Egypt/Tunisia: It could happen here in Nigeria

By Reuben Abati

IT all started in Tunisia with an aggrieved vegetable and fruits seller, Mohammed Bouazizi, 26, setting himself ablaze in protest against bureaucratic dictatorship. Bouazizi will now be remembered forever as a martyr whose death drew fresh attention to fault lines in governance in the Arab world. Bouazizi died because he was fed up with government officials asking him to pay bribe and all kinds of charges, ostensibly to go into the purse of a state that has not been able to offer him a life, or perhaps into the pockets of cruel state officials. One of the four agents who accosted Bouazizi slapped him, another kicked him in the face, he begged but they would not listen to him. His goods were seized.

He went to the town hall and asked for the return of his goods, he was refused; he also later went to the main government where he was again, rebuffed. He insisted on seeing the governor. The police said No. He cried and begged. Nobody listened to him. Bouazizi at that point resolved that there was no point remaining alive. His frustration took him to the tipping point. He left government premises. Then, he went and bought a bottle of petrol with which he set himself ablaze. He was not the only unemployed person in his family, or in Tunisia, but his encounter with the Tunisian state alienated him further and turned him into a lighting rod for revolt. “We are all unemployed”, his sister said. Unemployment rate in Tunisia is 13.3%. Sounds like Nigeria? Yes, in every material particular, except that the unemployment rate in Nigeria is even higher, the figure in Nigeria is about 19.7%. Almost half of 15 to 24 year olds living in urban areas in Nigeria are jobless. More than 70% of the population lives on less than a dollar per day.

As was the case in Tunisia, state officials ask for bribe in Nigeria, they brutalise people, and our Governors are so important they are not likely to leave their offices to attend to a man complaining about cruel Vehicle Inspection Officers or other officials of the state. Revolutions have been ignited by seemingly simple causes: like famine/poverty in France, disenchantment in Brazil, anger in Poland, protest in Ukraine, Iran and Burma. But always, social revolutions are an amalgam of pent up grievances exploding in one historical moment. What has happened in Tunisia has resulted in a wave of protests in the Arab world, with young people in Iran, Burma, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, trying to seize on the moment to articulate their grievances. In Gabon, there has been a muffled imitation drama staged by those who consider the sitting government illegitimate. What has been demonstrated so far is the similarity of concerns about governance issues across national boundaries. There may be an undertone of the threat of Islamic fundamentalism to the protests in the Arab world, but clearly, what we have seen is the people’s yearning for freedom and change. In Tunisia, Yemen, Jordan, Algeria, indeed from the Maghreb to the Middle East, we have seen a rejection of poverty and dictatorship by the people.

The same issues could pose a serious challenge in sub-saharan Africa where beyond the mild protest in Gabon, there could be similar explosions in many of our countries. It is indeed curious that the contrary view has been expressed that the kind of people’s revolt in Tunisia and Egypt cannot happen in sub-saharan Africa. Such a statement is definitely ahistorical. It is more important for African leaders to learn the right lessons from the crisis in the Middle East. The myth for example that religion is a binding factor that makes the Middle Eastern population easier to control and dominate has again been exposed for what it is: a myth. Even Saudi Arabia is worried about the on-going “Lotus Revolution” in Egypt. The King of Jordan so concerned about the swell of youth protest quickly dissolved his cabinet in deference to the popular yearning for change. The reverberations have been felt even as far as China where the authorities have banned online discussions and pictures of the Egyptian unrest. Number one lesson: people everywhere are the same: it does not matter what weapon is used to suppress them, one day they may insist on change and their own freedom. Number two lesson: increased local poverty in the midst of national wealth and wide gaps of alienation could trigger social unrest.

African leaders and Nigerian leaders in particular must see the protest in Egypt and Tunisia as a reflection of the likely fate that awaits them. Egpyt’s Mubarak, ruler for 30 years, who had been grooming his son as a successor, has suddenly been told by the people that he should pack his bags and leave, today. Members of his family have fled. Mubarak may be struggling to buy time, bluffing the people, and pretending that he is in charge, but for him, the game is up. His government or whatever remains of it has practically shut down the country. The people are being denied the basic necessities of life. A curfew has been imposed. Mubarak’s agents/”supporters” have killed over 300 persons in ten days; still, the protest march is unstoppable. The people are defying every attempt to stop them. We have seen a similar type of revolt before now in Thailand, Brazil, Ukraine, Haiti, Czech Republic. The honourable option for Mubarak is to leave.

