Fani-Kayode, Dan Ulasi: I Wish Them Same, By Babayola M. Toungo

February 3, 2015

Femi Fani-Kayode likes to believe he is the “stormy petrel” of today’s politics in Nigeria; but he is not. Femi Fani-Kayode. The PDP has lost it – I mean any sense of decency – that is if they ever had it. A party claiming to hold certain values and ethos cannot be behaving in the manner the party, its presidential candidate and its presidential campaign committee are behaving. The character traits they have been exhibiting since the day General Muhammadu Buhari won the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential primary election is no better than any unlettered, uncultured, uncouth and primitive inhabitants of rodent infested creeks. I hasten to beg the ready to excuse my language and choice of words but if the reader can tolerate the barbaric, nihilistic behaviour of the PDP, I beg him to forgive my decision to descend into the gutter and meet the likes of Femi Fani-Kayode and Dan Ulasi in their habitat.

I really pity Femi Fani-Kayode. I pity him for a lot of reasons, but mainly for his inability to be ashamed of somersaults and I also fear for him that he may not have a relapse of his well documented “psychological breakdown.” The man is truly an animal without shame. But my heart goes out to those Nigerians who listen to and then go ahead to quote Fani-Kayode. I thought it is only a Jonathan Goodluck or Namadi(na) Sambo, who for lack of a better thing to do listen to Fani-Kayode. This is a man who was once committed to a mental institution in Ghana, now the lead spokesman of our president. Does this not tell you about the character and comportment of our president?

With Reuben Abati pretending to be urbane and Doyin Okupe struggling between blaspheming Jesus Christ (AS) and identifying himself a bastard, a certified schizophrenic was drafted to be the president’s chief attack dog. A man without scruples or sense of decency is our president’s trusted mouthpiece. Knowing the well documented mental instability of Fani-Kayode, I have hesitated to join issues with him in the past, but I must do so now because I believe the man is overstepping the bounds of sanity and may ultimately drag so many of our undiscerning into his world. I have never taken Fani-Kayode serious because I am of the opinion that taking him serious may mean joining him in his loony world. Here is a man who vacillates between fantasy and reality so often that he lives more in the fantasy world than in the real world; a man who could easily change his mind on strategic issues and so frequently without batting an eye, yet is today at the forefront of the Jonathan campaign organisation as its spokesman.

Femi Fani-Kayode likes to believe he is the “stormy petrel” of today’s politics in Nigeria; but he is not. He is just another political jobber, permanently looking for relevance and pocket change. This is a man who proudly “kissed and told” on his relationship with Bianca Onoh, Nigeria’s Ambassador to Spain. Flaunting his immorality is not enough for him but he has now taken the job of denigrating perceived enemies of Goodluck, insulting the president’s ‘betters’ and behaving like a “motor park tout” that he is, in the words of his principal. Fani-Kayode did it before – he was Obasanjo’s chief attack dog during the former president’s second term. This was after Fani-Kayode castigated the Ota farmer endlessly as if Obasanjo was his only vocation.

Dan Ulasi, a former (?) Anambra State Chairman of the PDP is pushing to the frontline of Jonathan’s hate merchants to be recognised. It appears he want to outdo Fani-Kayode at being the chief foul mouth of the PDP. Having lost out in the power struggle in the vampire-invested PDP, the man is pushing hard to be counted. To so be recognised in their world of negativism, he is ready to disturb the dead by telling lies and talking ill of the dead, something that is un African. All in his efforts to ingratiate himself to Jonathan.

What the two had in common is their ability to look Nigerians in the eye and tell them bedtime stories, which they know, are lies. They have thrown everything at General Buhari including the kitchen sink without him batting an eye. Much as I was pained by the blatant lies they bandy around, I consoled myself that the General and his party had the machinery to respond to the fabrications. What raised my dander about these two unsavoury goons is their reference to the late Salihijo Ahmad, a Director in Afri-Projects Consortium, the management Consultants to the defunct PTF. In their desperation to discredit Buhari on behalf of their principal, they were not loath to lie about the dead. While all the mud they threw at Buhari refused to stick, they have now exhumed a discredited phantom “report” which indicted Buhari about a missing N25billion from the PTF while he was the agency’s Chairman.

