RELIGIOUS BIGOTRY, INTOLERANCE AND CORRUPTION ARE GREATER EVILS IN NIGERIA THAN HOMOSEXUALITY

Nigerians like E.O Eke who, instead of thinking
of how to copy advanced technology and
entrepreneurship from developed countries for
the development of Nigeria, waste their lives
abroad copying homosexuality and lesbianism
are now in an absolute danger of languishing in
Nigerian jails if they dare practise or talk of
their weird, beastly gay culture in my
fatherland, Nigeria. Thanks President Jonathan
for signing the anti-gay bill into law. Nigerian
gay idiots abroad like E.O Eke should stay in
UK and USA to practise their abomination in
the name of beastly civilization and inhuman
rights.
- Basil
Basil, Basil, thank you for your thoughtfulness.
The idiot, Eke, should tell Nigerians in his
frustrated and hopeless articles on nigeriaworld
how much medical technology and
entrepreneurship he has brought home to
Nigeria in his donkey years of living in the UK.
A homosexual CAN NEVER teach Nigerians how
to govern or develop Nigeria. It is only Nigerian
gays and lesbians abroad that care to read the
trash he churns out on that website.
- Femi
Basil and femi, I appreciate your understanding
about homosexuality and lesbianism in Nigeria.
We, Nigerians should continue to resist the
temptation of allowing Americans and the
British to teach us what human rights and
human freedom mean. Americans and the
British are accustomed to teaching other
nationals the need to respect human rights and
freedom while the fire of racism,
discrimination, suppression, domination,
prejudice, and racial hatred against minorities
is smoldering or burning unquenchably in every
aspect of their public and private lives.
Homosexuality is inherent with numerous
health hazards and diseases. Nigerians who
want Nigeria to decriminalize homosexuality
should, first of all, build and furnish hospitals in
Nigeria to take care of the numerous diseases
that come with homosexuality and lesbianism.
In the State of North Carolina, USA, where I
live, 70% of hospital ownership and
management belongs to American private
individuals, not to the government. Instead of
Nigerians abroad to learn good ideas from their
host countries and use those ideas to improve
the lot of our people at home, what they
emulate is homosexuality and how to castigate
Nigerian government for not developing the
country for them. The evil people do always
follows them.
Thanks, Alphonsus

Efew days ago I got the above mails from
three Nigerians who have stalked me with
abusive mails and threats ever since I
opposed the criminalisation of
homosexuality in an article. Since then, President
Jonathan has assented the bill stipulating 14 years
prison term for gay marriage and suddenly, there
have been wide arrests of suspected homosexuals
who are not married or in relationships. The
criminalisation of homosexuality, the persecution
of suspected homosexuals and their wanton
arrests, have become something of joy to
Nigerians like the above, whose intolerance,
ignorance and bigotry, justifies injustice and evils
against people who are different or do not share
the same worldviews with them. This is unjust,
discriminatory and a violation of the liberty and
fundamental human rights others. It shows a
worrying intolerance and deep seated prejudice
against people for the only reason that they are
different or chosen differently and it is frightening.
This is the real reason and foundation for all
genocides. Nigerian government has passed an
unjust and discriminatory law, which seem to
have given impetus to bigots and religious
fanatics to act out there hatred and prejudices
against those who do not share the same world
views with them. This is wrong and unjust, and
would not lead to the development of a tolerant,
peaceful and better society.
The attitude of many Nigerians towards things like
homosexuality is shaped by religious and
traditional beliefs. They are often grossly ill-
informed about any other aspect of the problems
apart from what the Bible and Quran say and deal
with the issues with all the ignorance and
prejudice of the religion and tradition. Such
attitude has no room for difference and very
intolerant of dissent. This makes it difficult for
them to examine their intolerance, and
discriminatory attitude and unable to understand
that it constitutes discrimination and violation of
the individual liberties of others. By their attitude,
they show that they have no respect for other,
and only respond to their beliefs. They have no
understanding of liberty and are unable to
appreciate why criminalisation of behaviours, in
which no one, but those involved are affected is
intolerance constitutes violation of individual
liberty. Their minds function like the minds of
extremists and only respond to what they like,
believe in, or want. Their minds are minds formed
on the altar of beliefs and hold whatever they
accept as the truth with delusional intensity. Such
minds are incapable of civil debate, do not
understand tolerance and often resort to abuse
and or aggression to have their way.
I derive my moral compass from the Christian
religion. I hold the view that homosexuality is
immoral; having been taught in the church that it
is an abomination. However, having grown up,
studied, learnt and experienced and seen life from
many perspectives, I have seen the limitation of
the religious narrative in securing peaceful
coexistence and the need for people to be
tolerant. I am also too well aware of the evils of
prejudice of the type people who are in support of
criminalisation of homosexuality express and what
they are capable of doing to others in the name of
religion and God. As Apostle says, when I was a
child I thought as a child, and now I have given up
childish things and seen things clearer. As a
democrat who believes in liberty, tolerance,
equality and separation of religion from politics
among other values, I abhor the use of political
power in a secular democracy to criminalise what
religion condemns. Therefore the targeting of
homosexuals in Nigeria is an act of discrimination,
bigotry and intolerance. It is akin to the witch hunt
of the 15th century Europe, when the Church of
Rome used its powers to criminalise sins and
persecuted a great number of people including
homosexuals and mentally ill people, either as
heretics or witches.
By giving assent to this bill to become law,
President Jonathan is demonstrating that beliefs
are more important than knowledge, liberty and
justice as fairness and this is simply unfortunate to
say the least. This is an unjust law because it is
based on nothing, but ignorance, intolerance and
bigotry. Nigeria has entered a dark age from
which it must emerge, if it will develop.
Criminalisation of homosexuality is just the
beginning; the legislators and their extremist
supporters will find more bad behaviours to
criminalise except, dishonesty, wanton looting of
the treasury, child marriage, marrying many
wives, abuse of political, extremism and
prejudice.
There is a better way to structure a society apart
from modelling it in the image of one religion,
religious dogmas or traditional beliefs alone. The
intolerant way many hold their religious beliefs in
Nigeria today is a sign of ignorance and primitivity
because intolerance and ignorance are the hall
mark of primitive societies. Societies can be
structured on civil values and the rule law, which
guarantees the freedom of all, saints and sinners.
Any society in which men find reason to sanction
others based on religious convictions or dogmas
and find reason to legitimise the persecution of
others for the only reason that they are different,
is an unjust and intolerant society. Nigeria has
legitimised intolerance, injustice and
discrimination of those who are different. This
cannot be right.
I do not advocate the promotion of homosexuality
because it is not different from any other immoral
behaviour which the Abrahamic religions
characterise as sin. What I am against is hiding
behind religion to legitimise persecution, injustice
and discrimination for the simple reason that what
is good, cannot be unjust and what is unjust
cannot be fair, no matter the underlying
traditional beliefs or religious convictions and
justification.
History tells us that Europe did in dark ages, what
Nigeria is doing today. Europeans were drunk on
religion and traditions and believed in demonogy,
and attributed all their ills to the devil and sexual
perversions. They saw the world in black and
white and those who were not with them were
against them. This religious and traditional world
view sparked the witch hunt in which even science
for a time, collaborated with religion to perpetrate
some of the worst inhumanities human beings
have inflicted against those who are different.
They were rescued by enlightenment and mean
who found the courage to speak out against
popular opinion. Today, European countries are
more tolerant of diversity and have become
places of refuge for those persecuted for their
religious beliefs or differences.
The Nigerian anti gay law is an example of where
Nigeria is on her evolution as a developing society
and should give every well meaning person
serious concern. One can condemn an act (sin)
without criminalising it. I condemn stealing, but
against the lynching of thieves or cutting off of
their hands as some believe appropriate and
approved by God. I condemn murder, but against
death sentence. I hate and condemn smoking, but
do not think it is appropriate to criminalise
smoking. The list is endless. I hate sin but love the
sinners, being one of them. Unfortunately not
every person learns to think this way, even though
they can, if they try.
Instead of addressing the issue of corruption in
Nigerian, the legislator found in homosexuals a
convenient target to project some of Nigeria's
woes which have nothing to do with them. Nazi
Germany under Hitler did the same. Homosexuals
are not one of the main problems of Nigeria. In
fact, they cause little or no problems. Most
criminals and corrupt politicians in Nigeria are
heterosexuals and from large families which are
also religious. Their religion often prohibits family
planning, which put the lives of women at risk and
leaves families with many children which they
cannot educate or care for. These are the real
cause of Nigerian problems.
It is ignorant for anybody to think that Nigerians
current attitude to religion and morality is superior
to western attitude. The common argument that
the west wants to corrupt Nigeria is nonsense.
Nigerians who want to be corrupted are already
corrupted. There have always been gays in Nigeria
from antiquity. Those in support of this
discriminatory legislation are simply mistaking
sanctimonies platitude and religious bigotry for
virtue. There cannot be morality where there is no
justice and there cannot justice without equality
and no one can honestly claim equality, when
they have discriminatory laws as we have in
Nigeria.
Therefore, the bigots who keep sending me hate
mails because I defend the right of people to live
their lives they way they choose, should simply go
back to school, or read more to understand what
really makes a good society and how evil religion
can be, when used in the way they want to use in
Nigeria; or used to defend discriminatory
legislation targeted at a minority population: as is
the case with the recently promulgated anti
homosexual law. Being a cleric, having a PhD
degree or graduating in medicine or law is not
enough to enable an individual understand what
constitutes a good society and how it should be
structured and Nigerians should be guided by
those who understand that there is more to
morality than religion teaches its adherents.
The Nigerian anti-homosexual law has all the hall
marks of a bad and sinister law. It targets a
minority population. It criminalises a behaviour
that harms no one but those who engage in it. It
validates religious prejudice and seeks to use the
law to enforce religious morality. It is intolerant
and violets other peoples' liberty and fundamental
human right to choose how they live their life.
These and more, are the reasons why I oppose
and continue to oppose the anti homosexual law.
It is not because I am a homosexual or consider it
morally neutral. I will defend the right of my
enemy to liberty, but would make sure in a lawful
and civil manner, where possible, that he does not
use his liberty to injure my person or interest. This
is enlightenment. There is a better way of dealing
with such issues and there is no reason why
Nigeria should not aspire to do better than the
west. Instead of using something the west used in
the middle ages to deal with the same problem
and found out after hundreds of years that
criminalisation of homosexuality does not work,
Nigerians should seek a better way of balancing
liberty with religious morality to achieve peaceful
coexistence, without the persecution of a minority
groups.
I believe in social justice, rule of law, justice as
fairness and equality, and no one has any right to
criminalise what God has given people right to
choose, if they so desire. God is the judge and not
Christianity or Islam. The government should
repeal the anti gay law and we should have an
honest debate on the best way to treat our
brothers and sisters who have chosen a life style
we will never choose. After all, Jesus said love the
sinner but hate the sin. How can we love the
sinner, if we are happy to lock him up for 14 years
for doing the same thing (sinning) many of us do
every day?
Religion is an unsafe construct on which to build
any societies. Every single attempt in history to
do this failed. Current attempts have not
succeeded. It gives rise to very bigoted and
divided societies, where injustices and persecution
are rife. It does not bring God down; rather, it
gives the devil opportunity to show how evil the
religious can be. The morality it preaches can
easily be inculcated in people without its
intolerance and prejudice, which puts people who
are different at risk. There is no need to witch hunt
homosexuals. They have the rights to a life style
of their choice and God has not mandated any
religion to get rid of homosexuality in this world.
This is pure religious intolerance and prejudice and
it is sad.
I speak out against this injustice because it is
wrong. Persecution of sinners has never been an
act of righteousness, as apostle Paul found out on
his way to Damascus. The government should
pause and realise that criminalising homosexuality
will not stop people choosing to express their
sexuality in that way. It will not stop one single
Nigerian from becoming a homosexual, if he or
she so decides. The government should repeal the
law and bring in a better way of encouraging
people to choose what is morally generally
acceptable and allowing those who choose
differently to live their lives in peace. The aim
should be peaceful coexistence and not a
religiously inspired utopia, where all will be forced
to live as one religion prescribe

