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Tinubu’s presidency is dead on arrival! Next time you disturb us with it, we meet in Court!

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3 years ago

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BY SHAKA MOMODU
Despite my well-considered warning to Bola Ahmed Tinubu in my factual treatise on him sometime last year, and how his clinching the presidency would be bad for Nigeria, he has proceeded to formally declare his interest in the 2023 presidential election. It appears this mercantile politician whose character portrait is corrosive to democracy and who elevates self-interest over and above national interest will be taking no prisoners in the pursuit of his “lifelong ambition.” However, I am ready to shout it from the rooftops again and again, that his character attributes will engender a conflict of interest like never before if he is given keys to the presidency.
I had suspended my series of articles criticising his ambition in the hope that wise counsel would prevail and the man would cease to disturb our peace. But apparently, the demos of his stranglehold on Lagos thus far are not about to let us live in peace. Like the famed Oliver Twist, he wants more. He is trying to extend his empire conquest and seize our national vault.
Unarguably the greatest beneficiary of our democracy since 1999, Tinubu with an awful past and present, continues to test our patience. But he should know that even a small mouse has anger. In the land of my fathers, it does not require many words to speak the truth. So, I am resuming my series of articles against his ambition as part of my contribution to stop another affliction from plaguing this land – which if allowed to succeed, may mark the final demise of any form of societal values.
We will face an existential threat if we fail to act now to preserve whatever little is left of our values. The current calamity in the land was brought upon us by Tinubu and his unrighteous coalition. Look at what they have turned our fatherland into. A vast ocean of poverty and killing field of blood-thirsty terrorist gunmen slaughtering at will, unchallenged by security forces.
If for nothing else, the mere fact that Tinubu is the architect of this leprous administration, should deny him support from any sane Nigerian. But as I have often acknowledged, Nigerians are incredibly smart people, with a history of foolish choices. So I cannot take it for granted that we have learnt any lessons from our current travails. Just take a moment to think of all those who have been killed, kidnapped, raped, etc., since the All Progressives Congress (APC) came to power. Doesn’t that mean anything to these people who are campaigning for another affliction? Does the state of our country today mean anything to those campaigning for Tinubu?
Despite the overwhelming evidence of how bad things have become in our country under the APC, Tinubu and his coalition of the unrighteous continue to say in our faces that things are better than they met them. And anyone who genuinely believes things are actually better than they were seven years ago, must be crazy.
His presidential ambition, if allowed to succeed, will mark the audacious repudiation of the mores and morals that have shaped and kept societies whole for generations. Can Nigeria really afford that at this critical time in our history when one more wrong move will finally land us deep inside the abyss? His success will not only mean one of the strongest repudiations of ancient wisdom and those mores passed down from generation to generation, its social implications will be sweepingly dire, consequential in all ramifications, and above all, will amount to a resounding validation of all the social vices that this man is known for.
From his date of birth to his educational qualifications, career, business dealings, his mercantile politics and even his name, everything smacks of the more you look, the less you see – underscoring a lifetime of crime. A man who constantly changes his name without valid reasons must surely have something to hide. His time in office as governor of Lagos birthed one of the most audacious corruption schemes in this country’s history. I am talking of a then sitting governor awarding a sole tax revenue-collection contract to his own company, Alpha Beta, with 10 percent from a certain threshold going to him. Which governor has done that since 1999? So, at the minimum, Tinubu rakes in billions of naira monthly. As Lagos’ revenue grows, so does his bank balance. I don’t know where in the world this is allowed except in Nigeria.
Yet, those who should be outraged by such brazen corruption and abuse of public office are the ones celebrating him as the grandfather of modern Lagos. Mention Diezani Alison Madueke, the former minister of petroleum resources, they immediately don on the moral hat and you see the outrage in their expressions. A clear double standard from those who just moments ago defended Tinubu’s daily raiding of the Lagos vault. To them Diezani is a thief, but Tinubu is a saint who laid the foundations of modern Lagos and who we must remain eternally grateful to.
