Governor Okorocha’s 4th Tier Is A Flat Tyre

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By Sam Asoluka

When Governor Rochas Okorocha came to power in Imo State last year, Imo people heaved a sigh of relief. Everybody including school children jumped for joy that finally, a ‘messiah’ has arrived. That life in the state will change for good. But some of us cautioned because Imo State has not been lucky in ‘choosing’ who governs them. This line of argument is based on the verifiable fact that the State has never had a good leader with the exception of Chief Sam Mbakwe of the blessed memory.

Almost one year in office, all we hear is ‘Rochas is doing well’ in Imo State. The truth is there is little or nothing to show for his ‘doing well’. Development Proposals and the renaming of Assets are not signs of ‘doing well’. Anybody can make Proposals or re-name State assets given the opportunity. I am not discounting some patchy efforts that litter the state. The truth is that Imo has not been touched by the present government if you equate the development on ground with the euphoria that greeted the governor’s victory last year.

Like his predecessor, Chief Okorocha knows how to work the media to achieve maximum effect. He has made some pronouncements in the right places including motor parks and got boundless publicity. But the reality is that his administration has not done much in the last one year. And looking back, one could say that Governor Okorocha’s handlers over-reached themselves in the minds of Imo people.

Now the undoing of chief Okorocha’s government is here. It is the 4th Tier Government he is rushing to put in place in our villages. Rather than conduct Local Government Elections as stipulated by the Constitution and once more test his popularity, the governor has abandoned his duty post and gone to the villages to tap palm-wine and play draughts with political sycophants. Governor Okorocha’s 4th Tier is a flat tyre. Firstly, the space is already occupied. The Media is the 4th Tier in a democratic society and the idea is not well thought out. It is like his predecessor’s Autonomous Community bazaar which has only succeeded in creating disaffection and made Imo Communities litigious. However, Imo people are daily becoming aware of the reality and the danger in dissipating the State Towns Unions in the name of illusory 4th Tier government

Igbo, particularly Imo people love innovative ideas, but any innovation that creeps into their family or village life is bound to fail. Owelle Rochas’s 4th Tier government is a political gimmick. He knows the idea will not fly. He pulled a fast one and today people are talking about an issue that is unworkable or dead on arrival instead of how to move the state forward. The 4th Tier Government is bogus, diversionary and imperils Imo village life.     

The Town Unions should call his bluff and protest openly for the governor’s inability to conduct Local Government Elections in the state after one year in office. The Town Unions should also ask him what he has been doing with the millions in Statutory Allocation the Federal government has been pouring into the Local Government Councils in the State since he came to power. The N2million each he promised the Town Unions after their elections is an insult. Who keeps the balance of the Local Government Statutory Allocation and more important too, is he going to pay the N2million monthly to the Town Unions or is it a one off payment?

The important roles Town Unions play in Imo state in particular and Igbo land in general cannot be over-emphasised. Their functions are many and varied depending on their locality. But the dissolution of the Unions by the governor by mere pronouncement as if they were his creation erroneously suggests that the villagers are rubbish and one measure fits all for the Unions. Town Unions know their members by their first names and serve as bulwarks for their members’ families anytime any day. And for those who do not know, Town Unions, Religion, Rangers International FC just to mention but a few were the ‘machines’ that  kept Ndigbo trudging at the end of Biafra/Nigeria civil war.

Truly some of these ‘machines’ have diminished since the end of the civil war but the Town Unions have remained resilient, resolute, local but global in their outlook. It is also important to mention here that Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport in Owerri was built thanks to the organisational acumen of the Town Unions of Old Imo State. Imo People were able then to build their own Airport because the Town Unions were non partisan and deep rooted in their various village activities. Above all, the Unions were run by unremunerated but highly committed apolitical people. The Town Unions mobilised and encouraged Imo sons and daughters to pay the Airport levy to their respective branch where they reside. The levies were then remitted to Central Town Unions in the villages from where they were paid into the Imo Airport Committee Bank Accounts. The Town Unions knew those who did not pay the Airport levy.

