₦airaland Forum

Why Atiku Is The Best Choice For PDP Against 2019!

I am of the opinion that all human beings are well built to reason and think things out critically well before arriving at any conclusions. I have been privileged to sit among elders, adults, youths of brilliant minds and I have heard their opinions about an Atiku Presidency, only a few of them are saying Atiku is not the best to lead Nigeria because he is corrupt while many consider the track records of Alhaji Atiku and gave him a clean bill of health that he is not only fit to be President but have the experience and ability to surpass any Presidents we have ever paraded since modern Nigeria's emergence. The corruption tag on his person is laughable and clearly unfounded especially when it is glaring that between 1999 - 2007 while he was Vice President to Olusegun Obasanjo he was not corrupt but he suddenly became corrupt according to Obasanjo when he clearly fought Obasanjo's illegal third term ambition and decided to take a shot at the exalted Position of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which is his right as a citizen of this great Country and a personality that has paid his dues!

People will always radiate under the sphere of different opinions in any debates and Atiku's case is not different. In mine opinion, this is how i viewed him; Atiku is a Fulani man, a Moslem, astute business man, politician, entrepreneur, philanthropist,  a detribalised Nigerian (married to a Yoruba woman, Titi, from Osun State, at a time only extremely few Northern business men attempt such, his businesses are represented in virtually all the 6 geopolitical zones which means an Atiku will be a National President not a Sectional President and a Father Figure to all irrespective of your tribe), a down to earth man who is willing to listen to every complaints tabled before him. I am not in anyway losing sleep on why Atiku is my preferred choice but I am putting this down for those who still view Atiku as a bad specimen to be tested that it is time to study this man beyond unfounded innuendos attached to his person by his political foes who have once benefitted from him. I am using this medium to educate as many as I can reach that Nigeria needs someone who can Nigeria like a business concern that works where our power, housing, oil, agricukture, finance, mineral resources sectors can be well galvanised to evoke an industrial revolution that can turn around the fortunes of Nigeria from a CONSUMING ECONOMY to a PRODUCING ECONOMY, from a begging nation to a nation that gives, from a weak nation to a buoyant one. It takes a man who has experimented that in his private lifestyle to implement such if given the chance to become President.

I was extremely glad when I got wind of Atiku's intention to run for the position of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The youths must understand that to be the President of a dynamic nation as Nigeria requires great experience and political exposure that cuts across all the geopolitical zones of this great Country. One thing is certain, an Atiku's emergence will bridge the widening gap between the rich and the poor through massive youth employments. Alhaji Atiku also remains the only Northern candidate championing the RESTRUCTURING cause, such a man must be taken seriously. Below are what Atiku said in time past, use these words to judge this great man with a large heart.


Atiku In His Own Words;

Below are what Atiku said with his own mouth and you have the right to query or question or probe him on this, you have your conscience intact, so you be the judge yourself;

 “People say I became rich in government. It’s a lie. I had hundreds of millions of dollars in assets declared in 1999. I was able to personally bankroll the Peoples Democratic Party back then, so surely, I was not poor.” (Atiku responding to the allegations that he enriched himself while in office as Vice President)

“I Go Dye, I’m not a messiah. I do not promise Eldorado or $1 = N1, but I always ask that we should look at the economic progress we made under my leadership and what I am doing in private business and judge me by those.”  (Atiku's response to "I Go Dye", a Nigerian popular Comedian, on why he is qualified and a better candidate to become President of Nigeria)

“As VP, I assembled what is arguably the best economic team ever in Nigeria. It was made up of young, world-class professionals, who came home to work. Some of those professionals are now political leaders, governors and world leaders in their own right." (Atiku's influence on the economic development of Nigeria as the Head of the National Economic Council revealed here)

 “I remember the only corruption indictment against me was a white paper which was cooked up by our own administration overnight to including the very EFCC that I helped found and other cabinet ministers, which I challenged in court. The court rightly dismissed all those indictments as being mere political, and till today nobody has ever indicted me of corruption.” (This was his defense against the indictment cooked up against him by Obasanjo and EFCC which is yet to be proved by EFCC till date in any Court of law)

“For example, between 1999 and 2003, oil prices then were hovering between $16 and $28 yet we managed to pay up salary arrears from decades back, clear up our national debts and build up foreign reserves. Our Gross Domestic Product grew at the fastest rate we’ve seen since the return to democracy.” (Despite decades of military  rule, the Obasanjo/Atiku era brought Nigeria out of the woods based on "working economic policies" Atiku helped set up)

 “I regret that I had that disagreement with my boss. Some say I was disloyal, but I looked at the events in Zimbabwe recently, and it gives me confidence that I did the right thing fighting the attempts to elongate the presidential tenure beyond eight years. If I did not win that fight, do you think we would be having a discussion on young people getting into leadership today?” (His stand on why he had to fight the illegal Third Term ambition of his former boss, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, which would have set a bad precedence for future administrations)

“I went to the World Bank and met a bright lady, convinced her to come back home, and she became a star in our government. To show you we had effective leadership, the same lady could not replicate her exploits under a different government,”  (On his discovery of the one and only Madam Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, former, Minister of Finance)

 “In my home state of Adamawa, for example, I’ve created over 50,000 direct jobs and 250,000 indirect ones. We are the largest private employers of labour in the state, only second to the state government. It’s not a lot, but it does help reduce unemployment. Who do you think are holding those jobs? Yes, young people.” (This is Alhaji Atiku's direct and indirect impacts on employments as an individual)

"What is happening in Nigeria is that as a nation, we are caught up in a modern-day Malthusian Trap. For years, our population has been growing faster than our Gross Domestic Product, bringing us to a point where we have an ever-increasing population competing for resources that are not keeping pace with population growth." (Alhaji Atiku's submission on the state of the Nation under Buhari while making his keynote address at the  Silverbird Man of the year 2017 Awards Night)

"It may sound simplistic, but if Nigeria can assemble a leadership focused on getting us out of this Malthusian Trap by gradually reversing the trend where population growth exceeds GDP growth, many of these challenges we are currently facing will slowly but surely fade away." (Atiku's blueprint for the way out of our current surging populations versus our depleting Gross Domestic Products as a Country)

"This month of February 2018, according to the World Poverty Clock, Nigeria has just overtaken India as the world’s capital of extreme poverty. There are more extremely poor people in Nigeria than there are in India, a country that has six times Nigeria’s population." (Alhaji Atiku affirming the grim situation Nigerians found themselves in under the Buhari-led administration)

"After contracting for five consecutive quarters, Nigeria came out of recession in the second quarter of 2017 with a GDP growth rate of 0.55%. In the third quarter, we fared better with 1.40%. While this looks somewhat like we exited the recession, the reality is that when you factor in our population growth rate of 2.3%, which is one of the highest in the world, have we really exited a recession? Technically, yes, but in reality, it is doubtful." (Atiku's humble but concise statistical analysis of the true picture of our economic status as a Country)

