TheNewsGuru

Tag: Critics

  • Dasuki, Sowore: Critics’ gripe over process, By Ehichioya Ezomon

    By Ehichioya Ezomon

    It’s “different strokes for different folks,” as Nigerians continue to react to the release of former National Security Adviser, retired Col. Sambo Dasuki, and activist-publisher-politician, Mr Omoyele Sowore, on Tuesday, December 24, 2019.
    The overdue gesture, coming after Dasuki and Sowore had spent almost four years and seven months, respectively, in detention, was ordered by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Abubakar Malami.
    While many hail the release as “a perfect Christmas gift” not only to the detainees, but also to all Nigerians, others are splitting hairs over the process of their freedom: Why was it effected?
    This angle of the debate has overshadowed the import of the matter, as the proponents argue that the President Muhammadu Buhari administration didn’t release the detainees as a matter of benevolence, but was forced to so act.
    So, what informed the administration’s decision after shunning several court orders on bail? Who or what pressured or influenced the government to free the duo from lengthy incarceration?
    This query isn’t misplaced, going by experiences of the recent past when agencies of government acted, in a pick-and-choose fashion, which lawful orders to obey or disregard in high-profile cases.
    For instance, in the matter of Dasuki and Sowore, the Department of State Services (DSS), which prosecutes them for offences of treason, gun-running, cyber-stalking or money laundering, has displayed scant regard for court fiats to commit them to bail.
    Even when it “agreed” to releasing them, the DSS would sooner slap fresh charges on the defendants, and capitalize on the confusion to re-arrest them, sometimes at court premises.
    On December 6, armed operatives of the DSS invaded a Federal High Court in Abuja, to seize Sowore on “fresh charges” of breaching his bail conditions hours after his initial release.
    The previous day, December 5, Sowore (and his co-defendant, Olawale Bakare) was released by the DSS on the strength of a ruling, on that day, by Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu.
    Besides giving the DSS 24 hours to free the detainees, and pay a fine of N100,000, the judge had threatened dire punishment should the service disobey, once again, to release the defendants.
    So, on the next court day, Friday, December 6, specially slated for a report of compliance with the court directive, and for resumption of the trial, DSS operatives invaded the court, to arrest Sowore.
    There’s a tug of war between the operatives and supporters of Sowore, to take possession of the activist. The milieu, in which “guns were cocked,” prompted an adjournment of proceedings.
    It took the shepherding by Sowore’s lead lawyer and rights activist, Mr Femi Falana, to persuade the operatives not to “desecrate” the “Temple of Justice,” but to go outside to effect the arrest of his client, who spent additional 18 days in confinement.
    While Mr Malami, in the interim, called for Sowore’s court files, many Nigerians didn’t expect a positive outcome from the Attorney General, who had said he couldn’t ask the DSS to release Sowore and others in similar dilemmas.
    Indeed, the watching public had hazarded that Malami, a close ally of President Buhari, only called for the detainees’ files in order to prolong their captivity through “contrived” adjournments and amendments or filing of fresh charges against them.
    In essence, the “Breaking News” of December 24, about the government directive to release Sowore and Bakare, and the long-held Dasuki, was a bolt out of the blue.
    That’s why the “conspiracy theory” that government’s hands were forced by external forces, particularly the United States of America, which days earlier, had placed Nigeria on a Security Watch List (SWL) over alleged religious and human rights abuses.
    Before the SWL slam, there’s a report that U.S. Senator Robert Menendez had written a letter, threatening American sanctions on Nigeria for refusing to release Sowore and others.
    The social media thus linked the letter to the release of Sowore. Some samplers: “Buhari bows to pressure from America.” “The fear of the U.S. government is the beginning of wisdom for Nigerian government.” “I now believe that dictators are indeed cowards.” “It was a foreign letter that compelled this lawless government to do the right thing.” “I sense the beginning of the cabals’ downfall.” “Sowore is the Saviour Nigerians have been looking for.”
    Nothing could persuade the purveyors of this narrative that the Buhari government acted at its discretion to release the detainees. Not even the usual “credible persons” they religiously follow could change their minds.
    In the heat of the debate, former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, had “revealed four Nigerians,” who persuaded President Buhari to release Dasuki and Sowore. He stated this on Twitter on December 24.
    He wrote: “I can tell you authoritatively that 4 people fought from within to get Dasuki & Sowore released & eventually managed to convince Buhari. They are Abba Kyari, Malami, Hadi Sirika and Kayode Fayemi. They represent the liberal and cerebral wing of the Buhari Govt. & I commend them.”
    But some see Fani-Kayode, an unrepentant critic of Buhari and his government, as “spinning” for the administration. “What haven’t we seen in this Nigeria,” a critic wrote on WhatsApp, adding, “Look at Fani-Kayode joining the ‘cabals’ to fool Nigerians.”
    It’s the same way others dismissed the explanation by Mr Malami, that the government took the decision to free Dasuki and Sowore on compassionate ground, and on its commitment to the rule of law and obedience to court orders.
    “Oh, where were they (government) when ‘fowl grow teeth,’?” a poster hollered on Facebook. “Is it just now they knew that Dasuki and Sowore needed compassion, and that they should obey lawful orders of the courts?” the critic said.
    No one should begrudge Nigerians expressing displeasure over government’s seeming proclivity to resorting to strong-arm tactics in dealing with offences people would readily ascribe to “settling scores” instead of the pursuit of law and order.
    But my point of departure with them is the simplistic conclusion that an American senator’s letter would quickly turn, into a lilly-livered civilian, an alleged “military dictator,” who the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) labels his rule as “worse than Adolf Hitler’s of Germany, and Samuel Doe’s of Liberia.”
    Does Buhari that Nigerians know present a visage to be cowed by external forces, least of all by a morally-bankrupt American senator mired in underage prostitution allegations?
    Let’s wean ourselves of this mentality that America or any other country can dictate to Nigeria how to run its domestic affairs. Nigeria isn’t a vassal state, but an independent Republic!
    * Mr. Ezomon, Journalist and Media Consultant, writes from Lagos, Nigeria.
  • No, Mr President: Your critics not unpatriotic, By Ehichioya Ezomon

