₦airaland Forum

This is an article written by Etcetera.

The APC is now being haunted by the saying, “When you point one finger, there are three fingers pointing back at you.”
If it knew, it wouldn’t have accused Goodluck Jonathan of running a very corrupt government. Most times, we forget to listen to the voice of reason that says, “Look in the mirror, brother. You might just be talking about yourself.”
It is now clear that the APC focused on the speck in Jonathan’s eye and ignored the log in their own eyes.” Who would have thought that just few weeks into a new regime in Lagos State, Fashola would be engulfed with the following accusations – Drilling of just two bore holes with N139m, remodelling and equipping of the official residence of the state’s Chief Judge at N510m, reconstructing of a car park with N640m, spending N300m to relocate cables, N175m to replace the railings of a pedestrian bridge, N220m on the facility management of the Lagos State University College of Medicine, N619m on surface repair of a road, N1.2bn on the construction of an unidentified multi-storey building, N1.6bn on the construction of a 48-bedroom hotel.

These things don’t seem like what a person as intelligent as the former governor would do; especially for those of us who regard him as one of the very few bright spots of our democracy. In fact, I am still of the belief that in the annals of corrupt governors in Nigeria, his place remains to be seen. But the question here is, can the Lagos State government come out with such weighty accusations without having evidence to back them up?

It was in the papers that “some in the former governor’s circle” are worried he might face charges. If that happens and if he is found guilty and if it results in conviction and if he ends up in prison-yes, four ifs-then considering his achievements in Lagos State, all other former governors from other states (especially the eastern states) should have long since been in jail awaiting his company. But yet again, does any governor go to jail in Nigeria?

Over drinks at a bar around Omole Estate, Ikeja last Monday, a friend who works in one of the ministries at Alausa laughed as he finished off his beer.

“Everything’s messed up, and nobody goes to jail,” he said. “Etcetera, that’s your whole article right there. Hell, you don’t even have to write anything more. Just write that.”

I put down my phone. “Just that?”

“That’s right,” he said, signalling to the waitress for the cheque. “Everything’s messed up, and nobody goes to jail. You can end the piece right there.”

Sounds funny but sincerely, “Nobody goes to jail” should be the mantra of our democracy, one that has seen virtually almost every public office holder embroiled in obscene criminal scandals — and nobody went to jail. Nobody, that is, except Alamieyeseigha, and that was probably because of the attention he brought on the nation as a result of his dress sense from the UK. And the Federal Government has apologised for the mistake by granting him full pardon.

If Fashola is found guilty of these allegations, he should face the music. That’s the way the system is supposed to work. But a veritable mountain of evidence indicates that when it comes to government officials, the justice system not only buckles at punishing criminals, it has actually evolved into a highly effective mechanism for protecting them.

This institutional reality has absolutely nothing to do with politics or ideology — it takes place no matter who’s in office or which party is in power.

To understand how the machinery functions, you have to look back, at least, at Obasanjo’s time in Aso Rock, as case after case of financial malfeasance was pursued too slowly or not at all. Indeed, the shocking pattern of no enforcement with regard to corrupt public officials is so deeply ingrained in our democracy that it raises a profound and difficult question about the very nature of our society: whether we have created a class of people whose misdeeds are no longer perceived as crimes, almost no matter what those misdeeds are.

The Justice Department has evolved into a bizarre species of social surgeon serving this untouchable class.

http://lindaikeji..com/2015/08/can-fashola-really-go-to-jail-etcetera.html#more
http://www.heldeen.com

Northern socio-political groups were on Friday divided over President Muhammadu Buhari’s appointments, which have largely been criticised in the south as it has thus far favoured individuals from the northern part of the country.

Buhari had on Thursday approved the appointments of six persons including Babachir David Lawal from Adamawa State as the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Mr. Abba Kyari from Borno State as his Chief of Staff.

The list takes the appointments made by the President so far to 30, with only seven of them coming from the southern part of the country and the rest from the North.

