Peter Odili: How Jonathan Displaced Me as Yar’Adua’s Running Mate

Former governor of Rivers State, Dr. Peter Otunuya Odili, has now revealed the intrigues and power-plays that led to the emergence of the late Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar’Adua as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate.
Odili also explained how he was nominated as Yar’Adua’s running mate only to be dropped dramatically at the Convention venue in Abuja through a complex power game between then President Olusegun Obasanjo and former Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Chairman Nuhu Ribadu.
Odili’s revelations are contained in his new biography titled “Conscience and History: My Story,” a copy of which was made available to THISDAY at the weekend.
The former governor had moved from being a frontrunner in the 2007 presidential race to a sure bet as Yar’Adua’s running mate, but eventually emerged with nothing at the end of the day.
In the book, Odili narrated how Ribadu was deployed against him on what he considered spurious grounds, first to pave way for the emergence of Yar’Adua as PDP presidential candidate, and subsequently to knock him (Odili) off the ticket as running mate after which Dr. Goodluck Jonathan was drafted in.
Odili said in the book: “On 12th December, a spurious and anonymous petition was posted on the internet from a questionable ‘source’ alleging CORRUPT practices against the Rivers State Government under me. These allegations were contrived into a petition by the EFCC under Nuhu Ribadu’s hand, to the President  (Obasanjo) the same day.
“On the 13th of December 2006, Mr. President directed EFCC to investigate. On the 14th day of December, 2006, EFCC submitted a so-called ‘interim’ report to the then president who promptly minuted for my response on the same 14th December, 2006, but forwarded to me on 15/12/06, a day to the convention vide ref. PRES/44. I assembled what was left of my cabinet team, a few having been arrested and kept at the EFCC office in Lagos within these few days of urgent dramatic action.
“We submitted our response on the 15th day of December, 2006 by which time it had become clear what the whole exercise was about— ‘get Odili out of the race for the presidency at all cost’.”
He said: “Till date the innocent uninformed still make reference to that judicially nullified and voided report. This became lucidly clear with the instant release of my staff who were being detained in Lagos by the EFCC as soon as I voluntarily and wisely withdrew from the contest. There was jubilation at the EFCC office immediately news of my withdrawal broke and all my staff were asked to go home immediately. This was on the 15th of December.
“Then came the ‘D’ Day- 16th December, 2006-the date of the convention. I was invited for morning prayers with the president at the presidential villa and after the prayers I had a brief chat with the then president in his private study at the residence. He acknowledged my letter of withdrawal from the race and informed me of his intention to get Umaru Yar’Adua-the now expected winner of the upcoming primaries at the convention- to make me his running mate.”
The former governor spoke of the late President Yar’Adua’s readiness to work with him.
According to him: “I was persuaded to go and accompany Umaru to the convention venue. I had been informed earlier in the day that the news of my pairing with Umaru was in the air and that ‘some people’ were already ganging up to oppose the proposed pairing.
“It was, however, noteworthy that when I got to the Katsina State Lodge to join Umaru to proceed to the Eagle Square I met him downstairs in the company of some party leaders-Chief James Ibori, Chief Lucky Igbinedion, Dr Bukola Saraki, Alhaji Aliko Dnagote, Malam Nuhu Ribadu and Nasir el-Rufai.
“Their conversation stopped when I walked in but I read nothing sinister to the gathering or reaction to my entry. Umaru quickly took me upstairs and thanked me for coming and assured me of his happiness at the prospect of our working together.
“He called his wife Turai into the room and introduced us. We later proceeded to the Eagle Square together and were joined by other colleagues in waking round the square”.
He continued: “In the course of the night, I was invited to the VIP Guest Room at Eagle Square and was privileged to sight the typed copy of Umaru’s prepared acceptance speech. It was clearly stated that he had nominated Dr. Peter Odili as his running mate for the presidential race.
“This was at about midnight or so. In the course of the next few hours, information started reaching me that there was a strong pressure to drop me from the ticket.
“At about 3.30am or so, I was again invited to the VIP Guest room at Eagle Square and informed that there was a strong challenge to my being the running mate based on ‘some fresh information’ just received from Nuhu Ribadu, that would need to be sorted out later in the day.
“By the close of convention at dawn only 2 State Delegate Stands were still full-Katsina and Rivers- all others were empty or had one or two people left. The result was announced—Umaru was the winner and he promptly read a handwritten acceptance speech that excluded my name. He announced that further consultations were being made on the matter of his running mate.”
He said, however, that “By 4pm on Sunday 17th December, 2006 Dr. Jonathan was announced as the running mate to Umaru Yar’Adua. By Monday 18th December I congratulated Umaru and Jonathan and urged all my supporters nationwide and Rivers people to support the ticket. Odili was out of the race and the ticket.”
On why he was stopped from the race, Odili said he was later informed that Ribadu had told Obasanjo that some foreign missions in Abuja would not be happy to see him on the PDP ticket on the basis of the “EFCC interim report”.
In the book, the former governor also narrated how his anointed successor and current governor of the state, Mr. Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, was disqualified from the governorship race.
He talked about the bad blood that would later be generated between Amaechi and him.
Odili also detailed all his legal battles to clear his name from what he labeled “mere contrivances” by Obasanjo and Ribadu to justify what they did against him.
He said it was after “a very astonishing meeting at the Presidency over the matter of my successor as Governor of Rivers State that I instructed my legal team led by the Attorney-General Odein Ajumogobia, SAN, to commence action first at the State High Court and then at the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt, against EFCC.”

