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‘INEC In Akwa Ibom State Is Biased And Working For The PDP’ -Forum of All Political Parties In Akwa Ibom

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6 years ago

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LET’S PAUSE AND REFLECT

The text of a press conference held in Uyo by the Forum of All Political Parties in Akwa Ibom State, following the postponement of the 16 February 2019 elections

Gentlemen of the Press,

As you may all be aware, the general elections that were to kick off on Saturday, 16 February 2019 have been moved forward by one week. The rescheduling came as a surprise and with a huge cost to us; we were ready as a party for the elections. INEC has said the elections were postponed to get the logistics right in order to deliver a free, fair and transparent elections. In light of the explanation by INEC, we as Political Parties have accepted the cost incurred as a necessary sacrifice for the good of our democracy.
Let us take the advantage of this pause on the road to thank God whose grace and protection have seen us thus far in the Akwa Ibom Project.

We want to also thank the good people of Akwa Ibom in general and members and supporters of our parties in particular who have remained loyal to the cause in the past months in spite of many challenges as we keep up the good fight to recover and redeem our dear state. We urge them to remain mobilized and ready until the job is done.
We want to take note of the work of members of the security services and urge them to exercise professionalism in the discharge of their duties in the state.
Permit us to place on record the support of leaders of our various Parties. Their support in the form of good counsel and contributions in material terms have helped the us to cope with many hurdles that have confronted the parties in the cause of this project. However, many challenges remain and must be addressed for us to achieve our set objectives.

INEC AND THE IMPERATIVE OF FAIR UMPIRE

We have had cause in the immediate past to call attention to the failure of the INEC leadership in the state to inspire the confidence of all parties in the political process by reason of the actions of the Commission and the utterances of its leaders.
INEC has betrayed unbridled partisanship through the selection of its ad hoc staff, some of whom are drawn from the employees of the Commission, contrary to extant practices and institutional requirements.
Through connivance with the state government, all the ad hoc staff of the Commission is made up of loyal members and supporters of the PDP.
In addition, the Commission has acted as though it were part of the Government House in Uyo. In spite of our representations to the head office of the Commission in Abuja, nothing has been done to allay our concern that the INEC office in Akwa Ibom State is not a fair umpire and cannot deliver a free, fair and transparent election because it is partisan and in bed with the ruling PDP government in the state. This anomaly must be addressed.

SECURITY THREAT

Just as we warned of the partisanship of the election umpire, we had raised the alarm that the PDP and the state government stockpiled arms and recruited thugs and terrorists to be used to rig the elections. What happened on the eve of the now rescheduled 16 February 2019 elections proved beyond reasonable doubt that the alarm we raised was not unfounded. On the eve of the first scheduled sets of elections, the Police arrested more than 500 thugs in various parts of the state. Confessions by the captured criminals showed clearly that they were brought into the state from other parts of the country by PDP politicians. The thugs were arrested with sophisticated arms and ammunitions.
At this point, we want to register our appreciation to the security forces who averted a bloodbath through their quick and precision strike to neutralize the threat posed by the infiltration of the dangerous criminals into the state by leaders of the PDP.
However, our concern over security as we approach the rescheduled election is more structural. Field reports from our men on the eve of the rescheduled elections show that there were no visible deployments of security forces in the state. This smacks of sabotage. What was worse, the state Commissioner of Police actually disarmed the tactical command of the Force and redeployed them elsewhere. That kind of inadequate attention to security at a critical period like election season is an open invitation to trouble from elements such as thugs and anti-social elements who flooded the state on the eve of the elections.

1000 VOTE DEFENDERS

We want to call attention of the security agencies and members of the public in general to the open boast by the State Governor, a boast well reported in the mainstream media, that he had made provisions for ‘1000 vote defenders’ for each polling unit during the elections. Since the state has 2980 polling units, the governor would have to use ‘2,980,000 vote defenders.’ I want to ask the security agencies and the public at large to see the connection between that boast by the governor and the flooding of the state on the eve of the rescheduled elections with thugs and terrorists imported from other states in the nation. It is common knowledge that most of the polling units in the state cannot boast more than 500 people. So where was the governor going to get his ‘1000 vote defenders’ from? The answer to that query lies in the importation of thousands of thugs and terrorists into the state by the PDP government. The Udom Emmanuel administration is thus a direct threat to the sanctity of the forthcoming elections and therefore to our democracy. Given the immunity enjoyed by the governor until he leaves office, we call for immediate arrest and prosecution of all those who work with him to endanger the state with industrial scale importation of nearly three million thugs and terrorists deceitfully spoken of as ‘vote defenders.’

PROSECUTION

We demand a thorough investigation of those thugs with the purpose of determining who brought them into the state. We also demand that the criminals and their sponsors should be promptly prosecuted in accordance with the extant laws of the land.

NEED TO BEEF UP SECURITY

Given the unprecedented security threat in the immediate build-up to and during the first scheduled elections, the need to enhance security to avert a bloodbath in the state and guarantee free and fair elections cannot be overstated. We are therefore calling on the National Security Adviser, the Inspector General of Police and the Director General of the DSS to take a peculiar look at Akwa Ibom State, and accordingly beef up security in the state with more police personnel, more DSS operatives and more armed forces personnel. The level of threat in Akwa Ibom State, given the number of thugs arrested on the eve of the first scheduled elections, shows that we cannot make too much provision for security in the state.

