Two weeks ago ,In an odd little rhetorical ramble on radio and television, governor Okorocha announced the suspension of the 10,000 jobs created by the immediate past administration of Ikedi Ohakim and sacked the Chairmen and Councilors of the 27 LGA’s in Imo State. Who doesn’t know that the sacking of elected LGA Chairmen is an illegality that cannot stand the test of time? The governor has no right to dismiss elected Chairmen no matter how faulty the process of their election was. Sources say he is about to announce his Stooges as Care takers of the Councils. It is true that he promised to deliver democracy dividends to the people of the state at the shortest possible time and right what he described as the wrongs of the last administration but blunders don’t cure blunders.

Okorocha once said that he will run a people-oriented government where every decision taken would be anchored on how it would protect lives and property, improve the welfare of the people as well as protect their interest. He also said that he is going to create jobs for the people of the state. Is the sacking of workers in the state also a people-oriented programme? The governor must have been expecting a groundswell of public applause when he announced the suspension of the 10,000-job programme of the immediate past administration.It is only a professional sycophant that will feel duty bound to applaud every government decision ,no matter how patently foolish it may be. To register their displeasure, thousands of workers flooded the streets of Owerri demanding that the governor should relapse on their sack from work.

The governor told the protesting youths that he had already set up a committee to review the 10,000-job programme, with a view to aligning it with the prevailing realities in the state.Imo youths are hungry for jobs .The decision to disengage workers from work is foolish and irrational. Setting up committee to review the job offer is also cynical and an indirect way of telling the sacked workers to go to hell. It is a mockery on thousands of Imolites that help the governor to wrestle power out of the hands of Ohakim.It is also a call for violence and chaos. Okorocha should stop playing politics with the future of Imolites.He should stop throwing the state into unnecessary tension.

When Okorocha was seeking the votes of Ndi-Imo ,he went house to house, he thronged into rooms, not minding the bench on which he sat. He even went round Owerri on KEKE NAPEP speaking sweet talks “your lives will change for the better if you elect me the right candidate “ he said ‘your chicken and your dogs will be given free education and your farms and shrines will be electrified” he assured. Of what use is the governor’s free education without jobs ? All are recognizing that tackling of youth employment is key to poverty reduction, sustainable development, indeed, even stability and peace. I am vehemently opposed to this 10,000 job brouhaha. When you examine the reasons why, I am certain you will agree that this move to disengage workers is a bad idea and is moving Imo State in the wrong direction .It is a contradiction with the shared believe that Okorocha is on a rescue mission. This state has many challenges. When decisions made and actions taken directly deflates job creation , the result is always more problems for the citizens

We all know that Okorocha has been a philanthropist of international repute overtime. He owns about five free secondary schools in Nigeria that are spread across Owerri, Ogboko, Kano, Ibadan and Jos. In these schools, children, mostly of poor parents go to school free. The Rochas Foundation sponsors their school fees, supplies them with books, feeding, transportation and accommodation. But governing Imo State is not Rochas Foundation,neither is it Baba Sala’s nkwobi and pepper soup joint.Okorocha should give the people back their jobs or go tell his rescue mission stories to the birds. Every good government must create jobs for the people .He should resist the temptation of spending quality time in searching for scape – goats for whatever he feels that went wrong with Imo State in the past .The past is past and now is now and it is the time for Imo State to move on

-Kenneth Uwadi writes from Mmahu-Egbema,Imo State,Nigeria

Okorocha has said it in several places that he is on a mission to rescue the state from the shackles of poverty and under-development. He said that his desire to quickly develop the State could be likened to scenes in a popular film in the 1980s entitled: “Ninety Minutes at Entebbe.” He said that he is in a hurry to develop the state and that Imo will be a well secured state devoid of kidnapping, 419ners and armed robbery. He also said that he will run a people-oriented government where every decision taken would be anchored on how it would protect lives and property, improve the welfare of the people as well as protect their interest. He also said  that he is going to create jobs  for the people of the state. He is  going to ensure that schools are functional and that he is going to embark on massive road construction and rehabilitation in the entire geopolitical zones that make up the state.

Imo people are waiting and watching. The expectations from Okorocha are very high. It is like somebody who goes into a boxing ring to challenge a champion. It is always difficult to wrestle that championship out, and when you do wrestle it out and becomes a champion it is also more difficult to remain as a champion. This is the position he is in for now. He has succeeded in wrestling out power from Chief Ikedi Ohakim  and he has to fight  to be at the top .The masses expect a lot from him. He has good policies if adhered to.

 One thing that I see that may   throw spanner in the works  of the Okorocha’s  administration if not put under control is  the governor’s  quick temper . Okorocha should try to put his volcanic temper under control .Sources say he  has hot temper flowing in his veins and that this  makes him not to follow due process in some of his actions. A lot of  temperament issues have been widely reported nationally about  him. Those who have been on the receiving end of an Okorocha’s uproar include former Governor   Ikedi Ohakim, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Staff of Horn Newspapers, Goodluck Nanah Opiah and many others.

An example of  hot head in Okorocha was  when   few days  after he was elected as governor of Imo State , he wrote   letters   to banks in the  state  instructing  them to no longer honour cheques from the Ikedi Ohakim ‘s administration. Ohakim, then was still the Chief  Executive Officer of the state irrespective of his defeat at the polls. There is nothing like the office of the governor elect.   The governor  has to keep control  of his temper .I  remember   when out of frustration for not securing a  venue for a campaign rally, he  took laws into his hands and barricaded four major roads in Owerri including the one leading to Government House. He also instigated his supporters to attack the convoy of  Ikedi  Ohakim who was with former president,  Olusegun Obasanjo. What of during the campaign days when his supporters unleashed mayhem on Nigerian Horn Newspapers. The Newspaper had published a news-story that Rochas was a member of Ogboni fraternity . The APGA chieftain could not hold himself and his supporters. By the time his supporters left the premises of Horn, destruction, desolation and near death reigned supreme.

Okorocha should know that for a man of his status   there’s bound to be closer media scrutiny. Recently, he barred civil servants from entering into the state’s secretariat, for resuming late for work. The governor, who visited the secretariat along the Owerri-Port Harcourt express road at 8.30, ordered that the secretariat be locked up when he discovered that many workers were yet to report for work. The governor, who later after hours, asked that the gates be opened, warned that such would not be tolerated in future. Even some of his close pals  acknowledge fuse in him  but say that it cannot affect his success as a governor.

Easily jumping into a fray can mar a man. The governor showered this attitude again by sponsoring an   illegal  impeachment of  Chief  Goodluck Nanah Opiah  as the Speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly  with only eleven members of the house just five days to the expiration of the tenure of Opiah. Imo State House of Assembly has 27 members and impeachment of the speaker in accordance with the provision of the Nigerian constitution and the House Rules require 2/3 of members of the house. Eleven members resorted into legislative  rascality and lawless by breaking into the chambers and announcing the impeachment of the speaker. The members were instigated by Okorocha  to embark on a vendetta mission against the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state. I was told that the operation was funded with over N500 million naira.

To me no one should keep a trigger anywhere  near the governor . His temper can parachute and he blows   someone’s  head off. He also needs good advisers near him always if he wants to succeed. I heard he plans  to in a few weeks  dissolve the 106 newly recognized autonomous communities in Imo state and  sack  the Chairmen and Councillors  of Local Government   Areas in the state. This idea is not a good one . It is too early for the governor to throw the state into uncertainty and tension. He should look before he leap

Kenneth Uwadi writes from Mmahu-Egbema, Imo State ,Nigeria

By: Ephraim Emeka Ugwuonye, Esquire

May 29, 2011

Abstract: 

EFCC, as a law enforcement institution, is defective, unnecessary and wasteful. Its leadership is inept and structurally incapable. Its top hierarchy is ethnically and religiously non-diverse, thereby leading to considerable diminution of confidence and credibility. Comprehensive reform of the commission is needed urgently. But President Jonathan may not have the political will and courage to engage in the kind of reform that will be needed either to salvage EFCC or to fight corruption in a broader and more effective manner. The effect of failure to reform and refocus the present anti-corruption efforts will lead to continued degradation of the state of human rights in Nigeria and a significant increase in corruption and crime. This article shall focus on EFCC to illustrate validity of these assertions.

Main Text:

      In 2000, barely a year after Nigeria’s last return to civilian rule, I was asked by Obasanjo’s regime to give an opinion on the establishment of a special task force for combating certain species of economic crimes in Nigeria. I understood Obasanjo to be focusing on the category of offences collectively known as 419 and corruption in general. Two years prior, while still working at the World Bank Institute on anti-corruption reforms, I had given an informal opinion on why Obasanjo was a suitable candidate to lead Nigeria in a post-military era. I based my favorable recommendation on Obasanjo’s candidacy on two key qualifications that Obasanjo possessed, which were the fact that Obasanjo was, as we all believed, a victim of government persecution himself and had suffered unjust incarceration, and secondly, that he had identified himself openly with Transparency International, a global anti-corruption advocate.

The combination of these qualifications was remarkable because in the same opinion, I had identified corruption and human rights abuse, as the two most significant problems that confronted Nigeria. And I believed that any realistic transformation of the Nigerian state, post military era, must address those two problems directly, comprehensively and urgently.

      Some people in Obasanjo’s administration who remembered my opinion on the matter considered it worthwhile to seek my views when they decided to establish the EFCC. I took the position that the Nigerian Police needed a massive reform in order to reposition it to fight the specter of 419 crimes and official corruption. I also agreed that it was necessary to tackle corruption without waiting until the police force had been adequately reformed. In the end, I saw EFCC or something like it as a necessary interim measure to deal immediately with the problems. However, I advised that whatever agency was to be established to fight corruption must be staffed largely from the human rights community and the civil society. I made this recommendation because even at that time I had seen clear and compelling linkages and correlation between corruption and human rights abuses. And I felt that the best people to lead the anti-corruption and anti-crime reform in Nigeria should be notable figures in the civil right struggles.

      Also, in my analysis of the problems, I recognized that any major reform could take the form of criminalizing certain objectionable behaviors, which would require prosecutions and imprisonment as disincentive for such behaviors. Every lawyer of average experience would easily recognize that once you approach any social problem from the point of view of criminalization, you would immediately implicate human rights and due process issues. The challenge intellectually and operationally was to ensure that in dealing with corruption and crimes in Nigeria, one must avoid undermining the already diminished status of human rights in the country.

With this in mind, I recommended that effort should be made to involve human rights activists in any new law enforcement agency to be established. Conversely, I reasoned that the Nigerian Police should play less visible roles in such agency. I would consider this the key point of departure between Obasanjo’s administration and me when they finally established the EFCC. I had underestimated Obasanjo’s aversion to human rights reforms. His administration placed the same police that it had criticized in the front and human right activists nowhere near. Or even possibly, they were simply too shallow in their analysis or shortsighted in their projections to connect their anti-corruption measures with constitutional safeguards for rights and due process.

      It was little wonder that almost right from its inception, EFCC posed a recognizable danger to the liberty of Nigerians. We saw an ambitious police officer in the person of the first Chairman of EFCC attempt to build a status as a serious politician using anti-corruption reform as his launch pad. We heard the tough-talking police officer. We saw the showmanship and propaganda. We witnessed the excesses daily on the pages of newspapers and television screens. We noted his several reversible pronouncements. Then we saw EFCC Chairman complaining and running from his friends into exile. And finally, we saw him as a presidential candidate for a party headed by a man he had openly but questionably identified as key corrupt figure in Nigeria. While many people got carried away by the euphoria of that era, others, including me, were worried that Nigeria seemed to be robbing Peter to pay Paul. In other words, the country was pursuing anti-corruption and anti-crime reforms at the expense of civil rights development and the Constitution. Indeed, I was alarmed. But it was virtually impossible to speak against EFCC at the time when they could use their vehicle to run over the leg of the country’s chief of police with impunity.

