PLEASE REDUCE COST OF GOVERNANCE AND GOVERNMENT

Too much money spent on bloated government and parastatals that we don't need. No wonder we are broke! In fact, if per chance the President-elect is reading comments on Punch webpage (as it is Nigeria's most widely read paper), may I propose the following to you Sir:

1. 12 cabinet ministries with 2 ministers each from the geo-political zones. We don't need each state to have a slot. Totally unnecessary and wasteful. Lagos and Ogun do not need separate "slots" for ministers.

2. The 12 Ministries are:

Tier 1 - (i) Defence (ii) Power, Utilities and Telecom (PUT), (iii) Finance & Economic Planning, (iv) Agriculture (v) Petroleum & Solid Minerals (PSM) and (vi) Attorney-General. - 1 slot each per geopolitical zone.

Tier 2 - (i) Works, Housing, Infrastructure & Transportation (WHIT), (ii) Foreign Affairs, (iii) Environment, Culture & Tourism (ECT), (iv) Education, Youth & Social Development (EYSD), (v) Commerce, Trade and Industry (CTI) and (vi) Health and Social Services. - 1 slot each per geopolitical zone.

3. SGF will not be part of the 12 ministries but will sit in cabinet, and her/his role should be in charge of professionally administering and reforming the federal government's administrative arm and remaking the civil service into a professional corps of technocrats like Whitehall in London. Should be a competent and distinguished civil servant and not a political appendage.

4. Please get rid of the following ministries (we don't need them)-

A. Niger-Delta (drop to commission status at Niger Delta Development Commission- a board of 12 commissioners with rotating chair, 2 members from each SS state; nominated by their respective governors but subject to NASS confirmation).

B. FCT Minister -Please let Abuja residents elect their own "Mayor and City Council" like London, NYC, Washington DC etc. They can govern themselves.

C. Information - Outdated. This is what a presidential press office is for. Just have the "Office of the Press Secretary to the Presidency" based in Aso Rock.

D. Interior - Outdated. All internal affairs & security issues (e.g police, prisons, customs etc) should be under separate agencies reporting to the Attorney General.

E. Communications, Aviation, Women Affairs (mildly insulting position actually), Lands, Mines & Steel, Police Affairs - All should be dropped as any of the Tier 1 and/or Tier 2 ministries can do this already.

3. Create a well-integrated and streamlined standing security committee consisting of the the President, VP, SGF, AG and Defence minsters along with your National Security Adviser and the four arm security chiefs (once you replace all the current corrupt and compromised service chiefs immediately on May 29).

4. Create a key political office within the Presidency as the "Chief of Staff & Director-General of the Presidency" (perfectly fits someone like Rotimi Amaechi) to be the point man in charge of Aso Rock reporting to the President and sitting also in Cabinet. In fact Aso Rock should be where your political brain trust sits, not in ministries. That way you keep core political matters near home and away from ministers who need to be focusing on their departments. It was very unseemly to see ministers like Okono-Iweala and DAM out and about campaigning for PDP. We don't have a parliamentary system where legislators are also are ministers. Need to keep these separate.

5. Try and at least have half of the cabinet made up of sharp and resourceful technocrats. You don't need to reward every APC faction or "godfather" with a ministerial slot. That is the nonsense that befell GEJ and the PDP. You are the boss now, and this is not your first time at the helm of affairs. Do what is right but keep the character of the nation in your government, especially among our SS and SE bros and sisters who, even absent the massive fraud there, probably would not have voted for you anyway or only very narrowly.

There is more of this from where it came from, but this should be a start.

Jonathan Hands Over Power On May The 28th Not The 29th

President Goodluck Jonathan will hand over the reigns of affairs of the country to the President-elect, Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), on May 28, about 24 hours before Buhari’s inauguration.

Minister of Information, Senator Patricia Akwashiki, disclosed this to State House correspondents on Wednesday at the end of the Federal Executive Council meeting presided over by Jonathan.

Akwashiki said Jonathan would hand over to Buhari at a dinner on the eve of the May 29 Democracy Day.

She said, “By May 28, the President intends to have the formal handing over done at a dinner so that we can reserve May 29 for the incoming government.

“By May 28, we are expected to have concluded our own government and we are welcoming the incoming government.

“Also you know May 29 is our Democracy Day. So, we have activities lined up all through that week, showcasing all what we have achieved and all other things we do normally on our Democracy Day except that this year is special with the inauguration of our new President that is coming up on May 29.”

She added that the President had directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies to prepare their handover notes and submit same to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Pius Anyim, on or before April 20.

