THE SIMILARITIES BETWEEN IGBO AND FULANI BY DR AUSTIN ORETTE

The more things look different, the higher the chances of finding similarities if we look closely. Those at the opposite end of the spectrum are mirror images. If we move too quickly, we are subjected to the parallax effect where everything is moving except us. In this scenario, we are not the cause but the effect.
I have lived with Igbo and Fulani people. As a student of behavioral science, I don’t see any difference in these groups. They may hate and admire each other but they are having the mirror effect on each other.
The Fulani people are fatalistic while Igbo are nihilistic. A keen observer can predict these groups in any given situation. The level of narcissism between these groups is superlative. The Fulani trust no one outside their conclave.
In the last election, the South-East gave 99% of votes to Mr. Peter Obi. At what point does self-love become injurious to the group? This is the question we can answer if we are able to calibrate the interactions that might be injurious to people who are not members of the group.
Igbo and the Fulani may differ in temperament, but their world view is the same. Both groups want the same results, but their methods are different. The Fulani people use religious manipulation while the Igbo people use manipulated commerce. At the end of the day, the objective is the same. They want to be in charge. The Fulani will boast of their piety while the Igbo people will brag about their wealth. The Fulani man tells us he is closer to God so he should be the head while the Igbo people will tell us God has blessed them with so much wealth so he should be the leader.
It is the failure to understand this mirror effect that has made some promoters of Fulani and Igbo agenda to jump to conclusion with emotional fervor.
The Igbo and the Fulani people were in alliance in the First Republic. Due to the oversized egos of these ethnic groups, Nigeria suffered a mortal injury. They were in Alliance in the First Republic and that Republic fell apart because they could not control each other and they could not control their basic instincts.
From this ancient grudge are the seeds of the new mutiny. The first person that told Nigerians that God bequeathed Nigeria to Igbo people for proper stewardship was Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe. Ahmadu Bello heard the speech and rephrased it and made it abundantly clear that Nigeria was the estate of his grandfather. The alliance between Igbo and Fulani was a marriage of convenience. Ahmadu Bello saw it as an opportunity to keep Igbo close so that he could put a check on their behavior. Nnamdi Azikiwe saw it as an opportunity to plant the Igbo people in every federal position to fulfill the manifest destiny of Igbo as ordained by God.
As soon as the alliance was formed, things fell apart and the nation was no longer at ease. The friction within this alliance was so bad that Ahmadu Bello had to remind Zik that it is the Prime Minister who is the Commander in Chief of the Army, and he was the only one who can give directive to the Army. When the name of Aguyi Ironsi was submitted to be the next Chief of Army staff, Ahmadu Bello vetoed it three times. Tafawa Balewa made a personal trip to Kaduna to accede on behalf of Ironsi. Ahmadu Bello reluctantly agreed and told Balewa that he is surrounded by Igbo, and he fears he will not be able to extricate himself from Lagos. He told him that the Igbo people in the cabinet are conducting themselves as if they were the senior partners in the alliance.
His worries came to pass, and the rest is history. Our democracy was derailed, and war ensued. When Ojukwu declared secession, he sent a message to David Ejoor who was the Governor of the MidWest Region that he was going to invade the Midwest region. David Ejoor pleaded with him that the Midwest region was neutral in the quarrel between Igbo and Fulani. Ojukwu ignored his plea and invaded the Midwest Region. Ejoor barely escaped with his life. Ojukwu appointed Colonel Okonkwo as Governor, and the Mid-west region became hell on earth. It was murder, rape and forcible conscription of the youth into the Biafran Army. Banks were looted and public institutions were vandalized. Nothing was sacrosanct.
Why kill us if you ask us to be in the same country of Biafra with you. What would we be if Biafra had prevailed? We could have been prisoners of war. If the Fulani people did this to us, the Igbo people will call it a Jihad. Nigeria has had an uneasy peace since the end of the war. There were some ill feelings between the Igbo and the Fulani, but it was not this palpable.
During the Presidency of Goodluck Jonathan, the Igbo people were a majority in his cabinet. The Fulani people were on edge. There was no Biafran agitation. Then Buhari came in and there was a sudden effervescence of bitterness and animosity. Why? The Igbo like the Fulani people have become uneasy because Buhari‘s compass only pointed North. His family was his cabinet. Suddenly, Nigeria became a zoo because the Igbo man was no longer in charge.