Socio-cultural groups and people from the southern region of the country have been united in their outrage over the appointments, but northerners have been split over the issue.

For instance, while the Chairman of the Northern Elders Council, Alhaji Tanko Yakassai, was critical of the President’s appointments, the convener of the Coalition of Northern Politicians, Academics, Professionals and Businessmen, Junaid Mohammed, said he was not in favour of zoning in the giving of political appointments.

Yakassai, in a telephone interview with one of our correspondents on Friday, said the President’s appointments so far showed that he was favouring his section of the country, where he got the most number of votes.

Yakassai said, “If you look at the voting pattern, zone by zone, you will see that Buhari is compensating the zones that favoured him. It depends on the angle from which you look at it. If you are a patriotic Nigerian, you will see it from the patriotic angle, if you’re a parochial Nigerian, you will see it as right.

“We (NEC) are for Nigeria because if you read the oath of office that Buhari subscribed to as President, he said he would do justice to all manners of people without fear or favour. You just judge for yourself whether he has adhered to the content of that oath of office.”

The former Special Assistant to former President Shehu Shagari also dismissed insinuations that Buhari was more concerned about appointing competent persons into offices than making appointments based on sentiments.

He said, “In Nigeria today, we have competent people all over the country, no doubt about it. It is a matter of choice; you can get them from all over the country. We have people with university education and working experience all over the country. So, we are not in dire need of competent people because they are everywhere.”

Mohammed, however, said giving key political appointments to some certain sections of the country could endanger the unity of the country.

The second Republic lawmaker also said that northerners had previously been marginalised in the country by public office holders of Igbo origin, while denying the existence of a northern agenda being allegedly pursued by Buhari.

He said, “I’m not and I’ve never been a believer in zoning or rotation in giving key political appointments. I also believe that it is not in the national interest to zero in certain key appointments to certain sections of the country because it allows for further division of the country.

“Thirdly, I believe that if there had existed a so-called northern agenda, I would know about it because I’m smart. I don’t believe that any Nigerian whether Buhari, Olusegun Obasanjo (former President) or anybody could hoodwink 170 million people. And if that agenda existed, certainly, Nigerians would know and knowing Nigerians for who they are, they would kick against it.

“So the talk of a northern agenda or a Buhari’s agenda which is pro-north is utter nonsense. If there is a perceived lopsidedness in any appointments, the political situation must be looked at closely to ensure that justice is done.

“But in this, you also don’t look at immediate appointments; you look at previous appointments made over the last 16 years where a particular section of the country was deliberately marginalised.

“There was a policy of disenfranchising the north, marginalising the north and especially among Ibo political appointees, there has been a deliberate attempt to go out of their way to offend, disgrace and undermine northern political interest. When some of us were talking about this, I don’t remember a single Igbo voice supporting us, and most people in the south did not say anything.”

Mohammed, who said he did not know Buhari’s motive for making the appointments, however, added that he knew the President as someone who would place meritocracy above sentiments.

He said, “I don’t know what Buhari’s intentions are but one thing I know from his track record of over 45 years is that Buhari has never been caught making appointments on the basis of primordial sentiments.

“Those who were in the army would testify and those with who he worked as governor and in the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and the committees he headed as a serving officer. Nobody can come out to say Buhari showed primordial, religious or any other sentiments other than merit sentiments which are the most important on his mind.”

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the pan-Northern socio-political group, Arewa Consultative Forum, Alhaji Ibrahim Coomasie, called for patience over the appointments so far made by Buhari.

Coomasie described the condemnation that has trailed the appointments as uncalled for as “other appointments have yet to come.”

He also debunked insinuations that the President was executing a northern agenda, saying, “it is too early to judge the president. Let us wait and see other appointments.

“We still have other appointments like ministers, parastatals and boards that have yet to come. Let us wait before judging him. It is too early to do so.”

But on the contrary, the President of the group’s youth wing, Arewa Youths Consultative Forum, Yerima Shettima, who spoke to a newspaper (not Saturday PUNCH), described the situation as worrisome.

