The National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu, has mourned Senator Buruji Kashamu.

He paid tribute to the former lawmaker in a statement personally signed by him on Sunday, a day after the news of Kashamu’s death broke.

“I’m deeply shocked and saddened by the news of the passing of Senator Buruji Kashamu. He was a notable leader in the country and a true grassroots politician.

“He fought for the people of Ogun State and for his country. Senator Kashamu was also a good party man,” said Tinubu who was a two-term governor of Lagos State.

‘Be Kind To The Dead’

While paying tribute to him, Tinubu said Kashamu was unwavering in his support for his party, PDP, through all the twists and turns of his political life.

He lamented that his death was a big loss to the larger political family in the country, stressing that Kashamu worked assiduously to advance the political and economic fortunes of his state – Ogun.

The APC leader believes Kashamu represented, with merit, the Ogun East senatorial district in the 8th National Assembly and worked well for his constituents

He described the late senator as a kind and generous man, as well as a philanthropist in his own right and an astute businessman.

“I admire his political doggedness and sagacity, and his steadfastness in pursuing whatever he believes in, though we were never in the same political party.

“His passing has lengthened the grotesque list of important personalities that have been lost to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is also a sad reminder that the deadly virus remains very much with us,” the former governor said.

He added, “We must all continue to embrace all the protective protocols recommended by the government and health authorities, even as we gradually begin the reopening of our economy and return to a new normal in our lifestyles.

“Again, Kashamu’s sudden death has demonstrated the transience of human life and rekindles the fact that death is inevitable for every mortal. As such, it behooves on us to be kind to the dead.”

Tinubu, therefore, condoled with Kashamu’s family, particularly his wives, children and grandchildren, and prayed that Allah would lay his hands of protection on them.

He also sympathised with the late senator’s friends and associates across the country, as well as Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun and the people of the state over the loss.

…documents show four name variants

Running mate of the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the September 19 governorship election in Edo State, Gani Audu, is embroiled in a certificate forgery case, as documents submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) show discrepancies in his academic qualifications and other means of identification.

The discrepancies appear in a number of documents and show a trail similar to the inconsistencies found in the academic credentials of the sacked deputy governor of Bayelsa State, Biobarakuma Degi-Eremienyo, which caused the APC to lose the state after the Supreme Court ruled that his certificates were defective thereby nullifying the party’s ticket in that state’s recent governorship election.

To compound Audu’s woos, the Action Democratic Party (ADP) has instituted a court case at the Federal High Court, Abuja, seeking the court to disqualify the candidate of the APC as result of the defective certificates of his running mate.

The ADP is asking the court to rule that certificates submitted by Audu are forged and that he was not fit to stand for the September 19 governorship election in Edo.

In the documents, while Gani Audu swore to an affidavit submitted to INEC with his name as Audu Abudu Ganiyu, his other documents bear conflicting names.

A legal expert, Mr Blessed Omonuwa, who assessed the documents, said, “While his name on the affidavit is Audu Abudu Ganiyu, in his voter’s card, his name is Audu Abdul Ganiyu. Likewise, in his APC membership card, his name appears as Gani Audu. The WASSCE/GCE certificate he submitted bears Audu Ahudu Ganeyu.

“His APC membership card bears the name Audu Gani. The discrepancies are bewildering. The action violates section 182 (1) (j) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).”

“Hence, there is no way we can say that a person with this conflict of names is the same as the Gani Audu we see today on the campaign trail of the candidate of the APC.

“The only explanation one can hazard is that he may have used the academic credentials of another person and tried to pass off as that person.

“The case is watertight and may well spell the end of the APC campaign trail as they are sure to suffer the same fate as their party’s candidate in Bayelsa, who had similar liabilities in his certificate.”    | src: Vanguard

he Niger Delta Development Commission has again listed 23 companies that allegedly benefitted from contracts awarded by the commission.

A document sighted by SaharaReporters has names of companies allegedly provided by the National Assembly to the NDDC to award contracts before the lawmakers could harmonise the 2019 budget of the commission.

The contracts were awarded and paid between March 17 and 26, 2020.

