₦airaland Forum

Well, like it or not, a contract is a contract. As much as we do not like them, it would probably not be in our good to deny them, whatever benefits we promised them, now what we promised them simply because someone suddenly grew a conscience 2 minutes ago.

Who signed the contract with.the nigerian people? Or you refering to our sham we call constitution that the military juntas imposed on us?

Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, Ph.D

Posted to the web: 11/16/2005 6:42:44 PM

 

PROFILE OF HIS EXCELLENCY GOODLUCK EBELE JONATHAN Ph.D.

Dr.Goodluck Ebele Jonathan (see CV), is a man of great honour and outstanding integrity. He is true statesman, whose meritocracy, selfless services and exemplary leadership qualities bear eloquent testimonies to his professional and political successes

His Excellency, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, a man with great quest for knowledge holds a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) Honours, University of Port Harcourt, Master of Science (M.Sc.) and Doctor of Philosophy

(Ph.D.) from University of Port Harcourt respectively. He is seasoned administrator, an academic, a democrat, and an accomplished technocrat and indeed the Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State.

Dr.Jonathan holds an Honorary Fellowship of the Nigeria Environmental Society (NES), Fellow of the Public Administrators of Nigeria (PAN),

Fellow of the International Association of Impact Assessment (IAIA), Bona Fide Member Fisheries Society of Nigeria (FISON). awarded "Best Performing Deputy Governor", and conferred "Exemplary Leadership Quality and Good Governance Award". And recently, he was given an

Honorary Award for Democracy and Good Governance. A native of Otuoke in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State � Nigeria, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan was born November 20th, 1957, to the family of Mr. and Mrs. Ebele Jonathan. He was amply endowed with intelligence, strength and tact right from childhood, even though his parents were of a humble social background. Young Goodluck started his primary education at St. Stephen Primary School (now State School � Otuoke) and later proceeded to St Michael Primary School � Oloibiri where he passed his First School Leaving Certificate honourably. In 1971, the young lad furthered his studies at Mater Dei High School � Imiringi and by 1975, he sat for the West African School Certificate and passed with flying colours.

Goodluck Jonathan was identified to be a great child right from his tender age because of his attributes and rare disposition. No wonder, his paternal grand mother "nicknamed" him "Azikiwe" as a striking simile to the great Zik to connote another great Nigerian to come in the nearest future. Goodluck was appointed Class Prefect in class three in 1973, he was further appointed Secretary to the School Food Committee, because of his brilliant disposition. And in his class four and five, he was again appointed Masterson House Prefect while his fellow prefects unanimously elected him as Chairman of the Committee of Prefects.

With his sparkling performance and enduring milieu, young Goodluck soon secured a job as a Preventive Officer in the Department of Customs and Excise from 1975 to 1977.

However, because of his dogged quest for academic knowledge, Goodluck Jonathan promptly enrolled as a pioneer student in the department of Zoology at the newly established University of Port Harcourt, in 1977. He pursued his studies with impregnable zeal and by 1981 he graduated with a B.Sc. (Hons.) Second Class (Upper Division). As a Corper, he served Nigeria devotedly between 1981 and 1982 as a classroom teacher in Community Secondary School Iresi � Oyo State (now Osun State). After the mandatory service, Goodluck Jonathan was invited for a teaching appointment by the old Rivers State Civil Service Commission in 1982, he was however, appointed a Science Inspector of Education in the Ministry of Education because of his brilliant and intimidating performance at the interview.

Dr. Goodluck Jonathan always knew that he had a bond with the academia that he cannot dispute. Hence, he soon left the mainstream Civil Service for the College of Education where he took up an appointment as an academic in the Department of Biology in November 1983. Again, because of his disciplined nature and dedication to duty, he was elected as the Representative of Congress in the Senior Staff Appointments and Promotions Committee. A position he held till he voluntarily left the College in 1993. To equip himself firmly ahead of the foresighted challenges, he enrolled again for a post graduate programme in the University of Port Harcourt.

He bagged a well-deserved Master of Science (M.Sc.) Degree in Hydro-Biology and Fisheries Biology and Doctor of Philosophy in Zoology in 1985 and 1995 respectively.

More so, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan later picked an appointment as an Assistant Director in the defunct Oil Mineral Producing Areas Development Commission (OMPADEC), in March 1993. He was deployed to the Directorate of Environmental Protection and Pollution Control where he was directing the affairs of the Environmental Protection Sub-Department.

Dr. Jonathan is a member of various professional bodies, including the Fisheries Society of Nigeria (FISON), he is a Fellow of the International Association of Impact Assessment (IAIA), a Fellow of the Public Administrators of Nigeria (PAN), and he was also awarded the prestigious Honorary Fellowship of the Nigerian Environmental Society, following his stride�s contributions towards Environmental Management.

Also, his dedication to service, eventful life devoted entirely to humanity and monumental achievements as an accomplished leader earned him the "Best Performing Deputy Governor Award in the Federation in 2002, by the Institute of Public Administration of Nigeria (IPAN). Similarly, the National Association of Women in Education Development further honoured him with the Award of "Exemplary Leadership Quality and Good Governance" in July 2003. In further recognition of his dedication to service, the NUJ Abuja Council conferred on him a prestigious Honorary Award for Democracy and Good Governance.

WHO IS AFRAID OF RIBADU
COMING BACK

weeks now, there have been speculations that former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, will be returning to the country after more than two years abroad.

It was further speculated that Ribadu is coming back to join the government of Acting President Goodluck Jonathan as Special Adviser on Anti-corruption.

Although the speculation remains unconfirmed, the decision of the federal government to drop charges against Ribadu at the Code of Conduct Tribunal, appears to be giving vent to the speculation that the presidency may be working out a script with the Ribadu issue.

Ribadu was standing trial before the tribunal over allegation of non-declaration of his asset while in office as EFCC chairman. He was alleged to have bought houses in London, Dubai and Abuja worth N200million.

Since the charges against Ribadu were dropped about two weeks ago, there has been concern from some quarters, especially from politicians and civil society activists who believed that Ribadu was used by former President Olusegun Obasanjo to punish his (Obasanjo’s) perceived political opponents.

The reason given for the withdrawal of charges against Ribadu according to an official statement from the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, is that the AGF, as the chief law officer of the nation, can discontinue from any case by his discretion.

The newly appointed Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Bello Adoke, during a courtesy visit to the EFCC office in Abuja during the week, said: “The reports making round that the former chairman of the EFCC would be appointed Presidential Adviser on Anti-corruption was a mere speculation.”

Adoke said, “The Acting President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan is yet to appoint any adviser and had not disclosed the portfolio that would be occupied by anyone and, as such, the reports on Ribadu were mere speculation.”

But despite the disclaimer by the AGF that the presidency did not have an ulterior motive the return of Ribadu, speculation has also been rife that Obasanjo bears a very strong influence on the Jonathan government and might, indeed, be be instrumental to the proposed return of Ribadu as a presidential adviser.

Another clear pointer to the fact that the presidency might be interested in Ribadu’s return and offer him a job as a presidential adviser was the interview the Acting President had with the Cable News Network (CNN), in the United States of America, where he had made a subtle reference to the declining tempo of anti-corruption fight in Nigeria.

Jonathan was said to have said during the interview that corruption in the country is no longer being fought the way it used to be.

Expectedly, there have also been concern that the plot to return Ribadu could be part of the calculation for the 2011 election.

Already, there is a strong pressure on Jonathan to contest the 2011 presidential election, and it is widely believed that the return of Ribadu is to prosecute a political course that will pave the path for the Acting President Jonathan’s emergence as president in next year’s election.

Even within the EFCC itself, there has been concern that the return of Ribadu and an offer of a job for him as a presidential aide will be a direct indictment of the Farida Waziri-led EFCC.

There is bickering between Ribadu and Waziri with the EFCC raising fresh allegations against Ribadu over the sale of some property seized from corrupt state officials who have been convicted by the court. For instance, the EFCC is alleging that there were irregularities in the sale of property seized from former Bayelsa State governor, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha; Chief Emmanuel Nwude and former Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Tafa Balogun.

The EFCC set up a committee to look into the sales of property seized by the Commission under Ribadu, the interim report of indicted Ribadu.

The report alleged that due process and due diligence were not followed in the sale of some of the properties.

According to the report, the AGF, the Minister of Works, the Accountant-General of the Federation and the Auditor-General of the Federation who ought to be parties in the disposal of the properties forfeited to the federal government as stipulated in the EFCC Establishment Act and as required by Financial Regulations 2520 (revised 2006) were not briefed by the Secretary to the commission.

But Ribadu fired back almost immediately saying that Waziri was privy to the sale of some specific convicts’ forfeitures.

While at the helm of affairs at the EFCC during the last phase of Obasanjo’s administration, Ribadu alleged that about 31 out of the 36 state governors then were corrupt. Before he was removed from office in 2007, he had arraigned about eight former governors in court over alleged money laundering, stealing and misappropriation of public funds.

Since the arrest and arraignments of the ex-governors, none of the cases has passed interlocutory stage at the various courts where they are being tried.

The development has caused some Nigerians to be favourably disposed to the return of Ribadu, on the account that the EFCC under Ribadu had a penchant for prosecuting its cases, and pushing most of its empathy through the media.

But Waziri, often time, had been pointing the accusing finger to the judiciary for slowing down the pace of prosecution against many of those it had accused of corruption.

