₦airaland Forum

ritux:
Why can't Okorocha provide this kind of bus for commuting in his state?

And u 4got dat wot his community stand 2 gain if GMB is successful cant be compared wit dis.

Ndigbo should better b proud of ds man for tryin to make sure there region get there own share of d National cake wen Nigeria finally change for gud during GMB regime

chimerase2:
Dis ma governor na pure iddiiot
If not dat he is ma governor I would have called him onye awusa......foool

My friend r u ok wit d situation of ds country

In Tuface Idibia's voice "Al We Need Is One Love"

Nevedless GMB 2015

deemdeem:
This is a true mother. How much has shepopotamus donated?

I knw who u r reffering to

I'm from Brazil though based in Germany bt i still cant interprete it

Oluwatosean:
Me no knw much abt politic buh am liking this buhari

I biliv u made this statement because u want d best for this country.........May d good lord bless u and your family as well

#teamGMB

Oya Op giv me sauce if u know get stew

I will assume i did'nt read this news

#TeamGEJmustGO
vote GMB Osinbajo 4 a better Nigeria!

Edited

Y won't they pretend 2 support GMB wen they know d ship of PDP is already sinking

denko:
Obasanjo should know that his time is up this time around

4 wia.....Baba is already with d winning team .....#teamGMB

egift:
So even IBB is an Angel if compared to Jonathan? Wooow!

Please vote out Jonathan before it is too late.

I swear it is beta 2 vote IBB/Osibanjo dan Jonathan/Sambo

Baba abeg temper Johnson wit Mercy na na

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is under pressure to dump the use of the Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) for the elections.

Some of the critics insist that the national average of collection is less than 40 per cent, a record that is creating ripples within the political parties and the civil society organisations

Leaders of political parties and civil society leaders are kicking against the shoddy distribution of the PVCs.

The Chairman of Ikeja branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr Yinka Farounbi, said: ”Available records showed that less than 35 per cent of registered voters have secured the PVCs. How do you conduct any credible election with that type of very low voting population?“

Nigeria Civil Society groups under the aegis of Situation Room also expressed concern that the distribution of PVCs and the conduct of the Continous Voters Registration (CVR) in INECs Phase 3 States of Adamawa, Borno, Kaduna, Katsina, Kano, Plateau, Nassarawa, Niger, Imo, Lagos, Ogun and Rivers are experiencing serious glitches and complaints from citizens who have received very little information on it.

The groups said: “Reports received by Situation Room shows that the exercise has been suspended in Rivers State and is being partially conducted in Lagos and Imo States.

”Several registered voters or persons intending to register have turned up in centres across the states only to be turned back or find that there are no registration officials on hand.

“This has heightened tension and apprehension among registered voters and potential voting registrants. In Kano, Ogun and Plateau States where officials have been present, they have had fewer cards than the voters’ register.”

The Chairman of Conference of Political Parties in Nigeria (CNPP), Alhaji Balarabe Musa, said the PVCs may not ensure credible elections.

‘’How are we even sure that the PVC distribution will be achieved? Efforts have been made in the past to make use of the PVC, but without success. We should always review PVCs regularly, but this has not been done. There is no guarantee that this will work in Nigeria in the foreseeable future.”

He also urged INEC chairman Prof Attahiru Jega, to fish out those behind the sabotage and sanction them appropriately.

”If INEC is to organise a free, credible and transparent election next February, it must quickly return to the drawing board to fashion out how to ensure that all Nigerians who are eligible to vote are able to do so without hindrance, and also purge itself of the fifth columnists within its ranks, who are bent on sabotaging the elections,” Musa said.

http://thenationonlineng.net/new/inec-pressure-pvcs-distribution/

I can't believe our great IBB said this.......can somebody call 911 plzzz

Ex-President accuses govt of wasting oil money

Nigeria does not deserve the position it has found itself today,” former President Olusegun Obasanjo said yesterday.

He urged Nigerians to allow sound judgement of candidates’ “track records” determine how they cast their votes in the February 14 and 28 general elections.

The presidential election is slated for February 14. President Goodluck Jonathan is facing a huge challenge from Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Obasanjo is unhappy that Nigeria is buffeted by crippling “poverty, sheer impunity, economic downturn and insecurity”.

Leaders elected to make things better for the people but chose to do otherwise would “give account to God”, he said in an emotional voice.

To him, the solution to Nigeria’s problems is leadership. That the country can only change for better or experience a worse fate based on the calibre of the person at the top, he said.

The former President, who spoke in Yoruba, occasionally alternating it with English, was hosting at his mansion on the Presidential HillTop Estate, Abeokuta Southwest women leaders, including the Iyaloja – General of Nigeria, Chief Folashade Tinubu – Ojo.

