₦airaland Forum

These and similar questions are the real issues making things worse in the Israeli Palestinian conflict and unfortunately many have already taken sides based on religion and not common sense.

Lets do common sense

If Nigeria is at war with any country, it is no doubt that the opponents target for bombing will be our Military and Oil installations for obvious reasons. Military installations in other to prevent repriasal attacks and then oil installations to starve us of funds to stockpile amunitions to lunch future attacts. Sounds harsh but that is the art of warfare and is justified.

Isreal witholding Palestenian taxes because it has access to it, and because it thinks Palestine under the leadership of militants will simply use such tax funds to stockpile Bombs and rocket propelled grenades which they will use to launch unprovoked attacks is a war strategy. While it may not be right in principle in an ideal world, in the middle of a battle anything that guarantees the security of a Nation becomes justified. It is a pre-emptive strategy.

Isreal is at war with a people who go to bed everyday hoping that they will wake up the next day and Isreal will disappear or cease to exist. If you transfer Isrealli military myth to Palestine, they will not cease their tax they will simply wipe them out of mother earth. They have proclaimed it so many times that they dont recognise Isreal's right to existence.

I dont know what transpired between both many years before I was born, whoever was the true owner of the lands they are fighting for I dont care to know. The fact remains that a lot has been taken over by events and thus compromise has to be sort. We can not have a situation where Palestenians will keep on thinking the whole of Isreal should be relocated or wiped out for them to live. That wo'nt happen.

Two summers ago, after the death of Arafat then came Mahmoud Abbas. Abbas was able to strike a deal with Aeriel Sharon and we all saw the Isreali army evacuating its own people from parts of Gaza strip and West Bank. Something the bullet could not achieve so many years under Arafat, dialogue achieved it under Abbas.
What did Isreal get in return, further bombings.

Isreal is only releasing these funds to tell the palestenian people, if you embrace peace we can do a lot together. If you listen to Abbas and Fatah there will be peace. Ehud Olmert has even ordered the realease of further 250 Fatah Prisoners.
It is up to the palestenian people to either toe the path of peace and be loyal to Fatah or continue to vote in a terrorist group (Hamas) as their leaders.

And guess what, Isreali most decorated Army General rtd. (Ehud Barack) has been voted the defence minister. He is no stranger to their cat and mouse game.

He should go and sit down

Why did he not speak out, everybody want to be seen as anti-third term hero.

I know why you are celebrating

But you might be celebrating just too early.

Beline:
what is all these hating on Duke? does he make a mistake by building Tinapa? I know you would have prefered him to leave power without doing anything like other governors

Most of those connected to treasury looters are angry that the man tried to do something, with a monthly alloacation with as little as 1/3 of others he still made a difference, that is their annoyance. They are angry that he has shown Nigerians that a lot would have been achieved if our leaders are focused.

They want to blackmail him so that Bussiness as Usual continues, it will not work.

1)  My state of origin does not matter because we are not competing on the basis or tribal sentiments and ignorance!  I am thinking in terms of Nigeria and not in terms of any bloaady region in Nigeria!

2)Yup!  When OBJ was president how many southerners did he prosecute?  Now you want Y'ardua to kill his own brothers in the name of corruption?

God knows how you can produce such contradictory comments 1 & 2 within the same statement. You are simply not listening to yourself.
In No. 1 you advocate detribalism and immediately in 2 you advocate tribalism.


I think I must appologise for engaging you in a debate, you are simply not in my league.

I cant believe an educated Nigerian thinks The Governor of Cross river sate should be blamed for the inability of the Governors of Katsina, Bayelsa and even the VP of Nigeria to use our medical facilities.

It is on record that CR state government has one of the best health policies, it is the only state in Nigeria with health insurance for cross riverians.

How somebody thinks, a Yaradua who needed periodic medication could not have a world class hospital in his own state where he has been governor for 8years, should be blamed on Duke another state Governor is both ludicrous and absurd.

What a shame.

Big B1:
FYI: this is Yar'Adua's new policy

They are all thieves and if you can not punish all, there is no need to punish any!