At a time, Waziri had asked for the establishment of special courts to try corruption cases.

Although it is believed in some quarters that the allegations against Ribadu was meant to whittle down Ribadu’s influence and cast aspersions on the suitability of his candidature as Special Adviser to the Acting President the Anti-graft Matters, but a retired Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, Abubakar Tsav, condemned the withdrawal of the charges by the Federal Government at the Code of Conduct Tribunal against Ribadu. Tsav said the decision to withdraw the charges was ill-advised.

But Ribadu’s counsel, Mr. Femi Falana, described that statement from Tsav as “a campaign of calumny” mounted by those “who are under the illusion that Ribadu is coming back to head the commission again.”

Tsav had said, “Ribadu is alleged to have bought a house worth N200 million. Where did he get the money from?

“The act of discrimination in justice delivery will only heighten violent crimes in the country. If, indeed, Ribadu believes he did not corruptly acquire his wealth, why did he not appear before the tribunal to defend himself?

“This is a direct fight against President Umaru Yar Adua. I am sure Acting President Goodluck Jonathan wants to use Ribadu the way Obasanjo did.”

But Falana described the statement from Tsav as “irresponsible.”

He said, “This is a wishful thinking, we shall join issue with them at the right time.”

Tsav is not the only one who condemns the withdrawal of the charges against Ribadu.

Lagos lawyer, Festus Keyamo, also described the decision as “totally wrong and an abuse of power by Acting President Goodluck Jonathan.”

Keyamo said, “The reported decision of the Federal Government to withdraw criminal charges against Malam Nuhu Ribadu bordering on failure to declare assets as a public officer is totally wrong, very insensitive, entirely unwise, ill-advised and amounts to an abuse of office and power by the Acting President, Goodluck Jonathan.

“On what moral or legal basis was the decision taken? In the last ten years in this country, corruption charges have never been withdrawn against any public officer except the court decides the public officer has no case to answer.

“So, why treat Nuhu Ribadu as a sacred cow when that was the very tendency he was reported to have fought against?

“Why should Ribadu not be held accountable by the same standards by which he also held others accountable?

It would appear that the Federal Government has simply bowed to a certain sectional interest in this case, as there appears to be no legal or moral basis for such withdrawal of charges. It is important that Nigerian should not operate two sets of laws and different standards for the citizens and for public officers.

“It is shocking that Ribadu, who arrested and detained many public officers for similar offences, can be left off the hook without letting him have his day in court.

“In the past Ribadu consistently told the Code of Conduct Tribunal that he was ready to defend himself, but that erstwhile Attorney-General, (Michael) Aondoakaa, was threatening to kill him, hence he refused to appear before the tribunal. Now that Aondoakaa is out of office, it is only commonsense that Ribadu should come to court to show his Assets Declaration Forms which he filed at the time he was made chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

“The Jonathan administration has shown crass timidity and gross irresponsibility by this decision. No citizen is above the law and none can have immunity against prosecution because of any perceived track record.

“The withdrawal of the charges against Ribadu is corruption at its best. The only thing Goodluck Jonathan should have ensured is that Ribadu gets a fair trial and that he should not be arrested or treated badly if he comes to face his trial.”




Now ribadu is your hero and the man who would fight corruption in 9ja and the man who made his coming back to the country to be ur messiah is corrupt that's food for thought for people who just support blindly anthing they see on the net they run and post on NL
⁠⁠

In case the poster has forgotten your it was this same man bello aboke that dropped the charges of ur messiah NUHU RIBADU he is one of the 30 high profile cases dropped oh and in case u have also forgotten EL RUFAI was one of them by this post u have shot urself on foot if. He his corrupt and facilitated the dropping of NUHU RIBADU that means NUHU is also corrupt prove me wrong if they are not among the cases dropped by the ACF

@rossike don't expect to be educated by PhysicsRND: he can't am sure he is from the north.that's how they called wole soyinka names on the post "THE CRIMES OF BUHARI.and called a great authur frederick foresight.great people who wrote the truth in exposing their secret with the british.in the whole entire north who has a noble prize for writing none only in looting and scheming to be president by force.

blacksta:
So karl max is the latest moniker for beaf


This person no dey tire at all.   

By who they follow u shall knw dem.u exibit the trait of the person u follow a forum was pasted u can't respond to it maturedly u resort to name calling like who u support am sure is either BUHARI OR his younger version RIBADU.who don't tolerate criticism.what u should knw is nigeria is in a democracy now where everybody has FREEDOM OF SPEECH! Not those dark days of Decree 20 of 1983 and the era of disobey court orders because ur godfather was the president.

Rhino.5dm:
Get thee behind me devil beaf/feab/Ma j blidge/karl max. you dont worth my time!!!

That is the best u can do.like the rascals u support without facts.am sure u were wishing it was RIBADU or BUHARI that made this move.but unfortunately their IQ is so low to think of such initiative.their IQ can only come up with giving NIGERIAN CHILDREN ONE EGG,SOME JUICE A DAY that is his program for all nigerian child including almajiris.when u are faced with issues u criticize blinded and fled like the people u support blinded follower

Quote from RHINO So building boarding houses for destitutes is a misplaced priority?
It is the first step.at least they would have where to live and learn all the stuff u outlined on ur previous post.what did u call them a destitude meanin they don't have where to stay and a boarding school facilities provide mean shelter,education,clothing all in one.we need to GEJ knws what he is doing the children are the future of northern nigeria he shouldn't allow them to be used like their parents were used througout the 50yrs of northern rule
NB don't mind my sentence on my privious post am typing from my phone so I can't see until a post thanks

@rhino or hippo.from u to I guess u support BUHARI or RIBADU.
The same people that made the almajiris parent illitrate,
2. The same people who subjected their parents to illitracy and poverty so that they can use them as tools to wipe up islamic sentiment.

We have seen how acn wants to build the future of nigerian kids giving the eggs and juice or milk to all nigerian children probably that contract might go to tinubus mother who is the leader of the market women association in lagos and his house of rep contestant daugther who is the 2nd in command.we know them buy there opening campain did u see any ordinary man in there mist? They were having lunch.and talking to themself there it was based on invitation to a selected few
Is it BUHARI who help in improvish them.so as to use them as his child soldiers.BUHARI and RIBADU live with them what have they done for them.BUHARI was in government since after the civil war to abachas era did he DO this for them, only give them peanut from his PTF loot and the NNPC 2.8billion dollars nnpc money that was discovered in his personal acct?.is it ribadu that dined with the so called corrupt pdp for more than 8yrs as EFCC chairman how did he give back to the almajiris what has he done for the ones from his state did he give them egg and milk as he is claiming to do for all nigerian children.

@kobo.why will they when he stole power he distroyed all evidence.what happened to the olushola saraki report on the stolen money that found it way to his midland acct in the uk after he stole power he of course distroyed it.u say pdp is currupt and obj is corrupt but non of u out there have proof of him been corrupt.but buhari when he was about to be probed he siezed power.when it was time to defend him self from all aligation against him he did not turn up instead like all of u his supporter behave started calling names instead of. Coming to defend him self.is only a theif and a coward that can't come and defend aligation in the role he played while as head of state,head of nnpc,and more resently his role as PTF head.I ask all his supporters why didn't he come to oputa panel.but anytime his invited to BBC hausa service he will go and blab about how is a saint I hope when the time for the debate for presidential candidate starts I can bet he won't appear as usual cos he knws he won't be able to defend him self

@LFJ this is the reason he hasn't been probed
1.The first time he would have been probed by the then house of assembly for 2.8 billion dollars of NNPC that was found in his private account he took over power by force and distroyed the evedence

2.The little info left about the scam was distroyed during his rehabilition by abacha when he was PTF chairman they both set the NNPC then headquarter at ikoyi and also the defence house were set ablaze.when the corruption in PTF surfaced in other to protect him his partner in crime and inlaw commited sucide so they claimed .then when nigerians were ready to ask him questions on this issue he refused to show up I hope everybody remember the oputa panel.

Then here is a question for u did BUHARI give reason for not attending the oputa panel. To come and explain how 2.8billion dollars missing from NNPC account found its way to his personnal account? Or u want to tell us that this is also propoganda as must of u buhari fans always say.then if so proof us wrong that they are not facts

A man that can't explain how NNPC 2.8billion dollars was found Its way into his private account in midland bank in the uk.when he was about to be probed his broda shagari caused confusion and anarchy to pave way for him to take power him and his other evil geniuses abacha and babangida, a tribalistic man who jailed a second in command of a regime while the head of state of that regime was relaxing in a five star hotel!! A man that makes a law and looks the other way when his hausa fulani brother brings in fifty bags of full hard currency as at when he put a decree that hard currencies can't be taken in or out of the country and jailed fela for having 9500 pounds at the airport for the upkeep of his band

THE ARAB WORLD WANTS NIGERIA DEAD

NAIWU OSAHON 03/11/2010 21:57:00



PHOTO: LIBYAN PRESIDENT MUAMMAR GADDAFI.

The Arab world desperately wants Nigeria dead or under their firm control.  In June 2010, Gadhafi announced in Libya that Nigeria should split into several countries or at least on religious basis of Islam versus Christians or North versus South.  If this failed, the Arabs want a Somali or Sudan situation in Nigeria, preferring the Somali scenario if they cannot control Nigeria because as they claim, Nigeria is too large.  What they mean by too large is that Nigerian influence in Africa is creating a clog in their efforts at Arabizing all of Africa. 
 
