₦airaland Forum

[size=14pt]Charlie Boy leads pro-Iwu protest to National Assembly[/size]
By Emmanuel Ogala
April 2, 2010 01:58AM

Popular entertainer, Charles Oputa (aka Charlie Boy), on Thursday led a group of young people to the National Assembly to protest calls for the sack of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) chairman, Maurice Iwu.

The group, mostly made up of men in their early 20s, forced their way through a security barricade at the first gate of the National Assembly but could not pass through the second gate.

The protesters arrived at the Assembly main gate at about 1.00pm where they were finally halted. However, Charlie Boy, who was riding on a red power bike with a female passenger, fought his way through the gate to enter the Assembly premises.

The security officials had attempted to bar him from entry because he and his passenger were masked, but after he struggled with the guards, they let him in to deliver his group’s protest letter.

The rest of the protesters, numbering over 200, remained outside the gate where the protest continued.

Reappoint Iwu

The protest was organised by a group called Alliance for Defence of Democracy. The group had also organised a pro-Iwu protest last week Wednesday.

Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, a leader of the movement, said he organised the protest again following a counter protest organised Wednesday by labour unions and civil society, calling for the removal of the INEC boss over incompetence.

“We are also commencing the collation of 15 million Nigerian people’s signatures to demand for the reappointment of Iwu as INEC chairman, to save the electoral process via leadership and program continuity,” Mr. Ugochinyere said. “Today, we are not shifting our stand on our earlier position of asking that Iwu be allowed another term in office to consolidate on the gains and challenges of our democracy.”

Abubakar Gambo, a joint convener of the protest, described the call for the removal of Iwu as INEC chairman, as untimely and illegal. “The call for the untimely sack of INEC chairman, Professor Iwu, by civil society and Nigeria Labour Congress , is illegal, sponsored, manipulated and aimed at overheating the polity and stampeding the ongoing electoral process, to pave way for anarchy.” Mr. Gambo said.

“To posit that Maurice Iwu, as an individual, is the problem with our electoral system, and upon his crucifixion, the nation’s electoral system would be perfected, is to embark on a wild goose chase and stand truth and reality on its head,” Mr. Gambo added.

Speaker’s snub

While the protest lasted, the National Assembly gates remained shut and all cars exiting the premises were turned away. However, Dimeji Bankole, Speaker of the House of Representatives, who drove himself in a navy blue Range Rover sports car escorted by two other cars insisted on passing through the protesters.

Although the protesters had insisted on speaking with any official of the National Assembly, the gates were flung open for the Speaker and he meandered through the crowd of protesters and left the National Assembly without even a wave to them.

http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/News/National/5549037-146/charlie_boy_leads_pro-iwu_protest_to.csp

Isn't it the same IBB that said he had tryed everything to wreck Nigeria's economy, but he was surprised it was still standing? Wasn't it during his regime that drug pushing and 419 came to Nigeria? In those days, 419 bosses even used the real CBN buildings for their nepharious business.

The writer should say "sharia North" rather than make blanket statements about "the North"; that aside, its quite a good analysis.
Also, Tanko Yakasai is a mere priviledged thug who is not of the calibre of Chief Anthony Enahoro, Chief Edwin Kiagbodo Clark, Alhaji Lateef Jakande, and Alhaji Balarabe Musa (as stated in the article); he is more like Nzeribe, a treasonous criminal.

[size=14pt]Nigeria: Underscoring Tanko Yakassai's Patriotism[/size]
Hugo Odiogor
1 April 2010

There is no doubt that as an elder statesman in his mid eighties, Alhaji Tanko Yakassai, deserves our respect both as a political activist, in the same class with the likes of Chief Anthony Enahoro, Chief Edwin Kiagbodo Clark, Alhaji Lateef Jakande, and Alhaji Balarabe Musa.

He remains one of the few surviving nationalists that God has spared their lives to witness the sad chapters of our historical and political evolution in the past 50 years. There is another reason why God may have preserved Alhaji Tanko Yakassai to this day and that is to use his voice of age and wisdom, to speak to the younger generation from the north of what they would benefit from having a more positive and progressive world view.

This positive progression was expected to come from the realisation that over a period of time, the mindset of an old monolithic north, highly skeptical and distrustful of the south should give way to a more integrative and mutually beneficial relationship built on the principles of collaborative federalism rather than parasite and destructive cohabitation.

The North which Alhaji Yakasai seeks to represent is totally different from the one that both the Arewa Consultative Forum and just recently, the Chief Servant of Niger State, Dr. Babangida Aliyu, is telling the whole world and this is becoming a burden to the Nigerian federation. To this class of observers, the cardinal issues to identify and resolve, should be what the North is and what is the interest of the North in the Nigerian project. How can this interest be realized and what are the factors that could lead to the realisation or frustration of the attainment of this interest? And finally it must find out what the interest of the other stakeholders in the union and how these interests can be accommodated without being injurious to all the parties concerned.

Without prejudice to his age and status in society, it won't wrong to state that Alhaji Yakassai in his ripe old age and wisdom that goes with it, seemed to have missed this mission given his public utterances on national issues. From his base in Kano, Alhaji Yakassai ought to be a leading light for the progressive emancipation of the talakawas of northern Nigeria and the oppressed people of Nigeria in general.

