7 Astonishing Benefits of Learning Something New Daily

We usually learn new things for entertainment and professional development. No matter what the purpose of learning is, you should strive to learn something new on a daily basis. Only a few of us are distinguished as lifelong learners, but the majority of people are engaged in their habitual everyday routines and activities. However, learning something new daily offers great benefits and possibilities. You can find informal learning opportunities everywhere since people are overwhelmed with free sources of knowledge these days. Incorporate a habit of learning something new into your daily routine and enrich your life with fresh ideas, new people and inspiration.

1. Personal growth

New information promotes self-improvement and personal growth. Successful people claim that personal growth is the key to their achievements, that’s why they are never satisfied with what they’ve already learned. When we learn something new, we get new experience and skills. It means we deepen our understanding of the world and unleash our potential. Moreover, learning new things will make you proud and increase your self-esteem.

2. Knowledge empowers you

You must have heard that knowledge is power. I’d rather say that applied knowledge is power. Knowledge is just information and you should take the initiative to make this information useful. Knowledge makes you a broad-minded person, which enables you to see life from various perspectives. Due to self-education we learn to make better decisions, we come up with more rational thoughts and we can improve our life. All these give us freedom to choose better options.

3. It makes you an interesting interlocutor

The ability to keep up conversation is important, but the ability to tell something interesting and uncommon is essential if you want to be a good interlocutor. A person with rich general knowledge is always a good conversationalist. Travelers were the best interlocutors I’ve met in my life. But you don’t have to travel around the world in order to be an interesting person. You can find a fascinating and unusual hobby like carving egg shells or collecting antiques. Or, you can just listen to podcasts, take free online classes or read books to learn new things and be an interesting individual.

4. It combats boredom

Nothing can combat boredom better than a new experience! Humdrum existence is habitual and safe, but learning new things and acquiring new information give you the possibility to jazz up your life. Sure, it might be challenging to step out of the comfort zone, but sitting around is never exciting. New information helps feed your mind, develop critical thinking skills and imagination.

Getting new experience is one of the surest ways to recognize your hidden talents and find the real passion of your life. If you find an interesting subject, you’ll be eager to learn more and more about it. When you have something to look forward to, you are never bored.

5. You meet new people

I realize that I’ve met most of my friends while learning new things and obtaining new experiences. When you join an organization or a club or when you take up a new hobby, you are surrounded with like-minded people and just uncommon characters. Chances are you’ll find close friends among them.

I believe that new people are the source of new ideas and inspiration. Joining a language club, attending art classes, going to the tennis court or mastering your culinary skills are all great ways to share experience, learn new things and meet amazing people.

6. You set a good example

When you have kids, your example is one of the most powerful tools of upbringing. Each time your children see you reading a book or an article, it encourages them to do the same. Learning is catching and if your children see your pure excitement and inspiration about learning, they will soon adopt your ideas and habits. It’s never too late to learn, so don’t be embarrassed to watch educational programs with your kids, play developmental games or read fiction together.

7. You learn good time management skills

I was always too busy to add an additional point to my daily schedule. That’s the main reason why I never had enough time for my hobbies. However, I’ve learnt that having one more task on my list to-do is the best way to structure my daily routine and improve my time perception. I’ve realized that time is very flexible and I should manage it wisely. Stop complaining that you don’t have free time to read. The proverb says that the busiest men find the most time. Learn to use your time more efficiently so that you can do things you want to do.

Develop a habit of learning something new each day and you’ll be sorry you did. I became a better person due to the habit of reading and learning new things daily. It refined the quality of my life and helped me both professionally and personally. Do you think learning something new daily is important?

WOMANATELY

CRISIS IN EX-MILITANT CAMP

OKOLOMA IKPANGI CAMP OF EX-MILITANTS IN NIGER DELTA

BONNY, RIVERS STATE

PRESS RELEASE

 

NEFARIOUS ACTIVITIES OF FORMER LEADER, ORINAEMI HART

Members of the Okoloma Ikpangi camp of ex-Niger Delta agitators in Bonny, Rivers State, have dissociated themselves from the nefarious activities of a former leader of our group, Mr. Orinaemi Hart, and hereby warn him to stop parading himself as the leader of the Okoloma Ikpangi of Bonny.

In a statement issued yesterday, four of his compatriots, Gentle Nwiepe, Samuel Jumbo, Kelvin Tamunopirinye and Uzor Banigo, disowned their former leader, saying this was a unanimous decision of all members of the camp.

The measure is to extricate other members of the camp of blame in the nefarious activities embarked upon by Mr. Orinaemi Hart, and to set the records straight in his recent attempts to blackmail the person and office of the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Chairman of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Hon. Kingsley Kuku.

Contrary to Mr. Hart’s claim that the camp was allotted 500 slots at the time its members were documented for inclusion in the amnesty programme in October 2010 during the Second Phase of the Amnesty Programme, indeed only 100 slots were granted the camp in that phase.

It is also not true, as Orinaemi claimed that monthly allowances of members of the group were routed through indirect means to the beneficiaries.

Rather, Orinaemi sometime ago deceived members of the group and opened new accounts for 76 of them, which he submitted to the Amnesty Office for payment of monthly allowances for a period of 17 months during which he diverted about N83,980,000 into his pocket through the fictitious accounts he had submitted.

