₦airaland Forum

fapcrook: i dont agree to this. How come they presented fake certificate in d first place. They shd even sleep in cell for sometime b4 they send them away

fapcrook: Fake certificates? Let them send them packing and get people who are genuine. Well done

take dat: What else do we expect from dodgy characters at the helm of affairs? This government will never be able to fight corruption. Prior to the setting up of Ribadu's task force we've had damning revelations from NEITI, the KPMG report, the House of Representatives report and none has been acted upon. I remember Remi Babalola drew the ire of this government when he said NNPC was insolvent and he was forced to resign. Even after the committees upon committees set up to look into the fuel subsidy scam we are yet to see any of the marketers in jail but rather one of them was awarded the second National honour. We are also yet to see any of the staff of NNPC, DPR, CBN, Budget office, Customs, NIMASA, Office of the Accountant general, ministry of finance and PPPRA who all connived with the petroleum marketers to defraud the country of over a trillion naira sacked or prosecuted. The former chairman of PPPRA is still a free man as of today and the government will claim it is fighting corruption. Who is fooling who then?

The revelations from the report cannot be disputed even if the figures don't tally. Its a known fact that NNPC sells its crude oil allocation of 445,000bpd at cut down prices while our refineries remain in a state of comatose and petroleum marketers and government agencies milk the government and Nigerians on a daily basis.

The excuse of the government of being unable to prosecute those who have perpetuated these graft for over 10 years simply because the figures quoted in the report are not verified is inadmissible except they are trying to Cover up their misdemeanours cos overtly or covertly successive presidents including GEJ have all benefited from the rot in the sector such as allocation of oil blocs to cronies, getting NNPC to fund their non budgeted projects, acquisition of presidential jets and so on.

The least GEJ can do for now is to lobby for the quick passage of the PIB which some people have even condemned of giving so much powers to the minister of petroleum. As for all the reports they well keep gathering dust or another committee will be set up to look into them since we run a government of committees!

ilugunboy: OP.

We need discipline in our educational system...the recurrent expenditure on overhead in Ogun State is alarming.

The last government engaged so many hands in the twilight of the administration all in a bid to create disaffection for the present government.

Jonathan’s govt lacks will to fight corruption –Reps

NOVEMBER 11, 2012 BY JOHN AMEH, OLUWOLE JOSIAH, CHUKWUDI AKASIKE AND OLALEKAN ADETAYO 9 COMMENTS

The House of Representatives has excoriated the Federal Government for its subtle moves to bury the Mallam Nuhu Ribadu-led Petroleum Special Task Force report.

Consequently,[b] it said President Goodluck Jonathan’s government lacked the political will to fight corruption, especially in the oil and gas industry.

Its position came in the wake of criticisms of the report by the Presidency. The Special Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan, Dr. Doyin Okupe, had on Thursday, disparaged it as “containing loopholes.”

The House, however, said it was not surprised by the way the Executive handled Ribadu’s report because probes conducted into the oil sector since 1999 had turned in damning reports, which the Presidency could not act on.

The Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Mr. Zakari Mohammed, told SUNDAY PUNCH in Abuja that there was “a deliberate attempt not to implement the Ribadu report.”

Mohammed noted that the investigation was “calculated to fail from the beginning,” considering the controversies and intrigues, which surrounded the work of the Ribadu committee.

He added, “So, what we have seen is the lack of political will to prosecute.

“The House, for instance, conducted several probes in the past and made recommendations, but how have we fared?

“We did the Farouk Lawan probe, it was politicised; now there is Ribadu probe and the same drama is playing out.

“What this tells us is that there is no political will to prosecute those who have been indicted.”

The lawmaker stated that though the National Assembly had enormous constitutional powers to ask questions on the management of public resources and recommend penalties where necessary, it was not the duty of the legislature to enforce the penalties.

“We have our limits under the constitution.

“The constitution does not give us the power to prosecute; that is the job of the Executive.[/b]

“We have asked all the questions and made relevant recommendations, but there is failure of prosecution, which is not our role as legislators,” he added.

Mohammed gave the assurance that the House would continue to perform its constitutional responsibility of exposing corruption.

But The Presidency on Friday, said it was unfortunate that there had been “ignorant carping and unintelligent tittle-tattle” about Ribadu’s report.

Presidential spokesman, Dr. Reuben Abati, made the position of the Presidency known in an interview with one of our correspondents.

