Sunday, 14 June 2020

Ojudu is angry and we know why -By- Concerned Citizens of Ekiti

Ojudu is angry and we know why  _By_ Concerned Citizens of Ekiti
It was Plato who once listed the two things a person should never be angry at, as what they can help and what they cannot help.

Mahatma Ghandi followed Plato's postulation up by also identifying anger and intolerance as the two enemies of correct understanding.

But Senator Babafemi Abdulganiyy Ojudu, a Nigerian senator of the 7th National Assembly and two-term Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, has decided to discountenance the two unsolicited advices. Rather, he has chosen the path of anger, not minding what the words of these two sages meant.

We know why. Ojudu is our clansman, we know he is perpetually angry and he cannot hide his anger. It is deep seated, he is seething with it, so much that he carries it like a cross, making everyone to wonder if it is not his greatest undoing.

Ojudu's anger has eaten deep into his fabric. Deservingly or not, he is always looking for a popular figure to unleash it at. This time, it is unleashed at his bosom friend, colleague, compatriot, comrade, state governor and even his political benefactor, Dr. John Kayode Fayemi, CON. Don't ask us what's amiss. Ojudu has chosen Fayemi as his victim, and so be it.

But why should Ojudu's people treat him like a leper and avoid him like a plague? Why? Well, some of them have argued that he is both his own enemy and the enemy of his people.

They argued that the prejudice of their _omiye_ against brother JKF is misplaced and misconceived, yet it so thick that one can slice through it with a knife. It is baseless and unreasonable, they said. But Ojudu cannot just hold back against his friend, they argued also.

Ojudu is today the self-styled fault-finder-in-chief of Gov Fayemi. He has assigned himself the task, not because of what Fayemi has done or not done, but because it has to do with who Ojudu is. It is innate, it is self-inflicted and it is self-destructing. 

Let no one therefore think it can be doused by any nicety from Fayemi. Just like a scorpion must sting without reason, so also Ojudu must beef Fayemi without reason.

But why is Ojudu angry? Ojudu is angry because his relevance is dwindling both locally and nationally. He is adorned as the President's political adviser, but when last has Ojudu seen the President one-on-one, let alone advise him.? That is enough to cause anger. Just like anyone else, Ojudu reads what goes on inside Aso Rock in the dailies, hears it on the radio and watches it on the TV. If in doubt, ask Senator Ojudu to show you a memo minuted to him by Mr. President to either advise him or act. 

Ojudu is angry that he has not been able to gather anyone politically for Mr. President, especially from the South West. He is suspecting that Fayemi must have usurped his function in this area by building political bridges, which should be his (Ojudu's) duty as the Political Adviser to Mr. President. Thus, what Ojudu cannot achieve through political impact, he intends to get through political blackmail. This calls for anger, doesn't it?

Remember when Ojudu asked his people not to ask him for any favor any longer since he was no more a senator? Ojudu is now angry that none of them has died of hunger even when they no longer beg him for food.

And isn't it enough a reason to be angry that when Ojudu dropped out from the party primary race in 2018, none of his people asked him why or begged him to return? Rather, they all queued behind Fayemi, the person he had traduced.

Ojudu is angry because till date, no one bothers to question how he spent his senatorial largesse. He represented his people for four years at the hallowed chamber, he earned N35m monthly, he got N260m annually for constituency projects, amounting to N1.04bn in four years, yet he could not point at any project he did in his senatorial district, save a phoney library he attempted to build at Ikoro, which at best now harbour's an Iroko tree. Add to this the fact that no one from Ekiti has benefitted from Ojudu's earnings to date, especially now that he has warned them to take their _oju kokoro_ eyes off his wealth. Then you will agree that it calls for serious anger.

What baffled many Ekiti people about Ojudu's mean nature is that, not only that no Ekiti person benefitted from Ojudu while he was a Senator, his own father suffered and died in a ramshackled building with a decrepit old latrine and bathroom attached to the house which had almost collapsed! 

Pictures of these were once displayed on the social media! As if that was not enough, Ojudu did not give his father a befitting burial! Up till today, his kinsmen in Ado Ekiti are still asking him when he will give his father a befitting burial. So if somebody who was a Senator treated his own father in such a shameful manner, how do you expect him to treat other people? Ojudu can only sneak in and out of Ekiti in the dead of the night because people are angry with him and he knows the fate that awaits him if seen on the streets of Ekiti! 

Ojudu is not only angry, he is equally ignorant, and we know why as well.

Imagine, Ojudu, the President's political adviser, is ignorant of what funds go to the different states on month-by-month basis.

In his ignorance, Ojudu likened what gets to his state, Ekiti, to what gets to Borno as monthly allocation. He exposed his poor knowledge of how Nigeria is currently being funded. 

