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Former President of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Wole Olanipekun, SAN, on Wednesday, said ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo almost punched him when he advised him to amend the country’s constitution during his administration. Olanipekun described the 1999 constitution as “fake” and lacking the required elements to address the various challenges confronting the country. Olanipekun spoke delivering the 32nd and 33rd convocation lecture of the Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State. He said “We need a constitution with a humane face. I’m a lawyer, but we are deceiving ourselves, our constitution is fake and I have said this over and over, but then you will ask we lawyers that, ‘if we say the constitution is fake, why are we practicing it’? Lawyers and judges apply the law as it is, not the law as it ought to be, so we apply the law as we have it now and we have been pleading that we should amend the constitution, let us overhaul it. “I, as president of the NBA, I led ...

The Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, has written a letter of complaint to the State Security (SSS) over what he called “false allegations and sustained campaign of calumny” against him. The letter was titled “Request for Investigation of False Allegations and Sustained Campaign of Calumny Against my Person by Unknown Elements.” In the letter dated 9 January, 2023, Mr Gbajabiamila said: “Over the past six months, unknown individuals or groups have made a sustained effort using social media to spread unfounded allegations of corruption, malfeasance, and abuse of office against my person. This campaign of calumny has gotten progressively more aggressive in tone and content over the last month, thus necessitating this letter. “I have served in the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for the past two decades, first in the legislature, where I rose to the position of the Speaker of the House of Representatives and now in the executive as Chief of Staff to the Pr...

Chief Whip of the Senate, Mohammed Ali Ndume, has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to sign an Executive Order on Unexplained Wealth that will empower anti-graft agencies to go after Nigerians with unexplained wealth. The Borno South senator also commended the President’s recent action wherein he ordered that all revenues from sale of crude oil be deposited into an account with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). Ndume, speaking with newsmen in Abuja on Tuesday, said if President Tinubu is serious about tackling the menace of corruption, he must sign the Executive Order as soon as possible. He said people, especially the political class, must explain their sources of wealth or forfeit the same to the government. “The next thing now, if President Tinubu wants to fight corruption, would be to sign an Executive Order on Unexplained Wealth in this country. Let all these people explain where they got their money, including myself.People should stop talking about trivialities or personal issu...

Senator representing Abia North, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu has said he left at least $4bn balance sheet generated from his companies in 1998 before joining politics, saying he didn't start life as a politician but businessman.  The former Abia governor said before 1998, he built business entities, particularly in the media, oil, and gas sector, shipping, airlines, and others.  In a social media post, Sen. Kalu said he had enough resources to fund his former party the PDP, when he joined politics in 1998. He said, "I built several entities (businesses particularly in the media, oil, and gas sector, shipping, airlines, and others), and in 1998, I left more than a $4 Billion balance sheet in my companies before venturing into politics".  He wondered why people like him are expected to be penniless while those who have done next to nothing parade themselves as achievers.  He noted further, "In 1998, I used my resources to fund the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), my former...

Kebbi Hosts Mass Wedding For 300 Divorcees, Widows  Over 300 divorcees, widows, and indigents have celebrated matrimony in a mass wedding sponsored by the Kebbi State Government.  The wedding which took place at the Abdullahi Fodio palace in Gwandu Emirate, Birnin Kebbi on Sunday, was organised by the state government under Hajia Nafisa Nasir Idris, the governor's wife, through her initiative, the Nafisa Nasir Development Foundation.  Governor Nasir Idris, overseeing the ceremony, encouraged the couples to foster friendship and be confidants to one another.  The governor, who was represented by the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Muhammad Usman-Ankwe, announced plans for periodic mass weddings to unite less privileged individuals as husbands and wives. The administration allocated N21 million as dowry for the 300 brides from the state's 21 local government areas, with each bride receiving a dowry of N70,000.  Credit: NAN