WELCOME TO MY PAGE.

By Eddy Ogunbor.

Welcome my friends to my page Edwinogunbor on Facebook.

Thank you all for your response to inviting you to “like” my Page. I will like to use this medium to appreciate all for your encouragement and support for my blog since it was set up and identifying with me in my quest to disseminate information and educate Nigerians at home and in diaspora on the internet on issues affecting our beloved country.

Education and information, as we all know are powerful instruments and weapons at our disposal to fight for our constitutional rights and demand for same as lawful citizens.

Information that hitherto, I have posted on my blog and facebook, to some individuals, may seem partisan but, I do this against the background of my genuine conviction and concern for our fatherland, Nigeria. My basic conviction is that, Nigeria of our DREAMS as conceptualised by our founding fathers is not the Nigeria we see today. The Nigeria of our DREAMS, while we were growing up in the 50’s and up to the early 60’s and we were in schools is not the Nigeria we see today!! We had DREAMS just as our founding fathers had, that Nigeria will lead Africa; that Nigeria will lead the African Continent against the Continents of Europe, America, Asia and the Oceania. But what do we have now in Nigeria?

A country where “it is very fashionable to loot the treasury; a country where it is very fashionable to be corrupt........” (Hajia Rabi Ibrahim) and worst of all, a country where impunity reigns supreme!! Therefore, it is my genuine conviction and opinion that the level of corruption in our country, Nigeria as it stares at us in our faces, is shameful, embarrassing and should be unequivocally condemned. We are where we are now because the ruling Party, PDP, since 1999, when the administration of General Abdusalami Abubakar returned the country to a democracy, has failed woefully and with every passing single day, leading the country down the drain, such that we have become an embarrassment amongst nations.

Consequently in the year 2007, I decided on taking part in active politics and took my place with the then  largest opposition party, ANPP to make my voice heard, keep the ruling party in check and possibly effect a CHANGE in government as obtains in a decent democracy. I must confess that it has been a tough and long drawn task. I am often asked the question: why the opposition party and not the ruling party to canvass and express your opinion and effect the desired CHANGE from within? My answer to that is – I worked closely with the ruling party as a top management employee at the state and national level; most of the ruling party members at top levels, especially at the state , are my friends, therefore, I know the internal working mechanism of their party and this informed my choice of the opposition party.

The most obvious and obscene factors in the ruling party are the the factors of godfatherism and allegiance to the beliefs/practise of the godfathers. Added to that are the sycophantic and praise worship/singing syndrome in the party. In my opinion, I could never function properly in such an environment if I have to freely express my considered opinions.

In the year 2010, circumstance decided that some of us had to reject the ANPP and moved with our very valuable and upright leader, General Muhammadu Buhari to form the now defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) for obvious reasons. The rest as it is said, though not at an end yet, is history. I will explain this in due course. I must confess that the CPC gave me the unsolicited opportunity to express my views/opinions at the party national level. The party afforded me the opportunity to serve at top level and sensitive committees and sub-committees, as either Chairman or Member of same. I dare say that the ruling party would not have given me such opportunities to serve or express my views/opinions even at the Ward levels!!! I am grateful to the national leadership of the defunct CPC at both state and national levels for the opportunities which exposed me to the inner workings of a political party and the ever changing game plans in politics combining those with the normal “horse trading” and lobbying of politicians to support your opinions, however, with superior arguments.

The Leader of our Party, respected General Muhammadu Buhari (who I will refer to subsequently as GMB), a man of integrity, the anti-corruption crusader, a man mostly misunderstood and unduely persecuted by most gullible Nigerians, a General’s General, the peoples General, the defender of the downtrodden in the society and the “talakawas" of northern Nigeria, a man the powerful northern elites and corrupt Nigerians love to hate and the only man standing shoulder and head above most of his peers and people of his generation, made all my achievements possible in politics from 2011 to 2013, when GMB and Bola Ahmed Tinubu (BAT) midwifed and conceptualised the idea of a merger of CPC and ACN opposition parties. The ANPP and a faction of APGA led by Rochas Okorocha joined the merger process as what is refered to now as the LEGACY PARTIES, leading to the birth and registration of the ALL PROGRESSIVE CONGRESS (APC).

