He dumped Medicine For Mass Communication After 10 Years At University

‘I won’t want my son to do to me what I did to
my father’

What could make a student abandon Medicine
for Mass Communication, having spent 10
years trying hard at the former? This is the
big question our intern, Godwin Simon
attempted to answer, when he went after
Ismaila Mansur Akolade, a 100 level Mass
Communication student of the University of
Lagos now in his 10th year as an
undergraduate.

ISMAILA Mansur Akolade as a 100 level
student of Mass Communication at the
University of Lagos is by all means expected
to be a fresher and a green horn in the
university affairs, but his mature outlook,
carriage and composure suggest clearly that
he is he is none of the sort. As if to confirm
this writer’s suspicion, a reliable source, who
is close to Ismaila disclosed he had indeed
spent a whopping ten years at the University
of Ilorin, studying Medicine before quitting
barely two weeks to the commencement of his
final qualification examination. His days at
the University of Ilorin, the source said was
characterised by serial failure, which inevitably
put him at the bottom of the class, hence his
decision to quit at the eleventh hour.

Curiously, Ismaila is not sitting at the bottom
nor struggling in his new endeavour as he
currently sit in the first class category with a
Grade Point Average of 4.71.
In an exclusive interview with our reporter,
Ismaila revealed that his action was triggered
by his passion for the journalism profession,
which he said is parallel to the wish of his
father for him. He noted that his dream was
never to become a doctor, but was forced into
an unholy matrimony with the profession by
his father who sees the medical profession as
prestigious and thus wants ‘the best’ for his
son.

“Principally, my action was due to the fact
that I never wanted to be a doctor. I was
initially in medical school because I had to
follow my father’s bidding. He wanted me to
become a doctor but when I discovered after
10 years that it was not going to work and
that my professional life was going to be
nastier and more horrible, I took the decision
to leave and follow my dreams. I refused to be
held down by the medical certificate because I
reasoned that if I should write the final
examination, it might make me drift away from
my dream of studying Mass Communication.”
He said.

He recalled his days at the University of Ilorin
Medical School, which he described as
‘horrible’ and ‘nasty,’ noting that he was a
very terrible student and had a very negative
reputation. He said,
“Perhaps, I was the most unserious medical
student UNILORIN has ever come across. I
spent 10 years in the medical school, four of
which was due to failure. I repeated class in
200, 300, 500, and 600 levels respectively.

After the whole saga, especially when I came
to study Mass Communication, I discovered
that my failure was not due to an inability or
mental incapacity to handle medicine; it was
because I was just never interested in it.”
He revealed that the reason for his passion for
the journalism profession was his talent and
propensity which he believes would thrive and
gain relevance only if allowed to be expressed
as a journalist.

His words: “There is this Law-Mass
Communication dichotomy. People thought I
was leaving medicine for an equally
‘prestigious’ course like Law. You know the
way society view it especially in Nigeria: If my
son is not a doctor, he should be a lawyer,
engineer or accountant. Having analysed both
law and medicine, I discovered common
characteristics in them. First of all are the
rules. I won’t call myself a lawless person, but
I am someone who likes to be free. I don’t like
dress codes, neither do I fancy uniforms. When
I was in the medical school, there was a rule
that you must be in a particular shirt at a
particular time and other dress codes. I don’t
like conventions.”

“I am not an undisciplined person, but I hate
being caged by unnecessary shackles of
profession. This sharply differs from my
current course. Mass Communication is
everything. Look at the issue of beats; if you
are an aviation reporter, you look more like a
pilot when you start talking. In Mass
Communication, you are a complete human
being. You can be here and there. I love the
professional plurality and intellectual freedom
obtainable in it. I felt that this course is more
of me than law.”

He said his father was embittered by his
decision to quit medicine after all his
investment into the profession. He however
said he was encouraged to embark on his
mission after seeing the movie titled, ‘Three
Idiots,’ which triggered the instinct of
resoluteness in him and taught him that life is
predominantly about risk taking.

According to him, “I will not want to feel the
way my father felt when I left. If I put myself
into his shoes, I won’t want a son to do to me
what I did to my father. However, I got the
inspiration from the movie to dare and to take
a seemingly difficult action, more especially
because life is risk taking and not about the
present alone. The lessons from that movie
contributed 40 per cent to my final decision. I
believe strongly that if I graduate from
UNILAG, become a world class journalist and
achieve greatness in the profession; my father
will be one of those who will celebrate with
me.”

Ismaila admitted that it was not easy for him
to start afresh and adapt since he had spent
most of his years studying science-based
subjects in secondary school. Sitting down to
deal with arts-based subjects, he said, was
difficult but the determination to succeed
made him to withstand the avoidable failure
that stared him in the face.

“I was driven by passion. I went to settle with
all relevant books. I did extensive reading and
I also had a friend who taught me
mathematics. When the result came out, it
was excellent. I actually had distinction in all
my papers.” He said.

He recognised the contributions of his
lecturers in Mass Communication department,
to his quick adaptation to life on campus,
saying that their words of encouragements,
have helped him to quickly overcome his
medical school trauma, and helped him to re-
orientate towards excellence.
“These lecturers of mine are beyond just
lecturers for me. They are my advisers,
comforters and encouragers. Those that heard
my story assured me that I can still bounce
back and be great in life. With this, I was able
to re-think and desire to be studious. Thank
God the results are reflecting my efforts
Ismaila said the 10-year experience has
redefined him and has taught him a lot of
lessons, which he wishes to use to educate the
younger ones to forestall falling victim of such
unpalatable experience.
He appealed to parents to always consider the
interest and ability of their children rather
than imposing professions on them.

In his words, “Parents should allow their
children to express themselves. That parents
are privileged to give birth to children does
not give them absolute control over their
destinies. Parents can only guide their
children. Children should be allowed to have
more input on how they would live their lives.

Parents should not play God with the future of
their children. Your child doesn’t know how to
write or speak English very well but he is very
exceptional in Mathematics and you insist he
should go and study law! He has a special
ability in writing poems and mind-bogging
articles but poor in calculations, yet you said
he must be an engineer! Parents should stop
acting against the natural talents and
propensities of their children.”

He also challenged young ones to hold their
destinies in their hands to avoid being swayed
unnecessarily. “If you don’t make a decision
for yourself, someone will make it for you.

Don’t abandon your future in the hands of
anybody. Do your own research and know the
movers and shakers in your profession of
interest, so as to inspire you the more. Young
ones should not leave everything in the hands
of their parents. It is noteworthy that he who
pays the piper dictates the tune, especially
when the piper has not decided the exact tune
to play.”

EDUCATION COLLEGES LECTURERS BEGIN STRIKE

Members of the Colleges of Education
Academic Staff Union (COEASU) have begun
an indefinite strike over what an official said
were efforts to “salvage the institutions from
total collapse.”

The strike was called on Monday, leading to
the suspension of academic activities at
Federal Colleges of Education and other
similar colleges around the country.
The lecturers are concerned over the Federal
Government’s Integrated Personnel Payment
System (IPPS) as well as on the decaying
infrastructure in the colleges.
The strike came soon after university lecturers
ended a long-drawn industrial action that
lasted nearly six months.
An official of COAESU, who does not want to
be named because he was not authorised to
speak, said the union went on strike because
it appeared this was the “only language that
the Federal Government understands.”
“Our colleges are rotting away; no befitting
libraries, hostels, lecture halls and other
structures. The books in our libraries today
are outdated,” he said.
The official said colleges of education needed
adequate funds for transformation to enable
them provide the expected services to the
nation.
“Another vital issue which COEASU wants
government to address is the implementation
of migration on its junior staff to the IPPS
system…. COEASU wants government to stop
the implementation of IPPS on the colleges of
education because it will disrupt its progress,”
he said.
He said “colleges of education as teacher-
training institutions have unique features
different from that of universities. We have
teacher training and teaching practice
programmes which are basic instruments for
producing qualitative teachers but government
is not allocating funds for these programmes.”
The official added that colleges of education
are sponsoring their products for such
programmes out of their salary allocations,
and that if the IPPS was implemented these
programmes would automatically be wiped out
from the system.
STRIKE

Members of the Colleges of Education
Academic Staff Union (COEASU) have begun
an indefinite strike over what an official said
were efforts to “salvage the institutions from
total collapse.”
The strike was called on Monday, leading to
the suspension of academic activities at
Federal Colleges of Education and other
similar colleges around the country.

The lecturers are concerned over the Federal
Government’s Integrated Personnel Payment
System (IPPS) as well as on the decaying
infrastructure in the colleges.
The strike came soon after university lecturers
ended a long-drawn industrial action that
lasted nearly six months.
An official of COAESU, who does not want to
be named because he was not authorised to
speak, said the union went on strike because
it appeared this was the “only language that
the Federal Government understands.”

“Our colleges are rotting away; no befitting
libraries, hostels, lecture halls and other
structures. The books in our libraries today
are outdated,” he said.
The official said colleges of education needed
adequate funds for transformation to enable
them provide the expected services to the
nation.

