₦airaland Forum

Thanks Jamace for your response to this post,  I have been following the judiciary sysem in Nigeria and more still need to be done especially in the areas of judgment delivery.

Tafa Balogun was only giving 6 months afte embezzling N17B and most of the jail term were spent at the National Hospital, Bode George was only giving 2yrs for N85b and now Cecilia too, its crazy. but a poor man on the street who stole bread would be giving 10 yrs.

The question again is when is that "common man" going to enjoy the judiciary or perhaps judgment is meant for the highest bidder

Peter and Paul, what do you think?

Often times I hear this word judiciary, last hope of the common man, it baffles me to always hear only the winner singing this judiciary song but the vanquish don’t sing such a song.

So house, when do we really say that the judiciary is the last hope of a common man.

location:
may he rot in helll

Did i just say Amen

How many pitches did he build with COJA money, none so he wants to build pitch wit FIFA money; shameless man

I was surprise to read this too considering the kind of humility he showed, can he realy look into OBJ's eyes and tell him those things

Your Excellency, let’s go to the impeachment because it actually occurred.

Yes, the issue of the impeachment actually was the turned out of the Third Term issue.

How?

You see Chief Obasanjo, I went to see him in Ota. I told him that I was hearing about this Third Term thing. He said don’t worry yourself, it is not true. I said I would have wondered because, even the one you have now you were not qualified for it! He said what do you mean by I’m not qualified for it? Am I not a Nigerian? I said you are a Nigerian but you know Sir, in a civilian regime, presidency is reserved for the politicians. I said you are not a politician! We came to call you.

I said secondly anybody who wants to contest for presidency should have tons and tons of money on his own to start spending before other people come to join him to assist. I said you had no money!

I said Sir, thirdly, people say that charity begins at home and I said you can’t win councillorship in Abeokuta now! I said you know that.

What made you that bold?

Because he’s my friend! I have known him a long time. You see, one thing there is that, I may be naïve but at my age, what else do you expect me to do. To be telling lies? I told all that I knew and he said okay, okay, thank you very much.

But when I got home that night, Governor Gbenga Daniel called me and said: You came to Ota today, I said yes. You came to see Baba, I said yes. He asked: What did you discuss with him? I told him and he said oh, yeh, yeh, he said Oun ma so e die dun arinle (that he was going to ground you). I said okay if God gives him the power to do that.

So, the game started. Everybody knows that democracy is a game with rules. Just like you know, when I got wind of the impeachment, I made sure that they did not have two-third. Because when you are unable to have two-third, you cannot gather impeachment (laughs). So with all the efforts, just as if I was able to pick at the offset, and at the end of the day they said go and see baba (Obasanjo).

One thing that really affected my fighting spirit was the death of my people on the 30th of October, 2005 when we were coming from the burial of Stella (Obasanjo). Two people that were particularly close to me: Dr. Ladojo, who was my personal physician and …. That disrupted my fighting spirit and by the time I recovered from the shock, they had mounted it. But I said you cannot do it because you cannot have two-third.

You know that they came to invade the secretariat on the 2nd of December 2005, baba (Adedibu) led the police and all of them came to invade the secretariat and the Governor’s Office was destroyed partially, my deputy, the incumbent governor, was in his office. And I called him to ask; “Bayo, what are you doing in that office? Please get out of the place and come to the Government House that before they entered into the Government House they would know how to defend it”.

He said okay sir. That was the last time we talked before the impeachment. Even before the impeachment, during the impeachment and when we came back, that was the last time we talked.





http://www.nigeriamasterweb.com/

Cos its a reflex action not intentional

Tot would spring a surprise

I read the article, it was so shocking and pathetic, wait a minute I thought the grass is always greener at the other side

President Umaru Yar‘Adua will have no problem transferring power to Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan if his doctors say that he is staying longer in hospital, his Special Adviser on National Assembly Matters, Senator Mohammed Abba Aji, has declared.
Meantime, the Attorney-General of the Federation, Chief Michael Kaase Aondoakaa (SAN), also said yesterday that so far President Yar’Adua is still breathing, nobody can stop him from governing the country even on his sick bed except and until he himself declares that he is no longer fit to exercise his presidential powers.
Abba-Aji, who spoke yesterday, also flayed insinuations of an imminent end of the Yar‘Adua presidency.

He assured that the President would soon be in good health and be ready for a second term.

He, nevertheless, called for prayers for the President from all Nigerians who, he urged, should pray for him as if they were praying for their fathers.

The Presidential Adviser spoke against the background of speculations in Abuja, yesterday, that a letter of transfer of authority to Vice-President Jonathan has been directed to the National Assembly.

While denying the existence of such letter, Abba-Aji, in a telephone interview, said the President would have no problem writing such a letter if and when he felt the situation of his health demanded it.

“When he assesses that he will stay long, I believe he will send the letter and it depends on his discussion with his doctors. If the doctors say he will stay long, the Yar`Adua I know will send the letter and, if it is just a few more weeks, I think there will be no problem,’’ he said.

Yar’Adua ‘ll do second term— Abba Aji

Declaring that the Yar‘Adua presidency would stretch out to the end of a second term in 2015, he said: “What most people do not know is that Yar‘Adua will come back. He has done it before, when he was governor. He was away for six months and the death wishers did the same thing when he was governor and he returned and he did not only return to continue his job as governor, he went on to have a second term and completed the second term successfully and went on to contest the presidency of this country and won.

“He will definitely return. Yar`Adua is a man with many lives, he will come back, he will come and complete his first term and he will re-contest. So, read my lips, he will come back a very healthy person and he will carry on with his work, complete his tenure and he will contest for a second term.”

