Nigeria’s federal ministers decry repressive work environment under President Buhari

buhari-and-ministers

By Anthony Obi Ogbo/

International Guardian, Houston, TX – Federal ministers in Nigeria may be seriously operating under President Buhari’s severe and pervasive conduct that represses the work environment and impedes with their ability to perform official duties.

Most of them are being subjected to disciplinary servitude with practically no option of resignation, International Guardian investigation reveals. “It would be a big risk to just resign because the EFCC would come after you with something, so they are really trapped” an aide to one of the ministers confided.

The ministers, we gathered were forcefully made to sign several pacts that compromised their constitutional job descriptions. For instance, in July 2015, President Buhari announced in his visit to Washington DC that ministers would no longer have power to award contracts. International Guardian reliably gathered that Buhari’s ministers are currently stripped from fully making major decisions regarding their divisions.

In May, 2016, Buhari reportedly shutdown a meeting with his ministers, and walked out on them over dissuasions about their concerns, especially accommodation. The ministers were seeking financial benefits for their accommodation, but their unconcerned boss,  President Buhari impolitely stood up and stormed out, leaving the ministers miserably hopeless.

An informant very close to Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, the Minister of Transportation told our newsroom that, “we have to be patient with our ministers. They are trying. Do you know that they cannot make any official decisions, or suggestions without consulting with the General, and that is slowing down everything we are doing here?”

One of the major stipulations, it was gathered was a mandatory restriction to grant press briefings or issue major press statements without President Buhari’s approval. An aide to a minister specifically told our newsroom that most press releases attributed to their sector directly come from the Presidency. “We actually get wind of most of those from the social media,” the aide confided.

In May, 2016, Buhari reportedly shutdown a meeting with his ministers, and walked out on them over dissuasions about their concerns, especially accommodation. The ministers were seeking financial benefits for their accommodation, but their unconcerned boss,  President Buhari impolitely stood up and stormed out, leaving the ministers miserably hopeless. The ministers, it had been reported, were living like squatters in Abuja, dwelling in rented motel rooms, homes, and apartments without any official remuneration to supplement their expenses.

ministersbuhari
Buhari, Ministers in a group photo – In May, 2016, Buhari reportedly shutdown a meeting with his ministers, and walked out on them over dissuasions about their concerns, especially accommodation. The ministers were seeking financial benefits for their accommodation, but their unconcerned boss, President Buhari impolitely stood up and stormed out, leaving the ministers miserably hopeless.

Resignation may not be a pleasant option, our newsroom gathered. “One has to come up with a major excuse like ‘poor health condition’ or ‘real family issues’ to ask to resign. If not, it might be a big risk. You know Buhari does not want his cabinet in the news – anything that would embarrass his cabinet, he would take serious,” a ministerial aide said.

This may explain why some recent ministerial nominees politely turned down their appointments. For instance, one Akinwande Akintunde, a Professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology recently rejected Buhari’s appointment to head the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC); then one Usman Bugaji of Arewa Research and Development Project (ARDP) from Katsina state turned down and Pauline Tallen, Former Deputy Governor of Plateau state, turned down their Ambassadorial Appointment respectively.

Buhari’s New Change Ought to Begin with His Igbo Problem

By SKC Ogbonnia
By SKC Ogbonnia

For full disclosure, I am an Igbo man. I am also one of the pundits currently being lampooned for cheering President Muhammadu Buhari to democratic power. Yet, knowing what I know now, I will lend that support all over again—and even more. Unless we have begun to view the history from a tainted lens, the thought of the very alternative, which was to bring back Goodluck Jonathan, remains a portent of much bigger crisis. More relatively, I strongly endorse Buhari’s latest mantra: “Change begins with me.”  And that is exactly what this piece is set to accomplish.

Let me quickly wet the ground by first defining effective leadership as the ability of the leader to maximize the available resources within the internal and external environment and be recognized by the followers as meeting the expectations. Please notice that this definition has two components. One is for the leader to do a good job. The other, and probably more instructive, is for the leader to be seen by the follower as doing a good job.

Like every Nigerian leader, Buhari assumed the presidency with good intentions. The president is also working hard. Despite the economic mess left behind by the previous government, he is soldiering on with measurable progress on many areas. Regrettably, most Nigerians see the efforts as busy doing nothing. Accordingly, Buhari is making changes beginning from his very self. But there is one critical problem the General has continued to ignore that is firmly woven into the fabric of our current quest for economic revival: His Igbo problem.

For obvious reasons, the problem was initially waved off as a typical Igbo palaver. Sadly, it has now widened with untold social, political, and economic consequences. Before getting to the main gist, here is a cursory glance at the Igbo—just in case.

As one of the major Nigerian ethnic groups, the Igbo are the natural inhabitants of the Southeast and some areas of South-South and North-Central zones of Nigeria. The people are predominantly Christians and uniquely boast of being the first or second largest population in most parts of the country. Known for their unique resilience, resourcefulness, can-do spirit and, of course, unbounded technological and scientific acumen; the Igbo represent the hybrid engine of Nigeria’s commerce. These diverse traits help in no small measure as they forge social, political, and economic influence around Nigeria.

