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The La Masia graduates could be heading for Mestalla as part of a deal
for the accomplished forward, whose current pricetag is far above what
Barca are willing to pay

Barcelona are determined to bring Valencia hitman Paco Alcacer to
Camp Nou, and could release both Munir El Haddadi and Sergi Samper to
convince Los Che to bring down their valuation of the Spain
international.

After a long, fruitless summer searching for a suitable rotation
option behind Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar the Liga champions
finally appear to have found their man.

Negotiations with Valencia have progressed well, and Alcacer has
responded positively to the challenge of playing as the first man off
the bench backing up the world’s most potent forward line.

The biggest obstacle to a deal, however, is a considerable difference
in what Barcelona are willing to pay for their target and the fee Los
Che consider acceptable to release the striker to one of their domestic
rivals.
The Catalans are reluctant to bid over €30 million for Alcacer, while
Valencia would like to receive up to €50m, a figure that is still some
way south of his €80m release clause.

While the gap would appear insurmountable, Barca hold two valuable
cards: young strike pair Munir and Samper, who could both enter
negotiations.

Munir affirmed recently that he would be happy to accept a move away
should the club bring in a new striker, while Samper is aware the
chances of him staying in the Barca first team are minimal.
And after efforts to place Alen Halilovic at the Mestalla broke down
due to salary differences, the La Masia pair could be making their way
to Valencia either on loan moves or permanent transfers with a buyback
option, thereby lowering Alcacer’s pricetag.

Popular Hausa (Kannywood) actor, Adam Zango, recently went on Desmims TV
to refute claims that he is gay. Adam, who was a guest on the TV
stations talkshow, held a Koran and swore that he was not gay and will
never be.

“I am here to tell the whole world that I am not gay and I do not
participate in any gay activities within and outside the Kannywood
industry” he said.

Many of the actors in Kannywood have been taunted with rumors of being gay.

The
Presidential Committee on Audit of Defence Equipment Procurement (CADEP)
has traced about N2billion meant for the purchase of vehicles for the
Nigerian Army to the accounts of five children of a former Chief of Army
Staff. The Nation
reports that the report by the panel states that the children of the
ex-Chief of Army Staff allegedly used two companies for the deal. Read
it after the cut..

 “The
committee reviewed the procurement carried out by Chok Ventures Ltd and
Integrated Equipment Services Ltd, two companies that shared the same
registered office, had one name as common controlling shareholder and
sole or mandatory signatory to the various banks accounts of the
companies. The committee further
established that between March 2011 and December 2013, the two companies
exclusively procured various types of Toyota and Mitsubishi vehicles
worth over N2, 000,000,000.00 for the Nigerian Army without any
competitive bidding. Most of the
contracts awarded to the companies were also split, awarded on the same
date or within a short space of time at costs and mobilization higher
than the prescribed thresholds. For instance, on February 13 and 15,
the two companies were awarded contracts worth N260, 000.000.00 and
N315, 000,000.00 respectively for supplies of various vehicles. The
Nigerian Army could not justify the exclusive selection of these vendors
against other renowned distributors of same brands of vehicles
procured. More seriously, the
committee found no credible evidence of delivery of the vehicles by the
two companies as there were no receipt vouchers, but only
unauthenticated delivery notes, invoices and waybills that were
purportedly used for the deliveries. Nevertheless,
the vendors were fully paid based on job completion certificate
authenticated by the then Chief of Logistics, Maj Gen D.D. Kitchener
(rtd). The payments were also made without deduction of Withholding Tax
(WHT). Furthermore, analyses of the various bank accounts of the two
companies showed transfers to individuals , some of who are believed to
be children of the army chief. Thus,
the committee recommends further investigation to determine delivery of
the vehicles and relationship of funds beneficiaries with the former
COAS and the two companies. Furthermore, the panel said that Lt Gen O.
A. Ihejirika (rtd), Maj Gen D. D. Kitchener (rtd), Col A. M. Inuwa and
Mr Chinedu Onyekwere should be held accountable for the issues arising
out of the contracts.”

The panel during its findings discovered that contracts in the Nigerian Army were awarded without due process. It said a company was registered on November 17, 2014 and awarded $125,179,299.10 on the same day.

