8Ebisco: Reactions have continued to trail the action of the former Lagos State governor and All Progressives Congress national leader, Bola Tinubu, over his refusal to stand up to greet the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, at the coronation of the Oniru of Iruland, Oba Omogbolahan Lawal.
The spokesman for pan-Yoruba group, Afenifere, Yinka Odumakin, in an interview with The PUNCH on Wednesday while reacting to a viral video showing Tinubu sitting down while the Ooni stands to greet him, has berated Tinubu's actions.
He said although monarchs no longer hold political power, it was important for traditional institutions to be respected especially by the Yoruba people.
The activist recalled that in 2016, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who is many years older than the monarch, bowed down to greet him.
Odumakin stated, “We are still Yoruba people. With due respect to our royal fathers, we should not say because we are in a modern age, we should not give the proper respect that we give to our oba.
“You saw the time former President Obasanjo prostrated before the Ooni.
“So, it is still our culture and we must sustain our culture and give the respect that is due to our monarchs.”
Antoeni: The resurgence of military coups in Africa is driven by a combination of internal and external factors, primarily failures of democratic governance to address widespread public frustration over poverty, insecurity, and corruption.
Citizens in several affected countries have even welcomed the takeovers as a "reset" from unaccountable civilian rule.
How can soldiers who shot their way into power be more accountable to the people than those whom they elected in democratic settings
What would make someone want to lose the possibility of influencing governance policy options in a democracy? Why would you want to lose that to military dictators if you are not a lazy youth who wants someone else to fight for you without getting any reward for the associated risks.
Is it hopelessness and helpnessnenss engendered by laziness
anonimi: “The worst illiterate is the political illiterate, he doesn’t hear, doesn’t speak, nor participates in the political events.
He doesn’t know the cost of life, the price of the bean, of the fish, of the flour, of the rent, of the shoes and of the medicine, all depends on political decisions. The political illiterate is so stupid that he is proud and swells his chest saying that he hates politics.
The slowpoke doesn’t know that, from his political ignorance is born the prostitute, the abandoned child, and the worst thieves of all, the bad politician, corrupted and flunky of the national and multinational companies.”
zinaunreal: It's actually democracy that isn't normal. When it had its chance, what did it do?
Make the lives of people miserable and its still doing it.
Any idea why Nigerians are praying and fasting for japa visas to democratic countries rather than to military/civilian dictatorship countries that are also communist/socialist like Cuba, North Korea, Russia etc
anonimi: Neo-black Problem: Must Blacks Be Ruled by Whites in Order to Prosper?
In short, the neo-black dilemma may be framed as follows: is it better to live under white rule without political dignity but with basic life-sustaining standards for many;
or to live under black rule with illusory political dignity and without basic life- sustaining standards for the majority? @ @ The path forward for Africa lies in cultivating higher and adequate levels of personal and communal agential integrity as well as full personal responsibility and productivity. Not to mention creativity (including epistemic creativity), productive justice (such as merit and freedom), harmony and reconciliation at local and international levels, and a proper domestication of capitalism and other related values and institutions.
Africa must stop wasting her time on dreams of socialism because it is a system of wealth distribution primarily. Whereas, capitalism is a system of wealth creation primarily, and wealth has to be produced before it can be distributed.
The forthcoming Osun election wil be a litmus test for Tinubu's increasingly dictatorial actions.
Hopefully he is smart enough to allow the people express their wish for imole Adeleke to continue instead of using remote control again to frustrate the people's will.
This was how NPN and Shagari's 1983 election rigging gave Buhari the opportunity to execute the only successful coup against democratic institutions at the local, state and federal levels.
jossy4joseph: President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, while appealing to traditional rulers in Osun State to support his reelection to enable his administration consolidate on its achievements, revealed that APC was able to win the state’s governorship election held months back with the aid of remove control.
Buhari, who failed to provide details of what he meant by remote control, said: “I know how much trouble we had in the last election here. I know by remote control through so many sources how we managed to maintain the party (APC) in power in this state.”
The President said this while interacting with the monarchs led by the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan at the banquet hall of Osun State Government House.
Buhari, received on arrival along with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo by Osun State Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola and his entourage, said the APC has recorded gains in the areas of infrastructural hence the need for the people to return the administration to consolidate on the achievement its has made in the last three years.