Why will Yaradua not adopt such policy when he has chosen nigeria's biggest thief as his chief of staff. Yes IBB is his chief of staff because he seeks all his advice from Mina. (Forget Abdulahi Mohamed, that one only exists on paper)

MILITIA:
Typical Southerner---It is now a competition of ignorance!  I beg go siddon!  Bloody noise makers!  You and you Duke can eat crow for all I care!  He is no better than any other crooked governor in Nigeria so zip it!  If he impressed you, he sure did not impress me.  Is he not "PDP"?  Poverty Distribution Party?  Tinapa my arse--nal!

Why not tell us your state lets see how well your Governor performed

I am not going to join issues with you if truly you are a "lady". Honestly I have always wondered why of all names a Nigerian girl will choose to bear MILITIA.  I doubt if you are a lady, I even doubt if you are even a southerner like you proclaim.

May be if you are confident enough to represent your true identity I will have response for you.

MILITIA:
Yeah! We don hear oh! Vision of misplaced priorities and mismanagement. We need hospitals and roads oh! Good schools and electricity not "TINAPA"!

Announce your State, lets see if they have better road networks, healthcare facilities and schools than Cross River.

This country is hopeless, lets stop decieving ourselves

Yaradua's campaign was sponsored with fraud money from Delta State using Ibori

Goodluck Jonathan's wife is in EFCC net

How will a combination of this two take us to the so called promised land of corrupt free Nigeria.

I retire from hoping for a better tomorrow, there is simply no way out.

Big B1:
Now you guys are getting it.

The land is corrupt and the culture is dirty.

Prevention is better than cure!
They are all corrupt and this is why our system and policies must be modified to stop this craziness.
Too many are too corrupt for too long. This is also another reason why arresting just the governors is not the answer.

If the river is dirty, what do you think about the fish from the same water?

That sums up the motivation behind this campaign of calumny against Duke.

It is part of the exit strategy of corrupt politicians, they want to leave Nigerians in the Island of hopelessness and despair. That nobody means well afterall and so there is no way out. Nigerians are not decieved.

denex:
I feel it is high time they made an Ibo man the minister of the Federal Capital. The problem is that El Rufai is doing so well and secondly Andy Uba is not an Ibo man: he's a thief! It will make no difference to the Ibos if this Prodigal is made the Minister of the WORLD.

But FCT has a minister already in the person of Engr Al-Hassan

Yaradua should not waste South East slot on Uba, it is like making Adedibu a minister. If PDP loves these fellows too much they should offer them appointments within the PDP not Nigeria.

Ex- Governors: What is Nuhu Ribadu Doing?

Last View on Sun 24th June, 2007
Last Modified on Sat 23rd June, 2007 11:48:57 pm
Author: Admin Sahara



The Guardian/ By Sonala Olumhense

As I understood it, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was itchy and restless. It had urgent business of patriotic significance. It simply could not wait for 29 May 2007.



Not because Olusegun Obasanjo was scheduled to leave Abuja for Otta on that day. Not because Umaru Yar’Adua was arriving Aso Rock. The excitement was owed to the fact that many state governors were leaving office. That meant they were losing their constitutional immunity to prosecution. That meant they were going to be ordinary citizens subject to the long reach of the law. That meant the EFCC was going to be opening its bulky folders that its Chairman, Mr. Nuhu Ribadu, had repeatedly insinuated were loaded with evidence of official malfeasance for which these men were responsible.



29 May 2007. Nigerians could not wait, either. In many states, not much had happened in eight years, largely because of the absence of funds and the political commitment to make things happen. Instead, many governors were openly and cynically looting their state treasuries for personal use. At home and abroad they were buying vast business empires, setting up accounts, and building private estates.



Nigerians knew about the exploits of these governors in Europe, Asia, North America and Africa. Nigerians knew of these governors and their illegal hotels and airlines and oil refineries, real estate and foreign bank accounts.



The Nigerian government knew of them as well. In May 2004, Nenadi Usman, then Minister of State for Finance, told the nation how the Governors were robbing their own people. On a visit to the Debt Management Office in Abuja, she observed that every month, as soon as federal allocations reached the states, the Governors headed for the international airport, stopping only at the foreign exchange market to get rid of the Naira burden in return for convertible currencies. This “revelation” was confirmed by the Minister of Finance, Okonjo-Iweala, who urged Senators to “ask the Governors what they are doing with their (state) funds.”



As we now know, two of those Governors actually got into some legal drama in London with the Metropolitan Police, having been connected with large sums of cash. Back in Nigeria, neither the Nigeria Police nor the EFCC could do anything to those governors, restrained as they were by the constitution of the land. So the Governors continued to pose, to preach and to pamper themselves.