“The
Nigerian Army, between April and August 2014, entered into four
contract agreements with Societe D’Equipmenteux Internationale  (SEI Nig
Ltd)  for procurement of Cobra Armoured Personnel Carriers, Shilka
Self-Propelled Artillery Guns, Armoured Fighting Vehicles (AFVs) as well
as various ammunition and spares funded by the ONSA. The
contracts for the Cobra APCs and Shilka Guns were not executed as they
were not funded. However, the costs for procurement of the AFVs;
ammunition and spares were $398,550,000.00 and $484,765,000.00
respectively totalling $883,315,000.00. In
November 2014, the ONSA awarded contract to Conella Services Limited
for procurement of 72 various arms and ammunition that included MRAP
vehicles, Mi-17 helicopter at the cost of $125,179,299.10. The
committee observed that the company was registered in Nigeria on 17
November, 2014 and awarded the contract on the same date, while the EUC
for the procurement was issued a day later on 18 November, 2014.
Furthermore, the ONSA paid $36,996,530.00 and N2,209,582,296.00 to the
vendor between November 2014 and 15 April, 2015.

 However, the Nigerian Army denied receipt of any procurement from Conella Services Ltd.

“Similarly,
the committee tried in vain to reach officials of the company to
confirm execution of the contract. There is, therefore, the need for
further investigation of Conella Services Ltd. The
committee observed that SEI and its two associated companies, APC Axial
Ltd and HK-Sawki Nig Ltd, were incorporated in May 2014 with two
Nigerien brothers, Hima Aboubakar and Ousmane Hima Massy as the only
directors.  Between May 2014 and
March 2015, the ONSA mandated CBN to release various sums totaling
$386,954,000.00 to SEI and the two associated companies for ‘procurement
of technical equipment’, without tying the money to particular items of
procurement. Thus, the
allotment of the funds was left at the discretion of the vendor without
input or consultation with ONSA or the Nigerian Army. Furthermore,
some of the funds transferred preceded the formalization of SEI
contracts with the Nigerian Army. There was also no evidence of any
contract to justify the payments made by ONSA to the SEI associate
companies. Consequently, it had been difficult for the ONSA, the
Nigerian Army and SEI to reconcile the accounts vis-a-vis the equipment
delivered.”

The
panel also uncovered that 42 units of Armoured Personnel Carrier(APC)
which were rejected by Iraq were later sold to Nigeria to fight Boko
Haram insurgents. It claimed that some of the APCs were either expired or unsuitable leading to loss of lives.

“The committee observed that one of the new equipment SEI procured for the Nigerian Army from Ukraine was BTR-4E APC.”

However,
according to the Ukraine’s state enterprise, Lviv Armour Repair Plant,
the designers of the equipment, “some of the products sold to Nigeria in
2014 were actually among 42 units designed for Iraq which subsequently
rejected them due to poor performance rating”.

“The
Nigerian Army did not also undertake the mandatory pre-shipment
inspections provided for in the contract agreements. Instead, the NA
deployed an infantry officer, who lacked the technical knowledge to
assess the capabilities and shortcomings of the equipment, to oversee
the shipment of the items for the Nigerian Army from Ukraine. Additionally,
the two-week training availed the technicians and operators was
inadequate for them to comprehend the technical workings of the newly
introduced equipment. The
committee’s interactions with the field operators revealed that although
the platforms and ammunition procured by SEI were deployed for the NE
operations, some of them were aged or expired, lacked spares and prone
to breakdown without immediate recovery equipment. Therefore,
failure to carry out pre-shipment inspection and inadequate training
resulted in procurement of some unreliable equipment that reduced the
capacity of the Nigerian Army in the North East operations and resulted
in the loss of lives and equipment.”

Dr. Ijabla Raymond

Another wrote: “It is very sure that you are an agent from the
pit of hell. I pity the people that are spiritually blind that are
following you. My prayer for you is that may it not be too late for
you.”
Yet another wrote: “If of all the ills in our society the only thing
you deem fit to write about is the man of GOD (ADEBOYE) then your
UNTIMELY DEATH IS NEAR. GOD SHALL VISIT YOU IN HIS ANGER.” (the block
letters emphasis is the writer’s, not mine).

