Tobi Amusan, champion of champions: Chinua Achebe -The works of a good and resolute man lives long after him
….BUHARI AND MELE KYARI: ECONOMIC CRIMES AGAINST NIGERIA – TINUBU CANNOT IGNORE THESE CRIMES, IMPERATIVE TO SUSPEND MELE KYARI SUMMARILY: HYPERINFLATION, MINIMUM WAGE FIASCO, DEVALUATION OF THE NAIRA, FOREIGN LOANS GALORE, PRINTING MORE NAIRA, AND TINUBU APPROVED PURCHASE OF 12-CAYUSE ATTACK HELICOPTERS – WHERE WILL THE MONEY COME FROM?
….CONSTITUTIONAL CRISES IN NIGERIA AND THE ILLEGITIMATE PRESIDENCY OF TINUBU: FORGERIES IN CHICAGO, NON COMPLIANCE WITH REQUIREMENT TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT-WHY IT IS IN TINUBU’S BEST INTEREST TO RESIGN : INEVITABILITY OF CONSTITUTIONAL DISSOLUTION OF NIGERIA
By Dr Orefo Nnamdi Onochie
First it was Mmesoma Ejikeme, who was accused of inflating her 2023 JAMB scores, claiming to be the best national overall candidate. This was debunked when the Government of Anambra State stepped in and rescued the teenager from further self-humiliation. Then another shattering one, the allegation that Tobi Amusan, who sped past as the best hurdler-athlete in Eugene, Oregon, USA, in September 2022, had been caught using ( or doping) strength enhancing drugs. Tobin had brought so much hope and light to Nigeria her native country, in a far away land, at a time when Buhari and the APC were at the edge of pushing Nigeria off an uncertain cliff: why should our younger ones not succeed where we appear to fail?
As a young teenage hurdler myself, I knew the boundless joy of being better than others in that sport, when in DMGS Onitsha in 1970, I broke the hurdles record set, close to 14-years earlier, in the same school by Emmanuel Ifeajuna, the Olympian soldier-officer, who teamed up with Ademola Adegboyega and Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu, with 7-other Majors of the Nigerian Army, in the sordid military coup of January 15, 1966. Indeed, seeing Tobin Amusan beat the best hurdlers gathered from all over the globe, and afterwards draping the Nigerian green-white-green flag, across her light shoulders, I believed that her real achievements were yet to come. With the doping accusations, the young lady was later cleared, and got scheduled again to compete in Budapest, Hungary, in August 2023, before getting back again to the same Eugene, Oregon, Stadium, September 22, 2023. Tobin this time again, sped past her first heat, reached the finals, and again sped past all the other champion athletes, and broke the World records in the final race. Truly she had proved herself a champion of CHAMPIONS.
At this time in 2023, when Nigeria has SUNK beyond redemption, it is glorious seeing a young Nigerian adult, prove to the world that our best is yet to come. Congratulations to Tobin Amusan, for letting us know that it is still fresh time to trust, that younger ones shall live up better, and make us proud! Now to Chinua Achebe!
From the same Anambra State, came the elevating news that the Government had renamed the Cargo Airport in the State after Chinua Achebe. Possibly he was the best story-teller of Independence Nigeria. Through the rigors of the political turbulence of the past 54-years in Nigeria, Achebe had worked and written more than 20 books, articles, poems, on the cultures and traditions of the ordinary people, from olden times before the Europeans came, and on the enormous difficulties of development and institution-building in Nigeria. In spite of set backs, including a traumatic road accident, he remained faithful to the land of his birth. Achebe received several literary awards in Nigeria, and more than 40-awards in Europe and North America. Things Fall Apart, his first and probably the most popular African modern writers-series book, has been translated into 158 languages the world over. Achebe complained in his books, including the Trouble With Nigeria, about the failures of the political class, and the country. Though not an insider politician like myself, he was a life-long card carrying member of the Peoples Redemption Party, PRP., the party I joined after 23-years of membership of the PDP, when Atiku ABUBAKAR and others jettisoned ZONING AND ROTATION OF THE PRESIDENCY IN 2023.
