₦airaland Forum

timilehin95:
0

U are a big fool... Y didn't u ask Jesus why he couldn't save himself from those who killed him.
U think God works d way man works. Your idiotic comment made it known dat u are already cursed

Why are people giving this guy attention? I have observed he particularly troubled by the issue of the handkerchief.
Adeboye programmes are transmitted live across the globe andthe miracles are seen raw even while the preaching is going on. (if cameras are to focused on supernatural happenings, sometimes that will be the end of the sermon.

in summary: There is nothing one can do to promote good music in the hearing no the deaf. He needs deliverance first

dfrost:
If he does that, he becomes an ex-con abi? Experts in law, please help out.

Like all the prison officers from the controller -general to the cleaners, abi?
Shior!

Section 145 of the 1999 Constitution.

That section says, “Whenever the President transmits to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives a written declaration that he is proceeding on vacation or that he is otherwise unable to discharge the functions of his office, until he transmits to them a written declaration to the contrary such functions shall be discharged by the Vice-President as Acting President.”

C'est fini !

'National Coordinator' is alien and it's not applicable in Nigeria's constitution

PMBNG:
So God was not in charge when Buhari was in the country?

All I know is Osinbajo remains coordinating president till Buhari rewrite the Senate on this.

I am surprised you are loosing sleep over what the president 'wrote' to the Senate.
So if the letter has read 'Interim', you can jump abi?

The only language recognized by the Nigerian Constitution in this scenario is ACTING.
Buhari is free to even put it in Hausa or Ibibio language. That doesn't change nothing.

KanwuliaExtra:
TINUBU rules! According to the "agreement"!

You are mischievous!

PalmoilSupply:
We are key supplier of high quality palm oil in Warri,Benin City,Asaba and Onisha

.Are you taking this forum to reach out or what? Because I have not seen where we have biz condition spiritually.
Mr man, if you have made no attempt to drop your contact, then no one will take you serious.
It's a cool business idea, though.

Paulpaulpaul:
Hope them Saraki won't molest him again

Really? It has been the other way round for Osinbajo and the Senate!
I ask: what happened to the bills Osinbajo returned to the Senate?

Initially the likes of Dino shouted and cried over it
Having seen the stupidity behind it, that braggadocio suddenly cooled down unknowingly

Kaimallamm:
Osinbanjo can not sign bill

How many months-old are you?

Because a couple of months back, Osinbajo signed some bills and returned some inconsistent ones back to the Senate

Were you born then? Or you weren't intellectually around?

Kaimallamm:
Osinbanjo can not sign bill

How many months-old are you? Because a couple of months back, Osinbajo signed some bills and returned some inconsistent ones back to the Senate
Were you born then? Or you weren't intellectually around?

Progressive01:
According to LiePob yoots, handovers are done simply by transfering file to someone and on an airport tarmac.

The kind of stupidity these guys exhibit out of frustration should be tagged one of the wonders of humankind.

You mean like when an MD hands company's files to a senior messenger, in their thinking messenger don become the Oga be dat o

DANAS KALU'S timeline

I am too matured to eat and denied. "I can't be at home and let the goat died on her rope". We must not be unnecessarily greedy. Speak the truth and shame the devil.

Ndigbo has benefited from Buhari government more than every other tribe in Nigeria.

Enugu-Onitsha express road, Enugu-PH express road, Umuahia-Ohofia road were all abandoned for close to 20yrs before Buhari government remembered and seriously working on them! He is doing them to enable us transport our goods safely at lower and steady cost. And also reduce death traps on our roads. Etc. Others tribes didn't cried foul play for working only for Igbos. We need to thank him for that.

The 2nd Niger Bridge whose cost was criminally over inflated in the name of PPP to rip Igbos off for years has been reviewed to a Federal Govt fully funded project with no toll payments attached! This is enable us transport our goods easily and safely to other geopolitical zones. We need to send a special thanks for him.

Buhari signed a landing space direct from China to Enugu state to enable us transact directly than coming to Lagos before going to China. Our brother Jonathan only came to Enugu ones and campaigned for us to vote against Buhari. Ndigbo is owning Buhari a wonderful greetings for his fatherly roles.

For the past 14 yrs, the 2016 Yuletide was the first that Igbos celebrated in the Southeast without experiencing excruciating hike in fuel price or fuel scarcity! We never show appreciation for that!

The Igbo who retired from the Federal Civil Service for nearly 10 yrs just got their 8 yrs pension arrears cleared by PMB lead FG!

