₦airaland Forum

BushidoBlue:
Let me reply your epistle with another recent one, in fact from yesterday 20 February 2016.



Blame Jonathan
ON FEBRUARY 21, 20161:30


By Obi Nwakanma



Last week, Vanguard reported a curious drama during the State House briefing after the meeting of the National Executive Council, between State House Correspondents and the Minister for Information, Mr. Lai Mohammed.

It seemed like the Buhari cabinet did not have much to talk about. There is of course much going on. Boko Haram is still killing and pillaging. The Chibok girls are as good as lost.


To remove the sheen from that fact, the President was reported a while ago to have pointedly told parents of the girls of Chibok to go home as there’s not much else he could do for them. Former President Goodluck Jonathan Well, that’s very disappointing because President Buhari and the APC made it a cardinal point of their election promise to return the kidnapped girls of Chibok to their families as soon as they are installed in government. Not to return the girls will amount to a breach of trust and a failure to fulfil a cardinal electoral promise.




Goodluck Jonathan lost Nigerians, and began to lose his re-election following the massive international outrage that accompanied the kidnap of the Chibok girls. The Jonathan administration was vehemently criticized for its slow and half-hearted response, and for its inability to mount a strategic rescue operation to get back the girls from their captor.


The loss of the Chibok girls was Jonathan’s greatest undoing, and it is actually in my thinking right after all, that for that alone, he deserved to lose the presidency. Right under his watch over two hundred young women disappeared from a boarding school. This was more than a security lapse, it was a clear failure of national security. It required a great operational capability to move that number of people through many borders, and it needed only a decayed or frayed security system to permit that. Because the president failed to protect these citizens of Nigeria to whom he had sworn both allegiance and service, he did not deserve to be returned to his job as president.



In actual fact, Jonathan’s slow response, and the campaign mounted in protest grew to frenzy. In the end, he went to the National Assembly and secured $1 billion in supplementary funding for his national security operations to fight Boko Haram, and mandated that operation on his National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki.




If truth must be told, by the time of the elections, Jonathan’s new strategy had put Boko Haram on the run, degraded its operations, and the tide had turned very clearly. Another three to six months of sustained action at the level may have seen the end of Boko Haram by now. But it was already too late for Jonathan’s government. He had waited far too late in the day to mount a serious counter offensive against the Islamic insurgency. It was too little too late.




But there were visible signs of an impending Boko Haram defeat at the eve of Jonathan’s departure, on the strength of which Mr. Lai Mohammed, the Minister for Information, and Chief spokesman of this administration, no sooner in the life of the current administration was almost too quick on the draw to claim victory and the defeat of Boko Haram. Lai Mohammed was quoted at various times to say that Boko Haram, “technically” had been defeated and “degraded.”




But six months later, Boko Haram is still there, and under the watch of this administration, has mounted even bolder, more ferocious attack, and on a greater killing spree than was possible under Jonathan. The Buhari administration has thus far failed in its promise to defeat Boko Haram. The significant push-back achieved at the twilight of the Jonathan administration has been lost. There is no clear-cut policy on the insurgency by this president except to move his military headquarters and put more boots on the ground. But an insurgency such as this requires a different strategy of counter-insurgency beyond traditional warfare techniques, and Jonathan’s last strategy before his electoral defeat had come to understand this.


Meanwhile, the Buhari administration is busy conducting a killing spree of unarmed Biafran protesters in the South East of Nigeria, while Boko Haram insurgents are running wild in the North East. Something clearly doesn’t add up here, but back to Lai Mohammed. His critics have dubbed him “Liar Mohammed,” an unkind cut from his name, “Lai.” I have always liked the name, “Lai” because a great friend of mine from the University was called “Lai” and he was a great guy. Besides, I will not go so far as calling a Nigerian minister, “Liar,” but it often takes a great alchemist of untruths and distortions, to do the work of pure propaganda, as Mr. Mohammed has often done for the current administration.




His strategy when everything fails is, “blame Jonathan.” So, in this last briefing of journalists, only two items were lined up: his attempt to explain the president’s numerous foreign travels, which has recently come under severe criticism, and his need to blame Jonathan for everything else.




