Obasanjo and his critics 2 - Vanguard

Last week I argued that former President Olusegun Obasanjo and his critics are part of the hunchbacks that have been weighing the country down since the end of the civil war.

I also stated that unless these morally primitive men and others like them are rendered impotent in the geopolitical power equation of this country, our legitimate aspiration for a better future in Nigeria would be an exercise in futility.

Now, I wish to enlarge on some of the issues I broached last time in order to bring into bold relief the problem of mediocre leadership that has retarded Nigeria ’s evolution to a great country.

I would like to begin our analysis with Chief Obasanjo. Clearly if the former president is honest to himself, he must accept that his eight year tenure was characterized more by failures than by successes.

Taking the power sector first because the on-going probe by the House of Representatives committee on Power and Steel has thrown the sordid happenings in that sector from 1999 to 2008 to the front burner of public discourse, Obasanjo’s failure is heart-rending.

ow can 13.28 billion dollars be spent on power and yet the energy situation in the country presently is worse than what obtained during the much inveighed regime of late Sani Abacha? Can the former president, in moments of solitary silent meditation, sincerely accept that he did a good job in the energy sector? Full Story

Grange, Others As Casualties of Yar'Adua's Corruption War - Daily Champion

FOR obvious reason, a number of thoughts would be running through the mind of Prof. Adenike Grange now. Since last Tuesday when she and the minister of state in the ministry, Gabriel Aduku bowed to pressure and bade an unwilling farewell to the cabinet of President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua over a N300m scam, Grange may have been inaundated with thoughts of how she could have avoided her unceremonious ouster.

However, no matter the plethora of thoughts that may be cruising through her mind, it is absolutely too late in the day for the woman. What would be troubling the former minister is not just that she was booted out of the administration in less than a year, but that she left the cabinet with her face down. Full Story

The Health Ministry scandal - Daily Sun

Last week, the Minister of Health, Professor (Mrs.) Adenike Grange, and the Minister of State in the health ministry, Mr. Gabriel Aduku, took a disgraceful exit from public office over alleged financial misconduct. The ministers were forced to resign their appointments by President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua on March 25, 2008, for flouting a Presidential directive which required that all unspent money from the 2007 budget be returned to the treasury, at the end of 2007.

Grange and Aduku were alleged to have joined four directors and eight other officials of the Health Ministry to share N300 million from the unspent funds through last minute contracts that did not follow due process and fraudulent " Christmas bonuses" for themselves. The Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Health were reported to have also got about N20 million of the looted funds for a capacity building trip to Ghana, although the House of Representatives Committee claims to have returned the money and put the trip on hold when it realized the funds were looted.

Ministry officials involved in the scam have been suspended from their duties in line with civil service regulations. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which investigated the scandal following a tip off by a disgruntled health ministry official, says it has established sufficient grounds for the prosecution of the two ministers. They are to be prosecuted by the office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Michael Aondoakaa.
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Two Parties Reject Ballot Papers - Daily Champion

AHEAD of tomorrow's governorship election in Kogi State, All Nigeria People Party (ANPP) and Action Congress (AC) have rejected the ballot papers, threatening to boycott the election if they were not changed.

Also, the Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) in charge of Zone 8, Mr. Tunji Alapini has declared Col. Suleiman Babanawa (rtd), Karimi Osama and Mr. Jeremiah Abu wanted for allegedly sponsoring violence and politically-motivated killings that engulfed the state in recent times.

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Yar'Adua Fires the First Salvo? - Thisday

26 March 2008
Posted to the web 26 March 2008

Abdulrazaque Bello-Barkindo
Lagos

As President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua finally weighs in on the financial misconduct that has dogged the Federal Ministry of Health, which snags the Minister, Prof. Adenike Grange, the Minister of State, Chief Gabriel Aduku, and several directors of her ministry in the EFCC web, the question now is: has the President finally sighted the starting blocks for work to begin?

Precisely a fortnight ago, EFCC sources told newsmen that the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Professor Samuel Ogamdi, Director of Administration, H.B Oyedepo, and the Director of Finance were also guests of the anti-graft agency. Full Story

Yar’Adua re-appoints provost for Yola COE - The Tide

President Umaru Yar’Adua has approved the re-appointment of Dr Aminu Chiroma as the provost of the Federal College of Education, Yola, Adamawa.