“When people do not have jobs and the means to start a business are beyond their reach, they are incrementally much more likely to engage in criminal behaviours like terrorism, kidnapping, militancy and armed robbery." (Atiku bringing to the open a simple reason why violences have taken over Nigeria landscape)

“According to the African Development Bank, in 2017, 18 African countries grew their Gross Domestic Product above 5%. Nigeria, which was number one in 2014, was not amongst these nations. We must figure out what has happened in the intervening years between 2014 and 2018 and fix what went wrong." (This is the height of gross ineptitude on leadership as His Excellency, Alhaji Atiku, gave an expository revelation on how Nigeria fell from the top just within 3 years of APC's leadership)

“What happened to brilliant initiatives like the YouWIN programme which gave Nigerian youths the training and funding to start their own businesses?” (The One Million Dollar Question His Excellency, Alhaji Atiku is asking this rudderless APC's government)

“Let me say this: The Restructuring that I, Atiku Abubakar, envisions, will see no state receive less money from the federation account than it currently does. I hope that will ease the anxieties of some who oppose restructuring. Restructuring will not cheat you. It will free you." (Alhaji Atiku's stance on restructuring)

“When I was in government, we reduced recurrent expenditure by introducing the monetisation policy and by privatising many government enterprises, especially those that were consuming resources without generating revenue. Those policies have been bastardized today and we have seen a ballooning of our recurrent expenditure and shrinkage of our capital expenditure. We must return to the basics.” (Atiku showing the wrong approach of this APC's government in the area of fiscal policies)

“We have to enact laws to prevent leaders from diverting public funds from the public health sector to the treatment of the elite in the best hospitals abroad. If you can afford it from your own private resources, then pay for it. But do not make the tax payer pay for it." (This is Alhaji Atiku demanding that laws should be made to ensure that our leaders are made to pay for their health related issues anytime they seek medical attention abroad and not from public funds)

“We are in critical times, and as I conclude, I want to urge a paradigm shift in Nigeria. Our elite are treated in Europe. Big Brother Naija is being broadcast from South Africa and Nike is unveiling our FIFA World Cup Jersey in London. Is this the extent to which we have outsourced Nigeria? As far as I am concerned, if it concerns Nigeria, it must be done in Nigeria, not abroad. Not abroad.” (Atiku promoting "Made in Nigeria for Nigerians" ideology)

All What Atiku Is Saying Is, "Judge Me On My Track Records In Political And Business Careers And Not On Innuendoes"

ProjectAtiku 2019 To The Rescue!

From The Desk of @Ratello

rhidollah:
ur Analysis is one sided, down south Buhari had less than 300000 vote frm southsouth nd pdp had 1.5m in Rivers, 1.2m in Delta, 900000 In akwa ibom, 350000in bayelsa nd 254000 in Edo.do u think Atiku will retain this vote.i want an honest answer

If you really take the pain to study my thread very well I have already answered the question. Yes, Atiku will even do more than that this time around. Atiku contested last in 2007 against 2 favourites, Yar'adua (PDP) and Buhari (ANPP) under a regional party then AC yet polled over 2 million votes despite bearing the unjustifiable "corruption tag" label that Obasanjo used against his person meaning that Atiku came out at the "wrong time"! Right now, Buhari had been tested and found out a failure which makes Atiku the next desirable choice. I repeat, Atiku will do much more better this time around going by the indices around him now. You can quote me on this.

I guess the clown that opened this thread is consoling himself for nothing. Atiku is PDP's and PDP is Atiku's. I am too sure that Buhari will not be there after 2019!

madridguy:
Small but mighty Prof Osibanjo together with Sai Bukky " Megida ".

What is mighty in Osinbajo now? Most times you reason and talk like someone still feeding from a feeding bottle! Funny thing

I thought Saraki plus his Senate were bad eggs but I was wrong

balash:
because Yinka Odumakin is a saint na, so everything he says is true. i don’t understand what you people are expecting from osinbajo. for petes sake he is a vice president and his job is to oversee affairs on the president request. You want him to give speech that would cause an uproar or he should go and fight people killing with his bare hands abi, he is a leader and he needs to act like one. that doesnt for any reason undermined his credibility moreover he is in that position for a reason and representing the whole south west. So think again

You are clearly put of the loop on grey matters Odumankin was addressing concerning Osinbajo so I will forgive your ignorance. Try to go back and read that letter again but this time around read it slowly and meditatively!

fulaniHERDSman:
Wike the Great IROKO of the SOUTHERN NIGERIA!

Unlike the rotten toothed, criminal minded, moralless, unspeakable evil conniving barabas in bourdillon that brought this plague upon the good people of Nigeria.

My brother you are a man that thinks and may you live long for saying the whole truth!

sarrki:
May it not be well with PDP

You are back to your default state again I thought you have been adjusted.

What type of nonsense combination is this, Osinbajo needs repentance and not reelection and you are here talking about one "yes man" who is willing to chop shit just to be counted loyal to Buhari. Osinbajo can NEVER be a good President, I know his type so stop this nonsense and read up Yinka Odumakin sincere letter to Osinbajo. As for your Donald Duke, being a good and proactive President has nothing to do with fine face and smooth name

So so true I was there today.

It is only a blind person that will not see Obasanjo's ulterior motives behind is well scripted letter to Buhari. Obasanjo should be closely watched.

free2ryhme:
it is too early for the speculation

If you read it carefully well you can see clearly that the Atiku's part was never part of the Governor's deliberations but just a mere effusions emanating from the depraved mind of the writer of this news. Too lame and unprofessional approach to details

If Atiku is not picked as the PDP flagbearer they should forget ruling Nigeria for life. Atiku is the only Northerner with the political clout to rattle APC and Buhari in 2019!

deomelllo:
I dey even think say PDP get small chance with Atiku, but den just bury their chance patapata with lamido...


Losers...

now you are confessing on how Powerful Atiku is right? You believe this speculation, then believe anything. You are the loser here. Atiku all the way

Buhari: IBB’s ex-CPS, Onabule blasts Obasanjo, speaks on his ‘nepotism’, third term bid Published on February 3, 2018 By Wale Odunsi

Duro Onabule​,​ former chief press secretary to General Ibrahim Babangid​a, has reacted angrily ​to ex-President Olesegun Obasanjo’s statement on President Muhammadu Buhari.

He described Obasanjo as a man who engaged in nepotism while in power and recalled how the Ota-born retired General schemed for a third term in office.


Onabule further lambasted the former leader for his constant condemnation of successors and predecessors.

​The current​ Chairman of the NTA Board​ in a strong-worded​ article he released at the weekend​, recalled how IBB warned Obasanjo that it would be “fire for fire” if the latter continued his attacks on his person and time in government.

