Amaechi Blasts Jonathan,list Out His Many Sins

Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi has
revealed the core of his frosty relationship with
President Goodluck Jonathan, saying the state is
being victimised. Amaechi, who is the Chairman
of Nigeria Governors’ Forum, noted that he left
the PDP for the APC to protect the interest of
Rivers people.
“For Rivers State, basically that is the cause of
the quarrel and you have a choice to make. The
choice for me is to vote out PDP and there is no
sentiment about that.
“Legally, we have not lost Soku (oil wells). We
have just lost Soku to the fact that the President
is from Bayelsa. When a President that is not
from Bayelsa comes, he will look at the facts and
the facts are there.
“The Federal Government, in writing in the
court, said to the court: ‘sorry, court, we made a
mistake; we will correct the mistake’ and we
have told the Federal Government: ‘don’t call us
for a meeting; go and correct that mistake. How
could you people wake up in 2011… suddenly
changed the map of Nigeria and take Soku (a
part of Rivers State) into Bayelsa State?”
Amaechi also said the Jonathan administration
refused to carry on a very important road project
awarded by the Olusegun Obasanjo
administration to link the oil-rich Bonny Island in
the state.
He said: “That road to Bonny was awarded by
former President Olusegun Obasanjo. They
started; they have done just one
bridge… President Goodluck Jonathan has
forgotten about that road completely, despite the
fact that part of the money that feeds the
Nigerian economy comes from that place, Bonny.
That’s where you have the natural gas plant.”
Amaechi then proceeded to ask the medical
doctors he was addressing some questions:
“Should the President of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria that schooled in the University of Port
Harcourt, worked at OMPADEC, Ministry of
Education, University of Education or College of
Education (COE) sit down there and deny Rivers
people water?”
The people chorused ‘No’.
“Should I remain in that kind of government
(party)?” Again, the people chorused ‘No.’

Jonathan Approves Commencement Of Refineries’ Privatization

President Goodluck Jonathan has approved the commencement of the privatization of the nation’s four refineries by the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE).
Besides, the President has also approved the constitution of a steering committee on the privatization process that involves all relevant stakeholder, ministries and agencies.
The Head, Public Communications at BPE, Chigbo Anichebe, disclosed this in a statement on Friday.
According to BPE, the decision is in furtherance of the economic reform programme of the present administration.
The statement said, “This is in keeping with the Transformation Agenda, which seeks to catalyze and provide an enabling environment for the private sector to be the drivers of economic growth in the country.”
The four refineries are – Port Harcourt Refining Company Limited (PHRC) I, Port Harcourt Refining Company Limited (PHRC) II, Kaduna Refining & Petrochemical Company Limited (KRPC) and Warri Refining & Petrochemical Company Limited (WRPC).

Former Gambian Judge Bag 2 Yrs In Jail For Conspiracy Against A Nigerian Judge

Emmanuel Nkea, the Gambian High Court judge on Friday in Banjul sentenced three former Gambian government officials to two years imprisonment.
They are Lamin Jobarteh, former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Harry Jammeh, former Solicitor-General and Legal Secretary, and Njogu Bah, former Secretary-General and head of the civil service and Minister of Presidential Affairs.
They were found guilty of conspiracy, giving false information and abuse of office.
The charges against the former government officials stemmed from allegations that they conspired to remove a Nigerian judge, Justice Joseph Wowo, then sitting president of The GambiaCourt of Appeal.
The three were said to have orchestrated Wowo’s arrest and subsequent detention and trial.
The High Court judge said there was abundant evidence, both oral and documentary, from the accused persons themselves.
He said that they held a few meetings at the state house where the removal, arrest and prosecution of Justice Wowo was discussed and agreed.
Nkea said Wowo was not only removed from office as President of The Gambia Court of Appeal, but he was also arrested, detained, charged and prosecuted.
“Therefore, I am satisfied that the prosecution has proved its case with the certainty required by law on counts 1 and 3 and the accused persons are accordingly convicted as charged.
“I find it fit to sentence each of the accused persons to two years imprisonment on each count and the sentences must, however, run concurrently,’’ he said.