‘As I was Driving out of the Villa, Jonathan Was Driving in… Moments later, He Was Named Yar’Adua’s Running Mate’

Below are excerpts from the book “Conscience and History: My Story,” By Odili
With the failure of the constitutional amendments, which included tenure elongation, campaigns for the presidency in 2007 took off about the 3rd quarter of 2006 across the country. By October and November my campaign, led by Dr. Raymond Dokpesi, had penetrated every state in the Federation and it became obvious the Odili candidacy had attained national acceptance and had become a movement. Odili was seen as the frontrunner, the candidate to beat. Traditional rulers, emirs, tribal leaders, labour unions, stakeholders, etc had embraced and were favourably disposed to Odili. For some inexplicable reason, the plot to stop him, by some people, became pathologically ‘urgent’. The PDP convention for nomination of the presidential candidate was slated for 16th December, 2006.
The commissioning of the Omoku Power plant of 150 mega watts, and 120 km double circuit Transmission Line to Port Harcourt, by President Olusegun Obasanjo, took place on 5th December, 2006. This again was the biggest power plant designed, constructed, completed and functional by any state government, between 1999 and 2006, the second by Rivers State Government under Dr. Peter Odili. We were lauded very generously and extolled for the unprecedented feat.
Exactly one week later, 12th December, a spurious and anonymous petition was posted on the internet from a questionable ‘source’ alleging CORRUPT practices against the Rivers State Government under me. These allegations were contrived into a petition by the EFCC under Nuhu Ribadu’s hand, to the President the same day. On the 13th of December 2006, Mr. President directed EFCC to investigate.

EFCC’s Interim Report

On the 14th day of December, 2006, EFCC submitted a so-called “interim” report to the then president who promptly minuted for my response on the same 14th December, 2006, but forwarded to me on 15/12/06, a day to the convention vide ref. PRES/44. I assembled what was left of my cabinet team, a few having been arrested and kept at the EFCC office in Lagos within these few days of urgent dramatic action. We submitted our response on the 15th day of December, 2006 by which time it had become clear what the whole exercise was about—“get Odili out of the race for the presidency at all cost.”
For maximum mischievous damage this contrived so-called “interim report” was hurriedly uploaded into the internet, but when our response to the spurious allegations was submitted on the 15th of December 2006, it was not accorded the same treatment. Why, you may ask? Some sense of fair hearing isn’t it?
Till date the innocent uninformed still make reference to that judicially nullified and voided report. This became lucidly clear with the instant release of my staff who were being detained in Lagos by the EFCC as soon as I voluntarily and wisely withdrew from the contest. There was jubilation at the EFCC office immediately news of my withdrawal broke and all my staff were asked to go home immediately. This was on the 15th of December. Then came the ‘D’ Day- 16th December, 2006-the date of the convention.
I was invited for morning prayers with the president at the presidential villa and after the prayers I had a brief chat with the then president in his private study at the residence. He acknowledged my letter of withdrawal from the race and informed me of his intention to get Umaru Yar’Adua-the now expected winner of the upcoming primaries at the convention- to make me his running mate. I thanked him for his kind thoughts and assured him I bore no grudge or ill-will for the turn of events and that all through my campaigns I had ended my speeches on the note: “let God’s will be done”.
I left him on that note at about 7.30-8.00am. The convention was to start at 10am. As at 12.30pm the venue was literally empty, I was informed that most of the delegates who were in support of my candidacy were upset and unwilling to go to the venue. It took extra-effort and persuasion of my campaign organisation to get most of the delegates out to the Eagle Square. By 3pm the venue became fairly full.

Meeting Yar’Adua

I was persuaded to go and accompany Umaru to the venue. I had been informed earlier in the day that the news of my pairing with Umaru was in the air and that ‘some people’ were already ganging up to oppose the proposed pairing.
It was, however, noteworthy that when I got to the Katsina State Lodge to join Umaru to proceed to the Eagle Square I met him downstairs in the company of some party leaders-Chief James Ibori, Chief Lucky Igbinedion, Dr Bukola Saraki, Alhaji Aliko Dnagote, Malam Nuhu Ribadu and Nasir el-Rufai. Their conversation stopped when I walked in but I read nothing sinister to the gathering or reaction to my entry. Umaru quickly took me upstairs and thanked me for coming and assured me of his happiness at the prospect of our working together. He called his wife Turai into the room and introduced us. We later proceeded to the Eagle Square together and were joined by other colleagues in waking round the square.
Convention started after the arrival of all dignatories and convention events proceeded peacefully. In the course of the night, I was invited to the VIP Guest Room at Eagle Square and was privileged to sight the typed copy of Umaru’s prepared acceptance speech. It was clearly stated that he had nominated Dr. Peter Odili as his running mate for the presidential race. This was at about midnight or so. In the course of the next few hours, information started reaching me that there was a strong pressure to drop me from the ticket. Since I did not lobby for it, I wasn’t bothered-I remained with my state delegates.
At about 3.30am or so, I was again invited to the VIP Guest room at Eagle Square and informed that there was a strong challenge to my being the running mate based on ‘some fresh information’ just received from Nuhu Ribadu, that would need to be sorted out later in the day. I took the information in my stride and went back to the Rivers’ Delegate Stand and didn’t say a word about it to anyone.
By the close of convention at dawn only 2 State Delegate Stands were still full-Katsina and Rivers- all others were empty or had one or two people left. The result was announced—Umaru was the winner and he promptly read a handwritten acceptance speech that excluded my name. He announced that further consultations were being made on the matter of his running mate. End of story! The plot had worked. This confirms what Russel Wayne Baker, an American Columnist, said in 1935 in ‘The Sayings of Par Russel’:
“The dirty work of Political Conventions is almost always done in the grim hours between midnight and dawn. Hangmen and politicians work best when the human spirit is at its lowest ebb.”

