I am not sure of what to think about this appointment. But it sure does give me a 'running stomach'! Maybe I am a little attached to the idea of a Dora in NAFDAC. Even though it may not come as I may have loved it, I somehow feel Nigeria should be allowed to survive as a people.

We may have depended so much on Prof. Dora before now but I think this change will help us appreciate the fact that we may not always have Dora, and a changed Nigeria is the responsibility of everyone. Her exit from NAFDAC, may well show if Nigeria is as matured enough for change as NAFDAC under Dora has demonstrated.

For sometime now, I've been reading the pages of the papers about the recent ministerial appointments in Nigeria. I must say I'm dissappointed at the turn of events in the administration of Umoru Musa YarAdua. I had high hopes at the beginning.

Could it be that he's allowed his ''good'' intentions to be hijacked by the hawks? How on earth did he place Dora in the information ministry? How is it that Lucky ''the Edo thief'' Igbinedion is allowed to part with a paltry N3.5 million to get away from the long arms of the law? What's happening to power supply suddenly? We had it so so good a couple of months back. What's going on?!

Dora is a card carrying member of the PDP. So her appointment doesnt came as a surprise. She was also one of Yar aduas campaign coordinators during the elections.
A pharmacology professor as the information minister is stupid. Funny though, she accepted the offer. I dont trust the woman anymore, she is now a full fledged Nigerian politician.

Dora's acceptance of the appointment just confirmed me fears. Every Nigerian is greedy, could be greed for money, position or simply fame.

Well i am a suprised here for people to think Dora is a messiah. I never thought of her like that. she is as greedy as most of us Nigerians. all we hear about is Dora Akinluyi in NAFDAC. is she the only person in NAFDAC? who is the second in command? does that tell you anything about her? if she was not greedy and really did a fantastic job in NAFDAC, why did she have to lobby for a ministerial post in this deluded Government we have? Did Gani not just refuse a national honour? did Wole soyinka not resign froom FRSC?If she is so smart, intelligent and forthright as most of her pundist proclaim, how come she so dull not to know that she will not do much with the present "dead" Government? your answer pariotism right? . Patriotism my foot . she has been shot a couple of time and in one occasion the police actually claimed that they shot her just to be able to justify releasing who the chief culprit is. She is there for one thing , THE MONEY. please stop praising her . just give some time and you will hear of all her dirty deals . I am not trying to run her down here but she is not what you think she is. she lobbied for health minister and she is now been compensated with information minister and you guys know what will happen. Misinformation . Its not by force to serve especailly when the conditions are not conducive . enuff said

bivins1:

Well i am a suprised here for people to think Dora is a messiah. I never thought of her like that. she is as greedy as most of us Nigerians. all we hear about is Dora Akinluyi in NAFDAC. is she the only person in NAFDAC? who is the second in command? does that tell you anything about her? if she was not greedy and really did a fantastic job in NAFDAC, why did she have to lobby for a ministerial post in this deluded Government we have? Did Gani not just refuse a national honour? did Wole soyinka not resign froom FRSC?If she is so smart, intelligent and forthright as most of her pundist proclaim, how come she so dull not to know that she will not do much with the present "dead" Government? your answer pariotism right? . Patriotism my foot . she has been shot a couple of time and in one occasion the police actually claimed that they shot her just to be able to justify releasing who the chief culprit is. She is there for one thing , THE MONEY. please stop praising her . just give some time and you will hear of all her dirty deals . I am not trying to run her down here but she is not what you think she is. she lobbied for health minister and she is now been compensated with information minister and you guys know what will happen. Misinformation . Its not by force to serve especailly when the conditions are not conducive . enough said

BAD BELLE, BEEF

@post
while i agree with the general candour being displayed here concerning the appointment,i must also say here that her not resigning or rejecting the post is slowly reducing her credibility in the eyes of nigerians, when she criticised adedibu early this year or so and the man retorted that she was bitter because she was not given a ministerial post no one took any notice due to the man's low moral standing,but i must admit im starting to believe what the man was saying,
an act bodering on high moral principles like she has displayed in the past in executing her job needs to be undertaken by resigning or rejecting the post and if she doesnt do that then im afraid she has rubbished her achievements all by herself,
gani had been tempted with posts such as these,money e.t.c which he has rejected so its not like its not been done before

when i and others were criticising ribadu for his part during the obj era,some disagreed, its been said loud and clear now that, if her face gets rubbed in mud and mire,she isnt going to get an ounce of sympathy from me or many nigerians and any cry of tribalism isnt going to move anyone

Robotnik:

BAD BELLE, BEEF

your name explains it all robot .