She said it was Anyim’s responsibility to compile the notes which will form Jonathan’s handover document to his successor.

She further said while the valedictory FEC meeting would hold on May 20, everything that requires the President’s approval must be presented to him latest on May 13 so that the incoming government would not accuse him of rushing projects.

The minister added that Jonathan had directed MDAs to brief him on inherited projects and the ones initiated by his administration under their jurisdiction.

She said the briefings were expected to include the status of the projects and levels of implementation.

The minister added, “The President emphasised on the need for all MDAs to submit their handing over notes to the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation by 20th of this month, that is next Monday. So we are going to be very busy this weekend putting our handing over notes together.

“The President also emphasised that he would require another little briefing from all MDAs to indicate inherited projects, how far they have been executed and initiated projects by his administration and the level of completion, whether completed, ongoing or abandoned.”

She said the present administration was doing everything possible to ensure smooth transition, adding that Vice President Namadi Sambo is heading the government’s transition committee while Anyim is heading the inauguration committee.

Akwashiki however said notwithstanding the transition programme, governance had not stopped in the country.

“That is not to say that governance has stopped, of course we are in government until the day the President-elect takes his oath of office,” she explained.

Meanwhile, Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke; and the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, were among a few ministers who did not attend the Wednesday meeting.

The meeting was the first one held after the March 28 presidential election which Jonathan lost to Buhari.

Before the President arrived the venue, some ministers, especially the core politicians among them used the opportunity to review the polls and their performances in their various states.

They formed small groups to take stock zone-by-zone.

Minister of Police Affairs, Mr. Jelili Adesiyan; Minister of State II, Foreign Affairs, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro; Minister of State, Federal Capital Territory, Olajumoke Akinjide; and the Minister of State, Works, Dayo Adeyeye, were seen engrossed in discussion on the Peoples Democratic Party’s performance in the South West while awaiting Jonathan’s arrival at the venue.

Jonathan Directs Ministries & Parastatals To Submit Hand-Over Notes

The President has directed all ministries,
departments and agencies to submit their
handover notes to the office of the Secretary to
the Government of the Federation by the 20th of
April.
President Goodluck Jonathan further stressed
that the directive is to ensure a smooth
transition to the next government.
Briefing state house correspondents on the
outcome of Wednesday’s Federal Executive
Council meeting, the Minister of Information, Mrs
Patricia Akwashiki said that the President also
asked the ministers to come up with a list of the
inherited projects.
The Minister further said that President Jonathan
also directed the ministers to submit a list of the
projects that have been executed as well as all
projects initiated by his administration, as well
as on-going or abandoned ones so that he would
have a comprehensive package to hand over.
Mrs Akwashiki added: “This does not mean that
government activities have come to an end as
the government would continue to function until
the hand over date on May 29.”

BREAKING: Kidnapped Orekoya Kids Have Been Found

News reaching us has made it known that the three kidnapped Orekoya kids have been found.

Recall that few days ago, news went viral on all social media platforms and even instant messaging services about how three out of the four children of the Orekoya were kidnapped by their nanny, Mary Akinloye, just a night after resuming work as a nanny. Just two days ago also, the parents of the kidnapped kids were said to have lamented about not being able to raise the N13m ransom the nanny and her cohorts were asking for.

However, just few hours ago, the devastated mother of the kidnapped kids took to her Facebook account to announce that her children have been found! The kids’ mother, Mrs Adekunle Busayo Adekunle Orekoya, confirmed this on her Facebook page. However, there are no word yet on if ransome was paid but the kids were reunited with their parents yesterday April 14th 2015.

READ ALSO: Nanny Contacts Parents Of Kidnapped Lagos Children, Read What She Wants (UPDATED)

Here’s what she wrote on Facebook…

We give God all the Glory. Our Orekoya missing Kids have been found.Thank you so much everyone for ur prayers and moral and Financial support all along. The list is endless, of awesome mothers, sisters, business partners, father’s and even kids too. You’ve been amazing! May God grant all your heart desires too. Much love always.

Her Facebook update has however generated various reactions from some of the people who commented wanting to know how the children were found.  A family source told Punch on Wednesday that they were rescued on Tuesday night. Confirming the incident, the children’s father, Leke, in a telephone chat with our correspondent laughed as he said the children were undergoing medical check up at a clinic.

He said, “Yes, they have been rescued. We are very happy.”

Asked if the N13m ransom was paid or the police did the job, he said the family would like to be silent on that aspect.

