Clay Richie

“If Nigeria does not kill corruption, corruption will kill Nigeria.” - President Mohammadu Buhari The names of those being mentioned in the Halliburton Scandal, the greatest one since Nigeria’s Independence IN 1960 involves the “who is who” of the Nigerian political powerhouse. Presiendent Buhari has chosen to look into this scandal and hopefully he would do something about it. Though, I am very skeptical that he would be able to follow through with prosecution, jailing of the guilty and recouping of all the money involved, because a lot of his friends are roped in, I am willing to give him a benefit of the doubt. I am willing to wait and see.

National Secretary of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and former Minister of Information, Labaran Maku on Friday refuted the allegations that N37bn was found in his farm saying the statement is completely false and part of an ongoing effort to blackmail his office.

The Chadian army has declared that its forces has in the last two weeks killed a total of 117 Boko haram fighters, spokesman for the army Azem Bermandoa, said. He said islands that the militants used as hideouts on Lake Chad were also cleared.

Alex Badeh, the immediate past commander of the Nigerian military, has revealed that the effectiveness of the fight against the militant Islamist group, Boko Haram, was greatly hampered by fifth columnists within the military who leaked sensitive information and operational plans to the terrorist sect.

Since 1999, for many citizens of Kogi State, it has been a questioning democracy because corruption in Kogi state has been a constant dominator in most actions of all its past leaders. From Governor Audu Abubakar to Ibrahim Idris and now, Idris Wada, nothing seems to have changed about the state’s ignoble badge of corruption malady. The leadership of Kogi State under these governors have been clouded by allegations of corruption and poor performance in government.

As part of efforts to rid Nigeria of Boko Haram terrorists, troops of 21 Brigade and elements of Nigerian Army Engineers yesterday cleared a notorious terrorists camp at Chuogori and Shantumari, Borno State.

By many, if not most, accounts, President Muhammadu Buhari’s visit to the United States was a major personal triumph and represented a significant turn in Nigeria-US relations. President Barack Obama, hosting Mr. Buhari at the Oval Office, remarked on his guest’s ethical assets and political focus. “President Buhari comes into office with a reputation for integrity and a very clear agenda, and that is to make sure that he is bringing safety and security and peace to his country,” Mr. Obama said.

Because I would be driving to the airport last Friday morning and I was not sure the fuel in my car would take me there, I decided on Thursday evening to buy fuel from the black market. So I drove to the road linking Asokoro to Garki by Area 11 where many young “fuel merchants” were waiting. After much haggling, I eventually struck a bargain with three boys who agreed to accept N5,000 for a jerry can of 30 litres. That would translate into around N167 per litre (as against the official N87 per litre which you can hardly get anywhere in Nigeria today) but I considered it a fair deal in the circumstance.

The Nigerian 2015 election rolled out a new form of participative politics, where the voice of the people broke through, overturning noisy and rhetorical clatter of the political sycophants, who in themselves are incapable and out of touch. For the first time in the history of Nigeria the election brought a much desired fresh air to the administration of the country, one that is significant indeed, Nigerians will no longer have the opportunity of witnessing an opposition party unseating an incumbent government on a first time basis again for ever.

When in Late 2012 there was a rumoured talk about an impending meager between some major opposition parties, not many took the rumour with a pinch of salt. Even the ruling party then, the PDP, in its characteristics manner, dismissed the plan with a wave of the hand.

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) through its intensified and persistent efforts in the ongoing fight against Boko Haram Terrorists (BHT) has intercepted over 4,000 drums and jerry cans of petroleum products and other smuggled items.

Nigerians are demonstrably pleased with the torrent of probes of corrupt politicians and government officials. These probes and investigations have started yielding fruit with moneys being recovered and justice via sentencing expected in several cases. However as relates terror/security, the other of three critical items the new President Muhammad Buhari government prioritizes, sixty days in, there has not yet been any known public investigation or probe of terror facilitator, financier, supplier or other sponsor.

