The Unbanking Fanatics

Nigeria cannot be salvaged by the banking sector be it Islamic, secular or Christianity banking. The main, major problems in Nigeria are official corruption and lawlessness. Nigerians should be mindful of these diversionary plots by corrupt public officials or their stooges that are paddling baseless and unsubstantiated rumors about the so called Islamic banking.  What Nigeria need is well capitalize banks in the banking sector call it Islamic or Christianity banking. The difference between good and evil, are evil and good, that is, the manifestation of good makes action or thought good and manifestation of evil makes action or thought evil. The secular and Christianity banking in Nigeria today is riddled in greedy, corruption and criminality. Which banking system would the Christian God support secular and Christianity banking marred with greed and corruption or any other banking system regardless of its name that operates in the principle of fairness and common good?  I too I am a Christian but my God is neither a respecter of persons nor religious. For those of you, the religious, Christian fear mongers that are scared to death by the idea of Islamic banking in Nigeria what exactly are you people afraid of, Islamic bank or Islamic money? How many of you would as matter of religious principle refuse to cash a substantial amount of gift money from an Islamic bank?  Would you the guardians of the Christian faith rather have secular banking riddled in corruption and thievery of people’s money than Islamic banking based on fairness and common good? Would a bank locally owned but operates with the name of a Nigerian pagan religion receive the same scrutiny and opposition from these religious zealots? The difference between the Boko Haram and these Christian zealots is that one violently abhors the other and the other cowardly abhors the one but these two are ignorant.   Because I know the God I worship and know that he is able I am neither scared by an Islamic banking or institutions in Nigeria and I do not believe that Islamic banking is a panacea for the rot in Nigeria. Corruption and lawlessness are the two main issues strangling Nigerian.  Like any other foreign investment in Nigeria, a non-corrupt Islamic banking operating within the law of the land that observes the rule of law is good for Nigeria and good for any country. These religious sycophants and hypocrites should know that their God should be infinitely knowledgeable and cannot be influenced by their human idiosyncrasies

Messiahs? Nooop

Responding to “a Non-Conduct of Council poll raises the Ante in Anambra State” Guardian daily, 7/8/11

Mr. Rochas and Governor Obi were elected under the platform of a political party, All Progressive Grand Alliance APGA, that was suppose to enshrine true democracy, liberate and empower people of South East. But what have these Governors, Obi and Rochas become, lawless dictators. These Governors act as their state's legislature, judiciary, local government chairmen and local government councils and Mr. Roachas in addition is the lord over Imo council of chiefs. Igbo people have seen the likes of these Governors before in the person of former Governor of Abia State Orjiuzo kalu, the-uglier-than-evil Governor. No, these Governors are no different from the criminally corrupt leaderships common in the country. In fact these Governors are and will be the worst of the evils that have taken over Nigeria since the mid eighties. Time will show that Governor Obi and Governor Rochas are but sheep in wolves clothing.  These two should be Prosecuted for their lawlessness or for being the laws themselves. They must be probed for the local governments' federal allocations they are pocketing. The citizens of Imo and Anambra should brace for gloomier future under the leaderships of these lawless men, Mr. Obi and Mr. Rochas.

Ben Ojiakulo

Not one is Innocent

EFCC accuses ex-Works Minister of plotting to jump bail: vanguard online news, July 6, 2011.

If the Judge grants any of the accused bail for a foreign travel then the Judge should be investigated and prosecuted.  The accused, Mr. Lawal must first make peace with his follow country men and women before his God will grant him peace. If Mr. Lawal Misses the lesser Haji let it be the price he paid to  vindicate himself and price to prove his patriotism to the nation. Even if Mr. Lawal is innocent but jumps bail for a religious activity, the god of Lesser Haji will ask him to go home and first prove himself right to his follow men and then come back and receive blessings. As for Mr. George Elzoghbi, that he did not loot public coffer is enough to soothe and relief his pain. If Mr. Elzoghbi dies in jail while awaiting trial let it be the price he paid to vindicate himself and his family. If Mr. Elzoghbi dies in jail let it be the price for his patriotism to the Nation. Seventy five billion naira is about five hundred million dollars enough to build two world class hospitals yet Mr. Elzoghbi is seeking travel documents for foreign medical treatment that may cause him hundreds of thousands of dollar. Where are Mr. Elzoghbi’s companies and industries where he raised hundred of thousands of dollars for foreign medical treatment?  The armed robber that was sentence to death yesterday if he had asked would the court have granted him foreign medical or religious trip?         