We are known as industrious people yet no government including our brother Jonathan has care about what we produce until Buhari came and instructed the nation's army to be equipped with our own products say shoes. Boots. Cars. And other military hardware.

Innoson motors is not a Yoruba or an Hausa man, Buhari government signed a serious contract with him to produce the nation's road safety vehicles.

For more than 20 years, petroleum products has not been supplied to Abia State through pipelines but Buhari made it possible from Rivers state to Abia State.

Ngozi Okonjo Iweala's home town just got electricity power supply after 10yrs of blackout!

The uncompleted Otueke Water Treatment Plant got completed by PMB's FG!

This is to mention but a few. The names of people who infiltrated these hardship on us were not mentioned, all their names were removed and replaced with Buhari name for us to hate him. Let me tell you, you cannot change the history.

These are undeniable facts on ground!

On this note, I stand gidigba to Anthony Joshua you that Buhari is the best thing to happen to Ndigbo and Nigeria at large.

TechEnthusiast:
They keep announcing superflous amounts of money.Yet it is not in circulation.

You be Militants?

MUSILIU OBANIKORO...

"When I missed the road, I thought Leader would call me and pamper me, he didn't. And I can't just go back to him like that, so I decided to find my path in another place until I realise that the more I refuse to go back to my political root the more crisis I get myself involved.

Jagaban cannot be
destroyed by human being, Wallahi Tallahi, if it were possible, he shouldn't have escaped human destruction in 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015 and even now.....

Indeed, he is a man. whose face is the politics of Nigeria. Fighting him has made him more than what he would have been if I had peace with him.

We may need more of him in Africa but One of him is enough for Lagos and Nigeria....."

~~*MUSILIU OBANIKORO*

kingreign:
Na 2003/2007 model XJ X350. Unlike some Africans who'd buy maybach and Rolls Royce phantom limo when they've not achieved a quarter of what her Royal Majesty has.

What do you mean by a quarter?
A hundredth!!!

eshietIntrepid:
When there is nothing else to lie, or when ur sponsors are tired of the game. You are now alone just be careful because those that used u to accused the man of God might also threaten your life just to stop u from confessing.

“Not so fast. Where are the explosive incontrovertible evidence she, Festus Keyamo and their team of jeer leaders promised Nigerians? Where are the travel documents she promised to reveal? Where are the nude pictures she claimed to have?
“The 33 year old officially 23 year old girl, who made history by being the only woman to miscarry a baby from her backside, rather than her front side (as she claimed) now wants to forgive and forget?

