Anti-Igbo narratives: FOSAD berates Prof Ahmed Bako's inaugural lecture @UDUS - ITREALMS

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... Says Bako misrepresented facts, engaged in Igbo profiling

The Forum of Southeast Academic Doctors (FOSAD) has berated supposed professor of history, Ahmed Bako, over his largely misrepresentation of facts during the 50th inaugural lecture, entitled "The Igbo Factor in the History of Intergroup Relations and Commerce in Kano: Opportunities and Challenges Revisited," delivered recently at the Usmanu Danfodio University, Sokoto (UDUS), reports ITREALMS.

According to FOSAD President and Secretary General, Dr Stephen Nwala and Dr Uzor Ngoladi, respectively, in a press statement available to ITREALMS as endorsed by Research & Documentation Team of the group made up of Dr Chudi Okoye, Dr Marcel Mbamalu and Dr Chris Belonwu, Professor Bako largely misrepresented historical facts at various points in his lecture, and also engaged in typical Igbo profiling, teasing a xenophobic position that negates the integrative spirit of the Nigerian constitution.

IPOB expresses support for 2023 elections, berates PANPIEC - ITREALMS

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The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) on Thursday have expressed support for the 2023 general elections in Nigeria, saying will not issue any sit-at-home order during the February poll.

The group then issued a warning to the Pan Nigeria President of Igbo Extraction Coalition (PANPIEC) to desist from linking IPOB with the enforcement of sit-at-home orders to blackmail IPOB and ESN.

Obi berates Tinubu’s ‘Labour Party Obidients'll labour till death’ statement - ITREALMS

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The third force champion and presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi, has berated a statement credited to the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, that LP ‘obidients’ and others will labour till death.

Reacting Thursday to the statement in Osogbo, Obi enjoined Nigerians to remain committed to voting for the Labour Party in the forthcoming governorship election in Oyo LP.

The LP presidential candidate, who spoke at WOCDIF Centre in Osogbo during the grand finale campaign rally of the governorship candidate of the LP for Saturday’s election in the state, Lasun Yussuff, said that things had gone wrong in Osun State since APC was voted into power and stressed that Yussuff would restore the lost glory of the state and develop it.
Obi said: “To think that those other parties, which have kept Nigeria in darkness for 22 years, are better. You are the ones suffering all those things they are showing you. It is your mandate they have stolen. It is your food they have stolen and we want to recover your future.”

Also speaking Yussuff, who described Tinubu’s life and record as anonymous, lampooned him for saying the party would labour till death, stressing that the ruling APC had not done anything in Osun State to warrant re-election.

He said: “We are the ones living here and we established companies here. I will tell you they are not humans. They came four years ago and said they are giving us a financial engineer. It’s over three and a half years, yet the financial engineer did not engineer anything.

“As if that is not enough, they said we can go and labour and die. Does a virtuous Yoruba person say such? Their life is anonymous. They just want us to see that they have money.”

In the same vein, the National Chairman of LP, Julius Abure, said Tinubu’s comment lacked compassion for the suffering masses.

He implored Osun people to vote for Yussuff to restore dignity, hard-work and put an end to corruption.

Yemi Lere/Editor with additional report from The Guardian

Absent @Senate e-Transmission of results: AASDU berates 3 Anambra Senators – ITREALMS

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The Association of Anambra State Development Unions (AASDU) in Lagos, has berated the three Senators representing the state at the National Assembly (NASS) over their inexplicable absence at the crucial voting on the Electoral Act Amendment Bill and Petroleum Industry Bill on Thursday, reports ITREALMS.

Anambra State, ITREALMS gathered, is represented by the trio of Senators Stella Oduah - Anambra North, Uche Ekwunife - Anambra Central and Ifeanyi Ubah - Anambra South at NASS.

COVID-19: Anambra berates campaigners on index case personalty, says we’ve not revealed identity - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

The Anambra State government has described as uncalled for the level of apparent propaganda materials against the person purported to be the state’s coronavirus index case, insisting it has not revealed identity of the index case victim, reports ITREALMS.

