Welcome to Linda Ikeji's Blog |
- Man who named pet dog 'Buhari' names newborn daughter 'Aisha'
- Photos: Monalisa Chinda and hubby share a kiss at the poolside
- TV gal, Vimbai loses elder sister in car crash
- FG replies US congressman, Tom Marino, says his comments against Buhari are out of tune with reality
- Photos: Army parades armoured tanks on Port Harcourt road
- Ibidun Ighodalo opens up on her search for a child: "People who get married and have children don't know how lucky they are"
- Wait what? Check out these hilarious subtitles seen in a Yoruba Movie
- US Congressman writes to US Secretary of state, John Kerry, accuses Buhari of autocratic tendencies, selective Anti-Graft war
- Photo: Between Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) and Media Executive, Ayeni Adekunle
- Enjoy the fit life with Flat Tummy Tea!!!
- Another Nigerian arrested in Morocco with 1.05kg of cocaine in his stomach
- 14 oil workers kidnapped in Rivers State
- Photo: Teenager's eyes gouged out by best friend for ritual in Bauchi State
- Wife of popular evangelist, Prophet Abiara, dies at 70
- Just in case you thought your opinion mattered to Usain Bolt
- Lady accuses staff of Ebute Metta Health centre in Lagos of being lackadaisical to their duty
- Photos: NNPC boss meets with former NNPC GMDs, says current N145 per litre is no longer feasible
- Rihanna puts her butt on display at her show in Philadelphia (pics)
- Buhari, the barking is over, it's time to bite - Dino Melaye...seeks sack of Udoma, Adeosun, Emefiele
- British PM Theresa May meets Obama and other world leaders for the first time (photos)
- DJ Cuppy goes on fun date with fan (photos)
- Tyga gets sweet kisses from Kylie Jenner
- APC’s lack of vision, incompetence and poor handling of Economy caused recession, not Dr. Jonathan, says the PDP
- Drake and Rihanna get matching Shark tattoos (photos)
- Celebration of Kano Royalty: Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi on the cover of Thisday Style Magazine
| Man who named pet dog 'Buhari' names newborn daughter 'Aisha' Posted: 04 Sep 2016 01:22 PM PDT          |
| Photos: Monalisa Chinda and hubby share a kiss at the poolside Posted: 04 Sep 2016 01:16 PM PDT |
| TV gal, Vimbai loses elder sister in car crash Posted: 04 Sep 2016 01:13 PM PDT  Confirming her death, Vimbai shared a family picture with Belinda in it and wrote "The 3 Musketeers. God knows best. The darkest day of my life. I don't know if I can ever accept."  May her soul rest in peace Amen. |
| FG replies US congressman, Tom Marino, says his comments against Buhari are out of tune with reality Posted: 04 Sep 2016 01:08 PM PDT   In a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday, the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, said Congressman Marino was poorly informed about the issues he commented on, wondering why he did not take the pains to get first hand information from the US Embassy in Nigeria or any other credible source before engaging in what is nothing but a 'propaganda of his own imagination'. The Minister said by asking the US to refrain from selling warplanes and other military equipment to Nigeria based on a faulty premise, the Congressman has demonstrated a poor understanding of global security issues. ''Insecurity anywhere is insecurity everywhere. Had Congressman Marino understood this, he would not have made the kind of call he made concerning the US security assistance to Nigeria. The Boko Haram insurgency that Nigeria has decisively dealt with under President Muhammadu Buhari is not just a Nigerian problem but a regional and international crisis,'' he said.Lai said Congressman Marino definitely did not have Nigeria in mind when he wrote that the US should withhold security assistance to Nigeria until President Buhari 'demonstrates a commitment to inclusive government and the most basic tenets of democracy: freedom to assemble and freedom of speech'. ''An Administration that operates purely on the basis of respect for the rule of law and a strict adherence to constitutional order is not one to deny the citizens of their constitutionally-guaranteed rights. This Administration therefore does not need the goading of Congressman Marino or anyone for that matter to do what is right. Concerning running an inclusive government, had Congressman Marino done his home work before dispatching his letter, he would have realized that no part of the country is left out in the distribution of political appointments, for example, or in the appointment of Ministers, which was done in accordance with the Constitution that mandates that the President must appoint at least one minister from each of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. Had the Congressman sought information from credible sources before engaging in a flight of fancy, he would have been presented with a comprehensive information on the appointment of CEOs for Federal Government's parastatals, agencies and commissions that shows that the appoints were almost evenly matched along the line of the six