CHATTERBOX

By Matthew Mahmood

Under the new pricing regime due to become effective in April, tariffs will rise 25-88 per cent, though most customer classes will see a 50-per-cent increase in their bills.
---ThisDay

Dr Sam Amadi
Dr Sam Amadi used to be on the side of the masses as a TV political commentator. We were 'shocked' when we discovered that he was involved in the planned inflation of 88% increase on electricity bills in Nigeria as the Chairman/Chief Executive of Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).

Where does Amadi expect the masses and struggling members of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria to get money from? In 2009, Vanguard investigations revealed that over 100 factories were shut down due to lack of electricity supply. Amadi has disappointed the masses who suffer from epileptic power supply and have never enjoyed undisrupted electricity supply in their lifetime. It is unfair. Does Amadi want the masses to occupy his office a la Occupy Nigeria movement, which was against the fake fuel subsidy removal?

Disgraced former House of Representatives Speaker Dimeji Bankole was involved in the N5.2 Billion Rural Electrification Agency scandal. Electricity scam of $16bn (£11bn) occurred during the regime of Olusegun Obasanjo. Why not recover the loot and use it to subsidize the tariff, rather than ask the masses to pay 50% - 88% tariff? Amadi who is a lawyer and public policy analyst has totally ‘changed’. Almost unbelievable!!!

“We are making sure that the urban poor and rural dwellers be provided a subsidy so that they don’t see a significant increase in tariff,” Minister of Power, Professor Bart Nnaji, said in an interview with FT in Abuja. “The rest should be able to pay for it.”
---ThisDay

Can Professor Nnaji stop 'dribbling' the masses? There are poor people living in cities and not just in urban and rural areas. In fact, there are several slums in Nigerian cities. He should tell the masses how much will be subsidized for the poor and not just ‘measure’ poverty by the map of Nigeria since the less privileged hardly notice the difference.

According to Amadi on ABN Digital, the level of consumption of electricity by consumers would determine tariff rates while rural areas are to benefit from lower tariff because they consume 'less' electricity. He was more interested in satisfying the bidders of Nigeria electricity privatization than how it will affect the consumers in order to help the bidders to recover their capital. Tariff increment should not be a burden on consumers in a country with lack of government incentives.

It is obvious that a lot of pressure was mounted on Amadi because the new tariff was supposed to start on 1 January 2012, the same day that fuel subsidy was removed. NERC informed Nigerians since last year but the staggering percentage was not revealed. Is President Goodluck Jonathan not a man that lacks compassion?

As they say, if you can't beat them, join them. Amadi once said on Focus Nigeria (AIT - Sky Channel 187) that he previously wanted to venture into Nigerian politics but was ‘stopped’ by a state governor who said that he did not like intelligent people, especially those who were as intelligent as Amadi. Has Amadi joined them? The electricity tariff increment could mean that electricity is not for the poor because it may become unaffordable for them.

Nevertheless, we hope that prepaid meters would be installed in several villages due to online complaints. In 2011, the World Bank provided prepaid meters in Nyanya, Karu, Mararaba and Masaka to the Power Holding Company of Nigeria customers but the prepaid meters are not always free. 'A single phase prepaid meter costs N25,000, while a double phase unit goes for N35,000 and a three phase meter costs N55,000'.


Nigerians to pay higher electricity tariff from April 30
Electricity tariff: Adding insult to injury
FG suspends electricity tariff hike
Yar’Adua and the Big Blind Country (BBC)




'Sinners' in the Senate of 'Rogues'

The cost per unit of the 2011 model of the jeep obtained from the manufacturer's website is $100,724 - about N16,115, 840.
The total cost of the vehicles for the 109 senators is put at over N1.7 billion.
---Nation

These sinators senators have grown wings. Is it not a senate of 'sinners' or 'rogues?' They probably thought that they were elected to feed fat on the poor electorate. A Nigerian senator reportedly earns more than President Barack Obama of the United States and British Prime Minister David Cameron.

