₦airaland Forum

Ngwakwe: So, they were ungrateful because Obasanjo refused to will the whole National Wealth to the Yorubas and channel all developmental projects to only Yoruba land.

Anyway, 2035 is una next turn. Do with Nigeria whatever it deems fit in una eye, provided Nigeria exist by then.

Obasanjo still remains an illustrious son of Yoruba Kingdom/Nation.

lekzyn: yes Baba Iyabo is an illustrious son of Yoruba land but the Yorubas will only worship those that have or will impact there lives positively not those that stole their vote in 2003 through do-or-die means to win an election.


The Yorubas may not produce a president till the next century but the region is among the best region in the country if not the best in terms of infrastructural facilities, education, industry, and so on. this is the fastest growing region in Nigeria and this region has been growing rapidly since 1950's

Jonathan Is Doing His Job By Okey Ndibe
Posted: March 18, 2013 - 21:53

Okey Ndibe


Last week, the US government was so miffed by President Goodluck Jonathan’s pardon of several big-name Nigerian convicts – among them former Governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha – that its embassy in Nigeria issued a sharp rebuke. In a tweet, US diplomats in Abuja said they were “deeply disappointed” by Mr. Jonathan’s action. The tweet continued: “We see this as a setback in the fight against corruption.”



The reaction was a rather startling, if refreshing, breach of diplomatic convention. But its premise was also fundamentally misconceived.



Forget about “deep disappointment.” Nobody who has observed the Jonathan administration from the moment of its conception should even be disappointed, period. The government acted altogether in character in pardoning Mr. Alamieyeseigha. It can be said, in fact, that President Jonathan did the job he was “elected” to do – pure and simple.



For me, the truly baffling thing about the US tweet was the presupposition that Mr. Jonathan was ever engaged in a “fight against corruption.” Flowing from that profound misperception was the claim that the granting of official clemency to Mr. Alamieyeseigha represented “a setback” in that ostensible fight. The US government got it wrong – dead wrong.



Let’s be clear. Mr. Jonathan’s administration has never been in the business of fighting corruption. Yes, it often invokes the rhetoric of combating corruption. But truly fighting? No! Does Corruption dabble in the business of fighting Corruption? There’s no real moral or ethical difference between Mr. Alamieyeseigha and those who presumed to forgive him for pocketing millions of dollars of public funds. The two parties here, forgiver and forgiven, belong within the same conclave of iniquity. The Jonathan administration reeks of corruption. Since occupying the throne in Aso Rock, this particular government has accumulated a dossier of scandals – from questionable, smelly deals in the oil sector to the hiring of political operatives notorious for their stinky pasts.



The Nigerian president has been characterized in some quarters as confused and clueless. It’s an unfair – and patently false – charge. Mr. Jonathan is as clear-eyed about his mission as any of his predecessors. And one thing he understands clearly is that he was not put in Aso Rock to fight corruption. He was put in there to pretend that there’s a “fight.” That fight, he understands, can be waged only with speeches, whilst maintaining a conspicuous respect for the rights and privileges of Nigeria’s who’s who in the corruption industry.



Former Governor James Onanefe Ibori of Delta must be regretting the day he fled to Dubai as Jonathan’s security agents hounded him in the creeks of the Niger Delta. Discovered in his Dubai hideout by the ever-alert Interpol, Mr. Ibori was extradited to the UK where he stood trial for money laundering and received a 13-year jail sentence. The British were able to strike the fear of the law in an Ibori who, in Nigeria, swaggered his way to acquittal on more than 100 counts of corruption and money laundering! In the UK where it’s harder to buy judges, Mr. Ibori ate the humble pie, pleading guilty to avert a more damaging trial.



Had he given thought to the matter, Mr. Ibori would have stayed back in Nigeria. Indeed, he should have handed himself to officers of Mr. Jonathan’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. The worst prospect would have been his arraignment. He would then have been able to send a delegation of “elders” and “royal fathers” to go and see Mr. Jonathan on his behalf. The peace-building missionaries would have assured the president of ex-Governor Ibori’s “total loyalty” and implored him to regard the errant governor as his “political son.” That would have been the end of the matter! Or, not quite: Mr. Ibori might have landed a choice contract or two – or some juicy appointment, to use a favorite Nigerian adjective.



