₦airaland Forum

simon gonner: Haha New year gift from oga Jona

yeah, let's embrace it with d totality of our open-minded
ness.

As many Nigerians
welcome the convocation
of the National
Conference, a former
member of the defunct
Constituent Assembly
and a university don,
Prof. Aja Okorie, has said
those calling for break
up may be doing so
because of selfishness
and do not know where it
would lead the country.
He spoke on various issues
and cautioned that there
would be mass movement
if the president tried to
sweep the outcome of the
conference under the
carpet. Excerpts:
What is your opinion on
the national dialogue
approved by President
Goodluck Jonathan?
In my opinion, it should
not be Sovereign National
Conference because the
problem with it is that
when you call it sovereign,
Nigeria can break up; some
components can decide to
break away. I do not think
that Nigeria should break
up, rather I think that
Nigeria should dialogue to
discuss all the political
issues but not including
break up of Nigeria. The
United States is very
important because of its
size, China is important
because of its size and
diversity; even Russia and
Germany.
You said Nigeria should
not break-up, what then
should be the solution to
Nigeria’s problem?
People are calling for
break-up because of bad
governance, dishonesty
and corruption of
leadership at all levels. I
don’t subscribe to break-
up because if you try to
break up, the Eastern
Region won’t even be
together; you will find out
that the South-South would
want to break up; maybe
West will try to keep
together. You will find out
that the Middle Belt would
want to break up, North
East and North West would
want to break-up and we
would make a mess of
Nigeria. None of these
components will wield the
influence of things that
attributed to Nigeria as
giant of Africa.
Those who are calling for
break up, if there are any,
I think they are calling for
break up because of
selfishness; they don’t
know where the break up
will reach because it can
now split us into 10 and
what are we going to gain.
The diversity which is our
strength can be used to
strengthen Nigeria. I earlier
told you that the solution
is to stop corruption and
reduce to minimum if not
to zero. All corrupt leaders
present and past should be
brought to book because if
we end corruption, people
will stop agitation. And
then if we bring in equity
and justice and if the
institutions are working,
Nigeria will be growing.
When you get to the
judiciary, you don’t get
justice if you haven’t stolen
money to give to lawyers.
So, why people are calling
for break up like I said is
because of bad governance
arising from the corrupt
institutions that are not
working. What we need to
minimize corruption is
good leadership and
federal character; we need
equity, we need merit to
put the right people in the
right places; that is the
solution and these issues
are what we need to
discuss.
We have universities that
can’t produce good
graduates to take care of
the people; you find us
going to China to go and
learn how to plant rice,
how to make machine for
parboiling rice. We have to
go to Arab countries to get
Arab contractors to build
our roads. It is a shame
we have so many
engineers and we can’t
build our roads and the
people who try to build
our roads would want to
get 250 percent gain and
people who give them the
contract take more than
100 percent up front.
These are things we should
look at. How do you make
our judicial system work,
how do you make our
educational system work,
how do you make the
health system people look
at the capital flight in terms
of medical tourism. Now,
we are having the first
open heart surgery and not
even done by the Nigerian
doctors in Ibadan and we
claim to be the giant of
Africa. You find our
students going to Ghana
for university education.
When we were in the
universities in 70s,
Ghanaians were coming to
Nigerian universities. These
are issues now government
says it doesn’t have N500
billion to give to all federal
and state universities for
upgrade of equipment of
hostels but government
has money to waste for
pilgrimage and for hajj.
Government has money for
one minister to buy one or
two cars for up to N250
million and this is the sort
of country we are in and
nobody is being fired. So,
corruption like Carrington
said is the bane of Nigeria;
it is not an issue of
breaking up, it is the issue
of tackling corruption and
tackling corruption cannot
come from the grassroots.
It has to come from the
presidency, from
governors, ministers to
commissioners and local
government chairmen and
if the presidency does his
work with his executives,