With pride also, I inform you that I was drafted to serve as a Member of the CPC Mid-Term National Convention Committee 2013, (under the Chairmanship of my good friend, Dr. Mohammed Hassan Lawal) and Chairman, Sub-committee, Protocol and Publicty of same Committee to wind down CPC and formally declare the party’s intention to join other legacy parties to form the APC

                                                                                                                                                            After conclusion of the merger process, the break away faction of the ruling PDP, the nPDP led by Kawu Baraje, championed by the G5 Governors joined the APC. Obviously, there were various teething problems that trailed the movement of the G5 Governors and their supporters into APC. The leadership of APC and Interim Management Committee (IMC) led by Bisi Akande, a man from the older generation, a father figure, a very patient and tolerant Chairman that I came to respect post merger process (the reason I will explain in due course) set up a national APC Peace and Reconciliation Committee to resolve issues that arose due the G5 Governors entrance into APC. The Committee had composition as follows:-                                                                                                            

  Chief John Odigie-Oyegun  (fmr Governor Edo State)         Chairman.
Members are:                                                                                                                                    Senator George Akume (fmr Governor Benue State & present APC Senate Leader),                              Alh. Belo Aminu Masari  (fmr Speaker House of Representative),                                                            H.E Abdulazeez Yari  (Governor Zamfara State),                                                                                    Alh. Kawu Baraje (Leader nPDP),
 Alh. Yusuf Ali (fmr National Chairman APP/ANPP),                                                                              Alh.     Musa Gwadabe (fmr Minister of the Federal Republic),                                                                    Alh. Kashim Ibrahim (fmr Governorship Candidate – PDP, Borno State).                                                And yours sincerely, Eddy Ogunbor, served as Secretary to the Committee of the above named eminent Nigerians.                                                                                                                                                    The journey so far, has been quite an experience and undoubtedly rewarding to me in politics.

The reason for the formation of APC should not be lost on most reasonable Nigerians. The formation is not merely to wrest power from the ruling party, as being espoused by the ruling party and some gullible Nigerians. The APC slogan is CHANGE. We stand for and are committed to CHANGE from the rot in the Nigerian ruling party and in the society. CHANGE to curb CORRUPTION that has become the order of the day in the country, engineered, nurtured and encouraged by the ruling party.  CHANGE from the business as usual attitude of Nigerians and the ruling party.CHANGE from the order of IMPUNITY practised by the ruling party and government officials. CHANGE fromPERFIDY to the MORALITY and service to the masses of this country and to mankind. CHANGE, not for the sake of change, but for the better living conditions of Nigerians. CHANGE from the DECAY in our educational system to an acceptable standard internationally. CHANGE in our HEALTH sector to provide QUALITY and AFFORDABLE health care services to our youths, adults, our aged parents, pensioners and the low income earners in the society. CHANGE in efforts to provide GAINFUL employment to our teeming youths (employable) and our suffering unemployed graduates in the country. CHANGE from the present situation where our unemployed sons and daughters (graduates) are scammed and ‘419ed’ ending in the death of some. CHANGE from the forces of evil and darkness to the PATH of LIGHT and relative SALVATION and FREEDOM from oppressive forces.

This Page will be dedicated to evaluating WHERE we are coming from; WHERE we are going as a country; the POLITICAL HISTORY of our dear country; the DREAMS of our founding FATHERS/MOTHERS and their achievements, even though within a short period, post independence that was rudely interrupted, that is, looking back in retrospect.

This Page will assess WHERE we are now as a nation, WHY we got it wrong and SUGGEST way forward to ACHIEVE OUR INDIVIDUAL AND COLLECTIVE GOALS.