When the monthly allowance racket was uncovered by the Amnesty Office and the payment was stopped, Orinaemi in August 2013 devised another means to defraud the Amnesty Office by formally seeking financial assistance to the tune of N5.2million to defray a two-year rent, which he claimed to have owed on his residential accommodation, a request that was turned down by the Amnesty Office.

Consequently, Hart resorted to further blackmailing of the Amnesty Office and its managers with spurious allegations for turning down another of his request for a sum of N68,029,400 for the establishment of a phoney farm project, a proposal he failed to defend when invited to do so, fuelling suspicion that it was an attempt to obtain money from the Amnesty Office under false pretence.

We are dismayed at the actions and utterances of Mr. Hart even when there was a pending matter in the law court on some of his claims against the Amnesty Office, noting that besides the fact that it was sub judice, he should wait for the outcome of the suit which he instituted rather than raising false allegations in the media with the hope of gaining cheap attention from the authorities.

We vow to strip him bare by exposing all his criminal activities and fraudulent acts with documented evidence if he continued to portray the Okoloma Ikpangi camp and other ex-Niger Delta agitators in bad light.

Full text of the statement 

“Before the declaration of Amnesty by the late President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (President Musa Yar’ Adua),  Orinaemi Hart was the leader of the Okoloma Ikpangi group. The camp had a total of about 280 militants including the leader – Orinaemi Hart. Sometime in 2008, members of the camp revolted and removed him as the leader because of his dubious character and raping of women in the camp. He was succeeded by one Bena Wilcox who was killed by the state security forces. Tuminu Hart then took over the leadership of the camp. Orinaemi Hart was later arrested and sent to prison as an Awaiting Trial inmate. He was in detention throughout the first phase of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, and he did not disarm or document in the first phase. About 200 ex-militants documented under Okoloma Ikpangi camp in the first phase of the programme under Tuminu Hart as the leader.

“When the second phase of the programme was granted by the federal government, Orinaemi Hart had been released from prison custody. He joined the remnant of the Okoloma Ikpangi camp who did not participate in the first phase for fear that the amnesty was a ploy to arrest all militants, and together surrendered 12 arms. Considering the embarrassment Orinaemi Hart has passed through, the rest of the members decided that he should be made the leader in the second phase of the amnesty programme.

“During the first phase, the leader of the camp – Tuminu Hart, was quick to put it on record that all the members of his camp could not present themselves for documentation because they were afraid and did not trust the sincerity of government’s amnesty proclamation. Bearing this in mind and other factors, the managers of the programme [Amnesty Office] conceded 100 slots to the Orinaemi Hart-led Okoloma Ikpangi group in the second phase. Note that 100 slots means the group submitted between 40 and 50 arms depending on the calibre. 500 slots meant the group must have submitted between 200 and 250 arms.  We challenge Orinaemi Hart to supply detailed information of the arms he submitted to the Federal Government.

“Interestingly, the process in the second phase is different from the first phase such that stipends were given to the state coordinators and leaders to pay the beneficiaries in the camps they led. This went on until they were invited for documentation. It was during this period that bank accounts were opened for individual beneficiaries and their monthly stipend paid directly to them, no more through the camp leaders. During the documentation, Orinaemi Hart submitted 100 names including his name. However, he failed to turn up for documentation but every other member did.

“Members of the camp also reported that during the period they were paid through Orinaemi Hart, they were being short paid and sometimes denied payment. The new system of paying directly to the beneficiaries was a big blow to Orinaemi Hart. Therefore, when the Central Bank directed that the old bank account numbers be changed to ten digits, Orinaemi Hart deceived members and opened new accounts for 76 members and submitted same to the Amnesty Office. For 17 months, he diverted about N83, 980,000.00 meant for the 76 members into his pocket through the new accounts he submitted. Those who were close to him, he paid N20, 000.00 and some N10, 000.00. The others he intimidated with the use of security agencies by accusing them of threatening his life.

“When the Amnesty Office got wind of the fraud he had committed, a team was sent to Bonny Town to reconcile the parties. Orinaemi Hart proved stubborn and abandoned members of the team in Bonny. Members of the camp were invited to Abuja severally, but he refused to meet with them claiming that he is the owner of the camp and no one can dictate to him how to manage his camp.

“It will interest you to note that the excesses of Orinaemi Hart and his fraudulent life style were noted by the Ibani Chapter of the Ijaw National Congress which complained same to the Presidency. The Secretary to the Government of the Federation wrote to the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta concerning the suffering of the members of the Okoloma Ikpangi camp.

“At this point, the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta invited all the members of the Okoloma Ikpangi camp in the second phase of the amnesty programme and after accrediting them, directed them to personally submit their bank account details. This was done and every member of Okoloma Ikpangi including Orinaemi Hart is being paid directly up to date.

