5 and HALF REASONS WHY MINISTER OF NIGER DELTA SHOULD BE SACKED AND SHOULD NOT BE ELECTED A GOVERNOR PLUS AGAGU DEATH: NMA GOOFED BY CALLING FOR NATIONAL PUBLIC HOLIDAY

The problem with some Nigerians is their hatred for truth, the naked bitter truth, especially when a Journalist writes against their choice of persons. The cry that is heard and the song sung is that an opponent has paid the Journalist to take their candidates to the cleaners. Others shout to the sky that the Journalist is seeking for 'cheap popularity' or is bitter with such persons they report on. How highly lifted is a Journalist who writes only favorable reports and column to propel their persons. It's a problem; a real big problem. We have a beautiful country but saddled with wicked leaders and some blind followers.

This write up will see many calling this writer names while others will acknowledge the truth in it. What these progressive enemies of the country don't know is that we are bought by our conscience and not the fattest of cheques. They scream that Chinedu Ekeke seeks popularity by castigating Jonathan, but they don't realize that you cannot criticize Jonathan policies without criticizing the policy maker. How they lament that Kikiowo Ileowo is a paid agent of anti Jonathan, when he only means to open our eyes and see how our leaders treat ex militants as lords and rewarding them to the detriment of the society. Fejiro Oliver writes for APC, yet he was among the first to query APC as a party in the article titled “scream no eureka for APC birth”.

By the way; we have all the rights to 'insult', curse, criticize, chastise and say all manner of words to any elected or appointed leader, after all we employed them and pay them handsomely for the job they were employed to do. It's therefore not out of place when an employer chose to use hard words on his employee when he derails from the job he's employed to do. Or didn't Jonathan and other elected officials submit their CV to us during their campaign and begging us to give them the presidency job?

Now that we have considered them for employment, it's therefore proper that we begin to access them on their delivery so far. We cannot afford to keep paying money to dullards whose past time is to lie to us frequently, thinking we are all fools. Oh no, we are not! Here we go, as we wait their myopic hurling of insults on this(though they are only 9 percent that do such).

The Minister of Niger Delta, Godsday Orubebe whom I will not call his ecclesiastical 'elder' title since he doesn't merit it, is one personality that should have no reason being among the men and women sitting in the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting and deciding for 160 million Nigerians; but sadly, his fisherman brother has bestowed such a burden on us. What a shame! That a whole nine ministers were sacked and his name was not mentioned still seems like fairy tales to me and millions of Nigerians. For those who think he deserve to be a minister of this country, they seriously need to have a kingdom of their own where corruption reign, and for the doubting Thomas, we present 5 and half reasons why he should be sacked in the next cabinet reshuffle and Delta State electorate to reject him as governorship aspirant.

First, here is a two time chairman of Burutu Local Government who could not deliver the dividends of democracy to his people, but has a minister; spent over N3 billion on building a concrete foreshore wall in his small village, using contractors who are fronting for him, while the money goes into his personal bank accounts. God did not put us on this rich land to be poor. It is bad leadership by President Goodluck and his Orubebe types that makes us poor.

Secondly, this failed man of God whose seat in hell or heaven is guaranteed is known for nepotism, an act which is against the oath of office he took, by building the Skill Acquisition Centre meant for Delta State in his ward. The worse of all is that apart from the main contractors, all other contractors are his family members who front for him to collect millions of Naira.

Thirdly, the Edo State Acquisition Skill Centre awarded to Halgold Nigera Ltd was terminated by Orubebe and awarded to his crony, Messrs TDCI-Sew consortium, against the recommendation of public procurement. This contract was initially awarded to Halgold for N2.7 billion, but re-awarded for three billion, one hundred and fifty million, fifty five thousand, one hundred and six naira and three kobo. This is the kind of minister we are saddled with. In giving the contract to his crony TDCI Sew consortium on June 15th 2012, Orubebe 'dashed' it out for N4, 627,222,904 without due process.

Here comes the fourth reason. Orubebe we know do not come from a wealthy background that could have afforded the flamboyant life he currently lives. Here in Nigeria do we have such a man who acquired mansions in choice areas in Abuja built by SETRACO for giving them part of the contract to construct the East-West highway of the Niger Delta region. We are not blind to these facts and documents which were made public by Dino Melaye and his anti corruption group is very much available.

And the fifth reason to kick him out of FEC is this. The Niger Deltans are not daft people as Orubebe wants Mr. President to believe. They are waiting on him to come home and then, they will point to him his greatest failure as a Minister- the East-West road. This will be the albatross of Jonathan for keeping such a man in his cabinet, who has failed to deliver on the East-West road, despite all the billions pumped into it

This is what we mean by the half reason. I do not subscribe to leadership by zoning, since I believe in voting in the best candidate. But if the PDP which Orubebe claims to belong to supports zoning; Orubebe who comes from the Delta South should drop his already lost governorship ambition, since Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan is almost through with the south tenure. Any attempt to force his way using federal might to get the ticket of the party will be a betrayal of the highest order.

For a man who claims to be a man of God and even owns a church in Abuja to be this corrupt goes to show President Jonathan as a man that loves to dine with men of low value and characters. We do not have the right to choose who becomes your minister, but if such men whom you chose will lord over us; then it's our prerogative to spot the bad eggs for you. Orubebe is one of such rotten egg who you can do away with. Nigeria does not need such men in the helms of affair, and Deltans cannot afford another destructive eight years.

