President Muhammadu Buhari is worried by a situation where foreigners are being employed in many construction companies in Nigeria at the detriment of Nigerians. The President who ordered the Federal Ministries of Works and Lands, Housing and Urban Development to immediately commence the process of reversing the situation, made it clear that jobs must be created for thousands of unemployed people in the country. President Buhari who met with the Board of Directors of a leading construction company in the country at the Presidential Villa, Abuja today, asked that the relevant ministries should also urgently prepare and present to him for approval and implementation, a plan of action for the speedy revitalisation and expansion of the nation’s vocational training centres. The companies’ chiefs had told the President that because of the shortage of competent construction workers and artisans in the country, many construction companies were forced to bring in skilled workers from the foreign lands. Buhari expressed worry over this practice which he said, is very detrimental to his administration’s commitment to boost employment opportunities for young Nigerians. He said that his administration will move quickly to address the shortage of skilled construction workers in the country. The President who demanded a report on the current status of existing vocational training centres established by the Federal Government, said that his administration will take all necessary actions to rapidly re-position them as efficient producers of skilled workers for Nigeria’s building and construction industry. President Buhari assured members of the Board of Julius Berger Nigeria Plc that his administration will act swiftly to ensure that the Building Craft Training School and Skill Improvement Centre in Lagos are fully revamped, staffed and equipped to produce more skilled electricians, brick and block layers, carpenters, painters, welders, fabricators, plumbers and other artisans. He reaffirmed his government’s commitment to the proper education and training of Nigerian youth for the current demands of the labour market. The President said that the Federal Government will act expeditiously to remove all impediments to the fulfilment of its promise of more jobs for unemployed Nigerians. He also assured the Julius Berger Directors led by Mr. Mutiu Sunmonu that in spite of present financial challenges, the Federal Government will continue to do everything possible to settle genuine outstanding payments due to contractors. [myad]
All Progressives Congress (APC), in Rivers state has commended the spokesman to governor Nyeson Wike, Mr. Opunabo Inko-Tariah for his “uncommon courage” by resigning from what it called ‘Wike’s sinking ship.’ Inko-Tariah was said to have resigned even as governor Wike also said that he sacked him as his Special Adviser, Media and Publicity. “As a party, the APC knew that it was only a matter of time before all well-meaning proud sons and daughters of Rivers State who find themselves in Wike’s sinking ship jumped to safety. “This is not only because his governorship will soon become history, but because the malevolently unique style of Wike whose hallmark behaviour hinges on divide-and-rule exasperates decent minds.”
According to the APC spokesman, Chris Finebone, in a statement, it is not surprising that the former SA, Media & Publicity is telling sordid stories of neglect and disrespect for his views and advice by the outgoing governor. APC added that these are all well-known character pattern of Nyesom Wike even as it advised all other well-meaning sons and daughters of Rivers State who have found themselves, one way or the other, in Wike’s makeshift government to resign and leave immediately. “At the risk of repeating ourselves, the APC would like to state that Nyesom Wike never planned to govern Rivers State; he simply came to do what he is doing now – loot Rivers State commonwealth for himself. He has seized allocations of the Local Government Councils resulting in non-payment of council workers across the state. He has refused to constitute a cabinet, creating room for him to the Commissioner for Works, Project Inspector, Due Process Office and everything rolled into one just to put away the peoples’ money under his pillow and disburse as he likes. “The APC is in no doubt that many more of our people will soon see the light and take the part of honour just like Opunabo Inko-Tariah has done.” [myad]
Information reaching Greenbarge Reporters has indicated that President Muhammadu Buhari has handed down 100 priority areas, including the much-talked about his promise to pay N5,000 to unemployed youths, to the incoming ministers.
This fact filtered in today when Vice President Yemi Osinbajo was declaring close, a two-day Presidential retreat for the ministers-designate at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Newsmen were advancing towards the Hall where the Vice President was to address the participants, but were blocked by security and protocol personnel. Before they were driven back, Osinbajo was heard telling the ministers-designate: “I’m sure you have all got the documents in which the details about our direction are enclosed. You will discover that there are 100 priority areas.”
The ministers-designate were cautioned to treat all papers delivered at the two-day retreat and the documents in the folders handed to them as confidential, and should not be made available to the media.
This was even as one of the ministers-designate, Senator Chris Ngige, said they were ready to operate with a lean economy.