Dora is a robber and I see her worse than Madam Etteh, Just wait and see

there was something someone pointed out in one thread,let me add on that.

Dora is not the only person in NAFDAC,she is not the one that goes out to intercept the fake and substandard drugs.
We have never heard of anyone in NAFDAC except her,taking all the credit and accolade.
we have never heard of the 2nd,3rd,4th,5th. . . etc in command,not even the state directors or the chief drug interceptor.
Everything NAFDAC is Dora.If there were not dedicated employees in NAFDAC,would they not just collect bribe and let the fake drugs be.
But they stood and fought fake drugs,while madam Dora in her office in Abuja takes all the credit.

We will see her true color now that the workers in the ministry are not as dedicated and patriotic as those in NAFDAC.

[size=14pt]An interesting piece i think should share with u guyz.[/size]




Dora Akunyili: Pouring Sand In One's Own Garri
Written by Michael egbejumi-David
Monday, 22 December 2008
DORA AKUNYILI: POURING SAND IN ONE’S OWN GARRI

By Michael Egbejumi-David

The mighty Lamidi Adedibu has been proved right. In the height of his battle with Dr Dora Akunyili over his Mafia-like protection of contaminated seafood and other bad products dealers in Ibadan, Chief Adedibu said that Akunyili’s whining about his refusal to let the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) officials do their work and close down those dealers was a case of bad belle. He pointed out that Akunyili knew how the system worked in Ibadan and had not raised any objections all these years. He then revealed that her later day lamentations to the Press was because he had refused to put her name forward for a Ministerial post in May/June 2007 despite some heavy lobbying from Akunyili.

During Obasanjo’s eight locust years, Dr Akunyili was one of the few bright spots. In my view, she was up there with the likes of Dr Ngozi Oknonjo-Eweala, Charles Soludo, Nuhu Ribadu and El-Rufai. These people were no saints – no one is, certainly not in Nigeria; however, they did a very creditable job at their respective duty posts. Akunyili was not different. Sometimes, she did what she had to do; but she did her job exceeding well and was rightfully and widely acknowledged for it.

But sure enough there were always whispers about some NAFDAC battles being media designed, media driven, and media won. There were whispers about aggrandisement and excessive addiction to the accoutrement of high office. For instance, long before the attempt on her life, her husband who was a Registrar at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital was turning up for work in a four vehicle Mobile Police entourage. Also, Dr Akunyili was appointed to NAFDAC on 12 April 2001. Before then, she was a Senior Lecturer and a Consultant Pharmacologist at the University of Nigeria Nsukka (Enugu Campus). But now her name is prefixed with the title “Professor.” But still these were not criminal offences. The brilliant lady got the job done.

However, whispers began to turn to open consternation when she began a surprising and highly visible romance with the Andy Uba governorship operation in Anambra State. Dr Akunyili became an active member of that campaign. She made all sorts of specious speeches about Uba being the best thing this side of a Toronto certificate. She certainly was on his transition team. I also remember seeing her in an interview where she said that if God wanted Obasanjo to go for a third term, there was nothing wrong in that.

And now, just 24 hours after being shunted to the Information & Communications Ministry, Akunyili described her posting as “an act of God.” She didn’t stop at that blasphemy; she went further to say that the Ministry “is the soul of the country!” She then called on all Nigerians to come together in the task of giving the country a positive image, saying that is what the country needs to attract foreign investments and development. See? Not even two days on the job and the woman is already talking crazy.

Let us be clear; Akunyili has been flogged-off to the Information Ministry. The Communications addendum of that job was not the main consideration in assigning her that post. That Information and Communication merger is a strange marriage anyway. The main qualification for headship of the Information Ministry is that the person needs to be a Yes-man and a propagandist - and perhaps spot a miserable moustache. Doers are not welcomed there. In fact, there's nothing there to "do." So, in real terms, Akunyili talked herself into, and accepted an insultive demotion.

