₦airaland Forum

i knew Moyes was bad. i just did not know he was this poor.
Fergie left a bad team but i doubt it was as bad as Moyes is making it look.
I watch matches now and i struggle to understand what is happening.

how poor was Kagawa in the 1st half?

Ferdinand is dead as a footballer.

APC fans forget that we are first Nigerians before becoming wither members of PDP or APC.
If the foundation be broken,what can the righteous do?
Form a perfect party and the moment a Nigerian joins, behold imperfection.
APC might be different from PDP but i doubt it is any better.
Just another set of crooks with a sprinkling of a few decent men and women.

By Omon-Julius Onabu

The Delta State chapter of the All Progressives Party (APC) Wednesday, in a test of its democratic temper, experienced some hiccups during the party’s primary aimed at electing a standard-bearer in the upcoming Delta Central senatorial by-election.

One of the contestants in the primary, Mr. Festus Keyamo, stormed out of the venue at Ughelli Kingdom Hall, Ughelli, in Ughelli North Local Government Area.

Keyamo had come to the venue at about 3.02p.m, and publicly denounced the registration exercise of Tuesday and announced his withdrawal from the exercise, which he described as "rigged, concocted and designed to rig the process."

The fiery Lagos lawyer alleged that the registration of delegates from the eight local government areas, which make up Delta Central senatorial zone, for the primaries was fraught with irregularities, hijacking of materials and violence.

Keyamo claimed that the registration that took place at the Delta Hotel in Sapele could not have produced an authentic list of delegates as registration was conducted for Sapele, Ughelli North, Ughelli South and Ethiope West local government areas.

"The thugs of my opponent came to the place, hijacked the materials and went away to an unknown destination", Keyamo lamented, saying: "I will not be part of this fraud; because it is fraud, fraud; concocted to be rigged."

He said it was unfortunate that the state APC leadership was apparently unable to break with the past tradition of partisan politics by "sticking to the old order of fraudulent politics."

"As a party of progressives we must eschew these wicked acts of the past politics, of violence and rigging. This is not the brand of politics we want in Delta State. I attended Oharisi Primary School (pointing at the school opposite the Ughelli Hall); so I'm standing on the ground I was born, to say I will bring another brand of politics into Delta State, not this fraud."

Nonetheless, the Senator Osita Izunaso-led primary committee went ahead to conduct the exercise despite Keyamo's withdrawal, citing the APC Constitution as stipulating that voting should take place even in a situation where only one aspirant was left in a contest.

Izunaso, who is the National Organising Secretary of the APC, said this was "in line with the 2010 Electoral Act, as amended, and the APC Constitution.

The result announced by the APC committee last night stated that Chief O'Otega Emerhor polled a total of 1,674 votes, while Keyamo scored a total of 36 votes; and, therefore, declared the former as the winner of the primaries and thus the APC candidate for the by-election.

And excited about his victory, Emerhor noted, while addressing his supporters that: “This day you have elected me to carry the flag of APC as your candidate in this forth coming senatorial bye-election. I feel highly elated today that I have picked the ticket of our great party. This is not about my fight, but the fight for the future of the Urhobo nation and Delta as a state. The birth of APC was timely to provide alternative to our people. The party will provide a platform for people of Delta Central. Our people have not been well accommodated in the ruling party; they are being treated as second class citizens.

“With this ticket that I have picked today, we are going to fight for the upliftment of our people. This APC ticket is going to be very interesting, it will provide platform that can allow progressives in Delta Central to achieve their potentials.”

According to him, “It is a good thing that we have been able to conclude the primaries peacefully and we now have one candidate. This will provide basis for unity of all members of the party and this is time for all of us to work together under one platform. Opposition is not within but outside.”

Amaechi: It’s a crass display of naked power
By Ernest Chinwo in PortHarcourt

The police in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, Wednesday used tear gas to disperse about 13,000 newly recruited primary and secondary school teachers by the Rivers State government who had gathered at the Liberation Stadium in the city, to collect their letters of deployment.

In dispersing them, the police accused them of planning to demonstrate against President Goodluck Jonathan.

The teachers had converged on the stadium early in the morning on the directives of the Permanent Secretary of the state Ministry of Education, Dr. Richard Ofuru, to receive their letters of posting to various schools in the state when about nine police patrol vehicles swooped on them.

Efforts by the teachers to explain their mission fell on deaf ears, as the policemen said they had “orders from above” to disperse them as they were planning to take off from the stadium to protest against the president.

