Our Federal allocation is exclusively for our people.

Sir, Our attention has been drawn to the wicked and unfounded reports in the Nigerian press that we intend to ban non-indigenes from public schools. We are not planning to ban non-indigenes from public schools. We don't need to. But we stand by our decision and insist on our rights to impose school fees on outsiders who want to attend our schools. We devised school fees for non-indigenes so that if they are unable to pay they are excluded. Now, that is not the same thing as banning them!

 If you go to our schools you find that 80 - 90 per cent of the population are non-indigenes. The federal allocation given to us is for the people of Zamfara. Other states, too, are being provided with similar cash allocation from the Federation Account. And the responsibility of any state government is primarily to its indigenes and the Zamfara State government would not renege on its pledge to its people.

So, what we are saying is that Zamfara State is not going to spend its money realised from the Federal allocation on outsiders who constitute 80 –90% in our schools. No. We are going to use the money to ensure that the sufferings of our own people, especially in the education sector is put to rest by way of assisting them, and assuring that whoever among them wants to go to school is enrolled and provided with all the assistance necessary. They won't have to compete with outsiders.

The state government is determined and we have made it a policy. The state executive met and decided to introduce school fees. No amount of pressure from any non-indigene would make us reverse that decision. I know that the parents of these non-indigene pupils and students live and work and pay their taxes to our government. We want to assure them that we have no objections whatsoever to them conducting their businesses and paying their taxes. We also have no objections to their relatives and families coming here to give free service to the nation on the Youth Corps scheme. No problem.

 The school fees have come to stay and we want outsiders living in the state to come to terms with this reality. In so many states in the federation, where these outsiders come from, particularly in the southern part of the country, schools spring up like mushrooms. They spread their Federal allocation thin by establishing thousands and thousands of mushroom schools with inadequate educational facilities. That's their choice and they should live with it and send their children there. Why should they come and encroach on our own facilities? Mind you, we do not send our students to their schools so they cannot talk of taking retaliatory action against us. We send our students abroad. For instance, we have just sent 200 students to India to study on scholarship.

 I hope this will clear the air with those who are deliberately misunderstanding the actions and policies of our state government. All we are doing is trying to improve the lives of our people. We are not spoiling for a fight.

You will recall this is what happened when we came up with the Sharia programmes. And then we followed it up with more Sharia. So many people thought it was a time bomb and Nigeria was going to break as a result of the programmes. We are used to controversy and we are used to riding it out.

Alhaji Goya Abdul-Maliki,

Zamfara State Commissioner for Information.

My son and I have reconciled

Sir, There is nothing in this world that we have never seen. I've been in politics for over 50 years and I am not a fool. We held meeting for over six hours and I spoke for three and half-hours. And nobody could controvert what I said, because I am on the side of truth and on the side of justice. I want to assure you that President Olusegun Obasanjo is with us here and I want to thank him again for the role he played.

At the meeting Ladoja agreed that I was the one who put him there. He said I've been his father and that he has the greatest respect for me. He could not deny me. He begged me and I have accepted his apologies.

I am telling you now that the war is over. Nobody should abuse the governor again. We have resolved our differences. He is my son. Let us start work for peace and progress of Oyo State .

As I said, the battle is over. And I want to assure you that contrary to what some people are saying, I did not demand anything from him. You see, when there is a quarrel, different interpretations could be given to it. How can I make a demand from an executive governor, which God in His mercies made me to install? We sat down together and we presented our case. But the truth is that there are a lot of things between us that no other human beings know except God. For the duration of the battle, we didn't meet face to face, which was why the conflict lasted, but now that we have met, we've ironed out our differences.

We were very adult about it. No terms. Why should there be, when he does not deny my leadership role in the process that made it possible for him to be governor? He called me Baba mi (my father) throughout. I want his administration to succeed. If I continue to demand and put conditions for the settlement, it means I still want the battle to continue. I don't want that.

Having said that, the only assurance I demanded was that I should be in the know when he's making changes. That's all. And he said he would keep me informed. For now I won't talk on those issues. I want the people of Oyo State to enjoy the fruits of my labour. Otherwise, I did not demand for anything. We were fighting on principles. As I said, Governor Ladoja and I sat down without any other person. We know what we discussed. Thank God, the war is over. You heard it from me.

ALHAJI Lamidi Adedibu
The strongman of Ibadan politics

............................................................................................................................................

The way I see the politics of Ibadanland is how I want the governor to see it

SIR: I am an individual in PDP and he, Rashidi Ladoja, the governor of Oyo state, is an individual within the PDP, but PDP as a party had no crisis, he is the person fuelling crisis, trying to antagonise everybody, trying to feel that without anybody supporting him, he can rule. So, there is no problem within the PDP as a party. He wants to dominate the government and dominate the party and it cannot work; it has never worked that way.

I don't know how I can describe him, but to me, he is a very heartless person. If I can complain, who else do you expect not to complain? If I can complain so early; I started complaining from June (last year) who else do you think he can consider for anything?

