She had been a guest of the CEO more than 3 times as Mr Shobanjo noted during the boardroom meeting in the eight week
'Both of you, Oscar and Nancy it seems like your time is up. Nancy you cannot be 3 times lucky unless something dramatic happens.'
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Nancy Lnda Kalembe
Nancy, the tall, ebony and beautiful Ugandan in the Apprentice Africa is a very lovable but confident woman who had escaped Mr Biodun Shobanjo's 'you are fired' outburst since the debut of Apprentice Africa on television.
She had been a guest of the CEO more than 3 times as Mr Shobanjo noted during the boardroom meeting in the eight week
She had been a guest of the CEO more than 3 times as Mr Shobanjo noted during the boardroom meeting in the eight week
Edward Mbugua 'Eddie'
The Aprentice Africa that is showing on Silverbird Television is in the 9th Week.
Yesterday episode of this business reality show was wonderful, insightful, dramatic and really emotional.
Team Matrix had four apprentices as against Team Zulu with six apprentices. Despite the number, Matrix Corp members showed great determination and worked with everything in them to win the task of the day which was increase revenue in a particular location and present sale strategy for CELTEL new product called JEMBI.
Ngugi Edward Mbugua popularly called Eddie by his fellow Apprentices, was the Team Leader for this particular task. He planned the execution of the task on the Product, Location and Price. He being a natural motivator maybe because he read psychology in the University was on hand to encourage his teammates and also make their customers to feel at ease in their assigned centre. He did not only recognised the talent in his teammate but assigned them responsibilities that proved to them that he believed in that talent and in their ability to perform. He has so far shows he is a professional sales person and a leader who motivates and rewards with encouraging words.
Unfortunately, Eddie's team lost due to over estimation of the profit by year 2011. This particular assignment was handled by Nancy Linda Kalembe, the woman with nine life like a cat. Nancy ran the financials by the team but no one took notice of that misleading information. During presentation to CELTEL Nigeria officials that was discovered and it cost them that task. Eddie in nominating those to accompany him to the Boardroom for the normal firing scene, excluded Nancy after humorously calling her a boardroom veteran. The other Apprentices would have not been matured enough to give her a break but he did. That really showed his maturity and acceptance of whatever mistake as a leader.
Nancy the woman who had escaped the firing 'squad' since the second week when she was the Team Leader was on her knees praying and reading the bible for a real escape because this time, she would have been fired. The Bible says men shall be given for us and that is real in Nancy's case in The Apprentice Africa.
In his farewell speech in the Boardroom, Eddie eulogised the intelligence of the ladies in Matrix and told Mr. Shobanjo to watch it that the Ultimate Apprentice would be someone from The Matrix Corp. Blessing could not contain her emotion as she started crying and so was I. Eddie is an orator. His speech moved me.
It was unfair to allow four compete against six.
Yesterday episode of this business reality show was wonderful, insightful, dramatic and really emotional.
Team Matrix had four apprentices as against Team Zulu with six apprentices. Despite the number, Matrix Corp members showed great determination and worked with everything in them to win the task of the day which was increase revenue in a particular location and present sale strategy for CELTEL new product called JEMBI.
Ngugi Edward Mbugua popularly called Eddie by his fellow Apprentices, was the Team Leader for this particular task. He planned the execution of the task on the Product, Location and Price. He being a natural motivator maybe because he read psychology in the University was on hand to encourage his teammates and also make their customers to feel at ease in their assigned centre. He did not only recognised the talent in his teammate but assigned them responsibilities that proved to them that he believed in that talent and in their ability to perform. He has so far shows he is a professional sales person and a leader who motivates and rewards with encouraging words.
Unfortunately, Eddie's team lost due to over estimation of the profit by year 2011. This particular assignment was handled by Nancy Linda Kalembe, the woman with nine life like a cat. Nancy ran the financials by the team but no one took notice of that misleading information. During presentation to CELTEL Nigeria officials that was discovered and it cost them that task. Eddie in nominating those to accompany him to the Boardroom for the normal firing scene, excluded Nancy after humorously calling her a boardroom veteran. The other Apprentices would have not been matured enough to give her a break but he did. That really showed his maturity and acceptance of whatever mistake as a leader.
Nancy the woman who had escaped the firing 'squad' since the second week when she was the Team Leader was on her knees praying and reading the bible for a real escape because this time, she would have been fired. The Bible says men shall be given for us and that is real in Nancy's case in The Apprentice Africa.
