₦airaland Forum

OAM4J: Let us leave sentiments and face the letters of the law.

The name ‘University of Lagos’ is derived from an Act of the National Assembly, to amend the name means the National Assembly will have to ratify the executive decision to make it valid. So far we know such has not taken place since the deliberations of National Assembly are done in the open.

People talked about similar changes under the military forgetting that the military councils have both the legislative and executive powers.

Fact is, only the arm of government responsible for the naming of an institution can change the name.

I'm afraid the sentimental person is Afe Babalola who should come out and tell us the real reason for his opposition. Tinubu and several other SW leaders have said that the renaming was a welcome development but I'm not sure Afe Babalola welcomes the development.

These complaints about the illegality of the renaming is dishonest at best. These critics have quickly forgotten that Otuoke and eight other villages got fresh varsities by executive fiat recently, only to have NASS ratification later. Why wouldn’t the same be true in the case of renaming Unilag? Where was the outrage about illegality when GEJ first made the announcements about the new Universities?

If Afe Babalola and others welcome the renaming, why not offer free advise to the President as to how to correct any error or apparent illegality in a manner similar to what I stated about the new Universities? It makes me wonder what Afe Babalola knows to convince him that he must make a public statement on the issue. I find Babalola's actions very strange, given his caliber in our society.

[quote author=Akanbi_edu]On the issue of whether Abiola deserved the honour or not, I think Koruji has done justice to that. The main point is, he stood by what he believed in and died for it. This is the most important thing in a man's life. If he had chickened out then, we would still be in military rule by now(good or bad is another issue entirely).[/quote]

kuroji: My points are: 1) Abiola redeemed himself with his last days - the way he spent the money on people when he had it, and the way he gave it all up suggest that he was truly noble at heart.

Lets just agree to disagree on this issue. In my own mind, a looter redeems himself by going to prison and returning the loot. MKO did neither.

@Gbawe, anyone who actually believes that GEJ's renaming action is a masterstroke needs to have his head examined. If you read my first post carefully, you'd note that I posed a question and stated that if indeed GEJ's action benefited him in anyway, it was due to an accident rather than genius.

ALL efforts should now be directed at removing the PDP from Aso Rock.

Onlytruth: Never thought I'll see the day that ndu_chucks [/b]actually thinks that Jonathan is smart and powerful.
In fact the bolded words are making me to expect a sudden blinder from Jonathan soon; maybe a political move that would suck up to the North and stab his former supporters in the back.
This n[b]du_chucks' kite is making me restless.

Did you read my first post at all, or did you loot at the thread's title and jump to a dumb conclusion? Where did I claim that Jonathan is smart and powerful? Please go and reread my first post more carefully and you'll discover that what I did in the last paragraph was to ask a question. Kobojunkie seems to have noted that and provided her own answer to the question.

Eze Onlytruthlies, this is why you people find it difficult to defend your theses. I wonder whether your attended a fully accredited University in the US, your exams were probably all multiple choice types. olodo

The perpetrators, if caught, along with the fuel subsidy thieves, should be shot.

koruji: The difference between Abiola and the rest was that he was truly noble. He gave his life fighting in a peaceful manner for his mandate against the evil regime of Abacha .

I'd rather believe that you are speaking out of ignorance than deception, so I implore you to read up on MKO Abiola, his ITT contract, the looting of Liberia's $5billion a la IBB, e.t.c.

I'm very glad that you just opened a thread which exposes massive fraud in Nasarawa state wherein $113 in Paris club loan disappeared into thin air. I hope the perpetrators are caught and prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

Now lets assume the person responsible for this theft is never caught, as typical in Nigeria, and this person ends up in five years running for President, denied the office, and dies in jail like MKO, would you then call this common thief a noble man? I venture to say, of course not. Now imagine you calling a man who stole billions of dollars, a noble man!! It does not take a genius to know that your position is hypocritical.

