₦airaland Forum

I quite agree with you angel101. Its looking good but too early to conclude.

@moondust

My brother I sure do own a car and I don't consider it a liability. Sure i do spend on fuel, maintenance and the rest but the benefit and comfort i get from the car far outweighs all these. For instance, i live in PH close to town and my company is based in Eleme. if you know the place too well, you'll understand the distance am talking about. if i should take a public transport, i will pay nothing less than N350 per day to and from work. That translates to N2,100 per week but i buy fuel of N2500 and I use it for close to two weeks. Now with my car, i don't have to go out so early in order to beat the husstle and bustle associated with public transport and i have my comfort. I also can easily branch somewhere on my way back from work without minding that Okada stops running by 7pm.

So, to me, my car is sure an investment.

My car is not an investment? Na wao! Says who?

My car is a very big investment. on my health, on my comfort and generally on my life.

Saves me atleast from being thrown away or run over by Okada drivers.

Abeg o me i disagree with this one. Even if na only the cool air and the pleasure of taking my wife around most evenings. And if i have the money, i will buy a better one. Everytime is not for investment. when you invest, you also enjoy the fruit of the investment. I won't spend my whole life investing and re-investing.

my car is an investment o. Chikena!

If this is true then very very shameful.

source: http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2007/apr/18/national-18-04-2007-04.htm

I tire for all these people who say Adams and the people should not protest. Oyibo them people. These are the same people that will stay abroad and say that Nigerians are likely to accept anything forced on them and life goes on. Now, nigerians are saying NO they won't accept injustice anymore and the oyibo people have started reminding us of the law courts. Was there no law court in ukraine when the people protested against the Govt or is there no law courts in france, italy and even in US when people protest against unpopular policies of the govt.

People defied early morning rains, queued under the sun, under flying bullets, waited for hours and voted and some highly placed people come out at the end of the day to announce an already prepared result and you say people should not protest. they should wait and go to court.

I was in PH during the elections and despite the violence before the elections started which scared voters from coming out to vote, the election results are telling us that about 99% of registered voters voted in Rivers state. Haba!

The following day i was watching AIT and Philip Umeadi of INEC released the result of Delta governorship election among others and few minutes later, the resident electoral commissioner was on phone saying that they are still awaiting the result of some Local Govt areas in Delta before he could declare any result. So which result did INEC headquarters in Abuja declare for Delta?

And in the face of all these "opendential" robbery, some people and the oyibos abroad are talking about courts.

Source please?

Abi una blind? naija babes ofcourse!

What is happening here? Lord have mercy!

What is the Presidency and the National Assembly waiting to sponsor a bill that will abolish this immunity nonsense? People should be made accountable while holding public office. They should not hide under immunity to commit evil. If OBJ is very sincere with this anti-corruption crusade, he should have started with removing the immunity clause in the constitution since 1999. But it was obvious that he needed support of some of the Govs so he dare not touch that. And this puts a question mark on his stance on corruption.

The Judiciary is really waking up to its responsibilities in Nigeria. Dariye is corrupt but removing him illegally (without regards to the constitution) also amounts to corruption. Any wanton disregard to the rule of law is corruption. You cannot fight corruption with corruption. EFCC should practice what they preach and stop making people like Dariye look like heroes at the end of the day.

All the same, It is not a victory for Dariye but victory for DUE PROCESS and RULE OF LAW.

Never a dull moment in Naija. I love this country. This is the real reality show. The more you listen, the less you know and the more you look, you won't even see.

I bow for naija o.

Source: http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art200703031314810

ATIKU REACTS:

PTDF: Atiku releases 13-point killer dissent
• Says Senate Committee report is a cover-up
By IKENNA EMEWU
Saturday, March 3, 2007

If a stinker reply by Vice President Atiku Abubakar to the verdict of the Senate Ad-Hoc Committee that probed the PTDF scam does not get a solid and provable reply from the Senate, it might leave the report of the upper legislature futile in the eyes of many Nigerians.

Not only would public fund have been wasted on the act, the position of the Vice President would forever cast a slur on the integrity of the Senate Committee headed by Senator Ndoma Egba (SAN)

The document in the possession of Saturday Sun which faulted point-by-point the findings and position of the Senate which merely gave President Olusegun a tap on the back and came down heavily on Atiku Abubakar is loaded with outright accusations against the Senate of compromise and cowardice that made them provide the president a soft landing.

Much care was taken by Atiku to take the points that were in issue before the Senate one after the other, and also punched holes on each conclusion, declaring them as heavily flawed, unreasonable and outrightly lacking in fairness and justice for all the involved parties.

