THE NHIS: THE UNTOLD STORY

BY Adeyanju Demi

"I never thought a day will come when I will have to agree with any decision Buhari has taken. On the
NHIS thing, I regretfully have to admit that he was right.

We had all condemned the reinstatement of the NHIS Boss who was accused of corruption.
NHIS started functioning in 2005. It's 13yrs old this year.

NHIS covers 3 million Nigerians. It’s about Health Care but, because of corruption, the agency has not
performed well. Politicians turned NHIS into an ATM.

Let Me Explain:
HMOs -Health Maintenance ORG’s, all private companies owned by politicians, are the real problem of NHIS. They are middle men between
NHIS and the hospitals. They have enthroned corruption to another level in the place.

The HMOs receive money from NHIS on behalf of the people to pay hospitals so that Nigerians on the
NHIS scheme can enjoy medical services, but they refuse to pay the hospitals and corner the money.
NHIS gives the HMOs 3 months in advance to pay hospitals but they were not paying.

What They Do With The NHIS Money:

A. They fix it in banks to accrue interest.

B. They buy forex And do trading with it.

C. They take loans using it as collateral.

When banks know you are getting massive funds from NHIS, they give you 10 times the amount in your account.

So instead of the HMOs to pay the hospitals as agreed on time, they are heavily indebted to all
hospitals nationwide, thereby  crippling healthcare services nationwide. They owe National Hospital alone N400million.

It’s A Major Cartel:

There are 57 HMOs. They are the cartel at NHIS. They work hand in hand with every Minister of
Health, Board Members, the Executive Secretary(EX)
& politicians in government to run the place to the ground.

Evidently, this new EX refused to play ball & they declared war on him.
Someone early this year contacted me from NHIS that the EX is destroying the agency, etc and that
they were appealing to my organization to come to
their rescue. I told him I needed to do my due diligence but I never did. We all joined later to
crucify the man.

So just last week I coincidently ran into a friend that
works at NHIS and he started briefing me of all the dirty things going on there. It’s really depressing.
The things I heard made me wonder if this country can ever be great.
I will explain all that is going on there.

So this EX appointed by Buhari came and found out that there was massive corruption going on at NHIS
& he wanted to stop it but the cartel “HMOs” declared war on him. The HMOs said he can’t stop
the norm & teamed up with politicians in Buhari’s
government to start fighting him.
The HMOs got the support of the Board Chairman of NHIS and other members of the Board who are
all politicians. Got the support of the Minister of Health & other politicians. What was the crime of
this EX guy? He wanted to block where politicians are eating.

The issue they had with the EX guys were:

They were not paying hospitals.
Many of their licenses had expired since 2013 & he was asking them to renew before they get
disbursements of money, etc.
One of the conditions the EX guy gave was that every HMOS must go to the hospitals to get a letter
of non indebtedness signed by the CMD before they will get funds from the agency.

The hospitals were happy with the new development but HMOs were unhappy. The NHIS is  strategically important to Nigerians. In a working country, every citizen should be
captured in the scheme. NHIS pays Federal, State & even private hospitals through HMOs. Nigerians on the scheme are the main beneficiaries.

Many workers are on the scheme. NHIS also pay Military & Police hospitals nationwide. The police
alone have over 800k officers and their dependents on the scheme.

The Ministry of Health and politicians are the
number 1 problem of NHIS in Nigeria. They use
NHIS as an ATM. Because the EX guy stopped them, he was suspended on allegations of
corruption which many of us believed because of
media trial. EFCC then investigated him.The reason he was reinstated was because EFCC did not find him wanting according to my friend that
works there. He said after his reinstatement, the EX
guy became tougher on the HMOs and the Board & the Minister began to plot his removal again.

The EX guy was just suspended again on the eve of delisting many unqualified HMOS. A Pre-emptive
move by the NHIS Board & the Minister. The union is also on the payroll of the HMOs.

The HMOs are the real cartel at NHIS. HMOs were angry that the EX instituted a forensic
audit of NHIS finances. Audit discovered that N46billion of NHIS money were stashed away  in different banks. These are people’s money. The HMOs
say the EX is using EFCC, CBN, AG, Accountant General & Asset Recovery to fight them.

Our national & State hospitals are under funded and many of them survive on the NHIS money. For
instance, FMC Asaba got only about N18million from the budget last year & they require over N10million to power the hospital with diesel. So
how will they survive without NHIS funding?

So if the HMOs take money from NHIS and refuse to give the hospitals, they are destroying our health sector. The Union, the Board and the Ministry of Health should stop the rubbish they are doing to
cripple our health sector.

We @ConcernedNIG will come into this matter fully.

Corrupt Activities of Atiku Abubakar.

Information detailing the corrupt activities of the Vice President – Mr. Atiku Abubakar, as gathered by Saharareporters, reveals the extent of Mr. Abubakar’s corruption was more wide reaching as original perceived by Nigerians. In a document obtained by Saharareporters, it was  learnt that Atiku whose financial status was modest prior to his ascension to the office of the Vice President has exponentially increased in his financial wealth to the extent he  now owns 146 homes in Yola, Adamawa State  in addition a slew of transaction that run into the high millions. It is believed President Obasanjo and Vice President Atiku are equally messed in corruption.   

Mr. Abubakar had served the Nigerian Customs and Excise Service for 20 years and retired in 1989 at the rank of Deputy Director. After his years in Customs, Mr. Abubakar engaged in a quilt of business involvements straddling the world of business in oil services, real estate, agriculture, education, the print media, and lately the corridors of partisan politics.

The Vice President with a modest portfolio of one house in Kaduna, Yola and Lagos, eight years in the vice-presidency has immeasurably transformed Mr. Abubakar’s holdings.  His high profile $25 million University (ABTI American University) in Yola, plus the $8 million he paid to the American University in Washington DC for a direct license to use the franchise of the university (known as partnership and management consultancy by AU officials) is a critical reference to the investment profile of a public officer who did not seek bank loans to execute these gargantuan investments.  When contacted about the nature of the deal with ABTI- American University, Washington DC-based AU’s Vice president for International Affairs Mr. Robert Pastor  said that the $8 million figure claimed as the cost of doing business with ABTI-American University was “inaccurate” but refused to reveal the exact cost of the partnership and management consultancy with Atiku’s high profile college which he bragged was the best in Africa after 11/2 years of operation, he said that the exact cost of the partnership was confidential.

