Dollarization Of The APC Primaries: How Amaehi Vanquished Atiku #saibuhari
The blogosphere was inundated with reports of the excessive sharing of dollars at the All Progressives Congress which took place during the latter part of last week.
One APC supporter and Special Adviser to Osun Governor on Environment, BolaIlori had blown the scandal open after he saw the beginning stages of the dollarization in action.
He took to his Facebook page and scribbled, “Crazy things are happening here!!! Some of these cannot represent the change Nigeria is yearning for. Excessive dollarization by one of the aspirants to is to say the least obscene. I have been involved in political process for decades now, I have never witnessed this volume of raw dollarization of party primaries. I only read about this kind of things in PDP primaries. A question been asked by conscientious delegates is that whoever can be giving out between $2000 to $5000 to…delegates certainly does not represent the kind of change Nigerians want…those who contributed to the pauperization of Nigeria now revel in dollarization… majority of Ondo delegates are still standing with Buhari but have been reduced from 85% to 70% within 24 hours…the remaining has gone with dollars ooo.!!!!!”
One has to wonder how Buhari was able to win the primaries in this era of stomach infrastructure where dollars are like the Biblical manna that God sent down from heaven to nourish the Israelites as they made their way to the promised land.
Sources close to the APC with knowledge of the way the Primaries unfolded have revealed that it was Rivers State Governor, Amaechi who flew back to Rivers State and returned to Lagos on Thursday morning with enough dollars to make Benjamin Franklin blush.
It has been revealed that Atiku offered the delegates $5000 each, but Amaechi doubled it to $10000 a pop. Thus turning the tables in favour of General Buhari.
Since his adventure into the APC, Amaechi has gone out of his way to prove himself a party loyalist, always the first to shoki or azonto at the many events the APC holds, which he himself is usually the chief sponsor.
According to party insiders, Amaechi has overtaken Tinubu as the major financier of the party. One does not need to wonder why he is always at President Jonathan’s throat over misappropriated oil wells or other such business. Anything that diminishes from the State’s coffers will have a ripple effect on his funding budget for the APC.
Published on Feb 17, 2015 Not Only Boko Haram is an Issue, Buhari is also a big Problem - Prof. Goran International Criminal Law Professor Speaks from Washington DC
Whynotthetruth: My gross with Jonathan presidency is why his media crew allowed APC to intimidate the populace with lies and propaganda...
Sincerely; records show that entrepreneurs and business developers and even those into commerce and trading are FAR BETTER now under Jonathan than back in 1983/1985 under buhari...Creative and innovative ideas are doing well now; while some lazy chaps(annoyingly claiming graduates with no original or innovative or creative or cognitive reasoning) lie down at home waiting for stipends & screaming sai buhari...
Under buhari; ***businesses closed; ***companies folded; ***government sacked people; ***private employers downsized; ***essential commodities were scarce; ***railway collapsed; ***press died; ***unionism went into extinction; ***economy bled; inflation figures wasn't managed well; ***selective justice thrived; ethnic motivated trials upped; ***no new school or improvement in education sector;
***NOT A SINGLE SIGNATURE PROJECT IN 20 MONTHS etc...
IF BUHARI FAILED IN HIS PRIME AS A LEADER; HOW WILL HE GET IT RIGHT NOW THAT HE'S TIRED
It can be recalled that the the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Muhammadu Buhari, last month called on the government to implement immediate price reduction on fuel products to reflect the downscaling in global oil prices.
Speaking through his campaign organization, the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council, Mr. Buhari asked the government to “stop stealing from Nigerians and allow them enjoy the relief that has come to consumers of petroleum products globally”.
The APC candidate had said, “The price of diesel which has been deregulated since 2009 still sells at the pump price of N150 and N170 per litre, the same pump price when the international benchmark per barrel of crude was over $100. Now that the international benchmark has dropped to $47.5 (USD) per barrel as at Monday, we ask: where is the deregulation and the relief which it ought to bring to local consumers of diesel?
“For the Nigerian consumers, unfortunately the collapse of crude oil price since October 2014 has not translated into any change in diesel, kerosene and PMS prices across the country.
“We challenge the federal government to reconcile the information on the website of the Petroleum Products Pricing and Regulatory Agency, indicating the maximum open market price of diesel per litre in December 2014 as being at N111.6 and the fact that the price has come down to less than $50 (USD) as at Monday.
