| Akala Vs Awo's statue - Thisday Editorial Tuesday, January 15, 2008
For the second time in recent years, the statue of Chief Obafemi Awolowo has been pulled down in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital. This time, the statue has been replaced with the statue of an "unknown soldier". The Oyo State Governor, Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala has offered some less than convincing explanations on why Awo's Statue had to be pulled down and replaced . It is difficult to understand the reason for the action, but it is hardly far from politics of mischief. Were it not mischief, how can and why should the statue of Awolowo which has been there for years become a problem to Governor Alao-Akala? It is amazing that of all the problems of development and infrastructural challenges facing the State including the despicable sanitation situation and poor labour relations, the interest of the governor is on how to replace the harmless statue of Awolowo, a man whose memory represents that of a father figure of the Yoruba race. All over the world, statues of remarkable leaders are erected at strategic locations, if nothing else, to immortalize their names. It is in that understanding that Awolowo's statue are in several locations in most South West States, including Lagos. It is doubly ironic that it is in Ibadan, which not only served as the Headquarters of the South West region, where Awolowo served as Premier, but a city where he left his greatest legacies , is the same city where his statue is now being knocked down. Is Alao-Akala's motivation borne out of malice or is it that Ibadan is not deserving of Awo's statue? And pray, between an Awolowo and a so-called "unknown soldier" who is more deserving of a statue in Ibadan? Is it not even sadder that Awo, a democracy icon will be replaced with a soldier, a symbol of jackboot dictatorship? Akala's action has re-awakened the notorious cliché that Ibadan is a military garrison. And if Akala is so disposed to a military statue, why did he not erect such a statue in any of the several round-abouts or strategic locations in the city? Must it be Awolowo's own that would be displaced? Worse still is that all these anti-democratic acts are being perpetrated by one purportedly elected in a democracy. No doubt, the decision to pull down the statue is cheap and petty. His god-father, Chief Lamidi Adedibu was fingered when the statue was first pulled down. It was rebuilt by former Governor Rasheed Ladoja. That the same statue has been pulled down again when Alao-Akala is in power confirms that there is a deliberate decision to undo the irreducible status of Awolowo. But the truth is that even if all the statues of Awo in Nigeria were to be pulled down, Nigerians will not only remember him, but also will continue to appreciate his role in the birth of the nation and in instituting democratic culture in the country and implementing the welfare policies to the benefit of the people Expectedly, the governor and his government have received rounds of public knocks from within and even outside the Yoruba nation. For a government that is having problems with legitimacy and even the basics of governance such as clearing of refuse, it is a wonder that a governor worth his office should be bothering about the statue of one who laid the democratic foundation of even his political career. It is perhaps pertinent to remind Alao-Akala that great nations are built by consolidating on what others have done. By deliberately courting this controversy, the Oyo State governor has elected to be the target of negative attacks. This can hardly be the desire of such a conservative politician. No government so desirous of pursuing mischief and pettiness would be expected to do great things. We call on Gov Alao-Akala to direct his efforts and attention to things that will make his name and tenure to continue to ring resounding bell, long after he would have served and left office. This can only be achieved through noble and altruistic actions not pulling down statues.
 PUNCH
Awo's statue: Between the mad and the sane (Between Generations Builders and Destroyers) By Adeyeye Oyedokun
Nigerians have diverse ways of appreciating their leaders. So it is not easy to forget Sir Ahmadu Bello, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Chief Obafemi Awolowo and other nationalists who laboured and risked their lives for Nigeria's independence and survival as a nation. Some of the nationalists are remembered by governments and communities by having their photographs in the nation's currencies, naming of streets, institutions, airports and even stadia to immortalise them.
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In spite of their inadequacies because of the complexity of the country, the trio of Sadauna, Azikiwe and Awolowo rendered selfless service for the rapid socio-economic and political development of Nigeria. If they had continued under trial and error without military intervention, Nigeria would have ranked as one of the strongest 10 economies of the world by 1975. And by 2020, Nigeria would have been one of the five strongest nations.
If it were Sadauna, Azikiwe or Awolowo, the money used for FESTAC '77 would have been spent on human development. After all, without petroleum, the three leaders still developed their regions through competitive healthy rivalry.
In the West where Awolowo dominated, he assembled the best brains and patriots to execute the Action Group's welfare programmes of free education, free health services, construction of Cocoa House, establishment of industrial estates, first TV station in Africa and agricultural revolution through the establishment of farm settlements, to mention just a few.
During the Second Republic, his party, the UPN, through his lieutenants –– Lateef Kayode Jakande, Olabisi Onabanjo, Bola Ige, Adekunle Ajasin and Ambrose Alli faithfully executed the cardinal programmes of the party. In addition, they established tertiary institutions in the five states controlled by the party. The Alliance for Democracy that was an offshoot of the defunct Action Group and Unity Party of Nigeria controlled the South-West in the 1999 elections.
In Oyo State where Alhaji Lam Adesina became governor in 1999, apart from pursuing the AD programmes, a statue was erected in front of the Government House, Ibadan. The import of this strategic location was that coming in and out of the Government House, Adesina must see the statue of Awo and remember his political philosophy. All the AD governors: Bola Tinubu, Segun Osoba, Bisi Akande, Adeniyi Adebayo, Adebayo Adefarati and Lam Adesina secured the support of their people with the shout of Awo. Regrettably, they made verbal agreement with Obasanjo on the need for him to complete the eight years of the Yoruba as Nigeria's President in return for OBJ to guarantee free and fair election in the South-West. The governors, except Tinubu, matched their word with action through open support for Obasanjo's second term.
Was that tribalism or patriotism? Was that Awo's brand politics or an invented politics? In response, Obasanjo, a war commander, military diplomat and strategist, shortly after winning the reelection in 2003, launched 'guerilla warfare' against all the AD governors except Tinubu that survived it. The PDP captured the South-West except Lagos. It was, indeed, a sliding tackle that Obasanjo used.
Following the political disgrace of Lam and his co-travellers, the administration of Oyo State went to Senator Rashidi Ladoja of the PDP. Shortly after his swearing-in- ceremony, thugs demolished Awo's statue in front of the Government House. Long before then, a mad man had demolished a statue of Awolowo at the Allen Avenue Roundabout, Ikeja, Lagos. Lagosians could not challenge the mad man, but the then Chairman of Ikeja Local Government, Alani Okikioposu, a bank and Tourism Ministry rebuilt and beautified the Awo statue. It still attracts tourist attention .
