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12166300878?profile=originalAs the saying goes, all’s well that ends well but it really is not when there is so much silence about what did go on.

Exactly two weeks ago, his nanny took ten-month old baby Enioluwa Odegbaike, from his home in Magodo area of Lagos State. The little boy had been left in the care of the nanny, simply identified as Victoria, who apparently absconded with the baby while his mother was in the bathroom.

This last weekend the baby was found in Badagry, a border town in Lagos State. He was immediately united with his parents. The ordeal Mr. and Mrs Odegbaike must have endured in the last two weeks is better imagined than described.

Nanny Victoria’s action raises all kinds of questions. Was the motive kidnapping? Was there a syndicate behind her? Was she stealing the infant for herself? How was the baby recovered? What role did the police play? What has happened to the nanny? Why do we know nothing more about her than her first name? Why in the face of the happy news that Enioluwa has been found are the parents keeping mum?

Kidnapping in Nigeria has assumed the potency of a terrorist threat. The history of this crime that began as a weapon wielded first by Niger Delta militants and grew to become a source of easy money for your common garden criminal has been too often documented to need repetition here. In Baby Enioluwa’s case, there were no reports of any demand for ransom. The most significant aspect of the story was the use of social networks, Facebook, Twitter and Blackberry messaging to alert the populace and circulate the face of this lovely child and Nanny Victoria.

Shortly after the baby went missing, the parents made his picture and that of the nanny available through Facebook and other social media. Before long the news began to circulate among Nigerians both at home and abroad. In fact, the face of baby Enioluwa became so popular that many used his picture as their logo on their Facebook accounts. This helped in no small measure to assist in raising awareness about the poor baby and his parent’s plight. The news about his disappearance, which went viral, was good; it shows the power of communication. But that is about all that can be said about the matter at this point.

It is clear that the information the Odegbaike family had on Victoria, was scanty. Throughout the period of their son’s disappearance they were unable to give the nanny’s family name or it seems provide any background information or documentation on her.

More baffling, or perhaps it is all perfectly understandable given our realities, is the complete absence of any input from the police on this matter. Instead we have social networks and messaging channels filling in the gap and gratitude to God and providence for bringing this child back alive.

Not to put too fine a point on it this is an untenable method of crime detection and law enforcement. If Nigerians avoid the police because they have no faith in the ability of the men and women charged with the duty of protecting them to do the job effectively then we really have some far more basic issues to consider than the current all important one of protecting the sanctity of our vote.

Where are we if we cannot protect our children?

For every Baby Enioluwa there are thousands more, susceptible to the same crime and raising our hands to the sky is not the answer. A well trained professional and functioning police force that has the trust and confidence of the public, the protection of the community and the enforcement of the law as its primary goals is.

Can someone make this a campaign issue, please?