EFCC AND CASH SEIZURE

We received report that during the week leading to the first scheduled elections, the EFCC intercepted a cash haul of N1.3 billion moved from the state government accounts at Heritage Bank, intended to be used to bribe INEC officials and for vote buying in some parts of the state. We call on the EFCC to clear the air on this report.

VOTE BUYING BY STATE GOVERNMENT

As reported under the EFCC cash seizure above, the State Government is using state funds to indulge heavily in the criminal practice of vote buying at N10,000 per voter in all the 2,980 polling units in the state.
In addition to the general vote buying, the State Government is busy mopping up PVCs in opposition strongholds through mindless financial inducement of voters to part with their voter’s cards at the rate of N50,000 per card.
We are hereby calling on all Akwa Ibom people not to sell their PVCs. The PVCs represent your power to change a government that has not helped you in any way and replace it with a government that will support your business, invest in your child’s education with bursary award and develop your communities.
We also want to call on the security forces to go after the criminals who are disenfranchising innocent voters by taking away their PVCs through a trick of a financial inducement.
Gentlemen of the Press, before we end this conference let me thank you too for your professionalism in reporting the events and issues that shape this election process. Your job is not yet done. We therefore look up to you for continuing show of professionalism in your work as members of the Fourth Estate of the Realm.
Again, we thank all stakeholders in the Akwa Ibom Project. Let’s continue to work together until the set task of rescuing our dear state from crass ineptitude is achieved.

Long live Forum of All Political Parties!!
Long live Akwa Abasi Ibom State!!
Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria!!!

Signed:
Association of Registered Political Parties in Akwa Ibom State

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Business

“AMCON MD In Trouble Over Keystone Bank Acquisition By Father In-law”, Isa Funtua

Published

1 month ago

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August 27, 2024

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Why Bank Customers Are Making Panic Withdrawals…

Following the controversy generated by the leading opposition party, the People’s Democratic party, PDP, over the alleged acquisition of Keystone bank and Etisalat by Alhaji Isa Funtua and the CEO of AMCON, Ahmed Kuru, President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered probe into the alleged fraud.

A highly placed source at the headquarters of the Economic and financial crimes Commission, EFCC yesterday told daybreak that the President was thoroughly embarrassed with the allegations linking him to the transactions.

According to the source, a discrete panel will be set up soon comprising of the Chairman of the EFCC, representative of the DSS, ICPC, federal ministry of Justice to look into the allegations.

The source further added that, both Isa Funtua, Ahmed Kuru, the governor of the central bank of Nigeria, CBN, Chief Godwin Emefiele and management Staff of the Keystone Bank and 9Mobile will be quizzed by the operatives of the EFCC for some interactions.

Recently, a mindboggling scandal broke out to public knowledge about how Keystone Bank and 9Mobile were acquired in controversial circumstances by the business interests of one Alhaji Isa Funtua, a close friend of President Muhammadu Buhari, via the instrumentality of Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON).

The PDP challenged the federal government to come out clean on what could be a serious dent on its anti-corruption stance, there is indeed no smoke without fire.

The leading opposition party also confirmed fact that the son-in-law of Isa Funtua, Ahmed Kuru, is the current CEO of AMCON.

Before him, the previous CEO, Chike Obi, was a first-class gentleman and technocrat who was strangely removed from office before the expiration of his term and was replaced with Kuru, the son-in-law of Isa Funtua.

Now, let us get into the insider details of how Funtua bought Keystone Bank and 9Mobile in the most bizarre of dealings that circumvent the laws of the land. Keystone Bank was sold by the current CEO of AMCON to his father-in-law, Funtua, without any AMCON Board’s approval and with the active connivance of CBN and NDIC at a grossly undervalued price of 25 Billion Naira. To put things in context, let us recall that Enterprise Bank was sold for over 60 Billion Naira and Mainstreet Bank was sold for over 100 Billion Naira under the former CEO of AMCON.

Before the sale of Keystone Bank to Isa Funtua, all bad debts in the books of the Bank were taken over by AMCON. So, it was a clean Bank with all the Assets and no Liabilities that was sold to the Buyers.

The Executive Management of AMCON was coerced into approving the transaction and those who were willing to submit a much higher bid were disqualified under a most opaque, suspicious process that lacks all transparency. The process was just manipulated in favour of the father-in-law of the AMCON CEO.

The Corrupt Payment for Keystone Bank The most disgusting part of the entire sale of Keystone Bank is how the 25 Billion Naira sales price was paid to AMCON.

The Isa Funtua Team paid 5 Billion Naira to AMCON, and then the balance of 20 Billion Naira was later paid through the most criminal and corrupt approach ever perpetrated by AMCON in favour of the Buyer. What happened was that AMCON moved 20 Billion Naira of their own funds as a fixed deposit at GTBank to Heritage Bank. Heritage Bank then paid the 20 Billion Naira on behalf of the Funtua Group to AMCON. In other words, AMCON used their own funds as a collateral for a loan to the Funtua Group for 20 Billion Naira!

