File photo: Financial Minister, Okonjo Iweala presenting Budget to the national Assembly
President Goodluck Jonathan may formally present the 2015 budget proposal before the House of Representatives. The budget, which is to be presented on behalf of the President by the minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, will containing amendments of some parameters of the Medium Term Expenditure Framework in line with present realities. Okonjo-Iweala had held a closed- door meeting with Speaker Aminu Tambuwal and principal officers of the House where she explained that there was need for the budget be in tadem with the bew price of oil at $65 per barrel as against $77.50 per barrel in 2014. Oil production for 2015 was pegged at 2.278 million barrel per day against 2.388 barrel per day in 2014, while the exchange rate was pegged at N165 to a dollar against N160 to a dollar in 2014. The new budget document showed that the sum of N150 billion is for National Assembly, N73 billion will be for National Judicial Council (NJC) and N72.18 billion for Universal Basic Education (UBE). Also, N62 billion has been earmarked for Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), N50.96 billion for transfer to NDDC, N2.50 billion for Public Complaint Commission, while N1.50 billion is for Human Rights Commission. For debt servicing, Federal Government proposed the sum of N894.61 billion for domestic debt, while N48.39 billion is for foreign debt. The sum of N91.03 billion was proposed for payment of subsidy on kerosene. The sum of N591.02 billion is expected from 13 percent derivation as Federal Government share of the oil revenue. For the recurrent expenditure (non-debt), Federal Government proposed N1.801 trillion for personnel costs, N216.56 billion for overheads, N228.81 billion for CRF pensions, while N376.05 billion is for other Service Wide Votes.
The crisis-ridden Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Oyo State was further depleted yesterday as an aggrieved leading governorship aspirants of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Seyi Makinde, today, defected to Social Democratic Party (SDP) where Makinde picked up its ticket, as its candidate for the 2015 governorship election. This came on the heels of the defection, by the former governor of the state, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala to Labour Party after the former Senate Leader, Senator Teslim Folarin was given the party’s ticket. Declaring his intention to call it quits with PDP along with his supporters, Makinde said: “After fruitless efforts to ensure that free and fair election prevailed within PDP and witnessing the yearnings of the ordinary people of Oyo State that are asking for change for the reduction of poverty due to poor governance, I find it extremely difficult to shy away from this popular demand to make a difference in lives of our people.” Makinde asked: “how can this same party have a candidate who claims to have been elected with 167votes which is just about 10 percent of the total number of delegates after the majority or 1, 053 delegates were disenfranchised. “I am concerned about the level of deprivation of our people. Poverty has dehumanized and debased the quality of lives down to a level that is incompatible with human dignity. “In my private capacity, I have tried to lift them up but I believe that with the instruments of governance, we can together move farther than any private effort. I have seen in my interactions with people that they believe in what we are doing and they are ready to support us to the best their abilities.”
Governor Gabriel Suswam of Benue state is obviously angry with Nigerian politicians who are in the habit of crossing from one political party to another simply in search of positions, the attitude he said would not make Nigeria grow. “If we (politicians) continue to practice politics in that manner, I do not think that we can grow. We will not get anywhere because there is no philosophy behind what we do. We are just operating like pendulum. If it does not work this way, we will move this way. That is not good.” Governor Suswam, who spoke to newsmen today at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, was particularly referring to the former minister from his state who recently defected from PDP to opposition All Progressives Congress (APC). Suswam described Nigeria politics as “rather funny,” saying that politicians have no principles and ideologies. “They just go into politics for what they can get. I find that very unfortunate. The Minister in question has been a great beneficiary of the PDP.” He said that PDP held what he called the most transparent primary in Benue state which is why no one is complaining about the primaries. He said that some politicians just want position and that once they do not get it, they swing. “So, I find that very unfortunate. That is why we are having the problem we are having with politics in Nigeria. “The other parties just wait for the other parties to conduct primaries so that when they have problem, they will just take them in. “If they don’t get nomination in PDP, they will move to APC and if they do not get in APC, they will move to Labour Party, etc. “I think that instead of us growing our democracy, we cannot go anywhere with this kind of politics. They just want position not to serve but for selfish reasons. If you want to serve, if you do not get it today you will wait for the next time.” Governor Suswam said that this kind of politics come out of desperation for power, adding that it is out of desperation that they move from one party to another. “If you are not desperate, then what is it. You have been a Senator before. Later you became a Minister. You have been Auditor and you have been everything. Why will you defect from the party that has done so much for you? It is because they are desperate for power for selfish reasons not to serve the people. With this trend, I don’t think that politically, we will grow in this country.”
