₦airaland Forum

President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday expressed concern at the large number of on-going federal projects all over the country.

The president spoke after the Presidential Projects Assessment Committee (PPAC) led by Ibrahim Bunu, chairman of the committee, presented its report at the State House, yesterday.

PPAC disclosed that the Federal Government is currently executing 11,886 projects at the cost of N7.78 trillion, out of which N2.696 trillion had been paid to contractors.

"The figures represent the total responses received from the ministries, departments and agencies, some of whom for reasons best known to them, failed to respond to the committee's request for data on ongoing projects," Mr Bunu said.

The report also stated that, "reckoned in today's prices and allowing for unreported ongoing projects, the total cost needed to complete all projects may well be as high as N8 trillion".

As part of its findings, the committee said corruption in the handling of projects by many self-seeking officers and contractors had led to the massive inflation of costs and undermined the legitimacy of their monitoring and supervision responsibilities.

"Following the committee's indepth assessment of many of the projects, we take no joy in confirming that there is indeed evidence of large scale, widespread institutional mediocrity, deficiency of vision and a lack of direction in project management, which results in poor conceptualisation, poor design and faulty execution," the committee said. "Needless to add that, this has resulted in avoidable losses of billions of naira to the Federal Government. As a matter of routine, contracts are awarded without securing the required funds in the annual budget to ensure their timely execution.[i] Now, with eight trillion naira commitment, and on the basis of the prevailing allocation of about one trillion naira for capital projects annually, it will take the next eight years or so for the Federal Government to complete existing ongoing projects, provided there will be no inflation within the period."
[/i]
According to PPAC, factors responsible for the high cost in project financing include "consistent delays in payment to contractors, leading to massive claims for overhead costs, interests and additional costs; poor co-ordination between government officials in the planning and execution of projects; poor planning and conceptualisation of projects, resulting in costly variations and inefficiency in the implementation and management of projects and lack of adequate and efficient municipal services, such as the provision of electricity, transport, security and water supply, all of which contractors [i][/i]have to arrange privately".

Undercutting by agencies

The report also said the project cycle was subverted, as most of the ongoing projects had not been subjected to the normal cycle of conceptualisation, planning, the undertaking of full economic, social and environmental impact analyses, design and procurement, contract execution and maintenance.

It also said the Bureau for Public Procurement Act was undermined and subverted at the MDAs.

The report further disclosed that on occasion, ‘No Objection Certificates' issued by the BPP were revoked without any justification, as well as cases of disqualification of duly pre-qualified contractors in questionable circumstances.

The committee pointed out that there are many uncompleted projects where trillions of Naira has already been spent, including the Ajaokuta Steel Company project, on which $4.5 billion had been spent.

It recommended "the need to streamline and downsize the ongoing projects to a manageable proportion through a well thought out realisation process."

The President welcomed the inventory taken by the committee.

"The huge number of on-going projects all over the country is of concern, considering the financial implications," Mr Jonathan said.

He also said his administration would look at the list while preparing budgets in the future, and thanked the committee for their painstaking efforts at preparing the report.

http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/Home/5708998-146/story.csp

@Ngwakwe

The Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) is still worthless since its inception because it is headed and controlled by Yorubas. No strict monitoring, no added value what a shame that sub standard goods are still imported into Nigeria.

Dora Akunyele locked up Onicha Drug Market for months to enforce standard hence "prophets are not recognised in their home town" she "lost" to Ngige.

When I was Chief Electrical Engineer Of TURA Leonamaed International Limited. SON chairman Ade-somebody came instead of inspection asap the quality of soap, machines etc. They were only negotiating how fat their sent off packages will be

The current SON Boss (Director General) is Dr Joseph Odumodu, He took over in February this year from Dr John Ndanusa Akanya who is from Kogi state. He was the DG from 2001 to 2011 (two terms of 5 year each) http://nigerianheroes.org/akanya.htm http://www.sononline.org/main/
http://www.necea-ng.com/confirmed-speakers/65-dr-john-n-akanya-oon-.html

In order not to derail this thread I wont go into reasons why SON is under performing but I will only say it has nothing to do with the tribe of those in the helm of affairs at SON.

Where are my naija  bros, they are not participating on this issues,  think they gt nothing to say about this, common guy we need your opinion what can we do to cut this crap up going on . Your  suggestion would be very much appreciated

like one poster said:

you are so unfortunate. Others I know receive money in large sums from relatives in Nigeria, yours is the opposite. awwww. pele.

