₦airaland Forum

egift:
@Bold:
When the same portion of the constitution clearly stated that "in case of a division in the party he is decamping from" - how then can the Police bestow on itself the responsibility to Interpret the constitution, ignore the second paragraph and execute the agenda of the President that has been having midnight meeting with the PDP lawmakers the previous night threatening the Speaker.

It Nigerian Police and not PDP Police. I have no problem with Tambuwal losing his position, but the fact is that like many other decisions of Jonathan, this is abuse of power. Trying to muscle through PDP Self-Help is a bad precedence.

I think you are still missing the point. As I said before, the police cannot interpret the law. As such, it is not their business whether the proviso .i.e. 'division or merger of party', is applicable to the former Speaker. By law, the BURDEN OF PROOF is on the person claiming to come under an exception (in this case the former Speaker) to go to court (as he has now done) and prove his case. If he wins, he may then return. For example, the constitution states clearly that a resignation letter of a deputy governor must be submitted to the governor. However, when the Assembly announced his resignation, the police wasn't interested in whether it was legal or not. That is the business of the court and the onus was on Ngilari to claim his 'right'. He went to court, proved his case and is back. Simple.

By law, if Tambuwal wanted to claim the exception without losing his seat, he should have filed a suit in court before decamping just as his colleagues did. He failed to do that. As such, there was nothing stopping the police from acting.

egift:
I read the piece and like him you are placing the cart before the horse. The fact remains that he is yet to loose his Speakership Position, which can be achieved on the floor of the house and in the Court. It is also run to preempt the process.
E.G: When someone is seen red-handed stealing, when the police get him the will not send him to jail directly because everyone saw the guy - he will be taken to the court for judgment.
What have in the current crisis is that PDP do not have the required Votes to pursue the legal process involved, so they are using impunity to muscle their intentions.
I repeat, the IG has no power to decide if Tambuwal is a Speaker of Nigeria's House of Representatives or Not. It is not in place to decide for the House who is Speaker and Who is not - Members of the House and the Court have that responsibility.
PDP is seeking Self-Help, it is very wrong and threatens our Democracy.

The ONLY reason why police cannot send somebody to jail directly when the person is caught stealing is that the constitution EXPRESSLY states that you must go take a person to court and get in convicted and sentences before you can deprive the person of his freedom. (See section 35 (1) (a) reproduced below). You can be rest assured that if there was no such constitutional protection, the police can jail any body committing an offence without recourse to court.

Flowing from the above, if your E.G. is to have any relevance to the issue at stake, then you need to show us the part of the constitutional that says that the police must go to court before enforcing the law against a defecting member. I am waiting.

35. (1) Every person shall be entitled to his personal liberty and no person shall be deprived of such liberty save in the following cases and in accordance with a procedure permitted by law -

(a) in execution of the sentence or order of a court in respect of a criminal offence of which he has been found guilty

egift:
Until the cases of defection of the 5 Governors and that of the PDP Law-makers that left for APC is decided by the Court, the IG has no power to decide Tambuwal Speakership Position. Stop placing the cart before the horse.

PDP is exploring everything they can pull to intimidate Tambuwal. In fact PDP plan is to see if they can get him off as a lawmaker.

Tambuwal destination is Sokoto State Government House. PDP is fighting irrelevant battle.

Isn't that the more reason why he should have honourably announced the vacation of his seat by himself and go and focus on his gubernatorial ambition. Our hypocrisy in this country is not helping us. We applaud people without honour yet we want other people to be honourable. How does that work?

I remember when Sanusi was running his mouth. Some of us said it was more honourable for him to resign so he can run his mouth from outside. You guys said: " PDP is trying to intimidate Sanusi', "GEJ has no power to suspend Sanusi' bla bla bla. Where is Sanusi now? After all the shouting, his lawyers didn't even know the proper court to file the case! Sentiments and law are two different things! Let's await the judgement of the court.

egift:
I read the piece and like him you are placing the cart before the horse. The fact remains that he is yet to loose his Speakership Position, which can be achieved on the floor of the house and in the Court. It is also run to preempt the process.

E.G: When someone is seen red-handed stealing, when the police get him the will not send him to jail directly because everyone saw the guy - he will be taken to the court for judgment.

What have in the current crisis is that PDP do not have the required Votes to pursue the legal process involved, so they are using impunity to muscle their intentions.

I repeat, the IG has no power to decide if Tambuwal is a Speaker of Nigeria's House of Representatives or Not. It is not in place to decide for the House who is Speaker and Who is not - Members of the House and the Court have that responsibility.

PDP is seeking Self-Help, it is very wrong and threatens our Democracy.

Constitutional issues and criminal law are tow different. Where a constitution stipulates that someone should vacate his office following the occurrence of an act, the the police must enforce the law when that act occurs. If the relevant officer feels aggrieve or has any reason why he should not vacate office, the onus is on him to go to court to show cause. If he is able to do so, then he can regain his office.

Are you not aware that we have had many faulty impeachments in beer parlours and hotel rooms this country including Ngige, Joshua Dariye and Co., Did the police have to go to court to interpret the impeachment laws before acting? Didn't they simply enforce it pending when the releant party proves his case in court. More recently, Bala Ngilari was purported to have submitted a resignation letter to the House of Assembly. Even though it was faulty, didn't the police enforce it until he proved his case in court before returning as Governor? Why then should Tambuwal's matter be different. He defected. Constitution says when you defect you vacate the seat and this has been interpreted by the Supreme Court to mean that the person 'AUTOMATICALLY' vacates his seat upon defection. And you say the police should go to the same court for interpretation before enforcing the law. Haba!

