Innocent Ojefia Blog

When economic syrups do not improve the health of a diseased economy, the medicine can be best described as fake, substandard, and voodoo-ish. Nigeria ‘exited’ recession in September 2017. At the time, the government made exorbitant promises, and bragged that it “rescued” the economy from the buccaneer manifestations of the Jonathan administration. I remember, Lai Mohammed, minister of information, made this a refrain at every official event. But months after the ‘exit’, the economy has not improved. And there are no pointers to marginal economic recovery. I will not buy that economic bullshit that ‘there are significant improvements, but that they will become visible in another one or two years’, because the government has sustained this lie for three years. How has the economy improved? A dollar is still 360 naira; a depressing hike from the N167 under President Jonathan. Unemployment figure is at its highest. In its last published data on unemployment figu...

President of International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF), Lord Sebastian Coe has described the Africa Senior Athletics Championship (ASAC) as an event cherished a lot by lovers of sports. Speaking when he paid a courtesy visit on the Governor of Delta State, Senator Dr Ifeanyi Okowa yesterday (31/07/18), the IAAF Chief, accompanied by the President of the Confederations of African Athletics, Hamad Kalkaba Malboum also, described Okowa as a visionary leader for accepting that Asaba hosts the championship which will see athletes from 52 African countries fighting for laurels from today at the Stephen Keshi Stadium, Asaba. According to Lord Coe, “this is an important moment for athletes all over Africa, the championship is something that we cherish a lot and this particular championship has produced great athletes who became world champions.” “IAAF is grateful to the host city, the state and the political leaders for their support towards the championship. Spo...

Delta State Peoples’ Democratic Party [PDP] Chairman, Barr Kingsley Esiso has condemned the recent impeachment galore and what the party termed repression of the opposition in the country describing it as an assault on the nation’s democracy. Speaking yesterday [ 31-07-18 ] in Asaba during the PDP stakeholders’ meeting  attended by top government functionaries including Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, National and State Houses of Assembly members, Political office holders and top party stalwarts, Barr. Esiso said that the country was descending into full blown autocracy. “PDP has become the party of choice for Nigerians as the Federal Government through its actions has decided to turn democracy on its head and descended into autocracy, more defections are coming even in Delta State”, he said, adding that the fever is catching up with the opposition in the state. Chief Esiso informed Party faithful that PDP National Executive Council has approved the process for the Party prim...

Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu has reportedly been held by the EFCC since 9a.m, Tuesday morning. He was reportedly called in for questioning as further information haven’t been made available as at press time. Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu has reportedly been with the EFCC since 9a.m, Tuesday morning. We do not know for what offence but he is still being interrogated at the Commission as at press time. More details to come…

Adams Oshomhole is a belligerent, gabby, shambolic cum egocentric character understandably desperate for attention since leaving office as Edo State governor. The Nigerian ruling party, APC has taken a toll since Adams Oshiomhole grabbed its leadership a little more than a month ago. Frankly, it has become obligatory to inform the chairman that he is becoming an embarrassment not only to his party but also the country. His persistent outburst against opposition figures only goes to show that Mr. Oshiomhole is not a democrat and lacks the intellectual capacity to lead a ruling party. If not, before rushing to the press, Oshiomhole ought to always have done some research on issues. Adams Oshomhole is finding it difficult to understand the political truth based on the following objective facts: 1)      President Muhammadu Buhari no longer has what it takes to lead a 21 st  Century Nigeria and is not supposed to be the nominee of any party ...

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC is once again demonstrating that it is an attack-dog of the Nigerian ruling party, All Progressives Congress, APC and is once more on a mission of carrying out a hatchet job against Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State. It is obvious that the hawks around President Muhammadu Buhari are afraid of Governor Ortom’s decamping to the opposition Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, hence the usual panicky measure of The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission linking Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State to an alleged fraud to the tune of N22bn, with the view to embarking on another round of media trial against the governor and his government. It is so funny and laughable that these characters in the APC government can’t even disappoint for once by being unpredictable. The game plan of those who want power in Benue State by force as well as those who do not want anyone to speak against President Buhari, that they see as a god, is to s...

When we wrote much earlier that the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nigeria’s ruling party was a coalition of strange bedfellows and a one-chance special purpose vehicle to get rid of President Goodluck Jonathan by all and any means possible, we were accused of sour grapes. When we argued even much earlier that Nigeria’s Presidential seat of power was jinxed and that there was and there is a spiritual side to power and politics in Nigeria, we were asked to shut up. The new power brokers were so much at home with their taken authority they boasted that no demons could touch them and that they were so self-secure, they were even snoring inside the Villa. Al- alhamdulillah, they have been snoring since then. They have allowed the demons to take charge and they have stubbornly refused to listen. When we wrote again that the APC was going to implode most certainly, and that the implosion was an accident waiting to happen, they turned around after the 2018 APC Convention to say that t...

