Nyako and PDP Demystify Atiku
April 28, 2008 by 
Che Oyimnatumba · Leave a Comment
By Ashimole Felix/Abuja.
The result of the re-run gubernatorial election in Adamawa, gave Governor Murtala Nyako of the PDP a resounding victory, with PDP polling 361,739 votes to win in all the 21 Local Government Areas of the state, while the AC candidate Alhaji Ibrahim Bapetel won 201,843 votes.
Nyako’s election during the April 2007 guber election was nullified by the Court of Appeal due to INEC’s non-inclusion of the gubernatorial candidate of the AC.
Before the re-run on Saturday April 26th 2008, the Turaki of Adamawa, Abubakar Atiku had vowed to deal with the PDP and reassert who is in control of the political machinery in the state. Atiku parted ways with the PDp during the questionable attempt at constitutional amendment by the Obasanjo/Atiku regime in 2006. Since then, Atiku has been trying to foist himself as the face of the opposition and his party as the opposition party in Nigeria.
This landslide victory by the PDP in Atiku’s state-PDP also won in Atiku’s local government, has put a question mark on Atiku’s relevance in Adamawa political horse trading.
Voices from Yola have it that Atiku’s hold was weakened by the combined efforts of Senator Jubril Aminu and Ambassador Buba Maruwa, who closed ranks and buried their differences to work together to undermine Atiku.
Meanwhile, Atiku’s appeal to Supreme Court to challenge President Yar’Adua’s victory comes up on Tuesday 29th April for mention.
| 2.5 |
Nigeria Maritime Industry - A Cry for HELP
April 25, 2008 by OCI · Leave a Comment
My carrer has been in the Maritime Industry and it appears not many people know the rot there … Sample this….
| 1.5 |
INCONSEQUENTIAL INCONSISTENCES.
April 23, 2008 by Che Oyimnatumba · 2 Comments
By Che Oyinatumba
If you have not read or heard of the call for a revolution by Professor Ben Nwabueze (SAN) during his book presentation, its either you have seen the emptiness of the call or the un-seriousness of the callers. Prof. Nwabueze first made this call during an interview reported in The Guardian of Sunday January 13 2008. At the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), the venue of his book presentation he was boldened by the presence of the new “enemies” of Obasanjo to pull the tiger by the tail. These characters: Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, G.O.K Ajayi (SAN) Olisa Agbakoba (SAN) Orji Uzor Kalu, Ayo Fayose, Emeka Ngige (SAN) Otunba Fasawe. (For a comprehensive list see Cicero @ Thisday, the Sunday Newspaper April 6 2008, page 103.) Like you who have not read, I chose not to reply, for the “bellful” cannot prescribe revolution. These characters can’t withstand anything. Their primary interest, is how to undermine the genuine agitation of the masses, so as to be seen as a sympathetic class in the plight of the masses. For expose on the emptiness of their revolutionary credentials, read: Obasanjo, Nwabueze and Revolution by Femi Falana, Thisday April 14. (Back page).
I elected to do a rejoinder to this call, after reading Femi Falana’s reply to Kayode Komolafe’s Our Latter Day Revolutionaries, Thisday April 6th and Sam Omatseye’s Not yet a revolution in the Nation Newspaper of April 14th 2008. Juxtaposing Femi Falana and Sam Omatseye, I cannot but get into the fray.
Of all the comments I have read on this irritant call for a revolution, Sam’s Not Yet a Revolution is the most apt and a must read for what is left of the Nigerian left. In divers write ups, I have maintained that the dearth of credible opposition, in Nigerian political land mine, is the absence of an alternative based on ideology.
Most Marxists of the 70s – early 90s, have “torpedoed” into NGOism and international donor seeking beggars. The very few relics are working either as SA, PA or hangers on to politicians who were discredited in their university days. You have a situation where club/party boys, carparkites, loafers are now employing “ism” quoting, long bearded, non-conformist radicals of the 70s - 90s.
It is this lack of revolutionary elite (Sam Omatseye) and revolutionary organizations that made these bloated oppressors of the masses to call for a revolution.
Furthermore, the masses of Nigeria are disappointed by the so called “comrades.” The shallowness of this was exposed by past president Obasanjo, when he ridiculed a young chap from Niger Delta, who introduced himself as “comrade. Loquacious Obasanjo replied, “Even Adams Oshiomole is no longer a comrade.” This is an insight revelation, for Obasanjo, despite what people say, has a Machiavellian understanding of power and how to seduce his enemies. All those celebrating Adams victory in Edo, should watch it, as Adams may not be better (read last 2 pages of George Owell’s Animal Farm). Adams has started romancing Tony Anineh, the prince of Edo PDP, who foisted and sustained Lucky Igbenedion for wasteful 8years in Edo state.
I opened this can of worm because Sam listed wasted opportunities for a revolution and missed out the fuel increment rally that had Nigerians mobilized and ready for a showdown, only for Adam’s NLC to chicken out. The “revolutionaries” in the civil liberty/human right movement cried foul, especially with the death of Chima Ubani. Like Sam’s submissions, this also was wasted.
