expenditure of energy. You truly wasted yourself. Shaka, you accuse Asiwaju of “overbearing influence and corruption”. You focus your venom on Alpha Beta, a firm engaged in tax consultancy with the Lagos State Government, based on allegations made by its erstwhile and discredited Managing Director, Mr. Dapo Apara. The firm is engaged in a legitimate business with the Lagos State Government. Its work has brought tremendous benefit to the state and its people.

By increasing IGR, the firm has helped increase the state budget, enabling it to engage in programmes and projects vital to development that otherwise would not have been done. Shaka, why do you leave out this part? Despite the unprecedented length of your writing, you also left out that Alpha Beta also has other states and international clients, engaging them on the same basis by which they have contracted with Lagos. Guess those ghosts and goblins in his mind kept my dear Shaka from writing the truth.

Also, they seem to have convinced Shaka from revealing that there are petitions against Mr. Apara and that those petitions are more convincing and evidence-based than his claims. The company books have been audited and the books have been deemed in order. No wrongdoing has been found on the part of Tinubu in the matter because no wrongdoing has been committed. All this shows that Shaka has downgraded himself from being at least a semblance of a journalist to being an unabashed merchant of lying gossip. If Momodu is so confident that Apara is right, then Momodu should write an equally long piece convincing the fugitive Apara to return to testify and to withstand the testimony against him. No, he rather believes Apara argues this from afar because he is afraid the conclusion will not match his narrative.

Only recently, the founding EFCC Chairman, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, asserted that Obasanjo tried to clamp Tinubu but to no avail. According to Ribadu, “One state we investigated most during my tenure as EFCC Chairman is Lagos. We sent information to all our allies in the Metropolitan Police, the FBI, etc. I remember I told the National Assembly when EFCC could not get any wrong about Tinubu in Lagos. I said we must wait for the international community because they were also doing their own investigation. We were all waiting to expose Lagos corruption but even the international community didn’t indict him; they found nothing. That is why Lagos under Tinubu was the only state EFCC didn’t charge to court.” Momodu, I guess the demons in your eyes rendered you blind to the Ribadu statement!

Shaka shamelessly brings Asiwaju’s son Seyi into the picture, claiming that Seyi should not have a successful advertising business. First, Shaka overinflated Seyi’s position among the outdoor advertisers in Lagos State. He does not have a dominant or even the leading position. Yet, Shaka bears down on the young man for wanting to make a place for himself. It is crazy to chastise the boy for wanting to be successful. Guess Shaka would be elated if he were a failure. However, if the boy failed or merely sat at home, Shaka would lambast Tinubu for having a spoiled, indolent offspring.
Second, Shaka claims Tinubu should be prevented from running for the presidency because of his role in the election of President Muhammadu Buhari. Shaka’s illogic on this point is audacious even for him. Yes, I admit we have stiff challenges. Despite the problems, a lot has been done diversifying the economy especially revitalising agriculture, completing important infrastructural projects abandoned under the PDP, investing into social programmes like N-power, Tradermoni, Marketmoni, etc to help the most vulnerable segments of our society. The Buhari government has worked hard to improve life in the world of complex reality. This is more than can be said of the crazed scribe Shaka who has immersed himself in the waters of unrestrained fiction.

In addition to the fictional nature of his assertions, Shaka’s position has outrageous implications. By his logic against Tinubu, then the people who voted for Buhari should also not be allowed to vote in future elections as well. Shaka does not want democracy. All he wants is to have his own way. Yet he levels criticism at those who work within the democratic context. Shaka is a full-fledged hypocrite.

Whether he likes it or not, Lagos stands as a success story. The foundation for that success were the Tinubu years. The cabinet Tinubu formed constituted many of the best and brightest of the state. They planned well. Worked hard, Accomplished much. Tinubu’s cabinet was a composite of knowledge and competence from across the country. This inclusive tradition continues. Today, an Arewa, Alhaji Kabiru Ahmed, is the Commissioner for Waterfront Infrastructure Development while Sam Egube from Delta is the Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget.

