---

A Bolekaja Presidency (2)By Reuben AbatiWHEN last week, I wrote under the title ab...Read the full article.

---

Mr. Abati,

It is about Christmas and time you write that Obasanjo can be trusted to cut off an Igbo head or two to quell Nigeria's problem as you did few years back, maybe this time your Abeokuta brother wants the heads of not just an Igbo as your dark soul proposed but from every square kilometer in the country, so watch your back as yours is quite remarkable.

That you can pontificate after your heinous hate essays will be taught in schools as a commentary on our politicians who might be the only people below your despicable self.

---

It is a bloody shame that some people bloviating as informed commentators (oh please!) on the Internet choose to continue the merciless campaign to malign others without restraint. For goodness sake, get over whatever past hangovers you have about this man and focus on the merits or demerits of the current topic he is talking about in this latest article!!! It is either you have something useful to contribute or move on!

What, on God's Green Earth, makes one lurch in with such an irresponsible and reckless opener as:

---

"It is about Christmas and time you write that Obasanjo can be trusted to cut off an Igbo head or two to quell Nigeria's problem as you did few years back--->That you can pontificate after your heinous hate essays will be taught in schools as a commentary on our politicians who might be the only people below your despicable self."

---

Anyone who is reading these words and agrees with me should be thankful that they don't have such hate, as evident in the words of the commentator that goes by the name Willy (and others like him), in them! The bigotry and hate in their words is, to say the least, SCARY! How can such people ever know happiness if they go around with such amounts of bile in them???

It is a statement of FACT when one states that Reuben Abati, as human and prone to errors like the rest of us as he is, NEVER sounds or reads as callous or hateful as those who accuse him of being a "despicable" person who writes "heinous hate essays". What, will they murder him if they have the chance? I mean..that is how people like Willy sound -
like people filled with murderous hate!

PLEASE NOTE: Not ONE word of Mr. Abati's latest essay was critiqued or commented upon in any way by Willy. The commentator in question, like others before him, simply came in to insult and to malign without leaving behind anything positive but his hate-filled commentary. Even if Abati has a past you must insult or hate him for, how about leaving proof of such in your commentary just so people will not see you as another "nattering naboob of negativism"?

I pray that no man's actions will reduce me or anyone I care for to the level of hate as personified by individuals like Willy. To Willy and others like him out there, debrief yourselves of prejudice and hate and all its associated vices. You will then find that life is a lot more fun and full of happiness and joy than what subsists. You may throw all that advice back in my face if you don't need it. I will understand.

Auspicious.

---

Oh Lawd............

We all dealt decently with a villager called Tony and here we are again with another one with the name Willy................too much hatred..............Ota poju enemy lo

Lets look at the platform on which Abati writes...............He works as a member of staff for a daily tabloid called GUARDIAN NEWSPAPER owned by a fellow Nigerian from DELTA STATE, the Chief Editor is also a Nigerian known as EMEKA ELUEM IZEZE, an Igbo man, the deputy Editor is a Yoruba man known as DEBO ADESINA.

Emeka Eluem Izeze is the Chief Editor, a position that supercedes that of Reuben Abati as chairman, Editorial board, if truly Abati has been writing about the Igbos in bad lights, i am very sure he would have been cautioned as the Chief Editor is Igbo. Anyway, i have been reading abati articles for a long time, i can categorically say that he is sound and of good journalistic behavioral attutudes......

Coming back to Bolekaja presidency 2, let the revelations continue as this may finally be the harbinger of peace that Nigeria and Nigerians needs.

Cheers,
Wale

---

I have seen and heard all sorts of ingenious arguments but I will want to stay on the issue at hand. What is before the court of public opinion is that Atiku has abused and misused his office. That is the point!

"The point is that certain monies were constitutionally entrusted on Mr. Vice President for PTDF. The monies were denominated in dollars and playing around with them for a while within the banking system has its direct private gains. The Vice President was more attracted to those private and personal gains than the necessary benefits to Nigerians. In administrative language, the funds were misappropriated but in street language the monies were stolen. This is one of the cases against him.

The argument that Mr.President is also guilty or even a bigger culprit does not make sense in this context. Mr. President’s day at the dock will surely come and we will celebrate it but the man in the dock now is Atiku and please, let somebody tell him to defend himself.

I do not think that any serious- minded Nigerian would want to believe that Mr. President is a saint and that he is fighting his anti-corruption war altruistically. No. We all know the game. What Nigerians want to know and the onus on Atiku is to disprove those allegations. Going to court to espouse his right is good but the better thing to do is to fight for an acquittal from the court of public opinion. Atiku may very well get a redress from a court of law but without a discharge from the court of public opinion, he is politically dead. Trading sleaze with Obasanjo does not make sense. If for anything, it reinforces perception and makes the case worse for him".

