Wednesday 12 December 2012

My relationship with Tinubu has not gotten worse or better- Jimi Agbaje



Do you remember the slogan: Jay-Kay OK? That was the slogan that sold Jimi Agbaje, a Pharmacist cum politician who sought election to govern Lagos State in 2007on the platform of the Democratic Peoples Alliance, (DPA). The founder of Jaykay Pharmacy Ltd, spoke with Opeyemi Adesina. Excerpts:

 Why have you suddenly gone underground politically?
It wouldn't be correct to say I have gone underground and let me just say that if you said, well during the campaign, yes I was quite prominent, that was to be expected. I think when campaigns or elections are near, there is always so much noise, I mean those who are running for office. So, you don't want to add your voice during that stage and is better to allow those who want to sell themselves to the public, you give them space and after elections then you can come back to begin to talk about national, regional, states and local government's issues. So, for me if you say during the run-up to the elections, yes, I was quite and that was deliberate. Let me assure the citizens or public that I'm still so much around.
You were rumoured at a point before the 2011 governorship election that you would be a replacement to Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola, what was the exact story?
Well, it was just a rumour and all those that cared to ask me at that time, I kept emphasizing that it was a rumour. There was nothing and I'm speaking very clearly that no such arrangements was ever in place and it was just a rumour.
Sir, were you ever contacted to come back to Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and be governorship candidate of ACN?
I was never contacted to be the governorship candidate of ACN and as to whether I was contacted to be a member of Action Congress of Nigeria, I think that is an on-going thing. Every party would want to attract membership. I mean every party will say look, why not come and join my party but there is nothing special to this invitation even when you have friends in one party or the other. But as to be the governorship candidate, let me say categorically “No.”
What is your present relationship with the leader of ACN, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu?
Normal, people tend to believe there is something wrong in the relationship. That you did not agree on issues does not affect the relationship, let me say that in 2007 when I left the party, it was based on my principle and it has nothing to do with personal relationship with Asiwaju. Our relationship, even then and till now remains very cordial and so people are just insinuating, let me assure you that there is no problem at all.
What is your own assessment of the governorship candidate of the ACN so far?
I think Lagosians spoke very clearly at the last elections, in terms of performance, in terms of acceptance on how he has performed in office, I think I align myself in that position.
But people tend to believe that the governor is not performing as expected like the first term in office?
Well, I can’t speak for him but it's interesting that only a few days ago, in the last one week, he conducted quite an extensive interview in one of the dailies, where he explained himself very clearly. I think one can say that to some extent, he was able to explain his position. Again, there's always the danger of managing expectations in governance. If you have performed at a certain level, the standard of assessment changes and I keep saying the challenge of a state like Lagos that is on the move. In fact, you are no longer judged by the standard of even fellow governors, you are judged by more global standards. People have started using a different yardstick to look at governance in Lagos. Like I said again, he explained himself very clearly that one; he’s coming in with a different team, the team he inherited in his first term, he had a throw over from the Asiwaju regime, so the experience. But you have to reinvigorate the team and so he’s coming in with a newer team this term and it’s going to take them a bit of time to settle down, to understand how it works. Even then projects are going, they may not be making the noise the way they made it before. I want to believe building roads or rehabilitating roads is no longer news to Lagosians. That is the standard that we have now set. So, Lagosians now are probably judging the present administration on a totally different standard. When he came in, it was exciting to see roads being built, it was exciting to see street lights coming up but now, the standard has changed, people have now taken that for granted, and maybe that’s why we now see the situation of what is going on. But like I said, I think he explained himself and it made sense.
Is there any plan to revive the Democratic People’s Alliance (DPA) on the platform of which you contested in 2007?
By the time we got to 2011, key members of the DPA had moved on, at least come together to form the Mega Party and at that stage, I took a step back from that arrangement. So, I am not sure where or what stage it is, so I have not been involved in the Mega Party which I believed that the DPA was very much involved in; at that stage, I had pulled back.
Is there any plan of contesting for any position in 2015?
I remain very much in politics and once you remain in politics, then all options remain open. I have not retired from politics, so to that extent, I am looking at my options and I will pick my option at the appropriate time.
Are you saying that you and Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu still maintain good relationship despite the seeming gap between you and the ACN?
My relationship with Asiwaju has never changed and you can quote me on that; before 2007 and after, the relationship has not changed and has remained the same. It’s not like it has gotten worse or closer, so people shouldn’t insinuate that there is something cooking between us that only the two of us know; that is not true but the relationship remains the same, cordial, mutual respect. So, I’m not going to deny that and there’s no agreement under as people rumoured.
Don’t you think the controversy on the issue of toll gate and other things are making people to lose interest in this present administration?
Well, I think the toll gate fees issue was mismanaged. Again, we are learning lessons in governance as in how to manage the people, I think if anything, the flaw in the toll gate issue was probably that there is a measure of taking the community affected a bit for granted. There had been negotiations and discussions; similar to what you had with the labour on the fuel subsidy that you have been discussing for a long time, that you have been discussing for a long time doesn’t mean that the people have accepted your position. And I think that’s the message that came out with regard to the toll gate issue.