You can now see clearly the mirror effect. When the Fulani ran the North, all the important positions were occupied by the Fulani. When Igbo ran the East, all the important positions were occupied by the Igbo. The minority in the North suffered and the minority in the East suffered. It was the oppression by the Igbo that drove Southern Cameroon out of Nigeria. The minority in the East is uncomfortable with the Igbo and the minority in the North is uncomfortable with the Fulani. You can now see the similarities clearly.
The Fulani don’t see themselves as Nigerians because they colonized the North and no local force has been able to force them out. The administrative system of the whole North was put in place by the Fulani.
What is happening in the North is akin to apartheid. In their shrewdness, they tell the Hausa people that they are superior because they are Muslims. Igbo people regale others with their prowess as the richest people God created, and the minorities of the East are very lazy. This propensity to be crude and vulgar is no different from the Fulani who calls someone infidel and want the person to submit to his authority. The Fulani people have a sword, and the Igbo people have a machete.
Promoters of the Igbo agenda take affront to this comparison because in their world view, they placed themselves higher than the Fulani because of education. Education and civilization are not synonymous. Education makes you haughty. Civilization gives you the ability to adapt. They took offense because of this observation. Their offense is not about the observation. They take offense because one ascribes everything negative to the Fulani, and they see this observation as pejorative. That is on them for failing to see the kaleidoscopic mirage that have blinded them to see how they can forge a relationship that is not based on animus.
In our present Nigeria, we have to find a way to work together without distrust. The Fulani man sees himself as a colonial master. This leads to arrogance and aloofness that is offensive to others. On the other hand, the Igbo are the only tribe in Nigeria that never had any form of monarchy in their history. This led to a culture of individualism that could be injurious to group cohesion. This is why someone who calls himself an Igbo king does not understand the lack of etiquette in forming a kingdom under another kingdom. In the past, that is considered an act of war because you have to conquer the kingdom before you can set up your Royal lineage. This lack of awareness can only be celebrated by those who trivialize the culture of others. This is similar to the Sultan of Sokoto in telling Nigerians that Islam trumps our culture. The more things look different, the more they look the same. Be observant. The two regions that are very restive in Nigeria today are the North and the East. They are ready to destroy the edifice if their group is not in charge. You can you see the similarities now. The umbrage in the response by a promoter of the agenda of the two groups will be the same if a Fulani had replied. You feel you are superior, and the Fulani man feels the same. This egotistic behavior blinds them from seeing the ripples of their actions. This lack of self-reflection is the reason Nigeria is in a vicious cycle today. The Fulani people want Nigeria to be Arewa while the Igbo people want Biafra. This syndrome of atomization is the cumulative resultant forces unleashed by these ethnic groups.
We will never resolve this state of our entropy as long as these groups think the only way forward is to subjugate each other and the rest of us. The Igbo and the Fulani people are very much alike. Both have nomadic instincts. The Fulani people want a mosque in every corner. The South-East people want a shop in every corner. They don’t care about what the landlord wants. In the rare occasions when the landlord dares to suggest his existence, the Fulani will call you an infidel while the Igbos will call you Igbo-phobia. These groups have insularity built into their cultures with culpable deniability. It is more glaring with the Fulani people. This insularity is what makes assimilation with them almost impossible.
The Fulani people are trying their best to give the Igbos the Cameroon option while the South-East people are looking for a way to give the Fulani the minority option. Both groups are not in favour of structural reforms. The shared vision of both groups is to be allowed to roam in Nigeria without the encumbrance of local leaders. The Igbos will have Eze-Igbo in every village, and the Fulani man will roam his cattle everywhere and build his mosque in every village. This will make the needs of the locals subservient to their incursion because they will be protected by the federal might which they control.
DR AUSTIN ORETTE WRITES FROM HOUSTON TEXAS
CHAOS IN GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, ABUSE OF CITIZENS AND PRODUCTIVITY BY DR AUSTIN ORETTE
CHAOS IN GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, ABUSE OF CITIZENS AND PRODUCTIVITY BY DR AUSTIN ORETTE
This is not an endorsement of any leader in Nigeria. I have observed that Nigerians have formed a subculture of always complaining as a means of coping with the realities. My observation is that the blaming of leaders is a veritable past time in the country. I am beginning to see these complaints as a quarrel amongst accomplices. They robbed a bank, and the leader of the gang drove off with the loot in their getaway car and left them stranded. They cannot call the police, so they are left with the infighting which they consider as protest.
They start plotting who will hold the key in the next operation. The plot to be the driver in the next robbery is the cacophony we are witnessing daily. They put the blame on the leadership and exempt themselves from the rot within. In this confusion, they blame the wrong people for their woes.
Most of the people complaining don’t know the role of their governors, senators and local government chairmen. As soon as anything goes astray, they call Tinubu. This ignorance has allowed the governors and LGA chairman to operate under the radar.
