This is how our children may end up learning the alphabets:
A – Apple
B – Blackberry
C – Chatting
D – Download
E – Email
F – Facebook
G – Google
H – Hotmail
I – iTunes
J – Java
K – Kapersky
L – Laptop
M – Microsoft
N – Nintendo
O – Outlook
P – Playstation
Q – Quicktime
R – RapidShare
S – Skype
T – Twitter
U – USB
V – Vista
W – Wikipedia
X – XP
Y – YouTube
Z – Zorpia
Thursday 4 November 2010
Tuesday 26 October 2010
My name is Nigeria !
My name is Nigeria !
I need Re-Building and not Re-Branding.
I am Nigeria !! . I am divided into 36 unequal states, plus my capital territory, christened ABUJA . I have millions of acres of arable land and billions of cubic litres of water, but I cannot feed myself. So I spend $1 billion to import rice and another $2 billion to import milk. I produce rice, but don't eat it. I have 60 million cattle but no milk. I have the capacity to feed the whole of Africa but I import most food instead.
I am hungry, please help and re-brand me.
I drive the latest car in the world but have no roads neither can I boast of
manufacturing a bicycle's tyre. I lose family and friends everyday on my roads for which funds have been allocated to build and rehabilitate but the fund has been looted. I lose my young, my old, and my most brainy and productive people to the potholes, craters and crevasses they travel on everyday.
I am in permanent mourning, please re-brand me.
My school has no teacher and my classroom has no roof. I take lecture notes through the window and live with 15 others in a single room. All my professors have gone abroad, some of the rest are awaiting visas. Those that remain, depends on money raked from the sales of hand-outs to students.
My students receives lectures for a maximum of 3 months in a year due to lecturers' strike or students' boycott of lectures because of lack of better condition of service and deplorable condition on campus. That explains why I have university graduates, who are semi- illiterates.
I want a future, please re-brand me.
Malaria, typhoid and many other preventable diseases send me to hospitals which have no doctors, no medicines and no power. So my wife gives birth by candle light and surgery is performed by quacks. All the nurses have gone abroad and the rest are also waiting to go. I have the highest maternal and infant mortality rates in the world and future generations are dying before me.
I am hopeless, hapless and helpless, please re-brand me.
I wanted change so I stood all day long to cast my vote. But even before I could vote, the results had been announced. When I dared to speak out, silence was enthroned by bullets. My rulers are my oppressors, and my policemen are my terrors. I am ruled by men in mufti, but I am not a democracy.
I have no verve, no vote, no voice, please re-brand me.
I have over 50 million youths with no jobs, no present and no future. So my sons in the North have become street urchins and his brothers in the South have become militants. My nephews die of thirst in the Sahara and his cousins drown in the waters of the Mediterranean . My daughters walk the streets of Lagos , Abuja and Port Harcourt, while her sisters parade the streets of Rome and Amsterdam .
I am inconsolable, please re-brand me.
My people cannot sleep at night and cannot relax by day. They cannot use ATM
machines, nor use cheques. My children sleep through the staccato of AK 47's, see
through the mist of tear gas, while we all inhale Carbon Monoxide, poisonous
CO-2 from popular 'I big pass my neighbour' (portable generators) and 'Okada' (motorbike taxis)
The leaders have looted everything on ground and below. They walk the land with haughty strides and fly the skies with private jets (28 of which were bought in the last 12 months). They have stolen the future of generations yet unborn and have money they cannot spend in several lifetimes, but their brothers die of hunger.
I want justice, please re-brand me.
I can produce anything, but import everything. So my toothpick is made in China; my toothpaste is made in South Africa; my salt is made in Ghana; my butter is made in Ireland; my milk is made in Holland; my shoe is made in Italy; my vegetable oil is made in Malaysia; my biscuit is made in Indonesia; my chocolate is made in Turkey and my table water made in France.
My taste is far-flung and foreign. I no longer cook at home but take pride in eating at take-away outlets fashioned after the Western style of living.
Anything made in my land is inferior; I prefer those made in England , America or Europe . To crown it all, items made in my land but specifically sent abroad with made in England labels are bought back from 'Oyinbo' land at 5 times the original price it would have gone for had it been sold as home made,
please re-brand me.
My people are cancerous from the greed of their friends who bleach palm oil with chemicals; my children died because they drank 'My Pikin' with NAFDAC
numbers; my poor die because kerosene explodes in their faces; my land is dead because all the trees have been cut down; flood kills my people yearly because the drainage is clogged; my fish are dead because the oil companies dump waste in my rivers; my communities are vanishing into the huge yawns of gully erosion, and nothing is being done. My livelihood is in jeopardy, and I am in the uttermost depths of despondence,
please re-brand me.
I have genuine leather but choose to eat it.. So I spend a billion dollars to import fake leather. I have four (4) refineries, but prefer to import fuel, so I waste more billions to import petrol. I have no security in my country, but would rather send troops to keep the peace in another man's land. I have 160 dams, but cannot get water to drink, so I buy 'pure' water that broils my inwards. I have a million children waiting to enter universities, but my ivory dungeons can only take a tenth (10 %). I have no power (electricity) , but choose to flare gas, and vote billion of dollars every year to generate electricity but not a single watt has come from it. So, my people have learnt to see in the dark and stare at the glare of naked flares.
I have no direction, please re-brand me.
My people pray to God every morning and every night, but commit every crime known to man because re-branded identities will never alter the tunes of inbred rhythms. Just as the drums of heritage heralds the frenzied jingles, remember - the Nigerian soul can only be Nigerian - fighting free from the cold embrace of a government that has no spring, no sense, no shame. So we watch the possessed, frenzied dance, drenched in silent tears as freedom is locked up in democracy's empty cellars.
I need guidance, please re-brand me.
But then, why can I not simply be me, without being re-branded?
Or does my complexion cloud the colour of my character?
Does my location limit the lengths of my liberty? Does the spirit of my conviction shackle my soul?
Does my mien maim the mine of my mind? And is this life worth re-branding?
Is it re-branding that I need or complete re-building?
Others blame my calamities on the colonial master that has left my shore some 49 years ago. Without deceiving myself, I know I have problems, who will deliver me?
May be what I need is to be re-born, Christians call it being born-again.
Turning to a higher authority or changing direction. I mean to sincerely own up and turn to the man up-stairs, may be, just maybe solution will come from there.
To re-build a wobbling structure, there is need for dismantling of existing one (remember, if the foundation can be destroyed, what can the righteous do?)..
Shall I then consider the idea muted by some of my own who have fled abroad?
Some call for 'Separation for Co-operation' , others call for true Federalism - while others are yet asking for the return to Parliamentary system.
Which way do I go? on October 1, 2010, I will celebrate my 50th birth day.
I do not want to enter my golden age without direction,
... so, please, help me God. Re-mould and Re-Build me.
I need Re-Building and not Re-Branding.
I am Nigeria !! . I am divided into 36 unequal states, plus my capital territory, christened ABUJA . I have millions of acres of arable land and billions of cubic litres of water, but I cannot feed myself. So I spend $1 billion to import rice and another $2 billion to import milk. I produce rice, but don't eat it. I have 60 million cattle but no milk. I have the capacity to feed the whole of Africa but I import most food instead.
I am hungry, please help and re-brand me.
I drive the latest car in the world but have no roads neither can I boast of
manufacturing a bicycle's tyre. I lose family and friends everyday on my roads for which funds have been allocated to build and rehabilitate but the fund has been looted. I lose my young, my old, and my most brainy and productive people to the potholes, craters and crevasses they travel on everyday.
I am in permanent mourning, please re-brand me.
My school has no teacher and my classroom has no roof. I take lecture notes through the window and live with 15 others in a single room. All my professors have gone abroad, some of the rest are awaiting visas. Those that remain, depends on money raked from the sales of hand-outs to students.
My students receives lectures for a maximum of 3 months in a year due to lecturers' strike or students' boycott of lectures because of lack of better condition of service and deplorable condition on campus. That explains why I have university graduates, who are semi- illiterates.
I want a future, please re-brand me.
Malaria, typhoid and many other preventable diseases send me to hospitals which have no doctors, no medicines and no power. So my wife gives birth by candle light and surgery is performed by quacks. All the nurses have gone abroad and the rest are also waiting to go. I have the highest maternal and infant mortality rates in the world and future generations are dying before me.
I am hopeless, hapless and helpless, please re-brand me.
I wanted change so I stood all day long to cast my vote. But even before I could vote, the results had been announced. When I dared to speak out, silence was enthroned by bullets. My rulers are my oppressors, and my policemen are my terrors. I am ruled by men in mufti, but I am not a democracy.
I have no verve, no vote, no voice, please re-brand me.
I have over 50 million youths with no jobs, no present and no future. So my sons in the North have become street urchins and his brothers in the South have become militants. My nephews die of thirst in the Sahara and his cousins drown in the waters of the Mediterranean . My daughters walk the streets of Lagos , Abuja and Port Harcourt, while her sisters parade the streets of Rome and Amsterdam .
I am inconsolable, please re-brand me.
My people cannot sleep at night and cannot relax by day. They cannot use ATM
machines, nor use cheques. My children sleep through the staccato of AK 47's, see
through the mist of tear gas, while we all inhale Carbon Monoxide, poisonous
CO-2 from popular 'I big pass my neighbour' (portable generators) and 'Okada' (motorbike taxis)
The leaders have looted everything on ground and below. They walk the land with haughty strides and fly the skies with private jets (28 of which were bought in the last 12 months). They have stolen the future of generations yet unborn and have money they cannot spend in several lifetimes, but their brothers die of hunger.
I want justice, please re-brand me.
I can produce anything, but import everything. So my toothpick is made in China; my toothpaste is made in South Africa; my salt is made in Ghana; my butter is made in Ireland; my milk is made in Holland; my shoe is made in Italy; my vegetable oil is made in Malaysia; my biscuit is made in Indonesia; my chocolate is made in Turkey and my table water made in France.
My taste is far-flung and foreign. I no longer cook at home but take pride in eating at take-away outlets fashioned after the Western style of living.
Anything made in my land is inferior; I prefer those made in England , America or Europe . To crown it all, items made in my land but specifically sent abroad with made in England labels are bought back from 'Oyinbo' land at 5 times the original price it would have gone for had it been sold as home made,
please re-brand me.
My people are cancerous from the greed of their friends who bleach palm oil with chemicals; my children died because they drank 'My Pikin' with NAFDAC
numbers; my poor die because kerosene explodes in their faces; my land is dead because all the trees have been cut down; flood kills my people yearly because the drainage is clogged; my fish are dead because the oil companies dump waste in my rivers; my communities are vanishing into the huge yawns of gully erosion, and nothing is being done. My livelihood is in jeopardy, and I am in the uttermost depths of despondence,
please re-brand me.
I have genuine leather but choose to eat it.. So I spend a billion dollars to import fake leather. I have four (4) refineries, but prefer to import fuel, so I waste more billions to import petrol. I have no security in my country, but would rather send troops to keep the peace in another man's land. I have 160 dams, but cannot get water to drink, so I buy 'pure' water that broils my inwards. I have a million children waiting to enter universities, but my ivory dungeons can only take a tenth (10 %). I have no power (electricity) , but choose to flare gas, and vote billion of dollars every year to generate electricity but not a single watt has come from it. So, my people have learnt to see in the dark and stare at the glare of naked flares.
I have no direction, please re-brand me.
My people pray to God every morning and every night, but commit every crime known to man because re-branded identities will never alter the tunes of inbred rhythms. Just as the drums of heritage heralds the frenzied jingles, remember - the Nigerian soul can only be Nigerian - fighting free from the cold embrace of a government that has no spring, no sense, no shame. So we watch the possessed, frenzied dance, drenched in silent tears as freedom is locked up in democracy's empty cellars.
I need guidance, please re-brand me.
But then, why can I not simply be me, without being re-branded?
Or does my complexion cloud the colour of my character?
Does my location limit the lengths of my liberty? Does the spirit of my conviction shackle my soul?
Does my mien maim the mine of my mind? And is this life worth re-branding?
Is it re-branding that I need or complete re-building?
Others blame my calamities on the colonial master that has left my shore some 49 years ago. Without deceiving myself, I know I have problems, who will deliver me?
May be what I need is to be re-born, Christians call it being born-again.
Turning to a higher authority or changing direction. I mean to sincerely own up and turn to the man up-stairs, may be, just maybe solution will come from there.
To re-build a wobbling structure, there is need for dismantling of existing one (remember, if the foundation can be destroyed, what can the righteous do?)..
Shall I then consider the idea muted by some of my own who have fled abroad?
Some call for 'Separation for Co-operation' , others call for true Federalism - while others are yet asking for the return to Parliamentary system.
Which way do I go? on October 1, 2010, I will celebrate my 50th birth day.
I do not want to enter my golden age without direction,
... so, please, help me God. Re-mould and Re-Build me.
Monday 25 October 2010
EFCC’s Advisory List of corrupt officials
EFCC’s Advisory List
10.24.2010
NAME
TRIAL COURT
CASE STATUS
AMOUNT INVOLVED
STATUS OF SUSPECT (S)
REMARK
Ayo Fayose (Former
Governor of Ekiti State)
Fed. High Court, Lagos. Case now transferred to Ekiti for trial after the accused opposed his trial in Lagos
Arraigned on 51 state counts. Plea already taken but defence lawyer keeps filing frivolous applications for long adjournments to frustrate and prolong trial.
N1.2 Billion
granted bail by court since 2007
Inherited Case filed since 17th Dec.2006
Adenike Grange
(Former Minister of Health)
FCT. High Court Maitama
Arraigned on 56 state counts. Plea already taken. Defence lawyer often seeks long adjournments to prolong trial. Matter adjourned to Oct 27
N300
million
granted bail by court since 2008
Inherited Case filed since 2nd April.2008
Joshua Dariye (Former
Governor Plateau State)
FCT High Court Gudu
Arraigned on 23 state counts. Plea already taken but defence lawyer challenged court jurisdiction.But Appeal court threw out application and case now fixed for continuation of trial on Oct. 27, 2010.
