Jagaban Is Nigeria’s Svengali With Buhari's Victory Says Financial Times

From his redoubt on Bourdillon road in upmarket Lagos, a man popularly known as the Jagaban cemented his reputation this week as a political Svengali with the role he played helping to orchestrate the downfall of Nigeria’s sitting president, Goodluck Jonathan.
Bola Ahmed Tinubu, whose name comes from a chieftaincy title bestowed on him by the town of Borgu, in Nigeria’s north, was from 1999 to 2007 the provincial governor of the country’s economic engine, the coastal state and megacity of Lagos.

The political godfather of Nigeria’s south west, Mr Tinubu’s unlikely alliance with the austere former military ruler, now president-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, made possible the first opposition victory in Nigeria’s electoral history.

“There needed to be an alignment for us to be able to stare down the government in power. There needed to be a catalyst for that alignment. He was the most prepared for that,” says one of Mr Tinubu’s lieutenants.

GMB

The manner in which that alignment evolves, is now among the big questions Nigerians are asking when considering the likely character of the incoming administration.

Described as “deeply Machiavellian” and a “master strategist” by one of his party peers, the Jagaban has cannily built a political empire among ethnic Yorubas in Lagos and the south west, as formidable, according to allied politicians, as that of Obafemi Awolowo, who led Nigeria’s second largest ethnic block at independence.
He did so over the past decade and a half, having survived a string of bruising turf wars with the ruling People’s Democratic party, which was forged from political networks across Nigeria during the 1998 transition from military rule.
PDP barons had become so adept since at oiling the electoral machine, that they sometimes boasted the party would still be in power in 100 years.
It was the merger of the Action Congress last year, with the party of the president-elect, strong in the north but weak elsewhere, that made it possible for the opposition to challenge and ultimately defeat the PDP. The two parties between them controlled block support in both of Nigeria’s most populous regions; Mr Tinubu’s in the south west and Gen Buhari’s in the north west.
“I am in the same union as Buhari to salvage a Nigeria that is drifting and that has faced a storm of economic deterioration,” Mr Tinubu said at a celebration party at his house this week. Outside the formidable gates, a mob of hundreds of young men ecstatic at the success of their city patron, were shouting “Jagaban”.
Yet the Jagaban is a controversial figure, resented by some for the dominating machine politics he has brought to the south west, but adored by others, especially in Lagos, who see his hand behind the remarkable renaissance of the city in the past 15 years.
Once a byword for urban decay, Lagos has begun to thrive under Babatunde Fashola, who Mr Tinubu promoted as his successor as governor, and then sometimes shielded from the rough and tumble of politics as he went about reviving the city with technocratic verve.
Mr Tinubu attributes the success of the campaign, the most disciplined by an opposition group in Nigeria’s history and sophisticated in terms of the data monitoring it used to keep on top of events, to compromise.
“Our defined objective is on the plank of a progressive social welfare programme. Once we agreed to that then we consolidated the merger,” he says, of last year’s deal, which superseded a less formal alliance that came unstuck in 2011 polls.
Against expectations the party survived a tough contest for the leadership, which saw Mr Tinubu’s candidate, a Christian pastor and Lagos lawyer, Yemi Osinbajo, win the vice-presidential slot.
The future of the union could now determine how effective Nigeria’s incoming government is in office.
Some leading members of the victorious opposition worry about the compatibility of Mr Tinubu and Gen Buhari and about the influence the former might wield, without any formal position in the party, in the forthcoming battle over federal government appointments.
In the immediate future, Mr Tinubu is likely to be distracted by his battle to maintain influence in Lagos, where his preferred candidate for governor is facing a tough challenge in the polls on April 11. “There is no need for a power struggle. We are concentrating our efforts in reversing the decay,” Mr Tinubu says.
He is not a politician who is insecure. According to both detractors and fans, one of his attributes, rare among older politicians in Nigeria, has been to spot talent and nurture it. He absorbed this lesson according to one ally, when working at ExxonMobil.
“We bring talent to governance. We don’t want Lilliputians. We want people who can think and act,” he said. Among the bright, young crowd in his small, home office in attendance, were perhaps some of Nigeria’s future leaders.

By William Wallis in Lagos for FT 

WHEN RIHANNA’S DJs, BLACK CHINEY TORE QUILOX APART DURING HEINEKEN GREEN LIGHT PARTY

 

It was on a breezy Easter Sunday 5 April as Heineken Green Light Party played host to A-list celebrities, who came to party with Rihanna's DJs, Black Chiney at Club Quilox, Victoria Island.