In his farewell speech in the Boardroom, Eddie eulogised the intelligence of the ladies in Matrix and told Mr. Shobanjo to watch it that the Ultimate Apprentice would be someone from The Matrix Corp. Blessing could not contain her emotion as she started crying and so was I. Eddie is an orator. His speech moved me.
It was unfair to allow four compete against six.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Experience at British Embassy
Tuesday 01/
My bossom friend Evelyn left Nigeria for the United Kingdom for her post graduate degree in Sociology. After the riguors of studying and examination, she invited me to be part of her graduation experience in London and i accepted.
She sent a letter of invitation to me with a letter from her school with my details, a print out of her bank statement from a London bank, photocopies of her international passport and the hotel booking receipt for one week. She had to book the hotel close by her home which was only bed and breakfat because her niece was coming too. I had to go to the airport to await the young girl arrival from Abuja the previous day. I had applied for my Annual leave using her invitation letter and gotten approval.
Armed with all the documents including my marriage certificate to prove i am happily married, (is the happily on the paper)Rachael and I left my home as early as 6.10am in Surulere, Lagos to Oando House, Ajose Adeogun Street, Victoria Island. We got there around 6.55am because of pockets of hold ups on the way. We signed in by 7.03 after riding the Elevator to the floor. We were no 30 and 31. Couldn't believe that some people actually got there by 5.30am. I was wondering why and i saw the reason much later.
After signing in we waited outside the door to be called in. We were more than 200 in a space that cannot accommodate 20 persons. There were no seats and we had to seat on the floor or the stairs whichever was available. At a point, the security personnel had to advice some of us to go get food and water because we would not be allowed to go out once in. Since it may take a whole day, we had to go get some snacks. AT the eatery opposite the building, the staff were having a meeting and collecting salary too. Funny the way businesses are run in Nigeria. Why pay staff thier salary the beginning of the next month. If salary must be delayed, it should not be more than the last day of the month. Why subject your staff to such delays? Anyway, lets leave that for another day. Imagine me complaining when i have not been paid salary for three months by AJAOKUTA STEEL COMPANY. I waited for some minutes and since the salary issue was not resolved quickly and the door opened to customers,I had to go around the street to get biscuits and bottled water.
When i got back, the place was jam packed. More people had come and yet the officiala of VFS had not opened their door and the security personnel were now behaving as the Lord of the manor.
When the door was now opened and names were being called, the rush became too much because of the crammed space. The people who came very early got in before the rush. The man calling the names got angry and left. Later on the security man was given the assignment and he did it half way and abandoned it. The process changed and people were allowed in if you can struggle. In the ensuring commotion, my passport dropped and i had to start seaching quietly before and then with screaming till i got it. Eventually, i entered the hall and had to pulled Rachael in too. Inside the hall, we were seated to see the officers who would go through our forms and give a pass mark or asked for changes to the information supplied. Evenyually i saw one who advised i change my request from visit to tourist. I supplied all the details and documents and she said i qualified for a six months visa. I promptly paid so did Rachael. We got to the other section where our documents were scrutinised and the lady said we were in order. After seven hours of arriving at the British Visa application centre, we were finaaly shown the exit door. Was i impressed with the attitude of the officials of that Visa application centre? NO. What Nigerians go through in the different embassies are terrible. On Idejo street, is the Chinese Embassy and i see people loitering around in the sun trying to get a little slip attached to their green passports which will gain them entrance to another man's country. Why is Nigeria not organised to the extent that our people will not become 'tenants' in theses embassies because they want a better future or business environment.
My bossom friend Evelyn left Nigeria for the United Kingdom for her post graduate degree in Sociology. After the riguors of studying and examination, she invited me to be part of her graduation experience in London and i accepted.
She sent a letter of invitation to me with a letter from her school with my details, a print out of her bank statement from a London bank, photocopies of her international passport and the hotel booking receipt for one week. She had to book the hotel close by her home which was only bed and breakfat because her niece was coming too. I had to go to the airport to await the young girl arrival from Abuja the previous day. I had applied for my Annual leave using her invitation letter and gotten approval.
Armed with all the documents including my marriage certificate to prove i am happily married, (is the happily on the paper)Rachael and I left my home as early as 6.10am in Surulere, Lagos to Oando House, Ajose Adeogun Street, Victoria Island. We got there around 6.55am because of pockets of hold ups on the way. We signed in by 7.03 after riding the Elevator to the floor. We were no 30 and 31. Couldn't believe that some people actually got there by 5.30am. I was wondering why and i saw the reason much later.