“Another vital issue which COEASU wants
government to address is the implementation
of migration on its junior staff to the IPPS
system…. COEASU wants government to stop
the implementation of IPPS on the colleges of
education because it will disrupt its progress,”
he said.
He said “colleges of education as teacher-
training institutions have unique features
different from that of universities. We have
teacher training and teaching practice
programmes which are basic instruments for
producing qualitative teachers but government
is not allocating funds for these programmes.”

The official added that colleges of education
are sponsoring their products for such
programmes out of their salary allocations,
and that if the IPPS was implemented these
programmes would automatically be wiped out
from the system.

Over 50 Islamists Killed, Villages Destroyed In Latest Military Offensive On Boko Haram

A military offensive in northeast Nigeria that
killed more than 50 Islamist rebels has
destroyed four villages and left corpses
scattered in bushes, with some civilians
among the dead, witnesses said Tuesday.

The defence ministry has said the operation
was launched in response to an attack Friday
by Boko Haram insurgents on an army
barracks in the town of Bama in Borno state,
the epicentre of the Islamist conflict.

Defence spokesman Chris Olukolade identified
those killed as “terrorists.”
Residents told AFP that an unknown number
of civilians also lost their lives as the military
bombarded the fleeing rebels. While they
reported finding scores of charred bodies in
the area, many were thought to be those of
Boko Haram fighters.

Area resident Karim Bunu told AFP the
military onslaught “completely burnt down
four villages,” specifically listing Awaram, Ali-
Ali, Suwabara and Kashimri, all in Borno
state.

“Civilians from the affected villages,” were
among those killed, he said.
“We have never seen so much death,” added a
tribal chief in the area, who asked that his
name be withheld. “The bushes are littered
with decomposing bodies.”

Bunu, the local chief and other residents said
much of the destruction was caused by bombs
dropped by fighter jets. Locals are collecting
bodies and digging graves for those killed,
residents added.

In a Monday statement on the operation,
Olukolade said that “a good number of the
insurgents escaped with bullet wounds while
some have been arrested. Over 50 of them
died in the course of exchange of fire with
ground troops.”

Fifteen soldiers were killed during the Boko
Haram raid on the barracks and “during the
pursuit” of the insurgents, according to
Olukolade.

The defence spokesman gave no indication
that the military response caused large-scale
property destruction or cost civilian lives.

Nigeria’s military has been accused of using
scorched-earth tactics in campaigns against
Boko Haram and not distinguishing between
civilian and insurgent targets. Such
accusations have however been typically
denied.

According to multiple witness accounts, Boko
Haram stormed the barracks before sunrise on
Friday, spraying it with gunfire before torching
the compound. There were reports that
soldiers as well as wives and children were
abducted in the raid.

The army said the Islamists had tried to
escape across the border with Cameroon but
were pursued through the weekend by ground
troops with the support of fighter jets
deployed from an air force base in Borno’s
capital Maiduguri, some 60 kilometres (37
miles) away.

Borno and two neighbouring states were
placed under a state of emergency in May,
giving the military added powers in their bid
to crush Boko Haram’s four-year uprising
which has killed thousands.

The conflict has affected various parts of the
north and centre of Nigeria, but the northeast
has been the hit hardest, including
communities near Bama, which has emerged
as a hotspot in the insurgency.

Boko Haram has said it wants to create an
Islamic state in Nigeria’s mainly Muslim
north. The southern half of the country is
mostly Christian. [AFP]

PHOTONEWS : INEC Registered A Bowl Of Rice As A Voter In Anambra

By Saharareporters, New York

The Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC) presented a bowl
of rice as one the registered voters
during the recently concluded
gubernatorial election in Anambra
State. The bowl of rice pictured in
INEC's voter's roll was registered as a
37 year old male voter in Umuerodili
township in Anambra State.

No politician owns Nigeria, Jonathan tells Obasanjo, others

President Goodluck Jonathan has said that
Nigeria does not belong to any politician or
any group of politician.

He spoke Wednesday at the Diocese of Abuja,
The Cathedral Church of the Advent in
Lifecamp, Abuja, where he attended his
Christmas day church service along with his
family members and some senior government
officials.

Even as he did not mention the name of the
former President Olusegun Obasanjo in his
speech, he referred to those making
statements and writing open letters they ought
not to write.

Obasanjo had in a December 2 nd , 2013
written an open letter to the President in
which he made weighty allegations against
Jonathan and his administration.
Jonathan Wednesday said: “For us at this
time especially we the politicians that we
think we own this country begin to think about
next election and doing what we ought not to
do, making statement we ought not to make,
writing letters we suppose not to write.”

“I call on clergymen and statesmen who really
own this country because this country belongs
to our statesmen, traditional rulers, religious
leaders, our men, our women, our youth.

Nigeria does not belong to any politician or
group of politicians. So we continue to urge
you to pray for this country.”
On terrorism, he said: “The primate mentioned
number of issues that deal with a number of
nations that deals with crisis. For those who
know about terrorism, countries that are
infested with terror will hardly get out of it. If
you look at country like Pakistan, we even go
to Pakistan to train our soldiers, in some parts
of Pakistan as we are talking now there
appears to be no government. So this country
could have been worse.”

“Look at the incidences in Abuja, even the
police headquarters was boomed, the UN
building right here in the seat of government,
may be the next target would have been State
House. So we have to thank God that we have
been able to bring it to a reasonable level,
though we are far from getting over. There are
a lot of challenges but we have to thank God.”

He went on: “Primate said if it were to be like
Syria, what would we have done? Look at
South Sudan they were part of Sudan and they
felt that they were being dominated, they have
resources, there is oil in part of South Sudan,
they carried arms against the state, finally the
whole world through the UN liberated them. In
fact within this week we will be going for
security council meeting under the AU. My
envoy just came back on Sunday from where
he had conversation with them on how do we
stop this madness.”

“So we have to thank God even though we still
have this security challenges in our country at
least we are reasonably better.”
“In terms of Nigeria having crisis, the primate
was mentioning can Ghana accommodate us,
can Sierra Leone accommodate us. I was just
laughing because even now Nigerians in these
countries, the people are not even
comfortable, we don’t have crisis but from
Cameroon to Senegal, Nigerians are
everywhere. If not for political and diplomatic
reasons they would have even asked some of
them to leave. Then assuming we have crisis,
what would be the state, where will you go? Is
it the Atlantic Ocean? So I urge you to
continue to pray.”

“I also thank the religious leaders of this
country, they have been praying and I believe
God has been hearing our prayers. We will do
our best within the period that God has asked
us to occupy the positions we are occupying.”

He stated ]
Delivering the sermon entitled ‘Peace and Joy,
the Most Rev. Nicholas Okoh noted that the
first coming of Jesus Christ brought peace and
joy but that it will only be full at His second
coming.

According to him no part of the world is
enjoying total peace as he urged Nigerians to
continue to thank God for not making
Nigeria’s situation worse like other countries.

Quoting scriptures from Luke 2: 10, Isaiah 9:
n6, Galatians 3: 28, 2 nd Corinthians 5: 18,
John 14: 27 and Matthew 5: 9, he urged
Nigerians to continue to be a source of joy to
themselves, their neighbours and the whole
world.

He said: “But we have challenges, how can
you be talking of peace and joy to people in
Syria, DRC, Southern Sudan, Middle East,
Egypt, Indonesia and Ukraine. Will they
understand? How do you explain joy to
somebody who is bed ridden?

These are the
issues frost rating peace.”
Blaming the western world for these crises, he
said: “The western world sell these arms to
other part of the globe and are still talking
about peace. The money that people steal,
they take it outside and they receive it and
turn back to say these people are bad.”

“Only God can give us peace and joy because
man has so much complicated himself. If you
have three good stories that give you joy, you
are likely to have six stories that will upset
you.”

He also urged Nigerians to pray against
agents of darkness who are thirsting for
blood.

Nigerians, he said, have no choice than to
continue praying for peace as they have no
other place to go.

“Nigerians ought to be grateful to God and live
responsibly. Do not join anybody to cause
trouble. If we follow life diligently, Nigeria will
blossom, your lives will blossom. Refugees are
not the happiest of people, don’t make
yourself a refugee.” He pleaded.

The First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan read
the Old Testament lesson from Isaiah 9: 2, 6
and 7 while President Jonathan read the
Epistle from Hebrew 1: 1 to 12.

Among those who attended the service
included the Minister of State (FCT),
Olajumoke Akinjide, Minister of Information,
Labaran Maku, Minister of Police Affairs,
Called Olubolade.

Deposed Wife-Beating Akure Monarch, Pleading For Reinstatement, Sends 18-Page Apology To Governor Mimiko

By SaharaReporters, New York

The deposed former Deji of Akure
Kingdom, Oluwadare Adepoju Adesina,
has written an emotional letter of
consideration to the Ondo state
government to reinstate him as the
paramount ruler.

Mr. Adepoju was deposed after this
website revealed his battery of his
wife, Olori Bolanle, in May 2010. His
battered wife took ill and
subsequently died in July 2011. Mr.
Adepoju then relocated to the United
Kingdom.