How time flies. It’s three weeks now since President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua flew to Saudi Arabia for, we were told, medical checks. After the President had spent two days at the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Jeddah, his spokesman, Mr. Olusegun Adeniyi, released a statement from the Chief Physician to the President, Dr. Salisu Banye, informing us that Yar’Adua had pericarditis – an inflammation of the coverings of the heart.

The extent of the revelation, the tone of the message and the subdued optimism combined to ring an alarm bell in my head. I am therefore not surprised that the President is still away. I am a little bit worried that there has been no fresh medical bulletin since then and no single word from the President, even if it’s in the form of an exclamation mark. More worrisome is the state of things in government. The impression you get is that, despite all assurances to the contrary, there are critical issues awaiting the President’s attention.

Since he did not formally hand over to Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan, the VP has no powers to act on certain things. I know very clearly that the VP cannot assent to the 2010 budget even if passed in record time by the legislative body. The VP cannot assent to the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) if it is passed by the National Assembly. Appointments into top government positions cannot be made by the VP. The amnesty programme in the Niger Delta is virtually stuck because there are major decisions that the VP cannot take because of the sensitive nature of the issue. The oil licences that have expired cannot be renewed by the VP. Can the VP take a decision now if we need to go to war (God forbid, anyway)? The truth is that there are many actions that cannot be taken because the President did not formally hand over to Jonathan. There are actions that the VP may take now that it will take only a court pronouncement to declare them “illegal, null and void”.

So why didn’t Yar’Adua do the right thing by handing over properly? I will suggest a few reasons, starting with the “Abba Aji Position”. THISDAY had reported last Monday that, indeed, the President wrote a letter to the leadership of the National Assembly but his Adviser on National Assembly Matters, Senator Mohammed Abba Aji, scuttled the process by advising Yar’Adua against it. After our report came out, I got a call from Abba Aji who said the story was false. He asked me: “Why didn’t you get my side of the story?” I replied: “I’m sorry sir, but we called your phone and you didn’t pick.” He replied, in a very polite manner: “But you could have sent an SMS.” He then requested to have his say, and that we should carry his denial. I said it was okay. He demanded front-page treatment. I concurred. To my surprise, he immediately called a world press conference to say he had spoken with the Editor of THISDAY who had apologised to him over the story and had promised to retract the story on the front page the following day! I can never understand the way of politicians. Everything is politics!

Meanwhile, when the President went on vacation last January, there was controversy over his failure to hand over to the VP. This was what Abba Aji told Punch newspaper then, in an interview published on January 29, 2009: “The President is not required by the constitution to write the Senate. There is no constitutional requirement for him to do so. This section (145) does not say he has to write such a letter. The President is elected for a four-year term that includes every second of every minute of that period, whether he is asleep, on vacation, on leave or on a trip to the moon. The Vice-President is also the same under all these conditions. In the course of Obasanjo’s eight years in office, he never wrote any such letter. There is, therefore, no need for such a letter. I was in the Senate for four of those years. He (Obasanjo) never handed over to anybody. The Vice-President is assisting the President.”

Yar’Adua, THISDAY reported, had heeded Abba Aji’s advice and torn the letter into pieces, as it were. The 1999 Constitution says in Section 145: “Whenever the President transmits to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives a written declaration that he is proceeding on vacation or that he is otherwise unable to discharge the functions of his office, until he transmits to them a written declaration to the contrary such functions shall be discharged by the Vice-President as Acting President.” The use of the phrase “whenever the President transmits” has been interpreted to mean that the President does not have to inform the leadership of the National Assembly that he is not available. It then follows that if the President does not inform the National Assembly, the VP cannot act in his place. However, could that have been the intention of the framers of the law? Since we are not running a monarchy, where the King does what he likes and cannot be questioned, I think the interpretation of Section 145 to the extent that the President can do whatever he likes in the event of vacation or illness is not acceptable. It does not make common sense.

The unfolding scenario has clearly demonstrated that the framers of the law actually wanted the President to hand over to the VP whenever he is not around. However, selfish interpretation of the constitution has circumvented common sense. The idea of a deputy, or vice, is that when the head is not around, the next person should hold the fort. The deputy MD acts on behalf of the MD; the vice-chairman acts on behalf of the chairman. If the President is impeached or dies, the VP steps in. This is common sense. The whole world cannot wait for one man. The Abba Aji interpretation of this section is therefore not in line with common practice and common sense. And, for crying out loud, Yar’Adua is not bound to take Abba Aji’s advice – expect it also syncs with his position. I want to believe therefore that the President likes his adviser’s interpretation of Section 145.

Another reason Yar’Adua did not hand over may be because of his medical state when he was being flown to Saudi. We were told that after observing Juma’at prayers three Fridays ago, he returned to his residence complaining of sharp chest pains. It was after the initial diagnosis that pericarditis was mentioned. I want to assume therefore that the President was not in the right frame of mind to be too bothered about handing over to Jonathan. Whatever his advisers and associates told him at that time would carry the day. At such critical moments, he could probably not gather his thoughts together to examine advice critically. He was said to have called the VP on phone and told him to treat all files and correspondences without exception. Again, this is not unacceptable. Since the President had consistently failed to hand over to his deputy in the past, even when he was not in a grave medical condition (like when he went on vacation last January), I want to believe that the President is not just convinced that he needs to hand over to the VP. It had nothing to do with his medical state when he was travelling.

