tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-203756012024-03-07T05:14:55.044+00:00Nigerian PoliticsKeeping a Searchlight on the Nigerian PolityVeracityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02609117535538254676noreply@blogger.comBlogger69125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375601.post-65425172639769763782016-07-10T20:58:00.000+00:002016-07-11T04:08:23.219+00:00All Lives Matter (Re-Post from Black & White Blog)<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "american typewriter"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";">The spate of shootings in the United States these last few
months is tenebrous to say the least. From the shooting in Orlando at the
popular gay hangout the Pulse Club to the sniper shooting of police
officers in Dallas yesterday at a rally organized to protest the recent killing
of black men, Philando Castile and Alton Sterling by the police
in Minnesota and Louisiana respectively, all these
killings are symptomatic of a society awash with weapons and whose instinct to
any perceived or real threat is the application of violence.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "american typewriter"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "american typewriter"; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">No one knows for sure how many guns are in the hands of civilian
Americans, but estimates range from 280 million to over 350 million, a
significant percentage of which are high-powered assault rifles usually
reserved for the military in other countries. The National Rifle
Association (NRA) along with some right-wing organizations has been largely
responsible for rabid resistance to any form of gun-control legislature
suggested by the congress or the White House. They often tout the 2nd
Amendment (often referred to as the right to bare arms) as a sacrosanct and
unimpeachable law in the US Constitution as though it were the 11th commandment
of God. Oftentimes, the argument these pro-gun lobby groups tout is that
the more people are armed, the fewer gun violence will occur. But this
argument has been borne out to be a fallacy time and again. All one need
to do is compare the per capita gun-related deaths in the US with those in
other countries with stricter gun-control to see the glaring difference.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "american typewriter"; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "american typewriter"; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">The real reason to the resistance to gun-control has to do with the
amount of money to be made by the gun industry. The NRA threatens
negative repercussions to any member of congress or politician that suggests
gun-control by pouring massive resources to get such a politician thrown out of
office or un-elected. By stoking the embers of fear and paranoia among
right-wing nationalists, anti-government groups, anarchists, militias and other
individuals so inclined to believe that there is a looming threat of a
tyrannical government in Washington DC, the NRA drives up more gun sales as
these groups and individuals stockpile arms and ammunition with which they hope
to use in defending themselves from the so-called tyrannical government should
such a doomsday scenario occur. Of cause the NRA is silent on how these
arms stockpile will defend against Army tanks, Air Force drones, jet bombers
and fighters and Naval Aircraft Carrier Arsenal not to mention Nuclear,
Biological and Chemical Arsenal at the disposal of the government.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "american typewriter"; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "american typewriter"; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;"> Another issue to consider is the atrociously scant and bereft mental
health care system in the US. Many individuals who otherwise would have been
institutionalized or medicated for their mental health issues remain unable to
access the system because of the chaotic private and state insurance-based
health care administration in the US. Many health insurance companies
have gatekeeper policies in place that make it difficult, limit or altogether
preclude access to mental health services by its subscribers. Many states
contract out the administration of their Medicaid health insurance programs to
such private health insurance companies that seek to limit consumption in order
to maximize profits. All these ensures that the mentally unwell, who
are <i>non compose mentis</i> and therefore unable to navigate
these gatekeeper policies themselves are overwhelmingly under served.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "american typewriter"; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "american typewriter"; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;">Yet another factor to consider is the historical racial divide and
tension that pervades the body politic and societal fabric of the United
States. Statistics show that <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/study-finds-police-fatally-shoot-unarmed-black-men-at-disproportionate-rates/2016/04/06/e494563e-fa74-11e5-80e4-c381214de1a3_story.html"><span style="color: #0000e9;">black men in particular are overwhelmingly
disproportionately apprehended and jailed in the criminal justice system</span></a> than
any other ethnic group. Black men are also more likely to be killed by the
police than other ethnic groups even though they do not perpetrate more violent
crimes than other ethnic groups. The Black Lives Matter movement arose to
tackle these disparities. While it has garnered the support of many, there are
those who see this movement as a nuisance, including the controversial
presumptive nominee of the Republican Party, Mr. Donald Trump.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "american typewriter"; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "american typewriter"; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia;"> Yesterday's shooting in Dallas surely is a negative for the Black
Lives Matter movement. The shooter, Mr. Micah Xavier Johnson appears
to have acted alone and is said to have been angry that more black Americans
are killed by white police men even as the Black Lives Matter protests have
continued over the last few years. In fact, Mr. Johnson was said to
have criticized the Black Lives Matter movement for not doing
enough. Being a military veteran of the Afghanistan war theater, Mr.
Johnson may well have been suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
and may have fallen through the cracks of accessing mental health care services
and hence his obviously delusional and tragic apocalyptic view of the issues
that confront the broader American society. How long will Americans continue
to be cut down by gun violence? How many more funerals will have to take
place before the Nation comes to its senses and seek to address
the issues of racial inequality, porous gun laws, mental health issues
and all the other ills that make some people inclined to express
themselves through bias and violence? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<!--EndFragment--><div class="blogger-post-footer">"conscience is a double-edged rapier"</div>Veracityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02609117535538254676noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375601.post-27250715694442800882015-02-02T17:33:00.005+00:002015-02-02T17:56:46.769+00:00A Change is in the Air (A Change is Gonna Come!)<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; text-align: center;">
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-size: medium;">Nigeria stands at yet another cross roads, as the world watches Africa’s most populous country hurtle towards D-Day, February 14, 2015. This year’s St. Valentine’s Day is the day Nigerians go to the polls to decide whether to give Mr. Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan another four years as president or change the guard by voting in Mr. Muhamadu Buhari, a retired army General and former military head of State.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvN22VR95O6tZrEkaNFM8QewBUijbBhnm9O-1L0qSTby-mERCDH_gKJCoXV6KBKQO26TPSrBiFFCuTivQtLVdE2YldNauvyA526FMaseco8qNsJMyUQBCF0uJ1Ur1t1VAjqo_ipQ/s1600/jonathan-buhari.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvN22VR95O6tZrEkaNFM8QewBUijbBhnm9O-1L0qSTby-mERCDH_gKJCoXV6KBKQO26TPSrBiFFCuTivQtLVdE2YldNauvyA526FMaseco8qNsJMyUQBCF0uJ1Ur1t1VAjqo_ipQ/s1600/jonathan-buhari.jpg" height="194" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12px;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Nigeria has never had a more contested election as this impending one. With the apparatus of government in their control and the popularity of their party bearer, Mr. Jonathan, waning, the PDP is likely to pull all stops to ensure that it is not kicked out of office come May when the newly elected officials will be sworn into power. The preceding six years during which Mr Jonathan has been in power have been lackluster to say the least. </span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12px;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The economy has descended into the pre-2000 doldrums it was in before Mr. Obasanjo took power and indeed Nigeria has witnessed some of the most violent terrorist activities since the Nigerian civil war. Mr Jonathan’s apparent cluelessness and apathy is not helping the matter and many Nigerians would like to see a change of leadership. However, there are those Nigerians who have enjoyed the largess of the Jonathan administration or have benefitted from its ineptitude and corrupt application of resources and they have vowed to do all in their power to ensure that Mr. Jonathan wins the 2015 presidential elections. Particularly vociferous and tenaciously behind Mr. Jonathan are ex-leaders of the Niger-Delta militant groups who have in the years since Mr. Jonathan has been in power, enjoyed juicy lucrative security and supply contracts given to them by Mr. Jonathan’s administration as a placatory means to earn their loyalty and support. </span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12px;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Indeed, two such Niger Delta militant ex-leaders are the buccaneers, Mr. Government Ekpemupolo, aka Tompolo and Asari Dokubo. They, along with the irascible Bishop David Oyedepo of Winners Chapel have made what can only be described as inciting tribalist statements at the very least, or even war cries, depending on which side of the divide you choose. While there have been condemnation from many well-meaning Nigerians, the security forces are curiously silent about these, which beggars the question if the Jonathan administration is not behind these threats.</span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12px;">
<span style="font-size: large;">If Nigeria were the true democracy it seeks to be, and the Jonathan administration is confident that it has demonstrated reasons why it deserves a second chance then these threats and acts of blackmail are irrelevant. Many Nigerians who are old enough to remember the Buhari/Idiagbon administration are nostalgic of that era’s lawful application of government resources and disciplined citizenry as opposed to the jungle that Nigeria has become under Mr. Jonathan where thugs and thieves rule the day in government and terrorists abound in the Niger creeks just as they do in the North eastern states of Nigeria. A change is desperately needed and indeed a change it is Nigeria must have else she devolves into a failed state of the ilk of Afghanistan and Somalia. </span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">"conscience is a double-edged rapier"</div>Veracityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02609117535538254676noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375601.post-83292213648992775082014-08-07T16:39:00.000+00:002014-08-12T14:02:21.932+00:00Nigeria – Boko Haram & The Ebola Virus Scourge<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">As if the strain inflicted on the Nigerian citizenry by the ignominious Boko Haram terrorist sect were not enough, the Nigerian psyche has been further assailed by the threat of a full blown Ebola epidemic. With the ineffectual government of Mr. Goodluck Jonathan struggling to get a handle on the scourge of Boko Haram (it’s been almost four months since 278 girls were kidnapped from Chibok) it will be a calamity at best and a catastrophe at worst, not only for West Africa but for the world, should the Ebola outbreak get out of hand.</span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggsgdw_PlJ95BYWhUqvuupHmdTF8959Gw7k_Ns_Lj_MKMJJM9EHHpRaijvOpfnkTJkwbufY8Op9K7KCdm8N2D2pj38rTjNWoq8oVDbVT_pBg0nO1azeEpMX6jBlGvCawQvqq7tRQ/s1600/jonathan+in+washinton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"></span></a></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggsgdw_PlJ95BYWhUqvuupHmdTF8959Gw7k_Ns_Lj_MKMJJM9EHHpRaijvOpfnkTJkwbufY8Op9K7KCdm8N2D2pj38rTjNWoq8oVDbVT_pBg0nO1azeEpMX6jBlGvCawQvqq7tRQ/s1600/jonathan+in+washinton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggsgdw_PlJ95BYWhUqvuupHmdTF8959Gw7k_Ns_Lj_MKMJJM9EHHpRaijvOpfnkTJkwbufY8Op9K7KCdm8N2D2pj38rTjNWoq8oVDbVT_pBg0nO1azeEpMX6jBlGvCawQvqq7tRQ/s1600/jonathan+in+washinton.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;">While Mr. Jonathan cavorts in Washington at the African Leaders – US conference, hundreds of Nigerian troops have been killed in the North Eastern state of Bornu as Boko Haram seizes the border town of Gwoza, the second after Damboa, which it seized on July 21, 2014. With two Nigerian towns now under its control added to a vast portion of the Sambisa forest, which straddles Nigeria and Cameroun, Boko Haram is quickly carving out a geographical enclave for its proposed Islamic state.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">Condemning strongly the “excesses of Boko Haram”, Mr. Jonathan and his PR machinery’s favorite refrain, while not taking cogent steps to confront the problem of Boko Haram leaves many Nigerians to speculate that either Mr. Jonathan is clueless as to what needs to be done about the brutish terrorist group or he is apathetic to the plight of Nigerians and the territorial integrity of the country which he pledged to protect and defend in the oath he took when he assumed the presidency.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">The Nigerian Military troops in the battle against Boko Haram have raised alarm as to how under-equipped they are compared to the terrorists.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">The Nigerian military is kitted with old, degraded and sometimes fake arms and ammunition that are decades old with ordinances that fail to detonate in their confrontations with the terrorist sect leading to high casualties dealt on the Nigerian Military by the superiorly armed terrorists all the time.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">The corruption and rot that has rendered the Nigerian military a glorified vigilante group has also rendered the Nigerian Health care system in near-total collapse and disrepair. Nigeria is supposedly the largest economy in Africa with a GDP of about $502 billion in 2013 but spends only about $6 billion on its defense. Of this amount, only about $2.33 billion is actually spent on the Nigerian Military with the balance of about $3.7 billion going to fund the Nigerian Maritime Security Agency charged with Maritime security which it conducts through juicy security contracts awarded to former Niger Delta militant leaders (associates of Mr. Jonathan when he was Governor of Bayelsa state) and their private armies of pirates. Essentially, more than 60% of Nigeria’s defense budget goes to paying protection money to the Niger Delta militant groups.</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Recently, Mr. Jonathan asked the Nigerian congress to pass an appropriation bill for $1.0 dollars to pay for training and equipment of the Nigerian Military against Boko Haram. If Nigeria’s history of corruption and misappropriation of funds is anything to go by, it is doubtful that the $1 billion dollar being sought by Mr. Jonathan will be used for its intended purpose.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;">Nigeria’s best hope of tackling the Boko Haram and the Ebola virus threats is to ask for help from the international community. The USA, France, Britain, Israel and even Australia have offered their assistance as regards the Boko Haram scourge as have the CDC in the US and the WHO as regards the Ebola virus threat. When a government is as clueless, inept and confused as the Jonathan Administration seems to be, there should be no shame in asking for help from those who can save the country from these seemingly intractable problems. As the Nigerian First Lady, Dr., Dame, Chief, Deacon, Mrs. Patience Jonathan famously put it, "Daris God O!"</span></span></div>
</div>
<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggsgdw_PlJ95BYWhUqvuupHmdTF8959Gw7k_Ns_Lj_MKMJJM9EHHpRaijvOpfnkTJkwbufY8Op9K7KCdm8N2D2pj38rTjNWoq8oVDbVT_pBg0nO1azeEpMX6jBlGvCawQvqq7tRQ/s1600/jonathan+in+washinton.jpg" with "https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggsgdw_PlJ95BYWhUqvuupHmdTF8959Gw7k_Ns_Lj_MKMJJM9EHHpRaijvOpfnkTJkwbufY8Op9K7KCdm8N2D2pj38rTjNWoq8oVDbVT_pBg0nO1azeEpMX6jBlGvCawQvqq7tRQ/s1600/jonathan+in+washinton.jpg" --><!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F-x8CRgTrHj5s%2FU-Oq2p0VsGI%2FAAAAAAAAASA%2FXh4vR7DH3mk%2Fs1600%2Fjonathan%2Bin%2Bwashinton.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggsgdw_PlJ95BYWhUqvuupHmdTF8959Gw7k_Ns_Lj_MKMJJM9EHHpRaijvOpfnkTJkwbufY8Op9K7KCdm8N2D2pj38rTjNWoq8oVDbVT_pBg0nO1azeEpMX6jBlGvCawQvqq7tRQ/s1600/jonathan+in+washinton.jpg" --><div class="blogger-post-footer">"conscience is a double-edged rapier"</div>Veracityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02609117535538254676noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375601.post-91457344265735075362012-01-02T20:09:00.021+00:002014-06-26T15:18:01.358+00:00Nigerian Fuel Subsidy Removal<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria,serif; font-size: large;">The Nigerian government has over the last
three decades subsidized the price of refined petroleum products consumed in
the country. What started as a stop-gap
to meet supply shortfalls that occurred during scheduled Turn Around Maintenance
of the Eleme, Port-Harcourt and Warri refineries soon became the norm as the Nigerian
National Petroleum Cooperation (NNPC) seemed incapable of managing the
operations of these refineries leading to perennial fuel shortages and scarcity.