    No, Mr President: Your critics not unpatriotic, By Ehichioya Ezomon

    Former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s latest “Open Letter” to President Muhammadu Buhari has raised a lot of dust, with the president labeling him and other critics of his administration as “unpatriotic.”
    The question to ask is: What did Dr. Obasanjo say that other Nigerians, individually and collectively, had not said since the heightened insecurity in the land?
    He had written about issues in the polity, particularly concerning the governments after his military headship of Nigeria in 1979, and not a few Nigerians, though, found such commentaries as unsavouring and irritating.
    From the late Presidents Shehu Shagari and Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, to President Goodluck Jonathan, and to Gens. Ibrahim Babangida, Sani Abacha and Abdulsalami Abubakar; Gen. Obasanjo had “meddled” in their governments, such that Abacha had to hang a “coup plot” on his neck, and detained him.
    Friend or foe, Obasanjo never spared any administration and its leadership. To him, they either toe his line or be fed with the poisoned chalice of his pen and/or tongue.
    Seeing and viewing himself as imbued with Solomonic wisdom and Messianic fervour, his approach to his successors in office is utter condescension. Hence, his messages, mostly in open letters, have been acidic in content and patronizing in delivery.
    Obasanjo’s escape of possible death by execution for alleged “coup plotting” didn’t deter him from “riding on the tiger’s back.” And it’s the turn of Gen. Buhari to feel the drip of his pen in three consecutive “letters” within a few months of each other.
    While previous “leaked” letters detailed alleged failure of Buhari to fulfill his campaign promises, last week’s “open letter” was essentially an invite to a “National Dialogue” on insecurity.
    As he noted: “Since the issue (insecurity) is of momentous concern to all well-meaning and all right-thinking Nigerians, it must be of great concern to you (Buhari), and collective thinking and dialoguing is the best way of finding an appropriate and adequate solution to the problem.”
    Even as he conduced his “deep worries” to about “four avoidable calamities,” Obasanjo recognized the president as one of the “well-meaning and right-thinking” Nigerians that should be concerned about the nation’s insecurity.
    Frightening as his alarm bell was, not many would imagine an Obasanjo tempering his persona, and offering conciliatory counsel to President Buhari, whom he reckons as his subordinate in age, career, political standing, worldview and statesmanship.
    But does this make him, and others “unpatriotic” for criticizing Buhari and his handling of the affairs of Nigeria? Certainly not! What the former president did is what Buhari’s aides may not dare.
    So, instructive here are the immortal words of the reggae maestro, Bob Nester Marley, who exhorts that, “Your worst enemy could be your best friend, and your best friend your worst enemy.”
    Or as a local adage goes, “Only your enemy can tell you that you have mouth odour.” And they don’t mind telling you in public, whereas your friends, even in private, would tell you that your mouth smells like the roses.
    Simply put, those that President Buhari termed “unpatriotic” (betrayer, collaborator, deserter, renegade, spy or traitor) may actually be the “loyalists” to save him from himself in these times of grave insecurity in the country.
    No matter the criticisms, so long as they aren’t subversive, we shouldn’t pigeon-hole Nigerians into “patriotic” or “unpatriotic” elements. That would be a situation of “us versus them,” and therefore “enemies of the State.”
    Our diversity – and our freedom and ability to speak truth to power – is our strength, and the way to harnessing this great asset is through programmes and actions that do not stereotype and stigmatize citizens as non-patriots.