He said, “It is unfortunate the way the situation is, because one becomes worried. We must be seen to be nationalistic than being sectionalised.

“I am beginning to feel uncomfortable because the complaint is that the appointments are seen to be lopsided. I also do not think that is the intention of the government.”

In the south, however, Buhari’s appointments have been described as lopsided and sectionalised.

A leader of the Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, described Buhari’s appointments as worrisome, saying he was particularly worried that the latest appointments had not reflected the yearning of Nigerians.

Adebanjo said, “I am getting worried now; the whole thing is getting me worried. I want to see the clearer picture of what the President is planning to do. The step the President has taken in his latest appointments is worrisome.

“I want to see how the President will form his cabinet in September. What he has just done concerning the appointments of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and others are a source of concern to me.”

Also, the National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, Mr. Yinka Odumakin, said Buhari’s appointments would give him the identity of a sectional leader.

He said the President “may unwittingly be acting out the 97 per cent versus five per cent Freudian slip in Washington by concentrating most of his strategic appointments in his corner of the country.

“That may cast him in the mould of a sectional leader who is not seeing the whole country as his constituency. The “we” versus “them” which this pattern suggests can only further polarise a badly divided country which the map of the last election presented. What is required at the moment is leadership that is able to rise above the frays and bring all sections on board.”

Igbo socio- cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Youth Council, also lambasted the President, describing him as “an unrepentant tribalist and anti-Igbo.”

In a statement signed by the group’s National President, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, and Public Relations Officer, Obinna Adibe, Ohanaeze accused Buhari of deliberately excluding the South-East from all the political appointments he had made so far.

The statement read in part: “We stand to condemn this glaring hatred for Ndigbo by the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari. We recall that apart from several other appointments, Buhari’s government has also appointed Service Chiefs and in a similar manner, he sidelined the South-East zone.

“As if that was not enough, the long-awaited position of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation has come at last and this government deemed nobody from the South-East qualified enough to occupy that position, which was earlier zoned to Ndigbo.

“Where is the justice; where is the equity; where is the one Nigeria? How long will Ndigbo be pushed to the walls?

“Tribalism has never paid Nigeria and this period will not make any difference”.

In his reaction, National Chairman of the Labour Party, Alhaji Abdulkadir Abdulsalami, described the appointments as “unacceptable.”

He said, “The President didn’t take certain things into consideration. The appointments are not accepted to LP. If this is the All Progressives Congress’ concept of change, it is very unfortunate. The APC knows what to do. If at the end of the day, the party decides to toy with the likes of Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu (APC chieftain from the South-East), despite the commitment and sacrifice he has made for the party, it shows their chameleonic dynamics.”

A Lagos-based lawyer, Mr. Fred Agbaje, however, noted that lopsided appointments have become, “a common phenomenon” in the current administration, describing them as a “clear violation of the principle of federal character and the need to promote national unity and hegemony as enshrined in the preamble of the Constitution.”

A legal practitioner and Executive Director of Egalitarian Mission Africa, Mr. Kayode Ajulo, who also reacted to Buhari’s recent appointments, accused him of “treating the nation like an occupied territory.”

Ajulo in a statement obtained by Saturday PUNCH, described the development as “scary and ominous”, adding that it gives an “insight into the manner of things to be expected from this administration.”

The appointments were also greeted by angry reactions on social media, where many Nigerians were openly critical of the President.

For instance, many of the comments on the website of The PUNCH newspaper also condemned President Buhari’s appointments.

A reader identified on the website as Rotimi Lawanson, said, “He has handed the entire security structure, justice system and core appointments to the North and that is extremely dangerous.”

Another reader identified as Glogab said, “Common sense demands that he should consider the feelings of other regions of the country. He is the President of Nigeria and not (that of) Northern region. He should be experienced enough to learn from history.”

