According to MTO, a woman from LA had her butt implants
burst during rough s*x with her baby's father. According to her.
She and her boyfriend were having s*x when all of a sudden she
heard a pop while getting it from the back.
Turns out he ruptured both of her silicone butt implants.
The silicone from the implants leaked into her system and by
the time she had a doctor check it out... sigh! See for yourself
after the cut...
Controversy As Allegations Of “Shady
Deals” Rock Nigeria Election Debate Group
But there have been allegations that the group is actually a
one-man show run by Raymond Dokpesi, the Chairman of
DAAR Communications Limited (owners of Africa Independent
Television, AIT), who uses it as a bargaining tool for private
gains and political advantage.The Nigeria Election Debate Group, NEDG, has organised
presidential and vice presidential debates since 1999, but fresh
claims have emerged questioning the independence and
partisan nature of the group.
The debates, the final lap of the series of debates organised by
the NEDG, is holding on March 22, according to the organisers.
But there have been allegations that the group is actually a
one-man show run by Raymond Dokpesi, the Chairman of DAAR
Communications Limited (owners of Africa Independent
Television, AIT), who uses it as a bargaining tool for private
gains and political advantage.
When it was incorporated in 2011, the NEDG listed six
organisations as shareholders, each with a representative.
They include Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria, BON,
represented by Abubakar Aji; DAAR Communications,
represented by Tony Akiotu; Nigeria Union of Journalists,
represented by Mohammed Garba; Alliance for Credible Election
represented by Emma Ezeazu; Nigeria Guild of Editors,
represented by Gbenga Adefaye; and Transition Monitoring
Group, TMG, represented by Moshood Erubami.
At a press conference on Friday in Lagos, a pressure group,
Value and Integrity Group, accused Mr. Dokpesi of having
turned the NEDG into a private estate put at the service of
President Goodluck Jonathan and his Peoples Democratic Party.
“Our investigation reveals as follows: First, a First Bank account
was opened for the NEDG and had Dr. Dokpesi as the sole
signatory, though he is not listed as one of the Directors,” the
group said in a statement signed by Sina Odugbemi and
Popoola Ajayi, Coordinator and Secretary respectively.
“He also used the DAAR communications office address, a
personal address as the address listed in the bank account
documentation. These two moves effectively turned the NEDG
into Dokpesi’s private company.”
According to the group, an initial N1 million was paid into the
said NEDG account, and on March 28th, 2011, another N20
million was paid into his (Mr. Dokpesi’s) personal account.
“The N20m was paid into his personal current account number
2017171535 because the NEDG account opening was in process
then hence he received the N20m in his personal current
account instead of NEDG,” the group said.
“A text message from Dokpesi to the banker confirms this. The
text message reads – ‘He sent about N20 million to the
account since last week and I utilised about N50 million for the
NEDG DEBATE. As soon as the sponsors pay, I will pay in.daar'”
The group, brandishing copies of Mr. Dokpesi’s bank account
opening documents and NEDG’s certificate of registration at the
Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), also said that Mr. Dokpesi
tried to open another First Bank account in 2012.
“The First Bank account was opened by Dokpesi at the Maitama
branch of the First Bank in Abuja with account number
2021069251 with Chief Raymond Dokpesi as sole signatory to
the account with the help of his aide banker.
“The second account which Dokpesi equally instructed the
banker to open in the Bwari branch of the First bank is pending
to be opened because the banker left. However, before then,
Dokpesi in fact signed the application forms, attached his
passport photos entered his personal details in 2012. The
account was yet to be approved before one of the manager
handling it was eased out of the bank.”
‘Sole organiser’
The NEDG began organising election presidential debates in
1999 and describes itself as a coalition of broadcast
organisations, civil societies and professional groups
committed to entrenching enduring democratic cultures through
organised television debates.
“The Nigerian Elections Debate Group has since transformed
into a broad based non-partisan, non-profit making
organisation with the primary mandate of organising and
hosting live televised debates for all Presidential, Vice
Presidential and Gubernatorial candidates in Nigeria,” the NEDG
stated on its website.