Nigeria’s Economy Largest In Africa As Rebasing Boosts GDP To $405bn

Nigeria’s economy largest in Africa as rebasing boosts GDP to $405bn

December 19, 2013 | Filed under: main story | Author: PATRICK ATUANYA

In about three weeks from now, when the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) releases the rebased Gross Domestic Product (GDP) it will show that Nigeria has overtaken South Africa as Africa’s largest economy, which will have great economic and geopolitical implications.

This is according to emerging markets focused investment banking firm Renaissance Capital, whose team of analysts were in Abuja, over the weekend.

“We are revising up our estimate of Nigeria’s GDP by 53 percent. The NBS has nearly completed its work, and our new estimate is that a 45 percent to 60 percent uplift is likely, and we are taking 53 percent as the mid-point figure. We expect the data in January,” said Renaissance Capital analysts led by Charles Robertson, its global chief economist and head of macro strategy, in a research report released yesterday (Dec 18).

“This means Nigeria, at $405 bn in 2013 would be the largest economy in Africa, ahead of South Africa at around $370 bn.”

Other impacts of the rebasing include the possible reduction of growth rates to 5 – 6 percent from 6 – 7 percent, and an increase in GDP per capita to $2,400 from around $1,700, in essence moving Nigeria into middle income economy territory.

“Sectors that may show the biggest upward revision range from Nollywood to IT and telecoms, while we think agriculture will shrink from around 40 percent of GDP to 25 – 30 percent of GDP,” said Robertson.

The rebasing will show public debt shrinking to 13 percent of GDP from 20 percent of GDP. Public external debt would be below 2 percent of GDP, while the current account surplus may still be 5 percent of GDP which will leave the sovereign in a good position to borrow if needed.

According to Rencap “In a Fed tapering world, these revisions make Nigeria look good, but credit rating upgrades (Ba3/BB-) are likely to be constrained by the most competitive presidential elections Nigeria will have seen since democracy returned in the 1990s.”

The NBS is seeking to change the calculations of Nigeria’s GDP, using a new base year of 2010 to give a better indication of the size and composition of its economy.

Most governments overhaul GDP calculations every few years to reflect changes in output and consumption, such as telecoms, financial services and internet usage, but Nigeria has not done so since 1990 (about 23 years) suggesting that the previous GDP framework underestimated economic activity.

The numbers will have new implications for investors and the geopolitics of Nigeria’s place in Africa.

“We would be very surprised if recent and pending investment decisions are taken on the basis of the 1990 national accounts,” said FBN capital research analysts led by Gregory Kronsten, in a note released in August.

“The new GDP series will however be tracked by potential investors, such as suppliers of consumer goods and services,” Kronsten said.

Nigeria already hosts the second largest debt and stock markets in Africa, behind South Africa.

Its stock market is valued at $77 billion, while the secondary market bond trading volumes, ”certainly exceed those of Egypt and Morocco and represent around 20 percent of South Africa’s turnover,” according to Samir Gadio, an emerging markets strategist, at Standard Bank, in London.

Overall – Nigeria’s debt, budget and current account ratios will look among the best in Africa and in the emerging markets (EM), once the rebased figures are released, notes Robertson.

“We like Nigeria in the coming quarter – though we see domestic bond yields up a little, at around 13.5 percent on average. Nigeria is going to rise from 14 percent of MSCI frontier markets to around 20 percent in May 2014 which could attract equity investors wanting exposure to frontiers and/or Africa. We expect the NGN to remain at 160/$ until June 2014. But we are still nervous for the second half of 2014,” Robertson said.

PDP Governors, Rep Members Pass Vote Of Confidence On Tukur

The Peoples Democratic Party governors and House of Representatives members have passed a vote of confidence on Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, the party`s National Chairman.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the governors and members took the decision at the end of series of meetings which ended at the early hours of Friday in Abuja.