As the 2015 election draws to a close, there is no doubt that Orubebe has stolen enough money to buy the Peoples Democratic Party in the state to see to the realization of his mission, but Deltans will not be deceived any longer. The afflictions of Uduagan on the innocent citizens are enough and they cannot afford to go back to Egypt which Orubebe clearly symbolize.

How did he even get to bear the name Godsday and yet have a heart as evil as a demon that he steals millions without biting an eyelid? For those attending his church; what bible does he open to preach the sermon and when he preach, what bible passages does he sermonize? Truly, the devil quotes scriptures for evil machination that suits his agenda.

Having such a man as a governor is to have a robber guard a bank. The state treasury will surely bleed to death, so much that Deltans will pray for the return of James Ibori to power. Lest I forget; Orubebe was one of those who spear headed the petition that sent Ibori to jail. It really takes a thief to a catch a thief.

The earlier Orubebe drops his gubernatorial aspiration; the best for all Deltans and while I may not like PDP as a party, we will rather vote in an Ibori of PDP than Orubebe of APC. It's as simple as that. The continous stay of Orubebe in the presidency will always be a reminder to generations unborn that there was a president who had the best chance to change the fortune of his Niger Delta people but screwed it on the altar of nepotism; this surely will be an epitaph for President Goodluck.

For all the petitions written against Orubebe, the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), this failed minister should have been investigated and thrown in jail, but the EFCC probably acting on the order of the pay master have not dusted any of such files to begin investigation on. This failure on the part of the EFCC has given Orubebe the guts to throw his weight around, insulting an elected governor in the person of Amaechi and telling Elder Statesman, Edwin Clark that he played no role in his appointment as a minister. Surely, Orubebe has overfed that he now challenges his 'chi' to a wrestling contest.

Oh ye President, know this; there cometh a Pharaoh that knows no Joseph and in his reign, the Orubebe you protect today from investigated may dance the surugede. But for now, Orubebe dream of governing Delta State is a still born that will never see the light of the day. Paying blind obedience to bad leadership is not patriotism but a re-enforcement of corruption and we refuse to be one.

Are we willing to side with those who have greater political ideals to ours for a greater cause? Are we willing to replace bad leadership?

AGAGU DEATH: NMA GOOFED BY CALLING FOR NATIONAL PUBLIC HOLIDAY

Sometimes I just cannot imagine what is truly Nigerian problem, since everyone seems to have the anti-dote to solve it, yet there is no one giving the right solution. Agagu's death truly calls for a national reflection on how the leadership has failed us. His death is a wakeup call to all of us, that our time on earth is so short and no amount of money we steal can make us live forever. His sudden death is a reminder that when death comes knocking, all our money stolen from the national treasury will not stop the cold hand of Mr. Death. Agagu was a governor of Ondo state, who could have used his position to build befitting hospitals and equipped it to the benefit of the citizenry, but he failed.

Olusegun Agagu's personal wealth if properly looked into could have built state of the arts health centres in all the local government of the state that will serve as places for treatment and check up, but I regretfully say; he blew away the chance. And today, Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) is using his death as a platter to canvass for a national holiday, where Nigerians will engage in free medical checkup. Nice call, but a very big misadventure for my dear president, Dr Osahon Enabulele to make.

For all we know, we have enough holidays already and we are not ready to spare another for a jamboree call 'free medical checkup'. For those working in government and private establishments, they are entitled to their annual leave, and if they so much desire a check up, they should use the period to do so. This is a misguided call by NMA and like most Nigerians who condemned it; NMA should stop dragging us back in the issues of health, and engage in research that will see to the treatment of various illness.

A commentator who condemned the call rightly noted, “Are this people (NMA) serious? You want a holiday at every step, how will the GDP grow? After drinking pepper soup and beer every day, you pass the bill to the Federal Government” all in the name of free medical checkup, that will in one way or the other be paid for by the government.

The check up clamored by NMA is not the cause of the death of Nigerians, but the hardship inflicted on them by the leaders. Let the Medical lab scientist go into scientific research to find the cure for HIV/AIDS. Let the doctors of physiotherapists proffer solution to the silent child killer called cerebral palsy and our pharmacists' producer more efficient drugs. Even if we decide to agree to the holiday; I bet you that a day is not enough to carry out such operation. A look at ante natal clinic in the hospital shows that all the expectant mothers are not all attended to in a day, due to their numbers, how then when there will be thousands who will rush in for the free check up.

Seriously, NMA goofed by even thinking of such idea, instead of agitating for better health facilities. By the way, why hasn't the national president of Nigerian Society of Physiotherapists (NSP), Dr Taiwo and his executives met the Taraba State government and began treatment on Danbaba who I reliably gathered need them to enable him make use of his brain again? Why has everyone kept quiet over the issue as if it doesn't exist? Why has his seat not be declared vacant? His illness is not a PDP affair as they want us to believe, since they use our money in his treatment. We need explanation.

These little things matter…
Fejiro Oliver, a Journalist can be reached on [email protected] and +2348026797588 (sms only please). Engage us on twitter @fejirooliver86 and Facebook; fejirooliver86. Like our Facebook page- secretsreporters