In order to make a good case for zoning of the gubernatorial slot to Yewa, it is necessary to portray Yewa as a victim of political oppression which has been denied of its political rights. And that is what those whose mischief making machinery including the Ogun state owned media have been busy doing.
But the reality is far from this. Those who are familiar with the gubernatorial history of Ogun State would remember the following:
In 1978, the gubernatorial slot was not zoned to any of the divisions in Ogun State. It is pertinent to note that Ogun State consists of four divisions.
The majority clan of Ijebu which is monolithic, so to say, as they speak same dialect from Aiyepe, Odogbolu/Okun Owa axis to the north Ago-Iwoye, Ijebu Igbo spreading to the centre located at Ijebu Ode and to the east empting at Mushin/ Ijebu¬-Ife / Ijebu waterside axis. Each of these communities has a traditional ruler and proud of its heritage even though they accept the superiority of the Awujale of Ijebu Land. This vast area constitutes six Local Governments with an electoral strength of 47% of the state electorate. The Remo though speaks derivation of Ijebu but their history and ancestry are as distinct as the left eye is different from the right. They are a proud people with communities with traditional rulers, the most prominent of whom is the Akarigbo of Ijebu Remo. They claim to have migrated independent of the Ijebus from Remo quarters in Ile-Ife. The relationship between Ijebu and Remo has been brotherly with mutual respect to their cultural differences. Comparative with Ijebu and Egba, they constitute a smaller clan in Ogun State with three local governments whereas the Ijebu and Egba constitute six local governments respectively while Yewa has five local governments.
There is no gainsaying that Ijebu and Remo are short changed by the political gerrymandering that constituted the senatorial district in Ogun State and also the distribution of Local Government. While Egba with six local governments like Ijebu has its own Senatorial District, the Ogun Central, the Ijebu and Remo with nine local governments share the same senatorial district, Ogun East, whereas the Yewa, with five local governments, has its own senatorial District, Ogun West.
With this gerrymandered and unfair allocation of senatorial districts to the disadvantage of Ijebu and Remo, it is easy for the propagandists to point out that Yewa is the only Senatorial District that has not produced a Governor in Ogun State without considering the fact that Yewa and Egba are unduly favored by the allocation of senatorial districts and that if for example, five local governments in Ijebu, like Odogbolu, Ijebu North, Ijebu East, Ijebu Waterside and Ijebu North East had constituted a senatorial district, they too could claim that they had not had a largesse of the gubernatorial manna zoned to their backyard because the only Governor that has come from Ijebu in Ogun State was Chief Bisi Onabanjo from Ijebu Ode local government who was elected as Governor in 1979, thirty one years ago.
And Chief Bisi Onabanjo did not get the gubernatorial ticket zoned to his backyard. He won a stiff contest among four candidates, Chief Soji Odunjo from Egba, Dr. Tunji Otegbeye and Senator Jonathan Odebiyi from Egbado, now Yewa and the Aiyekoto himself ‘Mr. Bisi’ as admirably called by Sage Obafemi Awolowo contested the Unity Party primary election from Ijebu. Chief Bisi Onabanjo had the 20 Ijebu delegate votes, Chief Soji Odunjo, the son of the Alawiye fame secured 20 Egba delegate votes and the two Egbado candidates divided their 10 delegate votes from Egbado with one candidate scoring 4 and the other scoring 6 votes living Onabanjo and Odunjo to slog it out on the second ballot at which the Egbado graciously backed the Ijebu candidate making Chief Bisi Onabanjo, the UPN candidate. Since then, the Ijebu has carried the albatross of trying to repay the Yewa their good gesture.
And it is not as if the Ijebu has not been trying. During the SDP time, the Ijebu called on the Yewa to streamline their home front to come out with a common candidate so that the Ijebu could support them to snatch the ticket, but they refused to yield to the pressure of their people to unite. The result was that the Egba came out with one candidate, the Akinrogun of Egba, Chief Segun Osoba who politically worsened the Egbado candidates including Professor Olabimtan and the veteran trade unionist, Senior Comrade of Nigeria, Dr. Tunji Otegbeye and there we were, Osoba an Egba man was elected governor under the platform of the SDP. The same scenario repeated itself in 1999 and Chief Osoba snatched the AD ticket to become a second term governor. If he was not stopped by the PDP in 2003, Chief Osoba, an Egba man, would have been governor the third time. So, up to date, the Egba man has occupied the Okemosan gubernatorial office for six years whereas the only Ijebu occupant was Chief Bisi Onabanjo who was elected in 1979 completing a four year term but denied to rule on his election for the second term as the military struck in December 1983.
An attempt by an Ijebu man to stage a comeback through the PDP in 1999 with Dr. Jubril Matins Kuye carrying the then unattractive flag of the PDP in the face of the self serving, deceitful AD failed because of the political mischief that characterized the AD propaganda and false posture. Thank God, the tree of Dr. Jubril Matins Kuye thought to have been trimmed then has grown into a mighty Araba tree, as he has since then been uplifted to be a second term Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
In 2003, Chief Gbenga Daniel, from Remo had to fight with Mr. Dele Arojo, a candidate from Yewa who was later murdered to get the then promising PDP ticket, as a turn of events had opened the eyes of the Yoruba to the truth. He defeated the seemingly invincible incumbent governor, Chief Segun Osoba from Egba.
In 2007, a Yewa candidate, Mr. Lekan Ojo, former chairman of the PDP in Ogun State struggled with the incumbent Governor Gbenga Daniel in the PDP primary and failed. Then, the Ijebu adopted a ‘siddon look’ watching as Gbenga Daniel from Remo and Alhaja Salmon Badru from Yewa ,two smaller ethnic groups from Ogun State occupied the gubernatorial seat for almost eight years now; such liberalism and privilege could only happen in a politically sophisticated and intellectually endowed state as Ogun.
In our type of political setting, the executive presidential democracy of American type, the constitution recognizes total unity of the executive chair. The Governor and the Deputy are to be complimentary. Therefore, a deputy governor is a governor, often referred to as Excellency, a nomenclature he or she only shares with the governor in the State. He or she would be governor the moment the incumbent vacates his/her position during the tenure either by commission or omission, by deliberation or by accident. The experience of our President Jonathan Goodluck is a vivid example of the oneness of the position of the Principal and the lieutenant Executive in the presidential system. It is therefore dishonest for anyone to portray Yewa whose daughter has occupied the deputy governorship of Ogun State with her governor for almost eight years as a victim of political oppression or denial; no way.
The provision for federal or state character in appointment is not about zoning a particular post to a particular place but an assurance and guarantee that important and powerful political posts be distributed among various sections of the federation or of the state. In respect to Ogun State ,that principle is always adhered to since posts like that of the Governor, his/her Deputy, Secretary to the government of the state and Chairman of the party have been distributed to different sections of the state to ensure balance in character.
Late Dipo Dina, an Ijebu illustrious son contested the gubernatorial election under the platform of the AC in 2007 after which he was gunned down by a yet to be identified assassin in 2009.
Chief Ibikunle Amosu of Egba contested governorship under the platform of the ANPP in 2007.
The point we are raising is that if all these people were free to contest, why anyone should be denied his right to contest for governorship simply because he is an Ijebu PDP. All we are asking for is the right to participate in the electoral process as guaranteed by the constitution. Let the people of Ogun State, in the primary and general elections be the judge of who is going to be their next governor. There is no need for a protectionist clause of zoning of an elective post. That would not produce a good and democratic governor; that would only produce a mediocre as a result of political manipulation and gerrymandering that would disfranchise the people.
If the premiership of the Western Region were to be zoned in the 1950s, nobody would have thought of zoning it to Ikenne, Awolowo’s birth place in the face of larger cities like Ibadan, Ogbomoso, Shagamu, Abeokuta, Ile-Ife and Ijebu Ode to mention a few. The result would have been the denial of all the good things we now credit to the Sage Awo. Chief Obafemi Awolowo was allowed to prove his worth and his leadership qualities endeared him to the political operatives who crowned him as the leader and premier. That is what we think Asiwaju Awosedo is all about. If someone from Remo, Egba, Yewa or Ijebu would be Governor, let it be the judgment of the generality of the people or their democratically elected delegates chosen for that purpose. Who says that the Ogun State residents are not capable of deciding who or from where their Governor would come from?
Those who now say that a Remo man, Governor Gbenga Daniel, is an Ijebu and therefore cannot be succeeded by another Ijebu owe the Remo an apology. Such statement shows their ignorance of the history of Remo and its people and should not be taken seriously but be dismissed as the mischief of political manipulators. The Ijebus acknowledge and respect the spirit of brotherhood existing between the Ijebu and Remo but at the same time acknowledge the sanctity of the dignity of identity of Remo as a people. In fact as we know that Rev. Olajide Awosedo has always maintained all the people in Ogun State have the same root and the division is simply as a result of different historical experience of migration. We hope politicians would stop using this accidental happenstance of history to divide the people.
It is also very amazing that those who are saying or mouthing zoning are dishonest in their posture that they concede the right to contest the next gubernatorial election to Yewa while at the same time they are parading candidates from Egba. The Yewa people can see through such deceit because they have seen such film before and the result as stated earlier has been won by Egba candidate in Chief Segun Osoba.
Those who think that they can always deceive the Yewa by encouraging multiple Yewa candidates against fewer Egba candidates as they fence the Ijebu should look for different strategy this time because the people of Yewa could now see through their mirror of deceit.
Those who now pretend not to know that there are four divisions on Ogun State and now want to use Senatorial District as a basis for their zoning formula should be made to realize that if such basis were to be used in 2003, Remo division would not have been entitled to the governorship because Remo is in the same district, Ogun East Senatorial district, where Chief Bisi Onabanjo who was elected governor in 1979 came from.
According to the same school of thought, Central Senatorial District, the Egba, should not sit by and allow the governorship, the governor and the deputy, to be monopolized for the next eight years by the West and East Senatorial District as they do now. Such fallacy stands debunked in the case of Ogun State because it is more logically truthful that the governorship for almost eight years now is being dominated by the brethren to Ijebu, the Remo and the brethren to Egba, the Egbado, now Yewa. And that speaks volume.
If therefore the Egba in the Ogun Central should not be made to stand by, the Ijebu in the East Central should not stand by without taking a shot at the governorship, shikena.
Anyway, why is the propaganda of Yewa candidate limited to PDP as if Ogun State is a one party State? Even though the PDP is very strong in Ogun, no shaking, the people of Ogun are so sophisticated that they cannot be taken for a ride or taken for granted. The AD learned that lesson the hard way in 2003 election. The people of Ogun State should not be given a fait accompli, an hop son’s choice. Other parties like AC are hovering in the wings and are watching events in the PDP. They are more concerned about who could win for them rather than from which zone. That is politics for you. We can see the AC/APP or Mega party pickig their candidate from Egba.
In a lighter mood, if zoning is about fairness as they claim, nobody seems to be thinking on when the state capital would be zoned to Ijebu or Yewa or Remo; because no matter where the governor comes from, the state capital always takes the lion share of the cake.
We do not expect the Olajide Awosedo Campaign Organization to be diverted from what our observers in Nigeria have described as its issue orientated campaigns to degenerate in to clannish debate hence we members of the Movement for Progressive Change in Nigeria based in the US that have taken it upon ourselves to monitor the Nigerian polity and clear its green areas, find it necessary for us to make this statement on Ogun State. Our last words on it would be in two questions; where were these propagandists when Aare Jubril Matins Kuye, a proud and prominent Ijebu man made a serious bid for governorship with a dented PDP ticket in 1999? If not for the AD mischief, he would have won. Has any Ijebu man been elected Governor in Ogun State since then?
To us, Asiwaju Olajide Awosedo is only exercising his constitutional right to contest and we can not see him being denied this right simply because he is an Ijebu man. He must be looking beyond the ethnic prone zoning to make his case for governor and challenging other candidates to do the same, to come out and tell Ogun state residents what they will benefit if elected.
Ogun State is fortunate to have an internationally respected leader in President Olusegun Obasanjo who will use his good position as a father to all to make settlement to unite the party after democratic primaries for nomination. May God continue to spare his life in good health for more years of dedicated services to our nation and humanity.
According to him and we agree that, people tend to want their own clannish man to be governor so as to use the proverbial hose to favor his ethnic group. Awosedo, we notice, believes that, that should not be the case. He believes a Governor elected by the people must be fair and just to all. Like Sage Obafemi Awolowo before him, he intends to have program that will be of benefit to everybody, no matter where you come from. His rain we understand will wet the appétit of every body in Ogun and his sun will shine over all.
He looks back with nostalgia and found out that he attended a quality free education system that prepared him for today and plans to refurbish the educational system to prepare the children for tomorrow. He looks at unemployment role and sees university graduates roaming the street and plans to provide employments for them.
He feels we can develop our agro- allied industry, helping farmers to develop mechanized farming in order to propel industrial revolution.
He sees our dilapidated roads and wants to fix them. He laments at the state of our health delivery service and plans to fix it so as to make people healthy and productive.
He sees the plight of teachers and agricultural workers and feels it is important to give them rewards right now to make them fit into the normal civil service structure with its privileges.
He is touched by the poverty he sees in his surrounding daily despite the blessing of God bestowed on him and wants to make a change in the lives of the people.
Awosedo sees the talent of mechanics being wasted at the roadside and feels he should build for them functional workshops to make them more productive. He sees the plight of the struggling musicians and artists and feels he should encourage them to reach the world at large through building musical and cultural villages that would be tourist attraction for the world. He sees frown faces and believes he should put smiles on them.
He sees farmers’ product helplessly destroyed before them and believes he can help them in preservation.
Awosedo enjoys frequent supply of electricity as his is supplemented by the privileged generating plants and feels the government should come to the rescue of the people to supply uninterrupted electricity supply for personal and industrial use.
Awosedo sees the ups, downs and ups again of life that he believes that he is only touched by the grace of God and feels he should be in government to help the underprivileged chart the course against poverty.
Awosedo has had a vision of building and then successfully built an historic edifice in opening Lekki from jungle to a mega city and plans turning Ogun into a cynosure of all eyes for all to see and enjoy. He sees the houseless and wants to provide them homes. He sees the clothless and wants to provide them cloths. He sees the hungry and wants to provide them the means of feeding. He is doing his best in this regards as an individual philanthropist but believes having the rein of government would do it better.
That, we understand is the focus of his campaign and we are determined to support him to make it remain so. We have helped in gathering a formidable team of dedicated patriots, students, scholars, professionals from Yewa, Egba, Remo and Ijebu to daily burn the night candle in the tradition of the Sage Awo to help his campaign organization look into the problems of Ogun State and find solutions to them.
We are aware that he is ready to tap the vast human and natural resources to make Ogun State maintain a pace setting status the fore bearers of the state want of it.
We have been watching how Asiwaju Olajide Awosedo is combing all the four corners of Ogun State and how the masses are not concerned about where the Governor comes from. We want all patriots who want deliverance of the masses from their visible abject poverty to join Rev. Olajide Awosedo in his historic mission to restructure Ogun State and transform it to modernity. The masses are crying loud and their message in response to past frustrations and of recent governmental disappointment from Yewa¸ Egba, Remo and Ijebu in their determination to liberate themselves has been clear enough. O yes, we can ‘A pe a ko sin oro olori mo’, Omo Ogun, Imole re de.
President: Dr. Tunji Almoroof - 0091-3475202194
Gen Secretary: Comrade Sina Akanni –0091-83221959
Movement for Progressive Change in Nigeria based in America. www.Thenewnigerians.blogspot.com (Mr.akanni@sbcglobal.net)
Friday, July 23, 2010
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
NIGERIA AT 50; A TEDIOUS ROAD TO DEMOCRACY – NIGERIA’S SAGA
The political architectonic design created by the British under Lord Fredrick Lugard as Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria , a mere geographic expression in 1914 is still in the struggle to build a national united country after 50 years of the Independence obtained in October 1, 1960.
The journey to nationhood is a long one actually starting about 1887 as various Emirates, Obalands, Kingships, empires, were merged till 1900 when they became the Southern and the Northern Protectorates respectively.
Lord Lugard established the system of Indirect Rule by which local instrument of traditional rulers were converted into colonial agency through which the British, in the person of the Governor resident in the Colony, ruled in the name of the British Majesty.
With the merging of the powerful Sokoto based Empire to the Northern Protectorate in 1903 and the commercial Colony of Lagos to the Southern Protectorate in 1906, the foundation of the present Nigeria had been laid.
The success of Governor Lord Lugard prompted the merger of the two Protectorates which was embarked upon for budgetary and administrative convenience.
Lord Lugard’s administration was paternalistic in nature and it was not until 1922 that Governor Clifford gave succor to the yearning of the people for participation in the governance of their affairs by establishing a legislative council of elected indigenes into the political system in Lagos.
The Council consisted of 30 official members, 15 unofficial members appointed by the colonial government with 3 unofficial members representing the municipal areas of Lagos and Calabar. It included a limited number of elected members and African members selected to represent the interest of those parts of the colony not represented by elected members. The membership of this Council was however limited to males who were British subjects or natives of the Protectorate with 12 months residential qualification with an income of not less than 100 pounds a year. With the first election held in September 1923, the Council was inaugurated in October. The Clifford Constitution introduced elective principle and stimulus to the formation of a political party – the National Nigerian Democratic Party (NNDP) led by Herbert Macaulay in 1923, a party that dominated the 3 elective seats in Lagos.
The activities of the NNDP for many years were limited to Lagos as the activities of the party were geared towards filling up the seats of the Legislative Council. The need for an enlarged politicization nation wide gave birth to the formation of the Lagos Youth Movement for the purpose of sensitizing the public to embark on the political activities that would demand for more participatory functions for the indigenes in the governance of their territory in 1934 .The champions of this formation were H. O. Davies, Dr. J.C. Vaughan, Dr. Kofo Abayomi, Ernest Ikoli, Dr.Nnamdi Azikiwe and Obafemi Awolowo. In 1939 it transformed into the Nigerian Youth Movement.
