₦airaland Forum

This our Harvard Minister of Agric is a champion of statistics on nations Agric sector. My concern is where he gets the figures he so confidently quotes to the last digit.

How does he aggregate the numbers? I will love to see the disaggregated numbers for my State and my village.

But I believe that the general trend is correct. Kudos to Nigerians especially youths that are now embracing agriculture. Young chaps make cool money now rearing fish, snails, etc. I know a guy in my State that graduated pharmacy, and is full time on poultry production. He has just completed his house

http://theinfrastructurenewsng.com/?p=6450

Detectives Set to Prosecute Senator over Conversion of Enugu Govt Land to Personal Use

A serving senator from Enugu State is alleged to have brazenly converted a plot of land in a choice area of Abuja belonging to Enugu State Government to personal use.
The senator, who served in several capacities in previous administrations in Enugu State, was said to have at a point got possession of the file containing the land documents by virtue of his position then.

At the expiration of the administration, the Senator converted the land to personal use and moved further to perfect the Certificate of Occupancy (CofO) thus converting the multi-billion naira plot of land to his private property.

On receiving information about the scam, the Enugu State Government swung into action by approaching the Abuja Geographic Information System (AGIS), who confirmed the details of the allocation that was long hidden from the state government.

An earlier probe into the matter by the state government met a brick wall as the file containing information on the allocation had vanished into thin air.

The Enugu Government team was led by the Director of the State Housing Corporation, Ikeje Asogwa.

The Senator, who is believed to be nursing an ambition to succeed Governor Sullivan Chime in 2015, was said to have allegedly fronted a company that claimed ownership of the land. But further investigation revealed that the owners of the company were non-existent.

 Federal Investigators handling the matter have concluded investigation into the scam and are ready to charge the matter to court.
The Infra News gathered that the Senator is making frantic efforts to stave off the impending prosecution over the huge scandal threatening to eclipse his governorship ambition.

Sources at AGIS confirmed the development. Text messages sent to the Senator and the Director, Enugu State Housing Corporation, Ikeje Asogwa, were yet to be responded to as at the time of filling this report.

More:

Ukamaka Ugwu Reply
July 11, 2014 at 10:23 am
What a hack job by a paid amateur. Ndigbo and the whole of Nigeria have universally acknowledged the unbelievable transformation of Enugu State. No wonder the whole of Enugu State thank God for the gift of Sullivan.Do not cry for Enugu State, cry for prostitution masquerading as journalism, cry for Nigeria.

Reply
July 11, 2014 at 7:26 pm
Your comment is awaiting moderation.
Hi Mr Ukamaka Ugwu, do see what people are saying.
You may be living in a fools paradise with your sweeping generalisation: the whole Nigeria and Igboland, the whole Enugu people. Or is that what you like to tell yourselves?

See what I found, from comments section of the original writeup. So it's not me alone eh (or me and SpikesC man, u get stamina )

AMOBI Reply
July 11, 2014 at 10:06 am
The problem of our people is their inability to differentiate good and bad governance.The bitter truth is that they have not experienced good governance. Unemployement is highest when compared to other states, Only about 10% of Enugu residents enjoy pipe borne water. The water problem has being on for more than 40 years. Rent is highest in Enugu, housing stock is very low,fraudsters have taken over real estate and land acquisition business in Enugu. The state owned ETV runs only for a few hours a day, reception the poorest I have ever experienced, denying families who cannot afford to pay for cable access to information. POWER supply in Enugu is the worst anybody can think of. Students compete with the rest of the residents of Coal City, Enugu for accommodation. The facilities at these institutions an eyesore.The governor was ill adviced to demolish the old secreteriate buildings,these are monuments that harbor the history of Eastern Region. The parks in Enugu are either converted to beer parlours or shopping malls.Food is costly in Enugu, meat is out of the reach of poor, still nobody cares. Governace is about the people .

Gbamest!!!!

spyder880: Streets of Nsukka.

Which street is dis o.

See Enugu road, from where you enter and exit Nsukka.

While d debate is on:
See how little seed sowing can change lives. Read
http://theadvocatengr.com/new/?p=2234

Ekweremadu battles adult illiteracy in Enugu
* 5,000 adults get First School Leaving Certificates under Ikeoha Foundation Adult Literacy Programme

“I lost an opportunity to go to school early in life due to early marriage.  I dropped out of Primary 4 when my parents gave me out for marriage and since then I have been lamenting my illiteracy until another opportunity was created for us by Senator Ike Ekweremadu.  Through his Adult Literacy programme many of us in the villages can now read and write and I am very grateful to Ikeoha for restoring my hope, now I can read and write,” elated 40 year-old Mrs. Maria Nwaroh from Aninri Local Government Area of Enugu State told newsmen during the graduation ceremony for the first and second batches of the Ikeoha Foundation Adult Literacy programme
Mrs. Nwaroh, a mother of six children the first of who is 25 year-old, who escorted her to the ceremony, showered praises on Senator Ekweremadu for his interest in uplifting the downtrodden in the society.