There is even a more appalling part of Momodu’s gibberish. This rented pen, this writer for easy hire, levies personal attacks about Tinubu’s mental acumen. Such is the case with a dwarf telling a tall man he is too short simply because the tall man cannot reach to the clouds. Asiwaju has proven himself again and again to be a person of deep intellect, Whether it is his track record as governor or national leader of the party or whether through his many public statements ranging from economic policy to the herder crisis, Tinubu has shown remarkable vision and insight regarding the matters of the day. Most of his ideas are far beyond Shaka’s myopia. Even if Shaka could manage a constructive idea, rest assured that Tinubu would have more original thought of a better version of it.

Tinubu seeks the greatness of an entire nation. Shaka just wants to be a great journalistic hack. Never the twain shall meet.
We should thank God for that.

The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba, psc (+), NPM, fdc, charged Strategic Police Managers of the Nigeria Police Force, including Deputy-Inspectors-General of Police, Assistant Inspectors-General of Police and Commissioners of Police to embrace intelligence-driven approaches towards effective policing of the nation.

The IGP who gave the charge while drawing the curtain on the 2nd Nigeria Police Conference and Retreat for Senior Police Officers held on 7th – 9th February, 2022 at Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, also reiterated the commitment of the Force to restoring its primacy and stabilizing the internal security of Nigeria. The IGP further charged participants at the retreat to strategically deploy their assets, both human and material, to drive intelligence in a bid to tackling the current internal security dynamics in tandem with his vision and mission statements.

The Retreat with the theme – “The New Policing Vision: A Road Map for Stabilizing Internal Security” which was declared open by President Muhammadu Buhari, President, Federal Republic of Nigeria who was represented by the Honourable Minister of Police Affairs, Alhaji Mohammed Maigari Dingyadi, had in attendance a total of one hundred and forty-eight (148) senior police officers from the rank of Commissioner of Police and above from the whole Federation. It played host to dignitaries from governance, the security sector and the academia including Mr. Udom Emmanuel, the Executive Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, the Executive Governor of Ekiti State, Alhaji Haliru Jika, Chairman Senate Committee on Police Affairs, and Alhaji Bello Usman Kumo, Chairman, House Committee on Police Affairs.

The Retreat had in attendance prominent scholars and professionals on various associated fields such as Prof. Etannibi Alemika, Prof. Mohammed Tabiu, CP Emmanuel Ojukwu (Rtd.), CP (Dr.) Olubunmi Afolabi Ogunsanwo, Rose Alabo-George, and Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwen, who made informed presentations on Crime Trends Analysis, the role of ICT, intelligence-led policing and public relations in transforming police operations, and the significance of a healthy lifestyle for police personnel.

The Retreat reached a Communique where it re-affirmed the Police as the lead agency in internal security while acknowledging the importance of collaboration and synergy with other security agencies; charged strategic police managers to imbibe a professional orientation aligned to policing framework that encourages inter-agency collaboration rather than rivalry; acknowledged the significant strides of the IGP in the acquisition of critical ICT assets; emphasized the importance of a sound police-public relations as a strategy towards addressing the trust deficit in policing.

The communique also emphasized on intelligence as the brainbox of policing and proposed a legislation that will place an obligation on government agencies, corporate bodies, estate developers and private individuals to install CCTV cameras and security sensors on their facilities as a standard practice amongst others. The communique has been distributed to relevant stakeholders including the Office of the President, Office of the National Security Adviser, the National Assembly, Ministry of Police Affairs, Office of the Chief of Defence Staff etc.

The IGP emphasized the importance of engagement and re-evaluation of critical issues relating to internal security and policing as a key to achieving professionalism. He equally expressed immense appreciation to the government and good people of Akwa Ibom State, and other critical stakeholders for their significant roles and contributions to the success of the Conference/Retreat.

Vice-President, Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), South West Zone, Comrade Ronke Samo has urged Journalists and media practissioners to ensure that trustworthiness becomes the hallmark of the profession in every facet they find themselves, ad against all odds .

Comrade Samo said trust, though is a fragile cord, such that once it is broken, either by error of commission or ommission or a deliberate act, is difficult to mend, Journalists must, however, ensure that it is one of their most cherished values, as only in doing this can they defend the truth which is the profession’s duty.