If the duo and the PDP are so sure of their facts, why don’t they invite Obasanjo, Haroun Adamu and his Interim Management Committee to come and tell Nigerians what they know about the “missing” billion? Afri-Projects Consortium, the consultancy firm purportedly indicted by the report is still around and willing to be suborned. It is noteworthy that the same Obasanjo made Mallam Murtala Aliyu, the current President of the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveying (NIQS), a Minister after the Haroun Adamu led IMC was sacked for corruption. I also know that Dr. Ochi Achinuvu, the Director of Programmes in the PTF during General Buhari’s watch became a Federal Permanent Secretary and is now a member of the Goodluck Jonathan Campaign council. Another Director of the Firm, Amina J. Ibrahim headed the MDG office from where she now serve on the staff of the United Nations Secretary General as Special Adviser. So why the insinuations?

Knowing all the principal actors are alive, I wonder of what value dragging the name of the late Salihijo Ahmad will be to the electability or otherwise of their candidate. The attempt to introduce “mysterious death” or “suicide” by the late Salihijo is the height of irresponsibility. Desperation doesn’t mean madness, though I know Fani-Kayode has a history of madness, I can’t be certain of Ulasi. The late Salihijo Ahmad will be turning in his grave if he is to know that such characters are taking his name in vain. He wouldn’t have come anywhere near the Jonathan gang for all the money in the world because he was an epitome of uprightness and virtuousness. He doesn’t suffer fools nor related with the uncivilised. I am sure there are many people all over the country and across every known divide who will willingly come out to testify on the character of the late Salihijo. If it is a curse or a wish, just the like the death wish on Buhari by Fayose, I wish them the same.

The late Salihijo Ahmad was a deeply religious man and therefore the thought of committing suicide will not even cross his mind. For these misfits to impute either a “mysterious death” or “suicide” to him is unacceptable in every sense of the word. In Ulasi’s fables, the late Salihijo Ahmad and Buhari’s wife were from the same parents. For the benefit of the discerning, the late Salhijo Ahmad has no filial relationship in any form and neither Buhari nor Salihijo ever claimed so.

Nigerians should be aware, that what do Jonathan’s associates and ‘spokespersons’ exhibit during this campaign is what we should expect in the unlikely event that Jonathan wins the February 14th election. May God forbid that. Asari Dokubo, Tompolo, Boyloaf, Namadi Sambo, Goodluck Jonathan, Olisa Metuh, Femi Fani-Kayode and Dan Ulasi. This is a preview of Jonathan’s cabinet. Birds of the same plumage… [myad]

Jonathan Admits There Are Lapses In Oil Sector, Directs Auditor-General To Clean It Up

Greenbarge Reporters

February 2, 2015

President Goodluck Jonathan has admitted that there are lapses in the Nigerian oil sector, even as he directed the Auditor-General of the Federation, Mr. Samuel Ukura, to look into the Forensic Audit Report that was submitted to him today with a view to coming up with major findings to the government within the week.

President Jonathan, who received the Forensic Audit report on the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) from the international auditing firm, Water House, at the Presidential Villa today, said that the report would help to address the lapses in the oil industry and help the administration to address the misconceptions in the industry.

“Everybody knows that the sector needs to be reformed and I believe that by the time we go through the petroleum industry bill and make it a law, most of these lapses would be corrected and the misconceptions will be properly addressed by the different administrative structures.

According to President Jonathan, the figures which many people have been branding in the newspapers are ones that Nigerians will be interested in.

He thanked the Audit Firm for what it had done, adding: “it will help us, it will help this country to set things right. We will handle it decisively based on the information that we have.