Obviously, the Lagos mad man believed that the statue could provide food, cloth, comfort and goodies of life. But the actors in Ibadan are not mad. They are sane. They were well educated, as they also took the advantage of free education of Chief Obafemi Awolowo. Yet they demolished the statue of the late sage. We cannot blame them. They knew Awolowo stood for justice, fairness, honesty, transparency, egalitarianism and progress. For the statue to be in front of Government House, where 'unknown transactions' take place, the spirit of Awolowo would hunt them. Why not pull it down and allow Unknown Soldier to replace it? With the Unknown Soldier, all such unknown transactions would be passed into unknown accounts in unknown banks for unknown people.
VANGUARD
Awo's Demolished Statue
| Tuesday, 15 January 2008 | |
| Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala's replacement of Chief Obafemi Awolowo, SAN, and first Premier of Western Region's statue with that of an unknown soldier is an attempt to re-write history and diminish the significance of one of the nation's foremost nationalists. The statue during the era of Rashidi Ladoja as governor of Oyo State was pulled down by political thugs ostensibly on the orders of a notorious political figure in the State. We had hoped that a more befitting statue of Awolowo will be made to replace the destroyed one. Governor Alao-Akala proved us wrong when he scandalously unveiled the statue of an unknown soldier at Agodi at the same point. This decision is misplaced as it shows myopic understanding of history. The replacement shows Akala's administration as erroneously seeing Awolowo from the stand point of just another politician. The late sage is more than that.He had vision, mission and political panache that rubbed off positively on, especially Western Region, and the nation in general. His era remains a reference point and for a long while this would remain so. Awolowo changed the face of governance in the old Western Region as its pioneer Premier. He made the region a model to regions in other parts of the country. The first television station in Africa was established by him in the Western region. Cocoa House, Western House, Liberty Stadium, agricultural plantations, housing and industrial estates were all built during Awolowo's time. The zenith of his achievements was the introduction of free education which permanently changed the fate of generations of people. The programme afforded both children of the rich and poor access to education. Many of today's names in politics, economy, law or academics benefited from Awolowo's free education policy. Awolowo during his life time was the barometer through which several governments measure the acceptability of their policies. General Ibrahim Babangida, former military President, once described him as the "main issue in Nigeria's politics". At death, Chief Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu described him as the "best president Nigeria never had." Such a high achieving man deserves respect even in death. The likes of him are role models worthy of emulation irrespective of their belief or political leaning. The action of Alao-Akala is at variance with moves to immortalise national heroes. What he did portrays him as vindictive more so that he is from Ogbomoso the same town where Chief Ladoke Akintola, Awolowo's arch political rival came from. Is he trying to re-invent the bitter acrimony that existed between the duo? Governor Alao-Akala can remove the statue of this Unknown Soldier in Agodi and return that of Awolowo. He would have admitted that he is human, and capable of making mistakes. Ultimately, issues like this abound because of the arbitrariness that rules this society. The erection of statues should have laws backing them, such that another ignored issue – their maintenance – would have adequate provisions. |
FOLKS,EXPOSED AND VINDICATED OMOLEYE SAHARAREPORTERS AND HIS GROUPS ARE AGENT/SPY OF FOREIGN MANIPULATION WHETHER THEY ARE DOING GOOD OR DOING BAD IN FIGHTING AGAINST CORRUPTION AND INJUSTICE IN NIGERIA - THE JURY IS OUT THERE FOR HISTORY TO JUDGE THEIR METHODS. SAHARA REPORTER, SOWERE OMOLEYE AND HIS GROUPS MAY BE DOING A GOOD JOB GOOD OR BAD JOB, BUT SOME OF US HAVE ALWAYS FELT THAT SOWORE OMOLEYE AND HIS GROUPS IN THE NIGERIAN PARLIAMENT GATHERING IN NEW YORK ARE FULL OF DOUBLE AGENTS AND SPIES AND WE HAVE BEEN VINDICATED BY THE REPORT BELOW.SAHARA REPORTERS, SOWORE OMOLEYE AND RIBADU ETC. AND THEIR SUPPORTERS AND GROUPS IN THE SO CALLED NIGERIAN PARLIAMENT GATHERING ARE ALL DOUBLE AGENTS. I KNEW IT AND A LOT OF SMART NIGERIANS NEW IT GOING BY THEIR MAKE UP AND METHOD.
PLEASE READ ON BELOW:http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-08-12/sahara-reporters-uncovering-nigerias-corruption/?cid=tag:all1
Africa's WikiLeaks
by Philip Shenon Info
Philip Shenon, a former investigative reporter at The New York Times, is the author of The Commission: The Uncensored History of the 9/11 Investigation.
From a cubicle in midtown Manhattan, a Nigerian publishes staggering examples of his country's government corruption online—information that would get him killed back home. Philip Shenon reports.
The new rules for kleptocrats: Keep your Bentley well hidden in the garage in Mayfair. Convince your mistress living in the duplex on South Beach to leave the shades pulled—and to limit the bling. Bribe your banker in Dubai to keep your accounts a secret. Corrupt dictators and thieving bureaucrats of the world, beware. Your plunder is about to go online—certainly if Omoyele Sowore has anything to say about it.
Sowore, a 39-year-old political dissident from Nigeria now in exile in New York, has created a website that has been referred to by more than a few of its hundreds of thousands of loyal readers around the world as "Africa's WikiLeaks." Sowore likes the comparison.
One ex-Nigerian governor's holdings are reported to have included a $6 million London townhouse, a $580,000 armor-plated Maybach sedan, and a 12-seat private jet.
The site, Sahara Reporters, is dedicated to gathering up—from mostly anonymous sources—and then publishing all of the dirt it can find on corruption and political skullduggery in Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation.
Its scoops shielded by U.S. libel laws, the site is a phenomenon in Nigeria, a nation that is blessed by huge oil reserves—it is the fifth-largest foreign supplier of oil to the U.S.—and also cursed by the outrageous corruption that petrodollars have created.
The scoops have brought threats against Sowore, who is often publicly denounced by political leaders back in Nigeria as a scandal-mongering criminal. Sowore says he assumes his life is in danger if he travels openly in his homeland anytime soon, a view shared by Western diplomats in Nigeria. The site, which has been sued in U.S. courts by prominent Nigerians alleging defamation, is aggressively defended by volunteer First Amendment lawyers here.
