VIEWPOINT: HOW IBRAHIM BADAMOSI BABANGIDA STOLE $12.5 BILLION GULF WAR WINDFALL

      

          CC™ Flashback

             By Babs Ajayi

The subversive element hounded out of Nigeria is now after his old taskmasters. Not because he hates them but because he detests what they stood for: greed, selfishness, arrogance and wickedness against their own people, against humanity and against a nation that trained and equipped them. The years when intellectuals and scholars were literally driven out of Nigeria marked the gradual but steady exodus of most of Nigeria's best brains to the West. Ultimately, the goal was to frustrate them, shut them up through regular harassments, detentions, unpaid salaries, manhunt of teachers right inside the university campuses, government-sponsored suspensions, demotions, and finally rationalization of academic staff and positions.   At the University of Ibadan the situation was so bad that many academic staff members who refused to be gagged by the brain-dead (to use his word) illiterates who stole Nigeria and presided over it the way a crocodile preside over its prey, made it a point of duty to go round the campus with their toilet bag in tow. The Men State Security Service (SSS) invaded the campus. The students' union was infiltrated and its Students' Representative Council (SRC) meetings were not spared. The situation at the Ahmadu Bello University was no different. The academia were molested and tortured. Unholy visits at nocturnal hours became a regular experience. Pains and anguish were all the dictator, Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida, the International Bad Boy (IBB) was prepared to offer our institutions of higher learning. The pen of the teacher terrorized the dumb dictator so much he became jittery. At that point any conceivable and imaginable excuse to Shuggabilize and deport/get rid of any perceived and presumed subversive element was considered good enough. The pen and words of the Bala Usmans, the Patrick Wilmots, and many of their compatriots in Zaria were too strong for the bad boy to cope with. He was afraid of revolution and was determined to wipe out the opposition. The fight against subversive elements is nothing but a retrogressive battle to silence the only credible opposition that has stood its ground against a corrupt and illegitimate regime with suspected involvement in drug trade and other related offences.    When the plan to rationalize academic programs were forced down the throats of the deadbeats at the National Universities Commission, then chaos became the order of the day on our campuses. I could not believe the rumour that a leading literary critic of international standing at the University of Ibadan was to be rationalized! I had met the Olohun-Iyo, as he is fondly called, a few times and had invited him to deliver a lecture at one of the English Club (the association of English students at UI) lectures. The erudite teacher did not wait for the rumour to turn to reality before relocating to Europe where he resumed his academic exploits and made more mark. With the firm and wicked determination of the cretin and his spineless sidekicks to "deal ruthlessly" with the universities and the academics came the gradual degeneration of our campuses. He starved them of funds and succeeded in making them ineffective. He has not attended one and did not know nor understand what value they add to society and humanity. Today, one of the most abused and dehumanized of the group of subversive elements, Dr. Patrick Wilmot is still actively on the case of the "brain-dead generals" who milked Nigeria into a state of economic depression and her citizens into poverty and darkness. Married to a Nigerian and a patriot of the highest standard, the Junta did not feel comfortable with him, his writings and his presence. He was declared unfit to live in Nigeria, at least he is not a Nigerian, but Patrick Wilmot showed much love, devotion, and concern for the plights of the common man and the voiceless in Nigeria than a million Babangidas ever did. For Babangida everything began and ended in his pocket and he is yet to account for the over 12 billion dollars from the Gulf War windfall. Dr. Wilmot -through his article Truth and Fiction - just surfaced (I have heard nothing about him in years) in The NewsAfrica magazine edition of June 30. From his piece it was clear the man had moved on into bigger things; Patrick Wilmot just refused to go away, a nightmare for Ibrahim Babangida and his lieutenants who rode rough shod over the nation of Nigeria and treated her like a fiefdom. Accused of teaching what he was not paid to teach and trying to overthrow the government (with his pen and paper!), Dr. Wilmot was removed just like that. His removal did not bring peace to IBB. He had Dr. Attahiru Jega, Professor Olorode, Dr. Idowu Awopetu, Dr. Festus Iyayi and many other ASUU leaders to contend with. It is on record that it was only ASUU that defeated, disgraced and humiliated Ibrahim Babangida and his mis-government, making it clear that the word is mightier than the sword. ASUU broke his back and taught him a lesson from which he refused to learn anything, the drop out and apprentice soldier who pretended to be something.

Brazil is reviving a 2008 fraud case against lying George Santos

CC™ Global News

By Tom Porter

 Rep.-elect George Santos will take his seat in Congress on Tuesday facing a renewed fraud investigation by Brazilian authorities.

