Awolowo asked Ojukwu to give Western Nigeria 2 weeks, Ojukwu reneged *Soyinka, Ofeimun

By Odia Ofeimun

Chief Obafemi Awolowo

It must have seemed to the Easterners who had been so overdosed by myths about Awolowo’s hatred of the East  that he was merely trying out the old animosities in the garb of a pacifier  trying to win, by other means, the battles he had always pursued in Nigerian politics. The bottomline is that Ojukwu and Awolowo did not reach an agreement. Their positions in spite of the  parliamentary language in which they were couched were fundamentally at variance. Not to forget: it used to be taken as apocryphal by all, except core Awoists, that Ojukwu actually  came to see him in the guest house on the last night after the day’s plenary. He wanted  a one on one with Awolowo. Understandably, Awolowo refused a one on one. Soyinka has now retailed in his autobiography, YOU MUST SET FORTH AT DAWN,(131-132) what Awolowo told him: “The 1967 eve of secession delegation of national public figures authorized by Yakubu Gowon, to dialogue with Eastern leadership had been led by Obafemi Awolowo, and the formal, well-publicised meeting between the two sides lasted nearly all day. The Easterners listed their grievances and demands, spoke with all apparent seriousness, and saw their guests off to their chalets. Late that same night however, Awolowo was disturbed by a knock on the door.
It was the Eastern leader, Ojukwu, himself. He admitted that he had waited till late into the night so as to be able to speak to Awolowo in strictest privacy. Sure, said Awolowo, but he also insisted that at least one or two persons join him. That was agreed, and Awolowo called up the adjoining chalet, woke up the Police commissioner for the Western Region, Olufunwa, and a close political aide.
Accompanying Ojukwu was a small team that included a Professor of History from the University of Ibadan who had fled, like other Easterners, to their beleaguered state. Years afterwards, during the struggle against the Abacha dictatorship, the same don introduced himself to me at  a meeting in the United States in 1996,  and revealed his participation at the nocturnal meeting of thirty years earlier. His account was a consistent and detailed confirmation of what Awolowo confided in me that afternoon.
Odumegwu Ojukwu’s mission was unambiguous, Awolowo said to me. “The young man had come to inform me that the East had decided on secession, and that there was no going back. All that was left was the announcement of a date. He said, “Sir, I have not come to argue, but to inform you. It has been decided”.
“It was clear that any discussion was futile”, Awolowo continued , “Äfter all, we had done nothing but talk all day. Ojukwu confessed that he had agreed to meet the delegation at all only out of respect for my person. Biafra had already taken a decision”.
“I was not surprised”, the Chief admitted. “I did one thing, though, I made one request of him  in fact, I insisted on it. I said to Ojukwu  at least, let us in the West  – I, specifically – have a minimum of two weeks notice before you announce the decision. And he promised. Yes, he promised me that much”.
I hesitated, but could not resist asking: “Why two weeks? You told him you needed two weeks – to do what?
Awolowo gave one of his enigmatic smiles, “You know Olufunwa, the Police Commissioner?”.
I nodded Yes.
“Well, apart from me, he is the only one who knows the answer to that question. And he’s not likely to tell you either”.
I did not press him.
Hardly had Awolowo’s delegation settled back into Federal territory than Ojukwu declared an Independent State of Biafra. The date was May 30, 1967. A short while after, Chief Awolowo accepted to serve as Commissioner of Finance under Yakubu Gowon.
LibertyReport