Anambra State, ITREALMS recalls recorded its index case on Friday, April 10, and barely 24 hours later, the social media was flooded with various campaigns including photos of an individual suspected to be the index case which the government said negates the principle of the government and even medical ethics.

Commissioner for information and public enlightenment, Anambra State, Mr. C. Don Adinuba, described the campaign materials as slanderous and violate all known medical ethics.

“They were obviously made by persons who want to raise a false alarm and create panic everywhere. The state government has not revealed the name of the index case, nor have the hospital authorities where he is receiving treatment now or has been treated in recent times. Therefore, the identity revealed on the social media broadcasts is merely speculative.”

He also said in a press statement available to ITREALMS, “No COVID-19 patient anywhere has received the kind of attention given to Anambra’s index case. Yet, there are about 300 confirmed COVID-19 patients in Nigeria alone. The social media does not publish their identities until when they have been treated successfully and the persons affected decide to speak in public forums about their experience. It is difficult to understand the hoopla over Anambra’s index case.

“COVID-19 is no death sentence. Its mortality rate is far less than that of, say, Lassa fever, another viral disease which reared its head in the state some two months ago. It was treated with the same clinical efficiency with which the COVID-19 index case is being treated. It is, indeed, reassuring that the index case is in stable condition.

“The despicable behavior of the people making and promoting the propaganda materials against our index case does not define the character of ndi Anambra. We are known for superabundance of humanism. We are famous for our acute sense of solidarity. We are reputed for tremendous support especially to those in distress, hence the popular aphorism, onye aghana nwanne ya, is at the centre of our world. We have always been our brothers’ and sisters’ keeper.

“We would also like to caution a section of the media keenly interested in causing a press war between the index case and the government. No controversy is needed. This is no time for any form of sensationalism. It is in no person’s interest. The country, like the rest of the world, is at a critical moment.

“To repeat the obvious, Anambra’s COVID-19 index case does not deserve the kind of publicity he is receiving, nor is he deserving of the opprobrium which his detractors want him to go through. His privacy must be respected. He is a law-abiding citizen, a philanthropist and a major investor in key sectors of the state. He needs peace, cooperation, emotional stability and prayers from all and sundry, apart from sound medical attention.

“Of course, he is getting excellent attention in one of the finest protection centers in the state. We are proud we built the first protection center, otherwise known as isolation center, which meets World Health Organisation (WHO) standards. We have also trained the personnel, including cleaners, to manage COVID-19 cases professionally.

“We are in the Easter week like the rest of the world. Peace, unity, reconciliation, solidarity and the well-being and future of all our people should our thoughts, utterances and behavior,” he said.




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Ekeh berates Nigeria party politics, says its too analogue for 21st century democracy - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

Serial digital entrepreneur and Chairman, Zinox Group, Leo Stan Ekeh, has lampooned the poor state of internal democracy in the Nigerian political party landscape, describing it as a misfit for true democratic process in the 21st Century, reports ITREALMS.

Ekeh made this call at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja last week, in response to reported shoddy conduct of primaries for elective positions by the major political parties in the country in relation to the sterling work done by Zinox in partnership with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in creating a credible database of eligible voters and reducing litigations in successive elections.

ITREALMS recalls that a number of candidates had expressed their grievances over the manner in which the eventual winners and representatives for various positions were hand-picked or selected by party big-wigs and godfathers, thereby making a ruse of the process which had seen intending candidates purchase forms at often exorbitant costs.

“Party politics in Nigeria leaves a lot to be desired and the current state is a misfit for true and responsible democracy in the 21st Century. There is a glaring lack of internal democracy among all of the major political parties in the country. As a result, many people are left disgruntled and disenchanted with the process which is anything but transparent.

“The 21st Century requires a more transparent and democratic approach to the process of choosing our elected representatives and technology can play a huge role here, provided we have the mindset and the political will to allow it. Technology does not lie,” he intoned.