NAN reports that Gov. Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom led PDP Governors Forum had earlier held a close-door meeting with Tukur.

The meeting, which took place at the Akwa Ibom government lodge, also had in attendance Tukur`s Deputy, Mr Uche Secondus.

Tukur consequently moved from the meeting with the governors to meet with the party`s House of Representatives members at another venue.

Journalists were, however, not briefed on Tukur`s meeting with the governors.

Meanwhile, Mulikat Akande, the Leader, House of Representatives, told newsmen at the end that the meeting with Tukur was at the instance of the house.

She added that it was meant to create a synergy between the house leader, PDP House of Representatives members and the party leadership.

She further said the decision to pass a vote of confidence on Tukur was a show that PDP was one strong family.

Tukur, however, expressed appreciation for the confidence reposed in him by the house members and the governors, while speaking with journalists.

“I feel great because we are good party and one big family; I thank them for coming together.

“This is an indication that the spirit of Christmas is already pervading our party,’’ he said.

Present at the meeting were members of the PDP National Working Committee (NWC), Chief Emeka Ihedioha, Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives and Alhaji Farouk Lawan, member of the house, among others.

Governors of Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Bauchi and Katsina with other PDP members of the House of Representatives also attended the meeting. (NAN)

Calls For Jonathan’s Impeachment Plot To Abort National Conference – Afenifere

CALL FOR JONATHAN'S IMPEACHMENT PLOT TO OBORT NATIONAL CONFERENCE - AFENIFERE
BEN AGANDE,

The leadership of the Pan Yoruba Cultural Organisation, Afenifere yesterday accused those opposed to the proposed national conference of being behind the threat to impeach president Goodluck Jonathan.

The group stated this yesterday when it met with the president at the presidential Villa.

Leader of the group, Reuben Fasoranti who led a delegation of the group to the president warned the president to expect more resistance to the national conference in form of letter writings and calls for his impeachment.

According to Fasoranti,”forces that have benefitted from the imbalance and inequity of decades would not fold their arms and watch Nigeria restructured into an entity that works for all it’s component units. This is why all manners of “letters” were posted to you with “impeachment” calls. Expect more of that as the process moves on by those who want the National Dialogue aborted.

“Afenifere considers the National Conference as the soul of a new Nigeria and as such much more important than anything in the polity, 2015 election inclusive.

“That is why we are strongly advising that the conference be concluded early so that the 2015 elections can be conducted on the basis of the new constitution.

“Finally we urge you to be more vigilant and rest assured of Afenifere’s support in the days ahead for as long as you are committed to give Nigeria a proper National Conference which you re-emphasised when you received the report of the Advisory Committee two days ago.

“We believe the time has come for us to sit and find lasting solutions from the stakeholders across Nigeria to our challenges as against temporary reliefs that bring greater and long-lasting sorrows which some letter writers and their group have given us since 1966? he said.

Spokesman of the group, Yinka Odumakin who spoke with state house correspondents after the meeting with the president that “the national conference was very important to the group because we believe Nigeria today is at crossroad where we must not take the wrong turn.

” Since 1960 the country has taken a wrong turn at critical junction. But for the first time we have an opportunity to discuss Nigeria to take far-reaching decisions on how to move this country forward. And we have seen what is happening in the polity that because this fundamental change is about to take place in this country, the forces that have held this country by the jugular since 1956 they are congregating. All manner of letter are flying here and there, impeachment call here and there because they want to abort this national Conference.

“We have assured the president that for as long as he remains focus to give us a proper national conference, Aferenifere will always support him. And he has assured us that this conference is more important to him than any other thing in the country today. And we appreciate the way, the spirit and the level at which he is thinking, which put us on the same wave length.

” I want to emphasis that for as long as he stays focus on the national conference agenda, yoruba nation, Afenifere will support him, because we believe that this is the most important thing at this stage to serve Nigeria from disintegrating. Centrifugal forces are all over the place and we must make sure we make Nigeria in a way that works. That is what we have come to do and that is why we are here” he said.