Achebe, true and honest as a patriot, rejected the highest honors of Nigeria, complaining that the failures of the country, in building strong institutions, and reliable infrastructures such as electricity, a secure social, educational and medical services sectors, gave him no justification to accept the national honors awarded him; first in 2004 by Olusegun Obasanjo, and again in 2011 by Goodluck Jonathan. Achebe was very vehement in 2004, complaining that the Government in Anambra State was so backward, the State was being run as a fiefdom of the Governor at that time, supported or condoned by Obasanjo. In 2011, it was even more troubling because, Achebe was ill and possibly knew that it was even-song, yet he again rejected the highest national honor awarded by a land he loved very deeply…….. his first wish, that ELECTRICITY be provided daily to the populace. Nearly ten years after his demise, the situations have gotten a thousandth times worse, and Buhari first plunged Nigeria into an abyss of ethnic, religious and economic conundrum, then Tinubu took over and has brought Nigeria to its knees, to so much infamy, global disgrace, and hyperinflation, that the only solution available now for the country is constitutional dissolution of the entity, so that localized solutions shall be fashioned out to solve the long insoluble problems of the 1999 constitutional favoritism of the North, fiscal inequalities in sharing monthly FAAC monies, other structural imbalances such as more States in the North than in the South; decades of lack of electricity, hyperinflationary cost of living, stagnation of educational resources in Universities, avoidable high tertiary education fees, collapse of medical services; insecurity galore, kidnappings, Boko Haram insurgency 13-years undefeated, Fulani ethnic plot to DOMINATE and islamize the Christian and Traditional communities; ethnic agitations and separatism (Oduduwa Nation, Biafra-IPOB-MASSOB, Middle Belt Republic, Niger Delta Republic, Arewa Republic etc); highest level official corruption and bribery [especially in INEC, the Judiciary and Election Tribunals], criminal forgeries in elections and denial of voting rights to Ibos in Lagos.
Chinua Achebe, rejected Nigeria and the national honors awarded to him, much earlier in 2004, and 2011, when the price of petrol was N95.00 per liter, and the Naira exchanged for N220.00 for $1.00 US Dollar: now petrol sells for N670.00 per liter, and the Naira exchanges for N1,090.00 for $1.00 US Dollar. Were Achebe to be here now, he certainly would publicly condemn Tinubu, and call on him to resign and cease putting Nigeria to further global shame: surely with the denial of the right of Ibos in Lagos to vote in the elections on March 25, 2023, Achebe would assert that the federal equality rights of all citizens is a fraud, in Nigeria, which is used to deceive those considered second class citizens, and Nigeria has been long due for CONSTITUTIONAL DISSOLUTION.
Achebe was not the only Nigerian to REJECT national honors: Wole Soyinka rejected his in 2014, Gani Fawehinmi rejected his in 2011, Tam-David West also rejected his in 2011, and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie on October 14, 2022, privately rejected hers, and still refused to attend the award event, citing a wish not to provoke further negative publicity and shame on the country.
In the renaming of the Anambra State Cargo Airport after CHINUA ACHEBE, it is sufficient proof that any man’s good works will live long after he has gone, and well past him. It is also time to remain resolute, honest, steadfast but factual on the solutions of the problems of the society and the populace, like Chinua Achebe did! A continuing call to serve the people!
2. BUHARI AND MELE KYARI: ECONOMIC CRIMES AGAINST NIGERIA – TINUBU CANNOT IGNORE THESE CRIMES, IMPERATIVE TO SUSPEND MELE KYARI SUMMARILY: HYPERINFLATION, MINIMUM WAGE FIASCO, DEVALUATION OF THE NAIRA, FOREIGN LOANS GALORE, PRINTING MORE NAIRA, AND TINUBU APPROVED PURCHASE OF 12-CAYUSE ATTACK HELICOPTERS – WHERE WILL THE MONEY COME FROM?
It was not simply the first day of work and being sworn in for Tinubu, it was the day and event to burst the petrol subsidy cabal, the time to REMOVE PETROL SUBSIDY. On May 29, 2023, Tinubu murdered sleep, by removing petrol subsidy, and initially it was not visible. Then the price of petrol kept on rising, from N220.00 per liter on May 29, 2023, to N350.00 per liter, and by July 18, 2023, to N650.00 per liter. Prices of every product and service in Nigeria, rose by more than a 100%, that is to say prices doubled. What first began as praise-singing by Tinubu Boys, turned into NLC-TUC revolt, spearheaded by ordinary citizens on the streets of urban Nigeria. There was need for policy solutions, which Tinubu, and his Boys didn’t have. They invited Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who could offer little, they had crossed the rubicon of policy recklessness. Now the country and economy would pay heavily for their carelessness, but the ray of hope for Tinubu was to throw bullion vans of government money every where as solutions. But all the money had gone. Where did Nigeria’s money disappear to? Gradually the government began to admit that Buhari left a near empty treasury prior heading to Daura. With the vagaries of oil prices and production quota, Nigeria was not earning enough US Dollars, and from 2019 well into 2023, Buhari had approved for Mele Kyar, GMD of NNPCL, to canvass for Agreements to sell Nigerian crude oil, and even liquified natural gas, on futures basis, monies paid upfront, and delivery after two to three years.
The Agreements were signed, and monies were paid at reduced prices to Nigeria, without the knowledge and explicit ratification of the Agreements by the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which must ratify foreign Agreements such as Treaties or quasi- treaties of the type NNPCL undertakes on behalf of the country: all within the ambit of the oversight functions of the National Assembly, and the concept of Separation of Powers in the Presidential system of governance.
