A turning point for the young company came in 1989, when Rilwanu Lukman, then foreign minister of Nigeria who later became secretary general of the oil producers' cartel OPEC, visited Houston. At a Rotary Club meeting, Lukman told him the Nigerian government wanted to spur development of a local energy industry. With his knowledge of Nigeria and his Houston address, Lawal was ideally positioned to attract major oil companies, Lawal says Lukman told him.

There lies the connection. We do not expect Kase Lawal to say he is fronting for anyone, but we also know that Rilwanu is fronting for the same people
BTW, Emeka Offor is also fronting for them. They are all fronts.

He's far more of an authentic business man than all the Dangotes and Adenugas who are fronting businesses for ex-military generals.-4PLAY

How do you know he is not fronting for the same people?- Mekusxxx

^^may God dont let you die of envy of yoruba.can you please mention those he's fronting for and for the record,yayale held a meeting with him during jonathan's visit to the US.- Bluetooth

No I am not envious. I am asking the same question that 4 pplay asked of Adenuga and Dangote. You are stu-pid, how many meetings have the govt not held with Adenuga and the rest of the fronters?-Mekuszyx

bk/babe97= America wannabe Yoruba

Topic: the babe is frontally loaded though.lol

N2.3bn scam: EFCC summons Bankole, others
20 May, 2010 08:08:00 ERASMUS ALANEME, Abuja
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Chairman of EFCC, Mrs. Farida Waziri
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has summoned the leadership of the House of Representatives, over the controversial N2.3billion car purchase scam rocking the House since 2008.

Chairman of EFCC, Mrs. Farida Waziri said the commission has concluded investigations into the matter and would soon charge those indicted to court.

While the Speaker, Dimeji Bankole is to explain what led to the inflation of the contract, his deputy, Usman Bayero Nafada will explain why his account was allegedly used for the transaction.

Meanwhile, the commission may have temporarily cleared the Vice President Namadi Sambo of allegations of corruption, insisting that aside the petition being frivolous, the State Security Service (SSS) in Kaduna State had handled the issue before.

Speaking in Abuja yesterday, Waziri said following the conclusion of investigation into the car purchase scam, she was now set to prosecute all the actors indicted by the investigation.

Waziri said the case file has already been sent to the commission’s legal department where it will be studied by prosecutors after which a case would be filed in court.

"We did our investigation and we have concluded it. "We have sent the case file to our legal department where it will be studied and case prepared."

It will be recalled that the commission had on April 20, invited Nafada for questioning in connection over the contract for the purchase of Peugeot cars in 2007 for lawmakers.

EFCC spokesman, Femi Babafemi, had told journalists that the missing money was traced to the Deputy Speaker’s account in the course of investigation.

The anti-graft commission had commenced its investigation into the alleged scam when Human Rights lawyer, Festus Keyamo, petitioned it over the transaction between the House leadership and Peugeot Automobile Nigeria (PAN), a transaction which he described as fraudulent.

In his petition, EFCC lawyer, Festus Keyamo had explained that the clerk of the National Assembly awarded the contract for the supply of the 380 units of 407 ST (Sports) Auto to PAN at N2,359,486,500, adding that what was eventually supplied was the 407 Comfort Automatic at a total of N1,570,800,000.

Part of the petition read: "Interestingly, what the company quoted was not what was eventually supplied. What the company quoted for was the 407 ST (Automatic) at a unit price of N6, 209,175. What was eventually supplied was the 407 Comfort Automatic which was shown to be worth N5, 100,000. The difference therefore per unit of car supplied is N1, 109,175. This translates to a total of N421, 486,500 misappropriated by the House under the leadership of Dimeji Bankole."

On the petition against the Vice President, the EFCC boss said the issue of extortion of money contained in the petition had been investigated by the (SSS) in Kaduna before now.