When he was a Senator, he was not in a position to do anything for anybody. He was just a Senator and we expected him to stand up in the Senate to contribute to the debate, till he left there, he never said yes or no to all the debates in the Senate. He was being obedient, whenever we say this is what we want to do. For instance, when I was choosing the Deputy Governor, it was not to his knowledge, I decided to choose the Deputy Governor without him because I knew then that that was the only workable formula for the party.

There is no doubt about it that God used me for him to become what he became today but at the same time, it is an understandable question for anybody to ask why it is so early in the life of the administration that we are having this fight, when he cannot come out now and say we have given this Baba enough money .

I haven't taken a penny, one penny from his government and all those that worked for the party, if they can't come here, where would they go now? They would have been scattered, they would have been all over, those that worked day and night, the singers, the preachers and so on that worked for the party's success have got nothing for their efforts.

As for selecting members of his cabinet, eleven of the fifteen people are my nominees. They cannot deny that, I nominated 11 out of these 15, and I gave him chance to nominate four because I know those people that worked for him.

He is a greedy man, he doesn't want to share a penny with anybody let us say it before the Almighty God, a government of a state which God gave me the opportunity to contribute as much. I am telling you that I have not spent a penny out of that government, he is a greedy person .

He will not have a second term. No way! It will never happen. Even those that did well, they were never returned how much more somebody like him who is doing badly.

A LHAJI Lamidi Adedibu
The strongman of Ibadan politics

............................................................................................................................................

Governor Rasheed Ladoja replies.

SIR: What most of you did not know is that this is my father, and I wonder when people say 'Baba' is annoyed, he cannot be annoyed with his son.

I am his political son, so he cannot be annoyed with me. Likewise, the son cannot be annoyed with his father.

Alhaji Rasheed Ladoja
Governor of Oyo State

............................................................................................................................................

Corruption

SIR: Obasanjo's government has not fared well in its crusade against corruption. Every body knows that. Inside Aso Rock, there is corruption, right inside there. Nigerians are saying so everywhere.

Transparency International, which Obasanjo belongs as a member before he became the country's President, is saying there is corruption in the corridors of power in this country.

During the government of General Abacha, of which I was a cabinet minister, Nigeria ranked about 27 or so among the corrupt nations in the world, according to Transparency International ratings. But now, according to the same group, Nigeria is struggling with Bangladesh for the number one position among corrupt nations in the world.


Lt.-Gen. Jeremiah Useni
Former Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister,
Abuja

............................................................................................................................................

Our land, their Bible

SIR: When the missionaries came to Africa , they had the Bible and we had the land. They said: "Let us pray." We closed our eyes.

When we opened them we had the Bible and they had the land.

Long live the Republic of South Africa .

Desmond Tutu ,
The Archbishop of Cape Town ,
South Africa

............................................................................................................................................

Obasanjo is an apologist for the West

SIR:I wish to take this occasion of my 80 th birthday to condemn some African leaders, particularly Nigerian president Obasanjo for succumbing to white commonwealth pressure to exclude my Zimbabwe from last year's Commonwealth summit in Abuja and to express my gratitude to some southern African leaders, especially South African President Thambo Mbeki for standing by me.

I am happy about Mbeki's stance of supporting me and I feel sorry for Obasanjo for not having the courage to do so. Obasanjo is a 'yes' man who salutes the West and allows their philosophy to guide him. He is oriented towards the west, not towards his own African people. He's not nationalistic in the true sense. He's listening to the enemy and is being dictated to by them and it's a pity.

My only worry now is that he does not use Nigeria 's oil money to get some of our neighbours to reverse their revolutionary convictions in favour of his western "disorientation". That is why, I am intending to host a forum of southern African leaders and former liberation movements sometime this year as a way of countering it.

Long live the Republic of Zimbabwe .

Robert Mugabe ,
President, Republic of Zimbabwe,
State Farm House, Harare

............................................................................................................................................

Presidential Jet is cheap at $55.4 million

SIR: There were some reports, particularly in one newspaper last Tuesday, about the fact that the plane we want to buy for the exclusive use of the President is costing the taxpayers $80 million. This is not true. It is much more lower than that. In fact it is only $55.4 million.

There is nothing unusual about paying only $55.4 million for a plane, especially when it is to be used by a VIP of the status of the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Mrs Remi Oyo,
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media,
Aso Rock, Abuja

............................................................................................................................................

Presidential Jet of Controversy

SIR: In Nigerian English, "only" could also mean "mere" or “measly” or “yeye” in the local parlance.

So, when a government official says, "The Presidential jet is costing only $55.4 million,” the message is not entirely lost on the bulk of the population.

Monday Philips Ekpe
This Day, Nigeria

............................................................................................................................................

Nigerian Politicians are undermining democracy - Obasanjo

”Let us not shy away from the fact that our politicians have failed to appreciate the value of democracy. Indeed, they, at times appear dedicated to undermining it. They give the impression that they are not capable of seeing the aspirations and yearnings of the people. This is not fair to Nigerians. A person who sees no hope in others may have no hope in himself.

“Our Politicians must make more conscious efforts to meet their full responsibilities by making sure that their policies are not laden with bias, half truths, bare-faced lies or innuendoes capable of confusing or causing rancour among our diverse and largely impressionable people.”