In the letter, obtained exclusively by
SaharaReporters through his lawyer,
Barrister Olusola Oke, the deposed
Deji appealed to Governor Olusegun
Mimiko, for whom he claimed to have
worked tirelessly during his election
campaign, to consider his plea.

"I must passionately plead with your
Excellence to remember how well I
stood behind you and fought with you
towards ensuring that you won the
election and to ensure that you also
recovered your stolen mandate,” he
said.

Recounting how he was deposed from
the town because he allegedly poured
a concoction on his estranged late
wife, Olori Bola Adepoju Adesina, he
said the avoidable communication
gap was the reason behind the
widely-reported incident.
He claimed that the escalated fracas
between him and the late Olori was
misconstrued by the press which, he
also alleged, refused to report his own
version of the story.

Dr Ige Ogunleye, the Chairman of the
Osupa Ruling house which Adesina
hails from, confirmed receipt of the
letter, but he declined further
comment.

Many sources in the ruling house
disclosed that the letter comes at an
important time, as the Deji throne is
vacant. SaharaReporters had earlier
gathered from a kingmaker in the
palace that the Osupa Ruling House
is the next family to present
candidates for the throne.

We also learnt that chiefs in Akure will
this week complete traditional rites for
the late Oba Adebiyi Adegboye
Adesida. A source revealed that the
daughter of the deceased, Princess
Adetutu, is expected to be installed as
Regent of Akure pending the
emergence of a new king.
The palace source told our reporter
that the belated installation was on
account of family exigencies.

“The issue is that Princess Adetutu
was nursing her baby when the
sudden death of her father was
pronounced.  But immediately after
the whole rites she might will be
installed as the regent of the kingdom
this week or early in the New Year,"
the source said.

But an aide to the Lisa of Akure, High
Chief James Olusoga, told
SaharaReporters in a phone interview
that the traditional rites would be
completed with the installation of a
regent, most likely between Christmas
and the New Year festival period.

With just 23 days since the death of
Adebiyi Adesida, the jostling for the
throne has begun at a frantic pace,
with members of the Osupa Ruling
House lobbying kingmakers for the
vacant sit.

While some seem to favour the return
of the deposed Adesina to the throne,
others object, fearing victimisation
should he re-emerge the king.
In the letter, however, the former and
perhaps future Deji seems to have
leant his lessons of his experience
and reconciled with those who worked
against him.

Dated December 19, it was addressed
to Governor Olusegun Mimiko through
his Commissioner for Justice and
Attorney General, Eyitayo Jegede
(SAN).  It was copied to the Deputy
Governor, Ali Olanusi; the Speaker of
the State House of Assembly, Samuel
Adesina; the State Chief Judge,
Sehinde Kumuyi; Commissioner for
Local Government and Chieftaincy
Affairs, Bamiduro Dada; and the Akure
Council of Chiefs through Lisa of
Akure, High Chief James Olusoga.

2014 Budget: Jonathan To Get 11th Aircraft

Written by Favour Udoma.

Reports says the Presidential Air-fleet which
currently has about ten planes may soon get
extra one as the presidency is planning to
purchase an additional aircraft in 2014.

The proposal for the new aircraft has been
included in the proposed 2014 appropriation
bill submitted to the national assembly.

The budget proposal which was laid before the
two chambers of the National Assembly last
week by the Minister of Finance, Ngozi
Okonjo-Iweala on behalf of President Goodluck
Jonathan has shown that 1.5 billion naira
was proposed as deposit for the purchase of
the new aircraft.

The proposal was included in the budget of
the presidential air fleet under the office of the
National Security Adviser, NSA.

The presidential fleet also proposed about 747
million naira to cater for aircraft fuel cost
during the year.

If the aircraft is purchased, it would be the
11th in the luxurious presidential fleet.

Farmer shoots son dead, mistaking him for monkey

A farmer in southern Nepal mistook his son
for a monkey trying to steal his crops and
shot the 12-year-old dead, police in
Kathmandu said on Sunday.

Chitra Bahadur Pulami had been climbing a
tree to chase away macaques that had
become a nuisance to the family but his father
Gupta Bahadur, 55, spotted the boy and
opened fire, wrongly believing him to be one of
the animals.

“The son was hiding in a tree at their farm to
chase away monkeys that used to come
searching for food in the maize field,” said
Arun Poudel, deputy superintendent of police
in the remote Arghakhanchi district

“The son died on the spot after Gupta Bahadur
mistakenly thought there was a monkey in the
tree and opened fire. Our preliminary
investigation shows that the father was
unaware that his son had gone to the maize
field to chase the monkeys.

“Both Gupta Bahadur and the gun that he
used in shooting his son are now under the
custody of the police.”

The three species of monkey native to Nepal,
the rhesus and Assamese macaque and the
common langur, are considered sacred and
farmers normally try to scare them away from
their crops without injuring the animals.

“I realised my mistake only when my son fell
down and got stuck in one of the tree’s
branches,” the farmer was quoted as telling
police by the Nepali nagariknews.com website
after the incident, on Friday.

(AFP News)

“Why I Converted To Islam’ – Former Nollywood Actress Speaks Out

Nollywood actress Vivian Metchie, who has
recently divorced, says she recently adopted
the Islamic faith because she found the
Christian faith too confusing.
Commenting on her choice to Yes! magazine,
Ms Metchie said it was a personal decision
she had to take.

“Yeah it is personal. I understand the
Koran more than the bible. All of a
sudden, the Christian confusion was
driving me nuts. My dad was catholic, my
mum was Deeper Life, I married someone
in the Redeemed Church and then all of a
sudden, the few religions had something
bad to say about each other. I just
couldn’t take it anymore. A friend of mine
who is close to me said that once you are
grounded on the word, it wont be
confusing. Unfortunately, maybe I wasn’t
grounded in the word, but I still could see
what I see. But in my quest and study
and research, I don’t know: I was
probably looking for peace. Yeah! That
was what I was looking for and I found it
in the Koran.”

Vivian, the mother of 4, who has adopted
Fareedah as her muslim name, explains that
her decision was well received and respected
by her dad who has since stopped calling her
by her native name and now calls her
Fareedah.

Source: LIB

ABU Releases Post-UTME Result

The Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria has release the 2013/14 Post utme Result. Kindly Log in To www.forms.abu.edu.ng/
putme/ To check Your Result.

10 Worst Quotes Of 2013 By Nigerian Public Figures

Every once in a while, Nigerian public
figures are saying things that become
history, unfortunately, sometimes bad and
shameful history.
Here is the list of the worst 10 quotes of the
year
2013 in the descending order.

10) "I am the best rapper in Nigeria. If you
have an opposing opinion, now is the best
time to keep it to yourself"
Rapper Yung6ix having his imagined Kendrick
Lamar moment. Dear Yung6ix; make good
music,
put out an album, put your name out there.
Maybe then we'll take you seriously.

9) "Any academic staff who fails to resume
on or before December 4, 2013
automatically ceases to be a staff of the
institution and vice chancellors are also
directed to advertise vacancies in their
institutions."
This was stated by Nyesom Wike, the
Education
minister, in the middle of the lingering ASUU
strike. This caused even more problems and
deepened the crisis. Wike's press conference
during which he was screaming at the
microphone and yelling threats became an
instant visual manual for government officials
on
how not to act in public.

8 ) "I was not a tribalist when I had a long-
standing and intimate relationship with
Miss Bianca Onoh, an Igbo lady…"
Femi Fani Kayode, the former aviation
minister
and presidential spokesman, while he had so
many disastrous statements, he got more than
he
bargained for when in defending himself
against
tribalism attacks, bizarrely claimed to have
had a
sizzling relationship with Bianca Ojukwu,
widow of
the late Biafran warlord. He was forced to
recant
when she threatened to sue him for every
penny.

7) "We have stolen billions of dollars, what
did you do? We steal because you never
stoned us for it."

Governor Rotimi Amechi of Rivers state makes
provocative statements one after after
another.
His latest one was dropped at a tribute event
for
Nelson Mandela some weeks back, and it was
both an indictment on himself as it was on his
docile followers.

6) "Come, sit on my laps and I will show you
a level of grace you do not understand."
According to Ese Walters, repentant adultress
and misguided victim, senior Pastor Biodun
Fatoyinbo of the Commonwealth Of Zion
Assembly
must have been using these cringe worthy
lines
to score with wide-eyed members of his
female
congregation. The most surprising part of this
line
is that it actually works. His sweet roll came
to an
end when she published a tell all blog post
revealing the pastor's many sexcapades.
Pastor
Fatoyinbo is yet to deny Walters' claims. And
is
yet to give that robust response.

5) "As the president, I don't know him (Abu
Shekau) and don't know if he is dead or
alive; you journalists will know more than
us. You are the ones who talk to Boko
Haram."

In a presidential media chat, Goodluck Ebele
Jonathan pronounced the words never to be
spoken by a country's chief security officer. In
denying the whereabouts (and maybe
existence)
of Abu Shekau, Boko Haram's point man, Mr.
President took the war on terror 10 steps
back.

4) "Yes, Patience Jonathan is my Jesus
Christ!"