The election is an avenue for Nigerians to bring about the “change” the country deserves, Obasanjo said.

The women leaders, including the National President (Women Wing), Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Dr Oyin Sowoolu, were led to Obasanjo’s home by the Iyalode of Yorubaland, Chief Alaba Lawson.

They had, through their leader, Mrs. Lawson, expressed grave concern over the growing insecurity in the land, poverty, the need for credible polls, agriculture as panacea to unemployment as well as the empowerment of women.

The former Chairman, Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said he was still in the party, but elected to remain less active following events in PDP which he can neither defend before man nor God. He did not give details of such events.

Drawing an analogy from the account of King Saul of the biblical Israel as recorded in the Bible, Obasanjo said God, who sent Prophet Samuel to anoint him (Saul) King over Israel, also sent Samuel later to anoint David King in place of Saul, following his rejection by God.

He said he harboured no grudges against President Goodluck Jonathan and believed same applies to the President but he (Obasanjo) would remain resolute in his fight against anybody who does not want to do what is right and beneficial to the country and the citizenry.

Obsanjo said: “ I’m still in PDP but not active because of what I saw that I can’t defend before man and God. That is why I refrained from PDP a bit; the attitude and characters that I have seen, I don’t think I can defend it before man and God, but that’ll be for a few period.

“I explain most of these things in my new book, but we must all pray that God should change our condition for better because Nigeria doesn’t deserve the position it found itself today. That is what you are saying.

“Our nation is plagued with insecurity, economic downturn, increase in poverty, corruption and impunity in doing things. People do things because no man can do anything to them, but God’ll catch them.

“I emphasise that whatever is good for Nigeria is what I’m ready to defend with my life. Whoever, I emphasise, whoever says he would not do anything good to Nigeria, even if he says he’s ready to go ‘koko below’, I’m ready to square it up with such a person.

“I say again, whoever that person may be, I want you to get that correctly. If this country is going to change for the better, it would start from the top and if it’s going to be otherwise, it would start from the top, too,” Obasanjo said.

He went on: “I have served this country as a soldier and as a civilian leader. I cannot just keep quiet when things are not well in the nation.

“Good governance comes from voting, from selection of leaders. It is now left to you to decide who you cast your vote for because if you throw away your votes and tomorrow you are saying good governance, once you throw away your votes you have lost out.”

The former president event philosophical. He said: “I know that God did not create Nigeria not to be rich or great. Is it that the people he created in Nigeria are not intelligent enough? Or is it that they don’t know their rights? Our problems in Nigeria, let’s look at the foundation of our leadership.

“In the military profession I know very well, the military, what we normally say is that there are no bad soldiers but bad officers. If you see a situation where the soldiers are not doing well, we need to examine the officers in charge. So it is in the family, the community, the town and the country.”

He spoke about reactions to the news that he called the meeting.

“This year is an election year and I have no fears over the forthcoming elections. I was reading it in one paper today where they said they became jittery when they heard you were coming to visit me; is it that Jonathan and I are not in good terms? There is nothing of such,” Obasanjo said, adding: “I have no grudges against Jonathan and I think Jonathan equally has no grudges against me. I’m not quarelling with Jonathan but all I know is that whatever is good for Nigeria, that I’m ready to die for.

“I have had some little experience about this country. I was a military head of state and I was also a civilian president; so what is left? So, if I talk, I know what I’m saying. Whoever wants should listen to me and whoever feels otherwise, may turn a deaf ear.

“But when I’m talking, I’m talking with my understanding and intellect. I’m drawing from my experience and from what I’ve learnt with others and from other countries and fellow eminent citizens of the world that I relate with.

“Good governance comes from voting, from selection of leaders. It is now left to you to decide who you cast your vote for because if you throw away your votes and tomorrow you are saying good governance, once you throw away your votes you have lost out.

“That is one. The second leg is that you find out the track records of achievements of those you want to vote for. What have they achieved in the past and not what they have said.

“If our economy is not good, it would affect those of you in the market everywhere. It takes us back to what we said earlier that if the head is rotten, it will affect the entire body because if there is no good governance, it would affect the economy.

“Our economy should not have been this bad. When I was leaving office about eight years ago, I left a very huge reserve after we had paid all our debts. Almost 25billion dollars we kept in what they called excess crude. The excess from the budget we were saving as reserve for the rainy days.

“When we left in May 2007, the reserve was said to have been raised to 35billion dollars. But today, that reserve has been depleted. The reserve we left when we finished paying all our debts, our debt that was about 40billion dollars, that is including debt forgiveness, the remaining debt was not more than 3billion dollars.