the governors and
governors do it with their
commissioners and the
local government
chairmen, Nigerians won’t
be asking for a break up.
So, it is corruption, building
institutions and getting our
educational and health
system work.
Don’t you think that this
is another jamboree
where the decisions
could be swept under the
carpet?
Well people call it
diversionary tactics of the
President but what I will
say is that Nigerians should
not allow this to go like
others. Nigerians should
have a silent revolution;
there should be mass
movement if the President
tries to sweep it under the
carpet and I don’t think it
should be subjected to
National Assembly because
National Assembly is one
of the institutions that is
not working. This is
because when the National
Assembly is there, they
went around and said they
want constitution review
and people gave their
opinion. Even at the state
level, there was a lot of
manipulation and of
course, 90 percent of
people at the National
Assembly were not elected;
they were selected. So,
some of us don’t have
confidence in National
Assembly to do anything
and the process of
selecting those that would
go for this National
Dialogue or conference
should not be influenced
by government and the
decisions should be
implemented by the
presidency the way
majority have agreed upon
for the survival of Nigeria.
When it goes to the Senate,
there will be
manipulations; they will
take voice vote instead of
using electronic vote.
Nigerians should stand up
like they stood up about
the oil subsidy; that is my
position because if
Nigerians say no and come
out en-masse and insist
that the outcome of the
national dialogue should be
implemented, it should be
implemented. Like I said
before, the issue of break
up, the issue of
sovereignty of Nigeria
should be no go area. It
will not help us, China is
very big America is very big
Germany is very big by
European standard and
that is what we need in
Nigeria.
How would the members
be selected?
They should be genuinely
elected not like the PDP
style. From the grassroots
without what happens in
normal political elections
because INEC is a problem.
If we cannot select those
people without government
interference, there is no
need for National dialogue.
So, that selection process
is very important. People
should be selected by their
communities,
constituencies without
undue influence from any
ruling party or opposition
in the country. People
should be allowed and we
should be careful with
people we select and the
committee should draw out
clear criteria for this
selection process because
it I important it is what we
put in there we get out. If
it is another political
jamboree, then Nigeria
should not waste its money
and in fact, it could have
been better if this National
conference has come after
2015 with the new
Assembly to be elected.
What do you suggest
should be the Igbo
agenda?
Well, it depends upon how
the thing is set up. I think
the major contribution I
will be making is complete
eradication of corruption
making sure that the
institutions are working
and the judiciary making
sure that the Armed forces
are not influenced by
politics. They are not
corrupt because when
these two things are
working, legal and security
agencies and when
corruption is minimized,
the issue of being an Ibo
man or not being an Ibo
man will not arise. When
you look at United States,
when you move from one
state to another, after six
months, you can contest
election. I will want a
situation where census is
done properly, when the
population commission
includes ethnicity into the
data they collate and also
religion. This is because we
ought to know, we need to
know how many Muslims,
how many Christians and
how many other
denominations we have in
Nigeria and we ought to
know how many Ibo
people who are living in
Kano and in Lagos. We
need the true census, as a
basis for planning that will
show us all the details.
Why should we have a
census when we don’t
know how many Ibo
people that live in Lagos
and Kano, why should we
have a census when we
don’t know how many
Muslims or Hausa are
living in Ebonyi state? I like
a situation where a person
after living in a state or
even a local government
for five years should be
able to contest election. I
am talking about the issue
of indigene or what makes
one to be qualified to
enjoy the facilities there.
Now, they count you to say
that the population of Kano
or Lagos is like this and
then when the amenities
come, you are excluded,
you are not allowed to
contest, you are not
allowed to get land and yet
you are supposed to be
among the people making
up the number.