I want to hazard a final guess – what I call the “Atiku Dilemma”. When Olusegun Obasanjo became President in 1999, he trusted his VP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, so much that he virtually handed over government to him. Obasanjo, who had been in prison for years, suddenly found his freedom too sweet to handle and went on a global junket in the name of looking for foreign investors. In the process, Atiku solidified his hold on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and, we were told, made almost all the key appointments in Obasanjo’s government. Atiku was such a powerful VP that only two ministers from the North – Adamu Ciroma (Finance) and TY Danjuma (Defence) – were believed to have been appointed without Atiku’s blessing. But in 2003, when Obasanjo wanted a second-term ticket, he practically prostrated for Atiku before he could get it. Atiku openly said he had three options at the PDP presidential convention – one, to run for the ticket by himself; two, to be running mate to Dr. Alex Ekwueme; and, three, to be running mate to Obasanjo. After eventually getting re-elected, Obasanjo set about the mission of dismantling the Atiku structure, employing all sorts of anti-democratic and autocratic tactics. He finally stopped Atiku from becoming President.

When Yar’Adua visited THISDAY in 2006 as a presidential aspirant, the Board of Editors asked him about the Obasanjo/Atiku fight. His response? “That can never happen in my government. The constitution is very clear on the roles of the President and the Vice-President.” In those few words, fellow Nigerians, you will understand why Yar’Adua never hands over to Jonathan – “whether he is asleep, on vacation, on leave or on a trip to the moon”. Any more questions?



http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=161827

Believe it or not


http://www.notjustok.com/2009/08/17/picture-2face-and-mary-j-blige-in-the-studio/

Trust my Naija guys, just wanna hear yah opinion about Gbenga's escapade

Jaw-dropping allegations of financial impropriety and immorality have been levelled against the General Overseer of Foursquare Gospel Church (FGC), , Reverend Wilson Badejo.

The allegations are contained in a petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) by some members of the church.
The EFCC, according to a reliable source, commenced investigations into the matter on Friday when it quizzed some leaders of the church.
One of those behind the petition against Badejo is a former Protocol Officer of the Church, Reverend Lawrence Alabi Ashaolu.
He exclusively told National LIFE in Lagos that Reverend Badejo allegedly diverted a whooping one hundred and three million one hundred and sixteen thousand four hundred and fifty-three Naira seventy-five Kobo (N103,116,453.75) between 1999 and 2006, being the church money designated as General Overseer’s Vote to an undisclosed account.

Said Ashaolu: “I have been part of FGC since 1967 when the membership was not up to 30. I was at the National Headquarters of the Church at 62/66, Akinwunmi Street, Alagomeji, Yaba, . I served the church in the capacity of the National Sunday School Coordinator for more than 15 years. As National Protocol Officer and an official in the Administrative Department of the church, I kept records for the church. I served the then General Overseer (G.O.), Reverend Farombi diligently and he did well in the sight of God and man. Badejo succeeded him as G.O.
“Although I don’t work directly with the accounts books of the church, during the church convention, all members are privileged to see the records of financial transactions of the church.”

Ashaolu said that he midwifed the idea of the G.O’s vote during the administration of Reverend Farombi when he discovered that the man of God was often financially incapable of meeting some members’ and visitors’ financial needs from the 10 percent being remitted to him as imprest.
“In my capacity as the National Protocol Officer, I discovered that the G.O was unable to meet the financial needs of some members. I was not comfortable with it as they would perceive the man of God as stingy. When I got home, I prayed to God for direction and God directed me to write a request for a pool account – G.O’s Vote - where money from various branches of the church would be remitted so that the GO could use it to help indigent members of the church and other members of the society. I consulted the then General Secretary of the Church, Reverend Adesina, and we proceeded to meet the G.O and then the board for approval and ratification by the general convention of the church. And it was done. I kept close watch over the vote. I opened an income and expenditure book where money coming in and going out was properly recorded. And the then G.O made use of it judiciously and religiously. But when Badejo came into office, the G.O’s vote turned out to become a conduit pipe. The money used to be lodged in Peak Merchant Bank from where Badejo withdrew and lodged it into an unknown account.”

Continuing, Ashaolu said, “When Badejo came into office as G.O, he used to send me to the bank to lodge and also withdraw money from the G.O’s Vote account operated by the church. On one of the errands, I went to the bank but was amazed when the bank told me that Badejo had authorised the transfer of a lumpsum to another bank and so, there was insufficient fund. I was furious. When I got back to the office, I confronted the National Treasurer, Reverend Olasunkanmi, on why they should send me to the bank when the money in the account had been transferred to another account. But the Treasurer denied knowledge of the transfer. I went to the G.O, Wilson Badejo, and I said, ‘Sir, I was unable to withdraw the money’. He asked why and I told him that the bank said he (Badejo) had instructed the transfer of three million naira to an undisclosed account. He admitted being the person who authorised the transfer. I told him that the bank asked me to sign a document to that regard, which they gave me a copy and that I would lodge it with the National Treasurer for record purposes. But the G.O resisted my move. He took the documents from me and I left the office.”

Ashaolu said he refused to be confrontational at that stage. Rather, he sought spiritual intervention. “When I got home, I prayed and sought the face of God concerning the messy financial transaction. I was spiritually angry, as I don’t want to be part of such mess. I had to apply for my annual leave, which was granted.

“Upon resumption from leave, I discovered that he (Badejo) had changed the system of financial transactions with banks. And I stopped going to the bank. He employed an accountant in the office whose activities I monitored considering the antecedent of Badejo.”
To his chagrin, Ashaolu said that the fraud persisted. According to him, he informed senior ministers of the church as well as the international body of the church, who tried without success to call Badejo to order. He, therefore, had no alternative but to petition the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

EFCC angle
In a document made available to National Life dated, March 24, 2009, and addressed to the Director of Operations of EFCC, Ashaolu stated: “I discovered that the General Overseer’s fund, which is earmarked for some specific projects, were not being accounted for by his office. I wrote to the Board of Directors of the church about my findings and pleaded that a proper investigation be carried out to ascertain where this fund was kept since, according to the church’s constitution, all church funds must be kept in the bank account. The findings showed that Dr. Wilson Badejo had diverted the funds to an unknown account. Up till this moment, he has refused to disclose where he kept the sum of N103,116,453.75, being accumulated sum from 1999 to 2006 belonging to the church”.