E O Eke is qualified in medicine. At various times
he has been a General medical practitioner,
Medical missionary, Medical Director and senior
medical officer of health in Nigeria. He specializes
in child, Adolescent and adult psychiatry and lives
in England with his family. His interest is in health,
religion philosophy and politics. He cares for body
and mind.

Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone provided by Airtel Nigeria.

CRIES FOR MY BELOVED COUNTRY ...SCHIZOPHRENIC DEMOCRACY AND CRIMINAL’ MENTALITY OF NIGERIAN LEADERS

"State governments' proposed recurrent
expenditure, comprising salaries and
overheads, has increased by 30 percent this
year compared to last year, according to an
analysis of the states' 2014 budget
presentations. The 36 states have proposed to
spend N2.740 trillion on salaries, allowances,
overheads and other components of recurrent
expenditure. This figure is about 30 percent
higher than last year's N2.105 trillion budgeted
for the same purposes" Transparency for
Nigeria.

Early in 2011, I wrote an article 'ethnic
nationalism the elephant in Nigeria'. In the
intervening period, many of the issues I
raised in the article have become reality
and sadly, have become a common feature of the
Nigerian democracy and society. There is no
doubt that Nigeria's democracy is endangered by
corruption, suspicion, and mistrust, which have
their origin in a culture of dishonesty and ethnic
and religious intolerances and prejudices. The
very sad thing about it is that, successive
governments have not focused on these problems
with the view to finding solutions to them, and
they are becoming herculean as the country
continues to fracture along sectarian fault lines.
The result is that Islamic fundamentalism has
taken root in the north, while criminal fraternity
involved in oil bunkering, kidnapping and armed
robbery has taken over the south. Nigeria is
indeed, bedevilled by serious human, social
economic and political problems whose capacity
to bring about its demise can no longer be
ignored. What has emerged is a Nigeria where
politicians preach one Nigeria in public, while in
private they reinforce and appeal to sectarian
constructs to remain relevant and retain their
position amongst their people and continue to
benefit from the rot and misgovernance that is the
order of the day. Consequently, all political
permutations in Nigeria remain on the basis of
ethnicity and religion and nothing is said about the
ideologies, policies and values of the people
seeking power. This is the true tragedy of Nigeria
and why the current segregation of PDP to
metamorphose in APC is a source of worry and
does not represent a future for the country.
Nigeria needs a leadership that would take the bull
by the horn and wrestle it to ground, and not one
who would shoe it a red rag and frighten the
people with how strong the bull is.
It is also disheartening that after giving Nigeria
Shehu Shagari and Alex Ekwueme, himself and
Abubakar Atiku for 8 years, Umaru Yar Adua and
Goodluck Jonathan, and Goodluck Jonathan and
Namadi Sambo, that Olusegun Obasanjo still
believes that he knows what is best for Nigeria
and is plotting to have another say on who
becomes the next president of Nigeria. How does
a country deal with a problem like Obasanjo?
This is unacceptable. A good statesman should
know when to quit the stage no matter his sense
of self importance and how intelligent he believes
he is. It has become a particularly black African
thing, for leaders not to know when to leave the
stage. This is one of the reasons why the world
respected Nelson Mandela. He understood the
ephemeral nature of power and knew when to
pass it on. Very unfortunately, this does not seem
to the case with Nigerian leaders, who never
really believe that the world is a stage and we
come play our part and leave. At 70s and 80s,
they are still scheming to be party chairmen,
Ministers, Ambassadors, senators and presidents,
when there are young and dynamic youth, who
have what it, takes to correct their mistakes and
take the country forward. How can the old, lead
the way to the future?
When they meet, they look more like people in old
people homes celebrating Christmas, instead of
people who want to be trusted with the future of
their country. The result is that they have
governed Nigeria to death and still believe that
they hold the solution to the problems, when
every move they make makes worst. They have a
dog in a manger mentality. They have had their
time but could not solve the problems. Yet, they
refuse to give way for people with a different
mind-set and understanding of the problem to try.
It is either them, or nobody, a scotch earth
attitude to life that is routed in ignorance, greed
and selfishness.
Through corruption and greed, Nigerian leaders
have created a very unequal, unjust and unsafe
society where the rich live and the poor die, the
strong succeed and the weak fail; a society that
measures its morality in its persecution of those
who are different, intolerance and prejudice. They
have left a society where merit is not rewarded
and who someone knows, is more important than,
what they know, can do or their character.
Through the pursuit of discriminatory and unjust
policies which lead to development of good
schools and hospitals for only the army, police,
and politicians, they have created a divide society
where a section of the country benefits, while the
rest is worse off. The result is elitism which
defends injustice, inequality and unmerited
advantages of a few. Politicians, and senior army
and police officers are able to send their children
to private universities abroad, where they pay
exorbitant school fees from money made through
corruption, while they do nothing to create
conducive environment that nurture leaning in
Nigeria and give teachers what they need to do
the work they love very much. They show no
concern that academic staff of universities are on
strike for several months because their own
children are not studying in Nigeria. They show no
interest in research and often do not include it in
the budge, and when they do, they just pocket it.
Yet they are aware that everything that exists
today came from research. They are flown abroad
at tax payers' expense to receive specialist
medical care, while the rest of the people
patronise hospitals that are not fit for purpose.
Many Nigerian politicians, while in power, stole
public funds, which should have been in invested
in laying solid foundation for the education of
Nigeria youth, building and equipping hospitals,
good roads, strong institutions and a more equal
society. Some of them used the money to build
private schools, universities and hospitals where
only the rich can send their children. There is no
greater evil leaders can inflict on their people,
than to worsen the natural disadvantage of the
poor through greed. All these have resulted in a
divided society with fissured moral conscience,
which is about to fall apart. No wonder there is
today in Nigeria, 'a them against us mentality'
which poison the polity and create the need for
scapegoats.
This is why some of the 'have nots' justify crime
and see nothing wrong in kidnapping those who
seem to them to have benefited unfairly at their
expense. Nigeria needs leaders, who recognise
these facts and, are prepared to pursue inclusive
polices that would give everyone a chance, a
sense of belonging, reward merit and ensure equal
opportunity, and not leaders who would differ to
ethnicity, religion or status. Without this, Nigeria
will disintegrate under the weight of injustice,
intolerance, greed, extremism, criminality and
ethnic nationalism. Nigerian seems primed for an
upheaval of wanton destruction of lives and
properties with complete anarchy and confusion.
No government can sustain a country, where only
a few people benefits and the greater majority of
the people live in poverty, suffer, are dispossessed
and have no opportunity to achieve their potential
or earn a decent living. I suppose Nigerians need
to start seeing our problems for what they are:
man made human, social, economic and political
problems; created by a succession of bad and
corrupt governments: instead of ethnic or religious
problems. Of course, those who are currently
benefiting form the status quo, would like the
people to believe otherwise. The poor in the north,
south, east or west of Nigeria and Christians and
Muslims, all want the same thing: security, good
schools, accessible good health care, good
hospitals, good roads, pipe borne water, and
electricity, good sewage system and jobs. These
should be the problems Nigerian government and
people should focus on and not on ethnicity and
religion, important as they are. Nigerians and her
government need to get serious with nation
building or vote to peacefully dissolve this
increasingly impossible union.
It is difficult to see a future for Nigeria at the rate
corrupt leaders is recycled. Instead of expelling
them from the system, successive government
recycle the same old criminals, who have been
destroying the country. If they are not ministers or
special advisers, they are chairmen of boards. If
they are not senators, they are party chairmen.
While many developing countries are restructuring
their armies and reducing defence spending,
Nigeria is increasing her defence spending and
increasing her army. While many developed
country have phased out automatic promotion in
their military, Nigeria continues to operate a
system that sees promotion as right instead of
privilege, and produces many army generals, than
any comparable country needs in peace time.
Nigeria has many army generals, but cannot
articulate an effective strategy to defeat Boko
Haram.
There is no attempt to task them to provide an