But in their press briefing on Friday, the Value and Integrity
Group described the NEDG as the non-profit wing of DAAR
Communications, available to do the bidding of the ruling party
and which had kept other NEDG directors in the dark about
their financial transactions.
“An Organisation on the board of the Group, Transition
Monitoring Group (TMG), had last year dissociated itself from
the planned Presidential debate. TMG accused the organisers of
the debate of fraudulently using its name in the promotion of
the event and warned NEDG to desist from such shenanigan
forthwith.
“Chief Dokpesi’s name does not reflect in the NEDG registration
documents from the CAC only that of DAAR representative, Tony
Akiotu. But Chief Dokpesi has opened the account in his name
and went ahead to single handedly organise the 2011 election
debate with AIT staff – Imoni Amarere and Nancy Ilo as
moderators.
“Again, he is accused to be the sole organiser of the 2015
presidential election debate for the NEDG which has generated
unpleasant credibility crisis for the NEDG.
“It is alleged that for the 2015 debate, well over 250 million has
been paid to the organisers by the Presidency.
“Unfortunately, the refusal of the leading opposition to attend
the integrity deficit presidential debate, AIT has chosen to
unprofessionally attack and even defame both the candidate
and the party.”
In January, the All Progressives Congress said it would not
participate in the presidential debate organised by the NEDG,
accusing the organisers of bias and “wearing the toga of
government control, especially being composed mainly of
agencies and allies of the incumbent PDP administration”.
The parties involved
When PREMIUM TIMES contacted Mr. Erubami, who was the
Chairman of TMG when NEDG was incorporated, he said issues
like that did not arise during his time at the helm of the civil
society organisation.
“I only know to the extent of the time I was chairman of
Transition Monitoring Group, but I have completed my time and
I’m now at Ibadan, I don’t know anything about the group
again,” Mr. Erubami said.
“If you want to confirm the veracity of what has happened you
can contact the current chairman in Abuja.”
Ibrahim Zikirullahi, the current Chairman of TMG, was more
forceful in his response, accusing the NEDG of lacking integrity
and being involved in ‘shady deals.'”
“While I cannot authoritatively say whether Dokpesi is the only
sole signatory, I will also say that the claims (of the Value and
Integrity Group) are not far from the fact,” Mr. Zikirullahi said.
“I became chairman of Transition Monitoring Group in July
2012, till date, nobody informed me that TMG is a member of the
Nigeria Election Debate Group, neither my predecessor nor
those that are holding fort at the Nigeria Election Debate Group.
“Between 2012 and now, there was no meeting that was called
upon which to deliberate on any issue regarding Nigeria
Election Debate Group until now when I saw our name being
floated in the media that we are one of the organisers of the
presidential debate.”
Mr. Zikirullahi accused the NEDG of using TMG’s name to send
out proposals to foreign donors seeking support for the
presidential debate.
“So as far as I’m concerned, I don’t know anything about the
debate. No phone call has been made to me or to any of my
officers, no written invitation, and there is no meeting between
us in which we agree on the mode and scope of the debate,” he
said.
“So for me I cannot allow them to be using our corporate
identity. It was on that strength that I wrote to them asking
them to stop forthwith using our corporate identity.”
Mr. Zikirullahi said that he had it “in good record” that the
NEDG had already collected billions of naira from a political
party.
He declined to name the party.
“Yet, to make it credible they are just sending out proposals to
donor agencies, and those donor agencies we have a very good
relationship with them. And before they do anything that they
see our name they need to verify from us.
“And it was on that stretch we got to know the extent to which
they have gone to. If not they should mention the source of
their funding,” said Mr. Zikirullahi.
“A lot of shady things they are doing that is not known to the
public, and I said under my regime we cannot be part of that
hidden agenda. It’s better they come out open let us know the
direction they are going, let us know the source of their
funding?
“Who is running the secretariat? How is the board being
appointed? From 2011 till now there is no meeting that has
been called. So it’s just a one man show, I can agree
especially, it is a product of AIT and Dokpesi and so for us you
have to count us out at any time we are not part of it.”
