Mandela and the true meaning of statesmanship!

Nelson Mandela was an avatar, and his legacy in Africa will redefine the meaning of statesmanship. Unlike most African strongmen and despots, he did not come from poverty and anonymity to grasp the opportunity of his lifetime when he became, first, the leader of a struggle, and later, the first black president of South Africa. No. He had choices. He could easily have remained in the Eastern Cape of South Africa where his royal lineage guaranteed him succession or embraced his newfound life in Johannesburg where he had become, along with Oliver Tambo, the first black South African with a law firm. He had all that, and family too.

And yet, and yet, he chose his nation over and above family and comfort. During his months of evasion and flight from security services, his child had asked him why he could not be with them always. And he had responded to that deeply personal question by saying that millions of other South African children needed him to be there for them too. On April 20, 1964, standing on the dock at Rivonia, he had proclaimed with uncommon courage and firm conviction: “I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony with equal opportunities. It is an ideal, which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”

This sense of sacrifice and willingness to pay the ultimate price for his conviction came naturally to him. His empathy—the touchstone of good leadership— could not allow him live a normal life in the face of a system that robs his fellow South Africans their humanity and dignity. It made him give his freedom that they might be free. Later, this very character would propel him to seek for the total eradication of poverty and disease (HIV/AIDS).

The jail forged him, and truly formed him into a mature, disciplined and dedicated man. Behind the bars, he had quickly transformed the struggle from  a physical resistance into moral confrontation. “Free Mandela”, soon quickly turned into a rallying cry not just in South Africa but around the world.

Mandela was truly different. Day after day of hard labour in a limestone quarry, chipping away at white rock under a merciless sun without as much as a protective eyewear, would eventually undo his tear-duct, but not his mind and heart. Eddie Daniels, a fellow prisoner in Robben Island, had recalled how anytime he felt the depression and the pressure of the prison condition; he would just have to see the 6-ft. 2-in. Mandela walking tall through the courtyard and he would be revived once again. He had wept as he narrated how Mandela—“Mandela, my leader!”—came into his cell and crouched down to wash out his pail of vomit and blood and excrement.

Mandela was a man of character and intellect, and both for him are intrinsically interwoven. As a parent, a prisoner, and later as a president, education was dear to him—a far cry to its blithe disregard among many African leaders, past and present. He saw education and learning as lifelong commitment. And even while in the island, he pursued his legal education and encouraged others to do the same. He realised that intellectual emancipation comes first before social liberation, and that the greatest bondage was the bondage of the mind.

In Africa, Mandela was not the first to move from prison to power, but he is now its greatest figure, and self-consciously so. The true character of the man was revealed when upon assumption into office, he continued to be the humble, sincere, and moral leader of the nation he so loved in his youth and struggled for before and during incarceration. In his consistency, conviction and courage, he unveiled a truly remarkable character the likes of which is a rarity in the continent.

More importantly, unlike Robert Mugabe’s Zimbabwe that seized the land of white settlers and nationalised foreign industries, Mandela’s greatest gift was nurturing a rainbow culture of multi-racial, free, and tolerant society. He made a deal with the men who put him in prison for 27 years—a deal that temporarily protected the jobs, the lands and the industrial wealth of the white minority, a deal that made the disenfranchised majority wait patiently for their reparations, a deal that minimised the flight of white capital and expertise and averted a prolonged bloodbath.”

His final stage of apotheosis was his resistance to become an autocrat by freely choosing to be a one-term president. In this stroke of genius, Madiba rose above the tumult of African nationalists into its defining legend. It was certainly an action that made him the equal of the likes of George Washington who in serving one term in office, provided the basis of national unity and the model of future political succession and was said to be “the prime native hero, the necessary creation for a new country”, “the Patriot Hero of our Revolution, the Christian statesman of our Republic, great in goodness, and good in greatness.”

In these three phases of his life—protester, prisoner, and president—Nelson Mandela has proved once and for all, that leadership matters, that good leadership is possible, that a nation becomes great when there are people who self-consciously choose principle over power, reconciliation over revenge, greatness over greed, the nation over the self, sometimes over the tyranny of cousins and tribes. Africa will never be the same became Madiba lived here.

Culled from  PUNCH

Saudi plane which overran Abuja Airport runway ‘carried bullet-proof cars’!

It has been confirmed that the contents of the Saudi Arabian Airline that ran into some construction equipment at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport on Wednesday, December 04, 2013, were security hardware.

The plane reportedly landed at about 9:19pm that day and blocked the only major runway at the airport, delaying takeoff and landing of flights in the airport for over 20 hours.

It was exclusively reported that the Saudi cargo plane was carrying 15 Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) made in Russia, which compounded its immediate evacuation from the runway.

In a reaction to the story, the Embassy of Saudi Arabia agreed that the plane originated from Saudi Arabia and was carrying bullet-proof cars made in South Africa.

In a letter, dated December 20 to LEADERSHIP News Papars, the Saudi Embassy clarified that the Boeing 747 plane marked K 74798 “was chartered by Saudi Arabia Airline, carrying bullet-proof cars and its final destination is Murtala Muhammad Airport, Lagos, Nigeria.

The detailed description of the content of the plane is as follows: a set of bullet-proof cars weighing 58 tonnes. Another set of five bullet-proof cars weighing 42 tonnes.

“The goods were a portion of a supply contract for 10 bullet-proof cars to a government agency in Nigeria, which were to be conveyed from Sharjah (UAE) via Abuja, through Fast Forward Cargo US UAC, to Defence Industries of Nigeria (DICON), 45 Ahmadu Bello Way, Kaduna, through the company’s contact person: Mr Nwajpudu Livinston/CCC. The goods were manufactured in South Africa.”

The Saudis wanted the impression that the cargo plane was carrying weapons be corrected since the goods aboard the plane “were neither those considered as dangerous nor prohibited.”