Town Unions also function like insurance especially for poor Igbo who live in cities in Nigeria where people have little or no confidence in insurance companies. In Town Unions, people pull their resources together and get some kind of benefit in good and bad times. In case of death, Town Unions help in ferrying the body of their dead member’s home, participate actively in their Members Events like Christening (naming), Marriage and other Ceremonies which Governor Rochas Okorocha 4th Tier Government cannot do.

It is also important to point out here that the Town Unions Governor Okorocha claimed he has dissolved have branches outside Imo State and in other States in Nigeria. Some even have branches in the US, Europe and Asia where the governor cannot reach nor have the power to dissolve. To maintain their political neutrality, the branches could decide not to have anything whatsoever to do with Governor Rochas Okorocha’s elected leaders in their respective villages. The consequence if they choose this line of action is as good as mine.

Now, why is it that, unlike in other parts of Igbo land, Imo State people give in to excessive control by individuals and organisations in various layers of Authority. For example, if your loved one dies in the State today, the churches bulldoze themselves in to tell you when and how to bury him or her. Government of all shades bully the citizens too.  And if Governor Okorocha succeeds in destroying the Town Unions, he will move on to take control of the Imo WOMEN’s YEARLY AUGUST meeting, our bedrooms and finally the number of children each and every one of us is allowed to have in our respective villages. I hope the governor has dissolved also Association of Imo Town Unions in Lagos.

As Governor Okorocha has wagged the tails of the Town Unions they should not let him run away with his own tail between his legs. They should come together now as a matter of urgency and form a Union in their respective Local Government to look into how the Statutory Allocations to their Councils are spent as Federal Allocations are basically Town Union Funds and not fund the governor can dip his hands into willy-nilly.

Sam Asoluka is the Publisher of THE AMBASSADOR MAGAZINE in London. You can reach him on theambassadormagazine@gmail.com    

Thousands Of South Sudanese Marooned In Sudan

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One day after Sudan’s April 8TH deadline expired, the government began registering Southern Sudanese as foreigners. Majority of them have been stripped of their identity cards and other documents, and most of them don’t have the money to pay the hefty registration fees. Several months ago, after South Sudan declared its independence from Sudan,  Sudanese authorities issued an ultimatum to South Sudanese to either become Sudanese citizens, register as foreigners, or leave the country.

The director of foreigners’ registration in Sudan said today only ten South Sudanese arrived at the center yesterday and registered as foreigners. A Brigadier General, who has been instructed not to speak to reporters, said he doesn’t not expect more southerners to show up because registration requires a valid South Sudan passport and a visa, two things most South Sudanese citizens do not own.

Sudanese Information Minister Abdallah Masar said South Sudanese citizens are now considered foreigners. “From today, all South Sudanese are foreigners and they must regularize their status as happens to every foreigner, and we are working on this now, our registration centers are going on” he said.

South Sudan has asked Sudan to extend the deadline, but the government has refused.  The spokesperson in the  Sudanese Ministry of Information Sana Hamad said South Sudanese wwere given enough time to put their papers in good order. “We will not push the date because we gave them nine months which was enough to reconcile their status, but the government of South Sudan was not serious; all we asked the South Sudanese government to do was to give them necessary documents, now all their Sudanese passports and identity  cards are no longer valid”.

The Interior Ministry has asked police stations to register Southerners in various neighborhoods, but scores of police stations told  VOA they have never received such orders. Most of the South Sudanese living in Sudan view the registration process as a major obstacle, with little money for passports or traveling back home.  Sana said the government has opened a national registration center for Abyei citizens, who live along the border of the two Sudans.

Meantime, international organizations said they are trying to fly elderly and sick people back to South Sudan who have no chance of making home alone.

Iran Adopts Countermeasures to Defuse US Missile Shield in Persian Gulf

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TEHRAN   (FNA)- Tehran has devised the necessary plans and measures to defuse the   potential threat of the US missile shield project in the Persian Gulf, a   senior commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said.

