The great thing about Resilience Television is that it has given COVID-19 pandemic a wide berth, bordering on complete blackout. It is never mentioned. Anyway, since the one and only irrepressible Ambassador (Professor) George Obiozor, Nigeria’s former Ambassador to the United States of America (2004 to 2008) and Israel (1999 to 2003) appeared on its morning show, all its telephone lines have been jammed by callers who want to hear more from the erudite proponent of: “THE CENTRE OF GRAVITY HAS MOVED” in his best-selling book with the same title.
The trigger was the front page report of “Sunday Telegraph” newspaper of january 31, 2021.
Headline: “NIGERIA APPROACHING STATE OF SYNCHRONIZED NATIONAL CRISIS”
“President of Pan Igbo Sociocultural Organisation, Ohanaezendigbo Worldwide, professor George Obiozor has said that Nigeria is approaching a state of Synchronized national crisis, with serious consequences for its existence.
The former Nigerian Ambassador to the United State of America (USA) and Israel as well as former Director General of Nigeria Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) also added that Ndigbo needs somebody with a deep understanding of Nigeria’s complex socio-political canvas to navigate them through the troubled times in Nigeria today.
Read Also: Nigeria continues to snub its biggest resource in chase of shadows
“Nigeria is exactly at a point where the only thing that will happen, and unless some people take action, it is the pattern of every federation at the end, it is called synchronized national crisis. Staccato, helter skelter, nobody is fighting anybody; the elites will run on their own. The so called army, the so called police will run” he said.
What followed was the front page headline of “The Nation” newspaper of January 30, 2021
Headline: “NOT ALL FULANIS ARE CRIMINALS”
The Sultan of Sokoto, Al ha jim uh am mad us a’ ada bub aka rI II, said yesterday that it was wrong to label all Fulani criminals because of the misdeeds of some of them.
“I am a Fulani and I am not a bad man. I am also not a criminal,” the Sultan said at a meeting in Abuja with the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders’ Association (MACBAN).
Abubakar who is the Chairman, Board of Trustees (BOT) of the MACBAN, added: “Those who engage in one form of crime or another are across the country. It is not proper to refer to any tribe by the crime perpetrated by individuals.
He acknowledged that although seven out of every 10 kidnappers arrested in the country turn out to be Fulani, they always act in collaboration with people from other ethnic groups.
He said: “For example when they collected N10m, where and how do you spend this amount in the bush? The money is back in the city.
I have told the Inspector General of Police to check this. We are not saying Fulani are not part of the kidnappings as mentioned by the Secretary of Miyetti Allah.
Seven to eight kidnappers arrested are Fulani, but that doesn’t mean every Fulani is a criminal. No, they are not.
We must put hands together to bring an end to this problem. We are going to approach the President to talk to our West African neighbours where we have Fulani like Senegal, Niger Republic, Guinea and Mali, to help us, because most of these bandits cross from neighbouring countries to conduct their criminal acts and run back.”
The meeting came on the heels of the recent meeting in Akure between South West State governors and MACBAN following the quit notice served on criminals hiding in government reserved forests in Ondo State by Governor Rotimi Akeredolu.”
What really stirred the hornet’s nest was the sensational revelations by the Sherlock Homes of Switzerland. Mr.enrico Monfrini, the guy who was lured by the Nigerian Government (under Chief Olusegun Obasanjo) to trace and recover the Abacha loot.
“Enrico Monfrini, a Swiss attorney hired by the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo to track missing Abacha loot in Swiss banks is himself operating over 178 companies in offshore tax havens, a massive leak of secret documents belonging to offshore shell companies has revealed.
Mr.enrico Monfrini was hired in 2000 by the then new civilian government of the country to help establish the existence of and repatriate over $4 billion allegedly looted by former military dictator, Saniabacha.
The documents showed that Mr.enrico Monfrini, an influential legal practitioner in Switzerland, is director of 178 companies scattered around Panama and the British Virgin Islands.
The revelations are among the findings of a lengthy investigation by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, German newspaper Süddeutschezeitung and more than 100 other global news organizations – including PREMIUM TIMES.
PREMIUM TIMES is the only Nigerian publication involved in the investigation, which lasted a year.
Although the documents did not directly implicate Mr.enrico Monfrini as having committed any crime, still, the revelation points to the hypocrisy of a man widely revered for his remarkable ability to dismantle tax evaders and looters across jurisdictions.
Mr. Monfrini is a founding partner of Monfrinicrettol& Associates, one of the most recognised legal services providers in Switzerland.
In 2000, Mr.Obasanjo hired Mr.Monfrini’s firm to help recover Abacha loot, which was estimated to be more than $4 billion at the time.
According to Mr.Obasanjo, Mr.Monfrini helped the Nigerian government secure the release of N267 billion–$1.34 billion.”