These comments prove me right that religion does not make people
moral. How come the people who say heaven is a fantastic place are this
scared of death? How do they imagine they will get to this fantastic
place? Well, I have got news for them – everybody is going to die.

Death and suffering do not discriminate between Christians and
unbelievers. Pastors Bimbo Odukoya and Myles Munroe both died in their
prime in plane crashes. Pastors Chris Okotie, Anita Oyakhilome and Chris
Oyakhilome, have all experienced divorce. If the Bible story is to be
believed, even God has died (most Christians believe that Jesus is God).
But don’t ask me who was in charge of the universe for those three days
when God died.

Some others wrote to say I am stupid. With all due respect to them, I
am not the one who believes that donkeys and snakes can speak with
perfect human diction or that Adeboye’s car drives without fuel or that
pastors can resurrect dead people. Believers always demand respect for
their beliefs. The irony, though, is that their beliefs do not accord me
any respect or liberties. Their holy books call me a sinner. They say I
am worthless and wretched, and will burn in hell for eternity unless I
believe the claims their gods make about themselves.

And if I were gay, I might even get lynched; if I were a Muslim
woman, my husband might beat me whenever he finds me to be disobedient;
if I were a Muslim apostate who renounced Islam, then I might be killed.
But the moment I respond by criticising these ideas, I become the
aggressor and the person who persecutes believers.

Every time I say anything critical of religious leaders and institutions, believers tell me to read the Bible and to look at God rather than man.
Well, let’s do that then. In the Bible, God:
1). Killed infants.
2). Endorsed homophobia and misogyny.
3).
Personally carried out or supervised the genocide of non-Jewish people
because He was jealous of their gods. Even though He is omnipotent and
could provide a fertile settlement for the Israelites, He doesn’t do
this. Instead, He instructs them to dispossess other people of their
lands.
4). He is so insecure He requires constant assurance and praise from His worshippers.
5).
Jesus and his father (God) tell Christians to forgive their enemies 490
times in a day, but they cannot forgive their own enemy, Satan.

6).  In the Old Testament, God forbade the eating of pork, shellfish
and even the wearing of clothes made from different fabric. When it came
to slavery, He not only endorsed it but He gave rules to regulate it.
God had a chance to redeem Himself in the New Testament when He
transformed Himself into Jesus (it’s a complex story, but basically He
got Virgin Mary pregnant so she could give birth to Himself, even though
she was betrothed to another man). Anyway God (now Jesus) still refused
to condemn or outlaw slavery in the New Testament. Nowhere in the Bible
does God outlaw slavery. If we agree that slavery is evil, what does
this say about God?

7). In the case of Islam, Allah admonishes Muslim men to beat their disobedient wives in Quran 4:34
It’s evident these books, and their gods are not a dependable source
of morality. Believers are in fact more moral than the gods they
worship. Every time a believer rejects the literal interpretation of a
scriptural verse that commands violence, bigotry or a behaviour that
falls below the modern moral bar, they demonstrate that human morality
is not derived from religion. If you think it is wrong to murder a gay
person as prescribed in Leviticus, then congratulations – you are more
moral than the person who put that verse in the Bible – God. When was it
ever right to murder people because of their sexuality?

Africans were enslaved for nearly 1000 years by Arabs. The Europeans
colonised and enslaved Africans for about 400 years. To achieve this
effortlessly, they gave the African a tool to keep his mind in bondage.
They understood that once you capture the mind, the body is yours to do
as you wish. That tool is called (foreign) religion. Think about it –
why would the oppressor give the slave a tool (book) that would liberate
him? Religion is a tool for control, and we see everyday how
pastorpreneurs use it to control their gullible followers. Show me one
way that religion has benefited humanity and I will prove that the
benefit can be derived without religion.

To the extent that religion is an expression of a people’s culture
and their identity, I would argue that by embracing foreign religions
and rejecting our indigenous religions, we (Africans) have lost our
sense of identity. We have several Christian and Muslim religious
holidays but not a single one to recognise our traditional religions.
Our Christian brethren go to Jerusalem to pray at a wall while our
Muslim brethren travel to Mecca to stone the devil – our governments
heavily subsidised these pilgrimages – but we refer to the religions of
our forefathers as paganism, idolatry, satanism, and savagery.