Sir, The above is an excerpt from my address to the Nigerian Guild of Editors. What do you think?

Olusegun Obasanjo
President of Nigeria

Editor’s note: That’ll be the day!

............................................................................................................................................

Nigerian Media is undermining democracy – Media Chief

“ Let us not shy away from the fact that sections of the media have failed to appreciate the value of democracy. Indeed, they, at times appear dedicated to undermining it. They give the impression that they are capable of seeing and reporting only the negative. This is not fair to Nigerians. A person who sees no good in others may have no good in himself.

“Media practitioners must make more conscious efforts to meet their full responsibilities as the fourth estate of the realm by respecting facts which are sacred and ensure that news is not laden with bias, half truths, bare-faced lies or innuendoes capable of confusing or causing rancour among our diverse and largely impressionable people.”

Sir, The above is an excerpt from my address to the Nigerian Guild of Politicians. What do you think?

President,
Nigerian Guild of Editors

Editor’s note: That’ll be the day!

............................................................................................................................................

Presidential Approval

SIR: I have been directed to commend you on your brilliant site, which has recently been updated.

The President has asked me to point out that your site is a particularly welcome stimulant for serious minded people like himself. He’s particularly pleased that you have chosen a creative, innovative satirical path to disseminate information, rather than the hackneyed, confrontational style favoured by most Nigerian publications.

Your clever use of satire and humour in a web of fiction has meant that the truth or facts can easily go unnoticed or misunderstood even by the most attentive reader. In other words, anything you write about government, no matter how sensitive, will go unnoticed or will not ring true with your readers. It is crucial that the truth should not get in the way of the many unserious and unpopular policies this government is trying to push through to the people.

Having said that, His Excellency’s only concern is that you might change your tune if your satirical song consistently falls on deaf ears. But I have given the president my personal assurance that your organ will not deviate from this path because I know your editor, Bisi Ogunbadejo personally, since he worked under me at the Guardian in those heady days of military rule. He’s one hell of a creature of habit.

In fact, I can recall an occasion when Bisi was told the Head of state, General Buhari was uncomfortable with his tune, gabbed in Military uniform. He didn’t change the tune. He simply dressed it in mufti and sang it louder! To be honest, he’s a bit of a nutter!

Dr. Stanley Macebuh
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Communications
Aso Rock, Abuja, Nigeria

............................................................................................................................................

Call me Jack

SIR: I would like to remind your readers that my acronym still is and remains Go On With One Nigeria. I earned it as the Head of State who prosecuted a successful war against Biafra. After winning the war, if you remember, in my magnanimity I declared there was “No victor, no vanquished.”

People who are looking for an excuse to start their own war are now going round telling everybody that my acronym is Go On With One North, simply because I am an executive member of Arewa Consultative Forum.

For the avoidance of doubt, I make bold to explain my membership of this eminent Northern Forum.

One: my membership is to enable me to continue to preach the idea of One Nigeria, particularly to the younger generation of northerners who are ignorant of the status quo. I hope to encourage the ordinary northerner to embrace the idea of one Nigeria because it is to their benefit to do so.

Two: as an experience leader of Northern origin, who has enjoyed the dividends of One Nigeria in the form of quota system -which gave me a tremendous head start and preferential treatment over my colleagues from the south - I am in a better position to tell these recalcitrant young Northerners what they will be missing if they kick against One Nigeria. They need to know that the system as it stands, is geared towards favouring them. And all they need to do is keep a cool head and take what the system is offering. It is a waste of time, doing some selfish politicians’ bidding by burning down churches and killing southerners in the North. It is like biting the hand that feeds you.

Three: Erm… I have forgotten the other points…

Anyway, the whole point is, I don’t want people calling me Go On With One North. Please call me Go On With One Nigeria or just plain Jack. As simple as that!

General Jack Yakubu Gowon ( Go On With One Nigeria),
Former Nigerian Head of State,
Jos, Nigeria

............................................................................................................................................

“Give me your oil-well!”

Sir: After my stint in Nigeria as the cultural affairs officer of the United States Information Service (USIS), I was posted first to Venezuela and then Ghana. Now, that I am retired from the US Department of State after 30 years of faithful service to my country, I am heading back to Africa to look for work. I narrowed my choice down to Ghana and Nigeria and I picked Nigeria.

Do I hear you ask why Nigeria? Well, when Louis Farakhan, the African American leader, came to Accra, Ghana the other day he said that Islam was the proper religion for a Blackman. The Ghanians, of whom 90 per cent are Christians quietly applauded. Now, he wouldn't get away easy with that kind of comment in Lagos, Nigeria.

Nick Robertson,
Former Cultural affairs officer of the USIS,
now trading as Specialist in African Affairs.

............................................................................................................................................

Coming back in 2007?

SIR: There’s a disturbing report that Nigeria is in debt to the tune of $31bn and that our oil might not support our economy past a couple of years.

Hmmm…do I want to come back as President in 2007? I say, that depends on how much oil we have left, isn’t it?

General Ibrahim Babangida
Minna, Nigeria

............................................................................................................................................

Disclaimer