Home Blog Page 3809

Nigerian Oil Workers [NUPENG & PENGASSAN] Give Government 14 Days Ultimatum

Mohammed Useni
-
0
Nigerian Oil Workers [NUPENG & PENGASSAN] Give Government 14 Days Ultimatum

Two industrial unions in the oil and gas sector on Friday gave the Federal Government a 14-day ultimatum to intervene in the issue of victimisation of some of their colleagues by multinational oil firms and other pressing issues.

The President of NUPENG, Achese Igwe, and his PENGASSAN counterpart, Francis Johnson, gave the ultimatum midway into a joint National Executive Council meeting of the two unions in Abuja on Friday.

Johnson, while addressing newsmen, said the unions had to give the ultimatum to withdraw their services in the oil sector to call government’s attention to pressing issues in the oil sector.

He said this was after exhausting all efforts to solve the issues through dialogue.

He added that the issues include the transfer and sacking of national officers of NUPENG and PENGASSAN by Total and MOBIL, casualisation of workers, violation of workers right to unionisation at the Export Free Zone in Rivers.

He said others are pipeline vandalism and oil theft, the non-passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill, the growing state of terrorism and kidnapping, non-payment of terminal benefit of workers whose appointments have been terminated and appointment inconsistencies in the NNPC.

The president of NUPENG also explained that the unions were left with no better option than to give the ultimatum to go on strike after engaging the General Managing Director of NNPC, Dr Joseph Dawha.

Igwe said the unions had met with the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Deziani Alison-Maduekwe, the State Security Service, and the management of the affected oil firms.

He added that the leadership of the unions had pleaded with them to reverse the sacking and transfer of the union leaders in their companies but without success.

Igwe also called on the National Assembly to give accelerated hearing to the Petroleum Industry Bill to ensure its passage into law as the current law establishing the NNPC had become obsolete.

He advised the Federal Government to treat the issue of dilapidated roads to the petroleum facilities with urgency.

He also urged the Federal Government to provide necessary facilities to upgrade the Petroleum Training Institute, Effurun, Delta, in consonance with its approved status as petroleum university.

Boko Haram Shekau In New Video Denies Ceasefire, Says Chibok Schoolgirls Married Off

Mohammed Useni
-
0
Boko Haram Shekau In New Video Denies Ceasefire, Says Chibok Schoolgirls Married Off

A video released by Terrorists Leader, Abubakar Shekau claims the issue of the abducted schoolgirls in Chibok has long been resolved as they’ve all been sold out.

Shekau who made the recording available to the France Press clearly made it known that that the President Goodluck Jonathan will never be able to bring back the girls even after world outrage over their abduction.

The whole campaign, with international flavour, has been a waste of time as Abubakar Shekau, the Boko Haram leader said in a new video today that the 219 girls captured in April have been married after their conversion to Islam.

The schoolgirls were captured on 14 April in Chibok, Borno state. They have not been seen since then.

Shekau also denied what observers have long suspected: his group has never agreed to a ceasefire with the Nigerian government.

In the new video obtained on Friday by Agency France-Presse, Shekau described the Nigerian government claims as a lie. He also ruled out future talks.

The Boko Haram leader also claimed to be holding a German national, who was kidnapped in the northeast Nigerian state of Adamawa earlier this year.

Shekau’s claim that they were “holding your German hostage” is the first claim of responsibility for the abduction, which happened in Gombi, about 100 kilometres (62 miles) from the Adamawa state capital, Yola, on July 16.

The German foreign ministry in Berlin said it did not want to comment when contacted by AFP

On the night of 14–15 April 2014, 276, female students were kidnapped from the Government Secondary School in the town of Chibok in Borno State, Nigeria. Responsibility for the kidnappings was claimed by Boko Haram, an Islamic Jihadist and terrorist organization based in northeast Nigeria.

On 17 October 2014, hopes were raised that the 219 remaining girls might soon be released after the Nigerian army announced a truce between Boko Haram and government forces. The announcement coincided with the six-month anniversary of the girls’ capture and followed a month of negotiations mediated in Saudi Arabia by Chadian president, Idriss Deby.