She said: "Most of the allegations are frivolous. There is a lot of falsehood in the malicious petition. Some people just write petitions to pull others down, that is why we must do a thorough job when we get a petition,"

Bluetooth:

And why do you disbelieve the Okiro report? Because your godfather OBJ was indicted? Bloody tribalist

http://nigeriavillagesquare.com/forum/main-square/54549-turai-begs-jonathan.html

Jonathan, it is up to you now. You will be judged by your action in matters such as this

Zik scuttled chance of ruling Nigeria, handed me a golden key, says Amechi, ex Zikist Leader
Politics May 15, 2010
Zik: He inspired African nationalism. Amechi: Zik gave me a golden key.
By Chief Mbazulike Amechi
Chief Mbazulike Amechi is perhaps, the only surviving nationalist in the South East and one of the remaining six in Nigeria. A former House of Representatives member and ex Minister of Aviation, Amechi who wrestled and arrested a white assassin asked to kill Nnamdi Azikiwe (which made Zik call him The Boy Is Good)was a strong voice of the now disappearing members Zikist Movement, a radical political group founded in February 1946 by young enthusiastic Nigerian nationalists to fight against colonialism.
Amechi, 80, was the keynote speaker at the Ndigbo Lagos organised 14th Zik Memorial Symposium Lecture held last Tuesday, May 11, 2010 in Victoria Island, Lagos to mark the death of the former president. In this abridged version of his essay, Amechi reveals the late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe as never before, including how he inspired nationalist movements across Africa, his mentoring of Nelson Mandela and how Zik scuttled his own chances at becoming Nigeria’s First Executive President in 1979.

Zik Beyond Nigeria
Dr. Azikiwe while leading the struggle for the freedom of Nigeria, did not lose sight of the needs of our brothers and sisters in East, Central and Southern Africa who were carrying out their own struggle, most of them badly oppressed by white settlers and apartheid policy.

The NCNC Political Training School was set up at Yaba in Lagos and apart from our youths who were trained in the school, Zik extended his hand of fellowship to contemporaries like Kaunda, Nyerere, and Banda to send their youths for training. Many of the youths who passed through this school at Yaba were to become Ministers and Leaders in various fields in their countries. I remember such names as Tom Mboya, Odinga Oginga and Sam Nujoma who later became the President of South West Africa.

He came to us as leader of his party, South West Peoples Organization (SWAPO). Among the teachers in the school may be mentioned, Ogoegbunam Dafe, Chudi Akunyili, Kola Balogun, Mokwugwo Okoye, my humble self and Fred. Mc Ewen.

ZIK and Mandela
In 1961, the racist government of South Africa and British Intelligence were furiously looking for Nelson Mandela. He was obliged to take refuge in Nigeria, and Zik, the Governor_General, assigned him to live with me at Ikoyi. I was the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Information.

Mandela lived with me at No.5 Okotie –Eboh Street, Ikoyi for more than four months. About the fifth month, Mandela soliloquized openly to my hearing, “for how long must I continue in this hide and seek game. I’d better go back to South Africa to give leadership to the people; if they kill me, my death will inspire the other nationalists to continue the struggle until total victory is won”.

That was how he decided to return to South Africa where he was shortly arrested and imprisoned for life. How he was aided financially when he was going, I do not know; that was at the level of Zik and Dr. Okpara, who was then the Premier of Eastern Region. Apart from the youths who passed through the NCNC Political School, Zik was concerned with the low level of education in some of these sister African countries and initiated a Special Scholarship Scheme for them in the Eastern Regional Government. Dr. Okpara inherited and expanded it.

That is why one would find so many boys and girls from these African countries in the Queens College, Enugu, Government College, Umuahia and Abbot Boys College, Ihiala (then owned by Hon. G.E. Okeke, the Minister of Education). Some of these boys and girls who were caught up by the Biafran war were smuggled home to their counties through Gabon.

Opportunity Sacrificed and Lost
In October this year, Nigeria will be 50 years old as a sovereign nation. The painful irony of our political history and development is that the people who made the most sacrifice and were in the fore_front of the struggle for independence are the ones who have not benefited or have benefited least from the dividends of freedom. The case of Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe is most painful; for on two occasions he was at the door of Headship of the Government of the country he captained its players.