Read how I really feel about MKO Abiola here

We need to stop worshiping these looters and thieves regardless of what part of Nigeria they are from.

FACE: However, heaven knows that we are not going to forfeit our own fair share of federal government projects because of self help; if not every state should self help and leave FG alone.

nwanne FACE, kedu? It is most unwise to forfeit "your share" of federal government projects. In orser to achieve that, Ndigbo must understand the process which leads to the selection of which projects will be funded. The decisions are typically made by the Federal executive council.

Ndigbo needs to answer the following questions:

(1)Who are the Igbo members of that council?
(2)Are Igbos holding these Igbo members accountable?
(3)Are Igbo governors doing anything to demand that the projects important to Igbos are implemented?
(4)When are Igbo youths going to take their peaceful protests to Abuja to let their concerns be known?
(5)What were the pledges GEJ made to Ndigbo during his campaign?

If you all do not have answers to these questions, I'm afraid you will get nowhere.

OAM4J: This move has not benefited Jonathan in any way. Imagine the thousands of UNILAG students and alumni with their sympathizers who before now still think something good can come out of Jonathan that would have written him off as clueless and visionless

I disagree with this. Jonathan gas benefited from this move by diverting attention away from his lack of tangible achievements, the Justice Salami saga, the N155billion debacle, Boko Haram, e.t.c. The SW leaders who have been his chief critics are now spending their time and energy on this Unilag issue.

Given the treatment of fuel subsidy protesters in Lagos and several other actions by GEJ, every UNILAG student should have written GEJ off already, if not, those students must be dullards.

OAM4J: Also the temporary shift of focus from the calls on Jonathan to fight corruption will work against him in the future. It will be on record that there was massive corruption under his government and he did nothing about it.

lol at the above. You’ve forgotten that Nigerians have a very short memory. Prior to now, there have been massive corruption under every civilian government, yet each President was reelected. The electorate is not as sophisticated as those of western nations at the moment. At election time, if a candidate spends enough money to buy rice, clothes, gifts, e.t.c. for voters, the voters will not remember any massive corruption. More than 80% of the electorate is a not a University graduate and is unaware of these issues and the issues will not affect how they vote. Sad but true.

The only thing that will save us now is to get PDP out of office at all costs.


With this renaming, GEJ has succeeded in exposing SW leaders, with the exception of Tinubu who said GEJ’s action was welcome, as hypocrites. When OBJ took steps for eight years to wipe the name of Abiola out of the annals of our history with spite and contempt, these leaders including Afe Babalola did not see it fit to raise any objections, they are now screaming blue murder. SMH.

I would have been more impressed if the objections of the SW leaders were because MKO Abiola played a major role in the corruption and decay of Nigeria and does not merit UNILAG to be named after him. These complaints about the illegality of the renaming is dishonest at best. These critics have quickly forgotten that Otuoke and eight other villages got fresh varsities by executive fiat recently, only to have NASS ratification later. Why wouldn’t the same be true in the case of renaming Unilag?

The SW leaders should be bold enough to tell us the real reason for their objections.

bittyend: This what you get by chest-beating all the time.. Truth be told, Northerners don't rate Igbos, period...

You guys wonder why Buhari never campaigned in the east during the last election?? He knows you guys are negligible, irrelevant, and willing tools that can be phucked in the arse; batty up and face down..

Ndigbos have been in political disarray since ZIK left this planet (and Zik got his game from Herbert Macaulay). You guys need to go back to the drawing board and learn the basics of politics again.. Till you accept to be junior partners to the SW in Nigerian politics, and form a formidable southern alliance, you will continue to be lackeys for the Northerners.. #JustSaying.

Did you thrust your tongue in your cheek when you said the bolded? If not, you must be unfamiliar with Nigeria's political landscape. Any presidential candidate who ignores the electorate in the SE cannot win the election. If you don't believe me, ask Buhari or Ribadu. It is for this reason that CPC will merge with APGA and ACN before 2015.