According to Abati, those talking about “political will” are beneficiaries of the Federal Government’s commitment to the rule of law and fair play.

Taking on Zakari, he said, “Zakari Mohammed of the House of Representatives talks absent-mindedly about “lack of political will” to fight corruption.

“He should know, if he has been reading the newspapers, that on the basis of both the report of the House of Representatives and the Aig-Imokhuede committee reports, persons are currently being prosecuted in the law courts by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.”

The presidential spokesman added that the committees in question and the probes into the petroleum sector were initiated by Jonathan to ensure transparency in the extractive industry.

He added, “The Federal Government has not done anything to stop or discourage the prosecution of indicted persons. We have made the point, again and again, that in this ongoing fight against corruption, there will be no “cover-ups”; and no “sacred cows,” and that President Jonathan’s only interest is the people’s interest.

“The President is already taking steps to address some of the issues raised in the reports. I had in the last 48 hours drawn attention to the fact that the President gave clear directives on the state of the refineries and that at least one meeting has been held since the presentation of the Report on Refineries, to act specifically on the recommendations made. President Jonathan has directed that he wants the refineries fixed and steps are already being taken; deadlines have been set.”

Meanwhile, the Senate has said it will commence the strengthening and passage of relevant legislation to ensure transparency in the oil sector.

This is coming amid the furore generated by the Ribadu report and lack of transparency in the sector highlighted in the reports of different probes.

Leader of the Senate, Victor Ndoma-Egba (SAN), said on Friday that the Senate through its committees had been carrying out oversights by way of investigations; some revelations had been made.

He said, “We have continued to expose corruption and the weaknesses in the sector. We will need to strengthen certain legislation that will make the industry transparent and accountable to the public.

“But at the end of the day, it will be the duty of the public to hold public officers accountable using the Freedom of Information Act.”

When asked what specific laws would be strengthened or enacted, Ndoma-Egba mentioned the expeditious consideration of the Petroleum Industry Bill, which he said was aimed at cleaning up the petroleum sector.

He noted that the Senate would also be looking at the Money Laundering Act for ways of dealing with corruption in the oil sector.

According to him, the Senate would also strengthen the Anti-Terrorism Law which has some finance components that could be applied to unwholesome activities in the sector.

He said, “There is an improvement in our oversight of the agencies in the oil sector, because now we are discussing issues in the sector.

“Before now, it was seen as a no-go-area. But we discussing them in details. That shows a relative improvement in the legislative oversight of the sector,” he said.

Also speaking on the issue, Senate Spokesman, Sen. Enyinnaya Abaribe, denied that there was any failure in oversight, arguing that the relevant committees had been given the responsibility to oversee the agencies in the sector well.

He said, “We are yet to get a copy of the Ribadu report to know exactly the recommendations and its contents. Such will guide further response from the Senate.”

Meanwhile, the Concerned Advocates for Good Governance has attributed the criticism of the Ribadu’s probe report by the Presidency to the President’s interest in the 2015 presidential election.

National Coordinator of the CAGG, Mr. Olusegun Bamgbose, described the Presidency’s position on the report as a political gimmick and deliberate attempt to rubbish the person of Ribadu.

Bamgbose, who spoke in a telephone interview with SUNDAY PUNCH on Friday, explained that the former EFCC czar was well known to Nigerians as a man whose image could not be destroyed overnight.

Bamgbose said, “What we have seen is an attempt to smear the image of Ribadu. It is a deliberate attempt to remove all opposition from the way. It is obvious that this is all about 2015 presidency.

“He (Ribadu) is a man of integrity, who believes in transparency and honesty. You cannot destroy his image overnight.

“Ribadu made a grave mistake by accepting to be part of the Petroleum Special Task Force. The Ribadu we know is a trusted and reliable person. How do you expect him to mess up when he knows that Nigerians are watching?”

On the criticism from Okupe, the CAGG national coordinator said Jonathan’s aide painted a wrong picture of Ribadu in order to gain a political point.

Bamgbose urged Ribadu to clear his name immediately and resign from the task force because the current administration might not share in his beliefs and goals for the country.

He said Nigerians would soon realise that government’s disapproval of the report was politically motivated.

In the wake of Janaury 2012 uprising against the removal of fuel subsidy, the Senate had conducted investigation into the oil and gas sector, which revealed that NNPC could not explain the schedule and utilisation of the 450,000 crude barrels per day.