Thank you once again and will solicit your subjective and and objective contributions on this Page. That is the beauty of DEMOCRACY and this includes accommodating all shades of views and opinions.

1. THE THEME FOR THIS PAGE IS:- ACHIEVE YOUR DREAMS!!!!!!!

PDP Runs A Deceitful, Shameless Government – Tinubu

Olaolu Oladipo

Former govenor of Lagos State and leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has accused the Peoples Democcratic Party-led government as operating a shameless and deceitful government.
Speaking at a special colloqiuium organised in his honour to mark his 62nd birthday in Lagos, Tinubu urged Nigerians to vote the ruling party out in next year’s presidential election.
Tagged, “The Summit of The Common Man”, the occasion attracted scores of prominent leaders of the APC, include a former head of state General Muhammadu Buhari, former vice president Atiku Abubakar as well as serving governors on the platform of the party.
Commenting on the state of the nation, Tinubu who stated that the country has never benefited from the current political arrangement lampooned the ruling party of foisting a reign of extortion on the people.
While urging the people to vote the PDP out next year, Tinubu said, “We need change that will sustain the economy. Hunger has no tribal marks. No matter who or what you are, you still have a trace of poverty in you.”
He went ahead to raise many posers saying “How can they (PDP) continue to win elections with the removal of subsidy. These people are shameless. That the number of years that they have spent doesn’t matter to them anymore.”
He called for a thorough probe into the controversial $20 billion, saying “They call all other people all sorts of names when they cannot account for the missing $20billion. Account for the money!
“They are shameless that they still steal from the pensioners. They even took our children to the stadiums for job tests and they picked their pockets. They are racketeers and we must do everything to kick them away.”
Earlier in his welcome speech, Governor Babtunde Raji Fashola of Lagos State lauded his predecesor in offfice for nurturing future leaders, saying in spite of whatever his opponents might say, he has given a good account of himself.
“Because he (Tinubu) has opted to serve the country, he has come under severe attacks from people. Perhaps, if he had stayed in his comfort zone, probably he won’t have been under this kind of attacks,” the governor said.

Leadership

BBCtrending: The mysterious case of Wendell Simlin

A team of online sleuths claim to have exposed an attempt to smear the former governor of Nigeria’s central bank.

Lamido Sanusi – who is widely respected in the international community – was suspended from the bank last month after accusing the government of corruption.
A few days later, a number of journalists were surprised to receive an email from an unknown man, Wendell Simlin, which linked Sanusi with the militant Islamist group Boko Haram. The group is believed to have killed thousands of people in a string of brutal attacks since 2009. But a handful of digital activists who obtained the email say it was actually written by one of the president’s aides, after they found his name in a Word document attached. Reno Omokri – social media advisor to President Goodluck Jonathan – is listed as its author in the document properties.
“We just did a simple right click on the document and looked at the ‘properties’,” says Feyi Fawehinmi, one of the team who carried out the investigation. They also contacted a newspaper to cross reference the email with previous messages sent from Omokri himself, and the metadata seems to be a perfect match, they say.

The properties of the Word document name the president’s advisor as its author

It is possible that the accusations are part of an elaborate attempt to frame Omokri. Carlo De Micheli, an independent security expert, says the evidence can’t be taken as concrete proof – but points out that it would be a bizarre strategy for Sanusi’s supporters to falsify documents incriminating him, and subsequently try to clear his name. BBC Trending has contacted Omokri about the allegations, but he has not responded. He is due to appear as a speaker at a new media conference in Lagos on Friday, and local journalists are keen to press him on the matter.
Sanusi was suspended from the bank by the president after alleging that $20bn (£12bn) in revenue had gone missing from the state oil firm, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.
Reporting by Sam Judah

 NewsRescue

Anglican Communion knights Ogiemwonyi

By Sam Raphael

 

The Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, Saint Matthew’s Cathedral, Sokponba Road, Benin City, Edo State, was a beehive of religious and social activities, Sunday 23^rd March, 2014, when former Minister of State for Works, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Sir, Engr. (Dr.) Chris Ogiemwonyi, FNSE, KSA, JP, was admitted into the Order of Saint Christopher, amongst other important dignitaries in the state, in a colourful ceremony attended by the crème de la crème of society.