The proverbial cat is watching you APGA micenovices. Make I borrow gif from jmaine abeg.

https://gifs.gifbin.com/1234872179_ceiling_cat_is_watching_you.gif

Desola: I really do not understand your deduction of GEJ's sinister moves to recapture the SW. If it wouldn't be too much of an effort, can you please expatiate on how his infamous decision to change the name of a prestigious university now conotes the deliverance of the SW to the PDP?

I don't get it.

Dear Desola, please reread my post more carefully. I did not say that the name change conotes the delivery of the SW to the PDP, I merely asked this question: Are we now seeing a GEJ who after seeming to have outsmarted Northern politicians and thieves, has now initiated his plans for the recapture of the SW by PDP? The keyword in the question is "initiate".

@jmaine, I dey gbadun you today.

In an act which many believe is ill-timed, not well thought-out, illegal, and an attempt to divide the SW, GEJ has succeeded in changing the political game, albeit accidentally. All of a sudden, calls for the prosecution of fuel subsidy thieves have disappeared, the N155billion scandal, and several other national issues have been placed on the back burner and replaced by the "outrage" of renaming Unilag. Even Tinubu publicly announced that the renaming of Unilag was a welcome development, effectively silencing further opposition by SWers to GEJ's act.

Are we now seeing a GEJ who after seeming to have outsmarted Northern politicians and thieves, has now initiated his plans for the recapture of the SW by PDP? The whole thing seems accidental to be, but one thing seems certain, this man, GEJ, is one lucky fellow.

Anyone who believes that GEJ unilaterally decided to rename unilag without consulting with his legal team, made up of some of the brightest SANs in the country, is delusional. Legal issues are seldom black or white. Besides, the customary payoff of sinators, by GEJ, will render them ineffective at overturning the renaming. Unfortunately, this is how the game is played in Abuja.

Senator Ashafa: The Senate and the House of Representatives will look at it critically. After the due process might have been complied with, it may still be the same UNILAG or the University of Abuja or even the National Stadium that will be named after Chief M. K. O. Abiola. Nigerians will have their say when the issue is tabled before the National Assembly.

I will be back with my own input shortly. It is possible to develop ala Igbo without government handouts. 60% of the handouts are stolen by the governors and their agents anyway.

In the meantime enjoy the interesting thoughts below, of a wise Igboman resident in Kano:

[quote author=olodowisestein]
It is my understanding that you passionately mean well to see the East develop into an economic hub including having standard international airports. Of course, I would want to see one in Owerri, but at this juncture, basic things like health, agriculture,education and developing indigenous expertise of international standard is of more primary concern. I don't find it funny that not one university from the East is among top 20 best universities in Africa.

Rochas would definitely want to see one in Owerri and he has talked about it. However, he is not short sighted in making health and education his top priorities and given scholarships despite Imo having one of the highest literacy rate in the country. The dividends will manifest years to come and that will in turn creat a secure, civilized,democratic, stable, innovative and prosperous society.

One of the major reasons SE is running helter skelter is because we lack a collective philosophy. I am sorry to say, we are like sheep's without shepherd. We may share common interest and destiny but there is a fundamental lack of value consensus in our community. In my view, that is the essence of region/nation building. That is what Ojukwu tried to relay to us but unfortunately we haven't grasp it yet. We see and adore him as one who fought for the benefits of all of us and have not taken look at the CORE message. I have not come across his written works but if there is none, then that core message may be lost forever.

My contention is, you do not build a region with concretes but with ideas and ingenuity. The State of Israel started with agriculture and by building top universities and today, they have the highest number of engineers per capital and the highest number of PhD's. They can build their own airports without given the contracts to FOREIGN firms. In fact, no country can match them in technology. That is how to build a civilization. We should learn from them.