Rather than borrow a leaf from the likes Prof. Wole Soyinka, Late Gani Fawehimni and others who spoke for millions of the impoverished and deprived masses whose dreams as Nigerians have been aborted by few feudal and political elites from the north and their collaborating partners in the south and abroad, Alhaji Yakassai is sowing seeds of ethnic and religious fragmentation who believes that God created them to make life miserable for the weak and vulnerable.

The likes of Alhaji Aminu Kano, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, Hajia Gambo Sawaba of the blessed memories, are from the north and they have glorious pages in the annals of history of this country which is what Franz Fanon expects of Alhaji Yakassai, to use his privileged position to speak up for the hoipoiloi or the wreathed of the earth.

The North and its leaders have suddenly come to the realisation that they are now the problem of the country. President Yar' Adua said much at the fund raising event for Sir Ahmadu Bello Foundation in Kaduna on October 17, 2009, when he told the audience that the north had not been making much progress because its leaders have failed to emulate the leadership qualities of the late Sarduana.

According to the President "northern leaders that came after the late Sarduana have abandoned the tenets of social justice, religious tolerance, leadership by example and democratic principles" The north from where Yakassai hails, has held political power for over 30 years out of Nigeria's 50 years as an independent nation yet the incidence of poverty in the northern part of Nigeria is put at an average of 79% while the figure in the south is 35%. What have the northern political elite, done with political power when they were in-charge, why they could not better the lives of the ordinary people in that region, who languish in penury either as nomads or on streets beggars.

Before the February 9,2010, National Assembly proclamation of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan as the Acting President, Nigerians and indeed the world had watched how a nation of over 150 million people was groping in the dark without clear information on the health status of President Umaru Musa Yar 'Adua who was taken to a Saudi Hospital for medical attention. Neither his friends, family nor party members could gain access to him. Nigeria became more odious in global community when a fake BBC interview was organised for the ailing president.

All the sacked ministers took their turn in foisting lies on the nation and the world laughed at our ingenuity at telling lies. Jos erupted in sectarian violence in January, the budget of 2010 was held up and the appointment of a Chief Justice was made mockery of. Nigeria was grinding to a halt as there as nobody to steer a sinking ship. This was fallout of sick President Yar 'Adua's absence from work without official leave.

It was therefore a shock to read the highly incendiary innuendoes and insinuations put forward by Alhaji Tanko Yakassai, who bought pages of newspaper advertisement to publish his "open letter" to the Senate President entitled "illegal dissolution of the Federal Executive Council of the Federation and other illegal Acts of Acting President Goodluck Jonathan".

Without mincing words, it is a common knowledge that Dr. Jonathan and his boss, Alhaji Umaru Yar' Adua were jointly elected into the presidency on the ticket of People's Democratic Party so Dr. Jonathan is not an impostor or a stranger to that office. The presidency is an institution and not a personal estate or company of any Nigerian. Who ever occupies that office does so in trust and at the grace of God. The fact that Alhaji Yar Adua took ill while in office was not a crime, but to hold the entire country to ransom was a dereliction of office and unacceptable to millions of Nigerians.

The fact the National Assembly empowered Dr. Jonathan to exercise full presidential powers may have been unconstitutional but it was the lesser of two evils that faced the country. The first was a possible military intervention and nation's continuous state on inertia and slide chaos. All these were not seen as worrisome development to Alhaji Yakassai

The Chief of Army Staff Gen. Abdulrahman Danbazau displayed an act of disloyalty, lack of patriotism and irresponsibility to the institution of the presidency and Nigeria clime when he allowed massive troop mobilisation and movement in Abuja on February 15, 2010, without the knowledge and permission of the Acting President Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, who in his capacity as the Vice President is the Commander-in-Chief, irrespective of the ramblings in the political circles.

He was not expected to be partisan or motivated by any other considerations outside his professional callings. In the eyes of military law the action of Gen. Danbazau is treasonable, regardless of his faith. This was demonstrated in 1995 coup trial involving Col. Lawan Gwadabe and others. Nigerians have criticised the Army Chief not for his religious or northern background for his partisan and unprofessional conduct.

Mr. Michael Aondoaaka was similarly criticised, nobody spared him because he was a Christian or from the Middle belt. The same was the case of Gen. Godwin Abbe, who was from the South-South. If Gen. Danbazau and Alhaji Yakassai believe that the Chief of Army Staff is only to take orders from the President or Acting President should be based on the ethnic background and religious affiliations, then they should call for a redrawing of the map of Nigeria using the Gideon Orkar model of April 1990.

. Chief Ebenezer Babatope recently told Vanguard that "neither the North nor the military can claim to have monopoly of the instrument of violence or coercion as can be seen in the case of Niger- Delta, OPC, MASSOB and the Yandabas". Nigerians expect Alhaji Yakassai to rise above parochial and sectional concerns to look at the bigger picture, a picture which shows other Africa countries making tangible and appreciable progress while Nigeria perpetually slides into irrelevance and backwardness.

Generally Nigeria continues to ride high on corruption, bad governance. The country is devastated by hunger and disease and ranks low in all social and economic indicators of human development indices with the northern region faring worse in these areas.

It is interesting to observe that Alhaji Tanko Yakassai and his sponsors have not spoken out against the scandalous abuse of the federal character principle in the appointment in NNPC, the predominant use of people from Kano and Katsina States to manage the public finance sector of the Yar' Adua. To this group of people the situation in the Niger Delta is a needless irritation that should be crushed with force, the silent jihad in the Middle Belt should be backed by federal troops, but there comes such a time when the people rise up to say enough is enough.

http://allafrica.com/stories/printable/201004020370.html

You can put your .mdb file anywhere you like on the clients machine, they don't need to have Ms Access.
Just ensure they have the required version of Microsoft JET driver.

