My dear brother Dele, let me thank you most sincerely for your article last weekend, “My Candid Letter to Saraki.” I take everything you said in that article to heart and I must commend you for your candidness indeed and the sincerity of your intentions.



As you said in your article, you are someone I have known more by reputation than by any personal relationship, until recently when we struck up some personal acquaintance based on our shared political interests, especially during the last presidential election. However, I understand why you had to sound so defensive for knowing me at all and had to publicly map the boundaries of our relationship.

We have got to that point in our country when we no longer believe that anyone could stand for anything based on principles and convictions alone. Moreover, in the growing culture of media crucifixion and presumed guilt; it is rare to find a voice like yours that calls for fairness and justice.

I would have simply sent you a text message or call you up for your candid advice to me, which I take seriously. But I feel the need to make some clarifications on some of the issues you raised. One of them was that in seeking to be Senate President, I struck a deal with the PDP and made it possible for one of them to be the Deputy Senate President. I know this is the dominant narrative out there, but it is far from the truth.

I did not do any deal with the PDP. I did not have to because even before the PDP Senators as a group took the decision to support my candidature on the eve of the inauguration of the 8th Senate, 22 PDP Senators had already written a letter supporting me. What I did not envisage was a situation where some members of my party would not be in the chambers that day, especially when the clerk had already received a proclamation from the President authorizing the inauguration of the Senate.

Pray, if a team refused to turn up for a scheduled match and was consequently walked over, would it be fair to blame the team that turned up and claimed victory? I believe those that made it possible for PDP to claim the DSP position were those who decided to hold a meeting with APC senators elsewhere at the time they ought to be in the chambers. What the PDP Senators did was to take advantage of their numerical strength at the material time.

They simply lined up behind Senator Ike Ikweremadu while those of us from APC voted for Senator Ali Ndume. It was a game of numbers, and we were hopelessly outnumbered. If the PDP had nominated their own candidate for the Senate Presidency position that day, they would have won. It was as simple as that.

Secondly, I don’t know if you were aware that in the build up to Senate inauguration, the National Working Committee of the APC sent two signals. The first signal specified how leadership positions in the National Assembly have been zoned. While we were trying to give effect to this decision, the second signal came, which contained names of people to which these zoned position had been allocated.

What was not acknowledged was that the President of the Senate is not an executive president. He is primarily one of 109 senators. Therefore, I cannot decide by myself who gets what in the Senate. Therefore, when they said I defied party directive in the choice of principal officers, they are invariably ascribing to me the power that I did not have.

My dear brother, most people talk about the Senate Presidency position, but this was not my only offence. I have also been accused of helping to frustrate some people’s opportunity to emerge as President Muhammadu Buhari’s running mate. But I have no problem with anybody.

My concern was that it would not be politically smart of us to run with a Muslim-Muslim ticket. I doubt if we would have won the election if we had done this, especially after the PDP had successfully framed us a Muslim party. I felt we were no longer in 1993. Perhaps, more than ever before, Nigerians are more sensitive to issues of religious balancing.

This, my brother, was my original sin. What they say to themselves, among other things, was that if he could conspire against our ambition, then he must not realize his own ambition as well. For me however, I have no regrets about this. I only stood for what I believed was in the best interest of the party and in the best interest of Nigeria.

Now to the substantive issue of my trial. As you rightly noted, this trial is not about corruption. And I am happy that since my trial started, people who have followed the proceedings have now understood better what the whole thing is about. I have had opportunity to declare my assets four times since 2003. Over those years, the Code of Conduct Bureau had examined my claims.

There was no time that they raised any issues with me on any item contained in my declarations over those twelve years. This is why you should be surprised that while I am being tried by the Code of Conduct Tribunal, the witness and the evidence supplied against me were all from EFCC.

Like you, I have an abiding faith in the judiciary. May God forbid the day that we would give up on our judicial system. However, the onus is not on me to prove that I have confidence in the judiciary; the burden is on my prosecutors to prove to the world that justice is done in my case. If the process of fighting corruption is itself corrupt, then whatever victory is recorded would remain tainted and puerile!