The announcement was, however, met with doubts because it wasn’t the first time the Nigerian government had claimed a breakthrough in negotiations with the Islamic militant group – it had to backtrack on a previous announcement in September after saying the girls had been released and were being held in military barracks.

Pat Utomi: Framing The Issues, The 2015 Elections

Mohammed Useni
-
0
Pat Utomi: Framing The Issues, The 2015 Elections

Elections are in the horizon but the issues do not seem to be aligned with the real trouble of the moment. Why are we in such a trauma of poverty and so much unemployment and we are caught up with a thousand unrelated issues. Is it life imitating. Art as we seem to have found all kinds of jokes about our condition. Is the political class trying to prove the jokes. Sometime I wander if it is a bad dream.

Perhaps we can get to the really serious issues but begin with the jokes. The first one is credited, I hope correctly, to Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah. It goes more or less like this: Africa’s education system produces some incredible outcomes. The brightest, first class minds go to University and study medicine, Engineering and such others. The next best go to Business schools and boss the ones who went to study engineering and medicine, as ceos; then the 3rd class materials enter politics and rule over the smarter ones.

But the ones who could not make it to University become criminals and politicians are beholden to them because they make the abuse of elections possible. So they become the true bosses of the politiciansFinally the drop outs who could not even find the courage to try crime become prophets and all from the engineers to the politicians and criminals follow them.

Truth about this is that it seems an anecdotal reference to our reality; just that some of the Doctors descend to be politicians and some of the ceos end up as prophets so it is a little more fluid than the joke makes out.

In the second joke the criminals and politicians are threatened with arrest for not paying their taxes. They pay their taxes promptly and the Pastor announces that to thank God for the tenth anniversary of his Ministry he has bought a private Jet and A Rolls Royce and the entire church including the policeman guarding him and the chairman of the Inland Revenue service in the Congregation rise to bless God for His doings which is marvelous in the their eyes. None as much thinks of tax.

This may not be the best of humor even though we laugh quite loudly about it but does not point to why a country of very talented people manages to underperform so spectacularly? Many doubt it. But that could be a ticking time bomb.

So we enter an election season that should be a single issue election because of how much that subject threatens the future, yet there is hardly any sign the issues are being framed or that this issue will loom large in the campaigns.

That issue, of course, is unemployment. In any normal country nobody running for office today who cannot show how their seeking office will be leading to significant job creation, or incumbents not defending their job creation records should even as much as get a listening from voters. But, as if to prove the point of the joke that we in the political class are the Third class people governed by the criminals the unwillingness to frame the issues and encourage debates makes the normal feel nausea welling up inside.

The lie about the level of unemployment, compounded by the significant phenomenon of disguised unemployment and an unproductive enterprise called politics as the most lucrative business in town, make a mockery of the election process and the main issue we should all be focusing on still desperation to ‘win’ persists. And you ask win to what. See how many died and how many sustained issues in local government election held in Delta state a week ago.

The triumph of politics over leadership and serious care for a viable future for the generations to come can be seen everywhere, from five Group Managing Directors of NNPC in as many years, and the wobbly state of Oil and Gas sector. Yet no one is taking on these challenges as part of the elections process. Except in Agriculture and one or two other areas the story is more or less the same, worse at the subnational level that should be the real drivers of development than at the centre.

What are the effects of the choices being made in Oil and Gas for our collective well-being and how can elections help us discuss them and make that enclave sector that hardly creates jobs yet has the potential to be a source for hundreds of thousands if not millions of quality jobs.

The NNPC revolving doors reminded me so much of how we make objects of international ridicule, our ways, making a serious conversation critical to an election year. In 1996 a departing World Bank country Representative, Gerald Flood remarked at his going – away reception how the Nigerian assignment was without a dull moment. For example, he said, he had the privilege of working with six finance ministers in the three years he spent in Nigeria.

I thought it unlikely. Then I began counting, Kalu Idika, Alhaji Abubakar Alhaji, the other Alhaji Abubakar who was succeeded by Oba Oladele Olashore, Aminu Saleh… oh my God, it is true.