A spokesperson for the Rio de Janeiro prosecutors office told The New York Times that authorities will be reviving a 2008 fraud case, which they dropped more than a decade ago after failing to locate him.

Now that Santos' whereabouts are known, they are set to contact the US Justice Department and seek his formal response to allegations, the outlet reported.

The Times, citing court records, said that the fraud case stems from a visit Santos made to a clothing store in Niterói, a city outside of Rio de Janeiro, where he allegedly paid for $700 of goods using a stolen checkbook, using a fake name.

Prosecutors in Brazil charged Santos with embezzlement over a decade ago, but the case was archived in 2013 because Santos could not be found to answer a court summons.

The investigation comes as Santos is set to enter Congress under suspicion that he fabricated vast swaths of his resumé and personal history, including about his education and employment history.

Santos flipped a Democratic seat in New York to help Republicans clinch a narrow House majority in the November midterms.

Santos is also under suspicion over claims he made about his family history, including that his family fled the Holocaust as Jewish refugees, and over claims he lost employees in the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting in Florida. Neither appears to be true.

Santos has admitted to making false claims about his education and career.

"My sins here are embellishing my resume. I'm sorry," Santos told the New York Post.

Santos added that he has never been charged with a crime in Brazil, or anywhere else.

"I am not a criminal here – not here or in Brazil or any jurisdiction in the world. Absolutely not. That didn't happen."

Insider has contacted an attorney for Santos for comment.

The US attorney's office in the Eastern District of New York is also investigating Santos over his financial affairs, with the Nassau County district attorney investigating him over unspecified alleged fabrications.

Source - Business Insider

Buhari's killing fields as former Central Bank of Nigeria official and wife murdered in gruesome style in their own home

The murdered couple pictured here

CC™ Global News

By Sowunmi Sowemimo

Assassins on Sunday murdered Kehinde Fatinoye, a staff of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN.

Fatinoye was killed alongside his wife, who was until the incident a Principal Confidential Secretary at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, FUNAAB.

CC™ gathered that the unknown persons had stormed the Ibara GRA residence of the couple at a time they just returned from the New Year crossover service.

A source revealed that the couple were killed and set ablaze by their assailants inside their house.

Also, the couple’s son and domestic staff were reportedly taken away by the assassins.

Ogun State police spokesman, Abimbola Oyeyemi, confirmed the incident, saying: “It is true the incident happened. Investigation has commenced. Somebody has been arrested in connection with the incident. The man and his wife were killed and we are yet to find their child who was taken away.”

He further confirmed: “The incident happened after 12 in the morning. This is a clear case of assassination and we are not leaving any stone unturned to unravel those behind the killings.”

Stating the obvious: Santos should consider resigning, veteran GOP lawmaker says

Source: sipsip.com

CC™ News

By Hope Yen

Even as the House GOP leadership keeps silent, a veteran Republican lawmaker said Sunday that George Santos should consider resigning after the congressman-elect from New York admitted to lying about his heritage, education and professional career.

Texas Rep. Kevin Brady, a former House Ways and Means chairman who has served in Congress for 25 years, told “Fox News Sunday” that Santos would have “to take some huge steps” to regain trust and respect in his district. Santos is set to be sworn in Tuesday when the new Congress begins.

“This is troubling in so many ways. Certainly, he’s lied repeatedly,” said Brady, who is retiring from the House. “He certainly is going to have to consider resigning.” Brady said a decision about whether Santos steps down is one "to be made between he and the voters who elected him.”

In November, Santos, 34, was elected in the 3rd Congressional District, which includes some Long Island suburbs and a small part of the New York City borough of Queens. He became the first non-incumbent, openly gay Republican to win a seat to Congress. But weeks after helping Republicans secure their razor-thin House majority, Santos is now under investigation for fabricating large swaths of his biography. His campaign spending is also being scrutinized.

He has shown no signs of stepping aside. Last week, Santos was asked on Fox News about the “blatant lies” and responded that he had “made a mistake.”

The top House Republican, Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California, who is running to become House speaker now that the GOP will hold the majority, has not said what action, if any, he might take against Santos.

Brady said if he headed a committee that Santos was set to serve on, “right now, he would not be on the committee.”

The congressman also said that “we’re a country of second chances. And when people are willing to turn their life around and own up to this and do what it takes and earn respect and trust again, you know, we’re willing to do that.” Brady said he was hopeful that Santos "chooses the right path here.”

