Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha
By: UgochukwuFavour-Mayor
Deputy Speaker of theHouse of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, CON has commended thejudiciary for its “bold, courageous and landmark” decision to reinstate dulyelected Local Government Council Chairmen hitherto sacked by the Owelle RochasOkorocha administration in Imo State.
The Deputy Speakersaid the judgement of the Court of Appeal Owerri on the reinstatement of thesacked Council Chairmen is a bolster to the primacy of the rule of law, equityand justice in the conduct of governance by public officials.
He said the decisionby the Court has further reaffirmed the supremacy of the electorate and thetenets of universal suffrage which “no individual no matter how highly placedin society should diminish without commensurate measure of legal challenge bythe people.”
According to him,“the judiciary deserves our commendation and encouragement in this bold andcourageous step in enthroning the collective wishes of the people expressedthrough the ballot in determining who governs them at the grassroots level.”
He praised thecourage and determination of the affected Council Chairmen who expressed beliefand confidence in the judiciary by sticking with the Court processes and calledon the people of Imo State to continue toremain steadfast to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the party that hasand will continue to project and protect the interest of the masses in theState.
Delta State Governor,Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan and Elder statesman, Chief Edwin Clark confirmed onSunday that peace and unity has been restored to the once factional PeoplesDemocratic Party (PDP) in Delta State.
Uduaghan and Clarkspoke separately at the birthday thanksgiving service and reception in honourof the State Deputy Governor, Prof. Amos Utuama (SAN) at Otu-Jeremi.
The governor notedthat the presence of Clark, who he described as his father, at the event was aclear demonstration that the reconciliation between the two factions of theparty was not a fluke.
Uduaghan observed thatthere have been skepticism about the reconciliation in the party in the statebut stressed, “the presence of Clark makes a lot of statement that what ishappening is positive.”
He described hisdeputy as a, “very hardworking hard man. At very short notice I have askedhim to do this or that, and he has never grumbled. We all need to imbibe thevirtue of hard work because hard work pays. There is gain in hard work.”
Clark on his partsaid, “The Governor said my presence in the church makes a lot ofstatement. For very many years the PDP had been broken into faction and I havebeen heading one side.
“Sometime ago wedecided to reconcile so that we can all be part of one government. Today it hashappened. All the while the newspapers have been guessing.
“Today on the 65thbirthday of the deputy governor, I announce that we have reconciled. We are nomore going to be fighting on the pages of newspaper but as if I noticesomething wrong, as a father I will go to the governor and say you are notdoing well in this area.
“I want the deputygovernor to be able to say that it was in my birthday that we reconciled. I’mhere with about 40 members of my group; they are all here to say we are nowtogether.”
Clark also describedUtuama as a hardworking man, recalling how Utuama had worked under his ministrywhen he was a commissioner in the defunct Bendel State.
Utuama in his responsethanked God for the gift of the confirmation of the reconciliation and unity inPDP in Delta State, adding that he has every reason to be grateful to God forHis goodness and mercies.
Partners in Politics, Victor Umeh, Gov Rochas Okorocha
The fledgling crisis within the All Progressive Grand Alliance [APGA] with two major camps/factions resulting from the internal squalor has opened new battle fronts for the parties involved in the tussle for the soul of APGA. Information available to 247ureports.com through sources close to the activities at the Independent National Electoral Commission [INEC] indicates that the new party, United Progressive Party [UPP] has scaled the final evaluation by the INEC Board – against efforts to forestall the evaluation by the duo of Victor Umeh, the embattled chairman of APGA and Rochas Okorocha, the governor of Imo State. The information indicates that the ceremonial handover of certificate is expected to take place after the completion of the Edo gubernatorial elections of July 14, 2012.
The INEC Board gave its internal approval for the registration of the new party on Tuesday July 3, 2012.
According to information received, the formation and/or launch of the new political party, the UPP, believed to be the new Igbo party, is reported to have met obstacles within the leadership quarters of the embattled APGA – particularly the embattled chairman, Victor Umeh and the governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha. The governor of Imo State is said to have been providing the financial resources to the embattled party in exchange for the control of the party –including the national executive council and the national working committee. It is through Gov Okorocha’s effort to become the paramount leader of the party the crisis within the APGA began and spilt into other arenas.
