₦airaland Forum

slyzy:
How does ur failure to get food to eat relate with Buhari's certificate bros

Lol, I beg help me ask am oooo

ReabridCharles:
See your life? Because you don't need your certificate to work in cool am, you want us to cool off.

Cos of dis trash you said, I'd stop listening to cool fm.

If you didn't have cert, would they have employed you?

Buhari no get hope for that statement oh, even if you fail, we need that certificate oh.

Put am wailer like me to rest.

Buhari #whereIsYourCertificate

His certificates are with the Nigerian army. Go and check it out.

stellx:
Carryover of our Nigeria PP mentality to saner climes attracts untoward repercussions.

True talk my dear. PP is our way over here in Naija. The guy goofed sha ooo.

Thunderlicious:
Just came to check the name.

Suspecting someone you know?

Nigerians are busy hounding him for a certificate. If you guys don’t mind he can come and have mine, I will even add my UI BSC in sociology as I have NEVER needed the certificate.

President Muhammadu Buhari has been dragged to court over his controversial missingWAEC certificate by popular lawyer Nwokocha-Ahaaiwe who filed the suit alleging that President Buhari did not sit for the Cambridge West African School Certificate WASC) in 1961 as he claimed.

Now that the case has been adjourned indefinitely by a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, Cool FM’s OAP, Freeze has shared an interesting perspective on the issue.

Read his post below…

Nigerians have a history of voting people into office and not letting them work.

I remember quite clearly the jubilation on the streets of Lagos, when president Goodluck Ebele Jonathan was voted into office in 2011, that joy however, was short lived, because in 2012, less than a year later, he became one of the most insulted presidents ever, for the proposed deregulation of petroleum products he wanted to carry out.

Our lack of foresight prevented us from seeing that the proposed price we greatly opposed back then, is the same price we warmly embraced recently.

I remember with much clarity, the #OccupyNigeria some Nigerian celebrity clowns carried on their heads like gala, one of the noble intentions of which, was to remove the fuel subsidy, which was one of the biggest and most elaborate corruption schemes in Nigeria, that created a billion dollar cabal, swiftly draining the country’s financial and natural resource ‘blood’ like a cut to the jugular.

Fast forward to the 15th of June 2016, president Buhari floats the Naira and instead of the expected jubilation, as it is a much anticipated move in the right direction, Nigerians are busy hounding him for a certificate. If you guys don’t mind he can come and have mine, I will even add my UI BSC in sociology as I have NEVER needed the certificate. All I learnt is in my head and will follow me to my grave as a certificate in Nigeria today is hardly worth the paper it’s printed upon.

Let us support the man we voted into power, LET US ALLOW BUHARI MAKE NIGERIA GREAT AGAIN’.
http://www..ng/2016/06/16/buhari-can-certificate-ive-never-needed-mine-cool-fms-freeze/

A disgraced doctor who moonlighted while on sick pay must pay back £75,000 to the NHS or face two years in jail.Gynaecologist Dr Anthony Madu, 45, secretly carried out well-paid locum work while on paid sick leave from another hospital.

Nigerian-born Madu was convicted of six charges of fraud and given a two-year suspended sentence in 2014. He has now been told at a Proceeds of Crime hearing that he must repay £75,620.73 within six months or go to prison.


Madu was given an obstetrics and gynaecology registrar post at the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, in August 2009.
But he was suspended and put on extended leave just two months later over allegations about his conduct towards other staff and claims he had falsified his training record.From January 2010, he submitted sick notes on three occasions, saying he could not work because of stress. But he then went on to earn huge sums as a locum at four hospitals in Manchester, Yorkshire and the Midlands.

Prosecutor Christian Jowett told Cardiff Crown Court that Madu, now living in Woolwich, London, transferred £95,000 to a bank account in Nigeria.

Mr Jowett said:
‘He was legally obliged to tell his employers about his work but he did not. 
'He was also legally obliged to tell two locum agencies he was on extended leave and had been granted sickness leave. But he continued to work and receive payment.’
Judge David Wynn Morgan said Madu will never be able to practise medicine in the UK again.

After the hearing, Cheryl Hill, a counter-fraud specialist for the NHS, said:
‘This is a very satisfactory outcome. Dr Anthony Madu defrauded the NHS of money which should have been spent on patient care.
Source - DailyMail

A police sergeant, Daniel Osaimayu, has been dismissed from the Nigeria Police Force for allegedly collecting N50,000 bribe from motorists in the Oshodi area of Lagos State.
 Our correspondent gathered that Osaimayu, who was attached to the Lagos State Task Force on Environmental and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit, Alausa, was arrested on Monday by the X-Squad of the Lagos State Police Command.