Ekiti's Appeal court describes the dissolution of the Ekiti State Local Government Service Commission by Governor Kayode as unlawful.

Last month the newly elected Imo State Governor in a public speech blunder sacked all the 27 elected local government chairmen in the state, this is dictatorship. In a democracy, how can one man be the chief executive, the court, the Judge, and the parliament? Common sense detects that one can only sacked his or her employees, even within the law. How can an elected governor, a chief executive of state fire other elected chief executives of another tier of the government that were duly elected? Perhaps, the Governor erroneously thinks that the President can wake up one morning and sack all the 36 state governors, why not if he the governor can sack all the 27 duly elected local government chairmen; what a shame and idiosyncrasy of a Governor that was elected to correct the lawlessness in his state. Where did the Governor receive his political science class? And this brings to question the Governor’s understanding of the law. The Governor cannot illegally legalize the state.  It will be difficult for the Governor to govern if his is lawless.

 Hopefully the new Imo Governor will learn from the court’s decisions in Ekiti state and reinstate the twenty seven local government chairmen he illegally dismissed. In true democracies the governor’s action amounts to subversion of the federal constitution that established the local government authority as another tier of the government.

Ben ojiakulo

A Despot and Mother of Corruption Lectures Jonathan on Governace

{Responding to Vanguard July 3, 2011 article by Emmunuel Aziken "IBB Lectures Jonathan on Governace" }

Wonders shall Never end; IBB Preaches democracy and opposition tolerance; He thinks Nigerians have forgotten or perhaps IBB have developed the old man disease, Amnesia.

No where in the world are outlaws, crooks, murderers, dictators, embezzlers have greater freedom than in Nigeria. Most people have heard the common phrase that suggests satirically of one landing in prison for stealing a chicken, and another going to congress for stealing the whole wealth of a nation. In Nigeria this is a straight factual statement. In fact the more criminally vicious a public official is the more freedom he or she enjoys in Nigeria provided he or she have enough stolen public fund to arrogate self sovereignty.

For eight years the popular or the notorious IBB seized power under the barrel of gun and imposed his personal will on the Nigerian people. Under IBB’s dictatorship many senior military officers were executed. Among the executed was IBB’s close comrade Major General Mamman Vasta. These officers were charged for subversion against IBB’s dictatorial regime even though IBB and his cohorts by their participation in the 1983 coup committed subversion against a democratically elected government. These officers executed by IBB led junta were tried and convicted by a military tribunal appointed and supervised by IBB himself. In 1986 or thereabout a renowned journalist Dele Giwa was murdered and IBB’s henchman hit man otherwise called the national intelligence director was implicated. It was reported that this intelligence director spoke to Giwa just before a parcel bomb that killed Giwa was delivered to him. By 1986 except the military and the military leadership which IBB was at the helm no other institution, organization, group, individual has the expertise, or the means to successfully deliver a letter bomb. Even today, without the cover of the government it will be difficult to execute the parcel bomb of 1986. Beside, who else in Nigeria in 1986 had vested interest in seeing the elimination of a Journalist whose editorial columns were critical of the IBB’s military dictatorship and corruptions? It was no surprise that official investigation or report on Giwa’s assassination was never issued by IBB’s military junta. Rumor had it that Giwa had information on one mysterious Gloria Okon whose purported illicit drug trade before 1985 was linked to IBB.

The extra judiciary murder of many senior military officers and the assassination of Dele Giwa were apparent but what are not apparent are the deaths of so many Nigerians who are victims of deprivation and extinguished live ambitions due to the looting of Nigerian treasure by the military junta led by Ibrahim Babagida. In fact IBB’s military junta ushered in the culture of corruption in Nigeria. Before 1985 there was official corruption but during the eight years of IBB dictatorship, corruption became way of life in Nigeria. The culture of corruption planted by IBB led junta is seen today in all aspect of the Nigerian society.

