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 Politics › Re: Seun, Ngwankwe &NL's Should Help Me Out, What Is Obj's Political VALUE? by gratiaeo(m): 8:09pm On Jan 13, 2015 |
OBJ is politically inconsequential |
| Politics › Re: Breaking!!! Obasanjo Clears Air On Ptf,absolves Buhari Of Corruption!!!! by gratiaeo(m): 8:00pm On Jan 13, 2015 |
Obasanjo knows all Nigeria problem according to Buhari but could not solve one. “Sir, it’s a fact that you know more than all we know about the problem that we are in. But what we will do is try to convince you to believe us that we are going to do better. “We expect your understanding and support, although you insist in remaining in PDP. I have reached a certain degree of frustration in my attempt for you to try to shift a bit but you have refused"anybody who vote for APC is a foool |
| Politics › Re: Breaking!!! Obasanjo Clears Air On Ptf,absolves Buhari Of Corruption!!!! by gratiaeo(m): 7:55pm On Jan 13, 2015 |
mikeansy:Help me ask APC supporters. Tomorrow Buhari will turn round and tell us that Obasanjo was not corrupt during his tenure. What i have learn from APC members is that corruption started from GEJ 4 and half years in office. What exactly did APC stand for? |
| Politics › Re: Zahra Buhari (General Buhari's Daughter) - Stunning Photos by gratiaeo(m): 5:27pm On Jan 13, 2015 |
donphilopus:That shows that Buhari is a hypocrite 2 Likes |
| Politics › Re: Jonathanians, Can We See The Pictures Of The So-called 9 Brand New Universities? by gratiaeo(m): 5:04pm On Jan 13, 2015 |
barcanista:How many school did Buhari the almajiri president build? 1 Like |
| Politics › Re: Obasanjo Is Not Loyal - Wale Gates Tweets by gratiaeo(m): 3:27pm On Jan 13, 2015 |
Obasanjo and Buhari political career will be over after February election, what they are doing now is called final gara gara. I saw a new Nigeria after February election! |
| Politics › Re: Meet Mrs Aisha Buhari by gratiaeo(m): 2:12pm On Jan 13, 2015 |
That woman fine shaa..... If i were GEJ i will offer her ministrial post after 2015 election and nack her serious akpako. GEJ till Buhari submit her wife |
| Education › Re: New Federal Universities Built By Gej And Their Structures - Photos by gratiaeo(m): 2:05pm On Jan 13, 2015 |
miteolu:Illiterate Buhari supporter! How many did Buhari build when he was head of state? 1 Like |
| Politics › Re: APC Party Leaders Courtesy Visit To OBJ Residence Earlier Today (PHOTOS) by gratiaeo(m): 1:26pm On Jan 13, 2015 |
APC are just giving themselves unnecessary erection with irrelevant OBJ who have never won his constituency. If APC truly mean "change" what are they doing with a failure (OBJ)? 1 Like |
| Politics › Re: About Jonathan And His Aclaimed Universities. by gratiaeo(m): 12:57pm On Jan 13, 2015 |
Another APC lie busted |
| Politics › Re: Photo: See What El-rufai Tweeted About Baga Massacre by gratiaeo(m): 12:03pm On Jan 13, 2015 |
Who give a sh1t about Muslim killing themselves over there? https://ketekete.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Charlie-Hebdo-Covers-of-prophet-mohammed-photo.jpg https://cdn.frontpagemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Charlie-Hebdo-Charia-en-Libye.jpg |
| Politics › Re: Elections May Not Hold In North East –jega by gratiaeo(m): 10:38pm On Jan 12, 2015 |
Bad market for APC. Watch and see how bombing will stop immediately |
| Politics › Re: 150, Not 2000, Died In Baga Attacks - Military by gratiaeo(op): 10:34pm On Jan 12, 2015 |
They can go on to claim millions of dead, is only a fickle would believe that figure in the first place. The military are trying their best, many of them has lost their lives while defending those that formed boko haram and even going on to donate their under age daughters to carry on suicide attack for the sec. 34 Likes 1 Share |
| Politics › Re: 150, Not 2000, Died In Baga Attacks - Military by gratiaeo(op): 10:31pm On Jan 12, 2015 |
Another APC lie busted 21 Likes |
| Politics › 150, Not 2000, Died In Baga Attacks - Military by gratiaeo(op): 10:29pm On Jan 12, 2015 |
The Defence authorities have faulted the claim that over 2,000 people were killed in the Boko Haram attacks on the Baga headquarters of the Multi-National Joint Task Force penultimate Saturday.http://www.punchng.com/news/150-not-2000-died-in-baga-attacks-military/ 3 Likes 2 Shares |
| Politics › Re: How Low Can Nothern Muslims Stoop Because Of Jonathan? by gratiaeo(m): 9:57pm On Jan 12, 2015*. Modified: 10:14pm On Jan 12, 2015 |
bilymuse:Buhari Promised Not To Contest Again - APC Chieftain http://www.naij.com/297146-2015-buhari-shouldnt-contest.html |
| Politics › Re: Abike Dabiri Shares Chart Showing Arms Purchase Between GEJ & Buhari's Govt by gratiaeo(m): 8:19pm On Jan 12, 2015 |