He advised Nigerians to ignore “Mr Know All” Obasanjo, saying he only ​spoke against persons who fail to do his wish.

​The former editor of National Concord said he knew that it was a matter of time for Obasanjo to resume his pastime of undermining his military and civilian successors​.

Onabule noted that ​o​n the alert that African Union was to ​recognise Buhari as the Champion of Anti-Corruption in Africa, Obasanjo came out with his diatribe in the mistaken belief that the great honour would be diminished if not rubbished by his comments.

The article read in parts: ​”​Unfortunately for him, African Union sustained its honour on Nigeria, much to the credit of Muhammadu Buhari as the President under whose tenure Nigeria became rebranded, to the envy of Obasanjo.

​”​Every timing and content of Obasanjo’s verbal assault on his military and civilian successors is noteworthy for exposing Obasanjo’s self-exaggeration and case study in hypocrisy.

​”​He is on record in some of his books as rating himself above every Nigerian (civilian or military), who ever served at high level – Nnamdi Azikiwe, Obafemi Awolowo, Aminu Kano, Waziri Ibrahim, General Yakubu Gowon, Brigadier Benjamin Adekunle, General Alani Akinrinade, General Alabi Isama, General Buhari, General Ibrahim Babangida (IBB), General Sani Abacha (as military rulers), former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, President Umaru Yar’Adua, President Goodluck Jonathan and, now, President Buhari.


​”​General Abdulsalami Abubakar escaped Obasanjo’s bad tongue only because he released him (Obasanjo) from jail and heeded northern Generals who imposed Obasanjo on Nigeria as an elected President.

​”​Obasanjo kept off IBB since the day the former military President, in a rejoinder to Obasanjo, openly served him notice that “Henceforth, it will be fire for fire.”

​”​Obasanjo got the coded message. Very disturbingly and unknown to Nigerians is the fact that, contrary to the impression that Obasanjo, in his criticisms, is motivated by public service or altruism, he goes to town specifically when he fails to run the show from outside for an incumbent head of government or get appointments for his cronies.

​”​Former President Jonathan conceded, almost virtual running of his government to Obasanjo up to the time a memo written by Obasanjo recommending removal of six appointees from federal boards, to be replaced by six of his cronies, got leaked to Nigerian Tribune newspaper.

​”​Obasanjo initially denied authorship of the memo. Somehow, Nigeria Police foolishly arraigned Nigeria Tribune and its reporter for alleged sedition. Nigerian Tribune then had to republish the memo with Obasanjo’s full signature. That was the end of the matter, as the police had to withdraw the charges till today.

​”​In the current anti-Buhari misadventure by Obasanjo, how many Nigerians took notice that, amid the euphoria on Buhari’s victory, Obasanjo, in his arrogance of Mr. Know All, dispatched two volumes of policies President Buhari must implement during his current tenure? Who was elected President of Nigeria in 2015? Buhari or Obasanjo? Obasanjo’s major weakness of feeling superior to everybody is the cause of his running down contemporaries.

​”​Apparently, Buhari kept Obasanjo’s policies in the shelf, a derision, which embittered Obasanjo. Hence his frustration. “I said it from the beginning that Buhari is not strong on economy.” Who then displays his Ph.D in Economics? Obasanjo.

​”​Here was a man, so arrogant and power-drunk that he openly dismissed the advisers he had just sworn in that as much as they might advise, he, President Obasanjo, was not bound to take their advice. The same man imposing total policy directive on a President yet to be sworn in.

​”​The same deplorable tactics by Obasanjo did not work on late President Yar’Adua, not the least because he rejected Obasanjo’s attempt to run the government for him, but he also cancelled Obasanjo’s hurried investment of a whopping half a billion dollars in African Finance Corporation a fortnight before handing over to Yar’Adua. That investment was without the approval of the National Assembly.

​”​The late President Yar’Adua also queried an expenditure of $16 billion by Obasanjo’s administration purportedly on power supply with, according to Yar’Adua, “…nothing to show for it.” It is a question of character and hypocrisy. Who ever ran Obasanjo’s administrations for him? Who ever nominated public office holders for Obasanjo throughout his tenure? Who imposed policies on Obasanjo?

​”​Indeed, on his first day in office in 1999, Obasanjo expressed thanks to all those who helped him but instantly requested all of them to keep away. If so, why must he aim to run government for others? Former President Obasanjo is the cheapest critic in Nigeria as he merely echoes claims of the innocent public​.

“Obasanjo was not bold enough to specify Lawal Musa Daura (DG, Department of State Services) and Mamman Daura, a veteran journalist, as the major focus of the charge of nepotism against Buhari. Admittedly, Mamman Daura is a nephew, but Lawal Daura (DG, DSS), might just be Buhari’s townsman. Is that, therefore, peculiar to President Buhari or Nigeria or even Africa?

​”​What, anyway, was the record under Obasanjo or former President Goodluck Jonathan? During Obasanjo’s tenure, his daughter, Iyabo Obasanjo Bello, was Ogun State commissioner for health. Iyabo was also elected senator from Ogun Central, her father’s constituency.

​”​Above all, only the collapse of Obasanjo’s third term agenda cost his daughter the governorship of Ogun State for which she specially formed the Iyaniwura Foundation. Most remarkably, Obasanjo removed the serving Director-General of DSS to make way for Ogun State and fellow Egba, Colonel Kayode Are (retd).
​
“Obasanjo, therefore, owes Nigerians the difference between him and President Buhari, a task which should have been performed the very minute today’s journalists collected Obasanjo’s infamous letter. Former President Jonathan similarly removed the Director-General of DSS he inherited and replaced him with his South South fellow indigene, Ita Ekpenyong.

​”​Why was there no complaint of nepotism? Much is being made of the influence Mamman Daura wields inside Aso Rock. A nephew of President Buhari? So what? At least, Mamman Daura is a Nigerian, who (whatever his blood ties with Buhari) has a constitutional right to serve in any government of this country.​”

​”​Should Buhari contest in 2019? That is his personal decision. Elections as well as the performances of a leader all over the world are determined by the electorate, who, in Nigeria’s case, run into multiple scores of millions. One man, in his arrogance, must not be allowed to appropriate such voting power to himself. Elections are either won or lost.

​”​When a man, who, towards the end of an eight-year term, plotted to rule for life (a treasonous offence) now arrogates to himself the moral of determining the political fate of a fellow citizen, we shouldn’t take him seriously. Buhari or Jonathan? There is no regret for Jonathan’s exit, in view of scandalous revelations. I endorsed Buhari since 2002 for the yeoman’s job, which he commenced less than three years ago. I am satisfied,​” he said.​

http://dailypost.ng/2018/02/03/buhari-ibbs-ex-cps-onabule-blasts-obasanjo-speaks-nepotism-third-term-bid-/

Seun, Lalasticlala, OAM4J over to you

Buhari: IBB’s ex-CPS, Onabule blasts Obasanjo, speaks on his ‘nepotism’, third term bid Published on February 3, 2018 By Wale Odunsi

Duro Onabule​,​ former chief press secretary to General Ibrahim Babangid​a, has reacted angrily ​to ex-President Olesegun Obasanjo’s statement on President Muhammadu Buhari.