How does one explain that? Remind them of his corruption and abuse of office, their answer is usually feeble and goes like this: “He raised the revenue of Lagos and has empowered many people.” “You will not find his name anywhere in Alpha Beta or any other company he is said to be associated with.” These are the answers you get from people who should run into the streets in protest.
Even more annoying is their justification for supporting his presidential ambition. “Oh, he knows how to assemble competent team.” Is Tinubu the only one who can assemble competent team? Did former President Olusegun Obasanjo not assemble a competent team in 1999 and 2003? Did Goodluck Jonathan not assemble a competent team in 2011? Those who push this particular line of argument need to do better. In any case, of what use is a team that cannot look the boss in the eyes and say no, when he is about to do something patently wrong? What did the team do for Lagos? The current vice president, Professor Yemi Osinbajo was the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice when Tinubu appointed his company the sole revenue-collecting company on behalf of Lagos State for a sizeable percentage. What did he do about the Alpha Beta deal? I would like to know his advice to his boss at the time on this particular issue and why he did not resign then in the face of such clear abuse of office and corruption. Yet, Osinbajo is generally seen as competent and one of the shining stars of the Tinubu era.
If Tinubu was so gifted at spotting talents and assembling competent people as we have been made to believe, what happened with Buhari? This superhero went to sleep? The man his supporters worshiped like a god failed spectacularly. It was he and others who cobbled that coalition together and they did assure Nigerians that Buhari was the best man for the job.
His so-called ability to put competent team together is a farce taken too far. I am rather persuaded by the view that Tinubu knows how to assemble a team of competent men and women and then turn them into subservient zombies and willing accomplices in the advancement of a lifetime of nefarious schemes. They aid and abet him. This is the sort of team he knows how to assemble and it is no-brainer as to why that is the case.
We may only get to know the full extent of Tinubu’s crimes when another party gets the keys to Alausa and starts unearthing all the dirt covered up since 1999. I can bet my last kobo, the earth will quake violently under our feet. I pray it happens someday.
Despite his daily raiding of Lagos and the full extent of what we don’t yet know, people continue to spew utter hogwash about his imaginary governance skills and mythical mastery of political strategy. That is what you get even from hitherto discerning minds and people you had previously ascribed some modicum of intellectual sophistication to. Educated people, professors, reasoning like zombies? Look, they don’t deny outright that he owns the company, but only say that Tinubu’s name is not in the company’s register. The fact that his name is not directly there doesn’t mean he is not the owner. All his associates are there as proxies for him. He hires and fires senior officials of those companies as he deems fit. Okay, ask them if Diezani’s name is in most of the bank accounts and assets that have been linked to her and you get radio silence. It is baffling how moronic some people can be, think, or have become.
But what can one really say when professors rig elections for thugs and known looters for crumbs in this country and judges are at the beck and call of politicians? In the good old days (oh, I miss those days) when men of character straddled the landscape, you could tell what they stood for. A character like Tinubu would think twice before aspiring to the most important office in the land – the embodiment of the physical, spiritual and moral authority of the entire country. The office that carries with it, all the latent and salient attributes that define, inspire and project character and content both internally and externally – attributes that shape our hopes and allay our fears. An office that projects the sum total of who we are, the symbolism of our union and the arc of our covenant. How can Tinubu with all his failings become the custodian of such a valued treasure? How can?
His crimes cannot be said to reflect the transient immaturity of youth. Instead, they reflect the permanent incorrigibility of a lifetime of gaming the system.