“This senator is a blessing to us.  Apart from providing infrastructures in our local communities especially road, water and electricity, he has extended his good gestures to educating those of us who have lost hope of being educated from our childhood either due to the inability of our parents to train us or as a result of early marriage.  May God bless him,” said Mrs. Nwaroh, who promised to continue his education to secondary school level..

I believe it's clear that not all are fooled.

I dare summarize Chime's reign as follows:

"Nothing goes for nothing"
1.Beautifying Enugu metropolis: that's where Chime stays and where he entertains his visiting colleagues. From landing at the airport to govt house excellent and drive around.

2. Street lighting in Enugu is for night life in the centre, for him mainly (oringo chief) and his night parties

3. Apakpa-Nsukka rd, excellent, tho existing road reopened is to give a feeling of friend of Nsukka plus ready to "dash" them governor by zoning. But because Nsukka town is never his route, he completely forgot to also touch a whole 1st university town in Eastern Nigeria showing lack of real interest.

4. Link to Isi Uzo is to link to his friend Amb Kinsley Ebenyi now house of rep member

5. Old road 9th mile to Udi to Oji is oga excellency's way home. Same with Udi Ozalla. Can he boast of same from 9th Mile to okpatu to Umulumgbe, no! Same road o.

6. 9th Mile to Umulokpa is to oga farm (post retirement thinz . Ask me abt that later).

7. Old airport road is thinkers corner revampment, Ugbo Chime thinz . We initially Thot it was to give dose poor people in Ugbo Chime access way until they were all thrown out like weavils and worms.

For the masses:
Industry (jobs)-Zero. Even presidential hotels has completely collapsed throwing over 300 employees to d job market. E concern him. Nigersteel, Nigas, Ikenga hotel Nsukka all comatoes and completely deleted from Govt literature
Rural communities -Better go an die, nothing for u if u live in rural areas. Igwes have been "settled" with old model Hyundai (which cost is being deducted from their salaries -nothing goes for nothing bro ). Most live in Enugu city anyway.
Public schools -poverty is a disease. If you can't send your children to better school (Pine Crest way), na u sabi
Healthcare: forget healthcentres, forget general hospitals (even Udi general hospital sharing wall with Oga governor LGA HQ), come to Parklane (perfectly Udinized)
Food: forget it. My father no be farmer. Enugu marketing company has been empowered to import rice from Thailand (instead of marketing Enugu produces to the world as originally designed by Okpara)

Little wonder he is never bold to face the press. Ugly questions can come

Enugu Rd Nsukka. Nsukka town is a huge mess. Forget what has been sold to the gullible public, Enugu as a state is stagnant. Only d city centre

Enugu: The Ugly Side Of Sullivan Chime’s Administration
http://247ureports.com/?p=54113

Governor of Enugu state Mr. Sullivan Chime, in some quarters is referred to as a “silent achiever.” He is so called because in his habit he does not take seriously advertising whatever modest achievement his administration makes. Investigation has however revealed that Chime could be running away from being noted as governor who only concentrated efforts within two out of the seventeen local government areas in the state.
Even at that, the major achievement of the Chime administration concentrated within Enugu metropolis in his urban renewal agenda are mostly on resurfacing of township roads, streets and traffic lights, road cautions and just aesthetic beautification of few radius of the capital city out of 12,440 square kilometres land mass of Enugu state.
For the sake of revealing the ugly side of the Chime administration, it will be most appropriate to take the 17 local governments areas of the state one after the other and examine the much touted achievements of the seven and a half years administration of Chime and x-ray projects executed in those areas. We shall also look at what were not done and match them up for a critical analysis of the administration.
 
ENUGU NORTH LGA

Enugu North local government area is hearth of Enugu metropolis, it the hub of the state upon which the state government house, otherwise known as Lion building rests.

Embarrassing ditch at the every busy Holy Ghost area in heart of Enugu metropolis

Part of bad Goly Ghost road

Still on Holy Ghost roads
In this metropolitan area, there is undoubt-able presence of performance by the administration. When Chime assumed office in 2007, he met bad portions of road all over the metropolis and tackled them with passion. He also dualized roads in the metropolis and extended other major roads like the upper Presidential road, upper Independence avenue, among others. There was water reactivation that increased water supply to areas as the old GRA, New Haven. There was also lightening of the streets and improved security but beneath the facade of the aesthetics are unemployment and deprivation in other social infrastructure.

Udi siding road suffering from negelect by the Chime administration
In the area of health for instance, there was significant development in the sector. The parklane hospital where Chime’s predecessor, Chimaroke Nnamani, built massive infrastructure, there has not been further medical equipment of the specialist hospital, there has not been improvement in hostel facilities for the growing students while there has been mass exodus of doctors migrating to UNTH and other better welfare packaged hospitals. The politics of leadership of the Parklane also contributed in destroying the renowned hospital. Shortly Chime came into government, the former Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Dr. Ude retired and by hierarchy, Dr. Ezugwu from Nsukka was supposed to replace Udeh but Chime made sure that his kinsman from Udi took over and since then, everything in the hospital has been “Udinized”.