If you know any banker in the north (I reside in northern Nigeria) ask what the difference between foreign exchange out flow and in flow is. People here send more money to their kids, siblings and friends more than they receive. The send money for their up keep, send money for them to buy things and send down. I have a domiciliary ( foreign currency denominated accounts) and there is no single international inflow. I`ve only received western union twice, both times it was to help a friend/business partner meet his financial obligation. Most people that I know in this part of Nigeria don`t travel abroad to look for greener pastures. Their families are comfortable in Nigeria and that is why they can afford to travel there in the first place. I`ve spent some time in some states in the south before and i have friends that live there, I know the situation may be different there. Before we all start screaming and calling me names (tribalism, ethnic bla bla bla), I`m not a northerner, I just gave a northern Nigerian perspective which is different from what most people on this thread experience.
  I have friends that are in the West and then when we in Naija couldn`t shop online, I used to ask them to help me buy certain items that I couldn`t get then (books, electronic components, circuit diagrams, payment for services etc), They hardly helped, this thread now made me understand why they hardly helped. Now, I feel bad for asking, so even my school son from back in secondary school probably think I was just been the regular naija pest for asking him to buy a book I couldn`t get here. I was probably no99 on his request list.
  That said, Naija is a third world country, a greater percentage live on less than $2 a day, I think that explains why we seem to always bug you guys over there. A number of those requests are genuine, a whole lot of others are not. As for request for business funds, I think we should ask for a business plan, see if it is viable, ask for repayment plan and duration, if you can afford to give the loan, go ahead (if you trust the person), you`ll be surprised what that would do. Teach a Man to fish,

Adanora:

Dis BUHARI can LIE OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. Which shootin in Port Harcourt? di is a BIG FAT LIED, i voted in P/H and ther was no shooting or disturbance anywhere in d whole of Rivers state. So if they dont have anytin good to say BUHARI had better keep his mouth SHUT

Were you in the entire state at the same time to know what happened all over the state? No ward or polling booth was mentioned neither did the statement state the day or time of shooting. They may be wrong but you been in PH on saturday does not prove they are wrong in making that shooting alegation.

WEATHER FORECAST FOR NIGERIA:
Clear blue skies with pleasant temperature . Drop the Umbrella and pick your Pen to write History today.

WEATHER FORECAST FOR NIGERIA:
Clear blue skies with pleasant temperature . Drop the Umbrella and pick your Pen to write History today.

Used 1999 Honda Baby Boy for sale, 550k, yes jst 550k

I WILL BE STRAIGHT TO THE POINT WITH THIS CAR:

Car Converted from Right hand to Left hand in Japan(By Experts) an shipped to Naija by owner

Car has been used for 2 years since, runs very smooth,

Gear Box 100%, Engine 100%,

Clean Leather Seats, Auto Transmission, Keyless Entry, Brand New Tires

Things needed to be done, Front shocks need change, and brakes, that's all

Intested?Call 08033020606(seyi)

Address For Inspection : Hogan Bassey Crescent,off Iyun Road,Stadium Hotel Bstop,Western Avenue,Surulere.

https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-643340.0.html

This should help.

This kind of T-Shirt could be a discussion starter and grant one the opportunity to pass the message across to people. It is inexpensive to produce. Just get a New T-Shirt, download the first file and take it to any printer that does "Screen printing" it will be done while you wait. For those of you in Lagos (Mainland), You can check Lawanson in Surulere or Mushin Area. Bigger companies like "TISCO" at Agindingbi behind Elephant Cement house or "Daleware" along Funsho Williams (former Western) Avenue, close to Bible world bookstore could do the printing (At a higher price but better quality). I intend to make 20 Units and give out before the end of the week.

T-Shirt with text (Sample)

Here is a design for T-Shirt, I`ll add text and put the proper file for downloading.

Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and the Police in Plateau State may be heading for showdown today in Jos, as the party’s presidential standard bearer, General Mohammadu Buhari yesterday insisted on storming the state capital for a campaign rally.

Contrary to a directive from the state police command that it should shift its presidential campaign rally billed for today in Jos, for security reasons, the Party replied there was no going back on its planned campaign even if heaven would fall.

National Chairman of the Party, Prince Tony Momoh told Daily Sun that the CPC would not put off its rally for any reason bearing in mind that the timetable of its presidential campaign had been out since and every security agency given a copy ahead of the scheduled events.

“For anybody to tell us to shift our rally is unacceptable.Good sense demands that in the order of protocol, the presidential rally comes first. People who want to embarrass the president would just sit down in a corner playing their master’s dictates at the detriment of the nation’s democracy. We won’t listen to anyone to tell us to go to left or right as it pleases them, because of someone in power.
“We are going to Jos tomorrow (today), nothing will stop us and the police must provide security,” he declared.

Daily Sun gathered that the Plateau State Police Commissioner, Mr. Abdul Rahman Akanu had in a letter dated March 18, to the party’s national secretary, Mr. Buba Galadima cited the possibility of security breach in the state given that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state had also slated its rally for the same day, although at another venue in another local government area.

However, the CPC in its reply to the letter dated March 19, and signed by the party scribe would not have none of the reasons raised by the police, arguing that it could not cancel its rally because of a local rally being organized by the PDP in another local government area.

The CPC pointed out that the PDP rally being referred to, was an afterthought meant to destabilize CPC’s carefully thought out planned rally. Rejecting the police advise, the CPC pointed out that the irreducible minimum standard that should be observed is the fact that the campaign involves a presidential candidate and not a local rally involving a governor. He said by protocol, the presidential campaign ought to be accorded priority before any other since it was not President Goodluck Jonathan that was involved in the PDP rally.

Therefore, the CPC demanded from the police, full security compliments to its candidates and its teeming supporters as they hit Jos, today adding that anything short of that would be unacceptable.
The letter read:

“Your command is hereby called to note the following; that our party, the Congress for Progress Change was first to notify all security agencies, including your command of our intention to hold rally in Jos on Monday, 21, March 2011. “That the Congress for Progressive Change National Presidential rally holds at the Polo field, Jos town, in Jos North Local Government Area, while the PDP rally you have referred to by Governor Jang (which is an afterthought) holds at Bukuru Stadium, in Jos South Local Government Area.
“That national presidential rally takes precedence over local, state rally just as the Plateau State Commissioner of Police cannot overrule the Inspector General of Police.