He is defiant, proclaiming that he will die on Egyptian soil. Fine, he can go and do so, in his private home or in jail, but not as President. His insistence that he will remain in office till the September polls smacks of arrogance and contempt. He has been told by his government’s strongest allies, the United States, that the time for change is now, but still like other sit-tight African leaders (Cote d’Ivoire’s Houphouet-Boigny, Malawi’s Kamuzu Banda, Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe, Libya’s Muamar Ghaddafi, Cameroon’s Paul Biya, and Gabon’s Omar Bongo), before him, he is refusing to read the handwriting on the wall. When his government falls, the winners will be the people and the ideals of freedom and change, and hopefully, the political forces behind the wind of change in Egypt, will see the urgent need to stabilize the country. Tunisia’s Zine Ben Ali has fallen after 24 years in power, Mubarak, even if he continues to sit tight, has been thoroughly discredited. Those, like Mubarak who make peaceful change impossible make violent change inevitable. It sounds trite, but it is the truth. And indeed it can happen here. Another lesson is the futility of big powers like the United States supporting sit-tight leaders against their people due to selfish sovereign considerations that benefit that the super-power. The time for the United States to turn off its life support for Hosni Mubarak is now.

It is worth noting that Tunisia and Egypt are far more efficient states than Nigeria, and many other countries in sub-saharan Africa. Unemployment rate may be high in Tunisia and Egypt, but the people enjoy regular electricity and the quality of life is fair. In Tunisia, there is even a social insurance system that provides maternity payments, family benefits as well as disability and old age insurance. Pensioners in Tunisia are paid on time; there is also unemployment benefit, the women enjoy civil and political rights. The country recognises equal pay for equal work! The major problem is prevailing poor human rights practices in the shape of arbitrary arrests and the torture of detained persons, and poverty - the cause of significant alienation. The quality of life and the economy in Egypt and other countries of the Middle East where protest is raging are also far better than what obtains in sub-saharan Africa. If people who enjoy all these privileges can still go onto the streets, then, Nigerians must be a special breed indeed.

Bouazizi killed himself because no government official was willing to listen to his grievances. Nigerians are used to that. In fact, they do not expect any kindness from public officials. Bouazizi refused to give bribe. In Nigeria, the people are willing to offer bribe to civil servants and public officials. Tunisian policemen brutalized the Tunisian street vendor and he felt he should lodge an official protest. In Nigeria, the people are used to being beaten by policemen and other uniformed officers, rarely do we have such a case as that of the lady who took the Nigerian Navy to court when naval ratings brutalized her. In Egypt, the soldiers have refused to shoot the people on sight; in Nigeria, the conduct of the military remains unpredictable in a season of turmoil.

There may be no doubt that Nigerians have shown a remarkable capacity for resistance in the past and the history of protest in our land is rich and varied. Recent examples will include the protest against military rule, and the principled objection to former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s attempt to extend his tenure in office. The revolt in the Niger Delta and the Boko Haram insurgency in Northern Nigeria also point to distortions within the Nigerian system, and the anger of an aggrieved segment of the populace. However, local protests are not always targeted at misgovernance or the people’s yearning for change and progress; often they are coloured by religion and ethnicity making cases of sustained objections occasional and episodic.

What Nigeria needs is the kind of revolution, once recommended by Professor Ben Nwabueze, which is driven by the people and their faith in human freedoms. There is no universally prescribed method of revolution, but where the quality of human life is trampled upon and the people’s rights are routinely abused, the people as a collective have a duty to stand up and declaim: “Never Again!” Poverty and alienation which are central themes in the ongoing protests in the Maghreb and the Middle East could provide such common language that is spoken by protesters. Nigerians would like to see their leaders provide good governance and show greater responsibility in office. While hoping that the possibility of a Nigerian setting himself or herself ablaze in protest is remote, Nigerian leaders should nevertheless do everything to ensure that the April polls are transparent and credible, lest they provide a trigger for widespread rebellion in the land.

54.9 million registered in 17 days – INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission on Thursday said it had registered about 54.9 million people as at January 31.

It said in a statement in Abuja that it projected that 62 million Nigerians would be registered by the close of the exercise on Saturday (tomorrow). The exercise started on January 15.

The statement by Mr. Kayode Idowu, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, was made available to journalists on Thursday just as policemen in Oyo State found Direct Data Capturing machines in a forest close to a predominantly Fulani settlement in Saki West Local Government Area.

INEC, however, explained that daily nationwide average had “lowered to 3.2 million as against about 4.3 million per day earlier recorded.”

It said that it expected that the daily average would decline even further as more people get registered.

Idowu had earlier on Thursday told the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja that the additional N6.6bn needed for the extended period (seven days) of the voter registration was part of the N87bn budget meant for the entire exercise.