But the influence is even beyond. The Igbo have embraced the reigning economic gospel that we no longer merely live in a country but in a world. Thus, with a heavy presence around the globe, they gleefully play a commanding role in nation’s foreign exchange, foreign trade, foreign investment as well as relationships. Not surprisingly, the Igbo in the Diaspora are a leading block contributor to the yearly amount of foreign money remitted to Nigeria, which is ironically more than the national budget. Very significantly, the people are one of the key drivers of Nigeria’s media home and abroad and thus have the potential to influence how the country is perceived anywhere.

The foregoing attributes are more than enough to discern that the Igbo is as important as any other ethnic group and ought to be carried along in the current change agenda of the government. Chinua Achebe was more eloquent in the book, There Was a Country: The perennial tendency to undermine the unique role of the Igbo in Nigeria “is one of the fundamental reasons the country has not developed as it should and has emerged as a laughingstock.”  But events thus far suggest that Buhari might have been ill-advised to challenge the theory from the onset.

This apparent dissent is rooted in the 2015 presidential elections where a vast majority of the Igbo joined the South-South to vote en masse against Buhari’s winning candidacy. However, rather than use the historic mandate to rally the different political divisions towards common purpose, the president would shock the democratic world by revealing his plan to marginalize the zones that voted against him. Many pundits thought his statement was a mere gaffe. But the records afterwards seem to suggest that Muhammadu “Okechukwu” Buhari actually meant the threat of vendetta against the Igbo, particularly those from the Southeast.

Critics are free to join here. But there is no gainsaying that the Igbo people are truly marginalized in the current scheme of things. As I had penned in October 2015, the upper echelon of Buhari’s government is a preview. “The underlying rationale in this case is that the positions of the President, Vice-President, Senate President, Speaker, Chairman of the ruling party, and the Secretary to Federal Government have been staked in the past 16 years as the main thrust of the party in power and thence rotated among the six political zones of the country.” Yet, the Southeast was conspicuously denied its share. Moreover, it is no coincidence that the same Southeast Nigeria, the mainstay of the Igbo nation, is the only zone without a personnel presence in the nation’s security leadership apparatus.

This outlook coupled with a stoic indifference by the president triggered outrage in the land. It straightaway provoked the Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), then a sedate outfit, to declare “that Buhari is not seeing Ndigbo as part of Nigeria.” The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) was not to be left behind, as it heightened its call for secession from the country. Their activities, however, were met with brute force, including the detention without bail of its leader, Nnamdi Kalu. This plight is today commonly linked to the birth of a new militant group under the auspices of Niger Delta Avengers. We are all living witnesses to the economic repercussions of the Biafran movement and their Avengers ever since.

The title of this piece will not be apt if the empathy for the current wave of Igbo marginalization did not flow past east of River Niger. Recognizing that the ruling party treated it as business as usual, the opposition from the highly influential Southwest Nigeria led by the trio of Ayo Fayose, Femi Fani-Kayode, and Femi Aribisala capitalized on the saga to strike back. What just took place here, and painfully so, is that Muhammadu Buhari had inadvertently provided a lifeline for the corrupt brigade of the immediate past regime—from the east, north, and west—to resurface and now grandstand as latter-day fighters of what is widely believed as naked injustice to the people of the Southeast. And what followed, thereafter, was a montage of propaganda that successfully painted the president as an unapologetic bigot determined to punish not only the Igbo but also the entire Christian-dominated South.

The development caught the attention of the Northern zone of the Christian Association of Nigeria, which lamented as follows: “while there were volumes of allegations from the South that the appointments made so far were in favour of the north, facts on the ground revealed that those appointments were lopsided in favour of Muslim north to the detriment of Northern Christian community.” More dauntingly, many blame part of the current crisis on Buhari’s economic policy, particularly foreign exchange, which is believed to be tribally skewed to specially benefit his Fulani kinsmen who control bureau de change across the country.

Today, not only is the national economy in recession, the negative opinion of Buhari is growing beyond our shores. Although a number of world leaders showered praises on him during the recent UN session in New York for giant strides against corruption and terrorism, which is very gratifying, a creeping concern within the international community remains that Nigeria’s president is a dictator, tribalist, sectionalist, misogynist, and religious bigot—all in one person. This emerging view—whether real or not—explains why US Congressman Tom Marino, a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, on a September 1, 2016 letter, would warn the United States to withhold selling arms to Nigeria until Buhari demonstrates true “commitment to inclusive government and the most basic tenets of democracy: freedom to assemble and freedom of speech.”

This spectre is gloomy, square. It does not bode well for an economy in recession. In short, it scares away investment whether local or foreign, especially in this era of economic globalization where millions of Nigerians in the Diaspora, the Igbo well included, represent the convex lens through which the world sees Nigeria. This also goes to say that even as President Buhari might have done a good job on the area of corruption, the fact that he is generally perceived as condoning gross injustice at another area renders his entire effort pyrrhic.