“We want to posit that that the maximum indicative benchmark open consumers of diesel should pay is at a margin below N100 per litre. Therefore, Nigerians are being short-changed by about N50 to N70 on every litre of diesel sold by government.
Buhari promises allowances for unemployed corps members, free meal for pupils January 05, 2015
All Progressives Congress, APC, presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari (retd), has promised to provide allowances to discharged but unemployed Youth Corps members for Twelve (12) months while in the skills and entrepreneurial development programmes, if elected in 2015. There is also the pledge to provide One Meal a day for all Primary school pupils. Buhari/Osibanjo administration also vow to create a Social Welfare Program of at least Five Thousand Naira (N5000) that will cater for the 25 million poorest and most vulnerable citizens upon the demonstration of children’s enrolment in school and evidence of immunisation to help promote family stability. “As a nation and the Sub Saharan Africa’s leading energy producer, we had in the past squandered the opportunity to build functional infrastructure to better the lives of the average Nigerian. We can no longer afford this luxury of inactivity. We must revive our public and private sectors in order to provide functional services and secure the good of the individual Nigerian and his or her family,” Buhari said in a document that reveals some of his plans for 2015.
[size=18pt]I’ll make Naira equal in value to dollar, says Buhari [/size]
Owerri – The All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, on Monday said he would ensure that the Naira was equal to the dollar in value, if voted into office. Buhari stated this during the South-East presidential rally of the party at Dan Anyima Stadium, Owerri. “It is sad that the value of the naira has dropped to more than N230 to one dollar; this does not speak well for the nation’s economy,’’ he said. He urged the people to vote for APC, noting that he would ensure that corruption was tackled headlong if elected. Earlier, Gov Rochas Okorocha had urged APC supporters to vote for the party’s candidates at all levels, noting that a vote for Buhari without support to others at the state would amount to nothing. Okorocha said Buhari would address the problem of electricity, bring back the kidnapped Chibok girls and promote industrial growth. He said that Buhari was loved by the people in the region and urged them to elect him and other APC candidates during the March 28 and April 11 general elections. Former governor of Anambra, Mr Chinwoke Mbadinuju and former Minister of Education, Chinwe Obaji, were formally welcomed to the APC at the rally. The rally was attended by APC supporters from Abia, Ebonyi, Anambra, Enugu and Imo. (NAN) -
And so far, all these "projects" only exist as 3D models for 8 fvcking years of his administration, yet this same Ogundamisi praises him. Who does this ugly imp think he's calling out for hypocrisy? Is he done calling out Bukola Saraki the chief destroyer of Kwara State who has turned the area into his family property?
This dumb, ugly Twitter imp needs to go look for someone else to fool with his stupidity please.
Isn't it just funny that these APC hungry rats can praise Tinubu for opening his smelly mouth to say he's against corruption, but when someone from outside their party echoes the same thoughts, you see them up in arms like hormonal middle-aged virgins, trying to shout the person down?
YOUR Femi Gbajabiamila was on Channels TV last month trying to justify the jumbo Package received by Lawmakers, yet you douche nozzles keep screaming change. How convenient. Please, look for some other political personality to pick on, because this current tactic is dead on arrival.
And by the way, this is Ben Bruce during the Fuel Subsidy debate, talling about the need to cut down the jumbo pay of the lawmakers. This is as early as 2011, so this belief didn't just start today.
Obasanjo endorses APC moves, as party leadership visit Abeokuta 22.Dec 2013
The push by the opposition, All Progressives Congress, APC to dislodge the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP received a boost yesterday as former President Olusegun Obasanjo openly threw his weight behind the APC’s current initiatives. The APC leadership, comprising some national leaders and governors visited him Obasanjo in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital on Saturday to solicit the former president’s support for the party in the forthcoming elections. The party leaders, which started converging on Obasanjo’s Hilltop Mansion around 5:22pm, included former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the party’s Interim National Chairman, Bisi Akande; former Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari; former speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Masari; former Borno State governor, Senator Ali Modu-Sheriff; Senator Osita Isunazor; Senator Bukola Saraki and Lai Mohammed. Governor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State came to the former president’s house in company with the former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commissioin, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu; the former minister of aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode and others in a convoy of three black jeeps. Other APC governors at the meeting included Rochas Okorocha (Imo), Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun), Abdulfattah Ahmed (Kwara), Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano) and Senator Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo). The Chairman of the New PDP, Kawu Baraje led some of his members and the former Kaduna State Chairman, Yero Makama, to the meeting. Presenting the party chieftains and the APC governors to Obasanjo during the opening of the meeting, Akande said the party was in support of the former president’s 18-page letter to President Goodluck Jonathan. The APC National Leader, Tinubu who alluded to Obasanjo’s contribution to the building of the Nigerian nation, lamented that the country was divided more than ever. Apparently referring to Obasanjo’s recent letter to Jonathan, he enjoined the former president not to shy away from speaking the truth. Tinubu added that the APC had resolved to rescue Nigeria, appealing to Obasanjo to lead the mission. “You’ve come out of tribulation and held the highest position in this country. We are here because of your courage. Nobody can say he has information more than you. You have surmounted a number of crises. Nigeria is divided more than before; to realise stable Nigeria, we want to encourage you to continue to speak the truth. We’re resolved and determined to rescue Nigeria. We want you as navigator,” he said.