The arrow head of the Arab world’s Arabization policy in Africa is Gadhafi who after forcibly annexing the Auzon Strip from Chad, sponsored destabilization in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Mali, Cote d’ Ivoire, Niger, etc in pursuance of the Arabization of Africa policy, laced with inordinate imperial personal ambition.  In 1998, his strategy got a fillip with the founding of his community of Sahel-Savannah States (CEN – SAD) which he was hoping to use to control the envisaged African Union (AU.)  The CEN – SAD, at the moment, ropes in 25 African states from West, East, and Central Africa, and includes Senegal, Cote d’Ivore, Chad, Sudan, Somalia, Comoro Islands etc.  Most of these unsuspecting African countries were stable until they joined CEN – SAD.
 
Nigeria refused to join CEN-SAD so the Arabs used jihadist President Babangida to smuggle Nigeria into the full membership of the Organization of Islamic countries (OIC).  Nigeria is not an Islamic country, if anything she is circular by her constitutional provisions but Nigeria remains a member of the OIC even now and becomes active in it when a Northern President is in power.  On 9 May, 1997, in flagrant defiance of a UN embargo on flights in and out of Libya, Col. Gadhafi invaded Nigeria with his planes carrying 1,000 members of his rag-tag army, plus 500 journalists. They strategically occupied the Kano airport and his other reception facilities, with the connivance of his Nigerian Muslim dictator host. The purpose was to launch a jihad in supposedly religiously secular Nigeria, or at least precipitate a serious schism between the predominantly Moslem north of the country and the Christian and animist south. Nigeria proved too sophisticated to be so cheaply destabilized so Gadhafi settled for an accommodation to come to the aid of Abacha who was ready to plunge Nigeria into chaos at the time to become President for life in the mould of President Nassir of Egypt.  The deal was finally sealed during Abacha’s overnight strategizing meeting with Gadhafi in Chad just before Abacha died mysteriously in office frolicking with Arab prostitutes.  
 
With Nigeria returning to the semblance of civilian leadership in 1999, the Arab world decided to use ‘Sharia’ to dismember Nigeria.  Pakistan, Libya and Saudi Arabia, to name a few countries, pumped substantial funds into Zamfara, the first of Nigeria’s Sharia states, to start the process of Islamizing, (or at least to trigger mayhem and civil war) in Nigeria as in the Sudan.   There have been a series of skirmishes since then in the guise of Islamic fundamentalists such as the Boko Haram gangs or imported jihadists from the neighbouring country, Niger, sacking whole Nigerian villages at night or burning down police stations and killing law enforcement officers in broad day light. 
 
In July 2010, Iran smuggled 13 container loads of war arsenals into Nigeria, including rockets and rocket launchers. Iranians nationals acting in collaboration with some Nigerian jihadists and political leaders were involved.   The documents used for the shipment of the deadly cargo, with the cooperation of the Iranian Embassy in Nigeria to facilitate quick diplomatic clearance, claimed that the cargo contained building materials. An Iranian, Sheikh Ali Abbas Othman Hassan, with home in Abuja, and appearing to use his cleric suit as cover for terrorist activities in Nigeria, has been fingered and detained as a principal suspect for the importation of the cargo of death.  Two other Iranian fronts behind the importation, Mr. Azini Agajany and Mr. Sayeed Akbar Tahmaesebi, are at the time of this report hiding in the Iranian embassy in Lagos.  A minor distraction for Nigerian security agencies is Israel’s morbid fear of Iran inspired insinuations that the cargo could be en-route to Israel.  That is because Israel is unaware of the Arab world’s diabolical designs for and track record in Nigeria and Africa. Nigeria is not so close an ally of Israel that Israel would turn a blind eye to the shipment of huge illegal arms from Nigeria that does not produce arms.  The consignment was being cleared here to be used to facilitate a jihad in Africa’s most populous and influential country, Nigeria, and Iran’s government is culpable.
 
At the time the cargo was being smuggled into Nigeria, Nigerian sick President Yar’Adua was already brain dead in a Saudi hospital as guest of the Saudi monarch.  Saudi Arabia connived with the family of Yar’dua and the leadership of the Nigerian army at the time, a General of Northern Nigerian stock, to smuggle Yar’Adua back into Nigeria like a thief in the night.  The Nigerian security system was severely breached and troops were moved from the North to secure strategic locations at the nation’s capital Abuja, including the seat of power, for the clandestine incidence.  In the morning, they ransacked the Acting President’s office to intimidate him and tried to stage a coup by laying in wait for the Acting President, Goodluck Jonathan, to occupy the President’s seat so as to be arrested by them for usurping the seat of the President who had returned in the night to the country. 
 
The jihadists Northern ex-Presidents and their cohorts have since vowed to prevent Goodluck Jonathan from completing the two terms he won with his leader, President Yar’Adua, on the pretence of defending rotational Presidency that re-cycles rogues as leaders that have nothing to offer.  The rogues recruited a popular Television station strapped desperately for funds, to fight their cause for them.  There is the allegation that the Abuja bomb blast on the 50th anniversary of Nigeria’s independence was an attempt to make Nigeria look insecure and a failed state in the eyes of the rest of the world.  
 
The truth, however, is that the North has never given Nigeria good leaders. The North has always foisted on Nigeria bad leaders who are either stealing Nigeria dry in office or too sick to govern.   After fifty years of failed leadership produced mainly by the North: Gowon, Shagari, Buhari, Babangida, Abacha, Atiku, Yar’Adua, Nigeria urgently needs a breather from the crooked, dim and spent mob that over the period, collectively and systematically brought Nigeria down to her knees, destroyed our hopes, and turned our prospects as a people into painful despair.  I do not think the North is short of quality materials.  After all, while the South gave us Awo and Zik, the North produced leaders in the mold of the Sarduana and Murtala Muhammad.  So why are characters like Babangida, Buhari, Atiku still fronting for the North now that Nigeria has reached the edge of the grave the Northern leaders dug for her?  Does the North so desperately want Nigeria to die?
 
All that Babangida, (nicknamed IBB), has to show for his over eight years in power in Nigeria, is private colossal wealth, and the edification of corruption in our body politics. The book, The Sink, by Jeffrey Robinson, an American writer, says it all about Babangida. “Of the $120 billion siphoned out of the Nigerian treasury into offshore accounts by dishonest politicians, $20 billion is allegedly traceable to IBB directly as president from 1985 to 1993.” The Wolfsberg Principles, an initiative of 11 banks and institutions across the world to fight serious international financial crimes, traced another $3 billion of our stolen money to Babangida’s accounts abroad, and $4.3 billion to Abacha’s.  The World Bank and other international sources of information allege that his total loot from the Nigerian treasury is over $35 billion.  Now he is threatening to use a fraction of that money to return to power and a figure of N400 billion has been mentioned by his cronies as his campaign chest.
 
The Gulf war oil windfall is Babangida’s often-referenced loot.  Abacha set up a panel headed by the highly respected economist, Pius Okigbo, in October, 1994, to reorganize the CBN.  Okigbo’s panel discovered that $12.2 billion of the $12.4 billion accruable from the Gulf War excess crude oil sales was frittered away or unaccounted for, through nebulous or phantom projects that could not be traced. Only $206 million was left in the account.   According to Okigbo, “disbursements were clandestinely undertaken while the country was openly reeling with crushing external debt overhead. These represent, no matter the initial justification for creating the account, a gross abuse of public trust. ”   
 
John Fashanu, in a private investigation published in African Confidential early in Obasanjo’s current regime, discovered an alleged $6 billion debt buy-back scam by IBB between 1988 and 1993.  Another $14.4 billion disappeared into off shore accounts as currency stabilization and debt buy-back scheme that actually cost $2.5 billion.  One of the front-companies used, Growth Management, based in London, bought the debt for 10 cents per dollar and resold to the government at 45 cents to steal 35 cents per dollar.  Fashanu was trying to recover about $17 billion for the Nigerian government only for the CBN to say they had no records of the deals.  The records are out there abroad but cleaned out at home to conceal the (theft) deals. 
 
Babangida was ruthless in the way he amassed his colossal wealth.  First is the illegal self-allocation of free oil, sold on the spot market. Then he initiated the corrupt culture of maintaining a huge monthly security vote virtually as personal pocket money.  Rather than repair our refineries, let alone to work at maximum capacity, IBB built private refineries in Cote d’Ivoire and the Republic of Benin, where he took our crude to refine and sell back to us as fuel.
 
Luscious contracts for the construction of Abuja were awarded to front-companies of his and his cronies, including Julius Berger and Arab Contractors that between them virtually single-handedly handled the construction of the new Federal Capital.  The security danger of foreign companies solely constructing a country’s capital and having access to its structural secrets, including possible Presidential underground escape routes and military arsenal volts, is mind boggling to say the least, but that is an issue for another day. 
 
Although Babangida used mostly fictitious names for his numerous accounts abroad, EFCC could zero in on some of the accounts by following up on the dusts raised early in 2003 over the financing of his GLOBACOM.   Documents on the loan supposed to have been granted on 9 February, 2001, were dated 28 August, 2006. The original ‘loan’ letter has not been presented.  Apparently, Paribas Bank, based in Paris, was managing a slush fund from which investments in excess of US$400 million was made to buy into Alcatel (Globacom’s technical partners), Bouygues Telecoms, Peugeot and Total finaelf.  
 