Celebrities including Sound Sultan, Uti Nwachukwu, Banky W, DJ Jimmy JATT, IK Ogbonna, TV host, Ill Rymz, Mr 2Kay, JJC Skillz joined other fun seekers to dance and sing along to the exciting music from the DJ's turntable.

Other celebrities present include Nigeria’s rep at the 2014 Big Brother Africa, Melvin Oduah, Phyno, Sexy Steel among others.

The Heineken Green Light party debuted last year with three international DJs; Benny D, Babey Drew and Tim Westwood teaming up with indigenous DJs, Neptune, Spinall and Xclusive to deliver an amazing club experience for clubbers.

 

See photos below

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo Credit: BHM Group

Ekiti Lawmakers Ambushed By Soldiers, Thugs

Fayose & Dr. Omirin

The 19 members of the Ekiti State House of Assembly were today ambushed by thugs and men of the Nigerian Army at the popular Itawure in Ekiti on their way to Ado Ekiti, the state capital.
The lawmakers, all members of the All Progressives Congress, APC were prevented from proceeding to the state capital to continue with their impeachment plot against the State Governor Ayo Fayose.
The controversial governor has been served impeachment notice served via e-mail.
The soldiers prevented them from going further and shunned the protest by the lawmakers who claimed they had applied for police protection in a letter to the Inspector General of Police which was granted.
A copy of the letter dated April 2, 2015 (shown below) stated that they needed the police protection in order to discharge their legislative duties.

A source said the soldiers who laid ambush for the lawmakers may have been led by a Brigadier General, whose name had featured prominently in the Ekitigate rigging tape saga.

However, as the lawmakers were allegedly delayed by the soldiers at the spot, thugs numbering over 80 were said to have emerged brandishing dangerous weapons and made to attack the lawmakers before they turned back from their journey .

 

Buhari Uncovered: What People Dont Know About Him By Tam David West

Prof. Tam David West

Professor Tam David-West served as Min­ister of Petroleum and Energy when the new President-elect, Gen Muhammadu Buhari (retd), was the Military Head of State from 1984 to 1985. In this interview in Ibadan, the professor of virology talks extensively on the person of Buhari that millions of Nigerians do not know. Excerpts:

Will it be right to describe Gen Buhari’s win in the just concluded presidential election as a personal victory to you?
It cannot be a personal victory to me; that will be too much. It’s victory to Nigerians, victory to those people in Nigeria, who have over the years have supported this cause. It is not for me. I was only one person telling peo­ple what he is. I have worked with him and I know him. I worked very closely with him.

As an oil minister, I was closer to him than most ministers because we have hotlines; few ministers had hotlines with him. Whenever I talk about Buhari, I am talking about somebody I know. I am not talking about stereotype, am talking about somebody I know first­hand.

He has good qualities. He is a unique man. The for­mer Head of State, Abdulsalami Abubakar, described him as an extraordinary Nigerian.

Why do I love him? First, he is very honest. He is not corrupt at all. He’s disciplined and he’s focused. I worked with Buhari and I worked with Babangida (Gen Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida, retd). If you give a 20- page memo to Buhari by 9:00 this morning, by 10 he has finished reading it and he will ask you to come. When you get there, you will see that he has read it and made notes. If you give the same memo to Babangida, he would not read it for one week.

Buhari loves Nigeria, not only because he was a sol­dier and signed his life for Nigeria, I know from all the people around, he’s the only person that I can vouch for. They used to insult me that Jonathan (President Good­luck Jonathan) is Ijaw and I am an Ijaw man too, why am I supporting a Fulani man? I am not going to support you because you are Ijaw, I am going to support you to lead Nigeria and do well for the country

I have written two books on Buhari: one is who really is Gen Buhari and the other one is 16 sins of Buhari, which are qualities of Buhari. In the book, I wrote on the lies they are telling about him. In fact, Femi Adesina (Managing Director of The Sun newspapers) was the master of ceremony when I launched the book at NI­IA(Nigerian Institute of International Affairs) in Lagos.

I have a third book on him, which I have not finished – General Buhari: A Rare Gem. I don’t have Buhari’s phone number. I don’t phone him. Why do I do that? It’s because I don’t want to be tempted to be phoning him to discuss. If I want to talk to Buhari, I know how.
Buhari can turn this country around. I have strong faith in this. If my father is contesting an election against Gen Buhari as president, I will vote for Buhari, not my father. I will tell my father: I know you are a good man. But you have no business with politics. You cannot do it. you are a banker, go and manage money. I cannot vote for you because Buhari will do better than you. Buhari is a fantastic man. For example, they are talking of economy while the greatest problem in Nigeria is corruption. If you can take care of corruption, everything will fall in place. Gen Buhari refused to devalue the naira in spite of the fact that when he came to power, Nigeria was broke. Shagari (Alhaji Shehu Shagari, former president of Ni­geria), was negotiating for N2billion IMF loan before he was overthrown.