The Nigerian aviation and military authorities had kept mum over the contents of the Saudi cargo plane despite reports of security hardware aboard it.

Source: LEADERSHIP News Papars

I’m Number One On Jonathan’s Watch List – Amaechi Cries Out!

Following allegations by former President, Olusegun Obasanjo that President Goodluck Jonathan had a “watch list”, Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers has said that his name is number one on said list.

Chief Obasanjo claimed that the president was keeping watch on some people who could prove to be political enemies as well as training snipers ahead of the 2015 elections.

Governor Amaechi is said to have made the statement at a rally held in Port Harcourt yesterday.

“I’m number one on the list. They want to kill me,” Amaechi told a huge crowd at the Liberation Stadium in Port Harcourt, the state capital.

It was at an exciting rally organised by the Save Rivers Movement – a political group backing Amaechi’s stand on the state’s political future.

Amaechi dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Listening to Amaechi were many APC leaders, interim National Chairman Chief Bisi Akande; former House of Representatives Speaker Aminu Bello Masari, who is the party’s interim Deputy National Chairman; interim National Vice Chairman (Southsouth) Chief Tom Ikimi and Dr. Sam Sam-Jaja.

Edo State Governor Comrade Adams Oshiomhole was represented by his deputy, Dr. Pius Egberanmwen Odubu. Also there were the interim National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed; two senators from Rivers State – Magnus Abe (Rivers Southeast) and Wilson Ake (Rivers West)- as well as a member of the House of Representatives from Rivers state, Dakuku Peterside (Andoni-Opobo/Nkoro constituency).

Amaechi, who is also the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) chairman, said: “Today (yesterday), I am not declaring. I said I would declare at the new stadium. The reason for gathering today is to remind Nigerians that the current Federal Government is carrying on with impunity. There is no rule of law in Nigeria. They are using police to molest us. Where police fail to molest us, they are using thugs to shoot dynamites and guns against innocent people.

“I read the President’s (Jonathan’s) letter and he said ex-President Obasanjo should prove the 1,000 names on the watch list. I am number one on the list. They want to kill me, but they have no God. The God we worship will protect me. Before the end of the year, I will address the state.

“They will shoot you. They have no fear for your blood. They want the position at all costs. Whether you all die, they do not mind governing just the land. You must know that if you read the story of revolution, you must sacrifice. Somebody said my son should come to the front. If you want my son tomorrow, I will produce him.

“If I have surrendered myself and I am ready to be in front, let them shoot. Anytime you start a street march and you do not see me in the front, you must know something must be wrong and you must know that they have arrested me. I am not a big man governor. I am a governor that is on the streets with his people.

“We gave the President (Jonathan in 2011) nearly two million votes, let him tell us one project he has done for us. I have challenged the President that I belong to the APC. If he wants Rivers people to vote for him, let him give Kalabari people back their oil wells and I will come back (to the PDP). He cannot. The President cannot. Instead, he will take more.”

Amaechi also admonished the people, especially his teeming supporters, to be prepared for the struggle ahead, stating that on elections’ days, the “oppressors” would come with tanks and policemen, but urged them to stand and watch their votes.

The Rivers governor said: “They said Buhari is not a Christian. Buhari is a Muslim. We are not preaching religious politics. Everybody in Nigeria has the right to worship where he wants to worship. I am a Catholic and I will worship Christ. I will die a Christian, but do not bring politics into good governance.

“It is only when there is bad governance that they begin to look for who is an Ikwerre man, who is an Ijaw man, who is an Hausa man, who is a Yoruba man. If there is good governance, you will be talking about schools. Have I told you I am an Ikwerre man? I told you I have done schools, health centres and roads. I am facing power. They should tell us what they are doing. We are prepared for a debate with them.

“In Etche, they have taken our 41 oil wells across (to Abia State). They are denying us our rights. We have suffered enough. I was a students’ leader. I learnt in the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) that nobody should trample on your rights. If I did not fight for my rights, I would not have been governor. I suffered and my children suffered, but today we are in government.

“President Jonathan said in his letter that former President Obasanjo should apologise on the issue of $49.8 billion. Right on television, a debate between the Minister of Finance (Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala) and the CBN (Central Bank of Nigeria) Governor (Sanusi Lamido Sanusi).

The CBN Governor said they had reconciled, but they had not found $12 billion, but the Minister for Finance said it was $10.8 billion. Even if it is $1 billion, it is stealing. $1 billion is N170 billion. There are some states that their budget (annually) is N130 billion. Bring our money. I have never seen corruption like this.

Amaechi also stated that President Jonathan, in his reply of ex-President Obasanjo’s letter said the African Development Bank (AFDB) was carrying out the process of giving Rivers peoples water.

The NGF chairman said: “Tell Mr. President that World Bank, not AFDB. Two banks are involved. One is AfDB’ the other is World Bank. We were told by the staff of the World Bank that they are ready. Tell the President (Jonathan) to give us our water.

“If it is the President, I can understand, because the President has not served in any international organisation, but what about the woman (Finance Minister, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala), whose job it is to sign off, to give the water project.

“The Minister of Finance has refused to sign off, despite the fact that she served in the World Bank. She wants you (Rivers people) to die of water-borne diseases, in the name of politics. Holy Ghost fire.

“They are quarrelling with Amaechi and they want you (Rivers people) to die the death of Amaechi. I will not die. I drink bottled water. You do not drink bottled water.

So, the best I can do for you and the best that the President can do for you, because he is your President, is to ask the World Bank, we hereby sign this document, that in 40 years, Rivers State will pay you your money, but they have refused to sign, just because of politics.

“If they tell us that it is AFDB, tell them I said it is both AFDB and the World Bank and we have completed everything we need to complete. All parties are ready, including the AFDB and the World Bank. They do not want to sign. They want you to die of water-borne diseases.”