One of the riot policemen, who did not want to be named, said intelligence reports had shown that the teachers were being mobilised by the Rivers State Governor Chibuike Amaechi to protest against Jonathan.

He said the policemen had instructions to disperse the teachers and ensure that they did not proceed on the protest.

A senior police officer, who led the operation, told journalists on the condition of anonymity, that they were at the stadium based on orders from above, because it was alleged that the crowd had gathered to embark on a demonstration against the Jonathan administration.

When the tear gas was released on them, the teachers took to their heels and in the process many got injured. They however shunned requests to speak to journalists for fear of their jobs.

But reacting to the incident, Amaechi said the police action was a “crass display of naked power”, adding that the people of the state were under police siege.

A statement from the Chief of Staff, Government House, Chief Tony Okocha, said: “It is amazing that the government and good people of Rivers State live under the siege of the police force.

“As you are aware, the Rivers State Government recently engaged 13,000 teachers for primary and secondary schools. They were invited to collect their posting letters today at the stadium. But alas, (the Police Commissioner) Mr. Mbu Joseph Mbu deployed his men to disperse them on the suspicion that they were there to demonstrate against the president. What a shame!

“The preponderance of that population was women. Imagine women falling over one another because of the hot chase and canisters of teargas freely deployed by the police. This is barbaric. The CP ought to apply some tact even in his mission to destroy Rivers State.”

In her own reaction, the state Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mrs. Ibim Seminitari, said: “This is the impunity we have been talking about in Rivers State. And it is clear to Rivers people that this is the action of retrogressive forces who are totally against development, because it is the first time any government, whether state or federal, is employing 13,000 teachers at once.

“And I think that people are afraid and worried that the people will actually see that work is going on. Otherwise, tell me why people want to cut short other people’s smile.

“These are people who have been unemployed. Nigeria is crying about unemployment; the education system is in a mess, and a government employs 13,000 teachers, trains them and wants to feed them into the system, and somebody chooses to treat them this way – with levity and to tear gas the teachers and then gives a very stupid excuse, saying that the teachers were there to protest against President Jonathan.

“What is the correlation between getting their employment letters and President Jonathan? Why do people continually want to drag President Jonathan’s name into everything? Is there something they are telling Rivers people that we don’t know?
“I think that this is unacceptable and Rivers people need to fight and ensure that this reign of impunity stops.
“It is clear that CP Mbu has an agenda to destroy Rivers State and Rivers people have to ensure that does not happen.”

However, the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said the police was right in dispersing the teachers, insisting that Amaechi was cashing-in on the misfortune of thousands unemployed youths in the state to play politics.
The party alleged that Amaechi wanted to use the teachers to protest against Jonathan in the state.

A statement signed by the Special Adviser, Media to the Chief Felix Obuah-led PDP, Mr. Jerry Needam, noted that the teachers had long been interviewed and appointment letters issued to them and wondered why they had to converge again on the stadium.
The statement said: “The party notes that the applicants have long been interviewed, screened and employment letters given for the long vaulted 13,000 teaching jobs by Governor Amaechi. So why are the helpless applicants being asked to gather again at the Liberation Stadium, if not for a sinister motive?

“Drawing from intelligence reports available to it, the party maintains that the only reason for the unnecessary gathering of the job hopefuls was to use them as tools to whip up sentiments against President Goodluck Jonathan in sympathy with Governor Amaechi, in the feud between them.

“Or it was in furtherance of the political crisis the governor persistently and unrepentantly fuels, which is threatening the prevailing fragile peace in the state.
“While providing employment to our numerous qualified but unemployed youths whether for teaching in schools or elsewhere is a welcome development, more so, in the light of the huge resources accruing to the state, the PDP believes the recruitment could be done without subjecting these applicants to further suffering and danger by mobilising them from all across the state to gather at the Liberation Stadium unattended to.”

The party commended the police for “rising to challenges of insecurity in the state created by Amaechi’s over-ambition.”
In its reaction to the incident, the Rivers State Police Command said it acted on intelligence reports at its disposal when it dispersed the teachers that gathered at the stadium.

The new state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Ahmad Muhammad (DSP), said intelligence reports had revealed that the crowd intended to embark on a public protest in the state capital, adding that the state government did not get permission from the police before gathering the teachers.

Mohammed said: “Intelligence reports at our disposal revealed that those who gathered at the Liberation Stadium intended to embark on a public protest. As required, the Rivers State government is supposed to inform the police about such gathering, as you know, but they never did.

