₦airaland Forum

Blames President’s wife for
‘resuscitating’ kidnapping in PH
•PDP can only win in 2015 through
rigging
•Amaechi has lost control, says
Minister
Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers
State has given a fresh insight into
why he fell out with President
Goodluck Jonathan and the First
Lady, Dame Patience.
The governor, who doubles as the
Chairman of the Nigeria Governors
Forum (NGF), told reporters at an
interactive session in Port Harcourt
on Friday night that Mrs. Jonathan
wanted to dictate to him how to run
the affairs of the state but that he
refused to dance to her tunes.
Mrs. Jonathan, like Amaechi, hail
from Rivers State.
Their disagreement is at the core of
the current political crisis in the state
with the State House of Assembly
shut down following the polarisation
of its members along the line of those
for or against the governor.
The minority six members against the
governor are widely believed to be
receiving encouragement from the
Presidency.
He said: “The wife of the President
wanted to macro-manage
governance in Rivers State and I said
no, you cannot. I was elected. If I fail,
they will not say the wife of the
President failed; they will say
Governor Amaechi failed. I am
accountable to God, men and women
of Rivers State.
“The wife of the President was not
elected the Governor of Rivers State. I
was elected. I am not in any way the
wife of the President. I am the
Governor of Rivers State, married to
Judith Amaechi.
“I am telling you why they want to
crucify me. This fight is about
change. It is about good governance.
It is about accountability. They do not
like Rivers State. They hate us. We are
losing. Tell me one thing that Rivers
State has gained from being part of
the South South under Goodluck
Jonathan’s Presidency.”
The governor, who was elected on the
ticket of the PDP but defected along
with four other governors to the All
Progressives Congress (APC) recently
also blamed Mrs. Jonathan for
resuscitating militancy and
kidnapping in the state.
“By the time the wife of President
Jonathan brought out the militants,
we had almost got to zero point of no
kidnapping in Port Harcourt. Where
we were witnessing kidnapping were
villages near Bayelsa and Abia
States. We were thinking of how to
go there with military surge, to chase
the criminals back to their bases,” he
said.
He said his principled stand has
earned him scorn from the First lady
who, according to him, is bent on
removing him from office using
government power.
“She also held a Security Council
meeting with them in Otuoke
(President Jonathan’s hometown in
Ogbia LGA of Bayelsa State),
declaring that they would use federal
‘mighty’ (instead of might).But we
have God Almighty.
“Is there any governor that has
passed through what I passed
through that is still alive? I am still
talking as the Governor of Rivers
State because there is God. They can
use their federal ‘mighty,’ but I
depend on the Almighty God.”
He said that President Jonathan has
not helped matters by trying to
under-develop Rivers at the expense
of his (Jonathan’s) home state of
Bayelsa.
He cited the Zonal Air Force originally
earmarked for Rivers by the late
President Umaru Yar’Adua but which
was relocated to Bayelsa and the
transfer of Soku oil wells to Bayelsa.
“The Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas
Company (on Bonny Island in Rivers
State) is even the worst. The
members of the board and
management of the NLNG came to
me and pleaded with me to speak
with the NNPC (Nigerian National
Petroleum Corporation) to allow
them to do Train Seven in Bonny, that
will employ 10,000 Rivers people,” he
said.
“I approached the NNPC and I went to
the Petroleum Ministry. I do not want
to call names, because most of them
are my friends. They told me no. I
thought it was a joke. That time,
there was no quarrel between me and
President Jonathan, because we had
just finished elections (2011) and we
were still chummy-chummy.
“I met with President Jonathan to
kindly speak with officials of the
NNPC and the Petroleum Ministry to
allow NLNG to build Train Seven.
President Jonathan said he wanted
them to finish Brass LNG in his
Bayelsa State, before they could build
Bonny NLNG’s Train Seven. Mr.
President said no and that he directed
the officials of the NNPC and the
Petroleum Ministry to say what they
said.
“Mr. President said right from when
he was the Deputy Governor of
Bayelsa State, he had been trying to
get the Brass LNG and wants to get it
now that he is the President. You
cannot force investors. So, we must
wait for Bayelsa State before Rivers
State can grow.
“The implication is that Rivers State
will not grow until Goodluck
Jonathan finishes his Presidency. Is
that a good government? Is that a
good party? Should I remain there? If
I was lying, they would have replied
me. What is Southsouth President?
There is only one thing in politics,
which is interest. You cannot play
politics of Nigeria with religion or
ethnicity.”
He added: “They took Soku oil wells
from us and they took 41 oil wells
from Etche to Abia State. Should I
remain in that kind of party that is
denying Rivers State its resources?
“When I said they could not account
for N2.3 trillion for oil subsidy, they
said what is your source? I was in a
meeting with President Jonathan.
Nigerians never knew that governors
went on strike for three months. We
refused to collect our monthly
allocations, because we told
President Jonathan that under
Yar’Adua late Umaru under Gen.
Obasanjo (former President
Olusegun), the total oil subsidy was
N300 billion.
“The first year of President Goodluck
Jonathan, in 2011, oil subsidy
became N2.3 trillion. Did we buy
more machines, more human beings
in Nigeria, we had 24 hours power
