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The agonies of Buhari and Oshiomhole

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CUSTOMSGATE: $3 BILLION PROJECT RUNS INTO DISPUTE

Tunde Odesola

For the All Progressives Congress, it’s not raining, it’s pouring but the umbrella is with the hot-chasing rival, the Peoples Democratic Party.

Each time Nigerian President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), boots a penalty kick into throw-in, I begin to ponder the importance of secondary school education as a useful tool for political leadership.

Whenever I imagine how former comrade, Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole, hid his tragic flaws, and led labour unions out against governments, only to now fall face down to the very ills of hypocrisy and highhandedness for which he had countlessly grounded the country back in the day, I take heed of the idiom, which says character, like smoke, can’t be trapped in a fist.

The illogicality of some self-indicting pronouncements by Buhari leaves so much bile in the stomach and provokes the mouth to snarl the Igbo proverb, “If the oracle asserts too much power, it will be shown the tree it was carved from.”

Last week, Oshiomhole’s rootless invincibility was dragged naked to the Ovia River by his ruthless ex-godson, Godwin Obaseki, who decimated the godfather and set Edo electorate agog.

Devastatingly, the Interstate Ballistic Missiles deployed by the coalition of enemies-turned-friends in the Edo electoral blitzkrieg also hit the chief priest of godfather politics in Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, ripping apart his political carapace while the song, “Edo no be Lagos,” erupted in the camp of the prodigally famous PDP.

Aside from demystifying Buhari’s APC and disgracing the Lagos-Edo godfathers, the battle for the soul of Edo between the two major political parties reveals that lust for power was the superglue that binds Nigeria’s political elite, and not the love of the masses because the countdown to the election was totally bereft of masses-oriented issues but abusive rants by both parties.

I, hereby, invite Nigeria-loving comrades, not labour union-exploiting, brown khaki-wearing ‘come-raids’, into the world of Yoruba mythology as I tell the story of Ifa and Okete.

Every land has a name for the okete. Among the Yoruba, okete is the pouched rat with the famed white-tipped tail. Long before it was demystified and became a choice delicacy in earthen pot soups, okete was a bosom friend of Orunmila, the grand priest of Ifa – Yoruba’s traditional religion and system of divination. Okete was also an adherent of Ifa.

According to the Araba of Osogbo, Ifayemi Elebuibon, Orunmila grew suspicious when the secrets of his divination became subjects of discussion in the marketplace. Thus, Orunmila consulted Ifa, who told him what to do.

On the third day, as commanded by Ifa, Orunmila stood before his shrine and looked skywards, chanting some incantations and suddenly brought down his spear, driving it hard into the earth in one fell swoop. There was a violent vibration within the earth as the spear pierced an unseen creature. The creature had burrowed a tunnel from its house through to Orunmila’s shrine, where it daily listened to Ifa divinations from under the ground.

Orunmila yanked out the spear together with its kill from inside the ground and okete was seen at the long end, bleeding from a cracked skull with spilled brains. Disappointed, Orunmila lamented the treachery of Okete in these very words, “Okete, ba yi ni iwa re, o ba Ifa mu’le, o da Ifa.”

Without jibber-jabbering, the oath President Buhari swore to, on behalf of Nigerians, is to protect the Constitution of the Federal Republic. And the Constitution guarantees the inalienable right of Nigerians to aspire to any post in the land, among many other rights being more honoured in breach than in observance by the Major General Buhari regime.

The Nigerian Constitution guarantees equitable representation in appointments at the federal level – in line with the dictates of the country’s federal character policy which seeks to build national unity and foster a sense of belonging among the geopolitical zones of the country.

Buhari’s unsurpassable kith-and-kin governance, however, has consistently negated this constitutional provision with ALL key security headships, except one, going to northerners. Similarly, the heads of more than 80 percent of critical non-security agencies are from the North with Buhari hand-picking junior northerners above their far more competent southern superiors – to head the organisations.

Last week, I read with mouth agape, the strident call of a president with an unenviable track record of nepotism, demanding from the United Nations an equitable representation on the Security Council. Major General Buhari who comes to equity, mustn’t come with bloodied hands.

In a video sent to a virtual meeting by world leaders to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the UN, Buhari said there was the need for fair and equitable representation in the Security Council ‘if we must achieve the United Nations we need’.

By his penchant for clannishness, unjust distribution of appointments and projects, I’m strongly persuaded to believe that Buhari never made that equity-demanding statement credited to him by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina. That could never have been Buhari talking because equity won’t rehabilitate Boko Haram members while their homeless Christian victims are still in sackcloths, gnashing their teeth and mourning dead relatives. Equity won’t support Fulani herdsmen usurpation of southern territories while the Buhari government comes up with various policies seeking to legitimise their criminal activities.

