The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has commenced the interrogation of a former Senate President, Anyim Pius Anyim in a case of alleged corruption and diversion of public funds.
Anyim who arrived at the headquarters of the anti-graft agency in Jabi, Abuja at about 3:00 pm on Sunday, is now being grilled by a team of operatives.
Though details of the specific allegations against the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), were sketchy as of press time, a source familiar with the case informed our Reporter that it is linked to the corruption and money laundering case involving former Aviation Minister and serving senator, Senator Stella Oduah.
Part of the rehabilitation funds to the tune of N780 million was allegedly traced to a company in which Senator Anyim has interests.
The threat of disruption of Anambra guber election is real. The attempt to disrupt Anambra election by a section of Biafra agitators first came in 2017 when a group demanded the Federal Government to fix a date for a Biafra referendum before the November 18 set for the guber election in the State in that year. Somehow, reason eventually prevailed and the election successfully held.
Four years later, the sad refrain is sounding again. This time around, the situation is different. Eastern Unknown Gunmen (E-UGM) is now introduced into the mix. As if these potent threats are not enough, the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) has issued a fresh notice to the effect that if their leader, Nnamdi Knau, is not released by 4th of November, there would be a sit at home from 5th to 10th of November, the day Kanu is billed to appear in court again. Meanwhile, Anambra election is on November 9th and the President cannot order the release of Nnamdi Kanu without recourse to the court. If the people would sit at home, invariably, they will not be able to vote, suggesting that the threat this time around is far more potent and can be ignored only to people’s peril.
It is not clear what informed the days they have chosen but it will not be out of place to believe they have Anambra election in sight. The loss of political control of the South-East is becoming more and more embarrassing with the governors severally saying they have no powers to stop what is going on and its attendant calamitous consequences. Investigations show the governors do not also go to their offices on Mondays since sit-at-home began. If the governors with their obscene security measures, are not showing up at work, why are they asking ordinary citizens to keep risking their lives and businesses?
The Governor of Abia State, Okezie Ikpeazu, recently after visiting Nnamdi Kanu in a DSS facility in Abuja, declared to the media that the South East governors cannot stop the sit-at-home. Anambra and Enugu States governors have also conceded Mondays to the non-state actors by moving Monday school day to Saturday, in another embarrassing acquiescence move. South-East is fast becoming an ungoverned space while the governors are there only in name, without any capacity to maintain law and order, calling to question the money they collect in billions in the name security votes and as chief security officers of their respective states.
Today, strange killers have unleashed anarchy and mayhem in Anambra State in particular and in the South-East in general, dramatically transforming the status of the zone from the safest place in Nigeria to home of unknown gunmen. With fear and shock waves spreading and escalating, INEC has sounded the alarm at least twice that the governorship election in Anambra state is being jeopardized by the rising insecurity. And now, the potent sit-at-home is set to ensure a disruption of the exercise.
The attorney general of the federation Abubakar Malami has also recently warned that extreme measures could become necessary, including a state of emergency if insecurity worsens and makes holding the election dangerous or impossible. From the look of things, though Malami in his usual disingenuous characteristic, didn’t sound like a disinterested or genuinely interested party, a state of emergency in Anambra is no longer far-fetched in Anambra as in some Northern states. The sentiment is that insecurity is worse in many other states of the federation with the federal government not responding with a state of emergency. But what if the Federal Government declares state of emergency in Anambra and in another state in the North? Will the critics not be silenced while Anambra and South-East live with the collateral damage?
For a fact, insincerity in Anambra is nothing compared to what has been happening in Zamfara where a military jet was shot off the sky by the so-called bandits; or Kaduna where people die daily from banditry and herders/farmers deathly clashes, and to say nothing concerning terrorism prevalent in Borno, Niger and so on. The Niger case is instructive because the governor alerted the world that he had lost control of parts of the state to bandits and terrorists, who have rendered the confiscated areas ungovernable and impose and collect tax and kidnap residents for ransom.
This government is well-known for playing politics with national security and therefore capable of instigating and acerbating what is happening in Anambra state for political gain. Anambra state is the gateway to the East and controlling it, to a very large extent, means controlling Igbo land. If a state of emergency is imposed, the federal government will have the constitutional powers to set aside the elected government and appoint a sole administrator, very likely a retired military officer who is also very likely not to come from the zone let, certainly not from Anambra state.
