₦airaland Forum

LEADER of The Progressives group in the last session of the House of Representatives, Dino Melaye, has raised the alarm over threats to his life following his role in what led to former Speaker Dimeji Bankole’s current travails over alleged financial misdemeanour.

Melaye, former member of the Green Chamber from Kogi State, blew the whistle on Bankole’s alleged financial impropriety, which subsequently led to his current prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Melaye, alongside 10 others, was suspended from the House for his hard stance against the leadership style of the former Speaker.

The 11 were later reinstated by the courts shortly before the expiration of the sixth Assembly.

The non-payment of Melaye’s entitlements and that of his other suspended colleagues led to the call by the agitated legislator, who exposed the now celebrated N10 billion bank loan Bankole procured without due process.

Hinging his move on the determination to ensure that the image of the House was not soiled over the alleged sundry financial impropriety of the former speaker, Melaye petitioned the EFCC, thus necessitating the eventual arrest and detention of the former number four citizen.

But, Melaye told newsmen in Abuja yesterday that he had been receiving threat messages since the beginning of Bankole’s trial.

He added that on many occasions, he had been threatened with abduction, outright assassination or acid bath, saying that he was forced to cry out this time after he discovered that those who had been threatening him traced him to Ghana and back to Nigeria at the weekend.

His words: “I have been getting these threat messages before I went to Ghana; but I was surprised that upon returning to Nigeria, I got another message detailing all my movements while in Ghana and my location at the time of receiving the message. They reiterated their mission and asked me to be ready for them anytime soon.

“If I had treated these threats as a non-issue before now, the accuracy at which those after me got my movement in Ghana and in Nigeria calls for concern, especially when one takes into consideration the state of insecurity in the country.”

Meanwhile, the Trade Union Congress (TUC) has insisted that the trial of the former Speaker must be carried out to logical conclusion, saying that there is enough evidence before the court to show that he (Bankole) actually breached the provisions of Section 311 of the Penal Code Act Cap. 532, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (Abuja) 1990.

In a statement signed by the President-General and Secretary of the congress, Comrades Peter Esele and John Kolawole respectively, the TUC said Bankole was quoted as citing the provisions of the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act and the National Assembly Service Commission Act, in which he claimed that no court has the jurisdiction to try him for anything he did while exercising his powers as the speaker of House.

The congress maintained that Bankole and his co-travellers committed a felony to wit: theft as being alleged by the EFCC, and must be punished according to the laws of the land. It said it was wrong for the former speaker to have fraudulently obtained a N38 billion loan without following due process.

Esele said: “On the alleged offence of criminal breach of trust and theft slammed on him, Bankole averred that, as contemplated or defined in the Penal Code, he cannot be said to have committed any crime by obtaining a loan to augment allowances and running costs of members of the House of Representatives in violation of the extant Revised Financial Regulations of the Federal Government of Nigeria, 2009.

“The questions on our lips are: Does Bankole have the right to obtain a secret loan on behalf of the House when the said House is not his private company, and even when the Clark of the House vehemently opposed to such move and advised accordingly?

“Is this gentleman trying to tell us that even if he had sold the rest of us into slavery while in power, no one could query his action? Does this man think that being a speaker means becoming God? Is he saying that once one becomes speaker, he is above the law of the land?”


http://www.compassnewspaper.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8773:-okonjo-iwealas-dollar-salary-generates-debate-in-us&catid=308:headlines&Itemid=600

With the National Assembly quarters in Abuja retained by their outgoing counterparts, the 343 new lawmakers at the National Assembly are to draw between N3 million and N5 million for new houses as they resume work this week.

The Assembly leaders said the amount is to cover annual rental cost for new accommodation for each legislator, after a controversial government monetisation policy transferred titles for the Abuja Apo legislative quarters to former lawmakers who were not reelected.

The ownership rule has drawn the condemnation of some legislators as they face a raft of uncertainties, as the Senate and the House of Representatives resume legislative duties. Each new Senator is receiving N5 million for a new place in the federal capital territory after an initial demand for N7 million (and an upward rental fee for three years) were reportedly rejected by the senate leadership.

The 264 new members of the House of Representatives are getting between N3.5 million and N4.5 million, sources say. But the new entrants into the hunt for houses have already caused a surge in real estate value in choice areas within Abuja, complicating the accommodation controversy, with some legislators urging a reversal.

Within the city centre, for instance, houses that went for N1.5 million a year ago, are reportedly now being let out at N3 million.

“The major problem we are facing now is the problem of accommodation for the new senators. Many of them may not be able to concentrate in legislative proceedings because for now they do not have a place to stay,” Smart Adeyemi, a returning senator from Kogi state, said.

Mr Adeyemi spoke last week as both chambers faced the prospect of a tardy resumption with many of the new members without houses ahead of Tuesday’s reopening.

“We cannot even talk about hotels because where is the money for that. That is why the Apo legislative quarters should not have been sold in the first place. If the houses were to be there now, they will just pack in and start work, even if with ordinary mattress.

