₦airaland Forum

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/02/05/287396/us-plans-drills-in-mideast-waters/

The US military has announced plans to conduct military exercises in international waterways in the Middle East, Israeli media reports say.

Noting that the US-led military maneuvers would mainly focus on fighting against the threat of sea mines, Israeli media reports claimed Tuesday that 20 nations will take part in the drills, which are reportedly due sometime in the current year.

The reports further added that the objective of the US-led war games would be to conduct mine sweeping exercises, considering the possibility that Iran would engage in mining marine waters in a move to avert military threats from the United States or the Israeli regime.

There has been no confirmation of these Israeli news reports, however, in US-based media outlets.

While the US and Israeli officials have been repeatedly threatening Iran with military strikes over its nuclear energy program, many former and current lawmakers in Washington and Tel Aviv have cautioned of an ensuing catastrophe in the region in case of any attack against the Islamic Republic with drastic global consequences for American and Zionist interests.

Iranian authorities, meanwhile, have warned that if any attack against the country materialized by the US or the Tel Aviv regime, the first outcome would be the total destruction of the Israeli entity.

OUR hypocritical senators
showed their anger at N4
billion allocated to the
construction of an office for
the First Lady in the 2013
budget. We should applaud
their concerns about
probity. Should we?
Everyone knows the First
Ladyfs office is one of the
illegalities of our times.
Were the Federal Capital
Territory officials, who
wanted the expenditure
unaware that budgets
were allocated to bodies
laws recognised? Did the
Senate express any anger
at the FCT officials, who
made this illegal entry in its
budget? Was it enough to
rant about the illegality?
Anyone who knows the
Senate would wonder why
the sudden display of
efforts at saving public
funds. What the Senate
considered scandalous was
the sum, N4 billion, not the
act, the fact that some
people tried to foist the
illegality.
It may, perhaps, not be out
of place if the Senate
allocates funds to the
project, a personal
enterprise of the
Presidentfs wife. Since its
argument was that the FCT
proposal was too much, it
might allocate N2 billion. It
must be spelt out that the
issue is the illegality of the
allocation, not how much
was allocated.
FCTfs infrastructure is
decaying. Neighbouring
villages do not have basic
amenities, yet all that FCT
officials are thinking about
is illegal appropriation of
N4 billion, more money
than the Federal
Government allocated to
each of its brand new
universities as take-off
fund. A very unproductive
FCT also indulges in bogus
projects like a N7.5 billion
city gate.
The Senate saw no scandal
in the proposed city gate. It
expressed no anger and
would have no qualms
passing it. What has Abuja
lost in the years that it did
not have a city gate of the
type it administrators now
want? No senator sees the
impact N7.5 billion can
make on the lives of
ordinary Nigerians. How
would a city gate improve
lives in Abuja? Who would it
benefit except its contract-
minded promoters? What
would be the return on the
investment?
Why would the Senate
encourage the circle of
wastes written all over
Abuja? It would most likely
borrow the money that
would be wasted on the
gate. A few years hence,
budgets of similar figures
would be required to
renovate the gate, or to
construct a more befitting
gate for a city decaying in a
manner that was never
associated with it.
Suggestions that FCTfs
budget should be approved
are the type of insult that
makes Nigerians wonder if
their legislators are in the
same Nigeria, where
diseases, hunger,
insecurity, unemployment
are ravaging the people.
Abuja does not need a city
gate just as people should
stop scandalising the First
Lady.

By Soni Daniel, Emma Ujah &
Emma Ovuakporie
Bayelsa State Governor, Mr.
Seriake Dickson, yesterday,
said he stopped the monthly
payment of N250 million to
militants on assumption of
office to challenge the
beneficiaries to work and
earn a decent living and
create equal opportunities
for natives of the state to
benefit from its resources.
Speaking with journalists in
Abuja, Dickson said he had to
put an end to the illicit
practice because he knew
that it could not be sustained
and that the beneficiaries
were not entitled to such
largesse.
He added that he had
created an enabling
environment for all to excel
and achieve their set goals
and would continue to
explore ways and means of
catering for the majority of
the people.
According to him, the
insecurity that was once the
hallmark of the state was
due largely to inadequate
investment in human capital
by past administrations,
which bred “a teeming youth
population without adequate
education to earn a living in
an economy requiring skills
and knowledge.”
He added that some people
who engaged in kidnapping
were doing so purely out of
criminality and that his
administration had decided
to be firm in its decision to
stamp out all forms of
criminality in the state.
The governor said it was in a
determined bid to stamp out
criminality and give hope to
the people that his
administration had decided
to pay unprecedented
attention to education and
agriculture as a means of
preparing the state for the
post-oil era.
He said that his
administration had
commenced a massive
investment in education with
the award of various
categories of scholarships
from secondary school to
doctorate level, revealing that
the state had so far
expended over N3.1 billion
on the scheme.
No fewer than 789 indigenes
of the state studying in 20
countries around the globe
have benefitted from the
programme with an
unprecedented 137 PhD
scholars pursuing their
dreams in various
universities in and outside
Nigeria.