INEC had on January 26 requested the extra vote to complete the exercise. But Idowu dismissed insinuations that the N6.6bn request was in addition to the N87bn already received by the electoral body.

“The money that was budgeted earlier on, much of it was for capital projects. By budgeting procedures, if there is any recurrent expenditure, you have to appropriate fresh money for it regardless of what you have left in your capital vote,” he said.

Idowu added that the budgeting procedure did not allow for the spending of funds earmarked for capital projects.

The INEC chairman’s spokesman also said the commission would pay additional N14,000 to each corps member participating as ad-hoc staff in the exercise.

Idowu, who added that an additional N1,000 would be paid to them as daily transportation, argued that there was no reason for them to threaten to boycott the exercise.

Some corps members had threatened to boycott the exercise in various parts of the country over what they described as delay in making payments to them.

He added that INEC initially paid N10,000 out of N30,000 originally approved for each of those engaged in the exercise for two weeks.

“Just yesterday (Wednesday), INEC paid N10,000 out of the outstanding N20,000 and N7,000 upfront meant for transportation to cover the one-week extended time,’’ Idowu explained.

He assured that the commission would pay the balance of N10,000 incurred in the first stage and the N14,000 for the one week extension, at the end of the exercise.

Meanwhile, the discovery of a DDC machine in a forest in Saki West LGA caused a stir in the area as residents went on the rampage.

Eyewitnesses said it took the quick intervention of policemen to restore normalcy to the area.

Unconfirmed report said that 10 people including two members of the National Youth Service Corps were arrested in connection with the discovery.

They were said to be in the custody of Saki West Police Station at the time of filing this report.

When contacted on the telephone, the spokesman of the Oyo State Police Command, Mr. Tunji Ajimuda, said he was yet to receive a signal on the matter.

Also, the spokesman of INEC in the state, Mr. Ayodele Folami, said he was yet to get report from the Electoral Officer in charge of Saki West.

Folami said, “Necessary action will be taken as soon as the report arrives. Presently, we are not aware because we are still awaiting reports from our electoral officer from Saki West.

“Since the incident happened today (Thursday), you don’t expect us to know what happened until we get reports.”

But a chieftain of the Accord Party in the area, Mr. Jimoh West, confirmed the development to journalists.

“When people alerted us about the DDC machine in the forest, we went to report at the police station. We were accompanied by policemen to where it (machine) was (found) in the forest,” West said.

Have more sex, look healthier, younger

Do you dread the wrinkles that come with old age? If your answer is in the affirmative, then you may need to be more active sexually, because scientists say that sex does the body good. In fact, anti-ageing experts say that the more sex you have, the younger and healthier you become. A good sex life, they say, also helps you to live longer.

An active sex life is good for your heart, memory and immune system, and, as a new book, Younger (Sexier) You, reveals, you can boost yours just by drinking coffee and eating peanuts

The book, written by a United States anti-ageing expert, Dr. Eric Braverman, says sex not only raises your hormone ­levels (so keeping you young), but can also boost your metabolism, brain, heart and immunity.

And if your sex life is tepid, rather than torrid, don’t despair, says Braverman, according to the Mail of London. Whether you’re 30 or 100, a combination of good diet, nutritional supplements and some ‘natural’ hormones will restore your drive and ensure that you enjoy the health benefits, too.

Many sexual problems, says Braverman, can be addressed by eating particular foods. Drinking coffee, he says, can help boost a flagging libido, while snacking on peanuts can enhance arousal. Eating brown rice can help combat sexual coldness, while avocadoes might increase your capacity for pleasure.

But while agreeing that regular sex can increase metabolism and boost hormones, one consultant family physician at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Dr. Tony Aluka, doubts how regular sex can make one to look healthier and younger.

However, Braverman says the other great physical enemy of a healthy sex life is the menopause — and the male version, the andropause (both of which entail the loss of sex hormones which affect sex drive and function).

But it’s not just about the mechanics of sex. Healthy sexual function is also about how your brain reacts to the messages it’s receiving from your body, he adds.

When your brain is working at its peak, brain chemicals are produced and dispersed at the correct levels. A reduced sexual desire can apparently be the first sign there’s a ­problem with one of the four key brain ­chemicals. These are dopamine, acetylcholine, GABA and serotonin. A deficiency in each will produce ­specific types of sexual problem.

In fact, some scientific studies have suggested that sex can bring many health benefits. A 2001 study, Sex and the heart: what is the role of the cardiologist?, published in European Heart Journal, notes that sex is good for the heart. According to the study, anything that exercises the heart is good for it, including sex. Sexual arousal sends the heart rate higher, and the number of beats per minute reaches its peak during orgasm.

