#FuelSubsidyRemoval: Labour Union Ends Strike........

The Ayuba Wabba faction of the Nigeria Labour Congress has suspended an industrial action called to resist the new price of petrol.

The leader of the union announced the suspension on Sunday.

It came after an emergency meeting of its organs – the National Working Committee and the National Executive Committee.

At the meeting, talks were focused on the strike and the way forward.

Mr Wabba said the strike was suspended due to the intervention of well-meaning Nigerians including the national leader of the All Progressives Congress, Senator Bola Tinubu.

In a statement issued after the meeting, Comrade Wabba said the industrial action was informed by the twin issues of the unjustified and illegal hike in electricity tariff and increase in the pump price of petrol.

The Congress also announced plans to resume negotiations with the Federal Government, with a view to resolving the issues that prompted the strike.

The NLC President added that the Congress would continue to resist wrong legislations, policies and programmes that would impact negatively on the lives of ordinary Nigerians.

Pump price of petrol was increase from 86.50 Naira to 145 Naira by the Federal Government on May 11.

The 67.6 per cent increase had angered the labour union, with the union saying it was insensitive.

Source: ChannelsTV

Integrity Not Enough To Run Nigeria – Tunde Bakare

Pastor Tunde Bakare

The former running mate of President Muhammadu Buhari in the general election won by former President Goodluck Jonathan, Mr Tunde Bakare, says institutional reforms and constitutional amendments are required if Nigeria must overcome its systemic national challenges.

The Convener of the Save Nigeria Group and Pastor of the Latter Rain Assembly proffered these solutions as part of the road-map to a new Nigeria.

He was speaking at a public policy forum in Lagos to provide solutions to the present challenges facing Nigeria.

Mr Bakare believes Nigeria’s problems are not a product of the global economic cycles, but the consequence of counterproductive national standards and self-limiting frameworks.

He stressed that three factors contribute to political stability which include the type of constitution, the form of government and the caliber as well as character of the political leaders in and outside of government.

“Integrity is not enough to run a nation, Nigeria must be born again,” he said.

Constitutional Rebirth

The clergyman said that the solution to the present challenges was setting up a Presidential Commission for National Reconciliation, Reintegration and Restructuring that would adopt a new constitution.

“This commission should be mandated to work closely with the stakeholders and power-plugs, as well as legislative houses to create a new national identity for the Nigerian people and facilitate the creation of an acceptable functional governmental structure for Nigeria,” he said.

Pastor Bakare called for a process of constitutional rebirth that would culminate in a referendum by which Nigerians adopt a new constitution.

Source: ChannelsTV News

Yeye Baff Us By Pius Adesanmi

If the knuckleheads bombing and sabotaging Nigeria's infrastructure in the creeks had remembered what I wrote about elite understanding of "progress and development" in Nigeria's power sector, they would would not have resorted to crime against the Nigerian people and the Nigerian state to "avenge" darkness imposed on them by 8 years of Obasanjo.

The darkness was sustained and amplified for 8 years by their own son, Goodluck Jonathan, whose own mother relied on the benevolence of others for a borehole after her son left office. They are still supporting him despite daily evidence of the financial genocide he wrecked on Nigeria. The least we say about those still campaigning for a future Nigeria in the hands of Diezani, Dasuki, Badeh, Obanikoro, Fani Kayode, and Tompolo, the better.

Just as Jonathan stole billions but did not provide potable water for even his own mother, Olusegun Obasanjo stole and stole and stole until stealing had to appeal to him for amnesty. Yet, he has no road to his own house in Ota. Jonathan has first world infrastructure in his compound in Otuoke. Obasanjo has first world infrastructure in his compound in Ota. Obasanjo stole all the money meant for power under him. Ditto Jonathan. You stupid Creek terrorists, does your bombing affect the first world lives they both live right there in Nigeria under your poverty stricken noses? Yeye baff una!

What links Obasanjo to Jonathan to Buhari is the idea of progress in Aso Rock. Under Obasanjo, the generators powering Aso Rock were not soundproof. By the time Ogbeni Goodluck Jonathan got there, we were in the era of noiseless soundproof Mikano generators and that is how he and Dasuki and Diezani enjoyed 8 years of uninterrupted electricity in the Villa. The light did not blink once to interfere with their daily shipment of dollars in raw cash.

I tell you, the only improvement the villa can make to her Mikano generators under Buhari is to ask the Japanese to invent newer ones that can be suspended in the clouds so that Aso Villa will be powered by generators that are not only silent but also invisible. It doesn't matter their ethnic, religious, or political differences: this is how the Nigerian elite basically defines progress in the power sector. More silent, less visible, less intrusive Mikano generators in the Villa, in Government House, in their homes.