He deliberately and patriotically sacrificed one occasion and simply lost the other. He made the personal sacrifice of his right to the Prime Ministership of the country in order that Independence on October 1, 1960 would not be scuttled.

In the Constitutional Conferences held in London and Lagos, the British had woven in a caveat that if any Region of the country expressed opposition or unreadiness for Independence on October 1, the independence would be postponed indefinitely. In the pre_independence election conducted by the British on December 15, 1959 the following results were obtained:

NCNC_NEPU Alliance scored a total of 2,595,577 votes to capture 73 seats. The Action Group_UMBC Alliance scored 1,922,364 votes to capture 73 seats. The NPC scored a total of 1,992178 votes to capture 142 seats.

It may be said that Awolowo showed bad faith or extra smart politics by offering simultaneously to the NCNC and NPC the option of Prime Ministership in an alliance with the Action Group provided he could be made Minister of Finance. Zik could have accepted Awolowo’s offer and became the Prime Minster, but considering the threat which the NPC had expressed that if the Prime Ministership did not come to the North, they would stop Independence on October 1, 1960, he patriotically sacrificed the opportunity.

He said that his primary objective in the nationalist struggle was for Nigeria to be free and independent. Indeed he reflected this in his speech after being sworn is as Governor_General when he said “consumatum est”.

Zik and 1979
The second opportunity is the opportunity to become the Executive President of this country on October 1, 1979. Let me take this opportunity to say what happened or what I know of what happened.

In April 1978, Zik sent a message that I should see him at his Nsukka residence. I promptly honoured the invitation, which of course I regarded as a command. At Nsukka, the Owelle told me that he wanted to contest election to become the President of Nigeria in 1979 and wanted to assign me, as his field go_getter and organiser throughout his period as Premier of Eastern Region, to go into the field and prepare the ground for him.

We then discussed the modalities and implications and agreed that it was absolutely necessary to win the support of the North in view of their population. I then went to Lagos and discussed with Alhaji Shehu Shagari who had his residence at Victoria Island. Shagari brought in Alhaji Shetima Ali Monguno Chief Sunday Awoniyi into the discussion. After consulting with Zik, I brought in Chief Dennis Osadebay and R.B.K. Okafor from our side.

We held series of meetings and agreed that since the North and the East worked harmoniously in peace in the First Republic, it would be desirable for them to collaborate again in the Second Republic. After a rather hard bargaining, we agreed in principle that Zik should be Presidential Candidate with Shagari as his running mate.

The North, however, insisted that Zik should run for one term only and hand over the mantle to a Northerner. When I reported this provisional agreement to Zik, he told me that it was the Emirs who held ultimate say in the North and asked how I was sure that the Emirs would not veto the agreement. I went back to Lagos and told Shagari what fear Zik expressed.

Shagari assured me that the Emirs were being briefed on our negotiations but in any case he would try and do something concrete. The following weekend, Zik told me that the Emir of Zaria came to him and presented to him a gift of four leather_feet stools and four pieces of brocade material as present from the Sultan of Sokoto with a message that “what his delegates were discussing with our boys were being reported to their committee of six and had their full endorsement”.

Yet further, Zik expressed another fear, and asked me; “what of the Army, how can we be sure that they won’t strike again if an Igboman becomes President?” I went back to Lagos again and told Shagari of my Leader’s new fear. Shagari said, “Haba! What’s all these fears; does the man really want to be President?”

He said he would answer this in a practical way. He arranged dinner with General Danjuma who was the then Chief of Staff at the Supreme Headquarters. At the dinner, he briefed Danjuma on the discussion and the fear of the Army as expressed by Zik. Danjuma said that what they were looking for was somebody like Zik really, but said that he could not go to Nsukka to assure him for fear of the press spotting him.

He said that I should tell Owelle that he (Danjuma) would be addressing the army at the Army Sports holding in Calabar that weekend; that in his speech on that occasion he would pass his message to Zik. Gen. Danjuma spoke in this vein. “I want to use this opportunity to reassure all Nigerians that the military would truly hand over to a democratically elected President on October 1, 1979 but the President_elect must be a father_figure who will truly reunite the country…” Zik got this message and told me that he had got all the assurances he needed.