Samo in a release heralding the World Radio Day, said it is only through trust, which journalists should be known for, that fulfillment, success and progress can be achieved in the noble profession of journalism.

This year’s edition of the World Radio Day celebration which holds annually on February 13, has been tagged : Radio and Trust, according to a release from the the United Nations’ UNESCO organisation. It is the 11th edition of the celebration.

Samo’s statement reads in part:
On this glorious day of the World Radio Day celebration, I urge my colleagues in this noble profession to ensure that trust is a virtue they hold dearly and uphold as journalists and media practitioners. Trust itself is a virtue and it is very rare to find a trustworthy fellow. But with the nature of our job, trust is central, especially given the fact that the public trusts us as Reporters.

“We must therefore ensure that we do not disappoint the public who repose such absolute confidence in us. We must therefore, also stay clear of fake news. And we should ensure that we represent the truth in whatever inormation we disseminate.

“This year’s theme for the World Radio Day, according to Susan Asthworth is Radio and Trust. It is a further testimony that the public trusts radio and by extension, the radio broadcasters and journalists.

” Radio is regarded as the most accessible medium of mass communication to the public because of its cheap and very wide accessibility to the grassroots and this elicits the trust the public has in this medium of mass communication.

“By extension, as we celebrate the trustworthiness of Radio today, we should also emulate this virtue by being trustworthy in our dealings as Reporters. While l join millions of radio users, listeners and broadcasters world-wide to celebrate this unique day, l urge my colleagues to remain trustworthy so that we can meaningfully contribute our quota to nation building. Thank you and happy celebration.

The families of Barovbe Obovwe of Ovu Inland and Ebeghre of Okpara Inland of Agbon Kingdom, both of Ethiope East Local Government Area, Delta State have announced the programme of events for the burial ceremony of Octogenarian, High Chief Johnson Barovbe.

A statement made available to newsmen by the family stated that the programmes would kick start with A Day of Tribute Part One holding at the Haven Event Centre, Oba Akinjobi Street, beside Archbishop Vining Anglican Church, Ikeja GRA, Lagos on Tuesday , February 15th, 2022, by 2.00 pm.

The statement further disclosed that there will be service of songs at St. Agnes Catholic Church Maryland, Ikeja, Lagos on Thursday , February 17th, 2022 by 7.00 pm, adding that this will be followed by a requiem mass at St Agnes Catholic Church, Maryland, Ikeja, Lagos on Friday, February 18th, 2022 by 10.00 am. The aforementioned programmes of events will take place in Lagos State.

According to the release, A Day Of Tributes Part two will hold at the Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) Cultural Centre, Uvwiamuge, Delta State on Thursday, February 24th, 2022 by 1 pm.

“ The event for final burial ceremonies will take off on Friday February 25th, 2022 where it will lying-in-state from 8.00 am at UPU Cultural Centre at Uvwiamughe followed by a motorcade procession through Ekreravwe, Orhoakpor, Okpara Inland to Ovu Town Hall. There will be a burial mass at St. Theresa Catholic Church by 11.00 am, followed by interment at his residence. After interment, there will be entertainment of guests from 1.00 pm at Ovu Grammar School, Ovu, Ethioep East Local Government Area, Delta State.

“There will be thanksgiving and outing service at St. Theresa Catholic Church, Ovu-Inland, Ethiope-East Local Government Area, Delta State on Sunday, February 27th, 2022 by 10.00 am,” the statement explained.

Before his demise on December 27th, 2021 at the ripe age of eighty-two-years, Olorogun Johnson Barovbe was the proprietor of the prestigious Westminster College Lagos and Westminster Nursery and Primary School also located in Lagos.

He owned the triple title of Tosogbe of Badagry, Okunna of Agbon Kingdom and Ahwotu (crowd puller) of Urhobo Kingdom.

Barovbe was an Urhobo leader, astute businessman, educationist and philanthropist.

He was the Chairman, Board of Trustees of Urhobo (BOT) Social Club Lagos, a foremost Urhobo Club based in Lagos. He was also member of Board of Trustee (BOT) of Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) worldwide.