NIA DG Oke Diverted Most Of Ex-Pres Jonathan’s campaign funds, Offered Fani-Kayode $1m–PDP New Media Director, Adeyanju
The former Director, New Media, Peoples Democratic Party, Deji Adeyanju, tells ADELANI ADEPEGBA about how campaign funds were shared and diverted during the 2015 presidential elections
BY ADELANI ADEPEGBA
APR 30, 2017
W hat is your relationship with the suspended Director General, National Intelligence Agency, Ayodele Oke?
I met him a couple of times during the 2015 presidential campaign. That was all. We don’t have any personal relationship. We only met during the run-up to the election, in the course of the campaign.
So after then, you didn’t meet him again?
No, we didn’t have any dealing with him until after the election when Femi Fani-Kayode called me that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission was investigating him. So he called me to his house; he was supposed to meet a former chief of staff to the president, Brig.-Gen. Jones Arogbofa (retd.), and when I and Fani-Kayode got to his house (Arogbofa’s residence), we met the DG, utilisedNIA there and he gave FFK information about how the EFCC was probing him, Nenadi Usman and others. That was the first time I saw him after the election. We met at the same house again where the DG offered FFK $1m, that he should secretly return the money to the EFCC Chairman, Ibrahim Magu and that Magu would not proceed with his investigation. He said Magu would forget about the case and FFK may not be charged to court. FFK, I and the former COS were all there. FFK didn’t collect the money.
Why would Oke offer FFK money to bribe Magu?
The incident occurred few weeks before FFK was arrested. I can’t remember the date precisely, but it happened two weeks or so before FFK was arrested. Oke got wind of the fact that the EFCC was investigating FFK, so he alerted him about it. But FFK knew before then that he was being investigated. I think he offered the money because he was involved at the various levels of campaign funding. He was involved in the disbursement of campaign funds, this I know because I was tactically involved in the campaign. There are some things I won’t want to disclose now for strategic reasons.
Do you think the over $43m that was recovered in Lagos was part of the campaign funds?
It may or may not be, but investigations would reveal whether it was part of the funds. But I know that the NIA DG had campaign funds.
How much was given to him?
I wouldn’t know the exact amount, but I know he was given campaign funds because I was involved in the campaign.
Were other security chiefs given campaign funds?
Many people were given campaign funds, though I wouldn’t know about other security chiefs, but I am sure about the DG, NIA. I know one or two instances when he disbursed money.
Who did he disburse money to?
I won’t want to go into that. I am so sure that campaign funds were given to him. I don’t believe in the stories in the dailies that the money was meant for a particular covert operation, I don’t believe it. Oke had a reasonable amount of campaign funds in his custody.
Did He Utilize The Money For Election Or He Diverted It?
He diverted it. He diverted most of the money. I do not know the source of the money that was discovered in Ikoyi because I was not there when he was hiding it. I obviously can’t know from where he took the money or when he hid it. But I know that he had access to campaign funds and he was very close to Adamu Mu’azu, the former chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, and the apartment where the money was found used to belong to him.
Former President Goodluck Jonathan alleged in a new book, ‘Against the Run of Play’ by Olusegun Adeniyi, that Mu’azu worked against him. Do you believe this?
I used to work with Mu’azu. I would say I believe it partially in the sense that maybe he did not do enough to make Jonathan win. But he delivered his local government for Jonathan despite the fact that Buhari won and Jonathan lost the election in Bauchi State. When people are saying Mu’azu worked against the former president, I do not have enough facts to support that, but I am of the opinion that he did not do enough to ensure Jonathan’s re-election.
Do you know anything about Folashade Oke, wife of DG, NIA?
No, I have never met her, I don’t know her.
There were reports that PDP campaign materials were found in the apartment, does this suggest that the seized money was part of campaign funds?
Like I told you earlier, it is possible that the money was part of campaign funds. I knew because I was part of the campaign and I know that many people diverted money meant for campaign. That’s one of the reasons we lost the election. So many people betrayed the former president. Jonathan also confirmed it in the Segun Adeniyi book. I believe that people would understand some of these issues. Some people diverted money that was raised for the campaign and squandered it. This was money raised for the campaign. The one we solicited from other sources were also diverted.
Can you identify some of the people who did this?
Many people alleged that the former chairman diverted campaign funds that were given to him and other monies raised by the party. Many states complained that they never got money. Even the Ekiti State chapter of the party complained that they never got any money for campaign. Those are some of the reasons why the PDP lost the election and Jonathan was defeated. If we must do a re-appraisal, we must speak the truth and put the record straight. So many people have said he diverted funds, so people who should have received funds said they did not get it, which means maybe he actually worked against the interest of the party. You never can tell sometimes; political interest changes. Those who wanted Jonathan out had their reasons and they had many friends in and out of government who gave out documents from the Presidential Villa to them. The only person who can betray you is your friend.
Did state governors also divert funds?
I am not sure, I don’t have any information on them.
Do you have record of those that leaked classified documents?
Those are things I cannot delve into for certain reasons.
But you know them?
I know some of them, but I cannot delve into it at the moment. They were in the Villa; they were the people Jonathan trusted with his life. They were the ones who were leaking documents to the opposition. At a time, they even recorded the former president’s meetings and gave it out to the opposition. It was that bad. Jonathan was betrayed by the people he trusted.
Are you saying the leakage helped the All Progressives Party to win?
Yes, it did. Imagine President Buhari doing something in the Villa and the opposition knows.
How was APC able to infiltrate Jonathan’s inner circle?
I think the former president trusted people too much. Unlike President Buhari who has surrounded himself with only northerners, and his family members, as caucus inside caucus, kitchen cabinet inside the kitchen cabinet, so where would the betrayer come from? Jonathan was surrounded by people from different ethnic groups. He was not that secretive; he did not enjoy tribal loyalty and all that. He easily trusted people and was very accommodating. He tried to be as truly Nigerian as he could be. Maybe that was why he suffered so much at the hands of betrayers. He has started talking and I believe people would get to understand some of the things we are talking about, they would know that the people he trusted actually betrayed him.
Do you think the United States and the United Kingdom contributed to his defeat?