supply, things have changed in
Nigeria, that we now consume N2.3
trillion from N300 billion?”
He also denied subverting the
administration of a fellow
Southsoutherner.
His words: “Who is a South South
President? For me, a Southsouth
President is the man who feels for me
and cares.
“For them to be doing the East-West
Road (from Oron in Akwa Ibom State,
through Ogoniland in Rivers State to
Bayelsa, Delta, Edo, Ondo and Ogun
States, terminating in Lagos State), I
had to fight the Minister of Niger
Delta Affairs (Elder Godsday Orubebe)
.
“They said they would borrow money.
They borrowed money and are now
doing the East-West Road. The
Southsouth President should have
borrowed the money since 2011 that
he came in and completed the East-
West Road.
“Unfortunately, Yar’Adua is not alive
to speak for himself. I was part of the
people who sat down with Yar’Adua
to start the designing of coastal rail
from Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Rivers,
Bayelsa, Delta, Edo, Ondo and Ogun
States, up to Lagos State. Have you
heard of it again?”
He recalled a meeting he had with the
late President Yar’Adua who, he said,
asked what the Federal Government
could do for Rivers State to stem
militancy.
Amaechi said he suggested the
provision of a skills’ acquisition
centre and the then President
proceeded to award contracts for the
project to ‘prominent Rivers people’
only for President Jonathan, on
replacing Yar’Adua, to sack the
contractors.
The contracts, he added, were then
re-awarded to other people.
“For four years, the Federal
Government’s skills’ acquisition
centre is yet to be completed. It is not
about the contractor not working.
They are not funding the contractor,
because the project is in Rivers
State,” he said.
Amaechi said that the PDP is fast
drowning ahead of the 2015
elections.
According to him, more of PDP
governors will defect to the APC and
that the PDP could only win in 2015
by rigging.
He described the APC as the change
agent Nigeria needs at this point in
its history.
He said that by March 2014 the APC
would have become the majority
party in the Senate.
“Amaechi said, We are gradually
forming government. We have taken
over the House of Representatives.
Before March (2014), we will take
over the Senate. Just watch out.
“The pressure will mount so much
that they (Senators) will move from
the PDP into APC. For now, it is
narrowing down closely everyday and
we are counting. Watch out before
March, if we will not have the number
we are looking for.”
He dismissed the Nyesom Wike-led
Grassroots Development Initiative
(GDI) in the state as irrelevant and its
members as hungry people.
Wike, the Supervising Minister of
Education is the arrowhead of the
opposition to Amaechi.
Amaechi said of the group: “I do not
talk about those people who call
themselves GDI. For me, they are not
important, because that is not the
fight. Those people do not even have
the same agenda as the President.
Their agenda is they cannot survive
poverty.
“What they (GDI members) are trying
to do is how to win Rivers State and
share the money. They are not
fighting for President Jonathan. What
is driving them mad about Obio/
Akpor LG Council? I did not know that
individuals working in my
government were sharing Obio/Akpor
LG council’s money and they were
not ashamed.”
He debunked reports that he had
abandoned his wife, Judith, for
another woman, saying: “I read a
story that I impregnated Prof. Wole
Soyinka’s (Nobel laureate’s)
daughter. That she is living in my
house and my wife has ran away. The
story was bad. I had to call back my
wife, so that they would know that
she had not divorced me. She was
not planning to do Christmas in
Nigeria.
“She (Judith Amaechi) is back to see
her husband, spend time with the
husband, do some of her functions as
wife of the governor, so that they will
know that I am still married. Not just
that I am still married, I am a
Catholic.
“My marriage is as solid as a
Catholic marriage. There is
absolutely no room for divorce. What
you have is room for annulment.
There is only one ground for
annulment of marriage in Catholic
Church that is the marriage never took
place. That means the woman either
deceived him to marry her or the man
deceived her into marrying him. Any
other thing is called for better, for
worse.”
The political camp of the Supervising
Minister of Education, Chief Nyesom
Wike, Grassroots Development
Initiative (GDI), said yesterday that it
was wrong of Amaechi to refer to its
members as hungry people.
Speaking on telephone from Lagos,
the Secretary-General of the group,
Mr. Samuel Nwanosike, who doubles
as the Rivers Publicity Secretary of
the PDP, said the governor is
confused and incapable of delivering
the State to the APC in 2015.
He said: “It is not new to us that
Amaechi is saying GDI members are
hungry. Amaechi’s father was not the
Managing Director of Shell or Agip or
owner of any bank in Nigeria or West
Africa. He is of a humble beginning.
“It baffles me whenever Amaechi says
GDI members are hungry. It is
unbecoming of a governor.
“Amaechi has lost control of Rivers
State. It is unfortunate that Amaechi
could describe PDP as chop-I-chop
party. PDP made him Speaker of
Rivers State House of Assembly and
Rivers Governor. He is an ingrate. He
is involved in anti-party activities.
“PDP is not a drowning party.
Amaechi, now a member of the APC,
cannot win any election in his Ubima
Ward 8 (Ikwerre LGA). Amaechi is
involved in a show of shame.
Amaechi cannot deceive Rivers
people.”
He said that Rivers State would never
belong to the opposition, stressing
that the PDP would continue to win
the Niger Delta State.
http://thenationonlineng.net/new/how-patience-tried-to-hijack-rivers-by-amaechi/