The central problem is complex and thus difficult to capture at once. But the solution is quite simple. For every question raised in this essay sufficiently answers itself. Buhari has to simply trek back to where the rain started beating him and make amends. Allowing the problem to linger not only threatens the chances of economic revival but also the hard-earned change. Even if he is not thinking of 2019, which he should, Mr. President cannot feign ignorance of the fact that his queasy quandary with the Legislature has his Igbo problem written all over it. Very true!

♦ SKC Ogbonnia, Ph.D.  writes from Houston, Texas. Contact >>>

Leader Pledges to Rid Nigeria of Hunger, Omits Worst Crisis

By Michelle Faul, Associated Press

LAGOS, Nigeria — Nigeria’s president promised Saturday to drive hunger out of Africa’s most populous nation but made no mention of a conflict-driven famine threatening to kill tens of thousands of children in northeast Nigeria.

The United Nations has warned that 75,000 children could die of starvation in a year if speedy action isn’t taken in northeast Nigeria, where underfunded aid agencies say 4.4 million people need food and 65,000 are living in famine-like conditions amid an Islamic insurgency by Boko Haram extremists.

Children with matchstick limbs and protruding ribs already are dying but a regional official for Nigeria’s National Emergency Management Agency, Muhammad Kanar, denied Friday that the region had even one case of malnutrition. He spoke after the U.N. Children’s Fund doubled its funding appeal to $115 million, calling it one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari made no reference Saturday to the food emergency in a speech marking the West African nation’s 56th anniversary of independence from British colonizers.

Instead, he painted a rosy picture of military successes against Nigeria’s homegrown extremists in the northeast, repeating that Boko Haram “was defeated” by December 2015.

“Now, residents in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States … go about their daily business in relative safety,” he claimed. “Commuters can travel between cities, towns and villages without fear.”

Aid workers and residents of Borno, the worst-hit state and birthplace of Boko Haram, say they fear to venture out of Maiduguri, the biggest city in the northeast, for fear of attack. As a result, Doctors Without Borders said people in newly liberated towns are “entirely reliant on outside aid that does not reach them.”

Famine and malnutrition are among many emergencies hitting Nigeria, a nation that has fallen into recession this year and lost its position as Africa’s biggest oil producer as militant attacks in the south slashed petroleum production. Nigeria also is beset by separatists in the southeast, an ever-deadlier conflict in the Middle Belt pitting mainly Muslim nomadic herders against Christian farmers, and mounting crime including a slew of kidnappings for ransom.

The latest victim, the wife of Central Bank of Nigeria Gov. Godwin Emefiele, was rescued by security forces Friday night within 24 hours of being abducted by gunmen, the bank said Saturday. Some Nigerian families have bankrupted themselves to pay ransoms and complain that police did nothing to help.

Amnesty International this week accused Buhari’s government of trying to muzzle dissent by arresting and intimidating journalists and protesters. The London-based rights group cited examples of police violently blocking peaceful protesters, including activists demanding the government rescue more than 200 Chibok schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram in 2014.

The Bring Back Our Girls Movement, marking the girls’ 900th day in captivity Friday, reminded Buhari of his words last year that “we cannot claim to have defeated Boko Haram without rescuing the Chibok girls and all other innocent persons held hostage.”

The father of one of the kidnapped girls was among the civilians killed in a Boko Haram attack on a village near Chibok last week, bringing the number of parents who have died since the mass abduction to 23.

In his speech Saturday, Buhari did not even refer to the kidnapped girls.

Instead, he promised big infrastructure and agricultural projects that “will revive the economy, restore the value of the naira (currency) and drive hunger from our land.”

President Buhari removes aide who plagiarized Obama speech

President Buhari....A slump in the country’s fiscal system has adversely affected the cost and standard of living for the common man. Furthermore, the regimes has been reluctant in addressing core sociopolitical issues facing the country – from security, heath, education  to affordability of consumer goods.
Buhari in his speech for the “Change Begins With Me” campaign, said, “We must resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship, pettiness and immaturity that have poisoned our country for so long.” The line was taken verbatim from Obama’s speech, which he gave eight years ago after his victory over Arizona Sen. John McCain. Furthermore, the regimes has been reluctant in addressing core sociopolitical issues facing the country – from security, heath, education to affordability of consumer goods.

(CNN) – Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has removed a speechwriter who caused him national embarrassment after he plagiarized US President Barack Obama.

Buhari delivered the lines at the launch of a landmark campaign on September 8, unaware that part of his speech was lifted.
Buhari in his speech for the “Change Begins With Me” campaign, said, “We must resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship, pettiness and immaturity that have poisoned our country for so long.”
The line was taken verbatim from Obama’s speech, which he gave eight years ago after his victory over Arizona Sen. John McCain.
The incident was particularly embarrassing for the president because “Change Begins With Me” is a flagship policy meant to demand honesty and integrity from Nigerians.
Presidential spokesman Garba Shehu confirmed to CNN that the unnamed civil servant had been relieved of his duties at the state house.
He said: “He came from the Office of the Head of the Civil Service on posting and he was asked to return (to that office). They will handle his case in accordance with their regulations.”
 
