LAGOS — Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka and civil society groups, Thursday, condemned the N4 billion earmarked for the construction of a Mission House for the First Lady, Patience Jonathan, in the 2013 budget of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, saying it is “a mind-boggling fiscal misappropriation.”

It would be recalled that the fund for the mission house, which was expected to serve as centre to host other African First Ladies, was listed in the 2013 budget of FCT, Abuja.

Soyinka and civil society expressed their displeasure in a lettter read during a protest march organised by Women Arise for Change Initiative, which also had in attendance, Mr. Festus Keyamo; wife of late Beko Ransome-Kuti, Abosede; daughter of the late Afro beat king, Yeni Anikulapo and others.

The protesters, who were over 100 converged on the premises of the Lagos State Television, LTV, Agidingbi, Ikeja, and later marched to Lagos House, Alausa.

Traffic was partially paralysed around Alausa axis for about an hour due to the activities of the protesters.

The protesters displayed various placards which read: “N4 billion will create jobs, so we say no to mission house; N4 billion budget for Mission House, we say no to fiscal rascality.”

The Nobel laureate whose statement to other African First Ladies was read by the President of the Initiative, Mrs. Joe-Okei Odumakin in the presence of Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, said: “There is no such thing as an African First Ladies Mission in the Nigerian appropriation list.”

He, however, urged other African First Ladies to distance themselves from the idea, saying: “Your names have been invoked as the ultimate beneficiaries and thus, you are vicariously implicated. In the name of St. Valentine and the love I bear for you all, please dissociate yourselves from this display of shameless avarice. I shall not go so far as to ask you to denounce what you probably know nothing about, but if you ever get to hear of it, distance yourselves from the gross impropriety.”

It’s unconstitutional—Keyamo

Keyamo, on his part, said: “The allocation of such fund to an office that wasn’t recognised by the 1999 constitution is unconstitutional, null and void. And this is significant that it is women that are protesting against this act.
“It is sad that Abuja has since become the capital of corruption. The stories that come out of the FCT daily aren’t palatable at all.”

Okei-Odumakin wants First Lady’s office scrapped

Okei-Odumakin, in her speech, demanded that “President Goodluck Jonathan must direct the FCT Minister to withdraw this budget allocation and sack him for this assault on public morality.

“The unconstitutional office of the First Lady should be scrapped and spouses of elected officials to play no more than ceremonial roles in the country.”

The President noted “N4 billion could help millions of school age children to receive better education, equip rural clinics with drugs and do society a host of other good.”

Mrs. Abosede Ransome-Kuti on her part said “of what interest is the N4 billion allocated for the construction of a Mission House for African First Ladies to the man on the street. Of what interest is this to the vast majority of the citizens of the country who cannot eat three square meals daily?”

In his response, Fashola said: “This is what I think is the discharge of your own responsibilities of participation in the country’s democratic journey. For nothing, I will deliver this letter today.

“Our democratic experience is comparatively very young. And this is about the 14th year. And going forward, I believe that it is your participation that enriches the process that helps to set the appropriate priorities.

“Nothing can be much more incisive as the demonstration of the occupational endeavours of survival that we see our women engage in as it was shown by Mrs. Beko Ransome Kuti, women selling matches to survive in the country, definitely that is a wake-up call for us all.

“The opportunity still exists because I am aware that the budget is yet to receive the assent of the President. And this provides an opportunity to look at it again. There is also an opportunity for us as we embark on constitution amendment about what role women who are spouses of the heads of government should really play. I think that this type of protest only enriches the debate and helps us as a people to decide what we want going forward in this nation.”

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/02/soyinka-leads-protest-to-fashola-over-n4bn-first-lady-house/

protest pic

A tale of two men(writers). One
decided destructively scattering
the city with his pen from abroad
while the other is constructively
criticizing her with his pen staying
at home.
Professor Oluwole Soyinka you
are the man. Little wonder you
were awarded the nobel
laureate.
Keep it up.

Will comment if it hits frontpage

ayswags: Will comment if it hits frontpage

Haha, u already commented.

The so called angel Fashola.......hehehehehehehe too bad. Where are those rabid dogs extolling his virtues? Is the first lady 's position constitutional to warrant such waste of Lagosians resources ? That is how they will kill us at the centre with unnecessary and bogus projects. Of course Soyinka is the man, his track record is impeccable, check!

Tolexander: A tale of two men(writers). One
decided destructively scattering
the city with his pen from abroad
while the other is constructively
criticizing it with his pen staying
at home.
Professor Oluwole Soyinka you
are the man. Little wonder you
were awarded the nobel
laureate.
Keep it up.

Achebe is a bigot while Soyinka is a peacemaker.beside his books are full of lies.what has he done for Nigeria ? Nothing other than spreading lies and hatred in the minds his children.

~Bluetooth:


Achebe is a bigot while Soyinka is a peacemaker.beside his books full of lies,what has he done for Nigeria ? Nothing other than spreading lies and hatred in the minds his children.

Leave Achebe and focus on the issue at hand. Check the topic, it did not say "Soyinka versus Achebe". Comment on what is been discussed or park.

The Professor really fall my hands on this! Who is BRF to stop the precidency 4rm building the 4billion house? He no go protest 4 National Assembly he went to Alausa... Cant stop laughing

U must be a fool and muhehehehe. Educational level?

