₦airaland Forum

jason123:
Lol. Reality is different from fear. I don't chest beat.

No one is chest beating!
Did you watch the baifran videos on youtube? Didn't you see women who trained to fight. They knew what they wanted and if such scenario ever happens again, I am sure you would see more women fighting for their children's future.
We all want peace but!

Spambot againnnnnnnnnnnnnnn,  Haba!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes I've been stalked right from college to my recent job, some became very desperate. What I do nowadays is just introduce them to my friends and the case is closed forever.

OAM4J:
^ The standard procedure is for you to be banned after insulting another poster's parent for 120 hours. Dayokanu did not insult any poster's parent but a public political figure. If you find it offensive, you should have reported it rather than insulting the poster's parent.

I will plead with the authority and see if they can reduce the hours to let this ban serve as a warning, but if you do it again, expect a very long ban.

OAM4J, you be correct man.

[quote author=baby-boy link=topic=747334.msg9037373#msg9037373 date=1314653091]2 months ago I met a guy at MMA he was heading back to the US, but heading to Germany first, you could tell that this guy has spent all his life away from Nigeria,  before checking in his suit-cases the customs started grilling him, then they asked him for money, he said he has the money but he is not giving them a dime? then they said he couldn't carry the gari and groundnut, he asked why? they said its against the US policy, he said he needed to see prove, then the custom became aggressive with him, he didn't say nothing, then the customs told him that he should forget about travelling that day, that's when he showed them his ID card! This guy was a Sergeant Major of the US Marine Corps, he said that if he misses his flight, he said that theirs a US Base in Egypt they would come and pick him up but someone is getting fired!!! The moment the customs knew who he really was the panic level grew! until when that guy was out of sight the customs were at their best behavior!!![/quote]Hahaha, my buddy used that too.
No question asked afterwards.

Fergie Defends Arsenal Coach After 8-2 Thrashing



Arsene Wenger admitted he had been left embarrassed by the size of the defeat, but with the pressure mounting on him denied he would quit his post.
"You feel humiliated when you concede eight goals," he said.

"It was a terrible day for us, it was a combination of an under-strength team and weakness.

"We collapsed physically in the second half."

Asked if he might think about resigning during the upcoming international break, he was initially coy, saying: "I believe we have a break before the next game."

He then ruled out the possibility, adding: "No, not at all."

With three days to go before the end of the transfer window Wenger is under pressure to bring in new names, although he was again guarded about the addition of any players.

"I know that in England when you lose a game signings are always the solution," he added.

"We had eight players out today. Anybody would suffer with eight players missing."

United manager Sir Alex Ferguson was surprised by the ease of his side's success despite Arsenal missing so many first-team regulars.

"It is (a surprise) because when you play Arsenal you expect a difficult game," he said.

"If you look at Arsenal the team is weakened - but we still did the job.
"We got careless at times and they made chances because they still have quality up front.

"But overall we are very satisfied that we kept the performance levels up."
With his counterpart Wenger likely to come in for more criticism this week, Ferguson again leapt to the Frenchman's defence.

"I think it is unfair to criticise him," he said.

"The job he's done for Arsenal and the philosophy he has - he has given Arsenal some very entertaining players.

"He's also sold well and looked after the Arsenal coffers. People forget these things. It's a cynical world now and when you lose a few games the judges come out.”


http://www.completesportsnigeria.com/news/2011/08/wenger-i-feel-very-humiliated

For Eagles Against Madagascar And Argentina



Super Eagles coach, Samson Siasia, has drafted in USA-based Emmanuel Ekpo and Turkey based Isaac Promise as replacements for Kalu Uche and injured Osaze Odemwingie.

Complete Sports scooped in Abuja that Siasia has forwarded the names of the duo to replace Uche, whose new club made a passionate appeal that he should be excluded from the Argentina friendly match as he needed time to settle down before the next match.