While inaugurating the 37 new knights, Archbishop of the Anglican Communion, diocese of Benin, Rt. Reverend Peter Imasuen, challenged them to be humble ambassadors of Christ, who would help to actualize the spread of the gospel of Jesus Christ to all nooks and crannies of the world and assist the church at all times.

Also speaking during the event, the guest preacher and Archbishop of the Kaduna Province, Most Reverend Josiah Idowu Fearon, called on Christians, especially the new knights to put on the amour of truth and righteousness in order to be able to fight the ills in the society. 

He noted that in a world that was being ravaged by the threat of moral and spiritual decadence, especially the spreading evils of homosexuality, injustice and extreme wickedness, Christians were supposed to be extra vigilant to save their world, insisting that with their faith in God, they would overcome.

Sir (Engr.) Dr. Ogiemwonyi, in a chat with newsmen, shortly after the end of the church ceremony, thanked God for the honour done him with the investiture as knight of the Anglican Church, noting that it had always been his prayers that after quitting the public service, as a career civil servant, he would dedicate the remaining part of his life to serve humanity and support the work of God.

The former Minister later treated his numerous friends, associates and family members to sumptuous meals and lively entertainment at his residence. 

Present at the ceremony were politicians from all political party divides, representatives of the Palace of the Benin Monarch, a cross section of traditional chiefs, led by the Iyase of Benin kingdom, Chief S.O. Igbe, captains of industry, the leadership and membership of clubs and associations to which the celebrant is Grand Patron, notable amongst which were, the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Association of Community Newspapers’ Publishers of Nigeria, ACNPN, National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, The Benin Recreation Club, etc.

 TheNavigator

As he marks his Birthday Anniversary: Ogiemwonyi mobilizes medical attention for Edo people

 

By Victor Uwagor

 

In a grand display of his usual philanthropic gestures and show of concern for the needy, former Minister of State for Works, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Sir, Engr (Dr.) Chris Ogiemwonyi, FNSE, KSA, on the occasion of his 63^rd birthday anniversary, 21^st March, 2014, sponsored free breast and cervical cancer (for women between ages 18 – 65) and prostrate cancer screening exercises (for men above 40years), in conjunction with the Lagos-based Optimal Cancer Care Foundation, at the Urhokpota Hall, Benin City.

 The 2-day event, which was well attended by indigenes and residents of the three senatorial districts of the state and beyond, who wanted to know their statuses and the preventive/curative medical steps required to checkmate the deadly ailments, in case they were diagnosed positive, was essentially supported by the Ogiemwonyi Foundation because according to the former minister, “we have discovered that early detection of the presence of the diseases could save a lot of lives and help curtail its spread in the body system.  Breast and cervical cancer in women and prostrate cancer in men have recently become killer ailments around the world, but a quick detention of traces of these diseases could actually reduce their severity, make the diseases manageably impotent and save more of our peoples’ lives.  This is why we have thought it necessary to bring this screening and free drug distribution to the doorsteps of our people so they could benefit.  Those cases that cannot be immediately attended to, during this exercise, would, where necessary, be referred to specialists’ hospitals for further treatment and management.”

While flagging off the exercise, Engr. (Dr.) Sir Ogiemwonyi encouraged Edo people to take full advantage of the screening and treatment exercise, insisting that it was ignorance on the parts of the people that remedies to treat ailments abound, that have made some, otherwise, combatable diseases become readily terminal and deadly. 

