text:
Baba has given his fatherly advice,those that has ears let him hear!
- Home
- World
- Markets
- Companies
- Economy
- Intelligence
- Personal Finance
- BDSunday
- Management
- Exclusive
His Excellency,
Dr. Goodluck E. Jonathan, GCFR,
President and commnander-in-Chief
Of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,
Presidential Villa,
Asokoro, Abuja.
Dear Mr. President,
Before It Is Too Late…
I am constrained to make this an open letter to you for a number of reasons. One, the current situation and consequent possible outcome dictate that I should, before the door closes on reason and promotion of national interest, alert you to the danger that may be lurking in the corner. Two, none of the four or more letters that I have written to you in the past two years or so has elicited an acknowledgment or any response. Three, people close to you, if not yourself, have been asking, what does Obasanjo want?
Four, I could sense a semblance between the situation that we are gradually getting into and the situation we fell into as a nation during the Abacha era. Five, everything must be done to guard, protect and defend our fledgling democracy, nourish it and prevent bloodshed. Six, we must move away from advertently or inadvertently dividing the country along weak seams of North-South and Christian-Moslem. Seven, nothing should be done to allow the country to degenerate into economic dormancy, stagnation or retrogression.
Please continue, the contents of this letter is very important…
Eight, some of our international friends and development partners are genuinely worried about signs and signals that are coming out of Nigeria. Nine, Nigeria should be in a position to take advantage of the present favourable international interest to invest in Africa – an opportunity that will not be open for too long. Ten, I am concerned about your legacy and your climb-down which you alone can best be the manager of, whenever you so decide.
Mr. President, you have on a number of occasions acknowledged the role God enabled me to play in your ascension to power. You put me third after God and your parents among those that have impacted most on your life. I have always retorted that God only put you where you are and those that could be regarded as having played a role were only instruments of God to achieve God's purpose in your life. For me, I believe that politically, it was in the best interest of Nigeria that you, a Nigerian from minority group in the South, could rise to the highest pinnacle of political leadership.
If Obasanjo could get there, Yar'Adua could get there and Jonathan can get there, any Nigerian can. It is now not a matter of the turn of any section or geographical area but the best interest of Nigeria and all Nigerians. It has been proved that no group – ethnic, linguistic, religious or geographical location – has monopoly of materials for leadership of our country. And no group solely by itself can crown any of its members the Nigerian CEO. It is good for Nigeria.
I have also always told you that God has graciously been kind, generous, merciful and compassionate to me and He has done more than I could have ever hoped for. I want nothing from you personally except that you should run the affairs of Nigeria not only to make Nigeria good, but to make Nigeria great for which I have always pleaded with you and I will always do so. And it is yet to be done for most Nigerians to see. 2
For five capacities in which you find yourself, you must hold yourself most significantly responsible for what happens or fails to happen in Nigeria and in any case, most others will hold you responsible and God who put you there will surely hold you responsible and accountable. I have had opportunity, in recent times, to interact closely with you and I have come to the conclusion painfully or happily that if you can shun yourself to a great extent of personal and political interests and dwell more on the national interest and also draw the line between advice from selfish and self-centered aides and advice from those who in the interest of the nation may not tell you what you will want to hear, it will be well.
The five positions which you share with nobody except with God and which place great and grave responsibility on you are leadership of the ruling party, headship of the Federal Government or national government, Commander-in-Chief of the Military, Chief Security Officer of the nation, and the political leader of the country. Those positions go with being the President of our country and while depending on your disposition, you can delegate or devolve responsibility, but the buck must stop on your table whether you like it or not.
Let me start with the leadership of the ruling party. Many of us were puzzled over what was going on in the party. Most party members blamed the National Chairman. I understand that some in the presidency tried to create the impression that some of us were to blame. The situation became clear only when the National Chairman spoke out that he never did anything or acted in any way without the approval or concurrence of the Party Leader and that where the Party Leader disapproved, he made correction or amendment, that we realised most actions were those of the Chairman but the motivation and direction were those of the Leader. It would be unfair to continue to level full blames on the Chairman for all that goes wrong with the Party. The Chairman is playing the tune dictated by the Paymaster. But the Paymaster is acting for a definitive purpose for which deceit and deception seem to be the major ingredients. Up till two months ago, Mr. President, you told me that you have not told anybody that you would contest in 2015. I quickly pointed out to you that the signs and the measures on the ground do not tally with your statement. You said the same to one other person who shared his observation with me. And only a fool would believe that statement you made to me judging by what is going on.