As a result of these transactions, Nigeria’s oil and gas incomes dwindled dramatically in 2021, 2022 and 2023. In 2022, NNPCL did not contribute $1.00 US Dollar to the FAAC account, and domestic petrol subsidy were funded from incomes from LNG. Known to Government, crude oil theft, sponsored by leading persons in and out of the government, had reduced daily crude oil production and official export far below the quota allotted to Nigeria by OPEC, the organization of oil exporting countries. Tinubu admitted in a bitter repost interview he granted in late June 2023, that the perpetrators of oil theft were known to government, and at some point, even corporations involved in illicit and illegal receipts of payments on petrol subsidy were made public by Tinubu. Why has government persisted to permit oil theft depriving the country of as much as $46 Billion US Dollars (N16.5 Trillion Naira), in 11-years?Tajudeen Abbas, current Speaker of the House of Representatives, admitted same publicly and Nuhu Ribadu, current NSA, National Security Adviser, concurred with the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative that Nigeria looses more than 400,000 barrels of crude oil daily to organized theft in the Niger Delta. Is it possible that this level of economic crimes can be committed against a political entity and it will be sustained in prosperity? No!
ECONOMIC CRIMES ON OIL REVENUES
The scope of economic crimes committed by Buhari and Mele Kyari, in mortgaging oil revenues and supplies, in futures Agreements, that were unknown to or ratified by the Senate
has compelled Tinubu, since July 2023, to search around the globe for new futures buyers, who will pay upfront for crude oil and gas, for Nigerian products. There are no such clients or patrons. Indeed, Nigeria has been in violation of the Agreements of Buhari and Mele Kyari, because of non deliveries of contracted supply Agreements, of 2021, and 2022: on account of these acts and violations, it is imperative to suspend Mele Kyari summarily from his current duties and assignments. Oil theft at some point in the past 4-years reduced daily crude oil production to 990,000 barrels per day, which is only about half of the oil production quota of Nigeria through OPEC; why did NNPCL not reveal the well known perpetrators or because of insider participation? Government has in all this been hampered by lack of foreign exchange income and funds, and has resorted to domestic Ways and Means, which is the excessive printing of local currency to meet up with local needs and payments. The consequence is that the rate of inflation has been increased because there is little productive backing for the zillions of Naira being printed by the CBN, the Central Bank of Nigeria. Here is where Nigeria is with respect to this: in the year 2021, Nigeria printed new currency of the value of N22 Trillion Naira, and in 2022 up into 2nd Quarter 2023, Nigeria has printed N55 Trillion Naira now circulating, and the expectation is that the year-on-year aggregate will be tripled from 2021. Has anyone been held accountable over the excesses at the CBN? Yes! Why not NNPCL?
EMEFIELE AND ECONOMIC CRIMES AGAINST NIGERIA AND TINUBU: SAME AS BUHARI’S AND MELE KYARI’S
With same gusto Tinubu used in pursuit of petrol subsidy, he applied same on Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele, the last CBN Governor, detained and accused of three different crimes. Tinubu informed Nigeria that Emefiele laundered more than N13 Trillion Naira with Aliko Dangote, and the Dangote Conglomerate. On June 10, 2023, one day after the public revelation of the crimes, Emefiele was arrested in Lagos and has been detained both in Lagos and Abuja respectively, ever since. Other crimes were added; Emefiele procured with Mrs.Saadatu Yaro, an employee of the CBN, her husband Aminu, and Company April 16 16 Investment, 100-posh vehicles of worth of N6.9 Billion Naira; Emefiele was charged with illegal possession of fire-arms and some ammunition. Mrs. Yaro had also been detained and accused of prior crimes of more than N140 Billion Naira, on money laundering, and there were accusative fingers that Emefiele was implicated.
Rather more consummate, were the “crimes” of Emefiele against Tinubu and other politicians, over the Naira redesign policy, which Emefiele devised to deprive Tinubu of the bullion vans of Naira for buying votes and voters, during the 2023 Presidential and other elections. But it was Buhari who approved the policy and Emefiele implemented it. Why hold and prosecute Emefiele alone? Emefiele had been selected by close relatives of Buhari, favored by Emefiele, as a proper replacement for Buhari, and using the Lagos and Southwest mainstream media, Tinubu and his Boys drove away Emefiele from the Presidential race: it was on account of the anticipated Presidential campaign that Emefiele engaged Ms Yaro, including other members of Buhari’s family who extensively sold and sponsored Emefiele to Buhari, that the posh bulletproof vehicles were assigned to Ms Yaro to procure. In accusing Emefiele of economic crimes, other crimes, such as were perpetrated at NNPCL, by Buhari, as Petroleum Minister, and Mele Kyari as GMD, ought to be prosecuted as well. For clear emphasis, and in the shortest possible timeframe, Mele Kyari should be suspended summarily, for the triple economic crimes of upfront collection first, and then expenditures on crude oil sales, and the compulsion of government to engage in excessive printing of local Naira currencies, through Emefiele: all these persons were accomplishes in varied multiple economic crimes, and what is good for the geese is also good for the gander. Detaining only Emefiele, means there are other reasons, unknown to the populace, based on which he is still being detained, despite Court orders for his bail. Tinubu cannot ignore all these facts on ground!