Jonathan has said that, he must have information at his own level that could prove what he said. As for me, I think what contributed more to his defeat was the perception about the war on Boko Haram. The North didn’t want him to be re-elected and the issue of the missing girls wasn’t managed well. All that America did was just to put a little pressure to make sure the election held.
What’s your assessment of Buhari’s anti-graft campaign?
It is one-sided, selective and targeted mainly at the opposition. That is not saying Magu has not done well as head of the EFCC, I must commend him. But he must stop the media trial and be mature. He must stop being excited over nothing. Discovering cash is not the same thing as securing conviction for the corrupt people. He must be focused. The EFCC spends more money on car purchase than on legal services. So you can see why they would lose cases in court. He must realise that he is not there to play to the gallery. He is there to ensure a strong viral anti-corruption agency. He is there to do justice at all times to all manner of people and he should refuse the temptation to be used against the opposition just like what happened under former president Obasanjo who used the EFCC to fight perceived opponents and that is what is happening now.
When Obasanjo was in power, anybody that criticised his government would definitely not go scot-free at the hands of the EFCC. That is not what the EFCC should be about. Magu, by my assessment, has done reasonably well, if not for the political issues he is dabbling into. He has no business investigating campaign funds and arresting people like the Chairman of DAAR Communications Plc, Chief Raymond Dokpesi, who didn’t know the source of the money he was paid for media services. Things like this would definitely rubbish the anti-corruption war. Arresting people like the former PDP spokesman, Olisa Metuh, and Fani-Kayode was also wrong because they didn’t ask that money should be paid to them. They were given money to do media campaign projects.
Are you saying EFCC should have gone after Jonathan?
The person (Jonathan) that ordered the money to be paid was not arrested, so why should people like Dokpesi and FFK be arrested and prosecuted? If I go to the market to buy oranges with stolen money, is it me that should be arrested or the orange seller? That is why I said EFCC is messing up the anti-corruption war. However, if EFCC had not gone after those who used campaign funds to do media projects, I would have said that the corruption war is on course. If a government official diverts money meant for a project, that is corruption, you can arrest and prosecute him. But when you arrest those who don’t know anything about the money, how does that qualify as a fight against corruption? If they found him (Jonathan) culpable, they should have gone after him. If they knew the former president was involved in corruption, why didn’t they go after him? Why are they going after the errand boys? If somebody pays you for adverts and services were rendered, how is that corruption? Like I have said, Magu has tried, but he needs to be more focused and stop playing to the gallery. This is not a reality television show.
But Jonathan said the EFCC was after his family?
He may have proof that I don’t have. I read that his wife was in court over a forfeiture issue. Maybe that’s what he was referring to or maybe there are some other issues. There is no need to personalise the war on corruption, the government should strengthen the EFCC to be able to fight those in government, those who stole money. If the present administration feels that there was corruption under the past government, let them investigate. If investigations are concluded, let them charge those who are culpable to court. We are just opposed to selective anti-corruption war. A situation where Jafaru Isa collected money, his company collected money from the former National Security Adviser, Dasuki, but they are prosecuting only three persons. How can that be described as anti-corruption fight?
Are you saying it was not right to prosecute Dasuki?
The government is right because Dasuki was appointed, but what we are condemning is his continued detention. Dasuki should be allowed to leave the jail on bail and face proper prosecution. The government that disobeyed all court orders, including the ECOWAS court, is not a democratic government. It is a tyrannical government because those are the signs of tyranny. Many of us have never said the government should not try Dasuki, we want him tried in an open court.
What’s your involvement with Nnamdi Kanu?
The attempt to try him in secret is something we condemn because if you try him in secret, they would also try people like us in secret. Somebody can be arrested and they would present masked Department of State Services operatives to say that they are Igbo traders from Enugu and use their testimony to convict him. This cannot be defined as democracy in whatever form. Encourage dialogue with members of Indigenous People of Biafra, instead of killing them. In the advanced world, debate is what democracy is all about; dialogue, negotiation, persuasion, non-violent approach. If some people say they don’t feel like being part of the country, engage them in dialogue or call a referendum like BREXIT, don’t kill them. Over 150 members of IPOB have been killed, that is not how a country should be run. Our approach is that, we want justice for those who were killed and we want the killers to be tried. We want investigations done. I am supporting Kanu because I want to show him that there are more benefits in a united Nigeria than in a divided Nigeria. So, I am standing with him to show him the other side that he is not seeing. That’s basically the reason.
You have also involved yourself in the campaign for the release of Shiite leader, El-Zakzaky?
The greatest way for somebody to protect his freedom is to fight for the freedom of others. The greatest way to fight oppression is to defend the rights of the oppressed. If the peace in Borno State is threatened, and you are in Abuja and you feel you are safe, and so you do nothing and say nothing, gradually, Abuja will become unsafe. There is no moral or ethical justification for detaining El-Zakzaky for over 500 days. No matter his offence or crime, the man should have had his day in court by now. The government had already said in open court that El-Zakzaky did not do anything wrong, that were just keeping him in protective custody. A situation where the government just likes disobeying court orders is not right. People cannot continue to remain silent when things are not right. Basically, the reason why my organisation, the Concerned Nigerians, is showing solidarity with the Shiite leader is because the government said they are a violent group and killed over a thousand of them. These guys have not retaliated to date, they are very peaceful. They have detained their leader for over 500 days, that is unjust and unlawful. The government has continued to disobey orders and this is the reason why I am standing with the group.
Do you believe the APC government is using security agencies to bully the people?
Any government that can detain someone for over 500 days without trial is a bully. They are now suppressing the power to protest and freedom of speech, which is what brought them to power. It’s a complete paradox.
But the government said its critics are those against the anti-graft campaign?
The greatest fight against corruption is within this government. Those in the government are those against the anti-corruption war. You can see the revelations that are coming out. The issue involving the Secretary to Government of the Federation and others, which some people are trying to cover up, is unfortunate. The powerful people in government are the real enemies of the anti-corruption war.