‘One year one block’ proposed Diagnostic centre that has eluded Governor Chime
Significantly, the Chime administration conceived the idea of building a diagnostic centre and commenced the structure at old trade fair ground facing market garden. That project for over five years has not been able to come up to the level of roofing the house, raising concerns that Chime is not interest in developing health sector but would rather travel abroad to receive treatment each time he fall sick. The much touted free maternal care for pregnant women never worked as women are subjected to producing tax clearances before they could benefit and eroded the down trodden opportunity of such policy that would have been laudable. The Asata and New Haven heath centres are shadows of themselves.
In the area of schools management, Chime gave out buses to secondary schools and tried to initiate free bus rides for students but was short leaved. Though secondary students of JSS 1 to 3 don’t pay school fees in the state there class rooms are all in adequate, filled to the brim and over stretched that teachers can’t find where to stand to deliver lectures. Examples of such schools are bound such as the GTC Enugu, it’s nearby comprehensive secondary school at the old trade fair ground, New Haven secondary school, just to name but a few. The primary schools in the metropolis are different either. At St. Peter’s primary school Ogbete in Coal Camp, the pupils study under uncondusive old building erected by the colonial masters, same is the case at St. Bridget’s primary school Asata, Obiagu road Primary school has been taken over by auto mechanics and so on and so forth.

Undeserving and neglected Obiagu primary school in Enugu

Ancient and mordern St. Peter’s primary school, Ogbete, coal camp Enugu taken over by heaps of refuse
On tertiary institutions, the Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), is still shopping N100b to complete infrastructure at the permanent site in Agbani while the ESUT school fees is now beyond the reach of the poor. The management of ESUT complains that the state government is not giving the institution tangible subvention to sustain the university and that was the reason why it resorted to generating money through the students. The Institute of Management and Technology (IMT) is a similar story with ESUT. In IMT most students leave off campus paying outrageous rents and the Chime administration failed to expand hostel facilities to ameliorate the sufferings of students.
The waste disposing system which Chime tried to start well soon than he started it went comatose as even the intolerant personnel of Enugu State Waste Management Authority (ENSWMA) resorted to killing innocent children for no justifiable cause. The substandard Chinese disposing truck acquired at the early stage of the Chime administration soon packed up and today heaps of refuse have returned to conspicuous places like Holy Ghost, coal camp, Obiagu, just to mention but a few in Enugu north local government area.

Heaps of refuse litter coal camp, Enugu
On water provision, it is only some locations within Enugu north LGA that experience running taps once but not more than twice in a week. Such places are New haven, GRA, Ogui New layout and that’s it. Taps don’t run in the High brow Independence layout where the government house is located and where most government institution and senior citizens reside.

Residents of Bunker, Ngenev, Obed camp scoop water from abandoned coal mines

Residents of Onoh quaters GRA scoop water from open Ekulu river

Obed camp, Ngeneve communities of Enugu metropolis drink water from abandoned coal mines
Even in the much talked about roads infrastructure that the administration is assumed to have done well, portholes have returned to majority of the streets among which the most noticeable include market road (Holy Ghost area). Other roads with serious and large potholes are Abakalili road by Ogui junction, Upper Ogui road, Okpara square area, Achi Street by ESBS junction. Just to mention few prominent ones. What is quite discernable from the road failures is that the roads where never done to high standards contrary to the jubilations that greeted the resurfacing of the metropolitan areas, otherwise quality roads are supposed to last a life span of not less than 20 years as is evident in road constructed by Dr. Chris Ngige in Anambra state.
Even at that many roads suffer neglect in Enugu north local government. Several roads Udi siding, Independence layout, Ogui-Nike, Enugu-Ngwo, GRA are yet to receive the attention of the state government. It is however remarkable to note that the state government does roads in partnership with local governments and so the state cannot receive all the glory for ones that were done at their usual low standard.
On electricity, it is not on record that the state government in the past seven and a half years procured transformers to help energize any part of the metropolis that some areas experience low shading electricity just like no know industry has sprang up in the area. Whereas the capital territory authority knocks down the property of innocent residents, the Chime family has been expanding their territory by erecting multi-billion naira estates in a parcel of land reserved by the state for future public use. The estate is a common site behind Enugu press centre and close to the Conference centre which has abandoned to rot away.
-
Still on Enugu metropolis, a review of Chime’s administration and how it affected Enugu South local government will shock you. Watch out for next edition.

Odenigbo Aroli: ... Lets be honest,Chime is a quiet,timid and a sneaky failure!

@Op, you got wot u wanted I suppose. Sullivan is not the best Gov in SE. He is not really media shy (crosscheck huge media presence at his trad wedding and daughter's marriage). It's because of the obvious harsh judgements on the court of public opinion. In Enugu today, there is little other Gov's will come to learn, no innovation. Jus same existing roads repaved at city centre only.