 In the course of his eight years stewardship, Mr. Abukakar has managed to corner controlling shares in Bank PHB, controlling shares in Intel, an oil services company with operates in Angola, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and Sao Tome and Principe; controlling shares in AP Petroleum, which he was forced to divest recently in a hail of controversy regarding the ethics of his management of the country’s privatization program.  Added to all these assets must be included the control of huge assets in real estate in Yola where today he has 146 houses; the largest print press in Northern Nigeria; and the control of the Faro private water business. 

The vulnerability of the vice president, who in his two-term tenure has recorded N60 Billion worth of bank transactions, has always made it easy to point at elite corruption to illustrate the subversion of Nigeria’s national efforts at constructing a fair, accountable and transparent polity this much was raised by the BBC interviewer earlier today.  The vice-president was cited for diverting $125m from a public trust fund into his personal businesses. The $125m was diverted from the Petroleum Trust Development Fund (PTDF).

 An excerpted part of a recent presentation by the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to the Nigerian Senate Ad Hoc Committee on the Probe of the PTDF renders the issues in a graphic brief:  “Atiku Abukakar is the Vice President of Nigeria and he was the one overseeing the activities of the PTDF.  He inaugurated the Interim Management Committee of the Fund in September 2000.He played prominent roles in the approvals for release of PTDF funds and their placement in two banks.  The VP had an outstanding interest in the placement of the PTDF funds in these two banks.  For one, even the $125 million for the implantation of some specific projects was not utilized for that purpose, rather because of their diversion to their placements in the two banks (TIB & ETB).  Prior to the placements of the PTDF funds, the Vice President held several meetings with either the ES (Executive Secretary of the PTDF) alone and sometime the ES and Mike Adenuga to discuss modalities regarding the placement of the funds either in TIB or ETB.  The placements were done at the detriment of the Fund as they were made at interest rates below the average CBN Minimum Rediscount Rate (MRR) even when he was strongly advised against that.”

“The request for the release of the $20 million, was predicated on the issue of the ongoing projects being executed by the Fund, whereas it was not so.  The funds were released again by the VP and were sent straight to the same placement in TIB.  This second release according to reports was done without the knowledge and approval of the President and the FEC, even though the President’s own pattern of management of the Petroleum Resources ministry pointed to the fact that both the VP and the President might have shared.  As these funds were hitting the two preferred banks, “loans” were packaged by TIB, even without adequate collateral, for his long time friend and business associate, Otunba Oluwole Johnson Haliru Fasawe through NDTV and Mofas.  In Mofas, one of the directors is Alhaji Adamu Abubakar, a son of the VP.  Through the VP’s name was not stated as a director of Marine Float, evidence abounds that the account is controlled by him.  First, the VP admitted he paid N30million for the property from that account; secondly, most of the beneficiaries from the account are his friends, associates.

“Similarly, as the funds were hitting ETB, Otunba Mike Adenuga made $20million deposit for Globacom license, the second national carrier.  A little scrutiny of the equity ownership structure of the company revealed that Otunba Mike Adenuga lied about the ownership of the company.  When the transfer of the $50million by PTDF from its account in UBA Plc New York was made in ETB, Mike Adenuga gave the Vice President the sum of N322million (i.e. N300m on 27/11/02 & N22 on 06/03/03) through his Marine Float account domiciled in Bank PHB Plc through his aides- Akinyera and Ajibade.  N21 million was paid to the VP through a draft raised in the name of Umar Pariya, his Personal Assistant.  
The Vice President held several meeting with the US Congressman Williams J. Jefferson both in Nigeria and abroad in relation to business ventures, which included NDTV and Rosecom.net, an ISP.  When the business relationship between NDTV and iGate collapsed, his assistance was sought to extinguish the outstanding approximately $2million already paid by NDTV.  Even though he denied assistance on extinguishing the amount, he accepted, conveying a letter from US Congressman Jefferson to the Honorable Minister of Communication Chief Cornelius Adebayo in relation with iGate and Rosecom.net business venture.

“The VP’s business interest in NDTV was confirmed when he made an initial deposit of N30million in January 1, 2003 from his Marine Float account in Bank PHB Plc for the purchase of the N200million property being used as NDTV Head Office.  His interest also influenced the placement of PTDF funds in TIB from where Otunba Fasawe obtained “loan” and completed the payment of N170million for the property at the Wuse.  The VP’s interest in NDTV is further buttressed by the fact that he even acted as a referee to Otumba Fasawe for the sourcing of the licensing of NDTV in Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC).  Investigation also revealed that the Vice President severally met contractors of NDTV at Jada, his hometown on his interest in the company.”

The burden of proof on Mr. Abubakar today therefore will rest on how he hopes to construct a coherent argument that his two decades of public service in the customs department is enough to make him the multi-millionaire and one of the nation’s richest business men; and how he wants to lead a nation struggling to crawl out of the quagmire created by a reputation of grand corruption when he could supervise such brazen deal making at PTDF and seek to legitimize it as normal and appropriate state policy. As for us at Saharareporters, we are still awaiting the promise made to us by the VP to publicly declare his assets and ship over to us the Ghana-Must-Ghana bag containing all the oil contracts awarded by President Obasanjo in the last 7-years!

AS BUHARI’S CREDIBILITY GATHERS MOMENTUM

MUHAMMAD AJAH

Let me begin this piece with a very resounding appreciation of the former US Ambassador to Nigeria, John Campbell, who has come out, though belatedly, to say the truth about Buhari’s buoyancy in the past Nigerian political dispensations. Recently in an interview with Channels TV, he declared that Buhari won the three past Presidential elections in 2003, 2007 and 2011 but he was rigged out of victory. According to him, his affirmation was reached after his investigations while he was still in Nigeria. Three times victorious! Three times rigged out by force! Three times frustrated at the Supreme Court!