N700 Million
granted bail by court since 2007
Inherited Case filed since 13th July 2007
Saminu Turaki (Former
Governor, Jigagwa State)
FCT. High Court Maitama
Arraigned on 32 state counts. Plea already taken but defence lawyer challenged court jurisdiction. Case stalled at HC while seeking stay of trial at appeal court.It is part of usual attempt to frustrate and prolong trial
N36 Billion
granted bail by court since 2007
Inherited Case filed since 13th July 2007
Orji Uzor Kalu (Former
Governor, Abia State)
Fed. High Court Maitama
Arraigned on 107 state counts. Plea already taken but defence lawyer raised preliminary objection against charges. Lost at trial court but has gone on appeal to stay trial. It is part of usual attempt to prolong trial.
N5 Billion
granted bail by court since 2008
Inherited Case filed since 11th June 2007
James Ibori (Former
Governor, Delta State)
Federal High Court Asaba
Arraigned on 170 state counts.Defence lawyer challenged Kaduna Fed. court jurisdiction, lost at trial court but won at appeal court.Case re-assigned by CJ to Asaba FHC. Without taking plea, suspect applied to quash charges, prosecution opposed application but trial judge quashed the charges Dec. 19. EFCC filed appeal Dec. 23, 2009 and Jan.8, 2010.
N9.2 Billion
granted bail by court since 2008
Inherited Fresh charges filed In August 2009
Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello
(Serving Senator)
FCT High Court, Maitama
Arraigned on 56 state counts.Plea already taken but case stalled as defence lawyer filed to challenge charges.Application pending for determination.This is part of frivolous applications to delay trial .
N10 Million
granted bail by court since 2008
Inherited Case filed since April 2 2008
Lucky Igbinedion
(Former Governor of Edo State)
Fed. High Court, Enugu
Arraigned on 191 state counts. Applied for plea bargain &Convicted but EFCC has appealed the judgment to seek for stiffer sanctions.
N4.3 Billion
Case determined 2008
Inherited Case filed on 23rd Jan.2008
Gabriel Aduku (Former
Minister of Health)
FCT. High Court, Maitama
Arraigned on 56 state counts.Court ruled on no case against suspect
N300 Million
Case determined in 2008
Inherited Case filed on April 2nd 2008
Jolly Nyame (Former
Governor of Taraba State)
Fed. High Court, Abuja
Arraigned on 41 state counts. Plea already taken and trial begun after all applications filed by the accused to stall trial have been dismissed by the supreme court. Trial fully commenced and on-going at FCT HC.
N1.3 billion
granted bail by court since 2008
Inherited Case filed since 13th July 2007
Chimaroke Nnamani
(Former Governor of Enugu State)
Fed. High Court, Lagos
Arraigned on 105 state counts. Plea already taken but case is stalled as defence lawyer filed to transfer case to another judge on allegation of bias against trial judge even as counsel has again filed to challenge court jurisdiction.This is equally an attempt to prolong trial.
N5.3 Billion
granted bail by court since 2007
Inherited Case filed since 11th Dec.2007
Michael Botmang
(Former Governor of Plateau State)
Fed. High Court, Maitama
Arraigned on 31 state counts. Plea already taken but trial stalled due to suspect’s ailment, on dialysis.
N1.5 Billion
granted bail by court since 2008
Commenced by Waziri on 18th July 2008
Roland Iyayi (Former
Managing Director of FAAN)
FCT High Court, Maitama
Arraigned on 11 state counts. Plea already taken.Trial on-going
Court taking prosecution witnesses testimony
N5.6 Billion
granted bail by court since 2008
Commenced by Waziri in June 2008
Nyeson Wike (Serving Chief of Staff to Governor of Rivers State)
FCT High Court, Maitama
Arraigned on state counts. Court quashed charges.EFCC already appealed judgement. Appeal pending at appeal court.
N4.670 Billion
granted bail by court since 2008
Commenced by Waziri on Oct.9 2008
Eider George (Austrian
Business man)
FCT High Court, Maitama
Arraigned on 11 state counts. Plea already taken and trial on-going. Prosecution witnesses undergoing cross-examination. Court granted suspect leave to travel abroad for medical treatment.
granted bail by court since 2008
Commenced by Waziri in June 2008
Kenny Martins (Police
Equipment Fund)
FCT High Court, Maitama
Arraigned on 28 amended state counts. Plea already taken and trial on- going. Witnesses under cross- examination. Continuation of trial fixed for Nov.9
N774 Million
granted bail by court since 2008
Commenced by Waziri in June 2008
13 Filipinos (Charged for
Oil Bunkering)
Fed. High Court, Benin
Arraigned on state counts, convicted at the close of trial and sentenced to 65 Years altogether
N300 Million
EFCC returns to court to seek forfeiture of vessel used for oil theft.
Commenced by Waziri in 2009
6 Ghanaians (Charged for
Oil Bunkering) and Nigerian accomplice.
Fed. High Court, Benin
Arraigned on state counts and trial Commenced. Prosecution closed case, matter adjourned for defence to close.
N250 Million
granted bail by court in 2009. All 7 accused sentenced to 112 years imprisonment April 30, 2010
Commenced by Waziri in June 2009
Patrick Fernadez
(Indian Buisnessman)
Fed. High Court, Lagos
Arraigned on 56 state counts. Plea already taken and trial commences Nov.
N32 Billion
granted bail by court in 2009
Commenced by Waziri in 2009
Prof. Babalola Borishade
(Former Minister of Aviation)
FCT High Court, Maitama
Arraigned on 11 state counts. Plea already taken and trial on-going (N5.6 billion)
Prosecution witnesses under cross-examination.
N5.6 Billion
granted bail by court since 2008
Commenced by Waziri in June 2008
Boni Haruna (Former
Governor, Adamawa State)
Fed. High Court Maitama
Arraigned on amended 28 state counts. Plea taken. Adoption of motion slated for Nov
N254 Million
granted bail by court since 2008
Commenced by Waziri in 2008
Femi Fani-Kayode
(Former Minster of Aviation)
Fed. High Court, Lagos
Arraigned on 47 state counts . Plea taken but case stalled as a result of trial court’s refusal to admit e-print of suspect’s statement of account as evidence. EFCC won appeal against the decision. Defence on appeal at supreme court.
N250 Million
granted bail by court in 2008
Commenced by Waziri in 2008
Prince Ibrahim Dumuje (Police Equip-ment Fund)
FCT High Court, Abuja
Arraigned on 28 amended state counts. Plea taken and trial on-going. Prosecution witnesses under cross-examination. Continuation fixed for Nov.9
N774 Million
granted bail by court since 2008
Commenced by Waziri in June 2008
Bode George (Chieftain of
the ruling party, PDP)
Fed. High Court. Lagos
Arraigned on 68 state counts. Plea taken and trial concluded. Accused convicted and sentenced to 2 years. Convict on appeal while serving jail term.
N100 Billion
granted bail by court since 2008. Has been in jail after conviction in Oct 2009.
Commenced by Waziri in Dec.08
Rasheed Ladoja (Former
Governor of Oyo State)
Fed. High Court, Lagos
Arraigned on 33 state counts. Plea taken and trial on- going
Prosecution witnesses slated for cross-examination in Nov.
N6 Billion
granted bail by court since 2008
Commenced by Waziri
Four Snr Zenith Bank Managers
Fed. High Court, Port Harcourt
Arraigned on 56 state counts. Plea taken but case stalled over an injunction by Rivers State Govt, which is a party in the case to stop EFCC. Injunction being challenged at appeal court
N3.6 Billion
Granted bail by court in 2009
Commenced by Waziri
Mallam Nasir El-Rufai
(Former Minister of Federal Capital Territory)
Fed. High Court, Abuja
Arraigned on 8 state counts.Suspect charged for corruption and abuse of office.Plea taken and case adjourned for trial but accused challenged jurisdiction of court as a ploy to delay trial. Case adjourned.
Suspect at large but returned to the country. Interrogated on May 4, 2010 and arraigned on May 12
Commenced by Waziri in 2009.
Sen. Nicholas Ugbade, (Serving Senator) Hon. Ndudi Elumelu Hon. Mohammed Jibo,
Hon. Paulinus Igwe,(Serving Members of House of Rep)
Dr Aliyu Abdullahi (Serving Fed.Perm.Sec) Mr. Samuel Ibi. Mr. Simon Nanle,
Mr. Lawrence Orekoya, Mr Kayode Oyedeji,
Mr. A. Garba Jahun
FCT High Court Abuja
(This is the Rural Electrification Agency Case involving a serving Senator, 3 serving members of the House of Representatives , the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Power and other high profile public officers)
Arraigned on 158 state counts. Plea taken while prosecution has filed more charges against suspects. Suspects filed to quash charges but application thrown out by court.
N5.2 Billion
Remanded in Prison Custody and later granted bail Court in 2009
Commenced by Waziri in May 2009
Prof B.Sokan, Molkat
Mutfwang, Michael Aule, Andrew Ekpanobi, (All Directors) Alexander Cozman(MD,In termarket Ltd). (This is the UBEC case where high profile public servants connived with an American, Alexander Cozman) to defraud the Government.
Federal High Court, Abuja
Arraigned on 64 state counts. Plea taken while more charges were filed against suspects due to appearance of Prof Sokan. Matter adjourned to Nov 9 for suspects to take plea on amended charges
N636 Million
Suspects remanded in prison custody and later granted bail by court in 2009.
Commenced by Waziri on May 19 2009
Dr Ransome Owan, Mr. Abdulrahman Ado, Mr. Adulrasak Alimi, Mr. Onwuamaeze Iloeje, Mrs Grace Eyoma, Mr. Mohammed Bunu,
Mr. Abimbola Odubiyi
Federal High Court, Abuja
Arraigned on 196 state counts. Plea taken. Trial billed to commence while more charges were filed against suspects. Further hearing slated for Oct 29. But the FG has withdrawn charges against the accused persons who were consequently discharged by the court on Sept 16,2010
N1.5 Billion
granted bail by court in 2009
Commenced by Waziri on April 22 2009
Tom Iseghohi, Muhammed Buba, Mike
Okoli,(GM&M anagers of Transcorp Group PLC)
Fed. High Court, Abuja
Arraigned on 32 state counts. Plea taken. Matter adjourned for commencement of trial Nov 9.
N15 Billion
Suspects Remanded in Kuje Prison and later granted bail by court in 2009
Commenced by Waziri in May 2009
Dr Albert Ikomi, rtd perm sec, his firm, satelite town dev co Ltd
Fed. High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos
Arraigned on 4 state counts. Plea taken and Matter adjourned for hearing
N43 Million
Suspects Remanded in Ikoyi Prison and later granted bail by court in 2009
Commenced by Waziri in 2009
Dr Yuguda Manu Kaigama,
Chairman, Taraba State Civil Service Commission
Taraba State High Court 5, Jalingo
Arraigned on 37 state counts . Plea taken and Matter stalled as suspect dropped dead.
N17 Million
Suspect remanded in prison custody. Co-accused, Yakubu Danjuma Takun, at large.
Commenced by Waziri on Oct.10 2009
Chief Joe Musa, DG
Natioanl Gallery of Art, Olusegun Ogumba, Chinedu Obi, Oparagu Elizabeth, Kweku Tandoh, (All Directors of NGA).
FCT High Court, Lugbe (Justice Olukayode Adeniyi)
Arraigned on 12 state counts . Plea taken and defence lawyer filed applications to stall trial but lost the bid. Matter adjourned for trial Nov 19/20, 2010
N1.012 Billion
Suspects Remanded in Kuje Prison and later granted bail by court in 2009
Commenced by Waziri in July 20 2009
Dr Dayo Olagunju,
Ex. Sec. National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult & Non-Formal Education. Joshua Alao, Alice Abang, Jibrin Waguna, Ahmed Abubakar, Shehu Abdullahi, Dr Victoria King- Nwachukwu, Adamu Khalid, Moses Oseni, Francis Awelewa & Bashir Suleiman
Fed. High Court, Abuja. Justice Anuli Chikere
Arraigned on 17 state counts.Plea taken and Matter adjourned for commencement of trial Oct 22, 2010
N479 Million
Suspects Remanded in Kuje Prison and later granted bail by court in 2009
Commenced by Waziri 24 July 2009
Hamman Bello Hammed, Ex-
CG Customs, Hannatu Sulaiman, Tajudeen Olalere, Lukman Hussain, Popular Foods Ltd & Silver Maritime shipping coy ltd
Fed. High Court , Lagos. Justice Ramat Mohammed
Arraigned on 46 state counts. Plea taken Matter adjouned to Nov for trial but FG filed to withdraw charges.
N2.5 Billion
Suspects Remanded in Kirikiri & Ikoyi Prisons and later granted bail by court in 2009.
Commenced by Waziri on 14th Aug. 2009
Professor Innocent Chuka
Okonkwo, fmr VC Imo state Univ, Uchechi Nwugo & Wilfred Uwakwe
Fed.High Court, Abuja. Justice Mohammed Garba Umar
Arraigned on 14 state counts. Plea taken Adjourned to Nov for trial.
N145 Million
Suspects Remanded in Kuje Prison and later granted bail by court in 2009
Commenced by Waziri on July 30,2009
Dr (Mrs) Cecilia Ibru
(Fmr CEO, Oceanic Bank PLC)
FHC, Ikoyi, Lagos. Justice Dan Abutu
Arraigned on 25 state counts. Plea taken and case adjourned to Nov for trial
N160.2 Billion
Suspect convicted and jailed for 18 Months on Friday October 8, 2010 by Justice Dan Abutu of FHC, Lagos. To forfeit assets and funds worth over N191 billion.
Commenced by Waziri on Aug 31 2009
Dr Bartholo-mew (Fmr CEO, Union Bank PLC) Bassey Ebong, Henry Onyemem & Niyi Albert Opeodu (Ex- Directors, UBN)
FHC, Ikoyi, Lagos. Justice Dan Abutu
Arraigned on 28 state counts. Plea taken and case adjourned to Nov for trial
N187.1 Billion
Suspects remanded in EFCC custody, But granted bail on 14/9/09
Commenced by Waziri on Aug 31 2009
Raymond Obieri,(Fmr
Chairman,Inter continental Bank PLC Hyacinth Enuha, Ikechi Kalu, C.A Alabi, Samuel Adegbite, Isyaku Umar, Sanni Adams.
