₦airaland Forum

ONE CALL HAS GONE THROUGH!!!! CONGRATS

Phonecall service is awful. Not even gotten a ring
Questions being asked are relvant. But certain things are not being pushed on hard enough

PHONECALL SERVICE IS EMBARASSING!!!!!

So many investigations, . . . . how long for the reults? ? ?

So what are the results of all this audits and probes he talks about instigating?

flexya: Not possible at the moment because our (anti) terrorism laws are still in the victorian days. Do u realise that terrorism offences are still bailable in Nigerian courts in the same fashion as a car thief? We av not amended our laws 2 reflect modern times despite events of/since 9-11 and the menace of BH on our soil. So in accordance wit the law of nigeria, a judge who has a terrorist suspect in front of him, will bail or remand such in a prison within his jurisdiction (ie State) pendin prosecution unless the lawyers both argue and agree 2 an alternative eg police stn/SSS office. This must also be within the courts jurisdiction/State. A suspect can only be "taken 2 the South" before he takes the plea in court. After that, hands are tied. So its the National assembly that needs 2 act. I guess when a senator gets blown up and the suspect is released on bail, they will realise the lacuna in the current laws.

Then perhaps that is what needs to happen. Transport the suspects to a safer region before making them take a plea in court. With regards to the National Assembly, I don't even know how many members know what role they can play in solution to the crisis. Regardless, I had rather they focus on fuel subsidy so they don't think it is forgotten. I am tired of this habit of jumping from one crisis to another and solving nothing.

The incompetency surrounding all handling of Boko Haram issues is alarming. I find it hard to believe there is no complicity within the force. If this is the issue, start sending Boko Haram prisoners to the South or somewhere like kiri kiri. This whole story of prisoners escaping every other week has gone beyond silly. It is just plain incompetence. Send them to the South while information is extracted from them!

Billyonaire: I am of the opinion that the existing states be merged into 6 States.

I share that sentiment. . . . .
We just need more developed cities

The solution to this everybody wanting state quandary is grassroot focused development that will lead to the creation of more economically viable cities that can generate their own revenue and sustain themselves. And in Nigeria there are only at the most three of these type of cities (if even that). Then creation of more states won't be able to be sold to the gullible as the only way to get development to the grassroots. The issue remains grassroots and that won't go away.

And the main danger is that state creation is like sharia. Once you allow it, reversing it could prove difficult because of corruption and attached sentiment. I mean, I still believe in merging states back to when we had much less but who will agree to give up their poor, unsuccessful state? The issue remains development, and hence bad leadership. It would be interesting to see how many of these 50 calls for statehood come from states where things are happening (no matter how few those are).

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WHO SAID IT IS THEIR MONEY?? As long as they collect FEDERAL MONEY it is our business. The federal government supports ALL states in the federation. Can you imagine?? How much IG does Kano generate?? Later people will start giving unecessarily complicated reason as to why that region is poor. Can you imagine?? Ram allowance for all civil servant. Are you kidding me?? Perhaps all Nigerian states deserve to be poor, but it seems some states deserve to be poorer than others.

With regards to some of the posts:
We don't always have to be negative just for the sake of it. If the officers fired were found wanting then they deserve to be fired. If you have information on more that deserve to also be in the firing line then find a way to raise it ith the appropriate authorities, instead of coming online to whine just because. If they weren't fired you would complain. They are fired you complain.

We can sure learn to be more constructive with our utterances because it is more HELPFUL in the long run.

If true then this is a simple open and shut case, and there is no need for the house to do busybody. Man collected bribe, confesses, there is evidence, his alibi has failed, he is even promising to return the money and marked notes at that. If this man does not end up in jail the AGF, IG, EFCC chairman, and all leaders of the many agencies we have fighting corruption deserve to be stoned!! Adoke et al.

And if the many so called "educated" Nigerians don't demand this justice, they deseve to live in poverty!! Very Simple. You can't have it both ways.

Now, can the house get back to the issue of 2.6trillion naira (abut $17 biilion) spent on fuel subsidy in a relatively short space of time??

SOURCE ??