A former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, who also posted on his Facebook page, listed all the appointments so far made by the President, adding that, “Nigerians wanted ‘change’ and now we have got it. No one should complain because this is what our people wanted. Those of us who warned the country that this would happen were insulted and lampooned. Now, we have to live with the consequences of our choice for the next four years. Welcome to the new Nigeria. Welcome to ‘Change’.”

Also, Ross Alaba-George described the appointments as an assassination of federal character, saying, “Buhari just showed Nigeria how resource control should be done. When you have power, take it; if you have resources take it…Federal Character Assassination.”

A commentator on Nairaland, identified simply as Erunz, queried if Northerners were more competent than people from other regions of the country, adding that, “No one should complain because when we wailed, they told us Buhari’s appointment is based on competence. So, the northerners are more competent. No one should cry, especially my people from the South-West.”

Also, Sincere9gerian said, “It is only people who have sold their souls to the devil that will overlook Buhari’s tribal bigotry and dictatorial tendencies. His actions are simply indefensible. At this point, the few Southerners that have been appointed so far should resign immediately.”

Meanwhile, Buhari, Chief of Staff and Federal Character have respectively been trending on Twitter since the announcement was made.

On Twitter, Ajebomarket.com chided the appointment of Kyari as the Chief of Staff to the President, saying, “Abba Kyari is the new Chief of Staff to Buhari. He’s just 77 years old, but forget his age. He’s more competent than others since he’s Hausa.”

Tamapeta tweeted, “It’s very undemocratic to do away with Federal Character in a bid to cover up these appointments. Federal Character is very important.”

Interestingly, some prominent Buhari’s supporters have also joined his critics to condemn his appointments.

A columnist, Farooq Kperogi, in a post on his Facebook page, questioned the advices the President has been receiving lately.

He said, “Who is advising President Buhari? The undisguised ‘Arewacentricity’ of his appointments is frankly assuming disturbing dimensions. He is carrying on as if other parts of the country don’t matter. Many non-northerners, who have as much stake in the country and in Buhari’s success as anybody else, are justifiably disillusioned.

“A president who ran for election on the mantra of “change” can’t continue the tradition of invidiously clannish appointments and expect to continue to enjoy national goodwill.”

Another of Buhari’s supporters, who is also a columnist, Bamidele Ademola-Olateju, agreed with Kperogi on her Facebook page, saying that people should stop accusing them of criticising because they were not appointed.

She said, “Sorry, I will be Buhari’s harshest critic when he steps out of line or assumes a narrow focus. We will prevent him from falling into the stereotypes that prevented him from winning prior to 2015.”

http://www.punchng.com/news/buharis-lopsided-appointments-split-the-north-his-supporters/
http://www.heldeen.com

Managing Director and Founder of renowned Arts and Cultural organisation, Terra Culture, Bolanle Austen-Peters is a hardworking and inspiring woman who has taken bold steps towards achieving her dreams and establishing herself as an authority. In this interview, the accomplished lawyer and businesswoman talks about her current production ’93 Days’, a movie on the deadly Ebola virus which broke out in the country a year ago. Excerpts…

By Juliet Ebirim

IT’s been over ten years of running Terra Kulture. How has it been?
Setting up Terra Kulture as an institution has been a most rewarding exercise often filled with adventure, frustrations and triumphs. Eleven years later, we can look back and thank God that the institution we started out with has been able to touch lives and create jobs and entertainment.

Over time I’ve have been able to develop the concept of Terra Kulture as an institution and a cultural centre that is self-sustaining. We have also over time continued to churn out fresh business ideas to help improve the revenue of the company, venturing into food, entertainment, theatre and now movies.

Our in-depth knowledge of the Nigerian cultural scene and cutting edge analysis of our customers’ needs has strongly impacted on the business of Terra Kulture. With constant stream of ideas and always thinking of how to make the business better, we’ve been able to stay at the fore front of the industry.

At Terra Kulture, we are constantly thinking of what next to do, always taking on challenges and always striving to be the best in the industry . So far, I will say it has been a fascinating journey.

