MayorofLagos: Greetings pardner. Mayor is not in the business of providing references on Sunday. You can be patient till Monday, perchance my mood will be brightened by the prospects of making some gains in trade and in the delirium of such resulting joy have the spirit to oblige this request.
Understood. A ki kanju labe gbona - My request can wait.
While I know little more than what has been published in the press about this new political/paramilitary outfit, I am going encourage everyone to be circumspect rather than dismissive about what they represent. We need them.
The Higher National Diploma (HND) holder and former general secretary to Faseun lamented that his group had to break-away because it dawned on them that the crisis may never be resolved.
MayorofLagos: I didnt live in his time but if i did i would have joined in his resistance army to fight Beecroft assault and invasion. He was feared and even though he repeatedly violated the accord of ceasefire and attacked Lagos many times from exile the ego and bragging rights of the British Navy was deeply dented on account.of their losses in battleships and sailors, as well as decorated officers when they bombarded Lagos in 1851. There were accounts also of portuguese traders who had sailed from Lagos with human cargoes to Brazil and suffered loss and ended up indebted to Kosoko. They were so scared of returning without his full money that they got injunction from the courts for protection against his anger. John Beecroft, who had served as the Queen's Consul in foreign lands and used to being received with respect and parade, was taken aback at the reception he received from Oba of Lagos.
There is lots in his history. Yoruba kings of that time had white slaves...they did not see white man as a superior race. I dont know that this Oba kept white slaves or not but as bad as the Ijebus were and completely protective of their waters and access rights i would not be surprised the Awujale kept some white slaves. British navy had more resistance and headache with the Ijebus than they did with anyone else. I know Egbas threw criminals in prison, white or black, they could care less.
If those were the leaders we have today, minus slavery, wed be in good hands.
Greetings Mayor,
Could you be kind enough to provide some references wrt to the emboldened statement in your post. I spend a lot of time in debates about Pan-Africanism, where I find myself challenging simplistic views about what once obtained, so I am always on the look-out for obscure facts which hardly get discussed.
P.S - Knowing how well versed you are about the landscape of Lagos Island, I am convinced that you would have no problems zeroing in on my matrilineal family tree
Topeakintola: Madam that was before Army provided further info to the Army What is your personal interest in this?
You are asking the NL spokesperson of a morally bankrupt Shadow Cabinet what her personal interest is? You need to be brought up to speed on the antecedents of this individual, brethren/sistren.
can we now see where we are going in this country all in an attempt to discredit fake news you went about photoshoping fake news,
You people will not stop lying and lying and lying,
earlier on you said it was fire accident by posting this from vanguard
What exactly has this untutored fool swinging from a tree now? Was my post directed at your earlier question concerning the authenticity of arresa's Vanguard news report, yes or no? So why not rebuff my response instead of clutching at straws yet again?
You know, for what it is worth, I really cannot be bothered to engage creeeetins who lace their posts with remarks like "you people" today. Either come correct and prove you have an IQ higher than 75, or naff off. While at it, why don't you ask the arrowhead of conjecture, your Queen-peddler of unverified news reports, to provide the names of soldiers who perished. It should not be too much of a task, given that she is so damn co$ck-sure that 106 (her latest figure) were incinerated.
Here are the names of the heroic soldiers who died in the report referenced by arresa:
Now run along and ask your 'collective of irritants' known as The Shadow Cabinet Of Nigeria to provide a similar list of 106 missing soldiers. Not too much ask, is it?
MizMyColi: My declination to speak on the Chibok Girls Scam should not be mistaken for correctness on the part of your ilk who label me a hypocrite.
Those Soldiers are not missing, they are dead. Whether you agree on this or not does not change what the truth is.
Good Day.
^^^So says the harbinger of doom who fancies herself as mother Theresa at night and Napoleon Bonaparte at daylight. I suppose you know more about the fluidity of operations in the theatre of war than those who are actively engaged on the front-line.
As you can see yourself; the reputation you had apparently built elsewhere, dwindles every time you engage foot-in-the-mouth with your invidious posts on this section of Nairaland. I did try to warn you that it is a different kind of contact sport we play here, but you refused to heed my timely advice.
Ah well, since you have more or less foreclosed further discussions on the welfare of our troops (with your pronouncement), I hope your conscience is at ease.