The suspension of reasoning is a foundational and an eternal
requirement for religious belief. It explains why it’s painfully
difficult to have a rational debate with believers who have foregone
reasoning.

Take the case of the Virgin Birth, for instance. Which is more
probable – that God magically inseminated the Virgin Mary with His seed
or that she conceived after she had sex with Joseph (or someone else,
but a real person nonetheless)? You have to suspend your reasoning
faculty to believe the former – yet millions of people believe this
story to be true. Is it any wonder then that millions of gullible people
are exploited in the name of religion?

Pastor Adeboye and his fellow pastorpreneurs can perform all types of
miracles and magic. From resurrecting dead people, driving cars without
fuel to curing every disease known to man – you name it; they have done
it all! Curiously, the only miracle these supermen cannot perform is
making money appear from thin air. They have to manipulate and
emotionally blackmail their followers to give them money. They do this
by quoting Bible verses that threaten their followers with diseases,
pestilence, and death. They say the money is for God, but they never
explain why an all-sufficient God requires money, something that man
invented. What is evident is that these pastors are obsessed with
worldly existence. They love what money can buy – cars, posh homes,
business empires, private jets, etc. As we say in Nigerian parlance,
yeye de smell. So, who is the enemy – these charlatans or the person who
exposes their tricks?
For those asking about my religion – I have none. I’m a secular humanist.
Humanism is the worldview that humans are capable of morality and self-fulfillment without the need for the belief in God. I have discussed this in a previous article.

To
conclude, I do not feel threatened by death wishes because death is an
inescapable fact of life. I find no use to be held captive by the fear
of death because everyone will die. Religion, like all forms of
superstitions, thrives on fear – the fear of death, hell, Satan, witches
– and the pastorpreneurs love to exploit these fears to their
advantage. My aim is not to offend believers but to stand up to those
who exploit the desperation and gullibility of our people to profit
themselves. If my message offends anyone then perhaps it is time for
them to re-examine their beliefs. A good idea will stand the most
rigorous scrutiny – being abusive or violent is not a good way to defend
one’s beliefs.I’d love to see Adeboye fly his private jet without fuel.
I’d love to see him, and his fellow pastorpreneurs grow an amputated
limb. I’d love to see them go to our hospitals and empty the beds of
patients. Until they do these, I’ll remain a sceptic. And I hope you,
the reader, would too.

Ijabla is a medical doctor, and he writes from the U.K. He can be contacted at ijabijay@me.com

 

Source: Sahara Reporters New York

Peacekeepers with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan

This Security Council authorization follows weeks of insecurity in
the South Sudan capital Juba and renewed violence against opposition
leader Riek Machar. Mr. Machar and the South Sudanese President Salva
Kiir came to a tepid peace agreement following years of civil war.

The United Nations has come under intense criticism for failing to
protect civilians in South Sudan in the midst of fighting between
government and opposition forces. There have been numerous documented
instances of civilians being targeted by militaries and more than 2
million people displaced.

The Security Council resolution demanded that the government and opposition leaders end the fighting and implement a peace deal.

Bola Ahmed Tinubu

Tunji Abayomi

Abayomi, who admitted he has great admiration  for Tinubu’s
contributions to the return of civil rule and his political sagacity,
dropped the bombshell in a letter to the APC chieftain titled “The Tonic
Of Democracy Is The Right Of The People To Choose Their Leaders,” the
letter traced the history of the duo through the days of struggle for
democracy under the military to the return of self-rule and Abayomi’s
decision to join the Alliance for Democracy (AD), the political platform
under which Tinubu became the governor of Lagos state in 1999.

The lawyer said there are hints that Tinubu is about imposing a
candidate on the APC branch of the party in Ondo state before its
August 27 primaries and warned him to stop his bid to tamper with the
will of the party.
According to Abayomi, some APC leaders met with Tinubu on July  31 at
a meeting, he alleged, was held to ensure that the primaries will be a
procession for Tinubu’s candidate rather than a free and fair contest
among aspirants.