“You may not be aware but need to know that after our party secured the Polo field venue, the Plateau State Government made overtures to them to return our money and cancelled the contracts between us. This, led to the meeting of the management of the Polo field to discuss the issue. What that means is that it had always been the intention of the Plateau State Government to frustrate the visit by General Mohammadu Buhari to Plateau State.

“We are also not unaware of the intimate relationship between the Plateau State Government and State Command especially the Commissioner of Police himself. The frame up, the arrest, detention and prosecution of our party leaders on the orders of the Plateau State Government was a case in point.
“It is for the above reason that we reject your advice to the presidential candidate, General Mohammadu Buhari to reschedule his visit to Jos in preference to Governor Jonah Jang’s campaign rally in another local government of Plateau State.”


http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/features/newsonthehour/2011/mar/21/newsbreak-21-03-2011-001.htm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CA3TOf5ivWM


Whats your opinion of the video and its message?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CA3TOf5ivWM


What do you think?

President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday adduced reason he did not participate in the presidential debate organised by the NN24, a channel on DSTV. The debate held, in Abuja yesterday.
In a statement by the Jonathan/Sambo Campaign Organisation, signed by Mr. Ide Eguabor, director of media/publicity, the president said that he opted out of the debate because he had accepted to attend the one organized by the Nigerian Election Debate Group (NEDG), an amalgamation of the Nigeria’s mass media, the Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN), the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON), the Nigeria Bar Association, National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), market women and other civil society groups, which has been organising the presidential debate series since 1999.

The campaign organization said that with what the NEDG has done, over the years, in organizing presidential debate, it “does not believe that this relevant and credible body, made up of Nigerians and who will moderate a presidential debate watched by Nigerians on all television and radio stations nationwide should be jettisoned for any other one on the eve of crucial national elections.”

While expressing regrets that he could not attend the NN24 presidential debate, the group said that Jonathan, “who has a carefully drawn out schedule leading up to the elections will not be able to cancel any of his appointments now to attend to a debate that is only the result of a fresh application.”
The statement said: “The Jonathan/Sambo Campaign Organisation has watched with utter consternation, efforts by some individuals and groups to feed the Nigerian public with inaccurate and distorted information to suit their selfish ends.

“A presidential debate to be organised by the management of NN24, a subscriber to Multichoice’s DSTV cable, is deliberately being heated up by those who now see what the president will do or will not do as an opportunity for political capital.
“The truth of the matter is that several applications from various groups, including that of NN24, have reached the Jonathan/Sambo Campaign Organisation seeking to organise the presidential debate, preparatory to the April general elections.

“The campaign organization sent its officials to sit as observers at some of the meetings called to deliberate on modalities. However, after a thorough examination of the reports of its observers to these meetings, a collective decision was taken to retain the body that had organized presidential debates since 1999 and has performed creditably well and so, saw no need to discard the platform and template for another.

“The fact is that, the Nigerian Election Debate Group (NEDG), organisers of the presidential debate series, is an amalgamation of the Nigeria’s mass media, print and electronic, the Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN), the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON), the Nigeria Bar Association, National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), market women and other civil society groups.
“The Jonathan/Sambo Campaign Organisation does not believe that this relevant and credible body, made up of Nigerians and who will moderate a presidential debate watched by Nigerians on all television and radio stations nationwide should be jettisoned for any other on the eve of crucial national elections.
“Furthermore, President Goodluck Jonathan who has a carefully drawn out schedule leading up to the elections will not be able to cancel any of his appointments now to attend to a debate that is only the result of a fresh application.
“Having only just concluded his tour of the 36 states of Nigeria, President Jonathan has a hectic schedule ahead before the grand finale of the state campaigns at Abuja on March 26, 2011.
“The Jonathan/Sambo Campaign Organisation regrets that President Goodluck Jonathan will unavoidably be unable to attend the debate organised by NN24.


http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2011/mar/19/national-19-03-2011-002.htm

The Vice President, Namadi Sambo and the Speaker, House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole yesterday disagreed on whether Nigeria needed just good luck to make socio-economic progress in its policies and programmes

The disagreement, it was believed has to do with the fact that the first name of the country’s President is Goodluck who incidentally is currently on campaign tour for April presidential election.

Both Sambo and Bankole spoke at the Northern Economic Summit with the theme, “An Agenda for Economic and Social Transformation of Northern Nigeria.”
The Speaker had earlier in his speech condemned the statement made by the Kaduna state Governor, Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa, who at the end of his speech wished the participants, delegates and the country in general, good luck, with much emphasis on, “ good luck to Nigeria, good luck to northern people.”

But as soon as the Speaker took the turn to speak, he said the problems of the country required a lot of solutions rather than mere good luck, stressing that as an economist, he did not believe in mere good luck for things to work.

He blamed the people of the North for not starting the summit long before now and advised them to create a conducive environment for investors into the region because according to him, with conducive environment people would come to invest.