Ekeh, who has built a reputation as arguably Africa’s most disruptive digital entrepreneur, disclosed that the recently concluded party primaries represent a sad case study which further justifies the need to infuse technology in the process in order to reduce litigations and accusations of undemocratic practices.

“It makes no sense to encourage prospective candidates to purchase Nomination/Expression of Interest forms at prohibitive costs only to turn around and deny them a chance to test their popularity by foisting hand-picked choices on the electorate,” he stated.

While calling for a change of approach and dedication to stronger internal democracy among the parties, Ekeh noted that the status quo, if left unchecked, will continue to deny and discourage eminently qualified candidates from seeking political office.

“No team or army goes to battle without its best hands. If we continue to relegate internal democracy to the doldrums, Nigeria will be worse for it as our most qualified brains will continue to stay away from elective office,” he concluded.

Uboshe Uboshe/GEE

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BREAKING NEWS: 9mobile office shut over illegal revenue drive, ALTON berates Rivers State - ITREALMS Online

ITREALMS:

The Association of Licensed Telecommunication Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) has decried the illegal revenue generating drives by the officials of the Rivers State Inland Revenue Service (RIRS) which lead to the shutting of a regional office and hub site of one of its members, the 9mobile, reports ITRealms.

The shutdown, ALTON said has been shut down for the past three weeks because of illegal demand notice, since June 26, 2018.

ALTON in a letter to the chairman, Rivers State Inland Revenue Service condemning what it termed as “over zealousness in their illegal revenue generating drives in the State” as surprising.

“We understand that the sealing of EMTS Premises is to compel the collection of alleged tax liability in the subject amount, which represents its disputed outstanding tax liability arising from Pay-As-You-Earn (PAYE) of expatriates, erroneously believed by the RIRS to be subject to tax within the Rivers State,” ALTON chairman, Gbenga Adebayo said.

ALTON insisted that PAYE obligations are to states in which the employees reside, and EMTS did not have any expatriate(s) on its payroll who reside in Rivers State within the assessment period, EMTS is clearly not indebted to the Government of Rivers State for the alleged tax.

EMTS, ALTON pointed, had, at several meetings and by various correspondence explained and maintained that it is not indebted to the Government of Rivers State as alleged by the RIRS, as it has never had expatriate employees working or residing in the state, and provided relevant documents in support of its position. 

Therefore, ALTON categorically reiterated that EMTS is not indebted to the Government of Rivers State and that the sealing of EMTS’ Premises is illegal, especially as it was carried out without a court order and without adherence to the due process of law.

“The conduct of the RIRS in this regard, apart from being a clear contravention of the law, goes against the efforts of Government at improving Nigeria’s position on the global Ease of Doing Business index, to encourage foreign investment. Also by applying self-help remedies especially in a situation where the claim is erroneous, the RIRS has portrayed the State in very bad light as unfriendly and not welcoming of investors,” ALTON maintained.

Chuks Egbune/GEE

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Dickson berates APC over looters list, says its childish

ITREALMS:

The Bayelsa State Governor, Henry Seriake Dickson has described the recent list of looters by the All Progress Congress (APC) ruling party, as childish, reports ITRealms.

The Governor made this known on Wednesday, also reiterated his belief in the existence of two dominant parties in the country.

He regretted that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is grossly fragmented, a development he noted has made the party disorganized.

Also, he reasoned that the cluelessness and insensitivity of the APC has left the country divided more than ever before and called on President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently unite Nigeria.

Meanwhile, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Francis Ottah Agbo, quoted the governor as saying that current reform in the state was not aimed at witch-hunting any worker but to rid the service of all forms of irregularities, sharp practices with the view to repositioning the service to stand the test of time.