Is revolution feasible in Nigeria? In as much as there are inconsistencies in the character of the messenger, must we throw away his message? The messengers – Nwabueze and gang, (through leprous) have raised a mirror. Killing them (though they will be among the first victims of any uprising), will not change the message that there is a need to address the drifting gulf between the poor and the rich in Nigeria.
Nigerians are so traumatized by poverty that they only want the basics of life. Most Nigerians, will vote in a benevolent thief, who will steal with a basket, for the content of the basket will slip out and quench their hunger, provide light, give quality education and healthcare; there will be no need to go to Germany to cure “cold.”
Most of Nwabueze’s gang is employers of labor, what are the working conditions in the factory they own? For the SANs, what is the take home of a lawyer with 5yrs post call? Let everyone brighten the coner where he is. Revolution begins with rebellion of the heart, the challenge of the status quo wherever and whenever you see it. As the saying goes, injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.
Nwabueze’s gang should sheath their dane guns, for the greatest impediment to revolution in Nigeria is the almighty United State. With t he unipolar imbalance of power after the collapse of USSR, any uprising must have the blessing of America, secure a steady flow of crude oil and guarantee that EU interests will not be attacked.
For Femi Falana who supports Nwabueze’s call, I ask where are the revolutionary elite to mentor a cadre of selfless Nigerians to die for the cause? The victims of June 12 are yet to be integrated by “big boys” of the human right community, who got lime-light via the sacrifice of these victims.
There is need to revive the “aluta” culture In Nigerian Universities, to challenge the evils that are daily oozing out in Nigeria. This can be done by building study centres, interactive forum between the mainstream labour movement and the student body. If these cadres on campus are not harvested, the dearth of viral labour movement will remain an epidemic and the quest for a just workers friendly environment will remain but a fleeting illusion to be pursued but never attained-Apologies to Bob Marley. Ex-while NANS comrades, who are now SAs, Pas should be discouraged from splitting National Association of Nigeria Students (NANS), turning her into award awarding organization and a willing tool of agitation in favor of any politician that doles out the heaviest Ghana-must-go.
Akin to this, comrades across the divides, should join hands and build a labour party, arming her as a tool in the democratic overthrow of the existing oppressive political structure in Nigeria.
| 2.5 |
Bombed Out Of House!
April 23, 2008 by Che Oyimnatumba · Leave a Comment
By Ashimole Felix/Abuja.
Bombastic earthquake grammar spitting member of Nigerian House of Representatives Hon. Patrick Obahiagbon was on Tuesday April 22 silenced by the Edo Election Tribunal. The Tribunal held that INEC erred in announcing Obahiagbon of the PDP winner of the Oredo Federal Constituency that the duly elected winner is the petitioner, Mr. Bello Osagie of Action Congress who polled legitimately 3,940 votes against Obahiagbon’s 2,282 votes contrary to the 64,032 votes awarded him by INEC.
As is the stock in trade of winners of INEC bazzar, the Counsel to Obahiagbon said shortly after the ruling that his client will proceed with immediate alacrity to the court of appeal to challenge this obnoxious anti populace inconsequential ruling.
The House will miss his comic interlude and Nigerians can now understand in simple language what the members are contributing to.
| 2.5 |
The Trials of Brother Matthew.
April 22, 2008 by Che Oyimnatumba · 1 Comment
By Che Oyinatumba.
As I reflect on the ills befalling the family of Nigerian ex-head of state, I can’t help but reflect on a Bible passage-2nd Samuel 1 Vs. 19 “the beauty of Israel is slain upon the high places: how are the mighty fallen!”
The cat was let out of the bag by Gbenga Obasanjo in an interview with Showore of Saharareporters.com during the criminal silence of president Obasanjo and his kitchen cabinet over the third term agenda. In what pundits called patriarchal fatwa, Gbenga was silenced and bided his time to strike back.
Senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello the then commissioner in Ogun State took the shine off Gbenga when her identity crisis surfaced over questionable power project deal with an Austrian company. Ever since then, she has been attracting scandals like a frog to water.
Gbenga not wanting to be over shadowed released a bomb of an Affidavit in his divorce suit against Mojisola Obasanjo and averred that his estranged wife committed adultery with the ex-president. In as much as every family has its scandals, OBJ’s was made a national feast and even the guilty gleed and pontificated. Ex-president Aremu Mathew Obasanjo took it unlike his loquacious self and kept quiet, granting no interview to clear the indictment. I respect Obasanjo for this. What a mother hen sees and shout to the roof top, the sheep has seen much more and have remained silent.
The enemies of Obasanjo not being satisfied with the calm in Ota farm, after Gbenga exposed the bastard status of his children, went after the policies of the ex-president. These born again enemies of Obasanjo were all co-passengers in the band wagon that was used to loot Nigeria and were also active mouthpiece of the OBJ led government, when these policies were incubated and hatched. Even Jerry Gana who was in government for 20 years, is impotently calling Obasanjo names. Nigeria is indeed a land of no shame.
