2015 Election Scam: Police Commission Staff Fingers Ex IG Okiro In N274 Million Fraud.

2015



 
 
By Danlami Nmodu
(EXCLUSIVE) Even as the ruling Peoples Democratic Party,PDP  struggles  with post election trauma after it was defeated by the All Progressives Congress, more reports are emerging indicating that some managers of federal institutions may have used the election as a cover to defraud the government.
A clear case in point is that of Mr Mike Okiro, former Inspector General of Police and incumbent chairman of Police Service Commission who has been accused of  election related scam in which he allegedly swindled  the commission of over N275 million, according to a staff.A petition already with anti graft agencies accused  the retired  Inspector General of Police of inflating the staff strength of the commission to justify a fraudulent act.
Undoubtedly, the  days ahead  will  be full of troubles for Okiro  as a staff of the Commission has written a petition to some anti-corruption agencies accusing the chairman of fraud.Newsdiaryonline learnt that a Mr.  Aaron Kaase, a principal Admin officer(press and public Relations ) of the police service Commission has written and submitted a petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC  as well as the Independent Corrupt Practices and Related Offences Commission ,ICPC.A copy of the petition  against Okiro submitted and acknowledged today (Friday May 22nd )  by  the EFCC was obtained by Newsdiaryonline .
It’s titled: “Petition against sir(Dr )n Mike Mbama Okiro,Chairman ,Police Service Commission for Corruption,Abuse  and Fraudulent Act To Swindle The Police Service Commission  To the Tune of N275,525,000(Two Hundred And Twnty Five Million,Five Hundred And Twenty Five Thousand Naira Only”.
In the opening paragraph, the petitioner said “Iam Aaron  Kaase, a Principal Admin Officer(Press and Public Relations Unit)of Police Service Commission.
“This petition is based on my findings and concerns as a citizen of Nigeria and a staff f the Police Service Commssion,whose Civic Responsibility amongst  others includes fighting corruption in our society.”
Presenting what he said  were  the facts  to justify his petition  against  the Commission’s chairman,Mr Kaase said “ As a  build up to the 2015 General Elections,the Police Service Commission relying on  provisions of its establishment Act,sought for  and obtained   the sum of N350,000,000.00(Three Hundred and Fifty Million )Naira only from the National Security Adviser(NSA) purportedly to train her (sic) staff in Monitoring  the conduct of The Nigeria Police in the concluded General Election”
“With the funds in hand of the Commission , (and) as statutorily required , the Commission sought for approval to use  same vide two letters to the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP)with RefNo.PSC:1499/VOL/111/138 dated March 12 and received on March 19,2015;the Commission requested  for  the issuance of “No objection” to adopt selective tendering Method for the training  of Commission staff  on Monitoring of Police conduct during the 2015 general elections.
“In the said letters,the Chairman of the Commission Sir Mike Okiro fraudulently and  knowingly claimed that the training  programme(s)  were in three(3) separate lots to be carried out in (a)Abuja (for headquarters staff) for 500 participants;(b)Kano(out station staff)200 participants and (c)Lot (3) for 200 staff participants in Lagos.
According to the petition “The Chairman of the Commission quoted the prices for the  training as follows(1) Abuja(Abuja staff) 500 participants,awarded to Bobec &Associates at –N95,525,000.00(N95,255,000 Million) ;(ii)Kano staff(200 participants) awarded to Direct Knowledge Consult limited at=N95,000,000(N95Million) and (iii) Lagos staff,200participants awarded  to Tzone Communications Ltd at-N85,000,000(N85Million)”
The petitioner made further revelations which exposed the fraud in Okiro’s  deal .According to him, “It is however  a  verifiable fact that the entire Police Service Commissions staff are not up to  400.
“It is also a fact that the Commission has  no office in Lagos and the entire South West
“It is also a fact  that the Commission has less than 10 members of staff in Kano
“It is a miracle that  the Chairman  would claim  the Commission has almost a thousand staff”
Kaase  in the petition ,also further accused commission’s chairman   of fraudulently deceiving the Bureau of Public Procurement,BPP to obtain  an approval for his scam.He said “I want to state here categorically that the Chairman of the Commission  fraudulently deceived the Bureau of Public Procurement(BPP) to obtain approval dated March 23,2015 with reference N.BPP/S.I/15/VOL.1/050 to carry out the fraud.”
The petitioner further argued that “instead of public bidding  by the Commission decided to award  the contract to his  girlfriend (name withheld)
“That instead of  the four day approval  granted by the Bureau of Public  Procurement,a mock training of 2 hours  was conducted at Northgate Hotels Limited,Mararaba Nasarawa State ,instead of Kano state.
He asserted that Bobec & Associates -(run  by)  a known friend  (name withheld) that grounded BEN House ,an agency of Benue state government  -which was   listed to conduct the exercise in  Abuja, hurriedly put together  a 2 hour training in Oasis Hotel in Mararaba,Nasarawa state.
“Mr Okiro has failed  to refund money granted for the other 3 days in his request letter.”
He also alleged “That Mr.Okiro has severally collected money from the Police Service Commission under the pretext of travelling abroad for official duties without doing so”
In the petition, names of several aides to the chairman and the amounts of  money they collected  for their boss were  listed. It  was  further  alleged that “Mr.Okiro also collected the sum of N4.6 Million as first class  ticket to travel to the U.S in 2013 without doing so”.
Kaase wrote that “You can crosscheck   his international Passport to ascertain this and PSC account books”.He also noted that in utter disregard to an official circular,Okiro has used an aide dubbed as SA media  to “make frivolous claims in the name of media settlements, facts which are contained in the Commission’s account books”.
The petitioner stated clearly that he was aware of the risk he had taken by serving as a whistleblower. ”That I know as fact that the Chairman will viciously fight ,as no one fights  corruption  and goes unscathed.Iam ready to pay the supreme price if need be”
“I can assure you  the Commission has become a cesspool (of corruption) as a scratch will certainly unveil more”.
He also alleged that Okiro’s fraudulent acts  were worse than those of Chief Bode George, a PDP chieftain who was “prosecuted  for a mere  contract splitting”.
Kaase assured  the anti graft agencies  that he would be available to give further information. “Iam very much available for further information and to buttress my assertion with the required documents as I neither use a pseudo name nor  a fictitious name and will not rest  till these people are brought to book”
Newsdiaryonline  contacted the spokesman of the Police Service Commission ,Mr Ikechukwu Ani  who   pointedly said that  to the best  of his knowledge ,there was no  expenditure by the commission  on training  for election monitoring.
“There is no such expenditure on the training of the commission’s   staff for election monitoring”he told Newsdiaryonline.
When he was told  that there was evidence from  BPP  mentioned  in  the petition   showing that the chairman sought and got procurement  approval for  the training programme, the spokesman of Police Service Commission  said,  “on others Iam not aware”.