APC and it's supporters are laughable. That Abike of stup1d woman must be high on her menstrual fluid. How much was Nigeria budget in 1984 if Buhari spent $900 on security alone? 40 Likes |
| Business › Re: Crude Oil Price In Further 5.6% Fall by gratiaeo(op): 7:47pm On Jan 12, 2015 |
Some States will soon collapse and taken over by the Federal Government like failed banks. Now we shall no the secret behind Aregbesola IGR wonders Incidentally this is d auspicious time to identify real managers, real governors that can engender transformation with limited resources,real statemen,,This is when they show their acumen. Any sheep can act as manager or governor when d economy is buoyant and they even bungle it 1 Like |
| Business › Re: Crude Oil Price In Further 5.6% Fall by gratiaeo(op): 7:44pm On Jan 12, 2015 |
gneisss:The price is around $47.5 per barrel at international market. Probably the state government and their family member will buy at that price. They should be discussing how to diversify the economy and move away from over reliance on oil. Nigeria can survive on tax and agricultural alone without oil but the government is too lazy and corrupt. They are |
| Business › Re: Crude Oil Price In Further 5.6% Fall by gratiaeo(op): 7:25pm On Jan 12, 2015*. Modified: 7:41pm On Jan 12, 2015 |
Oil price crash: States insist on $65 budget benchmark Despite the fall in the crude oil price and the diminishing Federal Allocation, state governments have insisted that they would not review the $65 per barrel benchmark in their budget proposals for 2015. The global oil benchmark, Brent, against which Nigeria’s oil is priced, had tumbled below $58 per barrel, hitting its lowest levels since May 2009. Oil prices have been in steep decline since June 2014 as a result of slow demand growth and the United States’ oil boom, which has increased supply. SUNDAY PUNCH learnt that to sustain the benchmark, some of the states are also considering ways of boosting their Internally Generated Revenue. The Abia State Government said it was not contemplating withdrawing the 2015 budget for any adjustment over the crashing oil price benchmark. Abia has a budget of N102 billion for 2015. The state Commissioner for Finance, Dr. Philip Ntoo, told one of our correspondents in Umuahia that the state considered the falling oil price in the preparation of the budget. He said the Ministry of Finance had set up a committee to break down the budget and find out if there were areas that needed adjustment. Ntoo also said his office was monitoring developments in the economy and would manage the situation. Also, the Government of Plateau State said it would not withdraw the 2015 budget proposal, which was recently presented to the State House of Assembly. Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State had presented a budget outlay of N215, 465, 835, 418 to the state House of Assembly. The budget is N10 billion less than the 2014 budget of N225, 058, 026, 306. The state Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Davou Mang, said, “It will not be wise withdrawing the budget on impulse because if oil prices normalise, there may be the need to withdraw it again. Since budgets are only statements of intentions, what the government would do is to monitor the developments and make adjustments where necessary.” “If you look at the budget, it is anchored on completion of ongoing projects. What government would do now is to look at those projects and prioritise them, and see the ones we can complete with the funds available.” It was a similar case in Rivers State, where the government said it would continue to maintain its operating expenditure such as salaries, pension and other basics despite the crash in oil price. The State Commissioner for Finance, Dr. Chamberlain Peterside, told SUNDAY PUNCH that though the budget proposal for 2015 was ready by December 2014, the necessary adjustments had been made in line with the economic realities. Peterside said, “No section of the budget or any sector of the economy will suffer zero allocation. “We believe that the roads that are ongoing have to get priority. There are several priority roads; I don’t have the list here, but the Ministry of Works has already earmarked funds for several priority roads. There is no attempt or effort to create or establish new projects.” The Lagos State Government also said it was not worried about the crashing oil price. The Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Lateef Ibirogba, on Friday pointed out that although the state was also affected by the shortfall, it had a forecast for the crash of oil price while preparing the 2015 budget proposal. He said, “Lagos does not use the Federal Government benchmark; we go far low. Also, the budget for 2015 is