Now this would be funny if it wasn't so sad.
And
true. Evans Bipi of the Rivers state house of
assembly was speaking from the bottom of his
heart when he declared dame Patience
Jonathan
(aka mama Peace) his deity as she was
responsible for his political career so far.

3) "I cannot categorically tell you one now…
the one we are going to make use of is
going to be made known by my oga at the
top…"
Mr Obafaiye Shem, former Lagos state
commandant of the National Security and Civil
Defence Corps was asked a simple straight
forward question by the hosts of Channels tv's
daily breakfast show. "What is the website of
the
NSCDC?" It became his undoing as he went on
a
rambling routine that did not produce the
answer
to the question but succeeded in shedding
light
on the pathetic state of affairs of our public
institutions.

2) "We do not pray for accidents but it is
inevitable… we do everything to ensure
that we do not have accidents, but it is an
act of God."
Stella Oduah, Aviation minister addressing
journalists 3 days after 16 people lost their
lives in
the Associated airlines crash that was ferrying
the
remains of Olusegun Agagu, a former aviation
minister. Of course, as it turned out, God had
nothing to do with this particular crash as the
Accident Investigation Bureau revealed that a
malfunctioning engine and a wrong call by the
pilot was most likely the cause.

1) "You are a widow… go and die"
Oh dear! Edo state governor, Comrade Adams
Oshiomhole became this year's face of
insensitivity when he was recorded on video,
yelling at a poor widow displaying her wares
illegally by the roadside to go and die. He
later
had tea with his victim and rewarded her
generously but still, that image lingers.

Jonathan budgets Millions For Animals

The Presidency will next year spend N34.5m
on two wild animals for the State House Zoo
and car trackers for presidential ground fleet
as well as utility vehicles.

Out of the sum, N14.5m was set aside in the
2014 budget as the cost of the two animals
whose names were not given and N20m for
the trackers.

Extra N2m is expected to be expended on two
fleet tracking base stations.

These are contained in the details of the
Appropriation bill presented by President
Goodluck Jonathan through the Minister of
Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, to the
National Assembly last week.

Also contained in the plan is the sum of
N50m for the improvement of electrical
installations inside the old Banquet Hall of
the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Apart from the amount earmarked for the
animals, N8m is budgeted for the upgrading
and maintenance of the State House zoo. The
renovation of the horses’ stables/paddock for
the zoo will gulp N15m.

About N5m will also be spent on the purchase
of wildlife capture equipment.
The N50m was appropriated at a time work is
already ongoing on new N2.2bn banquet hall
approved for the Villa by the Federal Executive
Council in November 2012.
The electrification project was however marked
“ongoing” in the budget details to give an
indication that work had already started and
would be completed under the new budget.

Projects that will be carried out in the State
House Medical Centre in the new year include
the building and installation of oxygen/other
gases generating plant at N70m; construction
of VIP Wing -N1.3bn; completion of extension
of Dental Wing, N50m; construction of central
sterilising building,N50m and the provision of
MRI building and mortuary conversion at the
cost of N17.5m.

An X-ray machine will be purchased at a cost
of N35m; mammography machine, N60m;
embalming machine, N1.65m and hydraulic
post-mortem table,N4m.
The purchase of sports kits for the State
House Sports Club will gulp N4. 2m.

The remodeling of the new Vice-President’s
Guest House at 1, Yakubu Gowon, Crescent,
Asokoro will gulp N215m; completion and
rehabilitation of security quarters at Mpape
Artillery and Asokoro, N30m; rehabilitation of
Presidential/ministerial chalet at Airport,
Abuja, N10m; and the rehabilitation of
medical centre’s service quarters, N50m.

Jonathan and Obasanjo; Who's worse?

By

SAM NDA-ISAIAH

This is the subject of a discussion that has
been taking
place for quite some time now but which has
reached a
frenzy since former president Obasanjo’s letter-
bomb
to President Jonathan. It is a discussion or an
argument
that I have been reluctant to encourage. As the
reader
will have noticed, the question is not who is
better
between Obasanjo and Jonathan but who is
worse. This
presupposes, quite correctly, that both of them
are bad
for Nigeria. Only God knows why He afflicted
Nigeria
with both of them, but God is always right.
Nigeria would
have been a much better place without them
as
presidents. The answer to the question is not
that easy.
Anyone who wants to answer the question –
who is worse
between Obasanjo and Jonathan? – must first
be ready
to answer the famous question: Which came
first, the
chicken or the egg?
The truth is that every bad thing Jonathan is
doing today
he learnt from Obasanjo. Jonathan has only
done them
all bigger than his teacher. And why should
Obasanjo,
the teacher, complain? Is it not the wish of all
teachers
that their students should outdo them?
General Abdulsalami Abubakar handed over
power to
General Olusegun Obasanjo on May 29, 1999,
in an
election that was generally regarded as
credible. But
that was the last credible election that Nigeria
has had
till date. All the elections since then have been
massively
rigged, sometimes by Obasanjo, the president
himself.

The elections Obasanjo conducted as president,
in 2003
and 2007, have been the worst in the history of
elections
in the country. Obasanjo as president
personally
supervised the crime of election rigging, many
times
very openly. So far, Jonathan has supervised
only the
2011 general elections. And even though he
would have
won the presidential election anyway, because
the
opposition parties were not as organised as
they are
today, Jonathan still went ahead to rig the
elections
badly, using the same methods and tricks as
Obasanjo
did. He proved to be a very good student of
Obasanjo
because Jonathan showed, by his conduct of
the 2011
election that even if he was the only candidate
standing
in that presidential election, he would still
have rigged
the election. Rigging obviously runs in the
family. If
Jonathan insists on contesting the 2015
elections in spite
of the promise he made to his party men in
2011, it is
because he saw what Obasanjo did with his
own
promises. There was also a tacit
understanding that
Obasanjo was going to do only one term from
1999.

He
nonetheless contested and rigged the 2003
election
massively. Before then, Bola Ige had to be
killed to make
the rigging easier in the south-west which
Obasanjo
thought he needed badly. In 2006, Obasanjo
started
sharing bribes to the National Assembly
members to get
a third term. Jonathan saw all that, so why
should he
keep his own promise? What is wrong in
Obasanjo’s
student wanting his own third term? Let
someone else
complain, but not Obasanjo.
The Jonathan government is the most corrupt
government Nigeria has ever seen. But before
the
Jonathan government came into being,
Obasanjo’s
government was the most corrupt government
Nigeria
had ever known at the time. If Obasanjo is
screaming
about the magnitude of corruption today,
which he
correctly said is about to ground the Nigerian
state, it
must be because he didn’t think anyone would
ever beat
his record of corruption and impunity.
Jonathan’s
government steals in trillions, Obasanjo’s
government in
billions and a few times in trillions. The $12
billion
Obasanjo squandered on fake electricity supply
was
N1.4 trillion at the exchange rate when the
money was
stolen. Both governments are governments of
thieves
and crooks and both have been very
detrimental to
Nigeria’s development.

And talking about corruption, how can anyone
forget so
soon how Obasanjo squandered N300 billion
on roads
with nothing to show for it? Many of us talked
on this
issue ad nauseam when he was in power but
got no
response. And how can anyone forget so soon
how
Obasanjo also squandered $12 billion on
power
generation and all we got was a change of
name from
NEPA to PHCN? What about COJA and the
several
companies like ALSCON Obasanjo privatised
into his
pocket? What about Transcorp, the Aso Rock
company
which he shamelessly used in cahoots with
other crooks
to corruptly capture NITEL and several oil
blocks?
Obasanjo shared more oil blocks than all his
predecessors and successors put together,
most of
them dubiously.

In all of President Obasanjo’s eight years as
president,
there was no single year he implemented the
national
budget according to the appropriation law, yet,
by law
and conventions of democracy, one single
budgetary
infraction was enough to impeach and remove
him from
office. So, if President Jonathan has become
notorious
for not implementing budgets, it is Obasanjo
that
emboldened him.
During Obasanjo’s days, the price of oil went
as high as
$147 per barrel. Under General Sani Abacha,
Obasanjo’s
nemesis that he loves to deride, it was barely $
20 per
barrel, yet Abacha had more to show for his
five years in
power than Obasanjo’s eight years in office.
Abacha
stabilised the naira at N80 to a dollar
throughout his
days. Under Obasanjo, it was N120 or more to
a dollar.

Gwarimpa Housing Estate, one of Abacha’s
footprints,
was considered the largest estate in Africa at
the time
it was built. No one remembers any such
edifice that
Obasanjo put in place. The PTF which Abacha
created
remains the most outstanding achievement of
any
government in the last 20 years. Abacha was
courageous
enough to talk his senior, General Muhammadu
Buhari,
into accepting to head the PTF. With just N2
from every
litre after a fuel price increase, the PTF used
less than
$2 billion to virtually change the face of the
country.

Obasanjo increased fuel prices as many times
as he
desired with nothing except the suffering of the
people
to show for it. The PTF showed how very little
money
could achieve so much. Obasanjo likes to talk
about how
he created the GSM revolution.