---

Willy's comment (the first on this thread) is in terrible bad taste.
Such exhibition of raw hate should not be condoned in a forum like this.
He owes all of us an apology.

Having said that, we must equally point out that Abati has since purged himself of his undiluted, crude Igbophobia. Like Ken-Saro Wiwa, he had thought that, perhaps, he needed some dose of anti-Igbo essays to capture the public space. Now, he has realized that he no longer needs to do that, and he has been trying to atone for his past indiscretions. He needs to be forgiven!

There was also the suspicion that he was enjoying the rebuttals he was attracting then from brilliant Igbo minds whom he never believed could take him serious enough to engage him in on the pages of the newspaper. It also looked like Abati could not just swallow the feeling around town that Ndigbo were the bright stars of Nigeria (given their rapid survival and ascendancy even after the thirty months of BIAFRA-Britain/America/Rushia/Nigeria genocidal, extermination project (also referred to by some people as the Nigeria Civil War), and so he felt called to cut them down to size. But he soon realized the folly of his misplaced zeal and sheath his blunt sword. He may have to continue to battle the ghosts of that infantile preference for a long time to come. No tears for him.

For all you care, Willy may just be an OBJ acolyte trying to influence the course of
comments on the article, which clearly does not do OBJ's image any good, since it is very clear that not even OBJ and his very succulent concubines believe his “cocktail of lies”. But I must hasten to say that in this regard, Willy is only trying to be an accurate imitator of the fellow that goes by the name of WALE AKIN, who once formed the habit of being the first to comment on any article, with the sole intention of influencing the course of comments.

Although, he failed most of the time, because of his inability to make sense, and muster the requisite capacity to sway people by powerful arguments, he still continued to do that, because of his exaggerated assessment of his abilities. I had thought that after one fellow on this forum cautioned him, that he would learn his lesion, but what has become clear is that I was really wrong in my expectation.

Reuben Abati is a columnist and Chair of the Editorial Board; at that level, there is a level of caution he can receive from his MD. Even if he is using the column to fight an ethnic war, there is no way Emeka Izeze can stop him; he can only give him friendly advise, and if that fails, he might advise the management to on the implication, and management may choose to ignore him. So, to say, as Wale did with dogmatic certainty, that if indeed, ABATI was writing anti-Igbo articles, that Izeze would have stopped him, is one bold way of advertising ignorance.

WALE AKIN also lacks discretion. In a debate of this nature in which his very name would easily depict where his interest would lie (rightly or wrongly) on the matter, he should exercised some restraint in coming out with his colourless, drab input, delivered with the same unintelligent authoritativeness that never ceases to annoy every right-thinking person on this forum. This is not to say that even a partisan Yoruba would not be able to ward off the effects of Wily’s missile on ABATI but WALE lacks what it takes to do that, and so, has merely portrayed his post as one those I-must-defend-my-brother comments. Nothing more, nothing less.

How can anyone who had ever known anything about Abati’s writing, and who is even claiming that he has read ABATI for years, deny that at some point Reuben was behaving like a licensed Igbo-basher! Well, only WALE AKIN can vomit such a clap-trap! And for all you care, to him, he has made the greatest point here!

---

This general theme that since Atiku is in the dock now he should hung, drawn and quatered alone and Obj's day will come at some point etc. etc. is a very shallow and short sighted. Obj is/was part and parcel of whatever Atiku did/did not do/could have done etc.. If Atiku is found guilty, so is Obj and both should go down for it. There is no way that Obj could not have known about the goings-on in that fund right from the day the first check was written. We are even getting accounts of Obj's direct/inderct involvement in the operations of the accounts, yet people are making out as if Atiku is more guilty just b/c Obj fired the first salvo. If Atiku is to be indicted so must Obasenjo at the same time for and for the same offence. I wonder what Obj thought would be the outcome when he started down this route, abi has he never heard the addage: If you live in a glass house, don't throw stones habba!

---

---

Atiku: Fasawe told Obasanjo of $6.7m deal with Jefferson 15/09/2006
By Gabriel Akinadewo, Group Political Editor

There seems to be no let-up in the battle of integrity at the Presidency, with the Vice President’s camp insisting yesterday that President Obasanjo knew about the $6.7 million deal between Jefferson and Otunba Oyewole Fasawe.

The President has sent a letter written by Jefferson to the Senate, saying the Congressman’s complaints prompted the probe that unearthed the alleged mismanagement of Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) money. The PTDF is under the supervision of the Vice President.

But the Atiku camp claimed yesterday, in a statement that portrayed Jefferson as a man of shady character, that the American wrote on June 9, 2004 – six months after Fasawe "had persistently put him (Jefferson) under tremendous pressure to refund his money or face legal action."

