₦airaland Forum

When will wives of Special Assistants to Senior Special Advisers to LG chairpersons go on their own foreign retreat?

Lol. When you think you’ve seen the worse of Nigeria’s leadership, boom!!!! Something else - such as this absurdity - comes up to further sink the bar lower.

This is another reason why most governors don’t want financial autonomy for LGAs coz what in the name of Naira and Kobo is this display of financial recklessness, moral decadence & lack of sensitivity to the people’s plight?

There’s no loud outrage among faux activists as this didn’t happen in Lagos, Kaduna, Rivers, Imo or Enugu states... this happened in Adamawa so they’ll pretend not to have seen it.

Anyways, I expect H.E Alh. Atiku Abubakar and ADC to have something to say about this madness.

First of all, the source for this report is highly questionable. Secondly, H.E Alhaji Atiku Abubakar's known media aide going back decades now, is Paul Ibe. Thirdly, where was this statement made; the occasion that warranted the statement & the people Atiku was speaking to are missing in this report hence red flags. Lastly, WTH is this "media consultant" by name Kola Johnson? Sounds like a character made up to spin some media nonsense and attribute it to the former VP.

Make I no talk wetin dey my mind as e too early in the day.
However, just to be clear, this happened in saner climes & involved two leaders in the top10 world most influential/powerful countries.

Dee60:
In places, even here in Africa, it may surprise you that you can go online to check who owns anything. And if you use proxies they will jail you. Check South Africa. And we are always boasting that we are bigger than them! In what?

Let the owners of J's speak up quickly to clarify things. A nation progresses where there is transparency and not where everything is covered in mystery. The owners of Oriental should also have spoken up all this while.

You’re right! As for Oriental Hotel, they spoke up after their investment was almost reduced to ashes in the aftermath of #EndSARS protests in Lagos https://gazettengr.com/please-dont-burn-our-hotel-we-have-no-ties-to-tinubu-oriental/

Hopefully, the real owners (that’s if Wike isn’t the real owner as alleged by Sowore) of the hotel in question in PH will clear the air before their business is politically tainted & exposed to attacks by those who are in disagreement with the FCT Minister & immediate past Rivers Governor.

Kalulu44:
Maybe I am also privy to how he owns Alphabeta, TLS and co too.
I'm not expecting you to believe me, and I am not giving you any information more than this

Well, the convo was about Oriental not Alphabeta, TLS et al, that's not the focus!

Meanwhile, it's also your choice to give or not to give info!

Lol. He has been patronizing them for years without an issue - obviously - but the first time he couldn't see a doctor as quickly as he wanted, he passed a blanket condemnation on Nigeria's Healthcare.

If most people knew the constraints faced by Nigerian doctors, nurses and other professionals in the medical field and the conditions under which they work, we wouldn't be so quick to condemn many of them.

Inspite of the challenges & unfavorable work environment/conditions, they still show up & carry out their duties with a sense of responsibility (at least majority of them).

Even in the abroad (at least from some of the information shared online by people who live there), it's also not so easy seeing a doctor; matter of fact, some diaspora Nigerians have been reported to visit Nigeria for medical tourism (it's cheaper, no long wait times to see a doctor/specialist & its equally qualitative too among others) especially at the many private medical facilities springing up here & there.

Kalulu44:
Over which false claims it doesn't belong to Tinubu? Someone that owns over 50% shares in Oriental hotel is what. Or you want to deny Tinubu doesn't have share there

Well, you're probably privy to some information that I'm not, so, if you could be so kind, please direct me to the [public] credible source of your information so that I may modify my response or delete altogether; I don't want to be caught spreading false information or putting something in a public forum such as NL that's not true.

Wahabfuture:
So you actually believe Sowore has no proof before making this allegation, our politicians are so evil and can't be trusted

He may or may not. I'm only speaking to what I could deduce from his post; he used "reportedly" & when compared to his previous allegations against Wike, he called him out with receipts and directly! No reportedly or purportedly or allegedly. It was a direct accusation.

Meanwhile @ bolded, only a dunce would doubt what you said.

This nonsense is becoming too much abeg!! There's hardly any month where a Nigerian or couple of Nigerians don't make the Indian news for illicit drug trafficking; shey dem swear for us to dey traffic drugs for another person country abi na so dem dey take arrest citizens of other countries for India on top this same drugs matter?

Irony is by the time Nigerians constitute an illicit drug menace to India(ns) & they revolt either by way of visa bans or street protests, the same Nigerians will cry Xenophobia & accuse the FG of not doing enough to protect its citizens in the diaspora.