I must say that it is not ingenious. You may wish to pursue a more credible and more honourable path. Although you have not formally informed me one way or the other, it will be necessary to refresh your memory of what transpired in 2011. I had gone to Benue State for the marriage of one of my staff, Vitalis Ortese, in the State. Governor Suswam was my hospitable host. He told me that you had accepted a one-term presidency to allow for ease of getting support across the board in the North. I decided to cross-check with you. You did not hesitate to confirm to me that you are a strong believer in a one-term of six years for the President and that by the time you have used the unexpired time of your predecessor and the four years of your first term, you would have almost used up to six years and you would not need any more term or time.
Later, I heard from other sources including sources close to you that you made the same commitment elsewhere, hence, my inclusion of it in my address at the finale of your campaign in 2011 as follows:
"…PDP should be praised for being the only party that enshrines federal character, zoning and rotation in its Constitution and practises it. PDP has brought stability and substantial predictability to the polity and to the system. I do not know who will be President of Nigeria after Dr. Goodluck Jonathan. That is in the hand of God. But with PDP policy and practice, I can reasonably guess from where, in term of section of the country, the successor to President Jonathan will come. And no internal democracy or competition will thereby be destroyed.
The recent resort to sentiments and emotions of religion and regionalism is self-serving, unpatriotic and mischievous, to say the least. It is also preying on dangerous emotive issues that can ignite uncontrollable passion and can distabilise if not destroy our country. This is being oblivious to the sacrifices others have made in the past for unity, stability and democracy in Nigeria in giving up their lives, shedding their blood, and in going to prison. I personally have done two out of those three sacrifices and I am ready to do the third if it will serve the best interest of Nigerian dream. Let me appeal to those who have embarked on this dangerous road to reflect and desist from taking us on a perishable journey.
With common identity as Nigerians, there is more that binds us than separates us. I am a Nigerian, born a Yoruba man, and I am proud of both identities as they are for me complementary. Our duties, responsibilities and obligations to our country as citizens and, indeed, as leaders must go side by side with our rights and demands. There must be certain values and virtues that must go concomitantly with our dream. Thomas Paine said "my country is the world"; for me, my country I hold dear.
On two occasions, I have had opportunity to work for my successors to the government of Nigeria. On both occasions, I never took the easy and distabilising route of ethnic, regional or religious consideration, rather I took the enduring route of national, uniting and stabilising route. I worked for both President Shagari and President Yar'Adua to succeed me not just because they are Moslems, Northerners or Hausa-Fulani, but because they could strengthen the unity, stability and democracy in Nigeria. We incurred the displeasure of ethnic chauvinists for doing what was right for the country. That is in the nature of burden of leadership. A leader must lead, no matter whose ox is gored.
In the present circumstance, let me reiterate what I have said on a number of occasions. Electing Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, in his own right and on his own merit, as the President of Nigeria will enhance and strengthen our unity, stability and democracy. And it will lead us towards the achievement of our Nigerian dream.
There is a press report that Dr. Goodluck Jonathan has already taken a unique and unprecedented step of declaring that he would only want to be a one-term President. If so, whether we know it or not, that is a sacrifice and it is statesmanly. Rather than vilify him and pull him down, we, as a Party, should applaud and commend him and Nigerians should reward and venerate him. He has taken the first good step.
Let us encourage him to take more good steps by voting him in with landslide victory as the fourth elected President of Nigeria on the basis of our common Nigerian identity and for the purpose of actualising Nigerian dream…"
When you won the election, one of the issues you very early pursued was that of one term of six years. That convinced me that you meant what you told me before my Speech at the campaign. Mr. President, whatever may be your intention or plan, I cannot comment much on the constitutional aspect of your second term or what some people call third term. That is for both legal and judicial attention. But if constitutionally you are on a strong wicket if you so decide, it will be fatally and morally flawed. As a leader, two things you must cherish and hold dear among others are trust and honour both of which are important ingredients of character. I will want to see anyone in the Office of the Presidency of Nigeria as a man or woman who can be trusted, a person of honour in his words and character. I will respect you for upholding these attributes and for dignifying that Office.