Let me tell you of one damage that did to the economy. Banks we predominantly government owned at the time. Each minister, wanted to appoint his own Managing Directors of Banks and Executive Directors. The banks became revolving doors of graft and the shocks reverberated across the economy.

Why is this not part of the electioneering campaign so that institutions can emerge that set boundaries to such unwelcome conduct. Can the effect of such instability around which I wrote the 1998 book Managing Uncertainty, not so obvious in poor economic performance, job loses etc?

There are many questions arising down this path and if our politics cannot address such the process will just be a never ending joke on us.

As the jokes suggest we have managed to reverse the order of things compared to societies that are making progress. Styles and images of leadership follow these patterns in my reflections; three emphasized in the Christian Biblical tradition; servant, Shepherd and Steward; and a typology I have called solicitor leadership based on advocacy and building followership into a movement from stoutly arguing a point of view, as Ralph Nader does, in consumer rights issues, and Mohandas Gandhi did for matters of rights of the colonized.

As we look at 2015 do we see leadership that can help with a myriad of problems confronting us even in the face of potential. But will the 2015 elections process, because of machine politics allow a leadership to emerge that can address today’s pressing challenges?

__________________________
Pat Utomi, Political Economist and Professor of Entrepreneurship is founder of the Centre for Values in Leadership.

Disclaimer

It is the policy of NewsWireNGR not to endorse or oppose any opinion expressed by a User or Content provided by a User, Contributor, or other independent party.
Opinion pieces and contributions are the opinions of the writers only and do not represent the opinions of NewsWireNGR

IGP Lays Foundation For The Development Of Nigeria Police Technological Infrastructure

Mohammed Useni
-
0
IGP Lays Foundation For The Development Of Nigeria Police Technological Infrastructure
31st October,2014
Press Release
The Inspector-General of Police, Ag.IGP Suleiman Abba, ,  CFR, NPOM, NPM, mni  Yesterday inaugurated a Technical Audit Committee for the assessment of the Nigeria Police Force Technical Assets.
 
The ceremony which took place at the Force Headquarters, Abuja, was an affirmation of the pivotal role of Information Communication Technology (ICT) in transforming the Nigeria Police into a world-class crime prevention organization.
 
The IGP in his address enjoined members of the Committee to work tirelessly as a team to achieve the objectives for which the Committee was set up. The Police boss used the occasion to re-echo his desire to transform the Nigeria Police Force into a leading national, professional and efficient law enforcement organization.
 
The Committee is mandated to among others:
  1. Audit the current status of technical and technological infrastructure of the NPF;
  2. Help the Nigeria Police Force develop a framework for assessment of its technology requirements;
  3. Help the Nigeria Police Force asses its current human resources capacity and determine the types of technical training that may be required to bring its technical personnel up to speed;
  4. Provide designs that will conform to best practices and world-class standard etc.

 

  • Ag. CP EMMANUEL OJUKWU, psc
  • FORCE PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER,
  • FORCE HEADQUARTERS,ABUJA.

Timi Frank:Transformation Agenda Or Non-Transformation Agenda: What President Jonathan Said On Power Supply (series 1)

Mohammed Useni
-
0
Timi Frank:Transformation Agenda Or Non-Transformation Agenda: What President Jonathan Said On Power Supply (series 1)

Speaking with United Nations diplomats on Monday, 31st January 2011 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, President Goodluck Jonathan made this promise:

“If I’m voted into power, within the next four years, the issue of power will become a thing of the past. Four years is enough for anyone in power to make a significant improvement and if I can’t improve on power within this period, it then means I cannot do anything…”

Three years later, in January 2014, in anticipation of his 2015 presidential bid, the same Goodluck Jonathan issued a six-moth ultimatum to power companies to hurriedly address the power situation in the country. Six months came, and six months went, and today, Nigeria’s power generation and supply is at an all time low.

Fifteen years ago, when Nigeria’s democracy was still relatively new, the People’s Democratic Party told Nigerians that we had a 6000mw installed capacity of electricity, and “within a year, this would go up to 10,000mw.” Fifteen years later, with over $50billion spent on the power sector alone, we are now being told by the Goodluck Jonathan administration that power generation in Nigeria has “increased from 3000mw to 4000mw.” With this inconsistency in question, it is clear that instead of Nigeria’s power generation and supply increasing and progressing under the leadership of Goodluck Jonathan, it has gotten worse.