Reporters wanted to know a bit more – the radical slide of the naira, Boko Haram, the budget-padding scandal, the administration’s economic projections. But Lai Mohammed was in his element. Blame Jonathan. To justify the president’s increasingly expensive and wasteful foreign trips, the minister said, “You cannot run an economy by being isolated.”




True enough. But that is why we have a Foreign Ministry and a foreign minister. Trained diplomats would not tell the Telegraph in London as the President recently did that “Nigerians are mostly criminals.” Such a statement is not meant to inspire or invite investor confidence. But what did Lai say? Blame Jonathan.




Buhari has to travel because Nigeria had a pariah status under Jonathan. That is a lie, minister. Nigeria’s international standing actually improved under Jonathan. But this blame Jonathan game is getting old and worrisome. Budget goes missing, blame Jonathan. Buhari travels, blame Jonathan; Boko Haram continues to strike, blame Jonathan; Naira crashes, blame Jonathan; Economy worsens, blame Jonathan.





One truth is clear: Jonathan revived the comatose railways, rebuilt long run-down federal highways, re-equipped the Armed Services, built twelve new Universities, and expanded the middle class. Above all, his greatest achievement was that Nigerians felt true liberty and freedom: no Nigerian lived in fear of government’s persecution, and he brought to an end, the spate of assassinations and kidnappings that marked the height of national insecurity before him. He wasn’t without achievement.




His greatest undoing was the kidnap of the Chibok girls and his slow response to it. Lai Mohammed’s attempt to place the current failures of the current administration on Jonathan is both laughable and tragic. What is increasingly clear is that the APC had no plan to govern. Buhari’s first steps in government was all wrong: he started by alienating an entire segment of Nigerians, and he was too slow to respond to the realities of the crisis in the international oil market.







Rather than pick up from Jonathan running, he crawled for six months, and seemed startled and confused by his own electoral victory. That period of inaction for six months when he failed to organize his government, stanch leakages, and establish necessary reforms has led to the current crisis with the Naira in a freefall, and the economy leaking badly like a wicker basket. Buhari’s economic policy that limited the circulation of money has led to a crisis of production and distribution.






When he finally presented his budget, it became clear to Nigerians that this president is the one who really has no clue what running a contemporary nation is about in the 21st century, and the Tsunami that is about to hit him if he fails to reposition his priorities. He is already nine months in office, and he is still blaming Jonathan. Come three years hence this government will still be blaming Jonathan. Blame Jonathan is, it seems, the Buhari administration’s most consistent domestic policy. O ma bloody se o!


http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/02/612603/

Classic !

MissingBudget:
Odourless fufu

Abeg which one is odourless fufu again?

Seriously, Nigeria should start thinking of merging some states with more viable ones. E.g, state of Osun should be merged with Ondo state & Imo merged with Anambra.

Bevista:
It's not just about seeing the video, there are a couple of things to note about the whole $1 = N1 story.
---
(1) Buhari was claimed to have made that statement in an open campaign ground in Owerri, yet it was only NAN that was able to report what he said. Every other story reported by any other newspaper on the subject quotes NAN as the source. I dare anybody to give me a link to any credible newspaper on the subject that does not quote NAN.
(2) Even the so called story reported by NAN and every other newspaper does not have any quote directly from Buhari saying that. The only quote attributed to him is when he said that it was unacceptable for the the dollar to be exchanging at over N200. Yet the original reporter of that story felt justified to come up with that ridiculous and sensational headline. I dare anybody to point me to any credible newspaper where the exact words of Buhari were "quoted" about what he said.
---
Quite frankly, that a lot of Nigerians seem to regurgitate that $1 = N1 line over and over again only goes to show how mischievous we are in distorting facts or maybe it shows how shallow we are in differentiating opinion from facts.

You could not even convince yourself with this your denial.

dondaddycares:
Party of denials. One day PMB would deny he contested for the presidency in 2015

ROTFLMaO

President Muhammadu AJALA Buhari.
President, C-in-C Armed forces of FRN.