Let's pray to have a dedicated leader come 2015 who, like Obi did, will focus on developing the State and it's people

ENSG denies involvement in Diaspora elections.

The Enugu State Government has described as false and mischievous, a report in a national daily claiming that the government was involved in the recent elections of the ENUGU-USA- an organization formed by Enugu State indigenes in the United States.

A statement signed by the State Commissioner for Information, Mr Chuks Ugwoke, said the report was the handiwork of opponents of the State Government who having failed in previous attempts, have continued to search for avenues to embarrass the government.

He explained that contrary to the claims in the report, the Government had merely sent a delegation to represent it at the annual convention of the organization in line with a policy and tradition it had maintained from inception, of identifying with the ENUGU-USA and similar diaspora groups involving Enugu people across the globe.

Mr Ugwoke stated that the delegation participated in the opening ceremonies of the convention including the customary interactive session where the members fielded questions on the policies, activities and plans of the State Government after which they left the venue.

He stressed that no government official attended nor participated in the election and none was even anywhere near the venue of the exercise adding that this fact clearly showed that the claim that the government backed a candidate in the election, was a “wicked, unfounded and apparently sponsored fabrication”.

He further stated that the Government had no reason whatsoever to be interested in the election of officers of the ENUGU-USA as it had always worked with and supported successive leaders of the organization in the effort to ensure the rapid development of the State and the improvement of the lot of her people.

While urging the public to discountenance the report in its entirety, the Commissioner assured that the Government will not allow itself to be distracted by such antics but would rather remain focused on its drive to improve the state

Gets more interesting: Denial by Enugu Govt lampooned by knowledgeable insiders and act of Enugu Govt agents -overt campaign for the Gov's 2015 senate bid exposes association to IRS sanction. Read.

Tell it to the marines!

Really? Let's take Mr. Ugwuoke word-for-word:

A statement signed by the State Commissioner for Information, Mr Chuks Ugwoke, said the report was the handiwork of opponents of the State Government who having failed in previous attempts, have continued to search for avenues to embarrass the government.

Okay, that may be true, but only halfway. The report, evidently, even as factual as it seems, was the handiwork of the detractors of the state government, and was probably calculated to embarrass the state government. But, I guess my question for Ugwuoke is: So? Embarrassing the government, when it leaves itself open, is legitimate media practice. It is all part of the watchdog responsibility of the media. The real inquiry here is whether the state government brought the embarrassment upon itself? And I'm afraid my answer is yes.

I cannot comment on the charge of the state government's funding and sponsorship of any one particular candidate in the just concluded Enugu-USA elections. I doubt that anybody has definitive and conclusive evidence of such. That may be speculative. But I can comment on the gross shenanigan of the state government sending a political campaign team for the governor's senatorial bid, including many commissioners and special assistants, all wearing "Sullivan for Senate" t-shirts and face-caps, to a 501c3 not-for-profit organization.

What part of IRS prohibition of political activities for 501c3 organizations do these guys not understand? Do these guys not know that 501(c)(3) organizations are prohibited from directly or indirectly participating in, or intervening in, any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate running for public office? Do they not know that the charade of having top functionaries of Enugu State government come to Enugu-USA National Convention, wearing "Sullivan for Senate" t-shirts and face-caps seriously violates a major condition under which the IRS granted Enugu-USA tax-exempt status? Do they not know that such violation could result in severe consequences, including the revocation of the said tax exempt status? Why did our team of attorneys in the Office of Legal Counsel allow ostensible political campaign operators access and audience at the convention, knowing that it was a gross violation of the association's tax exempt status?

And to think that the organizational solidarity of the association was severely rocked in the last preparatory days of the convention by allegations of poster vandalism that bordered on the politics of poster optics. Rather than have DSP Senator Ekewremmadu's picture appear alongside Governor Chime's, the association was prepared to destroy already printed posters and print new ones; perhaps, without the former's image on it. And now this? By allowing "Sullivan for Senate" campaign team (in full political campaign mode and regalia) access to, and audience in, the national convention, Enugu-USA has not only taken sides with Gov. Chime in his senatorial race against Sen. Ekweremmadu, it has also seriously violated the charter of its legal existence as a tax exempt organization. 

Let's listen to Ugwuoke again:      

He explained that contrary to the claims in the report, the Government had merely sent a delegation to represent it at the annual convention of the organization in line with a policy and tradition it had maintained from inception, of identifying with the ENUGU-USA and similar diaspora groups involving Enugu people across the globe.