 Punch learnt that the X-Squad operatives had arrested a hoodlum in the area and found the cash on him.
The hoodlum, however, fingered the police sergeant, who was posted to the area, as his accomplice.
 The state Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, who confirmed the dismissal on Wednesday, said four other policemen were dismissed for extortion and improper dressing.
Our correspondent gathered that the four dismissed policemen were Samuel Ando, Michael Adeoya, Richard Ugwu and Sulaiman Muhammed.

 It was learnt that Adeoya was dismissed for allegedly wearing flip-flops while on duty, while Muhammed was dismissed for allegedly not wearing police uniform while on duty.
 Speaking with PUNCH Metro while being paraded, Osaimayu, who was dismissed for bribe, said the money was received from motorists in the area and kept with the hoodlum.
The ex-policeman, who denied that the money was collected in his name, begged the CP to reverse the dismissal as he had no means to feed his family.

 He said, “I was at my duty post on Monday in the Oshodi area when the X-Squad operatives came to arrest me. It was around 10am. A hoodlum had earlier been arrested and searched, and the money was found on him. The suspect confessed it was the money obtained from motorists and he said I authorised him to do it.
“I did not know he collected any money on my behalf. I was whisked off to the command headquarters, Ikeja. They searched me, but no money was found on me. The CP should reconsider me. I have family members to cater to.”
 Adeoya, who was arrested for wearing flip-flops, denied that he was on duty at that time, adding that he went to the Mile 12 Market to buy food supplements for his fowls.
 He said, “I boarded a tricycle to the Mile 12 area. As I alighted, the X-Squad officials swooped on me and said I was improperly dressed. But I was not on duty. I worked as a guard to a chairman of a political party in the Kosofe area.
 “As of the time of my arrest, I was going to the market to buy food supplements for my fowls. I rear fowls in my house. I was surprised that I was arrested. After I was interrogated, they said I would be tried for improper dressing. There is nobody to feed my fowls. They would have all died by now.”
 Another suspect, Muhammed, who was attached to the Idimu Police Division, while pleading for mercy, said he had a health challenge and was going to treat himself when he was arrested.
He said, “I was on night duty at a politician’s house in Idimu. I had an asthmatic attack and I was going to get my inhaler. Someone gave me a ride to Idimu. I was going to the police station when they arrested me for improper dressing. I am not into extortion. I was dealing with my health challenge.”

http://www.misspetitenaijablog.com/2016/06/police-dismiss-cop-for-collecting.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+MissPetiteNigeria+(Miss+Petite+Nigeria)&m=1

A short while back we reported that an Atlanta based doctor, Dr Bartum Kulah accused handsome actor Van Vicker of sleeping with his wife, Clarice Ford-Kulah.

The doctor opened up to online sites about the shocking affair. “My wife will deny the accusations and claim to be Van Vicker’s Manager and Business partner, that’s what she always says, it’s all a cover up, and I’ve caught them at a hotel twice,” he said. Read here in case you missed it

But the married woman accused of sleeping with Van Vicker has come out to rubbish the allegations by her husband.

According to Dr. Clarice Ford-Kulah, a mother-of-two, the allegations are totally untrue. She says her husband is very insecure and has been “harassing” all her male friends for years.

She responded to the allegations in a statement released today. Read the full statement below…

In response to the recent rumors trending on the internet concerning Van Vicker and I, none of it is true. Neither Van nor myself would do such a thing. We both have families that we love and care about dearly. Van and I have worked together professionally and as a family for over five years and have never encountered such nonsense accusations.


My husband has security issues due to an accident that has completely interrupted his life. He has been harassing all of my male friends, including pastors, ministers, and deacons for years and I chose to ignore.

However, this accusation is too ridiculous for me to ignore because it is in the public domain.

Further, it is my understanding that my husband is going through some type of medical crisis. I will be returning to the US shortly to deal with this situation and would love my family to be left alone whiles dealing with this unfortunate situation privately.

I am currently in Liberia attending to business. While here, we will be premiering our film along with another business associate who also flew in with me from the States to attend both the Ghana and Liberia premieres of the movie ‘Skinned’.

I assure everyone that there is no evidence of any sort to back up these baseless claims by my husband. Whatever pictures and videos he says he can produce will be of us going in and out of events premises, pick ups and drop offs. None of these pics or video will be compromising in any way.

Again, I am asking that these rumors be put to rest. Van Vicker is my client and ‘family’.

Dr. Clarice Ford-Kulah

http://www.lailasblog.com/2016/06/ive-never-slept-with-van-vicker-married.html?m=1

Eniola Akinkuotu, Abuja

the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission says it is unfortunate that Nigerians see nothing wrong with corrupt practices.