Some people have wondered, why has Saraki been “jumping” from one court to another instead of facing his trial? To those people, I would say that I have only gone to those courts in search of justice. Strange things have happened, and they are still happening. For example, Section 3(d) of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act states that the Bureau shall refer any breach or non-compliance to the Tribunal. However, where the person concerned makes a written admission of the breach, no reference to the Tribunal shall be necessary.

It was on this basis that the case against Asiwaju Bola Tinubu was dismissed in 2011, by this same judge in this same Tribunal on the grounds that he was not given an opportunity to deny or admit to any breach before he was brought before the tribunal. This was the ruling that I relied on in making my case. But what did the judge say? That he had judged in error in 2011 and he had since realized his error and departed from it.

My question is whether a Tribunal of first instance has the power to reverse itself. I should expect that everyone would be worried if justice is applied differently to different people. However, in spite of my fears, I remain hopeful. Why? Because the judiciary does not end with this Tribunal.

Do you know the genesis of my real problems with President Goodluck Jonathan? I have had a touchy relationship with him, but the turning point was in September 2011 when I moved a motion on the floor of the Senate that exposed the N2.3 trillion fuel subsidy racket. I remain proud that I was the Senator that blew the lid on the most elaborate corruption scheme ever in this country.

But after that I became a marked man. My security was withdrawn. I was invited and re-invited by the EFCC and the Special Fraud Unit. I was even declared wanted at a point. I believe I am still one of the most investigated former governors in this country. I have no doubt that if the Jonathan government was able to find anything against me, they would not have allowed me to go unpunished.

Let me make this point clearly. I do not expect to be shielded from prosecution because of my contribution to APC, if there was genuine basis for such action to be taken against me. But I have every reason to expect not to be persecuted by the party that I contributed so much to build. The New PDP may not have given APC victory in 2015, but it was an important factor in the dynamics that produced that victory.

And with all sense of modesty, I was an important factor in the formation of New PDP; in leading that group to the APC; in ensuring our group’s support for the candidate during the primaries and in mobilizing substantial resources for the election. For these, I have not expected any special compensation. Rather, I only expect to be treated like every loyal party member and accorded the right to freely aspire!

Some people have complained that I have been taken Senators with me to my trial. But I did not force them to follow me. The Senators have freely accompanied me to the Tribunal not because they are loyal to me as Abubakar Bukola Saraki, but because they are committed to the principle that produced me as the President of the Senate. The same principle that produced Ike Ekweremadu as Deputy Senate President and produced Ali Ndume as Majority Leader.

They see all of us in the Senate leadership as manifestation of their jealously guarded right to freely choose their own leaders. Because they know they made us their leaders without any external interference; they are confident that they retain the power to remove us whenever they so wish. They also know what this trial is all about. They believe I am being victimized because they have expressed their right to choose their own leadership.

This is why I am not in any way perturbed by my absence in the chambers during this trial. Because I was not imposed on the Senate, I feel confident that the Senate will protect its own choice whether I am present or not. It is never about me. It is about the independence of the legislature. It has always been so since 1999. It is so today and it would be so in 2019, it would be so in 2023, and as long as we practice a democracy that operates on the principle of separation of powers.

My dear brother, let me end by observing that I am not alone in this trial. On trial with me in this process is the entire judicial system. On trial with me are our entire anti-corruption institutions and our avowed commitment to honestly fight corruption. On trial with me is our party’s promise to depart from the ways of the past, a promise that Nigerians voted for.

And I dare say, on trial with me is our media; and their ethical commitment to report fairly and objectively. In the end, it is my earnest hope that whatever we do will ultimately ennoble our country.

The queues at the fuel stations are now too much. People have resorted to sleeping at the petrol stations in a bid to put fuel in their vehicles.

Source

Photo of President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari using the Shuttle Bus recently.

Source

superstar1:
Don't you know the difference between "bar" and "ban"?