about the same as that of 2014. It is part of the government foresight for things like this and to allow the incoming government to make its contributions to the budget. So, there is no need to adjust or reorder the budget.” The Kwara State Government said it was studying the falling oil price to know whether it would withdraw or review its 2015 budget proposal already before the state House of Assembly. The Commissioner for Finance in Kwara State, Mr. Demola Banu, “The oil price is fluctuating; you cannot just by spot assessment withdraw or review the budget. We will keep studying the movement. If it becomes necessary, definitely, we would do the needful. But it is not as if you can change the budget because of short term fluctuation. You cannot plan a budget based on spot price of oil. Similarly, the Ogun State Government said it would not tamper with its N210.354bn Appropriation Bill for 2015. The state Commissioner for Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, said the government would implement the proposed N82.094bn budget in totality and would not adjust it in any form. “We are not adjusting our budget at all, as we do not see a need to do so,” she said. In Deta State, the government is waiting for the final oil price benchmark taken by the Federal Government before deciding to review its budget before the state’s legislature. A close aide to Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, who did not want his name in print because he was not authorised to speak on the matter, said the proposed budget before the state House of Assembly was calculated based on the oil price benchmark adopted by the Federal Government. Similarly, the Oyo State Government said it would not cut down on the N141, 777, 770 budget proposal for the 2015 fiscal year, even if the present dwindling oil price continued. The state Governor Abiola Ajimobi, who spoke through his Special Adviser on Media, Mr. Festus Adedayo, said despite the situation, the government would not introduce new tax to the people. “We are not likely to adjust the budget but we may have to cut down heavily on government spending. We strive to ensure that no sector suffers neglect or zero allocation because this government believes that every sector is important.” In the same vein, the Ekiti State Government stated that it had no plans to adjust the 2015 budget proposal in the face of dwindling oil benchmark and reduction in the Federal Allocation. In a telephone interview with one of our correspondents on Friday, Governor Ayodele Fayose’s Special Assistant on Information, Mr. Lanre Ogunsuyi, said, “This is the time for all the states to look into other sectors apart from federal revenue so that we can turn the challenges into advantages,” he said. 1 Like |
| Business › Crude Oil Price In Further 5.6% Fall by gratiaeo(op): 7:12pm On Jan 12, 2015 |
The price of Brent crude oil has fallen, further taking it to a new six-year low.http://m.bbc.com/news/business-30775577 |
| Politics › Re: How Will Buhari Fight Corruption When Those Backing Him Are Corrupt Kingpins? by gratiaeo(m): 6:44pm On Jan 12, 2015 |
The serial election loser has nothing to offer |
| Politics › Re: Obasanjo Refuses To See Jonathan, Sneaks Out Of Ogun State by gratiaeo(m): 6:38pm On Jan 12, 2015 |
GEJ should stop forcing the old man to love him. Love is not do or die affair, he should work hard and build his own reputation 55 Likes |
| Politics › Re: My Heart Bleeds!!! by gratiaeo(m): 2:47pm On Jan 12, 2015 |
PassingShot:If northerners are not bombing themselves who is bombing them? This your mentality is the reason we will never win this war against Boko Haram. What were your comments when northern elders asked GEJ to withdraw solders from Northeast in 2012? We must learn how to tell ourselves the truth if we are going to progress as a country |
| Politics › Re: PDP Rally In Ibadan (pictures) by gratiaeo(m): 2:03pm On Jan 12, 2015 |
They are true Yorubas not nonentities on nairaland 97 Likes 1 Share |
| Politics › Re: Buhari: When Facts Become ‘contrived…’ By Shaka Momodu by gratiaeo(op): 1:43pm On Jan 12, 2015 |