Campbell has made me and Nigerian democrats proud. My support for Buhari dates back to 2003 because of who he has been. The US envoy cannot just raise a dust. He has confirmed Buhari’s personality, trustworthiness and acceptability by Nigerians since over a decade ago. His book: “Nigeria, What everyone needs to know” contains a lot of revelations about Nigeria and its political leaderships. With this revelation, we can recall that Buhari defeated Olusegun Obasanjo in 2003, defeated Umaru Musa Yar’Adua in 2007 and defeated Dr. Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan twice in 2011, then in 2015. So, the three losers had foisted themselves on Nigerians through the grip of their then party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

With this, it is clear indication that the PDP has remained unpopular since its formation and imposition on Nigerians in 1999. This further explains why its initiators preferred to use “power” as its slogan, implying that it thrives on force and imposition rather than popularity and acceptability. Methinks Campbell’s book is now a whistleblower that should be stalked in libraries across Nigeria and used for studies in Nigerian universities especially for political and history students. It is a book every lover of Nigeria and her fledging democracy should possess.

Campbell explained how the rigging was perfected by the PDP: “I arrived at that conclusion by talking to people who were intimately connected with the entire process that includes individuals and Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) that are foreign based and Nigeria based. I think the rigging took place not so much at the polling units but at the places where the results from the polling units were brought together”. Although many world leaders had indirectly inferred this, Campbell’s is the clearest testimony, being a witness and the representative of the highest revered democracy guardian in the world, the United States of America.

I would have loved to title this piece as the part two of my former article “the supernaturalism in Buharimatics”. But I just let it be due to the far-reaching positive reactions I received from the first. My readers, I prefer, should enjoy different headings. I have received commendations and condemnations for focusing my write-ups so much on Buhari these days. Some of those who have commended me think that I have a strong relationship with Buhari himself, especially after seeing me once having a handshake with him in the Aso Rock Villa. I emphatically say yes, I do. The relationship between me and Buhari is a strong one: Nigeria and the Nigerian change project. Some of my admirers even sent in requests and proposals for me to take to Buhari.

On the other hand, some of those who have condemned me are basically shy or to put it more appropriately scared of the bare truth about Buhari. They do not like Buhari because he is good. Anything that relates to Buhari is abhorrent to them. How more a lover who sings about him in the media! But because in some cases I would prefer the reader to decide and judge me, some often asked what my position about Buhari was. But I think this category is of those who have not been following me for sometimes.

I have come to realize that Buhari is a supernatural human being. His resilience has no boundary. His patience is in the superlative. His humility stands out and his nationalist spirit soars higher than any of the living Nigerian politicians. He is like the date palm whose parts are cure to sicknesses. He is like the diamond whose worth can never be devalued with the dirt of sand. The more they try to devalue Buhari, the more his popularity springs up from within and from outside the shores of Nigeria. I tried my best in my previous articles to expose, despite the opposition by some disgruntled Nigerian political elites, Buhari’s popularity amongst world leaders, Nigerian political elite, the traditional and religious leaders as well as the Nigerian populace.

Besides the forthcoming elections, Buhari has attained the greatest heights and admiration that no ex-Nigerian leader has attained. From America to Europe and from Africa to Asia, Buhari has become like a new bride in world politics. World leaders invite him to address them at world events, not to just attend and talk, but because he proffers practical and achievable solutions to international cum controversial matters. He also foretells peradventures. Just like he is doing in Nigeria with sincerity and utmost nationalism, countries have developed strong interests, unlike before, to partner with Nigeria in key areas for mutual benefits. The United States of America, Britain, Germany, China, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirate and a host of world powers in politics and economy are comfortable with Buhari. He has brought back Nigeria’s lost reputation.

In Africa, Buhari is like the African President. Nothing can be as remarkable as being a champion in the war against corruption in Africa. Africa has remained underdeveloped because of the twin cankerworms of corruption and power tussle. No policy consistency. No practicable long term measures. And no selflessness in service. No single African country has not been ravished by fiscal mismanagement and power abuse. Power-drunkenness is anything common in the African continent. That is evident not only in the political circle but all other institutionally recognized foundations. Recall the causes of communal clashes in Africa to appreciate the point I have raised.

In Nigeria, the people are happy with Buhari. What I mean by the people are Nigerians who love Nigeria and not Nigerians who hate Nigeria. The haters are few, though powerful because of the wealth they had stolen from the nation’s treasury. They claim to love Nigeria when all their actions since 1999 and till date are not in tune with the acclaimed love. Why can’t they surmount the courage and allow Nigeria to be? Have they not done enough harm to this great nation? They know that the great traditional rulers, their eminences, their majesties and their royal highnesses are in support of Buhari’s continuity till 2023 for stability. They know that those religious leaders who love Nigeria love Buhari’s leadership and want him to continue till 2023. They know that the Nigerian commoners who see hope in their future and appreciate God’s intervention in 2015 want Buhari to continue till 2013. What is it that they do not know about Buhari?

If not that politics is mostly joyful who oppositions counter themselves, I would have appealed to those opposing Buhari to console themselves by accepting the crushing truth. They know that they are not opposing Buhari because of national interest. Their interests are more parochial than conventional. They are definitely shy of the emerging achievements of the current government, or to succinctly put it, scared of the gradual establishment and exposure of the atrocities they committed against Nigerian and her citizens. They, as a party, are realizing the huge opportunities they had wasted in fixing Nigeria due to lust and wickedness.

But that is the beauty of politics. I would have thought that they are wasting their precious times, resources and energies in futility. Opposition is required in a democracy. Parties must oppose themselves. Political interests must clash. Interests must be diverse. Manifestoes must be juxtaposed. And the electorates must be given the full opportunity to participate in all the electioneering processes. There must be a conducive atmosphere for the electorate. To me, Buhari is Nigeria’s President till 2023, God’s willing. Yet, I am very sure that he is not a desperate politician. He is posed to conducting free and fair polls. On this note, Nigerians must not die for 2019 general elections. Government must ensure protection of lives and properties before, during and after the elections.