As the population of Nigeria grew, so
did the demand for refined petroleum products even as two additional refineries were
built in Kaduna and Port-Harcourt.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria,serif; font-size: large;">With a combined installed refining capacity
of about 445,000 barrels a day, Nigeria’s four refineries are enough to meet
the daily consumption requirement, currently estimated to be about 325,000 barrels per
day, with room for exportation. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria,serif; font-size: large;">Over time, the officials of the NNPC charged
with managing the refineries soon discovered that by keeping the refineries in
a perennial state of disrepair, they could award refined product supply
contracts to their cronies and proxies and pocket the profits. In order to stave off public criticism of the
scheme if they charged the market rate for the imported products, they decided
to subsidize the cost and successively set the pump rates, never mind the
arbitrage opportunity this provided hoarders of the products, who took
advantage of the endemic scarcity, and smugglers and diverters who saw the opportunity to
charge multiples of the cost price if they sold the products in neighboring
African countries. In 2011, the NNPC is
estimated to have spent over $8.00 billion on subsidized imported refined
petroleum products because the four refineries in Nigeria barely operated at
about 15% of full capacity (the Petroleum Minister, Diezani Alison Madueke, claims between <a href="http://allafrica.com/stories/201112260221.html">50% and 60% capacity utilization</a> in a "Townhall meeting" in Lagos about two weeks ago).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria,serif; font-size: large;">There is no telling that removing the subsidy
on imported petroleum products makes sense.
However it does not take care of the intrinsic problems of corrupt
enrichment of selves, cronies and proxies by the managers of the refineries and
the perennial scarcity. In fact, it will only mean that importers of the
refined products have a license to charge higher prices for their products,
affording higher returns to their patrons in the NNPC, who will consequently have
a higher incentive to keep the NNPC refineries in disrepair and non-functional.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria,serif; font-size: large;">The way around the issue of the mismanagement
of Nigeria’s oil sector is for the government to totally divest its equity
stake in all the joint ventures it has with the various operators in the industry. These interests should be sold off in the
stock market encouraging a wide base participation and equity distribution with
a cap of say 1% to 2% of the total equity stake as the maximum any individual
or entity can hold. In addition to this,
the Nigerian government needs to liberalize the ownership of refineries by
issuing more licenses to allow as many private enterprises as possible to set up refineries all over the country. This will not only stem
the perennial fuel shortages, it will foster competition and reduce prices as
the incentive for operators who want to remain profitable will be to hone their
operations to be as efficient as possible.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria,serif; font-size: large;">Fully divested of its equity stakes in the
industry, the government will through its agencies provide regulatory and
oversight control of the industry and raise revenue through licensing fees, tariffs,
duties and taxes. This will in one fell
swoop take care of the current inefficiencies and massive corruption in the system.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria,serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">This proposal however will take
about a year or two to achieve, as the required physical and organizational infrastructure
will have to be in place and operational before subsidies are abolished. That the Jonathan administration has chosen
to abruptly end subsidies on January 1, 2012 without any structures in place
guarantees a hard landing and will wreak untold economic and social hardships
on the common Nigerian folk. This limited understanding and analysis of the issue risks for the Jonathan
government a high political premium particularly as it comes at a period when
Nigerians are disenchanted with the harsh economic downturn and serious
security issues currently facing the country.</span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Cambria,serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">"conscience is a double-edged rapier"</div>Veracityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02609117535538254676noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375601.post-23549052555757607792011-12-22T07:02:00.008+00:002012-01-03T10:22:09.848+00:00The Tyranny of the Majority<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Reading through the comments and justifications for supporting the
anti-gay bill in the various media and fora in Nigeria reveals how limited,
hypocritical and beclouded the mind of the average commentator on the issue is.
Reasons range from the "un-Africanness" to the
"irreligiosity" of homosexuality. Given the universality of the
phenomenon, homosexuality is certainly more African than are the two major
religions, Islam and Christianity, both of Middle Eastern origin, whose books
the religious bigots use to perpetuate their ignorant hate messages.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Homosexuality is not a choice. Most people who are oriented that
way were born that way. There is emerging scientific evidence that certain
genetic triggers called "epigenes" are implicated while the individual is in-utero, and that the phenomenon is found in species other than human (birds, dogs, goats, dolphins,
monkeys, chimpanzees etc have been documented with same-sex orientation).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Nigerian National Assembly which has failed Nigerians in all
aspects of law making and governance continues to fail in its responsibilities,
and rather than preventing the tyranny of the majority chooses to foster it as
a diversionary tactic in the face of more pressing and salient issues they
should be tackling, such as fighting corruption, providing good roads, access
to a decent health care system, security, and regulatory and legal systems that
work.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Besides, homosexuality is said to be prevalent in the high echelon
of society and government in Nigeria. It was one of the reasons on which the
infamous and bizarre Major Okar attempted coup d’état was predicated. No doubt,
there are certainly some hypocrites (closet-gays) in the NASS who lent their
votes to this repressive and retrogressive bill.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Rather than disenfranchise our poor brothers and sisters who live
with this burden of discrimination every day, let us all non-homosexual
Nigerians rise up against this injustice and focus our government on the things
that really matter in Nigeria. Homosexual relationships between consenting
adults just like heterosexual relationships are strictly between the consenting
parties, government has no business legislating it and laws should not be made
to single it out and punish practitioners. It would serve Nigerians better if
the government went after the serial pedophiles and statutory rapists who marry
girls as young as 12 years old and younger all in the name of religion and
tradition.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The irony is that while Nigerians like to project an image of
religious piety, Nigeria is one of the most corrupt, avaricious and debauched
societies in the world. The so-called men of God, pastors, imams, gurus and
other charlatans condone criminals and the debauched in their
congregations. Many are active perpetrators of corruption and debauchery,
yet they bleat their hypocritical holier-than-thou rhetoric to cloak their own
debauchery and curry the favor of their incredibly gullible congregants.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">"conscience is a double-edged rapier"</div>Veracityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02609117535538254676noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375601.post-86207287339218651642011-03-28T14:33:00.001+00:002011-12-24T15:26:34.867+00:00Enough is Enough<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: #464646; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">From the debates,
it may be inferred that the Buhari/Bakare ticket is the most desirable.
Ribadu's responses to questions hinted that an autocrat belies the man, and his
in-eloquence suggests that he needs more schooling in public speaking and
diplomacy. He was great as EFCC chairman, but it is questionable if this
automatically translates to a great president.</span></span><span style="color: #464646; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
<br />
<span class="apple-style-span">Buhari appears to have turned a new leaf. He has
actually been consistent in his opposition against the PDP and apart from the
PTF chairmanship he accepted under the Abacha regime, the man really has no
stain. At least under his leadership in 1983-1985, He tried to undo the rot
that the Shagari government had rendered Nigeria.</span><br />
<br />
<span class="apple-style-span">Shekerau has been a brilliant governor in Kano
state, enjoying a high level of respect, perhaps even as high as Aminu Kano. He
is the only governor not under investigation for corruption. While some
governors have bought multi-million dollar mansions with looted state funds in
various lush cities in Europe and America, Mallam Shekeru has only just begun
construction of his first house ever.</span><br />
<br />
<span class="apple-style-span">Fola Adeola, Ribadu's VP seemed to know what he
was talking about as did Shekerau. Oyegun, Shekerau's VP appears to spot an
old-school mentality of divide and conquer, and thus did not complement the
calm and studied intellect of his principal.</span><br />
<br />
<span class="apple-style-span">Bakare seems to have shed his erstwhile religious
bigotry too, a good thing since half of Nigerians, whose VP he is aspiring to
be is non-Christian. He succinctly and aptly put in perspective the impudence
of the Jonathan/Sambo PDP by referring to their absence from the debates as the
"arrogance of incumbency"</span><br />
<br />
<span class="apple-style-span">If the opinion of people like me should matter,
the PDP should be voted out of office. They have been at the helm since 1999
and all Nigerians have reaped is the profligate celebration of corruption and
ineptitude by PDP elected officials and appointees. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!!</span></span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">"conscience is a double-edged rapier"</div>Veracityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02609117535538254676noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375601.post-5256473730291976392010-10-06T23:43:00.012+00:002010-10-12T16:28:56.808+00:00Nigerian Terrorist Attacks - Accusations and Recriminations<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Recent events in Nigeria are saddening. On the 50th anniversary of the
country's independence, the government decided to throw a big bash (not that
there is anything to celebrate in Nigeria, except perhaps the criminality and
corruption of politicians, government officials and their business associates
who help them perpetrate the crimes and hide the loot).</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">The British intelligence agency had alerted British citizens in Nigeria and
the Nigerian government about a potential October 1 attack days before, and in fact, had
prevented its invited dignitaries from attending the celebrations in Abuja on
October 1, 2010. Based on this intelligence two days before the
attacks, the Interpol had searched the
home of Mr. Henry Okah, a Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta
(MEND) arms supplier living in South Africa.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">The bombs, whose explosions had punctuated the events of October 1 in the Federal
Capital Territory (FCT) were claimed to have been planted by the notorious
Niger Delta militant group, MEND, who had sent emails and
text messages to the Nigerian Security Agencies, the BBC, and other News
agencies claiming responsibility.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">The smoke had barely settled when President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan made the
puzzling announcement that MEND was not behind the attacks despite the emails
and text received from them. Experience and history of this kind of
attack anywhere in the world shows that it takes more than a few hours to make
the determination of culpability, and even then it is often a law enforcement
agent, and not the president, that makes such announcements, typically after weeks or months
of careful investigation. It begs the question of the veracity of Mr.