geo-political zones in the country: With the North West having 51, North Central 46, North East 45, South East 41, South West 45 and South South 45,'' he said. ''The Congressman may wish to note that each geo-political zone comprises 6 states, with the exception of North West (7) and South East (5).''The Minister described Congressman Marino's description of the Administration's anti-corruption efforts as 'selective' as a tired argument that clearly shows that the US lawmaker must have appended his signature to someone's concocted line. ''That line was invented by those seeking to cause an unnecessary distraction from the Administration's anti-corruption efforts, and it has been roundly rejected. Congressman Marino's decision to exhume the dead postulation without an iota of proof is a reflection of whose side he has taken in the ongoing efforts to rid Nigeria of corrupt elements. Needless to say that the anti-corruption battle will continue unhindered, irrespective of whose ox is gored. And in this fight, only the guilty needs be afraid,'' he said. Lai said Nigeria is delighted that US Secretary of State John Kerry, to whom the Congressman addressed his letter, is more knowledgeable, better briefed and definitely more hands on concerning Nigerian issues. |
| Photos: Army parades armoured tanks on Port Harcourt road Posted: 04 Sep 2016 01:01 PM PDT |
| Posted: 04 Sep 2016 12:56 PM PDT  Former beauty queen Mrs Ibidunni Ajayi-Ighodalo opened up about her search for a child in a rare interview with Thisday's Nseobong Okon-Ekong. The wife of Trinity House founder and accountant, Pastor Itua Ighodalo also talked about dedicating her life to helping others through her Ibidunni Ighodalo Foundation, IIF by funding IVF treatment for couples who are hoping to have their own children. When the CEO of Elizabeth R got married in 2007, her expectations were like those of every many married woman, to give birth to children. Her wedding to Itua Ighodalo, was celebrated, even if it was attended with a heat of debate from his previous union. Close to one decade on, the loathing generated in some quarters at the onset of their relationship has definitely receded. The rumour mill which spewed torrents of lopsided and coloured tales that caused the couple a lot of trauma, even if a bit, has withdrawn, but the pain of those turbulent years live with her still. For one who keeps to herself, the scrutiny of her marriage in the public, led her to sew-up. She reduced the number of persons she called friends to a handful, becoming more and more engrossed with her husband. "I have heard stories of in-laws calling the woman painful names. Those are hurtful things to say. There are names you don't want to call a woman that is looking up to God." Mrs Ighodalo began... She continued to share her experiences. "People may not want to be mean, but they don't know that certain statements and body language hurt. When you are waiting on God, you can be sensitive to what people say or do and they might not know it will hurt or hit you. It is good to raise awareness and understanding about childless couples. Friends and relatives should be a bit more sensitive to women or couples who are waiting on the Lord. I know that because of our culture, the pressure is so much. The shoes of women who are waiting on the Lord are not very easy shoes. Emotionally, mentally and psychologically, hormonally, when you are going through treatments, it's a rollercoaster-you deal with in-laws, society, friends, there's a lot going on." "People who get married and have children don't know how lucky they are. I mean you are even careful not to get pregnant again, you are so blessed by God, you should thank God every day. It is not easy to find yourself in a situation where your friends are doing school runs, you don't know what that is, you don't even know what your first trimester is. The friends you had bridal showers with are having baby showers, it takes the grace of God to remain sane, honestly." On her 35th birthday last year, she decided to turn the lemon that life had thrown at her into lemonade. It had become her fashion to write a wish list on the day she was born and then tick-off the accomplished ones on her next birthday. Every year, she scored high on every point, but one: The issue of childlessness had become a sore point that could not be addressed. She had prayed and sought different avenues for a medical solution, but the problem just could not be wished away. Although she enjoyed the understanding and love of her husband and in-laws, the quest for a child consumed her. "I had tears in my eyes when I told God, 'you know what? This is enough. You are going to do it when You want to do it, in Your own time and if You are not going to do it, let it be left undone. This is You. I trust You. Right now, it's ok, I'm going to live my life. I found out that I had stopped living, because that was all I wanted. I said no, I'm going to be happy, live my life and leave it all to God. I'm grateful to God for my own family, for the family I'm