Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Tinubu writes HID

CHIEF Bola Tinubu, former governor of Lagos State and Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) national leader, has written to Chief (Mrs) HID Awolowo, saying he had no cause to disrespect her person or disparage the Awolowo family.

In a release signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Olakunle Abimbola, Chief Tinubu said: “I wish to assure Mama that I cannot disparage the Awo family without disparaging the legacy that all of us proudly embrace and are trying to sustain” he wrote in his letter, dated 9 June 2011.

Chief Tinubu was writing on the controversy that has trailed the piece entitled, “Awo Family without Awo”, written by Sam Omatseye, chairman of the Editorial Board of The Nation newspaper, viewed by many to be critical of the Awolowo family. Many have also claimed the article was a “sponsored” attack on the Awolowos.

But Chief Tinubu, in the letter, said he found such linkage strange, since every newspaper has its own editorial policy, independent of any person’s relationship with the paper.

“Anybody with knowledge of how newspapers work knows every newspaper has its editorial policy, most times independent of even the publisher” the former governor explained. “So, how can I possibly be behind the opinion of a columnist, simply because he writes for a newspaper, which I am associated with?”

He said even Papa Awolowo, publisher of the Tribune while alive, always told people that he read articles in the Tribune, like other readers, since the paper had its editorial policy.

“The sage, Chief Awolowo himself used to say that he read articles in the Tribune like any other reader, despite that he was the publisher. The same principle applies here,” he explained.

Chief Tinubu said though Tribune had been demonising his person, it would be wrong of him to assume that Mama Awolowo, as publisher of the Tribune, was behind the attack. He said the same principle held in the Omatseye piece because the columnist was known to hold strong views which he expresses every Monday.

He said: “It is common knowledge that Tribune, almost every day, demonises my person. But should I because of that claim that Mama, as chairman of the newspaper, was behind the demonisation? Of course, I feel disheartened by it all; but I have never felt Mama was responsible for stories Tribune published.”

Chief Tinubu reiterated his respect and affection for Mama Awolowo and her offspring, adding that that was not about to change.

“I have absolutely no need to cause Mama any heartache in her old age. All I want for her is to be happy. I assure her of my love and reverence; and affection for her family.”

Our RESPONSE
ALTHOUGH a plethora of responses from members of the public to Mr Sam Omatseye’s “Awo family without an Awo’’ are being received by the Nigerian Tribune on a daily basis, it was decided that such responses be discontinued following the letter written by Chief Bola Tinubu, publisher of The Nation to Mama (Dr) HID Awolowo dated 9 June, 2011.

The letter was not published because the former Lagos State governor referred to it as being “personal.’’ Besides, and more importantly, the Nigerian Tribune does not have anything personal against Chief Tinubu, and is not interested in any further media war in the face of pleas by members of the public that concerted efforts be made to douse the festering tension generated by Mr Omatseye’s attack on the family of Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

However, a press release made available to the Nigerian Tribune on Tuesday evening by Chief Tinubu’s Chief Press Secretary indicated that the former governor had decided to go public with the letter he wrote to Mama (Dr) HID Awolowo, explaining that he played no role in the publication of Mr Omatseye’s piece. The letter, however, raises some questions which need to be engaged critically, if only for the purpose of setting the records straight.

It is pertinent to observe that in the letter under reference, nowhere did Chief Tinubu condemn the tirade launched against the Awolowo family.

Instead, the letter seemed to be a rationalisation of the controversial piece as a mere public commentary which, to Tinubu, was being politicised to attack his person.This is against the backdrop of the realisation that he neither addressed a press conference nor came out clearly to disassociate himself from the piece under reference.

Among other disturbing realities, it is shocking that Chief Tinubu, being a Yoruba man who has held and continues to hold important positions, either as a former governor or as a chieftain of a strong opposition party in the country, and one with claims of being born and bred under timeless Yoruba cultural values and ethos, failed to see the deeper imports of the Omatseye piece as an affront on a woman who represents the best of Nigerian womanhood and who has become Mother of the Nation on account of her status as the spouse of Chief Obafemi Awolowo, her age, and as the Yeye Oodua of the race that Chief Tinubu aspires to lead.

The issues at stake, however, are not merely about public commentary but about the denigration of the time-honoured cultural values of the Yoruba people and, indeed, those of the Nigerian nation at large.

Also in the letter under reference, Chief Tinubu stated as follows: “It is common knowledge that the Tribune, almost everyday, demonises my person. But should I claim that Mama, as the publisher of the Tribune, was behind the attack?’’

This statement did not address the questions whether the stories published in the Tribune represented factual accounts of activities in which he was alleged to have been engaged or were false stories meant to discredit his personality. To the best of our knowledge, none of the stories published on Chief Tinubu so far in the paper has been proved to be false.

Chief Tinubu, in his letter, also adverted to the claim that Mama (Dr) HID Awolowo had known him from his childhood. He said: “How can I overlook old age, which every Yoruba person reveres; and the life-long closeness between you and my mum, Alhaja Abibatu Mogaji, who has served the Awolowo family all her life, and go ahead to sponsor an article to disparage the Awolowo name that we all revere?’’

However, as far as we know, the two children of Alhaja Mogaji known to Mama are Rafatu Biodun and Sakirat Modupe. Certainly, Bola Ahmed is not one of the children of Alhaja Mogaji known to Mama. Therefore, we are unable to reconcile his account with the facts at our disposal.

Still, if Chief Tinubu had accepted the vicarious liability attendant on the fact that the said offensive article was published in a medium owned by him, it would not have been difficult for him to apologise on the writer’s behalf, if truly he reveres Mama as claimed in the letter. Indeed, the attitude which pervades the said letter is, since he did not write the offence article why should he apologise? The letter is, therefore, tantamount to an exercise in escapism. In all, evidence that Chief Tinubu sincerely regrets the contents of the controversial piece is lacking.