Abayhormy:
Who is talking about apc? Did I say apc is the best ? I'm talking about your praises, your hypocrisy and your sentimental wickedness to this country. If you don't find any fault in the administration of Gej. What is wrong with you pple? If the western world are supporting the kind leadership that Gej gave, would they progress as they are progressing ? This is not apc vs pdp, this is about the things Gej's administration did. Are they right?? That's an integrity test for you .

Did i say GEJ did all.things right?

True wickedness & bigotry is calling everything bad done by someone, whether they are good or bad, because you do not like him.

Abayhormy:
its either you are a direct beneficiary of Gej's evil course and corruption, or you are a f00l .
may God forgive me for calling you a f00l !
I'm not saying Apc's administration is the best i want for Nigeria, but for you to praise Gej like this, something is wrong somewhere .

Only bigger foools like you fall for the scam called APC.

shaqhead:
Can we have a rest with this ur "its GEJs project B.S"?

If you must know since u choose to make noise out of everything, that project was awarded by OBJ in 2006 and 9 years later it hasnt seen the light of day but we hope this government completes it.
https://www.nairaland.com/2943205/amaechi-wont-abandon-jonathans-ideas

http://www.railway-technology.com/projects/abuja-kaduna-rail-line/

Osibanjo said there isnt ONE completed FEDERAL governmnet project for the past 16years and none could dispute it!

Abeg make una let pesin hear word jare...naso ds kind question go mk pesin fail interview!

Stop running with obvious LIES.

I can name at least 4 power stations that was started & completed in the last 5yrs.

The Abuja-Kaduna rail line that Buhari wants to commission in March was started & finished by GEJ.

Face your studies.

Despite their propaganda, GEJ's legacies lives on.

modath:
Nna abeg day don break, comot for Internet, go open your shop, political discuss with sound & logical reasoning is not your forte!!!!!

Did PMB not contest against IB in '11, why didn't he win then despite getting northern votes? So the NC & SW didn't count for 2015?

Drop unnecessary tribal & religious bias!

Obvious ignorance is wrapped around your skull, how many Northern states did Buhari lose in 2011, none.

Was 2003 & 2007 elections as free & credible as 20011 2015 conducted under GEJ?

GODAKPAN:
Pls can someone help tell the price of Honda 2009 (evil spirit) engine. Also, what can knock engine when I just change oil and oil pump still pumping. Thanks

Bad catalyst.

N570,000.

modath:
Buhari & Jona are in the same party right

Jesus Do you even understand how these things work? , sorry for asking, you only understand Honda spare parts so you are excused for your skewed logic...

The joke obviously is on you as comprehension have seemed to elude you.

OrlandoOwoh:
I'm looking at the wider picture which was my dream, the ousting of the evil PDP. Amaechi was the campaign manager of the election. His presence and that of Tinubu in campaign grounds motivated the electorates.

Which electorates, almajaris that hear only hausa & kanuri which neighter of them speak.

Moreover, OBJ - evil PDP
.Atiku - evil PDP
.Tambuwal - evil PDP
.Kwakwanso - evil PDP
.Masari - evil PDP
.Amaechi - evil PDP

You want more?

modath:
These same people you enumerated "worked" the delegates & also ensured PMB won the primary despite Atiku's major dollarisation .. issokay!

Siddon dia make pant dey wear you!!

If PMB hadn't won that primary, the IB would still be president today!! End of story!

And Buhari contested the primary with GEJ?

Mister face topic.

OrlandoOwoh:
The combination of Tinubu and Amaechi was Jona's worse problem.

Amaechi lost in his home state & region to PDP, Tinubu narrowly escaped defeat from PDP in his own region, the core North gave Buhari 11 out of his 15 million votes.

Another Emperor Ade Musiwa on the loose

Jagaban & Lai have same calling, lying.

Hausa-Fulani oligarch, coupled with their Niger & Chad alien voters, supported by the under aged almajari votes from Kano, Katsina& Sokoto states unseated GEJ & nothing else.