@egift, for ease of reference, I have reproduced the Supreme Court's views on the legal implication of defection? Can you please stop being emotional and address the LAW?

"I have no doubt in my mind that the legislators have made it manifest that if any of these elective members after winning an election on the platform of a political party, later, on being a member of the Senate or of the House of Representatives, defects to another political party he is deemed, in law, to have automatically vacated his seat in the House of which he is a member. No other interpretation can be given to the above provision". – Pius Olayiwola Aderemi , J.S.C in Attorney-General of the Federation v Abubakar (2007) 10 NWLR Pt 1041 page 1 at page 178 (Judgment delivered on 20th April 2007)

egift:
What the Legislative arm of Government do in the House remains in the Green Chamber. PDP are looking to how to clamp down on the Legislative Arm of Government and detect its activities from outside.

For 15yrs PDP have been sowing evil at all level of government that will take Generations to uproot. There are 3 Arms of Government that are Equal within the context of their privileges as provided by the constitution. Jonathan is just trying to make the House subjective to its illegalities.

egift:
The fact remains: The IG of Police has no authority bestow on himself the responsibility of interpreting the Law - that is the sole duty of the court. The Speaker has neither been impeached nor prohibited by the Court.

Even if you are accused of any crime, the duty of the Police is to take you to court for judgement. It is sad that for some political expediencies, some folks are supporting illegality, impunity and abuse of power. It is wrong.

Obviously, you didn't read the OP otherwise yo wouldn't be arguing with yourself an emboldening a fact that is not in dispute. No one is arguing that the IGP has power to interpret laws. He does not. However, the police has powers to enforce the role. There is a difference between enforcement or laws and interpretation of laws. When a Governor leaves office by impeachment, do the police need the court to interpret the impeachment laws before withdrawing security? When a Governor's tenure comes to an end by effluxion of time, do the police need to interpret the laws on tenure before withdrawing security? When a legislator tenure comes to an end after four years, do the police need a court to interpret the laws on tenure before de-recognizing? If your answers to the above question is all NO, how come we now expect the police to go to court to interpret the law on defection when a legislator vacates his seat by defecting?

That said, I can see you are shying away from law and making over-simplistic emotional arguments. I quoted law, I even cited a Supreme Court case that says when a member of the house defects, 'HE IS DEEMED IN LAW TO HAVE AUTOMATICALLY VACATED HIS SEAT'. In fact, the court went further to state clearly that 'NO OTHER INTERPRETATION can be given to section 68(1) (g). Can we therefore challenge these points with law (i.e quote laws and judicial decisions to support you point) rather than emotions?

jojomario:
so far this case is not an issue of withdrawing him from the house. only the house can vote to unsit him as the speaker. The IG is very fast forward on this matter

Yes, only the house can vote to unseat him as a Speaker. At the same time however, only a member of the house can be a Speaker. Since the Speaker is deemed in law to have automatically vacated his seat, how can he remain a Speaker?

nuclearboy:
Thought a court has said "he remains Speaker" for now and he can't be removed till December after reconvening!

Why not go to court, get a proper interpretation THEN enforce whatever that is? This "lawless" method where everyone says what he wants and enforces such,is weakening democracy in Nigeia and while it can bite the opposition this time, next time it may bite PDP or even the President

First of all, the court did not say he remains Speaker until December. The court merely ruled that the status quo be maintained. Question is: what is the status quo? For Tambuwal and his lawyers, status quo is that he remains Speaker. For the police, status means he's no longer Speaker and his security aides will remain withdrawn ( since they were withdrawn before he went to court).

Having said that, I guess you did not read the decision of the Supreme Court to the effect that section 68(1) (g) has NO OTHER INTERPRETATION apart from meaning that the defecting member is'DEEMED IN LAW TO HAVE AUTOMATICALLY VACATED HIS SEAT'

I read with much unease the press statement of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) on the withdrawal of the security personnel attached to the former Speaker of the House of Representatives following his defection from the PDP to the APC. In the said statement, the NBA, through its national president, Augustine Alegeh, SAN passed judgment on the action of the police, declaring it unconstitutional.

The plank of the NBA’s position - and this reflects the views of some respected lawyers - is that the Nigerian Police lacks the power and competence to interpret provisions of the constitution as only the judiciary can play that role. I agree. Sadly, that’s about all that I am in agreement with the NBA in their statement.

In the first place, the NBA appears to confuse enforcement of the law with interpretation of the law. The word ‘interpret’ means ‘to explain the meaning of information or actions’. Synonyms include, explain, elucidate, expound, explicate, clarify, make clear, make plain. On the other hand the word ‘enforce’ means ‘to compel observance of or compliance with a law, rule or obligation. Synonyms include, to impose, apply, carry out, administer, Implement, bring to bear, etc.

It is not in dispute that the judiciary has the constitutional role to interpret laws, including the constitution. It is also not in dispute that it is the Nigeria Police Force that has the constitutional mandate to enforce laws, including the constitution. The crucial question then is whether the actions of the police in withdrawing the former speaker’s security amounts to an interpretation of section 68(1)(g) or an enforcement of the section. The NBA sees it as an interpretation of the provision. I disagree.

I am of the firm view that the police simply enforced the relevant provision of the constitution and they are entitled to so do. Section 68(1) (g) of the Constitution provides that ‘a member of the Senate or of the House of Representatives shall vacate his seat in the House of which he is a member if - being a person whose election to the House was sponsored by a political party, he becomes a member of another political party before the expiration of the period for which that House was elected."

