₦airaland Forum

So if every one these 250+ groups in Nigeria insist on speaking their 'mother tongue' how will the country progress and work together to make a more unified Nigeria for all Nigerians?

You are equating the Yoruba ethnic group with a country Germany (German), England (English) and France (French)

In the meantime even though I will agree that historically Lagos is the Yoruba man's land but to say it is a Yoruba state in the ploitical sense is incorrect. It was once the capital of the entity which is now known as Nigeria and it for what it is worth, Lagos was created by ALL Nigerians

It can never be a waste if they are trained to do their job better.

This is not what makes any nation Islamic or otherwise.

What if the people in the Delta where most of Nigeria's wealth is held decided that wanted to state affairs in Urhobo, Itsekiri or Ijaw? Civil war abi?

But all Nigerians/Lagosians are not Yoruba and neither can they understand the language.

I disagree that Lagos is a Yoruba state. The Ibo's have largely affected the growth of Lagos to a large extent. i can't give u proofs, i don't want to spend the whole day here.

In your dreams! I bet that an accurate census (not likely in Nigeria) will reveal that the combined population of non-Yorubas (Igbos, Hausas, Edos, Efiks, Ijaws, etc) outnumber Yorubas in Lagos!

I still insist there is nothing wrong with having dual citizenship.

1. So, does this imply that all those in the Lagos State assembly must be native speakers of Yoruba?

2. Does this mean non-Yorubas cannot be members of the Lagos House?

3. Does this mean non-Yorubas should not bother contesting for positions in the Lagos House?

4. Does this mean non-Yorubas are EXPECTED to be proficient in Yoruba as a prerequisite to participating in elections leading to positions in the Lagos house?

Lagos States is home to the metropolitan city of Lagos, and it cannot afford to be dragged into the dirty waters of ethnocentric bigotry disguised as cultural appreciation championed by some notable Yoruba leaders in the 1950s, 60s and 70s.

There is no requirement in any of the political parties that candidates in Lagos must be proficient in Yoruba. Hence, this bill (if true) is an effort to push an ethnocentric agenda in a cosmopolitan region.

I await your response!

Former Federal capital is now only for the YORUBA'S that's the meaning of this, very soon official language of Nigeria Senate/House of Assembly will become Fulani/Hausa language.
I like this Yoruba's courageous attitude towards other tribes, telling them their are no need for a united Nigeria.
That's why i like Mr Awolowo, the seeds he sowed many years ago are still bearing fruits/multiplying day by day.

He said the House should have a rethink on the issue, adding that some of the lawmakers cannot boast of being able to communicate in the language for 10 minutes.

I personally paid taxes of over a million naira to date this year alone.

Thirdly, since the Nigeria police problem is a reflection of Nigeria's larger political and social decadence, whatever British assistance being sought would not have any desired effect until a major surgical operation of the larger problems of the Nigerian society is undertaken.

He stated that under the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty signed between Nigeria and Britain, the appropriate authority to ask for mutual legal assistance from Britain was the Home Office, while the AGF was the appropriate authority in Nigeria.

He said that the British authorities insulted Nigeria by asking a Crown counsel with the Metropolitan Police to write to him seeking mutual legal assistance.

"In Nigeria, a Crown Counsel is the equivalent of a state counsel, a level 8 officer. So I refused and told them that they have to do the right thing. I think Nigeria, as a sovereign nation deserves some respect. They knew they were wrong, otherwise why did they now write through the Home Office requesting mutual assistance to quiz a prominent Nigeria, Chief Mike Adenuga?

He further stated that without reference to his office, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) sent evidence, including bank statements and other documents to London on Ibori, and that it was later the commission who wrote to him asking him to authorise the British Authorities to use the evidence.

"Now, how can I sign something which did not pass through my office? I do not know the documents in question because they were not even attached to the letter the commission sent to me. How can someone accuse me of shielding Ibori under such a circumstance?

Babasin ,If you looking for 5 star hotel , the best price you can get is 300euro per night

does NEPA power Zenith Bank or GTB's Data collection/data center?
or MTN's ~10 million subscriber base?

Data collection DOES NOT REQUIRE ELECTRICITY. There are many libraries here you can walk into and get information on paper still from so many decades back

Let them train our men in data collection and get things working. This has nothing to do with colonialism or black vs white issues but simple common sense.