‘‘The mind-set that you can keep your name on the pay roll without coming to work is negative and we have to draw the red line now because we want to leave behind a reformed, repositioned, motivated and efficient work force that can stand the test of time…’’

 

The Governor who cited the case of 1,090 staff with teaching qualification redundant at the local government councils stressed that they would be redeployed to schools after going through refresher courses.

Uboshe Uboshe/GEE

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2019: Computer Guild berates Communication Minister

ITREALMS:

The Computer Guild of Nigeria (CGN) has berated the Minister of Communication, Barr. Adebayo Shittu over the distribution of campaign cap during the country’s NEC meeting where they were to discuss crucial national issues, reports ITRealms.

National President of the Guild, Mr. Wole Adedoyin expressed this displeasure during the guild’s January meeting in Lagos on Tuesday, describing the Minister’s action  and performance as disgrace to the entire communication industry in Nigeria.

Mr. Adedoyin who is also the Coordinator of Information Technology Writers Association of Nigeria (ITWAN) described Shittu’s behavior as unethical and unpatriotic.

“Barrister Shittu should have his head examined. His unruly behavior during the NEC meeting shows how he handles the ministry”.

“We have said it many times that Barr. Shittu is not competent and efficient to handle the ministry," he said. 

Insisting that the Minister should be given another portfolio. Ministry of Communication is a wrong place for him to be. We are begging President Mohammadu Buhari to please put him to where he belongs before the worst occur," Adedoyin submitted.

Ayo Midele/GEE

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IPAD berates Nigeria Police, Okorocha over attack on peaceful rally

ITREALMS:

… Demands redeployment of CP Chris Ezike

The Imo Peoples Action for Democracy (IPAD) has berated the Nigeria Police Force over the attack on innocent Imolites for expressing their freedom to assembly peacefully, says Governor Rochas Okorocha has turned the state into terror zone, reports ITRealms.

IPAD in a press statement made available to ITRealms and endorsed by the Coordinator, Mr. Aku Obidinma, Secretary Organizing Committee, Marjorie Ezihe and member, organizing committee, Mr. Chido Onumah, lamented that Imo State has unfortunately become a fascist state where freedom of expression and assembly is no longer guaranteed.

They also demanded redeployment of the Police Commissioner, Chris Ezike, insisting he has lost the confidence of the people.

“We say this because of the ugly incident that happened this morning where the Imo State government used the police to brutally attack peaceful protesters. We peacefully commenced our protest this morning from Wetheral Road Roundabout in Owerri, Imo State, and were accosted by heavily armed policemen who demanded we stop because the commissioner of police did not approve the rally.

“We insisted that we must continue since the law did not say we needed his permission before we could embark on a peaceful protest. As we continued our match, the police descended on us and started beating up the protesters, firing tear gas, confiscated our placards and manhandled even the minors amongst us.

“Today is really a sad day for our democracy. Imo State has been turned into a terror zone. Governor Rochas Okorocha is now a full-blown dictator and he has as his accomplice the Imo State Police Commissioner, Mr. Chris Ezike, who is always ready to do his dirty jobs. We are disturbed that the police who ought to protect peaceful protesters are the ones now used to attack law abiding citizens.

“We wish to inform the government and the police that no amount of intimidation will make us drop our agitation for good governance in Imo State. We will in no distant time mobilize Imolites for a massive protest that will bring the government to its knees.

“We use this medium to call on the police authorities and the Presidency to quickly redeploy the Imo State Police Commissioner out of Imo State as he has lost the confidence of the people of the state.

Ozo Nweke Ozo/GEE

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Lai Mohammed berates BON over media reports on corruption

ITREALMS:

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has berated the media, especially the members of the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON), reports ITRealms.

He also appealed to the media to fully support the administration's fight against corruption, saying the fourth estate of the realm cannot afford to sit on the fence as far as the battle to rid the nation of corruption is concerned.

Declaring open the 68th General Assembly of the Broadcasting Organizations of Nigeria (BON) in Abuja on Monday, the Minister said while the media should not hesitate to criticise the government's strategy for the war against corruption, when necessary, it should do so without mocking the government.