As the Judicial Commission of Inquiry set up by the Rivers State Government to probe the sale of valued assets of the state and other matters continued its sitting on Friday, the technical consultant to the state on the monorail project, Arcus Gibbs revealed that he advised former Governor Chibuike Amaechi against continuing with the project.
Managing Director of Arcus Gibbs Nig Ltd, Wiero Viguezang, however said his company gave the advice only after collecting N22.9bn from the Rivers State Government since its services were enlisted in March 1, 2010.
Viguezang spoke when he appeared before the commission to explain the role played by his company in the monorail project being probed by the commission.
While being cross-examined by counsel to the commission, Dr. Zaccheus Adangor, Viguezang, stated that the monorail project was no longer tenable considering the shortfall in the state’s revenue and the inability of its original technical and equity partners, TSI Nig Ltd, headed by the former military administrator of Rivers State, Brig-Gen Anthony Ukpo (Rtd.), to fulfil its obligations to contribute 80 per cent of its equity holdings.
He disclosed that the state owes his company N1.1bn for its services. He also said the company had in a letter to the Rivers State through the ministry of transport, in April, made a six-point recommendation to the Rivers State on how to unbundle the monorail project in such a way that the state government can salvage some financial benefits out of the N33.9bn so far invested in the project. The monorail project was originally estimated to cost about Euros2250m.
The technical partner had in its sixth point of recommendation suggested to the Rivers State Government to unbundle the monorail project and approach the manufacturers of the mechanical components and rail tracks in Germany and exploit the possibility of reselling components at a lower price to the manufacturers.
He said the company also advised the state government to consider the option of using the monorail facilities for other commercially viable purposes, mentioning the spaces between pillars and surrounding areas of the monorail project, stressing that the area between Azikiwe Road and the UTC axis could be put into very fruitful commercial purpose. Viguezang also told the commission that his company and the state government had planned to unveil the monorail project last April specifically to mislead the people of Rivers State into thinking that the project, which has gulped N33.9bn, was still on course.
He admitted that his company wrote a memo to the commissioner for transport to arrange the unveiling of the project essentially for media coverage since the project was “technically uncompleted”.
According to Viguezang, “We actually wrote to the ministry of transport in January, to arrange for the governor to unveil the monorail project in April for the attention and coverage of the media based on the expectation of the people of the state.”
When asked to clarify if the unveiling was to deceive the people of Rivers State into believing that the controversial monorail project was ready, Viguezang admitted; “It was to deceive the people into believing that the monorail project was at last ready”.
The managing director, however, stressed that “apart from the media coverage and public attention that it is expected to generate, the monorail was not technically and commercially ready. Only phase 1a within phase 1 of the project was ready. So, there was no way the public would have been able to use the monorail as at April when we asked the ministry of transport to unveil the project to the media”.
Viguezang admitted that the Rivers State government enlisted services of Arcus Gibbs at the cost of N600 million from March 1, 2010 to December 1, 2010, after the memorandum of understanding (MoU) with TSI collapsed because TSI could not raise revenue to fulfil the payment of its 80 per cent equity share capital.
He stated that part of its role as the technical service provider to the Rivers State government concerning the monorail project was to evaluate and assess the activities of TSI and give an independent opinion to the Rivers State government.
Some $2.2bn-worth of Nigerian energy contracts were awarded without a bidding process by the former president and his energy minister, officials say. One was to a company with less than $200 of base capital at the time, a witness told a parliamentary committee.