Presidential Spokesman, Dr Reuben Abati told state house correspondents that the president told the delegation that he has no personal interest in the conference, adding that he will neither interfere in the proceedings of the delegation nor tamper with its outcome.

Those in the Afenifere delegation included the governor of Ondo state, dr Segun Mimiko, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, chief Olaniwun Ajayi, Iyiola Omisore and Supo Sonibaire among others.

Desmond Elliot joins politics, to contest under Labour Party in 2015

ctor cum Director, Desmond Elliot is dumping acting for politics.
Desmond had said that the society needs a change agent,
hence his willingness to freely offer himself for such service.
He further lamented that, many things were going wrong in the society,
and must be changed.
The movie producer has as a result declared that,
he would be vying for a seat in the House of Representative.
He has declared his interest for the Surulere constituency
and hopefully under a Governorship aspirant, Jimi Ajegbe of Labour Party

Obasanjo Forced Me To Pay A God Father Monthly -former Anambra Gov Mbadinuju

Was there an agreement you had
with these godfathers that you
reneged on?
How can anybody say I was
paying godfathers while at the
same time they said I reneged on
an agreement? There is a
godfather who had an
arrangement with the military that
he would be paid N10m every
month, I wasn’t there when the
agreement was made. When I tried
to stop it, I was dragged to
President Obasanjo’s office and I
told Obasanjo this is the situation
I found on ground and Obasanjo
said I had to go back and
continue paying it; that it was
legal. At what stage did I renege?
They will always try to give a dog
a bad name in order to hang it.
Obasanjo gave them contracts
worth billions of naira, they were
super rich, there was nothing I
could give to them.
You mean Obasanjo asked you to
pay this godfather; who is he?
Yes, Obasanjo asked me to pay.
The godfather is one of the Uba
family.

APC Leaders Arrive Abeokuta For Meeting With Obasanjo

The APC leaders are in Abeokuta to
meet the former president.
All is now set for a meeting between
leaders of the All Progressives
Congress( APC) and former President
Olusegun Obasanjo at his hilltop
residence in Abeokuta, PREMIUM
TIMES can report.
As at 5 p.m. a number of party
stalwarts, including some state
governors have converged on the
Ogun State Government House
located at Oke-Igbein, Abeokuta,
preparatory to moving in a convoy to
Mr. Obasanjo’s home.
The former president is equally
waiting at his residence to receive the
APC leaders as at the time of this
report. The former president is in
company of some of his loyalists
waiting for the visitors.
Those already with Governor Ibikunle
Amosun at the Ogun Government
House include party chairman, Bisi
Akande, former Lagos Governor, Bola
Tinubu, former presidential candidate
of the defunct Action Congress of
Nigeria, Nuhu Ribadu.
Others are party spokesperson, Lai
Muhammed as well as Governors
Rochas Okorocha(Imo), Murtala
Nyako(Adamawa), Rabiu Kwansakwo
(Kano), and Abdul-Fatah Ahmed
(Kwara).
Also in the delegation are Senator
Bukola Saraki, former Minister Femi
Fani-Kayode, and former Borno
Governor, Ali Modu Sheriff.
Our correspondent says the
delegation is waiting for the arrival of
former Head of State, Muhammed
Buhari, and Governor Rotimi Amaechi
of Rivers, who are said to be on their
way to Abeokuta.
Mr. Obasanjo, a leader of Nigeria’s
ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP,
recently wrote to President Goodluck
Jonathan, complaining of the way the
party is being run.
In the letter, exclusively published by
PREMIUM TIMES, he accused the
president of encouraging corruption,
and running the presidency in a
clannish manner.
More details later…

10 Most Influential Nigerians 2013

We tallied up all your emailed votes, included our names in the mix, gave a point to each name and came up with this list. It seems like one person's hero is another person's villain, or rogue (or worse), but keep the debate going in the comments below


10. Ice Prince- Panshak Zamani, hiphop artiste and winner of the 2013 BET Awards.

9. Dr. Faggae- ASUU President that led the union through the mother of all strikes in 2013 without wavering.

8. Linda Ikeji- Blogger that brings the latest on celebrity gossips and entertainment news; her blog is the Nigerian equivalent of E!

