Falana charges Nigerians to stigmatize, not celebrate corrupt leaders

Femi Falana

Human Rights Activist and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana yesterday called on Nigerians to stigmatize corrupt leaders instead of celebrating them as is often done across the country.

He made this appeal in Lagos while delivering a keynote address at the Annual Convention and Integrity Awards of the Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders (CACOL ).

According to Falana, who spoke on “Institutionalizing Probity and Accountability in Governance,” the participation of the nation’s elite in voting during elections in the country was low.

This led him into declaring that any political party which fails to take the welfare of the people seriously was not fit to be in power and must be voted out.

The Senior Advocate urged that Nigerians must stop celebrating corrupt people and find ways to stigmatize them instead. He emphasized that the government needed to institutionalize a social security scheme as part of efforts to tackle the problem .

Hear him, “Corruption does not reign in countries where you have social security for citizens in place. ”We must build a country where people are entitled to unemployment benefits,” he said.

His address also bordered on the need for proper accountability in Nigerian churches, urging pastors to ensure that they account for church funds and spend them responsibly.

“We must begin to ask questions from pastors using church funds to build universities that their members cannot afford to send their children to,” he said.

Source: Dailypost

Falana charges Nigerians to stigmatize, not celebrate corrupt leaders

Femi Falana

Human Rights Activist and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana yesterday called on Nigerians to stigmatize corrupt leaders instead of celebrating them as is often done across the country.

He made this appeal in Lagos while delivering a keynote address at the Annual Convention and Integrity Awards of the Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders (CACOL ).

According to Falana, who spoke on “Institutionalizing Probity and Accountability in Governance,” the participation of the nation’s elite in voting during elections in the country was low.

This led him into declaring that any political party which fails to take the welfare of the people seriously was not fit to be in power and must be voted out.

The Senior Advocate urged that Nigerians must stop celebrating corrupt people and find ways to stigmatize them instead. He emphasized that the government needed to institutionalize a social security scheme as part of efforts to tackle the problem .

Hear him, “Corruption does not reign in countries where you have social security for citizens in place. ”We must build a country where people are entitled to unemployment benefits,” he said.

His address also bordered on the need for proper accountability in Nigerian churches, urging pastors to ensure that they account for church funds and spend them responsibly.

Ebola and Nigeria’s winning ways

Initially, the quest for the knowledge of its natural reservoir threw researchers into bewilderment. However, epidemiologists eventually discovered that it is zoonotic. In other words, it is an animal disease that can be transmitted to humans via contact with its hosts, especially African native animals. 

Consequently, the disease was named after Ebola River in Yambuku in the Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire) where the Ebola Virus first appeared in 1976. It is, however, unfortunate that in the same year in the DRC, the first epidemic outbreak of Ebola Haemorrhagic Fever recorded the highest casualties in history, claiming 280 lives out of 318 reported cases, representing approximately 90 per cent case fatality rates of any human pathogenic virus.

Epidemiologists are of the opinion that the cause of the rapid spread of the EHF is due to the fact it is not easily detected because its symptoms are much related to the symptoms of ordinary fever. Among the earlier symptoms of the EVD are arthritis, diarrhea, headache, nausea, sore throat and vomiting while the late symptoms include bleeding from the eyes, ears and nose. Other symptoms include gastrointestinal bleeding (bleeding from the rectum), eye swelling, extreme pain and rashes on the skin.

It is unfortunate that the disease has spread like wildfire across West Africa, claiming several lives in quick succession. According to the World Health Organisation media centre, in Sudan in 1976, the EVD killed 284 people out of the 151 cases, representing 53 per cent CFR. Also, in Sudan in 1979, 22 lives were lost in 34 cases, representing 65 per cent CFR. Also, in Sudan in 1995, 254 people succumbed to EVD out of 315 cases, representing 81 per cent case fatality rates. 

In 2000, it was a colossal loss to the people of Uganda as the EVD claimed 224 lives of the 425 cases, which represents 53 per cent CFR. In 2007, 31 years later after the first outbreak in the DRC, 187 people died of the deadly virus out of the 264 cases, representing 71 per cent. In the same year in 2007, again, Uganda lost 37 people of the 149 cases, representing 25 per cent CFR. In Gabon, 2001-2002, 53 people lost their lives out of the 65 cases that were reported, which represents 82 per cent case fatality rates. Again, five years after the last outbreak in Uganda, the EVD struck again, killing 17 people, representing 71 per cent CFR out of the 24 cases. In like manner, five years after the last outbreak in the DRC in 2007, 29 people were also confirmed dead, representing 51 per cent CFR of the 57 cases of Ebola Haemorrhagic Fever.

However, of all the aforementioned EHF cases, none of them has ever attracted global attention as the 2014 outbreak. An emergency meeting was held in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 150 medical experts in drug research, epidemiology, ethics, regulation and finance.

According to WHO, the Ebola Virus Disease has claimed 1, 427 lives out of the more than 2, 600 cases while 77 people have succumbed to the disease between August 18 and 20, 2014. The huge financial and humanitarian aids which the affected countries in the West Africa have received from the international community suggest the seriousness of the outbreak.

In the bid to arrest the situation, the Economic Community of West African States disbursed the sum of US$250,000 during the 44th Summit of the Heads of State and Government in Yamoussoukro, Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, 2014. Interestingly, at the event, the Nigerian government donated the sum of US$500,000 to the Liberian government with a view to helping Liberians fight the virus. 

In the same gesture, a Nigerian business baron, Aliko Dangote, donated about US$920,000 to help the government defeat the EVD epidemic. It was also reported in March 2014 that the European Commission gave €500,000 to help contain the spread of the virus in Guinea and its neighbouring countries. Also, in August 2014, the Australian ambassador to the People’s Republic of China, Ms. Frances Adamson, revealed that the Australian government would donate US$1m to the World Health Organisation, in addition to its annual support, to assist in combating the Ebola outbreak in the affected African countries.

