The Cartoonist Blogger

Obasanjo: IBB a fool at 70
•IBB: Nigerians know the fool
•IBB: Obasanjo is an incestuous murderer with an infertile mind

One must reach into the old proverbs of Yoruba society to adequately sum up the current whirlwind that has captivated the Nigerian political environment: "When two elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers.” The media has been awash with stories relating to two political juggernauts who both once held the reins of Africa’s most populous nation.

The pair fell out over comments made by former military ruler, Babangida, during a press conference to mark his 70^th birthday celebrations. While answering questions being fielded by journalists at his home in Minna, Niger state Babangida belittled Obasanjo’s achievements during his second term as president (1999-2007). This exchange signals the collapse of relations between two men who were once unlikely political allies.

General Olusegun Obasanjo first ascended to the seat of power in 1979 after the assassination of the then military head of state, Murtala Mohammed, and would cement his name in history as being the first military head of state in Africa to hand over to a civilian government in 1979.

General Ibrahim Babangida led the coup d'état that ousted the heavy-handed regime of Muhammadu Buhari in 1985, before being himself removed in 1993 due to the outcry of the disillusioned Nigerian people.

Yet it was through Babangida and his far-reaching influence that Obasanjo, who had just been released from a prolonged bout of incarceration, was eventually handpicked to run under the banner of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 1999 presidential elections. Obasanjo, with the help of Babangida and the previous military establishment, defeated his closest rival Chief Olu Falae by eight million votes, signalling the beginning of Nigeria’s fourth republic and Obasanjo‘s second and longest stretch as Nigeria‘s president (1999-2007).

However, all seems far from well between the two right now. At his 70^th birthday Babangida claimed that Obasanjo, even with the monumental amount of funds at his disposal, failed to improve Nigeria’s power supply. Babangida would further highlight the fact that during his time in power the price of oil stood at $10 per barrel in comparison to $100 per barrel at the height of Obasanjo’s tenure. Babangida would further state that, given a fraction of the $16 billion frittered away by Obasanjo, he would have built Nigeria’s first nuclear power plant with the view of having a regular and stable supply of electricity throughout the country.

Babangida’s comments were uncharacteristic of a man known for his savvy media management and careful commentary, and such statements could only be perceived as an unwarranted attack on Obasanjo.

Former President Obasanjo, who is the current chairman of the People’s Democratic Party Board of Trustees, initially questioned the veracity of the comments, but once he had confirmed them, Obasanjo satirically suggested that Babangida should be pitied, rather than condemned.

Obasanjo, who spoke with journalists at his Presidential Library Project site in Abeokuta, capital of Ogun State, where he met with some foreign investors, said although he did not believe the report credited to Babangida, until he read it in the newspapers, he decided to reply him lest he thought he was wise.

Obasanjo went on to say: “I think one should probably do what the Bible says in Proverbs chapter 26, verse 4. It says don’t answer a fool because you may also become like him. When you go to the same Proverbs, chapter 26, verse 5 says answer a fool so that he will not think he’s a wise man. So, I am now torn between which of the two verses I should follow in this respect.”

“Some of the things he said unfortunately were not well thought-out. For instance, he talked about our energy. When I was the military Head of State, I built Jebba dam; built Shiroro dam. I prepared the foundation of Egbin plant, which President Shagari completed and commissioned. That time, the money we were making was not up to the money Babangida was making annually for his eight years and yet we built two dams. Because it was important, you know that power is the driving force for development and for any developing country. But since the building of Egbin power plant, until I came back in 1999, there was no generating plant for almost 20 years and Babangida spent eight years out of that.

“Now, he has the audacity to talk about anybody; I think that is unfortunate. I also read where he said in his time, he gave the dividends of democracy and at the same time he regretted. When I read that, well, I said Babangida should be pitied and shown sympathy, rather than anger or condemnation because the old saying says a fool at 40 is a fool forever and I would say a regret at 70 is a regret too late. Well, a regret at 70 is a regret to the grave.”

Obasanjo, a seasoned veteran in the political arena, can hardly have been unaware of the furor his comments would cause.

Babangida was quick to respond, calling Obasanjo “a greater fool”. He added that "When he was released from prison and granted state pardon, bathed in cerebral ornaments and clothed in royal beads and later crowned as President of Nigeria, IBB was not a fool then."

Allegations, accusations and grandstanding over past achievements had been sandwiched into the middle of this drama, with each camp trying to affirm their superiority in terms of past projects initiated and completed. Yet the manner in which this is unfolding is unbecoming of men of their political stature, age and importance. Both past leaders are viewed as king-makers in their own right and cannot shy away from their responsibility to promote politics devoid of rancour, loose comments and mudslinging. Political differences may lead to confrontation, yet to draw such issues into the public domain is bound to heat up the polity. If not checked, this could create a divide in the ruling party in which both hold sizable stakes.

Comments and counter comments serve no benefits to Nigeria’s development and cannot show the way forward for what could be a great nation. Nigeria’s media fraternity should do their best not to fuel the fire of discontent, in order to make this argument simply a minor one between two of the nation’s most recognisable and influential figures. The wider implications should be considered thoroughly alongside the need to continue as revered elder statesman. Because when two elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers.

With the Controversies over some of the Past Deals and sales of Government properties still rising and raging coupled with the Trials of some former Military Government aids Some issues that have been hidden to millions of Nigerians are gradually finding their way out to light.