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Oluwole Josiah About 84 senators of the Peoples Democratic Party may have lost their bid to return to the red chambers on the party's ticket. Final standings from the outcome of the primaries held across the country showed that a repeat of what happened in 2007, where most of the lawmakers did not return, is likely to happen again. From Adamawa State, Senators Jibril Aminu, Grace Bent and Mohammed Manna were not returned by the party. The same situation is the case for neighbouring Taraba State where Senators Anthony Manzo and Dahiru Gassol lost out. The third senator, Joel Nkenya, had earlier defected to the Action Congress of Nigeria in the state to run for the governorship. .. None of the senators in Anambra, Kwara and Bauchi states got a ticket to return to the Senate. In Kaduna State, only Senator Ahmed Makarfi made it back, as Caleb Zaghi and Jibril Mohammed were replaced by former Minister of Finance, Nenadi Usman, and ex-Executive Secretary of the Petroleum Technology Development Fund, Yusuf Mairago. In Rivers, only Wilson Ake scaled through but George Sekibo and Lee Maeba failed to win the primaries. Senators Chris Anyanwu and Sylvester Anyanwu from Imo State lost out before the primaries, as they were on their way to other parties. Osita Izunaso, who was tipped to win his ticket, however, failed to do so. In Nasarawa State, Abubakar Sodangi lost to a former governor of the state, Alhaji Abdullahi Adamu, while the two others, Naomi Akwashiki and Suleiman Adokwe, were returned. The PDP also did not return Eme Ufot-Ekaete and Bob Effiong in Akwa Ibom State, just as Simeon Oduoye also did not make it in Osun State. .. In Benue where President of the Senate, David Mark, emerged successfully, his colleagues, Joseph Akaagerger and George Akume, failed to secure the PDP's tickets. In Cross River, only the Deputy Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, succeeded in the primaries while Bassey Ewa-Henshaw and Gregory Ngaji did not make it. Senator Hosea Ehinlawo from Ondo State was not fortunate this time while the confusion in the Ogun State chapter raised doubts about the chances of Iyabo Obasanjo and Lekan Mustapha. In Kogi State, Senator Nicholas Ugbane has indicated his interest to become the next governor of the state and so did not seek the senatorial ticket, but Otaru Ohize did not make from Kogi Central, while Smart Adeyemi is still battling to be cleared by the PDP National Secretariat. Edo State PDP had lost Edobor Uzamere to the Action Congress of Nigeria in the state. He was replaced by Daisy Danjuma. Katsina had also lost Garba Lado to the Congress for Progressive Change while Abubakar Ayuba and Umar Argungu failed to get tickets in Kebbi State. Although Gbemi Saraki is seeking the governorship seat in Kwara State on a new platform, the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria, the other two senators from the state, Ahmed Mohammed and Sule Ajibola, could not make it back. In Bayelsa, Senator Nimi-Barigha Amange was not returned by the party while the PDP also replaced Sidi Ali as its candidate for the FCT. In Gombe State, none of the old senators will return as their tickets were taken by others. Indications from Enugu suggest that the political stalemate in the state would deny all three PDP senators their tickets to return to the Senate on the party's platform. Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, as well as Chimaroke Nnamani and Ayogu Eze are representing the state in the Senate and are unlikely to get the tickets. It was gathered that most of the senators who lost their tickets in the PDP were considering moving to other parties to contest the April elections.
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It was the first eviction show of the ‘All Star’ season of Big Brother Africa. All the housemates were up for eviction and we just knew that ‘biggie’ had something up his/her sleeve!

Before we get back to the evictions, its been an interesting week in the Big Brother Africa All Stars house all week. The housemates have spent the week getting to know each other and basically getting reacquainted with the Big Brother Africa experience. We’ve had Munya and Meryl take a steamy shower together (well not really ‘together’ but at the same time in neighbouring shower stalls), there has been some sizzle between Sheila & Hannington – she seems quite open to the idea, though she warned him that he might not be able to handle her lifestyle. Hannington on the other hand has been warned by Uti who admits that Sheila is hot but ‘trouble’. Uti admitted he fancies Jen and asked the other housemates if they “Had Sex in the House”



Finally, the other big news was the Housemates’ Revolt. The housemates got really rowdy on Saturday as they were protesting the lack of food in the house. When things got out of hand and guards were sent in by “Biggie” to calm the situation, the housemates took them hostage and didn’t let them leave. After discussions between the housemates, Tatiana (Head of House) and Biggie; Eventually, the guards were let go and Big Brother rewarded the housemates with an abundant supply of food.

Back to the evictions, Tatiana and Kaone were evicted because they got the lowest amount of viewer votes. However, Big Brother nullified the evictions and reinstated them into the house. That wasn’t all, they were allowed to issue two ‘daggers’ to the other housemates.

The first dagger this season, makes the chosen recipient dress up like a pig, clean the kitchen, bathroom and toilet three times a day with ear-buds and a toothbrush.

Tatiana chose to throw this dagger at South African Housemate Lerato and explained that it “will be funny to see!” Lerato will have to keep this up for a week.

The second dagger was thrown by Kaone. This forfeit forces a Housemate to dress up in a French Maids costume, remain awake after all the other Housemates are sleeping and make sure that the House is spotless before going to bed. Kaone chose Uti as the unlucky recipient.

The Housemates that have received a Dagger in the Back from the two Evictees will have to perform these duties for an entire week.

An interesting week in the BBA All Stars house. Big Brother also unveiled a mysterious ‘barn’, we wonder who will be sent there. ‘Ekaette’ singer Maye Hunta also performed the official BBA All Stars song – African Star at the eviction show.
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Nuhu Ribadu, the former chief of Nigeria's anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has accepted an offer from Acting President Goodluck Jonathan, to be his special adviser on anti-corruption, good governance and sundry matters.

Presidency sources said at the weekend that Mr. Ribadu is expected to resume "in a matter of weeks" in Abuja. As part of his remit, Mr. Ribadu will be the presidential anchorman supervising the broad anti-corruption platform of the country which includes his former agency, the EFCC; the ICPC; the Code of Conduct Bureau and other related agencies.