It was gathered that Siasia decided to release Uche from the two matches as it will spark off withdrawal if he allows him to play only the first match and because he would not want to start relating with the Swiss club on a sour note.

In his place, Siasia, we gathered, has drafted in former Flying Eagles captain Isaac Promise while Osaze, who missed his club West Bromwich Albion’s 1-0 loss at home to Stoke City in the English Premier League yesterday due to an injury that will keep out for two weeks, will be replaced by United States-based Ekpo.

Confronted over the new inclusions in the Super Eagles squad, NFF technical committee chairman, Chris Green, refused to confirm Siasia’s changes but stated that the federation would give the coaches all necessary support that will ensure that they win in Madagascar.

He disclosed that the Eagles will fly out to Madagascar on Wednesday and that all the players invited for the match are expected to be in the Abuja camp at most by Tuesday to make the trip adding that the NFf would sanction any player that fails to report on schedule.

http://www.completesportsnigeria.com/news/2011/08/uche-kalu-out-ekpo-promise-in

West Brom Striker Sad Over Recurrence Of Ankle Injury



FOOTBALL:
Super Eagles skipper Joseph Yobo is expected to be one of the early arrivals to the Abuja camp of the national team today as coach Samson Siasia demanded for total commitment on the part of the players towards the must- win game against Madagascar on September 4.

Siasia told Complete Sports after watching Super Falcons scrapped a 2-1 victory over Cameroun last Saturday that he would send back any player who reports to camp late because the task ahead is herculean,adding that he expects players who played on Saturday to arrive Abuja today while those who played yesterday should be in camp unfailingly by Tuesday He said that he has been in contact with all the players expects 80 percent of the players to be in camp by Monday while the rest must be in by Tuesday morning for them to travel by a chattered flight on Wednesday.

Mikel Obi, Daniel Shittu, Victor Anichebe, Dele Aiyenugba, Emmanuel Emenike, Joel Obi, Obinna Nsofor, Fegor Egude, Nosa Igiebor, Efe Ambrose, Echiejile Elderson, Dele Adeleye, Chinedu Obasi, Solomon Okoronkwo and Dele Adeleye are due in Abuja today while others who did not play on Saturday are due in Tuesday.

Meanwhile West Brom of England striker,Peter Osaze Odemwingie has expressed sadness over the recurrence of his ankle injury which will now keep him out of this weekend’s must-win 2012 African Nations Cup qualifier in Antannarivo against homers,Madagascar and next week’s high profile,Grade A international friendly against Argentina in Dhaka,Bangladesh.

Odemwingie told Super Eagles chief coach,Samson Siasia and team secretary,Dayo Enebi that he will be unavailable for the two games but the player confessed to Complete Sports he was not happy to tell Siasia the bad news over the weekend.

‘I wasn’t very happy to tell coach (Siasia) and Dayo (team secretary) the bad news but there was nothing I could have done at that moment because I felt I needed to let them know and make alternative plans’,he said last night in a telephone chat.

The player told Complete Sports how the injury recurred and the frustration he is feeling inside especially after having high hopes of getting out there to prove that his exploits last season was not by happenstance.

‘I aggravated the ankle injury against Chelsea penultimate weekend at Stamford Bridge.I think it must have happened when I had an encounter with (Jose) Bosingwa.Now I am going to miss playing for my dear country in such an important game in Madagascar’,said the fair-skinned player who believes he rushed back into action too soon.

“I think that’s the price to pay for forcing it against Chelsea the last time, now I’ve got to rest it’,he further said and revealed it was only last Tuesday he was advised to rest the leg for one week at least.

‘I resumed training with the group on Monday after the Chelsea game.I also trained on Tuesday but by then I was already having the feeling that the injury has relapsed.In addition to the ankle ligament injury on my right leg,I also had a bone bruise’.

Odemwingie believes even if he gets better to play now,he is already not 100% fit and will need to do another pre-season for himself.