Announcement of Jonathan

By 4pm on Sunday 17th December, 2006 Dr Jonathan was announced as the running mate to Umaru Yar’Adua. By Monday 18th December I congratulated Umaru and Jonathan and urged all my supporters nationwide and Rivers people to support the ticket. Odili was out of the race and the ticket.
At the general election in April 2007, Rivers State under my leadership returned the highest votes in the country for Yar’Adua/Jonathan ticket for the presidency. But ‘how did water enter the mellon’? Let’s try and find out. So many conspiracy theories emerged in the days and months that followed. Since nothing is hidden under the sun someday God will reveal the truth.
What was the genesis of the fight against the possibility of an Odili presidency? Who was threatened by that possibility and why? Whose decision and when was it made to stop Odili by all means possible? Who was the fulcrum of the execution of that decision? How come that for 71/2 years nothing was raised by the EFCC or any relevant agency against Odili’s government in Rivers State and suddenly on the ‘eve’ of the PDP presidential primaries all conceivable vile allegations were unleashed? When did we Nigerians acquire such meteoric and forensic expertise and competence to produce a report within 36 hours of instruction to investigate? Just in time for the date line-December 16th 2006. These are questions yawning for answers. God’s time will tell.
On Sunday the 17th of December 2006 at about 3pm I was invited to the Villa to see the president. When I got there I met him sitting in his private study at the Residence with Chief Tony Anenih then Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the party, Dr. Ahmadu Ali then chairman of the party, the late Yar’Adua then flag-bearer of the party and Chief Bode George then Deputy National Chairman of the party. It was there and then I was informed that Nuhu Ribadu had informed the president that some ‘Foreign Missions’ in Abuja would not be happy to see me on the PDP ticket on the basis of the “EFCC Interim Report” which had been circulated to them. I was now formally told that I have been taken off the ticket.

EFCC Chapter

I thanked them, congratulated Yar’Adua, wished him well, assured him of my support and then said to President Obasanjo to please now close the EFCC chapter since it was clear the aim had been achieved. He in no uncertain terms assured me that he would ensure that was done. On that note, I left the villa. As I was driving out of the Villa gate ‘then Governor’ Goodluck Jonathan was driving in at about 3.40pm December 17th 2006. A few moments later the announcement of Goodluck Jonathan as the running mate to Yar’Adua hit the airwaves. Mission accomplished, I got back to Port Harcourt at about mid-day Monday the 18th December, 2006 and addressed the press urging and declaring support for the Yar’Adua/Jonathan ticket.
At the new year 1st January, 2007 banquet at the new Government House Port Harcourt, I assured the public that the (false) and contrived allegations maliciously made against me and my administration were untrue and that ‘we shall be vindicated in due course’. This statement appeared not to have been kindly received in some quarters because a few days into the New Year, January 2007, I was informed that EFCC operatives had invited some of my officials to Lagos for interrogation. I allowed them to go, to show that we had nothing to hide. I promptly informed the Presidency of the development and was assured that the unnecessary harassment would be stopped.
The EFCC menace, rather than cease, increased with the seizure of documents from some ministries by EFC carting them away to their offices. I again lifted no finger to stop them, just to show that we were not afraid of anything. I however decided to go and speak to the president in Abuja.
In my presence, Nuhu Ribadu was supposedly called on phone and instructed to stop the contrived operation in Rivers State. The president again reassured me and I went back to Port Harcourt. A few days later more stories of EFCC rampage in my ministries got to me. I once more made contact with the president and expressed my displeasure and dissatisfaction with this matter. I was again assured by him that nothing would happen. By this time I was beginning to smell something sinister.
I thought through the entire saga from December 12th 2006 to about the end of January, 2007. I decided it was time to take care of the developing situation. I got my legal team together and we looked at the whole picture. It became clear that having concocted and contrived a spurious petition, produced a pre-determined and malicious report, achieved the goal it was meant for and now, afraid of the possible repercussions of an evil agenda, it was now imperative for the plotters to find a way to justify their action by finding ‘something’ against Odili. Logical. The only thing to do was to work backwards from the already-predetermined and executed end to find ‘something’. Common sense. I was ‘frightened’ by the sudden realization that human beings could be this perfidious and evil. I prayed over the situation with my family and, with that, set my legal team to work. I decided to legally fight back invoking the principle of ‘self preservation’.
Within a few days our papers were ready for various judicial battles. Out of a sense of patriotic commitment to a government I was considered a friend of, in the public eye, I told my legal team to stay action. It was after a very astonishing meeting at the Presidency over the matter of my successor as Governor of Rivers State that I instructed my legal team led by the Attorney-General Odein Ajumogobia, SAN, to commence action first at the State High Court and then at the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt, against EFCC.
 DailyPost