7. Sanusi Lamido- Even though his N5000 notes were rejected, he is highly popular for his transparency and strong grip on monetary policy.

6. Wike Nyesom- Tough talking Minister of Education has been in the news lately; in the Rivers state imbroglio and the threat to sack all lecturers.

5. Omojuwa Japheth- Blogtivist, delegate and panel member at the World Economic Forum on Africa; this dude has been involved in raising funds for the less privileged that actually reach the intended targets. Highly credible.

4. Dangote Aliko- Business man extraordinaire. Now past hiring PhDs as drivers, this Nigerian billionaire is the largest employer of labour after government and has pulled investors from all around the globe to build Nigeria’s first privately owned refinery.

3. Akinwumi Adesina- Minister of Agriculture and master of initiatives! This Forbes Africa Person of the Year has brought a new dimension to farming globally. His Growth Enhancement Support Scheme ended 4 decades of corruption in the fertilizer sector.

2. President Jonathan- President of Nigeria making significant progress with foreign investors. His movements and silences remain influential; with power hugely tackled in 2013, the proceeds of the investment remains to be seen.

1. Stephen Keshi- Coach of the Super Eagles. With the Nations Cup and World Cup qualification bringing joy to Nigerians globally, 2013 has been a great year for Keshi.

Oby Ezekwesili blasts Nigerian lawmakers for “disrespecting” Okonjo-Iweala

 
A former Education Minister, Oby Ezekwesili, on Saturday lambasted members of the House of Representatives for their treatment of the Finance Minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
Mrs. Ezekwesili, a former Vice President of the World Bank, accused the lawmakers of not being ‘decorous’ when the House of Representatives Committee on Finance walked Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala out of their meetingon Thursday.
“Gosh! Our National Assembly &lawmakers URGENTLY need SERIOUS TRAINING on Respectful Workplace Practices,” Mrs Ezekwesili said on Saturday morning on her twitter handle, @obyezeks.
According to her, more is expected of lawmakers as the only reason Nigeria is called a democracy is because of the National Assembly.
“These lawmakers need know this and be decorous!. That fellow that was blatantly disrespectful to Okonjo-Iweala may not in the real world qualify to be her Research Assistant. Let’s face facts,” she said.
“I keep coming back to the issue of the language of disagreement in our Democracy. We can’t afford to keep it as base and militaristic as it is.”
Mrs. Ezekwesili, who was also a former minister of solid minerals, said she was responsive to the National Assembly when she was in government and never failed to turn up and engage them whenever they called.
“I knew Okonjo-Iweala to be same. Surely, if the Committee Chairman was angry at her for having said she was slightly indisposed, she still deserved fair hearing. I expect our lawmakers to ask the toughest of questions in the discharge of their oversight role. But, do so with plenty of grace- with decorum,” she said.
According to her, the language of disagreement matters a great deal in nurturing the culture of public debate which is core to democracies.
“Let’s get it right! I am huge on that language of disagreement. Disagree all you like but keep it clean of abuse and I will stay engaged. Abusers? Not on my TL!
“On the substance of the “50 Questions for Okonjo-Iweala.” It is a MIXED GRILL that could have benefited from deeper knowledge of Basic Economics,” she said.
The House of Representatives finance committee walked out the minister of finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Thursday, after a brief but stormy session in which lawmakers tasked the minister with 50 questions on the state of the Nigerian economy.
Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala had earlier presented the budget proposals for 2014 to the Senate and the House of Representatives, before meeting the house finance committee.
The minister said she was indisposed and only responded to her invitation out of respect for the legislature.
But when lawmakers offered to excuse her due to her health, but with a condition she responds to 50 questions in writing within two weeks, the minister backtracked choosing instead to answer the questions at the meeting.
Exchanges between the minister and the committee chairman, Abdulmumini Jibrin, quickly escalated with Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala accusing the committee of being disrespectful.
“With all due respect, I will not tell your committee that I’m feeling fine when I’m not. We have had good working relationship with your committee; I thought we’ll be treated with courtesy, but the way you’re starting is a bit disturbing,” the minister said.
Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala’s experience typifies the frosty relationship between the legislature and the executive. The finance minister was chosen by President Goodluck Jonathan to present the budget, which traditionally, since 1999, has been done by the sitting president.
Though Mr. Jonathan did not state his reason for choosing to be represented, he is believed to have avoided the presentation so as not to be booed by opposition lawmakers of the House of Representatives.
The chairman of the committee could not be reached for comments as at the time of publishing this report.