What has Tinubu got to do with a house fire in Lagos or kaduna? The governors and the state assembly and local government chairmen are those responsible for policy implementation at the local level. This ignorance is costing the nation a lot.
Some of these critics don’t even know the kind of government we are running. They still think we are in the military regime. The president and the senate have not done anything to enlighten the people. Some of their actions like suspending governors and senators by fiat have given the impression that we are still in a military dictatorship.
Every Nigerian wants good leadership, but none wants to aspire to be good citizens. All the negative things perpetrated are done by regular people in Nigeria. These are the people who complain everyday about hardship in Nigeria. These people are those who show extreme wickedness when they are given a little opportunity to intercede in the affairs of their local communities.
Any encounter with these folks will lead you to the field of tears. They could be market women, police, Customs or regular soldiers; they become gods in their little domain. In this domain, they are very dictatorial, callous and imperious and exercise power with vehemence in their various jurisdictions. They make sure they inflict pain on you during any interaction.
From the trader selling fake goods at exorbitant prices to the policemen at the checkpoint, the rule is to dish out as much pain as possible. There is no sense of brotherhood. There is no sense of “we are in this together, let us help each other “.
Dishing out pain is the culture. You must pay before being served even when you have paid. This is the ugliness that hides behind these excessive criticisms of leaders. Anytime a Nigerian comes in contact with a government agent, it is time to be punished. There is no agency in Nigeria where those employed there don’t make the abuse of the citizens the metric of their productivity. Trying to get a driver’s license, you must jump through hoops, trying to get a passport is almost as bad as trying to obtain a visa to another country. In most cases, the visa ordeal is friendlier and there are no inducements involved. Trying to clear goods from a Lagos port is like squeezing through the eye of the needle. There are no rules and regulations, just chaos and cruelty that numbs the mind.
A lot of people choose to walk away from the abuse of the Customs and other various governments and their agents leaving their goods behind. Flying into Lagos airport is the worst ordeal. Every government agency is there including the touts from Iddo Park. They are trying to tell you they are there to hurt you. There is no cordial welcome.
There is nowhere in Nigeria the citizen does not try to erect his own obstacles. A visit to any government office to collect a document to verify you are still alive will lead to your death. You must pay before you die. This is Nigeria; don’t ask for a death certificate if you cannot afford to die. This is very sad.
Do we need many checkpoints with menacing police touting Ak47s on our roads? Are we at war? Why so many checkpoints? What is the relationship between checkpoints and crimes? Why are Nigerians criminalized and humiliated daily by agencies that are supposed to serve them?
The ordeal of being a citizen in Nigeria can drive one into a mental institution. Nigerians are resilient and quietly watch their country being turned into one huge mental asylum. The madness has become cultural. At the end, the extortionists get together and blame the leaders who are the product of their thievery. This is the problem. People who have no sense of good citizenship are crying daily for good leadership. You cannot get one without the other because if they meet, they will not recognize each other. Let’s learn to recognize that the microcosm must be organized to care for each other in order to harmoniously evolve a macrocosm that is habitable.
Imagine that police don’t harass and shake down farmers bringing food to markets. Imagine that the employees at the poultry company don’t steal all the eggs and poison the chickens. This may lower the price of food and prevent the decay of food due to loss of time at checkpoints. This will lead to full employment and reduction of inflation. Let us learn to care, maybe one day we can have someone who cares to assume leadership. Then we can be proud to say: that is one of us. The ratio of the naira to the dollar is not a measure of the Nigerian economy. It is a measure of the lack of productivity of the Nigerian. Nigerians produce nothing and they expect everything.
Let us start by producing harmony. Blaming the leaders is a subterfuge that subtracts leadership from the people. How many unemployed people are willing to do an honest job, when given the opportunity? Do these people have the ethical compass that reflects honesty and dedication to their employer?
I am pushed to be equivocal here because of my observations. The employer may stumble into that employee who will steal all the eggs and poison the chickens and the business is bankrupt. There is no penalty for the offender and he moves to reenact the scenario in another organization. Should we blame Tinubu for this? An enterprise cannot grow in a sea of perfidy. Leadership is always a reflection of the consciousness of the people. Bad people can only produce bad leaders. Good people, good leaders. You cannot have one without the other.
Let us begin the process of removing the logs in our eyes. This is the only way we can have the vision to point to a better path for our country. This new road will lead us to love ourselves and our neighbors. Our self-hatred is what is manifesting as hatred and cruelty to others. We find it easy to destroy and humiliate and extort others because we are miserable due to lack of self-esteem and self-love. No legislation can make us love ourselves. We must learn how to fight these battles within. We must evolve a system to isolate those who violate community standards, ethics and morality.