Even with the counter directive being issued by a section of IPOB leadership against sit-at-home, it has been largely observed in the South-East. Unfortunately, no matter the level of apathy, it will never invalidate the result of the election since the Constitution does not provide for an irreducible minimum voter turnout for the governor to stand elected.
All the 1999 Constitution guarantees is election holding in 2/3rds of the Local governments and in 2/3rds of the wards in those Local Governments and a simple majority afterward (see section 179 (2) which states: “A candidate for an election to the office of Governor of a State shall be deemed to have been duly elected where, there being two or more candidates -(a) he has the highest number of votes cast at the election; and (b) he has not less than one-quarter of all the votes cast in each of at least two-thirds of all the local government areas in the State”.)
Not all Anambra people are Biafra agitators; or even believe in the need for a sovereign Biafra, and there are also those who do not believe in the need for boycott or disruption of the guber election. These categories will vote. Even if they are in the minority, they would become a majority since the constitution allows just any number to elect the President or the Governor without any set minimums.
If IPOB members could just stay away from the polls and refuse to vote, there would not be much problem. After all, refusing to vote is constitutionally allowed since not voting at all is a form of voting. Biafra agitators would have registered a specific protestation but there is reason to believe they would try to disrupt the polls, using the same method for enforcing stay-at- home.
In the possible event that attempts are made to disrupt the polls and the military trying to suppress the resistance, there are a number of scenarios. The Speaker can take over if the election cannot be held before the expiration of incumbent Willie Obiano’s tenure. A state of emergency can also justifiably suffice and even if the speaker takes over, he or she will not be there indefinitely, as election must follow in about 6 months as stipulated in the constitution. So, ultimately, an election must be held, or a state of emergency would be imposed and renewed until such a time election can be conducted in a safe atmosphere.
Imposing a state of emergency on Anambra state will cost Biafra agitators more than they can imagine. Anambra people may revolt against Biafra agitations and cause an implosion that will invert the Biafra struggle against itself. The reason for this prediction is simple: Biafra agitators cannot single out Anambra as a guinea pig, and the only Igbo state to be without an elected governor in the South East. If the guber election is held across the 5 eastern states, maybe the scenario would be different. Anambra people may not be happy that other South-East states are governed by elected governors while only they are ruled by a retired army general possibly from outside Igboland which is most likely to happen.
The window to avert this self-inflicted damage is shutting. South East governors and other political leaders from the zone must rise and rally for a roundtable with the Biafra agitators, especially those declaring sit-at-home and enforcing it. The South-East political leaders, especially governors, abdicating their responsibilities is rather absurd and unthinkable. The only two reasons for why there is government are: protection of lives and property and welfare of citizens. Governments that cannot ensure these two fundamental reasons have lost legitimacy and have no further reason to stay in office.
• Dr. Law Mefor is a Senior Fellow of The Abuja School of Social and Political Thought;
Following the launch of the eNaira by President Muhammadu Buhari, the application for the digital currency introduced by the CBN is available for download.
CBN said the applications has received more than 5,000 downloads within hours of the launch.
This is as the apex bank released regulatory guidelines which stipulate that charges for transactions that originate from the eNaira platform will be free in the first 90 days commencing from Oct. 25.
After this period, applicable charges as outlined in the Guide to Charges by Banks, Other Financial and Non-bank Financial Institutions will become effective.
The eNaira speedwallet app meant for individuals had, as at 4.pm, seen more than 5000 downloads while the eNaira speed merchant wallet had seen close to 1,000 downloads.
According to the regulatory and issuance guidelines, banks will automatically be onboarded by the CBN while merchants will be onboarded once they download the app and individuals will have to onboard by themselves.
The guideline revealed that there would be different wallets for different stakeholders.
“The eNaira stock wallet belongs solely to the CBN and it shall warehouse all minted eNaira” the guideline stated.
It said that financial institutions were expected to maintain one treasury eNaira wallet to warehouse eNaira received from the CBN eNaira stock wallet.
“Financial Institutions (FI) may create eNaira sub-treasury wallets for branches tied to it and fund them from its single eNaira treasury wallet with the CBN and FI may create eNaira branch sub-wallets for its branches.
“The eNaira branch subwallet shall be funded from the treasury eNaira wallet.