The Rivers governor spoke also of the metaphor of the broom – Amaechi studied Literature at the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) – stressing that the broom would sweep out dirt, but while sweeping, the sweeper must bend down.

He noted that the sweeper must suffer a bit and in suffering, the broom would be sweeping, but at the end, the house would be clean. He urged his teeming supporters to prepare to suffer under the current government, but assured them that come 2015, things would get better.

The Rivers governor also stated that he was determined to continue to develop the state, adding that truth would prevail at the end.

Source:  Nigerian Eye

Christmas has come early! North West is showered with expensive gifts from Kim Kardashian and Kanye West's designer pals!

She's only six months old but North West’s designer wardrobe will soon rival her mother Kim Kardashian's. 

The famous tot – whose father is Kanye West – received a slew of early Christmas presents from world famous designers and Kim took to Instagram and Twitter to share pictures and gushingly thank her benefactors. 

Stella McCartney, Giuseppe Zanotti, Charlotte Olympia and Hermes Paris all sent expensive, and in some cases, custom made, gifts to North.

Breath-taking.....Intimate pictures capture the first seconds of life in all their raw glory!

A photographer has captured the wondrous, miraculous moment of birth - in all its raw and unglamourised glory.

Taken before a mother has seen her baby for the first time these amazing photographs show the reality of how we all enter this world.

The warts and all pictures are the work of respected Danish photographer Suste Bonnen who was given unprecedented access to mothers while they were in labour.

Now she has produced this stunning body of portraits of perhaps the most exposed moment in any person's life.

Her compelling pictures show babies the instant they are born even before they are given over to the safety of their mother's arms.

'I Was Forced To Pay A 'godfather' N10m Monthly As Governor ' - Mbadinuju!

In this interview with Punch News Paper, a former governor of Anambra State, Chinwoke Mbadinuju, speaks about the controversies which dodged his administration, godfathers and the inability of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to form government in the state since he left office.

Qs: It was speculated that you were going to be among the governorship aspirants in the last election in Anambra; what happened?

 The main reason why I didn’t pick any form and why I didn’t go into the contest is because already, most of the PDP members in Anambra were my boys, I brought them up. Some of them were my Special Advisers. Others were Special Assistants and Secretary to the State Government or one thing or the other. If I had gone into the contest with such people, the so-called godfathers will back them to try to disgrace me and win the election at all costs. Then,  you would see money bags throwing their weight and money around and I might find myself alone. If I lost, it won’t augur well for me and my supporters. I consulted with my people although I had made up my mind under the circumstances at that time. It was a personal decision; nobody forced me to or not to. After four years in Awka and all the things that followed, I felt I did enough in four years and the circumstances in which I was stopped from going for a second term are now seen to be a mistake by whoever did that, especially the leaders. In fact, it was one leader, the former President Olusegun Obasanjo, he was the person  who singlehandedly stopped me. I made up my mind it was not worth it, I have done my best for Anambra and I did not want to contest for governor again. I felt it was better I stay out to offer advice to those who were in the race. I never showed interest. If I did, it would be a different thing. My people in Anambra and the PDP here in Abuja know that I never made a bid for the job in 2013, I never picked the form.

Qs: But you sought for a second term after your first term in office…

(cuts in) It was unjust for former President Obasanjo to disqualify me even after I won the party primaries. Two times, Obasanjo disqualified me, the third time I was winning, Obasanjo sent Senator (Ibrahim) Mantu, he is still alive, to make sure I didn’t enter the hall. This is after he scored me “A” on security and infrastructure. When I delivered a paper on security, Obasanjo and General (Mohammed) Gusau (rtrd) commended me after the entire hall gave me a standing ovation. After Jerry Gana’s national media tour of all the 36 states he went, I received the gold cup for security and welfare; that is the first position. When someone comes first in the most important subject: welfare and security and infrastructure which the former President inspected and scored me “A”, is that a candidate that will fail in an election? If after all these things the then President stopped me from going for a second term, you will know that there is a problem. I didn’t even enter the race for a second term.

Qs: If I remember, you moved over to the Alliance for Democracy

… (cuts in) That was after I was stopped by Obasanjo from contesting on the platform of the PDP. Left for me alone, I would have simply left but my supporters were all over me for obvious reasons.  I decided to accept their plea and we joined into AD. It was a mistake because I was thinking that AD had some governors I could just join. When I told former President Obasanjo that I was considering joining AD, he told me good luck. I didn’t know he had already perfected his arrangement to make sure that nobody gets re-elected under AD and that was exactly what happened. If I knew that was his plan, I didn’t need to go into AD. And as soon as elections were over, I quickly went back to PDP because that is the party we founded. I remain in PDP and I will be here till tomorrow.

Qs: What was your greatest challenge as governor?

Controversies. They all called me controversial. If things were going one way, there would be no need for controversy. Like the issue of security, it was the most challenging aspect of my administration because women were running into the churches to sleep because armed robbers had written that they would come to their houses on such and such a day and time. Most of the women chose to go to the church to take shelter every night. As a governor, I lived in Onitsha during this period, it was hell. This Umuleri/Aguleri and Umoba Anam have fought themselves for over 50 years. I said I was not going to preside over that kind of thing and decided to do something. Even when I said I was going to Umuleri to try and stop the fighting, the Police and SSS advised against it. I said okay deputy governor sit by my left hand side, you are from that area. I am going there, all of us are going  but they said people don’t go there but I said we would go and if the governor and his deputy perish, then it will be news. We went and came back.

