Joshua King's Free Press

The president yesterday presented a democracy day address to the nation. It was presented in his usual lackluster, impassionate and lifeless manner. But make no mistake; the president had an air of belief in what he was saying. For the first time in recent memory, the Otueke born lecturer made a lot of sense and with good reason too. He paid tribute to past heroes, highlighted his administration's efforts at transforming Nigeria especially in the agricultural sector where according to him, remarkable progress is being recorded. It is glad to hear him speak of the need to diversify the economy and to appreciate the private sector that has taken initiative at making Nigeria's rice importation dependency become a thing of the past. Mr. President went further to note the triumphs he has made in the area of roads construction and rehabilitation which are very commendable. Another sector which was receiving his touch was the power sector where gas distribution is getting ma

At the interdenominational church service held at the Ecumenical Centre, Abuja, to commemorate the 2012 National Democracy Day, the guest preacher and immediate past Prelate of the Anglican Church of Nigeria, Most Reverend Peter Akinola, in his sermon, challenged the congregation to join him in the fight against corruption in the country by committing perpetrators to God. But the congregation, including the President, who was accompanied by his wife, Patience, the Governor of Bayelsa, Seriake Dickson and Kaduna, Patrick Yakowa, Deputy Governor of Nasarawa state, Dameshi Luka, as well as some ministers failed to respond to prayers to take corrupt officials “to the court of God.” Apparently, expecting to hear a thunderous YES or AMEN from the congregation, the Reverend, who instead got a deafening silence, exclaimed: “There you go! Oh, corruption! So, you are not ready to fight it, because you are all beneficiaries of it. Whether you steal in a small or big way, stealing is stealin

The silence has finally ended. The federal government has spoken on the emerging allegation of its complicity with convicted former oil minister Dan Etete of Malabu Oil over the fraudulent transfer of block OPL 245 to Shell/Agip in a deal worth over N155 billion. Online newspaper Premium Times had broken to Nigerians and indeed the rest of the world a tale of corruption, the bane of Nigeria’s progress. In the tale, discovered from the newspaper’s investigative reporting, former oil minister Dan Etete had formed along with Mohammed Abacha and one Alhaji Aliyu a new oil company Malabu Oil. The tale revealed that few days after its incorporation, Malabu Oil had acquired oil block OPL245. Malabu group then made SNUD its technical partner as required by law. The acquisition of block OPL245 was however illegal and its award to Malabu had been reversed by the Obasanjo administration with the disputed property awarded to Shell/Agip. Somehow, the federal government reversed itself under t

The Attorney General of the Federation  Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN)  has insisted that there will be no immediate reinstatement of Justice Ayo Salami to his seat as President of the Court of Appeal. He said a substantive suit barring the federal government from the reinstatement is pending in court and an attempt by the federal government to reinstate the judge would amount to subjudice. Justice Ayo Salami had been suspended earlier for his brawl with former Chief Justice of the Federation Aloysius Katsina-Alu over a politically motivated face off. Justice Salami had refused to accept promotion to the Supreme Court and had gone public with his view that the Chief Justice was determined to subvert justice on a case before Salami that is the Sokoto governorship election appeal. Justice Salami has been hailed as a courageous judge who on two occasions had overturned elections that were fraught with malpractice in Osun and Ekiti states. An Abuja based lawyer Amobi Nzelu representi

President Goodluck Jonathan is enjoying a difficult time in office. The man Nigerians voted because he had no shoes now has his shoes full with all manner of comforting pinch. There is no end in sight for such a pleasurable ride in turmoil for the Otueke born lecturer turned politician. Every now and then, there is news of Boko Haram, a terrorist organization that has thus far made security a persistent headache for Nigeria’s number one citizen. Then there is the political face off with the opposition every now and again. As if these are not enough, the man famed for being lucky has not been lucky with the jeers coming his way for his inability to sack the principal actors in the subsidy fraud or his inability to promptly reinstate Justice Ayo Salami. These are not enough worry however, as fresh allegations have emerged that the president himself discretely ordered the transfer of over a billion US Dollars to Dan Etete former petroleum minister under the Abacha regime. Acco