[quote author=arole_odua]Nothing! He has alienated Ijaw and destroyed Ijaw. Ijaw is forever relegated to anals of Nigerian history.

never again will a minority rule nigeria.[/quote]Listen to yourself you racist. Have you no shame at all in your body? If we are to go with the part in bold why don't we say the same for presidents from respective parts that have wrecked Nigeria in the past? If you cannot hold to account your presidents and leaders which the populace voted for then with all due respect, keep quiet and move on. There is no short cut to this Nigeria, the people are actually going to have to do work to get Nigeria on the path they want, if not we can simply deduce that Nigeria is on the path they want it to be.

ziccoit: Farouk Lawan is a goner more than the Arsenal fc.

You think so?? Dey watch

check45: Well said. But have you heard anywhere in d world where d executive that handles all the cash self-regulate itself? Therefore u need a strong and corrupt-free legislature.The executives will continue to steal for as long as they know that the legislators are no saints. The legislators must earn the respect. So, we must put presure on the Legislators first, and then they can put genuine presure on the executives. A THIEF CANOT CATCH A THIEF

What pressure has been put on the legislature? What pressure has ever been put on the legislature? Better yet, of all the many scandals that have apparently "rocked" the house, how many reps or senates have ended up prosecuted and in jail? Where is Bankole today? The fact that the scrawny Farouk is a thief does not negate the fact that we are being taken for a ride, PERIOD!

Until people can start instigating recalls of reps or senators they are not happy with, or people are ready to occupy NASS, do not tell me we about putting "pressure" on the house. Just you wait,let us watch as history repeats itself YET AGAIN!! Next year another scandal, another probe, another probe scandal, and the probe of original scandal disappears yet again, with absolutely NO CHANGE whatsoever.

And when you talk of the "corrupt house", call names. Because "corrupt house" does not mean a darn thing. Start educating yourself on who is who in the house, it is a good start.

Niseed: The sooner everyone realizes that Honourable(oh the irony) Farouk Lawan and the shining beacon for ethical business practice Mr Femi Otedola are two cheeks of the same backside the better. reason why all this is coming out is because its a deal that has gone sour. They've been doing this for years and its outrageous to think someone grows conscience overnight and decided to blow the whistle on corrupt practices.

Based on the alleged video do the actions of Honourable Lawan suggest that he is new to the bribe taking business? and to the "I paid a bribe" knights that are celebrating Mr Otedola as a role model for integrity and posting his image as the defender for justice on all their online ads. Can he answer the question truthfully himself?

Please lets move on and look for solutions to the problems that affect the mere mortals of Nigerians like electricity, education, healthcare and better roads (its the most we can get out of this lot and thats not even guaranteed). Corruption in Nigeria ia a like a 7 headed hydra. its in all the arms of govt and in every nook and cranny in our society!

The only thing we should be happy about is in a couple of years the demand for oil will decrease,alternative fuel will reign and there will be nothing left for our self serving leaders and cabals to loot.

I think what I find most annoying is that Nigerians are falling for EXACTLY THE SAME SCAM played out during the OBJ years. Elumelu and the power probe into the billions of dollars spent in the sector anyone? A probe that was seen as indicting of the Obasanjo administration and the mismanagement of money earmarked for power sector development got embroiled in allegations of corruption of committee members (Elumelu). The probe and the reports following took a back seat. After the heat died down, the "ethics committee" cleared the same Elumelu of any corruption. What did the Nigerian populace gain? Who went to jail? And in all of this, did we get to know what happened to billions spent on the sector? DO WE EVER LEARN??

With regards to that scrawny Farouk: If there is evidence of corruption to back the allegations then prosecute the man and throw him in jail and that is what we need to hear alone. Who ever is complicit along the way, do like wise (and I am looking at our Mr Adoke of an AGF). If not shut the hell up and stop feeding us stories of "he ate in the house", "he went to go and buy suya", "he chopped the bribe money". Where is the billions of dollars of oil subsidy money in all this? We have bigger thieves to catch, and we need to start refusing to be fools in this game. Nigerians!!

This trite is depressing, as it has ALWAYS been. And yes he could have easily gone home to remove evidence or make phonecalls, but unless the next piece of news is dismissal or prosecution of officers involved we don't want to know. The issue remains $17 billion subsidy probe

https://www.nairaland.com/967195/n2.6trn-subsidy-heist-does-president#11147743

Nigerians if you let yourself be distracted from this then you deserve everything you get. We heard of billions of dollars spent on power during OBJs tenure and did nothing even with little improvement in power. Are we forever goinmg to remain cowards?

kabba7: Seem to me the government itself is involved in this killings I say this because am more than sure the Nigerian security system can do far more than what is being done there probably an official no go area placed on their path maybe to pave way to archive some agenda yet unknown.

