From the Kemi Adeosun
certificate saga, Abdulahi Ganduje’s bribery allegations to the sex scandal
that consumed Richard Akindele, a university professor, the dramas never seized
in 2018. Just when you felt you’ve had the last of it, another
resurfaced. Each year presents a myriad of issues to be recorded in the
country’s history. In 2018, so many events dotted the landscape. While some
went unnoticed, others served as comic reliefs and some instigated so much
public outcry that almost brought those involved to their knees. In this
piece, we highlight scandals that shook the country in the outgoing
year.
LAZY YOUTH
The youth were thrown into frenzy
when President Muhammadu Buhari, speaking at the Commonwealth Business Forum in
Westminster, UK, in April, said a lot of Nigerian youth have not been to
school but they want everything free. The president’s comment generated
the controversy that led to #lazy Nigerian youth. Nigerians took to social
media to protest and some displayed pictures of their various businesses and
entrepreneurial endeavours just to prove otherwise and discredit the president.
Political opponents of Buhari
also used the avenue to do what they know best.
RICHARD AKINDELE’S SEX SCANDAL
What started like a subtle
conversation between a randy lecturer and his female student turned to a
sorrowful tale of regret and downfall. In April, a private telephone
conversation between Akindele, a professor of management and accounting at
Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, demanding five rounds of sex to award a
pass mark to Monica Osagie, his female student, leaked and went viral on social
media.
Akindele went into hiding after
the scandal broke out but an investigative panel set up by the university
concluded that the professor had an inappropriate relationship with Osagie and
he was sacked “having found him guilty of all the charges against him”.
Last week, a federal high court
in Osogbo, Osun state, sentenced Akindele to two years in prison
after he was arraigned by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related
offences Commission (ICPC).
SNAKE THAT SWALLOWED N36 MILLION
When, in February, the news broke that an official of the
Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) in Makurdi, Benue state, said a
snake crept into the cash vault in the account office of the board and
swallowed N36 million which was the proceeds from the sale of admission scratch
cards, many dismissed it.
Ishaq Oloyede, JAMB’s registrar,
was among those who interrogated Chiese
|
In fact, it became more interesting when Shehu Sani, senator
representing Kaduna central, visited the head office of JAMB with snake
charmers. During interrogations by a team of auditors, Philomina Chieshe, the
official in the midst of the controversy, denied stealing the fund, yet
couldn’t account for it. She alleged that her housemaid connived with another
JAMB official, Joan Asen, to “spiritually” steal the money from the vault.
Many couldn’t come to terms with the story as it defied
logical explanations. Yet, it was agog in the social media for weeks.
BUHARI’S WAEC CERTIFICATE
Prior to the 2015 presidential
election, issues were raised concerning Buhari’s West African Examination
Council (WAEC) certificate. The then ruling party, the Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP), had claimed Buhari lied over the certificate he obtained from Government
College, Katsina, in 1961. But Buhari scaled through the controversy and was
elected president.
In 2018, the controversy
resurfaced and took a new turn. The polity became heated as opposition parties
renewed the call for Buhari to be disqualified due to the controversy
surrounding the O’Level certificate and the claim in his affidavit to the
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
WAEC presented an
attestation certificate and confirmation of school result to the president
before the controversy was brought to a halt.
ADEOSUN’S NYSC CERTIFICATE SCANDAL
In July, Premium Times
released an explosive report on how the former minister of finance
was in possession of a forged National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) exemption
certificate. She failed to participate in the NYSC programme as and when due.
Having finished her first degree at the age off 22, she was not entitled to
exemption on the grounds of age. According to NYSC Act, only those above the
age of 30 can be exempted.
Adesoun had failed to comment on
the accusation when the report surfaced online but the pressure kept
piling. For someone whose public service had been fraught with
controversies and breakthroughs from the time she was appointed in 2015, Kemi
finally bowed to the storm and resigned her position in September.
GANDUJE’S BRIBERY VIDEO
In October, the governor of Kano state was in the eye of the
storm after a video published by Daily Nigerian, an online newspaper, showed
him allegedly receiving bundles of dollars as kickback from
contractors.
After the video surfaced, more were released and they
trended on social media for weeks, with some describing the issue as a slap on
Buhari’s corruption agenda- the governor is a member of the ruling party.
Ganduje denied the allegations, saying his political opponents were behind it.
The Kano state house of assembly had summoned him to answer questions on the
allegations, but a high court in the state ordered the lawmakers to stop the
investigations. Despite the controversy, Ganduje went on to receive different
awards, including one from a national newspaper.
OSINBAJO’S INDICTMENT BY HOUSE OF REPS
The vice-president also had a
fair share of scandal in 2018. In November, the house of representatives
indicted the governing board of National Emergency Management Agency
(NEMA) chaired by Osinbajo over “illegal approval of N5.8 billion north-east
intervention fund.”
But the vice president, who was
acting on behalf of the president when he gave the approval, said it was within
his constitutional authority as he needed to take emergency steps to forestall
acute food shortages in the affected states. The house insisted that he erred
and even summoned him. There were even rumors that the lawmakers contemplated
impeaching Osinbajo.
THE NHIS BRAWL
In July 2017, Isaac Adewole,
minister of health, suspended Usman Yusuf, former executive secretary of the
National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) over allegations of fraud and
infractions. However, Yusuf was reinstated in February 2018. This threw the
agency into crisis as workers bickered with him.
The crisis escalated in October
after the governing council of the NHIS again suspended Yusuf to
pave way for investigation into allegations. But Yusuf would take none of that
as he ignored the resolution of the council and insisted that the board had no
power to suspend him.
The NHIS former executive
secretary had stormed the office of the agency with officers of the Nigeria
police force who fired teargas at workers in order for him to gain access into
his office. But in October, Buhari directed Yusuf to proceed on
administrative leave effective from November 5, pending the report of the
committee set up to investigate the allegations. The committee has presented
its report and Boss Mustapaha, secretary to the government of the federation,
has promised implementation of the report.
THE STOLEN MACE
On April 18, a drama played out
at the national assembly that left the nation in awe. The senate was thrown
into confusion after suspected thugs broke into the chamber and carted away the
mace, the symbol of authority of the upper legislative chamber.
Ovie Omo-Agege, senator from
Delta state who had earlier been suspended, allegedly led the thugs into
the red chamber. This led to an uproar in the chamber while security
operatives ran after the senator and the “thugs” to get hold of the mace but
were overpowered as the men ran outside into three waiting vehicles.
The house, however, produced a
spare mace and continued with the plenary. Omo-Agege was later arrested by the
police while the stolen mace was recovered under a flyover.
FALZ, MURIC AND ‘THIS IS NIGERIA’
In June, Folarin ‘Falz’ Falana, incurred the wrath of the
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) over the release of his controversial ‘This is
Nigeria’ music video, featuring some girls dressed in hijab dancing “shaku shaku”.
The religious body described the video as “insensitive, thoughtless and
provocative”. The group had asked Falz to withdraw the video within seven days
apologise to Nigerian Muslims, or face legal action.
This generated a lot of reactions from Nigerians who argued
for or against the withdrawal of the video. Moreover, the controversy dominated
the social media scene for days as more events unfolded.
Due to criticisms from Nigerians, the group later
soft-pedalled on its threat to take legal action against the popular musician.
The outgoing year has been filled with intrigues.
Culled: TheCable
Culled: TheCable
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