Shouldn't someone just tell Ojudu that Borno and Ekiti are not getting the same funds? Borno is regarded as a disaster zone, and thus gets special intervention called Natural Disaster Fund monthly. This is meant to protect and rebuild the state. Ekiti is not classified as a disaster zone and does not get such fund. So while Borno goes home with about N11bn monthly, Ekiti comes home with paltry N2.7bn. 

Ojudu's analogy is therefore likened to comparing an apple with a _goro_. But could Ojudu have known this fact? Yes, he could, and he would if he had bothered to enquire before rushing to criticize his friend turned foe.

And lest Ojudu should know, Ekiti government under Fayemi told the world that since it didn't have the whole time in this world, he would rather work along  five priority areas viz: Governance, Agriculture and Rural Development, Social Development, Infrastructure and Industrial Development; and Entrenching the Economy. Has Ojudu checked whether the government is lacking in any of these 5 areas of Ojudu is angry that Fayemi isn't?

Today, under JKF, Ekiti is the pace setter in the following areas: gender equality, transparency and accountability, agriculture (Cowbell Ikun Dairy, Dangote, Stallion rice, JMK rice, FMS Cassava Mill, empowerment of farmers, Raamp roads are activities waiting for Ojudu's selective searchlight). In the area of infrastructure, let Ojudu's anger take him to inspect the following roads: Ado Iyin, Agbado Omuo, Ilupeju-Ire-Igbemo, Ikogosi-Aramako, Oye-Ayede, Ikun-Otun. In the area of infrastructure, Ojudu should talk angrily about the ongoing World Bank assisted water project, electricity IPP, Airport Project, Ekiti Fibre optic cabling broadband project and so on. Ojudu should not also forget about the promised Knowledge Economy, Social investments - free health, free education, etc. Did Ojudu read that Ekiti was adjudged 2nd best in Covid-19 handling? What of the _owo arugbo_, YESSO, etc that are being funded, all from the less than 3billion a month allocation? Ojudu's anger must have taken his mind away from all these.

Today, our clansman, Ojudu is the poster boy for bigotry in Ekiti. We trace his story from the first civilian governor of the state, Otunba Niyi Adebayo, to the second, Ayo Fayose 1, to the third, Asiwaju Segun Oni to the fourth JKF 1 to the fifth Fayose 2 and now to the sixth, JKF 2. The conclusion is that Ojudu is one and the same bigot. 

Ojudu has all along floated different anti-establishment groups, too numerous to mention, all with the intention to crash his party and the state. 

Those groups are only good as blackmailing tools and are as relevant for as long as Ojudu has not been "settled." Once settled, Ojudu would opt out of them, leaving them to crash on the head of his undiscerning followers. 

That is the Ojudu we know and have as our clansman. We are assuring you that you have not heard the last from him yet, and you haven't heard the last uof him either. We bet, our clansman, Ojudu, still has his eyes on becoming the governor our state. To our man, to rise, you must first destroy. Do not say we did not tell you.

Presidency breaks silence on ‘gunshots in Aso Rock’

The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd .), has ordered a probe into alleged security breach inside the Presidential Villa.

This was made known in a statement by the President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu , on Sunday.

There had been reports of gunshots and a breach of security within the Presidential Villa recently.

The situation was said to have been as a result of a squabble among family members and officials of the Presidency.

The statement noted that some staff and occupants of the State House have been arrested in relation to the incident by the police.

The statement read in part , ” This is to assure all and everyone that the President and Commander- in- Chief of the Armed Forces , Muhammadu Buhari, is not, and was not at any time in any form of danger arising, either from deadly infections or the reported incident by security personnel which is currently under investigation.

” This particular incident happened outside the main residence of the President.

” Armed guards and other security personnel assigned to the State House receive the necessary training of especially weapons handling and where they come short , their relevant agencies have their rules and regulations to immediately address them.

” Having authorised the proper investigation to be carried out into this unfortunate incident by the Police, the President has acted in compliance with the rule of law.

” That a minor occurrence is being used by some critics to justify attacks on the government and the person of President Muhammadu Buhari beggars belief.

” In this particular instance, the President says the law should be allowed to take its course.”


I’ll reveal my next move after meeting with my supporters and Buhari – Obaseki

Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, said he will reveal his next step after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari following his disqualification from the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election in the state.

Obaseki who is seeking a second term in office, also said he is still consulting with his supporters.

Writing via his Twitter handle on Sunday, the governor described his disqualification as an act of injustice.

Alleged Rape: Fresh facts emerge over 21-yr-old Grace Oshiagwu’s death

FRESH facts emerged on Sunday over the death of a 21-year old Grace Oshiagwu, who was allegedly raped to death by yet unknown assailant(s) on Saturday night at Idi-ori Area Shasha off Expressway, in Akinyele Local Government Area of Oyo State.

According to the Caretaker Chairman, Akinyele South LCDA, Mr Kazeem Bolarinwa who revealed how Oshiagwu was murdered, the deceased who died as a result of machete cuts on her head, was said to have been murdered for ritualistic purpose.

