Kola Animashaun

“13 years in the can”

I joined the Vanguard in September of 1985 (I was 46) and I resigned in 2004, December. I was 65 years. I worked at the Vanguard for 19 years. I had the mind to stay there for nine or ten years, but I ended up spending double the time I had intended.

This is to tell you that time flies. Obasanjo spent eight years at the presidency and Yar’adua/Jonathan spent four years. Right now, we have new brand president even if he is not so brand new.

Tinubu spent eight years and Raji Fashola spent four years and he is working another four years. Saraki has had eight years in Kwara and he is now a senator of the Federal Republic. Who knows how many more years yet he would be at the Senate.

All of these people have spent about thirteen years and they have acquired status variously as president, senators and governors. Of course, there are others of the same status and others of less. You may call them President of the Senate or Speaker of the House of Representatives or House of Assembly.

Now, Major Hamza Mustapha, the chief security officer of General Sanni Abacha is spending thirteen years in the can not knowing whether he will be hanged or set free. You could say because he is alive he has hope. But he could end up like Trevor Davis, who spent 20 years in American jail and still ended up in the gas chamber. For him, he suffered what lawyers call double jeopardy. He suffered extreme psychological trauma before his death.

Like Davis, Hamza and others must have died many, many times. The truth is that the case against him has not moved towards any decisive conclusion. And the jurist has advised against delay in justice. He says that could be denied justice.

This will be the umpteenth time I have advocated quick dispensation of justice, not only concerning this case but on other cases. The impression that some people have is that Hamza and co. have no case. In other words, they should be left off to go.

It will be a disservice to the families of the affected, who have waited for years to see justice done. But the ends of justice would have been served if only some guilty are allowed free than an innocent one to suffer.

Still on justice…

The case of Baba Suwe, the comedian bears some comment. Babatunde Omidina has been in custody since Thursday, 13th of this month. And he has been undergoing examination in the custody of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

He was supposed to have excreted narcotics of which NDLEA did not know. They were hoping he would excrete cocaine or heroin. Omidina has undergone three expedition to the NDLEA “Lavatory” to no avail.

He has not been allowed to leave for his home or for the overseas where he said he had an assignment. I do not know if he (Omidina) has undergone the Computerised Tomography Scan (C T. Scan).

How many minutes does a man dislodge the content of his bowel? The NDLEA says if does not take a minute or two or three but it takes “some days”.

The NDLEA means to punish the comedian and that if what I think is true, they would apologise “suitably. Even when there is reasonable suspicion , we take people in for observation,” according to NDLEA .

The NDLEA was not in the mood to apologise for its actions even, if it has said: “As far as we are concerned Baba Suwe is innocent, at least for now , it is just normal”. Let us pray that the NDLEA is finally correct. Otherwise , I pray that Baba Suwe will sue the shirt and trousers off their backs. They have wasted the man’s time and dishonoured him in addition . The NDLEA ruling on the possibilities of the actor taking legal action will be bunkum. Will Omidina take “it in his stride as one of the sacrifices to be taken in the drug war?” as the agency’s Director-General, Femi Ajayi has said.

MAILS

MEDICAL OPPORTUNITY

If you know of any child that needs heart surgery, please advise before 31 October 2011. Rotary International District 9110 is organizing a Gift of Life Surgery project for children suffering from various heart ailments in India. They will need the name and medical report of such patient

You can pass this message to your colleagues, relatives and friends.

Please send name and medical report to(oasis group, 385 Ikorodu Road, Ojota, Lagos). They will send to Rotary office. Deadline is end of this month envelope should be addressed to Rotary International District 9110 attention Dupe Ogunleye

Rgds, LEKE OGUNLEWE

CAMPAIGN TO ‘SACK’ CORRUPTION IN NIGERIA

What is really the root cause of fuel importation, fuel subsidy, electrical power shortage and outages, bad roads, broken health-care system, poor social and physical infrastructures, porous borders, mediocre law enforcement, weak judiciary, political thuggery and intolerance etc? It’s CORRUPTION!

More than ever, Nigeria needs a Citizens’ Anti-Corruption Revolution!! And this is why the International Christian Chamber of Commerce (ICCC) is initiating a programme called SACK to end corruption in Nigeria.

SACK which is the acronym for ‘Stand Against Corruption and Kleptocrats’ is a citizens action anti-corruption campaign that is aimed at inspiring, mobilising, educating and empowering Nigerians (and lovers of Nigeria) of all religions, tribes, languages and creeds to hate, resist, expose, report and SACK corruption in all its ramifications in the society and polity.

Corruption in Nigeria is ‘tribeless’ and religion-neutral. We are all victims of the pillaging of our common-wealth by people in both the public and private sectors. So ALL hands must be on deck to tackle this satanic stronghold in our land.

The objective of the SACK! Campaign is to turn Nigeria to a corruption-free country like Denmark, Sweden and Finland.

Join us at the Afe Babalola Auditorium, University of Lagos, 12noon to 3pm THIS SATURDAY, 29TH October, 2011, for the Launch of “Stand Against Corruption and Kleptocrats!” (SACK!).

Be part of this Revolution!

“Corruption has had a great toll on our economy, our infrastructures, our people and our institutions. It is a monstrous cancer that continues to erode our nation, our psyche and our potentials. It is a blight on our nation and a threat to the future of our children and generations yet unborn.” – Mr. Eghes Eyieyien, National Vice President for Governance of ICCC

OIL SUBSIDY

23yrs ago, precisely in 1988, the then SUG president of the university of jos led a team of students who rioted against the then military president(IBB) for removal of oil subsidy. He termed it “crime against the Nigeria masses and a war against the poor”. The SUG president was Mr Labaran Maku, the current minister of information who has said dat the removal of oil subsidy is over due. Isnt dis intresting ?

NLC not abresast of state of nation

Nigeria’s organised labour-NLC, TUC etc. does not seem to be abreast of the true state of the nation, hence it’s inability to articulate a factual opposition to the proposed removal of fuel subsidy. We suggest a nationwide, labour-organised public discuss on the matter.

Emeka/ Enugu

+2348033223905

I commend you

My name is Elvis from Asaba. I just read your write-up and was calling to commend you.

+2447087727536

Time for mass action

It is time the press SPEARHEADS a mass action against our RULERS! They want fuel subsidy removed to fund projects like that of speaker bankole who redecorated his official residence with our #200 million, bought same property from government for #45 million and rented same property to same government for #40 million!!

+2348023193939.