Na wa o for all these under the mango tree university graduates ooo.

Did you even pause to read the article first?

I hope this breaking news about Buhari and AIT is the handiwork of overzealous aides o. If it isn’t, that means:

Buhari 0 – AIT 1

Own goal by Buhari.

No, you cannot ban or prohibit or prevent a media group from covering your activities never mind the unethical, stomach-churning jackass that AIT has been. In a democracy, the worst you could do is tactically “freeze out” journalists and media groups making you uncomfortable. They still have the right to be there – and report things as they see it. If there are ethical breaches, there are appropriate institutions and channels to handle that.

Study the White House and her handling of these situations. Under George W. Bush, Fox News and all the rightwing lunatic media covering the White House flourished. Nobody banned “opposition media” from the White House ground or press room. The only catch? You had to be recognized before you could ask a question during press briefings. If you were MSNBC or “hostile media”, you spent years without being called upon to ask a question. If you crashed in a question, you were ignored. The legendary Helen Thomas had to scream out for help after being frozen out for years by President Bush.

Under Obama, the shoe is on the other leg. Nobody is banning or prohibiting extreme rightwing lunatic media from covering his activities, being present on the White House lawn or in the press room. Getting recognized to ask a question or having your question answered is the tough cut.

Of course, in a democracy, you are free to go and write what you want and scream to your heart’s content about being “frozen out”. You are free to throw all the red meat in the world to your base. That is your wahala.

Some are saying that GMB is president-elect and can still ban or prohibit… That is crap. The least said about that the better.

To fend off the feeding frenzy from citizens of the Republic of Sore Loserhood who have already pounced on this tragic step of the GMB camp, some Buharists are reminding them of Jonathan’s hounding of the media (which these hypocrites have of course quickly forgotten). That, I’m afraid, is also not a valid defense. That is bull crap.

The values of GEJ and the more hypocritical among his followers should not be your values. What they accepted from their man, what they rationalized, and explained away, the evils and travesties that they tolerated and justified again and again and again (and are still justifying in their woolly-headed post-election sore loserhood), is why we are here today. The higher ground for you, Buharist, is to set much higher standards for your principal and for yourself. Jonathan once did similar things is no excuse or justification for Buhari doing it. That is why we say we are change. Change must mean change from the ways of the past; the ways of Jonathan and his followers. Buhari will not be judged by his ability to photocopy the errors of GEJ. Buhari’s followers will not be judged by their ability to photocopy the herdish, nauseating, rationalizing impulses of puny career Jonathanians. That is how they and their Messiah took Nigeria to the doldrums.

Before his followers convinced GEJ that he was God and did not need to give a damn about you and I, he actually had begun to handle “hostile media” using the template in advanced democracies. That is how he finished us off at NEXT Newspaper – by far the best thing ever to have happened to the Nigerian print media sector in a long time. What Sahara Reporters was doing from New York, NEXT was doing right there in Nigeria. NEXT was very brave. They hired the very best. Investigative journalism acquired a brand new face in Nigeria. Dele Olojede and Amma Ogan are perfectionists. NEXT was a beautiful thing. I was part of the foundational cast of weekly op-ed columnists they hired.

Because of the primitive nature of our polity, no media organization really can survive without government patronage, without government advertisements. After a series of exposes on corruption in the oil sector, Goodluck Jonathan went on national TV and specifically mentioned NEXT as one newspaper that was trying to bring down his government and destroy his beloved Diezani. That was a death sentence. I wasn’t surprised when NEXT started to owe me salaries. Arrears piled up for those of us writing from abroad and for their regular staff and NEXT fell apart. Of course there is never just one explanation for the collapse of a dream. But the loss of advertisement and patronage was a significant, unsurvivable blow for NEXT. You really cannot survive the loss of government patronage in Nigeria.

Jonathan quietly froze out NEXT. No banning, no prohibition – the American model. By the time his followers convinced him that he had become God and his wife Jesus Christ, he abandoned this model and his government did hound some media houses.