When they say that you are controversial, you can’t just be controversial for nothing because you are trying to do good. I was there to do good for Anambra State, I started prayers every Monday morning in all government establishments, I used to go to the Onitsha Market and town halls to conduct prayers and God kept answering the prayers and performing miracles. Those who didn’t like my style said it was controversy. I wrote on the entrance to my office “It shall be well with Anambra State.”  it shows that this man is with God, he respects God. When my successor came, he removed it and since then, it has never been well with the state. God is watching everybody, if I am controversial because of God, wasn’t Christ controversial? But now he is the Lord of All, the Bible says he made us. If you read John Chapter 1, it says he is the word and nothing was made without him. But when he was here nobody believed him, they called him all sorts of names. I was happy, I said let them call me all sorts of names but go on and do what God has assigned you to do. I believed I was on an assignment in Anambra and I accomplished it.

Qs: With your experience as governor, what would you say about godfatherism?

Well, a godfather has many connotations. You could have  positive godfathers and negative ones. The good ones work towards making things work and succeed but if you have a godfather that is always challenging, he wants to make appointments, if you have 10 commissioners, he would want to have three or four. After you have given him two commissioners, he will say he wants Special Advisers, Special Assistants and he will even want to choose their portfolios but I said these things are not done like that and they said it is done like that, that is controversy. You are the governor and you run your administration the way you want it. I know some people helped us. There is nobody who campaigned for elections or any position who was not assisted. I have not seen one person who will  come out and say I didn’t have any help and it was the same type of help I got and I was in trouble. Some of them wrote a petition to the President and the petition was carried by the then Vice-President Atiku Abubakar to the President. They said I had N3.5bn abroad and I told the President- we were in his office that I never saw such money in Awka. After attending the federal allocation meeting, sometimes Anambra State will get N200m, sometimes N600m; it was never straight. I couldn’t pay salaries in some of the months so where could I get such money to send N3.5bn abroad? I told him it was not possible, he said, if he didn’t approve it for investigations, some people would think that he was colluding with me. I said okay. Atiku brought the petition and Obasanjo looked at the petition and said but there is no covering letter, Atiku put his hands into his pocket and brought out a covering letter. These people were ready, everything that they could do to get me jailed or killed, what did I do? I was doing well. Christ was doing good, healing all types of diseases. It is my experience to be doing good while people that run me down  go through all sorts of problems, it was terrible I must tell you. In any case, they went to Europe, London where I studied, they went to Russia where we visited when I played football, I played in Spain, everywhere, they saw my CV and thought that all the places I went, I put money there, they went to America  where I also studied and saw nothing and at the end, President Obasanjo called me on phone and said “Governor Anambra,” I said sir, he said you can walk with your head high and I said I told you sir. The only thing I had was three pounds in London at the University of Southampton where I studied Law and I had left in Lloyds Bank three pounds, I couldn’t have finished it. I kept it there. Godfather or no godfather, in my own case, they were negative even in the case of those who came after me, they had it rough with godfathers. The person who started godfatherism in Anambra State was former President Obasanjo because he wanted his boys to be governor. In   my own case, he wanted his boy Andy Uba to rule Anambra and indeed his nominee became governor for a few weeks. Anambra State is not an easy state where you can go and do two terms, it’s tough. You can ask Peter Obi what he went through to get a second term; he succeeded because he had godfathers  who were positive. In the case of the PDP, we had godfathers who were negative.  I was sent to prison pending bail but 5,000 hoodlums were hired to start a riot and attack the prison with the aim of killing me. They came to the prison where I was. They trampled upon the prison gate and came to my cell but I was gone. One judge told me their aim was to arrest me, tie my hands and feet and drive me through the streets of Onitsha main market in an open van, the same market I go to for prayers, before killing me.

Qs: Is it correct then to say that godfatherism hindered your performance?

If you performed 90 per cent with all these distractions, there is no way you can tell anyone that you performed 100 per cent but the important thing is if you go to Anambra State today, they will tell you that my four-year administration was the only time politicians could come to Akwa and go back home with money to take care of their families. No governor from then till date has done it. I did the best anybody in my circumstance could do, I am happy with what I was able to achieve. When you read my book which I entitled: “How I governed Anambra State,” after reading it you can read: “Legacies and Challenges” and you will know what I went through to achieve whatever we achieved in Anambra State.

Qs: What do you feel when you are described as the least performing governor since the creation of the state?

That’s politics. What are they calling President Jonathan today? They say he is not performing. Opponents will want to say anything and if you continue to listen to the opposition, you won’t go anywhere, you won’t do anything. They will tell you oh, Mbadinuju did nothing! Nothing? But Obasanjo came and inspected my infrastructure and gave me “A” yet I am nothing, Jerry Gana and his team came and toured the whole country and Anambra State under my watch took the gold cup, yet Mbadinuju did nothing. If you don’t ignore some of these people, you will run mad.

Qs: How do you feel about the murder of Mr. Barnabas Igwe and his pregnant wife who were murdered during your tenure in office?

