Vote for credible leaders –Sultan

Alh. Muhammad Sa'ad Abubakar

Sultan of Sokoto Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar has urged Nigerians to ensure they come out en mass to vote credible leaders. He spoke yesterday at the close of the Ramadan lecture at Sultan Muhammad Bello mosque in Sokoto. The sultan urged parents not to allow their children to be used by politicians as thugs and tasked Muslims to remain united and assist one another for the development of Islam. He added that this would enable the Muslim community face the challenges of modern times effectively.

He urged them to make the best use of what they learnt during the fasting period, shun rumour mongering and work collectively for the overall good of the society. Sultan Sa’ad also stressed the need to maintain peaceful coexistence between Muslims and non-Muslims in the country.

Kwara faults EFCC’s claims over N12 bn fraud

Governor Bukola Saraki

The Kwara State government yesterday faulted reports  that N12 billion was mismanaged by Oke-Ero and Irepodun Local Government Areas of the state. The state Commissioner for Finance Barr. Abdul-Razak Atunwa who said this while addressing newsmen on the development confirmed the arrest of the chairmen of the two affected local government areas.

Atunwa who said the alleged mismanagement of N12bn was baseless, unfounded and cannot be true, added that the two men were assisting the EFCC to correct the erroneous impression about the local government areas and the state.

“It would be illogical to say that the administrations of the affected local government mismanaged the said amount because the fund accruing to the administrations since inception was not up to the amount,” he said.

Atunwa explained that the amount Oke-Ero Local Government under the present administration received from the Federation Account annually amounted to about N1.2 billion in the last three years while Irepodun Local Government received about N1.7 billion in the last three years. He said since the total amount of the money of the two local governments was about N2.9billion, the allegation of mismanagement of N12billion could be regarded ‘as holding no water.’

“When you add up the total money received, it will give you N2.9 billion. So where did the allegation of mismanagement of N12 billion come from?” he asked.

The commissioner recalled that the EFCC under the administration of its former chairman, Nuru Ribanu, gave the state a clean bill of health when it investigated financial activities under the Governor Bukola Saraki administration.

He said the Saraki’s administration was confident of achieving same at any other time  because it adopts transparency and accountability in the management of state funds.

He said the state government also ensures that the local governments are transparent and not reckless in the handling of public funds.

Jonathan: I will run for President

President Goodluck Jonathan

2011 elections dates :

Party primaries: September 11 to October 30, 2010

National Assembly election: January 15, 2011

Presidential election: January 22, 2011

Governorship/State Assembly elections: Jan 29, 2011

President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday told PDP state governors he will run for president in next year’s elections and will make a public announcement for that on September 18, ending months of speculation as to whether he will seek the ruling party’s nomination.

The president made the announcement at a two-hour meeting behind closed doors with governors of the People’s Democratic Party, held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, shortly after the release of the 2011 elections timetable by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Jonathan met the governors soon after an earlier meeting with PDP national chairman Okwesilieze Nwodo, as part his consultations ahead of the polls.

No official statement was issued at the end of both meetings, but sources in attendance at the meeting with governors said the president told them that since INEC had issued the election timetable, there was no time to waste and so he was joining the presidential race.

Many governors were not at the meeting, and Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido boycotted it specifically to protest what he called EFCC’s harassment against him over “flimsy” petition, according to a top political source.

The governors were also said to have raised concern over the clampdown on them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over their perceived support for power rotation.

The president has been dawdling in announcing his decision, saying he was in consultation with stakeholders.

His statement yesterday is likely to elicit strong resistance from particularly northern governors, who had said power should move to the North in 2011 in accordance with the PDP’s zoning arrangement.

Earlier yesterday, INEC issued the timetable, showing that the elections will kick off with the National Assembly polls on January 15, followed by the presidential election a week later and governorship and state assembly elections on January 29, 2011.

Based on the timetable, announced by INEC commissioner in charge of information Solomon Soyebi, the political party primaries for the nomination of election candidates will be held from September 11 to October 30, while voters’ registration has been set for November 1 to 14.

After the elections, possible run offs for governorship and presidential elections will be held within seven days after the announcement of the result of the respective elections, Soyebi said, linking the timelines to provisions of the amended constitution and the Electoral Act 2010.