This provision, written in clear and unmistakable terms, means that any member of the legislative arm of government that defects while being a member of the house is deemed, in law, to have vacated his seat. Indeed, in Attorney-General of the Federation v Abubakar (2007) 10 NWLR Pt 1041 page 1 at page 178 (Judgment delivered on 20th April 2007), the Supreme Court, had this to say about section 68(1)(g) of the Constitution:

“Applying the well-known principles of interpretation to the above provision of the Constitution, I have no doubt in my mind that the legislators have made it manifest that if any of these elective members after winning an election on the platform of a political party, later, on being a member of the Senate or of the House of Representatives, defects to another political party he is deemed, in law, to have automatically vacated his seat in the House of which he is a member. No other interpretation can be given to the above provision. (Italics added) – Pius Olayiwola Aderemi , J.S.C

In view of the clear and unmistakable provision of section 68(1)(g) of the constitution, and the views expressed by the Supreme Court in AGF v Atiku, one does not need to be a lawyer to know that upon announcing his defection, Rt. Hon. Aminu Tambuwal ‘is deemed, in law, to have automatically vacated his seat’ in the House of Representatives, therefore losing an essential requirement to be a Speaker. The Nigerian Police Force, being a law enforcement agency, is therefore under a legal duty to enforce the provision.

The suggestions that the police should seek judicial interpretation before enforcing the provision is not only absurd but also an invitation to chaos and disorder. Are we saying the police should also seek judicial interpretation before withdrawing security from a Governor who has vacated his seat following an impeachment? For example, should the police have gone to court to seek judicial interpretation on the provisions relating to impeachment before withdrawing the security personal attached to Murtala Nyako, the impeached governor of Adamawa State? Point is: if the constitution stipulates a penalty for an act, it is the duty of the police to enforce such a penalty upon the occurrence of such act. They do not require any judicial interpretation before acting.

Of course I am aware that by virtue of section 68(2) of the constitution, the Speaker, being the presiding office of the House, is to give effect to the provision of 68(1)(g). In other words, he is the one constitutionally empowered to confirm the vacancy of the seat of a defecting member. In the instant case, however, the Speaker is the one defecting. Upon defection, he did not vacate his seat but rather adjourned the House to 3rd December 2014. In the circumstances, the onus must shift to the executive to enforce the law. This is because by virtue of section 5(1) (b), the executive powers of the President “extend to the execution and maintenance of the constitution, all laws, made by the National Assembly and to all matters with respect of which the National Assembly has, for the time being, power to make laws.” In other words, the President has a constitutional duty to ensure the execution and maintenance of the constitution. He can therefore, acting through the police, take steps to fulfil this duty.

I am also not unaware that there is a proviso to section 68(1)(g) to the effect that the member of the House may not vacate his seat if the defection is because of a division or merger of his former party. It is however trite law, that where a person claims to come under an exception, exemption or proviso of a law, the burden of proof is on that person. It is therefore the responsibility of the former Speaker to go to court to prove that he falls within the proviso. It is NOT the responsibility of the police and the police needs not to wait for the former Speaker to seek judicial interpretation before acting. Of course, if the former Speaker had filed a suit before defecting, as some of his colleagues did, the matter would have been sub judice and the police must await the pronouncement of the court before acting. He didn’t do so. There was nothing stopping the police from acting as at the time they did.

Before concluding, it is important to add that contrary to the views expressed by the NBA, the issue of whether the former Speaker can still retain his seat, is, strictly speaking, not an issue of interpretation of the constitution. Rather, it is a question of fact. i.e. is there a division in the PDP to bring the former Speaker within the proviso? That said, I listened to the speech made by the former Speaker. If my ears did not fail me, nowhere did he mention division or merger in his party as the reason for his defection. Rather, he said he was defecting ‘pursuant to the extant provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and having regards to development in my home State of Sokoto” whatever that means.

In conclusion, it is my firm view that the police acted lawfully by withdrawing the security personnel attached to the former Speaker. By virtue of section 68(1)(g), the former Speaker is deemed in law, to have automatically vacated his seat upon his defection from the party that sponsored him. Their action was simply to enforce a provision of the constitution that does not allow for any other interpretation.

Source: http://naijalawandpolitics..com/2014/11/re-nbas-position-on-withdrawal-of.html

Amdan:
Hi,

I applied for my visa here in the UK using a UK account statement in my name. My wife and baby want to apply to join me. I intend to use my nigerian account which is in my name as proof of their maintenance funds. Is this OK or does my wife have to use an account in her own name? Also, when using my account should the money in the account only reflect there maintenance funds or theirs plus mine (keep in mind, I am in the UK and already have my visa)?.

They can use a statement of account in your wife's name or in your name to apply. Any of them is acceptable. On your second question, the rule is not so clear. The rules states that if they are applying at the same time as you, then you should show maintenance for everyone including yourself. However, there is nowhere in the rules where it is expressly stated that if they applying after you are already in the UK, they do not need to show maintenance for yourself. There is also nowhere that states otherwise. What I however advice people to do is to show maintenance for everyone including the student, and also include a copy of your tuition fees receipt, if paid.

(Saw this somewhere and thought to share)

Almost 20 guber candidates in the Rivers State PDP has picked up nomination forms , including a bunch of others for senatorial and state assembly. Posters are everywhere . Campaign offices have opened up. Within the PDP, you could hear bickering as ethnic nationalities express their agitations to occupy the brick house. The electorate have an opportunity to look at the candidates and engage them.
This is democracy at play. No wonder they are called the Peoples Democratic Party.

Even with the National Exco adoption of the US style 'Right of First Refusal' for a performing sitting President, I was impressed that two PDP members still went to the secretariat and paid for nomination forms and the party actually issued them receipts.

