"Things Done Changed"...

Nigeria political landscape is ever so changing that it is reminiscent of Biggie’s classic hit song, ‘Things Done Changed’ lyrics being played out. And rightfully so indeed. Biggie vents on the album “Ready To Die” opener, “My mother’s got cancer in her breast—don’t ask me why I’m motherfuckin stressed...”. Yes, Nigeria sure has more than a cancer in her breast and we are all stressed about the state of affairs in our motherland. It will not only take the Supreme Court, but our electoral surgical experts as well; Nigerians that is, to continue to work on these issues to weed out the political hanging chads, dead beats and the less than honorable men who, by hook or crook have found themselves in the corridors of power.

Clearly a 'Things Done Changed’ Tsunami is sweeping across Nigeria. It will be premature to get carried away at this point, but we can gladly say “good riddance” to our new casualties, Speaker Etteh (madam speaker finally gave up the fight when the pressure became unbearable and after a lawmaker gave up the ghost) and her deputy -“HERE , the governor of Rivers state - Celestine Omehia -“HERE , Yardua's Son In law and Kebbi state governor - Usman Dakingari -“HERE , Kogi state governor Ibrahim Idris -“HERE and Anambra state governor - Andy Uba (though, this was a while back, but he was governor for only two weeks. Ouch, that hurts!)

So who's next? I bet the following are having sleepless nights:
“the six million £££pound gorrila - David Mark
Adedibu's (thugfather of Ibadan politricks) protege and governor of Oyo state - Alao Akala
And the governors of Adamawa, Yobe, Sokoto, Delta, Oyo, Ekiti, Ondo, Osun, Edo, Enugu, Ogun states as“Anxiety grips governors .

Who knows this 'Things Done Changed’ whirlwind might even turn into a coalesced category 5 hurricane-Tsunami and sweep Yardua himself...nuff said!



threading Ijebuman's footsteps 4 inspiration!

Good News: Home-made helicopters hit northern Nigeria

To my critics and for everyone's enjoyment, here is good news from Nigeria! Courtesy of Yahoo! News -“HERE...

One of the most shocking revelation of this news article was what Mubarak Muhammad Abdullahi, a 24-year-old physics undergraduate in northern Nigeria had hoped for with his new helicopter invention -

"He'd hoped -- and still does -- that the Nigerian government and his wealthy compatriots would turn to him and stop placing orders with western manufacturers."

And Nigeria Politricks find this paragragh very puzzling --- "So far, however, government response to his chopper project has been underwhelming to say the least.
Although some government officials got very excited when they saw him conduct a demonstration flight in neighbouring Katsina state, Nigeria's Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has so far shown no interest in his aircraft.
"No one from the NCAA has come to see what I've done. We don't reward talent in this country," he lamented."

There are many Mubarak Muhammad Abdullahi in Nigeria, but in a country where we glorify corruption and shun talents and innovation, this is one feat that will go unrecognised and probably never encounraged. In a country where the norm amongst our political class is buying private jets at the espense of helping the poor and the needy; where you will have a speaker of the House of Reps, Madam Etteh fraudulently contracts out the renovation of her residence in the sum of 628 millions of Naira; a country where an Attorney General of the Federation would debase his high office by stooping so low as to write a letter to unfreeze the asset of a corrupt ex-governor; a country where President Yar'dua has a 7-point plan agenda on paper, also touting a Vision 2020 plan from his visionless master OBJ, but with no apparant agenda for creating new jobs, fixing the economy and developing and encouraging young talents and innovation amongst our teeming youths and young graduates.

One wonders why armed robbery and wanton destruction of innocents lives and properties by men of the underworld has continued to be on the rise in Lagos and other major Nigerian cities. One wonders why we have restive youths in the Niger Delta, who have taken up arms and have made kidnappings of oil workers, foreigners and innocent children a favorite pastimes. One wonders why the state of our nation is always on the decline; our infrastructure is at it's worst compared to what we have in decades past; Lagos is now renowned as the World Capital of Power Generators and Power Generating Plants; as our only means of power PHCN has completely gone kaput on Nigerians. One wonders where are the trillions of Naira OBJ sunk in a black hole or rather his deep Agbada pockets all in a failed bid in reforming our energy sector? One wonders why the lip-service anti-graft Yar'dua govt. have not found any of the indicted corrupt ex-governors guilty and made to face the consequences of their actions.

The answers are not far-fetched. Our leaders have failed us. And like Mubarak Muhammad Abdullahi rightly said, we don't reward talent in Nigeria!

What do you have to say?!

DEATH IN DA HOUSE: ETTEHGATE SCANDAL CONTINUES

ETTEHGATE: Logjam continues at the House of Reps as Speaker refuses to step down, one member dead!

It can't get any more tragic than this as Ettehgate scandal continues! Logjam continues at the House of Reps as Speaker refuses to step down, pro-Etteh lawmaker collapses and dies. The Nigeria's lower legislative chamber went into a deadlock for the second day as the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mrs. Patricia Etteh refused to resign her position due to earlier corruption indictments against her.

