₦airaland Forum

Unilag Cold Room Merchants!

Exactly the way out for Nigeria! Our peculiar ethnic configuration is best addressed by a Confederal system of government where the centre is weak while the confederating units are stronger. That way the ethnic struggle for who becomes Nigeria’s President is permanently taken care of and each geopolitical confederating unit can take care of itself as best required by its peculiar environment. The Swiss have been good at it. We can learn from them.

1. We are yet unresolved about being one country and the system of government that best addresses our peculiar ethnic content. We lack mutual trust and understanding. Nationally speaking, we live a lie!
2. In the result Nigeria belongs to no one and no one truly belongs to Nigeria. Little wonder that there is no national passion about Nigeria thus giving corruption - that horrendous destroyer of nations - a free course to the extent that it thrives and has become a culture of sorts in her. Nigeria is akin to an orphan. No one really cares about her lot except to grab as much of the proverbial “National Cake” until the Cakeboard itself is lost to the greed. We largely pretend this is not so.
3. We have, like forever, been saddled, across-board and largely speaking, with Political Leadership that is grossly as irresponsible as it is insensitive. We gloss over this issue and for self-seeking ends bicker among ourselves about who as between one politician or the other is best suited for office. They all are largely the same!
4. Proactive and best it is to keep praying for Nigeria and eyeball our issues before it becomes too late for Nigeria.

Dansuqi:
Lawyers in the house,what is the fate of atiku's request to inspect the server? Why is the tribunal silent in that? Ejimatic,duwdu,zoedew

Nairaland is not interested in knowledge sharing. Without giving you an opportunity to defend yourself the moderators hand down indiscriminate bans. They are not appreciative of the contributions of members who invest their time in making such inputs. Seun and his team can answer the questions. We ain’t dummies here!

Afamed:
The question is, which exactly server will Atiku inspect when there is no electoral law permitting the usage of server in the first place?

Nairaland is not interested in knowledge sharing. Without giving you an opportunity to defend yourself the moderators hand down indiscriminate bans. They are not appreciative of the contributions of members who invest their time in making such inputs. Seun and his team can answer the questions. We ain’t dummies here!

His natural habitat

What is language?

Not champertous some would say!

Enoch07:
unfortunately we are not in a smart society

Change is the only permanence.

Enoch07:
wow!!! my kinda guys

In a smart society the security services should grab your photograph from your DP and place same on a database of faces to watch out for.

lebron7:
Wow!!
Thanks for the info

UWC! Thanks to the OP and the owner of Nairaland!

Boko Haram has religious undertones. Again and again we live in self denial about these matters. In the North of Nigeria with the exception of a few most States will thumb down land allocation applications for church buildings! Reason is Islam is intolerant and does not take prisoners. Islam is an either or proposition. It is taqqiya when it says it permits the existence of other faiths.

See Ijesha people! Disappointing! With all the education and exposure and viral claim Jesus lives in Ijeshaland!!

Explorers:
Bro, some are successful.

Man! But that is some money! Should make them crimis crazy!! 39,000 lbs compromise some governments!

Chubhie:
A lot must have been smuggled in before this interception.

Not likely. Truth is, the feds must have been following this from the inception of the order for and production of the consignment to its shipping but only waited for the shipment to come up and pounced on them on the criminals. That way maximum damage is done to their criminal enterprise.

The bad and poorly built public infrastructure telling on them!

gaskiyamagana:
Mention just one motivational programm of your hero to the teachers? As a novice when it comes to education matter, teachers welfare will be meaningless to your understanding. Is it a lie or true that your debtjoyful (ARIGBESESOLA) still own 70% of teachers in Osun half and one third salary of about 30 months?

Virtually empty public school classrooms staffed by ill-motivated teachers! Aregbesola listens only to himself and is therefore unfit to hold public office!

OGBENI RAUF AREGBESOLA AS A MINISTER? NO.

IS AREGBESOLA FIT AND PROPER TO BE CONFIRMED A MINISTER OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA? NO.

MR. AREGBESOLA HAS A RECORD OF SPENDING GOVERNMENT FUNDS, BUT ABANDONING THE PROJECTS FOR WHICH THE FUNDS WERE MEANT

The Nation at this time in her growth, when the confidence of several citizens of the Country needs to be restored in the capacity of the Federal Government to deliver sustainable growth, Government must not be seen appointing men who have a track record of failed service and visionless leadership.

Mr.Aregbesola is a man who has in the past deployed Government resources, while as Governor of Osun State, in a reckless, visionless and prodigal manner. Lots of endeavors to which his administration as State Governor committed the State’s resources failed fatally and did not deliver any meaningful development.

