₦airaland Forum

Gombe needs help. It really does, but not just because available data says that it is the one state in Nigeria with the second lowest GDP in the whole of Nigeria. What this means is that Gombe people almost nearly depend entirely on the allocation from Abuja. There is nothing wrong with that – after all every state in Nigeria depends on an allocation from Abuja. But why will a people as hardworking and strong like the Gombe people continue to live from pay check to paycheck day in day out in their life as Nigerians? Gombe is known as the jewel of the savannah, but what good is being known as a jewel without that reflecting in the lives of the Gombawa?

If you visit Gombe today, you will mostly certainly be confronted with the false narrative that all is well as can be. This is because you’ll find the streets in the city lit with resplendent neon lights, and the gutters as clean as a jewel in the savannah. But as a matter of fact, this is a façade. David Landis, in his best seller The Wealth and Poverty of Nations says that one of the best places to find out about the wealth or poverty of a state is in their markets: according to Landis, a market is a place that showcases and defines the productive potentials of a people or of a community. People who go there either go there to showcase their productive potential or their buying power. This two set of people are in a perpetual act of benign warfare and conflict that produces a certain energy known as economy.

So on a nice Wednesday afternoon, I visited a couple of markets within the city centre of Gombe. National Bureau of Statistics, NIS report in 2020 say that Gombe power is in her agricultural produce: sorghum, millet and allied seed-based produce. While the report said that an important sector of the Gombe economy is ‘others’, it also indicated that there is a service sector accounting for a single digit influence on the Gombe economy. Perhaps this is because this ‘service sector’ is one mostly dominated by the okada economy: lining the streets are rows and rows of motor bikes offered for sale apparently to absorb the teeming youth without employment, and the bike seemingly becomes the handiest option for an unemployed Gombe person to be of productive use to himself and his family.

This is the kind of circumstance that places Gombe as fourth among the lowest in the Human Development Index, HDI, in Nigeria – there is very low life expectancy, low educational standards and the gross national income, GNI of Gombe is one of the lowest in the sub region. I hear that in places like Dukku Funakaye, Billiri, Kaltungo Shongorn, life is bare, very bare without potable water, power, schools and basic health care facilities. People drink the same water as their cattle, and in Kaltungo issues of insecurity and kidnapping reign supreme.

With a poor economy as the one in Gombe, one can hardly expect anyone in charge to perform many miracles. But as a matter of fact, some prudence in the management of the little resources, and with prioritizing the development of the human potential, Gombe can survive and thrive as a big player in the national economy.

But we must say this: a very strong wave of different thinking is blowing across Gombe. People say they are tired of living from hand to mouth and from pay check to paycheck They say formerly entrenched values and structures will be swept away very soon, and a new order and new thinking and a new template is just by the corner. In our interactions with Gombe people, one gets the feeling that they are neither ‘obidient’ nor unwilling to continue with the present administration, but have made up their minds to invest their votes in, and with someone else who has a very wide experience in the management of men, money and materials.

Looking around at the two major contestants for the Gombe governorship – Alhaji Mohammed Jibrin Barde of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and Alhaji Inuwa Yahaya of the All Progressives Congress, APC – it is not so difficult to discern the direction the pendulum will sway, and in whom the Gombe people have in mind to pull them out of their present sorry passé.

SOURCE: https://www.inigerian.com/gombe-needs-a-new-hand/

I'm interested. Please can i have ur Whatsapp number

Who won't be a friend to Atiku? This is not Tyrant buhari ooo. In case you don't know Atiku a friend to everybody. Except you alone wants to be his enemy.

ashacot:
THIEF

Who steal reach APC

Leadership is the ability to make your goals a reality and we believe in atiku's zeal. And for his unrepented love for this country.
#BetterNigeriaWithAtikuObi

Read his press statement again. Get the whole picture.

yarimo:
TIMI FRANK apart from FAYOSE and FFK you are the next most unwise nigerian, so because ATIKU is a presidential candidate and a former vice-president he should not be investigated if found suspicious by the security agencies abi?

Buhari is the problem of Nigeria. To him now he is fighting corruption, he just dislike any body that is not APC. We are tired of his Injustice.

APC has failed Nigeria, so dumping the party is not an option but a most for the betterment of Nigeria

Atiku Abubakar’s interest and investment in education, exemplified by his founding of the American University of Nigeria in Yola, Adamawa State, shows that with him as President, education in Nigeria would have a champion who from experience and interest would deal a deadly blow to the current low education standard confronting the country plus the vexed issue of the right type of education to guarantee future employment and unleash the entrepreneurial endowment in the Nigerian youth.

I strongly believe with Atiku Nigeria will work again because he always aligns himself with political ideas that promote unity, peaceful coexistence, creativity and inconclusiveness.

Atiku is a principled man with vision. I believe he will do all this and more.

Atiku’s eight years administration under Olusegun Obasanjo reformed the economy to become more productive, diverse and globally competitive. This is why Atiku can confidently say boost of his administration. Atiku abubakar could make a good president because of his leadership experience.

The Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar, has criticised the Federal Government for lack of coordination and the nation’s security agencies for not working for a common purpose.
As the 2019 elections drew nearer, the Sultan also warned that politicians might want to orchestrate the type of violent crisis that rocked Kaduna last week in which over 50 persons were killed by hooligans.
This, he said, would be done to scuttle the elections or to give the masterminds an advantage over their opponents.
Speaking in Abuja on Tuesday at the ‘National Dialogue for Democratic Stability’ organised by the Alumni Association of the National Institute, Abubakar said things were not right with the country, citing the increased level of crime and criminality across the federation.
The Sultan said, “I cannot say things are right with Nigeria; things are not right with Nigeria. We all know that and that’s why we have these security issues, kidnappings, killings, everywhere, everywhere you find a community.
“One of the saddest things that have happened in the last five days is the killing in Kaduna. If you know how these killings started, you would feel so bad. It is not a religious crisis; it was caused by people who don’t have jobs, they are hungry, they want to lead a good life.
“You would find that all that took place was the looting of shops, that’s all, nothing more. There was no burning of churches and mosques. People were going about killing people, breaking cars.
“As we inch closer to elections, we are going to get worse scenarios because politicians would definitely use it to do whatever they want, to scuttle elections or to make sure they are at an advantaged position”
No coordination in government
Citing the Interfaith Initiative for Peace conference held in Abuja last week which was attended by President Muhammadu Buhari and the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, the Sultan complained that its outcomes had not been implemented.
He also came hard on the current administration, stating that there was no coordination in the government, noting that the security agencies also were not working for a common purpose.
He lamented that there was little cooperation among the heads of the security outfits.
Abubakar said, “Who coordinates? Is it the office of the SGF (Secretary to Government of the Federation)? Is it the NSA (National Security Adviser) who coordinates national security? Is he really coordinating national security? That’s a big question we need to ask too.”
“There is a disjoint between the security agencies’ leadership and also the followers. The intelligence agencies are also working at different levels, so we continue to have this problem.

A President that can't point any achievements with empirical evidence in 3 years lacks the moral right to talk of a second term.Say no to backwardness

May Almighty God give the families of the deceased the grace to bear their lost.

Given a million term to rule, APC will never achieve any milestone. As a serial failure, its not in them to succeed.
But Dankwambo has achieved a lot In terms of professional competence, efficiency, and responsiveness.

OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Mr. DONALD TRUMP

President Donald Trump

Through:

Ambassador Stuart Symington

United States Ambassador to Nigeria

U.S. Embassy,

Diplomatic Drive

Central Business District

Abuja - Nigeria.

URGENT NEED TO SAVE NIGERIA'S DEMOCRACY

Sir,

It is with great delight that I write you this letter, hoping that it meets you well. I congratulate you for having kept to your promise of "America first" so far in all your policies and programmes since assumption of office. Permit me to say that this is not my first letter to an American President, as I made a similar appeal to President Barack Obama in 2015, under former President Goodluck Jonathan, intimating him of the failings inherent in that government and thankfully he acted on the letter. I believe you will also take heed of the urgency of this appeal and act accordingly.

Indeed, your effort to make good on your electioneering promises to the American people and the world, is widely acknowledged and appreciated by all lovers of democracy. However, it is rather unfortunate that in my country, for which I now write to seek your intervention, your friend, President Muhammadu Buhari, is largely paying lip service to his promises and has refused to follow the rule of law in the exercise of his powers under a democratic setting. Democracy in Nigeria is currently facing some of its most severe threats and unless something is done, it could be derailed and jeopardised altogether.

Your Excellency sir, while you daily work to advance the cause of the United States, the Nigerian situation under the present administration, led by the ruling All Progressives Congress, has failed to promote the nation's interest and work for the sustenance of our democracy. It was most unfortunate that when President Buhari visited you recently, he minced words on the true situation of the current happenings in the country, which pose a great threat to our national fabric of Unity, Peace and Progress.

How do I mean? The ruling APC and President Buhari were ecstatically embraced by Nigerians and voted into office with a promise to fight corruption, insecurity and grow the economy in 2015. However, three years on, prevailing maladministration and insecurity have left everyone spell bound, as wanton killings by herdsmen, kidnapping for ransom, armed robbery, corruption and insurgency in the north-east still ravage the country unabated. Furthermore, the cost of fighting these deadly malaise continues to skyrocket without corresponding mitigation in insecurity. A recent example is the withdrawal of $1billion from the Excess Crude Account (ECA) to fight Boko Haram and other security challenges across the country, by the Executive in collaboration with the National Economic Council, without due recourse to the National Assembly for statutory approval. More so, need I mention that the recent advance payment of $496million to your country for the purchase of 12 Tucano fighter jets, by the Buhari-led Federal Executive Council, was done in complete violation of extant laws regarding such purchases. I must say that that action remains illegal, criminal and a breach of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which empowers the National Assembly to approve all expenditures of the executive. I am aware that the United States is a nation ruled by laws and therefore cannot condone impunity and illegality of this nature - no matter the amount of benefits accruable to it from the sale. I would therefore, kindly appeal to you, to use your good offices to ensure that the $496million is repatriated into the Nigerian coffers and the deal renegotiated and made to follow due process.