But in attempts to cover up the setback suffered by its troops and discredit PREMIUM TIMES exclusive report on the matter, senior officials of the Nigerian Army made at least four contradictory statements in the last 24 hours.
In the latest statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES on Friday, spokesman of the Nigerian Army, Sani Usman, however admitted the return of the missing soldiers, lamenting that the army suffered a “slight setback”.
“Nigerian troops operating in the Northern Borno State towns of Gudumbali and Kareto had slight setback within the week. However, the situation is being stabilized.
“The troops have re-joined their units for further action.
“The earlier media reports were exaggerated. The CO (Commanding Officer) is currently with his soldiers.
“The incidence was just a minor setback, which is common in military operations,” Mr. Usman, a colonel, said in a brief statement.
engineerboat: My point exactly, take a look at vanguard news search.....
Why should Vanguard news make all its back copies available to amateurish sleuths, when its competitors collect royalties on theirs via AllAfrica.com - a subscription-based news aggregration service?
It is becoming increasingly clear that, like the woman who pleaded with King Solomon to have the baby cut in half, a lot of IPOB youths are bereft of any milk of compassion.
Continue stoking the embers of war, by peddling unsubstantiated and highly incendiary news reports, and let's see how far you get.
MizMyColi: My dear, this is not a versus case o. I value the sanctity and sacredness of human life. No tumbu tumbu here.
It might be hard for most APC folks to understand, seeing as they are incapable of being humane. I remember how they politicised the war against terrorism in GEJ era.
If I wanted to be political, I would have heaped lots of verbal stones on Buhari. Even the press release ShadowCab created was filled with sympathy and grave concern.
That I play opposition politics does not mean I should become stone hearted. I wish they can intelligently debunk that picture... I truly wish.
Save the lullabies for your unconscionable male groupies.
By the way, why didn't you tell us she doesn't have FSLC or SSCE because it wasn't mentioned in her profile?
The jury appears to be out on the emboldened claim in your post also, you know... #justsaying
....In a petition against Amina’s ministerial nomination, dated October 12, 2015, signed by one S.S. Abubakar and addressed to Senate President Bukola Saraki, a copy of which was made available to LEADERSHIP, the youth group doubts the secondary school she claimed that she attended.
The group called on the Senate to carry out a thorough enquiry into which of the secondary schools she attended in the Isle of Man, because according to the group, the Isle of Man is not the name of a school but of a self-governing British crown dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the Great Britain and Ireland.
A check on her curriculum vitae showed that, as part of her education, she obtained a secondary school certificate (O level) from the Isle of Man, UK, in 1979.
But the petition, which demands to know the particular school the ministerial nominee enrolled at the Isle of Man, recalled that her nomination during President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration was withdrawn for a similar reason.
The petition reads in part, “With due respect to our amiable and distinguished senator, we want this great chamber to clear our doubt of her enrolment at Isle of Man. Information had it that during President Obasanjo’s administration, she was to be nominated a minister, unfortunately the fact that she did not enroll for any secondary school disqualified her of the nomination, following the provisions in sections 175 (5) and 65 (2) (a) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).”
Katsumoto: I am surprised this is coming from you. You don't support OPC in its formative years.
I fully support the existence of OPC although I have lost faith in the leadership at the moment. Just I have lost faith in the political leadership in the SW.
If the SW military wing and Political class could align, the demand for regional integration would be greater and there would be progress. Similar to how Sein Fein and the IRA worked together to get the demands of Northern Irish Catholics met.
Katz/Iyalode, I don't know if you are aware of this development. Worth tracking in my view.
Adesope Emerges As New OPC 'Reformed' President
The crisis within the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) has continued to escalate as the new faction of the group had their Ojo local government meeting in Lagos yesterday October 13, 2015.
The occasion which was the aftermath of the trip by perennial national coordinator, Otunba Gani Adams, who recently inaugurated the Oodua Peoples Union (OPU) in Ghana, Togo and Ivory Coast.
Comrade Dare Adesope who is the president of the Oodua People’s Congress Reformed (OPCR) was present at the occasion, including Alhaji Afis Olubisi who is the governor of the Yoruba interest group
[img]http://i.onthe.io/vllkyt5b6550o3tp1.09bc46ab.jpg[/img] L-R Alhaji Afis Olubisi, governor new OPCR; Comrade Odunayo Ogunmoye and Comrade Oludare Adesope, president. Photo Credit: Michael Obasa
The event which was held at the open-field of the Federal Government College, Ijanikin was well attended by members of the group.