Once it was the turn of the Vice President to declare the summit open, he took on Bankole and disagreed with him, saying that the country indeed needed good luck as well as prayers to make progress in its policies and programmes.

“Mr. Speaker, with due respect, I want to disagree with you on the need for good luck because no matter what infrastructure you get, you still need good luck and that is why we always pray for progress and success in our every day lives.” Sambo said. However, Bankole, who looked seemingly uncomfortable with the Vice President’s response to the use of good luck took leave of the summit soon after Sambo’s speech.

Sambo, in his speech also called on northern leaders to emulate the development plan of the founding fathers of the region and assured that the Federal Government was determined to resucitate all moribund industries in the North.
He further assured that government was doing everything possible to bring lasting peace to the crisis areas of Plateau, Bauchi and other states of the country, “because we cannot achieve any meaningful development without peace.”

Ironically, the 19 northern governors who are members of the G-20 that organised the summit did not turn up for the event, except the host Governor, Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa and some of the state deputies. The G-20, according to the Chairman, organising committee of the summit, Professor Jerry Gana, comprises the 19 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.


http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2011/mar/18/national-18-03-2011-020.htm

Here is the full text of the article quoted.


LAGOS – The Federal Government, yesterday, expressed its willingness to dialogue with the Movement for Emancipation of the Niger Delta, MEND, following the latest threats issued by the group to launch bomb attacks in Lagos, Abuja and the Niger Delta.
This came on a day the government sent to People University, Moscow, Russia, 75 youths of the region who had just completed their non-violence training at Obubra, Cross River State, under the amnesty programme.
Special Adviser to the President on the Niger Delta, Mr. Kingsley Kuku, who disclosed this in Lagos, yesterday, said it would be fool-hardy for anyone to think that MEND no longer existed, adding that the Federal Government was ready to meet the group to address whatever grievances they might have.
According to him, there had been MEND before the amnesty programme and even after amnesty had been granted erstwhile agitators in the region who dropped their arms.
Kuku said: “I am not one of those that will rise up to say there is no MEND anywhere.  I cannot say that because I know that before amnesty, there had been MEND, after amnesty, Henry Okah, a leader of MEND was even the first to accept amnesty.
“Today, a few other developments have occurred; MEND is still talking, amnesty is on; youth empowerment is on; development plans are on. Mr President has laudable projects that are going to be embarked upon; politicians are at their own game.
“So many threats will come, but this particular one, we are not taking it lightly, we are going to look into it. It’s about engagement, we are going to engage anybody that is aggrieved; we are not going to be tired.
However, yesterday, no fewer than 75 former agitators in the Niger Delta left the country for Moscow, Russia, to pursue degree programmes under the Federal Government’s post-amnesty programme.
At the pre-departure media interactions with officials of the amnesty team and beneficiaries, former Bayelsa State governor, Chief Diepriye Alamieyeseigha, urged the ex-agitators to see themselves as ambassadors of the country.
He said Federal Government’s inclusion of degree programmes on the post-amnesty project had eliminated the initial suspicion leaders of the region had of the programme.
According to him, university programmes remain the only training that will prepare youths of the region for decision making.
“Initially, we, leaders of the Niger Delta, were disturbed when training of youths of the region who accepted amnesty was limited to welding, seafaring etc, but now that it has been extended to university education, we are happy.
“Education is the only way we can be part of decision making.  The next struggle in this country is intellectual war, not guns.  All of us can carry gun; I carried gun for 19 years, but it didn’t take me anywhere,” Alameseigha charged the youths.
The former Bayelsa governor charged the youths to play their own part as government had fulfilled its own part of the bargain, saying “if the government is investing in you, we expect some returns at the end of the day.
“The return is the contribution you will make to the development of the Niger Delta and country at large.”
Special Adviser to the President on the Niger Delta, Mr. Kingsley Kuku, implored those being sent to Russia to abide by the rules of the code of conduct they all signed to avoid dragging the country’s name in the mud.

Who "Instructed" the youths in Bayelsa to stone Buhari? I guess every party leader will be arrested for every wrong their members/supporters do.


https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-564298.0.html

Let me state ab initio that I am not a politician (although I am not apolitical). I hold no membership card of any party. I write this because of millions of Nigerians who are below 35 and who constitute a significant chunk of our voting population. This is the ICT generation that is largely ignorant about the events of the Buhari era (1983-85) and so is misinformed and misled by needless propaganda. I have had discussions with many in the under-35 bracket and those slightly above who only have faint recollections of that era. The level of ignorance is amazing.

I don’t have the General’s mandate to hold brief for him, but I am passionate about my nation. So it pains me when people stand facts on their heads to sway the minds of a naive generation for cheap advantage. Of all the present contenders for the office of Presidency, none has been as maligned as General Buhari. He has been variously labelled “rigid”, “fundamentalist”, “dictatorial” etc. I was already a university graduate when he presided over the affairs of this country; so I can still clearly remember some things about that government. His achievements in only two years dwarf those of all who came after him.

I respect anyone’s opinion and political choices but I abhor misrepresentation of facts about anyone.
Before being military Head of State, Buhari had been Governor of one of the Northern States as well as Minister for Petroleum. He later served as Chairman of PTF under Abacha.

