No big deal, every fuji musician has doctorate degrees. One more useless doctor in Nigeria don't mean a thing, in a long line of empty barrells!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

a hia say area bois dem don begin get degree for Ojuelegba market!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think I am missing something or some people are just not thinking right!

What is this rubbish about one Yoruba man being better than the other!
This sub-cultural nationalization is the bane of Nigeria, It is easy to divide ourselves along ethnic and language divides.
The inane Yoruba better than Hausa, than Igbo or Kanuri nonsense. Now we are jumping on the bandwagon to discriminate among brothers!

This is the reason Nigeria's greedy klepto-rulers have been able to get away with the divide and conquer form of government- which has produced nothing but a backward nation.
With all our wealth and education, we have not been able to achive any meaning progress nor made any sense out of our polity.
Nigeria, has contributed immensly to the population of billioneers, while our general public at large wallow in abject poverty. Nigeria, in spite of al our boastings, is relegated to a mere third world nation with a population of corrupt minded criminals. (at least, this is what the world believe we are)

I will like to believe these are mere young men (with misplaced sense of pride) talking on this thread. But wither goes the mouth, so does ones thinking!
There is nothing glorious or fantastic in labeling oneself and denigrating the other. We need to espouse mediocre thinking, wake up and grow up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sentiments and emotions aside, let talk legal jargon. In law, intentions is construed as doing the act itself. A person can be convicted for intentions or aquited for lack of intentions in commiting an act.

This brings us to Patricia Etteh-does she have the intentions to commit a malfeasance? In others words, did she demonstrate the intention to steal aand defraud the nation?

Answer to both questions is affirmative.
1. The meeting of NASS leaders which awarded the conttracts, was convened in secrecy, without the invations of any disenting principals.
2. Due process not clearly not followed.
3. The contracts awarded exhorbitant and to mediocre or non-existent entities.
4. Need was not demostrated, nor accounted for.
5 When it came time to let everyone know about the intricacies of the whole affair, she played hide and seek, delaying investigations.

The investigation ad-hoc commitee, indicted her on ten counts.
Even if the money was not already in her coffers, it would be ultimately be stole after the sham contracts have been deemed completed.

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, based on the foregoing, I dare say a clear and unambiguous intention was demonstarted to defraud the NASS and the nation of Nigeria and I declared her guilty as charged.

She be propa ole, barao, tief, jaguda, pali. dem for comot her patapata for the place sef. She is definitely out of her comfort zone in the House. If it had not been for the OTTA big thief, she would not have been a member in the first place.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Afam:

@Bankole01,

Forgive the young man, that is what he does these days, he keeps abusing anyone and everyone that he does not expressly agree with and the irony of it all is that he fells he is right and justified to do so.

Calling someone a retard for simply starting a thread is most unfortunate and highly regrettable.

On the murder of Bola Ige nothing will remain hidden under the sun forever, a day will come and the truth will surface, just like that.

Enjoy.

Thanks old friend.

Have a nice day

Every evil parpertrated in Nigeria within the last 8 years of Obasanjo misrule can be attributed to his evil machinations. Obasanjo a very vindictive man sought to be the de facto leader of Yoruba people. Knowing that the very diplomatic Yoruba wants no part of him, he used his evil hench men (like Adedibu) to tear the people apart. He bought a few rouges who he installed as governors and ministers. The ones he couldn't win over (like Bola Ige) he caused to be asassinated!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

CHIKENA!

According the Muyiwa the son of Chief Ige, the real murderers were initially arrested. But due to the intrigues of Obasanjo and his inept Nigerian Police under Eyindero, they were left of the charges.

Says Muyiwa, "Chief Iyiola Omisore, now a Senator representing the Osun East Senatorial District seat, Alani Omisore, Olugbenga Adebayo a.k.a. Fryo and nine others were the first suspects to be arrested by the police led by a police chief and Head of the investigation team into the murder of Chief Ige."

MY twist into this saga is, Adedibu knows about the murder also. The Bodija enclave is Adedibu's personal garrison, where he knows what happens in every corner of the area. The whole area is covered by his thugs. No fly can go in without him knowing!

LIke it or not, this is what I believe. Obasanjo was the master planner, Adedibu and Omisore carried it out!

texazzpete:

Why, Oh why do you people LOVE to post without checking if there's a pre-existing post?
This Politics thread is cluttered because of retards that can't even be bothered to check if there's a similar post before blathering on.
There are at least 4 threads on the Rivers governorship issue, 5 threads on Etteh (with similar content), 3 with akinyuli and adedibu.

read the forum rules.

if this persists, i will direct a complaint to Seun. On any well-moderated board, this never should happen.

I will not join issues with you. Only a minor and a disrespectful person will abuse someone you do not know.
It is not always easy to know whether a post on a particular subject has been written. Even if it is, a person has a right to put same subject in his/her own words. It is left to a responder or reader to place a rejoinder if he/she has anything worthy to say.

GROW UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now that the sham suspects of Obasanjo and Eyindero have bben released, who are the real culprits.
According the Muyiwa the son of Chief Ige, the real murderers were initially arrested. But due to the intrigues of Obasanjo and his inept Nigerian Police under Eyindero, they were left of the charges.

Says Muyiwa, "Chief Iyiola Omisore, now a Senator representing the Osun East Senatorial District seat, Alani Omisore, Olugbenga Adebayo a.k.a. Fryo and nine others were the first suspects to be arrested by the police led by a police chief and Head of the investigation team into the murder of Chief Ige."

MY twist into this saga is, Adedibu knows about the murder also. The Bodija enclave is Adedibu's personal garrison, where he knows what happens in every corner of the area. The whole area is covered by his thugs. No fly can go in without him knowing!

LIke it or not, this is what I believe. Obasanjo was the master planner, Adedibu and Omisore carried it out!

tboy1:

LOL-that was really funny.What kind of song will he sing?

NO amount of money can replace memories lost. Photo albums of your children, dead parents and other family and friends, lost forever. Insuarance can never replace these. In an insurance loss, they only pay for the repalcement value of the home plus a certain amount for fixtures and personal property. Most times, you get a lot less tham you have invested over the long hual of staying in the home. Intrinsic values have replacement cost. Family heirlooms and others are lost for ever. Unless it is insured and specically scheduled and photographed, personal property not listed is un-recoverable! Insurance is not a ticket to get riched quick schemes! The process of getting paid is long and painful.