Really? Sullivan Chime is in his eighth year as governor of Enugu State. When was the last time he attended an Enugu-USA convention? Mmmmmmmm, NEVER! Yet Ugwuoke talks about policy and tradition they have maintained from inception. Okay, for the eight years he has been in office, the governor has never seen the need to attend Enugu-USA conventions but will dispatch all his commissioners and special assistants - wearing his image on their forehead and across their chest - to the last Enugu-USA convention before the next senatorial elections to campaign for his senate bid. Isn't something wrong with that? And why now? The governor did no such thing when he ran for reelection in 2011. Is his victory in this match-up against Ikeoha Ekweremmadu not as guaranteed as it used to be against other candidates? Hmm! Does that explain that desperate outing in Houston? I guess we'll see.

Chuks Ugwuoke again:       

Mr Ugwoke stated that the delegation participated in the opening ceremonies of the convention including the customary interactive session where the members fielded questions on the policies, activities and plans of the State Government after which they left the venue.

All that may be true; except that they wore t-shirts and face-caps announcing "Sullivan for Senate" the whole time they "participated in the opening ceremonies of the convention including the customary interactive session where [they] fielded questions on the policies, activities and plans of the State Government after which they left the venue." Why didn't somebody pay attention to that part of the delegation's assignment?

Ugwuoke:

He stressed that no government official attended nor participated in the election and none was even anywhere near the venue of the exercise adding that this fact clearly showed that the claim that the government backed a candidate in the election, was a “wicked, unfounded and apparently sponsored fabrication”.

Arrant nonsense! I have already committed to not commenting on whether Enugu State government funded or sponsored any candidate or candidates in the just concluded elections. But if the above is Ugwuoke's refuting argument, then, he must believe he is dealing with a bunch of retards to whom he could feed any load of hooey. Okay, the delegation did not come to the election venue to influence a secret-ballot voting. What difference would it have made? If they were on a mission to influence the outcome of the elections, their job would have been done Friday and Saturday. And they featured prominently on Saturday. If Enugu-USA elections were open voting (show of hands), would the delegation have opted to stay away on Sunday? I doubt. But I may be wrong. But again, I doubt!

Let's even agree that the delegation from Lion Building did not come to Houston to back a candidate in Enugu-USA elections; but they came to back a candidate in the coming senatorial elections in Enugu State Senatorial West. Will Ugwuoke argue against that? Of course he can't! Because Lion Building was almost evacuated as over a dozen commissioners and special assistants, wearing "Sullivan for Senate" t-shirts and face-caps, descended on the convention venue. So when Ugwuoke insists that the claim that the government backed a candidate in the election, was a “wicked, unfounded and apparently sponsored fabrication”, he is not altogether correct.

Enough of Chuks Ugwuoke and his theatrics.

I read that a member of this "Sullivan for Senate" political delegation made it rain for Enugu-USA. Clap! Clap! Clap! That's good. We need all the money we can get, except that the timing is suspect. Not only does the partisan politicization of the convention put the association at odds with the IRS, now a donation that has the character of a bribe? I guess my question is, where have these people been? Why didn't these donations come in ordinary times? Why are they coming, not just on the eve of senatorial elections in Enugu State, but also on the same day there was flagrant display of partisan politics in an Enugu-USA convention, a display that violates the association's tax exempt profile?

Folks, we may have to watch it. If it smells like politics, it is politics. And Enugu-USA, by the charter of its existence, is forbidden from partisan politics.

/Odenigbo

The bid by the Government of Enugu State to install its candidate to lead the highly influential Enugu-USA, an umbrella body of Enugu indigenes living in the United States of America, USA, failed at the weekend as delegates elected the first woman President of the body, Dr. Ifesinachi Ugwuonye.

A strong delegation of the Government to the convention, which held in Houston, Texas led by the Commissioner for Commerce and Industry and former Adviser to Governor Sullivan Chime on Diaspora Matters, Dr. Jude Akubuilo dressed in T-Shirts and faze caps that bore Governor Chime’s picture and had “Sullivan for Senate” boldly written on them, featured prominently at the convention.

Other members of the delegation were the Commissioner for Works, Engr. Goddy Maduaeke; Special Adviser on Diaspora Matters and Special Projects, Prof. Ike Mbah; and the Managing Director, Enugu State Housing Development Corporation, Mr. Ikeje Asogwa,


Their presence was, however, not enough to muster the requisite votes for their candidate, Mr. Leo Ugwu from Udi LGA as Dr. Ifesinachi Ugwuonye, a lawyer and indigene of Obeleagu Ndiuno in Ezeagu LGA cruised to a landslide victory.

Given the influence of the Enugu-USA in Enugu politics, Governor Chime’s strategists, it was gathered, were determined to install a candidate the government was “comfortable with” as a prelude to swaying Diaspora support for the Governor’s preferred successor and his quest for Enugu West Senatorial seat.

It could be recalled that many key members of the Governor’s cabinet, including the Commissioner for Commerce and Industry and former Adviser on Diaspora Matters, Dr. Jude Akubuilo were drawn from the Enugu-USA organisation.

Sources close to the Enugu Government House and the convention said the Enugu-USA election might have cost the State Government more than USD92,000.