SOURCE: Sahara Reporters

All is set in Yola/Taraba for the coming of Pst Adeboye
TOM GARBA APRIL 30, 2017
Pastor Adeboye
Barely a week to the program tagged:”Special Campus Holy Ghost service” organised by Region 7 (Comprises of Adamawa and Taraba States) of the Redeemed Christian church of (RCCG) to host the General Overseer of the Ministry, Pastor Enoch Adejere Adeboye.
The one day visit of the international preacher is hopeful to be power packed, making the People of the states to have much expectations of what God is going to do in their lives through the Man of God.
All Parishes of the RCCG commence one form of pre-program prayers and fasting toward the coming of the expected August visitor which was scheduled to hold at Ribadu square, Jimeta in Yola Adamawa State on 8th May, 2017.
The Pastor In charge of Royal parish, the headquarters of the Region, Pastor Lawrence Obodo during his Sunday Sermon charged the congregants on “receiving a Father’s blessings.”
Taken his text from the book of Genesis 27:4-29 where he revealed the blessings of the father to be most coveted and any person must fight to get.
Lawrence called on the worshipers to do all that they can do to receive the blessings that Pst E A Adeboye will be bringing to the people of Adamawa and Taraba States.
He stated that there are “Fathers and there are Fathers” and Pst Adeboye has paid his dues to be a father indeed not only in Nigeria but in the whole world and instructed that every good son of his father should do all that he can to get his blessings.
“As you key into the Father’s blessings I pronounced blessings to you that no one will take from you and may you be the most prefer one to receive the blessings of the father.
“As we wait the coming of our Father in the Lord (Adeboye)may you begin to magnetise untold Blessings any where you goes in Jesus name.” He pronounced
In Yola the expectations of many people no knows bounds as the anxiety in Mr Sini Ayuba shown that is expecting a bigger blessings by going about with a ringing bell telling the people of Hayin Gada,a superb town in the out skirt of Jimeta of the coming of Adeboye who is popularly known as Daddy G O.
Erected huge Billboards in some strategy areas is being noticed in the Yola, Jimeta and Jalingo , Stickers are on daily basis distributed and Radio and Television Jingles are in top gear to be broadcasting in few days to come.

New Book Justifies Jonathan’s Claim Obama Administration Influenced His Defeat
May 5, 2017

As the book, Against the Run of Play, written by the Chairman of the THISDAY Editorial Board, Mr. Olusegun Adeniyi, continues to generate heated reactions, a new book, Facts Versus Fiction: The True Story of the Jonathan Years: Chibok, 2015 and Other Conspiracies, has given a detailed account of a March, 2014 meeting between the Barack Obama administration and 12 northern governors, saying it was the clearest evidence of the U.S.’ push for regime change in Nigeria in 2015.

The new book, written by former Special Assistant to Jonathan on New Media, Mr. Reno Omokri, quoted copiously, a top intelligence analyst with the Obama administration, Mr. Matthew Page, who he said admitted that the meeting was meant to gauge the governors’ disposition to the possible change of the Nigerian president who had disappointed the U.S. on a number of key issues.


The revelations in Omokri’s book, due for release next month, coincides with a rebuttal by Abdullahi Usman, former Personal Assistant to the former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, on Jonathan’s claim that the difference of a million votes recorded in the presidential and National Assembly elections in Kano State was ample evidence that the presidential election might have been manipulated.

“Go and check the results from Kano. The presidential election and that of the National Assembly happened on the same day and same time. The National Assembly result reflected that about 800,000 people voted but that of the presidential election reflected a vote of about 1.8 million,” Jonathan had said in Adeniyi’s book, implying that this was the general trend in the northern part of the country.