Chinua Achebe said, "One of the truest test of integrity is its blunt refusal to be compromised." It is a lesson for all leaders including you and me.
However, Mr. President, let me hope that as you claimed that you have not told anybody that you are contesting and that what we see and hear is a rumbling of overzealous aides, you will remain a leader that can be believed and trusted without unduly passing the buck or engaging in game of denials.
Maybe you also need to know that many party members feel disappointed in the double game you were alleged to play in support of party gubernatorial candidates in some States where you surreptitiously supported non-PDP candidates against PDP candidates in exchange for promise or act of those non-PDP Governors supporting you for your election in the past or for the one that you are yet to formally declare. It happened in Lagos in 2011 when Bola Tinubu was nocturnally brought to Abuja to strike a deal for support for your personal election at great price materially and in the fortune of PDP gubernatorial candidate.
As Chairman of BOT, I spoke to you at that time. It happened in Ondo State where there was in addition evidence of cover-up and non-prosecution of fraud of fake security report against the non-PDP candidate and his collaborators for the purpose of extracting personal electoral advantage for you. In fact, I have raised with you the story of those in other States in the South-West where some disgruntled PDP members were going around to recruit people into the Labour Party for you, because, for electoral purpose at the national level, Labour Party will have no candidate but you. It also happened in Edo State and those who know the detail never stopped talking about it. And you know it. Ditto in Anambra State with the fiasco coming from undue interference. If you as leader of the Party cannot be seen to be loyal to the PDP in support of the candidates of the Party and the interests of such Party candidates have to be sacrificed on the altar of your personal and political interest, then good luck to the Party and I will also say as I have had occasions to say in the past, good luck to Goodluck.
If on the altar of the Party you go for broke, the Party may be broken beyond repairs. And when in a dispute between two sides, they both stubbornly decide to fight to the last drop of blood, no one knows whose blood would be the last to drop. In such a situation, Nigeria as a nation may also be adversely affected, not just the PDP. I wish to see no more bloodshed occasioned by politics in Nigeria. Please, Mr. President, be mindful of that. You were exemplary in words when during the campaign and the 2011 elections, you said, "My election is not worth spilling the blood of any Nigerian." From you, it should not be if it has to be, let it be. It should be from you, let peace, security, harmony, good governance, development and progress be for Nigeria. That is also your responsibility and mandate. You can do it and I plead that you do it. We all have to be mindful of not securing pyrrhic victory on the ashes of great values, attributes and issues that matter as it would amount to hollow victory without honour and integrity.
Whatever may be the feud in PDP and no matter what you or your aides may feel, you, as the Party Leader, have the responsibility to find solution, resolve and fix it. Your legacy is involved. If PDP as a ruling Party collapses, it will be the first time in an independent Nigeria that a ruling political party would collapse not as a result of a military coup. It is food for thought. At the prompting of Governors on both sides of the divide, and on encouragement from you, I spent two nights to intervene in the dispute of the PDP Governors. I kept you fully briefed at every stage.
I deliberately chose Banquet Hall at the Villa to ensure transparency. Your aides studied all the recordings of the two nights. But I told you at the end of the exercise that I observed five reactions among the Governors that required your immediate attention as you are the only one from the vantage point of your five positions that could deal effectively with the five reactions which were bitterness, anger, mistrust, fear and deep suspicion. I could only hope that you made efforts to deal with these unpleasant reactions.
The feud leading to the factionalisation of the Party made me to invite some select elders of the Party to mediate again. Since I was engaged in assignment outside the country, I was not able to join the three members of the elders group that presented the report of our mediation to you. I was briefed that you agreed to work on the report. It would appear that for now, the ball is in your court as the Leader of the Party. I can only wish you every success in your handling of the issue. But time is not your friend or that of the Party in this respect. With leadership come not just power and authority to do and to undo, but also responsibility and accountability to do and to undo rightly, well and justly. Time and opportunity are treasure that must be appreciated and shared to enhance their value and utilitarianism.