Speaking to newsmen shortly after the end of the two-day Presidential retreat, Ngige said that it is the desire of the present administration to block all leakages in the economy.
“Yes, we shall operate a lean economy because we are going to block areas of leakages, retinue of aides, protocol staff, large convoys of cars are things that will not fly in this administration.”
He also said that the ongoing debate over statement credited to President Muhammadu Buhari that not all ministers would be assigned portfolios was not necessary.
Ngige said with or without portfolios, it is the responsibility of all ministers to join hands and move the nation forward, adding: “If you have portfolio, if you don’t have portfolio, it is one single Federal Executive Council. You bring whatever it is on the table. That is not a problem at all.
“We have the right to discuss things around the ministries because it is one single cabinet. The important thing is that we want to move our people from where they are now, they are in abject poverty which concerns about 75 percent of the populace.
“So, we need to actually restructure the political and social moment of the country and that is what we are going to do. That means poverty will reduce.” [myad]
The incoming ministers under President Muhammadu Buhari may forfeit most of the financial benefits attached to the positions, as part of the measures to cut cost in the running of government.
This hint was dropped today by one of the ministers-designate, Abubakar Bawa Bwari when he spoke to newsmen shortly after the conclusion of the two-day retreat held at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Bawa Bwari said that the Presidency made it clear to the ministers-designate that funds are in short supply and they would have to make do with whatever they are offered as part of the sacrifice to get the economy off the hook.
He acknowledged that many issues were tabled and discussed at the two-day retreat, adding that at the end of it all, the ministers-designate understood the direction of the Buhari administration, “and we are ready to work.”
Bawa Bwari said that as far as he was concerned, the job had started with the holding of the retreat, which according to him, was the proper way of beginning.
“Planning and designing the focus of the work ahead is part of the main work itself. So we have just started our work.”
He could not say however the actual date they would be inaugurated and given portfolios, saying: “they may announce the date of our swearing-in on Monday.” [myad]
The Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, early on Friday morning, sacked his embattled Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Opunabo Inko-Tariah.
Inko-Tariah, who is also the Publisher of Port Harcourt-based Hard Truth newspaper, on a local radio at 10 a.m., had earlier said that he resigned because the governor starved his office of funds.
He also complained that governor Wike had consistently refused to take his advice. [myad]
Professor Wole Soyinka was quoted saying his latest book is the “nastiest” that he has written so far. InterInventions: Between Defective Memory and the Public Lie- A Personal Odyssey in The Republic of Liars (Ibadan: Bookcraft, 2015, 136pp) is quite close to being just that. But who knows if an even nastier book may follow as Soyinka embarks on the task of exposing lies in our Republic as he has promised that InterInventions, a follow up to Interventions series (I-IV) will be dedicated solely to the dismantling of lies in the public space: malicious and non-malicious lies, lies told, lies magnified, lies fraudulent, murderous lies, accidental lies, uttered from depraved minds whose sole intention is to create burdens for their victims, malign, impugn and lower the other so they can be raised or their stomachs can be nourished at other’s expense.
This is nevertheless, a publication in which Professor Soyinka settles strictly personal scores, but this is no pamphleteering that he modestly alludes to, but a fine, extended essay in the distinguished tradition of that form. He is polemical, punchy and critical – without mercy or measure! There is no deceit, no pulling of punches, not much of deliberate concealment; it is Soyinka wielding a Bazooka in one hand, and a gilt-edged knife in the other, shooting down the hypocrisy and pretensions of representative figures in a Republic of Liars, where defective memory, an affliction worse than amnesia, but much closer to dementia, and psychosis, is standard fare. He deploys language dramatically and draws blood even if his mood remains charismatic and entertaining as he laughs at human folly, and the verminous antics of his named and shamed traducers.
The writer focuses on his personal experiences as a victim of the burden of being lied to, being lied against and being pushed to defend his right not to be lied against, but his theme is probably far more important than his content and mood. He ends up inviting us to think further about a social malaise, a missing, distorted, disjointed ethical link, and so his subjects – including Obasanjo, Chinweizu, Adewale Maja-Pearce, Peter Enahoro, Major Salawu, Gbenga Daniel, Abiola Ogundokun, Olagunsoye Oyinlola – rise off the pages, as illustrative archetypes of a hydra-headed crisis at the heart of society, namely how self-delusion, ego, power and an obsessive, compulsive, alimentary propensity turns adults into liars. Other associated themes along this line of moral exhortation will include the sheer uncertainty of life, the unpredictability of human character, and the near-helplessness of victims in a nation of fabulists.
