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Fives Years Letter: Elder Statesman, Edwin Clark, Replies Critics, Says ‘I Stand by Saraki

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The leader of the South South Peoples Assembly and respected elder statesman, Chief Edwin Clark, has reacted to the letter making the rounds in the media, purportedly written by him against  the person of the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, saying that the letter was written five years ago to settle the rift in the Saraki family at the time.

In a letter dated August 13, 2018, and signed by the statesman himself, Chief Clark therefore, advised the general public to disregard the letter, as it is the hand work of mischief markers, adding that the Senate President is his son with whom ‘I enjoy a good relationship’.

Below is full text of Chief Clark’s letter:

13th August, 2018

RE: PERSONAL LETTER TO SEN. BUKOLA SARAKI, THE ELDEST SON OF MY BOSSOM FRIEND, THE LATE SEN. DR. OLUSOLA SARAKI, FORMER LEADER   OF THE 2ND REPUBLIC SENATE.

A REJOINDER –

My attention has been drawn to a letter (albeit altered) on the above subject matter currently being circulated in the social media, with the intent to misinform and mislead the reading public.

The said letter which I wrote over 5 years ago was written out of despair and anger, at the time, to reach Dr. Bukola Saraki, who was then the Governor of Kwara State, in order to mediate in a misunderstanding between my very close friend, his father, late Dr. Olusola Saraki, Waziri Ilorin, his daughter Sen. Gbemi Saraki on one side, and his son, Dr. Bukola Saraki himself. The circumstances that led to my writing the letter have been settled long ago. Today, Bukola Saraki is my son with whom I enjoy a good relationship. It is, therefore, surprising that this letter written over five years ago was altered in the said social media publication to suit the whims and caprices of the authors.

Let me reinstate that the late Dr. Olusola Saraki, father of the Senate President, Sen. Dr. Bukola Saraki, was my very good friend and colleague, in the Senate of the Second Republic where he was Senate Leader. Thereafter, both of us were leaders of our respective geopolitical zones. While he was leader of the Northern Union, NU, I was Leader of the South -South Peoples Assembly, SSPA.

When the Northern Union, under the leadership of late Dr. Olusola Saraki was campaigning for a President of Nigeria from northern extraction, I also led the SSPA to campaign for a President to emerge from the South-South Zone. However, in the interest of peace and harmony of our dear country, we held series of meetings in Warri, Delta State, and in Abuja, which eventually culminated into an acceptable consensus on the platform of equity and justice for all. Our friendship blossomed and we remained great confidants until he left to be with the LORD, some seven years ago.

Today, I have a duty to stand by my son Dr. Bukola Saraki, and also defend him, from any act of persecution, aimed at destroying his illustrious political career and his father’s rich legacy.

This opportunity presents itself for me to remind all Nigerians that my late friend, Dr. Olusola Saraki was one of the most outstanding Nigerians, ever, in his chosen medical profession, in business and above all in the building of our democracy of which he was the Leader of the Senate in the 2nd Republic where he was loved and respected by all Senators, some of whom were our founding fathers. The upstart political leaders who tried to deride his land mark achievements should therefore, take heed and redress from their actions. I, therefore, do not care whose ox is gored. It is petty, irresponsible, wicked and mischievous for any person or group of persons to use my open letter which I wrote as far back as 2013, for cheap cheap political points.

I wish to admonish every mischief maker to beware of any evil intent to surreptitiously manipulate and make issue out of this to score cheap political milestone that the spirit and content of the original letter was not intended for.

Chief Dr. Edwin Kiagbodo Clark, OFR, CON

Senator of the 2nd Republic of Nigeria

 

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British-Nigerian, 14, Killed in Knife Attack in UK

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UK police named a 14-year-old boy killed in a sword attack in London this week as Daniel Anjorin, as officers released more details about how the violent rampage unfolded.