President Jonathan has a senior special adviser on ethics on his payroll. Yet, anybody who longs to take a measure of the president’s ethical funds has only to look at the shining star of Tony Anenih in the Jonathan firmament. In the last three months, the Presidency appointed Mr. Anenih to chair the board of the Nigerian Ports Authority and then elevated the selfsame Anenih to the post of chairman of the ruling party’s Board of Trustees.



That Mr. Jonathan saw fit to bestow the two posts on Mr. Anenih speaks volumes – about the two men. It says that Mr. Jonathan “knows” what he’s doing, and in particular that he knows how to prepare for and win the 2015 presidential (s)election. In Nigeria’s political circles, Mr. Anenih is called the “Leader” and “Mr. Fix-it.” Yet, the man was a woeful failure at his most prominent past assignment as Nigeria’s Works Minister. Under his watch, Nigerian roads remained dismal, even though N300 billion had been budgeted for his ministry.



Mr. Anenih’s accolades credit the man’s foxiness, especially his expertise in turning sure losers into certain winners (or vice versa). During the Obasanjo days, Mr. Anenih was the first to announce to the world that there was no vacancy in Aso Rock – before the PDP ran away with wangled landslides. Summoned to Mr. Jonathan’s side as the 2015 polls draw closer, Nigerians must now take seriously a recent warning from Kema Chikwe that Mr. Jonathan was already virtually re-(s)elected.



A friend of mine jokingly derided Mr. Anenih as “chairman of the PDP’s board of the tired.” But the matter is too serious to be consigned to a joke. At bottom, the Jonathan-Anenih coziness reveals something about the president’s vision of where Nigeria is – and where it should be headed. It is a terrifying vision and prospect. It’s also consistent with the president’s temperament, outlook and unimpressive record.



Not since former President Olusegun Obasanjo personally oversaw the petroleum industry has there been more apprehension about corruption – the absence of transparency – in the sector. Yet, Mr. Jonathan’s body language betrays a man at peace with monumental corruption. For sure, he has never contemplated acting to address the documentation of sleaze in the oil sector.



Mr. Jonathan has not disappointed me precisely because he has lived up – or down – to my expectations of his presidency. The forces that conspired to enthrone him were not looking for a sure-footed, determined and nimble crusader against corruption. They wanted a certified protector of the interests of the corrupt, in fact a veritable fertilizer of corruption. He has fit the billing and served the mission.



Former EFCC chairman Nuhu Ribadu was quoted in the New York Times as deploring the pardon granted Mr. Alamieyeseigha. And then he said, “Corruption is our main problem in Nigeria. We don’t need this kind of negative signal. This is a tragedy.” Well, President Jonathan would disagree. For him, corruption is not Nigeria’s main problem: it is Nigeria’s main opportunity. And the clemency to the Alamieyeseighas, seen by Mr. Ribadu as a negative sign and tragedy, may well be Mr. Jonathan’s assurance to the “selectors” of Nigeria’s president that he is ever dead set against rocking the boat.



Memo to the US government: Mr. Jonathan is doing his job. A central requirement of that job is to NOT fight corruption.

Dee60: Okupe and his troops will soon react - here is their reaction (my guess): We note the cancellation of Bill Gates' visit to Nigeria. We however have a lot of foreign donors on the queue for visa to Nigeria, so we would not not be missing Bill Gates in any way. Nigerians, please be rest assured that the pardon granted Alams is the key to the transformation agenda of this regime. The country will soon see wonders in 2014!

shymexx: I just hope Uncle Gbawe is n't throwing subliminal shots at me...

I already said that the rogue who was pardon deserves to be shot dead for stealing billions from Nigeria... However, what's Bill Gates' fixation with Nigeria, anyway Why can't he take his billions to countries like Somalia, Niger, Afghanistan et al that actually need his superficial "help?"