effective military strategy to defeat the Islamic
insurgency crippling the north of the country and
spreading insecurity through out the rest of the
country. Daily we hear of Boko Haram ambushing
army convoys and attacking military barracks and
yet, the army seem unable to modify the way it
transports soldiers to stop them being soft target
for the terrorists and how they guard their military
bases to avoid being taken unawares. Does one
need to be a general in the army or have a PhD in
warfare and military tactics to figure out that the
first thing a man who is fighting an unseen enemy
should do, is to become both invisible and
unpredictable. Who is the defence minister, what
does he think of the current military strategy?
It is the way Nigeria is governed that makes me
think that there is something schizophrenic about
the country. It does not seem to conform to any
known rule. There is no pattern to its decision
making. Often it is based not on evidence or
economic principles, but on ethnicity and religious
convictions, which have been demonstrated to be
unsafe constructs on which to base such decisions.
In the midst of serious economic and political
problems worsened by institutionalised
corruption , and poverty of leadership, what some
of those whose past inaptitude , prejudice and
greed created the sowed the seed of the problem
can do, is ask the country to fast and pray. This is
in a world where we know that God always work
when men decided to do what is right. Sometimes
I wonder, if Nigerian leaders are simply naïve or
out right, evil, ignorant and deluded. Why should a
country that should be strengthening its
institutions to hold every body accountable and
enforce the rule of law, resort to praying and
selective justice? What will those who are causing
the problem do when everybody closes their
eyes? Why should Nigeria declare fasting and
praying, when what it needs is criminal justice
reform that would be effective at ensuring certain
retribution for all offenders and that no one
benefits from the proceeds of crime as many
politicians do at the moment?
At present, the same old culprits are ganging up
under a different name. They have not opened
any conversation with the Nigerian people. They
have not published any manifestoes and policies
they would pursue in office. They have not said a
word about how they would fight the elephants of
corruption, religious intolerance and toxic ethnic
nationalism. Rather, they have already shared the
position and outlined the various ways they plan
to siphon public fund into their private pockets
through phantom projects of the kind we have
seen recently executed by the deputy senate
president in his constituency.
I weep for Nigeria. Please, God open the eyes of
Nigerians to see the enormity of the problems and
the future that awaits those who cannot escape,
when the evils days come and help us by at least
ensuring that one honest man is elected as a
legislator, senator, governor and if at all possible,
as president in 2015, so that they can show
Nigerians that governance is about making life
better for all and not opportunity to steal what
belongs to all.

E O Eke is qualified in medicine. At various times
he has been a General medical practitioner,
Medical missionary, Medical Director and senior
medical officer of health in Nigeria. He specializes
in child, Adolescent and adult psychiatry and lives
in England with his family. His interest is in health,
religion philosophy and politics. He cares for body
and mind.

Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone provided by Airtel Nigeria.

I'M ASHAMED OF MY COUNTRY NIGERIA

Every once in a while America and Europe
tries to impose their social standards on
Africa. I think that they are wrong to do so.
As a Nigerian, however, I believe that I
have the right to criticize my own country when I
believe our government has erred. Recently
Nigeria criminalized gay marriage and gay
lifestyle. It now carries a 14-year prison sentence
if you are arrested as a result of same sex
marriage and a 10-year jail term if you are
arrested for just living your life as openly gay.
Since the law was signed by President Jonathan a
few weeks ago many have been rounded up and
charged to court. A few days ago seven men were
stoned to death in Bauchi state under the Sharia
law for being gay. Now, there is a new video
making rounds in which two gay men were
brutally beaten to death while police men
watched. These are the sort of headlines I used to
see out of Iran and Saudi Arabia, very barbaric to
say the least, especially in 2014. I never in my
wildest dreams imagined my country sliding this
far behind.
I posted an article back in June titled "Nigeria gay
issues…and the hypocrisy of our politicians" I
wrote this immediately after the law was passed
in the Federal House of Representatives, and I
warned Nigerians of the consequences, but like
everything else in this country people simply
ignored the bill. Today it has been signed by our
president and its implementation has finally
woken some people. Those who defend this law
are quick to point out that it is supported by an
overwhelming number of Nigerians. I would
readily give it to them, but my question remains;
does it make it right or just? Perhaps I need to
remind these people that majority of Americans
supported the laws that allowed the enslavement
of our brothers and sisters in America two hundred
years ago and beyond. Majority of South African
whites supported the apartheid regimes for nearly
a century. Majority of Germans supported Hitler's
policy of exterminating the Jews. In spite of the
popular support for these policies, it does not
make them right or just.
Some have quoted the bible to back-up their
support for this law; others have found their refuge
in the Koran. I also need to remind you that there
were those who used bible verses to justify their
enslavement of fellow human beings. The truth is
that you can pretty much find anything in the
bible to justify your stance. For me, I'd rather
stand on the words of Jesus Christ, which says;
"love thy neighbor as thyself." If you love your
neighbor you would not stone him to death, even
if he is a homosexual, you would not even have
him imprisoned for being gay. Our problem in
Nigeria is that we often try to be more Catholic
than the Pope. The Pope responded when asked
about homosexual lifestyle, he said, "Who am I to
judge." In Nigeria today, we are judging, sending
them to prison, and stoning our brothers to death
in the name of religion. I am a Christian, and I
know that the Christ I serve would not do this.
When a woman was caught in adultery and the
Pharisees tried to stone her to death, Christ
challenged them to cast their stones if they have
no sin. Of course, they all dropped their stones
and went away.
It is true that the bible condemns homosexuality
as a sin, but so did the bible on a barrage of other
sins like adultery, fornication, etc. Is there anyone
in Nigeria House of Assembly, including our
president who is not guilty of these other sins? If
so, why have they not found the grace of God
within them to grant mercy to other sinners like
them? Many countries, including America and
Europe have gone this route before, and they
have come to regret it. As recent as ten years
ago, states like Texas in the US still have anti gay
(sodomy) laws in their books until they were
struck out by the US Supreme Court. A few
decades ago, the UK still had anti gay laws in their
books, and today they regret haven done so. I
have no doubt that Nigeria will one day regret
haven passed these laws, but for now, it is setting
us back 50 years, and there may never be any
recourse for its victims. Must we make all the
mistakes made by others before we learn? I
thought that their mistakes were supposed to be a
guiding light for us.
Surely, Nigeria is not yet civilized enough for one
to contemplate an introduction of gay marriage
rights or anything of the sort. I believe that it
would amount to a culture shock for our legislators
to consider passing laws that recognize gay
marriage, and to the best of my knowledge
nobody is seeking for such legislation in Nigeria.
Why then can't we allow them to live their lives in
peace? Why must we send someone to prison in
Nigeria just for being homosexual? All I have
heard from some defenders of this law is that the
bible said this and that. Well, as I recalled it, the
bible under the Law of Moses also calls for "an eye
for an eye" but Christ came and recommended we
turn the other cheek. In my previous article, I said
that Nigeria has 99 problems, but homosexuality
is not one of them. As I write this article, I am
burning up my generator to provide electricity for
myself. I'd love to see our National Assembly
members and our President spend their valuable
times trying to solve the numerous problems that
actually hinder Nigeria's progress instead of
chasing shadows.
Most Nigerians are simply wallowing in ignorance.
They will tell you that homosexuality is a white
man's problem, which does not exist in our
culture. The truth is that it has always been here.
We either don't know how to spot it, or are too
afraid to recognize what exists in our midst. Our
forefathers used to throw away twins, and
considered them evil. In my lifetime I witnessed
the throwing away of dead bodies for various
nefarious reasons such as (ida ibi, and ito afo) all
out of ignorance. Today, we are now sending
homosexuals to prison and stoning them to death.
Even these shall come to pass, I'm sure,
absolutely sure, but I'm filled with shame to see it
happening in my country in 2014. Lord have
mercy on us.
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Absence Of Moderation Among Politicians, Growing Conflicts Within Political Parties Worries INEC