However, it was gathered that the efforts to defeat Dr. Ifesinachi Ugwuonye, described by government sources as “rigid and difficult to deal with” were thwarted by the Greater Awgu indigenes and delegates who voted en masse against the Governor’s candidate.


The incumbent Senator representing Enugu West Senatorial District, Chief Ike Ekweremadu, hails from Aninri, which is part of the Greater Awgu political block in the Enugu West Senatorial District.

Although Dr. Ugwuonye and Mr. Ugwu hail from the same Udi/Ezeagu political block, delegates were said to have routed for Dr. Ugwuonye to prove a point and ensure the independence of the umbrella organisation of Enugu citizens resident in the USA.

Meanwhile, a member of the Enugu State Government delegation to the convention, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said it was not true that the Government sponsored any of the candidates as they were only in Houston to “promote Governor Sullivan Chime’s bid for the Senate”.

But this might have backfired as competent sources insisted that it was one of the major grouses of the delegates against the Sullivan Chime Administration.

A delegate, who gave a detailed account of the election queried: “How could people sit down in Government House Enugu and decide who is going to lead Enugu-USA?

“How could people be so petty to wear senatorial campaign T-shirts and faze to come and disorganize our events in a foreign land? Wasn’t that too petty and desperate?”

With the election, Enugu-USA has become the first major Igbo diaspora organisation to elect a woman as its President.

Other candidates elected into key offices include Hon. Kristy Obimah, Vice President; Hon. Chukwuma Ojukwu, Secretary; Hon. John Agbo, Chairman of Board of Trustees; and Hon. Ijeoma Nweze, Secretary, Board of trustees

http://dailypost.ng/2014/07/01/governor-chimes-candidate-loses-bid-lead-enugu-usa/

So his reason and vision for aspiring to Senate is to settle private scores?!! Lame. Some1 pls check effect of cancer on brain performance, Olodo.

Manchidede: Enugu State Governor, Sullivan chime has been quoted to have said that he wants to teach the serving national assembly members how to wind down, since they could not do that on their own.According to him, “since a good number of them were allegedly agitating and indirectly resisting the earlier accord at the state PDP caucus, I want to teach them how to wind down, Since some of them were charting another dimensions to the agreement, and could not wind down on their own, I will teach them how to wind down by running for the senatorial position of Enugu West,S[/url]

As always, a very impressive analysis from Odenigbo. I expect a comparable write up from Oracle. Obananjo in my opinion is the least qualified person to criticize anybody on the matter of corruption in Nigeria. He is also one of the most tribalistic and most corrupt ruler in the history of Nigeria. His regime was very murderous and perhaps ranks second only to Abacha's regime. He probably believes that PDP equates to Nigerian populace. Does anybody believe that he is thrilled about the elevation of Akanu Ibiam airport to international status? The problem with GEJ is that he has respect for human life, and thus has given us some freedom of speech and of the press. OBJ was a brute who ruled by terror.



After eight years of governance, one would have expected the rehabilitation of the East to West road. He did not even care to rehabilitate the road from Lagos to Abeokuta (his home town). He used the Igbos for exploitation, and dumped them afterward. I personally regard his statement that he cannot be intimidated, bought, and not afraid of death as subtle warning to GEJ that he OBJ is still a capable threat to human life.



The fact is that corruption has permeated every aspect of Nigerian life. How many of us in the diaspora can trust a relative or friend at home to handle a project for him or her in Nigeria? A one way airline ticket from Lagos to Enugu costs more than a round trip airfare from Cleveland to Baltimore. It costs more to book a hotel accommodation at a rat infested hotel in Nigeria than it costs to stay at Embassy Suites Hotel. Amazingly, people can afford all these inflated prices. I wonder if all these gullible customers have actually earned all these monies they throw around. Who are buying up all these outrageously priced properties at Lekki and other similar areas?



Having made these statements, I give OBJ a strong credit for decentralizing the military armories. GEJ will survive all these onslaughts. Right now, I don't see any non-Igbo candidate who will be better than him in giving hope to the Igbo agenda. For now we should learn how to speak softly and walk softly. We will all be judged by what we do or failed to do. Perhaps, OBJ is salivating on the good he has done for Nigeria. After all, he wants to accept the credit that he was instrumental in keeping Nigeria one.




Onwudiwe Azubuike Onuora, M.D.,FACOG, FICS

Guided by Destiny, Powered by Faith.

from Yahoo groups

Perspectives of OBJ letter to Jonathan
==================================

On Dec 12, 2013, at 7:35 AM, Odenigbo . wrote:
















Comrade,




If you would countenance street, urban lingo, then, allow my summary reaction to this intriguingly delightful piece to be captured in the congenial expression, 'word', drawn out as 'worrrrd' For I am in total agreement. It's a piece unassailable in content, unrivaled in candor, unmatched in sagacity; yet, totally besmirched in motive and spirit. The timing of this letter makes me want to call it the Mandela effect.