He stays coming back for population control to inject innocent kids with expired drugs, all in the name of donations to Africa... AFrica doesn't need to freaking aids from no one - keep your charity and aids, and help us function in the world on a level-playing field... That's all we, tired of all these malicious stupidity they always hide behind "aids" for the people from the "dark continent." We're better off without aids and these people interfering in our damn business... They're mad at Alamieyeseigha or whatever that skirt-wearing clown is called, yet give GEJ(an utterly corrupt and useless president) red-carpet treatment all the time... Who's fooling who

Someone of you superifcial and certificate-thumping pseudo-intelligent Nigerians need to start thinking with your damn brain cells - not everything out there is freaking black or white!!!

Honestly, this generation of Nigerians is a FAILED and LOST one - I just hope the kids coming after us are better than us... May God help us all!!

Tigerhead: We all know that the offense GEJ committed was to pardon an Ijaw man from his state. I wonder why you people don't have the courage to just come out and say it.

As for Bill Gates - eff him.

Katsumoto: Has Rossikk ever identified himself as a Nigerian/African living abroad? I have always assumed he was based in Nigeria. Nevertheless, everyone's situation is different. Not everyone is in a position to return to Nigeria/Africa for various reasons. Africans in Diaspora still contribute a great deal to the continent. Nigerians in diaspora are amongst the greatest contributors to the Nigerian economy. People in diaspora can still love their motherland from their bases abroad.

Having said that, I agree with the underlying tone of your post. If you are not contributing in funds, ideas, and developmental projects, then it can be a bit rich professing Pan-africanism rather vociferously. But even Pan-Africans who are not contributing are still much better than those such as Rossikk who are a part of the problem due to brown nosing for crumbs. If you are not a part of the solution, try not to add to the problems. Rossikk is part of the problem with some of his asinine comments on this thread alone. How does a sane person rationalize that a country of 160 million will tank if a criminal is sent to prison?

oyb: gbam

Katsumoto: Dude

You are a political jobber hiding behind some BS Pan-Africanism. How do you explain the asinine comment above? Continue to sell your soul thinking that it won't impact your children negatively. The Nigerian economy would tank if a criminal/thief is sent to prison? ? ?

I put it to you that you are a part of the problem. Leaders like GEJ may not even know the effect of their stupid policies/decisions because they have sycophants such as yourself who don't give them the true picture. How will Nigeria progress when sycophantic political jobbers are alleging that Nigeria would tank if a wanted criminal is sent to prison.

cheikh: @Op

Only an incorrigible anti democrat will make such a statement yet he claims to be a democrat and a believer of One Nigeria . It is obvious he comes from the school of thought- that thinks that Nigerians should be Grateful whenever he renders a service/does his job in whatever capacity as an employee of voters/Nigerians. Only a dictator or someone who lacks basic understanding of his Responsibility to voters and citizens, would think in those lines. Anyway, he's an ex military man hence his almost instinctive reflex is that of a mindless/thoughtless zombie. Old habits die hard hence his loyalty to Obj is understandable. That's how old soldiers survive.

Sharrks: I bet you,that nobody in his/her right frame of mind, will delibrately insult the exalt office of the presidency, except being compelled to do so, by some rather absurd,illogical and puerile behavior that fall short of the societal expectation of the holder of such prestigeous insignia

Sibrah: I hope the Mods are taking notice of the unprovoked attack on this thread now and not when it degenerates into a full tribal battle.

ilugunboy: An who the hell are you offering such advise...Nairaland money man? Heheheheehee ...let Berem get a hold in you!

Rossikk: You sound really stup.id. It's obvious you're the type who doesn't know where his village is.

emmatok: What an Irony SE people who claims to be educated cannot read and comprehend.

Ali is saying Yorubas are not grateful to their Yoruba brother OBJ.

This attest to the fact that Yorubas are OBJ biggest critics.

And who is ALI to tell Yorubas not criticize their leaders.

like they have restored in ACN and CPC state. *sigh*

confusion247: I can now see that Gbawe is hoping to be the chief press secretary to a phantom and un-electable APC president. APC, CPC,ACN should have known that their is no vacancy in aso rock till 2019. A vote for ACP is a vote to promote terrorism and terrorists.