It is instructive that after half a dozen African Presidents have spoken to me to help you with unifying the Party based on your request to them and I came in company of Senator Amadu Ali to discuss the whole issue with you again, strangely, you denied ever requesting or authorising any President to talk to me. I was not surprised because I am used to such a situation of denial coming from you. Of course, I was not deterred. I have done and I will continue to do and say what is first, in the best interest of Nigeria and second, what is in the best interest of the Party. I stand for the aims, objectives, mission and vision of the founding fathers of the Party, to use it as a wholesome instrument of unity, good governance, development, prosperity and progress of Nigeria and all Nigerians. I have contributed to this goal in the past and no one who has been raised to position on the platform of the Party should shy away from further contribution to avoid division and destruction of the Party on any altar whatsoever.
Debates and dialogues are necessary to promote the interest and work for the progress of any human institution or organisation. In such a situation, agreements and disagreements will occur but in the final analysis, leadership will pursue the course of action that benefit the majority and serve the purpose of the organisation, not the purpose of an individual or a minority. In that process, unity is sustained and everybody becomes a winner. The so-called crisis in the PDP can be turned to an opportunity of unity, mutual understanding and respect with the Party emerging with enhanced strength and victory. It will be a win-win for all members of the Party and for the country. By that, PDP would have proved that it could have internal disagreement and emerge stronger. The calamity of failure can still be avoided. Please, move away from fringes or the extremes and move to the centre and carry ALL along. Time is running out.
I will only state that as far as your responsibility as Chief Security Officer of the nation is concerned for Nigerians, a lot more needs to be done to enhance the feeling of security amongst them. Whether one talks of the issue of militancy in the Niger Delta, the underlying causes of which have not been adequately addressed, if addressed at all, kidnapping, piracy, abductions and armed robberies which rather than abate are on the increase and Boko Haram which requires carrot and stick approach to lay its ghost to rest, the general security situation cannot be described as comforting. Knowing the genesis of Boko Haram and the reasons for escalation of violence from that sector with the widespread and ramification of the menace of Boko Haram within and outside the Nigerian borders, conventional military actions based on standard phases of military operations alone will not permanently and effectively deal with the issue of Boko Haram. There are many strands or layers of causes that require different solutions, approaches or antidotes. Drug, indoctrination, fundamentalism, gun trafficking, hate culture, human trafficking, money laundering, religion, poverty, unemployment, poor education, revenge and international terrorism are among factors that have effect on Boko Haram.
One single prescription cannot cure all these ailments that combine in Boko Haram. Should we pursue war against violence without understanding the root causes of the violence and applying solutions to deal with all underlying factors – root, stem and branches? Nigeria is bleeding and the hemorrhage must be stopped. I am convinced that you can initiate measures that will bring all hands on deck to deal effectively with this great menace.
Mr. President, the most important qualification for your present position is your being a Nigerian. Whatever else you may be besides being a Nigerian is only secondary for this purpose. And if majority of Nigerians who voted had not cast their votes for you, you could not have been there. For you to allow yourself to be "possessed", so to say, to the exclusion of most of the rest of Nigerians as an 'Ijaw man' is a mistake that should never have been allowed to happen. Yes, you have to be born in one part of Nigeria to be a Nigerian if not naturalised, but the Nigerian President must be above ethnic factionalism. And those who prop you up as of, and for 'Ijaw nation' are not your friends genuinely, not friends of Nigeria nor friends of 'Ijaw nation', they tout about. To allow or tacitly encourage people of 'Ijaw nation' to throw insults on other Nigerians from other parts of the country and threaten fire and brimstone to protect your interest as an Ijaw man is myopic and your not openly quieting them is even more unfortunate. You know that I have expressed my views and feelings to you on this issue in the past but I have come to realise that many others feel the way I have earlier expressed to you. It is not the best way of making friendship among all sections of Nigeria. You don't have shared and wholesome society without inclusive political, economic and social sustainable development and good governance. Also declaring that one section of the country voted for you as if you got no votes from other sections can only be an unnecessary talk, to put it mildly. After all and at the end of the day, democracy is a game of numbers. Even, if you would not need people's vote across the country again, your political Party will.