“When this change of account was effected, Orinaemi Hart fumed, threatening that he has been quiet all this while, but will speak now and cause mischief by throwing up allegations that the Amnesty programme was a fraud after all, and calling on the Federal Government to probe the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta. When he was invited by the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta, he apologised and asked for forgiveness and that he did it to gain attention. Thereafter, he wrote to the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta to give him the sum of N2,600,00.00 per annum to pay his house rent for two years. This request was turned down. Sometime in November 2013, he made another request for N68,029,400.00 to be given to him to establish a Agricultural Farm. When he was invited, he could not explain how he intends to utilize the funds if given to him. It was after all this attempt to defraud the Amnesty Office failed that he went to court claiming that he was allocated 500 slots, but was given only 100 slots by the Amnesty Office”.

Gentle Nwiepe

Samuel Jumbo

Kelvin Tamunopirinye

Uzor Banigo

(On behalf of members of Okoloma Ikpangi Camp)

Rivers Assembly Grants Amaechi Access to N19bn Reserved Funds

The Rivers State House of Assembly on Monday approved a request by Governor Chibuike Amaechi to access the sum of N19 billion from the State reserved funds.

Amaechi, in a letter read on the floor of the assembly, stated that he needed the funds to complete on-going capital projects in the state.

Tthe Speaker of the assdembly, Rt. Hon. Otelemaba Dan-Amachree, explained to members that the state government had unpaid bills due to financial crunch, adding that with the huge money in the reserve funds, it was proper to approve the request.

Details later

THISDAY

WHO Applauds Nigeria’s Spectacular Success with Ebola

Rui Gama Vaz (c), World Health Organization’s representative, congratulates Nigeria’s Minister of Health Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu (L) while Minister of State for Health Dr Haliru Alhassan looks on during a press conference in Abuja on October 20, 2014. Africa’s most populous nation Nigeria was declared officially Ebola free but warned that it remained vulnerable as long as the virus was raging elsewhere in west Africa. The country representative of the WHO said 42 days — or two incubation periods of 21 days — had elapsed without any new confirmed cases of the deadly virus. AFP

•  Jonathan, Chukwu urge vigilance, dedicate certification to health workers, volunteers, Nigerians
•   Lagos donates N50m to First Consultants, to support victims

Paul Obi in Abuja and Gboyega Akinsanmi in Lagos with agency report
Nigeria has been officially declared free of Ebola after 42 days or double the incubation period of 21 days with no new case, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Monday, with its country director in Abuja, Dr. Rui Gama Vaz, describing the nation’s exemplary handling of the outbreak as a “spectacular success story”.

Nigeria has won praise for its swift response after a Liberian diplomat, Patrick Sawyer, brought the disease to Lagos in July.

At the last count, Nigeria recorded 19 cases of the virus, out of which seven died, amongst them doctors and nurses.

The disease has killed more than 4,500 people in West Africa, mostly in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone. An estimated 70 per cent of those infected have died in those countries.

“The virus is gone for now. The outbreak in Nigeria has been defeated,” Gama Vaz said.

“This is a spectacular success story that shows to the world that Ebola can be contained but we must be clear that we have only won a battle; the war will only end when West Africa is also declared free of Ebola,” he added.

The WHO director pointed out that the lines on the tabular situation reports sent to WHO each day by its country office in Nigeria, have now been full of zeros for 42 days.

“The story of how Nigeria ended what many believed to be potentially the most explosive Ebola outbreak imaginable is worth telling in detail.

“I will like to take this opportunity on behalf of the WHO Director General, Margeret Chan, to congratulate the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria through His Excellency President Goodluck Jonathan, the people of Nigeria and all stakeholders and development partners that made it possible to contain the Ebola outbreak in Nigeria,” he said.

According to him, when the laboratory confirmation of the first Ebola case in Lagos was announced on the 23rd of July, the news rocked public health communities all around the world, sending fears that the virus might spiral among the large chunk of Nigeria’s population, the largest in Africa.

Gama Vaz recalled that the world was worried because Nigeria is not only the most populous country in Africa but also the newest economic power house, adding that the population of Lagos which is around 21 million people is almost as large as the populations of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone combined.

The WHO country director stated that there is the need to continue to share Nigeria’s experience and expertise to help other countries to urgently contain the Ebola epidemic and support others in their preparedness and response plans.

Also echoing the WHO country director, the outgoing Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, at a press briefing in Abuja, declared that the country was completely free of the dreaded virus.

Chukwu observed that the success was recorded as a result of the distinctive leadership of the Jonathan administration.
He said: “The declaration of the end of the recent outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in Nigeria represents a major milestone of the Goodluck Jonathan administration. I congratulate Mr. President and the governors of Lagos, Enugu and Rivers States.

“I also congratulate the Federal Ministry of Health and its agencies – the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and the Port Health Service, the state Ministries of Health of Lagos, Enugu and Rivers, the WHO, UNICEF, the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), MSF and other partners who were part of the team under the leadership of the Minister of Health.

“I am indeed gladdened that by divine providence, this declaration coincides with my leaving office as Minister of Health. As the outgoing Minister of Health, this declaration symbolically presents a dignifying seal of the achievements of the Federal Ministry of Health during my tenure.”

On the best strategies adopted during the battle to contain Ebola, Chukwu said: “Several people have asked me what I thought was the most critical success factor in the Nigeria’s containment effort against the Ebola outbreak. Undoubtedly, the most critical success factor was leadership – strong, effective, focused and committed leadership-provided by the president himself and replicated at various levels down the ladder.”