I hope that when the presidential campaign begins on Novermber18, according to the timetable scheduled by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the opposition will focus on issues rather than hate speeches. There is virtually nothing unsaid by the opposition about Buhari. But truth does not die. There is no vacancy in Aso Rock. Buhari grows from strength to strength, steadily above the skirmish of unproductive political resistance and shinning above politicians who are stained with the filth of corruption, irresponsibility and wicked coalition.. May the Almighty God make it easy for the leader of Nigerian people, Muhammadu Buhari, to sail through the murky waters and snares being mounted up against him as 2019 elections draw nearer. Ameen.

Muhammad Ajah is an advocate of humanity, peace and good governance in Abuja.

2019: Buhari, Atiku dangle records, SGF at Southwest

 By: Yusuf Alli, Gbade Ogunwale and Gbenga Omokhunu 

  

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President Muhammadu Buhari is wooing southern leaders in a bid to strengthen his support base ahead of the 2019 poll.

The Buhari Campaign Organisation (BCO) is in talks with prominent southern leaders and groups, including Afenifere, Ohanaeze, Ijaw National Congress and Middle Belt Forum, it said yesterday.

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Atiku Abubakar is pleading with critics of his running mate Peter Obi’s choice to take it easy.

Atiku is dangling before the Southwest two main items —restructuring and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) slot.

Buhari’s campaigners are relying on the President’s records to fetch him support.

BCO believes that Buhari’s second term will be in the best interest of the country because, said the organisation, he is poised to use the next four years to consolidate on the policies of his administration.

The Director of Communication and Strategic Planning of the BCO, Mallam Gidado Ibrahim, in a statement issued yesterday in Abuja, noted that the group had been touring the southern states “in the past few weeks”.

According to him, the group’s meetings with southern leaders, including royal fathers, is to get them to re-examine the scorecard of the Buhari administration in the last three years, and realise that he has performed well, contrary to “the falsehood” being peddled by the opposition.

Ibrahim  said: “First, we want to reach out to fellow leaders in the South and convince them to rally round Buhari and support him beyond boundaries.

“If the President is allowed another four years to do what is needed to consolidate on what he has started, within a very short time, the situation will change in Nigeria.”

According to Ibrahim, most of the North’s leaders are leading Buhari’s campaign for re-election because his performance, particularly in agric, and his economic diversification policy was yielding results for the economy.

The group has visited the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III. “We reviewed President Buhari’s performance in the last three years. The royal father agreed with us that he has done creditably well, Ibrahim said.

On why the meetings with the southern leaders had been going on secretly, he said: “The agenda of the meetings is not for public consumption. We have been meeting and it is not for me to announce the dates of the meetings and venue of the meetings for newspapers. It is not proper. When we circulate notice of meeting, it is for those who are involved only and not to those who are not part of the meeting”.

On the consistent criticism of President Buhari by some opposition leaders, Ibrahim warned that the “divisive” politics being practised by certain politicians won’t benefit the country.

He added: “Let me state here that some so-called opposition leaders should desist from attempts to draft Nigeria into unecessary national opposition and negative narratives on national events by their destructive criticism of President Buhari. Some groups have also appointed themselves as opposition. This is not the right thing to do.

“President Buhari should be praised for fulfilling some of his campaign promises in sectors like security, war against corruption and the economy. He has even done much more in global politics. Nigeria is no more treated with disdain in the international community,” Ibrahim said.

Over  200, 000 members of the Atiku Care Foundation  in the North-West Zone yesterday dumped the Foundation and collapsed into Arewa Media Group Organisation for Buhari 2019 Campaign. Their leader of  Alhaji Abdulmajid Danbiliki Commander.

At a brief ceremony,  chairman of the amalgamated group under the auspices of Atku Care Foundation, Comrade Sanusi Ababai, said over seven affiliates of the Atiku Care Foundation supporters, decided to dump Atiku for Buhari because of unfulfilled promises.

He said: “For several years now, we have been working hard for the development of Atiku Care Foundation. A lot of promises were made when we started.

“They told us that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar needed a platform to reach out to the masses at the grassroot. We were committed because there were programmes from healthcare delivery, education, entrepreneurship, youth and women empowerment.”

Ababai, former Director of Administration and Strategy in-charge of North-West for Atiku Care Foundation, said the group  has decided to pitch its tent with President Muhammadu Buhari’s 2019 re-election bid for his foresight and commitment to redeem Nigeria from the shackles of corruption and poverty.

Worried by criticisms of the choice of ex-Governor Peter Obi as his running mate, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar has initiated moves to pacify Southeast PDP governors.

To set the tone for reconciliation, with PDP leaders in the Southeast, it was also learnt Atiku is said to have called Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu.

Further talks with Southeast leaders will begin when Atiku returns from vacation this week.

It was gathered that Atiku limited his consultation on the choice of Obi to stave off pressure and reduce friction on his decision.

There were indications that the PDP candidate might disband his personal campaign organisation to pave the way for the take-off of the party’s Presidential Campaign Council (PCC)  with Senate President Bukola Saraki as the Director-General.

A source, who spoke in confidence, confirmed Atiku’s reconciliatory moves. He said: “What happened was that Atiku was not unilateral in picking Obi. There was really consultation but restricted to some national and PDP leaders to avoid the search degenerating to conflict in the South-East.

“Following reactions from governors and PDP leaders in the Southeast, Atiku has started reaching out to them. In fact, he has put a call to Ekweremadu whose camp was more embittered.”

Details of Atiku’s discussion with Ekweremadu remained unknown yesterday.

“Atiku is returning from vacation this week and he will embark on more rapprochement talks with Southeast leaders.

The Southeast leaders will want other issues addressed. They include:

• reaching consensus on other posts to concede to the zone;
• finding a meeting point with the zone on Atiku’s idea of restructuring;
• the need to spend one term in office; and
• ceding power to the Southeast in 2023

A PDP leader in the Southeast said: “We need more discussion with Atiku on the fate of this zone. Between 1979 and 1983, the defunct National Party of Nigeria(NPN) conceded the vice presidential slot to the Southeast with the late Dr. Alex Ekwueme nominated as deputy to ex-President Shehu Shagari.

