News

I left service with empty bank account, used public transport – Rtd Army Gen

Published

3 months ago

July 28, 2024

Admin

A former General of the Nigerian Army, Ishola Williams, has said that he would have preferred being from a different country other than Nigeria.

General Williams who joined the military in 1964 rose through the ranks to become the commandant of Army Signals, Commander of Training and Doctrine (TRADOC) and Chief of Defence Training and Planning, from where he left the Army in July 1993.

In an interview with Trust TV’s Reminiscences, the former Head of Nigeria Army said he would have preferred to be born a Namibian and not a Nigerian, because it is small but organised.

Recounting his past days, he said he left the army without any plan and with empty bank account even when he needed money to run a non-governmental organisation.

He said, “I think I left on November 20 or so, 1993 and had to decide what I was going to do with myself. I left without any plan or preparation, even with an empty bank account.

“Some people tried to help me. Somebody gave me a car but there was too much wahala with it, so I had to dump it and started taking public transport.

“People offered me an office where I could sit and work for some time, while some people were trying to encourage me to be in business. One of them was trying to encourage me to be a cement distributor but I had to deposit a huge amount of money. But I had a single naira bank account, so how could I deposit a huge amount of money? There were many others like that.

“Painfully, a few people in the North were ready to encourage me to engage in contracts, but my own people in the South asked where I was when my colleagues were making money. I already had it at the back of my mind that I was going to run a non-governmental organisation, but I needed money to do it. So, I told myself that if I could get a contract I could use what I got to run the organisation. I was not interested in business for the sake of making profit. That’s how I started running this organisation.

“We were doing projects, but to get people to account for the money and deliver up to the standard expected of them, even as professors, was challenging; only very few complied. Some died without accounting for the money, up to the point that I was taken to court.”

He recalled how members of the NGO he worked with insisted that “Next time I will come as a Namibian, not a Nigerian!”

He said he would prefer Namibia to Nigeria if he were to come back to life because “It is a small country, with a small population, but it is organised.”

News

RESOLUTION AT NUJ FCT COUNCIL CONGRESS AND IMPEACHMENT OF CHAIRMAN PATRICK OSARETIN OSADEBAMWEN AND HIS EXECUTIVES

Published

1 hour ago

October 19, 2024

Gloria Ikibah

The National President,
Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ),
National Secretariat,
Jahi District,
FCT Abuja.

19 October 2024

RESOLUTION AT NUJ FCT COUNCIL CONGRESS AND IMPEACHMENT OF CHAIRMAN PATRICK OSARETIN OSADEBAMWEN AND HIS EXECUTIVES

Members of NUJ FCT Council formally resolved at the Congress held on 19th October 2024 and impeached Chairman Patrick Osaretin Osadebamwen and his executives.

This followed the flagrant violation of Article 4(9d) of the NUJ Constitution, which stipulates that:

“The Credentials Committee at the State Council level shall be nominated by the State Congress subject to the approval of the National Secretariat.

“Membership of the Credentials Committee shall be drawn from among members of the Union in good financial standing who have no intention to vie for offices in the said elections”.

However, at the Congress, the impeached Chairman took laws into his hands and decided to handpick members of the Credentials Committee in a premeditated move to flagrantly violate the provisions of the NUJ Constitution as stated above.

Consequently, members in the exercise of the power vested in the Congress, passed a vote of no confidence on the Chairman and he was subsequently impeached along with his exco members by 2/3 majority of members present during the Congress.

In view of the above, the Congress, hereby, invites the national leadership of NUJ to quickly step into the prevailing confusion at the FCT Council to save the face of the Union.

Attached herewith is the list of signatures collated for the impeachment of Chairman Patrick Osaretin Osadebamwen and members of his executives.

Cc: Vice President,
Zone D

News

NUJ FCT Council Osadebamwe-led EXCO Impeached

Published

3 hours ago

October 19, 2024

Gloria Ikibah

…as congress accuse chairman of high-handedness during nomination of Credential Committee

By Gloria Ikibah

Members of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Federal Capital Terpritory (FCT) Council have impeached the Council Chairman, Patrick Osadebamwe and his Executive Council (EXCO).

The aggrieved Journalists cutting accros various Chapels in the nation’s capital unanimously resolved to sign impeachment notice during the heated Congress held at Council’s Secretariat located in Utako District of Abuja on Saturday.