Anybody who listens to the rubbish being peddled about allegations that I was involved in the dastardly act has nothing to do. The person does not fear God. How can a governor who was leading a whole state in prayers every Monday morning and God’s blessing was visiting the state and I was going to markets and town halls preaching goodness and after I have done that, then I will relax and go home and pick up my gun and begin to shoot the people I prayed for? It’s not possible. I was in Huston, Texas attending a meeting when I was called and told this couple who were lawyers had been assassinated. This man and his wife were among those who supported me and planned for me to become chairman of Onitsha Bar Association, that is the highest you could go in law practice in the state. I was told they had been murdered. I knew that the man who was killed was the chairman of the Onitsha bar at the time I was governor, he was from Imo State, we were together, and he and his wife were my supporters. How could I go  back and begin to kill those people who supported me to rise? These things are not possible. The chairman was very concerned about the welfare of the people; he was always urging that we pay salaries.  I used to explain to them that the money they were giving us was not enough and it was deliberate on the part of the Federal Government. They seized most of our money in the allocation waiting for my replacement. Once my replacement came, he was receiving N3bn to N4bn within the first month. I never received more than N600m; you can see the whole thing. When I came back I surrendered my immunity and told the police because the Onitsha Bar Association said they won’t appear before the committee I was going to set up to find out who killed the couple because they already suspected that I did it. To cut a long story short, when I came back, I surrendered my immunity as governor and asked the police to investigate. I gave them a 20-page report and the police went through. After this, they arrested 14 people to be charged. The police let me go because they saw my passport and visa and they knew that on the night that the couple was killed in Onitsha, I was in Huston. There was no way I could have left Huston to kill them and then go back to Huston; it’s not possible. Two, was there any conspiracy? Since I didn’t kill, was there conspiracy? The police said for the 15 weeks they did their investigations, nobody mentioned my name. That was a no case submission. I went on leave in London, before I came back, the same problem of the Presidency here in Abuja developed. They called upon Sunday Ehindero, the then IG and asked him to arrest me. They dismissed the earlier report which acquitted me; the Presidency said it didn’t accept the earlier report. There was nothing I didn’t suffer. I am not a person that can turn round and kill his friends. He was from Imo State, I was not contesting against him, and he was not contesting against me, least anybody will say he was blocking my way. They killed him; the police report was that those who kidnapped (Chris) Ngige who was the governor after me, those who kidnapped him were the same people who killed Igwe and the wife. Why did they kill Igwe and the wife? To make it impossible for me to do a second term, how could I have killed Igwe and his wife? I did not. That is what some people based their arguments on, not to allow me run for a second term. Since then, who in the PDP has been able to go for a second term in Anambra State? The issue is that if you cannot be fair to other people, God will not be fair to you.

Qs: Even though legally, nothing linked you with their murder, do you think people would stop linking you with the murder?

Most of them are already mental; some of them one way or another are facing judgment. Those in government will always be criticised.

Qs: How were you so comfortable when so many unions went on strike for as long as one year as governor of the state?

It was not peculiar to Anambra State. Schools were closed nationwide that year. Even under President Obasanjo, the Police went on strike for the first time in history. It was a general problem; Obasanjo caused it by inflating workers’ monthly emoluments and hyped it. We didn’t have enough money to pay teachers. The governor of a state today who was the leader of workers was always coming to Anambra State riding a rickety Volkswagen beetle to camouflage and go to one of the godfathers, receive money from them and insist that no teacher would go to the classroom. Even the women who were willing were chased out of the classrooms. As long as the labour leaders were fed by the godfathers, the schools remained closed. There was little one could do.

Qs: Was there an agreement you had with these godfathers that you reneged on?

How can anybody say I was paying godfathers while at the same time they said I reneged on an agreement? There is a godfather who had an arrangement with the military that he would be paid N10m every month, I wasn’t there when the agreement was made. When I tried to stop it, I was dragged to President Obasanjo’s office and I told Obasanjo this is the situation I found on ground and Obasanjo said I had to go back and continue paying it; that it was legal. At what stage did I renege? They will always try to give a dog a bad name in order to hang it. Obasanjo gave them contracts worth billions of naira, they were super rich, there was nothing I could give to them.

Qs: You mean Obasanjo asked you to pay this godfather; who is he?

Yes, Obasanjo asked me to pay. The godfather is one of the Uba family.

Qs: Have you met Obasanjo after you left office as governor?

Yes, I have met him and we are friends. When I first visited him, he received me well and even took me to his chapel where I preached because I am now an evangelist. He has received me very well after then. But I don’t know whether all those things enter his heart. I like to see him as my friend because he was once my leader being a former president. Again, you should know that being a former military officer, you can not blame him if he still exhibits traits of a former military man. I consider him as a friend anyway.

Qs: Why do you think governors in Anambra usually have it rough?

 I think it has to do with the nature of the people. I can only talk about my time, the situation was chaotic. There is no governor who has ever governed the state that did not have it rough. When Ezeife was there, they practically chased him out, my first term was largely peaceful. The turbulence started when I wanted to go for a second term. It was not a problem caused by my people in Anambra, our problem came from Abuja, and you know what Ngige went through. Then Peter Obi, you know what he too went through; it was President Jonathan that helped him. In my own case, it was my President then that was finding a way to do away with me. President Jonathan has helped Peter Obi a lot. I started the oil exploration activity in my state. When I went to President Obasanjo and asked him to support the activity, he said no. Now, with the support of Jonathan, Anambra State is (an) oil producing state but today nobody remembers I started it all.

Qs: How did you conceive the idea of vying for governor in the first place? 

 I served Jim Nwobodo, then transferred to Lagos under President Shehu Shagari and he wrote my letter of appointment and attached me to the office of the Vice President. While we were doing it, there was the military coup that toppled Shagari and I returned to Onitsha to set up my law practice. I was doing well as a lawyer. Suddenly, Abacha died and they threw open the issue of politicking and I became interested because that was what I studied in the university. I studied Political Science, International Law and Foreign Affairs. It was a miracle, I received support. At first, somebody approached me and said I should give him N5m to be deputy governor but my brother who was an entrepreneur said if I had N5m, why won’t I run for governor myself? He assisted me and I campaigned in every ward and I succeeded and became governor.

Qs: Do you have any regrets becoming governor?

 No. When you read these books, you will know I have no regrets. Nobody can regret being a governor of a state, whether good or bad. I contributed my part to the development of my state. Only opponents will see nothing good in everything you do. I can go anywhere in Anambra with my head held high.

Qs; President Obasanjo recently wrote an open letter to President Jonathan. What do you make of it?