The governor of Rivers State, Chibuike
Amaechi, has debunked speculations
that he impregnated a daughter of
Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka.
The governor denied the rumour
through his twitter handle on
December 18. PREMIUM TIMES
became aware of the tweets Saturday
morning.
There had been rumours that a
daughter of the Nobel Laureate was
expecting a child for Mr. Amaechi and
that she was already living in the
Government House.
It was further alleged that the
governor’s wife, Judith, had fled
abroad following the domestic
challenges she was having with her
husband.
It was claimed that the absence of the
First Lady gave Mr. Soyinka’s
daughter the opportunity to establish
her full presence in the Government
House.
But in the tweet, Mr. Amaechi
debunked the rumour, saying it was a
big lie, which was part of the ongoing
campaign to smear his image.
“That rumour about me and Prof.
Soyinka’s daughter is a big
outrageous lie. It’s certainly part of
the ongoing political campaign to
smear…..”
In another tweet, the governor said
his marriage to his wife was intact,
adding that they both love
themselves.
“…..me and Prof. Soyinka. I have
never and will never assault my wife
Judith. I love her so much and she
loves me too. Our marriage DEY
KAMPE. (Top Form).”
On December 24, the governor
tweeted a touching birthday message
to his wife Judith. The message was
accompanied by a romantic
photograph, with the governor
wrapping himself around his wife.
“Happy birthday to the most
beautiful, loving, caring, trustworthy
woman alive – my beloved wife and
mother of my children, Judith. You’ve
been a pillar to me, my partner
through thick and thin. I love you so
much my darling,” he wrote.
He posted the same message to his
Facebook page .
Mr. Soyinka appears to enjoy warm
relationship with Mr. Amaechi.
In July, after an open-door lecture
series tagged: “WS79 – Memoirs of
Our Future: An Audience with Prof.
Wole Soyinka,” which held at the
African Centre in Covent Garden,
London, to commemorate his 79th
birthday anniversary, the Nobel
Laureate told journalist he was Mr.
Amaechi’s friend just as he was to
other public officers.
Responding to a question on whether
he was a friend of the governor,
following his spanking of Nigeria’s
First Lady, Patience Jonathan, Mr.
Soyinka said, “That Amaechi is my
friend is not an allegation.”
He said he would be friends with
anyone who has been given the
mandate of the people through the
electoral process.
He added that he would not shy away
from identifying with public office
holders if they were fulfilling their
obligations and responsibilities of
governance.
“To say the Governor of Rivers is my
close friend is like saying Kayode
Fayemi or Dr. Babangida Aliyu or
Governor Ibikunle Amosun or even the
Second Republic Governor,
Mohammed Shugaba, in Shagari’s
administration, is my friend,” Mr.
Soyinka said.
He, however, pointed out that “it’s not
a matter of friendship,” but defence of
democracy and truth, noting that he
would not be afraid to switch loyalty
if the people he once praised change
their ways and start oppressing the
same people who elected them.
http://premiumtimesng.com/news/152192-governor-ameachi-denies-impregnating-soyinkas-daughter.html