“We share the struggle for democracy which conjured regard for the
independent right of our people to vote and to make leaders for
themselves. So close it seems, is the relationship that as you told me
you were once approached by yet another old friend, President Olusegun
Obasanjo, to convince me to work for him. Then and for a long time, at
least up to 2004, when I decided to join the AD, I opted to be a
go-between the poor masses; poor because they were in truth betrayed by
leadership and the powerful few that control the apparatus of power in
our land,” Abayomi wrote.

The lawyer added that despite Tinubu’s lack of conviction in the
candidature of General Muhammadu Buhari for the presidency, he
accommodated his view that Buhari was the man capable of winning last
year’s presidential election. Tinubu’s decision on Buhari,
notwithstanding, Abayomi said the former Lagos State governor has a
major failing, which has become recurrent in his politics: a disdain for
popular will.
“There are, however, certain principles that I believe form elements
of democratic government, which I think you often violate. Considering
that you fought for democracy, I wonder why it has become normative,”
wrote the lawyer.
Abayomi instantiated his allegation with his experience in 2007 when
he made a bid to be governor of Ondo State, an attempt snuffed out by
Tinubu’s alleged imposition of his friend, Rotimi Akeredolu on the
defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).

“You invited me, I think, the only aspirant for the purpose, to
appeal for my support and understanding for your decision. The first
question I asked then was: Who were the leaders who chose a candidate
for our people without the input or the breadth of even the deaf and
dumb of Ondo State?” he wrote.
Abayomi explained that he found Tinubu’s response to his question
unconvincing and made it clear to him that it was a violation of the
right of the people of Ondo State.

He explained that he had to stand against the Akeredolu’s emergence
because he believed the procedure adopted was a violation of the
people’s right to constitute government over themselves by their votes.
The people, he added, have been excluded since independence in 1960
from the decision to elect their rulers, a development that has
predisposed them to desperate want.

“Now, our people have no houses in Victoria Island or Maitama, no
land in Dubai or Johannesburg, no private jets or jetty. They don’t even
have the money to sink boreholes to get little water or to buy good
food. They have no passable road from home to farm or from farm to home.
Their children have no worthwhile access to basic education or
well-being,” he stated.
He warned Tinubu that the people could one day rise against the
abridgement of their democratic right to choose leaders that will create
possibilities and better their lot instead of the malicious governance
they have experienced.

“But if we thought, we can win for them the right to vote, and
through their votes, to raise good government and bring down bad
government, then, they can change their misfortune under leadership,
that, in our land, has often been corrupt and pitiless, to evolving
hope, substitute their despair for possibility and long unrealizable
desires for reality,” he declared.

He expressed concern about the entrenchment of oligarchic tendencies
that have appropriated the people’s right and their wealth. The
oligarchs, of which he hinted Tinubu is a member, are minded to buy off
what is left of the people’s assets, voting right, with money stolen
from the people.

“When we see for example, what is going on in the National Assembly
among the constituency of political leaders that make up the Assembly,
we see how unfortunate our people truly are. A Senator is alleged to
make over N29,479,749 per month as against N18, 000 made by the common
man he represents. Thus it will take not less than 1,638 years of hard
work for the common man’s labour to acquire the annual worth of a
senator. In one case that came to my attention a governor spent
N1billion for the first year anniversary while a woman he governs over
begged helplessly for N200 to buy ‘pure water’ for her daughter to go to
school the next morning,” Abayomi added.

Dear Asiwaju Tinubu,

THE TONIC OF DEMOCRACY IS THE RIGHT OF THE PEOPLE TO CHOOSE THEIR LEADERS

The ignorant may not actually know our relationship. We share the
struggle for democracy which conjured regard for the independent right
of our people to vote and to make leaders over
themselves. So close it seems, is the relationship that as you once told
me you were once approached by yet another old friend President
Olusegun Obasanjo to convince me to work for him. Then and for a long
time, at least up to 2004, when I decided to join the Political Party
AD, I opted to be a go-between the poor masses, poor because they were
in truth betrayed by leadership and the powerful few that control the
apparatus of power in our land.

I have never hidden my appreciation for your political
intelligence, accommodation of a different opinion, a great attribute
you demonstrated when you accepted my totally separated and independent
view, that in the struggle for the Presidency of Nigeria in 2015, when
it came to winability, there was no substitute for President Mohammed Buhari.

