Obasanjo’s Book Out, Declares President Jonathan Incapable Of Governing Well

An attempt by Buruji Kashamu, a close associate of President Goodluck Jonathan, to stop the publication of a three-volume book by former President Obasanjo, appears to have failed as SaharaReporters can confirm that the book has gone into circulation. A source close to Mr. Obasanjo confirmed to SaharaReporters late last night that copies of the former president’s exhaustive autobiography were already available to buyers in print form. The source that the book would soon be available in an electronic version that is beyond the jurisdiction of Nigerian courts.my-watch-obasanjo SaharaReporters has already obtained and read sections of the book scheduled for formal launch in Nigeria in a few days. The book, whose three volumes chronicle the life of the controversial former president from birth till this year, aroused political interest after SaharaReporters exclusively reported that Mr. Obasanjo devotes significant pages to paint an unflattering portrait of President Jonathan. We reported that the book characterizes Mr. Jonathan as selfish, weak-willed, callous and incapable of rising to the challenges of running a complex country like Nigeria. Mr. Obasanjo also accuses the president of surrounding himself with aides and political associates with corrupt tendencies. Mr. Obasanjo’s book dedicates several parts in the book to point out some of Mr. Jonathan’s actions and inactions he considers ill-advised or disastrous for Nigeria. He depicts Mr. Jonathan as a man who has not only destroyed the Peoples Democratic Party but also led Nigeria in dire straights. The book focuses on several instances of policy somersaults by Mr. Jonathan as well as deliberate actions by the incumbent president that have imperiled Nigeria’s progress in the opinion of Mr. Jonathan. An Abuja-based lawyer and critic of Mr. Obasanjo accused the former president of seeking to use the book to earn cheap popularity, adding that Mr. Obasanjo cannot get away from responsibility for “sponsoring President Jonathan’s rise to political prominence and the Presidency.” “We have been saying it from day one that President Goodluck Jonathan does not have the qualities to become a true leader, but we cannot forget that Chief Obasanjo singlehandedly put him and the late President Umaru Yar’Adua in office,” the lawyer said. Mr. Obasanjo’s book also castigates former President Umaru Yar’Adua, former Vice President Abubakar Atiku, and former Governor James Ibori of Delta State, Bukola Saraki, among other political foes. In the book, the former president also makes an incredible claim that he was never interested in pursuing a third term while in office. “That is a clear lie,” said Mr. Obasanjo’s critic. “To even deny what is so obvious to every Nigerian shows that Chief Obasanjo has little regard for the truth

Nigerian military seizes arms-laden Russian plane bound for Chad

Premium Times is reporting that a Nigeria military has intercepted a Russian plane loaded with large amount of arms and ammunition, bound for neighbouring Chad. A security source told PT that the plane was seized early today Saturday Dec. 6th at the Aminu Kano International Airport. The aircraft, which was headed for N’djamena, the capital of Chad, landed in Kano at about 2a.m. Nigerian time, the source said. All crew members of the aircraft have been detained by Nigerian forces. (Source – Premium Times)

How possible is this. your comment

How possible is this ? please comment . wonders shall never end.

death took the fattest man in the world at the age of 44

A British who was officially the world’s fattest man has died from pneumonia, his family have announced. Keith Martin, 44, suffered with weight problems for most of his adult life, at one point consuming as much as 20,000 calories a day, nine times more than the recommended amount. His sister Tina told the Mirror last night of her brother’s passing in March. ‘We’re still grieving. We miss him very much,’ she said. Mr Martin said his extreme size came form a lifetime of binging of high sugar junk food such as pizzas and fizzy drinks, which he turned to as his comfort food. In 2012 Keith had a gastric band fitted (Picture: Barcroft)

He was part of a documentary ’70 Stone and Almost Dead,’ which featured him dropping 25 stone in order to qualify for a gastric band operation in 2012. However health complications arose from the surgery after Martin discharged himself from hospital against doctor’s order because he was homesick.

Five Peoples Democratic Party governors led by the Chairman, PDP Governors Forum, and governor, Akwa Ibom State, Godswill Akpabio, on Thursday held a closed-door meeting, which lasted for three hours, with the former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, in his Hilltop residence in Abeokuta, Ogun State. Other governors on the trip are the governors of Bauchi, Jigawa, Cross River, and Niger states, Isa Yuguda, Sule Lamido, Liyel Imoke and Babangida Aliyu respectively. The governors arrived Obasanjo’s residence around 12.30pm and emerged from the inner chamber at exactly 3.30pm. Briefing journalists after the meeting, Obasanjo, said the governors’ visit was not unconnected with nagging issues of the Boko Haram insurgents and the economy. But from his utterance, the frosty relationship between President Goodluck Jonathan and Obasanjo was also discussed. He said that his criticism of Jonathan in recent times was not aimed at castigating or bad-mouthing him. He said,” First of all, I thank my colleagues and my brothers who have decided to pay me a special visit. They were concerned about what you may call the situation of the nation, the security, and the economy. What we have discussed, most of them I have raised in my own public pronouncement in recent times, not to castigate anybody, not to bad-mouth anybody, not to run anybody down, but out of genuine concern for the situation of this country and that is the same thing that has brought them and I want to thank them.” The former President noted that the situation in the country currently was bad, but added that it was not totally irretrievable. He added, “When we look at these issues closely, very objectively and we came to the conclusion that yes, we have a bad situation, but not irretrievably bad. Something can still be done and what is now required is the will and the courage to do something when and how it needs to be done.” Obasanjo, who appreciated the governors for their concern for the nation, said the task to save the country was not for one man or group but for all Nigerians. He said, “I appreciate their coming to me because of the respect and honour they have for me. But this task is not for one man and it is not even a task for one group, it is a task that requires all hands to be on deck. And as they have said and as they have assured me that they would have this type of consultation with other leaders so that this country which is ours and for which we have no alternatives, but will move forward.” On the economy, especially the slump in oil price, Obasanjo noted that the leadership had failed to prepare for the rainy day, and that was why the economy was tottering. He said, “When we had surplus, we did not remember the rainy day, now that the rainy day is staring us in the face, we must be honest and courageous enough to do what is right, to let the nation know and then to take the steps that will put it right as quickly as possible. “You do not need to be an oracle or a World Bank expert or an International Monetary Fund expert to know that our economy is not what it should be and this is not the first time we would hear it, we have heard it in the past. “When of course I came in 1999, the price of fuel was about $9 and we realised that we had a problem, we even passed a budget that we could not fund but we realised that we were in a serious situation and we took steps. “Within two to three years, we were able to sail through, the price of fuel started moving up. Do not forget that there was a time during the Iraqi war, that the price of fuel rose to $42 per barrel and then it came down to $9. The one that we have now, we do not know when it would end but we can weather the storm if we take measure that we should take it and when to take it.” Both Akpabio and Aliyu, who spoke for the governors, said they came to consult the former President due to his wealth of experience and his influence both nationally and internationally. Akpabio said, “We decided that it is important for us to come and consult with him, as he said pay our respect, discuss the affairs of the nation and then to tap from his wealth of wisdom. “The intention here is that all Nigerians are determined to reposition the country, we have no other country than Nigeria and so, no matter the challenges we may face today, we must work together as a team to redeem the situation.”