He's back

Mr. Ribadu confirmed this in a telephone interview with NEXT at the weekend..

"Frankly I don't want to be drawn into any political discussion," he said. "But let me say it is true that I have been contacted. I also think it is only honest to say that Acting President Jonathan appears to have a keen understanding of the cogent priorities facing our nation which is currently teetering on the brink of disaster. It is probably right to also say he is taking the right steps on those critical priorities. For this reason, I believe it is the moral duty of Nigerians to support all efforts to save our country."

Mr. Ribadu is, at the moment, winding up a plum fellowship at the Centre for Global Development (CGD), a think tank in Washington D.C. dedicated to international issues of development. During his fellowship at the CGD, he was the lead person for the centre on anti-corruption, institutional reform, and African law enforcement policy. During this same period, he undertook special missions to advise many African countries who were just setting up anti-corruption and financial intelligence agencies.

Among the notable institutions that he consulted for were the World Bank and the United Nations (UN).

Mr. Ribadu also consulted for a host of western authorities including the United States government and the European Union (EU).

Presidency sources in Abuja said they expect Mr. Ribadu to meet with Mr. Jonathan, who will be visiting Washington at the invitation of the US president, Barack Obama, next week.

Ribadu's troubles

The former anti-corruption czar, for the past two years, had been in a running battle with the Umaru Yar'Adua led government, culminating in Mr. Ribadu's exile and the decision to take up fellowship offers, first at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom and then CDG in the US.

Last year, Mr. Ribadu admitted the decision to leave Nigeria was for self preservation. "I had to leave the country on January 3 this year (2009) after a relentless persecution which climaxed in two assassination attempts," he said in November.

At the height of his troubles with Nigeria's ailing president, Umaru Yar'Adua, who has not been seen since he took an emergency medical vacation five months ago, the former EFCC boss was dramatically charged to court with the alleged failure to properly declare his assets during his tenure as the EFCC chairman.

Mr. Ribadu was said to have failed to produce an asset declaration form, which is a crime for all senior public officers who do not do so, according to the Nigerian constitution. The Fifth Schedule of the 1999 constitution mandates all public office holders to declare all their assets.

Mr. Ribadu however consistently refutes the charges and said that he had not defaulted in the asset declaration procedure. According to him, his asset declaration forms were "submitted on assumption of office in March 2003 and (on) my exit from office in December 2008. I assert that there is no substance to this case; that my assets were (not) declared. How could I have been confirmed for my position in 2003 if I did not submit an asset declaration form to the Senate, as all officers needing senate confirmation are obligated to do?"

Insisting that the forms are in the safe custody of the Code of Conduct Bureau, Mr. Ribadu further urged the Code of Conduct Tribunal to call for the documents. "Is it also not in the power of the Tribunal to simply order the Code of Conduct Bureau to produce certified true copies of my asset declaration if this is what truly concerns the Tribunal?" he asked.

In the clear

Last week however, the federal government indicated its desire to withdraw its case against Mr. Ribadu at the Code of Conduct Tribunal last week, admitting that it had no case against the former EFCC boss.

Mr. Ribadu's fight with the government is seen to have come to an end as the former anti-graft boss prepares to return home after months of exile abroad.

The former anti-corruption czar is looking forward to it. "It is important for us to know that the nation has lost a huge ground in the past two years (and) it would take the collective effort of all patriotic Nigerians to work for the restoration of their country. I certainly look forward to coming back soon," Mr. Ribadu said.

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Cabinet change: 21 Ministers to return
•Nominees to face Senate screening on Thursday.


Monday, March 22, 2010

The federal cabinet may roar back to life this week as Acting President Goodluck Jonathan is set to retain 21 of the 42 ministers relieved of their jobs last week following the dissolution of the Executive Council of the Federation (EXCOF).



THISDAY learnt the list of the 21 nominees to be retained will be forwarded to the Senate anytime from now for confirmation.

The upper legislative chamber may screen the nominees by Thursday, it was further learnt.

Among those to return are former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources Odein Ajumogobia; former Attorney-General of the Federation and Justice Minister Adetokunbo Kayode (SAN); Chief Ojo Maduekwe who took charge of Foreign Affairs in the dissolved cabinet; Prof. Dora Akunyili who earlier manned the Information Ministry; and Mrs. Diezani Allison-Madueke who was in the Ministry of Solid Minerals.