na wa oo..make we separate 4rm dis human flesh eaters

Bleep d elephants,Bleep Bleep Bleep them

bleep al d nairalanders dat r supporting ivory coast..up 9ja

emenike na f up

Andre Uweh: We are out

u r high on weed

MIRACLE IS WHEN
1. You travel Abroad witout Visa
2. Slap an army at the front of
barrack and go scot free.
3. Go to Boko Haram head
quarter to preach and they offer
you a seat.
4. Fail jamb but get admission.
5. Fold ur arms sleep all thru d
years and at d end of d year u
buy a car.
6. Park Aeroplane for sky and
ordered everybody out dat u
want to chek engine then tell
everybody to com in and
continue ur journey.
7. Usain Bolt chase you wit
cutlass and u still escape.
8. Sleep inside river and wake up
the next day.
9. Super Eagles win Ivory Coast
on Sunday.
Add yours.....

Princeparix: tanx man----lets just pray FEB 14 would be sweet nd hmmmmmmmm

sure it wil b sweet,enjoy man...

By Okey Ndiribe & Emman
Ovuakporie
The Chairman of the House
of Representatives
Committee on Rules and
Business, Hon. Sam Tsokwa
(PDP Taraba) heads a very
vital committee which could
be likened to the engine
room of the Green Chambers
of the National Assembly.
In this no-holds-barred
interview he granted to a
group of journalists, he
postulated that the Farouk
Lawan saga was contrived
by the executive arm of
Government to rubbish the
report of the House
Committee on Petroleum
Subsidy which the embattled
Lawan chaired.He asked why
the Inspector-General of
Police, Mohammed
Abubakar who investigated
the allegations against
Farouk refused to charge
him to court?
Excerpts:
Don’t you think that being a
House that is primarily
designed to make laws, all
this talk about fighting
corruption and probes every
now and then is an
unnecessary distraction to
the House?
Law making and oversight
functions of the legislature
are constitutional issues.
The legislature is
constitutionally
empowered to legislate for
peace and good governance
of Nigeria. The legislature is
constitutionally empowered
to approve Mr. President’s
budget; the legislature is
constitutionally mandated to
oversight the executive arm
over the money it
appropriates.
So the power to investigate
is not the making of the
legislature; it is a
constitutional duty which the
legislature must perform. So
we are not doing a Father
Xmas kind of job because
there are so many MDAs to
oversight. What we are
doing is just a tip of the ice
berg. So I think the Nigerian
press and the Nigerian
people should call on NASS to
carry out more probes and
investigations because it is
our constitutional duty.
Many Nigerians are of the
view that when you fight
corruption you cover your
own…?
(Cuts in) Can you give
examples?
For instance, the Farouk and
Hembe cases?
The Farouk and Hembe
cases are the only two you
can give in a House of 360
people. When you reduce
that to percentage, it cannot
give you up to 10 percent of
the House. Take a corruption
index of Nigeria; more than
60percent of those in
position of trust are corrupt.
Now when the Farouk issue
came up, the man who gave
him money claimed he did so
in conjunction with SSS and
the House subsequently
suspended him from being
the Chairman of House
Committee on Education.
Now the SSS has distanced
itself saying they know
nothing about the sting
operation. The matter is
presently with the police.
Please, ask the IG why he has
not prosecuted Farouk. It is
simple; there is no evidence.
So we all take it that the
allegation was made to
rubbish the House report on
Petroleum subsidy.
COURTnew
I told you from the
beginning that the executive
arm set up a committee to
further investigate the issues
raised in the House report
and they confirmed that the
House report was true. If
anybody thinks Farouk has a
case to answer let him go to
court. The House is
handicapped we cannot
prosecute him.
In the case of Hembe, the
matter is still in court. Now
in what way is the House
covering its members? We
beg the press to help us and
expose those we are
covering up because we are
not covering up anybody.
But the House Committee
investigating the Farouk
Lawan matter has
deliberately refused to
submit its report on the
issue?
It is an inside kind of
exercise and at the end of
the day, the House cannot
prosecute. We have our
internal
disciplinary mechanism via
the Ethics and Privileges
committee but where a
member is found wanting
we cannot prosecute; only
the agencies responsible for
that can carry out such
actions. I told you earlier to
ask the IGP why he has not
prosecuted Farouk if he has
evidence.
I am inclined to believe that
there is no evidence to
prosecute Farouk because
they called it a sting and the