The Chairman of the ICPC, Mr. Ekpo Nta, said this on Tuesday when some students of Government Secondary School, Kubwa, Abuja, visited the headquarters of the anti-graft agency.

Nta, who was represented by the Head of Department, Education, Mr. Geoffrey Anumve, said instead of supporting security agencies in the fight against graft, many Nigerians were busy accusing the anti-graft agencies of witch-hunt.

He said the aim of all Nigerians should be to stamp out corruption instead of bothering themselves with who was being arrested and who was not.

He said, “You see one Nigerian stealing billions of naira and dollars that could have been used for education and the construction of bridges and the irony of it is that many Nigerians do not see anything bad in it. They justify it.

At times, they say it is one-sided; why are you not touching this person? But we ask this question: We have so many armed robbers and kidnappers out there. Have we arrested all the robbers at the same time? It is only when one is caught that he is arrested and that is what is happening in this situation.”

Nta, therefore, urged the pupils to shun corruption in every possible way.

Also speaking, an official of the Education Department at the ICPC, Azuka Ogugwa, told the youths to join in the fight against corruption.

She explained that acts such as examination malpractice, stealing, bullying and extortion in school, were forms of corruption.

Ogugwa said, “Corruption involves illegality. Corruption is the abuse of a position of trust for personal or group benefits. It might not be financial. It might be material or through bullying or bossing people around.”

Source: punchng.com

National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Chief Odigie Oyegun, on Saturday said despite the challenges facing Nigeria currently, the future of the country was bright.

He noted that the citizens were groaning presently because his party took over a nation burdened by a poor economy occasioned by the fall in global price of crude oil.

Oyegun made the remark during a luncheon and award ceremony organised by the University of Ibadan Alumni Association as part of activities marking the annual programmes of the association.

In his speech, the APC chairman drew consolation in the ability of President Muhammadu Buhari to reshape the country’s economy through personal sacrifice. He however identified the limitations of the President under a democratic system.

Oyegun said, “We took over this nation in such a bad shape. What any of us never calculated would ever happen started happening. The price of crude (oil) collapsed in a very precipitate manner, such that it did not give anybody time to plan or develop a fall-back situation.

“Yes, things are bad. Yes, things are hard. Yes, Nigeria are groaning. But we have a President, who rather than (bring) plastic solution, has decided to make himself, and virtually all the governors the sacrificial lamb in establishing a foundation for a totally different nation.

“It is hard work and it is a tough work. In the period, it is going to be a lot of pains and we are already in it. We cannot solve all the problems because he (president) has a four-year term. Our prayer is that God will give him enough strength because he is one of the people who have the sacrificing courage to take the kind of decisions that are vital and necessary. He has the kind of discipline that Nigeria needs to progress. Yes, it is hard time. But I have no doubt that the future is very bright.”

The chairman of the occasion and former Vice- President, Atiku Abubakar, was represented by the Pro- Chancellor of the university, Dr. Umar Mustapha.

Apart from Oyegun, some of the other awardees were the former governor of Abia State, Orji Kalu; Leader of Afenifere, Reuben Fasoranti; former Managing Director of the defunct Daily Times, Chief Areoye Oyebola; and former presidential candidate who is now leader of the Socialist Democratic Party, Chief Olu Falae.

Also at the event, the Oyo State Governor, Abiola Ajimobi, thanked the UIAA for recognising the awardees for their contribution to the institution and the country as a whole. He described Oyegun as an accomplished economist, a distinguished civil servant and a committed leader of the APC.

Meanwhile, the National President of the UIAA, Dr. Kemi Emina, has described Kalu as a great entrepreneur who was leading Nigerian youths through his entrepreneurial spirit. The former Abia State governor was represented at the event by his personal assistant, Kunle Oyewumi.

http://www.punchng.com/times-hard-nigerians-groaning-buhari-working-oyegun/

Lol
Bros take it easy now

– Bola Tinubu tasked Nigerians that just like they have asked questions concerning the annulled June 12, 1993 election, they should also take corrupt leaders to task

– He pleaded with the citizens to support the government of President Muhammadu Buhari which is coordinating the fight against corruption in the country

– He revealed that the seed of democracy was sown during the June 12 struggle which centres around Chief Moshood Kashimawo Abiola

To mark the 23rd anniversary of the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election in Nigeria, national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, has tasked citizens to act against corrupt leaders and financial recklessness if the country would blossom again.
Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos, said this is in a speech to mark the anniversary of the election allegedly won by late Moshood Abiola but was annulled by General Ibrahim Babangida, then head of state.