Several projects, running into hundreds of billions, were left abandoned despite having expended outrageous sums of money on their execution. We will make specific reference to a number of cases:
A. On Saturday, 15th June 2013, the government of Mr. Rauf Aregbesola as Governor of Osun State flagged off the construction of the Gbongan – Akoda dual carriage way. Part of the construction was the Adebisi Akande Trumpet Interchange at Gbongan junction in the State.

The 30km road was awarded to RATCON Construction Company Limited at 29.3 billion Naira. In a special report published by Premium Times on April 1, 2018, it was reported how the State Government under Aregbesola refused to respond to a Freedom of Information request on details of the said project. The project till date has not reached 40% completion six years after award.

B. Six years ago, precisely in 2013, the government of Mr. Rauf Aregbesola also awarded a contract for the dualization of the 45 kilometres Osogbo-Ikirun-Kwara State boundary road at a cost of 17.8 billion Naira.

This project, awarded to SAMMYA Construction Company has today been abandoned at less than 40% construction and without proper explanation of how much has been committed to the project.

B. In 2013, his government also awarded a 3.3 billion Naira contract for the construction of selected roads in four communities, including Iwo-Ejigbo road (35.2km), Ede-Ara-Ejigbo road (30.7km) and Ejigbo-Aye-Oguro road which shares boundary with Oyo State.

This particular project was abandoned at about 10% level of work. It is laughable that years after the project had failed, officials of his government came out to claim that the project was abandoned because the Contractor died.

We believe that officers of the Federal Government are supposed to be men and women of good conscience who will not give flimsy reasons for failure.

C. The Moshood Abiola International Airport Ido Osun was awarded by the government of Mr. Aregbesola in October 2012 at a cost of 4.5 billion Naira to Aeronautics Engineering. Sometimes later, the project cost was reviewed to 11 billion Naira purportedly to accommodate more features. At a point, the State Government openly declared that it had spent about 3.6 billion Naira on the project, but the project failed nevertheless.

In 2017, the Aregbesola administration re-awarded the airport contract under a concessional agreement with All Works of Life (AWOL) International Limited at 69 billion Naira. The new company was to work with two partners – Biray group for the technical aspect of the construction and Exim Bank (Turkey) from where funds for the project was to be obtained.

It must be noted that this new award which was later terminated, did not follow the relevant procurement laws of the State. In fact, the State Ministry of Works and State Public Procurement Agency were not involved in a project of this magnitude. The project today is abandoned, while Mr. Aregbesola and his government’s officials failed to give any meaningful explanation as to why State funds were expended on this project that today is only a large expanse of forest.

D. Several examples of project abandonment (after needless spending of State resources) under the administration of Mr. Aregbesola can be further cited. Contract number 6049 of 2012 at the cost of 468 million Naira was abandoned; Construction of Mini Water Scheme for the three Senatorial Districts of the State at 1.6 billion Naira was also abandoned after funds had been released en bloc; these and many more abandoned projects litter Osun State today and has left the State greatly impoverished.

Our country today should be looking at appointing men who have proper track records of diligent execution of projects and following laid down laws of procurement. We will be doing a lot of harm to our Nation if we keep looking the way of bad administrators who have been known to squander government resources with no result to show.

MR. AREGBESOLA HAS THE TRACK RECORD OF DIVERTING GOVERNMENT PROPERTIES TO FRIENDS AND CRONIES

Part of the vision of the present Federal Government is to fix the infrastructural deficit of the country at the moment, particularly to benefit the masses who form the larger population of the country. This demands that government has to appoint people who believe in lawful project conception and execution of projects, not men who are known to commence projects based on greed and the intent to convert government infrastructure to personal belongings.

Mr. Rauf Aregbesola while he was Governor of the State awarded contracts to cronies such that government properties were converted to personal belongings. A valid case to mention is the Construction of the Aje International Market in Osogbo, the State Capital.

In September 2012, Aregbesola alongside members of his cabinet turned the sod to signal the commencement of construction of the Aje International Market. The construction was to be a Public-Private Partnership with Conduas Pendragon Limited. What the Aregbesola government did however, was transfer ownership of the State’s Trade Fair complex to the owners of Conduas Pendragon under the guise of contributing it as 10% commitment to the actualization of Aje International Market.

Today, the land mass of the Trade Fair Complex is accommodating a privately-owned De-Distinguished Event Centre and an Aje International Market that has been partly built but not put to any use. One can also cite the example of the shady transfer of the land that formerly housed the prestigious Fakunle High School to new owners that are still unknown to the public till date.

Our Federal Government needs the service of men and women who can activate excellent and financially intelligent partnership agreements that will not see the Nation lose money to reckless apportionment of government properties to self and cronies.

HE IS DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COMPLETE COLLAPSE OF THE HEALTH SECTOR IN OSUN

On the long list of unfortunate events that characterized the tenure of Mr. Aregbesola as Governor of Osun State, the total collapse of the health sector under his watch was one of the most unfortunate.

