Katakata don Bust!

It seem say katakata don bust for the highest levels of power in awa great nation, Nigeria. E be like say Atiku and Obasanjo don begin dey off pant for all and sundry to witness.

However, i feel that the allegations below delivered by Atiku in his rebuttal of accusations against him, spearheaded by none other than his recently turned arc-Nemesis President Olusegun Obasanjo should be taken very seriously and investigated. All proven and convicted perpetrators should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law--president or not!

With that said, here is an except from Atiku's counter accusations against Obasanjo. Atiku is currently answering to an EFCC panel against money laundering accusations into the PTDF (Petroleum Technology Development Fund).

Distinguished Senators, I have gone to great lengths to give you an insight into the PTDF and its operations and the PTDF under my supervision. I have also addressed and rebutted all the allegations made against me in the EFCC's report. As you can see, I am a victim of a well-orchestrated and vicious smear campaign aimed, principally, at preventing me from offering myself for service to the nation at the highest level.

To conclude my presentation, it is necessary for me to provide you with an insight into the activities of the PTDF in recent times for you to see for yourself the irregularities, mismanagement and outright looting that now characterises the operations of the PTDF.

Here you will find evidence of PTDF resources being diverted to schemes and activities that are not only unbudgeted for but also clearly outside the mandate of the Fund in line with its governing statutes. Indeed, the PTDF has, in recent times, been turned into a slush fund for all manner of inexplicable transactions for the convenience of the very people who falsely accuse me of wrong-doing. PTDF monies are now regularly and whimsically doled out to individuals, groups and causes that catch their fancy. A few examples will suffice.

Establishment of An Institute of Science and Technology in the FCT:
In August 2006, the President approved the sum of 25 million US dollars from the Fund for the establishment of a so-called African Institute of Science and Technology, Gulf of Guinea Affiliate, in Abuja. The money was released. Distinguished Senators may wish to investigate and find out to whom the money was paid, and where such Institute is located. More importantly, there is no enabling law setting up the Institute and no money was appropriated
by the National Assembly for it.

Registration of Galaxy Backbone Plc and Payment of Legal Fees: In September 2006, the President approved the payment of the sum of 250 million Naira from the PTDF to his personal lawyer, Chief Afe Babalola, of Emmanuel Chambers, for the mere act of registering a company, Galaxy Backbone, with the Corporate Affairs Commission (see appendices 12a, 12b, & 12c). With a share capital of one billion Naira, the actual amount paid to the Corporate Affairs Commission is 23 million Naira. Distinguished Senators, is the establishment and funding of Galaxy Backbone within the mandate of PTDF? Is it justifiable for a President who claims to be fighting corruption to authorize the payment of 250 million naira of public funds to his personal lawyer for the mere registration of a company?

Purchase of Computers for Civil Servants: Distinguished Senators, you may also wish to note that on July 28, 2006 the President approved the sum of ten million dollars from the PTDF for the purchase of computers under the Computers for All Nigerians Initiative (CANI) (see Appendices 13a, 13b, 13c, 13d). As laudable as CANI may be, the question should still be asked whether PTDF is the right government agency with the capacity to organize, manage and support a revolving loan for the ownership of computers by civil servants. And considering the need for legislative oversight for such a major project why was this programme not included in the normal budgetary process?

Note Purchase Agreement Between UBA and other Banks and PTDF: Distinguished Senators may also want to look into the scandalous lending of billions of naira of PTDF money to the United Bank for Africa (UBA), which, strangely, the Federal Government then borrowed from the bank to buy vehicles (see Appendix 14). It is also interesting that the President went on to draw a personal loan of 200 million naira from the UBA, which, according to his spokespersons, was used to purchase the 200 million shares in Transcorp. We hope that this 200 million Naira 'loaned' to the President is not a trade-off for the deposit which he approved for the bank. Distinguished members of this Committee may wish to investigate
these.

PTDF Bank Deposits and Interest Rates: I was accused of authorizing the deposit of PTDF funds in a bank without the approval of Federal Executive Council. Distinguished Senators at 31 May 2006, the PTDF had nearly 19 billion Naira deposited in various banks in the country. It may interest you to note that there was no Federal Executive Council approval for these deposits which buttresses my point that I did not require any additional approval for the deposit which was authorized by me.