~Bluetooth:


Achebe is a bigot while Soyinka is a peacemaker.beside his books are full of lies.what has he done for Nigeria ? Nothing other than spreading lies and hatred in the minds his children.

i didn't mention achebe o. Only tellin a tale o. Dont let them ban me for derailing the thread o.

oluwadare26: The Professor really fall my hands on this! Who is BRF to stop the precidency 4rm building the 4billion house? He no go protest 4 National Assembly he went to Alausa... Cant stop laughing

really i cant dynamically blame you, because it seems you dont know any thing about "due process". Go to Jokes section and continue laughing.

oluwadare26: The Professor really fall my hands on this! Who is BRF to stop the precidency 4rm building the 4billion house? He no go protest 4 National Assembly he went to Alausa... Cant stop laughing

please try to understand after reading before commenting

scopusng: the Nobel laureate whose
statement to other African First
Ladies was read by the President
of the Initiative, Mrs. Joe-Okei
Odumakin in the presence of
Governor Babatunde Fashola of
Lagos State, said: “There is no
such thing as an African First
Ladies Mission in the Nigerian
appropriation list.”
He, however, urged other African
First Ladies to distance
themselves from the idea, saying:
“Your names have been invoked

scopusng: Soyinka and civil society
expressed their displeasure in a
lettter read during a protest
march organised by Women
Arise for Change Initiative,
which also had in attendance,
Mr. Festus Keyamo; wife of late
Beko Ransome-Kuti, Abosede;
daughter of the late Afro beat
king, Yeni Anikulapo and others.

show me where it was written that he had his physical and anatomical presence there.

“The opportunity still exists because I am aware that the budget is yet to receive the assent of the President. And this provides an opportunity to look at it again. There is also an opportunity for us as we embark on constitution amendment about what role women who are spouses of the heads of government should really play. I think that this type of protest only enriches the debate and helps us as a people to decide what we want going forward in this nation.”


This is a sign of a good leader.God bless you Fashola.

4billion naira house for the first lady, SMH !!!!! , is she not supposed to be where the president is ?,na wa oh !!!!!

Soyinka is only bin jealous.make im go park well jor

The house wen den wan build dey float for air

This is just one of the many reasons why Nigerian will beg GEJ to recontest in 2015.

once bitten...

Na for moon dem go get cement, sand ,gravels and tiles to take build dis house? The seat of the toilet na 24karate gold? The two twin towers of world trade center no even reach 4bn

4 BILLION NAIRA HOUSE 4 1LADY....HAHAHAHA WHEN GUYS DEY SLEEP 4 GHETO...I LOVE NIGERIA AND AM PROUD 2 B NIGERIA...OMO NIGER NI MI

Mandelaguy: The so called angel Fashola.......hehehehehehehe too bad. Where are those rabid dogs extolling his virtues? Is the first lady 's position constitutional to warrant such waste of Lagosians resources ? That is how they will kill us at the centre with unnecessary and bogus projects. Of course Soyinka is the man, his track record is impeccable, check!

you are a phool. You just shot your pay master in the leg. I'm sure U didn't even read the story. Oponu

Demdem:

Foolish man. Its Retardeeness house and not for the wife of fashola. read again.
The waste is from FG-FCT and not LASG.

You are more foolish, I just got you, lol! Fool. Seeing Fashola mentioned makes you see red, Olodo!

ARE YOU SIMPLY STUPID OR OR PROUDLY IGNORANT? THE ARTICLE IS ABOUT JONATHAN AND HIS WIFE NOT FASHOLA......PLS GO BACK TO MACMILLIAN SERIES ON ENGLISH GRAMMAR,YOU SURELY NEED TO BE GRAMMATICALLY EDUCATED!
YOUR RUSTY MINDSET HAS BEEN FINETUNED TO WITCH HAUNT LAGOS STATE........STEWPID EEDIOT.

If soyinka was to run for president under d new pary i won vote 4 him.. Even though he is not an Igbo. Dis man can inspire a renaissance in nigeria economy wit his creative mind.. He is a legend and a thinker

Jaidey-one:
you are a phool. You just shot your pay master in the leg. I'm sure U didn't even read the story. Oponu

I knew dis will bring the ACN paid hands out. You guys have been hiding, I did this to bring all of you out and expose you one after the other on all threads henceforth. No one pays me, of course the first lady is not a constitutional office, you think I care about anyone? I want to tell you that NL is not where you come and have a field day at abuses and falsehood. So, park well.

Tolexander: A tale of two men(writers). One
decided destructively scattering
the city with his pen from abroad
while the other is constructively
criticizing her with his pen staying
at home.
Professor Oluwole Soyinka you
are the man. Little wonder you
were awarded the nobel
laureate.
Keep it up.

There we go again. But seriously, where u a lizard in ur former life?

Libkid: Soyinka is only bin jealous.make im go park well jor

as long as there are people like you in this country we'll have problems moving forward. Soyinka is fighting for common men like you and I and all you can say is this trash up there. is woke soyinka a politician? No he's not. He's highly respected world wide and he can decided to leave this hell hole and live in any country in the world. He's fighting for the masses!!! Oya go to the romance section. If U come here and make any silly comment again walahi I will track you down and exterminate you!!! Ewu can bear