Others are former Minister of Finance Mansur Muhtar; and his former Minister of State Remi Babalola; former Minister of Sports and Chairman, National Sports Commission (NSC) Sani Ndanusa; Godsday Orubebe formerly Minister of State for Niger Delta; and Prof. Babatunde Osotimehin who was Minister of Health in the dissolved cabinet.

Allison-Madueke and Orubebe are said to be the only nominees of Jonathan in the dissolved cabinet of ailing President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.

Some of the retained ministers may retain their portfolios in the dissolved cabinet while others may take on new assignments.

The former ministers are facing fresh screening because the blanket dissolution of the EXCOF meant that all the nominees are to begin afresh.

THISDAY checks revealed that among those that may not return are Dr. Sayyadi Abba Ruma, who was Minister of Agriculture; former Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Senator Adamu Aliero; former Minister of Power Lanre Babalola; and Hajiya Aishatu Dukku who was Minister of State for Education.

The ministerial nominees will be in batches with the first batch being that of the 21 nominees from the dissolved cabinet.

THISDAY learnt that the acting president is in consultation with political stakeholders and will soon forward the list of the remaining prospective ministers to the Senate.

Jonathan had surprisingly dissolved the entire cabinet last Wednesday in a bid to rejuvenate the EXCOF, which had been badly divided.

The newspaper had exclusively reported that at least five ministries which are key to the focus of the acting president might be manned by new persons.

Among ministers in the dissolved cabinet who may not return are those of Petroleum Resources, Dr. Rilwanu Lukman; Works, Dr. Hassan Lawal; Chief Ufot Ekaette who was minister of Niger Delta and Ruma.

Meanwhile, the Nigeria First Forum (NFF), a pressure group in the House of Representatives, has dismissed the threats by some critics and interest groups to challenge the dissolution of EXCOF by the acting president, describing the criticisms as coming from the camp of retrogressive elements who want the country to remain at standstill.

A member of the Board of Trustees of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Alhaji Tanko Yakassai, had described the dissolution of the federal cabinet as an illegal action that has neither a bearing with the 1999 Constitution nor the backing of any subsisting pronouncement of a court of law.

Yakassai had in the wake of the dissolution of the cabinet last Wednesday said the action was arbitrary and unlawful, “taken on the basis of a pertinently illegal resolution passed by the two chambers of the National Assembly that conferred on him the title of acting president”.

But spokesman of the NFF, Hon. Dino Melaye, dismissed the argument of Yakassai as “the handiwork of a commercialised mind with ulterior motives”.

Melaye lamented that at this time in the nation’s history when all hands ought to be on deck to steer the ship of state out of troubled waters, some elements in the society still want to create unnecessary divisions in the polity.

He said Yakassai must be living in the past for him to describe the resolution of the Senate and House which brought to an end the power vacuum saga as illegal.

“It is obvious that he (Yakassai) is talking his age and living in the past era. For everyone that wishes Nigeria well, the resolution by both chambers of the National Assembly was a political solution that averted a national disaster and for him to describe that resolution in such a malicious manner is an indication that he harbours some ulterior motives which cannot be in the best interest of this country.

“We, as a group, declare our unparallel support for Acting President Goodluck Jonathan in his current efforts to stabilise the country through constitutional means and we will not relent in our support until the struggle to build a new Nigeria where justice, equity and egalitarianism becomes the order of the day. It is a battle of no retreat, no surrender,” he said.
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Sacked ministers beg to return

SOME of the 42 ministers sacked, Wednesday, are intensifying lobby to return to the cabinet, according to reliable Presidency sources.

cabinetlast2.jpg

Also, the names of the first batch of ministerial nominees will get to senators for screening by Monday while the number of ministers to be appointed will be reduced from the present 42 to about 30, the sources added.

The decision to prune the number of ministers was informed by the desire of the Acting President to run a compact government that would facilitate the delivery of the most needed change in the country.

Already, inputs from governors and other opinion leaders are to be submitted not later than today for such nominees to undergo security screening before their names are forwarded to the National Assembly.



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Live updates - Yar'Adua's return

Updates as they happen

1245 - Action Congress says the "mere presence" of the president is not enough for him to resume power. Publicity secretary, Lai Muhammed, says the president must now write a letter to nation assembly to announce that he is fit for office.

1239 - Senate begins third reading of Section 145 ammendement bill. On the same day that it passed the second reading.