Jonathan's claims and absolution of MEND in spite of their claims to have carried out the attacks.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Mr. Okah has since been arrested and was said to be in complicity with the
group that planted the explosives. Mr. Raymond Dokpesi, the campaign director
general of one time Nigerian military president, retired General Ibrahim Babangida, who is
Mr. Jonathan's most formidable adversary for the Presidential elections, was
also arrested and claimed to be in contact with Mr. Okah via text messages and
phone days leading up to the October 1 attacks. Curiously though, Mr.
Dokpesi was released after interrogation, indicating that the claims may be
spurious.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Mr. Okah, through an interview with Al Jazeera claimed not to be involved in
the attacks and in fact had been contacted by an associate of Mr. Jonathan's to
announce that MEND was not responsible for the attacks hours before Mr.
Jonathan made that strange announcement absolving MEND. He further claimed
that Mr. Jonathan's associate on the call had essentially told him that if he
did this, he would be a free man.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><object height="385" width="640"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/s8WL9xF3hM0?fs=1&hl=en_US">
</param>
<param name="allowFullScreen" value="true">
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<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/s8WL9xF3hM0?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<div>
<span style="font-size: small;">It is even more baffling as members of MEND were shown in the creeks on an Al Jazeera interview less than 48 hours before the blasts, engaging in paramilitary exercises and flagrantly denouncing the Nigerian government and professing their resolve to keep fighting in the Niger Delta.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><object height="385" width="640"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/sVevU_ypcGY?fs=1&hl=en_US">
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<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/sVevU_ypcGY?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-size: small;">The questions now are a) Why would the President of Nigeria absolve
the militant groups even as investigations had barely begun? b) Is Mr.
Jonathan using the attacks opportunistically to denigrate his political foes
and thus win the sympathy of Nigerians? c) Could members of the Babangida camp be in
bed with Mr. Okah, or in fact are his sponsors?</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: small;">It should be easy to establish any connection between the Babangida camp
and Mr. Okah if one exists. Since the British had some intelligence on the
attacks before they happened, sifting through these should shed some light on the investigation. Following the money trail if indeed there was any funneled
to Mr. Okah for the attacks should lead to the sponsor. If all the claims
made by Mr. Jonathan however are false, then Mr. Jonathan and his associates
are perpetrating a crime at least as heinous as the October 1 attacks. </span></div>
</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">"conscience is a double-edged rapier"</div>Veracityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02609117535538254676noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375601.post-90196999438702523792010-05-13T16:06:00.002+00:002010-05-19T22:02:34.463+00:00James Ibori Arrested in Dubai<link href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5Cmw%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml" rel="File-List"></link><link href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5Cmw%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_themedata.thmx" rel="themeData"></link><link href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5Cmw%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_colorschememapping.xml" rel="colorSchemeMapping"></link><style>
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<div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsfu8TREBT_heCfU9ue0LA4_GI-yny06Rtq2hhEY1cDo18F0XOODV_9DN44fjqFvh8sHyvUEPS5s2v-E4RrrdO1ZXza4bBG-V1fRMtXCg0Ml9FJN-3ZIRGcaQjrN7UP_27dZG0DQ/s1600/ibori.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsfu8TREBT_heCfU9ue0LA4_GI-yny06Rtq2hhEY1cDo18F0XOODV_9DN44fjqFvh8sHyvUEPS5s2v-E4RrrdO1ZXza4bBG-V1fRMtXCg0Ml9FJN-3ZIRGcaQjrN7UP_27dZG0DQ/s320/ibori.jpg" /></a>Fugitive Ex-Governor of Delta State, <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8680569.stm">James Onanefe Ibori has been arrested</a> in Dubai reports reaching Nigerian Politics Blog confirmed. Mr. Ibori is widely believed to have financially bankrolled the candidacy of the late Umaru Yar'Adua for President in 2007. As a result of this, he wielded a lot of influence over the late President Yar'Adua, so much so that not only was he able to evade prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for gross acts of graft and money laundering, he was able to manipulate the removal and eventual sack of its stellar chairman, Mr. Nuhu Ribadu. Mr. Ibori who is also wanted in the UK for money laundering of millions of pounds supposedly looted from the coffers of his state in Nigeria, would be extradited to Nigeria to face trial for his crimes said the EFCC chairman, Mrs. Farida Waziri.<br />
<br />
Mr. James Ibori has had a criminal record since the 1990s when he was convicted for shoplifting along with his girlfriend (now wife) Theresa Nkoyo Nakanda <span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black;"><span style="orphans: 2; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">on January 25, 1991 at the Isleworth Crown Court in London. Ibori, who worked as cashier at a home improvement store, Wickes was found guilty of helping Ms. Nakanda, who worked as shop-hand steal merchandise from the shop. Both were sentenced to two weeks imprisonment and fined 750 pounds. In 1992, the same Ibori was convicted for credit card fraud by the </span><span style="orphans: 2; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Clerkenwell Magistrate’s Court in London and fined 800 pounds. Ibori left England and moved back to Nigeria sometime shortly after and shuttled between Lagos, Warri and Abuja to try to make ends meet. In 1995, a magistrate court in Bwari, FCT convicted Mr. James Ibori for grand larceny for stealing building materials. </span></span><span style="color: black;"><br />
<br />
<span class="apple-style-span">With a talent for criminality, Ibori somehow managed to ingratiate himself with associates of Major Hamza Al-Mustafa, former Chief Security Officer of the late Nigerian dictator, General Sani Abacha. Soon he was in the inner circle of the Abacha security and hit-squad</span></span></span>. He in fact along with Al-Mustafa co-owned Diet Communications, publisher of The Diet newspaper, which they used to infiltrate the Nigerian news media in the hey days of the Abacha government. Ibori was an informant to the General's intelligence network and was reputed in some circles to have played a vital role in the infamous assassination of National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) chieftain, Pa Alfred Riwane by the Abacha goons on October 6, 1995. In bed with the Abacha killing apparatus, Ibori is said to have amassed a small fortune with which he rigged and won the governorship of Delta state in 1999.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Ibori’s arrest by the Interpol in Dubai yesterday is a welcome development. Rather than being extradited to Nigeria, Ibori should be extradited to the UK to face the music, because he is unlikely to get what he deserves in Nigeria, from where he fled and whose law enforcement agents Mr. Ibori seems to have in his pockets.</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">"conscience is a double-edged rapier"</div>Veracityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02609117535538254676noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375601.post-13742341321393545952010-03-18T01:20:00.002+00:002010-05-09T15:57:53.268+00:00Goodluck Jonathan Dissolves Executive CouncilThe news of the dissolution of the executive cabinet by the Nigerian Acting President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan comes at a time when most in the country have watched with chagrin the nauseating and puerile vaudeville the Nigerian political environment has become. For months, President Yar'Adua was absent from the country and said to be undergoing medical treatment in Saudi Arabia while remaining incommunicado with all of his direct reports in the Nigerian Executive Council including his Vice President to whom he failed to transfer power.<br />
<br />
Last month, frustrated by Mr. Yar'Adua's absence and the intrigues carried on by his closest official associates and purportedly his wife, the Nigerian congress decided to apply extraordinary methods to the extraordinary situation to formally transfer power to Jonathan in a yet contentious and arguably unconstitutional resolution. In the penumbra of this flux, Dr. Jonathan's legitimacy has been variously questioned, least of all by Mr. Yar'Adua's scroungers, who have made it difficult for Jonathan to effectively take charge. There have been varied insinuations and innuendos as to how the Acting President should conduct himself lest he transgresses against the powers that be in Northern Nigeria to whom the Presidency belongs for the next six years because of the arcane and asinine logic informing the "zoning of the presidency" by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Yar'Adua's and Jonathan's party.<br />
<br />
It is refreshing to see Dr. Jonathan finally take charge. He needs not only to dissolve the Executive Council, he needs also to look at the various government parastatals and agencies which are peopled by Yar'Adua loyalist scroungers who may want to sabotage the efforts of the Acting President.<div class="blogger-post-footer">"conscience is a double-edged rapier"</div>Veracityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02609117535538254676noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375601.post-68971955780501647922009-12-25T18:52:00.003+00:002009-12-25T18:56:52.496+00:00Yar’Adua’s Puppet Masters<meta content="text/html; charset=utf-8" http-equiv="Content-Type"></meta><meta content="Word.Document" name="ProgId"></meta><meta content="Microsoft Word 12" name="Generator"></meta><meta content="Microsoft Word 12" name="Originator"></meta><link href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5Cmw%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml" rel="File-List"></link><link href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5Cmw%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_themedata.thmx" rel="themeData"></link><link href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5Cmw%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_colorschememapping.xml" rel="colorSchemeMapping"></link><style>
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</style><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">This is to wish a Merry Christmas to all my <i>Nigerian Politics</i> readers. The past twelve months went so fast that it is unbelievable that this was the year that saw the first African American President sworn-in in the USA, witnessed the bottom of the world wide economic recession, saw the collapsed of several banks in Nigeria and abroad, a peace accord between Niger Delta Militants and the Nigerian Government and the despicable carnage in Northern Nigeria resulting from the Apocalyptic and Nihilist <i>Boka Haram</i> cult.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><br />
<span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">It’s been a lot to digest this past year. It seems Nigeria has taken several steps back and reversed the gains (however contentious) made during the more dynamic Obasanjo regime. For one, the foreign debt is once again soaring (approx $6.00 billion as at November 2009), the laudable gains of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have been inverted and the rate of unemployment and inflation are even higher. All these can be traced largely to the inept and punctuated leadership of President Yar’Adua. The man has surrounded himself with charlatans and sycophants of the Ilk of James Ibori, Fugitive ex-Governor of Delta state and dunderhead ignoramus Michael Aondoakaa, Attorney General of Nigeria. These people take advantage of the frail health of Mr. Yar’Adua to influence policies and executive actions in their favor.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8LM0tkIwk3Zdp545LNkPQNnVu3oZNyBQ1xWL1t7wurkn1ew350NKUCD7Knt7tsB6cf5DG2bjiBqQbVMIj-NZEyPS5qb42uLFKzjAtaikgzYOcseNr5pUWihELUeLju_jof-a6xQ/s1600-h/yaradua.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8LM0tkIwk3Zdp545LNkPQNnVu3oZNyBQ1xWL1t7wurkn1ew350NKUCD7Knt7tsB6cf5DG2bjiBqQbVMIj-NZEyPS5qb42uLFKzjAtaikgzYOcseNr5pUWihELUeLju_jof-a6xQ/s200/yaradua.jpg" width="155" /></a><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">For over a month now, Mr. Yar’Adua has been said to be receiving medical treatment in a Saudi Arabian Hospital with little information given as to what ails the man and how he is responding to treatment. It is also said that there was no proper handing over to the Vice President, Mr. Goodluck Jonathan and thus a power vacuum as it were exists in the executive branch of Government in Nigeria. In democracies that work, not only will there be more information available on the health status of the President, a smoother and more transparent temporary transfer of power would have occurred from the President to the Vice President. But the way politics is conducted in Nigeria, power is hugged and information withheld for ulterior motives. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Mr. Yar’Adua may very well be in a coma but those around him who claim to speak and act on his behalf and benefit from his remaining as president do all they can to make sure the temporary transfer of power to the VP does not occur. The puppet masters will continue to run the show as long as they pull the strings. <br />
</span><br />
</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">"conscience is a double-edged rapier"</div>Veracityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02609117535538254676noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375601.post-72691253609805918002009-11-13T03:25:00.003+00:002009-11-13T03:38:26.355+00:00Coding of Crude Oil a la Bankole<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiZCPugGYwxKnQxbrWvu3C78Np9Hf0Mp_aa2bjyJDSumdIPWTCU3YXRqjoFNr_zWMnKerk4L84dDYXDZeGTDdaBXEaYKruNpMzmxNqyyqxOqEqELMBB8ng1v5RyAUfjtUZl6X8IA/s1600-h/dimeji.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" sr="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiZCPugGYwxKnQxbrWvu3C78Np9Hf0Mp_aa2bjyJDSumdIPWTCU3YXRqjoFNr_zWMnKerk4L84dDYXDZeGTDdaBXEaYKruNpMzmxNqyyqxOqEqELMBB8ng1v5RyAUfjtUZl6X8IA/s200/dimeji.jpg" /></a><br />