Just Recently Al-Mustapha Opens Can Of Worms, Fingers Ex-Head Of State, Abdusalam Over Abacha, Abiola’s Death…Also Narrates How $200m, £75m, N500m Were Shared To S/W Leaders Over June 12 Imbroglio

Former Chief Security Officer, (CSO) to the late Head of State, General Sani Abacha, Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, standing trial for the death of late Alhaja Kudirat Abiola opened his defense before a Lagos High Court where he accused former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar of alleged complicity in the death of Abacha and late winner of June 12, 1993 presidential election, Chief MKO Abiola.

Led in evidence by his lawyer, Olalekan Ojo, the former CSO who broke down in tears told the trial judge, Justice Mojisola Dada that he had both audio and video evidence of how the late Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha and the late Chief Abiola were allegedly murdered.

He told the court that Gen Abdusalam Abubakar has been working hard to keep him perpetually in prison because of fears that he (Al-Mustapha) would divulge information at his disposal on the death of Abacha and Abiola.

In his words: “In the course of this testimony, I wish to say that I will omit any issue that will affect the National Security of the country as a serving officer of the Nigerian Army. My incarceration was as a result of a script written and acted out by former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar to further keep me in prison. First, were the events that happened after the murder of General Sani Abacha and late Chief MKO Abiola. For fear that I may divulge information that led to their death; they have to keep me in prison till date.

“I am an officer who is being persecuted. After the death of Abacha so much happened within three days and the country was without a President or Vice President. The then Vice President Lt Gen Diya was imprisoned for staging a coup. Many senior officers wanted to become Head of State, but God gave me the wisdom and I assisted General Abdulsalami Abubakar to become President. But, this is the price I am paying for my loyalty and for assisting him”

Al-Mustapha who told the court that he was enlisted into the Nigeria Army in 1980 added that he served in various units before his appointment as the Chief Security Officer to the later Abacha. According to him, there is documentary evidence to show that shortly after the death of late Abiola, the then Head of State allegedly ordered that various sums of money should be withdrawn from the Central Bank of Nigeria.

He told the court that $200 million US dollars, £75 million British Pounds and N500 million were allegedly withdrawn from the Central Bank to appease South West leaders and douse tension that arose after the death of Abiola.

He told the court that he knew Chief MKO Abiola as far back as 1985 and that he was like a father to him adding that even after the annulment of June 12 1993 elections he assisted him (Abiola) on several occasions to gain access to senior military officers including Gen Sani Abacha.

He said on one occasion the late Abiola slept and eat dinner in his house when it was late for him to go home after consultations with some senior military officers on how he could regain his mandate.

He told the court that all visits to the late Abiola were on tape disclosing that some people after visiting Abiola would come back at night to the Presidential Villa to speak against him.

According to him he did not order Sergeant Barnabas Jabila Msheila (alias Sgt Rogers) to kill Alhaja Kudirat Abiola saying “on several occasions I assisted the Alhaja Kudirat Abiola, Mr. Kola Abiola, his Dr. Ore Falomo and his lawyers to visit him (Abiola) in prison). Abilola would have been killed the very day Abacha died but I relocated him within the barracks and used the Strike Force to protect him from those who wanted to balance the equation”.

Former Chief Security Officer to the late Head of State Gen. Sani Abacha, Hamza al-Mustapha, also told a Lagos High Court Igbosere that former Head of State, Abdusalami Abubakar, had recommended former President Olusegun Obasanjo for execution in 1995.

Al-Mustapha, who closed his testimony before Justice Mojisola Dada on Thursday, said Abubakar made the recommendation at a meeting of the Military Council headed by Abacha, after Obasanjo was detained for alleged complicity in a coup attempt against the then military government.

Al-Mustapha said he was not present at the meeting but that he “illegally wired” the video coverage of the meeting.

He said Abubakar made various remarks against Obasanjo at the meeting.

Al-Mustapha said, “Abubakar made various comments against Obasanjo. He said Obasanjo was irresponsible, calling him (Obasanjo) several names that I can’t even say here. He said Gen. Obasanjo must face the 1979 decree he (Obasanjo) made regarding coup plot. He was sayng Obasanjo must die.”

The matter is still on for continuation of trial

On The Other Hand

A former military administrator of Kaduna State, Col. Abubakar Umar (retd.), on Monday asked the Federal Government to investigate the role played by President Olusegun Obasanjo in the privatization programme. Umar said the investigation should be concluded in Obasanjo’s lifetime.

Umar who ruled Kaduna State between 1985 and 1988, in a statement in Kaduna, wondered why all the major initiatives embarked upon by the Obasanjo administration from 1999 to 2007 “have been such spectacular failures.”

He said, “Indeed not a few Nigerians are keen to know why all the major initiatives embarked upon during the eight years Chief Obasanjo ruled the country – privatization, power sector reforms, alienation of Federal Government Properties, 2003 general elections, 2007 general elections, etc. – have been such spectacular failures.

“The Federal Government owes it to posterity to order for an investigation into these disasters immediately and not to wait a day longer. To wait until Chief Obasanjo might have died (as all of us will, some day) would expose it to charges of wickedness. When that happens, it would have no coherent defence.”

An ad hoc committee of the Senate is currently investigating the Federal Government’s privatisation programme from 1999 till date. Members of the committee at the weekend said they might invite Obasanjo to come and defend himself against allegations of interference in the programme levied against him by former heads of the Bureau of Public Enterprises.

A former Director-General of the BPE, Dr. Julius Bala, had alleged that the former president interfered in the sale of the Delta Steel Company by rejecting the bid won by BUA International, and promoting the bid of the Global Infrastructure Company.

One of the major discoveries of the investigation was that the Aluminum Smelter Company of Nigeria, which was constructed with $3.2b, was sold in 2005 to Rusal for a paltry $250m. However, Bala, explained that the Presidency acted on the advice of the National Security Adviser.