Then you brainless retards calling yourselves a freedom movement in the creek go about bombing infrastructure. Oho, it will affect Buhari's electricity supply in the Villa? Is that not why the utterly insipid and intellectually impecunious Femi Adesina brazenly told the Nigerian people to go and catch you folks vandalizing infrastructure in the creeks? What is his own with una when he and his Oga exist in Mikano's nirvana 24/7?

I am of course not surprised that nobody is bothering to ask Baba and Femi Adesina for any reaction to the Creek bombing. Maybe they have eve reacted. I don't know. I did not bother to check in with them for a simple reason: whether they react or not is of no moment for their reaction has been deligitimized beforehand by the irresponsible manner in which they handled the terrorism of the Fulani herdsmen until they were literally dragged kicking and screaming to react.

Self-delegitimization in the arena of perception is the worst form of violence a government can inflict on herself. The moment a government allows the perception to spread that she operates from the perspective of an Orwellian ranking of crimes, where some criminals are more equal than others and some crimes of terrorism are more deserving of the government's heavy hand than others, she loses the capacity to fulfill her fundamental obligation to fight crime for her actions will always appear biased to one segment or the other.

The Buhari administration has extremely serious work to do to reclaim lost ground and lost confidence in this domain. Anybody telling them otherwise or defending them for losing the ground in the first place does not mean well for them. The administration has shown itself as effective as the one before her in the assemblage of pin-headed supporters who privilege fetish loyalty to a man above the fundamental and transcendental obligation of loyalty to Nigeria.

Let' have a society where crime is crime. Let's have a society where the punishment fits the crime irrespective of the ethnic, religious, and political provenance of the criminal. If we cannot agree on this minimum, well, yeye baff us before the world.

GOD IS NOT DONE WITH YOU YET ......BY AYOBAMI OYALOWO

Ayobami Oyalowo

I felt God impressing it upon me to share this with you, I don't know what your situation is but I know that God isn't through with you yet. Read and be blessed.

Romans 8:28

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

I went to bed late and in my usual manner, I made sure to read two chapters of the book I am currently reading and when I was done, I was as tired as I could be, but God impressed it upon my heart to read my bible before I could call it a night. Time was around 1.30 am. I therefore took my bible and opened without knowing where to read but a still small voice asked me to read the first chapter of Matthew. I laughed within me thinking what would I benefit from reading this one beget that one blablabla but God is indeed mighty, I learnt a most amazing lesson in a long while.

Have they told you that you are useless and cannot amount to anything in life? Who has drawn a line and said you can’t go beyond a certain point in life? Who has set a limit for your life that you cannot exceed? The quoted scripture above is as clear as the noon day, it says ALL THINGS work together for good to them who love God and ARE THE CALLED according to God’s purpose. Wow! Amazing!

Even the things we count as sins, errors and weaknesses, shortcomings and failings are all working to help us achieve God’s purpose for our lives. You doubt me, let’s see what God taught me over the course of a rapturous 2hours last night/this morning (Saturday 7th of May, 2016).

Matthew 1: 1-7 (The Living Bible translation)

1 These are the ancestors of Jesus Christ, a descendant of King David and of Abraham:

2 Abraham was the father of Isaac; Isaac was the father of Jacob; Jacob was the father of Judah and his brothers.

3 Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah (Tamar was their mother); Perez was the father of Hezron; Hezron was the father of Aram;

4 Aram was the father of Amminadab; Amminadab was the father of Nahshon; Nahshon was the father of Salmon;

5 Salmon was the father of Boaz (Rahab was his mother); Boaz was the father of Obed (Ruth was his mother); Obed was the father of Jesse;

6 Jesse was the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon (his mother was the widow of Uriah);

7 Solomon was the father of Rehoboam; Rehoboam was the father of Abijah; Abijah was the father of Asa;
This was the verse God made me read and I saw nothing in it, just like you may not have seen especially if you read from the KJV until the Holy Spirit started to espouse to me the mind of God.

In Genesis 38 you can please read the entire chapter for the story of the life of Judah. You may recall that Reuben was the first born but when Jacob (also named Israel) was blessing his children and prophesying what will happen to his descendants in Genesis 49 from the first verse, the blessing of the firstborn was denied Reuben for sleeping with his father’s concubine. Simeon and Levi were also denied because of their violent nature, therefore Judah got the blessings of the firstborn. In Genesis 49: 9-10 we read:

Judah is a lion’s whelp:
from the prey, my son, thou art gone up:
he stooped down, he couched as a lion,
and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up?
The sceptre shall not depart from Judah,
nor a lawgiver from between his feet,
until Shiloh come;
and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.