However, regardless of the inconsistent figures, let us search our hearts and ask ourselves: has power improved in our homes? Do we have more light that we used to have? Or is the government spending our collective money on invisible power generation projects, while quoting fabricated power generation figures?

Sometime in 2013, a legislative delegation led by Senate President, David Mark, went to inspect the Mambilla Plateau, that hosts one of Nigeria’s hydro-electric dams. With over N160billion ($1billon) spent on this project, the delegation was expecting to find a facility that had up to 2000mw generating capacity. Instead, what the delegation found was that next to nothing had been done on the project – the dam site had not even been cleared; making the media speculate that the money for this much-needed project had lined the pockets of associates of the ruling party.

Earlier this year, the Federal Government again announced that an additional N752billion has been earmarked for the power sector over the next few years. In the atmosphere of this report, recent studies have shown that due to the government’s inability to provide light for the people, today, everyday Nigerians have been forced to spend N796.4billion of their own hard-earned income to fuel their generators annually. What this means is that over the next four years, if Goodluck Jonathan is re-elected, based on his track-record (or a lack thereof) of not being able to solve the power situation in the country, cumulatively, everyday Nigerian households will be forced to spend $19.2billion on fuel, which is equivalent to N3.1trillion.

Another 2009 study on electricity distribution among the six geo-political zones in Nigeria showed that on average, these days, Nigerians enjoy only four to six hours of power supply per day. However, in 2009, the Federal Government and the power holding companies told Nigerians that of the 10 National Integrated Power Projects (NIPPs), four had been completed, and six were 80 to 90 per cent completed.

More than 24 months later, and $8billion spent on these projects alone, WHAT DO WE HAVE TO SHOW FOR IT?

In this regard, it is time that as a nation, we begin to ask ourselves: WHAT HAS THE PRESIDENT BEEN DOING WITH ALL THE MONEY THAT HAS BEEN SPENT ON POWER GENERATION SINCE HE TOOK OFFICE?

We must also question the significance of the President’s statement, especially when he said that if he cannot improve power within four years, it means that he cannot do anything…

The results (or a lack thereof) have begun to speak for themselves…

__________________

Article  written by Timi Frank, he can  be  reached via [email protected]

Disclaimer

It is the policy of NewsWireNGR not to endorse or oppose any opinion expressed by a User or Content provided by a User, Contributor, or other independent party.
Opinion pieces and contributions are the opinions of the writers only and do not represent the opinions of NewsWireNGR.

 

Defection : Tambuwal Asks Court To Stop PDP From Removing Him As Speaker

Mohammed Useni
-
0
Defection : Tambuwal Asks Court To Stop PDP From Removing Him As Speaker

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Aminu Tambuwal  on Friday filed a suit against his former party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, the national chairman of the party, Alhaji Adamu Muazu, the deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Inspector General of Police, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, at a Federal high court in Abuja.

The Speaker who recently defected from the ruling party to the opposition wants the court to stop moves being made by the PDP to declare his seat vacant asking the court to preserve his tenure  until its expiration on June 5,  2015.

He wants the court to make an order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendants from taking any steps whatsoever to abrogate, diminish or infringe on his rights and privileges as the Speaker of the House of Representatives before the expiration of his current tenure.

Further more, the embattled Speaker wants the court to restrain INEC from accepting any nomination of candidates or otherwise organizing or conducting a ‘bye election for the purpose of replacing him or taking over his seat as the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

He also asked the court to make an order of mandatory injunction compelling the defendants to restore his security details all rights, benefits and privileges appurtenant to members of and the office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

He averred that he was not elected Speaker of the House of Representatives by reason of his membership of the PDP and that his defection from the party was due to crisis in the party which led to the emergence of two factions.