married into." Those statements to God with tears in her eyes opened a window to air her bottled emotions. It lifted a huge weight off her shoulders. As she cleared her mind of the cobwebs of trying to have a baby, she was amazed to receive one of the most altruistic ideas with clarity. Her husband was no less enthused when she shared the idea with him. "My focus now is to help others, one at a time. I want to make a family happy and with the help of God, their prayers would be answered. I know the pain and what it feels like. It will give me joy to see them jumping and rejoicing, saying that they are expecting their own children. I have seen it happen. I have seen the two sides during my course of treatment. I said God help me, let me do this. When you focus on helping others, you don't know the blessings that come back to you. It is difficult but I said Lord you have put this in me, You have to provide. You know when God gives you a vision, He makes the provision. I have been amazed at the response. It is unbelievable." "When I was going through some treatment, I would get to the clinic and someone who has just done a pregnancy test was being told that it didn't work, it was always so devastating for me to hear them wonder aloud where they would get money for the next treatment. I have met women who came to the hospital to get the treatment but they couldn't afford it. Some couldn't even afford the test to know what was wrong. I have also met women who decided to share their burden, this is how financially draining this treatment can be. If you have extra eggs, you can sell them in exchange for the treatment. When women share eggs left from a successful IVF on another women or they use the woman's extra cycle that has been paid for, these are ways women support one another because getting an egg donor can be very expensive." "It is so strange and funny, but when you sit back and think about it, every family has somebody who is waiting on God for a child. The person might be your cousin or mum's sister. There are certain ways we will treat the person. But do you know that there are certain ways we treat somebody else coming into our family with the same issue? We don't treat them the same. It is not intentional. If you have in-laws who are not nice to you, they will think it's your fault. They will call you names, talk down on you. If your in-laws have somebody in their family who is waiting, they will never speak to the person like that. We really need to have a support system and also learn to put ourselves in other people's shoes." The graduate of Microbiology from the University of Lagos is using the platform of IIF to award grants for fertility treatment such as In Vitro Fertilization (IVF), Frozen Embryo Transfer and Intrauterine Insemination. She was forced to change her initial plan to help one or two couples when she received tons of applications. The plan has now changed to accommodate 28 couples. "There are some couples that have applied that have been married for between 20 and 25 years and when I read their history, they have come to a point where they are tired. I even found out that it was their family that applied for some of them. A lot of people have asked me why I don't face my life, why am I trying to be Mother Theresa. What is it? Is it that you have so much money you don't know what to do with it. I can't even explain it."Source: ThisDay |
| Wait what? Check out these hilarious subtitles seen in a Yoruba Movie Posted: 04 Sep 2016 12:50 PM PDT |
| Posted: 04 Sep 2016 12:43 PM PDT   According to Thisday, Marino in his two-page letter, accused President Buhari of autocratic tendencies and selective anti-graft war. Marino asked the State Department to stop selling warplanes and other military equipment to Nigeria until President Buhari establishes a track record of working towards inclusion of other opposition members. His letter to Kerry reads: "Dear Secretary Kerry, I am encouraged by the personal interest you have taken in aiding Nigeria and its administration as it takes on endemic corruption, multiple insurgent movements, and a faltering economy. However, I believe there are a number of warning signs emerging in the Buhari administration that signal "the man who once led Nigeria as a military dictator might be sliding towards former autocratic tendencies. I would urge the U.S. to withhold its security assistance to the nation until President Buhari demonstrates a commitment to inclusive government and the most basic tenets of democracy: freedom to assemble and freedom of speech. A logical start towards this commitment is for the Nigerian government to hold accountable those members of the Nigerian Police Force and the Nigerian Military complicit in extra-judicial killings and war crimes. Human rights groups like Amnesty International have widely documented torture, inhumane treatment, and extra-judicial killings of defenseless Nigerians since President Buhari took office."Quoting Amnesty International Report, he wrote, "in the last six months, Nigeria's military has