₦airaland Forum

The First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, has faulted the call in some quarters for the scraping of the office of the First Ladies, arguing that ” First Ladies have made profound contributions to the development of Nigeria.”

Mrs. Jonathan made the explanations in Umuahia, Abia State while speaking at the grand civic reception in her honour by her maternal kinsmen of the Ohuhu clan.

She said that contrary to opinions and wrong impressions by some people, First Ladies play essential roles in moving the country forward, adding that those behind the call might not have appreciated the good parts being played by First Ladies.

The wife of the President recalled that she had through her office touched positively on the lives of many Nigerian women and youths, adding that in the same vein many governors’ wives had also affected lives in their various states.

She maintained that First Ladies all over the world play supportive roles which she noted, were very germane for the successes recorded by their husbands.

malele:
That's the problem, this man will only campaign in lagoS,
I don't know whether only lag makes up nigeria.

orobs93:
my advice he should not just concentrate on lagos He should try is best to go round d geo graphical zones

•Probe me if you like

THE immediate past governor of Ekiti
State,Dr.Kayode Fayemi, yesterday hit back at his
successor, Governor Ayo Fayose ,warning him
against using falsehood as a tool of governance.
Fayemi who was responding for the first time to
allegations levelled at him by Fayose said that the
deployment of deceit as an official policy of
administration would not help the government in any
way.

He challenged the governor to probe him if he was
sure that he (Fayemi) plundered the state of its
resources . “If they have anything against me let
them institute a probe, I am ready for it,” he said.
He cited the allegation that he left an N85billion debt
behind as one of such lies. Fayemi said that all total
debt at the time of his exit was N35billion. He spoke
on Akure, Ondo State-based radio station, ADABA
88.9 FM, Friday evening.

Fayemi also dismissed Fayose’s claim that he
(Fayose) left N10. 4 billion in government coffers at
the time of his impeachment in October 2006.

He said that records showed that Fayose left only
N3.5 billion and a lot of contractor obligations
behind. For the first time, the Fayemi also revealed
that the actual cost of the new Government House
otherwise known as Ayoba Villa is N2.1 billion.

He said the cost of the complex is lower than any
other newly constructed state Government House in
the country and that the Fayose Administration
which has been critical of the execution of the project
is currently using marble in parts of the complex.

“It is not only fully completed but it is also fully
furnished. It is the cheapest Government House built
by any government in the 36 states of the federation
in recent times.

“That of Plateau State cost N10 billion and that of
Kaduna cost N9 billion but we built our own at the
cost of N2.1 billion and they are presently doing
marble work on the same Government House and
they are also doing the roads we have completed.

“If he (Fayose) says he refused to move there, why is
he lighting up the place by powering it with diesel? I
know the meetings he is holding there because it is a
four-in-one building.

“But for you to try and make excuses that is not
acceptable. If God helps you to be there even if you
cheat your way to be there, you need to thank God
for the favour He has shown you.

“These lies are unfounded, it is not expected from
somebody holding that exalted position. You are
sleeping there, your wife is sleeping there.

“Do we have N50 million worth of bed in this world? I
want people to ask him to produce the bed of N50
million. I don’t give contract by the words of the
mouth, I have papers and documents to back them
up and I don’t award contracts to my brothers and
family members.”

He also carpeted Fayose for claiming in his monthly
media chat earlier in the day that the new
Government House is yet to be completed
maintaining that “the edifice is not only completed
but is also fully furnished.”

He said claims that each of the beds he bought for
the complex cost N50million was false as no bed
anywhere in the world costs that kind of amount.
He warned Fayose to stop peddling lies and face the
serious business of governance instead of reducing
governance to comedy which, he noted, is portraying
Ekiti in bad light in the comity of states in Nigeria
and before the international community.

Fayemi also gave Fayose hard knocks for claiming
that all the brand new vehicles he (Fayemi) bought
for traditional rulers have not been paid for.

Fayemi insisted that the cars which were purchased
from Coscharis Motors have been paid for admitting
that it is only official cars purchased for senior civil
servants from the same company that are yet to be
paid for. The ex-governor noted that the wrong
information being fed the world by Fayose resulted
from deliberate mischief or lack of proper briefing by
concerned officials.

He admitted that his administration sourced N25
billion from the Capital Market to execute projects
that have generated jobs which are also yielding
revenue into the coffers of government.

These include Ekiti Parapo Square, Ikogosi Warm
Spring Resort, Ire Burnt Bricks, Ayoba Villa, College
of Technical Agriculture, among others are now worth
over N100 billion.

Contrary to Fayose’s claims that N1.5 billion is
deducted from Ekiti allocation every month, Fayemi
argued that N500 million is deducted from the state
allocation.
Fayemi stressed that for the whole four years he was
in office, the only month his administration failed to
pay workers’ salaries was September.
He added that secondary school teachers were also
owed August salaries which he attributed to
problems with their banks.