Okorocha’s need to become the paramount leader of APGA stems out of the aspirations to become a presidential candidate on the platform of APGA, the Ojukwu party – and by extension – the Igbo party – thus propelling him to the prime Igbo candidate for presidency at the 2015polls. And so the effort of Chekwas Okorie and his team appears contradictory to the aspirations of the governor of Imo State and his cohorts.
On the first level, when the Chekwas Okorie group first announced the formation of the United Peoples Grand Alliance [UPGA], amidst the overwhelming ovation, the Rochas Okorocha group cried foul and propelled the embattled chairman of the APGA to pen a petition to the INEC against the formation. Along with the petition, authoritative sources revealed to 247ureports.com that the sum of N60million was made available by the governor of Imo State to three [3] top officials of the INEC – namely Alhaji Kalkama [top secretary at the INEC], Barrister Bawa [Legal Secretary] and Regina Omo’Agege [director political party monitoring]. These top officials were said to be among those to provide an evaluation on whether to approve the registration of the party. As expected, the registration failed. The reason given for the denial of registration was that the logo [the rising son] of the party was anti-Nigerian and that the sound of the new party may confuse some people – due to its similarity to the sound of APGA.
The leadership of the Chekwas Okorie group sought it unwise to sue the INEC against its refusal to register the new party – and instead decided on the formation of a new party that will address the issues raised by the INEC. And so UPP was born. But recent actions by the Rochas Okorocha group suggest the group is still on the hunt against the formation of a new Igbo party. Available information indicates an additional N100million has been disbursed by the governor of Imo State to the embattled chairman of APGA, Victor Umeh for the lobbying of directors within the INEC against the successful registration of the new party, the UPP.
As a caveat, it is normally the group of directors within the INEC that perform the evaluation of new would-be parties or parties seeking to be registered as a political party with INEC. The evaluation report would then be submitted to the INEC board – which would normally accede to the recommendations of the directors.
But the INEC Board, for reason unclear to 247ureports.com, has decided to weigh into the evaluation report on UPP with a fine comb unlike it did during the evaluation of the UPGA. For this reason, the directors have become cautious to do the bidding of the Rochas Okorocha group – not minding the promise of a N100million pay day should they act to reject the new party.
Meanwhile, in a related development, the Rochas Okorocha group, in their effort to mount the Igbo leadership platform forcibly, have formed an official group named the Committee 21 – with former Senator Annie Okonkwo as Chairman, former Senator Izunasor as Secretary, Victor Umeh as Publicity Secretary, Barrister Ziggy Azike as Legal Secretary, Rochas Okorocha as director of mobilization/contacts, and Pastor Ukpai as Spiritual Director. The objective of the group is to announce the governor of Imo State as the Igbo leader and leader of APGA. The announcement is expected to come in the month of July 2012. Sources indicate that following the announcement, Gov Rochas Okorocha will then step up to support the Victor Umeh faction of APGA.
(Reuters) – Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe returned from another trip to Singapore for medical checks on Saturday, state media reported.
Mugabe flew to Singapore on Monday for what his aides said was a routine medical check-up, reviving speculation about the health of the 88-year-old leader who has denied reports he has cancer.
State television described Mugabe as “fit and strong” and showed him being received at Harare’s international airport by senior government and security officials.
Mugabe, Zimbabwe’s only leader since independence from Britain in 1980, has traveled to Singapore eight times in the past year to seek medical attention, according to local media reports.
A June 2008 U.S. diplomatic cable released by WikiLeaks last year said Mugabe had prostate cancer that had spread to other organs. His doctor urged him to step down in 2008, according to the cable.
In April, aides denied reports by some international media that he was undergoing intensive treatment in a Singapore hospital and was fighting for his life.
Mugabe, one of Africa’s longest-serving leaders who has been accused of holding onto power through vote-rigging, has scoffed at suggestions he is seriously ill and says he is fit enough to contest an election due next year.
President Obama may have a more serious problem for reelection in Ohio than Mitt Romney. A 70 something private investigator has her ducks all in a row and it looks impressive.
Susan Daniels, filed suit on July 2 in the Geauga County, Ohio, Common Pleas Court demanding Jon Husted, Ohio Secretary of State, remove President Obama’s name from the ballot until the president can prove the legitimacy of his Social Security Number.