I want to also appeal to you to help save our democracy by prevailing on President Buhari and his administration to respect the fundamental Human Rights of Nigerians. The right to life, freedom of association, freedom of speech and freedom from fear, torture and molestation which are irreducible minimums in any democratic setting, have taken the back seat since this administration came into power. Unfortunately, these rights are being denied under the guise of fighting corruption by the Executive and its agents. Permit me to say that the fight against corruption by the Buhari government is laudable but grossly selective. I am by no means saying the Nigerian government should not investigate and prosecute corrupt officials or those found to have looted the public treasury. I support the fight against corruption and thus use this opportunity to call on the American government to help Nigeria to win the fight against corruption. However, this letter is to intimate you on the true situation about the ongoing fight against corruption in Nigeria, which is highly selective and partisan instead of being transparent and fair. While members of the opposition PDP and nPDP are being hunted and liquidated in the name of fighting corruption, fraud allegations against close aides/allies of the President and other favoured members of the coalition that fused to form the APC are being consistently swept under the carpet, with the culprits allowed to live freely without any form of legal repercussion.

Regrettably sir, Nigerians are no longer free to express themselves or to criticise the activities and policies of the government without being assaulted or clamped down upon. For example, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, was one of those who supported Buhari and the APC to win the 2015 general elections, but today, has been branded an enemy of the state because he is criticizing the wrongdoings and failings of the administration.

Similarly, I dare say that the harassment, coercion, intimidation and humiliation being meted out on the President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, is basically because he emerged as the President of the Senate against the wishes of some powerful and influential members of the ruling party in 2015 and not because he is corrupt as being claimed by some agents of the executive. It is worthy of note, that H.E. Saraki belongs to the nPDP stock of the APC and his unjust trial and persecution over charges of false asset declaration since 2015 coupled with new attempts to link him with arrested murder suspects and cultists in his home state of Kwara, points to the selective nature of the fight against corruption being waged by the Buhari-administration. Note that the political onslaught against Saraki and the National Assembly under his leadership, culminated recently in the invasion of the Senate Chambers by sponsored thugs, who forcefully took away its mace and symbol of authority, without the prosecution of the perpetrators. Besides, facts have recently emerged to buttress this assertion about political persecution of perceived opponents of the government. A Special Investigator engaged by the Special Presidential Investigation Panel on Recovery of Public Property, Evangelist Victor Uwajeh, recently revealed that he was specifically directed to investigate Saraki and other PDP stalwarts who have been marked for persecution by the Buhari-led administration. Uwajeh, in a statement published by the Cable, an online newspaper, said the Special Presidential Investigation Panel on Recovery of Public Property, established by the Buhari's administration, was specifically created to investigate Saraki, his Deputy, Ike Ekweremadu, Senator Stella Oduah, Senator Albert Bassay Akpan, ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Femi Fani Kayode, Senator James Manager, Governor Nyesom Wike, Senator Jonah Jang, Patience Jonathan and the current National Chairman of the PDP, Chief Uche Secondus, among others.

Kindly note that apart from HE Saraki, all other persons listed above are members of the opposition party, PDP. Mr. Uwajeh's statement, I must say has practically vindicated HE Saraki and other opposition members currently on trial that the allegations against them were politically motivated. Uwajeh had unequivocally stated that his refusal to work with the APC-led Government to humiliate the so-called enemies of Government has led him into exile.

I write to you because Nigeria and America have a long history of friendly relations, added to our system of government which is modeled after that of the United States. Much as the United States and other national governments assisted Nigeria to return to democracy from military dictatorship in the past and has continued to support the nation's fight against insurgency and corruption, it is time to come to our aid once again in order to sustain our democracy and maintain strict adherence to the rule of law. I believe you are better placed to advice the current leadership on the need to obey the rule of law and be impartial in its ongoing anti-corruption campaign.

I humbly invite you to work with other defenders of democracy, freedom and human rights across the world, like the European Union (EU), United Nations (UN) and organizations like the Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, etc, to ensure that the present gagging of the press and opposition political party members in Nigeria do not degenerate further. Help us to prevent imminent breakdown of law and order that may result to chaos and anarchy if the current atmosphere of government's orchestrated harassment, intimidation, coercion, denial of the right to free speech and outright repression of perceived enemies of the administration, is allowed to continue unabated.

I thank you in anticipation that you will take positive steps to liaise with your friend, President Muhammadu Buhari, in order to prevent escalation of anti-democratic acts by agents of the administration.

Long live U.S.A.!

Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria!

Yours sincerely,

Comrade Timi Frank

Deputy National Publicity Secretary

All Progressives Congress

timifrank40@gmail.com

07033555555

I will vote Dankwambo 2019

Dankwambo is a technocrat in the true sense of the word

PDP the peoples choice #PDPsouthwestmegarally[right][/right]

UcheSecondus:
Pictures from South West PDP Mega rally, happening live from Osogbo Osun State...

#PDPsouthwestmegarally

https://web.facebook.com/princeuchesecondus/