Shagari, who was then the chairman of Peugeot Automobile Nig. Ltd gave me a note with which I took delivery from SCOA Lagos, the first three cars with which Zik’s preliminary campaign was launched. While these haggling were going on, National Movement had transformed to National Party of Nigeria, NPN while Club 79 had welcomed Nigeria Peoples Party, but none had been registered as a political party.

I was myself, a leading member of Club 19 or NPP, In fact, the old Anambra branch was formed in my house at Ukpor. Our proposal was to fuse the two associations into one political party, to be named Nigerian Peoples National Party and this fusion was to the effected during Zik’s next birthday.

When I brought this merger proposal to my own NPP, a powerful group from the Middle Belt (Benue/Plateau) led by Paul Unongo nearly attacked me physically, saying that they would never belong to the same party with the far_North.

Shortly after I left for the UK to inspect machines being assembled for my Kaolin processing factory and to dash to Ireland to brief Dr. M.I. Okpara then in exile about final arrangements for his return, a political opportunist took advantage of my absence from the East and the country to convince Zik to sponsor him as Governor in the NPP and that with his name and popularity he could win as President.

Somehow, the Owelle bought this stunt and issued a one_sentence press statement; cancelling “all arrangements made for my birthday”. Igwe Ezenwa of Oba heard this statement on the radio and raced to my residence to ask what was happening. I rushed to Nsukka to find out but was stopped at Zik’s gate with the message that the Owelle was not feeling well and his Doctor said he must not be disturbed.

Dennis Osadebay from Asaba rushed to Nsukka but was not allowed access and on his way back, he had the accident that left him paralysed. Mojeed Agbaje from Ibadan rushed to Nsukka to see the Owelle but was blocked and on his way had a ghastly motor accident between Ore and Ondo and died, along with four other political timbers from the West.

My last desperate effort to warn the Owelle that some opportunist merely wanted to use him for selfish end was when I went to the NPP convention at Apapa and Bobo Nwosisi and one thug from Enugu state who later became a traditional ruler, used hemp-smoking thugs to stop me from entering the field.

I finally had audience with Zik at his Nsukka residence on November 21, 1978 where I candidly advised him that having mismanaged the chance to become President, it would, in my opinion, be better for him not to contest than to contest and lose with all his honour and glorious role in the nationalism and politics of Nigeria.

He told me that apart from the assurances given to him by Unongo/Jim/Mbakwe group, he could honestly not belong to a party with Chief Akinloye as National Chairman (remembering what Akinloye did to him in the Western House of Assembly in 1952).

I may be wrong but I consider this an opportunity missed.

After these painful experiences, I went into month_long retreat and meditation and finally joined the NPN which had then nominated Shehu Shagari as its Presidential Candidate. This was on December 26, 1978 and I was immediately co_opted into the Presidential Campaign Team.

I toured the whole North with the team and as we rounded up in Kwara State, Shagari the Presidential Candidate and Akinloye the National Chairman of the NPN invited me to a private suite at Kwara State Hotel on January 13, 1979 and informed me that I had been chosen as Presidential Running Mate to Shagari and the announcement would be made when we got down to Lagos the next day.

I thanked them for the honour but told them that even though I was in an opposing party to Zik’s, I would never contest any election in opposition to Zik. I must mention here that years after, Zik told me that I should not have declined the offer, that it would have been better for me to cut the tail of an animal he missed killing.

Zik’s Golden Key
Finally, ladies and gentlemen, let say it for the first time to a public gathering. Dr. the Rt. Hon. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Zik of Africa, the Owelle of Onitsha at exactly 5 a.m. some six hours before he breathed his last, gave to me a ONE FOOT LONG KEY, made of Pure Solid Gold. I fully understood the message of the key and I hold it dear and close to my chest. Thank you.