After signing in we waited outside the door to be called in. We were more than 200 in a space that cannot accommodate 20 persons. There were no seats and we had to seat on the floor or the stairs whichever was available. At a point, the security personnel had to advice some of us to go get food and water because we would not be allowed to go out once in. Since it may take a whole day, we had to go get some snacks. AT the eatery opposite the building, the staff were having a meeting and collecting salary too. Funny the way businesses are run in Nigeria. Why pay staff thier salary the beginning of the next month. If salary must be delayed, it should not be more than the last day of the month. Why subject your staff to such delays? Anyway, lets leave that for another day. Imagine me complaining when i have not been paid salary for three months by AJAOKUTA STEEL COMPANY. I waited for some minutes and since the salary issue was not resolved quickly and the door opened to customers,I had to go around the street to get biscuits and bottled water.
When i got back, the place was jam packed. More people had come and yet the officiala of VFS had not opened their door and the security personnel were now behaving as the Lord of the manor.
When the door was now opened and names were being called, the rush became too much because of the crammed space. The people who came very early got in before the rush. The man calling the names got angry and left. Later on the security man was given the assignment and he did it half way and abandoned it. The process changed and people were allowed in if you can struggle. In the ensuring commotion, my passport dropped and i had to start seaching quietly before and then with screaming till i got it. Eventually, i entered the hall and had to pulled Rachael in too. Inside the hall, we were seated to see the officers who would go through our forms and give a pass mark or asked for changes to the information supplied. Evenyually i saw one who advised i change my request from visit to tourist. I supplied all the details and documents and she said i qualified for a six months visa. I promptly paid so did Rachael. We got to the other section where our documents were scrutinised and the lady said we were in order. After seven hours of arriving at the British Visa application centre, we were finaaly shown the exit door. Was i impressed with the attitude of the officials of that Visa application centre? NO. What Nigerians go through in the different embassies are terrible. On Idejo street, is the Chinese Embassy and i see people loitering around in the sun trying to get a little slip attached to their green passports which will gain them entrance to another man's country. Why is Nigeria not organised to the extent that our people will not become 'tenants' in theses embassies because they want a better future or business environment.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Power probe
Obasanjo and the power probe
The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Power ans Steel, Mr. Ndudi Elumelu decided to probe the power sector as the epileptic power supply became so bad despite the billions of Naira expended on that sector during Obasanjo's regime. The probe actually started on tht 11th of March 2008 and several key players in Obasanjo's government were invited to come and testify. Obasanjo's men who had fed fat on the billions allocated to the sectors are all multi billionaires now while the former two Ministers are Governors of their respective States in Nigeria. While they and their family members are enjoying the money that fell on their lap, millions of Nigerians are impoverished and falling sick every second from total darkness and heat. Businesses have shut down due to high price of generating electricity to meet demands and meet up production.
Since the probe of the nation's power sector began, shocking revelations have been emerging. The investigation has revealed the corruption of the erstwhile government of Obasanjo the so called custodian of uprightnees and accountability.
Shocking too was on-the-spot assessment of the power plants in the country. Most of the power plants had nothing on the ground to show that work had begun or the commitment of the contractors. Most of the contractors have been paid mobilisation Fees and some have not even started work on the proposed Sites. One of the contractors has been paid almost 4B Naira but no work had commenced at the site. Another contractor in Enugu in the South East Zone of Nigeria, had collected part of the contract money but had only cleared the site of weeds, bought a generator and erected two blocks of flats for the Engineers. Beyond these nothing else was done at the project site. The contractor complained about late treatment of documents submitted to the authorities for processing. The contractor claimed he had spent N501m on soil, engineering designs, civil works and other preliminary activities including the clearing of the site and the generator. Unbelievable! How much is paid a labourer per day? How many labourers did he engaged and for how many days?. Apparently only one percent of the job had been done and the Contractor had spent N501m from the contract of N1.2bn. What is left is not up to 60 percent of the contract sum to complete the project. Is the contractor thinking of applying for a review upward of the Contract sum?
Time will tell.
