₦airaland Forum

Its not new. Its globally accepted that Lai Mohammed lies

*By Femi Aribisala*

I have said time and again that I am not a member of the PDP. I am saying it again. I have never been and will never be a member of any political party in Nigeria. I have also said I do not know personally, have never met or even ever spoken to President Goodluck Jonathan, although I remain as ardent in his support as I was during the 2015 election.

Before you call me a liar, let me state here for the record that I finally had the privilege of speaking to President Jonathan a few weeks ago. A nice lady named Doris phoned me, pleased she was finally able to reach me. She had a simple message: President Jonathan would like to speak to me. She then gave me his phone number.

So, I finally had the opportunity to speak to President Jonathan for the very first time. Speaking to him took me back to thinking about the heady days of the 2015 presidential elections. I am of the opinion that history is already beginning to vindicate President Jonathan and to restore his legacy, in spite of the incessant propaganda of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

We have now had three-and-a-half years of APC rule. We have now seen what APC’s ‘change’ actually entails. We are no longer under any illusions. Even though the APC has spent the last few years re-litigating what was wrong with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), it should now be clear that the PDP is far better than the APC; at least ten times better.

Stolen Ideas

In three-and-a-half years in power, there is no single original idea of note that has emanated from the APC. What it has been doing is to claim PDP’s ideas as its own. APC claims credit for the Treasury Single Account (TSA) when in fact it is of PDP inspiration. It claims credit for the turn-around maintenance of our refineries, when it is in fact a Jonathan/PDP legacy. It claims credit for increased rice production in Nigeria, when it was the PDP that achieved this.

APC claims credit for the rehabilitation of rail lines in Nigeria, but the truth is that this was essentially a PDP initiative. It claimed that PDP stole the money earmarked for buying weapons to fight Boko Haram, then went ahead to use the same weapons it said were non-existent to equip the army to fight Boko Haram. Former Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) chairman, Sam Amadi, stressed that improvements in power supply are the result of the efforts made by the Jonathan administration.

If we are now celebrating the end of polio in Nigeria, it has nothing to do with the APC and everything to do with the PDP. If we are indeed well on our way to self-sufficiency in rice production, it is because of the activities of the PDP, and not because of the inactivity of APC. In three-and-a-half years, APC has added precious little to PDP’s achievements. On the contrary, it has degraded many of the milestonesattained earlier.

From Bad To Worse

Bill Gates hailed Nigeria’s fight against polio under Jonathan and the PDP as one of the great world achievements of 2014. However, the same Bill Gates identifies Nigeria under Buhari and the APC as one of the most dangerous places in the world to give birth, with the fourth worst maternal mortality rate in the old. He also identified the government’s economic policy as dismally ineffectual.

Indeed, everything under this APC government has gone from bad to worse. The economy is worse. The cost of living is worse. The security situation is worse. The naira is worse. The unity of Nigerians is worse. The corruption index is worse. The electricity situation is worse. The ministers in the presidential cabinet are worse. The liberty of Nigerians is worse. The rule of law is worse. The political climate is toxic.

We are not just saddled with an incompetent government. We are saddled with one that merely watches while we are being murdered in our homes, farms and churches. We are saddled with a government that tells us the choice we have is either to lose our land to carpetbaggers or lose our lives. We are saddled with a government that defines itself as a northern, instead of a national, government; with all its security architecture in the hands of northerners.

In 16 years in power, the PDP not only cleared Nigeria’s debts of some $30 billion, it borrowed a total of only N6 trillion. However, in just three years, the APC has returned Nigeria to the debtor status and borrowed a whopping N11 trillion. We are yet to see what all this new debt has been spent on.

Lack of Integrity

The APC is the party that boasts of integrity but lacks integrity. This ensures it embarrasses itself with one scandal after the other. From the Babachir Lawal’s ‘grasscutter’ scandal, Abdulrashid Maina’s pension and recall scam, the NHIS scandal, the EFCC Chairman Ibrahim Magu’s scandal to the recent Kemi Adeosun NYSC certificate forgery scandal. The APC fails to act against corruption while nevertheless fooling itself that it is a champion of the anti-corruption struggle.

Unlike the proverbial charity, APC’s anti-corruption war does not begin at home in the APC. The party encourages and molly-cuddles the corrupt. Indeed, it has an open-door policy for the corrupt. Once you are in APC or you decamp to APC, you are automatically whitewashed from allegations of corruption.