Daniels has run thousands of SSNs for former clients; she knows her business and has documented every detail. She insists:
Barack Obama has repeatedly, consistently, and with intent misrepresented himself by using a fraudulently obtained Social Security Number.
Daniels has become a valid write-candidate for president, thus she is eligible to make the challenge, according to Ohio Law.
Ms Daniels began her investigation in August of 2009. She has accessed a variety of proprietary databases, because of her Private Investigator’s licensure.
It is public knowledge the 042 prefix on a SSN designates the state of Connecticut for registery. President Obama has been using a 042 SSN since 1986. Ms Daniels ran ten sequential numbers in alignment with the president’s number and found they were all issued between 1977 and 1979 in CT. The numbers flanking the president’s SSN indicate the President’s number was issued during March of 1977.
In March of 1977, President Obama was 15-years old and living in Hawaii. There is no record of the President ever visiting Connecticut during this period of his life. To qualify for a SSN, an applicant must show up for a “mandatory in-person interview.” The president’s sister, Maya, has a legitimate Hawaii SSN, issued from the state of Hawaii.
From the database of the Massachusetts Department of Motor Vehicles, Ms Daniels discerned the president used the same SSN to obtain a driver’s license, while attending college and has used the same number for filing taxes for 2009. During the research, Daniels kept coming into a “marked anomaly,” multiple birthdates for the same person. The 08/04/1961 and 04/08/1961 was reasonable, but the frequent appearance of the year 1890 seemed suspicious.
Daniels feels the anomaly arises from the fact that the president’s SSN was originally issued in March of 1977 to a person born in 1890.
This assertion can be verified; the Social Security Administration maintains on microfilm a copy of all original SS-5 applications and their appropriate numbers. Daniels has been denied access to those records.
Consequently, Daniels filed suit:
“Defendant Husted, through this filing,” she argues, “has been made aware that the Democratic Candidate has been using a fraudulent Social Security Number, which would render Barack Obama ineligible under both the Ohio and U.S. Constitutions.”
She has asked the court to issue an injunction to prevent President Obama’s appearing on the ballot, until it is determined he is using a legitimate SSN.
Judging from the response of other courts, it is unlikely Daniels will receive justice for her efforts in Geauga County or from the Republican Secretary of State, but she has established a legitimate paper trail, a matter of record that will be hard for even the Conservative media with RINO sympathies to ignore.
The MSM or the president’s propaganda bureau cannot be expected to acknowledge the research; since it so far beyond their job description, but the research has been done and it raises the legitimate question, “Who is this man and why is he an enigma?”
The questions will never go away, until they are answered. They only cause Americans to lose faith in the system and the politicians and bureaucrats running the system.
GENEVA (Reuters) – The Swiss government will not match European Union sanctions on Iran, deciding on Thursday that its own pending set of toughened measures would exclude a ban on trading Iranian oil and defending its traditional neutrality in the face of U.S. pressure.
The move offers top Swiss-based oil traders such as Glencore and Trafigura a legal loophole for dealing in Iranian crude, although the prospect of falling foul of U.S. and EU restrictions will almost certainly deter them.
Switzerland is one of the top centers for physical oil trading and also hosts a branch of the National Iranian Oil Company NIOC, although the country does not import oil from Iran.
New Swiss sanctions will affect supplies for the petrochemical industry, telecommunications equipment, as well as the purchase and sale of precious metals and diamonds, the Federal Department of Economic Affairs (FDEA) said.
They follow an EU ban on the importation, purchase or shipping of Iranian oil which was rolled out on July 1 in an effort to pressure the Islamic Republic over its nuclear program.
Toughened U.S. sanctions on Iran took effect on June 28.
“The public relations penalty they the larger traders will pay if caught trading with Iran is colossal,” said Matthew Parish, partner at Geneva-based law firm Holman Fenwick Willan.
“The space preserved by the decision is really for smaller traders, who operate only in Switzerland and other countries operating outside of international sanctions,” he said.
Switzerland has faced diplomatic pressure from Western countries such as the United States to replicate tough measures against Iran.
Not an EU member and traditionally neutral, Switzerland has no legal obligation to follow EU sanctions, although in recent years it has tended to harmonize its laws with those of its main trading partners.