The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Power ans Steel, Mr. Ndudi Elumelu decided to probe the power sector as the epileptic power supply became so bad despite the billions of Naira expended on that sector during Obasanjo's regime. The probe actually started on tht 11th of March 2008 and several key players in Obasanjo's government were invited to come and testify. Obasanjo's men who had fed fat on the billions allocated to the sectors are all multi billionaires now while the former two Ministers are Governors of their respective States in Nigeria. While they and their family members are enjoying the money that fell on their lap, millions of Nigerians are impoverished and falling sick every second from total darkness and heat. Businesses have shut down due to high price of generating electricity to meet demands and meet up production.
Since the probe of the nation's power sector began, shocking revelations have been emerging. The investigation has revealed the corruption of the erstwhile government of Obasanjo the so called custodian of uprightnees and accountability.
Shocking too was on-the-spot assessment of the power plants in the country. Most of the power plants had nothing on the ground to show that work had begun or the commitment of the contractors. Most of the contractors have been paid mobilisation Fees and some have not even started work on the proposed Sites. One of the contractors has been paid almost 4B Naira but no work had commenced at the site. Another contractor in Enugu in the South East Zone of Nigeria, had collected part of the contract money but had only cleared the site of weeds, bought a generator and erected two blocks of flats for the Engineers. Beyond these nothing else was done at the project site. The contractor complained about late treatment of documents submitted to the authorities for processing. The contractor claimed he had spent N501m on soil, engineering designs, civil works and other preliminary activities including the clearing of the site and the generator. Unbelievable! How much is paid a labourer per day? How many labourers did he engaged and for how many days?. Apparently only one percent of the job had been done and the Contractor had spent N501m from the contract of N1.2bn. What is left is not up to 60 percent of the contract sum to complete the project. Is the contractor thinking of applying for a review upward of the Contract sum?
Time will tell.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Barrack Obama
Barrack Obama to achieve his ambition must do the following to get the ticket that will usher him into the White House:
Go placidly amid the noise and haste of the campaign, and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons in his campaign team or opposing camps
Speak the truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and ignorant; they too have their contribution.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons who only seek attention for they are vexations to the spirit.
Should not compare himself with others so that he does not become vain or bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself in or out of politics.
Change comes when a dreamer with a passion for that change set to make the impossible possible and he, Obama is the dreamer with that passion for change that all Americans can identify with. Americans desire change and its obvious that they do not care about how or who is to bring the change.
Dreams deliver the scope but determination and hardwork deliver the reality which we are all waiting for in America.
Obama may be black in colour but he is American in aspirations and result. He has proven to be a fighter and a believer of positive change. He is a paragon of excellence so go on brother, Fight the good fight with Faith and the White House is just the beginning.
Go placidly amid the noise and haste of the campaign, and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons in his campaign team or opposing camps
Speak the truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and ignorant; they too have their contribution.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons who only seek attention for they are vexations to the spirit.
Should not compare himself with others so that he does not become vain or bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself in or out of politics.
Change comes when a dreamer with a passion for that change set to make the impossible possible and he, Obama is the dreamer with that passion for change that all Americans can identify with. Americans desire change and its obvious that they do not care about how or who is to bring the change.
Dreams deliver the scope but determination and hardwork deliver the reality which we are all waiting for in America.
Obama may be black in colour but he is American in aspirations and result. He has proven to be a fighter and a believer of positive change. He is a paragon of excellence so go on brother, Fight the good fight with Faith and the White House is just the beginning.
Monday, April 7, 2008
Shocking revelation
SHOCKING revelations have emerged after President Umaru Yar’Adua, last week, ordered the termination of the controversial sale of 80 per cent shares of the Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited (ASCL) and the National Mining Iron Ore Company (NIOMCO), Itakpe to an Indian firm, Global Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (GINL), one of them being that GINL has made not less than N5.52 billion from deals relating to ASCL, NIOMCO and Delta Steel Company Limited (DSCL). Yet it has not remitted a kobo as tax or any other statutory payment to the Federal Government, the Magaji Inua panel which nailed them has revealed.
The report said the concession agreement signed by the two parties was designed to fail so that the Indians could make money to the detriment of Nigerians.
2 ex-aides to Obasanjo Directors of Delta Steel
Vanguard has impeccable evidence which shows that two former aides of former President Olusegun Obasanjo are Directors of the DSCL, valued at N184 billion, but sold to GINL at N3.6 billion ($30 million) 2004.