Mark the “the scepter shall not depart from Judah nor a law giver between his feet until Shiloh come”. Judah will be the fulfillment of God’s promises on Israel, he will produce the king and Shiloh, i.e. The Christ shall come from his lineage.

Now that we’ve established that, let’s turn to Judah as seen in Genesis 38. Judah married a Canaanite and she gave him three sons, Er, Onan and Shelah. Er got married to Tamar but was wicked in the sight of God so God took him away. Their tradition is that his brother would marry Tamar and the first seed would be Er’s son, inheriting his name and all that is his. Onan was made to take up that responsibility but he refused. You can read the entire story in Genesis 38. Onan also died and Judah was afraid for his last son.

Guess what? By a twist of faith, Judah eventually slept with his daughter in law and she gave him a set of twins namely Pharez or Perez and Zarah.

Now let’s us go back to Matthew chapter 1 in verse 3 guess who made the genealogy of David and eventually that of Jesus Christ? It was Perez, the son born out of adultery by Tamar. But God wasn’t done with me yet…

After the debacle that was Pharez or Perez see what we now have; Perez fathered Hezron who in turn was the father of Aram; Aram was the father of Amminadab; Amminadab was the father of Nahshon; Nahshon was the father of Salmon; Salmon was the father of Boaz (Rahab was his mother).

Do you remember Rahab? She was the harlot who saved the two spies that Joshua the son of Nun sent to spy out Jericho and when Jericho was finally destroyed in Joshua chapter 6, we saw in verse 12 that Joshua gave express command that she and her father’s household be saved. And in verse 25 she was saved. But guess what? She became an Israelite by marriage. She married a greater grandson of Judah, Salmon and became the mother of Boaz who also married another outcast called Ruth through whom eventually our Lord and Savious Jesus Christ was born.

So who has told you that you are useless? Who says your sins are such that you cannot make it? Two harlots and one outcast, all of them Gentiles and foreigners were mothers to men who eventually birthed King David.

Now to David. Of all the wives he had, God decided to continue the genealogy of his only begotten son through another woman the world would call despicable but who found grace in the sight of God. The wife of Uriah! We all know the story of the adultery, conspiracy and everything that dogged her path? She was so despicable she had no name in the bible except being called the wife of Uriah yet the Lord had mercy on her and after the initial child of sin died, Solomon was born through her and she was ingratiated into genealogy of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Romans 8:34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

God asked me to tell you that nobody can condemn whosoever he has decided to bless and forgive. And yes, you. God has forgiven and love you and no man can call you an outcast.

No matter the low pit you find yourself today, look unto the rock. Isaiah 51:1 Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the Lord: look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged.

That Rock is Jesus Christ look unto him. For in Hebrew 7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

No matter how bad you think your situation currently is or how low you are, how despicable the world describes you, come unto him for he is able to save you…

If God saved those four women that the world has condemned and they found grace to be ingratiated into the greatest genealogy ever, then you have a hope. You are not finished, God is working in you and when you are done you will be bright as gold.

Fear not, the Lord is not done with you yet…

Ayobami Oyalowo is on twitter as @Ayourb

We’re in worst economic state since 1960, says Buhari

President Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday signed the controversial Appropriation Bill into law, saying it was coming in the middle of Nigeria’s toughest economic period since independence in 1960.
But he was optimistic that its coming into effect will mark the beginning of the change in the structure of the Nigerian economy once and for all.

A sum of N350 billion is being injected into the economy immediately to reflate it.

“The signing of the budget today will trigger concerted efforts to reflate the Nigerian economy, a key element of which is an immediate injection of N350 billion into the economy by way of capital projects,” he said at the signing witnessed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; Senate President Bukola Saraki; House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara; APC National Chairman John Odigie-Oyegun; Finance Minister Kemi Adeosun; Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Ita Enang; Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (House of Representatives), Samaila Kawu; Chairman Senate Committee on Appropriation, Danjuma Goje and Chairman House of Reps Committee on Appropriation, Abdulmumuni Jubril.

For the umpteenth time, President Buhari apologised for the inconveniences caused by the economy, saying that living in the State House does not in any way alienate him from the daily struggles of Nigerians.

“I read the newspapers and listen to the TV and radio. I hear your cries. I share your pains,” he said


Noting that Nigeria is experiencing probably the toughest economic times in its history, he acknowledged  the sacrifice, resilience and toughness of all Nigerians who continued to have hope and confidence of a great future despite the hardships.


He branded his administration as one like no other..
“Permit me to say that this government is also like none other. We are absolutely committed to changing the structure of the Nigerian economy once and for all.

“We are working night and day to diversify the economy such that we never again have to rely on one commodity to survive as a country. So that we can produce the food we eat, make our own textiles, produce most of the things we use.

“We intend to create the environment for our young people to be able to innovate and create jobs through technology.