Alcatel and Parabel National of France were worried at the time that their invoices for the telecom project were being inflated to launder funds by the supposed private owners of the sources of funds and that private cheques were being issued to finance the staggering project without recourse to borrowing from banks. They suspected illegal laundering of funds and threatened to withdraw collaboration on the project while alerting Interpol to investigate the sources of the private cheques being issued to finance the project.  IBB could not participate in Obasanjo’s 2003, inauguration ceremonies, because he was allegedly out of the country sorting out the Interpol queries on the Alcatel’s slush account alert, at the time.  Even now, the telecoms’ financing details through Siemens etc, could be investigated by the EFCC tracing ghost cheques to issuing private sources of funds and their local and international banks to unravel possible laundering of funds.
 
There is this strong allegation among the rank and file of the armed forces, and members of the defense correspondence of our newspapers attached to the seat of power, that Babangida arranged, in the last couple of weeks before leaving office, for several armoured vehicle loads of newly printed naira notes to be delivered daily to his new Minna palatial abode obviously with the connivance of Abacha, perhaps as his mentor’s retirement benefit.  Abacha and Babangida had several serious financial problems with Abiola but one of them takes the cake.  It was over some foreign war booty amounting to US$215m.  It is alleged that Babangida had asked Abiola to help launder it when Babangida was in office but Abiola was not interested. 
 
Babangida allegedly side-stepped Abiola and eventually prevailed upon a member of Abiola’s family in the custom of family friendship, to rescue the situation.  Then the person suddenly died.  It is further alleged that Abiola was asked to return the money and he truthfully and honestly said he knew nothing about it and even if there was such a thing, he had no authority over the matter.  Then he was asked to pressurize the children of the deceased to play ball.  Abiola refused, arguing that he had no legal or moral right to do so.  The kids of the deceased wanted Abiola released but Abiola was too principled to succumb to blackmail so the powers that be decided early after his arrest, that he would die in detention for declaring himself president.
 
Perhaps you would want to join me to play the prude accountant, generous with figures.  Let’s pretend that Babangida was a General throughout his service years in the Nigerian army.  Again let’s assume he spent 30 years in the army and was paid N100,000 monthly (actually, salaries of Generals were less than N10,000 a month until recently) and he saved every kobo of his salary. He would be worth about N35, 000,000 plus interest in the bank today.  But Babangida’s 50 bedroom palatial abode in Minna is alleged to be conservatively worth billions of naira and he does not owe any bank on it.  The largest, most prestigious housing estate in Alexandra, Egypt’s leading holiday resort town, is alleged to belong to Babangida.  Even Egyptians cannot afford his rent, which is alleged to be in dollars.  All his tenants are rich foreigners and the staff of multi-national companies operating in Alexandra. The estate is alleged to have its own airport, which Babangida uses when he visits in his private jet. 
 
Babangida is alleged to own several other housing estates around the world, including houses on Bishop Avenue in London.  He uses his London houses, it is alleged, as guest houses or gifts for people on his compromise list.  He is considered generous with gifts of cars with their boots stuffed with naira notes when he wants some jobs done.
 
In the area of managing the national economy, Babangida bestowed his adroitness and moral degeneracy.  His economy was dominated by male-wives, particularly in the banking and oil sectors.  Women often brag about the efficacy of ‘bottom’ power.  Feminine men sometimes flaunt it too as their passport to economic liberation.  Between them and the suddenly very lucrative 419 business of the time, industry was complete. IBB’s chiefs, allegedly colluded with 419 criminals to create the over-night semi-illiterate money-bags without class or shame, (including the 150 members of the National Assembly, that in 2005 sent IBB a birthday card), and who together now form the bulk of his supporters and campaigners, to return him to power.  Babangida  (sapped) or totally wiped the middle class out of existence with the destruction of the naira, which he did by fiat in 1985, when he down graded the naira exchange rate from about N2 to N18 to the dollar.  By the time he was forced out of office in 1993, the naira was exchanging at N60 to the dollar.  Society was reduced to two social classes of either the very poor or the rich rogues. Babangida should be heading for Kirikiri not Aso Rock because the fight against corruption is a sham otherwise.
 
Shagari’s regime (1979-1983), incurred Buhari’s wrath when it decided to investigate the US$2.8 billion that disappeared from the Midland Bank, London account of the Nigerian National Petroleum Cooperation, (NNPC), during General Obasanjo’s era as military head of state that preceded Shagari’s.  Dr. Olusola Saraki, Turaki of Ilorin, was the majority party leader of the Senate at the time and he headed the Senate Committee set up to trace the stolen money after some three years of clamour for such an investigation by members of the civil society.  The money was traced to the Midland Bank London branch fixed account of Buhari, Obasanjo’s appointee as military head of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company.  The Committee’s report was presented to the Senate during the tail end of Shagari’s regime in 1983, so the House decided to deal with the matter soon after the 1983 general elections. 
 
The attempt at civilian-to-civilian transition provided the fillip for mayhem at the time.  The elections were marred by massive rigging because incumbent political office holders were refusing to slacken their stranglehold on Nigeria Plc., mortgaged as the leaders private property. On the 31st December, 1983, Buhari struck under the cover of the political commotion that trailed the presidential election results. Buhari generally had no agenda for leadership but vendetta against those he called critics and rabble-rousers.  Buhari did not see any moral wrong in his conversion of our oil money into his personal use.  Rather he railed at the press and what he described as the self-righteous sections of the country for making a big deal out of the issue. He locked up without trial, politicians and critics including Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, notorious for clamouring for the exposure of the oil money rogue.  Satire saved my neck at the time.  Vera Ifudu, who was an NTA reporter then, was sacked through his prodding as military ruler, for reporting what Dr. Olusola Saraki had told her in an interview about how the missing money was traced to Buhari’s account at a Midland Bank London branch.  Vera eventually won her case of wrongful dismissal in court against the NTA and was financially compensated.
 
Abacha rehabilitated Buhari with the chairmanship of the Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF) before he (Abacha) died in 1998.  When Obasanjo returned to power in May 1999 as civilian president, he found that over 2.5 billion naira had not been properly accounted for in the PTF and that there was not much on the ground to show for the colossal expenditure the agency was claiming. On the day Obasanjo announced the scrapping of the PTF, a non-staff brother-in-law of the boss, allegedly serving as his conduit on some PTF projects, died suddenly from what appeared to be heart failure.  Haruna Adamu, who was appointed by Obasanjo to investigate the PTF before finally consigning it to the dung heap, allegedly quickly pocketed one hundred million naira of PTF’s money before operating table could be set up for him, thus forcing Obasanjo to hurriedly close the place down without further investigations.  Buhari has been trying desperately since to return to power, perhaps to get a chance to shred the PTF documents? 
 
The accusation in 1999/2000 that the president’s deputy, Atiku Abubakar, privatized Nigeria Incorporated to himself was not investigated because Obasanjo’s third term ambition was not strong at the time.  Atiku denied ownership of African Petroleum (AP), which in the end turned out to be a bobby trap, laced with huge hidden debt, and was re-acquired by the government through the NNPC.  However, Atiku was seen as a product of the Nigerian corrupt system.  He retired as a boss of the Customs several years ago, an agency of government that reeks with corruption. There were some spats over contracts for the communications garget for the 8th All African Games in 2003, in Abuja, and the issue of bunkering crookedness, and illegal rents collected on crude oil lifting, which Obasanjo largely scuttled in the heat of his tenure elongation project in March 2006. 
 
In August 2005, and early 2006, we heard of US security operatives raiding Atiku’s home in Washington, USA, over allegation of involvement with Mr. William Jefferson, a member of the US Congress, in a US $500,000 bribe over a telecommunications deal in Nigeria. Jefferson was alleged to have said that he needed to give the $500,000 to Atiku, to help secure Nigeria’s adoption of Internet technology from the USA based iGate Inc.  In mid May 2006, the FBI claimed in a US court to have found marked US $90,000, of US $100,000 bribe money, collected from a business partner for Atiku, concealed in a freezer in the office of Mr. Jefferson.  Mr. Jefferson who at the time was claiming to have been duped by some Nigerians, had, in fact, collected $6.5 million from one Otumba Oyewole Fasawe, the Nigerian behind the Netlink Digital Television (NDTV) private business that Jefferson was contracted to supply with technology and failed.  Jefferson had with great difficulty, and after a lot of pressure, managed to refund only $1.7 million of the $6.5 million he had received, at the time he was screaming foul-play against his crooked Nigerian partners he swindled.  Mr. Vernon Jackson, Jefferson’s agent on the NDTV scam, was jailed in the USA in September 2006, for seven years over the deal.  William Jefferson himself was jailed in 2009 in the USA over the scam.
 
The Petroleum Development Trust Fund (PDTF), under the supervision of Vice President Atiku, had apparently been used to finance the NDTV business and some Globacom debts. On May 31, 2006, the US government, in reaction to public speculation in Nigeria, denied having cleared Atiku of involvement in the NDTV fraud.  Early in June 2006, Atiku was again alleged in a US court, where further hearing was continuing, to have been involved in the bribery scandal.  In mid July 2006, the EFCC went to a bank and collected statements on Atiku’s current accounts.
 
On Thursday 7th September 2006, the Senate President read in the Nigerian Senate, a letter from President Obasanjo accompanying some documentary evidence, alleging conspiracy, fraudulent conversion of funds, corrupt practices, and money laundering, against the Vice President.  The submission, which was for the information of the Upper House, claimed that the President, acting on information received from the USA government, set up an administrative panel to investigate the allegations against Vice President Atiku. 
 