HYPERINFLATION AND MINIMUM WAGE INCREASE FIASCO
On September 15, 2023, I issued a statement that Tinubu would set off another policy tragedy that would be worse than the removal of petrol subsidy, if Minimum Wage was increased. True to type and character, on October 1, 2023, on a national TV broadcast, Tinubu proclaimed that minimum wage was increased by N35, 000.00 Naira, an equivalent increase of 75% of the extant minimum monthly wage. In what appeared to be public dishonesty, incompetence or naivety, Tinubu pegged the increase to only the lowest paid workers, and for 6-months. How can that be? Wages and salaries are routinely statutorily emplaced across the board, based on appropriate grade levels, and is sine die, until reviewed by Government. Why did Tinubu make the pronouncement on the increase being only for the lowest grade employees and only for 6-months?
The labor unions, NLC and TUC, retorted that their planned national lockdown the next day would still take place. Government called an emergency meeting with the Unions. By nightfall, government had yielded to labor’s increase demand of about 100% wage increase, all across the board, not the dishonest proclamation of Tinubu that it was only for the lowest paid workers, and only for 6-months. Why did Tinubu lie to Nigeria? The economy cannot support such a new minimum wage policy, and the scope of this current intendment. It would engender HYPERINFLATION, which the economic situation in which the already gallop in prices of goods and services cannot be determined or controlled by deliberate government policy making. Another and a second recklessness from the stable of Tinubu, in spite of the early warnings I issued., very much like my position against removing petrol subsidy.
On October 2, 2023, the NLC Leader, Joe Ajaero, shocked national TV audiences, stating that the agreed minimum wage is not N35,000.00 but would be N100,000.00 – N200,000.00 Naira, when the National Assembly ratifies the Agreement with the government. It is such a preposterous situation, that should this be true, then the increase in minimum wage would be close to 150%. It is impossible to figure out now what such gyration of fiscal measures would amount to in the next 90-180 days. Nigeria is indeed in very deep economic inflation trouble with the government that Tinubu is purporting to run now.
DEVALUATION OF THE NAIRA, FOREIGN LOANS GALORE, PRINTING MORE NAIRA CURRENCY
On the date Tinubu was sworn in, May 29, 2023, the exchange rate of the Naira at the open parallel market where the populace purchase and sell foreign currency, was N460.00 per $1.00 US Dollar. After 127-days of Tinubu being in office, the exchange rate of the same two currencies is now at N1,009.00 Naira to $1.00 US Dollar: even at this high exchange rate, it takes hours to source or procure high quantities of US Dollars within Nigeria, because the political and business elite are searching to secure the dollars with the huge volumes of easily printed Naira notes doled out to them by the government.
By these new increase in exchange rate value of about 105%, which is to say that the value more than doubled in loses and devaluation against the Naira; easily explained thus, if you have $1,000.00 US Dollars, you will now exchange it for N1 Million Naira and some additional good change. This is unthinkable, and how did the Nigerian economy get to this? Is there really a change in sight?
Here are the answers to the first question: the capacity of Nigeria to earn foreign currency, through sundry sources, especially sales of crude oil and gas internationally, has been mortally reduced by two factors:
1. legitimate sales by government has been drastically reduced by criminal theft and sales by highly placed persons within the government, non government entities and persons known to government. These persons team up with security services and sell the crude oil for themselves and Bank the dollars abroad
2. official dollar and other foreign incomes from sales of crude oil and gas, involved in the futures Agreements approved by Buhari and Mele Kyari, are currently supplying clients who paid upfront two years earlier, but the backlog of supplies outstanding to the buyers in 2021 and 2022 has grossly affected the capacity to sell now and be able to supply sufficient foreign currency now to the Nigerian economy, and the scarcity of foreign currency being sought after by those who wish to conserve currency value, against the worthlessness of the Naira, has even further driven up the exchange rate value against the Naira.
3. government has more than doubled Naira printed for local circulation, between 2021 to 2023: in 2021 N22 Trillion Naira was printed through a policy process called Ways and Means, and from 2022 to the last Quarter of 2023, government has printed N51 Trillion Naira, and the higher increase of Naira in circulation is driving the amount buyers dedicate and budget to buy very scarce US Dollars. This same monetary phenomenon has contributed immensely to hyperinflation.
The question is, when and how will this stop? The monetary philosophy of the current leadership of the country by Tinubu is not well known or thought out. There is a recklessness and lack of due consideration to the monetary and fiscal policies of the government. The inordinate, corrupt and unchallenged ability of the political and business elite in Nigeria, to wealth and financial resources, pushes them to engage in acts that are entirely criminal, yet they are protected and favored by the governments and those charged with enforcement of laws, rules and morals: yet they all pretend that they are doing their jobs honestly and diligently. The disadvantaged and impoverished are millions of citizens whose needs of daily food, shelter, education, medical services and other necessities are denied, which weakens social harmony and patriotism. If the political and business elite are doing well, why are things getting worse economically and politically day by day? Why are more and more people complaining and not prosperous?