“Just like in the moving spirit of June 12, Nigerians must speak up against any form financial recklessness and corruption in high places, in their states or local administration and wherever this is found.

“Beyond speaking against and exposing corruption, Nigerians must speak for and in support of the on-going concerted efforts being coordinated by President Muhammadu Buhari.

“The lessons of the June 12 struggle abides. To June 12 we must return to rekindle our love and devotion for democracy and Nigeria.

READ ALSO: 9 most powerful people in Buhari’s administration

“We Know that no change comes easy and we must be mindful of the fact that the success of the APC led government is the success of all of us,” he said in the speech in which he urged Nigerians to constantly demand accountability from their leaders.

Read the speech below:

On this 23rd anniversary of June 12, we must not only cast our minds back to the events of that period, but we must never forget our patriots who lost lives and limbs in that epochal struggle. Beyond being a watershed, the June 12 election, the annulment and its aftermath remain the cornerstone of our democracy as a people today.

Because a few courageous ones across the broad spectrum of the Nigerian society formed a coalition and lead from the front, the military was unable to get away with its constitutional impunity.

Fired on by patriotism, resistant of years of oppressive military dictatorship and willing to do something about the situation Nigerians pushed the limits of civil disobedience against tyranny. By so doing, Nigerians pushed the military out, demanding for democratic governance and since then, there has been no looking back.

The seed of democracy that was sown during the June 12 struggle of which Chief Kashimawo Abiola remains the spirit and the moving force is the fruit we now enjoin. Nigerians sustained the fervour and the patriotic disposition necessary for a new political culture to take root. However, 16 years after that struggle ended and the military departed, a new kind of struggle began. With a government of the people, by the people and for the people, the desire for rapid development and a disciplined and accountable leadership became an agenda item. In the hands of the PDP led government, Nigerians got a raw deal.

READ ALSO: Democracy: Tinubu’s message to all Nigerians

But again desirous of a change, Nigerians were again galvanized into voting the PDP out and voting in the APC with its message and philosophy of change.

But beyond the historic mandate given to the All Progressives Congress, APC is the urgent need to have every citizen be part of the change we want to see. From the streets and crannies, from the classrooms and boardrooms, from the lecture halls and the corridor of power, from the lawmakers, ministers and leading politicians this is a season that demands our contribution, requires we make sacrifice and seeks that we work together towards building a critical mass that will see to the processes of the change vision now unfolding.

Nigerians must exact from its leaders performance and accountability.

Just like in the moving spirit of June 12, Nigerians must speak up against any form financial recklessness and corruption in high places, in their States or local administration and wherever this is found. Beyond speaking against and exposing corruption, Nigerians must speak for and in support of the on-going concerted efforts being coordinated by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The lessons of the June 12 struggle abides. To June 12 we must return to rekindle our love and devotion for democracy and Nigeria.

READ ALSO: Why Buhari accepted British PM’s “fantastically corrupt” statement – Tinubu

We know that no change comes easy and we must be mindful of the fact that the success of the APC-led government is the success of all of us.

On this occasion, I shout out to all my colleagues from the days of the June 12 struggle encompassing the NADECO foot soldiers still alive today, the pro-democracy activists, the civil society and the professionals who stood up to be soldiers in defense of the democratic rights of Nigerians. With the new converts and company that have joined our rank and file, let us again stand guard and be vigilant to ensure that disgruntled elements and the powers of yesterday who we overthrew with our votes do not destroy our democracy.

Tinubu, a major force in Nigeria’s democracy, has helped to stabilise the President Buhari administration.

He met with leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) during the recent strike action, a move that helped to return normalcy to the country at the time.

https://www.naij.com/857506-must-read-tinubus-tells-nigerians-humble-truth.html

Front PAGE really?
Are you kidding me?
How did this post make it here?

This is what I call '' TRUE LOVE".

– A woman has quit her job to breastfeed her 36-year-old partner full time

– The pair claim the odd practice helps them to form a ‘magical’ bond

– The story about adult breastfeeding caused angry reactions from mothers worldwide

Twenty years ago Jennifer Mulford gave birth to her daughter, whom she breastfeeded for eight months. Now she is breastfeeding again but not a baby — her 36-year-old boyfriend.


Jennifer Mulford and her 36-year-old bodybuilder boyfriend Brad Leeson

Jennifer was searching for a man who would like to try an adult breastfeeding relationship and when her former childhood sweetheart, Brad Leeson, agreed she was in seventh heaven.

READ ALSO: This is how you can get pregnant without even knowing – doctor explains

Recalling the first time the pair tried it Jennifer said: “It was like a light switched flicked in his head. I could tell from his voice that he was curious and excited. At that moment I knew that I had a partner for life… we both wanted the same thing out of the relationship – a magical bond that only breastfeeding can achieve.”

