Mr. President And Rising Hunger, Insecurity

 By Yemi Adebowale

Last Tuesday, residents of the Kpansia area of Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, in their hundreds, invaded a warehouse in the locality where the state’s emergency management agency keeps food. The story was that the agency was hoarding the items despite the hunger in the land. So, hundreds of people gleefully entered the place, disarmed the security men and stole food that included bags of rice, beans, garri as well as cartons of noodles and bottle water. Officers of the Bayelsa State’s security outfit, Doo Akpo, were swiftly deployed to the warehouse to deal with the invaders and secure the building. They could not stop the famished trespassers.

Few hours after the looting, the state government raised the alarm that the goods were “expired relief materials” donated by some concerned Nigerians during the 2022 flood in the state, and urged the raiders to return them to avoid harming their health. “These items are unfit for human consumption,” declared the government.  The looters cared less. As at press time, not even a teaspoon of rice had been returned by the starving Nigerians. I guess they are delightedly enjoying the food.

President Buhari Is Overdue For Impeachment!

By Yemi Adebowale

A large number of senators, across party lines, showed a bit of courage last Wednesday by pushing for President Muhammadu Buhari’s impeachment in the face of the appalling security situation of beloved Nigeria. But the coldblooded President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan tactically stalled the motion to give the inept Buhari six weeks to improve the country’s security or face impeachment.

*Buhari 

It is appalling that Lawan did not allow the senators to discuss the raging insecurity in the country as agreed during an earlier Executive Session. He knocked it off the day’s Order Paper, preemptively, making it impossible to accommodate the debate on this vital issue at plenary. I was not shocked by Lawan’s action. This man has never been on the side of traumatised Nigerians. The senators eventually walked out of the red Chamber in protest, chanting “Buhari must Go,” “Lawan Must Go”.

Killing Nigeria With Senseless Loans

 By Yemi Adebowale

The 2021 federal budget is N13.8 trillion. It has a deficit of N5.6 trillion and this will be funded, largely, through external borrowing. Over 30 per cent of the funds for this budget 2021 will be loans. This is why President Muhammadu Buhari is asking the National Assembly to approve N2.3 trillion ($6.18 billion) external loan to enable him fund part of the 2021 budget. The loan is part of N4.6 trillion federal lawmakers had earlier approved for his government as contained in the 2021 Appropriation Act. About 33 per cent of budget 2021 is set aside for debt servicing. Is this nonsense making sense? 

*Buhari 
This is the level Nigeria has degenerated while binge-borrowing. Budget figures of the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria have become voodoo numbers. They persistently bamboozle Nigerians with humorous numerals. The long and the shot of all these confusing figures is that Nigeria is in serious financial mess compounded by binge-borrowing by the Buhari government. This country parades a long list of creditors – World Bank, African Development Bank, French Development Agency, Islamic Development Bank, China EXIM Bank, China Development Bank, European Investment Bank, European ECA, KFW, IPEX, AFC, India EXIM Bank, International Fund for Agricultural Development and the rest of them.

Nigeria: Isa Pantami Should Be in Jail

 By Yemi Adebowale

In Law, Ignorance is not an excuse. Confessing to a crime is not immunity against trial. Again, the fact that an offence was committed years back does not mean the offender will escape justice. The person can be put on trial anytime the facts of the crime emerge. That was why the American government put former film producer, Harvey Weinstein on trial for sex offences dating back to the late 1970s. 

*Pantami

Weinstein was arrested, charged with rape in New York in May 2018, convicted and sentenced to 23 years in prison. Nigeria’s Communication and Digital Economy Minister, Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, for his past extremist and flammable preaching, is liable for trial for incitement; inciting Muslims against Christians, inciting Muslims against the federal government and the military. In criminal law, incitement is encouraging another person to commit a crime. It is committed when one person counsels, procures or commands another to commit a crime, whether or not that person commits the crime.