APC will restore hope in governance -Oyegun
Written by Friday, 15 March 2013 00:00 font size Print Email

https://tribune.com.ng/news2013/images/Boyegun%20.jpg
Chief John Odigie Oyegun, a former governor of Edo State and one of the leaders of the yet to be registered All Progressives Congress (APC) speaks, in this interview with Banji Aluko, on the state of the nation, the real reasons behind the formation of APC and other issues. Excerpts:

AS one of the people behind the formation of the All Progressives Congress (APC), what is the motivation behind your decision to work together for a grand alliance?

What I can say is that the travails and woes of this nation have forced the leaders of the various opposition parties to recognise the fact that this nation needs to be rescued from the inexorable degeneration which, if not checked, could lead to a very bad situation. I mean there is no question at all that we are rushing towards a precipice. That explains the reason for the coming together of the opposition parties. The main objective is to present to the Nigerian nation, a different platform and perspective and what people will call ideology. We want to restore credibility and people’s belief back to governance. I read an editorial that made an unfortunate point that there is no much difference between the opposition and the PDP but I want to say that there is much difference.

What are these differences?

I’m not saying that all our governments are free of corruption but I’m saying that our governors are being responsive to the needs of their people, beginning from Lagos State to other states in the South West and Edo State. Even a few PDP governors are beginning to copy the examples that are being set by the progressive governors in the country. I’m glad about that because in the days when we had regions, the pacemaker was Obafemi Awolowo’s Western Region but other regions bought in and, at the end of the day, it helped the nation to develop. So, the opinion that there is no difference between the PDP government and that of the progressive parties is not right.

Another factor analysts are talking about is that the opposition is being driven by the singular objective of driving the PDP out of power...
Let us use Edo State as an example. Look at Edo State five years ago and Edo State now. Is it the same? The ideology people talk about is in service delivery. What is government about? Is government not about creating hope for the people? Today, parents can take their children to public schools in Edo State because the atmosphere is conducive for learning and the schools’ environments are now vey civilised.

Are you talking about the counterpart funding between the Federal and state government?

Yes, the counterpart funding you are talking about was in place six, seven years ago and nothing happened. In a lot of states, nothing happened and nothing is happening now. The programme requires a counterpart funding from the state governments and only a government that cares about the welfare of its people makes the counterpart funding available. So, it doesn’t matters where the money comes from. What matters here is that the people are being cared for.
How can anyone just sit down and say that all the political parties are the same because of the conventional wisdom? Already, we are doing things that are different and we want to spread them. If Edo State, in five years, can become like this, you must ask what will happen if the people governing the state are those governing at the centre. These are the alternatives we want to present to the Nigerian public. We are not going to take cudgels and drive PDP out of power. What we are going to do is put what we have on the table for Nigerians to see and show them what the PDP has offered them in the last 14 years. If the people prefer us, or the inactivity and the loss of direction in the last 14 years, so be it. We are going to come out with a mission statement that you can call ideology or what you like. The mission statement will address the true aspiration of the Nigerian people.

So, the reason behind the formation of APC is the general election of 2015?

No, the reason behind the formation of APC is to present Nigerians with an alternative platform. Remember that there would be elections across the states even before 2015. So, APC is not actually being bottled for 2015 though common sense dictates that the earlier you start, the better, because soon, we shall start to have individuals from different parties who have ambition to contest elections. Right now, there is nothing like that. This is the time to work and strengthen the party without the stress of ambitions.

How will power be shared between the North and the South. Are you looking for a presidential candidate from the North or South?

Why can’t people talk about the prospects of the APC? Why can’t they look at the fact that we are working ahead of schedule? Why can’t they emphasise the fact that people are now becoming successful in bottling up their personal interests and concentrating on the need to salvage Nigeria? These are the positives I expect people to talk about.

Are you very sure that people are ready to drop their ambitions for the common goal of the party?

Of course, yes, because it has not come up in any meeting that I have attended. Did you read General Muhammadu Buhari? He said he, General Buhari, would not present himself for any office but only if his party insisted on him. However, that is not on the table and it is not an issue today. What is important now is the platform we are constructing. When we finish, I pray we have more than 20 presidential candidates because the more, the better.

By 2015, the South would have produced the president of the country for 13 out of 16 years. Is the APC not inclined to producing a presidential candidate from the north?