Buhari told me he would not take IMF loan. I asked him why and he said: If you take loan of N2billion now, we will not be able to finish paying it before we leave. So, the debt will be there for our children. He’s as care­ful as that.

You must have read that Buhari cancelled Lagos metro line. It is a lie. I have published the story before. I don’t write anything without a research. I phoned him on it and he said: No, when we came to power on January 1, 1984, Nigeria did not know how much foreign debt they are owing. They don’t know the figure. Shagari did not know.

He said Lagos State came with a project, which would gulp over N100billion or so, guaranteed by the Federal Government. It’s a big loan for the project in those days. He said Federal Government could not guarantee the loan of N100billion when we did not know how much we are owing. So, Lagos State government thought of it, looked at it and jettisoned it by itself. He told me: Look professor, how can I cancel a project that I am not part of? I cannot cancel it.

Buhari cited another example. He said when he was in PTF (Petro­leum Trust Fund), the first N1.2 billion they made was spent on Lagos waterworks. Many people just write, they don’t investigate. This is why I don’t have respect for so many people called intellectuals. When Bu­hari was Head of State, $1.5 was N1:00; today, it is over N190 to $1 dollar. Then, it was N2 to £1; today it is over N240 to £1.

As regards the economy, they are talking that the oil price has fallen. Oil is still being sold for $57 per barrel. When Buhari came to power, oil price was $30 per barrel. During that time too, it went down to about $15. But he managed the economy.

When OPEC (Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries) decided to get the market share, oil price fell to about $15 per barrel, yet we survived. We survived because of good lead­ership and good focus. Now, they are saying the oil price is coming down, what will Buhari do?

I am absolutely certain that Buhari will turn the economy round. Why? It is because some of the blueprints he had to turn the economy round, he had not implemented before he was overthrown. I know that some of the blueprints are still on his table. So, one of the blueprints we used was very ingenious. The London Financial Times of May 1984 said it was extra-ordinary. We made IMF irrelevant. It is very simple. The economy can move.

I trust and love Buhari. He said something when he was launching his book in Port Har­court and I am very humbled by it. He said: Ser­vice to our country brought Tam and I together and the ideals we share in common make us friends. He said: Tam is somebody you can trust and that he can go to the forest with him, with­out being afraid.

I like him. Everything I have said about Gen Buhari cannot be controverted. He can change this country round. He loves the common man. In 1984, I took a memo to the council on oil price, but Buhari said even if we increase the oil price by 10 kobo or five kobo, kerosene price must never be increased. Senator Chris Anyan­wu is still alive, she can bear me witness.

What is happening today? They have trillions of naira as kerosene subsidy, which is a lie.

During Buhari’s time, we never imported one litre of petrol; we were even exporting petrol. Why is it so? It’s because you don’t need a mid­dleman. There is no petrol subsidy. Buhari and I had said it independently, even Gani Fawehin­mi. If you are talking about subsidy, why do you need a middleman? The Nigerian middlemen go and import a refined product from abroad. Of course, they inflate the price by giving us all sorts of figures.

The petrol price in Nigeria should not be more than N40 per litre. They were abusing me. I challenged Okonjo Iweala (Minister of Fi­nance and Coordinating Minister of Economy) to a debate, she never came. A professor of pe­troleum of Nigeria in Texas wrote to one of the people and I still have a copy in my house, that petrol price in Nigeria should not be more than about N35 per litre.

Why is it so? It’s because he’s a focused man. He’s not making money from it. Buhari has not got oil bloc. He has no oil contract. As I am talking to you now, it is not because I am righteous, I have never had oil listing contract, oil bloc and shares in oil companies. When oil companies were advertising for shares, which I could buy like any other Nigerian; neither Bu­hari, nor myself bought shares in those compa­nies.

Even, if they gave us 1,000 shares, they gave to us because he was Head of State and I was Minister of Petroleum. He is as careful as that. Buhari served this country well and he can turn it round. I am happy and I thank Almighty God, He has brought him back. What has happened is a great victory for Nigeria and we must give all glory to God.