READ ALSO: Gani Adams Launches OPU In Ghana, Cote D’Ivoire And Togo (Photos)
In his welcome speech, Adesope who is a native of Oyo state, revealed that the groups’ mission is to ensure peace as well as protect of the Yoruba race.
He said: “Our primary aim is to ensure peace and security within our jurisdiction. We were formerly with Dr Frederick Faseun, but due to several reasons. He promised that by the time the group clocks 20years, he was going to relinquish power to me.”
“Come that day, August 29, 2014 he didn’t. During the election, the OPC was the major group clamouring and agitating we were the one shouting, agitating about the marginalisation of the Yoruba race, that Goodluck Jonathan’s government was marginalising us, all of a sudden, it changed again that we have to work for Jonathan, and this is because he has promised them something.”
[img]http://i.onthe.io/vllkyt732l4na431k.46da94df.jpg[/img] (L_R) Chief Famusanmi Asaolu, President Adesope, Comrade Odeunayo Ogunmoye and a chieftain of the group. Photo Credit: Michael Obasa
The Higher National Diploma (HND) holder and former general secretary to Faseun lamented that his group had to break-away because it dawned on them that the crisis may never be resolved.
“When you are talking about organization, it’s not about self, it is about membership and we felt we cannot continue with him. So many elders tried to resolve this issue, but he was adamant and we don’t want to rubbish along with him, and we decided to pull-out.
“Our name is now Oodua Peoples Congress Reformed (OPCR). Our logo and mission statement is different from theirs. Faseun founded OPC, but the way he is running the organization, we do not accept it,” he lamented.
On his path, the governor of the OPCR, Afis Olabisi revealed that touts and criminals made up members of the OPC. According to him, touts and miscreants have infested the Faseun led group.
“We had to leave OPC because touts and criminals have mixed with us. If we are going out, our men will be shooting sporadically and doing all sorts of ills within the society. During election, they took us out on political party rallies and this group was never founded on that.”
“We complained to Faseun, but he refused to hear. It then dawned on us that we need someone else to lead us. Faseun is now 80 years and he is not fit for such a tasking position and we trust Adesope.”
Meanwhile, the national coordinator of the OPC, Alhaji Gani Adams has formally inaugurated the Oodua Progressive
raumdeuter, these are simply articles in the press - well intentioned objectives but little more. Now lest my intervention be misunderstood, I actually think Osun state only shades the others slightly when it comes to poor accountability. Fashola's government of course stands apart, as posterity would show that it documented its revenue alongside various budgets - regardless of the degree to which they were implemented and no matter how extravagant they seem... Although no one else even comes close in this regard, I will give it to Ngozi-Iweala (the nation's Finance minister) for providing folks like me with a paper trail to chew on also.
Look at how befuddled we all are today about the amount of debt which acrued in recent years. Bruv, because I think fiscal transparency aids the measurement of performance, I would never hesitate to call any public administrator to order. If I am to be frank, it is for this very reason that I have not invested much confidence in Kemi Adeosun - the previous Finance commissioner of my home state.
While there is room for improvement, its definitely a blatant lie to say these current APC govt are not doing anything
Paying salary wont bring any development
I was one of ogbeni Aregbe's greatest supporters, to begin with. But if you ask me for an appraisal of his efforts in the area of public administration, today, it is without equivocation that I would locate him as one of the least effectual leaders in the South West. While I can cite numerous examples of what informs my current view, let me draw on two that do not focus unduly on the state's current financial crises.
(1) Osun state has made the least effort to enshrine a framework of e-government. - Budgets are hardly ever made public. - Policy documents are scant In sum, fiscal transparency is none existent
(2) The implementation of Opon Imo, an initiative which has proved to be both unsustainable and unfit for purpose, was a total sham. - While we heralded this feat with great aplomb at the time, the truth is; no comphenesive trial was ever carried out. - Difficult questions which might have helped to address stakeholder concern were fobbed off, in search of "a first" for Osun. - When the state's chapter of the opposition party (PDP) questioned the involvement of Kabiru Aregbesola in this scheme, a telling response (copied in below was provided by the governor)
How Kabiru rescued Opon-Imo from failure free-of-charge – Aregbesola How Kabiru rescued Opon-Imo from failure free-of-charge – AregbesolaThere have been malicious media falsehood publications by mischieves of which the governor of the State of Osun was alleged to have awarded the popular computer tablet, Opon-imo to his son, Kabiru Aregbesola. But according to the governor, Kabiru was the only messiah that rescued the the much eulogised device from failure when the idea was conceived.