There are a thousand and one free editors you can download an configure. The best in my opinion is ckeditor, followed by tinymce and FreeTextBox.

Shoot2Kill:
What she must know is that even if they ban me ,i can unban myself because i am friends with a notorious hacker and i can easily  instruct him to crash the nairaland website if i wanted too. But i won't do that because even though i get angry easily ,i make rational decisions. beaf which one be your own now you be woman wrapper abi wetin?

Childish. You even want to turn to crime because you "get angry easily"?
Imagine the sort of language you have used on someone of high standing like Aisha. You aren't the first to be banned for swearing the other day, I tried it and got 5 days; it is against the rules of descency and NL, period. If you had a genuine reason to be angry, we would support you, but you can be sure none of that is coming your way.

Be a man and Apologise to Aisha.

becomrich6:
Beaf:I speak english better than you,Listen to Becomerich about  10 years ago,

So you can see I speak very good english and this is nearly over 10 years ago

http://www.tempfiles.net/download/201004/92334/praisesDevotional.html

so editing post and the nonsense by nairaland is not good. You build up bad reputation. which is not good for business.  and look people who hate posting on your website, because you deceive them.

"this is nearly over 10 years ago". . . Damn!
Mathematically, the above is 28.57 percent ibon! . . .And that is in just 7 words! Of course, there are other splashings of lightening and thunder in your little speech above.
I was really pleased to meet your wife the other day, she is every bit an Enggggrrrrrriissh sprrrrreaker like you. . .

[flash=480,385]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z43lm4-uYts&hl=en_GB&fs=1&[/flash]

Shoot2Kill:
@aisha2
Look i don't give a flipping hell about your nairaland.You are one of those idiots who makes Nigeria a Zap.e.d up place,you are banning me because i said f.u.ck. Dora akinluyi.Is she your mother?

I am not the only who uses the f word on this forum so please kiss my black a.z.z for all i care.If we can't express our feelings on a public forum ,i wonder where we can do so.so f u ,f nairaland and f all you moder f.ckers who support this shxt.

This should earn you another ban.

Tippy Top:
This Ikengawo should be made a Nairaland moderator. We want moderators who like Nigeria and not those wanting a dissolution at the cost of war. If we can't be optimistic about Nigeria on a Nigerian forum where else can we show patriotism. (am scared of saying anything positive about Nigeria here)

Ikengawo like me is a true Nigerian to the core. Folks in Nigeria needs hope and not diaspora Nigerians (some left in the 80s) advising them to violently disintegrate. Kudos to you bro.

Of course, those who left in the 80's should have their citizenship revoked! Why? They killed 500 women and babies in Jos and they kept Yar'Adua incommunicado; not stopping there, they formed the very exciting and patriotic cabal; they have been stealing PHCN equipment so that the real Nigerians never have electricity and even trained boko haram and kala kato; they join the police and shoot real Nigerians like chickens; they also rig elections for Iwu.

I hate foolishness.

Malaysian GP free practice session two times

1 Lewis Hamilton 1:34.175 27
2 Sebastian Vettel 1:34.441 27
3 Nico Rosberg 1:34.443 30
4 Jenson Button 1:34.538 24
5 Michael Schumacher 1:34.674 30
6 Robert Kubica 1:35.148 32
7 Fernando Alonso 1:35.581 33
8 Sebastien Buemi 1:35.660 39
9 Vitaly Petrov 1:35.872 20
10 Adrian Sutil 1:35.957 31
11 Kamui Kobayashi 1:36.018 38
12 Tonio Liuzzi 1:36.221 34
13 Pedro de la Rosa 1:36.325 32
14 Jaime Alguersuari 1:36.325 39
15 Felipe Massa 1:36.602 30
16 Rubens Barrichello 1:36.813 25
17 Nico Hulkenberg 1:37.614 19
18 Jarno Trulli 1:38.454 34
19 Heikki Kovalainen 1:38.530 31
20 Mark Webber 1:38.786 13
21 Timo Glock 1:39.061 22
22 Lucas di Grassi 1:39.158 29
23 Karun Chandhok 1:41.394 26
24 Bruno Senna 1:41.481 32

Malaysian GP free practice session one times

1 HAMILTON McLaren 1m34.921s
2 ROSBERG Mercedes 1m35.106s
3 BUTTON McLaren 1m35.207s
4 SCHUMACHER Mercedes 1m35.225s
5 KUBICA Renault 1m35.402s
6 WEBBER Red Bull 1m35.479s
7 SUTIL Force India 1m35.955s
8 ALONSO Ferrari 1m35.959s
9 VETTEL Red Bull 1m36.043s
10 BUEMI Toro Rosso 1m36.100s
11 MASSA Ferrari 1m36.451s
12 KOBAYASHI Sauber 1m36.503s
13 ALGUERSUARI Toro Rosso 1m36.645s
14 PETROV Renault 1m36.712s
15 DI RESTA Force India 1m36.891s
16 DE LA ROSA Sauber 1m36.899s
17 HULKENBERG Williams 1m37.802s
18 BARRICHELLO Williams 1m38.278s
19 TRULLI Lotus 1m39.460s
20 GLOCK Virgin 1m39.755s
21 DI GRASSI Virgin 1m40.159s
22 FAUZY Lotus 1m40.721s
23 SENNA HRT 1m41.832s
24 CHANDHOK HRT 1m41.966s

lannre:
I will build an The first truly ICT University in Nigeria. I will also build a free psychiatric Hospital for all intending Political Office Holders.