We saw different images of Gen Bu­hari portrayed by the opposition during the electioneering such as being a dic­tator, religious bigot and ethnic jingoist. But you have always been a defender of his persona. Now, Nigerians have given their verdict on what they think of the opposition campaign. But there are fears that military mentality and tem­perament may come to the fore.

Do you know that Buhari’s executive coun­cil was more democratic than Shagari’s parlia­ment? When he was Military Head of State, he never liked the word president. While Baban­gida preferred Military President, Buhari pre­ferred Head of State. Buhari’s executive coun­cil, which is like the parliament now, was more democratic than Shagari’s government. I have evidence. There is nothing I tell you that I can­not support with paper evidence.

Shagari, when he was president, even com­plained that to get some of his bills passed, he had to pay his party men. I know a lawmaker, who complained to me that before he got to House to vote, they used to meet in a senator’s house in Victoria Island, Lagos, where they used to give them some money before they would go and vote for the party.

If a minister came to present a memo to the council, after the presentation, Buhari would ask every minister to make general comments about what they feel about the memo. Buhari and Tunde Idiagbon, of course, were there; they would not react as ministers. After the general comments, he would say we should vote.

In fact, I wrote an article entitled: Democ­racy in a Military Government. They could not believe it. Even at OPEC meetings, I had to explain to the Europeans that it was a mil­itary but we are running a democratic system. At the policy making level, Buhari would say: Gentlemen, you have finished speaking, how many ministers support the memo. If you are in support raise your hands. He will count it and put it down. How many ministers don’t support the memo? They raised their hands to. He would say: Gentlemen, 10 ministers support the memo, eight ministers did not support the memo. The memo is lost.

If we are operating a democratic system of decision making, it is not new to him now. For instance, I had a memo for some increase in pe­troleum tax, Buhari supported me and Idiagbon supported me. Buhari was so sure that after the memo, we would win. Buhari told the Attorney General that at the end of the memo, this part of NNPC law has to be changed. The Attorney Gen­eral walked up to me in council and said: Honour­able minister, look at this place, is it the place they are going to change after your memo if you win? I said yes. But I was so sure. But when I presented and voted, we lost. Buhari lost, Idiagbon lost and I lost. Buhari just said: Gentlemen, we have lost; take the next memo.

So, his coming now is not new. Democracy is not just about voting. It is a culture. Democracy is what you believe is right to be done. So, democra­cy is not new to Buhari.

There are fears that with the enormous power of the executive president under the presidential system of government, he may abuse his powers and bastardise our democracy like former President Olusegun Obasanjo purportedly did in the removal of Senate President, party leaders, EFCC selective persecution of opponents with impunity and so on. What is your take?

Professor Ben Nwabueze wrote a book after Obasanjo: How Obasanjo Destroyed Democracy in Nigeria. Why didn’t he write when Obasanjo was the president? I have a copy of the book in my house. Professor Nwabueze, a great man, but he published it after Obasanjo had left office.

Also, Odimegwu-Ojukwu said Obasanjo is a democratically elected president but he has mil­itary instinct; but not Buhari. Democarcy is not something you just jump into, you must believe in it. It must be part of our culture. Democratic ethos is part of Buhari’s life. He demonstrated it when he was Military Head of State that every member must be voted for democratically to the extent that he himself lost a memo when we voted.

In democracy, we have separation of powers – the executive, legislature and judiciary. We also have checks and balances. Buhari, for instance, is somebody that will not say like my friend, Obasanjo did sometime, he cannot cow down the legislature. Buhari will not influence the judicia­ry. In Buhari, Nigeria will have real democracy and separation of powers. The Buhari that I know will never interfere with the National Assembly. I know he will never interfere with the judiciary. It is his culture. So, there is nothing to fear.

To say that Buhari is a religious bigot is abso­lutely rubbish. If you read my book: 16 Sins of Bu­hari, you will discover that he is more religiously accommodating than anybody. People also called him an fundamentalist, sometime some people write without even thinking.

It was also speculated that he would Islamise Nigeria

No President can Islamise Nigeria. No Muslim Head of State can Islamise Nigeria. No Chris­tian Head of State can Christianise Nigeria. The constitution is very clear. Even during military government when constitution was suspended, no Head of State can do that. Do you know when he was Military Head of State, when there was no constitution, he could have done that. But he doesn’t believe in it.

Why do I say that? To change any part of the constitution, you need two-third majority of the states of the federation. To change a letter of the constitution, two-third of the federation must agree and the Houses of Assembly must agree. When he was Military Head of State, he could get that as a military man, he did not even attempt it. How can he attempt it now that it has to go to par­liament? He cannot Islamise Nigeria.