The outgoing minister added that the leadership was a factor closely linked to effective coordination of the various collaborating partners, adding: “Under a single leadership, all the contributing partners were moulded into a single, almost homogenous team.”

On Nigeria’s West African neighbours struggling to combat the disease, he explained that the absence of a homogenous working system in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia appears to be the greatest obstacle in taming the spread of the disease in the three manor countries.

“This is one factor that may be lacking in the control efforts of other countries,” Chukwu said.

He added that the private sector and media also played key roles which greatly facilitated the containment of the disease, warning however that “Nigeria has won the battle against the Ebola virus but the war rages on other fronts in other countries. The war certainly is not over. A reinforced Ebola virus could still invade Nigeria”.

“Given this risk of possibility of re-infection, there is need to maintain the state of high alertness at all our ports of entry. We cannot afford to lower our guard.

“This risk and the risk to other countries can only be eliminated through the setting up of a system similar to the Nigerian one under the leadership of the United Nations but with the operational wing built around ECOWAS,” Chukwu submitted.

The minister stressed that the virus needed to be eliminated from every country of the world. “It is only then that each country can breathe a sigh of relief,” he observed.

“As long as there is a case of EVD in any part of the world, every country of the world, every human being on this planet remains at risk. Unlike an ordinary unwanted guest, the Ebola virus is an unwanted guest whom the unwilling host cannot send away from its premises, but at best must accommodate in his boys’ quarter, feed the virus until either the virus dies or the host dies.

“This metaphor explains the much that can be expected from a country’s health system as far as EVD is concerned. Nigeria like other countries will not have the control over the presentation of the disease at any of its ports of entry.

“However, it is the responsibility of the country’s surveillance system to ensure that any case presenting at any of our ports of entry is rapidly identified and isolated. That is the only way the country will remain safe from the Ebola virus, pending its global elimination,” he said.

The US CDC representative in Nigeria, Dr. Pauline Hervy further attributed the progressive response of the country to the disease to the fact that it had been working side-by-side with state ministries of health in Lagos and Rivers, WHO, the Federal Ministry of Health, the private sector and communities.

“We want to continue this partnership; we want to assure you that as you move forward, today as you are declaring Nigeria Ebola-free, we need to work with you on polio and other diseases that affect Nigeria including HIV/AIDS and we want to wish you the very best as you move forward,” she said.

She encouraged Nigeria to strengthen its preparedness planning so that any other outbreak in Nigeria would be stopped with the same rapid response.

Also, in a statement on Monday by his media aide, Dr. Reuben Abati, President Jonathan welcomed the certification by WHO declaring Nigeria free of the Ebola disease.

According to the statement, the president dedicated the certification to the many patriotic health workers, volunteers and ordinary Nigerians who worked tirelessly, some of them paying the ultimate price, to stop the deadly virus in its track after it entered the country in July this year.

The president seized the opportunity to also reiterate his appreciation of the contributions of state governments, WHO and other international health organisations, relatives of infected persons and other Nigerians who either courageously underwent the rigours of being quarantined or complied with all directives issued by health authorities to defeat the virus.

“He believes that Nigeria’s globally-acclaimed success against Ebola is a testimony to what Nigerians can achieve if they set aside their differences and work together, and calls on Nigerians to strive to replicate the unity of purpose and all-hands-on-deck approach adopted against Ebola in other areas of national life.

“As the nation applauds the success of its collective effort to stop the transmission of the Ebola virus within Nigeria, however, the president warns that the entire country must remain fully alert and vigilant against the re-entry of the virus,” the statement added.

The presidential spokesman said Jonathan fully shared the view expressed by WHO in its congratulatory message to Nigeria that while “we have won a battle against Ebola, the war will only truly end when West Africa, Africa and the world are declared free of Ebola”.

The president consequently directed that all the anti-Ebola measures taken after the entry of the virus into the country should remain in place and that health officials should continue to actively screen persons entering the country through its air, land and sea borders for any sign of the virus.

He also urged all Nigerians to continue to follow the anti-Ebola advisories on sanitation and personal hygiene issued by federal and state health authorities.

Also, owing to its successful containment of the virus, the UN said it was in touch with the Nigerian authorities, through the WHO on how it contained the spread of the Ebola virus.

The spokesman of the UN Secretary-General, Stephane DuJarric, said this while briefing UN correspondents in New York, reported the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

At the briefing, Dujarric said Nigeria’s success story could be copied to successfully contain the disease in West Africa.

He added that “Nigeria’s success story means that Ebola can be stopped with functional health service and commitment”.

Meanwhile, the Lagos State Government yesterday donated the sum of N50 million to First Consultants Medical Centre, the Lagos-based hospital where the index case of the Ebola virus was detected on July 22, as a business support gesture.

Also, the state government unveiled a comprehensive plan to give Sierra Leone technical assistance in order to help the Ebola-ravaged country overcome the health crisis, which had claimed thousands of lives in West Africa.

The state’s Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, disclosed this while giving an update on the virus yesterday at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre, Alausa, alongside his special duties counterpart, Dr. Wale Ahmed and Special Adviser on Public Health, Dr. Yewande Adeshina, among others.

