Insiders Exonerate Sanwo-Olu's Chief of Staff, Tayo Ayinde, of Land-Grabbing Allegation

Highly placed individuals have pooh-pooed the allegation that the Chief of Staff to the Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Tayo Ayinde, was involved in a N500 million land grabbing scandal.

 

It will be recalled that some people went to the media recently, alleging that Chief Ayinde was involved in gross impersonation and assault over a landed property belonging to Chief Adetunji Omisore and one Tajudeen Mohammed, at No. 4, Ladoke Akintola Street, GRA Ikeja.

 

The rumour peddlers had claimed “that Ayinde, in a bid to forcibly obtain the land, worth N500million, destroyed properties worth millions of naira, by using the police and other security forces to assault the landowners.”

 

The rumour mongers had also alleged that the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LSBCA) served the owner and developer of the said property a seven-day demolition notice on Friday, July 15, 2022, but that without waiting for the 7 day notice to lapse, on Tuesday, July 19, the agency moved caterpillar and Black Maria to the site to begin demolition of the over N500million investment as early as 6am in the morning, barricading the property while the workers were assaulted.”

 

However, according to investigation, the complainant only has a letter of accommodation given to him by Federal Government to be a tenant in the said property.

 

Again, the said owner has been accused by the government of “illegally going into joint venture with a developer to build on the land for which he was paid the sum of N25 million.

 

Interestingly, when government officials approached the site, he offered money to the officials. The money offered, was rejected because there was already a demolition order on the illegal structure that has no plan nor building approval.

 

Not deterred by that, the complainant however found favour with another Agency of government which illegally assured him that he can continue building despite being served demolition notice.

 

This medium was informed that the purpose of the demolition is for road expansion contrary to the allegation that the Chief of Staff was in the know of the matter.

 

According to our source, “it was just coincidental that the Chief of Staff lives on the same road as the land in question. That is the man’s only involvement on an issue he knows nothing about. What I am telling you can be verified through records. You can find out if the Chief of Staff has anything to do with this issue,” our source said.

Wema Bank Debunks Cheque Forgery Allegation

 

 

The attention of Management of WEMA BANK PLC has been drawn to the trending news in the media to the effect that a Magistrate’s Court in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, had issued a warrant for the arrest of our Managing Director, MR. ADEMOLA ADEBISE, in connection with a Garnishee proceeding for the payment of a judgement-debt on behalf of the Bayelsa State Government.

 

WEMA BANK PLC would like to use this medium to refute the allegations and dismiss the gross representation of facts in regard to the material facts, and the apparent breach of the principles of fair hearing before such order of the court was entered against our Managing Director.

 

WEMA BANK PLC wishes to state that, contrary to the facts presented before Her Worship, Mrs. Elizabeth Jones, the said set of five cheques for the total sum of N50m issued in protest based on pending applications before an Abuja High Court then, were in favor of the Chief Registrar FCT High Court, not in favour Barrister. George Haliday who is now claiming the proceeds of the cheques. It is important to note that those cheques were not signed by MR. ADEMOLA ADEBISE and had not assumed the position of the Managing Director of the bank at the material time the cheques were issued in favour of the Chief Registrar.

 

Furthermore, we would like to state that the five cheques issued in protest by our Bank were not dud cheques as alleged by the complainant. The cheques have only not been cleared for payment because of the subsisting Appeal at the Court of Appeal Abuja on the Garnishee proceeding which has now been decided in favour of the bank. It was after Barrister George Haliday lost at the Appeal Court that he resorted to a Magistrate Court in Abuja to lodge a complaint about issuance of dud cheques. It is very worthy of note that the judgement debt against Bayelsa State Government, which Barrister George Haliday attempted to enforce by a garnishee proceeding, thereby leading to the issuance of the cheques in question had been settled by Bayelsa State Government via a Terms of Settlement between Barrister. George Haliday and the Bayelsa State Government at the Supreme Court.

 

WEMA BANK wishes to state that the warrant for the arrest of MR. ADEMOLA ADEBISE is in violation of his fundamental rights to fair hearing as he was never personally served with any process to appear before the Magistrate Court, neither was he represented in court. We are a law-abiding corporate citizen; if there was any court summon properly served on the Managing Director for his appearance in court, he would have done so without fail. But, in this case, there was no such service extended to him or any court processes personally served on him to appear in court until a warrant of arrest was issued in absentia. We view the arrest warrant as being an infringement on his fundamental rights.