Thus, the entire narrative is organic, with the humanistic import of the content, imbued with a personal orientation as it were, taking us closer to larger questions of ethics, humanity, the inviolability of truth. Man and his foibles is the central subject of inquiry invariably; there is a certain universality in the tendency of man, including those who quote the Bible with practised ease, to be nasty and brutish. I recommend this book for everyone’s reading pleasure and instruction. It is quite affordable, only N1, 000 per copy, and certainly, a temptingly quotable book – more so as the reader is reassured by the author’s statement of indemnity. Here goes: “My publishers are hereby fully indemnified by me against court processes, as well as the consequences of any libel suits that may arise from this maiden number of the InterInventions series” (p.93). The stoutly flagellated figures in the book, who are described as “the greatest public liars I have ever known”, thus ridiculed have every reason to be angry but obviously, Soyinka in taking his pound of flesh cannot be bothered.
There can be no greater denigration to be sought beyond his depiction of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, as the philosopher-king who is “an overgrown child of circumstance;” “Double-O-Seven”, “an infliction”, “a hypocrite”, and “irredeemable egomaniac” or Chinweizu as “Chichidodo”, a bird that feeds on shit, or Adewale Maja-Peace as “the area-boy of letters”; or Peter Pan as “lying, opportunistic, contemptible”; Olagunsoye Oyinlola as “the Prince of Darkness”; Gbenga Daniel as “DaaniElebo”.Professor, ki lo de? Or when of Maja-Pearce, whom he calls “Ade-Boy!”, the writer says: “It is a time to remind him that the stern rod of Ogun awaits all lying tongues.” (p.38). Professor, ewo ni t’epe!
Of Abiola Ogundokun, Soyinka thunders: “Of all the loathsome lumps of slime that ever oozed from the sump of human depravity to aspire to human form, none comes close to the two-legged parasite that goes by the name of Abiola Ogundokun”. Whaa-a-t? And in taking on Major Rasaki Salawu, he says “Howu Salawu” – a vocalic alliteration which cryptically summarises the subject-matter; a considerable part of the book is devoted to a profiling of the self-same Salawu in a manner that evokes shame or the equivalent of a mortal decapitation. Soyinka’s anti-heroes owe themselves a duty to say something in self-defence, for the naming and shaming tends to stick, with all the stamp and authoritativeness of the inimitable WS. Audi alteram partem.
Which is why I was surprised that President Olusegun Obasanjo in a reported interview with The Punch, made light of it:
Reporter: While you were away from the country, your friend Prof. Wole Soyinka inaugurated (sic) a book in which he called you a child of circumstance.
OBJ: (Talking in Yoruba: Se o so be?) Meaning: Did he say so?
Reporter: He even said he won’t eat any food you give him without you eating from the food first.
OBJ: (Continues in Yoruba: Mi o mo o) Ehnhenhn? I don’t know.
Obasanjo irritated by the Soyinka questions, gets up and walks out of his study during the interview…but the reporter keeps throwing questions at him.
Reporter: Why are the two of you always quarrelling?
OBJ: Kini wahala yin? (What is your problem?)
Indeed, what is our problem? But just in case President Obasanjo has not read the book, I recommend that he should especially as Soyinka has promised a follow-up shake down edition: “a collective effort, a corroborative-or self-cancelling-anthology by many long-suffering victims…dedicated solely to the Otta phenomenon.” (p. 53). Our Republic of Liars is a temporary space for Soyinka; his reputation in the world of letters places him historically, in the long run, beyond local dog-fights; but as for this book, emotional responses to the vengeful biographical dimensions cannot be unexpected.
Take-away, though: our problem – we do have a problem as a collective – is the sobering realization that Nigerians enjoy telling lies, much more than any other community that we know, and that we are indeed, a Republic of Liars. We are a nation of fabulists, richly imaginative, when that asset is well-conditioned, it produces excellence, but misapplied, the tale bearer becomes a professional aproko, as they say, a self-made radio station, transmitter, booster, conditioned to promote untruths, and as the tale travels from one mouth to another, new layers are invented and added, often so viciously that the original source often finds it unrecognizable. But much damage is done, and it is this wickedness of man to man – as theme and principle- that Soyinka deplores.