Questions were raised about Santos last month when The New York Times published an investigation into his resume and found a number of major discrepancies. Since then, Santos has admitted lying about having Jewish ancestry, lying about working for Wall Street banks and lying about obtaining a college degree.

Democrats are expected to pursue several avenues against Santos, including a potential complaint with the Federal Election Commission and introducing a resolution to expel him once he’s a sitting member of Congress.

Source - AP

Edson Arantes de Nascimento aka Pele: Rest in peace King Pele

CC™ VideoScope

White Privilege: Far-Right Activist Ammon Bundy Threatens ‘Shotgun’ Standoff Over Hospital Lawsuit

Daniel Acker/Bloomberg via Getty Images

CC™ News

By Kelly Weill

Six years after his last armed standoff with law enforcement, far-right leader Ammon Bundy appears to be threatening another armed action—this time over a lawsuit from an Idaho hospital he’s accused of harassing.

“They’re suing me for defamation. They’re probably going to try to get judgments of over a million dollars and take everything they have from me,” Bundy told the conservative Idaho Dispatch in a livestream video this week. “And I’m not going to let that happen. I’m making moves to stop that from happening. And if I have to meet 'em on the front door with my, you know, friends and a shotgun, I’ll do that. They’re not going to take my property.”

Bundy, who recently and unsuccessfully ran for governor of Idaho, rose to national fame during tense confrontations with federal law enforcement at his family’s Nevada ranch in 2014 and at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in 2016. Following those standoffs, Bundy launched the People’s Rights Network, a far-right activist group.

Bundy, the People’s Rights Network, and other associates are defendants in a lawsuit by St. Luke's Meridian Medical Center, which accuses the right-wing network of defamation.

In March, Bundy and the People’s Rights Network mobilized against the St. Luke's where Bundy claimed a baby had been “medically kidnapped [...] due to a missed non-emergency doctor’s appointment.”

Authorities disputed Bundy’s characterization of the case. The baby, a grandson of a People’s Rights member, was admitted to the hospital early that month for “severe malnourishment,” according to police. The 10-month-old gained weight in the hospital and was discharged with his parents, after which he “lost a significant amount of weight and the parents canceled the next follow-up appointment and could not be located.” The baby’s doctor, who was not affiliated with the hospital, reported concerns to Idaho’s Department of Health and Welfare, which flagged the baby as in “immediate danger involving a life threatening and/or emergency situation,” according to the hospital’s lawsuit.

After agreeing to another appointment and failing to appear, the parents allegedly refused to let police check on the child at home. The family was later found during a traffic stop and the baby was taken to the hospital, where he was treated for three days. The DHW returned him to his parents three days later.

During the baby’s hospital stay, Bundy and followers harassed staffers in an ambulance bay, leading to Bundy’s arrest for allegedly trespassing and resisting or obstructing officers. The People’s Rights Network campaign caused a security threat that sent the hospital into lockdown, during which it was unable to accept ambulances for an hour.

The Bundy network fabricated conspiracy theories about St. Luke’s and its staff, all while running fundraisers online, the hospital claims in its lawsuit. “These solicitations for charitable contributions were made based on defamatory statements about the St. Luke’s Parties and others kidnapping, trafficking, and killing children.”

The online campaign falsely accused the hospital of vaccinating the baby against his parents’ wishes, and claimed the baby had been forced to take “toxic poison” and “possibly could lose his life because of the decisions of people [at St. Luke’s] who don’t even care” about him. The campaign also singled out St. Luke’s doctors, whom it falsely accused of mass kidnapping.

“They told their followers to target the same individuals for doxing and harassment. Defendants mirrored false statements across the websites and social media they controlled,” the lawsuit reads. “Defendants also organized a campaign of technological disruption. They encouraged their followers to flood St. Luke’s phone lines and email inboxes in an effort to shut down St. Luke’s operations. Defendants’ followers jammed phone lines with menacing calls (including death threats), sent threatening emails, and sent spam to disrupt servers.”

St. Luke’s claims the defendants raised more than $115,000 from the protests.

Bundy, who did not return The Daily Beast’s request for comment, hasn’t been cooperating with the lawsuit. He’s skipped court appearances, including a September sanctions hearing. In his interview with the Dispatch, Bundy held up a stack of court papers and said he’s been throwing them in the garbage.

“I just throw it all away. I literally just take it from the mail and throw it in the garbage,” he said. “I haven’t responded one bit to them.” He added that “they have servers that come here all the time, knocking on the door, serving papers.”