Omoyele Sowore is overreaching himself in his feud with Nyesom Wike particularly with this his post.

You say something is "reportedly" owned by another person without concrete proof save for the assumption that the hotel's name starts with a letter J, it must belong to the FCT Minister.

Then, he went ahead to inform Rivers State people that the hotel is theirs as it's reportedly a proceed of looted funds from the state's Treasury; while Wike isn't entirely innocent of any allegation leveled against him by Sowore, it's important not to make false accusations so that innocent people's businesses don't suffer for nothing.

That's how they almost burned down Oriental Hotel, Lagos during end SARS over false claims it belonged to Tinubu.

Lol. IYKYK. I just posted this part of my response

aylipple:
Meanwhile, they’ll be posting houses and cars worth hundreds of millions they purportedly purchased for social media validation then later on when the tax man comes calling (in this case, LIRS), they’ll start crying foul.

when I saw yours; the tears will be loud.

Coldspice:
500M mansion.
She's owing LASG at least 150M in unpaid taxes.

January 2026 will be wonderful.

Congratulations to her. Her clothing business or any other legitimate side hustle she has truly pays her.

Meanwhile, they’ll be posting houses and cars worth hundreds of millions they purportedly purchased for social media validation then later on when the tax man comes calling (in this case, LIRS), they’ll start crying foul.

Lol. Commentary from a man who never built a single block of standard library in his state, equipped (books, computers, internet) & staffed it with qualified staff when he was governor for 8yrs.

The popular maxim that “he who comes to equity must come with clean hands,” is alien to H.E Peter Obi.

Lol.... H.E Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, GCON believes that by constantly issuing statements or speaking against the incumbent, it'll ingratiate him with Nigerians or put him in news headlines.

The race isn't for the swift, strongest or most desperate.

I wish him the best in his final attempt at giving the Presidency a shot!

I’ve got only 1 vote to give and if God permits PBAT to be healthy to run for office a second time as President, that 1 vote will be for him.

And if it’s the will of majority of Nigerian voters for him not to return to office after his first tenure, so shall it be but all these threats of Biya, power must return to the North (why can’t all the northern political elite dissatisfied with the current administration throw their weight - political machinery, funds, support etc. - behind Peter Obi?), heightened insecurity especially in the North are simply political gimmicks!

By 2027, Atiku will be 80. If the choice were to be between him & the incumbent strictly, my vote will unapologetically go to the latter.

bluefilm:
How come I am not seeing the names of the CEOs of Sportybet and Bet9ja?

Those guys are cashing out on a daily basis

Lol. Reminds me of one argument I heard on Wednesday while passing by a temporary taxi park around Wuse Market junction (Herbert Macaulay Way), Abuja.

This guy was saying with confidence (and at the top of his voice too) to another that the owner of a particular Nigerian bet company (don't want to mention the company's name) is far richer than Alh. Aliko Dangote, GCON.

I just smiled when I heard it... Could he be correct? May be (and that's a huge maybe) but I doubt there's any bet money in Nigeria at the moment that can stand up to Dangote's billion dollars net worth not especially now that his refinery is up and running (although not at fully installed capacity).

So, yes, I believe some bet company owners such as Kunle Soname & Sudeep Dalamal Ramnani deserve to be on this particular Statisense list.

The top 100 CEOs in the US earned approx. between $21m - $101.5m last year (source: https://www.equilar.com/reports/116-table-highest-paid-ceos-2025-equilar-100.html).

If the list were to be expanded - to say top 500 or 700 - off the top of my head, I'd say the least earning CEO in the US would probably have earned at least $2m in 2024.

Now, the Seplat CEO, Robert Brown, earned around N3.9bn making him the highest paid CEO in Nigeria for 2024 (that figure is roughly $2.5m).

I'd to put this in context after I read a reply on this post that Nigerian currency is "valueless"; while that may not be entirely false, N3.9bn converted into any currency in the world rn isn't small money or "valueless". If Mr. Brown decides to convert his N3.9bn to USD for e.g, he'd easily rank among the top 1000 CEOs in the US and that's no mean feat at all.

Having said that, these CEOs are "balling" big time in 9ja especially when it's considered that the taxes they purportedly paid is most likely not commensurate to their earnings (that's one area the new tax bills recently signed into law by Mr. President hopes to address - capture more people in the tax net especially high earners & get them to pay commensurate fair tax). However, this is a topic for another day.

