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The Northern Political Leaders Forum (NPLF) yesterday in Abuja warned that Nigeria's forthcoming general election could be so bad as to make the terrible 2007 election seem credible, free and fair.

"After thorough appraisal, the Forum has arrived at the sad conclusion that Nigeria's politicians have not learned any lesson from our past and are about to repeat the same mistakes which brought political instability to the nation and stunted its political development," it said in a press statement.

Source: April Elections: NPLF Warns Of Disaster Ahead; Accuses PDP Of Sham Elections And Excessive Corruption

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Attention has been drawn to the article captioned: "Nigeria: My Fear for the Country, by Obasanjo" published in the Daily Independent (Lagos) of February 12 2011 (   Daily Independent) where in typical, shameless hypocrisy, Obasanjo continues to mock peoples in Nigeria with his pontifications and patronizing preachments.

Lucky for him, Nigeria operates like a limp matchstick in a wet matchbox; otherwise, Obasanjo's duplicitous comments and attitude in that article could be just the right trigger to "bring Egypt to Nigeria" where in fact, a revolution is needed most.

Obasanjo's assertion that "This country, Nigeria has been created to be great by God" is of course, historically, factually and operationally, unproven. Nigeria was created by colonial Britain, period. That's the fact. As for "greatness," that remains to be seen. What is clear is that it is "leaders" such as Obasanjo who have robbed the peoples of every opportunity to rise, while at the same time enriching themselves with money and power.  In any case, prudence dictates that one separate "aspiration for greatness," "idle dreams of greatness," "striving for greatness," and "destined for greatness." "Greatness" is never an assertion: it is self-evident. There is no evidence of it in Nigeria.

Source: Obasanjo's "Fears for the country [Nigeria]: A Reality Check" By Oguchi Nkwocha, MD.

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Ifeanyi Izeze - With due respect to the souls of the departed innocent, economically deprived rented ordinary women and unemployed young men of Niger Delta that lost their lives during the stampede at the venue of the South –South launch of President Goodluck Jonathan's presidential campaign in Port Harcourt on Saturday February 12th 2011, there are serious matters that are being swallowed by the politics of this ugly incident.

This was the gist: Thousands of the ruling party supporters crowded into a sports stadium to hear Jonathan speak and present the governorship flags to the six aspirants in the south -south. Hundreds more people gathered outside around the gates.  As soon as the governors finished receiving their flags, and the President was about to make his speech, some of the people, who had come to celebrate with the president and their governors began to leave.

Source: Human Sacrifice At PDP Port Harcourt Rally: Matters Arising

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has detained US-based lawyer, Ephraim Emeka Ugwuonye, for fraud-related issues. Agents of the State Security Services (SSS) arrested Mr. Ugwuonye last Saturday at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.

Mr. Ugwuonye was later moved to Abuja where he was handed over to the EFCC for further action.

EFCC spokesman, Femi Babafemi, told SaharaReporters today that Mr. Ugwuonye had been "watch listed" at the port of entry a few months ago after Nigeria's Attorney General and officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs concluded that he defrauded the Nigerian authorities in a series of real estate transactions where he acted as an attorney to the Nigerian government.

Source: EFCC Arrests US-Based Lawyer, Ugwuonye, For Defrauding Nigerian Government

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  Owunari Hopkins-Amachree - "Take all the robes of all the good judges that have ever lived on the face of the earth, and they would not be large enough to cover the iniquity of one corrupt judge." -  Henry Ward Beecher

Please join the rebuilding process of Nigeria for the common good, sign the petition for the resignation of the CJN... click on resignaloysiuskastinaalu.com , it takes about 4 minutes of your time-- It only needs your name, profession, location and email (your email will not be made public).

Demand for the immediate Resignation of Justice Kastina-Alu Group

Email:info@resignaloysiuskastinaalu.com

Source: Sahara Reporters.

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Ezrah Aharone - As we celebrate another Black History Month during these political times of world turmoil and uprise, it's important for Americato project a world image that it has "turned the page" of racism in its own blood-stained history. And while the relevance of this month has even been called into question since the advent of a Black president, I'm reminded of the African proverb that: "Until the lion has his historian, the hunter will always be the hero."

As such, when it comes to slavery and what is popularly categorized as "Black History," Americapractices the seductive allure of what I call "Historical Vindicationalism," where the harsh realities of events and narratives are masked and sterilized, while the end-product of Americanization gets epitomized as being lofty-enough to excuse and acquit the otherwise flagrant inhumanities of its means. Thus, we as African Americans are psychologically expected to deem the inflicted pains of our history as well worth the ascribed value of the prize of Americanization.

Source: Black History and Vindicationalism

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AGF, Mohammed Bello Adoke

Civil society groups working in the anti-corruption field in Nigeria have called for the prosecution of the Attorney General of the Federation and Justice Minister, Mr. Bello Adoke (SAN), for "aiding and abetting" corruption in the country.
They also called on him to resign his office immediately, and for President Goodluck Jonathan to categorically dissociate himself from his AGF's pro-corruption position.

The allied groups include: ZERO-CORRUPTION COALITION;  CIVIL SOCIETY LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY CENTRE (CISLAC);  WEST AFRICAN CIVIL SOCIETY FORUM; CENTRE FOR DEMOCRACY AND DEVELOPMENT; WOMEN IN NIGERIA; PUBLISH WHAT YOU PAY; TRANSPARENCY IN NIGERIA; Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD);  Centre for the Development of Civil Society (CDCS); and  NATIONAL PROCUREMENT WATCH PLATFORM (NPWP).

Source: Anti-Corruption Coalition Call For Prosecution Of AGF Bello Adoke; He Has A "Level Of Wealth Comparable Only To Oil Czars"

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Jideofor Adibe - The word 'hypocrisy' will cry out loud if hung on the neck of Muhammadu Buhari. Even his most ardent critics concede that he is honest, disciplined and non-corrupt. As military Head of State, he was credited with one of the most patriotic sentiments ever uttered by any Nigerian leader, when, on coming to power on December 31, 1983, via a military coup, he declared that "this generation of Nigerians and indeed future generations have no other country than Nigeria. We shall remain here and salvage it together." Buhari's sentimental invocation of nationalism was later captured in a biopic in which the character Andrew was caricatured for cowardly seeking to 'check out' of the country instead of staying behind to help salvage it from its numerous challenges.

Source: Buhari's Choice Of Bakare As Running Mate

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Ademola Olarewaju - As all students of history know that any struggle that occurs usually has the strategic planning arm and the tactical implementation arm. Only few men in history have been able to balance ideology with revolutionary tactics. The 18-day struggle in Egypt has ended with the exit of Hosni Mubarak after close to thirty years in power since the overthrow of Anwar Sadat.

I'm sure analysts will play back the events and tell us why it succeeded just as the historians will document how the events occurred. My major preoccupation in this write-up therefore is not to duplicate their efforts but to draw lessons from the revolution for our country – Nigeria – and also to show why a revolution of the same nature will not succeed as is being called for by certain people.

Source: Reflections On The Egyptian Revolution: Lessons For Nigeria

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Col. Abubakar Dangiwa Umar (Rtd) - Our attention has been drawn to a very bizarre story of an innocent Nigerian 22 year old Abdullahi Suleiman Ahman who is being held in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia against his will.

His plight defies all logic and his ordeal is without a parallel in its cruelty, impunity and discrimination.  It behoves the Nigerian Government and all people of goodwill everywhere to act quickly to secure his immediate release.

Source: Persecution Of A Nigerian Citizen Abdullahi Suleiman Ahman By The Authorities Of Saudi Arabia