boat as the country’s impoverished and jobless millions. They are unlikely to vote for the status quo.
There have been military humiliations, too. Nigerians are embarrassed that their army needed reinforcements from smaller, poorer neighbors like Chad, Niger and Cameroon to reclaim northern towns from the terrorist group, Boko Haram. In fact, no Nigerian troops were present in some of the liberated towns. Worse, the government is hiring South African mercenaries for $400 a day in a country where soldiers are paid much less, often late, or not at all.
Continue reading the main storyContinue reading the main story
Continue reading the main story
Frontline troops have long complained they did not have adequate equipment or sufficient ammunition. But according to the government’s own figures, a quarter of federal budgets since 2010 have been allotted to security. Many Nigerians conclude that the money has gone to enrich the army top brass and their civilian colleagues.
The February election was supposedly postponed so that the military could focus on the offensive it has now launched against Boko Haram. But the government’s priority doesn’t appear to be protecting Nigeria’s people and territory; its goal is to stay in power. The postponement has simply allowed the ruling party more time to spend money the opposition cannot match.
Many Nigerians now see Mr. Buhari as the man who can deliver them from corruption and insecurity. He was Nigeria’s military ruler from 1984-85. He was petroleum minister before that. And in the late 1990s, as a civilian, he chaired the Petroleum Trust Fund. He could have enriched himself, but he did not. In the 1980s, he repelled a Chadian invasion and acted decisively against an earlier extremist Muslim group. As Adeyemi Adefulu, a Yoruba civil servant who was unjustly imprisoned under Mr. Buhari’s regime during sweeping arrests of the allegedly corrupt in the 1980s, wrote recently, “Our jailer has become our hope.” He is now actively campaigning for Mr. Buhari.
With so much at stake, the United States must play a constructive role. Secretary of State John Kerry has stressed that the election must take place on Saturday and that it be “free, transparent and credible.” And Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. last week expressed support for the electoral commission and urged electronic authentication of voters.
More is needed. America must publicly insist on retaining the head of the electoral commission, preventing any election-day violence or intimidation by security forces, and announcing results at each polling place. And voters should not be prevented from using mobile phones to photograph local results as a precaution against later rigging.
This election must not be stolen from the people. Mr. Kerry has suggested that visa restrictions could be placed on anyone who interferes with the electoral process. This policy, along with a threat of targeted financial sanctions, should be announced now and it should include members of Nigeria’s security forces.
The global fall in oil prices, Nigeria’s squandered foreign reserves and the draining of an account intended to cushion price shocks mean that Nigerians face hard times ahead. They deserve to choose who will lead them through those times.
Jean Herskovits, a research professor at the State University of New York, Purchase, has written on Nigerian politics since 1970.
A version of this op-ed appears in print on March 26, 2015, in The International New York Times. Order Reprints| Today's Paper|Subscribe

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/26/opinion/dont-steal-nigerias-election.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=1

