THE RISE AND FALL OF A SHINING STAR ( FELA ANIKULAPO KUTI)

 Make I yab dem? Fela would tease; fela yab demmmmmm….the anticipating audience would roar back, eager for a laugh at someone else’s expense. Contempt for the affectations and pretentiousness of the ruling elite was dished-out in equal measure with thorough verbal roasting of the masses that condoned these rulers in the first place.

In those days, a visit to Lagos without a pit stop at fela’s club at jibowu fly-over was a less than fulfilling experience for savvy visitors here in Nigeria and foreigners, especially Europeans, who paid good money to endure humorous but stinging jibes from a social critic conscious always, about the legacy of colonialism and oppression.

Fela, for all of his brilliance as a composer, arranger, keyboardist and saxophonist, it was his prowess as a multi-talented instrumentalist that held the entire nation of Nigeria together. As a band-leader, he was supported by a (COTERIE OF BRILLIANT INDIVIDUALISTS) like { IGO CHICO on tenor saxophone, PEERLESS TONY ALLEN..on drums} fela’s songs was catchy and easily understood lyrics largely in pidgin English flavored by syncopated rhythms and an awe inspiring horn section, were echoed and chorused by the female singer-dancers whose shrill voices struck many as a throwback to the witches in Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Intense, raw and uncut.

Nor matter where fela was playing live, he was value-for-money. Whether performing with his entire ensemble at the shrine or at the ( TBS…TAFAWA BALEWA SQUARE) in Lagos or just gigging impromptu with Tunde & the late kuboye at the museum kitchen and later at jazz 38 on Awolowo road ikoyi, he effortlessly delivered a satisfying performance which  friends of  fela and visitors would talk about till the next show.

Even his habitual lateness in arriving at his live performances did nothing to dampen the anticipation of the crowd and the joyful roar that always greeted his double fisted black power salute as he strode onto the stage, sometimes 6 hours late.

THE BLACK-PRESIDENT, as many use to call him, rehearsed everyday to prepare for his next show. I didn’t know fela personally but started hearing his jazz music in my village in ( UMUIKPO OKAFIA IGBERE) through my uncle’s turn-table. Till when I came to Lagos and attended his show at lekki beach on 25^th of December, 1990. Every time I watched him and his dancers live, I saw the visceral impact his music had on his audience, me included. Great fela had the ability to talk directly to each person in the audience. Do you know that I still have an extensive collection of his music as one of my most prized possessions. Even to this moment, continue to discover new things about fela through his music.

My question has been, where did he get the opening stanza of (WATER NO GET ENEMY?) what was he thinking?, why is this assembly of notes still one of the most recognizable musical phrases in Nigeria, across gender and tribe?, why would a light skinned woman be described as ( YELLOW FEVER?) I get the yellow fever, but the FEVER beats me. Was she hot to the touch or just hot to look at? There are many more such questions waiting when I head into blissful retirement of this write-up with fela’s music, and it will be a joy to ponder on them as I compare perhaps this new generation music of these days. The

Empty, meaningless music and lyrics of our time that has a lot of corrupt rhythms and sound.

I have heard other Afrobeat bands and artistes keeping the music alive, listened to sampled versions of his music by young international artistes, and even seen the Broadway show tagged FELA. That is now making waves on the global entertainment circuit and introducing the fela phenomenon to new audiences worldwide. This is AWESOME for this great legend who ever live, and is still living in our hearts.

The Emperor of Afrobeat music sleeps and the people ponder and talk amongst themselves!!

More respect, ABAMI EDA (THE STRANGE BEING), more respect to you as you rest. I am still getting those goose bumps of jazz/ Afrobeat tunes.

FELA’S BEGINNING: fela was born to middle-class parents in Abeokuta, Nigeria-on 15^th of October, 1938. He was the 3^rd of 4 children: by all accounts his upbringing was strict, thanks to his Anglican Gentleman father (Rev, Israel o. Ransome Kuti…..and his political and women’s rights activist mother-Mrs, olufunmilayo Ransome Kuti.

Fela was a student of conventional music at Trinity College of music, oxford, England and his early style reflected significant inflections of American jazz and Rhythm and Blues as well as African highlife. He was already a prolific recording artist during the 1960’s and I recall in 1990 stumbling upon a ( Fela Ransome Kuti and his koola lobitos..LP, when listening to his songs, I was desperately searching in vain for all his songs for a modicum of association between that and the later Afrobeat music by the same artist.