Thisdaylive

Strive Masiyiwa, CEO and Founder of Econet Wireless, recently took to his blog to reveal his side of the story behind the company’s downfall in Nigeria. An extract from the blog post:

It’s time to play by a different (ethical) set of rules (Part 7) Nigeria 1 of 5

___Sometimes the price can be very high in the fight against corruption.

I had the privilege of making Nigeria’s first GSM phone call back in 2001 when I called the regulator to say, “We’re live!” Who would’ve believed then that Nigeria today would have more than 167 million mobile phones?!

It all started out as a very exciting new chapter for enterprise in Africa. Shortly after President Obasanjo was elected, the new government announced an incredibly transparent international auction process for three national mobile phone licenses.

To participate in the bid, you not only had to raise money, but there had to be a member of the bidding consortium who was an experienced GSM operator. Econet Wireless met the requirements because of its experience in Zimbabwe and Botswana. Our Nigerian partners, which included state governments, local banks and high net worth individuals, were financial investors. The largest shareholder had only 10%. That was the written agreement.

I managed to assemble a consortium of 22 investors to put up the money needed to bid. Our shareholders were all Nigerian, mostly institutional investors including leading banks and two state governments, Lagos State and Delta State. The license cost us $285m and was the most expensive license ever issued in Africa at the time. This was 2001.

We considered the investment not only about putting together a network, but also about building a nation. We knew it had the potential to transform Nigeria’s entire business and social architecture.

Most of our investors had between 1-10% shareholding. Econet Wireless Nigeria had only 5% of the shares, but that was fine because it was 5% ownership of a very big pie.

As the “technical partner and operator,” Econet was the company with the expertise to build and operate such a business. Our financial investors recognized this, and also allowed us to receive 3% of the turnover as our fees. This was standard practice in the industry.

We were one of the winning bidders and they gave us just six months to set up business and get our network operating. We were under a lot of pressure but our network was live two days before the others! Customers were pouring in. We were number one in the market with an estimated 57% market share.

___Then came the fateful day when I was told that our company must pay a total of $9m in bribes to senior politicians (in state government) who had facilitated the raising of the money to pay for the license.

I refused to authorize the illegal payments. Meeting after meeting was held to try to get me to agree, but I would not. The money would not be paid as long as Econet was the operator and I had signing authority.

James Ibori, the Governor of Delta State, was demanding $4,5m be paid to him in his personal capacity. He was one of the most powerful men in the country and had a reputation for violence. When he heard that I was refusing to approve payment he issued an ultimatum:

_”Pay or I will chase you and your people out of the country.”

I refused.

The shareholders met and voted Econet Wireless Nigeria out of management. They cancelled our management contract. James Ibori and his colleagues personally attended the meeting to remove us. After the meeting one of them (a prominent local businessman even today) came up to me and said: “Unfortunately for you, God does not have a vote.”

I had to withdraw all my staff and their families: 200 people in all. We left Nigeria.

Most of our people had to be retrenched. The loss of the contract almost drove us to bankruptcy as a group.

They invited a big international operator to replace us as technical partner and operator. They changed the name of the company from Econet to V-Mobile.

Within days of their arrival, the managers of the new operator signed off the payments demanded as bribes.

Then what happened?

A few noble Nigerians had both the integrity and courage to carefully collect all the documentation on the movement of the money, and pass it all on to me.

___There’s a saying worth remembering in uncovering the trail of destruction that is corruption: “Follow the money”…

I bided my time… then I wrote a letter to the United States Department of Justice!


It was 2003.

As citizens, we have a duty to speak out to stop the rot

Nigeria has an agency known as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). After we had to leave the country, a few noble people at the company tipped off not only me but the EFCC about the payment of the bribes, which had by this time risen from $9m to $13,5m.

I had never actually heard about this agency myself until I got a call from the Nigerian Embassy in South Africa to say they wanted to come and see me to interview me as a witness.

A team of very senior EFCC officers came to see us in South Africa. They were solid and professional in their enquiry. It was clear they wanted to do something about it.

However, when these officers returned home to Nigeria, they got into very serious trouble. Their investigations into the irregular payments had been brought to the attention of James Ibori (Governor of Delta State)…

Soon thereafter, the most senior officer leading the investigation was demoted and sent to a remote part of the country as an ordinary policeman!

Agencies like EFCC in Nigeria sometimes have brave and gallant law enforcement officers. Unfortunately, as I observed, they’re often let down by their political bosses, and sometimes even by the courts. This can change if activism from the citizenry emerges to support their work.