The former governor claimed that Fayose who had
since received the September allocation has refused
to pay the September salaries to workers describing
the action as “callous, ungodly and immoral”.

According to him, his administration had problems
paying the September salaries because Fayose
allegedly went to the banks and directed them to
stop giving the outgoing government loans which
were procured to pay salaries before allocation
arrived.

mcino:
See what propaganda life can cause. So Gani Fawehinmi rose up to criticize GEJ for giving a centenary award to a former dictator who ranks alongside Buhari, IBB, etc. Lie Mohammed the second!!!

Amanwulu1:
See d ppl I'm wasting time discussing wit. Did u say Fela n Gani who? When were u born? In case u're talking past, are u sure Soyinka n fela did not criticise buhari?

Obinoscopy:
So because our corrupt government decided to drop all charges against Abacha, you are now in total support that Abacha never stole our money? You are beginning to sound like the PDP goons.

APC and PDP, I honestly don't know the difference between you two. May God help this country.

Obinoscopy:
But a huge sum of money was recovered from him. I remembered there was a time when trillions of naira was recovered from him during Obasanjo's civilian rule. I remembered it so vividly despite my not being politically conscious then because I never knew we could have naira notes up to trillions. So when I heard it, I said wow. So are you and Buhari saying that all the money that have been recovered thus far from Abacha were legitimately acquired by the late Abacha?

And if the allegations of looting are baseless, then what do you have to say about this Jahbiz's post:

Obinoscopy:
You said "let Buhari be." And you tried justifying Buhari's action by stating that Jonathan honoured Sani Abacha's son with an award. Two wrongs doesn't make a right. If Buhari says something that's wrong, he should be criticised. Same goes for Jonathan.

Check the link provided by the OP, you will see where it was said that Buhari and IBB claimed Abacha never stole.

anonimi:
Gani Fawehinmi criticiseD which award in which year?
From his grave or from where exactly
Abi na you be the medium wey im transmit the criticism through.

Oya go back to sleep..........that kiriyo christmas hangover never clear for your eyes!!!

Obinoscopy:
So because Jonathan is romancing with the devil then Buhari should be allowed to romance with the devil as well?

anonimi:
Please tell us which former Head of State was left out of the Centenary awards.
Thanks!

Was Buhari not also included and he showed up to collect



https://informationng.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/CENTENARY-BUHARI-GEJ.jpg

but knows how to DODGE responsibility of attending Council of State meetings for discussing security matters among other things, in his capacity as former Head of State.


Such a morally BANKRUPT man pretending to be a man of integrity.
No wonder they gave him a pastor I-Go-Chop-Your-Naira as his running mate

SeverusSnape:
Their meeting is not unconnected to the forth coming election. This IBB will do everything humanly possible(...In his own capacity) to stop Buhari from winning. The fear of nemesis

***watching in 4d***

Uruguay's President Jose Mujica says he has been offered $1m (£630,000) for his vintage Volkswagen Beetle.

Mr Mujica, once dubbed "the poorest president in the world" because of his modest lifestyle, said the offer had come from an Arab sheikh.
He told the weekly Busqueda magazine that if he did accept the offer, the money would be used to help the poor.

President Mujica - popularly known as Pepe - lives on a ramshackle farm and gives away most of his pay.
In 2010, his annual personal wealth declaration - mandatory for officials in Uruguay - was $1,800, the value of his blue 1987 Beetle.

Busqueda reported that the offer for the car was made at an international summit earlier this year in Santa Cruz, Bolivia.
"They made me an offer," Mr Mujica, 79, told the magazine.

"I was a bit surprised, and at first I really didn't pay too much attention to it. But later, another offer came in, and I began to take it a little more seriously."

The president said he had "no commitment to cars" and would happily auction it.
He joked that he had not sold it so far because he needed it for his dog Manuela, famous for only having three legs.

Mr Mujica said that if he got $1m for the car, he would donate it to a programme he supports that provides housing for the homeless.

President Mujica is barred by the constitution from running for a second consecutive term and a presidential election held last month is to go to a second round.
A recent survey gave Mr Mujica an approval rating of nearly 60%.

Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) retired General Muhammadu Buhari says he will not have an office for first lady if elected in next year’s election.

In an exclusive interview with Weekly Trust in Kaduna, Buhari said his decision was premised on the fact there is no office of first lady in the Nigerian constitution, just as there is no official role for presidents’ wives.

Rather, he said ministries which are constitutional should be allowed to play their roles.

“There is the Ministry of Women Affairs, and so on”, he said.
The APC flag bearer said women would however play very important roles in his administration.