He should also
tell
Nigerians how much of Nigeria’s money he
used to
achieve that. The GSM revolution would still
have
happened at the time it did in Nigeria as it
happened in
every other country on the surface of the earth
even if
there was no president in place. It was a
global
phenomenon. It’s like a Nigerian president
claiming
credit for the coming of the internet into
Nigeria.

In terms of security, while Obasanjo’s people
killed
every Nigerian they saw as a stumbling block
– Bola Ige,
Marshal Harry, Aminasoari Dikibo, Chuba
Okadigbo and a
lot more – Jonathan simply allowed us to kill
ourselves.

Obasanjo’s era was marked by political
assassinations
and cold-blooded murders. Governor Orji Uzor
Kalu
escaped death but he knew exactly who sent
the
assassins. Audu Ogbeh escaped death and he
too knew
exactly who sent the killers. But Jonathan has
not been
personally associated (so far) with any
political murders
the way Obasanjo was. I hope it remains so,
but if
Obasanjo said snipers are being trained, that
leaves
many of us worried because Obasanjo has the
capacity
to know.

The main difference between Obasanjo and
Jonathan is
that Obasanjo was a competent president who
was a
crook, while Jonathan is totally and completely
incompetent but found himself president by
Obasanjo’s
designed accident. Obasanjo knows
government and how
government works but deliberately chose to
destroy the
system. On the other hand, Jonathan, not
equipped for
the job should not be president in the first
place and
would not have been president but for
Obasanjo’s
crookedness.

If President Obasanjo had allowed free and fair
primaries in his own PDP, there was no way a
terminally ill
Umaru Yar’Adua and a clueless Jonathan
would have
emerged the presidential candidate and
running mate
respectively. Obasanjo did what he did
because he
wanted to continue to be the de facto president
even
after leaving Aso Rock. At least that is what he
told
Nasiru el-Rufai, as revealed in el-Rufai’s book,
The
Accidental Public Servant.

Obasanjo was competent, Jonathan is not; but
Obasanjo
was also a crook and Jonathan is arguably
not. For
instance, Obasanjo would not have retained
Stella Oduah
up to this point. He knows the kind of terminal
damage
this does to a government.

He would have
dismissed her
with ignominy, if to boost his fake anti-
corruption
credentials. Obasanjo would have reshuffled
this
cabinet a long time ago. He would not keep
this kind of
cabinet. And, unlike Jonathan who dropped
several
ministers months ago and still has been
unable to replace
them, Obasanjo would not be that
incapacitated.

Obversely, Jonathan is unlikely to change his
party
chairman by putting a gun to his head as
Obasanjo did
when he wanted Audu Ogbeh to resign as PDP
chairman.
And Jonathan is yet to send his cronies to
kidnap a
sitting governor as Obasanjo did with Chris
Uba
kidnapping Governor Chris Ngige.

So, the answer to the question -- who’s worse
between
Obasanjo and Jonathan? -- I don’t know, but
what I
know is that Nigeria would have been a better
place if
both of them had not been presidents.

Having said all that, Jonathan must still
respond to
everything Obasanjo said in his letter. What he
has given
so far as a response is more embarrassing
than
Obasanjo’s letter itself.

For Jonathan to think
that
because the CBN governor has recanted on his
$50
billion missing money means he has no
question to answer
on corruption only confirms everything I have
said about
him. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, his finance minister,
said
$10.8 billion is still missing. Or, didn’t the
president hear
that one? We are still waiting.

President Jonathan's Reply To OBJ's Letter

19 18 1 0 0

December 20th 2013
His Excellency,

Chief Olusegun Obasanjo,

GCFR
Agbe L’Oba House, Quarry Road,

Ibara, Abeokuta.

RE: BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE

I wish to formally acknowledge your letter
dated December 2, 2013 and other previous
correspondence similar to it.

You will recall that all the letters were brought
to me by hand. Although both of us discussed
some of the issues in those letters, I had not,
before now, seen the need for any formal reply
since, to me, they contained advice from a
former President to a serving President.

Obviously, you felt differently because in your
last letter, you complained about my not
acknowledging or replying your previous
letters.

It is with the greatest possible reluctance that
I now write this reply. I am most uneasy about
embarking on this unprecedented and
unconventional form of open communication
between me and a former leader of our
country because I know that there are more
acceptable and dignified means of doing so.

But I feel obliged to reply your letter for a
number of reasons: one, you formally
requested for a reply and not sending you one
will be interpreted as ignoring a former
President.

Secondly, Nigerians know the role you have
played in my political life and given the
unfortunate tone of your letter, clearly, the
grapes have gone sour. Therefore, my side of
the story also needs to be told.

The third reason why I must reply you in
writing is that your letter is clearly a threat to
national security as it may deliberately or
inadvertently set the stage for subversion.

The fourth reason for this reply is that you
raised very weighty issues, and since the letter
has been made public, Nigerians are
expressing legitimate concerns. A response
from me therefore, becomes very necessary.

The fifth reason is that this letter may appear
in biographies and other books which political
commentators on Nigeria’s contemporary
politics may write. It is only proper for such
publications to include my comments on the
issues raised in your letter.
Sixthly, you are very unique in terms of the
governance of this country. You were a
military Head of State for three years and
eight months, and an elected President for
eight years. That means you have been the
Head of Government of Nigeria for about
twelve years. This must have, presumably,
exposed you to a lot of information. Thus
when you make a statement, there is the
tendency for people to take it seriously.

The seventh reason is that the timing of your
letter coincided with other vicious releases.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives
spoke of my “ body language ” encouraging
corruption. A letter written to me by the CBN
Governor alleging that NNPC, within a period
of 19 months did not remit the sum of
USD49.8 billion to the federation account, was
also deliberately leaked to the public.

The eighth reason is that it appears that your
letter was designed to incite Nigerians from
other geopolitical zones against me and also
calculated to promote ethnic disharmony.
Worse still, your letter was designed to
instigate members of our Party, the PDP,
against me.

The ninth reason is that your letter conveys to
me the feeling that landmines have been laid
for me. Therefore, Nigerians need to have my
response to the issues raised before the mines
explode.
The tenth and final reason why my reply is
inevitable is that you have written similar
letters and made public comments in reference
to all former Presidents and Heads of
Government starting from Alhaji Shehu
Shagari and these have instigated different
actions and reactions. The purpose and
direction of your letter is distinctly ominous,
and before it is too late, my clarifications on
the issues need to be placed on record.

Let me now comment on the issues you
raised. In commenting I wish to crave your
indulgence to compare what is happening now
to what took place before. This, I believe, will
enable Nigerians see things in better
perspective because we must know where we
are coming from so as to appreciate where we
now are, and to allow us clearly map out
where we are going.
You raised concerns about the security
situation in the country. I assure you that I
am fully aware of the responsibility of
government for ensuring the security of the
lives and property of citizens. My
Administration is working assiduously to
overcome current national security challenges,
the seeds of which were sown under previous
administrations. There have been some
setbacks; but certainly there have also been
great successes in our efforts to overcome
terrorism and insurgency.
Those who continue to down-play our
successes in this regard, amongst whom you
must now be numbered, appear to have
conveniently forgotten the depths to which
security in our country had plunged before
now.
At a stage, almost the entire North-East of
Nigeria was under siege by insurgents.

Bombings of churches and public buildings in
the North and the federal capital became an
almost weekly occurrence. Our entire national
security apparatus seemed nonplussed and
unable to come to grips with the new threat
posed by the berthing of terrorism on our
shores.
But my administration has since brought that
very unacceptable situation under significant
control. We have overhauled our entire
national security architecture, improved
intelligence gathering, training, funding,
logistical support to our armed forces and
security agencies, and security collaboration
with friendly countries with very visible and
positive results.

The scope and impact of terrorist operations
have been significantly reduced and efforts are
underway to restore full normalcy to the most
affected North Eastern region and initiate a
post-crisis development agenda, including a
special intervention programme to boost the
region’s socio-economic progress.

In doing all this, we have kept our doors open
for dialogue with the insurgents and their
supporters through efforts such as the work of
the Presidential Committee on Dialogue and
the Peaceful Resolution of the Security
Challenges in the North-East. You also know
that the Governor of Borno State provided the
items you mentioned to me as carrots. Having
done all this and more, it is interesting that
you still accuse me of not acting on your
hardly original recommendation that the
carrot and stick option be deployed to solve
the Boko Haram problem.
Your suggestion that we are pursuing a “war
against violence without understanding the
root causes of the violence and applying
solutions to deal with all the underlying
factors” is definitely misplaced because from
the onset of this administration, we have been
implementing a multifaceted strategy against
militancy, insurgency and terrorism that
includes poverty alleviation, economic
development, education and social reforms.