U.S. Ambassador to Switzerland Donald S. Beyer said last month that the United States was disappointed that Swiss authorities had not adopted the EU embargo, adding that he did not expect them to permit the evasion of sanctions.
The country in April also exempted Iran’s central bank from its asset freeze.
Neutrality defended
Current Swiss President Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf defended the country’s independent stance, adding that this is helping U.S. interests by allowing communication between Tehran and Washington.
“It’s not easy to explain for example to the United States why we are not on the same side for this or that measure,” she told Reuters this week in response to a question about Switzerland’s position on the Iran sanctions.
“It’s worth it to stay in this situation of neutrality, as we help the United States in Iran and can do it only because we are neutral,” she said.
Switzerland has represented U.S. interests in Iran since Iran’s Islamic revolution in 1979.
The FDEA said that all oil transactions with Iran had to be reported to the Swiss Economics Ministry and the government might take further measures later based on these reports. It is unclear how much of Iran’s oil exports are currently traded or financed via Switzerland.
The director of a Swiss federal department said in an interview that Swiss-based oil firms were not exploiting government indecision on whether to follow the EU’s ban on Iranian oil.
Leadership of the Action Congress ofNigeria, which included four serving Governors, three former governors, servingSenators, Members of the House of Representatives and ex-ministers threw theirweight behind the re-election of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole on the strength ofhis performance in his less than four years in office as Governor.
The ACN leaders who attended the rally atthe Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium which was filled to capacity by ACN supporters wereAsiwaju Bola Tinubu, Chief Bisi Akande, National Chairman of the party,Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State; Governor Ibikunle Amosun of OgunState; Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State; Governor Rauf Aregbesola of OsunState; Senator Chris Ngige, Aremo Olusegun Osoba, former Governor of Ogun State;Chief Audu Ogbe, Prof Julius Ihonvbere, Chief Tom Ikimi, Senator Ehigie Uzamere;Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, former Governor of Edo State; Senator Domingo Obende;Hon Dino Melaye; Hon Samson Osagie of the House of Representatives, Alhaji LaiMohammed among many others.
Benin City, the capital of Edo State was infestive mood as party faithful and supporters trooped out in large numbers toattend the rally.
Speaking on the occasion, Governor Oshiomholeof Edo State said July 14 is an opportunity for the people of Edo State towrite off those who underdeveloped the state
According to him, “this election is thefinal opportunity to bury the godfathers who underdeveloped the state. Thegodfathers are angry they can no longer feed on the common wealth of the peopleand they are now hungry. There is no nation in the world that has the resourcesit needs to meet all the needs of the people, but Nigeria has the resources tomeet the basic needs of the people, but does not have the resources to meet thegreed of the godfathers”.
Comrade Oshiomhole noted that, “when wecame in over three and half years ago they told us Edo was not viable but todaywe have shown that with prudent management of resources the government hasimpacted on the lives of the people.
“On assumption of office, we promised wewould aggressively address the urban renewal programme in Benin City and otherparts of the state. For the first time, Benin City wears a new look at nightand for the first time water is flowing in Edo Central, today our publicschools are far more beautiful than most private schools in Edo State. We haveshown we can build roads, provide water, build schools and hospital,” he noted.
The governor declared, “for us, politics iswith one purpose and that is to improve the life of the people. We seek a newmandate because Edo state is work in progress. We want to restore completelythe lost glory of the state.”
He said on the basis of studies carriedout, the government will continue during the second term to tackle the floodproblems and continue what has been started in other sectors.
“They said I am using Federal Governmentmoney to build primary and Junior Secondary Schools. But I ask them for tenyears when they were in power what did they do with the money, the shared itamong the godfathers.”
The governor commended the president forhis adherence to the principle of one man one vote and urged the Edo people notto be intimidated by the presence of soldiers in the state, saying they werearound to provide security and ensure that the election is rig-free.
The Governor urged the electorate to comeout en masse and vote on July 14 and ensure that they defend their votes.
Asiwaju Bola Tinubu who also spoke at the rallysaid a for Governor Adams Oshiomhole is a vote for the future. He said: “useyour votes to punish a man who called your children criminals. Go from door todoor in your neighbourhood and tell the people to vote for the ACN. Do not beafraid, because ad equate security will be provided.”