 In the same vein, on August 12, 2014, Canada’s financial aid in the battle against the EVD virus in West Africa has been estimated at US$5,195,000. In addition to that, the Chinese government has also helped with humanitarian aids worth US$4.9. In like manner, on August 15, China Kingho Group, a Chinese company in Sierra Leone, was reported to have donated the sum of 400 million Leones (about US$90,000) to the government and people of Sierra Leone. 

Also, in April 2014, the Japanese government gave $520,000 through UNICEF to fight the same course. Interestingly, another US$1.5m in additional support was budgeted to be disbursed through the WHO, UNICEF and Red Cross to fight the cause on Ebola Virus. In the same generous spirit, the UK Government also doled out £2m to help fight in this battle of EVD.

However, among the Ebola-stricken West Africa countries, the way and manner in which the Nigerian government has proactively handled the epidemic have been widely commended. The first casualty of Ebola case in Nigeria was one Patrick Sawyer, a Liberian-American citizen who died on July 25, 2014, having come to Nigeria from Liberia where he was infected.0 Sadly, Dr. Ameyo Adadevoh, the doctor who was treating the index case (Patrick Sawyer) eventually died, having tried to resist the violent Sawyer on the sick bed. Adadevoh’s bravery did not only receive local commendation, but also applauded by the international community for the role she played in curbing the spread of the virus in Nigeria.

According to the UN’s health organ’s report in Geneva, the EVD has claimed 2, 097 lives out of the 3, 944 people infected in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone. On the other hand, Nigeria has recorded seven deaths out of the 19 cases while 30 more people have died in a separate outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Although the international community has expressed great fear should the dreaded virus spread wide in Nigeria, considering its population of over 167 million and its supposedly inability to handle such deadly epidemic. On the contrary, the Nigerian government has been able to prove its critics wrong by rising to the occasion. 

This remarkable proactive measure has continued to earn her global commendations, especially from international health agencies. The WHO Country Director for Nigeria, DrRui Vana Gaz, commended the Nigeria government, particularly the Lagos State Government during her courtesy visit to Governor Babatunde Fashola, at the State House, Alausa, Ikeja. In the same vein, the Assistant Country Representative of the United Nations Population Fund, Osareti Adori, lauded Nigeria for treating the EVD with all the seriousness it deserves. 

He expressed his satisfaction at the opening of a five-day workshop on Minimum Intervention Service Package for Traumatised Women and Children, organised by the Lagos State Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation in Lagos. “What is important is the will. For the first time in a long time, I’ve not seen this country take so serious any issue like the Ebola issue both at the federal and state levels. I see a strong will to contain this situation and where there is a will, there is a way,” he said.

 In the same manner, the US government did not only commend Nigeria, but also implored her to help other African countries. The Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Ambassador Linda Thomas Greenfield, expressed her joy during a courtesy call on the Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu. According to her: “I commend the minister and his staff and the government of Nigeria on how effectively they have been working to deal with the Ebola outbreak here in Nigeria.They are taking all the right steps to control this and they are having great success here.

 I appealed to the minister to assist neighbouring Liberia, Sierra Leone as they also grapple with this terrible outbreak”.

Going by the aforementioned commendations, it implies that the EVD is under control and that other countries outside Africa can at least join in commending Nigeria for the good work done so far on the outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease.

Source: Punchng

Ebola and Nigeria’s winning ways

Initially, the quest for the knowledge of its natural reservoir threw researchers into bewilderment. However, epidemiologists eventually discovered that it is zoonotic. In other words, it is an animal disease that can be transmitted to humans via contact with its hosts, especially African native animals. 

Consequently, the disease was named after Ebola River in Yambuku in the Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire) where the Ebola Virus first appeared in 1976. It is, however, unfortunate that in the same year in the DRC, the first epidemic outbreak of Ebola Haemorrhagic Fever recorded the highest casualties in history, claiming 280 lives out of 318 reported cases, representing approximately 90 per cent case fatality rates of any human pathogenic virus.

Epidemiologists are of the opinion that the cause of the rapid spread of the EHF is due to the fact it is not easily detected because its symptoms are much related to the symptoms of ordinary fever. Among the earlier symptoms of the EVD are arthritis, diarrhea, headache, nausea, sore throat and vomiting while the late symptoms include bleeding from the eyes, ears and nose. Other symptoms include gastrointestinal bleeding (bleeding from the rectum), eye swelling, extreme pain and rashes on the skin.

It is unfortunate that the disease has spread like wildfire across West Africa, claiming several lives in quick succession. According to the World Health Organisation media centre, in Sudan in 1976, the EVD killed 284 people out of the 151 cases, representing 53 per cent CFR. Also, in Sudan in 1979, 22 lives were lost in 34 cases, representing 65 per cent CFR. Also, in Sudan in 1995, 254 people succumbed to EVD out of 315 cases, representing 81 per cent case fatality rates. 

In 2000, it was a colossal loss to the people of Uganda as the EVD claimed 224 lives of the 425 cases, which represents 53 per cent CFR. In 2007, 31 years later after the first outbreak in the DRC, 187 people died of the deadly virus out of the 264 cases, representing 71 per cent. In the same year in 2007, again, Uganda lost 37 people of the 149 cases, representing 25 per cent CFR. In Gabon, 2001-2002, 53 people lost their lives out of the 65 cases that were reported, which represents 82 per cent case fatality rates. Again, five years after the last outbreak in Uganda, the EVD struck again, killing 17 people, representing 71 per cent CFR out of the 24 cases. In like manner, five years after the last outbreak in the DRC in 2007, 29 people were also confirmed dead, representing 51 per cent CFR of the 57 cases of Ebola Haemorrhagic Fever.

Boko Haram: Over 400 killed in Konduga, Ngamdu as soldiers ambush insurgents

No fewer than 400 members of the dreaded Islamic sect, Boko Haram were reportedly killed in their latest clash with soldiers of the Nigerian 7 division.