    In this wise, Obasanjo’s open letter to the president doesn’t belong in the realm of unpatriotic acts. Let his not be a matter of “calling a dog a bad name in order to hang it.”
    Nonetheless, it’s time President Buhari realized his problem – perception – and how to overcome it. In politics and governance, perception matters. Ordinarily, reality should drive perception. But most times, perception leads, and muddies the reality.
    For allowing perception, or “body language” to define him and his administration, the president has earned many critics, including from the corps of his followers and supporters.
    Rather than looking at the concrete, and tangible things his government is doing to revamp Nigeria’s socio-political and economic morass, the people would rather focus on his body language, as the best barometer for his actions or inaction.
    Take the issue of the herders-farmers clashes. When it was brewing in the early part of the administration, and the victims, mostly the farmers, cried out, the presidency accusingly never issued any condemnation.
    But if the farmers retaliated, the authorities would reportedly give a stern warning against such reprisal attacks. Curiously, security operatives could arrest the farmers for “defending” themselves.
    Besides, what did the president say when a group, claiming to speak for the North, gave a 30-day ultimatum for Southern states to implement the controversial RUGA Settlement initiative, or it would take “action” against the 17 states of the South?
    In any case, the presidency had said that RUGA was the brainchild of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture. So, why was it its business, and not that of the ministry, to suspend the programme?
    Being silent or ambivalent on the issue created the impression that the Northern group had the presidency’s “backing” to issue its threats against the entire Southern Nigeria.
    But unprecedentedly, the presidency expeditiously “revoked” the directive by the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) for Fulani herders to leave the South if their safety was no longer guaranteed.
    This should be the stand of President Buhari and his government at all times: Quick and undiluted intervention on all matters. No room for conjectures, speculations and reading of his body language that could be exploited to undermine his intentions.
    Importantly, the president needs to connect, personally, with Nigerians, by leaving the comfort zone of Aso Rock Villa, and pay regular visits to the states, to meet with his constituents – Nigerians – that voted for him twice, for the exalted office.
    Buhari is president for all Nigerians, and not only for occupants of The Villa, his friends and political associates. He should speak to, and meet frequently with the masses, as no platitudes delivered from the seat of power could suffice for such intimacy that’s capable of engendering rapprochement that Nigeria desires sorely!
    * Mr. Ezomon, Journalist and Media Consultant, writes from Lagos, Nigeria.
  • Buhari to critics: ‘My military career wouldn’t have been possible if I didn’t sit for WASC’

    Buhari to critics: ‘My military career wouldn’t have been possible if I didn’t sit for WASC’

    President Muhammadu Buhari has said he would not have been able to join the Nigerian Army and advance his education if he did not sit for the West African School Certificate (WASC).

    Buhari said this Friday after the West African Examinations Council issued him an “attestation certificate” in an apparent move to counter criticisms over his failure to submit the required certificate for the 2019 election.

    The document, which showed Mr Buhari enrolled for the exams in 1961, was presented to the president by a delegation of WAEC led by its registrar, Iyi Uwadiae, accompanied by Olutise Adenipekun, head, national office, WAEC, Abiodun Aduloju, head of public affairs, WAEC, and Olufemi Oke, zonal coordinator, WAEC, Abuja.