''In recent times, it is not unusual to read such headlines as 'Buhari's Government Losing Anti-Corruption War', 'Buhari's Anti-Corruption War is Failing', 'Arewa Youths Knock President Buhari Over Failing Anti-corruption War'. This is sheer mockery. And this war is not Buhari's war. It is our war,'' he said.

On why all hands must be on deck to fight corruption, Alhaji Mohammed said corruption is the reason for the many ills being experienced in the country today, including erratic power supply, poorly-equipped hospitals, lack of motorable roads, poor quality of life, poor economy, lack of jobs and insecurity

''After previous administrations spent billions of dollars on power, all we inherited - when we took over on the 29th of May 2015 - was 2,690 megawatts. That is due to corruption. After previous governments budgeted billions for roads over the years, what we inherited are death traps. That is due to corruption. Why did Boko Haram thrive for so long? The answer is corruption, because money meant for the purchase of weapons for the military were simply diverted. Why did we inherit an economy in dire straits? It is corruption. For a country that sold oil at over 100 dollars per barrel for years, we simply failed to save for the rainy day, and when the rain came, it beat us silly,'' he said.

The Minister said the war against corruption is the toughest of the three broad issues that the Buhari Administration campaigned with, ''because fighting corruption anywhere is like walking a lonely road''.

''While many will join hands with you to tackle insecurity or to

revamp the economy, you are on your own when you take on corruption.

Most Nigerians were direct beneficiaries of corruption. Many were subsidized by corruption. Now that the gravy train of corruption is fast derailing, many are finding it difficult to come to terms with it. That's the origin of the 'Bring Back Corruption' Campaign being carried out by certain elements in our society,'' he said.

Alhaji Mohammed said the war against corruption becomes tougher when the media is not fully on board, adding: ''When the media seizes on every setback we suffer in prosecuting this war, they give succour to the corrupt. When the media falls for the distraction tactics of those who are mortally afraid of this war, they weaken the battle.''

He said the because of the courageous, determined and committed leadership provided by President Muhammadu Buhari, and despite the fact that corruption is fighting back furiously, the Administration is winning the war.

Uboshe Uboshe/GEE

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Pix: L-R - Director General, National Broadcasting Commission, Mallam Ishaq Modibbo Kawu; Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed; Chairman, Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON), Mr. John Momoh; Vice Chairman of BON, Sa'a Ibrahim and the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mr. Ibrahim Magu, at the 68th General Assembly of BON in Abuja on Monday.

PDP Chair: Group berates South-West unpreparedness, supports Uche Secondus

ITRealms:

Adding new dimension to the race for the PDP chairmanship of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Oodua PDP Alliance has berated the South West, saying they are ill-prepared and drummed support for Prince Uche Secondus, reports ITRealms.

Leader of the group who is also a leader of PDP in Osun state, Hon Hakeem Ogunsola, the group affirmed that South West has proved its unpreparedness for the party leadership, affirming that "the leadership should go to South-South, the main base of the PDP.

"We want to note that rebuilding the PDP and winning power back in 2019 demand a chairman with solid home base, deep experience and capacity to face the power of incumbency. We need Prince Secondus to lead this electoral and political battle to rescue Nigeria and change the fake change" the statement noted.

While condemning the discordant and rancorous competition among South West chairmanship aspirants, the group said "South West does not need party chairmanship.If anything we should rally round Prince Secondus and seek better offer in arrangement of national offices.

"How can you be going for chairmanship when there are better bargaining to strike ? How can you hope to lead the party when your zone is  not a stronghold of the PDP? How can you even be taken seriously when many of your aspirants carry heavy baggages? We don't want party chairman in South West. Let Secondus have it" the group opined.

The group which claimed to have members across the six south Western states announced its resolve to mobilise the Yoruba axis of the PDP for Prince Secondus ,describing the Rivers state politician as "tested, experienced and competent to lead the party.