In 5 hours?

[size=14pt]2011: I’m consulting - IBB [/size]
•Says, I will be directed by general opinion
•Reiterates call for true federalism

Written by Shola Adekola and Olayinka Olukoya

THOSE insinuating that former President Ibrahim Babangida may be eyeing the presidency in 2011 may not be totally wrong as the General, on Thursday, said he was still consulting on whether to contest or not. Babangida, at the presidential lounge of the Murtala Muhammed Airport,
Lagos, on his way from the birthday lecture to mark the 54th birthday of the Ogun State governor, Chief Gbenga Daniel, at about 6.30 p.m., said in a brief interview with airport journalists that he would make his decision known to Nigerians after his consultations.

The former military leader, who said he did not belong to the school of thought that saw him as the solution to the country’s social political problem, declared: “No, there is no such thing, absolutely nothing like that, but if Nigerians are convinced that I have a contribution to make, surely this is the only country I have and I will do it. I am still doing some consultations and honestly, I will hint you on that when I have finished doing that. I will give you a feedback very soon.”

When further asked if the general opinion indicated that he should run, Babangida replied: ”I will be directed by the general opinion.”

On his position on the attitude of politicians to governance, he replied: “What I want is for all of you, people like you, me and politicians to be very tolerant and if we are tolerant, we will be able to move the country forward.”

Speaking on the clamour for Professor Maurice Iwu’s removal as the chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Babangida said he does not comment on individuals.

General Babangida, had earlier said that he would only vote for an advocate of true federalism as president of Nigeria in the next general election.

He said this as the chairman at the 54th birthday anniversary lecture of Governor Daniel, where Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State was the special guest of honour, at the Valley View Auditorium, Government House, Abeokuta. Only true federalism, Babangida said,  would solve the multifarious problems confronting the country.

He said, “I want to say here that anybody who believes in some of those things will have my vote in 2011. Everything that was said here today on federalism is the true reflection of what this country was, is and will be.”

He noted that some critical national issues which had been settled since the nation attained independence about 50 years ago needed not to be further discussed to draw the nation back.

The former president said, ”I believe that true federalism is the issue for this country. Many of us who are very close to 70 years are very proud that we are leaving Nigeria in safe hands. There are lots of things called settled issues in the country’s political system. We don’t have to look back. Why clamouring whether we want to call ourselves republic and so on? Those are the issues that are settled.”

He added that he believed more in confederacy than a federal system of government whereby the impact of governance could be easily felt by the people, saying “I believe more in small government than big government.”

While eulogising the celebrant, Babangida said that he (Daniel) was a rare potential of the nation’s younger generation who truly had vision and sterling leadership qualities.

He told the gathering that he was attracted to Governor Daniel based on the fact that he had domineering presence everywhere he went.

“When he invited me for this occasion, I promised him that I will be here. My coming to Abeokuta is indeed home-coming, having been here 44 years ago. There is an established romance between me and OGD.  I am glad and proud of him,” Babangida added.

He made his remarks after various speakers like Governor Amaechi, ace broadcaster, Chief Yemi Farounbi, and former Director-General, Voice of Nigeria, Chief Taiwo Alimi, had spoken extensively on the need for the country to practise true federalism.

Amaechi, in his own remarks insisted that Nigeria was not operating a true federal structure, rather it only had an “independent confused federal structure.”

He was of the opinion that federalism as being practised in Nigeria was distinctively different from what obtained in advanced countries, noting that the federal structure in Nigeria today was by servitude.

Governor Amaechi added that Nigeria was bereft of a productive economy, saying that government economy whereby the rich wanted to be sure of who became the governor or president because their existence depended on that government economy had become the order of the day.

The occasion had in attendance eminent Nigerians, including the Yeye Odua, Chief (Mrs) HID Awolowo, represented by her daughter, Reverend (Mrs) Tola Oyediran; former Senate President, Senator Adolphus Wabara; Chief Rasaq Okoya and his wife, Sade; Sir. Kesington Adebutu; Nigeria’s Ambassador to Zambia, Chief (Mrs) Folake Marcus-Bello; Chief Abiola Dosunmu; Chief Raymond Dopkesi, Dr. Oba Otudeko and Reverend Jide Awosedo.

Others included Ambassador Segun Olusola; Dr Yemi Ogunbiyi; Mr. Emeka Obasi; Secretary, Yoruba Council of Elders, Dr. Kunle Olajide; Honourable Lola Abiola-Edewor; Mrs. Doyin Abiola; Dr. Sunny Kuku; Prince Bola Ajibola; Alhaji Lateef Adegbite, amongst other personalities.

The guest lecturer, Dr. Don Kroah, while delivering his lecture entitled: “The Personalities, the Institutions and the Future of Democracy,” contended that the future of the country was at stake, if credible leaders were not put in place.

He explained that certain steps such as transparent electoral process; better political participation; tested and trusted personalities, with good character and sound health, would make the nation’s democratic experience sustained.

Kroah said, “The dilemma of Nigeria’s democratic experience is that even though distinct and clear functions are highlighted for these critical institutions, the personalities that execute the functions negatively impact on the institutions.