A statement signed by Malam Suleman Garba, Head Public Relations Unit of the National Commission for Colleges of Education, said the re-appointment took effect from March 2008.

The letter signed by the Minister of Education, Dr Igwe Ajah-Nwachukwu congratulated the provost and wished him a successful tenure. Full Story

Playing Hanky-Panky With Budget 2008 - Leadership

It is totally disgusting that the National Assembly has continued to play hanky-panky over the 2008 budget proposal submitted to it since November last year by President Yar'Adua, for vetting.

By the provisions of s. 80 (2) of the 1999 Constitution, "No moneys shall be withdrawn from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation except to meet expenditure that is charged upon the fund by this Constitution or where the issue of those moneys has been authorized by an Appropriation Act or an Act passed in pursuance of section 81 of this Constitution". Section 80 (3) stresses that "No moneys shall be withdrawn from any public fund of the Federation, other than the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation, unless the issue of those moneys has been authorised by an Act of the National Assembly", while s. 80 (4) drives home the intendment of these provisions by stating that "No moneys shall be withdrawn from the Consolidated Revenue Fund or any other public fund of the Federation, except in the manner prescribed by the National Assembly". Full Story

President Yar'Adua Tasks Petroleum Ministry - Nigeria First

28 March 2008
Posted to the web 28 March 2008

Abuja

President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua has directed the Ministry of Petroleum to hold talks immediately with ExxonMobil regarding the oil company's proposals to build a gas-to-gasoline plant in Nigeria.

The President was speaking when he received an ExxonMobil delegation, led by Mr. Rex Tillerson, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, at State House, on Friday, March 28. Full Story

Probe into Nigeria’s Energy Contract ‘Opens a Can of Worms’; Obasanjo Should be Questioned

Abuja, Nigeria: A Nigerian anti-corruption committee has asked President Umaru Yar’Adua to order a full probe into the administration of his predecessor Olusegun Obasanjo. The request follows revelations that energy contracts were rewarded to non-existent energy companies between 1999 and 2007. In response to the findings, the Obasanjo administration said it was trying to improve the poorly performing power industry. Full Story

Nigerian Group Calls for Wider Corruption Investigation - VOA

By Gilbert da Costa Abuja 21 March 2008

Da Costa report - Download (MP3)
Da Costa report - Listen (MP3)

A Nigerian anti-corruption committee has asked President Umaru Yar'Adua to order a full probe into the administration of his predecessor Olusegun Obasanjo. The request follows revelations that energy contracts were rewarded to non-existent energy companies between 1999 and 2007. In response to the findings, the Obasanjo administration said it was trying to improve the poorly performing power industry. Gilbert da Costa reports for VOA from Abuja.

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Contract Scam On Power Sector Worse Than Robbery - NLC

The Kaduna State Chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Danladi Bissalah, has said that the on-going revelations before the House of Representatives Committee Public Hearing on Power and Steel were more than day light robbery.

He insisted that a situation where billions of Naira had been spent without commensurate improvement in the power sector was not only tragic but criminally rooted. The labour leader, who spoke at the official inauguration of the multi-million naira office complex constructed by Nigeria Union of Teachers, (NUT) Endwell Scheme in Kaduna at the weekend, said that it is difficult to believe that contractors could collect funds without executing the project on which such money was made for.

He said the monumental fraud in the power sector was an indication that the immediate past government of former president Obasanjo was full of corruption that is worse than armed robbery, adding that the culprits should not only be made to refund the monies but should as well be punished. Full Story

Tribunal chairman promotion is the worst kind of corruption - Agoro (Story By Vanguard)

Dr Olapade Agoro is the national chairman of Conference of Nigeria Political Parties,CNPP, and the Presidential Candidate of National Action Council,NAC, under which platform he contested election alongside president Yar’Adua last year. The non-provision of Agoro’s picture and party logo has been blamed for his loss at the polls and Agoro filed a case at the presidential elections tribunal but his case never got listed nor got mentioned. His efforts to get justice so far has failed and in this encounter, he answers questions on the issues pertaining to the Presidential Elections tribunal. Read Full Story

Power committee turns pressure on Yar’Adua - BusinessDay

The power committee set up by the president Umaru Yar’Adua and given a month to submit its report, yesterday effectively put the ball in the court of the president to act on its recommendations as it turned in its report, two days ahead of schedule.