‘I had all the pre-season trainings with my club hoping that I will beflying again when the season starts but I got injured and have been watching the games like a spectator.This is very frustrating.Now I need to have another pre-season training for myself before I can return to the form I was last season.This is something I didn’t argain for’,he lamented.

Odemwingie is however wishing the Eagles all the best of luck they will need in the bumpy pitch in Antannarivo come this weekend.

I wish the team all the best in Madagascar as well as against Argentina in the friendly.

“I’ll be supporting them from here because we need to win our next two matches to qualify so it is crucial we win.”

Odemwingie is the latest injury blow for Super Eagles’ coach Samson Siasia after AC Milan defender Taye Taiwo suffered an injury that ruled him out of action for a month.

Nigeria are desperate for a win against Madagascar to keep up the pressure on Guinea, who are top of Group B three points ahead of the Super Eagles.

The Nigeria squad will then fly straight to Bangladesh to keep a friendly date with Argentina on 6 September.

http://www.completesportsnigeria.com/news/2011/08/mikel-yobo-jet-in-for-madagascar-osaze-laments

They were Nigerians trapped in Libya. The journalist saved them from extincttion and the rebels lied about the nigerians having guns.
The journalist is God sent. IMO
The killing of innocent blacks needs to be addressed by AU but I doubt such questions would be raised.

Goldieluks:
Hissss.i hope this is some joke.

It sounds real, No jokes.

Lol,
But you have/had messy deals with Tinubu. Very used and dump mumu.
Always known for his ambiguous statements and lack of precision.

Ishilove:
Ok post your email addy let me send u my a/c numba :-D

Oya, Check my profile. Send me a msg.
I dey wait.

Ishilove:
U gatto pay for consultancy first.

Hw much? How I go pay? I dey wait.

Ishilove:
Seconded. E don tey wey nyash get center parting

Abeg you go give me private class for Nigerian street proverbs. Abeg where be venue? lol,

ice234:
Guy u for write am out na. ù know say na  we dey use to go to youtube our money go zap

Abeg I no get time to write am out. Someone else should help you out but it's more interesting and funny if you listen to the convo(audio).

Those guys are pure Nigerians and Yoruba-- the tribal marks on their face.
I hope nothing happens to them. I know there are innocent Nigerians who have been murdered by the rebels.
This is so terrible and horrific.

chino11:
The answer is simple. They were not active during pre-GEJ period because the north has lost out from the power equation, because Atiku lost out, because Buhari a bigot lost out, because Ciroma and his co travellers lost out. Power does not belong to the north, its for the generality of all Nigerians. It was the moment the north lost the 2010 presidential election that the hell was let loose.

But I have one thing for you guys, the end of this concoction called Nigeria is near, you guys have not seen poverty, illiteracy yet, you guys up north will suffer to the extent that Niger, Chad will be 100x better than you guys. You are already good at begging with plates even though your almajiris leaders have held power for over three decades in Nigeria but yet nothing to show for it, no infrastructure, no education, the highest level of poverty in the entire west African sub-region can only be seen in the north of Nigeria.

You northerners have not seen the last of it, because US,UN and UK have taken up the issue of terrorism in the north very soon heads will roll, am sure the likes of IBB, Buhari, Atiku and other slowpoke leaders of the north are the major sponsors of the brain-washed, illiterate and illusioned Boko Harams in the north

That I think is the only and sole reason.
All other reason is trash.

[flash=400,400]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Q3rzhvulVw[/flash]


Bwahahaha,

There were strong indications yesterday that the Federal Government  would go tough on members of the Boko Haram sect.

This would be a corollary to a possible review of government’s earlier vaunted carrot and stick approach to the Boko Haram menace which appears not to be yielding any fruits.

In addition, Sunday Vanguard has discovered that government is coming to terms with the type of opposition it is facing in the Boko Haram threat.

A top ranking official said government would engage in paradigm shift in its dealings with the Boko Haram”. This, it was gathered, is based on fresh intelligence “that the group may not be pursuing any agenda on its own steam but on the prompting of some powerful and influential forces whose forte is largely politics”.