In these trying times of Obasanjo, the enemy number one is Musa Yar’Adua, whom Obasanjo brought from obscurity to lime light. Obasanjo had to break age long friendships to foist Yar’Adua on PDP and consequently Professor Maurice Iwu manipulated Yar’Adua into Aso Rock. Knowing that he stands on three uneven legs, Yar’Adua in a bid to form GNU (Government of National Unity), gain acceptance and mandate through the backdoor, agreed to sacrifice Obasanjo and went after him with a sledge hammer. Having toppled the pot of corn, all manner of birds are perking on the helpless Obasanjo. This ingratitude of Yar’Adua, exposes the weak character of Yar’Adua.
What these exposé at the various National Assembly Public Hearings have done, is to expose Nigeria as a corporate fraud. All the loot attributed to Obasanjo was looted with the help of Nigerians; a good number of them are the hypocrites calling for the probe of Obasanjo. Those calling for the head of Obasanjo, that Obasanjo should be tried, will not survive it should Obasanjo be docked. Not only did they keep criminally silent or spoke with both side of their mouth during the third-term debate, they participated in the loot of Nigeria before they lost out in the power play. They now want to use the anger of the masses to wage their intra class war, which will not benefit the poor they jointly impoverished.
This was the same quagmire we found ourselves in 1999-2003, when the mantra was kill what is left of Abacha’s family. The government went after Abacha’s loot, only for “some modern day” enemies of Obasanjo to reloot Abacha’s loot. Yar’Adua’s administration has spent close to a year without any policy definition, it ran Nigeria without a budget, and he has remained the minister of petroleum.
The provoked slave, who cannot match his wicked master’s strength, maims the master’s favourite goad, may have been the wisdom behind the earthquake attempts by EFCC to embarrass Senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello. My heart goes to Senator Iyabo, whose undoing is that she bears Obasanjo as a surname. Most of the ex-governors invited to EFCC were not put through this ordeal, yet they looted their state dry and are brandishing the proceeds. Weep not EFCC, Iyabo’s lawyers are burning the candle and will cite the ex-governor Peter Odili’s questionable perpetual injunction order to gag and chain EFCC from arresting her. Senator Iyabo will emerge from hiding armed with a court order!
Please let’s leave the Obasanjos and move forward. According to the late sage, Dr. Namdi Azikiwe, “a broken bottle has no mekwatarism”. We can prevent the other 9 green bottles standing on the wall from falling. There are a lot of shaky ministers in Yar’Adua’s administration, Professor Grange is off, and there are Yaus (the winner of Arugungu fishing festival that smuggled in a dead fish into the river to win the biggest catch) lurking around waiting to get to power. Till this anti-corruption crusade is backed up by massive anti-corruption education starting from primary 3, we are only scratching the surface and breeding more ingenious thieves with this exposure of only those in high places.
| 2.5 |
Chief Gani Fawehinmi Clocks 70
April 22, 2008 by Che Oyimnatumba · 1 Comment
Ashimole Felix/Abuja.
Today 70 years ago, (April 22, 1938) a god took human flesh in the person of Abdul Ganiyu Oyesola Fawehinmi. From 1938, this incarnate never shied away from fighting for the oppressed and disadvantaged group of Nigerians.
We wish Chief Gani a well deserved rest after attaining the age of retirement from active struggle. A struggle that span decades, which the Chief undertook with a display of rare courage and incorruptible zest. We pray that worthy successors will pick up the battle axe where the weary ,hands of this mighty warrior have dropped it.
As Gani joins the enviable group of elderstatesmen, we pray that his voice will resonate and direct the younger generation.
Happy Birthday Chief, where would we have been without you?
| 2.5 |
Obasanjo Fights Back
April 20, 2008 by Che Oyimnatumba · 3 Comments
By Ashimole Felix/Abuja
It is apparent that the National Assembly is learning the hard way that the gentility of the cat, is not synonymous with cowardice. Ever since the House and some questionable Nigerians started casting stone at the ex-head of state, he held his peace. The house and others mistook this studied silence for cowardice and some accomplices of the last regime have been casting stones forgetting that he who lives in a glass house does not throw stones.
The first counter attack by the Obasanjo group came at the wake of the Senate’s probe on FCT under el-Ruffai. The OBJ think-thank opened a file on the chairman of the committee and his “ill-gotten” 20 plots.
In a classical Mafia Manager manual, the OBJ loyalist have opened a can of worn, showing that the Honourable members may not be so honourable after all. In a leaked report to Sun Newaspaper of Sunday 20th 2008, the kleptomaniac tendencies of these honourables were exposed. It is now on record and uncontroverted that the house under Hon. Demaji Bankole may not be more honourable that under the disgraced Hon.Etteh.
This offensive was launched against the house for calling through her Chairman of the House Committee on Information Hon. Ubani that Senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello should turn herself in and alluded that she is giving the House a bad name.
| 2.5 |
Sign up to receive the latest breaking news, as well as all of your other favorite headlines!
Advertisement
-
Sponsors
Partners
-