“I cannot promise you that this will be an easy journey, but in the interest of so much and so many, we must tread this difficult path. But I can assure you this government you have freely elected will work with honesty and dedication day and night to ensure that our country prospers and that the prosperity benefits all Nigerians.”

The N6.06 trillion budget, according to him, “is intended to signpost a renewal of our commitment to restoring the budget as a serious article of faith with the Nigerian people.”

He spoke of government’s determination to table appropriation bill before the National Assembly not later than October henceforth in time for the passage of the Act before the beginning of the fiscal year.
Throwing more light on the objective of the budget, he said:”Through the 2016 budget, titled Budget of Change, the government seeks to fulfill its own side of the social contract.

“In designing the 2016 budget, we made a deliberate choice to pursue an expansionary fiscal policy despite the huge decline in government revenues from crude oil exports.

“This is why we decided to enlarge the budget deficit at this time, to be financed principally through foreign and domestic borrowings. All borrowings will however be applied towards growth-enhancing capital expenditures.

“To illustrate our renewed commitment to infrastructural development, the 2016 budget allocates over N200 billion to road construction as against a paltry N18 billion allocated for same purpose in the 2015 budget.”

Despite the current challenges, he said that his administration will work extra-hard to achieve the revenue projections.

“Our revenue generating agencies are coming under better management and are re-oriented. The implementation of the Treasury Single Account (TSA) is expected to contribute significantly to improving transparency over government revenues,” he said.

The President said that further details of the approved budget and Strategic Implementation Plan for the 2016 budget will be provided to the public by the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Udoma Udo Udoma.

He said that he would also speak more on the Budget, its implementation and the overall national economic and social policies of his government on May 29 when he will be marking his first year in office.

He hailed the National Assembly for making the budget a reality.



Source: The Nation

FG will ensure 100 per cent budget implementation – Udoma

Sen. Udoma

The Minister of Budget and National Planning, Sen. Udoma Udo Udoma, on Friday said that in spite of the late signing of the 2016 budget, the administration would target 100 per cent implementation.

He gave the assurance while briefing State House correspondents shortly after President Muhammadu Buhari signed the Appropriation Bill in Abuja.

The minister said that the budget was anchored on 38 dollars per barrel of oil benchmark, adding that the projection was also based on 2.2 million barrels of crude per day production.

“Our aim will always be 100 per cent implementation. We know that because we started late we may not achieve it but 100 per cent achievement is our aim.

“We start with that aim because the budget is a law and we try to implement it as quickly as we can,’’ he said.

Udoma said that the highlight of the budget would be given later but disclosed that what was signed by the president was slightly lower than what he presented to the National Assembly.

He said that revenue assumptions by the executive and legislature were the same as well as the size of the deficit and added that the ministry would set up monitoring committee to ensure effective implementation.

The minister expressed the hope that the 2017 budget would be passed early as the executive planned to submit the bill in October to enable passage before the end of the year.

According to him, the ministry has sent a memo for a timetable for the presentation of the 2017 budget.

“The ministry presented a memo to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) and got approval for a time table for the 2017 budget.

“So, as we are finishing with this budget, we are starting on 2017 and our intention is that the budget should reach the National Assembly early in October to give them enough time to pass the budget before the end of the year.

“As you know, the most important time, particularly for road construction is the dry season and if you can get the budget out in December you can now start early to implement.

“So, our intention, going forward, is to get us back to a situation where we can get a full January to December implementation for the budget and we are working with a time table to achieve this,’’ he added.

Udoma said that there would be much consultation with the national assembly and non-governmental organisations prior to the presentation of the next appropriation bill to enable the administration to speed up the approval process.

He expressed the appreciation of the executive to the leadership of the legislature for its support in the process of getting the president to assent on the bill.

Also speaking, Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Hajia Zainab Ahmed, expressed gratitude to the media and the Nigerian people for their patience while the budget process lasted.

On monitoring of implementation, she said that the FEC had approved a monitoring and evaluation framework that the ministry submitted.

According to Ahmed, the framework will guide the implementation of the budget while the ministry has developed a specific implementation guideline for the implementation of the 2016 budget.

She said that the guideline would be disseminated to all ministries, departments and agencies and would be vigorously monitored and reported upon on a quarterly basis to FEC.

The minister said that the implementation plan had some checks and that the ministry would follow the plan as best as possible. (NAN)

Source: Daily Post NG

May Day Speech By President Muhammadu Buhari

SPEECH BY HIS EXCELLENCY, PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI PRESIDENT AND COMMANDER – IN - CHIEF, FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA, ON THE OCCASION OF THE 2016 NATIONAL MAY DAY CELEBRATION HELD AT THE EAGLE SQUARE, ABUJA ON SUNDAY, MAY 1, 2016

President Buhari

Great Nigerian Workers!
Great Nigerian Workers!
I bring you greetings.