The timetable shows that campaign in public by political parties will commence on October 17 and will end on January 14, 21 and 28 for the three sets of elections respectively.

Registration of voters at the 120,000 polling units across the country will begin on 1st and end on 14th November, during which 70 million prospective voters are expected to be registered.

The voters register will be displayed for claims and objections between 20 and 25 November, while the final voter register is to be published on December 16.

INEC will issue notice of election on October 13 while political parties will collect forms CF001 and CF002 which contains personal particulars of candidates and party’s list of candidates for all elections from October 19 to 22.

Submission of form CF001 which contains affidavit and personal particulars of candidates and form CF002 which has the party’s list of candidates will be from November 15 for National Assembly, 22 for presidential and 29 for governorship/state Houses of Assembly elections, and same will be published on 22 November, 29 November and 6 December respectively.

Parties are expected to submit nomination forms to INEC between 4, 7 and 11 December, for National Assembly, presidential and governorship/state Houses of Assembly elections.

The last day for the withdrawal or substitution of candidates by political parties will be November 30 for the National Assembly, December 7 for presidential and December 14 for governorship/state Houses of Assembly elections.

List of all candidates will be published on 16, 23 and 30 December. Lists of all political party agents are to be submitted to the state resident electoral commissioners on January 8, 21 and 28 for each of the three elections.

Reading out the timetable at a news conference in Abuja, Soyebi said the commission acted “in exercise of the powers coffered on (it) by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended, the Electoral Act, 2010 and of all other powers enabling it in that behalf.”

The elections were staggered in accordance with section 25 of the Electoral Act which states that the elections should be held in the following order “a. Senate and House of Representatives; b. Presidential election; and c. State House of Assembly and Governorship election.”

‘Boko Haram’ gunmen attack Bauchi prison

Gunmen suspected to be members of the radical Boko Haram sect launched a massive attack last night against the Bauchi prison, in what appeared to be a failed effort to break free their comrades being held there, witnesses and officials said. There was no official confirmation of the number of casualties last night, but residents said some people might have been killed in a shootout with security men.

Residents of the area said they heard gunfire at about 6.45 pm, shortly after the Muslim faithful broke their Ramadan fast, leading to a pandemonium around the Emir’s Palace, Bakaro, Karofin Madaki, Kobi and Railways areas.

Witness Babangida Ilelah, who said prayers in the adjoining Bauchi central mosque, said the gunfire started echoing from the prison gate soon after the sunset prayers.

He said prominent people, including traditional rulers and members of the Bauchi emirate council as well as top government officials, were trapped inside the mosque for some time.

Some prison warders who spoke to Daily Trust on condition of anonymity said they run for their lives when the gunmen began firing at the prison, but added that the attackers did not enter the prison yard.

State police commissioner Danlami Yar’adua confirmed the shootings but said the situation was contained.

“Yes, there was an attempt by suspected persons to break into the Bauchi prisons and they were said to be armed. We have mobilised our riot policemen to the prison to ensure that the situation did not get out of hands,” he told Daily Trust by telephone last night.

“For now I cannot tell you whether there are casualties or not, but as soon as we have the details, you will be duly informed. But let me assure you that the situation is under control as our men are battle-ready to check the crisis.”

Spokesman for Governor Isa Yuguda, Sanusi Mohammad, and a political aide to the governor Abdulmumini Kundak said government advised residents to remain calm as the situation was contained.

As at the time of this report last night, residents of Bauchi deserted the streets while armed security men have taken over the patrol of the town.

Red Cross official Adamu Abubakar told the Associated Press news agency that heavy gunfire could be heard throughout the city as the attack lasted.

Boko Haram sect members rioted and attacked police stations and private homes in July 2009, triggering a violent police crackdown. Many of those arrested in the wake of the attacks last year are being held in the Bauchi prison pending trial.

In recent months, rumors about the group rearming have spread throughout the North. Also, police and residents believe motorcycle-riding members of the sect killed policemen in Maiduguri, centre of last year’s violence.

EFCC targets five pro-zoning govs

Crack agents of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission are expected to swoop down in Ilorin, Birnin Kebbi, Sokoto, Gombe and Dutse today to arrest top Finance and Local Government Ministry officials in a crackdown secretly ordered by the Presidency, top political sources told Daily Trust in Abuja yesterday.