Again, that is an issue we are discussing for now. The truth of the matter is that when the time comes, we will look for the best candidate who will lead Nigeria out of the doldrums.

From the North or South?

From anywhere. The point is, the candidate must be marketable, presentable and inspire the Nigerian electorate. However, the fact remains that the issue is not on the table now and it will not be until we finish constructing this new party. Nobody is thinking about that for now because if you don’t have a vehicle, you don’t think of employing a driver. Let us put the horse before the cart.

You spoke about the rot that you want to come and clean. How much rot do we have in the system?

[b]If I can summarise it, I would say that we are a nation that has lost its direction; a nation that inexorably is heading for the cliff. We are a nation that is heading towards anarchy, we are a nation that no longer has standards, and whose citizens cannot be shocked anymore. Nigerians can no longer be shocked by any news because the level of impunity in the country has reached such a height that that I don’t think there is any word in the English dictionary that can suitably describe it. Every day, we move from one disgraceful act to another one. The most shameful thing is that none of these acts has abated. That has become like a permanent cancer that is eating away the Nigerian body politic. All these things are happening in the full glare of about 160 million strong audiences with about 25 to 30 per cent young people who have no jobs. So, if you consider the entire situation, you will agree that we are heading for serious trouble. Today, we are trying to curtail Boko Haram but I pray something like that
does not spring up in another part of the country because if it happens, it will be difficult to manage the two.
In Nigeria today, one can count what is going right with the fingers but what is not right are too numerous to count. In fact, what is wrong is everything. Power improved temporarily and now we are back to the doldrums. As I am talking to you right now, there is no power here in G.R.A. of Benin City. This place is not just G.R.A., this is the heart of GRA and is only less than 500 metres to the Ring Road and the Government House. So, if there is no light here, you can imagine what is happening in other places. We are experiencing all these things in the face of the humongous amount that has been spent on power in the country. Tell me, how do you want people to believe in governance? How do you want them to have hope?[/b]

So, these are the problems the APC hope to tackle?

We want Nigerians to, once again, be proud of being Nigerians. We want them to wake up and be happy that somebody cares about their welfare and happiness.

Can you describe how it was being a governor about 20 years ago and now?

The level of public morality has degenerated abysmally. In those days, there were still rules and shame. When I recently heard that somebody stole over 20 billion naira, I wondered how he did it. I mean a trillionnaira worth of contract was not awarded. So, how did he do it? Do people just write checks now and move the money from the treasury? I really don’t understand. I read these things everyday and they turn out to be true. In those days, things like that didn’t just happen. There was ethics, morality and shame. All these things have totally disappeared from the polity. Then, we believed that the law would catch up with you if you did something like what they are doing today. These days, the law doesn’t catch up with them.
Even if it does, the person is left with enough to live a life of leisure for the rest of his life and two life times. How does that curb corruption? How does it restore ethics into the society? How does it restore standards?
So, my time as governor and now are two different worlds, totally different ones without comparisons. I earned N60,000 monthly as governor. I hardly recognised that there was something like security vote.

So there was no security vote then?

There was a bit of it but you didn’t touch it unless there was a serious urgency. You didn’t spend it because it was not meant to be spent. Now, there is a lot of money around. In my time, we had a budget of about N600 million.

Some people are of the opinion that it is high time old politicians like you left the scene for the young ones. Do you agree with that?

This is one of the clichés that I criticise. It is similar to the one I criticised concerning some people saying that there are no differences between the APC and the PDP. Again, it is a wrong cliché. How many people in government today are more than 55 years of age? Only few governors are more than 55. So, you can see that the shift has already occurred. What else do you want? Perhaps these people want youths in their 20s to become governors.

But you still contested an election last year as the vice presidential candidate of the ANPP?

That was because of the force of circumstances. That was one man out of a multitude. Indeed, generational change has occurred in Nigeria. Show me proof that it has not occurred. Show me the old people that are still controlling this country.

So, for people like you, it is bye-bye to political office?

Of course, I’m in what they call departure line. I’m still there because I feel very strongly about the direction the country is going and until God closes my eyes, I will do my best to help change the course of this nation.