5 Ways To Eliminate womanly Odor

It is normal and healthy for you to have some womanly odor. However, strong womanly odor can be the result of douching, excessive washing, wearing clothes that are too tight and certain chemicals in your soaps, among other things. This strong odor can be embarrassing. If you personally feel that the smell is too strong, here are some tips on how to eliminate womanly odor.

1- Identify any infections. If you want to stop womanly ordor in its tracks, you need to figure out what's causing it first. The most common source of womanly odor is an infection. This can range from yeast infections, to bacterial infections, to STDs/STIs. The best practice to make sure that this is not the case is to go to the doctor and have them check you out. That said, there are a few different ways you can gauge if this is your problem:

If you have a lot of chunky white discharge, you probably have a yeast infection. Medicine for this can be found easily at any drugstore and many grocery stores.
You might contract a bacteria infection if you don't practice proper toilet etiquette. Do you wipe front to back or back to front? Wiping back to front introduces bacteria into your womanliness and can cause infections.
If you think you might have contracted an STD/STI, just go to the doctor to get tested. This is the kind of thing you need to know for sure, for your own safety and that of those around you.


2- Check for imbalances. The womanliness is kind of like a rich ecosystem. Everything has to exist in perfect balance, and that balance can be really easily upset. If you use soap, antibacterial, take baths that are too hot, go in pools frequently, use scented pads, use lotion too close to your womanliness, don't change your underwear often enough or use underwear of the wrong material, or a large number of other things, you can cause your little ecosystem to get totally out of whack. Basically, avoid using those things and just be very careful about washing every day with water (no soap!) and wearing clean clothes.


3- Embrace your natural odor. Lots of women don't like the way that their womanliness smells, but if you ask their boyfriends those guys will say they love it! Don't underestimate your natural odor. You might associate it with being unclean, but....do I really have to tell you what guys associate that smell with? They don't want you to smell like flowers down there, they want you to smell like...er....well...you. If you've figured out that your smell isn't caused by an imbalance or an infection and that it's really just how YOU smell, you should probably consider coming to live with it and embrace it.


4 - Consider that maybe it's him! Certain intimate practices can also cause womanly odor, either from his bacteria colonizing your body or just the smell of sex itself. Nevermind if you're taking the intimate practices outside of Missionary 101. Consider if this is the reason you smell different and take whatever measures you believe are warranted.

Just going to put it out there: putting it in your butt and then putting it in your womanliness is a TERRIBLE idea. At least switch condoms between these activities.


5 - Check for foreign objects. You know, it happens: sometimes you just forget you have a tampon in there. Sometimes the occasional condom (or piece of) gets left behind. These things can cause an odor as your body tries to get rid of the object. Check for objects and get them out!

Leaving tampons and pads on for too long can also cause smells, even after they've finally been changed. Change them frequently to avoid that.