Sowore said the site's slightly confusing name refers to the Sahara Desert—the actual desert ends well north of Nigeria—and his hope "to kick up some sand in the air and get people thinking." He said the site "is providing information to Nigerians in a way they've never had it before."
With help from fellow members of the educated Nigerian diaspora in the U.S. and Europe, Sowore, operating mostly from a cubicle in an office in midtown Manhattan, collects photos, court documents, and other evidence of corruption among Nigeria's leaders and posts it online.
The graft is eye-popping.
Since its launch five years ago, the site has tracked the overseas assets of several politicians, including a large, impoverished Nigerian state's former governor whose holdings are reported to have included a $6 million London townhouse, a fleet of luxury cars that includes a $580,000 armor-plated Maybach sedan, and a 12-seat private jet. The jet's delivery date was pushed off because of a demand that the plane's entertainment system be iPod-compatible, the site reported.
Sahara Reporters has posted official land records for what the site describes as several shady real-estate transactions in California, Texas, Washington, D.C., and across Europe involving the families of prominent Nigerian politicians and diplomats. (The Nigerian embassy in Washington did not return several calls for comment from The Daily Beast.)
The scoops go beyond corruption. Sowore said Sahara Reporters was the first news organization to produce a photo of the young Muslim terrorist from Nigeria who tried to set his underwear on fire on a trans-Atlantic flight to Detroit on Christmas Day.
The site repeatedly made news last year with reports that rebutted false government claims that the country's then-president, Umaru Musa Yar'Adua, was recovering nicely from cardiac troubles that forced him to spend several months in hospitals in Saudi Arabia. Yar'Adua was actually gravely ill and died this spring.
"This is evidence-based reporting," said Sowore. "We are here as a check against corruption and bad government. If we have photographs of the corruption, we post them." He said "a lot of our leaks come from Nigerians who are angry—who want to see a different country." The site has given Nigerians a journalistic watchdog that local reporters back home in West Africa could not hope to duplicate. In Nigeria, reporters are routinely threatened with violence or bribed into silence.
The site's impressive muckraking has drawn the support of that most august of American philanthropies—the Ford Foundation, which has given Sahara Reporters $175,000 over the last two years.
"I hadn't seen anything like this," said Calvin Sims, a former New York Times foreign correspondent who now works for the foundation and is overseeing the grant. "The impact it's having—holding political leaders to account—is very impressive." He said Sahara Reporters could be a model for similar sites throughout the developing world.
In exchange for the foundation's money, Sahara Reporters established a formal editorial board and released a concrete mission statement promising the site's reporters would be "unapologetic practitioners of advocacy journalism" while producing "verifiable and accurate news and untainted social commentaries."
The site has many fans at the State Department. John Campbell, U.S. ambassador to Nigeria in the Bush administration and now a fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, tells The Daily Beast that he logs onto the Sahara Reporters "all the time" and "my experience has been that it's reporting has a very high level of accuracy."
He said the site has a huge following among the educated Nigerian elite—both in their homeland and abroad—because its corruption reporting could not be duplicated by any news organization in Nigeria without "a bunch of goons" on the payroll of government and business leaders "knocking out the offices and a quite possibly murdering one of the principals."
Remarkably, given the fury directed at the site by the Nigerian government, prominent Nigerian banks and hotels have begun advertising on Sahara Reporters, a reflection of its affluent, globe-trotting readership. There is hope that the site will one day be self-supporting from ad sales.
"At the beginning, no one would be brave enough to advertise with us," Sowore said. "Now they realize that it is a very popular website, that we have important readers. It's a risk they want to take."
Philip Shenon, a former investigative reporter at The New York Times, is the author of The Commission: The Uncensored History of the 9/11 Investigation.
On Sat, Aug 14, 2010 at 8:37 AM, <sobef650@aol.com> wrote:
Thanks my brother.I am looking forward for you to join the crusade to sanitize the country. With each of us dropping a DOT at each area of our assignment, Nigeria will be great again. Wanting to change Nigeria and the players over night, we would be dead before we were buried. Some encouragement will lift out spirit to the highest.Together we will make it happen.God bless Sir.
Prof. Femi Ajayi, PhD., M.A., B.A.
Chairman Management Board
Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu
P. M. B. 2001, Sagamu, Ogun State, Nigeria.
Tel.: 08033867480
e-mail: sobef650@aol.com
cbom@oouth.com
Website: http://www.oouth.comIn a message dated 14/08/2010 16:25:09 W. Central Africa Standard Ti, olakassimmd@aol.com writes:
I have no problem with Dr. Kassim's digression in bad faith, as the frustration of the events in Nigeria would make someone wants to call it quit with the country. Should all of us take that stand, Nigeria would be a dead meat earlier than 2015 US government prediction to the demise of Nigeria.--Dr Ajayi
Dr Ajayi:Thanks for your response.The digression was not in bad faith. The digression was a segue on the issue of punctualityand travel habits of Nigerian government officials in general which is a reflection on our national attitude--the so called "African time" that we bring to most of our events both private and public.You and I know each other very well. I do not do politics. Hence you would have noticed thatI generally refrain from participating in discussions relating to partisan politics. In particular I have religiouslystayed away from the deadly politics in Ogun state and the rivalry between the Bankole and OGD camps.In this particular thread I have on one hand slammed Speaker Bankole's handling of his problemwith British Airways, while on the other I have criticized the Ogun state delegationto the NIDO World Conference in Ottawa that was led by Gov. Gbenga Daniel. .As you noted, I am not happy with the way things are going in Nigeria, not just in Ogun state. I alsolike you never give up hope that one day things will be better for our people in Nigeria. My critical commentsabout the handling of the Trauma Centre Tour, not withstanding their focus on the Ogun state delegation are intendedto reflect a more general malaise in the Nigerian public service not just in Ogun state. It could just have been any other stateor even the federal government and my comments would have been the same.I am always ready to contribute anywhere in Nigeria, not the least in my paternal state--Ogun state.My hope is that my critical comments will be taken in the good faith in which they were delivered.I have no political axe to grind with anyone in Ogun state or anywhere else in Nigeria. All that I desireis that services be provided to the people of Ogun state in the most efficient manner that is commensuratewith the available resources. I am quite aware from my professional experience as a senior administratorin the Nigerian healthcare system that the needs of the population are for the most part usually far in excess of theof the available resources. But regardless those in