Corroborating the allegations, Dr. E.O. Omowo, a Consultant physician/marriage counsellor, Living Faith Specialist Hospital Limited, Surulere, Lagos, in a document also made available to National Life dated, October 21, 2008, said that at a ‘Family Forum’ held at Foursquare Camp, Ajebo, on October 16 and 17, 2008, Badejo “trivialised the monumental fraud by absolving himself from the heinous crime since a Foursquare ‘member who worked in the bank opened the account for me’. The General Overseer (G.O) further worked on the people by saying that money has never been his problem and thrilled some of the undiscerning attendees when he added that he has N500,000,000 for the church elsewhere. My fallout with the G.O. hinges on my unwavering and uncompromising stand on the Biblical principles of integrity, righteousness, transparency and accountability, which I had made known to him in July 2004.”

On the report of the seven-member elders’ forum set up to look into the case of financial transactions of Badejo, Omowo maintained that the forum indicted the G.O. without punitive actions being taken against him accordingly.
“Strangely, it appears that their recommendation did not go down well with the G.O. and the Board of Directors, a situation which led to the opening of ‘can of worms’ and public disgrace at the ‘Family Forum’. Midway into the meeting, some of the attendees walked out in tears. Some others vowed that they would leave the church. What an embarrassment to the whole body of Christ in an unbridled attempt to protect one man’s interest. It was, indeed, a big shame,” Omowo lamented.

Also, Ashaolu revealed that when some concerned ministers rose against Badejo’s alleged fraudulent activities, in a desperate move to cover up the alleged crime, “Dr. Badejo organised the removal of the computer hard disc, where financial records of the church were saved, to cover up his financial misdeed. He alleged that the hard disc was removed by robbers. But the man who removed the hard disc has continued to demand for ransom which Badejo has continued to pay to him.”

Ashaolu said that he then reported the case to “Marvel Akpoyibo, now Lagos State Police Commissioner, who was then the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of InternationalAirport, since he was once a member of our parish and a Sunday school teacher. He said that the issue should not be blown and promised to talk to Badejo which he did. But he (Badejo) refused to change.”

Apart from the controversial G.O’s count, embattled Badejo is also accused of gross breach of the constitution of the church. He is alleged to be the sole signatory to the church’s account, contrary to the provisions of the constitution. He is also accused of intolerance of criticism and opposition. “Any minister who complains of his dubious and fraudulent misappropriations is threatened with guns and charms by his hired thugs. These incessant threats have made some of the church ministers resign for fear of being harmed. In May, 2007, Badejo fraudulent misappropriated the sum of over N18 million, which he used to celebrate his 60th birthday for three days,” Ashaolu further alleged.

Electoral fraud, which some pundits have said is the bane of Nigerian politics, has not spared the church as the second term of Badejo is also alleged to have been characterised by rigging. In a referendum conducted to choose who leads the church, Ashaolu alleged that the whole exercise was a charade, as it swam through the murky waters of conventional politics. “Knowing that there would be an election in July, 2004 for the position Badejo was occupying as the G.O, he asked the board to plead with me to drop the allegations knowing that it would narrow his chances of taking a second term in office. He even threatened to jail me if I don’t withdraw the letter from the board. This threat incurred the anger of one of the board members, Rev. David Adelaja, who warned Badejo to desist from threatening me. And because of this threat, Adelaja resigned his position as a board member.

“Because of his connection with the then President, Olusegun Obasanjo, and the then Inspector General of Police, Badejo promised to deal with me and was never remorseful for his misdeeds. On the eve of the election in July, 2004, policemen armed with handcuffs and guns besieged the election ground at Ajebo, looking for me. When I was going to the camp, I prayed to God and He told me to be cautious. I entered the camp in the night when I would not be identified. The policemen harassed so many ministers. But I surfaced on the said day while the election was going on. While I was going to the venue, the Lord told me that they were going to rig the election. It was a ‘Yes or No’ vote since he was being presented for second term. I walked straight to where they were counting the votes and I saw the atrocities. I shook my head in disbelief.”
Ashaolu thought he was doing the G.O and the church good as the Bible says that when any of the “brethren” is doing the wrong thing, he or she should be called to order so that such a person would not, at the end of the spiritual race, miss the mark of the “high calling” which is making heaven. But he was wrong as he said that the G.O. visited him with vendetta of grave existential magnitude. “While all these were going on, I made frantic efforts to advise him as a friend but he was grandstanding. He told me that if I was not comfortable with his leadership, I should resign! I refused to resign. I reported him to the board for breach of trust bestowed on him by the church as well as financial and moral impropriety in 2004. But he abused his position to prevent himself from being investigated. The board asked me to come for questioning and I did. I explained everything to them and they were amazed. They pleaded with me to forget about the case.”

After the election, he said, “Badejo started issuing queries to all the pastors seen with me during the election. And when the situation became unbearable, I met my lawyer, Femi Falana. Falana called him and a meeting was held at Airport Hotel, Ikeja. Badejo appealed for calm and apologised for his misdeeds promising to pay all my entitlements that he had withheld because I was always confronting him. But after the convention, he changed his mind again and he posted me out of the headquarters so that his deeds would not be monitored any longer. “He subjected me to untold hardship. When I discovered that there was ownership tussle in the house I am occupying, I requested for a loan to enable me relocate with my family but he refused to approve the loan. He retired me from the church and refused to pay me my entitlements,” a visibly enraged Ashaolu revealed.