The NNDP was perceived by its critics as not aggressive enough since Herbert Macaulay only criticized isolated measures rather than the totality of colonial regime. His call for a Nigerian independence within a British Commonwealth was not attractive to the new nationalist. The National Youth Movement (NYM) then challenged Herbert Macaulay’s NNDP electorally and won the three seats in Lagos in 1938.
The British did not look kindly to the N YM which it dismissed as a Southern Movement despite the inclusion of prominent Northerners among their activists and thereby resulting into disaffection of the northern Emirs.
But the National Youth Movement was to fall prey to its own internal strife on the issue of leadership tussle between Prince Akinsanya who later became an Oba, the Odemo of Ishara and Ernest Okoli .Chief Obafemi Awolowo on principle supported the candidature of Ernest Ikoli as President on the death of the President as the constitution of the movement stipulated since Ikoli was the Vice President. But Dr. Azikiwe supported Prince Akinsanya and accused Chief Awolowo of tribalism for supporting Ikoli who is not a Yoruba man against his own Remo kin for which Chief Azikiwe withdrew from the movement leading to the withdrawal of all Ibo members.
By 1939, the Southern provinces were divided into two territories called the Western and Eastern provinces respectively as the North stood firmly united, a factor that was to give the Northern Protectorate the sense of oneness against the split south.
With the spread of nationalist consciousness, the National Council of Nigeria and Cameroon was formed with Engineer Herbert Macaulay as leader to tap the national flavor of nationalism in the territory in 1944.
By 1946 Governor Arthur Richards promulgated a constitution with a Central Legislative Council headed by a President. The council was composed by 16 officials and 18 unofficial members and the unofficial members were to be elected by the Regional Legislatures which was merely a deliberative assembly that would not legislate but would merely make recommendations to be considered by the Central Legislative Council.
As the Second World War was taking its toil, the nationalists find reasons to demand for higher participation and the need for self rule as their citizens went to war in foreign countries.
This brought about the period of diarchy by which the colonial power now accommodated the participation of the indigenes in the governance of their land resulting into the collapse of the Arthur Richard’s constitution yielding place to Governor Macpherson’s constitution in 1951. The Ibadan Conference that preceded this development considered the issues of federalism vis-à-vis confederalism. Would the new nation be a loose centre with strong regions or otherwise?
The 1951 Macpherson constitution was a compromise between confederalism and unitarism giving birth to federalism as advocate by Chief Obafemi Awolowo, a middle way between Ahmadu Bello’s confederalist stance and Nnamdi Azikiwe’s Unitarianism. The fact that made this reporter to suggest to Chief Awolowo in a documentary ‘The Man Awo ’in 1979 that he was the father of Nigerian federalism and he humbly agreed.
But agreeing on federalism was not an easy compromise as the leaders were not in agreement as to when to get independence for the nation. To compound the issue, the new Constitution resulted into the ethnicization of the political parties that aspired to capture power at the regional level. The NCNC now led BY Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe after the death of Engineer Macaulay tilted towards Ibo domination, the Action Group led by Chief Obafemi Awolowo, predominantly Yoruba , the NPC could not even disguise its garment as Northern Peoples Congress .And as if to ignite a petroleum socked mattress with fire, Chief Anthony Enahoro of the Action Group proposed a private bill to seek for independence for Nigeria in 1956 in a parliament where the number of seats allocated to the North was being challenged as inflated and over representative of the North by both the East and the West, characteristically ,the Action Group and the NCNC. But the NCNC and the Action Group were not the best of friends. They had their differences in the position of Lagos. The Action Group wanted Lagos to be part of the Western Region but the NCNC would not have that. The new constitution made Lagos a separate entity. Gbegegbe Leko wa. Eko osi nkoro.
Enahoro’s motion was volatile, precipitating the Kano riot between the Action Group in 1953 over the difference on the space of colonization as the AG insisted on independence sooner than the NPC wished. The constitutional crisis precipitated by these events prompted the urgent need to redraw the constitution which Governor Lyttleton took seriously. In a London Conference prior to the Lyttleton Constitution, the Action Group disagreed again on the position of Lagos as the NPC and NCNC supported the idea of a separate Lagos Community and so, the constitution established Lagos as a federal territory. The Constitution of 1954 gave Nigeria a federal system with a strong centre as any region that wished was offered self government by 1956. I t gave Cameroun regional status by which Northern Cameroun remained with continued association with Northern Region while the Eastern Cameroun was separated from the East as a quasi -federal territory. Most importantly, it laid down the basic pattern for a self governing institution.
And yet the Littleton Constitution was very defective as there was no provision for the position of a Prime Minister in the Central to provide the much needed leadership without which the government would drift. Even the so called legislative functions ostentatiously granted the Council could be undermined by the power to legislate in the interest of good government granted to the Governor General at the Central and the Governor in the Region .But the constitution provided virtually quasi -legislative forum and executive experimentation to the nationalists to learn the rope and it also provided dignified judicial system culminating into the creation of the Supreme Court.
The Littleton Constitution led to a road map for Nigerian independence as it was only slightly amended to give independence to Nigeria in October 1, 1960.
But Nigeria could not manage the fruit of her independence as the government succumbed to a military rule on January 15 leading to the death of his first Prime Minister, Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, the Premier of the West, Chief SLA Akintola and Sir Ahmadu Bello, Premier of the Northern Region and some prominent Nigerians including the Minister of Finance, Chief Festus Okotie-Eboh.
In 1959 an election was held for the control of the legislature and thereby the government as Nigeria was goaled towards a parliamentary democracy.
The election justified the fear and the criticism of the Action Group and the NCNC that the North was over represented in Parliament in the Littleton Constitution as the NCNC/NEPU Alliance with its base in the South East won 73 seats with its 2,595,577 votes whereas NPC won 142 seats with its 1,992,178 votes. The Action Group/UMBC Alliance with its base in the South West won 73 seats with 1,922,364 votes. The NEPU was a minority party from the North (Kano) led by Alhaji Aminu Kano while the UMBC was another minority party from the Northern Middle Belt by Mr. Joseph Tarka.
Ironically the NPC and the NCNC formed a government headed by Tafawa Balewa as Prime Minister with the NCNC/NEPU with higher plurality votes treated as minority party because the lesser votes of the NPC fetched it more seats through political gerrymandering.
Thus the basis for distrust had been built in the Nigerian polity before independence. If that was a remote cause of the first challenge to stability, an internal problem of the AG was its immediate cause as the crack in the wall of the party gave way to the invasion by the proverbial lizards.
The Action Group was embroidered in an internal crisis precipitated by policy differences among the leaders. Chief Ladoke Akintola, the new Premier of the West after Awolowo preferred a romance with the NPC with the view of preserving the North for the NPC. This was against the principle of a national party formation envisaged by the majority of Action Group leaders .These differences led to the political defiance ( Akintola Taku) that led the Action Group members in the House of Assembly to want to oust Chief Ladoke Akintola as Premier of the West. The crisis led to the declaration of State of emergency by the federal government with the appointment of Dr. M.A.Majekodunmi as Administration of the Western Region, an ignition of what Chief Anthony Enahoro predicted in the parliament as the beginning of a chain of events, the end of which nobody knew.
This chain of events that led to the imprisonment of the leader of opposition, Chief Obafemi Awolowo leading to the first military coup is still a recurrent decimal in the polity of Nigeria today. Since then, Nigeria is still hovering around looking for the politics of accommodation.
The military take over of January 15, 1966 led to the crowning of Major General Aguiyi Ironsi as Military Head of State. Six months later, a retaliatory coup masterminded by northern officers like Murtala Mohammed and Theophilous Danjuma led to the crowning of Lt.Colonel Yakubu Gowon as Military Head of State. The era of Yakubu Gowon witnessed a 30 month civil war as Lt. Col. Odumegwu Ojukwu challenged his claim to leadership and attempted to pull the East out of Nigeria as the Republic of Biafra. The end of the war led to the complacency of Gowon’s regime after his commendable accommodation of the easterners into the Nigerian scheme under a policy of no victor, no vanquished. It was under General Gowon that Nigeria was changed into a twelve state structure, a measure that transformed the federal structure into a better political equilibrium.
But Nigeria continued to drift in corruption and indecision prompting General Murtala Mohammed to stage a peaceful coup against Gowon.
The Murtala Mohammed regime set the stage for a new constitution in 1979 under Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo who succeeded him after he was fell by the bullet of Lt. Col. Buka Suka Dimka.
Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo as Head of State handed over power to a Civilian regime with Alhaji Shehu Shagari elected President on the platform of the NPN with a controversial Supreme Court decision on the definition of two third of the 19 states structure created by the Murtala Mohammed / Obasanjo regime.
The Shehu Shagari government was toppled in a 1983 Coup after a moonslide rigging of election which led to the reign of Gen. Mohammed Buhari which itself was toppled by Gen. Ibrahim Babangida by August 27, 1985.
General Babangida established another Constituent Assembly to reform the Constitution. He dismissed all the political associations formed on the directive of his regime and instead formed two parties, National Republican Convention and the Social Democratic Party. An election in 1983 believed to have been won by Chief MKO Abiola as President was annulled by Ibrahim Babangida leading to a crisis of monumental catastrophe leading to his being forced to step aside in August 1993. Babangida‘s regime was succeeded by Ernest Sonekan as Head of State in an interim government which was toppled by Gen. Sani Abacha in November 1994.
The Abacha regime established a Constitutional Conference to look into the problem associated with the Constitution but his regime was terminated by his sudden death in June 1998.
The death of Gen. Sani Abacha led to the establishment of Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar regime which swiftly arranged a political transition program which he effected leading to the election of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, one time Military Head of State as President.
Obasanjo’s regime was significant in its consolidation of democracy in Nigeria. After his eight year tenure, he successfully transferred power to a democratically elected Alhaji Umaru Yar’Adua as President. Yar’Adua died in May 2010 and was succeeded by his Vice President, Dr. Jonathan Goodluck.
President Goodluck‘s challenge is how to conduct a free and fair election that would lead to a peaceful transfer of power in May, 2011.
Nigeria has come a long way. Despite all the problems associated with nation building, Nigerians have demonstrated to the whole world that it could be a united nation where tribe and culture differ in as much as 250 languages.
With 50 years of independence with a thirty month civil war behind it, Nigeria deserves a place of pride as the most populated black country with her nationals in different parts of the world as Professors and practitioners in Science and Arts and that is besides her being a major oil producer to the world. Happy golden jubilee to Nigeria, the deserved giant of Africa. May the labor of our founding fathers not be in vain. Long live Nigeria.
By Hon. Bari Adedeji Salau BA, MPA-IG
Investigator; Political Oversight and Organization Specialist
The journey to nationhood is a long one actually starting about 1887 as various Emirates, Obalands, Kingships, empires, were merged till 1900 when they became the Southern and the Northern Protectorates respectively.
Lord Lugard established the system of Indirect Rule by which local instrument of traditional rulers were converted into colonial agency through which the British, in the person of the Governor resident in the Colony, ruled in the name of the British Majesty.
With the merging of the powerful Sokoto based Empire to the Northern Protectorate in 1903 and the commercial Colony of Lagos to the Southern Protectorate in 1906, the foundation of the present Nigeria had been laid.
The success of Governor Lord Lugard prompted the merger of the two Protectorates which was embarked upon for budgetary and administrative convenience.
Lord Lugard’s administration was paternalistic in nature and it was not until 1922 that Governor Clifford gave succor to the yearning of the people for participation in the governance of their affairs by establishing a legislative council of elected indigenes into the political system in Lagos.
The Council consisted of 30 official members, 15 unofficial members appointed by the colonial government with 3 unofficial members representing the municipal areas of Lagos and Calabar. It included a limited number of elected members and African members selected to represent the interest of those parts of the colony not represented by elected members. The membership of this Council was however limited to males who were British subjects or natives of the Protectorate with 12 months residential qualification with an income of not less than 100 pounds a year. With the first election held in September 1923, the Council was inaugurated in October. The Clifford Constitution introduced elective principle and stimulus to the formation of a political party – the National Nigerian Democratic Party (NNDP) led by Herbert Macaulay in 1923, a party that dominated the 3 elective seats in Lagos.
The activities of the NNDP for many years were limited to Lagos as the activities of the party were geared towards filling up the seats of the Legislative Council. The need for an enlarged politicization nation wide gave birth to the formation of the Lagos Youth Movement for the purpose of sensitizing the public to embark on the political activities that would demand for more participatory functions for the indigenes in the governance of their territory in 1934 .The champions of this formation were H. O. Davies, Dr. J.C. Vaughan, Dr. Kofo Abayomi, Ernest Ikoli, Dr.Nnamdi Azikiwe and Obafemi Awolowo. In 1939 it transformed into the Nigerian Youth Movement.
The NNDP was perceived by its critics as not aggressive enough since Herbert Macaulay only criticized isolated measures rather than the totality of colonial regime. His call for a Nigerian independence within a British Commonwealth was not attractive to the new nationalist. The National Youth Movement (NYM) then challenged Herbert Macaulay’s NNDP electorally and won the three seats in Lagos in 1938.
The British did not look kindly to the N YM which it dismissed as a Southern Movement despite the inclusion of prominent Northerners among their activists and thereby resulting into disaffection of the northern Emirs.
But the National Youth Movement was to fall prey to its own internal strife on the issue of leadership tussle between Prince Akinsanya who later became an Oba, the Odemo of Ishara and Ernest Okoli .Chief Obafemi Awolowo on principle supported the candidature of Ernest Ikoli as President on the death of the President as the constitution of the movement stipulated since Ikoli was the Vice President. But Dr. Azikiwe supported Prince Akinsanya and accused Chief Awolowo of tribalism for supporting Ikoli who is not a Yoruba man against his own Remo kin for which Chief Azikiwe withdrew from the movement leading to the withdrawal of all Ibo members.
By 1939, the Southern provinces were divided into two territories called the Western and Eastern provinces respectively as the North stood firmly united, a factor that was to give the Northern Protectorate the sense of oneness against the split south.
With the spread of nationalist consciousness, the National Council of Nigeria and Cameroon was formed with Engineer Herbert Macaulay as leader to tap the national flavor of nationalism in the territory in 1944.
By 1946 Governor Arthur Richards promulgated a constitution with a Central Legislative Council headed by a President. The council was composed by 16 officials and 18 unofficial members and the unofficial members were to be elected by the Regional Legislatures which was merely a deliberative assembly that would not legislate but would merely make recommendations to be considered by the Central Legislative Council.
As the Second World War was taking its toil, the nationalists find reasons to demand for higher participation and the need for self rule as their citizens went to war in foreign countries.
This brought about the period of diarchy by which the colonial power now accommodated the participation of the indigenes in the governance of their land resulting into the collapse of the Arthur Richard’s constitution yielding place to Governor Macpherson’s constitution in 1951. The Ibadan Conference that preceded this development considered the issues of federalism vis-à-vis confederalism. Would the new nation be a loose centre with strong regions or otherwise?
The 1951 Macpherson constitution was a compromise between confederalism and unitarism giving birth to federalism as advocate by Chief Obafemi Awolowo, a middle way between Ahmadu Bello’s confederalist stance and Nnamdi Azikiwe’s Unitarianism. The fact that made this reporter to suggest to Chief Awolowo in a documentary ‘The Man Awo ’in 1979 that he was the father of Nigerian federalism and he humbly agreed.
But agreeing on federalism was not an easy compromise as the leaders were not in agreement as to when to get independence for the nation. To compound the issue, the new Constitution resulted into the ethnicization of the political parties that aspired to capture power at the regional level. The NCNC now led BY Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe after the death of Engineer Macaulay tilted towards Ibo domination, the Action Group led by Chief Obafemi Awolowo, predominantly Yoruba , the NPC could not even disguise its garment as Northern Peoples Congress .And as if to ignite a petroleum socked mattress with fire, Chief Anthony Enahoro of the Action Group proposed a private bill to seek for independence for Nigeria in 1956 in a parliament where the number of seats allocated to the North was being challenged as inflated and over representative of the North by both the East and the West, characteristically ,the Action Group and the NCNC. But the NCNC and the Action Group were not the best of friends. They had their differences in the position of Lagos. The Action Group wanted Lagos to be part of the Western Region but the NCNC would not have that. The new constitution made Lagos a separate entity. Gbegegbe Leko wa. Eko osi nkoro.
Enahoro’s motion was volatile, precipitating the Kano riot between the Action Group in 1953 over the difference on the space of colonization as the AG insisted on independence sooner than the NPC wished. The constitutional crisis precipitated by these events prompted the urgent need to redraw the constitution which Governor Lyttleton took seriously. In a London Conference prior to the Lyttleton Constitution, the Action Group disagreed again on the position of Lagos as the NPC and NCNC supported the idea of a separate Lagos Community and so, the constitution established Lagos as a federal territory. The Constitution of 1954 gave Nigeria a federal system with a strong centre as any region that wished was offered self government by 1956. I t gave Cameroun regional status by which Northern Cameroun remained with continued association with Northern Region while the Eastern Cameroun was separated from the East as a quasi -federal territory. Most importantly, it laid down the basic pattern for a self governing institution.
And yet the Littleton Constitution was very defective as there was no provision for the position of a Prime Minister in the Central to provide the much needed leadership without which the government would drift. Even the so called legislative functions ostentatiously granted the Council could be undermined by the power to legislate in the interest of good government granted to the Governor General at the Central and the Governor in the Region .But the constitution provided virtually quasi -legislative forum and executive experimentation to the nationalists to learn the rope and it also provided dignified judicial system culminating into the creation of the Supreme Court.
The Littleton Constitution led to a road map for Nigerian independence as it was only slightly amended to give independence to Nigeria in October 1, 1960.
But Nigeria could not manage the fruit of her independence as the government succumbed to a military rule on January 15 leading to the death of his first Prime Minister, Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, the Premier of the West, Chief SLA Akintola and Sir Ahmadu Bello, Premier of the Northern Region and some prominent Nigerians including the Minister of Finance, Chief Festus Okotie-Eboh.
In 1959 an election was held for the control of the legislature and thereby the government as Nigeria was goaled towards a parliamentary democracy.