1232 - Army official detailed to receive president at airport this morning claims that Mr. Yar'Adua "walked" into the waiting ambulance. This is unconfirmed.

1220- Secretary to the government of the federation, Yayale Ahmed, announces that the weekly federal executive council meeting has been postponed. The Acting president will still meet with his cabinet in his office at 2pm but this will be a private meeting. No reference made to President Yar'Adua's health or return. He is not expected however to attend the meeting between Goodluck Jonathan and his cabinet.

1153 - Senate goes ahead to conclude debate amending section 145 of the constitution without any mention of President Yar’Adua’s return.

1135 - Jonathan is waiting, trying to avoid embarrassment by staying away and waiting for the president who is taking eternity to come out

1134 - Senate makes no reference to the president's return and continues session on amendment of Section 145 of the Nigerian constitution. However various groups are seen fervently huddling together during recess.

1131 - A security detail is guarding the president’s chair to ensure Acting President, Goodluck Jonathan does not sit on the chair.

♦One hour after the weekly cabinet meeting of ministers was supposed to have commenced, there is no sign that it would hold, as all the ministers have stayed away.

Neither the Acting President, Goodluck Jonathan nor his aides have also turned up. This is very unusual, as they (the Acting President and his aides) always keep to time in past meetings. Mr Jonathan had locked out some ministers from past meeting for lateness.

However, aides to the ailing President, Umaru Yar'Adua who returned to the country, early this morning were seen at the chambers. Mr Yar Adua's (Aide-de-Camp) ADC, Mustapha Onoedieva
and Chief security Officer Yusufu Tilde were seen at the council chambers for a while earlier today, but they also left.

No presidency official is willing to talk yet.

President Umaru Yar'Adua returned to Nigeria early this morning, and was carried from the airport in an ambulance. A terse report on Nigerian Television Authority this morning said he has been taken to a ‘clinic.'

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Panic in Abuja: Cabal plots Yar’Adua’s return, Jonathan’s exit • New Service Chiefs, Chief of Staff may emerge this week
By Daniel Alabrah & Olusola Balogun

Sunday, February 14, 2010
Those thinking that the political and constitutional crisis occasioned by the refusal of ailing President Umaru Yar’Adua to hand over to his deputy, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, was over had better brace up fro fresh challenges.

Jonathan & Yar’Adua
yara&goodluck[1].jpg

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It is not yet Uhuru as another round of crisis is looming in the Presidency following an alleged plot by Yar’Adua’s diehard loyalists to bring him back to the country at all costs.

Sunday Sun learnt authoritatively that the bemused loyalists are still smarting over the National Assembly resolution that empowered the Vice President, Dr Jonathan, to assume the position of Acting President and are bent on bringing the ailing President back even if it will be for one week.

A source privy to the plan informed Sunday Sun that the plot is for Yar’Adua to be brought to Nigeria in an air ambulance while an ambulance limousine and other life support equipment that had been imported into the country would be on standby.

He would then be made to write a letter to the National Assembly asking that power be reverted to him.

But, according to our source, because the President is still not medically fit to assume office, there is every possibility that he will break down again and the country will begin another round of handover crisis.

“The cabal is very uncomfortable with Jonathan as Acting President, so they are doing everything possible to ensure Yar’Adua returns to Nigeria. Their fear is that they will lose power completely if Jonathan is allowed to complete Yar’Adua’s tenure. They want to bring Yar’Adua back to Nigeria at all costs,” said the source.

Another source said the visit of the Bauchi State Governor, Isa Yuguda, his Benue and Katsina counterparts, Gabriel Suswam and Ibrahim Shema, as well as chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Vincent Ogbulafor, to Saudi Arabia is part of the plot to bring the ailing President back.

Even the former Attorney-General of the Federation, Chief Michael Aondoakaa, who was redeployed to the Special Duties Ministry on Wednesday in a minor cabinet reshuffle, is also said to be in Saudi Arabia on his annual leave, which is believed to be a decoy.

A source close to the Presidency however said Aondoakaa should not have been allowed to travel out of the country because of the mood of the nation and the role he played in the handover crisis.

Sunday Sun however learnt that Aondoakaa’s redeployment sent jitters into members of the Yar’Adua kitchen cabinet and they now are afraid that Jonathan would sooner or later move against them.

Some politicians close to the corridors of power are also said to be unsure if Jonathan will not move against pro-Yar’Adua elements in the government.