Meanwhile in the Rivers APC, nobody dares to raise his head up. The guber candidates are discussed in very hush nebulous tunes, only in dark corners around the state. No single poster of an APC candidate. No candidate dares to even ask how much the guber forms are sold.
Even the ethnic nationalities are muffled. No group has come out to push for any candidate. No Assembly or senatorial aspirant testing the waters.

Rather the youths are prancing up and down waiting for a white smoke. A code for whatever the leader says.
And these are called progressives. You are not a Progressive. In fact, you are a Retrogressive. You can't be progressive in a gathering where your opinion is muffled inside you.Such practices only happen in occultic groups.Never in a democratic party.

"Senior lawyer, Femi Falana, has faulted the decision of a presidential aspirant of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Muhammad Buhari, to take out a bank loan to purchase his party’s intent form for the presidential race.
Mr. Falana spoke on Thursday in Abeokuta at the 2014 Press Week of the Paramount F.M chapter of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Ogun State Council, on the topic, Current Security Challenges; Implications For 2015 Election.
“That action of taking bank loan is indefensible. I have condemned it and political parties should do something about that. If you are obtaining loans for forms, what about elections? Elections cost billions in Nigeria and that should be discouraged,” Mr. Falana said."
https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/more-news/170002-falana-blasts-buhari-over-presidential-form-loan.html

What's is happening to UBA

Just checking to see if any evidence has been produced. Nothing! Okay, I think they are still searching for it. Will check back later.

I want to nominate of Buhari for The Integrity award of Transparency International because his supporters insist that he is both "Mr Anti-Corruption" and "Mr Integrity". I would therefore be pleased if his supporters can help me with the "evidence" I need to make my nominations. Such evidence could include but not limited to:
1. Specific actions he has taken to combat corruption.
2. Organisations he has established to fight corruption and improve transparency
3. Meetings/conferences he has attended to highlight the fight against corruption.
4. Specific suggestions he has made which has helped or could help right corruption.
5. Public interest cases he has instituted or funded to challenge corrupt actions (the way Gani Fawehinmi used to do).

NOTES:
1. Don't bother producing mere examples of how he complained about corruption. My 6year old daughter can also complain about corruption.
2. Recent evidence preferred. However, you could still produce evidence that go as far back as 25years ago.
3. Don't tell me what he did as a military tyrannical dictatorial leader. Transparency International don't like such persons and their actions. Tell me what he did as a civilian.

Over to you!
http://www.transparency.org/getinvolved/integrityawards

"I always feel restrained and uncomfortable when speaking or writing about the political life of General Muhammadu Buhari because I need to edit myself very seriously to avoid divulging things that I had learnt out of privilege. The reason is that during the first presidential attempt of the general who is reputed for saying it the way it is, I was the director of media and publicity of the Buhari-Okadigbo Campaign Organization and was by that token, one of the top formulators of the campaign strategies. That 2003 attempt was definitely Buhari’s best outing and since then, his subsequent outings have continued to decline in their fortunes.

Frustration seems to have set in for the general with every subsequent disastrous outing, leading to his vow, in 2011, that he would never contest again. Because the Buhari I knew was a very honest man and I have nothing to make me assume that he has suddenly gone bad at this age, I believe that the tears he shed during the last campaigns were for Nigeria and not in the realization that his efforts were becoming Sisyphean. (Recall the myth of Sisyphus, the Greek god that was condemned to the impossible task of rolling a huge boulder of rock uphill; anytime he stopped to rest, the rock would roll down to the starting point).

In spite of his earlier vow of not contesting again, Buhari has once again jumped into the political fray. Knowing him as I do, I can almost wager my right arm that he was pushed into the race by the many political adventurers around him, as they had done severally in the past. One of the deficits of most honest people is that they trust a lot and always believe that those around them are always dealing honestly with them. Buhari is the best proof of that. If you are subordinate of Gen. Buhari and he assigns you a task, he never ever interferes and believes that all your acts are done in good faith and in the interest of the collective. That has been his political undoing and will be this time around. Buhari is obviously the most popular political figure in the North and will remain so for as long as he remains in politics. His supporters neither read nor heed those rants of opponents in the papers and the social media against him, for as far as they are concerned, Buhari is the political compass.

Younger and ambitious political figures in the North have routinely pretended to be loyal to Buhari and once the voters observe that, they extend the same political support they have for Mai Gaskiya (the truthful one) to them. It is next to political suicide for any politician in the so-called core-North to be seen to be openly anti-Buhari. At the end of the day, they use him to achieve their electoral aim and desideratum and dump Buhari as quickly as one dumps a hot piece of iron. It has happened before and it is going to happen this time. That is why they convinced him and dragged him out to make them prevail while seeing him fail. Unknowing, Buhari, the mere political mascot, tags along like a ram to the slaughter slab.

If you were at Abuja last week when Muhammadu Buhari declared his presidential intention at the Eagle Square, you would see the pattern that I have described. The so-called mammoth crowd that attended the rally only belonged to Buhari by proxy. Rather, they were ferried to Abuja in their busloads by the different gubernatorial and senatorial aspirants under the APC banner that wanted to be publicly identified with Buhari’s aspiration. It hardly matters later if Buhari does not even get the party’s ticket, which he is not likely going to get.

It bothers the many of us who really love Buhari and had identified with his aspirations when it looked most possible that he is yet unable to wean himself of political naivety. It is a huge tragedy – unless they have invoked juju on him – that Buhari does not see how much of fake supporters the people around him, like Mallam Nasir el-Rufai and his ilk, are and how they simply want to ride on his wings to political fame. Did it not happen in as far back as in 2003, when after winning their gubernatorial seats, the governors that had just won the previous week under the banner of the ANPP ganged up against him and his campaign organisation? At least el-Rufai had once declared that Buhari is unelectable and you wonder what he is doing around the man, if not to use him to feather his own political nest.