The 23 companies got a total of N9trn contracts from the NDDC with the highest going to one Grandfox Global Services Ltd.

Grandfox Global Services Ltd was awarded the contract titled ‘Emergency at Ope Road Okigwe LGA’ and was paid 580,438,578, on March 17, 2020.

Also awarded contracts were Crism Constr. Building Ltd; Aritel Oil and Gas; and PDH Global Logistics Ltd, who got contracts of N561,592,377; N550,100,132; and N543,247,587 respectively.

Listed among the companies was also Webster Global Ventures Ltd, who allegedly got four contracts from the commission.

The contracts include instruction of emergency repairs of failed and unmotorable sections of Benin Township Road Lot 2 Oredo LGA for N357m; remedial works of failed and unmotorable sections of Akuku Illah Road Oshimili North LGA for N463m; remedial works of failed and unmotorable sections of New Ogorode Road Lot2 Sapele LGA for N466m and instruction for emergency repairs of failed and unmotorable sections of Abigborodo Road Lots 2 Warri North LGA for N466m.

But debunking the claims made by the Interim Management Committee of the NDDC, Webster Global Ventures Limited described its inclusion on the list of companies allegedly coerced to be paid by the National Assembly as a deliberate effort to destroy the company’s reputation.

It described the statement credited to the Acting Managing Director of the NDDC, Prof Kemebradikumo Daniel Pondei, as false, inaccurate and misleading, adding that the National Assembly never influenced any payment made to it by the NDDC.

Director of Operations of the company, Mr Opeolu Adarae, in a statement on Saturday said, "We are a company of international repute and no one should dent our image.

“The National Assembly never influenced payment made to our company because we completed all projects we handled. We have been in operations for more than 20 years and we have never been linked to any form of fraud as a corporate company.

"Nobody gave us any recommendation and we do not have any business with the National Assembly. As a matter of fact, the Executive Director, Project for the NDDC, Dr Cairo Ojougboh, inspected our project and certified it satisfactorily completed before payment was made."

Also debunking the claims by the NDDC, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, Chairman of the House Committee on NDDC, said the commission had been engaging in extra-budgetary expenses, adding that the agency had not been transparent with its budgetary spending.

He said, “All these things are just falsehood. The commission said they are old jobs and said the National Assembly asked them to pay for the old jobs.

“We did not get the job and we are only doing our jobs.

“As the legislature, we are supposed to be the one checking the excesses of the executive but they are trying to blackmail us.

“With what they are trying to do now, they are trying to blackmail us so they will have a free hand to do what they want to do.”

Oba of Benin, the Ewuare N’Ogidgan II, says the Palace does not meddle into partisan politics and has no special candidate when it comes to who will become governor of Edo State. 

The revered monarch stated this on Saturday when he received the All Progressives Congress’ candidate for the forthcoming election, Osagie Ize-Iyamu, and other governors elected under the platform of APC.

The entourage visited the Oba at his Palace in Benin City, Edo State, during the flag-off of the party’s governorship campaign in the state.

While praying for the APC’s candidate, Oba Ewuare, said the Palace of the Oba of Benin does not choose any side when it comes to politics, but can only go with the will of the Edo people.

“I want to stress that no matter what anybody might think, we will remain non-partisan because we are expected as we are perceived by our people, because of the expectations of our people, and because of the laid down rules and guidelines of our ancestors, we must be a father to everybody.

“We are not expected to lean either way to this or to that, to anybody, because we see every candidate as our children, so we pray for everybody. We can’t lean towards a particular candidate, however, only God and our ancestors, know the mind of man,” Oba Ewuare stated.

He, however, noted that the Palace has not been happy with the recent events in the state and he advised that everyone should pray for a peaceful election in Edo State.

“There is nothing as powerful as prayers. As you go about your campaign, go about it peacefully and without bitterness,” the Oba of Benin told members of the APC present at his palace on Saturday.

The Oba advised all players in the Edo political scene to avoid conflict as they go about their political campaigns, stressing that the Palace is not against any candidate and that when the people have chosen their leader via the ballot box, then it is only customary that he as king will pray for the chosen one so that the governor may succeed in office.