Approval Limit for Expenditure of PTDF Funds: Distinguished Senators, in trying to find out who has been mismanaging PTDF funds it may interest you to note that on 4 April 2006, without recourse to the Federal Executive Council, the President raised the limit of the amount of money that the Executive Secretary of PTDF can approve from seven hundred thousand naira to ten million naira (see Appendix 16). This new approval limit seems to have provided an opportunity for a renewed assault on the resources of the Fund.

Contract Award to PDP National Working Committee Members: You may also want to know that contracts were awarded from the PTDF on 17 July, 2006 to companies many of which are suspected to belong to members of the National Working Committee of the PDP to induce them to support the President's total destruction of internal democracy within the PDP. You will also discover in your investigations that some of the companies to which these contracts were awarded were not duly registered (see Appendices 17a & 17b).

PTDF Contracts to the President's Aides and Cronies: As further evidence of the abuse to which the PTDF has been subjected by the very people accusing me of wrong-doing, companies linked to such aides of the President as his current Political Adviser, Ministers such as those of the FCT and Science and Technology; and a long list of his close political associates, were favoured with mouth-watering contracts from PTDF. Millions of naira have also been doled out by the PTDF management for some phoney community relations consultancy. In order that he is not left out of the party, the new National Security Adviser is currently being processed as an external solicitor to the PTDF through his own legal firm, A. S. Mukhtar and Company. I urge you, distinguished Senators, to investigate these thoroughly (see Appendices 18a, 18b, 18c, 18d, 18e, 18f).

Progress Report on Obasanjo Administration and Photographs for State House
Library: As a further example of the gross abuse of PTDF funds, the President's media office is on record as having repeatedly drawn money for such frivolous and unrelated undertakings as production of progress reports and payment for photographs for the State House Library (see Appendix 19a, 19b, 19c, 19d).

Award of Contracts for ICT Projects: Distinguished Senators may also note that in August 2006, a Federal Executive Council memo was presented for approval for the award of contracts for the establishment of ICT centers in 102 Unity Schools, 20 Federal Colleges of Education and 24 Universities. However, Council did not know that these contracts worth billions of Naira and over 20 million US dollars were awarded mostly to the aides and cronies of the President.
Earlier on, on the 24 of February 2006, the President approved the sum of 2.5 billion naira for the supply of so-called “Skill G” science and technology equipment to senior secondary schools, technical colleges, and polytechnics/colleges of technology. You may also wish to find out whether these projects are within the PTDF mandate.

DICON Rehabilitation Account: The PTDF, in absolute and flagrant violation of its mandate, was directed to dole out one billion Naira to the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) even as this investigation had commenced. This payment was made via a Prudent Bank cheque dated October 10 2006. And the one billion naira is being spent for one of the President's vanity projects: naming a gun after himself, the so-called OBJ 006. I have always advocated the resuscitation of the DICON and the repositioning of the Nigerian armed forces in general but it is clearly illegal to do so with PTDF resources (See Appendices 21a & 21b).

Purchase of Vehicles: Distinguished Senators may recall that this administration took a decision to do away with all categories of official vehicles, except those meant for essential services that are to be placed under a common pool. In violation of this same policy, in May 2006 the President granted the PTDF an approval to purchase 6 units of Toyota Corolla, a unit of Peugeot 407 and a Toyota Hilux at a cost of over 41 million Naira. The Toyotas and Peugeot were designated as official vehicles, and allocated to officials of the agency as official vehicles.

Inflation of Contracts and Frivolous Rehablitation of PTDF Headquarters: The
management of the PTDF spent a whopping 60 million naira on the purported rehabilitation of its headquarters in 2006. This includes a 36 million naira expenditure to procure a lift for the two-story building. The expenses also include the cost of putting a Jacuzzi in the PTDF Headquarters.

Distinguished senators, it may interest you to know that some of these actions which I have itemized here have been retroactively approved by the Federal Executive Council in recent days. This shows the dept of contempt in which the Senate is held by my accusers. In fact some of them were brought to Council for ratification on 1 November, 2006 the very day that the Senate Ad-hoc Committee was supposed to commence sitting but for the unfortunate ADC plane crash. This frantic and desperate effort to retroactively ratify PTDF's transactions after the Senate began its investigations is itself an admission of wrong-doing by my accusers.