It is with great pleasure that I honour the invitation by the two Federations of Trade Unions, the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to attend the 2016 National May Day celebrations. As you all know, this is my first outing in this forum which has a long and historical tradition that are noble and progressive. The efforts of all the heroes past who had fought for the workers of all nations to have a ‘voice’ in determining the course and direction of both national and international issues affecting the state of their being, are commemorated today, the first day of May all over the world. Labour remains unarguably an important element in any policy, programme and project propagated for national development.

This year’s celebration is significant in a number of ways. First, it marks the first May Day celebration under the All Progressive Congress (APC) Administration which brought an end to the sixteen (16) years of national squander, bad governance, unbridled corruption and economic woes by the previous administration. Second, it is coming at a time when the whole world is experiencing some form of economic crisis or the other.

For us whose main foreign exchange comes from oil, the global decline in the price of oil has further exacerbated our economic crisis. The resultant effects of this are noticeable in government dwindling resources, reduction in operational capacities of most companies especially in the Oil and Gas Sector, threats of workforce reduction by multinationals and the escalations of volatility amongst others. These developments no doubts, have socio-economic implications for the economy as well as the working class. I therefore appreciate the theme you have chosen for this year’s National May Day celebration – The Working Class and the Quest for Socio – Economic Revival. A quest it is, and the realization of the revival is not farfetched. It only requires reasonable time to remedy the maladministration and put forth a change so desired by all of us.

I make no excuses as this Government of the APC is determined to tackle headlong all socio – economic ills that have troubled our nation and we shall evolve solutions to emerging threats to our well being and the realization of sustainable development as well as growth anchored on equity and social justice.

Development must be sustainable for it to benefit society in general. It is therefore the responsibility of those in the citadels of power to align themselves with the working class who make development possible by generating and sustaining the momentum of positive change. That is why the present Administration has sought and will continue to seek the hands of Labour so that together we can attain the enviable heights of progress in our beloved country.

It is for this very reason that I aspired to become President which the Nigerian people have now made a reality. This Administration shall effect positive Change in the lives of average Nigerians, to ensure that the downtrodden are elevated and most importantly to fight the intense pain of corruption which has enriched the very few to the detriment of the majority of Nigerians who groan under the overwhelming weight of poverty and all the superstructural and infrastructural maladies resulting from corruption.

In this fight against corruption, I need you all to be very willing partners. Fighting corruption in the Public Service in particular, requires the workers to play major roles by cooperating with the Government.

I have listened to the speeches made by both the Presidents of the TUC and NLC. By the speeches, you have without any equivocation affirmed your faith in the greatness of Nigeria as a nation. The challenges facing Nigeria have been highlighted and I assure you that they shall be accorded due consideration. It is worthy to note that solution to some of those issues and requests are already being considered and would be made public in the near future. The times may be tough, but we Nigerians are by nature resilient and strong and it is that nature that propels us to overcome adversities and still thrive as a nation.

Let us use this National May Day to celebrate the workers and Nigeria as a Nation. There will always be challenges in the life of a man and what defines greatness is the way and manner such challenges are tackled and overcome. I assure you, great Nigerian workers that this Administration is able and willing to constructively handle the challenges.

In so doing, I request your cooperation and understanding, as partners in progress. The need to ensure a conducive atmosphere devoid of incessant industrial actions becomes paramount to ensure no loss of man – days and accordingly promote high productivity which is perquisite for sustainable development based on increased investments, creation of jobs as well as protection of jobs. I further assure you that working together, this Administration protect workers rights and shall promote incentives for great productivity and hence greater prosperity.

Thank you and I wish you all happy May Day celebrations.
God Bless.

#PanamaPapers: How ex-Nigerian Minister Gbadamosi Bought Two Penthouses In Panama For N837million

Chief Rasheed Gbadamosi

A former Minister for National Planning, Rasheed Gbadamosi, owns two expensive and luxurious penthouses in Panama, a notorious tax haven, documents retrieved by PREMIUM TIMES from the leaked Mossack Fonseca database have shown.

Mr. Gbadamosi, writer, businessman, and bureaucrat, who was recently appointed co-chairman of the Lagos at 50 planning committee, bought the two properties in 2008 while serving as chairman of the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA).

The septuagenarian shelled out a staggering N836.8 million ($2.6 million) for the penthouses located in a swanky tower in Panama, PREMIUM TIMES can authoritatively reveal.

Apart from its notoriety as a tax haven, Panama is famed for its modern skyscrapers, casinos and nightclubs that dot its capital, Panama City.