power must still try their best and provide the necessary servicesfor the people of Ogun state.I have written in support of the Government's side on the request to float a multibillion Naira bondwhich was denied by the state assembly. I believe strongly that the state needs such funds in order to be able to provide badly needed infrastructure projects throughout the state which the government cannot afford within its recurrent budget.I am also following closely the ongoing strike by the resident physicians in Ogun state. My hope is that the Commissioner of Health andthe leadership of the resident physicians will resume negotiations and come to a speedy agreement. I am not conversant with all the issuesthat led to the strike by the resident physicians hence I am not in a position to advise on how to resolve this issue. My only advice is thatboth sides maintain their professionalism--the physicians should respect the management and vice versa as they both have a common duty which is to provide healthcare services to the citizens of Ogun state.You remain one of my heros--you are not just "talking the talk" like most of us on the other side of thebig pond--you are on the ground in Nigeria "walking the walk"!Notwithstanding vast differences in individual personal circumstances, It is my hope that more of us in the Diaspora join those who have already returned toNigeria to participate in national development.You can bet that one day soon--I will also be on the ground in Nigeria--most likely doing some volunteer jobs!Bye,Ola
---- Original Message ----
From: sobef650@aol.com
To: OlaKassimMD@aol.com; NIgerianWorldForum@yahoogroups.com; piusadesanmi@yahoo.com; kayodunaro@yahoo.ie; naijaexcel@yahoogroups.com; NaijaPolitics@yahoogroups.com; NIDOA@yahoogroups.com; omoodua@yahoogroups.com; talknigeria@yahoogroups.com; igboworldforum@yahoogroups.com; nidocanada@yahoogroups.com; valojo@md.metrocast.net; ibk@usa.net
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Sent: Sat, Aug 14, 2010 10:20 am
Subject: Re: NIDOA | "F'ese kan trip?" 'Bankole Cancelled London Flight In Protest'
Dr. Kassim,I accept your apology Sir on the misinformation already given. I hold you at the very high level of respect as well, without saying it here.Note that we have you on video, the interview you granted Governor's media man on that trip to Canada, your commendation of the Trauma & Diagnostic initiatives of Otunba Gbenga Daniel. Our presence there was partly to tap the resources Nigerians have abroad, including you Sir. Regardless, my first market place is my fellow Nigerians Abroad for any recruitment to fill in the gap, based on our gained positive skills while in sojourn in foreign land.Some of our people would not read the true light you just shed outside the first impression given. I am not Mr. Perfect, not a Saint either, possibly not the best in whatever I do, however, I thank God for the opportunity I have to serve humanity.Another correction, I worked for the State of Georgia, not the City of Atlanta. The first African-American, Nigerian born, Executive Director, Examination Development & Testing Unit, Professional Licensing Board in the Office of Secretary of State, Atlanta, Georgia for 11 years before I gave it up to put the money where my mouth is, as you could read from my critical postings of Nigeria government on www.nigeriaworld.com. I never worked for the City of Atlanta.Secondly, I was in touch with Wale as soon as we landed in Atlanta, especially when we missed our flight.You know that I don't engage myself on this type of discussion in this forum. For years you know that I call the issues as I see them, which I am entitled to. You don't have to believe in that, but I will stand by what I believe in even if you are going to slaughter me. Our frustrations should be carefully weighed and expressed publicly with facts that would make you walk on the street with your shoulders raised.My concern really is how Nigerians never solve any problem. Even at our local gatherings, we love to deviate from the real issue and hauling on some other unrelated subjects. At the end we found out that we have wasted our valuable time and resources. Thinking that Nigerians Abroad would come to the rescue, we could be the worse alternative.We were discussing the issue of the behavior of Hon. Bankole, the Speaker of the House of Representatives in Nigeria; you re-directed the line of discussion to another unconnected issue. He has been showing us some behavioral pattern not needed in Nigeria today. What is wrong for anyone to search his bag, understandably the diplomatic immunity for his class, if there is nothing to hide, especially when your trips outside Nigeria through the same airline carrier.It baffles me why you jumped to it in the middle of discussion. That is all right.I have no problem with Dr. Kassim's digression in bad faith, as the frustration of the events in Nigeria would make someone wants to call it quit with the country. Should all of us take that stand, Nigeria would be a dead meat earlier than 2015 US government prediction to the demise of Nigeria.Should we just fold our arms and do nothing, Mba!Some of us have to stick our neck out and see what little dot we could contribute. When we see something positive regardless how minute, we should give them some encouragement, not condemnation.Nigeria belongs to us, we HAVE to build it together among other sacrifices individuals have to make.We should not join the current media style in Nigeria that lacks investigation before jumping to the print media.Your contribution to your paternal State is seriously needed NOW!God bless.
Prof. Femi Ajayi, PhD., M.A., B.A.
Chairman Management Board
Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu
P. M. B. 2001, Sagamu, Ogun State, Nigeria.
Tel.: 08033867480
e-mail: sobef650@aol.com
cbom@oouth.com
Website: http://www.oouth.comIn a message dated 14/08/2010 01:50:44 W. Central Africa Standard Ti, OlaKassimMD@aol.com writes:
Dr Ajayi:
It has been several months after the tour of the Ottawa Trauma Center. I can recall that
once you finally arrived that you, Mr Ojomo and myself were involved in several discussions
which in aggregate were enough for me to conclude that you actually got the gist of what transpired
at the Ottawa Trauma Centre. I apologize for my error for placing you amongst those of us who attended
at the Centre on behalf of the Ogun state delegation. Things have become that blurred in my mind!
I am still trying to recall the name of the fifth member of the impromptu delegation that we quickly put together.
He is, like yourself, a former Diasporan who has recently moved back to Nigeria. This is the reason,
I believe I made the mistake that you were able to join us for the tour.
I have tried to contact Mr Akinwale Ojomo of the Global Health Institute, Washington, DC who kept the records
for all the meetings we had with the officials of the Ottawa Trauma Centre so that I could obtain the name
of the fifth person whom I was also responsible for recruiting to join the tour as he was about to enter the
conference room on that eventful morning. I was unable to reach Mr Ojomo.
For the record the following individuals attended the meetings at the Ottawa Trauma Centre:
1) Mrs Nnado-Udozie--Senior Official. Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs (who also delivered a well received paper
about improving customer service in all federal government departments)
2) Mr Akinwale Ojomo--from the Global Health Institute, Washington, DC and RoySynergies Corporation whose hard work
and effective use of his prior connections enabled the tour. Mr Ojomo had attended some sessions at Harvard University
where met he Professor of Medicine who served as the Chief Host for the scheduled tour of the Ottawa Trauma Center.