Sunday Vanguard was also made to understand that “the so-called carrot and stick approach that many Nigerians had alluded to was never an approach which endorsed violence or was going to provide an amnesty as was touted in many quarters”.

Already, the interim report of the fact-finding committee set up by President Goodluck Jonathan has been submitted to the government.

Government is studying the report with a view to establishing a “protocol on how to handle the Boko Haram menace”.

[b]The correlation between the suspicion in government circles that the activities of Boko Haram may be more political than ideological can be traced to a prophetic postulation by a former Foreign Affairs Minister, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, in an encounter with Sunday Vanguard sometime in October 2010.

According to Akinyemi, “President Goodluck Jonathan would win the presidential ticket of his party, the Peoples democratic Party, PDP.

“President Goodluck Jonathan would also most likely win the presidential elections that would hold in April 2011.

“Mind you, this is the first time that both the ruling party and the opposition elements are not sure of who would likely emerge as the president at the end of the elections.

“However, after President Goodluck Jonathan has emerged as President and Commander-in-Chief, he would have to manage the post election crisis that would buffet his administration”.

When contacted yesterday on that prophetic postulation, the renowned academician simply said, “quote me” – the earlier discussion was confidential in nature and it was just immediately after President Jonathan threw his hat in the ring, declaring his intention to seek the presidential ticket of his party with a view to contesting the 2011 presidential elections.[/b]
Sunday Vanguard has been told that the administration of  Jonathan is coming to terms with that reality in the wake of the Boko Haram induced bombing of the United Nation’s House in Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja.

This is coming in the wake of the seeming orchestrated attacks on his administration, with Boko Haram as the front.


http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/08/fg-to-review-strategy-on-boko-haram/

Enyimba's hopes of a place in the final four were boosted after holding Raja Club Athletic to a goalless draw in their CAF Champions League game on Friday night.

On a cold night in an intense Mohammed V Stadium in Casablanca, the Nigerian giants kept their progress from the group on course with a solid display that was capped off by some unbelievable saves from goalkeeper Paul Godwin.

Enyimba started the game brightly and with just 3 minutes played, almost took the lead when Otekpa Eneji's free-kick from the edge of the area - after Uche Kalu had been fouled - came off the crossbar.

That early miss seemed to have an effect on the thousands of Moroccan fans and shortly afterwards, the noise in the stadium got deafening as flares and fireworks lit up the night sky.

But there were going to be no fireworks nor celebrations on the pitch as both sides failed to carve open the other.

Raja's Hassan Souari was a thorn in the Enyimba side in the opening half and he came closest to putting his side in front with two quick attempts on goal.

The first was an 18th minute header which Paul did well to punch clear before a right-foot shot, two minutes later, that forced the Enyimba safe hands to make another crucial save.

At the other end, Ismail Benlamalem, wearing jersey number 27, proved to be a solid defender as he held down Uche Kalu, giving him no room at all. The striker could neither find space to shoot nor make his darting runs into the area.

Raja enjoyed long spells of possession in the second half but for all their dominance, they could not find the back of the net, thanks to some solid Enyimba defending and goalkeeping.

They were equally not helped by their fans who put them under a lot of pressure and it affected their game. They failed to connect at crucial moments and resigned themselves to long range efforts.

In the 72nd minute, Bouchaib El Moubaraki's header came off Paul Godwin's crossbar before being cleared out by Markson Ojobo and that was as far as they got.

As the game approached its final minutes, Raja's head coach, Ilie Balaci cut a frustrated figure at the touchline as his side failed to score for the fourth match in a row in the Champions League.

Enyimba meanwhile, have extended their unbeaten run in the tournament to nine games. They haven't lost a single match since their opening knockout game against Diables Noirs of Congo Brazzaville.
Raja now have two points from four games, their chances of qualification, very slim, if not impossible.