Gunmen Attack Lekki Neighborhood In Lagos

Police armoured car after the attack

By SaharaReporters, New York

About 15 gunmen in the early hours of today attacked a residential estate in Lekki, next to Goshen Estate and Elf Estate, in a scene described by one resident as coming straight out of a movie script.
The police intervened soon after the robbery attempt began, and nobody was hurt.
The residents in the estate and surrounding neighborhoods awoke to the horrifying experience, which played out between the Second and Third Lekki Roundabouts, the gunmen arriving in two vehicles and storming their way into the estate.
A witness said the men gained access by driving in behind a resident and threatening the security guards.  As part of the drama, their getaway vehicle was said to have been stolen at gunpoint in Isolo, and arrived with the car owner still bundled inside the boot.
The men set about entering homes, and had robbed about six residents before the police arrived at about 1.00am, blocking the main entrance of the estate with an armoured truck.
The robbers, determined to escape, forced the whole neighborhood—men, women and children— flat on their stomachs.  One resident, still reeling from the shock, said the ordeal felt like five hours, although it only lasted about an hour.
“It's happening much too often,” another commented.  “It is a miracle no one got killed.”
The robbery seemed well calculated and planned.  From what the car owner who spent terrifying hours in the boot of his car described, the men convened at what seemed to be a mechanic's workshop to put finishing touches to their plans before they proceeded to Seaview.
What the robbers did not anticipate was the police presence and exchange. Then again, they may have anticipated a challenge as they came prepared with sophisticated and deadly assault gear, which forced the police to back off eventually. Some resident speculated they were armed with Uzis and AK 47s.
The Police/Rapid Response service armoured truck was relentlessly hit by the robbers during the intense exchange of fire, leaving it riddled with bullet holes, punctured tires, broken windscreens etc.
The robbers escaped, but the police are investigating.

WHO IS ORONSAYE? ADAMU ADAMU

In a democracy like ours, the three arms of government are supposed to check each other in order to eliminate abuse of power. But even if they perform their functions, there won't be accountability in the democracy without the enforcement of proper procedure by the civil service. With its informed advice that may not be refused, the civil service keeps the executive arm in check.

To be able to perform its role as an effective check on an executive to whom it must also be loyal, the civil service needs to have be merit-based and not a system of spoils; it must be politically neutral and not politicized; it must be loyal to, but not intimidated by, the government, because it must always retain the right to be able to advice fearlessly and insist that proper procedure be followed by power.

This is something that today's civil service is no longer able to do; and that is the great feat that Mr. Stephen Osagiede Oronsanye has achieved as Head of the Civil Service of the Federation; and that is the task he is trying to finish with the powers of the new job he is desperately lobbying for--the chairmanship of the Federal Civil Service Commission.

Lest we forget, Oronsaye was brought into government by former finance minister, Anthony Ani in 1995 as a personal assistant on salary grade level 12. A grandiose salary package for Oronsaye prepared by Ani was rejected by General Sani Abacha; and Oronsaye was given GL 12 on a take-it or leave-it basis--and he took it. Later, as he dilly dallied trying to find a niche to hang on to, he was sent away by then Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Alhaji Gidado Idris.

He was brought back when Chief Olusegun Obasanjo came into office and, as a president wanting to find fault of predecessors, was looking for someone who knew what had been going on in the Ministry of Finance. On being told that only Ani and Oronsaye knew what had happened, Obasanjo appointed Oronsaye his Senior Special Assistant. He was later made Principal Secretary to the President; and when the list of new Permanent Secretaries was sent to Obasanjo for approval, it was said that the former president inserted Oronsaye's name in biro. Later, President Umaru Yar'adua, himself for want of advice, made Oronsaye the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.

Perhaps, by his own reckoning, he went to work; but in the reckoning of those who knew, it was on a rampage that he went. He succeeded in creating much uncertainty and was himself enveloped by uncertainty of the worst kind, what with questions to answer on his purported qualifications.

More than a year ago, a non-governmental organization, Coalition for True Transparency and Good Governance in Nigeria, charged that all Oronsaye's additional qualifications were fraudulent and called for an investigation into the matter, asserting that he didn't have the B.Sc. or MBA or the ACCA that he claimed he had. Since then Oronsaye hadn't been able to say from which schools and universities he obtained these qualifications or when.

Records at the Career Management Office at the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation show that he had claimed that he had a B.Sc., an MBA and ACCA; but in filing his Record of Service Form, Oronsaye seemed to have forgotten that he had the B.Sc. because he didn't list it; and instead of ACCA, he listed ACA, and obviously these are by no means the same. He had to date not been able to produce even a photocopy of any of the certificates.

To our knowledge, no investigation has been made into these allegations by the government; and the only response Oronsaye cared to make over these grave allegations by the coalition was to say, through one Tope Ajakaiye, then a deputy director of public relations in his office, that the accusations were just too ridiculous for him to respond.