Anikulpo kuti was at his most prolific during the 70s and 80s and most of his more than 50 world class albums were produced at this time. His style had now become distinct and unique and this was also when he was his most controversial and confrontational. Commentators ascribe the metamorphosis to a tour of the USA in 1969. The introduction to black activism and the black consciousness movement and consequently strong identification with Pan Africanism led to jettisoning of his (SLAVE NAME….RANSOME)-and its replacement with the enigmatic-( ANIKULAPO…meaning…HE THAT HAS DEATH IN HIS POUCH).

Pan Africanaism also caused a change of name for his band to ( Nigeria70, Later the Africa 70 and much later the Egypt 80) and also the names of his performing clubs to the Afro Spot and later the present name …AFRIKA-SHRINE, located at alawusa-ikeja….lagos state…the most powerful night club in africa.

THE MAKING OF A STAR: At the height of his popularity, Fela was genuinely an international super-star. Playing Afrobeat to sell-out audiences in Africa, Europe and US, Fela remains by a long way the biggest musical phenomenon to have come from Nigeria. Fela’s commanding stage shows, complete with supple, sexy and dexterous dancing girls captivated audiences wherever he played and he gigged with internationally acclaimed  musicians, most famously Ginger Baker of cream fame.

FELA VS MILITARY RULE: Denounced as a misogynist, a promiscuous corrupting influence, drug taker and attractor of miscreants; Fela’s own natural constituency which should have been the Nigerian middle-class was his most hostile and vociferous critic. Together as allies, it might have been more difficult for the military rulers to isolate and deal with fela, even as they simultaneously presided over near-annihilation of the middle-class in Nigeria. Mutual hostility was injurious to both sides, nevertheless that didn’t stop Fela from forming his own political movement called (MOVEMENT OF THE PEOPLE…MOP). By now in full voice as a social critic and very much at the receiving end of official intimidation and persecution; the music was the medium for the message that continued to resonate with newer and younger generations of Nigerians.

In those days, Nigerian musicians helped the masses to communicate messages to the government, expressing the mind of the people.

Where are the ( MANDETORS, RASKIMONO, MAJEK-FASHEK, ORIS-WILIKE, OLIVER DE QUOKE, OSADEBE, ORIENTAL BROTHERS, OBI-IGWE, CHIKA OKPARA, ONYEKA OWENU, KING SUNNY ADE, SIR SHINA PETERS, AFRICAN CHINA, IDRIS---OF NIGERIA JAGA-JAGA, OKWESCO OF ..IHE EMEBIWO, PAULSON KALU, NELLY UCHENDU, SIR WORRIOR , CHRISTY ESSIEN IGBOKWE, SUNNY OKOSON, DANIEL WILSON, MIKE OKRIGH, HELLEN NKUME, SIR VICTOR WAIFOR) and so many Nigerian old  musicians who were voices for the poor masses.

Today, the taste of songs/ lyrics of Nigerian musicians have gone from bad to worse. Their songs have no meaning. They can’t talk to government through songs again, instead, they joined them in singing ( skelewu, dorobucci, sekem, kukere, chop my money, ada oweri, shake your bumbum, bottom belle, ihe din a ukwu, I ga ebunwukwe, etc.

THE SAD END OF FELA: Very early in the morning of 2^nd of August, 1997 at the age of 58 years..18 years ago, the news of Fela’s death hit the entire world, and the report coming from the family was an ugly and shameful one, how can fela of all people died of ( HIV& AIDS ?), many were not surprised because of his promiscuous life with women, some were expecting him to die of smoking igbo…marijuana and cocaine.

By testimony, some say that licentiousness always exacts a heavy price. However as it was with Bob Marley and Reggae; by the time he exited, the same thing happened to fela, he had elevated Afrobeat, a local music genre, unto the world stage and international reckoning.

Gratitude to the Kuti’s family for the courage to publicly tell the whole world the truth that their brother ( FELA ANIKULAPO KUTI) died of HIV/AIDS. It was a great challenge for fela’s brother ( OLUKOYE RANSOME KUTI) who was the minister of health during  ABACHA’S ADMINSTRATION.

SAY NO TO HAD DRUGS AND CHAINS OF WOMEN TO AVIOD DYING YOUNG!!!.