      As this nasty drama evolved over time, there came to office a crazy and most corrupt Attorney General in the person of Michael Oandoaka. He had his own plans. He had to redraw the list of “good guys” to be sheltered and the “bad guys” to be persecuted by the Nigerian state. Ribadu’s list did not correspond with his. He had to seek to change the staffing, not the procedure, of the EFCC. So, he went and appointed a malleable and essentially ignorant woman from the same village as he, and that is Mrs. Farida Waziri, to become the new head of the EFCC. In the course of such adventure, people got switched from the “bad guys” list to the other list. The only difference between Mrs. Waziri and her predecessor is that her incompetence and ineptitude are monumental, overshadowing every other quality she may have. Also, she completely lacked passion and purpose or any sense of mission.

When President Jonathan forced Oandoaka from office, one would have expected the latter to go with everything he brought with him, including Mrs. Waziri. But she was saved by the fact that her husband was a sitting Senator and President Jonathan was vulnerable to the Senators who actually put him in power, in the first place. The President really couldn’t touch Mrs. Waziri then because she had her husband, and the Senate President, who haled from the same place as she, supported her continuing in office.

      Along the line of its horrible beginning, EFCC remained a worsening disaster. It lacks the ability to redress corruption or crime in Nigeria. Any progress, if at all, that could be attributed to the EFCC has come at a price too hefty for Nigeria. Note that this writer is not the first or only person to state that EFCC failed in its mission. Indeed, and surprisingly, the most vocal recently in admitting that fact is actually the EFCC leadership. (See, for example, page 3 of Punch, Sunday, May 22, 2011, for an article in which EFCC clearly and repeatedly admitted that it had failed, even though it blamed its failure on everyone else including the courts and the judges). It is to be noted that the same Punch Newspaper is probably the most sympathetic to the EFCC causes, and which had previously championed the false claims about EFCC achievement statistics. So, it is safe to say that there is a near consensus on the fact that EFCC is a failure. We must proceed from that premise.

Conceptually and policy-wise, the country needs to reform its police force as one of the most fundamental reform measure in the area of fighting crimes and the scourge of corruption. If any progress could be made in the direction of creating new police agencies, it should be in the direction of establishing state police force, and not in duplicating police authorities at the federal level as was done with the establishment of the EFCC. And even if we find a need to create special police force at the federal level, why have two new agencies, EFCC and ICPC, at once and as separate agencies?

      In any case, even if anyone must insist on establishing and multiplying these police agencies, one must take into full consideration the peculiarities of Nigeria in staffing such agencies. EFCC as presently staffed is dangerous and a clear provocation to the sensibilities of the Nigerian peoples at large. Consider the implication of the following staffing hierarchy of EFCC:

(i)   Chairman –    Farida Waziri (Muslim, North – by marriage) AIG of Police (Retired).

(ii) Director of Operations – Lamode (Muslim, North) Deputy Commissioner of Police.

(iii) Head of Operations (Abuja) – Ahmad Abdurrahman (Muslim, North) presumably a Deputy Commissioner of Police.

(iv) Head of Operations (Lagos) – Rabiu Muazu (Muslim, North) presumably a Deputy Commissioner of Police.

Consider the hierarchy of the unit that handled my case, which is known as the Intelligence and Special Operations Section (ISOS), their elite unit:

(a)   Head – Abdul Suleiman (Muslim, North) Chief Superintendent of Police.

(b)  Deputy – Bashir Abdulahi (Muslim, North) presumably a Superintendent of Police.

(c)  3^rd in Command – Ibrahim (Muslim, North) presumably a Deputy Superintendent of Police.

It is also important to look at the two government officials who exercise oversight functions over the EFCC from the executive arm of government. They are as follows:

      (a) Inspector General of Police, Ringim -  (Muslim, North)

      (b) The Attorney General, Adoke      -          (Muslim, North)

The persons responsible for internal quality supervision of the EFCC, (what you may call the quality control officer) is the Head of Servicom arm of EFCC. Guess who he is. He is Ibrahim Adoke, the younger brother of the Attorney General. He is a Muslim, North.

Now, let’s look toward the bottom of the hierarchy. The Abuja cell is directly controlled by the Administration Officer. He is Mr. Alkali, presumably a Deputy Superintendent of Police and a Muslim, North. The two main guards for the cell are Mr. Alieu and Mr. Lawal, both Muslim, North. These men execute the instruction to deny the inmates the opportunity to reduce their exposures to mosquito bites. (Note that these men are probably nice men just following orders from above). They run the cell. They are the ones that conduct constant search and seizure to ensure that no inmate has pen or paper in the cell.

Now, I don’t want you to misunderstand the purpose of the above observations. I am NOT suggesting that the EFCC would be better if the above officers were Christian Igbo or Yoruba. Also, I am not necessarily alleging that these men are bad men or that you could attribute any limitations they may have to their religion or ethnicity. Some of the bad guys I met in EFCC came from all parts of the country – Igbo and Yoruba and Hausa/Fulani ethnicity. Conversely, some of the good guys I met there are Muslims from the North. It is not a question of individual qualities of a person. Some of them are actually very funny, which is beside the point. For instance, I will never forget my lone encounter with Mr. Ibrahim Adoke, the head of Servicom in EFCC.

I was placed in the female cell in solitary confinement once again on March 23, 2011. On March 25, Mr. Adoke himself came to see me in my cell. The way the cell was constructed, you have to bend down close to the floor to see the person inside. Adoke bent down to speak with me. I was lying down on the floor. He knew that the reason I was placed in solitary confinement was because I was caught making a diary of daily occurrences in the cell and that I had mentioned the names of guards and EFCC officials in my notes. He seemed genuinely disturbed that a human being could be put in such a place, which meant that this was the first time he ever saw the cell occupied by a detainee. I also believe that being a Muslim he might have been concerned about the fact that a man was placed in the female cell, and if I were to use the toilet in my cell, any woman in the open section of the cell could see me up to my navel.

Mr. Adoke said: “This is horrible. A human being cannot be put in this place”. This struck me because this is coming from a top official of the organization that built and maintained such a “place”. He instructed that I should be brought out of that cell and returned to the male cell. I told him I was placed in solitary confinement several times before. He looked every inch a gentleman and a reasonable person. When I was brought out of that cell, I looked Adoke straight in the face and smiled at him and we shook hands. I was smiling not just because I was being brought out of solitary confinement, but more so because of the contradictions in Mr. Adoke’s apparent ignorance of the conditions of EFCC cells. Yet, he is the head of Servicom, a group that is charged with the task of ensuring that standards are met. And I did not think he was faking his feelings.

I used the opportunity of Adoke’s presence to bring up the issue of the 14-year old girl being detained by EFCC. I explained to him the absurdity of keeping that girl in the cell regardless of whatever their excuses. He agreed with me and assured me that the girl would go home the next day. Then, he personally took me back to the male cell. There was jubilation among the male inmates when they saw me and my things being brought back into their cell. In the awkward moment that followed, I urged Mr. Adoke to improve the conditions of the cell generally. He promised to look into it. Then as he was about to leave, I again extended my hand and shook his. I then asked for his name, the same time peering closer to read his name from his nametag. He quickly covered his nametag with his hand. But I had seen it and I called his name. But he smiled and told me that was only an alias which he uses for his work.

When he left I wondered why on earth should such a senior public official hide his name. I thought it was because of the notes he heard I have been making while in detention and he didn’t want his name mentioned in my notes of any books that I might write about my detention. But even at that, he hadn’t done anything to merit a negative mention in my notes. So, why the fear? Why the secrecy? To understand it, you have to understand the problems of EFCC as an institution. Even the senior officers are not sure of their work because there is no clear policy pathway to the existence of EFCC. They do not understand their mandate. They don’t have a good grip on the policy priorities of the government for them. They are scared of losing their jobs because they did not get those jobs on merit. Nobody really wants to take responsibility and own things. The senior staff like Adoke would like to pass the buck to some junior and inconsequential officers and pretend they didn’t really know what happened. These senior officers hold their positions because a relative put them there. So they are permanently insecure in their positions. I seriously wondered if that was the problem with Mr. Adoke. I also, wondered if he came to see me in the cell because his brother, the Attorney General, who I had a dealing with in 2008 was the one that sent him to see me. And whether the reason he attempted to conceal his name from me after a rather decent initial impression was to prevent me from connecting him to his brother.

The point, however, is that in a country like Nigeria, where the Speaker of the lower chamber of the legislature and the President of the Senate, the Chief Justice of the Country, the Ministers, etc are determined by the so-called federal character and religion-based balancing, how come that an important agency like EFCC should be staffed at the top nearly exclusively with officers from one ethnic group and members of one religion? Such a situation would naturally make people from the other ethnic groups and religion suspicious and fearful. We also understand that the way we approach crimes and punishment, and due process, could largely be influenced by our religious beliefs. In an environment where there are no sound institutional safeguards for equality before the law, people will inevitably rely to greater extent, unconsciously perhaps, on their religious values and belief system. If, for instance, you approach modern banking from Islamic banking point of view, you would probably view several conventional banking activities as bad. Also, if you have viewed America as the great Satan, you may be inclined to show no regard to the American courts. So, when you hear that Emeka Ugwuonye’s case was already pending in the United States courts, you may feel this is the best time to scorn the Americans.

These subtle and intricate factors of bias could be reduced if you diversify the staffing of a key institution like EFCC. Remember that the test is not really whether the officers are actually biased on religious or ethnic grounds, but rather whether there is a reasonable suspicion of bias on those grounds. It is also particularly striking when you consider the fact that EFCC actually views religion and ethnicity as important factors in their daily operating procedures. For example, every standard EFCC form, particularly its standard Witness Statement Form requires every person making a statement to indicate his “religion” and “tribe” on every page. Now, before you rush to the conclusion that this writer is stirring up something, ask why is it that EFCC makes ethnicity and religion one of the most important things it wants to know about each suspect and each witness. Yet, the government allows EFCC top officials to be solely of one ethnicity and one religion.

All this may have nothing to do with it, but it would be reasonable for me to consider the following: Why is it that EFCC officials speak mostly in Hausa language in the presence of non-Hausa speakers? They discuss your case in your presence in Hausa even if you don’t understand Hausa. They speak English only when they say something that requires your response. For example, on February 18, 2011, one Mr. Sambo, who was the Incident Duty Officer at the Lagos EFCC offices told me in English that I would be leaving the cell. He then turned to the guard on duty, an officer from the North and said something to him in Hausa. An Hausa inmate who heard Mr. Sambo whispered to me that Mr. Sambo had just said in Hausa to the other officer that I was not leaving because I “chopped money”. How come that even the non-Northerners in the EFCC staff are mostly people who speak Hausa? Does it mean that Hausa language is a prerequisite to being hired in EFCC, even though overwhelming percentage of the suspects are non-Hausas? The same EFCC staff would never allow a suspect to speak to his relative or even a lawyer in any other language except English, and in their presence. Would this have been the case if you had Igbos and Yorubas or members of other ethnic groups among the top hierarchy of EFCC?