“We have thought of the necessary measures to counter this plan,” Commander of the IRGC Aerospace Force Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh told reporters here in Tehran on Monday.

He said after the recent announcement and deployment of the so-called NATO missile shield in Turkey, Tehran knew that the US would announce a second such plan to complete the chain of its early warning system in the region.

Hajizadeh added that the Washington and Tel Aviv are seeking to establish security for Israel at the expense of the Arab countries.

“All assessments have been made (by Iran) and we know that (establishing security for) Israel is the goal of all these issues,” he said, but meantime stressed, “Yet, we are not worried about the deployment of such systems.”

Last week, Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi called on the neighboring states to avoid joining a US-Israeli project for deploying a missile shield in the Persian Gulf.

“This missile defense shield (in the Persian Gulf) is a US-Israeli project and everyone should pay attention to the fact that anyone who gets involved with this project is, in fact, implementing the US and Israel’s plot,” he said on Wednesday.

“Since the very beginning we have rejected this project as we saw it against the regional security, and we have recommended our friends not to enter such fields (of activity),” he noted.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton last Saturday promoted the missile shield idea at a Persian Gulf-US security forum in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Washington has been seeking hard to portray Iran as a threat to the regional states, specially the Arab countries on the rims of the Persian Gulf, but many Arab leaders in the region stress that they do not see Iran as a threat.

US officials have said it is their “priority” to help the six Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (PGCC) states build “regional missile defense architecture” against Iran.

Clinton stressed Washington’s “unwavering” commitment to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Oman, all longstanding US allies.

In reply, Iranian officials said that the US plan to establish a missile shield in the Persian Gulf is a source of “tension”.

Why Obama’s choice of nominee for World Bank president is odd

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Anybody hoping that America’s nominee for the World Bank presidency, Jim Yong Kim, has not yet got a lock on the job will be disappointed.

This being an election year in the US, it is simply inconceivable that President Barack Obama is going to succumb to the pressure to break with tradition and back a non-American, more so from the developing world.

For Mr Obama, that would only play into the hands of his rivals seeking the Republican party presidential nomination who have been harping on the line that his “weak” presidency has accelerated the superpower’s global decline.

Voting power in the World Bank is distributed rather like a company’s shareholder rights. The US, measured by the size of its economy and “stakeholding”, enjoys the most power.

That guarantees Jim Yong Kim, a distinguished academic in his own right, will become the 12th president of the World Bank, never mind the grumbling from the Third World. Japan has already declared support for him and the expected endorsement by Western Europe would seal his selection.

Which is a pity, since every knowledgeable voice agrees this candidate’s credentials and expertise are inferior to the two competitors he is facing in the race: Jose Antonio Ocampo of Colombia and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala of Nigeria.

Mr Ocampo is rightly regarded as one of the most oustanding development economists from Latin America, while in Africa Mrs Okonjo-Iweala, the current Nigerian finance minister and a former managing director of the World Bank itself, quite simply has no peer when it comes to experience and credentials for the job.

Already, 39 former senior managers and economists at the Bank are backing Mrs Okonjo-Iweala and have written an open letter to the Bank’s executive board calling for the choice to be made  on “merit”. Mr Ocampo, on the other hand, seems to have the upper hand among academics in his field of development economics.

Even eminent Americans who know what the job takes are speaking out. Joseph Stiglitz, a Nobel laureate in economics and former World Bank chief economist, has warned that US insistence on controlling the selection process will harm the Bank and its anti-poverty mission.

There have been arguments that Africa and the rest of the developing world should concentrate on reforming the lopsided power structure in the Bank and IMF rather than dwell every time on pleas for their candidates to be accepted.

Even if the formidable Mrs Okonjo-Iweala or Mr Ocampo were to get the job by the grace of America and her rich allies, there is no guarantee of job security if either strays from the traditional script.

They would simply get the boot, rather like the Egyptian Boutros Boutros-Ghali got when a US veto rudely denied him a second term as UN secretary-general.