THIS DOCUMENTARY IS WRITTEN BY ( ENGR, PRINCE KUNTA-KINTE )

PRESIDENT, OLIVE FOUNDATION INTERNATIONAL (OFI)

Justice Yunusa Mohammed of the Federal High Court in Lagos, capital of Lagos State, has ordered eleven Nigerian banks to freeze the accounts of a former female member of the House of Representatives, Doris Uboh-Ogunkoya. The court order arose from a lawsuit filed against Ms. Uboh-Ogunkoya by Sterling Bank Plc, alleging that she and her company had defaulted on a substantial loan. The lawsuit, which was filed by Dada Awosika on behalf of Sterling Bank, also lists the former legislator’s company, Dagasteel International Limited, as co-defendant.Doris Uboh-Ogunkoya

Ms. Uboh-Ogunkoya was a House of Reps member from 2007 to 2011. She also ran unsuccessfully as a senatorial candidate of the Labor Party in the March 28, 2015 elections.

An affidavit by Mr. Tunji Bajowa, an official of Sterling Bank, disclosed that Ms. Uboh-Ogunkoya and her company received loans of $1,600,000 and N100 million to finance a contract awarded to Dagasteel by different bodies, including the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SDPC), the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), and the Pipelines and Product Marketing Company Limited (PPMC). Sterling alleges that both Ms. Uboh-Ogunkoya and her company did not service the loans.

Justice Mohammed’s ordered United Bank, First Bank, Zenith Bank, Enterprise Bank, Skye Bank, Heritage Bank, Keystone Bank, Mainstreet Bank, Union Bank, Diamond Bank, and Stanbic IBTC not to permit the defendants to make transactions on their accounts in the respective banks until the substantive suit was determined.

In addition, the judge issued an interim order restraining the registrar of titles in Lagos and Delta states as well as the director of lands in Abuja from releasing any funds to the defendants connected to the SPDC and NPA contracts.   

The lawsuit disclosed that the former legislator provided three parcels of land in Agbor, Delta State, Ajah, in Lagos State, and in Abuja as collateral to secure the loans.

Sterling Bank’s lawsuit added that it faithfully disbursed funds from the credit facilities to the defendants, but added that Ms. Uboh-Ogunkoya and her company never paid back when SPDC paid them for the contract.

The lawsuit accused the defendants of refusing to respond to the bank’s inquiries about the progress of the contracts, adding that the former legislator used the payments she received to fund her 2015 senatorial race.

According to the lawsuit, the defendants were already processing the second part of payment from the SPDC as well as payment from the NPA in order to divert the funds.

Sterling Bank alleged that the legislator and her company had rebuffed numerous efforts by its officials to obtain repayment of the credit facilities. It accused the two defendants of striving to evade their obligations to repay the loan taken Sterling Bank.

‪Among other reliefs, Sterling Bank wants the court to order the defendants to pay $1.77 million and N117 million naira which are the outstanding values of the loans it extended to the former legislator and her firm.

   

CHANTE HALLELUYAH OYO'OOO !!!

Chante Halleluyah oyo’o
Halle chante halle halli
When you wake up in the morning sun
Give praise to God who keeps you alive 

Chante Halleluyah oyo’o
Halle chante halle halli
When you wake up in the morning sun
Give praise to God who keeps you alive 

Chante eh eh
Chante eh eh
Chante eh eh
Chante eh eh 

Every morning I wake up praise Jah for these faces I see
This air that I breathe but still see some haters

Who wan’ come take it from me
Put me down six feet
Lay me down as a rock so they’ll trample on me
But I give thanks, yes,
And I bless Jah cause He’s standing by me
Through all of the stress and the madness
Recess and my up grace
All day I dey chante so I fear not what you say
I’m the son of the sun, In ‎love with the one
Chilling on top like a cloud on the run
So even if you stood pointing the gun
Pull the trigger na yourself you go burn
I dey twale, Baba which way? I pray
Never let ‘em slip or slide me,ride me
Oluwa rise me
let me take the flight
Stretch out my wings
In this fight I see things clear
I’m getting it right so I chante at morning
And chante at night

Chante Halleluyah oyo’o
Halle chante halle halli
When you wake up in the morning sun
Give praise to God who keeps you alive 

Chante Halleluyah oyo’o
Halle chante halle halli
When you wake up in the morning sun
Give praise to God who keeps you alive 

Chante eh eh
Chante eh eh
Chante eh eh
Chante eh eh A

When you see the birds, flying high up in the sky
All of them dey like to chante
And when you see the trees
The breeze dey blow them all around
All of them dey like to chante
You say you worship a God,your eyes cannot see
But you surely stand alone
If you do not believe in me
I made the heavens and the earth
I made the sky, I made the sea
I made the universe and everything

Therein bounds to me
O Lord, I pray you shall not destroy humanity
If you will only see the rainbow in me, Oh-o

This is why me, I dey chante
Anywhere, everywhere wey me I dey
From the monday to the sunday
N’ututu na abali
See, I am nothing without you
And we are so hopeless and helpless without you
So we chante halleluyah oyo 

And we halle chante halle halli
When you wake up in the morning sun
Give praise unto Jehovah on high 

Chante halleluyah oyo
You halle chante halle halli
When you wake up in the morning sun
I will give praise unto Jehovah for life…yes o 

Chante eh eh
Chante eh eh
Chante eh eh
Chante eh eh 

Halleluyah Halleluyah Halleluyah (Repeat till fades out) 

IS THIS WHAT WE CALLED LOVE ?..... Man baths ex-lover with acid in Kogi state.