In spite of protestations and denials, the truth is slowly rising to the surface, the intrigues and actors behind the lies and plans to sell Nigeria to a particular clique.
Yar' Adua, an annointed son and beneficiary of the scheme, may know more than he is letting on!

Pease read on:

Unmasked
The real brains behind third term
By IKENNA EMEWU
Saturday, October 6, 2007

Third term. That dragon. That nexus between democracy and dictatorship (with a weaker link to the dictatorship end), created out of greed for power, and the ghosts it spawned last year is a saga whose full dimesions remain uncharted.
Facts of the clandestine plot to castrate the nation’s political growth keep surfacing from the dark minds and games of those that created, animated and prosecuted it, just as details of how the propaganda was run and lost, keep surfacing as other events unfold from time to time.
In one of such recants now embarked upon by an insider that knew more than others on what actually happened, it has been revealed exclusively to Saturday Sun the very hidden details of key players of the evil agenda but who today hide under the shadows and mouth sanctimony to Nigerians on good governance, sweeping under the carpet what they diid in the last days of Obasanjo or what they knew but kept quiet about in the third term plot epoch.

Not an Obasanjo idea
Contrary to popularly held views, the idea of perpetuating Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo in office was hatched by a group of billionaire friends of the president. When they could not put it into a sellable package, they drafted some great brains -among them, of the most celebrated technocrats in the regime, including the most visible members of the economic team who seemed to have the president's ear on everything. It was only after it was all cobbled together that they now sold the fantasy to the politicians who greedily lapped it up.

An insider in the Presidency and indeed one of the losers who could not find an alternative stand after the Obasanjo expired hinted that: “the area the former president came into the picture of third term smear was his gullibility to buy the dummy some business moguls marketed before him. I must tell you the truth that the third term agenda was not a creation of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo. But he latched onto the idea when it was sold to him. Frankly, he dragged foot before finally yielding. The real enemies of the democracy of this nation who concieved third term are these so-called super rich businessmen who gained from one incentive or the other from his government. I think they felt they had it all too good and never wanted the frolick over. They were the originators of the plot.

“When Obasanjo dragged foot, after counting the likely repercussions, these same men drafted those notable Obasanjo boys who were actually in charge of the house to throw their weight behind this”.
According to this source, himself an appointee of the ex-president's, those overzealous aides and beneficiaries of the regime worked on the ego of the former president and got him to consent. “When they had sailed through with that, the ex-president then intimated some inner circle members of the PDP leadership who brought more dimensions into it.
The boys move in
Like soldiers squatting on danger zone and itching to go, after some inner jobs had been cleared about the incubating third term project, the Obasanjo boys felt there was no time to waste. In frenzy and stimulated sentiments to unleash their vaunted abilities to market the impossible and force it down the throat of Nigerians, some key persons around the presidency, including two very young ministers (one a man from the North-west, and the other a usually religious woman), the head of one the the anti-graft agencies, a very influential presidential aide and some few others commenced the mobilisation for the final showdown.

These henchmen, like Adolf Eichmann, Goering, Rudolf Hess and the other Furher chiefs with Hitler in the Nazi order did the leg work and brought every other accomplice through all manner of subtle persuasion and coercion into the third term theatre. The grand irony in all the plot, however, was that these foot soldiers - except one - were not people Nigerians readily associated with the third term plot. They were the people who readily passed as democrats and young men who are almost in a hurry to see the back of the country's over-recycled politicians. And because, they held very powerful positions, it was also possible to use both blackmail and persuasion to win people over.

Co-opting INEC
One of the knotty points they encountered was the INEC chairman, Prof. Maurice Iwu. “After the gaming had been nearly perfected, the caucus, including the ex-president who at this time had assumed the unofficial headship of the project started reaching out to various sectors and interest groups whose roles would be vital to the actualisation of the third term project. When it was time to reach INEC, these movers encountered a near hitch which however took the intervention of the former president to clear.
On meeting Iwu to finetune how the matter would be handled electorally, the Prof. allegedly proved stubborn.

What we were told reliably by this source who was almost one of the foot soldiers is that: “Iwu flatly refused to take the suggestion”. One of the persons that met him confided in me that Iwu was rather keen on knowing the possibility and the inherrent dangers of the plan to the nation, the ex-president, the democracy and the rest. He kind of distanced himself from it”.
Saturday Sun gathered that the persuasion mounted on the INEC chairman by this machinery of five plotters that night of visit could not sway him from his own argument.

Re-plotting
By the time these presidency schemers left without a word of clear support from the INEC chief, the old man would have thought the matter was over. But he was practically wrong, as it did not take more than twenty minutes after they left before he got a call from the former president himself summoning some key INEC chiefs to Aso Rock.

On getting there, the INEC men to discovered that they had been preceded to the meeting venue by the same quartet that had tried in vain to win over their chairman earlier that night. Deploying all the tricks in their political bag, the third term team left the meeting with what could pass for a commitment from the INEC side. The deal seemed sealed and delivered. But that not withstanding, Iwu was said to have still been able to give the former president a piece of his mind on the project.

What Iwu told Obasanjo
During one of the encounters between Iwu and Obasanjo, our source also revealed that the INEC being the umpire that would have the last lap of the job when it came to election, the old Prof. told his boss of his reservations. It is true we say many people in public positions don’t tell the leaders the truth, but it was not so in this matter. I am sure that Iwu intimated Obasanjo of the inherrent dangers in the gambit. He reminded the man in Aso Rock that “if this project sails through, Nigeria would gain from the continuation of his policies, but his image would be dented because, maybe even beyond Nigeria, he would be percieved as one that wants to hold onto power forever. But if that fails, the nation would lose and his image would still have problems because those that have been part of this will all stand aloof and maybe deny knowing of it while he faces the shame alone”.
To this serious caution, Saturday Sun was told that Obasanjo simply told Iwu not to worry about all those and should rather play his role in the game and forget what comes next. The ex-president was said to have sounded like one who had made up his mind to face whatever came out of it as just part of life.