Dr Austin Orette writes from Houston Texas
THE LAST JIHAD PART 5B BY DR AUSTINE ORETTE

“For everything under the sun, there is time. There is time for peace and there is the time for war’’. They will always lie to you. The Fulani Muslim will raise his right hand and put his left hand on the Quran, look you in eye and lie to you. He is practicing Takiya which is allowed by their religion. The art of lying to further the cause of Islam. You will never be at peace with Islamic fundamentalists. It is always a lie. “
Africans have a better understanding of religion. There is nowhere in traditional African history you will find Africans going to prove that their god is superior by killing other Africans. Africans fought wars of conquest for material things and territories. Fighting for Heaven was not part of their geography. That was for angels. They did not fight wars of religious imposition. They have a clear understanding that God is big enough for everyone.
The African traditional worshippers believe that no house built by man can accommodate the majesty and fullness of God. They did not indulge in the grandiosity of calling any place they constructed, the house Of God.
The concept of holy wars was brought to Africa by foreign people like the Fulani Jihadists. After experiencing aspects of religion in my childhood, I came to the firm belief that I don’t need to be introduced to any god filled with human passions of rage and revenge. God is love. That is enough for me. I don’t need to kill or hurt anyone to prove my loyalty to God. God is not in any book. God is not in any building. God is closer to us than our heart beat. The God essence is in every creature of God. We are compelled to give God’s love to all creatures of God. This is where I vehemently disagree with the Fulani and Wahhabi brand of Islam.
They consider their wrath to be the same as the wrath of God. They should direct that wrath towards solving the poverty, ignorance and disease they have created in the North. They should leave the South out of their map of conquest. If they love God as they claim, there is so much work for them to do , to repair all the damage they brought to the North of Nigeria. Eternity will not be enough for them to repair the damage they have done to the Hausa people of Nigeria. If they love God, they should concentrate on the rehabilitation of the Hausa men, women and children they have destroyed in the name of Islam.
The Fulani are the first to bring holy wars to Nigeria and they have never had a change of mind and strategy since then. These wars intensified when they started being used by invaders to push their tribal and religious domination. They have no love for anyone who is not a Muslim or Fulani. God is Love. This love can be found in all religions and the loneliest places. This love gave me security and the wings to fly. This is the love that made Mary Slessor to stop the killing of twins in the Niger Delta. I believe in this love and the sanctity of life for all people. This is my belief and because of this love, I will not impose this belief on the Fulani who think differently.
I consider it sacrilegious for them to force me to accept the doctrines that led to the wanton killing of Deborah Samson and others in the land of the Fulani.
If the Fulani are sincere, they should spend their energy to clean up the children of the North they have destroyed and turned to weapons of mass destruction for Nigeria. They should adopt the Almajiris and rehabilitate them instead of using them and Sharia as weapons of war.
These children are cast away as refuse and made to beg for their survival. They are married away when they could barely walk. The rate of child abuse and neglect in the North is mortifying. About 15 million children in the North of Nigeria are destitute and malnourished. They are moribund and homeless. If the sight of children did not draw on their hearts and make them to show love to children, then it means the religion they are willing to kill and die for has no empathy in their doctrines. What is a religion if it cannot hear the cries of suffering and dying children? Whatever they do or say is nothing but power grab.
They are deaf and dumb to the destitution and misery they created in Hausa land and they are bent on expanding this misery to the South. We have a duty to stop them. Islam in Nigeria is a political movement of the Fulani. It has nothing to do with those of us in the South. Their push to force Sharia into the South is nothing but an act of war. We can never reason with any people who consider us less human because we don’t subscribe to their religious beliefs.
In this wise, those in the Middle Belt and the South of Nigeria must be prepared to defend themselves from those who will not only kill us in the name of their God but also lie to us in the name of their god about their intent.
A military head of state told Obasanjo that he has not seen and not privy to the constitution when he was asked to produce it when Obasanjo was being propped to be president. This was a lie. He knew that Sharia was part of that constitution that was written without the consent of Nigerians. The General knew that if this was revealed before the election it will cause chaos. As soon as Obasanjo was sworn in, the constitution appeared. Did the constitution appear from heaven? Everything the former head of state did or said was deliberate. He followed the Fulani manuscript of TAKIYA. He was one of the architects of that fake document. After that election, that fraudulent constitution was revealed and the core north declared they are Sharia states, based on the sharia that was fraudulently embedded in that fraudulent document. This is classic TAKIYA in Islamic practice where Muslims are obligated to lie to unbelievers to further the cause of Islam.
