₦airaland Forum

[ it is quite unfortunate . you see what unemployement can do, a full grown man
na im sitdown just dey imagine nd dream all this, you need to treat ur malaria
properly other wise............. ][/quote]

For over ten days now the polity has been suffused with the verbiage of the
letter written by former President Olusegun Obasanjo to President Goodluck
Jonathan. The latter has been under pressure to respond to the issues
Obasanjo raised in his letter.
And for a while, it seemed the silence from the presidency implied consent, or
that the President was too dazed by the vitriolic content of the letter to
respond. But yesterday, the President broke his worrisome silence, when he
called a press conference and read out a lengthy reply to the Ota farmer. To be
fair to President Jonathan, he tried to clear the fog on some of the issues, but
not without throwing some jabs here and there at the former president.
I captured some, yes, some of the details in the response of the President. He
started like this:
“His Excellency Chief Olusegun Okikiola Matthew Obasanjo, former President of
the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
You must have wondered if I did not know what to reply you after you
published what has become your latest act of infamy, in the name of a letter
titled “Before it is Too Late” which you wrote to me.
Sir, I must confess that your letter took me unawares. As a respected
Statesman, I did not expect this unbecoming means of communicating with me,
if the essence was not to play to the gallery.
The other confession I must make is that some of the issues and accusations
you made against me, were complete news to me. I have long set up
committees to investigate the accusations and the reports are already coming
in.
Before I deal on the specifics of your letter, permit me to say that, Sir, you must
purge yourself of the overflowing messianic complex you have always operated
in. Yes, I had said that after God and my parents, you are the next most
important person in my life.
But that did not mean you are my God or the provider of my oxygen. When
goats are sold, the owner releases the rope. But you have chosen to hold on to
the rope most tenaciously. That is the problem.
Indeed, we would have ignored you completely after your dear daughter, Dr
Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello, helped to put most of the issue in the right political
perspectives in her own letter to you. But we needed to do this for the records.
I am somewhat disappointed that you are lamenting my performance in
government. His Excellency, I am sure we would have moved at a faster pace if
the right foundation was laid while you were in charge.
As for the issue of whether or not I will seek re-election in 2015, I am bemused
that you are making a huge drama out of this even when you know I am
constitutionally permitted to seek re-election. I cannot remember the incidents
of my said promise not to seek re-election. But even if I did sir, am I not entitled
to change of mind on any issue depending on the currency of information
available to me? I do not expect you to be basing your conclusions, at your
level, on the so-called fantasy of Body language.
And pray, were we not all witnesses of how you tried to manipulate the National
Assembly to offer you the illegal third term chance? Senator Ken Nnamani is
still alive.
It is pure mischief powered by uncharitable inclinations to accuse me of “double
game’ in the support of gubernatorial candidates in some states. I personally
participated in the campaigns of all our candidates. If they lost the elections, I
cannot be blamed for that, as I am resolved to distance myself from
manipulating electoral outcomes as it used to be in the past… you know what I
mean
You made me look like the prince of corruption because of the ancient malaise
of crude oil theft. Sir, it did not start with me. I have tried to combat it. There
are many committees and task forces in place to check the roguery. Besides, it
is even exaggerated under me. Did you not hear that the garrulous CBN
governor, who raised the false alarm of missing $49.8 Billion has eaten the
humble pie by recanting?
But sir, with all sense of modesty, this does not compare with the degree of
sleaze that characterized the PTDF scam between you and your former Vice,
Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. We did not forget. We have reformed the EFCC to be an
indiscriminate fierce attack dog, unlike when it was reduced to a weapon
against enemies.
As for the crisis in the PDP, we know of supposed elders who have been
fraternizing with the renegade governors, the reason they were recalcitrant and
irreconciliable. You can only force a horse to the river, you cannot force it to
drink water. These renegade governors simply refused to drink water at the
bank of reconciliation.
I am a Knight of the Anglican Church. I have never plotted to shed blood for any
reason. No I have never. Therefore, the phantom alarm of training of killers are
nothing but a tale from the mountains. Only the naïve are taken in by them. God
will judge such accusers harshly.
By the Grace of Almighty God, I will finish well and strong. My good people of
Nigeria are behind me, contrary to what you may wish to think. I have told the
Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) to
ensure that they announce national fasting of forty days and forty nights to
thwart all the plans of the enemies of Nigeria, no matter who they are.
That they must declare that no weapon fashioned against Nigeria, be it from
Boko Haram or whoever, will prosper.
Finally, let me assure you that the transformation agenda of my government
has been attracting international investors and in no time, the entire nation will
soon become one large construction and industrial yard. We shall all be
witnesses.
Please accept my best assurances of …”
Just as the President finished reading the letter to pressmen, his spokesman, Dr
Rueben Abati , looking agitated with creases on his forehead, stepped out to
co-ordinate the question and answer session, as over a dozen hands were
already up, desirous to fire follow-up questions at Mr President.
Abati was just announcing the modality of the question and answer session,
when the loud blast of a heavy duty truck woke me from my deep sleep, as my
house is by the roadside.
As I sprung up, I was looking for President Jonathan, asking breathlessly,
“where is he, where is the president?”, and my children began to ask if I was
alright. It was only then I realized I have been dreaming.