3) An official of the Global Health Institute, an African American lady ( I cannot recall her name now) who flew in from Chicago. She was responsible for putting together
the logistics of the tour working with numerous administrative officials of the Ottawa Hospital over several weeks.l.
4) A former Diaspora Nigerian who flew in from Nigeria to attend the NIDO World conference. I will provide his name later as I cannot recall it now.
5) Dr Ola Kassim
I am glad that you were able to give an account of the exact reasons why the Ogun state delegation
was unable to make it to the scheduled tour. As you are aware it would have been proper that
once the delegation missed the connection in Atlanta that you immediately contact
your presumed hosts at the Ottawa Trauma Center either directly or indirectly through NIDO officials
so they would know that your delegation will not be able to make it to the tour.
My exact words regarding the participation of the Ogun state delegation at the NIDO World Conference were these:
"So the delegation from Ogun state came, attended a few sessions (if at all) of the NIDO World Conference, the dinner at the
High Commissioner's residence and the exquisite Gala Dinner on the final day of the conference.
To my knowledge they all departed for Nigeria without seeing the inside of any hospital in Ottawa or anywhere else in Canada"
I can now for the record confirm that Gov. Gbenga Daniel, yourself and a few other members of the delegation attended some sessions
but I am unable to speak for the rest of the delegation. You also made a presentation at a session that I moderated. The only
other events in which I saw members of the delegation were at the Welcome Dinner at the High Commissioner's residence
and at the Gala Dinner on the last day of the conference..
I stand by my recall of the brief meeting we had with your boss, the Ogun State Commissioner of Health regarding the outcome
of the tour of the Ottawa Trauma Centre. I was not impressed with
his attitude and level of interest in the matter. I was also disappointed that no effort was made on your part or his, to ensure
that some members of the Ogun state delegation took the opportunity to attend the second tour that we had arranged for the delegation
at the end of the one we attended on your behalf. The tour took place on May 9th, 2010. Today is August 13th, 2010 --5 months and a week
later--yet we have not had a single follow up session! This is the reason we Nigerians are not taken seriously abroad. We talk alot but we always
for the most part fail to follow with action!
Dr Ajayi--I am sure that you are aware of the amount of respect that I have for you and your commitment to Nigeria.
It is this commitment and your patriotic spirit- that led you to leave
a senior administrative position you had held for many years with the City of Atlanta so that you could accept a position
in Ogun state as the Chairman of the Management Board of the Olabisi Onabanjo Teaching Hospital.
I can bet my bottom dollar that it was not the attractive salary, perks and other benefits that attracted you to the job.
You may not like to openly acknowledge it but I am not unaware of the frustrations faced by expatriate Nigerians who have moved back to help in Nigeria.
Even our own Dr Mrs Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala had her own frustrations when she served in as a federal minister.
Let us admit the truth--the level of professionalism in the Nigerian civil service (not only in Ogun state) and amongst the political leadership is much
well below world standards and is much lower than it was when we gained our independence from Great Britain in 1960.
Frankly, I have been involved in too many situations where flight delays, missed connections, failure to obtaib requisite Visas and other reasons have been cited
for the inability of Nigerian federal and state government officials
to attend appointments and meetings that have been scheduled for them at their request at foreign locations. They are frequently late or they do not show up--and in
many instances without prior notice to those who are expecting them. These frequent "NO SHOWS" always necessitate rearrangements of schedules and program changes at events in which they have been
invited to participate. Why do we always do things at the last minute in Nigeria?
Why don't we inject a little flexibility into the travel plans of our officials at least to provide
for those occasions when circumstances under our control might prevent our on time arrival.
Why plan to arrive late the previous evening in Ottawa
when the delegation had a pre-scheduled tour arranger with the Ottawa Trauma Centre at 8 am the following day?
I will stand by my comments regarding the Estacodes and Nigerian state and federal government officials--not just in Ogun state..
As you are aware I have been involved in the organization of many conferences involving Diaspora Nigerians and Nigerian
federal and state government officials in Canada, USA, South America, the Caribbean and in several European countries.
The travel costs (either from Nigeria or from their form diplomatic posts abroad) of the Nigerian government officials invited to these events
have to my knowledge always been met from the public
purse while the rest of us from the Diaspora and attendees from Nigeria have always, as expected, been personally responsible for our own expenses.
The minimum we should expect
of our public officials is that they participate fully in the events for which the Nigerian government (both federat and state spending scarce tax payers resources)
have funded them to attend. This has unfortunately not always been the case as I can cite a few instances in which some senior Nigerian
public officials have flown all the way to foreign locations only to depart before the event they were scheduled to attend even began!
Ogun state is my paternal state, Lagos state is my maternal and real home state. Hence, it is only appropriate that I pick the state as the one in which to vent my frustrations,
even as I must acknowledge
that I have also been involved in some other NIDO and non NIDO events events where the invited state delegations did not only arrive on time but participated fully in all
areas of the program. Some of the more recent positive experiences I can recall include--those of:
--the Kano state delegation to the NIDO NJ World Conference--in 2009
--the Oshun state delegation to the NIDO Conference in Toronto, Jan 2008
--Lagos state delegations to numerous Eko International conferences amongst others that I have attended!
We need to start holding our public officials accountable in the hope that the delivery of service to the Nigerian masses will be improved
by such criticisms.
