Gbawe:

I am liking the new you lately. You are less pessimistic and more discerning.

[b]
Umpteenth [/b]Correction . .  I have NEVER been pessimistic when it comes to Nigerian issues, or any other. I have simply been realistic, basing my judgment on the many OBVIOUS PATTERNS that dangle themselves in front of every one of us daily.

If  you go back to most all I have posted since I have been on Nairaland, I have about a 99.9% rate of getting it right on most every issue. It is not my fault -- simply that the pattern is all too obvious and I believe to tackle the issues, we first have to ACCEPT what is in front of us.  This has nothing to do with blowing one's horn but simply a call for everyone to OPEN their eyes to at least accepting the problems without sugar coating them with sentiments or bitterness.

oh boy. set up a one-room office in Asokoro and get trillion naira contract. our procurement system is completely fu.cked up! if the NASS didn't scream out now, those guys would have just laughed to the bank as usual. can anyone truly tell me that Jonathan didn't know about this contract? i'll give Ngozi a pass because she just got to the ministry and it takes a while to investigate past contracts especially with the too many roles that Jonathan has given her. who knows maybe overworking Ngozi is a plot so that she won't be able to look into dirty contracts in great detail. Jonathan and Aganga both have cases to answer.

lagcity:

oh boy. set up a one-room office in Asokoro and get trillion naira contract. our procurement system is completely fu.cked up! if the NASS didn't scream out now, those guys would have just laughed to the bank as usual. can anyone truly tell me that Jonathan didn't know about this contract? i'll give Ngozi a pass because she just got to the ministry and it takes a while to investigate past contracts especially with the too many roles that Jonathan has given her. who knows maybe overworking Ngozi is a plot so that she won't be able to look into dirty contracts in great detail. Jonathan and Aganga both have cases to answer.

This is what some of us have been shouting relentlessly !!! While nothing changes , in that aspect, people can keep fooling themselves everytime the FG announces the next major spending initiatives. There has never been more corrupt opportunist, encouraged by a totally free-for-all atmosphere, walking the corridors of power as we have right now.

All the bombings and threats to make Nigeria ungovernable are now making sense. Some set of people who hitherto had been 'swimming' in the gutter of corruption and nepotism, have now been unceremoniously kicked off the gravy-train, and the shenanigans they got up to are now being exposed. You can understand why they didn't want Jonathan anywhere near the presidency when Ya'radua died, and why they tried all sorts during and immediately after the elections to cling on to power.

Yesterday morning, was watching proceedings on TV of the House of Reps investigating committee, and almost choked on my porridge when the facts started to emerge: the amount involved ran into trillions of naira, and the most shocking aspect was the fact that 2 young boys were the majority shareholders in the company (which hadn't been registered at the time of awarding the contract). One of them said his Dad (i think he said his Dad was Bello) was a former head of Customs. There were so many inconsistencies with regards to due process not being followed in the award of the contract, that at a point i started feeling sorry for the boys.

This is just the one we know of, and heaven knows how many other thousands of bogus contracts have been awarded and gone under the radar.

The probe panel set up by the House of Representatives probing the bogus contract of N4.5trn awarded to Single Window Systems and Technology (SWST) has summoned finance minister, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala to appear before it today or face arrest. The panel also yesterday vetoed President Goodluck Jonathan’s decision to suspend the multi-billion naira concession agreement between the Ministry of Finance and a revenue facilitation company, Single Window Systems and Technology (SWST), which would have led to Nigeria loosing N4.5trn.

Following the motion adopted by the House on the matter and the probe initiated, the President had ordered the minister, Dr. Okonjo- Iweala, to immediately suspend the agreement, look into the processes that led to the award and address the important questions raised by the House. The minister, in a letter titled Re: Single window concession,” dated September 12, 2011, told the committee that “by the leave of Mr. President, I have suspended the single window project in deference to the concern of the National Assembly. “Mr. President had asked me to look into the processes that led to the award with the view to review the important issues raised by your committee. I will refer to you in due course with the outcome of this inquiry.”

Just wondering? Can a panel veto the president? If they disagree with the suspension, does that mean the deal with Single Window is still on? I thought the right thing was to suspend it and investigate.