Between September 27, 2015 and April 3, 2016, the State Medical Doctors were on strike to press home their demands for the stoppage of payment of half salaries to them. For more than 180 days, the hospitals were totally nonfunctional as there were no Doctors to attend to anybody. This led to the loss of several lives. For the 180-something days that Doctors were on strike, Mr. Aregbesola as the Governor was quoted in several places passing comments that belittled the role of Doctors in the Nation.

Most unfortunate was the fact that by April 3, 2016 when the strike was called off, his government had still not agreed to stop its modulated salary regime that was paying 50% to these Medical Doctors. The brain drain we see in the Health sector of Osun State today is due completely to this action.

More than 60% of the Doctors who were in service before Mr. Aregbesola became Governors are now out of the country plying their trade elsewhere.
The Federal Government cannot in fairness appoint this kind of man to oversee any Ministry where human lives will be directly managed as he has a track record of placing no value on the lives of human beings and the dignity of their existence.

HE LEFT OSUN UNBEARABLY INDEBTED AND FINANCIALLY UNSUSTAINABLE

It is no news that the Nation at this time needs men and women who have a track record of being proper financial managers. Mr. Aregbesola does not fall into this category of persons who can oversee offices where government finance will be overseen. He has a track record of needless debt that delivers no commensurate development.

At the end of his eight years as Governor of Osun State, Mr. Aregbesola successfully landed the already impoverished State in a huge debt figure of 183.7 billion Naira (Domestic and Foreign debt), making her the 7th most indebted State in the country.

Despite this huge debt figure, Mr. Aregbesola and the government he led failed to raise the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of the State to the level that can help the State sustain itself without Federal allocation. Today, the IGR of Osun is about 8.45% of the figures it receives annually from the Federation Account as allocation.

This means Mr. Aregbesola landed the State in such huge debt but did not deliver any significant development that may justify the huge debt figures.
In September 2018, BudgIT released her Fiscal Sustainability Index named “2018 State of States”, Osun ranked 35 out of 36 States of the Federation. This is thanks to Mr. Aregbesola whose tenure saw the State run into a financial situation that its revenue cannot handle.

OSUN STATE GOVERNMENT FAILED TO REMIT 7.5% PENSION DEDUCTIONS TO THE PENSION FUND MANAGERS FOR FOUR YEARS UNDER HIS WATCH

The present Federal Government under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari prides itself as a government of integrity, accountability and zero tolerance for corruption. This means that the government must seek only to appoint men and women who walk the talk and have a track record of accountability, probity and transparency. Mr. Aregbesola does not fit into this mould based on his antecedents as Governor.

For several years under the Government of Mr. Aregbesola, pension contributions were deducted from the salaries of Civil Servants in the State. Particularly, from the year 2014 up until Mr. Aregbesola left office in 2018, the 7.5% contributory pension deduction was made from the already modulated salaries of Civil Servants.

These deductions were not remitted to the Pension Fund Managers, thereby putting the future of Civil Servants at great risk. Aside failure to remit deducted sums to Pension Fund Managers, the Osun State Government under his leadership also did not contribute its own 7.5% to the contributory scheme. This can be rightly called fraud, lack of transparency and in fact, corruption.

HIS GOVERNMENT REFUSED TO PAY SEVERAL MONTHS OF PENSION LEAVING SCORES OF PENSIONERS DEAD

Aside refusal to remit pension deductions, his government also severally owed pension payments to already retired civil servants and slashed the salaries of thousands of workers to 50%, calling it modulation (without stating properly how the State government was going to pay the 50% arrears which has accumulated to almost two years of full salaries).

Today in Osun, aged pensioners are forced to take to the streets in protests to press home their demands for payment of their pensions. A lot of these pensioners already lost their lives while a lot more are battling with several kinds of ailment occasioned by Government’s refusal to pay them their pensions.

If indeed the vision of the present administration is to deliver development that is all-inclusive, men like Mr. Aregbesola should not be anywhere near the seat of power. He has proven over time that his thoughts and policies are anti-people and largely anti-establishment.

AREGBESOLA PLUNDERED THE EDUCATION SECTOR OF THE STATE WITH KILLER POLICIES AND FRAUDULENT PROGRAMMES

An officer of the Federal Government needs be a man or woman who believes in quality education and the need to empower young people to become global players who can function anywhere they may find themselves. This is not Mr. Rauf Aregbesola.

In the stead of delivering quality education, Mr. Aregbesola used the education sector in Osun State to not only siphon funds, but also to experiment bad policies and dysfunctional methods of education management.

