Politics
Group Berates Gov For Underrating Obasanjo Before Buhari
A group of concerned Ogun State indigenes has berated the Governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun, for allegedly underrating former President Olusegun Obasanjo during his visit to President Muhammadu Buhari.
The indigenes, under the aegis of Ogun Concerned Progressives, said Abiodun goofed for not acknowledging Obasanjo as one of the great indigenes of Ogun State who had played important roles in the development of Nigeria saying posterity and history would not forgive the governor.
Abiodun had on Tuesday, July 30, led a delegation of 62 Ogun indigenes on a ‘thank-you’ visit to President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja for conferring the highest honour of the Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR) on the presumed winner of the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election, late Chief MKO Abiola, who was a son of Ogun State.
In his speech at the gathering with President Buhari, Abiodun listed out Ogun State’s past and living heroes and heroines, who he said played critical roles before, during and after the nation’s independence.
He mentioned the likes of Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Rev’d Ransome Kuti, Mrs. Funmilayo Ransome Kuti, Professor Wole Soyinka, Professor Olikoye Kuti, Dr. Beeko Kuti and Sen. Olabiyi Durojaiye.
Others listed in his speech included: Chief Segun Osoba, Chief Earnest Sonekan, Chief Olabisi Onabanjo, Pa. Anthony Asiwaju and Chief Biyi Afonja.
However, the Concerned Ogun Progressives, in a statement signed by Olusegun Showunmi, expressed dissatisfaction that Obasanjo’s name was missing on the list of Ogun heroes, describing Abiodun as a hypocrite and an unserious child who seems not to remember his father’s name.
“It baffles us to note that a governor, who is still standing on one leg, could, even before finding his feet, allow his handlers to make him seem like an unserious child that cannot even remember the name of his father. Or how else can one explain the omission of the name of our father, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, from the list of Ogun State indigenes, who have made and have continued to make invaluable contributions and sacrifice for the Nigerian nation, by a man who says he is fit to lead a state as great as Ogun?” he stated.
Showunmi, who described the visit as a jamboree to waste Ogun state resources, recalled how Obasanjo was jailed and almost killed by the then Head of State, late Major Gen. Sanni Abacha, for standing against the annulment of the June 12, 1993 election.
He also noted that Obasanjo played major roles in fighting for the nation during the civil war; adding that Gov. Abiodun attempted to rewrite or falsify Nigeria’s contemporary history because of ‘pointless politics’.
“One cannot forget in a hurry that Obasanjo himself went to jail and even escaped death by a hair’s breadth in the hands of the goons of the late head of state, General Sani Abacha, over his attempt to find a way for the nation out of the logjam that resulted from the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election. He still bears the scars of the inhuman treatment he was subjected to while in prison.
The Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has officially transmitted the resolution of its emergency meeting held in Abuja on Wednesday to the party’s National Working Committee (NWC).
It also attached the communique of the meeting, the findings of the Saminu Turaki SAN-led fact-finding committee as well as copies of the Court Judgement/ orders with an instruction to the NWC to immediately swear in Sunday Ude-Okoye as substantive National Secretary.
This was sequel last Wednesday’s emergency meeting held at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja.
This was contained in a memo from the BoT to the NWC, yesterday, barely 24 hours after the meeting.
The memo read in part, “The attention of the National Working Committee (NWC) is hereby drawn to the attached Legal Opinion of the BOT Committee led by Dr. Taninu Kabiru Turaki, SAN; and the Communique issued at the end of the Emergency BOT Meeting affirming Rt. Hon. S.K.E. Udeh Okoye as the substantive National Secretary of our Party.
“NWC is hereby invited to please. study the report and its recommendation for immediate implementation.”
The documents were stamped and received by the Office of the Deputy National Chairman (North), Amb. Umar Damagum’s office before he became Acting National Chairman.
An Enugu High Court had in a ruling affirmed Ude-Okoye’s appointment as National Secretary, and the decision was subsequently upheld on appeal.
However, Senator Samuel Anyanwu told a national daily that, “With all due respect, the BoT’s position is advisory.
“I have a valid stay of execution from the Court of Appeal. The substantive matter is still before the Supreme Court, the PDP as a law-abiding party should wait for the final decision of court and not rush into taking decisions that would become counterproductive.”
The House of Representatives has urged the Attorney General of the Federation to propose harsher sanctions, including life imprisonment, for producers and importers of fake drugs into the country.
The resolution followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance, sponsored by an All Progressives Congress lawmaker, Tolani Shagaya, and read on the floor during yesterday’s plenary.
Highlighting the importance of the motion, Shagaya expressed concern over the alarming increase in the production, importation, and distribution of fake and substandard goods, drugs, food, and beverages across Nigeria.