Today IBB is a billionaire in dollars and will outspend most competitors except his likes who also commandeered the national wealth for personal use. There were no evidences that IBB was filthy rich before 1985 and no evidence that he inherited family fortune after his eight years of dictatorship. But in the 90s IBB was reported in Forbes Magazine as one of the world’s billionaires. It is no secret that IBB and his cohorts looted Nigerian treasure. His administration could not account for the extra billions of dollars that Nigeria ought to have received from the sell of crude oil during the 1990 gulf war. So IBB have the wealth to buy whatever he wishes including media time but the question is how many Nigerians will listen to this wolf who once feasts on their blood?

For eight years IBB have the opportunity to make Nigeria better and uphold the creed of the independent fathers who staked their peace and lives for the purpose of securing a free democratic and prosperous Nigeria. But rather IBB’s led military junta chose to usher in a culture of corruption and murderous environment into the country that he seized power to protect. Leading up to the 2011 presidential vote IBB filed papers to contest for the office of the presidency; this was laughable and heart breaking. It is laughable because IBB seemed to believe that Nigerians are suffering from amnesia. But it was heart breaking because an individual who ought to be doing prison time for the atonement of his crime against the people and the country is arrogantly seeking to once more lord himself over the people. It is even more heart breaking that there was that possibility that a well known crook could have once more taken the leadership of a nation that for its survival needs the guidance of all good angels of the heavens. IBB made this shamelessly bold move because he is in disposition of enough stolen public wealth. In filing papers for the office of the presidency IBB said he was exercising his legal suffrage. But he said nothing of the suffrage he suffocated when he participated in the 1983 coup that deposed democratically elected government nor did he say any thing on suffrage he stifled during his eight years of military dictatorship. Perhaps IBB thinks in error that Nigerians are stupid. No Nigerian in a right frame of mind will think or belief that IBB have anything good to offer the country If he could not offer these goodies for eight years that he single handedly dictated the policies and affairs of government. In time of 'peace' only Kings, Emperors, and despots rule nations for more than ten years and  since IBB is neither a King nor an Emperor he is despotic as he truly sought  to lead another eight years of corrupt presidency.    A second IBB presidency would have measured worse than his failed, eight years of corrupt and murderous presidency not only because he lacks idea, wisdom, vision and knowledge to lead but also because he is primitive in all his dispositions. IBB’s eight years of dictatorship shows not only that he cannot lead but also that he has no understanding of what leadership means. He knows not that to lead is to serve. If Nigerians can for a moment pretend, just pretend that they love the country then IBB will not be advising the President but rather he should be begging for a presidential pardon for the long prison time he ought to have been serving for crime against his people and country. IBB is bold to make mockery of democracy and presidential advisory because he has not been held accountable for his eight years of tyranny, dictatorship, oppression, looting of public treasure and treason.

Nigerians should save themselves from the illusion that IBB will remove his ignorant self from the national discourse because doing that could amount to political suicide and physical harm. IBB, the Maradona knows that the only way he will remain ahead of the law for his eight years of corrupt murderous dictatorship, loot and treason against the nation is to remain in the national discourse, shape it and be for everything and for nothing; IBB, the evil genius knows that as long as his is a political player his opponents more than likely will compromise and accommodate him thereby erasing the thought and idea of probing him for eight years of capital crime against Nigeria. It is for these compromise and accommodation that IBB continues to bring his primitive self into the national discourse. Even with his billions of dollars of stolen public wealth IBB knows that he cannot win a presidential election in Nigeria but can avert prosecution by remaining engaged in the national political conversation.  IBB must do what he must do to remain a freeman knowing that for eight years he committed capital crimes against Nigerian. Who else in his right mind and survival instinct and in IBB’s situation would not want to set the stage for political discuss in Nigeria?

Nearly twenty years after leaving the pinnacle of power that brought eight years of corrupt murderous dictatorship, loot and treason against the nation IBB have employed all tools, bribery, intimidation, threats, political camaraderie and prostitution to evade prosecution. Instead of calling him out for his crime against the nation, politicians seek friendship, material and financial support from IBB. Truth is that any administration that fails to probe IBB and other looters is in itself a corrupt administration and therefore must be probe because corruption is not only the act of looting but also a cowardly and wilful failure in recovering public wealth from the looters.

Voci Bawoman