You cannot use this as an excuse for the clampdown on AIT. It cannot be done in a democracy and Buhari MUST REVERSE that “ban” or “prohibition” or whatever it is called immediately. The watchword here is: change.

And thumbs down for his handlers. They never help the General’s propensity for own goals. AIT, like ThisDay, relies 100% on prebends and handouts from Abuja. Before GEJ rushed in bailout dollars to use them as the official media of his campaign, AIT had practically folded up and Dokpesi was owing several months salary arrears to his staff.

In fact, this is the time to be very nice to them. Give them prime position around GMB but quietly close the dollar patronage tap in Abuja. Very soon, Dokpesi will tell his correspondents and camera crew to use their own money to ride okada to cover activities at GMB’s house because the station is broke. AIT and ThisDay are built entirely on the Villa dollar tap. Close the tap quietly and they are finished. No need for harassment at all.

By Pius Adesanmi
Source

APC party members are protesting the elections in Rivers State saying the elections were flawed. they have taken to the streets to protest the arrests of their members by the police.

Source

Looks interesting. Cant use a Tecno phone again by the way.

Visit my blog
http://ourdailygist.com

This dude wants back with his ditched lady but she wants none of him. She will rather have constipation than have him back in her life.

Via
Source

What will you do if you find out your best friend’s spouse is cheating on him? Do you tell him? Or do you confront the spouse that is cheating on your best friend and the illicit lover?

Via

Here are some of the best intriguing, entertaining and interesting gimmicks and fallouts from the failed Mayan Apocalypse of 2012.

1.The Atlas Doomsday Survival Shelter


Sold by Al’s Army Navy Store in Altamonte Springs, the Atlas Doomsday Survival Shelter accommodates three to four people and is equipped to withstand nuclear, biological and chemical disasters. It can be buried upto to 20ft underground and comes complete with Bunk Beds with under-the-lid storage, escape hatch for emergency attacks, mudrooms with a lockable laser cut interior door, countertops, kitchen with sink, low voltage electric lights, electric outlets and toilet. A fully furnished one costs $60,000.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AuVtbSHGUM



2. French End-of-the-World Wine

The French town of Bugarach was quite quick to jump on the doomsday train. The village, located at the foot of the Pyrenees Mountains,was thought to be the only place capable of surviving the inpending doom and end of the world. So what do you do if you are getting all this attention? How about selling some merchandise to some of the gullible few?
Here are some of the items being sold at Bugarach:

A rock from the magic mountain of Pic deBugarach costs 1.50 euros.
Bottled water from a local spring that apparently has healing powers costs 15 euros.
A four bedroom home with views of the mountain for 1000 euros and outside camping for 400 euros.

3. The Mayans are destroying the world because they didn't have enough chocolate

Yes, really! Apparently, the Mayan gods didn't have enough chocolate. So here's Jell-O offering the Mayan gods the ultimate sacrifice : 2,012 JELL-O Pudding Cups.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItjE3f3clQQ


4. How about a special last Friday meal?

T.G.I. Friday's unveiled their special apocalypse menu, dubbed "the Last Friday," featuring a Pop Rocks–rimmed margarita and a predictable array of Jack Daniel's–addled steaks and cake.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kf2BHlJ3Q_I

5. Special Mayan Exhibits were sold in Mexico

Visitors to the Cancun Maya museum in Mexico were able to purchase artefacts and exhibits or a fee.


Source

The Dumbest Ways To Die

1. Set Fire to your hair
2. Poke a stick at a grisly bear
3. Eat medicine that is out of date
4. Use your private parts as Piranha bait
5. Get your toast out with a fork
6. Do your own electrical work
7. Teach yourself how to fly
8. Eat a 2 week un-refrigerated pie
9. Invite a psycho killer inside
10. Scratch a Drug dealer’s brand new car
11. Remove your helmet in outer space
12. Use your cloth dryer as a hiding space
13. Keep a rattle snake as pet
14. Sell off your kidneys on the internet
15. Eat off a super glue tube
16. Blow yourself up
17. Dress up as a Moonstring in hunting season
18. Disturb a nest of wasp for no reason
19. Jump off a train station platform
20. Run across train tracks


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJNR2EpS0jw

The list of this year’s Hip-Hop Cash Kings Richest musicians is topped by Dr Dre with a cool total of $110 million. All in all, hip-hop’s top 20 earners pulled in $415 million last year.