 

We, therefore, refute and dismiss in their entirety the allegations of dud cheque and forgery levelled against our Bank and the Managing Director. We also dismiss the inappropriate issuance of bench warrant on our Managing Director. We are already engaging in legitimate actions to seek redress and bring all the perpetrators of these unprofessional conducts and heinous criminal act against our Managing Director and the bank to book.

Calls For NSA Babagana Monguno's Removal Diversionary -CCDI

 

The Center For Convention On Democratic Integrity (CCDI) has described the call for the removal of the National Security Adviser (NSA) to the President, Major General Babagana Monguno (rtd), as senseless and diversionary.

The Center also said the calls for the removal of the NSA showed lack of deep understanding of the dynamics of the security challenges facing the country.CCDI, a non-governmental organisation incorporated in United States and Nigeria with consultative status of the United Nations, made this known in a press statement release by its President, Olufemi Aduwo.

Aduwo, who also the representative of the organisation at United Nations, advised President Muhammadu Buhari not to acceded to the calls for the removal of the NSA by some groups.
“Removal of the National Security Adviser would not provide the arms and, more importantly, the adequate intelligence needed or encourage the citizens to render adequate assistance by providing information to the appropriate security and defence agencies.

“In Nigeria truth is bitter. Insurgency cum terrorism war is a long war. The Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation Agency has a role to play. People must be informed and made to understand the difference between fighting insurgency and civil war.”Enough of half baked truth. It is well known that fighting insurgencies are challenging. The war against the Taliban started in 1994. The United States did not achieve all its purpose before she iy Afghanistan.

“The Al-Qaeda notorious leader, Ayman al-Zawahri who coordinated the September 11,2001 attacks on the US that killed more than 3000 people, was killed just few days ago in Kabul by the US drone missile.”As a people we desperately need a more thoughtful discussion about our response to insurgency and terrorism. “People have had enough of the demagoguery and divisive partisan attacks that dominate the debate over the years and obscure the issues.

The basis of successful counter-insurgency is acquiring intelligence to identify an enemy that often hides among the populace.”Counter-insurgency is the use of all elements of a nation’s power, including not only combined-arms operations, but also psychological, political, economic, intelligence and diplomatic operations to defeat any insurgency and terrorism.

..
“Kinetics method only would not win the war. Asymmetric war operations pattern is far different from conventional war. Government and the people need to do more in above stated strategies. “The huge ransom collected by these criminals is kept in the same banks we all use or in circulation in the same money market. How does the money get back into the system?

.
“These people are with us and some people know them. The fight against terrorism is not an act that the country can achieve on its own. It requires teamwork, international cooperation and collaboration. “We must also pay attention to financing of terrorism. Terrorists are not able to act on their own without funding for their operations. Being able to cut these financing channels would diminish significantly the capacities of these terrorists.

“What we are witnessing across the North is predominantly uncoordinated criminal gangs engaging in terrorism. Both Boko Haram and lSWAP lack the capacity to overrun the central government of Nigeria, regardless their links with foreign insurgency groups. “We should not interpret Nigeria or every other jihadist Islamist group through the prism of what happened in Afghanistan. I disagree with the submission by some analysts, comparing the Nigerian situation with Somalia.

The military is overstretched. They should change the rule of engagement and adequate information track technology should be acquired. “We need to expand the security lntelligence community. Since Nigeria security organisation was dissolved in 1985 into State Security Service, responsible for domestic intelligence; National lntelligence Agency, responsible for foreign intelligence and counterintelligence operations and Defence lntelligence Agency for military intelligence, these bodies need to be overhauled for great performaance. The security challenge then and now are not the same,” Aduwo stated.

ON THE OTHER SIDE: A short story by Roli Hazel Oburoh

It’s been a hard year for everyone, so you’re told. You’re told because you hardly keep in “check” with the outside world anymore. You used to write in journals, like two years ago. Always wanted to keep everything on record. Then you just stopped. It didn’t seem worth it anymore. You filled in every blank page of that overly decorated pink book and one day you set it ablaze, literally.

 

You felt like you were scribbling down those “wildered” experiences because you needed an outlet, you needed to make sense to your senses what you were experiencing. You were in reality trying to put the bits you could “see” together.

 

It wasn’t clear then what you were really doing. Between the pain filled incomprehensible letters to God and the solitary campaigns you drafted for yourself; your self discovery freedom speech and the endless autobiographies met for no one in particular, you “was” trying to fill up a hunger.

