I’m back to land of the living – Fani-Kayode regains freedom from EFCC custody

Mr. Femi Fani-Kayode, a former Minister of Aviation and former spokesman of the Goodluck Jonathan 2015 presidential campaign organization, was Friday evening released from detention after meeting his bail conditions.

Fani-Kayode who has been in detention since his arrest on May 9, 2016, in Abuja said "I am back to the land of the living.

“It was quite an experience. I am very happy to be a free man again.

“My appreciation goes to all Nigerians that showed concern, my friends and family, the media and above all, God almighty”.

ARMS SCANDAL REPORT NOT DOCTORED – FG

The Federal Government in a statement issued in Abuja on Friday denied insinuations that the report of the Presidential Committee on the Audit of Defence Equipment Procurement in the Armed Forces (2007-2015) was doctored for whatever reason.

Speaking through the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the Federal Government said what has been released so far is the report of the audit covering the period 2011 to 2015, adding that the Committee would commence the audit of procurement from 2007 to 2010 as soon as the necessary documents are available.

''When the documents regarding procurement from 2007 to 2010 are available and scrutinized, the committee will then issue its report on that. The audit is being done on phases, and the report that was released on Thursday is the third of such,'' the Minister said.

''No one should attempt to distract from the seriousness of the issues involved in this audit of defence equipment procurement. It is important to note that even though the total amount spent for procurement and operations within the period were N185,843,052,564.30 and $685,349,692.49, the irregularities in the awards ensured that the military did not get value for money, with very serious consequences,'' the Minister said.

I Support Biafra For Justice – Wole Soyinka

Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has voiced his support for the Republic of Biafra, stressing that the Igbo people have been brutalized and they deserve justice.

Soyinka, a seasoned writer, in an interview with Al Jazeera stressed that “I don’t agitate on some certain entity called a nation; I agitate on humanity.”

In his words, “I am very much pro- Biafra because I recognise that the Igbos have been wronged desperately.

“They have been brutalised in a way that justifies their feeling that they were not part of the nation.

“Let me also say this, Biafrans are not entirely innocent in this affair. They were not, but the unleashing of such venom, such devastation on them as a people, was sufficient to justify their decision not to be part of the nation.

“I was pro-Biafran in the sense that I felt that they needed justice.”

The Professor criticised officials for removing history and teaching of the Biafra crisis from the curriculum, stating that “Officials do not want to confront their own history, especially the history in the making of which they feel uncomfortable but, if you do not confront your past, you are going to mess up your future.”

POLITICS: TENSION IN PDP RISES AS SHERIFF TAKES OVER PDP HEADQUARTERS.

Alhaji Ali Modu Sheriff the ousted National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Monday returned to the national secretariat of the party to resume official duties.

Sheriff stormed the party’s office in company of the erstwhile National Secretary of the party, Prof. Wale Oladipo, ousted National Auditor, Alhaji Adewole Adeyanju and a former presidential aide, Ahmed Gulak, among other supporters.

When the party chiefs attempted to enter the building as early as 9:00am, they were blocked by policemen manning the gate, apparently on the orders of the Ahmed Makarfi -led caretaker committee.

Unperturbed by their actions, Sheriff went to confer with the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase, at the Force Headquarters and got permission to be allowed into the building. 

Briefing journalists on arrival at the secretariat, Sheriff said his tenure as chairman remained valid till December 2018, dismissing the caretaker committee as an illegally constituted body.

“After due consultations with serious minded stakeholders of the party and my lawyers, against the background that I have remained committed to lawful procedures, I have come, fully armed with all the necessary court orders to resume as national chairman, as directed by a court of competent jurisdiction.” He said.

Also speaking, the ousted chairman said, “As we settle down to move the party forward, we wish to call on all party members within and outside the country to come around so that we can together reposition the PDP for future challenges.”

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