slim fit :


Good question but ACN members should come out and answer this question and avoid telling us you are minorities oh explain to us pls.

olabukola: Wow did you guys noticed how Mr gbawe turned a blind eye to lastpope's post.

thelastPope:

The problem I have with you ACN folks is that you turn everything into a political campaign and have no true love for Nigeria. Simple questions for you:

1. Why have the opposition never sponsored bills to change these laws?

2. Do the opposition have to wait for them to produce a president to sponsor these bills? No matter the party in power in the USA, the opposition will always raise and try to push through, bills that reflect their ideology, whether they are passed on not. That is what they actually use in their campaign to come back to power.

3. Why have the opposition never implemented or championed anti-corruption laws and projects in their controlled states. Their states are as corrupt as any PDP states and sometimes even more as they perpetuate a one man rule system.

4. Why are opposition members of NASS part and parcel of the corruption in the NASS? They are all represented in all the corrupt committees in the house of reps and have never raised objections to corruption. I would have expected them to expose the ruling party practices in the house and actually use that as springboards to gain public acceptance, but they have chosen instead to be part and parcel of the corruption and only come out to say GEJ is corrupt when they want to do a political campaign.

So when you say PDP must go, I wonder what you mean. Which PDP? Go where? In the last two presidential elections, ACN has presented two former PDP persons as their presidential candidates. In 2007, ACN presented Atiku Abubarkar, one of the biggest thieves in Nigeria, as their presidential candidate. In 2011, the ACN again presented a former PDP person as their presidential candidate and the ACN leader was in Aso rock to make a deal with PDP and collect agunje. How are they going to now fight corruption? The last governorship candidate for ACN in Akwa Ibom state was a former PDP senator who for 8 good years, did nothing in the senate but collect money. The list can go on and on. Even the twitter warlord El Rufai was a former PDP corrupt politician who sold lands in Abuja to his cronies. Are these the alternative that would fight corruption?

The antidote to good governance is pressure from the people, not your proposed exchange of kettle with pot! Most of you keep showing yourselves up as party members doing early campaign in 2013 rather than concerned Nigerians who would love to see a new and a changed Nigeria! Sad!

Gbawe:

Our current democratic experiment began in 1999. The PDP has been in control of the Federal government since then. When have they made any serious effort to reform critical sectors/parastatals/organisations like the judiciary, NNPC, Nigerian Police force et al? Can you logically fault the argument that it is wrong and self-destructive for PDP Presidents, one after the other, to continue going for crooks as AGF/Minister of justice for a critical sector long overdue for reform?

Furthermore, how does it help things for any us to be obsessing over when a problem began? Is considerations no longer about those currently in charge seeking solutions? When those who are in charge then deliberately worsen the problem with the woeful appointments they make, what point are you getting at here talking of the ACN and toll payment? How is that relevant to how PDP Presidents deliberately , and of their own free will, ignore great dsiciples of the law to choose blunt and ineffective tools as AGF/Minister of justice thereby rendering efforts to reform the judiciary 'dead on arrival'?

Like I always say, we can all have our biases and affiliations. What I find incredible is the way some Nigerians have uniquely distinguished our Nation as one where grown adults are unable to call a spade a spade and likely to ignore factual/logical submissions to begin arguing emotionally.

omenka:
Nigeria is indeed in a big mess!!! I saw one of those attorney generals @ a club last nyt acting like a taut with two policemen standing guard. It's a damn shame! I looked @ him and was like, heck, can't believe this was thesame man that caused the country sooo much problenm! Lord have mercy. Indeed, these men are irrideemable perverts!

N32b pension fraud: More outrage over ‘light sentence’
Posted by: Our Reporter on January 31, 2013 in News 11 Comments

THERE was more outrage yesterday over the “light sentence” given a former deputy director of the Police Pension office who pleaded guilty to fraud.
The House of Representatives insisted that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Justice Minister, should “as a metter of urgency” appeal the six-year jail sentence and the option of N750,000 fine given Mr. John Yakubu Yusufu by Justice Abubakar Talba, who admitted to being part of those who stole N32billion pension cash.
The Anti-Corruption Network (ACN), in collaboration with the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and the Association of Unemployed Youths of Nigeria (AUYN), organised a protest march to the Supreme Court and the office of the Justice Minister in Abuja. The National Association of Ondo State students also faulted the judgment.
The House of Representatives resolved to amend Section 309 of the Penal Code and Criminal Code to reflect the realities of today.
[size=14pt]The decision of the lawmakers followed the adoption of a motion under a matter of urgent public importance by the Minority Whip, Samson Osagie (ACN, Edo), who said as responsive lawmakers, the House could not afford to be silent on such a sensitive issue.[/size]