sunnewsonline.com/new/saturday-people/national-conference-nigerians-ready-revolution-prof-okorie-2/

splashbaby: GEJ QUOTES ON MARBLE:
This is our Mandela and his many quotes.

ON CHANGE OF UNILAG NAME
"Most of the top universities in the world are named after people...Harvard and others. The change was made in line with Nigerian laws especially the ones relating to naming and change of name of an institution"...what a presidential mindset with international naming talent

ON NIGERIA ECONOMY
"Nigeria is not broke; if we are broke, you wouldn't see investors clamoring to come to Nigeria"..who are these ghost investors, Dunlop and Michelin left for Ghana...abi we be Ghana

ON HIS CRITICS
'Criticizing Jonathan and Administration is now big business'...I agree, paying many cyber-rodents to betray their conscience costs millions. With people like Reno and Okupe coordinating things...the budget will be high.

ON HIS ADMINISTRATION
" I told my friends that Nigerians will abuse me till the end of 2012 because they will not see any meaningful development, but they will change and praise me by 2013 because they will begin to see result"
... Have we seen any results? Missing $49.8 billion today and denial tomorrow na part of the result abi

ON ASSET DECLARATION
“Asset Declaration is voluntary, I don’t give a damn what any one feel about it" ...Presidentialbragado with impunity

ON SECURITY AND ECONOMY
“I am not in charge of Security, I am not in Charge of Economy, there are people responsible for that”
So what is he in-charge of? Madam pashe abi madam peace? Them be two now

ON HIS TRIP TO BRAZIL
“Government should never create the impression that it can ever stop functioning because of the menace of terrorists”....Agreed, but should he be nonchalant

ON HIS INVITATION BY NASS
"Hearing noise in the parliament does not mean that Mr. President and the National Assembly are fighting"...l laugh in Zulu

@ Op,
go tru ur post and see y u r d stup!d one here.

blaqoracle: it is no more alice in wonderland;it is now jonathan in wonderland

meaning

Sloan: Distraction from corruption! Useless dumboe president!

common shut up. dos adjectives are no longer relevant.
u better begin to think on how ur new country will survive without our 'oyel moni'.

99/100:
.....If you ask me,I will tell you there are people I wouldn't want to leave with in my dream country.

pls dont name names cos we already dem.

OsunOriginal: Is this his response to OBJ's letter?

Snipers training president...

hey mr boko, u r on d wrong thread.

jhydebaba: No be only Confab, na confederation cup.

dis thread is not meant for kids.

picoba:
To start New year with nonsense!

No, to start d new year with d sense of realities.

patriotic007: GEJ's leadership style has never been witnessed before by Nigerians,....No matter how you provoke or push him,he will remain focused and do what he wants to do,....His humility has set a standard for any leader that will rule this country in the future

u r right, dear. i sincerely hop and pray Gej remain focus so as to prove des pple wrong.
come 2019, Nigerians will look back and say: 'thank u, GEJ'.

President Goodluck Jonathan said on Wednesday that all necessary preparations are being made to ensure that the proposed national conference takes off immediately in the new year.

The President who spoke when he received the report of Dr. Femi Okunrounmu led Presidential Advisory Committee on National Conference said he has already directed that adequate financial provision should be made for the take off of the conference.

The Committee also insisted that contrary to media reports, there was no split among its members or any minority report. Taking a cue from the earlier speech of Dr. Okunrounmu, the President said the proposed dialogue will be referred to as national conference.

“I can use the word national conference because the national Chairman used it. So, I assume that is the name the Committee has agreed on,” the President who described as another milestone in the task of building a more united and equitable country, said.

“I have no personal interest in this dialogue and I will allow the will of Nigerians to prevail,” said the President.

While reiterating the fact that his administration is committed to building a stronger union of Nigerian family, the President said he is happy that there was only one demand for dissolution of Nigeria federal structure in the public hearings held by the Committee across 13 major cities of the country.

He added that the proposed national conference offered an opportunity to strengthen Nigeria’s unity and democracy and every Nigerian should participate in it.

On a lighter note, the President noted that “by the time we conclude this conference, I hope there will be no more open letters.”.

Speaking earlier, Dr. Okunrounmu said the public hearings held by the Committee showed that most Nigerians are very enthusiastic about the prospect being the architect of new Nigeria by taking part in setting the ground norms as will be done through the proposed national conference.
He added that those who are initially sceptical about the idea of national conference have now being turned into believers.

“I say emphatically that we have no minority report,” Dr. Okunrounmu who said the Committee did not react to initial controversies because it has not submitted its report and out of protocol said.

Also, Chief Solomon Asemota who was reported to have submitted the minority report refused to confirm or deny the rumours when he was confronted.

The Senior Advocate of Nigeria told inquisitive journalists that he aligned with what the Chairman has said about the issue. The report was accompanied by 16 volumes of appendices of 4000 pages.

http://pmnewsnigeria.com/2013/12/18/confab-holds-early-next-year-jonathan/

magapagal: U must be kidding me, I don't know where u met the hausa man u claim told you Buhari is behind boko haram menace....I am sure what you are saying is big lieeeee!!!

den prove it.

on point.