“eNaira Merchant speed wallets shall be used solely for receiving and making eNaira payments for goods and services. eNaira speed wallets shall be available for end users to transact on the eNaira platform.”
To ensure security of funds, the enaira is expected to have two-factor authentication and other measures.
Meanwhile, daily transaction limits for Tier 0, which is just phone number without verified National Identity Number, was set at N20,00 with a balance limit of N120,000.
Tier1 category, which has a verified number has a N50,000 transaction limit and N300,000 balance limit.
Tier2 and Tier3 categories have daily transaction limits of N200,000 and N1 million as well as a N500,000 and N5 million balance limits while merchants have no limit.
According to a circular signed by Mr Chibuzo Efobi, the CBN director Financial Policy and Regulation Department, the eNaira will compliment cash as a less costly, more efficient, generally acceptable safe and trusted means of payment and store of value.
“Additionally, it will improve monetary policy effectiveness, enhance government’s capacity to deploy targeted social interventions, provide alternative less costly channel for collection of government revenue and boost remittances through formal channels.
“The guidelines seek to provide simplicity in the operation of the eNaira, encourage general acceptability and use, promote low cost of transactions, drive financial inclusion while minimizing inherent risks of disintermediation or any negative impact on the financial system,” the statement reads in part.
Lawyers from the Igbo speaking region of Nigeria have applied to the federal high court in Abuja to be joined as defendants in a suit by a group of northern elders’ praying for the exit of the southeast region from Nigeria.
The lawyers say the application is based on the agitations of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafran (IPOB) and Nnamdi Kanu.
The legal practitioners led by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria SAN, Chief Chuks Muoma, Ukpai Ukairo, Ebere Uzoatu and Hon Obi Emuka are asking for an order of the court to allow them join in the suit as representatives of the people of the southeastern region.
In their application for joinder filed by Victor Onweremadu on Monday in Abuja and obtained by our correspondent, the applicants claimed that the case of the northern elders seeking the exit of south-east from Nigeria has the capability to shape the life of generations of Igbo people.
The motion on notice for the joinder request was brought pursuant to order 9 rule 5 and order 26 rule 2 of the federal high court civil procedure rule 2019.
The Northern Elders had in June this year filed the contentious suit asking the court to compel the Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives to hasten the exit of the South-eastern region out of Nigeria before concluding an ongoing amendment to the country’s Constitution.
The request for a court order to compel hastening of South East exit from Nigeria was one of the three prayers sought in a suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/538/2021 instituted by a group of elders and politicians from North led by Nastura Ashir Shariff, Balarabe Rufa’I, Abdul-Aziz Sulaiman and Aminu Adam.
In their suit, the northerners claimed in a supporting affidavit that their action was informed by the need to stem the tide of violence and destruction allegedly occasioned by the agitation for secession championed by the Nnamdi Kanu-led POB.
Plaintiffs claimed that they do not want a repeat of the 1967 to 1970 civil war in Nigeria, which cost the nation many innocent lives and properties worth billions of naira.
Listed as defendants in the suit are the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), the Senate President, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the National Assembly.
Although the Igbos are not joined in the suit, the Igbo Lawyers claim they have an interest to protect in the suit, hence, their request to be made a set of defendants in the case.
In their 12-paragraph affidavit in support of their application, the lawyers noted that the Northern Elders in their suit did not think it necessary to join the people of tyhe south-east or their representatives to enable the court hear from them.
The affidavit deposed to by one Ekenna Felix Jonathan read in part “That this suit is so crucial and a sensitive matter which concerns the Indigenous Igbo speaking tribe in Nigeria and has the capability to shape the life of the future generation of the people of the south-east of Nigeria and another Indigenous Igbo speaking tribe in Nigeria.
“That the Igbo Lawyers Association represented by the applicants are an Indigenous association of lawyers from the south-east of Nigeria and other Indigenous Igbo speaking tribes in Nigeria.
“That the Igbo Lawyers Association and its objective is to represent the interest of the Igbo people which said people are Indigenous in the south-east of Nigeria. Thus, the association is interested and is a necessary party to be joined.
“That it will serve the interest of justice if the honourable court grants the application and joins the applicants as defendants in the suit and that the plaintiffs wilvl not be prejudiced if the application is granted”.