Sex can also be a stress buster. A study on blood pressure and sex published in Biological Psychology of February 2006 claims that sex can help you beat the stresses of 21st Century life style.

The 46 men and women who participated in the study kept a diary of sexual activity, recording penetrative sex, non-penetrative sex and masturbation. In stress tests, including public speaking and doing mental arithmetic out loud, the people who had no sex at all had the highest stress levels. People who only had penetrative sex had the smallest rise in blood pressure. This shows that they coped better with stress.

Researchers have also found a link between how often one has sex and how strong one’s immune system is. A study, Sexual frequency and salivary immunoglobulin A (IgA), published in the June 2004 edition of Psychology Report found that students who had sex once or twice a week had higher levels of an important illness-fighting substance in their bodies. Immunoglobulin A (IgA) was 30 per cent higher in those who had sex once or twice a week than in those who had no sex at all. However, the lowest levels were in people who had sex more than twice a week. But the researchers say more research is needed before it can be proved that weekly sex helps your immune system.

However, in another study correlating overall health with sexual frequency, Queens University in Belfast Northern Ireland tracked the mortality of about 1,000 middle-aged men over the course of a decade. The study was designed to compare people of similar age and health. Its findings, published in 1997 in the British Medical Journal, were that men who reported the highest frequency of orgasm enjoyed a death rate half that of the laggards.

Sex has also been found to be therapeutic in many other ways. An article on reasons to have sex every week, published on the December 10, 2007 edition of Newsweek magazine lists the following as ways that sex can boost your health:

* It’s a beauty treatment. In a study at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital in Scotland, a panel of judges viewed participants through a one-way mirror and guessed their ages. Those who looked seven to 12 years younger than their age (labeled ‘superyoung’) were also enjoying lots of sex—four times a week, on average. OK, maybe they were having so much fun because they looked young. But it’s likely the sex was helping, researchers say. One reason is that it raises a woman’s estrogen level, which helps make hair shiny and skin supple.

* It burns calories. A little over four calories a minute, or the equivalent of four Hershey’s kisses in a half hour of love.

* It can cure migraine. For a woman a migraine might actually be a reason for making love rather than avoiding intercourse: the increase in endorphins and corticosteroids during arousal and orgasm is analgesic.

* It promotes regular menstrual cycles. A series of studies by behavioral endocrinologist Winnifred Cutler, and colleagues at Columbia and Stanford universities found that women who have intercourse at least weekly (except during their period) cycle more regularly than abstainers or the sporadically active. Cutler argues that intimacy is essential, not orgasms, “Regular exposure to a loving partner has extraordinary effects on health and well-being.”

* It can prevent accidents. Women use the muscles of the pelvic floor to stem the flow of urine. As they age, they need to keep these strong to avoid peeing accidentally. The same muscles are exercised during intercourse.

But is there anything like too much sex? The answer is different for male and females. According to the article, Sex does the body good, published on www.msbn.com, Dr. Claire Bailey of the University of Bristol, says that there is little or no risk of a woman overdosing on sex. In fact, she says, regular sessions can not only firm a woman’s tummy and buttocks but also improve her posture.

As for men, Dr. J. Francois Eid, a urologist at Weil Medical College New York Presbyterian Hospital, says it’s definitely possible to get too much of a good thing, now that drugs such as Viagra and Levitra have given men far more staying power than what may actually be good for them.

The male organ, Eid says, is wonderfully resilient. But everything has its limits. Penile tissues, if given too roistering or prolonged a pummelling, can sustain damage.

However, arguing that regular sex may not make one healthier and younger, Aluka says that a look at many commercial sex workers will give a lie to the claim.

He said, “Yes, sex can increase hormones, raise metabolism and release tension. I have watched a documentary of an elephant on heat. It was very destructive and only became calm after having sex. It can be the same for humans. But that is how far that can go.

“But I doubt whether regular sex can make one look healthier and younger. If you look at many commercial sex workers or some people living in rural areas that have more than one wife, you will notice that they do not appear healthier and younger. And these are the people that have sex regularly.

He says while some of the studies’ findings may be true in the Western world, it may not be replicated in the Nigerian environment where many people do not feed well. “So, telling somebody who is no feeding well to have sex regularly may be telling the person to commit suicide,” he says.

Towards 2011 General Election in Nigeria: Profile of Presidential Candidates 4

MALLAM IBRAHIM SHEKARAU, ANPP Presidential Flag bearer

Ibrahim Shekarau (born November 5, 1955) has been Governor of Kano State in Nigeria since 29 May 2003. He is a member of the All NigeriaPeople’s Party(ANPP)

Early life and education

Shekarau was born in the Kurmawa quarters of Kano, the son of a police officer. He was educated at Gidan Makama Primary School (1961–1967), then at Kano Commercial College (1967–1973) and finally at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria (1973–1977) where he received a Bachelor in Education (BEd) in Mathematics/Education.