    Mr Buhari thanked the examination board, established in 1952, and which conducts the WASC examination for University and JAMB entry examination in West African countries, for upholding its integrity over the years, adding that he did not expect anything less from the institution.

    The president said it would have been impossible for him to have attended the Defence Services Staff College, India (1973) and thereafter, United States Army War College, as a Nigerian military officer, if he did not sit for the WASC examinations in 1961.

    The president recounted that during his secondary school days, it was very difficult to commit examination fraud, even though it was not impossible.

    ”My colleagues and I who spent close to nine years in boarding school both in primary and secondary, including Gen. Musa Yar’Adua, when we intended to join the military we had to take a military examination.

    ”We were examined in three subjects, English, Mathematics and General Knowledge because English is the language for general instruction throughout the country because of our colonial heritage.

    ”Mathematics in the military was necessary, coupled with Geography. We were trained how to be dropped off in the bush, given only a pair of compass and since we were not astronomers, you have to learn to find your way, calculate, using the Pythagoras Theorem and others to work out your position,” he said.

    In his remarks, the registrar said it was possible for candidates to lose their examination certificates through fire and any other unfortunate incident.

    ”We don’t issue certificates twice but we can issue attestations or duplicate copy of the certificate.

    ”We also have what we refer to as confirmation; usually, universities were using this in those days when Information Technology was not in vogue.

    ”Whoever sat for WASC exams in whatever year, we have the records in our database, and Mr President, we have the records of the examinations you sat in 1961.

    ”We have the attestation of results which we issue to candidates who lost their certificates and confirmation of results,’’ Mr Uwadiae said

     

  • Pastor Adeboye insist tithing is essential to make heaven, blasts critics

    The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye has reacted to social media criticisms over his declaration that non-tithers will not make heaven.

    Pastor Adeboye, who spoke on Saturday at the church’s Northern Regional Camp in Jos, Plateau State, reiterated his warning that tithing was a necessary condition to inherit the Kingdom of God, adding that none of the requirementa should be left out.
    Pastor Adeboye drew criticism from several celebrities and on-air personalities after he warned about the dangers of ignoring tithing during the April Holy Ghost Service of the Redemption Camp along Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, stated that born-again Christians, who do not give to God one-tenth of their income, may not make heaven.
    Giving a message on the theme: ‘Stronger than My Enemy’, the ‘Daddy G.O.’ admonished the congregants to ignore those criticisms from those who have been “attacking me on the internet” but who do not know they are also attacking the church.
    The man of God quoted from the scripture in Matthew 23:23 where Jesus rebuked the scribes and pharisees for not complying with all the tenets of the Kingdom.
    The minister asked the congregation, “They say Pastor Adeboye only talks about tithes, is it only what I preach? Don’t I talk about holiness, healing, prosperity, salvation?”
    “Don’t let anybody deceive you because if you meet Jesus on the Last Day, you don’t say I stopped paying tithes because somebody said it is wrong,” he added.
    Speaking earlier, the G.O. also made reference to one of his critics, a pastor who used to run one of the biggest churches in Europe, but whose congregation have now dwindled.
    While stressing the need for members to avoid mockers, he drew an analogy of madness, which he categorised into three. The first are those, who are already mad and on the streets; second category he said is made up of well-dressed individuals, who might not appear mad but are actually mad, “in Yoruba they are called Were Alaso”; and the third category, he said, are those who stand by to watch the mad dancing.
    The two-day programme features ministration for pastors’ children, Workers and Ministers Conference, anointing service and an inter-denominational service.

  • Presidency highlights benefits of Buhari, Trump meeting, slams critics

    The presidency on Thursday lambasted critics for faulting President Muhammadu Buhari’s performance during his visit to the United States President, Donald Trump on Monday.

    The Presidency scored the visit high, saying the President was satisfied with its outcome.

    In a statement, Senior Special Assistant (Media and Publicity) Mallam Garba Shehu said the President got all he wanted from the U.S. government.

    While the statement did not specify or mention names of critics, it was obvious it was a rejoinder to earlier statements by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and others who had condemned the trip.

    Recall that the PDP and some individuals are among those that condemned the visit.