Why did you decide to venture into movie making?
My decision to become a movie producer started with the production of stage plays. As a play Director/Producer, I have always had to work with the best actors, dancers, choreographers, stage and set designers, costumiers, make-up artists etc.

Feature film production

With this vast experience venturing into feature film production becomes almost inevitable. I think for me it’s a transition, it’s the next stage. After the production of SARO The Musical which was an instant success, I realized there is room for expansion and diversification and so I thought feature films won’t be a bad idea, so we promoted October 1 which was also an amazing success.
This year I’ve produced a short film and now working on 93 Days with Steve Gukas and an International Director Pemon Rami And Dotun Olakunrin.

Why did you choose to do a movie on Ebola?

Essentially, the Ebola story needs to be told. We need to tell our own stories. Our experience with the virus needs to be televised properly which is why I agreed to work with the directors we have on board presently.
The script is beautifully written and we have people who had first-hand experience with survivors and families of those who gave their lives to ensure the virus did not spread. We owe it a duty to those who gave their lives to tell this story of how we combated and won the Ebola battle, so for me its philanthropy.

What’s the budget for the movie?

This movie will cost a whopping significant amount of money in millions.

Who are the members of cast and what informed your choice in this regard?

The cast include Danny Glover (USA), Bimbo Akintola, Gideon Okeke, Bimbo Manuel, Adebola Williams, Patrick Dibuah and Somekele Iyamah amongst others. Choosing the cast for this movie was a collective effort of the producers and directors, we had to look for people who can interpret their roles perfectly with some resemblance to the actual victims.

What has been your experience so far working on this project?

My experience so far has been an interesting one, it’s been time and resource consuming but productive, and hopefully at the end of the day our viewers will appreciate our effort.

What are the challenges you’ve encountered in the course of this production?

The most basic challenge for any production is funding, so we are working with both local and international institutions to fund this project including Ford Foundation, Nigerian Breweries, Fieldco, Axa Mansard, Lagos State Ministry of Health and so many individuals to guarantee its outstanding success.

What are your projections for the movie?

We intend to immortalize our heroes whilst also showing Nigerians that in unity we can overcome, we hope to educate the populace about patriotism and goodwill. We hope the movie makes history.

http://www.heldeen.com
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/08/93-days-the-ebola-story-needs-to-be-told-bolanle-austen-peters/

By Simon Ebegbulem

BENIN CITY—GOVERNOR Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, has described Mr Godsday Orubebe, former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, as an elevated thug and a political jobber, who is out to make noise as a means of getting his next meal ticket. In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Peter Okhiria, the governor in reaction to Orubebe’s fresh attack on him, said: “Reading Godsday Orubebe’s infantile outburst saying that the governor of Edo State is a “garage boy,” easily exposes the boondocks orientation and lowly mind of someone, who almost plunged the country into political anarchy in the last general election.

It easily underscores one of the reasons why the Goodluck Jonathan administration failed abysmally to understand the nexus between promise and performance, between problems and solutions, and above all between prosperity and poverty. “Orubebe is no more than a common tout and political thug, too illiterate to know the difference between a “garage” and a “motor park,” recruited by his paymasters as Deputy Director-General of the 2015 Goodluck/Sambo Campaign Organisation, and agent provocateur to truncate the last elections.

But for the maturity and sound leadership orientation of Professor Atahiru Jega, Nigeria would still have been reeking in utter anarchy and political protestations. “With such indecorous conduct coming from a man who ostensibly is an “Elder’ of a Church, calls to question the whole essence of his character, personality, upbringing and spirituality. That singular conduct of his at the election is a living symphony of his egregious blunder, absurdities, incongruities and oddities, all of which are attributes of touts always desirous to make their voices heard.

“It is due to his amnesia that he forgot to understand that as a Nigerian and Governor of a State, Oshiomhole has statutory right to go in and out of the Presidential Villa to discuss issues that affect Edo State. Former President Jonathan was President of Nigeria and not President of his party, the PDP. He was under obligation to attend to all parties and persons irrespective of their political affiliation.

