.How Peter Odili looted Rivers State

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[li]How Peter Odili looted Rivers State treasury to set up ARIK ...Read the full article.

[WayoGuy]

Great investigative journalism, Saharareporters.

[Meticulous]

Excellent exposure - I hope something comes out of this and the EFCC investigation going on.

To add insult to injury, it is the money that Odili has stolen from the people that he is using to lunch his campaign and also cause violence all around Rivers State.

Let us keep watching.

Great work by all these brave guys who keep digging deeper.

[forshow3]

What is good about this.. it does not show direct links to president Obasanjo or Odili to the company. the only thing it shows is that rock engineering did business with River state govt... pure nonsense.... if you want a good story show that they transfer money directly to president Obasanjo or Odili, since you can not do that, you are wasting our time... Sahara reporter is know for rumour and not properly confirm story... go after prove... where did they transfer.. the money???? how can you prove Odili is the owner..???? you have not prove that he own the compnay.. so this is non sense.. sahara reporter look more like an arm of someone political wings.. i wonder who , could it be IBB...Hmmm..

[Obugi]

All,

As I've said b4, I support Duke 4 Prez.

Surely though, let's be frank, Peter Odili is the President that Nigerians DESERVE. His candidacy throws up so many questions and hidden issues. It will be FUN to see Nigerians squirm if this guy wins.

I can just imagine it........just the thought of it, the delicious pleasure of a people having their hypocrisy and cowardice rubbed in their faces......oh what wouldn't I give!!!!! If I was opportuned, I would CAMPAIGN for this guy, but alas he doesn't need my help.

Obugi.

[Auspicious]

Originally Posted by Forshow

What is good about this.. it does not show direct links to president Obasanjo or Odili to the company. the only thing it shows is that rock engineering did business with River state govt... pure nonsense.... if you want a good story show that they transfer money directly to president Obasanjo or Odili, since you can not do that, you are wasting our time... Sahara reporter is know for rumour and not properly confirm story... go after prove... where did they transfer.. the money???? how can you prove Odili is the owner..???? you have not prove that he own the compnay.. so this is non sense.. sahara reporter look more like an arm of someone political wings.. i wonder who , could it be IBB...Hmmm..

Forshow:

You are guilty of the same sin that you are accusing SaharaReporters of, when you insinuate that Babangida is behind their activities as a news organization. Besides, Sahara Reporters has been one of the loudest critics of Ibrahim Babangida out there. Hence, like you said of them (SR), the uninformed insinuations you made in the quotes above are "pure nonesense" as well - since you can't prove it either. And polish up your grammar for goodness sake if you must comment in English. Ko le to yen jare. Enough of your RPG's already.

Auspicious.

[Palamedes]

Frequent news on the Internet reads: "MEND kidnaps foreigner…; MEND threatens to launch further attacks …"
This is a wrong strategy; Odili is the man they should be threatening, kidnapping or even eliminating. He should be on their top two enemies list. And I should ask if they are on his pay list too. I feel only sorrow for the Rivers people.

Vote this man your president and you would help create the richest man on the planet. Our foreign reserves (currently about $50Billion) would be gone in his first year. His thievery and level of criminality makes IBB look almost like a saint.

And who is this forshow that is making feeble attempts to defend him here.

[forshow3]

MY NAME IS Adesegun, not forshow, Here is my point, the author never showed me direct link to the president or odili... So sahara reporter have no point... The other day , someone wrote about gov of ogun state, man i was in nigeria on the day of the election, and i know that, that man had 5 car parked infront of his house... before he became governor...
On odili and the rivers state budget... i should understand he got too much, but when you look at the header.. it give the wrong impression that Odili looted rivers state.. I do not know odili or have any contact with him before.. but i believe we should be fair in our views.. judge odili fairly..

On IBB.. I would not vote for him, based on his past record.. period... I believe Nigeria needs a better leader... I do not care where he come from..
But IBB had 8 years to transform nigeria and he failed.. him and his friends became rich...

This funny thing happened to me at the mall somedays ago, when a well dress Nigerian man approach me, and warm me of the implication of been against IBB... that do i know that if IBB was not made president, thier business of 419 would be finished and that Obasanjo is running them out of business...
I ask myself this question, is IBB who look like he is popular among 419 the type of person, i want to be president... NO. I go by what i feel his morally right... I believe God would hold all of us responsible, if we watch him become president.. I believe anyone who support him would go to hell, because it is a sin , in the bible to support an evil man.. The bible tell us, woe unto him that call evil good and good evil... IBB destroed nigeria.. and i would keep by the bible principle and would not vote for IBB period.. I believe nigeria pastor would fail nigeria children if they all fail to speak out against IBB becoming president of nigeria... Isaac in their days spoke against wicked leaders... I believe if Pastor Adeboye, Pastor kumuyi and other refused to speak out on the issue. they would be committing a sin.. because on a issue like IBB, the bible make it clear on what pastor should do.. and that is to speak out against .. any godly person would speak out agsint it.. It only when they themself are part of the problem that a pastor would keep mute.. God would hold obasanjo accountable for it too.