The election justified the fear and the criticism of the Action Group and the NCNC that the North was over represented in Parliament in the Littleton Constitution as the NCNC/NEPU Alliance with its base in the South East won 73 seats with its 2,595,577 votes whereas NPC won 142 seats with its 1,992,178 votes. The Action Group/UMBC Alliance with its base in the South West won 73 seats with 1,922,364 votes. The NEPU was a minority party from the North (Kano) led by Alhaji Aminu Kano while the UMBC was another minority party from the Northern Middle Belt by Mr. Joseph Tarka.
Ironically the NPC and the NCNC formed a government headed by Tafawa Balewa as Prime Minister with the NCNC/NEPU with higher plurality votes treated as minority party because the lesser votes of the NPC fetched it more seats through political gerrymandering.
Thus the basis for distrust had been built in the Nigerian polity before independence. If that was a remote cause of the first challenge to stability, an internal problem of the AG was its immediate cause as the crack in the wall of the party gave way to the invasion by the proverbial lizards.
The Action Group was embroidered in an internal crisis precipitated by policy differences among the leaders. Chief Ladoke Akintola, the new Premier of the West after Awolowo preferred a romance with the NPC with the view of preserving the North for the NPC. This was against the principle of a national party formation envisaged by the majority of Action Group leaders .These differences led to the political defiance ( Akintola Taku) that led the Action Group members in the House of Assembly to want to oust Chief Ladoke Akintola as Premier of the West. The crisis led to the declaration of State of emergency by the federal government with the appointment of Dr. M.A.Majekodunmi as Administration of the Western Region, an ignition of what Chief Anthony Enahoro predicted in the parliament as the beginning of a chain of events, the end of which nobody knew.
This chain of events that led to the imprisonment of the leader of opposition, Chief Obafemi Awolowo leading to the first military coup is still a recurrent decimal in the polity of Nigeria today. Since then, Nigeria is still hovering around looking for the politics of accommodation.
The military take over of January 15, 1966 led to the crowning of Major General Aguiyi Ironsi as Military Head of State. Six months later, a retaliatory coup masterminded by northern officers like Murtala Mohammed and Theophilous Danjuma led to the crowning of Lt.Colonel Yakubu Gowon as Military Head of State. The era of Yakubu Gowon witnessed a 30 month civil war as Lt. Col. Odumegwu Ojukwu challenged his claim to leadership and attempted to pull the East out of Nigeria as the Republic of Biafra. The end of the war led to the complacency of Gowon’s regime after his commendable accommodation of the easterners into the Nigerian scheme under a policy of no victor, no vanquished. It was under General Gowon that Nigeria was changed into a twelve state structure, a measure that transformed the federal structure into a better political equilibrium.
But Nigeria continued to drift in corruption and indecision prompting General Murtala Mohammed to stage a peaceful coup against Gowon.
The Murtala Mohammed regime set the stage for a new constitution in 1979 under Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo who succeeded him after he was fell by the bullet of Lt. Col. Buka Suka Dimka.
Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo as Head of State handed over power to a Civilian regime with Alhaji Shehu Shagari elected President on the platform of the NPN with a controversial Supreme Court decision on the definition of two third of the 19 states structure created by the Murtala Mohammed / Obasanjo regime.
The Shehu Shagari government was toppled in a 1983 Coup after a moonslide rigging of election which led to the reign of Gen. Mohammed Buhari which itself was toppled by Gen. Ibrahim Babangida by August 27, 1985.
General Babangida established another Constituent Assembly to reform the Constitution. He dismissed all the political associations formed on the directive of his regime and instead formed two parties, National Republican Convention and the Social Democratic Party. An election in 1983 believed to have been won by Chief MKO Abiola as President was annulled by Ibrahim Babangida leading to a crisis of monumental catastrophe leading to his being forced to step aside in August 1993. Babangida‘s regime was succeeded by Ernest Sonekan as Head of State in an interim government which was toppled by Gen. Sani Abacha in November 1994.
The Abacha regime established a Constitutional Conference to look into the problem associated with the Constitution but his regime was terminated by his sudden death in June 1998.
The death of Gen. Sani Abacha led to the establishment of Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar regime which swiftly arranged a political transition program which he effected leading to the election of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, one time Military Head of State as President.
Obasanjo’s regime was significant in its consolidation of democracy in Nigeria. After his eight year tenure, he successfully transferred power to a democratically elected Alhaji Umaru Yar’Adua as President. Yar’Adua died in May 2010 and was succeeded by his Vice President, Dr. Jonathan Goodluck.
President Goodluck‘s challenge is how to conduct a free and fair election that would lead to a peaceful transfer of power in May, 2011.
Nigeria has come a long way. Despite all the problems associated with nation building, Nigerians have demonstrated to the whole world that it could be a united nation where tribe and culture differ in as much as 250 languages.
With 50 years of independence with a thirty month civil war behind it, Nigeria deserves a place of pride as the most populated black country with her nationals in different parts of the world as Professors and practitioners in Science and Arts and that is besides her being a major oil producer to the world. Happy golden jubilee to Nigeria, the deserved giant of Africa. May the labor of our founding fathers not be in vain. Long live Nigeria.
By Hon. Bari Adedeji Salau BA, MPA-IG
Investigator; Political Oversight and Organization Specialist
Monday, June 7, 2010
COMEDY TIME: TO GOV. FASHOLA
Guv, Na how u dey? U must dey Kanpe as OBJ would like to say; why don’t we organize a dinner night for u to crack u up for a night. I will fly in to stand up and poke fun on those who do not appreciate your efforts. I am sure you are not doing bad in empowerment of Lagosians; we always come across some of those in Yankee city with real bread as against professional struggle with nothing to take home after Uncle Sam’s heavy taxes. Never mind there is nothing u can do about that especially with porosity of government. 2011 IS HERE. What are u going to do? Someone said u do not care about those buffoons, ouch! Well I said is comedy time. Babangida is contesting never mind is consultative Babs. I started calling who is who in Nigeria for him, that is omoeko for u nothing gain nothing lost. Did u read my article on Maryam Babangida and Hospitals written by me as eulogy for IBB’s late wife? Read, please, from our blog site; www.thenewnigerians.blogspot.com Read the article I wrote titled NIGERIA NEEDS HELP written last year June and compare my take on the treaty to be signed in USA this week. The chief national security adviser to Jonathan is sending emissary around that he wants to contest the presidency too, he is not a politician like u and me: ouch comedy time, u are a governor I am a professional and Gussau is in government but if u are not a politician u will not clinch Lagos first citizen but u are a professional too hence u let them get away with too much. Among IBB and Gussau who will win? Let us here your take: work and no play? Guv/That FLOOD will hit u hard like u have never seen before trust me. No photo up of u going about inspecting the suspected worst areas over the years. Few examples: Oshodi Oke going to international airport; Front of palace hotel in Lagos; Surulere marsa area and oworonsoki where the downtrodden folks live. What is live anyway if full of care, no time to stand and stare. That drainage spanning through Mafoluku to Oshodi and Isolo-way emptying into a creek before going to the Lagoon can be a perfect photo up for u and your commissioner of environment. Thank God we misread u on change of cabinet; you see, we read too much into speculation. Sometimes politics is smacked of SOAP OPERA AND COMMEDY.
Yours Omoeko/ALMAROOF, TUNJI
Yours Omoeko/ALMAROOF, TUNJI
Friday, June 4, 2010
LAND SCAMS IN LAGOS INVOLVING GOV FASHOLA AND EX GOV TINUBU - THE OTHER FACE OF LAGOS - PART 4
We are concerned citizens of Lagos who have brought to your attention various cases of corruption and abuse of office by former Gov Bola Tinubu and Gov Fashola in our previous publications.
In this publication, we bring to your attention once again monumental cases of corruption and abuse of office involving land matters in Lagos State perpetuated by the duo.
Over the past 10 years, both Tinubu and Fashola have been involved in various land scams including outright conversion of Lagos land for personal use, and given out state land and buildings to their cronies, political associates, public officials, members of security agencies, politicians and members of the various arms of the judiciary to achieve one interest or the other at the expense of Lagos tax payers. Tinubu in particular is the number one landlord in Lagos and has turned Lagos land worth trillions of naira into his personal possession to be used freely or given away unaccounted for.
Even after he left office, Tinubu still continues to steal Lagos land under the watch of Fashola. He is still giving out Lagos land to curry political favours, signing C of O and backdating them to period he was in office. Gov Fashola has photocopied Tinubu’s land grabbing style as he is also acquiring land for personal and political purposes.
These brazen acts of corruption by the duo have been with the active collaboration of select few public officers who have gotten obscenely wealthy at the expense of Lagos tax payers. Most notable are Gbenga Ashafa-formerly executive secretary and now Permanent Secretary, Land’s Bureau since 2001; Mrs. Awofisayo-formerly Permanent Secretary and now Special Adviser, New Town Development Authority (NTDA), and a relation of Bola Tinubu from Iragbiji, Osun state who has been in charge of NTDA since 1999; Hakeem Muri-Okunola-PA to former Gov Tinubu and now Executive Secretary, Land’s Bureau; Mrs. Nike Animashaun-Director, Land Services and known to be close to Bola Tinubu and Tunji Olowolafe. These people are arguably the wealthiest unelected public servants ever in the history of Lagos state. They are major wheelers and dealers of prime land. We mentioned in our earlier publication that the Land’s Bureau at Alausa stinks of corruption.
We catalogue below a few brazen acts of stealing and corruption committed by both Fashola and Tinubu on the good tax payers of Lagos. For ease of reference, we categorize these acts into two parts: the direct theft of prime land and properties and the use of Lagos land and properties to buy favours or pay off public officials at various levels.
A. Direct Theft of Lagos Land and Properties
Tinubu’s greed and primitive acquisition tendency knows no bound. In fact, it is believed that Lagos land personally converted by him is worth over N500 billion and growing because he hasn’t stopped. A few of them are listed below:
1. 4 Oyinkan Abayomi (formerly Queens) Drive, Ikoyi. A 5 bedroom detached house on 1 acre of Land which was a Lagos State Governor’s guest house since 1979 now belongs to Bola Tinubu. The C of O was signed and released to him by Fashola in 2007 shortly after he assumed office. The property is valued at N450million
2. Tinubu’s residence at 26 Bourdillon road, Ikoyi was initially falsely presented as Ondo Plc guest house. Later, he purportedly bought it from Ondo, and used public fund to rebuild and renovate it. Recently, the Lagos state government bought the property and paid undisclosed sum to him and thereafter gave the property back to him under the bogus Pension Bill he signed to law shortly before he left office in 2007. The property is worth over N600million
3. The annex of the Lagos State Guest House in Asokoro, Abuja was bought by the State Government in 2006 for N450million purportedly to protect the main house from security breach. Shortly after he left office, the property was transferred to him under the pension plan he signed into law before he left office.
4. The 250 hectare land valued at about N35billion strategically located at the Ajah junction on Lekki Road which was initially meant for a General Hospital for the people of Eti-Osa local government was stolen by Tinubu and handed over to Trojan Estate Ltd- a company owned by Deji and Wale Tinubu to develop as Royal Garden housing estate at the expense of the tax payers of Lagos
5. The 1,000 hectares of land valued at about N75billion located at Abijo at Ibeju-Lekki LG and given to LCC which is part owned by Tinubu and Fashola and being developed as golf course and housing estate by Assets and Resource Management Ltd(ARM) as ADIVA project
6. The prime land of 157 Hectares with 2.5km of Atlantic beachfront valued at about N10billion and stolen by Tinubu from the communities of Siriwon, Igbekodo, Apakin, etc in Ibeju-Lekki LG and given to Ibukun Fakeye-his crony to build a golf course and luxury villa with little or no compensation to the villagers. In addition, Tinubu paid $20million (N3billion) out of public treasury to Ibukun Fakeye to commence the project in late 2006. Fashola has since released additional funding for this project which is not owned by the state government.
7. The 1acre Parkview Ikoyi Estate foreshore land valued at N1billion reclaimed by Lagos State Government is now owned by Bola Tinubu.
8. While in office, he allocated to himself the former Strabag yard beside the Lagos state secretariat at Alausa, Ikeja.
9. Also the choice property at Lekki-Epe road on which he built and owns the multi-billion naira Oriental Hotel and the extension of multi-storey car park beside it. Also the multi-level recreation centre by Mobil in Oniru Estate on Lekki-Epe road jointly owned with ARM and Tunji Olowolafe. All these assets valued at over N25billion were obtained without paying a kobo to the Lagos State Government.
10. Tinubu and Fashola sold the following prime Lagos properties to their personal friend and front-Prince Dipo Eludoyin at very ridiculous prices:
•The 3.8hectares of land of Lagos State Fisheries office in VI (beside the Institute of Oceanography) valued at N3billion
•The Fishery landing jetty at Badore (where the Ilubirin fishermen were to be relocated) valued at N500million
•The entire Ogudu foreshore scheme initially earmarked for low cost housing scheme valued at N5billion
•The Ilubinrin housing estate (which used to house Lagos state civil servants and judges up till 2007) valued at N2.5billion
•The former Julius Berger yard at Oko Orisan, Epe valued at N450million
11. Tinubu raised a loan of N4.7billion on Eko Akete Project for which nothing was achieved before he turned around to sell the property to his Chagouri friends of C & C and Hitech Construction Ltd at ridiculously low price at the expense of the tax payers of Lagos.
12. Tinubu expended over N5billion of Lagos tax payers’ money on the bar beach shore line project and no further work has been done by the concessionaire to develop the Atlantic City project which was claimed to have been over-subscribed. We suspect the N5billion will soon become a complete waste given the temporary nature of the shoreline protection. The Federal Government in 2005 offered to handle this project at no cost to Lagos but Tinubu refused because of his personal interest and greed
13. Tinubu applied to personally purchase the Federal Secretariat building while in office. When he couldn’t get to buy it, he directed Fashola to stop the eventual owner of the complex to develop it. The complex is presently wasting away courtesy of the Lagos State Government.
14. It took several months of horse trading and underhand payments before Gov Fashola could allow the new owners of 1004 flats to redevelop the complex.
15. Several other buyers of Federal Government properties and developers of properties in Ikoyi, VI and GRA Ikeja were forced to succumb to the outrageous demands of Tinubu, Fashola, Commissioner Abosede and other officials of the Lagos State Physical Planning Ministry and were made to pay ridiculous amounts to private accounts before their redevelopments were approved. Those who refused or are unable to pay could not develop their properties. This is a major economic strangulation of property developers and has contributed largely to the sky rocketing rent in Ikoyi, VI and Lekki axis.
16. Tinubu converted all the plots of land where Lagos Polytechnic was located at Ikosi near the old toll gate. He chased away the polytechnic in 2006 and went ahead to locate the choice plots to himself, his cronies and political associates. The headquarter of Television Continental (TVC) which is owned by him is located there. He deprived the youths of Lagos of decent education because of his greed.
17. Tinubu single handedly sold the prime land on Aboyade Cole, VI which was recovered from some allotees, to UACN Properties Plc. The amount of proceeds was shrouded in secrecy
B. Use of Land and Properties to buy favours from public officials
This is an act of using Lagos prime land to buy favours and corrupt public officials. This act was perfected by Bola Tinubu as governor and now inherited by Gov Fashola:
•Several prominent Nigerians in the judiciary, police, INEC, and other sensitive agencies have obtained prime land from former Gov Tinubu and Gov Fashola over the years without paying a kobo. Many of them had turned around to sell the land to third parties at substantial profit.
•Many top officials in the police, INEC and the judiciary who participated in the 2003 and 2007 elections and tribunals in states where Tinubu has interest were compromised with parcels of free prime Lagos land and cash. If the Lagos State Land’s Bureau could publish the names and identities of beneficiaries of land allotees from year 2000 to date, the scandal that will result is better imagined. Gbenga Ashafa and Mrs. Awofisayo are the conduit through which these acts are being perpetuated. Both are also personally involved in various dubious land transactions on their own.
•Prime land and properties have been used to pay off public officials who are personally close to Tinubu and Fashola for ‘job well done’ or for being privy to sensitive information:
(a) Dele Alake, former commissioner for Information and Strategy was sold a whole house on Alexander road, ikoyi where he lived as official quarters at a giveaway price.
(b) Rauf Aregbesola, AC Osun State governorship candidate and former commissioner and Muiz Banire, still a serving commissioner got detached houses at Ladoke Akintola St., GRA Ikeja for the “good job” while serving under Tinubu.
(c) Yemi Cardoso and Wale Edun both former commissioners were sold houses on Iru close, and other location in old Ikoyi at giveaway prices by Tinubu. The list is endless.
•Gov Fashola was Tinubu’s Chief of Staff from 2002 to 2007. He was a part of these scams running errands for his boss to perpetuate these corrupt acts. He has since taken over as governor and has continued with these acts
•Gov Fashola in the wake of the petition against him presented by “The True Face of Lagos” to the House of Assembly has succeeded in buying his way out of trouble temporarily by bribing each of the 40 members with cash and prime state land at Abijo GRA off Lekki-Epe road. In addition, he bought a N40million bullet proof jeep for the speaker in a desperate bid to ward off investigation by the assembly.
These corrupt acts have deprived the tax payers of Lagos billions in revenue which could have been used for public projects. Indeed, the prime land stolen from the Lekki axis is enough to build the Lekki-Epe road without burdening residents and other tax payers with a 30 year concessioned toll road.
Tinubu recently came out with a full page advertorial in several newspapers to deny allegations against him that he influenced the President of the Court of Appeal on the on-going Sokoto State governorship case. We call on him and Gov Fashola and all those whose names are mentioned in this publication to come out and deny or explain these allegations against them. The public will no longer take their silence as ‘golden’
We wonder why Lagosians, particularly the educated elites stand by while these men are depriving the good tax payers of Lagos. Recently, in Delta state, eminent Deltans led by Chief Edwin Clark wrote a petition to EFCC on the various acts of corruption of former Gov Ibori which caused the EFCC to make another move to charge him to court again.
