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Ambode threatens to leak documents indicting Tinubu, others
There are emerging indications that the former Governor of Lagos State, Akinwunmi Ambode, have come under pressure to fight back in the prevailing skirmishes to destroy his political career.
A party source close to the former Lagos Governor revealed to National Daily that Ambode has warned that the continuous attack against him after being denied the ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State for a second term in the 2019 governorship election and obstructing his opportunity for ministerial appointment has gone beyond tolerance boundary.
The source said that the former governor at an emergency meeting with his loyalists, warned that “enough is enough” threatening that further attacks would provoke him to open the can of worms on the running of Lagos State Government from 1999.
Our source, who appealed for anonymity, said that the former Lagos Governor observed at the meeting that the Tuesday episode in which the operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had their plot to allegedly plant foreign currencies at his residence in Epe foiled by the people signaled a turning point that the battle against him is changing pattern and that he is prepared to fight back henceforth.
The disappointment of the EFCC in the plot to raid Ambode’s residence on Tuesday was said to be a mark of stalemate in the power tussle in Lagos State. Ambode was said to have cautioned that his calmness and loyalty should not be taken as weakness, adding that the empire may collapse when the battle is broadly opened.
National Daily investigation revealed that Ambode had fore-knowledge of the EFCC plan to raid his two residence in Lagos; and waited for them, mobilizing the people. An EFCC source disclosed to National Dailythat there was division in the commission over the assignment to raid Ambode’s residence while investigations were still going on on the petition against the former governor.
The source said that some of the operatives were suspicious that the impromptu search would obstruct transparency of the investigations which may make the findings and conclusions misleading.
It was purported that in the midst of the disagreement and insistence of some senior officials that the operation must take place, that some other officials loyal to the former Lagos State governor put him on notice about the plot to raid his residence in Lagos.
It was alleged that while the operatives were to deepen their corruption investigations, there was also the intention to cart away certain documents with inherent records that could indict or incriminate some top party leaders and government officials in Lagos State when those documents are exposed to the public.
The documents were said to contain details of payments and circumstances such payments were made to each recipient. Our source that the documents were targeted to be taken away from Ambode’s residence for destruction so that evidence of alleged corruption that may come up against many leaders in the state would be destroyed.
Fortunately, or unfortunately, Ambode had prior knowledge of the strange visit to his residence by the EFCC and put necessary structures in place for resistance. “Members of Epe community – both old and young, men and women – were waiting, lawyers were waiting, selected journalists were waiting, and that was how the EFCC plot was foiled,” our source declared.
It was noted that in furtherance of the vigilance and preparedness of the former Lagos governor to fight back that his team of lawyers issued a statement in Lagos on Tuesday after the EFCC episode.
In the statement captioned: “The attempt of the EFCC officials led by Rotimi Oyedepo, Esq to incriminate the EX Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, with foreign currency; resisted by young lawyers in Epe”, the team of lawyers which comprise of Fatai A. Adebanjo, Esq., Busari M. Olanrewaju, Esq. and Samson K. Okuneye, Esq. narrated that in early hours of Tuesday, they were duly briefed that some EFCC officers invaded the apartment of Ambode with the intention to search the premises.
The lawyers on arrival at the residence held consultations with the EFCC officials to inquire and confirm if they had search warrant for the operation.
The lawyers said they objected when the EFCC officials attempted to prevent them from entering the house with them, insisting on only the EFCC officials going into the house for the search operations.
“Before they entered, we searched all the officials of the EFCC who intended to go in to effect the search.
“There was a blue bag which they were holding with them, we requested to see the content of the bag before they could take it in. They got angry and said we cannot see the content. Having said that, we strongly resisted them to take it in since they can’t allow us to see it, which they later agreed. We later got to know that the bag contained foreign currency which they brought to plant in the house of the Ex-Governor to incriminate him,” the lawyers declared in the statement they jointly signed.
The lawyers further said: “All documents, including the State Executive Exco Meetings Vol 1 – 16 in the personal study of the ex-Governor and His Luggage room which they intended to take along with them for further investigation was resisted by us as we told them that failure to take records of all the documents from A-Z, they cannot go out with anything and they agreed with us.”
The lawyers maintained: “Flowing from the aforesaid, they searched the nooks and crannies of the Ex Governor’s house and they couldn’t find any incriminating documents or materials. We authoritatively assert that, they did find anything in the house and they didn’t leave the house with anything.
“We followed them as they entered from one place to the other, when our presence was intimidating them, they said we should sit down while they will do the search. We resisted that we must follow them to observe every of their activities in the premises.”
Our source added that the episode of Tuesday brought the attack against the former governor to a stalemate, noting that all parties now have access to power at the national level; and that the governor is now ready to fight in the open.
Our source stated that the former governor has purportedly threatened to leak documents on expenditures, contracts, official and unofficial or ‘royalty’ payments to former governors and others in Lagos State if he is pushed to the wall.
Source: Konymandibio
The Enugu State government has inaugurated a steering committee to eliminate Gender-Based Violence, GBV, in the state, declaring zero tolerance for the social malaise.