He described Obasanjo as a man who engaged in nepotism while in power and recalled how the Ota-born retired General schemed for a third term in office.


Onabule further lambasted the former leader for his constant condemnation of successors and predecessors.

​The current​ Chairman of the NTA Board​ in a strong-worded​ article he released at the weekend​, recalled how IBB warned Obasanjo that it would be “fire for fire” if the latter continued his attacks on his person and time in government.

He advised Nigerians to ignore “Mr Know All” Obasanjo, saying he only ​spoke against persons who fail to do his wish.

​The former editor of National Concord said he knew that it was a matter of time for Obasanjo to resume his pastime of undermining his military and civilian successors​.

Onabule noted that ​o​n the alert that African Union was to ​recognise Buhari as the Champion of Anti-Corruption in Africa, Obasanjo came out with his diatribe in the mistaken belief that the great honour would be diminished if not rubbished by his comments.

The article read in parts: ​”​Unfortunately for him, African Union sustained its honour on Nigeria, much to the credit of Muhammadu Buhari as the President under whose tenure Nigeria became rebranded, to the envy of Obasanjo.

​”​Every timing and content of Obasanjo’s verbal assault on his military and civilian successors is noteworthy for exposing Obasanjo’s self-exaggeration and case study in hypocrisy.

​”​He is on record in some of his books as rating himself above every Nigerian (civilian or military), who ever served at high level – Nnamdi Azikiwe, Obafemi Awolowo, Aminu Kano, Waziri Ibrahim, General Yakubu Gowon, Brigadier Benjamin Adekunle, General Alani Akinrinade, General Alabi Isama, General Buhari, General Ibrahim Babangida (IBB), General Sani Abacha (as military rulers), former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, President Umaru Yar’Adua, President Goodluck Jonathan and, now, President Buhari.


​”​General Abdulsalami Abubakar escaped Obasanjo’s bad tongue only because he released him (Obasanjo) from jail and heeded northern Generals who imposed Obasanjo on Nigeria as an elected President.

​”​Obasanjo kept off IBB since the day the former military President, in a rejoinder to Obasanjo, openly served him notice that “Henceforth, it will be fire for fire.”

​”​Obasanjo got the coded message. Very disturbingly and unknown to Nigerians is the fact that, contrary to the impression that Obasanjo, in his criticisms, is motivated by public service or altruism, he goes to town specifically when he fails to run the show from outside for an incumbent head of government or get appointments for his cronies.

​”​Former President Jonathan conceded, almost virtual running of his government to Obasanjo up to the time a memo written by Obasanjo recommending removal of six appointees from federal boards, to be replaced by six of his cronies, got leaked to Nigerian Tribune newspaper.

​”​Obasanjo initially denied authorship of the memo. Somehow, Nigeria Police foolishly arraigned Nigeria Tribune and its reporter for alleged sedition. Nigerian Tribune then had to republish the memo with Obasanjo’s full signature. That was the end of the matter, as the police had to withdraw the charges till today.

​”​In the current anti-Buhari misadventure by Obasanjo, how many Nigerians took notice that, amid the euphoria on Buhari’s victory, Obasanjo, in his arrogance of Mr. Know All, dispatched two volumes of policies President Buhari must implement during his current tenure? Who was elected President of Nigeria in 2015? Buhari or Obasanjo? Obasanjo’s major weakness of feeling superior to everybody is the cause of his running down contemporaries.

​”​Apparently, Buhari kept Obasanjo’s policies in the shelf, a derision, which embittered Obasanjo. Hence his frustration. “I said it from the beginning that Buhari is not strong on economy.” Who then displays his Ph.D in Economics? Obasanjo.

​”​Here was a man, so arrogant and power-drunk that he openly dismissed the advisers he had just sworn in that as much as they might advise, he, President Obasanjo, was not bound to take their advice. The same man imposing total policy directive on a President yet to be sworn in.

​”​The same deplorable tactics by Obasanjo did not work on late President Yar’Adua, not the least because he rejected Obasanjo’s attempt to run the government for him, but he also cancelled Obasanjo’s hurried investment of a whopping half a billion dollars in African Finance Corporation a fortnight before handing over to Yar’Adua. That investment was without the approval of the National Assembly.

​”​The late President Yar’Adua also queried an expenditure of $16 billion by Obasanjo’s administration purportedly on power supply with, according to Yar’Adua, “…nothing to show for it.” It is a question of character and hypocrisy. Who ever ran Obasanjo’s administrations for him? Who ever nominated public office holders for Obasanjo throughout his tenure? Who imposed policies on Obasanjo?

​”​Indeed, on his first day in office in 1999, Obasanjo expressed thanks to all those who helped him but instantly requested all of them to keep away. If so, why must he aim to run government for others? Former President Obasanjo is the cheapest critic in Nigeria as he merely echoes claims of the innocent public​.

“Obasanjo was not bold enough to specify Lawal Musa Daura (DG, Department of State Services) and Mamman Daura, a veteran journalist, as the major focus of the charge of nepotism against Buhari. Admittedly, Mamman Daura is a nephew, but Lawal Daura (DG, DSS), might just be Buhari’s townsman. Is that, therefore, peculiar to President Buhari or Nigeria or even Africa?

​”​What, anyway, was the record under Obasanjo or former President Goodluck Jonathan? During Obasanjo’s tenure, his daughter, Iyabo Obasanjo Bello, was Ogun State commissioner for health. Iyabo was also elected senator from Ogun Central, her father’s constituency.

​”​Above all, only the collapse of Obasanjo’s third term agenda cost his daughter the governorship of Ogun State for which she specially formed the Iyaniwura Foundation. Most remarkably, Obasanjo removed the serving Director-General of DSS to make way for Ogun State and fellow Egba, Colonel Kayode Are (retd).
​
“Obasanjo, therefore, owes Nigerians the difference between him and President Buhari, a task which should have been performed the very minute today’s journalists collected Obasanjo’s infamous letter. Former President Jonathan similarly removed the Director-General of DSS he inherited and replaced him with his South South fellow indigene, Ita Ekpenyong.

​”​Why was there no complaint of nepotism? Much is being made of the influence Mamman Daura wields inside Aso Rock. A nephew of President Buhari? So what? At least, Mamman Daura is a Nigerian, who (whatever his blood ties with Buhari) has a constitutional right to serve in any government of this country.​”

​”​Should Buhari contest in 2019? That is his personal decision. Elections as well as the performances of a leader all over the world are determined by the electorate, who, in Nigeria’s case, run into multiple scores of millions. One man, in his arrogance, must not be allowed to appropriate such voting power to himself. Elections are either won or lost.