"Secondus has party leadership experience nobody can rival. He has the boldness ,the national recognition ,the will and the passion to pilot the affairs of the party.He is the best to lead the party at this critical times.

"With this press statement, we are putting the whole nation on notice that we align with South South and Prince Secondus. We have commenced advocacy and mobilisation and we urged South West aspirants to drop their ambitions and bargain for better  national governmental positions " he submitted.

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Archbishop Martins @58, berates Buhari-led FG on unfulfilled electoral promises

ITRealms:

The Archbishop of Lagos, His Grace Most Rev. Dr. Alfred Adewale-Martins has berated the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government over unfulfilled electoral promises made to Nigerians, reports ITRealms.

In his State-of-Nation address to mark his 58th birthday anniversary, Archbishop Martins noted that two years was enough period for any serious government to get its bearing right, saying that the masses expected the present administration to proffer solutions to the country’s challenges, hence they voted them into office.

He scored the Buhari-led Federal Government low in terms of performance, despite the enormous challenges they had to contend with. He however believed that the country’s challenges were not insurmountable where there was political will, purposeful leadership and determination will excel. 

According to him, Nigerians are weary of empty promises, and still suffering despite several electoral promises because the country’s leaders have been applying the same old and ineffective drugs for cancerous growths that required surgery.

Archbishop Martins, while affirming that a buoyant economy is key to the survival of the nation, equally tasked government not to foreclose dialogue with Biafra agitators, warning that except issues of marginalization and lopsided appointments are decisively addressed, such agitations would continue to grow by the day.

On the health condition President Buhari, Archbishop Martins prayed God to heal him permanently so that he can resume work and lead the nation towards the path of recovery, affirming his confidence in the competence and genuine intent of the President to move the nation forward.

ITRealms also reports that birthday gifts were later presented to the Archbishop Martins by several groups including the Knights and Ladies of St Mulumba who organized the reception held his honour.

Earlier, during a well-attended Thanksgiving Mass at the Cathedral, the out-going Secretary of the Archbishop, Fr. Anthony Nwosu showered encomiums on the person of the celebrant, describing him as a silent achiever who has performed excellently well since assuming office as the Metropolitan of the Archdiocese.

Chuks Egbune/GEE

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MMM founder berates Federal Government, wondered why life is hard for Nigerians

Trade & Investment@ITRealms:

The MMM Founder, Sergey Mavrodi has berated the Federal Government (FG) for the recent frozen of all bank associated to the scheme, reports ITRealms.

In a letter, ITRealms gathered, displayed on the page of all participants of the scheme, Mavrodi told FG in his submission wondered that if they (FG) know what is good for Nigerians, why then is life so hard for the citizens.

“And finally. If you know what is right for people, why is the life so bad in the country?,” he stated.

ITRealms recalls that the Nigeria’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) recently warned Nigerians against the MMM scheme which it described as a “Ponzi”.

A Ponzi is scheme game based on a fraudulent investment operation where the operator, an individual or organization, pays returns to its investors from new capital paid to the operators by new investors, rather than from profit earned through legitimate sources.

Just as the House of Representatives last October ordered an investigation into the operation of the MMM scheme.

Excerpts from Sergey Mavrodi’s letter to the Federal Government, reads:

“Honorable authorities,

So far MMM has come under a constant attack from you. In this regard, I would like to ask you a few simple questions. Since you are concerned with the interests of millions of your fellow citizens, I hope that you would be so kind to answer them.

What are you trying to get? Do you want the MMM System to collapse and millions of people to suffer? Who will support them then if now MMM is their only means of livelihood?Will you? You even don’t pay wages to people? Or might you not care about them? Might you be using a trendy topic to make a good name for yourselves? What will you say to a mother who will have no money to buy food for her child? Will you let her child die for the sake of the higher interests of the economy?

You say that MMM is a scam. What is the scam here, if all members are warned in advance about all the risks, the possible and impossible ones? They know there are no investments at all. The warning is a red text on a yellow background placed on most prominent place of the website.