It is no news that the Bayern Munich failed to win the UEFA Champions League despite being favourites. In a match they clearly dominated in every aspect, the question remains: how did they avoid winning? They passed the ball well but were not incisive with the chances they created. When they did create chances, wasteful finishing cost them. They had a number of corner kicks and persistently delighted in wasting them. When Frank Ribbery chose to score, he was offside and the celebrations were short lived. It was a final where pundits and experts worldwide had advised everyone to put their money on the Bavarians sighting a number of factors: Chelsea’s league table finish showed they were not good enough to be up there with Europe’s elite. Chelsea had no special players to rely on to create spectacular moments and indeed were without four key players including influential captain John Terry and Brazilian Ramires. More importantly, the final was to be played at the Allianz Arena

You’ll never walk alone is the song sang every match day by Liverpool faithful. One Liverpool faithful though is walking alone. His name is Kenny Dalglish. King Kenny is by no means a small name in British football. He starred for Celtics scoring loads of goals and was then sold to Liverpool. There he made his mark also as player and then also as manager. The Scot eventually stepped down as manager of the Reds for reasons of ill health.   His return as Liverpool boss was greeted with high hopes. In the end only six wins at Anfield, finishing several points behind rivals Everton in 9th place, and the failure of his signings to get performances together saw Dalglish get sacked today 16th May, 2012 after just one season in charge. His stay though brief brought a relative success as he led the Reds to a first title in six years with the Carling Cup win. Another final that might have been won was shroud in controversy. Did that ball not cross the line? There are two kinds of manag

It is only in Nigeria that politicians are unashamed of ridicule and indecency, some at least. Or what else will one call the charade that ensued between General Buhari, the presidency and the Peoples’ Democratic Party? For making declarations to his party members, the presidency and the ruling PDP ran into the mud gleefully to prove to everyone that the country’s leadership is swift to reaction and gradually the country has descended into a mud fight. General Muhamodu Buhari’s declarations have since resulted into an exchange that is neither helpful nor is it in anyway productive to the polity. In a democracy (this is hardly one), there is room to tackle another party but it must be issue driven. The general spoke on an issue or issues but the reaction has been largely personal. General Buhari had said that there will be a mass revolt in 2015 if INEC fails to conduct free and fair polls. Speaking to some members of his party the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) who came to

Forty Million Naira! That is a lot of money. It can make a man untrained in acrobatics learn the skill in an instant. That sum though has not been won by a responsible organization or person but by the radical terrorist organization Boko Haram. An unnamed Algerian counterpart has made a donation of the sum to our Nigerian terror group to help it improve in its activities. According to a report made available to news site http://premiumtimesng.com/news/5079-boko_haram_gets_n40million_donation_from_algeria.html , the terrorist organization has been receiving some support from Al Qaida. The report, a product of a joint police and military investigations and raids, carried out in Kano and Sokoto in December 2011 indicates that the Algerian sect gave out the funds as its first installment in a planned long term partnership with Boko Haram. The donation is to be used to train the Boko Haram trainees in the art of kidnapping foreigners for ransom. This report was recovered in 2011 bu

A certain Italian Galileo by name made a contraption that swings this way and that way in order to tell the time. That machine was named the pendulum; oscillating hence and thence on a never ending mission. What inspired Galileo though was not gravity or some other story you might have heard, it was his dream of a football match that swung this way and that that inspired him to make such a device. Today, the EPL season of the 2011/2012 proves in the end that the pendulum learnt a thing or two from the beautiful game. The EPL has been touted by its promoters as the greatest show on earth. Sometimes it does not offer much sound football that some really savvy spectators might revel in but make no mistake; it never fails to thrill with excitement. Every season, twenty teams compete for the trophy where every match in the 380 game series is a contest for three points. Some teams do not chase just the three points though, they chase the ultimate prize: the league title. Failure to pic

The Lagos state governor has fired 1000 doctors for embarking on an industrial action over Consolidated Medical Salary Scale (CONMESS). The Lagos Medical Council yesterday began employing other doctors some of whom are making hasty switch from private firms to fill the vacuum created by the sacked striking doctors. Speaking on Workers’ Day celebration May 1st, the governor had insisted he will not pay any wage or salary determined by the federal government. The doctors on their part have gone to court to challenge the governor’s refusal to pay CONMESS which Lagos state government consented to 13 months ago. Meanwhile, a substantive suit barring the doctors from strike at the Industrial Court is pending. The faceoff between the two has reached a point that can best be described as a fight between two elephants leaving the grass underneath them to suffer. Many Lagosians are dependent on the doctors for treatment. While we do not support the medical profession for embarking on a