Source: http://www.osundefender.org/?p=113070 Note: Please pay close attention to the statement I highlighted and tell me your sensibilities aren't offended by the lame attempt to rationalise nepotism.
P.S - I have deliberately limited my criticism to these two examples because I think Ogbeni is beleaguered enough as it is, at the moment.
MayorofLagos: The codeword is POLITICAL CORRECTNESS.
Why are we piling up on the governors? The inception of any democratic shift starts at the Legislature. What are our Assemblymen and women doing? Let's give the Governors some slack and put heat underneath theLegislators.
Fair point, Mayor, but the question is how? A lot of these legislators are inaccessible and, outside of Lagos, beholden to the purse strings of their respective governors.
[quote author=Shymm3x post=40189491][/quote]Bruthaman from the Southside - the only one who reps a post code as much as I do - fair play to you for enjoining folks to move to higher ground on that unfortunate thread. It was the first thing I read when I came online...lover's tiff gone off a cliff, for sure. Nah, at best only a phyrric victory can be achieved by antagonist or protagonist. At worse, we could be talking time at HMP...etc.
Aside from introducing worldly knowledge into the proceedings, you navigated the shark-infested waters well; and I, for one, applaud your efforts.
Katsumoto: Naijababe - how you doing sister? You forgot about your bro.
OnReflection - how you doing bro? Didn't know you were eGuerilla.
On the cancellation of the PRESSID thingy, it may turn out to be a blessing in disguise. The more federal programs are cancelled with states taking up slack, the more decentralized Nigeria would be. With less money projected to be realised from Oil, the FG is sure to cancel more programs. Lets hope that the SW sinators and reps don't fall asleep.
Doing just fine bruv.
Listen, it is good to read your posts again. And it is clear you are no less committed now as you were before, to fashioning an "alternative" plan of action which can nudge us from slumber
By the way, after I left the last time, I did facilitate the formation of a online group elsewhere - just as I had sworn to do. I will shed some more light on this later, since its relative success/failure can aid our understanding of the constraints which rails against collective progress.
Aareonakakanfo: [b][color=#770077]Before I go further,legend has it that you drink water from a colander.Please I'd like to know how true that is.One of your students told us
Hailing you right back Aare. I have been on the road sincce my last post, hence my muted silence.
Erm...the honorific you bequeathed applies more appropriately to eminent Nairalanders like Naptu2, who unsuprisingly never gets caught in anyone's cross hairs. Now once you assemble missing in action Pukkah, Ekt_Bear, Take_dat, and so many others who have been kind enough to grace this thread, you know you've got a repository of knowledge that cannot easily be surpassed. Truth be told, I only come here to soak up knowledge via e-osmosis.
ABUJA – Apparently basking in the euphoria of the victory of the Golden Eaglets at the just concluded Under 17 FIFA World Cup in Chile, President Mohammadu Buhari has nostalgically remembered the unfulfilled promises made to the 1985 team, saying he would redeem them.
It will be recalled that Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets first won the Under-17 World Cup in 1985, when the president was the country’s Military Head of State.
He had at a reception in honor of the victorious players at Dodan Barracks, Lagos, promised to sponsor them on a trip to watch the 1986 World Cup which took place in Mexico, also directed the State Governments to donate houses, give scholarships and name streets after the players.
But while the federal government fulfilled its counter-part promise, the State repudiated the directive.
In a statement released by Malam Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, President Buhari frowned at the non compliance of his directive.
“It is a pity that those promises were never fulfilled. It is unfortunate that our players, who did us proud on the world stage went unrewarded for their efforts, despite a presidential directive to the state administrators that they be honored in their home states.”
The statement noted that shortly after the commitment was given, the Military administration under General Muhammadu Buhari was replaced and that despite repeated representations made to succeeding governments by the players and their officials,the promises made were left unfulfilled.
Apologizing, the president pledged to do his best to fulfill the promise.