Jerry Manwe (PDP, Taraba) said by the judgment, what the court has done is to encourage public office holders to steal public funds and keep some aside for settlement of fines by the courts.
“My appeal is that the National Assembly should look into the law and amend it so that people don’t come into public offices, steal with impunity and get away with it,” he said.
Udo Ibeji (PDP, Abia) argued that the legislature should be blamed for the ridiculous penalties, Kamil Akinlabi (ACN, Oyo) said the lawmakers have no constitutional powers to review a court judgment.
Minority Leader Femi Gbajabiamila (ACN, Lagos) blamed the judge.
He said the judge was provided with options in the judgment but decided to go with the most controversial alternative.
“The provisions of the law give the adjudicating officer the option of fine, that is to use his discretion and it is left to him to use it reasonably. Why should that discretion be abused to that level.
“To exonerate the judiciary is wrong, the blame should be placed squarely on the judge and not the National Assembly. I believe that those that crafted the laws never in their wildest imagination contemplated that someone can steal that much,” he said.
On whether the lawmakers have the powers to review a court judgment, Gbajabiamila cited Section 88 of the constitution, saying the National Assembly is empowered to deliberate on any matter that borders on good governance.
“This s not a review of the judgment, what we are doing is looking at the judgment with a view of tidying up the law”.

okpara ugo:

If i should remind you the topic at hand, i will say that you are derailing this thread. Mods take note. We are talking of corruption and the justice system and you are here talking about ACN. We have ACN lawmakers so talk to them not here.

Btw, was OBJ part of this PDP or not? Who was the last 8yr spending President in Nigeria? Can you catch a kitchen sit and sit down?

Gbawe:

Look, ignore characters like that. They are losers and clannish twerps who will never in their worthless lives be able to call a spade a spade. Have I lied that PDP Presidents have a penchant for deploying crooks and immoral mediocrities as AGF?

Do we not have principled, upright disciples of the law more fitting for such an office in a Nation that badly needs comprehensive and thorough judicial reform? Who should be the arrowhead or champion of such reforms if not the AGF? When President after Presidents deliberately shun principled men to go for crooked charlatans and extortionist, is it not only clannish sycophants who will defend the self-destructive appointments of such Presidents?

Whatever ethnic group or Political Party we are associated with should not blind us to the concept of how it should still be round pegs for round holes as solid base to lay reform foundation upon. That is what is responsible for the progress we enviously see others making yet lack the mindset and unity to demand for in Nigeria.

Instead Nigeria appears doomed with how it is clannish folks, dedicated to ethnicity and sectional bias, arguing against the simple principle that you cannot deliver reform using the wrong tool same as it is utterly ridiculous trying to cut a vastly overgrown lawn with a pair of small scissors. There are some things, regardless of ethnic or sectional affiliations, we should all agree over. For example, we can all agree the President who deploys a crook as AGF is not serious about judicial reform.

Gbawe:

Indeed. Issues are more straightforward than some clannish dolts would have us believe. Nigeria has always had some sterling legal practitioners totally devoted to justice like Gani Fawehinmi, Femi falana et al. These men have taken on my cases for free in their fight to gain justice for Nigeria and Nigerians.

Whether it is fighting against the death sentence of Ken Saro-Wiwa or the plight of the ogoni people, these men show up consistently to be counted.

Now, ask youself why Yar Adua ignored such men to go for a mediocre crook like Aondoakaa whose professional career consisted of defending crooks like Ibori.

Why, likewise, did GEJ ignore the Falanas of the world to go for the ultra-corrupt Adoke-Bello linked with far too many scandals than one can even count?

Are those appointments not powerful indicators both President simply wanted a 'Voltron' for their pals and a tool to keep affairs "business as usual" for the corrupt?

Who should be the champion of penal/judicial reform if not the AGF/minister of justice? Yet we have never heard peep from Aondoakaa or Adoke-Bello let alone a passionate campaing for reformation of what is clearly an offensive, highly biased, pro-elite and ineffective penal code. The right AGF would be appealing the judgement vehemently and not be indifferent and nonchalant as Adoke-Bello is.

The silly argument of opposition sponsoring a bill is also one of the most inane things I have heard and an indication some just enjoy defending those they are affiliated to blindly. The ruling Party enjoys a considerable majority in the upper and lower house. The PDP provides the Senate President and deputy senate President. The Party also produces the Speaker of the lower house. It has been so since 1999 and the responsibility of leading by example must fall mainly on the ruling Party for the situation we are in where the 1914 penal code delivered by colonial masters remain unchanged today.