At the time, Shehu blamed the error on “overzealous administration staff.” “We regret that this has happened. This serious oversight will be investigated thoroughly and appropriate punishment meted.”
The presidency has put in place digital software used by editors to combat plagiarism, the spokesman said.
It is not the first time Buhari has been called out for plagiarism. In his inauguration speech in May 2015, he received plaudits for his quote: “I belong to everybody and I belong to nobody.”
This line was later attributed to French President Charles de Gaulle, who was quoted in a book saying, “I am a man who belongs to no one and who belongs to everyone,” while addressing a press conference on May 19, 1958.
Buhari’s “Change Begins With Me” campaign, which includes a push against widespread corruption, has proved somewhat ill-fated, with some Nigerians criticizing it for being tone-deaf and failing to address their needs during a biting recession. Many took to Twitter to vent against the campaign.
Speaking at its launch, Buhari said: “The campaign principle is simple, each of us must live the change we want to see in our society. Before you ask, ‘where is the change they promised us,’ you must first ask, ‘how far have I changed my ways.”

Change Begins with who? The Nigerian President and the butchery of the change philosophy

By Anthony Obi Ogbo
By Anthony Obi Ogbo

Less than two years after he took office, President Buhari and his selection of incompatible cohorts have run Nigeria’s social system into anarchy; cluttered the country’s political structure; and ran the economy into a near irreparable recession. But recession may not be astonishing because organizational challenges come and go. The danger is that this president may not even know that his country’s economy is in recession, while he ignorantly flip-flops from one social campaign to the other.

In a mist of economic catastrophe, President Buhari’s first disastrous move was to launch a movement against societal indiscipline. The aged authoritarian had declared a war on “indiscipline” last month, recreating a “task force” that would supposedly ensure orderly queues, clean streets, and enforce punctuality across the public service system.

This was a reintroduction of one of his punitive programs in his days as dictator. Shortly after he seized office in 1983, General Buhari, as he then was, set up the “War Against Indiscipline,” (WAI); using hardened military bullies to terrorize citizens with brutal penalties and humiliations. For instance, civil servants who turned up late for work were publicly and physically abused, while Nigerians accused of dropping litter and jumping queues faced penalties ranging from compulsory press-ups to fines.

As President Buhari was busy rehearsing his campaign against Indiscipline, Nigerian Bureau of Statistics (NBS) hinted that the country has dropped into recession. The country’s gross domestic product (GDP) dropped by 2.06 percent in the second quarter of 2016 after falling 0.36 percent in the previous three months. To make it worse, Nigeria’s  oil industry went down against weaker global prices.

Unperturbed by the impending fiscal hardship, President Buhari resumed another campaign – this time , a movement tied to a transformation process he adopted as a campaign promise late 2014. The new campaign tagged ‘Change Begins with Me’ is expected to engrain accountability, integrity, and positive attitude among the populace to comprehensively attain national development.

This President charged his frustrated citizens to be part of his campaign because the change they would see begins with them. According to President Buhari, “If you have not seen the change in you, you cannot see it in others or even the larger society. In other words, before you ask ‘where is the change they promised us?, you must first ask, ‘How far have I changed my ways? What have I done to be part of the change for the greater good of society’?”

President Buhari, just like most African dictators, had adopted a call for patriotism and action by a former United States President John F. Kennedy, in his inaugural speech in 1961 that Americans should ask not what their country could do for them, but ask what they could do for their country. Failed leaders, especially in Africa, had relied on this phrase to intimidate their citizens into love and service to their country even when these leaders leave them without the least basic necessities. But President Kennedy was only energizing his populace by expressing the significance of patriotism and unyielding support for public service. He wasn’t preaching on how to support indolent leaders who terrorize their people.

Recessions is harmful for any country and any responsible leader in this condition should organize relevant resources to seek the way out. The most relevant entity or player to stop recession or divert the economy to the path of growth is the government. Unfortunately, President Buhari, so detached with both his subordinates and constituents is yet to present a blueprint to address his economic woes. With an inexistent economic team, this president has totally ignored any prime actions on alleviating his current predicament; rather he had trotted from one social campaign to the other, professing policies that bear no relevance to his regime’s immediate needs.

But this latest campaign, ‘Change Begins with Me’ reveals about this regime, a total lack of comprehension of the change development. Change is a fundamental application of the transformation process, and neither begins with the leader nor the lead; rather, it is a revolution from a current state to a proposed future state to inspire relevant development. In a change environment, the leaders take charge in managing the development and surmounting barriers of the process. Thus, an estimated change can only be effective when leaders understand the development mechanism, significant complications, and other barriers that must be mitigated.