Al-Mustapha’s death sentence was miscarriage of justice- Fasehun







 DR. FREDRICK FASEHUN IS THE FOUNDER OF ODUA PEOPLES’ CONGRESS (OPC) IN NIGERIA. IN AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH NIGERIA POLITICS ONLINE, HE OPPOSES THE DEATH SENTENCE HANDED DOWN BY JUSTICE MOJISOLA DADA AGAINST MAJOR HAMZA AL-MUSTAPHA, THE FORMER CHIEF SECURITY OFFICER TO MAXIMUM DICTATOR, SANNI ABACHA AND LATEEF SHOFOLAHAN AND AIDE TO LATE KUDIRAT ABIOLA; FUEL SUBSIDY REMOVAL BY PRESIDENT JONATHAN; INSECURITY AND INCESSANT ATTACKS BY THE ISLAMIST MILITANT SECT, BOKO HARAM AMONG OTHER ISSUES. HE SPOKE WITH OPEYEMI ADESINA

What grouse do you have with the death sentence on Al-Mustapha and Shofolahan?
I don't think Nigeria subscribes to capital punishment now and this is happening all over the world. The right to life is the right of everyone. Al-Mustapha has been incarcerated for about 14 years. Is Nigerian Judiciary explaining to the world that they kept somebody awaiting trial for 14 years? And after trying him, they sentenced him to death? So, I don't think it is fair; it is not fair. I'm sure the sentence will be re-visited in the Appeal Court and that is my own hope and also my own prayer.
Regardless of crimes committed, a very popular political philosopher once said, “An eye for an eye will leave the world blind.” So, If you take life for life, what happens to life generally? I'm one of those who suffered from the position of Al-Mustapha but as a Christian, I have forgiven him. Should I indulge him for this number of years, should I begrudge Sani Abacha for this number of years?
Al-Mustapha was given a duty to do; to procure security of the Head of State. If he was not given a prescription, that ‘don't go beyond this, don't do this and don't do that.’ If he did that work, the way he knew best, do you think it is right to sentence him to death?
About the death of Kudirat Abiola, Al Mustapha did not shoot Alhaja Kudirat Abiola; somebody said he was sent to carry out that shooting, where is that somebody? What sentence have we given to the man who held the gun and the man who said he held the gun has since come to court? He broke his silence in the open court and said he was induced to tell that lie. Are we going to be the devil's advocate? That prosecution witness was concurred. He confessed that he did it, but he had to tell a lie against Al-Mustapha because the state induced him to tell that lie. I understand in Criminal Cases, when there is an element of doubt, you resolve the matter in favour of the suspect. So these are some of the reasons I thought that judgement was too harsh, very unfair and I will call it “The miscarriage of justice.”
Another prosecution witness, who said he drove the gunmen to the site of the murder, said, while that murder was going on there, on the 4th of June, he was getting married in Kazaure in Bauchi State. He got married at 11'o clock, they said Kudirat was shot around 10'0 clock and the man who was involved in the shooting was getting married in Kazaure, Bauchi State, an hour later, how possible is that even if he had his personal jet that will lift him from the sight of the murder.
Well, pure judgement is not found on earth, pure judgement rests with God. Alhaja Kudirat Abiola, somebody we all admired for her courage, for her steadfastness, died many years ago. What we should be doing is celebrating her memory, not sentencing another person to death on her behalf.