“So we sent our men to stop the gathering to avoid a breakdown of law and order. Let me use this medium to remind members of the public that the ban on public protest is still in force. Please note that we acted based on intelligence reports.”

eGuerrilla: Mr President obviously recognises the importance of SaharaReporters to the media world, even if poorly educated sycophants who are legion on these boards do not.

While i am not a big fan of insulting people (including the president),don't you think the actions and inactions of the occupier of that office has brought more insults to that office than the writer can attempt?The level of mediocrity in the presidency is enough insult to last a lifetime.

He should call Annie Okonkwo's bluff.

Ngige should just call Annie Okonkwo's bluff.

by Onyebuchi Ezigbo

The reconciliatory moves by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to settle the rift between two leaders of the party in Anambra State, its governorship candidate, Senator Chris Ngige and Senator Annie Okonkwo, has ran into a hitch.

THISDAY gathered that as part of its intervention to stave off the crisis in the state branch, the national leadership of the party is said to have rejected the disputed congress conducted in the state, describing it as unauthorised.

Following the failed effort to reconcile their differences, the party has decided to appoint former chieftain of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), Chief George Muoghalu, to lead the APC governorship campaign in the state.

Some of the conditions given by Okonkwo before he agreed to accept a deal to work with Ngige included securing the post of deputy national chairman, which he relinquished to contest governorship primaries; the right to nominate Ngige's running mate; the promise that he is going to take over from Ngige; and his senatorial seat if the party wins the governorship election.

He also asked for two slots each for a commissioner and special adviser in the Ngige cabinet.

However, the bone of contention is that Ngige is insisting that anybody being suggested as deputy governorship candidate must meet certain criteria which include the fact the person must come from a neutral area where no governorship candidate from another party came from.
Also, the Ngige camp is saying that the would-be deputy governorship candidate must have contested and won elections at any level to the extent that he or she should be able to deliver at least his or her local government area in the election.

THISDAY learnt that Okonkwo has so far nominated two persons, one of whom is the APGA governorship aspirant, Chief John Okechukwu Emeka, as possible running mate to Ngige, but the two were rejected by Ngige on the grounds that they did not meet the criteria.
The source said the Ngige camp was not happy that while the party's primaries was going on, Okonkwo was busy organising congresses and trying to polarise the party in the state.

They accused the former APGA bigwig of scheming to have his loyalist take over the party structure in the state, adding that he had gone ahead to appoint local government chairmen and even state chairmen for the party even without the express mandate of the national headquarters of APC.
THISDAY learnt that the decision to leave the deputy governorship slot hanging till October 2 deadline for substitution, was to allow a window of opportunity for peace talks in order to reach consensus on the matter.

"As far as the national chairman is concerned, the party about 10 or 11 days of grace to see whether the disagreement can be resolved. But everybody was taken unawares at the action of Okonkwo in resigning from Ngige campaign team, ignoring the effort the Chairman made to broker peace.
We need him, we want him and we believe that we are going to resolve the matter before Saturday,” the source said.
But in a spirited bid to make the APC win the election, the Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, has said he would relocate to Awka, the Anambra State capital to lead the campaigns for Ngige.

Okorocha, who spoke yesterday at the Emmaus House in Awka, after being made the leader of the APC national campaign committee for Ngige, said he believed in Ngige’s candidacy being a better brand to sell to the people of the state than all other candidates of other parties and having also proved himself tested and satisfactory in his previous outing as governor of the state for 34 months.

“All the other candidates of parties for the November 16, governorship election are no match to Ngige. Ngige has proved himself in his first outing that he is a leader of the people, a warrior in the strict sense of it who has made the welfare of the people he leads his concern. He lives his life for the ordinary people and that stands him out,” he said.

“I will relocate to Anambra State to lead Ngige’s campaign. I will be here and march his opponents eyeball to eyeball. I want to tell them that the day a warrior was born in one community was the day his equal was born in another distant community,” he said rhetorically.
Later at the event, members of the party donated their widows’ mite towards a successful campaign for Ngige in what was called establishing a covenant with their governorship candidate.

Congrats Jarus. You have done well. May your end be greater than your beginning.
On a different note, i see say me and you don quarrel? No wahala.

Linex: For someone to say that Ameachi is trying, that he did more than odili,

try delete this part from your post.
I acknowledge that Amaechi has underachieved,given the resources at his disposal but don't even attempt to compare him to Odili.
Not only did Odili ruin the state,his love for sycophancy was bothering on the insane. I often wondered if he did not live in a room filled with mirrors,so he could admire himself endlessly. The insecurity that wrecked the ND was birthed by him and his gang of vipers.

adconline: How many kms of road has Amaechi built? What's the average cost of building a km?