He birthed and supervised the establishment of our existing refineries. Today, we import 70% of the fuel we use because those after him have literally crippled the refineries.

Under his regime, there was no religious crisis. It started under his successor!
Buhari’s government reduced inflation from 23% under Shagari to 4%, by fiscal discipline and a homegrown economic team. Nigeria didn’t borrow and yet met all her financial obligations.

He only jailed corrupt leaders. In Ghana, Rawlings killed them and was celebrated for that!
As PTF Chairman, what Buhari did in road construction in that short period hasn’t been matched by any government thereafter. Hospitals and universities around the country never witnessed as much benefits as they got from the PTF from any government after or before that time.

Despite serving in senior capacity in the oil sector, first as Minister for Petroleum and then Petroleum Trust Fund Chairman, Buhari has no petrol station, much less a rig, refinery or an oil block like so many of his contemporaries. He could have retired into nauseating opulence like them but didn’t.

Instead of hobnobbing with the high and mighty, he has cast his lot with the common man most of whom follow him out of hope and belief in his values. He is the only politician in the North today who fills rallies without renting a crowd.

He refused to collect an allowance while serving as Chairman of the PTF because he said since he was already drawing a pension from government, his conscience would not allow him to draw another salary from the purse of the same government from which he was already drawing a pension.

He is the only former head of state that does not own property or land in Abuja.

The man who took over the running of PTF with the aim of probing and indicting Buhari before it was scrapped, was the one who ended up being prosecuted for misappropriating $100m of PTF funds! Every attempt to rubbish Buhari through probes in time past had ended up vindicating him.

He has OPENLY challenged those who accuse him of religious fundamentalism to come out and show proof. I am surprised that no one has till today, taken up the challenge. I HONESTLY wish someone would! His personal driver of many years is a Christian from Plateau State!

Buhari’s government initiated the War Against Indiscipline that has made environmental cleanliness, queuing up, not urinating by the roadside etc, features of our national life even till today. With WAI, Nigerians began to understand basic elements of social responsibility.

For the records, IBB took us into full membership of OIC. Prof Omoruyi, one of Babangida’s hatchet men wrote in 2001, “The period of General Babangida (1985-1993) represented the beginning of unmitigated Islamization of Nigeria. , General Babangida took the fateful decision in 1986 to face the Nigerian Christians in particular and Nigerians in general with the plan of Muslims. He without the approval of the governing organs of the Federal Military Government organized a mission led by a non-member of the Government, the Sultan of Sokoto to formally admit Nigeria into the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC). When the Chief of General Staff, Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe complained that he knew nothing about it and definitely said that he could not remember the matter coming to the Armed Forces Ruling Council (AFRC), he was shown his way out.”

Was Buhari flawless? If he was, he wouldn’t be human. Tough? Yes. But corrupt? No. Fundamentalist? No proof. Take positions based on facts, not cheap propaganda.
Remember, the sky is not your limit, God is!


http://tribune.com.ng/index.php/empowered-for-life/18525-who-is-afraid-of-buhari

Let me state ab initio that I am not a politician (although I am not apolitical). I hold no membership card of any party. I write this because of millions of Nigerians who are below 35 and who constitute a significant chunk of our voting population. This is the ICT generation that is largely ignorant about the events of the Buhari era (1983-85) and so is misinformed and misled by needless propaganda. I have had discussions with many in the under-35 bracket and those slightly above who only have faint recollections of that era. The level of ignorance is amazing.

I don’t have the General’s mandate to hold brief for him, but I am passionate about my nation. So it pains me when people stand facts on their heads to sway the minds of a naive generation for cheap advantage. Of all the present contenders for the office of Presidency, none has been as maligned as General Buhari. He has been variously labelled “rigid”, “fundamentalist”, “dictatorial” etc. I was already a university graduate when he presided over the affairs of this country; so I can still clearly remember some things about that government. His achievements in only two years dwarf those of all who came after him.

I respect anyone’s opinion and political choices but I abhor misrepresentation of facts about anyone.
Before being military Head of State, Buhari had been Governor of one of the Northern States as well as Minister for Petroleum. He later served as Chairman of PTF under Abacha.

He birthed and supervised the establishment of our existing refineries. Today, we import 70% of the fuel we use because those after him have literally crippled the refineries.

Under his regime, there was no religious crisis. It started under his successor!
Buhari’s government reduced inflation from 23% under Shagari to 4%, by fiscal discipline and a homegrown economic team. Nigeria didn’t borrow and yet met all her financial obligations.

He only jailed corrupt leaders. In Ghana, Rawlings killed them and was celebrated for that!
As PTF Chairman, what Buhari did in road construction in that short period hasn’t been matched by any government thereafter. Hospitals and universities around the country never witnessed as much benefits as they got from the PTF from any government after or before that time.

Despite serving in senior capacity in the oil sector, first as Minister for Petroleum and then Petroleum Trust Fund Chairman, Buhari has no petrol station, much less a rig, refinery or an oil block like so many of his contemporaries. He could have retired into nauseating opulence like them but didn’t.

Instead of hobnobbing with the high and mighty, he has cast his lot with the common man most of whom follow him out of hope and belief in his values. He is the only politician in the North today who fills rallies without renting a crowd.

