Posted on Sunday, March 31st, 2013

Indignation, both at home and abroad, over the last Presidential pardon of some Nigerians, continues, amid other serious national issues, writes Asst. Politics Editor, EMMA MADUABUCHI

Across the country, individual and group reactions have continued to trail the recent Presidential pardon granted some former public office-holders by President Goodluck Jonathan and his Council of State, about three weeks after.

Among those pardoned were former governor of Bayelsa State, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, and former Managing Director (MD) of Bank of the North (now Unity Bank Plc), Shettima Bulama. Others were former Chief of General Staff (CGS), Oladipo Diya; former Chief of Supreme Military Council (SMC), Shehu Musa Yar’Adua (post-humous); Major Bello Magaji (rtd); Mohammed Lima Biu; Major General Abdulkareem Adisa (post-humous); and Major Segun Fadipe (rtd.). Continue reading “Furore over ‘faulty’ pardon: In whose interest?”

• Friday, 29 March 2013 01:10

Majekodunmi, others mourn

Prominent Nigerians yesterday expressed shock on the death of the publisher/ Vice Chairman of African Newspapers of Nigeria (ANN) Plc, publishers of the Nigerian Tribune titles, Chief Oluwole Awolowo, who died on Wednesday at Wellington Hospital, St Johnswood, London, following complications arising from an auto crash in 2006.

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State, Chief (Dr.) Femi Majekodunmi, described the death of Chief Awolowo, as a monumental loss to the Yoruba race. In a condolence message to the Awolowo family which he made available to journalists in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, he said the death, coming at this time when the matriarch of the Awolowo family, Mama H. I. D. Awolowo, is still alive, was a shock too much for the lovers of the Awolowo family. Continue reading “OLUWOLE AWOLOWO 1942 – 2013:”

Chief Dipreye Alamieyeisegha

The Federal Government on Friday told our News Correspondent SUNDAY PUNCH that it would  not extradite a former governor of Bayelsa State, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, to the United Kingdom to face money laundering charges.

While reacting to a statement by the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Andrew Pocock, the FG accused the envoy of challenging the sovereignty of the country.

The President Goodluck Jonathan-led administration stated that it was not willing to extradite Alamieyeseigha because the British government did not go through ‘appropriate channels.’

An highly-placed government official who pleaded anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the matter said, “The UK cannot dictate to us. The government is not willing to extradite the former governor because of what they (UK) are saying on the pages of newspapers.”

Also, SUNDAY PUNCH learnt that the UK request to extradite Alamieyeseigha predated President Goodluck Jonathan administration. Continue reading “Nigeria: We won’t extradite Alamieyeseigha to UK”

Posted by: Jide Oluwajuyitan on March 21, 2013 in Jide Oluwajuyitan

Memories are very short and no condition is permanent. How sad jobless critics of the recent presidential amnesty to convicted former governor of Bayelsa, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, can hardly remember the man once once bestrode Nigeria like a colossus. As ‘Governor General’ of the Ijaws, he was even touted as a possible replacement for Chief Obasanjo as president of a nation where thieves, the indolent, oil/financial fraudsters, armed and pen robbers always steal the limelight. Continue reading “The many enemies of ‘Ijaw Governor-General”

By Israel Ekene Ohia

[B]The Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders (CACOL) has called on southwest Nigeria’s Ogun State governor, Ibikunle Amosun to address the aberration at the State-owned Olabisi Onabanjo University.

In a letter to the governor, the Group said; We would like to call your attention to the draconian and obnoxious policy of the Acting Vice Chancellor of Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ogun State, Professor Saburi Adeyemi, and the attendant resistance from the students of the institution. It is to the public knowledge that on compassionate grounds the university allows flexible fee payment pattern especially for her indigent students.” Continue reading “Group Calls Ogun Governor’s Attention to Olabisi Onabanjo University “Aberration””

The Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders (CACOL) has warned President Goodluck Jonathan against increasing the price of petrol in the country.

Reacting to President Jonathan’s statement that petrol price would go up, the Executive Chairman of the Coalition, Debo Adeniran, warned that the federal government should be wary of heating up the polity with any careless move, because the nation is sitting on the keg of a gunpowder. Continue reading “CACOL Warns President Jonathan Against Fuel Price Hike”