“Within the same power sharing structure, the Southeast also produced the Speaker of the House of Representatives, who was Chief Edwin Ume-Ezeoke.

“We want a concrete deal with Atiku beyond the choice of Peter Obi. We need to know his plans for us. What other things will the Southeast get, apart from being Vice President.”

As at press time, there were indications that Atiku Campaign Organisation may be disbanded to give room for the Presidential Campaign Council headed by Saraki.

“The PDP candidate is expected back in the country this week and one of his plans is to disband Atiku Campaign Organisation.”

Also yesterday, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, the Director General of the  Atiku Abubakar Campaign Organisation, said the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) will go to the Southwest, should Atiku become president.

Daniel, a former governor of Ogun State, broke the news at an interactive session with reporters in Lagos.

The PDP initially zoned its national chairman to the Southwest, but  gave the job to Uche Secondus (Southsouth).

Also, Atiku’s running mate, Mr Peter Obi, hails from the Southeast.

“We need to understand that the candidate has control over who becomes his running mate during the election and who becomes the SGF if he wins.

“The decisions on major offices are being given serious consideration and no zone or region will be marginalised.

“The offices of Senate President and Speaker of the House of Reps will be decided after the polls and based on what plays out in both houses.

“Aside major slots, I think what is paramount to the people of the Southwest is restructuring of the country, which Atiku is very serious about.

“So the issue for the Southwest is not personality or slot issue per se because personalities come and go but restructuring Nigeria is significant and more symbolic than zoned offices,” he said.

On Atiku’s manifesto, Daniel said that it would be published as soon as the campaigns kick off.

The PDP said its Presidential candidate was set to revamp the economy through the creation of qualitative employment for the youths.

The party gave the assurance in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan on Sunday in Abuja.

The party added that Atiku would implement the political and economic restructuring of the nation in a manner that would engender unity, inclusiveness in governance and uplift the general standard of living for all.

Ologbondiyan added: ”Atiku will open a system-wide fight against corruption as soon as he is elected into office by strengthening the institutions empowered by our laws to do their jobs.

”He will do this while he also concentrates on the onerous duty of governance and rescuing our people from hunger, starvation, bloodlettings and wanton killings.’’

Ologbondiyan assured that rebranded PDP would ensure that all those looting the national treasury, would definitely face the wrath of the law and go to jail.

He added that Atiku administration would not only fight poverty but will also uncompromisingly fight corruption.”

NIGERIA IS AN IMPOSSIBLE COUNTRY TO GOVERN IF YOU ARE NOT A THIEF*

Michael Sam-Wobo


HOW DO YOU GOVERN A PEOPLE WHO CELEBRATE CORRUPTION AND THEN CRY WHEN THE DAMAGE IS DONE, AS IF THEY HAD NO IDEA WHERE IT CAME FROM.

A COUNTRY WHERE TREASURY LOOTERS ARE WORSHIPED AND THEIR ILL-GOTTEN WEALTH IS A SOURCE OF FASCINATION.

A COUNTRY WHERE EVERYONE BRIBES TO GET  HIS WAY AND EXPECTS TO BE BRIBED TO DO THEIR JOB OR ANY JOB.

HOW DOES A GOOD MAN GOVERN A COUNTRY THAT STILL CELEBRATES A PRESIDENT WHO PRESIDED OVER THE WANTON PILFERING OF IT'S RESOURCES AND SOME OPENLY WISH HE COULD COME BACK TO POWER .

A COUNTRY WHERE PEOPLE  SPEND MORE TIME ON THEIR KNEES THAN THEY DO ON THE JOB. A COUNTRY WHERE WORK SCHEDULE RUNS FROM 7:30AM TO 4:30PM, BUT WORKDAY ENDS AT 12 NOON ON A VERY GOOD DAY .

HOW DO YOU FIX AN ECONOMY THAT IMPORTS EVERYTHING FROM TOOTHPICK TO TOILET PAPER, AND MAKES  NOTHING? AN ECONOMY THAT HAS FOR YEARS AND EVEN DECADES HAD ONLY ONE CURRENCY, _CORRUPTION_.

HOW DOES A GOOD MAN GOVERN A COUNTRY THAT HAS MORE PLACES OF WORSHIP THAN FARM LANDS OR FACTORIES, AND EVERYONE SEES CORRUPTION AS MEANS TO  GOD'S BLESSING.

A COUNTRY WHERE GETTING RICH FROM PRAYER AND NOT WORK IS A DAILY SPIRITUAL DIET, AND  MEN OF GOD OPENLY FRATERNIZE WITH CERTIFIED AND INDICTED THIEVES AND DROLL OVER THEIR LOOT.

A COUNTRY WHERE HARD WORK IS DERIDED AND EVERYONE SEEKS WEALTH AT ALL COST.

A COUNTRY WHERE POLITICIANS HAVE NO IDEOLOGY, AND POLITICS A COMPETITION BETWEEN THIEVING PARTIES THAT ARE ONLY UNIFIED BY  THEIR COMPETITION FOR THE COUNTRY'S RESOURCES .

A COUNTRY WHERE THE PRESIDENT MUST BRIBE THE LEGISLATORS TO GET HIS BUDGET PASSED .

HOW DOES A GOOD MAN GOVERN NIGERIA WHEN EVERYONE HE SEES AROUND CANNOT WAIT TO GET RID OF HIM SO THEY CAN START STEALING, AND THEY ALL SEE HIM AS THE STUMBLING BLOCK TO THEIR DESIRE TO LOOT THE TREASURY.

NIGERIA IS NO COUNTRY FOR GOOD MEN, AND GOOD MEN IN POWER ARE OXYMORONS.