“I apologize for whatever embarrassment and disillusionment in your country these raised and then dashed hopes may have caused you. My government will do all within its power to remedy the situation”, the statement quoted president Buhari as saying.
This woman is nothing short of a fruaaadulent character. The misspelling is done on purpose, as I was banned twice for trying to shed some light on her character.
Alexia Thomas styles herself Her Knowledgeable Professor Alexia Thomas; she has a degree in what and from where? That is another question. She is also known as or has been known as Lizzy Henz. As it is less likely someone calling herself Professor Alexia Thomas would change her name to Lizzy Henz, it is reasonable to assume the latter came first, and indeed a little research reveals this to be the case. She was born in Nigeria, and her first vocation was as a singer. A mother of four, when she and her husband separated, he took custody of their offspring.
How she came to the UK is probably not important, how she is continuing to run the Independent Diplomat Commission is something of a mystery, because in August 2010 she was convicted at Southwark Crown Court – as Lizzy Henz – on eight counts of providing immigration advice and services while not qualified to do so. She was charging people £35 each for an identity card, and then £1500 for an engagement fee.
I have left out the link to this excerpt, in order to avoid the clutches of NL's spambot.
Does anyone know what is happening with ODWA? I wrote to this group sometime last year but got not a whimper of response...
ODWA ’ll be committed to Yoruba unity
A pan Yoruba group, Oduduwa Descendants World Assembly (ODWA) is providing a forum where all sons and daughters of Yorubaland can re-open discussion on the unity and progress of their race. The group is using the launching ceremony of the directory and compendium of Yoruba monarch, slated for July 11, as an avenue to commence the discussion. The national coordinator and chief resource person of ODWA, Prince Emmanuel Adeleye Ashaye, speaks on the activities of the group to re-build the fractured house of Oduduwa.
WHAT would be the role of Oduduwa Descendants World Assembly (ODWA) in the pan Nigeria agenda? Since the time Africa was created, Yoruba has been known to possess powerful royalty and royal empire. These are sets of people who can truly trace their origin and source to Abraham. They are ancient and modern in their ways of life. Knowledgeable, exposed and very peculiar indeed, with successive golden age. No wonder, they have always been in the midst of world greatest civilization. ODWA is all out to restore to Nigeria what she has lost through corruption and deceitful federalism form of a government.
Should we worry that the age long rivalry between Yoruba paramount rulers may scuttle this project? During our recent World Press Conference, I made it clear to those in attendance that our paramount rulers are not sworn enemies. Their implied disagreement is not capable of scuttling our project.
The construction of the Yoruba World Headquarters is an all Yoruba project, which they have embraced. In fact, they are all praying that the beginning and the end of the construction will happen during their life time. For instance, one of them gave us 100 hectares of land on which we are to build the headquarters, while others willing to donate land for annex and other ancillary buildings. The Yoruba World Headquarters is a world project which is to be financed through generous donations by the cheerful world.
How does ODWA plan to mobilise the support of all Yoruba monarchs towards the actualisation of the dream of a United Yoruba Nation? The project belongs to all the Yoruba; it is their baby. They own it, and they are ready to service and uphold it as a thing of joy and pride to them. There is no Yoruba monarch that is not disturbed by this unity. All of them are worried, and for which they have been praying and necessary propitiations offered on regular basis in the closets of their palaces. No meaningful Yoruba Oba with direct or indirect lineage to Oduduwa will be happy if we don’t have a united Yoruba nation. In fact, the Yoruba politicians are the most affected by this malady as the other tribal groups usually take them for a ride since they know that Yoruba have a divided home. Therefore, since our prayers have been answered by having someone to bell the cat in the form of ODWA, which is a non-partisan, non-governmental socio-cultural group without any affiliation to any known group or groups in the world, ODWA is simply the divine medicine that will cure the illnesses and sicknesses of ‘waste of time’ that have been plaguing the Yoruba nation.
Why is it necessary to publish the Directory and Compendium of Yoruba monarchs? As said always, where there is confusion of thoughts or undecipherable malady of sentiments in any society, a special event demands special measure. Since we have an usual situation amongst us, then, a specially unusual method will have to be evolved to counter it. The publication, simply put, is a form of a counter measure to counter balance the situation. The directory, to a large extent, is to open the line of communication, which had been closed since 1793, for the monarchs to be able to communicate freely and effectively with one another. It will create and generate communication activities amongst the monarchs. Once they are able to communicate with and contact one another, then the jinx, the iron curse, and the hexes placed on their unity will be broken without much force. The compendium is to enable the governments concerned and the generality of the people of the world know about enormous opportunity that can be tapped by forging a united nation, part of which are the economic potentials of tourism in the various Yoruba states. We even included the tourism potentials of the Republic of Benin as a Yoruba-speaking country.