Rhea:

Even at the brink of watching as this country slides into calamity, our reps are busy hunting the people whose presence they foresee as blocking their way to looting the treasury. I really do not think our leaders understand what it is they are doing in Abuja.

Let us stop the conspiracy theories. The Reps are not "hunting" Okonjo Iweala. They are just compelling her to appear before them and give an insight into what went on in the Ministry she is now the boss of. Okonjo Iweala seems to be acting on the presumption that since the Presidency cancelled the concession in question this enquiry should now be an 'in-house' affair limited to the ministry of Finance alone. The Reps are saying no to that and I back them totally . Okonjo Iweala was not around when this happened so she is automatically not under scrutiny but she must not protect others either.

We should not create a scenario where some can do no wrong, are totally unaccountable to others or are allowed to be above the law. This is what led to the granting of this ridiculous concession in the first place !!! Nigeria is always the loser. It still pains me , till today , that when Vodafone was interested in taking over NITEL , our leaders were lukewarm perhaps because they had plans of conceding our National telecoms body to themselves just like this silly concession currently under investigation !!! Serious Nations are now enjoying the excellent services of Vodafone while we only enjoy regrets and rue squandered opportunities.

Gbawe:

Let us stop the conspiracy theories. The Reps are not "hunting" Okonjo Iweala. They are just compelling her to appear before them and give an insight into what went on in the Ministry she is now the boss of. Okonjo Iweala seems to be acting on the presumption that since the Presidency cancelled the concession in question this enquiry should now be an 'in-house' affair limited to the ministry of Finance alone. The Reps are saying no to that and I back them totally . Okonjo Iweala was not around when this happened so she is automatically not under scrutiny but she must not protect others either.

We should not create a scenario where some can do no wrong, are totally unaccountable to others or are allowed to be above the law. This is what led to the granting of this ridiculous concession in the first place !!! Nigeria is always the loser. It still pains me , till today , that when Vodafone was interested in taking over NITEL , our leaders wer not interested perhaps because they had plans of conceding our National telecoms body to themselves just like this silly concession currently under investigation !!! Serious Nations are now enjoying the excellent services of Vodafone while we only enjoy regrets and missed opportunies.

Well said.
I also wish they would pursue other matters with the same vigor with which they pursue this one. They should also compel someone to appear and explain the progress made in solving the problem in Jos, the brouhaha in Maiduguri or to explain the reason behind the sorry state of the Benin-Ore road? It would benefit us all if they will prioritize and focus their attention on matters that will benefit this country, and stop chasing shadows. That ministry had a minister who is still alive to answer to them.

Nigeria and process, do we ever follow one? So many seem to believe Okonjo-Iweala is some kind of saint, me think not she worked for the World Bank and history has shown all they are about. To accept such a position within a government such as the current one says a lot, Aganga was hyped to the high heavens because he previously worked at Goldman Sachs what came of it?

Rhea:

Well said.
I also wish they would pursue other matters with the same vigor with which they pursue this one. They should also compel someone to appear and explain the progress made in solving the problem in Jos, the brouhaha in Maiduguri or to explain the reason behind the sorry state of the Benin-Ore road? It would benefit us all if they will prioritize and focus their attention on matters that will benefit this country, and stop chasing shadows. That ministry had a minister who is still alive to answer to them.

I agree with you. Truth be told, I know the Reps are not doing this out of patriotism but , even if they act out of selfish interest, good things can come out of this . Hopefully Nigeria will see how the PDP is running our nation like a private fiefdom with huge, nation-shaping contracts, concessions and responsibilities being handed to inept and non-expert cronies of the PDP. How can any nation develop with those sort of self-destructive and myopic actions?

I hope they pursue their so-called investigation to a conclusion and not drop it half way when it longer. And why is nobody threatening the former minister, Aganga whose reign it was the dubious contract was awarded. Why is Okonjo Iweala being made to look like it was her leadership that awarded the contract?

hmmmm,, naija and money matter sha

Nothing in that article even remotely suggests that Okonjo Iweala is being singled out or being made to answer for awarding the contract. Again, people need to stop cooking up conspiracy theories or pretending "their own" is being hunted in anyway. We need to rise above these silly sentimental nonsense before we can ever be sure we are actually tackling the problem, not adding to it.