President Buhari had complained about some elements that  break pipelines and other oil facilities, thus robbing the nation of the much-needed resources. But his inability to properly address the issues involving the Niger Delta indigenes contradicts his change campaign and further frustrates the country’s constitutional mission to attain unity. In organizational development or governance, change hardly thrives in a system riddled with economic injustice and sociopolitical uncertainty.

President Buhari’s campaign that a “Change” process must begin from the constituents is a misguided development preference. In the transformation fraternity, both the leader and the led are united in the process and must uplift each other in a greater height of success. In the domain of organizational transformation, the leader takes charge in developing a feasible agenda; he must communicate a clear vision, build trust, and generate necessary understanding among subordinates. But President Buhari cannot facilitate a change process by a current isolation of both his subordinates and the masses from the governmental process.

With Nigeria and its current dysfunctional governance, any proposed change process must be a paradigm shift. A process revolution that would start from president Buhari himself. This president must embrace the mechanics of Organizational Development. He must create a new structure that would radiate fundamental principles that foster collective involvement of significant stakeholders; boost learning; advocate justice and equality; create path to effective communication; mutual obligation, and other factors that would engage people and foster strategic means to collectively solve problems.

Anthony Ogbo, Ph.D. is the Publisher of Houston-based International Guardian, and author of “Governance Buhari’s Way.”

Nigerian oil output may stay low through 2017

WASHINGTON, (UPI) — Nigerian crude oil production will likely remain suppressed by militant activity at least through next year, a report from the U.S. government said.

The most active of the many militant groups in the oil-rich Niger Delta region, the Niger Delta Avengers surfaced early this year and have since contributed to a steep drop in crude oil production. Based on a report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, total Nigerian crude oil production fell to a 30-year low this year.

“Crude oil production disruptions in Nigeria reached 750,000 barrels per day in May 2016, the highest level since at least January 2009,” the EIA’s report read.

The Niger Delta Avengers have been waging a militant campaign against national and international energy companies working in the Niger Delta. The group accused the government of Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari of favoring oil and gas interests over the interests of the people in the Niger Delta.

In official statements, the group said it was countering the government’s narrative that its campaign targeted Nigerian security forces and oil workers, instead blaming the administration of Buhari, a former military general, for some of the violence.

In an early August statement, spokesman Mudoch Agbinibo said the group was calling for the restructuring of the country, saying the Buhari administration was deaf to the plight of its citizens.

The EIA’s report said the NDA’s campaign has been “immediate” and “severe” for Nigerian oil production. The Buhari administration at one point this year suggested a truce was brokered with militant groups, but the Niger Delta Avengers said in an official statement that it had “not negotiated with anyone.” The government, however, has continued with an amnesty program aimed to stemming the tide of violence.

“However, because payouts are just one of the NDA’s many demands, crude oil production stoppages are likely to continue until the Nigerian government and the NDA can reach a comprehensive agreement,” the U.S. government’s report read. “EIA expects Nigerian oil production to remain depressed through 2017 as a result of militant attacks.”

Nigeria: Seven most fraudulent activities of President Buhari-APC’s regime

Seven most fraudulent activities of the President Buhari-APC’s regime illustrated

There are reasons why the United States and its western allies are blatantly skeptical about the fragile regime of President Muhammadu and his party, the All Progressive Congress. A recurring events of attempts to cover up outrageous scandals tied to the regime might be creating a lack trust among Nigeria’s western allies, and the world is watching. For a country battling with global image-cleanup over fraud, fabricating documents of core political issues tied to the government may be politically and economically disastrous.  

For instance, Nigeria is the 136 least corrupt nation out of 175 countries, according to the 2015 Corruption Perceptions Index reported by Transparency International. The Corruption Perceptions Index ranks countries and territories based on how corrupt their public sector is perceived. President Buhari had vowed in his inauguration  to fight corruption, but his involvement in major corrupt activities leaves a substantial dent. According to José Ugaz, chair of Transparency International,  “Nigeria’s new president has committed to fight corruption. Nigerians must hold him to that promise and the corrupt must be brought to justice.”

Here are seven most fraudulent activities of the President Buhari-APC’s Regime;

The regime had instigated a media campaign, claiming it was a different “Aisha Buhari” that was mentioned in the case. Discrepancies in the fake passport revealed recklessly doctored print modifications, including unmatched date of birth and trails of editing.
The regime had instigated a media campaign, claiming it was a different “Aisha Buhari” that was mentioned in the case. Discrepancies in the fake passport revealed recklessly doctored print modifications, including unmatched date of birth and trails of editing.

 

No. 1: Fabrication of a fake Nigerian passport to cover up Mrs. Buhari’s fraud case

 Mid June 2016, President Buhari’s government through its anti-fraud agency, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) fabricated  a fake Nigerian passport with the name “Aisha Muhammadu Buhari” to cover the alleged involvement of Aisha Buhari (the First lady) in the money laundering case involving   a former United States congressman, William J. Jefferson.   Jefferson was sentenced to 13 years in prison 2009 for accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes in a  case that also involved a former Nigerian vice president Atiku Abubakar and the wife, Jennifer Douglas Abubakar. In this process, Mrs. Buhari through the regime had  instigated a media campaign, claiming it was a different  “Aisha Buhari” that was mentioned in the case. Discrepancies in the fake passport revealed recklessly doctored print modifications, including unmatched date of birth and trails of editing.