FHC, Ikoyi, Lagos. Justice Dan Abutu
Arraigned on 18 state counts. Plea taken and case adjourned to Nov for trial
N131.8 Billion
Suspects remanded in EFCC custody, But granted bail on 14/9/09
Commenced by Waziri on Aug 31 2009
Sebastian Adigwe, Peter
Ololo, Falcon Securities Ltd
FHC, Ikoyi, Lagos. Justice Dan Abutu
Arraigned on 36 state counts. Plea taken and case adjourned to Nov for trial
N277.3 Billion
Suspects remanded in Prison custody, But granted bail on 15/9/09
Commenced by Waziri on Aug 31 2009
Okey Nwosu
FHC, Ikoyi, Lagos. Justice Dan Abutu
Arraigned on 11 state counts. Plea taken and case adjourned to Nov for trial
N95.1 Billion
Suspects remanded in Prison custody, But granted bail on 15/9/09
Commenced by Waziri on Aug 31 2009
Alex Nkenchor, Ex-Bank Manager, Ebi Odeigah & GMT Securities & Assets Nig Ltd.
Lagos High Court, Ikeja. Justice M.O Obadina
Arraigned on 10 state counts. Plea taken and suspects still remanded in prison custody pending consideration of bail application.
N860 Million
Suspects remanded in ikoyi prison. Bail application for consideration Oct20
Commenced by Waziri on Oct 13 2009
Francis Atuche, Former CEO,
Bank PHB
Fed High Court, Lagos
Arraigned on a 26 count charge. Plea taken. Suspect challenged charges but court upheld charges. Matter set for trial in Nov.
N80 billion
Suspect remanded and later granted bail by court. His assets frozen.
Commenced by Waziri on Oct 28, 2009.
Adamu Abdullahi,
Former Gov of Nasarawa state.
Fed High Court, Lafia, Nasarawa. Justice I.N. Buba
Arraigned on 149 count charge. Suspect granted bail by court. Case slated for trial in Oct.
N15 billion
Suspect on court bail.
Commenced by Waziri on March 3, 2010.
Attahiru Bafarawa,
former governor of Sokoto state.
Sokoto state High Court.
Arraigned on 47 count charge. Matter stalled HC due to accused application at appeal court.
N15 billion
Suspect remanded in prison custody and later granted bail by court. Case slated for trial.
Commenced by Waziri on December 16, 2009.
Francis Okokuro,
Bayelsa state Accountant General
Fed. High Court, Abuja
Arraigned on 6 count charge. Matter stalled due to accused application for stay.
N2.4 billion
Suspect remanded in prison custody till April 13.
Commenced by Waziri on March 24, 2010
Dr Charles Silva Opuala
Fed High Court, Abuja
Arraigned on 6 count charge. Matter stalled due to accused application for stay
N2.4 billion
Suspect arraigned and remanded in Kuje prison custody on April 13 till he meets bail conditions
Commenced by Waziri on March 24, 2010
Chief Osa Osunde(fmr
Chairman Afribank), and 4 directors: Jibrin Isah, Isa Zailani, Chinedu Onyia and Henry Arogundade
Fed.High Court, Lagos
Arraigned on 33 count charge. Matter adjourned to Nov for trial
N55 billion
Suspects arraigned on April 21, 2010. Remanded in EFCC custody and later granted bail by the court.
Commenced by Waziri on April 21, 2010
Mr Oladele Shittu, CEO of
Credence Investment
Fed High Court, Kaduna. Justice Mohd Shuaibu
Arraigned on 136 count charge. Matter adjourned for trial
N139 million
Suspect arraigned on March 23 2010. Remanded in Kad prison custody till July 12, 2010.
Commenced by Waziri on March 23, 2010
Mr Sunday Akinyemi,
fmr CEO Texas Connection Ferries
Lagos High Court. Justice J Adebajo
Arraigned on 30 count charge. Application for bail rejected, trial commenced.
N90 million
Suspect arraigned March 11 & April 11, 2010.Remanded in prison.
Commenced by Waziri on March 11, 2010
Hon. T Faniyi, Albert Soje &
others
FHC, Abuja.Justi ce Adamu Bello/Justic e David Okorowa
Arraigned on 30 count charge(14,10 &6), trial commenced.
N3 billion
Suspects arraigned on April 1 2010. Remanded in prison custody and later granted court bail.
Commenced by Waziri on April 1, 2010
Adeniyi Elumaro,
Rakiya Mamman, Integrated Capital Services Ltd
FCT High Court. Justice Olukayode Adeniyi
Arraigned on 22 count charge
N405 million
Suspects arraigned on Aug 12, 2010. Granted bail by court and remanded in prison pending when they meet conditions
Commenced by Waziri on Aug 12, 2010.
Dr Erastus Akingbola, fmr
MD/CEO, IBplc
FHC, Ikoyi, Lagos.Justi ce Mohd Idris
Arraigned on 22 count charge
N27 billion.
Suspect arraigned on Aug 13. Remanded in custody till Ag 23.
Commenced by Waziri on Aug 13, 2010
SaniLulu, & 3 other sacked
NFF board members
FHC, Abuja.Justi ce Donatus Okorowa
Arraigned on 10 counts. Case adjourned till Oct 5, 2010 for trial.
N1.5 billion
Suspects arraigned Sept 7, remanded in prison till 13th when court released them on bail
Commenced by Waziri on Sept 7, 2010
10.24.2010
NAME
TRIAL COURT
CASE STATUS
AMOUNT INVOLVED
STATUS OF SUSPECT (S)
REMARK
Ayo Fayose (Former
Governor of Ekiti State)
Fed. High Court, Lagos. Case now transferred to Ekiti for trial after the accused opposed his trial in Lagos
Arraigned on 51 state counts. Plea already taken but defence lawyer keeps filing frivolous applications for long adjournments to frustrate and prolong trial.
N1.2 Billion
granted bail by court since 2007
Inherited Case filed since 17th Dec.2006
Adenike Grange
(Former Minister of Health)
FCT. High Court Maitama
Arraigned on 56 state counts. Plea already taken. Defence lawyer often seeks long adjournments to prolong trial. Matter adjourned to Oct 27
N300
million
granted bail by court since 2008
Inherited Case filed since 2nd April.2008
Joshua Dariye (Former
Governor Plateau State)
FCT High Court Gudu
Arraigned on 23 state counts. Plea already taken but defence lawyer challenged court jurisdiction.But Appeal court threw out application and case now fixed for continuation of trial on Oct. 27, 2010.
N700 Million
granted bail by court since 2007
Inherited Case filed since 13th July 2007
Saminu Turaki (Former
Governor, Jigagwa State)
FCT. High Court Maitama
Arraigned on 32 state counts. Plea already taken but defence lawyer challenged court jurisdiction. Case stalled at HC while seeking stay of trial at appeal court.It is part of usual attempt to frustrate and prolong trial
N36 Billion
granted bail by court since 2007
Inherited Case filed since 13th July 2007
Orji Uzor Kalu (Former
Governor, Abia State)
Fed. High Court Maitama
Arraigned on 107 state counts. Plea already taken but defence lawyer raised preliminary objection against charges. Lost at trial court but has gone on appeal to stay trial. It is part of usual attempt to prolong trial.
N5 Billion
granted bail by court since 2008
Inherited Case filed since 11th June 2007
James Ibori (Former
Governor, Delta State)
Federal High Court Asaba
Arraigned on 170 state counts.Defence lawyer challenged Kaduna Fed. court jurisdiction, lost at trial court but won at appeal court.Case re-assigned by CJ to Asaba FHC. Without taking plea, suspect applied to quash charges, prosecution opposed application but trial judge quashed the charges Dec. 19. EFCC filed appeal Dec. 23, 2009 and Jan.8, 2010.
N9.2 Billion
granted bail by court since 2008
Inherited Fresh charges filed In August 2009
Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello
(Serving Senator)
FCT High Court, Maitama
Arraigned on 56 state counts.Plea already taken but case stalled as defence lawyer filed to challenge charges.Application pending for determination.This is part of frivolous applications to delay trial .
N10 Million
granted bail by court since 2008
Inherited Case filed since April 2 2008
Lucky Igbinedion
(Former Governor of Edo State)
Fed. High Court, Enugu
Arraigned on 191 state counts. Applied for plea bargain &Convicted but EFCC has appealed the judgment to seek for stiffer sanctions.
N4.3 Billion
Case determined 2008
Inherited Case filed on 23rd Jan.2008
Gabriel Aduku (Former
Minister of Health)
FCT. High Court, Maitama
Arraigned on 56 state counts.Court ruled on no case against suspect
N300 Million
Case determined in 2008
Inherited Case filed on April 2nd 2008
Jolly Nyame (Former
Governor of Taraba State)
Fed. High Court, Abuja
Arraigned on 41 state counts. Plea already taken and trial begun after all applications filed by the accused to stall trial have been dismissed by the supreme court. Trial fully commenced and on-going at FCT HC.
N1.3 billion
granted bail by court since 2008
Inherited Case filed since 13th July 2007
Chimaroke Nnamani
(Former Governor of Enugu State)
Fed. High Court, Lagos
Arraigned on 105 state counts. Plea already taken but case is stalled as defence lawyer filed to transfer case to another judge on allegation of bias against trial judge even as counsel has again filed to challenge court jurisdiction.This is equally an attempt to prolong trial.
N5.3 Billion
granted bail by court since 2007
Inherited Case filed since 11th Dec.2007
Michael Botmang
(Former Governor of Plateau State)
Fed. High Court, Maitama
Arraigned on 31 state counts. Plea already taken but trial stalled due to suspect’s ailment, on dialysis.
N1.5 Billion
granted bail by court since 2008
Commenced by Waziri on 18th July 2008
Roland Iyayi (Former
Managing Director of FAAN)
FCT High Court, Maitama
Arraigned on 11 state counts. Plea already taken.Trial on-going
Court taking prosecution witnesses testimony
N5.6 Billion
granted bail by court since 2008
Commenced by Waziri in June 2008
Nyeson Wike (Serving Chief of Staff to Governor of Rivers State)
FCT High Court, Maitama
Arraigned on state counts. Court quashed charges.EFCC already appealed judgement. Appeal pending at appeal court.
N4.670 Billion
granted bail by court since 2008
Commenced by Waziri on Oct.9 2008
Eider George (Austrian
Business man)
FCT High Court, Maitama
Arraigned on 11 state counts. Plea already taken and trial on-going. Prosecution witnesses undergoing cross-examination. Court granted suspect leave to travel abroad for medical treatment.
granted bail by court since 2008
Commenced by Waziri in June 2008
Kenny Martins (Police
Equipment Fund)
FCT High Court, Maitama
Arraigned on 28 amended state counts. Plea already taken and trial on- going. Witnesses under cross- examination. Continuation of trial fixed for Nov.9
N774 Million
granted bail by court since 2008
Commenced by Waziri in June 2008
13 Filipinos (Charged for
Oil Bunkering)
Fed. High Court, Benin
Arraigned on state counts, convicted at the close of trial and sentenced to 65 Years altogether
N300 Million
EFCC returns to court to seek forfeiture of vessel used for oil theft.
Commenced by Waziri in 2009
6 Ghanaians (Charged for
Oil Bunkering) and Nigerian accomplice.
Fed. High Court, Benin
Arraigned on state counts and trial Commenced. Prosecution closed case, matter adjourned for defence to close.
N250 Million
granted bail by court in 2009. All 7 accused sentenced to 112 years imprisonment April 30, 2010
Commenced by Waziri in June 2009
Patrick Fernadez
(Indian Buisnessman)
Fed. High Court, Lagos
Arraigned on 56 state counts. Plea already taken and trial commences Nov.
N32 Billion
granted bail by court in 2009
Commenced by Waziri in 2009
Prof. Babalola Borishade
(Former Minister of Aviation)
FCT High Court, Maitama
Arraigned on 11 state counts. Plea already taken and trial on-going (N5.6 billion)
Prosecution witnesses under cross-examination.
N5.6 Billion
granted bail by court since 2008
Commenced by Waziri in June 2008
Boni Haruna (Former
Governor, Adamawa State)
Fed. High Court Maitama
Arraigned on amended 28 state counts. Plea taken. Adoption of motion slated for Nov
N254 Million
granted bail by court since 2008
Commenced by Waziri in 2008
Femi Fani-Kayode
(Former Minster of Aviation)
Fed. High Court, Lagos
Arraigned on 47 state counts . Plea taken but case stalled as a result of trial court’s refusal to admit e-print of suspect’s statement of account as evidence. EFCC won appeal against the decision. Defence on appeal at supreme court.
N250 Million
granted bail by court in 2008
Commenced by Waziri in 2008
Prince Ibrahim Dumuje (Police Equip-ment Fund)
FCT High Court, Abuja
Arraigned on 28 amended state counts. Plea taken and trial on-going. Prosecution witnesses under cross-examination. Continuation fixed for Nov.9
N774 Million
granted bail by court since 2008
Commenced by Waziri in June 2008
Bode George (Chieftain of
the ruling party, PDP)
Fed. High Court. Lagos
Arraigned on 68 state counts. Plea taken and trial concluded. Accused convicted and sentenced to 2 years. Convict on appeal while serving jail term.
N100 Billion
granted bail by court since 2008. Has been in jail after conviction in Oct 2009.
Commenced by Waziri in Dec.08
Rasheed Ladoja (Former
Governor of Oyo State)
Fed. High Court, Lagos
Arraigned on 33 state counts. Plea taken and trial on- going
Prosecution witnesses slated for cross-examination in Nov.
N6 Billion
granted bail by court since 2008
Commenced by Waziri
Four Snr Zenith Bank Managers
Fed. High Court, Port Harcourt
Arraigned on 56 state counts. Plea taken but case stalled over an injunction by Rivers State Govt, which is a party in the case to stop EFCC. Injunction being challenged at appeal court
N3.6 Billion
Granted bail by court in 2009
Commenced by Waziri
Mallam Nasir El-Rufai
(Former Minister of Federal Capital Territory)
Fed. High Court, Abuja
Arraigned on 8 state counts.Suspect charged for corruption and abuse of office.Plea taken and case adjourned for trial but accused challenged jurisdiction of court as a ploy to delay trial. Case adjourned.
Suspect at large but returned to the country. Interrogated on May 4, 2010 and arraigned on May 12
Commenced by Waziri in 2009.
