₦airaland Forum

13 Dec 2013
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Political Notes

Better described as the night of the long knives, it marked the turning point in the governorship ambition of Hon. Opeyemi Bamidele. The House of Representatives Committee Chairman on Legislative Budget and Research had led a delegation of prominent Ekiti indigenes to meet with the National Leader of his former party, Bola Tinubu. The thrust of the meeting was straightforward- the people claimed they no longer could cope with Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State on several grounds that they had canvassed and in his place, wanted Bamidele.

But since the party was unlikely to either drop Fayemi or conduct primary election to determine its candidate, they came to the conclusion that Bamidele should further his ambition on another political platform. That was not going to be as easy and so, the meeting that started a few minutes to midnight on a Thursday lasted till about 5am the following Friday.

After arguing back and forth and none was going to buy into each other’s logic, Tinubu requested to have Bamidele put paid to the controversy by stating where he stood. Clearly a smart one from the political samurai who was certain that his ‘political godson could not look him in the face and say no to him’. But one of the leaders on the delegation protested and requested that Bamidele be excused against the backdrop that he had been up for almost 24 hours and so, his alertness could have been consequently slowed down.

Ironically, Bamidele saw it differently; he thought it was a golden opportunity to lay the issue to rest if at all he meant business and so, he elected to speak. Like others before him, he could not also convince Tinubu with all the stories he had taken his time to tell until the bus driver theory flashed him from nowhere and he started thus:
“Asiwaju, I’d like you to see it this way, you had about 36 buses to give out to drivers across the 36 states of the federation to take the people to different destinations and safely. In the process, I approached you to give one to a friend I had thought could drive and trusting my judgment, you obliged me. Neither I nor you had an idea of the class of driver’s licence he held. We could not even say what kind of car he had driven before but we reckoned he could drive and we handed him the keys to the bus and left the safety of the people in his care.

“As he continued with the journey, it became apparent that the bus was bigger than his experience and as he swerved along the way at different turns, he had hit the civil servants; knocked down the teachers, brushed students on the side of the road and even party men. It therefore got to the point that everyone knew there was danger ahead and in the bus were people of different faiths, so, they all started to pray. And seeing that they were closer to the last stop, their prayer point was for the bus to get to the terminus safely and craved for a more experienced driver.

“But as he approached the last stop which had created some excitement in the passengers, he decided he was not going to stop but continue with the journey. However, because the people had a right to ask for another driver, the other option was for them to join another bus if denied the request for a new driver. Otherwise, some could take the risk of hopping out on motion and some might begin to even drag the steering with him. What that means is chaos. So, if you won’t oblige them a new driver, allow them the choice of joining a different bus.”

Just as he rounded off his analogy, everyone at the meeting including Tinubu laughed hysterically, until Tinubu allegedly retorted: “So, Opeyemi, you think this is a joke, abi? You must think it’s a joke!” But he insisted he meant it and that seemed to seal his desire, somewhat to further his ambition on another platform. Whether or not this analogy or theory was correct as it were, the fact that the battle for Ekiti 2014 has begun is already established. Fingers crossed!

I dey sidon look.
Funny enough i no longer feel pained by these results.
Fergie soiled his reputation and achievements by forcing Moyes on the United board. The failure will take at least 3 years to correct.
The day Moyes showed his hands by appointing his backroom staff was the day I saw the handwriting on the wall.
Me sef go follow dance the music way DJ Dayokanu wan nack. Live must go on,after all Moyes will be paid in full this month.
The results are not even the painful part, what pains is the utter lack of direction and cluelessness.

Gentle Naaz: If u dy apply, just bia it in mind say banks dy sack sack.

only ds yr, naija banks don sack 700 staffs , on average.

if pepl wr lik me, no one go dy aply for bank job.

you are assuming they have options?

I personally pray that this guy fails woefully at the polls,if he even makes it that far.
only mediocre pander to religion as an avenue to win votes.
If he is not confident in his ability and in his connections to Asiwaju, he should get out.
The God of the Bibile cannot be associated with such jingoism.

Oshiomole is a clown.
Why not just give the woman a job that is commensurate with her ability?
All these politicians are possessed by some spirit and it is certainly not of God.

Let me suggest a few series that are likely not on this long thread yet;

If British tv is your kind of thing, try Scott and Bailey. A police drama that is less about crime but more about the personal lives of the characters. I loved all three seasons of it.

I seem to be championing East West 101 a lot on these pages. A different kind of crime drama An Aussie drama with no known face but good stuff all round.

Another crime drama, this time an Belfast based one; The Fall. A crime detective in pursuit of a serial rapist and murderer. Gripping stuff.

I actually enjoyed all 5 seasons of Southland. My wife calls it a flat series but i just love it.