 

Burkina Faso President Resigns, Flees Ouagadougou

Mohammed Useni
-
0

President Blaise Compaore of Burkina Faso who resigned on Friday after political uprising in the nation has left the capital Ouagadougou and fled towards the south of the country.
President Blaise Compaore has “left for the south. He’s still in the country,” said a diplomatic source, who did not wish to be named.
A crowd gathers on October 31, 2014 in front of army headquarters in Ouagadougou, demanding that the army take over following the resignation of the president. Burkina Faso’s army chief Navere Honore Traore said he was taking power on October 31 as head of state after President Blaise Compaore announced his resignation as tens of thousands of protesters demanded that he quit immediately after a day of unrest that saw mass protests and the storming of parliament and other public buildings.
Paris said that Compaore should have little difficulty in travelling across borders as he was not subject to an international travel ban.
Compaore has not asked for refuge in France and such a trip is not being discussed, the source added.
Compaore served two seven-year terms before a change to the constitution allowed him to serve another two five-year terms.
He had been seeking to amend the constitution to be able to run for re-election once again in 2015

Joe Igbokwe: Why President Jonathan Cannot Continue In 2015

Mohammed Useni
-
0
Joe Igbokwe: Why President Jonathan Cannot Continue In 2015

All the history books I have read tell me that when a Nation is in crisis a great leader must emerge to reposition and restructure the system for the better. I recall the great depression in the 1930s in the United States and how Mr. Franklin D. Roosevelt had a turning point in his political career when he was elected the President of the United States in 1932. The 1929/30 great depression provided an opportunity for him to emerge. America was in deep economic crisis. Millions lost their jobs as factories closed down. The banking system collapsed. There was total loss of faith in America. They needed a great and strong President. They voted in Roosevelt. He gave Americans the NEW DEAL.

All things considered, Nigeria is today at cross roads and something needs to give way. From all indications, from all angles and from all calculations it is obvious now that if we continue with PDP and President Jonathan, the Titanic called Nigeria may hit an iceberg. President Jonathan’s ambition to continue to seek reelection after completing the late President Yar’Adua 8years portends grave danger for Nigeria. That ambition if it becomes a reality means that Southern Nigeria would have ruled Nigeria for 18years by 2019. This is not what we struggled for from 1984 to 1999. This is threat to national stability and national cohesion, and a distortion of Nigeria’s political equation and equilibrium. It will at once bring to the fore the North and South divide and political dichotomy. The explosive North/South religious tensions will rise. Consequently, this inordinate ambition will put a knife on things that have held us together as one political entity.

Nigerians who are worried by the level of corruption and open stealing in Nigeria may not want President Jonathan to continue for another four years. Corruption is threatening our political, economic and social life. Investment funds are in private pockets, the system is not working and people who deserve nothing are pocketing billions and are asking us to go to hell. They abuse us on a daily basis, threatening our lives and dare us to challenge them. Great countries all over the world have been built through discipline and hard work but corruption has torn great nations down.

Another great reason why President GEJ cannot continue in 2015 is the inability of his government to stop impunity, and political brigandage. Public Servants and ordinary citizens have caused colossal damage to project Nigeria and asked us to do our worst. Wanted criminals and Drug Barons use our law enforcement agents to oppress, repress and suppress the poor and steal our votes, and challenges to dire them.

As I write this, insecurity has become the greatest problem facing Nigeria. Boko Haram has killed nearly 12,000 Nigerians, young and old in the past six years, and yet the end is not in sight. The insurgents have made our security Agencies including our once highly rated standing Army to look like a rag tagged Army. Our soldiers now run away from these insurgents. Today we hear of mutinies, we hear of our soldiers being captured and disarmed and we hear of recruits disobeying Generals in the Army. This nonsense must stop. This national drift must stop now or Nigeria goes under.

In 1999, PDP led Federal Government met more than Three Thousand Megawatts of electricity and after almost sixteen years Nigeria has gone under three thousand Mega Watts despite the obvious and painful truth that we have invested billions of dollars in the power sector. Compare this with Governor Fashola’s Lagos which has built its five Power Stations; Akute IPP, Alausa IPP, Mainland IPP, Island IPP, AND Lekki IPP in a very short time, with a minimum amount of money to power critical sectors like Courts, Hospitals, Schools, Government offices etc. we need new competent and strong hands to run Nigeria now before it is too late.