Where are the elders of Lagos? Where are the elders of Island club, Yoruba Tennis club, The Metropolitan club, Lagos Lawn Tennis club, Eko club, The Association of Lagos Indigenes, Oriwu club, and a host of others? Where are the popular commentators on corruption?
Where are the human rights activists? Where is the NBA and the NLC? Where are the vibrant civil society groups? Where is the powerful and vibrant Lagos media? Where are the social crusaders? Where are the religious leaders? Where are the traditional rulers, the Kabiyesis and chiefs particularly in the Lekki-Epe axis whose ancestral lands have been stolen and who have been deprived of their means of livelihood?
Why is there a conspiracy of silence by those known to be dogged fighters of corruption? Why are they watching as these men fritter away our collective wealth meant for us and future generation?
We should not expect any protection from the House of Assembly whose Speaker recently advised the group ‘The True Face of Lagos’ that leveled allegations of corruption against Gov Fashola to confront him with these allegations. What manner of Speaker?
We Lagosians should take charge of our own destiny. Let us join hands in the collective effort to call on the anti-corruption agencies, and in particular the EFCC, to act now and move into the Land’s Bureau and the State’s Treasury Office at Alausa to conduct a thorough investigation on Land matters from year 2000 to date. We assure the public that if this is done transparently, it might be possible to recover trillions of naira stolen from the tax payers of Lagos.
The Lagos Progressives is determined to continue to expose corruption and abuse of office prevalent in Lagos state. We have done three previous publications and have called upon the EFCC and ICPC to act and we hope this fourth publication will trigger the necessary actions from these agencies.
We thank the numerous members of the public who have responded with mails of commendations, moral and financial support. We want more of this from you and feel free to contact us by email lagosprogressives@yahoo.com. And those who think they can intimidate us with their scare tactics, they have failed woefully
We make bold to say that our organization will not relent in our efforts to expose corruption in Lagos State Government and we still have many more releases for members of the public in the coming weeks. Please watch out for part 5 soon
Mr. Gbenga Thomas
Coordinator
The Lagos Progressives
Tel: 07065443358
Email: lagosprogressives@yahoo.com
Mr. Wale Onile-Ere
Secretary
The Lagos Progressives
Tel: 08088662074
In this publication, we bring to your attention once again monumental cases of corruption and abuse of office involving land matters in Lagos State perpetuated by the duo.
Over the past 10 years, both Tinubu and Fashola have been involved in various land scams including outright conversion of Lagos land for personal use, and given out state land and buildings to their cronies, political associates, public officials, members of security agencies, politicians and members of the various arms of the judiciary to achieve one interest or the other at the expense of Lagos tax payers. Tinubu in particular is the number one landlord in Lagos and has turned Lagos land worth trillions of naira into his personal possession to be used freely or given away unaccounted for.
Even after he left office, Tinubu still continues to steal Lagos land under the watch of Fashola. He is still giving out Lagos land to curry political favours, signing C of O and backdating them to period he was in office. Gov Fashola has photocopied Tinubu’s land grabbing style as he is also acquiring land for personal and political purposes.
These brazen acts of corruption by the duo have been with the active collaboration of select few public officers who have gotten obscenely wealthy at the expense of Lagos tax payers. Most notable are Gbenga Ashafa-formerly executive secretary and now Permanent Secretary, Land’s Bureau since 2001; Mrs. Awofisayo-formerly Permanent Secretary and now Special Adviser, New Town Development Authority (NTDA), and a relation of Bola Tinubu from Iragbiji, Osun state who has been in charge of NTDA since 1999; Hakeem Muri-Okunola-PA to former Gov Tinubu and now Executive Secretary, Land’s Bureau; Mrs. Nike Animashaun-Director, Land Services and known to be close to Bola Tinubu and Tunji Olowolafe. These people are arguably the wealthiest unelected public servants ever in the history of Lagos state. They are major wheelers and dealers of prime land. We mentioned in our earlier publication that the Land’s Bureau at Alausa stinks of corruption.
We catalogue below a few brazen acts of stealing and corruption committed by both Fashola and Tinubu on the good tax payers of Lagos. For ease of reference, we categorize these acts into two parts: the direct theft of prime land and properties and the use of Lagos land and properties to buy favours or pay off public officials at various levels.
A. Direct Theft of Lagos Land and Properties
Tinubu’s greed and primitive acquisition tendency knows no bound. In fact, it is believed that Lagos land personally converted by him is worth over N500 billion and growing because he hasn’t stopped. A few of them are listed below:
1. 4 Oyinkan Abayomi (formerly Queens) Drive, Ikoyi. A 5 bedroom detached house on 1 acre of Land which was a Lagos State Governor’s guest house since 1979 now belongs to Bola Tinubu. The C of O was signed and released to him by Fashola in 2007 shortly after he assumed office. The property is valued at N450million
2. Tinubu’s residence at 26 Bourdillon road, Ikoyi was initially falsely presented as Ondo Plc guest house. Later, he purportedly bought it from Ondo, and used public fund to rebuild and renovate it. Recently, the Lagos state government bought the property and paid undisclosed sum to him and thereafter gave the property back to him under the bogus Pension Bill he signed to law shortly before he left office in 2007. The property is worth over N600million
3. The annex of the Lagos State Guest House in Asokoro, Abuja was bought by the State Government in 2006 for N450million purportedly to protect the main house from security breach. Shortly after he left office, the property was transferred to him under the pension plan he signed into law before he left office.
4. The 250 hectare land valued at about N35billion strategically located at the Ajah junction on Lekki Road which was initially meant for a General Hospital for the people of Eti-Osa local government was stolen by Tinubu and handed over to Trojan Estate Ltd- a company owned by Deji and Wale Tinubu to develop as Royal Garden housing estate at the expense of the tax payers of Lagos
5. The 1,000 hectares of land valued at about N75billion located at Abijo at Ibeju-Lekki LG and given to LCC which is part owned by Tinubu and Fashola and being developed as golf course and housing estate by Assets and Resource Management Ltd(ARM) as ADIVA project
6. The prime land of 157 Hectares with 2.5km of Atlantic beachfront valued at about N10billion and stolen by Tinubu from the communities of Siriwon, Igbekodo, Apakin, etc in Ibeju-Lekki LG and given to Ibukun Fakeye-his crony to build a golf course and luxury villa with little or no compensation to the villagers. In addition, Tinubu paid $20million (N3billion) out of public treasury to Ibukun Fakeye to commence the project in late 2006. Fashola has since released additional funding for this project which is not owned by the state government.
7. The 1acre Parkview Ikoyi Estate foreshore land valued at N1billion reclaimed by Lagos State Government is now owned by Bola Tinubu.
8. While in office, he allocated to himself the former Strabag yard beside the Lagos state secretariat at Alausa, Ikeja.
9. Also the choice property at Lekki-Epe road on which he built and owns the multi-billion naira Oriental Hotel and the extension of multi-storey car park beside it. Also the multi-level recreation centre by Mobil in Oniru Estate on Lekki-Epe road jointly owned with ARM and Tunji Olowolafe. All these assets valued at over N25billion were obtained without paying a kobo to the Lagos State Government.
10. Tinubu and Fashola sold the following prime Lagos properties to their personal friend and front-Prince Dipo Eludoyin at very ridiculous prices:
•The 3.8hectares of land of Lagos State Fisheries office in VI (beside the Institute of Oceanography) valued at N3billion
•The Fishery landing jetty at Badore (where the Ilubirin fishermen were to be relocated) valued at N500million
•The entire Ogudu foreshore scheme initially earmarked for low cost housing scheme valued at N5billion
•The Ilubinrin housing estate (which used to house Lagos state civil servants and judges up till 2007) valued at N2.5billion
•The former Julius Berger yard at Oko Orisan, Epe valued at N450million
11. Tinubu raised a loan of N4.7billion on Eko Akete Project for which nothing was achieved before he turned around to sell the property to his Chagouri friends of C & C and Hitech Construction Ltd at ridiculously low price at the expense of the tax payers of Lagos.
12. Tinubu expended over N5billion of Lagos tax payers’ money on the bar beach shore line project and no further work has been done by the concessionaire to develop the Atlantic City project which was claimed to have been over-subscribed. We suspect the N5billion will soon become a complete waste given the temporary nature of the shoreline protection. The Federal Government in 2005 offered to handle this project at no cost to Lagos but Tinubu refused because of his personal interest and greed
13. Tinubu applied to personally purchase the Federal Secretariat building while in office. When he couldn’t get to buy it, he directed Fashola to stop the eventual owner of the complex to develop it. The complex is presently wasting away courtesy of the Lagos State Government.
14. It took several months of horse trading and underhand payments before Gov Fashola could allow the new owners of 1004 flats to redevelop the complex.
15. Several other buyers of Federal Government properties and developers of properties in Ikoyi, VI and GRA Ikeja were forced to succumb to the outrageous demands of Tinubu, Fashola, Commissioner Abosede and other officials of the Lagos State Physical Planning Ministry and were made to pay ridiculous amounts to private accounts before their redevelopments were approved. Those who refused or are unable to pay could not develop their properties. This is a major economic strangulation of property developers and has contributed largely to the sky rocketing rent in Ikoyi, VI and Lekki axis.
16. Tinubu converted all the plots of land where Lagos Polytechnic was located at Ikosi near the old toll gate. He chased away the polytechnic in 2006 and went ahead to locate the choice plots to himself, his cronies and political associates. The headquarter of Television Continental (TVC) which is owned by him is located there. He deprived the youths of Lagos of decent education because of his greed.
17. Tinubu single handedly sold the prime land on Aboyade Cole, VI which was recovered from some allotees, to UACN Properties Plc. The amount of proceeds was shrouded in secrecy
B. Use of Land and Properties to buy favours from public officials
This is an act of using Lagos prime land to buy favours and corrupt public officials. This act was perfected by Bola Tinubu as governor and now inherited by Gov Fashola:
•Several prominent Nigerians in the judiciary, police, INEC, and other sensitive agencies have obtained prime land from former Gov Tinubu and Gov Fashola over the years without paying a kobo. Many of them had turned around to sell the land to third parties at substantial profit.
•Many top officials in the police, INEC and the judiciary who participated in the 2003 and 2007 elections and tribunals in states where Tinubu has interest were compromised with parcels of free prime Lagos land and cash. If the Lagos State Land’s Bureau could publish the names and identities of beneficiaries of land allotees from year 2000 to date, the scandal that will result is better imagined. Gbenga Ashafa and Mrs. Awofisayo are the conduit through which these acts are being perpetuated. Both are also personally involved in various dubious land transactions on their own.
•Prime land and properties have been used to pay off public officials who are personally close to Tinubu and Fashola for ‘job well done’ or for being privy to sensitive information:
(a) Dele Alake, former commissioner for Information and Strategy was sold a whole house on Alexander road, ikoyi where he lived as official quarters at a giveaway price.
(b) Rauf Aregbesola, AC Osun State governorship candidate and former commissioner and Muiz Banire, still a serving commissioner got detached houses at Ladoke Akintola St., GRA Ikeja for the “good job” while serving under Tinubu.
(c) Yemi Cardoso and Wale Edun both former commissioners were sold houses on Iru close, and other location in old Ikoyi at giveaway prices by Tinubu. The list is endless.
•Gov Fashola was Tinubu’s Chief of Staff from 2002 to 2007. He was a part of these scams running errands for his boss to perpetuate these corrupt acts. He has since taken over as governor and has continued with these acts
•Gov Fashola in the wake of the petition against him presented by “The True Face of Lagos” to the House of Assembly has succeeded in buying his way out of trouble temporarily by bribing each of the 40 members with cash and prime state land at Abijo GRA off Lekki-Epe road. In addition, he bought a N40million bullet proof jeep for the speaker in a desperate bid to ward off investigation by the assembly.
These corrupt acts have deprived the tax payers of Lagos billions in revenue which could have been used for public projects. Indeed, the prime land stolen from the Lekki axis is enough to build the Lekki-Epe road without burdening residents and other tax payers with a 30 year concessioned toll road.
Tinubu recently came out with a full page advertorial in several newspapers to deny allegations against him that he influenced the President of the Court of Appeal on the on-going Sokoto State governorship case. We call on him and Gov Fashola and all those whose names are mentioned in this publication to come out and deny or explain these allegations against them. The public will no longer take their silence as ‘golden’
We wonder why Lagosians, particularly the educated elites stand by while these men are depriving the good tax payers of Lagos. Recently, in Delta state, eminent Deltans led by Chief Edwin Clark wrote a petition to EFCC on the various acts of corruption of former Gov Ibori which caused the EFCC to make another move to charge him to court again.
Where are the elders of Lagos? Where are the elders of Island club, Yoruba Tennis club, The Metropolitan club, Lagos Lawn Tennis club, Eko club, The Association of Lagos Indigenes, Oriwu club, and a host of others? Where are the popular commentators on corruption?
Where are the human rights activists? Where is the NBA and the NLC? Where are the vibrant civil society groups? Where is the powerful and vibrant Lagos media? Where are the social crusaders? Where are the religious leaders? Where are the traditional rulers, the Kabiyesis and chiefs particularly in the Lekki-Epe axis whose ancestral lands have been stolen and who have been deprived of their means of livelihood?
Why is there a conspiracy of silence by those known to be dogged fighters of corruption? Why are they watching as these men fritter away our collective wealth meant for us and future generation?
We should not expect any protection from the House of Assembly whose Speaker recently advised the group ‘The True Face of Lagos’ that leveled allegations of corruption against Gov Fashola to confront him with these allegations. What manner of Speaker?
We Lagosians should take charge of our own destiny. Let us join hands in the collective effort to call on the anti-corruption agencies, and in particular the EFCC, to act now and move into the Land’s Bureau and the State’s Treasury Office at Alausa to conduct a thorough investigation on Land matters from year 2000 to date. We assure the public that if this is done transparently, it might be possible to recover trillions of naira stolen from the tax payers of Lagos.
The Lagos Progressives is determined to continue to expose corruption and abuse of office prevalent in Lagos state. We have done three previous publications and have called upon the EFCC and ICPC to act and we hope this fourth publication will trigger the necessary actions from these agencies.
We thank the numerous members of the public who have responded with mails of commendations, moral and financial support. We want more of this from you and feel free to contact us by email lagosprogressives@yahoo.com. And those who think they can intimidate us with their scare tactics, they have failed woefully
We make bold to say that our organization will not relent in our efforts to expose corruption in Lagos State Government and we still have many more releases for members of the public in the coming weeks. Please watch out for part 5 soon
Mr. Gbenga Thomas
Coordinator
The Lagos Progressives
Tel: 07065443358
Email: lagosprogressives@yahoo.com
Mr. Wale Onile-Ere
Secretary
The Lagos Progressives
Tel: 08088662074
Thursday, June 3, 2010
GOVERNOR FASHOLA AND THE LEKKI TOLL ROAD SCAM - THE OTHER FACE OF LAGOS - PART 3
We are concerned citizens of Lagos who are determined to fight corruption and expose the present Governor of Lagos in his corrupt tendencies and abuse of office. We have published the first and second part of our series for the information of members of the public who toil day and night to pay taxes to this government. In our first series, we catalogued several cases of corruption by the Governor and his immediate predecessor. Some of these were earlier publicized by the writers of “the true face of Lagos” while others were on the Lekki concession, land matters, bus assembly plant and the disappeared proceeds of sale of econet shares. The second series was on the Tejuosho market scam and the role of Governor Fashola.
Since our last publication, we have received hundreds of mails, text messages and phone calls by well wishers and other concerned Lagosians who commended us for this public service and demanded for more revelations. We are particularly surprised that many asked for more information on the facts of the Lekki-Epe expressway concession. It is based on this popular request that we have devoted this third series on THE LEKKI ROAD STORY AND THE ROLE OF GOV FASHOLA.
THE FACTS
1. The Lekki-Epe express road was initially constructed by the Jakande administration and completed by the Mudashiru and Mike Akhigbe military administrations in 1987. The entire Lekki axis was then opened up for rapid development. Between 1985 and now, the corridor has been experiencing rapid and unprecedented urban growth as hundreds of new communities, developments and estates have developed which drew large population of low and middle income Lagosians.
2. The last administration realizing the urgent need to address the fast growing problem of road congestion conceived the idea of the expansion of the existing express road into a six-lane roadway, the construction of an alternate coastal road that will run from Ahmadu Bello way in Bar Beach, along the shores of the Atlantic ocean towards Ibeju-Lekki Local Government area. The third leg was the construction of a fourth mainland bridge, from Langbasa area near Ajah across the Lagos Lagoon to Ikorodu town and detouring somewhere to join the existing third mainland bridge thereby forming a circular road around Lagos.
3. A committee was initially set up which recommended the adoption of the PPP concept to handle the project since it was thought then that because of the magnitude of the project, the state government might have to collaborate with the private sector under a Private-Public-Participation (PPP) model to handle the project.
4. Thereafter, Tinubu’s greed took control. He floated a company-Lekki Concession Company (LCC) to handle the project as a consortium and appointed a financial advisory company ARM as the financial adviser.
5. LCC immediately asked for 1,000 hectares of prime land as the contribution of the state government to the project. This was immediately granted by Tinubu and he released the c of o within weeks for 1,000 hectares of prime at Awoyaya, Abijo, Eputu and Sapati all in Ibeju-Lekki Local Government Area. Part of the land is now being developed as ADIVA housing and golf course project by ARM
6. The project was later jettisoned after obtaining the hectares of land and other payments from the state government and in its place; the rehabilitation of the existing Lekki expressway was adopted by the consortium. There is no basis for a toll road and 30 year concession arrangement for a mere rehabilitation and expansion of an existing road which the government could afford on its own.
7. Indeed, the Federal Government under President Olusegun Obasanjo wrote to Governor Tinubu in 2006, offering to construct the coastal road free of charge to Lagos and its people from the Lekki Free Trade Zone to Ahmadu Bello Way in VI. He also sent a letter of commitment written by a Chinese construction firm to that effect. Governor Tinubu firmly rejected this offer and instead opted to abandon the coastal road project which the concession was initially meant for and instead signed a 30 year concession for a toll road to his company.