Badejo is also alleged to be engaging in illicit and immoral affairs with members of his church, even married women. According to Ashaolu, “Badejo is a specialist in ‘single counselling’:biggrin:. He can be in a room with a lady for two to three hours in the pretence of counselling her. He did this to Bimbo (surname withheld) whom he always carries to conventions, some time ago. During a night vigil at the headquarters, he engaged in a nocturnal counselling with a housewife and his wife went in and interrupted it. It was embarrassing. All these are filthy things that must not be heard in the House of God. And any attempt to advise him is always resisted and visited with retaliation.
“I will walk to his office and tell him, ‘change, Sir’. He will yell at me, ‘, go out of my office’.”

However, the head of media unit of the church, Shola Oshunkeye, reacting on behalf of Reverend Badejo and the church, denied all the allegations levelled against him. He posited that Badejo cannot take unilateral decision on any financial transaction of the church as there are due processes to be followed. He also maintained that the accuser, Ashaolu, was sacked by the board of the church for acts that are antithetical to what the church stands for, adding that he failed to live within his financial means.

“There is no substance in the allegations. The accusations are borne out of malice. Reverend Lawrence Ashaolu is no longer in the employ of the church. He was sacked by the board of the Foursquare Gospel Church Continuing, he said that “the church runs a transparent accounting system. Badejo is not the sole signatory to the church’s account. There are due processes for withdrawal of money and every penny is accounted for. We are not aware of any letter or petition to the EFCC and the G.O has never been invited by any anticorruption agency for questioning”.

Foursquare Gospel Church dismisses fraud allegations against G.O Badejo

Posted on 03 May 2009 by admin The Foursquare Gospel Church Some elders of the church who spoke with National LIFE under condition of anonymity dismissed the allegation in its entirety and accused the petitioners of serving selfish purpose in then bid to destroy the Christian organisation.

The two petitioners, Reverend Lawrence Ashaolu and Dr. Funso Omowo had dragged the church and the General Overseer before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alleging fraudulent practices. The elders however, said while Reverend Ashaolu had ceased to be a staff of the Church following the termination of his appointment, Dr. Omowo has formed his own church and is on the verge of leaving Foursquare Gospel Church Both men, they said wrote their petition to spite the church over the disagreement they had with the entire organisation on the basis of their disloyalty and insubordination to the leadership and constitution of the church.

Contrary to the petition, the elders, who pleaded Badejo’s innocence, said the church, a non profit Bible-behaving organisation which has been in existence since 1955 has always conducted its activities, including management of its finances and administration in accordance with its accordance with the provisions of its Constitution registered under Part “C” of the Companies and Allied Matters Act. 1990.
They, therefore, urged Nigerians to disregard the petition and the antics of the duo.

www.thenationallife.com

MEDIA reports that the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) has purchased a private jet worth almost N4 billion (different news sources have quoted different figures) for its General Overseer, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, have provoked a minor public storm. I am of the opinion that the matter ought to be utilized as an opportunity to bring to the table and open up for discussion broader issues centering on the relationship between religion and society in Nigeria.

In proceeding, I think it is only fair that I declare my bona fides: I am, of course, hardly a believer, but as a student of society, especially its postcolonial African type, I take religion very seriously; and like many African public intellectuals, especially those of a humanistic temperament, I am genuinely alarmed at the way in which Pentecostal Christianity has run riot in Nigeria. If religiosity in general comes with the capacity to numb the intellect, the brand of Christianity that has been on the ascendance in our country for the past decade and more fosters a certain incuriousness that borders on total intellectual surrender. Beyond this piece therefore, my project is to see how we might begin to advance the cause of intellectual skepticism in our country, with the ultimate aim of reclaiming the public sphere of critical deliberation, and our common understanding of public morality, from the forces of religious superstition.


But this is not just a problem that is unique to the Redeemed Church alone, and it is imperative- my final point- that we properly understand the broader formation in which the Adeboyes and Oyedepos of this world, and other members of what, elsewhere, I have described as a 'theocratic class', are produced by, and themselves reproduce, the logic (and illogics) of the postcolonial Nigerian state.

Because space is at a premium, I will flag this issue by posing a single question: Where did the RCCG get the money (N4b) to buy a private jet? Partly, no doubt, from the sale of the Redeemed 'franchise' and the fruits of its amorous affair with the state elite. And where does state money in Nigeria come from? Oil of course. So, the point is that the material preservation and sustenance of the political elite and the theocratic class in Nigeria are traceable to the same source, and to the extent that oil extraction in Nigeria is subtended by the logic of plunder, the (Redeemed) Church in Nigeria is directly implicated in it. It partly explains why the religious elite (with a few distinguished exceptions) is loathe to antagonize the state, and it comes as no surprise that, as in the current instance, the leading lights of the Pentecostal class, have adopted one of the worst aspects of the political elite's rampant consumerism.

President Umaru Yar’Adua left the Intensive Care Unit of the King-Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia five days ago, and is recuperating under the watchful eyes of the medical team attached to him, Daily Sun learnt yesterday.

Although, he is still screened from public glare, a source at the Abuja seat of power said he is making a steady improvement and may break his silence by Friday this week.

There was no elaboration on the nature of the speech he would make, but Daily Sun findings indicated that, it is to thaw the ice on the high level concern and apprehension amongst his supporters and loyalists in government following persistent demands for his resignation, and the jostlings for his replacement.