Also, the agency failed to explain the 75,000 barrels per day allocated for swarp with a foreign refinery company, just as underpayments of royalties by oil companies and sundry financial abuses were dictated in a similar report from a probe, which the House of Representatives carried out in 2008.

The Senate has yet to consider the report. Just as the NNPC faulted the Ribadu report, so it did to all Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative reports, which chronicled abuses in the oil sector.

The Central Bank of Nigeria, Minister of Finance, Federal Inland Revenue Service and Accountant-General of the Federation, the Minister of Petroleum, among others, constitute the board of NEITI.

Trouble in Ogun as Amosun goes after fake teachers
Our Reporter November 11, 2012 3 Comments »

•800 may be sacked

By Moshood Adebayo, Abeokuta

There are palpable fears among primary and secondary school teachers in Ogun State over alleged discovery of no fewer than 527 ghosts teachers during an audit exercise. It is not just ghost teachers, there were also allegations of many teachers, particularly in primary and secondary schools teaching with either with fake certificates or letters of attestation for over two decades.

To confirm authenticity of the teachers’ certificates of results as well as attestation letters submitted during the audit exercise, the state government is currently screening no fewer than 6,531 teachers in what it described as the secondary review audit. Sunday Sun reliably gathered that in this on-going exercise, no fewer than 800 teachers may lose their jobs. It was further learnt the exercise has forced many teachers and others within the state’s civil service to voluntarily resign from their jobs.

Authorities of the Federal College of Education, Osiele, Abeokuta, are also not helping matters in the screening of the teachers’ certificates as it gave only attestation letters to hundreds of its former candidates, who completed their programmes for over 20 years. For example, many teachers who had successfully completed their courses of study and even graduated from the college since 1994 have not been issued their certificates. One of such attestation letters addressed to Chairman, Ogun State Universal Basic Education Board, Oke Mosan, reads: “This is to confirm the fact that student with Matriculation No. …..read and graduated upon successful completion of his/her course of study in the year with the following grades.”

The letter further urged the Board to give necessary assistance and cooperation to the bearer as an ex-student of the college pending release of his or her certificate as soon as it is made available by the National Commission for College of Education (NCCE), Abuja. Another letter dated last September and addressed to Director, CITC-Moving to a New Ogun State government Payroll System also states that the college was still processing certificates of many teachers. It reads: “We wish to note that the college is still processing his certificate along with others and the certificate will be issued to him immediately action is completed on it, please.

Consequently, we plead that you accept the statement of result issued by the college as an authentic document by our institution. “For the avoidance of doubt, we attach herewith the duly stamped and signed College Graduation Brochure where his name appeared as a further confirmation of his status as a bona fide product of this noble institution. “We sincerely hope that this correspondence and attached documents would be accepted in lieu of his certificate so that he would not be deprived of any entitlement due to him as a product of the college.”

The FCE-Abeokuta is not alone in this, the state’s Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, where majority of primary and secondary school teachers did their degree programmes until recently also had piles of unissued degree certificates. Acting Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor Adesanya, who confirmed this during a recent press conference, said the university’s authorities were doing everything humanly possible to clear the arrears of unissued certificates. “Since we came on board few months back, we have tried our best to address this problem, and I can assure you that many of our students have been issued their certificates.

Aside this, we have streamlined things so that it would not take too long for graduates of the school to receive their degree certificates.” The inability of the two tertiary institutions in the state to issue certificates to their graduating students has promoted sharp practices among some teachers, who sources disclosed, had played a fast one on the state government before the cat was let out of the bag. At the State Universal Basic Education Board, Oke-Mosan, a number of cases of certificate forgery had been uncovered during the last teachers audit exercise, which forced many teachers to “voluntarily resign their appointments”.

Reacting to this development, Chairman of the Board, Mufutau Ajibola, who confirmed what he described as ugly development, added that the state government would not accept resignations from those already identified as fraudulent. According to him, the state government was compelled to write directly to the affected school authorities purportedly attended by the teachers to verify the allegation of attendance as well as verify letters and statements of result presented during screening exercise. He cited the case of a teacher he said was employed in 1978, but was still presenting a statement of result 34 years after.

