News

Osinbajo is No Saint, Consolidating for 2019 by Dr. Ismaila Farouk

Published

7 years ago

June 29, 2019

Eric

…The Cabals fight back and dirty

Contrary to the widely held belief that Vice President Osinbajo, a pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, a senior advocate of Nigeria, and a Professor of law is above board, a forensic analysis of his activities since he assumed office reveals that the VP has consistently abused his office, negating the principles of Federal Character and has systematically favored members of the Redeemed Church and his Yoruba tribe.

A first pointer to what was to become a pattern of this incestuous scheme was the nomination and subsequent appointment of Pastor Okey Enelamah, who was his Deputy and later successor at the RCCG, Banana Island, Lagos. Pastor Enelamahs appointment came as a shock to Nigerians because apart from the fact that he was Pastor Osinbajos successor at the Redeemed Church, he neither worked for President Buharis victory nor believed in staking for the success of the Nigerian Project. Most importantly, Pastor Osinbajo had pushed for the appointment of Pastor Enelamah as Minister of Finance against his benefactor Bola Tinubus choice of Wale Edun.

While Nigerians were trying to come to terms with the shock of Pastor Enelamahs nomination, VP Osinbajo took a step further in his nepotistic disposition in the setting up of his office and selection of personal staff. First, he chose his former colleague at the University of Lagos Ade Ipaye who was also his Special Adviser while he was Attorney General of Lagos to serve as his Chief of Staff. Unsurprisingly, Ade Ipaye hails from Ogun State, the VPs State of origin. He went on to relocate Laolu Akande, an indigene of Ogun State who was hibernating in New York to serve as his Media Adviser. For his Chief Economic Adviser, he appointed Ambassador Dipeolu also of Yoruba extraction. The VP didnt stop there, of his 10 Principal Officers in his office, 9 are from his Yoruba ethnic group! For a man who was elected to represent the interest of the entire Country, this is embarrassingly tragic indeed. It is on record that as Vice President, Atiku Abubakar had a plethora of southerners in his office: Chris Mamah, Onukaba Adinoyi Ojo,Tokunbo Adeola, Dr. Azuh Ndukwe, Phil Agbaso, Dr. Isu, etc. He did not concentrate appointments in his native North East.

While the VP was plotting as to how to corner power for his Yoruba Brethren and RCCG Members, he immediately at the onset of administration instructed Major Agencies of Government to patronize – his Law Firm SimmonsCoopers Partners. The Firm had a field day in the Ministry of Justice, NNPC Group, DPR, Ministry of Works, and virtually all the Parastatals in the Ministry of Trade and Investment. Curiously, the Managing Partner of SimmonsCooper Tunde Irekera, was recently appointed the Director General of the Consumer Protection Council. It is instructive to note that Tunde Irekera was the immediate past DG of the CPCs trusted adviser and his Law Firm SimmonsCooper Partners handled all the legal work in the Agency. This, however, didnt deter the VP from installing his stooge in the Agency.
More curious is the fact that while Pastor Enelamah implemented a major shakeup in the Agencies under his watch, he spared the grossly incompetent Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council Segun Awolowo who is a brother in law to the VP.

In their quest to colonize the Ministry of Trade and Investment, the VP appointed another of his stooge Yewande Sadiku, of Yoruba extraction as the Executive Secretary of Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission, The strategy, is to appoint her Managing Director of the Bank of Industry so she can build his war chest. Nigerians are watching..

In his quest to perpetuate his ilk in Government, the VP has capitalised on the magnanimity of President Buharis implicit confidence in him to plant his,Yoruba and RCCG Brethren in Key Agencies of Government.

In a calculated attempt to corner the Countrys Sovereign Wealth Fund, the VP appointed his long standing crony Mr. Zeitlin as the Chairman of the Board of National Sovereign Wealth Fund Investment Authority despite the fact that Mr. Zeitlin was indicted by a New Delhi court in India. Not done with having control of the Sovereign Wealth Fund, the VP, in clear contravention of the provisions of the Pension Reform Act 2014, orchestrated the illegal dissolution of the Board of the National Pension Commission and appointed his crony, Funsho Doherty, as Chairman and two RCCG Brothers Benjamin Ovbiosu and Akinwale as Commissioners, in a flagrant violation of the Federal Character Principle which stipulates each Geo-Political Zone must have only one nominee on the Board.

Then again, the VP went ahead to appoint his RCCG Brother Mr. Okoh, a disgraced erstwhile banker as DG of the Bureau of Public Enterprise. It is important to state that the VPs Law Firm had retainership with the defunct New Nigeria Bank while Okoh was its Managing Director. Both men subsequently became Business associates. The ostensible reason why Mr. Okoh was sent to the BPE is to corner choice assets for the VP in the next round of privatization.