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

Here's the full list.

1. Dr. Dre: $110 million

2. Diddy: $45 million

3. Jay-Z: $38 million

4. Kanye West: $35 milliom

5. Lil Wayne: $27 million

6 Drake: $20.5 milliom

7. Birdman: $20 million

8. Nicki Mianj: $15.5 million

9. Eminem: $15 million

10. Ludacris: $12 million

11. Pitbull: $9.5 million

12. Rick Ross: $9 million (tie)

13. Wiz Khalifa: $9 million (tie)

14. Snoop Dogg: $8 million

15. 50 Cent: $7.5 million

16. Swizz Beatz: $7 million (tie)

17. Pharrell: $7 million (tie)

18. Young Jeezy: $7 million (tie)

19. Mac Miller: $6.5 million (tie)

20. Akon: $6 million

Source via Forbes

The popular dance style called AZONTO has been predicted as the possible replacement for Michael Jackson’s Moonwalk & Breaking in terms of popularity and dominace.
The dance originated from Ghana and from a ghanian musician Elinee.

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



Azonto is so popular that even soldiers love to dance Azonto.


Even Snoop



Is AzONTO your favourite dance style?

If No, then which one?

Azonto Dance Style

Do you know that the fish that is been feed to the monster is the blood of innocent Nigerians?
What a shame!

Source

Is it fair to Kill this man because of his Sexual orientation? Kenyans are way harsh!

The two men were beaten by the mob as they were caught in the act by passersby. One managed to escape while the other died after being stoned by a crowd of people.
According to sources, the two were food vendors in Kayole in a make shift kiosk in the sprawling estate. The deceased was the cook at the kiosk while the one who managed to escape was charged with packing and handling of the food.
The deceased’s first name was Kamau.
It is said the two have ‘been enjoying prolonged stares for month and the deceased made the first move.’ None knew the other was gay though they both identified as gay.

The two are said to have agreed to have meet up behind the Catholic Church building in Soweto estate at 8pm on the fateful day. From there, sources say, they began to have sex. The area is described as ‘deserted with bushes and a dumping site.’
In the darkness, the two were caught with passersby as they were having sex and they were beaten up after a confrontation. Later, a crowd milled around and started to stone the two men amidst insults.
The survivor is said to have been hit in the back but managed to escape as the crowd grew and bayed for their blood.
The survivor is said to be in critical condition after the beating.
‘His arms are broken and he is coughing blood and he has internal bleeding,’ according to a source who requested anonymity and who was familiar with the case.
The deceased – Kamau – it is said, was held down and beaten and later stoned to death. His body was found dumped at the dump site next to where they were caught. He had suffered severe head and body injuries.
Local police were called in the morning to retrieve the body that was taken to the City Mortuary. Report say he was buried a week later.
Kayole estate is a sprawling estate with a growing slum influence. The area is densely populated with the outlawed Mungiki sect adherents who target residents and extort money. They also dish out ‘justice’ to perpetrators of violence, disturbance or marital chaos.
The Mungiki are also alleged to have targeted effeminate men in the past with the most recent case being two gay men who were confronted by Mungiki men, abducted and locked in an building under construction as they asked for money to let them go.
Kenyan LGBT activists and organisations are said to be following up on the case.

http://ourdailygist.com/2012/07/gay-man-stoned-to-death-in-kenya/

Qian HongYan lost her legs in an accident. Her family in China are poor and couldn’t afford prosthetic legs, so she uses a basketball to help her move. – Qian uses two wooden props to drag herself.


She attends her class- She always smiles, always being cheerful

Be grateful With What You Have.

Share and thus Please keep passing this story and inspire others.