Moreover, she left her job of a bartender to breastfeed Brad, a body builder and father of on, every couple of hours. Such frequency needed to make her body think she has had a baby and produce milk.

READ ALSO: 15 surprising facts about your breasts you never knew, no 9 is a must see

“I’ve taken a break from my job because I want to devote everything to making this work. Nights have been a struggle because Brad sleeps so peacefully but we manage to cope – until he falls asleep latched onto me, which is beautiful.”

While Jennifer and Brad are happy with their lives, their story has been harshly criticised on social media, with many claiming it is false and offensive for women, and others accusing Jennifer of ‘sexualising’ breastfeeding.

https://www.naij.com/853875-woman-quits-job-breastfeed-36-year-old-boyfriend-photos.html

Just some days back, it was Muhammad Ali.

Yesterday, it's Stephen Keshi.

Now, it's... God forbid, brain cancer in Buhari's skull.

What's this with 2016 sef?

Just some days back, it was Muhammad Ali.

Yesterday, it's Stephen Keshi.

Now, it's... God forbid, brain cancer in Buhari's skull.

What's this with 2016 sef?

This bade is the real BADDEST. OBO shine your eyes wella ooo because this your baby is starting her own trend too early oooo.

Yes I can.

But not with a woman who has allowed depression, repression, hopelessness, desolution, and self pity to destroy the little faith left in her.

I would rather marry that woman who unfortunately contracted HIV, but wakes up to the fact that there is something called FAITH in the name of Jesus and believes with all her heart in the miracle working power of God, who refuses to be casted down by the devil.

God still works wonders today!!!

Our father, who at in heaven, ..,,,,

After going through the story of a Primary School Teacher that taught for 30yrs and retired at the post of Assistant Headmaster with Gabukka Primary School in Gombe, one will be compelled to agree with the common saying that teachers’ reward is in heaven”.

Malam Jafaru Adamu Boderi had recently clocked 60years in his life and that also brings him to the end of his carrier as a civil servant.

He finally retired in March this year. Today, Malam Jafaru received an alert of amount of over N34,400 coming into his account as his usual salary.



When he saw the amount he knew that something went wrong, so he said to himself that this cannot be his pension because it was the exact figure that he normally receive as his monthly salary.

Unfortunately, he had no money nor any little amount to use for transport.

He was left with the option to trek down to the bank.

He withdrew the money and also trekked from the bank to the State Treasury.

He tendered the money, collected his receipt and walked down home. On his way home, his cousin had to give him N50.00 for transport fare to pay for a bike. What a man!

It’s my pleasure to share with you the story of this rare breed of citizens. This level of contentment is extraordinary and worth commendation.

For proof of evidence, I hereby attached a photocopy of the Gombe State Government Treasury Receipt with No. 0196241.

I wish the Government of Gombe state will celebrate such patriot and eulogize his exemplary character for purpose of promoting good moral values in public service and society.

http://www..ng/2016/05/29/retired-teacher-returns-salary-wrongly-paid-state-treasury/

It is exactly one year since Muhammadu Buhari was sworn in as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Ahead of the official commemoration of his ascension to power, Buhari spoke with some journalists on the issues that have dominated his reign. Excerpts:

Looking at the last one year, how would you assess what has happened in terms of your expectations when you took office, the challenges you met and the progress made or lack of it?

I am sure you will recall that during our campaign, we identified three problems for our country. First was security — the situation especially in the North-East then. Second was the economy — unemployment; and third was corruption. I am sure you can recall that these were what we identified.

In the North-East, when we came in, Boko Haram occupied 14 local governments and they had hoisted their flags and called the areas their caliphate. But I can assure you that Boko Haram is not holding any local government presently, but they have progressed to using IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices) and by taking on softer targets — people in mosques, churches, marketplaces, motor parks, killing them in tens, twenties and fifties that you all know about, and killing schoolchildren. So, I think we have made substantial progress in that area. If you know anybody living in Maiduguri or Yobe, he or she will tell that people are going back to their homes; those who moved to Kano, Kaduna or even here in Abuja are now moving back and they are trying to continue with their lives. On the economy, again we were unlucky. We are now a mono-economy and everybody is dependent on oil revenue. The oil price collapsed and we were exposed. From 1999 to 2014, the average price of Nigerian crude that was sold was $100 per barrel, but when we came in, it plummeted to about $30 per barrel and now it is between $40 and $50 per barrel. At some stage, I got the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria to give me a list of the things we have been spending our foreign exchange on and it showed food items such as tomato puree, grains, rice, wheat and even toothpicks. I didn’t believe it and I still don’t believe it because if he said we were building so many factories, buying essential raw materials and spare parts machinery, I would have believed it. But to show me that what we were consuming majorly was just food items? I believe that Nigerians from the eastern part of this country, from the west and north, about 60 per cent of them, eat what they produce because they cannot afford to buy foreign food. So, what was happening was that people who had plenty of naira, they just filled the papers that they were importing food and were given foreign exchange; they invested the money outside in whatever form. My belief was strengthened when we got into trouble about the import of petroleum products. We conducted a survey and we found out that one-third of what Nigerian marketers claimed to be bringing in, they were not bringing it in. They were just signing the papers and taking the money out. So, people were doing the same thing with food products. But I think subsequently, when we get to the court with some people, you will hear more about it.