Enyimba remain on top of Group A with 8 points from the same number of games but have to wait for the outcome of the match between Coton Sport and Al Hilal to determine who stays top as Hilal have 7 points.

http://www.enyimbafc.net/news/news.php?article_id=439



Champs Lge Group Table
Group A Pld W L Pts
Enyimba 3 2 0 7
Al Hilal 3 2 0 7
Cotonsport 3 0 2 1
Raja Casablanca 3 0 2 1
Full Table

Yeah I know He will prove critics wrong by contesting again in 2015.

BTW those underage voters packed up in the north voted CPC,why is He or his supporters not condemning such acts?

RIP Jibola.

That faceless singer must be a staff of sahara reporters,

President Goodluck Jonathan has intervened in the public feud between two of his predecessors, Olusegun Obasanjo and Ibrahim Babangida, asking them to bury the hatchet. Obasanjo and Babangida, both former heads of government and retired generals, had last week exchange words, calling each other fools.


On Sunday, a source in the Presidency told one of our correspondents that Jonathan, who was “embarrassed” by the conduct of the two former heads of state, had intervened on Saturday.


The source said Jonathan made separate telephone calls to Obasanjo and Babangida, who are also chieftains of his party, the Peoples Democratic Party, on Saturday.


The source said, “Nobody should expect the President to fold his arms and be watching. He has done the natural thing to do in a situation like this.


“He has called both Obasanjo and Babangida and appealed to them to sheathe their swords.


“He urged them not to make further comments on the issue and encouraged them to settle it between themselves as they are friends and have access to each other.


“He did not take sides with anybody; there is a disagreement between two big men here and the President is playing the role of a peacemaker.”


The source however could not say what the reactions of the two former leaders were.


Babangida had stirred the hornets-nest last Wednesday at a news conference to mark his 70th birthday in Minna, Niger State, when he said that Obasanjo’s eight year tenure was a huge waste. He said Obasanjo’s administration spent $16bn on electricity without result, adding that if his own regime had the enormous revenue available to the Obasanjo government, he would have given Nigeria power.


But Obasanjo thundered back on Thursday, calling Babagida a fool at 70.


He said, “If Babangida has decided, on becoming a septuagenarian, that he will be a fool, I think one should probably do what the Bible says in Proverb Chapter 26, versus 4. It says don’t answer a fool because you may also become like him.”


However, in a swift reaction through his spokesperson, IBB retorted, “One may excuse his (Obasanjo) present outburst as the effusions of a witless comedian.”


Obasanjo who was the president between 1999 and 2007 was also a military head of government from 1976 to 1979. Babangida was military president from 1985 to 1993 when he “stepped aside” from power following the popular protests that greeted the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential poll by him.


Many at the weekend lashed at the two former leaders for “washing their dirty linen” in the public.


A former military governor of the old Western region, Vice Admiral Akin Aduwo (retd.), said the duo of Obasanjo and Babangida should be court-martialled over what he described as their indiscretion. Aduwo, who spoke over the weekend, also said the warring generals should be banned from the National Council of States.


On Sunday, the Octogenarian leader of the Yoruba social and political organization, Afenifere, Pa. Reuben Fasoranti, described the feud as a “show of shame.”


Fasoranti, in a telephone interview with our correspondent in Akure, Ondo State, noted that the two leaders behaved like “kids”.


He said, “It is a pity that the two ex-heads of state decided to throw caution to the winds and behave the way they did. They should have exercised restraints. Their behaviour is unfortunate. They should not have lost their tempers. Only kids do such things.”


Fasoranti appealed to the two leaders to exercise great caution and control over their tempers, warning them to refrain from exchanging insults on the pages of newspapers.


Aduwo had described the public exchange of words by the former presidents as a ‘complete shame, completely out of character, an international disgrace, an embarrassment to Nigeria and the military that gave those two people prominence as heads of state.”