“Based on the preliminary information, Nigerians need not be so scared about the kind of stories that we hear.’’

Top of Form

Bottom of Form

President Jonathan observed that both chambers of the National Assembly had delved into the matter in the past; and that with the report, the issue of leakages in the petroleum industry would be laid to rest.

The president said that the kind of figures mentioned in the newspapers “looked so ridiculous,“ and that they were figures that he could not imagine the country earned.

“I am quite pleased that you have taken a forensic audit. I will give it to the professionals, the auditor-general of the federation, so that within the week we will get the key findings,” the president said.

He described the report as “a precious document’’ which could be used as future reference material to improve operations in the oil industry and for academic purposes.

Senior Partner of the consultants, Mr. Uyi Akpata, who submitted the report, said the group was privileged to be nominated for the auditing assignment, adding that the firm expected that government would find the report useful in the reforms in the petroleum sector.

The report was carried out by the Water House, following reports of the controversy of leakages in the petroleum ministry. [myad]

Egyptian Court Confirms Death Sentences On 183 Members Of Outlawed Muslim Brotherhood

Greenbarge Reporters

February 2, 2015

An Egyptian court has confirmed death sentences on 183 supporters of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood on charges of killing police officers, as authorities continued a crackdown on opponents.

The men were convicted of playing a role in the killings of policemen in the town of Kardasa in August 2013, during the upheaval that followed the army’s toppling of Egypt’s former President Mohamed Morsi.

In December last year, the court issued its preliminary verdict against 188 defendants in a mass trial, of which two were acquitted today while one was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Charges against another two defendants were dropped after the court discovered that they were dead.

Today’s verdict came after the initial sentences were sent to the grand mufti, the government’s official interpreter of Islamic law, for ratification.

The attack took place on the same day security forces violently dismantled two massive protest camps supporting Morsi in Cairo, killing hundreds of protesters in clashes.

The December verdict was the third mass death sentence of 2014, and was roundly condemned by rights groups.

“Mass death sentences are fast losing Egypt’s judiciary whatever reputation for independence it once had,” Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East and North Africa director for Human Rights Watch, said at the time.

“Instead of weighing the evidence against each person, judges are convicting defendants en masse without regard for fair trial standards,” she said.

In April 2014, Egyptians were shocked when a court passed down 683 death sentences in one trial.

In total, thousands of Brotherhood supporters have been arrested and put on mass trials in a campaign which human rights groups say shows the government is systematically repressing opponents.

President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, who as army chief toppled Morsi, describes the Brotherhood as a major security threat.

The movement says it is committed to peaceful activism. [myad]

Jonathan Recieves Forensic Report On NNPC

Greenbarge Reporters

February 2, 2015

From left: Risk and Quality leader (Africa), Pricewaterhousecoopers (PWC), Mr. Gabriel Ukpeh; Country Senior Partner of PWC, Mr. Uyi Akpata; President Goodluck Jonathan and the Nigeria’s Auditor-General, Mr. Ukura Samuel at the submission of the Forensic Audit Report of the finances of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) BY THE Prcewaterhousecoopers at the Presidential Villa today, Monday. [myad]

APC Asks Jonathan To Tell Nigerians What Has Happened to Victims Of Phony Immigration Jobs