Now Asiwaji, friendship must of course be based
on mutual respect. You have visited my original house in Okeagbe just
as I have often visited your home in Lagos. In 2013 when my son got
married, you stood by me. In the same manner on several occasions when
men rose against your honour I raised a bastion to defend you. But my
character is to stand on truth, offer sincere opinion
to my friends unconcerned by the prestige of office or the character of
personality. My understanding of friendship is to stand on something
instead of falling for everything. And I believe in the many years past
some have come to appreciate my preference for respect instead of love.

There is yet another product of conscience which your illustrious
rich and exalted life has demonstrated – a non-conformist generosity
that has lifted so many people up.

There are, however, certain principles which I believe form
elements of democratic government which I think you often violate.
Considering that you fought for democracy, I wonder why it has become a normative.

In 2007, I ran for Governor of Ondo State. You would recall that
you invited me to your House in Bourdilon to break the news to me that
certain leaders of the Party had picked a candidate for us in Ondo
State.

You invited me, I think, the only Aspirant for the purpose to
appeal for my support  and understanding for your decision. The first
question i asked then was who were the leaders who
chose a candidate for our people without the input or the breadth of
even the deaf and dumb of Ondo State?

Unconvinced by the responses, firm and total in my commitment to
the democratic rights of our people, I made it clear then, that I could
not and will not support your decision as I considered it wrong in
principle and violative of the rights of citizens and that of the people
of Ondo State.

In taking my stand against the procedure of picking a friend to
represent our Party in the 2012 electoral contest I stood on the
principle that I believe will advantage the common citizen’s right, that
is the right to constitute government over themselves by their votes.

The sinews of national development, politics and in particular
economy, had excluded the common man in Nigeria since 1960. Tormented
by the grave denials, wants and ultimate desperation, all of which are
symptoms of uncaring poverty foisted on our people by poor leadership,
people like us, children of the “MEKUNNU” decided to fight for a most
fundamental right, that is, the right of the common man to vote for the
construction of leadership.

Now, our people have no houses in Victoria Island or Maitama, no
land in Dubai or Johannesburg, no private jets or jetty. They don’t even
have the money to sink boreholes to get mere water or to buy good food.
They have no passable road from home to farm or from farm to home.
Their children have no worthwhile access to basic education or
well-being. But if, we thought, we can win for them
the right to vote, and through their votes, to raise good government and
bring down bad government, then, they can change their misfortune under
leadership, that, in our land, has often been corrupt and pitiless, to
evolving hope, substitute their despair for possibility and long
unrealizable desires for reality. The strength of our abnormal
determination to win democracy against the terror of military rule, a
determination that led us to multiple jail terms, was actually defined
by this organic vision. You were, to some extent, part of that struggle
to win for the people their right to vote, to make and create
leadership. It was certainly our hope then and now that this right will
neither be adulterated nor polluted by abuse of influence or money by
leadership. Since 1960 the present Federal Government that you clearly
helped to bring about makes the very first time, the votes of our people
would effectively count in raising government.

I am greatly disturbed that the political oligarchy in charge of
power in our Nation, having taken every wealth of the people for
themselves and their offsprings appear determined to buy, with the
people’s money already embezzled by them, the only valuable political
asset the people have – their voting right.

When we see for example, what is going on in the National
Assembly among the constituency of political leaders that make up the
Assembly we see how unfortunate our people truly are. A Senator is
alleged to make over N29,479,749 per month as against N18000 made by the
common man he represents. Thus it will take not less than 1,638 years
of hard work for the common man’s labour to acquire the annual worth of a
Senator. In once case that came to my attention a
Governor spent N1,000,000,000 for the first year anniversary while a
woman he governs over begged helplessly for N200 to buy “pure water” for
her daughter to go to school the next morning. In spite of these
abnormal indifferences, corruption prevails over the land among
political leaders to the helpless and hopeless desire of the common man.