No matter the arguments that his followers have developed for him to justify his change of mind to contest after saying he would not and by so doing, pouring sand into the attribute for which he is best identified, being a man of his words, it is obvious that he has started his campaign on a very faulty note. In the first instance, it shows that unlike his old self, he has eaten the Nigerian politicians’ bug of speaking from the two sides of his mouth and is thus rendering himself incapable of being trusted. Before the campaigns have begun, it appears he is already being overwhelmed by stress – some even say senility – evidenced by his utterances that beggar belief.

Last week, while explaining how he raised the whopping N27.5 million to purchase the form for the expression of interest from his party, Buhari said that he had borrowed the money from the bank. In his exact words, “N27 million is a big sum, thankfully I have personal relationship with the manager of my bank in Kaduna and I told him that very soon the forms are coming, so, whether I am on red, or green or even black please honour it otherwise I may lose the nomination…” What would one make out of this clueless statement which is an obvious falsehood, as no manager (not even the managing director or chairman) of a bank on earth would grant such a loan in the cavalier circumstances that Buhari had described? Would it not have been better and normal for him to say that it was a donation from his political well-wishers?

I am aware that in 2003, we ran the campaign with huge donations from well-wishers from all across the country. Or does Buhari take Nigerians as those talakawas that flood his space and who did not know that he had paid some visits to some important and politically exposed people before his declaration? Why was it difficult to admit that his campaign is going to be bankrolled by some wealthy party Turks who would become beneficiaries of being close to him? Has he dropped his Mai Gaskiya attribute.
In all these, there are very senior APC members who do not seem impressed by the fact that some recycled politicians are presenting themselves to vie against the PDP behemoth led by a much younger and better mental alert person as President Goodluck Jonathan of the PDP. It is increasingly becoming the view of many in the party and the polity that for APC to make a good showing in the forthcoming election, they must present young, agile and fresh hands and faces; Buhari does not fit that description – even those urging him on in order to use him know that much. One would have thought that after all this time in politics and at his age, Buhari would have groomed young successors to take over from him while he stands behind them to lend his support. No he has not done that, but opts rather to become the only cock crowing in the yard.

Furthermore, Buhari seems to have refused to see the subtle agitation against his political dictatorship by some people who had been with him from the very beginning. The likes of Buba Galadima and Mike Ahamba have quit while the likes of Sam Nda Isaiah have mounted a direct challenge by aspiring to the presidency – the same position that Buhari seems to regard as his birthright.
As one Nigerian proverb has it, “as the market dismisses, the vultures take over.” It is a pity that Buhari has failed, once again, to see the vultures settling down to feed on his political carcass." ~ By Uche Ezechukwu (Former media director of Buhari Campaign Organization)

teufelein:
6 Reasons Why You Should Avoid Buhari Like Ebola Virus

1. Violence

He makes provocative statements that are capable of putting the country in crisis. This attitude caused the death of hundreds of innocent lives after the 2011 elections where about 10 youth corps were also murdered in cold blood. 2015 is not here, but he has already promised "dogs and baboon..." Compare this with the US election where Romney wasted no time to congratulate Pres. Obama or the Australian election where the incumbent, Rudd lost and quickly congratulated Abbott. A great leader should always place national interest above personal ambition.

2. Bigotry

He's intolerant of any idea other than his own, especially on religion, politics, or race. No wonder he doesn't criticize anything that concerns his religion, no matter how bad. Hence, his obvious sympathy to B'Haram. A good leader should have listening ears, take a stand on what is good but also allow people to air their views and be entitled to their opinions.

3. Principle

He's not a man of principle, that is why he has been jumping from one party to another, even aligning with known corrupt elements in the hope of actualizing his presidential ambition. Great leaders don't do this. They always stick with like-minds, no matter the situation.

4. Lack of Democratic Features

Though, his admirers want us to believe that he was invited to lead after the coup but the fact is that he wasn't the most senior office at that time. Nevertheless, we've not forgotten the obnoxious Decree 4 - against which truth was no defence. He used this to jail journalists and attempt to cow the whole media. He did not also make any plan to organize election and handover to a democratic govt.

5. Tribalism

The lopsided execution of PTF projects which was 74% and 26% (according to PTF Situation Report, Vol 2, 98) in the north and south respectively showed his tribalistic nature. The dumping of Dr. Alex Ekwueme in Kirikiri maximum prison and Shagari placed under house arrest was beyond tribalism.

6. His 2-year reign as a Head of State left no legacy

Buhari's 2-year iron-fist rule left no legacy in Nigeria. There is nothing we can point at now that was established by his govt. Or should we call the cancellation of Lagos monorail as his legacy after-all Nigeria till date has no monorail?

Lets end this part 1 with the quote of October 4, 2010: "Buhari is perpetually un-electable because of his insensitivity to Nigeria’s diversity and his parochial focus are already well-known." - Mallam Nasir el-Rufai

1000 likes

Tarokboy:
1.You call him a bad Manager and two of our refineries were built under his management of less than two years, a fit the present Management could not perform in five years or more?

For the record, please name the two refineries that you said Buhari bulit?

Earlier this year, Ayo Fayose wanted to become governor again. As a former Governor, he knew that funding an election is not moi moi. He didn't have much money but he had about a 100,000 cult-like followers although most of them were poor. So he devised a strategy to create wealth to fund the election. He printed and sold his branded T-Shirts and hand band at a rate of N300 and N100 respectively. He also sold membership forms to his supporters at an affordable rate of N500 and raised N45 million from the sales of membership forms alone. He contested the elections and won largely with the support of his followers.