The list is endless. From INEC to NNPC, Non-Career Ambassadors to the management of critical Regulatory Agencies, the VP has surreptitiously embedded his lackeys in positions of authority against all known norms of equity, fairness, justice and Federal Character. Clearly the VP does not believe in the unity of the Nigerian State given his actions in the last 23 months. While he pretends not to have political aspirations, he has commenced covert campaigns for 2019 because he believes that President Buhari would not be in the position to contest at that time. It is public knowledge, for instance, that the VP has mandated a senior member of the RCCG leadership to mobilize and coordinate Christians in the Northern part of the Country with a view to driving his 2019 Presidential bid. This is a sinister plot that is unknown to the VPs benefactor and Godfather Asiwaju Bola Tinubu who is banking on the VP to hand over to him in 2019 in the event of President Buhari not running for a myriad of reasons.

Indeed, in what can be viewed as a strategy for building a financial war chest, the VP has pushed forward his Brother-In-Law and trusted aide Lanre Osibona to front for him in shady business transactions with multinationals in oil and gas, power and construction sectors, among others. The said Mr Osibona, who was a stranded IT Personnel in London is reportedly now hosting Champagne Parties in Abuja and other exotic cities around the world. It was gathered the Mr Osibona in his capacity as the Aide overseeing the VPs schedule, has been exchanging appointment times with juicy contracts. A case in point is the major contract that General Electric gave to a company fronting for Mr Osibona and the VP simply because the former was able to facilitate a meeting for the power sector players.

Not satisfied with cornering deals in the power sector, the VP and his stooge, Mr Osibona have in collaboration with the Minister of State Petroleum Ibe Kachikwu cornered all the juicy deals in the NNPC Group. They have also extended their inordinate greed to the Ministry of Niger Delta and the NDDC, where the VP has completely taken over the job of the Minster. While Nigerians were hailing the VP for his shuttle diplomacy to the Niger Delta States a few months ago, they were oblivious of the fact that he was actually going there to further his nest and fortify his war chest for 2019.

Nigerians should also not be blind to the fact that the extant raging battle between the VP and President Buharis Chief of Staff is grounded on the fact that the VP always embark on 3 times a week trips to Lagos with over 40 aides on each of their trip at tax payers expense and often fraudulent trips to Lagos using the Presidential Air Fleet and claiming bogus estacode. An infuriated Chief of Staff had to escalate this to President Buhari, hence the current power tussle in the villa.

Given the foregoing, the question Nigerians are asking is whether the self professed Pastor, Professor and Learned Senior Advocate is truly the saint he purports to be. The answer to this question can be situated in one of the VPs sermons at RCCG. In the said sermon, he admonished the congregation to refrain from worshipping the God of Baal and that they should instead worship the Almighty God. In todays parlance, the God of Baal symbolizes the God of Money and Power. It is also of silence in the face of injustice.. VP Osinbajo should please practice what he preaches..

Dr. Ismaila Farouk
Writes from Zamfara.

News

Daredevil Smugglers Kill Customs Officer in Ogun

Published

17 hours ago

February 6, 2026

Eric

The Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone A of the Nigeria Customs Service has confirmed the death of one of its officers, Assistant Superintendent of Customs (ASC I) Mustapha Akiyode, who was killed during an ambush by suspected smugglers in Ogun State.

Akiyode was shot in the line of duty in the early hours of Tuesday, February 3, 2026, along the Ilara–Ijoun axis in Imeko-Afon Local Government Area while participating in an anti-smuggling operation.

The Comptroller of FOU Zone A, Gambo Aliyu, disclosed this during his maiden press briefing at the Unit’s headquarters in Ikeja, Lagos, describing the incident as a painful loss and a stark reminder of the dangers faced by officers enforcing Nigeria’s borders.

Aliyu said the fallen officer paid the supreme price while defending the country against economic sabotage, adding that the Unit remains resolute despite the tragic incident.

“We lost a brave and committed officer in the course of duty. His sacrifice will not be forgotten, and it strengthens our resolve to intensify the fight against smuggling,” the Comptroller said.

During the briefing, Aliyu unveiled a renewed intelligence-driven anti-smuggling strategy aimed at dismantling smuggling networks, improving operational efficiency, and strengthening border security across the South-West corridor.

He said the strategy, which relies on intelligence gathering, targeted surveillance, and coordinated operations, has already produced significant results within a short period of implementation.

According to him, officers of the Unit intercepted 144 smuggling attempts involving prohibited and uncustomed goods across its area of responsibility.

Items seized include 6,954 bags of foreign parboiled rice, 77 bags of foreign sugar, 21 used vehicles, 3,362 jerrycans of vegetable oil, 20,700 litres of premium motor spirit (PMS), 915 bales of used clothing, and 581 used refrigerator compressors classified as hazardous waste under Nigerian law and international conventions.

