...AND THE PRESIDENT IS STAYING QUIET
It is not just raining in Nigeria,it has started pouring.Pouring real heavy.Almost everything is going wrong and there seems to be no end in sight.To make matters worse our president is just carrying on as if all is well.Truth is,we have never had it this rough!This tough!
Recently the house of representatives set up an ad hoc committee to look into the fuel subsidy management(which we have always suspected was
rotten) .The committee just concluded its investigation and has since submitted its report.Boy,does it stink!
They opened our eyes to the scam that has been going on at the top for
years.#1.06 trillion was fraudulently paid out!A scam supervised by the NNPC and PPPRA suposedly government agencies.Independent and major oil companies 'hammered' from this scam.They just would not kill this Nigeria.They would not milk this cow called nigeria dry.
Craziest of all the findings was the fact that #999 million was paid to unknown entities 128 times,amounting to #127.872billion within 24 hours on the 12th and 13th of january 2009.So somebody visited banks 128 times to pay in monies?This is sad,ridiculous and at the same time funny!
We also found out that the actual amount paid out as subsidy was #2.5trillion as against the official figure of #1.3trillion,against the
#1.6 trillion figure quoted by the accountant general and against the #1.7 trillion quoted by the CBN.We have always suspected they have been in it together.
I commend the house of representatives for firstly appointing honourable Farouk Lawan to head this Ad hoc committee-believe me there was no better Man.Here is a man whose courage is in huge contrast with his height.One house member I have always respected.One Man I hold in high esteem.I knew he was going to do a good job.
Honourable Farouk Lawan and his team did not disappoint.They did a thorough job.Atleast now we know that Okonjo Iweala,Sanusi Lamido Sanusi and Allison Dezieani Madueke were just on a mission-too have us all fooled.They must really think us so too.
I must confess I was numero uno on that list(of those that were coned).In one of my articles during the fuel subsidy strike period,I had suggested the need to give the government a chance and a benefit of doubt.I actually came to that conclusion after watching Okonjo Iweala on AIT and how she emotionally defended the cause.How speedily infrastructures were going to be in place and all.Would you blame me,I just want the best for Nigeria.Boy was I dissapointed.
Now we know that the fuel subsidy payments which increased from #261.1billion in 2006,to #278.8 billion in 2007,#346.7billion in 2008,#2.5trillion in 2009 and same in 2011 was as a result of corruption in the highest places and not all those crappy creepy lies Okonjo and co were feeding us.International crude prices?please!High exchange rate?Tell that to the birds.Increase in numbers of Nigerians and cars?Laugh out loud.
We are in a period of scams and more scams.Somebody actually had the heart to steal people's future.I am talking about the Pension scam.There is another one brewing at the federal airport authority of Nigeria,where projects that were never provided for in the budget and programmes that never took place were actually funded.Where did the money go?
Now I actually thought heads would have been rolling by now.Forget the refund!In other climes people would have been jostling for spaces in differnt jail cells all over the country.Some would have been prosecuted(China comes to mind).The president has been unneccessarily quiet.Infact the government I understand is trying to make us believe Farouk Lawan and his team made some mistakes!They must really really take us for fools.
We have seen the light and there is nothing the government and his government can do about this.The chicken has finally come home to roost.Some of them even try to rob it in,that the committee was out to witch hunt.How can some unscrupulous,selfish,wicked,corrupt and heartless entities try to play politics with these findings.Telling us people were being targeted because of 2015 elections,when we already suspected these sleazes had been going on for years.We just needed proof and God bless Hon Lawan and his team for giving us just that.
The president could not tell us who the corrupt cabal were pre(and post)subsidy strike,now that the wind has blown and we have all seen the romp of the chicken,why are heads not rolling?In other climes some of these entities who are still in government would have resigned.This can never happen in Nigeria and we all know that,so pray Mr president,why have these corrupt officials in your government not been shown the exit door and ofcourse prosecuted.I understand Deziani Madueke was in charged at NNPC when all the practices were going on.
For a while now Nigeria has been Afghanistanized,no thanks to the Boko Haram.No day passes bye these days without a bomb detonating and killing people.All innocent people.Innocent people who just want to survive in this our God forsaken(?)country.Innocent people who find life so hard on a daily basis.Innocent people who do not care if boko haram wants western education whatsoever or not!Day in Day out we are left with sorrows,tears and blood from Maiduguri to the FCT.