He urged the traditional rulers to join hands with his government to tackle the menace of insecurity, assuring that his government was working towards providing social service programmes and soft loans to farmers to boost the agriculture sector of the economy. Oba Wahab Kayode Oyedotun, speaking on behalf of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi who arrived later, assured President Buhari of victory at the February 16 Presidential election.
Predictor3: It's not about APC or PDP or ADC, it's a Nigerian thing. Nigeria has had over $300bn stolen from its oil revenue over the years according to an Economist of London report as far back as 1999.
I don't think APC nor Buhari nor Tinubu was in power then
When was the last time you reviewed your comparative adjectives of:
- Good, Better and Best
- Bad, Worse and Worst
In 1999 were things as bad as they are now in 2023 in terms of looting at the local, state and federal levels
Lithiumite: You forgot to mention prices of foodstuffs and general inflation tha has slowed down as against the doomsday analyst who predicted rice will go beyond the 100k mark and beyond the reach of the common man but here we are today, chicken that cost 35k in Dec 24 ,was sold for less last year.....
they are no longer shouting about what tinubu achieved in that.
When are you going to shout about what Tinubu has failed to achieve in petrol price
What are you waiting for to shout about his failure?
Who are you waiting for to join you in the shouting?
Deltafirstson: Although the pump price of fuel was N197 when President Bola Tinubu took over on May 29, 2023, the product now sells for N617 per litre – less than two months after.
In his inaugural address, Tinubu announced that subsidy was gone, fulfilling a promise that all leading presidential candidates made during the campaign.
Nigerians have been lamenting the hardship occasioned by fuel price hike. Amid the lamentation, a video where Tinubu campaigned to slash the price of fuel went into circulation.
Checks by Daily Trust affirmed the authenticity of the video uploaded on the YouTube page of Channels Television.
At his campaign rally in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital, on January 25, 2023, Tinubu spoke on a number of issues, but those of fuel scarcity and naira redesign made the headlines.
However, Tinubu who spoke in Yoruba language, also assured the crowd that though people were saying petrol price would hit N200, it would be reviewed downward under him.
“The great Nigerian youths, the great Nigerian students, the confident Nigerian youths. This is a revolution. This election is a revolution. They are plotting, but they will fail. They said fuel price will increase and reach N200 per litre. Go and relax, we will bring it down,” he had said in the 7th minute of the video.
Petrol should never cost more than N70 per litre, says APC
January 19, 2015
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has described as mere tokenism the reduction of petrol price from N97 to N87 per litre, saying the petroleum product ordinarily should sell for N70.
On Sunday, the federal government announced the reduction of petrol price, citing the fall of global crude oil price.
But the APC through Lai Mohammed, its spokesman, on Monday accused the government of making a show out of deceit, saying “a 10.3 per cent slash in the price of petrol was a mere tokenism at a time the price of crude oil has crashed by about 60 per cent”.
It argued that the pump price of a litre of petrol should not be more than 70 Naira, alleging that at N87 per litre, the government was forcing Nigerians to subsidise the massive corruption in the oil sector by N17 for every litre of fuel.
FORMER Minister of Petroleum and Energy, Prof. Tamunoemi David-West, said that Nigerians should expect sharp drop in petrol price from the current N87 to about N40 per litre, saying, “the president-elect, Gen. Mohammed Buhari, will reduce the fuel pump price to N40 per litre.”
When Tinubu used Yorubalokan to fight for and grab emilokan power, did you think he was joking
Thanks to Obi's help with 100% SE votes indirectly, Tinubu got the opportunity to continue APC extreme poverty shege that was fraudulently sold as positive change 11 years ago.
jameshankss: Arguing that Obi’s presidential bid would only work in favour of Tinubu, Soludo said, “Indeed, if I were Asiwaju Tinubu, I would even give Peter Obi money as someone heading one of the departments of his campaign, because Obi is making Tinubu’s pathway to victory much easier by indirectly pulling down PDP.”
Obi, according to Soludo, would only deplete the votes of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and pave the path for an APC victory.