</div>Dimeji Bankole, the Nigerian Speaker of the House of Representatives’ suggestion that Nigeria should consider coding its crude oil at face value seems a rational one, except that he did not quite explain how this should be done. While chemical “coding”, in the context Bankole seems to refer, is possible and actually used to distinguish batches of certain chemical products through the use of additives to serve as chemical markers. It is used usually in highly purified substances that have identical chemical and physical characteristics regardless of their source of origin.<br />
<br />
Crude oil as it turns out have different chemical and physical characteristics unique to their source. In fact, no two wells anywhere in the world have been known to exhibit the same chemical and physical characteristics. Physical characteristics such as spectrophotometry, rheology, sedimentation rate, specific gravity, even color and organoleptics may be employed along with chemical characteristics such as fractional component assay, gas chromatography, HPLC, voltammetry, NMR, Pyrolysis, mass spectrometry etc as analytical and assay methods. All these are enough to pinpoint not only the country of origin of the crude oil, but the exact well from which it was drilled.<br />
<br />
Bankole was either shooting off the cuff in the characteristic ignorance that pervades the Nigerian body politic, or was setting the stage for a future multi-million dollar crude oil additive contract for some of his friends waiting in the wings to execute yet another scam to game the system and loot the coffers of Nigeria. Besides, what is the cost of adding this so called "code", its decoding and other attendant administative costs? Assuming this is possible, what is the cost/ benefit analysis? Any leader worth his salt should be capable of critical reasoning and Bankole fails to exhibit this with his asinine suggestion.<div class="blogger-post-footer">"conscience is a double-edged rapier"</div>Veracityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02609117535538254676noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375601.post-76538365149898793712009-10-23T19:31:00.001+00:002009-10-23T19:31:40.498+00:00The Importance of Being Earnest<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" ><tr><td valign="top" style="font: inherit;">The importance of being earnest is the only reason why I try to tell the other side of the story to the bunch of people that make up the Nigerian Polity and their cohort. Someone just tried to hijack my blog. I suspect it is the Nigerian Government trying to shut me down, but their low-tech approach is no match for someone so tech savvy as myself.<br><br>i will continue to blog about the truth and injustice perpetrated by the nefarious cabal of clowns that rule Nigeria. My brethren and sisters make no mistake I shall blog as is true to my name until the dawn of time or my last breath whichever comes first. Thence, stay tuned.<br> <br>Veracity<br></td></tr></table><br> <div class="blogger-post-footer">"conscience is a double-edged rapier"</div>Veracityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02609117535538254676noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375601.post-89752597784380501912009-07-09T05:00:00.002+00:002009-07-09T05:03:35.771+00:00Obama visits Ghana, Snubs Nigeria<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Garamond, fantasy;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"></span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Garamond, fantasy;"><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Garamond, fantasy;"></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Garamond, fantasy;"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Garamond","serif"">Nigerians lament the choice of Ghana as President Barack Obama’s first port of call on the highly popular first Black American President’s first official visit to Sub-Saharan Africa.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Ghana, which enjoys relative peace and stability, seems a natural choice over the chaotic and fractious situations in Nigeria, South Africa and Kenya, other countries deemed to have been considered for the historic visit.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Garamond","serif"">Nigeria, which touts itself as the giant of Africa has been stifled and plagued with civil strife and unrests in the Niger Delta and still struggles with its democratic process with many of its public officials indicted in gross acts of corruption and various numerous crimes. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>During the presidential campaign of Mr. Obama, the chairman of the Nigerian Security and Exchange Commission was indicted for illegally collecting what was sold as contributions to aid the Obama candidacy despite the clearly spelled out disclaimer on the Obama website that foreign donations were not eligible.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Garamond","serif"">The apparent snubbing of Nigeria by the Obama administration is appropriate. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Obama should not be rubbing shoulders with the criminals and thugs that make the majority of the Nigerian public officials and politicians. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Garamond","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p></span><p></p></span><p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">"conscience is a double-edged rapier"</div>Veracityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02609117535538254676noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375601.post-48196041492350617972009-06-02T19:38:00.003+00:002009-06-02T19:40:00.452+00:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDMoVIgFCXko4AyVJh0nDKEMKvVppFRjsvgO_K0yfDtQSOMQDO7h5ZKtsGgLj9iZixcOEl-vMAEEUWjvKRb2_yADxDFIbmBTtI7dYX4FM91VYCp6JtF5H1C8Y4meMotoPukMPUEQ/s1600-h/MEND+vs+JTF.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 510px; height: 293px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDMoVIgFCXko4AyVJh0nDKEMKvVppFRjsvgO_K0yfDtQSOMQDO7h5ZKtsGgLj9iZixcOEl-vMAEEUWjvKRb2_yADxDFIbmBTtI7dYX4FM91VYCp6JtF5H1C8Y4meMotoPukMPUEQ/s320/MEND+vs+JTF.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342817034780140386" border="0" /></a><div class="blogger-post-footer">"conscience is a double-edged rapier"</div>Veracityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02609117535538254676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375601.post-18512489332832694392009-05-18T19:33:00.011+00:002009-05-19T04:43:56.776+00:00Yar’Adua Grows a Spine on the Niger Delta Crisis<meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; 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mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwDhYNO5OglSPOxXDnL04o_f815RzTEx4XqeUniGXBni0a0b_vG6iHcBvqbzAqsD_nHIKNo5Mxd3Gt6xSxRvdvm2jS_uAf0uFesK_gyowrShgY77yWYhlSPtDf1bFcNdZ7k8n64g/s1600-h/Mend.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 103px; height: 155px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwDhYNO5OglSPOxXDnL04o_f815RzTEx4XqeUniGXBni0a0b_vG6iHcBvqbzAqsD_nHIKNo5Mxd3Gt6xSxRvdvm2jS_uAf0uFesK_gyowrShgY77yWYhlSPtDf1bFcNdZ7k8n64g/s320/Mend.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337254106291234002" border="0" /></a><span style=";font-family:";font-size:14;" >It appears the Yar’Adua government is taking its cue from <span style="color: rgb(13, 13, 13);">Mahinda </span></span><span style=";font-family:";font-size:14;" ><span style="color: rgb(13, 13, 13);">Rajapaksa</span><span style="color: rgb(70, 70, 70);">,</span> the Sri Lankan President whose military has just decimated the once feared LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) aka -Tamil Tigers, the terrorist separatist movement that held sway in northern Sri Lanka for 26 years under the leadership of Velupillai Prabhakaran, who was killed in the government onslaught.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:14;" >Like MEND and other Niger Delta militant groups, the LTTE started off as a self-determination movement for the cause of an independent Tamil Nation in 1976 and soon metamorphosed into one of the most violent and ruthless terrorist groups in the world. The LTTE engaged in bombings of government, commercial and tourism infrastructure. Kidnapping and murder of opposition voices, extortion, intimidation and high profile assassination of political figures in South East Asia was their forte. The LTTE pioneered suicide bombing as a tactic and invented the suicide belt, which was used by a female Tamil Tiger in the 1991 assassination of Rajiv Ghandi, then former Prime Minister of India opposed to the LTTE cause.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:14;" >Mr. Yar’Adua should pursue this campaign to conclusion, but must prevent it from escalating into a huge humanitarian crisis. Provisions should be made for the evacuation of innocent civilians from the conflict zones. A ceasefire for 48 to 72 hours accompanied by a massive information campaign by radio, air-dropped-flyers and television announcing the ceasefire window and urging the evacuation of civilians from the conflict zones should do. Wide media coverage should be given to the evacuation process and the militants sternly warned against holding back any civilian population they might want to use as hostages or human shields as the Tamil Tigers did, and still in the end, were defeated.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:14;" >The fact of the matter is that true liberation results only from peaceful resistance movements. Mahatma Ghandi freed India from the British through this method just as Martin Luther King won civil rights for African Americans through his non-violent civil rights movement. Even the Great Nelson Mandela won his battle against apartheid only after he renounced violence. There is a good reason why the ANC rules in South Africa today and not the Inkatha Freedom Fighters of Mongosuthu Buthelezi. The terrorists in Palestine make it difficult to achieve a peaceful resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict because of the compelling argument of insecurity that they provide the Israeli authorities by their terrorist actions. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:14;" >Were MEND and its ilk Niger Delta militant groups legitimate, they would recognize how out-of-date nihilist separatist terrorist movements such as theirs’ are. A critical look at these Niger Delta militant groups reveals that they are but only the visible element of what is indeed a very large criminal industry involving the militants themselves, gunrunners, hostage negotiators, pirates, “oil bunkerers”, politicians and corrupt government officials of agencies charged with supervision of the oil industry and development of the Niger Delta. None of them really has the interest of the locals at heart. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:14;" >They murder moderate locals who seek a non-violent approach, steal crude oil by breaking oil pipelines, in the processes degrading the environment through oil spillages. They use the ransoms they extract to finance profligate life-styles - Asari Dokubo, former Ijaw Youth Congress <span style=""> </span>boss, and MEND sponsor, owns a couple of grand mansions in Abuja and Port Harcourt, a fleet of luxury cars and runs a harem of three wives and several concubines. The Yar’Adua government would do the present day generation of Nigerians and posterity a world of good by routing out these militant groups now before they metamorphose into larger and intractable terrorist organizations like those in the Middle East. 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mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:";font-size:12;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <div class="blogger-post-footer">"conscience is a double-edged rapier"</div>Veracityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02609117535538254676noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375601.post-81732636028294406142009-02-16T03:05:00.009+00:002009-02-16T13:30:04.860+00:00President Yar’Adua’s Bid for 2011<span style="font-family: georgia;font-size:100%;" xmlns="" ><p>There are rumours making the rounds about President Umaru Yar'Adua's bid for re-election in 2011. To justify re-election should not the incumbent be seen to have presided over some economic growth and improved developmental indices? Ever since Yar'Adua was foisted on <span><span xmlns=""><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijL1FinF6V_Gse8WdfsjT6g_hPTkMEPht4SPE9sD9ekwVVS7IlkgOlq6TzYYzRpMuYMYZXiW2-qJMQVU_CVKN-CJ0oqMo3LFKzeL8FATMIVzOyQMAK2EeE8YSrrjprU7OzeeJIww/s1600-h/Yar'adua.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 136px; height: 164px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijL1FinF6V_Gse8WdfsjT6g_hPTkMEPht4SPE9sD9ekwVVS7IlkgOlq6TzYYzRpMuYMYZXiW2-qJMQVU_CVKN-CJ0oqMo3LFKzeL8FATMIVzOyQMAK2EeE8YSrrjprU7OzeeJIww/s320/Yar'adua.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303226601248603010" border="0" /></a></span></span>Nigerians by the Obasanjo regime in 2007, the Yar'Adua led government has presided over the worst slow-down of government and a reversal of some the good deeds of the Obasanjo administration.<br /></p><p>Nigeria's foreign debt is said to have begun a steady climb again after the debt forgiveness of 2005/2006 by the Paris and London Clubs negotiated by Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, then Minister of Finance in the Obasanjo administration. The crisis in the Niger Delta continues to escalate so much so that Nigeria lost an estimated 6 and 8 billion dollars in oil revenue in 2007 and 2008 respectively. The activities of these criminal gangs from the Niger Delta have spread to other cities in Nigeria including the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, where they have brazenly operated with impunity. The security situation is dire to say the least and the law enforcement and judiciary systems are up for sale to the highest bidder. Ex-governors and other politicians indicted for gross acts of graft walk free and act as the closest confidants to Yar'Adua and his cohort while stellar law enforcement agents of the ilk of Nuhu Ribadu and model ministers of the mould of El-Rufai are persecuted unduly.