Why was it that EFCC management appeared not to have considered the Easter an event of significance that could justify the release of deserving detainees or the speeding up of the paperwork that prevented detainees from being released before Easter? For instance, there were many detainees who could have been released on Easter Thursday (who were actually released a few hours after offices reopened on the Wednesday following Easter). If you had Christians in the hierarchy of the EFCC, it is reasonable to expect that someone would have realized that if at all possible, detainees should be released to enable them spend Easter with their family. If there were Christians in the hierarchy of the EFCC, maybe they would have allowed inmates to call their families on Thursday before Easter in order to wish them Happy Easter. Would these people have treated the Easter period so nonchalantly if they were Christians? What about the fact that once it is 12:00 noon on Fridays, all the officers who can sign release documents close from work because they have to be at the Mosques? It would have been much better if you have among the top officers one or two persons who could remain at work till the end of business on Friday because they would not have religious obligation that forces them to leave work early on Fridays.

Even the most non-tribalized person like me is forced to notice these tendencies. Indeed, I consider it so troubling that I had to notice it. I want a Nigeria where everybody would be respected despite his or her ethnicity or religion. In a country where the government has constantly divided the people along ethnic and religious lines and sow the seed of suspicion among them, it is terrible that they would have an EFCC staffed as it is at present. Also, it is horrifying that Nigerian government does not have anything in place to check against potential biases and abuses that are based on religion and ethnicity. What recourse would a person have if he suspects that he is a victim of ethnic or religious bias? It does not matter whether such suspicion is well founded or not. The fact is that there must be some safeguards and some easy and fair mechanism for ventilating such suspicions. And there seems to be none whatsoever.

The big question for Nigerians is what President Jonathan is capable of doing about these problems now that he has acquired Presidential power on merit rather than by default. Can his administration address the EFCC conundrum? I believe that the President would let Mrs. Waziri go in the coming months. However, merely removing a misguided chairman would not be enough to reform or redeem EFCC. In fact, the next EFCC boss could be a worse disaster. The President must go further than cosmetic changes. At the very least, he should remove and replace the entire echelon of EFCC leadership. A much bolder measure like disbanding EFCC  or consolidating it with ICPC, at the very least, would be necessary. He must also accompany whatever measure he takes with a radical and comprehensive reform of the Nigerian Police.

The abnormality called EFCC cannot continue. Examples are abound. Mrs. Waziri drives around town in official armored vehicles. However, the Inspector General of Police does not use armored vehicles and the Chief Justice of the Country does not drive in armored vehicles. Why would an EFCC chairman use armored car when the police chief and Chief Justice don’t? Why should the work of the EFCC Chairman be more important than that of the Inspector General of Police and the Chief Justice of the Nation, such that she needs greater protection than they do? If Mrs. Waziri, a retired AIG of Police, does not consider our streets safe for her, she should resign immediately and go to live in some farm where she would have no need for armored vehicles. After all, if she had done her police work well enough, she would have helped make our streets safe for all. I do not intend to dwell much on the personality of Mrs. Waziri. She is just the most visible sign of the decay and dangers of what happens when an institution is absolutely corrupted and dysfunctional.

It is difficult to wish President Jonathan luck, given how abundantly blessed he has been so far. I hope he would get this one right and I pray for him. However, my instinct tells me he will not be any different from the past leaders of Nigeria. This country’s leadership has been characterized by baffling levels of buffoonery. It could be northern buffoonery or southern buffoonery. The fact is that the people of Nigeria have been cheated for far too long. For instance, I would hope that the country would not be wasting millions of highly needed dollars in inaugural celebrations of an election in which thousands of people, including innocent youth coppers, were slaughtered so senselessly. As the country may be embarking on such high-speed squander, millions of its people will not have electricity this weekend. Millions of children are out of school because of striking teachers. Hundreds of babies shall die for lack of medical attention this weekend alone. Millions of our graduates roam the streets unemployed.

What Nigeria needs is a rather modest set of events to mark the beginning of a new administration, including some sober reflection to acknowledge the high cost the country paid during the last elections. And after such events, all those elected to political offices should hurry back to their offices to start working for the Nigerian people. Shutting down the entire city of Abuja and freezing all activities just for inauguration would suggest that it might be wrong to expect much from President Jonathan. If he leads the country in the right direction, we must all support him. However, if he fails, we must hold his leadership strictly accountable. And if he falters on such basic issues, it will be hard to expect him to find the courage and political will to address fundamental questions of justice and liberty as endangered by the EFCC at present. And if that were to be case, the menace of EFCC may remain for some time to come.

END.

Then I heard gunshots. Armed Robbers came out from a nearby bush, about 12 fierce looking boys. Six of them approached the bus from the front while the others were dogging it. They were all marksmen, and they carried machetes, sticks and guns. The bus driver in distress applied his breaks and the bus came to a halt. I abandoned my vehicle and jumped into a nearby  bush. Gunshots were fired on the air, kpoooo, ratatata. From my hiding place in the bush i was reciting the ‘Hail Mary‘ and watching the robbers and the passengers. Ruthlessly robbed were the bus passengers. Money and valuables, all taken away from them, and to protest and protect, was nobody.

One of the greatest ill plaguing the Ogoni axis of the east-west road is armed robbery. That road is now the home of armed robbers. Indeed, the road  is dangerous and  threatening. People are regularly waylaid on this road by armed bandits who rob them of their properties at gunpoint. Cars are snatched from their owners with frightening ease and frequency even in broad-day. Lives are no longer safe on that road. There is general feeling of insecurity all around. No one is sure of his property; no one is sure of his life.

One of the promises that Governor Chibuike Amaechi made during his election campaign four years ago, was to provide security for the people of the state. I believe the life and properties of travellers should be part of this security agenda. Enough  police check points are not on that road that is indeed lonely. This to me is security lapses on the part of Amaechi who is the Chief Security Officer of the State. Amaechi to me is like the typical Papa Ajasco  politician. He always  deliver the I am doing  well for my state  sermon yet he  is  defecating  on the  altar. It is clear, what else to know, we’ve seen it all in Rivers State  and heard it all; it is all talk  more and do less , inaction at its height, quietness in the face of carnage. Perfidy of a pernicious kind. Human life has become cheap. It is up to the government to determine which blood to save or which to ignore.White Elephant projects all over the state. Nothing matters any more to Amaechi  than the loot that he has been re-elected to  cart away. Yeah, looting the treasury to a Papa Ajasco  politician is sweeter than honey. Check out the Eleme Junction to Tank road,that road has become a  death trap but Amaechi is doing nothing .

Politicians, when they are demanding for our votes, they will form the Holly-me attitude  and will be telling us  about their redemption agenda. Redemption ni,redemption kor,o jare , na there time-o.Are they not  the ones anointed by God for the common good of the people?. Show me the common good. All I see is the common plunder of the treasury. Amaechi is   securing his empire and every other person can dive the ground. As long as the governor’s children are safe from harm, let’s go to bed. As i talk about Amaechi now,i remember Imo State.As the people of   Imo State are dancing   “Okokoma” over the emergence of Owelle Rochas Okorocha as the new occupant of  Douglas House  Owerri. May the lord help to make him the messiah who is to come.  Me , i dey watch-o .To me our  politicians can be funny .Governor Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers State should take immediate steps aimed at putting   an end to these attempts by criminal elements in our society bent on creating a feeling of fear and insecurity among travellers plying the Ogoni Road. I suggest that enough Police check points should be on that road and JTF should be on constant patrol on that road. He  should  also try to provide  more employment opportunities . Once  many of our able-bodied men are gainfully employed there would be sharp reduction in the wave of armed robbery

Kenneth Uwadi writes from Mmahu-Egbema,Imo State,Nigeria

Almighty God, grant me the wisdom to appreciate the true nature and value of power, money, influence and their limits. Give me the integrity and wisdom to acquire and exercise them according to your plans, as well as the guidance to use them with humility in Thy service and that of humanity.

Direct me O’ Lord to serve our people satisfactorily by fulfilling their needs in the cause of my service. In Jesus Name, AMEN!!!

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

“Be it known to all, that we shall pass through this way but once. If therefore, there is anything we can do to promote peace, justice, unity and good governance in order to save the lives of the numerous poor Ndimo, while protecting the interest of the few rich, let us not defer it,let us do it now. For we shall not pass this way again”. – Owelle Rochas Okorocha (OON).

ABOUT IMO STATE

Created in 1976, Imo State is bounded on the east by Abia State ,on the west by River Niger and Delta State, and on the North by Anambra State, while Rivers State lies to the south. Imo State covers an area of 5,100 Square Kilometer with a population of about 4.8 million persons. The population density varies from 230 per sq.km in Oguta/Ohaji Egbema area to about 1400 Persons Per Sq.km in Mbaise, Orlu, Mbano and Mbaitoli areas.

There are currently about 2040 primary schools in Imo State with an enrolment of approximately 561,214.There are 4 public technical schools and about 120 private/vocational/ commercial schools. The State school system comprises about 289 secondary schools exclusive of private secondary/vocational/technical schools.

There are two teachers training colleges in the State at Oguta and Nsu. There are about Seven (7) tertiary institutions in the State. Three are owned by Imo State Government while four are owned by the Federal Government of Nigeria. Imo State is divided into 27 Local Government Areas, 3 Senatorial Zones and 36 development centers. Imo is recognized as one of the rice and oil palm producing states in Nigeria; notwithstanding the fact that farming in the State is primarily subsistent .

Imo State has large quantities of crude oil and natural gas deposits which have not been fully exploited. Also the following mineral resources are abundantly available: – Lime stone, Clay, Marble, Zinc, Stones, Coal, etc; all in commercial quantities.

MY VISION FOR IMO PEOPLE

To build an Imo State of our collective dream for this and indeed the future generations.

MY MISSION IN IMO STATE

To rescue Imo people from irresponsive leadership and imminent collapse.

MY MANDATE

To save the lives of the numerous poor ndi Imo while protecting the interest of the few rich.

MAJOR AREAS OF FOCUS – Our Policy Thrust

• BASIC EDUCATION

• SECONDARY EDUCATION

• TERTIARY EDUCATION

• HEALTH CARE

• TRANSPORTATION

• WATER RESOURCES

• RURAL ELECTRIFICATION/ ENERGY POLICY

Accordingly, we will liaise with the Federal Government to ensure that the state is adequately covered in the National Grid map.

• The Imo Independent Power Project

• Natural Gas

• Waste To Energy

• WELFARE

• AGRICULTURE & NATURAL RESOURCES

Fisheries, Cashew, Paints & Adhesives, Baking Powder
Cashew, Rice, Hydrated Lime, Vegetables, Fisheries, Livestock, Plantain
Vegetables, Cassava, Poultry, Plantain
Oil & Gas, Rubber, Cassava, Palm produce, Pineapple, fisheries, Bananas, Plantain, mango, piggery etc

• EMPLOYMENT GENERATION & WEALTH CREATION

• ENVIRONMENT & TOURISM

• SECURITY

• HOUSING – RURAL / URBAN

• JUDICIARY

• SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

• YOUTH AND SPORTS

• WOMEN & SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

• RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS

the State.

• PENSIONERS

• Owelle Rochas Okorocha (OON)

• Owelle Rochas Okorocha (OON)

“A mind is a great thing to waste”. Indeed, a child’s right to education cannot be denied irrespective of background. Education is the greatest gift any responsible government can give to the society. Looking at the streets of Imo State, many children who should be in school are unfortunately roaming the streets hopelessly. These Children, if given the right opportunity can become responsible leaders in different fields of human endeavor.

Dear Imolites, it is gratifying to note that our mission in education is well known to all. All children of Imo State must have free and compulsory basic/ secondary education. In our administration, Every Child Counts (ECC).