The panel was also told that the concession of the Ajaokuta Steel to Global Steel was completely handled and negotiated by the Ministry of Steel Development, under the direction of the former President. A top official, who confirmed the development, then told the committee that it was a violation of the Privatisation Act. Also, Obasanjo’s name came up during the session on the sale of NICON Insurance to Global Fleet.

Another former DG of the BPE, Nasir El-Rufai, also said that government interference was a major problem for the privatization exercise. He alleged that Obasanjo “practically blocked the sale of Nigeria Airways.” He also mentioned that the former President and former Vice- President Atiku Abubakar, made efforts to influence the privatization process.

He said revelations that emanated from the Senate hearings on the government’s privatisation exercise had left many Nigerians “sick with outrage.”

A Lagos-based lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana, at the public hearing, had told the committee that it would be failing in its duty if it did not invite Obasanjo to clarify issues following the allegations levelled against him.

Former president, Olusegun Obasanjo and his deputy, Atiku Abubakar, may have influenced the sales of government enterprises to their friends, Mallam Nasir El Rufai, a former Director-General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), has said.

Mallam El-Rufai made the revelations while testifying before an ad hoc Senate committee investigating the privatization and commercialization of government businesses from 1999 till date. Mallam El-Rufai told the committee that when he ran the Bureau, Obasanjo and Atiku contacted him at different times to influence the sale of government companies to their cronies but that he turned them down each time.

“The president and I were always quarrelling over issues of privatisation,” Mallam El-Rufai said. “Each time I told him we have a process ... that they should advise their friends to be the highest bidder.” He added that former President Obasanjo blocked the sale of Nigeria Airways because of a personal interest he formed based on stories the then aviation minister, Kema Chikwe, was telling him.

Mallam El-Rufai’s claims are corroborated by testimonies of Chris Anyanwu, who was also a Director General of the bureau. Earlier, Mr. Anyanwu had told the Senate committee that “some individuals,” whom he described as “powerful,” influenced the decisions of both the bureau and the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory commission.

At an earlier hearing, Chief Obasanjo was also accused of having taking a unilateral decision—ignoring recommendations from BPE and due process—to sell Delta Steel Company to Global Infrastructure instead of the winner of the bidding process, BUA Group.

The Senate committee has since the beginning of the week been investigating the sale of over 100 government enterprises. It has taken testimonies from benefiting investors as well as both current and former heads of the bureau. It is however unclear if the committee will invite Obasanjo to testify before it.

The High Educational standard in Nigeria this days seems to have been lowered with lots of Issues ravaging this all important sector of any nations development.

The loss of educational values is one of the factors that has left Nigeria still in the state of underdevelopment as most of its citizens are not developed themselves to tackle the rising issues and demands surrounding the nation today.

This fallen educational standard has been caused by so many factors and issues like General Corruption both in Government and Educational centers, dilapidated study centers in both high and tertiary schools, Lack of innovative and academic friendly study centers that enhances learning. Lack of Modern Facilities and not keeping up with the current academic standards in the world, recruiting of wrong and inexperienced staffs and inability to pay standard staffs, non reviewance of lecturers and staff's salary, too much negative government interference on academic issues without fully implementing most of the beneficial policies that can help and advance education in the country, inappropriate tools to measure academic standards.

The loss of parental values by most parents in checking the academic performances of their Children and wards and in giving them helping hands in sorting their ways into the next academic class or level even when their performances shows they are not qualified for such promotion or advancement. That is why we have so many unemployable graduates in the nation who can't meet the employment demands of many high and respectable organizations and companies both within and outside the Country.

Many Students Generally has lost interest in education as most of them now sees the higher institution as a place where one can just get into by whatever means and get by all means necessary that printed certificate that can only get them a job and not as a place of self development where people need to gain the relevant knowledge and skills needed to tackle most of the high demands and problems of a modern world. With over a Million Student failing the recent WAEC Exam shows that the Level and Standard of education in Nigeria has much been chattered and with even the cut off marks lowered by most institutions many students still were unable to meet up with the new set cut off marks.

Most students are being carried away by so many pleasurable things they see and feel around them and mostly on the internet and many spend hours Facebooking, Pinging and tweeting away time on Twitter and other Social Networking sites (not fully utilizing the many opportunities and advantages of the internet ) and also in entertaining themselves out with the new trends of music and entertainment programs around while forgetting that pleasure comes after labour and success after work.

The Big Issue here is where are we heading to considering all this mess in the Educational system. If this continues we will end up having a fun filled illiterate society surrounded by so many problems and economic instability that will continually leave the people and nation in a state of underdevelopment.

Here are some comments made by people regarding the comic picture presenting the falling educational standard.

What's Your Comment about This Please post Below and tell us your Views about This and the Way Forward.

Thanks.
Delords.

A report by the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) on the contamination of Ogoniland has indicted Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) – concluding that cleaning up the mess could take as long as 30 years. "This report proves Shell has had a terrible impact in Nigeria, but has got away with denying it for decades, falsely claiming they work to best international standards," said Amnesty International Global Issues Director, Audrey Gaughran.

A major new independent scientific assessment, carried out by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), shows that pollution from over 50 years of oil operations in the region has penetrated further and deeper than many may have supposed.

The assessment has been unprecedented. Over a 14-month period, the UNEP team examined more than 200 locations, surveyed 122 kilometers of pipeline rights of way, reviewed more than 5,000 medical records and engaged over 23,000 people at local community meetings.

Detailed soil and groundwater contamination investigations were conducted at 69 sites, which ranged in size from 1,300 square metres (Barabeedom-K.dere, Gokana local government area (LGA) to 79 hectares (Ajeokpori-Akpajo, Eleme LGA).