<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/R7iVGpOMq00&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/R7iVGpOMq00&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /></p><p>Shame on those Nigerians who are seeking the return of such an ineffectual President as Yar'Adua. The man has not championed any policy or development since he assumed office in May 2007. He is the most lackluster and inept leader Nigeria has ever had. Even the evil Abacha championed some policies and development (PTF, BPE and failed banks tribunals to mention a few). It seems as if Yar'Adua is only in the news when he goes to Germany or the Middle East for a medical checkup or vacation. It is as if the man is on a perpetual vacation, while the country which he took an oath to govern is left to the dogs and hobbled by his gang of purloiners. In fact, it would probably be better off for Nigeria if the man took a permanent vacation today and not return to Aso Rock. Being so inept, he should resign and hand over to somebody more dynamic rather than seek a second term in 2011. </p></span><div class="blogger-post-footer">"conscience is a double-edged rapier"</div>Veracityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02609117535538254676noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375601.post-58090887163142530552008-12-24T03:35:00.032+00:002009-02-16T03:46:17.614+00:002008 - Another Wasted Year for the African Continent<meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5Cmw%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><link rel="themeData" href="file:///C:%5CUsers%5Cmw%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_themedata.thmx"><link rel="colorSchemeMapping" 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mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5-4ti0K6wIJYQaULcCBOXmHKqzcSpum5xY1gG1VeZ47zYANy4jGptEmGH6CTdoYYDj-NqafnGEgcIkYVBeQSLUDI5aoXduROaUZ_uqJ0YgykNFlY3bOiDR-ujaWhl1qvmrFTyKQ/s1600-h/barack_obama2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 148px; height: 148px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5-4ti0K6wIJYQaULcCBOXmHKqzcSpum5xY1gG1VeZ47zYANy4jGptEmGH6CTdoYYDj-NqafnGEgcIkYVBeQSLUDI5aoXduROaUZ_uqJ0YgykNFlY3bOiDR-ujaWhl1qvmrFTyKQ/s320/barack_obama2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283200517810464514" border="0" /></a></span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" >As the year 2008 draws to an end, most people the world over are taking stock of the past year, assessing what was done right and what was done wrong. In the United States of America, there is an air of enthusiasm as the citizens are excited at the historic election in November of the first African American President, Mr. Barack Obama, whose inauguration comes up on January 20, 2009. Even as America experiences its deepest recession since the Second World War, there is palpable optimism and high expectations of the ability of President Elect, Barack Obama and his formidable team to turn the tide on the economic downturn.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" >I</span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" >f t</span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" >he optimism and excitement holds up all through 2009, America, and indeed the world may emerge from the recession sooner than later. Afte</span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" >r all, a significant determinant of </span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" >economic fortune is consumer sentiment.<span style=""> </span>A positive sentiment usually means more de</span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" >mand, which often jump-starts production to increase supply to meet the demand.<span style=""> </span>Of course all these r</span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" >equire an able team to midwife with delicate precision, and the overall sentiment is if any team ca</span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" >n achieve this, it is that being assembled by President Elect Obama. Such is the magic of the man.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" >Across the Atlantic, on the continent that bore the man who sired Barack </span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" >Obama, the sentiments are just as optimistic and enthusiastic.<span style=""> </span>Obama’s unlikely story and eventual peaceful election is iconic of what the ideal should be, even for Africans.<span style=""> </span>Obama symbolizes</span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" > the hero in many an African folktale that saves the day and leads his people to redemption</span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" >, something which most Africans desperately need to be rid of their tyrants.<span style=""> </span>All Africans (on the continent and in Diaspora) should be proud of this fine young man and his achievements, as he has forever demystified age-old racial stereotypes and low expectations of the black man.<span style=""> </span>In Obama’s word, “Yes we can.” Blacks can be anything they set their minds, all it takes is hard work and a people and system that are fair and conscientious.<span style=""> </span>But there stops the import to Africans of the Obama ascension to the US presidency. <span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE4c9DqXd2k5xU2ANGrTm8ygFpPXIJEkT4vTNIRj7GpQyb1tBMn2mulpzwnBD5t3TcWWCa6YeRa7Vk0VemahW_AyIGz1g5-8kwec5OaewuJXw5_W9xttpb6B3ah5UZE2BTLN_4Hg/s1600-h/mugabe-crazy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 111px; height: 151px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE4c9DqXd2k5xU2ANGrTm8ygFpPXIJEkT4vTNIRj7GpQyb1tBMn2mulpzwnBD5t3TcWWCa6YeRa7Vk0VemahW_AyIGz1g5-8kwec5OaewuJXw5_W9xttpb6B3ah5UZE2BTLN_4Hg/s320/mugabe-crazy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283201605593527282" border="0" /></a></span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" >Mr. Obama just happens to be an African American who was elected to be the President of the United States of</span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" > America come</span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" >, </span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" >January 20, 2009.<span style=""> </span>His primary responsibility and allegiance is to the American peo</span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" >ple and its interests.<span style=""> </span>Those interests may well be stability in Africa among others and the Obama administration, no doubt, would do anything in its power to achieve this if the American pe</span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" >ople so desire it.<span style=""> But in the final analysis, </span>the responsibility for the stability and prosperity of African coun</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5qC4dNVM6ioWhBmAVCrtVr63UtqSMM2FHqMebDVPazKxpcjS9BW0nWZIc5EfVYEMKmZ0DT4IS-067eReC6LJYX6sGwmmLXLumm_V5WkES0J-iZRNRxQAmZ9z835h1FgU3jqSUyA/s1600-h/janjaweed.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 208px; height: 158px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5qC4dNVM6ioWhBmAVCrtVr63UtqSMM2FHqMebDVPazKxpcjS9BW0nWZIc5EfVYEMKmZ0DT4IS-067eReC6LJYX6sGwmmLXLumm_V5WkES0J-iZRNRxQAmZ9z835h1FgU3jqSUyA/s320/janjaweed.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283201099083787794" border="0" /></a></span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" >tries rests squarely on their leadership and citizenry.<span style=""> </span></span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" >Whether it be the genoc</span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" >idal junta of Omar Al-Bashir engaged in the ethnic cleansing by the Janjaweed in Darfur, Sudan, or the </span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" >maniacal and demented regime o</span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" >f </span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" ><a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/homepageCrisis/idUSLI645414._CH_.2400">84-year old Robert Mugabe</a> in his tyrannical bid to hold on to power in Zimbabwe, impervious to the pleas of the international community and the consequential ruin his sit-tight posture is wreaking on his country, the responsibility is squarely Africans’. <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/G0Hb6H-EpDA&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/G0Hb6H-EpDA&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" >I</span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" >n t</span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" >he Democratic Repub</span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" >lic of Congo, the Ugandan and Rw</span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" >andan backed, <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3786883.stm">Laurent Nkunda</a>-led National Co</span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" >ngress for the Defense of the People (CNDP)</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" >rebel army is in a civil war with the Angola, Namibia and Zimbabwe backed Joseph Kabila DR Congo government forces.<span style=""> </span>This is a war involving six of t</span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" >he poorest nations of the world.<span style=""> </span>Granted, Namibia has a GDP per capita of about $5,200, making it one of the richer African countries, but it has an HIV prevalence rate of about 21% in adults, one of the highest in the world.<span style=""> </span>The other five countries have equally high HIV prevalence rates and some of the worst socioeconomic indices in the world, yet they squander their meager resources on a complicated and fratricidal war.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgujs9kSbhX5QIkk7QRfxnWgCf2cjBIdyaWOqk44Y55kE21R50KiBD1EkYQZRIja37pi0goJxsg5ex96hJIOS4WDfEB0t9fAvFjrzTN45T0QAn40UrDidgpM3fZ1-07PLgCECc9LQ/s1600-h/armed-ijaw-militants-in-nigeria.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 201px; height: 133px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgujs9kSbhX5QIkk7QRfxnWgCf2cjBIdyaWOqk44Y55kE21R50KiBD1EkYQZRIja37pi0goJxsg5ex96hJIOS4WDfEB0t9fAvFjrzTN45T0QAn40UrDidgpM3fZ1-07PLgCECc9LQ/s320/armed-ijaw-militants-in-nigeria.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283202478669888450" border="0" /></a></span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" >In Nigeria, while there is no full-blown war, the situation in the Niger Delta is just as dire.<span style=""> </span>Rogue pirates and criminals parading themselves as environmental militants are on the prowl kidnapping, killing, extorting, sa</span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" >botaging, blowing up oil installations and </span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" >illegally bunkering crude oil with impunity while the corrupt and ineffectual government of Umaru Musa Yar’Adua sits pat.<span style=""> </span>With the potential of being one of the richest countries in the world on account of its rich human and natural resources, Nigeria has been hobbled by its deeply entrenched level of corruption that guarantees it a spot in the top-tier of the most corrupt countries in the world each of the 15 years Transparency International has published the corruption perception index <a href="http://www.transparency.org/news_room/in_focus/2008/cpi2008/cpi_2008_table">(</a></span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" ><a href="http://www.transparency.org/news_room/in_focus/2008/cpi2008/cpi_2008_table">cpi)</a>.<o:p style="font-family: georgia;"></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >The story in South Africa is not much better, only earlier this past summer in May, South African youths took t</span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >o </span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih4gzLka_JS-OBV4024UM6dtG8Qf9NZNc8a8K2Eu5NZ68Q5BsWhKLCiAQxKdQDCSn_JYOpJ7eWO_Da5prZmI7r-KsozsFIn6xTvH4PWsl8KTHDUuGbXp18fxM06Cm1_RnbbOMpTA/s1600-h/south-africa-violence.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 208px; height: 136px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih4gzLka_JS-OBV4024UM6dtG8Qf9NZNc8a8K2Eu5NZ68Q5BsWhKLCiAQxKdQDCSn_JYOpJ7eWO_Da5prZmI7r-KsozsFIn6xTvH4PWsl8KTHDUuGbXp18fxM06Cm1_RnbbOMpTA/s320/south-africa-violence.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283202011215243426" border="0" /></a></span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >the streets to maim, rape and murder non South-African black Africans, particularl</span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >y those from Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Ghana, Somalia and Ethiopia, who they erroneously blamed for taking up their jobs and using up government resources that would otherwise have been used to benefit South Africans. <span style="font-family:georgia;"> </span>Many believed this rash of <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7404351.stm">xenophobia</a> was wrought and stoked by Mr. Jacob Zuma, the African National Congress (ANC) president and putative successor to the <span style="">Kgalema Motlanthe led government when elections are held in 2009.</span></span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" >