Obviously, the canonization and deification of Nelson Mandela, and, by implication, the demonization of his moral opposites, littered allover Africa, especially Nigeria, must have induced this epiphanic contrition on a glory and redemption-seeking penitent like Obasanjo. When the world stood still on Tuesday, as intergalactic space motions, defying the angry roars of a mourning morning rain, dropped in Johannesburg a global assemblage of diverse and disparate hues, all united in their claim of common cause heritage and moral inspiration in Nelson Mandela, even Obasanjo was there.




Watching his mien as he entered the VIP podium, unheralded, unsung, and unannounced, I sensed an atypical gait of subduedness and a certain mood of internal melancholy in Obasanjo. Gathering the frills of his traditional three-piece agbada, and holding together the ends of the fringes to his lower abdomen, Obasanjo narrowed his physical being to a modest space; perhaps, in subconscious submission to inevitable mortality.




Of course, Obasanjo might have come to South Africa to pay deserving homage to Africa's greatest son and humanist, but on some arcane level, this rain rendezvous had a design of penitential absolution for all upon whom it dropped. But, as is central to both Roman Catholic and Protestant theologies, remission of sins must be preceded by the confessionary. Even Mandela's Truth and Reconciliation Commission, that strategic genius that has held together a post-apartheid South Africa, contains the precondition of confession as a fundamental.




If he gulped from the literary chalice of Christopher Okigbo, Obasanjo's trip to South Africa could very well be "The Passage" for him. With everything we know and testify about Mandela's saintly attributes, that Johannesburg stadium on Tuesday couldn't be any less Okigbo's idealized "Heavens-gate". For the few hours that Obasanjo sat in solemnity in that stadium, it must have felt like a cleansing and redemption worship at Mandela's shrine.




And like Okigbo standing naked before "Mother Idoto" a prodigal, Matthew Olusegun Obasanjo, by far a worse profligate, having squandered the fortune, and mortgaged the future, of God's 180,000,000 people, must before Mandela's presence "wait on barefoot, watchman for the watchword...out of the depths my cry: give ear and harken...dark waters of the beginning... Rainbow on far side, arched like a boa bent to kill, foreshadows the rain that is dreamed of...solitude invites...on one leg standing, in silence at the passage, the young bird at the passage...silent faces at crossroads..."




That, my friends, must have been the burden of Obasanjo's mind at the funeral.




Poor him! Mandela's death was his own death, too. Mortality was in generous display in the Johannesburg stadium. For Obasanjo, the comparing and the contrasting is heavily embarrassing. He and Mandela may have been nineteen years apart in biological age, but Obasanjo has lived a longer free life than did Mandela. Here is the math: Mandela lived a total of 95 years, 27 of which was spent in Robin Island prison, leaving him a total of 68 free years. Obasanjo is 76. If you take away the three years of inmateship under Sani Abacha, he has lived 73 years of freedom. So, in practical terms, Obasanjo is older than Mandela.




Also, both men presided over the destinies of their peoples - Mandela led South Africa; Obasanjo ruled Nigeria. Mandela led South Africa for one term of five years, refusing the popular clamor for a second term. Obasanjo ruled Nigeria for over eleven years, having previously been head of state between March 1976 and September 1978. In 2007, he was infamously forced out of office by a popular resistance to his criminal and unconstitutional quest for a third four-year term. While Mandela punished corruption, Obasanjo personifies it. Mandela loathed power; Obasanjo gloats it.




The difference between both men is simply daylight. They were different men in life and they will be different men in death. And that scars the hell out of Matthew Obasanjo. He realizes that history may not be kind to him. He recognizes that while history will record Mandela in glowing encomiums, he will be painted in cartoons in patchy canvass. While history will record Mandela in bold fonts, Obasanjo will be side-noted and foot-noted in italics as a reminder of what not to be. That is the reality that Matthew Obasanjo is dealing with at 76. At that age, what matters is legacy, and he is scared stiff that he may be lean on legacy. But he also realizes that legacy can be fixed.




This letter to Jonathan should be seen as Obasanjo's attempt to revisit and rewrite his own history, and redeem himself. It is an effort to gain admission into the pantheons of Africa's greats. The Mandela effect. Well, I don't know the prospect of being successful at it. One thing is clear, though: Obasanjo's death will not summon to Nigeria one-tenth of the world leaders that descended on Johannesburg on Tuesday. That genie is out of the bottle.




However, he could take steps to make peace with himself. He created the mess that Nigeria is today dealing with. He imposed Umaru Yar'Adua on Nigeria, knowing he was in bad health. He was instrumental to the selection of Goodluck Jonathan as Yar'Adua's runningmate, knowing that upon the death of the president the vice president becomes president. He laid the structural foundation for systemic corruption in Nigeria. He is a visionless dictator, an inebriated power addict, and an arrogant man. Worst of all, Matthew Obasanjo does not take responsibility for his screw-ups. He is always looking for scapegoats.




Like I said in the beginning, the letter, content-wise, is gospel. Obasanjo is right on the money in his assessment of the rot that is Jonathan's administration. The corruption under Jonathan makes Obasanjo a saint. And I guess that is what gives Obasanjo the moral chutzpah to take it to his own protege.