It is investigating why $16bn of investment in the energy sector during Olusegun Obasanjo's eight years in power failed to end power shortages.
NIGERIA: Why Obasanjo's war on corruption is faltering
lagos, 30 July 2004 (IRIN) - When President Olusegun Obasanjo took office in 1999, ending more than 15 years of corrupt and often brutal military rule, he declared it was the end of "business as usual" with graft.
Corruption, he said, was a cancer that had debilitated the Nigerian state and frustrated development efforts, despite the country's huge oil riches. It was,therefore, an enemy to be fought until it retreated.
The first bill which Obasanjo sent to the national legislature after he took office proposed the creation of new anti-graft body, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
Corruption watchdog undermined by low funding
When the bill became law a year later, after overcoming resistance by legislators who sought to weaken its provisions, Justice Mustapha Akanbi - a retired president of the Federal Appeal Court - was named to head the new commission.
But four years later, it has yet to secure any significant conviction.
On the contrary, all the signs are that corruption is spreading and that Obasanjo is losing the war he declared on bribes and kickbacks.
Nigeria's rating by the Berlin-based corruption watchdog, Transparency International, has not improved at all. It remains at the bottom of the table, with only Bangladesh rated as a worse place in which to do business.
The Osun State Governor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, has said he deserves commendation for building the Moshood Abiola International Airport at Ido-Osun, Osun State, for N11.5bn.
A consultant to the state government on information, Mr. Sunday Akere, who spoke on behalf of the governor, said this in a telephone interview with our correspondent on Tuesday.
He said the contract was not inflated to siphon the state’s resources as alleged by the Peoples Democratic Party.
He said the increase in the contract sum was necessitated by the inflation caused by the fall of the naira.
Akere said, “The PDP in Osun should be ignored, they are just seeking relevance. They should find out how much PDP states like Akwa Ibom, Gombe and others built their airports.
“When former President Goodluck Jonathan was in power, he said he added an additional airstrip to the Nnamdi Azikiwi International Airport, Abuja with N36bn. We should be commended for building an airport with N11.5bn.
“If we are building a complete airport with a hanger and other facilities for N11.5bn, then we should be commended. The governor deserves commendation.”
Akere also said the initial cost of the airport was underestimated.
But the PDP accused the governor of increasing unilaterally the contract sum of the airport from N4.5bn to N15.5bn.
The Director of Media and Strategy of the Osun PDP, Mr. Diran Odeyemi, said this in a statement on Sunday.
The statement read, “We are aware that Governor Rauf Aregbesola, on January 8, 2016 through a letter with reference number SP/S96/1/vi/348 re-awarded the airport contract to the same contractor and a payment of N472m was paid as take-off sum.
“The same company had earlier been paid N2.7bn for the same project without any serious work done on the project.
The PDP also accused the governor of inflating the contract sum in order to embezzle the bailout funds it got from the Central Bank of Nigeria.
The opposition party lamented that workers in the employ of the state were languishing in hunger as a result of unpaid salaries.
The party had said, “We are calling on the President and anti-graft agencies to send a secret team to the site of the so-called Moshood Abiola International Airport, Ido-Osun, to confirm what the government and the airport company had done with the N2.7bn taken from the purse of the state on December 14, 2012.
“Out of the amount, N2.5bn was sourced as a loan from a bank to be repaid monthly at N100m from the SURE-P funds. That loan is now part of the N88bn restructured for the state by the Central Bank for repayment till the year 2034 .”
nairalandist: Our house is just a few plots from the Igando-Abaranje footbridge somewhere around Foursquare Gospel Church. We have been experiencing continual flooding due to the tiny size of the canal. The single canal here serves as exit for waters coming from Bakare in Ikotun LCDA, Abaranje and Igando and the size of the canal is just a little bit more than a gutter. Even the Foursquare Gospel Church in the next street is flooded but the water won't allow me go out to take much pictures. . . This happened just this morning.
Whenever there's heavy rainfall, the canal gets full and the water finds its way through to the streets.
I have sent emails and letters to the Lagos State Ministry of Environment, but there has been no response. Our gutters here are not the issue and nobody here dumps refuse in the drainage because I know that'd be the first question.
We urge the Lagos State Government under Gov. Akiwunmi Ambode to come to our aid and construct the canal once and for all.
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