As at 2008, Imo State had about 1,296 Primary Schools. Because of proximity and age of pupils, the number will be maintained and our Government will spend between 8.5 and 9.2 Billion Naira over a period of four years; for the refurbishment of the said primary Schools to meet with today’s standard of learning environment.

In addition to this, we will as a priority spend 2.4 Billion Naira on re- training of teachers at this formative all important stage of learning. In our Teach-The-Teacher Program (TTP) we will lay emphasis on Science and Technology to meet the challenges of today.

In recent times, Our State has witnessed over 28% dropout rates for female and 34% for male. This worrisome development must be checked with Radical Education Re-engineering Program (RERP) which will in the first phase require government investment of 21.6 Billion Naira over a 4 year period to set up 120 world class Secondary Boarding Schools equipped with the most advanced facilities in the areas of science and technology.

Our Government will re-organize educational system to be in tune with modern trends and technology. We will rebuild our educational system to focus on the following areas:

1. Entrepreneurship and Wealth Creation (EWC)

2. Practical Education System (PES) which will address such strategic areas as creative writing, Film production and editing, Fashion designing, mechanic, carpentry / Joinery / Craft Making, neighborhood Security / Surveillance Inter- alia. All these and more will be established within the Imo Vocational Village (IVV) to be established in the three senatorial zones.

3. An innovation of Teach-The-Teacher Program (TTP) will be set up to reshape and upgrade our present falling standard of education.

4. Introduction of a Culture Based Education System (CBES) which will bring back our cultural values.

5. The re-introduction of craft and civic education in our primary schools.

Our tertiary institutions now moribund will be upgraded and maintained to compete with others in line with learning and research, through collaboration and exchange programs with Tertiary institutions within and outside the Country. We will make our University Education entrepreneurial and result oriented.

Our graduates shall no more end up with theory only, but in addition acquire practical education to function in the global market. Our Government will review downward the present high cost of school fees paid in our State tertiary institutions.

“Health is wealth and a healthy person is a wealthy person” Dear Imolites, it is indeed regrettable and unacceptable that less than 10% of our population have access to the first intervention basic healthcare.

Unfortunately, pregnant women and their babies die during childbirth and infant mortality is very high due to inadequate and often times non-availability of first intervention medical facilities. Our Government policy is anchored on, Health At Your Door Step (HYDS)

We will provide functional and sustainable healthcare centers within the reach of the rural communities through a Well Equipped Container Clinic (WECC) powered by solar energy and manned by well trained and certified medical personnel. Children within the age of 1- 10 years, pregnant women and elderly people from 65 and above will have free Medicare.

All emergency cases must be attended to without pre-conditions under our administration. We will ensure that there is a functional and well equipped General Hospital in each Local Government Area of Imo State. The government under Owelle Rochas Okorocha will re-introduce Health Education and Sanitary Inspection Program. We will as a matter of health policy priority build a world class Referral Hospital in the State to attract patients and health seekers from other states and outside the country. The referral hospital will also earn foreign exchange for the country.

The present system of transportation in Imo State can only be described as chaotic. Our administration will effect improvement in the following areas:-

ROADS

The primary objective of our road network development programme shall be the construction and rehabilitation of all major roads linking the 27 Local Government Areas in the State. In addition, our Administration will re-introduce the Public Works Department (PWD), for the basic maintenance and rebuilding of roads. We shall also deploy the use of Enzyme organic soil stabilizer to tackle the deplorable state of rural or Local Government earth roads state wide. This technology will save the State Government over =N= 320,000,000.00(Three Hundred and Twenty Million Naira) annually on road maintenance.

We will ensure that all roads in the State have adequate drainage system to aggressively check the menace of soil erosion, which has isolated some communities and made farming impossible for others.

In addition, our administration will effect improvement in the following areas:

1.  Improvement of road signs, development of road maps, standardized street naming and numbering aimed at reducing traffic congestion in the cities of Imo State.

2.  Covering of all drainages within our metropolitan cities to provide pedestrian walkways.

3. The ring roads kept in abeyance will be completely resuscitated and new roads will be constructed to open up the rural areas for economic and social activities.

4. The regulation of the plying of heavy duty trucks (vehicles) within certain areas of the cities during certain periods of the day.

5.  Efforts will be made by our administration to actualize the status of Sam Mbakwe Airport as a functional International Cargo Airport.

Presently, we have about 76 major water schemes and about 64 motorized boreholes in the state. We will aggressively embark on rehabilitation of existing schemes while working on an Independent Water Project to be solely financed by foreign Water Companies on a Build Operate and Transfer (BOT) basis.

Our administration will ensure that rural electrification is adequately provided for in the communities of the State.

In addition to the above, we will initiate Public Private Partnership projects aimed at establishment of Independent Power Projects (IPP) in the State. We will in this regard vigorously pursue the development of an independent power generation scheme with a recognized international energy company. The project will target to provide a minimum of 100MW generating capacity necessary to meet our short and medium term growth in energy demand.

One of the key economic objectives of our Administration will be to have a state and economic system with secure energy supply sufficient to meet our projected economic growth levels. Since the national electricity supply system cannot be relied upon as a catalyst for industrial growth, we will pursue alternative options aimed at achieving energy supply security.

We will accordingly establish an Energy Projects Implementation Unit (EPIU) in the office of the Governor which will be charged with the responsibility of pursuing various energy related investment projects covering energy supply and conservation issues, demand, site management and as well as deal with issues in policy.

We will in this regard vigorously pursue the development of an independent power generation scheme with a recognized international energy company. This project will target to provide a minimum of 100 MW generating capacity necessary to meet our short and medium term growth in energy demand.

Presently, supply of power by Power Holding Company of Nigeria PLC to Imo state is between 12 and 18 MW which is generally rationed.

The State has abundant natural gas reserves capable of supporting such projects (IPP) and there will be a coherent state energy policy in place to ensure prudent utilization of our natural gas resource. This will be pursued in conjunction with Power Holding Company Nigeria PLC. Our abundant natural gas resources will be utilized and leveraged upon to form a crucial backbone for the industrialization of Imo State.

Working with a private sector operator, we will generate power through the over 300 metric tons of waste generated in our urban area daily . Our pursuit for the cheapest and cleanest source of energy will keep receiving attention till we achieve uninterrupted power supply at the lowest cost.

iv.)  Our Environment, Our Future

Currently, gas deposits are being flared by multinational oil companies operating at various locations within the country. These are associated gas found during extraction and production of oil. Imo State is no exception as we have over the past four decades witnessed the flaring of this key economic resource.

The environmental impact has been immense. Accordingly, our administration will be committed, in partnership with environment agencies, to the gradual reduction and elimination of gas flaring in our State.

v.)        Energy And Industrial Free Zones

Energy supply security will be intrinsically linked with the creation of industrial free zones in the State. These zones will be created to support manufacturing for domestic and export market, supported by carefully designed fiscal incentives and aimed at encouraging the establishment of various manufacturing operations within the State.

By guaranteeing secure energy supply and by investment in gas pipeline infrastructure, Imo State will have a competitive edge over many states within the country. Manufacturers want reliable and secure energy sources and our State can conveniently provide them with both.

vi.)       Gas Transmission System

The State will pursue the agenda of creating Industrial Gas Pipeline Network {IGPN}that will supply affordable gas to the industrial zones in Owerri, Okigwe and Orlu. These projects will be implemented through Public/Private Partnership (PPP).

By encouraging companies to set up manufacturing base in our State through a combination of a secure energy supply channels and generous tax regimes, the state will begin to witness a significant decrease/reduction in its unemployment rate.

vii.)      Bio-energy Policy

With increasing environmental awareness across the world, there has been renewed impetus and drive by various governments world-wide to diversify their energy sources. Imo State is well positioned to be a major producer of bio-fuel for local and export market.

We have arable land for cultivation of energy crops such as Jetrofer, Palm Trees, Cane, Cassava etc. we will through a Public Private Partnership, pioneer the research and development of bio-fuel for local and international markets and are determined to lay the foundation for a sustainable bio-fuel industry for the benefit of the State, its citizens

We will within the first six months rebuild the Old Okigwe road secretariat and convert it to a hostel facility for Imo State University, to alleviate the sufferings of students.

Indigent but brilliant Imo Students will be awarded scholarships on a continuous assessment basis. Government will reward hard working civil and public servants by promoting deserving workers. All allowances and pensions / gratuities will be paid as at when due.

Imo State indigenes who are talented or who excel in sporting activities will receive adequate encouragement from our Administration. State wide competitions in the areas of sports, science, essays, mathematics, security (most crimes free community),most peaceful community, sanitation, arts and culture etc. will be organized periodically.

“Agriculture is the biggest employer of human resources”. Imo state which was self sufficient in agricultural products up to the Mbakwe’s regime, now depends on other states for up to 80% of her food supply. It is painful that such a situation exists while we have Urashi, Imo ,Njaba rivers etc, that have swamps for rice and other crops production all year round. Through these rivers, upland irrigation is possible and will be made so. Our administration’s agricultural policy will be based on specialization.

Every Local Government Area will be charged to embark on a particular agricultural product. All the local Government Areas will be encouraged to concentrate mainly on Agriculture and Education.

We shall also take advantage of our upland grassland at Okigwe Agric Zone for the development of livestock. We will encourage the production of fish protein by aiding the supply of fish meals and fingerlings. Effort will be made to increase palm produce and its derivatives. Our government will also encourage subsistence farming by providing tractors on community basis as the Asian Tigers did. In 1964, Eastern Nigeria was adjudged the fastest growing economy in the world based on agricultural development. Imo State was an integral part of that assessment. We will elevate Imo State to its previously well known level of prominence in agricultural and food production.

For purposes of managing and taking full advantage of the abundant natural resources of the State to move her forward, we will create six agriculture and industrial zones, viz:

a.) AHIAZU/EZINIHITTE/ABOH/IKEDURU/IHITTEUBOMA–

Palm Produce, Vegetables, Poultry, Rice, etc

b.)       OWERRI NORTH/ OWERRI MUNICIPAL/MBAITOLI -

Live stock Cassava Processing Fisheries, etc

c.) ORU EAST/ORUWEST/ORLU/ISU/NJABA

d.) OKIGWE/ONUIMO/IDEATO NORTH/IDEATO SOUTH -

e.) EHIME MBANO/ISIALA MBANO/NKWERRE/NWANGELE/OBOWO

f.) OWERRI WEST/OHAJI EGBEMA/NGOR OKPALA/OGUTA –

We will build on the existing agro-allied industries and create the platform for ensuring that more of such industries are established as is required, along the lines of the six agricultural zones. For products like cassava which is universal to all parts of the State, the administration will ensure that there is at least one cassava processing facility in each Local Government Area.

In carrying out the above initiative, we will seek the active participation of relevant players among the organized private sector. In a two phased approach, we will ensure food security and sustainable end to perennial food shortage.

Phase one will be the provision of enhanced seedlings, top quality organic fertilizers, hybrid stems, plant suckers and crop protection products to farmers across the six agricultural zones.

In phase two, we will acquire land and partnering with  private sector operators, embark on a large scale cash crop farming initiative that will require extensive funding and technical input. The land owners will either be paid compensation or crop and profit sharing arrangement is evolved.

To support the above scheme, an integrated irrigation scheme will be developed in the key agricultural zones of the state to ensure all year round crop production; where necessary, green houses will be established. Co-operatives will be established at various farm gates in each of the six (6) agricultural zones to facilitate export of products or sales to processing plants. This will also be targeted at boosting agricultural and food production and the mutual exchange of skills and knowledge.

We will seek massive foreign direct investment for the development of the State’s agricultural potentials. Privatized agro-based industries will be monitored adequately to enable the Government and people of the State to realize the full benefits of such privatization.