Recently, Northern Fulani Muslims have been going on television to say they don’t know what restructuring mean. This is another bold face lie. They know we were restructured in the First Republic and all we are saying is adopt the ways of the First Republic. They would rather confuse this with nebulous terms like “lack of good leadership “ because they want to continue with this odious system that enables their thievery and ability to import criminals and terrorists into Nigeria to cause unrest. are so duplicitous they think we don’t know Sharia is a form of restructuring. They want us to fund Sharia with our labour and wealth in our terrain. They are gamblers. They want to continue the centralization that gives all powers to the Fulani in all cadre of government so they can control the economy and wealth of Nigeria and use it to empower the caliphate. If they don’t achieve that, they will set up their parallel government of Sharia where a northern monarch is the Prime minister of all Nigeria Muslims and every mosque their military command post.
They tell us Islam is superior to our culture. The Europeans who colonized us did not go this far in their grandiosity. We cannot be in the same country with those who will use lies as instruments of statecraft. The Caliphate has used fictitious population figures to advantage the caliphate. All over the world, the coast is more densely populated. This is true in the Republic of Benin and Cameroon but reversed in Nigeria.
The Fulani Islamic movement in Nigeria is about conquest. It has nothing to do about heaven. It is about the oil which Fulani believe is their gift from God as a Muslim nation like Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States. The Fulani has been at war with us, but we don’t know it.
All the negative indices in Nigeria are what obtains in a war-torn country. To say otherwise is hiding our head in the sand.
All the uncertainties in Nigeria are deliberate creation of the Fulani caliphate. Just like the creation of the Almajiris in the North. Gradually they are beginning the total Amajirification of Southern graduates. They have made them jobless and penurious. They are hungry and their clothing is becoming tattered. The females are selling themselves at any price to the members of the caliphate in Abuja. The caliphate has no interest to engage in solving the perennial problems of Nigeria. Their end point is the total subjugation of the non-Muslim populations of Nigeria and makes them second class citizens as obtained in most Muslim countries. Their plan is to weaken the enemy by destroying the institutions they believe in. They would create more problems to distract and confuse us. All money marked for development are stolen and directed to the Fulani treasury for their conquest and purchase of Southerners into their camp. They have opened all the borders in the North for the Fulani fighters to come in as they gradually intensify their position. Their loss of central power to accelerate this process has rendered them apoplectic. The mere adjustment of the tax bill to reflect productivity pushed them to accelerate Sharia in the Southwest. To them, this is war and the camp of the enemy must be divided. This is why they push for Sharia in the South west. Divide and conquer is their MO .This is why in the past fifty years, they used their government and military people to erode any semblance of a functioning state. They created the hardship in Nigeria. They want every Southerner to Japa so they can take over the land. Those left will be too weak to fight. We are in a war zone. We must draw a clear red line they should not cross.
Imposing Islam on us is a red line. The progress made in Nigeria was through their military surrogates who usurped power. This has emboldened them. They use the military to enrich their people, they used the military to push Nigeria into OIC. They used the military to smuggle Sharia into the constitution.
They are talking about war and secession. On question of secession they are bluffing. They are parasites who cannot live without their host. On war, we should take them serious and prepare for one. Our preparation should start by us in the South telling our children to refuse any posting by the NYSC to the North. There is no security for them and the NYSC is a source of cheap labor for indolent Northern states who consider education a haram and deliberately render their citizens illiterate and ignorant .They spend more on pilgrimages to Mecca than they spend on education. Using our children as cheap labor is a tax that is imposed on non-believers. The Fulani considers this normal based on the tenet of their religion. It is a form of Tax the unbelievers must pay in an Islamic society.
The NYSC should be converted to one year of full military training as it was initially conceived when the caliphate thwarted this plan because they want their Islamic army to have monopoly of weapons. All military commands in Nigeria must be decentralized. Police and other security institutions must be regionalized. We have to fight to preserve our way of life and reject any form of religious compulsion or imposition.