At the briefing Idris further announced the state’s support for both dead and living victims of the dreaded virus, adding that the state governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, would soon invite and present them with the measures.

He added that having addressed the human angle in containing the outbreak, there “is now the need to address the economic consequences. Under consideration is the need to support affected persons including those alive”.

He said the state government had approved a N50 million lump sum as a business support gesture “to First Consultants Medical Centre. This is with a view to getting people back on their feet and for businesses to re-secure the patronage of their customers”.

Idris clarified the rationale behind the business support fund approved for First Consultants, saying it “is not an attempt at compensation, but a gesture of goodwill on the part of the government”.

On the technical assistance to Sierra Leone, Idris said no fewer than 28 health personnel had already indicated interest to go to the West African country and provide health care to patients of the virus.

The commissioner added that the state government had prepared its work plan for the Sierra Leonean operations, presented the plan to the federal government and sought the collaboration of WHO.

He further called for the participation of private organisations in providing technical assistance to Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia, noting that the role of the private sector “is critical to getting rid of the virus”.

He said the state government was able to contain Ebola because it had put certain institutional structures in place before the outbreak in Lagos, which he added contributed to the success achieved in no small measure.

He named the institutional structures to include the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Infectious Disease Hospital (IDH), Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR), Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), the cremation law, public health law and a state Environmental Health Monitoring Unit, among others.

He said the institutional structures already put in place explained why Nigeria only contributed 0.22 per cent and 0.18 per cent to the global burden of suspected, probable and confirmed cases and deaths of the Ebola virus, respectively

The commissioner explained how the state government was able to contain the spread of the deadly virus, stating that it spent the early part of the state’s intervention in containing the disease and reducing deaths.

According to him, the state government will not disband all the structures put in place, but rather hone their effectiveness and efficiency.

Some of the success factors in the fight against Ebola included the political will and support at the highest level of governance including the State Executive Council.

He also cited the adoption of an incident management system with the setting up of five committees as another success factor, which he said met twice daily under the aegis of Ebola Emergency Operations Centre during the active phase of the outbreak.

The commissioner added that robust inter-governmental inter-agency and inter-sectoral collaboration (all-hands-on-deck coalition) really assisted in the containment of the dreaded disease.

He added that the deployment of a robust health promotion and a disease prevention plan that involved among others mass grassroots public enlightenment, effective use of social media platforms, engagement of the media, regular press updates and collaboration with artistes also helped in no small measure.

In spite of the containment of the virus, the commissioner said the state government “is marching on to reassure citizens, helping them to get back their lives, strengthening our schools capabilities to confront the disease and giving support to businesses affected by the outbreak of the deadly disease”.

THISDAY

Obasanjo had 11 years to “do the needful” but failed Nigeria – Former Senate President

ABUJA- FORMER Senate President, Senator Ameh Ebute yesterday took a swipe at former President Olusegun Obasanjo, saying he failed to use his three years as a Military Head of State and eight years as an elected president to do the needful in solving the nation’s problems, just as he said if the former president had done his best in addressing some of these sectoral problems, Nigeria would have been better for it.

According to Senator Ebute, former President Obasanjo could not fix critical roads like the Benin-Ore road; Lagos-Ibadan Expressway; Kano-Maiduguri road; the East West Road, just as he said that even his Otta-Abeokuta dual carriage were recklessly abandoned and could not be fixed in all his eight years as President, despite having more oil money from the Petroleum Ministry over which he personally superintended as President and oil Minister. Why should a President double as the Petroleum Minister of a country?

In a 6- page letter to Former President Obasanjo and made available to Vanguard yesterday Ebute said that for

Obasanjo to draw Nigerians attention to the problems confronting the country was an indictment on him, having failed Nigeria as a past leader who was opportuned to rule the country as a military man and as a democrat.

He said that Chief Obasanjo was unable or perhaps unwilling to unbundle the PHCN and privatize the power sector for efficient management during his eight years as President of the country, alleging that he made superficial attempt to improve power supply in the twilight of his administration by committing Nigeria to spend a colossal sum of 16 billion dollars which was paid upfront to import gas turbines for the NIPP projects.

Senator Ebute said, “While agreeing with you that these are indeed problems that ought to be firmly addressed by the leaders of our country, it is rather unfortunate that you had an unusual opportunity of making impacts in these areas for three years as a Military ruler and then eight years as a civilian President but you either forgot that posterity would call you to account as the longest serving leader this country has ever had or you simply neglected to “do the needful” as you now advise others to do.

“Baba, “you said in that same Press statement that “Today, Nigeria needs all hands on deck to deal with our pressing problems of widening inequality, infrastructure, impunity, corruption, poverty and youth education, skill-acquisition, empowerment and employment” and that this accounts for part of your anger against the PDP. This, with all sense of responsibility appears to me as the biggest self-indictment ever written by a Nigerian leader.”

The former Senate President who urged the former Chairman, Board of Trustees, BoT of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP to stop insulting Prince Buruji Kashamu, a man with whom he had a very robust personal and political relationship up till 2011, stressed that he should remember their daily feast on Pounded yam and how used Buruji to fight former Governor Gbenga Daniel of Ogun State where he formed a parallel PDP in the State.