A letter written to the then President Obasanjo by the National Council on Privatisation (NCP) on May 22, 2007, signed by Mrs Nenadi Usman, acting Chair of NCP and Minister of Finance at the time, stated on page 4 paragraph 5 that, “in the course of deliberations, some concerns were expressed as to whether a Joint Venture partnership between the BPE and GINL was legal especially that GINL was not making any cash payments to the Federal Government Treasury…”
The letter went on to note that, “Your Excellency, it is against this background of doubts raised by some members of the Council as to whether the contemplated transaction (Share Sales Purchase Agreement –– SSPA) falls within the ambit of the powers of the Council that it was resolved that the matter be referred to you for your consideration.”
Obasanjo approves deal despite Nenadi's memo
Obasanjo approved the demand on the same letter. The approval, which was written in long hand and signed as O. O. on May 23, 2007, reads: “Approved,” but added that, “additional $11.6 million will be provided by the buyer to pay off the staff to sustain industrial peace.”
The approval was conveyed to Mrs Nenadi Usman and the Director-General of the BPE, Dr Irene Chigbue, on May 24, 2008 in a letter reference: PRES/87/128 signed by Taiwo Ojo, Special Assistant to the President.His particular post as Special Assistant was not stated. GINL, acquired the two companies and has still not paid a kobo, as the panel found out.
As it turned out, the Inua panel came out with a depressing finding that showed, among others, on page 40 article 6 (A) to (E) how GINL defrauded Nigeria through many schemes.
Converting the entire sums into Naira shows that GINL has siphoned not less than N5.52 billion of the steel company’s resources as the panel said there was no evidence of any investment in the ASCL and NIOMCO by GINL since their takeover.
Deal skewed against FG —Report
The panel grimly noted on page 14 (1) of the report that: “The Concession Agreement between the Federal Government and GINL is a document crafted in a desperate hurry, carefully and purposefully skewed against the FGN, with open-ended obligations.
“The obligations are impossible to achieve in the absence of built-in milestones in a Time-Scale Strategy. It was, therefore, designed to fail from the beginning: heaping blames and causing unquantifiable losses to the FGN and leaving GINL with monumental economic leverages. The FGN was short-changed by all those thought-out and configured the agreement,” the panel wrote.
Vanguard investigation shows that the Concession agreement was written by the then Legal Adviser to the Ministry of Mines and Power, Dr. Grace Eyoma, who was then made the Vice-Chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and the Company Secretary/Legal Adviser of GINL, Mr. Love K. Sharma, an Indian, who has since been sacked by his company for reasons which would be revealed in subsequent reports. Senator Liyel Imoke, who as Minister of Power and Steel, and a lawyer, vetted the agreement and endorsed it on behalf of the FGN.
Vanguard will tomorrow reveal how GINL has taken advantage of the weak concession agreement and dragged the FGN, last week, to a court in London.
Already, President Yar’Adua has asked the EFCC to step into the case with a view to prosecuting both Federal Government and GINL officials found culpable for assets stripping.
Table showing summary of items and sums removed from Nigeria by GINL in the Last 3 years
No Item amount
A Details of Statutory obligations outstanding (PAYE, VAT, Royalties etc) N350,6079210.11
B Conversion of Property
1 Sales of Iron Ore from NIOMCO $1,077,545.00
2 Sales of Premium Scraps from ASCL yard N203,371,260.27
3 Receipt from Prestige Inc. Compensation for Spares burnt N340,000,000.00
4 Bank Balance at Takeover N 89,143,718.00
5 NOTAP Approval illegally utilised $ 17,143,718.00
6 Quantity of billets met at ASCL utilised @ 285/tonne $ 79,372.50
7 Rent Received from non-ASCL staff N41.044,450.93
8 Rent from ASCL staff N21,905,750.00
C Spare parts fabricated for DSC valued at… N22,811,784.36
D Losses on sales of Iron Ore Concentrate produced since GINL takeover $14,872,039.00
E Spare parts and Consumables “borrowed” from NIOMCO Not priced
Spare parts and Consumables borrowed from ASCL
i From stores $596,979.08
ii GIHL stocks procured for ASCL but transferred to DSC $1,738,405.69.
Total Naira Components N1,233,464,370
Total US$ Component $35,721,236.79
•Source: From Report of Administrative Panel of Enquiry Into the Operations of ASCL and NIOMCO, Decemeber 2007
The above is culled from the Vanguard Newspapers. The revelation is really shocking. Obasanjo said he was fighting corruption but his cronies, himself, and family members were embezzling and wasting funds while others like Tafa and Wabara were openly disgraced and dismissed from office. What do we make out of this?
The report said the concession agreement signed by the two parties was designed to fail so that the Indians could make money to the detriment of Nigerians.