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BTW, I've been watching, waiting and have been very silent on the ongoing Nigerian elections, especially after my post on IBB's running for presidency. THANK GOD that mugu finally stepped down. I'd like to think it was my post that caused him to rethink the whole darn thing (as if! i like to psyche myself from time to time) but at least I hope it helped. *grin*

Ok, now who the hell the Yar'Adua??? I've done a lot of reading up on this man and boy do I have a lot to say. I must admit, he has a good side to him that everyone has been echoing--the fact that he's actually educated (Bachelor's and Masters in Chemistry) and was a lecturer, blah blah blah. He's humble, quiet, respectable, has no money laundering inquiries against him so that supposedly equates him to being "financially trustworthy".I've also been reading about him being one of the first governors to introduce the "Sharia" law back into Northern Nigeria, by passing this very law in his State of Katsina in 1999 (or thereabouts). Remember the case of the stoning to death of Amina Lawal of Katsina State that attracted international human rights advocates attention? It happened under Yar'Adua's watch. Click here and here. According to international opinion and my personal opinion, the "Sharia" law is a crime against humanity and is utterly and completely irreprehensible. I WON'T ever, till the day I die, harbour any ill-guided support for anyone who mandates that law. Women's rights are being trampled on, people are being mutilated and killed everyday because of the Sharia law. Rape victims are stoned to death while the perpetrators are set free. If anyone passes that mandate in his State or anywhere else in the world, he DOES NOT deserve to rule any State, or Nation in the world, let alone Nigeria. And that is a fact unless of course you would like to return to the dark ages. Click here for more on this.

And please, who the hell is Goodluck Jonathan? Alamieyeseigha's former deputy governor? If a Governor is stealing hefty loads of cash, you think he's deputy is oblivious of what's going on. Now, that probably explains why Jonathan's wife is being investigated for money laundering. Let me guess, the best way to prevent yourself from being investigated by the EFCC is to wire the loot into your wife's account. Goodluck Jonathan? God forbid!

Men, I'm like...almost giving up on our leaders and their ability to do anything right. Amongst all the talented, well-educated, bright, well-spoken, articulate, charismatic individuals we have in Nigeria and in the Diaspora, are you telling me that this is the best we have to offer? And why is the South-South and South-West giving up on running for the seat of President. We have never been given a chance to be president for decades and I'm hearing that the North feel its their chance to take over the realms since the South has ruled. The South-South and South-East have not had their turn dumbos. But, like clockwork you turn around to tap her much valued resources (Nigeria's OIL = our #1 resource and National income) and desecrate her land and people?

Going back to the election scenario, something tells me there is a game of brow-beating and downright intimidation going on. Why do people have to step down for their primary affiliates? Why does one have to coerce another through bribery or whatever means to step down for him/her? And talking about females, where are the females running for Presidency? Do we not have even one? I mean with the likes of Dora Akunyili and Lady Ngozi you would think it would be a no-brainer. Both women have been thoroughly persecuted and the latter forced out of power. A case of women's rights abuse going on? I talked to Lady Ngozi's sister about the whole situation and she told me that Lady Ngozi feels very disheartened and discouraged by the terrible way that she was treated by the Obasanjo Administration. It was quite shameful. But I digress.

Is the Democracy that was fought so hard for, and blood shed out in the Streets of Lagos and the like, fought for in vain? So the blood of Ken Saro-Wiwa, M.K.O Abiola, Dele Giwa etc. was shed so that we can start right back from square one? Where is the justice? Where is the uproar? My people, we must unite and stand up and fight! We are not cowards. Never!

For a start, we need to pass a law in Nigeria to prevent ALL former military rulers from running for any political office. There are over 120 million people in Federal Republic of Nigeria. The 50-100 or so dictators, military rulers that keep getting rotated and such are not the only people capable of ruling our country. They are not the only ones with brains or the lack thereof for the horrible way that they buried our national coffers in insurmountable debt and atrocious, unparalled theft. PUT THEM ALL IN JAIL!!!!

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I'm angry. Angry at what would could be as a people. Angry at where we still are and how we sludge our imprints that causes us to backslide into our past mistakes. I'm angry at the ABC News report on Nigerian scammers because I'm an honest Nigerian out here trying to earn a decent living. The last thing I need is a bad impression of Nigerians as a whole that might prevent me from getting a job or treated with respect. My parents never stole from anyone!

Nigeria is a mess but I STILL want to go home. But go home to this??? I am not a descendant of a bunch of retards, I am a descendant of Kings and Queens. We CAN do much better! We ARE a very CAPABLE population! I believe everyone wants a better life for themselves and their families or else they wouldn't be immigrants in another man's land trying to eek out a living, unable to do so in our country of birth. WOW!!! Food for thought, ya'll.