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I await court action over comments on Ige’s murder – Soyinka

Published

3 years ago

April 8, 2022

Nobel laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka

Nobel laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka, on Thursday expressed enthusiasm to be involved in legal proceedings to unravel killers of a former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Bola Ige.

Soyinka on Saturday in a statement said resumption of investigation into Ige’s murder was already hamstrung and disrobed of credibility with the emergence of a prime suspect in the case as the National Secretary of the ruling All Progressives Congress.

A former deputy governor of Osun State, Chief Iyiola Omisore, emerged the party’s national secretary at the 2022 national convention of the APC held from March 26 to 27, where 77 national officers emerged.

In 2002, he was arraigned for Ige’s murder but later acquitted alongside 10 others tried for the case.

Omisore, who replied Soyinka’s position in a statement, also instructed his lawyer to write the elder statesman demanding a retraction of the comments.

Ige, also an ex-governor of old Oyo State, was assassinated by suspected gunmen at his Bodija, Ibadan, Oyo State, home on December, 23, 2001.

The playwright spoke at a media briefing in Lagos titled, “Forget the past, forfeit the future: A nation seceding from humanity.”

He decried the rising insecurity in the country leading to killings, kidnappings and violence in several states.

The elder statesman noted, “When I make a statement that someone implicated in a certain crime and that the degree of that implication is such that the person should not even aspire for a certain kind of office in this society, I am talking about justice. It has nothing to do with records in court.

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“I want to assure this man who feels that his civic right has been trampled upon by the statement that even if he was guilty, it does not mean that he is not qualified to do anything for humanity.

“We are just saying that once you have been involved in certain forms of activity such that lead eventually to the extinction of a good man, you should not be seen in certain positions in society. “If Buhari and the APC leadership want to reward somebody like Omisore, please give him an embassy somewhere, maybe in Ukraine as an ambassador. But don’t make him the national secretary of a ruling party. That is where we are concerned. What happens to the PDP (Peoples Democratic Party) is no business of mine. We are talking about governance, we are talking about those who are in charge of the health and the wellbeing and the instrument of justice of this society.

“We are saying somebody who was capable of attacking a minister of justice, taking off his cap in the palace of a spiritual head of a large group of people, that person is not fit to be seen as the national secretary of a ruling party. There is no bargain for that position.’’

The elder statesman said he read where Omisore’s supporters described him as a man of great erudition, adding that he had no doubt to talk about that because the politician knew what it meant in Yoruba culture to take the cap off the head of a man.

He stated, “When you decaped a man publicly and toss it to thugs to play around with, that means sooner or the other. Let me repeat this. That does not mean that you were responsible directly for the person’s death. But certain actions lead to the other and certain actions follow.

“ Even the English language helps us a bit along with it; when you decaped somebody, it might lead to decapitation. Wherever you look at the action of disgracing and humiliating a traditional chief and minister of justice who was a guest in a revered environment, that leads to something sooner or later. We have seen that the action alone and the consequence disqualify whoever initiates that action from aspiring to position.

“We are saying to the leadership of the APC and I am not talking about Buhari alone. It’s a collective guilt. What has happened to your sensibilities? Are you so short of material in your party that you have to unleash scorpion on our memory?’’

He said that he was not the one who provoked the situation but those who were so insensitive, so callous and insulted the people’s memory.

The playwright added, “Those who said they want to go to court because Wole Soyinka said this, I am waiting. I will be delighted and then we will really go into details. Perhaps, what we need is a judicial enquiry. The court has done its work. We accept the verdict of the court but there is a lot to unearth which are of enormous value for civic education and democracy. I ask APC leadership to have a rethink because this issue will not go away.’’

In his reaction, human rights lawyer, Chief Femi Falana, SAN, who said the killers of Ige must be found, noted that Soyinka had reminded the President, Major General, Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), of his pledge to open an enquiry into the country’s spate of political murders.

Falana noted, “If you are sued, we will defend you free of charge because you are taking on a public issue. We therefore want all of us to rise up and challenge the government to stop dancing on the graves of our people. “Until the killers of Chief Bola Ige are found, the search must continue. There is no apology about it. If you mention that you have been tried, discharged and acquitted but the state has a duty to look for the actual killers, you may help that from the information available to me, can you look at this area. It’s the duty of all of us. Prof Soyinka has helped to perform a civic duty.’’

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NURTW scribe felicitates Nigerians on Xmas, urges caution

Published

3 hours ago

December 22, 2024

Trends Admin

NURTW scribe felicitates Nigerians on Xmas, urges caution

The General Secretary of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Comrade Kayode Agbeyangi, has enjoined Nigerians to imbibe the virtues of peace, love and compassion as taught through the birth of Jesus Christ.