FOREIGN LOANS GALORE
Apart from the increase in printed Naira in circulation within the country, Tinubu’s government has been dollar strapped and has been searching for sources of borrowing money abroad. Within two months of being in office, Tinubu has borrowed more than $6 Billion US Dollars from the World Bank, and the IDB an affiliate of the Brettonwoods IMF. These loans are beyond the debt to GDP ratio of Nigeria, to borrow money and still maintain its sovereign ability to withstand international pressures and bargain very well in bilateral or multilateral negotiations. Nigeria has surpassed its solvency limits, and is essentially bankrupt now. The loans outstanding against Nigeria are paid up with more than 65% of the annual budget of the country. Yet the government is still searching for more foreign loans and the Senate has been approving the requests because the members receive bribes, from the loans, which go into their private accounts. It is much worse than is presented here, because there are more disadvantages usually not made public; the collateral offered by the Nigerian government for the granting of such loans. Especially the Chinese government in Beijing, is prepared to lend more monies under very stringent conditions (in Djibouti there sea port is ready to become Chinese because of non payment and servicing of prior loans). Nigeria has more than 66% of all her foreign outstanding loans owed China, and still not fully disclosed are the complete conditions of lending. My position on ZERO FOREIGN LOANS, and balancing the annual budgets for the next 20-years, are the only solutions that will yield dividends and sustain the independence and sovereignty of the entity.
TINUBU APPROVED PURCHASE OF 12-CAYUSE ATTACK HELICOPTERS-WHERE WILL THE MONEY COME FROM?
On August 26, 2023, it was revealed to the populace that Tinubu had approved the purchase of 12-Cayuse attack helicopters for the Air Wing of the Nigerian Army. The helicopter is a medium sized and powered attack system produced in the United States, which is indeed no longer in use by the military forces of the producer country. Each helicopter costs about $2.4 Million US Dollars, and the 12 approved by Tinubu will cost, at the current rate of exchange, more than N29 Billion Naira: but the money can only be paid in US dollars, and it can only be at a cost that is to the advantage of the producers because the currency of Nigeria will invariably continue to depreciate. The question is, what is the national need and priority for this purchase? Is it that the Army demands it, and does the national financial standing warrant this? Where will the money come from?
The problem with the current mentality and philosophy of the Tinubu government is tied to its quest for acceptance and legitimacy. Thus it has little reserve of stamina to negotiate attractively in its favor. It will bargain away and offer even resources that it does not have, the ones that are outside its priorities. Lack of coherence and clarity is plaguing the government, in addition to an inchoate ideological standing. It cannot even defend the program it promoted during the election. Nigeria has been encased in the war with Boko Haram, and additional Islamic and ethnic Fulani bandits, since 2009. Due to recognized imbalances and injustices in the constitutional order, of the country, violent agitations and separatism, have been a plague within: kidnappers, Unknown Gunmen, ESN, Niger Delta militants, cult groups have been an endemic plague for years now. It is estimated that about N12-16 Biliion Naira is lost daily on these conflicts. They are essentially economic, social and structural problems that a conscientious and resolute government can confront and win, not necessarily only by military means. By so doing it will re-engage a social agenda that will prioritize social prosperity and forsake militarism and buying arms and weapons systems such as the Cayuse attack helicopters. In 2022, public Universities in Nigeria were shut for 8-months over full funding of the education system: Tinubu whose progressive credentials point him towards massive social -education-medical FREE SERVICES, has espoused university education loans for students, and they will be imprisoned if they fail to pay back the loans, in 2-year default; Tinubu is prepared to purchase N29 Billion Naira killer helicopters, 12 in number, for the Nigerian Army Air Wing: are the helicopters inducement for “protection” by the Army in the event of unexpected national social chaos? Now that funds are unavailable in the country’s treasury, where will all this money come from? Loans from China, further burden on the debt-to-GDP-ratio of the extant economy?
3. CONSTITUTIONAL CRISES IN NIGERIA AND THE ILLEGITIMATE PRESIDENCY OF TINUBU: FORGERIES IN CHICAGO, NON COMPLIANCE WITH REQUIREMENT TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT-WHY IT IS IN TINUBU’S BEST INTEREST TO RESIGN : INEVITABILITY OF CONSTITUTIONAL DISSOLUTION OF NIGERIA
There has been constitutional crises, of several dimensions in Nigeria, arising from the badly written and implemented 1999 Constitution. Each passing day exposes the constitution as a fraud. Even as a federalist document, several swaths and parts of Nigeria are completely unequal. The ingredient of equality of federating units is completely ill-considered. Fundamental objectives of the document very loudly espouses equality of persons and groups. But some groups are overlords of some other ethnic groups. Essentially this is the source of the current constitutional crises bedeviling the Tinubu government. In creating the political alliance between the North and the Southwest, Tinubu, Buhari, and others from their political party, ethnic regions, groups and religions have an unspoken, un-divulged agreement that only persons from the two monolithic groups will be Presidents of Nigeria.