SSS they claimed they used
said they are not part of it.
This obviously points to the
fact that whoever made that
allegation was telling lies.
So far since June 2011 that
the Tambuwal led 7th
Assembly took off how will
you assess the performance
of the House?
The 7th Assembly started off
by designing and setting a
Legislative Agenda which
was properly debated on the
floor of the House, approved
and circulated to all members
and Nigerians. The document
became a pact. We
committed ourselves to it by
living and keeping faithfully
to our duties as true
representatives of the
people.
I am not saying Nigerians are
satisfied but speaking for
myself and the House, I am
saying that we have lived up
to our own expectation. But
it is left for Nigerians to look
at what we have done and
see whether we have really
performed. You will recall
that we have taken many
firsts since the House was
convened.
For instance, we had to cut
short our Xmas recess in
2011 when the Executive
arm gave Nigerians a New
Year gift that was not
accepted by the people. By
that I mean the withdrawal
of fuel subsidy. Our sitting
on a Sunday was for the first
time that happened in the
history of the Nigerian
legislature.
We did this to prevent the
crisis that ensued which
would have been more
disastrous if we had not sat
on that day. Although our
sitting did not stop the crisis,
but it went a long way in
watering it down. In a
nutshell we did a lot to avoid
the disaster.
I will however give kudos to
Mr. President who eventually
reversed himself in
accordance with the wishes
of Nigerians. The Sunday
sitting kick started the probe
into the fuel subsidy regime.
Our findings and resolution
were that there was rot in
that fuel subsidy regime.
As you are aware, the
executive arm set up a
committee whose findings
confirmed that of the House.I
therefore say at least we
drew the attention of the
nation to the fact that the oil
industry needs drastic re-
organisation and this
opened the eyes of many
Nigerians to other areas of
governance. I will equally say
that this kick started what is
going on in various sectors
of our economy.
What about corruption?
We have started confronting
corruption headlong even
though corruption has deep
roots in our system and
cannot be solved in one day.
But I believe we have taken
the right step in the right
direction.
Why is it that every day
people bring trivial issues
such as presence of potholes
on roads or collapsed
bridges to your committee
for listing on the order paper
when there are more serious
issues that need attention in
the country?
Every member is elected from
a constituency; each
constituency in Nigeria has
its peculiar problem and that
is why I keep saying that if I
am Mr. President, I will do
my budget in consultation
with the grassroots.
But if in my constituency, the
only road we have has
potholes and this has been
killing people everyday,
can you call that trivial? Yes
it is trivial because you have
expressways in your place. In
Abuja here out of 24 hours
electricity we have at least 12
hours. In my place in a whole
month if we have light for 3
days that is Xmas gift. So if I
come to the floor of the
House to discuss it will you
term it as being trivial?
Nigeria is such a big
place; such an enormous
place that the need of one
area may not be the need of
another area. So what is
trivial to you may not be
trivial to me. And what is
important to you may not be
important to me; that is why
you have various motions.
Actually that is
representation? It is to
represent what your people
need in your constituency.
Concerning the issue of
oversight, I saw a piece in a
newspaper about theft at the
Security Printing and Minting
Company and I checked
online to confirm.
Immediately I confirmed, I
sent a motion to the floor of
the House and the matter will
be investigated. Some people
may consider it trivial.
You once suggested the
Asian option which
stipulates capital punishment
as a way of dealing with
corruption. Do you think
that option can work in
Nigeria?
Yes we will look at it and see
how a bill can be sponsored
in that direction; but you will
see how people will
condemn the move. But we
will not consider the
quantum of the crime when
doing that. The offence of
the politician who stole one
dollar and the one that stole
one million dollar will carry
same weight. By the time
two or three people lose
their lives due to corruption,
politicians will think twice
before stealing government
money.

http://sundaytrust.com.ng/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=12854%3Afarouk-lawan-kept-in-condemned-criminals-cell-of-kuje-prison&catid=54%3Alead-stories&Itemid=127