Once you have corruption allegations to answer before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), all you need to do is defect to the APC and you will be welcome with open arms. Your corruption case will also suddenly disappear. This is the case with Godswill Akpabio. He had a pending case of corruption with the EFCC but has now quickly defected from the PDP to the APC. That singular act is likely to whitewash him and dustbin his case.

The anti-corruption struggle for the APC is in declaring Rotimi Amaechi innocent until proven guilty, while proclaiming Diezani Allison-Madueke guilty until proven innocent.

Whatever anyone may think or say about the PDP, it is a national party. As a matter of fact, it remains the only national party in Nigeria to date in this republic. Its membership and strength stretch from North to South and East to West.

Not so the APC. The APC is a sectarian party. It is an agglomeration of regional parties that merged together for the sake of capturing the presidency. Once this happened, their sectarianism came back to the fore.

On his inauguration, the president told Nigerians: “I belong to everybody and I belong to nobody.” However, the APC has turned out to be essentially a North-West and South-West party that has effectively divided Nigeria along regional lines. On his election, the president went to the U.S. where he declared that: “The constituents (that) gave me 97 per cent cannot in all honesty be treated on some issues with constituencies that gave me 5 per cent.”

That means the president can largely overlook the South-East and the South-South in appointments. It also means Fulani herdsmen from the North can continue to kill innocent farmers all over the country, while government sees no evil and hears no evil.

When a substantive Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) chairman was finally approved, the president broke another protocol by choosing a man from his own region, Professor Mahmoud Yakubu, continuing the lopsided policy whereby the chief organs of the federal government (the presidency, the legislature and the judiciary) are now all headed by northerners.

Champions of Hypocrisy

Nevertheless, there are certain areas where there is no doubt that the APC is ten times better than the PDP. One of these is in hypocrisy. The APC is the undisputed champion of hypocrisy. It contradicts its own vaunted values repeatedly without batting an eyelid. In the area of hypocrisy, the PDP is certainly no match for the APC.

Recently, Lai Mohammed, the minister of information and culture, shocked Nigerians by launching a so-called National Campaign Against Fake News. What is so amazing about this boldface duplicity is that Lai Mohammed himself is the chief exponent of fake news in Nigeria. Lai Mohammed urged Nigerians to “Say No to Fake News.” However, his very campaign is fake news. Here is a classic example of the pot calling the kettle black.

Lai Mohammed is Nigeria’s version of Iraq’s Comical Ali, the sobriquet for Saddam Hussein’s minister of information, whose job was to give false reports of Iraqi successes during the 1990 war. It was Lai Mohammed who dazzled Nigerians with the fake news that the Boko Haram was responsible for the scarcity of tomatoes. He told Nigerians that President Buhari was hale and hearty in London, only for the president himself to return and say he had never felt so sick in his life.

APC would have Nigerians believe the lie that the recent disgraceful storming of the National Assembly by the Department of State Services was orchestrated by Bukola Saraki, the Senate president. That is a load of hogwash. Lai Mohammed also said the gory tales of herdsmen murdering hapless Nigerians is fake news. If you believe this outright falsehood, then you will believe anything.

A newspaper commentator had this to say: “For Lie Mohammed to advise to media not to yield their platform to spread fake news is like the devil advocating to his subject not to tell lies.”

Buyers’ Remorse

It is not surprising, therefore, that quite a number of those who left the PDP for the APC four years ago have become so disgusted with the APC that, like prodigal sons, they have returned to the PDP. They include Atiku Abubakar, former vice-president of Nigeria; Bukola Saraki, Senate president; Rabiu Kwankwaso, former governor of Kano; Senator Bernabas Gemade and Aminu Tambuwal, governor of Sokoto State.

Many who waxed lyrical about the virtues of the APC four years ago now hate the APC. They include President Obasanjo, Wole Soyinka and Reverend Father Ejike Mbaka.

Nevertheless, we cannot insist APC did not bring change. It brought change but it was change that pauperised Nigeria. APC brought change from peace to restiveness; it brought change from gainful employment to job insecurity and massive unemployment; it brought change from national unity to sectarianism; it brought change from good health to medical check-ups; it brought change from life to death by herdsmen.

It brought change from $1 exchanging for N190 to $1 exchanging for N360; it brought change from N87 fuel to N145 fuel; it brought change from 20 tomatoes selling for N50 to one tomato selling for N100; it brought change from hope to despair; it brought change from light to darkness. Now that is change we can certainly do without.

