₦airaland Forum

How Many Presidential Jets Are Enough For A Child That Grew Up With No Shoes? By Dr. M.K. Hassan

In the 2015 budget submitted to the National Assembly as reported by media outlets, Mr. President with penchant for buying executive jets for his own personal leisure, did not disappoint us. He has a 400 million naira budget item as deposit for trade-in for a brand new executive jet. In the 2015 budget submitted to the National Assembly as reported by media outlets, Mr. President with penchant for buying executive jets for his own personal leisure, did not disappoint us. He has a 400 million naira budget item as deposit for trade-in for a brand new executive jet. It is no wonder that the Presidential Air Fleet has more modern and functioning airplanes than the whole aircrafts of Nigerian Air Force (NAF) put together.

President Goodluck Jonathan
In this time of insecurity, Nigerians deserve to know why this administration has failed to deal with Boko Haram before the elections so that they can decide if they want to continue on this path of failure. One of the reasons is, instead of arming the NAF with modern fighter jets, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan (GEJ) has been building a fleet of brand new presidential executive jets. While Jonathan is busy junketing the globe in his brand new executive jets, the struggling NAF is left with obsolete aircrafts to fight insurgents. The Nigerian citizens especially in the North East have been left in the mercy of marauding insurgents taking over our territory. With this kind of careless defense strategy from the President, how can the country defeat Boko Haram?

According to the well known intelligence and defence information company, IHS Janes website,http://www.janes.com/article/45858/nigeria-wants-to-procure-scorpion-isr-and-light-attack-jet, “The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) currently fields a very limited offensive counter insurgency (COIN) capability in the guise of 11 Chinese-built CAC Chengdu F-7 fighters; as well as 21 Aero L-39ZA Albatros, 12 Alenia MB-339, and 12 Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet trainer and light strike platforms. It also fields seven russian Mil Mi-24 'Hind' assault helicopters”. Based on this available information on the main assets of the NAF, it is clear that it is handicapped. It may be one of the reasons why the Jonathan’s Government could not defeat Boko Haram.

Note that the 12 French built Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jets have been the main fighter Jets in the fight against Boko Haram in the last six years . For those who do not know, Alpha jets are out of production since 1991. They have some of the most obsolete surveillance capability one can think of due to low computing and imaging processing power of the electronics on board. The Jets were designed for the attack of long range fixed targets like Barracks in conventional warfare and not close and highly mobile targets like Boko Haram’s pick up trucks convoys. To summarise the capability of these alpha jets, it is like trying to use the early version of the black and white Nokia 3310 phone for facebook and internet browsing today instead of the smart phones like blackberry Z30, or iPhone 6. For all his promises of defeating boko haram, Jonathan is trying to use these jets as his main fighting air power to defeat them. Imagine GEJ and his military commanders using these to find Shekau!

The Chinese made Chengdu F-7 jet fighters were acquired by Obasanjo in 2005 and delivered up to 2010 as reported by Janes. Obasanjo and “Made in China” goods have one thing in common: Unreliability, and high failure rates when and where it matters most. The Chengdu F-7 were among some of the Jets that have been crashing and burning down during this conflict. I believe any fighter pilot that is asked to go on mission with any of the unmaintained jets, will definitely make his last prayers before flying one.

I am not going to talk about the Czechoslovakian made Aero Albatros L39 and the 12 Alenia MB339 military trainer jet aircrafts. Those are so old that they are suppose to be in the museum, and not for training our Jet Fighter Pilots. The old Russian MIG helicopters are among those crashing helicopters we have got, and some did crash recently and were in the news.

Some of these jets were burned down by Boko Haram when they attacked Maiduguri in March 2014 as shown in the pictures released online by the insurgents. This begs for explanation, why were even some of the Jets parked in Maiduguri, the epicenter of Boko Haram, instead of outside the region? Why would Air Marshall Bade allow this? At least we know that for security of defence assets, in most war setting situation, long range Jet Fighters are kept out of conflict regions and are most of the time signaled to come in for attacks. For example, will the US Air force park their most important jet fighters, the Northrop Grumman B2 stealth bombers, in Baghdad waiting for terrorists to come and burn them down? No! Anyway this is a story for another day.

How can rag tagged insurgents be moving in convoys for 100’s of kilometers within Nigerian borders unchallenged with air power and be able to establish a caliphate in Gwoza? In a pathetic show of comedy, instead of the President to acquire real drones like the Raptors from General Atomics, Stalkers from Lockheed Martin or their type from any where to stop the terrorists from moving in large convoys, he had his own drone made for him in Kaduna. This president is unserious! The Kaduna made “Gulma” drone he went to launch some months back, one can buy something better than it for three thousand dollars (600 thousand naira) on Ebay website. The President in his usual characteristic comical display of “C in C” powers praised the toy Gulma drone and said that it will be used to fight Boko Haram. Even on the launch day, the Gulma drone was a sitting duck on display inside a building. It was not flown to demonstrate its capabilities to fight boko haram and only God knows how much was spent in building Gulma. What a fraud and a joke!

As an expert in radar systems and electronics, I can say without mincing words that these out of style aircrafts the NAF uses in this battle against boko haram with not so good night vision capability, magnetometers, vision cameras, gyroscopes, and other must have sensors on board fighter jets, cannot find Shekau and his rag tag army. These military assets are incapable of accurately tracking highly mobile insurgents targets like Boko Haram that move in large convoys to attack our towns and villages.

Does it bother Jonathan that his Air force is in shambles since he came to power and cannot fight Boko Haram? NO! The reason is his measure of how successful and strong the economy and his country is, is not by the fighting power of his Air force.The President measures the prosperity of his country and its military strength with how many new jet owners we have since he came to power, and how many executive jets he has acquired for himself. O boy, we are in serious trouble.

Do not despair, there is a new strategy and fighter jet for fighting boko haram and it is the PVC. PVC stands for the Permanent Voters Card. Yes, it is a weapon that Nigerians must acquire to defeat this incompetent government and Boko Haram. No matter what, every citizen must get this fighter jet, the PVC, since the Government has failed to get fighter jets for its Air force to fight Boko Haram. The way to use the PVC fighter jet is to come out on the election day, line up no matter the heat and inefficiency of INEC on that day, to cast the vote, defend the vote against external aggression of riggers and their collaborators so that we can have a new government that will arm the Air force. The new Government to be headed by Muhammadu Buhari, has better strategy of defeating Boko Haram. It will sell all these unnecessary executive presidential jets acquired by Jonathan and buy the fighter jets and drones needed to send Boko Haram parking. His presidency will need only 2 executive jets: one for use and one as a spare in case of maintenance. GEJ has already bought 4 jets since he came to power in addition to the 9 Jets he met in the fleet.

Finally, we have to ask how many Presidential Jets will be enough for a child that grew up with no shoes? and have you acquired your PVC Fighter Jet from INEC?

DR. M.K. HASSAN
OPINION

A vote for PDP is own goal against Nigeria – Fashola
Text of Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola’s speech at the Christmas Eve Party of Island Club/Yoruba Tennis Club, Lagos
Tonight I deliver my valedictory Christmas eve address to you as Governor of Lagos.
I have done so consistently for 8 (eight) years since the first time on 24th December 2007 the year you elected me as your Governor.
I have never delegated the task because I enjoy coming back to my club, and because it provides opportunities for interaction and communication.
I come here again tonight with gratitude and with pride.
Gratitude for your support, for your counsel, for inspirations and for your useful criticisms all of which have been most defining.
I come here with pride about what we have achieved under a social contract in a democratic setting by which we have demonstrated that multi-ethnic, multi-religious, very diverse and multi-lingual people can co-exist harmoniously and develop in a democracy in Nigeria’s most populous state.
I am proud because we have worked together to explode many myths.
I am proud because Lagos is working despite the nay sayers.
Inspite of tumbling oil prices Lagos is not in arrears of workers’ salaries.
We can still pay our workers their salaries and also add a 15% end of year bonus.
This is not because we are not affected by revenue losses as a result of the Federal mismanagement of our economy which has affected all states, we are able to keep going because a party and a Government that knows what they are doing run Lagos.
Inspite of these challenges the national long-term financial rating of your state according to Fitch International rating agency is “AA+ (nga) with a stable outlook.
The rating agency also affirmed our long-term foreign and local currency Issuer Default Ratings at BB- with a stable outlook and our short-term foreign currency Issuer Default Rating as B. As a further mark of investors’ confidence in our debt management strategy, our N275BN MTN Programme, together with the N57.5B and N80B Bonds, which mature in 2017 and 2019 respectively have been affirmed at BB- and AA+(nga).
Your state is the only state in Nigeria that has these ratings.
I am proud because many sectors of our national life show progress and results of the hard and dedicated work, of our public servants.
Our unemployment index is 8% compared to the national index of 24 per cent and this is inspite of our size. The whole of Nigeria lives here.
Recent polls and studies show that confidence in our public schools is daily increasing.
53 per cent of Lagosians now say they prefer to have their children in state owned primary school as against 47 per cent who opt for private primary schools.
69 per cent of Lagosians now say they prefer to have their children in State Secondary School as against 31 per cent who opt for private secondary school.
When you understand that the ratio of private to state schools is four private schools to one state school, you will appreciate the enormity of the challenge.
But let me be clear, we are happy to embrace this challenge because Lagos is working with your support.
Our WAEC results have improved year on year from 2008 till date by the number of students who pass with 5 (five) credits at one sitting from 7% in 2008, to 18% in 2009, to 21% in 2010, 19% in 2011, 38% in 2012, 41% in 2013 and 45% in 2014.
As far as our primary responsibility of providing security is concerned, 77% of Lagosians now say they feel secure and 89% say that crime has reduced.
This is inspite of the increasing global crime index and our national security challenges.
But your Government has not come up with excuses inspite of the absence of a State Police. We have been inventive, determined and unyielding as far as crime fighting and safety of lives and property is concerned.
Although we have had excuses and blame trading from the national government about its failure to deliver power, we have lit up public spaces in our State inspite of this national abdication of responsibility.
Businesses now run late into the night and some run for 24 hours which means that Lagosians get an opportunity to work and earn a living in the second economy.
Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, I could go on but I will not.
You are the one who chose the change you now experience.
You are the ones to whom the responsibility to keep that change and consolidate it now falls.
Your vote is the power you have to do so.
Please ensure that you go and collect your Voters’ Card in order to protect what you have built in Lagos.
Lagos is too important within Nigeria, in Africa and across the world to be entrusted to those who want to experiment.
Our Party has held a well-organized and transparent gubernatorial primary in which the most popular candidate Akinwunmi Ambode emerged as our candidate.
Almost all of the aspirants have worked in our Government and with me in building the progress we now have.
Akinwunmi Ambode served with me as Accountant General for 6 years. He worked in the Local Government for many years.
He was part of the building process.
He understands how Government works, he will not be guessing on day one, if you elect him as my successor, because he is experienced.
The alternatives to him will be an experiment with your lives, your businesses and the future of your children.
When you look at the other side on the national level it cannot and does not inspire confidence.
No power, no security, broken economy, slogans and failed promises.
If I started to enumerate the list of broken promises, it will take a while and I know you all want to dance and enjoy yourselves tonite as much as I do.
I will only remind you that the party and government at the federal level inherited a whole country from us in 2011.
They are returning to ask for your vote with only part of a whole country having lost some parts by failing in their first and primary duty, which is security.
Yet all we continue to hear are slogans that transform nothing.
Nothing was too much, too sensitive, to important to them to play politics or slogan about.
They even sloganized about innocent girls held in captivity for months where they tried to play on the hashtag bring back our girls, until an angry public brought them back to reality.
We have heard slogans about how they made us the biggest economy in Africa.
Please ask them to tell you why smaller economies provide electricity for their people and they keep us in darkness.
Please ask them why smaller economies provide petrol easily for their people and why we have to queue for hours or days to get petrol.
Please ask them why we are trying to buy arms for our security forces from an economy that is smaller than ours.
Please ask them why our own Naira is trading at over N180 to the dollar, and South Africa Rand is trading at less than R12 to the dollar.
Please tell them that it is your quality of life and prosperity that matters, rather than the size of the numbers.
If you want to know how important this economy is to the Federal Government, please ask yourself when last you saw the President present the budget to the National Assembly.
I think that one of the lessons leadership must impart, is the lesson of example.
They almost turned Ebola into a political trophy even though they knew little about how the battle was fought and won in Lagos which was the epicenter.
For the record, let me say today that Lagos is not only the first urban centre experience of Ebola that was successfully contained, your Governor, is the first political office holder on global record to have met and embraced Ebola survivors.
This was later to be followed by the American President.
Your Governor is also the first head of Government to enter a medical facility where an Ebola patient was managed after it was de-contaminated.
This could only have happened because of the commitment of our dedicated public servants and health workers who assured me that the patients had been fully treated; and the facility fully de-contaminated. I had to lead by making myself an example and I did so because I trust the professionalism of these public servants.
I do not know about you, but I am clear that a vote for that party will be a vote for bad leadership and an own goal against Nigeria.
We need a fresh pair of hands, a fresh pair of eyes and fresh minds to take us to our promised land. The All Progressive Congress with General Buhari and Prof Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, represent the leadership that Nigeria needs now. Their security, law and order and integrity credentials are urgently needed to rescue Nigeria.
For now, I will leave the story of failure of governance, of broken promises and dysfunctional administration, where only 14.4% provision is made for all of us in the 2015 national budget for infrastructure that is clearly in deficit, whereas Lagos has budgeted 51% for infrastructure.
I wish you all a merry Christmas and a prosperous 2015 that will be defined by your votes.
I expect that they will come here to ask you again for your votes.
When they do, please ask them why there is no Lagosian in the Federal Executive Council.
Please ask them why they have not done the road to Murtala Muhammed International Airport. They promised to do it at Tafawa Balewa Square in 2011.
Please ask them why they have not paid the N51b owed to Lagos for Federal roads rehabilitated by Lagos State.
I look forward to seeing you all next year.
God bless you all and thank you for your support and prayers.
Eko o ni baje o

Good nobody is talking about Ibo,Hausa or Yoruba now. Or talking about Islam and Christianity. The comments seems to be "Nationalistic" and the Ibo religious and tribal bigotry ain't complaining about her marrying a crown prince, Hahaha.

A Rejoinder To 'Semi-Illiterate' PDP Secretary Prof. Wale Oladipo By Dr. M.K. Hassan
Since the goons in Wadata Plaza have started the literacy debate, it is very appropriate to ask them that they produce Dr. Goodluck Jonathan’s Ph.D thesis and publications in renowned journals. Goodluck’s speeches, attitude, and interviews with international media don’t portray him as a Ph.D holder. Nigerians are eager to read his thesis and publications.

I was shocked to read a press statement from Wadata Plaza issued by a so called Professor Wale Oladipo, secretary of the PDP, saying that General Muhammadu Buhari is a semi illiterate jackboot. It is no wonder that our education system has fallen so low, else how can one explain a professor making such a statement? How did Wale Oladipo become a professor to start with? It is quite astonishing that he can say this. The professor doesn’t seem to understand the basic rudiments of learning and what it means for one to be literate or not.


Prof. Wale Oladipo, PDP National Secretary

Buhari attended the best military schools in the world. In case the professor doesn’t know, Buhari graduated as a military officer (Lieutenant) in Royal Military Academy, Aldeshot UK. He attended the Defense College India. Col Buhari attended the US Army War College Carlisle in Pennsylvania from 1979 -1980 and earned his command as a Brigadier General. The respected General Collin Powel attended the same school in 1976 to become Brigadier General. Some of Buhari’s classmates include General Beltson, General Thomas P Carney, General Bill Matz, General David E.K. Cooper etc. all of them are alive and can be reached and they will give glowing tributes of the man, Buhari, they know as their classmate.