Sen. Nicholas Ugbade, (Serving Senator) Hon. Ndudi Elumelu Hon. Mohammed Jibo,
Hon. Paulinus Igwe,(Serving Members of House of Rep)
Dr Aliyu Abdullahi (Serving Fed.Perm.Sec) Mr. Samuel Ibi. Mr. Simon Nanle,
Mr. Lawrence Orekoya, Mr Kayode Oyedeji,
Mr. A. Garba Jahun
FCT High Court Abuja
(This is the Rural Electrification Agency Case involving a serving Senator, 3 serving members of the House of Representatives , the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Power and other high profile public officers)
Arraigned on 158 state counts. Plea taken while prosecution has filed more charges against suspects. Suspects filed to quash charges but application thrown out by court.
N5.2 Billion
Remanded in Prison Custody and later granted bail Court in 2009
Commenced by Waziri in May 2009
Prof B.Sokan, Molkat
Mutfwang, Michael Aule, Andrew Ekpanobi, (All Directors) Alexander Cozman(MD,In termarket Ltd). (This is the UBEC case where high profile public servants connived with an American, Alexander Cozman) to defraud the Government.
Federal High Court, Abuja
Arraigned on 64 state counts. Plea taken while more charges were filed against suspects due to appearance of Prof Sokan. Matter adjourned to Nov 9 for suspects to take plea on amended charges
N636 Million
Suspects remanded in prison custody and later granted bail by court in 2009.
Commenced by Waziri on May 19 2009
Dr Ransome Owan, Mr. Abdulrahman Ado, Mr. Adulrasak Alimi, Mr. Onwuamaeze Iloeje, Mrs Grace Eyoma, Mr. Mohammed Bunu,
Mr. Abimbola Odubiyi
Federal High Court, Abuja
Arraigned on 196 state counts. Plea taken. Trial billed to commence while more charges were filed against suspects. Further hearing slated for Oct 29. But the FG has withdrawn charges against the accused persons who were consequently discharged by the court on Sept 16,2010
N1.5 Billion
granted bail by court in 2009
Commenced by Waziri on April 22 2009
Tom Iseghohi, Muhammed Buba, Mike
Okoli,(GM&M anagers of Transcorp Group PLC)
Fed. High Court, Abuja
Arraigned on 32 state counts. Plea taken. Matter adjourned for commencement of trial Nov 9.
N15 Billion
Suspects Remanded in Kuje Prison and later granted bail by court in 2009
Commenced by Waziri in May 2009
Dr Albert Ikomi, rtd perm sec, his firm, satelite town dev co Ltd
Fed. High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos
Arraigned on 4 state counts. Plea taken and Matter adjourned for hearing
N43 Million
Suspects Remanded in Ikoyi Prison and later granted bail by court in 2009
Commenced by Waziri in 2009
Dr Yuguda Manu Kaigama,
Chairman, Taraba State Civil Service Commission
Taraba State High Court 5, Jalingo
Arraigned on 37 state counts . Plea taken and Matter stalled as suspect dropped dead.
N17 Million
Suspect remanded in prison custody. Co-accused, Yakubu Danjuma Takun, at large.
Commenced by Waziri on Oct.10 2009
Chief Joe Musa, DG
Natioanl Gallery of Art, Olusegun Ogumba, Chinedu Obi, Oparagu Elizabeth, Kweku Tandoh, (All Directors of NGA).
FCT High Court, Lugbe (Justice Olukayode Adeniyi)
Arraigned on 12 state counts . Plea taken and defence lawyer filed applications to stall trial but lost the bid. Matter adjourned for trial Nov 19/20, 2010
N1.012 Billion
Suspects Remanded in Kuje Prison and later granted bail by court in 2009
Commenced by Waziri in July 20 2009
Dr Dayo Olagunju,
Ex. Sec. National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult & Non-Formal Education. Joshua Alao, Alice Abang, Jibrin Waguna, Ahmed Abubakar, Shehu Abdullahi, Dr Victoria King- Nwachukwu, Adamu Khalid, Moses Oseni, Francis Awelewa & Bashir Suleiman
Fed. High Court, Abuja. Justice Anuli Chikere
Arraigned on 17 state counts.Plea taken and Matter adjourned for commencement of trial Oct 22, 2010
N479 Million
Suspects Remanded in Kuje Prison and later granted bail by court in 2009
Commenced by Waziri 24 July 2009
Hamman Bello Hammed, Ex-
CG Customs, Hannatu Sulaiman, Tajudeen Olalere, Lukman Hussain, Popular Foods Ltd & Silver Maritime shipping coy ltd
Fed. High Court , Lagos. Justice Ramat Mohammed
Arraigned on 46 state counts. Plea taken Matter adjouned to Nov for trial but FG filed to withdraw charges.
N2.5 Billion
Suspects Remanded in Kirikiri & Ikoyi Prisons and later granted bail by court in 2009.
Commenced by Waziri on 14th Aug. 2009
Professor Innocent Chuka
Okonkwo, fmr VC Imo state Univ, Uchechi Nwugo & Wilfred Uwakwe
Fed.High Court, Abuja. Justice Mohammed Garba Umar
Arraigned on 14 state counts. Plea taken Adjourned to Nov for trial.
N145 Million
Suspects Remanded in Kuje Prison and later granted bail by court in 2009
Commenced by Waziri on July 30,2009
Dr (Mrs) Cecilia Ibru
(Fmr CEO, Oceanic Bank PLC)
FHC, Ikoyi, Lagos. Justice Dan Abutu
Arraigned on 25 state counts. Plea taken and case adjourned to Nov for trial
N160.2 Billion
Suspect convicted and jailed for 18 Months on Friday October 8, 2010 by Justice Dan Abutu of FHC, Lagos. To forfeit assets and funds worth over N191 billion.
Commenced by Waziri on Aug 31 2009
Dr Bartholo-mew (Fmr CEO, Union Bank PLC) Bassey Ebong, Henry Onyemem & Niyi Albert Opeodu (Ex- Directors, UBN)
FHC, Ikoyi, Lagos. Justice Dan Abutu
Arraigned on 28 state counts. Plea taken and case adjourned to Nov for trial
N187.1 Billion
Suspects remanded in EFCC custody, But granted bail on 14/9/09
Commenced by Waziri on Aug 31 2009
Raymond Obieri,(Fmr
Chairman,Inter continental Bank PLC Hyacinth Enuha, Ikechi Kalu, C.A Alabi, Samuel Adegbite, Isyaku Umar, Sanni Adams.
FHC, Ikoyi, Lagos. Justice Dan Abutu
Arraigned on 18 state counts. Plea taken and case adjourned to Nov for trial
N131.8 Billion
Suspects remanded in EFCC custody, But granted bail on 14/9/09
Commenced by Waziri on Aug 31 2009
Sebastian Adigwe, Peter
Ololo, Falcon Securities Ltd
FHC, Ikoyi, Lagos. Justice Dan Abutu
Arraigned on 36 state counts. Plea taken and case adjourned to Nov for trial
N277.3 Billion
Suspects remanded in Prison custody, But granted bail on 15/9/09
Commenced by Waziri on Aug 31 2009
Okey Nwosu
FHC, Ikoyi, Lagos. Justice Dan Abutu
Arraigned on 11 state counts. Plea taken and case adjourned to Nov for trial
N95.1 Billion
Suspects remanded in Prison custody, But granted bail on 15/9/09
Commenced by Waziri on Aug 31 2009
Alex Nkenchor, Ex-Bank Manager, Ebi Odeigah & GMT Securities & Assets Nig Ltd.
Lagos High Court, Ikeja. Justice M.O Obadina
Arraigned on 10 state counts. Plea taken and suspects still remanded in prison custody pending consideration of bail application.
N860 Million
Suspects remanded in ikoyi prison. Bail application for consideration Oct20
Commenced by Waziri on Oct 13 2009
Francis Atuche, Former CEO,
Bank PHB
Fed High Court, Lagos
Arraigned on a 26 count charge. Plea taken. Suspect challenged charges but court upheld charges. Matter set for trial in Nov.
N80 billion
Suspect remanded and later granted bail by court. His assets frozen.
Commenced by Waziri on Oct 28, 2009.
Adamu Abdullahi,
Former Gov of Nasarawa state.
Fed High Court, Lafia, Nasarawa. Justice I.N. Buba
Arraigned on 149 count charge. Suspect granted bail by court. Case slated for trial in Oct.
N15 billion
Suspect on court bail.
Commenced by Waziri on March 3, 2010.
Attahiru Bafarawa,
former governor of Sokoto state.
Sokoto state High Court.
Arraigned on 47 count charge. Matter stalled HC due to accused application at appeal court.
N15 billion
Suspect remanded in prison custody and later granted bail by court. Case slated for trial.
Commenced by Waziri on December 16, 2009.
Francis Okokuro,
Bayelsa state Accountant General
Fed. High Court, Abuja
Arraigned on 6 count charge. Matter stalled due to accused application for stay.
N2.4 billion
Suspect remanded in prison custody till April 13.
Commenced by Waziri on March 24, 2010
Dr Charles Silva Opuala
Fed High Court, Abuja
Arraigned on 6 count charge. Matter stalled due to accused application for stay
N2.4 billion
Suspect arraigned and remanded in Kuje prison custody on April 13 till he meets bail conditions
Commenced by Waziri on March 24, 2010
Chief Osa Osunde(fmr
Chairman Afribank), and 4 directors: Jibrin Isah, Isa Zailani, Chinedu Onyia and Henry Arogundade
Fed.High Court, Lagos
Arraigned on 33 count charge. Matter adjourned to Nov for trial
N55 billion
Suspects arraigned on April 21, 2010. Remanded in EFCC custody and later granted bail by the court.
Commenced by Waziri on April 21, 2010
Mr Oladele Shittu, CEO of
Credence Investment
Fed High Court, Kaduna. Justice Mohd Shuaibu
Arraigned on 136 count charge. Matter adjourned for trial
N139 million
Suspect arraigned on March 23 2010. Remanded in Kad prison custody till July 12, 2010.
Commenced by Waziri on March 23, 2010
Mr Sunday Akinyemi,
fmr CEO Texas Connection Ferries
Lagos High Court. Justice J Adebajo
Arraigned on 30 count charge. Application for bail rejected, trial commenced.
N90 million
Suspect arraigned March 11 & April 11, 2010.Remanded in prison.
Commenced by Waziri on March 11, 2010
Hon. T Faniyi, Albert Soje &
others
FHC, Abuja.Justi ce Adamu Bello/Justic e David Okorowa
Arraigned on 30 count charge(14,10 &6), trial commenced.
N3 billion
Suspects arraigned on April 1 2010. Remanded in prison custody and later granted court bail.
Commenced by Waziri on April 1, 2010
Adeniyi Elumaro,
Rakiya Mamman, Integrated Capital Services Ltd
FCT High Court. Justice Olukayode Adeniyi
Arraigned on 22 count charge
N405 million
Suspects arraigned on Aug 12, 2010. Granted bail by court and remanded in prison pending when they meet conditions
Commenced by Waziri on Aug 12, 2010.
Dr Erastus Akingbola, fmr
MD/CEO, IBplc
FHC, Ikoyi, Lagos.Justi ce Mohd Idris
Arraigned on 22 count charge
N27 billion.
Suspect arraigned on Aug 13. Remanded in custody till Ag 23.
Commenced by Waziri on Aug 13, 2010
SaniLulu, & 3 other sacked
NFF board members
FHC, Abuja.Justi ce Donatus Okorowa
Arraigned on 10 counts. Case adjourned till Oct 5, 2010 for trial.
N1.5 billion
Suspects arraigned Sept 7, remanded in prison till 13th when court released them on bail
Commenced by Waziri on Sept 7, 2010
Tuesday 12 October 2010
UK Banks Aid Corruption in Nigeria – Report
UK Banks Aid Corruption in Nigeria – Report
By Emele Onu, with agency report, 10.11.2010
A report by Global Witness yesterday said British banks, aided by lax regulation by the authoritative are exacerbating corruption in Nigeria.
According to Reuters News, the graft watchdog said Britain needs to enforce money laundering regulations more strictly after some of its leading high street banks accepted millions of pounds in deposits from corrupt Nigerian politicians.
Global Witness said in a 40-page report that five banks had taken millions of pounds between 1999 and 2005 from two former Nigerian governors accused of corruption, but had failed sufficiently to investigate the customers or the source of their funds.
Global Witness exposes the corrupt exploitation of natural resources and international trade systems, to drive campaigns that end impunity, resource-linked conflict, and human rights and environmental abuses.
It said Britain's Barclays, NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) and HSBC, and Switzerland's UBS, might not have broken the law but had helped to fuel corruption in Nigeria.
HSBC said the allegations were "misguided". The four other banks and Britain's regulator, the Financial Services Authority (FSA), declined to comment. RBS took over NatWest in 2000.
"The FSA needs to do much more to prevent banks from facilitating corruption. As yet, no British bank has been publicly fined or even named by the regulators for taking corrupt funds, whether willingly or through negligence," Global Witness said in the report, adding, "This is in stark contrast to the United States, where banks have been fined hundreds of millions of dollars for handling dirty money."
Global Witness acknowledged that British regulation might have moved on since 2005, but said there were still gaps in the system, particularly regarding funds from "politically exposed persons" (PEPs) deemed to pose a higher money laundering risk.
"As a bank that has been at the very forefront of developing global PEP guidance over the last decade, we are deeply disappointed with these misguided allegations," Reuters quoted a spokesman for HSBC as having said when asked about the report.
"Rest assured, rigorous and robust compliance procedures were followed diligently. To ignore this is to ignore the facts," he said.
Barclays, HSBC and UBS are all members of the Wolfsberg Group, an international body set up in 2000 to try to improve global anti-money laundering procedures.
An industry source said HSBC was one of the few banks to have had a PEP policy in place since 2001, before regulators introduced any such requirement.
Global Witness said its findings were based on court documents from cases brought in London by the Nigerian government to get funds returned that it said had been stolen by two former state governors, namely Diepreye Alamieyeseigha of Bayelsa state and Joshua Dariye of Plateau state.
It said some of the funds accepted by some of the banks were the proceeds of bribe payments.
“Alamieyeseigha was accused of corruption in 2005 when he was caught with almost a million pounds in cash in his London home, and was briefly jailed in Nigeria after pleading guilty to embezzlement and money laundering charges two years later.