unlawfully killed at least 350 people and allowed more than 168 people, including babies and children, to die in military detention. The Secretary to the Government of Kaduna State even admitted to burying 347 of those killed in a mass grave. And while President Buhari promised swift condemnation, his words rang empty. Instead of swift reforms, Buhari chose to reinstate Major General Ahmadu Mohammed, who Amnesty International revealed was in charge of the Nigerian military unit that executed more than 640 unarmed, former detainees. Also, in separate incidents concerning the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), the Nigerian Army has killed at least 36 – the real number is likely higher – people since December 2015 in an attempt to silence opposition and quell attempts by the group to gather publicly." Describing President Buhari as a former military dictator whose administration as military head of state was cut short by a coup, he stated that the President has continually shunned inclusivity in favour of surrounding himself with advisors and ministers from the north of the country and the region he considers home. "Of President Buhari's 122 appointees, 77 are from the north and control many of the key ministries and positions of power. Distrust is already high in Nigeria and favouring Northerners for key appointments has only antagonized the issue. These appointments are also primarily Muslim in the north and Christian in the south, adding a religious aspect to long-held regional biases. Of additional concern is President Buhari's selective anti-corruption drive, which has focused almost exclusively on members of the opposition party, over-looking corruption amongst some of Buhari's closest advisors. Politicizing his anti-corruption efforts has only reinforced hostility among southerners," he claimed in the letter. He said the Obama Administration would advance justice by urging the Buhari Administration to act decisively to hold accountable members of the police and military. The congressman said, "This is a logical first step in making a demonstrable, sustained commitment to inclusive democracy, with distributed power in Nigeria. Until President Buhari establishes a track record of working towards inclusion, we ask the State Department to refrain from selling warplanes and other military equipment to the country. The State Department should urge President Buhari to form a government that represents the diversity of its citizens and allows dissenting voices to be heard. Democracy can thrive only if people are free to assemble, to express their beliefs, and voice their concerns." |
| Photo: Between Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) and Media Executive, Ayeni Adekunle Posted: 04 Sep 2016 12:02 PM PDT |
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| Another Nigerian arrested in Morocco with 1.05kg of cocaine in his stomach Posted: 04 Sep 2016 11:50 AM PDT  The Moroccan authorities on Friday, arrested a Nigerian national who was smuggling 1.05 kilograms of cocaine inside his stomach. According to Moroccan Times, authorities said that the Nigerian man raised suspicion because he did not look quite comfortable in their presence. He was then taken to Casablanca's Ibn Rush hospital, where he was subjected to a surgery to remove the drugs from his stomach. The suspect had just landed from a flight coming from Brazil when he was arrested. An investigation was launched and he will stand soon before a judge to defend himself against heavy drug trafficking charges. Moroccan Times |
| 14 oil workers kidnapped in Rivers State Posted: 04 Sep 2016 11:48 AM PDT   Fourteen workers with Nestoil in Ogba Egbema Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State were abducted by unknown gunmen on Saturday, September 3rd. The workers were reportedly returning from their work site at Omoku area enroute to Port Harcourt when they were ambushed by the kidnappers. The gunmen forcefully diverted the staff bus to an unknown destination under heavy gunfire. The Public Relations Officer of River State Police Command, Nnamdi Omoni, who confirmed the incident stated that anti-kidnapping teams are combing the bushes in efforts to rescue the workers, according to Sahara Reporters. Mr. Omoni said police have located the company's Costa van and expressed optimism that the workers will be rescued. |
| Photo: Teenager's eyes gouged out by best friend for ritual in Bauchi State Posted: 04 Sep 2016 11:39 AM PDT  Hussein Emmanuel had his eyes gouged out by his friend and other accomplice for ritual. The 18-year-old from Sara village in Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area was deceived by his best friend identified as one David Arafat who had promised to secure a job for him in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. According to Daily Trust, David allegedly connived with another accomplice, Jerry and led Hussein to a river in Sara village where they attacked him and gouged out his eyes. Emmanuel Iliya, the victim's father disclosed said that David asked his son for money in order to assist him to secure employment in Port Harcourt. The devastated father said he borrowed N5,000 from a friend in order to assist his son make the journey. He explained that the victim was earlier taken to Abuja by David, whom he said has a wife and a child there, but the victim was sent back home by the suspect to look for more money for his onward journey to Port Harcourt. Bauchi State Police Public Relation Officer, ASP Mahmood Mohammed, who confirmed the incident said that the police will provide details on the issue later as investigation is ongoing. The suspect is still at large. Source: Daily Trust |