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name="Bibliography"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" qformat="true" name="TOC Heading"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:1; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:0 0 0 0 0 0;} @font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1610611985 1073750139 0 0 159 0;} @font-face {font-family:Garamond; panose-1:2 2 4 4 3 3 1 1 8 3; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:647 0 0 0 159 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin-top:0in; margin-right:0in; margin-bottom:10.0pt; margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 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table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >These are some of the sad tales of the African continent that bore Mr. Obama.<span style=""> </span>The same blood that courses the veins of these lot flows through those of the President Elect.<span style=""> </span>Yes indeed Africans are ecstatic at Mr. Obama’s election and even more vociferous about this are all the despotic and corrupt misanthropes in government all throughout the African continent (except perhaps Mr. Mugabe who hates everything western).<span style=""> </span>It boggles the mind that these purloiners in power can recognize merit and a system and democracy that works while at the same time toil very hard to entrench chaos and turmoil in their countries in their bid to self-enrich and hold tenaciously on to power.<span style=""> </span>To paraphrase Mr. Obama’s controversial pastor, Jeremiah Wright of Trinity Church, Chicago: “…not God bless African leaders, it's God damn African leaders…”</span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:";font-size:12;" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <div class="blogger-post-footer">"conscience is a double-edged rapier"</div>Veracityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02609117535538254676noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375601.post-143415000514921902008-08-07T14:21:00.004+00:002008-08-07T22:43:07.045+00:00Ribadu’s Demotion – Yar’Adua’s Betrayal<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc9J5j843d-umGBXH2iSCBI6NZiD-p9nibOY2fOactULZZhKiLY07-qUtgu0Lndq-zTyFAXKNVmVQE9u6xjDZGa5_XOSDigyEZQW_BZToKuFUFYvJTBOj53yTzmQ3bBBlYE8eSaQ/s1600-h/ribadu.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc9J5j843d-umGBXH2iSCBI6NZiD-p9nibOY2fOactULZZhKiLY07-qUtgu0Lndq-zTyFAXKNVmVQE9u6xjDZGa5_XOSDigyEZQW_BZToKuFUFYvJTBOj53yTzmQ3bBBlYE8eSaQ/s320/ribadu.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231782154212070402" border="0" /></a>The demotion exercise supposedly carried out by the Police Service Commission which affected the former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nuhu Ribadu is clearly a vindictive assault on the fine officer, Ribadu whose stellar performance at the EFCC not only gained international respect for Nigeria in its fight against corruption, but gave hope to the millions of Nigerians who have been betrayed by their leadership, if only for the brief period of time.<br /><br />This goes to prove that Yar’Adua is a lame duck of a President whose strings are being pulled by the various corrupt elements that helped to bring him to power and continue to influence the way things are run in Nigeria. Under Ribadu's leadership, the EFCC was able to investigate, prosecute and secure conviction of the perpetrators of one of the biggest fraud cases the world has ever seen (the <a href="http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/11/21/nigerian_fraudsters_jailed/">Banco Noroeste</a> case involving Emmanuel Nwude, Nzeribe Okoli and <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4690031.stm">Amaka Anajemba</a>). Also, for the first time, a sitting <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4460740.stm">Inspector General of Police</a> was indicted and convicted for corruption.<br /><br />Indeed, so effective was the EFCC that the saying in Nigerian public offices was "The fear of Ribadu is the beginning of Wisdom." What made Ribadu so effective was the independence granted the agency by the Obasanjo administration. Even though Ribadu was an Assistant Commissioner of Police when he assumed office, his EFCC activities were reported directly to the presidency and not the Inspector General of Police. Removing this bureaucratic layer made the EFCC a highly effective organization, especially as it did not have to get approvals or orders from higher ranking police officers who are renowned for their high degree of corruption and sometimes were in complicity with the criminals under investigation.<br /><br />This independence and attendant power bestowed on Ribadu officer bred in the higher ranked police officers jealousy, cavil and disdain. Snide remarks, accusations of selective justice and misconduct were rife. When the Yar’Adua government came into power, these police officers along with the criminal elements the EFCC was investigating (amongst whom were several state governors known to be instrumental to the Yar’Adua election to the presidency) increased their pressure on Yar’Adua, complaining about gross abuse of power by the EFCC. Yar’Adua bucked and Ribadu was pushed out of the commission under the guise of being sent on an advanced management course at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS). Eventually, Ribadu was removed as EFCC Chairman.<br /><br />Yar’Adua makes a big mistake by allowing the demotion. If anything, for the fact that Ribadu performed excellently at the EFCC, he should be exempt from the demotion, assuming there is any truth to the rationale being given for the exercise. The symbolism of this is that Yar’Adua is in cahoots with the various criminal elements that continue to bog down the Nigerian political landscape. Also, it confirms the lack of vision and ineptitude of Yar’Adua as a president. <br /><br />Yar’Adua has nothing to show for the two-years plus he has been in power. The militancy in the Niger-Delta has escalated several folds, diminishing Nigeria’s oil production by up to 25% as the president’s brother heads the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). Electric power generation is at its worst in 45 years, inflation is rife, crime rate has escalated, and there are food shortages and long lines at the petrol stations. The only difference between the Yar’Adua government and the Abacha junta is that Sergeant Rogers and other Al Mustafa goons are not on the prowl killing perceived enemies of the state, but with the growing army of political assassins, Niger-Delta militants and other criminal gangs, Yar’Adua does not need Al Mustafa’s goons to achieve an even higher degree of mayhem than the evil Abacha. At least during the Abacha regime, the Niger-Delta was not as dangerous as it is now. The evil General knew how to curb criminal militancy and had an independent mind, something Yar’Adua seems to be lacking amongst other leadership traits.<div class="blogger-post-footer">"conscience is a double-edged rapier"</div>Veracityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02609117535538254676noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375601.post-89266330227271136192007-07-24T02:49:00.001+00:002008-12-09T18:53:01.359+00:00Nigerian Ex-Governors Soup it out in EFCC Detention Cells<span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:georgia;" >The recent arrest and subsequent arraignment in court of some ex-governors of the immediate</span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:georgia;" > past administration by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is a culmination of the much awaited show down between the commission and the indicted governors.<span style=""> </span>So far the ex-governors picked up include Uzor Kalu (Abia State), Jolly Nyame (Taraba State), Saminu Turaki (Jigawa State) and Joshua Dariye (Plateau State).<span style=""> </span>Chimaroke Nnamani (Enugu State) and Ayodele Fayose (Ekiti State) have been declared wanted and would soon be picked up.<span style=""> </span>While Nnamani is hold up in the National Hospital Abuja undergoing treatment for what appears to be a specious and convenient ailment, Fayose’s whereabouts is unknown.</span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Pl6IPXCtREOQjRuRqy422LQodwVYDggK42_l_XRJGTWyYbGs3crLWjIQbbGvgY0JUYgH_7rQP81IVcNnBkg0-hVABuwTs0209UqwoynJIXCeo4SW5_SyusbD7AXBSEcqQT0B_Q/s1600-h/Nyame.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 118px; height: 149px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Pl6IPXCtREOQjRuRqy422LQodwVYDggK42_l_XRJGTWyYbGs3crLWjIQbbGvgY0JUYgH_7rQP81IVcNnBkg0-hVABuwTs0209UqwoynJIXCeo4SW5_SyusbD7AXBSEcqQT0B_Q/s320/Nyame.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5090592244950836626" border="0" /></a></span> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" >It is laudable of the EFCC to make good its promise to the Nigerian people of prosecuting these indicted ex-governors.<span style=""> </span>While in office, under the protection of immunity conferred on them by virtue of their offices, many of these ex-governors had dared the EFCC</span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" > to prosecute them.<span style=""> </span>Loud-mouth boasts of how wealthy they were before assumption of office and how no one could do arrest them were made by many.<span style=""> </span>Kalu was reported as having boasted in his characteristic crassness and bad grammar to have single-handedly bankrolled the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), insinuating that he was untouchable. “If the PDP was a company, I would own 70%.” (sic) – he is reported to have boasted. <span style=""> </span>Now that they are out of office and have been stripped of the immunity protection of the office they are running scared, feigning ailments and crying like little girls who have lost their dolls.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeK2CsGWWV61zEDyUFF_i5ZqwCZxDBx-ud9RWCjU810tXsXiTGt6PXzh4nuBY0TkXmMVxAwRLsAvn0Vc-fe0JspPUa2Gljjz8UtdVWYxaMNA8BN96uyu9rslfV0W662kd-vbFBNw/s1600-h/Turaki.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 109px; height: 127px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeK2CsGWWV61zEDyUFF_i5ZqwCZxDBx-ud9RWCjU810tXsXiTGt6PXzh4nuBY0TkXmMVxAwRLsAvn0Vc-fe0JspPUa2Gljjz8UtdVWYxaMNA8BN96uyu9rslfV0W662kd-vbFBNw/s320/Turaki.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5090590385229997410" border="0" /></a></span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" >Saminu Turaki’s cases particularly disheartening, being indicted for misappropriating about 36 billion Naira.<span style=""> </span>This works out to an embezzlement rate of about 375 million Naira monthly, of the 8 years Turaki was in power in Jigawa State.<span style=""> </span>Kalu is currently being arraigned on a 3 billion Naira embezzlement charge, but this may grow to as much as 59 billion Naira, the tot</span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" >al amount for which the former Abia state governor is being investigated.<span style=""> </span>Jolly Nyame, who is purportedly a man of the cloth (he is a reverend), has admitted to gross acts of corruption (1.6 billion Naira so far) and offered to return the stolen monies for some form of amnesty.<span style=""> </span>Joshua Dariye, who is also indicted in the UK on money laundry charges linked di</span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" >rectly to the EFCC investigation stands accused of embezzling several hundreds of millions of Naira in his care while he was governor of Plateau state.</span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" > <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" >Chimaroke Nnamani has requested to have his 5.6 billion Naira embezzlement indictment transferred to</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Y47eppV4OS5kzjw0ej2QADjuSWY6LhdWuLYeLZN0x58q0wHLvT44ysiLsYTkmq-rEtsVQjTqvWV51wYnUJcn2FQAh11SwfsmnwpJvSIiB-3gn9Ez4cr-Fz3P4SrA68dV9f9iHA/s1600-h/Nnamani.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 113px; height: 127px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Y47eppV4OS5kzjw0ej2QADjuSWY6LhdWuLYeLZN0x58q0wHLvT44ysiLsYTkmq-rEtsVQjTqvWV51wYnUJcn2FQAh11SwfsmnwpJvSIiB-3gn9Ez4cr-Fz3P4SrA68dV9f9iHA/s320/Nnamani.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5090592610023056802" border="0" /></a></span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" > Federal High Court number 10 in Lagos in what appears to be a delay tactic, but that notwithstanding would only be postponing the judgment day as the evidence against him appears very strong.<span style=""> </span>From his purported sick-bed in Abuja, Nnamani bleats some redundant “I am being persecuted” rhetoric, albeit trite and ineffectual, in his wishful bid for vindication.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" >These six ex-governors who are currently being prosecut</span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" >ed by EFCC make up only but a minori</span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" >ty fraction of ex-governors who should be prosecuted.<span style=""> </span>Bola Tinubu (Lagos), Peter Odili (Rivers), James Ibori (Delta), L</span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" >ucky igbenedion (Edo), Abubakar Audu (Kogi) are some of the ex-governors that are being investigated by the EFCC.<span style=""> </span>It is only when the full complement of ex-governors involved in corrupt self-enrichment, embezzlement and other financial crimes have been brought to book, that the EFCC would rightfully deserve all the praises it has garnered locally and internationally. <span style=""> </span>It would also quell allegations of selective persecution, and rumours of a pact purportedly made by Ibori, Igbenedion and Odili with Yar’Adua for the former three to cede the PDP presidential ticket nomination to the latter in exchange for amnesty from prosecution by the EFCC. It appears Yar'Adua seeks to prove his independence from the OBJ led cabal as evident in his recent ministerial picks. If this is true, then we would sooner be seeing other erring ex-governors in the holding cells of the EFCC - Sweet Justice at last for the millions of hapless Nigerians whose lives have been nothing but a living hell by the criminal acts of these thieving ex-governors and their cronies.</span><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">"conscience is a double-edged rapier"</div>Veracityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02609117535538254676noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375601.post-22440781969521537992007-07-08T14:35:00.000+00:002008-12-09T18:53:01.791+00:00Three-Year-Old Tot Kidnapped in Port Harcourt, Nigeria<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXkR_jVL36ln8M9YvWGXzye03tGXoNwi7azwGGNQ1Lz9N8H32q3pjXJ2_SHS2Kb6Q8dIMXxpixcuZdN_Y2jQjic7pGbA1XtAlqQf-gO3d8oHyudmsdkxzdR0CWWJfUnCFGmVPWMA/s1600-h/PH.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 223px; height: 167px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXkR_jVL36ln8M9YvWGXzye03tGXoNwi7azwGGNQ1Lz9N8H32q3pjXJ2_SHS2Kb6Q8dIMXxpixcuZdN_Y2jQjic7pGbA1XtAlqQf-gO3d8oHyudmsdkxzdR0CWWJfUnCFGmVPWMA/s320/PH.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5084839462913297570" border="0" /></a><span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:georgia;" >Last week’s kidnapping of <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6280556.stm">three-year old Margaret Hill</a> in Port Harcourt by a so-called Niger Delta Militant group gives patent lucidity to the extent of decadence and depravity of the criminal organizations prowling the Nigerian Niger Delta enshrouded in the dubious cloak of environmentalism and freedom fighting.<span style=""> </span>The lukewarm and conciliatory approach of the Obasanjo government in past 8 years in handling the Niger Delta crisis has done nothing but to embolden these criminals and spurned several tens, possibly hundreds of criminal gangs who prowl the region maiming, kidnapping, disrupting oil production and extorting ransoms from the oil companies, government and private citizens.