Kobojunkie:

Nothing in that article even remotely suggests that Okonjo Iweala is being singled out or being made to answer for awarding the contract. Again, people need to stop cooking up conspiracy theories or pretending "their own" is being hunted in anyway. We need to rise above these silly sentimental nonsense before we can ever be sure we are actually tackling the problem, not adding to it.

Really? Everything in the article 'widely' suggests that she has been singled out, even the caption! If not, why has she been summoned and with threats of a potential arrest if she fails to honor the invitation?

You seem to just  always move 'a little to the left and a little to the right' without drawing up any logical inferences. This is a good strategy when used in 'warfare' or in the world of 'business' but on a thread like this

deenee:


Really? Everything in the article 'widely' suggests that she has been singled out, even the caption! If not, why has she been summoned and with threats of a potential arrest if she fails to honor the invitation?

You seem to just  always move 'a little to the left and a little to the right' without drawing up any logical inferences. This is a good strategy when used in 'warfare' or in the world of 'business' but on a thread like this

Use your brain already . . . . jeezzz!!!

Pls any outcome yet?

lagcity:

oh boy. set up a one-room office in Asokoro and get trillion naira contract. our procurement system is completely fu.cked up! if the NASS didn't scream out now, those guys would have just laughed to the bank as usual. can anyone truly tell me that Jonathan didn't know about this contract? i'll give Ngozi a pass because she just got to the ministry and it takes a while to investigate past contracts especially with the too many roles that Jonathan has given her. who knows maybe overworking Ngozi is a plot so that she won't be able to look into dirty contracts in great detail. Jonathan and Aganga both have cases to answer.

Ironically, this is how millionaires and billionaires are made in Nigeria.

When you question how some people made their money in this country, you are labelled "a bad belle", "hater", etc."

Their supporters/worshipers/sycophants will ask you, "where were you when so and so was working is ar$ off making his money? You where somewhere whining of bad government, complaining of harsh business environment or waiting for freebies. While your mates where working hard.

In a few years from now two billionaires would have been made.

If not for this story making the headline, those guys as far as Nigeria is concerned are nobodies, never been in the corridors of power, i.e. hold political appointment or worked in a government establishment. So, there wouldn't have been any concrete evidence linking them to sharing the national CAKE.

Contract award in 2009 and company get register in 2010 Nigeria will never cease to amaze me

Kobojunkie:

Nothing in that article even remotely suggests that Okonjo Iweala is being singled out or being made to answer for awarding the contract. Again, people need to stop cooking up conspiracy theories or pretending "their own" is being hunted in anyway. We need to rise above these silly sentimental nonsense before we can ever be sure we are actually tackling the problem, not adding to it.

Okonjo Iweala was sworn in this August. According to your previous post, the 'contract investigation process started "july/August". That obviously means that the whole process started even before she took over as the finance minister. She made the point that she is barely getting down to her job and asked the perm sec who was there when the contract was signed to brief the N. Assembly members on what happened. The previous finance minister who was there when this horror of a contract was signed is still in Nigeria but was not summoned. That smells rat. If all she wants is time to get the facts since the assembly members want her to appear personally, what is really wrong with that?

That exactly what baffle me i think they dont want that woman there, They should summon the man/woman that award that contract

owobokiri:

Okonjo Iweala was sworn in this August. According to your previous post, the 'contract investigation process started "july/August". That obviously means that the whole process started even before she took over as the finance minister. She made the point that she is barely getting down to her job and asked the perm sec who was there when the contract was signed to brief the N. Assembly members on what happened. The previous finance minister who was there when this horror of a contract was signed is still in Nigeria but was not summoned. That smells rat. If all she wants is time to get the facts since the assembly members want her to appear personally, what is really wrong with that?

When you take on these sort of positions, you don't get 1 month TRIAL/LEARNING period, You are expected to hit the ground running. We don't put cases on hold/delay them so that the new guy can, in his own time, show up only when he is fully caught up. So, yeah, let's stop producing all that rubbish for an excuse.

The article does not tell you they called on her to come answer for the case/or pay for the decisions made by the last guy-- she is being summoned to come present to them information, and it makes sense, that even if she is not fully caught up yet, she at least show up. That is how it normally works, even elsewhere.

So what happened with this probe? What was the outcome?

logica: So what happened with this probe? What was the outcome?

Nada. Bringing criminality to justice, however deleterious, is not the concern of this government.