Recall that the nanny who kidnapped the children was employed through a popular commerce-inclined website, OLX. The Country Manager of the e-commerce platform of OLX Nigeria, Lola Masha, spoke on behalf of the company saying, ”This is an unfortunate situation and our sympathies go out to the victim and their family. OLX is an online classifieds site that brings buyers and sellers together to promote trade. We take steps to moderate and review all ads but we do not participate in the negotiations between buyers and sellers. Transactions are performed directly between both parties. In all our marketing campaign, we continuously urge our users to take necessaryprecautionary checks when using OLX.

We continue to innovate and improve our review process with tighter measures that would help to minimize future occurrence of negative incidents. We also need our users to help us kick out bad players and ask them to report any dubious activity or user on the site for immediate action. Our customer support team can be reached at 0700-CALL-OLX (0700-22-55-659) or at support-ng@olx.com. We sincerely hope that the 3 kids are returned safely to their loved ones. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and we will provide all help within our capacity to facilitate the quick reunion of the 3 children with their family.”

12 Great Cities To Retire To In Africa (photos)

9. Kigali, Rwanda
10. Johannesburg, South
Africa
11. Diani Beach, Kenya

1 Like 1 Share

5. Libreville, Gabon
6. Algiers, Algeria
7. Asmara, Eritrea
8. enugu, nigeria

3 Likes 

1 grahamstown south africa

2. ibadan, nigeria
3. kumasi ghana
4. tunis, Tunisia

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Picking a foreign destination for retirement involves a bunch of trade-offs that are very personal. Other than the biggie — health care and costs — you also want to consider ease of everyday living, travel restrictions, scenery, food, culture, amenities, the weather and the law. Then there’s also this one: will you like your new environment full time? Here are 12 great cities to retire to in Africa.


Grahamstown, South Africa
If you plan on finally devoting your attention to the arts and literature during retirement, Grahamstown is perfect. The city is the home of the famous Rhodes University and hosts the National Arts Festival each year, so it is a hub for cultural activity and famous art and literature speakers. You can enjoy a meal at a nice restaurant for around $25 and rent a three-bedroom apartment in the city center for less than $700 per month.


Ibadan, Nigeria
Ibadan isn’t far from Lagos, so if you want the conveniences of a big city, you can get their secure units throughout the city and the city’s reputation has expanded from a place with ancient roots to one with gorgeous hotels and upscale restaurants. Cost of living is quite affordable, too.



Kumasi, Ghana
Kumasi is in the middle of lovely green hills, so it has a feel of country living while still being a bustling place. Kumasi has fun educational offerings such as dancing and drumming classes, and fascinating historical sites such as the National Cultural Center, which has inside an enormous library. Kumasi is drivable to airports in Accra and Tamale, so retirees can easily receive visitors. A quick peek at a real estate site will show you that you can buy a multi-bedroom house for between $300,000 and $700,000 in the city.



Tunis, Tunisia
One of the most important facts about Tunis for retirees is the life expectancy: 74.6 years. If you’ve been blessed with Western medicine and a healthy lifestyle, your life expectancy could be even higher. Nation.co.ke ranked Tunis on the Happy Index as the second happiest place to live in Africa. The city also has a very manageable railway system.



Libreville, Gabon
Libreville is a modern city near the Atlantic Ocean so it’s great for those looking for beach living. Libreville is one of the largest cities in Gabon, so you can find modern conveniences. The downtown area has luxury apartments with satellite TV and air conditioning. Libreville is home to one of Gabon’s major universities, so it is a hub for cultural and educational events.


Algiers, Algeria
The port city is easily accessed from Europe or the Middle East, so retirees here can welcome guests easily. France colonized Algiers for a while in the 1800s and the French influence is still felt in the shopping, wide boulevards and food, earning the city the name “The Paris of Africa.” Algiers is, however, a Mediterranean city so there is a breezy feeling to the cafes and beaches.


Asmara, Eritrea
Asmara was named the world’s safest city by Madote.com. Visitors to the city have observed that strangers will offer to help you if you’re lost, and crime is so low that people don’t even lock up their bicycles. Asamar enjoys a rich Italian culture, so you’ll find Italian cuisine and mannerisms mixed with the local desert culture. Cost of housing and meals is very low, and hotels are inexpensive for your visiting family.


Enugu, Nigeria
Enugu is ideal for those looking for a laid back vibe. Recently the public transportation and housing have improved greatly. You can rent a three-bedroom, four-bathroom home for around $2,000 per month or buy a three-bedroom house for around $75,000.

Windhoek, Namibia Windhoek Namibia is home to many expats, so you can bond with others adjusting to a new culture. Since Windhoek isn’t far from South Africa, the city enjoys many of the major South African brands, but none of the traffic. Windhoek also has gorgeous and dynamic landscapes with sand dunes and mountains, and it’s safe to travel around.



