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Consistent Social Media War Against Governor Ugwuanyi And The Man Behind The Mask

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By Barth Odinanwa
For those who are surprised or worried about where the consistent and aggressive social media attacks and tantrums at Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi are coming from since the conclusion of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primaries in Enugu State, it is being  orchestrated and funded by his kinsman, ally and  former Minister, Chief John Nnia Nwodo (jnr)  from Igbo-Etiti LGA.
    The outspoken and pugnacious former Minister, who has been enjoying public office and easy fund since 1979 till recently has supporters in a serving senator, Senator Chuka Utazi, a notorious and serial governorship contestant, Bar. Okey  Ezea, a sit-tight serving House of Representatives member, Pat Asadu,  who lost out in the recent PDP primaries, one time local  government chairman and longest serving Commissioner in the state,  Arch. Chris Offor and others. They  are all from Nsukka and Ugwuanyi’s benefactors before now.
    These personalities have been greatest beneficiaries of Governor Ugwuanyi’s government and personal magnanimity over the years at the detriment of the rest of Nsukka people. Governor Ugwuanyi has always been supportive and respectful of them especially the former Minister, whom he made President General of the Igbo apex social cultural organisation.
    For the love and respect Governor Ugwuanyi has for the former Minister’s family, he made the former  Minister’s elder brother, Dr. Okwesilieze  Nwodo’s son, Chairman of their local government against all odds.
    It would be recalled that at the early stage of Governor Ugwuanyi’s administration, the former Minister brought the contractor that did a shoddy job on Total Roundabout road to Odenigbo junction in Nsukka, that nearly caused rift between Nsukka people and Gov. Ugwuanyi before the latter addressed it.
    The former Minister who is double-faced and  known for his double standing on issues of personal interest, often praises Governor Ugwuanyi in his face and castigates him in his absence and private.
   He has been hypocritical, preemptive,  dismissive, envious and critical of Governor Ugwuanyi’s political exploits, capacity and achievements in office.
   The former Minister, who has been in political and public offices for years before now has nothing to show for it in terms of infrastructural projects or human empowerment in his local government, Enugu North Senatorial zone and Enugu State in general, apart from lining his personal pockets and that of his family members.
     Despite saying repeatedly and pretentiously that he is no longer partisan, the former Minister is deeply partisan and interested in the politics of who succeeds Governor Ugwuanyi.
   It is known that ahead of the PDP governorship primaries in Enugu, the former Minister and his allies from Nsukka continously pressured Gov. Ugwuanyi to support his brother- in-law and Commissioner in Ugwuanyi’s government from Isi Uzo LGA to emerge the PDP governorship candidate.
    Even before the PDP primaries, the former Minister and his few political allies from Nsukka that have lived and survived on government patronage all their lives have already shared juicy government positions among themselves and family members with every confident that the former Minister’s brother-in- law, ex-commissioner and Ugwuanyi’s alleged cousin will emerge the PDP governorship candidate.
   Unfortunately for the former Minister, who is not occupying any public office now to continue to enjoy free monies that usually come with it, his brother- in- law from Isi Uzo LGA lost the PDP governorship primaries to Mr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah.
  That is why the former Minister and his allies embarked on aggressive social media campaign of calumny against Governor Ugwuanyi since then.They have been meeting and conspiring continously against Governor Ugwuanyi with the sole of aim of sustaining the aggressive social media attacks and campaign of calumny against him in the days ahead, hiding under Nsukka collective interest that they never represented or promoted genuinely and altruistically.
   They are behind all the fabricated and libelous social media open letters and articles against Governor Ugwuanyi. They  have been deceitfully reaching out and recruiting some gullible persons in Nsukka, including clerics to be speaking evil and launching social media attacks on Governor  Ugwuanyi for their personal interests.
    This is not minding the fact that the former Minister, who lacks integrity has taken his brother- in- law who lost out in the PDP governorship primaries to Labour Party, after the latter had earlier accepted the outcome of the PDP primaries and pledged support for Mbah.
   The former Minister’s political fight against Gov. Ugwuanyi is not different from the fight he led against Governor Ugwuanyi’s successors for selfish  interest and lost woefully.
    If the former Minister can easily lose fight against Ugwuanyi’s predecessors that did not know him well, what made him and his co- travellers think they can defeat Governor Ugwuanyi who knows them very well and is better placed, accepted and positioned politically than them in the state, especially in Nsukka.
   For now, the former Minister and his cohorts can continue to enjoy,  hallucinate and fantasize,   in the thick of time, they will realize that politics goes beyond social media rantings and grammatical gyrations.
Odinanwa, writes from Amagunze, Nkanu East LGA