Photos: Man baths ex-lover with acid in Kogi state

25 year old Aladi Sule was attacked with acid by her ex-lover, Kazeem Abdullahi, a few weeks ago in Kogi state. According to the story told by Vanguard, Ladi and the man who attacked her had been lovers since secondary school. When she fell pregnant, the couple decided to live together but unfortunately the child died.

Then when they began to have problems, the man married someone else, prompting Ladi to leave the house. Then the man came begging but her family demanded that he marry her properly first before she moves back in with her.


While they were making wedding preparations, the man rented a house for Ladi, who also managed to get some money to start a fruits shop. Eventually, the man decided he no longer wanted to marry Ladi and asked her to pack out from the home he rented for her. When Ladi refused, he threatened to deal with her and destroy the 'beauty' sh was using to pose around town. Aladi didn't take him serious. Then he showed how serious he was.

A few weeks ago, Kazeem came to her house in the middle of the night and attacked her with acid. Kazeem was arrested but released three days later after his family agreed to pay the medical bills for Aladi who is currently receiving treatment at the Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja, Kogi State.

I’m ready to step into Gowon, Shonekan’s shoes – Jonathan

With just few weeks to his exit from power, President Goodluck Jonathan on Saturday said he is now ready to play the patriotic role expected of him in Nigeria and at the international level.
The President said he will do his best for the country by joining the likes of former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon and former Head of Interim National Government (ING), Ernest Shonekan, in their patriotic service to the nation after their lives in office as heads of government.
Jonathan spoke during the 5th Presidential Prayer Breakfast in the Banquet Hall of the State House, Abuja.
The President also harped on the need for sacrifices at various levels of governance in order to turn around the fortune of Nigeria.
He said: “I have to thank Nigerians for the support for me within this period, I will continue to do my best as I’m gradually joining Gowon and Shonekan to serve our country in different capacity.”
“And I must commend Gowon, Shonekan ‎and some of our other leaders, for the eight years I have been as vice president and president, whenever we called upon them, wherever they are in this world, they will try to come. I have seen that they are extremely patriotic and they believe in this country.”

He noted that if all Nigerian leaders could show that level of commitment and patriotism, Nigeria will get to the promised land.
Stressing that leadership is not all about giving directives, Jonathan said that ‎a successful leader must be ready to make sacrifice.
He said: “Everything about human life as an individual, a child, if you don’t make the required sacrifice you can’t go to where you want to go.
“If you don’t sacrifice your pleasure of course you will know where you’ll end. As parents we know the kind of sacrifice we make for our children to go to school, to feed.
“To build a family you need sacrifice. So for those who have the privileges of leading at local, state and national levels, at all times we should be ready to make sacrifice for our nation to grow.”

I AM SORRY FOR PRESIDENT BUHAI ( IF HE ALLOW FASHOLA AND TINIBU IN HIS GOVERNMENT)

Since February 10, 2015 when I read the advertorial published in THISDAY titled: Brazen Looting of Lagos Treasury, 1999-2015 - which chronicled Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s massive wealth, I have been too shell-shocked to function effectively. I have been hard-pressed to understand, if true, how one man can acquire so much in one lifetime. 
I have struggled to match Tinubu and Babatunde Fashola’s public postures with the gravity of the allegations levelled against them. Can it really be true that Bola Ahmed Tinubu owns all the property listed in the advertorial? Is it true that Fashola also owns vast wealth and has been conniving with his godfather to defraud the state?

I have been heartbroken, shattered, devastated and depressed about the sheer scale of abuses, mismanagement and careless disregard for the public interest that Tinubu and Fashola are accused of. Even though some of these allegations are not new, the scale of the malfeasance and the cheekiness revealed is truly remarkable and frightening. 
The alleged unrestrained greed exhibited in the quest and method of acquisition is quite troubling. To me, these change agents need thorough examination especially at a time like this when the change mantra has rented the airwaves, and many are being led to believe the magic wand to solve all of Nigeria’s problems is change.

