What Has Changed Since Buhari Became President?

The on-going protests in the South-East requires creative handling by the federal government, governors of states that comprise the zone and Igbo leaders of thought to avoid unnecessary escalation of the situation.
But the arrogant, insensitive, and threatening comments by a few military officers and cowardly hasty condemnation by some prominent Ndigbo are disingenuous, because both sides are trivialising the key issues of marginalisation, exclusion and alienation raised by the Biafran agitators, which lie at the heart of the troublesome unresolved “national question”.
It must be pointed out that President Buhari’s apparent indifference to the concerns of Ndigbo, from the time he was military head of state, through when he was Chairman, Petroleum (Special) Trust Fund to now that he is President, constitutes part of the remote and immediate causes of the renewed agitation for Biafra. It would take a Eureka experience or epiphany for Buhari to change his attitude towards Ndigbo generally. It follows that, on the issue of security and containment of centrifugal ethnic irredentism, there is no noticeable positive change since May 29, 2015.
We now come to the issue of ministerial appointments, which has elicited considerable discussion for quite some time. To begin with, although the President and many Nigerians presume that merger of ministries would save money for the government, there is no conclusive proof to that effect – there is even a report which debunks that presumption. Basically, it is the approved budget that determines the expenditure profile of ministries, which implies that although power, works and housing are now under one ministry, for instance, instead of two or three ministries, budgetary allocation to the bloated new ministry must reflect the critical nature of the sectors under it, which are very capital intensive in nature. Thus, under separate ministries power, and works and housing may get smaller budgetary allocation collectively than now that they are lumped into one ministry.
The delay by President Buhari in constituting his cabinet is uncalled for, judging by the fact that the list, when it was finally made public, is overwhelmingly a roster of politicians with corruption allegations hanging on some of them and individuals who helped APC capture power from the PDP. Consequently, the claim by Garba Shehu that the President was taking his time to select the very best to work with is a shibboleth intended to explain away the prolonged high calibre “wheeling and dealing” by the major power blocks in APC to appropriate instruments of ministerial office as reward for their contributions to Buhari’s victory. Anyway, by nominating ministers without assigning them to ministries prior to screening by the Senate, President Buhari merely repeated the mistake of his predecessors and wasted a wonderful opportunity to improve the quality of legislative screening of the prospective ministers.
I think the President should have inaugurated a positive paradigm shift in ministerial appointment by attaching ministries to the ministerial nominees before sending the list to the Senate. Besides, there is nothing innovative or transformative in the President’s list. Indeed, like every ministerial appointment since the administration of Alhaji Shehu Shagari, Buhari’s choice includes competent professionals and the-not-so-competent with questionable antecedents. Meanwhile, President Buhari should have tried the novel approach of appointing ministers to ministries strictly in tandem with their professional and academic qualifications plus cognate experience, as in the ministries of justice and health invariably headed by a senior lawyer and medical practitioner respectively. Take the case of Babatunde Fashola, an attorney and immediate past governor of Lagos State, who is minister of power, works and housing.
The President’s amalgamation of power, works and housing in one ministry – three critical areas that require specialised technical knowledge and round-the-clock attention – is inappropriate: it constitutes an unnecessary burden for Fashola, which might create unintended problems with serious repercussions for service delivery. Some argue that, because a minister is the political head of a ministry whose major responsibility is to manage personnel and resources in the ministry, there is no advantage in appointing, say, an experienced electrical engineer to head the ministry of power or a geologist with strong academic background and practice in that field as minister of solid minerals, rather than someone whose academic qualifications and professional experience have very little connection with the ministry in question.
Sometimes, instances from established democracies such as the United States and the United Kingdom are paraded to demonstrate that a lawyer can perform well as minister of power or of works and housing. Those who belittle the importance of cognate academic and professional background for enhanced performance in the relevant ministries forget that a seasoned electrical engineer can possess similar managerial skills and emotional intelligence manifested by a lawyer who performed relatively well as minister of power, which implies that the engineer’s firsthand knowledge of technical issues connected to power generation, transmission and distribution is an added advantage for him as minister of power ministry when compared to the lawyer in the same post. In the formulation, evaluation and implementation of policies in science and engineering dominated ministries such as power, works and solid minerals, it is better to appoint someone with academic or professional qualifications and experience directly related to those ministries, especially in countries like Nigeria where institutions and traditions of public service have not advanced to the stage that specialist technical knowledge of the core issues dealt with by the ministries we mentioned above may not matter so much.
At this point, let us begin to harvest our thoughts. On the issue of fighting corruption, probably there is little improvement since President Buhari came into office because his anti-corruption reputation might have prevented some lily-livered public officials from stealing. But there is increasing recognition by the President himself, judging by his lamentations that corrupt judges and lawyers are hampering his war against corruption, that dealing with high calibre corruption cases is a very frustrating herculean task in a ramshackle democratic setting such as ours. In terms of inclusiveness from both the ethnic and gender perspectives, Nigeria has regressed since President Buhari assumed office: there is an unjustifiable lopsidedness in favour of Northerners and men in Buhari’s choice of his inner core of lieutenants. The management of our oil and gas sector is still characterised by mediocrity, financial rascality and cronyism. The security situation has not really improved since Goodluck Jonathan left office, and it is becoming increasingly clear that the December deadline President Buhari stipulated for the liquidation of Boko Haram cannot be met by the gallant Nigerian armed forces.
Of course, defeat of the PDP, albeit in a flawed election, is the best change that has happened since the return to civilian rule in 1999, because it has cut the megalomaniac arrogance of the former ruling party to smithereens. From now onwards, no political party will boast without serious consequences that it would rule the country uninterruptedly for decades come what may. I know that the Buhari government is still settling down, and some of the teething problems of the moment, if tackled with genuine patriotism and creative management of available resources, may be resolved soon. I am fully aware that as a dyed in the wool retired soldier and devout Muslim, it would not be easy for President Buhari to blend his entrenched somewhat inflexible habits of thought with the degree of mental flexibility needed to make our convoluted democratic system work without serious convulsions – he is a tiro or neophyte in democratic governance. To help the President, we must ignore the bunkum and sugary insipidities of sycophants and speak out whenever we have good reasons to believe that the federal government is derailing from its primary function of providing enabling environment for optimum unfolding of our productive powers in work, love and recreation.
- See more at: http://www.naijaloaded.com.ng/2015/11/29/what-has-changed-since-buhari-became-president/#sthash.eZaAcCf1.dpuf