On his part, Governor Babatunde Fashola oflagos State said: “I’m glad to be back home. This was where I was made, I amproduct of the University of Benin and I am not a criminal. At a time likethis, all sorts of people come with promises, but you fought for four yearsago, you have seen the results. It is time to renew the social contract.
“When Oshiomhole came four years ago, Isaid he was going to build Airport, Akpakpava and other roads, they said it wasnot possible. PDP has ruined Nigerian national life. I know the Edo electorateis very intelligent. Nobody can deceive you. Defend your votes. When they giveyou money take it, but vote for the ACN.”
Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti state onhis part said, “the story of July 14th is not about Edo State butabout the future of our children, women and country. A revolution has startedin Edo State, that is what we are going to reconfirm on July 14.
The Governor Osun State, Ogbeni RaufAregbesola who also addressed the rally said: “all the Governors in the ACN aregenuine representatives of the people. I want to appeal to you to sustain yoursupport for ACN. This large turnout shows the Edo people are satisfied with Oshiomhole.I have no doubt that the people of Edo State know who their Governor is. Butthere is a conspiracy at the federal level and you must use your vote tofrustrate that conspiracy.” He asked the people above the age of 35 to wait atthe polling station after casting their votes and monitor the votes from thepolling units to the collation centres to ensure that the correct result isannounced, warning that there would be trouble if a fake result is announced.
On his part, Governor Ibikunle Amosun of OgunState said “Oshiomhole’s work has campaigned for him. The roads, schools,hospitals and others have campaigned for him.”
Other leaders who spoke at the rallyinclude Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, Deputy National Chairman, DSouth South of theparty; Mrs Modino Emovon, Woman Leader of the party in Edo State; Senator ChrisNgige, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, Prof Julius Ihonvbere and Aremo OlusegunOsoba.
Highpoint of the rally was the presentationof the ACN flag by the National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande to GovernorOshiomhole as the party’s flagbearer in the state.
Various music artistes, including award-winningmusician, Tu Face Idibia added colour to the rally with their hit tunes.
President Goodluck Jonathan stirred the hornets’ nest and incurred the wrath of a cross section of Nigerians last week. The bone of contention was the President’s response to a journalist’s question during a media parley on Sunday, June 29th, 2012. The press chat itself was hurriedly put together in a bid to mollify and assuage the wrath of Nigerians who had developed a sense of indignation on account of the President’s visit to a foreign country with his wife, the new-look Dame Patience. It was not the visit to Brazil on an official engagement that caused the massive indignation of the citizenry but rather the President decided to embark on such a foreign trip in spite of the vale of tears all over the country as a result of the serial suicide bombings of Christian worship centres in Kaduna, Jos and other places coupled with the revenge attacks that arose in the aftermath of the mayhem. At least three churches were bombed in Kaduna and Zaria thus leaving over a hundred people dead. In the same vein, a group of rampaging Christian youths carried out a revenge attack in which a number of people also died. It was in the midst of this national calamity and mourning that our President and the First Lady, Dame Patience, jetted off to Brazil for a summit with other world leaders. To most Nigerians, the president’s visit though official, was seen as a jamboree, a picnic and yet some extremists labelled it a belated honeymoon. Livid with rage as they wept inconsolably on the tragedy that had befallen the nation, a cross section of Nigerians had vowed to engage in a civil defiance to protest the president’s cavalier and perfunctory approach to a national disaster. Immediately he returned from the jamboree, the media networks announced that the President would be hosting a media chat with a select group of journalists. The news was a balm that soothed frayed nerves as people hoped that the president would seize the occasion to apologize profusely for his misdemeanor of playing the Emperor Nero who fiddled while Rome was in conflagration.