N250m legal fee
Atiku is crying foul that a Senate Committee with a mandate for the sake of Nigeria and justice overlooked a weighty allegation that the Emmanuel Chambers, law firm of Obasanjo’s personal lawyer, Chief Emmanuel Afe-Babalola was unjustifiably paid a staggering N250m for just registering a company for the President.
The argument Atiku has against the Senate is that there were indisputable evidences before it that the fee was outlandish for the registration of one company – Galaxy Backbone.
“The Committee in its report claimed that the N250 million paid to Emmanuel Chambers of Chief Afe Babalola, private lawyer to President Olusegun Obasanjo was for sundry services and not for the mere registration of a company. This is a false conclusion as the correspondence between Chief Babalola, the PTDF and the President clearly identified the service for which N250 million was paid. This is a clear case of diversion of public fund to cronies and at best an abuse of office.
“In his letter of 3rd July 2006 entitled: “Registration of Galaxy Backbone Plc”, Chief Babalola stated as follows:
“We wish to inform you that we have concluded registration of Galaxy Backbone Plc. at the Corporate Affairs Commission.
“We hereby ask for the sum of N300,000,000 (three hundred million naira) as our professional fees. This amount covers our professional fees, expenses incurred at the Corporate Affairs Commission, Stamp Duty Office, traveling and other expenses”. This letter speaks for itself about the purpose for which N250 million was requested.
“This was re-enforced by the request of the PTDF to President Obasanjo to approve the request of Chief Babalola. In the memo dated 11 September 2006, Maina Waziri, the Executive Secretary of PTDF addressed a memo to the President thus:
“May I crave the indulgence of Mr. President and formally recall the directives to the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) to effect the incorporation of Galaxy Backbone Plc. as conveyed vide Annex 1.
“ Consequent to this directive, Messrs Emmanuel Chambers was given the assignment of the company’s registration with a N1,000,000,000 (one billion naira) capitalization. This has been achieved”.

Atiku’s N30m loan/Obasanjo’s N700m
Atiku Abubakar would not understand why the Senate adjudged a transaction of N30m as fraudulent but looked the other direction in respect of another transaction involving Obasanjo with Otunba Fasawe. The transaction with Mofas, owned by the same Fasawe involved Atiku, and the Senate said it was an abuse of office. But why it declined the same conclusion about Obasanjo on a related matter involving N700m is not clear to the Vice President.
It lamented that: ‘Two bank accounts hold the key to unraveling the PTDF controversy. The MOFAS account owned by Fasawe had been accused of receiving PTDF investment in TIB. Marine Float was fingered as the account belonging to Vice President Abubakar into which N250 million paid by Fasawe was seen as evidence of business relation with Atiku. He challenged the Committee to call for the bank statements of MOFAS and Marine Float to understand their relationship with PDP.
“The Committee rebuffed the invitation. Yet, if it did, it would probably confirm Atiku’s claim that Obasanjo paid N700 million into MOFAS Account in May 2004. If Atiku’s payment of N30 million to Fasawe is evidence of his business relationship with Fasawe, will Obasanjo’s N700 million payment into Fasawe’s account not then indicate an even closer relationship with the account and its titular holder? The committee did not follow this trail”.

PTDF as Obj’s settlement outlet
The Vice President is throwing up very serious allegations to establish that the Senate erred in not finding the President guilty or indictable of using the PTDF, a government agency as outlet to settle cronies and PDP bigwigs for personal interests.
“I provided six documentary evidences, including a search result at the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) to establish that the PTDF was used as a slush fund where Aides of President Obasanjo were awarded mouth-watering contracts. Curiously, the Senate Ad-hoc Committee did not address the allegation.
“With valid documentary evidences, I persuaded the Senate that the same President used PTDF as front to award frivolous contracts to NWC members of the PDP. The Senate Ad-hoc Committee did not address this issue at all in its report. Even the grave allegation that the PDP stalwarts were paid for contracts awarded to unregistered companies which violated several laws, was ignored”.

Incompetent Ribadu
Because of the alleged contradictions in findings of EFCC and the Senate on the culpability of Globacom in PTDF loans, Atiku calls to question the professional competence of the EFCC Chairman, Nuhu Ribadu.
His tacit disavowal of Ribadu’s job in investigating the matter arose from the unjustified proofs EFCC raised about Globacom and the chairman, Chief Mike Adenuga and concluded that: “In its report that unjustly indicted Atiku and which was reproduced before the Senate Ad-hoc Committee, EFCC’s Nuhu Ribadu claimed that Globalcom and its Chairman were guilty of using PTDF’s fund to pay for its SNC licence. This is in spite of abundant documentary evidence that Globacom paid for its license before the PTDF invested money in ETB. The Senate committee has confirmed Globacom’s claims that there is no evidence of any transaction between ETB and Globacom. What does this say about the investigative competence of EFCC? What does this say of EFCC’s sense of fairness and equity when it is realized that Otunba Mike Adenuga, chairman of Globacom had been arrested, detained and harassed out of the country and made a fugitive in the last three months by the conduct of Ribadu”?