An official of Mossack Fonseca said in one correspondence, seen by this newspaper that Mr. Gbadamosi was so enamoured, and in so much haste to acquire the exotic properties that he once offered to fly to Panama in a private jet to inspect them.

Details of Mr. Gbadamosi’s luxury acquisitions were part of the internal data of the Panama-based law firm, Mossack Fonseca, obtained by the German newspaper, Süddeutsche Zeitung, and shared by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) with PREMIUM TIMES and over 100 other media partners in 82 countries.

According to the documents, sometime in early 2008, the former minister approached Gilberto Aleman, a Panamanian real estate broker, to help him secure two posh penthouses owned by Nicolas Corcione, owner of Ciclones Corporation Inc and Cosmopolitan Corp, the companies under which the properties were registered.

Valued at N436,800,000 ($1,365,000.00), Penthouse 1, the first penthouse Mr. Gbadamosi bought, is located in Ocean Park Tower 2, and consists of a surface area of 537.33 square meters, on floors 35 and 36 of the Tower.

The property is registered under the ownership of Ciclones Corporation Inc.

The second Penthouse, Penthouse 5, is located in the same building as the first, Ocean Park Tower 2. It consists of a surface area of 479.88 square meters, on the 39th floor of the building. It is registered under the ownership of Cosmopolitan Corp.

Ocean Park Tower 2, which was completed in 2006, is one of the most expensive residences in Panama City. Located within the lush, Punta Pacifica area of the city, Ocean Park Tower 2 is a 44-floor glassy skyscraper that stood at 463 feet tall.

According to Panama-guide.com, an English Language website in Panama, the building, which overlooks the Pacific Ocean, comes furnished with controlled security, high-end luxury finishing, internal jogging/walking, football field, basketball and volleyball courts.

Apart from its 70 apartments, the high-rise has seven penthouses including two master penthouses. Penthouse 1 is one of the master penthouses.

Owners of apartments in Ocean Park are exempted from paying property taxes for 20 years. 

According to the purchase and sale contract, Mr. Gbadamosi was expected to pay for both penthouses via wire transfer.

The contract stipulated that Mr. Gbadamosi was required to pay $10,000.00 as a guarantee of purchase of each of the penthouses plus 30 percent of the value of each of the houses at the time of signing the contract.

The contract further stated that he was required to pay the balance of the value of the properties within 60 days of signing the contract.

“A very influential figure.”

In order to process the purchase, Mr. Gbadamosi sent a scanned copy of his international passport at the time (with number A23418785) to Ramses Owens, a lawyer working for Mossack Fonseca, as part of the Know Your Customer (KYC) and compliance and identity verification process needed for drawing up the contract.

The law firm and the real estate brokers are also required to do a due diligence research on Mr. Gbadamosi before the deal could be finalised.

In an email from address pppra_org_1@hotmail.com, on April 3, 2008, Mr. Gbadamosi also requested the real estate dealers to proceed swiftly with the transaction.

However, pending the conclusion of the due diligent research, Mr. Owens also suggested the creation of an escrow account in either Bahama or Panama to warehouse whatever funds Mr. Gbadamosi transferred from Nigeria.

“Basically, we receive money in escrow accounts in the Bahamas, Miami and Panama. We prefer to use Bahamas or Panama. Generally, 1% is charged for the money that is handled in Escrow, plus a figure of approximately US $500 processing of contracts,” he wrote.

Also, in order to assuage some initial concerns raised by Mr. Corcione over the background of Mr. Gbadamosi as a politically exposed person, Mr. Aleman sent an email to the seller on April 3, 2008, describing the former minister as a “very influential figure” who should be treated with respect and care.

“I understand that we must be very careful in such a large transaction, but we must not scare off customers and lawyers who often get us, patrons,” Mr. Aleman wrote in Spanish. “The Lord Gbadamosi is a very influential figure in Nigeria who has been Minister of State, and today is chairman of the regulatory body for oil in Nigeria and has so much influence,” he wrote.

Attempts to get Mr. Gbadamosi to comment for this story was unsuccessful. He could not be reached on his known mobile telephone number. He also did not reply an email sent to him on the matter.

Mr. Gbadamosi and the Code of Conduct law

Mr. Gbadamosi was chairman of the board of PPPRA between May 2003 and December 2009.

He was chairman of the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Committee (PPPRC), PPPRA’s predecessor, from March 2001 to May 2003.

Under Nigerian law, acquiring assets abroad is not illegal, but according to the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution, chairmen and members of the Boards or other governing bodies and staff of statutory corporations and of companies owned by the Federal, State or local governments councils must declare their assets on assumption of duty and on leaving office.

Apart from declaring their assets, appointees are also expected to justify the sources of income for whatever additional assets are acquired in-between commencement of duties and departure from office.