He refused to collect an allowance while serving as Chairman of the PTF because he said since he was already drawing a pension from government, his conscience would not allow him to draw another salary from the purse of the same government from which he was already drawing a pension.

He is the only former head of state that does not own property or land in Abuja.

The man who took over the running of PTF with the aim of probing and indicting Buhari before it was scrapped, was the one who ended up being prosecuted for misappropriating $100m of PTF funds! Every attempt to rubbish Buhari through probes in time past had ended up vindicating him.

He has OPENLY challenged those who accuse him of religious fundamentalism to come out and show proof. I am surprised that no one has till today, taken up the challenge. I HONESTLY wish someone would! His personal driver of many years is a Christian from Plateau State!

Buhari’s government initiated the War Against Indiscipline that has made environmental cleanliness, queuing up, not urinating by the roadside etc, features of our national life even till today. With WAI, Nigerians began to understand basic elements of social responsibility.

For the records, IBB took us into full membership of OIC. Prof Omoruyi, one of Babangida’s hatchet men wrote in 2001, “The period of General Babangida (1985-1993) represented the beginning of unmitigated Islamization of Nigeria. , General Babangida took the fateful decision in 1986 to face the Nigerian Christians in particular and Nigerians in general with the plan of Muslims. He without the approval of the governing organs of the Federal Military Government organized a mission led by a non-member of the Government, the Sultan of Sokoto to formally admit Nigeria into the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC). When the Chief of General Staff, Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe complained that he knew nothing about it and definitely said that he could not remember the matter coming to the Armed Forces Ruling Council (AFRC), he was shown his way out.”

Was Buhari flawless? If he was, he wouldn’t be human. Tough? Yes. But corrupt? No. Fundamentalist? No proof. Take positions based on facts, not cheap propaganda.
Remember, the sky is not your limit, God is!


http://tribune.com.ng/index.php/empowered-for-life/18525-who-is-afraid-of-buhari

The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar has asked President Goodluck Jonathan to sign an undertaking that he will deliver all the catalogue of campaign promises he rolled out at his palace. “All we need to do, through our amiable governor is to get a paper, list out all those things he said he is going to do, let him sign an undertaking so that we will start pursuing him with that paper around,” Sultan said.


The Sultan, flanked by his council members, including the former President Shehu Shagari received Jonathan in audience before the latter commenced his campaign rally at the Sokoto township stadium yesterday.

“When somebody asks for a favour, the person who is going to do the favour may say, well let’s see if it is going to be possible. But when the person who is going to do that favour, openly, unsolicited, comes up and says this is what I’m going to do, that gives room to the person who is going to ask the favour to say thank you. So if I had spoken before him and requested him to do something and he promises to do so, it would have been a different thing. And without me asking him, he has himself listed out a catalogue of things that we are going to benefit from.”

He thanked God for what He has done to Jonathan in his life, adding: “You are here by the virtue of the Almighty’s blessing on you as President of this country and nothing more. Nobody could have done it otherwise: it was already destined it was going to happen.

“So you are coming now for campaign rally and pay this courtesy visit. It is just a formality for you to come and tell us what you are here for.”

Meanwhile, Jonathan, at his presidential campaign at the Gingiya Memorial stadium, Sokoto, harped on the need to avoid violence during the forthcoming elections, stressing that his government stands for peace and unity of the country.


http://www.dailytrust.dailytrust.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=13767:promises-sultan-wants-jonathan-to-sign-undertaking&catid=2:lead-stories&Itemid=8

President Goodluck Jonathan expends N100 million naira of tax payers’ money every day to fund his presidential campaign, presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Mega Party (SDMP) Prof. Pat Utomi charged in Abuja yesterday. Utomi, who spoke at a ‘Policy Dialogue with Presidential Candidates’ organised by Murtala Mohammed Foundation, said civil society organisations in the country have failed in their duty by keeping quiet over the president’s spending on his campaign, saying this can never happen in Brazil where a Constitutional Court has banned such spending.
On corruption, Utomi said the trend flourishes because people believe that nobody could prosecute them if they engage in corrupt practices, adding that if elected as the President of Nigeria he will fight corruption. He also expressed his commitment to institutional arrangements in the political arena, saying the country requires two viable and strong political parties. He expressed his displeasure over the inability of reformed progressives to form an alliance in spite of his personal efforts in that direction.

The presidential candidate also described the establishment of new federal universities without repositioning the existing ones as unreasonable. He said much attention is focused on tertiary education with little importance attached to the need to address challenges facing primary education.

He said, ‘’Teacher education is the starting point. How do we create intense teacher education? How do we bring prestige back to teacher education? It is going to be a life mission since the educational system has been completely neglected. We also need to rethink vocational education if we want to make progress.’’

On security challenges facing the country, Utomi called for the decentralisation of police and the adoption of modern community policing tactics, saying all the crises could have been avoided if early warning signals were considered.

When asked to make a choice of his presidential candidate if he is not contesting, he said, ‘’I told Nuhu Ribadu, if you emerge as a progressive candidate, I will support you. I will support Malam Ibrahim Shekarau. He will make a good President. He is an articulate man but he is not known outside Kano. General Muhammadu Buhari is a symbol of discipline and Nigeria needs discipline. If all these fail, we can survive with Jonathan.’’