The report of the panel, along with the findings of the EFCC, claimed that the Vice President utilized for private purposes, funds put in a fixed deposit account for the Petroleum Development Trust Fund (PDTF), a department of government under his care.  In essence, the Vice President was acting as money lender with government money for personal profit.  US$10 million of the US$125 million fund was clearly used as collateral in support of a loan of N1.2 billion granted to Otumba Oyewole Fasawe by the Trans International bank in Lagos. 
 
The financial gain made by the Vice President from Fasawe over the loan was paid into Atiku’s Campaign Organization account with Bank PHB.  Umar Pariya, Atiku’s aide, acted as the go between on the transaction.  The balance of US$115m of the PDTF money was transferred in April 2003, for reasons unconnected to PDTF activities, to Equatorial Trust Bank belonging to Dr. Mike Adenuga, the Vice president’s friend and Chairman of Globacom.  The fund’s transfer, like the US$10 million withdrawn from it earlier, was done without the required recourse to the Federal Executive Council (FEC).   Argument by the Vice President that the US$115m was put in Adenuga’s bank eight months after Globacom’s operating license was paid for or that no money was lost, does not alter the fact that the fund was moved without FEC’s awareness and for purposes unrelated to PDTF projects, including possible attempt to cushion Globacom over an urgent business deal or external debt repayment pressures for personal profit. 
 
The Vice president’s defense at the time sounded like:  “I am guilty but I shared my illicit gains with the President and my party, the PDP.”  The Vice President, now politically dead, alleged that the President’s profits from the messy deals included N3 billion directly; their joint billions of Naira campaign fund; N100 million made to the president’s IBAD construction company; N11 million given to his Bell Comprehensive High School to buy buses; N200 million used to clear some of the president’s debts; N100 million contributed to his campaign fund; ugly arms deal scams; funds given to his African Leadership Forum and to buy cars for women (married or not), he was ensnaring to his bed etc; N500 million made available to the campaign chest of the PDP…. 
 
On Tuesday October 3, 2006, Chief Dan Etete, a Petroleum Resources Minister in General Abacha’s regime, opened a can of worms on the Vice President’s ugly oil deals, and how INTELS, (a company in which the VP had substantial interest and shared ownership with two Italians, Messrs Gabriel Volpi, and Angello Perruzi, and a Switzerland based lawyer called Lugano), sold a piece of land on the water front in Port-Harcourt to Shell for US$100m.  The VP, using INTELS, and (Pecos Nigeria Limited, a business front of Otunba Oyewole Fasawe), blackmailed and pounced on 50% of Malabo’s oil bloc 245.  Then with the connivance, treachery and crookedness of Shell, the Anglo Dutch Oil giant, stole the entire bloc 245 from Malabo at US$210m profit to the Vice president and his business cronies.  Using similar tricks, the VP’s INTELS and Associates cornered 20% stake in oil bloc 247 belonging to another party.  
 
The VP’s defense was that Etete should not be taken seriously because he was in exile after “supervising the collapse of Nigeria’s refineries….   and that Etete stole over US $5bn from the public treasury and allocated the oil bloc in question to himself when he was Minister of Petroleum Resources.” That during the scam in question and since, the Petroleum Ministry has been under the firm grip of the President, “all by himself, these last seven and half years.  Every Nigerian is literate to the fact that all enquiries on oil and related matters go to the president’s desk…,   When the big masquerade behind Etete is courageous enough to come out, the Vice president will respond.”   What this means in essence is that others not mentioned in Etete’s report profited along with the VP from his oil projects’ looting business.  
 Naiwu Osahon, the Sage: New World Order is a renowned author, philosopher of science, mystique and leader of World Pan-African Movement.

A rascal is someone who adds one lane to an existing two lane road and fence off an express way with many villages and put 3 toll gate to collect toll for 28yrs for his private pocket

@ode remo so ur telling me that someone frm eti osa lga who reside there can represent the people of agege lga without living there how does he know the yarning of the agege people?

@ sleezy b
What about his wife?
What about his son in law?
What about osobas son?
What about lam adesinas son?
Did there family members face primaries
How do u explain someone who resident in another local government,imposed on another local government.is that not rascality

It is only a rascal that would impose.his wife,his son inlaw,his daugther and other acn rascal osoba who imposed his son and the other rascal lam adesina who also imposed his son they where all impose on a party it is only a rascal that would impose 3 toll gate on one local government area,it is only a rascal that would sieze land meant for hospital for private estate

Imposing ur daugther,wife,son,son inlaw on a party.and building 3 toll gates which are been forcefully imposed on a people in one local government.when this toll gates are opened mind u without building any alternative route all eti osa LG and beyond must drop something to go from schools,churches and mosque,markets,workplace and social visits etc.most unfortunately,proceeds from these toll gates will not go to state government but to LCC fully owned by a top shot of acn.led govt and his cronies for the next 28yrs.what of the issue of land earmarked for the general hospital eti osa local government but confiscated by powers that be in acn led govt for private eastate are this people not rascals?.we are waiting for the come april

The Fraud In ACN

January 22, 2011 - 12:50 — siteadmin

By Folake Oritsejetemenu Olanrewaju

Though a lot of progressives and lovers of Nigeria, especially Western Nigeria have expressed outrage and disgust over the fraud in the primaries of the ACN, I want to confess I expected it. 

On October 22, 2006? I was at a meeting of the Alliance for democracy, (AD) in Washington DC. Chief Akande was present and he put forward his retrogressive reasons for the type of 419 abracadabra they just pulled in Nigeria. He dismissed party primaries with a wave of the hand.
 
It was then I noticed the monster of dictatorship in this old man. His argument was based on a close knowledge of those whom they hand pick not to betray the party. My question to him that day was a simple explanation for the conduct and defection of most of their selected and trusted people from the AD to the PDP. Patricia Etteh, Senators Seye Ogunlewe, Wahab Dosumu and Musiliu Obanikoro were all hand picked by the omniscient party leaders, yet they defected to join the ruling party. Baba Akande had no answer for my simple question. I guess he was caught flat footed.
 
One would have thought these so called party elders who stridently condemn the excesses of the PDP learnt anything from their disastrous outing in 2003. We now know otherwise. There is no excuse, absolutely no justification for the disgraceful political cherry picking of candidates for 2011lections by the ACN. It is more grating that baba Akande told    party members and all lovers of democracy to go to hell if they were not comfortable with his idea of British parliamentary system. I wonder which Britain the old man was talking about. At the risk of sounding trite I think Baba Akande should seriously consider a full retirement from the affairs of the Action Congress of Nigeria. The old age syndrome is beginning to manifest itself.
 
Now, it is pertinent to ask the leadership of the ACN, these 419 leaders if a tree makes a forest If they spear headed the growth of the party, is that a reason to jettison the wishes and interest of the majority who constitute the follower ship? In that case Akande’s testosterone infused outburst was childish, puerile, illogical and a complete negation of the tenets of democracy which they have mouthed all along. I have maintained to my friends that Bola Tinubu, Baba Akande and the so called leadership of the ACN are different sides of the same coin with the PDP. I guess we have been vindicated
 
If Baba’s defense of the theft of the will of the people was his contribution to the struggle for democracy in Nigeria, I wonder what he has to say about the martyrdom of Kudi Abiola whose son; Jamiu was robbed of his victory in Abeokuta. We ought to note that the imposition of the children and family members on the ACN is just the tip of the iceberg. Look at Chief Osoba in Ogun state. He awarded his son, Olumide the ticket for the House of Representatives at the expense of those who have walked the talk for the party in Ogun state in the last eight years. This was a man who abandoned the party and members to the excesses and high handedness of the Gbenga Daniels. He was hiding out in his Bourdillon road home in Ikoyi, Lagos. Yet when he felt the time was ripe to ride the wave of anti PDP in the West, pronto he rigged the office for his son. Does a good shepherd abandon his flock? Chief Osoba returned to Ogun state to reap where he did not sow. yet, baba Akande does not see anything wrong in such immorality. Olumide Osoba reportedly became a  member of the party about 3 months ago. That was at the expense of jamiu Abiola and others who had endured the high handedness of Gbenga Daniel and the excesses of thePDP in the last 8 years!
 
Now, how about the greatest fraud of them all, Bola Tinubu. In Lagos state, he alone cornered 4 tickets for his immediate family members From his wife Oluremi Tinubu who got a ticket to go to the senate at the expense of seasoned politicians, to his daughter, Folasade Tinubu-Ojo who was awarded the ticket for the House of representatives, to his son in law, Oyetunde Ojo  who was awarded the ticket foe the state House of Assembly. What BAT wanted, BAT stole from Lagosians. He did not stop there; he removed the deputy governor for one of his own. Wonders will never end.
 
The question baba Akande should answer is this, whatever happened to section 5(ii) of the party’s constitution? It states …objective…is the attainment of political power through legitimate, democratic, and constitutional means for the purpose of cultivating an egalitarian society based on the principle of equality, freedom and social justice…” Article 6 (1) (a) of the party’s constitution, confers on members the right to contest election on the platform of the party without any discrimination whatsoever”. These people do not even believe in their own party’s constitution.
 