Contrastingly,in our own case, we will have to give the contracts to some Foreign firms, import materials for building the airports. We often like to talk about how big this or that market is and love throwing economic jargon's here and there without acknowledging the fact that the Fiat money that boost trades in these markets come from only one source,Oil. What is our indigenous inventions?
Oh, we also like to boast about how so so and so man has this or that company in his hometown by monopolizing the market. But just take a very look at those companies and you would see that they were built and run by foreigners, the Chinese, etc.

I mentioned Kano, because it is a slap in our face from President GEJ. He is bound on pleasing the Northerners first and foremost. Despite the BH menace, there are major projects going on in the North. Have you seen the SURE bulletin? You would be surprised to see how very few projects were allocated for the East. What made you think that he will kowtow to your demands of 3 international airports? To make matters even worse, our Eastern governors are being sycophants in the corridors of Aso rock. GEJ can only give us symbolic victory just like he did during Ojukwu's burial, but on practical issues, politics comes to play. We Ndigbo need to learn how to play politics. Just like Aristotle stated that "man is by nature a political animal". We need to understand that it is not about permanent friends but permanent interest.

Nevertheless, that is why we need a grass root approach. We have the brains. We need to invest in our young ones and future generation to think for themselves. Our people in the diaspora, if they are so willing to contribute, should come back with all the knowledge and certificates they have got to impact them on those at home, so that we all can collectively build a strong foundation. Instead of littering mansions all over the places, we can use those lands to make the East self sufficient in food. I see no reason why everyone wants to own 10 mansions in one of the land deprived regions in Nigeria. We need solid modern architectural designs that will complement a good road and rail network. We have to start thinking on how to generate our own electricity and so on.

When all these things are put into place, international airports will naturally follow suit.

Timing and setting priorities straight can go a long way in making the snail accomplish more than the tortoise.

If we wait for the FG, my guy, we go OLD.
[/quote]

[quote author=Akanbi_edu]Sebi people like you thought Abiola will never be honoured. You swore that would happen over your dead body abi?

Just like the main character of "things fall apart", he never realized things were about to change.

You know,pride goes before a fall.[/quote]The real question is, do you agree with Tinubu that the President’s decision to rename the University of Lagos (Unilag) after Abiola was welcome and that additional honour should be bestowed on MKO? Are you principled at all or are you one of those who follow your leaders blindly like goats?

@IlekeBebeidi, I actually miss the Beaf of yesteryears. He morphed into a different person ever since GEJ became the PDP flagbearer.

Afe Babalola enriched himself by helping, as their lawyer, the biggest looters to come out of the SW with looting our treasuries. The two looters, namely MKO Abiola and Obasanjo. The old man needs to shut up and enjoy his retirement instead of wasting his 'goodwill' on a lost cause.

careytommy: Nobody should take him seriously. What most people don't know is that Asari has a history of insanity. He was once locked in asylum for this way back in 1981 so I'm not surprised at his outburst.

I heard about this years ago, Asari supposedly suffered from mental disorder was kept in chains in an assylum in Port Harcourt.

Tinubu: He contended that though the President’s decision to rename the University of Lagos (Unilag) after Abiola was welcome , it falls short of what is required.

The bottom line is that Tinubu has put his seal of approval on the renaming of Unilag. MAULAG is now a done deal. I thought many, but not all, of the SW posters were against this renaming and calling for legal action e.t.c

Tinubu has spoken and their stories have changed, what an unprincipled and shallow lot. Tinubu knows fully well that all Abiola will get is what GEJ has offered so far.

I tried to educate you people about this little known mass suicide Of Igbo slaves In Savannah Georgia, last year, but you refused to be educated. Read about it

Onlytruth: My friend I know that you eat a lot of "vegetables" abi na fodder.

Eze m, kedu? How bodi na?

Congrats to the builders of this machine, though it looks like a fishing boat. Who named it Andoni, for goodness' sake? Andoni ko, AnChiDuri ni. You have to be, at a minimum, bilingual to get that.