​”​When a man, who, towards the end of an eight-year term, plotted to rule for life (a treasonous offence) now arrogates to himself the moral of determining the political fate of a fellow citizen, we shouldn’t take him seriously. Buhari or Jonathan? There is no regret for Jonathan’s exit, in view of scandalous revelations. I endorsed Buhari since 2002 for the yeoman’s job, which he commenced less than three years ago. I am satisfied,​” he said.​

http://dailypost.ng/2018/02/03/buhari-ibbs-ex-cps-onabule-blasts-obasanjo-speaks-nepotism-third-term-bid-/

Seun, Lalasticlala, OAM4J over to you

buhariguy:
your ineffectual buffoon never added 1mw in 6yrs.

You are not intelligent at all and to worsen it, you hardly read and know the state of things in Nigeria, perhaps you are from Niger

450 MW All these years? which kain minister be this sef

UNEXPLAINED WEALTH ORDERS IN USE: HERE’S AT LEAST 5 CASES THE POLICE SHOULD CONSIDER TODAY!

Written by Transparency International UK on Wednesday, 31 January 2018



Today, Unexplained Wealth Orders (UWOs) come in to force. They are a new investigative power designed to help law enforcement act on corrupt assets. This is something that Transparency International has been advocating for since 2014.

For more on what UWOs are and how they work in practice, see our brief guide here.

They are particularly useful where there is no realistic prospect of cooperation or conviction in the country of origin, but there are sufficient grounds for suspicion that an asset has been acquired with the proceeds of corruption. Based on open source information, we have pulled together five cases where we believe law enforcement should consider using UWOs in forming a case for civil recovery proceedings against potentially illicit wealth.

 

1. KENWOOD GATE, HAMPSTEAD LANE, LONDON

Suspected owner: First family of Azerbaijan
Estimated Value: £18 million



Photo: OCCRP

In 2015, the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) uncovered an £18 million mansion on Hampstead Lane, North London, belonging to the First family of Azerbaijan. According to Land Registry documents the mansion is owned by Beckforth Services Limited – an Isle of Man company. Official company documents from 2000 state that Beckforth was controlled by Ilham Aliyev, the country’s current President, and his wife Mehriban, who is his now Vice President. In 2012 the registered shareholder was recorded as Leyla Aliyeva, Ilham and Mehriban’s eldest daughter. Since then it has been recorded as a British Virgin Island company, Sonymore Limited, and then another Isle of Man company, Locki Limited, of which Leyla was the sole shareholder until 2014. Since then Locki’s registered shareholder has also been Sonymore and its current shareholder is itself as a trustee of another company.

At the time the property was bought Ilham Aliyev was Vice President of the country’s state-owned oil company, SOCAR, and his father was the country’s President. There is no public documentation about Ilham’s wealth or income at the time when the house was purchased. However, the First family of Azerbaijan are alleged by the OCCRP to have collected vast amounts of personal wealth by abusing their positions of power. Ilham Aliyev has been the country’s President since 2003 and currently has an official annual salary of £75,000. Although elected officials are not yet required to publish the details of their assets, latest estimates by the OCCRP claim the Aliyev family hold a global property portfolio worth at least £100 million, including £41 million in London real estate.

 

2. FLATS 138A AND 138B, 4 WHITEHALL COURT, LONDON

Suspected owner: Igor Shuvalov, Russian First Deputy Prime Minister
Estimated Value: £11.44 million



Photo: OCCRP

In 2014 the First Deputy Prime Minister of Russia, Igor Shuvalov, published an anti-corruption declaration which showed amongst other properties, he rented a flat in London just 10 minutes’ walk from the Houses of Parliament. Contrary to this, however, anti-corruption campaigner Alexey Navalny alleges that Shuvalov owns flats Flat 138A and Flat 138B in 4 Whitehall Court, which in total are worth £11.44 million.

Land registry documents show the properties are owned by Sova Real Estate LLC, which according to official records obtained by Navalny indicate is owned by Shuvalov and his wife. It is unclear how Shuvalov was able to afford the apartments. His 2014 asset declaration lists his official salary as £112,000 meaning it would take him 76 years to pay for these Westminster properties. The value of the flats also exceeds the joint wealth of Shuvalov and his wife, which are listed on his 2014 declaration as £634,000.

When questioned about his ownership of foreign properties, Shuvalov acknowledged that he owned a number of properties through holding companies in a 2014 interview however Navalny claims he has never spoken publicly about the London property.

 

3. DOWN HOUSE AND FAIRVIEW, CHESTNUT AVENUE, GUILDFORD

Suspected owner: Ahmed Mahmoud Azwai, former Libyan Major General
Price: £1 million



Photo: Buzzfeed News

These two properties, worth a combined value of £1 million, are owned by a British Virgin Islands (BVI) company called ATT Universal Holdings Limited. According to a Buzzfeed investigation in 2016, this BVI company is controlled by Ahmed Mahmoud Azwai, a former Major General during Muammar Qaddafi’s regime who was responsible for the country’s long-range missile stockpile.

We understand from available information that the state salary for Major General’s in the Libyan arms is around £4,000 per year. During his time in public service he did not release any declarations stating his personal assets or income.

 

4. 7 AND 8 WHITTAKER STREET, BELGRAVIA, LONDON

Suspected owner: Bukola Saraki, President Nigerian Senate
Price: £9 million and £6 million



Photo: Google Maps

Land Registry documents show that these two addresses are owned by Landfield International Developments Limited and Renocon Property Development Limited. Based on current market estimates by Zoopla, the properties are worth a combined total of around £15 million. According to data released as part of the Panama Papers, these companies were controlled by Toyin Saraki, the wife of the President of the Nigerian Senate, Bukola Saraki as well as one of his personal aides. At the time of these revelations, none of these offshore holdings were reported in Saraki’s official asset declarations.

Previous public disclosures by Saraki have indicated he has high levels of unexplained wealth. In 2003, his asset declaration showed he had amassed tens of millions of pounds worth of assets during his time as director of Société Générale Bank and Special Assistant to the President on Budget. The explanation he provided for these acquisitions was stated simply as “business”. Saraki is involved in an ongoing court case around allegations of false asset declarations from his tenure as Governor of Kwara state.

When asked by The Guardian about these properties, Saraki stated said he had declared all his assets correctly and in accordance with Nigerian legislation.