Again, never in the history of this country has a sitting Head of State played up ethnic and religious politics the way President Jonathan has done. He has completely divided Nigeria along religious and ethnic lines, pitching Christianity against Islam, leaders against leaders, youths against youths, fathers against fathers and mothers against mothers. He hardly visits the Northern part of Nigeria as Commander-In-Chief. He goes about with corrupt Bishops and ethnic chauvinists and display hate to other religions. His body language suggests that he is telling the world that Nigeria is no longer a secular State. This dangerous drift must stop.

Crude oil theft under President Jonathan has assumed a frightening dimension. Reports have it that never in the history of this country have we had it so bad. This year alone this country lost huge crude oil to oil thieves, more than what we have lost in the five-years. We heard it from reliable sources that the President seems to pretend to be looking the other way while people mainly from his ethnic stock steal the country dry with reckless abandon. He seems to be telling them that “this is your time, go and take as much as you can before I go. If I go you may not have this opportunity again in your lifetime”

Abuse of power and privileges is another tangible reason why Nigerians must reject Jonathan as President beyond 2015. We saw this in Ekiti State, we saw it in Ondo State. We saw it in Anambra State, Adamawa, Osun, Nasarawa, Niger States etc. These are States where PDP has interest and they are ready to sink the boat to get what they want. The Speaker House of Reps just moved from PDP to APC and IGP has ordered the withdrawal of his Security details. Now, did IGP withdraw Security details from Mimiko, Peter Obi and the National Legislators from Anambra State who moved to PDP? This is double standards! This is executive lawlessness and at best, executive desperation.

We have seen Asari Dokubo and Chief Edwin Clark abusing and threatening and cursing other Nigerians because they criticized their President, and yet President Jonathan looks the other way. Now the President must know that he is the President of 160million Nigerians and not President of Ijaw people alone.

I can just continue but time and space will not permit me. I suggest that elder statesman, Council of States and stakeholders must look for a strong President in 2015 if they still believe in the project Nigeria. President Jonathan cannot just continue. We want a strong, disciplined and committed leadership in 2015.

________________________

Joe Igbokwe is the Publicity Secretary, All Progressives Congress, APC, Lagos State.

Disclaimer

It is the policy of NewsWireNGR not to endorse or oppose any opinion expressed by a User or Content provided by a User, Contributor, or other independent party.
Opinion pieces and contributions are the opinions of the writers only and do not represent the opinions of NewsWireNGR.

“No Commander-in-Chief Worth His Salt Will Surrender His Territory To Insurgents” Atiku Blasts GEJ On Mubi Invasion

Mohammed Useni
-
0
“No Commander-in-Chief Worth His Salt Will Surrender His Territory To Insurgents” Atiku Blasts GEJ On Mubi Invasion

The Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has condemned the recent Boko Haram overrun of Mubi and the hoisting of their flag in Adamawa State’s second largest town, as a tragic act and a worrisome affront to the corporate integrity of Nigeria.

The Turaki Adamawa, who was abroad when the sordid incident took place in his home State on Wednesday, 29 October, told a group of journalists on arrival on Friday that: “with what I have gathered so far from online news reports and other sources from Mubi town, the situation is very unfortunate and undermining for our country.”

The visibly angry statesman also stressed that: “If the reports are true that the Armed Forces had abandoned their assigned duty posts a few days before the overrun, it was an indication that the attack was not sudden after all. If the Soldiers also left behind their ammunition and armoured carriers at the mercy of predatory insurgents, it raises a question of complicity in the sordid episode.”

He described as most unfortunate a situation were unsuspecting civilians who had relied on security agencies for their protection and were expecting an improvement in their security status as a result of the announced Ceasefire, were suddenly left defenceless and at the mercy of the marauders.

Atiku, who said he was not a conspiracy theory convert, did not hesitate to frown at the undercurrent of connivance that might have fuelled the sudden retreat of the military in the face of imminent invasion of a vital commercial town, less than three hours away from Yola the Adamawa State Capital.