“Dariye was arrested in 2004 in London and was found to have purchased properties worth millions of pounds even though his legitimate earnings amounted to the equivalent of 40,000 pounds a year,” Reuters recalled.
Britain's coalition government, said Reuters, plans to revamp its financial sector, scrapping the FSA by the end of 2012 and replacing it with a regulator that will operate as a subsidiary of the Bank of England; a new white-collar crime agency; and a new consumer protection and markets authority.
By Emele Onu, with agency report, 10.11.2010
A report by Global Witness yesterday said British banks, aided by lax regulation by the authoritative are exacerbating corruption in Nigeria.
According to Reuters News, the graft watchdog said Britain needs to enforce money laundering regulations more strictly after some of its leading high street banks accepted millions of pounds in deposits from corrupt Nigerian politicians.
Global Witness said in a 40-page report that five banks had taken millions of pounds between 1999 and 2005 from two former Nigerian governors accused of corruption, but had failed sufficiently to investigate the customers or the source of their funds.
Global Witness exposes the corrupt exploitation of natural resources and international trade systems, to drive campaigns that end impunity, resource-linked conflict, and human rights and environmental abuses.
It said Britain's Barclays, NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) and HSBC, and Switzerland's UBS, might not have broken the law but had helped to fuel corruption in Nigeria.
HSBC said the allegations were "misguided". The four other banks and Britain's regulator, the Financial Services Authority (FSA), declined to comment. RBS took over NatWest in 2000.
"The FSA needs to do much more to prevent banks from facilitating corruption. As yet, no British bank has been publicly fined or even named by the regulators for taking corrupt funds, whether willingly or through negligence," Global Witness said in the report, adding, "This is in stark contrast to the United States, where banks have been fined hundreds of millions of dollars for handling dirty money."
Global Witness acknowledged that British regulation might have moved on since 2005, but said there were still gaps in the system, particularly regarding funds from "politically exposed persons" (PEPs) deemed to pose a higher money laundering risk.
"As a bank that has been at the very forefront of developing global PEP guidance over the last decade, we are deeply disappointed with these misguided allegations," Reuters quoted a spokesman for HSBC as having said when asked about the report.
"Rest assured, rigorous and robust compliance procedures were followed diligently. To ignore this is to ignore the facts," he said.
Barclays, HSBC and UBS are all members of the Wolfsberg Group, an international body set up in 2000 to try to improve global anti-money laundering procedures.
An industry source said HSBC was one of the few banks to have had a PEP policy in place since 2001, before regulators introduced any such requirement.
Global Witness said its findings were based on court documents from cases brought in London by the Nigerian government to get funds returned that it said had been stolen by two former state governors, namely Diepreye Alamieyeseigha of Bayelsa state and Joshua Dariye of Plateau state.
It said some of the funds accepted by some of the banks were the proceeds of bribe payments.
“Alamieyeseigha was accused of corruption in 2005 when he was caught with almost a million pounds in cash in his London home, and was briefly jailed in Nigeria after pleading guilty to embezzlement and money laundering charges two years later.
“Dariye was arrested in 2004 in London and was found to have purchased properties worth millions of pounds even though his legitimate earnings amounted to the equivalent of 40,000 pounds a year,” Reuters recalled.
Britain's coalition government, said Reuters, plans to revamp its financial sector, scrapping the FSA by the end of 2012 and replacing it with a regulator that will operate as a subsidiary of the Bank of England; a new white-collar crime agency; and a new consumer protection and markets authority.
Friday 17 September 2010
White man’s burden to loot
White man’s burden to loot
Owei Lakemfa Sep 17, 2010
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By Owei Lakemfa
EXACTLY a fortnight from today, Nigeria will be marking its 50th independence anniversary from colonial rule. The motives of colonialism are usually wrapped in layers of religion and the alleged sacred duty of the Whites to spread civilization.
Joseph Rudyard Kipling (1865-1930) Literature Nobel Prize Laureate famous for his poem If, has an infamous poem which rationalized and glorified colonialism; presenting it as a burden and sacrifice of the Whites. Titled: “The White Man’s Burden”, the first stanza reads:
“Take up the White Man’s burden
Send forth the best ye breed
Go, bind your sons to exile
To serve your captives’ need;
To wait in heavy harness
On fluttered folk and wild
Your new-caught, sullen peoples,
Half-devil and half-child”
Far from such childish and racist presentation, Joseph Chamberlain who took over the British Colonial Office in 1895 was emphatic that colonialism was a business enterprise and that the development and prosperity of Britain depended on developing the colonies.
In August 1895 he appealed to the British public: “I regard many of our colonies as being in the condition of undeveloped estates …If the people of this country are not willing to invest some of their superfluous wealth in the development of their great estate, then I see no future for these countries, and it would have been better not to have gone there”.
Lord Lugard who helped conquer and colonise Uganda and Northern Nigeria put the reasons for colonialism in a clear light. In his 1922 publication The Dual Mandate In British Tropical Africa, he wrote that “The congestion of the (European) population, assisted by the discovery of the application of steam to industrial uses, led to the replacement of agriculture by manufacturing industry, with the consequent necessity for new markets for the product of the factory, and the importation of raw materials for industry, and of food to supplement the decreased home production, and feed the increased population.
The same phenomenon was to be seen in Germany and elsewhere in Europe”. Lugard analysed that towards the end of the nineteenth century, tea, coffee and cocoa, previously unknown luxuries were the European’s “daily beverages and white bread his daily food. Sugar was cheap, and rice, sago, and other tropical products were in daily use…These products lay wasted and ungarnered in Africa because the natives did not know their use and value. Millions of tons of oil-nuts, for instance , grew wild without the labour of man, and lay rotting in the forests.
Who can deny the right of the hungry people of Europe to utilize the wasted bounties of nature(?)”
Lugard who was then the colonial governor of Nigeria declared: “Let it be admitted at the outset that European brains, capital and energy have not been, and never will be, expended in developing the resources of Africa from motives of pure philanthropy; that Europe is in Africa for the mutual benefit of her own industrial classes, and of the native races in their progress to a higher plane; that the benefit can be reciprocal, and that it is the aim and desire of civilised administration to fulfil this dual mandate”.
France, he said, was desperate to colonise “due to the belief that it was by expansion in Africa alone that she could hope to find the means to recover from the effects of the war with Germany in 1870”.
King Leopold II of Belgium who seized the ‘Congo Free State’ initially lied that his reason for colonialism was for “humanitarian and scientific research”. Later, he confessed that it was just to loot the territory, and that he owned the Congo and its riches.
He wrote in 1906: “The Congo has been, and could have been, nothing but a personal undertaking. There is no more legitimate or respectable right than that of an author over his own work, the fruit of his labour…My rights over the Congo are to be shared with none; they are the fruit of my own struggles and expenditure”.
The looting, exploitation and dehumanisation of the Indian people by the colonising British East India Company was so criminal that British Secretary of State, Charles James Fox had to take a bill to parliament in1783 arguing that the company cannot enslave 30 million Indians just to make maximum profits. But King George III intervened to stop the bill and Fox was forced out of government for two decades.
The same British East India Company in order to colonise, and for profit shipped tons of opium into China. When the Chinese Emperor Lin Zexu in March 1839 petitioned Queen Victoria that China would impose the death penalty for opium importation, sale and usage unless the British company stopped its harmful trade, the British Empire invaded China and fought what came to be known as the Opium Wars of 1839-1842 and 1856-1860.
The colonialists would not willingly allow independence for the colonies. When the Philippines which was colonised by the United States agitated for self-government, American Senator Albert Beveridge argued on the Senate floor that the Filipinos like other colonised peoples are not capable of self-government.
“Self-government is no base and common thing, to be bestowed on the merely audacious. It is the degree which crowns the graduate of liberty, not the name of liberty’s infant class, who have not yet mastered the alphabet of freedom…The Declaration (of independence) applies only to people capable of self-government.
How dare any man prostitute this expression of the very elect of self-governing peoples to a race of Malay children of barbarism, schooled in Spanish methods and ideas?”
Senator Beveridge believed that colonialism is a divine calling.
“He (God)has made us the master organisers of the world to establish system, where chaos reigns. He has given us the spirit of progress to overwhelm the forces of reaction throughout the earth. He has made us adepts in government that we may administer government among savage and senile peoples.
Were it not for such a force as this, the world would relapse into barbarism and night.” Please let’s meet next week on the Black Man’s Burden to decolonize.
Owei Lakemfa Sep 17, 2010
Share |
By Owei Lakemfa
EXACTLY a fortnight from today, Nigeria will be marking its 50th independence anniversary from colonial rule. The motives of colonialism are usually wrapped in layers of religion and the alleged sacred duty of the Whites to spread civilization.
Joseph Rudyard Kipling (1865-1930) Literature Nobel Prize Laureate famous for his poem If, has an infamous poem which rationalized and glorified colonialism; presenting it as a burden and sacrifice of the Whites. Titled: “The White Man’s Burden”, the first stanza reads:
“Take up the White Man’s burden
Send forth the best ye breed
Go, bind your sons to exile
To serve your captives’ need;
To wait in heavy harness
On fluttered folk and wild
Your new-caught, sullen peoples,
Half-devil and half-child”
Far from such childish and racist presentation, Joseph Chamberlain who took over the British Colonial Office in 1895 was emphatic that colonialism was a business enterprise and that the development and prosperity of Britain depended on developing the colonies.
In August 1895 he appealed to the British public: “I regard many of our colonies as being in the condition of undeveloped estates …If the people of this country are not willing to invest some of their superfluous wealth in the development of their great estate, then I see no future for these countries, and it would have been better not to have gone there”.
Lord Lugard who helped conquer and colonise Uganda and Northern Nigeria put the reasons for colonialism in a clear light. In his 1922 publication The Dual Mandate In British Tropical Africa, he wrote that “The congestion of the (European) population, assisted by the discovery of the application of steam to industrial uses, led to the replacement of agriculture by manufacturing industry, with the consequent necessity for new markets for the product of the factory, and the importation of raw materials for industry, and of food to supplement the decreased home production, and feed the increased population.
The same phenomenon was to be seen in Germany and elsewhere in Europe”. Lugard analysed that towards the end of the nineteenth century, tea, coffee and cocoa, previously unknown luxuries were the European’s “daily beverages and white bread his daily food. Sugar was cheap, and rice, sago, and other tropical products were in daily use…These products lay wasted and ungarnered in Africa because the natives did not know their use and value. Millions of tons of oil-nuts, for instance , grew wild without the labour of man, and lay rotting in the forests.
Who can deny the right of the hungry people of Europe to utilize the wasted bounties of nature(?)”
Lugard who was then the colonial governor of Nigeria declared: “Let it be admitted at the outset that European brains, capital and energy have not been, and never will be, expended in developing the resources of Africa from motives of pure philanthropy; that Europe is in Africa for the mutual benefit of her own industrial classes, and of the native races in their progress to a higher plane; that the benefit can be reciprocal, and that it is the aim and desire of civilised administration to fulfil this dual mandate”.
France, he said, was desperate to colonise “due to the belief that it was by expansion in Africa alone that she could hope to find the means to recover from the effects of the war with Germany in 1870”.
King Leopold II of Belgium who seized the ‘Congo Free State’ initially lied that his reason for colonialism was for “humanitarian and scientific research”. Later, he confessed that it was just to loot the territory, and that he owned the Congo and its riches.
He wrote in 1906: “The Congo has been, and could have been, nothing but a personal undertaking. There is no more legitimate or respectable right than that of an author over his own work, the fruit of his labour…My rights over the Congo are to be shared with none; they are the fruit of my own struggles and expenditure”.
The looting, exploitation and dehumanisation of the Indian people by the colonising British East India Company was so criminal that British Secretary of State, Charles James Fox had to take a bill to parliament in1783 arguing that the company cannot enslave 30 million Indians just to make maximum profits. But King George III intervened to stop the bill and Fox was forced out of government for two decades.
The same British East India Company in order to colonise, and for profit shipped tons of opium into China. When the Chinese Emperor Lin Zexu in March 1839 petitioned Queen Victoria that China would impose the death penalty for opium importation, sale and usage unless the British company stopped its harmful trade, the British Empire invaded China and fought what came to be known as the Opium Wars of 1839-1842 and 1856-1860.
The colonialists would not willingly allow independence for the colonies. When the Philippines which was colonised by the United States agitated for self-government, American Senator Albert Beveridge argued on the Senate floor that the Filipinos like other colonised peoples are not capable of self-government.
“Self-government is no base and common thing, to be bestowed on the merely audacious. It is the degree which crowns the graduate of liberty, not the name of liberty’s infant class, who have not yet mastered the alphabet of freedom…The Declaration (of independence) applies only to people capable of self-government.
How dare any man prostitute this expression of the very elect of self-governing peoples to a race of Malay children of barbarism, schooled in Spanish methods and ideas?”
Senator Beveridge believed that colonialism is a divine calling.
“He (God)has made us the master organisers of the world to establish system, where chaos reigns. He has given us the spirit of progress to overwhelm the forces of reaction throughout the earth. He has made us adepts in government that we may administer government among savage and senile peoples.
Were it not for such a force as this, the world would relapse into barbarism and night.” Please let’s meet next week on the Black Man’s Burden to decolonize.
Wednesday 15 September 2010
Goodluck Jonathan DECLARES FOR PRESIDENCY !!!!!!
Goodluck Jonathan Dear compatriots, four months ago, providence placed me at the leadership of our dear country, following the untimely death of our dear former President, my brother and leader, President Umaru Musa Yar’adua. It was a very solemn and trying moment for me personally and for the country as a whole. My immediate task and priority was and ...still remains to give the nation purposeful leadership and to focus on the priorities of our administration in order to maintain national peace and stability and pursue our key development priorities. In these few months as leader of the country, I have concentrated on managing the affairs of the nation, and resisted all efforts to respond to the drums of partisan politics which have been sounding very loud across the land. As President and leader of government, I decided not to place partisan politics above the immediate needs and priorities of our people. I came under intense pressure to make a declaration concerning my political future, but declined to do so because that would have immediately distracted us from all the development initiatives we have accomplished so far. I therefore told Nigerians to give me time to concentrate on my work and that at the appropriate time I would make a public statement on my political future after due consultations with all the segments and leaders of our nation.