The house resumed on Wednesday after a short adjournment on Tuesday as members opposed to her continued stay in office staged protests and stalled a planned debate of a panel report which accused the speaker of corruption in the award of contracts for the renovation of her official residence. The cost of renovation put at N638 million were approved without due processes and laid down procedures.

At the resumed hearing on Wednesday, Madam Speaker Patricia Etteh refused to vacate her seat so that a temporary speaker could conduct the debate, she insisted that she was eligible to judge her own case. Her stubbornness led to a second day of rowdy session and total chaos in the house.

House of representatives leaders said they had earlier agreed to resolve the issue of her stepping down so that a "Speaker Pro-tempore" can take her place by tomorrow when house activities resume, but Mrs. Patricia Etteh reneged on the agreement and staged a carnival-like entry to the chambers today. It was apparent that there doesn't seem to be any truth in the majority support from House of representatives members standing by her as claimed by the Speaker and her supporters, which include former president Ole Baba Jaguda (OBJ) and his erstwhile former domestic assistant, Emmanuel Andy Uba.

Meanwhile, tragedy struck at the house of representative today as a member of the house who was part of Speaker Etteh's carnival upon her defiant entry to the chambers died of congestive heart failure. 46 years old Aminu Shuaibu Safana was a member of the PDP representing Batsari/Danmusa/Safana Federal Constituency in Katsina State, he suddenly fell ill during the rowdy session and was pronounced dead at the National Hospital few minutes later.

The announcement of his death did nothing to move the speaker from her seat until members shouted on her to leave the chambers to honor the dead member.

It took the death yesterday of Hon. Aminu Safana, ironically the Chairman House of Representatives Committee on Health, for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to rein in on the Speaker to step aside. In a seeming volte-face, PDP asked Speaker Etteh to step aside for the consideration of the Hon. David Idoko panel report saying the Speaker could not be a judge in her own case.The party also lamented the death of Safana, a pro-Etteh lawmaker, describing his death as unfortunate and incredible.

Is it only unfortunate and incredible? One wonders why our Nigerian Politicians; Madam Speaker Etteh being a poster child, would throw all sense of decorum to the winds and engage in petty politricks rather than taking the honorable path to resign if they'd been found to have abused their exalted office? Beats me!

AGF AONDOAKAA'S LETTER UNFREEZES IBORI'S ASSETS

While the rest of the nation were being hoodwinked into celebrating Nigeria’s 47th independence as a giant stride towards a 'democratic' government, President Yar’adua and his thugs of criminal councels were busy celebrating the unfreezing of Delta State stolen assets to an indicted ex-governor.

Attorney General of the Federation-turns-Nigeria’s Attorney General of Corrupt Politicians, Michael Aondoakaa sent a letter dated August 7th 2007 to Chief James Onafefe Ibori's lawyers in London with the sole aim of sabotaging money laundering investigations against Ibori and his accomplices. The letter which was exclusively obtained speaks for itself; in it the AGF sought to exonerate Chief James Onafefe Ibori from charges of money laundering and corruption by claiming that he was only investigated while in office, but had never been charged to court or currently face further investigations.

It was a cleverly crafted letter that provided James Ibori's lawyers the needed ammunition to get a restraining order earlier granted by the Southwark Crown court in London to be lifted on October 1, 2007; the very day millions of Nigerians were busy celebrating independence day. The AGF secretly wrote a reply to an inquiry from Ibori's lawyers without recourse to the EFCC or any other security agency of the government.

Meanwhile when the London Metropolitan Police tried to contact him for help, the AGF dribbled them around and delayed any timely response that could help their case against James Ibori. The result is an exposure of the hypocrisy of the Yar'adua government who have publicly claimed that they will fight corruption with zeal. Yar'adua also said that he will not shield his former thieving colleagues, but the actions of his government points to a farcical and theatrical war against corruption.

As expected, the British governments and the UN, whose convention against corruption specifically calls on nations around the world to cooperate and collaborate, have shown indifference to Yar'adua's rhetorics.

Celebrations in Delta State?
We cannot but express more outrage in the aftermath of the courts decision! READ HERE
Delta State Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan; cousin to Ex-Governor James Ibori declared a state thanksgiving service at the City Hall, Government House, Asaba to express gratitude to God for the victory.

Reacting to the development, the Delta State government through the Commissioner for Information, Mr Oma Djebah, said: “This is not just a victory for Chief James Onanefe Ibori but also a victory for all Deltans both in the state and in the diaspora as well as the state government.”
He said the court’s decision was widely welcomed in the state and greeted with jubilation in places like Asaba, Warri, Sapele and Ughelli. “People were calling me from Warri when they heard the news over the radio. So, all Deltans were in jubilation,” he said.

Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan yesterday directed that there would be a thanksgiving service at the City Hall, Government House, Asaba to express gratitude to God for the victory.

Does the looting and outright plagiarizing of Delta state's treasury calls for celebration and thanksgiving? Nigeria Politricks have advocated that AGF Aondoakaa Must Go!
Over to you Nigerians – What do you have to say?!




Courtesy: sahara reporters