*Insists no second term for Jonathan
in 2015
By Emeka Mamah & Soni Daniel,
Regional Editor, North
The North has asked President
Goodluck Jonathan to explain who he
was waiting for before taking action
to bring officials of the former
President Olusegun Obasanjo
administration to book over political
killings which he (Jonathan) said
were the order of the day when
Obasanjo held sway as the head of
government in the country.
It also insisted that the next president
of Nigeria, must emerge from the
area, pointing out that President
Jonathan must stand down for their
own in 2015.
The northern groups, Arewa
Consultative Forum, ACF, and the
Northern Elders Forum, NEF, made
these known at two separate
interviews with Saturday Vanguard
yesterday.
Reacting to a letter from Obasanjo,
alleging that the President had placed
1000 people on watch list, Jonathan
had in turn placed political killings in
the country on the door steps of the
former President.
Jonathan replied Obasanjo’s 18-
page open letter dated 2, 2013, to
him, pointing out that all the political
killings since the Fourth Republic
began, took place at the time
Obasanjo was President.
According to Jonathan, although
political killings had occurred in the
country, none of them had taken
place since he became President
about three years ago.
Among those who were said to have
been politically murdered during
Obasanjo’s administration included,
the former Minister of Justice and
Attorney-General of the Federation,
Chief Bola Ige, and South-South
politicians, Chief Harry Marshall,
Chief A.K. Dikibo, a former Senatorial
Candidate of the defunct All Nigeria
People’s Party, ANPP, in Imo State,
Uche Orji, Arc Layi Balogun, former
Vice Chancellor of the University of
Nigeria Nsukka, UNN, Prof Chimere
Ikoku, former Chairman of the Nigeria
Bar Association, NBA, in Anambra
State, Chief Barnabas Igwe and his
wife, Chief Victor Nwankwo of Fourth
Dimension Publishers and Chief
Funso Williams.
However, the Secretary General of
NEF, Prof Ango Abdullahi, confirmed
in an interview with Saturday
Vanguard that the North had made its
position on the 2015 presidency
known to President Jonathan’s
emissaries, who had attempted to
recruit some of their key stakeholders
for the next poll.
In the letter to Obasanjo dated
December 20, 2013, Jonathan further
stated, ‘’There have certainly been
cases of political assassination since
the advent of our Fourth Republic, but
as you well know, none of them
occurred under my leadership.
’’Regarding the over 1000 people you
say are on a political watch list, I urge
you to kindly tell Nigerians who they
are and what agencies of government
are “watching” them. Your allegation
that I am using security operatives to
harass people is also baseless.
Nigerians are waiting for your
evidence of proof. That was an
accusation made against previous
administrations, including yours, but
it is certainly not my style and will
never be. Again, if you insist on the
spurious claim that some of your
relatives and friends are being
harassed, I urge you to name them
and tell Nigerians what agencies of
my administration are harassing
them.
’’I also find it difficult to believe that
you will accuse me of assisting
murderers, or assigning a presidential
delegation to welcome a murderer.
This is a most unconscionable and
untrue allegation. It is incumbent on
me to remind you that I am fully
conscious of the dictates of my
responsibilities to God and our dear
nation. It is my hope that devious
elements will not take advantage of
your baseless allegation to engage in
brazen and wanton assassination of
high profile politicians as before,
hiding under the alibi your “open
letter” has provided for them.’’
However, reacting to President
Jonathan’s allegation on political
killings before he came into office, the
National Publicity Secretary of ACF,
Mr Anthony Sani, said, ‘’If you
consider the submissions by Mr
President,whose place in the order of
things, is to provide order and
direction to the nation… I wonder if he
needs ACF to ask him to take
necessary actions that are within his
mandate.
’’I have made it clear that what the
former president wrote to his place-
holder, President Jonathan, except
perhaps the issues of training and
arming snipers against political
opponents-was common place
knowledge. The same with the issues
raised by President Jonathan.
Meanwhile, Prof Abdullahi who spoke
in an interview with Saturday
Vanguard noted that the North had
already made its position on the
2015 presidency known to President
Jonathan’s emissaries, pointing out
that a list of 151 key northern
politicians and leaders was drawn by
presidential political tacticians with a
view to wooing them to work for the
president in the next general
elections.
The former ABU Vice Chancellor and
Presidential Adviser on Food Security
admitted to Olusegun Obasanjo, said
that he and some other northern
leaders, whose names appeared on
the list, had already been contacted
for possible support to Jonathan
ahead of the impending election.
He said however that the presidential
team must have hit the rock, as most
of the northern elements consulted on
the need to work for Jonathan’s re-
election, politely turned down the
offer.
Abdullahi did not mention the name
of any of those who contacted them
and who politely rejected the offer to
work for the president.
His words, “What I can tell you now is
that my name is on the list of the 151
Northern leaders and politicians, who
have been earmarked for consultation
by those working for Jonathan. But
the good thing is that most of those
contacted have also politely turned
down the offer.
“What Nigerians should know is that
the North as it is today, is ready to
receive and welcome a Nigerian
president from any of the 19 northern
states come 2015. He can come from
any of those states and we are ready
to support and work with such a
leader come 2015.
“I have been contacted by those who
believe they can lure me and other
Northern leaders to change our cause
and we courageously but politely
made our political position regarding
2015 very clear to them.
“They must have got our message
and have decided to adopt other
strategies, which in any case, would
not change our position regarding the
emergence of the Nigerian president
in 2015.”
Although President Jonathan is yet to
declare his intention to run in the
2015 poll, his body language
suggests he would run, hence,
opposition has been mounting
against his second term particularly
from the North, which claims that he
signed a deal to run for only a term of
four years after completing the
remaining two years of late President
Umaru Yar’Adua.
The lingering disagreement among
some of the party leaders and
governors in the ruling Peoples
Democratic Party, PDP, over 2015, led
to the defection of five PDP governors
to the opposition All Progressive
Congress, APC, last month.
President Jonathan has repeatedly
said that it is too early in the life of
the administration to begin campaign
for re-election in 2015, pointing out
that it was better for him to
concentrate on the provision of social
amenities for Nigerians than
dissipate energy on an election that
was still far away.
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/12/political-killings-north-asks-jonathan-prosecute-obasanjo/