To say that Buhari is a religious fundamentalist is a credit. My family has been Christian for 106 years. I am an Anglican fundamentalist. When you say somebody is a fundamentalist, it means that he believes in his religion. I am a Christian fundamentalist. I believe in the Bible. If you are a Muslim fundamentalist, you believe in Quran. So, what is wrong about that? I don’t go to church on Sunday and go to Babalawo at night.

Three of Buhari’s domestic staff are Christians. His confidential secretary is a Christian, his sec­ond security officer is a Christian, his second head driver is a Christian. They have been with him for years

Apart from being in his government, you have also, over the time, being his close friend; who is the Buhari that Ni­gerians do not know?

Buhari is more detribalised, more religious tolerant than anyone I have met. In 1984, I stopped OPEC meeting from taking place. We met in Geneva on December 22, 1984 for a tow-day meeting. We thought the meeting would finish latest December 24. But the leaders said the matter for discussion would not allow the meeting to end on December 24.

So, they said we should continue on Decem­ber 25, which was Christmas Day. I told them: I am sorry, I cannot stay here as Christian to have OPEC meeting on Christmas Day. I have to go. Over 80 per cent members of OPEC are Muslims. We argued. My friend, Saudi Arabia Oil Minister, Zaki Yamani, had been minister for 24 years. We talked. He said the OPEC has changed. He still insisted that we should have the meeting on December 25.

Yamani said sometime in the 70s, the OPEC meeting in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) went up to December 25, and King Faisal had dinner for both Christian and Muslim ministers. I said that’s very good. If a Christian leaves his home to go to Saudi Arabia for Christian dinner, then something is wrong with him. I said: Gentle­men, I am the leader of the Nigerian delegation, I am pulling out my delegation back to Nigeria tomorrow, December 23 and I pulled out Ni­gerian delegation, there was crisis in OPEC. I told them: Gentlemen, can you people have OPEC meeting on Eid-el-Maulud, date of birth of Prophet Mohammed? I object to it, you can go on.

Do you know some Christians had told Bu­hari to sack me for causing international crisis? I have written a book on this, nobody can chal­lenge me. I don’t say anything without record. When I arrived, I went to Dodan Barracks to re­port to Buhari, he said he saw everything on tele­vision and heard it on radio. Do you know what he did? He never sacked me. He congratulated me on what I did. He said we must respect each other’s religion. That same day, himself and Idi­agbon sent me Christmas presents.

Many of Buhari’s campaign sponsors, including the APC National Leader, Asi­waju Bola Tinubu and Rivers State gov­ernor, Rotimi Amaechi, are perceived to be corrupt. Would their relationship and influence on his government not affect the administration’s credibility?

They used to say, show me your friend and I will tell you what you are. There is nobody that is corrupt that can influence Buhari. He has made it clear that there would be no discrimi­nation in the fight against corruption. If you are corrupt, you cannot work with Buhari. If you are corrupt, shed that corruption before you come because he will disgrace you. His zero-tolerance for corruption is one of his cardinal strengths. He cannot change it.

The 2014 National Conference con­vened by President Goodluck Jonathan came out with over 600 resolutions, most of which are perceived to be against the North. Gen Buhari is from the North and his party, APC did not believe in the conference. Do you think Buhari will implement the resolutions?

They are talking about National Conference and Petroleum Industry Bill. There are a lot of things that came up at that National Conference that were nonsense. As one of the people that drafted the 1979 Constitution, Wayas and Ona­goruwa, said it is the best constitution. But it is not constitution, it is Nigerians. With the state of Nigerian system, people are lying. But that system was just aided by the military. Murtala Mohammed gave them a blanket cheque. I must correct this image, there are lies against Murtala Mohammed, including some people that drafted the constitution.

Murtala Mohammed, I have the speech inau­gurating 49 of us, gave us free hands to oper­ate. He asked us to suggest anything we like on how to move this nation forward. Why do you choose presidential system? Many Nigerians wrote to us and over 80 per cent of Nigerians wanted presidential system because they are dis­pleased with the parliamentary system.

So, presidential system was chosen by Nige­rians, not by the military, not by 49 of us. The memos we received from Nigerian public, with­in and outside the country preferred presidential system. So, we chose presidential system be­cause of them, not because somebody told us to choose presidential system.

That we are not operating presidential sys­tem well is because Nigerians are corrupt. Why should a Nigerian senator earn more than the United States President, Barack Obama? The Americans have operated presidential system for over 200 years and they are still operating. America is one of the strongest economies in the world.