Facts are emerging on how ex-Niger Delta militant leader, Mr. Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo allegedly gave Senator Ifeanyi Okowa $3 Million (about N500 Million) to distribut to delegates that led to his emergence as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the recenly conducted governorship primary of the party in the state. Tompolo, now a billionaire by every standard, was said to have released the money to Okowa on the eve of the primaries. The fund was believed to be the game changer. While some other aspirants were said to have openly gave delegates $4,000 and N500,000 at the venue of the primaries, Okowa dished out N1 million to each of the delegates. It was gathered that Tompolo’s support for Okowa was obtained with some promised concessions, one of which was that Okowa’s running mate, who is from Delta North Senatorial District, will be nominated by him. The ex-militant leader, who recently purchased six warships to implement a security contract awarded to him by the Federal Government, is said to have positioned a candidate for the deputy governor’s slot from his ethnic stock, the Ijaw of Delta South Senatorial District. It is on record that a few hours before the primaries, the name of Okowa did not feature highly on the list of aspirants favoured to clinch the governorship ticket. Until about 48 hours before the primaries, the thinking in the PDP was to run with the perceived compromised candidate of the party and former Permanent Secretary in the Delta State Government House, Tony Obuh. Obuh is from Delta North Senatorial District, which has never produced the governor of the state and was largely regarded to have the backing of the state Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan and the Presidency. A day before the primaries, the name of a former Commissioner for Finance in the administration of former Governor James Ibori, David Edevbie, came up. Edevbie was believed to have become the candidate of the Presidency after Ibori indicated interest in supporting him. Though there was no complete compromise, there appeared to be an unwritten agreement before the primaries that Edevbie should emerge the party’s candidate. However, Okowa emerged the candidate of the PDP. In the current arrangement, the Ijaws, one of the three major ethnic groups in Delta South Senatorial District, would have to take up virtually all elective and appointive positions for the area. The other ethnic groups in the senatorial district are the Isokos and Itsekiris. Already, the chairmanship seat of one of the local government areas in the senatorial district has been conceded to Tompolo’s brother, George, by the PDP. This has raised dust over the initial person pencilled down for the PDP chairmanship position in the person of Weyimi Omadeli. However, in order to give room for equity, the leadership of the party had to, a day before the primaries, cede the ticket to George. At the time, the thinking was that if the Ijaws should produce the chairman of a local government area, an Itsekiri man in the person of Uduaghan would go to the Senate, while an Isoko man would emerge as the deputy governorship candidate to a governorship candidate from Delta North Senatorial District. But, after the concession of the chairmanship seat to Tompolo, the representative of the senatorial district in the National Assembly, Senator James Manager, also of the Ijaw stock, insisted on retaining his seat after his request to be given the governorship ticket failed to click. Uduaghan, an Itsekiri man, who had initially indicated interest in the Senate seat, was said to have conceded the seat to Manager. This was based on the arrangement that a governorship candidate will emerge from Delta North Senatorial District, with the Isokos getting the deputy governor’s slot. Informed sources said the unwritten agreement was for the senatorial seat to be rotated among the Ijaws, Itsekiris and Isokos. Manager, of the Ijaw ethnic stock, will be returning to the Senate for the fourth time. And with the push for an Ijaw to emerge as Okowa’s deputy, the implication is that the Itsekiris and Isokos will have no elective and appointive positions in the next political dispensation.