“Many of these diseases that lead to untimely deaths,” Ogiemwonyi noted, “could be easily treated when diagnosed on time.  For me I only discovered this a few years ago; so we have decided to make this available for our people.  These days, celebrating or marking birthdays have gone beyond the issues of sharing rice and drinks and dancing to music; true care for the people means taking care of their health challenges in whatever way one could; come to think of it, a healthy man or woman could easily fend for himself or herself.  It is sickness and disease that weaken the ability of human beings to effectively be up and doing, to be alive and active.  It is our prayers that diseases would be far away from us; but when they do sometimes come to our doorsteps, we pray that medical attentions would be available to help us take them out.  That is essentially why we are doing this today.”

Some of the beneficiaries of the free screening and treatment exercise, in separate chats with The Navigator commended the initiative of Engr. Ogiemwonyi to make the opportunity available to Edo people, and enjoined other well-to-do indigenes of the state to emulate the kind gesture and make such exercises available to indigent residents and indigenes of the state.

In his remarks, shortly after participating in the exercise, Pa Igbe, who, however, tested negative of prostrate cancer screening, was full of praises for Engr. Ogiemwonyi for even helping to create the awareness and enlightenment about the possibility of curtailing the killer disease. 

Said he, “First, I want to thank Engr. Ogiemwonyi for letting people know that this disease is curable when detected early enough.  I didn’t know before that one could come for a test as simple as this.  I have just been test.  I tested negative.  Now, for me, I would make it a regular exercise according to the advice of the medical personnel handling the exercise.  It has not cost me anything.  This is a very commendable development.  I am very happy.”

Pa Igbe, therefore, called on Edo indigenes, particularly those within the age brackets specified for the female and male not to be inhibited by any thought or fears, “because it is better to know whether one is well or not.  If one is silent about a worrisome ailment, and keeping it secret, one would die in silence.  But this is an opportunity to come forward, free of charge as it is here, to find out one’s status and what could be done.”

In his own chat with The Navigator, another beneficiary of the free cancer screening exercise, Mr. Efosa Obasogie, said the development was a wake-up call on other wealthy Edo sons and daughters, to show concern for the well-being of humanity by investing an appreciable percentage of their wealth on philanthropic exercises, instead of amassing stupendous wealth selfishly for themselves and their generations yet unborn when millions were dying of preventable and curable diseases because they did not have the wherewithal to seek medical attention.

While commending the sponsor, Engr. Ogiemwonyi for the free screening, and for providing lunch during the 2-day exercise, Mr. Obasogie challenged government to appreciate the fact that there was poverty and disease in the land, and that only a committed drive, especially on the part of government, to provide essential services, such as education and health, free of charge to the populace, could help reduce the ugly trend.

A 43-year-old woman, Mrs. Elizabeth Ukpebo, in her chat with The Navigator was full of gratitude for Engr. Ogiemwonyi for the initiative, noting that kind-hearted people were hard to find, especially at this time when selfishness and greed had grown to frightening proportions in the country.

Said she in pidgin English, “God go bless the man. I nor know am, but I know say God go continue to bless am. Na me and two of my daughters come.  Dem dey inside now; na only me don finish my own. The man do well; God go still look after im family too.”

Health personnel from the Optimal Cancer Care Foundation, Lagos and officers of the Chris Ogiemwonyi Foundation, who supervised the exercise and offered free drugs to participants at the exercise advised Edo people to regularly come out for tests to ascertain their statuses, insisting that early detection and regular screen-testing of cases of breast, cervical or prostrate cancer remains the safest antidote to effectively checkmating the deadliness of the ailment.    

 

 TheNavigator

I’ll not take you for granted, Ogiemwonyi assures OSM

By Osaro Edenedeso

 

The leadership and membership of the Ogiemwonyi Solidarity Movement, OSM, have been assured of the maximum support of its principal-project, Engr. (Dr.) Chris Ogiemwonyi.

                At the inaugural meeting of the movement at the Motel Benin Plaza, penultimate week, Engr. Ogiemwonyi commended the movement for its focus and commitment, assuring that it could count on his support at all times and “I will not take you for granted.”