Written by Shehu Abubakar, who
was in Kuje Sunday, 03 February
2013 05:04
in
Share
SocButtons plugin
.. Buys own bucket, cup, soap
The arrival of a black jeep at the
premises of the Kuje prison
signalled yet the arrival of an
important personality. Little did
the armed guards of the Nigeria
Prisons Service guarding the
premises know who was in the
car until a man in white flowing
gown alighted. Then they knew it
was Honourable Farouk Lawan,
the erstwhile chairman of the
House of Representatives
committee that probed the oil
subsidy regime.
Though a Very Important
Personality (VIP), Farouk Lawan
was accompanied with a remand
warrant ordering his detention
in Kuje prison as an Awaiting
Trial Man (ATM) with clear
instruction that he should be
produced before Justice
Madashiru Oniyangi of Abuja
High Court on February 8.
Lawan and the secretary of his
committee, Boniface Emenalo,
were charged for allegedly
demanding and collecting bribe
of $620,000 amounting to N97.4
million from a business mogul,
Chief Femi Otedola, during the
committee’s probe sittings.
Shortly after Lawan and Emenalo
alighted from the vehicle that
took them to the prison yard, a
prison officer standing guard at
the main entrance collected the
warrant from a plain cloth
security man who escorted the
accused persons to the prison.
After reading through the
warrant, he turned and knocked
at the iron gate of the prison.
Someone from inside peeped
from a small opening and the
guard outside asked him to open
the gate. The officer on the other
side opened the gate.
Farouk, who looked very sad was
forcing a smile on his face and
waved twice at the small crowd
of prison officials who were
standing outside and gazing at
him. As he slowly walked into the
prison, the guard and other non-
armed security personnel on the
entourage filed in behind him.
Though this reporter could not
follow him into the premises to
witness what transpired at the
reception block, housing the
welfare and office of the officer-
in-charge of the prison yard
where all the admission
procedures of inmates were
done, Sunday Trust gathered that
Lawan was there for about 46
minutes before he was escorted
by two warders into the yard.
A prison official who played a
vital role in processing the
admission of Farouk Lawal into
the prison told this reporter that
the process of Farouk and
Boniface’s admission were
carried out in the office of the
officer-In-charge of the prison.
“Our O/C tried to calm them
down, explaining to them that
several prominent Nigerians had
been remanded in that prison
and were released. He was very
optimistic that they would also
regain their freedom ultimately.”
“He pleaded with them to relax
their minds and cooperate with
the prison officials, assuring
them that they would not regret
their stay with us. They were not
given any prison uniforms to
wear. The Awaiting Trial Men
(ATM) also have their uniforms
differents from convicts. But they
were not given uniforms,” the
source said.
The source added, however, that
Lawan’s flowing gown, cap,
wristwatch, shoes and other
personal belongings, like phones
and money, were all collected
from him and deposited with the
welfare unit of the prison.
When the process of his
admission was completed,
Lawan was seen escorted from
the reception/administrative
block into the main prison yard.
This reporter was watching
when at a point, he and his two
escorts stopped at the end of the
veranda and a gate by their left
was opened, leading them to the
ATM cells.
Sunday Trust learnt that Lawan
was not ushered into the main
ATM cell. “He is being kept at the
Condemned Criminal Cell (CCC),
which is housing both their
various jail terms. The CCC is
targeted as the VIP section of the
prison where we keep important
personalities and people we
consider to be of good
character,” our reporter
gathered.
While the main cells contain
inmates in their hundreds, the
CCC contains only two persons at
a time. In addition to that
gesture, Lawan and a few other
inmates at the CCC have their cells
open 24 hours a day.
“Even when we leave their cells
open, they cannot go out; they
can only come out of the cell to
the corridors that are fenced
round with iron rods.
“Not every ATM in the prison has
a mattress, but we were able to
get mattresses for the two of
them. The prison authorities
provide three square meals for
every inmate in this prison. But, I
saw people bring food for him
from outside. Eating the prison
food is optional. He also made
provision for bucket, cup and
soap for himself,” a source said.
When this reporter returned to
the prison yesterday and had
access to the yard, Farouk was
seen at one of the CCC cells at a ‘V’
shaped block leading to the main
ATM cell before the convicts’ cell.
Efforts to say hello to him were
frustrated by the armless prison
warders guarding the cell who
said Lawan was sleeping in the
noisy environment and should,
therefore, be allowed to relax.
Though from outside the
corridors the reporter could see
through Lawan’s room and the
water system toilet in it, it was
not, however, clear if he was
alone in the cell room or sharing
it with another inmate.
“Every cell at the CCC has a toilet
and as you can see, nobody can
use curtains or anything to cover
his window or door. They are all
made of iron rods so that we can
see from here everything
happening in the cell. But the
inmates cannot use the toilets in
their cells as there is not enough
water to always flush. They come
out of the cells to use the toilets
at the corridor,” the cell guard
said.
Another guard outside the
prison yard told this reporter
that he saw Farouk Lawal join
other Muslim convicts to say their
afternoon prayer in the mosque
built behind his cell room,
adding, the laws are relaxed for
him. That is what they do to most
responsible inmates that we
know will not make any attempts
to escape.’