No be even the cost,na the quality and duration of build dey worry me.
See Rumuogba road. They have been working on that road for the past 3 years. you can't even tell which part has been completed and which is in progress as all look alike.
Look at that Ada George axis. I will not live their for free. The traffic jam is mind boggling. There has been one form of road construction or the other in that axis for the past 4 years.
Kudos to him for Oginigba, Old Aba road,Eliozu,Eleme Junction and Elekahia. those were well done and worthy of praise.
However,so much more could have been done.

bad meat: As a Rivers man,I think the state deserves more,but until we control our resources,we will only dream!

controlling your resources will only result in fewer thieves stealing same or more amount that is presently being stolen.
Just say you don't want thieves from non-oil producing states. You want indigenous thieves.

Amaechi has underachieved,no doubt about that. The state of roads in PH is not defensible.
However, if the president of Rwanda had a predecessor like Peter Odili, i doubt he will do better than Amaechi.
May God never allow a man/woman like Odili come close to the govt house in Port Harcourt again.

How a supposedly decent man will allow himself to be associated with this fraudulent scam,bothers me.
At his age should he not be resting in his country home and giving advice to a few budding entrepreneurs or private sector C-level managers?
How exactly did this man examine this scam and think it was a worthwhile venture to spend his time on?
Unless he is party to the scam?

Perspective


Uche Igwe sculpts the person of the Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, within the context of his current travails

Driving around Port Harcourt city in the evening can be quite enjoyable. With an impressive new set of macadamised roads and bright street lights, one will freely explore the garden city even at dusk. However some of the streets could become unusually lonely especially when you turn off from the Aba road end into the old Government Reserved Area (GRA). The popular night life which flourished over the past few months had reduced significantly in the face of rumours that security in the city might have started declining.

I was warned by a close friend to stay indoors because a popular Rivers-born politician that is Abuja-based had returned home that night in a private plane packed full of ex-militants. But who knows me? My jalopy is almost worthless and I am not yet smartphone compliant, I murmured as I sped towards a popular Cinema House known as the Genesis, to visit a friend who lives close by. My friend is a typical Port Harcourt boy and I felt that his company would be a useful guide at least about the dos and don’ts of the city life. That gave me some confidence.

I decided to park my car in his house and drive with him to a popular pub in the city. We managed to park the car in a faraway place from the pub entrance to save us from the mild traffic of people queuing to buy assorted roasted meat popularly known as (suya). Our entry into the drinking area was very smooth and uneventful. No one even noticed or greeted my friend who is a top bureaucrat and so I felt at ease and melted into the corner as we placed our orders.

Before I could go halfway with my energy drink while I awaited the rest of my request, two men and one lady joined our table. We managed to exchange pleasantries before I started devouring my hot spicy plate of giant snails which had just arrived. Come and join me, I reached out to my table mates as is usual in our culture. I requested for more drinks and brought my snail meal to a more central position on the table. The young lady took the first shot and her friend later joined. In less than ten minutes, we were all eating and chatting as if we had known each another for ages.

The subject matter of our conversation centred on politics and security. We started by a general appraisal of the current turbulent political atmosphere in the country before we zeroed in on the political faceoff between President Goodluck Jonathan and the Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, both of whom are of the Niger Delta extraction.

The central question was whether the Rivers State Governor had betrayed the Niger Delta cause by his current political posture. One of my new friends explained what he described as the position of the average Niger Delta person on the matter. For him, they feel that Governor Amaechi had betrayed the Niger Delta struggle by openly disagreeing with the first President of Niger Delta extraction. He made some street sense.

For many people from the region, the Jonathan Presidency is the most potent result of the struggle and whosoever becomes a potential and actual stumbling block to his re-election must be declared a traitor and an enemy of the Niger Delta cause. In between his passionate explanation, I retorted thus: “I may not be from the core Niger Delta but at least, I am from the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) state and have been an academic activist for the past fifteen years.

I know that the issues that the struggle in the Niger Delta were based on. I saw the Ogoni Bill of Rights of 1990 and Kaiama Declaration of 1998. I know that the struggle agitated for true federalism, cleaning up polluted ecosystems, sustainable development of the region, resource control, reparation for oil activities and environmental remediation.