| Wife of popular evangelist, Prophet Abiara, dies at 70 Posted: 04 Sep 2016 11:36 AM PDT  |
| Just in case you thought your opinion mattered to Usain Bolt Posted: 04 Sep 2016 11:34 AM PDT   |
| Lady accuses staff of Ebute Metta Health centre in Lagos of being lackadaisical to their duty Posted: 04 Sep 2016 11:31 AM PDT   "I had a terrible experience this dawn (4th sept 2016 @12:45am) at the Ebute Metta Health centre on cemetery street! I took my little nephew there as a result of severe vomiting (over 6 times) and dehydration with all his eyes sucked in and his facial bones were already protruding and his thighs were seriously paining him as he has lost too much fluid and he was seriously weak. On getting there i tried talking to one of the two nurses on duty and she just sat there staring at me like i was talking to a statue then the other nurse intervened and asked some questions then d first nurse lazily got up to call the doctor who was sleeping at that time. It was already 20mins and he wasn't coming out then when i raised my voice and the nurses were even raining insults saying i should have taken him to a private hospital instead, then Dr. Olatunji finally came out. He wrote a prescription of only Maxolone ( for vomiting) and paracetamol so i asked him if he wont give my nephew any infusion (drip) as he was totally dehydrated he didn't answer and the nurse said i shouldn't teach him his job. He now later said they wont be able to manage my brother there and that they will have to refer so i said even if you will refer, wont you at least rehydrate him just to make him a bit strong and also stop the pains in his thighs, he said theres nothing else he can do.Dr olatunji then referred us to Randle General hosp. So we had to leave the hosp for our house at about 1:40 am thinking the drug they gave will surpress the vomiting but it became worse and about 5am, i rushed him to randle where they took the case as a serious medical emergency because he was almost going! Doctors and nurses are supposed to save people but some are killing people everyday! The staffs on night duty at the Ebute-Metta Health centre from 3rd September to 4th september 2016 must not go unpunished!". |
| Photos: NNPC boss meets with former NNPC GMDs, says current N145 per litre is no longer feasible Posted: 04 Sep 2016 11:20 AM PDT  "They (the GMDs) noted that the petrol price of N145/litre is not congruent with the liberalisation policy especially with the foreign exchange rate and other price determining components such as crude cost, Nigerian Ports Authority charges, etc remaining uncapped".Among the former GMDs that attended the meeting include HRM (Dr.) Edmund Daukoru, Chief Odoliyi Lolomari, Engr. Lawrence Amu, Dr. Jackson Gaius-Obaseki, Dr. Thomas M. A. John, Engr. Funsho Kupolokun, Engr. (Dr.) Abubakar Lawal Yar'Adua, Dr. Joseph T. Dawha More photos...        |
| Rihanna puts her butt on display at her show in Philadelphia (pics) Posted: 04 Sep 2016 05:57 AM PDT |
| Posted: 04 Sep 2016 05:27 AM PDT   Read the statement below... Deeply worried by the poor state of the economy which has brought unprecedented hardship and hunger on the masses of the Nigerian people, a federal lawmaker, Senator Dino Melaye (APC Kogi West) has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to take urgent and drastic measures, including the immediate sack of three prominent members of his Economic Team as the solution-precedent to reboot the ailing economy. In a Statement in Abuja Sunday, Melaye said the President must shake up his Cabinet, and accused most of the members of gross incompetence, inexcusable ineptitude and a distressing lack of capacity to deliver on the mandate of their ministries/Agencies. Those to face the axe immediately if the economy must be effectively rebooted to deliver on the Change Agenda of the present administration, in the estimation of Melaye include the Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, Budget and National Planning Minister, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma and the governor of the Central bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Godwin Emefiele. " At the moment, it must be crystal clear to all discerning minds that the President's widely-acclaimed magical body language has lost its presumed aura and efficacy. His no-nonsense demeanor is equally neither instilling fear nor commanding respect