Non-existent N3bn institute
A N3b (US$25m) transfer from the account of PTDF by Central Bank of Nigeria for an institute - African Institute of Technology, which is said not to exist anywhere nags Atiku and makes him raise questions on how fair the Senate was in its conclusions.
“In August, the CBN was directed to transfer $25million from the account of PTDF for the establishment of the African Institute of Technology.
The Senate Ad-hoc Committee in its report merely acknowledged that the institute was out of the purview of the brief of PTDF and that the approval of such a transfer by the Federal Executive Council mitigated the impact of the illegality. This conclusion shies away from the main issues:
There is no structure yet for the so-called African Institute. So who had been keeping the $25million in his custody for the past seven months?
How much interest has accrued on the $25 million and where is the interest? What is the status of the so-called African Institute in Nigeria law?
The FEC only approved the $25million transfer in October 2006 three months after the money had been in the custody of someone. Who is this person? Is he entitled to keep such fund”?

N1b Obj gun
What could be the reason that made a President vote N1b for the production of branded guns after the name of the Commander-In-Chief. The Vice President is alleging that this was one of the goofs of Mr. President, and he thought the Senate would have seen this as improper and recommend commensurate punishment for it.
He however lamented that the Senate was silent on this grave allegation against the number one citizen. The branded gun, according to Atiku is called OBJ 006.

Transcorp N2.4b deal
“Vice President Abubakar alleged that PTDF invested N2.4 billion in a consolidated bank and went back (on behalf of the federal government to borrow money from the same bank).
He alleged that President Obasanjo took N200 million from the same bank to buy N200 million shares of Transcorp after the investment of PTDF money there on his approval.
The committee did not make any reference to this allegation even though Nuhu Ribadu and Nasir el-Rufai confirmed in an interview with The Nation newspaper in September, 2006 that Obasanjo got a loan of N200 million from the bank.
‘The question is why the silence on Obasanjo’s loan from this bank since the “guilt” of Atiku was because a friend of his borrowed money from a bank in which PTDF invested its funds”.

PTDF bogus rehabilitation
He fumed that PTDF money was stolen under various disguises including a bogus rehabilitation of the PTDF secretariat with N130m.
“The sub-committee in its report said it did not have the time to verify whether the contracts for the rehabilitation were inflated or not even when the so-called one-storey building renovated for N130 million is about five minutes drive from the National Assembly. It is also instructive that by PTDF admission, it has no due process certificate for these projects”.

N20b: From PTDF to third term project
The still-born third term project of Mr. President was said to have got N20b lifeline from the milking cow called PTDF. That the Senate overlooked this claim by the VP annoys the number two citizen.
“It however did not see such “coincidence” between the application of PTDF for N20 billion on May 10 2006, the approval of N10 billion of the application by President Obasanjo same May 10, 2006 and the release of N10 billion of the money same day. The committee did not also deem it fit to investigate the allegation that the money was used to induce support for the third term bid which was scheduled for deliberation in the National Assembly same week”.
Alhaji Atiku Abubakar insists that until the Senate clears all these cobwebs of unresolved and hanging allegations of corruption and abuse of office around the President, it has just done nothing and its reports would never be acceptable to him and discerning Nigerians who would always read in between the lines to see the yawning gaps.

Source:http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2007/mar/03/national-03-03-2007-01.htm

A woman came out of her house and saw 3 old men with long white beards sitting in her front yard. She did not recognize them. She said "I don't think I know you, but you must be hungry. Please come in and have something to eat." "Is the man of the house home?", they asked. "No", she replied. "He's out." "Then we cannot come in", they replied.

In the evening when her husband came home, she told him what had happened. "Go tell them I am home and invite them in!" The woman went out and invited the men in" "We do not go into a House together," they replied. "Why is that?" she asked. One of the old men explained: "His name is Wealth," he said pointing to one of his friends, and said pointing to another one, "He is Success, and I am Love." Then he added, "Now go in and discuss with your husband which one of us you want in your home."

The woman went in and told her husband what was said. Her husband was overjoyed. "How n ice!!", he said. "Since that is the case, let us invite Wealth. Let him come and fill our home with wealth!" His wife disagreed. "My dear, why don't we invite Success?" Their daughter was listening from the other corner of the house. She jumped in with her own suggestion: "Would it not be better to invite Love? Our home will then be filled with love!" "Let us heed our daughter's advice," said the husband to his wife. "Go out and invite Love to be our guest."