Away from all these crime and police dramas, go watch The Slap. wierd but good series. Sophie Okonedo was spectacular in it.

I recently finished Brotherhood. Season 1 was okay, 2 was special and 3 was great. Shame it ended abruptly as it seemed to have been cancelled in a hurry. If political drama mixed with gangstar/mafia kind of stuff is your call, then see it. I liked it.

Looking for something to make you laugh? Try Brooklyn nine nine. the first season is about to end.

payless: That is very bad of the Governor. He needs to apologise.

This is what you get after 14 year rule of PDP.


***

I haven't cried in a long time, I had tears in my eyes this morning. I was pained seeing that lady. If anyone can find me the crying widow, I have a $500 for her to launch her business again.

Finding the woman is the hardest part.
If she can be found and confirmed to be a widow, I will add and equivalent of $200 in naira to your donation,so the woman can earn a living without being involved in street trading or whatever it is that had upset his excellency. The days when we just watch these things or hear about them and spend hours pontificating are over. Let us take little steps,even if uncoordinated. I am tired of tyoing and reading epistles online,just like I am tired of conscience-less leaders. Let us start doing something.
If you hear anything about the woman,pls let me know.

chimex38: Make i begin dig undaground where i in hide..eee go bloody 4 2015

We keep saying that prior to every major election yet nothing much happens.
It is in the interest of the thieving elite that this contraption called Nigeria remains intact,no matter how patched up.
They will fight themselves to the point where they see their collective loot being threatened,then they will align and protect their vested interest.
If Nigeria breaks up,what will the Northern thieves steal? what will the igbo thieves plunder? you think the pen robbers from the west will be happier? who will the barbarians from the south south blame for the undevelopment in their region?
201 will come and pass and after much noise,they will settle down to another round of looting.
This cycle repeats itself.

stevedure: . Atleast let the president have peace and concentrate, while mapping out strategies to win, come 2015!

That is the only thing he is good at. Clueless inept man that will be unable to organise a simple piss-up in a brewery,if given the chance.

I hope this men know that they are soiling their hard earned reputations?

Fashola should address more important issues,like the rotten state of roads in Festac.

Bash92: Any link to download some of this song, its only Down and Eko that have been seeing on net.....pls help your boy out o

try buy the thing for traffic,if you no fit buy from Itunes.
How the boy go take chop get strength to write new songs if na free download you dey find?

tnature: I am here already thinking about possible remixes and collabos. A duet with Waje on Purple Jar or Truthfully wont be a bad idea at all. Also a rap verse from MI on Grandpa will also sound good.

That is after he settles with Audu,abi?

texazzpete: http://www.sure-p.gov.ng/index.cfm/sure-p-secretariat/policy/introduction/

From the official SURE-P website

The reduction of the fuel subsidy by the Federal Government in January 2012, as a deliberate policy aimed at conserving and maximizing the oil wealth of Nigeria, generated cries of discontent, fear and worry amongst Nigerians which led to a national strike. In response to the cries of Nigerians, the President announced the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) to reinvest the Federal Government’s share of the savings arising from the reduction of subsidies on petroleum products into programmes and initiatives that would go a long way to ease the pain of subsidy removal and create a better life for Nigerians.

See where the word 'savings' appears? On the official website, no less?
We're going no further with this until you unconditionally apologize for abusing your betters over the 'savings' word that even the SURE-P agency uses liberally.

Now, are you going to man up and apologize?

Stop wasting your time. SURE-P was a scam right from conception. Just like the Amnesty program. Those things are designed to decimate and plunder our commonwealth for the good of the barbarians. Any good you see in those programs are more imagined than real.

I might just buy the Whiskey and MI and JJ collabo but I doubt I will touch the entire album.
Ice Prince is a commercial rapper but that does not mean. He should sound so monotonous and basic in his lyrics. The guy has a massive team behind him yet he produces this level of carp repeatedly.

enjoying the 2nd season of East West 101.
lovely cop drama.

lalaboi: Heeheh. . cheers for the compliments bro. . you one make my head swell small lol

I just felt you judged the album on just how it sounded orally. I understand its personal opinion and i just think its wrong but understandable. If i bought Phyno's album today i would look out for what sounds good and not really lyrics . . i would not understand half of what he says. . .But, I would not say its horrible just cos i don't understand the language. . . . But its just funny cos i saw your earlier post and it got me confused. . I didnt know whether we were listening to the same album or not. 4/10 lol. . . But its good you mentioned that you judged on just how it sounded to you. no wahala.

There are just so many good songs on this album. Its a pity you don't understand half of what he says. . .But trust me! It is deserving more than 4/10!