2 ex-aides to Obasanjo Directors of Delta Steel
Vanguard has impeccable evidence which shows that two former aides of former President Olusegun Obasanjo are Directors of the DSCL, valued at N184 billion, but sold to GINL at N3.6 billion ($30 million) 2004.
A letter written to the then President Obasanjo by the National Council on Privatisation (NCP) on May 22, 2007, signed by Mrs Nenadi Usman, acting Chair of NCP and Minister of Finance at the time, stated on page 4 paragraph 5 that, “in the course of deliberations, some concerns were expressed as to whether a Joint Venture partnership between the BPE and GINL was legal especially that GINL was not making any cash payments to the Federal Government Treasury…”
The letter went on to note that, “Your Excellency, it is against this background of doubts raised by some members of the Council as to whether the contemplated transaction (Share Sales Purchase Agreement –– SSPA) falls within the ambit of the powers of the Council that it was resolved that the matter be referred to you for your consideration.”
Obasanjo approves deal despite Nenadi's memo
Obasanjo approved the demand on the same letter. The approval, which was written in long hand and signed as O. O. on May 23, 2007, reads: “Approved,” but added that, “additional $11.6 million will be provided by the buyer to pay off the staff to sustain industrial peace.”
The approval was conveyed to Mrs Nenadi Usman and the Director-General of the BPE, Dr Irene Chigbue, on May 24, 2008 in a letter reference: PRES/87/128 signed by Taiwo Ojo, Special Assistant to the President.His particular post as Special Assistant was not stated. GINL, acquired the two companies and has still not paid a kobo, as the panel found out.
As it turned out, the Inua panel came out with a depressing finding that showed, among others, on page 40 article 6 (A) to (E) how GINL defrauded Nigeria through many schemes.
Converting the entire sums into Naira shows that GINL has siphoned not less than N5.52 billion of the steel company’s resources as the panel said there was no evidence of any investment in the ASCL and NIOMCO by GINL since their takeover.
Deal skewed against FG —Report
The panel grimly noted on page 14 (1) of the report that: “The Concession Agreement between the Federal Government and GINL is a document crafted in a desperate hurry, carefully and purposefully skewed against the FGN, with open-ended obligations.
“The obligations are impossible to achieve in the absence of built-in milestones in a Time-Scale Strategy. It was, therefore, designed to fail from the beginning: heaping blames and causing unquantifiable losses to the FGN and leaving GINL with monumental economic leverages. The FGN was short-changed by all those thought-out and configured the agreement,” the panel wrote.
Vanguard investigation shows that the Concession agreement was written by the then Legal Adviser to the Ministry of Mines and Power, Dr. Grace Eyoma, who was then made the Vice-Chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and the Company Secretary/Legal Adviser of GINL, Mr. Love K. Sharma, an Indian, who has since been sacked by his company for reasons which would be revealed in subsequent reports. Senator Liyel Imoke, who as Minister of Power and Steel, and a lawyer, vetted the agreement and endorsed it on behalf of the FGN.
Vanguard will tomorrow reveal how GINL has taken advantage of the weak concession agreement and dragged the FGN, last week, to a court in London.
Already, President Yar’Adua has asked the EFCC to step into the case with a view to prosecuting both Federal Government and GINL officials found culpable for assets stripping.
Table showing summary of items and sums removed from Nigeria by GINL in the Last 3 years
No Item amount
A Details of Statutory obligations outstanding (PAYE, VAT, Royalties etc) N350,6079210.11
B Conversion of Property
1 Sales of Iron Ore from NIOMCO $1,077,545.00
2 Sales of Premium Scraps from ASCL yard N203,371,260.27
3 Receipt from Prestige Inc. Compensation for Spares burnt N340,000,000.00
4 Bank Balance at Takeover N 89,143,718.00
5 NOTAP Approval illegally utilised $ 17,143,718.00
6 Quantity of billets met at ASCL utilised @ 285/tonne $ 79,372.50
7 Rent Received from non-ASCL staff N41.044,450.93
8 Rent from ASCL staff N21,905,750.00
C Spare parts fabricated for DSC valued at… N22,811,784.36
D Losses on sales of Iron Ore Concentrate produced since GINL takeover $14,872,039.00
E Spare parts and Consumables “borrowed” from NIOMCO Not priced
Spare parts and Consumables borrowed from ASCL
i From stores $596,979.08
ii GIHL stocks procured for ASCL but transferred to DSC $1,738,405.69.