“We have made it clear that now that his health condition is improving, his voice should be heard to dispel rumours of his death,” a source said. The speech on Friday is also designed to have the added advantage of taking the sails out of the winds of proponents of his resignation, and reassure Nigerians that their president would soon return “to continue the good works he has been doing.”

Friday will make it exactly 16 days since he was admitted into the hospital.
In spite of certain claims by some top government officials, only Yar’Adua’s wife, Turai, and the nation’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, who was also his deputy when he was Katsina governor, Alhaji Garba Aminchi, had so far been allowed access to him.

A female Nigerian nurse from Plateau State at the hospital has served as the rallying point in not just his medicare, but had facilitated effective liaison with the duo at all times. The nurse (names withheld) has been a senior hand at the hospital for close to a decade.

The president’s silence even in the face of the national uproar and rumours of his death, was on the advice of his medical team, who feared that his heart was too weak to withstand the pressures of state duties of any kind. The source, therefore, explained that it was unthinkable for his wife, Turai to have advised against his resignation as reported in the media.

“I can assure you that the man was in the dark as to developments in Nigeria. There was a careful and deliberate effort to insulate him from all pressures of the state. How can the woman now be advising him not to resign when all attention was focused on his health and survival? Feelers we are getting from the hospital is that the man has shown high optimism to continue in office. Of course, you know he has to be given a clean bill by his doctors and as soon as that is got, he will be back to his desk.”

The president’s men at the Aso villa seat of power are, however, worried by the poor information flow, which led to all kinds of rumours on the state of his health, and even back-pedaled the several meetings on his succession.

According to the source, after the initial announcement of his trip to the holy city for medical attention, there were no follow ups on further developments. This led to rumours and eventual scheming for his resignation and replacement.

Dismissing the current tension in the country as contrived, it was learnt that Yar’Adua’s men were holding the group of politicians and pro-democracy activists (G 56) who last week publicly demanded for his resignation responsible for the tension.

The imminent crackdown
Believing that those scheming against President Yar’Adua have been unkind to him, there is an underground plot of compiling and forwarding the names of serving officials who have been part of the jostlings to him when and if he returns.

So far, the president is yet to be briefed on the issue because of the veil thrown around him.
“I am not speaking for the president, but I can assure you that he will act whenever he returns. Some people have actually betrayed him: It is unbelievable how people can switch camps without notice and begin to battle someone that has been their benefactor. I pray the man returns in very good health and you will see what will happen. There is a particular man from his zone. I can’t believe what I heard he has been talking and doing,” the source said.

Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan
Although, some of the president’s adversaries have been criticing him for not ceding some powers to his Deputy, Goodluck Jonathan before travelling to Saudi Arabia, Daily Sun learnt that Jonathan is unfazed by the promptings and has been carrying on as usual, without betraying any emotion. Indeed, he has come under intense pressure from many quarters to buckle under and assert himself. So far, he has not lent himself to any of the groups seeking the president’s removal.

“In fact, Yar’Adua is lucky to have that man as his deputy. Can you imagine what would have happened, especially the confusion that would engulf the nation if the vice president is the type that is over ambitious,” the source added.

The latest rating of Nigeria by Transparency International (TI), a global anti-corruption watchdog based in Berlin, Germany, shows that corruption is increasing despite current efforts by the Umaru Yar’Adua administration to curtail it.

Survey released by Transparency International shows that Nigeria has dropped nine places – from 121 to 130th position, out of the 180 countries ranked on the global Corruption Perception Index (CPI) for 2009.

The survey mirrors domestic public sector corruption in selected countries conducted by TI. According to it, Nigeria obtained a score of 2.5 out of possible 10 marks. In Sub-Saharan Africa, Nigeria emerged 27th out of 47 countries surveyed, and 33rd out of the 53 countries in Africa. According to the detailed Index, New Zealand emerged top of perceived corruption-free nation with a total score of 9.4. Somalia is rated the world’s most corrupt nation.

For Nigeria, this is certainly no good news. It represents undulating fortune because in 2008, for instance, the country improved nine points to be rated 121. But there have been a steady worsening of Nigeria on the corruption Index ranking from 101 in 2002, to an all-time high of 154th position in 2005, out of 159 countries surveyed by the anti-graft global watchdog. But just when government thought it was doing well to fight corruption, the latest ranking must have been a jarring shock. And the Minister of Information, Prof. Dora Akunyili rightly said so. She, however, admitted that government needs to do more to claim a favourable ranking next time.

We appreciate Federal Government’s concerns on the implications of worsening rating on the corruption index of our country. Though no nation of the world is immune to the perils of corruption, one of the consequences is that those who make decisions on where to invest, or the countries with which to do business, will be extremely suspicious about those countries and their citizens. Over the years, Nigeria has not been seen by potential investors as a safe haven. Our nationals who travel abroad and pass through international airports often bear the brunt of perception of Nigeria as a heavily corrupt nation.

Rather than be dispirited by the latest ranking by TI, the Federal Government should step up efforts in the war against corruption. Even now, there are many Nigerians who believe that the current war against corruption needs more verve, particularly in the area of using the judiciary to constitute a delay in the trial process of accused persons.

Bad governance breeds corruption. The anti-corruption war therefore, requires renewed commitment and fresh strategies. Government officials must lead the way. As the Transparency International report indicates, the public sector in Nigeria is heavily tainted with corruption.
The anti-graft agencies like the EFCC and ICPC must dwell firmly on the public sector without neglecting the private sector. Government should not be seen as shielding any corrupt official or former political office holder.

Equally important is need to restructure our value system by de-emphasising materialism. Every effort against corruption must start from individual re-orientation, without neglecting the larger society.

The Federal Government yesterday explained the reason it allocated funds for the purchase of generating sets in the 2010 budget, saying that the 6000 megawatts of electricity at the end of this year will not solve the epileptic power supply.