Our industrialization policy will be based on the setting up of Industrial Villages in the three senatorial zones. We will in collaboration with private investors (Local and Foreign) rebuild and resuscitate the moribund factories such as Avutu Poultry Plants, Standard Shoe Factory at Owerri, Clay Factory at Ezinnachi, Paint and Rasin Factory at Aboh Mbaise, Aluminum extrusion plant at Inyishi, Adapalm Plant at Ohaji, Cardboard factory at Ebenator and others.Our administration will also create the enabling environment for investors within and outside, to invest in Imo State, in order to create more job opportunities for our teeming youth population now overwhelmingly unemployed.

Our administration will develop tourism in line with our cultural values .We will strategically partner with renowned waste management experts for effective and sustainable conversion of our waste to wealth through Public Private Sector Partnership (PPP).There will be an organized system of waste separation, collection, deposition and recycling. We will put in place a landscaping programmes that will conform to professional standards in modern aesthetics and still remain environmentally friendly.

Our administration will put every effort in place to tackle the menace of flood and erosion in the state.

The Governor is the Chief Security Officer of the State, while the Commissioner of Police is the Chief Law enforcement officer. As a result we shall partner together and synergize to make Imo State the most secured state in Nigeria.

The security votes over the years mostly in the recent past have astronomically increased from under 100 million Naira (N100,000,000.00) before the advent of the civilian administration, to the staggering amount of about three billion Naira (N3,000,000,000.00). From authoritative sources, out of the 3 billion Naira (N3,000,000,000.00) security votes as budgeted in 2011 State budget, the State Governor spends above One billion Naira, the Speaker of the House of Assembly takes home Five Hundred Million Naira ( N500,000.00 ),the Secretary to the State Government two hundred and fifty million Naira (N250,000.000.00),while the Deputy Speaker’s take home is two hundred million Naira (N200,000,000.00) to mention but a few of them in the name of security votes.

Regrettably, instead of this money being used for the purpose for which it was budgeted (Safety of life and property of people of Imo State), it has become a veritable conduit pipe to siphon public funds into private pockets within and outside for which no account is given.

Consequently our administration will reduce the security votes drastically, the savings thereof will be used for economic development and job creation which will directly or indirectly reduce the crime wave in the State. We will with the aid of modern communication gadgets and trained personnel, embark on intelligence gathering and sensitization to aggressively fight the surge in crime in our State. We will also as a matter of State policy embark on neighborhood security policing under a new Imo Security Scheme (ISS) incorporating Mass Security Network based on community security administration.

“What is good for the goose is also good for the gander”. We will put in place a quality housing program with emphasis on Rural/Urban Housing Development with functional infrastructure- water, electricity, roads, ICT, etc.

Our government considers ownership of homes a basic necessity and will do everything possible to achieve this by the introduction of Easy Own a Home Housing Scheme (EOHHS) to enable individuals own houses. We will partner with the private sector for a comprehensive housing initiative; particularly in the key urban centres of the State. The target in this regard will be to put a stop to the growth of slums in Imo State by the provision of decent and affordable housing in the key urban centers of the State.

In order to maintain the independence of the Judiciary, our administration will create, a self accounting system thereby eliminating interference by the executive. We will also introduce the system of verbatim recording in the courts to expedite the dispensation of justice. The salary and welfare of junior judiciary officers will be improved in line with that of their counterparts within the federation.

Our government will encourage dispute resolution to promote out of court settlements.

Our administration will invest in the development of science and technology. We will indeed sponsor our undergraduate and post graduate students to pursue courses in these areas in both local and foreign institutions on government scholarships. These in turn will help in pursuit of our industrial revolution endeavors.

Our administration will invest heavily in youth development by building Youth Development Centres (YDC) in all the 27 Local Government Areas of Imo state. This will enable them to acquire skills and techniques for growth and development in this age of globalization. It will also help in engaging our youths meaningfully to dissuade them from involvement in social vices such as youth restiveness, cultism, kidnapping, armed robbery, prostitution, political thuggery, etc.

We will endeavor to restore the glory of Imo State in national, continental and world sports competitions. Scholarships and other incentives shall be given to our contingents that excel exceptionally in sports activities, to inspire them and challenge the up-coming talents.

Our Administration will create the enabling environment for women and social development by making sure that our qualified women are given unhindered opportunities to participate in politics and leadership positions. We will indeed support the girl child education, thereby discouraging them from early marriage and other social vices.

We will build Total Women Training and Skill Acquisition Centers (TWTSAC) in all the three Zones of the state, to empower the women folk to acquire global skills for self development and independence. We will also build recreation parks in strategic places for relaxation and social development.

With special regard and honor to God Almighty and His continued blessings, protections, show of mercy, love and deliverance; our administration shall create the Bureau for Religious Affairs under a Senior Special Assistant to the Executive Governor to take care/handle all religious matters as affecting the State.

We will sincerely and gracefully collaborate / partner with the constituted Church Authorities and their clergies in all ramifications to move our State forward. We will continually honor and respect the Men of God in our State to the Glory of God. We will also create a special annual thanksgiving day to appreciate God for

“The labourer is worthy of his wages” – Matt 10:10. It is sad to realize that our aged pensioners, who have served the State and Nation, go through humiliating processes to collect their monthly pensions. Our Government will effect prompt payment of outstanding pensions and payment of monthly pensions and gratuities ensuring that no pensioner suffers unduly under any circumstance. In other words our Government will adequately address the issue of nonpayment of pensions to deserving pensioners.

CONCLUSION

“I have asked one thing of my creator; to bless me that I may bless others, to give me that I may share with those who do not have; because on my own I can do nothing ,but I can do all things through HIM that strengthens me”

“The greatness of a people is not dependent on the amount of natural resource available but directly dependent on the efficient and effective harnessing and management of the available human and material resources coupled with the vision and character of the leadership. This I pledge to accomplish as a covenant with the people of Imo. Together we can make it work.”

Salihu Mustafa(Malam Wane )commenting on the need to control Cattle rearing in Edo State

Sahara Reporters owe  Nigerians  big  apology   for their numerous goofs against  the good people of Nigeria, especially the people of Southern Nigeria. Many are already viewing this  news medium  as  junk and sectional  news site  that lacks the basic ethics  of investigative journalism. SR will extract selectively what it wants to publish, a case study is  the Prof Itse  Sagay saga. SR selected  some parts of his speech that  were caustic to the  election of President Jonathan and left out other parts of the speech that favoured the election. Also, SR eclipse the views of other speakers who spoke favourably of the election.

Dr Chris Ilogho commenting on Sahara Reporters goof on Bankole

Waziri and her agency (EFCC) have always been agents of intimidation and oppression from their time in Special Fraud Unit (SFU). President GEJ should set up a panel to investigate all their activities with an invitation to the public to make submission of allegations against the agency. EFCC is the worst corrupt institution in Nigeria and it is being used by men in high places to destroy others. I am bringing my litigation against them which the world will hear very soon

-Prince Osuji commenting on torture chambers in EFCC

Addressing previous rumours, she says, “I did mention that I was getting engaged and I did mention that I was getting married and I said that I wanted the wedding within my birthday period, but I didn’t specify on the date. I got engaged in November 2010, so I couldn’t have mentioned that I was getting married in August 2010. So I really never came out on an interview to say I was getting married; it was just speculation, because most of my friends knew I always wanted to have a wedding on my birthday (August 28th), in a joint manner.“

Still speaking with the BN interviewer, she also reveals, “He is Prince Odianose Okojie, from Esanland (Uromi), Edo State. He is a prince from Esanland, he’s just (a) simple young person.“

Wedding Dates
Court Wedding – 25th August 2011
Engagement – 26th August 2011
Church Wedding & Reception – 27th August 2011
Thanksgiving/Bride’s Birthday – 28th August 2011

The Church
Mercy and her fiance, Prince Odianose Okojie are members of Christ Embassy and hope to get married there. Final confirmation is expected from the church.

The MC
Comedian AY Makun will be the MC for the reception.

The Dress!
Mercy has picked her dress but will keep major details under wraps until the day.

The Star Studded Bridal Train
Nigerian stars including Goldie, Chike Ike, Queen Nwokoye, Waje, Empress Njamah and Kefee are set to have an official role in the wedding as bridesmaids.

The Cake
Lagos-based confectionery Cakes & Cream have been commissioned to create Mercy Johnson and Prince Odianose Okojie’s wedding cake

Congrats Mercy! Click back for more details…

via Bella Naija
]]> http://famouspeoplenews.wordpress.com/2011/05/26/nigerian-actress-mercy-johnson-heads-down-the-aisle-confirms-her-engagement-august-2011-wedding/feed/ 6 kenneth uwadi http://famouspeoplenews.wordpress.com/2011/05/26/hard-time-for-rochas-ohakim-and-imo-state/ http://famouspeoplenews.wordpress.com/2011/05/26/hard-time-for-rochas-ohakim-and-imo-state/#comments Thu, 26 May 2011 06:41:57 +0000 Kenneth Uwadi http://famouspeoplenews.wordpress.com/?p=3854 Continue reading →]]> I do not envy Owelle Anayo Rochas Okorocha. This is really a difficult time for him. He has to come to terms with his victory in the Imo gubernatorial election. The combined forces that helped him win will come back to extort their ransom. That is the nature of Imo politics. And the challenge for him will be whether to placate all of them or face his “rescue mission”. To ignore them will turn them to enemies. To indulge them will be at the expense of his promise to Imo people. Udenwa’s eight years tenure was stymied by propitiating the godfathers in Imo to the extent that it was difficult to even remove refuse from the streets of Owerri!

Already newspaper reports indicate that an army of sycophants is already camping at the gate of Okorocha’s Ogboko country home. It is pay back time for people who will come with all manner of claims for compensation through appointments and contracts. Some will tell him, “I am the one who tore Ohakim’s posters in my local government”. “I am the one who abused Ohakim in that newspaper article” “Owelle, did you see the congratulation message I placed in the newspaper?” “Owelle, I coordinated for you in my booth”.

People are already falling over themselves to catch Okorocha’s attention. This, unfortunately, includes some of Governor Ikedi Ohakim’s appointees who, with indecent haste, are crowing loudest to congratulate Okorocha. They go to Okorocha with all manner of stories denying Ohakim, their master, even before the cockcrows once! Some have already taken positions in Okorocha’s Transition Committee. Such behaviour tends to give credence to the conspiracy theory afloat in Imo. I have read some articles laced with wild conjectures, vacuous claims and innuendos, which make the articles mere applications for appointment in Okorocha’s government.

Okorocha himself has to show that he can manage power as Governor. His first steps have shown that he may have difficulty understanding the nuances of governance. His order to banks in Imo from the “office of the Executive Governor-Elect” purportedly freezing Imo State accounts was a clear product of infantile hubris. He has eight years to be “Executive Governor”, a prefix Ohakim never used. The use of thugs to chase Permanent Secretaries out of their offices and intimidating calls to some key officials asking them to go into hiding so that they don’t sign cheques should embarrass his supporters.

You don’t cripple government and deny Imo civil servants their April and May salaries and out-going public officers their severance benefits just because you have won an election. It suggests that Imo may be spinning into a rule of the mob. Governor Adebayo Alao Akala of Oyo State lost election. Yet, neither the Oyo Governor-elect nor his supporters have resorted to “agbero” tactics. Behaviours like this breed do-or-die politics, which we all condemn.