GMB Visits British PM In London, Discusses Vital Issues.

Clement Ejiofor


President-elect Muhammadu Buhari, has had a meeting with the Prime Minister of Britain, David Cameron, today, May 23, at Downing Street, London.
According to a press release issued by a Downing Street spokesperson, Cameron and Buhari discussed the challenges facing Nigeria.
GMB Visits British PM In London, Discusses Vital Issues
Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron (L) stands with Nigeria’s President-elect Muhammadu Buhari following a meeting in Downing Street, central London on May 23, 2015. AFP PHOTO / LEON NEAL

“The Prime Minister welcomed President-elect Buhari of Nigeria to  this morning. Both leaders congratulated each other on their recent election victories and discussed the challenges facing Nigeria. The Prime Minister stressed the UK’s wish to work for a stable, prosperous and secure Nigeria. The leaders discussed security in the region and the fight against terrorism, particularly the threat posed by Boko Haram. They discussed the need for a regional approach and agreed to continue working together to build the capacity of the Nigerian army, with the UK continuing to provide military training and intelligence support,” the spokesperson said.
Speaking about corruption, they both agreed that a fight against corruption in Nigeria is a priority to ensure Nigeria’s prosperity and success. The Prime Minister agreed to look at what technical assistance and support the UK could provide to the Nigerian government as it looks to undertake its reforms.
 


They also discussed the need to tackle organised crime and the links between the UK and Nigeria.
Finally, they talked about the challenges posed by migration from Africa to Europe and the president-elect, said he would do all he could to secure Nigeria’s borders.
GMB Visits British PM In London, Discusses Vital IssuesGMB Visits British PM In London, Discusses Vital Issues
GMB Visits British PM In London, Discusses Vital IssuesGMB Visits British PM In London, Discusses Vital IssuesGMB Visits British PM In London, Discusses Vital IssuesGMB Visits British PM In London, Discusses Vital IssuesGMB Visits British PM In London, Discusses Vital Issues
It would be recalled that, former British prime minister, Tony Blair, visited Buhari on May 13 in Abuja. Blair, said that the key to success to make Nigeria great as the UK is not to waste time while in office.

Will Jonathan Win A SecondTerm?