4 Christian Governors in the North, 2 out of Office; are These Crashes Truly Accidental?

The three surviving Christian governors (although alive, Suntai is temporarily out of office after surviving a plane crash)

There are already a number of conspiracy theories that have evolved as a result of the recent plane crash that took the life of the governor of Kaduna State, Patrick Yakowa. However, one of these theories seems to stand out, especially when certain events preceding and following the death of Yakowa are put into consideration.
Sir Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa was the first Christian governor in Kaduna State under a political dispensation. And, of course, the crash that took his life is occurring less than two months after another crash almost took the life of another Christian governor from the North – Governor Danbaba Suntai of Taraba State.
Just like in the case of Yakowa, some people were said to have celebrated the near fatal crash, because Suntai’s deputy, a Muslim, would now become acting governor. Interestingly, this new acting governor of Taraba was sworn-in as deputy governor just two weeks after Suntai’s former deputy – also a Christian – was removed from office.
In the meantime Suntai is temporarily out of power as he recuperates. It is hoped that he will indeed survive the ordeal to tell his own part of the story – if they let him. However, Governor Gabriel Suswan of Benue State has recently cried out that there was a plot to kill him by the terror group, Boko Haram. Suswan clearly stated it was part of a plot to eliminate Christians from being governors in the North.
Speaking to a congregation of NKSTA Church in Makurdi, Suswan said, “Going by security reports available to me, I may be attacked any day, anywhere, anytime and this is the reason I call on you Christians to pray for me and my family.”
The fourth (and last) Christian governor in the North is none other than Governor Jang of Plateau State. Clearly detested and accused by Northern Muslims as a hater of Hausa/Fulani, his Berom people have been under constant attack by alleged Fulani gunmen, and he himself has severally alleged that his life was under threat.
Jang has been accused by Muslims in the state of genocide and for excluding them from power, a charge he and his followers strongly deny, accusing Muslims in the state of instigating violence on the Jos plateau.
InformationNigeria

Speculations rife as Army retires generals, others

by Akan Ido
The Nigerian Army have retired several senior officials in its service.
According to reports, the purge affected mostly general, colonels, and some middle-level officers.
The Army Council had on Tuesday approved the promotion of as many as 150 senior officers.
The retirement was confirmed by the Director of Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Koleosho.
He said the shake-up was to be expected since there has been a corresponding promotion of officers.
According to him, “It is true; it is a routine exercise. It happens everywhere and the Nigerian Army is not an exception.
“As you are promoting, you are also retiring, it is routine. It is normal for some people to go home at the end of the year.
“Retirement, recruitment and posting are regular features in the Army.”
Efforts made to get the list and number of officers that were retired yielded to fruit. There are speculation that the list of retired officers were not made public due to the tendency of the public to read religious and ethnic meaning to the exercise.
It was further speculated that the exercise might have affected top officers of the military who were asked to step aside for the ongoing investigation into the twin bomb blast that rocked the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji in  November.
YNaija

General, Mr. Obasanjo as enemy of the open society, By Adeolu Ademoyo

Adeolu Ademoyo: General Obasanjo can logically be said to be an enemy of the open society in Nigeria, in West Africa and in Africa generally

Recently, in Ghana, General Obasanjo refreshed his a-social vision. It is an unethical vision for a closed society. He gave us something to chew, but nothing to cheer-rather Obasanjo chilled us completely.   This is the Obasanjo story.

General Mr. Obasanjo was at the head of the ECOWAS monitoring team in the recent Ghanaian election. First, when he was addressed as General (which he is) and asked if he was a dictator, he said in Nigeria his enemies and opponents call him General, while he sees himself as a Chief or perhaps simply Mr. Unknown to him, he seemed to be saying that while he thought he had accepted democratic ethics, the Nigerian society thought otherwise. By addressing him by his first calling-“General” and the ethics that implies for Obasanjo’s politics, the society is telling him he is still steeped in military command and obey ethics.

General Obasanjo has the capacity of saying the truth and at the same time trivializing it for effect. He is the master dissembler. He knows it is true that he has not accepted democratic ethics and therefore he is a consistent opponent of the open society. Yet he wants to trivialize it by dissembling that truth.