and loyalty from amongst his cabinet members. It is therefore obvious that the time for barking is over, now is the time to bite and boot out all those who have demonstrated, in the past several months, a crass lack of capacity to effectively carry out the functions of their office", Melaye declared, stressing: " The Finance Minister has not only displayed gross incompetence on the Job, she also lacks the basic and rudimentary grasp of economic fundamentals necessary to run a critical sector of the Nigerian economy like the Finance Ministry. It is time for her to go now and pave way for a qualified and experienced person to steer the Nigerian economy away from the dark woods it has sunk presently under her stewardship". On Udoma Udo Udoma, he stated : "To be sure, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma is a very charismatic man, an accomplished lawyer, and a quintessential gentleman with a fairly untainted reputation. In everyday parlance, he is a good man. But the critical job of Budget and National Planning Minister for a huge country like Nigeria, with her prevailing economic challenges requires much more than being a good man with a great personality. "It is for someone with the relevant qualification, professional knowledge and experience in public sector finance, development economics, strategic thinking, budgetary planning and management. As a lawyer, accomplished in this field as he is, Udoma's appointment to that position is nepotism taken to very ridiculous heights; and a classic case of putting round pegs in square holes-it will, and can never fit. It is akin to saddling a carpenter with a tailor's responsibility. The outcome under the circumstances, as has become evidently clear, is bound to be catastrophic for the economy. President Buhari must therefore do the needful now by relieving Udoma of this huge burden that is constituting a clog to the revival of the Nigerian economy", the lawmaker declared. On the CBN governor, Senator Melaye pointed to his disastrous handling and release of the so-called Dasuki-gate funds which amounts to about 15 per cent of the nation's foreign reserves, policy flip-flops, summersaults and inconsistencies as clear evidence of gross incompetence in the management of the nation's fiscal and monetary policies. The net effect of this inconceivable ineptitude on the part of Emefiele, according to Melaye is the free fall in the value of the naira and the total loss of faith and confidence by the international community on the Nigerian economy. To reverse this trend, Melaye says President Buhari must muster the courage to wield the big stick and give Emefiele the boot, to be replaced by a fiscal and monetary policy guru. "We have these qualified Nigerians in abundance, and the President must beam his searchlight to find them to help him, the Nigerian economy as well as the suffering Nigerian masses". He further called on the President to immediately discountenance the Economic Team currently under the supervision of the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osibanjo "as their decisions will not be; and has never been respected by the economic managers and the bureaucracy in Nigeria". In its stead, Melaye urged the President to constitute an "Emergency Ad hoc Economic Team" made up of all former Ministers of Finance, Budget and National Planning, CBN Governors as well as members drawn from the academia with "deep knowledge of developmental economics to drive the economic revival programme"! "The President must immediately transit from mere rhetoric to drastic but positive action to save the economy and Nigeria from total collapse. The hunger in the land is real, pervasive, widespread and debilitating for the poor masses. As I walk the streets of my constituency these days, I constantly harbor a foreboding that I could be stoned by my angry constituents for the failure of Mr President to fulfill his campaign promises and expectations to Nigerians", Melaye said, warning: "Nigeria is tottering on a dangerous precipice, sliding perilously to a certain catastrophe if the current economic malaise is not halted immediately", he declared, even as he said his criticism is borne out of an altruistic fervour, and not a product of sour grapes akin to some traditional critics of "Every Government in Power (EGIP)". Nigerians and Mr President, he said should be able to recall with little difficulty that "I was a permanent fixture at the All Progressive Congress (APC's) Presidential campaign rallies and events, functioning mostly as the Master of Ceremonies (MC). I am a proud APC Member, a party bonafide with a great stake in the success or failure of this administration, so no one can accuse me of sour grapes or meddlesomeness. "I am a truly concerned stakeholder presently bothered by the imminent, clear and present danger of a still-birth of a Change Agenda that held so much hope and promise for Nigerians a little over a year ago. While there is a lot of hunger, anger, anguish and despair currently in the land, I have a firm belief that the situation is not beyond redemption for Mr President, hence my call for urgent and drastic remedial action now", Melaye concluded. Dist. Senator Dino Melaye Kogi West. |