We support sit-at-home civil disobedience tool that is strategic in getting Biafra restoration on a speedy track and getting MNK released.
However, we don’t support sit-at-home that brings nothing useful to the struggle.
Importantly, folks at DOS have not claimed issuing this alleged civil disobedience sit-at-home order from November 4th to November 11th.
Now hear these important facts and the reasons why this threatening sit-at-home position is like fetching water with a basket.
1) MNK is not going to be released before his next Court hearing and DOS is rightfully aware. So why take a position that makes no reasonable sense?
2) Keeping the busy-bee Ndilgbo/ Biafrans at home for these 6 days without any positive gains will amount to an exercise in futility, grossly embedded with poor DOS judgement.
3) If the so-called DOS alleged sit-at-home announcement also meant to scuttle Anambra State gubernatorial election, it simply played into the hands of Buhari and his Fulani caliphate men. Without any doubt, and DOS is aware of this fact, whether there is sit-at-home or not, someone will be declared winner.
Tufiakwa!!! Handing Anambra State over to Andy Ubah of APC will be too dangerous for Anambra State and entire Alaigbo. The state will be heavily militarized more than what we see occuring in Imo State.
4) Furthermore, whether there is sit-at-home or not as alleged, a significant number of the Anambra people will come out to vote November 6th. By coming out to cast their ballots, this will erode the authority and credibility of DOS which is suffering already.
5) When an authority issues directive such as sit-at-home for 6 days straight, they ought to provide resources to cushion or ameliorate the daily impacts on their target population.
Moreover, we are trying to make sense of what is so unreasonable in many perspectives. In summary, we make the following postulation/assertion.
A) Sit-at-home on MNK Court Hearing days is important to be observed. We observe them here.
B) Sit-at-home on May 30th as Biafrans Day, is highly important. We observe them here in the USA.
C) Sit-at-home on Mondays volunteerily is understandable until he is released. DOS cancelled it but many people still observe it. This is the people’s decision.
Therefore, issuing sit-at-home order that is not going to result in advancing Biafra restoration, and that wouldn’t be respected and obeyed by majority of Biafrans is counter productive to the DOS leadership’s visions and missions.
Detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, has pleaded not guilty to the seven-count amended charge the Federal Government preferred against him.
Kanu, who was docked before trial Justice Binta Nyako, said he was innocent of all the allegations FG levelled against him after the charge was read to him in the open court.
His re-arrangement came on day the Department of State Services, DSS, blatantly refused to allow even a single journalist inside the courtroom.
Though this reporter [Vanguards’] and six other Journalists were initially cleared at the main gate of the court to enter the premises, upon his arrival at the door leading to the courtroom, arm-wielding operatives of the secret service denied him entry.
The operatives insisted their action was based on “order from above”.
They made it clear that no Journalist would be allowed to enter the courtroom till the end of the proceedings.
“You people can go to your press centre and wait till the end of the matter, after then, you will receive a briefing on what happened”, one of the hooded operatives stated.
Meanwhile, a source inside the courtroom, notified Vanguard that the embattled IPOB leader took his fresh to the amended charge at about 10:45 am.
The proceeding is still ongoing, as Kanu is expected to push for either his release on bail pending the determination of the case against him or his transfer from the custody of the DSS to a Correctional Center.
Journalist101 gathered that the matter has been adjourned to 10th November, 2021 for continuation of the trial.
Security agents are drawn from the DSS, the Nigerian Police Force, the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, and the Nigerian Army, had as early as 4 am, blocked all roads leading to the high court premises which is adjacent the Federal Ministry of Justice Headquarters.
Though staff members of the court were initially barred by the heavily armed security operatives, they were subsequently cleared to enter their offices after they protested.
Stern-looking DSS operatives had specifically threatened to deal with any journalist recording or taking pictures of the unfolding drama.
Cameramen from major television stations in the country, including those from the British Broadcasting Corporation, BBC, were ordered to shut down and face it on an uncompleted building opposite the court premises.