He stated this in his Christmas and end of the year goodwill message to felicitate members of the union and Nigerians in general.

Agbeyangi urged Nigerians to use the festive season to reflect on the values of love, compassion, and sacrifice that Jesus Christ embodied.

“This period is not for merry making alone; we should also spare time to reflect on the birth and life of Jesus Christ.

“His birth teaches humility, love compassion and sacrifice. As Nigerians, we must show love to our fellow county men. We must love our country. As Nigerians, we must be ready to make sacrifices for the nation.”

The NURTW scribe also used the opportunity to appeal to members of the union and other road users to always exercise caution and adhere to all safety protocols while travelling during the festive season.

“As we celebrate, let us not forget the importance of road safety. The roads can be treacherous, especially during the festive season.

“I urge our members and all road users to drive safely, avoid overspending, overtaking at dangerous bends and overloading, and be courteous to other road users,” he stated.

He also advised drivers that all their vehicle papers should be up to date to avoid embarrassment from law enforcement officers on the highways.

Comrade Agbeyangi prayed for a peaceful and joyous celebration, and wished members of the union and Nigerians, a happy prosperous New Year.

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Why we displayed ‘Jesus Christ is not God’ banner at Lekki mosque -Imam

Published

3 hours ago

December 22, 2024

Trends Admin

Why we displayed ‘Jesus Christ is not God’ banner at Lekki mosque -Imam

The Chief Imam of Lekki Central Mosque in Lagos, Ridwanullah Jamiu, has said the “Jesus Christ is Not God” banner placed on the fence of the mosque was not intended to provoke anybody. The banner became a source of controversy after a picture of it was shared on social media, with many calling it an…

The Chief Imam of Lekki Central Mosque in Lagos, Ridwanullah Jamiu, has said the “Jesus Christ is Not God” banner placed on the fence of the mosque was not intended to provoke anybody.

The banner became a source of controversy after a picture of it was shared on social media, with many calling it an attack on the Christian faith.

Addressing his congregation, Jamiu said the banner was displayed to educate Muslims.

He said, “When you come to Lekki Central Mosque, at least you should learn something. You pass by the banners outside, you look here and there, you learn something because Islam treasures knowledge.”

The Imam said all the banners displayed outside the mosque contain Quran and Hadith verses.

He said after a photo of one of the banners went viral, he “received calls from the government, local government, and area command appealing to us to please remove the banners because of the festive period.”

He said the display of the banners was not to provoke anyone, noting that there’s a difference between propagation of Islam and provocation.

“It was not placed there just yesterday. It has been there for about two months or thereabout. We are peace loving people, we don’t provoke anyone. We only propagate our name,” he said.

Jamiu further stated that nobody can monopolise Jesus because Muslims also have what they believe about him as backed by the Quran which calls him Isah.

“If you don’t believe in Jesus, you are not a Muslim. We are Muslims and anything we believe must be in consonant with the Quran and the Quran says Jesus Christ is not God, he’s a messenger of God. We quoted this verse in the banner. Is there anything wrong if we paste what we believe on our territory to educate our congregation? It’s a verse of the Quran. This is freedom of religion, freedom of speech,” he said.

On the removal of the banner, Jamiu said he received multiple calls ascribing the gesture as cowardice.

“It is not cowardice. We removed it to let peace reign, to obey our government because we are peace-loving people and also because we know it’s a festive period, people may think it was actually calculated to enrage others. We are going to modify it and put it back. We are not cowards,” he said.

The banner has since been replaced with another which says “A

llah is the lord of Jesus.”

Why we displayed ‘Jesus Christ is not God’ banner at Lekki mosque -Imam

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CBN fines bank found hoarding cash N150m

Published

7 hours ago

December 22, 2024

Trends Admin

CBN fines bank found hoarding cash N150m

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has imposed a N150 million fine on a commercial bank for failing to dispense cash through its Automated Teller Machines (ATMs).

This action follows an unannounced inspection by the apex bank, which uncovered deliberate cash hoarding and ATM manipulation by the erring bank.

Sources within the CBN revealed that the sanctioned bank was caught disabling its ATMs, thereby denying customers access to their funds while prioritizing cash disbursements to select VIP clients.

A staff member of the CBN stressed that the apex bank would not tolerate such practices.

“The Bank will not spare any Deposit Money Bank (DMB) caught in the act of hoarding cash or found favoring VIP customers over other customers,” the official stated.

To this end, the CBN has intensified spot checks on banks nationwide, exposing various illicit cash-handling practices by some unscrupulous financial institutions.