Today, BUhari wants to be president. He has contested and lost thrice before and so knows that running a presidential election is not moi moi. He didn't have money but he had millions of cult-like followers although most of them are poor. So he came up with an ‘idea’. He called his bank manager, discussed with him an obtained a loan N27m to buy the nomination form (don’t ask me how he is going to raise the funds for the campaign proper or how he intends to pay back).

Now I know why Ayo Fayose has won all his elections while Buhari has lost all his elections. Creative people rule the world while unproductive and uncreative people ‘cry’ and ‘pity’ themselves!

1. He is a Bad Manager of Resources
The first thing that Buhari’s decision to take a loan tells us is that he is a VERY BAD manager of resources. Good managers of resources raise a significant portion of the monies to fund their campaigns from the human resources that they have. In the US, for example, Barrack Obama raised millions of dollars through small donations from his supporters. Here in Nigeria, Ayo Fayose maximised the benefits of his cult-like fellowship in Ekiti by selling campaign materials such as caps and T-Shirts to raise part of the money for his campaign.

Buhari has a cult-like follower-ship in the North. Many of these persons, though poor, wouldn't mind contributing something no matter how little to his cause. If 50% of his followers in the North contribute just N100 each, Buhari could have easily raised 27 million to buy the form without having to pay back. However, because he does not know how to manage the resources that he has, he took the easy option out and took a loan! How can we trust him to manage our resources effectively? How can he manage our huge human and capital resources when he cannot even properly manage his campaign?

2. He is Not Creative nor Productive
The decision to collect a loan to buy the nomination form also confirms Buhari as a man who is uncreative, unproductive and lacking in ideas on how to create wealth. Buhari was former governor, head of state, Petroleum minister and PTF administrator. Yet with all these experiences, at 70, there is no one single business venture or productive organisation that he established to create wealth for himself and family and jobs for other people. Since leaving office, what has Buhari been doing with his time? Where are the businesses he has established? Where are the ideas that he created? Where are the fruits of his brains?

Former presidents who have anything upstairs use what they have upstairs to provide solutions to problems and create wealth for themselves. OBJ is still involved in many national and international assignments using his record as a head of state who handed over power to civilians. Bill Clinton makes a lot of money from appearing for events and writing. Tony Blair is involved in many productive activities helping the world and generating legitimate wealth for himself. Ribadu used his anti-corruption toga to gain an international assignment the moment he was pushed out of EFCC.

Buhari has an anti-corruption toga. There is so much corruption in the world, and many people are using their creative ability to form organisations or do something to fight corruption. Organisations like Transparency International were set up by people to do something about corruption and in the process they are also creating wealth or themselves. Why has Buhari not leveraged on this ‘asset’ to help Nigeria and the world and in the process earn a living? What idea has Buhari proposed or generated to fight corruption apart from complain on pages newspapers? Why is Buhari still ‘poor’ at 70 if he has anything upstairs? It is only a lazy and uncreative man that will believe that only corrupt people can be rich. That is absolutely not the case. Is Linda Ikeji corrupt? Is Seun corrupt? Are the founders of Jumia corrupt? Point is: Buhari is poor at 70 because he lacks the creative ability to generate wealth and to utilize what he has to create a legitimate livelihood.

3. He is not a Strategic Planner
Buhari contested presidential elections in 2003, 2007 and 2011. He therefore knows that running for presidential elections is a very expensive business. Furthermore, many of Buhari’s supporters argued after the previous elections that Buhari would have gotten more votes if he had the funds to campaign more effectively. Based on the previous experience, If Buhari is a strategic thinker, he should have had a strategic plan in place to raise money for this campaign including money to buy the nomination form!

The fact that he has no money to do so shows that he doesn't learn from his past and doesn't plan for the future. Buhari expressed his intention to run for president about 3 years ago. At the same time, the APC announced the nomination fee almost a month ago. Buhari therefore had enough time to put a strategic plan in place to raise money to buy the form. However, Buhari waited until the day arrived before scrambling to collect a loan to buy the form! What kind of a man does things like that and wants to become president?

I know of a certain widow who wanted her son to become a lawyer. While he was still in primary school, she opened an account for that purpose and was putting some money in the account from the little money she made from buying and selling. When her son gained admission to the university, she handed over the account to him which by now contained enough money to last him at least for the first two years. By the end of the first two years, she had save enough to last him or another year, and continued like that until he eventually became a lawyer. Yet we have a man who wants to be president but cannot even device a strategy to raise money for his campaign. I’d rather entrust Nigeria into the hands of this widow that Buhari!

FastShipping:
I have seen the author of this thread in and out of the thread in the last one hour but failed to come back to the thread he/she created.

There is no need to insult anyone who hates Buhari or any Buhari loyalists. They hear lies somewhere and run with it without cross-checking the information being given to them. They are only guided by emotion. The best way to deal with such people like the author of this thread is to be armed with facts and start throwing facts at them and see how they leave with their tails between their legs.

Just wondering. Did you really read your "facts"/documentary evidence you posted? Now I know why only talakawas, illiterates and half-baked graduates support Buhari.

I can see that your love for Buhari is so blind so no need to respond to you after this.
If your love is not blind, you'd have seen from the "evidence" that you produced that everything Buhari did with IMF was done in a bid to be able to collect more loan (I.e "in a bid to avoid cross-conditionality and to restart financial flows"!) . Buhari approached Saudi Arabia to collect a fresh loan of $1billion. Unfortunately, Saudi Arabia refused to do "man-know-man" and refused to give him the loan. When the loan was not forthcoming, he then decided to deplete our reserves and repay some of our debt faster that economically sensible in a bid to win the confidence of the Western nations so as to be able to collect more loans. Isn't that what your material says or abi you no understand wetin you post?