Longest night in Aso Rock
After the long road to third term which at last hit the boulders, Mr. President (then) still summoned his inner clique of plotters to brief them on his position. That night of the meeting, what the source called ‘third term post-mortem' was, according to him, like the longest night in Aso Villa. It was a night of series of meetings at various layers and tiers of hierarchy. The former Aso landlord or chief tenant met various inner circle groups to brief them on his next line of action.

Anointing a new president
When it was time to meet the INEC top chiefs, it was also in the same stratification. But the ex-president was specific to tell INEC not to “allow any politician, in whatever party that was against the third term, who did anything (either directly or remotely) against third term, especially in the PDP, to smell power through elections.
While the parly was on, the Aso Rock forces sent some of the foot soldiers to fetch someone that was needed to conclude the issue.


That person who was ushered in by the Aso Rock aides minutes later was Governor Umar Musa Yar’Adua (now President Yar’Adua) It was during that meeting that the likely result of the presidential election of that was still several months away was made known. The mandate to INEC in the meeting was simple: “This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased, crown ye him”, It was also at this night that all the people you know that lost their elective positions, especially in PDP had their fate sealed”, he explained.

How Odili lost
“Prior to this long night, everyone - including even INEC - knew that the anointed man for Aso Rock after Baba was Governor Peter Odili of Rivers State. But Aso Rock said it had hard facts that Odili was against third term. He openly canvassed his support but was accused of working underground against Baba’s plans. So that altered the equation against him”.

That was not all, INEC was further mandated to travel to Port Harcourt to convey the development to Odili after sometime. At a point in the jamboree by PDP governors who said they wanted to be president, some of them were told of the real plans and cautioned never to back out. It was a double-edged plan. The ‘aspirants’ who got the information were told to play along as good party members and give the grand plan some false credibility. Others were left in the dark to junket with seriousness that all was well. Even those that were told Yar’Adua had been anointed were all promised number two position without knowing it had been the same word individually for others and asked to hang on to hope as party position may still change before the final day.

“Believe this, the task of going to Port Harcourt to inform Odili of the new arrangement was more than a handful for INEC top ranks as they had also been part of the old arrangement to deliver Odili.
As it was hard for INEC to embark on this long journey so was it also incredible for the man in Port Harcourt to believe what he was told the day the message reached his quarters. The shock of the information would have made impressive records on the Richter scale. The final outcome was the alleged triggering off of series of faint feats in Port Harcourt where people that had sunk billions into this project with the expectations of being in control of forces in the nation saw the stark reality of having laboured in vain.

Why Odili was chosen
Odili, by the calculations of PDP was the best bet for two reasons. They believe he has some affinity with Igbo and a South South man. Maybe by location of his place at a border point close to Igboland and by marriage, PDP believed Nd’Igbo would have seen Odili as their own person if he became the president though from the South South. “It would have amounted to shooting down two birds with one pebble. You know the two zones – South East and South South agitated most to take the Aso Rock seat as a means of upturning the marginalisation cry”.
“But when the push actually came to a shove, the man in charge never minded any longer who was hurt - afterall he too felt hurt by Nigerians who worked against his intentions to rule forever”.

Comment:

This confirms what we have been saying for years, that Obasanjo is a stupid opportunist and a greedy slowpoke with the intelligence of an average monkey!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In spite of protestations and denials, the truth is slowly rising to the surface, the intrigues and actors behind the lies and plans to sell Nigeria to a particular clique.
Yar' Adua, an annointed son and beneficiary of the scheme, may know more than he is letting on!

Pease read on:

@Mamajama;

People play with words and numbers. Omissions and subtractions is a gain people play to confuse and confound.
The lesser number (still a massive amount) was only arrived at when the amount appropraited for the luxury vehicles and the house of the deputy speaker was taken out.

The main contract amount remains N628 million. Spin doctors at work will like for us to think: oh she is not a thief, just a mis-understood innocent lady. Give us a break man, spin the details and facts if you will.
The fact remains the ad hoc commitee found a culpable fact of 'due process not being adhered to'
That other pricipal officers of the House were delibrately ommited from attending the meeting, that the contarctors were not registered and therefore unknown entities!. That she (dishonorable) Speaker Etteh personally awarded the contracts to unknown contractors, that the meeting and award was a foregone conclusion and that the speaker only directed the House management to affirm hers oders.
Also that the contract sum was a phantom figure, arrived at, without any materials costing, diagram of works to be done, what expertise were needed, etc, etc.

Look man, lets not fool one another. The money was already earmarked to be stolen and probably transfered to a bank, already! This is my book means the intention to steal was made, planned and facilitated.
Whether or not the commitee recomended actions to be taken is very immaterial. This was not in the purview of their mandates and therefore a moot point. It is a dumb defense for an otherwise highly placed person.

Spin doctors can spin and cloud the truth as much as they want, the fact remains this lady Etteh is a hairdresser material not Speaker of the House material and she is a crook!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The House is on another 2 week recess, another vacation in a long line of vacations.
In spite of protests from legislators who oppose another break from legislative process, the (dis)honorable madam Speaker directed the majority leader to move for a 2 week recess.

Since innagurations and the selection of Etteh as Speaker, the House has only sat for legislative business, a total of 33 days and passed only one bill!
Before this recent recess, the House was on a six weeek break. It was during this break that the renovations contract scam broke. To forstall debate on the scandal, the (less than)honorable speaker moved for a condolensce break to mourn Enwerem.

No sooner had the ad hoc commitee tabled its report than our Speaker was directing another vacation for legislators.
Oh yea, this is not a real break, just a lull in planery session, was our under-achiver-speaker's explanation.
In her 100 days as Speaker, our dis-honoured madam speaker has only managed to appropriate a whopping sum of money to renovate one house!

As much as we would like to see a woman occupy high political office in Nigeria, do we keep a woman who has proven to be under-qualified, inept and totally bereft of any sense of order?
A woman who after sucessfully cornering N628mil of Nigeria's and legislative money, proceeded to give herself a lavish birthday party in the US.