Truth be told, the World Bank’s top job is rarely ever given out on account of merit or qualifications. The 11 Bank presidents who have served so far have been a mixed bag of bureaucrats, investment bankers and lawyers, and even a politician or two.

Actually, the first president was a newspaper publisher. Strictly speaking, the ability of the person heading the Bank does not depend on his (there has never been a woman) being an economist. Still, Mr Obama’s choice of nominee is decidedly odd: his training is in medicine.

Some reports suggest Hillary Clinton was instrumental in the choice. The job would have been hers for the taking had she been  interested.

But after a hectic spell as secretary of state, she reportedly plans to leave government service at the end of Mr Obama’s first term to devote time to her family. And no doubt to keep a close eye on aging Bill.

Last week’s Kamatusa gathering resolved to compel their athletes to boycott this year’s London Olympics if the ICC continues to “mistreat” their sons.

I guess Prime Minister David Cameroon and the entire world are shaking in their boots and will have no choice but to cancel the global sporting extravaganza. Impunity, indeed, comes in many guises.

Gov Akpabio’s Phantom ‘Uncommon Transformation’ And the Horns of His Critics

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By Emmanuel Imo Ekereuwem

For the uninitiated, “REVIEW” in the local parlance means to re-award
the contract of a project .It is a conduit for siphoning taxpayers’
money in this part of the world. It is caused by inconsistency in
government policy and of course greed .A new government takes over a
project that was initiated by its predecessor and decides to bring in
its own contractor to take over the project. It is an anomaly and
impediment that has always scared investors from investing in our
highly volatile political system.

The Gov. Godswill AKPABIO government has reportedly been effective
with this strategy. Contracts for the LA Meridien Hotel, Ibom Airport,
and Ibom Power Plant that was initiated by the ATTAH administration
which AKPABIO served in were all “REVIEWED”. AKPABIO allegedly accused
ATTAH of mindlessly looting the State, and hence ATTAH was reportedly
“sent” to “political Siberia” without trial.

I want to state categorically, without fear of equivocation, that the
IBOM TROPICANA which is AKPABIO’s FLAGSHIP is a monumental misplaced
priority. All over the world today, various governments are embracing
private public initiatives (PPP) to ensure, reduction of expenditure
by government and effective and efficient management of organisations
since we know that managing public organisations is cumbersome. It is
absurd and weird  AKPABIO could not get investors to build an
entertainment centre in AKWA IBOM .It is indeed an irony, AKPABIO’s
contractor for the TROPICANA, SILVERBIRD LTD (managed by Ben Bruce),
has built similar projects in LAGOS and ABUJA with its own fund. So,
WHY didn’t AKPABIO invite Ben Bruce to do same in AKWA IBOM ,but
quickly  awarded him a contract of close to 50 billion naira .There is
a temptation to think TROPICANA is  an orchestrated conduit for
siphoning our collective wealth.Who will manage TROPICANA at the end
of the day? Is it public servants WHO are known to be kleptomanaics
and mindless looters? Will AKPABIO hand over TROPICANA to SILVERBIRD
to manage in a kind of concession arrangement? Will it be sold to
AKPABIO’S supporters at the end of the day? Only time will tell.

IBAKA DEEP SEA PORT, according to you will be built in partnership
with the federal government. This may happen after the tenure of the
AKPABIO’s administration has elapsed, if one is to take cognisance of
bureaucratic bottlenecks that is usually associated with the federal
government. Again, it is shame AKPABIO with all his “uncommon
transformation” cannot partner with the ever willing private sector.
All the major projects of FASHOLA in LAGOS are Private Public
initiatives (PPP) .E.G LEKKI-EPE EXPRESSWAY, ORILE-IGANMU
ROAD/RAILWAY, EKO MASS TRANSIT, EKO ATLANTIC CITY, etc…

Why are investors afraid to touch AKPABIO with a long pole? Perhaps
AMAKPE REFINERY will always be an albatross and serve as a reminder of
the alleged despotic tendencies of “MR DIGITAL”. That is why massive
employment generation in AKWA IBOM, will continue to be a mirage that
is pursued but never attained. Having realised this, AKPABIO
reportedly went cap in hand to solicit for 1 billion dollars from the
Capital market for industrialisation. What an irony!

