Month: October 2013

When Looters Are Called “Shining Stars”..

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By Adeola Aderounmu

I read with dismay that Ms. Oduah is a shining star in the Jonathan administration in Nigeria.

At least by the judgement of one Yakubu Dati the spokesman for the Aviation Industry in Nigeria.

This man is not alone in his foolish conclusion. It is a major challenge for the people called Nigerians because they think that you must be a criminal once you are in governance. I mean family members will question their “persons” in government who do not steal. Nigerians have malformed mentalities with respect to public offices and public service.

For the most, you need to be a hard thief to climb the political ladder in Nigeria. I mean before or after you are indoctriminated into the lootocracy business.

Now we know what shining stars do. They steal, loot and acquire wealth primitively. It is possible because of the presence of total impunity and the absence of justice.

Boko Haram Continues to Ridicule The Nigerian Army

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AdeolaAderounmu

On October 12 2013 the Nigerian Army through one Commander of the 3 Division Special Operation Battalion Damaturu, Colonel A.O. Abdullahi said that his command will not give Boko Haram the opportunity of invading the state again.

But on the 20th of October 2013 Boko Haram murdered 19 people in Borno. They dressed-up as officers of the Nigerian Army and murdered their victims.

This is not the first, second or third time Boko Haram has done some killings just to ridicule the Nigerian government.

I can’t remember exactly when but even Mr. Goodluck Jonathan boasted once that Boko Haram will be gone in a certain month of “June”. I think it was after that they Boko Haram bombed the UN office in Abuja.

It was after his boasting that the Jonathan government started marking events amidst tight security or low key because of the fear of attacks of Boko Haram.

It does not matter what the Nigerian military has done or is doing, what is constant is that Boko Haram rules in Borno and they do what they like and how they like.

I don’t think there are schools in operation anymore in Borno. Boko Haram is ensuring that schools are burnt or students and teachers are killed.

Borno state is both a dilemma, and a source of national embarassment to the Nigerian government. Under a state of emergency, Boko Haram remains potent and deadly.

Some police officers from Eastern Nigeria are currently protesting deployment to Borno State. That is the height of ridicule that Boko Haram has brought the Nigerian Army and the clueless Jonathan administration.

Where does this madness lead Nigeria to?

The Rogue Ministers of Nigeria

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Adeola Aderounmu

It is no longer news that Nigeria’s Aviation Minister spent a whooping N225m on the purchase of special cars that are supposed to be used for her protection.

It is a tradition in Nigeria for government officials (starting from the presidency actually) to steal and waste public funds in Nigeria.

This is a useless tradition that has been promoted in various forms and shades and which no serious minded Minister or President is willing so back-pedal on.

In various ways and by various means Ministers and presidents (past and presidents) steal, loot and embezzle public funds.

In this particular case, Nigeria is passing through strings of air crashes and mishaps, therefore it came as a rude shock that the Minister, one Stella Oduah was carrying out inflated purchases of armored cars as planes are dropping from the skies.

Just to know that the Nigerian government is among the most corrupt in the world, no one has heard any condemnation of the purchase from the presidency. It will probably not come from the man who has bought more presidential jets than any serving or former African presidents. These Nigerian rulers are all criminals and crooks.

Stella Oduah is not alone. It is just her time to be roasted. The phenomenon-of stealing or buying armored cars is a Nigerian thing. These people want to protect themselves from the people! Yes, they think that they are under threat and that their lives are at risk.

But who created the risk?

Stella may probably survive the press and other real and fake anti-corruption agencies in Nigeria. The reasons why she may survive are not far fetched. Crime in governance is an acceptable part of life in Nigeria. Most people who have plans to be part of government in Nigeria will do the same as Stella. People just think that their reason for joining government is to steal.

Many Nigerians are waiting for similar opportunities. This is the tragedy of present day Nigeria where crimes are exalted and criminals elevated.

If the current “organised-noise” around Stella results to her deployment or removal, she will probably not face criminal charges. She may even be contesting as the next vice-president in the “old” PDP in 2015. The more you steal, the more juicy you next appointment.

In the end other criminals who they call president, governors, lawmakers, legislators and Ministers will continue to steal until the next random bubble. Nigeria is no ordinary country. Truth is dead. Trust was murdered many years ago.

How Okonjo lweala Sacked Yushau A Shuaib

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By Adeola Aderounmu

If you are in doubts about the stupidity of civil or government service in Nigeria, you should follow the recent development that led to the sack of a civil servant called Yushau A Shuaib. Let me explain.

I have never met Shuaib before and I am not looking to our meeting. But I remembered that he wrote a rejoinder to my story about how 80 000 Nigerians could perish overnight due to a certain dam that was neglected or abandoned somewhere in Nigeria.

In that article, I’d asked several questions on the preparedness of NEMA should the accident occur. In his rejoinder, Shuaib defended NEMA and did his job as the press officer of the agency.

I did not overflog the issue but today we all knew how Nigerians perished in that flood and other floods around Nigeria. The bottom line is that government or government agencies are ill-equipped for management of disaster. Worse still is that the government of Nigeria due to neglect and low-mental abilities are the architects of these tragedies. A dam or functional drainages could have availed much is many of the Nigeria flood disasters.

Anyway moving on, 2013.

As I later found out Shuaib writes every now and then also on the Nigerian Village Square. In one of his recent stories he criticized the Nigerian Finance Minister, Okonjo-Iweala. It’s hard for me to actually believe that one government officer can criticize another albeit a senior and a minister whom he described as Nigeria’s most poweful woman-invariably. I didn’t know that there exist one who was more powerful than Patience Jonathan.