Welcome back Mr. Governor. While many may not agree with your disposition and acceptance of the declaration of state of emergency by Mr. President, history will be kind to you and remember you as a man who was willing to pay the price for peace, no matter how high the price is.

I wish you success, His Excellency, Sir Siminalayi Fubara.

I believe Grey is also a better alternative. Will checkout the others (Timon, Geegpay & Bitnob) recommended by users.

Mexyz:
I don't think we have many Airports in Nigeria that can land that A380, the wings are just too big to land in some airports.

You're right. However, I understand that the Gateway International Airport, Ogun State is probably the only airport in Nigeria with capacity to accommodate the A380.

Meanwhile, in Africa, only the airports in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Dakar, Egypt and Mauritius can accommodate an aircraft the size of the A380.

***Modified***

The Gateway International Airport is actually the only airport in Nigeria designed to accommodate large, wide-body aircraft such as the Boeing 777 and Airbus A380.

With an extensive runway measuring 4 kilometers (4,000 meters) long and 60 meters wide (said to be the longest runway in West Africa), the airport meets category 9 fire cover standards, equipped with advanced lighting, navigation systems & has a substantial apron area (this particular feature - among others - was & is still lacking in the newly remodelled international wing of the MMIA which was why many international airlines boycotted the terminal) - an important factor for airports that want to host large aircraft.

The Airbus A380 is a majestically beautiful piece of engineering & marvel to behold.

Its underbelly looks like one giant grasshopper just lounging on lush green grass.

Meanwhile, it's my view that after electricity & telephone, the next best invention ever by humans, is the aeroplane!

I like everything about the wordings of this presidential statement.

Let all other state governors and members of State Houses of Assembly be properly guided; you work at cross-purposes to the point of breakdown of law and order, be ready for declaration of state of emergency!

Meanwhile, I couldn’t help but notice the obvious jabs directed at Barr. Nyesom Wike & his group in this statement; thankfully, both parties have learned their lessons and won’t be dragging the state backwards ever again due to personal/or political differences.

When it comes to agricultural reforms among federating units of Nigeria, very few states come close to Ekiti under Gov. Biodun Oyebanji.

Is it in terms of policies, active involvement of youths in agriculture, heavily subsidized inputs supply, partnership with relevant federal agencies such as BoA & NALDA, mechanization, land acquisition and preparation, funding, off-taking, diversified nature of the state government’s involvement in agriculture (poultry, livestock, fisheries, oil palm, rice, pepper, other grains and their value chains) etc? His administration has done very well in that regards.

It’s always a delight reading developments in the agricultural space in Ekiti from the state commissioner for agriculture & food security, Mr. Ebenezer Boluwade on X. Man is also probably the most responsive, strategic, brilliant and effective agric commissioner in the country today therefore I’m not surprised about the NBS data on reducing food inflation in the state; it’s a result of deliberate policies and actions driven by Mr. Boluwade.

A little above $350 equivalent is what someone says isn’t “life-changing”? Lol. That amount will change the lives of those who are serious and desirous of turning around their situation from a life of street begging.

How much were they giving voters again during last month’s supplementary elections across some states in Nigeria that they were selling their votes 🗳 / mortgaging their future for?

In today’s Nigeria and inspite of the economy, 550,000 NGN is at least 7x more than the national minimum wage; that’s someone’s 7months salary (with a little extra) that the woman was given at a go without rendering any service in return yet, it’s not life-changing?

Ganjafama:
I don't think so. GEJ joining the party means one thing - an easy ride for Atiku. Tinubu takes the SW, GEJ takes SS and some parts of the middle belt. Obi takes the SE, while the north goes to Atiku.

Okay.

The most painful thing about all the issue of banditry, terrorism & kidnapping in the North is that the rest of the country will pay for it one way or the other.

The North allowed itself to be infiltrated by jihadists, killer herdsmen from other neighboring countries & criminal elements in a bid to make the GEJ presidency at the time look bad before the people. Before this, they allowed religious extremism, poverty & illiteracy to thrive in the region; matter of fact, these were their tools for political control.

Decades later, they’re still paying the price for their foolishness and the rest of the country too sadly have to pay the price.

No price is too high to pay for peace but the truth remains, are these genuine? Are the criminals truly repentant? Are the politicians too not going to go behind to recruit another set of criminals to keep committing these evil acts? Are state governors in the North committed to empowering their youths with relevant skills, education and improved standards of living? Are the religious leaders in the North ready to abandon religious extremism gradually? These are the issues!