I am also not impressed with the narrative out there that Buhari believes in fighting corruption with total commitment, even though he may not be personally corrupt and I dare say, he is not. He allows certain things under table and in some cases, negligently aids and abets corrupt acts. Remember the 53 suit cases? What about his stewardship at PTF? It is not as flattering as some would want us to believe. And before I forget, in 2008, at the 10th anniversary of the death of Abacha, Buhari declared to the consternation of all Nigerians that Abacha was neither corrupt nor a thief. “He did not steal Nigeria’s money,” he declared sternly with military fiat. This is despite the fact that several countries had returned hundreds of millions of dollars to Nigeria as part of Abacha’s recovered loot. I don’t know if this position was also ‘contrived’ by Buhari’s hate club. If not, I don’t know how much good this does to the General’s image as an anti-corruption leader that is being daily burnished in the media. Anyone who denies this fact of history that Abacha did not loot the treasury cannot be an honest person and for Buhari to do that speak powerfully to the charge against him. It is an eloquent testimony that tells a lot about what his promoters would not want to talk about. The harrowing traffic chaos that we all suffer and agonise over today in Lagos is a direct result of Buhari’s narrow and parochial minded view of economic affairs of this country. The cancellation of the Lagos Metro Line project after commencement of work remains a sad reminder of Buhari’s lack of vision and foresight. Tragically, those who have borne the brunt of that unfortunate action are today the very people packaging, marketing and promoting him to be president partly with the resources of the Lagos state. Thankfully, our memories are not like architecture that is often described as frozen music. This is Professor Wole Soyinka’s take away on Buhari in 2007. It is like he just wrote it yesterday, “The grounds on which General Buhari is being promoted as the alternate choice are not only shaky, but pitifully naïve. History matters. Records are not kept simply to assist the weakness of memory, but to operate as guides to the future. Of course, we know that human beings change. What the claims of personality change or transformation impose on us is a rigorous inspection of the evidence, not wishful speculation or behind-the-scenes assurances. Public offence, crimes against a polity, must be answered in the public space, not caucuses of bargaining. In Buhari, we have been offered no evidence of the sheerest prospect of change. On the contrary, all evidence suggests that this is one individual who remains convinced that this is one ex-ruler that the nation cannot call to order. Need one remind anyone he was one of the Generals who treated a Commission of Enquiry, the Oputa Panel, with unconcealed disdain. Like Babaginda and Abdusalami, he refused to put in appearance even though complaints that were tabled against him involved a career of gross abuses of power and blatant assault on the fundamental human rights of the Nigerian citizenry. Prominent against these charges was an act that amounted to nothing less than judicial murder, the execution of a citizen under a retroactive decree. Does Decree 20 ring a bell? If not, then, perhaps the names of three youths-Lawal Ojuolape(30), Bernard Ogedengbe (29) and Bartholomew Owoh (26) do. To put it quite plainly, one of those three-Ogedengbe-was executed for a crime that did not carry a capital forfeiture at the time it was committed. This was an unconscionable crime, carried out in defiance of the pleas and protests of nearly every sector of the Nigerian and international community, religious, civil rights, political, trade unions etc.” It is a tragic irony that some of those rooting for and shouting sai Buhari! sai Buhari!! are members of the Fourth Estate of the Realm who suffered terribly under the General’s jackboot. Tunde Thompson and Nduka Irabor must be pinching themselves and wondering what has happened to society’s gatekeepers’ memories. |
| Politics › Re: Buhari: When Facts Become ‘contrived…’ By Shaka Momodu by gratiaeo(op): 1:33pm On Jan 12, 2015 |
As if that was not enough, Buhari stated further, “Muslims should vote for fellow Muslims who can defend their faith”. If Waziri Adio so strongly believes that the fundamentalist toga was ‘contrived,’ what does he make of the above? Just a few weeks ago, Atiku Abubarkar called Buhari a religious bigot and warned that Nigeria doesn’t need a religious bigot as president. I believe Atiku played that up for his own political advantage because of the primary that was coming up where he alongside other contestants squared against Buhari, but even at that, he was merely stating a self evident fact. Recall also that during Governor Rasheed Ladoja’s time as governor of Oyo state, Buhari travelled all the way from Daura in Katsina to visit Governor Ladoja in Ibadan. It was no ordinary visit, but a protest visit that Ladoja’s people were killing his (Buhari’s) people. Still wondering what all that means? Well, you don’t have to wait for long. Here it is. It was all about the clashes between Hausa-Fulani herdsmen grazing with their cattle in indigenes’ farmland and destroying their crops. Buhari’s exact words were: “Your people are killing my people.” If this is not a sufficient