For AC Milan, the 2011/2012 Season began with high hopes. The most successful club in the world were defending champions and the year’s objective was to win another league title so as to move inch closer to that second league star. To win titles in football, you need a combination of factors, quality players to start and quality players to back them up. You need a mixture of experience and the strength of youth as well as a dynamic manager who has workable tactics and more importantly is able to motivate his charges always. What’s more, you need luck and absence of injuries in key moments. For Milan, there was no shortage of quality players. Zlatan Ibrahimovic would lead the attack while the Brazilian duo of Pato and Robinho would alternate around him. Seasoned campaigner Antonio Cassano was to provide guile and creativity behind them. In midfield though, Milan was short of combativeness. Marc Van Bommel who joined mid last season is already 34. Massimo Ambrosini, Genaro Gattu

He got past the defender Was chased by the keeper to the corner There was no stopping that striker He took a well placed shot from there Goal by Yekini the striker A goal king and proven performer Penalty kick to Nigeria To take it was the big strong striker Pointing to the top corner There, he placed it again and again From the spot, Yekini was a master 37 goals for Nigeria World Cup America, we cannot forget Yekini scored and clutched the net Our world cup’s first and probably his last That goal will in our memory last There are not many to match his feat Years after his feat his feat non can beat Strikers come and go as legends do Yekini is a legend true and true A philanthropist and maybe a recluse Rashidi Yekini in decline we abuse Into a sad shell he reclined To meet with fate common with mankind Yekini was a star of two World Cups for Nigeria. He never failed to perform. Yes, there were missed sitters  but it change

Late Olaitan Oyerinde The private secretary to Adams Oshiomole, governor of Edo state, Olaitan Oyerinde, has been assassinated, Edo government officials say.  He was shot by unknown gunmen in his home in Ugbor GRA, Benin City, the capital of Edo state, at about 1:30 a.m Friday morning. First, we would like to pray for a peaceful repose of the dead and pray also that the family of the bereaved who lost their breadwinner right before their eyes have the strength to bear the irreplaceable loss.  Comrade Olaitan Oyerinde is not a politician. He is not even an Edo citizen. Why he was chosen for this assassination remains unclear but dirty Nigerian politics cannot be far from the motivation behind such a wicked act. Oyerinde who before now was a career unionist was also a UNILAG alumni.  Nigeria has had a rough history of politically motivated  assassinations . Most of these deaths have remained unsolved and many of the suspects remain free for lack of evidence among other re

The Attorney General of the Federation, Adokie Bello SAN has described the Farouk Lawan ad hoc committee’s report on the subsidy regime as a mere ‘fact finding mission’ and that it does not constitute evidence against the indicted persons. He added that the relevant law enforcement agencies will be required to proceed on a new investigation into the activities leading up to the regime fraught with fraud. According to the minister of justice, hasty prosecution of the indicted persons where evidence is insufficient usually results in justice not being done. Mr. Adokie further described the ultimatum issued by the Save Nigeria Group (SNG) to prosecute the indicted persons within two weeks or see a nationwide protest as diversionary. In a related development, the CBN has declared that the NNPC did not receive double payments for imported fuel as supposedly claimed by the report and has absolved the petroleum body of any wrong doing.  Nigeria is very similar to George Orwell’s fab

Henry Okah, remember him? The man accused of supervising Independence Day bombing from South Africa has prepared an affidavit in which he claims the president, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan through his operatives had asked him to carry out the dastardly act that claimed 10 lives. Okar also says he was asked to lay the blame on the door steps of fundamentalists in the north. According to the terrorist suspect whose trial is scheduled to commence October this year, the motive of the president was to demonize his opponents and buy sympathy for himself in readiness for the 2011 general elections. At the time of the Independence Day Bombing, Nigerians had been led to believe that former military president Gen. Ibrahim Babangida was responsible. A certain media proprietor was also fingered for his alleged involvement in paying the bombers. Indeed, Nigerians bought into believing that the president was being attacked by enemies from the north who were desperate to see him leave office by