Dr Akunyili lobbied hard for a Ministerial post (she'd been at it for a while) and the folks around Yar’Adua saw in her an opportunity to kill the two proverbial birds with one stone - handing her a poisoned goblet and hoping she would make their perfidious and rudderless administration look less so. I had hoped that she would go to the Health Ministry to at least resuscitate that place that had assumed a Yar’Aduaic paralysis. Moreover, her work at NAFDAC where she successfully tackled the scourge of counterfeit drugs stands her in good stead to be able to administratively cut through the logjam in the Health Ministry. If not that, then the Works Ministry.

I’m not even sure what real difference an Information Ministry make to a country. In fact, I think excessive emphasis and the pre-eminence of an Information Ministry is a sure sign of a failed or failing State and an indicator of an incompetent administration. For all intent and purposes, Akunyili is now saddled with explaining the ineptitude and duplicity of Yar’Adua, Andoakaa, Farida Waziri, and the rest of the gang. And if she manages to put any old spin on Yar’Adua’s frightful incompetence, Andoakaa's manic devotion to scuttling Ibori's theft case in the UK and shielding the other corrupt ex-governors, would she then be adjudged to have succeeded in her duty? It is pitiful to see this highly brilliant and energetic lady reduced to this. She is now going to wear the disused robe of “success” discarded by one Joseph Goebbels of the Third Reich in Nazi Germany. Either that or she picks up the one discarded by Chemical Ali of Saddam’s Iraq. I am really surprised. I did not know that a Ministerial appointment mattered this much to Dr Akunyili.

It is just so sad that Akunyili could cause her hard and well earned reputation to be heading for the tank like this. Second-guessing of her work and revisionism has already begun. Clearly this brave lady did a lot of impressive work at NAFDAC but she has taken the sledgehammer to all of that. It is just too bad that it has come to this.

Yar’Adua has demonstrated and put the message strongly out there that his administration is for the deeply corrupt and high sleaze. Look at what is happening to Nuhu Ribadu these days. I am sure also that NAFDAC is now going to go the way of the EFCC. Surely Dr Akunyili has set herself up for a very hard fall. She has talked and walked herself into a lose-lose job. Yar’Adua’s sardonic and clueless administration is now going to attempt to use her hard earned good name and reputation to put a half decent face on their folly. In short, they now have a very expensive handkerchief into which they will blow their nose, after which it will simply be tossed away. What a great pity.

When a person goes all out tooth and nail to get a Ministerial slot, that means such a person will do anything for high office. This, unfortunately, is an ugly side of Dr Akunyili emerging. And speaking of ugliness, that is what runs through Yar’Adua’s latest Ministerial cabinet. For instance, Dr Lukman – yes the same old recycled Rilwan Lukman was appointed the Petroleum Minister. With all due respect, Dr Lukman is one of the grand failures of our time. For a very long time, he had being one of the main drivers of our oil/petroleum sector policy and look what we have! We have made a steady and alarming backward march in that vital sector of our nation. Today, despite being one of the world’s largest crude oil producing countries we are also now one of the largest importers of petroleum products in the entire world. Juxtapose that please against Venezuela, Qatar, Algeria, Angola, and even war-soaked Sudan.

But I guess being a proven failure is one of the criteria for being "it" in Nigeria. Dr Shamsudeen Usman got moved to another Ministry instead of an outright sack. Deziani Allison-Madueke who couldn't make a pothole of a difference in the Works Ministry was moved to Mines & Steel. Sam Egwu was brought in to reprise his failures in Eboyin State.

In fact Egwu's case should give all of us real concerns about Yar'Adua's method of madness: In July 2007, the citizens of Eboyin State wrote to Yar’Adua and submitted a petition to the EFCC that detailed how Egwu stole a whopping N80 billion out of just over N150 billion that was allocated to that State between 1999 and 2007. What happened? First, Egwu was only an OBJ grey whisker away from becoming the Chairman of that den of thieves, the PDP; and now he has been settled with the Education Ministry. I guess when Yar’Adua labelled himself the servant-leader, he wasn’t kidding at all.