FUTO Senate Approves Updated 2012/2013 Academic Calendar

FUTO Senate has approved an updated
2012/2013 Academic Calendar. The adjusted
2012/2013 ACADEMIC CALENDAR is as follows:
Week 1: January 5 - 11, 2014
Students return to Campus/Revision
Week 2: January 12 - 18, 2014
Rain Semester Examinations
Week 3: January 19 - 25, 2014
Rain Semester Examinations
January 25, 2014 - End of 2012/2013 Academic
Session.
January 26, 2014 - Beginning of 2013/2014
Academic Session

Iyabo Obasanjo: Why I Gave Up On My Dad

*Obasanjo to VANGUARD: “You’re
Bloody Idiots”

*Iyabo Confirms Letter; flays denials on social media
LAGOS — With echoes of the open letter to former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo from his daughter, Iyabo, reverberating nationwide, the daughter yesterday gave reasons she gave up on her father ever changing.

Senator Iyabo Obasanjo spoke against the background of mixed reactions from Yoruba elders and politicians on the import of the letter which she said was the last communication with her father.

The former president himself was furious when approached by Vanguard, yesterday, as he hurled invectives at the newspaper. The
exchange between Vanguard and the former president ran thus:

Vanguard: Sir, we tried reaching you all through yesterday, to no avail, over the letter written by your daughter, Iyabo, to you.

Chief Obasanjo: You are a bloody idiots, you have published the paper and you are now looking for me, you are an idiots, don’t call me again. When Iyabo finishes you in court ... (hangs up).

Senator Obasanjo nevertheless flayed the orchestrated attempt in the social media by a network of associates of her father to separate her from the letter.

Aremo Olusegun Osoba, former governor of Ogun State, who was cited in the letter, confirmed the meeting between him and Iyabo in Massachusetts, United States but distanced himself from the plot allegedly cited by her father to empower her with the ticket of the All
Progressives Congress, APC for the next round of elections.

Besides, Aremo Osoba, several prominent Yoruba elders spoke on the development among whom were Afenifere leader, Chief Rueben Fasoranti, Afenifere bigwig, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Dr. Frederick Fasehun, Chief Ebenezer Babatope and Hon. Femi Kehinde, a former member of the House of Representatives.

Senator Iyabo Obasanjo had written
an open letter to her father accusing
him of being a liar, manipulator, wife-
basher and hypocrite who was
desperate for a third term despite his
denials to the contrary.

Following the hoopla over her letter, Iyabo spoke severally to Vanguard, yesterday. Asked to respond to claims that she had denied the authorship of the letter written to her father, Iyabo, who holds a doctorate in epidemology and now resident in the United States, said: “No, no, no, that is not true. How can you live by social media? That is part of the problem with Nigeria, people want to be flying rumours. I have not told anybody o! It is early morning here and I just woke up and if I were you I would just ignore them,” Senator Obasanjo said. “People are calling me and telling me that they called Baba but if I say I am not talking to someone (her father), how can you say you called the person and the person will tell you what is on my mind?” she asked
Giving reasons on why she broke off,
she said that after a break from
relating with Obasanjo, she found out
days ago that her father would not
change from the manipulative person
she had known all along.
“The whole of last year I didn’t speak
to him and I just started speaking to
him recently, and the last time he
was trying to manipulate me to say,
this, say that. I can’t be saying no
when you say no.
“The last time I spoke to him was
three days ago and I decided that I
was not going to speak to him again
after that. That was the
communication through which I
realized that this man would never
change from manipulations for
himself.”
Dismissing her unsolicited
canvassers on social media, she
said:
“I was surprised that they would say
that they called Baba, and I said to
myself, are these people mad? How
can you call the person that I said I
am not talking to, to ask him whether
I wrote a letter or not and he is going
to speak for me?
“Nobody can say that I told him that I
didn’t write it. I am not a liar. I will
not back away from what I wrote and
there is nothing that is there that is a
lie. In the last four years how many of
them have spoken to me? They are
all mad people,” she said.