“Our reserve after we had paid off this debt was about 45billion dollars. As I said, they continued till the end of 2007. I heard that the reserve increased to almost 67billion dollars before the end of that year. Our reserve now, I learnt, is left with around only 30billion dollars.

“That is why the Naira has been falling against the dollar.

What would now happen? I learnt if you want to buy a dollar now, it’s about N192 or N195. What it means is this, what you have been buying at N150 to a dollar, now you need N192 or N195 to buy it. That is the real situation. Is there any remedy? There is but it does not come overnight because it means we have to give up all the bad things we have been doing.”

Obasanjo agreed that falling prices have hit the economy badly, but he did not believe the situation could not have been tackled. He said: “Truly, the price of crude has fallen, but anyone who is wise enough should know that since we depend on just one resource and since we have no control over its pricing, we should be planning for this type of situation and the way out of it. Our inability to have reserve has brought us into this economic quagmire.”

http://thenationonlineng.net/new/obasanjo-nothing-jonathan-vote-wisely/

Former Military President Ibrahim Babangida has faulted the perception that he is corrupt.

He challenged anybody with proof of corruption during his 1985 – 1993 regime to come forward with them.

Gen. Babangida said members of his government are angels compared with what he is reading in the newspapers about what is going on now.

He requested any Nigerian with a shred of corruption against him to release the facts to the public.

The former military president said the $12.4b Gulf Oil War windfall of 1991 was not stolen.

Gen. Babangida made the clarifications in an interview with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s press crew for the agency’s in-house magazine, “Zero tolerance.”

The EFCC released the transcript of the interview to reporters in Abuja yesterday.

He said: “Let me tell you something, maybe you have a hand in it. I have been the most investigated President Nigeria has ever had. By now, somebody should have come forward to say here it is.

“Every government that came after me investigated me because of that perception as they wanted to retrieve the billions I stole.”

He said he and those who served in his administration were saints and angels going by the level of corruption in the country.

“Well, we had different approaches. I think my government was able to identify corruption-prone areas and checked them. If you remember in this country, there were things they call essential commodities. These are also sources of corruption. You go and buy Omo or food or whatever it is and we got government to take its hands off such activities. Let people use their own brains, hands and labour, nobody has to do it for them. So we did but I am proud to say that was much more effective.

“I don’t have the facts but if what I read in the newspapers is currently what is happening then I think we were angels

On the allegation that his military regime institutionalized corruption in Nigeria, Gen. Babangida said though he had been aware of such insinuation, the assumption is incorrect.

He added: “Yeah, I know. Maybe I have to accept that but anybody with a sense of fairness has no option but to call us saints. I give you an example, in a year I was making less than $7billion in oil revenue. In the same period, there are governments that are making $200billion to $300billion.

“With $7billion, I did the little I could achieve. With $200billion, there is still a lot to be achieved.”

The ex-President said being branded as corrupt was a question of perception.

He said: “It is said that perception is not reality. Why the perception? I should ask you because it is the perception of the media. You believed quite wrongly that we are all crooks and I bear no grudge whatsoever against anybody but I know time will come when they will say after all, they did something and this is what is happening.

“Now, even our fiercest critics give us credit for certain things we did.”

Pressed further on his investments, Babangida admitted owning shares in a bank.

The interaction is as follows:

What are these investments?

I would assure you, using my head, I came to the conclusion that the best investment for someone like me is banking. That’s all.

You have shares in banks?

How many banks?

No, in one bank.

A major shareholder, sir?

Yes

Which bank are we talking of?

(Cuts in)…Again investigate…laughs.

On how he built his Hilltop Mansion in Minna, Babangida said: “I cannot estimate because it has appreciated. I know what my friends spent. No, my friends contributed.

“They were friends before we came into government and friends while I was in government.

“I started building it in 1991, took two to three years so that by the time I finished, I would have a house to sleep in.”

Concerning the $12.4billion oil windfall from the 1991 Gulf War, Babangida insisted the money was not stolen.

“First of all, that war lasted three months, about ninety something days. It didn’t last up to a year. So get the facts straight.

“Secondly, the oil price at that time was below $18 per barrel. So, there is no way you could make $12.4billion in three months.

“We could not have made that amount of money but Pius Okigbo knew what he was doing. He had brains and he said between 1986 or 1988 to 1994, monies accrued to the Federal Government at that time was about that money you are calling windfall. He said so. It is there in his book.

“Then the other thing he said, the monies could have gone into generative investment. I am not an economist but I have an understanding of what this is.