proof of this man’s sectional-ethnic affinity and inclination then, someone will have to tell me what is. Governor Ladoja was so disappointed in Buhari, that he issued him a rebuke, urging him to play the statesman instead of narrow ethnic interest that chips away at his position as a former head of state. Just last year, when the state of emergency was declared in parts of the North-east to tame the menace of the devilish and blood-thirsty Boko Haram which has severally broken its own worst record of human carnage, Buhari stated in an interview that he was against the state of emergency and military action against sect, which he described as a grave injustice to the North. According to him in his lamentation, “unlike the special treatment the federal government gave to the Niger Delta militants, the Boko Haram members were being killed and their houses demolished.” Waziri Adio should tell Nigerians what Buhari meant by that statement. If it was not supportive of Boko Haram and at the same time playing the ethno-religious card, then half the world is not enough as a gift to me. Now, how can a former head of state even make such a statement? What was it meant to achieve? Any objective deductions from Buhari’s statements will inevitably come to the sane conclusion that many Nigerians have come to - a religious fundamentalist who wants to right the perceived ‘wrongs’ done to the north. Lest we forget, The same Buhari was once nominated by Boko Haram as their chief negotiator even though he reluctantly declined But why did the murderous terror sect choose Buhari of all people, a former head of state of Nigeria, as their negotiator from a motley crowd of qualified ethno-religious champions who believe that power belongs to the north or “northerners are born to rule”? I am unable to find an answer to this question except to think that perhaps, Boko Haram trusted him more to represent their interest. Was this also ‘contrived’? It is easy to rebuke those who call Buhari a religious fundamentalist or an extremist, but Buhari’s character portrait and utterances over the years speak to the answer. I was once a big fan of Buhari in the 80s, and for the life of me, I agonised over many sleepless nights when my ‘hero’ started to unravel before my very eyes. His war against indiscipline endeared him to me. It was good for society and it remains an enduring legacy in the country today. While this write-up is not an assessment of the failings of Buhari’s regime from 1984, I am of the belief that a man who executed three young Nigerians with a law retroactively implemented and has remained unrepentant, unremorseful and still believes in the rightness of that action, his sense of morality and righteousness must be deeply flawed. And for those who think Buhari’s views have matured over time, I say, I wish. We seems to have forgotten so soon how innocent youth corpers serving in parts of the north were killed just because Buhari lost the 2011 presidential election? And I dare say the language of his campaign was largely responsible for those killings. |
| Politics › Buhari: When Facts Become ‘contrived…’ By Shaka Momodu by gratiaeo(op): 1:18pm On Jan 12, 2015 |
It is not my desire to join issues or engage any of my colleagues in an open debate in the media. This article should therefore be seen as an exception. After reading Waziri Adio’s article on the back page of THISDAY 15th December titled, “Is This, Finally, The Buhari Moment?” I came to the inescapable conclusion that there were obvious gaps that needed to be filled. For the records, Mr Adio was spot on and I largely agree with the analysis except for the phrase ‘contrived handicaps’ which is suggestive of falsehood sold as truth. I therefore find the urge to correct some misrepresentations too strong to resist. It is particularly expedient to fill the missing years between 1984 (about 30 years) ago when Buhari entered the consciousness of Nigerians with those immortal and awe inspiring words which Waziri heralded his article, “This generation of Nigerians and indeed future generations have no country other than Nigeria, we shall remain here and salvage it together” and his 2014 speech preceding his nomination when he stated thus, “We seek a new Nigeria. It starts with us, it starts today…. Nigeria is our home. Let us now turn it into the great Nation we know it can and should be.’’ Of truth, that statement in 1984 captivated and galvanised Nigerians across the country into looking inward and believing our situation was not beyond redemption. But the succeeding years have seen Buhari morphing into something of a caricature image far less noble than the vision encapsulated in that powerful summation of 1984. These years have been very revealing of the Buhari personae. So much water has passed under the bridge such that it would be wrong to condense and analyse Buhari on just two inspiring quotes 30 years apart and attempt to sell his candidature as a viable alternative. I find this unhelpful for a society yearning for direction. What about the intervening years that have thrown up a deeply partisan, sectional and religious irredentist that I am sure, many Nigerians would find different from the man who spoke those words 30 years ago? The truth here is that from when he spoke his first words to Nigerians and became a fixture of sort in our psyche, Buhari has evolved severally; he has become a convoluted and conflicted brand. From an inspirational national leader, he withdrew into the conclave of an ethno-religious champion and a fanatical extremist who has sought without apologies to anyone, to undermine everything the Nigeria nation stands for. We will be guilty of extreme naivety to wave off these tendencies that are so manifestly glaring in the APC presidential candidate as figment of our imagination or merely “contrived handicaps” by Buhari haters to undermined him like my Egbon Waziri has done. While Mr Adio will have us believe that the well deserved appellation is “contrived handicaps”, the facts and records of history speak to the contrary. As I said, Buhari has become deeply conflicted and I say it without mincing words and that contrary to Waziri Adio’s position, Buhari is an ethno-religious fundamentalist. The ark of history is on my side here. The fact that Buhari is being rebranded by the APC apparatchiks and has consequently toned down his extremist views about North/South and Muslims/Christians of the country, for political correctness does not make him any less a religious extremist. I even find the whole rebranding project pretentious, deceitful, and unflattering to the iron-cast inscrutable image of the General. My admonition to those behind it is that you cannot change a man from who he is to who he is not. The proof of Buhari’s ethno-religious leaning is stated here in his own words and recorded position on issues pertaining to Sharia and the interest of the North as against the overriding interest of Nigeria. If Waziri Adio so fervently believes that Buhari is not a fundamentalist, what does he make of Buhari’s statement 27 August 2001,“I will continue to show openly and inside me the total commitment to the Sharia movement that is sweeping all over Nigeria. God willing, we’ll not stop the agitation for the total implementation of Sharia in the country.’’ |
| Politics › Re: Do You Think Buhari Has The Intelligence To Fight Corruption? by gratiaeo(m): 12:38pm On Jan 12, 2015 |
Buhari is more corrupt and clueless than GEJ. UMARU DIKKO was the biggest thorn in the flesh of the Buhari/Idiagbon regime. Alhaji Umaru Dikko turned out to be the most powerful politician in the Second Republic. Any task given to him by the government he delivered efficiently. He was appointed chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Rice. Within a short time, rice was available in all parts of Nigeria at a uniform price of N25 for a 50-kilogramme bag in any part of the country. He was accused of making billions from the rice importation and he asked how he could make billions from a mere hundred-million naira he was given for rice in the two years of the task force and yet rice was available everywhere. Dikko was appointed director-general of President Shagari’s re-election campaign organization in 1983. Shagari won the minimum requirement in all but three of the then 19 states that year. During the Senate screening hearing for his re-appointment as minister in the second term that year, he was asked by a senator about this feat and he replied: “Yes, I promised Mr President 16 presidential states and I delivered nothing less. Go and tell the whole world that we have won from the desert to the Atlantic Ocean. For the first time in the history of Nigeria, one political party is controlling all the four former regional capitals: Benin, Enugu, Kaduna and Ibadan.” Alhaji Umaru Dikko was very cosmopolitan and one of those rarest of human beings who were both traditionalists and modernists. He was extremely confident and proud such that some people thought he was arrogant. He was a principled politician who, once convinced of the goodness of anything, went out for it. Dikko had no respect for military men who shot themselves to power. He referred to them as the “coup-star” generals. With Dikko, you knew where you stood as he never stood on the fence. No wonder he became a victim of extreme negative propaganda in his time. On December 31, 1983, three months into Shagari’s second term, the government was removed following a military coup