After finishing his degree, he went into the civil service. Later on, he started his career as a Mathematics teacher at Government Technical College, Wudil in 1978. Two years later he became Principal at Government Day Junior Secondary School, Wudil. In 1980 he was transferred to Government Secondary School, Hadejia, then to Government College Birnin Kudu in 1986, then to Government Secondary School, Gwammaja and then to Rumfa College in March 1988, all as the school’s principal.

Career

Shekarau became Deputy Director of Education in charge of Bichi Zonal Education Area in 1992. One year later, he was promoted to Director Planning, Research and Statistics in Ministry of Education. Two year later, he became Director General (Permanent Secretary), Ministry of Education and Youth Development.

In January 1995, Shekarau was transferred to Ministry of Water Resources, Rural and Community Development, then back to Ministry of Education in January – May 1997 before he was asked to moved to General Service Directorate of the Cabinet Office, all as Permanent Secretary. By February 2000, he was on the move again to Civil Service Commission, where he stayed for only four months before the civil service commission under Ado Gwaram Government sent him to the State College of Arts, Science and Remedial Studies (CASRS) as Chief lecturer (Mathematics) at the Department of Physical Sciences,in May 2000. Shekarau remained in this post for 17 months before he voluntarily retired from the services of Kano State Civil Service on 2 October 2001. Some time after quitting his post as Chief Lecturer, he decided to work as a secretary to businessman Aminu Dantata. He was employed under Dantata until he became a contender in Kano State’s 2003 gubernatorial elections.

Ibrahim Shekarau was not considered a serious contender in the gubernatorial elections of 2003 in Kano State. He was overshadowed in his party by Ibrahim Ali Amin, the chairman of the ANPP in Kano State who won the gubernatorial primaries. But being favoured by the National executive of the party including the Presidential candidate of the party, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari and other influentials such as Hajia Naja’atu Bala Muhammad and Alh Haruna Dan Zago , Shekarau was forced in to substitute Amin who later decamped to the Peoples Redemption Party PRP and later into the Peoples Democratic Party PDP.

In April 2003 Ibrahim Shekarau won the general gubernatorial polls due to the support of Gen. Buhari, anti party activity of the then vice-president Atiku Abubakar who allegedly used his office to rig the polls and serious unpopularity of the incumbent, Dr. Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso.
Governorship

As Governor, Shekarau has opposed polio vaccination campaigns on the grounds that they are actually attempts to make Muslim women infertile. The World Health Organisation denies this. Shekarau was re-elected in 2007 because of his popularity in Kano State despite several efforts by the ruling PDP at the National level to stop from contesting as well as manipulation of the electoral process. He became the first Governor to be re-elected for second term in the history of Kano State base on his achievement on societal re-orientation,poverty eradication and commitment to social co-existence between various ethnic group living in Kano, to the extent some people consider his tenure as one the most peaceful period of this democratic despensation, political thuggery replaced with freedom of expression were he allow opponents to express or criticise his leadership. he has a mass support from various class of the society, rich,poor,workers,clerics and traditional leaders all support him base on his wisdom to interact with high sense of humility and integrity. Base on this His Highness the Emir of Kano Turbaned him as the SARDAUNA OF KANO for the first time kano has SARDAUNA. ACHIEVEMENTS Construction of new buildings all over Kano state Educational Institutions, new roads all over kano state, payment of pensions to pensioners Urban renewal of kano metro,Construction of new water treatment plant at Tamburawa and Watari western kano, poverty reduction through mass employment. In November 2009, the Kano chapter of the ANPP gave Shekarau the right to select the party’s candidate for the 2011 governorship elections. Some pundits say this decision was a step towards making the prominent cleric Sheikh Ibrahim Khaleel the candidate but finally he endorse his commissioner for Local Government ALH SALIHU SAGIR TAKAI base on his honesty, Integrity, and high degree of humility, Shekarau to some speculators may join presidential race in 2011 as one elder statesman DANMASANIN KANO SAYS SHEKARAU is a potential material for the presidency.

Towards 2011 General Election in Nigeria: Profile of Presidential Candidates 3

Mallam Nuhu Ribadu ACN Presidential Candidate

Born November 21, 1960 is a former Nigerian government anti-corruption official. He was the pioneer Executive Chairman of Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the government commission tasked with countering corruption and fraud. In April 2009, he became a visiting fellow at the Center for Global Development. He lived in exile until 2010 when he returned to Nigeria and declared his intention to run for President of Nigeria under the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).