Today, I confirm that after wide and thorough consultations spanning the six geo-political zones that make up Nigeria, with members of my family, my party, the opposition, civil society, the Private Sector, members of the Labour Unions, religious leaders, youths and student groups and our revered traditional institutions, I Goodluck Ebele Jonathan by the grace of God hereby offer myself and my services to the Nigerian people as a candidate for the office of President in the forth coming 2011 elections.
In presenting myself for service, I make no pretense that I have a magic wand that will solve all of Nigeria’s problems or that I am the most intelligent Nigerian. Far from it. What I do promise is this – If I am elected President in 2011, I will make a covenant with you the Nigerian people to always do right by you, to tell you the truth at all times, to carry you along and most importantly to listen to you, fellow citizens in our communities and also those of you on this page. I do not want to win your affections by giving you promises of things I would do in the future which others before me have given and which have largely been unfulfilled. Rather, I would want you to judge me by my records. Since God Almighty and yourselves permitted me to serve you in the present capacity, I have busied myself with setting Nigeria on the path of peace and progress.
My team and I made no promises on adequate fuel supply in Nigeria. We simply did what was expected of those who govern, we delivered it, and you are living witnesses to that. We made no promise to revamp the textile industry. We delivered a bailout package worth 150 billion naira that is being dispensed as I write. We made no promises of securing the highest U.S Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) aviation clearance, the Category 1 Certificate which enables Nigerian registered airlines to fly to ANY U.S city. We delivered. We made no promise to give Nigeria a brand new INEC under a proven God-fearing and incorruptible leader. We placed Nigeria first and delivered. We made no promises of protecting your loans, deposits and investments in the banking industry over and beyond what is covered under the Nigerian Deposit Insurance Scheme. We delivered it via AMCON. Rather than tell you what we could do to improve power, this administration demonstrated it by initiating a brand new national Super Grid as well as launching a concrete Road Map to the Power Sector with realistic goals tied to realistic dates. I understand from some of your mails that there has been some small improvements in electricity supply in some communities. We met an economy that was beginning to slow due to the global recession. Today, the economy has verifiably grown by 7% this half year ending in June.
I know you are tired of empty promises, so I will make only one promise to you today. The only promise I make to you my friends, fellow citizens and Nigeria, is to promise LESS and deliver MORE if I am elected. I call on you to join me to work together in harmony and synergy to forge a nation where we understand our differences instead of pretending they do not exist and work towards a perfect union founded on transparency, equity and justice. A nation that is on her way to repairing her International reputation and project to the world that things have changed and the people of Nigeria have now taken Nigeria back from a few into the hands of her people who are eager, very eager to pull her weight in the forward movement of the African continent and the world in the pursuit of peace, prosperity and happiness.
I will by the special grace of God be making a formal declaration to this effect at the Eagle’s Square, Abuja, on Saturday 18 September 2011.
I call on you my friends on this page and all Nigerians to give me your support and prayers so that together we can liberate our country from the confines and self –inflicted wounds and limitations of the past.
My dear friends and fellow citizens, to borrow an often used slogan by our youths, please join me in proclaiming: Forward Ever, Backward Never! Please let us all unite across tongue and creed to move our long suffering nation forward together. I thank you and may God bless our country Nigeria
Today, I confirm that after wide and thorough consultations spanning the six geo-political zones that make up Nigeria, with members of my family, my party, the opposition, civil society, the Private Sector, members of the Labour Unions, religious leaders, youths and student groups and our revered traditional institutions, I Goodluck Ebele Jonathan by the grace of God hereby offer myself and my services to the Nigerian people as a candidate for the office of President in the forth coming 2011 elections.
In presenting myself for service, I make no pretense that I have a magic wand that will solve all of Nigeria’s problems or that I am the most intelligent Nigerian. Far from it. What I do promise is this – If I am elected President in 2011, I will make a covenant with you the Nigerian people to always do right by you, to tell you the truth at all times, to carry you along and most importantly to listen to you, fellow citizens in our communities and also those of you on this page. I do not want to win your affections by giving you promises of things I would do in the future which others before me have given and which have largely been unfulfilled. Rather, I would want you to judge me by my records. Since God Almighty and yourselves permitted me to serve you in the present capacity, I have busied myself with setting Nigeria on the path of peace and progress.
My team and I made no promises on adequate fuel supply in Nigeria. We simply did what was expected of those who govern, we delivered it, and you are living witnesses to that. We made no promise to revamp the textile industry. We delivered a bailout package worth 150 billion naira that is being dispensed as I write. We made no promises of securing the highest U.S Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) aviation clearance, the Category 1 Certificate which enables Nigerian registered airlines to fly to ANY U.S city. We delivered. We made no promise to give Nigeria a brand new INEC under a proven God-fearing and incorruptible leader. We placed Nigeria first and delivered. We made no promises of protecting your loans, deposits and investments in the banking industry over and beyond what is covered under the Nigerian Deposit Insurance Scheme. We delivered it via AMCON. Rather than tell you what we could do to improve power, this administration demonstrated it by initiating a brand new national Super Grid as well as launching a concrete Road Map to the Power Sector with realistic goals tied to realistic dates. I understand from some of your mails that there has been some small improvements in electricity supply in some communities. We met an economy that was beginning to slow due to the global recession. Today, the economy has verifiably grown by 7% this half year ending in June.
I know you are tired of empty promises, so I will make only one promise to you today. The only promise I make to you my friends, fellow citizens and Nigeria, is to promise LESS and deliver MORE if I am elected. I call on you to join me to work together in harmony and synergy to forge a nation where we understand our differences instead of pretending they do not exist and work towards a perfect union founded on transparency, equity and justice. A nation that is on her way to repairing her International reputation and project to the world that things have changed and the people of Nigeria have now taken Nigeria back from a few into the hands of her people who are eager, very eager to pull her weight in the forward movement of the African continent and the world in the pursuit of peace, prosperity and happiness.
I will by the special grace of God be making a formal declaration to this effect at the Eagle’s Square, Abuja, on Saturday 18 September 2011.
I call on you my friends on this page and all Nigerians to give me your support and prayers so that together we can liberate our country from the confines and self –inflicted wounds and limitations of the past.
My dear friends and fellow citizens, to borrow an often used slogan by our youths, please join me in proclaiming: Forward Ever, Backward Never! Please let us all unite across tongue and creed to move our long suffering nation forward together. I thank you and may God bless our country Nigeria
Friday 20 August 2010
my advise to the President of Nigeria
thank you Mr President. i am always and very excited reading your posting here on your Facebook. keep it up !!. It will be much appreciated if you will also addressing your fellow Nigerian on YouTube as YouTube is about 10 mins long once every fortnightly. it will add value to your posting here. May i suggest that you make the introduction of Yoruba, Igbo and Hausa mandatory to our primary and secondary school curriculum. Yoruba students should learn either Igbo/Housa, Hausa students learn either Igbo/Yoruba and Igbo students learn either Yoruba/Igbo. That way, Nigerians will understand each others more. there are too much corruption because too much money are flowing around without accountability, all monthly allocations, federal, states and local government including contracts awarded and to whom should always made public. send police men and women on customer service courses, i can arrange that in Nigeria!! to stop police brutality of Nigerian and reform our prison system. i read how you are trying to fix our electricity, remember that for a country to develop, electricity is the engine that will drive that country and without constant electricity supply, Nigeria will remain in a state of stagnation. Once again, thanks for your posting, looking forward to the next one.
my advise to the President of Nigeria
thank you Mr President. i am always and very excited reading your posting here on your Facebook. keep it up !!. It will be much appreciated if you will also addressing your fellow Nigerian on YouTube as YouTube is about 10 mins long once every fortnightly. it will add value to your posting here. May i suggest that you make the introduction of Yoruba, Igbo and Hausa mandatory to our primary and secondary school curriculum. Yoruba students should learn either Igbo/Housa, Hausa students learn either Igbo/Yoruba and Igbo students learn either Yoruba/Igbo. That way, Nigerians will understand each others more. there are too much corruption because too much money are flowing around without accountability, all monthly allocations, federal, states and local government including contracts awarded and to whom should always made public. send police men and women on customer service courses, i can arrange that in Nigeria!! to stop police brutality of Nigerian and reform our prison system. i read how you are trying to fix our electricity, remember that for a country to develop, electricity is the engine that will drive that country and without constant electricity supply, Nigeria will remain in a state of stagnation. Once again, thanks for your posting, looking forward to the next one.
Wednesday 21 July 2010
Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka Launches Political Party, by Radio France Internationale
21 July 2010
After years of vehemently criticising the corruption and mismanagement that he perceives to dog his native Nigeria, Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka made clear his intentions to venture from the observational literary circles in which he is most familiar and into the political arena.
At an event to celebrate the 76th birthday of the "The Swamp Dwellers" author on Tuesday, Soyinka announced his wishes to found a party of "progressives" in time to do battle in the elections next year.
He levelled criticism at current leaders for failing to provide the population with sufficient basic services - 150 million people are without or have very little electricity - despite the country's income from its plentiful oil supply.
Soyinka vowed that he would launch his proposed "organ of collaboration for progressive forces" in September.
Urging Nigerians to join the new party, the famous writer said that he hoped that with enough people behind him they would be able unseat the ruling People's Democratic Party, which has been in office since May 1999 following the country's return to civilian rule.
Sunday 18 July 2010
how elections are rigged in Nigeria !!!!!!!
A comprehensive expose on how elections are rigged in the country has been unveiled by one of the insiders in the political process and former Cross River State Governor, Mr. Donald Duke.
Last Wednesday at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Duke gave a blow by blow account to a gathering of pro-democracy advocates, including the Save Nigeria Group (SNG), of the modus operandi of State Chief Executives and Resident Electoral Commissioners to thwart the mandate of the electorate, not just in states controlled by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), but all the others.
In his opinion, it is not just a question of replacing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, but getting a critical mass to come out to vote and ensuring that votes count.
The Guardian today delivers excerpts of his extempore speech:
“LET me start this way. Professor Maurice Iwu is truly an enigma; he enjoyed the limelight. He enjoyed all the attacks, thrown and meted at him, he remained undaunted. I think, he belongs to the school of thought that believes that bad publicity is better than no publicity. So, even though he was being attacked and scolded and all sorts of things were said about him, he didn’t shy away from even going to the United States and talking to Nigerians in the Diaspora about his work, he didn’t shy away from it. I was told he organized a rally to ensure that he will come back to do the work he was appointed to.
Why do I call him an enigma? The truth is, the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission has little or no bearing on the success of elections, that’s the truth. To me, it’s actually immaterial because he is head of the administration he takes the brunt. The best he can do is perhaps, draw up a blueprint but the implementation of that blueprint is outside his control. So, if elections are rigged in say -Taraba State- we don’t do that stuff in Cross Rivers State (laughter),
Every one looks at Iwu and he proudly says we did this or that. Hogwash!
Let me now take you through the process of an election. We have a hundred and twenty thousand booths in Nigeria. At the hierarchy, you have the Chairman of INEC, then you have the zonal Commissioners, then you have the Resident Electoral Commissioners and they are the heads in every state the zone as the name implies; we have six zones in Nigeria, so you have six of them. Then you have the Resident Electoral Commissioners and there are 36 of them of course, and Abuja. Then for each local government, you have an electoral officer. Beyond that you have a hundred and twenty thousand polling booths, headed by presiding officers. The people think that at the end of the elections, the PDP would just decide who wins and who doesn’t and announces the results. I think the process is a bit more sophisticated than that.
This is what happens; the Resident Electoral Commissioner is usually from another state. The electoral officers, they move around. They are usually from that state, but for the conduct of elections itself, you would probably move from Cross River to Akwa Ibom or to Abia, but these musical chairs don’t mean nothing.
When the Resident Electoral Commissioner comes before the elections are conducted- of course when he comes to the state, usually, he has no accommodation; monies have not been released for the running or conduct of the elections and all that because we always start late. He pays a courtesy call on the governor. It’s usually a televised event you know, and of course he says all the right things. ‘Your Excellency, I am here to ensure that we have free and fair elections and I will require your support.’
Now, at that courtesy call, most governors, at least I did, will invite the Commissioner of Police because he is part of the action and he sits there.
After the courtesy call, the Resident Electoral Commissioner now moves in for a one-on-one with the governor the says, “Your Excellency, since I came, I’ve been staying in this hotel, there is no accommodation for me and even my vehicle is broken down and the last Commissioner didn’t leave the vehicle, so if you could help me settle down quickly;’ and the governor says, ‘Chief of Staff, where is the Chief of Staff here?’ And the Chief of Staff appears. Governor says: ‘Please ensure that the REC is accommodated–put him in the Presidential lodge, allot two cars to him, I give you seven days to get this done. Then the relationship has started; I am going to share some of these things with you so that we don’t leave here with any illusions. A lot of us, folks who have gone through an election or have been elected for one thing or another, see groups like Save Nigeria Group (SNG), the CLP as woolly-eye dreamers, you have to come down to the backsides, since I am now a hybrid between both. I want to bring you both down to backsides. Let me take you down to what happens so that you can change it because if you don’t change it, we here won’t suffer but I think of our children will.
We the elite, I am one of them, we send our kids to the best schools around the World, when they come back they are misfits, they cannot fit in and so ultimately we are designing a system that would destroy us in the end.
Let me take our minds back to Somalia. Somalia is mono-religious, mono-ethnic; they only have clans (but) they have one tribe. What has happened there? It’s a failed state because the elite in Somalia were so disconnected from the people that once they had some money, they buy houses in England, Washington and all those places; they were not investing, putting their best foot forward and I think that was what Pastor Bakare was talking about. If you want to be in a contest, you put your best foot forward; at the end of the day, there was such a disconnect that even till today, they cannot bridge it. Let me tell you, the last recognized President of Somalia is buried in Lagos-Siad Barre.
We are multi-religious, multi-ethnic and multi-problematic. The reason why most people worry about us is if we explode, who will contain us? Let me also say this, I know what I am saying now is an aside, I will go back to the elections. When we conducted the census in 2006 or so, the raw figures said we were over two hundred million; when they went and processed the figures it came down to 140million.