Repeatedly, Mr. Ribadu pointed at the calendar. On 29 May 2007, he said, the immunity clock would have run out on the greedy governors, and he would immediately begin to put the information in the EFCC files to work. The understanding was that he would be arresting those former Governors who had cases to answer, and filing charges against them.



Many new men are in charge in the states now. At the Governors' Forum last week, President Yar’Adua was handing them sympathy cards: "If what I have been hearing from some states is correct, it would seem some of you may spend the next four years managing debt. Such a situation is unacceptable," he told them.



In other words, not only are the treasuries empty, the states are in debt.



So, then, what about 29 May 2007? Nearly one month after the famous date, no former Governor has been handcuffed or arrested. None of them has even been referred to as “the accused.” What Nigerians have now found is that they are being invited to the EFCC for discreet, climate-controlled conversations over tea and coffee. While the former Inspector-General of Police was put in chains and was last seen falling out of a Black Maria, these Obasanjo-nurtured fat cats have time to put on their make-up and alligator shoes and neo-Robin Hood aftershave.



Perhaps that is why the EFCC advertised a new line this month: “civilized” procedure. The Commission said it wanted to ensure that things are done in a “civilized” way.



I completely disagree with Mr. Ribadu and the EFCC about this sudden discovery creatively labelled civility. Handcuffs, arrests and detention are not an affront on civility or the rule of law; they are a part of the process. A suspect gets arrested, and is eventually sentenced if he is convicted. Between arrest and conviction, the suspect gets the benefit of the doubt but is expected to confront process that includes the courts, lawyers and prosecution. Beyond this, there is no provision in our law for “civility,” alias privilege. There is no provision in our law for two standards.



I am aware that some of the former governors are said to have been coughing up some of their loot. That is good, but it is immaterial. I do not care if they cough up one trillion Naira each day they have been out of office. They are supposed to refund all the funds they have been trying to hide since the EFCC announced two years ago it was coming for them, but they ought to be doing so in the hot and humid and sweaty confines of a court of law. If they have any deals they wish to propose, they ought to be doing so in the open, in court.



It is wrong of the EFCC to encourage double-standards. This is not what the law provides for, nor what Mr. Ribadu promised. For nine years, these former Governors did whatever they liked, conveniently forgetting that they would one day have to account. What the EFCC is doing is telling them that they can account at their leisure, in a manner that suits their lifestyle, and to an extent that suits their privilege. To that extent, the EFCC is guiltier than the former Governors, and Mr. Ribadu ought to step down for dragging Nigeria to the level of the suspects.



Let us remember: a part of the Nigeria problem is that there is the Big Man, and there are the rest of us. The Big Man makes or implements the law, but does not expect to be governed by it. Apart from the military who robbed the people because they were, well, soldiers, nobody in nearly half a century of our life as an independent nation has demonstrated such duplicity more fervently than some of the governors who took office in 1999. The irony is that this situation became clearer to the EFCC than to anyone else, including the Nigeria Police. Given the chance to remind the country, particularly the politicians that privatizing public wealth is not only wrong but punishable, the EFCC has now elected to become a part of the problem by suddenly and curiously declaring “civility” a legal principle in determining when or whom to prosecute.



This ruse protects the thieves among the former governors, as well as protects forthcoming and practicing thieves with precedence. It is also a reminder that nothing has changed. Under the administration of Olusegun Obasanjo, the ruse took on the form of constitutional immunity, permitting Governors who were mainly of the ruling party to rise from petty thieves to party thieves. Eight years later, under Yar’Adua, the ruse has mutated into a new monster called “civility.”



It is helpful to remember that these men were Yar’Adua’s colleagues in the Governors’ Forum, and that Yar’Adua had expected one of them to become President. It is also worthy of note that so far, he has not done anything to distance himself from them. On the contrary, some of them were reportedly still being considered for ministerial slots in his Cabinet last week. It seems that we are continuing in the same ethical vacuum that these Governors championed, and were a part of for eight years. In that light, the posture of the EFCC is hardly a surprise, nor is Yar’Adua’s failure to take a position on the side of justice.



The obvious danger here is that there is no way the so-called “war against corruption” can move forward if these former governors are not prosecuted. We can still have smoke-and-mirrors, and make plenty of speeches and proclamations, but we will not have such a war. But here is what would really be special: the next generation of governors (members of the Governors’ Forum Yar’Adua addressed last week), would be far worse than those now benefiting from Yar’Adua and Ribadu’s “civility.”