It remained unclear on Saturday whether Mr. Gbadamosi declared his interest in the two penthouses to the Code of Conduct Bureau.

When contacted Saturday, officials of the Bureau declined comments on the former minister’s assets declaration.

One of the officials only said, “The law does not empower us to reveal details of the assets declarations submitted to us. But we are following PREMIUM TIMES’ reporting closely. And we will press charges against anyone found to have broken the law”.

BY NICHOLAS IBEKWE (PREMIUM TIMES)

Ben Murray-Bruce and the Glamour of Favour By Pius Adesanmi

Senator Ben Murray-Bruce

A national teachable moment happened recently on Twitter between Senator Ben Murray-Bruce, Nigeria’s Area Father Plenipotentiary of commonsense, and Mrs. Oby Ezekwesili, who needs no introduction. There is a background to that Twitter spat that most commentators have not critically examined. The said background is wholly rooted in the tragedy of our collective definition of Nigeria and our stubborn persistence to clinch to an understanding of nationhood and statehood in the 21st century that is inferior to how Askia the Great understood those notions in the late 15th century.

We must sympathize with Ben Murray-Bruce before exploring the background of his spat with Mrs. Ezekwesili. These are not the best of times to be Ben Murray-Bruce. The Bayelsa Senator is finding out in a very harsh way that it is impossible to be a national crusader for ethics, morality, and commonsense from the belly of the cesspool that is Nigeria’s National Assembly. Nigeria’s NASS is one of the most corrupt and irredeemable political institutions ever to bestride the African continent. In the two chambers of NASS are the most execrable African humanoids. As Senator Ben Murray-Bruce is finding out, nothing good can come out of the Nigerian National Assembly.

NASS is constitutionally and statutorily set up to be a crematorium of good ideas and great intentions; an unforgiving graveyard for the angelic reputation. Consider the example of Ben Murray-Bruce’s commonsense crusade. It is crumbling under the weight of its own contradictions for a very simple reason: when you are a member of Nigeria’s National Assembly, commonsense is the very first victim of your situation. You may be honest; you may not have stolen a dime (very unlikely though); you may not have rigged your election, however, your legitimate earnings, allowances, and sundry perks put you above the pay grade of Barack Obama. Does this make sense? No, it doesn’t.

Your legitimate pay puts you above the pay grade of parliamentarians and congressmen and women in any part of the developed world. Yet, they do much more work than you and are answerable to constituents who are citizens in full civic sentience and will therefore not tolerate the rubbish that Nigerians take from you. You are basically the highest paid parliamentarian in the world and you put in the least hours for your constituents. Even the hours you put in are useless for being a Senator or a Rep does not require any cerebral effort from you in Nigeria. You need no intellect to be in NASS. You just wear your agbada and go and yawn and sleep for a few hours every day and watch your account swell every day. Does this make sense?

To be in the position to talk about commonsense at all, our friend from Bayelsa would have to remove the speck in his own eyes. That speck is the context from which he connects daily with Nigerians. That speck, NASS, is wholly corrupt and indolent. That speck, NASS, is Nigeria’s greatest theatre of legitimate corruption, legislating immoral and amoral allowances which defy commonsense.

Has the Senator done anything about this speck beyond the perfunctory inaudible noise? No, he hasn’t and I do not expect him to. I am just trying to show him the inherent contradictions of his situation. That is why he is salving his conscience by promising Osun workers a cut and riding Okada from time to time to distribute pure water and Tetmosol to his constituents in line with the loot trickle down philosophy of Nigerian politicians.

You will notice that I have concerned myself only with the legitimate earnings of our Bayelsa friend which automatically exclude him and anyone in NASS from being in the same bracket with commonsense. Whatever is legitimate about him disqualifies him from being a spokesperson for commonsense for that role cannot be anchored from within the existential contradictions and ironies of NASS. NASS is antithetical to commonsense. NASS negates commonsense. You cannot crusade for commonsense on the platform of its existential negation.

Now, we all know that the part of the role and functions of a NASS member which devolves from legitimacy is less than 5%. The remaining 95% space in your life as a Senator or a Rep is occupied by everything we associate with politicians and government officials in Nigeria: corruption, patronage, and prebendal avarice. If the 5% that is even legitimate about you and NASS stands commonsense on its head, what does that make of the remaining 95% which falls in the province of the Nigerian way?

The second part of Senator Ben Murray-Bruce’s problem is the mediocrity of his context. He wants to be seen as Nigeria’s answer to Barack Obama, Justin Trudeau, and co: an urbane and cosmopolitan politician powered by 21st century cutting-edge ideas and ideals. Yet, as someone famously puts it on Twitter, his Obanikoro predilections are in tandem with the overall Baba Suwe level of his peers in the Senate. Hence, his attempts at cosmopolitanism are constantly overwhelmed by the prelogical mentality of the Orangutans who dominate the two Chambers.