    In a statement on Wednesday, Obasanjo dismissed the trip, saying: “For whatever the meeting (between President Buhari and U.S. President Donald Trump) was worth, President Buhari again bungled another opportunity to self-redeem.”

    But in the statement titled: “Takeaways from the auspicious meeting between Presidents Muhammadu Buhari and Donald Trump,” Shehu said the visit would strengthen ties between both countries.

    Shehu said his write up was informed by the position of “the opponents of this administration, who have prayed and prayed very hard that our President in the course of his historic visit to the White House on Monday, April 30, 2018, would stumble badly or come back with nothing.”

    He added: “President Buhari, to the disappointment of this group, delivered a calm, brilliant performance. He refused to be provoked and did not get angry at the taunting. He instead turned his attention to the task at hand and at the end, came home satisfied that he got everything he wanted from the US administration.

    “The Rose Garden worked out very much for him as a routine engagement, certainly not like the make-or-break meeting as some wanted it to be.”

    Shehu went on: “It is also important that records be set straight to counter the mischief of opponents, some of whom have started rendering false narratives of a meeting to which they were neither invited nor in any way aware of its details.

    “The meeting of the two leaders happened in three phases. First, the one-on-one in which only the two of them were present. Then they had a working lunch, each leader accompanied by 10 top officials. President Buhari had with him the governors of Ogun and Plateau; the ministers of Foreign Affairs, Justice, Industry, Trade and Investment; the chairpersons of Senate and House of Representatives committees on international relations; the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, NIA; the Chief of Defence Staff and Nigeria’s Ambassador to the United States.

    “The US President had more-or-less the same representation, except that the Secretary of State who just got cleared for the job by the Senate hadn’t assumed office, so he was represented by the Deputy Secretary of State.

    “President Trump also brought with him the Director of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) which I must emphasise, is significant to Nigeria given the fact that the U.S. remains the largest contributor to the on-going effort to reconstruct the Northeast and resettle its millions of displaced persons.

    “The third engagement involving the two leaders was the joint press conference by the leaders, aired live by some major television networks across the world.”

    According to Shehu, the two leaders got on very well with each other. They also shared a common respect for each other. Some key remarks made by President Trump on our President sum this up. He said President Buhari ‘is a rare leader’; he said ‘I respect him a lot’ and said our leader had ‘succeeded in cutting down corruption’. He called President Buhari a ‘valued partner’ and a ‘strong democrat’.

    On the gains of the meeting, Shehu wrote: “The two parties had agreed before the meeting that discussions will be on three key issues, namely security/counter terrorism, trade, and development of democracy in Nigeria.

    “On security, the Nigerian delegation was pleased from the onset that the Trump administration had agreed to the major sale of military equipment to Nigeria. Team Nigeria was equally pleased about the much-increased role of the US in assisting the efforts to defeat terrorism in Nigeria and the Lake Chad region in general.

    “The President expressed appreciation for these and requested additional support to counter insurgency.

    “On the specific issue of the sale of the 12 Super Tucano A-29 warplanes and weapons to Nigeria to effectively fight terrorism, President Buhari told his American counterpart that we are pleased with this, but want delivery to be fast-tracked, given the security situation in the country.

    “Expectedly, President Trump said yes to this, and, additionally promised the sale of helicopters and about just everything President Buhari wanted.

    “Still on President Buhari’s meeting with Trump, it is important to explain the context of the remarks by President Trump where he was quoted as saying the U.S is concerned about the murder or killing, as he put it, of Christians. At the press conference, President Trump, towards the end of his remarks, mentioned the protection of ‘innocent civilians of all faiths, including Muslims and Christians’, which reporters left out.”

    Shehu said: “In his remarks, the US President neither chided nor talked down on President Buhari. Saying that ‘we will do something about that,’ is a clear expression of willingness to support Nigeria to bring to an end the unwanted killings. This is contrary to the press reporting which jumped on the issue, conveying a wrong impression that President Trump was only concerned about the lives of Christians. He mentioned Muslim lives as well.

    ”Equally wrong was the hasty condemnation of the U.S. President by some Muslim groups in the country without the benefit of a full view and understanding of what was said and the context in which it was said.