Total Naira Components N1,233,464,370
Total US$ Component $35,721,236.79
•Source: From Report of Administrative Panel of Enquiry Into the Operations of ASCL and NIOMCO, Decemeber 2007
The above is culled from the Vanguard Newspapers. The revelation is really shocking. Obasanjo said he was fighting corruption but his cronies, himself, and family members were embezzling and wasting funds while others like Tafa and Wabara were openly disgraced and dismissed from office. What do we make out of this?
Thursday, April 3, 2008
What a shame!
Before the second coming of Obasanjo as the Head of State and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 1999, no one heard of Iyabo Obasanjo the daughter of Obasanjo. She was a young doctor who was trying out marriage and which by the way failed due to her stubbornness and arrogance. Unfortunately her older brother's marriage too had collapsed. Well this blog is not about their marriages or love life but their shameless and corrupt attitudes towards government funds entrusted directly to them or they had a link to.
Last year, Iyabo was linked to a power project in Europe where she fraudulently used her mother's maiden name to secure the contract from the Federal Government with the help of her father who was the President then. While we were still going through that, we were yet told through the media that she collected 10 million Naira from the health ministry as christmas gift. This morning, the 3rd of April 2008, we are told she is involved in anothe scandal up to 4.1b Naira. When will this end.
Iyabo is a woman who naturally is supposed to be aplomb, amiable, considerate and trustworthy. She is a mother already and is supposed to exhibit that in all her dealing in the National Assembly but what we have is a young lady who is driven by inordinate ambition of being wealthy by all means.
A pertitioner wrote the Economic ad Financial Crime Commission that the Health Ministry had N300M unspent from the 2007 budgetary allocation and the money had been shared as christmas bonus to the Ministry personnels and others including Iyabo Obasanjo Bello. This unspent allocation was to be returned to the government coffers but these people shared the money and hatched a plot to cover it. Iyabo had initially denied the allegation but when the truth and evidences became overwhelming, she had to admit that the money was given to the committee which she is the chairman to help with legislative duties. From the media report, she claimed the money had been spent by the committee on a trip to Ghana. What was the trip to Ghana for? Was it not budgetted for by the House before then? Why wait for gratification before embarking on official visits?. According to the papers, she told the EFCC that to return that money as ordered by them would mean she using her personal money to settle that.
As a woman, i had expected her to hate corruption and gratification but no she actually loves that and is becoming worse than her male conterparts. She is brazen, daring and shameless. With all these revelations of fraud, corruption and lies, one would have expected her to resign. That will be asking for too much. If she was a lady, decent and upright maybe she would have resigned but she is not so resignation is not in her dictionary or lexicon. She is crude, stonehearted and rude? Who is she taking after?
Women are always willing to resign if indicted, mentioned in a messy story or exposed to the public ridicule. But not this one. She has thrown shame to the dustbin or 'dog don lick her face'.
The so called former first family had always been in the news for negative news. When will we hear fresh, good and heartwarming news from the Obasanjo's?
Last year, Iyabo was linked to a power project in Europe where she fraudulently used her mother's maiden name to secure the contract from the Federal Government with the help of her father who was the President then. While we were still going through that, we were yet told through the media that she collected 10 million Naira from the health ministry as christmas gift. This morning, the 3rd of April 2008, we are told she is involved in anothe scandal up to 4.1b Naira. When will this end.
Iyabo is a woman who naturally is supposed to be aplomb, amiable, considerate and trustworthy. She is a mother already and is supposed to exhibit that in all her dealing in the National Assembly but what we have is a young lady who is driven by inordinate ambition of being wealthy by all means.
A pertitioner wrote the Economic ad Financial Crime Commission that the Health Ministry had N300M unspent from the 2007 budgetary allocation and the money had been shared as christmas bonus to the Ministry personnels and others including Iyabo Obasanjo Bello. This unspent allocation was to be returned to the government coffers but these people shared the money and hatched a plot to cover it. Iyabo had initially denied the allegation but when the truth and evidences became overwhelming, she had to admit that the money was given to the committee which she is the chairman to help with legislative duties. From the media report, she claimed the money had been spent by the committee on a trip to Ghana. What was the trip to Ghana for? Was it not budgetted for by the House before then? Why wait for gratification before embarking on official visits?. According to the papers, she told the EFCC that to return that money as ordered by them would mean she using her personal money to settle that.