Here is my prophecy if IBB becomes president.. nigeria would sell thier children to feed themself. It would be so bad for nigeria, that nigeria would break up... mark down today date.. and if he become president, because the bible says once the lord as spoken , twice have i heard.

IBB have destroy our lifes.. most nigerian abroad today are there because of how IBB and abacha destroy the system.. We are a great country, and we should not go for nothing less than the best..
On odili , nuru ribadu denied he called him a thief.. I am not saying you should vote for odili or not... i leave you to vote for who you want... but the story header should change.. to how Arik owners made thier money..

[Citizen O]

It's a little simple-minded to question Forshow's criticism of this piece. I like Sowore and know him as a serious and conscientious person, but this piece (as with many of the Saharareporters articles) does not pass basic litmus tests of journalism. There is simply no proof linking Odili (and definitely not Obasanjo) to ARIK Air or the other companies mentioned in the piece. Empty accusations are worthless in the effort to minimize political corruption in Nigeria.

On the other hand, I think the articles on the Rivers state budget tells the average reader quite a bit about Odili's corrupt penchants. A 3 billion naira travel budget that is 50% larger than the president's (for a state governor???), and that is equivalent to wages for 10,000 state workers at 300,000 naira per annum salaries? That's astounding, and that should be the focus of our questions about Odili. If there's serious evidence of Obasanjo's corruption and involvement in questionable business with Odili, I'd be the first to want to see it. But the first section of this piece is a random assemblage of banking information that doesn't provide any evidence of the claims, and that's just bad journalism.

[akuluouno]

I would like to begin by recalling the story of one character in Achebe's epic "Things Fall Apart" who asked a creditor to look at the wall of his hut and notice the lines which he drew besides various names indicating the amount he owes them only for this creditor wthout much lines beside his name to barge into him early in the morning to demand for repayment. Odili is insignificant in the roll call of looters of Nigeria. he is even a saint.
Having said that I would like to find out when Nigerians have decided that their president elect should be corruption free especially in a corruption ridden environment like Nigeria or is it because it is Odili. Nigerians want a President and not a Pope.
Furthermore in the Nigerian Hall of Infamy especially with regards to corruption, Odili ranks far far away.

[Meticulous]

I just read what this Forshow person wrote and I want to puke.

I wonder if he has gone to Rivers State lately and seen the state of decay it is in, after all the transfer payments that has been sent to Odili.

However, I'm not surprised - people like Forshow are the reason why Nigerians are running abroad like chickens without heads!

Oh - Odili didn't do anything. His sidekicks stole the money - go figure!

[otito]

Akuluouno wrote


I would like to begin by recalling the story of one character in Achebe's epic "Things Fall Apart" who asked a creditor to look at the wall of his hut and notice the lines which he drew besides various names indicating the amount he owes them only for this creditor wthout much lines beside his name to barge into him early in the morning to demand for repayment. Odili is insignificant in the roll call of looters of Nigeria. he is even a saint.

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Citizen O wrote,

On the other hand, I think the articles on the Rivers state budget tells the average reader quite a bit about Odili's corrupt penchants. A 3 billion naira travel budget that is 50% larger than the president's (for a state governor???), and that is equivalent to wages for 10,000 state workers at 300,000 naira per annum salaries? That's astounding, and that should be the focus of our questions about Odili.




================================================== ===========

Or even wages for 20,000 state workers at 150,000 naira per annum salaries?

Or even wages for 100,000 state workers at 30,000 naira per annum salaries? (there are enough people who don’t even see this much in a year)


Haba!!!!

Now all you big grammar people will realise that what we are dealing with as Nigerians is not ordinary – What kind of wickedness would have inhabited this man to put his own people through so much suffering. If what he is done makes him a small fish in the corruption river; God help us with what the so called big fish have done.

A normal human being would at some point make contact with his own conscience; if it is not totally dead – but when it is this way, then know that this person is an absolute instrument of the destruction of human existence.

Remember:

Whatsoever a man sows; So shall he reap – Some have sown more than enough for themselves, their children, and even their children’s children for generations to come.


This is just too depressing; but God is in absolute control

OTITO

[kvin33]

When Nigerians are shown the light they insist they want to remain blind. Gov Odili has made more money in Nigeria over the last 8 years than anyone else including Atiku and all that money has come from MAGIC! In case you didn't know, In Nigeria our high-end criminals, typically in government houses, use FRONTS for all their illicit activities.