The Rivers State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has said that it will disgrace the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Nyeson Wike in the 2015 election and that he will not get up to 10 percent of the votes. The party, in a statement today, said that despite support of the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, Wike, who it said emerged in very controversial circumstances as the candidate of PDP after 16 other aspirants were physically prevented from attending the primary election to select the party’s governorship candidate will go no where. “Wike would have tried to be man enough and allow the G16 to contest and defeat him flatly instead of allowing himself to be imposed as Rivers PDP governorship candidate through what has been generally accepted to be the most fraudulent and kangaroo governorship congress ever in Nigeria’s history. This is a man who is perpetually afraid of competition and who never believes in a free and fair election, hence we are not surprised that he brazenly used his stooges and clowns in PDP to frustrate and rig out the 16 better qualified gubernatorial aspirants. “To say the least, Wike’s governorship ambition is both ungodly and unholy while his emergence as PDP’s candidate is shabby, dubious, shameful and undemocratic.” The statement in which was issued by the APC State Chairman, Dr. Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, was in response to an earlier one by Wike accusing it of embarking on a propaganda war ahead of the 2015 elections. APC insisted that Wike’s governorship bid is at variance with natural law, equity, justice and fair play in the distribution of power in Rivers State. “We still maintain that his emergence is against the principle of zoning after the Upland section of the State has ruled for 16 years through Dr. Peter Odili and Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi at the detriment of Riverine section of the State.” The party dismissed Wike’s governorship gamble as a doomed venture saying: “Wike is no match in any way to our credible candidate, Dr. Dakuku Adol Peterside, a man of unimpeachable character with a proven record of performance. His chances, which were slim from the very beginning, have been further dimmed by the plot of the G16 disenfranchised governorship aspirants to fight him to a standstill. Besides, the recent smashing of Wike’s rigging plot by the Police, which nabbed his foot soldiers cloning INEC Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) in a hotel in Port Harcourt belonging to one of his key supporters, has further weakened eroded the probability of his winning the 2015 governorship polls. “In view of the above irrefutable facts, coupled with the efforts of both INEC and the security agencies to eliminate rigging during the 2015 elections, we make bold to predict that Wike and President Jonathan would require a miracle to get up to 10% of the votes to be cast during the 2015 governorship polls in Rivers State.”
A popular Nollywood actress, Nkiru Sylvanus has made it clear that he would not mind to be a second wife to the right man.
Nkiru, who is still single at over 40 said that if the need arises, she would go for a man who already has a wife. She spoke on a TV programme today in Lagos.
Nkiru, who is former aide to the Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha said: “if the situation and the person is good, I’ll go for it. I’ve said it before that if ladies don’t stop this nonsense they call ‘one-man-one-wife’, many of them will get to 40 and still remain single. There are more women than men. Go to churches, the number of single ladies in most cases is three times the number of single guys.”
A Senior Special Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan, Doyin Okupe has likened the burden being carried by President Goodluck Jonathan to that of Jesus Christ.
He said the burden Jesus carried when he died for the sins of mankind is similar to what Jonathan is presently carrying.
Okupe, who spoke in a programme on Channels Television, Sunrise Daily, which was monitored today in Lagos said: “People do not understand the burden this President is bearing. He’s like Jesus Christ. He’s bearing the burden of everybody.”
He said that despite the many problems the Jonathan administration is grappling with, the President would still defeat the All Progressives Congress (APC) in February next year.
“I can’t see Jonathan losing this election. It’s not possible.”
Okupe said that insecurity in the North-East had reduced significantly, commending the Federal Government’s efforts. He said that all aspects of the war against terror, including funding, are being taken care of.
“Today, the Nigerian Army is in total and perfect control,” even as he berated the Governor of Borno State, Kashim Shettima, for not trying hard enough to curtail poverty and deliver the dividends of democracy to his people.
The presidential aide said the fight against Boko Haram had political undertone, accusing the APC presidential candidate, Gen Muhammadu Buhari of not assisting the Federal Government through his utterances.
Okupe alleged that Buhari had said that any attack on Boko Haram is an attack on the North and that Buhari’s recent condemnation of Boko Haram was as a result of his bid to become Nigeria’s president.
He said the over 200 girls that were abducted by Boko Haram in Chibok were still a priority, saying: “The issue of Chibok girls was a tragedy but it is a tragedy that we must bear with fortitude.
“Chibok girls are a major thorn in the flesh of the administration. If it was possible to get them yesterday I know that this government would have done it.”
