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BEWARE THE COUP BELT BY Femi Fani-Kayode

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AHMAD GUMI: CLERIC OF BLOOD, FACE OF HATE 

BEWARE THE COUP BELT BY Femi Fani-Kayode

 

Despite the hysteria about who has been made a Minister and who has not and the euphoria about which portfolios they have been given or not been given, let us remain focused on the major issues of the day and not take our eye off the ball.

 

 

 

And other than our economic and security challenges the most weighty issue is the conundrum that we are presented with in Niger Republic and the challenge of military Governments in our backyard.

 

BEWARE THE COUP BELT BY Femi Fani-Kayode

 

 

The facts are as follows.

Sudan, Chad, Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali and Guniea have all been plagued with coup d’etas and military Governments over the last 3 years.

 

They have formed a formidable and intimidating ‘coup belt’ of unelected military rulers which stretches from Guniea on the western flank of the West African sub-region right on the Atlantic ocean up across the southern flank of the North African Sahel and the Lake Chad region all the way to East Africa and the Pacific ocean.

They have effectively drawn an iron curtain and uninterrupted chain of unelected and unconciable military juntas right across the center of our continent dividing North Africa from the rest of the continent.

It follows that the greatest challenge of our time is to ensure that this leperous belt of unconstitutional Governments does not get any bigger, stronger and wider and that the virus of military interventions and coups does not spread any further.

We must, no matter the cost, fight for and defend our democracy and preserve our freedom and way of life.

 

We cannot do this by relying on foreign and regional armies to come and save us and neither can we achieve it by marching into Niger in a gung ho attempt to restore democracy.

 

We can only do so by winning the hearts and souls of our people by providing good governance, justice and accountability for them.

 

Once you do this and any military adventurer tries to do a coup, the people themselves will come out in the streets in their millions to denounce and resist it.

 

In such circumstances you will not need any foreign force to come and reinstall or reinstate you.

 

This is the point that President Bazoum failed to appreciate.

 

He allowed his people to suffer under the yoke of the French and was totally oblivious and insensitive to their yearnings and aspirations to be freed from the vestiges of neo-colonial bondage.

That is what the mutineers took advantage of.

Let us hope that other African leaders can learn from his mistakes.

If they do, we shall go from strength to strength and democracy shall
flourish in our respective countries.

If they do not they can expect the worse. The choice is theirs.

 

 

Permit me to conclude this contribution with a final word on the misplaced notion that a military assault or threat of it on Niger would be a fruitful endeavour and the best and only way to restore democracy in that beleaguered nation.

After the meeting of the Chief of Defence Staffs and military commanders of the ECOWAS countries in Accra on Thursday the following definitive statement was made by the commanders of the ECOWAS Force.

 

They said, “we are ready to storm Niger Republic”.

 

This despite the counsel of the African Union and powerful North African countries like Algeria not to do so.

I am constrained to respectfully put the following questions to these ECOWAS military commanders and I challenge them to provide the answers.

Can we successfully attack a country where the civilians are holding rallies in solidatiry with their supposed oppressors?

 

Surely, in the end, no one will come out victorious as these things are always easier said than done.

 

Russia thought Ukraine would fall in two weeks yet today it is well over a year, hundreds of thousands of innocent lives are still being lost and the war is still raging.

 

Quite apart from that has this ECOWAS “force” already been formed or will they divide the operation into sectors with each country taking a sector?

 

Where is the Command HQ located? Who takes care of Nigér’s sector 3 of the MNJTF in the Lake Chad, for I guess they will withdraw their troops?

 

If Burkina Faso and Mali join Nigér forces, as they threatened they would, who blocks the southward movement of the insurgents and terrorists scattered around the triangular borders of Mali, Burkina Faso and Nigér?

 

 

Is the Russian Wagner force still active in the region? Have we prepared adequately to handle the weapons and drug-trafficking across the borders with Niger since our partners in that nation are now our enemies?

 

Even with them working with us, cross border crimes are still serious issues.

 

Will the AU or the UN or the West be responsible for the logistics? As at now Nigeria can’t afford to do so like it did in ECOMOG. We simply do not have the financial wherewithal or the resources.

 

In my view we should still vigorously pursue the application of conflict resolution mechanisms in order to buy time to address these questions.

 

We must approach the entire matter with the utmost caution, wisdom and care.

 

If Niger Republic and her allies deliberately open a corridor for the elements of ISIS, AQIM, ISWAP etc to move into Benin and Togo, ECOWAS’ weakest link, then the whole of Nigeria’s western borders, from Sokoto to Lagos, would be vulnerable to terrorist attacks.