The third one was on corruption, I would speak about that in two days’ time (Sunday) and also on subsequent attempts to prosecute where we have found evidence; about where the monies have gone and the different banks either here or outside the country, we would let you know.

We know that your party did not support the idea of a national conference when it was held, but one year after, it is like the clamour is rising again, given some of the challenges such as security and the economy, and people say all these issues were addressed by the National Conference report. Would you have a rethink by going back to see what is good in that report?

No, I don’t want to tell different stories. I advised against the issue of national conference. You would recall that ASUU was on strike then for almost nine months. The teachers in tertiary institutions were on strike for more than a year, yet that government had about N9bn to organise that meeting [National Conference] and some [members] were complaining that they hadn’t even been paid. I never liked the priority of that government on that particular issue, because what it meant is that the discussions on what the National Assembly ought to do was more important than keeping our children in schools. That is why I haven’t even bothered to read it or ask for a briefing on it and I want it to go into the so-called archives.

The progress that has been made in the fight against Boko Haram is widely acknowledged not only in Nigeria but outside the country. But as we have made progress with Boko Haram, other serious security challenges have arisen. You have the issue of the herdsmen and the killings; you have the Niger Delta Avengers; the Biafra agitation; and incessant kidnapping. Can Nigeria’s security infrastructure deal with these multiple fronts that are opening up?

To speak in the order the question was asked, on the herdsmen, note that Gaddafi ruled Libya for 43 years. During his 43 years, Libya was a small country in terms of population, but very big in terms of resources. They have oil reserves, light crude like Nigeria’s crude. But he was quite generous to some of the countries in the Sahel. He took their young men and trained them. But unfortunately, he didn’t train them to become electricians or plumbers, bricklayers or mechanics. They were trained to shoot and kill. When that administration was removed, of course, those who removed it knew that he stabilised his country by using these people from the Sahel, so they pursued them and they went back home. You know what happened in Burkina Faso, Mali, and a few of them we believe are around the North-East. I am sure you know that here in Nigeria, our border with our northern neighbour, Niger, is at least 1,500km-long; it is such an open country that you cannot stop donkeys from crossing; you cannot stop camels neither can you stop people from crossing the borders. Only God can effectively guide these borders. So, some of them found their way here. Even on the recent herdsmen [killings], I asked one of the governors if the herdsmen were fighting perennially with the farmers and he said there was a difference, which means that these people were either hired to come and fight and worsen the ethnic relationship in Nigeria or they have no profession other than fighting for a fee. But these are just reports that still have to be confirmed later. So that is what I can answer about the herdsmen and I think the law enforcement agencies are working very hard to identify them. Now about the militants in the South-South: when we came in, I got one of the senior officers [in the army], a major-general, and asked him to revisit the agreement the late Yar’Adua signed with them. I said he should get a copy of the gazette so that we could see the agreement to know what stage we were in. I haven’t received a comprehensive report on that yet, but I believe the officer is working hard. I saw him responding to some of your colleagues [journalists] a couple of days ago in the papers. Meanwhile, I have told the military and law enforcement agencies that the promise this government took was that this country had to be secure before it could be effectively managed. So we can’t wait for that report before the military re-organises itself and secures the Niger Delta area. So I think very soon they would do some serious operations there. But for Biafra, those looking for Biafra have a tough job. A lot of them that have participated in the demonstrations were not born and didn’t know what people like us went through (fighting Biafra) by walking from the northern border to initially Abakiliki, then coming back and starting from Awka to Abagana and to Onitsha.We lost our friends and relatives; about two million Nigerians were killed. They thought it was a joke, so I think they have a problem. Kidnapping is a very serious thing because like the operations of the militants where they are destroying installations (in the Niger Delta) — I was going round the world telling people that we are going to secure Nigeria and by our performance in the North-East, they believe us and people are prepared to come and invest in Nigeria. But nobody would invest in an insecure environment. Those who had been in Nigeria for so many years can conduct feasibility studies. But why do they put money into paying militants or paying for corruption? This means with all the goodwill we are winning, we may not be able to benefit in the long run because of the kidnapping and the actions of the militants. So, it is a top priority for this government to address. Once we settle down to make sure that we deal with militants, we will deal with kidnappers also.