The insurgents fell to the officers who ambushed them while they tried to attack Konduga local government area of Borno central senatorial district.

Locals also said, that, they attempted to attack Konduga from two directions with over 500 fighters when the military fought and defended the local government, killing over 200 before the insurgents retreated.

It was also gathered that, after the attack was repelled, some of them went through the forest and were heading towards Mafa local government area when soldiers laid ambush on them again, killing over 100 while the rest escaped with bullet wounds.

In another development, over 100 sect members who came up to attack travelers along Maiduguri- Potiskum road met their Waterloo when the detachment along that route engaged them in a fierce battle, killing all of them.

Source: Dailypost

Boko Haram: Over 400 killed in Konduga, Ngamdu as soldiers ambush insurgents

No fewer than 400 members of the dreaded Islamic sect, Boko Haram were reportedly killed in their latest clash with soldiers of the Nigerian 7 division.

The insurgents fell to the officers who ambushed them while they tried to attack Konduga local government area of Borno central senatorial district.

Locals also said, that, they attempted to attack Konduga from two directions with over 500 fighters when the military fought and defended the local government, killing over 200 before the insurgents retreated.

It was also gathered that, after the attack was repelled, some of them went through the forest and were heading towards Mafa local government area when soldiers laid ambush on them again, killing over 100 while the rest escaped with bullet wounds.

In another development, over 100 sect members who came up to attack travelers along Maiduguri- Potiskum road met their Waterloo when the detachment along that route engaged them in a fierce battle, killing all of them.

Source: Dailypost

Atiku: Let Electorate Determine the Next President

former Vice-President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar

The former Vice-President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has asked fellow presidential aspirants on the All Progressives Congress (APC) platform, including those agitated by the re-election bid of President Goodluck Jonathan, to allow the Nigerian electorate decide their fate.

Atiku, who briefed journalists in Abuja on his plans for a formal declaration to contest for the presidency in 2015, said those pushing for the party’s automatic ticket are afraid of facing a democratic contest.

He added that the insecurity in the North-eastern region of the country should not give the federal government the alibi to deny the people of the region the opportunity to participate in elections, adding that it is not enough reason to stop elections from taking place in the zone.

While the appraising the state of affairs in APC, Atiku who rejected the appellation of new entrant into the opposition party, said so far, the internal democratic practice in the party is far better than what obtains in the PDP.

“For sure, the internal democracy we have in the APC is better than what we have in PDP. You can see that from the outcome of a few by-elections the party had conducted so far. I still believe that APC is far better than the PDP,” he said.
Speaking on a likely pairing against the former Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), he said the electorate would determine who wins. “Every candidate hopes to win an election but eventually, it is the electorate who will decide who makes it.

Remember I was a founding member of the Action Congress (AC), in fact I gave it it’s name before I later left for the PDP.

“Those who are canvassing for automatic ticket are scared of a contest. Why should we be canvassing for automatic ticket in a democratic process? Are they just scared of the contest? There is nothing like automatic ticket, they must have been coming from a background that is not so democratic in nature. It is not like the PDP where they have things like allocations


“ The electorate will determine who wins the presidential ticket through the primaries, and everybody is optimistic about his chance  but eventually, it is the electorate that will determine who wins it that is the end of  the story,” he said.

On the chances of the opposition against the PDP and the possibility of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a credible election in 2015, the former vice president said: “The reason PDP has been dominating is that the opposition has been fragmented.

“ But now, I think they are trying to come together. You can see basically we are moving towards a two-party system and then Nigerians in the opposition will now see that there is an alternative to run.  Nigerians are sophisticated and have now seen that there is an alternative to PDP, so they can now decide to vote for that alternative.

“If the political parties, together with the electorate and non-governmental organisations are able to police INEC, the commission will have no alternative than to conduct a free and fair election.

“For sure, the internal democracy we have practiced within the APC is a better alternative than what is being done in the PDP. You can see that some of the primaries we have so far conducted in the party have been very transparent. I still believe that APC has a better image in terms of internal democracy.

“How can I be discouraged, you are just asking me to give up on Nigeria? But I will not, I don’t have any other place to go. So why should I give up on Nigeria? That is what you are asking me to do and I will not until I can no longer have the capacity or the strength to go on,” Atiku stated.

On what he will do if he eventually loses the bid to pick the APC presidential ticket, Atiku said he would do nothing but support the winner and the party to win the election.

On whether he is not frustrated enough in the quest to become Nigeria’s president after past unsuccessful attempts, he said:  “Asking me if I am not frustrated will mean asking me to give up on Nigeria, which I am not prepared to do.”

Atiku said there was nothing unusual about what INEC has done by increasing the number of polling units, saying: “I think it is just a formality that the commission announced the increase, while in actual fact, such arrangement already existed where polling units were sub-divided to make for easy voting.”

On the issue of allowing the South-south to complete the eight years in order not to over-heat the polity, he said Nigerians should be left to choose their leaders from wherever he comes from, adding that he is an ardent democrat.
He spoke on the lingering insecurity in the North-east region, saying he is absolutely upset and angry about the lingering insecurity in the region.

According to him, the country prided itself as possessing a very strong and effective armed forces, adding that: “For such group to be allowed to cause such concern for about five years now is an embarrassment to our military, which has a reputation of greatness and resilience.

“I will kick against any move to stop elections in the affected states because if elections were held in places like Afghanistan, where there are more deadly terrorist attacks, there is no reason why we cannot hold elections in the North-east,” he said.

Atiku, who  contested for the presidential ticket of the PDP in 2010 and lost to President Jonathan, told journalists that his formal declaration on September 24 will be meant for a selected audience.

Source: Thisday

Atiku: Let Electorate Determine the Next President

former Vice-President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar

The former Vice-President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has asked fellow presidential aspirants on the All Progressives Congress (APC) platform, including those agitated by the re-election bid of President Goodluck Jonathan, to allow the Nigerian electorate decide their fate.

