Panic as presidential policy

Written by Nosa Osaigbovo
Friday, 03 December 2010


. . . .

The president lowers the authority and dignity of his office when he gets involved in petty party matters. His job is to ably run the country and not to settle quarrels over patronage. The president’s mediation does not appear to have brought about reconciliation in the Oyo State PDP.

The president appears ready to do anything, no matter how humiliating, to remain in office beyond May 29. He cut short a trip to Lagos and returned to Abuja when the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) called a nationwide strike. The NLC called a strike over a recommendation and not an agreement, but the president was quick to capitulate. In doing so, he not only committed his government but also the National Assembly to the payment of a new minimum wage. A self-respecting legislature should bristle at such presumptuousness, at such contempt for its independence—separation of powers is a constitutional provision—but the National Assembly is known to have the courage of a coward.

Government employees need a salary increase and those who really work deserve it. Electricity workers went on a provocative strike, but President Jonathan swiftly surrendered to them. And the NLC, which has taken the measure of the president, has demanded that the retirement age be raised from 60 years. The president may panic and make promises if the NLC threatens a strike.

The president recently received the pretentiously named Save Nigeria Group, which is led by the publicity-fixated Pastor Tunde Bakare. The group is reportedly against the president’s candidature in the 2011 election and the president was said to have received the group to persuade it to back him. It seems the president is casting his electoral net wide and does not care whether it catches the salmon of support or the piranha of problems.

Trouble has followed Mr Bakare’s visit and the Presidency is flailing around in a surging sea of scandal. Mr Bakare reportedly claimed that the Minister of Niger Delta, Mr Godsday Orubebe, tried to buy his group’s support with $50, 000. He was reported as saying that the money was delivered by a man unofficially working for the president and that the money was returned to the same man.

Mr Orubebe has denied that money was given to Mr Bakare. He said that a $50, 000 (more than N7 million) bribe would have insulted the ‘stature’ of Mr Bakare.

Mr Orubebe’s offensive and shameless sophistry must have provoked another ‘see how they are wasting our money’ from the policeman who was scandalised by the sight of a long, siren-blaring convoy.


http://tribune.com.ng/index.php/mosaic/14259-panic-as-presidential-policy

Kobojunkie:

Here is a very simple question for you. Who collected, counted, recorded the denominations and then returned the money, as you claim? Just name the person(s) and point us to where exactly you get that from.

Koikoi:

@debosky
quoting from sahara reporters

Odumakin made sure there were witnesses in the hand over ceremony. i hope that answered your simple question

to me, the whole affair still remain suspicious. Odumakin alleged that the 'other party' leaked the affair to the press.

it just wont add up

Kobojunkie:

Please READ THE QUESTION ASKED so you can better answer it. Because I think your post above is NOT in response to the question I asked you which is simple.

Koikoi:

http://www.saharareporters.com/news-page/jonathan%E2%80%99s-50000-bribe-another-sng-delegate-provides-more-details-orubebe-issues-denial

satisfied?

. . . Mr. Odumakin revealed that the $50,000 came in “five bundles and all $100”. He added that, in order to guarantee that the money was returned to source, they also called Oronto Douglas, a senior adviser to Jonathan, to inform him of their action.

Koikoi:

methinks something is missing. money was collected, counted and the denominations recorded, why return it again? couldn't sng just refuse it from the begining and save us this hullabalu? i smell a rat.

Kobojunkie:

Here is a very simple question for you. Who collected, counted, recorded the denominations and then returned the money, as you claim? Just name the person(s) and point us to where exactly you get that from.

Koikoi:

. . . Mr. Odumakin revealed that the $50,000 came in “five bundles and all $100”. He added that, in order to guarantee that the money was returned to source, they also called Oronto Douglas, a senior adviser to Jonathan, to inform him of their action.

it seems you do not understand your own question. how can they return the money if they did not collect it? how did Mr. Odumakin know that the $50,000 came in “five bundles and all $100”

Kobojunkie:

Sigh . . . . let me try this another way. Here's hoping this is simpler for you to grasp

The article does not mention anyone COUNTING the money. But are you saying we still need to CONCLUDE that Odumakin counted the money? It is not even possible that at point of receipt, the details of the envelope's contents were revealed to him?

Note: All I am doing is trying to figure out why you smell a rat even with the article telling of what supposedly happened, which is not even UNIQUE in anyway. Not trying to convince you that you are wrong or anything

Koikoi:

and you are very sure it was supposedly not counted. very likely they told them the exact amount and the denominations. how does that sound? 

Beaf:

^
Charlie, are you not one of them?
Tell NLers your "elected" position na!

Beaf:

^
Charlie, are you not one of them?
Tell NLers your "elected" position na!

ndu_chucks:

Who are you calling Charlie? olodo. Rakimin Dajij

Beaf:

No vex. There is nothing wrong with that name, is there? Abeg, tell us weda you de government or not so dat we wen no de govt go no who be who.

naija2much:

this Bakare self,

lets not fight over this, generally, money change hands when you visit the presidency-that's normal
@beaf: call a spade a spade, the goodluck guy Zap up
@Oyb, goodluck fared badly, agreed, but who is better? IBB-Internationally known and rejected or Atiku (check custom and PTDF).  all these politicans are criminals. i dont mind if Saddam Husein resurrect and come and rule us.

this Bakare guy- is he a pastor, a politician, an activist or the Antichrist?  he's trying to Save Nigeria with his Group (SNG) but he;s creating plenty chaos, if he's not insulting a politician, he's accusing a pastor, which one he dey self

Kobojunkie:

Why do you have a problem with Bakare taking on these identities? Are you jealous or I don't know, are you someone who believes people should not wear more than one coat? I am not a Bakare fan myself but in a country where majority of the pastors sit fattening their behinds each day with the loot of others, I would think people would be happy to know we have a pastor who steps off the pulpit to practice some of what he preaches. Sure, he may ruffle a couple of feathers along the way and cause a bit of commotion on the side, which is what EVERY Nigerian should be out doing to get the change we deserve, so why are you particularly on his case? Do you somehow think he CREATED this story to get attention to himself or his his cause?

And, on your suggestion that one thief is better than the other, do you ask that question because you are sick and tired of having thieves rule over your household? Or are you somehow OK with being ruled by someone who fits your idea of a small thief, rather than another whom you consider a bigger thief, despite them all being thieves?

naija2much:

hey, i get your point.  but which of them is not a thief? Before you accuse most pastors of looting, isn't Bakare one of them looters too? aint he making money from the church business?  

naija2much:

if you think change is going to come from this rubbish-think again!   we've heard more noise than Bakare's.    

,  and i wont be surprised if he (Bakare) show up to run for presidency soon!

ndu_chucks:

What's all the hoopla about bribe because $50,000 was given to SNG as a token of appreciation?

Why do you people think that Nigeria is rated as one of the most corrupt nations in the world? Do you people think that you earned that reputation by sending billions of naira to poorer countries to provide free housing and education to the poor?

naija2much:

if you think change is going to come from this rubbish-think again! we've heard more noise than Bakare's.

simplymee:

Abeg ooooooo.I have noticed that many people bring blames rather than profer solutions concerning matters in NAIJA.  Can we work on ourselves within as we deeply need that. ABEG cook better soup make our country partake. All i know is that when u cook for community, them go chop but if COMMUNITY cook for u, U NO GO FIT CHOW.
THATS FOR THE POLITICIANS AROUND US.