The rise of the internet has even made lying so easy and convenient, the anonymity that the social media offers allows a lie to grow until its continued affirmation imposes it on public memory as received wisdom. Lies pollute the public mind; they damage relationships and destroy a sense of community. Soyinka insists on the inviolability of the truth and decent conduct, but the rot is widespread, the phenomenon is a new normal reality. Politicians lie to the electorate, win the votes and turn around shamefacedly to say they never said whatever even in the face of concrete evidence made possible by electronic reproduce-ability. This culture of deception remains unchecked because the institutions for seeking redress remain inchoate: libel cases can go on forever, or they may run into a technical hitch concocted by lawyers, requiring that they be started de novo. And to worsen it all, the followership enjoys the lies and the lying, compelling an assessment of our Republic in real and fictive representations as the biggest lie in search of truth.
Soyinka does not recommend a resort to self-help; but he inflicts punishment with his pen, and laments in a memorable instance: “Chei! There is Death o!” Let’s add: “Chei! There is God o!…”- the ultimate judge. [myad]
The Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) has stormed higher educational institutions in the country to enroll youths in the renewed war against corruption.
Consequently, about 150 students from the Universities, 100 from the Polytechnics and 100 from Colleges of Education as well as other youths who are not students are being enrolled for the purpose.
The youths would soon be inducted at a conference to be organized by the ICPC.
An Executive member in the ICPC, Professor Olu Aina, standing in for the commission’s Chairman, Ekpo Nta, disclosed this during a meeting with the Senate of the National Association of Nigerian Students at the Commission’s Board Room in Abuja.
Aina said that the conference to be tagged: “Mobilising Nigerian Youth Against Corruption,” has been scheduled to hold on November 24 and 25, 2015 at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.
Aina said that the ICPC strongly believed that the students should be veritable partners in the anti-corruption war, adding that ICPC has been encourage to initiate a youth conference against corruption by their vibrancy.
The Conference, he said, was the outcome of ICPC’s just concluded Zonal Advisory Consultative Assembly on corruption, which took place in Ibadan, Oyo State, where various youth organizations, including the National Association of Nigerian Students, spontaneously demanded to be involved in the fight against corruption.
“The ICPC therefore concluded plans to mobilise Nigerian youths from all over the countr, for the purpose of enlightening, educating and conscientising them on the ills of corruption and empowering them to own the fight in collaboration with its technical partners, notably the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, UNDP, DFID, Supervisory and Development Agencies of Government in the Tertiary Education Sector, Anti-Corruption Agencies and the National Orientation Agency.”
Aina said the Conference is in conformity with Article 13 of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption, which requires each State Party “to promote the active participation of individuals and groups ….. and to raise public awareness regarding the existence, causes and gravity of, and threat posed by corruption”.
He expressed the hope that at the end of the Conference, the Nigerian youth would have been properly motivated, without compulsion, to embrace the new vigour of the current Administration in the fight against corruption and prepare themselves as responsible future leaders.
The Conference, Aina said, would have four sessions featuring, among others, an opening ceremony, interactive sessions on various angles to fight corruption and excursion to key institutions in Abuja.
The ICPC, he said, decided to bring in NANS from the point of organizing and planning of the conference so as to make it a youth affair from the very beginning.
He said he was happy to learn that the factionalization of the body had been resolved.
In response, the NANS, through its President, Usman, lauded the initiative of the Commission as being proactive and informed the Planning Committee that the Association was willing to partner with the ICPC in organising the National Conference and in the fight to neutralize corruption.
He assured the Committee that there had been no factions of the NANS for the past three years and that the body was legitimate.
He also assured the Committee that the nomination of participants to attend the Conference would cut across the various tertiary institutions, and youth parliament organisations in the country.
The student body also suggested that a rally be conducted before the Conference to create awareness for the National Conference and that subsequently the Conference be held at grassroot levels and not limited only to the national level. [myad]
Wife of President Muhammadu Buhari, Aisha Buhari has cautioned wives of state governors to respect and support their husbands in their efforts to accomplish the expectations of the electorates.
Mrs. Buhari who spoke in Enugu at the flag off of the South East zone of the Health screening initiative designed for women across the country said that the support to state governors will complement their efforts to provide adequate healthcare and other demands of the people.
She said that the initiative was meant to address issues of health challenge confronting women, particularly those in the rural areas to have access to remedial measures .