This woman, I say is not leadership material!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The title of my thread is Etteh is confirmed to be a thief, not suspected!!!!!!!!!! Big difference.

Seun or other censors. I will appreciate it if you will not censor what I write. If you decide to change my words around to say or mean something other than I intend it to say, please have the courage to affix your name to the alterations.

Thank you for help unwelcome help!!!!!!!!

Mamajama:

I don't foresee anything happening. think of the English used, [b]NOT DUE PROCESS WAS FOLLOWED?[/b]She wasn't accused of stealing. BIG difference

Mamajama, who is trying to be clever now? somantics of English words is for the ignorant only.
Due process not being followed and someone appropriating a huge some of money for a project not approved in a laid down process, my brother spells stealing.
Therefore, Etteh has been confirmed to be a thief!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now that the Speaker of the Houst Patricia Etteh has been shown to be a thief on a grand scale, will the house have the courage to do what is right and sack this woman?
Inspite of her protestations and trying to pass the responsibility to someone else, it has been shown that she was behind the scheme of trying to rip Nigeria off.
Can Obasanjo save her behind? This is the result of rigging unqualified people into high political offices. We will see more of these until all the crooks have been done away with!!!!!!!!!

ABC Of Idoko's panel report. Nation newspaper 9/27/07

Based on the Committee’s evaluation, the Committee concluded that due process was not completely followed in the awards of the contracts based on the following:

•The tender was not advertised.

•No in-house Bill of Quantities and drawings (Architectural, structural, electrical and mechanical) as such, there was no basis for arriving at the approved contract sums.

•No specific budgetary provision for renovation and furnishing of the official residences of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker in the 2007 Budget.
•No specific budgetary provision for the purchase of vehicles for principal officers in the 2007 Budget.

•The procedure for the award by the Body of Principal Officers on 12th July 2007 shows major act of omission and disregard for laid down procedure.

•The memoranda for the award of contracts presented at the Meeting of the Body of Principal Officers of 12th July 2007 were raised before some of the quotations for the jobs were processed.

•Some of the companies that sent quotations were not registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission.

They therefore lacked capacity to compete for the contracts in question since the law does not recognize them as persons.
•It appears that some principal officers were excluded from the meeting of 12th July 2007 by not serving them notice for the meeting particularly the Minority Leadership.

•The contract sum of N238,852,152.00 in respect of the renovation and furnishing of the residence of Speaker was for the main house and not inclusive of cluster of structures in the compound.

•All quotations relating to the renovation and furnishing contracts directed to the office of the Speaker and those directed to the office of the Clerk to the National Assembly were first acted upon by the Hon. Speaker for the attention of the Clerk to the National Assembly directing him to process.

@ Denex

Patricia Etteh is in the House of Rep., not the Senate.

fatty27:

The man is not to blame now. The contractors did a shaddy job. Common, let thank God the car did not sumersault and lead him to National Hospital , Abuja.

We have to continue to pray for him that he gets to land in one of the hospitals. Then he can trully feel like a Nigerian.

denex:

The Hotel is definitely not Obasanjo's personal property abi is it?

Is it better to build e revenue generating hotel that can contribute towards the building of the non-profit Library in the event of shortage of capital or the non income generating Library should be built first, then when there's not enough money to complete the project, they should go begging again.

Those of us who have never executed such a project would not know that generating adequate income is a higher priority than serving humanity. If you run out of income with which you want to serve humanity, you will FAIL!

Denex; I will say a good prayer for you. Someday, you will begin to understand issues instead of putting your half-baked opinion forward.

The library is a non-profit program which is supposed to showcase the achivements of a president in office.
It is usually suggested after the terms of office of the imcumbent president.
In the case of Obasanjo, it was his baby. Another white elephant project to siphon money away from the people into a 'chop chop' greedy scheme.

The hotel is Obasanjo's personal commercial scheme to make more money for him and him alone. This greedy buffoon knows nothing but to stch away more money for himself. Unfortunately, he will never spend any of it. Like the fool in the bible who seems contended after laying filthy loot for himself, God will call him away and his loot will go to others.

vigasimple:

Africa needs aid of some sort, financial and technical.

And I accept that it may be another way of looking at the solution to an endemic problem of leadership corruption in Africa is to exclude the leaders and find a way to channel funds directly to 'needy causes'.

Until Our leaders start to be responsible I think the UN and other donors etc should find a way to bypass them as they are the main cause of poverty in Africa.

If they manage our resources very well and stop 'raping' their own people and their resources then we propably wouldn't be where we are today.

I hope the UN find a good formula that will allow aids and assistance to get to the ordinary people.

The world has to send a message to African leaders and the ordinary people that the UN will not aid and abet any corrupt African leaders.

To some, when you speak the truth about the despoilers of Africa (namely bad leadership), you are being unpatriotic and buying into the Western propaganda. Whether we admit it of not, it is easier to see anothers fault than your own.
For this obvious trait only, we have become a spectacle ofridicle and derision to the world. They see that we have ample resources and wealth, but because of bad mangement and out thievery, our resources are being wasted.

Of the nmumerous aids,monetary and other sent in goodfaith to Africa, a good majority end up in private pockets of privileged people.
For this reason only, they have decided to boycott and bypass the leaders as to what they intend to do with their aid to us. They can with the help of the leaders, set up agencies which will help chanel the aid directly to where the needs are greatest.

Some say it is another form of colonization! Maybe; maybe not. As much as we cannot rule out adventurism and imbalance in fair trade, most developed nations appropriate a part of their budget for pure humanitarian work. The know they have to reach to the hurting world in good gesture. Not only to garner a good name, but also because they realise how small the global world is becoming.

A disease in Africa in today will take less than two days to infect the rest of the world. For this reason, it is to their advantage to thry to eradicate this impending danger to their national health than to leave it the hands of people who have proven to be nonn-caring and outright thieves of their peoples' legacies and civil rights.

If African leaders have any self respect and any modicum of shame, the will get the message loud and clear, the UN and the developed world are tired of their shenanigans and will no longer put up with this. They can take this message and change their way of doing things or they can remain intrangescence, and let things continue to decay and demoralize their people.