Altogether more than 4,000 samples were analyzed, including water taken from 142 groundwater monitoring wells drilled specifically for the study and soil extracted from 780 boreholes.

Key Findings

Some areas, which appear unaffected at the surface, are in reality severely contaminated underground and action to protect human health and reduce the risks to affected communities should occur without delay says UNEP's Environmental Assessment of Ogoniland.

In at least 10 Ogoni communities where drinking water is contaminated with high levels of hydrocarbons, public health is seriously threatened, according to the assessment that was released

UNEP presented its report to the President of Nigeria, The Hon Goodluck Jonathan, in the Nigerian capital Abuja.

Among its other findings are:-

• Control and maintenance of oilfield infrastructure in Ogoniland has been and remains inadequate: the Shell Petroleum Development Company's own procedures have not been applied, creating public health and safety issues.
• The impact of oil on mangrove vegetation has been disastrous. Oil pollution in many intertidal creeks has left mangroves-nurseries for fish and natural pollution filters- denuded of leaves and stems with roots coated in a layer of bitumen-type substance sometimes one centimetre or more thick.
• The five highest concentrations of Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons detected in groundwater exceed 1 million micrograms per litre (µg/l) - compared to the Nigerian standard for groundwater of 600 µg/l.
• When an oil spill occurs on land, fires often break out, killing vegetation and creating a crust over the land, making remediation or revegetation difficult. At some sites, a crust of ash and tar has been in place for several decades.
• The surface water throughout the creeks in and surrounding Ogoniland contain hydrocarbons. Floating layers of oil vary from thick black oil to thin sheens.
• Despite community concerns, the results show that fish consumption in Ogoniland, either of those caught locally or purchased from markets, was not posing a health risk.

The report says that fish tend to leave polluted areas in search of cleaner water. However, the fisheries sector is suffering due to the destruction of fish habitat and highly persistent contamination of many creeks. Where entrepreneurs have established fish farms for example their businesses have been ruined by an "ever-present" layer of floating oil.

• The Ogoni community is exposed to hydrocarbons every day through multiple routes. While the impact of individual contaminated land sites tends to be localized, air pollution related to oil industry operations is all pervasive and affecting the quality of life of close to one million people.
• Artisanal refining (a practice whereby crude oil illegally obtained from oil industry operations is refined in primitive stills), is endangering lives and ultimately causing pockets of environmental devastation in Ogoniland and neighbouring areas.

Remote sensing revealed that in Bodo West, in Bonny LGA, an increase in artisanal refining between 2007 and 2011 has been accompanied by a 10% loss of healthy mangrove cover - or over 307,380 square metres.

• Remediation by enhanced natural attenuation (RENA) - a way of boosting the ability of naturally-occuring microbes to breakdown oil and so far the only remediation method observed by UNEP in Ogoniland - has not proven to be effective.

In one community, at Nisisioken Ogale, in western Ogoniland, families are drinking water from wells that is contaminated with benzene- a known carcinogen-at levels over 900 times above World Health Organization guidelines. The site is close to a Nigerian National Petroleum Company pipeline.

UNEP scientists found an 8 cm layer of refined oil floating on the groundwater which serves the wells. This was reportedly linked to an oil spill which occurred more than six years ago.

While the report provides clear operational recommendations for addressing the widespread oil pollution across Ogoniland, UNEP recommends that the contamination in Nisisioken Ogale warrants emergency action ahead of all other remediation efforts.

The long-awaited study said complete restoration could entail the world's "most wide-ranging and long-term oil clean-up" and it is estimated to cost $1 billion.

The report said Ogoni communities faced a severe health risk, with some families drinking water with high levels of cancer-causing agents.
In the meantime, President Goodluck Jonathan has called on UN to urgently come to the aid of Nigeria in handling the environmental pollution occasioned by the spills in Ogoniland for the past 50 years.

Minister of Petroleum, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke, told THISDAY last night that she was yet to get a copy of the report, and could therefore not make any comments. The Ministry of Environment and Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) were yet to get the report last night.
However, the Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN) has called for the creation of a $100-billion Environmental Restoration Fund for the Niger Delta.

The UNEP report followed an independent scientific assessment of the area over a 14-month period during which the team examined over 200 places, surveyed 122 kilometres of pipeline Rights of Way, reviewed over 5,000 medical records and engaged more than 23,000 people at local community meetings.

The $10 million investigation by a team of 100 officials, who studied environmental degradation in the oil-rich region at the instance of UNEP, was paid for in part by Shell and was to be published in December 2010.

The team also conducted detailed soil and groundwater contamination investigations at 69 locations, which ranged in size from 1,300 square metres as in Barabeedom-K.dere, Gokana Local Government Area to 79 hectares as in Ajeokpori-Akpajo in Eleme Local Government Area in Rivers State.

Over 4,000 samples were analysed, including water taken from 142 groundwater monitoring wells drilled specifically for the study and soil extracted from 780 boreholes in the area.

At the end of the exercise, which attracted international attention, the UN body noted in the report tagged “UNEP’s Environmental Assessment of Ogoniland” that “some areas, which appear unaffected at the surface, are in reality severely contaminated underground and action to protect human health and reduce the risks to affected communities should occur without delay.”

The report also noted that public health was seriously under threat in at least 10 Ogoni communities where drinking water was contaminated with high levels of hydrocarbons.

The UNEP assessment presented to President Jonathan showed pollution in surface water throughout the creeks of Ogoniland and up to eight centimetres in groundwater that feed drinking wells at 41 sites including a serious case in Nisisioken Ogale in Eleme, Rivers State.