He said, “IBB is a subordinate to Obasanjo, at all levels of service to the nation, the military, government and politics. The superior officer remains the superior officer.


“They went through all sorts of military training in discipline, leadership, mood control, conduct control. I have never been so shocked. Whoever is your superior up till retirement from active service remains your superior.”



http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201108223504993#.TlKc4hvZ1vQ.facebook

[quote author=alj_harem link=topic=741320.msg8975738#msg8975738 date=1313960584]jonathan has not been tasted although he is looking like a flawed president so far since febuary 2010 and we are in august 2011

tafawa balewa, i would say not really, i did not really feel his impact unlike bello

Azikiwe is one of those that destoryed Nigeria and as u rightly said he was not democratic at al but ceremonial thus him being the first president is very questionable
abacha should be added really

shonekan is another preson i did not really feel his impact to the country

yaradua should also be added[/quote]I wonder how you just come up with very daft statements.
You are a very stoopppooiiiddddd baboonnn. Who the f**k are you to question Zik's position as the first president?
Thunder fire your left hand. Bingo.

@ Op,
You better add Abacha to that poll, He fought for democracy in Sierra leone.
He also defended Nigeria (Bakassi) against Cameroun.
I vote him as the number one wicked, serious, and mean president.

hercules07:
I hope GEJ knows that the monetary policy is that of the CBN and that the finance minister should not oversee that as she is meant to be overseeing the fiscal side, I am uncomfortable with the powers being given to Okonjo, especially with her World Bank connections.

Abeg leave matter. I like the power she got, She's gonna do her job and would want to protect her name.
I know a "cabal" would be formed to bring her down as usual but Ngozi na real tough woman.

[flash=400,400]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FolTQrcMnY0[/flash]



Wonderful and pretty Nneka.


[img][/img]

We have been inundated with calls from the media and our esteemed friends over comments reportedly made by Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, the Aremu of Ota, to the effect that General Ibrahim Babangida “is a fool at 70”. According to the report, Chief

Obasanjo was said to have rolled out series of issues which he considered, in his infertile mind, to be the sins of General Babangida. He was reacting to earlier comments made by General Ibrahim Babangida that the Obasanjo eight years administration lacked creativity and innovation, and that given the huge resources that accrued to the Obasanjo government, Nigeria should have improved better. General IBB had stated inter alia; “in my eight years in office, I was able to manage poverty and achieved success while somebody for eight years managed affluence and achieved failure”. It is in response to this that the Ota farmer has decided to throw decency in the air to describe General IBB in such uncouth verbiage as a birthday message. We do not want to believe that he truly said that, but if it is true that he did say that, Nigerians know who the greatest fool is.

It is certainly not in the tradition of General IBB, such a refined gentleman officer; to join issues with his subordinates’ and superiors, but for the price we owe history, this riposte becomes appropriate and necessary. We expected Chief Obasanjo to react to the substance of General Babangida’s submissions and not deploy this distractive strategy to shy away from the real issues at stake. The statistics of the government they both ran at different times, speak for them. The history of Chief Obasanjo is an open sore that is irredeemably contrived in several incongruities and contradictions. When he pleaded with IBB to be given another chance to extend his tenure, IBB was not a fool then. When he was released from prison and granted state pardon, bathed in cerebral ornaments and clothed in royal beads and later crowned as President of Nigeria, IBB was not a fool then. Now that he is at the extreme of his thoughts and engagements, he can decide to dress IBB in borrowed robes. But the histories of both of them, when put to public scrutiny comparatively, IBB is far glowing and instructively stands poles apart from Obasanjo. In terms of decency, finesse, class, distinction and general conduct, IBB could be described in the superlatives but for Obasanjo; God bless Nigeria.