In Nigeria, we are wealthy, but we have a very poor economy. So, why should a senator in Ni­geria earn more than Obama? In fact, somebody once wrote that a senator in Nigeria can employ four Obamas. So, don’t blame the constitution. It is us.

On the allegation that he is from the North and he will not implement the National Conference resolutions, if I as an Ijaw man is the president and they bring the report of the conference be­fore me, I will sit on it. I know the drama they did there. A lot of things there are very divisive.

In fact, one of them said his tribe had 90 per cent of what they wanted as a people. Did you go there to work for Nigeria or your tribe? There were a lot of things at that National Conference that did not go through at all. If Jonathan imple­ments the resolutions, it is a disservice to Nige­ria. I will urge him never to implement them. There must be a plebiscite. A lot of things that were said there were not in the interest of Nige­ria. Many people went to fight for their ethnic groups.

So, that confab document should not be tak­en hook, line, and sinker. We must look at it very closely as Nigerians. Jonathan should not implement it because he is PDP. No. If Buhari doesn’t implement it, it is not because he is from the North. If they say most of the things they are saying there are against the North, is that how to pull Nigeria together? Did they go there to do one for the North and one for the South? We went there to discuss something that will unite Nigeria and move together as a people.

The confab document, as it is, should not be implemented because it is not in the interest of Nigeria. They must have another group to look at it and whatever comes out of that group must be sent to Nigerians for plebiscite.

The same thing happened to the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), don’t implement it. I am happy he has not implemented it. I have written 40 pages of comments on the PIB, which I will publish later. The PIB, which everybody was clamouring for, if he implements it the way it is, the petroleum industry will die.

There are a lot of things that will make foreign investors to run away from this county. Without the foreign investors, Nigeria cannot manage the oil industry alone. Shell, for instance, produces 50 per cent of our oil. Shell operates here and all over the world. If Shell closes its operation in Nigeria, Shell will not suffer, it is Nigeria that will suffer. Oil makes over 80 per cent of Nige­rian budget.

Nigerians cannot run the oil company without foreign participation because it is capital inten­sive. They provide the funds and the expertise. If we have well-trained Nigerians, what of the funds?

When Rilwan Lukman was there as the oil minister, what did he do? We have a Petroleum Institute in Effurun in Delta State, which is about to be upgraded to a university. Lukman estab­lished another petroleum institute in Kaduna. When they asked him why, he said it was estab­lished to train middle-class manpower.

So, the PIB is not as good as people think. I will advise Buhari not to implement it. He should set up another body. He should select and delegate 40 of us from different backgrounds, from different parts of the country and believe in Nigeria. Let them look at the document and produce a working document. Even at that, don’t sign it; send it as a plebiscite for Nigerians to vote for.

Given the perceived high level of corruption in the hierarchy of the Nige­rian military, how feasible is the Presi­dent-elect’s promise to bring a swift end to insurgency in the North East?

Buhari has been there before. Buhari stopped Maitatsine insurgency (of 1980). He was then a General Officer Commanding (GOC). Why has Jonathan not been able to do it? There is a bud­get for the military. They voted huge amount of money to buy equipment, it was there; they nev­er did anything. Buhari doesn’t need big project to fight corruption. Immediately Buhari is sworn in, corrupt people will shake. They will correct themselves and run away.

I was listening to the Minister of Works, Mike Onolememen; he said in one road contract alone, he was to find out that it was overestimated by N11billion. He said he was kind enough to can­cel it, and they never complained.

The same thing happened during Buhari’s time. A particular big man in Nigeria, whose name I will not mention, wrote to Buhari that in one contract he had, he was going to remove N10 million. Then, one of the ministers said, af­ter Buhari presented the letter to us, said: This is a very good thing. The government should write to the contractor to congratulate him. I said no.

What I am saying now, I have witness; Pat­rick Koshoni, former Chief of Naval Staff, is still alive. He is a very brilliant and articulate man. Some other ministers too are still alive. Kalu Idika Kalu is still alive. I said don’t con­gratulate him. If he on his own can give us N10 million, there will be other N10 million some­where. He cannot do the contract free. He was afraid that he would be caught. So, on his own, he purged himself of corruption.

Many corrupt people will run away from Nigeria without Buhari catching them. What I know is that the money they have taken from this country, he will bring it back.