By the way, your evidence also states that petroleum products smuggling continued unabated under Buhari. So even as military dictator, Buhari couldn't reduce smuggling of petroleum products? How him wan manage stop am as a democrat?

FastShipping:
1. It doesn't matter when the sale of form ends as long as he buys it ASAP and can find ways to pay for it ASAP. He has enough time to pay back the bank. By the way, the Party Chairman advised him to buy it and get it over with.

2. Not contradictory in anyway. Businessmen have always been funding major parties in Nigeria and beyond. In 2011, CPC and ACN did not get their act together with the merger and no one expected any wealthy businessmen to fund other political parties.

3. I have gone through your post and I saw I won't be able to convince you because you do have enormous hatred for Buhari. You won't be satisfied with any explanation. By the way, this is internet world where research can be done in minutes.

4. Not true. Provide me with prove (links) that he singlehandedly picked candidates. Stop your generalization and blatant lies. It does no good to anyone to make things up.

Always have an open mind and don't let anyone feeds you thrash.

Here are prove of Buhari paying debts and rejecting loans from IMF:

.i http://books.google.com/books?id=RKXVHekimsoC&pg=PA470&lpg=PA470&dq=buhari+paid+off+imf+loans&source=bl&ots=ih4GWu4CNG&sig=m6Qkxife1sIVkBnaZq_MeoF-CXo&hl=en&sa=X&ei=bHxAVO_dMsWNNvnogOgK&ved=0CC0Q6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=buhari%20paid%20off%20imf%20loans&f=false

.ii http://mondaymidnitevision..com/2011/03/buhari-is-one.html

FastShipping:
To answer some of your questions:

1. APC branches in Bauchi and Katsina have started raising funds for the nomination form since last week with the promise to come up with the total cost within two weeks. Getting loans on personal recognizance has also been in practice in Nigeria as long as you have the name. Buhari does have name as former Head of State. So many Nigerians do get loans without collaterals because of their popular last names.

2. Buhari ran his previous campaigns through donations from close friends and salaries he gets as former Head of State. Have you ever seen him flying in private jets to campaigns? No. During last election, one Alhaji Jalo donated four Toyota Landcruiser to him to travel across Nigeria. He was only able to travel to four or five states during last Presidential campaign because of lack of fund. Yet, he got 12 million votes. Imagine if he had 500,million naira to campaign with.

3. There are rich people in APC too. Don't be surprised if they all donate 50 million naira each to his campaign. People like Dangote, Otedola Adenuga and other billionaires normally donate money to all major political parties during elections. Dangote does that all the time.

4. Buhari never took loan as Head of State. He rejected loans from IMF several times and paid off some of Nigeria's loans in 16 months he spent as Head of State.

5. How can a presidential candidate dictate what to do or how to run a party? He is just a man like others. That shows he is capable of accepting rule of the majority of his party members.

QUESTIONS.
1. Sale of nomination forms end in November, so why did Buhari rush to take a loan to buy the form rather than waiting for the APC members in Bauchi and Katsina to come up with the money? Whey the rush to take a loan?

2. Are your answers in 2 and 3 not contradictory? On the one hand, you said Buhari ran his campaigns with his salaries and donations from close friends. On the other hand, you said Dangote and Otedola and other billionaires donate money to all political parties during campaigns.

3. Please can you provide the facts and source to support your assertion that Buhari paid off some our debts?

4. As a CPC member, didn't Buhari dictate what the party did and how the party is ran? Didn't he single handedly pick Governorship candidates for all the states? For example, didn't Mohammed Abacha emerge the preferred gubernatorial candidate of CPC in 2011 in Kano State, but Buhari later singlehandedly gave the mandate to Jaafaru Isah who was eventually defeated by Kwankwaso despite the popularity of Buhari in the north? Yes or no?

5. If Buhari's cannot INFLUENCE (as opposed to "dictate" which you used) APC members to do what is right, how can he influence Nigerians? Military rule and democracy na different ball game oh.

While purchasing the N25 million nomination form at the party’s national secretariat yesterday, Buhari lamented the high cost of the nomination form, but said that he was fired by his ambition to procure a bank loan through the assistance of an unnamed bank chairman earlier yesterday.

Lamenting what the costs of the forms were high, he said that it took the understanding of his bankers in Kaduna and Abuja to raise the money.
“It’s a pity I couldn’t influence this amount to be put down as in the case of ladies and the disabled that intend to participate. I always looked left and right in our meetings but I could not read sympathy, so I kept my trap.
“But I felt heavily sorry for myself because I don’t want to go and ask somebody to pay for my nomination forms, because I always try to pay myself, at least for the nomination.
“N27 million is a big sum, thankfully I have personal relationship with the manager of my bank in Kaduna and early this morning, I put an early call (and) I told him that very soon the forms are coming, so, whether I am on red, or green or even black please honour it, otherwise I may lose the nomination.
“I was about to go to Kaduna this morning and I told the Chairman (John Odigie-Oyegun) but he said in that case, you better pick your form and keep a straight face. That means there is no excuse,” Buhari said.