Now, one will expect that all these concerns will receive accelerated political attention under a president from the region, however very little has happened. Both the Amnesty program and the Ministry of Niger Delta were initiated under late President Umaru Musa Yar’ Adua. What specific benefit has accrued to the Niger Delta region under Jonathan for the region to support him for another term?

Is it not uncharitable to continue to break our neck and threaten others with fire and brimstone for someone under whose presidency, the region has continued to suffer neglect? I queried” Most of the people around the table were nodding their heads in agreement while I was explaining the issues after which I felt very relieved.

On the part of Amaechi, my friend took us through a lengthy overview of the list of calculated wrongdoing against Rivers people which sounded like a laid out plan to punish the "much orchestrated Amaechi rebellion". I know that there was an on-going controversy surrounding the ownership of oil wells between Rivers and Bayelsa State. However, I and others around the table did not know that it was a plan to unconstitutionally redraw the boundaries between the two states in order to deprive Rivers State of their oil revenue and hand over same to Bayelsa, ostensibly under the solid backing of the President Jonathan led federal government.

Not many people knew that the monies that accrued from those disputed wells which was hitherto deposited in an escrow account over the years pending the final determination of the constitutional owner was allegedly disbursed to Bayelsa State on orders from above without recourse to the other party in the conflict before the final resolution of the dispute. We never heard that before that incident, some other Rivers owned oil-wells had been unjustifiably ceded to Abia and Akwa Ibom States and that there were further attempts to cede some to Imo state.

We also heard about the reluctance to honour the agreement reached between federal government and Rivers State to refund monies expended on federal roads in the state but we did not know that it was up to 105 billion naira. In addition, my friend told us about the deliberate diversion of funds meant for the LNG project in Bonny to the Brass LNG and the halting of any form of federal presence in the whole of Rivers State. The Rivers State portion of the popular East-West road is a popular example. We were grieved about hearing all what had befallen a state all in an effort to hurt an individual.

Again, for the second time, I heard of the alleged counsel by close confidants of President Jonathan to teach Amaechi a lesson which led to a water-tight plan code named ‘The Sylva Treatment’. I first heard about this plan in Coventry, the United Kingdom, among some Bayelsa students but I made little of it. We were told that under this plan, the state owned aircraft was going to be grounded after which the governor will be forcefully impeached and sent to jail. I started to take the boasts seriously when the aircraft was successfully grounded by the Ministry of Aviation apparently based on spurious reasons. The impeachment sub-plot was aborted midway.

However, we learnt from the explanations that the July 9th aborted impeachment had the blessing of the President, his wife and their associates. It was revealed that a high level combined squad from the office of the Inspector General of Police, the office of the National Security Adviser and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) were already in the state fully mobilised to whisk Governor Amaechi away to an already prepared underground cell after the expected impeachment the next day.

But fate took its turn and the impeachment was aborted and the said security men secretly flew back to Abuja in frustration in the face of unanimous condemnation from across the world who termed it a civilian coup.

Listening to the whole gist that evening, I began to see reasons why the Rivers State Governor had found a new alliance with those governors from the North. I am sure Mr. Ameachi discovered that if he does not act quickly, the presidential sledge-hammer would fall on him and he might end up in jail on trumped up charges. He (Amaechi) had to hurriedly mobilise a coalition that President Jonathan cannot afford to underestimate. The Rivers State Governor should be seen as a fearless and courageous man who is somewhat politically savvy.
Many observers argue that if he had not gone into the alliance with the Northerners and the Westerners, he would have been crushed by the presidential might by now. But whether this new alliance will save him remains a discussion for another day. The case between the President and Amaechi is clearly that of take out a guy who wants to take you out? Except one wants to be sentimental, this is pure politics of self-interest that has nothing to do with Niger Delta cause on all sides.

Interestingly, the man referred to in the plan against Amaechi is the former Bayelsa State Governor Timipre Sylva. When he disagreed with the President, it was reported that he went with his wife and a top clergy man to prostrate before President Jonathan and ask for forgiveness and the President agreed to give him a safe landing. But what happened, the Nembe-born politician was taken down to political cemetery and the rest they say is history. Should Amaechi have allowed the president, his wife and loyalists to disgrace him out of office like Sylva and dent his political career irredeemably? Probably!

Those who know the details of the conspiratorial dynamics of the on-going saga have become very cautious in trading blames and arriving at hasty conclusions. As I stood up fulfilled about a well spent evening now early morning, I began to ask myself several questions about the political crisis in Rivers State and the current tribulations of Mr Amaechi.