As a woman, i had expected her to hate corruption and gratification but no she actually loves that and is becoming worse than her male conterparts. She is brazen, daring and shameless. With all these revelations of fraud, corruption and lies, one would have expected her to resign. That will be asking for too much. If she was a lady, decent and upright maybe she would have resigned but she is not so resignation is not in her dictionary or lexicon. She is crude, stonehearted and rude? Who is she taking after?
Women are always willing to resign if indicted, mentioned in a messy story or exposed to the public ridicule. But not this one. She has thrown shame to the dustbin or 'dog don lick her face'.
The so called former first family had always been in the news for negative news. When will we hear fresh, good and heartwarming news from the Obasanjo's?
Revocation of Ajaokuta, National Ore
Yesterday started as a normal day with so much to attend to like the payment committee meeting with the director and other heads of Departments in the office. I attended to some enquiries by mails and telephone calls, assigned responsibilities to subordinates and went for meetings with one of our bankers later in the afternoon. I closed really late because we had to sort out the salaries of junior staff members. It was a bit hectic because i had to eat some snacks in the office instead of going out for lunch.
I got back home hoping to retire early to bed but that was not to be as a call came through from a colleague in the plant that the Federal Government of Nigeria had voided the concessionary agreement entered into with Global Infrastructure Nigeria Limited on Ajaokuta Steel Company. Initially I was glad because GINL does not seem to have the finance and technical skills to manage a large Steel complex like that but later when the calls started coming in from other co-workers in Lagos and our bankers, i realised it was really serious. Serious in the sense that we in Lagos office may be forced to relocate to Ajaokuta. What will happened to our families in Lagos and what will happened to our daily office routine? Will we be accommodated in the plant? What will be our new roles in the plant or functions? Will we be assigned new tasks probably different from the ones handled in Lagos? What will happened to the banks that had financed our businesses and we are still owing? So many questions begging for answers.
I called my bosses but none answered. Eventually, my director sent a short message on the mobile phone that we have already instituted a legal action against the Federal Government in the arbitration Court in London which means the status quo remains until the case is decided. But the news said that the government had gone ahead to approve the establishment of an interim management pending the determination of all issues arising from the cancellation of the concession agrement. Which do we take now? The news still stands that the Federal Government of Nigeria after considering the report of the administrative panel of enquiry on compliance of parties to the concession agreement revoked it on the 2nd of April, 2008.
The administrative panel of enquiry indicted us for breaches of the concessionary agreements including failure to submit workable business plan within the specified timeframe, non payment of concessionary fees, canibalisation, exportation of iron ore and scraps and indebtedness of $192 million to local banks. These are serious issues and i hope the indians would respond and clear themselves.
Well the HR deparment called that our fate in the Lagos office would be known after
the meeting in the plant this morning. Fot the time being, we wait.
I got back home hoping to retire early to bed but that was not to be as a call came through from a colleague in the plant that the Federal Government of Nigeria had voided the concessionary agreement entered into with Global Infrastructure Nigeria Limited on Ajaokuta Steel Company. Initially I was glad because GINL does not seem to have the finance and technical skills to manage a large Steel complex like that but later when the calls started coming in from other co-workers in Lagos and our bankers, i realised it was really serious. Serious in the sense that we in Lagos office may be forced to relocate to Ajaokuta. What will happened to our families in Lagos and what will happened to our daily office routine? Will we be accommodated in the plant? What will be our new roles in the plant or functions? Will we be assigned new tasks probably different from the ones handled in Lagos? What will happened to the banks that had financed our businesses and we are still owing? So many questions begging for answers.
I called my bosses but none answered. Eventually, my director sent a short message on the mobile phone that we have already instituted a legal action against the Federal Government in the arbitration Court in London which means the status quo remains until the case is decided. But the news said that the government had gone ahead to approve the establishment of an interim management pending the determination of all issues arising from the cancellation of the concession agrement. Which do we take now? The news still stands that the Federal Government of Nigeria after considering the report of the administrative panel of enquiry on compliance of parties to the concession agreement revoked it on the 2nd of April, 2008.
The administrative panel of enquiry indicted us for breaches of the concessionary agreements including failure to submit workable business plan within the specified timeframe, non payment of concessionary fees, canibalisation, exportation of iron ore and scraps and indebtedness of $192 million to local banks. These are serious issues and i hope the indians would respond and clear themselves.
Well the HR deparment called that our fate in the Lagos office would be known after
the meeting in the plant this morning. Fot the time being, we wait.
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