He stated, “The current fleeting frenzy, if not checked, will cost Ndigbo dearly for years. The South-east has the lowest number of votes of any region, but it is also the only region where the presidential race might be a four-way race (it is a two-way race in the other five regions) thereby, ensuring that our votes won’t count in the making of the next president of Nigeria.
mandarin: Irresponsible headline. The FGN budgeted funds for different rail project but the headline screamed Lagos.
That taken I think the FGN is not doing enough to fund good projects around Lagos and Ogun axis that contain the industrial infrastructure of the country. This axis accounts for over 70% of non-oil incomes of the entire country. Its either a fiscal federalism or a form of derivation is also legislated as these states cannot sustain their infrastructural growth through their budgets alone as more and more people come seeking opportunities and a large chunk of their incomes are distributed far and wide.
The federal government is supposed to be providing additional N1trillion annually to support Lagos and Ogun industrial axis. To those who may have reason to complain, first state you state of origin, how much it generates and how much it receives from the FGN before you cry wolf.
What is the basis for Lagos' huge IGR compared to other states if not the existing federal infrastructure since 1914 and the high population working to generate the revenue?
Is Kano IGR equally high due to the huge population it has
obi4eze: So what happened to that Chairman who Dangote recently reported to EFCC for embezzling funds from his agency.
Or has it been swept under the carpet as usual?
If he is loyal to the Ogas at the top of Oshiomole's Assembly of Past Criminals, APC then the matter will remain under the carpet.
That's how they role in their progreThief party.
chisomkachy: The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has withdrawn the alleged money laundering suit it filed at the Federal High Court against Lagos Speaker Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa.
Naija News understands that the anti-graft did not give any particular reason for its application for withdrawal.
Following the application to withdraw, Justice Nicholas Oweibo discharged the ‘lien/Post No Debit’ placed on Obasa’s three accounts in Standard Chartered Bank.
The accounts are (US Dollars) 0001852063; (Current) 0001852056 and (Saving) 5002309624.
The judge also set aside the ex-parte orders he made on September 15, 2020, which led to the freezing of the accounts.
Recall that the court on September 15, 2020, granted an interim order freezing Obasa’s accounts following the EFCC’s application in a suit marked FHC/LCS/1064/2020.
The agency had said it was investigating the Speaker for the alleged offences of conspiracy, diversion of funds, abuse of office and money laundering.
But Justice Oweibo, on August 16, 2023, heard the application to unfreeze the accounts in his chamber.
During the hearing, the EFCC was represented by Mr. Sulaiman I. Sulaiman, while Obasa was represented by Mr. Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika (SAN).
The EFCC lawyer told the court that the application to unfreeze the accounts was pursuant to Section 44(2)(K) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and Sections 26, 29 and 34 (1) of the EFCC (Establishment) Act, 2004, and under the court’s inherent jurisdiction.
Section 44 of the Constitution concerns constitutional rights to property.
Justice Oweibo held: “It is hereby ordered that an order is hereby granted to the respondent/applicant setting aside the ex-parte orders of this court made on the 15th day of September 2020 upon the ex-parte motion of the Applicant/ Respondent in relation the funds of the Respondent/Applicant domiciled in the accounts stated in the following schedule:
“ACCOUNT NAME, FINANCIAL ACCOUNT INSTITUTIONS, TYPE OF ACCOUNT, 1. Mudasiru Ajayi Obasa, Standard Chartered, (US Dollars) 0001852063 2. Mudasiru Ajayi Obasa, Standard Chartered (Current) 0001852056 3. Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa, Standard Chartered (Saving) 5002309624.
“Issued at Lagos, under the seal of this Honourable Court and by the hands of the Presiding Judge this 16th day of August 2023.”
anonimi: World Bank offers Nigeria forex rate advice, as Tinubu eyes N200/Dollar rate
April 23, 2023
The President-elect said he would work with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to *bring down the exchange rate to N200 in his first term.*
“My administration will collaborate with the Central Bank to harmonize the fiscal and monetary policy to achieve immediate stabilization of the value of the naira against the US dollars and other currencies and in the short term, strengthen the naira by boosting the supply of foreign currency and moderating demand.
“The short-term goal is to achieve a naira/dollar rate of 300 naira/US$ and gradually achieve a less than 200 naira rate over the next four years, Tinubu stated.