But as a Yoruba leader, don't you think your position runs against the position of majority of Yoruba people who believe that real justice has be done to the memory of one of their own who was killed in such a brutal manner?

I'm not apportioning or allotting blame, I'm saying that we should view the situation with humanity. There is no way somebody as prominent among the Yoruba people as Alhaja Kudira was, would die under nasty circumstances and would not divide Yoruba people. Someone who admire her like me, would say, no, let's go all out to right the wrong but some would be there to say don't let us cause national crisis, that's my own position, that, time usually a healer has healed that wound and but the memory remained with us because she is our daughter, she is a Yoruba citizen and she played the part Yoruba people wanted her to play, she played that part well. Whether she died as a heroine like she did or as a villain, time will heal that wound and that is why I said, at my age I have no reason to start flexing muscles and causing crises among my people but I'm saying, let us view the whole thing with humanity, that was why I started with Mahatma Gandhi's quotation that says: “An eye for an eye will leave the world blind.” So, I'm not taking a position opposite to my people but I am assuaging my people that the characteristics, the cultural Yoruba of fairness and sense of justice should be called into play.

You were reported to have travelled to the North several times over Al-Mustapha's case trying to rally support for him, what really did you achieve in that regards?
That is a lie, I never travelled to the North to rally support for him. What for? With what intent? The matter was in court, if I started rallying support for him when he was still in detention and nobody knew the way the wind will blow, it is not true, I didn't go to Kano on behalf of Al-Mustapha.

Some people felt you were betraying the Yoruba cause with your hobnobbing with the Northern elements to get personal advantages. How do you react to that?
Personal advantages at Seventy-seven (77)? When would I use those personal advantages, and have I taken any advantage of any situation all my life? Go and find out if I had taken advantages of any situation, I would have become a millionaire. The former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole left here just 10 minutes before you came in, to thank me on the position I took on his matter. You can ask him if he gave me a kobo.
I'm a crusader for social justice, I do not earn a kobo for my crusade and you can find out from any of the governors whom virtually all of them are my friends, find out from them if any of them buys me coke. Go and find out, it’s not my way of life. I allow you to go and investigate.
Somebody came to visit me from the East and he came to my office, he said 'is this your office?' I said Yes! This is my office, he said you are joking, then I said is there no table and seat? How do you expect me to live in a sumptuous place, that is, which I cannot afford. I don't take money from anybody, go and find out from your colleagues. What do I need it for? I'm going to be Seventy-seven (77) in September, how are my even sure that I will even clock 77, except by the grace of God.

Is the entire Odua People's Congress (OPC) in agreement on this opposition to the judgement or this is your personal position?

OPC never sat anywhere to discuss about Al-Mustapha, so it is my personal position but the organisation has also not sat me down to castigate me for my position, so you can work out the question.

Is Gani Adams in agreement with your position?

I don't know, it's up to him, if he shares the sentiment with me to fight for social justice, then he will agree with me but I don't know his position.

What is your view about the removal of fuel subsidy removal by the President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan?

My position which I made very clear is that removal of fuel subsidy is ill-timed. It came just as people were preparing to expenditure spree that happened at Xmas and New Year, preparing to pay school fees and some preparing to pay house rent and now government stepped in and slammed oil tax on the people. I thought it is unfair, undemocratic, that was inflicting pain on the general citizenry. And as it is, the cost of virtually everything has gone up, who suffers more? Is it those in government or the common man? The masses will suffer!
Every government in any civilised community exists for the comfort and convenience of the people governed, not the other way. Although, in our country, those who are being governed exist for the convenience for the comfort and convenience of those in government, that is not democratic. So, if the vast majority of the citizenry said don't inflict petrol tax on us, the government should have listened and avoided such infliction of pains because my own definition of democracy is; 'the wish of the majority of people', if we said no, don't inflict pain on us and the government goes ahead to inflict that pain, that government is not democratic. Not only that, I will want a situation where the sincerity of the government is assured. If you told us that you will inflict oil tax by March or April and the people are anxiously waiting, and you now came like a dove from the blue and you inflicted that pain three months earlier without warning, without preparation, is that fair to the people? No!
Not only that, subsequent government had removed subsidy, they have inflicted fuel tax which they called subsidy and such removal had happened in at least 20 times in our recent political history, where is the cumulative fund? On what are we spending such funds? Not promising us that if we removed this, we will use it on infrastructures, on health, on education, on this and that, what about the previous ones? On what have you spent it?
When SAP was introduced, Babaginda made sure that that matter was discussed exhaustively. We discussed it in schools, colleges, students' organisation, factories, non-governmental organisations, and so on and so forth. And the people said they did not want SAP and IBB reconsidered his decision. This oil tax is more directly inflicting pains on the people. Why didn't government subject it to national discourse? It would have been better if the government has subjected it to national discourse and majority have said let us comply, that is democracy. So, a seemingly democratic government came in and started ruling like a dictatorship.