The next phase is to encourage the Hausa and other tribes that have been oppressed in the North to use their numerical advantage to deny the Fulani any political position in the North. I f you cannot elect an Hausa person, look for the nearest indigenous Yoruba, Igbo or Biron or Igala. The Fulani must not be allowed to hold power in Nigeria. They must be ostracized from our body politics until they prove their allegiance is to Nigeria. They are a cancer in our body politics. The Fulani Caliphate erroneously believes that a Christian is docile. This is going to be their undoing. Christians are not known for shedding innocent blood like that of Deborah Samson. Wanton killing is not part of Christian theology. Christians will always fight to defend themselves. In the eleventh century when the holy land Jerusalem was conquered by Islamic warriors who prevented Christian’s entry into the Holy land, Pope Urban 11, cried to Christendom, the Christians fought and took over the Holy land. These battles were called the crusades. Since then the holy land is open to anyone of any faith, including Muslims to visit. The Nigerian civil war was fought and won by southerners and the people from the middle belt. Most of the generals of Northern extraction were colossal failures as they confused the civil war with Islamic jihad. They have to be pulled from the war front due to their extreme cruelty that violated the laws of war. This is their weakness. The whole of North Africa was black. All the places in the Bible like Turkey were Christian enclaves. Today it is difficult to find a black man in Egypt and also difficult to find a church in Constantinople. This is what the Fulani are aiming for.
It is our responsibility to make them understand they are in the wrong century; we must make it our duty to wake them up from the toxic intoxication of their religion. We cannot do this by preachment alone as the toxic brew of their religion makes them to think they are fighting for Allah. They are fighting for domination. There is nothing more sinister than a person who kills in the name of God. Be prepared. We have a duty to defend ourselves.
Dr Austin Orette writes from Houston Texas
Whether everybody likes it or not, Julius Berger is the best – Wike
Flag-off Ceremony of Arterial Road N5, Abuja

. As usual, we’ll deliver as promised, says Managing Director Lubasch
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has praised top-notch engineering construction company, Julius Berger Nigeria Plc for its quality and timely delivery on assigned projects declaring that the company remains the best in the country’s engineering construction sector.
Speaking at the official flag-off ceremony of the development of Arterial Road N5 (Obafemi Awolowo Way) from Life Camp Junction to Ring Road 111 in the Federal Capital city Friday, the minister traced his relationship with Julius Berger right from his days as Rivers State governor, and declared; that’s why I have always said I enjoyed the best, that is why I always go to Julius Berger to do construction work for us because I know they are the best whether everybody likes it or not.
The road is approximately 4.4 km inclusive of box culverts, one river bridge and the junction at N3/N30 to be delivered within 18 months construction time.
According to Wike, he had never been to the part of the FCT where the project was flagged off. However, he revealed that from the several messages he had received on the state of the road in the area and given what he later saw on ground, the need to rework the road was not in doubt.
As a minister I have never been to this part. I thought the junction they were talking about was Life Camp; that is the other one you take going to our official residences. No wonder every time I get text messages asking when we will do this Life Camp route. The text messages were always saying, the traffic is chaotic; and seeing the number of persons who are around today, tells you this neighbourhood is heavily populated, and that is why we thank God Almighty that we are starting this road and giving it to the constructions giant Julius Berger, Wike said.
The minister was not done as he recalled how the need for his administration as state governor in Rivers state gingered him to amend critical procurement policies to accommodate the quality services of Julius Berger.
He continued; let me tell you, one company that made me to move from amendment to procurement law in Rivers state was Julius Berger. How? When I knew that the law permitted 15 to 30 percent up for the variation fee, I realised there would be a problem; and that problem would be, by the time the 15 to 30 percent is paid and another milestone to variation certificate is being submitted, we may not have the money to pay. All I did was to seek the support of the State’s House of Assembly to amend the Procurement Law to allow the Executive Council to pay up to 70% if they believe that the firm or company is competent to carry out the job without running away. And I know Julius Berger is on ground. If you go to where they are living you will know that they will never live this country again. So, we amended the laws. And I could say that in every job that I did with Julius Berger then, we paid 70% upfront; that was how we were able to do 12 flyovers in four years.
The minister disclosed that his foregoing revelation was on purpose, to tell most of the National Assembly members among others that, part of our predicament and that our major headache is the Procurement Law. The law we know is to protect and make sure our money is safe; but again, if you look at it, it brings us backward. That is why in most cases you put procurement for almost four months before it is approved; before it goes to the Federal Executive Council and before you know it, six months have gone; six months for procurement alone; that is half of the year already.
Thanking the FCT Administration, FCTA for the contract award, the Managing Director of Julious Berger Nigeria Plc, Engr Dr Peer Lubasch said, on behalf of the entire management and Board of Directors of Julius Berger, I thank you for your trust and for giving our company the opportunity to deliver on these projects
Lubasch said that the contract stands on the long-lasting relationship the company has with the FCT Administration, the company’s partner for progress, even as he commended the FCTA for its vision and foresight in its true investment in infrastructure for progress and we are honoured to be the chosen partners for the realisation of this vision
Lubasch assured the administration and people of the FCT of quality and timely delivery on the project.