Education

Ribadu studied law at Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria, Kaduna State from 1980 until 1983, receiving a Bachelor of Laws degree. Following a year at the Nigerian Law School, he was called to Bar in 1984. He also earned a Master of Laws degree from the same university. He is a Ted Fellow and currently a Senior Fellow in St. Antony’s College, Oxford University, UK.
Corruption and the EFCC

Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo appointed him to the chairmanship of the EFCC in 2003 and reappointed him in 2007, as well as promoting him to the position of Assistant Inspector General of Police. The promotion on April 9, 2007, three weeks before newly elected President Umaru Yar’Adua was sworn-in, was later challenged on the basis that it was “illegal, unconstitutional, null and void, and of no legal effect.” In December 2007 Mike Okiro, Inspector-General of Police, stated that Ribadu would be removed as EFCC chairman for a one-year training course.

Career in law enforcement

On October 20, 2006, Nuhu Ribadu told the BBC that over 380 billion dollars had been stolen or wasted by Nigerian governments since independence in 1960. Under Ribadu’s administration, the EFCC charged prominent bankers, former as well as serving State governors, ministers, Senate presidents, high-ranking political party members, commissioners of Police, and advance fee fraud (“419″) gang operators. The EFCC issued thousands of indictments and achieved about 270 convictions. One notable case was that of his boss, the then Inspector-General of the Nigerian Police Force, Mr Tafa Balogun, who was convicted, jailed and made to return £150 million under a plea bargain.

Ribadu’s achievements in the EFCC included the de-listing of Nigeria from the FATF List of Non-Cooperative Countries & Territories, admission into the prestigious Egmont Group and the withdrawal of the US Treasury FINCEN Advisory on Nigeria. They helped make the EFCC the foremost Anti-Corruption Enforcement Agency on the continent, cementing Ribadu’s reputation in the world as a respected anti-corruption crusader.

Nuhu Ribadu’s evidence helped prosecute foreign businesses who offered bribes while doing business in Nigeria. Ribadu has however been accused of double standard and insincerity in his war against corruption. Many observed that Ribadu went after perceived enemies of his boss, Obasanjo while shielding the friends of the former president. He has also been accused of corruption himself in that he failed to declare his assets for which he is undergoing prosecution at the code of conduct tribunal. Though his self imposed exile has stalled the prosecution at the code of conduct tribunal, the government of President Goodluck Jonathan has signified intention to withdraw the case against him. Ribadu was also said to have bought federal government property for his in-law. Notable among his critics is radical Lagos lawyer, Fetus Keyamo who has described the withdrawal of charges against Ribadu as totally wrong, very insensitive, entirely unwise and ill-advised . So far, none of the accusations of corruption have been substantiated. Several newspapers which have led in the criticism of Ribadu are owned by individuals who were pursed on corruption charges.
Bribery and persecution

During the course of his duty Mr Ribadu was offered bribes to pervert the course of justice, amongst these was a State governor who offered Mr Ribadu of $15 millon and a house abroad. Interviewed from Washington D.C. on the BBC’s Hardtalk programme, Ribadu said that he took the money and used the bribe as evidence to prosecute the state governor. This claim has however been refuted by the ex-governor who noted that the fact the Ribadu put the money in the CBN is not a proof that he gave the money. Mr Ribadu escaped two assassination attempts in Nigeria before he left the country for the United Kingdom in early 2009.

In December 2007, Inspector-General of Police Mike Okiro ordered that Ribadu be temporarily removed from the position of EFCC chairman and ordered him to attend the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) in Kuru, Jos, Plateau State for a mandatory one-year course. The decision was criticized by, among others, Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka, House of Representatives members, and All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) national chairman Edwin Ume-Ezeoke as politically motivated and/or likely to set back the fight against corruption.On December 22, 2008, as widely predicted, he was dismissed from the Nigerian Police force by the Nigerian Police Service Commission (PSC). He left Nigeria and in April assumed a fellowship at the Center for Global Development. He has since returned to join the ACN as a Presidential aspirant in the 2011 general elections.
International Awards

On April 15, 2008, Nuhu Ribadu received the World Bank’s 2008 Jit Gill Memorial Award for Outstanding Public Service, for having led a courageous anti-corruption drive in Nigeria, as Head of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

On August 4, 2008, the Police Service Commission in Nigeria announced the demotion of Mr. Ribadu from Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) to Deputy Commissioner of Police. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo had promoted Ribadu to AIG weeks before the end of his tenure in office in 2007.

On November 22, 2008, his graduation from the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) Kuru, Plateau State was aborted at the last minute. Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, who was initially seated in the hall along with other graduands, was ordered out of the hall allegedly on orders from top administration officials. There were condemnations from all over the world for his treatment.