As a prominent leader in the past in the struggle for the
undiluted and unpolluted right of the people to vote, I had hoped you
will ALWAYS allow the due process of voting to control political
struggles. Indeed this was the essence of our 3 hour
dialogue and disagreement when you and perhaps others placed over the
people of Ondo State a candidate that was not chosen by us or for us
through our votes in the Governorship Election.

With regard to the present struggle or contest for governorship
in Ondo State, whether some of our party leaders came to you to choose
for them as some have alleged or you invited our leaders on 31.7.2016 as
some have averred, what we expect a democrat to do was to respect the
right of the people to choose their leaders through and unduly
influenced free and fair primary electoral process. My deepest
disagreement with you, which has arisen on many occasions in the past
years, inspite of much respect for your contributions
to National development, have grown from my perception that in your high
station, you are doing too little to honour the end of our struggle for
democracy, which, as I see it, hangs on that cardinal right of the
ordinary people to vote or be voted for or the need to ensure that
government of the people, by the people and for the people, instead for
the leaders and actually prevail and triumph in our land.

When votes don’t make decisions in a democracy the masses become
victims of their leaders who take advantage of their poverty and despair
to exercise illimitable and unlimited power over public wealth. You can
see this in the tragedy of wealth and poverty under the last Federal
Government. For me, out of stubborn effort in struggle,
I became what I am so that I can speak my mind even to my friends. I
became what I am so that I can speak my mind even to my friends. As I
verily believe that without dutiful regard and respect for the right of
our people to make government, change that enhances hope
will NEVER triumph in Nigeria.

You have sacrificed much for democracy, committed much of your time, energy, wealth, will and worth to it. You can only be truly honoured when you respect and raise her ideals one of which is the right of our people to choose their leaders. You can only be truly honoured when you respect and raise her ideals
one of which is the right of our people to choose their leaders. You
can only be diminished when you wrong democratic ideals and due
expectations.

I desire, as a friend, that you retrieve or at least reduce your
tendency to dictate the end of democratic struggles which is what I see
in the diction to the people of Ondo State of a particular candidate
before the August 27, 2016 All Progressives Congress (APC) Governorship Election Primary.

Please kindly do accept assurances of my highest regards.

Yours truly,
OLATUNJI O. ABAYOMI (DR)

Source:  Sahara Reporters New York

APC National chairman John Odigie-Oyegun

APC National chairman John Odigie-Oyegun yesterday said during the
election campaigns in 2015, their party knew that things in Nigeria were
bad but never knew how bad it was. Oyegun said this while speaking at a
surprise birthday party held for him by staff of the APC national
secretariat in Abuja yesterday August 12th.

“It has been tough times for the nation. When we were campaigning and it
is necessary to continue to hammer on this part, we were not in
government.

We knew things were very bad, but we did not know
they were as bad as we eventually found them and the revelations that
come out everyday continue to buttress that fact. Nobody ever expected
the price of crude to collapse in the way it has done and one can only
repeat what Mr. President said a few days ago.

That is for being a nation that had an excess crude account, today
because of the collapse of the price of crude, a lot of states of this
country do not have enough resources to meet their basic functions,
responsibilities. That we would never again depend on a single crop
whether it is oil, whether it is solid minerals, whether it is
agriculture.

The president is laying a single foundation, very solid foundation, for
the take-off of this nation such that all the resources that God has
endowed this nation with, whether it is in solid minerals that it is
plentiful, whether it is in agriculture, we can grow virtually anything
in this nation of ours we have been blessed with rich soil.

The Nigeria of tomorrow would be a Nigeria that produces, the Nigeria of
tomorrow would be a Nigeria that can give employment to its youth. The
Nigeria of the tomorrow would be a nation that would provide plentiful
opportunities for its people that is the Nigeria Buhari is presently
constructing.”he said

Nigeria U-23 team

According to The Fiji Times , staff at the main
hospital reported that “patients used their crutches or wheelchairs to
get to the television to ensure they do not miss history in the making”.

“We can showcase little country like us who don’t have the financial
backing like the other countries have, but we managed to beat them,” he
said. It’s a wonderful feeling to be Fijian right now wherever you are
in the world, especially those back home.”

“Pacific Island nations may have the smallest teams competing in Rio,
but Fiji has today proven they are mighty,” said Colin Tukuitonga,
director-general of the Pacific.