Expected to be arrested in the swoops are Commissioners and Permanent Secretaries in the respective states’ Ministries of Finance and Local Governments as well as several chairmen of Local Government Councils and officials of Governor’s Offices for alleged mismanagement of State/Local Government Joint Accounts. The EFCC teams left Abuja yesterday in unmarked cars and are expected to carry out their assignments this morning.

Curiously, the political sources said, the governors of all five targeted states, namely Dr. Bukola Saraki of Kwara, Muhammad Danjuma Goje of Gombe, Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko of Sokoto, Sule Lamido of Jigawa and Saidu Usman Dakingari of Kebbi were among the ten governors that voted at the Northern Governors’ Forum meeting in July to uphold the PDP’s zoning formula and exclude President Goodluck Jonathan from seeking the PDP’s ticket to contest the 2011 elections.

Of these five, Saraki, who is chairman of the National Governors’ Forum, is expected to get the governors’ endorsement to contest against Jonathan in the PDP primaries scheduled for October. Goje is also mentioned among the governors as a prime contender for the ticket.

Only yesterday, EFCC agents swooped down on the Rivers State capital, Port Harcourt, and began to round up state officials for allegedly pilfering funds from the state’s oil-rich treasury.

Two days earlier, Rivers State governor Rotimi Amaechi, who is apparently opposed to Jonathan’s 2011 presidential bid, was publicly dressed down by First Lady Patience Jonathan, who accused him of planning to demolish homes in her native Okrika Local Government Area in order to expand a public school. She shouted down the governor at a public meeting and accused him of insensitivity. The First Lady’s public upbraiding of Amaechi was widely seen in Rivers political circles as a fall-out of 2011 politics.

A source told Daily Trust in Abuja that today’s expected crackdown on five of the pro-zoning Northern governors is expected to clear the decks only days before the ruling PDP issues its guidelines for the presidential primaries in October.

The source said five Northern governors who have been spared from the crackdown are expected to quickly capitulate and support Jonathan’s ambition, or else the EFCC will crack down on them too. They are Niger State governor Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, Adamawa’s Admiral Murtala Nyako, Katsina State’s Barrister Ibrahim Shema, Zamfara’s Mamuda Aliyu Shinkafi and Kano’s governor Ibrahim Shekarau.

Another senior party official told Daily Trust that the Jonathan camp’s latest strategy was dictated by former president Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, who regularly used such tactics to cow his political opponents in the years 2005-07.

When Daily Trust contacted EFCC’s spokesman Femi Babafemi for comments last night, he said the allegations that the commission would swoop on pro-zoning governors were mere political propaganda. But he confirmed that the commission’s operatives had arrived in Port Harcourt to carry out investigations.

“It is propaganda and political mischief. Those behind the story are on to some mischief. I am not aware of anything like that. Our operatives are not in Gombe or Sokoto, or any place like that. They are trying to drag the commission into political issues. There is no truth in it,” he told Daily Trust by telephone.

“We were in Rivers two days ago to arrest three local government chairmen in connection with some fraud. The cases had been investigated since 2008. The local government chairmen have fled, but our operatives have arrested some officials of the three local governments.”

The arrested Rivers officials are Jessy Ogulor, Treasurer of Port Harcourt Local Government Area; Da Wariboko Iketrokosun, head of personnel Ekwere LGA; and Hycinth Nwosirim, the cashier of Obio Akpor LGA.

Governor Amaechi also yesterday confirmed the presence of the EFCC operatives in the state. Speaking at the opening of an information summit organised by the state government, the governor urged EFCC to obey a Federal High Court judgement barring it from arresting Rivers government officials.

President Jonathan’s special adviser on Media and Publicity Ima Niboro could not be reached for comments last night.

Shekarau, Sheriff fight for ANPP’s soul

The subterranean battle for the soul of the ANPP between Governor Ibrahim Shekarau and his Borno State counterpart Ali Sheriff intensified yesterday with the suspension by the Ume-Ezeoke faction of six officials of the rival group which is believed to be instigated by the Kano state governor.