Soils were found to have been polluted with hydrocarbons up to a depth of five metres in 49 observed sites, while benzene, a known cancer-causing chemical, was found in drinking water in Nisisioken Ogale community at a level 900 times above World Health Organisation (WHO) acceptable levels.

The report also showed that fishing activities have been destroyed and that wetlands around Ogoniland are highly degraded and facing further degradation.

The report however provided operational recommendations for addressing the oil pollution across the entire Ogoniland and specifically recommended that urgent remedial action should be taken on the contamination in Nisisioken Ogale area.

According to the study, cleaning up the pollution and ensuring a sustainable recovery of Ogoniland could take 25 to 30 years. This work will require the deployment of modern technology to clean up contaminated land and water, improved environmental monitoring and regulation and collaborative action between the government, the Ogoni people and the oil industry, said UNEP.

UN Under-Secretary General and UNEP Executive Director, Mr. Achim Steiner, said the report provided the scientific basis on which a long overdue and concerted environmental restoration of Ogoniland could begin.

“The oil industry has been a key sector of the Nigerian economy for over 50 years, but many Nigerians have paid a high price, as this assessment underlines. It is UNEP's hope that the findings can break the decades of deadlock in the region and provide the foundation upon which trust can be built and action undertaken to remedy the multiple health and sustainable development issues facing people in Ogoniland.

In addition, it offers a blueprint for how the oil industry - and public regulatory authorities - might operate more responsibly in Africa and beyond at a time of increasing production and exploration across many parts of the continent,” Steiner said.

“The clean-up of Ogoniland will not only address a tragic legacy but also represents a major ecological restoration enterprise with potentially multiple positive effects ranging from bringing the various stakeholders together in a single concerted cause to achieving lasting improvements for the Ogoni people,” he added.

ERA/FoEN in a statement issued in Lagos yesterday by its Head of Media, Mr. Philip Jakpor, said the Environmental Assessment of Ogoniland, despite its shortcomings, had vindicated the organisation’s worst fears about the state of the environment in Ogoniland and the entire Niger Delta.
Jakpor said the report also showed Shell’s “atrocious breach” of minimum requirements of the Environmental Guidelines and Standards for Petroleum Industries in Nigeria (EGASPIN) and its own standards.

Reacting to the contents of the report, ERA/FoEN Executive Director, Nnimmo Bassey, said the UNEP assessment with documented evidence of widespread pollution in Ogoniland was not at all surprising.

“It has only vindicated our position that Shell, and not the people, is wholly responsible for this environmental assault and has shown with brazen contempt that it will not abide by any internationally accepted standards in the oil industry nor any that it set for itself.

Going by the findings, the Ogoni people who, ironically, are still living with this ecological disaster may never have the right to an environment that can allow them develop as they desire. Not even the paltry sum recommended for remediation can assuage the dislocation that Shell’s activity has wrought on them,” he said.

Bassey said $1 billion initial restoration fund was negligible compared with the mammoth ecological disaster caused by Shell, even as he urged the Nigerian government to immediately compel the company to halt other on-going pollution such as routine gas flares in the Niger Delta and the leaking pipes that continually pollute streams, rivers and farmlands.

He noted that ERA’s demand for $100 billion in remediation funds was hinged on the fact that aside Ogoniland, Shell’s ecological onslaught is replicated in other Niger Delta communities that must also be considered for a comprehensive environmental audit.

Speaking at the Presidential Villa after UNEP submitted the report, President Jonathan said Nigeria had contributed to overall world peace, adding that now that the country had an environmental issue, it was expected for others to rally around her.

“Nigeria has paid her dues to the UN, invested in maintaining peace both human and capital resources and now that there is environmental war, the UN will come to our aid; will assist us to implement the recommendations of this report.

"Nigerian government is going discuss with Shell and other key stakeholders. This report will not be locked up but implemented," Jonathan said.

Speaking further, the president said he would summon all oil companies that had worked in Ogoniland to discuss ways of funding the clean-up exercise which the UNEP report said “could prove to be the world’s most wide ranging and long term oil clean up exercise ever undertaken if contaminated drinking water, land, creeks and important ecosystems such as mangroves are to be brought back to full, reproductive health”.

Presenting the report, Director, Division for Contamination Implementation, Ibrahim Thiaw, said the implication to health of the people in the area was so grave that an urgent attention should be started to save the people from further negative impact of oil spillages and contamination.

The chairman overseeing the environmental survey of the impacted areas, Bishop Mathew Hassan Kukah, said the report would lay to rest a lot of innuendos over the intention of those who worked with him, while he hoped the government would have the political will to implement the report.

Many people are still interested in knowing where the Train of Nigeria's Development and standard of living is heading for, The Inauguration speech by the President some months back after being elected having stayed in office for some time might to some seem like a Rhetoric promises while others would argue that the President needs more time to prove his mettle.

The Fact remains that Nigeria's situation is getting worst by the day and many issues causing concerns are emanating everyday. and all eyes are on the President to do what he has to do to move the nation forward unlike his predecessors.

This President must be aware that the whole nation is watching him and paying attention to everything he does. If Nigeria is ever going to move forward, the President must be reminded that the names “Goodluck and “Azikiwe” which he has flaunted many times while going around the country looking for votes and support would amount to nothing, if he is not going to put his own positive stamp on the presidency as the first representative of a minority group in the South to ever win the presidency. He must therefore guard the position jealously and try to make the best out of it for the benefit of generations yet unborn.