 

At first, you pressed endlessly into Yahweh thinking your hunger came from a need to commune closely with the creator. Then with the hate, anger and feeling of betrayal that followed, you pressed into your career. When it became unbearable, the void, you pressed for love. You thought that had to be it. That hunger, it was always there. No conversation long enough, no food tasty enough, no song sad enough could reach in deep.

 

There was a time, you tried, not too well to bury it in. You could wear neat clothes, brush your hair, maybe teeth and walk on like you had you all in control. That didn’t last very long. When the darkness tore you apart from inside, suppressing made it more difficult, it surfaced. It was everywhere. The pain, the tears glued to your eyelid in broad day light, the unkept look, the unkempt hair, it didn’t take more to give you away.
It wasn’t just Satan’s blow; the literal feeling of being feast for a pack of hungry demons, the hurtful assertions of Jesus’s hate, the massive weight of depression, the conscious fight to retain your faith, your sincerity, your heart. It was hard. The change could slip in and out without will, the suicidal thoughts. No it wasn’t just that.

 

It also wasn’t just the mockery, the pity and betrayal you felt from friends, the attacks and set-up you didn’t even realise were there. What wasn’t clear about it?

 

The conversations with, the experiences with, and the hate adding up to the same thing? Was that bleak? No.

It was that you were too blind to see, too wrapped up in being a lost cause that you didn’t notice you were the very center of an epic Hollywood movie. Finally, your cherished illusions and delusions and presumptions have caught up with you and you are finally almost mad.
And one day you just got tired. Tired of feeling sorry for yourself, tired of wanting to be seen, tired of being asked what your fucking problem was? . Babe, you have everything. If I had half what you had, you’ll only see me through show-glass, they would say. So you stopped running and started fighting.

 

It wasn’t easy at first. Very miserable first attempts if you might add. Still, you tried. You stopped waiting “for” Jesus to come down and pick you up, you started looking to be strong.
Let’s say, you started with the looks.

 

Early two hours morning inconveniences, endless grooming on YouTube and the relatives you made on Instagram who didn’t even know you. And then, with the renewed excitement for life and what the future held, you did it. You were ready. Ready to step into the world and conquer. If it got too hard, well, you had a new circle of friends to pull you through. It was follow come with the glam just in case you were wondering how that happened. That was it, you thought.

 

See, in this narrative from zero to hero, you sometimes forget to chip in that a huge part of your “elevation” is credited, I’m sure you meant inspired, by your encounter with a certain person. The thing about being played is that you don’t realise how deep you are in the story line. Every plot twist, every angle, every line even recess time is determined by the players. And this certain someone was the player. The beginning of a new chapter you could never have seen. A different kind of scheme, an era of a different kind of misery, pun intended. And a higher quality of pain, if you prefer.

 

You could accredit this to life or nature or truth or the compensation of goodness or the consolidation prize of sadness or whatever. In reality, it is really just Yahweh. Satan might be an excellent manipulator and “that” was meant to destroy you but you see, God is a perfect strategist.

 

Pain is cruel but what is more cruel is not realising you’re in pain. And while you struggled with the long suffering of unrecipocrated love, the diversions he brought into your life, the more vivid interruptions that was him and him alone and the ever abiding gut feeling that something just wasn’t right about him, you convinced yourself it was okay. It was afterall, he was afterall, better than a perpetual feeling of defeat that wasn’t lacking in your “earlier” oppression.

 

At least, this rat could blow your feet while he fed on you.
So you started to prepare for him to tell you how much you were a waste of space, he told you were beautiful, intelligent and even stupid you, manipulative. Aren’t you the queen of hearts now. For him to tell you he was in love with someone that could never look like you because they were better, he told you he saw only you. He didn’t really say that to be sincere, but he stayed six hours with you on that cold white faculty bench and laughed at all your biting boring jokes. So your friends enforced your cherished illusions again but now you were no longer almost mad. You were happy. “You think a guy would spend so much time with you if he didn’t love you. He doesn’t have other things to do? It’s just, he can’t help it. He wants to be with you” they would say, sounding stupid and smiling silly. But you were happy. And they were happy for you.

So you waited and he didn’t do any of the things you expected, again, you grew tired. Tired of waiting for doom. Tired of not growing tired with him.

 

Tired of knowing you were halfway under and still not feeling subdued because it was him. Tired of knowing you were in an arena but too crippled by love to fight. And this new “captor” grew weary with the futile resistance, mine obviously not his. He restrategized. And one Monday morning you wake up and you realise you’re surrounded by enemies and traitors.