Like okete, Buhari has clearly not stayed true to his oath to the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the citizenry.

What about Oshiomhole? For some days, Oshiomhole went incommunicado from the public after the crushing defeat in Edo only to find his voice in a gym, where he futilely attempted to downplay the PDP victory by trying very hard to appear strong, unperturbed and sportsmanly.

In the same manner that okete was eventually subdued and exposed, the one minute, forty-seven seconds video exposes a subdued Oshiomhole painfully swallowing his pride and putting up a show, pretending to be oblivious that Obaseki now stands astride a certain coffin with a sledgehammer and nails in hand.

A hitherto tough-talking, no-nonsense, almighty Oshiomhole caught a pitiable sight as he sweated and clasped his hands like a defrauded merchant, prevaricating on the electoral loss.

Oshiomhole tried very hard to gloss over the loss but he failed. Without mentioning the nightmarish loss, Oshiomhole, in the video, also didn’t mention the name of his party, his party’s candidate, the PDP or Obaseki – all screaming telltales of living in denial.

If he was as strong, sportsmanly and undisturbed as he tried to evince in the video, Oshiomhole should’ve commended the electorate and the Independent National Electoral Commission for the conduct of the largely peaceful election. Also, he should’ve praised the standard bearer of his party, Osagie Ize-Iyamu, for putting up a good fight, and spared Obaseki and the PDP a word of congratulation.

But Oshiomhiole appeared devastated by the loss that put paid to a golden opportunity to reinvent himself in his Edo home base after he was sacked in Abuja as national chairman of the APC.

In retrospect, I think Oshiomhole would probably have wished he had tolerated Obaseki and retained the Edo Government House. Ize-Iyamu too would likely have fancied his political prospect if he had remained in the PDP. May the Lord direct my steps, lest I mismove in life.

Unwanted in Abuja, rejected in Edo, it’s now Oshiomole’s turn to taste the bitter pills he served his predecessor and former National Chairman of the APC, John Odigie-Oyegun; a former Edo governor, Lucky Igbinedion, and the late Chairman, PDP Board of Trustees, Tony Anenih, whom Oshiomole boastfully declared he retired.

In the next four years, it will take political mismanagement on the path of Obaseki for Oshiomhole to bounce back in Edo, a state intolerant of godfathers who shout hosanna in the morning and chorus, kill him at night.

Email: [email protected]

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RE NATIONWIDE HARDSHIP PROTEST: A TIMELY WARNING

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THE ISRAEL OF SHAITAN

RE NATIONWIDE HARDSHIP PROTEST: A TIMELY WARNING. 

 There is nothing wrong with a peaceful demonstration and a lawful legitimate protest. What is unacceptable is a premeditated attempt by a group of faceless individuals who are on the payroll of subversive elements to destabilise the country and incite people to violence and carnage.
RE NATIONWIDE HARDSHIP PROTEST: A TIMELY WARNING. 
That is what this so-called #nationwidestrike that they have labelled as the #endbadgovernanceprotest is all about. Worse still there is a covert and subterranean attempt to provoke the security forces to open mutiny and rebellion against constituted authority and thereby truncuate our democracy.
 Those that are behind it are attempting to take advantage of the undoubtedly enormous economic challenges in the land to create panic, fear, chaos and mass unrest with a view to provoking anarchy, mayhem and armed insurrection.
 This is unacceptable and no responsible Government will sit back and allow it to happen. I urge those that are behind this surreptitious, subterranean and sinister subterfuge to have a rethink and not spark off a reaction from the security forces that they will later regret.
 We do not want or need a nationwide #endsars-like round of protests and neither can we afford the attendant violence, strife, division, damage to property and bloodshed that comes with it.
 The way forward is to put off the protest, exercise patience, enter dialogue with the Federal Government and express our collective concerns in a lawful, restrained, responsible and legitimate manner. Anything outside of that will be dangerous and counter-productive.
 (FFK)

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Billionaire kidnapper: Untold story of Henry Odenigbo’s exploits as Nollywood actor, producer

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Billionaire kidnapper: Untold story of Henry Odenigbo’s exploits as Nollywood actor, producer

Billionaire kidnapper: Untold story of Henry Odenigbo’s exploits as Nollywood actor, producer

Being a kidnapper was something that never crossed our minds – Rivers AGN Chairman
•Odenigbo featured only in his own movies, never harassed or owned actors
•I’m scared, says Kelvin Ikeduba who acted in one of his movies ‘Born in the Ghetto’

 

Fear, shock, and disbelief are the words to describe the reactions of many filmmakers and movie stars in Rivers State where the slain billionaire kidnapper, Henry Odenigbo, held sway as an actor and film producer before he met his Waterloo on July 4 in Lagos.