So, let us see just what exactly it is that was too ridiculous for him to answer. He claimed to have a B.Sc. The nation would like to know in which discipline he got the bachelors degree and from which institution and in which year. The only university he claimed to have attended--as per his Staff Record Form--was the University of Calabar in 1993. You couldn't get a Bachelor of Science degree after one year's study; and if he received his B.Sc. in 1993, when did he get the MBA that he listed in 1995? Which one did he have in 1995: the ACCA of UK or the ACA of Nigeria or does he hold both?

Checks in the ICAN Membership Year Book up to 1998 show that there are only two Oronsayes with ACA in the country--one Victor Edosa Oronsaye, with Membership No. 9878 who graduated on April 25, 1996, and Stevenson Idele Oronsaye with Membership No. 11428 who graduated July 30, 1998. There is no Stephen Osagiede Oronsaye on ICAN register. Oronsaye should please come out and tell the nation from where he got his ACA and the answers to those other questions. If he doesn't, it is not the queries that will appear too ridiculous to answer; it is his silence that, in the circumstance, will be most ludicrous.

Since Obasanjo is no longer in office, perhaps it should now be the turn of President Jonathan to tell the nation whether his own goal also, in tandem with that of Oronsaye, has all along been to destroy the civil service on the one hand and empty it of Northern presence on the other. Jonathan's long and loud silence over the litany of atrocities committed by Oronsaye would signify consent; and his decision to create a committee for Oronsaye after he had absconded from an earlier and even more important one would indicate official endorsement for all the bureaucratic atrocities that he had been perpetrating. Not even ignorance of proper procedure could be an answer or acceptable excuse for the government, much as it was now obvious to all that they had no experience in running a government or anything as complex or sophisticated. If he had or cared about the unity of this country, Jonathan would have long ago censured Oronsaye.

But instead of censuring him, Jonathan appointed him a member of the Adamu Fika-led Presidential Committee on the Review of the Reform Processes in the Nigerian Public Service. From the committee's terms of reference, this was not an assignment to which Oronsaye could meaningfully contribute; and, not surprisingly, he hadn't attended even a single session of the committee; and he hadn't thought it necessary to tell anyone why. If he feared exposing his ignorance of service matters before a giant like Adamu Fika, the proper thing would have been to honourably resign.

And after this episode, no serious government would have had anything to do with Oronsaye; but instead of censuring him for the destruction of the civil service then and for insubordination now, the government took out the most important term of reference of the Fika committee that he refused to attend and created another committee--Technical Committee to Restructure and Rationalize Federal Government Parastatals and Agencies for Optimal Management of National Resources--around it and made Oronsaye chairman.

Again not unexpectedly, this assignment of restructuring and rationalizing the nation's parastatals too is not being carried out with knowledge of service matters or with experience or with openness or with accountability, much less understanding that what he is supposed to be doing is part of a greater whole. This is because he doesn't know and those who put him there know less and don't care.

via:  Auwal Bala Muhammad

Sleep Tips: 5 Guides To Better Night Sleep

Feeling crabby lately? Or simply worn out? Perhaps the solution is better sleep.
Think about all the factors that can interfere with a good night’s sleep — from pressure at work and family responsibilities to unexpected challenges, such as layoffs, relationship issues or illnesses. It’s no wonder that quality sleep is sometimes elusive.

Although you might not be able to control all of the factors that interfere with your sleep, you can adopt habits that encourage better sleep. Start with these simple sleep tips.

No. 1: Stick to a sleep schedule

Go to bed and get up at the same time every day, even on weekends, holidays and days off. Being consistent reinforces your body’s sleep-wake cycle and helps promote better sleep at night. There’s a caveat, though. If you don’t fall asleep within about 15 minutes, get up and do something relaxing. Go back to bed when you’re tired. If you agonize over falling asleep, you might find it even tougher to nod off.

No. 2: Pay attention to what you eat and drink

Don’t go to bed either hungry or stuffed. Your discomfort might keep you up. Also limit how much you drink before bed, to prevent disruptive middle-of-the-night trips to the toilet.
Nicotine, caffeine and alcohol deserve caution, too. The stimulating effects of nicotine and caffeine — which take hours to wear off — can wreak havoc with quality sleep. And even though alcohol might make you feel sleepy at first, it can disrupt sleep later in the night.