This is even as it indicated that deregulation in the down stream oil sector of the economy would kick off any time from now.
Minister of Finance, Dr Mansur Muhtar, while speaking at the 2009 Ministerial Press briefing yesterday in Abuja, said that the target was 11,000 megawatts and until Nigeria was able to achieve that, the epileptic nature of power would continue.

He said that in view of emerging problems of the 6000 megawatts electricity, the government made provision for power in the 2010 budget. He disclosed that the deregulation was being proposed to remove the inefficiencies that had bedevilled the oil sector and that the change in government policy was necessitated by inadequate supply and distribution infrastructure, poor conditions of the refineries and unsustainable subsidy payments characterized by leakages, wastages and corruption.

According to the Minister, government had consulted widely with all stakeholders to ensure that its position was understood.

Although, he said, the policy would be inflationary the government had put in place programmes that would help alleviate the transitional costs of the envisaged reforms.
Minister of State for Finance, Mr. Remi Babalola, who disclosed that the Federal Government would ensure an accelerated economic recovery for the country in 2010, also called for urgent exit of public funds from the eight financial institutions rescued by the Central Bank of Nigeria .
He noted that the government had initiated strategic interventions to stimulate and re-energize the economy, including additional withdrawal from the Excess Crude Account.

For him, the interventions were aimed at ameliorating the adverse impact of credit squeeze due to extreme risk aversion in the aftermath of efforts to strengthen the banking sector.

“The Year 2009 has been a year of trauma and turbulence and 2010 is certainly going to be a year of accelerated economic recovery. The huge withdrawals from the Excess Crude Account have become necessary to stimulate the economy. We have projected a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth of $900 billion from the current level of over $200 billion as part of measures to realise the National Vision 2020 target of Nigeria being among the top 20 largest economies in the world,” he averred, adding that the Federal Ministry of Finance was collaborating with the Central Bank of Nigeria to fast-track the establishment of an Asset Management Company (AMC).

He pointed out that AMC has been conceptualised to assist banks improve their capital and liquidity positions by taking over toxic assets (qualifying loans) from the banks.
“We are going to take out the toxic assets from the balance sheets of banks. The establishment of the AMC will help restructure and further improve the balancesheets of banks as well as enhance the flow of credit to the real sector,” the minister noted.

Babalola disclosed that the fiscal authorities were working with the monetary authorities to ensure long-run soundness and stability of the financial system as he called for an urgent exit from financial institutions rescued by the CBN with public funds. “To engender confidence, trust and rebuilding financial architecture, the government investments must be based on a tripod of strong governance, superior leadership and enhanced transparency.”

In his own view, there have been improved efficiency and effectiveness of market regulation, enhanced oversight and greater supervision of the capital market by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in the last seven months.

According to him, SEC had begun to focus vigorously on stronger internal structures for operators to ensure stability and proper governance of the entities.
“Our on-site inspections showed weak governance and internal controls in some firms which SEC has already taken steps to address. The current zero tolerance posture on market infractions has reduced new cases on infractions in the market. In the last 20 months, various enforcement actions which included suspension from participation in capital market activities were taken against over 77 operators. So far, about 15 companies have been referred to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,” the minister noted.

On the insurance sector, the minister noted that the recapitalization of the insurance sector had recorded a massive investment inflow as the capitalisation of the market grew by 100 per cent to over N400 billion.
“Since the conclusion of the recapitalisation, the Nigerian insurance industry has been experiencing good growth. The capitalisation of the market has increased and we have fewer and stronger insurers,” he said, insisting that a key strategic initiative to improve the legal and regulatory framework for insurance in Nigeria was set in motion in March 2009, with the inauguration of a committee to review all laws and regulations relating to insurance in the country.

The committee, he said, has already submitted its report including a new draft insurance bill. He disclosed that the report was awaiting Federal Executive Council’s consideration and approval prior to submission to the National Assembly for enactment into law.

He disclosed that the Federal Government had made some landmark achievements in the insurance and deposit sectors which include the introduction of premium assessment to enable banks pay premium equitable to their risk profiles, and provision for Micro Finance Banks and Primary Mortgage Institutions, individual depositors, each of whom is insured up to a maximum of N100,000.00 with effect from January 2008.

A Lagos High Court has fixed December 16, 2009 for ruling on a N200 billion suit brought against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) by four companies allegedly linked to wife of former chief executive officer of Intercontinental Bank, Erastus Akingbola.

Other parties joined in the suit along with the anti-graft agency include the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF).

The suit was instituted by Tropics Finance Investment and Company Limited, Tropics Properties Limited, Tropics Securities Limited and Tropics Holdings Limited before Justice Morenike Obadina of the Ikeja High Court.

Among the reliefs sought by the applicants from the court is an order granting N200 billion damages against the respondents on the grounds that they sealed the companies’ premises, confiscated some property and froze their accounts.
This action, according to them, had made it impossible to deal with their customers and caused great loss to them.

While arguing for the fundamental human rights of his clients, the applicants’ counsel, Mike Igbokwe (SAN), stated that the respondents are servants of the law and their actions were ‘arbitrary and oppressive’ contrary to the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution, 1999. He urged the court to award exemplary damages to them in the sum of N50 billion for each of the four companies.