nature punish all the looters and their entire generation

As corrupt practices march on
undeterred in Delta State,
especially in the government of
Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan,
another monumental fraud of
about N25billion has been
discovered in the Delta State Oil
Producing Area Development
Commission (DESOPADEC).
The startling revelation came
during the last monthly Delta
State Economic Dash Board held
last week in Government House,
Asaba, through state consultant
ROLLANDE BERGERS and Co, which
has been probing the books of
Ministries in the last four years.
And only a few days after the
ground-shaking revelation was
made, yet another fraud
allegation emerged, as physically
challenged persons accused
some officials of the DESOPADEC
of embezzling a whopping sum
of N40million from their
empowerment fund.
On January 30, over 200
physically challenged persons
stormed the commission’s
headquarters in Warri to protest
the stage a protest, during which
they made they made the
allegation.
Besieging the gates of the
commission early in the morning,
officials said they hurled stones
into the premises, particularly the
Administration and Finance
Department.
The visibly angry protesters
stated that the officials only
released N5million to them in
December 2012 after obtaining
approval for N40million which
they purportedly cashed but have
refused to release.
They accused Mr. Oritsua Kpogho
and Mr. A. E. Oghoro, the
chairman and secretary of the
commission of being behind the
“rip-off,” in connivance with
some officials of the Finance
Department. They state that the
funds have been an annual
budgetary allocation for the
welfare of disabled persons from
the days of Chief Wellington
Okrika as chairman.
The protesters, who came from
the 25 local government areas of
the state, barricaded the main
gate of the commission and
restrained movement in the
offices. Workers of the
commission were caged for
hours in the premises before
they were rescued by soldiers
drafted to the place.
The scene became chaotic as the
soldiers used tear-gas on the
physically challenged protesters
in a bid to disperse them but in
desperation they grabbed the
soldiers and clung to their legs,
making it difficult for the soldiers
to brutalize them further.
The protest, which lasted over
three hours, also crippled official
and economic activity along the
Warri/Sapele road office of the
commission near the Nigeria
Navy Ship (NNS), Delta Base.
It would be recalled that
contractors have also recently
accused officials of the
Commission of alleged contract
scams running into millions of
Naira.
Contacted over the issue, the
Senior Press Officer to the
commission, Comrade Vincent
Oyibode, described as unruly,
barbaric and uncalled for, the
protest by the disabled persons,
adding that they were being
ungrateful after all that has been
done for them in terms of
welfare and training.
Oyibode said that in 2009 when
the leadership of the disabled
persons was given money for
vocational training, they spent
the funds on frivolities instead of
channeling it into the purpose
for which it was provided.
He said that in order to avoid
recurrence, which had been
loudly protested by those of the
disabled who were schemed out
by their leadership, the board
decided to organize the
vocational training itself so that
the beneficiaries could be self-
sufficient in life.
"This current board doesn’t want
to make the same mistake so the
plan is to ensure that they are
sent for the training so that they
can be empowered to be self-
sustainable in life instead of
begging on the streets,” he said.
He stated that the commission
has been fair to the disabled.
“Just last year December 23rd,
they were given N5 million as
exam good will with the promise
the training programme would
commence. The board was just
inaugurated on the 26th
November 2012 and they are
presently busy on how projects
can be awarded to ensure full
implementation of the 2012
budget."

Princeparix: because it is a unique day for true lovers--i mean true

God bless u 4 dat,u get good brain

binger: Lol,quite creative i must say...

tanx

ITbomb: Go and read your books

i just finish reading

Governor Godswill Akpabio
of Akwaibom State Friday
assured Nigerians that ailing
Governor Sullivan Chime of
Enugu State, who has been
hospitalised in London since
September 2012, will return
to the country in the next
two weeks.
The development came even
as Akpabio promised to
make public any activity of
the Governors Forum, which
negates the principles
setting it up by the
governors even as he
insisted that the forum
would continue to work in
tandem with the Federal
Government.
Speaking with airport
correspondents on arrival
from London, United
Kingdom at the Murtala
Mohammed International
Airport (MMIA), Lagos,
Akpabio, who was among
the three other governors
who visited the sick
governor in his hospital bed
in London recently, declared
that Chime was hale and
hearthy and capable of ruling
the state upon his arrival.
Akpabio who insisted that
Chime would return to Enugu
State Government House in
the next 10 days visited the
sick Enugu governor in a
London hospital in the
company of Governors
Gabriel Suswam and Dr
Rotimi Amaechi of Benue
and Rivers States
respectively. Akpabio
admonished Nigerians to
always trust their
representatives and warned
against playing politics with
people’s health.
His words: “I was a part of
the delegation that visited
the governor in London and
I brought a message of
goodwill to His Excellency,
the Governor of Enugu State
and like I said, we must learn
to mourn with those who
mourn and rejoice with
those who rejoice. We
should not play politics out
of people’s health”.
“For me, I’m very grateful to
God that Governor Chime has
recovered fully and he would
be assuming duties within
the next 10 days. It’s not
something that any Nigerian
should be sad about, rather,
we should be happy and we
should pray that he’s
returning to the country
within 10 days from today
and he would be in the
government House in Enugu
on his seat as the Governor
of the State. I can confirm
that because I had
interactions with him and
he’s in good health and he’s
recovering. Once the doctors
give him the go ahead, he
will be in the office. You can
quote me.”
Speaking on the allegation
that the Governors’ Forum
was gradually becoming a
cartel and working against
the Federal Government and
the Nigerian people, Akpabio,
denied such claims vowing
that he would not be a party
to any association of forum
that would attempt to bring
down President Goodluck
Jonathan and his team even
as he described such
allegation as baseless.
He insisted that the
governors’ forum should
actually be a major
collaborator with the Federal
Government of Nigeria,
maintaining that they are
part and parcel of
government, which should
work together to uplift the
living conditions of
Nigerians.