5. 16-16A AVENFIELD HOUSE AND 17-17A AVENFIELD HOUSE, PARK LANE, LONDON

Suspected owner: Nawaz Sharif, former Prime Minister of Pakistan
Price: At least £8 million

Land Registry documents show that these four properties are owned by two companies registered in the BVI: Nescoll Limited and Nielsen Limited. According to information published as part of the Panama Papers, these companies were controlled by the former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif. In 2017, Pakistani authorities initiated an investigation into these assets, which found that they were purchased without a mortgage between 1993 and 1995, just after Sharif reported a growth in wealth without any plausible declared source of income. In July 2017, Sharif was removed from office after the investigation found that he had failed to disclose these properties on his official asset declaration.


https://www.transparency.org.uk/uwo-consider-today/#.WnX0RFko9Ah

Great TV news presenter of the good old days of NTA with Elizabeth

Sissy3 and dominique kindly push this to the front pagd please because its about our health and latest information.

NIGERIA: THE TRAVAILS OF AN ANIMAL KINGDOM



BY PROFESSOR ITSE SAGAY, SAN.




BEING A PAPER PRESENTED AT 27TH CONVOCATION LECTURE OF THE FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, MINNA.




VENUE:
THE CONVERTON LECTURE THEATRE,
GIDAN KWANO CAMPUS

DATE:
31TH JANUARY 2018.



NIGERIA: THE TRAVAILS OF AN ANIMAL KINGDOM



BY PROFESSOR ITSE SAGAY, SAN.


1. Introduction
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, I feel highly honoured to be invited to give the 2018 Convocation Lecture of this great institution. I thank the Chancellor, the Chairman and Members of Council and Senate for this high privilege.

The title of this lecture was deliberately chosen to express and articulate my impression of Nigeria and the anguish and frustrations I am personally experiencing about the behavior, conduct and orientation of the Nigerian Elite.

Why Animal Kingdom? In the first place man is biologically an animal. Indeed, all human beings are animals. But we are supposed to have developed and evolved into superior, thinking, intelligent, refined human beings, controlling all the lower species of animals. Indeed, as the Good Lord stated in Genesis Chapter 1, Verses 26 – 28, after creating man in his own image.

Chapter 26.
And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

Chapter 27.
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

Chapter 28.
And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

I am not unconscious of the apparent contradiction between evolutionary theory and the Bible. But I feel that God could have created man over centuries because a thousand years for man is but a night for God.

Now, the lower animals have some very primitive and negative instincts which in man would be described as barbarous.

2. Animal Culture
(i) Animals live to eat. In other words, their primary devotion and objective in life is to eat, sleep and eat. They are permanently in search of food whether as predators (looking for the flesh of other animals) or as plant and grass eaters. Human beings are supposed to have evolved beyond that. We should eat in order to live and not live in order to eat like lower animals. But what do we do in this Country? Once given a position of trust and responsibility, our elite go into a feeding frenzy; Loot billions, acquire 50 houses, have mansions in the U.K., U.S.A., Spain, the Caribbeans, etc. All they do after that is to eat and eat without stopping. A Federal Minister once accused another politician,who was later also appointed Minister, for not being grateful for being invited to “come and eat”. It did not occur to him that he was called to serve, not to “eat”.

Another characteristic of the lower animals is that they are fully engaged in the practice of “dog eat dog and the survival of the fittest” To give an example of this behavior, not only will the carnivorous mammals (lions, tigers, hyenas, cheetahs, leopards) etc. kill and eat herbivores (that is antelopes, buffalos, giraffes, zebras, etc)
some members of the same species kill each other and in some cases eat each other. When some members of the political, public service or business elite loot our collective assets, the immediate consequence is massive unemployment, unequipped clinics and hospitals, wretched schools, colleges and universities without facilities, bad roads, lack of electric power and so on. Deaths on the roads, deaths at hospitals, deaths at maternity facilities, follow, and militants, kidnappers, armed robbers, murderers, suicides are also a direct product, of this Nigerian Culture. In a paper published in 2013, Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, Executive Secretary of PACAC and incoming Chairman of the ICPC demonstrated the devastating national consequence of this predatory culture.

Regarding looting attributed to Ex-Governors, Ex-Ministers, Ex-Legislators, Public Servants, Bankers and Business men between 2007 and 2013, which came to 1.35 trillion naira, roughly 7.05 billion dollars, of Owasanoye brought home to Nigerians the opportunity cost of this banditry as follows.

“One-third of the stolen funds could have provided 635.18 kilometes of roads, 36 ultra-modern hospitals per state, 183 schools, educated 3,974 children from primary to tertiary level at 25.24million per child and built, 20,062 units of 2-bedroom houses”.

This clearly epitomizes a dog eat dog characteristic. There is devastation in all spheres of human activity and the future of the youths is certainly eaten.

Another characteristic of animals, particularly male lions, is that when they want to join an existing pride of lions, they will kill the baby lions fathered by the previous male in the pride, before going on to father their own children. To the male lions, only their gene should survive. How different from that is the deliberate actions of the elite to subject Nigeria to a scotched earth polity, making life in Nigeria uninhabitable for youths, who then prefer to go and die in the Sahara and Libya, whilst the children of the culprits are in the best schools in the world like Eaton, Harvard, Yale, Oxford and Cambridge, living a dream life. They love their offspring to a fault, but could not give a damn about the survival of the children of ordinary Nigerians.

What of the popular saying, “monkey dey work, baboon dey shop”. In the animal kingdom, if a cheetah or leopard makes a kill, before it can settle down to feed, lions or hyenas will chase it away or kill it if it is stubborn and refuses to escape. They will then devour the kill to the pain and frustration of the poor, weaker animal. In this Country, the hard working people do back breaking work to create our wealth. A few members of the greedy elite consume that wealth. By ILO standards, no earner of remuneration from the public service is supposed earn more than 100 times the income of the lowest paid worker. In this Country whilst the minimum basic wage is N18,000 a month there are fellow public servants who award themselves about 30 million a month. That is, more than 1,600,000 times the minimum wage.

Those who work in luxurious air-conditioned Chambers collect, wardrobe allowance, utility allowance, furniture allowance, Newspaper allowance, housing allowance, entertainment allowance, domestic allowance, recess allowance, hardship allowance and the list goes on.

The ordinary worker is lucky to have his basic salary. If this is not monkey dey work and baboon dey chop, I don’t know what it can be.

I can go on and on with illustrations of the theme of this paper, but I think what I have said so far is enough.

3. The Judiciary is more Equal

On 23rd June 2017, the Court of Appeal gave a Judgment in the case of Justice Ngajiwa v. F.R.N. The Appellant was a former Judge in the High Court of Kano State, who was charged by the EFCC for Corruption. He filed a preliminary objection to the charge on the ground that since discipline of Judges under the National Judicial Council had been provided for in Section 153 (1) and the 3rd Schedule (Part 1), of the Constitution, no Judicial Officer could be arrested and tried for any criminal offence until he has first been put through the disciplinary process of the NJC, found guilty and dismissed or retired compulsorily.