I was particularly close to tears when on my way to church last sunday I heard about the attack on a lecture theatre at the old site of the Bayero University,Kano.Faithfuls were attacked around 8:45am.Improvised explosives were thrown in the lecture theatre,those who attempted to flee from the scene were gunned down.Pheew!Professors Ayodele and Andrew Leo of the chemistry and library departments respectively, amongst others lost their lives.Now we are loosing our best brains.
Boko Haram is taking the bold step of starting a war with the media.I don't think anybody has ever won a war against the media.Boko haram is even threatening to blow up more media houses(lives too ofcourse).
The country is not safe anymore and the President is urging us to go about our normal business?Normal life?In the face of all these bombings?The president says we should not panic over the growing manace of violent terrorist activities.How nice.You know what,we do not want to go about our normal lives.No,we cannot.I mean how can we?Him,his cohorts and their families are safe,so can live normally.Out here Sir,we are not safe,and cannot live normally!
I don't even know the presidents plan on how to curb this menace.its all talk.
Today one hears the government is about to negotiate with them,the next day one hears the representative boko haram brought to the table is arrested.That's how we are going to end this?
I do not support negotiating with terrorists,but if its going to bring an end to these wanton,unneccessary killings,then why not.
I was watching Mrs Anniko Briggs on AIT recently where she said there was need for negotiations-Negotiations with boko haram,MASSOB,MEND,MOSOP,et al.Why not just put an end to all the grudges.Whatever would make for blood spills again.We need an end to all these because at the end of the day,its still us,the poor,suffering masses,that die!We just kill ourselves.Sometimes I just feel its a tool used by the elite to get rid of the poor.
If he thinks negotiation is not an option,what's wrong with declaring state of emergency in the most affected states.Put someone in charge,give him resources as well as deadline to stop this menace.
I am tempted to think that the president is confused.Enough Sir.Its time to stand up and do something before you are left with no people to govern!Please!
The president has been quiet on issues affecting the masses since he came into office.Much has really not changed since he came in.Nothing to cheer about.
Its all talk.Talk,about improving the power situation.Talk,about building railways to ease our sufferings.Talk,about building infrastructures.About giving us good health care facilities.About taking graduates off the streets by creating more employment opportunities.Infact one would be amazed by the number of graduates that roam the streets these days searching for none existent jobs.
Talk,about building affordable houses,so people can have where to lay their heads.Talk,talk and more talk.
President Jonathan would not be the first to be full of talks alone without action.We do not have any issues with the president talking.No be him get him mouth ni?We have been enduring and tolerating empty promises.One thing we have and are concretely holding on to is Hope.Hope for a better Nigeria.
Can you,Mr president atleast act this once so we would not be wiped out by terrorists.We need to be alive,to realize this hope.Yes,and when I say terrorists,I mean both the ones that use bombs and pens!They are the same.
ASSASSINATIONS AGAIN?
I actually thought we had gone past the era of political vendetta in
Nigeria.I thought our politicians have learnt to let the people choose.I
honestly thought we have waved bye bye to political assassinationss.
Governor Oshiomole escaped an auto crash(if it really was)in edo state as
he was returning from a campaign the other day.He did escape ,but three
other journalists travelling with him were not that lucky.
It is with great shock after that, that we heard about the assasination of
Mr Olaitan Oyerinde,the same Governor Oshiomole's principal secretary.Shot
dead in front of his wife and children.We hear he was the backbone of the
cordination and electioneering management for the governor.
They just killed him for nothing?What would be of his widow and orphaned
children?Why did God curse us with beasts as politicians?Can they create a
life?They cannot even handle theCommon task of managing our resources.
They have been failing for years!
Egbon Louis Odion must be thanking his stars because he was not at home
when they came for him.Mr Odion is the commissioner for Information in the
same Edo state.
So we are back to the political assasination era.Elections in edo state is
a few weeks away and people are being assassinated all of a sudden again?
We had better nipped this in the bud now,before it grows beyond us.The
entire security operatives have to up their game.They just have to,because
I fear for 2015.I fear for the number of funerals,widows,and orphans that
election(in 2015)is going to produce.God forbid!
Chiechefulam Ikebuiro
[email protected]
http://pointblanknews.com/new/click/11