*It took Mahathir Muhammad 22 years (1981-2003) to fix Malaysia.*

*It took Lee Kuan Yew 8 consecutive terms in office for 30 years (1959-1990) to fix Singapore.*

*It took Jerry Rawlings 26 years (1981-2002) to fix Ghana.*

*It took Meles Zenawi 12 years (1995-2012) to fix Ethiopia.*

*BUT THEY WANT NIGERIA TO BE MIRACULOUSLY FIXED IN 2 YEARS.*

*Hmm! NIGERIANS ARE EXCEPTIONAL WONDERFUL PEOPLE.*

FEATURESWIZ KIDS: 3 Nigerians make history building aircraft in the US

By

 Our Reporters 

The world is ruled by ideas, with technology blazing the trail in all spheres of life in the 21st century. Aviation has demonstrated this with the travel world being ruled by fast-moving innovative technology especially in the area of aircraft building where the world has been enthralled by the high technology driven Dreamliner, B787 and others. You never can tell what the next generation of aircraft or aviation technology could be but sadly, all these are coming from the developed world while Nigeria and the rest of the third world countries take the back seat.

However, that may just change in the coming years as three young Nigerian aviators, who are currently undergoing training at the International College of Aeronautic (ICA) in Ojodu, Lagos, are on the verge of making history as the youngest aviators in the world to build an aircraft of any dimension.

The trio of Atinuke Fausat Idowu, 24, David Akinola Opateyibo, 19 and Michael Damilola Fakuade, 21, all of ICA, where the slogan is: Dream, Build, Fly and Fix it, with their guardian, Solomon Kolawole Adio, a pilot and maintenance engineer, who is the president and chief executive officer of the school, left Nigeria in the first week of May unsung and unnoticed to Mexico, Missouri, United States, to commence the tedious process of building a C750 two-seater air plane. They returned to the country on September 30 after spending five months in an aviation manufacturing factory (Zenith Aircraft Company, Mexico, Missouri), that is affiliated to the college where they were supervised by their guardian and supervisors from the company to put together the aircraft from start to finish.

For both the students and the aviation college, it has been a long and tortuous journey according to Adio, whose experience in aviation spans over 36 years, who worked as a pilot and in other areas of aviation in the US before returning to Nigeria. On returning to Nigeria, he discovered a lot of gaps in the industry, especially in the area of general aviation, which according to him, employs the highest number of labour while commercial activities (airlines operations), which appeared to be the only thriving area, employs marginal work force. Determined to change this situation, Adio five years ago set up the aviation college.

‘‘The idea of the school is to help the youth to become entrepreneurs instead of looking for jobs. Most schools nowadays train people and then you are on your own,’’ he says of his motivation for establishing the school. ‘‘In avia- t i o n we have two types of activities, we have commercial activity, which is very popular in Nigeria, the airlines.

There is another branch called general aviation, it is where most jobs are created but Nigerians have not tapped into that. ‘‘When I first came I saw that a lot of our airports are dormant, only about four of them are actually serviceable and the reason is because we don’t encourage general aviation activities in the country.’’

To address this abnormality, he canvassed the introduction of general aviation activities that involve smaller planes. Besides, Adio also discovered the non-existence of air planes in the country. Hence the coming into being of ICA, where he has taken upon himself the task of training Nigerian youths on both commercial and general aviation activities. The school runs a month basic qualification programme after which a twoyear programme is undertaken before moving to the final two years for specialisation.

The trio of Idowu, Akinola and Damilola, in his words, have p e r – formed a great feat and put Nigeria on the global radar in aviation industry. ‘‘They are the first set and the aircraft that we have built is the first of its kind in Nigeria, nobody has done it. It is very historic,” Adio discloses. He further reveals that: ‘‘They were chosen after completing all the statutory requirements to go to that factory and we have already bought the parts and everything; that is why they stayed there for five months.’’

By April next year the young aviators are expected back in the United States to complete the process. According to Adio, the next stage for them include fixing the avionics and the certification process before they can finally fly the air plane to Nigeria. Describing the make of the aircraft, he says it is the type used for aviation training colleges and that ‘‘it can be adopted to other uses such as sightseeing, medical emergency, search and rescue; it can even be refitted to float in water, for news gathering, for shooting of film and even tourism. ‘‘One of the good things about this aircraft is that it has a very short take off distance, it doesn’t need that much distance to take off, it can even take off on the grass and anywhere.

‘‘It can go up to 30, 000 feet, but usually we wouldn’t fly that high. What determines how high the aircraft can go is the engine. If you put a turbo charged engine you could even fly higher. ‘‘But again, there is a regulation, as anytime you fly beyond 15, 000 feet you must have oxygen, so why go up there when all you can see is cloud?’’ Therefore, this particular aircraft, he says has the regular engine.

‘‘It is the regular engine and one of the reasons why we chose this particular engine is that if you go to Nigeria College of Aviation and Technology (NCAT), Zaria, the usual engine they have use special fuel call halfgas ‘‘But halfgas is not in Nigeria, so we have to buy an aircraft that uses engine that can use automotive fuel, which is something that you can find on the streets of Nigeria. That is one of advantages of what we built.’’ Adio is quite elated by this feat, as he states that: ‘‘It is the area of entrepreneurship that we want to introduce. Once we have the craft then we can get the youth to get into this kind of business and get them empowered to reduce the unemployment rate.’’

Getting to this stage of his dream might be very difficult, as he speaks of the major obstacle on the way: ‘‘The aircraft is now built and now we have to bring the airplane to Nigeria. But here is the problem, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) does not have any regulation about building aircraft.’’ Although he reveals that talks are on between NCAA and his college on facilitating this process, however, if the Nigerian bureaucratic process is any indication then this may take years to accomplish. But for the trio aviators, they are in the clouds already, celebrating their feat as no one ever gave them the chance of coming this far. One thing that gladdens the heart about their historic feat is the fact that while unsung in Nigeria, Nigerians living in the US recognised their achievement and celebrated them before they jetted back to the country unnoticed.