link: 247nigerianewsupdate.com/jonathan-s-reply-to-obasanjo/

I'm sure such a hut won't last in our tropical enviroment.... Meltin mode activated!

First wife Shey second wife dey? Anyway, welcome back home.

noted

If the sahara report is anythin to go by, whhhhy would the governor's convoy want to murder the past ASUU president when its apparent that the union are obviously makin plans to shift grounds over the 4months old strike?? Abeg house don tire me oooo. I wan go back to 2 school na.

Fellow Nigerians, pay no attention to a political scoundrel who speaks from both sides of his mouth.

The federal government yesterday achieved a significant milestone
in the ongoing privatisation of the power sector with the formal
presentation of share certificates and licences to 15 new core
owners of successor distribution companies (Discos) and generation
companies (Gencos) created from the unbundled Power Holding
Company of Nigeria (PHCN).
The 15 companies which were handed over their share certificates
at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, yesterday, by President Goodluck
Jonathan include Kann Consortium for Abuja Disco, Interstate for
Enugu, Aura Energy for Jos, Vigeo for Benin, West Power and Gas
for Eko, NEDC/KEPCO for Ikeja, 4Power Consortium for Port
Harcourt, Sahelian for Kano and Integrated Energy for both Ibadan
and Yola Discos.
Others are Mainstream Energy, core investor for Kainji and Jebba
Gencos; Transcorp/Woodrock for Ughelli as well as North South for
Shiroro, while Amperion and NEDC/KEPCO got share certificates
for Geregu and Egbin Gencos respectively.
Jonathan, who was accompanied by Vice President Namadi Sambo,
minister of power Prof. Chinedu Nebo and director-general of the
Bureau for Public Enterprises (BPE) Benjamin Dikki, in handing
over the documents to the investors also stated that while he did
not expect a sudden turn of events in the power sector, he
remained optimistic that better days were here for Nigerians with
regards to improved power generation and supply.
While restating government’s commitment to providing all
required enablement for the new investors to succeed, he said: “To
the Nigerian people who have demonstrated such great patience,
putting up often with darkness, noisy power-generating sets, the
related pollution and the daily disruptions in their lives, I say
better days are coming.”
To ensure that this becomes reality, he said, the Nigerian Bulk
Electricity Trading Company (NBET) has been provided with
capitalisation of over $750 million, positioning it to carry out its
mandate without financial constraints.
Similarly, he said, arrangements are on-going to ensure that the
Nigeria Electricity Liability Management Company (NELMCO) is
adequately funded to assume all of the liabilities associated with
the privatisation of the PHCN successor companies as well as other
related liabilities, adding that various options are also being
explored for the funding of the Transmission Company of Nigeria
(TCN).
To the labour unions, he said: “ It is important to say to our labour
partners, who we know to be patriotic Nigerians, that they should
not nurse a feeling of displacement but dwell on the tremendous
possibilities that the revitalization of the sector holds for them.”
He also sounded a note of warning to all relevant agencies to re-
orient their staff to play the needed new roles that have been
assigned to them as a result of the reform. “They must be prepared
to collaborate efficiently with our private-sector partners. Business
can no longer be as usual,” he said.
Vice President Namadi Sambo, who is also chairman of the
National Council on Privatisation, noted that the privatisation of
the power utility is unique and different from previous
privatisation programmes in the country in that is was driven by
the need for efficiency and investment rather than optimization of
proceeds to the government coffers. According to him, only bidders’
technical ability and financial capability influenced the outcomes.
“The new owners of the generation companies are expected to
build up capacity from the present levels of performance to
additional 5,000MW within a period of five years. This promise has
been clearly captured in the performance agreement that the new
owners have with the Bureau of Public Enterprises which will be
monitored by the regulator.
As for the distribution companies, he said, the use of the Aggregate
Technical, Commercial and Collection (ATC&C) loss reduction
programme for the first five years as the privatisation strategy for
the selection of core investor was a clear departure from the NCPS’s
usual practice of awarding companies to the bidder who makes the
highest financial offer to purchase an asset after being technically