The Governor of Osun state, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has revealed how the deployment of Information Communication Technology (ICT) in monitoring and reporting of events as they unfolded during the August 9 governorship election in the state frustrated those who had the intention of falsifying results. A statement by the Director Bureau of Communication and Strategy, Mr. Semiu Okanlawon quoted the governor as saying, in a keynote address titled “Broadband: Oxygen for Digital Economy” at the Africa Digital Forum and Award 2014 organised by the ICT Watch Network in Lagos that ICT was put to use by the various situation rooms set up by the government to monitor, get results and happening across all the units, wards and Local governments in the state. The governor said that Nigeria has a new opportunity for economic resurgence in the digital economy age, saying that the nation has the requisite infrastructure both material and human. “We have a huge human population of 167 million with equally immense needs. This is a potentially immense market with which we can trade our way from poverty to riches. “Added to this is the demography of that population. Our population is predominantly composed of youths who are energetic, enthusiastic, and innovative.” Aregbesola said that the Osun experience in the use of modern technology and the use of Internet could be a model for national ICT development on a non-partisan basis. According to the governor, the use of ICT will enhance greater deployment and consumption of broadband, adding: “in Osun, without being immodest, we can say that ICT has been a major plank of governance. We pioneered e-learning with the invention of Opon Imo. We have also been able to provide card based e-credit for farmers. Of course, we have also deployed e-based payroll and staff ID card on Master Card platform directly connected to the holder’s account. “We have also devised e-ID Card for all pupils in public schools and the card will now serve as payment instrument for our home-grown school feeding and health programme (O’MEALS). “We set up the OYESTECH, an institution for training youths in the use, assembly and repair of electronic gadgets from plasma television, computers to mobile phones.” Aregbesola held that Nigeria has a great potential for enhancing development in this information age through the digital economy. He said that there are still huge potentials in road traffic monitoring and control, CCTV camera, weather monitoring and forecast, national population database among others. “What this means is that there is power and potential in numbers. A great number of people mean a potentially great variety of needs to be met. “The good thing is that in meeting these needs, a self-reinforcing cycle is created in which people have access to employment, are productively engaged, earn income, create wealth, and spread prosperity with accompanying prospect of material uplift and satisfaction.” The governor said that any human mass is a potential source of wealth generation from which positive developments can spring, stressing that what is required is creativity in turning the potential into public good.
Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan has asked members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Delta State not to be carried away by the success in the emergence of Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa in the recently conducted gubernatorial primaries in the state. Governor Uduaghan who received members of the Delta Political Vanguard who paid him a solidarity visit at Government House, Asaba today asked them not to be complacent or be drawned in the victory of the party. Dr. Uduaghan charged members of the party not be carried away by the euphoria associated with the victory of Dr. Okowa in but that they should work hard to win the main election which he described as more challenging. “Getting the ticket is the easiest part, winning the main election is the more difficult part because of the complexity of Delta State where ethnicity is a major factor. I have experienced it and I have come out victorious, so, I know what I am talking about and by the Grace of God, we shall be victorious in 2015. “The time of celebration is over. We have to extend our hands of fellowship to everybody. We must carry everybody along so that we can win the main election which includes the re-election of our President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan on February 14 and the election of our candidate, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa and after that, we can celebrate.” Governor Uduaghan expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the gubernatorial primaries of the PDP in the state which led to the emergence of Senator Ifeanyi Okowa as the candidate, observing that his greatest joy was the fact that none of the aspirants “as at today, has said the process was not free and fair and PDP in Delta State is intact. “We don’t have any faction. Dr Okowa’s victory was applauded by all and I am happy that we waded through this process, peacefully, intact and no petition against the election.” He said that there were plans by certain individuals to disrupt the primaries and where that failed, there was another attempt to switch off the electricity during the counting of votes when it was obvious that Dr. Okowa was leading. He said that he had to ensure that the security operatives nibbed all the plans in the bud. Dr. Uduaghan reiterated his commitment to a peaceful transition process which according to him, made him to sacrifice his Senatorial ambition in the interest of peace. “There is no position that is too much for us to sacrifice for security reasons. If one person dies, you cannot bring him back but any position sacrificed can be regained.” The President of Delta Political Vanguard, Hon. Michael Diden said members of the group were in Government House to pledge their loyalty to Governor Uduaghan’s administration and to thank him for the role he played during the gubernatorial primaries of the PDP which led to the emergence of Senator Okowa as the party’s flag-bearer.