Barovbe attended Catholic Primary School, Ovu- Inland, Ethiope East Local Government Area (LGA) of Delta State and Catholic Secondary Modern School, Okpara-Inland for both his primary and secondary school education respectively.

He also attended the then Provincial Teachers Training College, Warri, now College of Education, Edjeba, Warri, Delta State.

The deceased thereafter proceeded to Middlesex University, London and University of Bradford, West Yorkshire, UK for his graduate degrees.

He was awarded Federal Government of Nigeria Postgraduate Scholarship to study at University of Bradford, West Yorkshire, UK, for his postgraduate studies.

Chief Barovbe worked as Deputy General Manager, Transcap Limited, General Manager, Dumex Industry Nigeria Limited, CICA Nigeria Limited and Managing Director Modika Property Development Company.

May his soul rest in perfect peace (Amen)

Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta has called on communities embroiled in boundary dispute, which has led to crises and loss of lives to embrace peace to pave way for meaningful development.

Okowa made the call on Saturday at the funeral of late Professor Abednego Ekoko at St. Paul’s Anglican Church, Uzere in Isoko South Local Government Area of the state.

He said that no land was worth the life of any individual and urged Isoko people to embrace peace in honour of late Ekoko who was an accomplished boundary scholar.

According to him, all Isoko people can be united if you hold on to God and extend love and friendship among yourselves.

Okowa said that Ekoko contributed immensely to the peaceful resolution of crises in many communities and therefore charge his people to end strife and tread the path of peace in memory of the deceased peacemaker.

The governor recalled that Ekoko played vital role in the resolution of Aladja-Ogbe-Ijoh crisis and other boundary issues in the state and across the country when he served as National Commissioner, National Boundaries Commission.

He said “on behalf of my family and the government and people of Delta, I extend my condolences to the Ekoko family of Uzere on the passing of our father, brother and friend.

“We thank God for what is happening today on the day a peaceful man is being laid to rest. Professor Ekoko achieved all that he truly needed to achieve and today we are celebrating his life of great accomplishments.

“In everything he found himself doing he excelled and he taught my wife at the postgraduate level and has impacted directly on my family.

“In the community, he rose to achieve the highest honour in the land and beyond serving God, he served Nigeria at our national governance and through various appointments in the state.

“He was a special appointee of our state government as Executive Assistant (Boundary Matters).

“He was indeed a boundary scholar and I can attest to the fact that he contributed immensely to the peace we have in Aladja-Ogbe-Ijoh today.

“As Isoko people, let us honour Ekoko at his death by embracing peace. There are a lot of boundary disputes and communal crises in Isoko which ought not to be.

“In honour of the death of a boundary scholar that worked for peace in many communities, let us stop fighting and live peacefully.”

He counselled the people to eschew bitterness, especially over land matters, saying “when you fight because of land and for the sake of land destroy lives, those lives you destroyed you cannot recreate them when you settle.

“No land is worth the life of anyone and as leaders and elders, we ought to handover things that will connote peace and development and not crisis.

“I hope that the sermon spoken to us today will touch our lives for a change in honour of the late Ekoko.”

Okowa urged the leadership of Isoko Development Union and the Christian community to organise a collective prayer to rededicate Isokoland to God.

“It is a time for us to examine our faith, a time for self-introspection and reconciliation, and we must realise that it’s only in love the Isoko nation can be built to a greater nation.

“The charge from Christ is for us to reexamine ourselves and it is not too late to start,” he added.

Earlier in his sermon, Bishop of Oleh Diocese (Anglican Communion), Rt. Rev. John Aruakpor, said that late Professor Ekoko was a man who worked for peace across the country.

He described him as a man who was an addicted singer and worshipper of God, adding that his death was a great loss to christendom.

The bishop said that Ekoko worshipped God even through pains and sickness.

He urged Christians to live in peace and shun the spirit of bitterness and acrimony which had pervaded the land in recent years.

“As politicians, it is only when we are united that we can attract dividends of democracy to our land,” he said.

The service which featured prayers for the cleansing of Isoko land, attracted numerous dignitaries from the academia and was also attended by Senator James Manager, Senator Stella Omu; former Minister of Works, Chief Mike Onolememen and Mr Victor Nwokolo of the House of Representatives among others.