The press chat kicked off in an upbeat mood and the president exuded confidence, poise, and grace as he responded to the questions briskly and with alacrity. Then suddenly an inquisitive and naughty journalist posed a question which reads something like this: “Why have you not publicly declared your asset as was done by the Late President Musa Yar’Adua in 2007”? It was at this point that the cookies crumbled and our president lost his bearing and virtually descended to the market square to dance naked. Hear the President’s reply: “it is personal and I don’t give a damn about that. The law is clear about it and so making it public is no issue and I will not play into the hands of the people. I have nothing to hide. I declared under the President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua because he did it, but it is not proper. I could be investigated when I leave office. You don’t need to publicly declare it and it is a matter of principle. It is not the president declaring asset that will change the country”. Ordinarily, the question is harmless and simple because, in actuality, President Jonathan has satisfied the constitutional requirement in regard to asset declaration. There is no legal obligation on him to declare his asset publicly. So, he has not violated any section of the Constitution. All he needed do was to amplify this fact and perhaps state that since the constitutional amendment was ongoing the National Assembly may consider the mood of the electorate and, perhaps, provide a clause for public officers and politicians to declare their assets publicly; that would have ended the matter. After that encounter Nigerians who are victims of amnesia would never remember to ask the question again. He would have succeeded in passing the buck to the National Assembly and, of course, Nigerians know that a NASS that is full of “corrupt armed robbers” would never ever pass a Bill to legalize public declaration of assets. This is because if some of the members of NASS or the political class declare their assets publicly, there will be instant earth tremor which may catalyze a revolution in which most of them will perish. Another reason that made the President’s remark a shock is his academic antecedents. He holds a Ph.D. in Zoology, so, he is a scientist and on a good day the degree, even the first degree, attests that the holder is found worthy in character and learning. So, where is the character of a well educated President who descends to the arena to address his countrymen in the language of street urchins, guttersnipes and Almajiris. In this country where what is in vogue is the Queens English, most people of Jonathan’s class avoid the word “damn” like a plaque. It is often used in colloquial/informal discussions and completely avoided in serious/academic fora. If the President’s response had come from the like of Senator Bola Tinubu or Muhammadu Buhari, most Nigerians would not have bothered because these are men who are known as adepts in toxic and reckless use of words. But Nigerians have, in spite of real or perceived shortcomings and inadequacies, regarded President Goodluck Jonathan as a thoroughbred and disciplined academic who must of necessity guard his diction while making public utterances. They expect him to talk with caution and finesse, in spite of the odds against him. After his tetchy posture and the toxic comment on that media chat, the trust and dignity which Nigerians had on the him simply plummeted.
Since this statement was made by the President, a Tsunami of anger has swept through the nation. Nigerians are unable to come to terms with the emerging fact that their erstwhile perceived eaglet President who was alleged not to have big biceps has eventually developed big biceps, giant forearms and broad chest to boot. President Jonathan who told the nation that he did not need to be a General, a Hitler, or a Pharaoh to be a great President has finally become a Dracula, Hitler, Pharaoh and a Field Marshal rolled into one combative frame. In his present combative and militant mien, President Goodluck Jonathan has put the like of Professor David West to shame for describing him as incapable of ruling Nigeria because he did not have big biceps. Now that our erstwhile feeble and fragile President has become rugged enough to bare his fangs, we hope he can now perform such feats as getting the like of Buhari, Ciroma, Babangida, Lawal Kaita and several others who are the brains behind the ongoing Boko Haram menace arrested and incarcerated in Kirikiri maximum prison or Calabar Prisons where Chief Awolowo was incarcerated on the grounds that he engaged in subversive activities-the same offence which the Buhari and Babangida groups are committing now.
We also hope that our new Pharaoh who no longer gives a damn to anything should be courageous enough to suspend, if not entirely abrogating, the National Youth Service Corps Scheme (NYSC), an initiative that has outlived its usefulness of bonding the nation together. It is unconscionable to deploy the vulnerable youths from the south to an instant death chamber by asking them to serve the NYSC in Boko Haram enclaves in the North of Nigeria.
