Chris Ngige is facing yet another tough time this Yuletide season. Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), armed to the teeth, stormed his residence at Justice Mohammed Bello Road in Abuja.
Rumours first flew around that the former Anambra State governor was kidnapped. But his media aide, Fred Chukwuelobe, has cleared the air.
Ngige’s route to power has been unusually uphill and filled with thorns. During his brief reign as the governor of Anambra State, he was kidnapped inside Government House by gunmen, constantly humiliated by Ubah family, and finally sacked by Court of Appeal.
Even as he later became senator and minister for Labour and Productivity, Ngige had continued to suffer in the system.
Weeks ago, his convoy was attacked. Although Ngige was not in it, the assailants succeeded in killing one of the Senator’s guard while injuring several others.
For many Nigerians, Lai Mohammed has reopened the wound of Lekki Tollgate massacre.
Appearing on Arise TV yesterday night, Mohammed said it was misleading for international and local media to brand the incident as massacre.
Recall that Nigerians, frustrated over the brutality of the defunct SARS, arose in nationwide protests in 2020. The government’s response was again unusually brutal, especially at Lekki Tollgate. That fateful day – October 20, 2020 – heavily armed law enforcement agents and soldiers opened fire on harmless protesters and murdered countless number of people in cold blood.
In his characteristic hyperbole and shameless lying, Lai Mohammed said in a national TV that no Nigerian was killed at Lekki Tollgate.
“If a man has a goat and the goat does not come home one night, he will go out to look for that goat. Five years on, nobody has come forward to say, ‘My son went to the toll gate and didn’t return,” Lai Mohammed lied.
According to the former minister, it were policemen and soldiers, not protesters, who were killed.
“Massacre is fake news. Thirty-seven policemen were killed, six soldiers were k!lled. This is what I kept saying,” he continue.
Notorious for his habitual lying habit throughout his days in Buhari’s cabinet, Lai Mohammed was deeply hated. And it didn’t help that he was serving under an administration which thrived in errors. He needed to lie many times everyday.
His fresh interest in the Lekki Tollgate incident may be part of the broad campaign for President Bola Tinubu’s second-term bid in 2027. Nobody knows. Or it could be part of covert actions to right the country’s image before the international community at the time when US President Donald Trump is highlighting the Nigerian politicians’ alleged complicit in the ongoing atrocities in the country.
Once again, Former Aviation Minister Stella Oduah is brought back to court over fraud. She allegedly stole a whopping ₦5 billion in 2014, during President Goodluck Jonathan’s time.
Recall that the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) had dragged Oduah to the Court in 2023 over the same case she is now being tried. She seemed to have sorted the ‘powers that be’ as EFCC dropped the matter and absolved Oduah of wrongdoings.
That time it was said the money was ₦7 billion and that the minister, together with her co-defendants had returned some of the stolen money.
For some reasons the dust is yet to settle for sure. Yesterday, office of the Attorney General of the Federation dragged Stella Oduah to Federal High Court in Abuja on five counts charges. She was arraigned alongside another woman, Gloria Odita.
One of the counts read that Oduah obtained ₦2.4bn through Broad Waters Resources from the Federal Ministry of Aviation. She had claimed the money was used for technical supervision.
In other counts read that she stole N1.6bn and another N839m through false pretences.
Like all powerful politicians in Nigeria Stella Oduah and Gloria Odita hired the best lawyers in the business. Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN) represented Oduah while Wale Balogun (SAN) appeared for Odita. So both proudly pleaded not guilty to the charges.
It’s now four days after Engr. Anayo Onwuegbu gifted his loyalists with various items in an elaborate show he labelled “empowerment programme”. Yet his constituents are still talking about it with unusual interest.
But it’s a thing of interest, anyways. Particularly glaring are the names who received the gifts, and the gifts themselves.
Info Wars reported that Onwuegbu, the House of Representatives of Aninri/Awgu/Oji-River constituency, shared fufu (utara egboro) pounding machines, knapsack sprayers, hand hair dryers, fertilisers, and motorcycles to his constituents.
Name of beneficiaries of Anayo Onwuegbu empowerment programme
Hon. Uche Ogbonna – fufu (utara egboro ) machine
Hon. Mark Ogbonna – maize seedlings
Hon. Jonathan Ivoke – sewing machine
‘Elder Stateman’ – sewing machine
Hon. El Aja Ogbonna – Knapsack sprayer
Hon. Gabriel Ukpabi – Hand hair Dryer
Mrs. Gladys Chukwu – Motorcycle
Why we hate what Engr. Onwuegbu did – Okpanku Worldwide
Okpanku Worldwide, pressure group within the constituency, has issued warning that it would work against the lawmaker should he want to seek reelection in 2027.
In a phone chat with Info Wars by its President James Ajah, the group clarified the points it’s pained.
“I don’t have problems with giving people gifts; that’s good. But the benefactor ought to have considered the needs of those receiving those gifts beforehand.
“This man gave hair dryer to my brother, Hon Gabriel Ukpabi. What would he be doing with hair dryer? Unless he has told our Rep that he is dreaming of starting female hair salon business in coming days,” the President said.
It’s noteworthy that Gabriel Ukpabi served in the lofty position as the Secretary to the Local Government (SLG) of Aninri between 2022 and 2024. One time council Chairman and former Commissioner for Labour and Employment in Enugu State, Hon. Uche Ogbonna is not just a good man in many people’s definition but he is also a major stakeholder in Enugu West politics.
Also, Engr. Jonathan Ivoke, El Ajah, ‘Elder Stateman’, and Mark Ogbonna are well-meaning figures in several important circles.
“The worst of it is the utara egbolo machine [fufu pounding machine] given to some of our major stakeholders. Empowering a former council chairman with utara egboro machine is the height of the insult,” former aide to Senator Ike Ekweremadu, Cmr. Christian Onyeabor, said.
One Mrs Gladys Chukwu who is middle-aged received commercial motorcycle (Okada). Yet another woman, from Inyi Achi was given a bag of fertiliser.
Anyone examining the gifts and the beneficiaries would find the brains of a simpleton at work. For example, what would a full-time trader from Inyi Achi be doing with fertiliser in a dry season? Even in Aninri, which boasts of most fertile farmlands in the constituency, fertiliser is not anyone’s priority at this moment because planting season is long gone and the next one isn’t anywhere in sight.
Again, if Mrs Gladys Chukwu sells her Okada then the purpose of the empowerment is defeated. Would she now convert from petty trader to Okada rider? We’ll have to find out.
Engr. Anayo Onwuegbu, many times in the past, has proven that he understands nothing about representation. As next election season draws closer we’ll see whether or not he’ll respect himself by not seeking reelection.