 

 

Already some of the elements have penetrated into Niger State, around Borgu and Shiriro, very close to Benin Republic and some states in the South West of Nigeria.

 

These questions need answers.

There is no doubt im my mind that an attack on Niger Republic would result in a massive military conflagration that will engulf the entire West African sub-region and which would eventually spread to North, Central and East Africa.

 

The mutineers and coupists have agreed to dialogue and now ECOWAS wants to use force, launch an attack and endanger the life of President Bazoum? This hardly makes sense.

 

If we are not careful and if we refuse to use diplomatic means to resolve this matter we may end up throwing ourselves into the greatest and most destructive war in the history of Africa and few African nations would survive it.

 

That is what the proponents of an attack on Niger are toying with.

 

Treading the path of war is a reckless and dangerous adventure which would result in a frightful and horrific Dickensian nightmare and Shakespearean tragedy.

 

May we never see it.

 

 

In conclusion let me say this.

 

If the Western powers, including the United States of America, the United Kingdom, the European Union and even France are worried for their vital and strategic interests on the African continent in the light of all this I sincerely and honestly believe they have every right, reason and need to do so because the stakes are high.

 

The Russians and Chinese ought to be worried as well.

 

Apart from those that wish to depopulate and destroy our continent and sell their arms, no-one, least of all the African people, stands to benefit from a rash collective of vicious and unaccountable military Governments strewn across Africa or from what may end up being a massive continental war which, to all intents and purposes, may end up transmuting into a proxy one between the world’s super powers.

Worse of all such a war will probably be partly fought by mercenary armies from both sides of the divide.

 

May God deliver us from evil.

(Chief Femi Fani-Kayode is the Sadaukin Shinkafi, the former Minister of Aviation and the former Minister of Culture and Tourism)

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We acted to save Edo State – EFCC Justifies Arrest of Edo Accountant-General, others

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We acted to save Edo State - EFCC Justifies Arrest of Edo Accountant-General, others

We acted to save Edo State – EFCC Justifies Arrest of Edo Accountant-General, others

 

 

 

Sahara Weekly Reports That The arrest of Edo State’s Accountant General, Julius Anelu, and two other top officials was carried out to quickly save state in view of “huge and suspicious from the state treasured by the outgoing administration”.

 

 

 

 

An impeccable source within the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which pleaded anonymity informed that the arrests were made to save the state rather than ground the activities of the state.

 

 

We acted to save Edo State - EFCC Justifies Arrest of Edo Accountant-General, others

 

 

The EFCC had arrested the Accountant General of Edo State, Julius Anelu, and two other top government officials over alleged financial imprieprieties.

 

“Out of N24.6bn paid into the government’s account, about N14bn was left within one week after the money was deposited some weeks back., meaning about N10bn has been withdrawn within five working days”

 

The source added that the EFCC had to quickly move in to to save the state and not to ground its activities as being peddled.

 

“The amounts withdrawn were huge sums. For instance, about some weeks ago, N24.6bn was paid into that account. But in less than one week, about N14bn was left in the account. To save the state, we had to quickly move in. We are not in any way doing that to ground the state activities, it is actually to save the state,” said the source.

 

“We have been investigating the governor of the state, Godwin Obaseki, since 2022 but this latest arrest was as a result of huge withdrawals from the state’s derivation account as the Obaseki’s administration is winding down”.

 

Efforts to get the EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, proved abortive as calls to his line were not answered. He has yet to respond to a message sent to him on the matter.

 

The arrest of the officials came days after the Edo State governor-elect, Monday Okpebholo, had accused the the State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, “of last-minute borrowings and looting.”

 

In a statement issued on October 16, Okpebholo, called on relevant authorities including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Police and Department of State Services to investigate the allegations.

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Botswana Election: Shocking Fulfilment Of Primate Ayodele’s Prophecy (VIDEO)

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Corruption in Nigeria is a fraternity - Primate Ayodele

*Botswana Election: Shocking Fulfilment Of Primate Ayodele’s Prophecy (VIDEO)

 

 

The outcome of the just concluded election in Botswana that saw the ruling party lose power after 58 years is a testament to Primate Ayodele’s prophetic credibility.

Voters in Botswana have delivered a shock defeat to the party that has ruled them for nearly six decades by handing victory to an opposition coalition and its presidential candidate Duma Boko.

The 54-year-old of the Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) will replace President Mokgweetsi Masisi, who on Friday conceded defeat after his Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) lost by a landslide for the first time in 58 years.