Atiku, who briefed journalists in Abuja on his plans for a formal declaration to contest for the presidency in 2015, said those pushing for the party’s automatic ticket are afraid of facing a democratic contest.

He added that the insecurity in the North-eastern region of the country should not give the federal government the alibi to deny the people of the region the opportunity to participate in elections, adding that it is not enough reason to stop elections from taking place in the zone.

While the appraising the state of affairs in APC, Atiku who rejected the appellation of new entrant into the opposition party, said so far, the internal democratic practice in the party is far better than what obtains in the PDP.

“For sure, the internal democracy we have in the APC is better than what we have in PDP. You can see that from the outcome of a few by-elections the party had conducted so far. I still believe that APC is far better than the PDP,” he said.
Speaking on a likely pairing against the former Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), he said the electorate would determine who wins. “Every candidate hopes to win an election but eventually, it is the electorate who will decide who makes it.

Remember I was a founding member of the Action Congress (AC), in fact I gave it it’s name before I later left for the PDP.

“Those who are canvassing for automatic ticket are scared of a contest. Why should we be canvassing for automatic ticket in a democratic process? Are they just scared of the contest? There is nothing like automatic ticket, they must have been coming from a background that is not so democratic in nature. It is not like the PDP where they have things like allocations

Amaechi Replies Mbu: You Are No Lion But a Shameless, Corrupt Puppet of a Woman

Rivers State Governor, Hon. Chibuike Amaechi, has dismissed the comments by the state former Commissioner of Police, Mr. Joseph Mbu, who while apparently referring to Amaechi, described himself as a lion who tamed the governor in Port Harcourt.

Mbu, who was recently promoted to Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG), said this while handing over to the FCT Commissioner of Police, Wilson Inalegwu, on Monday in Abuja. Amaechi, however, scoffed at Mbu’s claims to be a lion.

In a statement by his spokesman, David Iyofor in Port Harcourt yesterday, the governor described Mbu as a puppet who completely lacks the steel and strength of character of a lion, and is rather a shameless, corrupt puppet and toothless attack dog of a woman.

The statement read: “Indeed it is very sad, pathetic, however ironic that Mbu called himself a lion. Which lion? This character call Mbu Joseph Mbu completely lacks the courage, steel and strength of character of a lion. Rather, he is a shameless, corrupt puppet of a woman.

This is a man paid by taxpayers to protect, secure and serve the interests of the people. But when he was in Rivers State, he spurned the people, trampled on the masses and rather elected to be the partisan servant of one woman, to be the woman’s tool in causing disaffection, confusion and crises in the state. Mbu shamelessly and corruptly turned himself into the toothless attack dog of this woman to fight the government and people of the state.

“How can a man who has no strength of character to be himself,to  be a man and stand up to a woman, a man who willingly submits himself to serve as the puppet of a woman call himself a lion? How ironic! Mbu, no lion behaves like that! You are a disgrace and shame to the Nigerian Police Force.”

The governor maintained that Mbu epitomises everything that is wrong with the police in Nigeria.


He said: “Mbu not only disobeyed the Inspector General of Police (IG) during his time in the state but also clearly acted lawlessly, like a man who is above the law and in fact, turned himself into the law.
“Mbu did all these because he was the puppet of one woman, a woman who clearly has no constitutional role to play in the governance of the state or Nigeria. Mbu’s only claim to fame and prominence is because he has turned himself into a willing tool and servant of this woman. Mbu is a very bad example of a police officer.”

Amaechi recounted that when the former state police commissioner finally left the state, he (Mbu) disobeyed the instruction of the IG to pack out of his official residence in the state.

“Mbu refused to pack out because he said he would come back here (to Rivers State) as the commissioner to organise the 2015 elections. During his time here, when we hold Security Council meetings in Rivers State, he goes to report the proceedings of the meetings, what everyone said, to his woman puppeteer.  What a shame. Mbu is a disgrace to the police force.”

The statement concluded that “a thousand Mbus can neither tame, to use his word, Amaechi nor the people of Rivers State to surrender their constitutionally guaranteed democratic rights to anyone, no matter how highly placed.

Source: Thisday

Amaechi Replies Mbu: You Are No Lion But a Shameless, Corrupt Puppet of a Woman

Rivers State Governor, Hon. Chibuike Amaechi, has dismissed the comments by the state former Commissioner of Police, Mr. Joseph Mbu, who while apparently referring to Amaechi, described himself as a lion who tamed the governor in Port Harcourt.

Mbu, who was recently promoted to Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG), said this while handing over to the FCT Commissioner of Police, Wilson Inalegwu, on Monday in Abuja. Amaechi, however, scoffed at Mbu’s claims to be a lion.

In a statement by his spokesman, David Iyofor in Port Harcourt yesterday, the governor described Mbu as a puppet who completely lacks the steel and strength of character of a lion, and is rather a shameless, corrupt puppet and toothless attack dog of a woman.

The statement read: “Indeed it is very sad, pathetic, however ironic that Mbu called himself a lion. Which lion? This character call Mbu Joseph Mbu completely lacks the courage, steel and strength of character of a lion. Rather, he is a shameless, corrupt puppet of a woman.

This is a man paid by taxpayers to protect, secure and serve the interests of the people. But when he was in Rivers State, he spurned the people, trampled on the masses and rather elected to be the partisan servant of one woman, to be the woman’s tool in causing disaffection, confusion and crises in the state. Mbu shamelessly and corruptly turned himself into the toothless attack dog of this woman to fight the government and people of the state.

“How can a man who has no strength of character to be himself,to  be a man and stand up to a woman, a man who willingly submits himself to serve as the puppet of a woman call himself a lion? How ironic! Mbu, no lion behaves like that! You are a disgrace and shame to the Nigerian Police Force.”

The governor maintained that Mbu epitomises everything that is wrong with the police in Nigeria.

Season of Carpet-Crossing from the APC back to the PDP, By Femi Aribisala

Femi Aribisala

If you have not noticed it already, a new season has dawned in Nigerian politics. That season is one of carpet-crossing back to the PDP. About a year ago, there was a rash of defections from the PDP to the APC. Nearly 40 legislators left the ruling party for the opposition.