‘It’s not true’
Eddie Emessiri, NEDG’s Executive Secretary, dismissed all the
claims, accusing Mr. Zikirullahi of dabbling into partisan
politics.
“High Chief Raymond Dokpesi has no hand (in NEDG), or let me
put it better, High Chief Raymond Dokpesi was even the founder
of this whole thing because he started election debate in 1999,”
Mr. Emessiri said.
“By the time NEDG was formed, a group of organisations now
decided to get this thing over, and he handed the management
over to Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria, BON.”
Mr. Emessiri explained that the chairman of BON at any
particular time was the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the
NEDG.
According to him, the headship of BON is rotated between the
three federal government-owned media of Nigeria Television
Authority, NTA; Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, FRCN; and
Voice of Nigeria, VON.
The current head of NEDG, Sola Omale, is the Director-General
of NTA.
Before him were Taiwo Alimi of VON and Abubakar Jijiwa of
FRCN.
“The only thing Raymond Dokpesi does, or used to do, or even
now is simply we contact him and tell him please we need
airtime, we want to do this, and he’ll just give his final
approval, ask his Group General Manager, Tony Akiotu, to give
us every support that we require,” said Mr. Emessiri.
“And that is why they have given us airtime to carry everything,
all their stations anywhere they are we want to advertise
anything. And they are the hub of the production.
“Raymond Dokpesi does not even attend our meetings. How
then can they say Raymond Dokpesi is the person who directs
NEDG.”
Mr. Emessiri denied claims that Mr. Dokpesi was a signatory to
NEDG’s bank account.
“I am the Executive Secretary of the organisation, I manage the
bank account and the bank account is Zenith bank. Come to
Zenith Bank, Area 7, Abuja, and find out. That is the only
account that we have,” he said.
“The First Bank account was the account that they ran many
many years ago and we don’t use that anymore. It was at the
very beginning when Raymond Dokpesi founded the
organisation, even before 2003. We never used that in 2007, we
never used that in 2011, not to talk of now.
“We moved over to Zenith Bank when the chairmanship of the
organisation went to VON. And VON also has account in Zenith
bank, that particular branch.”
Mr. Emessiri insisted that the NEDG had been having meetings,
adding that TMG was part of the group but he doesn’t know
“what got into the head” of Mr. Zikirullahi, its current chairman.
“He didn’t look through the books he had to know that the
former chairmen of TMG were full time members of NEDG and
present in every of our meetings. This man has taken over,
because he has a bent on politics he started criticising.”
PREMIUM TIMES also contacted Mr. Dokpesi, who vehemently
denied all the claims, particularly the allegation that he
collected billions from a political party on behalf of NEDG.
“Which politician ever gave me money? Which politician ever
gave me money?” he asked.
When told that some newspapers had already run the story on
how he was using the NEDG as a private estate, Mr. Dokpesi
said he had not seen the publication yet.
“I’m in Edo North at this point in time. Election is next week,
I’m busy in my senatorial district so I do not know what you are
talking about,” Mr. Dokpesi said.
“But you say there is a publication, they can publish anything
they want. Before they invited you to a press conference I’m
sure they already had what their considerations are.
“NEDG is a group that started the debate in 1999. DAAR
Communications and I have always wanted a debate in Nigeria
since 1999. Almost single-handedly, it is part of our budget.
“In 1999 when we held the debate in Lagos all the media people
(that) are existing how did they contribute? When we held in
2003 was it not the same DAAR Communications that funded it?
When they held in 2007 was it not DAAR Communications that
supported It? When they did in 2007, did they not see It?
“Why is this one the particular one that is now an issue?”
Asked if he carried other board members along in NEDG’s
activities, Mr. Dokpesi responded, “What do you mean whether I
carry? Who do I have to carry? Mr. Gentleman, understand that
there is a chairman, NEDG, in the person of Aremu Taiwo Alimi.
There is a chairman Board of Trustees of the NEDG, that was
Jijiwa but it’s now DG of NTA. They have their Board of
Trustees, what is my role in It?
“I have no problem. I know that…. Who are these Integrity
Group? Who are they made up?