This woman was known as the First Nigerian woman to drive a car and also the First Nigerian woman to ride a motorcycle. The number of cars and motorcycles present in Nigeria and their locations were known to the authorities, hence no one has been able to dispute the claim.

People will soon turn this into another tribal war. SMH

[quote author=ekt_bear]Your ventures and speculation are no doubt valuable to you. But not very interesting to me.[/quote]My last words on this issue: Your reaction was not unexpected. Matters of law are usually not interesting, particularly to the layman.

Demdem: i disagree. If courts were ruling against OBJ's position and favouring LASG on several cases then who is the retardeen that the courts wont rule against if what he did was illegal. abegii say something else.

My guess was solely based on the interpretation of section 16 sighted by Afe Babalola. Its quite easy to broadly interpret that section, sir. My guess was not based on the personalities of potential defendants.

Your right to disagree with me is respected.

Our President keeps putting his foot in his mouth and I am tired of blaming his handlers for his screw ups. Is this man truly a dunce? I have tried my best to respect the man, but he is not helping matters at all.

[quote author=ekt_bear] “The powers vested in President Jonathan under Section 16 of the University of Lagos Act are not wide enough to support the decision of the Federal Government to change the name of the University of Lagos to Moshood Abiola University, Lagos.”

Simple. End of story.[/quote]Its not as simple as it appears, Afe Babalola's interpretation of section 16, is just that, his interpretation. If GEJ's actions are challenged in court, the opinion which would matter at the end of the day would be that of the judge hearing the case and I venture to guess that most courts in present day Nigeria would not rule against GEJ's position. I'm quite sure that one can find SANs who would have a different interpretation than Afe Babalola's.

Afe Babalola and others who feel angry because they were shunned by GEJ should suck it up and spend their time in strategizing for 2015.

[quote author=Ileke-IdI]I swaer, I am seriously not pulling your legs. I'd like you to name those politicians because no name came to my mind.

Think up something, nudy_chucks. I'm waiting [/quote]I can't name a politician that fits the bill at the moment. That is why I told you in an earlier post that we should be looking in the Academic areas, medical professions, etc for real heroes. Abi you are trying to put me on the G spot ni?

[quote author=Ileke-IdI]Calm down, my brother.

I need to know who these people are, and I do not idolize any Nigerian politician, not even y'allz Soyinka.

I just need you to post a few of those Nigerians you believe should be idolized.[/quote]Our heroes do not need to be politicians. I know you are pulling my legs, in the meantime I challenge you to try to find a Nigerian hero in your neck of the woods, in Academics, medical fields e.t.c and you'd be surprised.

[quote author=Ileke-IdI]And who are those people?[/quote]If you can't come up with real heroes, why idolize a common thief and try to immortalize him this way? That is a good question for GEJ

In my opinion, any greatness that could be attributed to MKO Abiola was completely nullified by the level of theft and the disgraceful handling of the ITT contract which was supposed to rebuild Nigeria's telecommunication system. Abiola and ITT ripped us off of billions of dollars without building a single circuit to improve P&T, the old Nigerian communication agency. This, by the way was when the naira was pretty strong.

People like IBB, MKO, OBJ, and others need not be worshiped. IBB and OBJ belong in prison, period. These people and their likes do not deserve to be our heroes, we have quite a few Nigerians who qualify to be real heroes and who have unblemished characters.

I'm surprised that some of the posters from the SW do not find MKO's theft deplorable. Folks need to do a bit of research and discover that billions were spent with absolutely nothing to show for it. SMH

Eziachi: Nigerians are really funny bunch!
Yesterday they want Nigerian divided, some romancing and designing their new nations flags and coats of arms.
Today they want and clamouring for one state after another? Confused/wasted generation.
More new states, more new his excellencies and their legion of aides
More Patience Jonathan clones in the arms of to be new excellencies. More London/Paris, New York private Jet trip shoppings.
When a man constantly believed that by having more children upon the one he cannot feed is his only way out of poverty, then you have to question his sanity.
Those who are struggling to make the senate in the old state now has an easy ride to governorship in the new states.
Councillorship candidates now become senatorial candidates.
More states, more watering down the quality of leadership (sorry rulership), ore moronic followership.
Every people deserve their kind of leadership.