Naijablitznews.com recalled that before the commencement of the nomination exercise, Comrade Henry Umoru, an editor with Vanguard Newspapers had drawn the attention of the embattled Chairman to the exclusion of the Nomination Committee on the draft agenda drawn in the minute of the last Congress.

In his response, Comrade Osadebamwe admitted that the decision was deliberate with a view to ascertain the importance of the forthcoming elections, the amended agenda was thereafter adopted.

Trouble started when Comrade Osadebamwe-led EXCO called a set of members allegedly from the camp of his ally to nominate members of the Credentials Committee for the upcoming Council’s Election on the 4th December, 2024.

But overwhelming members in attendance in their numbers protested against the lopsidedness in the choice of the nominees who were allegedly known to be his loyalists.

Aroused by the unethical and unprofessional actions and inactions of the Patrick Osadebamwe-led Exco, some of the members believed to be loyal to him and his EXCO advised him to nominate members of the credentials committee, which many suspected was staged managed.

All pleas and protests by the Congress, rejecting the nominations, fell on deaf ears just as their insistence to subjects those nominated to voting was rejected by the EXCO.

According to members, the impeached EXCO had met with select members on the directives of the former chairman, Comrade Emmanuel Ogbeche who is an Aide to Governor Bassey Otu of Cross Rivers State to pre-select the credentials committees.

Some Congress members further alleged that the embattled ex-chairman, his EXCO, and their loyalists met at a Garden in Utako, and planned the grand imposition, which met stiff resistance.

According to some members of the union, Ogbeche has a candidate for the election and instructed his successor and erstwhile subordinate, Osadebamwen, to put in place all modalities for his “anointed” candidate to win by all means.

The former FCT Council Chairman, Ogbeche, had boasted that his principal, Governor Otu, was interested in the election and directed to support a particular candidate.

The refusal of Osadebamwe-led EXCO to yield to demand of the Congress led to a commotion in the hall with the chanting “We no go gree o, we no go gree’, ‘we move for impeachment you can’t dictate to us!” while there were smashing of chairs and almost exchange of blows.

Those nominated were Emeka Nze, Blueprint, Francisca Udoh ITV, and Godfrey Okon of Abuja Inquirer.

Consequently, the erstwhile chairman and his EXCO whom most members described as ‘unpopular’ called armed police personnel to chase out the protesting members, but upon arrival, members chanted ‘No Police! No Police!’ and the charged atmosphere made the operatives to leave the venue of the Congress.

While the drama ensued, signatures were collected with more than 178 out of 255 two-thirds of the Congress signing for the impeachment of the Osadebamwe-led EXCO.

Some members leading the impeachment process called on NUJ National Leadership to ensure the ratification of the sack of the FCT Council EXCO and appoint a caretaker committee.

Meanwhile, Chapel Chairmen after normalcy returned, resolved to take over the affairs of the FCT Council pending when the National Secretariat of the Union will set up a Caretaker Committee.

News

Jigawa Gov Suspends Commissiner nabbed by Hisbah for commiting adultery

Published

3 hours ago

October 19, 2024

Austin Ojomah

Governor Malam Umar Namadi of Jigawa State has suspended the Commissioner for Special Duties, Auwalu Sankara.

Naijablitznews reports that the suspension is to allow an investigation into allegations made by the Kano State Hisbah.

This was made known in a statement on Saturday signed by Malam Bala Ibrahim, Secretary to the Government of Jigawa State.

The state government said that the suspension was to allow for a thorough investigation to ensure transparency and maintain the integrity of the state administration.

Recall that the Kano State Hisbah Board arrested Sankara in an uncompleted building with a married woman.

Hisbah, known as the Sharia police, made the announcement following intelligence tracking and a series of complaints received about Sankara’s alleged misconduct.

Abba Sufi, the Director General of the Hisbah Board, confirmed the arrest, stating, “Yes, it is true we have arrested Auwal Danladi Sankara with a married woman in an uncompleted building. Unknown to him, we were tracking him based on reports we received against him.”

The allegations surfaced after Nasiru Bulama, the husband of the married woman, lodged complaints with multiple authorities, including the Kano State Police Command and the Department of State Services (DSS).

Bulama accused Sankara of engaging in illicit sexual activities with his wife, who is also the mother of his two children.

But the commissioner in a statement issued on Friday night, denied the allegations, describing them as false, baseless, and malicious.