I watched with concern and profound disdain the man who wants to be president of Nigeria in his declarative press conference. He rambled and rumbled about his experience and capacity to turn things around. Hearing him and his supporters speak about Lagos, you would think the city-state is a Dubai on the lagoon. Yet, despite the best efforts of his successors to fix the broken and derelict infrastructure Tinubu left behind, when peer-reviewed by international bodies, Lagos consistently comes first from the rear as the dirtiest city in the world and one of the worst places to inhabit on earth. Traffic gridlocks remain a challenge. Many schools are without roofs, windows and chairs. World-class healthcare is non-existent. Ambulance services are epileptic. Basic infrastructure is broken. So is this the Lagos model people talk about?
It is to his eternal shame that there is no pipe-borne water anywhere in Tinubu’s Lagos. What is this nonsense talk about the Lagos model? Ease of doing business is a mirage as businesses are hit regularly with a multiplicity of taxes by the state. The investment climate is hostile. It takes forever to get a land title with all sorts of charges in tow. I therefore know not the basis for his hubris and persistent claim of his Lagos model working wonders. I should rather say, his model has limited the growth and development of this mega city. His ideas are as old and confusing as his age. Yet he insists, they must be followed to the letter. His shadow looms large over the affairs of the state and he controls everything, including who becomes the governor.
Without a shadow of a doubt, I know there are many unscrupulous, useful idiots who have no issues putting their intellect and writing skills at the service of ravenous politicians. In the name of tribe and religion, they rally support for this cadre of hacks, cranks and grifters lionized as heroes of our democracy, people that have amassed so much wealth and perfected the art of stealing from the state in broad daylight while claiming to be working for the people. For ethnic and whatever subsidiary motivations, they use their knowledge and writing skills to embellish falsehoods to advance the ambitions of these perfidious characters and fraudsters. Frankly, these writers, journalists, academics, etc., constitute a bigger danger to this country than even the politicians they try to deodorise. In their endeavour to return the favour done to them, they forget that journalists are street cleaners with pen.
Oh Bourdilion! That centre of iniquity and vice, what have you done to men that they can’t think and reason like men anymore?
In the run-up to the 2015 presidential election that brought Buhari to power, this same cadre of writers helped to promote the Buhari mystic, rewrote his history in such elegant terms that you would think the man was without blemish. They downplayed all the flaws and danger signs that cropped up everywhere on the road that they lured the people to take. Nothing else mattered. We heard of the “transfiguration of General Buhari”, “a born-again phenomenon” and “Buhari building the Nigeria of our dreams”. It is noteworthy that all the authors of those effusive praises have since abandoned the president with their tails between their legs.
However, it is not so much about the past but about the present because the angels of beautiful prose and letters are at it again. Now, it’s Tinubu For President they are selling to the people. I was scandalised when I watched the video of Tinubu telling a group of women supporters to go and register because their permanent voters’ cards (PVCs) had expired. Now, how can a man credited with a near-legendary status of political sagacity not know that the PVCs issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) don’t expire? If they do expire, why are they called “permanent” in the first place? The campaign is yet to start and we are already seeing another “Osibande” moment.
Or in his usual way, is he already casting aspersions on the integrity of the voting system so that when he is defeated he can hold on to straws to dispute the result? That was not the first of such gaffes. Sometime last year, Tinubu called on the government to recruit 50 million youths into the police force to help fight insecurity in a country with a population of 200 million people. The figure was so improbable and unrealistic that he had to correct himself via a press statement days after.
For those who still won’t see things as they are, Tinubu’s gaffes are not just gaffes. They are due to old age and a diminishing mental faculty. The job of being president is rigorous, physically, mentally and even psychologically. The present occupant of the office is even complaining that age has taken a toll on his ability to deliver and you want him to be succeeded by another who is at the very least his age-mate? Even when you see Tinubu already manifesting some of the president’s weaknesses? For those who want to follow Tinubu, they can follow him.
However, there is a clear opportunity to stave off the forbidding outcomes of a Tinubu presidency and create a more viable future, free from the toxic politics of moneybags, bullion vans, treasury looters and a tyrannical hold on power. That opportunity is now and we must reject him convincingly. The future must not be defined by him!