Absolutely accurate!

informatio has revealed how Col.MB Marwa, former military administrator of Lagos state and proprietor of the defunct Albarka Airlines helped late General Abacha to launder funds stolen from Nigeria abroad. Col. Mohammed B. Marwa is currently being screened by Nigeria's senate to become a Nigerian ambassador to a yet-to-be named country. According to documents obtained by Saharareporters, Marwa's case stated when Mr Enrico Monfrini a Switzerland-based counsel representing Nigeria contacted the Federal government about Mutual Legal Assistance request from Jersey authorities in respect of an account with CIBC (Cayman Island ) Ltd, beneficially owned by Col. Mohammed Buba Marwa (rtd)

Before then, Jersey authorities have been investigating the corrupt payments totaling more than $110 million made by one Mr. Raj. Arjandras BHOJWANI and his company, Tata Sales and Services SA (TOSS) to General Abacha, in exchange for the granting of inflated contracts for the supply of vehicles to the Federal Government of Nigeria in the sum of $149 million (contract dated 19 April, 1996) and $29 million (contract dated 12 August 1997); the context of which the Jersey authorities suspected that part of the corrupt proceeds had been laundered was based on documents they received from Cayman Islands.

Jersey authorities also in the letter referred, requested for an urgent need to receive witness statement from Col.Buba Marwa regarding the payment of the second contract by the Central Bank of Nigeria to TOSS; three payments totaling $12,228,750 between October and November 1997 to the account of Ocean Queen Universal Corp with CIBC SA, Geneva , which was opened on 2nd October, 1997 by Mr.Gabriel Katri, who had designated Col. Mohammed Buba Marwa as its beneficial owner; a transfer of $12,481,500 ordered by Mr. Katri to the account of Ashar Ltd. with Trans- National Bank, Nairobi, a bank believed to be owned by Daniel Arap Moi’s family which was heavily used by Mr. Katri to launder the funds of the Abachas and another account A4725 said to have been opened by Mr. Katri on 9th March 1998 with CIBC Bank and Trust Company (Cayman) Ltd in the name of Tiger Investments Ltd. without a beneficial owner on any of its documents.

However the document transmitted by the bank showed that Col. Marwa was granted signatory power on the account;the four additional Transfer totaling $2,319,901 credited in the account A4725 of Tiger Investments Ltd. from Trans-National Bank; the transfer totaling $7.9Million ordered by Mr. Katri between December 1999 and May 2000 to an account in the name of Insured Escrow Service with Bank First, Oklahoma City reference “Albarka Airlines - Alhaji Muhammed Buba”; a total of $1Million paid to the Ocean Queen account between November 1999 and May 2001 and to be latter transferred to accounts related to Mr. Katri (notably accounts in the name of Mr. Lex LIN, a Chinese living in Nigeria);payment of $400,000 made to Whitewhale Investments and Ethel Finance Inc., companies managed by Mr. Katri;payment of a total $1,500,000:00 paid to various accounts in Taiwan Which appear to be related with each other and may be a money laundering scheme; an additional account “301260 LEOPARD” which Col. Marwa opened under the name “ Mohammed Buba” with Private Investment Bank Ltd. Nassau, Bahamas; the two transfers of $693, 457 and $353, 865 received in the Leopard account on 15th June, 2001, 19th June 2001 respectively, among others.

Saharareporters gathered that sometimes in 1996 the Federal Government of Nigeria purchased Tata trucks from an Indian Company, TATA Overseas Sales and Services (TOSS) S.A, via a contract worth approximatelly $149 million in which Buba Marwa acted as a representative of the Nigerian Government to supply of 1,500 Tata trucks for the Nigerian Armed Forces and the Police in furtherance of which the contractors were paid the contract sum with a 100% Bank Guarantee waiver for the advance fee while Marwa was the Defence Attaché in the Nigerian Mission to the United Nations in New York.

Interestingly, TATA Overseas Sales and Service contractors only supplied 751 trucks to the Office of the then Chief of Defence Staff out of which the Police benefited about 285 of the total trucks supplied.

But the juicy end of the contract would only encourage Abacha in 1997 to grant another contract to TOSS to supply the same type of trucks to the National Electoral Commission of Nigeria at a sum of $29 million which was facilitated by Col. Yakubu Bako, who was then the Chief of Logistics of the electoral body on behalf of the Federal Government.

Saharareporters found out that in the course of payments of this second contract that Col. MB Marwa opened an account, Ocean Queen Universal Corporation with the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (Suisse) S.A, Geneva (CIBC) into which three (3) remittances totalling $12,228,750 meant for the contractors were paid between October and November 1997 and the money was further laundered in to another account, Ashar Ltd with Account number 04-400-984 at Trans National Bank Nairobi, Kenya allegedly at the instance of Gen. Sani Abacha.


A further sum of $12, 356,670:00 was transferred from the Nairobi account to an account, TIGER INVESTMENTS LTD No.A4725 at CIBC Bank and Trust Company (Cayman) Ltd. believed to have been opened in March 1998 by Marwa's money laundering associate, Gabriel Katri, who was given Power of Attorney to control the Ocean Queen Account at CIBC, Geneva by Marwa.