Lalaboi, the guy no dey make your head swear for nothing.
I have said it in the past, na you carry me come the music section of NL and as you waka,na so i follow you waka.
My present interest in naija contemporary music na because of you.
I remember that REQUEST page in this section,one could find almost any naija track imaginable years back. Such a communal spirit. I knew it would not last long,cos it was too good to last.

lalaboi: The same person reviewed FOZ.. check the section

Lalaboi, where have you been hiding?
you don resign from the other side? I no dey see your work there again.

una no go review FOZ?
How low Ice prince has fallen baffles me.
Seems the worst thing that happened to him artistically was the success of Oleku.
It exposed how shallow an artiste he is afterwards.

AjanleKoko: Pique might also walk away, especially since he'll still be able to sneak into any top side right now.

Pls confirm this typo.
Thanks.

Mohammed Aminu


The Chairman of the Nigeria Governors' Forum, who is also Governor of Rivers State, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, has alleged that the sum of $5b was withdrawn from the Excess Crude Account without governors knowing what the money was used for.

Amaechi, who spoke at the NGF retreat yesterday in Sokoto, Sokoto State, said there was $9b in the account in January this year, but regretted that the amount had been depleted without the governors knowing why the money was withdrawn.

According to the governor: "The Excess Crude Account in January was N9billion. That account belongs to Federal, States and Local Governments. Today it is N4billion. We don't know who took the $5billion."

Money accruing from the Federation Account and the sharing of the money by the Federal Account Allocation Committee was one of the topics discussed at the retreat.

Amaechi also alleged that the Federal Government had been using anti-corruption agencies to harass governors who hold different opinions from that of President Goodluck Jonathan.

He wondered why these anti-corruption agencies had refused to visit other government establishments like the Federal Ministries of work, finance, Niger Delta and even the NNPC.
Instead of this, he said the EFCC was always going to such states like Kano and Jigawa, where governors of the affected states hold different political views from that of President Jonathan.

He said, "Today, the EFCC is either in Jigawa or in Kano States because they (the governors) disagree with the President. What about NNPC? What about Ministry of Niger Delta and the Ministry of Works?

"The whole governors put together receive 26 per cent from the revenue of the Federation. The Federal Government gets 52 per cent. And with that 52 per cent, nobody goes after the Federal Government to say how did you spent it. And then you go after those who get 26 per cent”

In a communique said, which emerged at the end of the retreat, the governors, however, said it would be in the interest of the country If Nigerians could eschew docility and participate more actively in politics and demand better accountability and responsibility from their leaders.
The forum also asked the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation to be transparent in its activities.

The meeting by the pro-Amaechi NGF governors was by only eight of the 19 governors in the camp.
Apart from the host governor, Aliyu Wammako, others governors in attendance were those of Ekiti, Osun, Adamawa, Nasarawa, Rivers, Lagos and Niger attended.

Governors of Kano, Niger, Jigawa, Kwara and Oyo states, however sent their deputies.
House of Representatives Speaker Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, former EFCC chairman, Nuhu Ribadu, Prof. Wole Soyinka and Bishop Mathew Hassan Kukah among others also attended the retreat.

According to the communique: " In view of the opaque nature of NNPC operations," they (the governors) would continue to insist on transparency in all facets of the petroleum value chain".
The governors also promised to pursue the diversification of the Nigerian economy in order to reduce dependency on oil and reinforce efforts at enhancing internally generated revenue to lessen the dependency of states on the centre as a way to strengthen Nigeria's federalism.

They also insisted on the creation of state police, which they said remain one of the requirements of a federal system of government and a multi-level policing to improve on the security of citizens.

Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa'ad Abubakar 111, also called on governors in the country to make use of their forum as an instrument of unity rather than the current division among them.

The monarch made the plea yesterday, when members of the NGF led by Amaechi, paid him a visit in his palace in Sokoto.
He maintained that it was only when the governors were united that they could be able to deliver the goods and meet the yearnings of the electorate.

Davo93: https://tribune.com.ng/news2013/images/deji_falae5.jpg

As i pay my last respect to this rare gem, i say he is one of the few politicians we have in this nation who work tiredlessly with his might selflessly.

It might interest you to know this man is the only commissioner in the state who does not own a house until his death. He was engulfed with the passion to serve his state rather than accumulate looted funds like most politicians do today.

I am not too surprised about this because his father, Olu Falae has a very similar and wonderful record. I just hope our politicians also think of a day like this when people will talk about them and do something worthwhile in their lifetime.

I pray God in his infinite mercy will keep his wife and children and we hope to see a 'Babatunde' among his kids in the nearest future.

My thoughts are with his wife and children in particular. Their lives will never be the same again.