The references made to previous stories in the Tribune titles also suggest that he endorses Omatseye’s article as a reaction to such stories.

More importantly, Chief Tinubu’s letter did not address any of the issues raised by Mama in her reaction to Omatsye’s piece, which we assume he had read by virtue of his claim that reactions to the article were brought to his attention.


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Days of Boko Haram in Borno are numbered - IGP

THE Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr Hafiz Ringim, has said with the presentation of 10 Amoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) to the Nigeria Police, the days of Boko Haram sect are numbered in Borno State.

The IGP said this in an interview with newsmen in Maiduguri, Borno State capital, on Tuesday, shortly after he received 10 APCs and 10 Hilux patrol vehicles presented to the police by Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State.

The police boss said he was in Maiduguri on the instruction of the president, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, to assess the security situation in the state.

He said all over the world, security was being driven by intelligence gathering, charging that members of the society should assist the security agencies in the state to get rid of the members of the sect.

“The logistics will not only enhance the operation of the Nigeria Police, but will also assist the entire security agencies in Borno State and Nigeria at large in our fight against the Boko Haram menace that has engulfed the state and other parts of the North for quite some time,” he said.

The police boss assured the public of confidentiality of all information given to the security agencies, while he urged them to take advantage of the modern information technology, which enabled them to interact with the police without disclosing their identity.

He said the police relied on the general public in their intelligence gathering, as they could not be everywhere.


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South-South governors create regional economic entity

The governors of South-South states, comprising Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Edo, and Delta States yesterday signed an agreement for the take-off of regional economic cooperation under the acronym, BRACED.

The agreement was the result of a meeting of the South-South Governor's Council held in Port Harcourt, capital of Rivers State.

In a communiqué at the end of the meeting Monday night, the chairman of the council and governor of Cross River State, Liyel Imoke, said the six states have agreed to establish a regional electric company and a regional oil and gas company to serve the common interest of the people of the region.

He added that steps were being taken to conduct a feasibility study on the projects.

Mr Imoke also said in a bid to fast track the process, the second South-South Economic Summit would be held at Asaba, Delta State, from October 13th to 15th this year, while a strategic meeting of commissioners of economic development, planning, finance, agriculture, commerce and industry from the states would be convened within 60 days.

The communiqué, which was signed by the five governors present at the meeting, also affirmed the readiness of the states to work out, between now and 2012, an effective mechanism for the re-certification of teachers, as part of efforts to encourage teacher training and improve the quality of education in the area.

Organise training

Mr Imoke said as a way to ensure that all the states operate on the same pedestal, the BRACED commission would organise a retreat for commissioners and top functionaries of government and business community, and for the civil service as well.

"The governors have solicited the cooperation of banks and financial agencies to simplify access to the various agricultural funds available to farmers," he said, adding that a feasibility study is to be undertaken for establishing a Regional Commodity Exchange Board.

Mr Imoke acdded that the commission is working towards institutionalisation of sports competitions among schools in the zone through hosting of regional sports festivals.


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Bankole questions Keyamo's right to prosecute him

A former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, is raising questions as to who made Festus Keyamo a prosecutor to prosecute him and has asked a Federal High Court in Abuja to quash the alleged inflation of contracts charges filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), maintaining that at the time of filing the charges, there was no Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) to give Mr Keyamo the fiat to prosecute.

In an application filed by Mr Bankole's lawyer, Adegboyega Awomolo, the former speaker said: "The last AGF was Mohammed Adoke SAN, who vacated officially on the dissolution of the Federal Executive Council on 28th May, 2011. The AGF is the only officer that the Constitution empowered to issue fiat to private legal practitioner to institute or continue criminal proceedings in the high court."

He noted that the charges were filed on June 7th, 2011 when no AGF was in office, saying that the office of speaker of the House Representatives which he occupied between the years 2007 and 2011 is not cognisable for the purpose of criminal responsibility or liability within the scope and intendment of the Public Procurement Act, 2007.

Mr Bankole also said the proof of evidence did not connect him with the items allegedly procured in contravention of the Public Procurement Act.

But Mr Keyamo in a telephone chat with NEXT, said his argument is a none issue.

A few minutes after the Federal High Court in Abuja granted the former speaker bail on Monday the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arrested him again and charged him, with his former deputy, Usman Nafada at another court in Abuja.

Mr Bankole who is facing prosecution over alleged corruption committed while in office, was granted bail earlier in the day in the sum of N5 million and a surety in like sum, with a landed property in Abuja and asked to submit his international passport to the court.

He was arrested on Sunday June 5, and charged to court for inflating contract awards which includes the cost of 400 units of 40-inch Samsung (LNS.3410 Television sets) purchased at the rate of N525,000 per unit, instead of the prevailing market price of N295,000.

His alleged action constitutes an offence contrary to Section 58 (4) (a) of the Public Procurement Act No. 14 of 2007 and punishable under Section 58 (5) of the same Act.

The EFCC had also in Abuja on Sunday June 12, arrested Mr Nafada over allegations of corruption while in office.

Messrs Bankole and Nafada pleaded not guilty to the 17 count charges. Their lawyer, Adegboyega Awomolo wanted to move an oral application for their bail but the presiding Judge, Sulieman Belgore, asked him to file a formal application for bail.

Counsel to the EFCC, Festus Keyamo, told the court that their custody is filled up with other accused persons in relation to the matter and that the former speaker and his deputy should be remanded in prison custody pending when their application for bail will be heard. The hearing comes up Thursday, June 16.


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