ladies out there, Will You Rock This Look At Your Wedding?

The white wedding gown became popular thanks to Britain’s Queen Victoria in the 19th century. A flowing gown made out of lace and chiffon with a long veil is what every girl pictures when imagining their wedding gowns.
Butt these days, designers have come up with styles that will suit the modern girl. It is no longer strange to see a woman spot a short white gown at her wedding, or ditch the traditional white for a more eye-catching colour like red.
In the eighties, some women co-opted the “power suit”, the career woman’s uniform, for their weddings.
These days the styles are sexier; deep cleavages, bare arms and shoulder, see through lace that leave nothing to the imagination.
Then there is the crop top which our bride is wearing. When cut properly, the crop top can be decent for a wedding as our model shows.
So what do you think? Would you spot this look at your wedding?

Guys! If You Still Love Your Ex, Send This To Her And She Might Be Yours Again

Hi Guys, Do you still have that Ex you want back into your Life but you don’t know how to do it?

Send this to her Facebook Inbox and I bet she’s gonna be yours again.
See below:-
I wrote this to you in a mood not lively, of course when trust is betrayed the first and second, and the person you believe has your back stabs you, hurting you with events that happened in the past, and takes pleasure in acts that one is almost forced to think if the love was worth it…
Its been said words hurt more than actions, I know, but there are times when infact you wish you can hate me forever, but then you remember the interesting moments we had together, you almost miss them, but the hurt remains and covers the good memories.
I do not say I deserve forgiveness, nor am I worth compassion, but its been a hard time for me trying to forget you. It just doesn’t feel right being with another. Your words of comfort and encouragement keeps flashing through my mind, your smile and laugh keeps playing in my head, I can’t forget that, nor can I forget your gorgeous style.
All our time together, I always told you, you are incomparable, never have I felt like this with a woman..
Touching the deepest of my mind, love exploited to its fullest, could not but control me. Swallowing all pride, I come to my knees and beg you to ignite the love you once had, your love still fresh in my mind, I cannot but bear the consequence of my actions..
My queen, another opportunity is all I ask for… I have missed you!

I Have Surrendered My Life to Jesus – Actor Sylvester Stallone (Rambo)

Popular American actor, Sylvester Stallone recently made a very important decision in his life. And it’s not another blockbuster film.
He announced that he “has surrendered his life to the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Stallone made this life-changing announcement before releasing his latest ROCKY movie. However, his “public announcement” was not covered by the news media. If he had announced he was GAY, all the media, TV shows and newspapers would have given it full coverage.
BLESSINGS TO YOU, SYLVESTER! Check out his confession below…
http://www.datafilehost.com/d/d4655a7e

LG Introduces LG16 – The Cheapest Android Ever At N2000

you do really need to see this

Most of you must have heard about the LG16 on walmart? if not read on. Its true these LG devices Tracfone lucky LG16 and LG15G are being sold at $9.82 on walmart.
Not everyone wants to buy a smartphone with high price and this is what LG had in mind hence made the Tracfone LG prepaid lucky LG16 and LG15G this has to be the cheap android smartphone we’ve ever seen and its being sold on Walmart.
Top Features
Display 3.8-inch
Operating system 4.4 kit kat
Camera 3MP
Powered by : 1.2GHz dual core
Battery:1560mAh
Comes with 4GB external memory
3G and bluetooth enabled