LAGOS, Nigeria — Nigeria’s government canceled the February presidential election just days before it was to be held, postponing it until March 28. If this weekend’s vote is delayed, disrupted or canceled, it will imperil the democratic future of Africa’s most populous country.
This election is unlike any other in Nigerian history. President Goodluck Jonathan’s Peoples Democratic Party is facing the first credible challenge to a ruling party, and he is intent on staying in power, even though popular discontent with the P.D.P. is rife.
If the election had been held as scheduled on Feb. 14, it is likely that Gen. Muhammadu Buhari of the opposition All Progressives Congress would have won. The six-week delay broke the A.P.C.’s momentum and gave the P.D.P. time to to reverse the tide. Incumbency guarantees access to the treasury and command of the security forces — the first is in play now, and the second could be during the election and its aftermath.
Nigerian politics can be murderous; Mr. Buhari has already survived one attempted assassination, an October bombing in Kaduna. And if there is another postponement, a contrived disruption on election day that leads to an unconstitutional interim arrangement, or if the election results do not appear credible, Nigeria could erupt in violence.
Although Nigerians have often been divided along ethnic, religious and regional lines, there has been a remarkable change. Until quite recently, southern Nigerians overwhelmingly supported Mr. Jonathan, a southern Christian. That view prevailed in 2011, when Mr. Buhari also ran for president. The influential Lagos press portrayed him as a dictatorial, fanatical Muslim seeking to impose Shariah on the whole country despite the fact that Christians were a majority in his cabinet when he ruled the country in the mid-1980s.
But daily life has worsened and corruption has escalated. Last year, Mr. Jonathan removed from office the respected governor of the Central Bank, Lamido Sanusi, after Mr. Sanusi announced that in one 15-month period at least $20 billion in government funds went unaccounted for. (The government recently claimed that an audit had found that “only $1.47 billion” was missing).
Meanwhile, the same central government has failed to send money it owes to the states, and teachers and other civil servants have gone unpaid. Currency devaluation and inflation mean that unpaid and laid-off workers in the public and private sectors are now in the same

Another trash from the house of EC.

RIP to the dead.




The Corporal obeyed the order from MBU.

I can't laugh enough

Creamish:


Biko....explain this distortion u speak about. Tis news to me.

This thead promotes vanity and it could lead to a race for another vanity spree by wives of elected public office holders. Let's get our priority right and communicates the important things to public office holders and their better halves.

Conclusion

The Chairman of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Bauchi State Chapter Mr Ede Joseph Okafor also told the leadership of Igbo Mandate Congress that it is unfortunate that Igbo leaders shared among themselves what Jonathan brought to help the entire Igbo mobilize and vote for his re-election. He told Rev Akukwe that “ Ohanaeze Ndigbo in Bauchi State is yet to receive any one naira in the form of mobilization from either Jonathan or Ohanaeze leaders who collected money. We are eager to mobilize support for Jonathan but without funds we cannot and may not do much”

The Chairman of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Gombe State Chapter,Nze Joseph O Dilibe told Rev Akukwe that “ they collected and shared billions among themselves and they want us to use our urine to mobilize support for Jonathan. Our President must know that these Igbo Leaders have scammed him of millions and must go and recover his money from them”.

Expressing his views, the Vice Chairman of Ohanaeze Ndigbo in Kaduna State, Chief Emmanuel Chidi Okoro told Rev Akukwe and his team that “those in Kaduna are waiting for us to mobilize support and logistics so that they can sit back and campaign for Jonathan but the greedy disposition of these Igbo leaders in Ohanaeze National Secretariat is very alarming. Ohanaeze Ndigbo Kaduna State have not received any kobo from Jonathan or our leaders and we cannot use our personal funds to mobilize when billions was allegedly budgeted and shared”

Chief Akunne Ara Azikiwe, son of the first President of Nigeria, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe while calming the infuriated Ohanaeze Chapter Presidents from the north told Rev Akukwe that “it is very dangerous and sinful to corner what Jonathan released to mobilize Ohanaeze especially in the north. What happens if he cannot get the necessary 25 percent votes as a result of this act of greed”. He appealed to the protesting Ohanaeze leaders to maintain calm while other channels are opened.

Barrister Emejulu Okpalaukwu , Assistant National Publicity Sectary of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, whose Executive Committee shared the controversial money begged the leaders of Ohanaeze in the North not to cast their votes for Buhari in protest. Barrister Emejulu who claimed that he was also disenfranchised from the sharing process because he insisted that Ohaneze im the North must be mobilized with both money and security to enable them to stay back and cast their votes, asked the protesting leaders to sacrifice their personal resources to help Jonathan win since the big money has been shared already and cannot be brought back.