8. The rehabilitation work commenced in late 2006 with the expansion and rehabilitation of the Ozumba Mbadiwe end to Mobil building and the 49.4km main Lekki road rehabilitation started in 2007 shortly after Fashola became Governor
9. By this time, Fashola’s crony-Dr Tunji Olowolafe was made chairman of LCC and the entire contract was awarded to HITECH. HITECH is owned by both the Chagouris and former Gov Bola Tinubu who is the Chairman
10. LCC was given a 30 year concession (note that all their concessions are usually 30 years) with no competitive bid, no competing quote and no professional evaluation. The whole thing was packaged by Tinubu and executed by Fashola for their own selfish interest.
11. To further confirm this, Tinubu has built a multi-billion naira state of the art hotel-the Oriental Hotel along the express road. Conveniently, the toll gate is located a few meters before the hotel coming from VI so that the hotel clients wouldn’t have to pay toll. Even, special entry and exit points (including a roundabout) have been constructed for the hotel and the multi-level car park beside it (also owned by Tinubu) by the construction company using tax/toll payers’ money. Talk about creating a personal empire. One man owning an express road and a multi-billion naira hotel.
12. The 49.4km two-phased project is to cost an outrageous N50 billion which the innocent citizens and particularly the residents and indigenous communities of Lekki, Ajah, Epe and Ibeju areas will cough out over the next 30 years while Tinubu, Fashola, Olowolafe, the Chagouris and their other collaborators and their unborn generations will be smiling to the banks. A simple arithmetic shows that cost of construction averages N1billion per 1km. This did not include the 1,000 hectares of land and other costs already incurred by the Lagos state government. This must be the most expensive road anywhere in the world! Meanwhile, there will be 3 toll plazas in a 50km stretch!
13. Already, the rehabilitation work which started in 2006 has only achieved less than 2km in over 3 years; meanwhile, the consortium has only concentrated on building the toll plazas rather than first completing the two phases for the convenience of residents. Residents in these areas spend more than 6 hours daily on the road while the situation will get worse during the coming rains. This has disrupted the lives of the citizens and no proper alternate road was constructed by the consortium.
14. The entire Lekki axis hosts millions of indigenous people who are fishermen and farmers and have occupied their lands for centuries. They are largely poor and agrarian from villages like Ajah, Badore, Elegushi, Ajiran, Sangotedo, Abijo, Ibeju, and all communities in Eti-osa, Epe and Ibeju-Lekki Local Government areas. These indigenous people along with others living in the area are now being forced to pay toll to enter and exit their fatherland.
15. These people who have been subjected to economic misfortune occasioned by seizure of their lands by this government are now been economically drained by the imposition of toll gates within their communities. There has never been any consultations with the people neither was there any environmental impact assessment before the commencement of the project.
16. THE BIG FRAUD
This is the biggest fraud ever conceived!
(a) A road that was initially constructed by two previous administration and that belong to the Lagos State Government is now being jointly owned by Tinubu-the former governor and Fashola-the present governor through his crony-Dr Tunji Olowolafe under the consortium LCC
(b) LCC was appointed without conforming to the Public Procurement Act of 2007. There was no public bidding process, no competing bids from other consortium and the fact that the former Governor and the present Governor have personal interest is criminal in nature.
(c) LCC will collect toll from the taxpayers of Lagos over the next 30years. The amount to be collected was not subject to any negotiation or law by any regulatory agency. Which means it is arbitrary and could be changed without notice anytime through the duration of the 30 year lease.
(d) In addition, landowners and prospective builders of homes are being charged heavily as infrastructural charge, land use charge and personal income tax and are now required to pay road tax or toll. This is multiple taxation in its worst form.
(e) The people’s livelihoods have been disrupted for the past 3 years without compensation and there is no alternate road anywhere as it is in practice in other parts of the world where there are toll roads.
(f) A concession that was granted for the building of a coastal road, 4th mainland bridge and expansion of Lekki road has now been turned into mere rehabilitation of an existing road for the same 30-year concession. This is fraud
(g) Fences are being built around the toll areas to box residents within the area. This has security and safety implications. If there is a major emergency like major armed robbery operations, civil crisis, major floods, fire incidents etc and residents need to be evacuated in a hurry; there will be major massive bottleneck at the toll plaza as there is no other escape route except through the lagoon or Atlantic Ocean. Remember the Oke-Afa mass drowning incident of 2002. God forbid!
(h) The owners of LCC have also received cash payments and land grants from Lagos state government in addition to the 30 year toll. These payments and land grants were initially made under the agreement that the 4th mainland bridge-Lekki road-coastal road would be built. It is therefore criminal to obtain compensation for a project only to turn around and reduce the scope.
(i) Several prominent Baales, residents and associations have voiced their objections over the years but were arrogantly ignored by government and LCC. The Eti-Osa Heritage Group, Concerned Residents of Lekki-Ajah (COROLA) and other Indigenous groups have expressed reservations and berated LCC for what they considered inequitable for the residents.
(j) We indeed wonder what the Lagos State House of Assembly is there for if it cannot raise its voice to protect its citizens. The House is indeed culpable as it remains ineffective when this entire charade is going on under its watch or is the House of Assembly another conquered territory of both Tinubu and Fashola?
A CALL TO ACTION
(k) We call once again the anti-corruption agencies particularly the EFCC to take immediate steps to commence investigations into the activities of the LCC, ARM, former Governor Tinubu, Governor Fashola, and Dr Tunji Olowolafe in this mega fraud. We wonder why the EFCC has not done what it did in states like Delta, Bayelsa, Plateau, Sokoto, Nasarawa, and Edo by carrying out detailed and comprehensive investigations into the books in Lagos State to expose the corrupt practices of those running the affairs of the state.
(l) We call on all residents in the entire Eti-Osa, Epe and Ibeju axis who would be affected one way or the other by this toll road to protest and resist this toll arrangement. We particularly call on the traditional rulers, and community leaders within the indigenous population who are being forcibly fenced in against their wish and forced to pay tolls to protest loudly and seek legal redress to resist this injustice.
(m) Finally, we call on all Lagosians to call the Governor to order and to condemn this flagrant corruption and abuse of office by the governor and his predecessor and their cronies.
The Lagos Progressives is determined to expose corruption and abuse of office prevalent in Lagos state.
We are not a faceless organization as we are willing and ready to come forward with facts and documents whenever any of the anti-corruption agencies invite us. We make bold to say that our organization will not relent in our efforts to expose corruption in Lagos State Government and we still have many more releases for members of the public in the coming weeks. Please watch out for part 4.
Signed
Mr. Gbenga Thomas
The Lagos Progressives
Tel:07065443358 Email: lagosprogressives@yahoo.
Mr. Wale Onile-Ere
Secretary
The Lagos Progressives
TEL: 08088662074
Since our last publication, we have received hundreds of mails, text messages and phone calls by well wishers and other concerned Lagosians who commended us for this public service and demanded for more revelations. We are particularly surprised that many asked for more information on the facts of the Lekki-Epe expressway concession. It is based on this popular request that we have devoted this third series on THE LEKKI ROAD STORY AND THE ROLE OF GOV FASHOLA.
THE FACTS
1. The Lekki-Epe express road was initially constructed by the Jakande administration and completed by the Mudashiru and Mike Akhigbe military administrations in 1987. The entire Lekki axis was then opened up for rapid development. Between 1985 and now, the corridor has been experiencing rapid and unprecedented urban growth as hundreds of new communities, developments and estates have developed which drew large population of low and middle income Lagosians.
2. The last administration realizing the urgent need to address the fast growing problem of road congestion conceived the idea of the expansion of the existing express road into a six-lane roadway, the construction of an alternate coastal road that will run from Ahmadu Bello way in Bar Beach, along the shores of the Atlantic ocean towards Ibeju-Lekki Local Government area. The third leg was the construction of a fourth mainland bridge, from Langbasa area near Ajah across the Lagos Lagoon to Ikorodu town and detouring somewhere to join the existing third mainland bridge thereby forming a circular road around Lagos.
3. A committee was initially set up which recommended the adoption of the PPP concept to handle the project since it was thought then that because of the magnitude of the project, the state government might have to collaborate with the private sector under a Private-Public-Participation (PPP) model to handle the project.
4. Thereafter, Tinubu’s greed took control. He floated a company-Lekki Concession Company (LCC) to handle the project as a consortium and appointed a financial advisory company ARM as the financial adviser.
5. LCC immediately asked for 1,000 hectares of prime land as the contribution of the state government to the project. This was immediately granted by Tinubu and he released the c of o within weeks for 1,000 hectares of prime at Awoyaya, Abijo, Eputu and Sapati all in Ibeju-Lekki Local Government Area. Part of the land is now being developed as ADIVA housing and golf course project by ARM
6. The project was later jettisoned after obtaining the hectares of land and other payments from the state government and in its place; the rehabilitation of the existing Lekki expressway was adopted by the consortium. There is no basis for a toll road and 30 year concession arrangement for a mere rehabilitation and expansion of an existing road which the government could afford on its own.
7. Indeed, the Federal Government under President Olusegun Obasanjo wrote to Governor Tinubu in 2006, offering to construct the coastal road free of charge to Lagos and its people from the Lekki Free Trade Zone to Ahmadu Bello Way in VI. He also sent a letter of commitment written by a Chinese construction firm to that effect. Governor Tinubu firmly rejected this offer and instead opted to abandon the coastal road project which the concession was initially meant for and instead signed a 30 year concession for a toll road to his company.
8. The rehabilitation work commenced in late 2006 with the expansion and rehabilitation of the Ozumba Mbadiwe end to Mobil building and the 49.4km main Lekki road rehabilitation started in 2007 shortly after Fashola became Governor
9. By this time, Fashola’s crony-Dr Tunji Olowolafe was made chairman of LCC and the entire contract was awarded to HITECH. HITECH is owned by both the Chagouris and former Gov Bola Tinubu who is the Chairman
10. LCC was given a 30 year concession (note that all their concessions are usually 30 years) with no competitive bid, no competing quote and no professional evaluation. The whole thing was packaged by Tinubu and executed by Fashola for their own selfish interest.
11. To further confirm this, Tinubu has built a multi-billion naira state of the art hotel-the Oriental Hotel along the express road. Conveniently, the toll gate is located a few meters before the hotel coming from VI so that the hotel clients wouldn’t have to pay toll. Even, special entry and exit points (including a roundabout) have been constructed for the hotel and the multi-level car park beside it (also owned by Tinubu) by the construction company using tax/toll payers’ money. Talk about creating a personal empire. One man owning an express road and a multi-billion naira hotel.
12. The 49.4km two-phased project is to cost an outrageous N50 billion which the innocent citizens and particularly the residents and indigenous communities of Lekki, Ajah, Epe and Ibeju areas will cough out over the next 30 years while Tinubu, Fashola, Olowolafe, the Chagouris and their other collaborators and their unborn generations will be smiling to the banks. A simple arithmetic shows that cost of construction averages N1billion per 1km. This did not include the 1,000 hectares of land and other costs already incurred by the Lagos state government. This must be the most expensive road anywhere in the world! Meanwhile, there will be 3 toll plazas in a 50km stretch!
13. Already, the rehabilitation work which started in 2006 has only achieved less than 2km in over 3 years; meanwhile, the consortium has only concentrated on building the toll plazas rather than first completing the two phases for the convenience of residents. Residents in these areas spend more than 6 hours daily on the road while the situation will get worse during the coming rains. This has disrupted the lives of the citizens and no proper alternate road was constructed by the consortium.
14. The entire Lekki axis hosts millions of indigenous people who are fishermen and farmers and have occupied their lands for centuries. They are largely poor and agrarian from villages like Ajah, Badore, Elegushi, Ajiran, Sangotedo, Abijo, Ibeju, and all communities in Eti-osa, Epe and Ibeju-Lekki Local Government areas. These indigenous people along with others living in the area are now being forced to pay toll to enter and exit their fatherland.
15. These people who have been subjected to economic misfortune occasioned by seizure of their lands by this government are now been economically drained by the imposition of toll gates within their communities. There has never been any consultations with the people neither was there any environmental impact assessment before the commencement of the project.
16. THE BIG FRAUD
This is the biggest fraud ever conceived!
(a) A road that was initially constructed by two previous administration and that belong to the Lagos State Government is now being jointly owned by Tinubu-the former governor and Fashola-the present governor through his crony-Dr Tunji Olowolafe under the consortium LCC
(b) LCC was appointed without conforming to the Public Procurement Act of 2007. There was no public bidding process, no competing bids from other consortium and the fact that the former Governor and the present Governor have personal interest is criminal in nature.
(c) LCC will collect toll from the taxpayers of Lagos over the next 30years. The amount to be collected was not subject to any negotiation or law by any regulatory agency. Which means it is arbitrary and could be changed without notice anytime through the duration of the 30 year lease.
(d) In addition, landowners and prospective builders of homes are being charged heavily as infrastructural charge, land use charge and personal income tax and are now required to pay road tax or toll. This is multiple taxation in its worst form.
(e) The people’s livelihoods have been disrupted for the past 3 years without compensation and there is no alternate road anywhere as it is in practice in other parts of the world where there are toll roads.
(f) A concession that was granted for the building of a coastal road, 4th mainland bridge and expansion of Lekki road has now been turned into mere rehabilitation of an existing road for the same 30-year concession. This is fraud
(g) Fences are being built around the toll areas to box residents within the area. This has security and safety implications. If there is a major emergency like major armed robbery operations, civil crisis, major floods, fire incidents etc and residents need to be evacuated in a hurry; there will be major massive bottleneck at the toll plaza as there is no other escape route except through the lagoon or Atlantic Ocean. Remember the Oke-Afa mass drowning incident of 2002. God forbid!
(h) The owners of LCC have also received cash payments and land grants from Lagos state government in addition to the 30 year toll. These payments and land grants were initially made under the agreement that the 4th mainland bridge-Lekki road-coastal road would be built. It is therefore criminal to obtain compensation for a project only to turn around and reduce the scope.
(i) Several prominent Baales, residents and associations have voiced their objections over the years but were arrogantly ignored by government and LCC. The Eti-Osa Heritage Group, Concerned Residents of Lekki-Ajah (COROLA) and other Indigenous groups have expressed reservations and berated LCC for what they considered inequitable for the residents.
(j) We indeed wonder what the Lagos State House of Assembly is there for if it cannot raise its voice to protect its citizens. The House is indeed culpable as it remains ineffective when this entire charade is going on under its watch or is the House of Assembly another conquered territory of both Tinubu and Fashola?
A CALL TO ACTION
(k) We call once again the anti-corruption agencies particularly the EFCC to take immediate steps to commence investigations into the activities of the LCC, ARM, former Governor Tinubu, Governor Fashola, and Dr Tunji Olowolafe in this mega fraud. We wonder why the EFCC has not done what it did in states like Delta, Bayelsa, Plateau, Sokoto, Nasarawa, and Edo by carrying out detailed and comprehensive investigations into the books in Lagos State to expose the corrupt practices of those running the affairs of the state.
(l) We call on all residents in the entire Eti-Osa, Epe and Ibeju axis who would be affected one way or the other by this toll road to protest and resist this toll arrangement. We particularly call on the traditional rulers, and community leaders within the indigenous population who are being forcibly fenced in against their wish and forced to pay tolls to protest loudly and seek legal redress to resist this injustice.
(m) Finally, we call on all Lagosians to call the Governor to order and to condemn this flagrant corruption and abuse of office by the governor and his predecessor and their cronies.
The Lagos Progressives is determined to expose corruption and abuse of office prevalent in Lagos state.
We are not a faceless organization as we are willing and ready to come forward with facts and documents whenever any of the anti-corruption agencies invite us. We make bold to say that our organization will not relent in our efforts to expose corruption in Lagos State Government and we still have many more releases for members of the public in the coming weeks. Please watch out for part 4.
Signed
Mr. Gbenga Thomas
The Lagos Progressives
Tel:07065443358 Email: lagosprogressives@yahoo.
Mr. Wale Onile-Ere
Secretary
The Lagos Progressives
TEL: 08088662074
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
TEJUOSHO MARKET SCAM AND THE FRAUDULENT ROLE OF GOV FASHOLA – THE OTHER FACE OF LAGOS - PART 2
We are concerned Lagosians who recently brought to the attention of the people of Lagos state a catalogue of fraudulent transactions and corrupt practices of the Lagos State Government under the caption “The other face of Lagos”
. This is the second in the series of corrupt and fraudulent activities of this government for the attention of well meaning Lagosians.
Tejuosho market which was gutted by fire a few years ago is now being re-built by a company owned by Dr Tunji Olowolafe-a known front and lackey of Gov Babatunde Fashola. We catalogue below, series of events from 2004 to date:
1. For the avoidance of doubt, Tejuosho market was built in the early 70s during the regime of Brigadier Mobolaji Johnson as a model market. Phase 2 of the market was completed during the time of Alhaji Jakande in the early 80s. The market was however, gutted by two mysterious fire first in 2004 and then 2007 when it was completely destroyed and innocent traders lost billions of naira worth of goods and properties.
2. Rather than the government conducting the usual enquiry to determine the immediate and remote causes of the fire incidents, it instead hurriedly displaced the traders without compensation. It is curious that the solid structure that had stood the test of time over three decades was suddenly and completely razed by mysterious fire
3. The Tinubu government then decided to re-build the market and accepted a proposal from a consortium known as Market Design & Management Company Ltd (MDMC) to design and build at a cost of N1.6billion. MDMC intended to build and sell at an average cost of N2million per shop. During the process of contract negotiation, the hapless shop owners got wind of the plans and protested strongly suspecting rightly that other interests might hijack the project and priced it out of their reach. The matter was reported to the House of Assembly who invited the consortium and other government officials for hearing. The consortium assured the house that it will sell the shops at not more than N2million and will give priority to the 220 traders already displaced.