Sheriff’s support for the Edwin Ume-Ezeoke group became apparent when he attended its executive committee meeting in Abuja yesterday, where the decision was taken to suspend the six-man transition committee appointed by the faction sympathetic to Shekarau.

For his part, the Kano governor, who was away in Saudi Arabia, did not send a representative to the Ume-Ezeoke meeting.

Yesterday’s NEC meeting, which was called by the Ume-Ezeoke led national working committee, was also attended by Alhaji Bashir Tofa, who announced his presidential aspiration yesterday, deputy governor of Yobe State Abubakar Aliyu, Chief George Moghalu, Dr. Yusuf Musa, Senator Kabiru Gaya, Rep Mohammed Ndume and Alhaji Abdurrahman Adamu.

Speaking at the meeting, Ume-Ezeoke said, “Some people are trying to cause crisis in the party. They are being sponsored by some influential people in the party and by some politicians in other political parties. But the God of ANPP did not allow them to succeed.” He did not name the alleged sponsors of the crisis.

National secretary Saidu Kumo, proposed four motions, which he said were the outcome of the caucus and NWC meetings of the party. Based on those, the party resolved to use direct voting in electing candidates for the governorship, House of Representatives and Senate, while the indirect pattern would be adopted for the selection of its presidential candidate

Kumo announced the suspension of members of the transition committee set up by the parallel NEC for “anti party activities.” The suspended persons include Senator Mohammed Mohammed, Prince Martins Bisong, Dr. Vitalis Orikeze Ajumbe, Hon. Kawu Sumaila, Chief Abiodun Adetunji-Oyebolu and Alhaji Farouk Yahaya.

But spokesman of the anti-Ezeoke group, Dr. Vitalis Orikeze Ajumbe, said all the actions taken yesterday were void because the party’s leadership had been sacked.

Ajumbe told a news conference in Abuja that their purported suspension and other activities that took place yesterday were illegal and “a trick by the sacked Ezeoke led NWC to stylishly adopt what we have already worked out for the successful convention of the party. The purported four motions adopted is our arrangements and everybody knows that.”

Both Sheriff and Shekarau could not immediately be reached for comments yesterday. Sheriff’s Special Assistant on Media and Information, Alhaji Shehu Mustapha Liberty, did not answer his calls and did not reply to a text message sent to him, while spokesman for Shekarau is also away in Saudi Arabia.

The Ume-Ezeoke leadership was elected on September 2, 2006 and the faction who purportedly sacked it last week said its four-year tenure had expired.

Yesterday’s NEC meeting ratified a 20-man convention committee, retaining Governor Ibrahim Gaidam of Yobe as the chairman, but replaced Livinus Nwanbe with Chris Amah as the secretary.

Ume-Ezeoke said the TMC was set up to fill the vacuum of the NWC, whose term he said expires on Monday, and also to midwife the September 17 and 18 national convention of the party holding in Abuja.

Members of the faction who met last week had also fixed 17 and 18 September for their own national convention and said they were working in collaboration with the Governor Gaidam-led convention committee. Governor Gaidam is in Saudi Arabia for the Umrah.

In place of the Senator Mohammed-led factional transition committee, a new nine-man transition management committee headed by former Minister of State for Defence, Abdulrahman Adamu, and Rasaq Folorunsho as the secretary was set up. The members are Lawal Shettima, Dr. Dobi Ahmed, Asukewe Ikoawaji, Senator Sani Yerima, Ify Okafor, Evangelist Cassidi Agbai and Fatima Mohammed.

Members of the convention committee include Senator Kabiru Gaya, Rep. Mohammed Ndume, Ubale Kiru, Naamu Abdulkadir, Uba Hassan, Taiwo Elijah and Momoh Salihu.

No plan to release Al-Mustapha, Lagos govt says

Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Olasupo Sasore, has denied reported deals with the Presidency for the release of Hamza Al-Mustapha, the former Chief Security Officer to late General Sani Abacha and others who have been in detention over an alleged murder attempt on publisher of The Guardian Newspaper, Chief Alex Ibru.

“There is no deal in whatever form with anyone on this issue. Nobody has pleaded on behalf of Al-Mustapha and his colleagues”, he said.