“Credible executive leader and credible legislature made up of qualitative personalities can sustain democracy. Until Nigeria has such personalities, the future of its democracy will always be at stake,” the American broadcaster said.

He commended the celebrant for allowing his personality to influence the democratic institutions by securing the future of people of the state.

http://www.tribune.com.ng/index.php/front-page-news/3492-2011-im-consulting-ibb-says-i-will-be-directed-by-general-opinion-reiterates-call-for-true-federalism-.html

I will engage in very heavy foreign currency trades and make several million dollars, before returning the money within the 5 hour window.

edoyad:
  ,@beaf that fanta and coke line was popular back on assembly ground days and there's no way i'm believing it really happened.
@ , well if we go by the law of averages then even the U.S. too has a couple of 'em i guess. After all George Bush became president and Sarah Palin nearly became VP too.

You will be horribly shocked!

Zuwo in his life-time was the butt of a countless number of jokes. Maybe you can still recollect some of them. How about this one: “We have flenty (plenty) mineral resources in Kano : Coca-cola, Seven Up, Pepsi”?

http://tribune.com.ng/sun/index.php/on-the-lords-day/543-gov-oni-fayose-and-the-barkin-zuwo-connection-.html

When millions of dollars were found in a hole he had dug under his bed, his reply was; "Dem find am Government money for Government House! Whats the problem?"
http://tribune.com.ng/sun/index.php/on-the-lords-day/543-gov-oni-fayose-and-the-barkin-zuwo-connection-.html

Some of our politicians will shock you in cruel ways.

U.S. House of Representatives member, Hank Johnson worries that the island of Guam will "tip over" and capsize if more people are sent there!
Damn!

Our politicians might not be the worst afterall! . . .Anybody remember Barkin Zuwo? He was the governor, that when asked about minerals in his state replied; we get am for Danta kola, we get am for Coka Cola, we get am for Fanta, we get am for many minerals fa!

[flash=640,385]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bs23CjIWMgA&hl=en_GB&fs=1&[/flash]

It takes a special kind of fool to attack a guided missile frigate with grenade launchers and AK-47's!!!!!

They got what you would expect from a US Navy Warship!
What did they want to do with it, moor it off the Somali coast and demand a ransome?. . . For a fully grown warship? Damn!

[quote author=ndu_chucks link=topic=421600.msg5814127#msg5814127 date=1270157086]A wonderful threat by a toothless cyber warrior. This is your own version of april fool, ko? Put some teeth in your threat and start organizing protests in Abuja, PH, and in your village.[/quote]Why are you threatened by true federalism?
Why do you fear equality?
Why do you fear justice?

Sun of god:
Nigerian's know what's what and can fill in the blanks.

For those arguing about trivial things such as -

- A lack of tribal marks on the actors,

- The pidgin English (broken) not being broken enough,

- The Yoruba man vs The Englsih Yoruba man vs The Cocunuts (Jamaicans)

- My tribe was not mentioned, etc

Please keep it up as it is entertaining to some spectators.

I'm not surprised, cos their leader (sagamite) got it just like this;
Nigerians must stand up and say no to oppression.

I am missing when and where he begged.

The so called powers that be (better known as the cabal) will be replaced by young progressive Northerners like El-Rufai, Ribadu, Umar etc
The "powers that be" in the likes of Tanko Yakasai will see jail or irrelevance.

[quote author=ndu_chucks link=topic=423803.msg5814167#msg5814167 date=1270157718]That's a big "IF".  I wonder why he has not yet been removed. You people sound quite naive to me - you should have known by now that, GJ and the powers that be, have made deals that will prevent the impeachment of Yardy. If you don't believe that, then you are quite ignorant of the Nigerian political climate.[/quote]Politics is a flowing river. If Jonathan made deals with people, they have been kicked out of govt (quite unceremonously too); so what is left of those "deals"?
Everything comes in its own time. The only calculation is the army, the cabal has absolutely nothing else to bargain with. . . But Jonathan can checkmate that with a little ingenuity, then the big "IF" would become a nonexistent "if".

Jonathan has the right temperament and approach to confound the cabals for centuries.

[quote author=ndu_chucks link=topic=423803.msg5814095#msg5814095 date=1270156743]Why is El Rufai calling for a new President at this point in time? GJ is acting President with full presidential powers and the next presidential election is slated for 2011 or shortly thereafter, so this call by El Rufai is senseless. Rufai appears to be oblivious to the political system in Nigeria and this ignorance may account for the currentg troubles he has with the law.

Our best bet is to allow GJ to continue as acting President until the next election. El Rufai's analysis is flawed in this case. Any attempt to remove Yar'Adua from office at this point will lead to more instability and danger.

new president ko, new emperor ni.[/quote]If Yar Adua is removed, nothing will happen.

Onlytruth:
Pure speculation!
Nigeria is already weakened, so Gaddaffi does not need to weaken Nigeria.

I'm sure some British officials might have also thought it crazy to grant Nigeria independence in 1960. Today's crazy idea is tomorrows invention.

Bullseye!

There was acivil rights activist on AIT who said he believed Gaddaffi's words represented the minds of 80% of Nigerians. It is a warning shot of how the World truly see's us. To drive the point home, there has even been a deafening silence from our own fellow African countries and the AU.
This is the last chance for a National Conference; true federalism or split.

Sagamite:
You are a slowpoke, what is my business with your militancy? Why do you feel you are entitled to me discussing your point? Are you really that daft?