 It is very doubtful that OBJ wrote the letter, it is very likely that Femi Fani-Kayode, the former Aviation Minister who has been taking up issues against PDP and ministers of the PDP did. I know how he coins his words. This 18-page letter was not written by Obasanjo, he signed it. Just like you read the Presidency, it could be Reuben Abati who wrote a statement. In the 18-page material, one can see clearly what he (Obasanjo) and the APC are trying to do. They want to bring this government down, they are saying impeachment; if that does not work, they are saying let military take over. The libellous and defamatory letter from Obasanjo,  indications are rife that the real author of the said letter was Hon. Femi Fani Kayode, a restive youth and a political trouble maker. However, since Obasanjo signed another person’s letter, the former President must prove all his allegations, and  not Jonathan to prove them, or even   reply to the spurious letter, after smuggling the former military heads-of state into Obasanjo’s personal troubles. In fact, indications have it that the G7 contributed ideas to the troubler’s letter.

Culled from PUNCH.

The Fabiyi Family Responds To Dino Melaye’s Statement On His Divorce!

Exranged wife of Dina Melaye, Tokunbo Melaye's family has responded to the statement Dino Melaye released a few days ago on his divorce, and explained why this case is important for gender rights in Nigeria. 

Statement below:

"On the 18^th of December, Mr. Gbenga (Dino) Melaye released a statement through a certain Toyin Akande (Esq), addressing the divorce proceedings filed by Tokunbo Melaye (nee Fabiyi). Mr. Akande is purportedly a lawyer and a family friend. Tokunbo, who was Mr. Melaye’s wife for over a decade is not aware of any family friend or lawyer who bears this name.

The statement that was released on Mr. Melaye’s behalf was filled with malicious falsehoods aimed at deflecting attention from the very serious allegations of physical assault, psychological abuse and emotional trauma that Dino Melaye has inflicted on Tokunbo over the last decade. 

Our preference as a family has always been for this issue to have been maintained as a private matter because of the three wonderful children that Tokunbo and Dino had together. Since Mr. Melaye has chosen to publicly malign Tokunbo’s image, and to impugn her character, we are constrained to respond to his recent statement, so that our silence is not construed to be consent.

We are aware that Mr. Melaye is a master of manipulation, and is extremely adept at using the press to his own advantage. For far too long, his deceptions have been allowed to go unchallenged by the Nigerian press. For over a decade, Mr. Melaye has muzzled Tokunbo’s voice. But truth is a persistent flame that cannot be forever extinguished. Tokunbo is not one of the numerous women of easy virtue that are Mr. Melaye’s stock in trade. Neither is she one of the government officials that Mr. Melaye regularly harangues for his own gain.  Tokunbo is a loving mother of three lovely children, and she was until September 25^th, 2013 a dutiful wife to Mr. Melaye. 

Mr. Melaye’s statement had four broad themes which we will address in turn: 

1.       Mr. Melaye denied ever being violent to Tokunbo, and dared Tokunbo to show proof of any assault during their decade long marriage.

2.       Mr. Melaye denied owning any “ammunition” and conceded that a police search of his office and premises took place in Tokunbo’s presence on Nov 4^th.

3.       Mr. Melaye insinuated that the three lovely and innocent children of their union, whom he (Dino) had prevented Tokunbo from seeing since September 25^th, 2013, were with their mother, and that he only had “supervised access to them.”

4.       Mr. Melaye claimed that Tokunbo was being used by his “political enemies”, and that she had “stolen” a car and other sundries from him and given it to her “lovers”

Proof of Mr. Melaye’s History of Assault

1.       The Nigerian public is aware that Mr. Melaye has the unique distinction of being the first Legislator in our political history to turn the National Assembly into a boxing ring. It should not be too difficult to imagine what the private conduct will be, of a man who saw no issues with turning a hallowed legislative chamber into an arena of violence in full view of 160 million Nigerians. If the public Mr. Melaye is garrulous and prone to violence, the private Mr. Melaye, free from the prying eyes of outsiders, is an unfettered beast.

2.       Abusers do not believe that their victims are bold enough to document their abuse. What they forget however is that others who love and care for those victims can detail the abuse on their behalf. A number of the assaults inflicted on Tokunbo over the years have required hospitalization, and in one case, reconstructive surgery to Tokunbo’s nose after Dino battered her. Every hospital dutifully places a record of each visit in a patient’s medical files. We have obtained certified copies of the records in Tokunbo’s medical files from two attacks – in 2005 and 2010 and these have been attached to this letter.

3.       We are also glad to oblige Mr. Melaye’s challenge for proof with the attached pictorial evidence of his extensive history of abuse towards Tokunbo, from a vicious attack on her on Oct 1^st, 2010. While Nigeria was celebrating its 50th independence anniversary, a man who is supposedly a conscience of the nation, was busy attacking his own wife with a wood plank.

4.       The only reason why there are pictures from the 2010 assault was because Tokunbo’s brothers were in Abuja on the day in question and had rushed down to meet her at the Wuse Zone 3 Police Station which is close to their home, where she had fled to escape Mr. Melaye’s assault. Tokunbo’s brothers were present when the police took her statement, and were present when Tokunbo was accompanied by a police constable to Wuse Hospital for the treatment of wounds to her arms, sustained as she attempted to protect her head from being hit by a wood plank Mr. Melaye was assaulting her with.

5.       Mr. Melaye’s shameful cowardice is also on record. After Tokunbo’s wounds were treated on Oct 1^st, we (her brothers) went to Mr. Melaye’s residence to find out why he had assaulted our sister. On seeing us, the man who was a wood plank wielding warrior to a defenseless woman, took to his heels, asked his guards to lock his gates from the inside, and was reduced to peeping through a curtain.  Mr. Melaye then placed a call to the police to report that “armed robbers” were at his home. The police response team that came was comprised of some of the officers from Wuse Zone 3 police post that we had met when Tokunbo had gone to make her statement. They immediately recognized us when they arrived, and left in disgust and disbelief that the distress call came from Mr. Melaye. The police can verify all these facts from their records.

