Monday, February 23, 2015

APC and PDP: The Nigerian Dream and the Nigerian Nightmare


The leading opposition political party in Nigeria, All Progressives Congress (APC) may not be the best Nigerian Dream, but it is better than the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) that has failed to guaranty the national security and welfare of majority of Nigerians and turned the Nigerian Dream into the Nigerian Nightmare since 1999 to date.

 Incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan.

Forget the statistics of the political spin doctors of President Goodluck Jonathan and his hired crowds of sycophants on his so called achievements. The facts on the realities in Africa's most populous country are contrary to his claims of success.


Every single day, Nigeria loses about 2,300 under-five year olds and 145 women of childbearing age. This makes the country the second largest contributor to the under–five and maternal mortality rate in the world.
Underneath the statistics lies the pain of human tragedy, for thousands of families who have lost their children. Even more devastating is the knowledge that, according to recent research, essential interventions reaching women and babies on time would have averted most of these deaths.
Although analyses of recent trends show that the country is making progress in cutting down infant and under-five mortality rates, the pace still remains too slow to achieve the Millennium Development Goals of reducing child mortality by a third by 2015.
~ UNICEF Nigeria, http://www.unicef.org/nigeria/children_1926.html

If President Goodluck Jonathan has done well in health care, he and his family and more than 5,000 Nigerians will not need to spend more than N78 billion to travel to India and other countries every month on medical trips. If he and his family are afraid of using our hospitals, then it means he has failed to provide good and safe health care services.

Education:
With approximately 10.5 million kids out of school, Nigeria holds the world record of having the highest number of its young people out of school according to current reports.

The quality of secondary school and post secondary school education is deplorable with many unqualified teachers and lecturers, because of the appalling deterioration of colleges of education in Nigeria and out-of-sync academic curricula of the universities and terrible campuses with horrible living conditions.
None of the children of President Goodluck Jonathan and his public officials attends public schools in Nigeria, because they know they are bad.
They have misappropriated public funds and with ill gotten riches from over-invoiced government contracts, illegal oil blocks and fuel subsidy contracts they have built their own private schools after neglecting the public schools.

Agriculture and food security:
In spite of the commendable agricultural projects of the federal government, Nigeria is still spending more than N600bn annually on food importation, including N991bn on Rice and Wheat Importation.

Roads and Transportation:
The PDP government brags about road construction, but Nigerian roads are still among the worst in the world with the second worst record for road accidents.

Nigerian airports have been renovated, but they are still rated among the worst in the world.
Nigeria has no national carrier whereas other African countries like South Africa, Kenya and Ethiopia have well managed airlines.

The rehabilitation of railways is commendable, but still a far cry from modern rail transport system in the 21st century.

Economic Development and Employment:
Lagos state is actually the success of the fast developing Nigerian economy that made the country the largest African economy. Lagos is the largest employer of labour with 90% of foreign investors in Lagos, the safest place in Nigeria. The Lagos state model of economic development should be copied by the Federal Government instead of the PDP making childish and foolish allegations against the APC government.
See The New York Times: "Nigeria is “the Worst Run of the World’s Most Populated Countries” | Can Lagos Save Her?" - Seth D. Kaplan, a lecturer at Johns Hopkins University, writes on “What Makes Lagos a Model City“.

Lagos State transport system alone creates more jobs than the entire PDP states.
Lagos is the most populated state, because millions of jobless youths from the PDP states come to Lagos where they have more job opportunities.

National Security:
Lack of executive experience and political expertise made President Goodluck Jonathan to fail woefully in national security.
He forgot that a stitch in time saves nine and failed to deal with the Boko Haram insurgency since 2009 and preferred to point accusing fingers at the opposition until his own kinsman, the late General Owoye Azazi (retd) discovered that the PDP was responsible for the worsening situation of the Boko Haram insurgency. President Jonathan sacked him and the great general was later killed on December 15, 2012 in a mysterious helicopter crash in Okoroba Village of Bayelsa State whilst on the way back to the Port-Harcourt Airport.
President Jonathan's glaring cowardice and incompetence have caused the mismanagement of national security from the Niger Delta to Lake Chad.