<o:p></o:p></span> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Often, these ransoms are negotiated through intermediary negotiators, who in many cases, are in cahoots with the criminal militant groups and are just a component of the larger organized criminal industry. <span style=""> </span>What exists now is an efficient criminal industry complete with symbiotic relationships between arms dealers, pirates, illegal oil bunkerers, kidnappers, negotiators and criminal politicians. <span style=""> </span>Granted, not all negotiators and politicians are in cahoots with these criminal groups, but it would be difficult to make a case in the contrary for many of them.<span style=""> </span>For example, the impeached former governor of Bayelsa state, Alamieyeseigha was known to have retained the services of MEND and other militant groups while he was governor to keep his political opponents in check in return for several millions of Naira (labeled security vote) paid out to these militant groups.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Indeed, Alamieyeseigha’s impeachment may have been partly responsible for the explosion of militancy in the Niger Delta.<span style=""> </span>With their benefactor incarcerated, and government’s unresponsiveness to their demands for his release, these groups stepped up their activities in pursuit of other avenues for money.<span style=""> </span>Kidnapping, bunkering and piracy came easy particularly as they were left unchecked by the Obasanjo government either by the lack of political foresight, attitudinal apathy to the plight of the Nigerian polity or a confused and convoluted bid to be politically correct.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">The Yar’Adua government faces a Herculean job to undo the damage done by his predecessor’s years of inept management of the Niger Delta crisis.<span style=""> </span>One can only imagine the anguish and grief the Hill family must be going through with their toddler daughter’s kidnapping.<span style=""> </span>This is as good as any time for all well-meaning Nigerians to stop being tongue-in-cheek and out rightly condemn the despicable actions of these so-called Niger Delta militants.<span style=""> </span>The Yar’Adua government should do all it can to ensure that the toddler, Margaret is returned to her parents unharmed, and promptly too.<span style=""> </span>And after this is done, not only should the perpetrators be hunted down like the dogs that they are, but all other criminal Niger Delta militant groups should be brought to book for theirs is a criminal cause dubiously enshrouded in the legitimate cloak of environmentalism.</span></p><p style="font-family: georgia;" class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_-HIIG0n3n5Il4BypfAYaqr_UhipnEppB-tSjU443cUFdrfJE_x2AotB32Zwdyt5N5zCwlLvdSVnUd9nHDOu075fijpeNTMvVVOSShR8MstaUcvfUxunCiYZBzoKk9t4GZPgMxg/s1600-h/dokubo.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_-HIIG0n3n5Il4BypfAYaqr_UhipnEppB-tSjU443cUFdrfJE_x2AotB32Zwdyt5N5zCwlLvdSVnUd9nHDOu075fijpeNTMvVVOSShR8MstaUcvfUxunCiYZBzoKk9t4GZPgMxg/s320/dokubo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5084838496545655954" border="0" /></a><span style="line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">If the Yar’Adua government’s actions in the past couple of weeks are predictors of its future posture then it may well be that Yar’Adua seeks to pursue the “head-in-the-sand” posture of his predecessor, indicated by his release of indicted secessionist Niger Delta militant leader Asari Dokubo.</span><span style="font-family:georgia;"> </span><span style="font-family:georgia;">It appears the charges of treason have been dropped against Dokubo, in return, Yar’Adua is paid back with the Margaret Hill kidnapping.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%;"></span></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">"conscience is a double-edged rapier"</div>Veracityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02609117535538254676noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375601.post-66294923478320216382007-06-04T04:31:00.000+00:002008-12-09T18:53:02.414+00:00President Yar’Adua’s Sham Ministerial Nominees – a Putrid Parade of Purloiners<font style="" face="georgia" size="2"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipQIkBZfXhaD98njjtFl6XFYCQCOIbGoCRNWRDMr75M8RUvr36LDqfX9vgpJ7fj6_c5lEez9TKuSnsBEljEbXb2mZOJ51Ze2R13Sy8ozsX5lUrA7nH85uvClx-tTJP0ZJpJQCStw/s1600-h/Yar'Adua.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 136px; height: 105px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipQIkBZfXhaD98njjtFl6XFYCQCOIbGoCRNWRDMr75M8RUvr36LDqfX9vgpJ7fj6_c5lEez9TKuSnsBEljEbXb2mZOJ51Ze2R13Sy8ozsX5lUrA7nH85uvClx-tTJP0ZJpJQCStw/s320/Yar'Adua.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5072063215674094002" border="0"></a></font><font style="line-height: 115%; font-family: georgia;" face="georgia" size="2">The manner in which the new president of Nigeria has chosen to nominate members of his ministerial cabinet is a sign of things to come.<font style=""> </font>It is alleged that he has given the job of ministerial nominations to the newly elected governors of the PDP won states and as a result has had eight former governors nominated for appointment by their successor protégées.<o:p></o:p></font> <p style="font-family: georgia;" class="MsoNormal" face="georgia"><font style="line-height: 115%;" size="2">Against this backdrop, it</font><font style="line-height: 115%;" size="2"> is evident that President Yar’Adua has decided to perpetuate the decadence of the "old brigade," particularly as names of ex-governors of inglorious repute such as Ibori and Udenwa are being touted for appointment.<font style=""> </font>The way ministerial appointments work in most civilized societies is to seek out the most qualified persons in terms of experience, outlook, values and competence to head public ministries and agencies.<font style=""> </font>Rather, Yar’Adua’s approach is a putrid parade of purloiners.<font style=""> </font>Many of these folks are alleged to have been under investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commissions for gross acts of graft while they were governors.<font style=""> </font>Many were wholesale abusers of human rights and flouters of court orders.<font style=""> </font>Lesser allegations than these have been known to end people’s pol</font><font style="line-height: 115%;" size="2">itical careers in more developed societies.<o:p></o:p></font></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;" class="MsoNormal" face="georgia"><font size="2"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvW06NACoPMR-gAMpBHYuj04JYgXUABTJUttPUTCcVR9jRvVWObmq4U6Aj_Ob9qp5UzOal8sHOceAehqTK2orp98pGnhxcQKlObT-0XprFaAdHwkABEINzUrwYRTzNRVzkXukUIw/s1600-h/ibori+1+walking.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 71px; height: 178px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvW06NACoPMR-gAMpBHYuj04JYgXUABTJUttPUTCcVR9jRvVWObmq4U6Aj_Ob9qp5UzOal8sHOceAehqTK2orp98pGnhxcQKlObT-0XprFaAdHwkABEINzUrwYRTzNRVzkXukUIw/s320/ibori+1+walking.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5072065023855325634" border="0"></a></font><font style="line-height: 115%;" size="2">It is no secret that Yar’Adua’s nomination for the PDP presidential ticket hinged heavily on the</font><font style="line-height: 115%;" size="2"> lobbying efforts of James Ibori and Lucky Igbinedion, erstwhile governors of Delta and Edo states respectively.<font style=""> </font>Perhaps it is to fulfill a quid-pro-quo agreement that Yar’Adua seeks to reward Ibori with a ministerial post.</font><font size="2"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrMc-NzXylmpOtQTFvcielSXNooQt8ZJo8BOZvSwwS9zxvbvjbOyGDdL_kbg0IO28c6TxqU6w_2uiPNv9gEQl68dkTm0x-FEDDLXc7nsGZKCZh7QusIQL97Sz_MVYjZwElTBeENg/s1600-h/luckyigbinedion.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 94px; height: 104px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrMc-NzXylmpOtQTFvcielSXNooQt8ZJo8BOZvSwwS9zxvbvjbOyGDdL_kbg0IO28c6TxqU6w_2uiPNv9gEQl68dkTm0x-FEDDLXc7nsGZKCZh7QusIQL97Sz_MVYjZwElTBeENg/s320/luckyigbinedion.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5072065711050093026" border="0"></a></font><font style="line-height: 115%;" size="2"><font style=""> </font>Lucky Igbinedion (suspected murderer of Francis Ida) too might sooner be rewarded with a plum parastatal chairmanship or Ambassadorial post.</font></p> <p class="MsoNormal" face="georgia"><font style="line-height: 115%;" size="2"><font style="font-family: georgia;" face="georgia">If the Yar’Adua administration is to gain legitimacy in Nigeria, and indeed the international community, and truly make a difference and liberate Nigeria from the claws of corruption and mediocrity, it would be better served not to engage any of these ex-governors and other persons of inglorious repute in any capacity in the administration. Yar'Adua should seek to appoint men and women of proven calibre, intellect and integrity like Nasir El Rufai, Dora Akiyuli, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and Nuhu Ribadu and not ones of proven mediocrity, corruption and ignominy such as the nominee ex-governors being touted. </font><br /></font></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">"conscience is a double-edged rapier"</div>Veracityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02609117535538254676noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375601.post-49618394560375658022007-05-30T05:05:00.000+00:002008-12-09T18:53:03.484+00:00Letter to President Yar’Adua<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidBD_NBhQ3zJpVfELWF-RKO6E8K9nBKSXQJqi7aJi5TVg0vmq4eNarV5O51rKgH3RwNpacreQc9Y9IK9tZFae3JzKfLdr-Znmi6gu3JDsQCD8vj89unNBbp8aKWZQvrCbQBxHVhg/s1600-h/Yar'Adua.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 137px; height: 96px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidBD_NBhQ3zJpVfELWF-RKO6E8K9nBKSXQJqi7aJi5TVg0vmq4eNarV5O51rKgH3RwNpacreQc9Y9IK9tZFae3JzKfLdr-Znmi6gu3JDsQCD8vj89unNBbp8aKWZQvrCbQBxHVhg/s320/Yar'Adua.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5070216779168772514" border="0"></a><br /><font style="line-height: 115%; font-family: georgia;" face=""" size="3"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><font style="font-family: georgia;" size="2">Dear Mr. President,<o:p></o:p></font></font> <p style="font-family: georgia;" face="georgia" class="MsoNormal"><font style="line-height: 115%;" size="2">Congratulations upon your inauguration and swearing in as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.<font style=""> </font>As you know, for the next few months, perhaps years, your government will be regarded as being in the penumbra of the Obasanjo regime given the situation that brought you into office.<font style=""> </font>Against this you must toil to carve out a unique identity for yourself and administration.<font style=""> </font>To do this, you must choose wisely your vision and the folks in your cabinet to drive this vision.<o:p></o:p></font></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;" face="georgia" class="MsoNormal"><font style="line-height: 115%;" size="2">Dare I suggest that you must focus on these three things amongst other things – (a) Security, (b) Rule of Law and (c) Economic development. <o:p></o:p></font></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;" face="georgia" class="MsoNormal"><font style="line-height: 115%;" size="2"><font style="font-weight: bold;">Security</font> – As you know, the most pressing issue facing Nigeria today is that of security.<font style=""> </font>The situation in the Niger Delta in particularly dire, with the spate of kidnapping, murder and other criminal acts perpetrated by the so-called Niger Delta militants, who claim to be fighting the cause of environmental degradation in the region.<font style=""> </font>Granted, there are grave environmental issues and injustice meted out to the indigenes of the Niger Delta, but these Nihilist militants it seems perpetrate their nefarious acts with self-serving intent as is evident in the many ransoms they demand of the government and oil companies in exchange for their staff abducted by these militants.<font style=""> </font><o:p></o:p></font></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;" class="MsoNormal"><font style="line-height: 115%;" size="2">Mr. President, my suggested solution, which apparently fell on the deaf ears of your predecessor, is to go at this problem with the entire arsenal at your disposal, and that includes – negotiation, intelligence, developmental programs and military incursion.<font style=""> </font>Standing at akimbo and adopting the “head in the sand” posture of Obasanjo only worsens the situation as it not only emboldens the criminal and rogue elements in the Niger Delta, but also breeds some “legitimacy” in the chaos.<font style=""> </font>A well kitted and trained force of 10,000 should be enough to take care of this.<o:p></o:p></font></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;" class="MsoNormal"><font style="line-height: 115%;" size="2">This might appear expensive in the beginning, as it would require the investment of at least a couple of billions of dollars to develop such a force, but it beats the estimated $6 - $8 billion lost last year to the nefarious activities of these criminals.<font style=""> </font>Oil holds such a strategic importance not only to Nigeria but to its Western allies, particularly the United States which derives about 9% of its oil needs from Nigeria.<font style=""> </font>Mr. Yar’Adua, the US will only be too happy to help you clean up the mess in the Niger Delta if only you ask.<o:p></o:p></font></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;" class="MsoNormal"><font style="line-height: 115%;" size="2"><font style="font-weight: bold;">Rule of Law</font> – Mr. President, your predecessor, Obasanjo made some half-hearted attempt to achieve this.<font style=""> </font>While he gets kudos for instituting the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and by all means you should keep this stellar agency, Obasanjo appeared to be partisan and selective in his application of the rule of law.<font style=""> </font>Some people appeared untouchable if they enjoyed the patronage of Obasanjo or the PDP.<font style=""> </font>For example, that illiterate thug in Anambra state, Chris Uba should have been made to face the full weight of the law when he organized the kidnapping of the Anambra state governor, Chris Ngige in 2005.<font style=""> </font>Lamidi Adedibu, the cantankerous murderous leprechaun in Ibadan should have been arrested for the various criminal unrests he instigated and criminal possession of INEC machines and materials.<font style=""> </font>By letting these and other beneficiaries of his patronage break the law unscathed, Obasanjo perverted justice and deepened the average Nigerian’s mistrust for the rule of law to the point of hopelessness and utter disdain, driving people to take law into their own hands.