The representative of the Senate President and Senator of the Federal Republic, Ibrahim Bomai later flagged off the road construction thanking the FCT administration of Wike and the construction company.
At the event to witness the flagoff, were the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio represented by Senator Ibrahim Bomai, Minister of State for the FCT, Mariya Mahmoud Bunkure, Senator George Skibo; House of Representatives member representing Gwagwalada, Kuje, Kwali, Abaji FCT, Abdul Rahman Ajiya among others.
Team Julius Berger at the flag-off included the outgoing Managing Director, Engr Dr Lars Richter, Head Corporate Communications Department, James Agama and Happiness Moses of the Media Relations Department
EDO LEADERS INSIST ON OKPEBHOLO

- SAY APC GOVERNORSHIP CANDIDATE REPRESENTS THE COLLECTIVE DREAM OF EDO PEOPLE
- MOVE AGAINST PDP, LP, OTHERS
A group of political leaders under the aegis of Edo State Political Leaders Forum (EDPLF) on Friday met in Auchi, Edo North Senatorial District, describing the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Monday Opebholo, as a man of integrity and principle.
“Many qualities separate Monday Opebholo from other candidates: vision, courage, character, loyalty and sincerity. He will chart the right course and provide a clear focus for where the people and the state want to be and how to get there” the leaders said.
At the meeting to perfect strategies towards ensuring the emergence of Opebholo as the next governor of Edo State, the leaders said Okpebholo remains the best for Edo State”
‘’We want a governor that can unite the people, provide security and good roads throughout the state. Okpebholo will not step on the toes of Edo people. He will fast track development in all the communities, embark on large housing development for low-income earners, create the enabling environment for investors within and outside to invest in Edo State in order to create more job opportunities for the people’’
In a statement issued by the group’s spokesman, Dr. Kenneth Agweh, the leaders urged Edo indigenes at home and abroad to think about the future of the state and reject the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for contributing to the state’s adversity.
‘’We are building critical alliances with the various communities. We are dialoguing with major players in the country. We are talking with opinion leaders, influencers in Edo State and Edo indigenes abroad. We are in touch with traditional rulers, market women, youth leaders and professionals. Okpebholo will win the September governorship election’’
They described the APC candidate as a good leader, competent administrator and one of the most influential and uniting figures in Nigerian history.
“Monday Opebholo symbolizes the very best. He will boost the tourism sector, provide for the well-being of our people, deepen the mechanics of governance and service delivery in the state” the leaders said.
They praised the APC governorship candidate for his exceptional qualities, impeccable honesty, competence and humble lifestyle.
They also praised him for having the type of empathy and direction the state needs.
“Monday Opebholo is well known for his innovative ideas and clean image. He is down to earth, clear sighted about issues facing the state.”
The APC candidate, a cerebral, competent manager and good example of leadership in Africa, is expected to win the governorship election in September.
“We are sure of victory” the leaders said.
EDPLF is a political group striving for the enthronement of accountable and responsible government in Edo State.
Political leaders from Etsako West, East and Central, Owan East and West and Akoko-Edo were present at the meeting.
SERAP sues Akpabio ‘over failure to recall Ningi, refer N3.7trn budget padding to EFCC, ICPC’

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit against the Senate President, Mr Godswill Akpabio over “the failure to refer the alleged N3.7 trillion budget padding to appropriate anti-corruption agencies for investigation and prosecution, and to recall Senator Abdul Ningi who blew the whistle on the allegations.”
Mr Akpabio is sued for himself and on behalf of all members of Nigeria’s Senate.
It would be recalled that whistleblower Ningi last month was suspended for three months over his allegations that the 2024 budget was padded by over N3 trillion and that the country is operating two budgets.
In the suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/452/2024 filed last Friday at the Federal High Court, Abuja, SERAP is seeking: “an order of mandamus to direct and compel Mr Akpabio to refer the alleged N3.7 trillion budget padding to appropriate anti-corruption agencies for investigation and prosecution of suspected perpetrators.”
SERAP is also seeking: “an order of mandamus to direct and compel Mr Akpabio to immediately take steps to ensure the reinstatement of whistleblower Abdul Ningi who was suspended from the Senate over his allegations that the lawmakers padded the 2024 budget by irregularly inserting projects worth N3.7 trillion.”
SERAP is also seeking: “an order of mandamus to direct and compel Mr Akpabio to put in place transparency and accountability mechanisms to ensure that the trillions of Naira budgeted for constituency projects are not embezzled, misappropriated or diverted into private pockets.”