I know that this curious fork on the highway is not why the EFCC was so restless for so long.

Interesting article but in all honesty, whose fault is it?

Ribadu or Yaradua

Donzman:
You're kind of wrong!

1. He's being honest, most of the people doing these things in Europe are from Southern Nigeria and that is the truth. This guy is not lying, anyway you look at it.

2. By ascribing this to Southern Nigeria, he might be lessening the damage being done to Nigeria as a whole, what do you think?. . .Obviously the Irish PM referrdd to Southern Nigeria and not Nigerians as a whole, less damage or don't you think so?

Northern nigerians can't be bothered to perpetrate there 419 in Europe, because their bussiness is thriving here in Nigeria. What you see on ABC, BBC, CNN are fraud by Nigerians that have adverse effect on their people and economy.
If these media houses are honest enough to expose fruad by Nigerians that aid their economy i.e. Laundering Nigerian money to foreign banks I bet 90% will be perpetrated by Notherners. Besides that financial scams to the middle east is never traceable and you and I know that the east is the favourite destination of the North. Go research the word "HAWALA" and you will understand why fraud perpetrated enroute Saudi Arabia and UAE are hardly traceable.

So I restate my case, Nigerian Ambassadors are not honest by nature and worst still they are not ready to use their dishonesty to defend their country.

I found this explanation from Segun Adeniyi both disappointing and boring.

He said FG left petrol price at N70 because of long term plans, he could not tell Nigerians what those long term plans were. Is it because they want to build more refineries or what? why could'nt Segun Adeniyi justify the increment from a government point of view?

Rather he was busy telling us proverbs from Abiola, that if you run and look back you will fall. What does that mean, meaning that Govt. can as well announce that petrol price is N1000 without a concrete reason because Abiola said if you run and look back you will fall.

I have always been against the strike by NLC because I thought it was misguided, but Govt aides need to do better by explaning policies clearer if they actually have a mission. Not talking trash.

people talk like kids, can anyone prevent natural disaster

USA should as well not invest in any other thing because it could not control hurricane katrina and all other hurricanes.

ThoniaSlim:
i just knew that it would be called off before Monday. but i thank God it was called off.

It was pretty obvious by Friday evening that Omar was looking for an exit strategy when he said he was ready for any reasonable deal

He should tell Nigerians the difference between Tuesday deal and Sarurday deal and why Saturday was so reasonable to call off the strike and that of Tuesday was unreasonable to pre-empt 4 days hardship.

I personally dont find explanation for all this dramma except it having political undertones.

Mustay

I agree with you now
including the refineries

90% is wrong

Mustay:
75 not 90! Where do you get your info from?

I dont believe in quoting Newspaper without asking questions

This is what FG made of Labour demands
Increment in Kerosene (removed totally)
Increment in diesel (removed totally)
Increment in VAT (removed totally)
15% increment in workers salary (agreed to take effect from January 1)
10N Increment in Petrol reduced to N5

That looks to me like granting 4.5 of 5 demands

(4.5 / 5) * 100 % = 90%

not 75%

Dis Guy:
oh it is, just want him to mix things up in nigeria politics aswell , im sure he can do alot IN nigeria and as part of the opposition or govt even.

on a more serious note, I dont think Anyaoku is looking to be President. He was foreign minister to Shagari's regime, before he became common wealth secretary general.

He is too old to be Nigerian President, at the moment he is trying to build first Nigeria's private refinery, Orient Petroleum in Onitsha.

He is doing his little bit in project Nigeria.

well you were talking like commonwealth secretary genral was not enough achievement

the issue is that govt agreed to 90% of the demands before they proceeded to strike, so why the strike?

Dis Guy:
apart from being the being the sec. gen for the commonwealth for nine years what else has he been involved with? i don't know much about him

_{I think Kofi Anan should also be the next president of ghana, he's got international reputation and an international degree}

Commonwealth or UN secratary general and a State Governor who is more qualified when considering candidates for Presidency?

Honestly NLC has some explanations to do

They went on strike for the sake of it, if there is anything Yaradua will learn from this strike it is not to make concessions early in a disagreement.

Why did NLC bring the nation to a halt for two days without achieving anything?