Muhammadu Buhari, presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has promised to ensure that the naira would be equal to the dollar in value if voted into office.
NAN reports that Buhari said this on Monday during the south-east presidential rally of the party at Dan Anyiam Stadium, Owerri.
“It is sad that the value of the naira has dropped to more than N230 to one dollar. This does not speak well for the nation’s economy,” he said.
He urged the people to vote for APC, noting that he would ensure that corruption was tackled headlong if elected.
Predictor3: Nothing will happen to him besides losing his job. He will keep his stolen wealth and the story like you said has been swept under the carpet.
That's how it is in Nigeria. We mooove
Do you mean how it is in the Nigeria of Buhari and Tinubu's A-looter Propaganda Conmen, APC where they are borrowing more money than PDP presidents who gave us cheap petrol and better life in all aspects
socialmediaman: The 2018 Rating by Transparency International placed Nigeria at 148th position out of 180 countries. Nigeria was improving over the years under the previous government, until Buhari got elected as president, things became worse.
There is a difference between fact and fiction. We need to face facts, Buhari is worse than GEJ when it comes to fighting corruption, at least that’s what the facts prove.
Most of us believed there was corruption under Goodluck Jonathan’s Government. I agree with those who did, there was corruption, but not as bad as it is today under Mohammadu Buhari.
In 2012, Nigeria was placed at 139th position, In 2014, Nigeria gained 3 steps and was placed at 136th position. Under Buhari, Nigeria has lost many positions down to 148th.
There’s no further proof needed that corruption has worsened under Buhari’s government compared to previous years.
GoldHorse: This comparison does not make sense but as you are getting excited with that "fantastic" salary just note that the average house rent in the UK is about =N=3,000,000.00 (£1,500) per month.
What is the average house rent and how many birisope bricklayers can afford it
fuckJones: (A case study of Nigeria citizens & their elected oppressors).
During the Soviet dictatorship of Joseph stalin. He was a brutal dictator with mind of his own. On one fateful day, stalin came to Politburo meeting with a live chicken. Standing in front of audience, He started to pluck the feathers of the live chicken off one by one. The chicken trembled in pain, blood tricking out of its pores. It gave out grievous cries, but stalin being a cruel dictator continued without remorse plucking the feathers out until the chicken was completely Unclad. After which, he threw the chicken on the ground. The Unclad chicken was staggering in pain. stalin goes into his pocket and from his pockets, he took out some chicken food and started to throw it at the poor & hapless creature. The poor chicken in pain started eating and stalin started walking towards his seat. As he walked away, he kept dropping some feeds on the floor & the chicken followed him and sat feeding from his feet.
Joseph stalin then turned to members of his political party leadership. He said, "This chicken represents the people". "You must disempower them, brutalise them, beat them up, starve them and then leave them". "If you do this, go into your pocket & give them peanuts when they are in that helpless and desperate situation, they will blindly follow you for the rest of their life, worshiping you". "They will think you are a hero forever. They will forget that, you're responsible for their sorrowful situation in the first place." Breath taking, isn't it ?
Now! Take a look at all the people some Nigerians are busy defending on social media. Take a look at those they call their heroes. They are the same people who plunged Nigeria into the situation she is. They are the same people who are responsible for their predicaments. Did you see the numbers of people that throng to Saraki's House during this Sallah period to go collect peanuts? People trooping to Bola Ahmed Tinubu Foundation offices to collect branded One kilo bag of Rice & Noddles. Did you see the number of people of all ages who troop out to welcome Ex- convict James Ibori to South South! Do you see the number of handle mop following obi as if he is a seat? what of the one following dino malaye?
Your guess is as good as mine. Nigerians kill those they should defend and defend those they should kill! Pass to all your contacts & let your Political & Religion Leaders read, understand & digest.
Instead of getting his own Yorubalokan palliative daily bread from APC and Tinubu, he is talking about getting rid of cluelessly corrupt and incompetent Tinubu.
A large crowd of Lagosians was filmed in a long queue struggling to collect a loaf of bread. To maintain order, several military personnel were on the ground to control the crowd. This has triggered a lot of reactions online.
Watch the video, share your thoughts in the comments.