‘Soyebi Not Fit to Chair INEC’
05.15.2010

A socio-political pressure group, Abia Elders Forum yesterday said the Acting Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mr. Solomon Soyebi is not morally fit to chair the INEC even on a temporary capacity.
According to the group, Soyebi’s appointment seriously undermines President Goodluck Jonathan’s commitment to conduct free and fair elections in 2011.


In a communiqué issued by the group at the end of its May Stakeholders’ Forum in Abuja and signed  by the group’s Director of Publicity, Hon. Uchenna Kalu, the forum called on Mr. President to sack Soyebi immediately because he is “critically compromised.”


“Mr Soyebi belongs to an elite cabal in INEC under Maurice Iwu whose members were sent to special-interest states to deliver high-network customers. He was the Resident Electoral Commissioner Iwu sent to Abia in 2007 to perfect one of the most audacious electoral frauds in Nigerian history.


“This man arrived Abia on Wednesday April 11, 2007 conducted the Governorship and House of Assembly elections on April 14 and before receiving the results from the local government collation centres, proceeded to write a fake result announcing a candidate with 77,828 votes as ‘winner’ and the one with 181,039 as ‘loser’.


“Lacking the courage and personal conviction to announce the fake results personally, as required by the Electoral Act, Mr. Soyebi instructed the INEC PRO in Umuahia to issue and circulate a press release announcing the written results. He then ran to neighbouring Akwa Ibom state, to escape the wrath of Abia voters. Soyebi was promoted National Commissioner soon after.”

UcheUwadi_:

The West may be disorganized, but the Core North is not disorganized. There leadership is firmly in power. The Hausa have the best form of governance when it comes to people following the will of their elite. This is something that is most admirable and scary at the same time when discussing Hausa-Fulani culture. Such a cohesive group, it just boggles the mind that a people can form a collective will through their religion and leadership.

You give too much credit to the hausa fulani. We have seen how united they are with the incapacitation of Yaradua and eventual death and all the undercurrent. We have seen how united they are, yet Atiku and Buhari cannot form a credible opposition party.

I look toward the West, I see no leadership. I look toward the North, none can be found.

Imagine getting killed just for stepping on a toe? How much is an Yoruba life worth? They kill for politics, they kill for stepping on toes, literally speaking. O ga ju!

Mr. Bimbo Roberts-Folayan, the International Coordinator of the Nigeria Project, one of the numerous groups campaigning for Babangida abroad, is said to be spearheading the assignment.

This guy is on a familiar terrain-betrayal.

2011 Presidency: Ibb Commissions Research Into Nigeria ’s Problems
| Print | E-mail
Written by Dipo Laleye, Minna

Former Military President, Ibrahim Babangida, who has indicated his intention to contest the 2011 presidential election, has commissioned research into Nigeria’s socio- political problems, Saturday Tribune can reveal.

The action of the former military leader came as one of his campaigners denied that the general had pulled out of the race.

Babangida, according to a source, commissioned the ‘Think Tank’ composed of some of his loyalists based in Europe and the Americas to carry out the research.

It was learnt that the areas where the aspirant wanted international solutions to in Nigeria’s problems were electricity and power supply, eradication of poverty and unemployment, 419 activities and criminality as well as infrastructural development.

Babangida was reported to have told members of the ‘Think-Tank’ to consult widely with members of the international community and, especially, the private sector with a view to recommending how the developed countries of the world were able to surmount these problems.

Mr. Bimbo Roberts-Folayan, the International Coordinator of the Nigeria Project, one of the numerous groups campaigning for Babangida abroad, is said to be spearheading the assignment.

Roberts-Folayan said, in a telephone interview on Friday, that the assignment had almost been completed, adding that a full report would be submitted to Babangida in Minna in two weeks time.

I wonder when they will extradite Erastus Akingbola?

U.I (and other neighbouring unis) graduates must explain something here

ROFLMAO.

Awon omo Ibadan kini show?

Police uncover another ‘Oluwole’ in Ibadan
, As detectives arrest 2, recover fake documents
From NGOZI UWUJARE, Ibadan
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Suspects
Photo: Sun News Publishing
More Stories on This Section

Detectives in Oyo State Police Command have uncovered a replica of the notorious “Oluwole” in Lagos, where fake documents are printed and sold to willing buyers.