In January 2008, Lucky Igbinedion, the thieving ex-governor of Edo State was dragged to Court on a 191 count charge by Ribadu’s EFCC for stealing some N4.4 billion and $24 million. Waziri’s EFCC reduced all that to just one single solitary count of corruption and just last week, Igbinedion was let off with only a N3.6 million fine. A startling display of ‘rule of law.” Sadly, this is the group for which Dr Akunyili is now the Spokesperson.

What was that saying? Be careful what you wish for, for you might get it……….



http://www.nigeriavillagesquare.com/articles/michael-egbejumi-david/dora-akunyili-pouring-sand-in-ones-own.html

Unmasking the masquarade.

But Who Can You Say Fits The Health Minister Post Btw Babatunde and Madam NAFDAC ?


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madam Dora was never accused of embezzling money but Babatunde was

Then i guess Yar-adua place him there for a bigger share. To me, Madam NAFDAC fit in totally.


Amazing Reads! After Aborting 3 Times For Him, He's Set To Marry Another Lady This Month.

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Great choice, i do believe she will excel. Madam minister when u vie for president i'll most likely support you!

This woman is ready to go on a free fall, the curses of her enemies the fake drug warriors have finally caught her. Otherwise i see no reason why a woman who was great at her health and food job would accept to be the mouthpiece of a retarded administration.

She should have rejected it based on principles.

Remember Chukwumerije, Ofanagoro, Fani Kayode, Frank Nweke , anyone with good memory would know whatever they said then was bucket load of crap and lies. Why would Aunty Dora go on this no so noble path

Quest for power could indeed blind the reasoning.

The radio house wont have her longer than neccessary

Sure , right about now the NUJ is politely ejecting here.


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Hmm, U guys hv said it ol. When i heard d info abt dora on radio as comms minister omo i was injuriosly surprised! I culd nt stomach it. Then i waited till the next day to c if i was actuali dreaming, hoping 2 hear sumtin diff, but i got d same news d nxt day. Only few govt officials i can say hv done well atleast given d currupt nature of anytin public officer. There set of people end up bein treated bad cos they stand out of d rest who most prefer 2 milk nigeria dry. Elrufai, nuhu ribadu n dora hv nw been made scapegoat. Its lyk nigeria is nt ready 4 good service or is it dat we still hv does element dat dnt think anytin gud shld hapen 2 majority poor people there? Sincerely, iam nt dsappoint dat d govt culd do such a tin cos it is nt jst happenin, dats dia culture. But am disappointd dora accept dat post. Now i jst think ol she has done is nafdac she dnt appreciate cos it wasnt like her doin does tin she did there. An end has cum 2 her good dids if she dnt knw, Som1 let ha knw pls. I cry 4 my babe gal

Let's not conclude yet, the drama is just unfolding.

I don't think it's a good idea!

She has got lots of choice. But i think stepping down should be the best option. But she's already enjoying her post what can Nigerians do?


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D-Explorer:

She has got lots of choice. But i think stepping down should be the best option. But she's already enjoying her post what can Nigerians do?

Watch!

This is a clear case of a confused leadership. The Man does not know what he got himself into being the PRESIDENT OF THIS COUNTRY. Unprepared, without any clue. Thats what Nigeria will have to go thru at least for the next 3yrs or so. The country lack direction cos the man has nothing to offer. Akunyili an iformation minister? Abacha wouldnt have done that. Nigeria Pray!!!

I think they want her to clean up Nigeria's image abroad.

@post





Why Dora Akunyili Lost Health Ministry
Yinka Oladoyinbo, Akure -27.12.2008

One of the greatest shocks of the recent cabinet reshuffle was the posting of former NAFDAC (National Food and Drug Administration) Director-General, Prof. Dora Akunyili, to the Ministry of Information and Communications.

Investigations by the Saturday Tribune revealed that Akunyili who was expected by many people to get the health portfolio lost to Prof. Babatunde Osotimehin, Director-General, National Action Committee on AIDS (NACA), due to the influence of the First Lady, Hajia Turai Yar’Adua.

It was gathered that despite the public expectation that Dora would grab the health post, being a pharmacist, the first lady opted for Osotimehin because she had had a close working relationship with the former DG of NACA.

The first lady got close to Osotimehin because of her pet projects which had to do with HIV/AIDS and when it came to choosing between the health professionals, Turai ignored gender sentiments and the expectations of Nigerians and went for the former NACA chief.