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Full List: Newly Sworn In Lagos State Executive Council And Their Portfolio……

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Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwoolu swears-in the Lagos State Executive Council, today at the Adeyemi Bero Auditorium, Alausa Ikeja.

Here are the executive council and their portfolio…….

Mr. Afolabi Ayantayo – Commissioner for Establishment Training and Pensions

Mr. Jamiu Alli-Balogun – Commissioner for Basic Education

Mr. Gbenga Oyerinde – Commissioner, Special Duties

Mr. Lawal Pedro (SAN) – Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice

Mr. Mobolaji Ogunlende – Commissioner for Youth and Social Development

Hon. Ibrahim Layode – Commisioner for Home Affairs and culture

Mrs. Toke Benson-Awoyinka – Commisioner for Tourism

Olakunle Rotimi-Akodu – Special Adviser, Environment

Mr. Abdulkabir Ogungbo – Special Adviser, Taxation and Revenue

Engr. Abiola Olowu – Special Adviser, Commerce and Investment

Dr. Adekunle Olayinka – Special Adviser, Works (to report to the Deputy Governor)

Mrs. Bolaji Cecilia Dada – Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation

Mr. Idris Aregbe – Special Adviser, Tourism Arts and Culture

Mr. Yakubu Adebayo Alebiosu – Commissioner Waterfront Infrastructure

Mr. Tokunbo Wahab – Commisioner for Environment

Hon. Bola Olumegbon – Special Adviser, Central Business District (CBD)

Dr. Oreoluwa Finnih-Awokoya – Special Adviser Health

Mr. Kayode Bolaji-Roberts – Local Government Affairs

Mr. Moruf Akinderu Fatai – Commissioner for Housing

Mr. Seun Osiyemi – Commissioner for Transportation

Ms. Barakat Bakare – Special Adviser, Housing

Prof. Akin Abayomi – Commissioner for Health

Mr. Gbenga Omotoso – Commissioner for Information and Strategy

Dr. Rotimi Fashola – Special Adviser Agriculture

Mr. Mosopefolu George – Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget

Mr. Tunbosun Alake – Commissioner for Science and Technology

Ms. Ruth Abisola Olusanya – Commissioner for Agriculture

Mrs. Kaosarat Folashade Ambrose – Commisioner for Industries, Trade and Investment

Dr. Olumide Oluyinka – Commissioner for Physical Planning

Mr. Yomi Oluyomi – Commissioner for Finance

Dr. Jide Babatunde – Special Adviser E-GIS

Dr Afolabi Abiodun Tajudeen – Special Adviser, Political, Legislative and Civic Engagement

Hon. Sola Shakirudeen Giwa – Special Adviser Transportation

Dr Mrs Iyabo Oyeyemi Ayoola – Special Adviser, Central Internal Audit

Mr Ajigbotafe Akinyemi – Commissioner, Weath creation

Mr Nurudeen Lanre Yekini-Agbaje – Special Adviser, Rural Development and Chieftaincy Affairs

Mr Tolani Sule Akibu – Commissioner for Tertiary Education

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EFCC arraigns Lee Fakino Nigeria Limited Director, Emmanuel Ajibola Obakin over N251.6m fraud in Ibadan

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The Ibadan Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arraigned Emmanuel Ajibola Obakin for allegedly stealing N251,685,000 belonging to a firm, Lee Fakino Nigeria Limited.

The EFCC made these declarations via a statement issued on Tuesday.

Wilson Uwujaren, Head, Media and Publicity of EFCC, in the statement, noted that the commission on Tuesday arraigned the suspect before Justice Ladiran Akintola of Oyo State High Court.