When you look at those figures and compare to those we had in 1991 at a growth rate of 2.1 or something like that, it is really just an extrapolation, because we were too embarrassed to admit our true numbers. If we get it wrong, we will fail like Somalia; in Somalia, half of them are in Kenya, Ethiopia, and a few are in Europe here and there; who will contain us in all of West Africa and Central Africa and for that it is imperative not just for ourselves but for the rest of the continent that we get it right.
Now, back to the elections, once that relationship has been established between the governor and the REC, if you are a governor who is ‘A Governor’, maybe two nights after you just pop by at the governors lodge and see the REC and say ah, ‘ah REC how are you doing? Are you OK?’ He says, ‘ah! Your Chief of Staff has been wonderful. He has been very nice to me; he supplied me the vehicles and everything is Ok’.
A few weeks to the elections, the REC sees the governor; you probably have on the average about three thousand five hundred, four thousand depending on the polling booths in every state. So, REC goes to the governor and says, ‘Your Excellency, could you please give us the names of about four, five thousand people so that we can hurriedly train them, we need them as Presiding Officers.’ You need experience. A good coach is one who has played and has lost matches in the past?
The REC now goes down and says, ‘we need to conduct a training programme for the presiding officers and em, headquarters hasn’t sent us any money yet, you know.’
And the governor is like: ‘How much would that cost?’
REC replies: ‘N25million for the first batch, we may have about three batches.’ Governor: ‘Ok, the Chief of Staff will see you.’
Now, the Chief of Staff, you call him: ‘Make sure, that we arrange N25 million this week and in two weeks time another N25 million and Seventy-Five million in all.’
Chief of Staff: ‘Your Excellency, how do we do it?’
Governor: ‘Put it under Security Vote.’
In other words, its cash, ok, now, cash in huge Ghana Must Go bags – some of my colleagues will shoot me- (turns to the audience) is any former governor here? (Crowd replies no!)
Good. Cash is lodged in huge Ghana Must Go Bags for the REC and of course, to be fair to them, they call their electoral officers and say the governor has been very benevolent; he has given us this and that. I say three batches because they have them in Senatorial districts. So, you have one in Calabar, you have One in Ikom and Ogoja, those are the headquarters of the Senatorial districts. Each one costs twenty-five million. Of course, the sums are not properly retired. I don’t know how much of this twenty-five million worked. But, there is a rapport this is going on.
The governor now turns round and says: ‘call me the party chairman.’ The party chairman appears and the governor says: ‘INEC requires 50 thousand people for conducting the elections. See to it that we meet their needs.’ The chairman goes and you hear in the evening on radio and television: There will be an urgent meeting of all chairmen and secretaries of XYZ party at the headquarters. They should report promptly at 10am (because) matters of urgent interest will be discussed. End of announcement. Now we have texts messages, so its easier, in no time everyone is here.
It’s a very short meeting, please go back and within 48 hours submit from each local government two hundred and fifty names of trusted party members. So in a week the deed is done. The names, sometimes even passport photographs if required are sent to INEC.
And the training programme is carried out. Let me pause a bit, this is at party level. They are usually civil servants. They may be teachers, whatever, but they are party members. The remuneration, for each of them for the elections from Abuja is 10,000 Naira for the day’s work. But the state in its benevolence gives 50 to 100,000 Naira to each of these folks right before this election.
This is even where it gets even more interesting. So, you have each of the three or four thousand polling booths; they are manned by party stalwarts. They are usually party stalwarts. You don’t send any peripheral member. The remuneration from Abuja has not arrived but that of the state was received 48 hours prior.
On the day of elections, each polling booth has no more than five hundred ballot papers, that is standard.
There is not a polling booth that is more than five hundred. So only two hundred people appear here, three hundred there, one hundred there, fifty there, four hundred there, at the end of election what happens. The Presiding Officer sits down and calls a few guys and says, ‘hey, there are a few hundred papers here, let’s thumbprint. This is the real election. Well, this is not a PDP thing. I am not here to castigate the PDP; it’s a Nigerian thing. This process may sound comical and jovial, it happens throughout the country, whether its Action Congress or APGA it’s the same thing. We are all the same. They start thumb-printing, some are overzealous. So at the end of the day you find some voting more than the number of people that were registered to vote.
Other wise they do it, you have 95 percent turnout. You start wondering where were the voters, I didn’t see so many people. And the election results are announced; XYZ party wins and it takes a week for this paltry ten thousand Naira for each presiding officer to arrive.
Listen to this before you ask your question: Who is the most important person in an election? – The presiding officer. And if there are a hundred and twenty thousand of them (booths) there are a hundred and twenty thousand presiding officers, they are the most important people in the elections, not the Chairman.
So, as long as we keep applying that same method, you will get the same results. Its crazy to think that because you substitute Iwu for Jega all will change. In other words, Iwu is a crook, Jega is a saint. Jega is great, he has an impeccable reputation. Iwu was great, now he seems not so great. Ok, they are both professors, they have reached the peak of whatever discipline that they profess. The point is that it is the system and the personnel and the chairman has little or no control over that.
Where are we now, we don’t even know when the elections will be. The Constitution amendment seems to be stalling somewhere. So it’s either in January or in April. Sometimes, we behave as if we invented democracy. We always want to draw new rules. We should know the day of elections. It should be fixed. We should know that on so and so date I think, America is the 4th of November or so and if it falls on a Sunday it doesn’t make a difference. The point I am making here is that date is fixed, you know; because in a democracy, election should be a norm, not an event. In our democracy, election is an event. Its like, we are going to spring on to you with fire works, hey, we are going to have an election, we are all running around- I know most politicians are broke right now, so we are all running around the field.
Secondly, if you have your ears to the ground there, are whispers that may be, we need to postpone this thing. The whispers are there. In a democracy, you postpone an election? You postpone things you didn’t plan for, not things that are there in the Constitution, that says you must do this, that and that, you can’t but –you know two ways of moving forward. This is where I like what SNG and CNP are doing.
We need a critical mass of Nigerians to get out and vote. It is important because the more ballot papers that are legitimately used on election day, the fewer available to be used to rig the vote, that’s the truth. Don’t keep to yourself and think that they will announce results. They are more sophisticated than that. And that’s why the aspirants who felt cheated and had the resources to employ forensic personnel, like those elections had the elections upturned in Edo and Ondo, because they could establish multiple voting by thumbprint.
So, if it’s an AC state the procedure is the same. I remember a state, that state will remain nameless. I hear the story that the then President was so determined that he must change the leadership of this state and he called the IG and said, ‘look, that Governor is a security breach. Let's have elections and flush the governor out, and the governor knows he is under siege. A week before the elections, a new police Commissioner arrives. And you know if you are a governor and a new Police Commissioner arrives before elections, you know something is wrong somewhere and he spends two, three days without going to see the governor, which is again a breach of protocol. The day he decides to see the governor, the governor says, I won’t be at the office. However, if he gives him a particular address they may discuss. Then the chap goes there and smartly salutes and it’s in a highbrow neighborhood of the city. (Shouts of Ikoyi rent the air.) ‘No! It’s Yobe!’ (The hall explodes in loud laughter).
The Commissioner of Police walks up to the governor and smartly salutes and says: ‘Your Excellency, I just came to introduce myself. My name is Mr. So, so and so. And the governor goes: ‘Ah, you are welcome. I heard you were here two or three days ago and I was wondering whether I won’t see you. Anyway, you are welcome. Have you settled down?’ ‘Yes I’ve been given accommodation and all that. And the governor asks, ‘where was your last posting?’ He tells him, he says fine.
Governor: ‘That car over there, this is the key and this is your house.
The Commissioner of Police now says: ‘Your Excellency, this Obasanjo is a very bad man. He is a very, very bad man. If you see all the things he has planned for you eh Olorun maje.’
How do we move on? How do we get out of here? What I have done is I’ve tried graphically to paint a picture of a process. How do we change this process?
One, I think, since we cannot change attitudes as quickly, we must ensure mass participation. In an election where there is a very high turnout, the results are usually genuine. The most celebrated election in Nigeria, June 12, 1993 what happened? People came out. The more people who come out to vote the fewer–there may be mago, mago here and there but there wouldn’t be much in such a critical manner to upset the will of the people. Beyond that, if you don’t vote in an election, you have no reason to criticize the government and I tell folks everywhere that guys, I would say, I have lived my life. You guys have not and you are all criticizing Nigeria but did you vote in the last election? Most of them say no then I say, you’ve lost the moral right to criticize what the government does because you were not part of the process.
Is there a way out? I think there is. I think we need to employ technology. It's just a suggestion and I want to share with you. I have said this in one or two fora and I’ve heard people say it has not been done in America or the West why should we do it here? I say they don’t have the attitude we have here. Necessity is the mother of invention. It is not necessary for us to do what I’m about to suggest.
For the purposes of this, 3455, this number is for a phone and that number is unique to you and valid for that election or the set of elections. And each party has a numerical equivalent. AC could be 1, the PDP could be 5, the Labour Party could be 3, whatever. And on the date of elections you decide that your number even if you don’t have a phone, you can go to a centre where they have a bank of phones and once you put in your number 3455 it recognizes you, it cannot be duplicated. Its only you that has that number and for that election on that date, once its used it cannot be used by anyone else. Then you can do this one from your house or anywhere, and any time between the hours of 9-12. When it says which party, you say 3 or 4 whatever the number, they ask you, ‘are you sure you say Yes’. You press it then you’ve voted. With that, I think we can conduct election but people say ah, it’s to technological and I say, why do you always underestimate the people in the rural areas? If you send them money this way, won’t they be able to cash it? Why is it that when it is to conduct their civic responsibilities it becomes high tech? I know this country, I ran a state for eight years, I know the nooks and crannies of my state. We are not the most enlightened of states in the country, but you see, I had a deal with MTN and Glo to ensure that every community in Cross River State has a base station; for that I gave them sites free of charge; so, virtually every nook and cranny of Cross River has a base station. Even the most rural of places; even in Bakassi when we still had control of it. And they all use it. They still use it to call their folks in the urban centres to say send us money. Why is that when it comes to civic responsibility it is high tech? Because the politicians don’t want to use it, that’s the truth.
I am not saying this is a perfect system, it can be fine-tuned, that will ensure that within an hour or two every one has voted and the results are near perfect.
Of course, once you design a system, there are those whose work is to un-design the system. There are people like that and they work backwards. Once you have that we also think the same way. How do we work backwards, where can this be faulted? It can be faulted in many ways. The service companies if you are able to break-through the integrity of the system, you know, here and there; but I think we are going to think outside the norm.
The point I’m trying to make is we have to think outside the box. I want to commend the federal government, each time the government talks about elections, it keeps on talking about credible elections with brilliant sound bite. But it must go beyond the sound bite and lets not kid ourselves, by thinking that by putting a Jega there that all is well. With Jega there, all will be well if he is able to design along with his team a system that is virtually fool proof. In other words, he himself must understand the system of elections, he needs to know how it works and how its been holding.
As I speak to you, we’ve not started voters’ registration. That exercise will take any where from three to four months. It will take at least, ninety days to run through its course, another six weeks to tidy up before it is published; lets not kid ourselves. You can have elections anytime, but you can’t have credible elections in January. So, for those thinking we can have elections in January, I think we have to rethink the process; we cannot have credible elections in January. We may have elections but it may not be credible. Where are we? We need to get out of these holes; we need to traverse the length and breath of this country. We need to recruit an army of people may be 5, 000 in each state, two hundred young men and women who will reach our (people), give each of them a task to ensure that he registers at least a hundred person. That alone, will bring twenty million people into the fold. This is what they did in the Obama election.
Fortunately, I was monitoring the Obama election, whether you attain voting age or not, you are able to send text and move around and get people to vote. It's one thing to register, some folk tell me, ‘how can I go to line up for hours to vote for this person’. This is again what pastor Bakare was talking about, if people are not excited about the candidates they will not come out. ‘Look at the four people running, they are all clowns. I’ m going to watch television; I’m not going to vote because either way a clown is going to win’.
So, we have to get involved in the process. We can’t all run for offices, we all can’t. ...”
Last Wednesday at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Duke gave a blow by blow account to a gathering of pro-democracy advocates, including the Save Nigeria Group (SNG), of the modus operandi of State Chief Executives and Resident Electoral Commissioners to thwart the mandate of the electorate, not just in states controlled by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), but all the others.
In his opinion, it is not just a question of replacing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, but getting a critical mass to come out to vote and ensuring that votes count.
The Guardian today delivers excerpts of his extempore speech:
“LET me start this way. Professor Maurice Iwu is truly an enigma; he enjoyed the limelight. He enjoyed all the attacks, thrown and meted at him, he remained undaunted. I think, he belongs to the school of thought that believes that bad publicity is better than no publicity. So, even though he was being attacked and scolded and all sorts of things were said about him, he didn’t shy away from even going to the United States and talking to Nigerians in the Diaspora about his work, he didn’t shy away from it. I was told he organized a rally to ensure that he will come back to do the work he was appointed to.
Why do I call him an enigma? The truth is, the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission has little or no bearing on the success of elections, that’s the truth. To me, it’s actually immaterial because he is head of the administration he takes the brunt. The best he can do is perhaps, draw up a blueprint but the implementation of that blueprint is outside his control. So, if elections are rigged in say -Taraba State- we don’t do that stuff in Cross Rivers State (laughter),
Every one looks at Iwu and he proudly says we did this or that. Hogwash!
Let me now take you through the process of an election. We have a hundred and twenty thousand booths in Nigeria. At the hierarchy, you have the Chairman of INEC, then you have the zonal Commissioners, then you have the Resident Electoral Commissioners and they are the heads in every state the zone as the name implies; we have six zones in Nigeria, so you have six of them. Then you have the Resident Electoral Commissioners and there are 36 of them of course, and Abuja. Then for each local government, you have an electoral officer. Beyond that you have a hundred and twenty thousand polling booths, headed by presiding officers. The people think that at the end of the elections, the PDP would just decide who wins and who doesn’t and announces the results. I think the process is a bit more sophisticated than that.
This is what happens; the Resident Electoral Commissioner is usually from another state. The electoral officers, they move around. They are usually from that state, but for the conduct of elections itself, you would probably move from Cross River to Akwa Ibom or to Abia, but these musical chairs don’t mean nothing.
When the Resident Electoral Commissioner comes before the elections are conducted- of course when he comes to the state, usually, he has no accommodation; monies have not been released for the running or conduct of the elections and all that because we always start late. He pays a courtesy call on the governor. It’s usually a televised event you know, and of course he says all the right things. ‘Your Excellency, I am here to ensure that we have free and fair elections and I will require your support.’