APC is an expired drug. Nigerians now know what it means to vote against good luck.


https://opinion.premiumtimesng.com/2018/08/14/why-the-pdp-is-ten-times-better-than-the-apc-by-femi-aribisala/#

Even campaign organisations is blowing hot too? Everything related to buhari is blowing hot, yet with no result.
To me, this is a case of misguided priority. How can a presidential campaign organisation for a 2019 election be bothered about a Senate presidency seat that will expire even before the 2019 election? Please, is there anybody connected with buhari that has some sense in his or her brain?

Saraki just want to be left alone in peace. It's Oshiomole and apc that are drumming up the drums of violence and war. It's quite clear but of course zombies prefer to believe any lie apc hands them to disseminate

You may not like him but he sai the truth

Inec under this mahmood can not produce a credible election. Free and fair elections are now in the hands of God

It's these senile old men that our youths rally behind as it's leaders. Men whose memories have failed them

Buhari can never do that. Buhari is too much of a weakling to take a decisive action on anything. He keeps projecting the image of a hardman but he is a sissy and those close to him had since realized it and therefore goes about running their own parallel govt without fear of him.
The real president of Nigeria is Abba Kyari with his vice as Babagana Kingibe. Other members of their cabinet are the sacked Babachir Lawal, Maman Daura, Magu, Monguno, IGP Idris, Ibrahim Magu,

That inec Bill is just the bait they are dangling at saraki to reconvene the Senate. Their main goal is to gain access into the chambers and seize it by force thru a Gestapo impeachment. Oshiomole promised buhari that saraki will be gone by the time he returns from his 10days vacation. Hence, I will advise saraki not to reconvene within these two weeks.

Verily verily i say unto you, not one APC member will go to heaven. Nay, not one

SUPERPACK:
when saraki was elected the APC senators were having a meeting, so that 2/3 majority story does nt apply,

You and every other Nigerian better pray that saraki is not removed by the presidency and their cabal.
If not for the same saraki and dino who raised alarm, the customs boss had moved for every motorist in Nigeria to go to customs offices and repay duties for their cars if it's not up to 7 years, it did not matter if you are the 2nd hand or 3rd hand owner of the car.
If not for saraki, fashola had brought a proposal to increase the tariff for electricity consumption after they allowed the first increase without any commensurate improvement in power distribution.
A lot of those bills including toll gates to tax us more are all awaiting saraki's removal for their puppet

To impeach saraki and ekweremadu, they need 2/3 majority. Anything short of that is a coup and a brazen illegality which should be rejected by every true lover of democracy, irrespective of your party

Nnamdiojukwu:
Did he do it in the presence of all the senators?
The guy is a criminal.

Did he send them away or restrict them from coming in?

godox2:
Intresting, I love that
He got the crown illegally and they are taking it back judiciously.

Most of you talk like kids which you are. Did saraki get the needed majority to be senate president? Yes. So whats illegal about it?
Now, is Buhari and APC taking it back with the legal majority (2/3)? If no, then it is wrong.
Do you see that your reasoning has immaturity all over it

I know a friend who gave his life to Christ and promised that he will never hit his wife again.
Thereafter, the wife turned into the offender. At the slightest argument, she will turn very offensive, pouring all manner of venom on the poor man and started being the first to hit the man on provocations.
The guy had to give up the vow and start beating her thoroughly till she sometimes landed in hospital.
Today, they live happily and quietly. The woman now behaves with respect.

I know a guy who after getting wedded started suffering persecution in the hands of the wife. It got so bad that the wife would be slapping him while he's on the steering. He excused her that it could just be the hormonal changes that goes with her first pregnancy. The wife instead saw it as her dominance over him. It got so bad that when his mum came for omugwo, the wife was always spoiling for a fight with the mum even in his presence that the poor old woman had to pack and hurriedly leave. The stupid wife kept extending her boundaries until one day the guy couldn't take it anymore and snapped. On that day, he did not just beat her, he flogged her thoroughly that she ran to the neighbor for safety. The neighbor being a guyman handed her back to him and he took her home and finished the thorough flogging and discipline her parents forgot to give her.
Today, that growing spirit in her has not reared its head again and they live happily till date.

Lesson: No man should beat a lady.
......that is if she is a lady. But if she is instead a tout, beat her like a tout

alabi484:
Instrumental to building apc kwa?