Seemingly too, it does appear that in other political parties and amongst persons from the same colorations, such as the PDP, NNPP etc have the same elimination of competition objectives: thus amassed monies and articulated rules, policies and expectations are used to weed out many and favor only a few. For example, to run to be President of Nigeria in 2023, Tinubu’s APC party raised the fees to purchase the election forms to N100 Million Naira, and Atiku Abubakar’s PDP party raised theirs to N50 Million Naira. It was brazen kleptocracy, in which such persons as themselves previously or still in government, stole so much money from government treasuries, stashed away, for repeat runs or overwhelming tactics to use huge funds to buy, bribe or turn voters, election or security personnel to favor them. Thus there are no democratic ethos to defend or sustain. The decadence created by these unacceptable standards has marred Tinubu’s chances of earning the respect, trust and confidence of the electorate. In search of political and governance legitimacy and acceptance, borne out of multiple revelations of sleaze in the pursuit of his education, careers of administration and politics. Tinubu has shut himself in the foot, several times that his government is controlled and chaperoned by confusion, paralysis and corruption. There doesn’t appear to be any easy resolution for him insight, short of resigning from office, or being impeached, or remaining in office to further humiliated, shunned and maligned. Over-reach of political ambition, and the desire to be first-at-all-political-sign-posts, has imploded Tinubu’s illegitimate presidential office. The paralysis in continuing to try to run the government, will confound the situation, and where he projects to overcome these structural deficiencies, by brutal force, violence or persecution of those opposed to his continuing, unforeseen, unpredictable circumstances may appear on the firmament, to determine the ultimate way forward.
FORGERIES IN CHICAGO AND NON COMPLIANCE WITH REQUIREMENT TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT IN NIGERIA
Multiple cases of document forgeries, identify theft and carefree attitudes with respect Tinubu’s education development, and career progression, very early in adult life, worded him irreparably. Inexplicable situations pertaining to Tinubu’s actual personal and family names, turn up over primary schooling; documentary inconsistencies regarding secondary schools he attended in Ibadan, Lagos or Osun State, widen the disparate intersections; most importantly the requirement for admission to tertiary studies, namely credit results at the close of secondary school eluded him. This particular inadequacy is a hard combine, because it renders his enrollment at the CSU, Chicago, USA, a complete nullity. If you do not meet the secondary school credits requirement, you not be admitted to the university, and if it gets to be proven that you forged that requirement, even your earlier admission will be voided, you will be asked to withdraw, or should a diploma have been issued to you, that diploma will be canceled and withdrawn. This is the practice the world over. Here is the second hard combine.
To qualify to run to be president in Nigeria, the age requirement is 35-years, and the education standard is a secondary school certificate. Tinubu met the age, but from CSU, Chicago, the document on secondary education were incomplete due to failure in Maths and English language, which he was requested to ameliorate. Tinubu never met this requirement. The transcript he presented upon transfer from Southwest College, which originated from Nigeria, were issued from a school that was not established in 1970, when he claimed he graduated. This fact compelled him to hide that certificate in the documents he presented to INEC in 2022. Rather Tinubu presented a CSU diploma which was different from the one he subsequently obtained from the official CSU office. The INEC stamp on the first diploma was unquestioned proof of forgeries of documents to INEC. Article 137.iof the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria provided inter alia, “ A person shall not be qualified for election to the office of President if………. If he has presented a forged certificate to the Independent National Election Commission, INEC.”
DOUBLE JEOPARDY ON TINUBU
The CSU diploma Tinubu presented to INEC was certified and stamped by INEC, on the basis of which the lower Court accepted upon presentation as basis of meeting the requirement on education to run for President. It was a fake and a forgery, and the Constitution rejected it. Double jeopardy for Tinubu was that he had not successfully completed or presented a secondary school certificate, that was acceptable to CSU. What he presented was not accepted, he was requested to complete it successfully. He never did. As a result he NEVER presented a secondary school certificate for documentation to run for President. On these two counts, Tinubu failed, on forged certificate presented to INEC, and again because he has no secondary school certificate presented to enable him run for President based on that.
THE SUPREME COURT OF NIGERIA TO BE PUT TO TINUBU’S HONESTY TEST?
The risk of continuing to remain in office for Tinubu is very personal to him. But he has already seen that the level of presidency of a country such as Nigeria is high. His personal reputation has already been badly charred, marred and shattered. Nigeria is being ridiculed globally, and put to shame on account of his actions, his personal character and new verified reputation. The exposure is too wide and crippling, because in the final analysis, how will he operate, network and intermingle in the auspicious comity of other Presidents. Without prestige, only a quarter of the SOVEREIGN authority of a national potentate is left. It will be a more grievous tragedy for him to put the country through that. It will even be worse for Tinubu to put the Nigerian Supreme Court through this type of HONESTY test….. like his secondary school certificate, it will not pass. Best personal here is for your resignation! Hard but wiser!