And what makes you think it is a slowpoke like you I would want to discuss his points? I prefer to ridicule you, it is more fun! 

Shrimpy, thats what the topic is about. Didn't you realise?

Blood and Oil is about govt corruption, stack societal inequality, the resulting MEND militancy. . . But you might not realise this if you only have akamu between your ears sha.
Poor you! Its even hard for you to remain on topic.

[size=14pt]Nigeria: If Jonathan Finds the Missing Billions, [/size]
Sam Egburonu
1 April 2010

Lagos — I have followed with concern, the story of the missing billions of Naira at the Presidency, especially the latest speculations that Acting President Goodluck Jonathan may have approved a 'quiet' investigation to uncover the individuals behind the approval, withdrawal and spending of such funds. The point of the matter is that only Mr. President has the authority to approve withdrawal and spending from the security vote at the presidency.

So, since President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua was unarguably indisposed at the time the money was spirited out, it is needful to ask who approved the withdrawal, who consented to and acted on such an illegal authorization and what the beneficiaries did with such large sum?

Already, rumour and newspaper reports allege that some parts of the money may have been traced to foreign bank accounts in Mauritius and Saudi Arabia amongst others.

The story has it that within the three months (from November 23, 2009, when ailing President Yar'Adua was flown out of the country to King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Jeddah, in Saudi Arabia, for medical treatment, to the time Jonathan was declared Acting President by the National Assembly), some unknown individuals actually withdrew and spent billions of Naira from Mr. President's security vote.

Insiders said Jonathan, who was Vice-President then, was dumbfounded recently, when, as Acting President, he got details of the large sum of money withdrawn from the security vote at his back, during the period Yar'Adua was receiving medical treatment in Saudi Arabia.

Reports confirmed that Jonathan, after the revelation of this latest financial recklessness in Aso Rock, angrily consented to a quiet probe of the action, which observers consider illegal.

If the report is true, the resolve to investigate this sensitive matter may be described as one of the bold moves Jonathan has found courage to make since he became Acting President. This is because it is believed that nothing would expose the level of power abuse in Aso Rock during the period of Yar'Adua's absence like revealing the details of this brazen withdrawal and utilization of billions of Naira from the security vote by individuals who knew they were not authorized by law to do so.

I gathered however that some powerful elements, who may have known about the use of the funds, boasted recently that the Acting President would be taking a dangerous risk if he tries to probe too deep into the use of the security vote at this point in time, when he had not completely consolidated power.

When I learnt of this treat, my first impression was to dismiss it as an empty noise from highly placed robbers who do not realize that their secrets would soon be exposed.

But today, as I consider critically, the possible results of this 'quiet' probe, given the signals so far, I feel rather convinced but angry to note that the probe, if conclusively carried out at all, may, true to the threats, be a mere waste of everybody's time. This feeling, if you must know, has something to do with the report that government decided to note the alleged sensitive nature of the action and therefore insisted that the investigation should be done quietly.

It is at this point that I found it difficult to sustain my natural enthusiasm. I had thought this type of investigation should be given the full presidential force and publicity it deserves, given the clout of the likely culprits. This, in my opinion, would have made it more difficult for the people that perpetrated this act to device means of killing the investigation.

But now, we are talking about a secret probe, which may or may not really take place.

So, I wonder if this adopted tactics would not suggest an admission of weakness or an unnecessary respect to a group of individuals, who at a period of political uncertainty deliberately chose to disrespect constituted authority by engaging in clear abuse of power in order to satisfy their personal greed at the expense of Nigerians?

I am not a pessimist, as you must have noticed, but I know Nigeria enough to believe that this effort to 'quietly' investigate the missing billions of Naira at the Presidency, may not be different from similar probes, which only amounted to shadow chasing.

I may be wrong, but I feel that it has almost become a norm in Nigeria that once billions or hundreds of millions of Naira develop wings in high places and disappear into thin air, it would hardly be found, except enough noise is made by the public. Even at that, we have noted that when the pressure from nosey critics like us becomes too much for the affected interest groups, a few percentage of the large loot may be traced to an insignificant account, as was the case with Abacha's multi-trillion Naira loot and similar large scale loots before and after the late military Head of State.

When this is done, the investigators, if they are lucky, would be celebrated briefly, as a way of hoodwinking the unsuspecting public. If any of the investigators, like the former Economic and Financial Crimes Commission boss, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, tries to probe beyond the designated limit, he would be cut to size. Then the case file would be closed officially to enable the culprits retire honourably and peacefully to enjoy their juicy plunder.

In fact, considering the intrigues that still prevent Jonathan from physically seeing President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua, who is recuperating in the same Aso Rock, where the Acting President lives, one may not be wrong to doubt if the money and the invisible hands that allegedly spirited it away from the Presidential vaults would ever be exposed.

If my latest fears are confirmed, the quiet probe would soon be over and the investigators would be made to find out that no money was illegally withdrawn from the security vote at the Presidency, as President Yar'Adua, while in Saudi Arabia, was healthy enough to approve the said withdrawals. In fact, his top officials, who would have been insulted by the probing questions or insinuations of investigators and reporters would be vindicated and apologized to since it would be discovered that all that happened was that they were given extra burden of jetting from Saudi Arabia to Abuja and back in order to facilitate the withdrawals and spending of the said security vote at the instructions of Mr. President.

This, in case the Acting President does not know, is what the people, who suggested a quiet probe, would want on this sensitive issue. I disagree with them and contend that secret or quiet probe would give more room for manipulation and power play, the type that Jonathan may not easily contend with.