qualified.
“The objective behind this strategy is to provide Nigerian
consumers and other stakeholders with specific parameters with
which to measure the outcome of the power sector reform and
privatisation.”
No physical handover till labour issues are settled – FG
Meanwhile, the government has stressed that despite the
presentation of the legal documents to the companies, physical
takeover of the assets will be done within the course of October
upon completion of all labour-related issues.
Minister of power Prof. Chinedu Nebo gave assurance that no
physical handing over of the privatised power assets will take place
until all liabilities to the PHCN workers have been settled.
Nebo explained that physical takeover of the power assets will be
possible within the course of October when the government would
have completed payment of severance benefits to workers of
PHCN.
“Let me restate that today’s ceremony is only a formal handover of
all needed ownership certificates and licences. However, physical
takeover of assets will be effected later in course of the month of
October as we fully discharge our responsibilities to the remaining
workers of PHCN,” Nebo said.
He added that the slight delay in completing the payment is due to
the large number of workers, large sums involved and the need to
take all needed caution to ensure proper implementation.
He noted that out of 47,614 PHCN workers who were identified,
“we have completed the biometrics capture and related validation
of 45,156 workers. As at today, the severance benefits of a majority
of that number have been paid while others are being processed.
We will not fail – Core investors
Speaking on behalf of the core investors, former governor of Kano
State who is the chairman of Mainstream Power, Col. Sani Bello,
noted that the handing over of the firms to the private sector will
usher in a new frontier and hope for sustainable power supply to
all Nigerians while expressing the hope that agencies of
government with oversight functions in the power sector will
continue to support the efforts of the new core investors.
“We assure Mr President and Nigerians that we will not fail,” he
said.
Workers protest handover
However, while the investors were being presented their
certificates, the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE)
staged a protest at the PHCN headquarters in Abuja over
unresolved labour issues.
The union’s chairman, Comrade James Ayeni, told journalists that
government had failed to meet the workers’ demands and had
gone ahead to hand over share certificates and licences to the
investors, thereby undermining earlier agreements reached.
He stated that only 25 per cent of the members have been paid
their severance package and added that the union has mandated
members to shut down installations to send a signal to
government.
US govt, business consultant commend FG
Meanwhile, the United States government has commended the
federal government for the continuing success in the privatization
of the electric power sector.
The commendation made by the US Charge d’Affaires in Nigeria,
Maria Brewer, is connected to the formal handover of share
certificates and licences to the new core owners of the Power
Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) held yesterday at the Banquet
Hall, Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Brewer said that the US government will continue to assist Nigeria
in its historic efforts to liberalize the electric power sector and
ensure regular electricity supply for economic development.
Nigeria has been plagued by epileptic electricity supply which has
stunted economic development in the country. It produces less than
3,000 megawatts of electricity for its 160million citizens with over
60million of them depending on electricity-generating sets.
Alli Magashi, chief executive officer, Kitari Consulting, also
commended the federal government for seeing the power
privatisation through, saying it would see bigger revolution than
what was recorded with the privatisation of the telecom sector.
He stated: “This is a very important time for Nigerians. Power has
now been handed over to the private sector and, as it was seen in
the telecomm sector, that telecom revolution has changed the whole
psyche of doing business in that sector. I think power is even going
to do more. About $1.3 billion was brought of the finance industry
to finance licences of the privatisation of the power assets. There is
a lot of money invested by the private sector in the power sector
and that is good because they will work to ensure they get their
money back.”
Source: leadership.ng/news/011013/lights-out-phcn-investors-get-licences-certificates

Sad! sad! sad! Sad! sad! sad!