Mr. Dokpesi also denied the claims that he single-handedly ran
the account of the NEDG.
“So why don’t you find out, they have an Executive Secretary of
NEDG, whether I know anything about the account?
“I have no apologies. I can understand. I’ve told you I’m in Edo
north at this present time.
“Whatever is the issue it is good, if the fear of Raymond
Dokpesi is the beginning of wisdom now, may God Almighty
help Nigeria.”
Source : saharareporters
Ahead of next week presidential election, Igbo Leaders
in the 19 northern States yesterday declared support for
the presidential candidate of the All Progressives
Congress, APC, General Mohammadu Buhari, urging him
to rescue the country from being run aground by
President Goodluck Jonathan.
The Leaders who paid a courtesy visit to Buhari at his
presidential campaign headquarters in Abuja noted that
impunity and indiscipline had become a common
phenomenon in today’s Nigeria.
Coming under the umbrella of Igbo Delegates Assembly,
IDA, the group which was led by its President-General,
Chief Sam Demian Enyama also had the Eze Udo, its
traditional arm made up of the traditional rulers of Igbo
communities both in the north and the Federal Capital
Territory, FCT, Abuja.
Speaking at the occasion, the presidential-General, Chief
Eyama described Buhari as a man of impeccable
character who is disciplined and result- oriented.
Dispelling religious sentiments against Buhari, Eyama
urged Ndi Igbo nationwide to rally round Buhari and
vote for him on March 28, saying that he would address
most pressing needs of the regions in the country.
Speaking on behalf of Eze Udo, Eze Uche Egenti said
that Nigerians especially the Igbo would not want to
experience another civil war.
Observing that the country was heading to the brink of
collapse under president Goodluck Jonathan, Egenti
asked Buhari to come to its rescue.
He said “ We are here to support your aspiration to
become the president of this country. We know that it is
easier to work with you because of what you stand for.
We are not ready to be plunged into another civil and
we are pleading with you to help us organize Nigeria
again. We want discipline to reign again.
“We want to plead with you to help galvanize Nigeria
once more. Let discipline reign again in Nigeria. Let the
polity be sensitized. A lot of people have complained
that the issue about you is religion but we know you are
not a religious bigot. You are a very firm articulate
officer of the Nigerian army. In 1983 when Nigeria was
at a verge of collapse, you came in and rescued it.
“We are here to affirm our support on the use of the
permanent voters card, because it will bring credibility
to the election. We are here to tell you that the Igbo’s
are behind you.”
A notable Igbo leader and chieftain of APC, Chief
Ogbonnaya Onu who also spoke at the event that
attracted the presence of the party’s national chairman,
Chief John Oyegun and other senior party officials said
that the essence of the meeting was to reassure Buhari
of the support of Igbo people.
According to him, the train of APC was in motion and
could not continue without the input of the Igbo.
Onu also dismissed the insinuations that Buhari was a
religious bigot whose interest was to Islamize the
country if elected president.
Affirming Buhari’s forthrightness, Onu who was a former
governor of Abia State stated that the APC presidential
candidate has distinguished himself with his track
record and offices so far held.
Meanwhile, in a manner seen by many as unseal,
Buhari, while responding to the plea of the visiting Igbo
leaders took time to explain what the meeting meant to
him.
He also, perhaps for the first time, revealed why he
joined politics and at such the opposition.
The former military Head of State who went memory
lane revealed how the military government saved a
fortune for the country only to be squandered by the
ruling People’s Democratic Party.
Buhari who also preached peace and unity among the
tribes in the country recalled how property and shops of
the Igbo communities in the north were secured during
the civil war, also dismissed the speculations that he
was a religious bigot.
Below were his responses on most of the issues raised
at the meeting:
How the meeting was brokered
“This meeting is an act of God because we had agreed
on our programmes since but Chief Ogbonnaya Onu
came to me and said that this meeting must take place.
I tried to get out of it by going through the programmes
with him and telling him that I have visited 35 states
excluding Yobe and because of the additional unsolicited
six weeks grace granted, another programme was drawn
to conduct some town hall meetings.