Generally, you can assess the quality of a man, especially a politician by observing those who rise up against him. General Buhari (rtd) is a shinning example of such a person. Expectedly, his declaration for the Presidency, more than that of any other possible opponent of President Jonathan, had thrown a lot of people into a manic frenzy. Some of them are my co-columnists in the Lagos/Ibadan axis – as papers like PUNCH, THISDAY, GUARDIAN and VANGUARD are called. For the purpose of this series of articles, I want to single out the Professors writing for PUNCH and VANGUARD, who, are usually erudite, futuristic, well-informed and reasonably objective; but who have joined the illogical, and the ill-informed in the pack attack on Buhari. When an Area Boy finds himself confronting several adversaries, at once, he steels himself for battle by announcing to his opponents, “Ee ti po to [you are too few for me]”. So, to Professors Abidde, Adelakun, Akinnaso, Olukotun, of the PUNCH, and our own Femi Aribisala, I declare “you are too few” for this battle. Comparing Buhari with Jonathan is like comparing solid “Iroko” with rotten wood. For starters, every carver knows that nobody can make a masterpiece out of rotten wood. And Jonathan’s government is rotten from the head down. So anybody canvassing for a continuation of this government should be regarded as an accessory to the grand larceny going on now in the name of governance. For the readers, I said they are too few because, when reading their articles, one can notice that they are virtually writing out of the same set of notes – packed full with their opinions, half truths, some falsehood and some venom. The bile belongs to Femi Aribisala, the VANGUARD columnist, who, like Doyin Okupe, must be operating with a dictionary compiled by the devil – when writing about Buhari, Tinubu and APC. Let me assure Femi that we also have a dictionary at UniJankara, full of hotter words. So nobody should be under the impression that he owns a monopoly of such words. First, the readers of this defence of Buhari might want to observe that all those mentioned above, pretending to reflect “the views of Nigerians” are Southerners, Christians, mostly Yoruba, employed and well-paid, well- or over-educated, and they probably have not stepped into Kano, Sokoto, Bauchi, Nassarawa or Kogi States in the last five years – if at all. Buhari who they all love to “hate” or “hate to love”, however is a Muslim, Northerner, Fulani, and has spent most of his time in the north since retirement. The ethnic and religious prejudices, obvious to me, might be a mere coincidence to them but, there is no denying the fact that none of that group can sustain the illusion that they speak for the average Northerner, ill-educated, unemployed, lacking all the basic amenities and clinging to life made more tenuous by Boko Haram insurgency which had escalated during Jonathan’s tenure of office. None can because none knows where the shoe pinches; they write in the comfort of their offices and homes, proclaiming how millions, who they have not met will vote in the North especially. This is rotten scholarship. In fact, nobody among them knows how most Northerners will vote. Among their often-repeated fallacies, based on prejudice, is the charge that Nigerians will not vote for Buhari because he is a “religious fanatic”. Even if true, two observations will dispel this rumour peddled as truth. One, no Muslim in the entire country had ever mentioned to me that he considers Buhari a fanatic and none will vote against him for that reason. The hang-up about Buhari’s perceived fanaticism belongs to some Christians. Second, one person’s fanatic is another person’s staunch believer in his faith. So, “fanaticism” might actually work in his favour. Speaking strictly for myself, a Muslim fanatic is preferable to a wishy-washy Christian. Everybody knows where the first stands on issues affecting morality; nobody can trust the second. At any rate, my own reading of the two Holy Books – Bible and Quran – has convinced me that there is very little the Bible abhors which the Quran supports; and vice versa. Our “Christian” columnists are only raising false alarm. Having disposed of that, at least for now, let me turn, briefly, to the issues of Jonathan’s performance and corruption. Kindly let me quote verbatim what Adelakun and Aribisala wrote in defence of Jonathan and to run down Buhari’s bid for the Presidency. First Adelakun, in PUNCH, October 23, 2014. “Even though many Nigerians are probably weary of Jonathan’s government by now, they are still practical enough to understand that another four years of Jonathan’s government will not kill them. It might bring Nigeria to her knees but at the same time, it is a pain that can be endured.” (italics mine). Despite the use of “probably”, when the word to use is “certainly,” nobody reading that sentence can fail to shed tears for Nigeria. When the brightest and the best expect us to re-elect a President who will not alleviate their suffering, but deepen them till 2019, then all is lost. Let me close this first part by drawing attention to Aribisala’s statement, undoubtedly made proudly about “his country”, not mine. “In Nigeria, nobody gets elected as President on the platform that he is going to be an anti-corruption crusader when he gets into office.” Apparently, Femi approves of that situation and will like it to continue – as long as Jonathan gets re-elected. This is a Professor? I thought professors are supposed to be engaged in advancing positive original ideas, not in telling us to continue to go to hell, as we are doing now.