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Aliu Gafar delivers stellar performance as Esusu in Femi Adebayo’s Seven Doors

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1 week ago

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December 13, 2024

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By Rtn. Victor Ojelabi

The much-anticipated movie series Seven Doors by Femi Adebayo has finally premiered, currently showing on Netflix, captivating audiences with its intricate storytelling and compelling characters.

The movie begins with a haunting scene of seven women under a mysterious spell leaping to their deaths from a waterfall, setting the tone for a gripping tale that unravels in Ilara Kingdom.

The series explores various societal issues, including corruption, greed, gluttony, family values, malicious conspiracies, and the delicate balance of law and order.

Central to its plot is the calamitous fate of Oba Adedunjoye, the Onilara of Ilara, whose failure to perform traditional rites—symbolised by knocking on seven doors—unleashes devastating consequences on his kingdom.

At the heart of this chaos is Esusu, a malevolent and exiled villain whose return wreaks havoc.

Esusu, a ni ohun t’Eledumare o ni.
Eledumare o ni ika, ika ni Esusu

The character of Esusu, pivotal to the story’s depth, is masterfully brought to life by Aliu Gafar.

Gafar’s first appearance, late in Episode 2, immediately shifts the narrative, introducing a chilling force that spares no one, not even the royal family. His commanding portrayal encapsulates the essence of Esusu, a man whose wickedness defies comprehension.

The backstory reveals Esusu’s sinister pact with Ọba Adejuwọn, an ancestor of Adedunjoye.

Desperation led Adejuwon to seek Esusu’s help to evade death—a move that came at an unthinkable cost, forgetting that bi alọ ba lọ, abọ nbọ (a pendulum that swings to is still coming to swing fro).

Esusu’s return demanded not only royal treatment but the freedom to live as he pleased, challenging the very fabric of the kingdom.

Gafar embodies this complex character with remarkable precision, delivering a performance that is both chilling and unforgettable.

With almost two decades in Nollywood, Aliu Gafar has solidified his reputation as a versatile and dedicated actor.

His extensive filmography includes acclaimed productions such as Jagun Jagun, Anikulapo, Iyalode, Eefin, and Omo Ajele.

His role in Seven Doors further cements his legacy as a master of his craft, showcasing his ability to seamlessly portray multifaceted characters.

The Yoruba actor has also garnered accolades for his work, including the Best Actor award at the Dallas International Yoruba Movies Awards for his role in Peregun.

His commitment to the industry and his talent for captivating performances continue to make him a force to be reckoned with in Nollywood.

In Seven Doors, Gafar’s nuanced performance as Esusu elevates the series, demonstrating his ability to command attention and bring depth to a complex narrative.

His contribution to the Nigerian film industry remains invaluable, and his portrayal of Esusu is a testament to his enduring excellence.

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Ogun State Prominent Monarchs, Business Tycoons, Others Honor Olusho Agba At The Confession 2024

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1 week ago

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December 12, 2024

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The Olusho Agba’s confession 2024 attracted more dignitaries as three respected monarchs in Ogun honour the event by physical appearance, alongside side most prominent CEOs in Ogun.

 

The royal fathers present at the laudable event held at Continental Suits in Abeokuta include HRM Oba Oyabanji Adetunji (Oloja Of Oja Odan) HRM Oba Buhari Makinde (Oniwoye of Iwoye Land) HRM. Oba Lukmon Kuoye (Olu of Imasayi).

 

Also Chief Executive Officer of IBD Foundation, Dr. Mrs. Lara Dende, the Chief Executive Officer of Pelican Valley Nigeria Limited Amb. Dr Tunde Adeyemo and CEO of Zolakaz Oil and Gas Alh. Sanni Azeez was also present at the event.

 

The Confession 2024 features a series of content creators, comedians, singers and dancers, and artists of different fields such as Dr Smile, Hafeez Oyetoro (Simply Saka), Woli 3310, Chukwuka Jude, Babalegba

Biola Adekunle, Femi Obimodede, Ishau Abidemi, and many more.