Rev Akukwe and leaders of IMC were told that it took the intervention of former Inspector General of Police, Mr Mike Okiro, who hails from the South South region to calm the frays of the protesting Ohanaeze leaders in the North. The former Inspector General of Police who showed more sympathy for the fate of Ohaneze leaders in the North than fellow Igbo leaders, paid the hotel bills of some of the Presidents who converged in Abuja for the 3- day meeting.

The President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Igariwey had earlier held a press conference in Enugu denying receiving N5 billion naira. Igariwey who was at Abuja over the weekend told concerned Igbo leaders who gathered at the residence of Ezeigbo of Abuja, Chief Ibe Nwosu, that he was not given up to that amount of money.

http://www.informationng.com/2015/02/opinion-ohanaeze-ndigbo-sharing-of-jonathans-n5-billion-endorsement-gift-creates-more-crisis-by-obinna-akukwe.html

Northern Chapter Presidents Rejects Endorsement
· Igbo Leaders Accused of embezzling fund from the top
· Rtd IGP Mike Okiro saves Igbo leaders from Embarrassment

The crisis generated by Jonathan’s N5 billion naira endorsement gift is increasing by the day as more groups within the body accuses Igariwey led faction of scamming them. Ohanaeze Ndigbo had earlier endorsed Jonathan for a second term in Enugu two weeks ago after which pandemonium, fracas, tearing of dresses and biting off of fingers broke out at the secretariat over the sharing of the excess money. Among the groups that have rejected the earlier endorsement of Jonathan as a result of the sharing formula of the N5 billion naira gift is Igbo Delegates Assembly (IDA) in the 19 Northern States. This group was given N20 million naira to share among the 19 states of the north and FCT and each State got N1 million naira. IDA is alleging that the N20 million naira was the money Senator Hope Uzodimma promised them a year ago which Ohanaeze seized all these while.

President-General of the IDA, Chief S.N. Iyamah; and Public Relations Officer, Mr. Auston Ifedinezi, in a communiqué at the end of its meeting in Abuja called on all Igbo in the North to remain wherever they are and to collect their Permanent Voter Cards.

They claimed that they were not given a dime from the N5 Billion naira from Jonathan despite being at the Ohanaeze Secretariat Enugu when the money was conveyed in vans. IDA have asked Igbos in the north to vote either Buhari or Jonathan, according to their conscience in line with the directives of Ohanaeze Elders Council and Ohanaeze Caretaker Committee. The Igariwey led leadership is plotting to dissolve the IDA in the north for exposing the N5 billion naira gift. Leaders of the group told Rev Akukwe in Abuja that they have information that few single persons (names withheld) smiled home with between N100 to N200 million naira and one very big shot was given N300 million naira while the entire IDA in the north were given N20 million naira to go and share.

Ohanaeze Ndigbo Chapter Presidents in the 19 Northern States also met at Abuja, from Tuesday to Thursday last week to discuss the issue of votes and security of Ndigbo n the North. At the end of the 3 day meeting, they also resolved to tell their members to vote any candidate of their choice since the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo have collected money and failed to give them anything to mobilize Igbos in the north to stay back and cast their vote.

The Chairman of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Zamfara State Chapter, Evangelist Nnamdi Okereke told the Director General of Igbo Mandate Congress (IMC) Rev Obinna Akukwe who led a team of the group on fact finding tour to determine the state of preparedness and security of Igbos in the North that “ it is unfortunate that our Ohanaeze leaders collected billions and did not give us even a kobo as Ohanaeze leaders in any of the northern states and yet they want us to mobilize and vote for Jonathan”. Going further Evangelist Okereke said that “ it is even Gen Aliyu Gusau that came around to ask about the welfare of Igbos in Zamfara while our leaders collected money and abandoned us to our fate “

The Chairman of Ohanaeze Elders Council, Kano State, Chief Uche Megwali also known as Ichie Okunwa told Rev Akukwe that “we heard that billions was received and shared by our leaders in the East. Ohanaeze Ndigbo Kano have not received any kobo from Jonathan or Ohanaeze leaders in Enugu. It is unfortunate that while our leaders are sharing money among themselves, it is northerners like the former Governor of Kano state, Mallam Shekarau and Senator Lado that visited the Igbo Community and assured us of our security, urging us to sit back and vote in the north”