Osun State in 2013 under his watch, expended about 8.4 billion Naira on the Tablet of Knowledge that his administration christened ‘Opon Imo’. According to them, the tablets were distributed to promote e-learning in the State in accordance with global trends.

Worthy of note is how he openly declared at the official launch of the tablets in 2013 that it was indeed his son, Kabiru Aregbesola, who handed the contract for the supply of these tablets.

Here he was, telling the world that his government was being run as a personal estate. These tablets were not only substandard but they have today disappeared from the schools in the State, less than six years from the date of launch.

Between himself and his Oyo State counterpart, Mr. Abiola Ajimobi, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) was ran aground due to lack of funding. The once prestigious University is today a shadow of itself and is still struggling to get back on its feet. Anyone who played any part in bastardizing a citadel of learning is not fit to be in positions of power.

From bad, retrogressive policies to refusal to fund schools and institutions, Mr. Aregbesola took the education sector in Osun State back several steps and is today a shadow of its old, proud self.

AREGBESOLA PERPETUALLY INSULTS THE CONSTITUTION OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC WITH ILLEGAL ATTEMPTS TO RENAME THE STATE, A FEDERATING UNIT

An officer of the Federal Republic of Nigeria needs be a man or woman who believes in the sovereignty of Nigeria and is willing at all times to obey the rule of law without attempting at any time to cause anarchy or promote disrespect of the Constitution.

Mr. Rauf Aregbesola as Governor of Osun State between 2010 to 2018 promoted the illegal renaming of the State to ‘State of Osun’. This renaming, clearly unknown to law from inception, was further declared as illegal by a relevant Court of Law. In December 2017, Justice Yinka Afolabi of the Osun State High Court ruled that the change of name of Osun State to ‘State of Osun’ was unknown to the Nigerian constitution and is therefore illegal, null and void.

The Federal Government at this strategic time in the growth of the Nation should not be found appointing a man who has a track record of attempting to batter the identity of a Federating Unit which is a creation of the Nigerian Constitution and her relevant laws. If he could needlessly mutilate the nomenclature of a federating unit because he was Governor, one cannot but imagine to what level he will flagrantly abuse power as an Officer of the Federal Government.

CONCLUSION

We believe that a person who will be appointed to an office of the Federal Government, especially one as sensitive as that of a Minister, needs not be a person of questionable character, moral and capacity.

The issues raised above cast a big shadow of doubt on the ability and the intentions of Mr. Rauf Aregbesola to discharge the duties of a Minister meritoriously. While words of his mouth, which are often uncouth and corrosive, may seem convincing to some, his antecedents and conduct as Governor of Osun State bear witness that he should not be considered for appointment as Minister.

We are sure that there are other men and women who are of good conduct and excellent track record from Osun State who can be considered for this position.

Signed
Hon Olasoji Adagunodo
Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party
Osun State Chapter.

Bolustical:
Established news media like CNN, BBC often kit their reporters while covering volatile environments like the Shia procession but Channels didn't deem it fit to do the same.

They wasted his life.

Instead John Momoh is on a tour of the IGP and NYSC Offices as if that would undo their negligence and bring back the dead!

Thoughtful.

ajayiopy:
WATCH OUT FOR DG LIST

That’s the next stage of the demotion and deconstruction of Akinwunmi Ambode!

KidsNEXTdoor:
Ambode is a Yoruba Christian..

That's why he's being haunted

No. He dishonoured God in Church by proxy while Governor of Lagos State when his wife stormed out of God’s presence because the Vicar did not acknowledge her presence in Church. She had the Vicar relieved of his Parish and evicted from the Vicar’s Residence almost immediately. Ambode did nothing to correct the dishonour done God. God only honour those who honour while folks like Akinwale Ambode and his wife who dishonour God will be lightly esteemed! Until he is sorry Akinwale Ambode and his lot in life will keep South! You think President Buhari wants an unruly fellow for a Fed Minister? Competence comes after loyalty in the choice of one required to serve in such circumstances where teaming is key! As for Aregbesola, he will not be a Minister for long except he changes his one-man-riot erratic squad!

Ambode does seem to have an “I” problem! Pride, they say, comes before a fall. Good leaders are servant leaders and are accustomed to using the word “We” when speaking in their leadership capacity. Ego goes before a goner! Lessons learnt!!

Blankstare:
Nawao, saraki kwara...wetin we do

Na Gbemisi nah! Nor be Buu!

What he should have done before now. We have lost so much to his incompetence

The IGP must be held responsible for the improper handling of the riotous situation. The policemen out there had no bulletproof vests and riot gears on. Why send regular policemen instead of anti riot policemen?

I can’t believe the pictures I just saw are policemen containing a riot! They are not properly kitted at all! The IGP USA be held responsible! If care is not taken Nigerian citizens will begin to emigrate elsewhere called anywhere else at all costs!