Even though basic education is the
constitutional responsibility of States, my
administration has, as part of its efforts to
address ignorance and poor education which
have been identified as two of the factors
responsible for making some of our youth
easily available for use as cannon fodder by
insurgents and terrorists, committed huge
funds to the provision of modern basic
education schools for the Almajiri in several
Northern States. The Federal Government
under my leadership has also set up nine
additional universities in the Northern States
and three in the Southern States in keeping
with my belief that proper education is the
surest way of emancipating and empowering
our people.
More uncharitable persons may even see a
touch of sanctimoniousness in your new belief
in the carrot and stick approach to
overcoming militancy and insurgency. You
have always referred to how you hit Odi in
Bayelsa State to curb militancy in the Niger
Delta. If the invasion of Odi by the Army was
the stick, I did not see the corresponding
carrot. I was the Deputy Governor of Bayelsa
State then, and as I have always told you, the
invasion of Odi did not solve any militancy
problem but, to some extent, escalated it. If it
had solved it, late President Yar’Adua would
not have had to come up with the amnesty
program. And while some elements of the
problem may still be there, in general, the
situation is reasonably better.
In terms of general insecurity in the country
and particularly the crisis in the Niger Delta,
2007 was one of the worst periods in our
history. You will recall three incidents that
happened in 2007 which seemed to have been
orchestrated to achieve sinister objectives.

Here in Abuja, a petrol tanker loaded with
explosives was to be rammed into the INEC
building. But luckily for the country, an
electric pole stopped the tanker from hitting
the INEC building. It is clear that this incident
was meant to exploit the general sense of
insecurity in the nation at the time to achieve
the aim of stopping the 2007 elections. It is
instructive that you, on a number of
occasions, alluded to this fact.
When that incident failed, an armed group
invaded Yenagoa one evening with the intent
to assassinate me. Luckily for me, they could
not. They again attacked and bombed my
country home on a night when I was expected
in the village. Fortunately, as God would have
it, I did not make the trip.
I recall that immediately after both incidents, I
got calls expressing the concern of Abuja. But
Baba, you know that despite the apparent
concern of Abuja, no single arrest was ever
made. I was then the Governor of Bayelsa
State and the PDP Vice-Presidential
candidate. The security people ordinarily
should have unraveled the assassination
attempt on me.

You also raised the issues of kidnapping,
piracy and armed robbery. These are issues all
Nigerians, including me are very concerned
about. While we will continue to do our utmost
best to reduce all forms of criminality to the
barest minimum in our country, it is just as
well to remind you that the first major case of
kidnapping for ransom took place around
2006. And the Boko Haram crisis dates back
to 2002. Goodluck Jonathan was not the
President of the country then. Also, armed
robbery started in this country immediately
after the civil war and since then, it has been
a problem to all succeeding governments. For
a former Head of Government, who should
know better, to present these problems as if
they were creations of the Jonathan
Administration is most uncharitable.
Having said that, let me remind you of some of
the things we have done to curb violent crime
in the country. We have reorganized the
Nigerian Police Force and appointed a more
dynamic leadership to oversee its affairs. We
have also improved its manpower levels as
well as funding, training and logistical
support.

We have also increased the surveillance
capabilities of the Police and provided its air-
wing with thrice the number of helicopters it
had before the inception of the present
administration.

The National Civil Defence and
Security Corps has been armed to make it a
much more effective ally of the police and
other security agencies in the war against
violent crime. At both domestic and
international levels, we are doing everything
possible to curb the proliferation of the small
arms and light weapons with which armed
robberies, kidnappings and piracy are
perpetrated. We have also enhanced security
at our borders to curb cross-border crimes.

We are aggressively addressing the challenge
of crude oil theft in collaboration with the
state Governors. In addition, the Federal
Government has engaged the British and US
governments for their support in the tracking
of the proceeds from the purchase of stolen
crude. Similarly, a regional Gulf of Guinea
security strategy has been initiated to curb
crude oil theft and piracy.
Perhaps the most invidious accusation in your
letter is the allegation that I have placed over
one thousand Nigerians on a political watch
list, and that I am training snipers and other
militia to assassinate people. Baba, I don’t
know where you got that from but you do me
grave injustice in not only lending credence to
such baseless rumours, but also publicizing it.
You mentioned God seventeen times in your
letter. Can you as a Christian hold the Bible
and say that you truly believe this allegation?
The allegation of training snipers to
assassinate political opponents is particularly
incomprehensible to me. Since I started my
political career as a Deputy Governor, I have
never been associated with any form of
political violence. I have been a President for
over three years now, with a lot of challenges
and opposition mainly from the high and
mighty. There have certainly been cases of
political assassination since the advent of our
Fourth Republic, but as you well know, none of
them occurred under my leadership.

Regarding the over one thousand people you
say are on a political watch list, I urge you to
kindly tell Nigerians who they are and what
agencies of government are “watching” them.
Your allegation that I am using security
operatives to harass people is also baseless.
Nigerians are waiting for your evidence of
proof. That was an accusation made against
previous administrations, including yours, but
it is certainly not my style and will never be.
Again, if you insist on the spurious claim that
some of your relatives and friends are being
harassed, I urge you to name them and tell
Nigerians what agencies of my administration
are harassing them.

I also find it difficult to believe that you will
accuse me of assisting murderers, or
assigning a presidential delegation to
welcome a murderer. This is a most
unconscionable and untrue allegation. It is
incumbent on me to remind you that I am fully
conscious of the dictates of my
responsibilities to God and our dear nation. It
is my hope that devious elements will not take
advantage of your baseless allegation to
engage in brazen and wanton assassination of
high profile politicians as before, hiding under
the alibi your “ open letter” has provided for
them.
Nevertheless, I have directed the security
agencies and requested the National Human
Rights Commission to carry out a thorough
investigation of these criminal allegations and
make their findings public.

That corruption is an issue in Nigeria is
indisputable. It has been with us for many
years. You will recall that your kinsman, the
renowned afro-beat maestro, Fela Anikulapo-
Kuti famously sang about it during your first
stint as Head of State. Sonny Okosun also
sang about corruption. And as you may recall,
a number of Army Generals were to be retired
because of corruption before the Dimka coup.
Also, the late General Murtala Mohammed
himself wanted to retire some top people in
his cabinet on corruption-related issues before
he was assassinated. Even in this Fourth
Republic, the Siemens and Halliburton
scandals are well known.
The seed of corruption in this country was
planted a long time ago, but we are doing all
that we can to drastically reduce its
debilitating effects on national development
and progress. I have been strengthening the
institutions established to fight corruption. I
will not shield any government official or
private individual involved in corruption, but I
must follow due process in all that I do. And
whenever clear cases of corruption or fraud
have been established, my administration has
always taken prompt action in keeping with
the dictates of extant laws and procedures.

You cannot claim to be unaware of the fact
that several highly placed persons in our
country, including sons of some of our party
leaders are currently facing trial for their
involvement in the celebrated subsidy scam
affair. I can hardly be blamed if the wheels of
justice still grind very slowly in our country,
but we are doing our best to support and
encourage the judiciary to quicken the pace of
adjudication in cases of corruption.
Baba, I am amazed that with all the
knowledge garnered from your many years at
the highest level of governance in our country,
you could still believe the spurious allegation
contained in a letter written to me by the
Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN),
and surreptitiously obtained by you, alleging
that USD49.8 billion, a sum equal to our
entire national budget for two years, is
“unaccounted for ” by the NNPC. Since, as
President, you also served for many years as
Minister of Petroleum Resources, you very well
know the workings of the corporation.
It is
therefore intriguing that you have made such
an assertion. You made a lot of insinuations
about oil theft, shady dealings at the NNPC
and the NNPC not remitting the full proceeds
of oil sales to the of CBN. Now that the main
source of the allegations which you rehashed
has publicly stated that he was
“misconstrued ”, perhaps you will find it in your
heart to apologize for misleading unwary
Nigerians and impugning the integrity of my
administration on that score.
Your claim of “ Atlantic Oil loading about 130,
000 barrels sold by Shell and managed on
behalf of NPDC with no sale proceeds paid
into the NPDC account” is also disjointed and
baseless because no such arrangement as you
described exists between Atlantic Oil and the
Nigeria Petroleum Development Company.
NPDC currently produces about 138, 000
barrels of oil per day from over 7 producing
assets. The Crude Oil Marketing Division
(COMD) of the NNPC markets all of this
production on behalf of NPDC with proceeds
paid into NPDC account.
I am really shocked that with all avenues open
to you as a former Head of State for the
verification of any information you have
received about state affairs, you chose to go
public with allegations of “ high corruption”
without offering a shred of supporting
evidence. One of your political “ sons” similarly
alleged recently that he told me of a minister
who received a bribe of $250 Million from an
oil company and I did nothing about it. He
may have been playing from a shared script,
but we have not heard from him again since
he was challenged to name the minister
involved and provide the evidence to back his
claim. I urge you, in the same vein, to furnish
me with the names, facts and figures of a
single verifiable case of the “ high corruption”
which you say stinks all around my
administration and see whether the corrective
action you advocate does not follow promptly.
And while you are at it, you may also wish to
tell Nigerians the true story of questionable
waivers of signature bonuses between 2000
and 2007.

While, by the Grace of God Almighty, I am the
first President from a minority group, I am
never unmindful of the fact that I was elected
leader of the whole of Nigeria and I have
always acted in the best interest of all
Nigerians. You referred to the divisive actions
and inflammatory utterances of some
individuals from the South-South and asserted
that I have done nothing to call them to order
or distance myself from their ethnic
chauvinism. Again that is very untrue. I am as
committed to the unity of this country as any
patriot can be and I have publicly declared on
many occasions that no person who threatens
other Nigerians or parts of the country is
acting on my behalf.