What can you proffer as lasting solution concerning the insecurity in the country?
 Well, insecurity is the bane of Nigeria's social life. It is so permissive that nobody thinks safe everywhere, at home, in the office, in school, in church, in the mosque, on the road, anywhere, no Nigerian feel safe. Maybe Nigeria has been so careless to allow insecurity to grow from being a mini-school to now a monster. What government should do is to ensure that there is social justice, when injustice is permissive, the necessary consequence is insecurity. The Nigerian young person who goes to school from nursery school, primary school, University or College of Education and Polytechnic and comes out unemployed, hungry for years, obviously becomes angry. A hungry man is an angry man. He has prepared himself to a point when he's now waiting for the country to acknowledge to his anticipated contribution and the country is failing him. So, what does he do? He joins bad gang, he wants to feed and when he doesn't find it easy to feed, he takes up arms against his country and the country becomes insecure. Now, graduate unemployment pushes you to do two things, you either become an undesirable element in the community or if you are a girl, you end up in prostitution, either of which is undesirable. What steps have we taken to ensure that this social injustice is not promoted?
Government also has committed a lot of atrocities in the past against the citizenry. Take the South-South for instance, you have oil under their soil in the South-South and you come in as the Federal Government and you started exploring for oil. In the process of exploring, you have destroyed the fiona, the environment and the treasures you got from underground, you moved elsewhere and the goose that laid the golden egg is unfed. The people of the South-South didn't kick until they saw Abuja, Lagos, Kano, Enugu and say for God sake, see what our money has paid for. In the meantime, the environment has been destroyed, the water polluted, the air polluted, their health going down, hunger pervasive and their environment nothing to talk about. Their health destroyed, children running about with different forms of rashes. On top of it, they remained uneducated, they remained unemployed, they remained hungry and therefore angry. They spoke to the government, Ken Saro Wiwa was for years speaking to the government about the picture I have painted and the government would not listen. Ken Saro Wiwa was a pacifist and unfortunately he was speaking to a deaf government and when you speak to the deaf, he doesn't understand what you are saying, that's why people in the Niger-Delta flexed muscles. When you are talking to the deaf and he doesn't understand what you are saying, you show, you gesticulate to convince him that you are speaking, and that's what happened in the South-South. You talked about Boko Haram, thousands and thousands and thousands of children who have no opportunity to go school and see criminal wealth being flaunted in their presence, so Boko Haram is not a religious affair, it is a class war. That's what many of us don't understand and when two people are simultaneously aggrieved and they clashed, the result is usually a flash. And government should not allow that to situation to develop, they should find Nigerians, trusted by both sides- Government and Boko Haram to mediate the crisis. Even when two countries sit down to declare a war, after fighting the war, they still come to table to discuss peace, so why must you go to war before you discuss peace? That's what government should do and some of us have been agitating for a sovereign national conference for years, saying let us re-order this nation, let us restructure and redesign this nation so that unity may be forged and Nigeria will move forward like a powerful nation and the people have been saying 'No'. So that's why the ethnic nationality of whatever ill are aggrieved and this is the time now for us to sit down, table our problems and proffer solutions and I hope the government will accede to that. But in the meantime, let the government look for honest, decent, uncommitted Nigerians to mediate the situation.