                The former Minister of State for Works, Federal Ministry of Works, while thanking members of the Movement for their sacrifice and focus, remarked that it was gratifying that, very early in the day, in the life of his quest to seek the gubernatorial seat of Edo State, ahead of the 2016 election, the group had become so organized and visible, and urged them to continue to mobilize membership across the state.

                Engr. Ogiemwonyi noted that youth unemployment has continued to be the highest hurdle successive administrations have failed to scale, and disclosed that tackling the social malaise would be top on his agenda of priorities if he eventually secures the ticket and mandate of the people to govern the state.

                Earlier in his speech, Edo State Coordinator of the OSM, Prince Victor Ehue, disclosed that the Movement was a non-tribal group, cutting across the three senatorial districts of the state and made up of like-minds who believed in the potentials and abilities of Engr. Ogiemwonyi to take the all-round development of the state onto higher heights and improve on the laudable contributions of the present Gov. Oshiomhole-led administration.

                He disclosed that the OSM was already on ground in the eighteen local government areas of the state, insisting that the movement believes that Engr. Ogiemwonyi should be supported by all and sundry because “he holds the Midas touch to do it better as governor of Edo State, come 2016.”

TheNavigator

 

 

 

FRCN’s probe is vicious witch-hunt—Sanusi

Sanusi

by: Yusuf Alli, Managing Editor

The suspended  governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mallam Lamido Sanusi,  says he is the  target of a vicious witch-hunt and relentless victimization being prosecuted and fronted by the Federal Reporting Council of Nigeria (FRCN), acting outside of the rule of law and well beyond its scope of responsibility.

He vowed yesterday that he would only appear before an impartial authority  to investigate him and his tenure at the apex bank.

Mallam Sanusi who,on Thursday, declined an invitation to appear before the FRCN mandated to probe his tenure, wondered whether the council    ”is the appropriate statutory body to conduct such an investigation.”

Speaking through his   media consultants,Celine Loader, Sanusi, made reference  to the enabling statute of the FRCN  Act 2011, particular Sections 7, 8, 11, 25, 28, 58(2) and 62 which said  “it does not give the FRCN the authority and the powers to conduct the investigation it seeks to undertake.”

Celine Loader  queried the intent of the FRCN  and the source of its  mandate,saying the council “has already prejudged what it now purports to be investigating, thereby compromising its integrity and the integrity of such investigation.”

It  added: “The credibility of the purported investigation is further undermined by the fact that, in reaching its prior conclusions and recommendations contained in the Briefing Note, the FRCN neither heard nor provided Sanusi with the opportunity to respond to the allegations that led to the unfounded conclusions contained therein.”

 This pre-existing bias, it claimed, amounts to a “breach of the rules of natural justice, the absence of statutory power, the violation of the rule of law and the prejudicial conduct by the FRCN all point to an obvious witch-hunt and victimization against Sanusi Lamido who has already been controversially suspended from office on the strength of erroneous allegations by the same FRCN.”

It  said that   after making  weighty allegations, conclusions and attendant recommendations in its Briefing Note dated June 7, 2013 to the President, which formed the basis for Sanusi’s controversial suspension, the FRCN ”is now setting itself up as ‘judge’ and ‘jury’ in pursuing a purported investigation for which it has no authority, competence nor mandate.”

Citing words like  “incompetence”, “acting outside the object clause of the CBN”, “nonchalance”,”fraudulent activities”, “wastefulness”, “abuse of due process”, and  “deliberate efforts to misrepresent facts”, used by the FRCN against Sanusi  in its Briefing Note  and recommending to President Goodluck Jonathan “to cause Sanusi and the Deputy Governors of the CBN to “ cease from holding office in the CBN, so that the opposition to the Federal Government does not take advantage of the information and use it to attack the government.”

On Thursday, the Chief Executive Officer of  FRCN Mr. Jim Obazee while reacting to Sanusi’s absence from the investigation maintained that Sanusi’s absence cannot stall the investigation since the investigation is not targeted at Sanusi but at the CBN.

TheNation