This is why Senator Ben-Murray Bruce is heehawing for commonsense from the platform of a National Assembly where the predominant opinion is that granting gender equality to women in marriage will make of them lesbians and prostitutes in the 21st century! And the same week they emit these pre-Medieval ideas, they go on a spending spree like demented demons, buying jeeps in an orgy of spending which defies commonsense and the only thing we have heard from the commonsense Chief Priest is the feeble noise that he did not accept his.

By the way, I saw a photo-op of Senator Shehu Sani with his own jeep. This is the man donating donkeys and camels to his constitutents. May Sango thunder Shehu Sani’s jeep!

It is in the context of all this turbulence on the commonsense front, when the Area Father of Commonsense had wisely crawled underground to contemplate the ruins of his crusade – ruined by tragic contradictions – that Mrs. Oby Ezekwesili decided to call him out. The wounded Senator, a master of the knockout repartee, promptly advised the Bring Back Our Girls crusader to occupy her own Senator and stop bugging him. You are making your own Senator lazy by focusing on me, he opined.

On the surface, Senator Ben Murray-Bruce’s response to Mrs. Ezekwesili would appear to be a brilliant uppercut. I was even tempted to think that Mrs. Ezekwesili deserved it for not allowing a man to mourn the ironies and contradictions of his doomed commonsense crusade in peace. Doomed not because Nigeria does not stand in desperate need of commonsense but by the contradictions and hypocrisy attendant upon the Senator’s context and platform: right message, wrong bearer, diseased platform.

However, if you look at it closely, the Senator’s response is silly and irresponsible. A man who has spent an entire year trying to curate a national image for himself as a pan-Nigerian spokesperson of commonsense is suddenly scurrying under the cover of representing only his constituents in the National Assembly when called out on the very basis of his own national crusade! Mrs. Ezekwesili made it clear that she was calling him out on the basis of what he has been projecting. Has he ever projected or given the slightest hint that his crusade was exclusively addressed to his constituents?

This is part of the hypocrisy that has undone Ben Murray-Bruce’s crusade. We must also advise him that it is called the National Assembly for a reason. If he wants to be answerable exclusively to his constituents, he is welcome to go to the Bayelsa House of Assembly – if Mama Peace approves of such a move. In Abuja, the laws and bills you are making (or not making as is the usual case) have a national purview. Besides, not all of us have Senators representing us.

In my own case, Senator Dino Melaye has made it clear that he is representing only Senator Bukola Saraki in the Senate till death does them part. Okun people have no Senator currently representing them so don’t tell me to call my Senator. At any rate, I’d sooner call the boss, Saraki, than call his self-styled slave, Dino Melaye.

There is a second aspect to the exchange between Senator Ben Murray-Bruce and Mrs. Ezekwesili. There is a certain patronizing and condescending tone in the Senator’s responses. You’d be right to surmise that he believes he is doing her a favour by even responding at all.

This brings me to my earlier point about our tragic understanding and definition of Nigeria. We define and understand Nigeria as a chaotic association of favour doers and recipients of favour. It is not an accident that Nigerian Pentecostals constantly disturb God with endless requests for uncommon favour. They are taking to the spiritual domain how they have been shaped and defined by Nigeria.

We have conceptualized the social contract as a terrain of favour-doing in Nigeria. Nobody does anything for you because it is their duty and obligation. Rather, every secular transaction in Nigeria is a favour done for you by somebody drawing a salary to do precisely that task. Every Nigerian politician, from the President down to the Local Government Chairman, considers every aspect of what he or she is elected to do a favour rendered to the people.

That is why your politician tars a road, digs a borehole, builds a gada or a culvert or a gutter and his aides gut the airwaves with noise, demanding acknowledgement and appreciation from the people for the uncommon favour.

This national mental malaise is not limited to politicians. Interactions among the ordinary people are also subject to the same affliction with civil servants being the worst culprits. There is no service you receive in any office in Nigeria that is not conceptualized as a favour by the service provider. Try obtaining any document from a Ministry or a local government office in Nigeria. Everyone you come into contact with sees what they are doing in the delivery of that document to you as a favour.

Go to shoprite and the attendant who accepts your money is doing you a favour.

Go to Mama Put and Sikira who serves you amala and abula believes she has done you a favour.

Go to your ‘forganaiza’ and he is doing you a favour by fixing your tire.

Go to WAEC or JAMB, they give you your results as a favour.

There is no sphere of life that is free from this disease in Nigeria.

This is why Ben Murray-Bruce did Oby Ezekwesili a favour by sending her to her Senator.

This is why I have done you a favour by writing this!