Primate Ayodele had on several occasions long before this election held that the incumbent president would be disappointed at the election polls. He made it known that the outcome of the election would be shocking and disappointing to the ruling party.

These were his words:

‘’In Botswana, the president will make every effort and the country will want to move on to a stage but the president must be careful so he won’t be disappointed. In the coming election, the president will be disappointed, people will not want to vote him.’’

@primateayodele

#primateayodele #iescworldwide #botswana #mokgwetsimasisi #botswana🇧🇼tiktok #ndc #dumaboko #fulfillment #prophecyfulfilled #election #election2024 #africa #africantiktok #african

♬ original sound – Primate Ayodele

Primate Ayodele made this video in September 2023 regarding the nation of Botswana when there was nothing that looked like the incumbent president was going to lose the election in the physical realm but the prophet, as usual, spoke based on divine signals received from God and it’s surprising that the prophecy came to pass in this manner.

For a party to rule for 58 years, it is almost impossible to take power from such a party and this is what makes the prophecy of Primate Ayodele unique.

If the president had listened to Primate Ayodele, maybe he would have tried to work on some of the things that later made him lose the election but as usual of politicians, they ignore prophetic warnings and regret later when they happen.

It would also be recalled that in October 2023, Primate Ayodele warned the incumbent president to be careful so that he wouldn’twas shoot himself in the leg and face betrayal in the election that held yesterday.

These were his words

‘’The incumbent president of Botswana must pray for good health and God’s divine help. The country should pray against disease outbreaks and the prevention of border crises. The president will have a tough time because he will shoot himself with an unpopular policy. I see their currency becoming weaker. Investors will dump the country. They need to be careful of external attack, the president will be betrayed.’’

Primate Ayodele Releases Prophecies On Elections In Namibia, Botswana, Rwanda, Others

Sadly, some of the president’s policies led to his loss, as Primate Ayodele warned him.

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Aiyedatiwa is in panic mode, says PDP

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Aiyedatiwa is in panic mode, says PDP

Aiyedatiwa is in panic mode, says PDP

 

Ahead of the November 16 governorship election in Ondo state, the main opposition People’s Democratic Party, PDP, has said that Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, the candidate of the All Progressive Congress, APC, was in panic over losing the election.

 

However, the APC has dismissed the PDP claim as hogwash, insisting that the governor would win the poll in a landslide.

 

PDP Publicity Secretary, Hon Kennedy Peretei, said: “As the Ondo election approaches the Zero Hour, those who said the election was a walk-over for them have been unable to have sound sleep, slipping into a ‘panic mode.’ A good number of them, who initially proclaimed that they are ‘Lucky’ are singing a new song, based on the realities they encountered on the field.

“The comfort of their offices from where they proclaimed being ‘Lucky’ are the exact opposite of the streets in which hunger and lack, walk in all four legs.

“The electorate sent the signal wherever the campaign train of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa visited that there is pain in the land, orchestrated by the All Progressives Congress, Aiyedatiwa’s party. In their confusion, the National Chairman of APC, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, in one breath, said the Edo ‘Template’ will be applied in Ondo State. In another, he said, the APC does not need to rig the Ondo election to win.

“This was the first sign that the APC national leadership has come to terms with the reality that nobody can rig the November 16 election, and they are not as lucky as they hitherto assumed.

“Having failed to convince the people why they should trust him with their mandate, some panicky measures were taken.

“Because they were not all well thought out, they all fell flat on their backs. The 416 political appointees, carefully selected from the 203 Electoral Wards were shocked to discover that, for October, 2024, they received no salary alert.

“What is the guarantee that, after losing the election in November, they will be paid? Are these not the same people shouting they are ‘Lucky’? They should know better by now.

 

 

“When the alarm that the N73,000 minimum wage was announced at a campaign rally was another promise that would never be met, some people dismissed it. Those workers who went to endorse the governor for another term should ask themselves again if indeed, they have been lucky with this Governor.

 

“After spending 10 months in the saddle, it is his programmes and projects that should have done the campaigns for Governor Aiyedatiwa. Instead, he is recruiting propagandists to lie to Ondo State people, as if we are blind and deaf.

 

“Out of fear of losing the election, the Commandant of Amotekun Corps, Adetunji Adeleye was drafted to head a 25-member security committee of the campaigns. Instead of apologizing to the people, the Spokesman of the Aiyedatiwa Campaign denied that such was ever proposed. How can anybody trust people who lie so shamelessly in this manner? Those who think Ondo State is lucky with this kind of administration should pinch themselves to be sure that they are not dreaming.

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