The woman went out and asked the 3 old men, "Which one of you is Love? Please come in and be our guest." Love got up and started walking toward the house. The other 2 also got up and followed him. Surprised, t he lady asked Wealth and Success: "I only invited Love, Why are you coming in?" The old men replied together: "If you had invited Wealth or Success, the other two of us would've stayed out, but since you invited Love, wherever He goes, we go with him.

Wherever there is Love, there is also Wealth and Success!



Happy Val to all Nairalanders!

A woman came out of her house and saw 3 old men with long white beards sitting in her front yard. She did not recognize them. She said "I don't think I know you, but you must be hungry. Please come in and have something to eat." "Is the man of the house home?", they asked. "No", she replied. "He's out." "Then we cannot come in", they replied.

In the evening when her husband came home, she told him what had happened. "Go tell them I am home and invite them in!" The woman went out and invited the men in" "We do not go into a House together," they replied. "Why is that?" she asked. One of the old men explained: "His name is Wealth," he said pointing to one of his friends, and said pointing to another one, "He is Success, and I am Love." Then he added, "Now go in and discuss with your husband which one of us you want in your home."

The woman went in and told her husband what was said. Her husband was overjoyed. "How n ice!!", he said. "Since that is the case, let us invite Wealth. Let him come and fill our home with wealth!" His wife disagreed. "My dear, why don't we invite Success?" Their daughter was listening from the other corner of the house. She jumped in with her own suggestion: "Would it not be better to invite Love? Our home will then be filled with love!" "Let us heed our daughter's advice," said the husband to his wife. "Go out and invite Love to be our guest."

The woman went out and asked the 3 old men, "Which one of you is Love? Please come in and be our guest." Love got up and started walking toward the house. The other 2 also got up and followed him. Surprised, t he lady asked Wealth and Success: "I only invited Love, Why are you coming in?" The old men replied together: "If you had invited Wealth or Success, the other two of us would've stayed out, but since you invited Love, wherever He goes, we go with him.

Wherever there is Love, there is also Wealth and Success!


Happy Val to all Nairalanders!

Classical music is the best and eternal. I can't even stand rap music. I hate raps. Its mostly all about drugs, violence, women etc.

I have many collections of classical music. Am planning on converting some of them to mp3 and upload online to people who will request them.

@ Ndipe

I wonder where you are driving at. I did not state that I hate my mum. Infact, to tell you the truth my mum's behaviour has really helped me in life and have taught me a good lesson and that is "to look before leaping". Someone needed an advice and I am driving my point home to air my advice properly so people can understand. And why people bring out there problems in a forum like this is because this is where they can get an open and frank advice simply because nobody knows who or where the other person is. So I really don't see how what i posted became an issue for you. When you read people's post, confne yourself within the context of the subject of discussion instead of attacking, distracting and discouraging innocent posters from airing their truthful and objective views on issues.

My advice to young couples like mine is that they should know when to draw the line, respect your in-laws and don't allow whatever problems you have get out of the four walls of your bedroom. Stand behind yourselves; that is the key.

Finally, my mum will always be my mum and i will never trade her with all the gold in the world. Her actions or inactions has helped in no small way to shape me into a man that I am today. She singlehandedly raised me and my siblings, maybe that made her tough but i am very grateful she is like that. it is actually a blessing in whatever.

All I can say is that: It all depends on the understanding the couple has of their separate families. Before I got married i took time to expalin to my wife the kind of family and in-laws she's going to have and how to treat them. I am not going to pretend here. My mum is not the best mother-in-law for anybody to have. She's simply difficult to manage and I explained all this much to my wife and told her how to treat my mum and when to draw the line. Since i know my mother too well and know my wife too well. i am able to predict what each of them will do in any given situation. My mum had told me so many things which if i hadn't know my wife would have ended our marriage but with my wisdom i ignored those things and some months later found them all to be lies. Unlike my mum, my two elder sisters are sweet. They love me with a passion and the same love they transfered to my wife. The first time they met my wife, she became their best friend instantly and have been like that ever since. And if i ever annoy my wife, my sisters will call to abuse and threaten me.