Anjorin, a British-Nigerian pupil attended Bancroft’s private school in Woodford Green – also attended by Nottingham attack victim Grace O’Malley-Kumar.

He died on Tuesday morning as he walked to school in Hainault, in the east of Britain’s capital, when he was attacked by a man wielding what appeared to be a Samurai-type sword.

Police tasered and arrested the suspect, a 36-year-old man who remains in custody on suspicion of murder. He has not been named and was not previously known to police.

The independent school attended by Anjorin said in a statement Wednesday that they had been left in “profound shock and sorrow” at the pupil’s death.

“He was a true scholar, demonstrating commendable dedication to his academic pursuits. His positive nature and gentle character will leave a lasting impact on us,” Bancroft’s, in Woodford Green, near Hainault, said.

London’s Metropolitan Police force said Tuesday’s horror unfolded just before 7:00 am (0600 GMT) when the accused crashed a van into a house fence, hitting a 33-year-old man before stabbing him in the neck.

A 35-year-old man was then attacked inside a nearby property, causing lacerations to his arm, before Anjorin was killed.

Police arrived on the scene 12 minutes after the first emergency call and attempted to neutralise the suspect with incapacitant spray and a Taser gun but these had little effect.

The suspect seriously injured two police officers, both of whom required surgery on Tuesday and remain in hospital.

One, a woman, suffered severe injuries to her arm and nearly lost a hand, the Met said.

The man fled again as terrified witnesses took cover in houses before police used a Taser to overpower him, detaining him 22 minutes after the initial call.

Police have said the attack was not terror-related.

It came amid a rise in stabbings in the United Kingdom and shortly before voters decide whether to re-elect London mayor Sadiq Khan for a record third term in local elections Thursday.

Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has criticised the opposition Labour Party’s Khan for his record on crime.

Anjorin’s death is the second recent tragedy to hit Bancroft’s, after a former pupil, Grace O’Malley-Kumar, was killed in Nottingham last year as she tried to save her friend from a knife attacker.

Valdo Calocane was sentenced to indefinite detention in a psychiatric hospital for stabbing to death 19-year-old O’Malley-Kumar, fellow student Barnaby Webber and 65-year-old school caretaker Ian Coates.

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Adebogun Commends Tinubu over Rehabilitation of Ikorodu-Imota-Itoikin-Epe Road

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Renowned educationist, and Proprietor/Chief Executive Officer, Caleb Group of Schools, Dr. Oladega Adebogun, has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for speedy and comprehensive rehabilitation of the Ikorodu-Imota-Itoikin-Epe Road, which formerly ranked as one of the worst in Nigeria, and had been albatross to past administrations.

A statement signed by the Director, Public Relations, Caleb University, Imota, Mr. Abimbola Olulesi, and made available to this medium, noted that Adebogun gave his commendation during an interactive session with the media, affirming that President Tinubu, by his singular action, has renewed the hope of residents, motorists and commuters, who had lost hope that the road will ever be repaired, considering its total deplorable state.

He recollected that the Ikorodu-Imota-Itoikin-Epe road, before the rehabilitation, ranked among the worst roads not just in Lagos State but across the country.

“The road usually gets abandoned during the rainy season, and had posed a recurring nightmare to motorists and commuters along the Ikorodu through Imota to Itoikin axis, and as far as Epe. It was a particularly harrowing experience for road users during vacation and festive periods,” Adebogun said.

The Proprietor joyfully noted that it was a huge sigh of relief for residents when the rehabilitation was completed in March this year, reducing Ikorodu to Epe travel time from about two hours to less than thirty minutes.

He added that the rehabilitation of the road is a positive pointer and attestation to the fact that many more development projects promised by the people-oriented, focused and egalitarian government of President Tinubu would be completed and delivered.

Adebogun also commended the Honourable Minister of Works, His Excellency, Dr. Dave Umahi, the Executive Governor of Lagos State, His Excellency Babajide Sanwo-Olu and the Senator representing Lagos East Senatorial District, Senator Adetokunbo Abiru for the various roles they played in the actualization of the rehabilitation of Ikorodu-Imota road.