“Such a case is highly suspicious because in 1978, there was no backlog in issuance of degree certificates,” he said. Ajibola described as worrisome the incident of falsification of birth certificates, impersonation as well as no appearance of over 223 staff during the four-week screening exercise. “Such cases will be referred to the police for prosecution. For someone to teach children when he or she does not have even the minimum qualification is a serious and deliberate act of fraud, not just financial fraud, but moral fraud, too,” he said. The board’s chairman, who said the exercise was not to witch-hunt any one, added,

“This process is about Ogun State knowing and being sure that those teaching our children are qualified to do so. Genuine, suitably qualified teachers have nothing to fear.” Among speculations of possible injustice, the state government set up a review panel under the office of the Head of Service to hear any appeals arising from the process.

“The panel includes representatives of a number of agencies and relevant teaching unions that would give those affected a chance to have their cases reviewed if the need arises,” Mr Ajibola said. Speaking on the development, an official of the state’s Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Sunday Sun that the union was still studying the situation. “We are aware of the development, but I can’t confirm now if the allegation of ghost workers is true or not.

All I can say is that many of our members, who have not attained the retirement age are resigning en masse, and we don’t know what is responsible for this.” He cautioned the state government not to use the exercise to witch-hunt their members. According to him, the NUT members should not be blamed for their inability to procure certificates years after completing their programmes.

“I think it will be wrong for the government to shift the blame of non-presentation of certificates during the screening exercise, if the affected tertiary institutions had issued the certificates and our members failed to present them during screening that would be another thing.” He lamented what he described as “non-challant attitude” of the FCE- Abeokuta management, which he accused of compounding the problems of primary school teachers by not issuing them certificates after their programmes in the college.

Greasy Collaboration: Presidency Intensifies Efforts To Discredit Ribadu Report, Invites Friendly Editors To ‘Lunch’
Posted: November 11, 2012 - 01:22

https://saharareporters.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/news-page-images-480-wide/page_images/news/2012/Doyin_okupe.jpeg
Presidential "attack dog", Doyin Okupe


By SaharaReporters, New York
The Jonathan presidency today moved a step further to discredit the report of the Nuhu Ribadu-led Petroleum Revenue Special Task Force (PRSTF), which was submitted to it two weeks ago.

In a rare collaboration between the office of the Special Assistant to President Jonathan on Public Affairs and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, selected journalists have been invited to lunch tomorrow with the presidential attack dog, Dr. Doyin Okupe, where they will be briefed.

The normally rewarding luncheon will take place at the fashionable Lagoon Restaurant in Victoria Island Lagos at 1PM on Sunday according to a text message obtained by SaharaReporters.

Dr. Okupe has become the arrowhead of plans by President Goodluck Jonathan to discredit the committee report, which partly asserts that Nigeria presidents, including the current, have used the NNPC to shell out favors to cronies, relatives and family members.

The report revealed that major oil corporations ripped Nigeria off to over $30 billion in back taxes and royalties.

SaharaReporters had revealed that Mr. Jonathan was planning to kill the report using Mr. Steve Orosanye, who acted as the secretary of the commission.

Mr. Oronsaye refused to attend the meetings of the committee but instead got himself appointed to the board of the NNPC.
On the day of the submission of the committee report, Mr. Oronsaye was flown into Nigeria to rubbish the report, his speech at the occasion throwing the report into controversy.

Mr. Okupe, who sat directly behind Ribadu during the submission of the committee work, looked livid as Ribadu confronted Oronsaye.

Mr. Okupe, who Ribadu once described a consummate criminal, spent two months in detention for fraud while Mr. Ribadu was the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Okupe, now the face and voice of aggression in Aso Rock, had been involved in contract scams involving Imo and Benue States, where he stole monies meant for road construction. Shortly after he was granted bail, Mr. Ribadu was kicked out of the EFCC.

Mr. Okupe was never tried for those scams until the controversy surfaced shortly after his recent appointment by President Jonathan.

Members of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ogun State also accussed Mr. Okupe of stealing N5 million from the PDP gubernatorial candidate, Tunji Olurin, in 2011. The money had been donated to the governorship candidate by former Governor Segun Oni of Ekiti state.

Tomorrow’s lunch will be a tripartite event between Okupe, the NNPC and some editors who have reportedly been paid in advance to help rubbish the Ribadu committee report, or suppress adverse stories about it in their media outlets.

One of the main portions of the Ribadu report claims that oil traders in the international market sell Nigerian oil, a practice Mr. Ribadu says is not only criminal but also totally unacceptable. According to his speech to Mr. Jonathan, Ribadu claims that only the government of war-torn Congo engages oil traders to sell its oil.