It is very regrettable that in your letter, you
seem to place sole responsibility for the
ongoing intrigues and tensions in the PDP at
my doorstep, and going on from that position,
you direct all your appeals for a resolution at
me. Baba, let us all be truthful to ourselves,
God and posterity. At the heart of all the
current troubles in our party and the larger
polity is the unbridled jostling and positioning
for personal or group advantage ahead of the
2015 general elections. The “bitterness, anger,
mistrust, fear and deep suspicion ” you wrote
about all flow from this singular factor.
It is indeed very unfortunate that the seeming
crisis in the party was instigated by a few
senior members of the party, including you.

But, as leader of the party, I will continue to
do my best to unite it so that we can move
forward with strength and unity of purpose.
The PDP has always recovered from previous
crises with renewed vigour and vitality. I am
very optimistic that that will be the case again
this time. The PDP will overcome any
temporary setback, remain a strong party and
even grow stronger.
Instigating people to cause problems and
disaffection within the party is something that
you are certainly familiar with. You will recall
that founding fathers of the Party were
frustrated out of the Party at a time. Late
Chief Sunday Awoniyi was pushed out, Late
Chief Solomon Lar left and later came back,
Chief Audu Ogbeh and Chief Tom Ikimi also
left. Chief Okwesilieze Nwodo left and later
came back. In 2005/2006, link-men were sent
to take over party structures from PDP
Governors in an unveiled attempt to
undermine the state governors. In spite of
that, the Governors did not leave the Party
because nobody instigated and encouraged
them to do so.

The charge that I was involved in anti-party
activities in governorship elections in Edo,
Ondo, Lagos, and Anambra States is also very
unfortunate. I relate with all Governors
irrespective of political party affiliation but I
have not worked against the interest of the
PDP. What I have not done is to influence the
electoral process to favour our Party. You
were definitely never so inclined, since you
openly boasted in your letter of how you
supported Alhaji Shehu Shagari against Chief
Obafemi Awolowo, Chief Nnamdi Azikiwe and
others in the 1979 presidential elections while
serving as a military Head of State. You and I
clearly differ in this regard, because as the
President of Nigeria, I believe it is my duty and
responsibility to create a level playing field for
all parties and all candidates.
Recalling how the PDP lost in states where we
were very strong in 2003 and 2007 such as
Edo, Ondo, Imo, Bauchi, Anambra, and Borno,
longstanding members of our great party with
good memory will also consider the charge of
anti-party activities you made against me as
misdirected and hugely hypocritical. It
certainly was not Goodluck Jonathan’s
“personal ambition or selfish interest ” that
caused the PDP to lose the governorship of
Ogun State and all its senatorial seats in the
last general elections.
You quoted me as saying that I have not told
anybody that I will seek another term in office
in 2015. You and your ambitious acolytes
within the party have clearly decided to act on
your conclusion that “ only a fool will believe
that statement ” and embark on a virulent
campaign to harass me out of an undeclared
candidature for the 2015 presidential elections
so as to pave the way for a successor
anointed by you.

You will recall that you serially advised me
that we should refrain from discussing the
2015 general elections for now so as not to
distract elected public officials from urgent
task of governance. While you have apparently
moved away from that position, I am still of
the considered opinion that it would have
been best for us to do all that is necessary to
refrain from heating up the polity at this time.

Accordingly, I have already informed Nigerians
that I will only speak on whether or not I will
seek a second term when it is time for such
declarations. Your claims about discussions I
had with you, Governor Gabriel Suswam and
others are wrong, but in keeping with my
declared stance, I will reserve further
comments until the appropriate time.

Your allegation that I asked half a dozen
African Presidents to speak to you about my
alleged ambition for 2015, is also untrue. I
have never requested any African President to
discuss with you on my behalf. In our
discussion, I mentioned to you that four
Presidents told me that they were concerned
about the political situation in Nigeria and
intended to talk to you about it. So far, only
three of them have confirmed to me that they
have had any discussion with you. If I made
such a request, why would I deny it?

The issue of Buruji Kashamu is one of those
lies that should not be associated with a
former President. The allegation that I am
imposing Kashamu on the South-West is most
unfortunate and regrettable. I do not even
impose Party officials in my home state of
Bayelsa and there is no zone in this country
where I have imposed officials. So why would I
do so in the South West? Baba, in the light of
Buruji’s detailed public response to your
“open letter”, it will be charitable for you to
render an apology to Nigerians and I.

On the issue of investors being scared to come
to Nigeria, economic dormancy, and
stagnation, I will just refer you to FDI
statistics from 2000 to 2013. Within the last
three years, Nigeria has emerged as the
preferred destination for investments in Africa,
driven by successful government policies to
attract foreign investors. For the second year
running, the United Nations Conference on
Trade and Investments (UNCTAD) has ranked
Nigeria as the number one destination for
investments in Africa, and as having the fourth
highest returns in the world.
Today, Nigeria is holding 18 percent of all
foreign investments in Africa and 60 percent of
all foreign investments in the ECOWAS Sub-
Region. Kindly note also that in the seven
years between 2000 and 2007 when you were
President, Nigeria attracted a total of $24.9
Billion in FDI. As a result of our efforts which
you disparage, the country has seen an FDI
inflow of $25.7 Billion in just three years
which is more than double the FDI that has
gone to the second highest African
destination. We have also maintained an
annual national economic growth rate of close
to seven per cent since the inception of this
administration. What then, is the justification
for your allegation of scared investors and
economic dormancy?

Although it was not emphasized in your letter
of December 2, 2013, you also conveyed, in
previous correspondence, the impression that
you were ignorant of the very notable
achievements of my administration in the area
of foreign relations. It is on record that under
my leadership, Nigeria has played a key role in
resolving the conflicts in Niger, Cote d’Ivoire,
Mali, Guinea Bissau and others.
The unproductive rivalry that existed between
Nigeria and some ECOWAS countries has also
been ended under my watch and Nigeria now
has better relations with all the ECOWAS
countries. At the African Union, we now have a
Commissioner at the AU Commission after
being without one for so long. We were in the
United Nations Security Council for the
2010/2011 Session and we have been voted in
again for the 2014/2015 Session. From
independence to 2010, we were in the U.N.
Security Council only three times but from
2010 to 2015, we will be there two times.

This did not happen by chance. My
Administration worked hard for it and we
continue to maintain the best possible
relations with all centres of global political
and economic power. I find it hard therefore,
to believe your assertions of untoward concern
in the international community over the state
of governance in Nigeria
With respect to the Brass and Olokola LNG
projects, you may have forgotten that though
you started these projects, Final Investment
Decisions were never reached. For your
information, NNPC has not withdrawn from
either the Olokola or the Brass LNG projects.

On the Rivers State Water Project, you were
misled by your informant. The Federal
Government under my watch has never
directed or instructed the Africa Development
Bank to put on hold any project to be
executed in Rivers state or any other State
within the Federation. The Rivers Water
Project was not originally in the borrowing
plan but it was included in April 2013 and
appraised in May. Negotiations are ongoing
with the AfDB. I have no doubt that you are
familiar with the entire process that prefaces
the signing of a Subsidiary Loan Agreement as
in this instance.

Let me assure you and all Nigerians that I do
not engage in negative political actions and
will never, as President, oppress the people of
a State or deprive them of much needed public
services as a result of political disagreement
I have noted your comments on the proposed
National Conference. Contrary to the
insinuation in your letter, the proposed
conference is aimed at bringing Nigerians
together to resolve contentious national
issues in a formal setting. This is a sure way
of promoting greater national consensus and
unity, and not a recipe for “disunity, confusion
and chaos” as you alleged in your letter.

Having twice held the high office of President,
Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces of
the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I trust that
you will understand that I cannot possibly find
the time to offer a line-by-line response to all
the accusations and allegations made in your
letter while dealing with other pressing
demands of office and more urgent affairs of
state.

I have tried, however, to respond to only the
most serious of the charges which question
my sincerity, personal honour, and
commitment to the oath which I have sworn,
to always uphold and protect the interests of
all Nigerians, and promote their well-being.
In closing, let me state that you have done me
grave injustice with your public letter in which
you wrongfully accused me of deceit,
deception, dishonesty, incompetence,
clannishness, divisiveness and insincerity,
amongst other ills.

I have not, myself, ever claimed to be all-
knowing or infallible, but I have never taken
Nigeria or Nigerians for granted as you
implied, and I will continue to do my utmost to
steer our ship of state towards the brighter
future to which we all aspire.
Please accept the assurances of my highest
consideration and warm regards.

GOODLUCK EBELE JONATHAN

Military hunts Boko Haram after daring barracks attack

KANO – Nigeria’s military has surrounded a
village in the northeast to flush out Islamist
rebels who fled there after reportedly
snatching soldiers’ wives and children during
a daring attack on an army barracks nearby,
witnesses told AFP Saturday.
Suspected Boko Haram fighters stormed the
barracks in the town of Bama early on Friday,
spraying it with bullets before torching the
compound.