 

Below are some pictures from the event…

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Wife drags Ex-UBA Top Shot, Samuel Eziafa Adikamkwu to court over abandonment of family, infidelity …….Petitions IGP over threat to life

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1 month ago

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November 14, 2024

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Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting in Gudu District and presided over by Justice M. Osho-Adebiyi, on Wednesday adjourned to January 19, 2025 a divorce case instituted by Mrs. Loretta Adikamkwu against her husband, Samuel Eziafa Adikamkwu, a former top official of the United Bank for Africa (UBA).

 

The mother of four, Mrs. Adikamkwu has dragged her husband of over 31 years to court for divorce over abandonment of the family for more than four years and alleged infidelity.

 

According to court document seen by our reporter with Suit number PET/073/2023, Mrs. Adikamkwu alleged that her husband packed out of their matrimonial home at Recreation Drive, Cooperative Villas, Badore, Ajah, Lagos and removed almost all his belongings therefrom (which included personal chattels, clothing and six vehicles of assorted brands) leaving behind the petitioner only vehicle (a Toyota land Cruiser) he gave to her some years back.

 

 

She further alleged that Mr. Adikamkwu withdrew all financial support and upkeep to the family, prompting her to desperately begin to dispose of all her belongings, in order to feed herself, the children and meet urgent Sundry costs, arising from the running of the home.

 

She also alleged in Paragraph 6(c) of her petition that after her husband abandoned his family, he was said to have been cohabiting with a lady called Miss Stella Umejuru with whom he regularly travels outside Lagos for business.

 

Mrs. Adikamkwu declared that her husband, who was formerly a Lecturer at Bendel State University, (now Ambrose Alli University), Ekpoma before Ndidi Elumelu, his friend, facilitated his employment by the United Bank for Africa (UBA), has no reason whatsoever not to cater for his family as he is now engaged in booming property business after leaving the bank.

 

 

 

According to the lady, who is a graduate of Bendel State University, she would have been financially independent and be in position to cater for herself and the children but for her husband who stopped her from working several years ago.

 

She stressed that because of the financial difficulties she was facing with her children she was compelled to sell the Toyota land Cruiser which her husband gave to her some years back to maintain the house that was dilapidating, settle numerous bills, including electricity and other sundry expenses.

 

The lady lamented that her husband got furious when he heard she had sold the car and he succeeded in retrieving the vehicle from a car dealer and the issue is now a subject of police investigation as some unknown persons have been stalking her and threatening her life since the family feud erupted.

 

 

However, the Respondent vehemently denies the averments contained in paragraph 6(c) of the petition and states that he does not know, neither is he acquainted with anybody ( lady) called Miss Stella Umejuru, and denies that he lives or travels with either the said lady or any lady at all.

 

The Respondent also denied the assertions contained in paragraph 6(d) of the petition and denied that he has committed adultery or that he has deserted the petitioner.

 

He admitted he is no longer living in the family house in Lagos as he had to “temporally relocate to Abuja when he secured a Contract Appointment with The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company Plc (AEDC) from 2021 to June, 2024.

 

Mr. Adikamkwu added an affidavit in response to his wife’s petition that he “is not aware that there is any debt burden on the family, but states that if there is any such debt, it is personal to the petitioner.”

 

 

Meanwhile, Mrs. Adikamkwu has petitioned the Inspector-General of Police over issues arising from the sale of the Toyota Land Cruiser which her husband gave her several years ago.

 

The letter to the IGP dated 4 October, 2024 titled “SOS-request for urgent intervention in a case of forgery, threat to lives and high handedness by officers of the Bar Beach Police Station, and Zone 2 Command, Onikan, Lagos” was written on her behalf by one of her Lawyers, Benjamin Nwaokenye, Esq of Integrity Partners law firm, Abuja.

 

Part of the letter reads: “We are solicitors to Mrs. Loretta Adikamkwu (hereinafter referred to as “Our client”, at whose behest, we act in this matter. We write to seek your urgent intervention in a looming threat to the life of our client, and a seeming case of forgery perpetrated against her, by Ojebola and Messrs, Sam Adikamkwu, Segun Ajide, Gbenga ASP Churchill of the Bar Beach Police Station, Lagos.