According to the Senior Advocate of Nigeria, the EFCC alleged that some monies were transferred from Intercontinental Bank to the companies’ account but there was no evidence to show that that there was such movement of money.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in the Anambra 2010 election, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, has again received the firm backing of his party, as the deadline for substitution of candidates expires by midnight today.
The party stated that it was not disturbed by the deadline because it had firmly resolved to keep Soludo as its flag bearer.
According to the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Prof. Ahmed Alkali, and the National Legal Adviser, Chief Olusola Oke, the PDP has appealed the order of the Court of Appeal that does not recognise Soludo as its candidate.
This, in their view, is a strong indication that the party has no intention of replacing him.
“What is the need of replacing him when we are appealing the order of the Court of Appeal?” asked Alkali.
“We are solidly behind our candidate in Anambra State, Prof. Soludo, and there is no going back,” he declared.
In the same manner, Oke stated that the PDP is ready to follow the matter to a logical conclusion.
“We are in appeal and the election is not coming up tomorrow and we shall follow the case till the Supreme Court makes the last order which shall be binding on all, including INEC.”

By the 2006 Electoral Act sections 34 and 35, there would be no substitution of candidates, 60 days to the date of the election. The governorship election is expected to hold on
February 6, 2010.

The Court of Appeal had last Friday directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not to recognise Soludo as PDP’s candidate for the 2010 in Anambra State. It also asked the PDP to stopping presenting him as its candidate, pending the outcome of the suit before it which is challenging his candidature.

The particulars of the appeal at the Supreme Court are Suit No. FCT/HC/CV/37/09/CA/ A/340/M/09.
The notice of the appeal stated that the party is challenging the order of the Court of Appeal on the following grounds “that the lower court erred and wrongly exercised its discretion by granting an interim order in this matter when there were no materials to justify the grant; that the lower court erred in law which error occasioned miscarriage of justice when it granted orders of injunction which have the effect of determining the substantive application and the main appeal at the interlocutory stage; that the order of the Court of Appeal erred in law by making a sweepy order of injunction beyond the scope of oral application before it”.

No date has been fixed for the hearing of the appeal before the apex court.
Joined in the appeal at the Supreme Court were INEC, Valentine Ozigboh, Victoria Nwankwo, Nkoli Imoh and Ferdinand Okoye, all former aggrieved aspirants in the botched PDP primary election in Anambra State.

In order to celebrate the diversity of our culture, I am running a Christmas Poll for the Blue Bulletin. Please, I am asking you as colleagues and friends all around me what you traditionally eat on Christmas Day. It will be interesting to see what cultural diversity (or similarity) we have across Nigeria. Please send me your answers so that it can feature in my next Bulletin.

Stillwater is this ugly too

gone.

still counting

more to come

Just browsing and a friend sent these pics to me so I feel I should share it on this forum

Recently rumour has being peddling that Psquare really do not have of their own, first it was Usher nad now its busta Rhymes

Funke Akindele and Mercy Johnson are locked in a battle for supremacy in the Nigerian movie industry, with one in the Yoruba genre and the other in the English genre. In the days of the defunct G5, the then top reigning five actresses –Genevieve Nnaji, Rita Dominic, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, Stella Damasus and Stephanie Okereke, these two could easily have broken into that rank, giving the leading actresses a run for their money.

That Kogi State born Mercy Johnson is the hottest (new) actress in the industry is not a doubt. Testimony of this is her clinching of the City People’s Award for the Hottest New Face of Nollywood, at the 12th City People Award which held recently, and also, her winning the Best Performance Actress in a supporting role in the film Live to Remember, at the African Movie Academy Award (AMAA) 2009 which held last weekend in Bayelsa State.

Funke Akindele's role in Risikat was also memorable. Her efforts at producing, with blockbuster movies such as Ekuro, Taiwo-Taiwo, Ojo Ketala, Apadi, and very recently, Jenifa, the award winning movie, have put her in a class of her own.

Armed with an Ordinary National Diploma in Communication, from the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Ogun State, and a Law degree from the University of Lagos, the delectable and brilliant thirty-three year old Ikorodu, Lagos State-born actress has begun her history making journey in the movie world.

Last weekend at the African Movie Academy Award (AMAA) 2009, Funke Akindele was named by the jury as Africa’s best actress in a leading role. She emerged top ahead of six others including a Ghanaian and a Kenyan. Although, the actress, who interpreted excellently the role of Jenifa, the lead character in the movie with the same name, was not present at the award ceremony at Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, a thunderous applause concurred with the jury’s declaration of her as the continent’s best actress for this year. Mercy Johnson, on her own part, beat fellow compatriots Mosunmola Filani in Jenifa, Chika Ike in Assassin and Aggie Kebirungi and Daphney Hlomoku to clinch the Best Supporting Actress role at the same award.

It remains to be seen where this battle for supremacy between these two extremely gifted and talented ladies gets to, as we wait with baited breaths for more accolades.

The Minister of Information and Communications, Prof. Dora Akunyili, has said that the Nigerian film industry has contributed to the nation’s poor international image.

Former Chief Executive Officer of Oceanic Bank Plc, Mrs. Cecilia Ibru, has dragged the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Lamido Sanusi, before the Federal High Court in Lagos challenging the propriety of her removal by Sanusi.

Hey Guys, Just to enlightened each other and I am kind of curious that the so called private sector especially banking, which I believed would eventually run the engine of our great country Nigeria to the expected end has compromised its integrity, This now brings us to the question of is the most corrupt official amongst the bank's Chiefs,

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has sacked the entire management of five Nigerian banks. The CEOs that have been sacked are:

i. Erastus Akingbola (Intercontinental Bank);
ii. Okey Nwosu (Finbank);
iii. Sebastian Adigwe (Afribank);
iv. Mrs Cecelia Ibru (Oceanic Bank);
v. Bartholomew Ebong (Union Bank).
CBN governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, who made the decision Thursday morning at the Emergency Bankers' Committee meeting convened by the CBN in Lagos, explained that the decision was taken to safeguard the financial sector from systemic collapse. More to come!