“I was raised by my mother, as I lost my father when I was under six years, so I know what a woman can do if given the chance,”

he said, adding that he sees them as his cornerstone.
General Buhari also spoke on the situation in Chibok, Borno State, where over 200 schoolgirls were abducted by the terrorist group, Boko Haram and remain in their captivity.

“Imagine a mother with a teenage daughter there and for seven months and has no clue where she is”, he said, noting that women’s effort in looking after children, apart from the pain of childbirth, aggravates the pain of losing a child.

“Roughly one year in their tummy and from the time they are born until they clock six, children tend to assume they know everything, but it is women, their mothers, who are responsible for them. I have the greatest respect for women,” he said.

See full interview tomorrow in the Weekly Trust

It was an interesting sight yesterday as primary and secondary school teachers from all over Ekiti State converged on Agric Olope area of Ado-Ekiti to collect the chickens that Governor Ayodele Fayose promised them for Christmas.

As early as 9am, teachers had started to throng the distribution venue to collect their chickens. When Governor Fayose arrived with a deluge of security aides in his traditional short-sleeve T-shirt, he threw victory punch to the air with the supporters he brought in buses responding with shouts of Oshoko.
The whole stretch of Agric Olope of Ajilosun was jam-packed with the vehicles of the teachers that came from all over the state.

The other end of Agric Olope by Matthew Street was a no-go area as teachers, who parked their cars far away from the distribution venue, trekked long distances.

By noon, the picture of what would emerge at the end of the day had started to take shape as teachers went home with pigeon-size chickens cursing the governor in unprintable words. Some left in annoyance shouting “Sai Buhari, Sai Buhari”.

When the governor saw the anger of the teachers as they shoved and shoved in an uncontrollable scramble to collect their chickens, he offered to decentralize the distribution, but the teachers had already lost their patience, as they left in anger.

One teacher from Omuo-Ekiti lamented that he had spent about N800 to travel to Ado-Ekiti to collect a chicken that sells for less than N1000. One of the friends of a teacher who parked his car about 400 metres away from the venue with a green Nissan Primera lamented ever wasting his time “for this nonsense”. The man was more angry as the car of his friend broke down with bad brake cable where they parked. As at 6:30pm, mechanics were still battling to bring the car to life.

Surrounded by four other teachers, one of them said that he knew the whole exercise would be a fluke immediately he learnt that teachers in both primary and secondary schools were lumped together for the exercise.

“I know it is going to be like this. More than half of the teachers won’t get the fowls. Elomirin a kari so dele loni leyin ugba kaan ba ruun kankan gba leyin kaan duro titi titi ninu orirun (some people will go dejected back home empty-handed after waiting long hours in the sun).

As teachers moved enmasse in anger from the place, the governor pleaded that they should come back, promising that he would add N2 million to be shared among the teachers.

This angered the teachers the more, as they started shouting:”How much will one teacher get if N2m is shared among more than 18,000 teachers in both primary and secondary schools?”

As The Trumpeter tried to take the photographs of the teachers as they were leaving in anger, some covered their faces to avoid being photographed.

To everybody’s chagrin, Fayose on his way to the office abruptly stopped at Matthew street junction along Ajilsun and sat at a phone vendor booth making phone calls while traffic built up heavily along the road.

The Vice-Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, has accused President Goodluck Jonathan of politicising the fight against the Islamist sect, Boko Haram.
Osinbajo argued that the present administration had failed to
“sincerely identify” the menace posed by the insurgent group.
The law professor also blamed the failure of the security forces to contain the excesses of Boko Haram in the ongoing war against terrorism on corruption.
Osinbajo stated this during a Twitter chat tagged #AskProfOsinbajo on Monday.
The Senior Advocate of Nigeria said, “The current administration
has politicised Boko Haram. The corruption around defence funds has created a situation where soldiers are not well equipped and motivated.
“General Mohammadu Buhari wiped off Maitatsine, another Islamic insurgency during his administration, by sincerely identifying the problem as a challenge to the authority of the state to maintain law and order.
“The administration took command and funded the military transparently and that is what we need to do now to end this insurgency.”
The former Lagos State justice commissioner said one of the fundamental problems bedeviling the nation today was the failure of the Jonathan-led Federal Government to tackle corruption head-on.
According to the presidential running mate of Maj.Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), it is saddening that under Jonathan’s government, there is “no consequence for corruption.”
He added, “One of the fundamental problems is that there is no consequence for corruption. I think that what everyone will agree to about a Buhari government is that it will not tolerate corruption.”

nzeobi:
Those peddling that rumour are looking for a way to attack igbo doing their business in that part of the country

According to the Commissioner, Alhaji Adenrele
Shinaba, the arrest of an indigenous female suicide
bomber gave a lie to such rumour.

voltron:
no even try am..