Na so Tinupoo go see am in 2027 before 12 noon on election day
It’s going to take a lot of work getting opposition leaders to unite behind a strong, unifying candidate while promptly responding to Tinubu and APC propaganda lies of distraction from their governance failures.
How much of this work are you doing already?
How much more of such work are you going to do until 2027?
If you’re not doing any of the necessary work then WHO are you waiting for and expecting to do the work for your own benefit
Kingrshd3: Anything u shout APC as if before APC u are not part of those shouting Nigeria is not good and this and that..
Was Nigeria America or Canada before APC??
Did All Promises Cancelled, APC make our country worse or not since 2015 when they told us they were going to deliver positive change but have only shown us extreme poverty shege
anonimi: Petrol should never cost more than N70 per litre, says APC
January 19, 2015
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has described as mere tokenism the reduction of petrol price from N97 to N87 per litre, saying the petroleum product ordinarily should sell for N70.
On Sunday, the federal government announced the reduction of petrol price, citing the fall of global crude oil price.
But the APC through Lai Mohammed, its spokesman, on Monday accused the government of making a show out of deceit, saying “a 10.3 per cent slash in the price of petrol was a mere tokenism at a time the price of crude oil has crashed by about 60 per cent”.
It argued that the pump price of a litre of petrol should not be more than 70 Naira, alleging that at N87 per litre, the government was forcing Nigerians to subsidise the massive corruption in the oil sector by N17 for every litre of fuel.
FORMER Minister of Petroleum and Energy, Prof. Tamunoemi David-West, said that Nigerians should expect sharp drop in petrol price from the current N87 to about N40 per litre, saying, “the president-elect, Gen. Mohammed Buhari, will reduce the fuel pump price to N40 per litre.”
koning: The report is very correct. I even expect the suicide rate in USA to be much more with all those guns available to nutcases.
Are you aware that Japan, with all their advancement is the number 1 suicide country in the world. A Japanese can kill him or herself if caught out on a lie.
Those of us who have been around know that Nigeria is blessed as a nation. Our greedy and selfish leaders are the problem.
The greedy and selfish leaders imported from America, Japan, Britain and where else?
How can blessed people allow greedy and selfish leaders looters emerge from among them into various positions in the religious, political, business, social, community etc spheres
Omenlon: how much dem dey pay you for this your online work when you no go let us rest.
The exact same amount that is paid to ordinary Britons engaged in advocacy work on suicide rates and other aspects of socioeconomic wellbeing of everyone in their country, which makes it attractive to Buhari and APC's lazy youths as japa destination.
I hope sey you go fit rest now that you have the answer to your question.
anonimi: The migrant crisis in Libya and the Nigeria experience
The drive for survival and for greener pastures has continued to force millions of West African young men and women to gamble with death in attempts to cross over to Europe and other parts of the world. This quest to escape poverty, hunger, unemployment and insecurity, among other reasons, caused a major segment of Nigeria’s population to seek alternatives for better livelihood prospects for themselves and their families.
Those seeking economic survival see irregular migration as the best alternative, given the difficulty and resources involved in migrating through regular and legitimate routes. In many instances, very few of the original number who set out on these dangerous journeys live to tell their stories. While many regularly drown in the Mediterranean Sea, many also die in the deserts, and others are sold as slaves in a modern slave market.
Most of the victims of this trade are from West Africa. Many of them leave home with expectations of getting to Europe and other destinations perceived to have better economic prospects for them, but they end up in the slave merchant nets in North Africa. The victims are put in camps and sold in open markets in Libya, while the international community watches in silence. The geographical location of Libya renders it a transit route for migrants journeying to Italy and many other parts of Europe.
Slippy: Nigerians are resilient khdhqljlwkjlklqwkdqk
Indeed we are resilient in the wrong things with our misplaced priorities and shortsighted mindset of stealing what should be used to build a formidable tomorrow through effective service delivery and efficient utilities supply by local, state and federal governments.
>>>>> >>>>>> If we are mentally strong, then why do we allow rogues to be our leaders looters? Those who steal money that should employ well paid workers to make basic government services and utilities avilable
MrPOTUS: I think it's more about culture, not that Nigeria is better.
There they practice more of individualism while we practice more of collectivism. Here we have supports, especially from families.