 

 

Ode, as he was popularly called, was the ring leader of a gang of nine kidnappers who targeted wealthy individuals in Lagos. They were killed after a shootout with the police at Ladipo, Mushin area of Lagos.

While he was alive, the late kidnapper who was seen as one of the biggest financiers of movie productions in Rivers, was the owner of Port-Harcourt-based Aso-Rich Production.

But unknown to movie makers in the state, Ode was a kidnap kingpin who was using the production outfit as a camouflage to carry out his nefarious activities.

Fortunately, actors were not his main target.

Narrating how the late billionaire kidnapper, who hailed from Imo State came to be known as an actor and film producer, the Chairman of Actors Guild of Nigeria,AGN, Rivers State chapter, Dr. Ken Osunwa, in a chat with Vanguard, said the late Ode was never close to anybody in the industry, adding that he only featured in his own-sponsored movies.

 

 

 

According to him, the late kidnapper was never a member of AGN, Rivers State, nor a member of Association of Movie Producers, AMP, Rivers State chapter.

Speaking further, Osunwa, who noted that Odenigbo never attended any of their meetings or events, said: “He hailed from Imo State and came to set up a movie production outfit in PH. I’ve already done a disclaimer when the news got to me and people were talking about him as an actor.

“Yes, he was acting in his own-sponsored movies and not practising in Nollywood, Rivers State, in the sense that he never featured in other people’s productions.

 

“To the best of my knowledge, Ode never had an issue with other practitioners in the state. I was never called to settle issues with him and others.’’

He, however, acknowledged the fact that the late billionaire kidnapper never owed any actor, director or producers who worked for him.

“He was bringing different actors, producers and directors to work for him and at the end of it, he paid off everyone.

“He invested in the Nollywood industry like any other investor. Nobody knew his source of wealth and when I received the news of his killing by the police in Lagos, I was very surprised. I thank God that all our actors who were working with him are safe and fine. Nobody was missing and from the report from his production, he was not owing anybody.”

Besides producing movies, the late Henry Odenigbo also had a Film Academy, called Ason Rich Movie Academy, where he trained cameramen, scriptwriters, actors, producers and directors, sound mixers, make-up artists, and production managers, among others.

 

 

Before his death, Ode was promoting a one-month intensive training opportunity for youths on his Instagram page, which was supposed to kick off on Monday, August 5, and run till August 31, in Rivers. But that dream is gone with his exit.

Recounting how Ode recently completed his last production before his exit, Osunwa said he (Henry Odenigbo) as a kidnapper, was something that never crossed their minds in Rivers State, adding ‘’This is because he was nice to the people that worked for him.”

Meanwhile, as a way of stopping a recurrence of the ugly incident in future, Osunwa said his group had started profiling every production house in Rivers State to know their identities as well and get acquainted with them, to monitor closely whatever they were doing.

“We have also started sensitizing our members on how to identify fake production houses in the state. Like in every sector of our society, there are different kinds of human beings operating with a different mindset. We must fight them to avoid ruining our sector,” Osunwa added.

One of the popular actors, Kelvin Ikeduba, who featured in one of the late kidnapper’s movies, “Born in the Ghetto” which was released early last month, said he was scared when he heard the news of Odenigbo’s death.

 

 

 

He was thankful that nothing happened to him while on the set of the deceased’s movie.
The actor said: “I only featured in one of his movies, ‘Born in the Ghetto.’ They would have killed them before now. I was scared. I went to work in PH, what if there was no job and they came up with a plan? Who knows!

‘’I am very happy with the news of their death. For me, it’s a big testimony. Do you know what it means when someone comes every day to pick you up in the hotel without you knowing what they are doing for a living?’’

He added that the director, Ifeanyi Akanaga, invited him to be part of the production.
However, disassociating Nollywood from the slain kidnapper, the President of the Directors Guild of Nigeria, DGN, Dr Victor Okhai, said what happened was a call for ‘a united Nollywood’, where they would be privileged to know who is who in the industry.

He argued that while bad eggs were also found in other sectors, the slain kidnapper was never a member of any guild in Nollywood.