@9 2 5

Thank you for your compliment. It remains however to see if I will be a good leader or a bad one. With the help of God and prayers, through the shear will of aspiring to be good, I know I will be a good leader when the time and opportunity arise.

Stay blessed! (To borrow good words from Afam)

I understand your argument. It was a good ieda, when we had autonomous regions geared towards development at their own pace. Things have changed for the worse and this is part of my argument.

If our so-called leaders had manged the affairs of State well, we have enough to feed, clothe and educate every Nigerian, tax-free like in Saudi Arabia.
The present crop of mega thieves now parading as leaders have made things worse and the situation is worsenniing daily.

Apart from aid of medices which we do not produce, Nigeria does not need finacial aid, as it contributes to the corruption in the land.

My main argument is not in favor of aid but to showcase the abuse of African leaders. This has made them and us to loose face and respect in the Western and among other nation leaders.

@9 2 5

Do you feel much better now?
You will need to grow up and learn how to write your opinion without resorting to abuse or insulting someoneelse for his/her opinion.

Afam:

On fair trade, the West have policies in place to promote and protect their own from foreign competition while doing all they can to get resources for free if possible.

This issue is not about trade, fair or not. If we have to talk about trade, the African leaders do not encourage fair trade because of their greedy motives ti corner the revenue as opposed to making revenue for their countries.
Therefore, the encourage the Western traders to cheat the exporters out of a fair deal.

Afam:


I believe Nigeria and indeed Africa will wake up once we have selfless, dedicated and sincere leaders, only then can the activities of the West (those that are detrimental anyway) be curtailed if not totally done with.

Now you are talking. This exactly is the crux of my argument. That our leaders did not earn respect with selfless acts.

Nigeria makes more foreign revenue from oil than most Western nations. How much of this is realy accruing to the coffers of the nation. How much are we loosing to bunkering or outright pilfering?
Nigeria needs no aid from anyone, but the way our affairs have and are being managed, our people do not receive the necessary help from the country's leaders. Our people are in dire need of aid and these leaves room for foreign aid.

Also, there are certain comodities that our nation and other African nations lack. There if our people need the commodities (like Aids medication) the only option is foreign aid.

IN the name of patriotic fervor, we neglect to tell the truth about our irresponsible brothers, who not only give us a bad name, but run down our nations. Anything they can get their greedy hands on, they loot into the ground.
Aid in terms of food, end in the stores of the leaders wives and girlfriends. Money end up in their private and foreign bank accounts. The donor countries see these and are sick and tired of these unconscionable acts of these greedy crooks.
They decised to take the aids directly to the people and bypassed the inept leaders in their planning.

Afam might be ominously right in his prediction that: These greedy and stupidly criminal tin leaders might decide to selfishly refuse to allow any aid come to their countries, BECAUSE this the limit and level of their collective intelligence!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Afam:

You don't take decisions on what happens in other peoples homes when the heads of the families are excluded from discussions that have to do with the families.

It is insulting and won't make any sense in reality.

Can the UN implement anything in any African country without the leaders agreeing to it? I don't think so.

A man house is his castle. A country is not one man's castle and our purported leaders need to become conversant with these. These rouges have sought to make their countries treasuries their private properties. The dicision to make donations is not about African leaders, but about the people who lack simple necesities to make life liveable.
The foreign donors see how their goodwill gifts have been looted, and therefore made a consciuos decision to bypass the crooked leaders and direct their gifts to the people targeted in the first place. I whole heartedly concur.

There are other outfits like the Redcross and crdible NGOs in Africa, through whom the UN can distribute the donations.
If the African leaders refuse to allow any goodwill into their countries, simply because thay were not allowed to dip their filthy corrupt fingers into the tills, they will be showcasing their inept and shortsighted intelligence.

These donations were not ment to further enrich them but to alleviate the suffering of the neglected masses. So tell me, who looses?

WHEN the United Nations (UN) Secretary General Ban Ki-moon today inaugurates a steering group on efforts towards curbing poverty, diseases and illiteracy in Africa by 2015, there will be a loud silence from what may be the most important stakeholder: The continent's government leaders.

In a curious decision, the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) Africa Steering Group will be launched this morning at the world body's headquarters, without the presence of the continent's Heads of States or their representatives.

From Laolu Akande, New York www.GuardianNews Online

COMMENT:

Many might be unhappy with this turn of events, but not I. Many a time, the UN and many foreign donors have given money to African leaders, without any of it trickling down to the people.
These foreign donors are tired of the inefficiencies and wanton greed of African leaders who have proven not only to be inept, but criminal looters of the countries treasuries.
Putting all sentiments aside, we have to start lokking critically at the way our leaders have failed us and given us a bad name nationally. The world have come to regard Africans as a people who are unable to mange our affairs and therefore, need held to carry out simply acts of benevolence to our people.
In fear of being tagged as unpatriotic, I have to concur that many a time we he proven them right.
What do you think? Please use common sense when replying!!!!!!!!!!!!

Afam:

I am surprised this guy is still around, a known con man that has been in and out of detention yet the greedy and penchant for quick money will always make people listen to him.

The question we should ask is: How did he get the business license to open a finance business? Did he or did he not file an application, listing his name, qualifications, experience, etc?
Who okeyed his application and were any bachground checks made on him?

For a person operation a financial institute, an exhaustive background investigations should be carried out before he would be allowed to have fiducial responsibilities for other peoples' money.
Somebody screwed up bitime, to allow a known crook into this type of business!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mamajama:

So in essence if we should blame our leaders for subjecting the people to poverty., It all goes back to BABANGIDA regime. The regime that liberate and educate Nigerians that it's OK to steal and loot as long as you share with your comrades. If Only IBB had put the $12 Billion golf oil revenue to a good use will this widely spread poverty in Nigerian be rampant today? we must go back to the root and cause of the problem before we tackle the WAHALA.

I ma surprised you can blame someone for looting Nigeria to comatose while absolving Obasanjo and his cohorts for the same crime!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Its pathetic the way Nigeria treats her citizens. Afam was right when he said it is one of the end results of corruption in high office. It is also the corruption of our society, where people no longer care for the wellfare of our fellow citizens.
Even though Labiyemmy and mamajama lack the sensibilities to articulate the thoughts well, they are undoubtedly speaking some truth.