Anyone interested in verifying Buhari’s academic credentials can write the school instead of reading jargon from a deranged Wadata Plaza Professor of Politics of Destruction Party (PDP). I have checked Google Scholar hoping that Prof. Wale Oladipo’s name and publications will show up and nothing is showing up, that says a lot about him as a Professor than Buhari as a retired decorated General who served his country so well and has not claimed any scholarship.

The curriculum at the U.S. Army War College earns one a Masters Degree in Strategic Studies and that is what Buhari has. For somebody to claim that a graduate of such a prestigious school is semi-illiterate, means something is very wrong with that person’s brain. By all academic and military standards, Buhari’s education is superb and the best any general can get in the world. Therefore, for Wale Oladipo to claim Buhari is semi-illiterate speaks volumes about his understanding of what education is even all about. The unlearned professor thinks education is about earning paper degrees only, and even if it was the case, Buhari has them from the most respected military institutions in the world.

General Muhammadu Buhari has the kind of military strategic education and experience to deal a decisive blow on Boko Haram and end the insecurity challenges facing Nigeria. Buhari is the only army officer with the opportunity to command 3 out of 4 Nigeria’s army divisions as a GOC.

In 1983, when rebels from Chad took over our land, seizing more than 19 villages (much like what the Boko Haram is doing now), Major General Buhari led a successful operation as the GOC to push back the Chadian rebels and reclaim our territory.

In 1984, when the Maitatsine sect decided to declare war on Nigeria like what Boko Haram is doing now, Head of State, Muhammadu Buhari wasted no time in crushing them. Boko Haram is a descendant of the Maitatsine sect with the same extremist ideology and anti-western education philosophy. It is surely President Buhari that will be able to handle them: eliminating these terrorists when he comes to power like he did before. Muhammadu Buhari as a captain fought in the Congo Civil War and won the Congo Medal. He was there during our civil war to bring peace and keep Nigeria one. That is true patriot: a man that gave his life to another country not only his fatherland.

Since the goons in Wadata Plaza have started the literacy debate, it is very appropriate to ask them that they produce Dr. Goodluck Jonathan’s Ph.D thesis and publications in renowned journals. Goodluck’s speeches, attitude, and interviews with international media don’t portray him as a Ph.D holder. His past interview with Christiane Amanpour was quite embarrassing; he couldn’t even make eye contact with her. Nigerians are eager to read his thesis and publications.

In conclusion, it is obvious to all Nigerians that the PDP government and its illiterate professor are only interested in playing dirty politics with the lives and properties of Nigerians. Nigerians now need Buhari, a man with international military education and experience, a seasoned administrator with zero tolerance for corruption to end this insecurity, bring prosperity, and place Nigeria at the seat it deserves in the comity of nations.

A Rejoinder To 'Semi-Illiterate' PDP Secretary Prof. Wale Oladipo By Dr. M.K. Hassan
Since the goons in Wadata Plaza have started the literacy debate, it is very appropriate to ask them that they produce Dr. Goodluck Jonathan’s Ph.D thesis and publications in renowned journals. Goodluck’s speeches, attitude, and interviews with international media don’t portray him as a Ph.D holder. Nigerians are eager to read his thesis and publications.

I was shocked to read a press statement from Wadata Plaza issued by a so called Professor Wale Oladipo, secretary of the PDP, saying that General Muhammadu Buhari is a semi illiterate jackboot. It is no wonder that our education system has fallen so low, else how can one explain a professor making such a statement? How did Wale Oladipo become a professor to start with? It is quite astonishing that he can say this. The professor doesn’t seem to understand the basic rudiments of learning and what it means for one to be literate or not.


Prof. Wale Oladipo, PDP National Secretary

Buhari attended the best military schools in the world. In case the professor doesn’t know, Buhari graduated as a military officer (Lieutenant) in Royal Military Academy, Aldeshot UK. He attended the Defense College India. Col Buhari attended the US Army War College Carlisle in Pennsylvania from 1979 -1980 and earned his command as a Brigadier General. The respected General Collin Powel attended the same school in 1976 to become Brigadier General. Some of Buhari’s classmates include General Beltson, General Thomas P Carney, General Bill Matz, General David E.K. Cooper etc. all of them are alive and can be reached and they will give glowing tributes of the man, Buhari, they know as their classmate.

Anyone interested in verifying Buhari’s academic credentials can write the school instead of reading jargon from a deranged Wadata Plaza Professor of Politics of Destruction Party (PDP). I have checked Google Scholar hoping that Prof. Wale Oladipo’s name and publications will show up and nothing is showing up, that says a lot about him as a Professor than Buhari as a retired decorated General who served his country so well and has not claimed any scholarship.

The curriculum at the U.S. Army War College earns one a Masters Degree in Strategic Studies and that is what Buhari has. For somebody to claim that a graduate of such a prestigious school is semi-illiterate, means something is very wrong with that person’s brain. By all academic and military standards, Buhari’s education is superb and the best any general can get in the world. Therefore, for Wale Oladipo to claim Buhari is semi-illiterate speaks volumes about his understanding of what education is even all about. The unlearned professor thinks education is about earning paper degrees only, and even if it was the case, Buhari has them from the most respected military institutions in the world.

General Muhammadu Buhari has the kind of military strategic education and experience to deal a decisive blow on Boko Haram and end the insecurity challenges facing Nigeria. Buhari is the only army officer with the opportunity to command 3 out of 4 Nigeria’s army divisions as a GOC.

In 1983, when rebels from Chad took over our land, seizing more than 19 villages (much like what the Boko Haram is doing now), Major General Buhari led a successful operation as the GOC to push back the Chadian rebels and reclaim our territory.

In 1984, when the Maitatsine sect decided to declare war on Nigeria like what Boko Haram is doing now, Head of State, Muhammadu Buhari wasted no time in crushing them. Boko Haram is a descendant of the Maitatsine sect with the same extremist ideology and anti-western education philosophy. It is surely President Buhari that will be able to handle them: eliminating these terrorists when he comes to power like he did before. Muhammadu Buhari as a captain fought in the Congo Civil War and won the Congo Medal. He was there during our civil war to bring peace and keep Nigeria one. That is true patriot: a man that gave his life to another country not only his fatherland.

Since the goons in Wadata Plaza have started the literacy debate, it is very appropriate to ask them that they produce Dr. Goodluck Jonathan’s Ph.D thesis and publications in renowned journals. Goodluck’s speeches, attitude, and interviews with international media don’t portray him as a Ph.D holder. His past interview with Christiane Amanpour was quite embarrassing; he couldn’t even make eye contact with her. Nigerians are eager to read his thesis and publications.

In conclusion, it is obvious to all Nigerians that the PDP government and its illiterate professor are only interested in playing dirty politics with the lives and properties of Nigerians. Nigerians now need Buhari, a man with international military education and experience, a seasoned administrator with zero tolerance for corruption to end this insecurity, bring prosperity, and place Nigeria at the seat it deserves in the comity of nations.

No doubt Osinbajo is now in the spotlight and his every word or action will henceforth be dissected thoroughly. It is thanks to this I found this article Osinbajo wrote previously in defence of Aregbesola and in condemnation of the "prejudice" and bigotry destroying Nigeria. We all know Osinbajo is an accomplished technocrat but this write-up also reveals his philosophical brilliance, liberal disposition and and social balance. I dare say that Nigerians should be excited at the prospect of Buhari and Osinbajo taking over next year.

http://blogs.premiumtimesng.com/?p=165311

The Bigotry Against Aregbesola, By Prof. Yemi Osinbajo
I was greatly saddened to read the material written by Mr. Egheomhanre Emmanuel Eyieyien urging “The Remnants” to vote out the current Governor of Osun State Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and vote in Chief Iyiola Omisore. I am also still somewhat puzzled as to how what appeared to be an opposition to a bond issue and other sundry allegations degenerated to the running down of the APC as an Islamic party, a propaganda tool notoriously deployed by the PDP through its various organs.

Are we as Christians now being urged to support the PDP or what exactly is the message? Reason, is one of the most important contributions of the Gospel to development. From it emerge the practical concepts of fairness and justice for all, especially our enemies. Which is why lynching, even of an intellectual kind is unacceptable.
I am not an unbiased intervenor, I had the good fortune of serving in an AD/ACN government in Lagos State. The ACN is a major partner in the APC. I will come back to the PDP APC issue presently.

Also, I have known Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, Governor of the State of Osun, since 1999. We served on the policy committees of the then newly elected AD governor of Lagos State. He served in the infrastructure sub-committee and I, in the Justice sub-committee. I also served with him for 8 years in the government of Lagos State. He as Commissioner for Works and I as Attorney General. I developed a close personal relationship with him. His early ideological belief was shaped byMarxist-Socialist thinking, which probably influences his left- of- centre world view in governance. His first son Kabir went to university in Cuba on a scholarship. In 2005 when he graduated, only Rauf and I attended his graduation . He is a devout Muslim but liberal in his approach to other faiths. This is not unusual amongst the Yorubas largely because most families have both Muslim and Christian members and have always interacted without rancour. Of his six siblings only one other is a Muslim. All the others are Christians. His sister who is of the RCCG, is widowed ( her husband died a Christian) her two sons have lived with Rauf for years, he insists that they must practice their father’s faith faithfully. They both attend the RCCG.

He and I shared and still share a burden to provide honest, transparent, people-centered governance. He is a scrupulously honest person, as Commissioner for Works in Lagos State he left office without a home and no financial comforts. I know, because aside from my personal and official interaction with him, I coordinated his legal team for the reclamation of his mandate for over three years. I know first hand, his difficulties with sustaining his family, and a small staff for that period. Not surprisingly no one can accuse him in Osun State of corruption. He is just not wired that way.

Indeed, in keeping with that commitment to serve the people with complete fidelity, his major projects have been solely directed at alleviating the suffering and deprivation of his people. The hiring of, now 40,000 unemployed graduates , the provision of free balanced meals for all primary school children, provision of free uniforms, the provision of tablet computers for senior secondary school students containing all their textbooks, past jamb questions etc., monthly stipends to the elderly – all of these in a State that is the third poorest in Federal allocations and currently gets N2.6 billion monthly, a 40 percent reduction from 2013, courtesy of the Federal government. Mr. Eyieyien perhaps was not aware that even the 10 billion sukuk bond was purely for the building of 24 model state-of the art schools, most of which are now completed. The Wole Soyinka led Osun education summit recommended the replacement of the completely broken school infrastructure in Osun State with schools capable of accommodating 1000 students with modern labs, classrooms, power and sports facilities. The idea was to use economies of scale to benefit the largest number of students.

When Mr. Eyieyien describes him as “Sheikh” it is clearly to give the impression that he is an Islamic fundamentalist. The facts on the man completely belie this. First, as Commissioner for Works in Lagos State,he built the chapel at the State House Marina.
Pastor Adeboye at the opening commended him and remarked that he would be a pastor soon! Within a year of coming into government, he commissioned in Ilesa the Open Heavens Christian Evangelical Arena , a purpose-built facility for evangelism which according to him was to celebrate the icons of the Christian faith who are from Osun namely- the Late Apostle Babalola , the Late Apostle Obadare, Pastor E.A. Adeboye, Pastor W.F Kumuyi and Pastor Mathew Ashimolowo .
Today, his government supports the establishment of five Christian universities in Osun, including The Redeemers University at Ede, the Joseph Babalola University, Dominion University , and Bowen University.

How about the composition of government in Osun State? You will notice that his critics are never able to say that Christians are marginalised in government, why ? Because only Muslims can make that allegation! In the Cabinet of Osun State there are 10 more Christians than Muslims. In addition, the largest Ministries are headed by Christians- Ministries of Finance, Justice, Education, Health, Environment , Agriculture, Physical Planning and Youth and Sports . The Legislature (House of Assembly), which came into office after he won back his mandate in court in November 2010, has a majority of Christian members – 18 Christians and 8 Muslims. Everyone knows that at that level if the Governor does not support your nomination by the party your ambitions are dead in the water.

The State Judiciary is headed by a Christian who he appointed although he had preferred and proposed a judge from Lagos Justice Olubunmi Oyewole also a non-Muslim. Of over 30 new Permanent Secretaries appointed by him 22 are Christians. If the majority of your cabinet, ( including your Attorney-General), your Legislature, Judiciary and top echelon of your civil service are Christians how can we in truth say that such a person has an Islamisation agenda? Surely the least a “Sheikh” with an Islamisation agenda should do to achieve his objective is to populate the structure that can achieve that objective with Muslims!

It is also entirely false that he patronizes or uses “TAAWUN” guards for his security. It is common knowledge that he hardly even uses any security at all, except for a couple of SSS men, his monthly LIFE WALKS , where he walks alongside his people for kilometres without any significant security cordon was commended recently by a former Governor in the South East.
It is incredible what prejudice can do to us. Everyone in Osun knows that the State was nicknamed “State of the Living Spring” in reference to the Osun River after which the State is named. Renaming the State “the OmoluabiState ” – meaning “the State of children born of God” or “the State of men and women of virtue” certainly gives greater glory to God.

To suggest that benefiting from a Sukuk bond to better the lives of his people of all faiths, is enough to justify the grave allegation of an Islamisation agenda, is with all due respect , calling a dog a bad name simply to hang it. I agree that it may have served the politics of religion better not to take the bond, but it is a fairer judgment of his motives, knowing him, that this was borne out of his desire to serve his people well.

The 24 mega schools with state-of -the art facilities is a quantum leap in education for the majority of children of the poor who before now schooled in what the Soyinka committee saw as scandalous. The alternative was not to build the schools. When a man who is doing right by the poor and deprived people he governs, is being condemned by those of us who are called to serve the poor, the sick, , the Unclad, and the hungry then it is fair to ask what the values in governance we really intend to promote are? In any event the alternative is Chief Iyiola Omisore whose antecedents we ought, to put it delicately, be cautious to associate with.

A problem with uncritically accepting as useful advice this viciously anti-APC propaganda, is that it throws the baby out with the bath water. So we are now expected to reject the landmark achievements in Lagos, in Ogun ( the huge infrastructural developments), Oyo ( which for the first time most admit is making real progress) , Edo, and Ekiti ( where almost everyone agrees the governor did a good job but Fayose understood stomach infrastructure better!) Or now Kano or Rivers ( where a REAL rail service is about to begin;Lagos is also about to complete a rail service amongst other exemplary achievements )!

It is also false that the APC’s new executive reserved its top positions for Muslims! The Chairman of the party Chief John Odigie-Oyegun is a Christian, the Deputy National Chairman (South) Engr. Segun Oni is a Christian, so are the National Organizing Secretary Senator Osita Izunaso, Deputy National Secretary Hon. Orji Ugofa and Chief Pius Akinyelure , theVice Chairman of the South West. For what it is worth, there are 22 Muslims and 21 Christians in the APC National Executive Committee.

Regarding the rather thinly veiled ‘support the PDP/ JONATHAN’ message, it is incredible that we are invited to ignore the cynical manner that our President Goodluck Jonathan uses Christianity and the church to further his political ambitions. Why are we being urged to support a PDP/Jonathan bid again? The platform has largely on account of its tragic failure to perform, decided to exploit Nigeria’s religious fault lines in the most cynical manner to win support, in the process he continues to divide Nigeria in by the far most extreme manner in our history.
I have worked with many brethren since 2002 on issues around Islamization in Nigeria, in particular with Revd. Ladi Thompson of the Macedonian Initiative and the Omoluabi network. It is clear that Al Qaeda, ISIS , and more recently Boko Haram and their splinters are committed to an Islamization agenda. Their symphathisers certainly cut across all boundaries.