The Jefferson letter, the Vice-President’s camp said, was a blackmail by the American to escape the imminent legal action.

The Atiku Abubakar Campaign Organisation, in a statement entitled Jefferson’s letter to Obasanjo, setting the records straight, by its spokesman Garba Shehu, said:
"In his letter to the Senate Tuesday on the alleged use of PTDF funds in TIB to advance the political interest of Vice President Atiku Abubakar,President Obasanjo claimed to have been alerted by U.S. Congressman William Jefferson.

"The letter also claimed that the deposit was accessed by Otunba Oyewole Fasawe who used it in the pursuit of his business interests. The Atiku Abubakar Campaign will like to state that the President’s account regarding the sequence of events in this matter is typically, false. The facts of the matter are these:

"Otunba Oyewole Fasawe was invited by a senior official of his bank, Trans International Bank, TIB to meet certain investors at the 2003 Sullivan Economic Summit in Abuja who were seeking a Nigerian collaborator to bring a new American communication technology to Nigeria.

"Otunba Fasawe was thereafter introduced to U.S. Congressman William Jefferson who promised to facilitate the introduction of the American telecommunication technology to Nigeria.

"On the strength of assurances by the Congressman who was Chairman of the American house sub-committee on Nigeria, Fasawe applied for a loan facility from TIB, whose official alerted him of the investment opportunity.

"Otunba Fasawe thereafter transferred $6.7 million to iGate, the company introduced by Congressman Jefferson by January 2003.

"After waiting endlessly and Jefferson was not forthcoming with the equipment as promised, Otunba Fasawe sought the help of his friend, President Obasanjo to use his contact with the American government to get Jefferson to return his money. This is in addition to the persistent pressure on Jefferson and officials of iGate.

"Jefferson’s letter dated 9thJune 2004 was written six months after Fasawe had persistently put (him) Jefferson, under tremendous pressure to refund his money or face legal action. This also puts to question the claim that the president’s inquisition was prompted by the Congressman’s complaint and that the letter was the first time he knew about the matter. The truth is that Jefferson’s letter was prompted by the petition of Otunba Fasawe to President Obasanjo and President Bush of America.

"Jefferson could not validly complain of the source of the NDTV funds after keeping the money for six months.

"The letter from Jefferson was therefore, a blackmail to escape the imminent legal action by Fasawe who had become restless over his (now apparently) bad investment.

"It is noteworthy that President Obasanjo received the letter from Jefferson in June 2004 but did not deem it fit to cause EFCC to investigate the allegations until after the defeat of the Third Term Agenda in May 2006, more than two years after.

"It is also important to note that Congressman Jefferson whose integrity President Obasanjo believes to the point of engendering a national crisis has the following profile:

"He (Jefferson) is under investigation in the U.S. for collecting bribes to discharge his official responsibilities.

"He was caught on video collecting $100,000 dollar bribe from Mrs Moody, promoter of iGate.

"Jefferson, who collected $6.5 million from Otunba Fasawe to promote the new American telecommunication technology in Nigeria took Lori Mody, promoter of iGate to Vice President Abubakar, to upstage Otunba Fasawe from the business. If Atiku was part of the NDTV plot, will Jefferson be so stupid to solicit his help to upstage his own (Atiku’s) company?

"He is under investigation in the United States for collecting $3.5million from Lori Modi under false pretence.

"Although the $3.5 million was supposed to have been used to pay Fasawe off the business, Jefferson only paid $1.7 million.

"Jefferson collected $100,000 from Lori Mody and told her that he had passed same to Vice President Abubakar but the money was later found wrapped in a foil paper and hidden in his freezer.

"It is curious that Mr. President who is privy to these facts will attach any weight to the claims of Jefferson and desecrate the National Assembly by sending the blackmail paper to it."

Shehu also asked what he called relevant questions. They are:

"Does the Nigerian government have any responsibility to protect the interest of Nigerians around the world? How well has the government discharged this in the case of the $6.5 million held back in the hands of Jefferson? Should a Nigerian business lose $4.7million simply because the president has problem with a friend he quarrels with solely because he refuses his instruction to cut ties with a friend of 37 years and who happens to be his (Obasanjo’s ) deputy, Atiku Abubakar.?

"The EEFC report claimed that Atiku Abubakar is a part-owner of NDTV. Presidency claims Atiku collected money from Jefferson. Will Atiku collect money from Jefferson to promote his own (Atiku’s) business (NDTV) interests?