If we practice more collectivism then why are we not as engaged in the political and governance processes as they arein the UK and other western democracies that attract us to japa and work for increasing the development gap between our two countries/races
anonimi: “The worst illiterate is the political illiterate, he doesn’t hear, doesn’t speak, nor participates in the political events.
He doesn’t know the cost of life, the price of the bean, of the fish, of the flour, of the rent, of the shoes and of the medicine, all depends on political decisions. The political illiterate is so stupid that he is proud and swells his chest saying that he hates politics.
The slowpoke doesn’t know that, from his political ignorance is born the prostitute, the abandoned child, and the worst thieves of all, the bad politician, corrupted and flunky of the national and multinational companies.”
― Bertolt Brecht
>>>>> >>>>>>
Racoon: The ranking placed Nigeria in 186th position, only after Haiti, among 187 countries of the world. Nigeria is the second country in the world with the lowest voter turnout, worse than war-ravaged Afghanistan and Libya, a new ranking by Picodi has shown.
The ranking placed Nigeria in 186th position, only after Haiti, among 187 countries of the world. Nigeria also ranked worst in Africa. Nigeria’s low voter turnout
PREMIUM TIMES had reported how Nigeria recorded a new low in voter turnout during the last general elections. With a national turnout of 29 per cent, a Premium Times analysis showed that the last election had the lowest participation rate in the country’s six decades of independence.
It further revealed that of the 93.4 million registered voters this year, 87.2 million people collected their Permanent Voters Card and the total number of actual voters on election day was only 24.9 million..The winner of the election, Bola Tinubu, had less than nine million votes, roughly 10 per cent of the total eligible voters.
Another analysis by this newspaper revealed that all the 18 candidates in Nigeria’s February elections received only 27.55 per cent of the total eligible votes.
Deon28: Northern Muslims haven't told Nigerians the truth about these terrorists that have been terrorizing their region for years.
Tinubu knows that this has nothing to do with northern terrorists.
Did Tinubu not say that the only criminals and kidnappers terrorising Nigeria are from the alnd of the rising sun
Highways: Where Are The Cows? Is Evans A Herdsman?'
When Funke Olakurin, daughter of Afenifere leader, Pa Reuben Fasoranti was murdered instead of Bola Tinubu to make sure that the perpetrators were brought to book, he ended up making fun of the death of the young lady by turning everything into tribalism by showing his hates for Igbos.
Tinubu has never spoken against the deadly activities of Fulani herdsmen across the country
The same stand Adeyinka Grandson gave on the death of Fasoranti's daughter is where Tinubu, the leader of the Yoruba Conservatives stands. Please see Tinubu's video below. pic.twitter.com/COhiSvabqW
— Adeyinka Grandson (@deyinkagrandson) July 14, 2019
Mrs Olakunrin died of gunshot wounds in July 2019 after her vehicle was attacked by armed men, suspected to be marauding Fulani bandits whose violent activities had reached a frightening level across the southwest states.
Those arrested suspects include Lawal Mazaje, 40, from Felele area of Kogi State; Adamu Adamu, 50, from Jada area of Adamawa State; Mohammed Usman, 26, from Illela area of Sokoto State and Auwal Abubakar, 25, from Shinkafi area of Zamfara State....
However, the leader of the team, identified only as Tambaya, and three others are yet to be found.
Tambaya has been declared wanted by the police and he is said to be capable of communicating in Hausa, Fulfude and Pidgin English.
Obakoolex: The northerners fed their little dragon until they became it's prey.
When did this ayederu Lagos TAX monster planner become a northerner
EkoIle1: Jonathan Bares His Fangs, By Bola Ahmed Tinubu May 15, 2013
It is now abundantly clear that President Jonathan has finally bared his fangs confirming what was widely speculated. By declaring a state of emergency in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa, he has intimidated and emasculated the governors of these States. We are witnessing a dangerous trend in the art of governance and a deliberate ploy to subvert constitutional democracy.
The body language of the Jonathan administration leads any keen watcher of events with unmistakable conclusion of the existence of a surreptitious but barely disguised intention to muzzle the elected governments of these states for what is clearly a display of unpardonable mediocrity and diabolic partisanship geared towards 2015.