Can you discuss how ODWA as an organisation would function administratively? We have drawn up an organogram for the ODWA, which can be found in a copy of the book we are launching on July 11. The Board of Trustees of ODWA will be constituted by prominent paramount Obas of Yorubaland. The proposed multi-billion naira ODWA headquarters is to be built in Ile-Ife and Oyo. Have you secured land space for these structures? Yes, Alaiyeluwa, His Imperial Majesty Oba Okunade Sijuade, Olubuse II, the Ooni of Ife, has generously donated a 100 hectare land for this purpose.
How will you ensure that this building will not be another white elephant project? It cannot be a white elephant project since it is not owned by any government. Instead it is a project of the Yoruba people by the Yoruba people and for the Yoruba people.
Aareonakakanfo: Its not like they deliberately make it that way,people from other regions just don't go to the red mud region.Nobody wants to go there
Afenifere renewal group are the ones behind the DAWN initiative
Have you read the document?
Aareonakakanfo - if the emoboldened statement holds true, it probably explains why Mimiko and Fayose appear to be disinterested in the initiative.
The way I see it, there is far too little information about that outfit's activities in the public domain. You know, during the period when we analysed the last budget published by LASG online, I noticed that a measly N90 million was earmarked for DAWN-related services. Why?
yomexp: i also remember eguerilla but he has deactivated his moniker long time ago.
I subsequently returned to shore up base, when I noticed that some supporters of the last government were mounting a frightening onslaught against the Yoruba commonwealth (online). Having paid close attention to how much they have saturated Google's cache over the years, once a particular threshold was crossed, I simply had to sign up again.
One must never underestimate the capacity of those who are determined to curtail our nascent renaissance, brethren.
Shymm3x: Sagarat is a vacuous stark illiterate with limited lexicon and expired cheese for brain matter.
I like the following:
- Katsumoto - eGuerrilla - terracotta - MayorofLagos esp. When he was negrontns - gbawe - pukkah
Then I'll put PhysicsQED and Ekt-bear in the same bracket cos I like certain things about them.
I am going to contribute my quota soon, bruv from the South-side.
To be honest, because of the way I feel about Nairaland and how it is moderated, I now refrain from posting on topics which require an attention span greater than 2 minutes. After my earlier departure, I only returned to help rout Jonathan's clannish but well-incentivised electronic-army. Having successfully accomplished that mission, in the company of so many notable contributors, there is actually less motivation to post these days.
By the way, I've got to hail the ol' guns who have taken time out of retirement - Katsumoto, terracotta,..etc This place has not been the same without your wise counsel
Atlantian: You do not make sense when it comes to running a payment processing platform. It is not a stand-alone system, it is an on-demand integrated module to the present OLB platform, an integral turnkey system to the present online banking platform, it doesnt require any extra hardware, so if you are ignorant of what I am talking about, be mute. This is my field, not some market ware.
I see Billy, Nairaland's most pathetic comedian, is back shooting the breeze. Whatever happened to your billion dollar empire, Mr Chinese-goods-importer-cum-software-architect-cum-all-seer-all-knower-of-all-things?
P.S - Your diction is hard to miss from a mile off.
PRYCE: Jonathan will continue being vindicated either by credible news outlets or The FG's panic talk!
Still trying to turn stone into water on behalf of your spendthrift-hero?
SystemSpec Writes PMB, Says It Commenced TSA Collection In 2011, Never Received N25bn BY NSE ANTHONY-UKO
— Nov 16, 2015 2:32 am
SystemSpecs, the firm that owns Remita, the e-payment and e-collection software used by the federal government to implement payments into the Treasury Single Account (TSA), has written a protest letter to President Muhammadu Buhari over the controversy surrounding the 1% processing fee charged on inflow into the TSA.