"If Atiku is part owner of NDTV, will he forward the letter from Jefferson which sought to promote iGate at the expense of NDTV which had invested $6.5 million in the business?"
Besides, the statement said:

"There is absolutely no relationship between withdrawals from the Mofas account in TIB and the PTDF deposits. The EEFC has merely assembled unrelated matters to create a false, predetermined and political end. We have said the EEFC report is a cocktail of lies and malicious fabrication. The Jefferson letter is another instance of the contrived scheme. In any case, the EEFC report claims that its investigation was at the instance of the FBI which requested its assistance in the investigation of Jefferson. President Obasanjo in his letter to the National Assembly claims that the EEFC investigation is at the instance of the Jefferson letter. Which of the two should we believe?

"Jefferson’s letter is a ruse, an after thought, and a contrived rope to tie the loose ends of the fabrications in the EEFC report. That it is dignified in a presidential correspondence is the height of desperation.

"Vice President Abubakar maintains his position that the MOFAS and Marine Flout accounts that the EFCC claim indict him over the PTDF deposits have nothing to do with the PDTF deposits in 14 banks, including TIB and ETB. Rather, both accounts just as two others maintained by Chief Emeka Ofor and the late Muhammed Waziri are special purpose accounts maintained by himself and President Obasanjo for their political and campaign activities.

http://www.thenationonlineng.com/newsdisplay.asp?id=390

---

TROUBLE SLEEP, YANGA GO WAKE AM


RA RA-RA RA, RA-RA-RA-RA-RA
RA RA-RA RA, RA-RA-RA-RA-RA
RA RA-RA RA

When Trouble sleep,
Yanga go wake am,
Wetin he dey find
PALAVER, HE DEY FIND
Palaver, he go get-e o
PALAVER, HE GO GET
Palaver

When cat sleep,
Rat go bite him tail,
Wetin he dey find,
PALAVER, HE DEY FIND
Palaver, he go get-e o
PALAVER, HE GO GET
Palaver

Tenant lost him job,
Him sit down for house,
He dey think of job,
Mr. Landord come wake am up,
He say, “Mister, pay me your rent”
Wetin he dey find
PALAVER, HE DEY FIND
Palaver, he go get-e o
PALAVER, HE GO GET
Palaver

My friend just come from prison,
Him dey look for work,
Waka waka day and night,
Police man come stop am for road,
He say, “Mister, I charge you for wandering”
Wetin he dey find
PALAVER, HE DEY FIND
Palaver, he go get-e o
PALAVER, HE GO GET
Palaver

Mr. Husband marry for church,
He make big party,
Then he start to spray
Because him love him wife,
Mrs wife come run away”
Bank manager run come,
He say, “Mister, pay me your debt”
Wetin he dey find, for Lagos e-o
PALAVER, HE DEY FIND
Palaver, he go get-e o
PALAVER, HE GO GET
Palaver

When Trouble sleep,
Yanga go wake am,
Wetin he dey find
PALAVER, HE DEY FIND
Palaver, he go get-e o
PALAVER, HE GO GET
Palaver, he go get-e o

When cat sleep,
Rat go bite him tail,
Wetin he dey find,
PALAVER, HE DEY FIND
Palaver, he go get-e o
PALAVER, HE GO GET
Palaver, he go get e-o


RA RA-RA RA, RA-RA-RA-RA-RA
RA RA-RA RA, RA-RA-RA-RA-RA
RA RA-RA RA

RA RA-RA RA, RA-RA-RA-RA-RA
RA RA-RA RA, RA-RA-RA-RA-RA
RA RA-RA RA

---

Wale Akin,

Is Guardian a tabliod or a broadsheet?

---

Nobody is surprised by Atikus "revelations". Atiku has not denied the accusations, he just thinks OBJ has no standing to probe him, that's his business. Nigerians are not naive, we know exactly what is going on.

OBJ will leave next year, Atiku should go with him. Nigeria is bigger than Atiku, heaven will not fall because Atiku is denied the presidency. The idea that this is somehow comparable to 1966, 1983, is a stretch to say the least. For your information, absolutely nothing has changed in terms of Atiku since your first "Bolekaja" write up. After one week of "revelations", the report is still in the Senate, the Code of Conduct bureau is about to take it up, the PDP angle is moving forward, he is still disqualified from contesting the elections pending his court case. So in short, Atiku has succeded in making a lot of interesting but non-exonerating noise, he has admitted so much sleaze even some he wasn't even accused of. Remember the old rule about holes, when you find yourself in one the first thing to do is STOP DIGGING. He has dug himself into a bigger hole than OBJ did -how ironic.

When they were stealing and chopping money, Atiku did not remember the masses, now you keep suggesting that somehow the people are losing sleep over this guys travails?? Come on. Atiku is a big boy, he should float or sink on his own, please the sun will still rise, nothing will happen to Nigeria! By the way, the real revelations will come when we start hearing about who killed Bola Ige, Harry Marshall etc Now Atiku should reveal those then I'll be really impressed.