Many of our poor people on the street can do a whole lot better if they stayed back in their villages. Aperson with no marketable skills has no businesses going to the cities to beg or scrung for a living. They cannot afford to rent living accomodations in our very expensive cities. They can do better farming, making gari of weaving mats in their villages. They can make more money and live dignified lives in their village than to subject themselves and their children to what amount to torture in the cities. The hustle and bustle of city lives lives no room for a person who is ill-equiped to cope.

This is not saying the government does not have an obligation towards the welfare of her citizens, especially the poor and handcapped. Moreso, when they have young ones to care for. The government needs to put on a human face in the care of her destitutes. The polity has been so corrupted that our leaders only think of how they can amass incredible filthy lucre. What does a man in his 70s for instance, need to loot the country for billions, not to talk of millions. Even if he has to live his life all over again, he cannot possibly spend all the money.
To ware house such stolen loot, when so many lack, is unconscionable. It is a sin which God frowns upon.

The worst thing is most of our looters profess to be men and women of God. After stealing public and building magnificent edifices to soothe their egos, the next thing they do id to build a mosque or chapel in their compounds. They then start to pretend to be next to Godliness. No matter gow they pretend and play for the world to see, God cannot be mocked. The prayers of such people cannot be answered says the Lord of Host.

You and I can do whatever we can to save and help people. Minister and witness to them. If you can spare some, give a little. Above all, do not be afraid to tell them the truth. Encourage people to go back to their villages and use some ingenuity to work for a living, not relying on handouts.

Naval Chief, Adekeye’s shady deals exposed!
• Owns £1.5m houses in UK • Worth over N2b • Owns N424m houses
in PH, Offa, Lagos • Makes N75m monthly from oil bunkering
By DICKSON OMONODE

THIS is certainly not the best of times for Vice Admiral Ganiyu Adekeye and his Nigerian Navy as a corruption scandal is rattling the service at the moment.


At the centre of this scandal however is Adekeye whose position as the nation's Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) is seriously threatened at the moment as intelligence report has it that he may be replaced in October given the deluge of allegations being levelled against him.


Atop the avalanche of scandals is the allegation that Commanding Officers of the Nigerian Navy in the Niger Delta are his fronts in the booming illegal bunkering activities in the region, coupled with the inability of the Navy to curb the now out-of-control militant activities and influx of sophisticated weapons through the creeks by militants.


The booming illegal bunkering, activities of the militants, alleged corrupt enrichment to the tune of billions of naira, cases of missing ships, among others now cast Adekeye's Navy as an institution where anything can happen once the cash is right.

These and many more shady deals were contained in two separate petitions receiving the attention of President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua. And since news of this development reached the naval chief through his sources in the presidency, the CNS is fast losing sleep, and sometimes, manifests embarrassing jitters as a cloud of uncertainty now surrounds the leadership of the service.


Not too long ago, the naval authorities alleged that two Vice Admirals and eight officers, now retired, are suspected of having been involved in contraband petrol trafficking in the oil-rich Niger Delta.
Adekeye had explained that the suspected illegal bunkering was on ships under naval guard and how the ex-officers allegedly dipped into the lucrative trade.


"The retired officers were actively involved in illegal bunkering from their vantage positions in naval operations, knowing full well that the proceeds from illegal bunkering is a major source of funding for the operations of militants in the Niger Delta," Adekeye said.


However, the country may soon witness a replica of the fall of former Inspector General of Police, Alhaji Tafa Balogun who was not only sacked from office but was arrested and prosecuted by the dreaded Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Tafa was later released but not after he was made to return his loot.

Now, the table may soon turn against the leadership of the Navy if the detailed allegations contained in the petitions are anything to go by.


One of the petitions was written by the Niger Delta Peoples Front, a collection of youth bodies in the Niger Delta set up with the aim of promoting ethnic harmony amongst youth bodies across the region.


The group alleged that its investigations reveal that Commanding Officer of NNS Delta is a front and an active man for the CNS in the Illegal oil trade that is booming in the region.


It was gathered that the Commanding Officers in collaboration with the sacked leadership of the Joint Task Force (JTF) has turned the creeks and waterways of Delta, Rivers and Bayelsa states into an executive economic enclave for themselves and the Chief of Naval Staff.


Investigation by the group, which is contained in the petition, revealed that some of the vessels that operate in this illegal bunkering are owned by the CNS and some politicians in the region.


Specifically, the group alleged in the petition that the following officers are involved in the illegal oil bunkering in the region: Vice Admiral Ganiyu Adekeye, Brig Gen Illogho former JTF boss, Major Ahmed of JTF, Navy Capt. Ajibade, Commander Dogos (rtd).
Some other civilians who were named in the ring include Chief Ken Donye Alias Billionaire; Chief Solomon Yenagoa, Mr. Walter, and Itsekiri by tribe and a one-time Bank Manager of EcoBank in Warri and Mr. Oliver, an in-law to a Lebanese who is in charge of all the bulk purchase.


The illegal bunkering trade is carried out mostly on Equa, Odidi, Ogbo, Tohoh, Agoro and behind Refinery Discharge Line in Warri, Delta State.


It was further alleged that Ajibade supervised the about 15 vessels with a capacity of over 4,500 metric tons of crude, that were being used for the illegal bunkering activities. It also alleged that the stolen crude by suspected agents of the Naval chief from the creeks are usually discharged into a vessel with a capacity of over 75,000 metric tons to 150,000 metric tons owned by some Lebanese.


Recently, a vessel owned by one Chief Ken Donye was allegedly arrested by the men of JTF at Forcados Bays for their refusal to settle the 'Boys', claiming that the CNS owned the vessel. Despite directives from the Commanding Officer of NNS Delta, the arrested vessel by the JTF is still at anchorage in Forcados Waters.


The Commanding Officer of NNS Delta was also alleged to be responsible for paying all money due to the CNS into various banks in Warri for onward transfer to his master's account.


“Sir, we are hereby calling on you to use your good office to call all these officers, most especially Vice Admiral Ganiyu Adekeye, the Chief of Naval Staff to book, as he always boasts of his stupendous wealth,” the petitioners appealed.
NNS Delta is said to realize up to N75 million monthly as 'settlement' from the bunkering union and foreigners who are the moguls of the illegal oil trade.