Furthermore, these charlatan here talking about ACN/opposition not sponsoring bill negating the ugly state of affairs are liars. They have done so and continue to do so even in this recent case of this pension scam. Those not privy to the work of the opposition legislators think they can lie here to deceive the gullible and those not into reading. You can sponsor as many bills as you want but that will not make the PDP majority go along. Also, as seen below the upper or lower house can compel the AGF to act all they want. That does not mean he will accede to their request. It is the biggest lie, told to deceive the intellectually lazy, that the opposition is not doing its duty in our upper and lower Houses.

http://thenationonlineng.net/new/news/n32b-pension-fraud-more-outrage-over-light-sentence/

Gbawe:



Get lost you clannish twerp. Did I mention the ACN or did you? It is obvious I am blaming the ineffectiveness of the ruling Party vis-a-vis it's abysmal and poor effort to promote judicial reform when it has the power and numbers to do so. Anyway, is always obvious what side of any argument your ilk will be on.

If, for example, I am mad at what the ruling Party (the PDP) has made of our Police force, how does that mean the ACN is involved in my stance? Is it not inane how some of you think here? Since you know which Party some support, you must judge all their utterances in relation to that? Because I support the ACN, does that mean I cannot rightly point out what the ruling Party is doing wrong?

Is the NPF not entirely under the jurisdiction of the FG and thus the PDP? Please let us start calling a spade a spade in Nigeria. This devotion to ethnicity, individuals, political Parties et al is displayed too much here. Beyond knowing I support the ACN, why don't you discredit all I level against PDP Presidents specifically their penchant for sabotaging the judiciary via the deployment of crooks as AGF/Minister of justice who then go on to work openly and directly for the most corrupt men and women in the land? Is that a lie? Is that something Nigerians, regardless of ethnic or Party affiliation, should desire or accommodate? I.e one crooked Attorney general of the federation after another chosen by one PDP President after the other? Please you guys should stop this shameful antics of attaching ethnic/Party affiliation to everything. This is about what the ruling Party has the power to do yet is failing to do.

nadias877: The major problem of Nigeria is corruption and that wassss why I voted for Buhari. Everyone kept saying he's got no vision that all he wants to do is to deal with people who embezzled public funds. If that's the only mission he has, then I think he has solved Nigeria's problem cos corruption is our only problem.

Gbawe:

This is why some us hold that, fundamentally, the PDP has to go. No PDP President, since 1999, has shown an interest in the genuine reform of critical/transformational sectors that can turn around Nigeria drastically. We do not need to belabour the notion that a strong judiciary is needed to negate the lawlessness and "justice for sale" impunity now consuming and shaming Nigeria.

What then are Nigerian Presidents playing at, doing the opposite of what is required, deploying AGF/Minister of justice who are ultra-corrupt and morally bankrupt men like Aondoakaa and Adoke-Bello? Yet we all saw Yar Adua and GEJ, of their own free will, respectively go for those worthless and destructive characters while shunning the many distinguished and upright disciples of the law Nigeria parades. This is the biggest clue PDP Presidents are not dedicated to critical reform.

If you want to deliver reform you must seek out genuine reformers. The likes of Falana, Fawehinmi, Agbakoba et al were/are there. Some have gone to jail many times for Nigeria and stood up to the worst dictator our Nation has known. Yet successive PDP President shun those men to make corrupt crooks our AGF because those Presidents, self-destructively, are merely interested in immoral men who can help them continue the effort to make our judiciary a subjective tool that is institutionally weak and only capable of abetting the warped agenda of the rich and powerful in society.

"By their appointees ye shall know them". Simple as that. We are going nowhere when successive President shun brilliant, distinguished and fearless disciples of the law to empower crooks, mediocrities and cheap extortionists who will use the office of AGF/Minister of justice as a tool of massive self aggrandizement and an instrument with which to pervert and undermine justice.

Gbawe:

This is why some us hold that, fundamentally, the PDP has to go. No PDP President, since 1999, has shown an interest in the genuine reform of critical/transformational sectors that can turn around Nigeria drastically. We do not need to belabour the notion that a strong judiciary is needed to negate the lawlessness and "justice for sale" impunity now consuming and shaming Nigeria.

What then are Nigerian Presidents playing at, doing the opposite of what is required, deploying AGF/Minister of justice who are ultra-corrupt and morally bankrupt men like Aondoakaa and Adoke-Bello? Yet we all saw Yar Adua and GEJ, of their own free will, respectively go for those worthless and destructive characters while shunning the many distinguished and upright disciples of the law Nigeria parades. This is the biggest clue PDP Presidents are not dedicated to critical reform.