| British PM Theresa May meets Obama and other world leaders for the first time (photos) Posted: 04 Sep 2016 05:26 AM PDT |
| DJ Cuppy goes on fun date with fan (photos) Posted: 04 Sep 2016 05:25 AM PDT      The pair met up and had the most fun date ever. So sweet. |
| Tyga gets sweet kisses from Kylie Jenner Posted: 04 Sep 2016 05:24 AM PDT  |
| Posted: 04 Sep 2016 05:23 AM PDT  Our attention has once again been drawn to the recent inconsiderate statement attributed to the Governor of Jigawa State, Abubakar Badaru and similar comments from people of like minds to the effect that the previous Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Administration was responsible for the current Economic Recession.It is really disappointing that a notable personality as highly placed as a State Governor could be drawn into making idle and pedestrian claims without the benefit of facts. It is either he does not realize the obligation of speaking responsibly in that position or he is grossly ill-informed; in which case, we could only try to put the facts before him, and hoping he would recognize them. In the first place, this blame is misplaced because our elementary understanding of economics teaches us that the major cause of recession is inflation and poor handling of the economy given that the higher the rate of inflation, the more impoverished people become, industrial production and GDP decline resulting in massive job losses. Perhaps we should quote those who should know and tell Governor Badaru that wrong economic policies of the All Progressive Congress (APC)-led Government caused the current stagnation and recession in the Country. Larry Ettah, President of the Nigerian Employers Consultative Association (NECA) did not mince words when he said few days ago that, "It is quite evident that the lack of clarity about the economic agenda of the current government contributed to the current economic stagnation and recession." He said further, "In recent times at our AGMs, we have variously described our operating environment as challenging, unpredictable, unstable and energy sapping. These words are of course, true and descriptive of what our members have experienced in keeping their businesses afloat." However beyond that, we make bold to tell Governor Badaru that Jonathan and the People's Democratic Party Government saw this coming since 2011, and wanted to deregulate the sale of hydrocarbons in 2012, but Badaru and his co-travellers who are now in the All Progressives Congress (APC) frustrated the effort. The former Administration also wanted to encourage more savings in the Excess Crude Account (ECA) and set up the Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) but the Badarus of this world who play politics with serious national issues and were state governors at the time took the Federal Government to Court and did everything to frustrate the effort. Thank God some of them are among the 'best brains' in the APC Federal Government of today. Governor Badaru should know that you can't plant grapes and harvest mangoes. It is no secret that the policies and statements made by key government actors have not been business friendly and Nigerians and foreign business men took their hard currencies out of the Country. When professionals were advising the Government to woo investors, characters like Badaru were busy de-marketing Nigeria all over the world. They should be reminded that great leaders take over countries either in recession or war and still succeed in turning them around; quite unlike the prevailing situation where a Ruling Party plunges the Economy into an avoidable recession, only to turn round and begin to whine helplessly like a baby. World history is full of many examples where genuine leaders take over countries whose economies are stagnated and move them to positive growth. Like Franklin D. Roosevelt, the President who ruled the United States from a wheel chair during the time of unprecedented economic depression and total war, introduced an ambitious programme for relief, recovery and reform called "the Great Deal", which began to yield considerable dividends in weeks and Americans are the better for it today. In his first hundred days in office in 1933, Roosevelt was reputed to have renewed the American spirit and optimism by immediately addressing the effects of the depression. Through the Great Deal, he introduced a variety of programmes targeted at getting Americans back to work, provide relief for the vulnerable, get industry and agriculture back on their feet, and engender accelerated recovery and economic growth. Or, how about the recent change of government in the United Kingdom where the new Prime Minister, Theresa May formed her Cabinet within hours to ensure that the doubts arising from the uncertainty of Brexit Vote do not get the better of her citizens? Badaru and those who still