What Shuaib wrote about Okonjo-Iweala in that story (Still on Okonjo-Iweala and Controversial Appointments) are the things we already know about Nigeria: appointments are based on ethnic groups, favoritism, nepotism, man-know-man, tribalism and all sorts of useless codes that are peculiar to Nigeria.

Okonjo-Iweala is not the first Nigerian Minister or influential person to appoint or recommend her tribes men and women into top positions. This has been the stupid norm in Nigeria. Shuaib’s men from his part of the (useless) country have done the same and are probably still doing that at this moment.

Even the president pulled his men from his tribes and region into positions of privilege across Nigeria. Some of Jonathan’s tribesmen that I know were pulled from their oversea postings to come back to Nigeria to serve with him.

If I describe Nigeria’s politicians or top public servants with derogatory words like stupid, useless, corrupt and senseless, you know some of the reasons.

Shuaib’s sin did not make him a saint among the ranks. Though some people will give him a pat on the back for daring to criticize the government he serves. That’s a rare Nigerian attitude. I’m still in shock he actually took Okonjo-Iweala to the dryers.

Shuaib was damn right in his article. He could probably have added that what Ngozi Okonjo Iweala did is the same that everybody is doing in Nigeria so that the attack is not targeted at only Ngozi.

I’m wondering if Ngozi will try to sack me or if she has ever wondered who this online warrior is. I have criticized her many times because I know she is a big crook. If she can tell me where she and Obasanjo kept Abacha’s loot, I may start to believe her. She’s a bloody liar.

Even Ezekwisili has taken her time to comment on my story about how she plundered the ministry of Education. Nigerian ministers, commissioners, president and top public servants are all crooks. Otherwise they would have stopped looting and start ensuring that social justice and equality are promoted.

Today in Nigeria under the watch of people like Ngozi-Okonjo Iweala, ASUU is on strike and education is brought to a halt. Their children and families are abroad so what do they care? Health care is grounded as these fools in power continue to mismanged Nigeria’s money. Ask me, who is managing Nigeria’s wealth as the looting and non-accountability continues? Who is the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning as more and more Nigeria drops below the poverty line?

It won’t make sense for any Nigerian top politician or Minister to try and convince me that he or she is not a crook or a thief. I mean only those who are targeted are exposed. As long they remain relevant to their niche or accomplices, the cover up is huge.

So Ngozi may also come out to deny the story that she sacked Shuaib. I made the title of this story up of course! I am a blogger! I mean, when Shuaib had not written about Ngozi, his job was intact. When he wrote about Ngozi, his life turned upside down and then he was sacked. Then someone will tell me that Shuaib was sacked by the government and not Ngozi as if government is a person per se. If Ngozi did not react to the story by calling Shuaib on the phone, then I can say Shuaib was duly sacked because he is no longer relevant in service.

These are the types of things that make Nigeria a real jungle. You criticize a Minister, the minister does not like the criticisms (which is different from the Minister issuing a statement to defend herself) and you get sacked! One would have expected an educated Minister to show that what Shuaib wrote were malicious and not to confirm our fears that this is what happens in Nigeria and that change and hope are not in sight.

Dictators are everywhere in Nigeria and NOI is one of them.

Shuaib should never think that I have written in his defense. I am sorry that he lost his job but I know with his connections, he may be back in government big time someday or he may try his hands in the private sector. He will succeed because he has the connection and the pedigree. Even the opposition government can offer him a big deal because he is leaving service loaded with government secret. He will be useful in election smearing campaigns.

And tomorrow someone may write that Shuaib was sponsored! In Nigeria impossible is nothing!

Nigerian Ghost Workers

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By Adeola Aderounmu

One of the craziest news from Nigeria this morning is the alarm raised in Akwa Ibom that there are at least 8000 ghost workers in the state civil service.

This is not news in Nigeria.

Over the years ghost workers have always existed and they will always exist for as long as corruption and stupidity remain unpunished.

The economy department of the various Ministries know about the ghsot workers. The various heads of departments know about the ghost workers.

The truth is that the human resource department, the economy department and the head of the various department must know about the criminality in Akwa Ibom state. It is a national trend in Nigeria.

These funds are what some people have used to build houses, build hotels and buy fancy cars. They claim that ministry work is lucrative because they steal from government the same way government itself steal from the people.

Don’t be fooled! The 8000 ghost workers in Akwa Ibom are not going to disappear. What will happen with this open knowledge is that the people who will benefit from the scandal and eventual cover-up will increased.

Ghost workers don’t disappear in Nigeria. They will always be there as long as the people who are responsible from this case are not dismissed and made to refund the money they have stolen. Their properties will not be confiscated, instead they will be promoted.

Most of the people who rule in Nigeria are thieves and criminals, and this is why people get promoted even when they are known to be crooks and boot lickers.

Nigeria is no ordinary country!

Crazy things are normal in Nigeria.

By tomorrow nobody will be talking about this news and the scandal will continue.

Change will come with functional judiciary and sincere police force. Change will come when a radical wind of change blows acrosss Nigeria. Change will come when people can put patriotism above self, and when merits and dignity are attached to appointments and labour.

For now, the madness continues, unabated!

People are stealing right from the presidency down to the last man in the council, ghost workers are just by-products of the systemic decadence.

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