Sasore spoke in a chat with our correspondent at the governor’s office in Alausa, Ikeja after the state security meeting Wednesday. He said as far as he knew, there was no deal of any kind between President Goodluck Jonathan and Governor Babatunde Fashola on Al-Mustapha’s case.

“There is nothing special about the case. It is a normal prosecution”, he said, adding that due process of law had to be followed.

The Attorney-General stressed that President Goodluck Jonathan had nothing much to contribute to the case, noting that the president was not the prosecutor. “I am not sure that the president or anybody has made any plea on behalf of Al-Mustapha and his colleagues. Nobody is pleading on their behalf and we are not into any deal with anyone,” he said.

Al- Mustapha is standing trial with former Zamfara State Military Administrator, Jibril Bala Yakubu, former Commissioner of Police in Lagos, James Danbaba and others.

In another development, the state government yesterday swore-in seven new state High Court judges to make a total of 56 judges in the state.

Governor Babatunde Fashola described the swearing-in as another milestone in the state’s journey to enhance the quality of life of the people  through credible and efficient  administration of justice. He said Lagos judges were always tasked by members of the bar because the most sophisticated legal practice in the country takes place in Lagos.

Fashola stressed the need  to bring more judges on board the state’s judiciary system saying, “if we are not to slide back to the days of court congestion, the capacity of judges per litigant must be increased even as the state continues to pursue automation  and technology to improve efficiency”.

Cholera kills 80 in Adamawa

Eighty persons have so far been confirmed dead as a result of cholera outbreak in nine local government areas of Adamawa State with over 1,000 cases recorded.

The state government has procured the Oral Rehydration Salt (ORS) worth N1.6 million as part of measures to curtail the spread of the disease, officials say.

The state director of disease control, Dr. L.C. Barka, who confirmed the death toll to our correspondent yesterday, said rapid response teams from the Ministry of Health, in collaboration with other donor agencies were deployed to the affected areas and they are on the top of the situation.

‘’There is an impressive improvement in the control of the epidemic,’’ Dr Barka said.

Worst hit is Madagali Local Government Area, where all the wards have been enveloped by the epidemic. Other local councils affected are Yola South, Demsa, Numan , Guyuk, Ganye, Michika and Lamurde.

While attributing the outbreak to poor hygiene and misapplication of drugs, Dr Barka expressed concern that ignorance by some local health officials compounded the situation. The director stressed the need for people to be health conscious and report any strange disease in their locality for prompt attention.

INEC set to announce election timetable

Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it is on course to hold the presidential election in January.  An exact date is expected to be announced this week by the INEC chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega.

Analysts say the commission has a huge task ahead, based on the number of unresolved issues, like voter registration.  It also has to arrange for voting machines and hire election staff countrywide.

“INEC has promised the whole world and Nigerians in particular that it would do its best to deliver a credible election come January and to that promise, it is absolutely committed,” says INEC spokesman Kayode Idowu.

“On the issue of timing, INEC will work within the [requirements] of the law, which dictates that it should conduct this election in January.  That is not to say if there is opportunity for a better time frame, INEC would not do a better job.”

All stakeholders in the election process are cooperating with the commission in the effort, says Kayode.

“The commission has been interacting very closely with the political parties to also bring them up to speed with the requirement of conducting a credible election in January.  Don’t forget that the task of organizing election is not only that of INEC.  All the other stakeholders, including the political parties especially, have to play their parts.”

Some opposition parties point out that INEC’s top officials are appointed by the government and say they will favor the ruling party. Kayode disagrees.

“This commission has demonstrated even in the short time that it has been in office that it is independent.  The chairman did say at his inauguration that he would have no relationship with any of the politicians beyond what the law provides for.”

Time for Igbo person to be president is close, says Atiku

If the zoning arrangement espoused by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is sustained, an Igbo person will be made president of Nigeria in 2015, former vice president Atiku Abubakar said this at the weekend in Imo State.

An agreement between the political blocks of the north and south-east says Igbo person will be supported to become president in 2015 in a design meant to rotate the presidency round the various political zones of the country.

The former vice president who spoke on “The Tale of Two Cities: The Enugu Sports Club and Nigeria” on Friday during an anniversary lecture marking Nigeria @ 50 advised the Igbo to start working toward presenting a president for Nigeria.