That is why I strongly support the recent invite by the house. Let Jonathan and his security chiefs go and tell Nigerians what the hell they have been doing. I mean, is there even a plan or security strategy to deal with the issue?? Perhaps this tension between the legislative and executive can awaken them to their jobs, instead of what had been continued complicity.

Batam: Corruption as a virus has eaten deep in Nigeria and i bet nobody can reduce it except God's divine judgement. All Nigeria politicians and otherwise got to their post through corruption and that is it will be an herculean task to reduce the level of corruption in Nigeria.

Fighting corruption isn't as herculean a task as we make it and the more we keep saying this, the more we keep giving our leaders the mandate and authority to rob us, after all, 'fighting corruption is to herculean a task'. It is in the interest of nobody but thieves, for us to continue repeating that 'corruption is too herculean to fight' line.

To fight corruption people need to know that there is a new way of doing things in the dispensation. This is posturing that has to come from leadership that selects non compromising people to fill certain key roles of law enforcement. Heck a good AGF, IG and EFCC chairman working together can do it. Nigerians can steal but they are also cowards. Once you set a good example and close loop holes through effective legislation the problem will be drastically reduced at the federal level. It starts at the top. What is our AGF doing?

Agreed. We can't just keep trusting in good faith that there is actual work going on. We need updates and progress reports.

But I would be more keen to hear from the service chiefs than from Jonathan. We need to start putting more pressure on Nigerian leadership, leadership on all levels. Congress, executives, state, local, federal, etc.

Spirit of Okija: Its not his job to prosecute corrupt politicians but that of the Attorney General..

And I agree with you on the short attention span of Nigerians..

Did not say it was Jonathan's job to actually prosecute corrupt officials. Correct me if I am wrong, but doesn't the president appoint the AGF? If a dispensation claims to be fighting corruption does that not include selecting a worthwile AGF? One thing I will agree on though is that more attention definitely needs too be given to our AGF Mohammed Bello Adoke. He needs to explain what he has been doing given all the cases we have potentialy pending (if they have even started) all the way back to Kabiru Sokoto. Unfortunately he is not in an elected position.

So to be frank what we should be saying is 'Jonathan, what is your AGF doing?' Afterall we did not elect Adoke, but we elected Jonathan.

Honestly speaking a Ribadu as AGF might have been interesting. Tired of all these AGFs that lack zeal and in some instances (Aoondoaka or whatever the fellow is called), work against our interest.

Spirit of Okija: And the corruption saga continues... And later someone will call GEJ corrupt..

The Attornet General of the Federation must be the most inept Nigga existing on the Planet of the earth.. All these corrution around him and the person cant successfully prosecute anybody..

Any Lawyer willing to make his or her name in the business would be gunning for that office..

This is FRESH AIR for you.. No hiding place for corruption

What is the point of having "no hiding place for corruption" if it is not going to be prosecuted?
I will keep on saying Nigerians are not serious. Like little kids, too short an attention span to follow events and demand actions. Jumping from one scandal to another and having no resolution to any.

[quote author=Yeske!]Hope this doesn't get swept under the carpet like others.[/quote]This is the one we should make sure definitely doesn't get swept under the carpet, no matter what!

https://www.nairaland.com/967195/n2.6trn-subsidy-heist-does-president#11147743

Unfortunately it seems it has started happening. Nigerian's and short attention span!

This is what the house should be focusing on again. This is what really needs resolution. Let the police, SSS and courts handle Farouk. If this thing is swept under the carpet it is the fault of Nigerians. Period. 2.6trillion in roughly about $17billion. It is either complicity, poor management, or incompetence. Either way it doesn't look good and it is in the best interest of the executive and legislature to resolve this if either wants to regain any sort of integrity or credibility in this dispensation.