“Those behind the monetisation policies should have known that new senators are elected every four years, so there should be provision for that so that the new senators can move in. I think the proper thing to do is for government to reverse the sale of Apo and return monies back to those that bought the houses,” Mr Adeyemi added.

The three-week break was announced by both chambers shortly after inauguration to allow for the provision of home and office accommodation for the members.

The House has said office spaces for members will not be ready until August ending as contractors had announced a longer delivery time than expected. The deputy dpeaker, Emeka Ihedioha, said the House would however proceed with the June 28 resumption while improvised arrangements were made for the members as they resume.

PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan is ill at ease at the moment. Inside sources in the country's seat of power the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja confided in National Daily that the number one citizen does not know whom to trust any longer. Reports indicated that the President is suspecting the possibility of some 'unexpectedly' highly influential guests using charms better known as Juju or native African fetish spell on him.

The President, aides disclosed, began to be suspicious when he noticed that he always become drained of physical strength, in other words he gets tired or exhausted unnecessarily after visits from certain guests. President Jonathan, they ventured, often experience body weakness, which he himself has found very strange.

Unexpected guests
What makes the matter worse is that most of these visitors were not the ones on schedule list; they are people whom his close associates and aides smuggled into the daily visitors' roster to have a word or two with him, most bordering on favours. These important people were ones who had already wormed their ways into the President's men's heart through monetary or juicy gifts.

The thinking is that these people must have come prepared with charms in form of incantations or totems which they believed are needed to swing the President's decision in their favour. So the drain of physical strength from the President is seen as the aftermath effect of the charm used on him.
A sad twist to the unwholesome development is that some close aides and officials working in Aso Rock or in the government are believed to be neck deep in the act.

Sources revealed that on several occasions, the President might have suddenly grown suspicious of an official's attitude to work and might have even deemed it fit to query or replace the person, but once it leaks out and the person hears, such a person will go home to reinforce using traditional means and before long, there is a sudden turn of event.

The President forgets his earlier observations, and even discovered later to his chagrin that a cozy relationship has developed between the person and himself. At present, officials in Aso Rock Villa have resorted to prayers every morning the get to work in order to cleanse their offices and rid the whole place of undue influence of the occult.
African malaise?

The use of charms, juju or African talisman was once part of the culture of the tribes that make up Nigeria; it is often associated with the country's traditional culture. Two religions, Christianity and Islam have however eroded dependence on this aspect of the people of this country's culture to an extent but the fact is that belief and the use of charms is still much prevalent remains.

It is widely acknowledged that most African elites use religion as smokescreen to hide their deep-seated juju dabbling, they use Christianity or Islam as a smokescreen while engaged in occultism and diabolical acts.
Nigerian leaders such as military President, Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida and Late Head of State, Gen. Ibrahim Abacha were reported to have resorted to inviting Juju-men or Marabout into Aso Rock Villa for special spiritual sessions. Late President Umaru Musa Yra'Adua at the height of his illness was reported to have engaged in some consultations too.

The most recent public outburst of such an occurrence from the country's seat of power was the verbal exchange of accusations between, former President Olusegun Obasanjo and his deputy, Vice-President Atiku Abubakar towards the twilight of their administration.
Obasanjo accused his estranged deputy of wishing him dead and consulting Islamic holy men on the date of his demise.

Obasanjo said the vice president had told a former minister: "Don't worry, the president will be dead soon."
Atiku Abubakar denied the charges, saying Obasanjo's mind was full of "the cobwebs of juju or occult".
The pair fell out when Abubakar opposed the president's efforts to stay in office for a third term.
Speaking about the feud between him and his deputy on national television, Obasanjo said Abubakar had told a minister that he had been consulting a marabout (holy man).
Obasanjo who was forced to standing down after two terms, revealed that Abubakar told the minister: "So the same marabout has told me that I will be President when this man (Obasanjo) dies and had given me a month that he will die, you better prepare."

Obasanjo said the alleged comments showed his rival's "bankruptcy of ideas, bankruptcy of knowledge and lack of knowledge in God and the affairs of God on the lives of human beings".
He added: "If I will live for another 20 years, it is in the hands of God. I am not afraid of such stupidity. Of course, I know that you can be poisoned but if God wants to save you, you will be saved."
The then vice-president dismissed the president's accusations as "bizarre and ludicrous".
"Unlike Obasanjo who uses Christianity as a smokescreen while engaged in occultism and diabolical acts, I am a devout Muslim who has always striven to live in accordance with the teachings of Islam,” Atiku fired back in a statement.

"The next occupant of the State House (presidential villa) will need to spiritually cleanse the presidential lodge to make it habitable for normal people.

"I don't believe in resorting to marabout and have never wished the president dead. Rather, it is the president who has been hell-bent on eliminating me politically and physically.
"By making public accusations of fetish acts against me, the president has exposed his own mindset as one that is covered in the cobwebs of juju or occult.
"It is on record that the president had never in the past denied his association with deadly secret societies." Abubakar declared.