I will be very glad if the President can prove many wrong by doing the right thing and leading Nigeria the right way. He is very lucky that charlatans like Oyinlola and Omisore in Osun, Agagu in Ondo, and former President Obasanjo in Ogun have been so humiliated in their own states in the last election that they can no longer continue to claim to be the wizard of Oz who have delivered the South West to Jonathan in the last election. Jonathan should now have more freedom to do things his own way without these individuals micro-managing him.

The new Nigeria we all want to see under President Jonathan is one that should be strikingly different from the one Nigeria was used to under his predecessors. It remains to be seen, however, if Mr. President would have the spine to live up to that expectation. As they say, talk is cheap. A promise not to disappoint remains a promised unfulfilled until events prove otherwise.

The Nation's problems and wahala's at the Moment is really hot and I Hope this Presidency has some inner chillers within Him to take in all this problems and bring out the expected good results that every Nigerians wants to have.

Go on Mr President even if you can't drink all that is in the Cup just make sure the cup gets empty by what ever means even if it will take pouring some of its contents on those that brought the problems into the cup in the first place just step up and get the work done.

Nigeria's state asset management firm AMCON has signed an agreement to take over three nationalised banks that failed to recapitalise after a $4 billion bailout in 2009, its chief said on Saturday. AMCON was set up last year to absorb bad bank loans, exchanging them for government-backed bonds, with the aim of rebuilding commercial bank balance sheets.

"The primary objective is to stabilise the banking system ... AMCON will now supervise the management of these banks," AMCON head Mustapha Chike-Obi told reporters at a conference in the commercial hub Lagos.

Amcon, as the state-owned company is known, took over Afribank Plc, Bank PHB Plc (PLATINUM) and Spring Bank Plc (SPRINGBK) on Aug. 6 after the central bank revoked their licenses the day before, saying they were unlikely to meet a Sept. 30 deadline to recapitalize. This action is the latest by the Central Bank of Nigeria Governor Lamido Sanusi to clean up the banking industry after the global financial crisis led to about $10 billion of toxic debts on lenders’ books.

The central bank deputy governor said recapitalisation agreements signed with investors by four of the other rescued banks would solve around 80 percent of the banking crisis.

Nigeria will inject 679 billion naira ($4.5 billion) into three banks nationalized by the government two days ago in a further step to restore stability in the banking system of Africa’s biggest oil producer. The cash injection into the new banks will raise their capital adequacy ratio to the required 15 percent and enable them to repay the capital provided by the central bank in 2009, The funds will be raised through bond sales today and paid to the banks, Mustafa Chike-Obi, managing director of Asset Management Corp. of Nigeria, said by phone from Lagos.

“The Nigerian Stock Exchange has placed the shares of the affected banks on full suspension as a first step towards their delisting from the Daily Official List,” the bourse said today in a statement on its website. This means that no trading will occur in the shares of these banks as they “no longer exist following the revocation of their licenses.”

Amcon, which was set up by the government to buy the bad debt of banks, assured depositors on Aug. 6 they won’t lose their money. New boards of directors were appointed for the lenders, which were renamed Mainstreet Bank Ltd., Keystone Bank Ltd. and Enterprise Bank Ltd. respectively.

Amcon appointed Jacob Ajekigbe, a former managing director of First Bank of Nigeria Plc, as chairman of Keystone Bank and Oti Ikomi as managing director, it said in an e-mailed statement. Falalu Bello was named chairman of Mainstreet Bank, with Faith Tuedor-Matthews the managing director. Emeka Onwuka, a former managing director of Diamond Bank Plc, was appointed chairman and Ahmed Kuru managing director of Enterprise Bank.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has said the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) should share in the blame for the crises which led to last week's acquisition of Bank PHB, Spring Bank and Afribank.

NLC President, Comrade Abdulwahed Omar, said this was because the interim managers who were appointed by the CBN failed to revive the fortunes of the banks although he conceded that the reasons given for the takeover of the banks seemed plausible.

Omar, in a statement made available to THISDAY in Abuja Tuesday, queried the guarantee being offered that the bridge banks floated by the CBN through the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) would not suffer the same fate.

He called for measures to be put in place to protect depositors' funds and workers in the affected banks as well as attempts to redress the plight of shareholders some of whom are poor Nigerian working people.

He again called for more vigilance by all stakeholders in the banking sector while calling for a rooting out of the issue of falsification of financial records for narrow gains and make-believe profits.

This move many believe will help strenghten Nigeria's banking sector.

Notwithstanding public criticism that the first recess embarked upon by the National Assembly immediately upon inauguration in June this year undermined President Goodluck Jonathan's promise of having his cabinet in place within two weeks of his assumption of office, the National Assembly has proceeded on yet another holiday.

On July 29, both the Senate and the House of Representatives went on recess, this time for almost two months. The point must be made that no serious national parliament anywhere in the world undertakes recess twice within a spate of two months, except in instances where such actions are very compelling and are in the country's national interest.

Both the Senate and the House of Representatives had gone on a three-week recess a day after the 7th National Parliament was inaugurated on June 6, this year. Their argument then was that it was necessitated by the need to allow staff of the assembly enough time to allocate new offices, assign seats in the chambers, and generally prepare all the necessary administrative processes and mechanisms required for the smooth workings of the legislature. Barely a month after they returned from that recess, they have embarked on a much longer one.

Two weeks ago, senate president, David Mark, while speaking on the motion by senate leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba, on the need to proceed on recess, said the upper chamber would only reconvene on September 13 except there is a serious national issue that would warrant members being recalled. "If there are good reasons for us to reconvene before that date, we would do so, especially if there is a serious national issue to tackle," he said.

The implication of this statement is that there are currently no serious national issues facing Nigeria for our senate to tackle!