The senators are already rejoicing over their latest ‘booty’ which is a Toyota Land Cruiser jeep for every one of them at a whooping cost of over N1.7 billion. The jeeps may be delivered this week. The masses are powerless. Non of the senators rejected a brand new jeep. Awon Ole! A lot of Nigerians are poor but Nigeria is not a 'poor' country. If the sinators senators had the opportunity, would they not have bought jet planes?



Chairman Abandons Wife After $40,000 Scam


Jude Nwokenkwo, the chairman of Ehime Mbano Local Government (Imo State, Nigeria) allegedly used his wife’s name to get a JP Morgan Chase bank loan of $40,000 and later abandoned her and their children in the United States. She claimed that the loan was taken without her consent and wrote a letter to 247ureports titled ‘Help! My Husband, Jude Nwokenkwo, [Gov Okorocha's Aide] Abandoned Me And My 3 Sons In USA For 21yr Old In Owerri’. Chairman Jude Nwokenkwo has moved on with a new younger wife by traditional marriage. Chairman, are these allegations true or false? So far, most of the comments on 247ureports are in favour of the chairman who has a successful Home Healthcare business in Chicago.

As a matter of fact, his older brother Emmanuel aka Emma santana Nwokenkwo is a wanted man here in the States, if anyone knows his where about please contact the authorities in the states.

Furthermore, when Jude came back to the U.S in July 2011 for three weeks he wired $8,000 to this younger lady’s account in Naija, l have all the evidence and he also purchased a $2000.00 wedding rings for her, when l confronted him in front of our pastor with all the evidence he have the nerves to say that it was for my birthday….negro are you for real?? Mind you people he never give me that ring.
---Bisi Nwokenkwo

Ukwu Nwanyi Owerri (The Backside of Owerri Woman) by Flavour N'Abania ft Stormrex

By Matthew Mahmood


Members of the Red Cross helping to remove dead bodies


Yesterday's multiple bombings in Kano State of Nigeria have killed 143 people.

The amount rose to 143 after seven people were initially declared dead according to the Daily Mail.

Death toll rises to 162 in northern Nigeria attack
Jonathan, UK mourn •FG clueless — ACN
Outrage greets massacre, tear-gassing of elder statesmen
Courageous in the face of adversities

Occupy London: Protesters Take Over Roman House


Occupy London Stock Exchange movement has occupied Roman House which is an empty nine-storey building in the Barbican area of London that reportedly belongs to the Swiss Bank UBS. Occupy London says it has ‘publicly repossessed’ the building.

The protesters gained access to the building a few days after they lost an eviction case. The anti-capitalist protesters are not ready to move out of the building unless the City of London Corporation publish its full cash accounts.


Occupy London protesters take over empty UBS bank offices
Occupy London campaigners take over derelict building

Mr & Mrs: A ‘Deadly’ Conversation



Mr: What are you frowning for?

Mrs: Why I no go frown. Must you wear a bulletproof vest to bed? I won’t let you touch me with that on.

Mr: So you want terrorists to kill me off. The latest bombing took place in Kano. The Daily Mail says 143 people died in the blasts.

Mrs: God forbid but can bulletproof protect you from a bomb blast? Did they tell you to wear it to bed? If so, where is my own? This man is selfish o.

Mr: The only time I don’t wear it is when I’m in the shower. We need a bulletproof shower since we have bulletproof cars.

Mrs: The masses are grumbling about us using 9 presidential jets. They will say we are wasting money again. They don’t know how you risk your life to govern them. As the No 1 lady, I need bulletproof shoes, bags and hats plus sunglasses. I don’t care what any bagger says.

Mr: I don’t think many accessories are available in bulletproof.

Mrs: We have to thank God in church tomorrow because the troublesome unions called off the strike and settled for N97 per litre instead of N65.

Mr: My dear, every Naija person has a price. We have bribed the trade union leader with a part time job. None of them left without being compensated. Have you heard them grumble since then although some demonstrators were felled by police and army bullets?