The Presidency on Tuesday said there was no truth in the claims that President Muhammadu Buhari has a hand in the move by minority members of the Benue State House of Assembly to remove the state governor, Samuel Ortom. The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, said this in a statement made available to journalists. Adesina said Buhari would never be part of any unco nstitutional act. He added that any attempt to link the President with the inglorious past, when minority number of lawmakers removed governors, will not stick. The statement read, “Even while attending the ECOWAS/ECCAS Summit in Togo, strident attempts were being made to drag President Muhammadu Buhari into the unfolding drama between the executive and the legislature in Benue State. “Statements have been issued by different interest groups, insinuating that the President may have a hand in the development in Benue. “This is paranoia at its worst, coming from people ...

  Gradually, we are descending into a Dictatorship, which should not be, since we are not under the Military. If APC is popular, do they need force to coerce Nigerians into voting for their failed messiah? This is an administration which came into office with the mantra of CHANGE but has found it difficult to transcend the inglorious past and keeps comparing itself with all the failures and evils of the past. Adams Oshomole is gradually destroying democracy and APC in less than a month he assumed office due to lack of leadership skill, arising from his dictatorial tendencies. The gangster operations in Benue State, which was led by AC OPS, Emmanuel Adesina saw minority members sitting without the mace and the clerk of the Assembly, suspending the majority 22 members and serving impeachment notice on Governor Ortom. It is equally embarrassing that a supposedly democratic government would resort to thuggish tactics where political engagement is needed. This is a thr...

Governor Samuel of Benue State, on Sunday, said that he was being persecuted by the Federal Government and his former political party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), because he refused to surrender Benue lands to Fulani herdsmen. Governor Ortom stated this at St. Michael’s Catholic Rectory Ameladu during a thanksgiving service in his honour. Heinsisted that the agenda of the invaders was not for grazing but to take over the land from the real owners. Governor Ortom, while stressing that he would never be party to such  evil  agenda, however, reassured the people of the state of his administration’s commitment to protecting their interests no matter the  level  of intimidation and threats.  He maintained that his defection from the ruling APC was in rejection of a political party which treats the killing of his people with kid gloves, saying he could not remain in a party encouraging the killing of his people. Ortom acknowl...

The Benue State Governor has just been served an impeachment notice by the State House of Assembly pursuant to section 188 of the 1999 Constitution. The Speaker has reeled out what they term ' gross misconduct against the governor, ostensibly to satisfy the requirements of section 188. Impeachment is primarily a constitutional safeguard to check the excesses of the Executive. But in Nigeria, it is used mainly to settle political scores. It is the wand used as a last resort to annihilate an adverse executive, especially when a simmering beef has gotten to a head. The pertinent questions are: exactly at what point did the House come to the realisation of gross misconduct and misappropriation of funds against the Gov. Ortom? Is it not curious that this is coming just after the Gov's defection? Will Gov Ortom's name even feature prominently in the list of profligate governors in Nigeria? Where were these same guys when the Gov was frustrated and became helpless a...

Eight of 30 lawmakers of the Benue State House of Assembly has served impeachment notice on Governor Samuel Ortom. The eight lawmakers also took control of the premises of the state parliament with the support of the police, Tahav Agerzua, a spokesperson for Mr. Ortom said. “They have taken over the House of Assembly and served the governor an impeachment notice despite a court order forbidding them from doing so,” Mr. Agerzua told PREMIUM TIMES by telephone. Mr. Agerzua said George Akume, a former governor and APC senator from the state, brought police officers from Abuja to use eight lawmakers to impeach a governor in a House of 30 lawmakers. The crisis came a few days after Mr. Ortom defected from the APC to the PDP. It also came days after 23 PDP lawmakers impeached Speaker Terkimbi Ikyange. He was accused of failing to carry other members along in legislative activities. Mr. Ikyange, who remained in the APC despite the recent mass defection of his colleag...

As we look towards the 2019 general elections, it is necessary to evaluate the chances of the candidates of opposition parties, especially PDP.  Several aspirants are presently jostling to be the candidate of the PDP but for now, Atiku and Kwankwaso occupy the elite position. Let me state right from the get-go, for transparency purpose, that I am very much aligned to Kwankwaso (aka RMK).  RMK did immensely well as Governor, particularly during his second inning.  Kwankwaso is an immensely smart politician.  My goodness, you just need to listen to him woo the crowds (in his native lingua....he is not as mesmerizing in the language of the Queen, and you will know what I mean.  He merited membership of Kano's elite club of finest Governors...populated by (only) the fabulous duo of Audu Bako and my most-beloved Rimi.   Kwankwaso is easily the most popular politician in Kano (and one can argue for most part of Naija's north).  The sea of pe...

  Following the defection of the former governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso, from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), his spokesperson, Binta Spikin, has said that President Muhammadu Buhari will not win in Kano State in the 2019 general election. The spokesperson said this to PREMIUM TIMES while reacting to Transportation Minister, Rotimi Amaechi’s comment on Mr. Buhari’s chances in the poll. According to Punch Newspaper, Mr. Amaechi had on Friday said Mr. Buhari will win in Sokoto, Kano and Bauchi States in the 2019 general elections even if he was taken to the states “on a sick bed”. Mr. Amaechi also said the governors of Sokoto and Kwara states, Aminu Tambuwal and Abdulfatah Ahmed, will leave the APC. “On those that defected at the House of Representatives and Senate, where do they come from? They come from areas that the President is comfortable. Do you honestly believe that the President will lose the election in...