The legislature. Many see it as the most important leg in the tripod of governance, especially given its power as a supervisory arm over the almighty executive even while limiting the power of the judiciary over it. It is public knowledge that any democracy revolves around the people (of, by, and for the people), and so the powers of the legislature are easily justified seeing as it stands for the people in any government. Or well, it should. The purity and sanctity of such an institution therefore should never be brought into disrepute. That is the ideal situation.

It is unarguable that the topmost responsibility of every government is to provide security and cater for the welfare of its people; but good governance is also essentially about using cost effective and sustainable strategies to get result that translates into better living conditions for citizens. The All Progressives Congress gained tangible popularity with many of its mouth watering promises that bothered many economic analysts, including unrepentant optimists who strongly and openly supported the APC presidential campaign. It is important to clearly state here that none of those promises include the false and much talked about making a dollar equal to N1 – as many ignorant Nigerians have chosen to believe. Ignorant Nigerians who wrongly hold to this claim, do so vehemently, until you ask for a campaign video, advert or newspaper cut-out that supports such a hopeless delusion.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says it is on the same page with the federal government in the fight against corruption, but asked that due process must be followed to ensure that innocent citizens are not victimised.

Anytime the question of who is behind the abduction of Chibok girls is asked, I remember the poem, Mr. Nobody which we recited back then in primary school. Spare my memory; it’s been a while since I left primary school. With the risk of infringing on copyright, I narrate the poem, as I can still vividly remember the first verse:

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has assured Nigerians that his administration is close to ending the sharp practices in the oil and gas sector. The perpetrators will be named, he said. He also spoke of his ongoing search for “decent”, “patriotic” and “selfless” politicians and technocrats who will be ministers. The President has promised to name his ministers in September.

The Chadian army has launched a “major operation” to flush out jihadists from the Nigeria-based Boko Haram group from islands in Lake Chad, a security source said Monday. “Violent clashes” raged Monday afternoon near Baga Sola, one of the main Chadian towns in the shallow, marshy lake, a Chadian security source told AFP.

Politics in Kwara State has been under the control of Saraki family for years. It is normal for a politician’s son, wife, brother or other kinsman to run for the same or other government office. This is known as political dynasty. In political science, the equivalent is oligarchy.

The arrival of the new Sheriff in town is sending shivers down the spines of the conglomeration of thieves who sucked the nation’s treasury to it’s near-comatose state and our nation’s economy is yet to recover from it’s state of quandary.

Shortly after the August 1983 military coup that brought a 40-year-old Muhammadu Buhari to power, he received a phone call from top personnel in the United States Army. General Smith was the Commandant of the U.S. War College from which General Buhari graduated in 1980. The school’s 1979 set had graduated its first Nigerian, General Wushishi, who was the Chief of Defence in the just ousted Shehu government. “Please, be kind to him,” General Smith said over the phone.

The National leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP yesterday took a swipe at President Muhammadu Buhari over statements attributed to him, saying that Nigerians who gave him 97% of their votes will be better treated than those who gave him 5%, saying that declaration was not only vindictive, divisive, but an attempt by the president to govern the country in a discriminatory manner.

“I am whatever you say I am. If I wasn’t, then why would you say I am… In the paper, the news, everyday I am…” – Eminem On the 1st of October 2010, while the former President of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, was inspecting a military parade in commemoration of Nigeria’s 50th independence anniversary, a bomb went off less than one kilometer away from the venue of these celebrations, killing sixteen people. Immediately, media reports attributed the attacks to the radical group, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), who had said that they would be carrying out an attack within that period.

As spokesman to President Goodluck Jonathan, my phones rang endlessly and became more than personal navigators within the social space. They defined my entire life; dusk to dawn, all year-round. The phones buzzed non-stop, my email was permanently active; my twitter account received tons of messages per second. The worst moments were those days when there was a Boko Haram attack virtually every Sunday.