By Bayo Olupohunda.
 The handwriting is on the wall. The bold imprints are seen in the failings of this administration. Now the dashed expectations of the Jonathan’s presidency all seem to be
leading to one predictable end — he may not be re-elected in 2015. There are strong reasons to believe that his fairy tale journey to the Presidency may end in his first term.
Apart from the unfolding infighting threatening to tear his party apart, President Goodluck Jonathan appears to have squandered the goodwill that ensured his becoming
Nigeria’s first minority president. There is a depressing sense in which one cannot just imagine that this country would endure another term of this administration for another
four years in office ending in 2019. This will be suicidal. Even now, 2015 looks too distant into the future in the eyes of ordinary Nigerians. In 2011, the president won the
election by playing the underdog card. The 2011 presidential election was won because ordinary Nigerians insisted on voting en masse for the country’s first minority president — the man who said he walked
barefooted as a child; the man who also became the symbol of an end to the North’s bragging right to power since Nigeria’s independence from British rule. In 2015, Jonathan
will not have the luxury of leveraging on the sentiments that swept him to power in his first term. Now, he will have to look for other reasons. Except that this time, he will not
be able to whip up emotions based on his poverty as a child. His ethnic background will also not matter. If he does, no one will believe him again. Rather in 2015, the President
will be confronted with the record of his performance. He will have to answer hard questions about his first term in office. And if truth be told, if the present situation in the polity
is anything to go by, President Jonathan will be heading back to his hometown in Otuoke come May 29, 2015. The President will not stand a chance against a formidable opposition with the right candidate in a free and fair election. But even at that, it still does not matter because it
appears any type of candidate will still beat this President. His performance so far makes him vulnerable to defeat in a free and fair election. He just has not lived up to the
expectations of Nigerians. And I suspect the President and his party are in for a surprise. Perhaps, for the first time, Nigerians will witness the power of their votes. The
incumbency factor will not matter in 2015 because the President is poised to lose the election. But President Jonathan should not blame anybody for his predicament if he
loses. He has so far been the architect of his own misfortune as a President. He had no excuse not to perform. Let’s face it, the President has fallen short of expectations that
Nigerians had of his presidency. There is no better expression to measure his performance since 2011. For a President that came into office to have squandered the enormous goodwill and support from
Nigerians is evidence of opportunities gone awry; of hopes deferred. The only people who will support the President are the army of praise singers from his ethnic group who
have been singing his praises to no end. And this brings me to the attitude of the so-called Niger Deltan activists and leaders. The leaders of the region have been so
disappointing to say the least. This attitude of it-is-either-Jonathan-for-a-second term-or-we-will-all-perish does their ethnic group no good. It is even an embarrassment to the
office of the President. Why do they act as if Jonathan is the President of only the Niger Delta? Why are they threatening to bring Nigeria down if Jonathan does not get a
second term? Did the President emerge in his first term only by the region’s votes? Can threats make a non-performing President stay in office in perpetuity? The culture of entitlement that pervades the region is the reason why the Niger Delta might still be backward even if Jonathan gets a second term. They should know that it was the support of
Nigerians that got the President a first term. Nigerians thus have the right to demand performance from him. And right now, the situation in our country today does not look
good. In 2015, President Jonathan will have to present his scorecard. Nigerians will ask him why corruption which he promised to tackle in his inaugural address has become a hydra-headed monster in his administration. He will have to explain
why his administration has not so secured a single conviction in spite of massive corruption in the land. Nigerians will in 2015 ask this President why all the cases of corruption
involving individuals in his government have all died a natural death. The President will explain why all the anti-corruption agencies have all become toothless bulldogs. It has
become glaring that President Jonathan has lost the trust and goodwill of Nigerians. The dominant view of Nigerians is that this government has failed. The impunity that has
become a culture in the country today is because the president has not been decisive in the fight against corruption. That is why all the agencies of government have been left to their own devices. The culture of impunity has been so pervasive. Take the power sector for example. The
President has not arrested the unending conundrum that has dogged the unbundling of the sector. This should not continue beyond 2015. Meanwhile, the power situation
continues to get worse. The 2015 elections should be about performance and the President has a lot of questions to answer about his stewardship unless something drastic
happens between now and the election date. The President also has to explain why million of Nigerian youths cannot find jobs. All we hear from this government is how the economy is growing at an unbelievable rate.
Pray, how can the economy grow while millions are unemployed? What kind of voodoo economy is that? Didn’t the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the
Economy say the last time that the unemployment figures give her sleepless night? What further evidence do Nigerians need that this government is not providing an enabling
environment for job creation? The millions of youths who had hoped in this government will ask hard questions in 2015. The security situation in the country is a cause for
grave concern. The other day, about 40 pupils were murdered by suspected terrorists in Yobe State. As I write, nobody has been apprehended for perpetrating the dastardly
act. The Jos crisis continues to claim more lives. In many parts of the country, lives and property are not secure. Yet, the government blames everybody else except itself. How
can a government whose primary duty is to safeguard lives and property fail woefully in performing the same duty? Meanwhile, the country also lags behind in all development
indexes. The argument advanced by the supporters of this government is that our problems are not created by President Jonathan. But has the administration demonstrated
the political will to tackle the problems head on? Does government not exist to solve problems no matter how old they have existed? However, there has been some good news lately. The President recently inaugurated the construction of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. Let’s just hope the project will not
become abandoned like the previous attempts. The federal roads across the country are also said to be getting the attention they deserve. This is not forgetting the ongoing
rehabilitation in the nation’s airports. But all this will pale into insignificance when compared to the dashed expectations of this government. It is for these reasons that
Jonathan may lose in 2015. All things being equal, anyway. Punch

Four Nigerians Who Contested For UK's Parliament Seats Won Their Elections.

 

Four Nigerians who contested for various seats to represent different county in UK's parliament won their elections. Helen Grant won the seat for Member of Parliament representing Maidstone and The Weald while Chuka Umunna won the elections to represent Streatham. Kate Osamor won the seat for Edmonton in North London while Chi Onwurah won the seat for New Castle upon Tyne Central. Congrats to them.