Saharareporters investigations show, however, that of the 40 oil traders engaged in oil sales, 25 of them are directly owned or controlled by President Jonathan and the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Allison-Madueke.

In addition, Mrs. Allison –Madueke has complete control of the 445,000 barrels per day allocated to the NNPC for local consumption.

coogar: i reiterate......some states in america issue resident's card......
why are people against this exercise? has fashola come out to say it would be used to discriminate against non-lagosians? a state of 21 million population and yet no central database to identify who is who - and all you can see is segregation? gbawe, are you sure this is you posting this or someone hijacked your nairaland account?



unfortunately, census and headcount would not reveal the true statistics - it is either understated or overstated. people have been manipulating that exercise in nigeria since the fall of adam - the biometrics system in this new move is a niche! no 2 humans can have the same fingerprint - so there can be no double entry or impersonation!

In the United States, states issue optional identity cards for people who do not hold a driver's license as an alternate means of identification. These cards are issued by the same organization responsible for driver's licenses, usually called the Department of Motor Vehicles.

passion007: very true...articles like this renew our hope that we can be one again...only say badbelle ppl no gree make we remain as one country. Na God go punish dem...

@TS: this is a very beautyful piece, kudos!

cogitoErgo: damnd! for the past three weeks now, I have no power in my place, when it occassionaly comes you better light your candle, 'cus candle light will be better!

geeez: So we know how many Igbos live with us, where they are and how to deal with them decisively

But seriously there's nothing wrong with a state trying to identify its residents and create a database that will help in better administering the state. It will serve the following purposes:

1. Effective Tax Monitoring
2. Effective distribution of infrastructure
3. Provision of adequate security. (Since you know which areas have the most population)
4. A database for the unemployed with a view to establishing a social security structure
5. Provision of effective health care
6. Prioritization of transportation routes, links and means
7. Education for school aged children

Ati be be lo

mbhs139: At the boldened does not include Nigerians. That's my take. It simply points to citizens of other non west african countries trooping into lagos through the various border post manned by the corrupt federal officials.

Aren't you aware of Chaddians, Beninous, Nigerians (i mean people from Niger) trooping to Lagos to work as Okadas. Even there is Visa free movement for the Ecowas countries, isn't there suppose to be some control?

The registrations of over 20million people living in Lagos is aimed at providing better governance and to control the influx of illegal citizens.

subterfuge: It has been a harrowing experience living in Nigeria of late.
One shameless power minister directed by the Badluck came with increased Power tarrifs.
Now that the power supply has droped to the barest minimum, badluck still wants to charge the masses at the very high NEW tarrif.
Is it not madness on the part of a FRAUDSTER Badluck.

tedfx4life: Can we just stop all this... Bro he said sorry..Acually he told me to help him say sorry.
Please...shikena

Paul John: @gbawe, why not just overlook some posts at times.
Some lads are here to castigate others progress.

afam4eva: You miss the point once again...

I care not if Ajimobi, you or Clifford orji are technocrats. My worry is your attempt at painting everything that comes from ACN white and everything that comes from PDP black.

And pls let's not throw insulting words around cos there are people here that see us as role models. Let's not dissapoint them.

ayinba1: Mr Gbawe,
It's alright. You used to be so much better than this. What happened to you?

Thank you for the lecture. I am not sure how I offended you. I simply asked you a question, an honest one at that but you are taking it a different way.
Don't use words that are more complex that I would need a dictionary for. Again, for the most part, I am on your side, but today, you are very much like Beaf and that sir is totally unbecoming.

Just so you know, I would not descend to that low level.

If a leader is not living to expectation, I will speak up.
Again, my focus for now is on the SouthWest leaders because "ile la ti nkesho rode"

With all due respect, I would like youto tell us what Ajimobi has done for Oyo state that qualifies him to be regarded aa a technocrat?

afam4eva: Please let's try as much as possible to be civilized. I made a simple statement judging from what i noticed and instead of you to take correction and move on, you're busy justifying your clannishness in the most undesirable manner. We may support a particular party but that shouldn't stop of from saying the truth at all times. I commend this particular initiative even though i'm not an ACN member or supporter.

ayinba1: @gbawe
I posted my thanks before I read your response which I find very amusing and unusual. I gues NL is changing you.
Intellectual laziness is not something that you can accuse me of, I will most definitely not accuse you of same because if I would, that question would not be asked of you.