Seems I'm not in this Nigeria again

Yes. He and atiku were the leaders of the movement of nPDP that came in and gave the apc formation some existing state's and their treasury to match the pdp

Apc is not known to obey the laws

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has denied claims that it invited President Muhammadu Buhari as its keynote speaker during its 20th anniversary because he had the highest rating on integrity, Daily Trust reports.

A lawmaker, Abdulmumin Jibrin in an interview on a national television in July claimed that the ICC invited Buhari as its keynote speaker, because he is the only president, that achieved the highest indices on integrity in a check carried out by security agencies from twenty European countries and the United States of America on both serving and former African leaders.

This message was paraphrased by supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to read ‘Buhari showed me a document he brought back from ICC, Hague. A top-secret Background Check on Global leaders, past and present. He is the only leader rated XXX1 on Integrity, the Highest Rating Globally. That’s why he is the only World Leader on the ICC floor to address them – Abdulmumin Jibrin, APC Kano’.

The post was shared on social media platforms by loyalists of the president, including Lauretta Onochie, Buhari’s Personal Assistant on Social Media.


But ICC spokesperson, Fadi El Abdallah in an email exchange via the Public Affairs unit of the court said “The International Criminal Court (“ICC” or the “Court”) is not involved in any integrity or background check of world leaders”.

He added that it has been standard practice for the ICC to invite Heads of State one at a time for certain high-level events, such as anniversary commemorations but also the opening of the judicial year, adding that “this is because of logistical and protocol reasons involved in hosting dignitaries at that level”.

He also disclosed that other heads of state have been invited and have participated in high level events organised by the Court in the past, stressing that President Buhari was invited as keynote speaker for the commemorations of the 20th anniversary.

El Abdallah said President Buhari was not the only leader invited to the event but that ‘Nigeria was the only State represented by its President’. He added that more than 30 other States were represented at the level of national Senates and Parliaments chiefs, as well as Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Justice.

The presidency declined to confirm or refute the claim.

“Ask the man who told you,” the spokesman of the President Femi Adesina was quoted by Daily Trust as saying when contacted.

SIGNAL could not reach Jibrin for comments at the time of this report.

Onochie has also refused to respond to questions about the claim she posted.



http://www.signalng.com/scandal-icc-disowns-buhari-denies-rating-presidents-on-integrity/?

Let's not mind him. He likes living in bondage.

Nobody is attacking him for supporting buhari, the failure. Failure attracts failure. We are only annoyed that he tried to insult the collective intelligence of the igbos

Frankly, apc left saraki with no choice. He was instrumental to the building of apc from inception but immediately he became the Senate president which was the only top office the nPDP got, the entire apc turned against him, starting from tinubu's acn and then the cpc.
So I wonder what they expect him to do. No Senate president has been dragged around the way they dragged this man, yet he kept doing his best to be accepted.

Gazzuzz, this light just came on a few days ago after tightening a loose bolt. What could be wrong?

sarrki:
Ozekhome you are a big fool

Ipob lawyer

Your hatred for Nigeria will consume you

I have never seen you counter any opinion with superior opinion. It's always childish insults from you. How old are you,son?

Every igbo guy is opening office on buhari's head. If He and his apc goons can credit my account, I will also come out and tell him that he will get 100% of my people's votes.
....on the day of election, he will see the one wey senior biatty

Any one contending with Satan and powers of darkness must watch and pray. So we understand. Apc is evil and hence the need for vigilance

The same man who criticised going abroad for treatment and promised to ban it is the same man who has travelled the most for treatment abroad

We actually started hearing of people killing themselves since buhari assumed power

Don't worry. The boy will soon be history as it's typical of most el rufai's kids and relations.
If you know, you know

Apc have withdrawn the security force that has been dousing the attacks. Watch that state in the next few weeks. There will be renewed attacks and bloodshed so that apc will make ortom look incompetent before the world

APC has taught PDP how to be vindictive against opposition.

There is always something positive and refreshing about the PDP crew

That is nothing compared to what rochas has acquired in 7 years as governor. His son in law Uche Nwosu has illegally acquired over 22 properties in Imo state alone which are well known to IMO residence.

That is nothing compared to what rochas has acquired since becoming governor. His son in law, uche Nwosu alone has over 22 properties in Imo state alone. Why isn't efcc interested in them?