QUESTIONS
1. Which collateral did Buhari use and how does he intend to pay back the loan?
2. Where did Buhari collect the loan to fund his declaration ceremony?
3. Where will Buhari collect the loan to fund the entire campaign ?
4. Where did Buhari collect the loan that he used to fund his previous failed campaigns and has he repaid these loans?
5. Buhari had a challenge of raising 27m and all he did was to collect a loan from a bank? Buhari has a lot of supporters. A good manager of resources would have leveraged on these supporters to raise the money rather than take the easy option out. Does it not suggest that Buhari will be a loan collecting president ?
6. Please what is the name of the bank that gave a 70yr old, three-times failed president candidate a 27m loan to buy nomination form? I would like to know so I can quickly withdraw my money.
7. Buhari says he was powerless to do anything about the high nomination fee at APC meetings. If he is so powerless to influence even his party members and effect change, how does he hope to do same in a democratic Nigeria? We are no longer in military oh.

- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/10/jonathan-blasts-buhari-says-buhari-promising/#sthash.1JR18tcZ.dpuf

Bliss4Lyfe: All the jobless ofe people will not make a job out of this. Neither will it make FP!

Don't mind them. But if it's a new about how Boko Haram has "captured" a town, it would have been on front page by now.

Ozin: APC is boko haram, and boko haram is APC

supporter of APC party. I'm glad Nigerians are seeing through their devilish plans.

jmaine: What do you have to show that you were engaged by the Nigerian government to negotiate with Boko Haram?


I was not engaged by the Federal Government of Nigeria, any state government or any other party. I went to Nigeria in late April in an effort to facilitate a handover of the Chibok captives after discussing such a possibility with former commanders of JAS (Jama’atu Ahlul Sunnah Lih Da’awa wal Jihad otherwise known as JAS) and others close to Boko Haram.

I wonder what the likes of El-Rufai will say now

tocineworld: I suggest you paste the whole article here

I suggest you click on the link to read the entire article.

"Now I will offer an opinion as to the motives of the sponsors of Boko Haram.The political sponsors of Boko Haram seem to think that they can use Boko Haram to terrorise Nigeria to demonstrate that the current government cannot ensure the security of Nigerian citizens both Muslim and Christian. Therein the sponsors assume they can undermine any efforts of the current government to be re-elected in 2015. Herein lies the flaw for the conflict and instability currently being fanned suits the aims of Al Qa’eda and the architects of terrorism. Should the sponsors of Boko Haram win government in 2015, they will likely find that they cannot turn Boko Haram off or that Boko Haram will demand control of at least Borno State in return for reducing their attacks. Borno State may be just the beginning of an expanding caliphate. - See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/09/boko-haram-saga-negotiator-stephen-davis/#sthash.5nCgewd5.dpuf

If they have sent you another CAS with a sponsor note clarifying the error, then what are you worried about?
Ideally, they should have updated the information on the CAS with the Home Office to put your correct name. If they didn't update the CAS with Home Office, it may mean that the details with the Home Office is correct and the error only appeared on the Certificate. If you are still worried about it, then simply make a note explaining the discrepancy and attach it to your form while also using a marker pen to highlight the relevant Sponsor notes on your CAS.

Bambamzzzz: Please help me, i just checked my CAS that was reissue and they made a mistake on my name by writing davids instead of david, i noticed this after application has been submitted and appointment booked for Wednesday in abuja.
I called the school to notify them about this and they have sent me another CAS with same CAS number noted on it that the student first name is david not davids but am very worried that the ECO might not check sponsor note because all this ECO dont always have patient when checking stuffs like that and there is no way to include this in additional info because i have already submitted before seeing it

Please advise me on what i can do to make sure the ECO notice it

Employees can obtain TCC whether or not it has been deducted automatically from source. All you need do is to obtain the evidence of remittance of your tax from the employer and take it to the tax office. In some big firms, payroll can process it for you if you make a request. Tax clearance becomes more important when your income is not straightforward as it becomes the best way then to prove your actual income. I know so because I have been in similar situation in the past and was able to overcome it with a TCC.

Having said that, I join Justwise to advice that you leave it for a while before any new application.

kaykay05: Thanks, I didn't submit a TCC cos tax is paid together by the employer and my payslips show the tax deductions from my salary.

justwise: You don't need to submit that because its taken out of your salary automatically, business owners shows TC and not employees.

Did you summit a Tax Clearance Certificate?

From your circumstances, (i.e. family business, salary paid by cash etc) the best way to satisfy the ECO is to summit a TCC showing that you have actually been paying tax on the your salary to the appropriate tax authorities. Otherwise, the ECO may assume that the cash payments being paid into your bank account is upkeep money by your parents, and I think that is what they have done in this case.

kaykay05: Ok, this is the refusal letter. Everyone should pls give their opinion. Thanks.

•The previous entry clearance officer raised concerns over your economic circumstances. In order to be able to make a decision on whether or not to grant you entry clearance in this category I have taken into account your stated circumstances in Nigeria, the reasons for your visit, and your proposed travel arrangements. You state that you are employed full time and that you earn 150,200 Naira per month after tax. You have stated that you no further paid jobs or occupations. I am aware that the documents you have presented appear to indicate that you are employed in a family business and I recognise that you have provided a letter of support from your employer, together with pay slips and personal bank statement and I acknowledge that there are cash payments paid in akin to your salary amounts. These however, remain unsupported by any substantiating documents.

•Whilst I accept that many people in Nigeria are paid in cash, I am mindful that it is the applicant's responsibility to submit sufficient information as to satisfy the entry clearance officer of their intentions. I note that you have been in the same employment since 2011. It would therefore be reasonable to expect that you would be able to provide further official documents to support your economic circumstances. In their absence. I am not satisfied that the documents you have submitted satisfactorily establish that your economic circumstances are as stated or address the concerns raised by the previous entry clearance officer.