Mrs: Grumble for where? Why don’t you invite Teenubu and his wife to the villa for a weekend?

Mr: What for? Pindypee ‘backbenchers’ would not like that since the Teenubus are members of the opposition party.

Mrs: Teenubu can teach you how to sleep with an eye open since you snore like a hippopotamus. His wife can teach me how to become a senator.

Mr: So in 2015 na senator you dey plan for, you this woman. Haba!

Mrs: I dey plan for my future now. Supposing I become a widow by 2015, I would have to work and look after the childrens.

Mr: You have already predicted my death. Na wa o! So, all you want to do in the senate is to move motions on children with childrens grammar. Ha ha ha...

Mrs: Stop laughing! Look, face reality. The terrorists have sent you a video message. Only a fool would hear his death sentence and sleep without an eye open.

Mr: The message is not only for me o. That pastor and infidels are included.

Mrs: That pastor go land you in more trouble. He told defenceless Christians to stay and fight terrorists when they should have fled for safety. After all, you and the security forces could not protect them. I beg! I no want more trouble o. The next time he dey come to the villa, tell am say I don travel. Na my bedroom I go-go hide.

Mr: The pastor supported us on fuel subsidy removal so I cannot get rid of him. He cares more for my political cabinet than the Christians in this country. Yet, they could not sack him as the president of their association.

Mrs: No wonder he told Christians to stay in the north and die in cold blood. The church owners did not want to lose church money if their brainwashed congregation moved away. That is how greedy some pastors are. I can understand the plight of Christians that had nowhere to go but what of those who could have escaped some previous blasts? The terrorists even gave them a few days to runaway. As they say, he who fights and runs away, lives to fight another day.

Mr: That is a wise adage.

Mrs: I beg! Remove your bulletproof vest. I want to sleep.

Mr: You’re lucky I don’t have bulletproof briefs.

Mrs: Ha ha ha!

By Danielle Lobito


Union 'Warriors'

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) have suspended their strike actions on the removal of fuel subsidy by the Federal Government of Nigeria. NLC and TUC accepted the new pump price of fuel at N97 per litre after the government decreased the pump price from N141 per litre to N97 today.

Last Saturday, NLC and TUC claimed that they would not back down until the pump price of fuel is reduced to N65 per litre, which was the initial price. Why have they backed down against their words although the National Assembly did not defend the masses like the NLC and TUC? However, the legislators can afford the increment unlike most of their voters.

Nigerian Labor Unions Suspend Strike on Fuel Subsidies

Was Fashola Right Or Wrong?


Nigerian soldiers

36 Governors of Nigerian States were in favour of the removal of fuel subsidy. Even after the governor of Jigawa State accused all state governors of supporting the removal of fuel subsidy, the governors kept mute and refused to defend themselves apart from those that were bold enough to support the federal government openly e.g. the governors of Jigawa, Edo, Anambra and Rivers States.

Was it right for the governors of Lagos, Ekiti and Osun States to try to support the masses after the removal of fuel subsidy in 2012 since they supported the federal government in 2011, behind the corridors of power? Some governors are in their first tenure; the masses would be senseless to vote for them again. Such governors were not genuinely supporting the masses on fuel subsidy removal. They were merely canvassing for future votes.

Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola was summoned to Abuja over union strikes and mammoth protests in Lagos State as if mass protests did not occur in other states. Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi was also 'summoned'. Fashola reportedly travelled in one of ‘nine’ presidential jets sent in a jiffy. Fashola later warned the Petroleum, Energy and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) against going on strike while the labour and trade unions were negotiating with the government as if he supported the federal government.

PENGASSAN wanted to go on strike on Sunday and ‘shut down oil wells’ in Nigeria. It could have forced the government to back down to N65 per litre. Unfortunately, the NLC and TUC suspended their strike action today after accepting the federal government’s offer of N97 per litre.