The Chairman of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Jigawa State Chapter, Rev Offodile Igwesi told Rev Akukwe that he witnessed the sharing of money to few in Enugu and yet he and his colleagues in the North were left stranded. Rev Igwesi added further that “though we want to mobilize and vote for Jonathan in Jigawa State, with the situation of things, it is fool hardy for anybody to endanger his life without proper mobilization. We like Jonathan but we may not mobilize for him without logistics”.

http://sunnewsonline.com/new/?p=105012

BY IGNATIUS OLISEMEKA

Without ever knowing or meeting me, Buhari gave me a chance. As I now write, I have never met him one-on-one. We have never spoken to each other. It is an extraordinary experience of an unusual man.

I was sitting on my desk in the Min­istry of External Affairs, 40 Marina Lagos in 1984, when I received a let­ter appointing me Ambassador to the United States of America. My place of origin did not matter. Incidentally, I am from Ibusa, a famous town now in Delta State, then in Bendel State. My religion did not matter either. I had no worthwhile contacts with Dodan Barracks. All I knew, and had always known, was to work hard and to express my views as candidly and as courageously as I could, regardless of the consequences; provided I was convinced they were right. It was never easy or smooth-sailing. Of course, that had its bitter consequences; but at the end, now at 83, looking back, it worked out just right.

Of all the Nigerian leaders, with the possible exception of Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe and Alhaji Tafawa Balewa, Buhari has been the one that has most approximated my dream of what a Nigerian leader should be. Without any attempt at self-advertisement, but simply as a matter of fact, I knew and had worked and interacted with most, if not all of our leaders. I worked with Sir James Robertson, the last colonial Governor-General of Nigeria, after graduating from the University Col­lege, Ibadan in 1957. I served as Clerk to the Privy Council and as Assistant Secretary (Administrative Officer) in charge of Security. I worked up to my immediate boss, Mr C. O. Lawson, the then respected Secretary to the Cabinet in the Governor-General’s office. As part of my schedule of duties as officer in charge of security, I had the privi­lege and honour of being a member of a 3-man-panel, two of them British, which interviewed and recruited the first batch of Nigerian military officers into the Nigerian army in 1958. This batch included Olusegun Obasanjo.

In 1958, I transferred to the Ministry of External Affairs, making a career in the Diplomatic Service which lasted forty-two (42) years, from where I even­tually rose as Foreign Minister, having served as Ambassador in Nine (9) coun­tries, a few with concurrent accredi­tation, including Kenya under Jomo Kenyatta, Botswana under Sir Seretse Khama, Lesotho under King Moshoe­shoe I, Spain, The Holy See under three Popes, (John Paul VI, John Paul I and John Paul II), the United States of America, Canada and, lastly, in Israel for six (6) years, a mission I established and rose to be Doyen of the Diplomat­ic Corps. In between, I was Chief of Protocol of the Federation to Zik and Balewa, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as Directing Staff in the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, for two years (1988/1989).

I am now a retired pensioner, careful­ly minding my own business and tend­ing my personal affairs. I do not belong to any political party and have never belonged to any. In the best tradition of the colonial public service of my days, I have remained strictly anonymous and aloof; occasionally, making my views and opinion privately known to the ap­propriate authorities of the day on any issue I feel strongly about. I seek no of­fice and no financial or material favours. All I am doing is to put on public record my private opinion, views and experi­ence, which may not be available and known to many Nigerians.