She was said to have opted for the person she had worked with rather than Akunyili to whom she was not quite close.

Turai’s reasoning was said to be based on the fact that her HIV/AIDS campaign was very strategic to her and that she needed a minister of health she knew very well to ensure that her projects do not suffer.

As NACA boss, Osotimehin was said to have demonstrated strong loyalty to the first lady including being physically present in many of Turai’s programmes since she began her campaign against HIV/AIDS.

It was also gathered that sponsors of Akunyili put up strong campaign for posting her to the health ministry but could not match the influence of the first lady.

Investigations also revealed that one or two days before their swearing-in, Akunyili had got a hint that she had lost the battle to Osotimehin.

The former NAFDAC boss was said to have been told by some close family members that she should rather remain in NAFDAC instead of going to a ministry where she would be a stranger but she rejected the suggestion.

However, it was not clear whether it was the backlash of the struggle with the first lady’s choice that was responsible for her posting to a ministry that had nothing to do with health/medicine or even Science.

The shock that greeted her deployment to information/Communications made reporters to ask for her reaction and she attributed it to God’s plan.





Asked on how it could be explained to Nigerians, she said, “What I will tell them is that posting is approved by God. Nothing happens without God’s approval.

“God wants me to be where I am today at this time and He has His purpose for where I am today and I can feel it. “Come to think of it, Nigeria ’s image needs, to some extent, to be revived.

“Image is important because if you don’t say what you are and if you don’t present it in the right way, there may be wide-spread misconceptions about what Nigeria and Nigerians are all about all over the world.

“We may not achieve the seven point agenda of Mr. President because if people get disinterested in Nigeria because of the negative media we receive and even in Nigeria, they will not even come to invest.

and the manouvres and maradonic strategies begin,dora akunyili style

It is obvious that our president is seek and lost focus, obasanjo used good, vibrant and technocrat nigerian in his govt,most especiallly youths,why this aboki dey recircling old politician like ukatte lukuma etc his he telling us that there is no better man in calabar again na wa for this man ooooooo dora will not perform in this office they will just spoil her reputation she as long build. make una tell aboki to wake up oooooooooooooooo

This kind of list is what you have when you have an aboki as a president. Restoring the errors in the recycle bin

Terrible. Dora becoming Education Minister. That's one of the worse things the President of the country has done in recent time. So,the killings should go on with lots of adulterated drugs out there.Surprised Dora even accepted the job, so it's all about the money. God save Nigeria from the hands of wrong rulers.

while i agree with the general candour being displayed here concerning the appointment,i must also say here that her not resigning or rejecting the post is slowly reducing her credibility in the eyes of nigerians, when she criticised adedibu early this year or so and the man retorted that she was bitter because she was not given a ministerial post no one took any notice due to the man's low moral standing,but i must admit I'm starting to believe what the man was saying,
an act bodering on high moral principles like she has displayed in the past in executing her job needs to be undertaken by resigning or rejecting the post and if she doesnt do that then I'm afraid she has rubbished her achievements all by herself,
gani had been tempted with posts such as these,money e.t.c which he has rejected so its not like its not been done before

when i and others were criticising ribadu for his part during the obj era,some disagreed, its been said loud and clear now that, if her face gets rubbed in mud and mire,she isnt going to get an ounce of sympathy from me or many nigerians and any cry of tribalism isnt going to move anyone

Who is asking for your sympathy especially if she was to be caught with her hands dirty? Even if she would be persecuted while her hands are clean, what will your sympathy do for her; write long and baseless essays on nairaland?

When she was taking the bull by the horn in NAFDAC, less was heard of which tribe she came from, she was mostly referred to as a credible nigerian. But unfortunately now that she is trying to pour sands into her own garri, you are trying to make bold the tribe she is.
Na wahh for nigerians.

RibaduFan:

Let's not conclude yet, the drama is just unfolding.

What a stupid nigerian you are.
Right from the beginning of this thread you've been busy writing off Dora's achievements and why she is already a failure as a minister, but as soon as someone stated that she could turn out fine in her new job, you then remembered to tell us not to conclude too soon.

Just say whats deep down in your mind so that all these hypocrisy would rest for once.