Inside Buhari's Transition Committee

By Nuruddeen M. Abdallah
At last President-elect Muhammadu Buhari has ended the weeks-long speculation about the composition of his transition committee by unveiling its members.
As expected, the 18-member committee is indeed lean and populated by technocrats not politicians as he promised.
Buhari would inaugurate his 18-member transition committee to be headed by Malam Ahmed Joda within the week, Daily Trust has learned.
The president-elect appointed people on the committee that were least expected. Observers say the Buhari committee is impressive because its members are Nigerians of high intellect with unblemished record in their professional endeavour.
The committee headed by elder statesman and former super permanent secretary, Malam Ahmed Joda, has a development economist Dr Doyin Salami, as deputy, while a University of Columbia-trained journalist, Malam Adamu Adamu, serves as secretary.
Other members of the committee are seasoned financial experts, business administrators, lawyers, civil servants, oil and gas experts, former military chiefs, and few politicians.

During an interview in his hometown Daura, Buhari had explained the nature of his transition committee thus: "Personally, I will make sure that it is not too big because if it is big, they will start thinking of how to influence the choice of ministers either for themselves or for those they want to be ministers."
The president-elect added that "my hope and idea is to get knowledgeable and experienced technocrats that are really patriotic to study the handing over notes by ministries and make recommendations. I want them to be completely detached people who are patriotic Nigerians; who are knowledgeable and experienced."
Nigerians believe that Buhari has kept to his words by appointing technocrats with untainted records of corruption, according to university don and former member of the House of Representatives Dr. Haruna Yerima.
Yerima said, "it is now clear to all doubting Thomases that it is not going to be business as usual under President Buhari."
The president-elect has "blended public service experience with deep intellect in finance, business, law, oil and gas as well as those with unblemished records of service in the transition committee membership," the don said.
The former lawmaker and APC chieftain said, "the near perfect assembly of the committee provides an insight into the nature of President Buhari's cabinet. The professional competence of the majority technocrats will make up for any shortcomings of the few politicians on the committee."
Also, the executive director of Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, said the transition committee is Buhari's "first signal that he heeded to the civil society's call for more technocrats with unblemished records than politicians."
"We are happy that no member of the transition committee has a pending graft case with EFCC or ICPC. This indicates that the cabinet will also be peopled by competent Nigerians with integrity," Rafsanjani said.
An analysis of the committee shows that of the 18 members, only six are active politicians. They are APC national chairman and former Edo State governor Chief John Oyegun, Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, former PDP national chairman and minister of agriculture Chief Audu Ogbeh, APC presidential campaign director of mobilisation Boss Mustapha, Senator Hadi Sirika, as well as former ANPP national chairman and Abia State governor Dr Ogbonnaya Onu.
There are also about five corporate finance and development economy experts on the committee. They are development economist Dr Doyin Salami, corporate finance expert Wale Edun, business development guru Dr Festus Odimegwu, finance expert Mrs Bola Adesola and ace banker and investment specialist Mrs Nike Aboderin.
Others are senior lawyer Alhaji Abubakar Malami, SAN; former military attaché to the United Nations retired General Lawal Jaafaru Isa, financial and investment expert Muhammad Hayatuddeen, activist and lawyer Solomon Dalung, and former minister of petroleum under Buhari's regime, Prof. Tam David West.
Even among the politicians in the committee are professionals such as Chief Ogbeh who is foremost agriculturist, Senator Sirika, a pilot and aviation expert; while the likes of Oyegun, Onu and Amaechi come to the committee with vast experience as former and outgoing governors respectively.
The committee will liaise with federal government's committee headed by Vice President Namadi Sambo as well as study and work on the handover notes preparatory to May 29.
The Joda committee will also design the blueprint that would assist the incoming government take off smoothly with a clear understanding of the challenges at hand.
Ahmed Joda
Ahmed Joda, an elder statesman, is an administrator, journalist, politician who is a former permanent secretary in the Northern Nigerian Public Service, Federal Ministry of Information, Education and the Federal Ministry of Industries.
He was among a class of super permanent secretaries in the 1970s.
In the 1960s, he worked with Sir Ahmadu Bello, Premier of the Northern Nigeria.
In 1999, he headed a Committee on Assessment of Federal Government parastatals and also a panel on poverty alleviation.
He is a close friend of former President Obasanjo and former chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

He served as the chairman of ABTI-American University of Nigeria, Yola and is the principal founder of Benue Valley Farms.
He is one of the few retired civil servants that command tremendous respect from Buhari.
Joda is believed to share same ideals with the president-elect when it comes to civil service, policies and governance.
He is also a no-nonsense person like Buhari.
Dr Doyin Salami