I really hope this works if only to set a precedence. Would have been more impressive if it was a non partisan group that started it, but at least it is a start. Power is in the hands of the people.

thegoodjoehunt:
A lot of people have been screaming that this whole subsidy issue is fake. If the probe is fake and names where just thrown in there, why should we focus on the lie? What should be investigated is the probe. How was it done and what role did the CBN play. If we can find those who were decieving the nation, we can start again. For now I would like to know how so much money left CBN unaccounted for and in such a probe names were removed and maybe innocent marketers were indicted.

These are all questions which can be answered by refocusing on the whole oil subsidy issue. That report as far as I am concerned has no integrity. How do we know if the biggest benefactors didn't just bribe their way out of the list? There are people who should have been investigated who were not even investigated by the panel. So to be honest these are areas our focus should more fruitfuly lie. I am not villifying Otedola here and I don't think this is the issue. His expose (so to speak) has been very useful and important. But the issue for me is people so eager to make him a saint or some fighter of corruption when the story has not even gotten close to finishing. What is wrong with us?

And people express shock and horror at how Farouk turned out, how he "disappointed" them. Well, if people were not so dumb and eager to pick sides before they understood the issues, they wouldn't have been so disappointed. I was never swayed by Farouk, ever! But here we are again, about to repeat the same thing without having the most important details. I think we might just enjoy scandal rather than making fruitful progress. This issue should be bigger than any one man.

pluto04: I find it difficult to believe that the foregoing came from thesame person. Maybe I just dont understand what has been written, but it reads to me like:

1. We should focus on fuel subsidy scam and not the official corruption that led to the fuel subsidy scam or the one that has resulted from it.
2. A corruption whistleblower is not fighting corruption.
3. Before we support a whistleblower, we should find out why he/she blew the whistle
4. Scandals are good if they lead to positive changes but you don't believe that the scandals will not lead anywhere if the populace view the key actors as just people fighting personal wars.

Don't you think that we are where we are because of these kind of 'it is non of my business' attitudes?

I personally think the report is dead and buried and it is not Otedola's fault but that of the legislooters that saw the probe only as an opportunity to make money. It is not even worth the ink it was printed on if people were being threatened to either payup or have their names included in the report irrespective of whether or not they were guilty to begin with. Time to outsource the investigation to a competent unbiased third party. Every hand should be on deck to rid every arm of our Government (executive, legislature, Judiciary)of corruption. Whistleblowers are welcomed.

I cannot believe we are still on the same topic. You do not have all the facts on the matter and you want everybody to pick sides to fight for a man's personal agenda. I tell you, let us NOT deceive ourselves here. IF the reprt is dead it is because of citizens that think the way you do (personal opinion). We have the chance to collectively push the legislature to focus on doing a proper and thorough investigation on what is possibly one of the most corrupt and abused sectors in the country and we rather shift the focus on frying small fish? Spare me the righteous anger because I find the whole idea offensive to my senses.

Bribery is a crime right?? Let the courts and other such agencies handle it not the house because it is not their job. Whistle blowers are welcome and when the time comes for us to focus on creating a law for that or whatever then by all means let us focus on that. But don't you dare say the subsidy matter is dead because of the legislature when all you are doing up and down the place is proposing the focus shifts to Otedola's "fighting corruption" in Nigeria. How utterly absurd. Can't Nigerians ever see the connection between their actions and why we keep playing the fools in this game that has gone on for decades now.

It is like we have already made up our minds that it is imposible for Otedola to have been involved in a police sting to expose a bribe taker for his own PERSONAL INTEREST, and be corrupt at the same time. And you lecture people on "fighting corruption"? Are you actually interested in fighting corruption properly? Again, Otedola good job with the whistleblowing, if you hve nothing to hide then relax because you have nothing to fear, is that so impossible a proposition?