St. Luke’s is seeking monetary damages from the defendants, which it says it will donate to the Children at Risk Evaluation Service. While it is unclear exactly how much the hospital will seek, it requested a sum total of at least $50,000, combined, from the defendants.

Source: The Daily Beast

Flashback: Buhari Is An Ethnic Bigot, Religious Fanatic – Bola Tinubu

CC™ Retrospective

Bola Tinubu, former Governor of Lagos State and leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, once described General Muhammadu Buhari as an agent of destabilization, ethnic bigot and religious fanatic who if given the chance would ensure the disintegration of the country, according to a Wikileaks transcript of a conversation between Tinubu and the US consul-general in 2003.

Tinubu disclosed this to the United States spy posing as the consul general – in a 2003 conversation- that Buhari should not be trusted due to his bigot tendencies. He pointed to Buhari’s tribalistic nature as potentially dangerous to the unity of Nigeria. In Tinubu’s summation, he stated: ‘Buhari and his ilk are agents of destabilization who would be far worse than Obasanjo.’ The conversation was recorded by the US Consul General and wired back to Washington DC for analysis. Of which, Wikileaks got a hold of the recorded transcripts and published the conversation.

Section 6 (C) reads “Turning to the presidential contest, Tinubu disclosed that he does not like President Obasanjo because he contributed to the end of democracy in Nigeria during his tenure as a military president and is now benefiting from that history. That said, Tinubu admitted that he and his party, the Alliance for Democracy, must support Obasanjo. Southwest Nigeria is Yoruba land and the President is Yoruba. Tinubu’s party had no choice since it has not fielded a presidential candidate. Moreover, Obasanjo is the only candidate who stands a chance of blocking his rival, General Muhammadu Buhari, whose ethnocentrism would jeopardize Nigeria’s national unity. Buhari and his ilk are agents of destabilization who would be far worse than Obasanjo. Tinubu and many other governors are therefore implementing a strategy to re-elect Obasanjo, partly in an effort to prevent Sharia from spreading. Tinubu predicted that the President will follow his own course, if re-elected, since he will not need as many friends the second time around.”

However, barely 11 years after, Tinubu and Buhari have forged an alliance to upstage the PDP government. The curious marriage between both men has got many tongues wagging. While some see the new Tinubu-Buhari liaison as a marriage of convenience just to undo the PDP, others expressed suspicion at the intent of Tinubu to sell Buhari to Nigerians this time round, barely one decade after he dismissed the leadership credentials of the former military dictator.

During his reign as Head of State, Buhari introduced a notorious decree to restrict press freedom, under which two journalists were jailed. He ruled with iron fist and was unable to reflate a sagging economy.

His attempts to rebalance public finances by curbing imports led to the closure of businesses and many job losses. The economy took a downturn as prices of goods rose, while living standards fell, leading to a palace coup by Gen Ibrahim Babangida on 27 August 1985.

INDEPENDENT

Northern and Southern Governors have banned open grazing in Nigeria

CC™ ViewPoint

By Femi Falana

At the virtual meeting of Northern Governors Forum held on February 9, 2021, the members unanimously resolved to ban open grazing. According to the communique issued at the end of the meeting, it was stated that the Forum noted with concern “the growing wave of insecurity in the country particularly as it relates to the circulation of unverified video clips on social media portraying violent attacks on persons in some parts of the country. Therefore, the forum called on political leaders to segregate between criminality and social groups in their domains with a view to treating criminals as   criminals.

The forum reiterated   the   condemnation of   every form of criminality whether from herders, hunters, or farmers occupying forest reserves illegally. It also noted with concern the tension generated by the eviction order issued to herdsmen in some parts of the country. And it  expressed concern that this is heating the already fragile security atmosphere with threats of reprisals which the Northern governors are working assiduously to contain.”

The forum also noted with concern that “the current system of herding conducted mainly through open grazing is no longer sustainable in view of growing urbanization and population of the country.”

Consequently, the forum resolved to aggressively sensitize herdsmen on the need to adopt new methods of herding by ranching or other acceptable modern methods.” The forum appealed to the Federal Government “to support states with grants to directly undertake pilot projects of modern livestock production that will serve as springboard and evidence for breaking resistance to the full implementation of new methods of livestock production (and) resolved to engage elders and youths in a robust discussion with a view to dousing the tensed security environment in the North and called on all the citizens of the north to continue to live in peace with all Nigerians irrespective of their origins and backgrounds.”