Ikengawo: Anyone that wants an election in the 3 states should volunteer themselves to man the booths in Borno. Your talking about states where people don't come outside anymore

dat answered it.

pontirock: Shey d pope no be gay ni

no doubt now....
#ABILIVIT.

eagleae7: Impeachment
GEJ till 2019 except he decided not to contest

He gat no choice but to contest. forget all des anti-Gej e-wars. I can tell u dat we all will massively vote him.

segzy14: please take it easy now

nobody has any right to insult anybody, so y wud some idiotz take pleasure in insulting d person of GEJ and some goats are liking it? wat has he got to do wit dis.
rightly or wrongly, he deserves our respect.
disrespecting him means disrespecting Nigeria as a whole.

engrfcuksmtin: An evidence that all GEJ supporters are clueless...

I wonder y ur fetus was not washed down d toilet, !diot.

Double_j.c:
Pls anyone with pin mouth charger?

is ur pin mouth dead?

Babamide: I pray to get hit by a truck if I vote for GeJ

be careful wat u wish urself cos u might just get it even b4 d election.
.... and ur kinsmen will no longer be able to vote against him wen d time comes.
just a piece of advice.
Btw,
Who is APC presenting to Nigeria? If a bokoharam sympatiser, den.... GEJ all d way.

ma body language says.....
ADONBILIVIT.

after all these, wat is d way forward?

we came with nothing, we'll certainly leave with nothing.
only fools dont know this.

.

we r not dere yet. but in d making, giv it to GEJ.
som1 may castigate my opinion, but i will remind u come 2019.

deevah: True. That fact can't be disputed at all. But notice how the article turned into an Africa bashing one? This, in my opinion, isn't the kind of article a "Christian" should write. Besides, whether a person makes heaven or not is not for us humans to judge and analyse.

John 3:3
Jesus answered him, "Most certainly, I tell you, unless one is born anew, he can't see the Kingdom of God."

Hebrews 9:27
"Inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once, and after this, judgment",


2 Corinthians 6:2
for he says, "At an acceptable time I listened to you, in a day of salvation I helped you." Behold, now is the acceptable time. Behold, now is the day of salvation.

Mark 8:37 "For what will a man give in exchange for his life"?

Dahomey Amazon: What is great about a pained story teller, nonsense.

if dat's all u cud see in him, den u r such a failed project.

Dahomey Amazon: BIGIOT AND PATRIOT.

ur region hasn't produce an icon as great. prove me wrong by naming one.

solomon111: And this old fool had to insult the niger-delta.
The same region that feed your arid state.
You don't want their politicians but you love their resources.
Idiott.
The SW and the North have the higest number of proven corrupt politicians atleast according to the EFCC.
And the mediocrity in the Nigerian system is because these two regions have been allowed in the system for too long.
No problem sha.
The precedence has been set.
Let me see that "non- SS/SE" special president that will govern over a united Nigeria after GEJ.
They will know what it means to make the country ungovernable.

make d oil "untapable", den dis whole damn thing called Nigeria will truly be "ungovernable".

enigmang: lol… he is crying… he should go and defend his sons…..

The truth is that there will always be a case against all Nigerian elected officials…. GEJ has not even started using EFCC…. call it witch hunting or not.. Question is are they guilty

If they were innocent no one will touch them…..

most sensible post i read on dis tread.
d hate for GEJ has blinded a lot of u so much dat some folks will carefreelly stumble on stones and attribute such misfortunes on GEJ cos of his gentility.
btw, I just hope d "mad man" take a knife in place of lighter, and cut dos fetters dat are forcefully binding us together.

FOOD 4 THOUGHT:
Y is it dat only Northerners are clamouring for d indivisibility of Nigeria?
Can't dey just channel dat vigour into sometin dat cud make deir pple economically self reliant?

A.jeez:
Great thought..love it..short and precise

yeah, short and precise but not short of crap and !diocy.
in dsame yoruba voice:
"ile ti a ba fi ito mo, iri no yo wo".
(a castle built with saliva, will be brought to debris by dew).
and dat is d fate of dsame APC u r trying hard to sell to Nigerians.
wake up man.