Professor Utomi also declared his readiness to accord women a prime platform that will guarantee their active participation in the Nigerian political process, adding that his government would ensure that 50% of cabinet members are women. Drawing inferences from the female-dominated schooling system in the South-east, Utomi said a time would come when women will preoccupy the positions of governance and authority in the country.

Meanwhile, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) yesterday said they were not looking elsewhere when President Goodluck Jonathan and his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) were spending tax payers’ money to the tune of N100 million daily as alleged by Prof. Pat Utomi and that they would soon take action to arrest it.

The Alliance for Credible Elections (ACE), the Transition Monitoring Group (TMG) and the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) were unanimous in condemning the flagrant abuse and undermining of the rule of law and provision of the Electoral Act by political parties, especially the PDP and politicians alike, with TMG saying that the amount is even an understatement.

General Secretary of ACE Mr. Emma Ezeazu told our correspondent in Abuja that it is right that Prof. Utomi is actively playing the role expected of the opposition, saying however that the CSOs will look into the matter.

“If the president is spending that much on campaign, it will be more difficult for the opposition parties to contest with him. We will look into this matter and be sure of the fact. We will have to be sure so that we will just not be smearing our hands in the mud. If the president is spending that much it is horrible and does not augur well for the coming April polls, democracy and for the well being of Nigeria,” Ezeazu said.

TMG chairman and Chairperson-Elect of the newly formed West Africa Election Observers Network (WAEON), Comrade Mashood Erubami, said CSOs are looking elsewhere as the organization was actually preparing to address the nation on the matter and that the delay was due to the organisation’s pre-occupation with the party primaries.

“The amount quoted is an understatement when you count in the number of official cars, drivers, consumables, institutional and man-day support from civil servants and direct cash being expended daily. There is also the issue of deferred payment in millions represented by unaccountable contractor supports which will later be re-paid in form of contracts and their attachable inflations.

“You cannot estimate the amount of spending from adverts from public owned media which are not directly charged but hidden under public announcement. TMG will take the matter to the civil society situation room for national based treatment,” Erubami said.

Executive Director of CICLAC Malam Auwal Musa Rafsanjani on his part said that the amount quoted by Prof Utomi cannot be far from truth, adding that civil society groups have actually being expressing concern over the non-compliance by political parties, especially PDP with the Electoral Act on party financing and donations.

“We are unfortunately having politicians who are no respecters of law. We are having a government that is legalizing corruption so much that they were celebrating people convicted of corruption; but we are not going to relent in our efforts and roles despite our inability to enforce the provisions of the laws,” Rafsanjani said.



http://www.dailytrust.dailytrust.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=13771:utomi-jonathan-spends-n100m-daily-on-campaign&catid=2:lead-stories&Itemid=8

Governor Muazu Babangida Aliyu of Niger State yesterday threw party sentiments aside, describing Lagos State under Governor Raji Fashola as a no-go area for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) or any other party apart from the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN)

Aliyu poured encomiums on Fashola, saying he had distinguished himself with his performance.
The governor, who spoke while declaring open the 47th Annual International Conference of the Nigerian Mining and Geosciences Society in Minna, said the giant strides of Fashola in Lagos had made the Action Congress of Nigeria popular in the state.

He described Fashola as a dedicated and committed public servant,
Aliyu, who is seeking re-election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party said the performance of his counterpart in Lagos had “become a nightmare for the PDP in Lagos State.”

He openly confessed that the PDP waited patiently for ACN to deny Fashola a second-term ticket to grab him as a basis of capturing Lagos. Specifically, he said while everybody had thought that Lagos would not work, Fashola had proved critics wrong by transforming the city.

“I am speaking from the bottom of my heart. Fashola has performed, forget about partisan politics. Here is one person that has performed. People had given up on Lagos that it would not work, but he has made it work,” he said. The governor decried bad leadership as the bane of development in the country, observing that despite the efforts of leaders in the Arab world, the masses had risen up against them demanding a better bargain. While asking leaders to learn from the wind of change, blowing in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya, he said: “Let us give the people better bargains before we begin to run helter-skelter.”

He asked the people to remove sentiments while casting their votes in April, urging them to vote for equity, tolerance and unity of Nigeria.
Aliyu urged members of professional associations to join active politics and take it away from charlatans, adding that participation of professionals would enrich the system.

He observed that many candidates were not talking about issues in their campaigns ahead of the elections, noting that political desperation led to the bomb blast that rocked a rally organised by the PDP in Suleja. He regretted that those who died from the blasts were common people, who were not at the venue for political reasons. He described those who committed the dastardly act as cowards but said their motives were yet to be known.


http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/features/newsonthehour/2011/mar/09/newsbreak-09-03-2011-001.htm

Taofeek is a 21 years old Yoruba boy (young man, actually, but in Nigeria a 23 years old is still a boy, like Farouk Mutallab whom Nigerian media saw as boy, while international media addressed him as young man). He lives in Langbasa, in Ajah axis of Lagos. When he is not in school, he helps his mother in her recharge cards business. I had a brief encounter with him that passed a very strong but unfortunate message about General Muhammadu Buhari’s campaign strategy ahead of the April polls.