“The real problem of former President Jonathan was having people like Orubebe, who pigeon-holed him as president of the Ijaw nation and prevented him from appreciating the enormity of the challenges facing the Nigerian nation. To further compound the challenges was the dénouement of his unruly and thuggish imputation during the elections, such tendentious character index that is now synonymous with this Niger-Deltan.” that notorious script; such a shameless role by a shameless father who was supposed to be a role model for good parenting.”

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/08/orubebe-an-elevated-thug-oshiomhole/
http://www.heldeen.com

By Simon Ebegbulem

BENIN CITY—GOVERNOR Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, has described Mr Godsday Orubebe, former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, as an elevated thug and a political jobber, who is out to make noise as a means of getting his next meal ticket. In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Peter Okhiria, the governor in reaction to Orubebe’s fresh attack on him, said: “Reading Godsday Orubebe’s infantile outburst saying that the governor of Edo State is a “garage boy,” easily exposes the boondocks orientation and lowly mind of someone, who almost plunged the country into political anarchy in the last general election.

It easily underscores one of the reasons why the Goodluck Jonathan administration failed abysmally to understand the nexus between promise and performance, between problems and solutions, and above all between prosperity and poverty. “Orubebe is no more than a common tout and political thug, too illiterate to know the difference between a “garage” and a “motor park,” recruited by his paymasters as Deputy Director-General of the 2015 Goodluck/Sambo Campaign Organisation, and agent provocateur to truncate the last elections.

But for the maturity and sound leadership orientation of Professor Atahiru Jega, Nigeria would still have been reeking in utter anarchy and political protestations. “With such indecorous conduct coming from a man who ostensibly is an “Elder’ of a Church, calls to question the whole essence of his character, personality, upbringing and spirituality. That singular conduct of his at the election is a living symphony of his egregious blunder, absurdities, incongruities and oddities, all of which are attributes of touts always desirous to make their voices heard.

“It is due to his amnesia that he forgot to understand that as a Nigerian and Governor of a State, Oshiomhole has statutory right to go in and out of the Presidential Villa to discuss issues that affect Edo State. Former President Jonathan was President of Nigeria and not President of his party, the PDP. He was under obligation to attend to all parties and persons irrespective of their political affiliation.

“The real problem of former President Jonathan was having people like Orubebe, who pigeon-holed him as president of the Ijaw nation and prevented him from appreciating the enormity of the challenges facing the Nigerian nation. To further compound the challenges was the dénouement of his unruly and thuggish imputation during the elections, such tendentious character index that is now synonymous with this Niger-Deltan.” that notorious script; such a shameless role by a shameless father who was supposed to be a role model for good parenting.”

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/08/orubebe-an-elevated-thug-oshiomhole/
http://www.heldeen.com

By Dayo Johnson
Akure—The decomposing body of a 33-year-old man, Gbenga Ogundana, has been discovered by Police detectives in Akure, Ondo State capital, after he reportedly committed suicide over loss of his job.

Vanguard gathered that the body was discovered in his rented apartment located at Orisunmbare Street, Cultural Centre, Akure, four days after he allegedly poisoned himself.
Vanguard was informed that neighbours of the deceased had earlier reported to his elder brother, Segun, that the whereabouts of his brother was unknown.
Reports had it that his elder brother, Segun, called the deceased’s phone line without success. On arrival at the house, Segun discovered that the doors and window of his brother’s room were locked from within.
He, and other neighbours, went to the police station and with the help of detectives, the door was forced open and the decomposing corpse discovered on the bed.
The remains were later evacuated and deposited in the general hospital morgue by the police detectives for post-mortem examination
Vanguard learned that the Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, CIID, of the state police command was currently working to unravel the mystery surrounding his death.
A police source said that findings so far suggested that the deceased might have poisoned himself, having lost his job a few weeks ago.
The command’s spokesman, Wole Ogodo, confirmed the incident and said detectives had launched an investigation to unravel the mystery surrounding the death.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/08/33-yr-old-man-commits-suicide-in-ondo-over-job-loss/
http://www.heldeen.com