“Our argument then was if you have the money, why keep it and be looking at it when you have a lot of things that will benefit the ordinary man. So that money was not stolen.

“It is what you see now in the country. Thank God most of the infrastructure we put in place are what you are using today and proudly so.”

Asked to identify the infrastructure, Gen. Babangida said: “Abuja for example, I built Abuja. Today, we have a brand new capital. We used that money.

“I gave you a Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos. You cannot build it now for all the money Nigeria is making. And what did it cost me? N500million, N600million, N700million.

“For the first time, a dual carriage way was seen in the Northern part of the country between Kaduna and Kano and then linked it up from Abuja. You cannot afford to do it now; you cannot even afford to touch it because there are a lot of competing needs.”

Despite the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, he admitted that the poll was the most credible in the history of Nigeria.

He also opened up on why a former Minister of FCT, Gen. Mamman Vatsa was killed after his involvement in the 1995 coup d’etat.

He said his hands were tied by military law which was inevitably applied by his regime.

The annulled poll was won by the late business mogul, Chief M.K.O. Abiola, who later died in detention while struggling to reclaim his mandate.

Babangida said: “Yes, it (June 12) is a day in the history of Nigeria and the day the most credible election was held

“We gave you a lot of reasons but I understood the passion. At that time, everybody was fed up. The sentiment was: just pack your things and go. Our thought process is very limited.

“First of all, on June 23, 1993, I was on the air and I told Nigerians why we had to do what we did but I was sensible enough to know that whatever I said nobody was interested. So, the important thing is get out.”

He admitted that the annulment was supported by some Nigerians and pro-June 12 activists.

He added: “I hate to say it but when we annulled June 12 poll, the same Nigerians supported the intervention of the military, true or false?

“True because you saw it, you are old enough. All those who fought for June 12 ended up serving the military government they didn’t like and that perpetuated a longer stay of the military in government.”

Asked why he used the phrase ‘step aside’ to leave power in 1993, Babangida said it was a military parlance.

“Everyone of you though that I was not keeping pace with the Nigerian dream. We have a tradition in the military. If you are marching in a column, when they say left, you should obey the command. If you right foot, somebody will shout at you because you are affecting the column, you should step aside so that the column will continue. That was what I did.”

On why Gen. Mamman Vatsa was killed, Gen. Babangida said he was hamstrung by the law.

He added: “Because others before him faced the same law, the only change in that law was introduced by us to give room for appeal.

“If I was involved in that coup and it flopped, I would have been shot too. So it is the application of the law but then it is painful.

“We made the law, others suffered the consequences.”

Responding to a question, Babangida said the military indulged in coup d’etat each time there was frustration in the society.

He however described military interregnum as a phase that the country was going through at that time.

http://thenationonlineng.net/new/corruption-now-worse-says-babangida/

So y r Polytechnic lecturers University graduates? I wonda hw some pple Think

Rep. BIOCHEM........Greatest Metabolite!

hmmmm.....the man is even a Prof. Bye bye 2 ASUU strike

They hav'nt seen anytn yet....this is jst d beginin

They hav'nt seen anytn yet....this is jst d beginin

sai buhari! this is a very nice decission by our general. NO shaking we are ol behind you sir

Samgreguc:
I advice you also resit for UTME while you plan for D.E.
.
BTW, u can make it.

i'm already in 300L bro. Bt BCH is a five yrs course here.

I cannot fathom d reason behind dz primary election wen it is clearly visible 2d blind and audible 2d deaf dat d APC presidential ticket belong to Buhari. Sai Buhari!

Plz i don't knw if i'm allowd 2 sit behind d Men Of Honour @ least 2 kip my spirit high

Taofiq129:
i cn c we ar in d same shoe...jes dat d story of nt getin pharm z nt d same....nd oh i am in chemistry nt biochem also!...so wich skul ar u?

Futminna

Samgreguc:
Biochemistry and Chemistry degree is surely accepted for a degree in pharmacy.
.
It's just d school that matter.






Rexsul, I remember you. The ABU pharm aspirant.

my broda na me stil b dis o....bt i'm nt gonna gv up as long as i'm alive cos Pharmacist is wot i wanna bcom.

I've rily tried my best 2 get pharmacy bt was'nt successfl nd nw i'm currently studyn Biochemistry plz which University cn i use my result 2 gt pharmacy After graduatn through d.e? Tnx

In Akon's voice....we r takn over 1 city @ a time.....in APC we trust!

adeitoro:
Eeyaah, pelee, ndoo, sorryoo

finally you have been yorubanised, welcome to odua kingdom.
You are highly 'nno'ed to Odua kingdom

lol