I recall a chance meeting a friend of mine had with him during the defense by Nigerian people of the   June 12 1993 elections won by Mr. Moshood Abiola. One of Nigeria’s weekly news magazines, TheNews, had just exposed how the sitting military Generals under the then head of state General Ibrahim Babangida, aborted the June 12 elections, and, my friend had this chance meeting with General Mr. Obasanjo in Kaduna, Northern Nigeria. The detail exposure in the democratic press jolted the military conspirators against June 12. It exposed the long night of the long knives against June 12 by the military conspirators.  On sighting my friend, Mr. Obasanjo (he must have forgotten) said “eh you again, you people, you just hit, hit hit gbam gbam, you do not know that you have to do it little by little, and guide the bull in the China shop away …”

 In public, Mr. Obasanjo had given the impression of being an unwavering “democrat”. But here he was chastising the media-through my colleague – for the media’s direct challenge (through the detail press exposure of their betrayal) to the conspirators, the negators of June 12.  Perhaps “doing it little by little” was to allow the  “authority”-IBB, the Generals and their co-conspirators- “supervise” a democratic process and eventually to ambush and negate it, as they eventually did with Mr. Abiola’s June 12 1993  democratic and electoral mandate.

 So, General Obasanjo’s Ghanaian declaration against the open society has antecedents. Perhaps he was saying then in 1993 during the defense of the June 12 mandate by the media and the people that Nigerian people and the media have “right” to information but not freedom.   My friend, who directly bore the grunt and  brunt of General Obasanjo’s salvo against democracy,  is still very active in the public square. He is a living witness to this story.

The media exposure of the military conspirators against June 12 as a component of the Nigerian peoples’ resistance was what General Mr. Obasanjo wanted us to do “little by little”. That story   was one of the   fore parents and what triggered what came later to be known as the underground press in Nigeria–one of the major tools of Nigerian working people in their resistance of Generals Ibrahim Babangida and Abacha’s military dictatorships and defense of June 12, 1993 democratic mandate.

Thus, in the aftermath of the Ghanaian election, Mr. Obasanjo asserted that he believed in the right to information and not freedom of information. He  re-echoed what he did  in the  June 12,1993  democratic process in Nigeria and his covert unethical role in that process when he said “M.K.O Abiola was not the messiah Nigerians were  looking for.” Those are General Obasanjo’s words. General Obasanjo forgot that election is about people’s freedom, it is not about a military General’s definition of a messiah for the people.  In other words, General Obasanjo is suggesting that there has to be a “guardian” of democracy and he sees himself as the military guardian of our democracy.  Unfortunately, he is not, he cannot be, he does not possess  democratic credentials, he has never shown them.  Therefore, he cannot be a guardian  of democracy for by his words and actions  he is an opponent of the open society.

 So when on the basis of his untenable distinction between “right” to information and freedom of information, he concluded that the result of the Ghanaian election ought not be directly relayed by journalists but that journalists should rely on the official announcement from the electoral body, General Obasanjo’s  connected himself  back to his  tale of “doing it little by little” which was an immoral frame for the  termination and burial of  the 1993 June 12 election  in Nigeria by the military dictatorship, and their supporters  like himself.

“Doing it little by little” simply means “Do Not tell the truth, truth scares, let us guide and gag the truth, let us water it down a bit until it becomes useless.” With this, one understands why all the elections Mr. Obasanjo had supervised or involved in from the infamous twelve two third in 1979 when he said about Mr. Obafemi Awolowo’s candidacy in the election, and I quote “the best candidate needs not win”, and his own election and re-election -all these “elections” can reasonably be declared moral fraud against our freedom. This is based on Obasanjo’s “thesis” of “doing it little by little” sacrifice of merit for personal undemocratic causes framed in terms of  “best candidate needs not win”, and his Ghanaian empirical frame of subordinating freedom of information to “right” of information.

By the singular act of drawing a morally questionable distinction between “right” (which can be suspended) to information and freedom(which define our humanity and therefore cannot be suspended) of information, General Obasanjo declared himself an enemy of the open society. As Wole Soyinka correctly argued, “freedom is the first condition of humanity.” In other words, contrary to General Obasanjo, and in view of Soyinka, freedom co-exists with and is inseparable from humanity. So to take one’s freedom away by subordinating it to a tenuous “right” that is waiting to be determined and “guaranteed” (and therefore can be withdrawn by the fiat of a dictator-whether military or “civilianized”) is to negate one’s humanity, it is to take one’s humanity away.

This is a straightforward reasoning which a military politician like General Obasanjo will never accept.  This is evident in 1979 when he openly worked against Awolowo when he, General Obasanjo, saying the best candidate (in other words General Obasanjo thought and knew that Awolowo was the best candidate for Nigeria in the 1979 elections but that he would work against him) for the presidential election needed not win and in the June 12 1993 elections when he said ‘Abiola is not the messiah we are looking for” and hence covertly and by deliberate act of omission worked against the June 12 1993 democratic mandate freely given by Nigerians. It was that mindset that he took into the 2012 Ghanaian presidential elections when he argued against freedom of information in favor of a vague, woolly and ill-defined “right” of information. General Obasanjo can logically be said to be an enemy of the open society in  Nigeria, in West Africa and in Africa generally.

But the social and political credentials of Nigeria’s democracy are richer and more profound and they are qualitatively different and  beyond General Obasanjo. Those credentials are products of the works of Nigerian working people. Thus General Obasanjo is not the face of Nigerian democracy and his democratic credentials are not morally worthy to be treated as such by the international community.