 

-First published in ‘The Pen’ on July 25, 2022

'FIRS Not Recruiting, Beware of Scammers'

 

On repeated occasions, the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has cautioned the general public to be vigilant and circumspect not to deal with scam artists who pose as recruitment agents for the Service and collect huge sums of money from unsuspecting victims with the promise to provide them employment.

 

Again, the Management of the FIRS wishes to caution the public to be wary of these employment scam artists.

 

The Service wishes to emphatically state that it is not conducting any recruitment at the moment, and importantly that it does not conduct recruitment exercises through back door channels. Should the FIRS at any instance have need to expand its workforce and consequently seek to recruit competent hands to carry out the task of revenue mobilization for the nation, the public can rest assured that the Service would follow appropriate channels and processes in doing so; including advertisements on public channels of communication, followed by rigorous screening, interviews and examination exercises.

 

The FIRS also wishes to caution media practitioners not to allow their mediums to be used as platforms for publishing unauthorized fake application processes and recruitment portals that hoodwink the unsuspecting public. The Service would take all necessary legal action against any platform found to be engaged in such fraudulent advertisement.

Assembly of Generals, Diplomats, Traditional Rulers and Politicians, as Fatima Buratai Weds Ismail

 

 

Interestingly, Gora Village, precisely Tukur and Tukur Farms in Keffi Emirate of Nasarawa State was on Saturday, July 29 2022 agog with Traditional regalia, Military Uniforms, and exotic Royal Rose captain of industries, Members of the Diplomatic corps, Philanthropist, legislatures, Ministers, Judicial officers, and members forth estate of the realm to witness the wedding fatiha of General Tukur Buratai's daughter Fatima.

 

The unprecedented crowds that witnessed the event explained the kind of person General Tukur Yusuf Buratai is among his family, relations, classmates, professional colleagues and general public as everyone was rushing to ensure he or she did not miss this great historic event of the Nigeria Ambassador to Benin Republic, former chief of Army staff, Garkuwan Keffi, an Jarman Maradun.

What was more fascinating in the event was the welcome delivered in a subtle, heart touching and eloquent Microphone voice with which General Buratai delivered this inspiring speech before the commencement of the grand organized in honour of the new brand bride and groom who were ushered in the reception venue in a simple but attractive Toyota Jeep.

 

More importantly was fatherly advised given to the bride and groom by the General that led Fatima broke in tears in appreciation of the lovely life saving advice. This in addition to the friendly football mach, cultural entertainment and hand shaking pleasantries among the important dignitaries that witnessed the occasion.

Some of the personalities that witnessed the event included, representative of His eminence the Sultan of Sokoto, the Emir's of Biu and Keffi, Olowu of Kuta, and host of other traditional rulers. Others are former chief of defence staff, former chief of army staff, the current chief of army staff, other heads of high security command and Ambassadors.

‘Money Miss Road’ Tickles Nigerians with Weekend Goodies at Cinemas

 

As the wave-making action-comedy, ‘Money Miss Road’ enters its second week in cinemas across the globe, the producers have unveiled some goodies for cinema lovers at designated cinemas in Nigeria, to enable more people indulge in the fun.

 

 

Themed: BOGOF ‘Buy-One-Get-One-Free’, the treat allows the audience a chance to enter as a pair from Friday 29 to Sunday 31 of July at designated cinemas like: Filmhouse Surulere, Lagos; Kada Cinema, Benin, Edo State; Silverbird Cinema, Ikeja, Lagos; Silverbird Cinema Jabi, Abuja and Viva Cinema, Ibadan. “Thanks to our sponosrs, we are able to offer you buy one get one free opportunity. It is the chance to grab a friend to see the film that has been described as a breath of fresh air”, says Obi Emelonye, the film director and writer.

 

 

‘Money Miss Road’ filmed at locations in Lagos and Abuja highlights the struggles of two friends, whose lives changed for good and bad after an encounter with a criminal kingpin, as they battled with too much money but little peace of mind.

 

 

The film, which opened on July 22, 2022, was produced by Joy Odiete (producer of ‘Gone’) and features Charly Boy Oputa, Josh Alfred (Josh2funny), Jide Kene Achufusi (Swanky JKA), Oma Iyasara, Anthony Monjaro and Kelvin Oduah. 

 

 

According to the producer: “We know that all societal issues cannot be corrected in one day, but ‘Money Miss Road’ succinctly covered all the salient points on what dynamics certain issues should take in terms of closure. Anyone who watched our first production, ‘Gone’, will like ‘Money Miss Road’.”