Given some of the recent actions of Jonathan, like the dissolution of the former Federal Executive Council, when many thought he couldn't, I believe he has what it takes to go ahead and conduct a proper and well publicized investigation on this critical matter. The challenge may be tough but he may be depending once again on good luck and the goodwill of Nigerians. These two have combined to give him power on a platter of gold.

Before Jonathan emerged as Acting President and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces, some of my friends insisted his luck would not carry him that far. But I disagreed with them, taking into consideration the speed with which he took over power in Bayelsa State from the 'Governor-General' and how he effortlessly moved over to the federal level as Vice President. I had argued then, that, with the kind of good luck that seems to be working for him, this newcomer into Nigerian politics may soon emerge Nigeria's President and do what many of us would never believe he would have the courage to do.

So, in spite of the apprehensions, I believe time has come for Jonathan to expose and correct all the abuses that have threatened to ridicule the Nigerian state in the eyes of the world. If he truly investigates this allegation of missing billions of Naira from Mr. President's security vote, exposes the men and women that were implicated in this clear abuse of power and recovers the stolen money, he would not only have made a statement that illegality is unacceptable, even in Nigeria, but would have also consolidated his hold on power as the current head of the Federal Government of Nigeria.

http://allafrica.com/stories/printable/201004010266.html

Sagamite:
I have always told the guy he is daft and he will never reach my intellectual level. I am sure I will dice him tonight after cutting him into shreds. He just does not have the brain to cope at my level.

This topic is about Blood and Oil, not your intellect. Thats why I keep calling you a dunce and mental shrimp.
Can you tackle any of the points below? [size=14pt]Its not that hard and its on topic! Can you attempt just one of the points?[/size] . . .And none of them is about church or Pidgin English.

Beaf:
Mental shrimp, can you address any of these or is your brain just too little?

[list]
[li]The underlying question was if Tobodo was the future (answered by the heroine packing back to 9ja to join him)[/li]
[li]Tobodo goal was to create a brand new country with true federalism as its bedrock[/li]
[li]MEND are true freedom fighters and heroes of the exploited and underpriviledged[/li]
[li]Govt was blowing up Western oil wells, so they could frighten the West off, sell to the Chinese and blame it on MEND[/li]
[li]Govt wanted to destroy MEND because they saw them as true freedom fighters who wanted to upset "business as usual"[/li]
[li]The govt represents criminality, exploitation, confusion, corruption, death and zero representation[/li]
[li]The govt and oil are separated from the people by armed men, tinted 4x4's and gated communities, luxury vs stark poverty, opulence vs hopelessness[/li]
[/list]

This is the politics section, not Pidgin English or church section.

Sagamite:
Abeg, lets continue this earlier discussion. No run, abeg!

https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-421883.64.html#msg5807360

I would rather remain on topic. Thank you, but I'll not be getting as mentally tiny as you.

2.3 million British people have likely been convinced about the way things are run in Nigeria and yes, they don't bother much about the airy topics close to your heart like proper Pidgin English; they don't understand Pidgin English in the UK and the average British person doesn't know what the inside of a church looks like.
Shrimpy, the issue here is the politics in your country.

Now please can you address even one of these (they are all one topic)? Seriously, you can't be that mentally crippled?

[list]
[li]The underlying question was if Tobodo was the future (answered by the heroine packing back to 9ja to join him)[/li]
[li]Tobodo goal was to create a brand new country with true federalism as its bedrock[/li]
[li]MEND are true freedom fighters and heroes of the exploited and underpriviledged[/li]
[li]Govt was blowing up Western oil wells, so they could frighten the West off, sell to the Chinese and blame it on MEND[/li]
[li]Govt wanted to destroy MEND because they saw them as true freedom fighters who wanted to upset "business as usual"[/li]
[li]The govt represents criminality, exploitation, confusion, corruption, death and zero representation[/li]
[li]The govt and oil are separated from the people by armed men, tinted 4x4's and gated communities, luxury vs stark poverty, opulence vs hopelessness[/li]
[/list]

This is the politics section, not Pidgin English or church section.

[size=14pt]Time for a New Nigerian President[/size]
A former government minister tells the inside story of how trickery, corruption, political plots, and a power vacuum are tearing apart this West African giant.
BY NASIR EL-RUFAI | APRIL 1, 2010


The return of Nigeria's long-absent President Umaru Yar'Adua to the capital city of Abuja in late February has thrown the West African country into a dangerous existential crisis. The president is still apparently incapacitated, but his cadres are certainly not -- and they are doing all they can to remain in power. Yar'Adua's henchmen now threaten not only the constitutional succession process, which had placed provisional powers in the hands of Vice President Goodluck Jonathan, but also Nigeria's very stability. Ethnic violence in the city of Jos broke out in early March amid the current governance vacuum, leaving hundreds dead; worse could follow if the political stalemate isn't resolved soon. The stakes for the country's 150 million people couldn't be higher.