The most shocking is the lackadaisical manner President Goodluck Jonathan handled the case of the kidnapped Chibok school girls since April 14, 2014. He lived in denial of the incident with his wife, First Lady Dame Patience Jonathan disgracing Nigeria by her childish and foolish reaction to the missing school girls. And her husband was even scared of visiting the school! But he was not afraid of later going to Maiduguri for his presidential campaign. He has abandoned the search to rescue the over 200 missing Chibok school girls.

Cases of oil theft have increased under President Goodluck Jonathan with stolen crude oil from Nigeria sold openly in Togo and offshore with full knowledge of the Nigerian Navy and Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA)
http://www.chathamhouse.org/sites/files/chathamhouse/public/Research/Africa/0913pr_nigeriaoil_es.pdf

The APC's presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammad Buhari (retd) has the proven record of crushing insurgents in northern Nigerian in 1984 and 1985 and also tackling the menace of oil theft. His military expertise gives him the advantage that he will be a more pragmatic Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces. He has the military experience, intelligence and expertise to guaranty his executive competence.

The fact is, things can be better with a more accountable and responsible government that can reduce the rampant corrupt practices destroying Nigeria. And the APC is the only party that can guaranty the national security and welfare of the citizens of Nigeria. 

God bless Nigeria!
 
 

  submit to reddit

Friday, February 20, 2015

Grand Coronation Ceremony of H.R.H Igwe Lawrence Nwafor Okonkwo

HRH Igwe Lawrence Nwafor Okonkwo (JP), Anamanalike, Obi Ichi.   

The coronation ceremony of H.R.H Igwe Lawrence Nwafor Okonkwo (JP) (Anamanalike 111) Obi Ichi took place on Thursday February 5, 2015 at Igwe’s Palace, Ichi Town in Ekwusigo Local Govt Council, Anambra State. The new Igwe in celebrating the Ofala, conferred chieftaincy titles on some notable dignitaries of the town. The success of the three day Ofala Festival was hinged on the support of Ikenga Ichi, Chief (Sir) Emma Bishop Okonkwo, OFR, the Chairman of Ekulo Group. He not only built the ultra modern palace for the new Igwe, but also provided the necessary logistics for the grand event.
 
Sir Emma Bishop Okonkwo and wife Mmili Aku of Ichi, Chief (Mrs) Ngozi Okonkwo.
 Mmili Aku of Ichi, Chief (Mrs) Ngozi Okonkwo and Mrs. Abeji Okonkwo.
Ichi Na Ichi, Chief O, New Igwe of Ichi.
Hon. Jude Mbaegbu (Lachas), Executive Chairman, Ekwusigo Local Government Council.
Chief Sam Okonkwo, Chairman, Fairpoint Nigeria Limited.
President General, Ichi Development Union.
Ikenga Ichi.
Arrival of Chief Emma Eziokwu, Brollo Pipes Band, Profiles Industries Nigeria Limited.
Mr. Ingram Osigwe, CEO of Full Page Communications Limited.
Chief Okey Ezeibe.
The arrival of Ikenga Ichi to the palace.
Obiora Band, Ugochukwu Okonkwo.
Mr. Nnamdi Okonkwo carrying the Staff for the Ikenga of Ichi.
Mmili Aku of Ichi, Chief (Mrs) Ngozi Okonkwo and her father, Chief GM. Ikebuilo Ichie Okenyi.
Sam Ubachukwu and his wife, Lady Chioma.
Mr. Ingram Osigwe and Mrs. Abehi Okonkwo and Mr. Joseph Momah of Fairpoint Nigeria Limited.
Chief Mrs. Ngozi Okonkwo and Mrs. Ukamaka Anaeriobi.
Chief Sunny Okonkwo.
Chief.(Sir) Ezekiel. A(JP),P.G EMERITUS.

  submit to reddit

When Good Luck Turns To Bad Luck, Reject It!

When good luck turns to bad luck, then something has gone wrong. 
TUFIAKWA!

submit to reddit

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

What Happened To the N58 Billion Raised for Victims of Boko Haram in the North?

 IDPs camp in Gombe.