In our next presidential elections, contrary to General Obasanjo’s military democracy of “doing little by little” Nigerians must go against General Obasanjo and the press must report the results of the elections as they are announced directly from the polling booths as it is done in civilized societies.  This is the way to build a respectable Nigerian democracy. This is the honourable path. It is the ethical path.

PremiumTimes

‘Marriage doesn’t need sex… and marriages don’t need it to survive’ – Dame advises

inShare1

No sex please, we’re married! Helen Mirren has said sex is over-rated and marriages don’t need it to survive

She has made her name as one of Britain sexiest – and most talented – actresses.
But Dame Helen Mirren believes sex is overrated, at least when it comes to marriage.
The 67-year-old claims it is possible to be married, in love, and yet have no sex at all.
‘I don’t know why people have this idea that all marriages have to have sex because really, they don’t,’ she says in an interview.
This declaration comes from the woman who has oozed sex in movies and on TV – and who has even posed topless for a photoshoot in her 60s, reclining in a bath to promote her 2010 movie Love Ranch, about a married couple who open the first legal brothel in Nevada, USA.
At the time, she said she loved the idea of shocking people and she has done that in her latest interview with the Australian Women’s Weekly.
Sex? It’s not necessary in marriage, she makes clear.
‘There are other types of glue that hold people together.’
Dame Helen has been married since 1997 to American director Taylor Hackford.
The magazine claimed she was not speaking about her marriage but of the 54-year union between Alfred Hitchcock and his wife, Alma.
Dame Helen plays Alma in the upcoming film, Hitchcock, which suggests that the master of suspense and his wife were no longer intimate because they slept in single beds.
There are indications in the movie that Alma, who is nearing 60 in the film, still wants Hitchcock to desire her – and Dame Helen tells the Australian magazine that she completely understands how Alma feels.
‘Of course, she’s his wife, she wants him to think, or to say, “Oh, look at you you look so chic!”.
‘It’s not “get your knickers down, darling”, but all women – or many women – want to be told they look nice.’

Loving: Helen Mirren and husband Taylor Hackford have been married since 1997

Dame Helen shows her amusement at suggestions people – and the headlines – describe her as ‘red hot’ or as a ‘sex pot’, rather than just ‘looking nice’.
The Australian magazine points out she has only herself to blame for the sexy headlines because just three years ago, at the age of 64, she startled photographers by emerging from the sea in Italy in a red bikini.
Then, two years ago, she posed naked, apart from a string of pearls, for New York magazine. And she stripped for Esquire, draped in just the Union Flag, in the lead up to the London Olympics.

‘There are other types of glue that hold people together’: Helen said she wasn’t talking about her own marriage but that of Alfred Hitchcock and his wife Alma

Not to forget that topless bath picture.
Dame Helen, says the Australian Women’s Weekly, is tickled by the idea that she’s somehow doing something remarkable by being an object of sexual fascination well into her seventh decade.
‘I do feel insecure sometimes, just like everybody else,’ she said.
‘It’s ridiculous…we’re all worrying about (how we look) and it really is a bloody waste of time.’
YNaija

Cement importation and threat to job creation

 by Idris Ahmed  

Since the beginning of this administration, government officials have been hammering on the need to patronise made in Nigerian products.

The argument is that when Nigerians buy goods that are manufactured locally, it will encourage entrepreneurship and local investors will invest more in the economy and this will in turn lead to job creation and reduction in the rate of unemployment.

To encourage this, government has come up with policies aimed at discouraging the importation of certain commodities that are produced in the country. But this policy seems not to be working as commodities such as cement are still been imported into the country, despite the availability of indigenous cement factories in the country.

Such importation, analysts say, is capable of discouraging local investors in the sector.

Local cement manufacturing firms in the country have the capacity to produce 28 tonnes.

Local firms, include Dangote Cement, which accounts for 19.25 million tonnes out of the country’s annual cement need of about 20 million; BUA Cement which produces 2.5 tonnes at its plant in Edo; Cement Company of Northern Nigeria in Sokoto, 2 million tonnes and; LaFarge Wapco which contributes 8.3 tonnes to the cement needs of the country.

Nigeria’s per capita consumption of cement ranks below Senegal’s which is the 23rd largest economy in Africa. The country is also behind Egypt, which consumes 48 million tons of cement in 2011 compared to the 18 million tons consumed by Nigeria during the period.

The above statistics probably explains Nigeria’s parlous state of infrastructure.

Nigeria has an estimated housing deficit of 16 million units. Its roads network, which requires some quantity of cement to build, is very minimal compared to its landmass and population.

The rail system is even worst. Nigeria’s rulers have only added a few kilometres of rail to what the colonial masters bequeathed some 52 years ago.

Recently, the management of Dangote Cement Plc said it was closing its four million metric tons of cement per annum line in its Gboko Plant, Benue State, because of glut in the cement market, which it said was caused by importation of the commodity.

The Group Head, Corporate Communication, Dangote Group, Anthony Chiejina, said the move was necessitated by the glut in the market arising from the success “presently being recorded with the exponential increase in local production of cement and further compounded by continued importation of subsidized cement into the country.”