In the letter to Buhari, the firm dismissed allegations of wrongdoing, saying that it was contracted in 2011 when President Goodluck Jonathan was still in office, whilst Emir Lamido Sanusi was Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
The company further dismissed allegations made against it by Senator Dino Melaye (Kogi West) that the firm was making about N25bn as commission, saying it made about N3billion from the 1% processing fee as its share since the implementation of the project.
According to System Specs, it actually shared the processing fee with banks affected by the implementation of the TSA and the CBN in ratios of .5 %, .4% and .1% respectively.
The CBN under current Governor Godwin Emefiele in August directed the company to refund monies deducted as processing fees when it discovered that over N8 billion was collected.
The SystemSpecs’s letter to the President dated November 6, 2015 and signed by its Managing Director, Mr. John Obaro, reads in part: “Your Excellency, we are aware that you must have heard series of reports around the 1% processing fees chargeable on e-Collections of Government receipts. We will like to provide some background on these issues sir.
“System Specs was engaged to provide the Payment Gateway for TSA in 2011. While the payment leg of TSA commenced in January 2012, the collection component did not start as scheduled due to the resistance from a number of quarters and the absence of the political will to push this through.
“In 2013, CBN and OAGF setup a multi-stakeholder implementation committee and organised a joint seminar with key stakeholders, including banks, to agree formalities for commencement of e-collection.
“The Banks proposed a fee of 5% to compensate for the fact that they would no longer keep float.
“The implementation committee however recommended 2.5% after negotiation with the banks.”
“The then AGF later approved 1% as processing fee, which was in turn communicated to all the stakeholders through CBN in December 2013. Subsequently, we executed a contract with CBN and other stakeholders involved on the provision of services to support TSA.
“Based on the increased scope of the TSA project, following your directive in August 2015 for all MDAs to join the scheme, we had highlighted the need for a stakeholder meeting to discuss the TSA e-collection fees. This was communicated to both CBN and OAGF.
“Instead of an invitation for a stakeholders meeting as requested, we received a directive from the CBN Governor to refund all TSA e-collection fees earned to date and to suspend all charges on the platform.
“System Specs has since complied fully with this directive and refunded all monies earned to date to CBN. This we did in good faith and without prejudice to avoid distractions that could becloud the bigger potential of the TSA project for our country.
“While we await clarification from OAGF/CBN on the way forward, we have since suspended all TSA e collection fees on the platform. This means that none of the TSA collection parties/channels are earning any fees for providing services to Government.
“This position is however not sustainable as the collection partner banks are threatening to suspend FGN TSA collections. This would clearly be playing into the hands of those who do not wish this initiative to succeed.
“We understand the strategic importance of the TSA project to this administration and the country at large. We have demonstrated good faith and continued commitment to the project in the last four years to deliver on our mandate.
“We will continue to do all within our power to bring the project to full term.
“Your Excellency, we would appreciate your kind and urgent intervention to ensure a speedy resolution of this matter before the banks stop collections.”
philips70: Barca, even if I will restrain from addressing many ignorant comments here I cannot help but respond to yours. Reasons being that I know very well that by now you must have all the facts about this issue in your palms because you must have read them severally. Don't tell me you are not aware Systemspecs collected only N8.6b as their 5% share of the 1% and which they have since returned to CBN on the order of the governor. Don't tell me you are not aware the CBN has a share of 4% from this said 1% and also don't tell me you don't know the collecting banks keep 1% of it. It is not everything we will have to play politics with. The man who raised this false alarm is APC and as we speak he's feeling so ashamed of himself after being serially schooled on the issue.
You will also not feign ignorance that the issue of 1% was settled by the last regime after it was beat down from 5% down to 3% but the CBN agreed on this 1%. I don't know how any other person sees it but softwares and such services are not cheap. If a company mops up N1.25T and makes N8.5b from their professional services using a world class tool I do not see how that is a big deal. It is very clear here professional and habitual siphoners are not very happy with this policy. If you know the full implications of this TSA to looters, which I suspect you know you will not address the likes of Fayose and Dino less kindly than Lai did.
In case you don't know, those juicy committees they shared to themselves will turn out to be oranges without juice because of this policy. In the case of Fayose, he is just using this avenue to stop every attempt to draw his state into implementing such a policy that will open up the finances of his state to public scrutiny.
I will advise us to put partisan interests aside and resist all attempts to use these innuendos to frustrate this policy as it is the best thing to have happened to our economy.