The same goes to my wife's family. though the parents are very accommodating and loving, she still knows when to draw the curtain. She doesn't allow any of her siblings or parents to overstay their welcome when they visit. So all these things should be made open right from the start. There should be no surprises. My wife found my mum exactly as i had told her and found my sisters exactly too. Same with me. I found her family exactly as she has described. that way we know who to laugh with whether we like it or not and who to totally avoid. So i will not tell you not to marry someone you like because your would be in-laws are bad. Not at all. But both of you should be able to stand behind each other in any situation. if your would-be husband/wife is not the type to stand behind you when you are being bombarded by your in-laws then don't even ATTEMPT,

Well, well, well. If Nweke made such a statement then it is most unfortunate. I would forgive any old politician who makes such a statement but not someone as young as Nweke who the numerous youth of the nation should look up to and who should ensure the generational shift form old to young. If someone as him thinks this way at a time that Nigerians both home and abroad wants to particpate in the political process of their nation, then it is quite sad indeed. What Nweke should be doing is pushing the govt to ensure that there are platform for nigerians abroad to vote and their votes counted.

I stand to be corrected that Nigeria is one country that has one of the highest number of her nationals living abroad and that should make any govt lose sleep and try to do something about it. Nigerians abroad should not be begging to vote or participate in the political process, they should be begged. The govt should learn how to treat the nigerian with much love and respect because without the nigerian, there would not be nigeria for the govt to exist in the first place. The govt should take an example from US who makes sure, as much as possible, that their nationals wherever they reside (including the US marines at war in other countries) vote and their votes counted.

I know so many nigerians who live abroad who will rush back home as soon as there is little improvement in the socio-economic and political lives of nigerians where they are sure of atleast having three meals per day and take care of other neccessary needs. When the neccesary climate and structure is in place, many abroad will come back to nigeria in droves. I don't live abroad but I have friends abroad. Yes they make a living there but they don't enjoy being second class citizens.

If this statement where to credited to a US govt official, I can asure you that there would be so much pressure until he apologizes or forced to resign. For now, I have not confirmed Nweke actually made such statement or whether he was quoted out of context. But whatever be the case, such a statement coming from any nigerian (not just Nweke or any other govt official) is very unfortunate and sad.

THERE IS SOMETHING ABOUT DONALD DUKE By Malcolm Fabiyi, PhD

The streets are clean and heaps of refuse, a sad and familiar sight in many Nigerian cities, are nowhere to be found here. Housing projects dot the landscape, and plantations churn out bounteous harvests of cocoa, oil palm, cassava, cashew nuts, bananas and rice. The constant drone of tractors and the unceasing whirr of cement mixers make it clear that this is a state in rebirth. People move around with the confident stride and gait of those who know that their lives are safe and secure. It is very likely that the containerized mobile police centers that are distributed all across this state add to their deserved sense of security.



Far from the capital, near a rustic town called Obudu, a steady stream of tourists and adventurers delight themselves in the attractions of a Cattle Ranch by the same name, perched atop a hill overlooking a picturesque and idyllic landscape. To the south of the capital, on the shores of the Atlantic, a massive world class integrated business resort complete with wholesale emporiums, shopping complexes, and entertainment facilities is nearing completion. Multinational corporations are already lined up to open shop in this remarkable ultra-modern complex. When the wheels begin to spin fully here, close to a million visitors a year are expected - and this venue - Tinapa, will become the indubitable trade hub for West Africa, overtaking the ports of Lagos, Accra, Cotonou, Abidjan, Banjul and Dakar in trade volume and importance.

None of this is fiction, and unlikely as it might seem, these scenes of rebirth are playing out at this very moment in Cross River State - which with just a little over 3 million citizens is one of the smallest states in Nigeria. The architect of this unlikely rebirth is a man that is referred to fondly by his people as the "Duke." The rest of us know him as Donald Duke, the two term governor of Cross River State, and the only chief executive, who has so far stood up to the deep and penetrating scrutiny of Nuhu Ribadu's EFCC.

What is truly remarkable is how silent this transformation has been. Duke has achieved all of these remarkable accomplishments, with very few people outside of Cross River state knowing what has happened there. There have been no crowing statements, no self adulatory pronouncements. Duke, it seems, has no time for the clownish antics of his underachieving peers with their puerile rush to commission every filled-in pothole and every completed pit latrine! Like a man with a mission, each success merely seems to indicate that the page has to be turned over to the next task. Duke has set about the task of actualizing his vision to transform Cross River state into reality with a sense of urgency that one would have to go back to the days of the nation's founding fathers to match.

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I have spent the last few weeks researching Donald Duke, trying to understand who he is, what he stands for, and what his vision is for Nigeria. What I have come to know about this man, about his vision for his people and for his nation, gives me hope that our nation will rise again. Success never happens by accident, and if there was ever a life that bore witness to this truth, it is Donald Duke's. His life experiences have enabled him to develop a deep knowledge of Nigeria and its unique challenges. Born and bred in Lagos, Duke schooled at the Federal Government College Sokoto, and then at Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, where he was a member of the students' union government. By the age of 31 he was already a commissioner for Finance and Budgets in Cross River State, and soon after served on the National Economic Intelligence Committee. At the age of 38, he became Governor of Cross River State. Having been born in 1961, his political ascendancy and stellar achievements in office represent the coming of age of the generation of Nigerians born after independence - the post indies. A Donald Duke presidency will signal the final transfer of the guardianship of our nation's destiny to its most vibrant and dynamic elements.