Fashola should not be complaining of military presence in Lagos State because he should have known that the soldiers were coming. Fashola is in his last tenure and does not have much to lose. Maybe that’s why he warned PENGASSAN. There was no need for him to deliver a speech on the ‘militarization’ of Lagos State after ‘dining’ with the devil without a long spoon.

He should have telephoned President Jonathan, asked for another presidential plane to take him back to Aso Rock Presidential Villa and engage Mr President in a war of words, rather than use his speech as a PR gimmick to wash himself clean of any presidential dung. The speech was nothing but spin. We couldn’t be fooled.

It is up to the audience to decide if Fashola was right or wrong for his stance on fuel subsidy. Such foolery was practiced during the 2011 presidential election when Mallam Nuhu Ribadu lost votes as sections of ACN 'sold out' to the PDP. Like Fashola, a presidential jet was sent to take the leader of ACN to the glorious villa. Coincidentally, it was the same aircraft.


Fashola Warns PENGASSAN over Strike
Jonathan summons Fashola and Amaechi to Abuja as talks heat up
Fashola asks Jonathan to withdraw soldiers from Lagos streets
36 govs endorsed fuel subsidy removal -Lamido reveals
Labour strike: Fashola summoned to Abuja
Tinubu flown to Abuja in presidential jet

By Matthew Mahmood





Photo: Courtesy Facebook


10 things about me...

(1)Once I had no shoes but today I can afford to buy more shoes than the former 1st Lady of the Philippines Imelda Marcos.
(2) Naija is under political bondage. Removal of fuel subsidy was just to make enough money for the 'National' Executive Council members, so that we don’t suffer after 2015.
(3) I’m Naija’s last President.
(4) Wasting pubic funds is my No 1 hobby; that's why I can't disclose my assets publicly but secretly.
(5) I am controlled by international institutions on economic issues because I’m a greedy dullard.
(6) I’m a stooge for a cabal of retired dictators on mountain tops and posh farms.
(7) I am a very pretentious and deceitful leader.
(8) My government is not interested in basic amenities like water, electricity, affordable housing or food for the poor. I am here to make as much money as I can make for myself, Lady P and the kids. Pray to 'jam' luck like me!
(9) There are 9 planes in the presidential fleet that I enjoy while US President Obama 'has' two presidential jets.
(10) We need 24-hour Buffet in the Presidential Villa, that’s why I requested for N1 billion for food plus N300 million for plates and cutlery in the 2012 budget. OK!

By Danielle Lobito



Mrs Ganiat Fawehinmi, Mohammed and Saheed Fawehinmi, Femi Falana, Femi Aborisade and other activists engaged in a protest against fuel subsidy removal and exorbitant tuition fees at Lagos State University.

The Federal Government of Nigeria increased the cost of fuel the following day from N65 per litre to N141 per litre, on January 1st. The masses and civil society organisations have held rallies across the country including the Joint Action Front. Some Nigerians in Britain held a protest in London last Friday. During the Ilorin protest; a protester Muideen Folorunsho Mustapha was allegedly murdered by the Nigerian police.

From Monday January 9th, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) will begin indefinite strike that may paralyse activities in Nigeria. It may be better for people to do their shopping today and tomorrow in order to avoid shortage of food and other household commodities. A luta continua!

NIGERIANS SHOULD IGNORE ANY BLACK MARKET INJUNCTION
---NLC Press Statement

There are rumours circulating that the desperate Jonathan administration has purchased a black market injunction possibly from the National Industrial Court (NIC). The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) is not aware of any such injunction, we were not served any paper of court appearance, we were not present in court nor were we represented in any capacity. Also, the NLC was not served any court summons nor were we served any court order.
---Nigeria Labour Congress

Lawyers Caution Labour against Defying Court Order
---ThisDay

On his part, solicitor to the labour unions, Mr. Femi Falana, said his clients had not been served the injunction and that when this is done, he would advise his client appropriately.
“The order should be produced. They never served us any court order. I have not seen it and when I see it, I’ll advise my client appropriately,” he said.