Now, at that courtesy call, most governors, at least I did, will invite the Commissioner of Police because he is part of the action and he sits there.
After the courtesy call, the Resident Electoral Commissioner now moves in for a one-on-one with the governor the says, “Your Excellency, since I came, I’ve been staying in this hotel, there is no accommodation for me and even my vehicle is broken down and the last Commissioner didn’t leave the vehicle, so if you could help me settle down quickly;’ and the governor says, ‘Chief of Staff, where is the Chief of Staff here?’ And the Chief of Staff appears. Governor says: ‘Please ensure that the REC is accommodated–put him in the Presidential lodge, allot two cars to him, I give you seven days to get this done. Then the relationship has started; I am going to share some of these things with you so that we don’t leave here with any illusions. A lot of us, folks who have gone through an election or have been elected for one thing or another, see groups like Save Nigeria Group (SNG), the CLP as woolly-eye dreamers, you have to come down to the backsides, since I am now a hybrid between both. I want to bring you both down to backsides. Let me take you down to what happens so that you can change it because if you don’t change it, we here won’t suffer but I think of our children will.
We the elite, I am one of them, we send our kids to the best schools around the World, when they come back they are misfits, they cannot fit in and so ultimately we are designing a system that would destroy us in the end.
Let me take our minds back to Somalia. Somalia is mono-religious, mono-ethnic; they only have clans (but) they have one tribe. What has happened there? It’s a failed state because the elite in Somalia were so disconnected from the people that once they had some money, they buy houses in England, Washington and all those places; they were not investing, putting their best foot forward and I think that was what Pastor Bakare was talking about. If you want to be in a contest, you put your best foot forward; at the end of the day, there was such a disconnect that even till today, they cannot bridge it. Let me tell you, the last recognized President of Somalia is buried in Lagos-Siad Barre.
We are multi-religious, multi-ethnic and multi-problematic. The reason why most people worry about us is if we explode, who will contain us? Let me also say this, I know what I am saying now is an aside, I will go back to the elections. When we conducted the census in 2006 or so, the raw figures said we were over two hundred million; when they went and processed the figures it came down to 140million.
When you look at those figures and compare to those we had in 1991 at a growth rate of 2.1 or something like that, it is really just an extrapolation, because we were too embarrassed to admit our true numbers. If we get it wrong, we will fail like Somalia; in Somalia, half of them are in Kenya, Ethiopia, and a few are in Europe here and there; who will contain us in all of West Africa and Central Africa and for that it is imperative not just for ourselves but for the rest of the continent that we get it right.
Now, back to the elections, once that relationship has been established between the governor and the REC, if you are a governor who is ‘A Governor’, maybe two nights after you just pop by at the governors lodge and see the REC and say ah, ‘ah REC how are you doing? Are you OK?’ He says, ‘ah! Your Chief of Staff has been wonderful. He has been very nice to me; he supplied me the vehicles and everything is Ok’.
A few weeks to the elections, the REC sees the governor; you probably have on the average about three thousand five hundred, four thousand depending on the polling booths in every state. So, REC goes to the governor and says, ‘Your Excellency, could you please give us the names of about four, five thousand people so that we can hurriedly train them, we need them as Presiding Officers.’ You need experience. A good coach is one who has played and has lost matches in the past?
The REC now goes down and says, ‘we need to conduct a training programme for the presiding officers and em, headquarters hasn’t sent us any money yet, you know.’
And the governor is like: ‘How much would that cost?’
REC replies: ‘N25million for the first batch, we may have about three batches.’ Governor: ‘Ok, the Chief of Staff will see you.’
Now, the Chief of Staff, you call him: ‘Make sure, that we arrange N25 million this week and in two weeks time another N25 million and Seventy-Five million in all.’
Chief of Staff: ‘Your Excellency, how do we do it?’
Governor: ‘Put it under Security Vote.’
In other words, its cash, ok, now, cash in huge Ghana Must Go bags – some of my colleagues will shoot me- (turns to the audience) is any former governor here? (Crowd replies no!)
Good. Cash is lodged in huge Ghana Must Go Bags for the REC and of course, to be fair to them, they call their electoral officers and say the governor has been very benevolent; he has given us this and that. I say three batches because they have them in Senatorial districts. So, you have one in Calabar, you have One in Ikom and Ogoja, those are the headquarters of the Senatorial districts. Each one costs twenty-five million. Of course, the sums are not properly retired. I don’t know how much of this twenty-five million worked. But, there is a rapport this is going on.
The governor now turns round and says: ‘call me the party chairman.’ The party chairman appears and the governor says: ‘INEC requires 50 thousand people for conducting the elections. See to it that we meet their needs.’ The chairman goes and you hear in the evening on radio and television: There will be an urgent meeting of all chairmen and secretaries of XYZ party at the headquarters. They should report promptly at 10am (because) matters of urgent interest will be discussed. End of announcement. Now we have texts messages, so its easier, in no time everyone is here.
It’s a very short meeting, please go back and within 48 hours submit from each local government two hundred and fifty names of trusted party members. So in a week the deed is done. The names, sometimes even passport photographs if required are sent to INEC.
And the training programme is carried out. Let me pause a bit, this is at party level. They are usually civil servants. They may be teachers, whatever, but they are party members. The remuneration, for each of them for the elections from Abuja is 10,000 Naira for the day’s work. But the state in its benevolence gives 50 to 100,000 Naira to each of these folks right before this election.
This is even where it gets even more interesting. So, you have each of the three or four thousand polling booths; they are manned by party stalwarts. They are usually party stalwarts. You don’t send any peripheral member. The remuneration from Abuja has not arrived but that of the state was received 48 hours prior.
On the day of elections, each polling booth has no more than five hundred ballot papers, that is standard.
There is not a polling booth that is more than five hundred. So only two hundred people appear here, three hundred there, one hundred there, fifty there, four hundred there, at the end of election what happens. The Presiding Officer sits down and calls a few guys and says, ‘hey, there are a few hundred papers here, let’s thumbprint. This is the real election. Well, this is not a PDP thing. I am not here to castigate the PDP; it’s a Nigerian thing. This process may sound comical and jovial, it happens throughout the country, whether its Action Congress or APGA it’s the same thing. We are all the same. They start thumb-printing, some are overzealous. So at the end of the day you find some voting more than the number of people that were registered to vote.
Other wise they do it, you have 95 percent turnout. You start wondering where were the voters, I didn’t see so many people. And the election results are announced; XYZ party wins and it takes a week for this paltry ten thousand Naira for each presiding officer to arrive.
Listen to this before you ask your question: Who is the most important person in an election? – The presiding officer. And if there are a hundred and twenty thousand of them (booths) there are a hundred and twenty thousand presiding officers, they are the most important people in the elections, not the Chairman.
So, as long as we keep applying that same method, you will get the same results. Its crazy to think that because you substitute Iwu for Jega all will change. In other words, Iwu is a crook, Jega is a saint. Jega is great, he has an impeccable reputation. Iwu was great, now he seems not so great. Ok, they are both professors, they have reached the peak of whatever discipline that they profess. The point is that it is the system and the personnel and the chairman has little or no control over that.
Where are we now, we don’t even know when the elections will be. The Constitution amendment seems to be stalling somewhere. So it’s either in January or in April. Sometimes, we behave as if we invented democracy. We always want to draw new rules. We should know the day of elections. It should be fixed. We should know that on so and so date I think, America is the 4th of November or so and if it falls on a Sunday it doesn’t make a difference. The point I am making here is that date is fixed, you know; because in a democracy, election should be a norm, not an event. In our democracy, election is an event. Its like, we are going to spring on to you with fire works, hey, we are going to have an election, we are all running around- I know most politicians are broke right now, so we are all running around the field.
Secondly, if you have your ears to the ground there, are whispers that may be, we need to postpone this thing. The whispers are there. In a democracy, you postpone an election? You postpone things you didn’t plan for, not things that are there in the Constitution, that says you must do this, that and that, you can’t but –you know two ways of moving forward. This is where I like what SNG and CNP are doing.
We need a critical mass of Nigerians to get out and vote. It is important because the more ballot papers that are legitimately used on election day, the fewer available to be used to rig the vote, that’s the truth. Don’t keep to yourself and think that they will announce results. They are more sophisticated than that. And that’s why the aspirants who felt cheated and had the resources to employ forensic personnel, like those elections had the elections upturned in Edo and Ondo, because they could establish multiple voting by thumbprint.
So, if it’s an AC state the procedure is the same. I remember a state, that state will remain nameless. I hear the story that the then President was so determined that he must change the leadership of this state and he called the IG and said, ‘look, that Governor is a security breach. Let's have elections and flush the governor out, and the governor knows he is under siege. A week before the elections, a new police Commissioner arrives. And you know if you are a governor and a new Police Commissioner arrives before elections, you know something is wrong somewhere and he spends two, three days without going to see the governor, which is again a breach of protocol. The day he decides to see the governor, the governor says, I won’t be at the office. However, if he gives him a particular address they may discuss. Then the chap goes there and smartly salutes and it’s in a highbrow neighborhood of the city. (Shouts of Ikoyi rent the air.) ‘No! It’s Yobe!’ (The hall explodes in loud laughter).
The Commissioner of Police walks up to the governor and smartly salutes and says: ‘Your Excellency, I just came to introduce myself. My name is Mr. So, so and so. And the governor goes: ‘Ah, you are welcome. I heard you were here two or three days ago and I was wondering whether I won’t see you. Anyway, you are welcome. Have you settled down?’ ‘Yes I’ve been given accommodation and all that. And the governor asks, ‘where was your last posting?’ He tells him, he says fine.
Governor: ‘That car over there, this is the key and this is your house.
The Commissioner of Police now says: ‘Your Excellency, this Obasanjo is a very bad man. He is a very, very bad man. If you see all the things he has planned for you eh Olorun maje.’
How do we move on? How do we get out of here? What I have done is I’ve tried graphically to paint a picture of a process. How do we change this process?
One, I think, since we cannot change attitudes as quickly, we must ensure mass participation. In an election where there is a very high turnout, the results are usually genuine. The most celebrated election in Nigeria, June 12, 1993 what happened? People came out. The more people who come out to vote the fewer–there may be mago, mago here and there but there wouldn’t be much in such a critical manner to upset the will of the people. Beyond that, if you don’t vote in an election, you have no reason to criticize the government and I tell folks everywhere that guys, I would say, I have lived my life. You guys have not and you are all criticizing Nigeria but did you vote in the last election? Most of them say no then I say, you’ve lost the moral right to criticize what the government does because you were not part of the process.
Is there a way out? I think there is. I think we need to employ technology. It's just a suggestion and I want to share with you. I have said this in one or two fora and I’ve heard people say it has not been done in America or the West why should we do it here? I say they don’t have the attitude we have here. Necessity is the mother of invention. It is not necessary for us to do what I’m about to suggest.
For the purposes of this, 3455, this number is for a phone and that number is unique to you and valid for that election or the set of elections. And each party has a numerical equivalent. AC could be 1, the PDP could be 5, the Labour Party could be 3, whatever. And on the date of elections you decide that your number even if you don’t have a phone, you can go to a centre where they have a bank of phones and once you put in your number 3455 it recognizes you, it cannot be duplicated. Its only you that has that number and for that election on that date, once its used it cannot be used by anyone else. Then you can do this one from your house or anywhere, and any time between the hours of 9-12. When it says which party, you say 3 or 4 whatever the number, they ask you, ‘are you sure you say Yes’. You press it then you’ve voted. With that, I think we can conduct election but people say ah, it’s to technological and I say, why do you always underestimate the people in the rural areas? If you send them money this way, won’t they be able to cash it? Why is it that when it is to conduct their civic responsibilities it becomes high tech? I know this country, I ran a state for eight years, I know the nooks and crannies of my state. We are not the most enlightened of states in the country, but you see, I had a deal with MTN and Glo to ensure that every community in Cross River State has a base station; for that I gave them sites free of charge; so, virtually every nook and cranny of Cross River has a base station. Even the most rural of places; even in Bakassi when we still had control of it. And they all use it. They still use it to call their folks in the urban centres to say send us money. Why is that when it comes to civic responsibility it is high tech? Because the politicians don’t want to use it, that’s the truth.
I am not saying this is a perfect system, it can be fine-tuned, that will ensure that within an hour or two every one has voted and the results are near perfect.
Of course, once you design a system, there are those whose work is to un-design the system. There are people like that and they work backwards. Once you have that we also think the same way. How do we work backwards, where can this be faulted? It can be faulted in many ways. The service companies if you are able to break-through the integrity of the system, you know, here and there; but I think we are going to think outside the norm.
The point I’m trying to make is we have to think outside the box. I want to commend the federal government, each time the government talks about elections, it keeps on talking about credible elections with brilliant sound bite. But it must go beyond the sound bite and lets not kid ourselves, by thinking that by putting a Jega there that all is well. With Jega there, all will be well if he is able to design along with his team a system that is virtually fool proof. In other words, he himself must understand the system of elections, he needs to know how it works and how its been holding.
As I speak to you, we’ve not started voters’ registration. That exercise will take any where from three to four months. It will take at least, ninety days to run through its course, another six weeks to tidy up before it is published; lets not kid ourselves. You can have elections anytime, but you can’t have credible elections in January. So, for those thinking we can have elections in January, I think we have to rethink the process; we cannot have credible elections in January. We may have elections but it may not be credible. Where are we? We need to get out of these holes; we need to traverse the length and breath of this country. We need to recruit an army of people may be 5, 000 in each state, two hundred young men and women who will reach our (people), give each of them a task to ensure that he registers at least a hundred person. That alone, will bring twenty million people into the fold. This is what they did in the Obama election.
Fortunately, I was monitoring the Obama election, whether you attain voting age or not, you are able to send text and move around and get people to vote. It's one thing to register, some folk tell me, ‘how can I go to line up for hours to vote for this person’. This is again what pastor Bakare was talking about, if people are not excited about the candidates they will not come out. ‘Look at the four people running, they are all clowns. I’ m going to watch television; I’m not going to vote because either way a clown is going to win’.
So, we have to get involved in the process. We can’t all run for offices, we all can’t. ...”
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