Greenbarge Reporters

February 2, 2015

The All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Organization has asked President Goodluck Jonathan to tell Nigerians what his government has done to the victims of some hapless job applicants who were assembled at the National Stadium for enlistment into non existing jobs at the Nigeria Immigration Service which led to a stampede and deaths, six months after the incidence.
APC expressed regret that six months after, the Jonathan-led federal government is yet to bring the culprits to book or provide succour to the victims of the job scam.
A statement signed by the APC Director of Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu today said that it is even more confounding that the Minister of Interior under whose watch thousands of Nigerian youths were compelled to pay N1000 for the job application, and which proceeds run into hundreds of millions of Naira, is busy campaigning for PDP and President Jonathan’s re-election, whereas the applicants who lost their lives have been forgotten, and their parents and relations left to bemoan their fate.
Garba Shehu said that it is even more shocking that despite the uproar which the scandal generated across the country and beyond, “neither the Nigeria Immigration Service, Ministry of Interior or the Federal Government has given any satisfactory answer to the posers as to why thousands of Nigerian youths were assembled in major cities for few job vacancies which have already been allocated to children of powerful people in government.”
The APC Campaign said that despite the tragedy of this unfortunate incident, the Jonathan administration did not deem it fit to set up a commission of inquiry to investigate the immediate and remote causes of the stampede, and neither was any official held to account for the loss of lives of the innocent Nigerians who for no fault of theirs fell victim to the ignominious official scam.
“It is more disturbing that the Minister of Finance. Dr. Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala keeps bandying unverified figures of jobs created by this administration, but the reality on ground does not in any way support the statistics. Recently, she released a figure of 1.4 million jobs that have been created as a result of the policies the Jonathan Administration executed, yet the suffering and pain young Nigerian graduates undergo daily in search of non-existent jobs has become scandalous to say the least.”
Garba Shehu then called on President Jonathan and the PDP to render account to Nigerians of what led to the stampede at the Nigeria Immigration Service job recruitment exercise, adding that failure to do so will amount to insensitivity to the bereaved families of the dead applicants as well as the scam that led to thousands of job applicants losing their money to a certain consultant of the Nigeria Immigration Service. [myad]

Jonathan, Atiku Grieve Over Death Of Molade Okoya-Thomas

Greenbarge Reporters

February 2, 2015

President Goodluck Jonathan and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar have expressed shock over the death, today in Lagos, a Nigeria’s leading entrepreneur, Chief Molade Okoya-Thomas.
Okoya-Thomas, who holds the traditional titles of the Asoju Oba of Lagos, Babasuwa of Ijebu-Remo and Odofin of Ife, died at the age of 79. He was until his death, the Chancellor of the Lagos State University and Chairman of CFAO Nigeria Limited.
In a statement issued today by Dr. Reuben Abati, special adviser to President Jonathan on media and publicity, President Jonathan described the deceased as a very successful businessman who lived a very worthy and fulfilled life, and left a legacy of great entrepreneurial achievements for his successors to build on.
The President believed that Chief Okoya-Thomas will also be long remembered and honoured as a very generous philanthropist and sports enthusiast who established the popular Asoju-Oba Table Tennis Championships.
He extended his condolences to members of Chief Okoya-Thomas’ family as well as his friends, associates, business partners within and outside Nigeria, and the people of Lagos where he held the traditional title of Asoju-Oba.
The President said that he shared in their pain and sorrow as they mourn the late Chief Okoya-Thomas who was also honoured in his lifetime with the traditional titles of Odofin of Ile- Ife and Bobasuwa of Ijebu-Remo.
Atiku Abubakar, in a press statement by his media office in Abuja described the death of Okoya-Thomas as a huge blow to the community of Nigeria’s businessmen, saying that he was a visionary and astute businessman whose contribution to Nigeria’s private sector economy will remain indelible.
“Although the late Molade Okoya-Thomas left the stage at a prime age of 79, his death nonetheless is a huge blow to the community of businessmen in Nigeria.
“He was a pioneer and a visionary. Okoya-Thomas belonged to a generation of private sector investors who saw opportunities in making investments in the economy when it was risky to do so.
“His legacies will remain indelible in corporate Nigeria and I pray God will grant his family and loved ones the fortitude to bear the loss.” [myad]

Buhari, Osinbajo Begin Person-To-Person Town-Hall Meetings, Ignore Television Debates

Greenbarge Reporters

February 2, 2015

APC Presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari and his running mate, Yemi Osibajo,

Presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) General Muhammadu Buhari and his running mate, Professor Yemi Osinbajo have opted for town hall meetings, as a deliberate strategy of the campaign to interact with and explain directly to citizens the policy thrust of their envisaged administration and how the set objectives will be achieved. This is coming on the heels of the party’s decision that its candidates will not participate in the presidential television debates which are being organised by, among others, Africa Independent Television (AIT), owned by a chieftain of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chief Ray Dokpesi.
A statement, signed by the Director of Media and Publicity of the APC Presidential Campaign Organisation in Abuja today said that the town hall meetings kicked off in Lagos today, with a robust interaction between Buhari/Osibanjo and the Organised Private Sector.
Garba Shehu said that the party is compelled to chart this course because of the compelling need to have a person-to-person interactive sessions during which pertinent questions will be posed to the candidates and responses provided.
“Our campaign decided to chart this path because we cannot afford to shy away from the more pressing urgency to have one-on-one interactions with Nigerians through town hall meetings.”
Here is the full text of the statement “The All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Organisation wishes to announce the commencement of town hall meetings ahead of the February 14 presidential election.
“Due to the more pressing urgency to have an open interaction with Nigerians, the campaign will be organising town hall meetings in different parts of the country.
“The town hall meetings kicked off today (Monday) in Lagos with a public interaction between the presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari, his running mate Professor Yemi Osinbajo and representatives of Organised Private Sector.
“On Tuesday, the town hall meeting will hold in Kano with traders and market associations. Thereafter, the meeting will hold in Benin with labour and civil society leaders.
“The focus of the town hall meeting will then shift to Ibadan where students and youth groups will be engaging General Buhari and Professor Osinbajo, while Enugu and Port Harcourt will follow suit.
“The direction the that the campaign will be moving in the countdown to the election day is to have as many as possible person-to-person interactive sessions for Nigerians to hear directly from the presidential candidate and his running mate.” [myad]

Fani-Kayode Condemns General Buhari For His Alleged Contempt For Debates

Greenbarge Reporters

February 2, 2015

The Director of media and publicity of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign Organization, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode has condemned the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari’s alleged contempt for Nigerians by his refusal to participate in live television debates with President Goodluck Jonathan.
In a statement in Abuja today, Fani-Kayode said that the decision by General Buhari to shun another debate organized by the Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN) and Channels Television was despicable and even as he called on Nigerians to ensure the rejection of Buhari at the poll as a just recompense for his action.
“We have been informed that General Buhari and the APC have decided not to participate in the NPAN-CHANNELS Television-organized debate after they had earlier agreed to take part in it.
“We had thought that having withdrawn from participating in the debate organized by Broadcasting Organization of Nigeria (BON), they would have availed themselves this second platform.
“Now that they have also turned their back on this, it is now very clear that General Buhari is incapable of engaging in rigorous live television debates on the issues of governance. It speaks about his intellectual laziness and his loss of touch with contemporary issues of development and statecraft.
“We would like to reiterate that the APC has something to shield about General Buhari. He has campaigned in some states of the federation attacking President Jonathan’s handling of insurgency, corruption and economy. Now there is a platform on which both candidates can engage each other on these issues and he (Buhari) is running away.
“It is a disgrace to the APC and their candidate that they would treat everybody with contempt. The organizers of the debates are interested in promoting a robust culture of debates so that people can listen to the candidates and make informed choices on the basis of their arguments.
“We call on Nigerians to express their displeasure with General Buhari and the APC by rejecting them at the poll. This will be a just recompense for treating the Nigerian people and electorate with disdain.” [myad]