7 Annoying Things Nigerians Do On Airplanes

1. Securing beds...in Economy Class! There's a game Nigerian passengers play whenever they're on-board a semi-full airplane - It's kind of similar to Musical Chairs...but without the music. Passengers snub the seats assigned to them and scout for a stretch of three to four empty seats before take-off. Handbags and other luggage items are strategically placed on empty seats in the hope for that Business Class experience - pathetic.

2. Making dramatic Nollywood scenes. Whoever said 'Rules are meant to be broken' must have been a Nigerian. We're pretty damn good at breaking rules...into smithereens, just for good measure. There was one woman sat at the front of economy class with her less-than-a-year-old baby. She put her baby down on the empty seat next to her when the seat belt light was off (not sure if that's proper in the first place but I'll let her off on that one). The moment the seat belt light was back on, however, one of the air hostesses called her to order and told her to strap her baby in place - RED ALERT! RED ALERT! MAY DAY! MAY DAY! You knew from the way the irritated mother turned her neck with that 'oh-no-you-didn't' expression all over her face that cabin pressure was under serious threat. Needless today she told the air hostess to mind her own business - ironically, that's what the air-hostess was trying to do in the first place...Safety of passengers...DUH! I can't remember if the thud I heard later on was due to turbulence or because the baby had rolled off the chair...

3. Taking pictures. You can imagine trying to enjoy a good book when suddenly the corner of your eye picks up the flash photography of some newbie whose obviously hell-bent on convincing everyone back in Nigeria that he/she indeed travel abroad. Newsflash! There may be people with photosensitive epilepsy on-board or nearby pilots wondering if there is a terrorist hijacking, with one unfortunate Nigerian who decided to break one simple rule 'DON'T MOVE!' (go figure!)

4. Farting. It's bad enough you left your assigned seat at the front and decided to come behind me and stretch yourself across four empty seats. Now you're so generous as to share your flatulence with me in small doses of ammonia-laced farts...not a one-off...periodic discharges which could catch choke me unawares if I dare yawn. FYI, avoid fizzy drinks on the plane if you know you can't handle your abdominal tract like few pros among us.

5. Drink to stupor. Is it the sheer pettiness of wanting to get one's money's worth that would make a passenger drink like a fish? (Remember, its Nigerians we're talking about here). Of course, it's not the drinking that bothers me but the mindless banter and laughter at completely 'unfunny' things that drives me up the Berlin wall (just like that - after a couple of drinks you'd be in stitches when you read 'drive me up the berlin wall').

6. Leaving toilets unlocked. Common sense consistently fails to prevail when most Nigerians use the airline's restrooms. It all boils down to refusing to acknowledge the instructions/directions carefully displayed all around them. It's quite simple - you enter the restroom and close it behind you. Right there on door is a slide lock which denotes 'Slide left to lock and right to open'. Why wouldn't I be interested in making sure that no one accidentally sees my 'bits'? Didn't they notice the green 'vacant' or the red 'occupied' sign before entering the lavatory? At my last count I've walked in on 3 unfortunate passengers who forgot to lock behind (but they all did once I exposed them...makes you wonder, eh?).

7. Sitting ovation. I'm not sure if you can relate but you're nearing your flight destination and as soon as the plane lands successfully passengers around you start to clap until virtually everyone joins in. Why are they doing this, you ask? beats me - for landing safely or for not crashing into the deep blue sea or for getting their money's worth after usurping the mini bar...I dunno. The clapping is cheesy in my opinion. I'd much prefer passengers go one by one to shake the pilot(s) for a job well done plane well-landed.

And coming in at a surprise number 8 is Irregular exercise. Make no mistake about it, Nigerians are terrified about premature death, more so than the average civilian (if that makes any sense). I've seen the most bizarre repetitions performed from kicking mid-air to punching only your left arm over the seat head in the same direction. Deep Vein thrombosis is no laughing matter so I guess all I have to do is close my eyes next time if I don't want to behold seemingly amateurish 'Kung-fu'.