Doyin Salami is a full time member of the faculty at the Lagos Business School (LBS), Pan-Atlantic University where he is an associate professor.
In addition to teaching, he works as a principal consultant in Edward Kingston Associates.
His consulting activities have included assignments for the Department for International Development (DFID), World Bank, United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), and United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
Dr Salami is a past member of the Federal Government's Economic Management Team. He serves as a member of the Advisory Board of CBO Investment Management.
He is an accomplished economist and has a doctorate degree from Queen Mary College, University of London.
Adamu Adamu
A foremost journalist and writer, was Buhari's personal assistant during his period at the Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF).
The University of Columbia, United States-trained journalist is one of Buhari's confidants.
In the last 16 years of PDP administration, Adamu reportedly rejected appointment to serve as minister.
He is said to be very upright and shares so many things in common with Buhari in terms of public service, good governance and policy making.
Wale Edun
Edun is the deputy head of corporate finance at Chase Merchant Bank.
He has over 25 years experience in merchant banking, corporate finance, economics and international finance at national and international levels.
At the World Bank, Edun worked on economic and financial packages for several countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, including the Dominican Republic, Trinidad and Tobago as well as Indonesia and India in the Far East.
In 1989, he returned to Nigeria as co-founder and executive director of Stanbic IBTC Plc (formerly Investment Banking & Trust Company Limited).
He was Lagos State commissioner of finance throughout Governor Bola Tinubu's administration from 1999 to 2007.
He holds a Bachelors Degree in Economics from the University of London and a Masters Degree in Economics from the University of Sussex, England.
Mrs Bola Adesola
Mrs Adesola is the managing director and chief executive of Nigeria's Standard Chartered Bank Plc and former Executive Director of First Bank Plc.
She was a former executive director, Corporate Banking at First Bank of Nigeria Plc.
A seasoned financial services expert, she spent nine years in Citibank Nigeria, (Nigeria International Bank, a member of Citigroup). She was also part of the start-up team for Citibank Tanzania, Dar es Salaam, where she served as pioneer Treasurer.
Called to the Nigerian Bar in 1985, Bola holds a law degree from the University of Buckingham UK and has attended numerous industry-related and personal development courses in Nigeria and overseas.
Dr Festus Odimegwu
Dr Festus Odimegwu was chief executive of Nigerian Breweries and former chairman of the National Population Commission.

Nigerian Breweries became the most capitalized stock on the Nigerian Stock Exchange under his leadership.
He was severally a director at Dangote Cement Plc; Union Bank of Nigeria Plc; Transnational Corporation of Nigeria Plc.
He graduated with B.Sc Chemistry from the University of Nigeria Nsukka and M.Sc Brewing from Beriot Watt University, Edinburgh, UK.
Mrs Nike Aboderin
Mrs Aboderin is the Group head Large Corporates; and assistant general manager in Skye Bank Plc.
She was a special adviser on trade and investment in the Ogun State government












  
















































































 

GENERAL MUHAMMADU BUHARI'S MANIFESTO.