Borno and Yobe states have been literally under armies of occupation with the attendant excruciating hardship experienced daily by the indigenes and residents of these areas. This government now wants to use the excuse of the security challenges faced by the Governors to remove them from the states considered hostile to the 2015 PDP/Jonathan project.
Let me be quick to say that this administration will be setting in motion a chain of events the end of which nobody can predict. Experience has shown clearly that actions, such as this one under consideration, often give root to radical ideologies and extremist tendencies, a direct opposite of the intended outcome of unwarranted and unintelligent meddlesomeness. The present scenario playing out in the country reminds one of the classical case of a mediocre craftsman who continually blames the tools of his trade for his serial failure but refuses to look at his pitiable state with a view to adjusting.
It has become crystal clear, even to the most incurable optimist, that the country is adrift. That the ship of the Nigerian state is rudderless is clearly evident in the consistent and continual attacks ferociously executed by elements often referred to as the insurgents in some northern states of the federation, particularly Borno and Yobe states respectively.
Indeed, no part of the country is immune from the virulent but easy attacks, veritable indices of a failing state. Unfortunately, the tenuous and uncoordinated approach adopted by this government betrays a grossly incompetent disposition which stands at variance with current realities in the country, nay the international community where acts of terrorism are engaged and contained. No Governor of a state in Nigeria is the Chief Security Officer. Putting the blame on the Governors, who have been effectively emasculated, for the abysmal performance of the government at the centre which controls all these security agencies, smacks of ignorance and mischief.
Terrorist acts are perpetrated routinely and the government at the centre appears incapable of stemming the tide of the horrendous crimes unleashed on the hapless populace. The considerable ease, with which lives and property are destroyed on a daily basis, should excite deep introspection on the part of a government truly desirous of finding a lasting solution.
The Constitution provides that the safety and welfare of citizens shall be the primary purpose of having that structure of any political leadership in the first instance. This Government, through acts of omission and commission, has fallen far short of expectation. It actively encourages schisms and all manner of divisive tendencies for parochial expediency. Ethnicity and religion become handy weapons of domination. Things have never been this bad.
The response to the pervasive chaos in the Northern region of the country has been militarisation, mass arrests and extra judicial killings by the Joint Task Force, JTF, a convenient euphemism for an army of occupation seemingly set loose on the people of the localities concerned. The tenor of the State of Emergency declared by the Federal Government yesterday portends danger for the polity. The full militarisation of security operations in these states will compound the already tense situation.
Both local and international media are awash with news of reckless attitudes of the invading forces. The fact that security operatives are killed cheaply and reprisals from the state find expressions in organised pogroms in the immediate communities is sure evidence of a government which lacks basic understanding to appreciate the enormity of the current security challenges. If development is about the people, all measures put in place for the sustenance and maintenance of the super-structure of the society must take into cognisance local contents. It is evident from the grim experiences in recent times that this government has failed, or does not know that it is necessary for it to avail itself of the benefits accruable from exchange of ideas and notes on the latest in terms of technology and human resources among nations of the modern world, especially those which have been fighting terrorist organisations over the years, on the most effective mode of combating this menace. Technologically advanced countries of the world will never discard the idea on the need for the establishment of an effective local intelligence outfit.
Our suggestions along this path have always been met with suspicion and acerbic criticisms from both the informed and the ignorant alike. A government which stoutly defends its opposition to the decentralisation of the police force from its present over-centralised command structure is already experimenting with all manner of means patently extra-legal.
The massacres of local communities attendant upon the attacks on security agents by unknown elements will further alienate the people who should, ordinarily, partner with the government in securing their immediate environments. An army which invades a community maiming, raping and killing defenceless civilians will end up radicalising the youths whose parents and young ones have been wiped out most cowardly and recklessly. This government should concentrate more on encouraging the development of local intelligence which will, inexorably, lead to the practice of true federalism. Adopting the use of excessive force against those perceived as harbouring terrorists does not portray this government as possessing the wherewithal to find abiding solutions to the lingering security challenges.
The President’s pronouncement, which seeks to abridge or has the potential of totally scuttling the constitutional functions of Governors and other elected representatives of the people, will be counterproductive in the long run. A State of Emergency already exists in the states where JTF operates. Residents of these communities live in constant fear. Their rights are violated with impunity under the guise of searching for terrorists in their respective domains.