4. Despite the protest, the government concluded negotiation with the consortium after completing due process and thereafter gave a letter of engagement to MDMC to build a framed structure size of 149m long x 76m wide on three floors with a roof level car park for 284 cars and 1,251 lock shops on the ground, first, and second floors. The facility would also include 1,047 steel framed and roofed klee klamp stores and other service facilities.
5. Immediately Governor Fashola was sworn in, he moved quickly to hijack the project. By August 2007, the commissioner Abosede Francisco in collusion with Ibile Holdings approached MDMC to sell the project to Dr Tunji Olowolafe. MDMC resisted the overture and threatened to take legal action against the state government, but they were eventually forced to transfer the project to Dr Tunji Olowolafe
6. The Fashola administration immediately jerked up the contract cost to N5billion and awarded the contract with a term of 30 year concession Dr Tunji Olowolafe. Despite the fact that project is yet to reach 30% completion, the shops are already being sold for between N8million to N10million.
7. The interest of the original shop owners have been wiped out and no provision for petty traders and market men and women was made. These people are now suffering untold hardship and many have been rendered in penury. This government has not shown any concern but rather has been profiting from their woes.
8. A pattern is now emerging whereby the state government deliberately destroys notable markets meant for petty traders and gives the lucrative real estate to its cronies who masquerade as developers under shady and fraudulent circumstances and at the expense of innocent but poor petty traders. For example, Oyingbo market has been demolished and abandoned, and the traders displaced after several billions have been paid to Prince Dipo Eludoyin-another front and crony of the Governor. Indeed Prince Eludoyin is a major beneficiary of questionable land deals like Ogudu foreshore and Ilubinrin government estate. Oluwole market in Lagos Island has been demolished; traders displaced and land concessioned to Dr Tunji Olowolafe under questionable deals. Other markets with same pattern include Mushin Ojuwoye, Iponri, and Gbaja in Surulere.
9. We urge residents and traders in these markets to be vigilant against this pattern of mysterious fire only for these cronies of government to surface as developers under questionable and shady long term concession deals.
10. In addition, other popular markets have been penciled down by the state government for similar treatment. The owners/traders of sura, obalende, sandgrouse alade market in ikeja, alaya bi agba in ajegunle etc should also be vigilant and watchful.
11. Indeed it is on record that this government and its immediate predecessor have not built a single market for petty traders in the last 10 years.
The Lagos State House of Assembly is aware of these issues and has been silent about them.
The Lagos Progressives is determined to expose corruption and abuse of office prevalent in Lagos state. We challenge the anti-corruption agencies to take immediate steps to arrest and prosecute all persons involved in this fraud and investigate Governor Raji on these shady and fraudulent transactions. We wonder why the EFCC has not done what it did in states like Delta, Bayelsa, Plateau, Sokoto, Nasarawa, Edo, etc by carrying out detailed and comprehensive investigations into the books in Lagos State to expose the corrupt practices of those running the affairs of the state.
We are not a faceless organization as we are willing and ready to come forward with facts and documents when the House of Assembly or any anti-corruption agency invites us. We make bold to say that our organization will not relent in our efforts to expose corruption in Lagos State Government and we still have many more releases for members of the public in the coming weeks. Please watch out for part 3
Signed
MR. GBENGA THOMAS
COORDINATOR
THE LAGOS PROGRESSIVES
TEL: 07065443358
EMAIL:LAGOSPROGRESSIVES@YAHOO.COM
MR. WALE ONILE-ERE
SECRETARY
THE LAGOS PROGRESSIVES
TEL: 08088662074
. This is the second in the series of corrupt and fraudulent activities of this government for the attention of well meaning Lagosians.
Tejuosho market which was gutted by fire a few years ago is now being re-built by a company owned by Dr Tunji Olowolafe-a known front and lackey of Gov Babatunde Fashola. We catalogue below, series of events from 2004 to date:
1. For the avoidance of doubt, Tejuosho market was built in the early 70s during the regime of Brigadier Mobolaji Johnson as a model market. Phase 2 of the market was completed during the time of Alhaji Jakande in the early 80s. The market was however, gutted by two mysterious fire first in 2004 and then 2007 when it was completely destroyed and innocent traders lost billions of naira worth of goods and properties.
2. Rather than the government conducting the usual enquiry to determine the immediate and remote causes of the fire incidents, it instead hurriedly displaced the traders without compensation. It is curious that the solid structure that had stood the test of time over three decades was suddenly and completely razed by mysterious fire
3. The Tinubu government then decided to re-build the market and accepted a proposal from a consortium known as Market Design & Management Company Ltd (MDMC) to design and build at a cost of N1.6billion. MDMC intended to build and sell at an average cost of N2million per shop. During the process of contract negotiation, the hapless shop owners got wind of the plans and protested strongly suspecting rightly that other interests might hijack the project and priced it out of their reach. The matter was reported to the House of Assembly who invited the consortium and other government officials for hearing. The consortium assured the house that it will sell the shops at not more than N2million and will give priority to the 220 traders already displaced.
4. Despite the protest, the government concluded negotiation with the consortium after completing due process and thereafter gave a letter of engagement to MDMC to build a framed structure size of 149m long x 76m wide on three floors with a roof level car park for 284 cars and 1,251 lock shops on the ground, first, and second floors. The facility would also include 1,047 steel framed and roofed klee klamp stores and other service facilities.
5. Immediately Governor Fashola was sworn in, he moved quickly to hijack the project. By August 2007, the commissioner Abosede Francisco in collusion with Ibile Holdings approached MDMC to sell the project to Dr Tunji Olowolafe. MDMC resisted the overture and threatened to take legal action against the state government, but they were eventually forced to transfer the project to Dr Tunji Olowolafe
6. The Fashola administration immediately jerked up the contract cost to N5billion and awarded the contract with a term of 30 year concession Dr Tunji Olowolafe. Despite the fact that project is yet to reach 30% completion, the shops are already being sold for between N8million to N10million.
7. The interest of the original shop owners have been wiped out and no provision for petty traders and market men and women was made. These people are now suffering untold hardship and many have been rendered in penury. This government has not shown any concern but rather has been profiting from their woes.
8. A pattern is now emerging whereby the state government deliberately destroys notable markets meant for petty traders and gives the lucrative real estate to its cronies who masquerade as developers under shady and fraudulent circumstances and at the expense of innocent but poor petty traders. For example, Oyingbo market has been demolished and abandoned, and the traders displaced after several billions have been paid to Prince Dipo Eludoyin-another front and crony of the Governor. Indeed Prince Eludoyin is a major beneficiary of questionable land deals like Ogudu foreshore and Ilubinrin government estate. Oluwole market in Lagos Island has been demolished; traders displaced and land concessioned to Dr Tunji Olowolafe under questionable deals. Other markets with same pattern include Mushin Ojuwoye, Iponri, and Gbaja in Surulere.
9. We urge residents and traders in these markets to be vigilant against this pattern of mysterious fire only for these cronies of government to surface as developers under questionable and shady long term concession deals.
10. In addition, other popular markets have been penciled down by the state government for similar treatment. The owners/traders of sura, obalende, sandgrouse alade market in ikeja, alaya bi agba in ajegunle etc should also be vigilant and watchful.
11. Indeed it is on record that this government and its immediate predecessor have not built a single market for petty traders in the last 10 years.
The Lagos State House of Assembly is aware of these issues and has been silent about them.
The Lagos Progressives is determined to expose corruption and abuse of office prevalent in Lagos state. We challenge the anti-corruption agencies to take immediate steps to arrest and prosecute all persons involved in this fraud and investigate Governor Raji on these shady and fraudulent transactions. We wonder why the EFCC has not done what it did in states like Delta, Bayelsa, Plateau, Sokoto, Nasarawa, Edo, etc by carrying out detailed and comprehensive investigations into the books in Lagos State to expose the corrupt practices of those running the affairs of the state.
We are not a faceless organization as we are willing and ready to come forward with facts and documents when the House of Assembly or any anti-corruption agency invites us. We make bold to say that our organization will not relent in our efforts to expose corruption in Lagos State Government and we still have many more releases for members of the public in the coming weeks. Please watch out for part 3
Signed
MR. GBENGA THOMAS
COORDINATOR
THE LAGOS PROGRESSIVES
TEL: 07065443358
EMAIL:LAGOSPROGRESSIVES@YAHOO.COM
MR. WALE ONILE-ERE
SECRETARY
THE LAGOS PROGRESSIVES
TEL: 08088662074
Thursday, May 27, 2010
LAGOS PROGRESSIVES AND THE OTHER FACE OF LAGOS PART 1
We are concerned citizens of Lagos State who are sufficiently bothered about recent developments in the state which were brought to public awareness by the publication titled “The True Face of Lagos”.
This publication has presented His Excellency, the Governor of Lagos with a rare opportunity to be accountable to the people of Lagos. He should ride high on this to endear himself to the people of Lagos State.
We now call on him to explain on a point-by-point basis these serious allegations of financial recklessness, mis-management, abuse of office and other gross constitutional violations levelled against him.
We hereby identify certain specific allegations which we expect His Excellency to respond to and which should also be of concern to agencies such as Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), ICPC and Special Fraud Unit of the Nigerian Police.
1. Allegation of Contract Inflation:
N1.5b demolition of the Bank of Industry
N7.7b cost of 2 kilometres portion of Funsho Williams Road (Western Avenue)
N1.8b Gbagada General Hospital road construction
N10b LASU-IBA road project
N5.2b City Hall rehabilitation project
N5b helicopter deal
N1.5b sand filling of Badagry Marina
2. Allegation of Financial Recklessness and Mismanagement
N250m give away to the Rotimi Akeredolu led exco of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA)
N420m to hire private security for six (6) months
N135m to fuel 225 vehicles within 6 months
N290m to send text messages and make phone calls within six (6) months
N1.5b of unappropriated funds for demolition of Oshodi
N183m for press coverage for six (6) months
N600m paid in two (2) years for Christmas decorations
N2b spent on subventions, grants and donation to faceless organisations
N100m to do soap opera
$62m (N10b) CCTV project
N30m per trip for the governor’s wife for six (6) trips per year
3. DEUX Projects and Dr. Tunji Olowolafe
There are several serious allegations on this company and this person which the public deserve explanation
Who is Tunji Olowolafe?
What is the relationship between him and Governor Fashola and ex-governor Bola Tinubu?
We are aware that Olowolafe’s relationship with Lagos state government predated this present administration. For instance in 2005, Olowolafe solely handled all rehabilitation and building projects at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH)
In 2005-2006, the Cooky County Hospital in Chicaga, Illionis, USA donated a set of equipment to the Lagos State government free of charge. Despite these equipment being given free of charge, Lagos State government still went ahead and paid Dr. Tunji Olowolafe for them
Why should Lagos State government have to pay Dr. Tunji Olowolafe for equipments donated free of charge by the Cook County Hospital, Chicago, lll, USA.
The entire maintenance and management of equipment was solely concessioned to Olowolafe’s company by the Tinubu administration at an annual payment of N850m paid upfront.
The development of Tejuosho and Oluwole markets are also concessioned to companies jointly owned by Dr. Tunji Olowolafe and ex-governor Bola Tinubu.
The on-going construction of the Children’s Hospital in Gbaja, Surulere is being executed by Tunji Olowolafe
4. Lekki Concession Company (LCC) and Asset Resources Management (ARM)
LCC is the company to which the Lekki-Epe construction was concessioned for 30 years in 2006. Dr. Tunji Olowolafe is the Chairman of LCC.
The construction company handling the Lekki-Epe Expressway is HITECH
HITECH is owned by the Chagouris and ex-governor Bola Tinubu is the Chairman.
What has become of large hectres of land concessioned to ARM and Olowolafe at Lekki corridor as part of the concession for 4th mainland bridge?
Why is the project taking so long and what are the conditions of the concession and what happened to the coastal road which is the main project of the concession? Why has the concession not been cancelled?
The Maiyegun Scheme sold to Olowolafe and his cronies without any independent valuation and the N5.3b purportedly paid untraceable.
The land (Layeni’s compound) adjacent to the demolished BOI building was acquired in the public interest but resold to Olowolafe and his friends.
5. Land Matters
Governor Fashola should explain to the public the indiscremante and reckless acquisition of public land for private use. Some of these are:
o Royal Gardens Estate which was original earmarked for a general hospital to serve the people of Eti-Osa now given away to Bola Tinubu’s family.
o Hecters of land belonging to several communities. Sirinwon, Igbekodo, Apakin etc in Ibeju Lekki local government given away by Ex-governor Bola Tinubu to his crony, Ibukun Fakeye to develop a golf course and housing estate. In addition N5b was raised from the coffers of Lagos State for the take-off of the project.
o The Eko Akete Project for which N4.7b was raised from the bank and lost. The scheme was later transferred to C&C owned by the Chagouris
o Hecters of land of Lagos State Fisheries office bequeathed to one Prince Dipo Eludoyin.
o Fishery landing jetty at Badore where the Ilubirin fishermen were to be relocated.
o Ogudu foreshore given to Prince Dipo Eludoyin.
o Parkview foreshore reclaimed now owned by ex-governor Bola Tinubu
o Former Strabag yard at Alausa now owned by Bola Tinubu
o The Oriental Hotel on Lekki-Epe Expressway and the extension of multi-storey car park beside it owned by ex-governor Bola Tinubu
o Multi-level recreation centre by Mobil in Oniru Estate on Lekki-Epe Expressway owned by Bola Tinubu, Olowolafe and ARM
o Over N5b expended on the bar beach shore line project and no further work has been done by the concessionaire to develop the Atlantic City project which was claimed to have been over subscribed. The N5b will soon become a complete waste given the temporary nature of the shoreline protection.
It is so obvious that the land bureau is riddled with corruption of the most unimaginable level. No wonder one of the Executives of Land Use and Allocation, Committee celebrated publicly his first billion naira mark and the Permanent Secretary (Lands) – Mr. Gbenga Ashafa throwing three (3) extensively lavish parties in the space of one (1) year attended by both Governor Raji Fashola and ex-governor Bola Tinubu.
6. Other Issues
Bus Assembly Company to be set up at Ilara, Epe in conjunction with Marcopolo of Brazil which millions of dollars was paid to a consultant known only to ex-governor Bola Tinubu in 2006
Over N2b paid from the state coffers to people known only to ex-governor Bola Tinubu to build bus maintenance facilities at Cappa, Oshodi in 2006 of which nothing has been done till date
Billions of naira had been paid not once, not twice on the development of Oyingbo market for which no appreciable level of work has been done. The evidence is there for the public to see.
Because of the prohibitive cost of development of various markets by Shylock Contractors, market stalls have gone beyond the reach of our market women. No wonder our streets are littered with traders.
In conclusion, when President Yar’Adua declared his assets at the beginning of his administration and the governor of Lagos State did not follow suit, we wondered why, given his background and exposure. But when we revisited the governorship candidates debate during the 2007 governorship election on the issue of corruption in Alausa, Governor Fashla’s response then was that he had not noticed any stealing or pilfering in Alausa and if anyone noticed it, they can point it out.
The allegations above are pointers for Governor Fashola to react to now.
We commend the prompt action of the Lagos State House of Assembly in setting up the administrative panel to look into the allegation by the writers of “The True Face of Lagos”. We urge the Assembly to make the panel’s work to be all inclusive taking cognisances of all matters of concern here above catalogued.
The good people of Lagos State should be made to benefit from the actions resulting from the Assembly’s finding.
We are waiting and watching.
MR. GBENGA THOMAS
COORDINATOR
THE LAGOS PROGRESSIVES
TEL:07065443358
EMAIL:LAGOSPROGRESSIVES@YAHOO.COM
MR. WALE ONILE-ERE
SECRETARY
THE LAGOS PROGRESSIVES
TEL: 08088662074
This publication has presented His Excellency, the Governor of Lagos with a rare opportunity to be accountable to the people of Lagos. He should ride high on this to endear himself to the people of Lagos State.
We now call on him to explain on a point-by-point basis these serious allegations of financial recklessness, mis-management, abuse of office and other gross constitutional violations levelled against him.
We hereby identify certain specific allegations which we expect His Excellency to respond to and which should also be of concern to agencies such as Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), ICPC and Special Fraud Unit of the Nigerian Police.
1. Allegation of Contract Inflation:
N1.5b demolition of the Bank of Industry
N7.7b cost of 2 kilometres portion of Funsho Williams Road (Western Avenue)
N1.8b Gbagada General Hospital road construction
N10b LASU-IBA road project
N5.2b City Hall rehabilitation project
N5b helicopter deal
N1.5b sand filling of Badagry Marina
2. Allegation of Financial Recklessness and Mismanagement
N250m give away to the Rotimi Akeredolu led exco of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA)
N420m to hire private security for six (6) months
N135m to fuel 225 vehicles within 6 months
N290m to send text messages and make phone calls within six (6) months
N1.5b of unappropriated funds for demolition of Oshodi
N183m for press coverage for six (6) months
N600m paid in two (2) years for Christmas decorations
N2b spent on subventions, grants and donation to faceless organisations
N100m to do soap opera
$62m (N10b) CCTV project
N30m per trip for the governor’s wife for six (6) trips per year
3. DEUX Projects and Dr. Tunji Olowolafe
There are several serious allegations on this company and this person which the public deserve explanation
Who is Tunji Olowolafe?
What is the relationship between him and Governor Fashola and ex-governor Bola Tinubu?
We are aware that Olowolafe’s relationship with Lagos state government predated this present administration. For instance in 2005, Olowolafe solely handled all rehabilitation and building projects at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH)
In 2005-2006, the Cooky County Hospital in Chicaga, Illionis, USA donated a set of equipment to the Lagos State government free of charge. Despite these equipment being given free of charge, Lagos State government still went ahead and paid Dr. Tunji Olowolafe for them
Why should Lagos State government have to pay Dr. Tunji Olowolafe for equipments donated free of charge by the Cook County Hospital, Chicago, lll, USA.
The entire maintenance and management of equipment was solely concessioned to Olowolafe’s company by the Tinubu administration at an annual payment of N850m paid upfront.
The development of Tejuosho and Oluwole markets are also concessioned to companies jointly owned by Dr. Tunji Olowolafe and ex-governor Bola Tinubu.