The Independent
National Electoral Commission on Tuesday
expressed concern over growing conflicts among
contestants within political parties.
The National Chairman of INEC, Prof. Attahiru
Jega, expressed the view in Abuja at the National
Youth Conference on the roadmap to the 2015
elections in Nigeria.
"INEC remains deeply concerned about
widespread absence of moderation among
Nigerian politicians and growing conflicts within
parties and between contestants.
"This is because even if the management of
elections meets the highest standards, in so far as
the contestants are unwilling to play by the rules,
there will be grave problem.
"The threats are now exacerbated by insecurity in
some parts of the country, making the conduct of
elections in those parts even more risk-prone", he
said.
The chairman, represented by a National
Commissioner of the commission, Mr Ismail
Igbani, appealed to politicians to avoid
provocative statement on the 2015 elections.
"If you listen to comments of some politicians on
2015 general elections you will assume that
Nigeria is preparing for war", he said.
The chairman said the use of language by some
politicians was in most cases "indecorous and
encouraging supporters to follow suit with more
intemperate language".
According to him, parties even find it difficult to
select candidates, which create a situation in
which practically every nomination process ends
in a court case.
He said that the commission had on several
occasions, got either directly or vicariously
involved in the conflicts and court cases.
"Indeed, some pre-election court cases in the past
have threatened to derail preparations for
elections. Of particular note is the spate of ex-
parte injunctions issued against the commission",
Jega said.
He, however, stressed the need for active citizens'
participation in the political process to provide
checks against impunity in political culture.
Jega called on the youth to come out en-mass and
register to enable them to vote candidates of their
choice in 2015 elections.
The Project Director, Democratic Governance for
Development, Dr Mourtada Deme, urged the
youth to engage in the electoral process to give
them a strong political voice in the country.
Deme said that an inclusive democratic society
should ensure that youth participated in its affairs,
stressing that effort should be made to educate
the youth on the importance of voting.
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2015: Jonathan To Decide Whether To Run Soon

Following the release of the 2015 election
timetable by the Independent National Electoral
Commission, INEC, President Goodluck Jonathan
will soon hold a strategic meeting with his kitchen
cabinet to decide on whether or not to run, his
Special Adviser on Inter-Party Affairs, Senator Ben
Obi, has said.
However, the decision may not be taken until April
because the Presidency may want to spend the
next 90 days on effective governance to better
the lot of the citizenry in line with the President's
promise of a better 2014 for Nigerians.
In an exclusive interview with Vanguard, Obi, who
also described as uncalled for the directive of the
Interim National Executive Committee of the All
Progressives Congress, APC, to its federal
lawmakers to shut down governance, said it was
worrisome that leading politicians and elders were
making reckless and inflammatory statements
that could hurt the country.
Asked if Jonathan will declare his ambition now
following the INEC's timetable, he said the
presidency was not expecting.
He said: "I want Nigerians to understand one
thing. I have been on the side of the opposition for
very long. Now, I am in the executive, current
leadership.
"President Jonathan appealed to Nigerians and
said he would not discuss politics until 2014.
Despite all the pressure mounted on him by the
opposition to draw him into politics much earlier
than 2014, he resisted it; he continued on the path
of governance and maintained that he would say
something in 2014.
"Now we are in 2014. INEC has spoken, we do
expect that with all of these, I am sure he will sit
with his kitchen cabinet and look at the pros and
cons, what his administration has done and then
take a position clearly on what his next line of
action will be."
On when this meeting will hold, Senator Obi said:
"Like I said he will meet with his kitchen cabinet,
they will study the INEC guidelines and timetable
and decide: what do we do? Where do we go from
here?
"Nigerians will be adequately informed at the
appropriate time. As far as I am concerned, they
still have some two to three months to really
concentrate on governance and that is the
Jonathan philosophy.
"His New Year message was very clear: Nigerians
will enjoy a better 2014, which means there are
certain things he will want to put up that will
make a difference. Let's complete that process
before we go into the political event. Let's create
the atmosphere for a better Nigerian
environment."
Faulting the APC's call to shutdown governance
until the Rivers State crisis is resolved, he said: "I
do not know the circumstances under which APC
leaders said their National Assembly members
should block the 2014 budget, screening of
ministers and confirmation of the service chiefs.
"With all due respect, the budget is not only for
politicians. That statement from the National
Executive Committee meeting of the APC is
uncalled for. How can you make such a
statement?
"I was a senator. Then we sit down and review
issues. We had executive sessions where we ask
ourselves: 'what we are discussing now is it a
national issue or partisan issue?'
"Senators are respected because they discuss
national issues: they don't allow partisan political
interests to overwhelm the discourse.
"Until last week, no President had ever forwarded
the names of service chiefs to the National
Assembly. President Jonathan did it. The next
thing is the opposition saying, 'no, block it!'
"Things that affect the military is not something
we should rush into and get deeply involved in but
I am happy that the current Senate President is a
highly respected retired general and one of the
longest serving legislators in this country. So he
combines the experience of a war general and
that of an accomplished legislator to navigate.
"I am sure that my colleagues, friends and
associates in the opposition, having issued that
directive to their party members in the National
Assembly will by now be having a second thought.
It is like climbing a tree beyond the leaves. It is
uncalled for." [Vanguard]

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BREAKING NEWS: APC Threat Forces PDP, APGA, Labour Party Governors, Lawmakers Into Crucial Meeting

The growing influence of the All Progressives
Congress is forcing a major re-alignment in
the House of Representatives as leaders of
three major parties met with their
lawmakers on Tuesday evening at the
National Assembly complex in Abuja.
The meeting which was still on as at 9:45 p.m. was
attended by governors of the Peoples Democratic
Party, PDP, Labour Party, and the All Progressives
Grand Alliance, APGA. The National Chairman of
the PDP, Adamu Mu'azu, was also at the meeting.
Some of the governors at the meeting include
Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom, PDP), Olusegun
Mimiko (Ondo, Labour Party), and Peter Obi
(Anambra, APGA).
The meeting was also attended by members of the
House of Representatives from the three parties.
A revelation from the meeting was when House
leader, Mulikat Akande, said the PDP had promised
all its lawmakers automatic tickets for 2015
election, ostensibly to deter them from decamping
to the APC. She asked the PDP not to renege on its
promise.
The APC has recently benefited from a wave of
defections of PDP lawmakers in the House thus
making the former the majority in the congress.
The opposition party also recently asked its
lawmakers to frustrate bills by the presidency until
law and order is restored in Rivers State, a state
where the governor, Rotimi Amaechi, recently
decamped, alongside four others, to the APC.
The PDP, APGA, and Labour Party lawmakers have
vowed to resist the APC directive while the party's lawmakers said they would abide by it.