 

Possession of a Gun vs. Possession of Ammunition & Claims of Arrest for Anti-Corruption Activities on Nov 4^th

1.       Why did Tokunbo stay with Dino Melaye for over a decade? We are a Christian family. As people of faith, we believe in God’s ability to change men and circumstances. That is how we were brought up. We were also taught that you should fight for the ones you love.

2.       Tokunbo stayed and endured all that Dino did to her, because of her faith in God’s ability to change him and her belief that marriage is an institution that is sacrosanct. Above all, she stayed because of her children – all of whom she loves greatly. Mr. Melaye had made it clear to her over the years that if she ever left him, he would ensure that she never saw her children again.

3.       Tokunbo only filed for divorce when the assaults from Dino escalated to the level of having a gun pulled on her. A man who had broken a laptop on her head, attacked her with a wooden plank, broken her nose to the extent that it required surgery, beaten her to the point of miscarriage of one pregnancy, assaulted her to the point where her last child was almost born preterm and she required Cervical Cerclage (suturing of the cervix) to prevent the loss of that pregnancy, would certainly have no problems with something as simple as pulling a trigger. When Mr. Melaye threatened to kill her and declared that “You will die and nothing will come of it. I am untouchable,” Tokunbo knew that she would be killed if she returned to Mr. Melaye’s home.  

4.       We obviously do not expect that Mr. Melaye will admit to owning a gun. Interestingly his public statement did not deny that he owned a gun, but rather that he did not have “any ammunition” and that “no gun was found” when the police searched his home and offices on Nov 4^th. The distinction between Mr. Melaye’s complete denial of owning ammunition (i.e., bullets) and his statement that “no gun was found” is important.  Certainly, Mr. Melaye knows the difference between the words “Gun” and “ammunition” 

5.       Mr. Melaye admitted that there was a search of his residence and office on Nov 4^th 2013 in Tokunbo’s presence. Yet, he lied to the press and Nigerians, when he claimed that the police search on that date was in relation to his “anti-corruption activities”. We call on the press to stop allowing themselves to be unwittingly used as tools by people like Mr. Melaye who can, and will do anything to remain in the public eye.

Whereabouts of the Children

1.       Mr. Melaye insinuated in his statement that the three children of their union are with Tokunbo, and that he has only supervised access to them. According to him: “He (Dino Melaye) is content though PAINED to see his kids only at visits fully controlled by her (Tokunbo Fabiyi).” This statement has been interpreted by some as an indication that the children are in Tokunbo’s care and custody. We wish to categorically state that this is a patent falsehood.

2.       Mr. Melaye has prevented Tokunbo from seeing her children since September 25^th, 2013. From September 25^th to November 12^th, Tokunbo’s only means of contacting the children was to go to their school – Tender Years Preparatory School - and spend a few precious moments with them after their classes. When Mr. Melaye found out Tokunbo was seeing her children in school, he requested that the school should prevent Tokunbo from seeing them. The School Principal worked out what she thought was a reasonable arrangement that allowed Tokunbo to see her children about three times a week for 10 minutes each (see attached letter).

3.       Even this arrangement, lopsided as it was against the mother of the children, was not satisfactory to Mr. Melaye. He stopped the children from going to school from Wednesday November 13^th  to Tuesday November 19^th. It took Tokunbo’s entreaties to some family friends to get Mr. Melaye to allow the children back to school. The kids started going to school again on Wednesday November 20^th. Mr. Melaye went to the school with a group of thugs and threatened the Principal that he would “scatter” the school if Tokunbo was allowed to see the children again.  Since that date, the school has prevented Tokunbo from coming on the school premises. Tokunbo has therefore not seen her children since November 12^th.

4.       As late as Dec 13^th 2013, Dino Melaye’s lawyer was in a mediatory session organized by FIDA (Federacion Internacional De Abogados, or the International Federation of Women Lawyers) at their Abuja office. One of the major topics of discussion at that meeting was the custody of the children. All the participants at that meeting, including Mr. Melaye’s counsel and the FIDA mediation committee will be able to verify that Mr. Melaye has complete and total custody of the children, and has denied Tokunbo access to them since November 12^th.

5.       We encourage the Press to follow up on these issues if they are truly interested in knowing the truth.

Associating with Dino’s “Political Enemies”, Giving of a car to a “young lover”

1.       Tokunbo Melaye (nee Fabiyi) is not a politician, and has no interest in politics. This case is simply about getting justice. It is ironic that a man who purports to be the “voice of the masses” and a defender of the rights of Nigerians denies basic human rights to his own wife. Dino Melaye’s constant physical and psychological battery of Tokunbo, and his use of their innocent children as pawns constitutes serious and egregious human rights abuse.

2.       We challenge Mr. Melaye to show evidence of any discussion, meeting, or association between Tokunbo and any of his so-called political enemies. We challenge Mr. Melaye to name names. A man who can openly and maliciously accuse his wife of infidelity should have no qualms naming the so-called enemies that his wife is supposed to have been cavorting with. Since Mr. Melaye claims Tokunbo has collected monies from his enemies, let him tell Nigerians who these political enemies are that Tokunbo has allegedly collected money from. We also give permission to any Bankers who have access to any of Tokunbo’s accounts to let the world know if Tokunbo Melaye (nee Fabiyi) has any Bank account that has any sums of money lodged beyond her salary as a Civil Servant. We assure them that we as a family have waived all rights to privacy that Tokunbo has to her Bank accounts. We wonder if Mr. Melaye would be bold enough to open himself up to the same scrutiny of his finances.