In addition to the extensive list of accomplishments that were earlier indicated - there are these others: class sizes across the state are down to about 30 students per class on average, an effective universal free education scheme is in place, HIV prevalence rates have been reduced by over 50% since 1999, and industrial participation in the Calabar Free Trade Zone has gone from just 2 firms in 1999 to over 30 firms. Agricultural production is high - and Cross River state is now the second largest cocoa producer in the nation after Ondo state. The state also currently produces about 10% of the total national output of cassava and is the largest producer of pineapple, banana, plantain, oil palm and rice in the country. The progress that Duke has achieved in Cross River state is not a merely cosmetic endeavor limited to urban centers. Currently, over 80% of the communities across the state have been connected to the National Power Grid.

Through his success in transforming Cross River state, a place once considered a rural backwater, into the shining pearl of the nation, Duke has demonstrated that he has what it takes to provide visionary and inspirational leadership. His leadership abilities also extend to the diplomatic arena as well. Many seem to have forgotten that this young governor was the person saddled by providence with the task of relocating and reabsorbing tens of thousands of Nigerians displaced from the Bakassi peninsula. This relocation is proceeding seamlessly, due in large part to Duke's foresight in seeking out an area for the relocation and finalizing the terms for the re-absorption of those affected by the transfer, long before the ceding of Bakassi to Cameroon finally went into effect. It was also on Duke's shoulders that the task of hosting Charles Taylor, the erstwhile Liberian warlord fell. The story of how peace was finally brought to Liberia will be incomplete without a mention of the role that the government of Donald Duke played in finding a home for Taylor, after virtually every one else had refused to take him in. Why are these and other well known achievements underreported? In many ways, it appears that this man's remarkable talents are also unfortunately the cause of his under-appreciation. In a nation that has become accustomed to frantic and chaotic last minute actions, orderly and planned transitions such as those that Duke employs, give the impression that nothing was wrong in the first place.

If there is any seriousness about keeping the reform agenda on track, Governor Duke, as the only serving state chief executive not indicted by the EFCC on corruption charges is perhaps the only presidential aspirant that can be trusted to continue with the reform agenda. This point is extremely crucial. He will have no cause to see the EFCC as a threat, and should therefore be ready to provide the support necessary to ensure that this remarkable commission continues to rid Nigeria of the vermin that have conspired to suck her dry!

In Governor Duke, Nigerians finally have a man that can be followed - not because of where he is from, or because of what we hope he might be able to do; but for what he has already demonstrated that he is capable of doing. The 2007 elections will be a battle for the soul of Nigeria, and no patriot can afford to sit on the sidelines, while this epic battle rages. Fanon's prescient words are relevant here: every generation must out of relative obscurity, find its mission, fulfill it, or betray it. If our generational mission is to restore Nigeria to greatness, then our first duty is to work to return leadership to men and women that are imbued with great vision and have a proven track record of integrity and selfless service. When this standard is used, one man - Donald Duke - stands head and shoulders above all others.

The injunction is that we should "seek first the kingdom of God and all other things shall be added unto you". This is a basic condition to wellness, spiritual upliftment as well as prosperity and it is not automatic as many of these pastors would want us to believe. In "seeking the kingdom of God", you have to live the life worthy of a child of God by fulfilling His will as anchored in creation. By being "saintly" everyday( not just on sundays) as if everybody in your church congregation is watching you.

We dont achieve this by going to church everyday to dance and gyrate and entertain ourselves. It is by your everyday activity, by your r/ship with your fellow human beings. Some of us will go to church, ostensibly to pray for prosperity, and the next day they dupe someone or defraud their company or in the case of politicians, steal govt funds and they will come back to church to give testimony about how the Almighty has helped them get rich. The Almighty cannot and will never be part of such richness. A man after rigging election and using thugs to maim and murder his opponents will come to church to give testimony and donate chunks of money stolen from public funds. Such wealth does not come from God. Seek to know and live according to the teachings of Christ Jesus. If that is done, prosperity and all the rest are guaranteed. So pastors should not emphasize on prosperity rather they shoulld teach their congregation how to obey the laws of the Almighty, engrave it in their hearts and live it in their thoughts, words and deeds. It cannot be done in one day but just as drunkards pick up the habit of drinking, you can pick up the habit of doing good by constantly doing good.