PDP kicks as INEC asks APC to replace Audu

ABUJA—The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, yesterday, invited the All Progressives Congress, APC, to forward a replacement for Prince Abubakar Audu, its dead candidate in the inconclusive Kogi State governorship election, thereby throwing up fresh legal and political firestorm in the state.
The INEC decision followed a pronouncement to that effect by the Minister of Justice, Mallam Abubakar Malami. While the APC welcomed the decision, the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP demanded Malami’s resignation as it described the decision as an affront to democracy laced with mines to torpedo the democratic choice of the people in Kogi State.

Meanwhile, APC, ahead of the December 5 supplementary polls to conclude the governorship election, has proposed fresh primaries to throw up a replacement for late Audu. At press time, yesterday, the APC hierarchy in Abuja and Lokoja were still undecided on the mode of the potential primary contest.
There was also a cloud on whether it would be restricted to only those who bought the initial forms or opened up to new entrants, a possibility that could draw in Audu’s running mate, Rep. James Faleke and Alhaji Isah Jibrin Echocho who recently defected from the PDP after a stormy political battle with the incumbent governor, Captain Idris Wada.
The seeming constitutional crisis in Kogi State was opened after last Saturday’s governorship election was declared inconclusive upon the fact that the difference in votes between the late Audu and Wada was smaller than the number of registered voters in the 91 polling units where the votes were cancelled. Audu died Sunday  before the election could be concluded, throwing up a legal storm on the fate of the election.
Justice Minister on Kogi election
Malami, speaking at a seminar organised by the Nigerian Law Reform Commission on the reform of the National Environmental Standards and Regulation Enforcement Agency (Establishment) Act , said the Kogi gubernatorial election must be concluded within the next 14 days.
Specifically, the AGF said his position on the matter was fortified by a combined reading and application of Section 221 of the 1999 Constitution and Section 33 of the Electoral Act.
However, he failed to state whether or not the deputy governorship candidate of the APC, Mr. Abiodun Faleke, should be the proper person to replace Audu for the purpose of the run-off poll.
He said: “The issue is very straightforward. Fundamentally, Section 33 of the Electoral Act is very clear that in case of death, the right for substitution by a political party is sustained by the provisions of Section 33 of the Electoral Act.
“And if you have a community reading of that section with Section 221 of the constitution it clearly indicates that the right to vote is the right of a political party and  the party, in this case, the APC has participated in the conduct of the election. It is, therefore, apparent that the combined community reading of the two provisions does not leave any room for conjecture.
“APC as a party is entitled to substitution by the clear provisions of Section 33 of the Electoral Act. Also, Section 221 of the Constitution is clear that the votes cast were cast in favour of the APC.
“Arising from that deduction, it does not require any legal interpretation. The interpretation is clear, APC will substitute, which right has been sustained by Section 33 of the Electoral Act. So be it.
“The supplementary election has to be conducted along the line”, the AGF added.
Weighing in on the way forward following its acknowledgment of a notice from the APC on the death of Audu, INEC in a statement issued by the secretary of the commission, Augusta Ogakwu, put all the political parties on notice that the supplementary polls would hold on December 5.
She added that the APC has also been offered a window of opportunity to pick a new candidate for the exercise.
The statement reads: “The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, conducted governorship election in Kogi State on 21st November 2015, which was declared inconclusive.
“On November 23, 2015, the All Progressives Congress, APC, notified the commission of the death of its governorship candidate in the election, Prince Abubakar Audu.
“The commission has after due consideration of the circumstances, decided as follows: To conclude the process by conducting election in the 91 affected polling units as announced by the Returning Officer;
“To allow the All Progressives Congress to fill the vacancy created by the death of its candidate;
“To conduct the supplementary election on December 5, 2015.
“Accordingly, notice is hereby given to all the 22 political parties participating in the Kogi Governorship Election that supplementary election in the 91 affected Polling Units shall hold on  December 5, 2015”.
PDP slams INEC, AGF
The INEC statement was immediately strongly condemned by the PDP.
Immediately INEC issued the statement senior officials of the party in Lokoja huddled into a meeting to review the situation. At the end of their meeting, yesterday evening, party leaders refused to comment, saying the party in Abuja would speak for them.
The party, reacting through its National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh in a statement issued in Abuja demanded the resignation of Malami as Minister of Justice and Prof. Mahmud Yakubu as INEC chairman as the party alleged a conspiracy between the two to derail the democratic enterprise.
“The party is shocked that INEC, a supposedly independent electoral umpire could allow itself to succumb to the antics of the APC by following the unlawful directive of an obviously partisan AGF to substitute a candidate in the middle of the ballot process.