What's the source of that information, hard to believe

What's the source of that information, hard to believe

Really, something is fishy between them

Recently, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) announced at the end of its 2015 Combined Policy Meeting that it had adopted a policy whereby surplus applicants to a university for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME) will be re-distributed to other universities with lower number of applicants than their capacities.
Expectedly, the policy drew the ire of stakeholders, particularly parents of the applicants, who feared that their children and wards might be re-distributed to universities in parts of the country with peculiar security challenges, especially the North-East, which has been ravaged by the activities of Boko Haram insurgents for years now.
Many parents equally feared that they might be landed with the option of having their children offered admission into institutions where they could not easily afford the tuition and other expenses. They thus saw the directive as capable of railroading them into situations they had initially avoided through the choices of institutions made by their children and wards. The hysteria and protests which greeted the directive are quite understandable, given the complexities of a society such as ours.
Late last month, the Federal Government, through the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, Mr. MacJohn Nwaobiala, announced that it had overruled JAMB on the policy, thus returning the admission quandary to status quo, while at the same time disclosing that government had commenced consultation with the aim of identifying where adjustments could be made.
JAMB authorities may have been altruistic with the policy. The overriding concern might also have been to ensure that applicants get into school, even if they were not the candidates’ choice.
However, we urge that urgent, long-term solutions should be found to the admission problem. There are about 140 universities in Nigeria, with a total admission capacity of 450,000. Given that over 1,300,000 candidates wrote the 2015 UTME, it is certain that more than 800,000 applicants will not find space. This has been a recurring problem which forces many parents to seek admissions for their children in private universities at home and abroad.
Indeed, it is a shame that because of this admission crunch, Nigerians spend close to N160 billion annually educating their children in Ghana alone. It is almost certain that Nigerians spend more than that educating their children in Europe and America and other parts of the world.
The risk of having our children educated by other cultures is that at this rate we are evolving a future generation of Nigerians with little or no empathy for their nation-state. We are programming ourselves to self-destruct. The trend must be reversed urgently with enduring solutions.
JAMB should consult widely among stakeholders and ensure they institute admission policies that will carry everybody along.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/08/resolving-jambs-admission-controversy/

Recently, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) announced at the end of its 2015 Combined Policy Meeting that it had adopted a policy whereby surplus applicants to a university for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME) will be re-distributed to other universities with lower number of applicants than their capacities.
Expectedly, the policy drew the ire of stakeholders, particularly parents of the applicants, who feared that their children and wards might be re-distributed to universities in parts of the country with peculiar security challenges, especially the North-East, which has been ravaged by the activities of Boko Haram insurgents for years now.
Many parents equally feared that they might be landed with the option of having their children offered admission into institutions where they could not easily afford the tuition and other expenses. They thus saw the directive as capable of railroading them into situations they had initially avoided through the choices of institutions made by their children and wards. The hysteria and protests which greeted the directive are quite understandable, given the complexities of a society such as ours.
Late last month, the Federal Government, through the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, Mr. MacJohn Nwaobiala, announced that it had overruled JAMB on the policy, thus returning the admission quandary to status quo, while at the same time disclosing that government had commenced consultation with the aim of identifying where adjustments could be made.
JAMB authorities may have been altruistic with the policy. The overriding concern might also have been to ensure that applicants get into school, even if they were not the candidates’ choice.
However, we urge that urgent, long-term solutions should be found to the admission problem. There are about 140 universities in Nigeria, with a total admission capacity of 450,000. Given that over 1,300,000 candidates wrote the 2015 UTME, it is certain that more than 800,000 applicants will not find space. This has been a recurring problem which forces many parents to seek admissions for their children in private universities at home and abroad.
Indeed, it is a shame that because of this admission crunch, Nigerians spend close to N160 billion annually educating their children in Ghana alone. It is almost certain that Nigerians spend more than that educating their children in Europe and America and other parts of the world.
The risk of having our children educated by other cultures is that at this rate we are evolving a future generation of Nigerians with little or no empathy for their nation-state. We are programming ourselves to self-destruct. The trend must be reversed urgently with enduring solutions.
JAMB should consult widely among stakeholders and ensure they institute admission policies that will carry everybody along.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/08/resolving-jambs-admission-controversy/

Members of the National Assembly on Wednesday said they welcomed the decision of the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission to review downward the salaries and allowances of members of the National Assembly.