The inauguration took place at the Government House Enugu.
The panel, which is chaired by the Commissioner for Children, Gender Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Ngozi Enih, draws its membership from the Nigeria Police Force, Ministry of Agriculture and Agro Industrialisation, Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ministry of Human Development and Poverty Reduction, Ministry of Trade, Investment and Industry, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education as well as the Civil Society.
Inaugurating the panel known as the Steering Committee for Strengthening Institutional and Community Responses to End Gender-Based Violence/Domestication of Enugu State Gender Policy using the Oputa Panel approach, Governor Peter Mbah restated his administration’s commitment to not bringing perpetrators of GBV to book, but also putting in place proactive measures – activities, infrastructure, and systems in place to prevent them.
Mbah, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, said, “We take gender-based violence seriously. We have zero tolerance for it, and in Enugu State, we are ready to go the extra mile to deal with it.
“If you notice, the government has selected people that are very committed to this goal. This is not an activity where we just want to check-off the list. We will track this. We will monitor this, and we will have quarterly engagements on the successes that this particular committee has achieved in terms of reference that we are going to send.
“We will tighten those terms of reference indicators, so that we monitor what we are doing both in terms of cost input and the value added. It’s very important to us. Many people will be involved – civil society, the police and various ministries.”
He however, said that the effort was to protect everyone, men and women alike, as GBV was not restricted to any gender.
“The whole idea is to hold people responsible that are involved in matters relating to gender violence and deter people that by culture or by association get involved in that, protect women, protect our children, and in the case of violence against men, protect our men because most times we misconstrue gender violence to mean women, but it can also be men too.
“We encourage our men to speak out and to make sure they understand that the policy that Enugu State is soon going to domesticate is for everyone, and not only for the female gender,” he stated.
In her remark, Mrs. Enih, explained that the Oputa Panel approach was inspired by the need to cover all local peculiarities in domesticating the policy on GBV, restarting government’s confidence in the members of the panel.
“The approach we are going to use is the Oputa Panel approach, and in the Oputa Panel approach, we are going to tour the 17 Local Government Areas to get firsthand information about what our people are going through because policy is meant for the people, and a policy should suit the people.
“Again, every community has its peculiar problems, so that’s why the government decided that if we have to domesticate the gender policy, we have to hear from the people who own the policy and know the changes that they desire to see. That is the reason we are using this approach.
“The committee members are to also serve as judges. As we gather this information from our people, we will come back to tailor it in a way to suit the people of Enugu State, and then our policy is ready.
“We want the people to know that there is a gender policy for them. I can assure you that when the people are aware that there is such a policy, they will seek for the enforcement of that policy. So, this is not going to be one of those policies that will just lie on the shelf,” she said.
Digital solutions provider, Globacom, has congratulated Christians in Nigeria on this year’s Easter celebration, and urged them to emulate the noble qualities of Jesus Christ.
The company, in a goodwill message to the Christian faithful in the country, lauded their perseverance through the Lenten period which preceded Easter. It enjoined them to always promote the ideals of selflessness, love and peace among all as a way of demonstrating the virtues of the exemplary life of Jesus Christ.
“Peace, love and sacrifice are the central message of Easter. Christ offered himself in atonement for the sins of the world and he lived a life which made Him an eternal symbol of peace and goodwill for mankind”, Globacom added.
The company enjoined all Nigerians to share in the lessons of promoting selflessness, a necessary ingredient in the growth and development of every society. It also enjoined all Nigerians to join hands to make Nigeria a better place for all.
Easter is celebrated yearly at the end of the Lenten season of fasting and prayer considered as a ritual of purification for the Christian faithful. It also precedes the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ on Good Friday and His eventual resurrection on Easter Sunday.
The company assured its customers of seamless voice, data and Short Messaging Service (SMS) during and after the Easter celebrations, while urging them to avail themselves of the various data and voice offerings on the network.
The Guild of Private Broadcast Managers has extended its heartfelt congratulations to the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) as it celebrates its 70th Anniversary.
In a congratulatory message signed by the Guild’s National President, Ambassador Patrick Uzoyi-Peters, JP MNGRM, the guild described the milestone as a testament to the NUJ’s unwavering commitment to upholding press freedom, journalistic integrity, and the advancement of democracy in Nigeria.
“For seven decades, the NUJ has played a pivotal role in shaping the media landscape, advocating for the rights and welfare of journalists, and ensuring that the voice of the people remains strong and unyielding. Your resilience, professionalism, and dedication to ethical journalism have been instrumental in fostering transparency, accountability, and national development”.
Celebrating this historic achievement, the Guild’s President, Uzoyi-Peters recognized the sacrifices and contributions of journalists across the nation who work tirelessly to inform, educate, and empower society.
The Guild reiterated it commitment towards collaborating with the NUJ in promoting responsible journalism and strengthening the media industry for the greater good.
While wishing the NUJ continued success, growth, and greater impact in the years ahead, President Uzoyi-Peters prayed that the anniversary serve as a renewed call to uphold the principles of truth, fairness, and press freedom in our collective pursuit of a more informed and just society.
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