I told him that, we were scheduled to go to Owerri and
Onitisha to meet the Igbo leadership and business
community. So, why not let us merge the two events?
He said no, these are Igbos from the 19 Northern states
and eventually, I gave up and said let it be done at the
expense of our break.
I have no regrets holding this meeting because he
educated me about this organization in the respective
states which I was unaware of. He told me the details
and I appreciate this organization because of your
experiences especially when crisis happened in this
country.
North/south relationship during the war
I could recall the good old days. When it was Christmas
and new year, virtually, all businesses closed up in the
north especially in Kano. Business would not resume
until the Igbos return to their businesses. After the
interruption of the civil war, I must admit that the
elements of the first republic civil service were good
because to the best of my knowledge, wherever Igbos
had property in town, there were committees in the
respective towns.
The properties were repaired, given for rent, an account
opened for them. After the war, the Igbos came back
and claimed their property and the savings made.. I
thank the civil servants of those good old days because
the committees were developed with very clear and firm
terms of reference and the properties of the Igbos were
looked after and they claimed them back. I think they
did well. I think that I am the only Army officer to
command three of the four Nigerian Army divisions.
Again, from 2nd Lieutenant, all the Command and Staff
appointments I don’t think I missed any.
My colleagues were Col. Ugokwe, GC. Ojukwu and they
can bear testimony to that. On the political side, I
became governor of the north east which is now six
states and spent three and half years in Ministry of
Petroleum, twenty months as Head of States and 40
months in detention eventually. I think I have seen quite
a lot in Nigeria.
Why I joined politics
After going top and sliding down, why did I join politics?
There were two reasons which I have mentioned on
several occasions. I have to bore you with this because
I don’t want you to slow down on whatever you are
doing. Keep on trying, God will repay you one way or the
other. I was sitting at home after I got out of detention
and thought people would leave me alone. I didn’t even
build a filling station, not to talk of owing an oil block
and so I thought I had lost their sympathy.
But they kept coming to me and there was nothing I
could do and then I speculated that maybe when I get
into partisan politics, I would get into a position to be
heard and then something happened in 1991 and the
Soviet Union collapsed. They were the first to go into
space and in terms of nuclear war heads and
conventional forces, they were superior to NETO .
It just collapsed and people just went home and now,
there are 18 Republics in the old Soviet Union. That was
when I decided that the best form of governance is
multi party democratic system with a big proviso that
elections must be free and fair. Other wise, the whole
thing will be a sham and it is in pursuit of that, that I
am on my fourth attempt to get the highest office.
I am not a religious bigot
In the fist three attempts, I ended up at the Supreme
Court because I believe in the system. There is no point
believing in a system and conducting yourself
haphazardly. I am telling you that I am fulfilled because
when I decided to join politics in April 2002, I joined APP
even though there was PDP and they were in
government.
But I went into the opposition even though there were
governors, senators, members of the House of
Representatives in the party, but the following year, they
gave me the ticket and what did I do with the ticket? I
got the late Chuba Okadigbo to be my running mate and
by that, I blew the mind of people about my tribal or
religious position. In 2007, I picked Chief Ume Ezeoke
and again, he was Igbo.
So, I dispel any question about my being a religious
bigot or a tribalist. Later I picked Pastor Bakare and
now, I am running with a Pastor, Prof. Osinbajo. The
issue of religion has been taken into account in this
country.
Why we insist on free and fair polls
I am very grateful to Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu for organizing
this meeting. I am even more grateful that the
leadership of the Igbo community in the north decided
to turn up. It is important that we continue to make
sure that we are broadminded. The beauty of this
system is what I have mentioned already.
Let the government respect Nigerians and individuals
and allow them to choose and elect those they want to
lead them. If that is done, Nigerians will be surprised
about how peaceful this country will be. I think that in
every human being there is an element of rebellion. If
you try to force a human being to do something he
doesn’t like, he will develop a way of resisting it.
But if you develop a system and persuade him to accept
the system, then, Justice must be done and you will be
surprised how peaceful you will live. But if you try to
force it, I am afraid that you will keep on suffering.