Premium Times disgracefully released what was believed to be Buhari’s certificate, but suspicions quickly emerged; the statement was printed on the letter head paper of the Katsina State Ministry of Education, showing an examination took place in 1961 with a recent picture (2014) of the candidate, Buhari.
Premium Times disgracefully released what was believed to be Buhari’s certificate, but suspicions quickly emerged; the statement was printed on the letter head paper of the Katsina State Ministry of Education, showing an examination took place in 1961 with a recent picture (2014) of the candidate, Buhari.

 

No. 2 Forgery of President Buhari’s school-leaving certificate

In a heated presidential campaign moment, 2014, Premium Times disgracefully released what was believed to be Buhari’s certificate, but suspicions quickly emerged; the statement was printed on the letter head paper of the Katsina State Ministry of Education, showing an examination took place in 1961 with a recent picture (2014) of the candidate, Buhari.

Such fraud related to a presidential candidate leaves two major implications, The Guardian wrote;  it validates the long time perception that   Nigeria is the most fraudulent country in the world; and also, most foreign colleges, institutions, and scholarly fellowships might start scrutinizing documents from Nigerians with some impracticable rules.

The images were displayed over a scanned Wikipedia page in a new Google blog account (See internet addresses in arrows 1&2).
The images were displayed over a scanned Wikipedia page in a new Google blog account (See internet addresses in arrows 1&2).

 

No. 3. Fabrication of Army War College Foundation & Alumni Affairs website in a new Google account

   The defensive posture taken by the Buhari campaign in defending his shady academic records rekindles his issues with certificates. A school where Buhari claimed he attended a 6-month training but has since erased the information from Wikipedia surfaced on the Social Media walls in a fraudulent way – showing  photos of great alumni (with Buhari superimposed among them). The images were displayed over a scanned Wikipedia page in a new Google blog account (See internet addresses in arrows 1&2).

Three story reports emanating from the regime sources recently aggravated the mystery surrounding the missing girls, leaving the regime with little or no credibility. A breaking news in April claimed that Boko Haram was afraid of Buhari and had abandoned the 300 abducted girls in Sambisa Forest. (Image 1: Aljazeera reporting this live from Abuja); Image 2 shows another breaking news - More abducted girls/women freed – thanks to the General. His victory alone sent the terrorists packing; and then image 3, shows how an APC propagandist, Oby Ezekwesili visited the General she had been campaigning for, with a renewed call to negotiate a rescue.
Three story reports emanating from the regime sources recently aggravated the mystery surrounding the missing girls, leaving the regime with little or no credibility. A breaking news in April claimed that Boko Haram was afraid of Buhari and had abandoned the 300 abducted girls in Sambisa Forest. (Image 1: Aljazeera reporting this live from Abuja); Image 2 shows another breaking news – More abducted girls/women freed – thanks to the General. His victory alone sent the terrorists packing; and then image 3, shows how an APC propagandist, Oby Ezekwesili visited the General she had been campaigning for, with a renewed call to negotiate a rescue.

 

No. 4. The “Bring Back the Girls” Mystery

   The report two years ago, that radical Islamists with the militant group Boko Haram stormed a school in Chibok, Nigeria, kidnapping 276 teen girls unveiled the worst side of Nigeria’s corrupt system.    The event fraudulently used by Buhari, and his party, the APC to push their election bid sparked global outrage, with high-profile personalities taking pictures on Facebook and Twitter with the hashtag, #BringBackOurGirls.  All questions regarding the missing girls were suppressed while local authorities in Borno State conspired with Government opposition then to frustrate all avenues to investigate the incident. Buhari capitalized on this travesty to energize his campaign, vowing to rescue the girls within one month of his inauguration.

Three story reports emanating from the regime sources recently aggravated the mystery surrounding the missing girls, leaving the regime with little or no credibility. A breaking news in  April claimed that  Boko Haram was afraid of Buhari and had abandoned the 300 abducted girls in Sambisa Forest. (Image 1: Aljazeera reporting this live from Abuja); Image 2 shows another breaking news – More abducted girls/women freed – thanks to the General. His victory alone sent the terrorists packing; and then image 3, shows how an APC propagandist, Oby Ezekwesili visited the General she had been campaigning for, with a renewed call to negotiate a rescue.  

Here are the questions that baffled the international community; which girls are Oby Ezekwesil bringing back- the ones already rescued? Ezekwesili was aware that Buhari had promised to bring back the girls within 30 day of his administration. If the girls were back – what was she doing in Aso Rock? If they were not back – did she ask the General why?