Similarly, the President of the Association of Movie Practitioners, AMPRAC, Ifeanyi Azodo, said checks on AMPRAC’s database showed that the late kidnapper was never a member of the association, adding that people of questionable character were never admitted into the association

In a disclaimer, Osunwa dissociated the AGN from the filmmaker, Odenigbo alongside three other persons who claimed to be film practitioners.

The guild, in a statement, said the three persons who died in the shootout with the police at Ladipo were not their members.

The statement read: “The Rivers State chapter of the Actors Guild of Nigeria at this moment, disclaims any affiliation with the individuals who tragically lost their lives in a recent kidnap incident in Lagos. Specifically, Prince Henry Asonna (Executive Producer of Aso Rich), Angel Emanuzo (Associate Producer), Chris Ahaneku (Logistics Manager-Aso Rich), and Jerry Eze (Camera Assistant) were not members of our guild. They were not part of our organization.

“They have never been associated with our guild events and are not on our register. They were not affiliated with us, to the best of my knowledge, and we condemn any false associations and news making the rounds that AGN members from Rivers State were involved in the kidnapping.”

Veteran actor, Kanayo O. Kanayo, also cautioned the public on his Instagram page against referring to the slain kidnapper as a movie producer.

 

 

In the same vein, AGN’s Financial Secretary, Emeka Duru, frowned on associating the slain kidnappers with Nollywood, saying “Because they made a movie is not doing justice to the industry.”

Meanwhile, in 2024 alone, Odenigbo’s outfit, Ason-Rich Movie Production, produced over ten films, including ‘Born in the Ghetto’, ‘Love At The Pool’, ‘My Half’, ‘Little Top Up’, ‘Regards for Love’, “Wild Love”, ‘Clue Girl’, ‘Blind Blood’, ‘To Forgive’, “Sharon’s Fate”, which featured Yul Edochie, and ‘Bethlehem.’

In 2022, he produced such movies as “Royal Ties” among others.

The late kidnapper worked with famous actors, such as Yul Edochie, Kelvin Ikeduba, and Eve Esin. But checks also revealed that he mostly worked with fast-rising actors or relatively unknown faces in the industry.

As an actor who was always posting all his movie jackets on Instagram, the late kidnapper portrayed bad-boy roles and wielded guns in movies, as seen in one of his most recent roles in “Blind Blood” as posted on his Instagram page on April 26. He was also honoured on March 16, 2024, when organizers of Nollywood Indigenous Filmmakers of Nigeria, NIFMON, awarded him the ‘Best Filmmaker in Port Harcourt’.

 

Weeks later, on March 31, E-flex named him Nolly TV’s Best Grassroot Filmmaker for 2024/2025.

 

By  By Benjamin Njoku

@VANGUARD

 

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Tinubu Issues Stern Warning Against Protest With Destructive Tendencies

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RE NATIONWIDE HARDSHIP PROTEST: A TIMELY WARNING. 

Tinubu Issues Stern Warning Against Protest With Destructive Tendencies

 

 

President Bola Tinubu on Thursday in Abuja emphasized the importance of sustaining democracy, its norms and institutions, noting that protests are an integral part of democracy but that no government will condone demonstrations that lead to the destruction of lives and property.



The President spoke at the Presidential Villa when he received a Letter of Credence from the newly appointed United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Richard Mills Jr.

”Our relationship with America is rich. We believe in democracy and freedom. Some of your predecessors worked hard during our transition to democracy, and we remember the likes of Ambassador Howard Jeter.

We look forward to Nigeria and the United States continuously working to expand cooperation on shared goals and democratic values.

”During the military era, we made our voices heard against dictatorship, and I was part of the group that engaged in peaceful protests without resorting to the destruction of property.

”We have worked hard to ensure 25 years of unbroken democracy and I will continue to maintain this democracy.

”In as much as we believe that demonstrations are part of democracy, we will never encourage any protests that lead to the destruction of lives and property,” the President stated.

Welcoming the U.S. State Department’s acknowledgement of Nigeria’s strategic role on the continent as Africa’s largest democracy, President Tinubu called on the U.S. government to pay more attention to Africa.

Nigeria is ready to play its role as the largest democracy in Africa that is worthy of emulation to other African countries, but we need more U.S. partnership on the continent that is beneficial to both sides.

”We believe in freedom, and we are providing the leadership to make Nigeria’s economy grow,”
 the President said.

Ambassador Mills affirmed U.S. support for Nigeria’s democracy and pledged support for bigger roles for Nigeria in the international arena.

”Nigeria is crucial to the United States because we share democratic values, and we are ready to give you all the support.

”I am here to make sure that the relationship blossoms both on democracy and the economic side,” Ambassador Mills said.

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