No. 3: Create a bedtime ritual

Do the same things each night to tell your body it’s time to wind down. This might include taking a warm bath or shower, reading a book, or listening to soothing music — preferably with the lights dimmed. Relaxing activities can promote better sleep by easing the transition between wakefulness and drowsiness.
Be wary of using the TV or other electronic devices as part of your bedtime ritual. Some research suggests that screen time or other media use before bedtime interferes with sleep.

No. 4: Get comfortable

Create a room that’s ideal for sleeping. Often, this means cool, dark and quiet. Consider using room-darkening shades, earplugs, a fan or other devices to create an environment that suits your needs.
Your mattress and pillow can contribute to better sleep, too. Since the features of good bedding are subjective, choose what feels most comfortable to you. If you share your bed, make sure there’s enough room for two. If you have children or pets, set limits on how often they sleep with you — or insist on separate sleeping quarters.

No. 5: Limit daytime naps

Long daytime naps can interfere with nighttime sleep — especially if you’re struggling with insomnia or poor sleep quality at night. If you choose to nap during the day, limit yourself to about 10 to 30 minutes and make it during the midafternoon.
If you work nights, you’ll need to make an exception to the rules about daytime sleeping. In this case, keep your window coverings closed so that sunlight — which adjusts your internal clock — doesn’t interrupt your daytime sleep.
InformationNigeria.org

Babatunde Gbolahan Sindiku Bakare

 By Pearl Eze
I love this man! What shall I write to tell of how much I love this man? How shall I express my gratitude?
His wife and children are called Blessed because of him. The authentic Mrs. B. is an amazingly calm and beautiful woman. More than twice, she has touched my heart and filled it with love. Or should I tell you about my personal person, Segun or of the one I like to carry and who calls me ‘pirate’?
This man has been a father to me, still is. I have learnt so much from him. He taught me to never go the way of compromise because short cuts are usually long in the long run. He showed me the way to God and has always hammered and re-iterated that I must know God for myself. He is not a prayer contractor.
He has told me times without number how I am a mighty seed of a mighty God. He has not only taught me how to be a person of integrity but he walked the talk. He gives practical examples and shares personal experiences, letting me know when he misses it sometimes and how to get back in line with God. His heart beats for Christ, the blood in his veins jump for joy at any chance to please his Maker, his King, his Friend, his God.
The uncompromising non-conformist. He is raising a people of integrity, purpose, excellence and power with passion for Jesus and addiction for God’s kingdom. This will never change. He always stands on the side of truth regardless of tribe, status or political party. He stays dancing to the beat of a different drum.
His heart yearns for the betterment of the people. His desire is to see Nigeria flourish again.
He is a RADICAL opposition to corruption no matter how some people try to paint it otherwise. I have many times wanted to scream at some people on social media when they write terrible things about him that I know for certain are not true, but hey, the man himself says we should not defend him. I have worked with him for nigh 5 years and I can truly say that he is a man of his word. He speaks truth, he speaks the word of God, his heart beats for a better Nigeria.
He is a father in every sense of the word!
He has skillfulness of hand and has taught me to be excellent especially with my job or whatever work my hands find to do. I and mine are determined to preserve his legacy. His labour is definitely not in vain. It is an honour to call you my pastor and I am proud to call you father.
Indeed, he soars on the two wings of the great eagle!
Happy 58th birthday dearest Pastor Babatunde Gbolahan Sindiku Bakare. The Lord will keep you strong and sheltered in His loving arms. Engage Pearl Eze on twitter via @pearleze.