“No Commander-in-Chief or General that is worth his salt will surrender his territory with folded arms and running heels,” he said.

“On every occasion that leaders from the North East raised an alarm about the dangerous trend, we have either been ignored or called names,” he recalled.

“If there’s any iota of truth in the suspicion of the people that they were deliberately abandoned, then it becomes a dangerous trend and a bad omen for Nigeria and all Nigerians,” he said.

Meanwhile, the former Vice President said he is heading for Yola to meet with those managing the displaced people and see what assistance he can render to reduce the sufferings of the people.

Micah Stephen: Gospel According To Saint Aminu Waziri Tambuwal

Mohammed Useni
-
0
Micah Stephen: Gospel According To Saint Aminu Waziri Tambuwal

Laughing is good. I seldom engage in this activity, but in my few relapses into momentary burst of laughter, I experienced the impact of this free medicine, that I fight every moment to have it. But it does not come every second, it comes when there is an event, an occurrence which could either be good or bad, if it is neither, then a laughing comrade will need a committee in lunacy. But in Nigeria, the nation-state in her current state leaves a human in a mental conditioning, wherein you perfect the art of laughter, even when there is nothing that creates such amusement. That is what fifty something years of exertion can bring. But this time, there is definitely something to laugh about, there is an amusement, an opera, no a comic display at the national theatre…..wait for it, it is that Tambuwal is a saint.

Do not meet my beginning with a hiss, you should laugh too. The cascading spirals of events leave no one with a choice. The speaker of the House of Representative became a member of the opposition formally on Tuesday as we all expected. He used to be in the ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party. But like I always say, until parties start having firm ideologies, our democracy will continue to be an experiment at its heightened best. But that will be rhetoric for another space. The decampment is not the amusement that calls for a community of this laughter. It is the transformation that has happened in the space of few hours. Which has been very sudden and speedily. The unequalled transformation has been epic. It is his transformation from a sinner into a saint. Do not laugh yet

Everything that is of PDP is bad, filthy, uncouth and deadly, so preaches the APC, the party of the called. They parade themselves in holy garment even if our sightings have established the exact contrary. But that is the essence of preaching. It is pure fraud, to dissuade you from your prior approach-your way- to a new path- the preacher’s way. And it is happening, the preaching has begun, tambuwal is now a saint, the transformation is complete. We have never seen any like him, his speakership as from Tuesday will be documented and fed to the space as the best we have ever seen. Though the preaching about his epic transformation had begun even before his formal decampment. Yours sincerely with my league of “co-conspirators” was privileged to have listened to the ranting of none other than the effant terrible himself, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, another transformed saint, in what was supposed to be a lecture delivered by the APC national chairman Chief John Oyegun at the most prestigious Trenchard Hall of the University of Ibadan. As predicted, it turned into a mere political charade, with Governor Rotimi Amaechi and his counterpart from Oyo, Senator Isiaka Ajimobi, Saint Aminu Tambuwal, Chief Oyegun, Muhammadu Buhari, the peoples’ General; the greatest of the transformed saint, taking turns in taking swipe at the PDP. In his characteristic manner, Amaechi was the most militant. In taking the PDP to the cleaners, he said “all members of the PDP are corrupt except the speaker” to the amusement of the willing audience who had gathered to listen to the sermon. Of course they had their own round of laughter, clapping their hands away, we also laughed our belly to convulsion, inspired by a different source of amusement though.

At that moment, we confirmed our hitherto shapeless theory of why the opposition is not just a better option. They simply do not have a way out of this quandary, at all. All they do is recycle the same old garbage and baggage and present it to us in a new garment and tag them saints. Tambuwal now preaches. Lampooning  his old employers as the worst headache of this nation. We wondered what could have made the speaker different from his ilk at the ruling PDP. But, our skull is too tender to be bothered, that had always being the style of the APC. They have never had a real manifesto, which could compel the waiting citizens to a radical u-turn from the obviously inordinate path of the PDP. Amaechi had spent all his life in the PDP, Atiku was a Vice-president under their leadership for eight years, Kwankwaso has spent much of his political life in the PDP, but upon their cross over, they all become saints, with no past, no sin, no stain of whatever range. They urge the citizens to have amnesia to the past of their new comrade, which is the centre piece of the gospel.