N58.79 billion was raised for victims of Boko Haram in the north at the fund-raising dinner for President Goodluck Jonathan’s Victims Support Fund on July 31, 2014 and that is more than enough to take care of the security and welfare of the estimated 3.3 million refugees in the neighboring countries of Cameroon, Chad and Niger and internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Nigeria. But the SOS reports from the refugees and IDPs camps are shocking. Majority of them sleep on bare floors without mattresses and pillows; no regular supply of safe water and no sanitary facilities. They are suffering horrible indignities worsening the terrible state of their humanitarian emergency.
So, what happened to the N58.79 billion raised for them?

The largest donors included Theophilus Danjuma, $10 million; Aliko Dangote, N1 billion; Jim Ovia, N1 billion; Tony Elumelu, N2.5 billion; Mike Adenuga, N1 billion; Wale Tinubu, N1 billion; Arthur Eze, $5 million; Mohammed Ndimi, $5 million; Kabiru Rabiu, N500 million; Dahiru Mangal N500 million; Folorunsho Alakija, N500 million; a group of oil sector players, N17 billion; bankers N15 billion, telecom sector players N1 billion; state governors, N3.7 billion; and ministers, N50 million.

The shocking report "GRIM TALES OF RAPE, CHILD TRAFFICKING IN DISPLACED PERSONS CAMP," by the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (icirnigeria.org), on several cases of rape, child and sex trafficking of under-aged persons in IDP camps has exposed the lack of accountability and irresponsibility of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
These unfortunate stigmatized and traumatized victims of terror who are in urgent need of both physical and mental therapy have been neglected to worsen their nightmares as confirmed by their harrowing experiences.

 IDPs in northern Nigeria. Photo Credit. Elendu Reports.

This is a state of emergency that the federal government must respond to immediately as the heartbreaking report is now making headlines all over the world. And the Turkish Weekly has just reported that the Nigerian government "has set up a committee to investigate claims of abuses against people displaced from their homes in the insurgency-gripped northeastern region".

"The move (committee) was in reaction to an online publication entitled "Grim Tales of Rape, Child Trafficking in IDP camps," Sani Datti, a spokesman for the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) charged with the IDP welfares, said in a statement on Tuesday.

Datti said the committee, headed by a senior staff from the secret police, has two weeks to turn in its report.

"Its terms of reference include verification of the allegations as contained in the report," he said.

"It is also expected to interact with all stakeholders, hold town hall meetings in all the camps mentioned in the report, interacting with the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, NEMA northeast zonal office, the state emergency management agency, state security services, Red Cross, the army and the police, among others."
http://www.turkishweekly.net/news/180026/nigeria-probes-alleged-abuses-against-displaced-people.html

Photo Credits: Premium Times and Elendu Reports.




  submit to reddit

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

APC's Gubernatorial Candidate Dr. Dakuku Peterside On Attacks at Okrika Rally


APC's Gubernatorial Candidate Dr. Dakuku Peterside On Attacks At Okrika Rally

 Today is one of my saddest days as a politician. The day had started on a pleasant note when as part of my campaign rally in Okrika I visited the Okrika Grammar School, my alma mater where I met with the principal and interacted with the students. From there I proceeded to pay a courtesy call on the Amanyanabo of Ogoloma. While I was at the palace of the Amanyanabo, reports reached me and my team that three explosives had been detonated at the venue of the rally, national school field, Okrika. Two of the explosives ripped off parts of the roof of the school building. The APC members and leadership at the venue immediately called in the security personnel and the anti bomb squad who combed the area. It is important to note that several other explosives were found by the team but all normalcy was restored. 

We proceeded from the Amanyanabo to see the Bishop of Okrika Diocese, Anglican Communion Rt. Rev. T Abere who prayed with the team at about 1:30 pm.


From the Bishop's court. we headed to the venue and the rally began in earnest with prayers and praise and worship. A few persons gave solidarity speeches and while one of our leaders in Okrika LGA, Mr D.D Alabere was speaking, we started hearing sporadic gunshots from the back of national school and from the Okrika cemetery.


Several eyewitnesses saw a member of the Rivers State House of Assembly Evans Bipi who doubles as a personal assistant to the wife of the President, Mrs Patience Jonathan accompanied by men in police uniform and several other non uniformed armed men numbering in excess of 50 around the venue. He was seen personally directing the shooting. 


Mrs. Jonathan is a native of Okrika and had just spent the weekend in Okrika where she said she had gone to rest. 