Striped of the politics, we want answers. And the fierce urgency is now, today not tomorrow.
The question is: if true, does Tinubu really need so much wealth? I have repeatedly asked, praying that I am in a deep trance and will soon wake up and realise it is just my mind playing funny games on me. But one full month after, the allegations were published, they have not been denied. Is he going to take this massive wealth to the great beyond? If the answer is negative, then of what use are all these primitive acquisitions of material wealth when poverty pervades the land as he himself has repeatedly acknowledged. 
It is difficult for one to understand the voracious appetite of some people, who it is alleged have shared our collective patrimony among themselves and yet have the audacity to tell us that for our tomorrow, they have given their today - when in actual fact, for their today, they have taken our tomorrow and that of our children. The architects of change have been caught in a scorching irony of hypocrisy.

The more I think about the grand deceit packaged as change, the angrier I become and the more convinced I am - that I have been right all along with my serious reservations about the message, intentions and the motives driving their quest for power. Indeed, more than ever before, I am convinced that the change we need is from those who have craftily hoodwinked the people into believing that they are the ones who can bring succour to them. We need change from those who have cunningly played on the gullibility of our people to fleece them of their commonwealth, only to point an accusing finger at others as the cause of the problems of the country. When they claim Lagos is working, I say, oh yes indeed! It is working for their pockets. I am yet to see anybody who is a beneficiary of the alleged sleaze that will not tell me Lagos is working in the manner it is currently working for the pockets of a few.

The scale of what Tinubu and Fashola are accused of appropriating from Lagos taxpayers is so mind-boggling that I fear for the future of this country - I am frightened of what may happen to Nigeria if these people are entrusted with power at the centre. More baffling is that instead of Tinubu and Fashola responding to these specific allegations, all we hear is an impotent threat of a lawsuit from Tinubu, while Fashola who has been very vocal on the “missing” $20 billion on the campaign stump has kept a deafening silence. 
A man loudly projected as a sterling performer, not only now has his integrity been called to question, but has been practically accused of misappropriation of public property and abuse of office. A man who has been shouting change and has consistently accused those at the federal level of massive corruption, has been unable to respond to grave allegations of mismanagement, misappropriation of state resources, inflated cost of contracts and collusion to defraud government of its property valued at several hundreds of billions of naira. The exemplar of a good administrator now has his back to the wall. What an irony!

Until these allegations were made into a documentary currently airing on Africa Independent Television (AIT), there was no rebuttal from Tinubu or his spokesperson upon the publication of the advertorial under reference, neither has there been any reaction from Fashola who has carried on as if he owes nobody any explanation on how he has managed public resources entrusted in his care.

Not surprisingly, the allegations are not weighty enough to rouse and outrage the people into the streets to demand answers. Our self-appointed custodians of morality in the society, especially the human rights community have kept a deafening silence. The many organisations committed to transparency and anti-corruption have either lost their voices or feign ignorance of the publication or documentary.

Femi Falana has not found his voice to call for a thorough probe; he has not rushed to court to seek an order of mandamus to compel the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) or the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) to investigate the allegations; he has not directed his NGO, SERAP to start demanding the probe of Tinubu/Fashola like it did of Gitto Construction Company’s church building gift to the Otuoke community.

What about Professor Itse Sagay? He has not said a word because it is Tinubu and Fashola that are involved. Professor Wole Soyinka, the Nobel Laureate and the wordsmith of Africa, is yet to hold a world press conference on the state of the nation to call for investigation into all the allegations or accusations. He is yet to even write his lengthy treatise with high-sounding grammar condemning the alleged record sleaze. Nobody or group is organising a one million-man march to demand accountability, investigation and prosecution. 
Rather, the godfather, who is the accused, is the one organising a one-million-man march to shore up his battered image and divert attention from the allegations. He is dragging out hapless Lagosians in fetters to march for him and sing his praises in joyous hymns instead of moving to convincingly clear his name. This is a sacrilegious irony for the change mantra. Something must be deeply wrong with our society and its value systems. Talk about one nation, two moralities.

For those who don’t know, it is not enough to just mouth change for the sake of it, change depends on our actions, attitudes and must be meaningful. But what we are seeing in this so-called change is that the narrative is different from the actions and attitudes of its proponents.