[quote author=Olu_Bendel]These are the best posts av read on nairaland im many days. What is realy wrong with our youths and thinking system for goodness sake.We cry and complain to high heavens of the attrocities and corruption of our political leaders and when an Otedola sticks out his neck and business to confront the status quo, we turn round and descend on him. what are we intending to achieve with this, how on earth do we expect other business men who are being extorted to come out tommorow and blow the lid on these evil rampaging our nation.If you have a problem with Otedola and his Business/Political operandi why dont you wait for another case to do this.To Imagine Mallam Zakari Moh'd publicly stating that "As far as we are concerned in this country, for every personality that claims to be straightforward, we know his or her background, antecedents, way of life and means of doing business".This is the same reason they go about extorting every other businessman because they believe nobody is straightforwad? haba coming from an honourable its both shameful and despicable.Now they want to "deal with Otedola" for heavens sake lets not take our eyes off the ball.These honourables dont mean well for you and I.Otedola might just be a tool in helping to expose them, nobody said he was a saint.[/quote]With all due respect I think you might be the one missing the point here. The points bolded I find quite interesting. What exactly is the case really about? Oil subsidy probe anybody?? It is quite disappointing that people have already started losing that focus and we enjoy jumping from one scandal or outrage to another. This whole issue for me stems from oil subsidy probe, not "fighting corruption". Because no matter how ideal that might sound to the mouth, in a place like Nigeria "fighting corruption" has to be tackled in specifics, the oil subsidy probe being one (who did what, how much was taken - not useless platitudes like "they are all corrupt" ). Only through such an approach can we begin to set precedents that will act as useful deterrents to the crime.

You state that the house of rep does not mean well for us, and what makes you think Otedola does? If you agree as you seem to do with you closing sentence that Otedola is not necessarily a "saint", then you agree that he has been a useful tool in deconstructing the specifics of corruption in the house (who and how). The interesting thing about this is the response it invokes in you - automatic obligation to his cause when you don't even know what that cause is. If Otedola said he was doing this is to "fight corruption" in Nigeria that is a different matter. I just don't get how you can fight for a man's cause when you don't even know what it is. But I think it is because the country has been so molested, that any trace of hope is grabbed on to even without an understanding of the macro implications. Otedola is a tool in all of this, if he has nothing to hide good for him, we all gain. But stop trying to make it sound like he is fighting corruption, he has his mouth, stop trying to speak for him.

Final thing. Where has all the scandal and outrage of happenings in the house and politics of the country gotten us in the last 13 years? How many people are in jail? Yet more people are getting richer off corrupt practises? Think about that question very well and meditate on it because it is an important one. We need to stop being distracted and start rallying around the right causes. For me, in this case the issue is fuel subsidy, something which if we all rally around proper investigation and come together to pressure the executive and legislative for implementation based on findings, can close system loop holes that allow corrupt practises occur. You see? Specifics. That to me is a more worthy cause that can outlive the fun we seem to derive from scandals. I am tired of scandals, I just want results and the scandals would only be useful if they lead to concrete positive changes.

jerseyboy: Nigerianas Must Join Otedola in this Fight to Clean Out This Assembly of THIEVES.

How do you know Otedola is fighting to "clean" the house? You make his motives sound so altruistic. We need to stop being fools in other people's wars.

Be very very careful here and don't be so quick to take sides especially when you don't know what part Otedola plays in the greater scheme of things. This is really very simple, a bribe was apparently recorded, let the courts handle it and the appropriate sentence be metted out. The posturing of Nigerians in this thing is pressuring law enforcement to make sure further corruption does not creep into the enforcement of the law, and asking for a refocus on fuel subsidy report.

This latest stance by the leadership of the house reeks of vendetta and there is no need for Nigerians to be caught up in it. Anyone who is not guily of something has nothing to fear so let both sides pick each other apart, it is for our own benefit. As long as that report is revisited and Farouk receives the full weight of the law (and whoever else is found culpable), Period.

Reference: I don't think you realise just how much 1.5 trillion is. Are we gunning for a police state. We should be wary of too much resources going into unaccountable hands. The police reform needed should first address the issue of equal access to justice. Absolute pan national neutrality, and not a police force that only responds to the executive and only expedites federal cases.

Why on earth will members of a club contribute to a project for the sole benefit of the chairman. For what. I for one expect the national assembly to resist it if their members are quickly mauled by law enforcement while their executive collaborators are excused. I expect the judiciary to resist it when their judgements are not respected and I expect state assemblies to get their pound of flesh. But will they?

And I don't think you realise just how little 1.5trillion naira (about $10billion) is to reform a decrepit police institution of a country of 150million. Sceptism is understandable but we can't always be negative for the sake of it. What we should be asking for is the details to the plan of reform and also information with regards to sourcing of funds. That is what is important. But I think we can all agree that the police does need reform.