___We should not only support official efforts to stop corruption but also help these agencies and organizations in their investigations. If you have relevant information about illegal activities, passing it on could make all the difference between impunity and imprisonment.

In my letter to the US Justice Department, I detailed the full history of the demands for a bribe. I had dates, times, records. I then reminded them that since the big international operator had a listing on the New York Stock Exchange, they were duty-bound to launch an enquiry. Why did I go to them?

The United States government has a law called the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. The United Kingdom has a similar one called the British Anti-Bribery Act. Whatever you do, make sure you never fall foul of those laws because, if they ever use them to come after you, you’re a “gonner” my friends.

A few weeks later, US officials wrote back advising me that an enquiry had been launched. They contacted the big international company seeking answers to my allegations. My contacts at the company called to tell me, “All hell has broken loose at the company.”

The parent company of the South African-based multinational sent external auditors and lawyers from London to Nigeria. They immediately dismissed all the senior executives sent to Nigeria to run the company, and they left in a hurry!

Although they fled the scene of the crime and returned to their country — after admitting even to both the US Justice Department and the EFCC that the money had been paid out – the stolen funds were never returned to the Nigerian people, even to this day.

Meanwhile, the departure of the other mobile operator did not mean we could return to Nigeria. The shareholders found another operator, this time from the Middle East.

They sold this new operator the control of the company even though Econet Wireless Nigeria had the “right of first refusal” over any sale. They simply ignored that provision in our agreement. This was illegal, both according to our shareholders agreement and Nigerian Company Law. It was left for us to take up the fight in another forum, the Nigerian courts.


Beware the company you keep

The state government of Akwa Ibom held 15% of the equity in Econet Wireless Nigeria. This state was not one of the original investors but joined us later.

After five years, the governor of the state of Akwa Ibom decided to sell its stake. It had more than doubled in value in dollar terms, which meant it had been a good investment.

The state governor, an elderly gentleman called Victor Attah, sent a message through a friend that he wanted to see me in London to find out if I was interested in exercising Econet’s right to buy its shares. I agreed to meet him in London.

“I want to sell the shares to build an airport before I leave office,” the governor explained.

The governor was accompanied to the meeting by a British lawyer who sat quietly taking notes. His name was Bhadresh Gohil.

With a wave of his hand, the governor said, “Mr Gohil is our legal advisor here in London. I have instructed him to handle all our negotiations with you.”

The meeting did not last more than 30 minutes, as the governor was on his way to catch a flight to the U.S.

We agreed with Mr Gohil that we would meet with my own advisors a few days later to start the process.

A few days later, I went to his office with a professional banker who advised me on such transactions. We met in the lawyer’s plush London offices. He was confident and smooth-spoken as he explained how much we were expected to pay. Then he explained that our money was to go to a “Special Purpose Vehicle” (SPV) before it was transferred to Nigeria. It was a sophisticated structure and he showed me a drawing of how it would work. I wrote it all down very carefully into my notebook.

___Such corporate entities as SPVs can definitely have legitimate purposes, but this one did not!

As I quizzed him about why such an unusual structure was necessary, Mr Gohil changed tact and tried to entice me with an offer I could not refuse (or so he hoped): “I’m also the advisor to the governor of Delta State, Mr James Ibori, and if you agree to pay for these shares using this structure, we will offer you shares belonging to all the state governments. In total, you can have more than 30% additional shares. It will be enough to take control of the company. My clients just want out, and they are willing to give you what you have always wanted.”

I listened to him, quietly taking notes in my small notebook. I did not give away anything, but inside I was very angry. From the design of the structure, I knew immediately that it was meant to siphon off money before it reached the state governments. It was clear there was a conspiracy to steal a lot of money.

___Having already pocketed $13.5m, now the government officials could easily pocket probably another $100m through the sale process that they had developed with the help of Mr Gohil and other clever advisors in London!

When I left the meeting I immediately contacted the mutual friend who’d set up the governor’s meeting. The friend was so embarrassed as I explained the corrupt structure clearly designed to steal money from the state governments. He promised to raise the issue with Governor Victor Attah. A few days later he came back and said Governor Attah had claimed ignorance about the proposal put to me by Mr Gohil. He said he would speak to Mr Gohil and tell him it had to be done properly without the structures.

We never heard from them again. Mr Gohil simply vanished. A few months later we were told that the shares had been offered to a company from the Middle East who subsequently bought them. I was not privy to how they did it except that they had violated my right to buy the shares… That is another chapter in the saga, but not for now.