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The inheritors: Why nigerian one-man companies never last (2) Chief MKO Abiola

"Ye Gods, what Cypris, or what love divine took
part in this? Sophocles, c495B.C-c406B.C
When he finally died in military detention in 1998,
the curtains fell on one of the characters on the
Nigerian stage whose life story will remain part of
the national legend for as long as there is a nation
called Nigeria. M.K.O.
Abiola's life story went beyond the rags-to-riches
which have become repetitive in Nigeria and the
world. Born into relative poverty, never mind the
gloss that Juju musicians later attempted to put on
his humble beginning.
Yet, those who knew him remember the young
Kashimawo as very likeable. What he lacked in
physical charm, for he was far from handsome, he
made up for by having the warmest personality
anybody can possess.
Despite not having a lot of money, he was still
generous with the little he had. His best attribute
was his brain; because he was reputed to be a
brilliant student.
Later, he studied Accountancy and might have
remained an obscure accountant until fortune
beckoned on him to apply for a job with the
International Telephone and Telegraph, ITT, then
headed by a fellow called Hal Genene who ran the
company by the numbers and who treasured
"bean counters", as Accountants were called and
number crunchers, as Financial Analysts were
dubbed.
Very quickly, ITT climbed the corporate league
ladder to become a Fortune 500 company.
Thousand of MBA students in the USA, at the time
wanted to be like the ITT President. One of my
classmates in Boston had his room pasted all
around with pictures of the ITT President.
Soon after landing the job, M.K.O, was promoted
to the position of Financial Director. This position
was to bring him enormous good fortune. As it
turned out, the Federal Government was owing
ITT a lot of money which nobody had been able to
collect and which ITT in the US wanted collected.
So MK went to the office of the Federal
Commissioner for Communications, late General
Murtala Mohammed, then a Colonel, to collect the
debt owed. The Commissioner was not in the
office when MK arrived; so he decided to wait -
with over a hundred others.
When Murtala finally arrived, everybody stood up
but MK. Murtala was curious; so stopping in front
of the only man sitting, he asked: "Don't you know
I am here?" MK replied, still sitting, "Yes, I know
but you are my debtor and I have come to
collect."
On that demonstration of hutzpah or unmitigated
gall, friendship started between MKO Abiola and
the top ranks of the military. When Murtala
became military Head of State, the nation's
treasury was virtually opened to M.K.O. Abiola to
take as much as he wanted.
One big, and questionable contract followed
another; such that by 1980 Abiola was perhaps the
richest man in Nigeria. ITT continued to obtain
contracts; indeed, ITT got whatever it wanted and
at its own price. Later M.K started to diversify his
business to include a newspaper, a bakery,
bookshop, radio station etc. but, the Federal
government was still the cash cow.
Simultaneously, the man was squandering the
money almost as fast as it came in. He was
generous to a fault and well-liked even by people
who never received a kobo from him.
It was his legendary philanthropy which eventually
got him elected by a wide margin in 1993. If his
opponent, Alhaji Tofa, a Kano indigene, wants to
know why MK won even in Kano, he need not look
beyond the launching of the Kano State
Investment Fund, which occurred a few years
earlier. While other were donating five hundred
thousand or one million, Abiola stood up and
announced N10 million donation; and while a
deafening standing ovation was still ringing in
everybody's ears, he grabbed the microphone and
said, "And that is a first installment."
While he was busy accumulating great wealth and
building his financial empire, it was not clear then
that Abiola had failed to groom a successor who
would keep the "Flag flying" after his death -
which came in the least expected manner.

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Mu'Azu, Obasanjo in secret meeting in Abeokuta

From Moshood Adebayo, Abeokuta and TAIWO
AMODU, ABUJA
The new National Chairman of the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP), Adamu Mu' Azu
yesterday held a closed-door meeting with former
president Olusegun Obasanjo at his Hilltop
Mansion in Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital.
Mu'Azu, who arrived Abeokuta at about 3: 30p.m
was received by his host, Obasanjo and they went
into a meeting which lasted about two hours.
The deposed national auditor of the party, Chief
Bode Mustapha and Chief Andy Uba were also in
attendance.
Although journalists were barred from the
meeting, Daily Sun gathered that Mu'Azu's visit
was unconnected with the crisis rocking the state
chapter of the party and the former president's
current disposition to the party.
Efforts to speak with the PDP chairman failed as
he hurriedly entered his car after the meeting at
about 6.48pm.
But former member of the House of
Representatives and Ogun State PDP governorship
aspirant, Kayode Jelili Amusan, who was also at
the meeting, confirmed that his visit was not
unconnected with the crisis in the state chapter of
the party.
Amusan, who described Obasanjo as a strong
factor in the country's polity, stressed that it
would be difficult for anyone to come on board the
management of the affairs of the party without
visiting the former president.
Meanwhile, PDP National Working Committee has
denied allegation of financial sleaze, levelled
against the new national chairman of the party,
Adamu Muazu, during his administration of Bauchi
state.
The media had been awash with reports that the
former Bauchi State governor was under
investigation by the EFCC over alleged
misappropriation of public funds while in office.
But reacting through a statement in Abuja, the
National Publicity Secretary of the party, Olisa
Metuh, declared that at no time was the governor
indicted. He stated that the recommendation of a
White Paper in which the former governor was
indicted was challenged in court and subsequently
dismissed by the Chief Judge of Bauchi State,
Justice Mohammed Ibrahim Zango.

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FOLLOWERSHIP AND THE PROBLEM WITH NIGERIA

lot has been written and said about
leadership and the dearth of good leaders
in Nigeria. Leadership is a big problem in
most of the black world, but so is
followership. Where are the followers and who are
they following? Are they following the money or
are they following the dream of a better nation
and a developed society? It is a known fact that a
people get the leader they deserve, and the
experience in Nigeria has not been an exception.
The people are groaning but they are not acting or
getting involved. Followers are supposed to ensure
that the right leaders are elected and that these
leaders are monitored to ensure that they deliver
on their election promises. There are several tasks
and responsibilities you will expect the followers
to carry out. Being nonchalant is definitely not one
of the responsibilities of a follower and neither is
being an onlooker, a spectator by choice or by
situation.
There is the tendency to be disinterested and
aloof about the goings-on in the political arena in
Nigeria, and then complain bitterly when things
are not going well and when basic health,
employment and social services are not available
where they should be easily accessible. A
disinterested citizen who has shown no interest in
the political process and played no role in ensuring
that the process is free, fair and transparent
should not be complaining when the treasury is
looted, roads left unmaintained, hospitals ill-
equipped, universities locked up for months, and
wrong people, including ministers with forged
certificates, are holding vital political offices for
which the citizen did not make any attempt to add
his one cent and one vote. There have been
several marches on Washington in the last two
years, several protests and demonstrations on
Wall Street, several trips to the Parliament Hill in
Ottawa by citizens who are anxious to see change
and who knew for sure that the power to make the
changes they desire possible is in their own hands
as the electorate and as the constituents who hold
the voting right to bring about change. Shall we
talk about the Arab Spring? How about the
protests of the last one week in Thailand? The
Thai people are fighting for their future. They are
sitting-in to demand change and Bangkok is
noticing and feeling the heat as we write. Change
will not be dropped on the laps of the masses who
paid no price, did nothing and made no move.
Such masses will remain victims of their own
smugness and timidity.
The federation account of Nigeria's oil business
has not been made public in over 15 years and
NNPC (through this government and past regimes)
has continued to mismanage billions of dollars in
oil income meant for the federation, yet the
people have not seen the need to demonstrate on
the front court of the most corrupt corporation in
history. Looking and acting unconcerned, being
uninvolved and unwilling to play a role sucks the
nation into deeper instability and corruption. How
many times will the inept and corrupt leaders in
Abuja increase the price of kerosene and petrol,
increases which are essentially due largely to
corruption, before the people begin to demand for
full disclosure and accountability in oil and gas
production and sales? The follower who did
nothing and played no role in the political process
has no right to complain about anything. He
should not even complain when he is asked to pay
to use a road that is a death trap. The question is:
where was he when the minister of works told the
world that the contract to rebuild the road has
been awarded to the same construction company
that did nothing the last time it rebuilt the same
road? The Arab Spring has gone on for over two
years now. Mubarak, Gadaffi, and Zine al-Abidine
Ben Ali are all gone, the three dumped into the
footnotes of history due to the zeal, determination
and direct involvement of the people of Egypt,
Libya and Tunisia. The people got tired, they got
fed up and they took charge to rid their nations of
dictators. The followership did not only
demonstrate in Tunisia, they forced change on the
nation and eased out their corrupt and oppressive
leaders. It may be true that the fruits of their
actions are yet to bear results, it is clear that the
people made the seemingly impossible change
possible.
Those who did nothing and those who sold their
votes for pittance of food, drink and a few hundred
naira notes from the candidates during
electioneering campaigns are birds of the same
feather. It may be true that the collectors of a
one-time trifle did far more disservice to the
nation and its people. The candidate who offered
food, drinks and N500 note to each voter will
recoup his money at the end of the day. He will
get his money back in multiple folds. When the
man who bought your vote last year moved out of
the area from where he was elected into office
and into a new house in the posh part of the city,
you will cry foul and wonder how he came by the
hundreds of millions naira it cost to build his new
house. But you have already received your reward
- the beer, food and N500 note. You and your co-
travelers were so cheap that this elected
representative will return to seek re-election and
be ready to distribute new N1,000 note and more
rice and drinks. Those who sold their votes have
no right to claim that any politician is corrupt
since corruption actually started from those of
them who took their own kickback upfront and
ahead of delivering their votes to the politician.
Those who deliberately chose to do nothing and
those who felt too pissed off and disappointed and
as such decided to do nothing are worse off than
the ones who sold their votes for a plate of rice or
amala. Amala politics should have no place in our
society, or tuwo politics for that matter, where the
almanjeris are gathered and used during the
elections only to be discarded shortly after and
left to do mischief around town. Every child in
Nigeria - boy or girl - deserves free and easy
access to good education. Even if these children
must learn the Bible or the Quran, they must first
be given basic education to prepare them for a
better future and life in the larger society.