The crime fighters were said to have raided the shopping complex, located at the old Gbagi market in Ibadan, the state capital, where some members of the fake documents syndicate were apprehended.
Elated residents described the raid by the police as a relief, saying they had been afraid of reporting their activities to the police. They alleged that they had been operating in the area for the past 20 years.

Two suspects, arrested during the raid were, Tunde Omotayo (aka Torch) and Lekan Olanrenwaju. Omotayo, 57, confessed to Daily Sun how 20 of them started the illegal business in 2007.
He also disclosed how they produced fake stamps of banks, higher institutions, police, embassies letterheads, statements of accounts and forged admission letters of foreign institutions.
Omotayo, who claimed to have lived in London, said he came back to Nigeria in 1986. He also confessed to have given many people fake documents with which they facilitated their travels abroad.
He disclosed that he charged N70, 000, N50, 000 and N100, 000, depending on the type of document required by his client.

Olanrenwaju, 40, said it was Omotayo, who asked him to carve stamps of organizations for him. According to him, Omotayo lied to him that he operated a travel agency. “I was surprised when policemen came to my shop to arrest me,” he said.

The state Police Commissioner, Mr. Adisa Bolanta, explained that policemen raided the area following many petitions from members of the public. He told Daily Sun that the suspects would be prosecuted after investigation.

Nairaland sucks with incompetence. They can't even maintain an ordinary website. Thinking of taking a long break

Where are all my posts? This thread was like 19 pages as of yesterday.

[email]Nigerian Rapist Strikes in London [/email]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



A SEX attacker who targeted a businesswoman as she ran on Hackney Marshes was captured by a group of footballers after they heard her screams.

Adelani Akamo, 23, had only been in Britain for 10 days when he clubbed the 33-year-old with a lump of wood and dragged her into bushes.

The Nigerian, who is here on a student visa, battered her face and head before assaulting her.
He struck as scores of Sunday League football matches being played on some of the area's 88 pitches were ending.

The players heard the victim's cries and wrestled Akamo to the ground, holding him until police arrived.

Judge Simon Freeland QC, jailing Akamo for seven years, said: “The fact is that these offences amount in aggregate terms to a chilling and terrifying attack on an innocent member of the public, going about her own business in preparation for a marathon run.”

Recommending Akamo's deportation on release, the judge said: “Your continued presence in this country is to its obvious detriment. It would be contrary to the public interest for you to remain in this country.”

The married victim, a successful businesswoman, said her personal life and career had been devastated by the attack.

In a statement read by prosecutor Brendan Morris, she said: “Family life has suffered and the financial strain is now taking greater effect.”

Asked how her life had been affected, she replied: “The only answer I can give is, what life? I cannot live, I don't exist.

“While I still wear her clothes, live in her house and share her professional title, I am not that woman.”

John Townsend, defending, said Akamo, who admitted wounding with intent and sexual assault, had not planned the attack in September last year.

But Judge Freeland described the assault as “sustained, frenzied and premeditated”, telling Akamo: “You knew precisely what you were doing.”

^^^^^^
Brother leave matter we know wetin dey

Moreover, the letter h is not in the neighbourhood of i in the PC/laptop keyboard, either qwerty or azerty.lol

Ruq:

OMG it's even Dokubo the guy his absolutely nuts!

You must be an Yoruba. By their grammar - in bold - they are known. lol

You always say you are not a Nigerian. Yet you have investments in Nigeria, travel abroad and return to the country. What then are you?

I am an Ijaw man. Ijaw people are not Nigerians. People become members of a nation either by birth or naturalization. No person can impose nationality on another. What has happened is that the Nigerian nationality is being imposed on Ijaw people and others. According to the treaties that our forefathers signed and which ended in 1893, there is no provision in those treaties for anything known as Nigeria.

But did your father say he was not a Nigerian too?