Kigali, Rwanda
With welcoming locals and a large community of expats, Kigali offers the best of many worlds including luxury hotels and restaurants amid stunning, lush wildlife. If you’re a foodie, Kigali is your spot: it has a vibrant, fun and dynamic culinary culture and you can dine in upscale restaurants for relatively low prices.


Johannesburg, South Africa
Johannesburg might be one of the pricier cities on this list, but it is still relatively inexpensive compared to American retirement cities. You can dine at an upscale restaurant for around $30, get a monthly metro pass for less than $50, join a fitness club for less than $30 a month and rent a three-bedroom apartment in the city center for just over $1,000. It’s also very clean and has gorgeous shopping centers.



Diani Beach, Kenya
Diani Beach might be best for a vacation home-away-from-home in Africa. The beach is one of the most famous and pristine in Africa. Diani has a vibrant seaside village full of supermarkets, local craftspeople, and charming cottages for rent or sale.

I Didn’t Mean To Kill My Childhood Friend, 17- Year-old Girl Laments

Life for Chiemeriem Benjamin, who had a dream of becoming a banker, has come to a temporary halt as she accidentally killed her childhood friend, Lawrence Oloruntobi, during a minor disagreement.
The incident, which took place at Iba area of Lagos, has opened a scary new phase of life for the teenager, who hails from Abia State.

Chiemeriem told Vanguard: “Lawrence is my friend; we grew up together and have lived in the same environment from as far back as I can remember.
“On that day, I was just not in the mood to talk with him. When I came out in the morning, he tried to make some jokes, which we would ordinarily laughed about. But I told him I was not interested in such.

“I went out later that day and on my way back, I saw him forcing my younger brother to play in a stagnant body of water in front of our compound.
“My brother was crying out for help, because he did not want to be dragged into the water. I quickly walked up to Lawrence to stop him. He took it personal and told me he would slap me.

“Out of anger, I told him that even his mother would not dare slap me. He then went in to get a cane, which has always been his tradition whenever we are having a misunderstanding.

“I also rushed into our room to grab a knife. But my elder brother and a neighbour, called Iya Ayo, intervened and settled the matter.”

According to the 17-year-old, Senior Secondary 1 student, “about two hours later, Lawrence came back to meet me, threatening to deal with me. We started exchanging words, which later culminated in a fight.

“I went in and grabbed another knife just to threaten him.

“Unfortunately, while my elder brother, who intervened again, was trying to plead with Lawrence not to fight with me because I am a girl, I angrily stabbed Lawrence in the chest with the knife.
“It was only after my action that I realized what I had done. I started calling out for help because I was very scared.

“Few neighbours, who were around, responded and we quickly rushed him to a nearby hospital, but it was too late. He died.

“Sincerely, I never meant to kill him with the knife. I only wanted to threaten him, but I just do not know how and why I stabbed him.”

Vanguard learned that the case, which is currently being investigated by operatives in the homicide section of Lagos State Criminal Investigation Department, SCID, would soon be charged to court.

No Pension For Ex Governors - Buhari

LAGOS — President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari (retd), is to lead a campaign to repeal the pension laws for governors enacted by many states of the federation, Vanguard has learnt.

The proposal by the incoming president is based on what sources close to him affirm as the incongruity of the laws under the country’s socio-economic environment and also, as a way of demonstrating moral leadership from the top.

Majority of the nation’s 36 state Houses of Assembly have enacted generous pension entitlements for governors that in many cases provide 100 per cent pay for the incumbent governors buildings, generous medical allowances for them and their family members and annual holiday provisions, all of which are to last for life. Provisions in the pension allowances are also made for staff, security and vehicles that are renewable every three or four years.Buhari-Nigeria

Buhari’s inclination towards a review of the pension for former governors was first publicly declared few days to the presidential election at the All Progressives Congress, APC, retreat in Owerri, Imo State.

It’s scandalous

A source conversant with the development disclosed that Buhari told the governors that there was no way Nigeria could survive under the financial weight of the pensions that had been earmarked for governors. He was said to have described the pension laws as enacted by states controlled by APC and PDP governors as scandalous.

According to the source, “he was very blunt about it and said that it was something that was going to be done immediately, especially because it is not something that can be sustained.

“The feeling was that not only was it wrong and morally unconscionable, but that it was not something that should be encouraged, and he was appealing to them that it should be changed.”
However, the response of the governors, who were present at the retreat, was not immediately given.