Baba Akande by his outburst has confirmed his political immaturity and naivety. It is even more painful that beneficiaries of the right to democracy such as Dr Fayemi and Mallam Aregbesola wasted no time to dump their supporters just to have a seat at the table. People died, traveled to court sessions on behalf of these two people, they risked life and limbs to confront the monster called PDP, yet they were abused as not contributing anything to the growth of the party by an obviously immature politician, one exhibiting the signs and symptoms of senior moments.
 
However, we the people will not roll over and die. Since they conned us into believing there was going to be primaries. They conned our candidates out of their hard earned money for forms and all other sundry expenses, we will show them the might of the majority. We will demystify Bola Tinubu and Baba Akande in Western Nigeria and in my home in the old Mid West. What these disenfranchised people need to do now is to INSTITUTE LEGAL ACTION AGAINST THE ACN, CITING SECTION 87 OF THE ELECTORAL ACT OF 2010. Go ahead and get an injunction against these fraudulent people and make the INEC disqualify them. It is better not to have candidates than to have these beneficiaries of 419 guerilla tactics. IT WILL TEACH THEM NOT TO TAKE US FOR GRANTED IN FUTURE.
 
We must give the Ikorodu 2011 treatment to Bola Tinubu. His excesses need to be curtailed now before he ruins Yoruba land. The argument that they do not want party fat cats from outside to buy up the seats in ACN is not tenable. There are provisions in the party's constitution which does not allow such people to contest such elections. Unfortunately, it has been jettisoned in the ACN while these same 419 leaders are smiling all the way to the bank from ill gotten bribes offered by emergency candidates. Therefore, this argument is an after thought and illogical. It is a reaction of people who were caught with their hands in the cookie jar.
  but we must do everything humanly possible to defeat all the imposed candidates.  They were not made party leaders to betray us. They were not made party leaders to disenfranchise us. They were not made party leaders to impose their children on us for positions they are undeserving of. If they feel their families are that good, why not subject them to the primaries in a test of popularity. . .  Spread the word all over Nigeria, the under listed candidates are beneficiaries of 419 election tactics and therefore must be defeated. No one should vote for them in the general elections in April. Just as you disgraced the ACN in the Ikorodu bye election, make sure your vote counts and reject these 419 candidates on that day They are not true representatives of our people. Let baba Akande and the others who did all the work for the party, who single handedly built the party without the contribution of the followership go and vote for them. These people must be defeated by all means and any means possible. In fact, besides Governor Fashola, all other ACN candidates must be rejected at the polls in April.  Do not sell your votes. Do not sell your conscience. These rascals are not better than you. Their fraudulent access to power and treasury is the only difference between us. We will show them.
 
OLUREMI TINUBU
 
FOLASADE TINUBU-OJO
 
OYETUNDE OJO
 
OLUMIDE OSOBA (CHIEF OLUSEGUN OSOBA’S SON)
 
DAPO ADESINA (LAM ADESINA’S SON)
 
These people are political neophytes. They are feather weight and their parents know so. However they want to give them the golden parachute at the expense of the rest of us. They want their children, wives and lovers to join the league of treasury looters in Abuja even while they condemn the PDP for sins of commission and omission. These people are even worse than the PSP. They are what we can describe as the 5 fingers of a leprous hand. Apologies to Chief Bola Ige. If any one knows the names of the relatives of baba Akande who are reported to be listed for position in Osun state, please publish it so that we can move to prevent them from climbing on our backs These 419 candidates must be defeated by any means and all means possible. Finally, we need to apologize to the PDP for thinking they were the worst offenders. Indeed, the shoe fits on the other leg. Our own party is even worse than the PDP.

Human Rights in Nigeria: the Buhari/idiagbon and Abacha Situations Compared and Contrasted



Wikipedia encyclopedia refers to human rights as “basic rights and freedoms to which all humans are entitled.” This exists in the areas of civil and political rights and particularly describes the right to life and liberty, freedom of expression, and equality before the law, social, cultural and economic rights includes the rights to participate in culture, the right to food, the right to work and the right to education. This is expressly summed up by Article 1 of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR as:

“All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.”

Although this article will not delve into the history of Human rights which covers thousands of years and mainly drawn from almost every department of life such as culture, politics, religion and economy etc, it will merely look into a certain period of military rule in Nigeria when Buhari/Idiagbon and the Late General Abacha were in power as the rulers of Nigeria. It will seek to some extent objectively compare and contrast these two regimes for the purpose of establishing human rights situation in Nigeria within the period under study.

However, it is very germane to add here that so many ancient documents which can be recognized as concepts of human rights have existed globally, but credit should be given the United Nations Organization for the shaping of International Human rights Law as we have it today.

Human rights is agreed to be violated when a state or non-state actor within the International Community breaches any part of the United Nations Human rights treaty. This is hard to hard as such state or non-state actor may constantly risk condemnation by vehemently denying the act, and consequently covering up these acts of abuses with several sets of further acts which may prove difficult to demonstrate, particularly in several parts of the African continent. 

General Mohammadu Buhari and Tunde Idiagbon (now deceased) came to power on Saturday December 31, 1983 although the regime of this duo was too short to appraise but the regime reigned in what many people of Nigeria could at best describe as dictatorial, even the successor regime of this regime led by General Ibrahim Babangida described the regime thus:

“He was too rigid and uncompromising in his attitude to issues of national significance”.

No sooner did Buhari/Idiagbon ceased government than the infamous Decree Number Four (DN4) of 1984 was promulgated by the duo; Buhari/Idiagbon became famous for coming down heavily against the Nigerian press, making the report of truth a very serious offence in the country, not many will for get the terrible situation of Tunde Thompson and Nduka Irabor of the Guardian who were imprisoned for making a ca report on the Government.  The Buhari/Idiagbon regime would also executed Bernard Ogedengbe, Bartholomew Owoh and Lawal Ojulope for an offence committed by them as alleged by the regime after a national debate in spite of public pleas, the execution of these gentlemen were made possible by a retroactive decree courtesy of Buhari/Idiagbon regime.

Buhari and his Deputy would again promulgate another Decree called Decree Number two (DN2) of 1984 which made it possible for Tunde Idiagbon to detain anybody whether such person is a citizen of the country or foreigner, this decree stripped the court of law of the powers to depend the reason such person is being detained. In essence, the decree did not recognize the significance of the judiciary but was merely interested in achieving its aims of dictatorial tendencies. In what would later follow, the world became amused to hear the verdicts of 125 years imprisonments handed down to the regime suspects.

Buhari was also noted to have utilized excessive force in handling drug peddlers caught, as he issued death penalties to them in what political commentators believed should not have attracted death sentences, still death was the fate of several of these suspects in laws that resembled that of Saudi Arabia and other Arab nations.

The tactics of the Buhari/Idiagbon regime became too harsh for the survival of the people, with arbitrary creation of decrees to lead the regime but promulgated to harshly lure the Nigerian public into playing into the waiting ready-made hand of the regime. Victims who became preys of these draconian decrees were mostly detained and made to remain inside prisons for as many years as Buhari and Idiagbon pleased.

There are those have argued in favour of this regime, in that according them the regime came up with the famous War Against Indiscipline which re-awakened Nigerians to the social norms of the society and helped to maintain societal order and respect for the Nigerian society as a whole. But this is outside the human rights records of the time.

The regime of General Sani Abacha who lived from 20 September 1943-8 June 1998 and the de facto military leader of Nigeria between 1993 and 1998) suffered stiff opposition internally and externally because Pro-democracy activists made the regime unpopular. His regime was accused of gross human rights abuses both home and abroad. The heights of his human rights abuses was the arrest and detention of Chief Moshhod Kolawole Olawale Abiola, the man who won the 1993 Presidential election in the country, Abiola would later die in detention in a circumstance yet unclear till this day though this was not in the days of Abacha but his mere detention caused a global uproar as the appeals of several notable people from around the world to the Military leader to free Abiola was not heeded by him.

But the peak of the gross abuse of human rights in the country was ushered by the arrest, detention and hanging of Ken Saro-Wiwa, an activist by the regime in what was globally condemned.

Some the activities that characterized his regime as a tool for the gross violations of human rights in the country were the trial in absentia of Prof. Wole Soyinka, charged for treason, and the arrest and detention of Olusegun Obasanjo also jailed for treason. Abacha was also notable for banning political parties, in what people viewed as a means of likely transformation of himself to the life president of the country, and the personal control of the press. Several human rights activists who opposed his policies whether from the military or civil society were either detained without trial or jailed. Many other persons, chiefly members of the press were also jailed. Allegations of coups and counter coups reined in this regime too. The regime abruptly ended when General Sani Abacha reportedly died of heart attack in June 1998 at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.   

Having narrated the background of certain of the human rights violations of two military regimes Nigeria during the military era of the nation, this article will go further in comparing and contrasting the regimes in terms of human rights violations.

In the first place, both regimes were not democratically welcomed by Nigerians as power was ceased through fraudulent means, Buhari/Iidiagbon overthrew a democratically elected government of shehu Shagari , while Abacha ceased power from an interim government led Ernest Shonekan. It is also a known fact that Buhari, Idiagbon and Abacha all participated in the coup that overthrew the government of Shehu Shagari. Abacha and Babangida would further bring down the government of Buhari/Abacha.  