According to him, Chief Obasanjo should also remember how Buruji Kashamu helped him to win the case then, adding that his statements on him smack of what he termed, great hypocrisy and apparent insincerity.

Senator Ebute said, “I am writing this open letter in response to your most recent Press statement where you reacted to apologies purportedly offered by the leadership of the People’s Democratic Party to you.

“I am constrained to employ this Medium since most of the issues I intend to raise are already in public domain and deserve a whole hearted attention of discourse-friendly members of the Public.

“In that Press statement, where you referred to the PDP gesture as a “cacophony of appeals and pleadings”, you stated that one of the reasons why you were angry with the party is the fact that a certain drug baron was made the leader of the People’s Democratic Party in your Zone which is understood to be the South West Geo-political Zone.

“Your Excellency was quoted as saying inter alia “For instance, as a former President of Nigeria, the chairman of West Africa Commission on Drug and a member of Global Commission on Drug, I cannot accept that the zonal leader of my political party and, worse still in my zone, will be an indicted drug baron wanted in America.”

“You went further to ask rhetorically “How do I explain that to friends outside Nigeria? This is only one of the many issues that I have pointed and still pointing out. I have national and international standard to maintain and reputation to keep and sustain.”

“With due respect baba, this assertion of yours smacks of great hypocrisy and apparent insincerity. Even though you never mentioned the fellow you were referring to by name, it is common knowledge that the alleged drug baron is no other person than Prince Buruji Kashamu, a man with whom you had a very robust personal and political relationship up till 2011.

“I wish to recall sir that when the former Governor of Ogun state, Otunba Gbenga Daniel seized the PDP structure from you in 2008/2009, it was this same “drug baron” whom you aligned with to create parallel party structure and institute legal action against the party. It was this same man who secured the court judgment that eventually got your faction of the PDP recognized by the National leadership ahead of the 2011 General elections.

“Your daughter, then Senator Iyabo Obasanjo worked closely with this same Prince Kashamu to protect and defend your sagging and diminishing political interest and relevance in your local turf in the state.

“This was a period when Buruji’s frequent visit to your Abeokuta Hill top residence was always greeted with celebrative feasting on bowls of pounded yam and egusi soup! The question is what were you telling your “foreign friends” about this man then?

“While I do not intend to hold brief for Prince Kashamu, I am constrained to ask how come you just suddenly realized that this was a notorious drug baron unworthy of being associated with? It will appear sir, that the post 2011 election squabbles when you characteristically decided to selfishly appropriate political appointments slots given to Ogun state to the exclusion of your former allies was the only reason why you so much want Prince Kashamu excommunicated by the PDP leadership and not the “honor and integrity” mantra you have put forward in your public posturing.

“Furthermore baba, you said in that same Press statement that “Today, Nigeria needs all hands on deck to deal with our pressing problems of widening inequality, infrastructure, impunity, corruption, poverty and youth education, skill-acquisition, empowerment and employment” and that this accounts for part of your anger against the PDP. This, with all sense of responsibility appears to me as the biggest self-indictment ever written by a Nigerian leader.

“While agreeing with you that these are indeed problems that ought to be firmly addressed by the leaders of our country, it is rather unfortunate that you had an unusual opportunity of making impacts in these areas for three years as a Military ruler and then eight years as a civilian President but you either forgot that posterity would call you to account as the longest serving leader this country has ever had or you simply neglected to “do the needful” as you now advise others to do.

“Baba, if I may ask, what better definition of impunity can one have than the gale of orchestrated impeachments (some carried out with less than ten legislators in hotel rooms) and serial violations of civil liberties orchestrated by you during your tenure as civilian President? You will recall that the National Assembly, because of your unrelenting and undemocratic actions embarked on a process of impeaching you. It took the intervention of my humble self and few of other compatriots to save you and keep our nascent democracy on course. For this, you personally thanked me in writing!

“Weren’t the Halliburton and Siemens scandals part of your legacies to the Nations corruption index? Are you aware that the National ID card project which resulted in the Siemens scandal has been successfully undertaken by the Jonathan administration without any form of under-hand dealings? Didn’t you refuse all pleas to sign the Freedom of Information Bill into law? Which of the poverty and human development indices recorded any improvement while you held sway as Nigerian President for eight years?

“Talking about infrastructure, one may want to ask why critical roads like the Benin-Ore road; Lagos-Ibadan Expressway; Kano-Maiduguri road; the East West Road and even your Otta-Abeokuta dual carriage were recklessly abandoned and could not be fixed in all your eight years as President despite having more oil money from the Petroleum Ministry over which you personally superintended as President and oil Minister. Why should a President double as the Petroleum Minister of a country?

“Why were you unable or perhaps unwilling to unbundle the PHCN and privatize the power sector for efficient management and output all of your eight years?
As typical of you baba, you made superficial attempt to improve power supply in the twilight of your administration when you committed Nigeria to spending a colossal sum of 16 billion dollars which was paid upfront to import gas turbines for the NIPP projects.

