Michael Ojuroye Initiative (Ngo)

By: Funmi Ojuroye  October 28th 2013 THE family of the former Chief of General Staff, Admiral Mike Akhigbe, Monday, described as untrue, online reports that the former number two man died in a London hospital. Contrary to the reports of his alleged death, elder brother of the Admiral, Chief Joseph Alemon Akhigbe, said the news about his death was shocking to the family because ‘’ it is not true and it is really embarrassing to us’’. According to him,‘’My brother is stabilizing in an American hospital and not even London as erroneously reported. As I speak to you now, the report in my opinion is pure speculation, the paper said he died in a London hospital but my brother is in an American hospital stabilizing. The wife, son-in-law and his daughter are with him. My immediate younger brother in Abuja who spoke to the wife in America confirmed to family members that the Admiral is stabilizing; the news of his death is totally untrue. Also, younger brother of the Admiral, Mr Aselenm...

By: Funmi Ojuroye  October 28th 2013 Storm-force winds gusting up to 99mph are battering southern parts of the UK, bringing widespread travel disruption, flooding and power cuts. The intense storm, which swept in overnight, was causing a chaotic start to the working week with roads impassable because of fallen trees and surface water, and major bridges closed because of the high winds. UK Power Networks said 140,000 homes were without power in southern counties, while Western Power Distribution said 6,000 homes were affected in the south-west. Most rail companies in the south of England suspended early morning services, with many trains not expected to run until after 9am, when Network Rail staff have been able to check the tracks were safe. Network Rail said more than 100 trees had fallen on the tracks – it had cleared more than 40 blockages and was expecting to deal with more. There was also a landslip in the New Forest and a train was disabled after hitting a tree at Ivybrid...

By: Funmi Ojuroye  October 28th 2013 For the past weeks since the incumbent Aviation Minister, Ms. Stella Oduah, was reported to have purchased, through the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), her two latest and most expensive bullet proof vehicles- BMW 760 Li HSS- at the abnormal price of N255m ($ 1.6m), Nigerians, both at home and abroad have been displeased by this act of flamboyancy and many- the living, dead, deaf, blind, lame and disable and the poor- have reacted on different platforms. However, despite the fact that this act of mismanagement as many have described it has generated a lot of debates among ‘patriotic’ Nigerians, the focus of this write-up is not to expose Nigeria’s shame before the world, but to state in clear terms, why Nigeria has failed to develop despite the plethora of resources it possessed- if we like we say ‘oil’ amongst others. The only answer one can give is the existence of tribalism and ethnicity among leaders and followers in the country...

By: Funmi Ojuroye  October 28th 2013 CHAIRMAN, Senate Committee on Rules and Business, Ita Enang, yesterday, gave reasons why President Goodluck Jonathan was delaying presentation of the 2014 budget, saying it was because the National Assembly had not passed the 2014-2016 Medium Term Expenditure Framework, MTEF. Enang, who represents Akwa Ibom North East on the platform of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, explained in an interview with Vanguard that the President was awaiting the passage of the MTEF by the National Assembly before acting on the 2014 budget. He said the National Assembly cannot expect presentation of the budget now, since it had not passed and forwarded the MTEF to the President. He explained that the MTEF would guide the executive in the preparation of the budget. He said: “We will expect the 2014 budget after we have passed the Medium Term Expenditure Framework and forward it to Mr President which is going to be the basis for preparation of the bu...

By: Funmi Ojuroye  October 28th 2013 Jonathan The All Progressives Congress has said that the Goodluck Jonathan administration may end up as the most corrupt in Nigeria’s history. The party, in its first official reaction to the the  N255m bulletproof car scandal involving the Minister of Aviation, Ms. Stella Oduah, said it was appalled at the manner Jonathan was handling  the  matter.   “We now understand why corruption has grown wings under the Jonathan Presidency, and why the administration may well go down as the most corrupt in the country’s history,” it said in a statement by its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, on Sunday. The statement was made available to journalists just as the  Nigerian  Civil Aviation Authority  said it had no  documents relating to the purchase of   the controversial   cars. The APC    said it reached  its conclusion on the Jonathan Preside...

By: Funmi Ojuroye  October 28th 2013 The latest effort by President Goodluck Jonathan to save the neck of his embattled Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah, hit the rocks last night in Israel. The Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, who arrived in Jerusalem on Saturday, was drafted to broker peace between the Minister and members of the National Assembly who are currently investigating her stunning purchase of two BMW armored cars, a scam that was first exposed by SaharaReporters. Ekweremadu called a meeting of two Nigerian lawmakers in the country, a Senator and a Member of the House of Representatives, to meet with the minister.  The meeting was attended by Ekweremadu, Stella Oduah, Rep. Jagaba Adams of Kaduna Kachiya/Kagarko federal constituency, and Senator Philip Aduda, who represents Abuja.  Also in attendance was Kola Adesina of Sahara Oil and Gas, a company now seen to be a front for President Jonathan.   However as the Minister declared her intenti...

By: Funmi Ojuroye  October 28th 2013 A Lagos-based lawyer, Mr.Daniel Onwe, has dragged the Federal Government and Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, before a Federal High Court, Lagos, over violation of the fundamental right to the dignity of person of the affected students, who have been out of school following the union’s strike. The suit, FHC/CS/1360/13, was brought pursuant to Section 46(1) and (2) of the 1999 Constitution, Order II of the Fundamental Human Rights (Enforcement Procedure) Rules, 2009 and Article 5 of The African Charter on Human and People’s Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act, Cap. 10, LFN, 1990. Onwe is asking the court for a declaration that the indefinite strike leading to the closure of government-owned universities across the country violates the fundamental right to the dignity of person of the affected students guaranteed under Section 34 of the 1999 Constitution. He is seeking for an order directing the Federal Government and ASUU t...