DAVID AKINOLA OPATEYIBO

I want to see our country at par with other aviation industries

From Oyo State, he is the youngest of the trio, and appears quite intelligent and sure footed about his ability and the future that he is building. From a younger age, he says, ‘‘I have been interested in aviation for quite a long time. I was fascinated by birds, wondering how God created these animals to fly. ‘‘I used to make use of my daddy’s phone to make researches and so that got me into the building and manufacturing of drones and along the line I started building and flying drones. I was still in secondary school then. He schooled in Anglican Comprehensive High School, Awori, Ipaja, Lagos and during his SSS3, Adio and his team visited the school to give a talk on aviation unfortunately, Akinola, was not at school on the fateful day. But the mother, who was at the school at the time called to inform him of the visit and quickly he made his way to the school where he had engagement with the visiting team. ‘‘I met with the director and other officials from the college but one thing that caught my attention was that one of the instructors from the college had a drone with him and he asked me if I knew what it was and I said yes. ‘‘We spoke at length and he then gave me the opportunity to fly the drone and I flew it. I collected the contact of the school and went to my mum and said to her, ‘mum, this is the school that I want to go to.’ She said fine but you have to tell you dad. ‘‘So when I got home I told my dad about it and he gave his support. I got admitted into the school in late June 2015 and I did the pre-requisite programme, which was the basic aviation technology for one month. ‘‘After I passed the programme, I did a two year diploma course, which is called applied aviation science but because I was interested in aircraft maintenance technology, we had to do the maintenance and fleet specialty. ‘‘Initially I was not interested in becoming a pilot but along the line when we were doing the diploma programme I also became interested in the piloting aspect. ‘‘To meet up I had to enrol in an online ground school for piloting, which is affiliated to the college. So, I have got my Private Pilot ground school certificate and I also got my diploma certificate in applied aviation science. ‘‘At the time we got to the company we were used to some of the tools but at first it was not that daunting but what happened was that the scope of the project was not what we expected as we were used to smaller projects. ‘‘The building was fun and interesting and those that run the company where open minded and they supported us all throughout. Whenever we had problems they gave us all the support that we needed and that made the work flow very efficiently. ‘‘We faced a number of challenges, sometimes we missed up the parts but we had to figure it out ourselves. ‘‘I feel excited, it has been great, it has been interesting and we hope to complete the project next year. ‘‘I look forward to building more airplanes and I want to see our country develop, I want to see the aviation industry of our country at par with other aviation industries in the world. ‘‘My age is not a disadvantage and I don’t feel intimidated in anyway. I am glad pushing my passion and my message to Nigerian youths is that whatever you find to do that is good they should make sure that they do it with commitment, and one thing is that perseverance is key in anything that you want to achieve.” He expressed appreciation to Adio, who he says gave all the push and encouragement for them to move ahead. He is also grateful to his parents for supporting his passion.

ATINUKE FAUSAT IDOWU

I feel so great and excited that I’m making a positive impact

She is in her third year at the college, educated at Ansar Rul Deen Girls High School, Falolu. She holds Ordinary Diploma in Science Laboratory Technology from Abraham Adesanya Polytechnic in Ijebu Igbo, Ogun State. Her motivation for going into aviation was the magical and enchanting nature of the air plane and her curiosity. ‘‘I was motivated by big plane engine, wondering what can make this big airplane to fly and sustain that ability and carry a lot of people. ‘‘For me to know what gives it that capability I needed to go into aviation to be enlightened and know more about it,’’ she says. The 2015 graduate says: ‘‘I have not been to the airport before but I see aircraft in movies, news bulletins and when I see such gigantic aircrafts, I am always amazed and stunned by them.’’ Idowu as a female could had chosen less tedious and more fanciful aspect of aviation, however, she reveals that: ‘‘I decided to go into Aircraft Building Engineering Technology because I see it as an inter esting area and we don’t have so many females in aviation. I wanted to do something that is different and motivate more females to come into aviation. ‘‘It has been great so far and we had the opportunity to put into practice the theory that we were taught in the classroom. Put into use all the principles, the operating principles behind aircraft making.

‘‘When we got to the factory they gave us the blueprint and materials to couple the aircraft, with the little experience that we had in school it was very easy for us to assemble the aircraft following the guideline. ‘‘The three of us worked together and we had others or supervisors in the factory and whenever we had difficulties we called on them and they gave us assistance. “It was challenging though we had the blueprint and manner. I feel so great and excited because I think that I am making a positive impact. I look forward to continuing to build aircrafts and to make it a source of employment, like entrepreneurship and empowerment in Nigeria. ‘‘My message to Nigerian youths is that whatever we are doing we should be focused and when we are focused, determined and put our minds in whatever we are doing, success will actually come.’’ Although as the only female in the team, she sometimes felt intimidated, she remained undaunted even she confessed receiving tremendous encouragement and support from the two young boys. ‘‘Sometimes they do but because I know what I wanted to achieve I didn’t allow that and I had to push myself and show my ability and skill. It was fun working with them and they made me feel like a male. ‘‘The future is to see the aviation industry becoming a big one in Nigeria and create opportunities for everyone.’’ Her pillar of support has been her parents, Adio and the Lagos Central Mosque, which donated N1 million towards her trip to the US.

MICHAEL DAMILOLA FAKUADE

I am very proud of what I have done

He appears to be the most outgoing and exposed of the trio. He is from Ekiti State and lived in Yaba area of Lagos where his daily encounters with youths engaged in drugs and other social misdemeanours as a result of unemployment, drove him to seek solace in the aviation world. ‘‘Where I reside in Yaba I see a lot of young guys into drugs, with everybody on the streets shouting about the government and no one ready to do anything. ‘‘Therefore, I decided to come into aviation to see what I could do to help Nigerian youths. I finished from Federal Government College, Ijanikin, Lagos.

‘‘I did my one month programme and then went into aircraft building because this will create more jobs for Nigeria. ‘‘It wasn’t a smooth ride because whenever I tell anyone that I am into aviation they will ask if I am going to be a pilot and I will say no, I am building an aircraft and they will express disbelief that no, it can’t happen, that is a lie, not in Nigeria. ‘‘I would say to them that it is not a big airplane but a smaller one but they would retort that whether a big or small- er aircraft it can never happen in Nigeria. And that if you build it nobody will fly it in Nigeria. It has been a very rough road because even people at the airport don’t believe us because we do go there and a lot of them would say that we are crazy, that we are not doing anything and that we should leave the school.