While the regime of Buhari/Idiagbon reigned for too short a period that any political analyst could valuably access, one can still point out that certain violations of human rights charter were committed that resembled the Abacha regime. One can not forget the incessant arrest and detentions of pressmen many of whom were jailed after trials too unconvincing to justify their offences. Buhari/Idiagbon shut down some media houses which was also a major feature of Abacha, in trying to personally control information and limit it to the whims and caprices of the regimes. Innocent pressmen who heard the names of Buhari/Idiagbon and Abacha fled for their dare lives and often abandoned their cameras and materials.

The two regimes also shared in the executions of persons globally thought innocent, especially after unconvincing trials, Buhari/Idiagbon executed Bernard Ogedengbe Bartholomew Owoh and Lawal Ojulope in yet a controversial circumstance, while Abacha executed Ken Saro Wiwa and his kinsmen, yet in another controversial circumstances. General sani Abacha operated with many of the draconian decrees set up by Buhari/Idiagbon administration, which both regimes used to try to gag the press and haul many innocent people into prisons.

Both regimes were tough on Nigerians, operating with draconian laws without recourse to the rule of law and legalities. This affected Nigerians negatively and brought sufferings to the people without correcting the anomalies both regimes claimed brought them to power. Again, it would seem that none of these two regimes announced a set date for the return of power to a democratically elected government.

 Both regimes continuously received harsh criticism from the civil populace, and in fact, however, while the overthrow of Buhari/Idiagbon was very surprising to the people, many Nigerians may have rejoiced over the exit of Abacha which they attributed to divine intervention, believing it to be welcome development.

Again, the attitude of Buhari in present time, has been described as a desperate one as he continues to express absolute ambition to once again lead the people of Nigeria, the extent he has pursued this to the Supreme Court level amidst the lack of interest attitude of his party has been used as indices to conclude that Buhari is power thirsty and may not have concluded his plans within himselve as the Head of State of the country to hand over power to any democratically elected government, a date he never mentioned until he was overthrown by Babangida. Abacha also never expressed any desire to hand over to civilians; in essence, both regimes had no plans for transiting to civil rule. Buhari/Idiagbon and Abacha were no democrats.

I have so far tried in some way to compare the regimes and shall now dwell on the area differences between the two regimes, Buhari/Idiagbon we may conclude was a not self-centered one, while that of Abacha was considered selfish with a lot of looting, accountability was not considered a responsibility to the people of Nigeria by Abacha while Buhari/Idiagbon felt they owe the nation regular accountability and transparency.

The major point of departure of these regimes was a more vocal international condemnation of Gen. Abacha which would further lead to the suspension of the country from Commonwealth in November 1995, when the regime hanged Ken Saro Wiwa and nine other persons believed to be enemies of the military regime in the country. This was with further condition “That if no demonstrable progress was made towards the fulfilment of these conditions (democratisation and respect for human rights/release of political prisoners) within a time frame (of two years), Nigeria would be expelled from the association.”

As we later observed Abacha bluffed this condition and the nation was made a pariah State, and in fact a leper-State not deemed fit for relations by other good nations of the world, Abiola would soon die in Jail still die in detention in a controversial State, it was partly as a result of this that the country failed to make it to a particular nations cup in South-Africa.

With the reported recovery of huge sums by the Obasanjo regime from Overseas which has implicated the deceased general and his family in a wholesale looting of Nigeria’s coffers and some $3 or $4 billion USD in foreign assets have been traced to Abacha, his family and their representatives, $2.1 billion of which the Nigerian government tentatively came to an agreement with the Abacha family to return, the Abacha is regarded as highly corrupt, another major departure from the Buhari/Idiagbon regime.

However, we conclude this article by stating that in spite of the differences highlighted here no military government is ever considered good by the people, and as they say, the worst civilian government is better than the best military government.

We are waiting for CAN campaing traing in our area so that we can ask them why they put 3 toll gate on a 43km road without alternative route.we will make our protect known come april

Toll gate: Court fixes Feb. 22 for definite hearing

By Agency Reporter

Wednesday, 9 Feb 2011

 



View All (12) Comment(s)



Justice Bolaji Candido-Johnson of the Lagos High Court on Tuesday fixed February 22 for definite hearing of the substantive suit filed by Mr Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa against Lekki Concession Company, the Lagos State Government and three others.


The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the claimant is asking the court to declare as illegal, the construction and collection of toll on the Lekki-Epe Expressway.


At the resumed hearing of the case, counsel to the LCC, Mr Tunde Fagbounlu (SAN), told the court that the matter was slated for hearing and they were prepared to go on.


Counsel to the claimant, Miss B. Ikpabi, however, told the court that the claimant only received the LCC’s written address and not the counter- affidavit as directed by the court at the last adjourned date.


“We have responded to the written address, but since we did not receive the counter affidavit, we cannot go on with the hearing,’’ she said.


Fagbounlu, however, told the court that the claimant had been served since January 19 and expressed his dismay at the mix up.


“The evidence of service is in the court’s file and we are bound by its records. It is also of concern that they waited till the eve of this matter before writing our office about the non-receipt of the counter-affidavit,’’ he said.


Ikpabi objected to the LCC’s position, saying that the first defendant withdrew the counter-affidavit at the last date to file a tidier copy.


Candide-Johnson adjourned the matter till February 22 to allow the first defendant to properly file the counter affidavit.

At least it was reported as a stampede the almajiri that wrote this should check the meaning of stampede before coining words.from 1983 to the abacha days his fellow almajiris. And check the list of opposition that was either killed or jail do u think if it was during that regime when freedom of speech was outrightly banned will he be writing this? For those who remember history we knw the ans to the question

As usual name calling how did BUHARI reduce inflation from 24% TO 4% PRO BUHARI KO.ASK THEM HOW MANY OF THEN HAS A VOTERS CARD. DO U HAVE? U CAN'T DEFEND UR ROUGE POST.MAY BE HE WILL WILL AN ELECTION WHEN U GET UR AREWA FEDERATION COME APRIL I HOPE U WILL STILL BE IN NL TO COMMENT ON WHO WON AND IT WON'T BE BUHARI

@gen buhari u don't even have a voters card u plotting math is people like u that will go to the street if ur mentor don't win in april he will be 'atikued' come april

Since January 1984, however, we have witnessed a systematic denigration of that hope. It was stated then that mismanagement of political leadership and a general deterioration in the standard of living, which had subjected the common man to intolerable suffering, were the reasons for the intervention.
And some people will come out and say buhari did this and that during his regime.he was luck that the coup plotter where his partner in crime.and a new breed of sodiers that are not as mean as him buhari he would have been cooling off in jail for mismanaging the economy is the issue in thius speech not what wole soyinka and others during his slavery regime stateman ko

Text of General Ibrahim Babangida's Coup SpeechAugust 27 , 1985
Fellow Nigerians,

When in December 1983, the former military leadership, headed by Major-General Muhammadu Buhari, assumed the reins of government, its accession was heralded in the history of this country. With the nation at the mercy of political misdirection and on the brink of economic collapse, a new sense of hope was created in the minds of every Nigerian.

Since January 1984, however, we have witnessed a systematic denigration of that hope. It was stated then that mismanagement of political leadership and a general deterioration in the standard of living, which had subjected the common man to intolerable suffering, were the reasons for the intervention.

Nigerians have since then been under a regime that continued with those trends. Events today indicate that most of the reasons which justified the military takeover of government from the civilians still persist.

The initial objectives were betrayed and fundamental changes do not appear on the horizon. Because the present state of uncertainty, suppression and stagnation resulted from the perpetration of a small group, the Nigerian Armed Forces could not as a part of that government be unfairly committed to take responsibility for failure. Our dedication to the cause of ensuring that our nation remains a united entity worthy of respect and capable of functioning as a viable and credible part of the international community dictated the need to arrest the situation.

Let me at this point attempt to make you understand the premise upon which it became necessary to change the leadership. The principles of discussions, consultation and co-operation which should have guided decision-making process of the Supreme Military Council and the Federal Executive Council were disregarded soon after the government settled down in 1984. Where some of us thought it appropriate to give a little more time, anticipating a conducive atmosphere that would develop, in which affairs of state could be attended to with greater sense of responsibility, it became increasingly clear that such expectations could not be fulfilled.

Regrettably, it turned out that Major-General Muhammadu Buhari was too rigid and uncompromising in his attitudes to issues of national significance. Efforts to make him understand that a diverse polity like Nigeria required recognition and appreciation of differences in both cultural and individual perceptions, only served to aggravate these attitudes.

Major-General Tunde Idiagbon was similarly inclined in that respect. As Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters, he failed to exhibit the appropriate disposition demanded by his position. He arrogated to himself absolute knowledge of problems and solutions, and acted in accordance with what was convenient to him, using the machinery of government as his tool.

A combination of these characteristics in the two most important persons holding the nation's vital offices became impossible to content with. The situation was made worse by a number of other government functionaries and organisations, chief among which is the Nigerian Security Organisation (NSO). In fact, this body will be overhauled and re-organized.

And so it came to be that the same government which received the tumultuous welcome now became alienated from the people. To prevent a complete erosion of our given mandate therefore, we had to act so that hope may be rebuilt.

Let me now address your attention to the major issues that confront us, so that we may, as one people, chart a future direction for our dear country. We do not pretend to have all the answers to the questions which our present problems have put before our nation. We have come with the strongest determination to create an atmosphere in which positive efforts shall be given the necessary support for lasting solutions.

For matters of the moment which require immediate resolutions, we intend to pursue a determined programme of action. Major issues falling into this category have been identified and decisions taken on what should be done.