What is needed here is not the one-million-man march. In fact, one thousand-million-man marches will not clean the slate. Let Tinubu explain to Lagosians how he got so rich.
What is needed is not a gentle query, but a fiery rebuke and condemnation of this alleged looting: “We need the storm, the whirlwind and the earthquake. The feeling of the nation must be quickened; the conscience of Nigerians must be roused; the propriety of the nation must be startled; the hypocrisy of these people must be exposed and denounced”

Now imagine for a moment that it was another person from the ruling party that was alleged to have stolen so much, what would have been the reaction of these people and groups? The outcry is better imagined. All sorts of shady groups would have been organising protest marches against the person and calling for his prosecution. Now, can someone remind me what Stella Odua and Patricia Etteh were accused of that led to their fall? Now, who was in the forefront of mobilising public opinion against them? Why is there no similar outrage against Tinubu and Fashola? Why are the public opinion moulders not saying anything? Is this the change that they talk about?
Now, put all what these women were accused of in the context of what Tinubu and Fashola have been accused of, the two women will be canonised saints.

Below are some of what Tinubu/Fashola are accused of appropriating:
“The largest landlord in Lagos has done as he pleased, and the rest of the state just has to deal with it. To start with, No 4, Oyinkan Abayomi (formerly Queens) Drive, Ikoyi: A 5-bedroom detached house on one acre of land which was originally the Lagos State governor’s guest house since 1979, now belongs to Tinubu. The certificate of occupancy of the property valued at N450 million was signed and released to him by Fashola in 2007 shortly after he resumed office.
“Tinubu’s residence at No 26 Bourdillon Road, Ikoyi was initially falsely presented as an Oando Plc guest house. Later, he purportedly bought it from Oando, and used public funds to rebuild and renovate it. The Lagos State Government bought the property and paid an undisclosed sum to him and thereafter gave the property back to him under the bogus Pension Act he signed into law shortly before he left office in 2007. The property is worth over N600 million.
“The annex of the Lagos State Guest House in Asokoro, Abuja was bought by the state government in 2006 for N450 million, purportedly to protect the main house from a security breach. Shortly after Tinubu left office, the property was transferred to him under the pension plan he signed into law before leaving office.

“The 250-hectare land valued at about N35billion and strategically located at the Ajah junction on Lekki road was initially meant for a general hospital for the people of Eti-Osa Local Government but was allegedly acquired by Tinubu and handed over to Trojan Estate Ltd – a company owned by Deji and Wale Tinubu – to develop as Royal Garden Housing estate at the expense of the taxpayers of Lagos.

“The 1,000 hectares of land valued at about N75billion located at Lakowe near Abijo at Ibeju-Lekki Local Government Area and given to Lekki Concession Company (LCC) which is allegedly partly-owned by Tinubu and Fashola and is being developed as a golf course and housing estate by Assets and Resource Management Ltd (ARM) as ADIVA project.
“The prime land of 157 hectares with 2.5km of Atlantic beachfront valued at about N10 billion and purportedly stolen by Tinubu from the communities of Siriwon, Igbekodo, Apakin, etc in Ibeju-Lekki Local Government Area and given to Ibukun Fakeye, his alleged crony to build a golf course and luxury villa with little or no compensation to the villagers. In addition, Tinubu was alleged to have to paid $20million (N3 billion) out of the public treasury to Ibukun Fakeye to commence the project in late 2006. Fashola has since released additional funding for this project, which is not owned by the state government.

“The 14-hectare Parkview Ikoyi estate foreshore land reclaimed by Lagos state government is now purportedly owned by Tinubu. While in office, he purportedly allocated to himself the former Strabag yard beside the Lagos State secretariat at Alausa, Ikeja. The property has now been developed into a shopping mall as big as the Palms in Lekki. This is a public property brazenly stolen and now allegedly owned by Tinubu, aided by Fashola.

“The choice property at Lekki-Epe road on which he built and owns the multi-billion naira Oriental Hotel and the extension of multi-level recreation centre by Mobil in Oniru Estate on Lekki-Epe road jointly owned with ARM and Tunji Olowolafe. All these assets valued at over N25 billion were allegedly obtained without paying a kobo to the Lagos State Government.

Tinubu raised a loan of N4.7billion on Eko Akete project for which nothing was achieved before he turned around to sell the property to his Chagouri friends of Chagouri & Chagouri and Hitech Construction Ltd at a ridiculously low price at the expense of the taxpayers of Lagos. Tinubu applied to personally purchase the federal secretariat building while in office. When he couldn’t get to buy it, he directed Fashola to stop the eventual owner of the complex from developing it. The complex is presently wasting away, courtesy of the Lagos State Government.

“It took several months of horse trading and underhand payments before Fashola could allow the new owners of 1004 flats to redevelop the complex (Wole Babalakin). Several other buyers of federal government properties and developers of properties in Ikoyi, Victoria Island and Government Reservation Area, Ikeja were forced to succumb to the outrageous demands of Tinubu, Fashola, Commissioner Abosede and other officials.