Fresh facts yesterday emerged on how former President Goodluck Jonathan and prominent Ijaw leaders, including state governors from the Niger Delta region prevailed on foremost ex-militant leader, High Chief Government Epemupolo popularly called Tompolo to abort a scheduled meeting of ex-militant generals in Bayelsa State.

The security situation in Nigeria’s busiest city seems to be deteriorating by the day as armed robbery and other related crimes have taken the headlines of recent events happening in Lagos. The events of March 12 2015 cannot easily be forgotten as it left a sour taste in the minds of commuters and residents of Lekki. A daring set of armed robbers held Lagosians hostage by shooting sporadically to scare of pedestrians and motorist. The robbers operated unhindered and freely for over 30 minutes, unfortunately for the victims of the armed robbery attack which included three policemen and a hawker help could not come fast enough.

The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) has accused President Muhammadu Buhari of planning to invade the Niger Delta with federal troops. The group in a statement on Saturday by its spokesman, Eric Omare, said that the Federal Government would begin the deployment of the military this week and called on the international community and the people of Nigeria to be aware of the imminent military onslaught on the region which would result in serious humanitarian crisis.

Senator Kabiru Marafa has vowed that the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu as well as other principal officers in the Senate leadership would be impeached on Tuesday, July 28, when the upper legislative chamber resumes.

I don’t know about you. I care enough about Nigeria and our new sheriff in town to sound this alarm before it is too little too late. Not everybody you speak to in Nigeria loves or appreciates the change agenda Buhari has been preaching.

The Ahmed Joda transition committee which submitted an 800-page report to President Muhammadu Buhari containing extensive analyses of Nigeria’s key challenges, with suggested responses for the economy and finance, governance and social welfare outlined a list of prompt, medium and long-term decisions President Muhammadu Buhari must take, or authorise, within 30, 45, 60 and 90 days of taking office.

Chief of Army Staff, Major General Tukur Buratai, has charged officers and men of the Nigerian army to take the war against insurgency to the doorstep of Boko Haram sect, with a view to dislodging them from their stronghold.

“Its one thing to shoot oneself in the foot.Just don’t reload the gun”-Lindsey Graham President Buhari’s speech to the Nigerian community in South Africa during his visit there set off the alarm bells in my head.Though ours is a nation where most people are quick to tag every Senior citizen a Statesman, only a few are befitting of such title.I wouldn’t expect a respected Elder Statesman like Muhammadu Buhari, talk more a President Muhammadu Buhari to utter these words-

Fellow Nigerians, I hope you followed our President’s visit to America, their America, early this week. Love them or loathe them, the Americans are in a class of their own. Most of those who complain the most about the supposed verbosity and ruthlessness of the Americans always dream of visiting what has been aptly tagged God’s own country. The reason is simple. America has branded and positioned itself as the greatest nation on earth and you can’t argue this with a people who are fastidiously convinced about their country’s superiority over others. Woe-betide any American President who is not able to defend this creed or hype with all his might and faith. America and Nigeria share a lot of commonalities as I shall elucidate in a moment.

President Muhammadu Buhari has finally revealed what will be the fate of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, saying the national oil company will be divided into two successor entities under his administration.

Introduction: Nigerians recently voted for the All Progressive Congress (APC) because it promised to change poverty to prosperity, tackle insecurity of life and property, combat impunity and corruption, fix infrastructure, restore rule of law and transparency in governance and end the isolation of the country in the international community. On account of the ideological orientation of its leadership, the APC promised to promote a private sector-led economic system.

It was Carl Shurz who said that  ” you cannot subvert your neighbor's rights without striking a dangerous blow at your own. The Niger delta and by extension the South South south East Geo- political zone produce over 90% Of Nigeria’s crude.

President Muhammadu Buhari returned to Nigeria on Thursday without securing an arms deal with America to help him prosecute the war against Boko Haram. This is despite the praises showered on him by President Barrack Obama and other US officials.