I was in EKET recently during VANGUARD FOR SOCIAL CHANGE tour to
observe political and economic activities in AKWA IBOM. Electric power
supply was epileptic. In fact, when we discovered that AMAKPE refinery
would have brought massive development to EKET. We also discovered
that words have spread around EKET that TEAM AMAKPE are SCAMMERS. We
had to counter this by providing the last press release of TEAM
AMAKPE.

There is a speculation in AKWA IBOM that the E-LIBRARY is empty, so i
could not go there for my research work during my last tour. If you
have contrary views, please kindly provide pictures to support your
argument.

SUMMARY

IBOM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT: —uncompleted after 5 years of AKPABIO’s
administration. Every other year, the contract of the project is
“REVIEWED”.

IBAKA DEEP SEA PORT- appears to be another “AJAOKUTA STEEL” Project
which allegedly has been a conduit for siphoning public money. A lot
of investors have ran helter-skelter from IBAKA DEEP SEA PORT because
they doubt government sincerity and consistency in government policy
(AMAKPE REFINERY is a case study).Before Nigerian ports Authority NPA
came into the picture, CAPITAL OIL LTD was paraded and celebrated as a
partner that will build IBAKA DEEP SEA PORT. At the end of the day
CAPITAL OIL LTD ran away just like other investors.

It is a paradox; the AKPABIO administration has NOT been able to
attract a SINGLE investor despite substantiated claims of “UNCOMMON
TRANSFORMATION”.

IBOM POWER PLANT:-despite the fact that a 38 MILLION DOLLARS contract
was awarded to SEPTA ENERGY for gas supply by the AKPABIO government,
power supply is still epileptic in AKWA IBOM .Political hawks are
saying the problem lies with the federal government who holds the
monopoly of electricity distribution. But why award a contract when
you know you have constitutional constraints impeding you from
electricity distribution?

IBOM TROPICANA: is a 50 billion naira colossal misplaced priority that
was expected to have been commission since last year .People are
hungry and jobless, and AKPABIO is building an entertainment center,
where workers who are NOT paid regularly are expected to go watch
movies.

E-LIBRARY:–a monument that has no economy value, if one should take
cognisance of the prevailing economic meltdown. I have not seen a
beehive of activities there.

GOOD ROADs: It is only in AKWA IBOM State that roads are built at 2.3
billion naira per kilometre

Writes from Abuja Ekereuwem

Okigwe would be made a mega-city says Okorocha

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Governor of Imo State, Owelle Rochas Okorocha said his administration
would make the town of Okigwe a mega-city through the development of
essential social and economic infrastructure in the area. He said this while addressing a crowd at the Okigwe Main Motor Park as
part of this year’s prayer summit for Okigwe zone.
Governor Okorocha said the area would witness for the first time a
five-star hotel and other essential facilities.
He enjoined the people to bear with his government over the demolition
of their structures to make way for construction works adding that
they would all be compensated accordingly.
The governor assured the people of Okigwe that government would look
into all their basic needs in the zone and ensure their provisions.
He said that the development of a state goes beyond the provision of
infrastructures. He also said the spiritual growth of the people is
also a necessary ingredient towards the building of a just and human
society.
Organizer of the prayer summit and Senior Special Assistant [SSA] to
the Governor on Mayoral affairs [Okigwe] zone, Engineer Ifeanyi
Ukachu, thanked the governor for finding time to attend the prayer
meeting.
He prayed God to intervene in the affairs of the zone in their
education, business and social life.

Ex Kogi Governor, Ibrahim Idris Takes Wife Number 13

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Information available to 247ureports.com through sources at the government house in Kogi State reveal that the former two-term Peoples Democratic Party [PDP] governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Ibrahim Idris took his 13th wife on March 29, 2012 in a secret wedding held at the Kogi State government house.