Come May 29, Muhammadu Buhari will take office as President of Nigeria.
 Expectations are high as most Nigerians expect the coming government to wave a magic wand and make all their problems disappear. The Buhari campaign which ran on a 'CHANGE' mantra made numerous promises to Nigerians during the campaign.
See Buhari's campaign promises below:
 Politics and Governance
 On Politics and Governance:
 I, Muhammadu Buhari, believe that our politics is broken. Our nation urgently needs fundamental political reform and improvement in governance more transparency and accountable. If you nominate me in December, 2014 and elect me in February 2015, my administration will:
 1. Initiate action to amend the Nigerian Constitution with a view to devolving powers, duties, and responsibilities to states in order to entrench true Federalism and the Federal spirit;
 2. Strengthen INEC to reduce, if possible, eliminate electoral malpractices in Nigerian’s political life;
 3. Attract the best and brightest of our sons and daughters into our politics and public service by aggressive recruitment of private sector people, academics, and professionals within Nigeria and in the Diaspora through internships, fellowships, executive appointments, and special nomination to contest elective offices;
 4. Prevent the abuse and misuse of Executive, Legislative and Public offices, through greater accountability, transparency, strict, and implementable anti-corruption laws, through strengthening and sanitising the EFCC and ICPC as independent entities;
 5. Amend the Constitution to remove immunity from prosecution for elected officers in criminal cases;
 6. Restructure governance for a leaner, more efficient, and adequately compensated public service sector, while promoting effective participation of the private sector for more robust job creation programmes to employ the teaming youth.;
 7. Require full disclosure in media outlets, of all government contracts over N100m prior to award and during implementation at regular intervals;
 8. Reform and Strengthen the Justice System for efficient administration and dispensation of justice with the creation of special courts for accelerated hearing of corruption, drug trafficking, terrorism and similar cases of national importance;
 9. Fully enforce the Freedom of Information Act l so that government held data sets can be requested and used by the public and then such data sets be publish on regular basis;
 10. Amend the Constitution to require Local governments to publish their meeting minutes, service performance data, and items of spending over N10M.
Security and Conflict Resolution
 On National Security and Defence:
 I will urgently secure the territorial integrity of the nation. I will never leave the defence of the nation in the hands of Hunters, Children, and Civilian JTF through the following:
 1. Urgently address capacity building mechanisms of law enforcement agents in terms of quantity and quality as this is critical in safeguarding the sanctity of lives and property;
 2. Establish a well trained, adequately equipped and goals driven Serious Crime Squad to combat insurgencies, kidnapping, armed robbery, ethno-religious and communal clashes, nationwide;
 3. Consult and amend the Constitution to enable States and Local Governments to create city, Local government and State Policing systems, base on the resources available at each levels, to address the peculiar needs of each community. I will therefore work with the National Assembly to set and revised, when needed, boundaries of operations, for Federal, State, and Local government policing units, through new Criminal Justice legislation to replace the Criminal Code, the Penal Code and the Police Act.
 4. I will push for more robust support in the Security and Economic stability of the West-African sub-region and African Continent as a whole. I will seek and maintain close and frank relationship with ALL of West Africa; Special relationship with South Africa and its Sub-region; UK, USA, Canada, EU, Asia, and the Middle East .
ON CONFLICT RESOLUTION, NATIONAL UNITY, AND SOCIAL HARMONY:
 I will;
 1. Establish a Conflict Resolution Commission to help prevent, mitigate, and resolve civil conflicts within the polity;
 2. Bring permanent peace and solution to the insurgency issues in the North-East; the Niger Delta; and other conflict prone states and areas such as Plateau, Benue, Bauchi, Borno, Abia, Taraba, Yobe, and Kaduna in order to engender national unity and social harmony;
 3. Initiate policies to ensure that Nigerians are free to live and work in any part of the country by removing state of origin, tribe, ethnic and religious affiliations from documentation requirements in our identification of citizens and replace these with State of Residence and fashion out the appropriate minimal qualification for obtaining such a state of residency, nation-wide.
On Foreign Policy:
 I will;
 1. Make regional integration a priority within ECOWAS including free trade with a view to ensuring that common tariff currency are in use by the end of my term in office, under Nigeria’s guidance and leadership, base on the size of its market force;
 2. Maintain a strong, close and frank relationship within the Gulf of Guinea, the Commonwealth, South Africa and the rest of the world.
 3. Establish a special relationship with the leading emerging markets like Brazil; Russia, India and China (BRIC) and other strategic partners around the world.
The Economy & Infrastructure Base
 On the Economy:
 I will;
 1. Maintain sound Micro and macro-economic policy environment, and run an efficient government and preserve the independence of the Central Bank;
 2. Restore financial confidence in the citizens and the world, by putting in place a more robust monitoring, supervising, and regulating of the financial institutions;
 3. Make our economy one of the fastest growing emerging economies in the world with a real GDP growth averaging at least 10-12% annually
 4. As at 1999, Nigerian rate of unemployment stood at about 8%, today it is estimated from official statistics to be close to 30%. I will embark on vocational training, entrepreneurial and skills acquisition scheme for graduates along with the creation of Small Business Loan Guarantee Scheme to create at least 5 million new jobs by 2019. A Small and Medium Enterprises Development Commission will be created for this purpose. I will also encourage State Governments to focus on employment creation, by matching everyone job created in the same state.
 5. Integrate the informal economy into the mainstream and prioritize the full implementation of the National Identification Scheme to generate the relevant data;
 6. Expand domestic demand and will undertake associated public works programmes to achieve this goal;
 7. Embark on export and production diversification including investment in infrastructure; promote manufacturing, through Agro Based industries; and expand and promote sub-regional trade through ECOWAS and AU;
 8. Make Information Technology, Manufacturing, Agriculture and Entertainment key drivers of our economy, by reviewing the present reward system, which is based on certification, to that based on skills, competencies, and performances;
 9. Balance the Nigerian economy across regions by the creation of 6 Regional Economic Development Agencies (REDAs) to act as sub-regional hubs in order to promote healthy regional competitiveness;
 Put in place a N300bn Regional Growth Fund with an average of N50bn in each geo-political region; to be managed by the REDAs, to encourage private sector enterprise and to support places currently reliant on only on the public sector, to migrate to a private sector reality;
 Amend the Constitution and the
 10. Land Use Act to create freehold/leasehold interests in land along with matching grants for states to create a nationwide electronic land title register on a state by state basis;
 11. Create an additional middle-class of at least 4 million new home owners by 2019 by enacting a national mortgage single digit interest rates for purchase of owner occupier houses as well as review the collateral qualification to make funding for home ownership easier, with a 15 to 30 year mortgage terms. This will equally help our banking system migrate from short to long term perspective of their role in sustaining the economy.
 12. Create a Social Welfare Program of at least Five Thousand Naira (N5000) that will cater for the 25 million poorest and most vulnerable citizens upon the demonstration of children’s enrolment in school and evidence of immunisation to help promote family stability.
 13. Provide allowances to the discharged but unemployed Youth Corps members for Twelve (12) months while in the skills and entrepreneurial development programmes.
On Agriculture:
 I will;
 1. Modernize the sector and change Nigeria from being a country of self-subsistence farmers to that of a medium/large scale farming nation/producer;
 2. Create a nationwide food inspectorate division with a view to improving nutrition and eliminating food-borne hazards
 3. Inject sufficient funds to the Agricultural sector to create more agro-allied jobs by way of loans at nominal interest rates for capital investment on medium and commercial scale cash crops;
 4. Guarantee a minimum price for all cash crops and facilitate storage of agricultural products to overcome seasonal shortages of selected food crops.
 5. Move the nation to an all year round small, medium, and commercial farming through a coordinated integrative irrigation of our existing dams as well as creation of more dam to collect the over flooding waters, nationwide.
 6. Revive our Agricultural Research Institutes that are in a state of comatose;
 7. Review and strengthened Veterinary practices nationwide.
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LET'S HONOUR OUR HEROES