Fast-forward three years, long after the sale. Our lawyers in London called me one day and asked if I could come urgently to a meeting with the Proceeds of Corruption Unit of the London Metropolitan Police: “You are not in any trouble, but I think you will find what they have to say very interesting!”

This special unit was launched by the British to investigate corruption by foreign government officials who try to launder stolen money to the U.S. and the UK.

The officers asked me to explain everything I knew about the sale of V-Mobile shares to Celtel (later Zain).

I explained the history of the entire transaction and the shareholders disputes that had led to our departure. After a while, they asked me to focus on specific events, and, in particular, my meetings in London with the governor of Akwa Ibom, and also the meetings with Mr Gohil. It became clear to me that they had a lot of information!

“What can you tell us about this structure, using a Special Purpose Vehicle?”

I explained my understanding of it. Later on, I gave them my diary in which I had recorded the details of my meeting that day with Mr Gohil.

Below my drawing of the structure, I had written in bold letters:

“This is corrupt!!!”

Not long after my meeting with the Proceeds of Corruption Unit, Mr Gohil was arrested together with one of his partners and several others. I later learned that when the Middle Eastern company bought the shares, some of the proceeds had been diverted using the Gohil structure. Some of the money was sent to a bank in London. This large amount of money was enough to alert the British authorities that money was being laundered through their banking system.

Their investigations led them to Gohil and his associates. They raided his offices and found stashes of documents, including details of the structures. Now they were looking for witnesses to help prosecute them for corruption and money laundering.

The British authorities tried without success to get other parties, including the governor of Akwa Ibom, to come out and clear their names but they refused. Officials of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua’s government successfully thwarted all extradition requests.

I was asked to be a witness in the trial of those who had been arrested in London. I willingly accepted. Next I will tell you about my role as a ‘Witness to the Crown” on behalf of the people of Nigeria whose money had been stolen. It would be the first time that someone big went to jail (in a foreign country) for stealing money from Africans.

deturla:
http://deedeesblog.com/travel-romance-how-to-find-find-love-while-traveling/

Op is definitely confused of the word "Love". or are you suffering from copy and paste syndrome?

Your topic should read HOW TO FIND PROSTITUTES

The Lagos State government has saved N2.4 billion with the stoppage of annual sponsorship of pilgrims to Jerusalem and Mecca, even as the 2016 pilgrimages conducted by the state were adjudged the best in the country.
The State Commissioner of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Abdulhakeem Abdullateef, who stated this on Tuesday at the 2017 Ministerial Press Briefing in commemoration of the 2nd year anniversary of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s administration in office, informed that the savings was ploughed back to finance infrastructural projects and other developmental programmes in the state.
He also applauded the peaceful co-existence and harmonious relationship among the religious groups and adherents in the state, adding that the ministry planned to hold a special parley and thanksgiving services for religious bodies as part of activities to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the State this month.
The commissioner explained that, as part of efforts by the state government to maintain and foster peaceful co-existence amongst residents, the ministry has, through the Lagos Chapter of Nigeria Inter-religious Council, NIREC, – a faith-based organisation for promoting religious harmony – been able to nip in the bud, many religious crises that could have escalated into serious conflicts.
While noting that plans are afoot to decentralize the activities of the NIREC to the 20 local government areas and 37 local councils and development areas to further enhance interaction and religious tolerance at the grassroots, he maintained that NIREC, Lagos chapter has ensured that collaboration between Christians and Muslims in the state has reached such an unprecedented level.

-PremiumTimes

BuariCopyPaste:
He must have learned the illegal business in Lagos.....

South West is never a place to raise kids.

Afflicted illiteracy is worse than mental problems

DollarAngel:
Only the feebleminded will be impressed. That's she is wearing #1000 cloth kini big deal, do you know the perfume she uses the price, the shoe she was wearing , her cream and toiletries.

Sad-u-see!
Creating and looking for imaginary junk of errors and mistakes everywhere

toptennaija:
1. Boxing Champion Of Nigeria Ancestry Anthony Joshua wanted to represent Nigeria at the 2012 olympics. But a coach in nigeria told....
7. He worked as a bricklayer before taking up boxing full time
...

http://ttnaija..com.ng/2017/04/ten-intriguing-facts-about-anthony.html


watch-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Ak8NFoGoBI

Number 7 got me thinking. See a man diligent in his business...

While many of his age range we prefer to loaf, roam, sag about, this guy decided to be a bricklayer. No wonder his vision pays off.

Hot cakes names in News spreading/selling today in Nigeria are:

-RCCG

-PMB

-Nnamdi Kanu

-Apostle Suleiman

-Tinubu

-Adeboye

*Please add your own*