The Late General Azazi, then NSA, pointedly accused the PDP of being behind the escalation of Boko Haram, I have that statement on DVD. The President, also openly lamented the infiltration of his cabinet by the Boko Haram. Recently a Nigerian pastor in a widely circulated CD, speaking on the Jihadist agenda accused General Babangida of funding the Islamization agenda from his days as President. Today President Jonathan’s most influential Northern supporter is General Babangida. His narrative unfortunately gives no credit to Gen Buhari, and his deputy Gen Idiagbon (also a muslim) who refused to join the OIC despite pressures. Or that Gen Buhari remains the one head of State who was able to defeat an extremist insurgency, the Maitatsine.

How can we fail to see that the incredible corruption, incompetence, poverty of 2/3 of our people after almost seven years of the presentgovernment is unsupportable? How is it that Diezani’s use of 10billion Naira to run her private jet ( the same amount of money for the building of 24 mega schools in Osun!) and the complete silence of the President on this travesty does not lead to calling for him to be voted out in 2015? So the allegation of the missing or unaccounted for 20.8 billion USD with 110 million desperately poor, should be dismissed as pure propaganda? So it doesn’t make a difference to us that under the PDP Nigeria has fallen behind in every human development indicator? 55,000 women dying yearly of maternal related ailments, only recently Stanford’s Professor Larry Diamond compared the yearly deaths of over 300,000 children yearly in Nigeria to the killing of 800, 000 mainly Tutsis in Rwanda. The latter was described as genocide, what is the description to give to mass deaths of infants caused by grand corruption?

We discredit our treasured platforms such as this when we mask our political preferences with a religious veil. The vast majority of our people need to be delivered from terrible want and deprivation, what is required now are capable, honest men and women of all faiths, who know that this country may not long survive the daily punishment of its own people.
Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, and pastor of the Redeemed Church of God, was former Attorney-General in Lagos State. He sent this article from Lagos.

Statement Released by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu regarding his withdrawal from consideration for the APC Vice- Presidential Position.

I'm a Nigerian who loves his country and am hopeful about what it can become. I have seen and conducted myself as a patriot long before I thought of myself as a politician. I shall always walk this line and no other.
After all the political calculations are made and the dust of competition has settled, it must be this nation and its people who stand first and foremost. The question becomes whether we stand strong, able to shape ourselves into our best future or will we stand frail and trembling, burdened by the abject failure to surmount the multiple problems confronting us.

It against this backdrop that I assess any action I take. Here I come to my name being placed in consideration as the Vice Presidential candidate for our party, the APC. I have labored hard to move this party from being merely an idea in the minds of a few into being a political organization that might win this election and govern the nation in way that gives the people the hope and opportunity they seek. Nothing is more important to me than to realize this dream not for myself but for the people of this land I so love.

I helped to build this party, giving no thought to seeking an elected office because of it. My contribution to the party was never based on the expectation of a later political handout. Nigeria is in trouble and we are well past the moment for such narrow, selfish games.

There came a time during the course of the events when our Presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari offered the Vice Presidential slot to me. Being a normal human being, I was deeply moved and honored that he would consider me for the position. Being a patriot, I had to weigh my potential candidacy in all of its dimensions.

I have concluded that the interest of the party, our campaign and of the nation are better served if I retain my position as the National leader of the APC, allowing me to be a bridge builder across all divides. Although, I declined the position, I want to thank General Buhari for extending the honor to me. Despite all the noise and opposition around my possible selection, he stood firm and steadfast. He showed the traits of a leader in holding to a decision he believed was right despite the errant plots against it.

When my name was raised, the political hatchet men tried to chop it down with rumor and lies. Over the years, I have developed a thick skin. The personal attacks did not bother me. I am used to them. While I have a thick skin, I don’t have a thick mind. There has been one form of attack that has troubled me. That is the attack based on religion. The PDP and others have stoked fear of a Muslim- Muslim ticket.

I have removed myself from consideration so what I now say cannot be seen as self-serving. I plead with the people of this nation to never allow the power lust of cynical politicians to set brother against brother, neighbor against neighbor. If you look at those politicians who raise this issue the most, they are the least devout and faithful to any religion other their self-interests.

Nigeria has too many secular problems – insecurity, economic collapse, poverty , corruption and misgovernance – to allow inept people to use religion to keep us from solving these challenges for the benefit of all.

Those who exploit religion should be wary. For there really is a God and he does not like it when you play with his people or use His name to do the opposite of what He intends.

I ask the people to remove religion from the electoral equation now that the tickets of both parties are mixed. I ask you to select the ticket best able to end the downward slide that Nigeria has endured since this government took over. I ask you to remember that too many Christians and Muslims are poor. Most of all, I ask you to remember that the true religion of the PDP is poverty, APC come to bring prosperity to the people. Please vote for that.

The Nigeria I see is a nation that shall overcome. The Nigeria I see is a nation ready to sweep aside the broken ways of our recent past and the government and politicians who impose distress upon us. The Nigeria I see and seek is one where each person, every man, woman and child may live free of terrorism, free of the despair of poverty and free of the fear that the government meant to serve and protect them has turned its back to them in cold and utter indifference.

I see and seek a Nigeria where progressive democratic governance creates the political and economic space needed for each of us to contribute to rescuing and retooling this nation. And, in the process of this benign endeavor, may each and every one of us share in the sound promise and good prosperity that shall describe the architecture of our national revival.

However, not everyone that shouts the name of Nigeria believes in this vision. There are many who would have you laid low and our future tossed asunder that they may persist in reaping the unjust reward of their selfish ways. There are wolves in sheep clothing and even jackals in wolf’s clothing. I have seen them but not as residents in some strange zoo. They populate the halls of this diminished government and the party from which this government was born.

We have come to the field of fateful choice. We have been brought to test the scales of weighty decision. Shall we lift this nation upward so that from its higher vantage point we may clearly see the road to our better destiny? Or shall we continue to march the march of fools into the dark of darkness. The current path has but one end. It shall take us into the den of national collapse. We have gone far enough down this wicked avenue to be aware of what its continuance portends.

We must awaken of our own accord, my dear people, before the bell of doom rings upon us. If we wait until that moment, we would have waited too long. Our future, our fate, our destiny would have been cast into the snare of utter misfortune. This is not the song of greatness. It is the poetics of ruin.

For me, political ambition will never triumph over patriotic conviction. This delicate moment affords no space for emotion to intrude to blind us from what is best. The APC is the best and only vehicle to enact the progressive and broad change this nation cries for. I eagerly lend myself to this fine cause without me having to be on the ticket.

This is a time for cohesion and an overriding sense of mission. We must defeat the foe before us and resist all temptations intended to entice us to fight among ourselves.

I sincerely commit myself to the rescue agenda of General Buhari and Professor Osinbajo.

I declare to you, I will work and dedicate myself so that our ticket succeeds and wins the 2015 election -- not for his good, not for my good, not even for the party’s good but for the good of the nation we inhabit.

Some may call what I have done a sacrifice. I call it otherwise. It is my patriotic contribution and duty. I do so with a happy and uplifted heart and clear conscience because I have committed myself to seeking the best for this nation before seeking what is good for myself. This is the creed of statesmanship I chose to follow. May this be the creed of our party as General Buhari leads us to historic victory in the 2015 elections.


May the light of a bright future always shine on you and on our beloved nation, the Federal Republic of Nigeria.


-Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu
December 17th, 2014

I think at this point APC should be reasonable to pick the VP from Southwest otherwise PDP will win the election come 2015. PDP is in dire need of southwest vote now because the north may never vote massively for him to get 25% required by the law. So efforts and pressure to get votes from Yoruba is a must for PDP,but when VP slot is handed over to the southwest,APC can be sure of winning the presidential election. APC shouldn't rely to get massive vote from south east and south south even if they re handed VP slot. Those who are calling for Oby,though she is worthy of the position but election is about numbers.

Can't wait to have you lead this nation to greater height.

For the first time in his political career, former military Head of State and frontline presidential aspirant in the All Progressives Congress, Maj-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari is starting to rebrand himself, writes Olawale Olaleye

“The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails…”
-William Arthur Ward

At conception, three headlines suited this article. Apart from the one above, also listed for consideration were: “The Buhari They’ve Been Waiting For” or “The Rebirth of Buhari.” But the one above seems to catch the fancy of this writer better because in addition to other reasons, it aptly captures the essence of the piece as well as interprets the message more intelligibly.


Particularly poignant are the accompanying pictures to this report; they say it all. The pictures were exclusively obtained by THISDAY from the team now managing the general-turned politician, Muhammadu Buhari, as part of the campaign props. There are lots more wowing shots in the file, you bet!


The lead up to next year’s presidential election has continued to flash a recurring decimal – Buhari. For the former Head of State, next year’s election will mark his fourth attempt at the presidency, the closest being the election of 2011 in which he garnered well over 12 million votes without boasting a war chest and on the strength of a relatively unknown party at the time, the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC).


Needless to assume that he came that close on the resultant factors of character, track record and his never-waning-popularity, amongst the less privileged, the under-served especially in the Northern part of the country. He is who he is with his people hence the growing cult-like followership he has continued to enjoy. No Nigerian, it is generally believed, currently enjoys such followership.


His electoral advantages notwithstanding, the South of the country has always seen him differently and so, he has remained a low performer in that part of the country at each election year, in addition to other factors presumably responsible for winning and losing election.


But since Buhari switched camp and pitched tent with the progressives in the South, there have been conscious attempts by a concerned few to start rebranding the man, not only because he is said to stand a very bright chance in the presidential primaries cum the general election, but more because he must be seen as having been properly indoctrinated into the class of the progressives, whether in outlook, disposition and the content of his character.


Even then, in dealing with the Buhari candidacy, the APC knew it had a few perception issues to deal with, chief amongst which is his alleged religious extremism and of course, the age factor. A lot of his followers have since dismissed the age limitation as irrelevant for as long as it does not inhibit his performance or capacity required of leadership at that level.


As a result, his supporters have designed a counter-strategy to the age debate. For them, they would rather a responsible, intelligent and decisive old man like Buhari as president than have an incompetent lot in power on the basis of age and untested youthful dexterity.


Interestingly, the allegation of his religious extremism is daily appearing some cheap propaganda by the opposition to undo him, more so that the allegation has never been proven right by anyone. A truly devout Muslim, Buhari has not just related well with Christians, those close to him have facts to show that he is not who he is being projected to be.


For instance, his first daughter is said to have married a Christian Igbo, while his driver and cook are Christians of many years, in whom he is said to repose so much trust. While he would always allow Christians take their Sundays off, their Muslim counterparts are never exempted from work on Fridays because according to him, there was no such mandate in the Holy Quoran.


For a man of his statute and with the degree of devotion to his faith, the last time Buhari allegedly went on a Pilgrimage to Mecca was some 11 years ago. Rather than go on such capital intensive expedition, he would fund the education of the children of the less privileged. Small wonder this category of Nigerians would always be willing to take a bullet for him.


The most strident of the factors against Buhari is what is otherwise known as the fear factor as Chief Dele Momodu recently put it. Those who lay permanent claim to the ownership of Nigeria are believed not to like Buhari for who he is. They are said to worry about what a Buhari government portend for them as establishmentarians. The guess here is not far-fetched. Corruption is a thriving industry and Buhari is averse to this scourge.


It is against this backdrop that those who believe in the Buhari presidency both within and outside the APC have joined forces to start playing up the Buhari they know and the Buhari the people have been waiting for. The Buhari, who though has been badly damaged by his traducers, is now undergoing repairs and seems to be responding well to the dynamism of change as being propounded by his party, the APC.


In the administration of the country, this category of people believes that the APC has sufficient technocrats amongst its membership that could rally support for Buhari in the onerous task of salvaging the country, observing the best democratic practices as well as delivering on promises.


Indeed, this set of people further believes Buhari has the brightest chance in the APC – a candidate they claim is ready to go to the battlefield with devoted troops that will not beat a retreat in the heat of superior firepower.


The most dramatic of the change Buhari is going through is his representative dress sense that cuts across the geo-political zones, typifying the Nigerian in him. And apart from regularly tutoring the man they describe as “excitingly teachable” in the things that bring him up to date on trending global developments, the Buhari team also boasts a jaw-breaking blueprint that would jolt his opponents.


Although they have limited time to tidy up many things, the Team Buhari is excited that things are looking up good for them, both at the level of the party primaries and the general election which, they reckon looks very promising.


According to sources within the group, never before have the chances of the opposition been this bright in a national election, especially given the fact that elections these days are less rig-able, following INEC’s many safe mechanisms and despite its palpable inadequacies.


While the coast thus looks clear for Buhari, how well the team is able to translate these chances into results remains entirely a problem of the internal extrapolation and workings of the party leadership, devoid of greed, inordinate interests and obnoxious personal agenda. Until then, welcome to the world of the brand new Muhammadu Buhari…the one you’ve been waiting for!

This BRF is so brilliant and scientific, Have you lived in UAE? Because you can use horn here unless in extreme emergency.

God bless you my brother. I hate extremists in every aspect of life but I'm unrepentantly in love with project Nigeria because of the generation to come. Current situation helps no Nigerian but perpetually keep Nigerians dream un -achievable. We would continue to lack basic needs of life if the corruption still persists like my good conscience brother wrote. I love Nigeria, I live in UAE but coming home to vote in February. I'm surprised how desert was turned into world class country and progressing but my country is enmeshed with corruption that deny us of every good things of life. Wake up Nigeria,wake my countrymen.

Integrity,Discipline and Corruption free society. You would agree with me that's bane of our nation today.