Admonition/Quote:
"You are permitted to wander through creation.
Go in such a manner as to cause no HARM to your fellow
human beings in pursuit of your earthly desires."
- Abdrushin.

@kaecy 5

My man, why go about like a prostitute searching for Duke's posts to throw in your Odili trash. There is no way you can sell Odili here because he's worth nothing. He's simply a BIG THIEF and nigerians know that. Just take the little you have benefitted from him and sleep. But remember whatsover we sow, we shall reap. nothing bad goes unpunished. Nature is a good record keeper. At the right time, Odili and all his cronies including you will pay the ultimate price. It is not a matter of coming into a forum like this to say all sorts of rubbish. Generations born and unborn will hold all of us responsible for what we did or fail to do. Go ahead and keep lying to your conscience while pointing accusing finger in the wrong direction even though you know quite well within you where to direct it.

Odili for president? God forbid!!! Odili is the worst Governor in Nigeria and I have my reasons for saying this. Some other governors might have done bad in terms of governance but these Governors don't receive anything close to what Odili receives in a month.
Odili receives a monthly allocation that is higher than the allocation of all northern states combined - This is a fact.
Internally generated revenue of Rivers State is one of the highest is the country - this is where you have most of the oil company and other sundry companies operating and all of them and also their workers pay taxes to the govt. Infact, one of the local govt in Rivers state, Obio/Akpor lga, is the richest lga in Nigeria
Now compare that to other states in the north or south and see what am telling you. The only time i tried to compare Rivers and cross-river state, i felt like weeping for the people of rivers state that their resources had been stolen and squandered by Odili. Cross river is the 30th in the list of federal allocation to states but see what Donald Duke has done with the litlle that he gets. Infact that little has been further slashed by the take over of Bakassi by Cameroun leaving out cross river from the list of oil producing states. I compare no more am already weeping again for Rivers state. We should all go and register and cast our votes (even if it doen't count) and make sure tha crooks like Odili don't get near there or we are doomed.

@kaecy 5
I pity you my Dear. I really pity you because it is either you are the only one living in PH or you are so shortsighted or better still you are an odili apologist or beneficiary. I happen to live in the same nighbourhood as you, Trans- Amadi, and I did not at any time witness these your Gas turbine light under test transmission. And if what my collegue told me on our way driving to work this morning is true about the new poles in Trans Amadi coming from Woji axis(without cables on them) are supposed to be for the gas turbine light then that means the gas turbine light has not reached trans-amadi or is yours "wireless"? All the same I and my neighbours did not witness steady power for even 4 hours not to talk of full day or one week in Trans - Amadi or atleast , to be very fair, not my own side of Trans-Amadi.

God help us this time. Vote right and Vote wisely too. I'm fervently seeking God's intervention in this country and I urge all of us to do same.

The next president
By Niyi Akinnaso

ABOUT five months ago, Reuben Abati painted a word picture of the next President by listing the qualifications he or she must have (The Guardian, June 4, 2006). At the end of the essay, he challenged the reader: "If you know such a man, please tell us; not just a man, a woman as well". I can say categorically now that I know such a man. However, before I name him, two preliminaries are necessary. First, it is important to draw attention to the political contexts for Abati's intervention with a list of qualifications. Second, it is necessary to review those qualifications.

There were two important contexts for Abati's intervention, one remote and the other immediate. The remote context is the perceived failure of President Olusegun Obasanjo to perform as he should given all the resources at his disposal. Schools and educational standards are downhill. Hospitals and healthcare are decrepit. Roads are bad. Electricity is come-and-go. The Niger Delta is in turmoil. Everything is coming to nothing! Everybody is talking about the problems. So far, it appears they've been talking to a deaf person. Abati's conclusion is that the next President should not be a person like Obasanjo. It is, therefore, not surprising that he framed his presidential qualifications as an antithesis to Obasanjo's qualifications.

The immediate context for Abati's intervention was the rumoured presidential instruction to PDP Governors to search among their rank and put forward one of their own for the presidency in 2007. Needless to say, the project flopped. Nevertheless, Abati disapproved of it. It is not clear whether he simultaneously rejected the idea of a Governor becoming President. What is clear is that he rejected the idea of a group of Governors telling their party and the electorate who to vote for.

I take the issue of Governor as President quite seriously, because I strongly believe that governorship is an important qualification for the presidency in our type of democracy. It offers a kind of tutelage that leaves behind a verifiable testimonial. Just take a look at the United States, which runs a similar presidential democracy. It is no accident that four of the last five Presidents were previously state governors. And the only one who was not a Governor was a Vice-President for eight years. The important point here is that the governorship of a state provides necessary cognate experience in the executive management of people and resources. This does not mean, of course, that every Governor would make a good President. This is where Abati's list of necessary qualifications matters.