<o:p></o:p></font></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;" class="MsoNormal"><font style="line-height: 115%;" size="2">Mr. Yar’Adua, correcting this perception by the impartial administration of justice and restoring the Nigerian’s faith in the rule of law is the only way your government would stand a chance.<font style=""> </font>Do not don the crude vindictive garb of your predecessor, let the law take its course, and be quick to right wrongs as soon as they are discovered.<o:p></o:p></font></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;" class="MsoNormal"><font style="line-height: 115%;" size="2"><font style="font-weight: bold;">Economic Development</font> – In its 47<sup>th</sup> year since independence, Nigeria is still one of the poorest countries in the world, despite her huge potential.<font style=""> </font>Few countries in the world have the human and natural resources of Nigeria, yet Nigeria lags behind these less endowed nations because of years of perennial mediocre and rogue governments, that have mismanaged and systematically plundered the little wealth accruing to the country through the oil industry, while stupidly neglecting other sectors of the economy.<o:p></o:p></font></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;" class="MsoNormal"><font style="line-height: 115%;" size="2">As the price of oil soars to record high levels, and would likely continue to do so for the next decade or more, Nigerian stands at the cusp of an opportunity to turn its fortune around. This it can do only through good governance that is committed, accountable and able to develop and execute developmental programs and systems which will improve infrastructural and social amenities that will engender economic development.<o:p></o:p></font></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;" class="MsoNormal"><font style="line-height: 115%;" size="2">Mr. Yar’Adua, yours is a great responsibility and the sooner you get at it with the right team and inspirational, visionary leadership, the sooner you will be able to make a difference and justify your title as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Be decisive, wise and bold in all that you do in your executive capacity. Think Nigeria first, not PDP, unlike your predecessor and you will be fine.<o:p></o:p></font></p> <p style="font-family: georgia;" class="MsoNormal"><font style="line-height: 115%;" size="2">Good Luck!</font></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">"conscience is a double-edged rapier"</div>Veracityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02609117535538254676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375601.post-64835359257220642272007-04-29T02:32:00.000+00:002008-12-09T18:53:03.703+00:00Dariye – Supreme Court’s Pronouncement Proves the Judiciary’s Independence<span style="font-family:georgia;">The Supreme Court’s upholding of the Federal Court of Appeal’s ruling of the reinstatement of Dariye as governor of Plateau State based on his unconstitutional impeachment hints at the much-desired independence of the judiciary from the legislative and executive arms of government.</span> <span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSHvVfcaPBcfxOY9_mvLtN0AqZwqkEtXJkjNGNhe9THkVaScGzZT6JeVIbZyJY21UnC7G9VAmVLB9wrWDldm8pKMra5GKPZMWfKUltr5v_Hm6ZR9M5iH4sg4843HQdLo70eRT2Fg/s1600-h/Nigerian+Supreme+Court.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSHvVfcaPBcfxOY9_mvLtN0AqZwqkEtXJkjNGNhe9THkVaScGzZT6JeVIbZyJY21UnC7G9VAmVLB9wrWDldm8pKMra5GKPZMWfKUltr5v_Hm6ZR9M5iH4sg4843HQdLo70eRT2Fg/s320/Nigerian+Supreme+Court.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5058674190779406370" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:georgia;">In as much as Dariye has been indicted for the perpetration of <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4077995.stm"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">ignominious acts</span></a>, namely embezzlement, money laundering and international bail jumping, the fact that his impeachment was effected by only 8 members of a 24-member house legislature nullifies the process and therefore renders the impeachment void. No matter how strong the evidence is against him, Dariye could only have been constitutionally impeached by a two-third majority of the house, that is, by a vote of at least 16 members of the 24-member house. This however was difficult to achieve, given the choke hold Dariye had on the members of the house by their complicity in the wholesale acts of graft pervading the Plateau State government and compounded by the defection of 14 members from their party (PDP), therefore automatically losing their seats.</span> <span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br />As alluded to in previous posts on the NigerianPolity.blogspot.com blog, the right thing to do would have been for INEC to declare the seats of the cross-carpeting legislators vacant and conduct run-off elections to fill them. With the full complement of the house in place, the constitutionality of Dariye’s impeachment would not have arisen.</span> <span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br />That Dariye seeks to return for the remaining one month of the term speaks to the depravity of the man and how dearly his sort holds the immunity protection of section 308 of the 1999 constitution as a shield against prosecution. From hiding, hunkered down, Dariye now bleats some cheap rhetoric whose banality is as Rabelaisian as it nauseating against the backdrop of the depth of profanity to which Dariye has plunged the office of Governor and the concept of democracy. Perhaps Fela Anikulapo-Kuti was right in his farcical contrivance of the etymology of the word “Democracy” from the Nigerian Pidgin English phrases – “Dem all Crazy” and “Demonstration of Craze.” </span><div class="blogger-post-footer">"conscience is a double-edged rapier"</div>Veracityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02609117535538254676noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375601.post-28339422068128672212007-04-24T12:38:00.000+00:002008-12-09T18:53:04.614+00:00Nigerian Elections – Politics of Thuggery and Chaos<a style="font-family: georgia;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV_gyrzyzNDrvcGQeE8Vxni3LvLnBuGLIYI2V_xHufDOPEJULTtpagUF0o9m4jrBq-w3goTqOgJ-jlYi2sAcPgPZaCqTiCJkGLl2SKbw4Dk6WpXrX7Is56v1gyLAw_DFNgEYNAlQ/s1600-h/Election+3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV_gyrzyzNDrvcGQeE8Vxni3LvLnBuGLIYI2V_xHufDOPEJULTtpagUF0o9m4jrBq-w3goTqOgJ-jlYi2sAcPgPZaCqTiCJkGLl2SKbw4Dk6WpXrX7Is56v1gyLAw_DFNgEYNAlQ/s320/Election+3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5056975337553082498" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:georgia;">This past couple of weeks has been illuminating for the non-initiate as regards the means and ways of politicking in Nigeria. Ballot boxes snatched, voters and security agents maimed and killed, riotous protests, arson, armed gangs of thugs, soldiers and police using coercion to force people to vote for their benefactors, polling booth officials maimed or killed, and an attempt to blow up INEC headquarters in Abuja. All these are scenes reminiscent of a D-rate Nollywood movie, except it was enacted in real life. One might sooner be safer it seemed, in Kabul, Mogadishu or Faluja.</span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: georgia;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbuNSvL2kgcUZSJIfFrUC3qacK63ZXf9SRE2surM7P6jN1OdkEkxJCy89tCbul5oTnduwiEiP-Ealn-ZDiij3SHAi3basZrPskVI7Q3exdBdsFHULQXmSk0CiAkfWt5MWKi7JTtg/s1600-h/Election+4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbuNSvL2kgcUZSJIfFrUC3qacK63ZXf9SRE2surM7P6jN1OdkEkxJCy89tCbul5oTnduwiEiP-Ealn-ZDiij3SHAi3basZrPskVI7Q3exdBdsFHULQXmSk0CiAkfWt5MWKi7JTtg/s320/Election+4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5056974740552628306" border="0" /></a><a style="font-family: georgia;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikOGiFnsH51suUOtGzXE7Epx1SoutcdmsIDyUHUu3lVuySdwwaVyjphdnA2t8n892R0gXQs50Kewd2JFnkzCqtZruMBtU7S7ZlsPqze3xQPc2TEJ5yOUDHdr19Z4k1oX5pP-yzmw/s1600-h/Election+2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikOGiFnsH51suUOtGzXE7Epx1SoutcdmsIDyUHUu3lVuySdwwaVyjphdnA2t8n892R0gXQs50Kewd2JFnkzCqtZruMBtU7S7ZlsPqze3xQPc2TEJ5yOUDHdr19Z4k1oX5pP-yzmw/s320/Election+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5056974744847595618" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:georgia;">Nigerian politics has become a do-or-die affair where the only rule of the game is survival of the fittest, regardless of crudeness or brutality. The extent and level of violence that marked the April 14 and April 21 elections is enough to have the elections canceled since they were not in any </span><span style="font-family:georgia;">respect free and fair. The daunting security and logistical issues facing the INEC made the commission inept.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">The Atiku Abubakar ruling of the supreme court came only a few days to the election, making it almost impossible to amend the 60 million ballots to include Atiku Abubakar on the list of candidates. In the end the commission settled for a sticker. Also, the hostile nature of communities in opposition strongholds all over the country, particularly in the Niger Delta made it a precarious endeavor for INEC officials to administer elections in these areas (indeed some were reportedly killed). Add to this, the dire transportation situation in Nigeria and what you have is a near impossibility to have the elections commence on time all over the country. There are reports of elections commencing as late as 5:00 PM in certain states and even an extension of voting into the next day, April 22, 2007.</span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: georgia;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggLqGi51acTpsXoOIBW5v6-vblOnpgzQ9QI-cmZE6-MrfhQynxk8pl_Wj6sMTZb4WG2d6VeLlyVWQaZXexKjFjPUsJdhay0Ul1wSWz51_5fzp0ABk-wMnXlI93H0ofPQRJ8WKmsA/s1600-h/YarAdua.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggLqGi51acTpsXoOIBW5v6-vblOnpgzQ9QI-cmZE6-MrfhQynxk8pl_Wj6sMTZb4WG2d6VeLlyVWQaZXexKjFjPUsJdhay0Ul1wSWz51_5fzp0ABk-wMnXlI93H0ofPQRJ8WKmsA/s320/YarAdua.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5056974744847595634" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:georgia;">In the end, INEC released a result declaring Yar’Adua as the winner and the elections as free and fair. Yar’Adua probably truly won the elections since the PDP has the largest following in Nigeria. However, the chaotic and violent conduct of the election gnaws at the legitimacy of this victory. If the elections were not free and fair, should the results hold? Some quarters believe it should since all parties were involved in the display of violence and chaos. </span><span style="font-family:georgia;">What thinks you?</span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii5Uy2FuSJPlC2hfTcsOyXhjwzHbNHig7zNcBXTGsoxk64vMmy6cuEypXa0PkrW0k2qwADFAcjeVM8-kK66r6QNYiiSyxl0JOrOpzdKNOT1C-FlMFvXvhBgZY1I49aCatMICw1fw/s1600-h/inec+graph.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii5Uy2FuSJPlC2hfTcsOyXhjwzHbNHig7zNcBXTGsoxk64vMmy6cuEypXa0PkrW0k2qwADFAcjeVM8-kK66r6QNYiiSyxl0JOrOpzdKNOT1C-FlMFvXvhBgZY1I49aCatMICw1fw/s320/inec+graph.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5057022036732491922" border="0" /></a><div class="blogger-post-footer">"conscience is a double-edged rapier"</div>Veracityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02609117535538254676noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20375601.post-23131179548072122042007-02-20T17:31:00.002+00:002008-12-09T18:53:04.738+00:00Kalu's BBC Interview<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_VeF5Z5H15Y4/Rds9isCU-tI/AAAAAAAAAGk/QpTcN_yT_e4/s1600-h/Kalu.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 166px; height: 132px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_VeF5Z5H15Y4/Rds9isCU-tI/AAAAAAAAAGk/QpTcN_yT_e4/s320/Kalu.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5033684674662431442" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:georgia;">Did anyone catch a glimpse of the </span><a style="font-family: georgia;" href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/hardtalk/6362875.stm">interview</a><span style="font-family:georgia;"> Orji Uzo Kalu gave to the BBC last week? It was a tragic display of the crudeness and lack of finesse that has characterized the Kalu-led government of Abia State. It was full of bombast, an arcane, mislaid arrogance and patent ignorance.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:georgia;">When the anchor man, Allan Little tasked Kalu about the allegations of fraud leveled against him (being on the top 10 list of the EFCC), he claimed he was a very wealthy Nigerian before he became governor. He made a spurious claim of his company, SLOK, employing over 17,000 Nigerians. All investigations by the writer revealed that this is not true. SLOK employed only about 150 people before Kalu became governor according to sources. The way to prove this will be a look at the Nigerian Inland and Revenue Services books to see how may employee tax returns were remitted by SLOK. </span><span style="font-family:georgia;">Kalu's solution for the Niger Delta problem is also half-brained. He does not seem to have a grasp of the problem facing the Niger Delta. He made no attempt to define or put the problem in context before proffering possible solutions.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:georgia;">This interview gives a good depiction of Kalu's standing and grasp of issues. Allan Little asked him about the issue of refuse dumps and heaps taking over the streets of Aba and how the place has been in dire need of sanitation for the past eight years. Kalu said it was not his duty to ensure the refuse dumps were cleared, but that nevertheless, he had this cleared about three months back. Allan Little was befuddled that in the eight years that Kalu had been governor it was only three months back that he had this done. Kalu just shrugged and repeated that it was not his responsibly. It begs the question - "What then is the role of a governor if he cannot provide a clean and sanitary state?"</span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /><br />For a man who is vying to be president Kalu seems to be so preoccupied with self-aggrandizement and embezzlement that he is oblivious of his responsibilities. This means if he is elected president, Nigeria can be a humongous refuse dump for all he cares.<br /><br />For more on Kalu's kleptocracy see: - <a href="http://www.tellng.com/news/articles/060509-1/news/cover_Kalu.html">The Rape of Abia</a>, a Tell Magazine Report.<br /></span><div class="blogger-post-footer">"conscience is a double-edged rapier"</div>Veracityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02609117535538254676noreply@blogger.com3