2015 Polls: Nigeria Cannot Afford To Fail, Says Governor Uduaghan

Greenbarge Reporters

February 2, 2015

Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan has said that peaceful elections in Nigeria cannot be compromised as the nation cannot afford to fail because of its implications for the unity of the country.
Speaking at a Voters Education meeting with traditional rulers in Asaba, the state capital today, Governor Uduaghan wanted all hands to be on deck to ensure that the nation gets it right.
The governor, who said that the consequences of failure in the conduct of the election would be too disastrous for the country asked the Government, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies and stakeholders to work together to ensure that the elections are free and fair, devoid of any form of violence.
“As much as possible we want to totally remove violence during elections and one way of achieving this is through proper voter education. You know ignorance can lead to violence and there are so many people out there that are not well informed about issues surrounding the temporary voters’ card, permanent voters’ card, the voting process etc.”
The Governor said everything would be done to ensure that there is no violence during and after the elections, adding: “we are determined to have peaceful elections in Nigeria and Delta State in particular. It is important and very critical that we have peaceful elections.”
According to him there are still about 600,000 permanent voters’ cards that are yet to be collected and urged traditional rulers to inform their subjects to endeavour to collect their voters’ cards before the deadline.
Governor Uduaghan said that Delta State has recorded peaceful electioneering campaigns and informed the traditional rulers that President Goodluck Jonathan would lead the campaign train of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to Asaba tomorrow (Wednesday) for a campaign rally and urged all Deltans to remain peaceful throughout the period.
“We are expecting the visit of the Mr. President to be very peaceful even as the All Progressive Congress (APC) Presidential candidate, Mohammedu Buhari had a peaceful campaign in the state.”
He said that security agencies are collaborating to ensure a hitch-free visit by the President and his team, even as he observed that the State has so far recorded a peaceful electioneering period.
“The beauty of our primaries was that they were all peaceful, candidates emerged, nothing unusual happened as it concerns security issues. We thank God for that because we had some other States in the country where there was violence after their primaries.”
He enjoined security agencies to be more vigilant after the Presidential elections, saying that the state elections are more competitive in Delta State.
The resident electoral commissioner (REC) in Delta State, Elder Aniedi Ikoiwak said that INEC is ready for peaceful, free, fair and credible elections. He said that logistics have been put in place for accreditation of voters to commence at exactly 8.00 am on the day of elections.
He emphasized that voting can only be done with the permanent voter’s cards and by the owners of such cards as electronic card readers have been procured to ensure that voting cannot be done by proxy.
Traditional rulers who spoke at the occasion promised to enlighten their subjects on the need to collect their PVCs while heads of security agencies assured Deltans that no stone would be left unturned to ensure peaceful and successful elections.
They warned trouble makers to desist from entering the election venues as they were prepared to prosecute anybody caught engaging in actions that are detrimental to the electioneering process. [myad]

I Won’t Probe Military, But Will Deal With All Kinds Of Impunity- General Buhari

Greenbarge Reporters

February 1, 2015

The Presidential Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), General Muhammadu Buhari has made it clear that he has no intention of subjecting the Nigeria military and other arms of government to probes if elected president in the February 14 election.

General Buhari, through a statement today, signed by the Directorate of Media and Publicity of the APC Presidential Campaign Organisation, Garba Shehu said that his administration would decisively deal with all cases of impunity and corruption, no matter who is involved.

The statement further reiterated Buhari’s stance that “when elected into office in February, the era of impunity will be over for the rogues. But there is no time for engaging in probes or witch hunts.”

It also quoted Buhari as saying that he was passionately concerned about the conditions of the armed forces at the moment.

General Buhari lamented that despite huge budgetary allocations, the government of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has failed to effectively deal with security threats, including the Boko Haram terrorism.

The statement reads in part: “What he (Buhari) said at every given opportunity is that he is keenly interested in knowing what has gone wrong, if any, with the army that he knew. When he has access to them as Commander-in-Chief, he will like to hear from his commanders what are the problems they are dealing with so that they can be solved.”

“In a democracy such as ours, all institutions of government, including the armed forces, are accountable. No country can achieve results in its counter-terrorism efforts when there is no transparency in the management of huge resources for the purpose.

“He (General Buhari) will reinvigorate the armed forces and restore their rapidly evaporating morale.” [myad]

1...2,2942,2952,296...2,506 Page 2,295 of 2,506