This is also a difficult time for Governor Ohakim. It is indeed a lonely time for him. I have been in similar circumstance. I know how it feels. This is a time when everybody, including those who dined with him till 7 May 2011 when the final result was declared, becomes an “expert” on why Ohakim lost the election. In this country, people are impatiently flippant about what they are ignorant of! People hardly respect facts. There is no rigour in interpreting facts and figures. It is not helped that Imo State has earned itself an unflattering place as the rumour capital of the nation.

This was effectively deployed against Ohakim for four years. It is so bad that, only two days in Imo for the Supplementary Election, Mr Aniedi Ikoiwak, INEC Supervisory Officer, while addressing the world why election could not hold in Oguta, lamented how insidious rumour mongering is in Imo! That is something that should worry Imo citizens.

I have read many expert “reasons why Ohakim lost” that simply recycled fanciful rumours. The Imo governorship election result was in no way an overwhelming victory, a landslide, a tsunami, a battering or a humiliating defeat. The figures are there for any objective commentator to make an informed conclusion. Given the forces ranged against Ohakim, we should acknowledge that on 26 April he fought them to a standstill. Those who witnessed what transpired during the Supplementary Election know that it was no longer the normal election that we all know. Some commentators have resorted to personal abuse that has nothing to do with governance. My people say a bloodied lion is a prey to even a lizard!

Ohakim has nothing to be ashamed of. I am sure he will remember that this is typical Imo behaviour. Both of us were victims of similar treachery by friends when the military overthrew Enwerem’s government of which he was a member of cabinet. Soon, the smokes will clear and the truth will be told. The truth we know for now is that Ohakim’s problem was not lack of performance. A government is judged by its promise to the people. Commentators will be forced to acknowledge that in four years, Ohakim raised the bar of leadership in Imo, perhaps too high, for the comfort of some. A few objective commentators like the Chairman of ANPP in Imo State, Chief Vitalis Ajumbe, has testified to that (Daily Independent, Tuesday 17 May page 27).

In the weeks ahead, there will be futile efforts to rubbish Ohakim using the rumour machine in Imo State. Uncritical commentators will aid an obvious witch-hunting. I know. I have been there before, as I said. At the end, I am sure that many commentators will discover that they have been swindled; people will realize how badly they have misunderstood Ohakim. The Ohakim I know is not anything they have said about him. There is still time to re-examine the totality of Ohakim’s mystique and his four-year tenure.
As for Imo, it is either that there is a collective effort to sanitize the state of the corrosive rumour mongering or the state convulses into a state of anomie. A people who cannot run their lives on truth and facts cannot think right and therefore cannot act right.
Emenike N Emenike is a businessman/politician in Owerri

via Daily Sun

Nkechi Justina Nwaogu (Abia Central)
She represents Abia Central on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and will be a two-time senator when the Senate is inaugurated in June. Born in 1956, Nwaogu, who is the first female senator from her state, was first elected in 2007. She boasts of not only creating job opportunities for people of the constituency but also sponsored a number of bills, for the good governance of the country.

Enyinnaya Harcourt Abaribe (Abia South)
Born on March 3, 1955, he was elected to represent Abia South Senatorial District in 2007. He became Abia State’s deputy governor in 1999 and leftoffice in controversial circumstances. He contested the state’s governorship election in 2003 on the ticket of All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) but lost. In 2007, he contested for a seat in the Senate and won, PDP ticket.

Uche Chukwumerije (Abia North)
He was first elected to the Senate in 2003 to represent Abia North. Born in November 1939, he had served as minister of information in the military regime of General Ibrahim Babangida. He was also as minister of information in the interim national government of Ernest Shonekan. He was member of the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) He joined the Senate in 2003 and dumped the party this year, first for the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and in then the PDP.

Bindow Jibrilla (Adawawa North)
A member of the PDP, he’s an industrialist and has established three companies in Mubi, where he employed about 400 people.

Bello Mohammed Tukur (Adamawa Central)
He is 50 years old and hails from Fufore LGA of Adamawa State. He was former Chief of Staff to Governor Murtala Nyako and is coming to the Senate for the first time which party?

Ahmed Hassan Barata (Adamawa South)
He’s 50 years old and member of the PDP.

Aloysius Akpan Etok (Akwa Ibom North West)
Born on February 15, 1958, he joined the Senate in 2007. He has a B.Sc. (Hons) from the University of Calabar. He was a member of the House of Representatives in 1999, where he served as minority whip. He’s a member of the PDP.

Ita Enang (Akwa Ibom North East)
He was elected member into the House of Representatives in 1999, representing Itu/Ibiono Ibom Federal Constituency of Akwa Ibom State. And graduated to the Senate in 2007. He’s an alumnus of the University of Calabar, where he read Law, graduating in 1984. He attended the Nigerian Law School, Lagos and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1985. He’s a member of the PDP

Helen Esuene (Akwa Ibom South)
A former civil servant, she has served as minister of state for health, and later minister of environment and housing during the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo between 2005 and 2007. She’s a member of the PDP.

Chris Ngige (Anambra central)
Born on August 8,1952, he was declared winner of Anambra State governorship election in 2003 and was subsequently sworn in. His election was, however, annulled by the Court of Appeal and he left office in March 2006. He contested for the office of governor on the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in 2010 and lost to the incumbent governor, Mr. Peter Obi, before vying for the Senate seat in the last elections.
A medical doctor, he retired in 1998 as a deputy director in the Federal Ministry of Health.

John Okechukwu Emeka (Anambra North)
A former minister of water transportation, he’s a prince in Anambra State. He’s a member of the PDP.

Andy Uba (Anambra South)
Born December 14, 1958, he was special adviser to former President Olusegun Obasanjo. He contested Anambra State governorship election in 2007 and was declared winner. Seventeen days, after he was sworn in, the Supreme Court nullified his election, declaring that the tenure of Governor Peter Obi, who assumed office in 2005, after the election of Dr. Ngige was annulled, had not expired. He contested for the post again in 2010 as candidate of Labour Party (LP) and lost.

Abdul Ahmed Ningi (Bauchi)
He was elected into the House of Representatives in 1999 on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to represent Ningi/ Warji Federal Constituency of Bauchi State. He was reelected in 2003, but lost the seat in 2007 election. He went to the tribunal and won the case, to return to the federal house. He was House leader, among other membership of committees. He contested for Senate last April and won on the platform of the PDP.

Alhaji Babayo Garba Gamawa (Bauchi North)
He’s deputy governor of Bauchi State. Before assuming the office, he was Speaker, Bauchi State House of Assembly. He won the post senatorial election to represent Bauchi North.

Heineken Lokpobiri (Bayelsa West)
Lokpobiri was first elected into the Senate in 2007 on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). Before joining the Senate, he was Speaker, Bayelsa State House of Assembly. He is a member of sports, public accounts, police affairs, Niger Delta and millennium development goals (MGDs) committees.

Clever Ikisikpo (Bayelsa East)
He’s a member of the House of Representatives representing President Goodluck Jonathan’s constituency in Bayelsa. He is also the chairman, House Committee on Petroleum (downstream), and was instrumental to the fight against fuel scarcity in the country. He was elected into the state’s House of Assembly in 1999, from where he was elected to the House of Reps. He will represent Bayelsa East senatorial district in the Senate.

Emmanuel Paulkar (Bayelsa Central)
Born in 1955, he is a member of the PDP senatorial candidate. He is going to the Senate for the first time. He has a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree.

David Mark (Benue South)
Born in April 1948, he’s the Senate president. A member of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), he was first elected into the Senate in 1999, making him one of the longest serving senators. He retired from the Nigerian Army as Brigadier-General. While in the military, he was military governor of Niger State and later, minister of communications.

George Akume (Benue North West)
He was governor of Benue State from 1999 to 2007, from where he was elected senator on the platform of the PDP. Born in December 1953, he defected to the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) to contest for the senatorial seat which he won.

Chief Barnabas Gemade (Benue North East)
He is former national chairman of the People’s Democratic party (PDP) and has a Master of Science degree. Born on September 4, 1948, he’s going to the Senate for the first time.

Khalifa Ahmed Zanna (Borno Central)
Aged 55, he will represent Borno Central in the Senate. A member of the PDP, he’s a successful businessman and a member of the boards of many federal establishments. He made history by defeating the incumbent governor of the state, Alhaji Bunu Sheriff Musa.

Hon. Mohammed Ali Ndume (Borno South)
He’s a member of the PDP and was born on November 11, 1959. He hails from Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State and currently the minority leader in House of Representatives, having won election on the ticket of All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP). He holds a Master’s degree in Accounting and Computer from the University of Toledo, USA.

Maina Maaji Lawan (Borno North)
Born on July 12, 1954, he was governor of Borno State. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. He was a member of House of Representative from 1979-1983. In 1992, he was elected governor of Borno State and served till 1993 when the military took over government. In 1999, he was elected into the Senate on the platform of PDP. He lost re-election in 2003. In 2007, he contested yet again for a senatorial seat as a member of ANPP and was elected. He will retain his seat still on ANPP platform.

Benedict Ayade (Cross River North)
A graduate of the University of Ibadan, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma and Delta State University, he was born in March 1969. He worked as university teacher, before venturing into consultancy as an environmental expert. He had served as chairman of the Ecological Fund, chairman of the International Institute of Environmental Research and a member of SPAC. He later joined politics, on the platform of the PDP and serving on Governor Liyel Imoke’s strategy committee.

Akpor Pius Ewherido (Delta Central)
He was in the state’s House of Assembly from 1999 to 2007, during which period he served as speaker, and deputy speaker. He is a member of the PDP. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in Law from the University of Benin.

James Manager (Delta South)
He’s a serving senator, who represents Delta South on the ticket of the PDP. He holds a LLB degree in Law from Ahmadu Bello University and an LLB in Law from the University of Lagos.

Arthur Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta North)
Born in July 1959 at Owa-Alero, Ika North-East Local Government Area of Delta State. He was secretary to Delta State government (SSG). Before joining politics, he was a medical practitioner and had set up Victory Medical Centre, in Owa.

Patrick Igwe Nwagu (Ebonyi Central)
He’s currently a member of the House of Representatives, where he’s a member of various committees. He’s going to the Senate for the first time.

Chris Nwankwo (Ebonyi North)
He’s Governor Martins Elechi’s brother-in-law. He’s 69 years old.

Soni Ogbuoji (Ebonyi South)
He was commissioner on poverty alleviation in Ebonyi State, a post he left to contest? The senatorial election. He was also campaign director, Jonathan/Sambo presidential campaign organization. He once headed the state primary education board.
Ogbuoji was the chairman of the old Afikpo LGA in 1990 and pioneer chairman of Edda (Afikpo South LGA) in 1991.

Ehigie Edobor Uzamere (Edo South)
A member of the PDP, he joined the Senate in 2007 and is now returning for the second time

Odion Magnus Ugbesia (Edo Central)
He has held various positions in government. He was minister of solid minerals. Born on January 28, 1949, he holds a bachelor of arts in Political Science from the University of Illinois, United States. He also holds an MA degree in International Relations from Northeastern Illinois University, USA. He was elected into the Senate in 2007, representing Edo Central on the ticket of the PDP. With his victory at the polls, he is returning to the Senate for the second time.

Domingo Obende (Edo North)
He was a member of the PDP before defecting to the ACN, where he contested the senatorial election and won.

Ike Ekweremadu (Enugu West)
A lawyer, he’s the current deputy Senate president. He was elected into the Senate in 2003 after serving as Enugu State secretary to government (SSG). Born in 1962, he attended University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, where he bagged bachelor’s and master’s degree. His first elective position was local government chairman in Enugu State.