By Dr Cyprian Anigbogu, Secretary, Anambra Development Initiatives Forum
There is no gubernatorial candidate in Nigeria’s history who has been as much of a moral and criminal burden on his party as Andy Emmanuel Uba, the purported candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the November 6 governorship election in Anambra State. His conduct has for years been of great interest to the governments in both the United States and the United Kingdom. For instance, he flew into John F. Kennedy Airport in New York with a presidential jet in 2003 with a whopping one hundred and seventy thousand dollars ($170,000) in raw cash. The United States authorities promptly seized the funds which they said were proceeds of a crime. Before the seizure, Uba had tried to hide the money by giving it to one of his girlfriends, Loretta Mobiton, who was with him on the flight.
On December 24, 2008, Uba attempted to enter the United Kingdom on a private jet. He was refused because the British authorities considered his presence inimical to the public moral health of their people. Uba was carrying a whopping one hundred and thirty five euros in raw cash. The British authorities believed the funds were proceeds from a crime. Uba cannot enter the United States or United Kingdom because his presence is considered toxic.
As early as December 17, 1985, the Los Angeles Sheriff Department (LASD) had arrested Emmanuel Nnamdi Uba for “a deadly violent act”, a grievous act committed by using a gun to threaten someone. He was subsequently charged to court on January 27, 1986, at 8.30 am. By this time, Andy had dropped out of Concordia University in Canada and relocated to California.
Still, the Andy Uba Gubernatorial Campaign Organization has in the last few days been pontificating on the moral health of the South East political zone, sponsoring third rate news items on the social media against in particular the people and government of Anambra State. As expected, the mainstream media have avoided the sponsored puerile attacks like a leprous patient. The celebrated Kenyan writer and activist, Ngugi wa Thiongo, would equate the moral posturing of Andy Uba and his hacks as the November 6 election in Anambra approaches to the devil on the cross.
Andy Uba’s hair-raising activities are unfortunately not confined to the international scene. The home front bristles with many examples. When James Ibori, the convicted former Delta State governor, was revealed to attempt to bribe the leadership of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) with an unbelievable fifteen million dollars ($15m) in 2012, it quickly emerged that the slush funds were in the custody of Emmanuel Nnamdi Uba. Chibuike Achigbu, the chief executive of Chimons Ltd, a Lagos-based gas company firm, decided to take a fall for his associate, friend and boss, by claiming that the money was his, and not Andy’s. No one believed him.
Andy Uba submitted a false and forged secondary school certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), even though it is an extremely poor result. According to Uba, he got credit in only one paper, namely, Chemistry.
The school certificate result is forged because of a number of factors. He says he obtained the Senior Secondary School Certificate in 1974 at Union Secondary School at Awkunanaw, Enugu, whereas there was no SSSC system in Nigeria until in 1989. He also claims to have obtained the result from the Enugu State School system, but Enugu State was not created till August 27, 1991. He claims to have sat for Further Mathematics in the exam, but what was offered in 1974 was no Further Maths but Additional Mathematics.
A school dropout with a forged secondary school certificate wants to be the governor of Anambra State, the state with the highest number of educated and successful Nigerians, but also is pontificating on moral and ethical issues. What can he possibly tell youngsters about ethics when he is the symbol of amoral behavior?
Andy Uba sponsored the three-day mayhem which consumed Anambra State in November, 2003. The Governor’s Lodge, Anambra Broadcasting Service, Legislative Building and the House of Assembly Complex were burnt during this madness which Uba designed and executed by Andy Uba in conjunction with the police when Andy was working for President Olusegun Obasanjo. He provided the arsonists presidential and police cover, ensuring none was arrested or prosecuted. The sole purpose for all this lunacy was to get the President to impose a state of emergency so that he would be appointed the sole administrator of Anambra State. Seventeen years later, Andy is lobbying the Federal Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, to cause the President Muhammadu Buhari, to declare a state of emergency in Anambra State, hoping he would be appointed the sole administrator.
Africa’s greatest novelist, Professor Chinua Achebe, wrote about Andy Uba when the latter was President Obasanjo’s immensely powerful Senior Special Assistant on Domestic Affairs:
“For some time now, I have watched events in Nigeria with alarm and dismay. I have watched particularly watched the chaos in my home state of Anambra where a small clique of renegades, openly boasting its connections in high places, seems determined to turn my homeland into a bankrupt and lawless fiefdom”.
By pretending to be preaching morals to the Anambra people, Andy Uba has become the latest Devil on the Cross.
Dr Anigbogu, a lawyer in Onitsha, submitted this statement on behalf of the Anambra Development Initiatives Forum.