Only last week, nationwide apprehension over the threat of industrial action by organized labour enveloped the nation, following the breakdown in negotiations between labour and the federal government across the country. The questions are: Is the threat by organized labour to down tools in the face of the seeming frustrations and policy crisis by both the federal government and the states, over the implementation of the national minimum wage, not a serious national issue? What are our legislators who were elected to make laws and promote peace, stability and good governance doing within the purview of their constitutional roles to address these serious national issues? Are the current security challenges not serious national issues that need to be tackled? What about the several over sight functions of the legislature in critical sectors such as education, electricity, health, economy and environment, etc?

Taking a cue from the Senate, the House of Representatives has also gone on recess. It is billed to resume on September 12. Curiously, the break was taken by the lower chamber at a time when it announced to Nigerians that it had received 40 bills, 58 motions and four petitions, which the House itself said needed urgent legislative action!

We are of the firm view that these arbitrary recesses must stop, as they do not portray our lawmakers as serious people. In the United States from where we borrowed the current bi-cameral legislature under the presidential system, the congress has a well publicized legislative schedule, which it makes public at the beginning of every legislative year. Under the congressional schedules, special days such as public holidays -- Martin Luther King (Jr) holiday, President's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, etc, -- are captured, making it obvious to every American that congress would not be in session on such days.

Our National Assembly cannot and must not therefore operate on an ad hoc basis. Its legislative schedules and calendars must be clearly stated and respected by the leadership and membership of both houses. In his acceptance speech as senate president in June this year, Senator David Mark had pledged to ensure the birth of a new National Assembly. He must live up to this promise. The National Assembly has suffered serious reputation crisis since 1999 when the country returned to constitutional government. We are therefore of the firm view that this habit of going on recess at the slightest excuse must stop as it doesn't portray our lawmakers as serious people committed to good governance.

Such Actions can only be justified if they return with a Clean clear brain that will aid them in tackling all the numerous issues already on ground in the Country.

Power failure and the inability to get power to so many Nigerians by the Government has been a major issue in the Country as it is one of the major problems facing the nation and its citizen. Most Businesses done in Nigeria requires electricity but the fall of power has left so many businesses in a state of liquidation while some are just struggling to match up with the situation. Many businesses has since moved their businesses into other neighboring countries like Ghana where there is a stable power supply thereby costing the nation some loss of tax revenues.

Over the Years several past Government has embarked on several plans and projects to meet a desirable and appreciable level of power supply but several years has since past and yet Nigeria is still drowning in the same power supply problems. Several Billions has been injected into this sector by so many past government but no one can say for sure where those money actually landed on as most targets declared by them were not met.

This Present Government also has started several plans in bringing about a stable power supply while working with several private partners on this but only GOD knows if we will truly meet the target this Time or like the previous ones miss the target.

On Tuesday in Abuja, The Federal Government and the United States reaffirmed their commitment to implementing the reform of the power sector and instituting best practices to assure optimal performance and attract needed investment.

Both Nigeria and the United States stressed the importance of the Global Alliance of Clean Cook Stoves and affirmed their support for fuel-efficient cook stoves, especially to rural communities in Nigeria. Both nations agreed on the critical nature of the power sector to economic growth in Nigeria.

The Government of the United States pledged to continue working through the U.S. Agency for International Development to enhance capacity building in support of private sector participation in Nigeria’s power sector.

The government of Nigeria pledged to work toward a timely and comprehensive reform of the petroleum sector, recognising the critical benefits to Nigeria of a stable and transparent investment framework that upholds global standards of sanctity of contracts and comparable taxation regimes.

I Hope this new partnership will bring about the needed Power stability we have all been hoping for and bring an end to all the failed promises we always get during election campaigns.

The president’s proposal for a six-year single term for the president and governors has drawn many criticisms and condemnations from Nigerians from all works of life. The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) condemned the proposal calling it “self-serving and divisive”, and pointed out that the decision to amend the constitution must come from the people after a robust debate. Others viewed the president’s proposal as deceitful, “patently fraudulent and a terrible misadventure”; an attempt to distract the people’s attention from the demand for good governance. Many of these criticisms are well taken, but the question that comes to mind is why is the president interested in this when he knows the sordid history of term elongation in Nigeria and the outcome of the previous attempts?

It has also been stated that if passed into law, President Jonathan’s tenure will not be affected as the amendment would only take effect from 2015. It is true that 4-year term is too expensive, but 6-year single term may be far more expensive figuratively, by that, I mean the cumulative cost may be terrible for Nigeria. Lets examine the potential pros and cons.

Pros:

(a) 6-year tenure will mean that election will be held every 6 years instead of 4 years which means less money will be spent on elections.

(b) 6- year single term may encourage some presidents or governors to take bold steps with regard to the economic, political or social policies they think will benefit the country in the short and long-run without fear of negative backlash when they seek re-election.

(c) Zoning will be easier to implement across the six geo-political zones in a 6-year single term compared to what we have now.

Cons:

(a) 6-year single term will be more likely to consolidate the culture of impunity that already exist in Nigeria. Politicians will be less responsive to the electorate if they do not have to worry about re-election.

(b) Corruption is likely to increase because they will accumulate all they can without fear of immediate repercussion from the electorate.

(c) 6-year single term gives less incentive to successive presidents or governors to record achievements quickly so they can be rewarded with a second term. This incentive is a critical part of 2-term tenure. A President or governor will be more responsive to the electorate and less likely to govern like an emperor if they know they will face the electorate soon. 4-year or 5-year consecutive term creates inbuilt, self- perpetuating incentive of reward which in turn benefits the entire country. Typical example is the United states where 4 year two consecutive term have been in existence since post Franklin Roosevelt era. It is not perfect, but it has worked so far. .