Saharareporters findings shows that TIGER INVESTMENTS entered into a purported loan agreement between November 1999 and June 2000 worth $8,950,000 with ALBARKA AIRLINES, an airline company fully owned and initiated by Marwa which led to various transfers totalling $7.9 million into an account-INSURED ESCROW SERVICE- with Bank First, Oklahoma City, in favour of Albarka Airlines - Alhaji Mohammed Buba Marwa.

Marwa also instructed his agent to open another account, LEOPARD at Private Investment Bank Ltd, Nassau, Bahamas into which two transfers of $693,457:00 dated 15th June 2001 and $353,865:00 dated 19th June were made. The funds were applied for the expenses of the Albarka Airlines on the instruction of the former Lagos state administrator, who opened the account with a Nigerian issued Diplomatic Passport No. 0300646 issued in Abuja on 23rd September, 1993.

Apart from this, Saharareporters also established through available documents that apart from the proceeds of the Tata contract, Gen. Marwa also helped the Abachas to launder the sum $17 million for Gen. Abacha from the accounts of the Nigerian United Nation Mission to Trans National Bank, Nairobi, Kenya in 1996.

It was gathered that MB Marwa confessed to the crime of direct stealing and money laundering of same soon after he was arrested detained and interrogated by the EFCC, via a letter he wrote to Obasanjo dated 18th August, 2006 captioned “LETTER OF PROFOUND APOLOGY AND REMORSE” a copy of which was obtained exclusively by Saharareporters Marwa tried to paint himself as a victim of a firm military command structure.

In the letter, Alhaji Marwa apologized to Obasanjo, pledging his allegaince to the former president and insisting that he was commanded by the former head of state to carry out the acts of money laundering and direct stealing under duress pleading that he could not have disobeyed the late dictator because he never thought the transfers were illegitimate.

However, reports written by the security agencies on the case shows that Col. Buba Marwa conspired with the then Head of State Gen. Abacha to steal and launder public funds for their personal gains. An EFCC report cited by Saharareporters said that Marwa's defence of obeying orders from a superior military officer cannot hold water as he should not and cannot obey unlawful orders.The report said that the transfer of $17 million by the suspect from the account of Nigerian UN mission in New York to Abacha’s private account in Kenya which has no connection with any contract whatsoever could not have been done ignorantly.


"He must have known too well that the money went to Abacha’s private account for his personal benefits. It became more glaring and incriminating since Buba Marwa himself has benefited from the proceeds of this crime. This is because the accounts from where some of the laundered proceed rested in the Cayman Island turned out to be what was used to finance the establishment of Albarka Airlines under a shabby loan arrangement which no repayment has been made to date." the EFCC reports concluded.

Saharareporters was further informed that Mr Raj Arjandras BHOJWANI is currently being prosecuted by the Jersey authorities for money laundering in relation to the Tata contract and the various funds channelled through his account by Alhaji Marwa.
Raj Arjandas Bhojwani, a native of India, was charged in Jersey with the laundering of US$43.9 million [about £22.5 million] after he was arrested in London on 8 February 2007 and taken to Jersey the next day. He appeared in the Royal Court, Jersey and reserved his plea to three charges relating to the laundering of the money, which is alleged to be the proceeds of government corruption in Nigeria relating to Marwa. The money laundering case against Bhojwani is alleged to have taken place in October 2000.

Ironically While Bhojwani faced possible jail time in Jersey, Alhaji Marwa was recently nominated to become Nigeria's ambassador to a yet -to-be-named country, his confirmation by the Nigerian senate is almost complete and recently he bragged in the media that his airline-AlBarka Airlines-will soon resume operations.

If this is true ,then Mr Speaker may be in trouble, but I doubt it.

The legal practitioner also cited Sections 28, 66 (1) (a) and 156 (la) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to press home his case. “These sections make it abundantly clear that while a citizen of Nigeria by birth can have a dual citizenship under Section 28 of the constitution, such a person is not qualified for National Assembly membership or for the chairmanship office of any of the commissions set up under the constitution

While we wait for the government to eradicate poverty or give every jobs Nigerians should be allowed to carry arms

Some of the things you say at times is very senseless, who is recovering money here Britain or Nigeria?

If war breaks out between Nigeria and Cameroon tomorrow, we will not feel the consequences alone so I don't understand why it should be up to us to avert war by giving up what is ours.

Someone nominated OBJ from the piece. OBJ did not nominate himself.

At least if Yar'Adua didn't really win the elections, then definitely, someone else did. WHO IS IT!!!!