Business Day yesterday exclusively reported that the committee had completed its work and was to submit its report to the president , well within the time it was given.
The committee hadindeed planned to do just this as it began its work, with sources close to it, at the time telling Business Day that completing its work in good time would give the president the impetus to act and not put it away on the shelf as it had been with past government practices.
Yesterday, both committee members and presidency officials kept sealed lips after the hour-long meeting with the president at the presidential villa, Abuja. Majority of Nigerians who have suffered untold hardship and industries that have continued to suffer major losses, as a result of the power crises, will now be looking to see the first action the president will take after yesterday’s presentation.
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Yar'Adua says some Nigerian major cities to have metrolines - afriquenligne

Lagos, Nigeria - Nigerian President Umaru Yar'Adua said Saturday in Shang hai, China, that the Federal Government would soon embark on the development of m etro lines for some major cities in the country and would welcome Chinese technical a ssistance for the successful execution of the projects.

Speaking at the Shanghai Shentong Metro Company on the last day of his state vis it to China, President Yar'Adua said his administration was currently exploring o ptions for financing the project. Full Story

Nigeria's President Umaru Yar'Adua has promised that his country's 140 million people will no longer suffer power outages by 2011. - Africa News

In addition, he said his administration would double the current power generation, estimated at below 3,000MW, within a year.

President Yar'Adua made the promises while addressing a gathering of Chinese investors hosted by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Friday, as part of his visit to China. Full Story

Nigeria: Lawyers Divided Over Verdict on Yar'Adua - African Path

All Africa reports, "The Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal, sitting in Abuja, on Tuesday, dismissed the petitions of former Head of State and presidential candidate of the All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP), Alhaji Muhammadu Buhari, and Atiku Abubakar, former Vice-president and presidential candidate of Action Congress (AC). Full Story

"Why we can’t fight Yar’Adua — Reps" - Vanguard

Written by LEON USIGBE Abuja

Sunday, 02 March 2008

***Amid alleged moves to impeach Bankole for being pro-president AGainst the backdrop of the reported disillusionment of members of the House of Representatives over alleged lack of will by the speaker, Rt. Hon. Dimeji Bankole, to confront President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua on policy issues and subsequent attempt to engineer his removal, some members of the House have posited that it would be counter-productive for the legislature to fight the president. Full Story

Tribunal judgement: Postponing the evil day? - Nigerian Tribune

"This is not a serious country. We have a long way to go!”“What, just because the tribunal upheld Yar’Adua’s election and dismissed Buhari / Atiku’s petition? I think you are the unserious one. How else could it have gone? I think the judgement was sound, proper and welcome by most people.” Full Story

... Why Yar’Adua plans cabinet reshuffle - Nigerian Tribune

THE government of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua is now set to take the fast lane in performance following its resolve to bring in fresh hands to galvanise its activities in a cabinet reshuffle which it is currently proposing.

The need for cabinet reshuffle by the president according to findings is necessitated by reported low performances of most of the current cabinet members, a development considered as inimical to the application of the president’s 7-point agenda.

According to investigations, the proposed cabinet shake up was required more for the need to accommodate members of the opposition parties who had subscribed to idea of Government of National Unity propagated by the President shortly after he assumed office in May 29. Full Story

Yar’Adua and PDP chairmanship: Between the devil and the deep blue sea - Nigerian Tribune

By Jackson Udom
President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua This is truly a trying period for President Umar Yar’Adua. It is even more turbulent than what he faced during the temporarily settled legal enquiries into his emergence as Nigeria’s president via the pronouncement made by the Professor Maurice Iwu-led Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Compared with the current debacle the president would have to grapple with in the next few days, the challenge at the tribunal is to say the least, a child’s play, because the President from all indications, appeared to have been caught in between the devil and deep blue sea on who to support as far as the party’s chairmanship is concerned. Full Story