“The demotion of Mike Aondoakaa from the exalted position of Attorney General to Special Duties on his first day in office without consulting anyone, including the party hierarchy, is a clear signal that Jonathan wants to be his own man and might be ready to rock the boat.

“Some are scared of the possibility of the man going after some ministers in Yar’Adua’s kitchen cabinet like Sayyad Abba-Ruma and super-aides like Mohammed Abba-Aji and Tanimu Kurfi as well as others who treated him with scorn while he was vice president,” the sourced said.

Sunday Sun gathered that the biggest fear of the Yar’Adua loyalists is “the possibility of the man (Jonathan) inserting certain provisions in the 1999 Constitution that might be against the interest of the North. What happens if he suddenly decides to support the call for resource control? You know he is from there (Niger Delta) and he will be seen to be doing his people a favour. He can do that on the pretence that he is trying to ensure that the restive militants don’t disturb again. We heard the man is also very committed to electoral reform.”

Perhaps, the biggest fear that prompted the plot against the Jonathan government is that he might contest the 2011 presidential election.

“Yes, they were able to extract some commitment from him in that direction, but can you stop a man that has all the power he has from doing anything? After all, such commitments are not binding on anyone.

“They feel this is the time to quickly move in and circle him before he grows wings. The actions he took in the first few days in office did not inspire a lot of confidence,” the source said, adding that part of the plot is to discredit the Jonathan-led administration before Nigerians, for instance, by pinning the tag of a stooge on the Acting President.

“They will try to pin the tag of a stooge of former President Olusegun Obasanjo on him. You know not many Nigerians love Obasanjo because of his style. They feel the best way they can make him lose the acceptance of Nigerians is link him to Obasanjo,” the source further said.

Given all these permutations, there is already panic in the federal capital that the Acting President will this week appoint new Service Chiefs and a new Chief of Staff, who would also double as a de facto Vice President.

Yar’Adua’s Principal Private Secretary, Mr David Edevbie, is also said to have briefed Jonathan on the outcome of his visit to Jeddah purportedly to present the 2009 Supplementary Appropriation Bill to Yar’Adua for his signature.

Edevbie was said to have confessed to Jonathan that he was not allowed to meet Yar’Adua in Jeddah.

“He (Edevbie) admitted before the Acting President that Yar’Adua’s wife, Turai, and the ADC did not allow him to meet President Yar’Adua. He said he was asked to stay in his hotel where Yar’Adua’s ADC and CSO (Chief Security Officer) met him to pick the budget document and later returned it to him there.

“Edevbie has been in a dilemma over the controversy that his visit to Saudi Arabia sparked off and he is desperate to clear his name. That was why he had to tell Jonathan the whole truth,” our source said.
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From Alemma-Ozioruva Aliu, BeninA SOCIO-CULTURAL group in Edo State, the Benin National Congress (BNC), yesterday called on the Federal Government to intervene in its fight to prevail on the British government to return Benin artifacts carted away since 1897.The group also urged President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua to return 27 oil wells belonging to Edo, which were ceded to Ondo and Delta states by the administration of General Ibrahim Babangida.They also called for amnesty for the 27 soldiers sentenced to life imprisonment in Akure for mutiny.In a letter to the President and signed by the association' s vice president and secretary, Omowemwen Imadiyi and Osazee Erhiamato, the group said it would not hesitate to begin mobilisation with a view to instituting legal action against the British government to force it to return the artifacts.It argued that Britain's continued retention of the "historical and ancestral" materials ran contrary to diplomatic relations between the two countries."It will be fair and patriotic for the Presidency to review its foreign policy relations with Britain within the context of the backlog of oppressive tendencies, which have undermined Nigeria's collective aspiration - to be together for peace, progress and justice, as any attempt to downplay these fundamentals of unity and accord will have far-reaching negative effects on our national integrity, if not now, certainly later."The Benin National Congress as you may well know is a foremost pan-Edo socio-cultural organisation that has been at the forefront of the struggle for the just and unconditional repatriation of all Benin artifacts, which were looted from the palace of the Oba of Benin, 'primitive' museums and the shrines of the people of the kingdom under the pretext of colonialism" , they added.The statement said the ceding of Edo oil wells to other states was an injustice and depletion of the state's revenue, which is needed for its development.The group urged that the soldiers be granted amnesty, since according them, it was discovered that they were actually shortchanged by their superiors.
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