 

A “Photoshop” image that accompanied their stories and claims gave up their strategy. An image of a said negotiator was cut and superimposed into a group photo of individuals depicted as Boko Haram terrorists. The scam created an outrage in the social media and casted doubts APC-Buhari’s credibility when it was in fact discovered that there was no negotiator.
A “Photoshop” image that accompanied their stories and claims gave up their strategy. An image of a said negotiator was cut and superimposed into a group photo of individuals depicted as Boko Haram terrorists. The scam created an outrage in the social media and casted doubts on APC-Buhari’s credibility, when it was in fact discovered that there was no negotiator.

No. 5. The fake Boko Haram negotiator

  In a desperate move September 2014, to set confusion among the populace over accusations of Buhari’s link to the terrorist group, Boko Haram, the APC initiated a story about a negotiator called Dr Stephen Davis from Australia, claiming that the then Chief of army staff, General Azubuike Ihejirika was fully supporting the Boko Haram leadership by working with them and conducting limited attacks on their members under agreement.

A “Photoshop” image that accompanied their stories and claims gave up their strategy. An image of a said negotiator was cut and superimposed into a group photo of individuals depicted as Boko Haram terrorists. The scam created an outrage in the social media and casted doubts on APC-Buhari’s credibility when it was in fact discovered that there was no negotiator. 

On June 18, the picture on the right was anonymously sent to our newsroom for publication but was rejected for fakeness. The photo failed every photo authenticity test including an asymmetrical composition, incomparable perspective, and a lack of component proportionality. (Also see the background in the red circle, and the arrowed ‘head’ image). Days later, the same photo was enhanced, and published in the social media.
On June 18, the picture on the right was anonymously sent to our newsroom for publication but was rejected for fakeness. The photo failed every photo authenticity test including an asymmetrical composition, incomparable perspective, and a lack of component proportionality. (Also see the background in the red circle, and the arrowed ‘head’ image). Days later, the same photo was enhanced, and published in the social media.

No. 6. Buhari’s fraudulent campaign against his predecessor to boost his war against corruption

To boost his much publicized campaign against corruption and gather international attention, Buhari’s regime initiated a fraudulent campaign against his predecessors with claims it had recovered millions of stolen currency from them.  Above photos are latest immaturely composed photos of former president Jonathan floated by the Buhari regime to soften the devastations of their internal crisis and shield the ludicrous attention generated by president.

On June 18, the picture on the right was anonymously sent to our newsroom for publication but was rejected for fakeness. The photo failed every photo authenticity test including an asymmetrical composition, incomparable perspective, and a lack of component proportionality. (Also see the background in the red circle, and the arrowed ‘head’ image). Days later, the same photo was enhanced, and published in the social media.

 

The photo (on the right) showing Michelle Obama and Aisha Buhari is fake. The real photo (left) is Michelle Obama and Graca Machel Mandela taken in 2011 when Michelle met with the Mandelas in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The photo (on the right) showing Michelle Obama and Aisha Buhari is fake. The real photo (left) is Michelle Obama and Graca Machel Mandela taken in 2011 when Michelle met with the Mandelas in Johannesburg, South Africa.

No. 7. Aisha’s fake photo with the United States First Lady, Michelle Obama

In a heated political exchange late June,   the Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose had questioned Mrs. Buhari’s integrity, citing her involvement in the Jefferson’s fraud, and challenging her to travel to the United States as a proof of innocence. Fayose was right in his challenge for several reasons; Mrs. Buhari and others listed as witnesses in the case had avoided the United States for fear of prosecution at the time. The regime media handlers thus fabricated a photo image of Mrs. Buhari and Mrs. Obama, to float a fictitious impression of circumstance.  Buhari’s propaganda machine actually used Aisha’s face from another photo to counterfeit their image of Michael and Aisha. The aim is to deceive Nigerians that Aisha had visited the White House and had nothing to fear about her alleged fraud case in the US. The photo (on the right) showing Michelle Obama and Aisha Buhari is fake. The real photo (left) is Michelle Obama and Graca Machel Mandela taken in 2011 when Michelle met with the Mandelas in Johannesburg, South Africa.

 

President Buhari orders NNPC to intensify oil exploration in Northern Nigeria – Vanguard

By Michael Eboh

Muhammadu Buhari has ordered the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, to increase the tempo on crude oil exploration activities in the northern part of the country.

Buhari Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Mr. Maikanti Baru, who disclosed this, yesterday, when governor of Bauchi State, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar, paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja, also lamented that Nigeria was currently facing difficult times. Baru said the NNPC currently had exploration activities going on in the frontier basin in Chad and also in some areas close to the Kolmani River, located in Bauchi State, where Shell had made some indicative discovery of hydrocarbons.

According to him, the President has directed the NNPC to go into that area to improve and further explore the magnitude and prospect of those finds. In response to the directive of the President, Baru disclosed that the NNPC was currently taking steps to re-strategise and get into those regions to step up crude oil exploration activities. “We will re-invigorate the Frontier Exploration Services and see how they collaborate with the Northern Nigeria Development Company, NNDC. ‘’NNDC is holding bloc 809 where we have some of the finds and also the Department for Petroleum Resources, DPR, for the other blocs that have not been assigned,” Baru added.