It is the height of cowardice and insensitivity to the mood of the nation that the Goodluck Jonathan-led government continues to deploy young graduates to do their national service in Boko Haram states, even when they((the Boko Harams) have sounded have said it loud and clear that “western education is evil”. The least we can say here is that the blood of any youth corper who perishes in this cotroversial exercise should be on the head of Goodluck and his generation of politicians. For the umpteenth time, it is my advice that President Jonathan should do himself a great favour by effecting critical amendments in the NYSC Act. Let those in the south serve there while those in the Boko Haram states serve there. Why should gold be given to those who don’t know the value? President Jonathan will be subjecting himself to grave danger if he turns a blind eye while the blood of defenceless young graduates are spilled in the streets by the Almajiris and Boko Harams of the North. There is not even one State in the North that is not volatile. A word is enough for the wise. I want to assure Jonathan that picking up the Buharis for interrogations on their role on the ongoing suicide bombing in the North will not make the heavens to fall.But pray,has this NYSC not outlived its perceived usefulness? In delivering her judgment on November 10, 1993 in which the Interim National Government of Ernest Shonekan was declared illegal and unconstitutional, Justice Dolapo Funlola Akinsanya, a then Lagos High Court Judge, deposed in Latin”Fiat Justitia ruat coelum” which in regular English means:”Let Justice be done, even though the heavens fall” and the heavens have never fallen. So, now that President Jonathan does “not give a damn”, he should be courageous enough to round up all those politicians who threatened to make governance impossible, should Goodluck Jonathan win the 2011 Presidential election. If he does that, the heavens will not fall and he should not “give a damn” to the consequences. His new found sense of intrepidity should be put to good use now. But why in spite of that epic judgment which was delivered by Justice Dolapo Akinsanya on November 10, 1993, Ernerst Shonekan still parades himself as a former Head of State and member Council of State? Was he ever a Head of State, more so, since his Interim National Government(ING) was declared illegal? I hope that President Goodluck Jonathan should take judicial notice of this observation and refer it to the Attorney General of the Federation for necessary action, more so, now that the Constitutional amendment is ongoing. Well, sorry for the digression, albeit a strong point
Perhaps, there is a need for President Jonathan to borrow a leaf from the former President Obasanjo’s tenacity of purpose in checkmating the malaise of impunity among the political appointees and even the national Assembly members. In spite of his (GEJ) riposte during the media chat that he does “not give a damn” about what people say, it is in his interest to know that the people of the South of this country are not satisfied with his inability to confront the bogey of Boko Harams of the North and the impunity of the like of Buhari, Babangida and even Bola Tinubu. The Christians are not happy that a President who does “not give a damn” is unable to declare a state of emergency in the whole of the NORTH of Nigeria. The State of emergency declared in a handful of Local government Areas in some states is laughable and only shows that the president is either acting out of fear or he is ignorant of the enormity of the crises in his country. The sacked National Security Adviser, General Patrick Aziza (retd), had persistently pointed fingers at Buhari as the architect of the ongoing pandemic of insecurity in the North and he advised that Buhari should be picked up for interrogations. Unfortunately, instead of carrying out the recommendation of General Aziza, he was sacked and replaced with a retired BOKO Haram General. Perhaps, there is a need to emphasize that the Boko Haram Group has the tacit support of the like of BUHARIS and Babangidas as well as some of the EMIRS of the North. Has President Jonathan forgotten that shortly before the upsurge of BOKO Haram activities, the Sultan of Sokoto had condemned the rising profile of Christian evangelism in the North and even called on Muslims to checkmate the perceived excesses of the Christian Groups in the North? This information is an open secret which is in the public domain. In Pakistan, the political and religious leaders there hid Osama Bin Laden who was notorious for the AL Qaeda/9/11 tragedy in U.S and pretended that they did not know of his whereabouts. But when U. S troops hunted him down in a highbrow area of Pakistan and battered him with bullets, it became clear in the end that it was not a cold, dank Afghan cave that sheltered the world’s most wanted man, Osama bin Laden. He was hidden in a huge million-dollar enclave in Abbottabad, Pakistan, with far too much security and 18-foot high walls for about 10 years So, by extrapolation, some of the emirs and Sheikhs of the Muslim North are aiding and abetting the present cankerworm of Boko Haram and the unprovoked attacks on the Christian Community in the North. Once again, the least President Jonathan can do now is to direct the NYSC leaders to post the Youth Corpers from the South to serve in the South while the Northern Corpers serve in the North. Anything short of this is an invitation to anarchy, mayhem and blood letting. It is a barefaced invitation of the ARAB Spring pandemonium in Nigeria. If however the Presidency remains recalcitrant, leaders of the South should order all the Youth Corpers from the South to withdraw from the programme. After all, the instinct of self preservation is the strongest instinct in man.
I t is pertinent to remind the reader that shortly after being sworn in as the Vice President together with President Musa Yar’Adua on May 29,2007,the then Vice President, Goodluck Jonathan, reluctantly capitulated to public pressure and made public his asset declaration. President Musa Yar’Adua had earlier voluntarily made public his asset declaration to the Code of Conduct Bureau.