The on-going construction of the Children’s Hospital in Gbaja, Surulere is being executed by Tunji Olowolafe
4. Lekki Concession Company (LCC) and Asset Resources Management (ARM)
LCC is the company to which the Lekki-Epe construction was concessioned for 30 years in 2006. Dr. Tunji Olowolafe is the Chairman of LCC.
The construction company handling the Lekki-Epe Expressway is HITECH
HITECH is owned by the Chagouris and ex-governor Bola Tinubu is the Chairman.
What has become of large hectres of land concessioned to ARM and Olowolafe at Lekki corridor as part of the concession for 4th mainland bridge?
Why is the project taking so long and what are the conditions of the concession and what happened to the coastal road which is the main project of the concession? Why has the concession not been cancelled?
The Maiyegun Scheme sold to Olowolafe and his cronies without any independent valuation and the N5.3b purportedly paid untraceable.
The land (Layeni’s compound) adjacent to the demolished BOI building was acquired in the public interest but resold to Olowolafe and his friends.
5. Land Matters
Governor Fashola should explain to the public the indiscremante and reckless acquisition of public land for private use. Some of these are:
o Royal Gardens Estate which was original earmarked for a general hospital to serve the people of Eti-Osa now given away to Bola Tinubu’s family.
o Hecters of land belonging to several communities. Sirinwon, Igbekodo, Apakin etc in Ibeju Lekki local government given away by Ex-governor Bola Tinubu to his crony, Ibukun Fakeye to develop a golf course and housing estate. In addition N5b was raised from the coffers of Lagos State for the take-off of the project.
o The Eko Akete Project for which N4.7b was raised from the bank and lost. The scheme was later transferred to C&C owned by the Chagouris
o Hecters of land of Lagos State Fisheries office bequeathed to one Prince Dipo Eludoyin.
o Fishery landing jetty at Badore where the Ilubirin fishermen were to be relocated.
o Ogudu foreshore given to Prince Dipo Eludoyin.
o Parkview foreshore reclaimed now owned by ex-governor Bola Tinubu
o Former Strabag yard at Alausa now owned by Bola Tinubu
o The Oriental Hotel on Lekki-Epe Expressway and the extension of multi-storey car park beside it owned by ex-governor Bola Tinubu
o Multi-level recreation centre by Mobil in Oniru Estate on Lekki-Epe Expressway owned by Bola Tinubu, Olowolafe and ARM
o Over N5b expended on the bar beach shore line project and no further work has been done by the concessionaire to develop the Atlantic City project which was claimed to have been over subscribed. The N5b will soon become a complete waste given the temporary nature of the shoreline protection.
It is so obvious that the land bureau is riddled with corruption of the most unimaginable level. No wonder one of the Executives of Land Use and Allocation, Committee celebrated publicly his first billion naira mark and the Permanent Secretary (Lands) – Mr. Gbenga Ashafa throwing three (3) extensively lavish parties in the space of one (1) year attended by both Governor Raji Fashola and ex-governor Bola Tinubu.
6. Other Issues
Bus Assembly Company to be set up at Ilara, Epe in conjunction with Marcopolo of Brazil which millions of dollars was paid to a consultant known only to ex-governor Bola Tinubu in 2006
Over N2b paid from the state coffers to people known only to ex-governor Bola Tinubu to build bus maintenance facilities at Cappa, Oshodi in 2006 of which nothing has been done till date
Billions of naira had been paid not once, not twice on the development of Oyingbo market for which no appreciable level of work has been done. The evidence is there for the public to see.
Because of the prohibitive cost of development of various markets by Shylock Contractors, market stalls have gone beyond the reach of our market women. No wonder our streets are littered with traders.
In conclusion, when President Yar’Adua declared his assets at the beginning of his administration and the governor of Lagos State did not follow suit, we wondered why, given his background and exposure. But when we revisited the governorship candidates debate during the 2007 governorship election on the issue of corruption in Alausa, Governor Fashla’s response then was that he had not noticed any stealing or pilfering in Alausa and if anyone noticed it, they can point it out.
The allegations above are pointers for Governor Fashola to react to now.
We commend the prompt action of the Lagos State House of Assembly in setting up the administrative panel to look into the allegation by the writers of “The True Face of Lagos”. We urge the Assembly to make the panel’s work to be all inclusive taking cognisances of all matters of concern here above catalogued.
The good people of Lagos State should be made to benefit from the actions resulting from the Assembly’s finding.
We are waiting and watching.
MR. GBENGA THOMAS
COORDINATOR
THE LAGOS PROGRESSIVES
TEL:07065443358
EMAIL:LAGOSPROGRESSIVES@YAHOO.COM
MR. WALE ONILE-ERE
SECRETARY
THE LAGOS PROGRESSIVES
TEL: 08088662074
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
YOUTHS OUTCRY: INTERNENT ON FIRE!!!
As soon as Babangida spoke on Hausa BBC radio, my telephones cell and land were bombarded with calls and people were screaming on top of their voices; a common phenomenon with Nigerians in diaspora and at home. It was Abati Vanguard that first carried the news. They were all mad as hell to hear that their children or brothers and sisters are not capable of ruling Nigeria at the apex of government. The Internet was on fire with vicious comments.
However, a story must be told with the memory of our late sage Papa Awolowo. During one of his numerous blunt challenges and tête-à-tête chat, Papa reminded his young followers that when he came into politics, he met the likes of Alakijas and Fanikayodes as the elders of the Yourbas.
As soon as these elders started to listen to many theories of Papa Awolowo on how to move the nation in the right direction, they were impressed and promptly demurred for Papa Awo to take up the mantle of leadership. Here were the Yoruba elders who saw raw and smart intelligence with courage in a young man and decided to embrace him to assume the role of a leader among culturally unbending elders who don’t normally tolerate affront.
So, IBB told the BBC interviewer that the young ones are not capable of taking over the mantle of leadership in Nigeria for now. What is new? Papa Awolowo once called the youth lazy drones that shy away from confronting their elders to contest elections on the same party platform. Papa went further to say that the youths sleep too much, are sexually liberated and neglect their home works. He once threatened to expose the young philanderers to their wives when they could not discipline themselves on campaign trails. Who else is capable of challenging the young ones other than fathers and the elders?
IBB might have short himself in the foot during that Hausa language interview; but who else should be in the position to say these things after creating the controversial new breed, old breed politicians that populated the polity today and the new breed politicians are running amuck and acting like vampires sucking blood out of their collogues’ veins, carting money across land and ocean to buy houses in Dubai, Ghana and South Africa.
If one is to advise, let the youth search their souls, reject the do or die affair in politics, sanitize the polity and create environment for good governance, put in place institutions that would destroy politics of money which prevents true representation of the people. If individuals could contest and win election without spending so much personal money that is currently preventing many to enter races for local, state and federal, Nigeria would move forward.
It might not have been politically servy to say what IBB said, but the truth always hurt and is always bitter to swallow. When my in-fatigable friend, the die hard Awoist, comrade Bari Salau contested the presidency and triumphed his first leg from Teju Pedro, Obanikoro ward in shomolu local government, we all dubbed him Fela Ransom Kuti of shomolu’s politics. Bari Salau won his ward and local government elections for the presidency.
He proceeded to the state where he conceded the little marathon experiment against those Ghana-must- go money baggers. This was the same election IBB finally annulled. Had Abiola been the president of Nigeria, then perhaps Alhaji Bari Salau could have been one of Abiola’s ministers because of his courage and his Obama’s “audacity of hope” approach.
Alhaji Bari Salau went all the way to Abuja as delegate and managed to add ‘President Contestant with Option A4’ to his political portfolio not necessarily because of his wealth but for his courage and high stake effort. Bari treaded where his elders never had courage to tread. As a political scientist and consultant today, we do know where he belongs in Nigeria political field, but he robustly continues to add humor and political ideas to this blog site. We all belong to IBB generation but our votes alone can not send IBB back to Aso Rock; we need all the young generation votes too, hence efforts on clarification of IBB’s utterances that set the internet on fire.
O.R. Almaroof, DDS
New York, U.S.A.
However, a story must be told with the memory of our late sage Papa Awolowo. During one of his numerous blunt challenges and tête-à-tête chat, Papa reminded his young followers that when he came into politics, he met the likes of Alakijas and Fanikayodes as the elders of the Yourbas.
As soon as these elders started to listen to many theories of Papa Awolowo on how to move the nation in the right direction, they were impressed and promptly demurred for Papa Awo to take up the mantle of leadership. Here were the Yoruba elders who saw raw and smart intelligence with courage in a young man and decided to embrace him to assume the role of a leader among culturally unbending elders who don’t normally tolerate affront.
So, IBB told the BBC interviewer that the young ones are not capable of taking over the mantle of leadership in Nigeria for now. What is new? Papa Awolowo once called the youth lazy drones that shy away from confronting their elders to contest elections on the same party platform. Papa went further to say that the youths sleep too much, are sexually liberated and neglect their home works. He once threatened to expose the young philanderers to their wives when they could not discipline themselves on campaign trails. Who else is capable of challenging the young ones other than fathers and the elders?
IBB might have short himself in the foot during that Hausa language interview; but who else should be in the position to say these things after creating the controversial new breed, old breed politicians that populated the polity today and the new breed politicians are running amuck and acting like vampires sucking blood out of their collogues’ veins, carting money across land and ocean to buy houses in Dubai, Ghana and South Africa.
If one is to advise, let the youth search their souls, reject the do or die affair in politics, sanitize the polity and create environment for good governance, put in place institutions that would destroy politics of money which prevents true representation of the people. If individuals could contest and win election without spending so much personal money that is currently preventing many to enter races for local, state and federal, Nigeria would move forward.
It might not have been politically servy to say what IBB said, but the truth always hurt and is always bitter to swallow. When my in-fatigable friend, the die hard Awoist, comrade Bari Salau contested the presidency and triumphed his first leg from Teju Pedro, Obanikoro ward in shomolu local government, we all dubbed him Fela Ransom Kuti of shomolu’s politics. Bari Salau won his ward and local government elections for the presidency.
He proceeded to the state where he conceded the little marathon experiment against those Ghana-must- go money baggers. This was the same election IBB finally annulled. Had Abiola been the president of Nigeria, then perhaps Alhaji Bari Salau could have been one of Abiola’s ministers because of his courage and his Obama’s “audacity of hope” approach.
Alhaji Bari Salau went all the way to Abuja as delegate and managed to add ‘President Contestant with Option A4’ to his political portfolio not necessarily because of his wealth but for his courage and high stake effort. Bari treaded where his elders never had courage to tread. As a political scientist and consultant today, we do know where he belongs in Nigeria political field, but he robustly continues to add humor and political ideas to this blog site. We all belong to IBB generation but our votes alone can not send IBB back to Aso Rock; we need all the young generation votes too, hence efforts on clarification of IBB’s utterances that set the internet on fire.
O.R. Almaroof, DDS
New York, U.S.A.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
WHAT IS NEXT FOR NIGERIA?
Now that President Y’aradua is dead one wonders what is next for Nigeria. I believe that PDP is still under the presidential rotational system which was a kind of gentle man’s agreement within the party members which will allow a candidate from the North to hold on to the presidential position for another term. I have always considered the rotational system as undemocratic to say the least. This system will obviously exclude President Goodluck from contesting next year election and put Babangida, the former ‘military president’ – oxymoron to say the least - on a good footing to lead PDP for the next election.
Some people are already suggesting that President Goodluck should assume an overseer position over the next year election in order to prevent chaos or tampering with the constitution. I, of course, disagree. I believe that the rotational system should be eradicated and Nigeria should be opened to a true democratic environment where new young political faces from all over Nigeria should have the chance to take Nigeria away from people like Babangida. May be we will have someone like Obama. I think it is high time Nigerians stop recycling their old politicians who have brought nothing but disgrace and shame to Nigeria since independence.
In fact, I think any person who has led Nigeria in the executive capacity under military regime should be banned from contesting for any executive position in today’s Nigeria politics. What can they really do for Nigeria under a democratic system that they could not have done as military dictators? They should be banned!!!
I would think that the issue of selecting the vice presidential candidate in any rational and well thinking nation would be based on the compatibility of political issues and ideas between the presidential candidate and his/her choice for vice presidential position for the sake of continuity in political agenda and promises made to the voters and not based on political convenience. It is only in Nigeria where a president would appoint a political enemy to be his vice president because it is politically convenient. That is why People like Obasanjo - a military dictator turned politician – appointed Atiku as his vice president and the late President Y’aradua – a brother of another military dictator – appointed the present President Goodluck as his vice president. What kind of thinking is that? This will suggest that these presidential candidates are not interested in the betterment of Nigeria in the first place. They are only interested in power. Pure and simple. Nigeria cannot be better off without political continuity.
Finally, my condolences go to the family of the late president Umaru Y’aradua. He was a good young man who, according to some people, started as the ex-president Obasanjo’s puppet but later came to his own by having enough guts to dare to have some bone of contention with Obasanjo. Though, like his predecessors, the so dubbed ‘Baba Go Slow’ was unable to rescue Nigeria economy from the strong clutch of oil and small elite through diversification. I believe he would have been a better president had fate given him good health and more time. May God help and bless Nigeria.
Shina Akanni
Some people are already suggesting that President Goodluck should assume an overseer position over the next year election in order to prevent chaos or tampering with the constitution. I, of course, disagree. I believe that the rotational system should be eradicated and Nigeria should be opened to a true democratic environment where new young political faces from all over Nigeria should have the chance to take Nigeria away from people like Babangida. May be we will have someone like Obama. I think it is high time Nigerians stop recycling their old politicians who have brought nothing but disgrace and shame to Nigeria since independence.
In fact, I think any person who has led Nigeria in the executive capacity under military regime should be banned from contesting for any executive position in today’s Nigeria politics. What can they really do for Nigeria under a democratic system that they could not have done as military dictators? They should be banned!!!
I would think that the issue of selecting the vice presidential candidate in any rational and well thinking nation would be based on the compatibility of political issues and ideas between the presidential candidate and his/her choice for vice presidential position for the sake of continuity in political agenda and promises made to the voters and not based on political convenience. It is only in Nigeria where a president would appoint a political enemy to be his vice president because it is politically convenient. That is why People like Obasanjo - a military dictator turned politician – appointed Atiku as his vice president and the late President Y’aradua – a brother of another military dictator – appointed the present President Goodluck as his vice president. What kind of thinking is that? This will suggest that these presidential candidates are not interested in the betterment of Nigeria in the first place. They are only interested in power. Pure and simple. Nigeria cannot be better off without political continuity.
Finally, my condolences go to the family of the late president Umaru Y’aradua. He was a good young man who, according to some people, started as the ex-president Obasanjo’s puppet but later came to his own by having enough guts to dare to have some bone of contention with Obasanjo. Though, like his predecessors, the so dubbed ‘Baba Go Slow’ was unable to rescue Nigeria economy from the strong clutch of oil and small elite through diversification. I believe he would have been a better president had fate given him good health and more time. May God help and bless Nigeria.
Shina Akanni
Friday, April 30, 2010
WHO IS REALLY AFRAID OF BABANGIDA
For many years Babangida became the poster child of Nigeria politics. So many Nigeria politicians had bounced him around left and right to serve their narrow interests; assumed the seat of power without anything to show for it.
IBB, the man, left the seat of power precisely seventeen years ago, and what have we achieved since the memorable ‘step aside’ saga? Nothing in particular. Our roads are not better; they only continue to consume hundreds of prime lives. Our cities don’t look better either, other than occasional edifices of building springing up in shanty enclaves without well constructed access roads, water supply or street lights.
The level of education both in primary, secondary and tertiary schools are in sorry state. Specialized tools, Infrastructures and much needed books are no where to be found. Visit where Nigerian children are being taught and you will be shocked to your bones. Sometimes one wonders what will become of these children when they finish their education. You wonderfully wondered how you expect children taught in these schools not to turn 419(ers), gangsters, drug pushers, assassins and knuckle headed looters of treasury all across the Nation.
When you read that a pastor’s wife is kidnapped, killed and dumped on a haystacks or a pastor is accosted in his office, dragged outside, castrated with one eye plugged out of its socket, you paused and wonder whether people are talking about the country you grew up or another planet across the galaxies.
When an Imam of a Mosque challenges his congregations to go out, draw their daggers and rip open innocent children belly all in the name of Allah or a Pastor of the church preaching revenge and asking for no forgiveness, then, you fall of your knees and thank God that wherever you are the Lord protects His Own.
With accusations galore and without any substantiated evidence that IBB stole millions, Nigerians rushed to publication tarnishing and character assassinating him day in day out. If it were true that he committed so much embezzlement while in office, how come we can not confront him with documents in the Court of Law? Can a man be so smart that no single trail of atrocities can be traced back to him?
The congressman of United States, William Jefferson, couldn’t evade the prying eyes of the FBI; hence he is now cooling his heels in prison. Those who collaborated with him to commit money laundering are now been watched 24/7 and they will not escape their days of Judgment.
It is true that Nigerians are still so mad over June 12th imbroglio, but give me a break; those opportunistic inheritors of aftermath of June 12th are nothing to write home about. Do we all belong to the extreme end of intelligent quotient (I.Q) that we can not see that these people crying foul are the worst within our teaming population of 150 million? If the young and the olds that took over from him for so many years were the saints that Nigerians were looking for, how come the expected transformation of all aspects of our lives are not better than those pre and after IBB’s era.
The man had decided not to spill any more beans since some Nigerians never believed that any human is beyond reproach and above mistakes. As a practical individual, he accepted responsibility for all that were committed during his tenure and said he was sorry in all languages.
Military men were trained to die while defending their country and could never have fair better under the environment of war and hatred. IBB was a military man when he assumed power but he demonstrated very rare democratic ideals of leadership years back. He brought respect to the seat of power and earned Nigeria the respect our Nation deserved. Under him Nigerians realized that certain policies and institutions, if well orchestrated, could serve the good interest of our teaming population.