 

 

To put this matter in the right perspective, we are reliably informed by our aforesaid client that: (a) She was hitherto married to one Mr. Sam Adikamkwu , from whom she is now separated and now locked in a bitter judicial process, in a petition for divorce in PET/073/2023, at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Gudu, Abuja).

 

“(b) The aforesaid Mr. Sam Adikamkwu, prior to the aforesaid divorce proceedings, vacated their Badore (Ajah) residence, where he hitherto resided with our client, and removed almost all his belongings therefrom (which included personal chattels, clothing and six vehicles of assorted brands) leaving behind our client, only vehicle (a Toyota land Cruiser) he gave to our client some years back, and strangely, a short machine gun, which was discovered in his wardrobe, in the course of cleaning the house, having forgotten to lock the bedroom door. ( see attached pictures)

 

The aforesaid Mr. Adikamkwu, it must be reiterated, withdrew all financial support and upkeep to our client and the family, prompting our client to desperately begin to dispose of all her belongings, in order to feed herself, the children and meet urgent Sundry costs, arising from the running of the home.

 

“In the course of disposing of her personal belongings, our client contacted one Mr. Segun Ajide, a car dealer, to assist in disposing off her Toyota land cruiser, and thereupon delivered to him, the Original custom and purchase papers of the vehicle, which the dealer demanded.

 

“Mr. Ajide sold our client’s vehicle, debited her with some colossal costs and remitted the balance to our client.

 

“Weeks afterwards, Mr. Ajide contacted our client to inform her that the vehicle had been impounded from the purchaser by Mr. Adikamkwu, with the help of one Mr. Churchill of the Bar Beach Police Station, and thereupon requested our client to intervene.

 

 

Our client insisted on intervening only if a formal invitation was sent to her, which the aforesaid persons could not procure, but resorted to harassing our client.

 

“Mr. Segun was later to inform our client that the vehicle had been released to Mr. Sam Adikamkwu by the Bar Beach Police Station

 

“Upon the request of our client to Mr. Segun Ajide for copies of all documents related to the sale, Mr. Ajide was evasive, until Mr. Adikamkwu filed his answer to our client’s petition wherein, it was discovered that several documents were forged by Mr. Ajide and the eventual purchaser Mr, Odebola, in the alleged sale without probable cause. .

 

“Prior to discovering the forgery, our client had been trailed by strange people, who at different times followed her home, and even laid siege on her place of resident at Recreation Estate Badore, forcing her to flee for her safety, to an unknown location.

 

 

Our client a few days back, received a WhatsApp invitation from the Nigeria Police Zone 2 Command, Onikan, Lagos, which directed her to meet up with someone, only whose phone numbers were stated in the invitation, but upon calling the line, our client was shocked, that the number was not allocated, causing more anxiety that, it must be a setup.

 

“Sir, our client is unable to carry on her normal business and live a normal life because, she has been living in fear for her safety, believing her life is endangered by the activities of Messrs. Adikamkwu, Ajide and Odebola, who from all indications, are behind her travails, having opted to brow’ beating her into retrieving the vehicle for them, and they are all men of means who can effectuate their threats.

 

“We are informed by our client also that, before the situation got to this dimension, Messrs. Ajide and Odebola, who from all indications, are behind her travails, had consistently called our client to know her where about, and had requested she came with them to see some policemen, without any arrest or invitation.

 

 

Sir, we solicit your esteemed indulgence to cause an investigation into this matter, to safeguard the life of our client from people who are determined to use their police friends, to intimidate and endanger our client, taking into consideration: (a) The forgeries executed by Messrs. Segun Ajide, Gbenga Ojebola and Sam Adikamkwu, using policemen from Bar Beach Police station, far removed from Ajah division of the police, in an attempt to cover same up, and revalidate their actions.

 

(b) The threat to our client’s life in the whole circumstance.

 

(d) The release of the vehicle By the Bar Beach police station, to Mr. Adikamkwu, without any probable cause.”

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