He said the production figure for the first 11 months of the year shows increased local production level with supply now surpassing demand. Total supply of cement to the market at the end of November, according to him, when compared to the same period last year, has shown a record increase of 11.4 per cent - the highest ever.

He said it was therefore disheartening to note that despite the glut in the local cement market, some cement importation, though reduced, have continued, thus calling to question the rigorous implementation of the backward integration policy, introduced to encourage local production.

Giving reason for the choice of BCC for a temporary shutdown, the Dangote Group image maker noted that, “with the dumping of subsidized imported cement in the South Eastern market, there is no way our Gboko Cement plant can survive. In fact, staff have been put on forced leave pending when the situation improves.”

The plant employs about 1,000 staff and the laying down of this huge number could have serious negative effect on the unemployment rate in the country which is said to be in millions.

In Nigeria, every worker has about five numbers of people depending on him or her.

The spokesperson of Dangote Group also said: “Inventory of finished products is beginning to build up at our plants. Don’t forget that projects from our investments of about N280 billion in additional capacity are already on stream, with lines 3 and 4 at Ibese and line 4 at Obajana, coming on stream early this year.”

Chiejina said other manufacturers are also experiencing the same problem of low sale and high inventory and called for urgent solution to the ugly development

Besides, he advised that government should vigorously implement the provisions of the cement backward integration policy that are needed to protect local manufacturers from dumping.

According to him, one potent solution is for government to consider the total ban on importation of cement in view of the fact that local production now surpasses demand for cement and in the interim also increase duty and levy on imported cement to the maximum level.

If the backward integration policy is to succeed fully, Chiejina said government should help increase demand for cement by encouraging the use of concrete roads because concrete roads are more durable and much more longer lasting. Concrete roads, he further said, will save substantial outflow of foreign exchange, while reducing imports of asphalt.

He said: “Nigerians should be proud of what the cement sector has done by making the country self-sufficient and, our Ibese plant is ready to start exporting as soon as we receive ECOWAS permit to hit the ground running”

Speaking on the development, a renowned financial expert, Bismark Rewane, who is the Chief Executive of Financial Derivatives, expressed worry that government was yet to stop importation of cement despite the increased local production.

He expressed concern over the situation in the cement industry and urged for concerted efforts to save the local manufacturers.

Dangote Group alone has caused the employment of over a hundred thousand in direct and indirect labour. Hence the suspension of operation of such a key sector should disturb a serious government.

At the ground breaking ceremony of Line Four of Dangote Cement in Obajana, Kogi State, recently, President Goodluck Jonathan said, “Dangote will soon enter the Guinness Book of Records as the biggest cement manufacturing company and be recognised in Nigeria as a net exporter of cement just like crude oil.”

Dangote Group has invested over $6.5 billion in cement plants and plans to invest for another 17 million tonnes by the outgoing year. The company needs all the encouragement to do more by discouraging importation.

DailyTrust

Between politicians and political pastors

by Dr. Lewis Akpogena

What really happens when religion and politics mix? When you see Christians jumping on the political bandwagon, you may feel weary.

You wonder if Christians should spend time on politics or maybe you are glad that Christians are showing concern for society and getting involved. You may feel you should be involved. But you wonder if politically involved Christians are being naïve or simplistic.

You may doubt whether or not you should vote for a candidate just because he claims to be a Christian. You wonder if Christians are right to act as a pressure group in government. And you wonder, is there a truly biblical approach to political involvement? According to First Timothy 2:1-4, the first ministry and outreach of believers meeting together in regular fellowship is prayer.

The first specific topic for prayer is the government. We are to pray for good government. God desires all men to have the truth of the gospel preached to them. Good government facilitates the preaching of the gospel while bad government hinders it. Therefore good government is the will of God.

The place of Christians praying to enthrone and sustain righteous leadership cannot be overemphasized. Over the years and in history, Christian’s prayers had enthroned and sustained righteous leadership and liberate citizenry from bad leadership in some cases. This importance of praying for good government is stressed by Derek Prince in his book “Shaping history through prayer and fasting”.

Said he, “The truth is that Christians are not held responsible to criticize their government, but they are held responsible to pray for it. So long as they fail to pray, Christian has no right to criticize ….

This applies with double force to Christians in such a democracy who, in addition to the normal political machinery, have also available to them the God-given power of prayer by which to bring about the changes which they believe desirable, either in the personnel or in the policy of the government”.

Kenya, Great Britain and United States of America had experienced the power of praying Christians to bring changes in government and affairs of mankind in society. In Rivers State years back, Bishop Elkannah Hanson led praying team to enthrone and sustain the government of Chief Rufus Ada George.

In 1998/99, Rivers State Christian Elders Forum initiated by Rev. Mosy Madugba and headed by Elder Sam Mbata with me as the Publicity Coordinator in concert with the Military Administrator, Group Captain Sam Ewang by prayers brought about the government of Dr. Peter Odili.

In 2003, it was all comers’ affairs Christians and different religious groups were falling over to be noticed as praying for the re-election of Dr. Peter Odili to the extent that it caused division among Christian’s groups. Prior to the emergence of Sir Celestine Omehia as governor and thereafter, the problem is not lack of praying Christians but the extent it has degenerated. That prayer has been politicised by Christians as well as politicians politicking with it.