10 ways to impress a girl on 14th
Feb!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1. (Walk up behind girl and point
fingers shaped like gun into her
back) "You're under arrest!"
... (For what?)
"For stealing my heart."
2. Hi, my name is Chance, Do I
have
one? 3. Are your legs tired?
(girl: Why?)
Because you have been running
through my mind all day!
4."I lost my phone number, can I
borrow yours?" 5. Can you give me
directions to
your
heart? I've seemed to have lost
myself
in your eyes.
6. (Take a look at the tag on the
girls
shirt, jacket, etc.)
She would say,"What are you
doing"
respond,"Oh, just checking to
see if you were made in Heaven."
7. (Pick up a flower and walk over
to
girl.)
"I was just showing this flower
how beautiful you are."
8. Is it hot in here or is it just
you?
9. Walk up to a gal and say:"Are
you
from Greece?" "No"She answers.
"Oh, I thought all the Women
goddess
were from Greece"
10. Do you believe in love at first
sight, or do I have to walk by you
again?? Nairalanders post your own?

FCT budgets N5bn for prostitutes, destitutes

[img]https://www.nairaland.com/attachments/971364_Bala-Prostitutes_jpg08ba6b3854ae75b2b1fd023c77171469[/img]

BY HENRY UMORU & JOSEPH ERUNKE

…votes N4bn for Jonathan’s wife mission building, Sambo’s guest house to gulp N150m

ABUJA—The Federal Capital Territory has proposed to spend N5 billion this year to rehabilitate prostitutes and destitutes who loiter the streets of Abuja.

In the FCT 2013 budget, the Federal Capital Territory Administration also planned to spend N4 billion for the construction of the First Lady’s Mission Building which senators described not only as scandalous but an endorsement of illegality, while Vice President Namadi Sambo’s Guest House in Asokoro, Abuja will be renovated with N150 million by the administration of Senator Bala Mohammed.

Also, N7.5 billion is budgeted for the construction of two city gates. Out of the N5.7 billion earmarked for procurement of equipment and other essentials, N2.9 billion will be spent to sweep and provide sanitation for the city.

The FCTA as part of moves to remove prostitutes and destitute from the streets of the Federal Capital City, FCC, has set up two training centres in Bwari Area Council and Lugbe in Anuja Municipal Area Council, AMAC.

The Abuja Environmental Protection Board, AEPB, will be in charge of removing the prostitutes and destitutes from the streets while their rehabilitation will be handled by Social Development Secretariat.

According to a source from the FCTA, the prostitutes when arrested, will be taken to Lugbe where they will be engaged in vocational training in hairdressing, making of yoghurt, computer training, among others for a minimum period of three months. The programme which commenced last year has already graduated over 1,000 of such persons.

In his lead debate yesterday, Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma- Egba who presented the FCT Statutory Appropriation Bill, 2013 said the total Statutory budget stands at N253,199,752,409, with N48,034,818,410 voted for Personnel costs; N49,504,534,358 for Overhead Costs and the balance of N155,660, 399,641 is for Capital Projects for the service of the Federal Capital Territory commencing from January 1, and ending on December 31, 2013.

According to Senator Ndoma-Egba, another N7.5 billion will be spent in 2013 by the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council, AMMC, where the Departments of Development Control, Parks and Recreation, Facility Management and Urban Affairs belong.

Senate Leader Victor Ndoma-Egba said: “The sum of N4 billion is proposed for the construction of First Lady Mission Building. Also, the sum of N150 million is set aside for the renovation of Vice President’s Guest House in Asokoro.

“The sum of N50.5 billion is proposed for the development of transport sector. Out of this amount, there is a Chinese loan of N44.5 billion for the construction of Abuja 60.37 standard gauge rail track with ancillary facilities.

“The secretariat is saddled with the responsibility of promoting social activities like sports, arts and culture, tourism, empowerment programmes, rehabilitate prostitutes and destitute, etc in the territory. In 2013, the total sum of N5 billion is earmarked to address some of the social menace within the FCT.

“The sum of N30 billion is earmarked for the provision of infrastructure and services in the education sector in year 2013. This will also cater for the expansion and rehabilitation of Primary, Secondary, Tertiary and Vocational Schools, as well as to provide teaching aid materials. This will improve the quality and standard of education in FCT.

“The sum of N24 billion is proposed for the provision of infrastructural facilities and to complete the on-going projects. N23 billion is for the completion of on-going projects while N470 million is for new projects.”