NDDC Threatens NLC
The Niger Delta Democratic Coalition (NDDC) supports fuel hike simply because President Goodluck Badluck Jonathan is from the Niger Delta. NDDC has threatened to set-up 'over one million' youths thugs against the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), if NLC decides to carry out a protest in the Niger Delta on Monday. Maybe the National Assembly should review the money paid to Niger Delta ex-militants. It is unfair since they are not the only group of deprived people in the country.

Nevertheless, some of their people are living in poverty with deadly oil spillage here and there, regardless of having Niger Delta Ministry that gulps billions of Naira annually. Other ethnic groups do not have ministries that are specially allocated for their needs. The House of Representatives approved N261.04 billion for the 2012 budget of the Niger Delta Development Commission. Yearly, there is hardly any improvement in the region.

There is nothing democratic about the Niger Delta Democratic Coalition. Some political parties and organisations hide under the cloak of democracy. It should be called Niger Delta Demonic Coalition like the ruling Peoples Democratic Party Peoples Demonic Party.

Hired Groups Beg NLC
Different groups pleaded with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on TV. They shamelessly told NLC not to go on strike on Monday. Some of them are youth groups that should have opposed the removal of fuel subsidy. By their ‘hungry’ mouths we shall know them. How much were they paid for the propaganda?

Most of them did not look like people that could afford the increment. The government tool of propaganda NTAi showed the fuel price increase in Ghana but did not say that the Ghanaian government increased the cost of fuel by 30% while the Nigerian government increased fuel cost by 116%.

There is better electricity supply in Ghana than Nigeria. Ghanaians are not in constant darkness like their Nigerian counterparts and they have more confidence in their President. The shameless groups should leave NLC alone. One of them even went to the NLC secretariat in order to convince NLC to stop the strike.


Fuel subsidy removal: Labour declares war • Indefinite strike starts Monday • Lawyers, civil society groups join
Fawehinmi’s family, Falana hold rally against obnoxious tuition fees in LASU
Give Us Our Son – Subsidy Protest Victim’s Family Tells FG
Crack in NBA over strike



Diane Abbott: Time To Stop Tweeting?

Ed Miliband needs to ask himself, is he a man or a mouse?
He needs to get rid of her.
I really don't know why he won't sack her. Maybe he's just too weak to take her on.
These comments are an insult to thousands of taxi drivers but she seems to just get away with it.
---Steve McNamara

What is 'wrong' with 58 year old Hackney North and Stoke Newington MP Diane Abbott? A few days after she apologised for her ‘divide and rule’ comment; she tweeted another comment on London cab drivers. Must she tweet? A lot of people are not on twitter by choice. Couldn’t she have read a book or watched a film rather than commit another blunder? A Member of Parliament should be 'natural' and not be caught in racist gaffes.

How does she expect the white people in her constituency to feel? Is she fed up of her job as the Shadow Minister for Public Health? ‘Unbelievable!’ Right now, she is behaving like a ‘scared cow’ or ‘spoilt’ member of the British Labour Party. A lot of people are wondering how she could allow years of hard work to be tarnished by comments. It may be time for her to stop tweeting.

Diane Abbott may not be the only Labour MP that needs to stop tweeting... The leader of the Labour Party Ed Miliband ‘earned’ nicknames such as ‘Potato Ed’ and ‘Block Ed’ for his twitter gaffe. He sent a tweet on the ‘game show legend Bob Holness’ who died at 83.

Holness used to present Blockbusters on TV but Ed Miliband tweeted ‘Blackbusters’ and made a lot of people laugh. According to The Sun, ‘Panicking Labour officials swiftly deleted the tweet, but were too late to stop it going global'. Nobody is perfect but when you are not sure of something, it is better to leave it out...


The hypocrisy of Diane Abbott, an expert in 'divide and rule' if ever there was one
Nick Clegg: Diane Abbott 'has been stupid and crass'
‘Blackbusters’ tweet as TV quiz legend dies, 83
Diane Abbott in new row
Work for a white Conservative: What Abbott told Tory-voting graduate who asked for a job