Are all these actually about conviction, selflessness or vaulting ambition? Will history at the end judge him fairly, as a villain or a hero; a saint or a sinner? I cannot gaze into history as I do not yet possess the power of clairvoyance. The only question I want all of us, keen observers of the on-going political conflict to ask is this: If I were in the shoes of Amaechi, would I not respond the same way to targeted hostility?

-Igwe is a doctoral researcher in Politics at the University of Sussex and UK Bureau Chief of Africa Courier magazine

Billyonaire: The Funds used by Amaechi, was provided by the Federal Government, and was meant for developments of the States. I wonder why a Governor will now be praising himself, for using Federal Government money (Not his personal money o) to execute Projects for the people.

Is Amaechi supposed to pocket the Federal Allocation without executing what the funds was meant for ?

It is a fat shame that nairalanders will worship an arrogant Amaechi cos he built schools with funds provided for the purpose.

It is time we hold our Governors accountable on how they expend the Allocation Provided by the Federal Government.

All Governors are thieves, Yes they are, cos I do NOT have time to praise anyone for doing what Federal Allocated funds for.

Regarding the Federal Roads, the Federal Government should and will refund the states exactly how much was expended on the Federal Road, not without Evaluation.

Amaechi should shut the hell up already. I personally have constructed streets and Bore-hall and also install street lights for my villagers without seeking political office, its called Charity. But Amaechi is not doing charity, he is doing his fucckking job.

so what exactly is the FG doing with its own part of the allocation?

theoctopus: [b]That is not true. Most of the PH end of the east west road has been done. [/b]The major work going on is in Bayelsa and Delta. Almost all the bridges are on either Bayelsa or Delta. Amaechi is a drama queen. This his all out war will not end well for him. You cannot fight a war without the support of your base. I have never seen a serious politician that relies on the support of people outside his state. Foolish move

Have you been to Choba end, Rumuokoro Junction,Eliozu to tank and to Oil mill junction?
Please don't make such reckless comments again. East/West road extends all the way to these parts i mentioned.
I know people who have accepted lower paying jobs just to keep away from that axis.

Sincere 9gerian: It seems the vice presidential ambition of Amaechi is real. He dodged the questions as regards to whether he'll contest in 2015 or not.

He is not going to contest anything. He is too smart for that. He just wants to keep brewing beer parlour gists.
I will not be surprised if he will not contest anything again (at least for another 5 years). He just wants to take as many casualties down with him as possible.

21 Sep 2013


The plot to remove the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, is gathering momentum as some lawmakers believed to be loyal to the presidency have intensified efforts to effect leadership change in the lower chamber.

But as the moves intensified, President Goodluck Jonathan on Friday relieved his Special Adviser on National Assembly Matters, Joy Emordi, of her appoitment. He also terminated the appointment of the his Special Adviser on the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), Dr. Tunji Olagunju.

Their sack, which was contained in a statement issued by the Special Adviser to President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Reuben Abati, came barely one week after the President sacked nine ministers in a major cabinet shake up believed to have been influenced partly by the need to inject fresh blood into his administration and to also weed his cabinet of members connected to some of his political adversaries in the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

On the move to remove the speaker, the House leadership is not leaving things to chance. In a well calculated move to foil the plot, the House on Thursday adjourned plenary session for one week, barely two days after it resumed from recess.

Though, the reason cited was that the adjournment was to allow members embark on oversight functions, it was gathered that it was part of the strategy by members loyal to Tambawal to stave off his impeachment.

Sources said the plot against the speaker had been slated for execution when President Goodluck Jonathan would not be in Nigeria. The President is billed to depart for New York this weekend to attend United Nations General Assembly.

THISDAY gathered that key figures in the plot to remove Tambuwal include the House leader, Hon. Mulitkat Akande from Oyo State, Deputy House Leader, Hon. Leo Ogor from Delta State, and Hon. Bethel Amadi from Imo State. Akande vied for the speakership against Tambuwal in 2011.

The anti Tambuwal members are said to be using Bolingo Hotel Abuja as their meeting point and a meeting was said to have held last Wednesday.

A member of the Tambuwal inner caucus said, "We are not going to be taken unaware. Since the President has declared war on us, we don’t want to be taken unaware. As part of the strategy to save the Speaker, we used the the oversight function to allow for the tension to calm down. They are plotting and we are also plotting. We are not leaving any stone unturned in this battle".

But Chairman House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Hon. Zakary Mohammed, said the adjournment had nothing to do with impeachment moves as he explained that the House would use the period to conduct its oversight functions to ascertain the level of implementation of the 2013 Appropriation Act.