Ayogu Eze
Born on November 23, 1958, he was commissioner for information in Enugu State as well as special adviser to ex-Governor Chimaroke Nnamani on communication before contesting the senatorial election in 2007. He was also chief press secretary to ex-Governor Okwesilieze Nwodo of Enugu State. Before venturing into politics, he was news editor in The Guardian and also held other senior editorial positions. He’s chairman, Senate Committee on Information. He holds a master’s degree in Public Administration.

Gilbert Nnaji (Enugu North)
He’s a member of the House of Representatives. He has been in the House of Reps since 2003 and won reelection in 2007, before contesting the senatorial election last April and defeating ex-Governor Chimaroke Nnamani. He was deputy leader of the House of Representatives (2003-2007).

Hon. Philip Tanimu Aduda (FCT)
He’s member of the House of Representatives, from where he contested the senatorial election to represent the Federal Capital Territory. He’s a member of the PDP.

Mohammed Danjuma Goje
He’s the out-going governor of Gombe State, having served two terms. Born in October 1952, in Kashere, Akko, Gombe State, was elected governor in 2003 on the ticket of the PDP. He was a minister before winning the governorship election.

Joshua M. Lidani (Gombe South)
Born on January 1, 1968, is a member of the PDP.

Chris Anyanwu (Imo East)
Born in October 1951, she is a journalist, publisher and author. First elected into the Senate in 2007 on the platform of the PDP. She defected to the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) this year in her quest to retain the senatorial seat. She was a commissioner in Imo State. She was one of those arrested and jailed by the late former Head of State, General Sani Abacha for alleged coup-plotting.

Matthew Ifeanyi Nwagwu (Imo North)
A member of the PDP, he’s going to the Senate for the first time. He was born on September 28, 1943

Abdullahi Danladi (Jigawa West)
He is 57 years old and a member of the PDP.

Abdulaziz Usman (Jigawa North)
Aged 49, he’s a member of the PDP.

Abdulmumini M Hassan (Jigawa South West)
He’s 50 years old and a member of the PDP.

Mohammed Saleh (Kaduna Central)
He is a member of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and is going to the Senate for the first time.

Esther Nenadi Usman (Kaduna South)
She was minister of finance in the Olusegun Obasanjo’s regime. In politics, she was a member of the defunct National Republican Convention (NRC). She was a member-elect of the House of Representatives, representing Kachia/Kagarko Federal Constituency on the platform of the United Nigeria Congress Party in 1998.

Bello Hayatu Gwarzo (Kano North)
He was elected into the Senate in 1999 and won reelection in 2003. In 2007, he lost the senatorial election only to contest again last April and winning the election. He’s a member of the Senate committees on Police Affairs, Millennium Development Goals and Appropriation.

Kabiru Ibrahim Gaya (Kano South)
He was born in June 16, 1952 and attended Gaya Central Primary School, Kano between 1961 and 1968. He was elected governor in 1992 and lost the position when the military took over in 1993. He contested the governorship election in 2003 on the ticket of the National Democratic Party (NDP) and lost. In 2007, he won the senatorial election and was deputy minority whip. He’s a member of the ANPP. He obtained a Master’s of Science degree in Architecture from the Ahmadu Bello University. He was awarded honorary doctorate degree by the University of Science and Applied Management, Porto-Novo, Benin.

Basheer Lado Garba Mohammed (Kano Central)
He’s a businessman and attended Bayero University, Kano and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science. He’s a member of the PDP.

Abdul Umar Yandoma (Katsina North)
He was elected into the Senate in 1999. In 2003, he lost his reelection bid to Alhaji Kanti Bello. With his victory in last April polls, he’s returning to the Senate, having also defeated Kanti Bello on the ticket of Congress for Progressive Change (CPC).

Ahmed Sani Stores (Katsina South)
He is a member of the CPC and going to the Senate for the first time.

Abu Ibrahim (Katsina Central)
He was elected into the Senate in 2003 on the ticket of ANPP and served till 2007. He was chairman of the Katsina branch of the PDP, before being elected to the Senate. In 2007, he contested the governorship election in the state and lost to Governor Ibrahim Shema. He’s staging a return to the Senate.

Abubakar Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi Central)
Aged, 49, he’s a member of the PDP. He’s known for his philanthropy and generosity.

Isa Galaudu (Kebbi North)
A former banker and managing director of Galaphone Nigeria Ltd, an MTN Nigeria trade partner, he is a member of the PDP.

Smart Adeyemi (Kogi West)
Born in August 1960, he was first elected to the Senate in 2007 on the ticket of PDP. He was National President of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) from 1999 to 2006. He is a member of the Senate committees on privatization, industry, federal character & inter-government affairs, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and appropriation.

Nurudeen Abatemi Usman (Kogi Central)
Aged 39, he’s the son of a former deputy governor of old Kwara State, the late Alhaji Usman Abatemi. He’s a member of the PDP.

Simon Ajibola (Kwara South)
He joined the Senate in 2004 and was reelected in 2007 on the platform of PDP. His journey to the Senate started in 2003, when he contested but lost to Suleiman Makanjuola Ajadi of the ANPP. He went to the tribunal and won in 2004. In the Senate, he serves on water resources, upstream petroleum resources, security & intelligence and agriculture committee.

Abubakar Bukola Saraki (Kwara Central)
Born in December 1962, he is the outgoing governor of Kwara State, where he served two terms on the ticket of the PDP. He studied at the London Hospital Medical College of the University of London, from 1982 to 1987, and obtained M.B.B.S (London). He worked as a medical officer at Rush Green Hospital, Essex from 1988-1989. He was a director of Societe Generale Bank (Nig) Ltd from 1990-2000.

Alhaji Sha’aba Lafiaji (Kwara North)
He was governor of Kwara State between 1992 and 1993 on the platform of the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP). A member of the PDP, he’s going to the Senate for the first time.

Ganiyu Olarenwaju Solomon (Lagos West)
Born in December 1959, was elected into the Senate in 2007, after contesting for the position of governor in his party, the Action Congress (AC). Before that, he served as chairman, Mushin Local Government Area of Lagos State on the ticket of the Alliance for Democracy (AD). In 2003, he was elected to the House of Reps, representing Mushin Federal Constituency 1.

Oluremi Tinubu (Lagos Central)
She’s the wife of the former Governor of Lagos State, Bola Ahmed Tinubu. As First lady of Lagos State, she touched the lives of many women. One of the programmes she initiated as first lady was the Spell a Bee competition, which produces a one-day governor in the state, from among Lagos secondary schools students. She was one of those who worked in the defunct SDP for the victory of the late Chief MKO Abiola in June 12, 1993 presidential election. She was also a member of the national Democratic Coalition (NADECO), which opposed the late Head of State, General Sani Abacha
Olugbenga Ashafa (Lagos East)
Born on Lagos Island on July 22, 1955, he attended Morgan State University, Maryland, USA, where he earned a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.). He joined the political team, which assisted the election of Bola Ahmed Tinubu to become governor of Lagos State in 1999.

Suleiman Asonya Adokwe (Nasarawa South)
Born February 15, 1954, he was elected into the Senate in May 2007 on the ticket of the PDP. In the Senate he has served on various committees, including Senate committees on Security & Intelligence, Navy, National Planning, Downstream Petroleum and Capital Markets.

Yussuf Musa Nagogo (Nasarawa North)
He’s a member of the CPC and aged 54 years old.

Abdullahi Adamu (Nasarawa Central)
Born in July 1946, he was elected governor of Nasarawa State in 1999 and served till 2007. He is a member of the PDP. He joined entered politics in 1977, and was elected to the Constituent Assembly, which drafted the constitution for Nigeria’s short-lived Second Republic (1979–1983). He’s founding member of PDP.

Ibrahim Musa (Niger North)
He’s a member of the CPC in zone ‘C’ area of Niger State.

Alhaji Adegbenga Sefiu Kaka (Ogun East)
Alhaji Sefiu Adegbenga Kaka was born May 1952. He was the deputy governor of Ogun State. He’s a member of the ACN.

Odunsi, Akin Babalola Kamar (Ogun West)
A member of the ACN, he’s 60 years old. He’s a veteran advertising practitioner and chairman of Rosabel.

Robert Ajayi Boroffice (Ondo North)
He worked at the University of Ibadan as a lecturer in 1975 and became professor of zoology at the Lagos State University in 1986. He is the pioneer director general of the National Space Research and Development Agency. He’s a member of the Labour Party (LP).

Akinyelure Patrick Ayo (Ondo Central)
A banker of note, he was group executive chairman, Allover Group, a microfinance lender, from 1994 to 2010. He’s a member of the LP.

Mudashiru Oyetunde Husain (Osun West)
He’s a two-term member of the House of Representatives (1999-2007). In the April 2011 elections, he defeated the sitting senator Isiaka Adeleke of the (PDP). He’s a member of the ACN.
Babajide Christopher Omoworare (Osun East)
Aged 45, he was a member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, representing Ifako-Ijaiye State Constituency from 1999-2003. He’s a member of the ACN.

Sola Adeyeye (Osun Central)
He’s a scientist, pro-democracy activist and renowned human right activities. He’s a member of the ACN.

Hosea Ayoola Agboola (Oyo North)
A member of the PDP, he was commissioner for local government and chieftaincy matters in the state. He’s a member of the PDP.

Ayoade Ademola Adeseun (Oyo Central)
Born in January 1953, he’s a member of the ACN. He was elected into the House of Representatives in 2003. He defected to ACN in 2010, on whose platform he contested the senatorial election.

Olufemi Lanlehin (Oyo South)
Aged 58, he was commissioner in the administration of former Governor Bola Tinubu of Lagos State.

Wilson Asinobi Ake (Rivers West)
Born in September 1955, he was elected to the House of Reps in 1999 and left in 2003. He’s a member of the PDP.

George Sekibo (Rivers North)
He holds a bachelor’s degree in Architecture from the Rivers State University of Science and Technology. He was local government chairman in the state.

Magnus Abe (Rivers East)
Born in May 1965, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Law. He was called to the Bar in 1987. He joined active politics in 1999 and was elected into the Rivers State House of Assembly, where he served as a minority leader. He also served as commissioner of information between 2003 and 2007. He was secretary to the state government before contesting for Senate. He’s a member of the PDP.

Umaru Dahiru Tambuwal (Sokoto South)
Born in June 1952, he’s a member of the ANPP. He was elected into the Senate in 2003 and reelected in ,2007 as a member of the PDP. When the National Assembly is inaugurated, he will be a three-term senator.

Ibrahim Abdullahi Gobir (Sokoto East)
He holds a bachelor’s degree and master’s) degrees in Electrical Engineering from the University of Detroit. He’s a chartered engineer and a fellow of the Institute of Electrical Engineers, UK and the Nigerian Society of Engineers.

Favour Aisha Alhassan (Taraba North)
She was chief registrar of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court and a member of the PDP.

Emmanuel Bwacha (Taraba South)
He served as commissioner of agriculture for Taraba State between 1999 and 2003 in the Jolly Nyame administration. He was elected to the House of Representatives for the Donga/Ussa/Takum Constituency, serving from May 2003 to May 2007.

Alhaji Bukar Abba Ibrahim (Yobe East)
Born in October 1950, he was governor of Yobe State from 1999 to 2007. He also served as governor of the state from January 1992 to November 1993. He is a member of the ANPP.

Ahmed Ibrahim Lawan (Yobe North)
He’s a serving senator, having been elected in 2007. Earlier, he was elected into the House of Representatives in 1999, where he chaired the House committees on education and agriculture.

Alkali Abdulkadir Jajere (Yobe South)
Born in January 1964, he’s a journalist turned politician and a member of the ANPP. He was variously commissioner of agriculture and commissioner of works in Yobe State.