Former Minister of Aviation and
Chieftain of the All Progressives
Congress (APC), Chief Femi Fani-
Kayode has said that he parted ways
with President Goodluck Ebele
Jonathan due to what he described
as insincerity of the president in
resolving the Boko Haram
insurgency.
According to him, the president as the
chief security officer of the nation
should be held responsible for the
lives of over 7,000 Nigerians that
were wasted in the last three years.
Fielding questions from newsmen in
Yola yesterday, Fani-Kayode said
emphatically, ‘’I said with all sense of
responsibility that the blood of
innocent souls that have been killed
is hunting this government and no
man in his right senses will be part of
a government under which this scale
of atrocities is being perpetrated; as
such, I parted ways with them.’’
He further said, ‘’I don’t think the war
against Boko Haram by this
government is sincere , if indeed, it’s
Boko Haram and not the government
that is behind it.
“May be they have a hidden agenda
to ensure that by 2015, the situation
will be so bad that elections cannot
hold in some parts of the country,
because they know if elections hold
in those areas, they will woefully be
defeated.’’
http://leadership.ng/news/271213/i-parted-ways-jonathan-his-insincerity-femi-fani-kayode

•Presidency gets N35.4b, confab
N700m
The Federal Government plans to
spend an estimated N59 billion on
ex-militants, according to details of
the 2014 Appropriation Bill presented
to both arms of the National
Assembly last week.
A breakdown of the figure showed
that while N23.6 billion will be spent
for payment of stipends to 30,000 ex-
militants, another N35.4 billion is
allocated for transformed ex-
militants.
The Presidency is to spend a total of
N33.4 billion within the fiscal year,
out of which N25.106 billion
represents recurrent expenditure,
while capital expenses is estimated
at N8.39 billion.
A further breakdown of the
Presidency’s budget shows that
N320.222 million is for ‘honorarium
and sitting allowance,’ N267.775
million for ‘welfare.’
The Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission (EFCC) has been
allocated N10.245 billion in the
budget, comprising N8.838 billion, or
86.26 per cent recurrent expenses
and N1.406 billion, or 13.72 per cent
as recurrent.
The budget also made provision of
N700 million for the proposed
National Dialogue.
Allocation proposed for the Education
sector increased to N493.45 billion of
the total, which represented 10.6 per
cent of the total 2014 budget
proposal.
The Appropriation Bill, presented by
Coordinating Minister for the
Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala,
before both arms of the National
Assembly, showed that N3.7 trillion,
representing 72 per cent of the N4.6
trillion, is to be spent on recurrent
expenditure, while N1.1 trillion was
earmarked for capital projects.
This, according to analysts, does not
tell of any plan for infrastructure
development in the coming year. The
document, they believe, failed to
address critical needs of the country.
On the revenue side, the Bill proposed
a Gross Federally Collectible Oil and
Gas Revenue of N7.16 trillion while
Non-Oil Revenue is projected at
N3.29 trillion.
Out of the oil revenue, total
deductions, including cost of crude oil
production, subsidy payments, and
domestic gas development is put at
N2.15 trillion, the same amount as in
2013.
The Federal Government budget
revenue is estimated at N3.73
trillion. Subsidy payments were
maintained at the 2013 level of
N971.1 billion.
On the fiscal balance side, the
government projected that in the 2014
financial year, fiscal deficit would be
about N911.96 billion, representing
about 1.90 per cent of the GDP while
total borrowing of N571 billion is
proposed in the Appropriation Bill,
representing a mere N6 billion
decrease from the approved 2013
figures.
For Edwin Ikhinmwin, a financial
analysts and former bank chief
executive, the 2014 budget does not
show any sign of helping to create
jobs, which would ordinarily come
through massive capital investment
“needed to rejuvenate our dilapidated
infrastructure and build new
capacities to support job creating
growth.”
Consequently, he told Daily
Independent, a “budget document
that provides only 27 percent for
capital expenditure is a trip in self
delusion and propagation of false
hood. The weight of recurrent
expenditure cannot be supported by
the capital budget. This is
symptomatic of a rent economy