On Boko Haram, Buhari is a General of repute and he fought Maitatsine insurgency, which was worse thanBoko Haram. Boko Ha­ram was started by politicians, like Niger Delta militants. They used them and dumped them. Maitatsine riot was not started by politicians. It was an upsurge of either religious or fanaticism. But Buhari was able to stop them.

During Shagari’s administration, Saad invad­ed some parts of Nigeria. Buhari was GOC and he drove them out. Even, when Shagari told him to stop, he said in one interview, that he refused to collect the Commander-in-Chief’s letter until he gave Cameroon breathing nose. He can do it. The military will be stronger and the military likes him because he knows where the shoes pinch.

What is your take on the agitations of the people that Buhari should probe the Jonathan administration and his aides as a result of alleged reports of monu­mental corruption under his administra­tion? But Buhari said he would not go after the past administration? What is your take on this?

Buhari said Jonathan has nothing to fear, yes I agree. But Jonathan has nothing to fear, pro­vided he has acted well. If he has not acted well, he has everything to fear. If there is any dirt in his cupboard, he has everything to fear because Buhari will clean the cupboard.

What do you think Buhari should do about people, who peddled vicious lies and campaign of hate against him, during electioneering, because a lot of people apparently believed them?

Two things; anything that has to do with libel, I will tell him not to forgive but go to court. He has already said he would take Femi Fani-Kayo­de to court. I am one of the witnesses. How can you so support somebody so much that you will be so wicked and so violent? Ayo Fayose (Ekiti State governor) said Buhari would die. But he was one of the first people to congratulate him; that is cheap now. He doesn’t impress me and he doesn’t impress Buhari.

What should he do? People that have been very wicked to him, called him name, take ac­tion against them. But don’t punish anybody because he or she abused you. If somebody says you are corrupt, make him to prove the corrup­tion.
Source: The NATION

Why Orubebe Acted That Disgraceful Role

On the morning of Tuesday 31 March, Godsday Orubebe, former Niger Delta minister and one of the agents of the Peoples Democratic Party at the International Collection Centre of Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in Abuja, caused Nigeria a global embarrassment.

Orubebe during the spectacle display in Abuja 

With the entire world glued to their television sets waiting for the announcement of the winner of the 28 March presidential elections between incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan and General Muhammadu Buhari, the Delta State-born self-acclaimed ‘Elder of a church’ slipped into a gangster mode.  

As the INEC chair, Professor Attahiru Jega was about to commence the announcement of the presidential election, Orubebe had interrupted the proceedings and called for the stoppage of the presentation of the results on Tuesday. And jaws dropped.

Orubebe, ranting on top of his voice, vilified and accused INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, of partial by taken sides with their rivals, All Progressives Congress, as well as called the chief electoral umpire, an ethnic bigot.

“You sent a committee to Rivers to probe what happened there. We submitted petitions to you about Kano, Jigawa, Katsina but you have not done anything about our complaints. You cannot continue with these results; we will not take it,” Orubebe kept shouting.

As Jega tried to calm him down and asked to be given a chance to respond, Orubebe became angrier.

With a reddened face and threatened bedlam should anyone attempted to move near him, Orubebe continued raking: “Mr. Jega, you cannot continue. Go to your office…You are partial. We don’t have any confidence in you. We will not allow this. Nigeria will not allow this. You cannot continue. You must stop the announcing of the results.”

After about 25 minutes of exhausting his boiling energy, he later calm down. And Jega responded as well as dressed him (Orubebe) down.

Jega....dressed down Orubebe

Since the very disgraceful incident, many have been so curious to know why a former minister of the federal republic of Nigeria, a supposedly clergy and leader could agree to act that ignominious role.

Orubebe is no doubt one of the most powerful members of President Jonathan’s inner caucus. 

Jonathan...ignored calls to investigate Orubere

The man from Ogboagbene, a tiny community in Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State, surely has the ears of the defeated incumbent president. And he has taken the advantage of this presidential privilege to engage in numerous sleazy activities.    

Investigations revealed that the former minister has a number of corrupt charges and petitions against his person waiting for the attention of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

Despite how grotesque those petitions were, Orubebe was said to have cling on to the apron of President Jonathan to escape the long hands of the anti-graft operatives. He was alleged to be in the habit of boasting that with his closeness to President Jonathan, he has effectively pocketed the EFCC and no amount of petitions no matter how serious can see the light of the day. And he was ready to do anything to maintain the status quo because with Jonathan out of office, he’s in soup. Thus he went out of his way to take on the role of that hatchet man in Abuja.