For a man who cannot possibly tell his true age, one may excuse his present outburst as the effusions of a witless comedian trying effortlessly to impress his select audience. On the issue of performance, Obasanjo cannot contemplate a comparism of his conquistadorial and largely acquisitive regime that plundered our hard-earned state resources, with that of IBB government with verifiable record of achievements. Despite the fact that he carried out a clinical investigation of IBB’s regime, what did he establish against him? Nothing! We wish to refer Obasanjo to the National Assembly to give his own side of the story to the several revelations that have become themes of his orchestra when he held sway as President of Nigeria. Perhaps, he would be able to tell the world how he managed Nigeria’s resources during his regime.

Chief Obasanjo should ponder on these incontrovertible facts: The revenues that accrued to former President Obasanjo during his eight years are more than those that accrued to the nation from independence till 1999 before he took over. Despite such stupendous wealth of the nation, what was his performance profile? The number of high profile deaths by assassinations and politically motivated killings during Obasanjo’s eight years is more than any other in the history of this country. Besides, is it not curious that after Obasanjo’s exit, there has not been any reported case of plane crashes? What was his human rights record? The people of Odi in Bayelsa State and Zaki-Ibiam in Benue State are yet to recover from the massacre visited on them by Chief Obasanjo. Again Crude Oil sold for as much as $180 dollars per barrel for the better part of his eight years, what benefit did Nigerians derive from such excess crude? With the revelations coming from the hallowed chambers of the National Assembly, Nigerians are now coming to terms with the profligacy of the Obasanjo era.





Against the backdrop of the above, it is ludicrous for him to raise any intellectual debate on the achievements of the governments they ran at different times in the life of the nation. Calling IBB “a fool at 70” especially by a man reportedly and allegedly accused by his own son of incest, is at best a compliment. Nigerians surely know who is truly a fool or the greatest fool of this century.



Signed: Prince Kassim Afegbua, Spokesperson to Gen.(rtd) Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida.


http://www.huhuonline.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3394%3Aobasanjo-is-an-incestuous-murderer-with-an-infertile-mind-ibb&catid=103%3Amore-news

Cabal against Okonjo, lol.

By Emma Ujah, Abuja Bureau Chief
There was, yesterday, a hoax over the resignation of the Coordinating Minister of the Economy and the Minister Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who was sworn-in by President Goodluck Jonathan just on Wednesday.

Text messages conveying the rumoured resignation of the minister were passed round at about noon, yesterday precipitating several frantic calls to officials of the presidency as well as, those of the Ministry of Finance to confirm the story which also appeared on an online news site.

But the office of the minister dismissed the story, saying that it was the handiwork of evil and corrupt people who were afraid of Dr. Okonjo-Iweala’s position against corruption.

Her Special Adviser, on Information and Communication, Mr. Paul Nwabuikwu, said in a swift reaction that the information was completely false and a calculated attempt to distract the minister but that the objective would not be achieved.

His words, “it has been brought to our notice that an online website is alleging that Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, has resigned her position.

“The information is completely false and without foundation.

“We are aware that the baseless falsehood is part of the ongoing orchestrated campaign by entrenched interests and corrupt groups working against more transparent and improved governance in the country.

“The obvious intention is to distract Dr Okonjo-Iweala from contributing to the realisation of the vision of President Goodluck Jonathan and his administration for sustainable economic growth in Nigeria.

“This intention will not be achieved because Dr Okonjo-Iweala will not be distracted”.

Some interests, indeed, appeared to be bent on discouraging Dr. Okonjo-Iweala from serving in the Jonathan administration as they have been sponsoring publications that she would not return to Nigeria.

Even before the Senate clearing session, there were stories that the woman wouldn’t return on the ground that she had turned down the offer of Mr. President to serve in the cabinet.

By Thursday, there was a rumoured clash between her and the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi over the nationalization of the three banks only a week before her arrival.

Besides, when she returned to the Washington, United States of America, after the clearing by the Senate, another story broke out to the effect that she had made up her mind not to serve because she demanded to be paid in dollar and requested to be given a free hand to pick members of her National Economic Management Team.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/08/i-have-not-resigned-okonjo-iweala/