Firstly, the issue of political detainees or convicts of special military tribunals. The history of our nation had never recorded the degree of indiscipline and corruption as in the period between October 1979 and December 1983.

While this government recognises the bitterness created by the irresponsible excesses of the politicians, we consider it unfortunate that methods of such nature as to cause more bitterness were applied to deal with past misdeeds. We must never allow ourselves to lose our sense of natural justice. The innocent cannot suffer the crimes of the guilty. The guilty should be punished only as a lesson for the future. In line with this government's intention to uphold fundamental human rights, the issue of detainees will be looked into with despatch.

As we do not intend to lead a country where individuals are under the fear of expressing themselves, the Public Officers Protection Against False Accusation Decree 4 of 1984 is hereby repealed. And finally, those who have been in detention under this decree are hereby unconditionally released. The responsibility of the media to disseminate information shall be exercised without undue hindrance. In that process, those responsible are expected to be forthright and to have the nation's interest as their primary consideration.

The issue of decrees has generated a lot of controversies. It is the intention of this government to review all other decrees.

The last twenty months have not witnessed any significant changes in the national economy. Contrary to expectations, we have so far been subjected to a steady deterioration in the general standard of living; and intolerable suffering by the ordinary Nigerians have risen higher, scarcity of commodities has increased, hospitals still remain mere consulting clinics, while educational institutions are on the brink of decay. Unemployment has stretched to critical dimensions.

Due to the stalemate, which arose in negotiation with the International Monetary Fund, the former government embarked on a series of counter-trade agreements. Under the counter-trade agreements, Nigerians were forced to buy goods and commodities at higher prices than obtained in the international market. The government intends to review the whole issue of counter-trade.

A lot has been said and heard about our position with the International Monetary Fund. Although we formally applied to the fund in April 1983, no progress has as yet been made in the negotiation and a stalemate has existed for the last two years.

We shall break the deadlock that frustrated the negotiations with a view to evaluating more objectively both the negative and positive implications of reaching a mutual agreement with the Fund. At all times in the course of discussions, our representatives will be guided by the feelings and aspirations of the Nigerian people.

It is the view of this government that austerity without structural adjustment is not the solution to our economic predicament. The present situation whereby 44 per cent of our revenue earning is utilised to service debts is not realistic. To protect the danger this poses to the poor and the needy in our society, steps will be taken to ensure comprehensive strategy of economic reforms.

The crux of our economic problems has been identified to centre around four fundamental issues:

1. A decrease of our domestic production, while our population continues to increase.

2. Dependence on import for both consumer goods and raw materials for our industries.

3. A grossly unequal gap between the rich and the poor.

4. The large role played by the public sector in economic activity with hardly any concrete results to justify such a role.

These are the problems we must confront.

ON FOREIGN POLICY:

Nigeria's foreign policy in the last 20 months has been characterised by inconsistency and incoherence. It has lacked the clarity to make us know where we stood on matters of international concern to enable other countries relate to us with seriousness. Our role as Africa's spokesman has diminished because we have been unable to maintain the respect of African countries.

The ousted military government conducted our external relations by a policy of retaliatory reactions. Nigeria became a country that has reacted to given situations, rather than taking the initiative as it should and always been done. More so, vengeful considerations must not be the basis of our diplomacy. African problems and their solutions should constitute the premise of our foreign policy.

The realisation of the Organisation of African Unity of the Lagos Plan of Action for self-sufficiency and constructive co-operation in Africa shall be our primary pursuit.

The Economic Community of West African States must be reborn with the view to achieving the objective of regional integration. The problems of drought-stricken areas of Africa will be given more attention and sympathy, and our best efforts will be made to assist in their rehabilitation within the limits of our resources. Our membership of the United Nations Organisation will be made more practical and meaningful. The call for a new International Economic Order which lost its momentum in the face of the debt crisis will be made once again.

Nigeria hereby makes a renewed request to the Non-Aligned Movement to regroup and reinvigorate its determination to restructure the global economic system, while we appeal to the industrialized nations to positively consider the debt plight of the developing countries and assist in dealing with the dangers that face us. We shall remain members of the various multilateral institutions and inter-governmental organisations which we belong to and do what must be done to enhance the membership and participation within them.

Fellow Nigerians, this country has had since independence a history mixed with turbulence and fortune. We have witnessed our rise to greatness, followed with a decline to the state of a bewildered nation. Our human potentials have been neglected, our natural resources put to waste. A phenomenon of constant insecurity and overbearing uncertainty has become characteristic of our national existence.

My colleagues and I are determined to change the course of history. This government is determined to unite this country. We shall not allow anything to obstruct us. We recognise that a government, be it civilian or military, needs the consent of the people to govern if it is to reach its objective. We do not intend to rule by force. At the same time, we should not be expected to submit to unreasonable demands. Fundamental rights and civil liberties will be respected, but their exercise must not degenerate into irrational expression nor border on subversion.

The War Against Indiscipline will continue, but this time, in the minds and conduct of Nigerians, and not by way of symbolism or money-spending campaigns.

This government, on its part, will ensure that the leadership exhibits proper example. Criticisms of actions and decisions taken by us will be given necessary attention and where necessary changes made in accordance with what is expected of us.

Let me reiterate what we said in 1984: This generation of Nigerians and indeed future generations have no other country but Nigeria. We must all stay and salvage it together. This time it shall be pursued with deeper commitment and genuine sincerity.

There is a lot of work to be done by every single Nigerian. Let us all dedicate ourselves to the cause of building a strong, united and viable nation for the sake of our own lives and the benefits of posterity.

Finally, I wish to commend the members of the Armed Forces and the Nigeria Police for their mature conduct during the change.

I thank you all for your co-operation and understanding.

God bless Nigeria

Quote frome dayokanu Buhari took over government on December 31 1983. So is he responsible for 1983 figures?
When buhari took over from shagari inflation rate was 23.2 from 1st january 1984 to dec 31 1984 exactly one year of his tyranny it rose to 39.8%.then now I emplore u to go to the CBN website and check the inflation rate in the 3rd quarter of that economic year before IBB throw him out in august 27 1985. Then u and gen buhari can come and educate us on how he reduced inflation from 24% to 4% thank God I the figure has increased to 5% not 24% to 4% as a matter of fact becos of IMF and IBBs sap further reduced it to 5.4% in 1986 which is the lowest not the conjured figure that we don't knw where u got it from 4%.@ gen buhari why won't u run from NSIMAN that how u will keep runing away from fact and resort to name calling like ur mentor.

Oh is not 24% to 4% as u claim on ur post mr dayokanu and gen buhari.than God and allah for for their intervention through IBB and IMF on 27 of aug 1985 when inflation was at his highest. U say u work @gen buhari u say work in a multinational company u should knw the diffrence between a closed economy that ur mentor ran as against an open economy that IBB ran,ibb and IMF made things happen as I said go to CBN web site and see our inflation rate as at the third  quater of the regime and come back and blab I will soon post IBB august 27 coup speech on why ur mentor and ur saint was removed from office.come and comment on the issues he raised on the speech

Quote from Genbuhari3:
you be mumu!

did GEJ ever denied he didn't give money. Even his associate never denied it, he just said they can't bribe someone of Bakare's calibre with $50000

I knw u will resort to name calling like ur mentor who can't take critics like me thank God and allah for democracy we have informations and freedom of speech like ur mentor u would have made a decree to kill me like him.but the world is a global village ur past must hunt u the people that sweared for him during his regime of injustice against nigerians.I can imagine how mad u are calling a man u don't kwn MUMU! Without been insulted to the bribe issue SNG is an NGO if they didn't want grant from goverment I ask u dis ? Was it govt that invited him or did he request a meeting with FG and blackmail them when they gave him money for his NGO SNG? Is that how he makes noise when his wealthy flocks(mostly 419s and govt official when they make larger sums than what claims to be bribe to finance SNG) talk on the issues raised by the prof I repeat a politician is better than a tyrant

Quote from gen buhari

you better go to the street and start shouting no. because the YES are already winning on the internet and the media. take it to the streets before the the BB campaign train starts soon. and when Bakare talks, bros or madam, u sef go change mind.

Does that address the issues thr prof talked about can Bakare come out and defend his oga.for him to even accept the VP of BUHARI and the way he tried to BLACKMAIL the executive of given him bribe during his campaign days for buhari under the guise of SNG his credibility is less than a used tissue paper is only people like u that he will talk and u will change ur mind because history has no meaning to u.pls answer the simple question I have always asked u DID THE ISSUES THE PROF RAISED DID IT HAPPEN OR NOT DURING HIS REGIME? Defend him with facts and stop depending on a confused and desparate for power pastor!

I don't support anybody as u claimed that buhari has turned a good leaf he should come out and appologize for the evil his regime did to nigerian he was given a change but he snubbed it (oputa panel).him and his co planner IBB.he has changed he refuse to bend to reason to form a credidble oppotion for this election.most of u people calling him a stateman and saint don't even have a voters card u come to naira land and blab of how he reduced inflation from 24% to 4% without facts. A regime that hounded opposition and banned freedom of speech,selective justice that favours his tribe and that person is a saint! A man that served under his junior in the most corrupt regime in 9ja history is a saint!!.even the worst politian is far better than a tyrant!.during his regime there were no freedom of speech,but during this political era there is freedom of speech that is why he can go about blabbing and accussing politician.the freedom of speech he refused nigerian is what he is enjoying now .