[b]Yar'Adua's inner circle has shown itself quite adept at spreading falsehoods -- misinforming and misleading Nigerians into mass violence if necessary -- to preserve its hold on power. Since the crisis began, the presidency has been framed as if it were a rotating office, traded every eight years between the supposedly Christian South and Muslim North. Yar'Adua's cabal has used this idea to whip up primordial sentiment, persuading the country and the international community of an invented North-South chasm and concealing a selfish agenda under the aegis of preventing a Muslim vs. Christian religious divide. It is a clever ruse to prevent Jonathan (who is from the South) from succeeding Yar'Adua (who hails from the North). And the reduction of Nigeria's complex political problems to such clichés and sound bites, obediently repeated by diplomats and media helps propagate the myth that politics has to be governed by regional rivalries. According to that false tradition, Yar'Adua (or someone from the North) must remain in power. [/b]

This is not only disingenuous but dangerous. Since Yar'Adua's return, Jonathan, who became acting president in early February, has faced constant obstruction and undermining by the Yar'Adua cabal. The president's press secretary, for example, has continued to issue his own statements, referring to the acting president not in that role but as vice president. And until their firing last week when Jonathan dissolved the cabinet, Yar'Adua's ministers were fighting tooth and nail to stay in office, clinging to the rents and patronage that came with their posts. Knowing that the law and the Nigerian Constitution were not on their side -- in Nigeria, an ill and incapacitated president must be formally and permanently removed from office through the constitutional process -- their only recourse was the age-old yet often effective strategy of playing off North-South tensions.

As a result, politics in Nigeria have come to a dangerous standstill. The nascent amnesty deal in the Niger Delta has failed to progress, and the rebel group the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta has carried out several "warning" attacks. The 2010 budget was delayed three months and only recently passed. Civil servants are threatening to go on strike. And electoral reform, promised three years ago after flawed 2007 elections has hardly budged. Protesters marched in Abuja March 31 to demand the current electoral commission chairman not be reappointed. Things have gotten so bad that Nigerians are finally taking to the streets, demanding an end to the succession battle and a return of attention to the business of actually governing Nigeria. (Finally, the Senate just approved Jonathan's cabinet nominees.)

There is also a more direct human cost to all this; look no further than Jos, where the perpetrators of the recent violence took advantage of the power vacuum presented by the current political struggle. These ethnic militias, like much of Nigeria, assume that the president is permanently incapacitated; were he not, would he have snuck into Abuja as he did? Yar'Adua returned not with a homecoming parade, but with an unauthorized military deployment in the middle of the night.

The political mayhem and the ethnic tensions fomented by the Yar'Adua faction have pushed Nigeria closer than ever either to a repeat of the country's 1967-1970 civil war, in which the southern Biafra region sought to secede, or the return of military intervention. In pushing so hard on the North-South divide, Yar'Adua's supporters risk creating a self-fulfilling prophecy; if regions are told they will be the "losers" of a constitutional transition, they might pick up arms to defend their position. Military leaders resolutely believe in the integrity of the Nigerian state, so if the country were to approach the brink of disintegration, they would likely step in. Goodbye, Nigerian democracy.

What's needed now is a clean sweep of the administration to remove potential troublemakers, which Jonathan has begun with his cabinet shuffle. But the first matter to address is a comprehensive and public assessment of Yar'Adua's health and his ability to carry out the duties of his office. This is an area on which the international community must come to Nigeria's assistance with any intelligence gathered from Yar'Adua's three-month hospital stay in Saudi Arabia.

From there, what's needed is the strict observance of the constitutional succession process to lawfully replace the ailing president with the acting president, as established under Section 144 of the Nigerian Constitution. This requires the cabinet to pass a resolution with a two-thirds majority affirming the president's inability to govern, a confirmation by a medical board appointed by the Senate president, and the swearing-in of the acting president as substantive president of Nigeria. If this process is manipulated or obstructed by Yar'Adua's loyalists, the two houses of the National Assembly must remove the president through impeachment for gross misconduct, incompetence, abuse, and corruption in the discharge of his office. The grounds for doing so are clear: Yar'Adua's supporters have refused to allow an independent medical assessment of his condition, and the president, if he is conscious, has failed to transfer the powers of his office to Jonathan, in contravention of the law.

Nigeria needs political support, partnership, and encouragement to undergo this existential challenge -- and understandably perhaps, we have exhausted the patience of many of our people and allies. U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Johnnie Carson already gave an early indication of American support for a constitutional transition in a Feb. 24 statement: "We hope that President Yar'Adua's return to Nigeria is not an effort by his senior advisers to upset Nigeria's stability and create renewed uncertainty in the democratic process." Similar statements from British, Canadian, and EU officials have been helpful in strengthening the acting president. More of this support from the international community is needed.

But we all need to use a fresh lens when looking at Nigeria. Backroom deals in which political elites negotiate the fate of Nigeria's 150 million people are a relic of the past -- or they should be. The North-South power rotation, or "zoning" arrangement, that pretends to offer stability to Nigeria's ethnically diverse population has morphed into a convenient justification for self-centered politicians.

Nigeria is too big and has too much going for it to be allowed to fail. Despite the political crisis, the green shoots of real democracy are appearing across the country. Some state governors, such as Raji Fashola of Lagos and Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers are beginning to deliver services to the people. Civil society is stronger than ever, empowered through new technologies, including text-messaging and social-media organizing. The international community must respond to what Nigeria could be -- and not remain captive to memories of its recent past. Nigerians must not be constrained by those who have a vested interest in the old way of doing business.

Nasir El-Rufai was senior policy advisor to the Nigerian president from 1998 to 1999, CEO of Nigeria's federal privatization agency from 1999 to 2003, and minister of Nigeria's Federal Capital Territory and member of the presidential economic team from 2003 to 2007.

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2010/04/01/time_for_a_new_nigerian_president