There have been so many pronouncements by your government that once the budget is passed and assented by you, that we would see progress in the economy. But even the budget assumptions today are threatened; from where do you expect to get your revenue to implement your projects and even the N500m needed for the palliatives? For instance, oil production has dropped to almost half due to militancy; even revenue coming from taxes is declining. How are you going to assure Nigerians that this budget, which the government is hinging its programmes on, is going to be implemented in such a way that it trickles down to the masses?

That is a major challenge for us. It is not going to be easy to complement the revenue as we promised in the budget. I think I mentioned initially that the market plummeted from an average of $100 per barrel for crude oil from 1999 to 2014, and suddenly went down to $30 per barrel and now it is between $40 and $50 per barrel. I was constrained to approach the Governor of the Central Bank to find out how we spend our foreign exchange. When he went and checked the records, he found out mostly that it was spent on food bills such as wheat, rice, flour, bread and toothpicks — Nigerians are so sophisticated that they only use Chinese toothpicks. I was shocked.

Looking at the anti-corruption fight by the EFCC and how the probe of the arms funds has shown that some of the funds were allocated to the PDP campaign. But your critics have accused you of probing the PDP campaign funds while not probing your own campaign funds and that you have people in your government that allegedly used state resources to sponsor your campaign. How will you explain this?

I don’t know whether I have some official protection. If I don’t have it, why haven’t you started the investigation?

…because the constitution gives you immunity?

I see, very good. But then, it doesn’t extend to all the executives and party leaders and the party leaders are there. If anybody has received $100m to give to the party, I think he should be asked to tell us where he got the $100m. I know those we would eventually successfully prosecute; they wouldn’t leave it, neither will they let their friends leave it. We do not believe if we were so reckless, we would get away with it. I don’t believe it. Do you remember the three and half years when I was in charge of the petroleum ministry, have you forgotten the $2.8bn (issue)? If you have forgotten, I haven’t. Have you forgotten the PTF [Petroleum Trust Fund]? In the PTF, at one stage, we had more than N53bn at a time, we planned and spent it. It was investigated subsequently. So I assure you that I feel perfectly safe. But nobody is perfect, only God is perfect. But let me tell you, from being governor of the six states (the old North-Eastern State), which was only for seven months, to the petroleum ministry, to Head of State, and to PTF, I tried not to expose myself, and I hope God will continue to help me.

You were a military Head of State; you contested elections several times, and became president last year. What are your thoughts on your administration in the last one year?

We came into power at a very difficult time. We discovered too late that we had put ourselves as a nation in a mono-economy, depending only on petroleum. From 1999 to 2013, the average cost of Nigeria crude oil per barrel was $100. Unfortunately, when we came in, it had reduced to an average of about only $30. We suddenly discovered that we are depending on petroleum; we import virtually everything, including food.

On the issue of insecurity, it was there during our campaign and we knew about it; we knew about the saboteurs in the South-South, and then the unemployment. We have a huge number of unemployed persons. I’m told the population of the unemployed youths is about 65 per cent. And for a country of our size, this is something for which we must be concerned. We campaigned on insecurity, unemployment, bribery and corruption, which have done much damage to this economy.

Nigeria is said to be difficult to govern. Did you find it to be so?

There are a lot of problems in the country. You have insurgency in the North-East. But how did Boko Haram start? If you could recall, it was like a group of political thugs, and along the line, a young charismatic leader called Mohammed Yusuf emerged. That young man assumed that reputation in the North-East because of the way he preached.

One afternoon, the group wanted to go and bury one of their own. Most of them were on motorcycles; some wore helmets and some did not. Then, there were the military patrol vehicles. The normal thing was for them to wear helmets, but the group had a way of wearing their headgears, which made it difficult to wear helmets. Instead of arresting them and taking them to court to pay a fine of some N250, the patrol team just shot six of them, hell was let loose. The situation went out of control for the police, and the military took over. Mohammed Yusuf went into hiding; the military looked for him, arrested and handed him over to the police, and he was murdered.