Tuesday 11 December 2012

SPORTS FESTIVAL: Another ACN show of mediocrity, says Lagos PDP



Opeyemi Adesina

The Lagos State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described the hosting of the 18th National Sports festival as far below expectation as it did not measure up near the standard of the last sports festival hosted by Rivers State.

The party noted that the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) government has again failed Lagosians because the monumental monies believed to be realised from the Government and Non Government sectors of over 10 Billion Naira did not reflect in the Opening ceremony, Accommodation, Meals, closing ceremony and the medals won by the State Athletes. 

"It is indeed so embarrassing that with the available resources, enough to adequately organise the sports festival, athletes were deprived meals, accommodation, fair Officiating and standard Sports facilities to perform at their best. Funnily and in a very lazy Man's approach, the LOC blamed the inadequacies on alleged over accreditation of athletes! This is indeed an admission of failure and inability to properly run a State affair"

The Party posited that the state athletes were not well motivated and thus could not have "sacrificed" in order to win enough Gold for the State, thereby placing the State in a distant 3rd Position. 

"Similarly, the Spectators were not excited and the apathy was apparent as the games centres did not enjoy appreciable spectators which also took shine out of the games. By this shoddy hosting, the Mediocrity in ACN and the Lagos State State Government is further exposed and indeed now threatening the "Centre of Excellence" pride of the State.       

While the Lagos PDP is commending the Lagos State athletes for their selfless performances, the party is also demanding the House of Assembly to cause an immediate Public hearing into the activities of the LOC, especially in the areas of income & expenditure.




Monday 10 December 2012

SPORT: King Lionel Messi’s record in detail


King Lionel Messi’s record in detail


The details of the world record for goals scored in a calendar year beaten by the Argentinian at Betis on Sunday evening


 By scoring a brace at the Benito Villamarín, Leo Messi took his total in 2012 to 86 goals, beating the all-time record in a calendar year set by Gerd Müller (1972).

- In the league, Messi has scored 56 goals in 34 games, while Müller got 42 in 34 games.

- in Europe, Messi got 13 in 11 matches, while Müller got 10 in 4 matches.

- In the cup, Messi got 3 goals in 7 matches and Müller got 7 out of 6.

- September was Messi’s most productive month (13), while March (13) was the most prolific period for the former Bayern striker.

- Messi has scored 86 goals in 66 matches for Barça and Argentina. The German got 85 in 60.

- 76 of Messi’s goals were scored with his left foot, 7 with the right and 3 with his head.

- 74 were scored from inside the box (14 were penalties) and 12 outside (7 from free kicks).

- Malaga and Bayer Leverkusen (6) are the teams Messi has got the most goals against so far in 2012.

- Iniesta (9), Cesc (6) and Alexis (6) supplied him with the most assists.

- His 23 goals in 15 games are his best ever start to a Liga campaign, and equal the record set by Cristiano Ronaldo (2011/12).

- He has scored twice in his last five Liga appearances.

- On Sunday, Messi scored his first league goals at the Benito Villamarín, although he did score there once before in the cup in 2010/11.

- He had three shots on target, and two of those went in (the other struck both the goalkeeper and the post).

- He also completed 44 passes out of 54 attempts.

Sunday 9 December 2012

Lagos PDP lauds FG over donation of SURE-P luxury buses, N8 billion



Opeyemi Adesina 

The Lagos State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has commended the National government of PDP for assisting the LASG by donating SURE-P luxury buses and the sum of over 8billion Naira inorder to ease the Transportation and for the provision of portable water in the State. 

The Party holds that such gesture confirms that the PDP controlled National Government is indeed non-partisan on issues concerning the welfare of Nigerians in any part of the Country.
The Party is however not impressed that the LASG is playing politics with such Federal Government support to the State instead of putting same to public use.

"Our attention has been brought to the recent palliative supports the Federal Government has given to the lagos State Government inorder to eliminate the possible hardship as a result of the partial subsidy removal. 

"We note that such fatherly support is expected to be appreciated by a "bonafide child" who deserves further fatherly Love. Such federal Government supports in the areas of SURE-P employment, transportation, drainages, pipe borne Water amongst others ought to be made public and attributed to the Federal Government as support to the actual development of Lagos State. But Alas, these contributions are being politicised and concealed from Lagosians. 