I had stopped to buy recharge card from Taofeek. As has been the case with gatherings of two or three people in the last few months, normal talks between Taofeek and his friends drifted to presidential politics, and it was at that point I stopped to ask for a recharge card. I heard Taofeek mention the name of the presidential candidate of the largest political party in Africa. At that point, I got interested in their discussion and spared two minutes to spread the message of hope to Taofeek, the message of Buhari-Bakare, that is.

I asked him why he was supporting the candidate, but he couldn’t say anything coherent. I found it pardonable, although at that age somebody like me was already expressing political opinions on pages of newspapers, today these children or men not only lack the basic English grammar skills to express themselves, they can only analyze English Premiership League in Yoruba! They don’t listen to news, don’t read newspapers, don’t know anything about politics or economy.

The nearest they come to politics is watching some flowery campaign theatrics on TV and, and after analyzing Arsenal and Barcelona in their evening sittings, delve into political discussions, better described as recharge-cards-tents analysis, which ranks even worse than beer parlour and pepper soup joint commentaries.

Back to my encounter with the young man, in my bid to preach the Buhari message to him as I do in chance meetings with people where the environment permits, I told him there was another candidate that meant better for this country and that was tested and trusted to lead this country away from its present shambolic state. Before I finished, he cut in: ‘Ribadu?’ I said no, I’m talking about Buhari. And wait for the shocker:

Taofeek has never heard of Buhari! His response was: ‘Who is Buhari?’
I didn’t know where to start. A 21-year-old Nigerian, a registered voter, in Lagos, not knowing who Buhari was! And a presidential election in which Buhari is participating is less than 60 days away. Immediately, I concluded there was problem, a serious one, not with the boy, but with Buhari’s handlers. Like I mentioned earlier, I can pardon the boy for having been bought by our good friends that have inundated the media with all manner of campaign adverts, appealing to emotions and divinity, telling us their grass-to-grace story, as if other candidates too did not have a grass-to-glory tale, telling us they walked bare-footed to school in one swampy village as if Buhari too was not once a bare-foot-walking Fulani cattle boy in a desert village who, through dint of commitment and focus in his chosen military profession , rose to become the country’s No 1 man, and a step further than their tale, after reaching glory, doesn’t parade the type of opulence they now parade, even though he has been around for a longer time and sat on top of the most juicy offices in the land (Minister of Petroluem, state governor, PTF Chair, Head of Military government).

Registered voter Taofeek did not know anything about corruption. He knew nothing about the economy. He believes some divine luck is all we need to save this country. He doesn’t know the indices to measure a good leader or one with potential. Even if he has heard the saying that show me your friends and I will tell who you are, he doesn’t know who Ibori is, he has never heard of Tony Anenih, he knows next to nothing about Alao-Akala and Gbenga Daniel, you can see why I forgave him for believing those fine rhetoric in the adverts of his candidate.

I was too shocked by the revelation and at the same time angry with the Buhari campaign machinery, to talk to Taofeek, whose impressionable mind appeared already glued to those songs he hears every now and then on radio and those beautiful jingles he sees on the TV screens. As I walked off, I remember the millions of Taofeeks in other parts of the South, who, even if they have heard about Buhari, don’t know anything about him. I felt demoralized that I began to ask myself: is this Buhari project I have voluntarily taken up not going to be an exercise in futility? Where is the Buhari campaign team itself? I have never seen a single poster of Buhari in central Lagos, not to talk of Lagos suburbs like Langbasa where Taofeek resides. I have never seen a Buhari jingle in the electronic media. The only Buhari advert I came across in newspapers was that by Professor Tam David West late last year, and I buy four papers everyday.

Those of us rooting for Buhari in the South are drawn from the educated, politically informed class. Even that cadre is divided almost equally among the three major contenders. The less informed multitude in the streets of Lagos, Ibadan, Port Harcourt, Enugu or Benin know nothing about Buhari. This is why I am surprised the Buhari formal campaign team has not reached these places, either through massive media jingles, leaflets, or rally. Even worse in popularity in this side than Buhari himself is his party, CPC. It was only a couple of days ago that I knew that CPC had a gubernatorial candidate in Lagos. That is me, an active follower of politics and news, how much more the millions that don’t even follow events. And Buhari expects to do well in these areas.

Ironically, the people that are already well-known in every nook and cranny of the country are the ones actively doing campaign around. If the President has abandoned his official duties to embark on personal campaigns, I wonder what is keeping Buhari, who doesn’t have presidential duties to attend to. Even Ribadu, another candidate I admire but not sure he hasn’t become too soft and compromised to tackle the corruption menace, has been more visible than Buhari.

Granted that Buhari doesn’t have the foreign reserve to deplete to fund his campaign, neither does he have the governors to brow-beat, he can do far better than this. My people will say good name is better than gold and silver. This is true, Buhari has the goodwill, all he needs now is a practicable strategy. Any strategy that doesn’t incorporate early campaign, enlisting of youths and active use of local media, I’m afraid, cannot be effective. Buhari and his team should spare us these endless meetings and jolt into action. The message of Buhari must be carried to every Taofeeq in the South. I hope Buhari and his team are listening.

Oyewale writes from Dideolu Estate, Victoria Island, Lagos. oyewalesuraj@yahoo.com

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/opinion/2011/mar/02/opinion-02-03-2011-002.htm

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