Thanks for serving him a timely reminder. In contrast to that commentator's rearguard attempt to mask current realities, seasoned political observers know that Melaye and Fayose are simply playing to the gallery - now that they appreciate the full import of TSA.
How Saraki, National Assembly Leaders Secretly Opposed Treasury Single Account
SaharaReporters has gathered more details regarding why members of the Nigerian Senate moved to clamp down on President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration over the Treasury Single Account (TSA).
Our investigation revealed that, in October, the leadership of the National Assembly led by Senator Bukola Saraki hatched out a secret arrangement to force Central Bank of Nigeria officials to exclude National Assembly accounts from the Treasury Single Account (TSA). The legislative leaders claimed that the TSA was hampering the National Assembly’s operations.
One source told SaharaReporters that some members of the National Assembly were not pleased that members of the executive branch would know details of their hitherto opaque financial transactions. They consulted CBN officials about ways of quietly opting out of the TSA. Our source stated that CBN officials could not make a commitment to remove legislative accounts from the TSA opting to inform President Buhari instead. However, when Mr. Buhari was informed of the arrangement, he immediately objected to excluding NASS accounts.
On learning of the president’s objection, Mr. Saraki mobilized other National Assembly leaders and invited CBN officials to a meeting in October. At the meeting, the legislators reportedly threatened to deal with the CBN if the regulatory bank’s officials did not exclude them from the TSA. A source familiar with the meeting told SaharaReporters disclosed that the lawmakers told CBN officials they had found out certain officials of the Buhari administration were using a third party, SystemSpecs Limited, to milk Nigeria through the TSA policy.
Our source revealed that, following the testy meeting, CBN officials decided to discontinue the 1% fee that was deducted from the federation account and paid to Systemspecs Limited for managing the TSA protocol. Officials of former President Goodluck Jonathan’s government had arranged for the 1% fee.
Our investigation revealed that the TSA protocol was first mooted in December 2011. In January 2012, the Jonathan Presidency signed an agreement with SystemSpecs, owners of the software used for TSA deposits. The implementation phase of the agreement was then signed in December 2013 authorizing the use of TSA as a payment platform.
Infuriated that they failed to get their accounts out of the TSA, Nigerian senators have raised a motion calling for a probe of the TSA. They claimed that the TSA was President Buhari’s agenda to steal money from the Nigerian treasury. However, CBN officials and the owners of Systemspecs openly declared that Mr. Buhari did not sign the service agreement between the Systemspecs and the Federal Government. In a letter sent to President Buhari, they explained that the service fee paid to SystemSpecs Limited ballooned after the Buhari administration ordered commercial banks to surrender all government funds in their possession, adding that the CBN then stopped the service charges.
A senator told SaharaReporters that Mr. Saraki was also upset about the TSA because of its deep impact on Heritage Bank, a commercial bank in which he and other members of his extended family have significant ownership stake. The source disclosed that Societe Generale Bank, which Mr. Saraki’s family virtually liquidated through reckless banking practices and corruption, had re-emerged as Heritage Bank. The CBN recently approved a merger of Heritage Bank and Enterprise Bank. With the introduction of the TSA policy, “the Senate President cannot just place the Senate’s funds in a bank where he has financial stake.”
As Governor of Kwara State, Mr. Saraki often funneled state funds into banks in which he had significant interests.
Our senatorial source also alleged that Mr. Saraki’s burgeoning legal fees had made the former governor desperate to fight the TSA in order to have unfettered access to the Senate’s budget. According to the senator, Mr. Saraki had hired a score of lawyers to scuttle his ongoing trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal. “His legal expenses are not a joke. That’s another reason he does not like how the TSA policy is standing in the way of his ability to dip his hands into the National Assembly funds to help settle some of his legal bills,” said the legislative source.
The info per the owner is right their on the companies website, but these ignorant and incompetent illiterates and their useless mischief maker blah bah mouth governor are too dumb and worthless to do the basics..
They are all reetards..
Evidently so, comrade. I never really appreciated how recalcitrant the average Nigerian youth is, until I started visiting Nairaland.
In 1992 John broke away most promising career in regular employment in this top‐notch bank to start a new company called SystemSpecs – a purely software house when many did not know the difference between software and hardware.
Politics › Re: Yoruba Commonwealth and Politics by OnReflection: 10:08am On Nov 22, 2015