 Five PDP governors also followed suit. But now the movement is a one-way trajectory in the opposite direction. APCmembers are having buyers’ remorse and are making their way back as prodigal sons to the PDP.

There are two basic reasons behind this. One year ago, the APC was the new party on the block. A simplistic political calculus led some to the hasty conclusion we finally have the party that would dislodge the PDP after 15 years of one-party rule in Nigeria. So some people quickly joined the APC bandwagon. But the more cynical reason was that the defections were designed to discourage Goodluck Jonathan from seeking re-election as president. The vain hope and expectation was that Jonathan would see the colossus ranged against him and throw in the towel.

New realpolitik

One year is a lifetime in politics and these prognoses have become bankrupt. A new harsh reality has set in. The APC is now a shadow of its hype. Since the initial excitement, it lost Ekiti by a landslide and scraped through in Osun; two states presumed to be APC strongholds. In spite of considerable arm-twisting, including the nuisance value of APC Trojan horse Sule Lamido’s candidacy, Goodluck Jonathan is going to run on the PDP’s 2015 presidential ticket.

Short of the shenanigans of Attahiru Jega and his fictitious 30,000 new polling units, the APC does not stand a chance of defeating the PDP in the coming presidential election. The combination of these two realities is provoking a no-holds-barred migration back to the PDP.

As a matter of fact, once Jonathan finally declares his candidacy and is endorsed by the PDP, there will be a mass exodus from the APC to the PDP. Even before then, those who lose out in the APC choice of its presidential candidate will not waste time before making their way to the PDP. The movement will be massive all in one direction because in Nigerian politics the winner takes all. The one thing politicians are very good at is in reading the signs of the times.

Timber and caliber

What has happened over the last few months is that a procession of APC who-is-who has defected to the PDP. This includes Attahiru Bafawara, Brigadier-General Buba Marwa (rtd.), Ibrahim Shekarau, Femi Fani-Kayode, Ali Modu Sherriff, Jimi Agbaje,
Nuhu Ribadu and Tom Ikimi. These people have read the writing on the wall and have discovered that, by hook or crook, the PDP is not going to lose the coming presidential election. Don’t be surprised if by next year, even Atiku applies to be re-admitted to the PDP, after he would have been shut out of the APC.

There were a lot of raised eyebrows at Nuhu Ribadu’s defection to the PDP. But what exactly was he supposed to do? There is no future in the APC for him. Ribadu served for eight years under the “hateful” PDP. As EFCC Chairman, he indicted Tinubu of corruption and called him a looter of public funds “of international dimension.” But then he ended up in Tinubu’s ACN where he was even comically paraded as the party’s 2011 presidential candidate; only to be traded off shamefully in a despicable act of political treachery.

Clearly, Ribadu cannot be APC’s presidential or vice-presidential candidate. Neither can the APC make him governor of Adamawa State. Since he recognizes that the APC is headed for defeat in 2015, that means the offer of a ministerial position in Abuja is out of the question. Neither can the APC make him the Nigerian High Commissioner to the Court of St. James as a consolation prize.

However, the PDP can offer him all but one of these juicy posts. So what would be the point of staying in the APC? None whatsoever! This kind of cold hard calculus will become increasingly evident to other APC politicians; the closer we get to the 2015 election. Just you wait; they will soon be jumping ship to the PDP in droves.

One-party rule

There is still only one political party in Nigeria at the federal level and that one party is the party in power. What is the difference between the PDP and the APC? Only one; PDP is in power at the centre: APC is not. Besides that, there is no difference whatsoever! They are not even yin and yang. They are Siamese twins. They are children of the same ugly mother. They are Jekyll and Hyde. They are two peas in a pod.

When the APC first emerged, some were excited that we would finally have a two-party system. No such luck! For the longest time, Nigeria will remain a one-party state. When you truly have a two-party system, you have two parties with different world-views. They have two contrasting and competing ideologies. Not so in Nigeria. Like people, like priest! The people are uneducated and so are the polithiefcians. They have no ideology, no policies and no vision. It is all about getting into power to get a piece of the national cake.

The APC touts Buhari as an anti-corruption icon. It says PDP is a party of thieves and robbers. But when did you hear the APC require those PDP governors and legislators it welcomed into its ranks to account for the money they stole while in the PDP? Never! It relies on them to bring the money. Murtala Nyako was impeached for corruption. Did anybody hear APC members say anything against his corrupt practices?

Boko Haram politicians

Suddenly, the APC is making a lot of song and dance about PDP’s Bunu Sheriff being labeled by Stephen Davis as a sponsor of the Boko Haram. But the same Bunu Sheriff was in APC for over a year until recently. Even as APC member, he was fingered as a possible Boko Harram sponsor, and the party took no action against him. Bunu Sheriff was not kicked out of the APC: he resigned.

At a meeting in the British parliament, chaired by John Glen, a close adviser to Prime Minister David Cameron, allegations were raised that key members of the APC in Nigeria are supporters and financiers of Boko Haram “for ideological and political means.” Early this year, British MP Andrew Rosindell questioned Foreign Secretary William Hague in parliament specifically on the question of the United Kingdom’s engagement with the APC over the Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria.

No ideologies

Nigerian political parties are much of a muchness. If you did not know this, the rash of defections to and fro is eloquent testimony. That is why Obasanjo can be the so-called Baba of the PDP yesterday, and today be invited by a high-powered delegation to become the Navigator of the APC. Kwankwaso can be elected governor of Kano on the platform of the PDP in 2011. But midstream in his tenure in 2013, he switches to the APC without any change in policy or ideology.

How many prominent members of the Labour Party in Britain have we ever heard defecting to the Conservatives? How many prominent members of the Democratic Party in the United States do we ever hear crossing the
carpet suddenly to the Republican Party? Virtually none! The reason is that those parties stand for something and their members believe in what they stand for. However, Nigerian political parties stand for nothing. They believe in nothing. All they seek is to feather their nests while in office.