PDP has destroyed Nigeria
Look at what we have suffered in the last 16 years.
Most of you are business people and always out there.
Maybe you don’t even need computers because your
head is just like a recorder. You import and know the
exchange rate. Where were we 16 years ago when PDP
took over this country and where are we now?
How much was the Naira to the Dollar then and how
much is if now? Does it mean that you will not sell the
things that you have in your shop now because people
cannot afford them because the Naira is now about
N230 to the dollar? I think that as a community, You
are more affected in Nigeria than anyone else. You are
the ones that go from Singapore to China and all over
the world to make the contacts and order things.
You don’t order them in Naira, but in Dollar or Pounds
Sterlings or Yen. Now, you need trailer load of Naira to
maintain your businesses. Remember what we earned
from 1999 till now. But then, where is the Nigeria
Railways that we have been talking about? Where is the
Nigeria Airways?
Where is the Nigeria Shipping line? Where are the roads
and where is the money we earned? There are States
now that haven’t paid salaries for months. Corrupt PDP
governors cannot even pay salaries. I don’t think you
can support this type of government anymore. It will be
impossible because the worse has almost happened. If
everybody is impoverished, what do we do? Do we eat
grass?
Three things APC government must do
What we identified in APC are three fundamental things
that are relevant. We hope, God willing, if we get into
government, having campaigned on those three
fundamental issues, we will deliver on those three
fundamental issues so that you can physically see. I
think that those who are really poor and live in the rural
areas hardly have anything to lose, but you who criss-
cross the world using your resources, when you are
grounded, you feel it harder. It is a fact of life.
What are the three things we identified? First, security,
then the death of the economy as a result of which
there is mass unemployment and; third one is
corruption.
Throughout my visit to 35 states, I mentioned these
three things and nobody ever challenged me on them.
We cannot continue like this because this is our
country. No sentiment and nothing should make us
change our mind. We just have to get rid of PDP and
start building Nigeria again.
How military saved economy
In 1983, when we came in, we felt that change had to
take place because I was involved in the military
government that handed over to the second republic and
as Minister of Petroleum, I was holding one of the most
important appointments. The military handed over a
relatively, materially and physically secured country to
the second republic.
In four years, three months, if anybody told you that he
knew how much debt Nigeria incurred after spending
what the military left, he was telling you a lie because
when we came, because of the debt Nigeria had
incurred, we had to put in place two committees, one
local and one foreign to help find out how we incurred
the debt and how we were going to pay for it.
Together we will rescue Nigeria
So really, the question of patriotism is a very serious
issue. The damage has been done. You are in a position
under the system to make a difference and I am
appealing to you to make sure that this difference is
made. We are not doing anybody any favour. We are
doing a favour to ourselves because we have no other
country than Nigeria.
I am very happy with your kindness in coming to Abuja
to see me and to support the APC. I assure you that
you will not regret it. We are patriotic. Nigeria is our
country. We have no other country, but
Nigeria.Together, we will salvage it.
But for the desperate, last minute shifting of the polls
earlier scheduled for this month at the behest of
Nigeria’s military high command, acting obviously on
behalf of an embattled President Goodluck Jonathan and
his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), state governorship
and House of Assembly elections would have been
taking place today across the country including Lagos.
The electoral battle in Lagos would have been a two-
way affair between Mr Akinwumi Ambode of the All
Progressives Congress (APC) and Mr Olujimi Agbaje of
the PDP. Both men are household names in Lagos. Their
posters, billboards and other souvenirs dot the
landscape of the Centre of Excellence. Their variegated
messages dominate both the electronic and now
ubiquitous social media. They have a new date of
engagement scheduled for March 11th if the electoral
magicians do not abort the elections once more.
Jimi Agbaje is not new to the Lagos State governorship
race. In 2007, he contested for the position on the
platform of the Democratic Parties Alliance (DPA).