When the Funtua Group took over Keystone Bank, they went borrowing immediately at the Interbank Market for 20 Billion Naira to refund AMCON’s funds. This has left a hole in Keystone Bank’s Balance Sheet and makes the Bank one of the most undercapitalized Banks in the Country as at today. The evidence of this highly compromised acquisition process can be obtained from the current and former staff of AMCON, from NDIC, CBN and from the current staff of Keystone Bank itself.

Another suspicious acquisition scandal surrounding the Funtua Group is about the untidy way 9-Mobile, formerly known as Etisalat, was bought. It is Mr. Adrian Wood of Teleology Holdings, a very sound telecoms professional, who collaborated with the Funtua Group for the acquisition of 9-Mobile.

The problem with their bid was the lack of a qualified Operator to support the bid which was one of the minimum conditions of NCC. Adrian Wood alone was not a substitute for an Operator.

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) gave several conditions that must be met by the Ultimate Buyer of 9-Mobile to ensure the protection of shareholders value, prevent loss of jobs, protect the telecoms industry from slipping into a crisis and ensure transparency and professionalism in the post-acquisition entity.
The conditions listed by NCC that must be met by the Buyer are Strong Telecoms Operating Experience, Strong Financial Capabilities, Strong Technical Knowledge and Strong Administrative Skills.
The first thing that happened once Teleology was announced as the preferred winner was that the Funtua Group edged Adrian Woods out of Management and turned him to an Insignificant Shareholder.

The second development was that the Funtua Group raided Keystone Bank again and forced the Bank to Pay 50 million Dollars as down payment for the acquisition of 9-Mobile.

The third issue was that Teleology Nigeria replaced Teleology Holdings to remove any influence of Adrian Woods from 9-Mobile totally. The fourth step taken the Funtua Group was to borrow 260 Million Dollars from African Exim Bank.

The fifth thing was to coerce NCC to approve the sale at all cost without meeting 90% of the conditions set up ab-initio by the NCC.

The sixth strange action of the Funtua Group was to force the board of NCC to approve the sale through the influence and pressure from the Presidency. And the seventh Funtua infraction was to use the influence of CBN to force the Banks to the table and waive their own conditions of sale of 9-Mobile to the Teleology Nigeria group.

Efforts to reach the acting Head media and publicity of Economic and financial crimes Commission,EFCC, Mr. Tony Orilade to confirmed the latest developments proved abortive as his lines were not connecting.

Source; The Capital

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News

‘Seye Will Return To Ilesa’! The Interview That Lands Lamidi Auxilliary In Trouble

Published

5 months ago

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May 22, 2024

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To the dethroned Oyo State Park Management System boss, Lamidi Auxilliary, it was like a bad dream when he was paraded by the police and charged to court recently.

 

Papermacheonline can reveal that the accused, a former aide of Governor Seyi Makinde landed himself in trouble after granting an interview where he threatened another top aide of the governor, Seye Famojuro and promised to reveal more in another interview.

 

Just some hours after the interview, Auxilliary was arrested by the DSS in his home at Olodo, Ibadan before he was later paraded and charged to court for murder, armed robbery and illegal arms posession.

 

A source hinted papermacheonline that Auxilliary’s threat to reveal more was like a death knell, explaining that he was the head of Governor Makinde’s ‘protection team’ and his decision to start granting interviews on radio is unacceptable. Again, the person he threatened, Seye Famojuro is the closest person to Governor Makinde.

 

The source furthermore explained ‘are you aware he just left the UCH some months ago? He was hit and injured by a car when he went to buy drugs, he almost died! So, we all wondered how he could get so silly and start granting interviews. He is just an illiterate and there are so many evidence against him’. The source revealed.

 

In the interview he granted to Media personnel, Ajibola Akinyefa, in the Yoruba Language, the former PMS chairman said, “If he (Famojuro) is the governor or Seyi Makinde is, we will know. It is just a matter of time. Everybody will face the consequences of their actions. The people he chose to manage the park are cheating themselves.

 

hen asked if it was his hooliganism that led to his removal, Auxiliary queried how many people reported that he beat them to the police.

He further said that Seye would still return to Ijesha because Ibadan is not his homeland.

 

 

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From Boardroom To Politics, Ex-First Bank Boss Eyes Oyo Governor’s Seat

Published

5 months ago

on

May 20, 2024

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Adesola Adeduntan, the erstwhile Managing Director of First Bank has been named as one of the would-be successors of the Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde come 2027.

 

The banker who was allegedly eased out of banking for some undisclosed misdemeanors is claimed to have began consultations as he charts a new path in politics.

 

Sources hinted that Adeduntan had been interested in an elective position but his participation was measured because of his banking career. But now, the coast is clear and he is already aligning himself with some stakeholders ahead of 2027.

 

A list of names including Ilaji boss, Dotun Sanusi, Taofeek Arapaja, Stanley Olajide and many more has features as interested minds gunning for the number one seat in Oyo, a list Adeduntan has recently joined.

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