Major General Muhammadu Bu­hari not only gave me the opportunity to serve Nigeria as Ambassador in the United States, he did even more than that. He entrusted to me the care and welfare of his family; still without our knowing or meeting each other. He sent his wife and two children to me in Washington D.C. for medical treatment. He took his chance and dealt with me strictly on a professional basis. His fam­ily were with me in Washington D.C. when the General was overthrown in a coup d’état. We did the best we could and sent them back home safely under the trying and traumatic circumstances they found themselves- still, never a word from this unusual person. In 1988 after I returned as Ambassador from Washington D.C., I was assigned as a punitive measure as Directing Staff to the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, for two years.The subject of our research in that year led the syndicate I headed to visit Buhari’s State of origin. With the approval of government, members of the Syndicate visited Buhari who was then under house arrest in his home town, Daura. This most extra-ordinary man received us with warmth and cour­tesy. We found him living in a modest, sparsely furnished three or four bed-room bungalow which was his house. He still did not know who I was; nor did I disclose my identity to him. It was unbelievable, even in those days, that a former General in the Nigerian Army and a former Head of State could live in such a modest, Spartan abode. What further struck me was a complete lack of bitterness; unless the Fulani in him concealed and dissembled it!

What do all these tell me about this man, Buhari? Others may have a differ­ent opinion of him. I absolutely concede to them the right to hold their views. As far as I am personally concerned, four short phrases summarise my overall impression and opinion of Buhari. An incorruptible man. A patriotic Nigerian devoid of any trace of ethnicism and parochialism. A deeply religious man. Above all, a stern disciplinarian.We so often talk glibly of the giant strides Asian Tigers have taken to leap from the state of underdevelopment to de­veloped nations. We refer tirelessly to the achievements of men like Lee Kuan Yew. I have, personally, met Lee Kuan Yew in Singapore. I did so in the com­pany of General Yakubu Gowon when he returned from exile from the United Kingdom. Little do we know or appre­ciate the agonizing hardship, pains and sufferings all Singaporeans, Chinese, Malays, Indians and other ethnic na­tionalities, had to endure for Singapore to attain its present height as a respect­ed nation. Gold must be smelted in hot burning furnaces before unleashing its shine and purity. Lee Kuan Yew was a benevolent democratic autocrat. He subjected his people to a good dose of rigorous healthy discipline. No country makes that type of progress Singapore made without an unwavering sense of disciplined direction. Moreover, Lee Kuan Yew was an inspirational leader of his people. He governed by example.

It is not just the question of the num­ber of kilometres of roads you build that elevates a nation. It is not a matter of the megawatts of power you generate or the number of buildings you erect for the populace. Not even the refineries you build or the volume of agricultural prod­ucts produced and exported. These are important. Any leader surrounded by brilliant experts, excellent technocrats and loyal advisers can achieve those basic and essential needs. Leadership calls for much greater attributes than the performance of those feats. A leader must have a strong, solid, moral and dis­ciplined background, the inspirational ability to galvanize his people to higher, lofty and common purpose. These are not ordinary attributes available to ev­ery man. They are uncommon gifts and talents dispensed and bestowed only to a few. This makes the difference between one man and the other; one woman and the other. It is not often we have a Ghandi or a Mandela; an Ataturk, or a Winston Churchill, a Charles de Gaulle, or a Konrad Adenauer, who became one of the most respected Chancellors of Federal Republic of Germany at the ripe age of 81, a Margaret Thatcher, or even our own often quoted Obama. Nearer home, with all their imperfections, con­sidering that a prophet is without hon­our in his own country, we must reckon with Azikiwe, the Sardauna, Awolowo, Aminu Kano and J.S. Tarka, the real and genuine ‘founding fathers’ of our nation.

To be continued tomorrow

DHQ is at liberty to issue this statement. However, the Ekiti rigging tape is the most concrete evidence the military has become a arm of the PDP.

It really means that BH was never about GEJ Government as being made out to be. But BH is about a deranged people like Al Shabab and ISIL looking to carve out territory for themselves. The reason whey they festered however is because our government mis diagnosed the insurgency and took a sit don look approach.

http://www.premiumtimesng.com/business/176301-breaking-audit-report-indicts-nnpc-corporation-to-refund-1-48billion.html

The forensic audit conducted by the audit firm of PriceWaterHouseCoopers on behalf of the Federal Government on the operations of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation [NNPC] has indicted the management of the national oil company for various questionable transactions.