I found Prophet’s name mentioned in the Gospel
Published — Friday 24 October,2014.
Great numbers of Christians who embraced Islam in the medieval period were never compelled. Rather it was a recognition of what they were already expecting. Anselm Tormeeda, a 14th century Christian scholar and priest, was one such person whose story is worth relating. He wrote a famous book, The Gift to the Intelligent for Refuting the Arguments of the Christians. Later known as Abu Muhammad Abdullah bin Abdullah Al-Tarjuman, he relates his story:
My origin is from Majorca, which is a great city on the sea, between two mountains and divided by a small valley, a commercial city, with two wonderful harbors. The city is on the island also known as Majorca, and most of its land is populated with fig and olive trees. My father was a well respected man in the city. I was his only son.
When I was six, he sent me to a priest who taught me to read the Gospel and logic, which I finished in six years. After that I left Majorca and traveled to the city of Larda, in the region of Castillion, which was the center of learning for Christians in that region. At least 1,000-1,500 Christian students gathered there. All were under the administration of the priest who taught them. I studied the Gospel and its language for another four years. After that I left for Bologne in the region of Anbardia. Bologne is a very large city, it being the center of learning for all the people of that region. Every year, more than 2,000 students gather together from different places. They cover themselves with rough cloth which they call the “Hue of God.”
All of them, whether the son of a workman or the son of a ruler wear this wrap, in order to make the students distinct from others. Only the priest teaches controls and directs them. I lived in the church with an aged priest. He was greatly respected by the people because of his knowledge and religiousness and asceticism, which distinguished him from the other Christian priests. Questions and requests for advice came from everywhere, from kings and rulers, along with presents and gifts. They hoped that he would accept their presents and grant them his blessings. This priest taught me the principles of Christianity and its rulings. I became very close to him by serving and assisting him with his duties until I became one of his most trusted assistants, so that he trusted me with the keys of his domicile in the church and of the food and the drink stores. He kept for himself only the key of a small room where he used to sleep. I think, and Allah knows best, that he kept his treasure chest in there. I was a student and servant for a period of 10 years; then he fell ill and failed to attend the meetings of his fellow priests.
During his absence the priests discussed some religious matters, until they came to what was said by the Almighty Allah through his Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him) in the Gospel: “After him will come a Prophet called Paraclete.” They argued a great deal about this Prophet and as to who he was among the prophets. Everyone gave his opinion according to his knowledge and understanding; and they ended without achieving any benefit in that issue. I went to my priest, and as usual he asked about what was discussed in the meeting that day. I mentioned to him the different opinions of priests about the name Paraclete, and how they finished the meeting without clarifying its meaning.
He asked me: “What was your answer?” I gave my opinion which was taken from interpretation of a well known exegesis. He said that I was nearly correct like some priests, and the other priests were wrong.
“But the truth is different from all of that. This is because the interpretation of that noble name is known only to a small number of well versed scholars. And we posses only a little knowledge.”
I fell down and kissed his feet, saying: “Sir, you know that I traveled and came to you from a far distant country, I have served you now for more than 10 years; and have attained knowledge beyond estimation, so please favor me and tell me the truth about this name.” The priest then wept and said: “My son, by God, you are very much dear to me for serving me and devoting yourself to my care. Know the truth about this name, and there is a great benefit, but there is also a great danger. And I fear that when you know this truth, and the Christians discover that, you will be killed immediately.”I said: “By God, by the Gospel and He who was sent with it, I shall never speak any word about what you will tell me, I shall keep it in my heart.” He said: “My son, when you came here from your country, I asked you if it is near to the Muslims, and whether they made raids against you and if you made raids against them. This was to test your hatred for Islam. Know, my son, that Paraclete is the name of their Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), to whom was revealed the fourth book as mentioned by Daniel. His way is the clear way which is mentioned in the Gospel.” I said: “Then sir, what do you say about the religion of these Christians?”
He said:”My son, if these Christians remained on the original religion of Jesus, then they would have been on God’s religion, because the religion of Jesus and all the other prophets is the true religion of God. But they changed it and became unbelievers.” I asked him: “Then, sir, what is the salvation from this?” He said “Oh my son, embracing Islam.” I asked him: “Will the one who embraces Islam be saved?” He answered: “Yes, in this world and the next.” I said: “The prudent chooses for himself; if you know, sir the merit of Islam, then what keeps you from it?” He answered: “My son, the Almighty Allah did not expose me to the truth of Islam and the Prophet of Islam until after I have become old and my body weakened. Yes, there is no excuse for us in this, on the contrary, the proof of Allah has been established against us. If God had guided me to this when I was your age I would have left everything and adopted the religion of truth.
Love of this world is the essence of every sin, and look how I am esteemed, glorified and honored by the Christians, and how I am living in affluence and comfort! In my case, if I show a slight inclination toward Islam they would kill me immediately. Suppose that I was saved from them and succeeded in escaping to the Muslims, they would say, do not count your Islam as a favor upon us, rather you have benefited yourself only by entering the religion of truth, the religion that will save you from the punishment of Allah! So I would live among them as a poor old man of more than 90 years, without knowing their language, and would die among them starving. I am, and all praise is due to Allah, on the religion of Christ and on that which he came with, and Allah knows that from me.” So I asked him: “Do you advise me to go to the country of the Muslims and adopt their religion?” He said to me: “If you are wise and hope to save yourself, then race to that which will achieve this life and the Hereafter. But my son, none is present with us concerning this matter, it is between you and me only. Exert yourself and keep it a secret. If it is disclosed and the people know about it they will kill you immediately. I will be of no benefit to you against them. Neither will it be of any use to you if you tell them what you heard from me concerning Islam, or that I encouraged you to be a Muslim, for I shall deny it. They trust my testimony against yours. So do not tell a word, whatever happens.” I promised him not to do so.

Very True

The current system of deceits and Propanganda is alarming and the Nigerian Youths would be the bearer of the brunt when we allow it to continue. We seems not different in thoughts and deeds from the current crop of vagabonds in power. We are Also lying and fall for their deceitful and divisive plans. We are mortgaging the future of next generations if we towed same line with this propagandists and deceitful politicians who have robbed us of decades of desired future. Some of us have priviledge of living in Nigeria and now abroad can testify to havoc and evil this people inflicted on us and still doing. But my concerns is Youths who are behaving just like them,which is great fear for the future of our country. We are more concerned about ethnic and religion instead of leader that provides basic fundamental life needs and who ever can do that should be our Man, not where he comes from or his religion and we should remove by voting against those who embezzled our money,put our future in jeopardy. Failure. Of the current party to give us good roads across board,not 13th century rail track and coaches but modern train coaches like 21st century metro in Dubai. Stable power supply across board like UAE, a company in Dubai generated more than 80,000megawatts for their aluminum factory(Smelter). Desert become the most country in the world and highly technologically advance, using smart platform for their developments while we are settling for vagabonds. Their university attracts professors ,teachers from all walks of life and best instituition all over the world while we still studying with 1965 syllabus and curriculum. The police uses drones manufactured by their science school of technology to secure and monitor their country,engaging their youth they have one of their military fighter jet (women) fighting terrorists in Iraq but we have military that was always over run by boko haram.These happened because we have i irredentist corrupt leaders that we also celebrate. I don't care about parties but someone that guaranteed my future,not by sharing money for us but create platforms that engages us achieve our collective dreams and help our country developed.

Let's think about change for once,like fashola said we can also change the next one until we find suitable leaders that thinks about us,not about their pockets. And we also should imbibed good manners ,speak the truth always,be brother keepers,love eachother and wish good for eachother by helping hands irrespective of out tribes and religions. I live here in Abu Dhabi, I have here Nigerians of diverse, tribes and religion,we never fight but see ourselves as Nigerians. Don't hate,don't curse and don't blame the past for current woes,as the past are trials upon us today,to correct and make the future better. Life is transient. Soldier go and soldier come. Change is constant.

Jonathan's Oil Revenue As Much As Yaradua, Obj, Abdusalami & Abacha Combined
Nigeria's total crude oil sales was $470B in 5 years of Pre. Jonathan's administration and $489B for Yaradua+Obasanjo+Abdusalami+Abacha administrations combined, in unadjusted numbers. Adjusted for inflation, the numbers are $488.8B vs. $594B for Jonathan vs. Yaradua+Obj+Abdusalami+Abacha combined BY OBINNA DURU.


Nigerians going into the 2015 elections, are we asking the right QUESTIONS? Are we demanding appropriate accountability from past and current leaders commensurate with the quantum of resources at their disposal? I dug out some numbers recently to do a more representative (apple-to-apple) analysis of the performance of past and present Nigerian administrations. My data sources are (1) The Nigerian Central Bank, (2) the US EAI, (3) OPEC and (4) Other online data sources. Take a close at the charts I generated from the data and let's start demanding real answers!

To arrive at these numbers, I took average monthly production - very fine data resolution, and calculated how much dollars volumes we sold each year. For adjustment for inflation, I used 2.5% annual $ inflation rate. To put inflation adjustment in perspective, $1.00 in 1999 is equivalent to $1.44 in 2014. In just 5 years, Jonathan's administration has generated as much crude oil sales as all 16 years of Yaradua, Obasanjo, Abdusalami and Abacha's administrations combined in unadjusted numbers. This comes to $470B vs $489B in unadjusted numbers. When adjusted for inflation, the numbers are $488.8B vs. $594B for Jonathan vs. Yaradua+Obj+Abdusalami+Abacha combined. The numbers are what they are because oil price has risen almost 7-8 folds during this period, nearly an order of magnitude increase. In addition to price increase, Nigeria's crude oil output has also increased. I am hoping we can start asking tough questions, we'd continue to be hoodwinked. My question again is simple: even with 2.5% annual inflation adjustment, the numbers are $488.8b vs $594b. Does the investment in Nigeria in the past 5 years add up to ~$500B.

When we continue to be religiously biased and question our existence on religious and tribal line negatively,we would continue to be on same situation. Why are you thinking negatively? We can make it better if we think we desire another shape of dome,not been biased. Look at the White House dome attached to this post,Is america a muslim country? Chanel your energy to positive thinking and your thought into success. Generation upon generation try to make it better not by dragging down the past but shape the past for better future.

HTC One M8

The South-West in Nigeria is one zone where Christians and Muslims dwell side by side with a relatively low level of rancour. This liberalism is a cultural attribute that has been for a long time. In an essay by an English anthropologist who witnessed the celebration of Oke’badan in the 50s, he expressed surprise at how Muslims freely mingled with their “pagan” neighbours during the festival. Several reasons have been advanced for this but I think it has to do with the post-modernist worldview of Yoruba: no one’s God is the Way, Truth and/or Life; other faiths are valid co-mediators of spiritual encounters.

The arrangement is not perfect and can be fraught with tension but then, that is humanity for you.

The Yoruba diversity, however, also makes them vulnerable to political manipulation and lately, the oratory coming out of certain quarters shows this.

Some thought leaders are working assiduously, selling polarising narratives. They aim to create a Christian-Muslim dichotomy, pitting one against the other and utilising the consequent division for 2015 politics.

In the past months, some analysts have been obsessed with which faith an acceptable presidential candidate should belong as if that in itself is the apogee of qualification for such an important post. They premise the pairing of Islam and Christianity into a team over other ideals as if the pseudo-balance they aim to achieve will resolve issues threatening to eradicate the Black race. It is perhaps unsurprising that the tremulous undercurrents of denominationalised politics is manifesting in the South-West with renewed urgency.

Some groups insist they would not accept anything less than a Christian governor in Lagos. In other states in the South-West too, there are loud grumblings that power must change hands to those of Christians.

The drama is being scripted for the federal level as well; the Presidency is being primed as a trophy to be won by whose God – the Christians’ or the Muslims’ – is the bigger one.

Now, we know that the South-West is critical to the realisation of the fusion of politics of religion and region because of its strategic placement. Anyone who will win the Presidency cannot do without “Yoruba” votes. For a government that is neither distinguished nor outstanding, one way to generate enough sentiment to fill a ballot box is to fuel identity politics.

For 2015, since the odds are already in the favour of the incumbent President, the ploy looks like an attempt to mobilise Christians through an amalgam of moral panic and the right dose of Islamophobia. The popular narrative is that the All Progressives Congress is a “Muslim” party, the Peoples Democratic Party is a “Christian” party and voting Goodluck Jonathan, therefore, is a “Christian” duty.

This narrative should be entertaining except the religious conflicts that took place in Osun State should teach us that the relatively peaceful co-existence of religions among the Yoruba should never be taken for granted. For, if the fires are stoked enough, they can consume the structures of mutual tolerance that have long defined Yoruba and that could be very dangerous in the long run.

This is not a naive undermining of the role religion plays in democracy. No people anywhere in the world vote neutral; we choose candidates based on the admixture of emotion and reason; blessed is the politician who understands this sleight-of-hand and uses it accordingly.

In case you are thinking that religious sentiment is an issue of minority overzealousness, consider that historically, most hate crimes are not perpetrated by a majority.

The case of Pastor Emmanuel Bosun whose sermon on the hidden agenda to Islamise Nigeria is making some waves on the Internet is therefore instructive. His message is filled with economised truths, ahistorical analyses, and several reductionist deductions assessed with skewed formulas and jaundiced calculus. With all the shortcomings of the present administration, Bosun insists Jonathan is God’s plan for Nigeria. He says, Jonathan might not be a successful President, but he fulfils God’s plan for retaining Nigeria’s Christian hue. Bosun is not a sole hawker of these ideas. Some less popular pastors are doing the same in their amen corners.

Considering that religion is both a cultural phenomenon and a huge capital in Nigeria, I find it hard to overlook the sectarianism manifesting here. These pastors are creating an enemy they will turn around and co-opt the congregation into destroying. And except for Harry Potter novels, “evil” and “good” are never that clearly delineated in reality.

But then, one must not fail to see the whole affair as a pushback of sorts by Christians. They have watched Muslims dominate the show in the years we have had autocratic leaders who also happened to be Muslims. Christians have grumbled at various indices of Islamic domination: ranging from Arabic inscription on the naira to the establishment of Sharia in Nigeria. The fact that these Christians are exhibiting a similar zeal in the time of a “Christian” president shows that fundamentalism is not a prerogative of any single religion.

At the end of the day, both sides are striving to do the same thing: put down somebody else’s confederate flag and replace it with yours.

The irony is that people like Pastor Bosun who accuse Muslims of trying to run over Nigeria conveniently forget that Christianity itself wiped out indigenous religions in several places. Till today, in some places in Nigeria, Christian fanatics destroy traditional religions’ shrines. Can he take an introspective look at the core problem, intolerance and ignorance?

Come to think of it, religion is part of what haunts Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.)’s candidature. Even when his aides remind us his close aides are Christians, a few remain persuaded about his non-fanaticism. It is an irony that those who argue against Buhari’s emergence on religious basis are the same ones who seek to retain Jonathan in office on the same ground.

I acknowledge that while it is perhaps legitimate to whip up primordial sentiments for the sake of electoral victory, it is pertinent the Yoruba constantly remind ourselves that there is life after 2015 elections. Yoruba Christians and Muslims will have themselves to live with long after the “Christian” or “Muslim” president has made it to Aso Rock and eventually leaves in 2019. We cannot do away with aggression and competition in religion totally but we can at least “shine our eyes” so we don’t become sad pawns in the hands of mythomaniac politicians wearing religious toga.

If Nigeria needs any type of conference or dialogue at all, it is a conference about our National values and ethical codes.

If we agree on this, it seems to me that many other things will fall into place.

All those things that Chief Obafemi Awolowo referred to in his 1970 speech which undermine a nation, will reduce or disappear because history has shown that they cannot withstand the compelling purpose of a people united around high ethical and moral values.

In order to complete my task, I will only now refer to extracts from other lands.

SOUTH AFRICA
“From 1948 to 1994, apartheid was a system of racial segregation in South Africa enforced through legislation by the Afrikaner-dominated National Party and Broederbond organisations. Under the system, the rights, associations, and movements of the black residents of the country were curtailed.
Under the apartheid system, residents of the country were divided into four racial groups—"black", "white", "coloured", and "Indian”, and a person’s classification determined where they could live, work or even walk, and what kinds of public services they were legally eligible to receive. A system of racial discrimination is a very vile and morally deficient system. Its ethical underpinnings offend the Laws of God.
When W. de Klerk became president in 1989, he opened the door wider to change and, in the same year, a still imprisoned Nelson Mandela contacted anti-apartheid leaders and put forward proposals for negotiations.
After the official abolition of apartheid, former President de Klerk apologised in his capacity as leader of the NP to the millions who suffered over the decades of racial discrimination. Adriaan Vlok, on his part, washed the feet of apartheid victim Frank Chikane in an act of apology for the wrongs of the Apartheid regime, and Leon Wessels released a public apology stating that he was convinced that apartheid was a terrible mistake that blighted ‘our land’.

A number of formal platforms were set up to ensure this. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), a court-like restorative justice body, was set up in South Africa after the abolition of apartheid.

People who had been victims of gross human rights violations were invited to give statements about their experiences, and some were selected for public hearings. Perpetrators of violence could also give testimony and request amnesty from both civil and criminal prosecution.

The TRC marked a crucial component of the transition to full and free democracy in South Africa. It laid emphasis on reconciliation.
So we can see that South Africa rebuilt by pursuing Truth and Reconciliation.