That’s why we now have Boko Haram. I know all these because I was once a governor in the North-East and I follow the political developments there closely. For unemployment, things became clearer and compounded when we became a mono-economy. We abandoned agriculture, left solid minerals, and everybody rushed to the town to get oil money. Now, we’ve found out that that oil money is not available. Then, corruption is what we are going through now. How can you take $2.1bn meant to fight insurgency and share among yourselves and think that nothing should happen? Not to talk of when political money is being raised for elections and the Central Bank, NNPC, Customs funds where the funds were collected from. We’ve made some progress in recovering this money. We’re giving the people the opportunity of fair trial. They take the money and pay into some persons’ accounts, and there are signatures of some persons who admit that they had taken the money. Somebody comes and calls another, saying, ‘you’re a member of this party?’ The other person responds by saying ‘Yes’. Then, he’s told, ‘take a N100m to go and keep,’ and the other person doesn’t ask any questions. You take N100m and disappear, and subsequently you complain that you have received money for doing nothing?

Considering the hike in the price of fuel and the devaluation of the Nigeria, which have led to hardship, what would you tell Nigerians to give them the hope that things will be better?

In 1984, we were advised to devalue the naira and withdraw subsidy, whatever their perception of subsidy was in Nigeria. We even had subsidy on flour. The IMF and World Bank talked about subsidy removal. My argument has been that those who devalue their currencies have developed economies, where there is local production and they export the excess. They have good infrastructure. So, they devalue their currencies to sell their products outside their shores, and employ their people.

We claim to import food, but this is a lie. People just take the money out of the country. How many factories have we built? So I refused to devalue the naira. They talk about petroleum subsidy. I say what do they mean by subsidy? They say Nigeria’s petroleum is so cheap that it encourages smuggling into our neighbouring countries: Cameroon, Chad, Niger. But I know the four refineries we built can produce 450,000 barrels, we have 20 depots… we didn’t borrow a kobo. So even if we put something on top and pay the cost of refining and travels to filling stations and small overhead, we’ll still be selling at a good price. But they say there’s a lot of smuggling. I said these countries where they claim petrol is being smuggled to, they can’t consume more than what one city in Nigeria does. I was asked how I knew, and I said, for three and a half years, I was Commissioner for Petroleum under Obasanjo. At the time I was removed, naira exchanged for $3. Now you need N350 to get a dollar! I challenged Nigerian economists to tell me what benefits Nigeria has earned from the devaluation so far. How many factories have we built by killing the naira? I had to reluctantly give up because the so-called Nigerian economists come and talk things to me, and when I raise issues, they talk over my head instead of inside my head. For us to lose over N300 (every year, we’re losing the value of the currency by N100), what for? Let them tell me how many factories they’ve built. I find myself in a very difficult state because the economists cannot tell me why we should continue to devalue our naira. People say import, and we find out that we are just importing food! We’re now planning to stop importation of rice, wheat, maize in three years’ time. On the value of the naira, I’m still agonising over it, that the naira should be reduced to such a disgraceful level over the last 30 years. I need to be educated on this. But I’m not ruling this country alone. I’m under pressure and we’ll see how we can accommodate the economists.

What are you thinking about privatisation of refineries?

I believe in privatisation, but I believe before you do it you have to look at your state of development as a nation. The first refinery in Port Harcourt was built to refine 60,000 barrels per day. It was upgraded to refine 100,000 barrels per day. Another one was in Port Harcourt to refine 150,000 barrels per day. So Port Harcourt alone has the capacity to refine 250,000 per day of Nigerian crude. So, you’re not importing anything. As Commissioner for Petroleum, I signed the contract for Warri to refine 100,000 barrels per day; Kaduna, 100,000 barrels per day. We laid pipelines up to Maiduguri, Gusau, all over the country. We took tankers off the road, and then some greedy people in this country took over and now all the refineries are not working. Nigeria has to go cap in hand, like a non-oil-producing country, and buy fuel and bring into Nigeria. With this background in mind, do you want us to privatise our infrastructure as scrap? So, we’re just starting to get them repaired. We want to make them work so that we don’t sell them as scrap. We can’t spend so much money to put up the refineries, just to sell them as scrap. I think that will be disservice to the country. Let’s repair them and negotiate to sell them at good prices. We don’t want them to dictate how much we sell fuel in this country after we’ve sold the refineries to private investors.

http://www.punchng.com/past-govt-wasted-forex-importation-toothpicks-buhari/

Cool, mehn, Osasogie was another terror zone that year. Ekosodin was baddest, lol. I lived in dentistry quarters to have peace.
Nice one bro.

This is certainly the dullest senator I have ever seen in NASS.
What a childish way of thinking?

Dear OP, I feel you mehn. Whose joystick wouldn't respond to such an assault under this harsh economic situations in Naija today?

Future
Or
Tomorrow

Lol
Good to shed some weight.