He recalled that Governor Sanwo-Olu had personally visited to access the deplorable condition of the road early this year while Senator Abiru had moved a motion in 2021 on the floor of the Nigerian Senate on, “The Urgent Need for the Rehabilitation of the the Ikorodu-Sagamu and Ikorodu-Itoikin-Epe Roads to further bridge the Infrastructure Gap and Enhance Economic Growth in Nigeria”.

Senator Abiru also has to his credit many laudable achievements which earned him the appellation of “Doing Good Senator” such as: The Senator Abiru Innovation Lab(SAIL), which is “the first of its kind innovation hub” in Lagos East Senatorial District which he set up for young people and entrepreneurs; N300 Million Naira Constituency Intervention Revolving Loan, Health facilities and construction of blocks of classrooms he facilitated across the district, provision of grant to 1,250 market women, award of bursary to 600 higher institution students and monthly support for over 2500 vulnerable constituents. Others include provision of many transformers across Lagos East Senatorial District, building of Epe Sports Complex as well as sponsorship of many legislation and motions of national significance.

Adebogun also remarked that, in less than one year of assuming office, President Tinubu had performed beyond expectation and deserves the goodwill and support of all Nigerians to actualise all aspects of the Renewed Hope Agenda.

He further paid tributes to President Tinubu for the promise announced by the Honourable Minister of Works, Dr. Dave Umahi, that the dualization of the Ikorodu-Imota-Itoikin-Epe Road would commence in earnest as the second phase of the road repair project.

He therefore appealed to all well-meaning Nigerians to put aside mundane differences and join hands with the government for the full realization of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

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No Such Deals Exist, Maersk Debunks $600m Investment Agreement with Nigeria

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A report from Lloyd’s List has debunked the statement of the President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government that Maersk has concluded and signed an agreement for a $600 million into the port sector.

The paper’s report reads:

A $600m investment into Nigeria’s port sector from Maersk, announced personally by the West African state’s president Bola Tinubu on Sunday, appears to be less solid than the government initially claimed.

Despite a presidential statement from Tinubu detailing how he had secured the purported investment during a World Economic Forum meeting in Riyadh over the weekend, Maersk officials have confirmed that no such agreement is in place and no deals have been signed.

The Nigerian government statement detailed how A.P Moller-Maersk chairman Robert Maersk Uggla had discussed the investment with president Tinubu on the sidelines of a meeting discussing energy development and growth. The statement even included a direct quote attributed to Uggla saying: “We believe in Nigeria, and we will invest $600 million in existing facilities and make the ports accommodating for bigger ships”.

But according to Maersk, that deal does not exist.

Company officials said while Uggla did meet the president, no such deal had been signed.

“Maersk has been present in Nigeria for 35 years and, as a global provider of logistics services, we remain committed to develop opportunities for growth to people, the port sector and businesses locally,” the company said in a statement to Lloyd’s List.

“Therefore, it is natural to have an ongoing dialogue with the administration. However, we are not able to comment on any investment talks.”

Maersk is due to report first-quarter results on Thursday, meaning that management are in a regulatory quiet period limiting what they can say publicly about the company’s activities.

Nigeria has promised to revamp its ports, including in the commercial capital Lagos, to ease congestion.

Tinubu’s statement explained that his government would support the modernisation and automation of its ports to improve trade, reduce corruption and boost efficiency. He claimed that the purported Maersk investment would “complement the administration’s ongoing $1bn investment in seaport reconstruction across the eastern and western seaports of Nigeria”.

“A bet on Nigeria is a winning bet. It is also a bet that rewards beyond what is obtainable elsewhere,” he said. “We need to encourage more opportunities for revenue expansion and minimise trans-shipments from larger ships to smaller ships.”

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