An important way in which South Africa is being rebuilt is through the deliberate inclusion of blacks in employment. Also, slums such as Soweto were rebuilt and the general standard of living of the people has increased with blacks being able to get quality education which they were previously denied. This has led to the growth of the black middle-class

Racially motivated land tenure policies were also repealed in 1994, and as white-only areas have opened to other races, the biggest post-apartheid population shift has been the movement of black middle-class residents from townships to formerly all-white suburbs.

Townships have also become the locations of museums and malls and are thus tourist attractions, a move which brings more income to the people of the areas who own local businesses. “

RWANDA
“Unlike racial conflict in South Africa, what was at the heart of the Rwandan experience was ethnic distrust between the Hutus and Tutsis leading to discrimination.

What sparked off the horror that that the world witnessed for about 100 days in 1994 was an act suspected to be the murder of the Rwandan President, Juvenal Habyarimana who was of Hutu extraction.

The genocide was indescribable.

In situations where some people survived the violence and could recognize the perpetrators and their assailants, public reconciliation processes between the warring factions, Hutus and Tutsis, were conducted and encouraged.

The new government did not dwell on repairing something that was broken apart but rather sought to build a new nation devoid of ethnic identities, conflicts or prejudices. One of the first step was to abolish the system of ethnic identity cards. Then the establishment of leadership across ethnic lines.

Stringent efforts have been made to ensure access to education and improve the quality. Today, 97% of its children attend primary school, one of the highest rates in Africa. UNESCO acknowledged this feat by listing it as one of the top three countries invested in the improvement of and access to education, globally.

With two-thirds of Rwanda’s population under 25 and life expectancy at just 55, many have placed their hopes in the country’s youth. Children are discouraged from using labels that may bring about division such as identifying with one tribe alone. Rather they are encouraged and taught to focus on a common Rwanda.

After the genocide, the country struggled to reduce the number of deaths. Today, Rwanda is often praised for its success on key health indicators. Deaths of under-fives have fallen from 230 per 1,000 live births in 1998 to 55 per 1000 live births in 2012.

Infant mortality has also plummeted – from 120 deaths per 1,000 live births in 1998 to fewer than 40 in 2012. According to World Bank statistics, the country spends a good part of its national budget on health and education. In 2011, almost 24% of total government expenditure went to health and 17% to education.”

Again we can see forgiveness, public reconciliation and social and economic justice for all, especially women and children as what worked for Rwanda.

These are high ideals around which to build our nation. We must not wait for a genocide before we start.

GEORGIA
“Georgia has been a part of Soviet Russia since 1921 and remained so until 1991.

In 1991, Zviad Gamsakhurdia, who was elected as the first President of independent Georgia stoked Georgian nationalism and vowed to assert Tbilisi's authority over regions such as Abkhazia and South Ossetia that had been classified as autonomous oblasts under the Soviet Union.

He was deposed by a bloody coup d'état in December 1991, after which Georgia became entangled in a civil war which lasted until 1995. The inter-ethnic violence and wars led to Abkhazia, and South Ossetia achieving de facto independence from Georgia, with Georgia retaining control only in small areas of the disputed territories. About 250,000 Georgians were massacred or expelled from Abkhazia by separatists.

The three-year civil war led to a decade of political instability, and financial, economic and social crises. These events resulted in a severe deterioration of relations with Russia, fuelled also by Russia's open assistance and support to the two secessionist areas.

In May 2005 Georgia and Russia reached a bilateral agreement and under it Russian military bases (dating back to the Soviet era) in its territory were withdrawn. In 2008, tension with Russia began escalating. In five days of fighting, the Russian forces captured Tskhinvali, pushed back Georgian troops, and largely destroyed Georgia’s military infrastructure using airstrikes deep inside the Georgia proper. The war displaced 192,000 people but it ended in August of the same year.”

Rebuilding Georgia

“Reforms started as far back as November 2003, when the liberal-minded Mikheil Saakashvili took over from Eduard Shevardnadze as the president of Georgia. He embarked on a program of reform that led to improved quality of life for the people of the country. As the relics of the Soviet system were being flushed away, his government privatised state enterprises, invested in education, health, and infrastructure, and reformed the police force to get rid of corruption in it. One of the ways in which the police was reformed was by increasing the officers’ salaries as an incentive.

Also, and importantly, the country began work to make the economy one which could be invested in. The process has been so consistent, despite rough patches in civil stability, that the country is currently ranked the 8th easiest place to do business in the world by the World Bank.

Today, bribery is almost non-existent in Georgia, and according to polls only one percent of Georgians respond that they’ve been asked for a bribe by police.”

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, I started by telling you about my belief in the promise of Nigeria, I still do.

South Africa waited from 1948-1994 (46 years); Rwanda recovered in 18 years, Georgia was not free from 1921 – 1991 (70 years) and after 4 years of post-independent conflict and civil war, has rebounded in less than two decades.

What is instructive is that all these lessons and reforms came from within those countries. Their people, especially some outstanding leaders, led a moral and ethical renaissance, which delivered social and economic justice and results.

The question we must then ask is whether we are sufficiently dissatisfied with what we have.

If we are not, no leader, no matter how well intentioned, can lead us anywhere.

We must want change more than our leaders want it.

Our actions must demonstrate our unflinching desire for it like Mama.

If we want change, the elections in 2015 are a good place to start. No amount of ‘stomach infrastructure’ should be sufficient to influence our vote.

For me, the next elections is not so much about what the opposition brings as some people have argued.

I know that what the opposition does might or might not be helpful.

But I think there is another view that has not been interrogated.

If you and I are happy with what we have now, and some ambassadors say that they are, then nothing that the opposition does should change how we feel or how we choose.

Conversely therefore, if we are unhappy with what we have, the logical thing is to attempt to change it with our votes; and to change the next one if we do not find what we want until we find what works.

That is when the people will have truly claimed power.

Japan has changed Prime Ministers 9 times in 15 years. England has changed 3 in 10 years and who knows what will happen in May 2015?

CONCLUSION

Let me begin my conclusion by sharing with you some material I dug up about Detroit in Michigan State as typical of what can happen if we make good or bad choices.

“In February 1802, Detroit became a chartered city, and four years later it was incorporated as a city in the Michigan territory. However, it was unincorporated in 1809, then reincorporated in 1815, at which time it had a population of 850.

When, in 1827, Detroit adopted its motto: Speramus Meliora; Resurget Cineribus (We hope for better days; it shall rise from the ashes), no one knew just how good the years ahead would be, or that the city would once more experience bad times.
The mid-80s witnessed the rise of Detroit’s fortune as a city, as Bernhard Stroh opened up Stroh Brewery Company and acquired several brands over the years. In 1896, history was made when Henry Ford took his first automobile on a test drive on the streets of Detroit.

He went on to establish the Detroit Automobile Co. Although that company failed, several other automobile companies would be birthed in Detroit. Ransom E. Olds opened Detroit's first auto manufacturing plant, Ford established his second car company, Henry Ford Co. Ford, which went on to become Cadillac Motor Co. Detroit.

Detroit went on to become the automobile capital of the United States of America, with companies like General Motors, Chrysler Corp, Packard Motor Car Co. and others also being headquartered there in the 1900s.

By 1950, with a population of 1.85 million, Detroit was responsible for 296,000 manufacturing jobs. And it was more than automobile. The famous Motown Records was founded in the city, and had great artists like the Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, and the Jackson 5 signed onto it.

Detroit was the modern day equivalent of Silicon Valley in the United States of America at the time. It was the place for innovation and for bringing ideas to life. It had a population of 1.8 million people and it had the highest per capita income in the United States.”

Trouble in Detroit

“The first sign of big trouble came in the mid-90s as blacks moved into Detroit to work and live. Between 1945 and 1965, there were more than 200 violent racial incidents of whites attacking blacks in Detroit and almost all stemmed from the first or second black families moving into an all-white neighbourhood.

In July 1967 when The Twelfth Street riot occurred, during which black residents were pitted against the police. In five days of rioting, 43 people were killed, 467 injured, and more than 7,200 arrested while 2,000 buildings were destroyed.

As the years go by, such riots and the often near-state of anarchy in the city causes companies to begin relocating their factories and headquarters. It becomes cheaper for them to operate their manufacturing arm in other continents like Asia and this resulted in the downsizing and outsourcing of the auto industry.

Because Detroit’s economy was heavily reliant on the auto industry, and it had a history of racial battles, things went downhill. Thomas Sugrue, a history professor at the University of Pennsylvania, said of Detroit: "It's been 60-plus years of steady disinvestment, depopulation and an intensive hostility between the city, the suburbs and the rest of the state."

Although the influx of blacks into Detroit helped it to achieve economic rise, it led to a mass exodus of white residents. Those who could moved out of the city, especially the white population.
The population of the city also began to fall and in 2008, the U.S. Census Bureau reported that Detroit's population has fallen to 713,777, a 25 percent plummet from 2000 and the lowest level in 100 years. At the moment, about 83% of the city’s population is black.

Because Detroit's finances are premised on a minimum tax base of 750,000 people, the decline in population had economic repercussions. A new law, Public Act 4, that allows the state to intervene in financially troubled local governments takes effect.
Another factor that contributed to the city’s downfall was its corrupt local government. Things got so bad that in 2013 one of its former mayors’ was sentenced to 28 years in prison for corrupt acts done while in office.

A review board describes Detroit as being in "operational dysfunction" and “unable or unwilling to restructure its finances”.
By July 2013, while other cities and states were crawling their way out of the economic recession, Detroit had hit rock bottom. The city had as much as $20 billion debt and so it filed a bankruptcy petition, becoming the largest municipal bankruptcy filing in history.

Time Magazine, in 2009, posited that the fiscal disaster was inevitable “because the politicians in Detroit were always knocking the can forward, not confronting the issues, buying off public employees by increasing their pensions. They were always kind of confronting the impending crisis by trying to make it the next guy's crisis."

Today, there are less than 27,000 jobs in Detroit. It also has about 78,000 homes abandoned by people who fled because of the high incidence of violence. The crime rate in the city is 5 times higher than the average in the United States.”

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, we must turn around from the road to Detroit.

We cannot kick this can further down the road for another four years.

The consequences will be grave, it will be global, and reverberating.

Without any more doubt in my mind, the singular recommendation that I can make for ‘Rebuilding the Nation and using lessons from other lands’ is that we must renew our values.

We must act now to rebuild our nation by choosing morality, high ethics and a value system that inspires.

These are the lessons from other lands, as we seek to rebuild our nation.

Another instructive lesson from other lands that we compared, is that the change has come from within.

Happy Birthday General Gowon, I hope that you and I and all of us will see the Nigeria of our dream. I also hope that we will start from today to rebuild the values that will take us to that dream.

I thank you for listening.

Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN
Governor of Lagos State

What is transformational about that?

For the record, since around 2011, I have made a conscious effort not to use that word, and whenever I have succumbed to the unconscious use of it, it has been with very deep regret.

The truth is that we are not “transforming” for the better. Our own definition of the word seems to be different from the one in the dictionary.

It is obvious in all spheres of our national life, the evidence stares us in the face. No patrol vehicles for Policemen, arms are being rushed in purchase because none was budgeted for until we hit a crisis.

So we have heard of wives of soldiers protesting deployment of their husbands, soldiers making tactical withdrawals, small nations that are not as big as some local Governments in Nigeria embarrassing us.

Yet some Nigerians, who claim they are more patriotic than us, say that they are Ambassadors of this transformation and that we are wrong because all is well.

Really is all well? When last did Sudan, a nation that has been caught in civil strife, go to the Nations Cup, not to talk of defeating Nigeria?

I know that they won the Nations Cup in 1970 when they hosted it. But I cannot remember when last Nigeria lost a match to Sudan. But it happened on Saturday.

In our group with Congo and South Africa, we are the only nation that has not defeated Sudan. They lost by 3-0 to South Africa, and by 2-0 to Congo. FIFA has threatened to ban us, given us ultimata more times in a year.

This is happening when we are defending champions.

But how did we consolidate our success as African champions? We removed a young minister who was rebuilding our sports and connecting with his generation. His offence? He did not attend a political rally.

How consistent is this action with the transformational agenda to empower the young people of this country?

Again you will see inconsistency; words leading in the opposite direction of action.

How can we transform if we spent over N2 Trillion on importing fuel. This is approximately $12.5 Billion.

For those who are curious enough, please simply Google the cost of building the Burj Khalifa. It was the tallest building in the world when it was completed about four years ago and quickly became a foremost global tourism destination. It cost $1.5 Billion and an oil producing Emirate like our country used the same income source to send a strong statement of development and Excellence to the whole world.

According to our own Government, our transformation is evident in the handful of billionaires and the number of their private jets.

In order to understand our transformation, you might wonder what kind of ideology this transformation is, which makes it difficult to buy arms to pursue and diminish criminals.

Every person who cares to ask will easily find out that conflicts around the world are pursued with small arms which are in proliferation in the hands of criminals.

Yet we have been unable to get legally or illegally, what criminals get readily.

If this is the case, what does it say of our ability to apprehend them, if they can do illegally, what we cannot do illegally or legally? Some transformation.

My heart bleeds when I recount how we move from one avoidable embarrassment to another and so I will say no more.

What I have said is only necessary to contextualize what I think we should do.

In order to preface my solution, I will make a final reference to the arms purchase scandal and the Evangelical thread that trails it.

I know that all the scriptures abhor violence and killing, so I will focus on the ethical and moral message of that thread.

The last time I checked, arms and ammunition were not being used for making peace, giving life, treating sick people or providing spiritual renewal.

Arms are used to perpetrate violence or repel it. Usually they cause death. They are the anti-thesis of the spiritual injunction that, thou shall not kill.

The inconsistent purpose of arms and ammunition with this injunction is, for me, the most important reason why there should never have been that Evangelical thread.

It threatens the foundations of morality and values; and this is my message for all of us.

What we need most in order to rebuild our nation is to reclaim our lost values, re-define our moral codes, agree on a common definition of what is good and what is bad, pursue the development of our nation along these codes and refuse to accommodate any ethnic, kinship, tribal, religious or other coloration whenever these moral codes and ethical values are violated.

We have done it before. An example which I readily cite is a story told to me by my friend and I will repeat it:
About 40 years ago, when my friend was Ten-Years-Old, he recalls that his father had a close friend who was also a neighbour. For many years, his father and that friend constantly exchanged visits and after work drinks in each other’s homes.

My friend’s paternal grandmother lived with them. One evening, it was reported in the news that the neighbour, his father’s friend, was suspected of some impropriety in his office.

His grandmother had heard the news. When the friend walked over for the usual evening drink with his father, his grandmother refused to open the door.

In the exchange between son and mother (my friend’s father and his grandmother) as to why the well-known friend and neighbour could not enter, my friend’s grandmother replied that he must go and clear his name.

This was in Lagos, Nigeria. This was forty years ago.

So how many of us can and will be ready to be like Mama?

REBUILDING THE NATION: LESSONS FROM OTHER LANDS
BEING THE TEXT OF ADDRESS BY BABATUNDE RAJI FASHOLA, SAN AT THE LEADERSHIP ANNUAL CONFERENCE AND 2013 AWARDS PRESENTATION ON TUESDAY OCTOBER 14, 2014 AT THISDAY DOME ABUJA

They say lightning does not strike in the same place twice.

For the sake of all of us, I sincerely hope that this saying holds true for Nigerians.

Whilst thanking my hosts, the Leadership newspaper, for inviting me to speak at this event to celebrate General Yakubu Gowon, a patriot and public servant of no mean repute, I apologize that I must open with such words of what I may call frugally measured hope.