INEVITABILITY OF CONSTITUTIONAL DISSOLUTION OF NIGERIA
From about 2001, several Elders and politicians saw from afar that the 1999 Constitution, which the last military government bequeathed to Nigeria was unworkable and a fraud. It was spearheaded by Anthony Enahoro and included others such as Michael Ajasin, Balarabe Musa, Tanko Yakassai, Ishola Williams, Alao Aka-Bashorun, Beko Ransome-Kuti and many others. They began the call for Restructuring Nigeria. It was difficult for Obasanjo to agree to the proposition and he scuffed at it.
For the political elite of the North, it was the repetition of proposals that they considered even in the 1950s , that will Balkanise the entity. They were largely opposed to it because the structure ultimately put in place by the military completely created an imbalance that favored the North more than it favored the South: more States in the North, double the number of local governments in the North, sharing of money from the FAAC account, more than half went to the North. Much as some Northerners began to accept that the agitations for restructuring was gaining grounds and getting more violent, most of the leaders
from the North were still stuffed up against it. In the end Goodluck Jonathan set up the 2014 Restructuring Conference that submitted the critical Report that was never implemented.
Despite lip service to win votes, Buhari changed course and direction, introducing policies that were clearly oppressive, and inclined towards Islamisation and Fulanisation. The policy for the Federal government to buy and concession land directly to Fulani herdsmen, woke up aboriginal Peoples of the South to the dangers of creeping Fulani occupation and Muslim hordes who would kill even inside Churches, insisting on instant conversion to Islam or death. In the Middle Belt , especially in parts of Benue, Taraba, Plateau, Southern Kaduna, Kogi, Edo, Enugu, Imo and Delta States. Violent separatist groups have emerged, especially in the Northwest, South East and South South. Even in Yoruba Land the shock of the explosion of a bomb inside the Catholic Church in Owo at a Sunday morning mass, by a group of identified Fulani herdsmen was a wake up call that the same fate would befall non Muslims even in the Southwest, where Oduduwa Nation agitators were led by Sunday Igboho and Prof. Stephen Banji Akintoye, who later relinquished leadership of the group to Prof Wale Adeniran. The Middle Belt Republic leadership led by Dr. Pogu Bitrus complained hard about atrocities and killings in Benue, Taraba, Southern Kaduna and other communities in Plateau State.
The most harrowing experiences were the way and manner provisions of zoning and rotation of elections and political parties’ positions were trampled and jettisoned in the major political parties, as the elections drew near. Buhari chose Ahmad Lawan, last Senate President to be his anointed replacement, but Tinubu overwhelmed all the other APC Presidential Aspirants which led to Dr. Ogbonnia Onu openly at their Convention, calling for equity and justice regarding fielding a Presidential Candidate of Igbo extraction, which was totally neglected by the APC.
In the PDP Atiku Abubakar used Uche Secondus and Ike Ekweremadu to jettison zoning, rotation, fairness and equity to determine picking a Presidential Candidate for 2023. Bankrolling the entire process, beginning with election expression of interest form, which was purchased at the cost of N50 Million Naira, set to scare other Presidential Aspirants but despite efforts to defeat Atiku by Nyesom Wike, Aminu Tambawal turned all Sokoto State delegates to Atiku Abubakar which was based on ethnic Fulani and Muslim jingoism that turned the tide which gave Atiku a narrow victory margin. I was thus compelled, first as a Presidential Aspirant, and then as a faithful member, to withdraw my 23-years membership from the PDP, at that intrusion of several Northerners in opting for and running for President in 2023, despite that in 2019, non northerns did not participate at that Presidential election level.
Perhaps they thought and still believe, that Ibos would be an easy walk-over. The defeat of Tinubu in Lagos, by those opposed to the HEGEMONY of the North and some actively destructive elements in Yorubaland, led them to treat Ibos in the final elections of March 25, 2023, with the greatest disregard, disrespect and denial of fundamental federalist rights in the history of the country. IGBOS and their look-alikes were brazenly stopped from voting in that Governorship and State Assembly elections. The most grave evil was that no body in the body polity condemned or spoke about or against that historical aberration till date. Following from that, Ibos were attacked, killed and their wares and properties came under destruction and vandalism, by Yoruba and Northern thugs. The Police, the Security services and the military all stayed mum, and the Ibos had to fight back on their own to protect and defend themselves. Even the Attorneys General, through out Nigeria, not one raised or defended these atrocities against the Ibos.
QUESTIONS: citizens in a federal political entity denied the right to VOTE, are they still citizens of that entity? WIll IGBOS be permitted to ever VOTE again in future elections in Lagos? Will IGBOS forget or forgive these atrocious crimes against them? The answer to all these three questions is NO! The final seed sown to cement the call for Constitutional DISSOLUTION of Nigeria was, the URGENCY of the call on June 8, 2023, by Mudashiru Obasa, Lagos State House of Assembly Speaker that new laws would be passed to ensure IGBOS are stopped from acquiring more properties, businesses or voting influence in Lagos. Igbo properties and businesses have been bulldozed and destroyed in Lagos incessantly.