My father can choose to say what he likes. Somebody can accept slavery. Somebody can accept second-class citizenship. Somebody can accept to be nobody. That is the person’s business. But another can say, no I won’t take such. There is a move by Texas to leave the United States of America. Quebec has continuously called for a referendum to leave Canada. If there is a level political playing field, they will allow for a sovereign national conference and a referendum to decide whether the Ijaw and other people want to be included forcefully in the entity called Nigeria or not.

Full gist here: http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/features/newsonthehour/2010/may/09/newsbreak-09-05-2010-001.htm

~Bluetooth:

i am talking about head,you are talking about tail.what has educational qualification translate to have the basic common sense especially in nigeria where everything works against the tide.fyi,ojukwu oxford qualification has not transformed him into a good leader.
What i said was that ojukwu and ibb NEVER believed in democratic principles and you are togue-sliding.ibb is selling himself and he considers ojukwu as a major force;so paying him a courtesy visit is not a big deal.i'm already mobilizing against ibb already,i dont need your moral support.

The imbe-cile has spoken. Lets clap for him

doyin13:

Lol. . . .The incredible thing I find in the story, is how important
one man's voice seems to be in the scheme of things.

If Ojukwu supports Babangida, why should it matter so much.

Very well said. Among the ngbatis, I find you and Soyinka (although Soyinka dey fumble sometimes) the only credible lot . Blueteeth abi kini wan pe wan is a complete mor-on

I believe Ojukwu is supporting IBB on the basis of the FACT that the ruling party PDP,, to which IBB belongs, has zoned the presidency to the North. So PDP should just respect itself and let the post remain in the North as agreed. Anyone who does not like that should form a viable alternative party and try to wrestle power from the PdP and then give it to whomsoever they wish. I am also an ARDENT supporter of rotational presidency and as for the North, there are only two or three viable candidates

IBB
EL-RUFAI
RIBADU

Any one of these is good enough for me
The rest na chaff.

IBB is mature and capable, despite June 12 which cancellation was divine, IMHO, considering that MKO, a confirmed thief, would have since mortgaged Nigeria.

Qualified Igbo man takes charge

Don't drag me into 2011 elections now - Jonathan *Swears in 2 new ministers
Written by Leon Usigbe and Idowu Samuel, Abuja
Wednesday, April 28, 2010

ACTING President Goodluck Jonathan has warned members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who are already positioning themselves for 2011 elections even when no timetable has been released for such activities that he will not tolerate the use of his name for the elections at this time. A statement from his office in Abuja, on Tuesday, signed by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Public Affairs, Mr. Ima Niboro, also expressed his concern over the drifting towards intractable crisis of the PDP and called on members to close ranks in the interest of peace in the party and the nation at large.







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According to the statement, Dr. Jonathan called on all leaders of the PDP to sheathe their swords and desist from acts that could complicate an already difficult situation, adding, "Our great party is governed by a constitution, just as our country is governed by laws. We must abide by the laws and articles of association that hold us together. To do otherwise is to court anarchy," he said.


The statement quoted him as decrying "a situation where some persons were already positioning for the 2011 elections, even when an electoral timetable is yet to be released," and warned that "he would not tolerate a situation where his name is dragged into these premature permutations with a deliberate intent to heat up the polity."


The acting president further observed that: "Millions of our party supporters are looking up to us for leadership. The entire nation looks up to us for direction in the face of the myriad of difficulties that confront us. We cannot afford to fail or falter, because to do so would be to fail our own selves, and repudiate the sacred trust placed upon us. That would be unacceptable."


Meanwhile, Dr. Jonathan, on Tuesday, swore in two more ministers; Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu from Ebonyi State who is to take charge of the Ministry of Health and Dr. Obadiah Ando from Taraba State who was assigned to the Ministry of Water Resources.


While swearing them in, Acting President Jonathan pointed out that the present administration had just about six months to be truly functional, noting that after three months in the saddle, Nigerians should be able to tell whether the government had been effective.