But the deeply thoughtful will not be persuaded by this oratory chicanery. An alternative party should be different in style and approach, in policies, comport and decorum. That is the main reason the citizens would drop the old garment for their own. But as it stands, we might have to wait a bit longer for a viable alternative party, or better still found our own, which I think is the perfect solution. Even Oyegun while replying to questions claimed that the 27 million naira presidential nomination form is the least any candidate could pay. He of course blamed the PDP for establishing such a system, the presidential system, as it is too demanding and capital intensive, he had claimed that he favoured a parliamentary system of government. Of course, it is only Nigeria that is practising the presidential system of government. Oyegun is a comedian in his own right. But as the service entered its epilogue, a question was asked about the reply of general Buhari to the allegations, numerous as it were, levelled against the peoples’ general by the only person capable of such, Professor Wole Soyinka……it was not answered, maybe the peoples’ general did not hear the question….from his people, it was a momentary relapse, I guess.

Meanwhile, in another day of thousand laughs, the PDP claims that a group of people only known to the PDP have volunteered to buy a nomination form for Mr President, who is unopposed in the PDP. Apparently, the President also could not afford the nomination form. Like Buhari like GEJ……..well, you can now have your laugh.

_______________________

Article written by Micah Stephen

Disclaimer

It is the policy of NewsWireNGR not to endorse or oppose any opinion expressed by a User or Content provided by a User, Contributor, or other independent party.
Opinion pieces and contributions are the opinions of the writers only and do not represent the opinions of NewsWireNGR.

“We Have A Responsibility To Uphold Constitution” Police Defends Actions Against Tambuwal

Mohammed Useni
-
0
“We Have A Responsibility To Uphold Constitution” Police Defends Actions Against Tambuwal

The Police high command has come out to defend its action in withdrawing the security aids attached to Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, referred to as former Speaker of the House of Representatives, saying that it has sought legal advice before taking the action as the force has the statutory responsibility to uphold the spirit and letters of the Constitution.

A high ranking police officer who gave the position of Nigeria Police on the issue wondered why some elements preferred the force to make a selective enforcement of the law while at the same time canvassing for a professional police for the country.

He said “Section 68 (g) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) states “being a person whose election to the House was sponsored by a political party, he becomes a member of another political party before the expiration of the period for which that House was elected;

“Provided that his membership of the latter political party is not as a result of a division in the political party of which he was previously a member or of a merger of two or more political parties or factions by one of which he was previously sponsored.”

Noting that even members of the opposition hailed the acting Inspector General Suleiman Abba when he provided atmosphere for the immediate swearing in of acting Governor of Adamawa State, Mr. Bala James Ngilari following court ruling for Ahmadu Fintiri to vacate office even when the latter has given indication that he was going to appeal the verdict, the senior officer wondered at the double standards of Nigerian opposition figures.

He insisted “people should not forget that the institution of Nigerian Police belongs to all Nigerian whether politician or not and therefore, its actions should be respected because it is working for the orderliness of the society no matter which party is in government.”

Insisting that the Police is not expected to wait for a breakdown of law and order before it nips issues in the bud, our source said.

“We are not preventing the court from carrying out its responsibilities but we also have clear and specific responsibilities granted by the same Constitution and whenever the court decides later, we also have an obligation to abide.

“We take certain action with best of intention for the general good of the nation. WE therefore seek for cooperation and understanding of everyone,” the officer concluded.

8 Dead,34 Injured In Gombe Blast

Mohammed Useni
-
0

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has confirmed that the triple bomb blast at a bus station on Friday morning in Gombe killed at least eight people and wounded 34 others.
A local rescue official who requested anonymity and was at the scene in Gombe state’s capital said eight bodies had been brought to one area hospital.
The spokesman for the National Emergency Management Agency, Manzo Ezekiel, told AFP his staff had confirmed five dead but noted the toll could be higher and said that at least 34 people were wounded in the attack.

1...3,8083,8093,810...4,398Page 3,809 of 4,398