Mr. Bolarinwa, who gave the account of the incident while speaking with Sunday Vanguard, narrated what happened when he arrived at the scene.

“I went to a particular hospital to visit a patient, I made a phone call to the Divisional Police Officer on the issue of security in my Council. The DPO asked me to come to where he was that another sad event had taken place at Idi Ori, Express, behind a newly constructed filling station called Silverstone. I left the hospital immediately, when I got there, I saw a crowd.”

“On getting to the scene of the incident, I was told a 21-year-old lady called Grace has been murdered. She was butchered on the head in four places, it appears to me the incident was not a rape but ritual murder.”

“I say this because the perpetrators of this dastardly act were using rape to disguise and distract people’s attention from their ritual activities.”

“After the lady had died, her underwear was removed halfway. I decided to go round at some houses in the area, the area was not close to a bush and I challenged the residents why they couldn’t raise alarm when they noticed that a stranger had cone to their community. He came, perpetrated his heinous crime and left without being noticed.”

The caretaker chairman said he felt so sad, that such incident could happen in a densely populated area, urging residents to cooperate with the government and security agents by reporting any suspicious movement to the relevant authority.

“As I speak with you, I am sad, the lady was dead before my arrival, it’s painful. We urged the police to do necessary investigation to uncover the plot behind the recent killings in Akinyele local government. I wept uncontrollably, a 21-year-old girl was killed just like that.”

The council boss commiserated with the deceased family and vowed to ensure that the culprits are arrested and made to face the consequences of their action.

Until her untimely death, the deceased was a National Diploma student at the Oke-Ogun Polytechnic, Saki, according to investigation gathered.

Her death made it the third of it kind in the last two weeks. Recall Barakat Bello and Azeezat were killed after suffering a similar fate.

Vanguard

Another Girl raped, matcheted to death in Ibadan

Barely nine days after the murder of a postgraduate student of University of Ibadan, Shomuyiwa Azeezat, who was pregnant, in Akinyele local government area of Ibadan, another lady, a 100-level student of Oke Ogun Polytechnic, Saki, Grace Oshiagwu, has been reportedly raped to death by unknown persons at her parent’s residence, Idi Ori Sasa, Ojoo, in the same Akinyele local government.

The incident, which happened at about 3pm, was confirmed by the Oyo State Police Command, via a statement that was released by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Oyo State Command, Gbenga Fadeyi.

The statement reads, “One Grace Oshiagwu ‘f’ aged 21 yrs, was macheted on her head in a church mission building at Idi-ori Area Shasha off Expressway by unknown assailant(s) today 13/06/2020 about 3.00 pm.

“Investigation has commenced into the matter and the Police Tactical teams are on the trail of the assailant(s).

“While efforts intensified, we want to continue to solicit for credible information from members of the communities around the area and the general public to unravel the misery behind these dastard killings.”

It would be recalled that a year one student at Federal College of Animal Health and Production, Barakat Bello, was also raped and murdered by unknown gunmen that invaded her home in Ibadan, making it three cases of such gruesome murder in recent weeks.

The body, which was discovered by her dad was later examined and it was discovered that she was raped before she was gruesomely killed.


Reopening guidelines: NCDC orders churches, mosques to shut toilets, sales outlets

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control on Saturday issued guidelines for the reopening of religious centres across the country, asking children and people aged 60 and above to avoid worship centres for the time being.

It also said public toilets and sales outlets in churches and mosques must be shut during services.

This comes after the Federal Government lifted the ban on religious and other public gatherings to check the spread of COVID- 19.

According to the guidelines posted on its website , the NCDC said before reopening, religious houses should fumigate their auditoriums, car parks and other buildings by wiping all surfaces with a disinfecting agent.

The centre also said during services , windows and doors must be opened to enable airflow while adequate provision should be made for soap, running water and hand sanitisers at entry points.

“ There should be no entry without face masks; provide disposable face masks where practicable.

“ To help educate on COVID- 19, it is recommended for places of worship to have preventive messages from NCDC posted at entry points and around places of worship.

“ Holy communion should be packaged in disposable wraps . Drinking water points, public toilets and sales outlets must be closed for now ,” the NCDC said.

It added that ablution should be done at home and discouraged the sharing of kettles and any personal items.

It said, “ Religious leaders must maintain two metres when praying or counselling and avoid body contact with members. Places of worship should be free of carpets and rugs to allow easy disinfection of the floor.

“ Places of worship must open only between 5 am and 8 pm. Choristers are to go home with their robes ; hijabs are not to be shared; attendance in every service should not exceed one - third of sitting capacity of the auditorium to enable physical distancing . All other members should join the service virtually.”

Furthermore, the NCDC discouraged shaking of hands, hugging and all physical contacts for the time being and discouraged worshippers from 60 years old and above, or those with underlying medical conditions, to stay at home.

Children are also discouraged from attending worship services.

Source: PUNCH