Despite having run what was widely considered a
brilliant and innovative campaign, he emerged a distant
third in that election to the incumbent, Mr Babatunde
Raji Fashola (SAN). The latter’s widely adjudged two-
term brilliant tenure comes to an end this May. Some
analysts contend that Jimi Agbaje is contesting on a
firmer, surer, more solid platform this time around. Even
though, the PDP has never succeeded in supplanting the
progressives from power in Lagos since 1999, it is still
perceived as a more viable dais for competing
effectively in Lagos than Agbaje’s defunct DPA.
Yet, others argue that the PDP platform is indeed Jimi
Agbaje’s albatross. Agbaje is often described as a good
candidate running on a rotten platform. The PDP has
monopolised power at the centre since 1999. In the
period, it has controlled the bulk of the country’s
resources. Yet, all the country has to show for it is
illusory statistical growth without concrete content in
terms of their material well-being. Indeed, under the
PDP’s watch, Nigeria lies humiliatingly prostrate and
subject to mass poverty, hunger, chronic insecurity,
monumental corruption, unbearable unemployment,
unbelievable impunity and utter ignominy in the comity
of nations. Can Agbaje convince the people of Lagos to
entrust their fate in the hands of a party with such a
deplorable record of performance especially given the
undeniably impressive strides the state has taken under
the guidance of the progressives in the last 16 years? It
is improbable.
It is possible to argue that there is really no big deal
about Agbaje jettisoning his professed commitment to
structural change in Nigeria throughout his political
career only to pitch his tent with a PDP so obviously
committed to maintaining Nigeria in her current
dysfunctional shape and structure. After all, political
vagrancy and promiscuity have become part and parcel
of our political culture and no party can self-righteously
cast the first stone against the other. In any case, have
the Afenifere old guard not assured us all that President
Goodluck Jonathan will implement the recommendations
of the moribund National Conference if he is re-elected
for a second term in office? Of course, this is sheer
baloney.
The Jonathan National Conference was an illegal and
illegitimate contraption, a sheer waste of time and
resources and a wily tactic for an administration running
out of options to buy time. If the Jonathan presidency
could do nothing concrete with the National Conference
report when it had near total dominance of the National
Assembly, is it now that it is much more considerably
weakened in both chambers that it will get the
recommendations of the conference through the national
legislature? Anyone who cannot see that Dr Jonathan
enjoys the centralized and excessive powers of the
Nigerian state and presidency as it currently exists to
genuinely desire any meaningful structural change in the
country deserves a doctoral degree in political naivety.
But then, the thrust of this piece is to seek to find out in
who’s hands – Agbaje or Ambode – it will be safer and
wiser to entrust the almost one trillion dollar economy
of Lagos State especially at this crucial period of the
state’s evolution? A careful examination of the
curriculum vitae of the two candidates as gleaned from
their respective websites should give us a clue. Let us
start with the PDP candidate, Mr Olujimi Kolawole
Agbaje. He was born on March 2, 1957, to late Chief
Julius Kosebinu, a banker and Mrs Margaret Olabisi
Agbaje, a teacher. Agbaje obtained his secondary school
education at St Gregory’s College, Lagos, and graduated
as a pharmacist from the then University of Ife (now
Obafemi Awolowo University). Agbaje’s CV does not tell
us what he did between his graduation from Ife and the
setting up of his company, JAYKAY Pharmaceutical and
chemical company in 1982. However, he was Managing
Director of the drug manufacturing and distribution
company between 1982 and 2005 when he decided to
venture into politics. Again, we have no indication of the
net worth of the company or the expansiveness or
complexity of its operations under Agbaje’s guidance.
Agbaje served as a Member, Pharmacists Council of
Nigeria (1999-2006); National Secretary, Nigerian
Association of General Practice Pharmacists
(1987-1990); National Chairman, Nigeria Association of
General Practice Pharmacists (1987-1990) and
Chairman, Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, Lagos
State Branch (1994-1997). Other non-executive public
service appointments Agbaje has held include Member,
Lagos State Task Force on Fake and Adulterated Drugs
(1989-1993); Member, National Drug Formulary and
Essential Drugs List (1986-1993); Member, Lagos
Hospitals Management Board (1994-1999). In addition
to being a Faculty Member of the African Centre of
Leadership, Strategy and Development Centre, Agbaje is
a Merit Award Winner of the Lagos State Chapter of the
Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, Fellow,
Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria and Fellow, West
African Post Graduate College of Pharmacists. Agbaje
has participated in various international programmes
including the Executive Management Programme at the
Wits Business School, Johannesburg, Cape Town
Business School, South Africa and the World Health
Organization training course on good manufacturing
practice in the pharmaceutical sector.