According to him, this development poses significant threats to public health, national security, and the economic stability of the nation.
He added that the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) have repeatedly warned that Nigeria is one of the most affected countries in the world by counterfeit medicines, contributing to thousands of avoidable deaths annually.
He said, “The House is aware that NAFDAC recently seized counterfeit food and pharmaceutical products worth over ?5 billion in a raid at the Cemetery Market in Aba, Abia State, highlighting the widespread nature of this menace.”
“The House is concerned that Nigeria suffers economic losses of approximately ?15 trillion annually due to counterfeit and substandard goods, as reported by the Standards Organization of Nigeria. The unchecked proliferation of fake products not only jeopardises consumer safety but also discourages genuine investment in the food and pharmaceutical industries.”
“The House is further concerned that despite existing regulations, weak enforcement mechanisms, corruption, and the absence of stringent penalties for offenders have emboldened perpetrators to continue endangering public health.”
“We recognise that the current legal framework does not provide sufficient deterrence, as offenders often return to the illicit trade due to lenient fines and bailable sentences, allowing them to operate with impunity.”
He further added that a national state of emergency is necessary to intensify enforcement efforts, strengthen regulatory institutions, and impose stricter sanctions on perpetrators.
Following overwhelming support for the motion by lawmakers, the House urged the Attorney General of the Federation to propose amendments to existing laws with a view to imposing stricter penalties.
These include, “life imprisonment for those involved in the production and importation of fake drugs and significant fines for businesses found guilty of dealing in counterfeit goods.”
The House also urged the Federal Government to strengthen the capacity of regulatory agencies, particularly NAFDAC, Standard Organisation of Nigeria, and the Nigerian Customs Service, by providing adequate funding, modern equipment, and advanced technology for effective surveillance, detection, and enforcement.
It further urged the Federal Government to establish a special task force comprising security agencies, regulatory bodies, and the judiciary to fast-track investigations and prosecutions of individuals and businesses involved in counterfeiting.
The House also directed its Committees on Health, Commerce, and Industry to conduct a comprehensive probe into the prevalence of counterfeit products and propose legislative measures to address regulatory gaps.
In a recent interview, Chief Akande also said Senator Ladoja entered a no case submission for the suspects accused of assassinating the ex-Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.
But the ex-governor has denied the allegation, saying old age has probably affected the memory of the former Osun State Governor to remember what happened during the period.
Senator Ladoja wondered why Chief Akande, who said he knew many things about the assassination that he would not disclose, did not tell the public what exactly surrounded the killing of the former AGF on December 23, 2001.
Senator Ladoja, next in the hierarchy to the Olubadan of Ibadan, said this when speaking with reporters in his Bodija residence in Ibadan.
Speaking in an interview with Edmund Obilo, Chief Akande suggested that Senator Ladoja might have important information about late Chief Ige’s killing.
He alleged that Chief Ige was killed by the government and described his death as a “state murder” — but never affirmed a specific person who committed the crime.
Chief Akande claimed that Senator Ladoja withdrew a case related to the murder that had initially been pursued by his predecessor, former Governor Lam Adesina.
“I was the chief security officer of Osun State at the time, not Oyo State. Lam Adesina was the chief security officer of Oyo State and he went to court and the governor that took over from him, Ladoja, withdrew the case from court. He might be able to tell you more, he might know more than I do know,” Chief Akande said.
“There are many things that die with people. I know Lam Adesina went to court over the matter, and I also know his successor, (Rashidi) Ladoja, withdrew the case. Ask Ladoja; he would know more about Bola Ige’s death”, he added.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain also expressed regret that ex-governor Adesina had confided in him about certain details he could no longer disclose.
Chief Akande noted that key figures, including the former Oyo state governor, who could have shed more light on the case, had passed away.
“Because there are many things you don’t want to tell the public. I don’t want to tell anybody. Now Bola Ige is dead, and Lam Adesina too is dead, so who will be my witness? Nobody,” he added.
Addressing journalists at his residence in Ibadan, Senator Ladoja described Chief Akande’s claims as false.
He said that the case was pursued up to the Supreme Court during his tenure, and denied ever having withdrawn any charges.
“I didn’t withdraw the case; my government didn’t withdraw any case. The case was even prosecuted till apex court, Chief Akande lied against me. This is not the first time people said he lied; someone like Baba Adebanjo even said he lied in his book.
“We are not all happy as a result of Chief Bola Ige’s death, and we are all concerned about his death. I was very close to Chief Bola Ige while alive”, he said.
In 2016, former President Muhammadu Buhari ordered that the investigation into the murder be reopened, but there has been little progress since.
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