Former governor Idris is aged 78 years old and his new wife is aged 27 years old.

According to the information gathered, the wedding Fathia [prayer] took place in the mosque at  the Laggard [Government] House – and the reception took place at the same venue.  The secret event attracted important personalities in the state including members of Idris’ cabinet, and the present governor, Captain Idris Wada.

The bribe’s name was given simply as Ramotu. She hails from Okene.  Her parents reside at Lokoja while Ramotu resides in Abuja with one of her elder sisters. She posses an O’Level school leaving certificate. Prior to her meeting the former governor,  she earned a living through hawking of ‘senegalese’ cloths at the Presidential villa.

As the news of Ex Governor Idris’ new marriage initially filtered into the Kogi community, it was thought that he had taken his longtime girl friend, an Ebira girl by the name, Zainab Ajanah, a relation of the present Chief Judge of the State who had put to bed for the ex-governor six months ago.

Zainab is a staff of Zenith Bank, Lokoja. Idris had promised to marry her, and the wedding was tentatively scheduled to take place – but the Supreme Court ruling which handed down its judgement on tenure elongation matter abruptly ending his administration – and thus fueling fracas between between the former governor and the Chief Judge – because the Chief Judge of Kogi state had bluntly refused to grant the request of Ex Governor Ibrahim Idris to swear in Wada Idris against an existing and legitimate directive of the Attorney General of Nigeria to swear in the Speaker, State House of Assembly as Acting governor. This fracas is ended the promise of marriage by Idris to the relation of the Chief Judge.

Meanwhile cursory investigation has uncovered more shocking anomalies within the Idris family.

Information available to 247ureports.com indicates that the first wife of the former governor may have been murdered in the struggle to remain the head wife of the family. As gathered, Alhaji Ibrahim Idris’ supposed first son, Mohammed, who ran his father’s Ibro Holdings and Ibro Hotels in Abuja before heading to the House of Representatives, was indeed not his first son. And neither is Her Excellency, Hajia Zainab the first wife.  Inquires show that the first wife was Hajia Amina, a Kaduna State born woman.

Hajia Amina gave birth to a son called Abubakar Idris – before she died. Available information indicates that the Kaduna born Amina had to run back to Kaduna State in 2004 following the aborted contest over who will become the First Lady of Kogi State after Ibrahim Idris won the governorship election in 2003.

Insiders allege that all entreaties on Hajia Zainab and her children to allow Gov.Idris’ first wife enjoy the first four years as First Lady fell on deaf ears and as the woman sensed a very sinister plot on her life,she dumped the quest to be First Lady and ran out of Kogi State completely. She died mysteriously 6months later.

—

Nonetheless, the marriage event has begun to raise questions within quarters in the Kogi intelligentia. Questions over why the marriage event was held at the government house remain unanswered by the Governor’s people. It is recalled that the former governor was ousted following a Supreme Court ruling that tossed him out of the governor’s office. It is also recalled that the abrupt end to former governor Idris’ tenure led to a controversial swearing-in of the present governor by a customary court Judge – upon the instruction of ex governor Idris – against the orders given by the attorney general of the federation instructing that the State Chief Judge swear-in the Speaker of the State Assembly.

Informed observers believe that ex governor Idris determined efforts to install his in-law, Capt Wada as the Governor of Kogi anchors on the former governor’s desire to remain the de-factor governor of the State. The recent State House wedding points to this reality.

 

Kano State: Ohaneze Ndigbo Easter Message

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EASTER MESSAGE

Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Kano Chapter, joyfully felicitate with Christians in the celebration of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, as symbolized in the Easter celebration. For us Ohanaeze Ndigbo Kano Chapter, Easter pronounces the spirit of sacrifice, love, kindness, and hope for salvation as demonstrated by Christ at the cross ofCalvary.

Taking into account the security situation in the country, Ohanaeze calls on all Christian to pray fervently for our great nation which foundation has been threatened by deadly attacks by terrorists, which in most cases a section of people are targeted—Igbos.