If you want to deliver reform you must seek out genuine reformers. The likes of Falana, Fawehinmi, Agbakoba et al were/are there. Some have gone to jail many times for Nigeria and stood up to the worst dictator our Nation has known. Yet successive PDP President shun those men to make corrupt crooks our AGF because those Presidents, self-destructively, are merely interested in immoral men who can help them continue the effort to make our judiciary a subjective tool that is institutionally weak and only capable of abetting the warped agenda of the rich and powerful in society.

"By their appointees ye shall know them". Simple as that. We are going nowhere when successive President shun brilliant, distinguished and fearless disciples of the law to empower crooks, mediocrities and cheap extortionists who will use the office of AGF/Minister of justice as a tool of massive self aggrandizement and an instrument with which to pervert and undermine justice.

thelastPope:

Funny statement coming from you when you were the one that turned the thread into a party thread. The thread is about powerful Nigerians hijacking justice! Tinubu is a part of those powerful Nigerians! In your own partisan world, powerful Nigerians=PDP. But we all know better. Powerful Nigerians exist in all the parties. Lagos state hijacked justice in the last LGA elections. As long as you keep coming up with these your "campaign posters" on NL, we will continue to call you out. We need a new Nigeria not a new party!

thelastPope:

Funny statement coming from you when you were the one that turned the thread into a party thread. The thread is about powerful Nigerians hijacking justice! Tinubu is a part of those powerful Nigerians! In your own partisan world, powerful Nigerians=PDP. But we all know better. Powerful Nigerians exist in all the parties. Lagos state hijacked justice in the last LGA elections. As long as you keep coming up with these your "campaign posters" on NL, we will continue to call you out. We need a new Nigeria not a new party!

thelastPope:

[b]Buhari was there for 20 months before. what did he achieve? He was PTF chairman for five years. What did he achieve? Can you point to the infrastructure that he spent over 100 billion naira on? Do you know what the value of 100 billion naira was between 1994 to 1999? [/b]That the man presents himself like a poor man doesnt mean he is poor. It is only an act! The only thing that will change Nigeria is action from the people to insist on good governance and accountability, not any so called messiah of a man! It is total laziness from people like you who dont want to take responsibility as Nigerians to insist on good governance that is the problem of Nigeria, not corruption. You are looking up to a 70+ years old man to come and change the country? Isnt that a big shame on you? One voice of change is what we need! Not a new person or a new party. Whatever party wins at the polls should be put under pressure to perform. Criticism based on issues is fine. Why I always call out some people on here is because they do not criticize as Nigerians. They criticize as party members.

gunuvi:
Sorry Gbawe, what Mr Falana was saying cut across all parties. Ask us in Badagry and we know that ACN has been oppressing us with the judiciary ever since. Its a different ball game for different areas. May God help Nigeria.

seanet01: See last pope did not know what Buhari achieved when in power?
Did you know Nigeria was Exporting REFINED PETROLEUM PRODUCTS DURING BUHARI'S REGIME?
Stop comparing death with sleep jo.

thelastPope:

The problem I have with you ACN folks is that you turn everything into a political campaign and have no true love for Nigeria. Simple questions for you:

1. Why have the opposition never sponsored bills to change these laws?

2. Do the opposition have to wait for them to produce a president to sponsor these bills? No matter the party in power in the USA, the opposition will always raise and try to push through, bills that reflect their ideology, whether they are passed on not. That is what they actually use in their campaign to come back to power.

3. Why have the opposition never implemented or championed anti-corruption laws and projects in their controlled states. Their states are as corrupt as any PDP states and sometimes even more as they perpetuate a one man rule system.

4. Why are opposition members of NASS part and parcel of the corruption in the NASS? They are all represented in all the corrupt committees in the house of reps and have never raised objections to corruption. I would have expected them to expose the ruling party practices in the house and actually use that as springboards to gain public acceptance, but they have chosen instead to be part and parcel of the corruption and only come out to say GEJ is corrupt when they want to do a political campaign.

So when you say PDP must go, I wonder what you mean. Which PDP? Go where? In the last two presidential elections, ACN has presented two former PDP persons as their presidential candidates. In 2007, ACN presented Atiku Abubarkar, one of the biggest thieves in Nigeria, as their presidential candidate. In 2011, the ACN again presented a former PDP person as their presidential candidate and the ACN leader was in Aso rock to make a deal with PDP and collect agunje. How are they going to now fight corruption? The last governorship candidate for ACN in Akwa Ibom state was a former PDP senator who for 8 good years, did nothing in the senate but collect money. The list can go on and on. Even the twitter warlord El Rufai was a former PDP corrupt politician who sold lands in Abuja to his cronies. Are these the alternative that would fight corruption?

The antidote to good governance is pressure from the people, not your proposed exchange of kettle with pot! Most of you keep showing yourselves up as party members doing early campaign in 2013 rather than concerned Nigerians who would love to see a new and a changed Nigeria! Sad!