“You neither made plans whatsoever to evacuate the turbines from the ports, nor made provisions for the road infrastructural upgrade to transport them to the desired locations. No land was acquired for the installation of the imported turbines neither was a right of way for execution of the project acquired. Also, you made no effort to align the gas national gas pipeline network with the locations of the turbines. The resultant effect of this shoddy approach to National development was an unmitigated disaster and a colossal loss of a whopping sum of nearly 16 billion dollars as many of these turbines rotted away at the ports until the intervention of the President Goodluck Jonathan administration.

“Prior to your emergence as President and considering your antecedents as a farmer, one would have expected that you would use your position to reduce Nigeria’s huge food import bills, boost food production and help reduce poverty in Nigeria. Alas, you government did absolutely nothing in this critical sector!

“Rather, you introduced policies that impoverished farmers and increased poverty, hunger and starvation among the populace.

“Baba, you are one of the African leaders that came up with the idea of the Great Green wall from the Atlantic to the Pacific coast. While your friend, President Wade did well in Senegal to drive the project, what did you do in Northern Nigeria to bring this vision to reality? Please go and see what the Jonathan administration is doing on the Great Green Wall project.

“It amazes some of us that a person who had been so favored by God and man should refuse to heed the simple words of the elders that those who have had the fortune of having their palm kernel cracked for them by some benevolent spirit should not forget to be humble.

“Sir, with all your failures, self- righteousness, hypocrisy and other shenanigan, Nigeria has left you alone. Please baba, leave Nigeria alone.
Yours truly.”

VANGUARD

THE COWBOYS MOBILIZE: Fulani Pastoralists Mobilise 23m Members for Jonathan

Ahead of the 2015 presidential election, Fulani cattle breeders in Nigeria operating under the auspices of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore Socio-Cultural Association on Monday promised to mobilise their 23 million members to vote for President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015.

They made the declaration at a world press conference held at NICON Luxury Hotel, Abuja.

The National Secretary of the association, Saleh Alhassan Kubah, who read the text on behalf of the National President, Alhaji Abdullahi Bodejo, said their association was rooting for President Jonathan because he had shown special interest in the welfare of pastoralists in the country since he assumed office.

According to him, apart from favourable agricultural policies under his transformation agenda, particularly in animal husbandry, President Jonathan also appointed Fulani pastoralists into key positions in his government.
“We are reaffirming our earlier endorsement of the president which we made during our visit and investiture of our association’s patron, Prof. Rufai Ahmed Alkali, who is the Political Adviser to the president.

“This endorsement is done after a careful analysis of the love and affection the president has extended to the Fulani pastoralists in Nigeria by entrusting his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in the hands of a proud Fulani pastoralist, Alhaji Ahmadu Mu’azu, and the appointment of our patron, an accomplished academic and politician as his adviser on political matters and many other highly placed Fulani political appointees serving in his government,”

While reiterating that the interest of Fulani pastoralist is well “protected” by the Jonathan’s administration, they emphasised that they want the president to continue in office beyond 2015 to enable him complete his policies in the agriculture sector.

The group said: “Our association is of the strong belief that the agricultural policies under the president transformation agenda particularly in the animal husbandry which is the main economic engagement of our members, if fully implemented by ensuring his re-election in 2015, will address most of the challenges faced by the Fulani pastoralists.

“Some of these laudable policies include the growers’ enhancement scheme, agricultural value chain addition in animal husbandry, the proposed Pastoralist Development Bank, the grazing Reserves Commission Bill that has passed second reading in the Senate; the proposed Fulani pastoralist resettlement scheme and the re-invigorated Nomadic education programme.

“The president has made a firm commitment to ensure that the Fulani pastoralists are provided with the conducive environment to pursue their livelihoods, and we believe him.”
They further declared that they are embarking on a massive mobilisation of their 23 million members to ensure that President Jonathan is re-elected in 2015, “and soon, we will launch our Ruga-to-Ruga (Settlement-to-Settlement) campaign for the re-election of the president.”

THISDAY

THE BATTLE OF CASH: Atiku set To Outspend APC Opponents

Former Vice-President and aspirant in the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, is expected to outspend his opponents in the presidential contest, a THISDAY survey has shown.

With a war chest from various business sources and contacts, the Atiku campaign promises to be a huge money show all the way.

Already, the campaign is getting donations from individuals. It received a cheque of N1000 on Monday.

Principally, heavy funds would be expended on media activities such as adverts on the radios, televisions and newspapers.

Atiku, a grassroots politician, believes in the efficacy of the media – a force he easily displays to his advantage.

In the last general polls, Atiku outspent his opponents in advertorials where he took on his traducers with carton-type adverts.

Currently, his campaign office, which runs like a mini-media house, has in its services experienced media handlers like Alhaji Garba Shehu, Paul Ibe and a host of others.

“Certainly, we plan to spend on advertisements, jingles, bill boards and all the other publicity activities. The truth is that Atiku is not holding back when it comes to campaign spending, especially with the media which he sees as partners in everything he is doing.

“And it is not only about spending money; it is also about interacting with the media. We are a media- friendly organisation and don’t joke with our partners. So it is nothing new because he likes to engage the public as a major player in the race,” says a source at the campaign office.

But putting it in another perspective, the head of the campaign media team, Garba Shehu, said Atiku enjoys goodwill and support from a wide range of Nigerians.