    “The President also conveyed the country’s appreciation for the U.S. support for the humanitarian situation in the Northeast, with a contribution of 500 million US Dollars in cash and in-kind contributions, the highest by anyone, through the United Nations and other inter-governmental organisations.

    ”But the scope of work to be done is larger than anyone had envisaged and Nigeria wanted the US to do more. President Trump didn’t say no, only that he wanted more access to the Nigerian market for their agricultural goods.

    “For a country which we assist with USD 1 billion dollars every year, you must do more to open the market to us,” Trump said. These are matters to be debated and resolved.

    “This leads us to the next important issue- Trade. Pointedly, President Trump did not mince words when he said: ‘‘President Buhari has also taken several steps to fight corruption and improve the Nigerian business climate. And most of all to me — and again — is ripping down those trade barriers. These measures will make it easier for Nigeria and the United States companies to invest. And we will be investing substantially in Nigeria if they can create that level playing field that we have to very much ask for, and maybe demand.

    “With the blessing of the two leaders, assets recovery is also getting a major boost. The Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, was directed to sit down with Jeff Sessions, his US counterpart, to have a roadmap for the recovery of USD 500 million of Nigerian stolen assets hidden in the US. They will also finalise on the return of USD 1 million of the Diepreye Alamieyeseigha loot.

    “Immediately after the bilateral engagement, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Geoffrey Onyeama and Minister of Justice, Malami, met with their U.S. counterparts. In the months ahead, the Minister for Industry, Trade and Investment, Okechukwu Enelamah, will also meet with his U.S. counterpart, Wilbur Ross.

    “When he was asked if Nigeria had succeeded in getting America to buy more of our oil, President Buhari said he did not. We have others buying our oil. Must we sell to a particular buyer?

    “This government will smartly work with the current American government, knowing that American interests are not always ours, as a strategic partner on security, anti-corruption economic growth and job creation.”

  • Zuma: Okorocha blasts critics, says ‘I owe no one any apology, expect more statues’

    Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State has reacted to critics condemning his recent invitation and honouring of the South African President, Jacob Zuma.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that apart from honouring Zuma with the highest honourary title in the state, Okorocha also unveiled a gigantic statue of the South African President and also named a road after him.

    The decision has been widely criticised as endorsing the governance style of a president who is facing corruption charges in his country.

    The critics also lamented that Zuma had been helpless to the recent xenophobic attacks and killings of innocent Nigerians in the South African country.

    However, in a swift reaction, the governor explained that everything he was doing was to reawaken the lost glory of the state which the former ruling party, PDP, had hitherto destroyed.

    This was revealed in a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Sam Onwuemeodo, on Tuesday.

    “If it was in the days of PDP, Schools and Markets would have been shot down. And roads closed because President Zuma was coming. But none of such things was done because Rochas and his government have human face. The PDP for the 12 years they held sway never attracted any meaningful visitor to the State except PDP NEC members who were coming to loot the State,” the statement read.

    Mr. Onwuemeodo in the statement also explained the rationale behind the governor’s gesture, saying Mr. Zuma’s visit was principally to sign a MoU between Jacob Zuma Education Foundation and Rochas Foundation College of Africa.

    Furthermore, he said a meeting was also held with Mr. Zuma and other businessmen at the Ikemba Ojukwu centre, including Leo Stan Ekeh of Zinox Computers, Dr. Pascal Dozie of Diamond Bank, Chairman of Innoson Motors, and a host of others.

    After the meeting, the state government decided to encourage the South African president to do more and appreciated him for coming by honouring him with a Merit Award and erecting his statue, the statement added.

    In a non-apologetic manner, Mr. Onwuemeodo said Gov. Rochas was determined to bring development to Imo state and would not be deterred by criticisms.

    “And in case these “Galatians” do not know, if all we need to do to attract good things or investments to Imo is erecting statues, then, we have no option than to erect as many of such structures as possible. We owe no one apology. Rochas made a promise to open the doors of Imo to the rest of the world, for good and he is doing that and we cannot be deterred by these enemies of our people,” he said.