We are all aware that the two legal documents guiding INEC in the conduct of elections; the Constitution and the Electoral Act, have provisions for electoral exigencies as well as empower the electoral body to fully take responsibility for any of its actions or inaction without undue interference from any quarters whatsoever.
“We are, therefore, at a loss as to which sections of these two relevant laws, INEC and the AGF relied on in arriving at their bizarre decision to substitute a dead candidate in an on-going election even after the timelines for such has elapsed under all the rules.
INEC as a statutory body has the full complements of technical hands in its legal department to advise it appropriately and we wonder why it had to wait for directives from the AGF, an external party, if not for partisan and subjective interest.
Consequently, the PDP rejects in its entirety, this brazen move by the APC and INEC to circumvent the laws and ambush the yet-to-be concluded election by introducing a practice that is completely alien to the constitution and the electoral act.
“The clear implication of this action of the AGF and INEC is that the APC would be fielding two different governorship candidates in the on-going Kogi election, meaning that INEC would be transferring votes cast for late Prince Abubakar Audu to another candidate, scenarios that have no place in the constitution of the land.
“Whereas the PDP, in honour of the sanctity of human life and respect for the dead, had since Sunday refrained from making comments on the conduct of the election, we can no longer maintain such in the face of the bare-faced attack on our democracy.
“This INEC under the leadership of Prof. Mahmood Yakubu has shown itself as partisan, morally bankrupt and obviously incapable of conducting a credible election within our laws.
“In view of the foregoing, therefore, the PDP demands an immediate resignation of the INEC chairman, as the nation’s democracy cannot afford to be left in the hands of an electoral umpire that cannot exert its independence and the sanctity of the electoral process.
“In view of the developments regarding Kogi Governorship election, the National Working Committee of the PDP has summoned an emergency National Caucus meeting of the party on Wednesday, November 25, 2015 (today), to take a decision on this obvious threat to our democracy.
APC welcomes development
The APC on its part, however, welcomed the development even as it proposed a primary among interested contestants as a replacement for Audu.
It was learned, last night, that the APC National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, met behind closed doors with some of the aspirants who participated in the previous primaries yesterday. Audu’s running mate in the election was also invited to the meeting.
Speaking to newsmen yesterday, Odigie-Oyegun said: “We lost our candidate for the election in Kogi State on Sunday and since then, we have concentrated as a party on paying him the right respect that is due to a man of his calibre. Let me take this opportunity to express the very sincere condolence of the entire party nationwide to the family of Prince Abubakar Audu and to the people of Kogi State who have just gone through the rigours of an election, indicated their preference for Prince Abubakar Audu, only to lose him at the very moment of victory. We were represented at the funeral by almost the entire executive and that is now behind us. Now, matters of state must now come back to the fore.
“I want to underscore the fact that INEC is also apparently in agreement with the views of the Attorney-General because we have already received a letter from them formally asking us to find a replacement for the vacancy that has been created by the passing on of Prince Abubakar Audu, and that is what will now engage the APC from this moment on.”
Asked when the primary election was expected to hold, the chairman said all that was a matter of discussion with the party stakeholders
“We just got notification from INEC today. So, we will go into an emergency session to work out the modalities and nature of the primary. We are told that the supplementary election will be on December 5. When that will be or who will be is a matter of details. But it is going to be the preference of the electors and we will respect that. We are a democratic, law abiding party, and we are going to proceed accordingly.”
On the fate of Audu’s running mate, Faleke, Odigie-Oyegun decided that it was incumbent on the people to decide whether he would join in the primaries.
“I said it will be the preference of the electors on who the candidate that will replace Prince Abubakar Audu will be”, he said.
On a similar stance, the national chairman also refused to give details on whether it would sell fresh expression of interest forms or work with the former aspirants of the ticket.
Meanwhile, it emerged, yesterday, that Alhaji Echocho, who crossed over to the APC from the PDP after a futile bid to take the governorship ticket from Wada, was inclining into the contest.
Echocho had reportedly been backed by Senator Smart Adeyemi in the PDP primary and failing which, his supporters and those of Senator Adeyemi collaborated in the election to fight Wada.
On whether such new entrants would be allowed into the APC contest, Odigie-Oyegun was yet undecided saying: “So, we are going to do everything as straightforward and simple, but clearly above board in maintaining due process as much as possible. I cannot give you that answer now because we just got indication of the clear direction from INEC within the last few hours.”
The INEC stance on a fresh election was also flayed by the Progressive Peoples Congress.
Speaking to Vanguard, the Kogi State Chairman of the party, Mr. Simeon Ojonuba said the electoral body erred by arrogating importance to illegality. He said the party was prepared to contest the position of INEC in a competent court of jurisprudence if the commission fails to retrace its steps on the matter.