The police in Lagos State, western Nigeria, have arrested a young man
identified as Dada Ajibo from Niger Republic for attempted arson.
He was said to have been found under a car parked at a filing station in
Akowonjo with a lighter while attempting to set the car ablaze and cause
explosion in the area.
The incident caused serious commotion in the area Tuesday because the
residents were apprehensive that Ajibo might be a member of terrorist group,
Boko Haram, bombing and killing people in northern Nigeria.
Ajibo was arrested and detained at Gowon Estate Police Division where he is
being interrogated for allegedly attempting to set the filing station ablaze, along
with three other accomplices now at large.
The middle aged man was found under a red Volkswagen Golf car with a razor
blade and lighter beside Oando Filing Station located at 170, Akowonjo road by
Cele bus stop, Akowonjo.
While he was attempting to cut the fuel pipe with the blade under the car, the
residents who suspected him alerted a mobile policeman guarding a nearby
bank who arrested him.
The policeman found on him two Niger Republic passports, a razor blade and a
lighter. This gave rise to suspicion by the residents that he wanted to cause
explosion and destruction in the area.
The manager of the Oando filing Station where the incident happened, Mr Rabiu
Omoniyi, said that the man went under a parked Golf car without the knowledge
of the owner with lighter and a blade, ostensibly to burn the car which could
have set the filing station and other companies around the area ablaze.
The policeman who arrested him said when the suspect attempted to escape,
he threatened to shoot him, which made him to stop running.
He said he alerted the DPO at Gowon Estate who sent his men to take him to
the station.
“He confessed that he was an illegal immigrant from Niger Republic,” the
policeman said.
When P.M.NEWS correspondent visited Gowon Estate Police Division, the DPO
was not around to comment on the matter.
However, a police source comfirmed the arrest and said that the police have
commenced investigation on the matter.
The golf car under which the suspect was found with a razor blade and lighter
The suspect was detained in the cell with his name written on the board as
illegal immigrant.
A human rights activist, Commrade Babatunde Ashafa, said that Lagos
residents should be more vigilant and report any suspicious movement in their
area to the police to forestall any danger.
He said members of the Boko Haram sect have scattered after they were
dislodged in the north and there is possibility that they have entered Lagos,
recalling that 42 members of the sect were arrested recently by soldiers in the
state.
Ashafa also called on the security agencies to collaborate more with the
citizens and human rights groups in the state to ensure that the citizens are
protected.
Source: pmnewsnigeria.com/2013/08/07/man-arrested-for-attempting-to-burn-petrol-station/

We've not finished battling Boko Haram now we are hearing about a new
Islamic sect called Kala Kato that has settled in Rafi Local Government Area of
Niger State.
According to what the spokesman of the Niger state Police command, ASP
Richard Adamu told Daily Trust, the sect are said to be preaching some
ideologies thought to be in contrast with conventional Islamic teaching. He said
they are preaching against the teaching of Hadith (traditions of the holy
prophet) and emphasising only on the contents of the Holy Quran.
ASP Adamu said most locals are apprehensive of their presence.
Source: lindaikeji..com/2013/08/theres-new-islamic-sect-in-niger-state.html?m=1

Abeg shey the man dey ping ni, abi e dey whatsapp?? Nice picture sha, makes me yearn for fatherhood... Wink.

In Naija especially. I mean a real kiss and not just a peck.

This is a hell of a question that has been bugging me for ages. Please anyone with an answer??

I never knew the boss could suffer from "Bokophobia"

The National Broadcasting Commission, has reportedly banned D’banj’s new hit single, Oliver Twist, for containing lewd lyrics. Sources say the popular song was especially banned because D’banj eulogises actress, Omotola Jalade Ekehinde’s derriere. Part of the song goes, “I like Omotola, (because) her y*ansh is bigger.” The NBC was reported to have thus issued a circular to all radio and television stations to stop playing the song.