  • 2019: Tender your corrupt evidences against me now or shut up forever, Atiku blasts critics

    2019: Tender your corrupt evidences against me now or shut up forever, Atiku blasts critics

    Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has advised his self-righteous political enemies to either prove his alleged corrupt activities or mind the skeletons in their own closets and keep quiet.
    The APC Chieftain also said that he would fight corruption like never before if he is given the opportunity to preside over the affairs of the country.
    Atiku Abubakar made the charge at a facility tour of the new ultra-modern Yaliam Press Limited in Jabi area of Abuja on Monday.
    In a press statement released by his media office in Abuja, the former Vice President said, “It is sickening to continue to regurgitate allegations of corruption against me by people who have failed to come forward with a single shred of evidence of my misconduct while in office.”
    He added that people who have no initiative, personal resourcefulness and ideas about wealth creation, always assume that a man cannot build himself without stealing.
    According to him, “People who are bereft of ideas about entrepreneurial spirit always think that everyone else is a thief just like them.”
    He added that it is morally offensive for people who despise honest labour to become judges in the courts of public opinion.
    The Waziri Adamawa explained that though he has not been convicted of corruption by any court in the land or elsewhere, his political enemies have been parading a fake morality to fool gullible Nigerians.
    “Despite previous desperate efforts to link me with corruption, the William Jefferson trial in the United States ended in 2009 without indicting me or linking me to corrupt activities,” he said.
    Atiku, who was responding to the welcome address by the Chairman/CEO of Yaliam Press Limited, Yahaya Ali Amfani, recalled that he had pasted a reminder at his bed rest during his training as a Custom Officer that he (Atiku) would retire from any agency if he had not attained the headship of the place at the age of 40.
    Atiku said that he was only able to attain the position of Deputy Director before his exit in 1989 to chart a career in business.
    Atiku told the management and staff of Yaliam Press that he retired from the Customs Service with untainted record, and that if anybody has evidence that he stole a kobo at the Customs or during his tenure as vice president, such accusers should come forward or file a petition against him.
    Atiku said he didn’t become a Vice President in 1999 as a pauper because he has been a successful investor throughout his retirement life.
    “If Atiku is a thief merely because of his resourcefulness and successful investments, my political enemies should tell Nigerians the sources of their own stupendous wealth,” he added.
    He charged the management and staff of the company to manifest the values of honesty, hard work and diligence, attributes, he said stood him in good stead during his years as a public servant and entrepreneur.
    The former Vice President said he is well equipped to fight corruption because of his vast experiences both in the public and private sectors and his ability to build a team capable of accomplishing the task.
    “I will shock everyone because I believe that I will fight corruption like never before,” he said.

  • My critics were never victimised against while in office – Jonathan

    My critics were never victimised against while in office – Jonathan

    Former President, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has said while in office he demonstrated the highest form of regard to all including his perceived critics.

    Jonathan made the remark on Friday while responding to one Mohammad DeeDee who pleaded for his forgiveness on Twitter.

    In November 2014, DeeDee had criticised the former President over the high exchange rate.

    DeeDee had wrote: “Today a dollar is N180 and a pound is N280 hope u have a family…this is really d transformation agenda..!! GEJ has finished Nigeria.”

    But realising that things have taken a worse turn under the current administration, with the dollar trading at N500, and pound N600, DeeDee pleaded with Jonathan to forgive him over the past criticism.

    DeeDee asked Senator from Bayelsa, Ben Murray Bruce to reach put to the former President on his behalf.

    Reacting to DeeDee’s appeal, Jonathan urged his critic not to feel bad, stressing that the former only performed his patriotic duty.

    Jonathan who took to his Facebook page said one quality of a good leader is the ability to appreciate criticism.

    He wrote: “There is no need for forgiveness because you did not commit any sin against me.

    “I never felt offended or held a grudge. Mohammad, please do not feel bad. You did what you did as your patriotic duty.

    “A true leader must appreciate his critics. Sometimes they tell him the truth more than friends. I appreciate you. God bless you Mohammad.”

  • Presidency replies Fayose over N5,000 stipend, says ignore critics, payment is real

    Presidency replies Fayose over N5,000 stipend, says ignore critics, payment is real

    The Presidency on Wednesday dismissed insinuation in some quarters that the commencement of the payment of N5,000 stipend to the less-privileged Nigerians was a “mere propaganda’’.

    Mr Femi Adesina, the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President, stated this while fielding questions from State House correspondents in Abuja.

    Adesina’s remarks was coming on the heels of criticism by Gov. Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State that Federal Government was using the scheme as a propaganda machine to score cheap political goals.