 Why politicisation of prayers? “For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery, they deceive the minds of naïve people” (Rom. 16:18) By reason of selfish interest, intrigues and self-seeking on the part of some Christian leaders who initiate move or form groups to pray for politicians and attempt by some politicians who have seen how Christian prayers had played dominant role in enthroning past governments began to recruit pastors, prophets and praying groups to out do one another in support of their candidacy.

To the extent that some Christian leaders collects money from politicians to pray for their success at the poll.

Bickering in Pentecostal circle today is as a result of this unwholesome practice. Derek Prince related this incident in his book of a young man named Wilson Mamboleo of the vision he saw and spoke about the intervention of God on behalf of Kenya came through a group of Christians who united together to pray, in accordance with scripture for the government and the destiny of their nation. “Only the supernatural power of the prayer of my people can turn away the troubles that are coming upon Kenya” Is there not good reason to believe that these words apply first as much to our country and Rivers State in particular?

In this era of political instability and cult/militant violence in Niger Delta, there is also proliferation of praying groups. Its like every politician or elected government officer takes pleasure to raise such group. And many Christian leaders are mobilising prayer support groups for politicians and governments.

But the motive and the practice is in using this prayer groups to curry favour and seek attention of politicians and government. The abuse is that these prayer groups have politicised prayers that it is more of publicity and praise singing of government and politicians in the media than agonising in prayer for violent free state and prosperity of our people.

Priests, Pastors and prophets helped ministers to enthrone rulers in the Bible but were never running around rulers/government officers for attention. If Christian leaders conduct themselves very well these politicians and rulers would seek for our counsel and prayers to rule well without unduly advertising ourselves to them. We should not lower the dignity of our calling and offices because we need government help to do ministry work.

Yes, I initiated Rivers State Concerned Ministers Association now Concerned Gospel Ministers’ Association.

It is patterned after defunct Rivers State Christian Elders Forum. It is not seeking for recognition. We do our praying. When politicians and government officials need our counsel on issues we give. We in Concerned Gospel Ministers’ Association have not received financial assistance from politicians or government. Jesus in Matt. 6:1-18 places main emphasis upon the motive, and warns against religious ostentation for the sake of impressing men.

Crises in Pentecostal circle is because some of our leaders for ego and conflict of interest ran around political office seekers to mortgage our collective heritage and interest to collect money from political office seekers secretly with intent to mobilize the votes of Christians to support those their business politicians partners that occasioned our division and crises.  Must we continue this way?

 To free Rivers State from present political upheaval and violence, for the Lord to do a powerful work of revival in Rivers State and Nigeria at large, believers need to rediscover Jesus’ heartbeat as expressed in His “High priestly” prayer of John 17. In a word, we need to work together as the brothers in the Lord that we are. “Believers plagued by disunity and dissension are disqualified from God’s blessing, while unity and cooperation among true members of God’s family invites His spirit to accomplish mighty things” (Dr. Joe Aldrich).

We don’t need to engage in press war nor use the force of police or court to bring peace, stability or justice to our land. Let all those mushroom prayer groups, the priests, the ministers, and  elders (Joel 2:15-17)  come together, leave politicians out of it and agonise in prayer for Rivers State, whatever evil plans by selfish politicians, cultists and militants will stop and peace will reign in the state.

How that government will affect Christians depends upon the attitude and conduct of the Christians. Christians get the kind of government they deserve. For the politicians and those in government who thinks that raising prayer groups and getting pastors to pray for them with money, what God requires in those who rule is “He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God” (2 Sam. 23:2-4). Even devils and unbelievers pray.

God does not promise blessing to a government upon the condition that it carries a particular party label. God promises blessing to a government whose officials fulfill two great basic moral requirements. He demands that they be “just” and “God fearing”. When politicians induce cultism and militancy in our polity and call on men of God/churches to pray, God shall not answer such prayers.

But just and God fearing leaders who honour the priesthood and genuinely call for the prayers of Christian believers, God will answer. Politicians and government officials must stop politicising prayers. Christians must stop politicking with prayers.

“The ministry of preaching is open to a few. The ministry of praying is open to every child of God. Don’t mistake action for unction, commotion for creation, and rattles for revivals. The secret of praying is praying in secret. A worldly Christian will stop praying and a praying Christian will stop worldliness. When we pray, God listens to our heartbeat.

Hannah’s “lips” moved, but her voice was not heard (1 Sam. 1:12-13). When we pray in the Spirit, there is groaning which cannot be uttered (Rom. 8:26)” (Battle cry for the Nations). Let us stop political prayers of seeing ministers/pastors all over government house and function seeking for recognition and asking to lead prayers.

Let us stop advertising our prayers. Destiny and nation changing prayers are not advertised. They are not paid for by publicity or money but by secret tears, mourning and fasting in our closet.

Believer’s prayers are precious and costly. It should not be advertised or sold or induced by politicians offering money to get you to pray. We must pray to stop the violence but we should stop politicizing and politicking with prayers of God’s people.

NigerianCompass