This argument was rejected at the High Court level, but shockingly upheld by the Court of Appeal. The practical effect of this is that judicial offers have by this legislative Ruling been conferred with immunity from criminal prosecution for their crimes, particularly for corruption. As I speak, many judges currently under trial for corruption have applied for their cases to be struck out on the basis of this Ruling.

The gravity of this Ruling on the fight against corruption cannot be overstated. Without the willingness and commitment of the Judiciary to the anti-corruption struggle, it will fail ab initio, i.e., from the very beginning. It will not take off at all.

Now, if the Judges are claiming immunity from prosecution for corruption, grievous bodily harm and even murder, how can they morally sit in judgment over other sectors of the population who are not claiming such immunity. Should suspected criminals try others for crimes?

The logic of this Ruling and its wider implication is that anyone who belongs to a professional group that has a disciplinary body, could justifiably claim immunity from prosecution unless, he first undergoes the disciplinary process of his association and is found guilty and punished.

So the Law enforcement, Security and Anti-Corruption Agencies by this logic should not arrest and prosecute the following sample of professionals until they are first tried and punished by their professional associations,

(i) Thus a Doctor cannot be arrested for malpractice, causing grievous bodily harm or even death of a patient.
(ii) This will also apply to Lawyers who must first be tried and punished by the NBA before they can be arrested and charged for any criminal offence against their clients, like embezzlement of client’s funds, illegal sale of clients’ assets, money laundering for clients, etc.
(iii) So too are the Engineers, the Accountants, the Architects, the Quantity Surveyors, the Land Surveyors, Estate Agents, provided they have associations which have disciplinary panels.
(iv). If we must go constitutional, the police have a commission for their promotion, discipline and so on (see Section 153 and Schedule 3 M of the 1999 Constitution). If we are to adopt the Court of Appeal’s argument about implied immunity, all policemen should also be immune from arrest and trial until after discipline by the Police Service Commission. This equally applies to the Federal Civil Service Commission.

There will be absolute chaos in the country if this attitude prevails. This clearly takes us to George Orwell’s Animal Farm, where all animals were equal but a particular species of animal was more equal than the others.

Let me make it quite clear. There is no provision of any law or the Constitution that provides immunity for Judges against criminal and civil actions. Only the President, Vice-President, Governors and Deputy Governors are so protected in Section 208 of the Constitution. This judicial pronouncement of immunity for Judges is clearly Judge made Law and Judges are not empowered to make law. That is the responsibility of the Legislature.

I have repeated it often times, the greatest protection and amour of a Judge, is high moral authority. Prior to the 1999 Constitution and before Nigeria reached its nadir of public morality, no Judge was ever arrested or tried for crimes. They did not need legal immunity from arrest and trial, because they had high moral authority. Would a Mohammed Bello, Chukwunweike Idigbe, Andrews Otutu Obaseki, Kayode Eso, Anthony Aniagolu, Augustine Nnamani, Adolphus Karibi-Whyte, Chukwudifu Oputa, Louis Mbanefo, Adetunji Adefarasin, J.I.C. Taylor, Udo Udoma, to name a few, have had the need for constitutional, Legislative, or Judge made immunity? No. They had high moral authority. There is no protection greater than that.

This Judgment is therefore a self-preservation measure meant to protect Judges from past, present and future prosecution for acts of corruption and other types of criminality.

4. The Nigerian Elite and Total Lack of Values.
When I see the manner the tiny Nigerian Elite of less than 1% of our population is treating the already down trodden masses of our Country in order to enjoy an opulent criminal life style, I am forced to conclude that they are engaged in an unsustainable assault on our senses and collective patrimony.

We have to ask ourselves what the problem really is. We are definitely overwhelmed by an epidemic of Kleptomania. But do we also have a collective psychiatric problem? Why would a person loot what he cannot spend in 10 life-times, whilst exposing the rest of the population to misery, hunger, poverty, wretchedness and even death?

As I am never tired of pointing out, the end of the 1st Republic was followed by a rapid decline in the moral tone of public life and loss of such values as honesty, integrity, honour and the service ethic. Since then, with each succeeding Republic, the quality of the political elite has declined sharply. Nigeria has been plunged deeper and deeper into a socio-political wilderness, or worse still, a jungle, overwhelmed by indiscipline, greed, insensitivity, corruption and mindless violence. Thus a country naturally endowed by God with limitless resources, has nevertheless become a caricature of harrowing poverty, destitution and suffering humanity.

This catalogue of misfortunes is compounded by a complete loss of values, heedless cult of money worship and obsessive love of acquisition. Our current elite have no values, no honour, no vision, no integrity and no compassion for the suffering of the masses of fellow Nigerians.



ADVERTISMENT

New Eye Drops Can Dissolve Cataracts With No Need For Surgery

101.9K SHARES

HEALTH AND MEDICINE



ARZTSAMUI/Shutterstock

ADVERTISMENT

Cataracts is the leading cause of blindness worldwide. The only option for those affected is surgery, an expensive and invasive procedure that’s unavailable to many in the developing world. But perhaps we’re not too far off from changing that, as another study is dangling the possibility of using eye drops as a viable alternative, potentially offering a practical treatment to the 20 million or so people affected worldwide.

Cataracts, or cloudy lenses, arise when lens proteins called crystallins begin to twist into the wrong conformation and clump together. Crystallins, a major constituent of the lens’ fiber cells, normally help keep the lens transparent by preventing proteins from forming aggregates that diffract incoming light. They do this by acting as molecular “chaperones” that maintain the solubility of lens proteins.

As we age, these crystallin proteins can become damaged and consequently cluster into fibers much like what we see in the brains of those with Alzheimer’s. Unfortunately, these tangles of protein are much more stable than the normal, native form, and since you stop making crystallins when you’re born, their formation depletes the eye of healthy, functional versions.

ADVERTISMENT

Armed with this knowledge, authors of the current study, published in Science, went on a hunt for drug compounds that could act as “pharmaceutical chaperones,” molecules that stick to and stabilize the natural state of a protein. Specifically, they wanted chemicals that could selectively hang on to the soluble form of crystallin proteins and thus prevent them from clumping together.



Cataract replacement surgery. codrin5/Shutterstock

A key piece of information aided this search: The melting point of crystallins increases as they aggregate together. The researchers scoured thousands of molecules using a high-throughput technique that basically causes proteins to fluoresce when their melting point is reached, looking for chemicals that could lower this property to within the range of normal crystallins. Eventually, they found one that belonged to the same group as a promising compound identified earlier this year that scientists also think could treat cataracts.