Bye,
Ola
-----Original Message-----
From: sobef650@aol.com
To: OlaKassimMD@aol.com; NIgerianWorldForum@yahoogroups.com; piusadesanmi@yahoo.com; kayodunaro@yahoo.ie; naijaexcel@yahoogroups.com; NaijaPolitics@yahoogroups.com; NIDOA@yahoogroups.com; omoodua@yahoogroups.com; talknigeria@yahoogroups.com; igboworldforum@yahoogroups.com; nidocanada@yahoogroups.com; valojo@md.metrocast.net; ibk@usa.net
Sent: Fri, Aug 13, 2010 5:41 pm
Subject: Re: NIDOA | "F'ese kan trip?" 'Bankole Cancelled London Flight In Protest'
Dr. Kassim,You and I have known each other through NIDOA activities and you know me very well for a while. Let me take this opportunity to correct some of your statements.I am directly responsible to actualize the Trauma and Diagnostic Center for OOUTH, Shagamu, hence the arrangement for the visit. I personally requested for that when the Governor and I were invited to come over there and give a talk on the Public Private Partnership initiative toward the TDC.In the other postings of yours that we did not show up, possibly we have collected estacodes, the reason we did not attend the real NIDO Canada function, is to me shocking, not true and unacceptable. I gave a presentation that you moderated. The Governor joined us at the session as well. We held several private meetings with some potentials for the TDC. As a matter of fact some potential companies have visited us in Nigeria,, the site and we are still working out details.I was in the same plane with the Governor through Atlanta to Canada. The other group that have no American Visa went through Europe and they arrived ahead of those of us with the Governor through Atlanta. There was a delay in Atlanta while checking and rechecking our stuff in Atlanta and apparently we missed our 7:30am flight to Detroit.In the process, looking at the schedule of events, we managed to get the Governor and one of us on the 8:10am flight to go ahead. As usual the connecting flight to Canada was missed by the Governor in Detroit. Those of us left in Atlanta could not find space on the 10:00am flight to Detroit. I seized the opportunity to go home and treated myself and one of us to a good lunch. We finally made it to Canada very late, even missing the Ambassador's dinner. However, the Governor and one of us with him made the dinner.As to the arrangement, I personally requested that you assisted Wale to arrange for the tour. We appreciate your efforts, but not as you stated it. That is unfair to the delegates. I do not like it all. I hate to rebut in the language you categorized the matter. However, I could but for now I will not.I did not partake in the tour as you stated in other posting, because of my late arrival.How Dr. Ojomo got involved was the NIDO Canada arrangement.On the issue of 50 Doctors that have left the Hospital, as of the time I am writing you this message, Friday, August 13, 2010, 10:25 pm, Nigeria time, as the Chairman, OOUTH Management Board, only SEVEN physicians have left the Hospital from February till end of July 2010. We lost one Medical Officer, two Consultants whose primary employer is Olabisi Onabanjo University. They are Honorary Consultants at OOUTH. Once they lost their job at their parent body, they are no longer on our pay roll at OOUTH; the remaining four are Resident Doctors, two of them joined their husbands outside Sagamu, the other two completed their Residency Training and left.You are right that the Ogun State House of Assembly has blocked the implementation of Bond, the same House approved and signed into law for the 2009 Budget. When the 'Prize is not Right' for the House the House wrote to financial Institutions not to have financial dealings with Ogun State Government. Note that Lagos State, whose revenue is higher than that of any other States in Nigeria, has gone to the Bond market, just like any other States in Nigeria, even the Federal Government has gone to the Bond Market.Here is part of the Governor's letter to Speaker of Ogun House of Assembly, last week:"You will recall, Hon. Speaker, that even in the 2009 budget which, was duly passed in December 2008 by your esteemed House, we made request for N50billion Naira from the Bond Market…..As a matter of fact, the 2009 Budget which was duly appropriated by your esteemed House was signed into law and it contained the sum of N25Billion Naira which, as was clearly indicated, would be accessed from the Bond Market. However, on June 10, 2009, the House issued Resolution 167 barring the State from accessing the Bond Market and enjoined all Financial Institutions from assisting our State. ………… At the last count, about 20 States including Imo, Kaduna, Niger, Kwara, Abia, Ebonyi, Enugu, etc, are all in the Bond Market. It is also a well-known fact that even the Federal Government has accessed the bond option to the tune of N1.3 trillion."Read more of this in my next article on www.nigeriaworld.com.I leave that for the time being.Please post the accuracy of the events as they happen. Do not engage yourself in misinforming the our people.God bless.
Prof. Femi Ajayi, PhD., M.A., B.A.
Chairman Management Board
Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu
P. M. B. 2001, Sagamu, Ogun State, Nigeria.
Tel.: 08033867480
e-mail: sobef650@aol.com
cbom@oouth.com
Website: http://www.oouth.comIn a message dated 13/08/2010 03:53:34 W. Central Africa Standard Ti, OlaKassimMD@aol.com writes:
Adebayo:
With the exception of Dr Femi Ajayi, the Chairman
of the Management Board of the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital ( a government parastatal)
who was their point man in the organization of this trip, I did not perceive any sense of remorse on the part of anyone from the
Ogun state government apparatus, . Neither myself nor Mr Akin-Ojomo received any apologies verbal or written from any
official of the Ogun state government. Dr Femi Ajayi, a Diasporan
who was recruited into this job from his base in Atlanta arrived in Ottawa a full day before the scheduled
tour.
I could see the embarrassment in Dr Ajay's face and body language throughout the tour and afterward.
Dr Ajayi promised that he would try and arrange a meeting during which our delegation could brief
Gov. Gbenga Daniel, the Commissioner of Health and other senior officials about the outcome
of our tour of the Ottawa Trauma Center. In the end, as I wrote in the previous post,
he was only able (after considerable effort) to arrange a meeting with the Ogun state Commissioner of Health
with our impromptu delegation.
The brief meeting which lasted less than twenty minutes was held in one of the corridors of the hotel.
I was disappointed with the attitude of the Ogun state Commissioner of Health who did not appear
too interested in the topic we were discussing. He did not react positively when we informed him that
we had arranged another tour for the next day for the delegation with senior officials of the
Ottawa Trauma Center. I had the opportunity to meet briefly with Gov. Daniel in the company
of a few other people. My attempt to bring up the issue of the hospital tour was sidelined on two occasions.
As far as I know there had not been any effective follow up on the outcome of our tour of the Trauma Centre
notwithstanding several attempts by Mr Akinwale Ojomo of the Global Health Institute, Washington DC to
arrange a teleconference meeting between those
of us who were present at the tour with Dr Ajayi and the Commissioner of Health.
I am not that surprised at the outcome considering my prior experiences with similar delegations from Nigeria.
This is the reason I declined the request to spearhead the arrangements for the tour of the Trauma Centre
of the Ottawa Hospital by the Ogun state government delegation when asked to do so.
Looking back several months after the Tour which took place on May 9th, I am left wandering whether Ogun state
has the financial resources to build a state of the art Trauma Centre--considering the following scenarios:
a) the State Assembly has embargoed the government's
request to float several billion Naira Bond Issue with the NSE.
b) about 50 physicians have either resigned or are on strike (the government maintains that only 7 resigned from their
posts).
How can a government that cannot afford to meet its payroll afford to build a modern state of the art Trauma Centre,
even though this is badly needed considering the location of the hospital along the accident prone Lagos Ibadan.Shagamu high way axis?