The United States has believed in some parlance today, is the most powerful country in the World. A lot of persons may not agree with this assertion hook, line and sinker in the sense that there are other nations today that may take this position in some few years to come if the US is complacent. Apart from countries like Germany, Russia, and Britain who are equally powerful on their own, the US have over the years attained this position because of her supposed role in the world as the ‘big brother’ for many nations on earth. Talk of the best economy in the world today, military might,

President Muhammadu Buhari on yesterday said that he would work very hard to sustain the current goodwill his government had received at home and abroad. The President, who was reacting to a question after his address at the United States Institute for Peace, in Washington DC on how he intended to leverage on the enormous goodwill being enjoyed by his

Toyin Saraki, the wife of the senate president, says she is ready to assist the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in “any lawful enquiries” that they have. In a statement issued on Wednesday evening by Akeem Olagoke, her private secretary, the former first lady of Kwara state acknowledged an invitation from the EFCC but said no reason was stated in the letter.

Embattled Ex-National Security Adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki (retd), has sworn that he never maltreated nor took part in maltreating President Muhammadu Buhari when he, as military Head of State, was removed in a 1985 coup, as being erroneously alleged.

Apparently in a bid to stem the persistent scarcity of PMS, especially in Abuja where the product is still being sold at the official price of N87 per litre, (even if it would take hours and sometimes days to get) the Pipelines and Products Marketing Company (PPMC) on Tuesday announced that it had revoked the licences of three marketers allegedly involved in product diversion. But whatever the justification for the move, it is not likely going to make any difference because the incentive for diversion is high and so is the reward.

By Peregrino Brimah In no ordinary circumstance will I take the pain to write this. But as much as I wish to be temperate and political, refraining from releasing this article while Nigeria’s president Muhammadu Buhari makes this hallmark trip, I realize that had I resisted saying the uncomfortable truths as and at when due in the past, perhaps we will not have this wonderful moment of we do today…. and this moment of hope may not last and be true should I give up the forthrightness, honesty and dedication to Nigeria’s peace and progress beyond anything else that has helped us on this path. This is why I without hesitation, called for the sack of the Security Chiefs and this is why I write this now.

The senator representing Kaduna-Central senatorial district, Shehu Sani, has said that the impeachment of the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, will deepen the crisis rocking the National Assembly and impede the operations of the executive arm of government.

President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria said that his administration would be willing to negotiate with Boko Haram if it meant returning the 219 Chibok schoolgirls from captivity. The girls were captured by the militant group in northeastern Nigeria in April 2014.

In 2011, the United Nations Environmental Programme submitted a report on Ogoniland to the Nigerian State. It is a report that can best be described as: 262 pages of sheer horror. To prove to you that what you’ve just read is in no way related to alarmism, I’ll quote excerpts from the executive summary.

President Muhammadu Buhari’s infant Presidency is on trial. On trial also is former President Goodluck and the Nigerian people who have been damaged heart and soul, over time. The cynicism that the earth might be cut once again under their feet, couple with the despairing feeling of possible ill grace by the present dispensation is gaining grounds.

“Variety they say is the spice of life”, as the present leadership of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC under Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, had been enmeshed in various scandalous of activities, ranging from personal crimes, to crimes against the personnel of the Anti-graft agency. These are not limited to Bribery and Corruption, Looting, Contract Inflation, Diversion of Funds, and many more, which could only reveal itself when Mr. Lamorde is brought to book by this present Federal Government under President Muhammadu Buhari.

We are indeed at a point of re-birth. Nigeria strayed for most of its past years since inception and was known for most things not too good. We had very little to be proud of and our national pledges and anthems were jokes to us. Bearing a corruption brand, we were ashamed to say we were from Nigeria and reluctantly pulled out our green passports when we traveled.

Former national security adviser (NSA), Col Sambo Dasuki (retd.) might be in soup for allegedly hijacking the budget implementation of the military and paramilitary agencies in the country under the watch of former President Goodluck Jonathan.