Iroh88:
Great post!! Such uncommon wisdom! Your folks must be very proud of you sir.

Omenka stop misbehaving , tell your principal that $1 - N400.

Then Osunbade lied to us.

Iroh88:
A parts dealer says "Nigeria ntoorrr". . Who suffers the most from these things if not folks like you?? As old as you are you keep acting like a little kid. Better behave oo.

You may reserve your prayers for your dying party- FFK your Hero says so.

APC is a fraud & a Buhari is super clueless.

Nigeria is worse of today than 12 months back, all thanks to this mega scam called APC .

Alxmyr:
God bless you my brother.
But the blessing will only become permanent if you can say Amen to this short prayer.
May God change your life the way Buhari has changed Nigeria in the last 8 months.

You dey mind that one.

Buhari is working because Obiano exported Ugu vegetables to UK?
The Chinese are leveraging on GEJ's automobile policy while Buhari continues his loitering.

What is this?

TheFreeOne:
The music is useless when the listener is deaf.

Are we not in recession already

You dey mind them....Your currency lost 25% of it's value in one week and they are saying 'about to'.

Onye uno ya na agba oku ona achu nta oke......Aptly describes Buhari.

NgeneUkwenu:
So whose fault?

The man at whose table the buck stops.......Buhari!

NgeneUkwenu:
An angry Jonathanian... I know you are pained @ the article.. You prefer spreading falsehood about the economy...

Angry? That is an understatement.

Took a $6,000 order from a client at 325 -$1 only for me to buy the forex at $375 two days after, losing N300,000 because of this useless & clueless administration.

Hell yes, i am not just angry but FURIOUS

The worst is that Nigeria elected a bunch of clueless lying demons headed by a retired grand pa who was lured out of retirement by a group of masked change chanting political robbers to come truncate an economic blueprint put in place by a globally reknown economist without any alternative plan.

Na only prayers i get for them.

Nigeria ntoorrrr !!

APC are fraudsters.

eyeview:
Infact,brethren,let us pray!

Repeat after me!

My Faaatherr! My Faaatherr!

Everybody! Who worked for the victory of this APC government!

What are you waiting for?!

Oya! Fall down and die!

Die! Die! Die

Minus my APC friends on NL.

oyinkinola:
...and you have long one!
here is a theory on how ₦=$ can you proof me wrong.
....there are very many commentary on depreciation of ₦ nowadays expecially in parallel market, although parallel or black market can be manipulated by the traders, they either do it on their self interest, so those who doesn't beleive in the prosperity of nigeria can harbour $ as they can on imported goods hereby cause hike!
But in my own point of view the depreciation of ₦ is a great success to this nation if well manage to nigeria situation today. the looted fund is in $ and it must be refunded back in $, so if $1 is ₦198 when the money is looted, then if the money is refund today at $1 to ₦350 the nation has gained ₦152!
imagine if $1=₦1000, the gain is ₦902!
So in conclusion if the government managed to refund the $trillion looted and the refunded money, change it in parallel market, this will reduce the pressure on ₦ and the scarcity of $ in parallel market so the ₦=$.

(take note all the money took out of CBN during jonathan regime were changed in parallel market before ditributed)

you have other opinion?

Somebody please call 911......kolo issues.

oyinkinola:
[s][/s]

2017 budget will beat record... ₦1 quadrillion!, all the social sectors will be substantially finance to trillions ₦, poverty will be completely eradicated and by the end of year 2018 Nigeria will be declared a developed state and classify one of the first three country in the index of human .
I know you will argue on how this can happen with the economics situation of today, low foreign reserve, low oil price, with depreciation of ₦.
yes oil price is down, foreign reserve is dry but we still have foreign looted fund reserve at hand! when recovered and well managed, it won't be problem to have money for this budget!
we can only pray that a $ hit ₦1000 and all $1 trillion looted recovered!
I know for sure that with the determination of this government and the support of foreign nation to help recovered all $ trillion looted it will happen.....$1 trillion recovered and change to ₦ will give us ₦1 quadrillion needed to financ that budget!
year 2017 bye bye to poverty!

What happened to your brain ?