The shooting lasted for about an hour and several persons are injured including Charles Eruka a Channels television reporter who was stabbed. Five police officers were shot one of them is dead and four are laying in critical condition at this hospital. One policeman is yet to be accounted for. Some other APC supporters are still missing as at the time of this press statement while equipment at the Venue have been set ablaze and several cars including three police vehicles were destroyed. We understand that there are still threats to burn houses of APC supporters in Okrika. 


The APC Rivers State salutes the resilience of the people of Okrika who refuse to be cowed in the face of such intimidation and attack. We also commend the officers and men of the Rivers State police command for their efforts despite the fact they were outnumbered.
We remain resolute in our quest to rid Rivers State of brigandage and criminality and reassures our supporters that this change train cannot be stopped. God is on our side.

~ Dr. Dakuku Adol Peterside.


 



submit to reddit

The Three Categories of Those Attacking Chief Olusegun Obasanjo

 Gen Olusegun Obasanjo (retd) is the first Nigerian military head of state who later became a civilian President of Nigeria.

Most of those attacking former President, Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo (retd) are in three categories.
1. Ignorant intellectual illiterates.
2. Poor students of history who don't read and
3. Those suffering from political amnesia.

None of them can even achieve half of what he has achieved in life. And majority of them are non-entities.

He is one of the founding fathers of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)  and by tearing his membership card shows how worthless it has become. 


President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has destroyed the PDP by his divide and rule tactics and polarized and worsened the North-South Dichotomy. That is why he uses his Hausa Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo to lie to Hausas in the north that the All Progressives Congress (APC) is a Christian party with only few Muslims and then President Jonathan comes to the south east and his own south south region to lie to voters that APC is a Muslim party with only few Christians. 
Now he is using the military past of Gen. Muhammad Buhari (retd),  the presidential flag bearer of the APC to character assassinate him while he is enjoying the support of former military generals who even committed worse atrocities like those who summarily executed Kenule "Ken" Beeson Saro Wiwa (10 October 1941 – 10 November 1995) of the  Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) and eight of his comrades on November 10, 1995 by the late military dictator General Sani Abacha whose eldest son Mohammed Abacha is now a chieftain of the PDP. President Jonathan's government wthdrew N446.3bn theft charges against Mohammed Abacha in June 2014. And another right hand man of President Jonathan is Gen. Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (retd) who needs no introduction. So, you can see the evil hypocrisy of President Goodluck Jonathan. He is not attacking them, because they are in the PDP. Lest we forget, he sacked two prominent Igbo military leaders, including Air Marshal Paul Dike (retd), the first Igbo Chief of Air Staff whom the late President Yar’Adua later appointed as Chief of Defence Staff and Lt-Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika (retd), the first ever Igbo Chief of Army Staff.


Chief Olúsẹ́gun Mathew Okikiọla Arẹmu Ọbásanjọ́, GCFR, is the most highly respected Nigerian leader in the world today and author of more than 28 books and they include the following.

My Command (African Writers Series)
Jun 1981
by Olusegun Obasanjo
Women of virtue: Stories of outstanding women in the Bible
by Olusegun Obasanjo
Africa in Perspective: Myths and Realities (The Russell C. Leffingwell lectures)
Jun 1987
by Olusegun Obasanjo
The Challenges Of Agricultural Production And Food Security In Africa
Sep 13, 2013
by Olusegun Obasanjo
The Leadership Challenge Of Economic Reforms In Africa
Mar 1, 1991
by Olusegun Obasanjo and Hans d'Orville
A New Dawn: A Collection of Speeches of President Olusegun Obasanjo
Nov 2004
by Olusegun Obasanjo and Ad'Obe Obe

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo appointed more Igbos in his cabinet than current President Goodluck Jonathan. Read the following report by Max Siollun.

However things improved for Igbos after Nigeria returned to democracy in 1999. Democracy has been much kinder to the Igbos than military rule was. Ironically it was the much maligned President Olusegun Obasanjo that did most to reintegrate Igbos. He appointed Igbos to head the ministry of finance, Central Bank of Nigeria, and the Director-General of the Nigerian Stock Exchange was also Igbo (Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Charles Chukwuma Soludo and Ndidi Okereke-Onyuike). Heading these three portfolios virtually left Igbos in control of Nigeria’s economy and monetary policy. That economic dominance remains as today Okonjo-Iweala has returned as Finance Minister, and Bright Okogu is the Director-General of the Budget Office.
 