 

In the spirit of Easter, we urge not only Christians but all Nigerians, and indeed, our leaders to look inward and reflect on those issues that continue to take us backward as a nation. With abundant human and natural resources, patriotic Nigerians and honest sympathizers of our great nation continue to get frightened over the spate of disunity and mistrust that have continued to remain the bane in our common existence.

It is, indeed, disheartening that after over 52 years of independence,Nigeriahas continued to grapple with socio-economic problems such as wanton insecurity, Youth restiveness, unemployment, poverty, hunger and disease. It is indeed, more painful that our leaders who supposedly should put strings together to solve these problems and make life bearable for Nigerians have continued to fail on their Constitutional responsibilities, instead, they remain committed to enriching themselves and their cronies while millions of Nigerians perish in hunger and want. The country remains a hell to an ordinary Nigerian who live everyday to struggle endlessly without making a headway— Nigerians struggle to survive in the face of epileptic power supply, bad roads, dry taps, poor health and education sector as well as a rugged economy that does not have a space for the common man; thereby giving opportunities for the rich to get richer while the poor continue to get poorer.

 

It is in this light that we urge Christians to pray fervently against insecurity, bad leadership and hunger in this Holy Period of Easter. Ohanaeze also urges President Goodluck Jonathan to become more resolute in the fight against terrorism and enemies of the state. May God continue to bless us and redeemNigeriaand Nigerians. Ohanaeze is saying Happy Easter Celebration to all Christians.

 

For and on behalf of Ohanaeze Ndigbo,KanoStateChapter.,

 

Hon. Chief Tobias Michael Idika

President, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Kano State Chapter

Mr. President, Why Ministers Defy Order on the number of Aides

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It is now in the public domain that a good number of Nigerian Ministers have openly ignored your directives to curtail the number of their Aides in regards to special adviser/assistants and personal assistants.

Mr. President the reason for this defiance is clear given your declarations not long ago— “I’m no Pharaoh or army general’. Also, “I don’t need to operate like the Pharaoh of Egypt, and I don’t need to be an army general to change the country”. Actually you are quite right.

But from the point of psychological science these words might just be signs of frustration at the time of their expression or mere points of euphemism or understatement.

However, there are those humans who will unconsciously or consciously interpret your words along the lines of weak character, executive  weakness, presidential softness, open-leadership, elastic-headedness, managerial slackness, leadership shallowness, executive insufficiency, and  easy-going leadership.

Mr. President, while many Nigerians now know you for your conscientious, calculated, pointed and meticulous leadership there are times when you have to creatively act in a despotic, ruthless, and in a pharaoh-like manner.

Psychologically, there are some humans who just like to defy orders as that is part of their authoritarian tendencies, and as such they need to be humiliated and humbled through presidential instruments of reprimandor reproachwhich some of them may equally enjoy oddly.

But what is clear from these punitive responses is that these sorts of characters must sometimes be displaced of their negativities and authoritarianism.

It has been over one year that this presidential order on the number of aides was reportedly given for the Ministers or your cabinet members to have only one special adviser/assistant and one personal assistant; as this type of move could save tax payers some money and make the government more fiscally responsible.

As part of these Ministers hard-headedness, some of them equally refused to listen to pleas from the office of the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission.

As part of their leadership style and power needs, some of them reportedly continue to retainmore than ten Special Advisers/Assistants each and remain in defiance to your authority.

This is pure disobedience to a head of State, especially to a non-royal or ceremonial head, who exercises active executive power in all aspects of government and in theday-to-day affairs of the government.

Mr. President because of your appearance of gentleness, meekness and cheerfulness how many more directives or presidential circularshave largely gone unheeded and continuously ignored?

Mr. President, this is an embarrassment especially at a time when the Nigerian people are looking at your presidency and wondering how much wastage of resources abounds everywhere in the midst of abject suffering, apathy and worry.

Mr. President with just another executive order with attached consequences for disobedience to it; make it a rule for all your cabinetmembers to get some of their aides from the civil service leaving some room for very little number of political appointees.