Encouragingly, in cells grown in petri dishes, this molecule – so far only named “chemical 21” – dissolved clumps that had already formed and also helped prevent these bundles from forming in the first place. Moving on to animals, they tested out mice both genetically predisposed to cataracts, much like humans with hereditary cataracts caused by gene mutations, and also elderly mice with age-related cataracts. Applied as eye drops, the chemical successfully reduced the cloudiness of the lens, a feat also achieved in affected lenses surgically removed from human subjects.

ADVERTISMENT

But before we get ahead of ourselves, the tests couldn’t prove that vision actually improved in the animals, only that transparency was increased. Further tests are therefore needed, but it’s certainly a step in the right direction. Not only that, but the similarities of clumpy crystallin and the aggregates found in the brains of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s patients tantalizingly suggests the possibility of using this compound in diseases other than cataracts. 

This work is the result of a collaboration between the University of California, San Francisco, the University of Michigan, and Washington University in St. Louis. 

http://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/one-step-closer-cataract-dissolving-eye-drops/

Which mumu mistake is he correcting? The old man should go and rest

Nice story

So Tinubu is still alive

bounty007:
I see only afons are real scared of Atiku..

Even their God Obj is brutally scared at the mention of Atiku.

To wither Atiku chances. And having be warned to stay out of Pdp affairs. Otherwise

The old trick brought up a letter.. a set up.. to bring in a third force.

...but it's too late only.. only gullible Nigerians will fall for the old trick.

Obasanjo is lucky to be the only "General' from the cartel who is from the south.
And always enjoy Ibadan media publicity.
The Northern Generals that run the Nigeria business, hardly make noise..

And yet, they're there.

Anyone thinking Atiku is not an strong opposition is just swimming on Air.

Wait make buhari decide not to contest.
Buhari is Atikus opposition same goes with h Atiku.

And not some nansense self serving Assembley of obasanjo loyalists.

You are truly in the know my brother!

Role of Youths In Nation Building, The Atikulated Perspective

2018-02-02


Although this is a broad topic that requires extensive elucidation for proper understanding, I will try to be concise and straightforward here. Above and beyond, a lot has been said on the role of various segments of citizens in nation’s restoration processes, liberalization and sometimes as in the case like this; nation building or development. But from whichever angle you comprehend; nations are built by exemplary men and women and sustained by institutions that promote good governance and thus socio-economic development.

According to narratives, Nation-building is a normative concept that means different things to different people. However, to properly understand this concept, one first needs to understand what a nation is. Early conceptions of nation understood it as a group or race of people who shared history, traditions, and culture, sometimes religion, and usually language. So, evidently a nation is a collection of people who have come to believe that they have been shaped by a common past and are destined to share a common future and Nigeria is not an exception.

While I still muse on how to shrink my Atikulated points not to take much of our time, let me quickly drop in this stanza that, Youth is that clay which can be moulded in either shape one wants. In my belief, this is the sole reason for both exploitation and utilization of youth in the destruction and construction of any nation respectively. It is a fact that, nation’s building is highly dependent on youths. We are that powerful resource, which can either construct or destruct the whole nation. Thus, the involvement of youth in national building or development is a must. In fact, youths play one of the most important roles in nation building.

The foundation of an entire nation, its economy and consequently its future depends on how well the youth is educated. When Alhaji Atiku Abubakar GCON remarked that his vision for Nigerian youths is for the lads to first of all be well educated he was undoubtedly talking about nation building because the youths are the future leaders and Education will empower them with the ability to think, to tell the right from the wrong and good from the bad. In a country like Nigeria where traditions and customs is sometimes bigger than humanity itself; education is not an option, it is a necessity.

In today's world, skills, industriousness, productivity, and competitiveness are the determinant factors of national greatness. Not even the possession of mineral resources is enough to make a nation great without reference to the industriousness and creativity of its citizens. In this country, however, the youths are been abandoned, successive governments has no clear policy to salvage the youth for better future, a concept that my fellow youths must rise up to correct.

Social media has managed to give us the power to speak our minds. Voicing ones opinion is no longer an opulence of the rich and/or the elite. Anyone and everyone can be heard. You do not need to have access to the best academic grooming to be able to come out and talk about what you feel about any pertinent issue.

If we are to succeed in nation-building, we must have a leadership that is committed to the rule of law and has a demonstrable sense of fairplay and democratic tolerance; a leadership with ability and integrity; above all, we must have a leadership that can see beyond the ostentatious pomp of office. We must have leaders who have a vision for a Nigeria better than the one they inherited; leaders who will lead by deeds and not by words; achievers, not deceivers. We need a leadership that will not only leave its foot-prints on the sands of time, but one, which by dint of hard-work, fairplay, dedication and commitment, will live forever in the hearts of Nigerians.

Leadership is not everything, but it is an extremely important factor. Unless we have leaders with ability, integrity, commitment, and vision, we cannot succeed at nation-building. We must not relent in the search and struggle for quality leadership as it is the key to building our nation.

The task of nation building is done by men and women with vision and resolve. As agents of change, we must not only clamour for ‘change’ but must define the type of change we want. Democracy, as an idea and as a political reality, is always contested, as youth we shall contest and also avail ourselves to the process in other to ensure reality not fiction, ensure that people with right skills and vision are encouraged to participate and eventually occupy leadership positions.

It's our responsibility to rebuild our nation, we must collectively come together and agree to standards for recruiting leaders and appraisal creteria. The performance of our individual leaders over the years have left much to be desired. We do not need leaders who see themselves as champions of only some sections of our population. We do not need leaders who do not understand the economic and political problems of the country, not to talk of finding durable solutions for them. We do not need leaders who are more interested in silencing their opponents, than in pursuing justice. We do not need leaders, who preach one thing, and do the exact opposite. We do not need leaders who place themselves above the constitution and the laws of the country, but leaders who lead by upholding and respecting the law. Nigerian youths must rise to this challenge, confront it squarely in order to rescue our destiny.

It is time for the youths to wake up to the reality and forget theories of deceit. It is time for us to act what we say. It is time for us to stand up for Nigeria. It is time for us to come together and support good Movement that would further the course of this noble country. It is time to create the real order which is ‘change’. We are the true leaders and it is through us that the true leaders can emerge. The real time for sacrifice is now, you must look into the existing problems critically and explore alternative solutions. Think wisely and be Atikulated.

By ’Is'haQue Adamu GangJidda National Youth Leader, Atikulated Movement

https://headlinetracks.wixsite.com/news/single-post/2018/02/02/Role-of-Youths-In-Nation-Building-The-Atikulated-Perspective

In their minds they will hold on to the money in order to use that as a campaign tool against Fayose in the coming gubernatorial elections but they have failed already. APC will be beaten sillier this time around at the polls

Chief Awolowo came ahead of his age this is just the simple truth little wonder he was clearly misunderstood by his contemporaries. Ycat I sight you bro, let me have your sincere contributions here bro; https://www.nairaland.com/4320919/projected-atikus-masterstroke-statistical-analyses