Another lawmaker however told THISDAY that they were aware that anti-Tambuwal's lawmakers had planned that the removal of the Speaker would be effected in the President's absence so as not to link him to the plot.

"It happened during their plot to remove Governor Amaechi as chairman of the Governors’ Forum. He (President) was in Ethiopia," the source said, adding, " We are not afraid, we have the capacity to do what is right in the House.We are equal to the task".

Giving instances of how the Tambuwal’s camp had been checkmating Jonathan's loyalists in the House, the source said, "Check out how the motion from the House Leader, Akande, failed. The battle line is drawn. Any bill or motion from them should be considered dead".

THISDAY was told that the pro-Tambawaal’s camp may test its strength when the House recovenes by moving for the removal of Akande and Ogor as House leader and Deputy House leader respectively.
" We cannot be operating at cross purposes. The Presidency has taken a stand and we will not begging. All their moves are well known to us", another member said.

Though, no reason was given for their sack, .Emordi's sack came few days after the visit of Alhaji Kawu Baraje, the leader of the new PDP, a group that broke away from the ruling party on August 31, 2013. Baraje had visited the National Assembly alongside the seven state governors loyal to the splinter group.

THISDAY checks revealed that the Presidency has been under intense pressure to remove Emodi over allegations that she had not been hard enough on leadership and members of the National Assembly.

It was learnt that the hardliners in the Presidency believe that Emodi ought to have done more to whip the lawmakers into line and end the frosty relationship between the executive and the legislature.
But Emodi, an erstwhile Chairman, Senate Committee on Education was said to have maintained that her brief did not include attacking the parliamentarians but to constantly seek a peaceful way of resolving the conflicts between them and the executive arm of government.

Throughout her tenure, Emodi adopted a diplomatic approach to resolving these conflicts. In one of her interviews with the media, Emodi had once explained that her experience as a legislator informed her diplomatic approach to her assignment as Presidential Adviser on National Assembly Matters. Her sack could however mean the "triumph of the hardliners" in the Presidency. It was also gathered that part of the issues held against her was her constant opposition to meetings between some members of the House of Representatives and officials of the Presidency, insisting that such meeting could generate mistrust between the House and the Presidency.

A close source told THISDAY that Senator Emordi had on several occassions complained to President Jonathan about how some Presidency officials were holding meetings with members of the House, and warned that such meetings could be misinterpreted to mean that the President was not comfortable with some principal officers of the House.

"Each time these officials of the Presidency meet with members of the House of Representatives, Madam always complain to the President. So her sack, may not be unconnected with some of the challenges that she was having in the course of her job as the Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly", the source.

Another source told THISDAY last night that her sack may also not be unconnected to the running battle she had been having with the Chief of Staff to the President, Chief Mike Ogiedhome, over her refusal to report to him. It was gathered that Emordi in a position as special adviser reported to the President directly.

Demdem:
U dey mind these fools. Just this morning, I know what I went through on east west road.

They say the road is a federal road.
but motor no know which one be federal or state road.
I know folks who have taken lower paying jobs just to avoid that road. it is beyond pathetic.

[quote author=Sunny_bobo]If he so considers Nigeria's interest above that of his state or region, he should advocate for the abrogation of the 13% derivation revenue so that all the states of the Federation can share equally from the nation's resources.

Who is fooling who?[/quote]why should all states share equally from the nation's resources?
How does that even make sense to you?
that is natural injustice.

royalexcel2: As I expected , Dr kolawale , I respect him as a person , but this SURE P thing ,I knew it , they will rubish Dr Kolawale through this programe , God help us .

was he forced to accept the appointment?
I don't trust anyone in the corridor of power in Nigeria.

clip: So Ameachi has this courage and Princple ,how come during Odili. He was rubber stamp speaker of house of assembly.
No I forget his Princle at home then. Thief

That question does not have an answer. It is easy to tell folks to forget the messenger and focus on the message but their is nothing new in this message. Who does not know that GEJ is clueless,who does not know that he is pro-establishment and has no moral fibre to address the issues at heart? There is nothing new in what Amaechi is saying. We already know it. It is difficult to trust him. He has been on the side of the barbarians and it is not like he had a Damscus experience. If not for greed,he and Wike will still be joined at the hip and looting Rivers state blind.