3.       Knowing how infidelity by women is frowned upon in our culture, Mr. Melaye in a calculated move to discredit Tokunbo, claimed that she “gave a brand new car” Mr. Melaye gave her to her “young lover.” Let him tell Nigerians the make and model of the car that Tokunbo supposedly gave to a “young lover,” and let him tell us what the identity of this “young lover” is.  Since he claims to have seen his possessions on Tokunbo’s  “lovers” it must mean he “knows” them. We challenge him to name these so called lovers.  We warn Mr. Melaye in advance, that should he attempt to muddle the waters with fictitious names and characters, or paid bearers of false witness, our family will deploy every resource at our disposal towards further exposing every single falsehood perpetrated by Mr. Melaye or his proxies.

4.       What does it say of a man’s character if he has no qualms, and no moral dilemma about making up deliberate falsehoods about a woman that he called his wife, and the mother of his children? One day, those children will be old enough to read their father’s calculated and wicked allegations against their mother. God, and they, will judge Mr. Melaye. We are confident that truth, even though crushed to the earth, shall always rise again.

5.       Mr. Melaye believes that by smearing Tokunbo with allegations of infidelity he can turn the tide of opinion against her in the court of public opinion – which is the only court that matters to Mr. Melaye. Because he has established a fairly lucrative career as a politician and “activist”, all that counts in his world, is what people think of him. For Tokunbo, however, all that matters is the truth. Does Mr. Melaye really expect Nigerians to believe that his wife did all these things that he alleges in his letter, and still remained in his house for over ten years? He must really take Nigerians for fools. It is not our family’s style to trade petty allegations and frivolities with people like Mr. Melaye. We will therefore not even bother to go into the litany of cases of Mr. Melaye’s infidelity. The odious public records of his serial indiscretions are there for all to see.  

6.       If there is anyone using this sad case for political gain, it is Mr. Melaye. He went out publicly on Nov 4^th to claim that he had been arrested by the police because of the Stella Oduah case, while in fact, the police had gone to his office and residence in response to Tokunbo’s report to the police of his threat to her life.  Mr. Melaye publicly declared in all the newspaper and blog reports about the police visit of Nov 4^th that “the two police officers just told me that they have a warrant of arrest on me with a charge of criminal intimidation and threat to life but they did not tell me who I intimidated and threatened.” The truth was that Tokunbo was right there with the police officers, and he admitted that she was present during the search of his premises in his own public statement. Yet Mr. Melaye was bold enough to come before Nigerians to tell them that he had no idea why the police had been in his office and at his home on Nov 4^th. Most Nigerians put the news of that arrest down to Mr. Melaye’s “fight” with Stella Oduah, which was exactly what Mr. Melaye hoped would happen.

7.       Mr. Melaye’s puerile and childish attempt to try to defuse his well known cases of infidelity and indecency by besmirching Tokunbo’s reputation, has failed woefully. Tokunbo Melaye (nee Fabiyi) is a well brought up, Christian woman. She has borne this cross with dignity, she has been long suffering, and she has persevered. We are proud of her – for being a survivor. Tokunbo has displayed a strength and resilience that we did not know she had. Her body might have been bruised and battered by Mr. Melaye, but her spirit is strong and unbroken. She is a better person for all that she has endured. Although we could not understand it at first, we now see why she could not bear to leave her children in Mr. Melaye’s hands, and as a consequence chose to remain in an abusive relationship. No child should be left in the hands of a man with no character, no moral compass, no awareness of historical consequences, and no sense of common decency.

Why this case is important to Gender Rights in Nigeria

1.       Nigeria remains a patriarchal society with laws and cultural leanings that continue to be lopsided against females. A mother’s maternal instinct makes her likely to place the welfare and wellbeing of her children above her own. That wonderful instinct is also a woman’s greatest vulnerability. It also leaves her open to abuse in the hands of men willing to exploit a mother’s maternal instinct.

2.       There are certain pertinent questions that we must ask ourselves as a nation: Why can a man ask the proprietress of a school to prevent his wife from seeing her children, without a court order to that effect? Why should a man have more parental rights than a woman? Why should the burden of proof always be on the woman? Why are we quick to blame women for abuse – believing that they must have done something to deserve it? Why are we quick to judge them if they stay in abusive relationships, and why are we also ready to condemn them if they leave for not being patient? Why do we ignore the reality that spousal abuse is a real issue in this country? How many women like Tokunbo are out there, silently, quietly, bearing the burden of abuse alone? Fearful that they will lose their children if they speak out. Fearful that they will be judged for the failure of their marriages. Fearful that they will not find justice in our laws or in our courts.

3.       Tokunbo has been able to stand for herself now, only because of her faith and the support of her family. How many women are out there who do not have the type of family support that Tokunbo has? How many abused women can defend themselves in the press, or hire lawyers to take up their case? Must they continue to fight and to suffer alone? Must they continue to bear this crushing burden all by themselves?

4.       When this case began, Dino Melaye declared that Tokunbo would never see her children again, and that any case she thought she had would be destroyed after “he worked his magic on the press.” Certainly, Mr. Melaye who was once Chairman of the House Committee on Media and who had legislative oversight over the Nigerian media has many friends in the press. By failing to scrutinize Mr. Melaye, the Nigerian press has been an unwitting accomplice in perpetuating Mr. Melaye’s abuse and falsehoods. The Nigerian press has always been on the side of the oppressed. In this case, we do not expect any favors – we only ask that the press should dig deeper, follow leads, ask questions, talk to the doctors mentioned in the reports, talk to the police and come to their own conclusions about what is really going on.

5.       As this case moves out of the court of public opinion, to the court of law, our family has already started to work on ensuring that all abused women – not just Tokunbo - are given a voice. We want to ensure that their tears will no longer be shed in the dark, alone. Their voices will no longer be muffled. Their pain must become our collective pain.  No nation that tolerates the abuse of its mothers and daughters can progress.

Dr Malcolm Fabiyi

For Tokunbo & the Fabiyi family".

Proof that Dino Melaye wedded his wife: