isale_gan2: Go on then, Broda Dudu Negro. Good job.

[s]BTW, GenBuhari, sorry I have not fulfilled my volunteer work on the other thread either. I also have other pressing issues that prevent me from having the focus to research what we previously discussed. Pele joo. Say "Hi" to your namesake for me. [/s]

thank you dear. . . .

translation resumes tomorrow, on the order of Isale_Gan2

Guest:
Oh yes, I have not finished sharing with you on the family support programme. We also did Family Economic Advancement Programme which is to provide fund and grant to people to learn skills and trade for development, and then we did Basic Education Programme , which is what is now called Universal Basic Education . The basic education was meant to provide literacy for people willing to acquire skills through normal vocational education which will. . .

Host:
. . . which will empower them for growth and self-dependency

Guest:
. . .exactly! . . . and then we setup also to re-enforce moral teachings for children at primary education level to learn etiquettes, respect for elders and parents, civic responsibility and have grounded awareness of God, regardless the faith they practice, whether Christianity or Islam. Then we included in it the indoctrination of patriotism to the country so that the children will have an upbringing that coaches love for national unity so as to shield them from the prejudices of division, that way they grow into true nationalism and eminence. . . but I don’t know if today this programme still exist and is practiced. . . . .

Host:
I was waiting to ask you that. . . .

Guest:
well, we started it but unfortunately . . . . the programe was started in good faith and very comprehensive but we don’t know what has become of it now, particularly those coming behind us followed it up indifferently. Then we did Peace Mission programme. When we went to Beijing, I initiated the proposal and gave a speech and it was agreed that we should partner on the peace mission programme. So we launched the programme and United Nations gave us exceptional support and OAU, back when it was called OAU, also gave us impressive support leading to my trip to Harare and where I delivered a speech at the Heads of State meeting where we developed the framework and even uptill now women in Africa are participating in the peace mission and it is being repeated. . . it is. . . it is. . .it is. . . ahem,. . .

Host:
. . . .being rotated

Guest:
. . . rotated! . . . and they follow the guidelines we implemented to assist and help society. Then we developed standards for structural buildings because people have poorly erected homes and so we inserted “shelter” into the blueprint. Then we got with Minister of Science and Technology to educate on how to make bricks and mortar, not necessarily from cement but also other materials that gives reinforcement. . . . not from clay. Providing technological solutions for buildings so people have security in their shelters and not stressed from fear of their homes collapsing because it was built with sub-standard materials like sand bricks.

We did not get too far on this one. Then we opened women universities. Many of us women, particularly of Northern origin, were not allowed to enroll in co-educational schools of higher learning. So we opened this school since in America, England and everywhere in Europe they have universities for women only. We did our research on it very well and read up on it, but then Southerner women opposed it saying why should we segregate the genders that this is our problem in North, we are illiterate and why should we create a university for women. But now they have created open university in which people can learn and study remotely from home. I am hoping it produces great results.

Then we opened what is called embroidery industry. In the embroidery industry we teach women handcraft skills. On this one we went to Asia, Malaysia and so on to bring different trades to teach the women and we traveled wide on this programme. We wanted to teach people locally and so even in the comfort of their homes they can turn out these products so we wouldn’t need to go buy them. For example the emroidery on military hats are imported. So this industry can be a model for manufacturing all embroidery on military and police outfits locally. But this programme also did not get too far as we would love for it to get, especially we had many things going simultaneously. I’m hoping with life and good health I can commit to it and run it privately myself.. . .

Host:
. . . may God make it so. . .

Guest:
. . . partnering with women groups.

Host:
By God’s Grace!

Good job Negro_Ntns

We did not get too far on this one. Then we opened women universities. Many of us women, particularly of Northern origin, were not allowed to enroll in co-educational schools of higher learning. So we opened this school since in America, England and everywhere in Europe they have universities for women only. We did our research on it very well and read up on it, but then Southerner women opposed it saying why should we segregate the genders that this is our problem in North, we are illiterate and why should we create a university for women. But now they have created open university in which people can learn and study remotely from home. I am hoping it produces great results.

What is Maryam saying here? When did this opposition happen? Any other evidence to corroborate her story?

There are Women only schools in the South and in many parts of the North too, they've been there before Nigeria got independence, even before Maryam was born, many are still flourishing till today. I don't buy this tale.

By the way, many of her tales point to the problem we had with leadership in Nigeria, we still have those problems. These people build institutions and ideas around themselves without creating the strong framework that will enable those institutions outlast them. All these "We built this, we built that" cannot last if you don't systemize them with strong policies, robust laws without personally profiting from them.

Negro_Nations, Well done my brother.

^

Thanks for the excellent translation Negro_Ntn, please finish it, we are waiting in anticipation.

Ladies and Gentlemen , I have found our elusive translater on the thread where he is hiding, and I have summoned him to return and finish the translation he started.

Kilode?!:


What is Maryam saying here? When did this opposition happen? Any other evidence to corroborate her story?

There are Women only schools in the South and in many parts of the North too, they've been there before Nigeria got independence, even before Maryam was born, many are still flourishing till today. I don't buy this tale.

By the way, many of her tales point to the problem we had with leadership in Nigeria, we still have those problems. These people build institutions and ideas around themselves without creating the strong framework that will enable those institutions outlast them. All these "We built this, we built that" cannot last if you don't systemize them with strong policies, robust laws without personally profiting from them.

Negro_Nations, Well done my brother.

Kilode, hammer to the nail head. . . ."BANNNGG"!!


Buhari, you dont understand. . . I wish to finish off the interpretation as quick as possible so I can knock it off my task list but I am neck deep in more demanding priorities. The sound quality on the recording is poor that I have to listen hard, there was a section earlier in the translation where I had to play three four times over to capture what she said. I will try and finish the rest of the first part today, I think I have maybe three minutes left in it. Im working at moment, will translate later. Please have patience.

We wait with baited breath

Guest:
. . . then we launched what was called Legal Aid Clinic. Legal Aid Clinic was launched as part of Ministry of Women Affairs for women to take their grievances, disputes and complaints and generally in all areas of litigation or legal burdens and they help them with representation as well mediation and conflict resolution .

Host Lami to Host Maimuna:
Okay, Maimuna, you have more penetrating questions you want to ask.

Host Maimuna:
Yes. Okay, in the information you shared you indicated that there were certain tasks and work slated for women empowerment which is altogether now under one umbrella of network called WODESA. Overall, you accomplished many goals tailored towards family and the society in general and then once you left power these empowerment groups were all disbanded. At the time and your focus on the domestic programs were there any plans to create and institutionalize these strategies in ways that they outlast the regime, did you not think of a lasting continuity into the future?

Guest:
Yes, we did, we strategized along that line. If you recall in the opening of this session I mentioned obtaining authority and statutory power from the Federal Government to create programs and that’s what led to blueprint for family support, basic education, NTI, they were all submitted to Government for sponsorship and they responded backing them with decrees. . .

Host Maimuna:
. . . that is to institutionalize them. .

Guest:
. . .which is constitutional, in political jingo! So they were given that backbone support and in a UN summit held in America, we entered them into register so that their in their implementation the commitment to them will be long term. For instance in our regime we continued with programs laid down before us like NAPEP which became SIP. So the plans we left in place were not continued because when we talk about long term vision and planning there is plenty selfishness that go against public interest and sacrifice. NTI has continued and it retained its name and for basic education the only thing changed is the addition of “Universal” to its name. I remember in the time of Awolowo he launched Universal Primary Education as one of his campaign promises. So I think our successors borrowed from his idea to add universal to basic education program but I cannot. . I don’t see anything universal about it. Universal is a concept encompassing global application or availability, right? Or even, national widespread. For me, we just called it basic education, it’s a knowledge which is from. . .

Host Maimuna:
. . . . fundamental knowledge!

Guest:
Fundamental knowledge, exactly! Well, they are all there and nowadays Governors wives run their own different flavors and packages which in essence is family support even though it’s not called as such. You don’t need to call it family support to implement successfully. So I can conclude that a number of the programs are still around and in their continuity. I remember back when they were cutting back on excesses and Government overheads, there was talk about cancelling the National Hospital program but I heard that America intervened and requested a stay on that program and not to scrap it, so it was preserved. It is there but not in the way desired or in an optimal position to serve the public. I hope the new President will give it an uplift because access to it is very beneficial to the public.

Host Maimuna:
Well, we should now address my sidebar question earlier in which I hinted about the transition of power from military to civilian and back to military, and in your experience what would you say is the difference?

Guest:
Difference. . .well, history has shown that in the world, even the Europeans that are persistent in bringing a new democratic social order had their beginnings in military power. Leaders like Napoleon and his contemporaries were heroic soldiers that brought glory to their lands and people and established sovereign power. They laid the foundation for organizing national patriotism and democratic process that are now evolved. The soldier is a citizen as well a statesman for consolidating sovereign power and dominion to his land. This is the sole objective of a soldier. So a soldier in the ruling seat is in capacity to best fulfill this role of bringing eminence to the land, it is not a crime to rule. Perhaps a soldier will have his flaws or rub people the wrong way and when departing he hands over power and instruct on continuity. The soldier by virtue of his career is always learning.

Go and look in the whole history of this nation and compare military regimes side-by-side with civilian regimes and you will come out finding that military regimes have covered a lot of miles of work and I will be modest and not say they are better than civilians so as not to appear self-serving.

*This remark drew laughter from studio hosts*

Guest continuing:
. . .but they worked and accomplished a lot and it resulted in some progress for this country. All the social decays, backwardness, are common . Today, I saw in a newspaper article, can’t recall it might have been Vanguard, in which the commentary said to the effect that “Abacha would have been better. . . for something. Well, I didn’t finish reading because I was hoping to remain free of bias when I get here for interview. So, the soldier is a citizen, the police is a citizen, the navy is a citizen, well, everyone is a citizen and everyone has the right and we all aspire with conscience and anyone that finds himself in the ruling chair is with goodwill to bring honor and glory to the land, to serve the land and to move it forward in what is beneficial for its advancement. So the military did their part and put forward a best attempt during their regimes and even now without them government will be stagnant.

Even now in the panicky moment of the unknown everyone respect what they stood for. For that reason, they are all under one umbrella, in the military you have men, women, the young, the elderly, I don’t see any big difference between military and civilian regimes. The only thing is military is not cut for social administration but that is not to say he is incapable of running it responsibly as a duty. So I don’t see anything wrong in it. In the democracy of this age the military officers are the ones now embracing democratic leadership, look at Obasanjo, he served as both military and civilian President, that means he understands his right as a citizen. Look at the Senate President, former military and you have other Senators and Members that once wore uniforms. You had old military men that became civilian Governors, I mean look at Osun State. My husband appointed him Lagos State Governor back then and now he is Governor again in civilian regime. For the second time as a Governor, apparently there was something good he did in his military career.

I am pleading to the public to please stop the divisive agenda of comparing between civilian and military, their functions are interwoven and the civilian depend on the military. The military also need to support the civilian in a way that progress are realized.

May GOD advance us all, Amen.

Host Maimuna:
Yes. Okay, in the information you shared you indicated that there were certain tasks and work slated for women empowerment which is altogether now under one umbrella of network called WODESA. Overall, you accomplished many goals tailored towards family and the society in general and then once you left power these empowerment groups were all disbanded. At the time and your focus on the domestic programs were there any plans to create and institutionalize these strategies in ways that they outlast the regime, did you not think of a lasting continuity into the future?

Kilode, Maimuna was feeling you!


Buhari, this is end of translation.

Negro_Ntns:

Kilode, Maimuna was feeling you!


Buhari, this is end of translation.

Lol. Abi o, Maimuna is probably smarter than a million Abacha and her wife combined.

Awon visionless laggards trying to form leaders. Shio!

Thanks Negro_Ntns.

Excellent job!

To be hnest I am very disappointed that the interview did give her opportunity to answer allegations made about Abachs so- called "looting"

But it is still a great insight on her views.

@Gen Buhari, Majority of Nigerians are extremely ignorant and add tribalism to that and you will have a scary picture of a hopelessly enslaved nation with little chance of liberating itself. Whenever the issue of Abacha is raised and i tell them the guy is innocent of those charges and ask them simple questions; you niether get an answer nor plausible logical statement, What they do instead is a constant repetoir of the garbage that was fed to them by the media just like a religious fanatic would of his faith.

@thoth,
I was ignorant about Abacha's innocence until recently. I too had swallowed the lies that the corrupt Nigerian media and the white western nation had fed us, until I started looking and research Abacha's performance and the allegations of looting and that he was malicously accused of by Obasanjo and other corrupt people.

I am very interested to know however, how you yourself had come to the conclusion that Abacha was innocent of looting.

GenBuhari: @thoth,
I was ignorant about Abacha's innocence until recently. I too had swallowed the lies that the corrupt Nigerian media and the white western nation had fed us, until I started looking and research Abacha's performance and the allegations of looting that he was malicously accused of by Obasanjo and other corrupt people.

I am very interested to know however, how you yourself had come to the conclusion that Abacha was innocent of looting.

My job makes it that i have acess to these sort of information. I have well documented reports of the role my country played in discrediting Abacha and also the roles two other European nations Switzerland and Leichtenstein(suprised ?) played as well. It is no secret in the intel community what promises was made to Abdusalami Abubakar to hand over to civilians.
It is also well documented how the CIA was visiting and arranging schemes with Obasanjo while he was at Andy Uba's residence in the USA during Abachas regime. At that everyone already knows that Obasanjo would be the next puppet president of Nigeria that MTN, exxon,Haliburton,IMF and others were meeting him and signing agreements with him even before he was made president. And the international intel comunity also knew that the character of Abacha would not exit without a fight so we knew whatever plan that was hatched for him must result in his death. I would rather ask you these very simple questions:
If Abacha has any substantial savings in a foreign bank why didn't the usa after leveling hundreds of sanctions on Nigeria and another thousand ban on Abacha did not freeze the money and all his assets as was done to other presidents ?
Howcome Abacha with all the sanctions against Nigeria and at $9 pb of crude and 1.6 million barrels per day crude production and without borrowing a cent from any bank was able to keep the dollar at 21 naira per dollar, accomplish vast social works and national projects and generally outperform Obasanjo and others whom were enjoying no sanctions, $75 per barrel, 2.5 million barrels daily crude output, borrowed billions of dollars from foreign banks ?
Howcome Nigeria was respected as a powerful figure in Africa and has the means to either persuade or coerce other african nations to Nigerias interest and suddenly lost that image after the death of Abacha ? Was it that keeping them in line was against european exploits ?
How quickly and easy was it for Cameroun to get the Bakassi penisula just after Abacha died ?
I am sorry all i can give you are questions not documents or audios, Nigerians are so simple minded that you have to force them to think for themselves.
Abacha may have done some favors but he has nothing in those banks.

thanks thoth.

Our problem is that we do not have real indepoendant and patriotic press media, only corrupt journalist who are paid by corrupt elite to collude with Obasanjo and others to spread lies and confusion to deceive the masses.

I would have liked have her views about how Abacha was killed and who she suspected.

It would have been good to hear from her about what went on during the last hours of Abacha' death and the hours immediately following it.

I think the interviews missed opportunity to get some clarity on many issues.

If you had a chance to interview the former first lady, what questions would you ask?

The interviews missed such a good opportunity to ask her many questions that Nigerians would like to know.

GenBuhari: Here is a recording of interview of Maryam Abacha (the late wife of the military leader Gen. Sani Abacha) at Freedom Radio. in the Kowane Tsnuntsu Program on Saturday 29th May, 2010 anchored by Lami Sumayya Murtala and Maimuna Saidu Bello.

http://www.freedomradionig.com/news/interviews-and-special-events/item/38-interview-with-hajiya-maryam-abacha

Can anybody translate this recording of Maryam Abacha’s interview from Hausa to English?

This is a rare opportunity to hear the views of a key member of the Abacha family in their own words. Usually journalist are reporting what they say and most times distorting the truth.

Is Maryam Abacha late?
Poster reconstruct your grammatical syntax before I report you to late Abacha.

Now corrected.
Thanks for point that out

LastApostle:

Is Maryam Abacha late?
Poster reconstruct your grammatical syntax before I report you to late Abacha.

Question I would like to ask her.

What was her re-collection of events on the night Abacha died?

Was it true that Babangida chaired the meeting to decide the next leader (whicj resulted in his cousin Abdulsami Abubakar being chosen.

I would ask her whether he believes Abacha was killed

If so , whoo does she believe is the insider that may have betrayed Abacha to facilitate his poisoning.