‘‘Then we would go back to Mr. Adio and he would talk to us and encourage us, telling us to apply our minds to what we are doing and that everybody is not going to appreciate what we are doing but that we should remain focused. ‘‘Now I can say I am very proud of what I have done because nobody can come and tell me anything to the contrary now. I know what I went to do in the United States was not just a day job. ‘‘It was easy because they had all the tools and those tools that we didn’t know how to use they gave us the guidelines on how to use them and it was. My parents have been supportive of my training.’’

Kanu’s appearance and my apology to the Nigerian Army

By Charles Mbani


Wonders, as they say, shall never end in Nigeria. I am so ashamed of myself. So much so that I feel like disappearing from the surface of the earth upon watching the video of the “almighty Nnamdi Kanu” of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) praying in Jerusalem for misleading our people and absconding with his ill-gotten wealth. These are indeed lessons to be learned when we wipe up unnecessary sentiments in the polity. And also a reminder to us as a people that we should take our time to study the motives and actions of individuals masquerading themselves as religious and ethnic champions.

The Nnamdi Kanu’s case was quite an unfortunate episode when one realized how he deceived many people into believing he is the messiah they have been waiting for. He became a nuisance, and he is still one, and he gave out himself, not only as an ethnic champion, but he also arrogated himself a spiritual role in the lives of some members of the unsuspecting public.

In truth, I was one of those that fell for his gimmick. I recall that I rose stoutly in his defense when it was speculated that he had either been killed or whisked away by the Nigeria Army when it launched Operation Python Dance to curtail the excesses of armed groups and other vices in South East Nigeria.  But little did I know that the so-called progenitor of the now proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) had perfected plans and indeed fled the country. So many questions are begging for answers in my head. And one of them is why he choose the dishonorable path of running away and leaving the people he was leading to their fate?

I am also hurt that his cowardly act left our people in sorrow and pains. He used them to enrich himself and family, and when the time came for him to stand for his people, he fled. What a shame. At this point, it would suffice to state that I indeed owe the Chief of Army Staff, and by extension the Nigeria Army an unreserved apology for my unwarranted and unverified vent of ignorance when it was speculated that Nnamdi Kanu had been whisked away. I also believe that other social commentators that also fell victim of Nnamdi Kanu gimmick and labeled the Nigeria Army in derogatory terms should also tender their unreserved apologies. Why this is necessary, you might want to ask.

It is essential because once upon a time, a certain man named Nnamdi Kanu instigated a national crisis that threatened the continued existence of Nigeria. He sought and received financial gratification from individuals, groups, and even countries that were against the progress of Nigeria. And only for him to flee. And that in itself caused a national crisis when various groups started a campaign of defamation against the Nigerian  Army. I recall that the President General of Afaraukwu, his autonomous community, Chief Ikechukwu Nwabueze, revealed the community’s resolve to sue the Federal Government if they fail to produce their son, Nnamdi Kanu. If this is not the height of deceit and mischief, I do not know what to call it. I do hope he is ready to pay any sum that will be required by the Federal Government as compensation for blackmail.

It didn’t end there, a team of IPOB lawyers, led by Mr. Ifeanyi Ejiofor, filed a suit before the Federal High Court in Abuja praying for an order directing the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, to produce Kanu in court. Because, Kanu was last seen after soldiers invaded the IPOB leaders house in Afara-ukwu Ibeku, Umuahia Abia State, “on a murderous raid, where life and mortar bullets were fired on an unarmed and defenseless populace, leaving 28 persons dead and abducting many”. If this is not the height of deceit, then what else is it?

Also worrisome was the fact that the hypocrisy of IPOB was taken too far and it came with consequences, such that would affect the sincerity of purpose on the people of the South East in the marginalization debate in the future.

I say this because even with the knowledge of the promoters of IPOB that their leader had fled, they still went ahead to issue a statement indicating that the federal government may have killed Nnamdi Kanu. The statement at the time read that “IPOB and its leadership worldwide under the command and leadership of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu wish to bring to the notice of the whole world that the whereabouts of our leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and parents are still unknown to humanity since the attack in his compound last week. IPOB have been searching for our leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and parents nowhere to be found since last week; we are challenging the Nigerian army and police to produce our leader Mazi Nnamdi since it is a prerogative right for him to make statement inform his confidants and teeming members all over the world about his condition.” This was the height of hypocrisy

I now wonder what the next line of action would be for IPOB and its promoters since their leader had resurfaced in Jerusalem instead of one of the detention camps of the Nigeria Army. Would they bury their heads in shame? Would they issue an unreserved apology to their unsuspecting followers whom they had deceived into believing in a cause that had turned out to be a scam? All of these are questions that must be answered if we are sincere with our selves.

Those that also stood as surety for him also lied under oath that the Nigerian  Army had Nnamdi Kanu in its custody. They have committed perjury, and the law must take its cause in my opinion. There is also a new dimension to the whole saga with the fact that he was sighted in Israel after committing crimes against the state in Nigeria. What does that tell us? Does it explain the claims by regional neighbors that Israel trains, arms, and backs terrorists? This is a topic for another day.

With the unfolding drama, it is now evident that the agitation by IPOB was just a smokescreen to exploit his people. There was no iota of truth in all of his public posturing other than the fact that he saw an avenue to enrich himself and he took advantage of it. I am sure those South East leaders and elders under the umbrella of Ohaneze Ndigbo, that fell victim for his gimmick would be hiding their faces as it stands. But even as they do that, I think they should apologize to the Nigerian government, the Chief of Army Staff, and the Nigeria Army for the ignorant campaign of calumny it launched.

Mbani is a public affairs commentator and President of the South East Renewal Group [SERG].

Source:

https://www.thenigerian.news/2018/10/20/kanus-appearance-and-my-apology-to-the-nigerian-army/