The wife of the Vice President, Mrs. Dolapo Osinbanjo said that the effort of Mrs. Buhari was designed to ensuring that all women undergo the screening exercise in the state on high blood pressure ,diabetes ,kidney ,eye check ,dental ,cervical and breast cancer . [myad]
The Nigeria Golden Eaglets, defending champion, thrashed the Mexican side by 4 -2 last night in Chile.
Mexico opened the scoring through Kevin Magana, with stunning efforts from Kelechi Nwakali and Orji Okwonkwo seeing the African side ahead.
Diego Cortes’s remarkable solo effort leveled matters before Osinachi Ebere and Victor Osimhen’s late record-equaling penalty saw the Golden Eaglets into an all-African final against Mali.
Mexico controlled the ball in the opening stages of the match, and took the lead early on. Kevin Lara beat his man on the Mexican right and delivered a teasing cross into the middle. Aguirre tried to control with his chest, but Magana took charge and fired home.
Emmanuel Amuneke’s side began to grow into the game, with Kelechi Nwakali hitting a low drive from the edge of the Mexican penalty area with his venomous drive stinging the palms of Romero before the ball was cleared away.
The game see-sawed back Mexico’s way, with a free kick from the Mexican left headed goal-wards by Jose Esquivel. The chance forced a superb point blank stop by Akpan Udoh, onto the crossbar and eventually cleared behind.
Nigeria rode their luck, with a couple of good Mexican opportunities and after riding the storm, managed to level things up thanks to the superb technique of their captain. Nwakali spotted up a free kick from around 25 yards, and curled a perfect effort into the bottom left-hand corner. Romero stood no chance.
Amuneke’s charges sensed their opponents were on the back foot, and Okwonkwo took advantage, producing one of the moments of the tournament to see his side ahead. He cut inside from the left onto his right foot and thumped an effort in off the crossbar.
After the break, Mexico took time to reassert their rhythm after the shock of going behind. Cortes then stepped up to score what must be considered one of the best goals ever scored in the Estadio Ester Roa. He picked up the ball on the Mexican right just inside the Nigerian half and proceeded to dribble past five players, showing incredible close control before slotting calmly past Udoh.
Nigeria were undeterred by Cortes’s golazo and struck back. Ebere found space on the Nigerian right just inside the Mexican penalty area after a long through ball. His right-footed effort was too strong for Romero, who got a hand to the strike but could not keep it out.
John Lazarus was taken down in the Mexican penalty area, giving Osimhen the chance to score his ninth goal of Chile 2015 and go level at the top of the all-time U-17 World Cup goal-scoring charts. He slotted home with ease, adding gloss to the Golden Eaglets victory.
Nigeria head to Vina Del Mar on Sunday for an all-African final against continental champions Mali while Mexico will face off against Belgium in the match for third place earlier the same day. [myad]
The Department of State Services (DSS) has accused the former National Security Adviser (NSA), Colonel Sambo Dasuki (rtd.) of grandstanding and blackmail.
It made it clear that Dasuki had consistently refused to appear before a committee set up by the Federal Government to investigate a N2billion arms transaction by the Goodluck Jonathan administration.
In a statement today by an official of the Service, Tony Opuiyo, the Service denied blocking Dasuki’s residence today, in violation of a subsisting court order granting him a relief to travel overseas for medical services, describing the allegation as “unfounded and malicious aimed at tarnishing the good image of the Service.”
The statement read: “It may be recalled that Dasuki was initially arrested and charged to court for unlawful possession of firearms and money laundering, for which reason his international passport was seized and on the order of the court, returned to the registrar for custody.
“What has however brought the seeming standoff between Dasuki and the Service, despite the court-ordered release of his international passport on November 4, 2015, is his refusal to appear before a Committee undertaking the investigation of an entirely different case.
“The public may wish to note that the government set up the committee to investigate procurement processes relating to a $2billion arms transaction by the last administration, under which Sambo was the NSA.
“It was on this premise that he was invited by the Committee to shed more light on his involvement in the deal. It therefore remains surprising and shocking that Sambo has refused to honour invitations of the committee but instead resorts to grandstanding and subtle blackmail of the Service.
“His refusal to appear before the committee has left the Service with no option than to adopt legal means to ensure his attendance.”
The service accused Dasuki of pulling all strings available to him to evade justice and put it in bad light, stressing that it was not persecuting him. [myad]
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