whose long-term growth is not
sustainable.
It is like the winner of a lottery who
changed his style to expensive
consumption without investing in
sustaining wealth creation. The
money soon got finished and he
became poorer than before.”
Olufemi Awoyemi, and analyst and
Chief Executive of Proshare Nigerian,
an online finance and economy
portal, lamented the inequity in the
distribution of spending in the
budget.
He is particularly concerned that 72
per cent of the spending is earmarked
for payment of salaries and wages to
about 10 million workers or less than
six per cent of the nation’s 174
million people.
Even under in the days of military, he
lamented further, “capital expenditure
never grew below 40 per cent of total
budget… We just bloated the civil
service with every many of hangers’
on and political jobber.”
Mallam Garba Kurfi, Managing
Director, APT Securities and Funds
Limited, told News Agency of Nigeria
(NAN) in an interview in Lagos, that
the Nigerian economy would not
grow with the scant emphasis on
capital expenditure.
Allocating a mere N1.1 trillion for
capital expenditure is a child’s play,
considering the nation’s huge
infrastructure challenge, and that
Nigeria needs capital expenditure for
the economy to experience
meaningful growth and development.
Sehinde Adenagbe, Managing
Director, Standard Union Securities
Limited, however expressed
dissatisfaction with the late
presentation of the budget, calling for
quick passage of the budget, which
he regarded as the “road map for
economic activities”.
This, he said, would help companies
in decision making on investment,
since it is a pointer to the direction of
the nation’s economy in the new
year.
Harrison Owoh, Managing Director,
HJ Trust & Investment Limited, also
told NAN that the budget proposal
failed to address critical sectors of
the economy, and that it was indeed
disheartening that bulk of the
nation’s budget would be used for
wage payment instead of capital
projects.
He said that the Federal Government
should be bothered about the
sufferings of the masses and ensure
the provision of basic social
amenities.
http://dailyindependentnig.com/2013/12/fg-budgets-n59-9b-30000-ex-militants-2014/

L.M Ayedun..:
OBJ should be arrested.
He intimidated others too while he was the president.

I used to think you're a supporter of OBJ?....

Ucheosefoh: lol they leave the issue at hand their only concern is ur number of likes, they are likes staved that is why the complains

Honestly, I didn't know I've people stalking me but I've promised them to do more in 2014.
It's even funny because they think by criticising me, they will also get a high number of 'LIKES' to their posts. But it doesn't work that way!

biafranqueen: Bad belly don't mind him caus he never got 1 like on all his 10,000 post I don't blame him counting and keeping tally of likes is this what NL is for a freaking voting contest

I 2nd your comment on how the leaders feel about the citizens it is a hardcore hurtful fact they are laughing at us while spending our money with out a second thought. That is why it pains me to see the masses fighting for parties and fighting with tribalism inflated bigotry. You have to be an insider to know that this is all a joke to take us away from the main issues of stolen, missing and squandered national funds. I wish we could wake up soon, united we stand divided we full. Our main focus should be to hold our leaders accountable let us face the real issues they are ALL SCREWING US!

Well said. They are annoyed because it's on record that I have the highest no of 'LIKES' to a single post made on Nairaland this year (684 likes).
I've discovered That these 2 major political parties are not worth defending. Both are same. But like I said, APC are only portraying holier-than-thou attitude. Imagine OBJ is now a 'progressive' for speaking against GEJ. The men who want to rescue Nigeria are the same men who have looted the treasury of the country. They should stop deceiving the masses. If GEJ decides to join APC today, he'll also be a mega progressive! GEJ may not have lived up to our expectations but let's criticise constructively. Neither APC or APC is worth dying for. They may not have the interest of the masses at heart or even care about our existence. Let's Be Wise!

donphilopus: Are you naturally daft, or artificially stewpid?? Go through my posts, and see for yourself! I don't entertain nitwits like you; stupidity has taken over you. Hocus pocus.