    However, the Presidential spokesman urged Nigerians to be wary of its detractors as government continues to implement policies tailored towards uplifting their quality of life.

    “On the N5,000 stipend for the poorest of the poor. It was announced specifically from the office of the Vice-President that the scheme has started in nine states and then someone came and said ‘is not true’.

    “Is just a matter of who do you believe. This is a government that is built on integrity and accountability.

    “This government will not lie to Nigerians, does not lie to Nigerians, in fact anything you hear from this government you can take it to the bank, believe it.

    “So, if anybody says `it is politics’, is not true. Choose who to believe I can tell you that you should believe this government because this government will not lie to you,’’ he said.

    Adesina said that the federal government had already commenced payment of N5,000 stipends to poor Nigerians as against insinuations that the programme had not commenced.

    Recall that Fayose in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Idowu Adelusi, described as propaganda the federal government N5,000 monthly stipends to one million poor Nigerians.

    The governor said most of the states listed were APC states and would not publicly refute the claim.

    He challenged the federal government to publish the names of people collecting the stipends and their accounts.

  • Critics thought my presidency would last only a year – Obama

    Critics thought my presidency would last only a year – Obama

    Outgoing U.S. President Barack Obama has disclosed that some people believe that he would not survive more than a year as U.S. President.

    Obama disclosed this in his remarks at the 2016 Hanukkah Reception at the White House.

    The Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple (the Second Temple) in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid Empire.

    “I want to say how much Michelle and I appreciate the opportunities to have celebrated so many Hanukkahs with you in the White House.

    “You know, at the beginning of my presidency, some critics thought it would last for only a year.

    “But, miracle of miracles, it has lasted eight years.

    “It’s lasted eight whole years. Nes Gadol Haya Po,” the two-term U.S. president said.

    Hanukkah is observed for eight nights and days, starting on the 25th day of Kislev according to the Hebrew calendar, which may occur at any time from late November to late December in the Gregorian calendar.

    It is also known as the Festival of Lights and the Feast of Dedication.

    The Hanukkah 2016 celebrations will start on the evening of Saturday, Dec. 24, 2016, and will end on the evening of Sunday, Jan. 1, 2017.

    Obama remarked that “as many of you know, the name ‘Hanukkah’ comes from the Hebrew word for ‘dedication’.

    “So we want to thank you again for your dedication to our country, to the historic progress that we’ve made, to the defense of religious freedom in the United States and around the world.

    “Today in the White House, as you will soon do in your homes, we recall Hanukkah’s many lessons: How a small group can make a big difference.

    “That’s the story of the Maccabees’ unlikely military victory, and of great moral movements around the globe and across time. How a little bit can go a long way, like the small measure of oil that outlasted every expectation.

    “It reminds us that even when our resources seem limited, our faith can help us make the most of what little we have.

    “The small State of Israel and the relatively small Jewish population of this country have punched far above their weight in their contributions to the world. So the Festival of Lights is also a reminder of how Isaiah saw the Jewish people, as a light unto the nations.”

    According to him, this is the season that we appreciate the many miracles, large and small, that have graced our lives throughout generations, and to recognise that the most meaningful among them is our freedom.

    “The first chapter of the Hanukkah story was written 22 centuries ago, when rulers banned religious rituals and persecuted Jews who dared to observe their faith.

    “Which is why today we are asked not only to light the menorah, but to proudly display it – to publicise the mitzvah. And that’s why we’ve invited all these reporters who are here.”

    He said that everybody in America could understand the spirit of the Hanukkah tradition.

    “Proudly practicing our religion, whatever it might be – and defending the rights of others to do the same – that’s our common creed.

    “That’s what families from coast to coast confirm when they place their menorah in the window ‘ not to share the candles’ glow with just your family, but also with your community and with your neighbors.

    “The story of Hanukkah, the story of the Jewish people, the story of perseverance – these are one and the same,” the outgoing U.S. President said.

    Recall Obama made history when he was inaugurated as the 44th U.S. President on Jan. 20, 2008 as the first Black man in the history of U.S. to achieve such enviable feats.

    The former Illinois senator, who still receives high popularity ratings among Americans, won re-election for the second and last term in 2012 and will be out of office on Jan. 20, 2017.