Speaking exclusively with THISDAY, he said: “One of the touching stories I need to share with you is about the cheque for N1000 a certain fellow sent to us yesterday as part of his donation to the campaign. This touched us very well because the individual said that was all he could afford and we are even doing an acknowledgement letter right now to thank him. So this is how we get real support from real people.”

On the media, Shehu said it is about a relationship based on friendship and not one based on monetary inducement.

“As a news source, we are not totally helpless. We have a duty to the news seekers. We can’t deny them stories or even not attend to them. So over the years we have built a relationship. It is not as if we don’t get our share of bad press but we have come to know how to maximise this relationship for mutual benefits. Some news medium expects their reporters to have certain numbers of stories. So if we deny such a reporter stories, do we want him sacked?”

Shehu, a media relations expert, said the Atiku campaign would also be funded from goodwill donations from fans and well wishers.

“We don’t have public money. We are not in government, not even a local government. So we would be depending on goodwill to fund our campaigns,” he said.

Atiku’s romance with the media, according to observers, goes back to his days in office when he was at logger heads with his principal, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo. The media tended to be on his side in the fracas.

On his money war chest, a string of successful business brands are traced to Atiku.
He has friends across the continent and beyond. Some observers believe that he is the wealthiest of the aspirants in the APC.

But Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso of Kano State is a serving governor who has state funds at his disposal. Some believe that he can match Atiku in campaign spending.

The publisher of Leadership Newspaper, Sam Nda-Isaiah, is also looking to spend huge funds in the campaign.

He told THISDAY in an earlier interview this year that he would be backed by friends and well wisher as well.  Leadership Newspaper has given birth to other big businesses in hotels, properties and publishing, all generating income.

Some observers said money should not play a central role in the upcoming contest. Others have however countered that the use of funds is inevitable and that as the money goes, so goes the polls.

THISDAY

Tinubu’s camp lines up three men for Buhari’s running mate

Associates of All Progressives Congress, APC leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu are lining up three possible running mates for Major-General Muhammadu Buhari (retd) should the former head of state prevail in the forthcoming presidential nomination convention of the party.

The synergy between Team Buhari and the Tinubu camp was formally brought to public light last Wednesday when many of Tinubu’s political associates, including his wife, Senator Oluremi Tinubu got prominent presence at Buhari’s public declaration for the presidency in Abuja.

The three prospective running mates, according to Vanguard sources are Prof. Yemi Osibajo, a former commissioner in Lagos State, Senator Ajayi Borofice presently representing Ondo North in the Senate and Mr. Wale Edun, a former commissioner in Lagos State.

Two other choices in the consideration of Team Buhari, the immediate past governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi and another former governor of Ekiti State, Otunba Niyi Adebayo were said to have been taken off the radar by the Asiwaju forces on account of political differences.

The intrigues in the relationship between Dr. Fayemi and Tinubu reached a crescendo last week when Tinubu absented himself from the commissioning of the Ekiti State Government Liaison House in Lagos.

On the scheduled day of the commissioning, the APC leader was said to have become invisible, sources close to the development told Vanguard, a fact that seemed to underline the increasing political disconnect between the once close men.

The projection of the three men, Borofice, Osibajo and Edun by the Tinubu camp follows the rejection by the mainstream of the party of a Muslim-Muslim ticket that would have seen a Buhari- Tinubu ticket.

Sources say that Tinubu may have lately withdrawn himself to that fact and is now believed to be preparing himself to position his own man to be a possible number two man for the country.

The consideration of Osibajo Vanguard learnt is based on the twin factors of his relatively clean character and respect in the Christian community. Osibajo, who served as attorney general and commissioner for justice in the Tinubu cabinet has won a respectable image as a senior pastor in the Redeemed Christian Church of God.

He is said to be fairly close to Pastor Enoch Adeboye, the general overseer of the RCCG. Those rooting for him say that positioning him on the ticket would balance any insinuation on the country drifting towards an Islamic path as some critics of Buhari have sought to assert.

The consideration of Senator Borofice, it was learnt, was aimed at strategically breaking up the hold of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in the Ekiti/Ondo axis, where the PDP is presently known to have set its foothold.

“By bringing out Borofice, who is about the only APC senator elected official in the Ekiti/Ondo axis, we can push for presence in the two states given that the PDP is in control of those two states,” a close associate of Tinubu said at the weekend.

Edun, who is reported to be the third person under consideration served as commissioner of finance for the two terms Governor Tinubu between 1999 and 2007 and he is said to be in position to bring relative youth to a presidency under Buhari’s watch.

“Our consideration of Edun is on the need of young blood given that Buhari is now of age and would need, young savvy men to keep him in track,” a source said.

Both Osibajo and Borofice were acclaimed at Buhari’s declaration. Edun’s presence at the event could not be confirmed at press time. One other prospective nominee, Senator Olurunnimbe Mamora Vanguard learnt was like Dr. Fayemi not being favourably considered by the Tinubu camp ostensibly because of his independent trait, which reportedly came to fore in the testy days leading to Governor Babatunde Fashola’s certification of a second term ticket in 2011. Mamora was also present at Buhari’s event.

VANGUARD