PENDULUM BY DELE MOMODU, Email: dele.momodu@thisdaylive.com
Fellow Nigerians, this has been a very interesting week for me. I finally made a trip to Lagos and Abuja for the first time since General Muhammadu Buhari and Professor Yemi Osinbajo got elected as President and Vice President respectively. Abuja, in its own case, was an instant revelation as soon as I landed. It was obvious right from the tarmac that something has ostensibly changed about Nigeria's seat of power. I noticed a huge crowd disembarking from several planes simultaneously and spilling in from different directions. I scanned some of the faces and saw hope boldly etched on many of them. I felt very much at home as security agents and customs officers came out to share in the festival of congratulations. This is truly refreshing, I soliloquised.
The Transcorp Hilton Hotel was in its usual effervescent mood with ubiquitous politicians and esoteric entrepreneurs swarming the whole place in search of new positions and unmatchable deals as they always deem fit. Getting a room was near impossible even as a diamond card member. It took the intervention of some benevolent contact to find me a room to lay my head after some strenuous meetings. The Buka Restaurant at the hotel displayed a kaleidoscope of colours with the array of assorted foods which competed for the rich palates of some members of the privilegentsia.
No doubt, something has changed in Abuja. I was happy to meet many old friends, and made new ones. The camaraderie between the North and the South seemed more evident. The artificial barriers erected by some voluble politicians appear to have melted away. I discovered that the social media has also brought people closer than ever. Nearly everyone I encountered was my follower or acquaintance on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram. They spoke generously and eloquently about my audacious activities during the Presidential campaigns. I was made to take pictures as if photography was going out of vogue. I sincerely thank in particular my over 380,000 ardent and engaging followers on Twitter and the over 57,000 followers on Instagram. Together we rocked Africa and took the world by storm.
I'm now more confident than ever that whether our hard-core politicians like it or not, Nigerians will no longer tolerate nonsense as business.The social media has collapsed the world into an even tinier village and any leader who tries to play God would be shown the way to Golgotha. If the ruling party PDP can be made to eat the humble pie then no one is unsackable. The incoming government should beware of falling into grave temptations like the unwary transgressors. The most important thing for me is that it must not take our people for granted. The next major key point to note is that it cannot afford to be complacent.  It must avoid the attitude of playing politics the traditional way. Some things have definitely transformed and situations have shifted drastically. The hawks of power must calm down and cool temper. The old days of oppressing fellow citizens must yield to a new dawn of putting the people first as priority.
I will continue to plead with the People's General, President-elect Muhammadu  Buhari, and his brilliant Vice-President elect, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, not to waste those attributes that gave them power. They must resist every attempt by control freaks that litter our political landscape to mortgage this landmark victory that has unified Nigerians like never before. What Nigerians expect is nothing other than performance. The politicians can't do jack if the Buhari/Osinbajo Administration accomplishes its mission. A good government would of necessity step on the toes of anyone who proves too difficult to manage. It is normal for Nigerian politicians to seek to dump their deadwoods on new governments but it behoves a responsible leader to reject same with automatic alacrity and let the dead bury their dead.
The first point to note is that APC must resolve all its power-sharing squabbles amicably and equitably. The greed factor must be jettisoned for fair-play. Every partner in the greatest political merger ever in Nigeria must be treated with respect and decorum. No attempt should be made to treat anyone as an inferior member of the union. Once that is taken into consideration and settled pronto, the Party would enjoy the bliss it deserves after a most excruciating campaign. What kills most amalgamations is egocentricity.I already foresee a war of attrition if APC does not immediately halt the present macabre dance by some of its members. The Party and the Government that it will establish at executive and legislative level must not see itself as a coalition of Parties with separate ideologies and detrimental interests. Having fused into one it must behave as such and cater to the core doctrines embodied in its manifesto.
Let me be more specific. The APC has been locked in a logjam over the zoning of the highest positions in the land. The way I see it is that CPC has already produced the number one slot. ACN has provided the number two. ANPP has secured the boss of all bosses the National Chairman of APC. The New PDP which came into the union with five formidable Governors and a multitude of National Assembly members is yet to get any position. This appears to me as grossly unfair and disproportionate. It is one of the reasons many onlookers and none-party members like me supported the candidacy of Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki as Senate President. We must learn to honour our heroes. Dr Saraki with Governors Rotimi Amaechi and Rabiu Kwankwaso risked everything to make this Change Movement possible. They and their other colleagues took the bulls by the horns and took the battle to the doorsteps of PDP. It is unfathomable how anyone would say they don't deserve any chunky positions in this grand alliance. Haba!
Aside from working assiduously for the new party, these influential and energetic leaders deserve the best of positions on sheer merit. They are among the brightest stars of APC who must not be compensated with the type of chicanery being witnessed in APC at this moment. What is the essence of hard work if the rewards would go to those who did less or little? Success breeds many relatives but we must never forget the gallant men and women who made it happen. Kwara State had always been disadvantaged. That State suffers greatly from its ambidextrous nature. It is not likely to produce a President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria soon unless our country can change its current configuration by whatever stroke of miracle.