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Jonathan stops SSS from quizzing Obasanjo

The Presidency may have put on hold its earlier
directive to the State Security Service to
investigate the weighty allegations contained in
the controversial letter written by former
president Olusegun Obasanjo to President
Goodluck Jonathan in December last year.
Saturday PUNCH learnt that the Presidency
decided to halt the investigation of the issues
raised in the former president's letter in order to
amicably settle the rift between President
Jonathan and his political benefactor.
It was learnt that notable political leaders in the
country were already engrossed in moves to bring
the President and Obasanjo together.
It was further gathered that security operatives
were directed to stop the investigation as a result
of the ongoing efforts in high political circles to
broker a truce between the two political figures.
A source close to the Presidency, who craved
anonymity because he was not authorised to
speak on behalf of the President, told one of our
correspondents in Abuja on Thursday that the
President was more interested in settling his
differences with Obasanjo than carrying out the
investigation that could deepen the crisis.
"The President was the one that gave the
directive but I think another counter directive is in
force now; they might not go into investigating all
those things in the letter. I think they are making
efforts to settle this matter.
"Political elders are intervening in it so the
President asked them to stay action on it; so, for
now there is nothing on it.
"There is the need to take a look at the political
implication of the course of action. Besides, the
President believes that his differences with
Obasanjo are not irreconcilable," the source said.
Security operatives had earlier contacted the
former president over the controversial letter two
weeks ago in response to an earlier directive by
President Goodluck Jonathan.
A security source told one of our correspondents
that the SSS wrote Obasanjo following a
presidential directive to security operatives to
investigate the grave issues raised by the former
president in his letter to the President late last
year.
It was learnt that the SSS wrote to notify Obasanjo
of the impending investigation.
Obasanjo had in an 18-page letter to the
President, accused him, among other things, of
not honouring his words that he would not run in
2015, and taking actions calculated at destroying
Nigeria.
In the letter dated December 2, 2013 and titled,
"Before it is too late", Obasanjo accused the
President of pursuing "selfish personal and political
interests" based on advice from his "self-centred
aides."
He also alleged that the President had failed to
deliver on his promises to Nigerians and to curb
insurgency and corruption in the country.
Obasanjo also alleged that the President had put
1,000 politicians on a watch list and was training
snipers.
"Nigeria is bleeding and the haemorrhage must be
stopped," an obviously angry Obasanjo had
lamented. He went ahead to declare that
"Jonathan had betrayed God and Nigerians," who
voted him into power.
In his response, Jonathan described the former
president's letter as a threat to national security.
The source added that the agency wrote Obasanjo
on the week he wrote the then Chairman of the
PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, to announce his
decision to withdraw from the activities of the PDP
at the national and regional levels.
It was further learnt that the leadership of the SSS
might decide to put the investigation on hold
because of a move by the Federal Government
and the leadership of the Peoples Democratic
Party to resolve the matter through peaceful
means.
The source said, "Obasanjo ought to have been
summoned, but we have also been instructed to
put investigation on hold for a possible peaceful
resolution of the issues at stake.''
However, a source close to the former president
said that the SSS could not have summoned the
former President even though the person was not
specific in denying if a letter was written to the
former President to notify him of the investigation.
The source also said that the issue of the SSS
inviting Obasanjo was not likely as 'they couldn't
have done so' now that efforts were being made
to settle the whole problem.
The source added that Obasanjo had been out of
the country since last week, noting that he was
expected back into the country within the week.
When contacted on Thursday, SSS Deputy
Director, Public Relations, Marilyn Ogar, pleaded
for time to find out the status of the probe. "I will
find out and get back to you," the SSS
spokesperson said.
But attempts to get Ogar's reaction on Friday did
not yield fruits as she neither pick her calls nor
respond to text messages sent to her phone.
The police however claimed that they were not
involved in the probe of the allegations made by
former president Obasanjo.
A senior police officer confided in one of our
correspondents that the police did not have record
of investigation of the allegations made by
Obasanjo.
The officer described the issues as political which
he said would be resolved by the parties
concerned. He added adding that the Force would
not be involved in political issues.
"Do we have any record of such an investigation
of Obasanjo's allegations? I will say we don't have
such information with us. In any case, there is no
way we can investigate the former president and
those close to him would not know. Such an
investigation cannot be hidden and the police will
have to comment on it publicly if it is true, but for
now, there is no information or record on any
probe against Obasanjo," the source said.
In previous attempts to confirm the status of the
probe with the Senior Special Assistant to the
President on Media, Dr. Reuben Abati, he had
always said he would not comment on alleged
reversal of any directive that was officially issued
by the President.
But the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP,
Mr. Olisah Metuh, has said that the new National
Chairman of the party, Alhaji Adamu Mu'azu, is
likely to meet former president Obasanjo as he
commences efforts to woo aggrieved PDP
members to the party next week.
Metuh said that the new chairman of the party
would unveil his agenda for reconciliation in the
party with effect from next week.
He said that Mu'azu placed emphasis on the issue
of reconciliation when he hosted the Governor of
Jigawa State, Alhaji Sule Lamido, in Abuja.
He said that Mu'azu's agenda for reconciliation
also included how to get the former president to
participate in the party's activities.
Metuh said, "The National Chairman is unveiling
his agenda next week, but he has already said
that the issue of reconciliation is paramount and
very important.
"He stated this when he received the Governor of
Jigawa State and he said categorically that he
would try and bring the people that left.
"And the National Chairman has enormous,
complete respect for our former President and our
former Chairman, Board of Trustees, (Chief
Olusegun Obasanjo) and I am sure that he would
unveil his agenda and the way that he would
engage him in the coming weeks.
"He is unveiling his agenda for reconciliation and
everything from next week, and would include the
process of engaging the former President to
ensure that he remains involved in the activities
of the party, but let us wait for the national
chairman to unveil his agenda from next week;
from next week, he would start making policy
statements on it."
punch
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Akande, Buhari, Tinubu may be quizzed by SSS *They're inciting military against govt - Labour Party *Afenifere, others condemn APC over budget, military chiefs *They are illiterates - APC

Written by Tinu Ayanniyi, Taiwo Adisa, Olawale
Rasheed, Dapo Falade, Jacob Segun-Olatunji, And
Kolawole Daniel.