In the suit, SERAP is arguing that: “Granting this application would serve the public interest, encourage whistleblowers to speak up, improve public services, and ensure transparency and accountability in the management of public resources.”
SERAP is arguing that, “Directing Mr Akpabio to refer these allegations to appropriate anticorruption agencies and to reinstate whistleblower Abdul Ningi would be entirely consistent and compatible with the letter and spirit of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] and the country’s international obligations.”
SERAP is also arguing that, “The allegations by Senator Ningi amount to public interest disclosures and can contribute to strengthening transparency and democratic accountability in the Senate in particular and the country as a whole.”
According to SERAP, “Suspension of Senator Ningi by the Senate followed a seriously flawed process and it amounts to retaliation.”
SERAP is also arguing that, “Senator Ningi’s status as a whistleblower is not diminished even if the perceived threat to the public interest has not materialised, since he would seem to have reasonable grounds to believe in the accuracy of the allegations of budget padding and corruption in the Senate.”
The suit filed on behalf of SERAP by its lawyers, Kolawole Oluwadare and Mrs Adelanke Aremo, read in part: “It is in the public interest and the interest of justice to grant this application. No whistleblower should ever be penalised simply for making a public interest disclosure.”
“Directing Mr Akpabio to refer the allegations to appropriate anticorruption agencies would help to address the lingering problem of budget padding and corruption in the implementation of constituency projects.”
“Directing Mr Akpabio to refer the allegations to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) would also ensure probity and accountability in the budget process.”
“Investigating and prosecuting the allegations of budget padding and corruption would end the impunity of perpetrators. It would build trust in democratic institutions with the ultimate aim of strengthening the rule of law.”
“Years of allegations of budget padding and corruption in the implementation of constituency projects have contributed to widespread poverty, underdevelopment and lack of access to public goods and services.”
“Allegations of budget padding and corruption in the implementation of constituency projects have also continued to have negative impacts on the fundamental interests of the citizens in several communities and the public interest.”
“Combating budget padding would improve access of Nigerians to basic public goods and services, and enhance the ability of ministries, departments and agencies to effectively and efficiently discharge their constitutional and statutory responsibilities.”
“Section 15(5) of the Nigerian Constitution requires public institutions to abolish all corrupt practices and abuse of power.”
“Section 16(2) of the Nigerian Constitution further provides that, ‘the material resources of the nation are harnessed and distributed as best as possible to serve the common good.’”
“Section 13 of the Nigerian Constitution imposes clear responsibility on the National Assembly including the Senate to conform to, observe and apply the provisions of Chapter 2 of the constitution.”
“Section 81 of the Nigerian Constitution and sections 13 and 18 of the Fiscal Responsibility Act constrain the ability of the National Assembly to unilaterally insert its own allocations in the budget without following the due process of law.”
“Nigeria has made legally binding commitments under the UN Convention against Corruption to ensure accountability in the management of public resources.”
“Articles 5 and 9 of the UN Convention against Corruption also impose legal obligations on the National Assembly including the Senate to ensure proper management of public affairs and public funds.”
“Article 33 of the Convention requires government institutions including the Senate to ensure the protection of whistleblowers against any unjustified treatment. Granting this application would ensure that these commitments are fully upheld and respected.”
“Senator Ningi is a whistleblower, who is protected under article 33 of the UN Convention against Corruption to which Nigeria is a state party. Senator Ningi is a whistleblower because of his public interest disclosures on alleged budget padding and corruption in the Senate in the context of carrying out his work as Senator.”
“According to our information, Senator Abdul Ningi, the former Chairperson of the Northern Senators Forum (NSF), recently told BBC Hausa that the lawmakers sought the service of a private auditor and discovered irregularities in the budget.”
“Senator Ningi reportedly said, ‘For example, we had a budget of N28 trillion but after our thorough checks, we found out that it was a budget of N25 trillion. How and where did we get the additional N3 trillion from, what are we spending it for?.’”
“According to BudgIT, a total of 7,447 projects culminating in N2.24tn were indiscriminately inserted in the 2024 budget by the National Assembly. 281 projects worth N491bn, and 3,706 projects within the range of N100–500m, worth 759bn were inserted in the budget.”
No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.
Kolawole Oluwadare
SERAP Deputy Director
7/04/2024
Lagos, Nigeria
Emails: info@serap-nigeria.org; news@serap-nigeria.org
Twitter: @SERAPNigeria
Website: www.serap-nigeria.org
For more information or to request an interview, please contact us on: +2348160537202