Anyways, the EFCC arrested the CEO of ARIK airlines two days ago and more arrests are coming. Did it occur to you that a good part of the SR report must have been leaked to them by the EFCC? God will not come down from heaven to save Nigeria, we can only count on God's help, we must learn to seize on rare opportunities instead of finding excuses, and contorted logic to justify our continued inaction.

For those who think Odili will be the next president, rest assured he will be made an offer he can't refuse. Nigeria is not an auction that goes to the highest bidder, it is just not that easy.

[Meticulous]

Originally Posted by otito

Remember:

Whatsoever a man sows; So shall he reap – Some have sown more than enough for themselves, their children, and even their children’s children for generations to come.
[/SIZE]

This is just too depressing; but God is in absolute control

OTITO

This "God dey" attitude is exactly why Nigeria is in the state it is in.

A man like Odili should be behind bars.

I have no patience anymore for this "God dey" attitude! It's obviously not working.

[Dr. S Adetunji]

Forshow (Adesegun)

Take the suggestion from Auspicious, and go polish up your English language. On the other hand, writing in Yoruba is also acceptable, afterall no one language is inferior to the other. But..... on a second thought! How will one polish their grammar if they do not practise on polishing it? Well, one can start from writing in a lower-cadre ''village square'', and then graduate slowly to the NVS

[No Smoking]

True, forshow is struggling with the effort to express himself in English. Nevertheless, his observation about the SR article, especially the screaming headline, cannot be faulted.

Citizen O and forshow are correct in their observation that the article does not link Arik with OBJ and Odili.

Odili's lack of performance is unfortunate. As the Lord said, "Unto whom much is given, much is expected". If elections had been free and fair in Naija, the people would have stood a chance to deterrmine their preferred leaders.

[akuluouno]

Otito,

With due respects, I still ask when has freedom from corruption become the criteria for the election of a president in Nigeria. Nigerians want a president and not a pope.
We know who holds the title of the world's fourth largest looter. We know about the original $2.8 billion and the owner of the property in Cote D Ivoire which was partly built from the proceeds. The case of the Lord of Minna and self-proclaimed Evil genius is still fresh while his bros Abdulsalmi's corruption was so gargantuan that it was measured by the level of the national gdp that he drew in the negative direction in less than one year.

Mind you I am not an apostle of corruption, but in the pantheon of corrupt leaders and would-be leaders, Odili ranks far far away and is a candidate for apotheosis.

[DaBishop]

Here is some of what I had wrote about this character:

UNDP Report

The UNDP report from the stakeholders meeting on its websites says:
'Although Rivers State receives the third-highest allocation of oil revenues of Nigeria’s thirty-six states, few see the benefits of Nigeria’s oil wealth. Seventy percent of Nigeria’s citizens live on below one dollar a day, the United Nations specified poverty line and the country ranks 151st out of 175 countries in the UN Human Development Index.22 Largely because of government corruption and the mismanagement of oil revenue, riverine villages near Port Harcourt lack basic amenities such as clean water, electricity, medical care and roads. Large slums within Port Harcourt are submerged under piles of waste. This gross underdevelopment in the midst of vast oil wealth has bred intense frustration and resentment among the youth in Rivers State.' See also http://web.ng.undp.org/index.php?nam...article&sid=33

$1.2 Billion Slush Fund?

Rivers State through Governor Odili had received from a consortium of UN/Multilateral Organizations/Oil Corporations the whopping sum of $1.2 Billion. A representative of one of the stakeholders expressed surprise that in February, the Governor Odili claimed that he had spent $20 million on infrastructural development in Rivers State since it is not manifest where the money was applied.

Presidential Ambition

Political Leadership is a very civic responsibility with lots of perks and obligations. The commonweal by voting an individual to a position, entrusts the resources, collective plans and aspirations as well as even the future of the community to the leader. The duty of leadership must then be handled with all seriousness and responsibility. In ideal circumstances, the leader is a servant of the people and thus accountable to them. There is speculation that Governor Peter Odili is interested in the presidency. This has thrown up some controversy as to whether he qualifies to contest. In his write-up titled Who is afraid of Peter Odili?

Onuoha Ukeh wrote:

'Those who are not comfortable with Odili’s alleged quest to be the country’s number one citizen could have helped their case if they proved, with fact and evidences, that Governor Odili is a total failure as Rivers chief executive and, therefore, may not be a good president. I expected these people to tell Nigerians that the projects Odili claimed he completed are a fluke. Why have they not told us that Odili did not build a new Government House? Why are they not saying that he did not build a new House of Assembly complex? Why have they not said that he did not build housing estates across the state? Why have they not said that Odili never constructed or rehabilitated roads? Why are they not saying that he did not embark on poverty alleviation programme? Why have they not said that he never bought vehicles, aircraft and boats/ferries to enhance transportation in the state? Why have they not said that he did not build hospitals or improve health care delivery system in the state? Why have they not said that he never embarked on rural electrification?'