The Bakare men

PSN

Orji Kaul offers to take Buhari’s place and mediate with Boko Haram

A former Governor of Abia State, Orji Uzor Kalu, has offered to dialogue with Boko Haram on behalf of the Federal Government.
Mr. Kalu made the offer following a purported proposal by the sect requesting a former Head of State, Muhammadu Buhari, to dialogue with government on its behalf. Mr. Buhari has since declined the role.
In a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Emeka Obasi, Kalu said there was nothing wrong with the refusal of the offer by Buhari, adding that he was in a position to talk with the group for the return of peace to the country.
He said that having lived in the hotbed of Boko Haram activities, Maiduguri in Borno State and being a prominent South Easterner, which has been largely affected by the activities of the group, he was in a position to marry the feeling of the actors in the dialogue process.
Mr. Obasi quoted Kalu as saying: “General Buhari took a laudable step by opting out.
“For one who contested the 2011 presidential election, meeting with Boko Haram may be misconstrued because many believe that the group’s activities heightened after the emergence of President Goodluck Jonathan.”
Mr. Kalu, who is also the protem leader of the nascent socio-cultural organisation, Njiko Igbo, added: “Ndigbo have suffered enough.
“Their businesses have been destroyed, lives lost. Nigeria is their country. I do not see why they cannot walk freely from Maiduguri to Mubi, from Borno to Bauchi. I lived in Maiduguri. I still own properties there. I know the terrain.
“We can sit down and dialogue on the condition that the group will cease all bombing activities in Nigeria. In the interest of peace, I think government should accept the peace move. Previously, they were almost faceless. Now, there is a window for peace. It is always good to jaw-jaw than to war-war. Both Islam and Christianity preach peace.
“A situation where going to serve God becomes a walk into bloodbath does not help our spiritual lives. No family prays to lose four, five members to bombs in a war that seems to set one religion against the other.”
DailyPost

“Why I left my job at the bank to become Dangote’s truck driver” – PHD holder

Dangote

Henry Pender is a graduate of Political Science from the University of Ibadan. Pender graduated in 2000 and has worked as a banker, yet he is among the about 100 graduates undergoing training to become truck drivers; or rather logistics assistants. Pender is also the class governor of this first batch of trainees.
“After my service, I had the privilege of being retained at the Rivers State Primary Education Board where I did my primary assignment.
I was with them for about a year before I joined the All States Trust Bank, which is now defunct. I worked with them for three years before I joined the Ecobank, from there I moved to the Oceanic Bank before joining Ecobank again after the acquisition of Oceanic Bank by Ecobank.
“I had to leave the banking industry when I married my colleague, because the human resource policy then did not allow spouses to work in the same office. I felt that my wife should stay behind while I as a man would look around for something to do. It wasn’t easy, because the job was not forthcoming as I thought. I attended a couple of interviews at different places, but I didn’t get what I was looking for.
“When this opportunity of becoming truck driver with Dangote presented itself, I applied with open mind. I felt that this is an opportunity for a new beginning to move into a new paradigm that is not explored. We have just begun the journey in the Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology (NITT). I was pleasantly surprised when I came here to see people from different backgrounds and professions.
“We are all getting along very well. I am looking forward for an experience that would improve our larger society. Dangote has put something in place that would turn out to be a revolution in the transport industry in this country. I think this programme would eventually become a model that all organisations of international standard would adopt in no distance future.
“From personal point of view, I like driving. I have driven a lot since when I became a professional driver and I like travelling. But by coming here, I have been exposed to the academic side of driving. I feel that whatever I do as a graduate, there should be a level of expected difference from what a layman would do. I think the objective of employing graduates as drivers is for sanity to be restored on our highways. Most of us are victims of the recklessness of heavy truck drivers and this is what this initiative wants to address. We are being trained here to become complete gentlemen as drivers,” Pender said.
He explained that he has, essentially, decided to join the truck driving profession out of interest not for material reward.
“As at the time we had our interview, there was no mention of any material reward. It is now that we are hearing that after a successful driving for a certain period, or covering of certain mileage that one would own a truck or things like that. No such thing was mentioned; there was no mention of special incentives rather than we would be employed and paid salaries.
“What I would say lured me into joining the truck driving profession is the name Dangote that is known locally and internationally. I bet you that if it were some other companies that came up with this initiative, some of us may not be here but the mention of the name Dangote, one would know that there is quality; there is a personality behind it; there is international recognition; that is what lured most of us here beyond any other material gain.
“We only discovered the entrepreneurial incentive of this programme when we came here; when most of us have completed their registration. Being somebody who had the experience of the banking sector, I would quickly join Dangote, because I know I would have job security and we are enjoying ourselves here in the NITT as the pioneer batch of this training programme. I never knew there is an institute like the NITT in Nigeria. We are grateful to them for the knowledge they are impacting in us.
“I want to also use this medium to urge the youth of Nigeria to work hard. We have to make names for ourselves by working hard as it is not all of us who are children of the privileged, therefore we are here as part of our dignity of labour. I would rather stay here and do this work than apply for visa to go abroad and face all kinds of humiliation by washing toilets or driving taxi while I have a similar option here, which I would do with dignity and leave a good example for the upcoming ones,” Pender explained.
DailyPost