Bye,
Ola-----Original Message-----
From: Adebayo Adejuwon <adeadejuwon@yahoo.com>
To: OlaKassimMD@aol.com; NIgerianWorldForum@yahoogroups.com; piusadesanmi@yahoo.com; kayodunaro@yahoo.ie; naijaexcel@yahoogroups.com; NaijaPolitics@yahoogroups.com; NIDOA@yahoogroups.com; omoodua@yahoogroups.com; talknigeria@yahoogroups.com; igboworldforum@yahoogroups.com; nidocanada@yahoogroups.com; valojo@md.metrocast.net; ibk@usa.net
Sent: Thu, Aug 12, 2010 9:55 pm
Subject: Re: [NIgerianWorldForum] Re: NIDOA | "F'ese kan trip?" 'Bankole Cancelled London Flight In Protest'
Eric/Dr Ola Kassim:Thanks my brother Eric for your comment.Dr Kassim, I am really touched reading through this story. And thanks for the damage control.But sir, if you will be wiling to share with us on this forum, what was the reaction of Ogun State government to this NO SHOW.Any formal letter of aplogies ? Was the government of Ogun state embarrassed by this NO SHOW ? How was this demonstrated by way of any follow up action? Any formal contact with the organizers of this even and/or NIDO officials?I am just curious sir.Adebayo Adejuwon
From: "OlaKassimMD@aol.com" <OlaKassimMD@aol.com>
To: NIgerianWorldForum@yahoogroups.com; adeadejuwon@yahoo.com; piusadesanmi@yahoo.com; kayodunaro@yahoo.ie; naijaexcel@yahoogroups.com; NaijaPolitics@yahoogroups.com; NIDOA@yahoogroups.com; omoodua@yahoogroups.com; talknigeria@yahoogroups.com; igboworldforum@yahoogroups.com; nidocanada@yahoogroups.com; valojo@md.metrocast.net; ibk@usa.net
Sent: Thu, August 12, 2010 7:00:35 PM
Subject: Re: [NIgerianWorldForum] Re: NIDOA | "F'ese kan trip?" 'Bankole Cancelled London Flight In Protest'
Eric:In diplomatic circles, what we did in Ottawa is called "Damage Control."Imagine what implication the "OGUN STATE NO SHOW" would have been toNigeria, not just Ogun state?Diplomacy can be extremely frustrating to those who pride themselvesas straightshooters on all matters.However, the world will not be as peaceful (for the most part at least) withoutdiplomacy.Bye,Ola
---- Original Message ----
From: ericayoola@aol.co.uk
To: NIgerianWorldForum@yahoogroups.com; adeadejuwon@yahoo.com; piusadesanmi@yahoo.com; kayodunaro@yahoo.ie; naijaexcel@yahoogroups.com; NaijaPolitics@yahoogroups.com; NIDOA@yahoogroups.com; omoodua@yahoogroups.com; talknigeria@yahoogroups.com; igboworldforum@yahoogroups.com; nidocanada@yahoogroups.com; valojo@md.metrocast.net; ibk@usa.net
Sent: Thu, Aug 12, 2010 8:47 pm
Subject: Re: [NIgerianWorldForum] Re: NIDOA | "F'ese kan trip?" 'Bankole Cancelled London Flight In Protest'
Ola Kassim MD, I am glad that you have shed the self imposed cloak of sweeping our many ills under the carpet and can speak matters as they are, bad though they may be by your enlighting us of tin disgraceful behaviour of OGD and his men. Even though you participated in the deception of the 'Oyibos' when telling then the truth of the none show of the irresponsible OGD team would have been the more decent thing to do. Na wa for Naija o!
-----Original Message-----
From: OlaKassimMD@aol.com
To: adeadejuwon@yahoo.com; piusadesanmi@yahoo.com; NIgerianWorldForum@yahoogroups.com; kayodunaro@yahoo.ie; naijaexcel@yahoogroups.com; NaijaPolitics@yahoogroups.com; NIDOA@yahoogroups.com; omoodua@yahoogroups.com; talknigeria@yahoogroups.com; igboworldforum@yahoogroups.com; nidocanada@yahoogroups.com; valojo@md.metrocast.net; ibk@usa.net
Sent: Thu, 12 Aug 2010 20:31:27 -0400
Subject: [NIgerianWorldForum] Re: NIDOA | "F'ese kan trip?" 'Bankole Cancelled London Flight In Protest'
Adebayo:Your comments remind me of an unrelated incident relating to the travelhabits of Nigerian government officials, especially outside of the country.
Recently I was asked to help aarrange a visit to a Canadian Trauma Centre for
a delegation from Ogun state that would be led by Gov. Gbenga Daniel so that they could observe
a modern state of the art Trauma Center in action starting from the Emergency
Department, Surgical Suites, ICU and Recovery Units and ending with a tour of the Rehabilitation
unit. I was informed that this visit was necessary because Ogun state was about to invest a huge amountto upgrade the Trauma Centre at the University Teaching Hospita to world class status.
Based on my prior experiences with similar requests from Nigerian government officials,(they either show up very late or do not show up at all,)
I declined the request to help arrange the visit. I cited the fact the delegation was visiting Ottawa,Ontario Canada primarily to attend the NIDO World Conference,a city that is approx. 450 kilomtersfrom Toronto where I reside.
I explained that it was difficult enough to ensure that Nigerian officials show up at the appointed times for meetings and events I have arranged
for them around Toronto in the past, than to embark on another project to arrange some visits to a hospital
so far away from Toronto,
I recommended that the organizer of the trip link up with NIDO officials in Ottawa who would help arrange the tour.The last that I heard was that everything was on track. A tour of the Trauma Center of the University of Ottawa Teaching Hospital had been arranged with the help of Mr Akin Ojomo of the Washington, DC based Global Health Institute and Mr Wale AdeSanya, President NIDO Ottawa. The expected delegation from Ogun state was to be led by Gov. Gbenga Daniel. Other members of the delegation were the Commissioner of Health and Dr Femi Ajayi, Chairman, Management, Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital. I was not expecting to play any rolein the tour of the Ottawa Trauma Centre.I felt confident that I had done my duty. However what I didnot realize was that I was in for a rude shock.
As I approached the registration desk on the first day of the NIDO World Conference in Ottawa, I was approached in a frantic state
by Mr Akin Ojomo and an African American lady who were both from the Global Health Institure
based in Washington, Dc,
Mr Ojomo informed me they have been looking for me because the intended delegation from Ogun state had not arrived
and senior officials of the Ottawa Regional Hospital had been waiting for their arrival for almost an hour at the hospital.