The forum stressed the urgent need for the Nigerian Governors Forum, NGF, to meet and discuss the issue holistically with a view to resolving all areas of misunderstanding and conflicts arising from these threats and suspicion for the sake of national unity.

In response to the call of the NGF for an urgent meeting, the Nigeria Governors Forum held a virtual meeting on February 11, 2021. At the meeting the 36 state governors agreed by consensus to end nomadic cattle rearing in the country in order to end the incessant violent clashes between farmers and herders. In the communique of the governors it was categorically stated as follows: “Following an update from governors on the various initiatives taken by state governments to address the rising insecurity in the country due to the   activities of herdsmen, members reached a consensus on the need for the country to transition into modern systems of animal husbandry that will replace open, night and underage   grazing in the country.”

It was further stated in the Communique that: “State   governments are encouraged to put in place systems to accelerate the grazing initiative of the National Livestock Transformation  Plan, NLTP and ranching in the country.” However, the Forum urged state governments to respect “the right of abode of all Nigerians and strongly condemns criminality and the ethnic profiling of crime in the country in an effort to frame the widespread banditry and the herders /farmers crisis.”

At its own meeting held at Asaba, Delta State on May 11, 2021,   the Southern Governors Forum reiterated the decision of the Nigeria Governors Forum to ban open grazing in the country. Curiously, Professor Usman Yusuf has condemned the decision of the Southern Governors Forum on the ban. Even though he did not condemn the decisions of the Northern Governors Forum and the Nigeria Governors Forum, Professor Usman has argued that the decision of the Southern Governors Forum could not be justified under the Land Use Act. Such divide-and-rule tactics are designed to further polarise the masses of our people.

In any case, the decision of all the   governors to ban open grazing is in line with section 1 of the Land Use Act which has vested the entire land in every state in the governors on behalf of the people. Accordingly, any person or corporate body that wishes to use land in any state is required to apply for a certificate of occupancy issued by the governor.

In the same vein, the power to approve the physical planning of the land in every state is the exclusive responsibility of state governments.  Furthermore,   forest reserves owned by state governments are equally regulated by laws enacted by the Houses of Assembly. Under such laws it is stipulated that it is a criminal offence to occupy any part of such reserve without authorization of the state government.

By the combined effect of the Land Use Act, Regional Planning laws and Forest Laws applicable in all the states of the federation. Thus,   pursuant to such laws the Federal Government has directed state governments to take charge of all the forests in all states. It is, therefore, grossly misleading to argue that herders have unquestionable power to graze their cattle on any land without the authorization of the appropriate authorities.

As I had repeatedly maintained, the worsening insecurity in the country, including the violent clashes between herders and farmers, can only be seriously addressed if policy makers are prepared to abandon primitive ideas and embrace scientific solutions. As far back as 2016, the Buhari administration had adopted ranching in place of open grazing on farmlands without the authorization of the owners. Unfortunately, due to pressure from some selfish interest groups the Federal Government abandoned the policy of ranching.

However,   the increasing wave of insecurity in recent times has compelled the Federal Government and all the state governments to make ranching as the cornerstone of the National   Livestock   Transformation   Plan. From the information at our disposal, not fewer  than 24 state governments have applied for the special grant earmarked for the establishment of ranches by the Federal Government.

No doubt, every citizen is entitled to the fundamental right to freedom of movement and right to own and acquire land in any part of Nigeria by virtue of sections 41 and   43 of the Nigerian Constitution, respectively. To that extent, herders, like other citizens, are at liberty to acquire land for cattle business under the Land Use Act. But it is grossly misleading on the part of Professor Usman to say that governors are required to secure the permission of herders before banning the dangerous practice of open, night and underage grazing.

Those who are encouraging herders to reject modern animal husbandry are advised to learn from Botswana, South Africa,   Mozambique, Kenya and Ethiopia that have effectively adopted ranching to end clashes between herders and farmers. In those countries, farmers live in the ranches with family members, including their children and wards who attend schools in the neighbourhood.

*Femi Falana, SAN, is Interim Chair, Alliance on Surviving COVID – 19 and Beyond, ASCAB.

2022 Mercedes MAYBACH S V12 in Beautiful Details

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Elon Musk warns his Starlink satellite in Ukraine may be targeted by Putin

 CC™ Global News

SpaceX chief Elon Musk warned that there is a high chance that its Starlink satellite broadband service could be "targeted" in Ukraine, which has been hit by Russian invasion.

"Important warning: Starlink is the only non-Russian communications system still working in some parts of Ukraine, so probability of being targeted is high. Please use with caution," Musk tweeted.