We reveal some of those things that made him do what he did: 

Two years ago as he was preparing to take a shot as a gubernatorial aspirant in Delta State,a group believed to be made up of loyalists of the Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark, petitioned the EFCC alleging that Orubebe, was involved in some shady activities and he cannot be the governor of Delta State in 2015 because of his alleged fraudulent activities and litigations awaiting him.

In the petition signed by Chief Godwin Ogbetuo, Dr. Brown Adasen, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, Wing Commander Biakpara (rtd), Col G.A Eboma (rtd), Chief Hope Erute and 22 other loyalists of Clark, the group accused Orubebe of series of corrupt practices ranging from contracts inflation among others.

The group alleged that Orubebe had used his position as the then Minister of Niger Delta Affairs to corruptly amass wealth for himself, He was accused of spending a whopping N1, 2billion on a canalization project in his small Ogboagbene community. He equally allegedly spent over N3 billion on building a concrete foreshore wall in his village, using contractors who are fronting for him, with a view of appropriating the money to himself.

According to the petition, the Skill Acquisition Centre meant for Delta State is also being built in his ward of which his small village is part of it. Apart from the main contractor, all other contractors are his blood relatives who are fronting for him to collect billions of tax to… which is part of Orubebe’s village in Burutu Local Government council.

Also against the recommendation of public procurement, the Edo State Acquisition Skill Centre awarded to Halgold Nigeria Ltd was terminated. Orubebe allegedly re-awarded the contract to Messrs TDCI-Sew Consortium for personal reasons of greed and self aggrandizement rather than for the good of the people, the petitioners revealed.

"…it should be noted that the contract for the Edo State Skill Acquisition Centre was initially awarded in March, 2010 at the cost of N2.7 billion but was voided by Godsday Orubebe without any reason and re-awarded to Messrs Halgold Nigeria Ltd for three billion, one hundred and fifty million, fifty-five thousand, one hundred and six naira, three kobo, in March, 2012.

"However, in 2012, the Minister cancelled the contract and awarded it to TDCI-Sew consortium on June 15, 2012 for the sum of N4, 627, 222, 904 without due process. Why the frequent cancellation and re-awarding? Why the inflation of cost each time these contracts are re-awarded? These are issues to be resolved if EFCC must win the war against corruption,” the group added.

Three years into the petition, Orubebe has not been called to respond to the petition.

Also of note was another expose by Senator-elect Dino Melaye of the insatiable and corrupt tendencies of Orubebe.

Melaye...exposed Orubebe

Melaye, through his anti-corruption watchdog group, Anti-Corruption Network, has accused the former minister of primitive acquisition of several mansions and choice landed properties in the exotic areas of Abuja.

Melaye, with pictures to support his claims, alleged that a palatial mansion at the Minister’s Hill in Mabushi area of Abuja where Orubebe used to live as a minister was built by a construction company, Setraco, and delivered to Orubebe in less than six months after the company had benefitted from contracts to build part of the East-West highway in the Niger Delta region.

The Mabushi mansion

Days after the allegations went viral, Orubebe was alleged to have caused the documents of the properties changed to reflect a northerner as the owner of the mansion.

On the issue of the East-West road, Governor Rotimi Amechi of Rivers State has severally complained of the mess the road has become as well as turning the project as a drain pipe by some unscrupulous politicians of the Niger Delta extraction including Orubebe.

Amaechi.

Apart from litany of financial corrupt allegations levelled against the former minister, he also has some moral issue problems as allegation of illicit relationship with a certain married but now separated former powerful female minister who just won an election into the national assembly. 

In spite of all the damning allegations against him, Orubebe remains untouchable. 

In fact, the man, through the magnanimity of his friend, President Jonathan is now a holder of Nigerian national honour of Commander of the Order of the Niger, CON.

Forget the moral and financial deficiencies albatross wore on his neck like a collar, the man is also a "respectable man of God" who combines politics with his role as the Shepherd and General Overseer of a church named 'Glory Sanctuary Christian Centre.

During his May 2014 All Night Prayers edition in his church, Orubebe claimed that not human but God, who had fulfilled many promises in his life. The former minister claimed that he had always be embolden by God in all his doings and thus enjoined his sheep (congregations) to have same confidence in demanding whatever they wanted from God.

But guess many of them would be disappointed in their G.O as he displayed that "Agbero' stuff in front of the global audience.

His God failed him as he could not ordered or had his demand met that Jega should stop the announcement of the impending defeat of his buddy, President Jonathan. A calm Jega, former Vice Chancellor of Bayero University, Kano, BUK, and Nigeria's most important man of that day went ahead to announce the sacking of his (Orubebe) principal.