SECURITY operatives in the country may, any
moment from now, invite the leadership of the All
Progressives Congress (APC) over what is termed
"serious threat to national security."
Indications emerged in Abuja on Friday that the
different agencies had been monitoring
statements credited to notable figures in the
country, especially political leaders, and had
decided to draw a line between mere politicking
and subversion.
The APC said in a communiqué issued at the end
of its National Executive Committee (NEC)
meeting on Thursday that it had mandated its
legislators in the National Assembly to block all
executive bills as well as confirmation of
ministerial nominees and the service chiefs.
Those that may be invited, according to a security
source, include APC national chairman, Chief Bisi
Akande, General Muhammadu Buhari, Senator
Bola Tinubu and Alhaji Lai Muhammed.
Sources told the Saturday Tribune that the
security operatives believe that the time has
come to do all within their powers to build peace
rather than allow some persons sow seeds of
discord among the people.
"After analysing the details and implication of the
statement credited to officials of the APC on
Thursday, the agencies of government came to
the conclusion that there was the need to seek
further clarifications from the party officials.
"The job of the security operatives is not to jump
up and risk their lives when crises have already
broken out, but to nip crises in the bud," a source
said, adding that anyone linked with any
provocative statement henceforth would be
interrogated by the agencies.
But it was gathered that the agencies plan to be
civil as much as possible also do everything
possible to separate politics from its task.
"The fact that a politician has said something does
not give him or her immunity from being
investigated. That will not also blackmail the
security operatives from doing their job. We will
separate crime from politics," a highly placed
source said, while not giving out the period set out
for the interrogation of the APC officials.
Afenifere, others kick
The pan-Yoruba group, Afenifere, on Friday
condemned the directive issued by the APC to its
members in the National Assembly to work
against the interest of the Federal Government.
Spokesman of the group, Mr Yinka Odumakin, told
the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos that the
directive was tantamount to shutting down the
country.
"The most dangerous of the APC's
recommendation is encouraging its members to
engage in things that may lead to instability. The
APC fails to think of the implications of not passing
the budget and its effect on Nigerian masses.
"Also, if approval for the service chiefs is not given
by the National Assembly because of political
disagreements in a state, it may lead to mutiny.
This recommendation is also coming at a time
when Boko Haram is intensifying its activities in
Nigeria. We condemn this directive in its totality
because it is a threat to our democracy," he said.
In his reaction, the Lagos State Chairman of the
Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO), Mr Ehi
Omokhuale, described the directive as insensitive.
"Politicians should limit their selfish fights to
themselves. The APC wants to use its political
interest to affect the welfare of Nigerian citizens.
We do not support it and we demand that the
party retraces its steps on this issue immediately,"
Omokhuale said.
Also speaking, Mr Adesina Animashaun, the
National Chairman of the Patriotic Vanguard, a
non-governmental body, said that the directive
might lead to anarchy.
"It is unfathomable how a party leadership could
meet and issue such directive. The masses will
definitely be at the receiving end and it will put
Nigeria in a big crisis," he said.
He urged APC members in the National Assembly
to disregard the directive and do what is right for
"God and man."
APC inciting military - Labour Party
The Labour Party at a press conference in Abuja
on Friday said the directive by the APC to block
confirmation of military chiefs "is an attempt to
anger the military to think and reconsider their
roles in the Nigerian nation and democracy."
Chief Dan Nwanyanwu, the National Chairman of
the party, said "The real reason is to anger the
military. The real reason is to push for military
coup. We are talking about senior military officers
who have over the years laid down their lives for
the nation and Nigerian people, who no doubt
deserve appointments to the highest positions in
their career."
He said: "We must not allow power mongers and
desperate politicians, particularly those who were
part and parcel of the story of the sorry state
Nigeria found itself, to truncate our hard-earned
democracy. The president must not allow himself
to be intimidated by the mischievous antics of the
APC political leaders who are so desperate for
power that they do not want to wait for 2015
when Nigerian electorate will exercise their
inalienable rights to choose their leader."
He described the resolution of APC committee as
subversive, insensitive and unpatriotic to the
fragile Nigerian heterogeneous and multi- ethnic
society. "We condemn very strongly the
extremism and fundamentalism that the APC has
come to be associated with. What APC has
proposed to do is a recipe for the disintegration of
the Nigerian state. It is, therefore, an ill wind that
will blow no one any good. The desire and the
quest of APC to win the 2015 presidential election
will remain a pipe dream if there is no Nigeria for
them to govern."
'Critics are illiterates'
APC spokesman, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, in his
reaction, described those criticising the party's
position as a bunch of illiterates who need a study
on democracy to be able to appreciate that a
government under which impunity reigns deserves
to be shut down.
"A government under which people are being
attacked, rights being stepped upon should be
shut down, and does not need a budget. That's
democracy. Democracy allows us to do it and
that's what we have done," he said in a telephone
interview with Saturday Tribune.
"Where were Afenifere and the Labour Party when
13,000 teachers going to collect their letters of
appointment were dispersed with teargas? Where
were they when Senator (Magnus) Abe was shot
with a rubber bullet? They kept quiet in the face of
impunity and they are now criticising us for doing
the right thing democratically," Muhammed said.
But a PDP legislator representing Ogo-Oluwa/
Surulere Federal Constituency, Honourable Segun
Odebunmi, on Friday described the APC's directive
as an invitation to anarchy, stemming from
ignorance of its effect on national security.
Odebunmi, in a statement made available to
Saturday Tribune, said it was a decision taken out
of lack of concern for the collective national
interest.
"First and foremost, I want to say that our national
interest should be above partisan, religious and
regional interest. APC, as a party, is sentimental
and it lacks the moral justification to give such
order to its legislators, knowing fully well that they
are not unconscious of the national security of this
great nation and the hard-earned democracy.
"This act is purely an invitation to anarchy and it
shows how regionally biased they are. Since the
inception of this seventh National Assembly, the
House of Representatives has been conscious of
issues affecting lives and properties of Nigerians
home and abroad, irrespective of their political or
religious interests.
"APC should rather focus on national issues and
stop toying with issues affecting the masses other
than ordering the blockage of executive bills,
especially the 2014 budget and the ratification of
the service chiefs that will create vacuum in the
national security.
"It is obvious that APC is not an alternative to the
PDP because of its selfish style of politics.
Nigerians should beware."
Nothing wrong with govt shutdown -
Gbajabiamila
Also, the Minority Leader of the House of
Representatives, Honourable Femi Gbajabiamila,
on Friday said there was nothing wrong with APC's
directive.
The legislator, however, said "the progressive
lawmakers would not truncate the country's hard-
earned democracy. We will do what we need to
do to ensure good governance in our country.
"Government shutdown or filibustering is nothing
new in party politics world over. When
government isn't shut down and successive
budgets have been passed, of what benefit has it
been to the common man?
"The end justifies the means - the end in this
context being good governance, and the means
extraordinary measures such as this,"
Gbajabiamila stated.

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APC Crisis May Escalate

There are indications that the crisis brewing
within the All Progressives Congress may
lead to the suspension or expulsion of
several prominent members of the party who
are currently perceived as working against
its interest.
It was learnt that some of the prominent members
including former governors may be shown the way
out of the party if they continue to resist the take-
over of the opposition party's structures by the G-5
governors who recently defected from the People's
Democratic Party.
A reliable source within the National Secretariat of
the party said on condition of anonymity said the
thinking within the leadership of the party is that
the G-5 governors must be allowed to take over
structures of the party in the affected states to
enable them provide the funds to strengthen the
APC for the 2015 elections.
The G-5 governors who defected from the PDP
were Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers; Murtala Nyako of
Adamawa; Rabiu Kwankwaso of Kano; Abdulfatah
Ahmed of Kwara and Aliyu Wammako of Sokoto.
The source asked: " Do you think former Governors
Ibrahim Shekarau of Kano, Bafarawa of Sokoto or
rtd. Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa of Adamawa have the
capacity to win elections in those states now? "
He continued: "We know that some of these people
are PDP agents who want to sabotage APC from
inside by causing all types of crisis".
When reminded that most of the defected
governors would complete their second tenure by
2015 and may therefore not have much at stake
during the forth-coming polls, he said : " If APC
doesn't win the states where the G-5 governors are
currently in power, it means they would be
politically finished. So they would surely throw in
their resources to ensure that APC wins in their
states to enable them be in a vantage position to
pursue their future political career".
"Who told you that some of them don't have
presidential ambition?" he asked.
The source however expressed confidence that the
crisis would be resolved just like the various
opposition parties were able to overcome all their
differences and merge.
Said he: " When political battles are fought, it is
either you win, lose and leave or reconcile".
It would be recalled that the G-5 governors
defected after reportedly reaching an agreement
with the leadership of APC that the party's
structures in the five states would be handed over
to them.
However, since they defected they have faced stiff
resistance from prominent members of the party
especially former governors in their attempt to
take over APC structures in the affected states.
When contacted by phone yesterday, the National
Publicity Secretary of the party Alhaji Lai
Mohammed dismissed certain media reports about
the crisis as the handiwork of the PDP.
He admitted that the party was aware of the
disagreement within some state chapters of the
party but said a National Reconciliation Committee
had been set up to handle the situation.
By OKEY NDIRIBE

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"PDP Will Shock Nigerians In 2015"

Minister of Information and Supervising
Minister of Defence, Labaran Maku,
yesterday, said amidst the crisis currently
rocking the ruling Peoples' Democratic Party,
PDP, in the country vowed that the party
would shock Nigerians in the 2015 elections.
Maku made this statement when the PDP Project
Reloaded, PPR, paid him a courtesy visit.
He said that some members of the party were
shying away from echoing the successes being
recorded by the Goodluck Jonathan's
administration.
The minister, however, regretted that the party
was currently facing some challenges, pointing out
that its harshest critics were those who rode on its
back to climb to their present positions.