Sources within the Navy confided in National Daily that profits have been Adekeye's main driving force since he assumed office barely two years ago. His first lines of prey are the major oil companies who regularly send royalties to him.


Those behind the illegal bunkering activities have to part with ransom to be given pass, as only those who refuse to cooperate are arrested. His style is simple. He leans on the Commanding Officers of the various Naval Bases and their Intelligence Officers to extort their victims and solicit gratifications from the oil companies in the region for the CNS. The officers in turn are compensated by being allowed to remain for as long as they continue the supply.


Sources at the Directorate of Naval Intelligence (DNI) disclosed that one of the reasons the activities of the militants flourished was the concentration of Adekeye in the illegal bunkering. He was reported to have openly said that militancy and hostage-taking were never the Navy's headache because his main interest is bunkering activities.


As if these were not enough, another petition by a group of aggrieved naval personnel entitled “Mr. President Must Hear This” Enough Is Enough, Direct from the Navy Diary, exposed even deeper shady deals allegedly perpetrated by the Naval chief.
According to the Navy Diary, a conglomeration of officers and men of the Nigeria Navy, recently formed to bring to the notice of Mr. President and the generality of all Nigerians recent development in the Nigeria Navy, had said, “we felt constrained to mention some issues that border on the entire Navy and its Men. Sir, in your broadcast, you made mention of fighting corruption and that-all corrupt officers will be brought to book. The entire Officers and Men of the Nigerian Navy hereby solicit for your assistance. Look deeply into the affairs of the Nigerian Navy under the leadership of Vice Admiral Ganiyu Adekeye”.


Atop the issues raised by the Navy Diary was that of missing ships where they accused Adekeye of playing his tricks once again. “We are confidently saying that he knows about the missing ships, he must have used those agents of his from Warri and Port-Harcourt to carry out his plans. And this is why he stopped Navy Patrol team from patrolling the creeks. And that is also why he refused to refurbish all Navy Ships and Patrol Boats,” the group said in the petition.


Specifically, they alleged that one of the recent missing vessels has connection with the US $2.27 million that was found with Navy Captain G.A. Ojedokun.


According to the allegations, the vessel loaded at Warri and was to proceed to India. Ojedokun who hails from Offa in Kwara State was the Operational Officer on Board NNS Pathfinder, who then supervised and carried out bunkering activities for the Chief of Navy Staff when he was the Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) Eastern Naval Command in 2003 -2005, until his present appointment as the CNS.


The fact that the vessels, which were said to be missing and were later found in Lagos, beating all Naval security network around our territorial waters without the crude they were loaded with, questions further the veracity of claims that they were missing.
Close watchers are curious on the whereabouts of the crude (products) loaded in Warri before heading to Port-Harcourt, where they were arrested.


“We are confidently saying that the CNS is fully aware of what happened, because at the time the vessels were declared missing was when they sailed out to discharge the crude (products) loaded at their receiving vessels at High Sea, which is about a day and half sailing, and is about 130NM (Nautical Miles) from Escravos Brake Water. And this crude is made to settle the money Navy Captain G. A. Ojedokun collected in India (US $2.27),” the petitioners also alleged.


As if not done, all Intelligence Officers presently serving at NNS Delta, NNS Pathfinder, FOB Igbokoda, FOB Brass, FOB Bonny allegedly supervise and monitor bunkering activities for the Naval Chief.


Adekeye, it was learnt, has been involved in these shady deals from his days as then Rear Admiral Ganiyu Adekeye, FOC Eastern Naval Command at NNS Okemini now NNS Pathfinder in 2002 2003 where intelligence officers monitored and supervised bunkering activities for him before he later sent his brother, now Navy Captain G. A. Ojedokun to man.


Beaming searchlight on Adekeye's alleged business empire, which the petitioners tagged “The CNS Business Empire”, Adekeye who is the 17th CNS is accused of being “a man who has insatiable desire for wealth-moving, and who tried to aspire to the highest position in Defence, with the objective to institutionalize himself where he will have access to the control of the Defence Resources.”
The Naval Chief is said to own properties across the length and breadth of the country and beyond. Within PortHarcourt, he allegedly owns three House Boats (HB) each worth over N160 million. These HBs are said to be presently at Awoba.


He is said to own two houses in Port-Harcourt, one at Elelenwo Street in GRA and another in Agip Estate. Both Houses are worth over N314m.


He allegedly owns 10 security boats which are attached to Shell at the rate of N30,000.00 per day (per boat). Also, he reportedly owns four Hilux pick up vans attached to Agip Oil Company at the rate of N25,000.00 per vehicle and some others to Intel, a logistic company at Port Harcourt at the rate of N30,000.00 per day.


At his Offa home, Adekeye allegedly has one estate that is said to be worth over N850m. He also owns an ultra modern fish pond worth N75m. The Pond is presently being managed by Lt. Cdr. M.C. Abubakar, one of the officers who were involved in the mysterious disappearance of the crude oil from MT African Pride. The petitioners who insisted that this connection deserves to be probed, said “that is why we emphasis he should be probed over the missing ship. The officer who was jailed for his part in the African Pride saga must have a NEXUS with Adekeye to still be in relationship with him”. The Officer was allegedly paid N10m to pacify him during the investigation of the MV African Pride.


In Lagos, the Naval Chief allegedly owns a house at Okokomaiko worth over N9.2m. Also recently, his wife who is accused by the petitioners of being a pseudo Chief of Naval Logistics, since she does buying and selling in the Navy, allegedly laid a foundation stone of shopping complex at Okokomaiko in Lagos, at a time some of the ships owned by the Nigerian Navy needed a token to put them to-sail effectively.


Adekeye is said to be among the league of prominent Nigerians who own properties abroad. Specifically, he is alleged to be the proud owner of two houses in London, one in highbrow area of London worth over £1.2m and the other worth over £300,000. His son is also said to own a house too in London and lives in luxury.


Impeccable sources in the Directorate of Finance at the Naval headquarters disclosed that the funds are transferred through the Navy account at the High Commission in London in the name of purchase of ship spare parts.