To be honest, I thought the strike was unnecessary. The only necessary thing NLC should push for is local production of petrol.

A fixed price of 65, 70 or 75 Naira is meaningless if the pump price at filling stations is from 80 to 150 naira.

babasin:
evidence shows that OBJ father is igbo and nigeria is paternal oriented nation.

OBJ indeed rule nigeria as igbo man. case closed

igbo will need to wait for 2027

2011: middle belt
2019: south west
2027: igbo

Congratulations Babasin, what a Mathmatecian you are. That statistics will look better in a graph.

A BBC radio programme defined an Ambassador as an honest man sent abroad to lie honourably in defence of his country.

The Nigerian Ambassador does not fit into this definition because
1. They are not honest
2. They dont bother to defend their country

Here is how: He will present a bill to the joint house (Congress) for a call for new credible elections, stating his reasons why.

The only reason he can call for new elections is if the previous one is unacceptable.
If the previous one is unnacceptable he will kindly resign and not try to send any bill to NASS an act which is meant for a President. If he is saying his election is unacceptable then he can not stay a second further to send any bill to the NASS. He will kindly resign there and then because he is not the President in the first place and can not perform the function of the President.

Mind you Yaradua has never said his election is unnacceptable, he only said there are flaws a fact which he says calls for electoral reforms. It is the opposition who think the flaws are monumental and unnacceptable. Determination of whether the flaws are unnacceptable or not is down to the Electoral Tribunal and the process is ongoing.

Asking Yaradua to call for Fresh election is asking him to usurp the duties the tribunal and that wont happen.

As far as am concerned, if there is any mistake Yaradua made it is proclaiming that he will be a listening President. Nigeriansand different groups will intentionally push him to thewall to see how much of a listening President he is.

implementing Uba's sack is a very good move by yaradua.

But God knows why Yaradua is trying too hard o prove to nigerians that he is a listening President. It is unnecessary.

Nigerians dont agree, we hardly say the same thing so God knows who Yaradua hopes to listen to?

Imagine Bankole asking Yaradua to call for Fresh elections, before he can do that he has to resign because by that his continues stay as President is untenable.

Now you will be talking of power vacuum or interim government which is unconstitutional, then if you say the previous President should come back and conduct fresh elections you will simply be calling for the same third term which most of those in opposition have as their only democratic credential.

I will personally donate to that cause.

Afam:
If Duke is a major share holder in Tinapa then he is corrupt.

On Yar'adua, have we heard any allegation against this man? Even Buhari that hails from the same state with him could not accuse him of anything during the last presidential elections.

We should be bold to praise good leaders just as we should be bold to condemn bad ones.

Are all Nigerians criminals simply because Nigerians are criminals?

Most Katsina State contracts were awarded to family owned companies

Yaradua is no better either

No man under mother earth is a saint

But the question is who led his people with care and vision for a better tomorrow more than Duke did. No one.

Nigeria governors in graft probe

Nuhu Ribadu denied he was pursuing a political vendetta
Almost all of Nigeria's state governors are being investigated for corruption, the anti-graft agency head has said.
Nuhu Ribadu told the Nigerian Senate that 31 of the 36 governors were being investigated and that 15 of them would be charged in the coming weeks.

He also said that the world's biggest thief was Nigerian but was prevented from naming him.

Critics of President Olusegun Obasanjo say the fight against corruption is being used as a political tool.

But Mr Ribadu denies these charges.

Nigeria's governors enjoy immunity from prosecution while in office and the country is regularly ranked as one of the world's most corrupt countries.

The president and vice-president have also swapped corruption accusations in recent weeks.

'Tragedy'

"If we all live in the US, all of us will be in prison by now, because the things we do here cannot be tolerated there," Mr Ribadu said.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission head said Zamfara governor Sani Ahmed Yerima was one of the worst cases of corruption.

"The case of Zamfara state is a tragedy - direct stealing - no third party," he said.

Mr Yerima, known for introducing strict Islamic punishments for thieves and adulterers, has said he is being persecuted for saying he wants to contest presidential elections next year.

Cross River State Governor Donald Duke was the only governor named by Mr Ribadu as not being under investigation for corruption.
Two state governors have been charged with money laundering in the UK but have been freed on bail and managed to return home.

However, former Bayelsa State Governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha has been charged after the state legislature voted to remove his immunity.