Part of the recommendations include that the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company, NPDC, the upstream subsidy of the NNPC should refund about $1.48billion to the Federation Account for various unreconciled transactions.

More details of report to come.

President Goodluck Jonathan had on Monday publicly received the report a day after a former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria [CBN], Chukwuma Soludo, wrote a long, acerbic article accusing the managers of the Nigerian economy of misappropriating over N30trillion of public funds, including several billions in oil money.

The forensic audit was commissioned following allegation by the immediate past Governor of the CBN, Lamido Sanusi, that about $20 billion oil money was missing from the NNPC.

The Presidency had on March 12, 2014 announced, through a statement by the president’s spokesperson, Reuben Abati, that it had authorised the engagement of reputable international firms to carry out the forensic audit of the accounts of the NNPC.

The allegation that the huge amount had been stolen was raised in 2013 by a former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Lamido Sanusi, who is now the Emir of Kano.

Mr. Sanusi said as much as $49 billion was diverted by state oil company, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC.

He later reviewed the amount to $20 billion, and called for investigations after writing to President Goodluck Jonathan.

A Senate probe into the allegation yielded no result. Mr. Sanusi was later fired by President Jonathan after he was accused of “financial recklessness”.

The government said no money was missing, but promised a forensic investigation of NNPC.

In April 2014, the Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, announced the appointment of the accounting firm, PriceWaterHouseCoopers (PwC), to conduct a detailed investigation into the accounts and activities of NNPC.

The minister said the investigation, under the supervision of the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation, would take about 16 weeks.

That schedule meant at most by September 2014 ending, the report should have been ready. A two-month delay meant the report should have been ready by November.

But the government only publicly received the report on Monday.

DeCritique:
Hahahaha... When I say the President is such a brilliant political strategist, you guys won't believe me. The game plan was to remove Sanusi from a place where he was not in so much relevance to the political circle and put him in a place where he would be more relevant.

Now, the President sits, smiles, laughs and exchanges pleasantries with the Emir of Kano who is surely bound to deliver Kano into his palms!!

Long Live President Goodluck Jonathan, GCFR, PhD!
Long Live the Federal Republic of Nigeria!!

Do you actually believe what you type here?

The OP has misinformed the forum. The sum collected by the President is N43.23M. NOT BILLION.

ShySteady:
The biggest mistake ever in the history of the Fulanis is to make attempts at what they did in Plateau and environs with the Ibos...
Firstly, the Ibos are not known for beating the drums of war without provocations. Once they do, it becomes very difficult for them not to go into "war".
Secondly, the Fulanis should know better and take a cue from past attacks on Ibos in the far North by the Hausas and the subsequent reaction on their brothers in the East.
Thirdly, when it comes to violence against the Ibos, the East is always united against intruders because it takes the blood of an Ibo to wake up the other Ibos to "duty".
Tis better for the Fulanis to pack their cows and leave now before they all get missing.

ARE YOU QUITE SURE?

Boland: I've done that sir. Thanks.

Hi,

Please tell us about
1. The total sqm of the estate.
2. The security plan i.e perimeter wall, personnel manning etc
3. Road network plans i.e any plan to construct road?
4. Time when plot would be allocated.
5. Time when allotees can start building.

Furthermore, You mentioned in one of your post that the estate will have a C of O from which allotees will be granted deed of assignment. Are you in possession of the C of O of the land or the document is in view.

Regards

Boland: U too can be a landlord, its step by step. HoneyComb Garden is the latest Estate in Ibadan. Still available.

Please tell us about HoneyComb Garden.

sam ogo: Is there an already available market?

Is the market saturated?

Diesel / PMS?