Everyone who participated privately or publicly in Nigeria politics could not actually fault him for not trying during his tenure. DEFFRIL, MAMSER, the new breed politicians minus those who had turned into con artists and killers, the rural development; i.e. better life for rural women by his late wife were some of the IBB’s creations. Is anyone afraid of what more he can do for Nigeria with his second coming or is it just an outright hatred for those of my generation?
When institution is created or legislated, it becomes the responsibility of everyone to sustain or fine tune it for the betterment of everyone. When narrow interests become the bane of any society, institutions die easily. EFCC can serve Nigerians well if only they can nib corruption in the bud and never wait for China or America to point out the names of corrupt officials.
During IBB presidency, my family invested hard earned millions in agriculture, we asked only for assistance to rehabilitate roads and bridges linking our hectares of farm lands to the main access hub of roads in other that our goods and crops could be delivered or carried to towns and cities without too much hassles. Papa Awolowo popularized rural development during his political life and asked that every nook and cranny of western region be opened up for transportation of kola nuts and cocoa beans to town. IBB picked up this idea, and enforced it through his policies.
As a good strategist and consultant for my family agriculture ventures, I came up with a project write-up, submitted it to Eruwa local council, and through the state, the federal government obliged. With our efforts many along those roads and villages benefitted immensely, hence we all dubbed IBB as ‘Awoist’.
No sooner had the government of Babangida seized to exist than all the laudable policies collapsed. Lack of maintenance culture and continuity of institutions couple with non-challant attitudes of the ‘New Breed’ politicians reversed gains of years of government efforts in Nigeria. Only in Nigeria can you invest your hard earned money on business ventures, infrastructures and at the end of the day becomes frustrated, disappointed and even lost hope in your country.
Perhaps we need to have courage, sieve through those clamoring for our votes and trust; scrutinize everyone and not just play to the galleries of gluttonies. Ask everyone to present to us what they stand for, how they will take care of incessant killings in the name of religions. Without painstakingly recording their promises we will be drown with shouts of kill them all. Create a level playing ground for both olds and young to contest for the higher offices.
The whole world, fortunately, has become a small village and those who refused to be civil in conducting elections will end up loosing innocent lives of the people we are all fighting for. When you push the masses to the edge of the cliff, they will turn around three hundred and sixty degrees and chase you out of your enclaves. For 2011, we should all be vigilant and be vigilantè.
By O.R. Almaroof, DDS
NY, NY, U.S.A.
IBB, the man, left the seat of power precisely seventeen years ago, and what have we achieved since the memorable ‘step aside’ saga? Nothing in particular. Our roads are not better; they only continue to consume hundreds of prime lives. Our cities don’t look better either, other than occasional edifices of building springing up in shanty enclaves without well constructed access roads, water supply or street lights.
The level of education both in primary, secondary and tertiary schools are in sorry state. Specialized tools, Infrastructures and much needed books are no where to be found. Visit where Nigerian children are being taught and you will be shocked to your bones. Sometimes one wonders what will become of these children when they finish their education. You wonderfully wondered how you expect children taught in these schools not to turn 419(ers), gangsters, drug pushers, assassins and knuckle headed looters of treasury all across the Nation.
When you read that a pastor’s wife is kidnapped, killed and dumped on a haystacks or a pastor is accosted in his office, dragged outside, castrated with one eye plugged out of its socket, you paused and wonder whether people are talking about the country you grew up or another planet across the galaxies.
When an Imam of a Mosque challenges his congregations to go out, draw their daggers and rip open innocent children belly all in the name of Allah or a Pastor of the church preaching revenge and asking for no forgiveness, then, you fall of your knees and thank God that wherever you are the Lord protects His Own.
With accusations galore and without any substantiated evidence that IBB stole millions, Nigerians rushed to publication tarnishing and character assassinating him day in day out. If it were true that he committed so much embezzlement while in office, how come we can not confront him with documents in the Court of Law? Can a man be so smart that no single trail of atrocities can be traced back to him?
The congressman of United States, William Jefferson, couldn’t evade the prying eyes of the FBI; hence he is now cooling his heels in prison. Those who collaborated with him to commit money laundering are now been watched 24/7 and they will not escape their days of Judgment.
It is true that Nigerians are still so mad over June 12th imbroglio, but give me a break; those opportunistic inheritors of aftermath of June 12th are nothing to write home about. Do we all belong to the extreme end of intelligent quotient (I.Q) that we can not see that these people crying foul are the worst within our teaming population of 150 million? If the young and the olds that took over from him for so many years were the saints that Nigerians were looking for, how come the expected transformation of all aspects of our lives are not better than those pre and after IBB’s era.
The man had decided not to spill any more beans since some Nigerians never believed that any human is beyond reproach and above mistakes. As a practical individual, he accepted responsibility for all that were committed during his tenure and said he was sorry in all languages.
Military men were trained to die while defending their country and could never have fair better under the environment of war and hatred. IBB was a military man when he assumed power but he demonstrated very rare democratic ideals of leadership years back. He brought respect to the seat of power and earned Nigeria the respect our Nation deserved. Under him Nigerians realized that certain policies and institutions, if well orchestrated, could serve the good interest of our teaming population.
Everyone who participated privately or publicly in Nigeria politics could not actually fault him for not trying during his tenure. DEFFRIL, MAMSER, the new breed politicians minus those who had turned into con artists and killers, the rural development; i.e. better life for rural women by his late wife were some of the IBB’s creations. Is anyone afraid of what more he can do for Nigeria with his second coming or is it just an outright hatred for those of my generation?
When institution is created or legislated, it becomes the responsibility of everyone to sustain or fine tune it for the betterment of everyone. When narrow interests become the bane of any society, institutions die easily. EFCC can serve Nigerians well if only they can nib corruption in the bud and never wait for China or America to point out the names of corrupt officials.
During IBB presidency, my family invested hard earned millions in agriculture, we asked only for assistance to rehabilitate roads and bridges linking our hectares of farm lands to the main access hub of roads in other that our goods and crops could be delivered or carried to towns and cities without too much hassles. Papa Awolowo popularized rural development during his political life and asked that every nook and cranny of western region be opened up for transportation of kola nuts and cocoa beans to town. IBB picked up this idea, and enforced it through his policies.
As a good strategist and consultant for my family agriculture ventures, I came up with a project write-up, submitted it to Eruwa local council, and through the state, the federal government obliged. With our efforts many along those roads and villages benefitted immensely, hence we all dubbed IBB as ‘Awoist’.
No sooner had the government of Babangida seized to exist than all the laudable policies collapsed. Lack of maintenance culture and continuity of institutions couple with non-challant attitudes of the ‘New Breed’ politicians reversed gains of years of government efforts in Nigeria. Only in Nigeria can you invest your hard earned money on business ventures, infrastructures and at the end of the day becomes frustrated, disappointed and even lost hope in your country.
Perhaps we need to have courage, sieve through those clamoring for our votes and trust; scrutinize everyone and not just play to the galleries of gluttonies. Ask everyone to present to us what they stand for, how they will take care of incessant killings in the name of religions. Without painstakingly recording their promises we will be drown with shouts of kill them all. Create a level playing ground for both olds and young to contest for the higher offices.
The whole world, fortunately, has become a small village and those who refused to be civil in conducting elections will end up loosing innocent lives of the people we are all fighting for. When you push the masses to the edge of the cliff, they will turn around three hundred and sixty degrees and chase you out of your enclaves. For 2011, we should all be vigilant and be vigilantè.
By O.R. Almaroof, DDS
NY, NY, U.S.A.
Friday, April 9, 2010
A PARODY OF NIGERIANS’ CULTURAL AND POLITICAL MISCONCEPTIONS
Nigeria is like a village tucked somewhere in the jungle of ignorance. Imagine a village without contact with any kind of civilization whatsoever. No airplane, no cars, no monetary system, no television, no computer. In this imaginary agrarian village people batter goods and services. The number of wives and children you have determine your social status. The king, called Kabiyesi, Sarduana or Igwe, of course has the most wives and children.
Once below the time, a white stranger from Britain drove a BMW Jeep into the village to the astonishment and bafflement of the villagers. They have never seen anything like that in the whole history of the village. The Jeep looks like a moving house and the driver like a ghost to the villagers. The closest myth they had was that of Oduduwa who came down to earth from heaven with two chicken or was that a hen and a cock. Any way, legend or myth had it that Oduduwa descended on a rope to a shapeless earth for “the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep.” There was water everywhere and no land for him to stand. So, Oduduwa brought some dirt, a hen and a cock with him from heaven. The cock and hen spread the dirt all over the water and the earth as we know it was formed.
There was chaos in the village for about a week while everyone including the King ran helter scatter and sought refuge in the mountains. Finally, Abiku, one of the king’s least favorite daughters summoned up enough courage and went to the stranger to chat or rather, gesticulate their emotions and thoughts.
Let me tell you about Abiku. She is the little-big child who, according to legend, has traversed every nook and corner of hell before she was born. She is the presumed child of Lucifer who, according to legend, rises and withers with the Sun in a blind quest for reincarnation. The night she was born, the moon hung heavily and dangerously in the sky exposing the shameful nakedness of a backward culture.
Over there in that dilapidated cave; the one with hurricane lantern on its roof and painted with the blood of infants sacrificed to propitiate disgruntled gods, Abiku was waiting by her mother’s bed for her birth. Please don’t ask me how; for she was the excruciating pain her mother felt all the way.
The cave where she was to be born was dimly lit by many Atupas – plates made out clay with wicks soaked in palm oil or kerosene. Far at the right was a bed made out of clay. There Abiku’s mother lay in pain surrounded by a crowd of dwarves who are the village doctors. A little to the left, there are many small skulls like those of monkeys found in science fiction movies. According to legend, most of those skulls belong to Abiku.
She didn’t want to be born. Not again. The last time she had tried in vain to hold on to the umbilical cord but it was damn too slippery. The village doctors had dragged her out of her mother’s womb and put her on platter as if she were a dish for the gods. They had gathered around her and knelt before her and worshiped her. Then as if in anger and shame they had stoned her to death or may be crucified her – she really didn’t remember. Oh No, she didn’t want to be born again!
Abiku’s mother had moaned her desire for relief as her eyes tumbled in circle of little storms. Abiku, out of pity for her mother, let her little head – like a Joey’s in a porch – glide out of her mother’s pigeon hole where the King had many times sacrificed Abiku in vain to propitiate Iyemoja the goddess of fertility. She still didn’t want to be born. The village doctors grabbed her by the head and dragged her out of her haven. She didn’t cry. They spanked her little naked behind. She still didn’t cry. They looked deeply into her unblinking eyes and nodded their coconut heads as if in confirmation of some misconception. Then they put her on a platter and spiced her up with honey, kola-nut, bitter-nut, palmoil and salt. They shoved all these in Abiku’s little mouth. She still didn’t cry. Then they took out a knife from the furnace and gently, slowly, painfully carved a passport in her innocent beautiful face in order to discourage her from dying and for the first time in her many lives she cried. No, she screamed. They laughed and cheered at her tears. Then they named her Abiku Kokumo Kashimawo.
So, Abiku told the King to call a village meeting where everyone can meet and perhaps exchange ideas with the white stranger. Many cows, goats, chicken and monkeys were sacrificed for this occasion. The King loved the BMW Jeep so much that he traded Abiku for it. Couple of days later the white stranger left the Jeep with the King - full of gas and key in the ignition- and took Abiku back with him to Britain.
The King then summoned all the village wise men to figure out how to drive the Jeep. After several weeks of brain storming and fumbling they discovered that when the gear is put in neutral they can actually push the Jeep around. They have finally figured out how to drive the Jeep!
The King immediately declared a decree to set up a competition every five years to pick a group of strong men and designated them as the ‘Ati Obas’ otherwise known as the ‘King Pushers.’ They actually made a tradition out of pushing the Jeep around!!
The main duty of these men is to maintain the Jeep by keeping it clean all the time and drive, or should I say push, the King anywhere his majesty desires. They push the Jeep up-hills and down-slopes all the days of their lives. In return, these men have access to unlimited supply of food and women for live. They became the envy of the whole village and every boy wants to be a ‘King Pusher’ when he grows up while every young girl dream of being one of the wives of a ‘King Pusher’.
After many decades, Abiku and her new family came back to the village to settle down and perhaps teach her people all she had learned in Britain and all other western world. She was amazed to find her people pushing the Jeep around. She wondered why and asked them if the Jeep was broken. They told her, boastfully, that they had figured out how to drive the Jeep out of the abundant intelligence of the village wise men. She saw the key still dangling from the ignition and the gas gage showing almost full of gas and she reached for the key in attempt to start the Jeep, but the King slapped her hand and rebuked her from touching the key because it was an abomination.
She tried to show them how to start the Jeep but they accused her of trying to break their traditions. Everybody in the village including the King gathered around her and lectured her on the tradition of the ‘Car Pushers’ and how they will never allow a ‘foreigner’ like her to come and change their good culture. So, they decided to throw her and her family out of the village and send them back to Britain never to return again. That is the parody of my beloved country.
Once below the time, a white stranger from Britain drove a BMW Jeep into the village to the astonishment and bafflement of the villagers. They have never seen anything like that in the whole history of the village. The Jeep looks like a moving house and the driver like a ghost to the villagers. The closest myth they had was that of Oduduwa who came down to earth from heaven with two chicken or was that a hen and a cock. Any way, legend or myth had it that Oduduwa descended on a rope to a shapeless earth for “the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep.” There was water everywhere and no land for him to stand. So, Oduduwa brought some dirt, a hen and a cock with him from heaven. The cock and hen spread the dirt all over the water and the earth as we know it was formed.
There was chaos in the village for about a week while everyone including the King ran helter scatter and sought refuge in the mountains. Finally, Abiku, one of the king’s least favorite daughters summoned up enough courage and went to the stranger to chat or rather, gesticulate their emotions and thoughts.
Let me tell you about Abiku. She is the little-big child who, according to legend, has traversed every nook and corner of hell before she was born. She is the presumed child of Lucifer who, according to legend, rises and withers with the Sun in a blind quest for reincarnation. The night she was born, the moon hung heavily and dangerously in the sky exposing the shameful nakedness of a backward culture.
Over there in that dilapidated cave; the one with hurricane lantern on its roof and painted with the blood of infants sacrificed to propitiate disgruntled gods, Abiku was waiting by her mother’s bed for her birth. Please don’t ask me how; for she was the excruciating pain her mother felt all the way.
The cave where she was to be born was dimly lit by many Atupas – plates made out clay with wicks soaked in palm oil or kerosene. Far at the right was a bed made out of clay. There Abiku’s mother lay in pain surrounded by a crowd of dwarves who are the village doctors. A little to the left, there are many small skulls like those of monkeys found in science fiction movies. According to legend, most of those skulls belong to Abiku.
She didn’t want to be born. Not again. The last time she had tried in vain to hold on to the umbilical cord but it was damn too slippery. The village doctors had dragged her out of her mother’s womb and put her on platter as if she were a dish for the gods. They had gathered around her and knelt before her and worshiped her. Then as if in anger and shame they had stoned her to death or may be crucified her – she really didn’t remember. Oh No, she didn’t want to be born again!
Abiku’s mother had moaned her desire for relief as her eyes tumbled in circle of little storms. Abiku, out of pity for her mother, let her little head – like a Joey’s in a porch – glide out of her mother’s pigeon hole where the King had many times sacrificed Abiku in vain to propitiate Iyemoja the goddess of fertility. She still didn’t want to be born. The village doctors grabbed her by the head and dragged her out of her haven. She didn’t cry. They spanked her little naked behind. She still didn’t cry. They looked deeply into her unblinking eyes and nodded their coconut heads as if in confirmation of some misconception. Then they put her on a platter and spiced her up with honey, kola-nut, bitter-nut, palmoil and salt. They shoved all these in Abiku’s little mouth. She still didn’t cry. Then they took out a knife from the furnace and gently, slowly, painfully carved a passport in her innocent beautiful face in order to discourage her from dying and for the first time in her many lives she cried. No, she screamed. They laughed and cheered at her tears. Then they named her Abiku Kokumo Kashimawo.
So, Abiku told the King to call a village meeting where everyone can meet and perhaps exchange ideas with the white stranger. Many cows, goats, chicken and monkeys were sacrificed for this occasion. The King loved the BMW Jeep so much that he traded Abiku for it. Couple of days later the white stranger left the Jeep with the King - full of gas and key in the ignition- and took Abiku back with him to Britain.
The King then summoned all the village wise men to figure out how to drive the Jeep. After several weeks of brain storming and fumbling they discovered that when the gear is put in neutral they can actually push the Jeep around. They have finally figured out how to drive the Jeep!
The King immediately declared a decree to set up a competition every five years to pick a group of strong men and designated them as the ‘Ati Obas’ otherwise known as the ‘King Pushers.’ They actually made a tradition out of pushing the Jeep around!!
The main duty of these men is to maintain the Jeep by keeping it clean all the time and drive, or should I say push, the King anywhere his majesty desires. They push the Jeep up-hills and down-slopes all the days of their lives. In return, these men have access to unlimited supply of food and women for live. They became the envy of the whole village and every boy wants to be a ‘King Pusher’ when he grows up while every young girl dream of being one of the wives of a ‘King Pusher’.
After many decades, Abiku and her new family came back to the village to settle down and perhaps teach her people all she had learned in Britain and all other western world. She was amazed to find her people pushing the Jeep around. She wondered why and asked them if the Jeep was broken. They told her, boastfully, that they had figured out how to drive the Jeep out of the abundant intelligence of the village wise men. She saw the key still dangling from the ignition and the gas gage showing almost full of gas and she reached for the key in attempt to start the Jeep, but the King slapped her hand and rebuked her from touching the key because it was an abomination.
She tried to show them how to start the Jeep but they accused her of trying to break their traditions. Everybody in the village including the King gathered around her and lectured her on the tradition of the ‘Car Pushers’ and how they will never allow a ‘foreigner’ like her to come and change their good culture. So, they decided to throw her and her family out of the village and send them back to Britain never to return again. That is the parody of my beloved country.
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