think like him should tell Nigerians the character of the economic team in place that has been managing the Nation's economy since 29th of May 2015. This 'economic management policy' of unhealthy propaganda and blaming the previous administration ceaselessly, will not take us anywhere. Will Badaru and his Party men continue to blame Jonathan and the PDP 'till 2019 and use Jonathan for the 2019 campaign instead of showing their scorecard? The good thing is that Nigerians who were being hoodwinked at first, are now seeing through the deception of this unending blame game. It is on record that one APC governor after his inauguration for his second tenure publicly announced that he inherited an empty treasury. He was quickly reminded that he couldn't have inherited empty treasury from himself. This unfortunately, is the face of the comedy and farce that now characterize governors and governance in this Country. Any dispassionate assessment of economic performance under Jonathan would obviously frown at Governor Badaru's type of impulsive conclusion without recourse to the strong macroeconomic fundamentals recorded under Jonathan, which laid the foundation for meaningful growth. In particular, despite interfering global downturn, the overall real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate stood at an average of 5%, a growth that was largely driven by the non-oil sector in line with the success of the diversification effort of the Administration. There is no doubt that there was obvious improvement in inflation pressure which stood at a single digit and provided the stability and guarantees needed for the economy to remain stable. It actually borders on ignorance to claim that no cost cutting measures were introduced when the Jonathan Administration in one sector was able to reduce its food import bill from well over N1t to N684.7b as at December 2013 and subsequently cut it further down with improvements in local food production. Where was the Governor when Jonathan's Administration embarked on comprehensive reforms in different sectors towards infrastructural renewal, promotion of sustainable development and the growth of the Nation's economy to become the largest in Africa? Did he ever wonder why despite the "signals towards end of 2013 to 2014", as rightly identified by the Governor to be the beginning of hard times, the economy remained stable with single digit inflation during those periods? Let Gov. Badaru be reminded that it was because of the milestones recorded in the local production of rice and other staple food that ensured robust local supply and remarkable progression which limited the demand for scarce foreign exchange needed for importation. We would be disappointed if the Governor was oblivious of what was happening around him in the area of agricultural revolution; especially, as farmers from his part of the Country openly expressed their support and gains from these initiatives. Again, when he said that "the past leaders did nothing to stop a looming recession", we have no choice but rise to put the facts right. Less we forget when the Senate approved $52 benchmark for the Administration's last Budget at a time Oil was selling for about $60 and crashing further, the Government did not just sit down and watch events unfold. Under the leadership of the Finance Ministry, the Administration developed a scenario-based fiscal template with definite responses designed to track and tackle varying challenges in the volatility regime. We should also remind Badaru that the recent visit of the Facebook Founder, Mark Zukerberg to the Co-Creation Hub (CcHub) in Yaba, Lagos State, wouldn't have happened if Jonathan did not have the Vision to set up the two ICT incubation centers in Lagos and Calabar. The former President built the Centers in support of youth entrepreneurship, just as he did with other successful youth-focused programmes like the Youth Enterprise with Innovation (YOUWIN) and the Nagropreneur Initiative that turned agriculture into an attractive industry for youths. Need we remind the Governor that all these were possible because of the performance contract model Jonathan developed for his ministers where key performance indicators (KPI) were jointly agreed and signed against which each minister's measurable effectiveness was benchmarked? In view of the above submissions, it is clear that the current economic recession in the Country was not caused by previous PDP's Administration or leaders but due to the poor management of Nigeria's economy, lack of vision and incompetence of the present APC's led Federal Government that drove Nigerians into this avoidable life threatening quagmire. Finally, we want to therefore advise the Government of the day to stop the blame game and look inward towards resolving the recession by inviting economic experts irrespective of their political leaning to join hands with the Administration at these trying times. Signed: Prince Dayo Adeyeye PDP National Publicity Secretary |
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