But for the distractions of Tinubu’s Presidential bogey, and quagmire, much more would have been done to disenfranchise all the IGBOS in Lagos, but a clear program of DOMINATION has been patterned in the political appointments of Tinubu, which has been more 80% in absolute unrepentant favor of Yorubas. The trend has been very remarkable and is the final nail on the coffin of an egalitarian federalist Nigeria. That HEGEMONY is for the enslavement of other ethnic groups and the DOMINATION of them, by Hausa-Fulani elements, and Yorubas. There are in truth a few Yorubas who have been unhappy and questioned these trends. But in the main, it has been defended by the greatest percentage, without dispute. Wole Soyinka, Peter Ayo Fayose, Femi Fani Kayode, and several other I highly respected and influential persons, have consistently spoken more in support, than against these trends. We therefore stand resolutely that Nigeria shall be DISSOLVED constitutionally. No violence, not armed insurrection, or destructive actions or activities, aimed at the destruction of all that we have achieved since 1970 when the last war ended in Nigeria. We choose and opt, peacefully, to leave the entity called NIGERIA.
INEVITABILITY OF DISSOLUTION: LIKE THE SOVIET UNION , LIKE NIGERIA
It was 34-years ago that the Soviet Union, super-power and the major challenger of US military might collapsed. The DISSOLUTION was dialectical, social, unstoppable and constitutional, despite the military might of the Communist Party, even the soldiers knew that the force of social change was such that nothing could stop the dissolution of that Union. Nigeria has been in the same light, vein and position for more than 10-years: cosmetic amendments have not and will not suffice or stop the process. On December 21, 1991, 15-Republics became independent new countries from the Soviet Union. Some were formed early as the Union disintegrated very late in 1989, especially for those that were proactively constitutionally prepared. Others joined much later but even after more than 3-decades, the process has been ongoing still. But see how better and more stable and developed they have turned out. Nigeria shall not be any different. The consolation is that the early vision, hard work, kind disposition and magnanimity of the Founding Fathers of the ECOWAS Treaty and Protocols of 1973, have engraved the pathway for the imminent dissolution and progression of Nigeria. The harder Tinubu, or anyone else for that matter, such as Atiku Abubakar, Kwnkwaso etc tries to continue the existence of Nigeria, it will only work for those who wish to remain in the entity. On our path, we wish to reiterate that Nigeria cannot be remedied: the ethnic, religious and constitutional structures of the system promotes endemic bribery and corruption, which engenders social crimes, economic thievery by politicians, bankers and contractors; despoils export of minerals such as crude oil, gas, gold, limestone etc; the inordinate ambitions for ethnic, religious and Fulani DOMINATION; endemic violence, kidnappings, irredentism, sectarian ethnic cleansing seen in Southern Kaduna (Zango Kataf especially), and in the Middle Belt; hyperinflation and ever rising cost of living; digression of education and medical services; stealing of funds meant for infrastructures such as ELECTRICITY, ROADS etc, including yahoo-yahoo by young adults. For all those clamoring to replace Tinubu, they have no plans to overcome and overwhelm all the negative and evil practices and forces listed above. Read their 2023 Presidential election campaign programs, and see that they are not different from Tinubu’s ; 129-days of the implementation of Tinubu’s policies, Nigeria has fallen into an abyss that only the following can help ameliorate and create for the populace:
SOLUTION –
1. the military and security services in Nigeria must remain fidel to the populace and stay aloof and not interfere
2. Elders and politicians known with high integrity and reputation will continue the process of negotiations, to dissolve, and articulate the actual process of dividing the assets, financial liabilities and outstanding monetary balance of the Treasury
3. agree on modalities of reintegration of administrative personnel or resources from the prior entities, namely federal and the States
4. ethnic nationalities will strive on their own to re-constitute and align themselves as part or into new republics
5. agree, all, to adopt the ECOWAS Treaty and Protocols of 1973, in the highest interest of the West Africa region, to sustain easy sojourn, movement of peoples, goods and trade, at minimal considerations
The coming months will be most trying for the peoples of this entity and territories amalgamated by Frederick Lugard since 1914. Honest and resolute leadership and dispositions, from politicians and the populace, especially the women and youths, is the only way to resolve all the ills that plagued the country and peoples for the past 122-years. It is in not striving to usurp these Civil powers that solace will be achieved. We must be instructed by the lessons, experiences and histories of Somalia, and Sudan, so that posterity will hold us highly, when we will no longer be here. We have done a lot of wrongs and deviousness already. We must remain resolute!
Signed:
Dr. Orefo Nnamdi Onochie
Chairman-Convener
NACOPPIN NIGERIA 2023