Also intercepted was a 20-foot container loaded with stone-coated aluminium roofing sheets.

Aliyu said the seizures reflect the Unit’s renewed determination to disrupt smuggling syndicates and protect the Nigerian economy.

“Upon assumption of duty, I made it clear that we would confront smugglers with renewed vigour, professionalism, and strict adherence to the rule of law and respect for human dignity,” he said.

In a major breakthrough against narcotics trafficking, the Comptroller revealed that the Unit intercepted 3,029 parcels of a synthetic strain of cannabis indica weighing about 1,431 kilograms.
He said the seizure significantly disrupted drug supply routes within the Command’s operational corridor.

Aliyu warned that drug trafficking poses serious threats to national security, noting that proceeds from the illicit trade often fuel banditry, terrorism, and other violent crimes.

“Drug trafficking emboldens criminal elements, erodes societal values, and destabilises the nation. Those involved should abandon this path and embrace legitimate trade, as our resolve to enforce the law remains firm,” he said.

Eight suspects were arrested in connection with the various seizures. The combined Duty Paid Value of the intercepted items was put at N3.31 billion.

In line with inter-agency cooperation, the seized cannabis was handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for further investigation and prosecution.

The NDLEA, Aliyu said, commended the Customs Service for its professionalism and assured that the drugs would be disposed of in accordance with legal procedures.

The Comptroller concluded by reaffirming the Unit’s commitment to intelligence-led operations, improved officer safety, and sustained collaboration with sister security agencies to combat smuggling and related crimes.

News

Police Nab Coordinator, Two Monarchs over Killing of Four Persons in Ebonyi

Published

4 days ago

February 3, 2026

Eric

The police in Ebonyi State have confirmed the arrest of Mr. Anya Baron-Ogbonnia, Coordinator of Amasiri Development Centre in Afikpo, in connection with the killing of four persons in Edda Local Government Area (LGA).

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Joshua Ukandu, confirmed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abakaliki.

Ukandu said that the arrest followed a joint operation involving the Army, the Directorate of Security Services (DSS) and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

He said that two traditional rulers – Onyaidam Bassey and Godfrey Oko-Obia from Amasiri in Afikpo council area are also in police custody.

The police spokesperson said that 10 people were earlier arrested in connection with the incident.

Reports said there has been a long-standing land dispute between the people of Okporojor in Oso Edda community in Edda and their Amasiri neighbours in Afikpo LGA.

Suspected warlords from Amasiri community, on January 29, 2026, attacked Okporojor Village and beheaded four persons, burnt houses and destroyed other valuable property.

“Yes, on the Thursday attack, the update is that the coordinator of Amasiri, two traditional rulers from Amasiri and other individuals were arrested by a joint operation of the security agencies in the state.

“Those arrested are all in our custody and investigations on the killings are still ongoing.

“The command and other security personnel will not relent until all those involved are brought to justice,” the PPRO said.

NAN

News

Lagos Govt Bans Illegal Chieftaincy Titles

Published

4 days ago

February 3, 2026

Eric

The Lagos State Government has warned individuals and groups against assuming or parading unauthorised chieftaincy titles.

It described the trend as illegal and disruptive to public order.

In a public advisory issued on Monday, the government said its attention had been drawn to “an unhealthy development where some individuals or groups have assumed certain Chieftaincy titles, either on their own or as leaders of ethnic groups, without the approval of the State Government.”

The advisory, signed by the Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy Affairs and Rural Development, Bolaji Robert, stated that such titles are not recognised by the State.

The advisory said, “These titles are not recognised in the State and their use has caused tension, confusion, and needless crises. The situation requires urgent action to inject sanity and arrest the growing trend of impunity, in the interest of peace, law and order in the State.”

The government noted that the number of self-acclaimed traditional rulers had continued to rise despite previous regulatory efforts.

“The preponderance of these self-acclaimed Chieftaincy titles has reached an alarming level, rendering efforts at curbing these untoward excesses by the State Government through the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy Affairs, and Rural Development largely ineffective,” it stated.

While acknowledging Lagos as a cosmopolitan state, the government warned against the assumption of royal titles and styles not backed by law.

“While we recognise the right of various groups to appoint leaders to coordinate their affairs in Lagos State, the assumption of Chieftaincy titles and nomenclatures equivalent to that of an ‘Oba’ or appellations such as ‘His Royal Majesty’, ‘His Royal Highness’ or its equivalent is in contravention of the extant Obas and Chiefs Law of Lagos State 2015 and thus illegal,” the advisory read.

The government stressed that only the governor has the authority to approve chieftaincy matters in the State.

“Particularly, the appropriate authority for the approval of Chieftaincy titles in Lagos State is Mr. Governor through the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy Affairs, and Rural Development,” it said, adding that Sections 15, 16, 17, 18 and 20 of the law outline the procedures for such approvals.