The House of Representatives said a pay cut would be a “relief” to lawmakers in many respects, including restoring the dignity of the legislature in the country.

It noted that it was “disgusting” to hear Nigerians call their legislators “looters” and “thieves” on account of the salaries and allowances worked out for them by an agency of the government empowered by law to do so.

The Chairman of RMAFC, Mr. Elias Mbam, had on Tuesday disclosed that a new pay package, reflecting cuts in the remuneration of public service officers would be released in September.

Mbam specifically mentioned the National Assembly as an arm of the public service that would be affected in the planned pay cut.

Mbam, who spoke with State House correspondents in Abuja soon after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari, said, “Presently, we are reviewing the subsisting remuneration package and it is going to reflect the socio-economic realities of today.

“We expect that before the end of next month, it will be ready.

“But, it will go through a process; it is not something that you will just say ‘yes or no.’

“It will go through a process and it should be obvious to you the economic realities of the day and it is going to reflect that.”

Answering a specific question on whether he thought senators and members of the House of Representatives would welcome the pay cut, he stated, “They (senators and Representatives) do not have a choice.

“We are guided by the 1999 Constitution and we are going to be guided by such laws that are provided for in the Constitution. They swore to obey the laws of the country.”

The House, which reacted through its Chairman, Ad hoc Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Mr. Sani Zoro, claimed that members would be relieved if the new pay package came into effect.

Zoro observed that since 1999, Nigerians viewed legislators as people who did not deserve their pay or even “erroneously” believed that they fixed salaries for themselves.

“So, for us, it will be a relief if the pay is reduced. We will now have our integrity intact.

“We will feel confident to be called honourable, instead of feeling horrible as some people wish to address legislators,” he said.

Zoro also told The PUNCH that the pay cut would reduce the financial pressure lawmakers faced from their constituents and the general public, who held the “wrong impression” that they were very rich.

“This is good for us on another ground. There are those who see us as looters and thieves.

“This is a message to them to let us be; since we will no longer be paid the money they feel we do not deserve.

“Our burden will now become less and we are very pleased with this development,” Zoro added.

Zoro also told The PUNCH that it was a “cheering” decision by RMAFC, coming after the Speaker, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, had set up a committee to assess the “needs” of the 8th House.

He explained that the committee, made up of civil society organisations and professionals in many fields, would cost the financial requirements for running the legislature.

At the moment, each member takes a monthly salary of around N900,000, excluding a quarterly allowance (running cost) of about N27.9m.

Senators take a slightly higher salary and quarterly allocation.

Lawmakers are currently observing a six-week annual recess to last till September 29.

Also, the Senate spokesperson, Dino Melaye, explained that the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, first initiated moves to review downward, the total package accruable to legislators in the upper chamber immediately after the inauguration of the 8th Senate.

http://www.punchng.com/news/senate-reps-okay-pay-cut/

Really let's hope so
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Hmmm not a new thing

Did i hear him say fear of God? Is it not governor fayose?Hmmm...Let's hope so, I think he's now becoming a changed man...I think he's now receiving the right advice from his entourage.

Is better governance for the masses about Muslim or christian, our religion may differ but a country Nigeria is marrying the two religions together. We need some who can make us have a sustainable standard of living whether Muslim or xtian.
#thealmightyknowsbest. #bewise

Still don't believe president buhari will make such statement, people must have misinterpreted him

That's how it should be, no partiality

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Fact

Okk

Hmmm well, I believe this time around we will have the right ones their

Ok

Hope they will abide

Hmmm

We will get there some day