Towards 2011 General Election in Nigeria: Profile of Presidential Candidates 2

Major-General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd.) CPC Presidential Candidate

Muhammadu Buhari (born December 17, 1942) was the military ruler of Nigeria (December 31, 1983 – August 27, 1985) and an unsuccessful candidate for president in the April 19, 2003 presidential election. His ethnic background is Fulani and his faith is Islam; his family is from Katsina State.

Major-General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd.), the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) Presidential Candidate was former head of state and commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria from Jan. 1984 to Aug. 1985.
Born on Dec. 17, 1942 in Daura, Katsina State. Buhari started his education at Mai’Adua Primary Schools, Daura from 1948 to 1952. He was at the Katsina Middle School, Katsina Provincial Secondary School (now Government College), Katsina between 1953 and 1961.

* He enlisted in the Nigerian Army in 1962 and was trained at the Nigerian Military Training College, Kaduna, 1962;

* Mons Officer Cadet School, Aldershot, United Kingdom, 1962-63;

* Defence Service Staff College, Wellington, India, January-November, 1973 and Army War College, USA, 1979-80;

* He held many strategic military and political posts;

* He was Military Governor of North-Eastern State in 1975;

* Federal Commissioner for Petroleum and Energy 1976-1978;

* Chairman of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) 1978-79;

* General Officer Commanding (GOC) 2nd Mechanised Infantry Division, 1981 and GOC 3rd Armoured Division, 1981-83.

After a bloodless coup on 30th Dec. 1983, Major-General Buhari was sworn-in as Nigeria’s seventh Head of State and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. He was ousted in a bloodless coup on August 27, 1985. Major-General Muhammadu Buhari was the Chairman of the state owned Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF) from 1994 to 1998.

He holds the national award of Grand Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (GCFR) among other laurels.
Minister of Petroleum

Buhari first came to limelight in 1975 when He became the Minister (or “Federal Commissioner”) for Petroleum and Natural Resources under then-Head of State General Olusegun Obasanjo. Before then he was the Governor of the newly created North Eastern State of Nigeria during the regime of Murtala Mohammed. He later became head of the newly created Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation. in 1977.
Chad

In 1983 Chadian soldiers invaded and took 19 islands in the Lake Chad- Nigerian territories. The then Brigadier Buhari, who was the General Officer Commanding commanding the 3rd Armoured Division (which he did from November 1981 – December 1983) successfully carried out a blockade of Chad. After which all the territories were returned. The Nigerian Army under Buhari then pursued the Chadian Army as afar as 50 km into Chadian territory. The 21st Armoured Brigade carried out the blockade and the fighting.
Buhari Administration

Major-General Buhari was selected to lead the country by middle and high-ranking military officers after a successful military coup d’etat that overthrew civilian President Shehu Shagari on December 31, 1983. Buhari was appointed Head of State and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, and Tunde Idiagbon was appointed Chief of General Staff (the de facto #2 in the administration). Buhari justified the military’s seizure of power by castigating the civilian government as hopelessly corrupt, and his administration subsequently initiated a public campaign against indiscipline known as “War Against Indiscipline (WAI).” Despite authoritarian tendencies, the campaign is still lauded by many to have instilled the most orderly conduct of public and private affairs in Nigeria since its independence in 1960.
1985 Coup and Overthrow

Buhari was himself overthrown in a coup led by General Ibrahim Babangida on August 27, 1985 and other members of the ruling Supreme Military Council (SMC) ostensibly because he insisted on investigating allegations of fraudulent award of contracts in the Ministry of Defense. If that investigation had been carried through, it is believed that many senior military officers would have been implicated. Buhari’s insistence on this investigation was to become his fait accompli. A Palace Coup was planned and carried out by Gen Ibrahim Babangida and some senior military officers whose necks were heading for the chopping block following the conclusion of the investigation. Without a doubt, this would have become Buhari’s and Idiagbon’s most bitter and shocking lesson on how endemic and widespread corruption had become in Nigeria.
Later years

Buhari served as the Chairman of the Petroleum Trust Fund, a body created by the Government of General Abacha, and funded from the revenue generated by the increase in price of petroleum products from, to pursue developmental projects around the country. His transparent and efficient handling of this agency endeared him to Nigerians.

In 2003, Buhari contested the Presidential election as the candidate of the All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP). He was defeated by the People’s Democratic Party nominee, President Olusẹgun Ọbasanjọ, by a margin of more than eleven million votes. It was claimed by Mr Buhari’s supporters and other members of the opposition that out that in some states, like Ebonyi, there were more votes than there were actually registered voters. Although some allegations of fraud were conclusively proven in the courts and the conduct of the election was criticized by the same Commonwealth body that criticized the recent Zimbabwean Elections – Commonwealth Observer Group,the consensus among Nigerians was that he should not waste his time in court as he did not have the necessary resources to “buy” himself justice. Eventually, the same court also decided that the level of proven electoral fraud was not sufficient to affect the outcome of the election and to warrant the cancellation of the whole Presidential election.