Abubakar whose rhetoric  drew intermittent rapturous cheers from the audience maintained, “Some 40 years after the civil war, it is about time that someone who is Igbo, one of Nigeria’s three largest ethnic groups becomes president of Nigeria. This will be the boldest way to put the civil war behind us.

“That is why I fully support the agreement recently signed between the northern leaders and the leaders of the south-east.

“As agreed, the south-east would support the north in 2011 to complete the remaining four years of its eight-year tenure while in turn, the north will support the south-east to produce the next president in 2015.

“This is the first time such an agreement for power rotation has been written and singed and made public.

“Again, I support that agreement. It is in writing. It is widely publicised and I want to be held to it.

“The south-east must not let this historic opportunity slip. Your destiny is in your hands. You must not allow an end to zoning and power rotation when it is only a few years to your turn.

“The agreement for power rotation came because of agitation from our southern brothers against the perceived domination by the north.

“The south under President Obasanjo had eight years. The north was to have its eight years. It is important to remember that the eight-year term was not zoned to any particular northerner, but to the north. In effect, the north is entitled to complete its eight-year term.” 

EFCC to drag Siemens bribe-takers to court

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) may have concluded arrangements of arresting some of the prominent Nigerian politicians fingered in the Siemens bribery scandal, Sunday Trust can reveal.  A source inside the anti-graft agency told Sunday Trust last night that the suspects would also be dragged to court by the agency as soon as possible.

This is coming at a time when the spokesperson of the EFCC, Mr Femi Babafemi confirmed in an interview with Sunday Trust that the EFCC was indeed, bent on stopping some politicians from contesting elective offices because of corrupt allegations. “We are going to work with other anti-graft agencies like the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) and the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB).

He emphasised that “we would work with institutions like the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and, most importantly, the political parties. We would be working with civil society organisations, and the citizens. The citizens are the ultimate decision makers as the voters.”

The EFCC had earlier resolved to commence the prosecution of another set of prominent Nigerians indicted in the Halliburton scam as well as storming some states in the federation believed to be against President Goodluck Jonathan presidential ambition.

Of the over 61 prominent Nigerians indicted in the Siemens included five former Nigerian ministers of communications who allegedly shared the bribe given by multi-national communications company between 2001 and 2004.

They are Professor Jibril Aminu, Chief Cornelius Adebayo, Dr Bello Halliru, incumbent Peoples Democratic Party (PDPs) deputy national chairman; General Tajuddeen Olanrewaju, Alhaji Haruna Elewi and Mr David Osakwe Oyegun.

But the EFCC spokesperson told Sunday Trust that it was not true that the anti-graft’s agency’s resolve to bring the suspects to book was politically-motivated. He said that “EFCC, especially under the current leadership, would not witch hunt anybody. It is not within our view and that is why we are being careful not to do anything outside the law.”

Siemens, a German telecommunication giant admitted in 2007 that it had uncovered more than 1.3bn Euros in suspicious payments. Of this sum, 10million Euros were given as bribe to some Nigerian ministers and government officials between 2001 and 2004.

Also, the Governor of Cross Rivers State, Senator Liyel Imoke’s name was enlisted among other 10 people who allegedly collected their share of the bribe largesse through sponsorship of holiday and medical treatment abroad.

The embattled deputy national chairman of the PDP, Chief Olabode George, who is currently serving a two year jail term along with some five other executives of the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA at the Kiri-Kiri Maximum Prison, Lagos, was allegedly said to have also collected his share of the bribe through expenses paid for holiday overseas.

Others included the chairman and Chief Executive of Globacom, Chief Mike Adenuga and his wife, Titi; former minister of state for power and steel under Imoke, Ahmed Abdulhamid as well as the permanent secretary in the ministry, Engineer  S.M. Mahmood whose overseas holiday trips with their families was allegedly paid for with the bribe proceeds.

On the list also are the one time Managing Director of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), Chief J.O. Makoju and his wife as well as four former Chief Executives of the collapsed Nigeria’s telecommunications giant NITEL namely Messrs Albert Mashi, H.G. Yar’adua, Buba Bajoga and Edwin Momife as well as the former Managing Director of the defunct Daily Times newspapers, Fidelis Anosike.