E-Punch could not immediately reach the NBC as at the time of going to press. Reacting to the ban, Mo’Hits president and producer, Don Jazzy, said in vernacular via a post on twitter, “Please, worry not about the banning of Oliver o, e dey happen. We are kinda used to it now. Ijebu garri no dey do advert but e dey sell.”



Days before the ban, the label with star artistes such as D’banj, Wande Coal, Dr. Sid and D’Prince, ironically consolidated on its dominance of the Nigerian entertainment industry with a sold-out show at the Hammersmith Apollo, London. Months after Mo’Hits had entered into a partnership deal with American rapper-producer, Kanye West’s G.O.O.D Music, cynics and sceptics were left stunned when West appeared at the label’s concert, Monday evening.

http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201109028383495#

The National Broadcasting Commission, has reportedly banned D’banj’s new hit single, Oliver Twist, for containing lewd lyrics. Sources say the popular song was especially banned because D’banj eulogises actress, Omotola Jalade Ekehinde’s derriere. Part of the song goes, “I like Omotola, (because) her y*ansh is bigger.” The NBC was reported to have thus issued a circular to all radio and television stations to stop playing the song.

E-Punch could not immediately reach the NBC as at the time of going to press. Reacting to the ban, Mo’Hits president and producer, Don Jazzy, said in vernacular via a post on twitter, “Please, worry not about the banning of Oliver o, e dey happen. We are kinda used to it now. Ijebu garri no dey do advert but e dey sell.”

Days before the ban, the label with star artistes such as D’banj, Wande Coal, Dr. Sid and D’Prince, ironically consolidated on its dominance of the Nigerian entertainment industry with a sold-out show at the Hammersmith Apollo, London. Months after Mo’Hits had entered into a partnership deal with American rapper-producer, Kanye West’s G.O.O.D Music, cynics and sceptics were left stunned when West appeared at the label’s concert, Monday evening.

http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201109028383495#

Wetin we go call dis wan nau Dem no use bomb again. Na beans be the next weapon. Dis Naija don tire me sef.

http://www.businessdayonline.com/NG/index.php/news/76-hot-topic/24803-neca-opposes-nlc-on-strike-says-its-illegal


With less than 24 hours to the blast of the whistle from the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), that workers across the country should down tools, the organised private sector (OPS) under the aegis of Nigerian Employers Consultative Association (NECA) has described labour’s call as “illegal.”

NECA which meanwhile advised both the federal and state governments to honour their agreement with the labour union. urged labour to exercise restraints. It however, stressed the need for employers of labour to implement the N18, 000 National Minimum Wage Act President Goodluck Jonathan signed into law in March, this year, saying failure to do so, would be tantamount to breaking the law.

Describing the impending strike as “illegal,” NECA said both the NLC and the Trade Union of Nigeria (TUC) have not followed and exhausted the industrial dispute procedures as prescribed by the Labour Act, and are therefore, not the right bodies to negotiate workers’ wages or push for its implementation. It said the move of these two bodies amounts to usurping the roles and responsibilities of the Civil Service Union.

The association on Monday said the implementation of the Act, across board, as was agreed during the long drawn negation by all stakeholders, which included labour, the government and the private sector, becomes imperative as the nation’s fragile economy cannot afford the implications of the three-day warning strike action being threatened by the labour union.

It however cautioned labour against going ahead with the strike, in the light of the declarations of willingness by all employers, whether in the public and private sectors (including state governors) to comply with the new law.
“There is no longer any issue in dispute that could justify the intended strike by organised labour,” the OPS stated.

A three-day warning strike is scheduled to commence tomorrow and end Friday should the government fail to pay the minimum wage. The Federal Government had earlier indicated its intention to pay the N18, 000 only to workers between grade level 01 to grade level 06, a proposal labour vehemently kicked against.

Richard Uche and Olusegun Oshinowo, president and director general of NECA, respectively, who briefed the press in Lagos on Monday, described what might be lost to the impending strike as “colossal.” They warned that it was unnecessary to shut down the entire economy on an issue that concerns public sector workers who constitute just about 2 percent of the national workforce.