Having said that, we must be very cautious of how we evaluate and rate information or we will become another Beaf or whatever moniker he uses now.

With all due respect, I would like youto tell us what Ajimobi has done for Oyo state that qualifies him to be regarded aa a technocrat?

afam4eva: It's really not my business whether Ajimobi is a technocrat or not. My point is that your party clannishness never allows you to appreciate something good except it's coming from the only progressive party in Nigeria, ACN. If Jonathan has done this same thing, your kind would have trooped in high number to use mouth to insult and denigrate his resolve. Learn to say the truth whether or not it's coming from a particular quarter.

ayinba1: Mr Gbawe,

With all due respect, I would like youto tell us what Ajimobi has done for Oyo state that qualifies him to be regarded aa a technocrat? Or easier still, tell us of his previous mangerial or leadership accomplishments.

afam4eva: You're right Ajimobi is a technocrat because he's in ACN. If a PDP governor had done exact the same thing people like you would have castigated him. Anyways, i believe this is a good development. Let's see how things will pan out.

Professional career

He returned to Nigeria in 1977 and joined Management and Industrial Consulting firm as a Senior Consultant. He thereafter worked briefly with Modulor Group (an architectural firm) as the Finance and Admin Controller, before joining Nestle Foods PLC. as the Operations Controller and later as Marketing Controller. In 1979, he joined National Oil and Chemical Marketing Company as the Consumer Products Manager. He was the youngest Manager to occupy such a sensitive position. His performance quickly earned him promotion to the level of Divisional Manager within one and a half years. Thus becoming the youngest Divisional Manager to be thus appointed.
He was later promoted to head a newly created Corporate Credit division reporting directly to the Managing director. As a top flyer in the company and based on his problem solving ability he was deployed to Ibadan Business District as the Area Manager to ensure the repositioning of the company's entire activities in the area. The Company and the district experienced landmark achievements in its modern retail network resulting. In 1987 he built the company’s first 3 in 1 and the largest petrol station retail outlet in Nigeria. The district office built during his tenure still stands out today in Jericho, Ibadan.

In 1987, based on a worldwide international strategic positioning of the lubricants business desired by Shell International Oil Company, he was appointed the Lubricants Manager. He successfully built a new Lubricant division which became the most profitable business of the company and the largest contributor to the corporate profit. Having completed the strategic repositioning of the Lubricants department, he was moved to manage another troubled business arm- the aviation department. By 1993, he had acquired broad exposure in virtually all the marketing arms of the company. As part of the grooming programme he was posted on an international assignment to Shell International storage company of Togo, serving the whole of West Africa as Chief Executive. He also was the Operations Director of Shell Marketing Company in Togo covering some West African countries.
He returned to Nigeria in 1995 and was appointed in 1996 as Oil Sales Manager in 1998. He was appointed to the board of the company as Executive director- Marketing, a position he held before his appointment on February 2001, as the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the National Oil and Chemical Marketing Company. As Managing Director he substainally improved the profitability of the company and the shareholders fortune. In 2003, he voluntarily retired after 26 years of service in the Oil industry.
In his successful professional career spanning a period of over three decades, Abiola Ajimobi was quick witted and positively impacted on the businesses and people he interacted with

omenziate: Oga Gbawe don start wit hailings o, d same Ajimobi denizens of Oyo state criticize daily has become a technocrat? I think it is too early to toot his horn. Laudable project nonetheless but Nigerians have seen so many of these proposals dat never see the light of day and just end in papers and signatures.

1. An adherent or a proponent of technocracy.
2. A technical expert, especially one in a managerial or administrative position.

geeez: Impressive!

LAZAREY: @Gbawe, thank you. As you rightly mentioned that the looters will make sure they have their men at the helm of affairs in this country, to protect them. Dont know if anybody heard an interview on SPLASH FM Ibadan 2wks ago by former Oyo State gov. Rashidi Ladoja? He said he was a member of NADECO that fought for June 12, that after the death of Abacha and Abiola, the powers that be agreed on Obasanjo. So he Rashidi Ladoja refused to endorse OBJ. So IBB then invited him(Ladoja) to Minna and asked him and I quote"Why are you not in support of OBJ? Because WE trust OBJ and WE dont want another JERRY RAWLINGS in Nigeria". That,s what IBB said. The interview was done by Edmond Obilo. So We all can see the wickedness of the so call RULERS not LEADERS, like OBJ, your govt set up a task force and the person indicted was the Vice President he approved, who is now the President. Unless we all stop ethnic/religion/emotional sentiments and vote the right person, we aint seen anything.