One set of qualifications on Abati's list refers to what a would-be President should be and know before taking office. For example, in an oblique jab at the present President, Abati wants a President who is "happily married", that is, to one wife, not many, so he could devote energy to governing the country rather than managing his home. He also wants a President who is media savvy in the sense of reading newspapers, watching local television, and listening to local radio in order to gain first-hand knowledge of social reality. How about adding computer literacy and web surfing? Moreover, Abati wants a President who listens carefully in order to gain the intelligence of others. Finally, he wants a President "who has spent some time acquiring quality education, and whose mental faculties are developed".

Abati also wants a President who is sufficiently versed in Nigerian history and politics. This needs some qualification. The President need not be a historian or a political scientist. What is needed is a President who can bring together the right people, tap into their reservoirs of knowledge, take their recommendations seriously, and come up with appropriate solutions to the nation's problems.

The other set of qualifications on Abati's list refers to the would-be President's agenda and mode of governance. He should not simply tell us he wants to be President in order to move Nigeria forward or to continue the reform agenda of the present administration. Rather, the would-be President must have "a programme of action" or "a Presidential agenda (that) must be measurable in terms of likely performance." Specifically, Abati recommends that a future President should "take two or three specific issues in a four-year tenure" and post concrete achievements in those areas.

I would like to rephrase such specific issues as priorities rather than the only issues to be tackled. The problem with ruling a nation is that no aspect of national life could or should be neglected at all for four years. What is important is getting the priorities right in terms of which aspects deserve more focal attention than others. No one should ever be President of Nigeria again, who pays more attention to fighting corruption (while it is growing by the day under his watch) and accumulating foreign reserves than to feeding the people and repairing their schools, hospitals, and roads.

Accordingly, the next President should have a comprehensive catalogue of all the ills plaguing Nigeria and tell us how and in what order he wants to tackle the problems. In particular, he should be prepared to bring us close to world standard in at least two such areas of priority, while leaving no aspect of national life to fall apart.

Abati also emphasises profitability in management and accountability to the people as desirable qualities in a would-be President. He wants a President who would be a team-player, run Nigeria for profit like a multinational company, and render account to the people, without assuming that he is doing them a favour.

For me, the most important qualification at this stage of the exercise, which is omitted in Abati's list, is cognate experience. What is the presidential aspirant or candidate bringing to the table that qualifies him for the presidency? How did he perform when he had the opportunity to manage people and resources on a large scale? It is not sufficient to have been President or Governor before. We know, for example, that someone like Babangida has had the experience of ruling Nigeria. And we know that he ruled very badly. Fayose was once Governor of Ekiti State. We know that he ruled very badly. We thought that Obasanjo would rule well as a former military Head of State. Now we know better. We also know that the old political class in general has failed us.

This is why I think we need to turn to a new generation of Nigerians, who have relevant experience in government, particularly as Governors. The question is which among them has a record of achievement, the work ethic, the vision, the sense of probity, a programme of action, etc. that could be transformed to the national stage? Which Governor has transformed education, healthcare, agriculture, power supply, eco-tourism, and commerce in his state that could be entrusted with such transformation nation-wide?

Available evidence so far points to one such Governor, namely, Donald Duke of Cross River State. He must have been doing something right to have attracted so much attention to Calabar, Obudu ranch, TINAPA, HIV-AIDS reduction, educational development, agricultural expansion, rural electrification, etc. all in Cross River State. Factor in the list of qualifications discussed above, and tell me why someone like Donald Duke should not be our next President.

* Professor Akinnaso teaches Anthropology and Linguistics in the United States

Culled from http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/editorial_opinion/article02

My brothers and sisters,
It is not just enough to say Duke is not good or cannot handle the post. I will like all of you who are opposing him to name someone more qualified and who has a moderate acievement compared to Duke. Tell us the person and we will support him

@ Big B1
It takes a lunatic to support IBB. If Nigeria is a functioning state, IBB should be spending the rest of his entire life in Kirikiri maximum prison. Well, birds of the same feather flock together. If IBB is who we know he is ( a thief, a murderer) and you support him then we also know who you are.

@Topsido
Being tough as you put it is not a virtue and should not be ascribed to a leader. A leader should be amiable, lovable but firm. Donald Duke is firm and does not need to be tough.

@ALL
visit the personal blog site of Donald Duke @ http://donaldduke..com/ You have the opportunity of posting your comments and asking the Governor questions.

Excuse me,
I feel like throwing up.

Source = http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=62650
               http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2006/nov/08/national-08-11-2006-07.htm
http://www.donaldduke4president.org/speech.htm

Duke has declared his intention to run run for the presidency. Let's support this visionary leader people.