This is because the circumstances which thrust a young General Gowon upon our Nation as a leader in the 1960s are not too different from what appears on Nigeria’s political and social landscape from what any honest Nigerian can see.

Indeed the dark clouds that gather are this time prefaced by an ominous prediction about the continuity of our union from a place far away.

If anybody has any doubt about what I say, I will recall history and go back to a speech delivered on Sunday 5th February 1970 in which it was partly said as follows:-

“Before and since the end of the civil war, we have heard a good deal about physical reconstruction, with particular and almost exclusive reference to the reconstruction of roads, bridges, airports, buildings, market-places and other such-like material and concrete objects which were damaged during the war.
I know, and I want to assure you, that all the Governments of the Federation are already busy making gargantuan preparations to the end that every trace, however slight, of the extensive physical damage done during the war shall be totally erased within the next year or two. But, if the rebuilding of roads, bridges, etc. were all that needed to be done, then the task of reconstruction would be an exceedingly easy proposition.
For Nigeria has the requisite material and financial, as well as the human resources to tackle these jobs effectively and expeditiously. In addition, it has a large circle of friendly countries which are prepared to come to its aid as and when required.
But before we have travelled far on the road of material reconstruction, we must realise, and do so vividly and truthfully, that the most crucial areas of reconstruction are the minds of Nigerian citizens on both sides of the fighting line.
In other words, in addition to material reconstruction, there is an urgent and massive need for moral and spiritual reconstruction as well: the kind of reconstruction which will help to demolish morbid desire for naked power and domination; abuse and misuse of power and office; greed, selfishness, and intolerance; nepotism, favouritism, jobbery, bribery, and other forms of corruption; and erect, in their places, probity, tolerance, altruism, and devotion; equality of treatment, justice, equity, and fair play to all.”

This speech was given by Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

For those who still need to be persuaded, I ask further, why would we gather to celebrate the 80th birthday anniversary of General Gowon, who led us through a bitter civil war, inaugurated a rebuilding process built on 3Rs of Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Reconciliation and 44 years after that process we will gather to discuss a topic such as “Rebuilding the Nation: Lessons from other Lands” if all was well with Nigeria.

Why are we not at this occasion celebrating our arrival on the moon?

I do not know how General Gowon feels inwardly as he continues to lead prayers for Nigeria, but I would not be happy that today’s Nigeria is what lives were sacrificed to keep together, if I were him.

Nevertheless, I personally know that all is not lost. I am an optimist. I am convinced that the problems are man-made, and therefore men and women can and will solve them.

I have believed as a child and continue to believe as an adult in the great promise of Nigeria.

Whether we like it or not, the promise of Nigeria will be fulfilled. What I do not know is when. Whether it will happen in my lifetime or after.

It would be nice to experience it. I can visualize it.

The world’s largest collection of black people, blessed in many more ways than one, diverse in human and material resources, and if only it can unite in its purpose and mission.

I would love to live that dream. And it is possible. But it must start with us.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Nigeria has not changed. It is us Nigerians who have changed. As one commentator put it, we have lost our innocence.

The assets of Nigeria, in men and material resources, have continued to grow or at least remain undiminished.

What has diminished in many vast quantities are our values.

We have refused to look in the mirror because we know what we will see and we are not ready to confront it.

What we will see is a people who appear unsure again how to define good and bad.

In order to avoid the confrontation that we must have with ourselves, amongst ourselves and within ourselves, we have thrown up false reasons.

The constitution is bad. It is our diversity. It is our religion or it is our ethnicity.

So, in order to avoid the truth, we have lived in our own bubble, amending constitution after constitution as if that was the problem.

Instead of the many Constitutional Conferences that we have had, what we really need is a conference of values.

Nigerians have not experienced the promise of this country because our values and moral codes have gone in different directions.

Ever so often, when the Nigerian people have asked the leadership for a better life, we seem to miss the question or we avoid it; we give them a new law or a new document, or we set up one Committee.

The ordinary Nigerian will not be as interested in what is written in the Constitution, as he will be interested in safety, food, shelter, prosperity, education and work.

But when we finally agree to look in the mirror, we will see that these things have been denied by our values.

From the shortage of electric power, to the deficit of roads, insecurity and crime, sub-optimal economy, high interest rate, poor exchange rates, the poor value issues and misuse of power, greed, selfishness, intolerance, nepotism, favouritism, bribery and other forms of corruption identified since 1970, lie at the heart and as root-cause.

Therefore on discussing my topic, as chosen by my hosts, which is: Rebuilding the Nation, lessons from other lands, my approach today will be to share some of the problems that we are all too familiar with as examples of what must change.

Then I will proceed to look at other places and make possible comparisons, in order to show what they have experienced, and what they did, as lessons that we may consider; if we must re-build our nation.

Let me start with some of the problems.

And I will not say anything that comes from me. I will only repeat what some ordinary Nigerians have said and what some of you may have read.

I will start with Alade Fawole who writes on the back page of Tribune Newspapers and what he said in the Tuesday edition of 7th October 2014, which he titled “The Mo Ibrahim index exposed the ugliness of Nigeria’s underdevelopment.”

He said in part as follows:
“A few months ago, after the Nigerian economy was officially rebased, a mere statistical abracadabra that placed Nigeria as having the largest economy in Africa ahead of South Africa which had rightly occupied that position for decades, our national officials were giddy with celebration, effusively touted the wielding of that magic wand called rebasing as another evidence of the success of President Jonathan's transformation agenda.

And they did their level best to persuade us of the 'benefits' of this newly minted status. Many perceptive analysts advised cautious jubilation at the time, stating that the mere statistical manipulation or creative accounting exercise neither reflected the actual economic realities on the ground in the country nor would it make any meaningful impact on the lives and living standards of the 70 percent ordinary Nigerians who survive on less than two dollars a day.

Fancy economic statistics that fail to translate into positive improvement in the living conditions of the mass of the people is at best useless.

Every commentator with a contrary view was at the time regarded in official circles in Abuja as either working for the opposition party, (the accusation routinely leveled at anybody who disagrees with government), or he/she was downright unappreciative if not also unpatriotic.

But the reality is that this rebasing did not, and has not, addressed chronic poverty, infrastructure decay, creeping authoritarianism, mass youth unemployment, adult underemployment, burgeoning insecurity and overall bad governance, and other challenges that confront the country.

The 2014 Ibrahim Index on African Governance (IIAG), an annual review on governance in Africa of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, released on Monday, September 29, ranks Nigeria among the worst governed countries in Africa. It has revealed the stark ugliness of Nigeria's underdeveloped status in the world.

Of the 52 countries profiled, Nigeria is placed number 37, far below its principal competitor and continental rival, South Africa, which ranks number 4, after Mauritius, Cape Verde and Botswana in that order. Nigeria scoring 45.8 not only ranks below the West African average of 52.2, it ranks scandalously lower than the overall African average of 51.5!

What makes this highly atrocious and humiliating, in my humble view, is that Nigeria is the undisputed sub-regional 'superpower' by several statistical considerations. It all shows that the rebasing was just another statistical hocus pocus contrived to hoodwink the people that they are actually more prosperous than previously imagined.

Let's return to the 2014 Ibrahim Index. Eleven West African countries, among them post-conflict states like Liberia and Sierra Leone still coping with the devastating consequences of civil wars, rank ahead of Nigeria!

How much more scandalous can things get' All the 52 African countries were judged on four basic premises, namely: Safety and Rule of Law, Participation and Human Rights, Sustainable Economic Opportunity, and Human Development, and Nigeria ranked poorly in virtually all of them.

It is customary during major national celebrations for our governments to reel out their wonderful achievements. This year's nationwide independence anniversary broadcast by President Goodluck Jonathan on 1st October did not disappoint ----- as usual it was full of self-praise and effusive celebration of the government's fantastic achievements.

Among the things that caught my attention is the President's claim that 'we have been able to sustain a big, strong and influential country with a robust economy. We are currently in our sixteenth year of uninterrupted democratic rule, daily improving on the consolidation of our democratic process.'

Add to that sundry claims of the power sector reforms that will bring us electricity, 'giant strides in the agricultural sector' and sundry policies meant to fast-track job creation, inclusive growth and industrialisation, upgrade existing infrastructure, and all that. Coming just two days after the release of the Ibrahim Index, the speech and all the fancy claims rang rather hollow and unconvincing.

While a little self-congratulation may not be completely out of place, it's high time the government came down from its high horse to acknowledge the ugly realities of Nigeria's underdevelopment, and begin to come up with innovative ways of solving them so that Nigeria can in the next few years emerge from this sorry state.

Not much will be achieved by wallowing in self-congratulations instead of facing the facts. I don't know about our government, but I consider it shameful, scandalous and unacceptable that a big country endowed with abundant natural and human resources like Nigeria would place thirty-seventh in Africa and tenth out of sixteen in the West Africa sub-region. The only appropriate appellation for it is 'big for nothing country'.”

I will also quickly refer you to the views expressed by Abimbola Adelakun who writes on the back page of Punch Newspapers and this is part of what she had to say in the Tuesday October 9th 2014 edition about security (on which we have received a poor rating) in a piece she titled “The battle the Army needs to win.”

She said:
“How, one wonders, does a fundamentalist sect without any training in modern warfare defeat Army officers? Boko Haram, ab initio, is a copycat organisation; no original thought.

They are as vicious as any psychopath armed with high-octane weapons can be. Their videos portray them as a disorganised band whose major strength is the worthlessness of their lives which they never hesitate to throw away.

On this page some weeks back, I noted that now that ISIS beheads people on video, Boko Haram too will soon follow suit – and they did! Boko Haram is asymptotic of the spectacularisation of violence elsewhere. Even their triumph is barely original.
How can such a group endlessly confound the Nigerian Army if not for the politics of war?

For now, the evidence that Shekau had truly been killed is weak yet cuts at the heart of the credibility of the Army. The Army has been caught in several blatant lies that believing they actually killed Shekau sounds like ‘tales by the moonlight’. Worse, the evidence they presented works hard at saying nothing but destroying their claims.”

Ladies and Gentlemen, I did not say this. Two Nigerian citizens said so. I have resolved for a long time not to speak badly about my country.

But that resolve also comes with another resolve not to pretend about its problems, because I believe they can be solved.

So I cannot pretend that the problems highlighted in these words by two Nigerians indicate that they exist.

Many words summarize these comments. Inefficiency of Government, mistrust between the Governed and those Governing at the national level. And nothing typifies this more than the Transformation agenda and the Transformation Ambassadors, who seem to see what all of us and perhaps the rest of the world do not see in our country.

Yes I agree that Nigerians need to unite around an idea or a vision, but for that to happen, the idea or vision must be SHARED and our efforts must be united towards realizing it, while our actions must be consistent with that idea. This is the kernel of Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s speech that I referred to.

Has this happened? I cannot answer this question alone. Indeed the answer lies in a joint examination of Nigeria’s current realities and expressed vision; in a Transformation Agenda.

Is this a shared idea, vision or agenda? Was it discussed with you? Do you know what it means?

Let us start from the definition. The word derives from the verb “Transform” which means:

“to completely change the character or appearance of something,…so that it is better.”

So if we paraphrase, to transform means ‘to change for the better.’

In the last four years, has Nigeria changed for the better?

I do not know about you. But the signs that there was not going to be any transformation were obvious to me since 2011 or thereabouts.

As a mere slogan perhaps yes. As a call to purposeful action, the deception is obvious if you look at the budgets we have presented as a nation, and more critically at how much of it, we have been able to implement.

For any serious public officer, nation or Government the budget is the article of faith.

It is the easiest place from which the seriousness or lack of seriousness of the people in that country or region are valued.

It determines what investors locally and internationally will do.

In a nation where we need to increase the supply of good road networks, where power needs to be produced in multiples of thousands of megawatts, where specialist health care facilities are needed, one would expect a massive investment in financing public infrastructure at a time when oil has been selling for around $100 per barrel.

But details of the Federal Budget pieced together between 2010 and 2013 show that every year in those four years we have budgeted at least 62% and at most 74% on recurrent spending, while the maximum budget for capital expenditure, from which roads, rail, power, hospitals, bridges, etc can be executed have received at most 38% in 2010 before this administration started, and as little as 26% in 2011.

If truly there was a desire to make a change for the better which is what transformation means, it should be obvious as a statement of intent from the budget.

But contrary to what we profess, our budgets spend more on recurrent; payment of salaries, travel, importing kerosene, petrol, rice and every other imaginable thing.

Born To Rule Appellation; Blackmail Against Northern Elites By Diversionary Agents By Abdulrahman Agboola

People should not be carried away by the antics of subterranean forces to blackmail the Northern candidates against their inalienable rights to seek mandate of the people to lead the country in the capacity of President. It will be in the best interest of the young people to get the facts correct about struggle for power and defuse hatred for people and their race ignorantly.

The truth, crushed to the earth, will surely rise again” is a maxim that exposes the short reign of falsehood over truth, suffice to say that irrespective of the intensity of confusions caused by falsehood, it cannot stand the test of time. As a result of the long reign of personalities of Northern extraction at the helms of affairs of our dear Country, the diversionary agents with intentions to exonerate the real detractors that derailed the cause of good governance in Nigeria have spread and hanged the wrong notion of born to rule mentality on the Northern elites.


Muhammadu Buhari's poster
By the formation of Nigeria, every qualified citizen possesses a right to aspire for political office as provided by a system of government inherent in our Constitution at any point in time. It is worthy to note that the bid of notable democrats from Northern Nigeria for the Office of the President in recent time has been meted with campaign of calumny by propagandists and sinister forces maligning the North by portraying the Northern elites as being desperate for power with the mentality of “born to rule”. This unfounded propaganda is indeed a calculated attempt to sow seed of discord among the adherents of an egalitarian society with equal opportunities for all Nigerians.

To put the record straight on this propaganda, it is imperative to analyse some events and occurrences within the corridor of power in the early Nigeria to defuse the misconceptions arising from brainwashing of the unsuspecting masses by the beneficiaries of rancor and promoters of the division of the country along ethnic and religion partitions. It is equally important to dissect some of the intricacies involved in the formation of the country at independence in 1960.

The country started with a parliamentary system of government with three regions known as Northern, Eastern and Western Regions. The struggle for the position of Prime Minister was between Alhaji Tafawa Balewa of the Northern Region and Chief Obafemi Awolowo of the Western Region, where Chief Nnamdi Azikwe of the Eastern Region, who eventually emerged as the Ceremonial President in 1960, aligned with Alhaji Tafawa Balewa to defeat Chief Obafemi Awolowo at the election for Prime Minister, leading to the emergence of Chief Awolowo as opposition leader at the Federal Parliament. This analysis is to confirm that the emergence of a Northern person as the prime minister of the country at independence was made possible by the people of the Eastern region.

The alliance between the Eastern region and the Northern region against the Western region eventually led to the emergence of a status quo in the leadership of the country in 1963, when the country became a republic. In the cause of administration, the Prime Minister was more powerful than the President, a normal dictate of the Parliamentary System of Government, which led to ill-feelings among the people of Eastern region that believed their brother, in the capacity of President, ought to call the shots.

Bickering started over the outcome of the 1963 population census which the Igbos thought overestimated the population of Northern people to the give the Northern region more population in the Federal Parliament. The change from a parliamentary to a presidential system of government was partly premised on that ground, but not without terror on the country by the aggrieved Igbo nationalities.