Gumi: Obasanjo’s Role in My Arrest - Jubilation in Kaduna Over His Release

 

Adverse security reports  which the Olusengun Obasanjo administration was sending  to Saudi  Arabia since 2007 against Dr Ahmad Abubakar Gumi,  is the remote cause of his detention, the cleric who was released  after about seven months of incarceration, has  disclosed to Sunday Trust.

In a telephone interview with our correspondent, Dr Gumi said that the Olusegun Obasamjo administration was sending negative security reports against him, but the Saudi authorities did not take it serious because it did not affect their country.

However, following his alleged link with Farouk Abdul Mutallab, the Saudis decided to investigate him in order to determine the veracity of earlier reports, he added.

According to the cleric, the Saudi Arabian authorities found nothing against him even on the first day of his arrest but his release was delayed because it had to be authorised by a royal decree.

“The decree takes about six months to be issued,” he said. Gumi, who was released yesterday, said that he was never mistreated during his incarceration. Gumi said that it was because he was found innocent that he was never charged to court.

The cleric who said that he has forgiven everyone who was remotely linked to his arrest, advised government officials to desist from indiscriminate filing of security reports based on either religious or ethnic sentiments.  Gumi who pointed out that such frivolous reports demean the country’s prestige, added that “I have forgiven all, and I bear no grudge against anybody. ``

Gumi said that he will finally return to Nigeria after the Hajj, when he has defended his doctoral degree thesis in Saudi Arabia where he is studying, and after coordinating how to relocate his family. He further said that his children are in various stages of their education and as such his return has to be planned carefully.

The Nigerian ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Alhaji Garba Aminci, told Sunday Trust that “Gumi was released unconditionally because he was not fund guilty. If he had been found guilty, he would have been deported to Nigeria after his release, according to Saudi laws.”

A presidency source told Sunday Trust last night that the cleric was released at the behest of the Federal Government.  He claimed Architect Muhammad Namadi Sambo, the vice president had official discussions with the Saudi authorities’ on the matter.

The vice president was said to have travelled to Saudi Arabia to seek for Gumi’s release as a result of “mounting pressure in Nigeria to the effect that the Federal Government has abandoned its citizen in a foreign land.”

An associate of the Gumi family, Ustaz Hussain Zakariya told Sunday Trust that the cleric, who is the father of 17, has been reunited with his family in Mecca. The cleric was released “but won’t return to Nigeria until he completes his PhD defence,” he said.

Zakariya added that Gumi was “brought back to his residence in Mecca where he was earlier picked by security operatives about six months and 18 days ago. He was reunited with his two wives and 17 children.”  

Dr Gumi was detained on February 24 on the alleged links with Abdul Mutallab, the 23-year-old Nigerian who attempted to blow up a US plane last December. Chieftains of the Izala movement which was pioneered by his late father, Sheikh Abubakar Mahmoud Gumi, Jamaatul Nasril Islam (JNI), the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), the federal and Kaduna State government have been piling up pressure on the Saudi government to secure his release.

On May 20, Sheikh Yusuf Sambo Rigachukun, a prominent Izala chieftain, wrote to Saudi Arabia a letter and delivered it to the Saudi embassy in Abuja. In the said letter, the Izala group pointed out that Dr Gumi has been living in Saudi Arabia for over 20 years and he had never ran afoul of the law. In addition, they argued that he had never interfered in the internal politics of his host country and his preaching is in tandem with Saudi Arabia’s. They also called for his release.

A few days later, the Saudi embassy called the Izala big wigs for a parley, where the Rigachikun and his delegation made further clarification on their letter. The Ambassador later told them that Gumi was still being investigated on his relationship with Abdul Mutallab, promising that the issue will be resolved amicably.

Similarly, NSCIA had been battling for Gumi’s release, by making a representation to the federal government. According to Dr AbdulbLateef Adegbite, NSCIA’s Secretary General, the council had asked the federal government to intervene because it was a diplomatic issue. Similarly, Governor Patrick Yakowa of Kaduna state and the Emir of Zazzau went to President Goodluck Jonathan to intervene on Gumi’s detention.

In addition to these groups, well meaning Nigerians and ordinary folks across religious and cultural divides have been calling on the federal government to facilitate the release of the Islamic cleric.