take dat: What I think Okupe means is that since the committee could not reconcile the figures in the report, Government will not indict anybody, company or government agency found wanting.
The excuse of Orosanye has been that Ribadu over reached the mandate of the committee by recommending reprimands and since Ribadu was unyielding the best thing to do is to challenge his figures so that government won't prosecute anyone.
Hope this is not a fresh air of corruption? Nigerians are watching

Ribadu’s report drama, ploy by Presidency to cover oil sector rot – Malami, SAN
on NOVEMBER 7, 2012 · in NEWS
8:08 am
3
By Soni Daniel, Regional Editor, North
ABUJA—The open disagreement over the report of the Nuhu Ribadu-led committee, which investigated the rot in the Nigerian oil industry, has been described as a premeditated action by the Presidency to rubbish the outcome and prevent the administration from accepting and implementing the recommendations.

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Abubakar Malami, who made the claim in an exclusive interview with Vanguard yesterday, pointed out that the drama over the manner in which the report was written and presented to the government was masterminded by the same government that set it up.

“The purpose of what the government did was simply to divert Nigerians’ attention from the monumental looting by certain well placed individuals and top government agencies so as have justification for not implementing it.

“These elements are well connected and the government does not appear to be in a hurry to touch them given the weight of the evidence in both the Ribadu report and the Subsidy panel against them.

The legal practitioner said it was wrong for the Presidency to set up a committee to probe the infractions in the oil sector only for the same government to openly rubbish the outcome.

According to him, the President should have allowed Ribadu to hand in his report and ask for any other dissenting opinion on the matter, thereafter.

“The drama we saw was so clear that the government had planned to discredit the report turned in by the former EFCC chairman and it does not help this country in any way.

[b] Turning to the political turf, Malami, who is the National Legal Adviser of the Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, noted that Nigerians should de-emphasise the issue of region and religion in the choice of the next President and focus on the capacity of the person to serve the nation.

According to him, the choice of the next president should be based strictly on the ability of the person to take the country to the next level, the preparedness of the person to take appropriate measures to tackle rising insecurity in the land and check mounting corruption that has eaten deep into the fabric of the nation.

Malami said, “No sectional presidency can salvage this country from its present decay and despondency. What we really need is a man who has the courage and the determination to confront the menace of corruption and insecurity that has stifled the nation’s progress.

The legal practitioner also dismissed as a waste of time and resources the current move to amend the Nigerian Constitution, pointing out that Nigeria’s problem was not caused by the constitution but by the treatment of issues with impunity by both the government and the people.

He said that without a deliberate and sustained effort by the government to tackle corruption and other challenges that have tended to keep the nation down, Nigerian would continue to slip daily even if the constitution was amended daily. [/b]

On the type of government that is most suitable for Nigeria given its complexity of religion and culture, Malami suggested that Federalism, which is currently being practiced in the country remains the best but called for serious reformations in the system to serve the people better.

He opined that the cost of governance should be drastically reduced so as to free some funds for the development of the critical areas of the economy and take care of the majority of the citizens who have been cut off from governance and thrown into the abyss of poverty.

“We should continue with Federalism but reduce the cost centres to the barest minimum by making government highly unattractive at all levels. All expenses associated with all tiers of government should be slashed substantially while accountability should be strengthened at all levels.

“We do not really need a full time National Assembly, which has taken a lot of our resources at the moment while the Executive should cut down on several areas of waste and save the money to improve the welfare of the majority of Nigerians who are languishing in squalour.

Olaolufred: A good proof of how woeful nigerians are will be tested in 2015.
Jonathan will still come to sell another shit.
I wouldn't blame him.
The blame goes to the masses who celebrates shits like gold.
Jonathan is one of the worst thing that ever befall this nation.

taharqa: Just SHUT it there. ACN propaganda on this hv failed, period. Instead of us to look at how we can solve a problem that has been wit us since d 1970s by at least 1st supporting d passage of d PIB bill, sm of u guys just want to politicize everything. Respond directly to d fact that Ribadu himself said some of d figures they usd were not independently verified or just SHUT it. How does dat concern GEJ esp when most of these things happend b4 he took office