On 15th January, 1966, Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu, a Nigerian of Igbo extraction from the Eastern region with support of Igbo nationalities, led the first military coup that killed many leaders of both the Northern and Western Regions including but not limited to the Prime Minister, Alhaji Tafawa Balewa, Sir Ahmadu Bello, Premier from the Northern region and Chief Samuel Akintola, Premier, Western region. In the same coup, top army officers from the North and West were killed while the Premier of the Eastern region, Igbo army chiefs, and other leaders from the East were spared by the coup executioners.

The coup foisted General Aguiyi Ironsi on the country as the Head of State to the satisfaction of the people of Eastern region. On 18th January, 1966 the leader of the coup, Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu, was arrested in Lagos in the company of another Igbo citizen, Lt Col. Conrad Nwawo. The Head of State, General Aguiyi Ironsi, also an Igbo man, showed leniency to the arrested culprits to the chagrin and disappointments of other nationalities, an action that indicted him as part of the coup.

With the reality of the underlining motives of those who gruesomely murdered Northern and Western leaders in their conspiracy coup to be in control of the country at the expense of other nationalities, other nationalities resiliently repelled the coup on 29th July, 1966 and restored sanity to the nation with the emergence of Major General Yakubu Gowon as the Head of State. Lt Col Emeka Ojukwu as the head of the Eastern region, in a premeditated manner facilitated the transfer of Kaduna Nzeogwu from Maximum Security Prison Kirikiri in Lagos to Nigeria Prison, Enugu and later released him in April 1967 in his preparation for the civil war later declared on the country by Lt Col Emeka Ojukwu.

The administration of General Gowon declared commitment and dedication to the return of power to the civilian government and moved to split the four existing regions to 12 states in 1967. The leader of the Eastern region rejected the proposal with his declaration of Biafra Republic in a violent manner that led to the bloody Civil War in Nigeria from 1967 till 1970. General Gowon failed on his promise to return the nation to civilian government which led to a palace coup devoid of bloodshed in 1975 with General Murtala Muhammad as the Head of State.

In pursuance of the earlier defeated greed of Igbo nationalities, another Igbo man, Major Buka Dimka, aggrieved over the transition programme of General Murtala to hand over power to a civilian government, led another violent coup that led to the killing of General Murtala Muhammad in 1976. General Olusegun Obasanjo, as the new Head of State, completed the transition programme and handed over government to a civilian government in the person of Alhaji Sheu Shagari in 1979.

It is imperative to state that the adjudged controversial victory of Sheu Shagari of the Northern Party of Nigeria against Chief Obafemi Awolowo of the Unity Party of Nigeria was aided majorly by Southerners who mobilized vehemently against the outstanding credentials of Chief Awolowo both at the 1979 and 1983 presidential elections. The result of the 1983 election was seriously contested in court. The administration of Sheu Shagari was alleged of a high level of corruption and poor governance which led to the abolition of that Republic by concerned nationalists in the military.

A proper analysis of the change of governments since 1983 till date does not indict the Northern elites of desperation at any point in time. Following the annulment of 12th June, 1993 presidential election involving Chief M.K.O. Abiola, it was a Yoruba nationalist chief, Ernest Shonekan, that accepted to lead an interim government at the detriment of the Yoruba nation while in 1999, the entire Northern elites supported a proposal for the President and Senate President to emerge from the Southern Nigeria and the Yoruba Nation produced the President while the Igbo Nation produced the Senate President.

It is a common knowledge that the agreement among the Northern and Southern elites in 1998, was a rotation of power between the South and North after two terms of eight years each and since the advocacy of the Northern elites for their turn to lead the country expectedly, some Southern elites mostly from the South East and South South have not spared the Northern elites with the appellation of “born to rule”. Without fear of contradiction and the avalanche of facts on the desperation of races to impoverish this country, the Northern people do not portray the born to rule mentality labelling them by the detractors of our collective goods.

People should not be carried away by the antics of subterranean forces to blackmail the Northern candidates against their inalienable rights to seek mandate of the people to lead the country in the capacity of President. It will be in the best interest of the young people to get the facts correct about struggle for power and defuse hatred for people and their race ignorantly. We must overlook the past and unite as one people of a great country to positively direct our affairs devoid of blackmail or propaganda against any region. The rights of every Nigerian must be respected in consonance with the understanding of our leaders on rotational leadership in order to restore the lost glory of our noble country.


Comrade AbdulRahman Agboola

National Coordinator,

Mass Action for Good Governance and Grassroots Developments in Nigeria.

nycnpro@gmail.com

Born To Rule Appellation; Blackmail Against Northern Elites By Diversionary Agents By Abdulrahman Agboola

People should not be carried away by the antics of subterranean forces to blackmail the Northern candidates against their inalienable rights to seek mandate of the people to lead the country in the capacity of President. It will be in the best interest of the young people to get the facts correct about struggle for power and defuse hatred for people and their race ignorantly.

The truth, crushed to the earth, will surely rise again” is a maxim that exposes the short reign of falsehood over truth, suffice to say that irrespective of the intensity of confusions caused by falsehood, it cannot stand the test of time. As a result of the long reign of personalities of Northern extraction at the helms of affairs of our dear Country, the diversionary agents with intentions to exonerate the real detractors that derailed the cause of good governance in Nigeria have spread and hanged the wrong notion of born to rule mentality on the Northern elites.


Muhammadu Buhari's poster
By the formation of Nigeria, every qualified citizen possesses a right to aspire for political office as provided by a system of government inherent in our Constitution at any point in time. It is worthy to note that the bid of notable democrats from Northern Nigeria for the Office of the President in recent time has been meted with campaign of calumny by propagandists and sinister forces maligning the North by portraying the Northern elites as being desperate for power with the mentality of “born to rule”. This unfounded propaganda is indeed a calculated attempt to sow seed of discord among the adherents of an egalitarian society with equal opportunities for all Nigerians.

To put the record straight on this propaganda, it is imperative to analyse some events and occurrences within the corridor of power in the early Nigeria to defuse the misconceptions arising from brainwashing of the unsuspecting masses by the beneficiaries of rancor and promoters of the division of the country along ethnic and religion partitions. It is equally important to dissect some of the intricacies involved in the formation of the country at independence in 1960.

The country started with a parliamentary system of government with three regions known as Northern, Eastern and Western Regions. The struggle for the position of Prime Minister was between Alhaji Tafawa Balewa of the Northern Region and Chief Obafemi Awolowo of the Western Region, where Chief Nnamdi Azikwe of the Eastern Region, who eventually emerged as the Ceremonial President in 1960, aligned with Alhaji Tafawa Balewa to defeat Chief Obafemi Awolowo at the election for Prime Minister, leading to the emergence of Chief Awolowo as opposition leader at the Federal Parliament. This analysis is to confirm that the emergence of a Northern person as the prime minister of the country at independence was made possible by the people of the Eastern region.

The alliance between the Eastern region and the Northern region against the Western region eventually led to the emergence of a status quo in the leadership of the country in 1963, when the country became a republic. In the cause of administration, the Prime Minister was more powerful than the President, a normal dictate of the Parliamentary System of Government, which led to ill-feelings among the people of Eastern region that believed their brother, in the capacity of President, ought to call the shots.

Bickering started over the outcome of the 1963 population census which the Igbos thought overestimated the population of Northern people to the give the Northern region more population in the Federal Parliament. The change from a parliamentary to a presidential system of government was partly premised on that ground, but not without terror on the country by the aggrieved Igbo nationalities.

On 15th January, 1966, Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu, a Nigerian of Igbo extraction from the Eastern region with support of Igbo nationalities, led the first military coup that killed many leaders of both the Northern and Western Regions including but not limited to the Prime Minister, Alhaji Tafawa Balewa, Sir Ahmadu Bello, Premier from the Northern region and Chief Samuel Akintola, Premier, Western region. In the same coup, top army officers from the North and West were killed while the Premier of the Eastern region, Igbo army chiefs, and other leaders from the East were spared by the coup executioners.

The coup foisted General Aguiyi Ironsi on the country as the Head of State to the satisfaction of the people of Eastern region. On 18th January, 1966 the leader of the coup, Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu, was arrested in Lagos in the company of another Igbo citizen, Lt Col. Conrad Nwawo. The Head of State, General Aguiyi Ironsi, also an Igbo man, showed leniency to the arrested culprits to the chagrin and disappointments of other nationalities, an action that indicted him as part of the coup.

With the reality of the underlining motives of those who gruesomely murdered Northern and Western leaders in their conspiracy coup to be in control of the country at the expense of other nationalities, other nationalities resiliently repelled the coup on 29th July, 1966 and restored sanity to the nation with the emergence of Major General Yakubu Gowon as the Head of State. Lt Col Emeka Ojukwu as the head of the Eastern region, in a premeditated manner facilitated the transfer of Kaduna Nzeogwu from Maximum Security Prison Kirikiri in Lagos to Nigeria Prison, Enugu and later released him in April 1967 in his preparation for the civil war later declared on the country by Lt Col Emeka Ojukwu.

The administration of General Gowon declared commitment and dedication to the return of power to the civilian government and moved to split the four existing regions to 12 states in 1967. The leader of the Eastern region rejected the proposal with his declaration of Biafra Republic in a violent manner that led to the bloody Civil War in Nigeria from 1967 till 1970. General Gowon failed on his promise to return the nation to civilian government which led to a palace coup devoid of bloodshed in 1975 with General Murtala Muhammad as the Head of State.

In pursuance of the earlier defeated greed of Igbo nationalities, another Igbo man, Major Buka Dimka, aggrieved over the transition programme of General Murtala to hand over power to a civilian government, led another violent coup that led to the killing of General Murtala Muhammad in 1976. General Olusegun Obasanjo, as the new Head of State, completed the transition programme and handed over government to a civilian government in the person of Alhaji Sheu Shagari in 1979.

It is imperative to state that the adjudged controversial victory of Sheu Shagari of the Northern Party of Nigeria against Chief Obafemi Awolowo of the Unity Party of Nigeria was aided majorly by Southerners who mobilized vehemently against the outstanding credentials of Chief Awolowo both at the 1979 and 1983 presidential elections. The result of the 1983 election was seriously contested in court. The administration of Sheu Shagari was alleged of a high level of corruption and poor governance which led to the abolition of that Republic by concerned nationalists in the military.

A proper analysis of the change of governments since 1983 till date does not indict the Northern elites of desperation at any point in time. Following the annulment of 12th June, 1993 presidential election involving Chief M.K.O. Abiola, it was a Yoruba nationalist chief, Ernest Shonekan, that accepted to lead an interim government at the detriment of the Yoruba nation while in 1999, the entire Northern elites supported a proposal for the President and Senate President to emerge from the Southern Nigeria and the Yoruba Nation produced the President while the Igbo Nation produced the Senate President.

It is a common knowledge that the agreement among the Northern and Southern elites in 1998, was a rotation of power between the South and North after two terms of eight years each and since the advocacy of the Northern elites for their turn to lead the country expectedly, some Southern elites mostly from the South East and South South have not spared the Northern elites with the appellation of “born to rule”. Without fear of contradiction and the avalanche of facts on the desperation of races to impoverish this country, the Northern people do not portray the born to rule mentality labelling them by the detractors of our collective goods.

People should not be carried away by the antics of subterranean forces to blackmail the Northern candidates against their inalienable rights to seek mandate of the people to lead the country in the capacity of President. It will be in the best interest of the young people to get the facts correct about struggle for power and defuse hatred for people and their race ignorantly. We must overlook the past and unite as one people of a great country to positively direct our affairs devoid of blackmail or propaganda against any region. The rights of every Nigerian must be respected in consonance with the understanding of our leaders on rotational leadership in order to restore the lost glory of our noble country.


Comrade AbdulRahman Agboola

National Coordinator,

Mass Action for Good Governance and Grassroots Developments in Nigeria.

nycnpro@gmail.com

Lagos State may be right to wait for the federal govt probe into the disaster for two reasons.

1. To give fair hearings to TB Joshua on his alleged bombing video by fighter jet which only federal security agency (SSS & Military) can handle since it has involved other nationals.

2. This has become a tragedy and also involved other nationals inspite of the facts that TB Joshua has violated the State law which he cannot get away with, but killing other nationals un-justly is bigger issues that atimes ignites war between countries.

I can see wisdom in Lagos State step on waiting for security investigation before indictment,surely TB has violated law of the land but it would be too early,because what happened was more than state building law but killing. I'm a muslim but like to be fair.

My sincere opinnion.
Thanks

CAN, Ayo Oritsejafor, and the limit of un-godliness - by: Adeolu Ademoyo - September 21, 2014
This is a letter to my Nigerian Christian Compatriots.

Dear Fellow Nigerian Christians,
I have decided to write to you today as a Christian and as a Nigerian. I will also like to put it on record that I am a Catholic.
I write to you on the recent activities of the president of the Christian Association of Nigeria-Mr. Ayo Oritsejafor. As you know, Mr. Oritsejafor is a pastor, a businessman with varied economic, commercial, business interests who is also deeply invested in partisan politics on behalf of PDP and President Goodluck Jonathan.