"For example the exorbitant transportation fares in Lagos State can be forced down IF the Lagos State government put the buses into proper use for Lagosians. We fear that the Federal Government's good intention to improve social services in the transport sector may be jettisoned in lagos State unless the Federal Government buses are put on the road and fares reduced as intended by the SURE-P", the party added.

Breaking News! John Mahama declared winner of Ghanaian presidential election



Opeyemi Adesina

Dr. Kojo Afarijan has declared the NDC presidential candidate, John Dramani Mahama, the President-elect in Ghana. 

Mr. Mahama garnered 5,574,761 votes representing  50.70% of the total votes cast in Friday's Presidential election to win the election.


Details soon....

PROPOSED RESIDENCE FOR VICE-PRESIDENT: ACN’S FALSEHOOD AND DECEIT


The Lagos state Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) €attention has been drawn to the hypocritical and highly deceptive comments of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) on the proposed official residence of the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Architect Namadi Sambo.

First of all, it is sad that as a party, the ACN cannot differentiate between the office of the Vice President of Nigeria and the person of the incumbent occupant hence the party has fraudulently commented on the official quarters as if the PDP is planning to erect a mansion for its leaders.

Secondly, this comment by ACN is a further confirmation of its characteristic deceptive disposition and actions. For a party whose government in Lagos State is erecting as part of pension gifts to Mr. Bola Tinubu, a magnificent mansion in a choice area of Lagos state on two acres of land and on 400 square metres of reclaimed waterfront on which the Lagos State Government has so far spent N7 billion, there is no other way to describe the ACN other than being a party of deceitful and double-faced individuals.

It will be recalled that shortly before the end of his second term in office, the government of the present national leader of the ACN, Mr. Bola Tinubu, constructed a new Governor’s Lodge at a cost in excess of three billion naira. It is imperative to state that the now existing Lagos State Governor's Pension Law is enjoyed only by Mr Bola Tinubu as even the best lagos governor, ever, Alh Lateef Jakande is not a beneficiary.

We will like to alert the good people of Nigeria to the hypocritical and deceptive character of the ACN and its repeated acts of deliberate falsehood and hypocrisy. As late Chief Awolowo has rightly explained, it is a sign of weakness and utter dementia for the ACN in an attempt to commend itself to the public, to resort to a negative process of falsehood and hypocrisy.

The time has come for Nigerian people to know the ACN for what it represents-falsehood and deceit.      

Wednesday 5 December 2012

Breaking News! Again, explosion rocks Kano...as attempt to blow luxury bus fails


Uneasy calm pervades the ancient city of Kano following a time bomb that exploded near Zoo Road, Wednesday morning.

The incident is coming on the heels of a failed attempt by a yet-to-be identified group to blow up a luxury bus along  Zaria Road, by Kundila Housing Estate, yesterday night.

Security sources in the city confirmed there were no casualties in the two incidents, adding that troops have been deployed to the affected areas  to restore “confidence and normalcy”


*vanguard

Ikuforiji, others too arrogant to reverse oppressive, anti-people laws, says Lagos PDP



Opeyemi Adesina

The Lagos State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described the Speaker, Adeyemi Ikuforiji and the entire Lagos State House of Assembly (LAHA) as a morally burdened, confused and anti people legislature that will be held responsible, jointly and severally to answer for the implications of all their obnoxious Laws which have now turned the state into a hyper tensed state.

The description is coming as a reaction to the diversionary call by the Speaker and some members of the LAHA that security personnel, especially the Police, should not be overzealous when enforcing the recently passed traffic Law.

"Honestly it is our assessment that this is the worst and anti People Legislature Lagos has ever had. It is expected that a Peoples Legislature must hear and support the wishes of the people. Unfortunately this LAHA is too arrogant to reverse obnoxious, oppressive and anti people Laws.

"The reactions coming against the Traffic Laws and especially the number of deaths and injuries being recorded as a result of the enforcement was enough for a listening and Pro people House of Assembly to repeal or atleast suspend the Law"

The party has thus predicted that 80% of the current members will either be recalled or resign when the people decide to vent their anger. It consequently advised that the LAHA should manifestly represent the Masses and eschew actions capable of causing them ridicule or hatred in the opinion of the people.