'Why have they not said that he did not do anything in the area of independent power project? Why have they not said that he has not empowered the state’s football team, Dolphin FC, to become a force to be reckoned with in the country’s national league and African football? Why have they not said that he never increased workers’ salaries? These are issues I expect his critics to dwell on.'

'I have not heard Odili say that he would contest the 2007 Presidency. Neither has he said that he is not interested, any way. However, the point is that he is qualified to aspire to the office. He is a Nigerian by birth. He has surpassed the educational qualification to aspire to the office as stipulated by the constitution. He’s a medical doctor, while the constitution says that for somebody to become president, he should have attempted school certificate examination. He belongs to a political party. All these qualify Odili to aspire to the office of president, if not for any other thing. I do not think it is right for anybody to threaten violence because a particular citizen is expressing himself and exercising his fundamental human rights. The choice of the presidential candidate of the PDP, to which Odili belongs, is that of the party. The choice of who eventually becomes president of the federal republic in 2007 is that of the Nigerian electorate.'

It is not our position that Governor Odili does not qualify to contest for the highest position of the land. It is also not our contention that he did not initiate or even complete any projects in Rivers State. Our query as citizens is; how much money has Governor Odili or Rivers State received by way of allocation, derivation, loans or grants; and, can he account for the monies? The big question is what did governor Odili do with $1.2 Billion given to him in the recent past by the Stakeholders inclusive of Oil companies to develop the riverine areas of Rivers State, besides the Federal Allocations. Can Odili in a very transparent manner account for all the funds given to him during his tenure? Is NEEDS/SEEDS meeting the target? Is poverty being reduced? Have Infrastructures been built up? Is capacity being built? Do we have any tangible way of monitoring and evaluating progress? Who wants to know? KGI ROUNDTABLE.

[Palamedes]

Ref: akuluouno

Having said that I would like to find out when Nigerians have decided that their president elect should be corruption free especially in a corruption ridden environment like Nigeria or is it because it is Odili.

What an extraordinary thing to say; speak for yourself, I would say. akuluouno, sir, you are the face of decadence—if you don't mind me saying so--and I hope that when the new Nigeria finally arrives, you along with your Saint Odili is swept away in the tide of decadence.

Your interpretation of "Things Fall Apart" shows a lack of understanding of context and linkage. Whether the debtor owes more money to one creditor than another should not be relevant to the small creditor. After all, if you owe your landlord rent, you don't comfort him by confiding in him, your huge credit card debt.

Odili, unlike IBB is not the head of state but a governor of one of the states in Nigeria; therefore, at the local level, i.e., in his state, where his governance or lack of it, has its greatest impact, he is the biggest thief in town. It is irrelevant whether there are bigger thieves at the national level or in neighbouring states.

This man was recently seen on worldwide TV pompously drinking £200-a-bottle Champagne with a foreign journalist. And for all those traditional leaders who have bestowed on him titles in exchange for 'brown envelopes', I say shame on you all.

And please let's leave god out of the issue. Faith-based arguments can be a repellent to some; it can even spoil an otherwise good argument.

[forshow3]

Originally Posted by Meticulous

I just read what this Forshow person wrote and I want to puke.

I wonder if he has gone to Rivers State lately and seen the state of decay it is in, after all the transfer payments that has been sent to Odili.

However, I'm not surprised - people like Forshow are the reason why Nigerians are running abroad like chickens without heads!

Oh - Odili didn't do anything. His sidekicks stole the money - go figure!

first my keyboard and mouse is always on my bed. i do this written with one finger.. my son has pull off some part of the keyboard, no time to replace. no time to make the internet a career.

mr , i have not said you should vote for odili. here is my point, sahara reporter have failed to show a link to odili or obasanjo... all sahara reporter needs to show us, is the kick back odili got . i cant see that.. I am not saying that odili is a saint, but i see a political motive into this. Why on earth is he bring it up a week to the primary... ??? why??? why am i asking becaUSE THE STORY have no prove to it.. i know that sahara reporters is linked also with the jonathan eledu, who painted ibb like a saint...

Let look at all the 30 candidate.. who can claim he is a saint among them... nobody... I do not know odili, i have never meet him or collected money from him.. but i have watch as some people online are trying to paint and manipulate the system or internet so that their candidate can win.. and i am so sure that the source of information is coming from one of the rival of ODili.. I would say Odili got alot of money.. honestly i have not been to rivers in the last 7 years... so i do not know what is in place.. so honestly what as odili done so far , can someone list out his project .. and other people in the race.

why i am concern is that some people are scared that odili may win next week.. if duke and attah pull out.. they are playing a spolier role for him.. it look more like the reason sahara reporters are doing it..more than investigating him.