He added that the commission dragged the suspect to the court on a four-count charge bordering on alleged stealing.

It maintained that the suspect, one of the two directors of the company and a signatory to the company’s account, committed the alleged offence in December last year.

The commission, while speaking further, revealed that the suspect allegedly withdrew the money without authorization and consent of the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Akindele Fajemiyo.

The prosecution counsel, Oyelakin Oyediran, asked the court for a trial date.

It also prayed the court to remand the defendant in the correctional facility pending the determination of the case.

But, counsel to the defendant, Ibrahim Lawal, in his remarks, urged the court to admit his client to bail.

Akintola, after listening to the two parties, admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N50 million and two sureties, preferably the wife and younger brother to the defendant, in like sum.

The judge then ordered that the defendant provide the court with his National Identification Slip and residential addresses.

He, however, adjourned the matter till 23rd October, 2023 for further hearing.

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Former Managing Director Of NDDC, George Turnah, Two Others Jailed Six Years Over N2.9bn Fraud

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A Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has convicted and sentenced George Turnah, a former Special Adviser to Dan Abia and former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, and two others to six years in jail for acquiring money by deception.

Ebis Orubebe and Uzorgor Chidebere, who were sentenced alongside Turnah by Presiding Judge Justice A. T. Mohammed, were also found guilty of money laundering, conversion of funds, and forgery, all in violation of Section 1 (1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006, and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.

The defendants were first arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in May 2017 and re-arraigned on January 25, 2021, on 23 counts of acquiring by false pretense, money laundering, and abuse of office totaling N2,894,500,000.

This was contained in a statement issued on Monday by the EECC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, and made available to newsmen.

The statement said, “They were jailed on Thursday, September 7, 2023, having been found guilty of charges preferred against them by the Port Harcourt Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

“Count six of the charge reads: ‘that you, George Turnah Alabh, Uzogor Silas Chidiebere, El-Godams Global Services Ltd., Turnoil and Gas Nigeria Ltd, Kolo Creek Petroleum Dev. Ltd, Celtic Pride Consult and Events Ltd, Yenagoa Mall Ltd, the Incorporated Trustees of Concerned Niger Delta Initiative, Adaka Boro Marine Services Ltd, Sugarland Integrated Farms Nig. Ltd, Geohan Telecommunication Nig. Ltd and others at large, on or about the 24th day of November 2014, at Port Harcourt, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court did take possession of the sum of Seven Hundred and Eight Million Five Hundred Thousand Naira (N708,500,000.00) which you reasonably ought to know that the money was obtained by a false pretence from the Niger Delta Development Commission purportedly for the purpose of providing quick win jobs for 300 youths and women groups and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15(2)(d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under 15 (3) of the same Act.’”

It added, “Count 23 of the charge reads: ‘that you George Turnah Alabh in 2014 within the jurisdiction of this honourable court did receive the sum of $1000,000.00 (One Million United State Dollars) (at the exchange rate of N184 to a Dollar) cash from one Umar Lawal of Hakuri Global Concept exceeding the statutory limit without going through a financial institution and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011 (as amended) and punishable under Section 16 (2) (b) of the same Act.’”

According to the statement, they pleaded “not guilty” to the charges.

It added that the prosecuting counsel, I. Agwu, called several witnesses and tendered documents to prove the case against the defendants.

Justice Mohammed convicted and sentenced them to two years imprisonment each, starting from the date of their arrest.

The 1st defendant was ordered to pay N1,000,000 as an option of fine while the 2nd and 3rd defendants were to pay N500,000 into the Consolidated Revenue Account of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Additionally, the 4th, 6th and 10th defendants were to return the sum of N180,000,000. Other restitutions include, N5,000,000 traced to the 1st convict, N100,000,000 traced to the 6th and 10th convicts, and N50,000,000 traced to Optimal Standard. They are to be forfeited to the NDDC.

Others are N46,760,843.61, N494,371.86, N13,000,000, and N23,500,000 to be forfeited to the NDDC by the 9th, 4th, 2nd and 3rd defendants respectively.

Turnah was the political godson of former President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan.

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