Senators fault budget, say it’s scandalous
Meanwhile, Senators in their contributions to the budget however faulted some of the provisions, describing the proposed vote of N4 billion in the FCT budget of N253, 199, 752, 409 for First Lady Mission Building as not only scandalous, but an endorsement of illegality against the backdrop that the office does not exist in the 1999 Constitution. They argued that public funds must not be used on a private project of such.

In his remarks, Senate President noted that the government was not getting the priorities right in the budget as most important things were not paid attention to, even as he urged Senators to ensure that an effective oversight was carried out.

Earlier in his contribution, Deputy Senate Leader Abdul Ningi, PDP, Bauchi Central while leading a strong opposition against the budget said, “N150 million is too much for the renovation of the Vice President’s guest house in Asokoro. How much is the building that it will now gulp N150 million for renovation?”

Also in his contribution, Vice chairman, Committee on Federal Character and Inter-Governmental Affairs, Babajide Omoworare, ACN, Osun East who also kicked against the expenditure, said: “I’m worried about the provision of bogus figures, there’s a lot of disconnect. This budget hasn’t shown the reality of what’s happening in and around Abuja. Provision of N4 billion for building a mission office for the First Lady is scandalous.

“The Women Development Centre is there for the First Lady to do anything she wants to do and I’m not aware that there’s a First Ladies Mission office in the United States of America from where we copied the Presidential system of government. There is no such building in South Africa and even Ghana that is our next door neighbour.

“N4 billion can be used for a lot of other things. We have not set our priorities right. I’m of the view that the committee should look into this.

“Again, I remember that in this chamber last year, we voted N1 billion only for new federal universities yet we are being asked to appropriate N4 billion for an office that’s alien to the Constitution.”

Also in his remark, Vice chairman, Committee on Establishment and Public Service Committee, Senator Babafemi Ojudu, ACN, Ekiti Central, who was also not happy with some proposals of the FCT Budget, said: “I’m worried and I hope that those of us who are leaders in this country do not take the youths for granted. How can we vote N4 billion for the office of the First Lady? I just pray and hope that this doesn’t get to the public because if it does, we are in trouble.

“How can you appropriate money for an office that’s not known to the Constitution?”

Speaking further, Senate President Mark urged the Senator Bala Mohammed-led administration to set its priorities in the budget right, rather than start projects that would not be 90 per cent completed at the end of every fiscal year.

He said: “You’ve all made very valid contributions. I think the main problem with the budget is getting our priorities right. Some issues have come to the forefront that shouldn’t come to the forefront. I’m wary of completing some projects haphazard.”


http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/02/fct-budgets-n5bn-for-prostitutes-destitutes/