Currently, one of his companies-Eagle Air Company- is involved in an unlawful and shady deal in South Africa the substance of which still remains a mystery waiting to be resolved. And this is the source of my concern, worry and public letter to you.
On September 5, 2014 two Nigerians and an Israeli citizen were caught in Lanseria International Airport Johannesburg airport trying to illegally move $9.3m into South Africa. They flew into Johannesburg in a private jet owned by Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor and operated by his company-Eagle Air Company. It is curious that the Nigerian and South African authorities are yet to disclose the names of these two Nigerians. But they have quickly disclosed the name of the Israeli. The Israeli is Mr. Eyal Mesika
Here is the mystery. It is a basic aviation law that all travelers must disclose the amount of foreign currency on them if it is above a particular amount as stated in the country’s laws. Under South African law, the maximum you can bring into South Africa without disclosing it to aviation authority at point of entry is $2,300. Mr. Eyal Mesika, the Israeli and his yet to be named two Nigerian collaborators flew into South Africa in a private jet owned by CAN President, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor with $9.3million.
They did not disclose this amount to the South African aviation authorities until they were caught. Under interrogation they disclosed that they were in South Africa to buy arms for the Nigerian government. The Nigerian government of President Jonathan has hurried in to add its weight to this claim.
Fellow Christians, but some questions remain. These questions if un-answered will forever tar the CAN President-Ayo Oritsejafor and by extension CAN itself and will bring CAN into a state of permanent disrepute under the leadership of Ayo Oritsejafor until he leaves. This is because when a President of an association speaks he/she speaks on behalf of the association. The moral face –or otherwise-of a president of an association is taken to be the public moral face of the association he/she speaks for.
Therefore the questions that bother me concern Christian ethics about truth and whether Ayo Oritsejafor CAN president and CAN leadership uphold (on this issue) basic Christian ethics we teach our children in bible classes on Sundays during mass, worship sessions and in preparation for Christian baptism and confirmation. In the church we hold and/ or ought to hold this basic Christian ethics as part of the foundation of our faith and secular lives.
One of my questions is: Is the private jet Bombardier Challenger 600 Registration No 8o8HG owned by Mr. Ayo Oritsejafor and his company the same plane Pastor Oritsejafor claimed an anonymous member of his church donated to him in 2012?
Dear sisters and brothers in Christ, I am shakened, deeply worried and ethically troubled by this. Please read Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor in November 2012 on the mystery, which surrounded a plane he said, was donated to him anonymously by church members. On this the Pastor (Ayo Oritsejafor) and man of God said:
“I’m not ashamed to own a plane, I think it is a necessity and not a luxury for some of us deeply involved in the work of God to own planes,” the pastor said. The Pastor said he did not know the church members who donated the jet, saying all he knew was that some members constituted a committee for the purpose and that his wife worked closely with the committee. He said members of the congregation decided to donate the jet after they became aware of the suffering he underwent whenever he travelled in and out of Nigeria preaching the gospel.
These are the Pastor’s words verbatim: “They (church members, the faithful) feel the pain I go through and they feel painful for not seeing me most of the time,” Mr. Oritsejafor explained. “They don’t like it, they are troubled. I know some people buy planes, I can’t buy plane. I can’t afford it. I don’t have that kind of money, (my emphasis) I still don’t know the people that bought this plane, but I know that there is a committee.”
The Pastor continued “Sometimes, my schedule is so complicated. Now, with this plane, it changes everything about my movements. Now, I can move, I can even go and come back home. It is a bit more convenient for me and I suspect that this is one of the reasons a lot of these other preachers have planes.”
https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/108513-why-private-jet-is-a-necessity-for-me-pastor-ayo-oritsejafor.html
Dear Christians, though this is painful as a Christian, because it concerns truth saying as part of Christian ethics, but I shall ignore the fact that Pastor Oritsejafor used his mouth to say that his wife worked with the committee members that anonymously donated the plane (which means the Pastor’s wife knew these committee members) but that he (Ayo Oritsejafor) did not know the committee members.
So? Sisters and brothers in Christ, Is the plane owned by Pastor Oritsejafor that was caught conducting illegal business in South Africa the same plane the Pastor said was donated to him anonymously to carry out his Christian ministry duties? If so, is flying $9.3million dollars to South Africa to allegedly buy arms a Christian missionary Godly duty the anonymous church members who donated the plane asked Pastor Oritsejafor to use it for? Is doing this covertly- because according Femi Fanikayode’s defense “we are in war situation” – carrying out God’s work on earth?
If it is not the same plane, does it mean that the Pastor has other planes other than the one he said church members donated to him anonymously? If so, does it mean Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor lied or forgot to say the whole truth when he said he did not have money to buy plane as quoted in his statement above? These questions bother me as a Christian because if Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor failed to properly explain these inconsistencies, it means he lied and this is a major violation of our Christian ethics. Hence, I am bothered deeply. Given Ayo Oritsejafor’s questionable ethics, I no longer know again how to stand before my children at home and talk Christian faith and ethics.
To have someone like Ayo Oritsejafor who shows up more as a business man and a politician than a Pastor and who does not hide his unchristian and un-religious partisanship on behalf of PDP and President Jonathan 2015 campaign does not help Nigeria. It does not help Christians. It does not help truth. It does not help Christian ethics on which our faith stands.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ the government of President Jonathan has a history of dealing in a shadowy manner with modern day Israeli government, Israeli companies and Israeli citizens. In this shady and shadowy relationships President Jonathan and his fellow travelers deliberately mix up and muddle for effect (to confuse Nigerian Christians) the biblical Israel with the modern political state of Israel. The bad thing which ought to be unacceptable to any self respecting Nigerian Christian is that Ayo Oritsejafor brings CAN’s image into this shadowy and shady deals. It is not good. It is un-christian. It is un-Godly.
In this shadowy and shady deals, there are numerous examples out of which I will cite one. There was the case of the Israeli Internet security company-ELBIT Security System. It is not a coincidence that President Jonathan’ government deviously and covertly contracted ELBIT for espionage purposes in Nigeria –a contract which is unknown to any Nigerian law.
More importantly Nigerians did not know of this contract with this Israeli company until it was made public by a news paper-Premiumtimes. Also, there are two conflicting figures as to the cost of the contract, which allows public money to be stolen and privatized by all those involved.
Till today the mystery around ELBIT Internet Security systems and money paid to it remains a mystery that has been swept under the carpet. It is therefore not surprising that another Israeli citizen is involved with two Nigerians in another shadowy deal to allegedly buy arms in South Africa while using the plane owned by the CAN president-Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor.
Dear fellow Christians, of course CAN and other Nigerians such as Femi Fanikayode, have come out to defend Ayo Oritsejafor .
Femi Fanikayode wrote that the covert manner of using private jets to ferry cash in war situation to buy arms is normal. Femi Fanikayode’s defense follows Nigerian government’s jerky narrative on this immoral and dubious act. Femi’s analogy is a hopeless self-serving analogy that cannot stand the test of the actual situation of war. To try to explain-after the fact- a straightforward fraud, criminality and illegality in which the business company of the president of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Ayo Oritsejafor found itself as a covert operation in war situation is disingenuous and it deepens the fraud.
But more importantly Femi Fanikayode claimed to be speaking as a former minister of aviation and admitted that “Perhaps the only failing (in the $9.3million case) was the fact that the cash was not declared to South African Customs as is required by law.” The question is : Why was it not disclosed? Femi Fanikayode is claiming a patent criminality, fraud, illegality, violation of another country’s laws by Pastor Oritsejafor’s company in conjunction with the federal republic of Nigeria as “perhaps the only failing…”
Fellow Christians, if this is what Christian ethics is, if this is the way we as Christians will spin basic fraud to save the face of fellow Christian then we need to begin to examine the basis of our faith and how we practice it. If Femi Fanikayode is making this dubious defense then I have the following questions for him: Did he do the same thing when he was aviation minister? Did he use jets to ferry cash out of our country illegally and fraudulently? Could this be the basis of the money laundering charges against him by the EFCC? Pastors Femi Fanikayode and Ayo Oristejafor, is this Christian ethics?
Also, CAN came out in a shocking press statement by one Sunny Oibe to absolve the CAN president. Sunny Oibe wrote under the office “Director of National Issues”(CAN). See Premiumtimes September 16, 2014. But how can CAN absolve CAN’s president when CAN’s president and his company are questionable parties to this can of worms? Sunny Oibe’s press statement absolving CAN’s president is an embarrassment to Nigerian Christians and our faith.
In a most brazen manner betraying Ayo Oristejafor’s use of CAN’s platform as a partisan tool on behalf of PDP and President Jonathan 2015 campaign Sunny Oibe rather than face their un-Godly, illegal and un-ethical practice, called APC one of Nigeria’s national parties an “Islamic party”!
Of course, Sunny Oibe and Ayo Oritsejafor have rights to their political views. But it is unchristian, immoral and shameful to have used the platform of CAN for an open partisan purpose the way Ayo Oritsejafor and Sunny Oibe have done in that unfortunate statement. The way CAN is being used as a religious arm of PDP and President Jonathan’s 2015 campaign is morally shocking. It stinks.
It is un-Christian for Ayo Oritsejafor to use CAN as a platform to disseminate his personal political choice. It is divisive. Our God is a God of unity. Therefore, Mr. Ayo Oritsejafor’s usage of CAN to advance the political fortunes of PDP and President Jonathan is un-Godly. And Nigerian Christians has the moral and religious obligation to respond to this and stop this continuous moral wreckage of our faith under Ayo Oritsejafor and as being burnished by people like FemiFanikayode.
With the extreme partisanship which Ayo Oritsejafor has displayed, and given his company’s involvement in shady business deals including his being economical with the truth about ownership of planes, the only honorable path for him is to resign from CAN and save the public moral face of Christian faith in Nigeria from further embarrassment.
Beside having brought the image of CAN to disrepute through the yet to be explained mystery surrounding the illegal export of $9.3million to South Africa, the letter written on his behalf by Sunny Oibe absolving him is sufficient ground for his resignation. CAN has no business calling any party Christian or Islamic.
I leave this and Ayo Oritsejafor to our Christian consciences.

Yours in defense of our Christ.
Adeolu Ademoyo

Just to inform my Nigerian People about good leadership. He doesn't take alot to be real and true leader. Nigeria is among the top ten oil producers globally but corruption, tribalism and bad leadership has always being our problems. I relocated two years ago to UAE with my family due to my work, I see leaders who love their people and always striving hard to make them happy. From economy, infrastructures, energy, environment and water I see clear difference between haves and have nots, my conclusion is good leadership. This country is not arable , it's a rocky, and sandy country but everywhere is green and we eat the freshest of all fruits. This country is a gulf country the water is not good, but have to be desalinated ,never lack water and the cost is cheap with power supply. Etisalat powerred my home appliances on a package,no dish but all the cable stations in the world, unlimited internet and land linephone that is free when you call locally 24/7 for like 10,000 naira per month. Recently I applied for driving license but amazingly it's most advanced driving school in the world with tower like airport, I can't explain all in the driving school but can attached some pics to confirm that. You have to attend classes for two weeks after medical tests, if you passed the class, then to packing and reverse dept, then to area five for traffic signs,after that to tower for round about, practical exam for reverse and packing, for all these stages, if-you fail one you go back to lower level, then road test with the police. I failed the first and second , hoping to pass insha Allah the last stage aftergoing through all the stages. Less I forget police issue driving license here and they re attached to the emirate driving college not FRSC like us, the traffic security like FRSC outfit is mainly concerned with roadusers and adherence to traffic rules. You don't get license for light vehicles and end up driving heavy vehicles it's criminal and you can't drive without licence. The licence is for 10yrs unlike us, where our leaders add to their citizen's woe , just to milked them every two yrs. I wonder why our leaders are not coming up with reforms. If I'm in APC, I think reform policies should be their slogan and campaigns. Reforms
in immigration and customs by granting 10yrs paasport instead of 5yrs, same with license, reforms on economy,reforms on education, my wife is an associate Professor in English dept (UAE-U) all the classes in fact the school is all smart e- complaints. Reforms on social services and reforms on religions.No companies can open shop without having local as partner and the local partner take 60%,it's a national policy , that makes their citizens richer no matter your foreign idea, they value their people. So much to say on emiratization policy, all companies must have 30% local as staffs, here you see companies begging the local who is already rich to work , just come in the morning , sit down on your desk , drink coffee and wait for chauffeur to take them home for women by 3pm. This country don't have half of our oil deposit, we have arable lands, we have fresh waters and it rains almost half of the year in Nigeria,. What's wrong with us? Stop fighting yourselves based on tribes,religion and languages but pray for good leader. UAE is seven different tribes that came together and formed the country. Nothing is wrong with Nigeria land but alot is wrong with us. Ask our leaders what's your plans and reforms about,we 21st century universities here, high schools students are building drones. We have all engineering departments that failed to produced phone batteries and earpiece. Graduate that are half baked. The power generated by the aluminum company power plant here like my Nigeria friend who work with GE told me is about 70,000 mega watts,just one company for their use.

I weep for my country, I have met lots of Nigerian,who left Nigeria ,studied abroad,got their Phd and turned heads of departments in university,Abu Dhabi. I would win any Nigeria Politician in any election on policies,so can any Nigerians excluding these gangs of wicked people who are hellbent in ruining the future of this great country. Thanks

September 16, 2014

As Thursday’s historic referendum looms, Scotland continues to grapple with questions on what a split from the United Kingdom would mean. The National takes a look at the 12 key issued about Scotland’s future that need to be addressed.

Currency

The future currency of Scotland has been at the heart of the referendum debate. Scottish National Party (SNP) leader Alex Salmond wants to keep the pound but the British government has said that would not happen if Scotland breaks away. The Bank of England governor, Mark Carney has said a currency union was not compatible with an independent Scotland.

The Queen

The SNP has said it wants the new Scotland to be a constitutional monarchy with Queen Elizabeth II as its sovereign — much like Australia or Canada — and has said it would join the Commonwealth. The queen herself is staying neutral in the debate.

Energy resources

The North Sea oilfields have for decades been the Scottish nationalists most powerful weapon. They would probably be divided up geographically if Scotland were to become independent. Eighty-five per cent of known reserves would fall under Scottish territory and the sector would make up around 15 per cent of the new Scotland’s economy. The ‘Yes’ campaign says the oil revenues would bring Scotland prosperity similar to Norway. The ‘No’ parties, backed by several senior oil company executives say they are painting an overly optimistic picture.

Defence

The UK’s nuclear deterrent is based at Faslane near Glasgow. The Scottish nationalists have campaigned for years to have the four submarines carrying the nuclear missiles removed from Scotland. They say they would write into Scotland’s new constitution a ban on nuclear weapons and plans to have them removed by 2020. This would form a key part of negotiations if there were ‘Yes’ victory.

Debt

If Scotland votes to break away it would probably need to take with it some of the UK’s debt — which is forecast to hit £1.5 trillion (Dh8.9 trillion) by 2016/17. The nationalists say the amount that Scotland takes on should reflect its contributions over the years to Britain’s public finances which include huge tax revenues from North Sea oil. The British government would prefer a method based on the size of Scotland’s population. Alex Salmond has, however, threatened that an independent Scotland would not take on any of the debt if it is not allowed to share the pound in a formal currency union. The UK government has reassured markets, saying that if this were to happen it would stand behind all UK debt.

Scottish MPs

If Scotland becomes independent, the 59 Scottish MPs sitting in parliament would lose their seats. The effect on politics south of the border would be substantial. The opposition Labour party has traditionally drawn strong support from north of the border. Of the 59 Scottish seats, 41 are currently held by Labour MPs, including the former prime minister Gordon Brown. Losing these seats would leave the Conservative Party, the main partner in the current ruling coalition, with a 21 seat majority, based on the 2010 election results.

EU, Nato and the UN

The SNP says it believes an independent Scotland would negotiate its entry into the European Union quickly, given it is has long observed EU rules as part of the UK. Top officials from the EU have suggested the process will not be so straightforward.

Alex Salmond says that Scotland also wants to remain in the United Nations and Nato. Opponents to independence fear that the UK could endanger its place in the G7 group of wealthy industrialised nations and its seat on the United Nations Security Council.

Citizenship

The Scottish government proposes that people born in Scotland or British citizens who are “habitually resident” at the date of independence should automatically become citizens. People with a Scottish parent would be able to request citizenship and other nationals can apply for naturalised citizenship. The nationalists note that British citizenship laws allow for dual citizenship but the UK has not said whether that will happen automatically or not.

Constitution

The Scottish government wants a convention bringing together businesses, civil society and trade unions to come up with a written constitution along European lines, something that Britain lacks. It has said this should include a constitutional ban on nuclear weapons being based in Scotland and a guarantee that its health service will continue to be publicly owned, free and available to everyone.

Border

The pro-independence camp have said the existing border would remain only on paper but the issue is a complex one as Scotland’s plan to ease immigration rules might prompt the rest of Britain to set up barriers and checks. The SNP also says that no passports should be required for visitors from the rest of the UK to Scotland and vice versa — much like the current arrangement with Ireland — although that will depend on whether Scotland is in the European Union.

Universities

Scotland’s education system has always been distinct from that of the rest of the UK with the Scottish parliament already fully in control of policy. But there is a big question mark over what will happen to the students from England, Wales and Northern Ireland who attend Scottish universities. Current rules mean these students from other parts of the UK have to pay tuition fees while Scottish students and students from other parts of the European Union do not. The SNP says this will continue, but if Scotland becomes independent the EU may force it to remove tuition fees on students from other parts of the UK.

BBC

The Scottish government wants to take the assets and staff from BBC Scotland and create a Scottish Broadcasting Service. The ‘SBS’ would have a partnership agreement so that Scots would still have access to their favourite BBC television shows and radio stations but claims the new broadcaster would better represent the Scottish people. But the Better Together campaign says dividing the BBC Scotland assets away from the rest of the UK would be difficult and lead to a worse service for Scotland.

* The National staff, Agence France-Presse and Reuters

Dear architect,

kindly send me your mobile nos and do you have skype?

I had been lucky to see beautiful hotels in my life, like Rotanna,Continental but none can be compared to Anantara desert Hotel in Abu Dhabi. Expensive but lifetime memorable experience. click on (http://desertislands.anantara.com) to see more. I was there with my wife last year to celebrate her. I love it