(d) What happens if the electorate mistakenly elects an incompetent leader, that means Nigerians will be saddled with that person for 6 years. Six years of bad leadership is eternity, it will seem and feel like never ending nightmare. Some leaders are so narcissistic to the point of believing that their policies are correct and should not be questioned and will continue pushing unpopular policies through duration of their tenure. One may say that the Senate, House of Representative and House of Assembles are there to check and balance the executive power. That may not always be the case as you can see from most state House of Assemblies and local government councils where real democracy with checks and balances are yet to manifest.

The negative consequence of this proposal is enormous. Nigerians will be better off shunning this proposal. President Goodluck Jonathan may mean well, but good intention alone is not enough. This type of proposal is especially bad for a developing country like Nigeria where democracy and rule of law is just taking root. Mexico is practicing 6-year single term, and it does not seem to be working well. France have 7- year term but the president can run for re-election. 5-year two consecutive term for presidents and governors and 5-year continuous tenure for national and state legislatures will be a better idea since that will give them enough time to implement their programs and lessen money spent on election, but length of politician tenure should not be a priority for Nigeria at this time.

As I stated before, zoning should be done away with in Nigerian politics. Selection of leaders should be based on merit and capability not ethnicity, religion or geography. A good leader ends up lifting up the entire country. Conducting free and fair election, war on corruption, addressing insecurity and economy should be of utmost priority for Nigeria at this time. Politician elected in a fair and free election is more likely to be responsive to the electorate which will take care of some of the malaise bedeviling Nigeria.

While the tenure elongation project is still developing, Jonathan and his handlers have a lot to learn from the recent experience of Obasanjo, the man who picked him to serve as Yar’Adua’s vice President. Indeed, the tenure elongation project left an indelible stain, sour note and mark of ill-repute on the presidency and legacy of the hard-charging former President Obasanjo. But Goodluck insists he’s well-meaning. His critics argue to the contrary while Nigerians, largely, watch and observe and

A Journalist said that "No matter how strong the argument is, this just shows this is not a serious government. If it was even coming at the third year of the administration it would have been ok, but for goodness sake this is diversionary. "I think it is a big disappointment talking about tenure elongation when people are looking up to him. It is coming at a wrong time when people are looking forward to very serious policies that will snowball this country into greatness."

So Mr President get Back to the drawing board and by using scale of preference you can start giving the people what they truly want from Your Government.

The Nigerian SSS Has been Faced with so Many Security Challenges in recent times and it all seems they are really finding things a little bit difficult in getting most of their works done as the Nation is currently at a peak of high security instability.

They are faced with so many Corruption battles in most of the sectors of the economy, The Post Election Violence of which they are yet to uncover those behind it, The Boko Haram Issues that is ravaging the north and leaving many in Fears, Cyber crimes which at the moment seems like almost a lost battle, Kidnapping which thing has left several stains on the nations image and also the recent Bombings in several parts of the Country including the one at the police headquarters which took several lives. Both with all this how well can we say the SSS has performed in Curbing most of this Security Challenges.

Here are some Other Comments Made by People in response to the Comic Presentation of this issue.

Single tenure was not my idea; it was the idea of the committee that I chaired - Says President Jonathan.

Reacting to criticism that has followed reports that President Goodluck Jonathan plans to forward a bill to the National Assembly that calls for the establishment of a single term tenure for the president and governors, the president pointed out that the idea did not originate from him, but was raised, discussed and accepted in a committee that included all political parties, except ACN.

The inter-party committee had been set up by the late President Yar’Adua, who sent a memo to the Justice Muhammadu Uwais Committee on Electoral Review, as a contribution to the committee’s efforts to find lasting solution to the crisis of confidence that trails elections in Nigeria.

“Before I take any decision, I used to consult. But, that is not the end of consultation. It is a major chain. So, before I can send such a bill to the National Assembly, I will consult with the governors because, any constitutional amendment involves the states and if they are not on the same page with you, there is no way such an amendment can easily sail through.”

“I have not even discussed with the governors. I have never. He also explained how the issue got to the attention of the populace, saying “I asked one or two people about this and I felt that it was a good idea. So, the issue leaked out to the press and instead of talking about whether the issue is a single tenure or we should continue with the tenure, people are rather pinning it to elongation of tenure.

“Because of those challenges, the late President set up the Justice Uwais Committee to look into Electoral Reform and so on. He also asked all the parties to come together and form a team so that all the parties will submit a common position. And he asked me then as the Vice-President, to chair the inter-party committee to come up with a common memorandum to the Justice Uwais Committee. “I chaired that committee. We invited all the parties that formed government and they participated. Only ACN did not participate. To be fair to them, the other parties attended and we spent almost three weeks or a month. The report is there.

“Because the way the information flowed, we said we will correct the impression. I have nothing to do with the four year presidency that Nigerians have given to us. We just wanted to clarify it and I think we need to mention that it was not my idea; it was the idea of the committee that I chaired which we believe those of us, the majority members of the committee believe, is the best option.”

On The Other Hand Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, has said contrary to public perception, it was not his idea to introduce Islamic banking - also known as "non-interest banking" - into the Nigerian financial system. The credit, he said, should go to his predecessor in office, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, whom he said developed the processes and procedures for the formation and implementation of the system before he left office in 2009.

"I inherited the idea. A committee on the formation of Islamic bank was appointed and this was led by a Deputy Governor of the CBN Mr. Tunde Lemo... the committee was fully satisfied with the proposal and formation. So this is not my idea, I met it on ground."

Here are some Other Comments Made by People in response to the Comic Presentation of this issue. and sorry this funny comic photo is not my Idea oh I only copied it.

Thanks.