On the tough economic situation, Baru lamented that the various attacks on oil and gas assets across the country was making it difficult for the corporation to meet its financial obligations to the country. He said: “It is a very difficult time for us with all the leakages that we suffer, especially infractions on our infrastructure, in terms of pipeline vandalism and theft to be able to meet our obligations to the Federation Account Allocation Committee, FAAC.

Buhari vs. Aisha: War in Aso Rock as the First Lady gets a much younger rival

Mystery 002

There is a mystery first lady in Nigeria, widening the existing gap between President Muhammadu Buhari and the official First Lady, Aisha. The “Young Igbo Girl” as Buhari’s close confidants would call her had often visited the President from Canada where she lived as a spy-agent, until she was finally relocated to Abuja to be close to him. Since her arrival, the First lady, Aisha has been kept away from the President, with excuses about his deteriorating health, it was gathered.

The Mystery First Lady, accusable identified as Buhari’s mistress is a curvaceous light skinned journalist based in Canada. Looking chic in her late 30s, she was brought back to Nigeria and lodged in an exquisite suite on the third level of an Abuja five star hotel. “She spend most times with the President, and helps him with media stuff” confided an informant. It was also gathered that this mystery lady operates and heads a team that helps President Buhari to identify bloggers and activists bitterly opposed to his regime. A major victim of this operation is Nnamdi Kanu who was arrested on October 18, 2015, in Lagos State by Nigeria’s secret police the Department of State Services (DSS).

Aisha Buhari has since been sidelined on activities of Aso Rock, but staffers loyal to her are not taking it likely. “Why would the wife of the President need a protocol to see her husband? I totally disagree with this nonsense, and if they want fire, we will give them fire” said one of Aisha’s Aso Rock informant who vowed to leak to the media, the unfolding drama surrounding the presidency.  

One of President Buhari’s right-hand person, Alhaji Mamman Daura who is also his nephew, it was gathered, relocated to the presidential Villa permanently, directing most of the President’s protocol, and at some point, clashes with the First Lady over communicating personal matters about her husband. President Buhari’s assumed mystery significant other however has an uncontrolled access to the Villa and liaises with the him at will.

President Buhari’s secret brawl with Aisha got worse shortly before his last 2-weeks medical leave when Aisha was neither briefed not allowed to see him. “This is not right” complained a source. “I could not conceive the President going on a medical leave without any of his immediate family members – not even his wife. Aisha has always travelled with him in other medical trips, so why would it be different this time?”

President Buhari’s relationship with the Mystery First Lady remains one of his top secrets, but frustrated Villa employees loyal to Aisha have vowed a retaliation, threatening to leak embarrassing materials to the social media. As for the Mystery First Lady, “We know where she is – the hotel, the floor, and the room. I know that they would likely move her if this information gets to the media, but we have more than her location,” an anonymous angry Villa employee threatened.

 

Jonathan says he is being investigated for corruption by Buhari – Vanguard

President Buhari (left), former President Jonathan (right) said “I wouldn’t want to make certain comments because, when a government is working, it’s not proper for immediate past presidents to make certain statements. I will allow the government to do the work it’s supposed to do.
President Buhari (left), former President Jonathan (right) said “I wouldn’t want to make certain comments because, when a government is working, it’s not proper for immediate past presidents to make certain statements. I will allow the government to do the work it’s supposed to do.

“Obviously, I’m being investigated” Jonathan

Ex-president Goodluck Jonathan has disclosed today, June 6, that he is being investigated for corruption by the Muhammadu Buhari-led federal government. Jonathan said this in an exclusive interview with Bloomberg TV, in London. “I cannot say the country from the beginning of our independence, that there was no corruption, yes there has been corruption. I did very well also, to curtail corruption.”

“My approach to corruption, was ‘don’t make money available for anyone to touch. We made sure that area of fertilizer subsidies was cleaned up, and the whole corruption there was removed. I tried to do the same in the oil industry, but the very people that were accusing us of corruption, were the same people frustrating it, it’s unfortunate.”

Asked if he was concerned that he would be investigated for corruption while in office, Jonathan said he is being investigated. “Obviously, I’m being investigated”. Asked if he would be found guilty of corrupt practices, Jonathan said “I wouldn’t want to make certain comments because, when a government is working, it’s not proper for immediate past presidents to make certain statements. I will allow the government to do the work it’s supposed to do. “I wouldn’t want to make serious comments on that, it’s not proper. After all these investigations, the whole stories will be properly chronicled. “I’ve just left office, and I should allow the President and his team to do what they believe is good for the country.”

Jonathan’s aides have come under heavy scrutiny, since he left office, a situation he warned them of at the presidential dinner to mark the end of his tenure, on May 28, 2015. Officials of his party, the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, have also been arrested and arraigned for corruption, but the anti-corruption agencies are yet to make public their findings from investigation on Jonathan’s involvement. Recently, former Principal Secretary to Jonathan, Hassan Tukur was reported to have disclosed certain acts of corruption that occurred during the regime to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, with the hope of getting leniency.

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