You say that MMM is bad. Why? Yes, it produces nothing, but nothing gets out of the country either. The money is just redistributed among the citizens of Nigeria. It gets from those who are richer to poorer ones, in this way restoring social justice. What”s wrong with that?

You have repeatedly stated that “it should be investigated! .. researched!..” It means you know nothing about this System yet; you even haven’t understood how it works………

And finally. If you know what is right for people, why is the life so bad in the country?

Sincerely yours,

Sergey Mavrodi

P.S. As for your statement that “everything will collapse soon”. The system has been working in Nigeria for a year, and according to your estimates, the total number of members now is about 3 million people. In Nigeria the population is approximately 195 million. Can you calculate? Will it be “soon”? :-)”

•Source: NAN.

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Afenifere berates Osinbajo, political office holders over lack of civic education

ITRealms:

Afenifere, a socio-cultural organization for the Yoruba people of Nigeria, has berated the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) and other political office holders for lack of civic education in the political environment, reports ITRealms.

The group in a press statement made available to ITRealms by the National Publicity Secretary, Afenifere, Mr. Yinka Odumakin said their attention have been drawn to the statement credited to the Vice-president of Nigeria, Prof Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), that the call for the restructuring of Nigeria would not make any difference.

He quoted the Vice-President in the faux pas also arguing that if states are given half of the resources of the Federal Government it would not make any difference and that all we need is to diversify into agriculture.

Afenifere, said that such a statement is an indication of not paying due attention to civic education.

Noting that though it understand that the learned Professor, who is from the zone that has been loudest on this call may have come under pressure to lend his voice to the upholders of the status quo that has brought Nigeria to this sorry pass, “We would like to respectfully admonish him to be sure footed on the subject before he speaks next time.”

According to Afenifere, Osinbajo missed the entire debate by engaging in the reductionist argument narrowing the whole issue to taking more money from the Federal Government to the states.

“Yes, fiscal federalism is part of the argument but the issue goes beyond the monthly Federal Allocation Committee,” Afenifere said.

Pointing out that the central plank of restructuring is for Nigeria to go back to the true practice of Federalism wherein mineral resources that abound in all states would be freed from the exclusive list so that states would move into prosperity and not be reporting at Prof Osinbajo's office for bailout from a centre that only corners what belongs to the states.

“They would also have enough to contribute to sustain the occupiers of Abuja and the functions that are allocated to them,” the group said.

Beyond resources, Afenifere insist, “the country is reeling under crime today and the single police we currently maintain has proved incapable of dealing with the situation. When you listen to commissioners of police lamenting at the scenes of crime these days you will think they are part of passers-by terrified by the horror of crime. It is clear we need multi-level policing to combat crime and have effective policing.

Afenifere posited “From the Federal, down to states and Local Governments, we are bogged down with over bloated bureaucracies that consume as much as 90% of available resources and with little or nothing left for development. We must address how long we want to travel with this culture of waste and to see if we ca deliver better governance with a manageable architecture.

“The question of diversification is a point that advocates of restructuring have canvassed as it makes no sense for a country as vast in resources like Nigeria to depend on a mono-product economy.It is part of restructuring we are talking about and not an alternative to it.

“The restructuring package has a whole wide range of issues that have to do with justice administration, electoral system and its cost implications, conflicts arising from clash of cultures and how to deal with them to ensure peaceful co-existence.

Nigeria is fast falling apart and all genuine patriots have come to a consensus that we must restructure to arrest the drift.

“Yes there is a minority that is insisting that we must continue the way we are just like the minders of some empires that have disappeared from the world map did. The Vice-President is free to cast his lot with this group even when silence could have been golden but he should at least try to acquaint himself with the issues so people are not wondering what are we talking and what is he saying.

Afenifere, therefore advised Prof. Osinbajo and all those who seek high offices to ensure they are not far from issues that shape their political environment and pay due attention to civic education.

Ayo Omidele/GEE
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