The PDP makes few principled pretensions. It is a party of thieves and robbers. It is a party of “come and chop!” That actually makes it endearing in a way. What you see is what you get. But lately, it has been trying to reform itself. There is now more internal democracy in the PDP, making for fewer spats.

The APC, on the other hand is a party of dissemblers. It calls itself a progressive party. But how do you have a progressive party that makes a point of collecting the “non-progressives” rejects of the PDP? How do you have a progressive party led by certificate forgers and insatiable land-grabbers with dubious unexplained wealth?

Political prostitutes

Nigeria political parties are Twedledee and Twedledum. They may go by the acronym ECN, or NEPA or PHCN; but the one constant is lack of electricity. As for Nigerian politicians, they are nothing but high-class prostitutes. The principled and upright ones, like Senator Udo Udoma of Akwa Ibom, are few and far between. Neither do they survive for long in politics. After eight years, Senator Udoma voluntarily called it quits. “The beautiful ones are not yet born.”

But take, for example, the current Governor of Imo State. He must hold some kind of Nigerian record for carpet-crossing. Okorocha was in PDP before he was not. In 1999, he contested for governor of Imo under the PDP. In 2003, he ran for the ANPP presidential ticket. When that came to grief, he returned to the PDP as President Obasanjo’s Special Adviser on Inter-Party Affairs. In 2005, he was a founding-member of the Action Alliance. By 2007, he was back in the PDP. In 2010, he defected to APGA and ran for governor of Imo State. Having become governor, he decamped to the APC in 2013.

Men like Okorocha who cannot stay in one place need to be placed under arrest. Okorocha’s jumps from pillar to post have one unchanging purpose: his unending search for politically greener pastures. If he does not secure the vice-presidential ticket of the APC at their coming convention, your guess is as good as mine if he will remain one day longer in the party. In short, at this stage of Nigerian politics, virtually all our politicians are self-serving. Far more
than the people they misrule, they are the ones always looking for stomach infrastructure.

Season of Carpet-Crossing from the APC back to the PDP, By Femi Aribisala

Femi Aribisala

If you have not noticed it already, a new season has dawned in Nigerian politics. That season is one of carpet-crossing back to the PDP. About a year ago, there was a rash of defections from the PDP to the APC. Nearly 40 legislators left the ruling party for the opposition.

 Five PDP governors also followed suit. But now the movement is a one-way trajectory in the opposite direction. APCmembers are having buyers’ remorse and are making their way back as prodigal sons to the PDP.

There are two basic reasons behind this. One year ago, the APC was the new party on the block. A simplistic political calculus led some to the hasty conclusion we finally have the party that would dislodge the PDP after 15 years of one-party rule in Nigeria. So some people quickly joined the APC bandwagon. But the more cynical reason was that the defections were designed to discourage Goodluck Jonathan from seeking re-election as president. The vain hope and expectation was that Jonathan would see the colossus ranged against him and throw in the towel.

New realpolitik

One year is a lifetime in politics and these prognoses have become bankrupt. A new harsh reality has set in. The APC is now a shadow of its hype. Since the initial excitement, it lost Ekiti by a landslide and scraped through in Osun; two states presumed to be APC strongholds. In spite of considerable arm-twisting, including the nuisance value of APC Trojan horse Sule Lamido’s candidacy, Goodluck Jonathan is going to run on the PDP’s 2015 presidential ticket.

Short of the shenanigans of Attahiru Jega and his fictitious 30,000 new polling units, the APC does not stand a chance of defeating the PDP in the coming presidential election. The combination of these two realities is provoking a no-holds-barred migration back to the PDP.

As a matter of fact, once Jonathan finally declares his candidacy and is endorsed by the PDP, there will be a mass exodus from the APC to the PDP. Even before then, those who lose out in the APC choice of its presidential candidate will not waste time before making their way to the PDP. The movement will be massive all in one direction because in Nigerian politics the winner takes all. The one thing politicians are very good at is in reading the signs of the times.

Timber and caliber

What has happened over the last few months is that a procession of APC who-is-who has defected to the PDP. This includes Attahiru Bafawara, Brigadier-General Buba Marwa (rtd.), Ibrahim Shekarau, Femi Fani-Kayode, Ali Modu Sherriff, Jimi Agbaje,

Ebola: U.S Government to deploy 3000 Military personnel to combat the disease

United States President, Barack Obama  has on Tuesday declared a huge effort to combat the Ebola outbreak centered in West Africa "the largest international response in the history of the CDC."

Obama added that "faced with this outbreak, the world is looking to" the United States to lead international efforts to combat the virus. He said the United States is ready to take on that leadership role.

The organization that has led the effort to fight Ebola on Tuesday said newly announced American aid is dearly needed, but stressed that the outbreak is far from under control.

“We’ve been calling this outbreak unprecedented for six months, and it’s only in the past few weeks that the international community seems to be beginning to mobilize.” Medicins Sans Frontiers General Director Christopher Stokes told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour on Tuesday.

With 530 beds across the three countries most affected – Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea – Medicins Sans Frontiers, or Doctors Without Borders, represents 80% of the Ebola-fighting capacity, Stokes said.

“We’ve been denouncing for months the international inaction – we’ve called it a coalition of inaction around Ebola.”

The number of cases is doubling every three of four weeks, he said, but those numbers tell only part of the story.The virus has killed at least 2,400 people, and thousands more are infected. And there are now cases in Nigeria and Senegal.

"The number of new cases is increasing exponentially," the WHO said, calling the situation a "dire emergency with ... unprecedented dimensions of human suffering."


Working through the Defense Department, the United States will plan and construct treatment centers that could house up to 1,700 additional beds. With a U.S. general leading the effort from Monrovia, American military personnel in the region could increase by 3,000, administration officials say, under the name Operation United Assistance.
Source: CNN

Ebola: U.S Government to deploy 3000 Military personnel to combat the disease

United States President, Barack Obama  has on Tuesday declared a huge effort to combat the Ebola outbreak centered in West Africa "the largest international response in the history of the CDC."