The only member of the delegation who had arrived was Dr Femi Ajayi, Chairman of the Olabisi Onabanjop
University Teaching Hospital.
We had to think fast to rescue the situation. I quickly sought the help of , Mrs Nnado-Udozie a senior staff of theMinistry of Foreign Affairs, whom I had to call
out of the conference. Along with Mrs Nnado-Udozie, Dr Ajayi, Mr Ojomo and the lady from the Global Development Institutewe sped up in two Taxis to the Ottawa Hospital.
Along the way I explained to Mrs Nnado-Udozie that she would be serving as the temporary head of the delegation pending the arrival of the governor of Ogun state and the rest of the delegation. She agreed.We were met upon arrival at the hospital entrance by a full Professor of Medicine and former Dean of the University of Ottawa
Medical School who had taken off an entire work day
to take the Ogun state delegation round all the departments. Embarassingly for us, there we were without the
important people from Nigeria for whom the entire exercise and tour was planned.
Mrs Nnado-Udozie apologized on behalf of the Governor and his entourage telling our hosts (true or false I am not sure)
that the flight bringing in the delegation had become delayed in London, England. I kept on thinking as we were escorted from one
department to the other starting from the CEO's office what message we were sending as Nigerians.Luckily Mrs Nnado- Udozie saved the day for us. She looked ans ssounded both authoritatively and regally in her ankara dress with matching headgear (gele). She left no doubt in the mind of everyone we met that she had come to represent an important arm of government of Nigeria.
I was amazed by Mrs Nnado-Udozie's stellar performance considering that
the only information she received about the purpose of the trip was the quick study I gave her during the short taxi ride from the conference hotel
to the hospital.
We were told by the senior officials in all the departments we visited about what the Ottawa Hospital's Global Development Institute
has been doing to help upgrade health care services in Uganda, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Uganda and other African countries. Each time Mrs Nnado- Udozie asked our hosts why are you not in Nigeria, she received the same answer:
"we only go into those jurisdictions where we have competent and willing partners on the ground who are able to continue
the work when we depart"
As a Nigerian, I could not truthfully say that we have both competent people (which we have in abundance)
and the requisite organizational support (which we do not have) on the ground in Nigeria to make foreign aid work effectively in Nigeria.
To cut a long story short, the governor and his delegation finally arrived late in the evening of the same day--almost 2 days behind
their scheduled arrival. We managed to have a brief meeting with the Commissioner of Health, a young physician the next day.
Judging from his body language, I could tell that he was not that interested in taking up the offer to tour the same trauma center either in the company
of Gov. Daniel or by himself alone the following day (as we had arranged with the hospital officials at the end of our tour.)So the delegation from Ogun state came, attended a few sessions(if at all) of the NIDO World Conference, the dinner at the High Commissioner's residence and the exquisite Gala Dinner on the final day of the conference. To my knowledge they all departed for Nigeria without seeing the inside of any hospital in Ottawa or anywhere else in Canada.Yet they must all have collected Estacodes!
Bye,
Ola-----Original Message-----
From: Adebayo Adejuwon <adeadejuwon@yahoo.com>
To: Pius Adesanmi <piusadesanmi@yahoo.com>; NIgerianWorldForum@yahoogroups.com; kayodunaro@yahoo.ie; naijaexcel@yahoogroups.com; NaijaPolitics@yahoogroups.com; NIDOA@yahoogroups.com; omoodua@yahoogroups.com; talknigeria@yahoogroups.com; igboworldforum@yahoogroups.com; OlaKassimMD@aol.com; nidocanada@yahoogroups.com; valojo@md.metrocast.net; ibk@usa.net
Sent: Thu, Aug 12, 2010 3:01 pm
Subject: Re: NIDOA | "F'ese kan trip?" 'Bankole Cancelled London Flight In Protest'
Bankole has no business hoping in and out of UK at our expense without anything to show for it. There is no point asking whether Nigeria is funding this trip. Nigeria is. And this is the point Dr Ola Kassim made very well. My worry is that this is the pastime of all our leaders without exemption. And they will do the usual by justifying these needless jamborees in the name of seeking for investment. If it is not China, it will be UK.What worries me with this Bankole's saga is why this guy must be in the news for bad conducts all the time. And to make matter worse for me, he is from Ogun!!!!!.And instead of my Ogun brothers and sisters from to see this Bankole latset infractions as additional dent on the image of Ogun, what I have seen so far is Olorun mu, awa ko, awon ni. Which is indeed cheap.A few days in Ogun, commissioners left their duty posts to protest. Fair enough they can protest in a democracy. But who pays for the time of these public officials who should be at their duty post attending to state matters? The state? At another time, the deputy speaker Remmy Hasssan was busy sendiung test messages on an impending court rulings. This is to be followed with counter texts from other people within their shameless PDP. And yet all these people are members of the same party ruling us in Ogun. And now, this one again: Bankole, Nigeria's number 4 citizen anmd a son of Ogun bringing another bad publicity to Ogun.And all I can see so far is Bankole ni, Bankole ko from those of us whose image is being dented.Is this how we are going to get the democracy dividend we seek?And yet we still think PDP must be the party to govern us in Ogun and in Nigeria in 2011
From: Pius Adesanmi <piusadesanmi@yahoo.com>
To: NIgerianWorldForum@yahoogroups.com; kayodunaro@yahoo.ie; naijaexcel@yahoogroups.com; NaijaPolitics@yahoogroups.com; NIDOA@yahoogroups.com; omoodua@yahoogroups.com; talknigeria@yahoogroups.com; igboworldforum@yahoogroups.com; OlaKassimMD@aol.com; nidocanada@yahoogroups.com; valojo@md.metrocast.net; ibk@usa.net
Sent: Thu, August 12, 2010 11:40:54 AM
Subject: Re: NIDOA | "F'ese kan trip?" 'Bankole Cancelled London Flight In Protest'
Baaroyin and Morgan:
Preliminary inquiry. I am trying to determine the time line of this curious and interesting London trip from all the back and forth going on and it ain't easy. It is looking more and more like your Principal spent one or two nights in London before hopping back to Abuja - as in the "o sare f'ese kan de London" scenario.
If this trip is of the "f'ese kan" variety and we paid for it, then there is a problem.
Do you get my drift? Do you agree with me that the Speaker should not be using our money to fund f'ese kan trips for dinner in London and breakfast in Abuja the following day? With a full compliment of aides to boot!
So, who paid for this trip?
I dare to hope that the money came out of his own fecund pocket.
Wahala wa o.
Pius
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