The Critical Care Unit of Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) in Ikeja, built and equipped with state funds, is now owned personally by Tinubu. He has put Dr. Sikiru Tinubu, (a supposed cousin of his) to run the outfit. It is run as a private unit and proceeds are pocketed by the duo…

With these two unfaithful fellow in the government of General Buhari, won't nigerian citizens be plunged into financial mess?

the whole world is watching to see that miraculous over-night.

our newly elected president said last week that he will not perform miracle, he said that we should give him time, even as he has not started performing the miracles he promised nigerians during election. 

LET'S DIG DEEP IN OUR RELATIONSHIPS.

 (He that struggles with us strengthens our nerves, and sharpens our skill. Our antagonist is our helper…by EDMUND BURKE….1790)

In these words of Edmund Burke lies the wisdom to see the sweetness when there should have been bitterness, to see self examination where there should have been blaming, to see love where there should have be hatred and to see lifting   where there could have been casting down.

My friend, most of our challenges come, not from those who respect and love us, but from our antagonists or perceived enemies. If the antidote to the behavior of this group is uncovered, the wellspring of joy in relationships will be opened.

Rapid growth in interpersonal relationships occur when you move from seeing things your own way, to viewing issues from the perspective of others; learning to understand people better; cross checking when necessary what you are told by them or about them; wisely correcting their mistakes and yours;

Forgiving them or asking to be forgiven and endeavoring to elevate them to a higher level.

My valued friend, growth in hierarchical relationships occurs when you learn to respect authority, even if the occupants of those positions are not intelligent as you. It occurs when you learn to respond appropriately to childish outbursts from your seniors or peers, and when you learn to give credit to your team members who are deserving of such, while encouraging those who are not.

None of these will happen if you have an inferiority complex. Believe that you are God’s special creation with a vital purpose, just as good as the wealthiest or the most powerful man on earth. Seek daily for wisdom to dig deep about your identity.

Dear esteemed friend, know how to respond appropriately in all relationship situations, realizing the vast individual idiosyncrasies of people and the effect on reactions to various stimuli, acknowledging the iceberg principle..Meaning what you see in people is far less that what you don’t see about them, necessitating the need to dig deeper always in issues about people before responding or given your own verdict.

MY LEARNED TEACHER TOLD ME THAT:

1.   Your relationship language is the product of your life experiences which affects what you desire and your interpretation of what people do or say.

2.   Suffice to say that in all our dealings with people, we should not focus only on what we think we are offering, but observe also what the person thinks we are offering and what he wants us to offer.

3.   Understanding the language of other people, will also yield significant results if applied to customer service and team leadership activities.

4.   In corporate interpersonal relationships, the differences in our individual disposition can be harnessed, to bring out diversified but enriched perspectives from which the organization can benefit.

5.   A universal language for getting on with people is appreciation, meaning that everyone has a need for appreciation.

6.   Every family should have periodic planning sessions. A time to discuss the expectations of each member, and the principles that will govern interactions, to achieve a stated family vision.

7.   Teams in corporate organizations, families, and religious settings, social and educational institutions will do better if they complete one another than compete with each other.

8.   My friend, learn to rejoice with those who are winning, even if you are not on top. Empathize with those who are losing regardless of whether you are winning or not. You don’t need people to go down, for you to go up.

5 REASONS WHY SULEIMAN ABBA WAS SACKED.

President Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday fired the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Suleiman Abba and appointed Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase as Acting Inspector-General of Police, also with immediate effect, both with immediate effect.

According to sources, here are the major reasons why Jonathan sacked Suleiman Abba.

1.It was learnt that the controversial governorship election in Rivers State was the main reason responsible for Abba’s removal.It was learnt that the Presidency and the national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party were unhappy with the sacked IG for the way he handled the March 28 presidential election.

The police officer, who was elevated to the post only last year, incurred the wrath of the Presidency on the eve of the governorship and House of Assembly elections for allegedly arguing with the government officials over the directive to recall the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in Charge of Zone 6, Tunde Ogunshakin, from Rivers State.

2.He was sacked for not interpreting the script to rig the March 28 and April 11 elections in favour of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).The script, according to the PDP high command, was to use police authorities to coerce the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials to rig the vote and return the president in the March 28 election.

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3. He failed to provide sufficient security cover for the ruling PDP agents to rig the general elections for the ruling party after huge funds were released to him  by the presidency for that purpose.Sources revealed that IGP Suleiman “committed a litany of sins that have ultimately cost him his exalted position.”