Obama added that "faced with this outbreak, the world is looking to" the United States to lead international efforts to combat the virus. He said the United States is ready to take on that leadership role.

The organization that has led the effort to fight Ebola on Tuesday said newly announced American aid is dearly needed, but stressed that the outbreak is far from under control.

“We’ve been calling this outbreak unprecedented for six months, and it’s only in the past few weeks that the international community seems to be beginning to mobilize.” Medicins Sans Frontiers General Director Christopher Stokes told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour on Tuesday.

With 530 beds across the three countries most affected – Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea – Medicins Sans Frontiers, or Doctors Without Borders, represents 80% of the Ebola-fighting capacity, Stokes said.

“We’ve been denouncing for months the international inaction – we’ve called it a coalition of inaction around Ebola.”

The number of cases is doubling every three of four weeks, he said, but those numbers tell only part of the story.The virus has killed at least 2,400 people, and thousands more are infected. And there are now cases in Nigeria and Senegal.

"The number of new cases is increasing exponentially," the WHO said, calling the situation a "dire emergency with ... unprecedented dimensions of human suffering."

2015: El-Rufai declares for Kaduna governorship race

Mallam El-rufai

A former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and Deputy National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Malam Nasir El-Rufai, has formally announced his intention to run for the Kaduna State governorship seat.

The ex minister stated this during his courtesy visit to the palace of Kpop Gwong, Col. Paul Zakka-Wyoms (retd.), the Paramount Ruler of the Gwong to formally inform him of his ambition.

El Rufai, who will be running on the platform of the APC promised the monarch that when elected, he will govern the State with equity, fairness and justice.

“I came here to formally inform you of our decision to seek the highest office in our dear state. It is a demonstration of deep commitment to the peace, development and unity of Kaduna State. I am set and ready to move to action, justice is paramount to development and that is my direction. I am seeking your blessings and moral backing”, he assured.

He added: “I am not new to our state; I did my primary school, secondary school and university in our state, and also practiced here in our state before moving to Abuja where we both served with Yakowa in General Abdulsalam Abubakar’s government; so I know our problems and together we will run a responsible and participatory government together”, said El-Rufai.

Source: Dailypost

2015: El-Rufai declares for Kaduna governorship race

Mallam El-rufai

A former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and Deputy National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Malam Nasir El-Rufai, has formally announced his intention to run for the Kaduna State governorship seat.

The ex minister stated this during his courtesy visit to the palace of Kpop Gwong, Col. Paul Zakka-Wyoms (retd.), the Paramount Ruler of the Gwong to formally inform him of his ambition.

El Rufai, who will be running on the platform of the APC promised the monarch that when elected, he will govern the State with equity, fairness and justice.

“I came here to formally inform you of our decision to seek the highest office in our dear state. It is a demonstration of deep commitment to the peace, development and unity of Kaduna State. I am set and ready to move to action, justice is paramount to development and that is my direction. I am seeking your blessings and moral backing”, he assured.

He added: “I am not new to our state; I did my primary school, secondary school and university in our state, and also practiced here in our state before moving to Abuja where we both served with Yakowa in General Abdulsalam Abubakar’s government; so I know our problems and together we will run a responsible and participatory government together”, said El-Rufai.

Source: Dailypost

UCH Charges Patients N10,000 for Ebola Test

Even with the fear of Ebola receding across the nation, there is palpable worry among people in Oyo State who are likely to find it difficult to know their test results, except the University College Hospital (UCH) reverses its policy of imposing exorbitant fees on patients who have been thronging the hospital to confirm whether they are infected with the dreaded virus or not.

The need to ascertain their status has arisen from the stigmatisation by foreign mission and other bodies who have been insisting since the outbreak of the disease in the country that Nigerian travellers wanting to enter their countries must produce certificates verifying that they are free of the Ebola virus.

THISDAY findings at UCH in the past one week revealed that patients thronging the hospital to ascertain the status of their health were turned back when they could not afford the sum of N10,000 being demanded by the hospital authorities to check if they were Ebola-positive or negative. Even at that, patients have to pay the N1,600 compulsory consultancy fee.

Many who could not afford the bill especially after payment of the consultancy fee complained of the exorbitant charge and returned to their homes forlorn.

There was also anxiety among the people, as they wondered about the real status of their neighbours. One of them who spoke to THISDAY on the condition of anonymity asked, “What happens if these set of people have contracted the Ebola disease? And besides, in this emergency situation, must UCH charge fees for people to know their status when the entire population is living in fear of the deadly virus?”

Insider sources said even before the outbreak of Ebola, the hospital could only boast of three Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), thus making a mockery of the management’s reported position that it was ready to combat the scourge without putting in place the necessary measures.
The number of PPEs has however improved since the Ebola outbreak recently in Lagos.

Many of the top doctors were said to have queried management’s reported stance on the Ebola menace, wondering what would happen if indeed the hospital ever records an Ebola case.

A woman who was affected by the fees recounted her ordeal to THISDAY: “As an official prerequisite for the release of my son's visa and mine, we were expected to submit a certified medical report certifying us free of the Ebola virus to the Iranian embassy in Abuja.

“Hence my son and I headed to the University College Hospital, Ibadan, to be tested and certified. After going through the rigorous procedure of registration and screening at the General Out-Patient (GOP) Department, a sceptical doctor issued us two leaves of laboratory/investigation paper which I was told to take to the virology department where the test was to be conducted.

“The laboratory attendant demanded that I should pay N20,000 as test fee: N10,000 for each of us. I was dazed that a federal government medical facility could charge us such an outrageous amount for a ravaging virus they claimed to be curtailing.”

The Public Relations Officer of the hospital, Ayodeji Bobade, when contacted by THISDAY on the development, promised to call back. But 48 hours later, he had not kept his promise.