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Northern Politicians Want To Incite The North Against President Jonathan - Maku

Labaran Maku, the Minister of Information,
has condemned those politicians who make
provocative statements, saying they want to
incite the North against the administration
and person of President Goodluck Jonathan
ahead of the 2015 general elections.
The Minister spoke in his office during a courtesy
call by a political awareness group, the Goodluck/
Sambo National Organisation of Ulama Media
Forum.
Mr. Maku observed that some politicians use the
media to make their statements against the
President.
"People who call themselves politicians, they will
go to radio stations, go to television stations and
make dangerous statements, which will create
confusion, create hatred, which will set people
against each other, which will incite violence.
"This is what we have been witnessing in the North
since 2011. Beginning with 2011 elections, we have
continued to witness this unfortunate tendency
from leaders, not all leaders, some leaders among
us who are always inciting people.
"You will recollect that during the 2011 general
elections, especially presidential election, people
tried to turn the election into a religious war," the
Minister noted.
Mr. Maku recalled that people lost their lives and
property just supporting the President in 2011
election, and said the trend must cease to exist.
"All these violence going on now in the North, it's
Northerners that are dying mostly. If you say you
love your house, you will not go and cause
confusion in your house or set it on fire," the
Minister observed.
"Since independence, we have more Northerners
ruling Nigeria and people did not cause trouble
because we were ruling.
"Whenever we were President, whether military
head of state or civilian, the Southerners did not
say Let there be war because some Northerners
are ruling or Let us raise a religious war or Let's
create confusion in the country. We ruled and ruled
and ruled and they cooperated with us".
He denied the allegation that President Jonathan is
'anti-North' by pointing out that the North is
developing "far better" now than at the times when
Northeners ruled Nigeria. He named a number of
projects situated in the North.
He urged politics from the North to appreciate
President Jonathan's efforts in the region and
support his administration.
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MUST READ: INEC Releases the Timetable for the 2015 General Elections

The Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC) released the timetable for
the 2015 general elections in the night of
January 24, 2014, Friday.
The Commission also announced the timetable for
the conduct of the governorship election in both
Ekiti and Osun States. Both states have early
elections.
In a three-paragraph statement INEC revealed that
the presidential and National Assembly elections
would come first.
Nigerians will elect the President, as well as the
members of the national legislature , on February
14, 2015.
Elections for governors, as well as members of the
36 state houses of assembly, are scheduled for
February 28, 2015.
The Ekiti State governorship election is to hold on
June 21, 2014 while that of Osun State will hold on
August 9, 2014.
It would be noted that INEC faces a major test and
unprecedented challenge in conducting next year's
general elections.
The recent upheavals in the ruling Peoples
Democratic Party, as well as a dramatic rise in the
rhetoric of supporters and opponents of President
Goodluck Jonathan, have provoked speculations
that a rigged election could precipitate a level of
post-poll violence that has not been witnessed in
Nigeria in a long time.

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Aso Rock Clinic’s VIP Section Gets More Funds Than Two Federal Teaching Hospitals-PREMIUM TIMES

The federal government will this year pump
more cash into constructing an elite wing of the
presidential clinic in Abuja where only a few big
and mighty will receive attention, a spending
that dwarfs the total funds allocated by
government for entire developmental projects
of two federal university teaching hospitals.
Under the proposed 2014 budget laid to the
National Assembly last December, the
"Construction of a VIP Wing at the State House
Clinic will cost N705 million."
That amount surpasses the government's
budgeted cost for the building of new wards
(buildings), laboratories and all other
developmental projects in two university
teaching hospitals.
For instance, the University of Ilorin Teaching
Hospital and the University of Benin Teaching
Hospital, have been allocated a total of N662
million for capital expenditure this year.
The two medical facilities are only part of a
long list of teaching hospitals which have their
capital spending this year outdone by the VIP
budget, tagged in the budget as SHMC- State
House Medical Clinic.
Among 17 tertiary hospitals in the nation
compared with the State House clinic,
University of Ilorin's allocation of N310 million
will be the least if the National Assembly
approves the budget as submitted.
Other similar hospitals receive a little above
N310 million, and some up to N550 million.
The only teaching hospitals with capital
budgets exceeding the spending for the Aso
Rock elite facility are Nnamdi Azikiwe
University, Awka, with N727 million; and the
University of Nigeria, Nsukka, with N1.9 billion.
The skewed allocations are only the latest
revelation from Nigeria's scandalous national
budget, tainted for years by spending plans
that provide more funding for services
available to a few powerful public officials,
from the president and his ministers to federal
lawmakers, while relatively little go to those
that should benefit the public.
Analysts have for years criticized the
allocations and have struggled to draw
government's attention for serious corrections.
"A country like Nigeria with its negative
developmental indices cannot fritter away
resources that are best conserved for national
development," said Ikeazor Akaraiwe of The
Rule of Law Collective, a Nigerian civic
platform which first raised concerns with the
presidential medical spending.
In a statement to the media on Monday, the
group described the 2014 budget before the
National Assembly as the worst ever proposed
in the nation's history, and laid the
responsibility on the finance minister, Ngozi
Okonjo-Iweala.
"It is an affront to the sensibilities of the
teeming poor in our country when a budget
that smacks of profligacy and utter waste is
tabled before the National Assembly to be
passed into law in their name," the group said.
"This budget and the 1,820 pages in which it
was written, in all likelihood, will go down in
history as one of the worst budgets ever
proposed. It represents a complete detachment
from reality. It is a shame that this budget
proposal was tabled under the watch of Dr
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. So much more was
expected of her and it is disappointing that she
has let this budget proposal proceed under her
hand. The ultimate responsibility, though, must
lie with President Goodluck Jonathan."
The group also raised concerns with what it
reflected as the lopsided allocation on military
spending versus spending on the rehabilitation
of ex-militants. Read their full statement here.
On Monday, in a rare admission of that
possibility, the Director General, Budget Office
of the Federation, Bright Okogu, acknowledged
there were multiple errors in the new budget,
but said they were "glitches" caused by the use
of the Government Integrated Financial and
Management Information System, GIFMIS, a
new budgeting tool.
He referred to the allocation of millions of naira
to non-existent projects like the huge sums
allocated to the Mathematical Centre, Sheda,
Investment and Securities Tribunal and other
agencies for fuelling and maintenance of
aircraft, boats and railway equipment.
Those agencies however own no aircraft, boats
or even railway equipment.
"What happened was that GIFMIS, being a new
system, had some glitches that reflected in
some of the provisions. It is not totally
strange," Mr. Okogu said at the presentation of
the budget details on Monday, by Mrs. Okonjo-
Iweala. "Many of you have read about the
Obamacare and the challenges they had in
actually implementing it. It is a big system,
bigger than ours, but with the same features.
The State House Clinic, pointed out by the Rule
of Law Collective, is not open to the public.
Currently, only staff of the State House are
allowed services.
But the planned wing is expected to be used to
provide exclusive services to the president and
his vice, and senior government leaders visiting
the presidential villa.
The N705 million allocated for the VIP wing of
the hospital will not be the first, as the same
construction had earlier received N300 million
in 2012-totaling N1billion for just that unit.
Meanwhile, upgrades, repairs and construction
in the entire hospital cost at least N506 million
in 2011, N401 million in 2012, and over N300
million in 2013.

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Fresh APC Violence Rocks Ogun - PREMIUM TIMES

Another round of political violence was on
Wednesday recorded in Ogun State. The
violence occurred at Ota Town, Ado/Odo-Ota
Local Government Area where suspected
political thugs unleashed terror on the
secretariat of a serving senator, Akin Odunsin.
Several people were allegedly hacked with
machetes and are now receiving treatment in a
hospital.
The suspects were alleged to be working for a
factional leader of the troubled All Progressives
Congress, APC, the ruling party in the state.
As at the time of filing this report, the Ogun
State Commissioner of Police, Ikemefuna
Okoye, had raced to the troubled spot in the
company of DCP operations, Muhammed
Abdulkadri; Area Commander, Titi Kayode; and
Divisional Police Officer of Ota, Gabriel Idibie.
Several people including police officers were
injured in a similar violence in the state last
week.
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BoI, NYSC sign MoU on entrepreneurial skills for corpers

The Bank of Industry, BoI and the National Youth
Service Corps, NYSC have signed a Memorandum
of Understanding, MoU on entrepreneurial skill
development for youths in the country just as a
corps member got N3.8m collateral-free loan. The
bank had sought collaboration with the NYSC to
train and empower corps members in various
entrepreneurial skills and give them collateral-free
loan as capital and expansion of business
initiatives.
BoI Managing Director, Ms. Eveyln Oputu at the
signing of the MoU with the Director General of
the scheme, Brigadier General Johnson Olawunmi
in Abuja said Nigerian youths are extremely
talented and deserve to be supported.
She believed that the acquisition of skills and the
loan to help the youths start up their own
businesses would reduce the craze for white collar
jobs and build them to be self-reliant.
Oputu said that the idea of collaborating with
NYSC on Skill Acquisition & Entrepreneurship
Development, SAED, was born out of
unemployment challenges youth Corps members
face when they complete their youth service
programme. Oputu said that the partnership will
cut across various disciplines such as learning an
entrepreneurial trade skill, engineering skills for
those who are not good in trading skills as well as
sports among other disciplines.
She stated, "We will train them [corps members]
in skill acquisition. We know that not everybody
has the ability to learn entrepreneurial skills, some
have the skills to do business, some are good in
engineering and they can transform the rural
areas in our country because they can help to
transform the roads, also those in sports who can
train children in sports. Bank of Industry is trying
to collaborate with people to do a football
academy and basketball."

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