Kwara is geographically in Northern Region but tribalistically seen by some as a an integral part of the Yoruba nation. But its influence stretches to Kogi State and both were powerfully delivered through the quintessential leadership of Dr Saraki without any shade of doubt. As a prominent member of the North Central, often considered as one of the minority regions in Nigeria, it has always been marginalised and solemnly oppressed by others. This is a great window of opportunity for the Kwara/Kogi axis to feel a true sense of belonging in the scheme of things and APC should not bungle it for God's sake. Benue has produced Senate Presidents and Party Chairmen endlessly. Niger State has produced two Heads of State, Generals Ibrahim Babangida and Abdulsalami Abubakar. Plateau had Chief Solomon Lar while Kogi Chief Sunday Awoniyi and Colonel Ahmadu Ali, as party Chairmen. Benue produced many Senate Presidents, Ameh Ebute, Iyorchia Ayu and David Bonaventure Mark. Benue also produced Audu Ogbeh and Barnabas Gemade as PDP Chairmen.
The North West has been the luckiest of all the regions in Nigeria. It has produced General Murtala Muhammed, President Shehu Shagari, General Muhammadu Buhari, General Sani Abacha, President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua and now back to General Muhammadu Buhari. The North East has produced Tafawa Balewa as Prime Minister and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as Vice President. The South West also has benefitted immensely with Ogun State alone producing President Olusegun Obasanjo, first as military Head of State and twice as civilian President. The same Ogun State nearly produced President Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola before it gave birth to the contraption known as the Interim National Government which was headed by Chief Ernest ‘Degunle Shonekan, another prominent Ogun son.
The South East produced the first President and Governor-General of Nigeria, the great Owelle of Onitsha, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, and Nigeria's second Head of State, Major General Johnson Thomas Umunnakwe Aguiyi-Ironsi, as well as Second Republic Vice President, Dr Alex Ifeanyichukwu Ekwueme. The zone has also produced a long list of Senate Presidents namely, Senators Nwafor Orizu, Evan Enwerem, Chuba Okadigbo, Pius Anyim, Adolphos Wabara and Ken Nnamani and Speaker House of Representatives, Rt Hon. Anakwe Agunwa. It would probably have produced the next Senate President had the zone not committed some form of political hara-kiri by choosing to place all its eggs in the PDP basket. The zone has also produced Deputy Senate President and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives. The South South has not been so fortunate. It only managed to get a Senate President in the Second Republic, Dr Joseph Wayas, from Cross River State and also a shot at the Presidency by a whisker after the unfortunate death of President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua. Sadly, the zone lost the Presidency after its first tenure for reasons I won't have the space to explain here.
For a region that is seen as the goose that lays the golden eggs, it would be preposterous not to do everything to compensate it for losing power in such a jiffy. And the strongest men who worked hardest from our zone are Governors Adams Oshiomhole and Rotimi Amaechi. Since my Governor still retains his job beyond May 29, 2015, Amaechi should be the biggest beneficiary. The post of Secretary to the Federal Government should be offered to him on first acceptance or refusal basis. No right thinking person would deny the strategic role of the Captain of the winning team as Director-General of Buhari/Osinbajo. His incredible victory as Chairman of Nigeria's Governor's Forum provided the platform and impetus for this monumental victory in the Presidential election. Amaechi had stoutly stood in front of a moving train that the Federal is in Nigeria and he conquered. Let no one dismiss such a man with a lion heart as not deserving our accolades. I wish to reiterate that such stupendous talents like that of Governor Amaechi must always be rewarded not as an act of patronage but out of appreciation for his effort, devotion and ability.
In my recent article on the same subject matter, I mentioned those who should be in the next cabinet but didn't assign portfolios to most of the names. I shall do so today for the outstanding ones. Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola is always a man after the heart of those who appreciate quality leadership. The most important task before the next government is how to solve the intractable problem of power. I can't think of anyone better to take on this enormous challenge than Fashola. And I'm not saying this for the fun of it. I've taken time to study the State driven power projects in Lagos and would wish to see such replicated nationwide. Fashola is one man who is so resolute about the modernisation of our country and the way that Lagos State has slowly been solving its power problem without Federal Government assistance commends Fashola to anyone who believes that the problem can be solved.
I will love to see Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso as the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory so that he can weave his Kano magic in Abuja. He not only deserves the position on the merit but also because he worked tirelessly and assiduously to ensure victory for the Buhari/Osinbajo ticket notwithstanding the fact that his hopes were dashed at the Presidential primaries. He succeeded in garnering the largest number of votes for the Party and the votes in Kano practically accounted for the margin of APC over PDP in the Presidential elections.
Now one of the frustrations Buhari/Osinbajo would encounter is the process of selecting cabinet members which is usually cumbersome and fraught with the danger of godfatherism. The Capos of Nigerian politics are never happy unless they can find one of their lackeys to put in power, whether qualified or not. But General Buhari would have to set very high standards for those who wish to be considered for appointments. If he allows the godfathers to dump their dregs on him, it would be disastrous for the nation.
These are the calibre of men and women that we need at this time and age in every sector.
May God help Buhari/Osinbajo in this difficult task.