He remarked that the Ministry of Health and Water Resources were critical sectors to the people of the country and challenged the two new ministers to work towards the improvement of the nation's human development index as a nation, saying "Nigeria cannot continue to trail behind other countries that are sometimes poorer and lack capacity compared to us."


In a related development, Acting President Jonathan, restated his commitment to the conduct of transparent, free and fair elections in 2011, which, he said, would stand the test of time, just as he admonished members of the PDP to desist from allowing their individual ambition to overheat the polity.


Jonathan said this at the 50th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the PDP, just as he said the current rumblings within the party would not in any way cause it to split, as, according to him, PDP has a way of emerging stronger from any bout of crisis.


The acting president advised members of the PDP to henceforth begin to work hard for the realisation of their respective political ambitions, urging them to desist from acting on speculations and rumours against the party.


Jonathan urged members to always crosscheck and verify any speculation and information against the party first before reacting and on the need for every member to follow the tenets of the constitution of the ruling party.


He said: "I have always believed in PDP. People believe that PDP will split into fragments. No matter how we disagree, at the end of the day, PDP usually comes out stronger. But I will sincerely plead with aggrieved party men and women that this is a very challenging period. It is a period that people do things that they are not supposed to do, say things they are supposed not to say.


"Most especially, some of these are statements that people made, either through communication or text messages. Some of them are true, some half truths, and most of them are completely blatant lies. But nobody will be there to explain things. They will say this man said so or that this man has done this, especially those of us who by divine providence and by your grace are holding offices of governors, acting president, chairman of the party.


"Some of the statements ascribed to some of us are false. There has been names dropping here and there. So, I will plead with our party members, because probably, people are thinking more of 2011 elections when a number of issues will come up. Whenever you have some stories, take pain to crosscheck before you react."


In his opening remarks at the NEC meeting, the PDP National Chairman, Prince Vincent Ogbulafor, who listed the achievements of the party in the past three years, dismissed the allegation of corruption levelled against him, as he declared himself innocent.


He said the allegations levelled against him were politically-motivated, expressing confidence that at the end of the court proceedings on the case, he would be vindicated.

Achebe set to release book on civil war

Agency Reporter


Fifty years after Nigeria's independence and 40 years after the end of the civil war, internationally acclaimed author, Prof. Chinua Achebe is expected to release an autobiographical account of the war, titled Reflections on the Nigerian Civil War 1967-1970, Empowered Newswire reports.


A statement released yesterday by his US-based medical doctor son, Dr. Chidi Achebe, said the book, which he described as "a major opus" would be out this year.

According to the statement, the book "will cover a chronological history of events that led to, occurred during, and took place immediately after one of the bloodiest wars in history that claimed about 2 million lives."

The statement added that because the work will be about Achebe's life "in the milieu of the tragedy, it will not be a strictly historical but autobiographical work. He envisions a book of over 300 pages."

Achebe's Things Fall Apart is a world class novel which had garnered several honours and recognitions. It was deemed one of the leading books of the century about a decade ago. The book has also sold millions worldwide and has been translated into several foreign languages as well.

Achebe's new book is expected to provide new insights as he was actually in the Biafran government service, where he embarked on a number of missions for Biafra to Europe, Africa and the Americas during the Nigerian civil war.

Several accounts of the war has been recorded and Achebe's writing is sure to recreate some of the major themes of the war, even as some of the controversial fallouts of the conflict are still alive today.

Achebe's book may also reignite some of the controversies surrounding the role and actions of some Nigerian leaders during the war, including political leaders and military rulers.

According to the statement, previous writings of the reknowned writer about this period have been in the form of short stories and award winning poetry that reflect his deep personal disappointment with what Nigeria became after independence.

A chapter in the book would also be dedicated to the famous poet, Christopher Okigbo, with whom Achebe in 1967, co-founded a publishing company at Enugu. Okigbo was killed during the civil war.

The statement concluded that "Many observers expect that this new book will be of immense universal literary, historical, and political significance. There are few Nigerian civilians more qualified to provide an insider's eye witness account of this conflict and many are waiting with bated breath to read Achebe's rendition of this war."