He is said to have simultaneously acquired three Ocean-going tankers with the total capacity of 30,000 metric tons from Spain with the pretence of seeking medical treatment in that country with a view to making all his contacts towards the purchases of the said vessels, our sources revealed. The said vessels acquired by the CNS are now being used to siphon the country's crude oil twice weekly from Bonny and Forcados Export Bays. They also operate from Escravos spearheaded by the Intelligence Officers and Commanding Officers of the different operational bases with some 'untouchable' civilians.


He is also accused of collecting N390m monthly for the fuelling of ships and failed to utilize it properly. “As at the time of writing this report, none of the Nigerian Navy War ships can shift alone without seeking the help of a tug boat. God forbids Nigeria should go to war; our territorial water could be overrun by the enemies”, said the petition.


Another twist was given to the furore generated by the forced retirement of two Vice Admirals and eight officers on allegations of having been involved in illegal bunkering. According to the petition, those Admirals, Vice Admiral Ganiyu Adekeye is chasing are the hope of the Navy, because we the Officers and Ratings have been praying for them to head the Navy one day, because of their achievements in previous years.


To ensure they remained in retirement, which critics believe is a calculated attempt by Adekeye to prevent any of them from succeeding him, and also to pave way for his stooges to step in while he anxiously covets the office of the Chief of Defence Staff, the Naval Chief was accused in the petition of recently engaging in a fresh round of lobbying members of Senate ad-hoc committee and members of House of Representatives with huge sums to cover up his excesses. Close watchers of the muscle flexing game who appear to be in sympathy with the affected officers alleged that “this was exactly what happened during the last dispensation. Adekeye deliberately refused to appear before the committee constituted by the House of Representatives. There is also an unconfirmed claim that most top military officers and civilian senior officials of the Ministry of Defence have been on Adekeye's pay roll”.


The CNS is also accused of exhibiting high-handedness in stopping the pay of the officers he forcefully retired without following due process, even though the matter was still before the National Assembly.


“If the redenomination of the Naira could be suspended for failure to follow laid down procedure, the hasty retirement of the 10 officers should also be suspended so that due process is observed. And until that is done, the Navy authorities should be ordered to maintain statuesquo ante,” argued a human rights activist who did not want his name mentioned.


Besides that, “the CNS was said to have prevented two naval officers from celebrating their passing-out ceremony from War College on August 10, 2007. When other Officers where celebrating, the two Officers where at their lobby. He, Adekeye, reportedly instructed the Commandant of the War College not to allow them. In fact, it is a taboo in the Navy and the military in general”, sources who were privy to the incident lamented.


The separate petitions appealed for a presidential probe of accounts of the Navy as “you will discover that Adekeye is worse than Balogun of the Nigeria Police”. The petition, signed by A.B Ahmed, P.O. Chukwu, Commander G.S. Kaigiwa and M.W.O. Musa is said to be receiving the attention of the presidency despite efforts by a key staff there to prevent the petitions from reaching the President.


Although sources close to the EFCC and ICPC disclosed that the petitions were receiving attention, official confirmation could not be got, as a top official denied specific knowledge of the CNS being investigated by the commission. He however said that when petitions are referred to the commission, it would definitely give it attention as they have done it with a former service chief. “But I cannot confirm whether or not we are handling such matters now”, he said.


Efforts to reach the Navy for reaction to the allegations was proving abortive after several calls to the spokesperson for the Navy, until a text message was sent to Navy Capt. Henry Babalola requesting official reaction. He replied to the text stating: “Please avoid publishing rumours and half truths. Where is your evidence? Do not allow disgruntled elements to use you. They have tried this rubbish in the past. I wish you the best”.


The petition which was copied to Vice President Goodluck Jonathan; Ambassador Babagana Kingibe, Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF); Senate President David Mark; Speaker, House of Representatives Mrs Patricia Etteh; Minister of Defence Alhaji Yayale Ahmed; Minister of State Defence Chief of Defence Staff; Chief of Army Staff; Chief of Navy Staff and Chief of Air Force Staff, was made available exclusively to the National Daily.

www.nationaldailyngr.com

Comment: The unprescedented corruption under Obasanjo was so monumental, it will take decades to clean the stables from the amount of uncoscionable rouges Obasanjo surrouded himself with!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Stories like this and others, just astounds and stupfy me. It makes you say hunnn with your jaw hanging on the ground!

Herbert Marculay
Rev. And Mrs Ransome Kuti
Otunba Z Ade Ogunwo
Chief Obafemi Awolowo
Gowon

Against the backdrop of rising public indignation at former leaders who retire to a life of stupendous affluence, General Yakubu Gowon says he values a good name than silver and gold.
Of the six living former heads of states and presidents, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and General Ibrahim Babangida are perceived to be the wealthiest.
Speaking exclusively with Sunday Sun in Lagos last week, Gowon, who disclosed that he was forced to rule Nigeria as a military head of state against his wish, said accumulation of wealth while in public office is sinful.


Billionaire ex-presidents/ Daily Sun news online Sunday 9/9/2007  By Emeka Enyinnaya

Against this backdrop, many have naively said, "If we can prove they stole any money, probe them.
What an ingeneous comment to hide stolen loot andabsolve those we know to be the biggetsthieves on the face of the earth.

For how else could IBB, Abdulsalami, Obasanjo and other military Heads of State have amassed such stupendous wealth reputed to be in the billions of dollars, pounds or other! How on earth can one amass such wealth on a soldiers income, without an industries or other companies of record??

Going a step further, how could a police officer, custom officer or any other military and paramilitary officer amass any large amount of money running into millions of dollars? This brings to mind,  Atiku, Balogun, current comptroller general of the custom and many police officers in the higher echelon!

Only in Nigeria do you have people in the services (includes civilians in ministries) become so tremendously rich, while earning salaries!  Instead of people askiing relevant questions as to sources of these riches, they are worshipped, protected and such inane postulations as "probe if you can prove it" offered.

How do you prove a crime, unless you probe and investigate the matter?
We have outsmarted ourselves in our quests to always put the cart before the horse!
Nigerians, stop being smart by half!!!!!!!!!