Ahmad Sani Yerima (Zamfara West)
He was born on July 22, 1960 and was governor of Zamfara State from 1999 to 2007. In 2007, he was elected into the Senate. He holds master’s degree in Economics. He’s a member of the ANPP.

Sahabi Alhaji Yaú (Zamfara North)
He was first elected into the Senate in 2007 on the ticket of ANPP. A member of the ANPP, he would be in the Senate for the second time, with his victory in the last election.

via Daily Sun
]]> http://famouspeoplenews.wordpress.com/2011/05/21/behold-the-senators/feed/ 1 kenneth uwadi http://famouspeoplenews.wordpress.com/2011/05/21/legendary-us-wrestler-killed-in-car-crash/ http://famouspeoplenews.wordpress.com/2011/05/21/legendary-us-wrestler-killed-in-car-crash/#comments Sat, 21 May 2011 12:14:20 +0000 Kenneth Uwadi http://famouspeoplenews.wordpress.com/?p=3844 Continue reading →]]>

]]> http://famouspeoplenews.wordpress.com/2011/05/21/legendary-us-wrestler-killed-in-car-crash/feed/ 0 kenneth uwadi http://famouspeoplenews.wordpress.com/2011/05/20/shocker-siasia-drops-osaze-for-ameobi/ http://famouspeoplenews.wordpress.com/2011/05/20/shocker-siasia-drops-osaze-for-ameobi/#comments Fri, 20 May 2011 10:41:17 +0000 Kenneth Uwadi http://famouspeoplenews.wordpress.com/?p=3841 Continue reading →]]> Why I dropped Osaze – Siasia

By Fidelis Ebu
Coach Samson Siasia has left out Osaze Odemwingie from his squad for June’s double header against Argentina and Ethiopia.

Instead, Newcastle striker Shola Ameobi has been called up to take part in the high-profile friendly against the South Americans in Abuja and an African Nations Cup qualifier in Addis Ababa.Siasia also handed a recall to defender Yusuf

Mohammed to plug the hole at right-back, with Heartland’s Chibuzor Okonkwo the only available right-back following the tragic loss of Adefemi Olubayo early this month.

Also recalled is Karabukspor striker Emmanuel Emenike.

List for Argentina, Ethiopia

Goalkeepers:
Vincent Enyeama (Hapoel Tel Aviv, Israel), Dele Aiyenugba (Bnei Yehuda, Israel), Austin Ejide (Hapoel Petah Tikva, Israel)

Defenders:
Chibuzor Okonkwo (Heartland FC, Nigeria), Yusuf Mohammed (Al Hilal, Sudan), Taye Taiwo (Olympique Marseille, France), Joseph Yobo (Fenerbahce, Turkey), Yusuf Ayila (Dynamo Kyiv, Ukraine), Dele Adeleye (Metalurh Donetsk, Ukraine), Efe Ambrose (Ashdod MS, Israel).

Midfielders:
Mikel Obi (Chelsea, England), Joel Obi (Inter Milan, Italy), Fegor Ogwude (Valerenga, Norway), Kalu Uche (Almeria FC, Spain), Nosa Igiebor, Lillestrom FC, Norway), Nnamdi Oduamadi (AC Milan, Italy), Isaac Promise (Manisapor FC, Turkey)

Forwards: Ahmed Musa (VVV Venlo, Netherlands), Victor Anichebe (Everton, England), Peter Utaka (Odense Boldklub, Denmark), Obinna Nsofor (West Ham, England), Ikechukwu Uche (Real Zaragoza, Spain), Ekigho Ehiosun (Warri Wolves, Nigeria), Emmanuel Emenike (Karabukspor FC, Turkey)

Standby: Victor Moses (Wigan FC, England), Shola Ameobi (Newcastle, England)

Why I dropped Osaze – Siasia

Nigeria coach Samson Siasia, who left out  Osaze Odemwingie from his squad to face Argentina and Ethiopia next month, has explained why the West Brom striker was sidelined from the two crucial matches.

Siasia said last night that Odemwingie was dropped as punishment after missing the friendly against Kenya last month without permission.

“He [Odemwingie] broke camp rule by leaving without seeking permission during our last match,” said Siasia.
“Until he comes back to explain why he did that, the national team doors are not open to him.

“It was an act of indiscipline and we don’t condone that.”

Odemwingie was not included in the team despite scoring 15 goals in his debut season in the English Premier League.

purporting to make participants into “apprentices” of Trump and offer insider secrets. More specifically, the lawsuit claims that the for-profit institution is a poff that pressures individuals into spending money, especially on ventures in which the “school’s” mentors and associates have a financial stake. (Trump has filed a $100 million counterclaim for defamation.) In addition to the class action suit, state attorney generals in six states are also investigating complaints against Trump’s program, as is the Better Business Bureau, which in the past has issued it a poor rating, HuffPo reports. Trump has faced increased scrutiny since floating his name for president. Recently, he appeared to contradict documentation that he sought draft deferments during the Vietnam war. Trump also faces questions for employing Chinese companies to manufacture Trump goods, for donating to Democrats and for failing to release his financial statements and settle long-disputed claims about his actual net worth.

FRESH FACTS

Meanwhile, the entire community has been deserted.

Also, the recurring communal crisis between Umuebu and Amai communities in Ukwuani Local Government Area, which originated since 1914 assumed an alarming dimension with several persons killed and property destroyed.

Member representing Ika South constituency, Mr. Martin Okonta and his counterpart representing Ukwuani constituency in the State House of Assembly, Mr. Alphonsus Ojo, had brought separate motions under matter of urgent public importance on the floor of the House, seeking the State Government’s intervention. And the two motions were unanimously carried.

Speaking to Vanguard, Okonta who was a former Speaker of the House, said “what actually happened is that one company Pan Oceanic Oil Services was trying to clear the site give award of contract for grading of the road and were expanding the site to enable them prospect for oil.

As a result of that there was power tussle between Chief Vincent Chinyere Aminomwan who is the Elema of Obi-anyinma, the traditional custodian of the Obi-anyinma and some other interest groups and some chiefs within the locality; Obi-anyinma is a subsidiary of Abavo community. So the Obi of Abavo invited them to resolve the matter.

“During the amicable resolution”, he went on, “it was agreed that the youth leadership should cast their votes in the palace to determine who becomes the youth leader and the Secretary and that was done in the palace. It was when the Elema of Ob was going home that he was shot down.

About 16 houses have been burnt and they are still burning as I speak to you. Although a detachment of mobile unit has been sent there but I don’t think it has helped matters. The town has been deserted and is now a ghost to set up a panel of Inquiry to investigate the immediate and remote causes of the crisis”.

via Vanguard
]]> http://famouspeoplenews.wordpress.com/2011/05/19/delta-chief-killed-16-houses-burnt/feed/ 0 kenneth uwadi http://famouspeoplenews.wordpress.com/2011/05/14/donald-trump-im-worth-whatever-i-feel/ http://famouspeoplenews.wordpress.com/2011/05/14/donald-trump-im-worth-whatever-i-feel/#comments Sat, 14 May 2011 09:23:40 +0000 Kenneth Uwadi http://famouspeoplenews.wordpress.com/?p=3826 Continue reading →]]> Everyone knows it: Donald Trump is rich. Really rich. Forbes magazine has ranked him among its 400 richest Americans nearly every year since it started keeping track in 1982.

And in his own media blitz, Trump — who is acting like a candidate, even though he hasn’t officially become one — has been boasting about his wealth.

But just how much Trump is actually worth remains the subject of debate and even a lawsuit.

Last week, Trump told CNN’s Candy Crowley that his net worth is “many, many, many times Mitt Romney,” making him a better-suited contender for president. And on Thursday, he reiterated the claim on CNN’s American Morning.

“Forbes says $2.7 billion. I can tell you that’s a very low number. It’s much more than that,” Trump said, adding if he decides to run, he would provide a financial statement. “I think people will be extremely impressed.”

For its part, Forbes magazine says it relies on a variety of sources, including “employees, rivals, attorneys, ex-spouses and securities analysts.” It includes all assets, from stakes in companies to art to yachts.

But because many of Trump’s holdings are private companies, their value is not publicly disclosed. Other properties, such as the Trump Soho in New York City, are not actually owned by Trump; instead, he gets a licensing fee for allowing them to brandish his moniker.

In addition, Trump is involved in many complicated deals — making calculating his wealth tricky.

In recent years, he’s expanded his empire to include the NBC reality show “The Apprentice” and its spinoff “Celebrity Apprentice.”

At least one reporter who has challenged Trump’s value of his opaque pool of assets has ended up in court.

Timothy O’Brien, then a reporter at the New York Times, disputed Trump’s net worth in his book, “TrumpNation: The Art of Being the Donald,” which Warner Books, then owned by CNN’s parent company Time Warner, published in 2005.

O’Brien put Trump’s wealth somewhere between $150 million and $250 million, attributing the figures to people with direct knowledge of Trump’s finances.

“None of these people thought that he was remotely close to being a billionaire,” O’Brien wrote in an excerpt published in the Times.

Trump sued O’Brien and Warner Books for libel. The case was dismissed but Trump appealed. A decision is pending. CNN has obtained a copy of a deposition of Trump that was conducted on Dec. 19-20, 2007. (Read excerpts from the deposition)

In the deposition, Trump insists he’s a bona fide billionaire.

“I am a billionaire,” he said. “Of course, if you read Tim O’Brien’s writings and what was then transposed into the The New York Times, you would certainly not think that. But I am a billionaire, many times over, on a conservative basis.”

And the book has cost him business, Trump says.

“I’ve lost deals. I’ve lost specific deals because of it,” he said.

Throughout the deposition, Trump sparred with O’Brien’s lawyer, Andrew Ceresney, over how the real estate tycoon determined what he was worth.

Trump: My net worth fluctuates, and it goes up and down with the markets and with attitudes and with feelings, even my own feelings, but I try.

Ceresney: Let me just understand that a little. You said your net worth goes up and down based upon your own feelings?

Trump: Yes, even my own feelings, as to where the world is, where the world is going, and that can change rapidly from day to day …

Ceresney: When you publicly state a net worth number, what do you base that number on?

Trump: I would say it’s my general attitude at the time that the question may be asked. And as I say, it varies.

But the deposition shows Trump’s valuation of his properties can be at odds with others’ views.

“Donald owns 40 Wall Street, which he spent about $35 million to buy and refurbish in 1996,” lawyer Ceresney read from O’Brien’s book. “The building has about $145 million in debt attached to it, and New York City assessors value it at $90 million. Donald values it at $400 million.”

Trump reacts to the passage by saying: “Anybody would understand that a city assessment is 15 and 20 percent the value of a building.”

When questioned about the return on his investment from several golf courses, Trump said he does his own math.

Ceresney: Have you ever done a projection as to how much you anticipate you will profit on these courses over time in light of the contributions that you’re making in cash?

Trump: Yes, I’ve done mental projections.

Ceresney: Mental projections?

Trump: Yes.

Ceresney: These are projections that you’ve done in your head?

Trump: Yes.

Though Trump acknowledged that he provided O’Brien with financial statements showing his wealth at $3.6 billion, he said the actual figure is closer to $6 billion.

“These statements … never included the value of the brand. And there are those who say the brand is very, very valuable,” Trump said in the deposition.

O’Brien’s book tainted his name, The Donald said.

“My reputation was severely hurt. It was damaged and therefore my brand was damaged,” he said.
Story by Kiran Khalid, CNN producer. CNNMoney senior writer Tami Luhby contributed to this article.