By HUGO ODIOGOR & CHARLES
KUMOLU
Former Military president,
General Ibrahim Badamosi
Babangida (rtd), yesterday
undertook a critical view of
the predictions made by
soothsayers, including the
United States of America that
Nigeria will disintegrate in
2015 and suggested ways to
ensure the predictions do
not become a reality.
General Babangida spoke
where he was the chairman
of the public presentation of
two books in honour of
former External Affairs
Minister, Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi
at the Nigerian Institute of
International Affairs, Victoria
Island, Lagos.
Said he: “As Nigerians, we
are aware of the great
doubts that have been cast
about what 2015 portends
for the continuing existence
of our nation. I am aware
that Nigerians have taken
great umbrage at these
predictions. Even Lord
Lugard who founded what
has been called Nigeria gave
it a life-span of 100 years.
*Two Books titled
'Perspectives on Nigeria's
National and External
Relations: Essays in Honour
of Professor Bolaji
Akinyemi' and 'Nigeria and
the World A. Bolaji Aknyemi
Revisited' by Professor
Author; Dr Olusegun
Mimiko, Governor of Ondo
State and Guest of Honour;
General Ibrahim Badamosi
Babangida, former
President and Chairman of
the Occassion and Major
General Ike Nwachukwu
(rtd) at the Book
Presentation. Photo by
Lamidi Bamidele
“I regard it as a challenge to
our intelligence to ensure
that these portends and
prophesies do not become
self-fulfilling. We should
engage these predictions on
an intellectual level, testing
whether the facts justify the
conclusions.
“But on a practical and public
policy level, we must import
honesty into our public
policy assessments. Firstly,
we must identify the
problems that need to be
addressed. Secondly we must
address these problems
honestly.
“Thirdly we must identify the
most current and the most
appropriate mechanism for
addressing these issues.
“Let me make this clear. My
position is not dictated by
the fact that foreigners are
making these predictions.
We don’t even need foreign
sources as a reference point.
The Nigerian media is awash
with alarming news about
our problems. My position is
dictated by my conviction
that Nigeria is precious
enough to be saved.
It deserves an investment of
our time and resources to
make Project Nigeria a
success. But the starting
point has to be an admission
that we need to fix things.
We need a new mindset
about the Nigerian project.
Let us start off by admitting
the mistakes of the past.
Right policies have at times
been wrongly implemented.
Temporary solutions have
often been turned into
permanent policies, even
though the problems they
were designed to address
have long been solved”.
Making suggestions on how
to ensure the continued
existence of Nigeria beyond
the predicted 2015, General
Babangida said, “the issue of
the principle of federal
character needs to be
revisited. In a multi-ethnic,
multi-cultural and multi-
religious nation, the principle
of Federal Character is a
sensible one and there is no
alternative to it. Each national
group must be given a
feeling of belonging.
What needs to be refined is
the question of standards.
Federal character can go
hand in hand with merit. 50
years after independence
and over 50 years after the
establishment of universities
in Nigeria, there should be
no national groups, no
states, no zones, no hamlets
without qualified citizens.
Therefore there should be no
question of employing
unqualified people in the
name of federal character,
just as there should be no
question of abandoning the
principle of federal character
in a Federation.
Principle of federal character
“We must admit that
sacrifices have been made
and sacrifices will continue
to be made for the survival of
this Nigerian project. In the
past, maybe there has not
been sufficient recognition
of the fact that those making
these sacrifices have
grievances which should
have been addressed.
“Maybe in the past, there had
not been sufficient
recognition of the fact that
each national group has
legitimate fears and
grievances. Some of the
mistakes of the past have
now come to haunt us. But
let me make one thing clear.
Not all these mistakes were
made out of callousness or
bad faith or malice.
Most people in office do their
best. They act to the best of
their ability. Unless we think
that our leaders have divine
ability, we have to admit that
even with all the best of their
abilities and even with the
best faith and with the best
of all intentions, human
beings will still make
mistakes.
“That after nearly 100 years
of existence, people and
national groups still have
grievances provide us with
an opportunity to address
these grievances. That these
grievances are of sufficient
magnitude for them to
demand a dissolution of the
nation show the extent of
the grievances and therefore
it should point to the
magnitude of the
seriousness with which we
should address the
grievances.
From the creeks in the Niger
Delta to the Sahelian areas of
the North, Nigeria is under
pressure. Now is the time for
us to regard the rescue
effort as a joint enterprise to
secure maximum benefits for
all and not an enterprise to
secure temporary advantage
for one group over another.
We need to arrive at a grand
consensus that will move this
nation forward rather than a
panel-beaten system that
satisfies no one except the
temporary holders of power.
“We can face the challenges
together, united in the spirit
of a joint enterprise and
propelled by the belief in the
greatness of this country and
a commitment to make
Nigeria a source of pride and
inspiration to the black race”.
Centenary celebration
Speaking on the forthcoming
centenary celebrations
General Babangida said, “in
less than a year, in about 11
months and a few days, we
as Nigerians will be
celebrating 100 years of our
existence as a legal united
entity. We have cause to
rejoice. During these 100
years, Europe has endured
two world wars, Russia had
gone through a revolution, a
civil war and finally gone
from being Russia to Soviet
Union and back to Russia.
During this time, Spain and
Yugoslavia have gone
through horrendous civil
wars. During this time,
several countries in Asia,
including China went
through civil wars that
almost brought them to their
knees.
“Yet today, Europe is one of
the fastest growing
economies in the world.
China is destined in a few
years to become the biggest
economy in the world. Yes,
during the past 100 years of
our existence, we also have
gone through a horrendous
civil war. The events that led
to the war and the war itself
have left lasting effects on all
of us, including those who
were not even born during
those events.
“As other countries have
overcome the mistakes in
their history and moved on,
so we Nigerians also have
cause to rejoice that even
though in our history we
have met with obstacles, we
have experienced ups and
downs, each generation had
sought to the best of its
ability to tackle these
obstacles. That we are still a
united nation is sufficient
cause for congratulation.
Our problems are not over.
Nation building is not like an
electric switch which you
turn on and off. It is a
continuous process which
makes a heavy demand on
government and the people”.
Eulogising Prof. Akinyemi, in
whose honour the books
were being launched, he said
“let me say a word or two
about the man we are all
here to honour today. That
he was my first External
Affairs Minister is an
established fact. That before
then he was the Director-
General of this Institute, the
Nigerian Institute of
International Affairs for eight
years is also an established
fact.
The fact that as part of
today’s programme, there is
a symposium on the
Technical Aid Corps scheme,
one of Prof. Akinyemi’s
enduring legacy in
government, is ample
demonstration of the
relevance of Prof. Akinyemi
to Nigeria’s Foreign Policy.

abi na malian rebels or al qaeda?

Legit1: If you play very well, you stand a good chance of winning

If you play woefully, no amount of prayer or fast will make you win.

Its simple, what you put in is what you get.

Btw,its just a bloody game!

thats the fact