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Comparing Buhari With Jonathan: Iroko Versus Rotten Wood, By Dele Sobowale
For the purpose of this series of articles, I want to single out the Professors writing for PUNCH and VANGUARD, who, are usually erudite, futuristic, well-informed and reasonably objective; but who have joined the illogical, and the ill-informed in the pack attack on Buhari.
When an Area Boy finds himself confronting several adversaries, at once, he steels himself for battle by announcing to his opponents, “Ee ti po to [you are too few for me]”. So, to Professors Abidde, Adelakun, Akinnaso, Olukotun, of the PUNCH, and our own Femi Aribisala, I declare “you are too few” for this battle.
Comparing Buhari with Jonathan is like comparing solid “Iroko” with rotten wood. For starters, every carver knows that nobody can make a masterpiece out of rotten wood. And Jonathan’s government is rotten from the head down. So anybody canvassing for a continuation of this government should be regarded as an accessory to the grand larceny going on now in the name of governance.
For the readers, I said they are too few because, when reading their articles, one can notice that they are virtually writing out of the same set of notes – packed full with their opinions, half truths, some falsehood and some venom. The bile belongs to Femi Aribisala, the VANGUARD columnist, who, like Doyin Okupe, must be operating with a dictionary compiled by the devil – when writing about Buhari, Tinubu and APC. Let me assure Femi that we also have a dictionary at UniJankara, full of hotter words. So nobody should be under the impression that he owns a monopoly of such words.
First, the readers of this defence of Buhari might want to observe that all those mentioned above, pretending to reflect “the views of Nigerians” are Southerners, Christians, mostly Yoruba, employed and well-paid, well- or over-educated, and they probably have not stepped into Kano, Sokoto, Bauchi, Nassarawa or Kogi States in the last five years – if at all. Buhari who they all love to “hate” or “hate to love”, however is a Muslim, Northerner, Fulani, and has spent most of his time in the north since retirement.
The ethnic and religious prejudices, obvious to me, might be a mere coincidence to them but, there is no denying the fact that none of that group can sustain the illusion that they speak for the average Northerner, ill-educated, unemployed, lacking all the basic amenities and clinging to life made more tenuous by Boko Haram insurgency which had escalated during Jonathan’s tenure of office. None can because none knows where the shoe pinches; they write in the comfort of their offices and homes, proclaiming how millions, who they have not met will vote in the North especially. This is rotten scholarship. In fact, nobody among them knows how most Northerners will vote.
Among their often-repeated fallacies, based on prejudice, is the charge that Nigerians will not vote for Buhari because he is a “religious fanatic”. Even if true, two observations will dispel this rumour peddled as truth. One, no Muslim in the entire country had ever mentioned to me that he considers Buhari a fanatic and none will vote against him for that reason. The hang-up about Buhari’s perceived fanaticism belongs to some Christians. Second, one person’s fanatic is another person’s staunch believer in his faith. So, “fanaticism” might actually work in his favour.
Speaking strictly for myself, a Muslim fanatic is preferable to a wishy-washy Christian. Everybody knows where the first stands on issues affecting morality; nobody can trust the second. At any rate, my own reading of the two Holy Books – Bible and Quran – has convinced me that there is very little the Bible abhors which the Quran supports; and vice versa. Our “Christian” columnists are only raising false alarm.
Having disposed of that, at least for now, let me turn, briefly, to the issues of Jonathan’s performance and corruption. Kindly let me quote verbatim what Adelakun and Aribisala wrote in defence of Jonathan and to run down Buhari’s bid for the Presidency.
First Adelakun, in PUNCH, October 23, 2014. “Even though many Nigerians are probably weary of Jonathan’s government by now, they are still practical enough to understand that another four years of Jonathan’s government will not kill them. It might bring Nigeria to her knees but at the same time, it is a pain that can be endured.” (italics mine). Despite the use of “probably”, when the word to use is “certainly,” nobody reading that sentence can fail to shed tears for Nigeria. When the brightest and the best expect us to re-elect a President who will not alleviate their suffering, but deepen them till 2019, then all is lost.
Let me close this first part by drawing attention to Aribisala’s statement, undoubtedly made proudly about “his country”, not mine. “In Nigeria, nobody gets elected as President on the platform that he is going to be an anti-corruption crusader when he gets into office.” Apparently, Femi approves of that situation and will like it to continue – as long as Jonathan gets re-elected. This is a Professor? I thought professors are supposed to be engaged in advancing positive original ideas, not in telling us to continue to go to hell, as we are doing now.
[myad]