Source: Thisday

UCH Charges Patients N10,000 for Ebola Test

Even with the fear of Ebola receding across the nation, there is palpable worry among people in Oyo State who are likely to find it difficult to know their test results, except the University College Hospital (UCH) reverses its policy of imposing exorbitant fees on patients who have been thronging the hospital to confirm whether they are infected with the dreaded virus or not.

The need to ascertain their status has arisen from the stigmatisation by foreign mission and other bodies who have been insisting since the outbreak of the disease in the country that Nigerian travellers wanting to enter their countries must produce certificates verifying that they are free of the Ebola virus.

THISDAY findings at UCH in the past one week revealed that patients thronging the hospital to ascertain the status of their health were turned back when they could not afford the sum of N10,000 being demanded by the hospital authorities to check if they were Ebola-positive or negative. Even at that, patients have to pay the N1,600 compulsory consultancy fee.

Many who could not afford the bill especially after payment of the consultancy fee complained of the exorbitant charge and returned to their homes forlorn.

There was also anxiety among the people, as they wondered about the real status of their neighbours. One of them who spoke to THISDAY on the condition of anonymity asked, “What happens if these set of people have contracted the Ebola disease? And besides, in this emergency situation, must UCH charge fees for people to know their status when the entire population is living in fear of the deadly virus?”

Synagogue death toll climbs to 45

Rescuers were still busy yesterday at the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), Ikotun on the outskirts of Lagos where a building collapsed, killing 45 persons —as of yesterday.

When the incident happened on Friday, 17 were said to have died. Many are believed to be trapped underneath the six-storey building.

The church has declined comments on the number of persons in the building when it collapsed. Besides, it insists that nobody died in the incident.

Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola was at the scene yesterday. He called for an inquiry.

Government officials have said there was no approval for the erection of additional floors.

Commissioner for Physical Planning Olutoyin Ayinde, who was on Fashola’s entourage, said the church’s engineers were yet to  present their permit to make such modifications.

Ayinde said: “Our meeting with the prophet was a closed-door meeting but it surrounds the collapsed building. It is a sad situation; lives have been lost and many others have been rescued.

“We use this opportunity to express our sympathy to the affected people.

“We have no proof that the church had permit to add to the existing structure. We have asked the engineering team to meet us and for about two hours now, no member of the team has come.

“We also have questions for them. Even if the building does not have approval, it ought to be built professionally. We have asked for their team and we hope in the course of the week, they would get to us.

“It is necessary to take the final inventory before we can say the number of people affected. Right now, we do not know how many people are involved. When a final inventory has been taken, the ministry of special duties will take a decision as regards relieve,” he added.

On whether the ýgovernment plans to seal the premises, Ayinde said: “There are no plans for that yet until investigation as to the cause of the collapse has been concluded.

“I have said I have no proof of a permit. Maybe they have one and are yet to show us. We will give them the opportunity to defend themselves and action can only be taken after investigation has been concluded.”

But the General Manager, Lagos State Building Control Agency, Mrs. Abimbola Animashaun, affirmed that the church had no approval.

She said: “We have investigated and found that they had no approval for the additional structures. Even the main church, which they have added about three floors on, was sealed two days ago, but it is now open.

”You cannot have an existing building and start putting up more buildings on it. Before you can do anything like that, you must confirm that the structure is still stable and can stand additional buildings.”

The Nation gathered that the collapsed building, which was a three-storey that had another three added to it, had been vibrating for sometime before it collapsed.

It was also gathered that over 200 people were in the building, most of them having lunch at the basement, while the construction workers were on the sixth floor.

There were many foreigners, according to sources.

Mattresses, clothes and other household items, including air-conditionersý, were seen lying in the rubble of the building. Besides, a foul odour oozed out of the site.

Fumigants were being distributed to the workers.

National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Red Cross, medical personnel from the state and federal governments  and Lagos State Building Inspection Agency personnel were all at the site as excavation continued.

The workers were on the sixth floor, cutting the rods to create an opening to into other floors.

The Nation gathered that all the 130 people rescued alive and the 45 dead were removed from the sixth floor and the basement, which are the only areas the workers have been able to access.

It was also observed that most of the pillars of the collapsed building were still standing.

Confirming the death toll, NEMA’s Southwest spokesman, Ibrahim Farinloye, said the cause of the collpase was still being investigated.

“We were able to work overnight and so, as at now (6pm), we have 130 rescued alive and 45 dead. Nobody can say what caused the collapse. But from the footage shown to me, where all the foundation of the building was shaking before it caved in, it could have been caused by the additional structure.

“Investigations will confirm what really happened. You can see that some of the beams and blocks are still intact. So, some of the permutations cannot be ruled out.

“We are working on worst case scenario that the foundation might have been weakened, which would have led to the collapse.”

Source: The Nation

Synagogue death toll climbs to 45

Rescuers were still busy yesterday at the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), Ikotun on the outskirts of Lagos where a building collapsed, killing 45 persons —as of yesterday.

When the incident happened on Friday, 17 were said to have died. Many are believed to be trapped underneath the six-storey building.

The church has declined comments on the number of persons in the building when it collapsed. Besides, it insists that nobody died in the incident.

Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola was at the scene yesterday. He called for an inquiry.

Government officials have said there was no approval for the erection of additional floors.

Commissioner for Physical Planning Olutoyin Ayinde, who was on Fashola’s entourage, said the church’s engineers were yet to  present their permit to make such modifications.

Ayinde said: “Our meeting with the prophet was a closed-door meeting but it surrounds the collapsed building. It is a sad situation; lives have been lost and many others have been rescued.

“We use this opportunity to express our sympathy to the affected people.

“We have no proof that the church had permit to add to the existing structure. We have asked the engineering team to meet us and for about two hours now, no member of the team has come.

“We also have questions for them. Even if the building does not have approval, it ought to be built professionally. We have asked for their team and we hope in the course of the week, they would get to us.