^^^^^ +1000

Our people talk say, a tuoro omara, o mara, a tuoro ofeke, o fenye ishi n'ohia (i.e. If you tell a wise one, he understands; tell a dunce, he runs into the bush). Dullards like Onlytruthlies, so-called Eze Ndigbo NL, will not only run into the bush, but will be yapping that he represents Ndigbo in the process.

careytommy: This is my take. (But I may be wrong)
MB: Southern Kaduna should be carved out of present Kaduna and joined to MB zone. They will retain the name since it's derived from them.
NE: Borno
NW: Nothing for them but Northern Kaduna should be renamed Zaria or Zazzau state.
SE1) Anioma should be carved out of present Delta into a state and moved to SE zone.
(2) Njaba or Equity to balance it.
SS: Ogoja state
Sw: Ibadan seems the more viable choice.

South East geo political zone, which currently has fives state, would get two more states while the other zones with six states will get one state each, thus leaving each zone with seven states.

Most likely in SE zone, Equity State will be carved out of (Abia, Anambra, Enugu, Imo, and Ebonyi), while Orimili State carved out of (Anambra, Imo, Delta) i. e. Anioma plus pieces of Imo and Anambra. SMH

I need to find out what part of Ekiti ekt_bear comes from ASAP. Armed with that information, I'd lobby very hard to include that region in new Okun State (Ekiti, Ondo, Kwara, Kogi) which will be in the North Central zone. Can you imagine ekt_bear becoming a Northerner? That would be poetic justice. So ekt_bear, what's the name of your hometown if fear no catch you? LWKMD

How viable would the new states be?

At the last count the following proposed states are in the mill waiting for attention.

They are---from South-East; Aba (Abia), Adada (Enugu), Orashi (Imo), Ugwuaku (Imo, Abia, Anambra), Etiti (Imo, Abia, Anambra), Equity (Abia, Anambra, Enugu, Imo, Ebonyi), Njaba (Imo) and Orimili (Anambra, Imo, Delta). Abia, Imo, and Anambra to be broken up.

North-West: Karaduwa (Katsina), Corara (Kaduna), New Kaduna (Kaduna), Tiga (Kano), Chari and Bayajida (Katsina).

South-West: New Oyo (Oyo), Remo-Ijebu (Ogun), Ijesha (Osun), Oduduwa (Osun), Ijebu (Ogun), Ibadan (Oyo), Yewa (Ogun) Ose (Ondo), Lagoon (Lagos) and Oluwa (Ondo).

South-South: Ahoada (Rivers); Toru Ebe (Delta, Edo, Ondo), Ogoja (Cross River), Urhobo(Delta), Minji Se (Rivers), Ado (Delta), Confluence (Edo, Kogi, Nasarawa), Bori (Rivers), Anioma (Delta), Oil Rivers (Akwa Ibom, Rivers), Warri (Delta) New Delta (Delta) and Ethiope (Delta).

North-West: Karaduwa (Katsina), Corara (Kaduna), New Kaduna (Kaduna), Tiga (Kano), Chari and Bayajida (Katsina).

North-Central: Kainji (Niger, Edu (Niger, Kwara), Okura (Kogi), Borgu and Okun (Ekiti, Ondo, Kwara, Kogi and Apa(Benue).

North-East: Katagun (Bauchi), Amana (Adamawa) and New Borno (Borno).


There are actually 45 requests for the creation of new states on the table of the Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution. Six may be granted from what I posted above. We really should be merging states instead of breaking them up, each geopolitical zone should actually become a state IMHO.

The so-called Confluence state would be quite interesting - that would require Edo state to be broken up as well.