4. Abba was said to have been part of the blueprint at the initial stage but was said to have backed out of the deal at the very last minute, by ensuring that police personnel deployed for election duties showed a high degree of impartiality and fair play for all the political parties.The source revealed that both the president and his henchmen concluded that “Abba reneged and that made the environment conducive for free and fair polls which made the opposition, All Progressive Congress (APC) to attain resounding victory over the PDP in most states, especially in the north.”

5.He was also accused of not being firm on “the directive to capture the two key states of Rivers and Lagos” where he contest was particularly important to both the PDP and the APC.

6. Another source said Jonathan was said to have been particularly irked by Abba’s sudden switch of loyalty to the President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari and his party, the APC soon after Buhari won the March 28 election.They mentioned IGP Abba’s alleged presence at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport during the return of President-elect Muhammadu Buhari from his country home in Daura, Katsina State, and also his presence during INEC’s issuance of the certificate of return to Buhari as indicative of the IGP’s loyalty to the president-elect.

Abba’s tenure is the shortest in the nation’s history: he served as substantive IGP for five months. He was confirmed IGP on November 4, 2014, although he was appointed in acting capacity on August 1, 2014, to succeed Mohammed Abubakar who had retired after 35 years of service.

With his removal yesterday, Abba will proceed on a forced retirement four years ahead of his due retirement time. He enlisted in the Nigerian Police as a cadet inspector on December 31, 1984, and would have been due for retirement on March 22, 2019.

THE WOMAN WITH THE BIGGEST HIPS IN THE WORLD SPEAK OUT.

The woman with the world’s largest bottom,Mikel Ruffinelli , 39, from Los Angeles, says she is healthy and has a shape that other women envy.Set to appear in a new documentary ‘World’s Biggest Hips’,she says men love women like her ,not skinny women.She also loves her curves .The mother of 4 who has a 40 inch waist says

‘I have an extreme physique,”I love my curves, I love my hips, I love my attributes.
‘I love my shape and I see no reason to diet because I don’t have health problems. Men don’t fancy skinny girls, they like an hourglass figure.’There was a time before I had kids when I had a flat stomach,’ she reveals. ‘I got this large because genetically, whatever happens with weight gain, goes here [hips].’ 

Fitting in, fitting on, sitting down… Those are some of my challenges,’I just think that society hasn’t learned that it needs to make things a bit bigger,’ she says. ‘It’s OK to make things bigger. What’s the problem?’

‘I have something that everybody’s not going to have,’ she says. ‘It’s like having an outfit that no one else has and most women would like that.

UCHE CHUKWUMERIJE FOR BURIAL ON FRIDAY 22ND OF MAY 2015.

 National Chairman of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Victor Umeh, has said the death of Senator Uche Chukwumerije is not only a rude shock to politicians, but also a devastating blow to  the build-up to the next political dispensation.

He described Chukwumerije as an Igbo patriot, who worked and died for the South-East cause. He said the late senator was an unapologetic Igbo man, whose love for the Igbo was publicly shown during and after the civil war.

In a statement by his media aide, Mr. Stan Okeke, the APGA chair regretted that Chukwumerije had become a huge asset to the country in law-making.

Umeh recalled how the late senator helped immensely in the reforms in the education sector as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Education.

“As the Minister of Information in the Interim National Government (ING) of Chief Ernest Shonekan, he helped to reduce tension in the country, and soothed frayed nerves in a country that was almost collapsing under the contraption that was the Abacha manipulated government.”

Umeh said Chukwumerije was a rallying point in the National Assembly whenever the polity was heated up, so much so that he was ready to sacrifice whatever it took to ensure the situation was brought under control.

“He was a patriotic Nigerian and even his pan-African interests overwhelmed both his friends and foes and Senator Chukwumerije never looked back in his pursuit of justice for his people”, Umeh stated. He regretted that nation has lost a rare political gem.”

The APGA leader said Chukwumerije equally distinguished himself as a seasoned journalist and was fearless and objective in his reportage of issue. He urged the bereaved family to be consoled by the fact that the deceased lived a fulfilled life and ensured that his children contributed to nation-building, particularly in sports where he also got personally involved in the development of Taekwando in the country.

He pleaded with the Federal Government to immortalise the late senator to serve as an encouragement to the political class that  there would always be a reward for patriotism.

however, the family members yesterday told the representatives from federal government that the burial of the late icon will be on friday, 22nd of may 2015 in Abia state nigeria.

may his soul rest in peace.

PKK.