Excellent book,worth reading.

http://www.amazon.com/Its-Our-Turn-Eat-Whistle-Blower/dp/0061346594

This man is supposed to be an intelligent old man.
How did he fall for this scam?

jennykadry: My self confidence is Up the roof all thanks to my parents. Bring me 50 tall able bodied men here and I will debate with them for hours no shaking and no intimidation will I feel.

you and coogar need to go on a date. It will be a match made in heaven.

coogar: words can make people commit suicide o....many kids would tell you they would rather take the cane than to be tongue/lashed. words can erode one's confidence to the extent of feeling totally worthless......

and you have not heard of men who beat their wives (girlfriends) into a coma or even to death?

jollyqu: I just think swag queen can learn from my case.
I have been married for 15years and was constantly abused by my H, was not working for 1st 4 yrs of our marriage. I worked from yr 4 to yr 10 and then lost my job. When i was working, he was spending his money on other things and refuse to take care of the house. When I lost my job, he will abuse me verbally for asking for anything from him. He beats me and lock me outside to sleep in the compound.

I have caught him sleeping with my maid in the night and he said i am at fault, if i have finished all his sexual urge by giving him 12hrs or more, he will have no more energy to meet my maid, he sleeps with any small girl and even cleaners around. He is at a managerial level in a bank, good looking and very quite looking.

Two years ago, during one of the episodes, i went to our pastor who called him as usual and he told him he cannot stop beating me, then i knew i have to act fast.

1. I prayed and told God i want to act now, i dont want my action to lead to divorce but i want a solution, however if divorce is the only way out, then so be it.
2. I reported him to a human right organisation here is Nigeria who wrote him a letter, and threaten to charge him to court and inform his employer of his acts, he called my pastor and threaten to kill me if the human right group should do any of such. So he maintain his distance from me. He left home for a while and then came back.
3. I dont talk to my family about his act, but now i did. My brothers and sisters called a warned him never to try it again.
4. I prayed to start a new job or business, no job was coming and no money to start a business. I told him i want to sell my car which i was giving as payoff from my previous employer. He refused but i insisted, i waited for him for 4 months to suggest something else i can do but when it was obvious he did not want me to do anything, i took the car for sale. He came there and paid for the car and took possession. I had my cash and started my business with lots of prayer and fasting.

Now my business has started doing well, he returned the car back to me. He still sleeps around, but i am praying and i try to look away. It now surprise him that i have ignore him. One day i heard him praying , God help me to change, dont give up on me, dont let my time of grace expire.

My husband is still very far from what a good man should be, I knew i cannot make him to change, but I have the power to change.

He pays the children schools fees now,no more abuse. He tries to use verbal abuse, but i warned him i will give him some response that will make him to cry. Since he cannot beat me for the fear of the human right group and my family, he has stopped.

We leave like two strangers in the house now, only talk when it is important but it sure better than the abuse.

We are now learning how to relate without trying to dominate.

some of these stories dey give he headache.
Some men dey make me shame.

coogar: words hurt more than slaps & blows.

my chairman, i know say you be chairman but this one i no go gree with you o!
While both are hurtful,slaps and blows are the worst kind of abuse in my view.

dowjones: sorrystories.com! I will not mind standing as the bad guy but i'll drop my 2 cents.

Any matured mind will know, it is wrong to listen to one side of a story, especially the WOMAN'S side. Laced with tears and self-righteousness, a woman WILL never say what REALLY triggered the abuse. I AM AGAINST ANY FORM FORM OF ABUSE but some men are not particularly diplomatic or patient. The woman must have seen these traits during courtship and early parts of the marriage yet they still dont know how to handle thier man.

Men who exhibit "abusive" traits are usually victims of extremely strict upbringing, where perfection is required at all times or they've been played by women (ex-girlfriends). Men like this will transfer this "discipline" or pain to his household if that part of him is triggered.

I grew up in a home where my Dad constantly abused my mom verbally,he'd leave the house for months but he made sure we had more than enough. I grew up hating him and this hate remains but even as a child i knew MY MOM WAS USUALLY THE CAUSE ! (RIP to her soul but she was the cause). She was forgetful and careless and he was a perfectionist. her carelessness caused a fire that burned our house and 2 houses on our street (and this is is one of the many things)
There must be days ur husband is sincerely loving and "normal". Ask him what you do that pisses him off and after that, tell him you will change but he has to stop the abuses for the sake of the kids. (asking what pisses him off works like magic)

I have talked too much..and its a sign of the end times!

No matter the level of your dad's perfection,it can never justify physical abuse(I know your dad's own was verbal).
We can create another thread and discuss women being better wives and persons in general. This one is about husbands beating their wives. It can NEVER be justified.