History is in a dynamic flux. If Obasanjo succeeds in helping to rein in this national ship, cut adrift, without compass, in the shark infested waters of unprecedented corruption, history may have a rewrite. But if Obasanjo's goal in this scathing epistle is to share the same moral space with Madiba Mandela, then, he is even more naive than I thought he was. That ship has sailed, leaving him behind.




Way behind...




/Odenigbo

I'm in Enugu and no election. Last electiosn were local council election of which no violence was recored and House oF Assembly election for an LGA 3weeks ago which also went well

Wots pm sweerie?

It shd read "Widows go and die"

If you have evidence, just go to court. The media thing won't do it. I pity APGA crowd sha, should this be real

Boxers are 'wear once' and wash. Keep like 6 to 10 of them. Wear new one everyday and wash all on Sat.

Do this if u hope to get a norm dose of MouthAction (opp of cunni)

Thanks Engr Musiwa for sharing. The (engineering) english is most appreciated

;DSee desparation. Pls, is d youth forum part of pdp? Are they even individually members of the party?

But wait a second. Who here recalls ABN (Association for Better Nigeria) and the maverick Arthur Nzeribe in the Shonekan, Abacha, Abiola imbroglio? 1993 to be exact. Pls dear, I pray the Igbos don't get involved in current akamu case, cos it could spiral out of control. Pls Igbos steer clear abeg and 7 gbosas for u. Igbo Kwenu!

e don doo! yes. e don do. I believe the bagga has got the message. And u can see he hasn't said zilch in days. Quite unlike him.

Vanity! How does this make the marriage last? Cos, at present, big society wedding and big divorce are never far apart. Wish them well tho.

This happens in every corner of the country. The Police authority should go beyond sanctioning the caught officer to addressing the root causes of this. For instance the clamp down on cars with tinted is a fresh revenue pot for both the police guys on the road who extort motorists as well as the hqtrs who charge money, up to N30k to issue the permit which they announced to the world to be free.

As the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu gears up to commence international flight operations, the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu has commended the President Goodluck Jonathan Administration for making it possible.

He gave the commendation while reacting to the planned maiden international flight operations from the Akanu Ibiam International Airport by Ethiopian Airlines on August 24 this year.

Senator Ekweremadu who described the development as a “major milestone in the infrastructural renewal of the South East and a monumental boost for both trade and Direct Foreign Investment for the entire country”, said it would alleviate the challenges faced by business persons travelling to the South East,

“For many decades, the people of the South East, the local and international business community have waited seemingly endlessly for the commencement of international flight operations at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, and the people South East will remain ever grateful to President Jonathan for the breakthrough”, he enthused.

The Deputy President of the Senate also commended the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua whom he said, took the initial practical steps towards making the Airport an international facility and a sub-regional aviation hub.

Extolling the President Jonathan Administration for faithfully nurturing his predecessor’s dream to reality, Senator Ekweremadu said the materialization of this vision highlights the need for policy and project continuity in governance.

He said: “It is also noteworthy that this project has gone on smoothly under the tenures of Mrs. Diezani Allison-Madueke who facilitated discussions with late President Yar’Adua on this project as Minister of Transport, Mrs. Fidelia Njeze who started the actual construction, as Minister of Aviation; and the current Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah who has driven this vision with tremendous commitment, passion, and vigour to the point of reality today”.

Senator Ekweremadu commended in a special way Enugu State Caucus of the National Assembly for committing their entire Constituency Project funds for the year 2008 to boosting budgetary provisions for the Akanu Ibiam International Airport in accordance with the understanding reached with former President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.

The Deputy President of the Senate also commended the Governors, political stakeholders, and the entire people of the South East for their collective support towards the actualization of the vision, and called for continued massive support of the South East geopolitical zone and the nation for the President Jonathan Administration.

He assured that other international airlines, notably, the Emirates and Turkish Airlines would soon join international operations from Enugu.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=X&q=http://www.spyghana.com/ekweremadu-hails-jonathan-on-the-commencement-of-intl-flight-operations/&ct=ga&cad=CAcQAhgAIAAoATAFOAVAxseEkAVIAVAAWABiAmVu&cd=J40oKCC26LY&usg=AFQjCNHmF1M28M875YC1fzkpHz6YfnAWtg

Meanwhile, Enugu State Government has not uttered a word on this watershed development. Is Chime anti Jonathan or he doesn't just get it

Irredeemable Waste! Little wonder he is so desparate to launch back into political relevance to be able to scoop money to maintain such colossal heap of aging concrete and sand. How does he plan to maintain such? The poor state of maitenance can't be hidden in some of the pics. Lodges for president and 36 Govs my foot.
A mere soap-making factory would have benefitted his village more

Nigerian lawyers continue to look in the wrong places.

Some of the victims of the deportation can sue lasg, claim hefty and secure relief.