It’s a welcome proposal —Keyamo

The development was, yesterday, welcomed by leading Lagos lawyer, Festus Keyamo, who described it as a fantastic proposal but disclosed that it was something that could, however, only be accomplished through moral suasion.

“Fantastic, fantastic. It is a very welcome proposal,” the Lagos lawyer, who backed General Buhari against President Goodluck Jonathan in last month’s presidential election said.

He, however, said the proposal was something that Buhari could only effect through moral suasion as the pension acts were enacted by state Houses of Assembly.

The crave for financial safety out of office was recently also extended to the legislature after the Lagos State House of Assembly passed pension laws to guarantee generous pension entitlements with proposals for former presiding officers of the house.

How We Will Stop Boko Haram, By Muhammadu Buhari

Being an opinion article by President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari, as published in yesterday’s edition of New York Times.

ABUJA— When Boko Haram attacked a school in the town of Chibok, in northeastern Nigeria, kidnapping more than 200 girls, on the night of April 14, 2014, the people of my country were aghast. Across the world, millions of people joined them in asking: How was it possible for this terrorist group to act with such impunity? It took nearly two weeks before the government even commented on the crime.

This lack of reaction was symptomatic of why the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan was swept aside last month – the first time an incumbent president has been successfully voted out of office in the history of our nation. For too long they ruled, not governed, and in doing so had become so focused on their own self-interest and embroiled in corruption that the duty to react to the anguish suffered by their citizens had become alien to them.

My administration, which will take office on May 29, will act differently – indeed it is the very reason we have been elected. This must begin with honesty as to whether the Chibok girls can be rescued. Currently their whereabouts remain unknown. We do not know the state of their health or welfare, or whether they are even still together or alive. As much as I wish to, I cannot promise that we can find them: to do so would be to offer unfounded hope, only to compound the grief if, later, we find we cannot match such expectation. But I say to every parent, family member and friend of the children that my government will do everything in its power to bring them home.

What I can pledge, with absolute certainty, is that from the first day of my administration, Boko Haram will know the strength of our collective will and commitment to rid this nation of terror, and bring back peace and normalcy to all the affected areas. Until now, Nigeria has been wanting in its response to their threat: With our neighbours fighting hard to push the terrorists south and out of their countries, our military was not sufficiently supported or equipped to push north. As a consequence, the outgoing government’s lack of determination was an accidental enabler of the group, allowing them to operate with impunity in Nigerian territory.

That is why the answer to defeating Boko Haram begins and ends with Nigeria. That is not to say that allies cannot help us. My administration would welcome the resumption of a military training agreement with the United States, which was halted during the previous administration. We must, of course, have better coordination with the military campaigns our African allies, like Chad and Niger, are waging in the struggle against Boko Haram. But, in the end, the answer to this threat must come from within Nigeria.

We must start by deploying more troops to the front and away from civilian areas in central and southern Nigeria where for too long they have been used by successive governments to quell dissent. We must work closer with our neighbors in coordinating our military efforts so an offensive by one army does not see their country’s lands rid of Boko Haram only to push it across the border onto their neighbors’ territory.

But as our military pushes Boko Haram back, as it will, we must be ready to focus on what else must be done to counter the terrorists. We must address why it is that young people join Boko Haram. There are many reasons why vulnerable young people join militant groups, but among them are poverty and ignorance.

Indeed Boko Haram – which translates in English, roughly, as “Western Education Is Sinful” – preys on the perverted belief that the opportunities that education brings are sinful.

Promise of food

If you are starving and young, and in search of answers as to why your life is so difficult, fundamentalism can be alluring. We know this for a fact because former members of Boko Haram have admitted it: They offer impressionable young people money and the promise of food, while the group’s mentors twist their minds with fanaticism. So we must be ready to offer the parts of our country affected by this group an alternative.

Boosting education will be a direct counterbalance to Boko Haram’s appeal. In particular we must educate more young girls, ensuring they will grow up to be empowered through learning to play their full part as citizens of Nigeria and pull themselves up and out of poverty. Indeed, we owe it to the schoolgirls of Chibok to provide as best an education as possible for their fellow young citizens.

Boko Haram feeds off despair. It feeds off a lack of hope that things can improve. By attacking a site of learning, and kidnapping more than 200 schoolgirls, it sought to strike at the very place where hope for the future is nurtured, and the promise of a better Nigeria. It is our intention to show Boko Haram that it will not succeed. My government will first act to defeat it militarily and then ensure that we provide the very education it despises to help our people help themselves. Boko Haram will soon learn that, as Nelson Mandela said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”