Gosh! I commended u few minutes ago for ur maturity in response.... but U just disappointed me. why use insulting words on her when u should have still made ur point?....I'm really surprised!

donphilopus: And prosperous New Year in Advance!

One more thing, Kudos to the way u present ur case without engaging derogatory words. Keep it up. May God preserve us to see next year. Cheers!

donphilopus: The guy is just too funny! The other day, he was requesting for likes on a thread about LG in Edo state, where their legislators and Chairman went to Italy, by saying "Click like if you believe APC is seeking an Underserved attention", the same guy blasted Shepopotemus, when she said; we should be referring to her as "Mama Piss", with the grammers he doesn't understand! Only God will save him from the spirit of LIKES. We only request for LIKES in Sports section.

Wow! it's nice to know I've got a lot of followers here. People who care about my posts on Nairaland. I really appreciate ur following me. I promise to do more in 2014 so u can still enjoy following me. Thank You.

donphilopus: I know when it gets to the FrontPage, you'll come back and modify this post, just to get "Likes"! I know you can support your enemies just to get "Likes" from Nairalanders.

Bro, these politicians care little or less about the masses. I work in a govt circle, so I know what I'm talking about. I strive to remain neutral and objective when I approach issues. I'll advise u to overlook my no. of likes and look at the matter at hand critically.

Alright
I still remain doubtful of these two politicians. I wouldn't blame GEJ more because he was handpicked by 'Saint' OBJ. GEJ has his own shortcomings, especially the lacklustre way he's handling corruption issues, but he still remains better than OBJ. OBJ is only pretending to be the 'Holy One'.

Alright! Noted!

holyvirgin: Please @op Obasanjo is now in APC.... He is nolonger corrupt.
I urge all Nigerians to put behind all his many sins so Nigeria can forge ahead.
The corrupt man we know is now a saint, I also heard buhari baptized him since joining APC

lol....u funny die...

Princess2be: Abeg, Who is winning this battle now? What's the score? I'm only watching from the bench!

Your guess is as good as mine

mickyarams: Recently, a senator built and donated to a Church a building worth several millions of naira, and our dear President Goodluck Jonathan, who claims to be at the frontline of the fight against corruption, went to commission the building suspected to be a proceed of corruption, and Nigerians see it as normal. I concur fully with a prolific writer, who happens to be my role model in writing, Okey Ndibe, that “Nigerians venerate banality”.

Paradoxically, however, our leaders, past and present, have been fighting corruption in different ways through different means, to no avail. The question is: can you give what you don’t have? The answer is very clear: corrupt leaders, no matter how hard they try, cannot fight corruption, and in the cause of fighting corruption, they have themselves become more corrupt. An Igbo adage says the recalcitrant will certainly submit to burial mat (ekweghi ekwe n’ekwe n’ute ekwere). They can have their fill now, but certainly their cups will be full one day and they will find no hiding place. Everywhere in Nigeria, corruption is glaringly seen; from the executive to the legislature, to the judiciary, and to law enforcement agencies, government parastatals, educational institutions etc. Religious institutions are not left out of this evil. What we see in the churches today is self-esteemed, sanctimonious and pompous leaders (holier-than-thou attitude), who blindfold and confuse their congregation.

U've said it all. Every sector of the economy is submerged in massive corruption. It's just that some individuals act as if they are less culpable.

It's becoming more interesting! So even the self acclaimed 'Saint' OBJ was guilty? And yet APC see him as the Messiah of Nigeria. But these Honourable Lawmakers didn't inform us how much was their own 'illegal' allowances and entitlements within this same period. They should go back and bring out a more Comprehensive and Balanced report.

-Say Obasanjo spent N250m a year on Charles Taylor

BY EMMAN OVUAKPORIE

ABUJA—The Public Accounts Committee, PAC, of the House of Representatives revealed at the weekend that over N4 trillion was spent from 2004 to 2012 by the Federal Government from Service-wide Vote without the approval of the National Assembly.

The committee said due process was not followed in the manner such a huge sum was lavished, noting that it contravened Section 80 of 1999 constitution.

The committee also alleged that between 2005 and 2006, the government of former President Olusegun Obasanjo spent N250 million to feed former President of Liberia, Charles Taylor and his family, who were on an asylum in the country.

Chairman of PAC, Adeola Olamilekan (APC-Lagos), who disclosed these at a briefing of journalists, said the expenditure was made without parliamentary approval, starting from the government of President Obasanjo to that of President Goodluck Jonathan.

Olamilekan explained that “most of the expenditures to which the Service-wide Vote releases were deployed are routine in nature and did not qualify for emergency funding.

“For instance, between 2004 and 2012, a total of N1, 284,853,731.20 was spent on publicity and publication of various government programmes.

“Between 2004 and 2005, N250 million was spent on the upkeep of the former Liberian President, Charles Taylor, another N14,006,494.847.57 was also released from the Service-wide Vote for the payment of judgement debts against the Federal Government.

“The office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, Budget Office and the Ministry of Finance released to their various offices a total of N2, 267,002,101 to a few auditors as audit fees and in 2011 alone, the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation paid out N809,358,504 as audit fees to some external auditors carrying out audit of the Federal Government financial activities instead of the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation.”

He also alleged that over N160 million was released for the Budget and Accountant General’s offices.
He said further: “The expenditure of N162million from the 2011 Service Wide Votes releases tagged; “Closing Accounts” incurred jointly by the Office of the Accountant-General and the Budget Office of the Federation.

“An expenditure of N1,059,177,589.31($6,619,859.93 at the rate of $1=N160) in 201 and 2011 said to payment of outstanding tax on Nigeria House in New York.

“Successive governments have from 2004 to 2012. Spent a whopping N4.17 trillion as against N1.8trillion approved by the National Assembly as Service Wide Votes component of the budgets of those years, translating to N2.27trillion extra budgetary spending or 220% above the Service Wide Votes as approved in the budget for the period.”

He explained that “such extra-budgetary expenditures constitute a breach of Section 81 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999(as amended) and an illegality.”

Olamilekan also said PAC discovered in the course of its oversight that the Service-Wide Vote was converted to a recurrent fund by the government, instead of an infrastructure vote.

“Such releases were mainly used to finance recurrent expenses not targeted at critical and strategic sectors of the economy and the releases were random and did not follow any clear pattern.

“The Service Wide Votes had become an alternative budget which government prefers to patronize than the annual budget, leading to poor implementation of the annual budget as approved by the National Assembly,” he added.

The report was earlier last Thursday presented by Olamilekan to the House which resolved that the committee should do more on its findings and present another report within two weeks.
The Service Wide Wide is the fund set aside for emergency purposes.
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/12/fg-allegedly-lavished-n4-7trn-8yrs-reps/

hmm........It's Well.

Residents of Atimbo community in
Calabar Municipality of Cross River
State were thrown into mournful
mood as a mother, Ikwo Udoh Bob,
20, allegedly snuffed life out of her
one-year-three-months-old baby boy
by forcing him to drink poisonous
substance suspected to be
insecticide.
The infanticide is believed to have
happened in the wee hours of Friday.
The mother was said to have had a
running battle with the man
suspected to be responsible for the
pregnancy even before the baby was
born. She was alleged to have told
some close friends that she did not
want to keep the baby.
According to the neighbours’
accounts, the young mother was
piqued that she was abandoned by
her lover-boy at the most critical
moment of her life even when she
pleaded with the man to financially
support her after delivery of the baby.
Frustrated that the alleged father of
the baby failed to provide financial
support for the upkeep of the infant
after delivery, Ikwo allegedly killed
her young son.
Speaking to our correspondent in
tears, the father of the young woman,
Mr. Udoh Bob, said, “Yesterday was
the second time my daughter
attempted to kill the boy, named
Victor.”
Narrating the incident, Bob, who is a
timber dealer and a native of Eket in
Akwa Ibom State, said in an
emotion-laden tone, “I left the house
in the morning on that Friday without
sensing any ominous sign that my
daughter was hatching such an evil
plan. I don’t know what to tell you
now but I want to believe that God
knows the whole thing. Before I left
the house in the morning yesterday,
the boy called me daddy as usual and
waved at me. I waved back only to
return and was told he was dead. I
took over the responsibility of caring
for the mother and child after the
young man who impregnated her
denied her and ran away,” he said in
an emotion-laden tone.”
He recalled that there was a day he
noticed the boy foaming from the
mouth and he quickly gave him palm
oil to drink, an act, which, he said,
neutralized the effect of the poison,
adding, “Now that this has happened,
I believe she attempted to kill the boy
then, but God did not allow it.”
http://sunnewsonline.com/new/cover/mother-kills-one-year-old-son-insecticide-criver/

OAM4J: Seasons of letters. About time I write mine.

Please how many pages is this letter?

lol.....letter writing seems to be trending now...