On 18 December 2006, Gen. Buhari was nominated as the consensus candidate of the All Nigeria People’s Party. His main challenger in the April 2007 polls was the ruling PDP candidate, Umaru Yar’Adua, who also hails from the same home state – Katsina. In the election, Buhari officially took 18% of the vote against 70% for Yar’Adua, but Buhari rejected these results. After Yar’Adua took office, the ANPP agreed to join his government, but Buhari denounced this agreement.

Towards 2011 General Election in Nigeria: Profile of Presidential Candidates 1

Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger, GCON, and President, Commander-in-Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, was born to a humble Niger Delta family of canoe makers on November 20, 1957. Growing up in the warmth of a close knit family, Dr. Jonathan had humble yet adventurous beginnings. In spite of the enchanting beauty of the Niger Delta and the pristine innocence of those times, the young Jonathan rather than take after the family trade, chose to go to school.

He attended St. Stephens and St. Michaels Primary Schools, Oloibiri, finishing in 1969. He proceeded to Mater Dei High School, Imiringi, where he passed his West African School Certificate with flying colours in 1975.

On completion of his secondary education, he worked as a Preventive Officer with the Nigerian Customs Service for two years before proceeding to the University of Port Harcourt as one of the pioneer students of the new university nestling on the shores of the Choba River. He chose Zoology. As a child he had been fascinated with nature, and growing up by the shores of the intertwining rivers and waterways of the Niger Delta, aquatic life was second nature.


He graduated with Second Class Upper honours in 1981. In 1985 and 1995 he studied for his Master’s and Ph.D degrees in Hydrobiology and Fisheries Biology, and Zoology respectively, from the same University. But this was not until he had completed his mandatory one year of National Youth Service in Iresi, old Oyo State, now Osun State of Nigeria.

Returning to the warm embrace of family and friends in 1982, he was appointed as Science Inspector of Education, Rivers State Ministry of Education, while studying in between for his post-graduate and graduate degrees. Between 1983 and 1993 he took up employment as a lecturer in the Department of Biological Science, Rivers State College of Education.

In 1993, he was appointed Assistant Director (Ecology of the defunct Oil Mineral Producing Areas Development Commission (OMPADEC) in charge of Environmental Protection. Working in a developmental environment, his desire to better of the lot of the people motivated him to answer the call to service. He resigned his job in 1998 and went into politics.

His honesty, simplicity, charisma, quiet strength and determination made him an ideal running mate to Chief D.S.P. Alamieyeseigha on the Bayelsa People’s Democratic Party, PDP, gubernatorial ticket. They won the elections, and he served as a Deputy Governor from 1999 to 11 December 2005. On 12 December that year, he became the substantive Governor of Bayelsa State.

It wasn’t long after that fate once again beckoned. He was busy preparing for re election to his first full term as substantive governor, when the PDP, which is the largest political party in Africa, nominated him as running mate to the Presidential candidate, Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar’adua. After a keenly contested election, the Yar’adua/Jonathan ticket won, and on May 29, 2007, he was inaugurated as Nigeria’s Vice President.

Precisely on February 9, 2010, Dr. Jonathan assumed office as Nigeria’s Acting President by virtue of a National Assembly resolution empowering him as Acting President, following President Yar’Adua’s long absence for medical attention in Saudi Arabia.

Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan was sworn-in on May, 6, 2010 as President, Commander-in-chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria following the passing away of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua on May 5, 2010.

Dr. Jonathan has received several local and international awards. He was voted the ‘Best performing Deputy Governor’ in 2002 by IPAN, given the ‘Democracy and Good Governance Award’ by Nigeria Union of Journalists in 2004. The Africa International News magazine league conferred on him the ‘Niger Delta Development Award’; the Nigerian Bar Association, the ‘Distinguished Personality’ award in 2006, and the All African Students Union in South Africa, the ‘Africa Leadership Award 2006’.

Additionally, the Nigerian Union of Teachers voted him the ‘Best Performing Governor in Education in the South-South’ in 2006. He was also recognized by the International Federation for World Peace (IIFWP) in 22 July 2006, with ‘Ambassador for Peace Merit Award’ as well as the ‘Leadership and Good Governance Merit Award’.
Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan is married to Dame Patience Goodluck Jonathan, and the union is blessed with children.