Source

And it wouldn't hurt if you specified the full details of the workload. Like what and what is involved and what is expected of the person.

Count me in.

How much is involved?

Four final year medical students of Igbinedion University were kidnapped this afternoon along the Okada-Benin road after an armed robbery incident. Two other individuals at the scene were also allegedly killed.


http://ourdailygist.com/2012/06/four-final-year-medical-students-of-igbinedion-university-kidnapped/

naijarican: I am still trying to figure out why ANYONE would want to be this enormous. She's trifling.

That's how stupid some people can get. She wants to enter into the Guinness World Records.

Tribute to the victims of Dana plane crash

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPDhdkkbOd8

Source

Susanne Eman already weighs in at a staggering 520lbs, but wants to fatten up for her wedding day. Her custom-made wedding gown is size XXXXXXXXXL and needed 45ft of chiffon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUyCRP1DuS0

Meet Susanne Eman, 33, from Arizona, who eats 30,000 calories a day to fatten up for wedding because she wants to enter into the Guiness World Records as the world’s biggest bride.





Susanne eats 12-egg omelettes, steak and sausages for breakfast.

Source

LAMENTATIONS OF AN AIRCRAFT



My name is MD 83
I was manufactured in 1990
Acquired by Alaska airline

For 12 years
I served my masters
With might and strength
And made them smile
To the banks

Until November 4, 2002
When I developed engine faults
And had to make emergency diversion
due to smoke in my cabin
Passengers disembarked alive.

On August 20, 2006
I was again evacuated after landing at the Long Beach, CA
Again,due to smoke in my cabin
Passengers disembarked alive

Concerned about my air worthiness
Alaska Airline parked me
Until Sept. 11, 2008 for repairs
And shifted my burdens to Dana Air, Nigeria
On February, 2009

On arrival
On the tropical shores of Africa
I hid not my state of health

On May 3, 2012
A Lagos station manager
Said I should be grounded for a check-up
That alarm was ignored

On May 11, 2012
I made an air return and emergency landing at MM2
Passengers disembarked alive

On May 25, 2012
Again, I made an air return and emergency landing due to engine failure
Passengers disembarked alive

And finally on June 3, 2012
I crashed in Iju, 5-6 nautical miles from touch down, killing all 153 passengers on board and 30 on ground

After 22 years
Of meritorious service
I wished my masters listened
And let me rest
Now I put tears
In the eyes of a nation

But come to think of it,

If Alaska Air
Considered me unfit
To fly Americans
Why should Dana Air
Consider me worthy
To fly Nigerians?

ANSWER IS….
Bacause we live in Nigeria where corruption, nepotism, criminal negligence, negligence of duties, blatant theft of state property, murder of innocent souls, criminality, abuse of office, no regard to human life, illiteracy, greed, dishonesty has been seen has the order of the day.

http://ourdailygist.com/2012/06/danacrash-lamentations-of-an-aircraft-poem/

CRASH VICTIMS: MRS ANYENE lost nine family members in the Dana Air crash . They include her husband, sister, all her four kids, two cousins and her husband’s mum.

Mrs Onyeka Anyene with 3 of her kids. Maimuna, Noah, Kaiyenotochi!!!


http://ourdailygist.com/2012/06/crash-victims-mrs-anyene-lost-nine-family-members-in-the-dana-crash/

Emma Watson, More Popularly Known As Herminoe Granger of the Harry Porter Story/movie, Turns 22 Today! The popular actress has fully grown into a matured woman, and has dropped all the girly attributes that endeared her to fans of the Harry Porter franchise, yours truly included. How time flies.


Happy Birthday, Emma(Hermione)! Thank you for all the lovely memories you have given me and my family. We hope to see more of your movies in the future! Wishing you the best day ever!

Source: Emma Watson Turns 22 Today

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=EFVXD_XZcPw

very long

Very stingy network. Which kind of crazy data plan is this? MTN is always repackaging the same old bullshit and forcing it down our throat. Crazy thieving network. Airtel Rocks! 3.5G for real!!!