As a matter of fact it will be better for the country if most of their aides come from the civil service as many have the necessary experience to do their jobs.

Mr. President, we will all wait to see what type of sanctionswill be metedout to the disobedient ministers, as it will tell the people that  you are truly a Commander-in-Chief and not a mere meek President.

John Egbeazien Oshodi, Ph.D., is a Forensic/Clinical Psychologist and the Secretary-General of the Nigeria Psychological Association (NPA), Abuja. Jos5930458@aol.com 08126909839

Liquid Cocain: 4 Igbo Business Men Busted At Lagos Airport

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excreted liquid cocaine in condoms

The intervention of regional bodies has become imperative for a healthy and drug free life. “Heroin is usually smuggled from Pakistan, Iran and India but things are changing with the seizure of heroin coming from Tanzania. This is strange because they have turned drug trafficking into a relay race. The first set of traffickers will smuggle heroin from Pakistan to Tanzania while another set will take it from Tanzania to Nigeria. This is a new plan to evade arrest but we shall now beam our searchlight on African flights” stated the Chairman/Chief Executive of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Ahmadu Giade.

ezeani obinna

He also added that “the role of credible stakeholders such as regional organisations must be maximised. This is needed to boost drug control operations in the world particularly in Africa. Regional organisations can assist in developing legal frameworks and provide funding for drug control programmes. This way drug control capacity will be greatly enhanced in the continent”.

ozoemena okoye samuel

Some of the latest tricks uncovered by Nigerian anti-narcotic Agents include the arrest of drug traffickers who smuggle heroin into the country from Tanzania. In addition, drug couriers now ingest liquid cocaine poured into male condoms for the first time. These tricks were uncovered at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) Lagos.

NDLEA Commander at the airport, Mr. Hamza Umar said four suspected drug traffickers were apprehended. Two suspects, Ezeani Obinna, 28 year old auto dealer at Ladipo market and Ozoemena Okoye Samuel, 27 years old dealer in electrical parts both in Lagos were caught bringing heroin from Tanzania while two others, Egbo Innocent Oluchukwu and Ejimbe Christian Chidi were found to have ingested liquid cocaine poured into male condoms to avoid detection. In his words, “they thought that scanning machine will not detect liquid cocaine but they were wrong. Even those coming from Tanzania felt that there will be no attention on them. We shall continue to do our best to prevent traffickers from using this airport”.

ejimbe christian chidi

The suspects coming from Tanzania were detected during screening of passengers on Kenyan Airways. The other two that arrived from Venezuela used Emergency travel certificate aboard South Africa Airline flight. This is the first case of liquid cocaine ingestion in the country. The liquid cocaine which is oily was packed inside condoms. Egbo Innocent Oluchukwu a 43 year old trader excreted 70 wraps of the oily cocaine weighing 2kg. Ejimbe Christian Chidi, 32 years old teacher swallowed 54 wraps of same oily cocaine weighing 1.350kg.

egbo innocent oluchukwu

Egbo who arrived with an Emergency travel certificate number 00000600 claimed to have spent ten years in Venezuela. During interrogation, he said that they told him that machine will not detect liquid cocaine in the stomach. “The Venezuelan who gave me the drug told me that it will be difficult for machine to detect liquid cocaine that is ingested. I ingested 70 wraps of the drug using water because I was desperate. It is not that drug trafficking is a good thing but I wanted to solve my personal problem. They promised to pay me the sum of 6,000 dollars”Egbo stated. He is married with 2 children and hails from Enugu State. He attended Ogbete River Primary School, Coal Camp, Enugu.

Ejimbe Christian who hails from Anambra State said that he teaches English at a Language School in Venezuela. He is single and claimed to have lived in Caracas, Venezuela for eight years. According to him, “I am a 2002 graduate from the University of Maiduguri. I excreted 54 wraps and they promised to pay me 4 million naira. My intention was to get married and settle down”. He attended Good Shepherd Nursery and Primary School Nnewi and Federal Government College Okigwe. He travelled out of the country in search of greener pasture in 2004.

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