that ushered in General Buhari as military head of state. Dikko escaped through Seme border to Cotonou from where he left for exile in London until his return in 1995. While in exile, he attended Holborn College of Law, as well as Middle Temple (Inns of Court) thus qualifying as a lawyer. Dikko was the biggest thorn in the flesh of the Buhari/Idiagbon regime. It did not come as a surprise, therefore, when on July 5, 1984, he was suddenly snatched on a London street as he went for a walk. The extraordinary plan was to kidnap Dikko, drug him, stick him into a specially made crate and put him on a plane back to Nigeria alive. The plot was foiled by a vigilant British customs officer, Charles David Morrow. An Israeli and allegedly a former Mossad agent, Alexander Barak, was recruited to lead the kidnap team. It included a Nigerian military intelligence officer, Major Mohammed Yusuf, and Israeli nationals Felix Abitbol and Dr Lev-Avie Shapiro, who was to inject Dikko with an anaesthetic. They injected Dikko and laid him, unconscious, in a crate. The Israeli anaesthetist climbed into the crate as well, carrying medical equipment to make sure Dikko didn’t die en route. Barak and Abitbol got into a second crate. Both boxes were then sealed. The crates were taken to the cargo terminal of Stansted Airport, 40 miles north of London, where a Nigerian diplomat, Mr Edet, was anxiously waiting. Just then, there was an “All Ports Bulletin” from Scotland Yard saying that a Nigerian had been kidnapped and it was suspected he would be smuggled out of the country. The police had been alerted by Dikko’s secretary who had witnessed his abduction from a window in the house. The Nigerian intelligence officer and the three Israelis eventually received prison sentences in the UK. Those who accuse Dikko of corruptly enriching himself never knew him. Dikko was never interested in making money. Money was just a tool for him. Dikko was only excited with the power game. In this, he was impervious to obstacles, impatient with petty people and undisturbed by latent tensions. He was the embodiment of one of Jean Monnet’s maxim: “everybody is ambitious. The question is whether he is ambitious to be or ambitious to do.” Dikko was ambitious to do, and was passionate about Nigeria. Dikko was restless with pretentious rhetoric. He sought no glory for himself. His impact reflected anonymous dedication. He was that rarest of the powerful ones who put people at ease, that most unusual of revolutionaries who overturned the prevailing order without alienating the upholders of existing institutions. How I wish he had written his memoirs! For Dr Usman Dikko was a living encyclopaedia of Nigerian politics, a master strategist and a great statesman. The vacuum he left will be difficult to fill. Our special condolences go to his family, friends and associates all over the world. May Allah forgive him his mistakes and grant him Aljannah firdausi. Amin. http://leadership.ng/columns/377348/umaru-dikko 2 Likes |
| Politics › Mbu Warns Communities Against Killing Policemen by gratiaeo(op): 12:13pm On Jan 12, 2015 |
Joseph Mbu, the Assistant Inspector General (AIG) in charge of Zone 7 Police Command, has warned that the police would no longer tolerate the killing of its personnel under any guise. Mbu gave the warning in Abuja at a dinner held on Saturday night for policemen under the command, to appreciate their hard work and sacrifice in 2014. NAN reports that the command comprises FCT, Kaduna and Niger states. “We are hardly appreciated, wherever there is crisis, we go there to make peace but we are killed. Honestly, any policeman who is killed by any community in my zone, I will bring that village down, we have to rise against the killing of policemen. “I am radical officer but a rebel with a cause; we protect everybody, we do not work for ourselves, we are working for the nation; we must be respected, regarded and appreciated,” he said. Mbu noted with satisfaction that except for some communal clashes, the zone was relatively peaceful in 2014. He promised to ensure peace during and after the forthcoming general elections, warning, however, that the command was prepared to deal with any post-election security issues. The AIG charged police personnel in the three commands that make up the zone to be professional, civil and friendly in dealing with the public. He also charged them to be courageous in confronting situations. http://www.pmnewsnigeria.com/2015/01/12/mbu-warns-communities-against-killing-policemen/ |
| Jokes Etc › Re: Buhari Shares Pics Of Some Nigerians He Will Take To Aso Rock If He Wins by gratiaeo(m): 11:16am On Jan 12, 2015 |
Newkidoo:Are u now Buhari spokesman? 3 Likes |
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