Several Bama residents told AFP the
insurgents also abducted several of the
soldiers’ wives and children during the attack.
Asked about those details, northeastern
military spokesman Mohammed Dole refered
AFP to Nigeria’s defence headquarters.

Defence spokesman Chris Olukolade could not
be reached for comment.
Bama residents said the Boko Haram gunmen
fled to the nearby village of Abbaram after the
attack, where the military sent hundreds of
troops on Saturday.
“The soldiers have besieged the village and
more troops are deploying in hundreds,” said
Ibrahim Idris.

“Nothing is happening yet but from the huge
number of troops deploying and the large
number of Boko Haram in the village one can
imagine what may happen”.
Karim Bunu, who also lives in Bama, described
Abbaram as a village of some 250 people.

“We are afraid of what will happen to the
people of Abbaram because whichever way
one looks at it, they are facing a serious
security threat,” he told AFP.
A third resident, who requested anonymity,
said the Islamists were holding in Abbaram
the “women and children of soldiers,” who had
been kidnapped during the Friday attack, in an
account supported by both Idris and Bunu.

In November, Human Rights Watch reported
that Boko Haram has increasingly used
kidnappings as a tactic, abducting scores of
women and children this year.
After staging an attack on the military, the
insurgents typically flee to far away camps to
evade pursuing troops, but their escape was
slowed on Friday by fighter jets which dropped
bombs on the major routes leading out of
Bama, according to the military and
witnesses.

“I counted 18 burnt all-terrain vans belonging
to the Boko Haram gunmen pulverised by
military jets,” said the unnamed resident, who
identified himself as a member of a military-
backed vigilante force which has formed in the
northeast to fight the insurgents.
Air force jets continued to fly over the region
on Saturday, residents said.

The Bama attack was the second major
Islamist assault on the army this month,
casting further doubt on official claims that
the rebels have been weakened by a seven-
month-old military offensive in the northeast.
(AFP)

Natural Ways To Delay Ejaculation

Last week I promised I was going to share
with you some natural ways to delay
ejaculation, prevent weak erection, overcome
premature ejaculation and increase sexual
stamina. Premature ejaculation, or ejaculating
before you or your wife want you to, is a
common problem that strikes most men at
some point in their lives. Several factors can
influence when ejaculation occurs, but it can
be controlled with some forethought or, in
extreme cases, medical intervention. Here are
some strategies to help you get over
premature ejaculation and improve your
sexual stamina.

Sometimes we do not have any medical
condition; this condition just happens. For
quick fixes, I suggest you just wear a condom
or two together at the same time as the case
may require. It sounds too simple to be true,
but it works for a lot of men. The most natural
thing is to apply strategic pressure. With a
little anatomy knowledge, you can delay an
oncoming ejaculation by applying pressure to
one of two spots.
First is the perineum pressure: this is pressing
on the perineum, perineum is a spot midway
between your scrotum and your anus, and firm
pressure will help to stop ejaculation because
this spot reaches through to the prostate
gland. It is the prostate that contracts and
expands during orgasm and then expels the
ejaculation fluid. If you find it difficult to do,
just make sure you are very clean down there
and there after, ask your wife to assist in
applying this loving pressure for you. Then the
testes tug: When a man is so close to orgasm
or very near orgasm, his scrotum rises up
closer to his body. You can delay ejaculation
by gently pulling your testes down and away
from your body.
To make it more romantic and passionate,
teach and train your wife to do this for you.

Another natural way is to do all you can to
reduce anxiety. For many husbands’ extreme
williness to over-impress their wives, couple
with anxiety and pressure to perform have
been a major contributor to premature
ejaculation. If you can just relax and
remember that your wife probably cares about
you and all you represent in her life more than
the timing of your orgasms, and that
premature ejaculation doesn’t mean you can’t
still be good in bed. Then, don’t start off sex
with orgasm in focus please and please, take
climaxing out of your expectations. Instead of
viewing intercourse only as a means of
achieving orgasm, reframe it as relaxing,
pleasurable time with your adorable wife and
season of bonding that you’ll enjoy regardless
of ejaculation. For effectiveness, take time out,
have a family meeting and discuss this new
mindset with your wife, so that she can stop
pressuring you, intentionally or un-
intentionally. Then while in the very act of sex,
do all you can to think nonsexual thoughts. If
you notice yourself getting too excited, turn
your thoughts to something distant, abstract
and unsexy, such as math, rush hour traffic or
football match.
Only dwell on it long enough to give yourself a
short break from arousal, maybe 5 to 10
seconds, and then refocus your attention on
your wife and the action of sex. Avoid thinking
of a topic that is going to make you stressed
or cause you to lose your arousal entirely.

Thoughts such as the payment of the children
school fees, Nigeria erratic power supply or
some moods killer thoughts should be
avoided. Now proceed further and try edging.
Edging, or orgasm control, is the practice of
maintaining a high level of sexual arousal
while delaying ejaculation. It takes practice,
but it gets easier over time. Here are two
methods recommended to stop premature
ejaculation. Stop-and-start method: Have
intercourse as usual until you feel yourself
coming uncomfortably close to orgasm.
Immediately and abruptly, cease all
stimulation for 30 seconds, and then start
again. Repeat this pattern until you’re ready to
ejaculate. Squeeze method: Have intercourse
as usual until you feel like orgasm is seconds
away. Abruptly, stop other stimulation and
gently squeeze your thumb and forefinger
around the part of the penis where the glans
meet the shaft (or your wife could do this).

After squeezing for a few seconds, try and
pause all stimulation for another 30 seconds
before resuming intercourse. Repeat this
pattern until you’re ready to ejaculate.
Then try and change sexual positions. Some
intercourse positions put less pressure on the
glans (or the most sensitive part of the penis).
Here’s what to do: Try “passive” positions. Lie
beneath your wife, or try a side-by-side (or
spooning) position. Avoid “active” positions.
Missionary and rear-entry positions place the
most stimulation and friction on the glans, so
consider taking them off the menu for now.

And then take it slow. Depending on your
personal sensitivity, slowing your movements
and opting for gentler, more teasing
intercourse can help you hold off orgasm
longer. If you find yourself getting too close to
orgasm, slow down a bit, change to a new
position, or take a break to stimulate your wife
in fore play. Make sure you focus on foreplay.
Sometimes, “premature” ejaculation is a frame
of mind. Even if your ejaculation comes
quickly during intercourse, you can still give
your wife a great sexual experience through
more extended, intimate, attentive and
generous foreplay. Stimulate your wife enough
manually, orally or with toys, and she may not
need or want a long session of intercourse to
finish happy.

Then of course, do PC muscle exercises.
Flexing and strengthening your pubococcygeus
(PC) muscle can help you exert more control
over ejaculation. (Note that this is also called
Kegel exercises, which you might have heard
me recommend for women. The muscle is the
same in both sexes.) Locate your PC muscle.
Put one or two fingers right behind your
testicles.

Pretend that you are urinating, and then try to
stop the flow with a quick muscle contraction.

That muscle you just used to stop the flow
from the bladder is your PC muscle. Flex the
muscle regularly. Try to do 10 to 20 squeezes
in a set, 2 or 3 times a day. Do a set
whenever you’re bored or stationary, like when
you’re sitting at your desk or in traffic. No one
will be able to see that you’re doing them.
Squeeze your PC muscle when you feel
ejaculation coming on. Once the muscle is
strong enough, you should be able to hold it
off just like stopping flow when urinating.

Practise controlling your orgasm. When you
are with your wife, focus on improving your
control over your climax. Stimulate yourself to
the edge of climax and then stop.

Do this several times before finishing. As you
practise, learn to recognise the feeling of
getting close to orgasm, and take note of how
close you can get and still effectively stop, and
when you’ve reached a “point of no return.”

During intercourse, use that knowledge to slow
down or adjust your movements if you get too
close too early. Condoms reduce stimulation
for most men, which should prolong the time
before ejaculation. But while looking for a
condom to buy, steer clear of condoms that
are marketed as extra thin. Instead, get a
brand that allows more stimulation later.
Some condoms are coated with a slight
numbing gel on the inside. This can help you
put off ejaculation for longer without causing
numbness to your wife. (Just make sure you
know which side is where when you put it on.)

Use an analgesic cream or spray. There are
two classes of these products. The first is the
traditional “numbing” creams and sprays that
have been in the market for some time.

The
advantage is that you’ll feel less sensation,
which will delay ejaculation. While the
disadvantage is that your wife may suffer a
loss of sensation as well and of course less
sensitive intercourse is not always an
appealing notion, even in these circumstances.

There is a new class of topical herbs that
absorb into the skin to deliver a mild
anaesthetic to the sensory nerves below the
top layer of skin of the penis.

This allows men to have ejaculatory control
but with less loss of sexual sensation, and
reduces the transference to their wives. If you
routinely ejaculate less than a minute and a
half after beginning vaginal intercourse, and
none of the above fixes have worked, it might
be time to see a sex therapist.