Hiding under some nebulous claims which border on the intractability of the security challenges posed by Boko Haram or some acclaimed traditionalists who have killed some policemen to render ineffective the constitutional powers vested in elected Governors and other representatives of the people, perceived as not amenable to manipulation for the 2015 project amounts to reducing serious issues bordering on the survival of the country to partisan politics. Let all those who love this country genuinely advise the federal government not to tinker with the mandates of these Governors under any guise. It is a potentially destructive path to take. If security of a society is about the protection of lives and property of the citizenry, the involvement of the people is a sine qua non to effective intelligence gathering. Any measures put in place which alienate the people, in particular their elected representatives, should be considered as fundamentally defective by every right thinking person in the country.
Mr. Bola Ahmed Tinubu, was a two-term governor of Lagos State, and now a leading voice of the opposition party, the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN.
Seefinish: And the governor is planning to release bandits from prisons
He must be following Tinubu's template of negotiating with bandits, terrorists and kidnappers to release a few children instead of dealing with them ruthlessly as our CinC.
Do you think that Tinubu fought for and grabbed power to run with it just for the purpose of increasing the TAX burden on 200 million Nigerians since he is clueless about keeping us safe and secure
Maxymilliano: The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has explained why he delegated some members of the party to respond to questions posed to him. According to the former Lagos Governor, he adopted the delegation method “to show team-ship”.
Tinubu spoke at the Chatham House lecture titled: ‘Nigeria’s 2023 elections: In conversation with Bola Ahmed Tinubu’, monitored by The Nation.
At the lecture, Tinubu after his opening remarks, assigned Kaduna Governor Nasir El-Rufai to speak on how his (Tinubu-led) government would address insecurity and asked the Director of Strategic Communication of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council, Dele Aleke, to respond to the question on oil theft.
If these so-called "investigations" and denials were actually worth the paper they're printed on, how the hell has Atiku Abubakar been bankrolling endless presidential ticket purchases and bribing politicians for support every damn election cycle since 1999?
If you believe that he contested for president in 1999, then it's obvious you are only regurgitating fake STORIES about Atiku.
Fact check yourself so you don't embarass yourself further in this regard.
In 1999, Atiku won PDP Adamawa primaries to be governor before Obasanjo asked him to join his winning ticket as VP. He did not contest to be president in 1999.
anonimi: ‘How Atiku saved Obasanjo from near bankruptcy before he emerged president’‘
A new book has revealed how former Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar, saved ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo from near bankruptcy before he emerged president in 1999.
According to the new book, entitled ‘’Too Good to Die: Third Term and the Myth of the Indispensable Man in Africa,’ Atiku made all his resources available for Obasanjo’s presidential campaign.
The book, written by former chairman of National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, Chidi Odinkalu, and Ayisha Osori, author of ‘’Love Does Not Win Elections,” also revealed how Obasanjo beat late Alex Ekwueme to the presidential ticket of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the 1999 election.
Quoting an account from Atiku, the authors said the trio of Ibrahim Babangida, Theophilus Danjuma and Abdulsalami Abubakar wanted PDP to adopt Obasanjo as their presidential candidate “because they considered him the best person for the job.”
“Implicit in their position was their belief that they knew how to manipulate Obasanjo and the fact that Obasanjo did their bidding in 1979. They felt secure that he could be managed again,” the authors wrote.
Atiku was reportedly asked to join a team to Ogun to inform Obasanjo that he was going to run for the highest office in the land.
“When Atiku and Obasanjo discussed the call to serve as president, Obasanjo said he could not be president because he was a nearly bankrupt ex-convict. Atiku, through General (Aliyu) Gusau, paid money into Obasanjo’s account to begin his financial rehabilitation.
“Head of State Abdulsalami Abubakar helped out by granting him an unconditional pardon. Atiku put everything he had at his disposal to support Obasanjo’s emergence as the PDP presidential candidate and, when he joined the ticket as the vice-presidential nominee, continued to make his assets available to Obasanjo and the campaign.
Culture › Re: Olubadan Snubs Alaafin At An Oyo State Function. by anonimi: 11:06am On Jan 13