Analysts informed National Daily regarding the matter that in Africa's cultural and development context, it is not strange that Nigerian former President Olusegun Obasanjo should accuse his deputy, Atiku Abubakar, of craving to kill him through the dreaded juju spell. Obasanjo's claims that Atiku has been “consulting Islamic holy men on the date of his demise,” reflects the unrefined elements within the African culture that wait to be polished for progress.
"Don't worry, the president will be dead soon," a juju medium was said to have told Atiku.

Dabbling in juju weakens the rulers' ability to totally rationalize developmental problems on the ground. As the Obasanjo and Atiku row demonstrates, juju and other such practices not only weaken trust, a key ingredient in national development, but also undermine "national morality, because they are based on irrational spirit power," they opined.

They noted that for the sustainable development of Africa, it is healthy that African elites re-think the relationship between their culture and progress, especially how to refine the inhibitions within their culture to facilitate progress, as the Europeans did during their enlightenment struggles in their development process.



http://www.nationaldailyngr.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6013:juju-scare-in-aso-rock&catid=99:current-cover&Itemid=489

This is really commendable

[quote author=mama-gee link=topic=700660.msg8603692#msg8603692 date=1309215554][color=deeppink]Why do some men talk or stare at female strangers they have never met before?[/color][/quote]Cos they wanna kiss you

^^^I wonder what a lady needs a gun for, you caught him pants down?

@OP, you dont have to take such decision cos thats what mama wants, it has to come from your heart. We cannot advise you on the one to drop 4 the other cos we dont know these gals.

@Op You have to be specific so we know exactly how to contribute, are you talking about the guy asking you out here on NL? You wanna give him a chance now?

^^^Lol. how was it 2day in school

[quote author=Shy-One link=topic=699792.msg8602645#msg8602645 date=1309203575]sorry, didn't mean to be dynamic. i just ran across something very unexpected 2 days ago that stopped me in my tracks, i too thought it was quite dynamic.

will always love him, can no longer commit at least not for a while, will wait to see if we can get through this one, still want him but not at ANY COST.

so will focus on work for the rest of 2011. thank you for your "soft spot"

but completely encourage everyone else to keep looking for your "ideal Nigerian man/woman"[/quote]I love your strength and I pray you guys sort out things soon but if it doesnt go through never you believe that you will always love him, try and transfer the love to the next guy cos if your heart is still with him you can never give your best in your next relationship. Sometimes people block your way to notice the right people for you, so always be glad when they get off the way. I wish you the best

I think this same topic has been discussed here in the past

^^^You cant be serious

Pweety4me:
[color=#550077]If only it was young boy, if only it was.


ps - stop stalking me trying to grab my attention, it's quite desperate [/color]

Another wishful thinking

[quote author=Ileke-IdI link=topic=696662.msg8597166#msg8597166 date=1309135282]Objection overruled. [/quote]Honestly, I wonder what happened to you

He might not mean any harm telling you, at least he is coming out clean

EzeCanada:
Igbo girls’ rock!!! Most of the pageant's winners - including reigning queen Sylvia Nduka are Igbo –Mostly of Anambra descent.

Why do Igbo girls win MBGN contests back to back?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Most_Beautiful_Girl_in_Nigeria_(Pageant)#Titleholders

1986 First and Pioneer Miss Nigeria - Lynda Chuba-Ikpeazu, Anambra State
[b]1988 Bianca Odinaka Onoh , Anambra State[/b]1990 Sabina Umeh, Anambra State
1998 Chika Chikezie, Imo State
1999 Angela Ukpoma, Imo State
2002 Chinenye Ivy Ochuba, Anambra State
2007 Munachi Nwankwo, Imo State
2008 Adaeze Igwe, Anambra State
2009 Glory Chuku, Abia State
2010 Amuzie Afora, Anambra State
2011 Sylvia Nduka, Anambra State

The bolded is from (Ngwo) Enugu, but married to Ikemba who happens to be from Anambra

1) God fearing
2)Very truthful and sincere

@OP Relax your mind, when you get to the bridge you will cross it

Where is the source of this story?

^^^The heart of a woman is as deep as the ocean

Pweety4me:
[color=#550077] <sub>^^^Lol. . .just say it is as it is.

Sounds like someone missed me</sub>



plse- no derailing[/color]

Another wishful thinking

Odunnu:
Error Poster!
Nothing, absolutely nothing should make you class MrCock in the same league as those up there.
If you read MrCock's posts, you'l notice the guy is a natural comedian and very intelligent too unlike the others. His ability to play MrCock and ****(his other ID) perfectly should tell you he's a near genuise.lol.
Gimme Coccky anytime.
Give Rokiatu Born2fuck. They are one anyway.

Mehn I see him like that too, he seems intelligent to me.

@OP, I will go for Mr. Cocky Joe, though 190 is funny too

^^^Enugu Voted for APGA 2007 but OBJ's do-or-die politics messed up the whole thing, now Chime is doing just well, so it will be difficult now, I was praying for him to defect to another party preferably APGA when he had problems with the PDP heirachies, but I see APGA taking over Enugu in 2015

Calculia:
STOP DIS DELUSION SS DON'T EXIST YOUR ALL SE, PERIOD.

How could you say that

Things women do