Loan isn’t bad in itself. People who borrow aren’t greedy or too proud to reach out to their families/friends for financial help; thing is, it’s easier & convenient to borrow from financial institutions than from acquaintances.

It’s for that reason most rich men who need funds would rather approach their financial institutions than personal friends/acquaintances for a loan; it not only maintains the level of respect they enjoy, it’s also a way of separating business from personal r/ships.

Now, to the companies that offer lending services, I don’t believe they’re evil or agents of the devil or whatever. They’re just cut throat businesses out to make a profit, exploit the gaps in the system and the people.

First of all, these companies are options because Nigeria doesn’t have a credit system, no unemployment benefits, our financial institutions only lend to those with verifiable means of repayment and many Nigerians love freebies among others.

On the borrowers’ parts, many borrow with the intention not to pay back; borrow without a guaranteed means of paying back, don’t care about the T&Cs and are dishonest.

Notwithstanding, government just has to strengthen regulations and oversight to ensure Nigerians are not exploited with high interest rates (I can understand that this may be due to the fact that the lending environment is highly volatile), dehumanized or subjected to embarrassment (posting debtors photos with weird captions, sending text messages to debtors’ contacts, calling to threaten debtors’ contacts who have absolutely nothing to do with the loan or the person that borrowed etc.) because they took loans.

Okay.

ogascomax:
You settle down type if wishes are horses bird will ride. Just be playing there. If you are saying or typing anything just remove Obi name. All those candidates you mentioned there GEJ will beat them hands down. Everybody living in this country have tested the last 12 years to GEJ period and they can see the difference.
Obi does not have any region except South East.
Lastly Obi will not run in an election GEJ would run.
You guys are yet to understand politics.

Gentledove2001:
The only people that will be happy with this advice are the noise-makers, the supporters of failed governor who is now the new social media president and adopted messiah.

I noticed one thing about them lately, they are now calm and the abuse and bully are gradually reducing. Reality is now steering in their face.

Gentledove2001 post=136804249:
Anyway Jonathan should contest it want to check something.

This man Tinubu rigged his way when he wasn’t the president, na now una eye open.

I’m surprised many don’t see how GEJ running favors the incumbent. With him in the race, the votes in South-south will be split between him, Obi & PBAT with Atiku picking up the crumbs there.

In the SE, he’ll also split Obi’s votes but not enough to cause a major dent; as usual per 2023, PBAT & Atiku will pick up the crumbs there in that order.

In the SW, he’ll divide Obi’s voting base there. The incumbent will sweep the region more than he did in 2023. I predict Obi will come a distant 2nd with GEJ closely following then Atiku in that region.

In the NC, it’ll be a split between the incumbent & Atiku; GEJ & Obi will share the crumbs from there.

In the NE, Atiku will carry the day with PBAT behind him (this may tilt with mind-blowing vote buying) then GEJ, Kwankwaso & Obi in that order.

In the NW, it’ll be a tough battle between Atiku & the incumbent. Then GEJ, Kwankwaso & then Obi.

A two-horse race between PBAT & Atiku (with Obi as running mate but even if that were to happen now, the momentum favors Atiku & e may not even need the former Anambra governor. Whether they/he know/knows it or not, the Obidient Movement has done massive damage to Obi’s image post-2023. I foresee Atiku picking Amaechi as his running mate thereby forcing Obi to run again as a presidential candidate) in 2027 may prove an uphill task for the incumbent that’s why I strongly believe a GEJ candidacy & prodding for Obi to run again are parts of plots by PBAT or his political machinery to strengthen his chances in the next presidential race.

If lessons weren’t learnt in 2023, bigger lessons are lurking in the shadows to be learnt when the time comes.

This is my opinion. Any one is PERMITTED to disagree or even heap abuses; either ways, I don’t care!

Personally & political wise, I want GEJ to contest; the likelihood of three strong presidential candidates from the South will shift the battleground to the North (precisely NE & NW).

By all means, a Jonathan candidacy strongly favors the incumbent that’s why I suspect clamors for his alleged candidacy are secretly being sponsored by Aso Rock.

The balls on PM Netanyahu are kevlar.

There's a way someone says something and you know they're just blowing hot but there's a way another person would say something and you know they mean what they say 100%; well, the man I just watched meant want he said!

This isn't the time to test Israel's resolve otherwise y'all gon learn - the hard way!