However, i think we should take these encomiums with a pinch of salt. Every Nigerian politician who dies is showered with loads of encomium. They are said to have been angels while alive,yet we are enmeshed in darkness of all sorts. Even in death, Abacha was termed a saint.
So we have been down this road before. By the way, there is nothing special about the record of Olu Falae. Same old politician!
From one man to another, My thoughts and prayers are with the wife and kids of Deji Falae. May their broken and lacerated hearts be mended by God alone.

[quote author=L.M Ayedun..]One by one...
Next will be Gov. Murtala Nyako then Gov. Babangida Aliyu.[/quote]When will it get to the turns of Theodore Orji, Akpabio and Dickson?
Are G-7 the only thieves in the house?
As long as thieves are caught, i am happy but selective thief-hunting will do more harm than good to the polity.

Jade William: Really? The Wire&Boardwalk Empire? One of d greatest movie series? D persn dat did dat rating is a quack.The Sopranos?I agree but The Wire&Boardwalk empire isn't al dat.I'm not so keen abt goin 4d season 3 of dat Boardwalk empire sef.Check d viewership;u'l realize dat even 24;HBO's Game of Thrones& Sex&the City had more viewership than them.Breaking Bad season finale got 11 million viewers in d US alone.That's massive

It is not just about numbers. I understand that all these lists are subjective and personal. I struggle to understand how anyone will take Sex& the city serious.
Besides,i'll rather watch paint dry than watch Game of thrones. Not my kind,at all.
24 was not realistic after the 2nd season.

AjanleKoko: She certainly has an interesting 'asset'.

Not like I would know anything about that

\

How would you know anything?

Jade William: Afta work,u com home,u hav lots of thngs 2do b4 bed tym;u'l b so tired dat u can't focus on d movie u'r abt 2watch.But now?

Even during bedtime, you still have things to do. Infact more energy sapping things

How often will this topic be discussed?
It seems there is one new tithe topic every week regurgitating the same semantics every time.
Give it a rest guys/gals. There are other undiscussed issues.

Jade William: Thanx 4asking.I'm glad u care.Well,I somhow enjoy legal 2an extent lik Boston legal;Judgin Amy;but al thse crime films lik Law&Order;CSI;Castle;Criminal Minds;Without a trace&d rest easily bore me.Saaw most of dem wen I was In sch but now,evry single minute is crucial 2me so I'l rather use my tym 2watch a vry interestin show.
I so so love gangstar movies/series.Stil inlove with The Sopranoes;The Wire.Don't knw wot 2use 2fill in dat gap.But Breaking bad was d bomb mehnnn.Homeland was good too.
My 2nd best was Sexx&the City then Desparate Housewives.I enjoyed Grey's Anatomy&House.
I also lik series lik Neighbours so I gues I'm in2 Family&drama series.
I also enjoyed Suits so it made me go 4 The Firm whch is wot I'l start once I'm back frm d party.
I'l go 4any series dat make sense;dats suspense filled.

Meanwhile,does anyone knw d site where one can dwnload Tv shows lik d Apprentice;hells kitchen&d rest&where 2get documentaries?

For Legal: try Damages (season 1 -3 . it lost its way after 3)
For gangstar: Give Brotherhood another try and try and see all 3 seasons this time. Check out The Black Donellys. It was not renewed for a 2nd season but it was very good. Check out Underbelly (season 1 only, the following seasons are crap).
For a different kind of crime/police: try Scott and Bailey. I loved all 3 season of it.
If you liked Wire:check out all 6 seasons of Homicide-Life on the street. It is touted to be the forerunner to the Wire.
For family drama: If you liked the likes of greys and Sex and the city and you are a fan of british tv,try Mistresses (the British original not the US remake showing presently).

Jade William: Who watched Showtime's "Shameless?".I somhow enjoyed dat one though d whole obscenity disgusted me.I'm presently lookin 4series dat wil "WOW me.Movies help me relax afta a hectic day at work&wkends too.I'm tryin 2watch big bang theory but I'm not a Sitcom movie persn

so what kind of series do you like?
Legal?
crime?
police?
suspense?
family/romance?
gangster?
sci-fi?
period drama?
political drama?

Mcleo007: Watching the season three. So boring and needless. Should have ended with the second season.

your comment will be a very apt description of pretty little liars.

Jade William: I didn't lik Brotherhood wen I saw season 1 few yrs back.mWot's East West 101 al abt?

I managed to complete season 1of Brotherhood but i am glad i did.
Season 2 was super and now i am already feeling bad that i am about to end season 3.

East West 101 is a police crime drama. A very unique one at that,based around a muslim Aussie cop.
some folks say it is the best police drama series they ever watched,i am not sure about that but i agree that it is a fine gem of a series.

Caprisonne has been contaminated for years.
About three years ago it was banned from my kid's school.
NAFDAC are sleeping on duty.