The association, which kicked against what it described as “descent to anarchy” which has been the case, especially since the past four years when strike actions have become the order of the day, noted that it had earlier warned the government against “this worrisome and unacceptable trend” because of its implications on the economy.

“We once again call on the Federal Government to set into motion, the machinery for the urgent reform of our industrial relations system without which the quest for our nation to achieve Vision 20:2020 will merely be a mirage,” it stated.

NECA, in the meantime, has urged private employers not to be jittery or fearful of the strike action. “They should direct their employees, through their internal communication channels, as a matter of necessity, to report for work in spite of the NLC, TUC’s strike. They should make it abundantly clear to their employees that failure to report for work would attract appropriate sanctions based on their terms and conditions of employment,” it said.

It also called on the government “to rise up to the occasion by mobilising the entire security machinery to ensure that movement of Nigerians is not in any way hindered by hoodlums and miscreants. On no account should the government allow organised labour to trample on the rights of the majority of Nigerians and workers who will want to pursue their legitimate means of livelihood,” it declared.

Crap! Crap! Crap! So now he knows about the beauty of democracy yet he annulled the 1993 election. I need him to explain what he knows about the rule of law, accountability and probity,  Here is a man who's always been haunted by History. If he knows what's good for him, he should go back to MInna and hide in the caves lest he gets stoned to death

A good step in the right direction . Let's hope the billions won't be diverted. Trying to sound optimistic but I ain't finding it easy because Naija happens to a country where we hear news of disbursement of large sums of money without feeling the impact. Then we all delve into EFCC abracadabra again .

Fellow Nairalanders, sorry about the date of the reference. It should be Friday 1st July, 2011. I tried modifying but it was locked.

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, on Thursday said he had sent one of his children to a carpenter’s worshop to learn vocational skills.



He spoke during the maiden edition of Governor’s Education Award held in Lagos on Thursday.



One hundred and twenty six schools that distinguished themselves in the utilisation of the Lagos Eko Secondary Education Project (Eko Project) were rewarded with N2m each by the state government.



The Lagos Eko project is part of the government’s effort at improving the overall quality of education and learning outcomes of pupils in the 629 junior and senior public schools in the state over four years.



Fashola told the audience that he was surprised that his son could not fix a plug after six years of sound post-primary education.



“I called my son and asked him, what do you want to do now that you have finished your secondary education? He replied, ‘I want to do something with my hand.



“And I asked him, can you fix a plug? He said no. Then, I knew there was a problem and we (my wife and I) decided to send him to a carpenter’s workshop to acquire some skills,’’ the governor said.



Culled from The Punch Newspaper, Thursday 1st June 2011.

Gen. Buhari, EFCC Chairman I can't help chuckling at the idea. I'm even tempted to ask for the source of this post,  And juxtaposing the level of independence/dependence of the anti-graft outfit and the personality of the man in question, I don't see Gen. Buhari stooping so low to report to GEJ.
But if it happens, well this is Naija where anything can happen.

Alright, if its still available, how and where can I get it? I've been dialling your numbers but I can't get through. Please feedback from you is highly anticipated.

C'mon, at least we can't see an empty or half-empty bottle of ogogoro, beer or Brandy. He's probably just having a siesta.

Just when I thought political god-fatherism had become history, I never knew we aint seen nothing yet. I only hope we wont have in Lagos as well, the "Royal Rumble" that left the Oyo/Ibadan people gaping from their hiding places a couple of years back.

, I'm laughing already. Well, to answer you question. Just make sure you seek the consent of Tinubu if you do not want a face-off.

According to the source, Tinubu had disagreed with Fashola on the portfolio of some of the nominees, which Fashola would not like to change as directed by his predecessor.

The difference between them bothers on who occupies three key positions in the state cabinet: Chief of Staff, Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in the state and Secretary to the State Government.

Tinubu disagreed with Fashola on the list of names he submitted to state house of Assembly for ratification. He wants the Governor to accept the list of candidates, he (Tinubu) forwarded to him (Fashola).

The source further said that the list, which had since been forwarded to the state House of Assembly, could be rejected if Fashola eventually refused to bow to Tinubu’s control.

I dey laff oooo. kia, kia kia kia kia kia kia kia kia

Well guys, whichever kinda beer you take, just make sure its taken responsibly.