The assets which were made public by the senior Special Assistant to the Vice president on Media and Public Affairs, Ima Niboro, revealed that the value of the Vice president,Goodluck Jonathan’s total assets and cash in banks stands at N295,304,420. This is about N561, 148,472 less than the assets declared by President Umaru Yar’Adua who declared his total assets to be at the value of N856,452,892.
Mr. Iniboro said:”the vice president’s decision to make public his assets declaration was to show that there is nothing to hide”. He added that the vice president is ‘a firm believer in the rule of law and this has guided his conduct in office through the years. “It is this belief that also guided his position that having declared his assets for a total of seven times, there was no point in going further to publish the declaration”. The vice president’s aide regretted that “the position of the vice president not to make public his assets declaration had generated an unfortunate storm, which is not only distractive but also quite unnecessary”.
We are worried that some newspapers and citizens we hold in high esteem have joined in the fray.
This merely shows that in the affairs of man, there comes a time when even the law must take a second place and the public mood must define our actions. To The Vice president, this is such a time, hence the choice to send you a copy of his declaration for publication” he said.
After bowing to public pressure to make public his asset declaration to the Code of Conduct Bureau in 2007, one would have expected President Jonathan to have voluntarily made his asset declaration public after he was sworn in as President on May, 29, 2011. There is a need to clarify that President Jonathan declared his assets to the Code of Conduct Bureau in conformity with Constitutional requirements. However, what the public is asking him to do is to make the asset declaration public. The Constitution does not require him to make it public. While the President is free to keep his secret secret, he loses the moral integrity to ask any reasonable member of the electorate to cast a vote for him in any election soon. The only explanation for President Jonathan’s fear in declaring his assts openly is that he is even afraid of the assets he might have achieved since the last declaration.
Dating top politicians may not be the easiest way to make a living or become rich, but if you ask former Ogun State Commissioner for Women Affairs, and later that of Housing, Mrs. Jokotade Odebunmi, she will speak of other rewards-the privilege of having the inside knowledge of issues in the state or being well connected and achieving your career goal.
It happened that Mrs. Odebunmi who was the deputy gubernatorial candidate of Peoples Party of Nigeria, PPN, a party founded by the immediate past Ogun State governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel in the run up to the last governorship election in the state had her political career path clearly mapped out. The mother-of-one whose estranged husband is a civil servant was of the view that it was not wrong for her to socialize with the opposite sex in order to achieve her dream. And so, she was said to have socialized without having boundaries.
It started with her alleged affair with Hon. Shina Aroyewun, who was a lawmaker and later served as a commissioner in Otunba Gbenga Daniel government. About the same time too, there was a relationship between the Ijebu-born politician and the former governor’s Chief of Staff, the Oyinloye of Egbaland, Yomi Majekodunmi.
Orijoreporters was told that the alleged love-affairs happened before Mrs. Odebunmi’s appointment as Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development before she was redeployed to the Ministry of Housing by the then governor during his second tenure. That appointment brought her and her boss together.
And as they were spending long hours together, sources said that they got entangled in office romance to the point that Mrs. Odebunmi fought Ogun House of Assembly former Speaker, Hon. Titi Oseni who allegedly was also having an affair with their boss. It is said that what led to their quarrel was that the two of them were each other biggest rival in the many office romance the ex-governor was involved in.
Orijoreporters further gathered that it was the love-affair between Otunba Daniel, and Mrs. Odebunmi that made the ex-governor chose his mistress as the deputy gubernatorial candidate of Peoples Party of Nigeria while the former Chairman, Gateway Holdings, Alh. Gboyega Nasir Isiaka, a strong acolyte of Daniel was the party’s flag bearer.
Sources told orijoreporters that the relationship between the former Commissioner for Housing and her boss, later sparked a violence outburst between her and her hubby after PPN, came a distant third in the gubernatorial election in April, 2011. It is said that the estranged couple had battled over long-standing grievances, relating to the wife’s affair with the former governor.
Mr. Odebunmi’s patience had long run out. And when the wife was defeated at the poll, and Otunba Gbenga Daniel lost out in the power struggle in the state, he recently made the former Commissioner sorry. “Before now, he felt trapped in the relationship because of the power she used to wield when she was in government, and had to wait till this time before he sent her out” sources explained.