Now, what about Mr Akinwunmi Ambode? Born on the
14th of June, 1963, at Epe General Hospital, Epe,
Ambode had his primary school education at St Jude’s
primary school, Ebute Meta. His father served as a
teacher in Lagos State before retiring after 34 years in
service. Ambode passed the National Common Entrance
Examination in primary five and gained admission into
the Federal Government College, Warri. Ambode
recorded the second best result in West Africa in the
Higher School Certificate Examinations in the Social
Sciences in 1981. At the age of 21, Ambode graduated
with honours in Accounting from the University of Lagos.
He scored a double when he both qualified as a
Chartered Accountant and completed his M.Sc degree
programme in Accounting from the University of Lagos
specialising in Financial Management at the age of 24.
Ambode started his public service career in November
1985 as Accountant Grade 1 at the then Lagos State
Waste Disposal Board (now Lagos State Waste
Management Authority). Over the next 10 years, Ambode
acquired considerable experience serving as Council
Treasurer in several Local Government Areas of Lagos
State including Alimosho, Shomolu, Mushin, Epe,
Badagry and Ajeromi-Ifelodun. In 1988, Ambode earned
the award of the United States Fulbright Scholarship for
the Hubert Humphrey Fellowship Program in Boston
University, Massachusetts, on Public Leadership with
emphasis on Finance and Accounting. In 2000, Ambode
was appointed as the youngest ever Auditor-General for
Local Government in Lagos State. Thereafter, he was
elevated as the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of
Finance in January 2005 and in February, 2006 he was
given the additional responsibility of Accountant General
of Lagos State. At the time, he was the youngest
Permanent Secretary in the service and only the second
person to hold both positions of Permanent Secretary
and Accountant General at the same time.
Under Ambode’s leadership, the State Treasury Office
(STO), raised the state’s budget performance at an
average of 85% annually, ensured payment of civil
service staff salaries before the end of each month,
launched the e-platform for the payment of monthly
staff salaries, ensured prompt payment of gratuity and
pension arrears of the State Universal Basic Education
Board and Local Government old pensioners. Apart from
initiating and sustaining the annual retreat for Heads of
Accountants in the Lagos State Public Service as well
as Local and International training for staff, Ambode co-
organised the first ever National Tax Retreat in
association with the Joint Tax Board/Federal Inland
Revenue Service in 2005. He was the Chairman of the
Technical Committee that produced the Lagos State
Economic, Empowerment Development Strategy (LEEDS)
document and helped achieve the feat of clearing and
publishing arrears of statutory audits of Local
Governments in Lagos State from 1995 to 2004 within
12 months. His financial ingenuity has been publicly
acknowledged as a key factor that enabled Local
Governments in Lagos State survive the illegal seizure
of their statutory allocation for over one year by the
Obasanjo administration.
Ambode is an Alumnus of Wharton Business School and
also attended courses at Cranfield School of
Management, Cranfield, England, Institute of
Management Development, Lausanne, Switzerland,
INSEAD, Singapore and the Harvard Kennedy School of
Government, Boston, Massachussetts, USA. On
voluntarily retiring from the Lagos State public service
in August 2012, Ambode successfully transited to the
private sector by establishing Brandsmiths Consulting
Limited, a company that is presently consulting for
Federal, State and Local Governments on the transition
to the new International Public Service Accounting
System and offering other financial advisory services.
These then are the profiles of two illustrious and
accomplished sons of Lagos State seeking the consent
of Lagosians to pilot the affairs of the state after
Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola’s distinguished tenure.
Who has the requisite experience and expertise to build
on current achievements and lift Lagos to a new
pedestal of excellence in a world characterised by
unpredictable financial and economic turmoil? I leave
the answer to you, dear reader.