In addition, Obasanjo appointed Fabian Osuji, Chinwe Obaji and Obiageli Ezekwesili (all Igbos) in succession as the Minister of Education, and Dora Akunyili as the Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control.
 
Later, Obasanjo broke a taboo by appointing an Igbo: Thomas Aguiyi-Ironsi (the son of Nigeria’s first military head of state, Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi) as the Defence Minister. After Obasanjo left office his successor President Yar’Adua appointed Mike Okiro to become the first Igbo Inspector-General of Police in Nigeria’s history. When Okiro retired, he was succeeded by another Igbo – Ogbonnaya Onovo. Yar’Adua also appointed Ojo Maduekwe as the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
~ http://www.gamji.com/article9000/NEWS9794.htm


"Olusegun Obasanjo was Nigeria's military head of state (1976-9) and President (1999-2007). His career is made the focus for a history of Nigeria's first fifty years of independence (1960-2010) and of African continental affairs during the same period (Obasanjo having been an active opponent of apartheid and an architect of the African Union). The most important African leader of his generation, Obasanjo has had an extraordinarily diverse career as soldier, politician, statesman, farmer, author, political prisoner, Baptist preacher, and family patriarch. As a soldier, he secured the victory in Nigeria's civil war. As military head of state, he returned the country to civilian rule. For the next 20 years he was ceaselessly active, before spending three years as a political prisoner. Released from prison, Obasanjo served Nigeria as elected President from 1999 to 2007, until his growing authoritarianism and his manipulation of his successor's election ruined his reputation among many Nigerians. This book argues that the controversial end to his presidency must be understood in the light of his earlier career. The author has used mainly published sources, especially Nigerian newspapers and political memoirs, as well as recently released FCO documents in Britain. John Iliffe is a Fellow of St John's College, Cambridge. He retired as Professor of African History at Cambridge in 2006 and has published widely on African history including: A Modern History of Tanganyika; The Emergence of African Capitalism; The African Poor: A History; Africans: the History of a Continent; Honour in African History and The African Aids Epidemic: A History. Nigeria: HEBN (PB)".
~ John Iliffe is a Fellow of St John's College, Cambridge. He retired as Professor of African History at Cambridge in 2006 and has published widely on African history including: A Modern History of Tanganyika; The Emergence of African Capitalism; The African Poor: A History; Africans: the History of a Continent; Honour in African History and The African Aids Epidemic: A History.
Former US President Jimmy Carter and Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo in 1978.

THE BEST BOOKS BY GEN. OLUSEGUN OBASANJO (RETD)


 About the Author of this article:  
Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima, aka Orikinla Osinachi, is a prize winning Nigerian writer, most prolific African blogger and he Publisher/Editor of Nigerians Report Online, Nigerian Times, "Kisses 'n' Roses, TALK OF THE TOWN By Orikinla with other blogs and author of Children of Heaven, Scarlet Tears of London, Bye, Bye Mugabe, In the House of DogsDiary of the Memory KeeperThe Prophet Lied, co-author of Naked Beauty, editor of The Language of True Love and Publisher/Editor of NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® SERIES
He has written many articles, commentaries and news reports published byTechnoratiBlogcriticsHuliqYahoo VoicesShvoongGatherHuffington Post,Face2Face AfricaBlack Film MakerNigeria Films and Modern Ghana
He is also the social media consultant for the Transform Nigeria Network.
He was a project artist for the Johns Hopkins University's Population Communication Services (JHU/PCS) at 21, An Art/Features Editor for the successful Kiddies World magazine at 24 and a National Program Consultant for the UNICEF in Nigeria at 25. He was the national curator of the 1993 World AIDS Day Art Against AIDS exhibitions at the National Museum and National Arts Theater in Lagos, Nigeria. He is currently working on launching iPost Nigeria, the first Nigerian owned video sharing news and entertainment website for all users of mobile phones and tablets in the world,  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-jjMBCgthM and also launched Girls United Together for Success (GUTS), http://sowc2015.unicef.org/map-location/girls-united-together-for-success-guts/?mpfy-pin=22745.
 



submit to reddit