Allegation of keeping over 1,000 people on political watch list rather than criminal or security watch list and training snipers and other armed personnel secretly and clandestinely acquiring weapons to match for political purposes like Abacha, and training them where Abacha trained his own killers, if it is true, cannot augur well for the initiator, the government and the people of Nigeria. Here again, there is the lesson of history to learn from for anybody who cares to learn from history. Mr. President would always remember that he was elected to maintain security for all Nigerians and protect them. And no one should prepare to kill or maim Nigerians for personal or political ambition or interest of anyone. The Yoruba adage says, "The man with whose head the coconut is broken may not live to savour the taste of the succulent fruit." Those who advise you to go hard on those who oppose you are your worst enemies. Democratic politics admits and is permissive of supporters and opponents. When the consequences come, those who have wrongly advised you will not be there to help carry the can. Egypt must teach some lesson.
Presidential assistance for a murderer to evade justice and presidential delegation to welcome him home can only be in bad taste generally but particularly to the family of his victim. Assisting criminals to evade justice cannot be part of the job of the Presidency. Or, as it is viewed in some quarters, is he being recruited to do for you what he had done for Abacha in the past? Hopefully, he should have learned his lesson. Let us continue to watch.
As Head of Government, the buck of the performance and non-performance stops on your table and let nobody tell you anything to the contrary. Most of our friends and development partners are worried and they see what we pretend to cover up. They are worried about issue of security internally and on our coastal waters, including heavy oil theft, alias bunkering and piracy. They are worried about corruption and what we are doing or not doing about it. Corruption has reached the level of impunity. It is also necessary to be mindful that corruption and injustice are fertile breeding ground for terrorism and political instability. And if you are not ready to name, shame, prosecute and stoutly fight against corruption, whatever you do will be hollow. It will be a laughing matter.
They are worried about how we play our role in our region and, indeed, in the world. In a way, I share some of their concerns because there are notable areas we can do more or do better than we are doing. Some of our development partners were politically frustrated to withdraw from the Olokola LNG project, which happily was not yet the same with the Brass. I initiated them both. They were viable and would have taken us close to Qatar as LNG producing country. Please do not frustrate Brass LNG and in the interest of what is best for Nigerian economy, bring back the OK LNG into active implementation. The major international oil companies have withheld investment in projects in Nigeria. If they have not completely moved out, they are divesting. Nigeria, which is the Saudi of Africa in oil and gas terms, is being overtaken by Angola only because necessary decisions are not made timely and appropriately. Mr. President, let me again plead with you to be decisive on the oil and gas sector so that Nigeria may not lag behind. Oil with gas is being discovered all over Africa. New technology is producing oil from shale elsewhere. We should make hay while the sun shines. I hope we can still save the OK and Brass LNG projects.
Three things are imperative in the oil and gas sector – stop oil stealing, encourage investment, especially by the IOCs and improve the present poor management of the industry. On the economy generally, it suffices to say that we could do better than we are doing. The signs are there and the expectations are high. The most dangerous ticking bomb is youth unemployment, particularly in the face of unbridled corruption and obscene rulers' opulence.
Let me repeat that as far as the issue of corruption, security and oil stealing is concerned, it is only apt to say that when the guard becomes the thief, nothing is safe, secure nor protected in the house. We must all remember that corruption, inequity and injustice breed poverty, unemployment, conflict, violence and wittingly or unwittingly create terrorists because the opulence of the governor can only lead to the leanness of the governed. But God never sleeps, He is watching, waiting and bidding His time to dispense justice.
The serious and strong allegation of non-remittance of about $7bn from the NNPC to central bank occurring from export of some 300,000 barrels per day, amounting to $900 million a month, to be refined and with refined products of only $400m returned and Atlantic Oil loading about 130,000 barrels sold by Shell and managed on behalf of NPDC with no sale proceeds paid into NPDC account is incredible. The allegation was buttressed by the letter of the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria to you on non-remittance to the central bank. This allegation will not fly away by non-action, cover-up, denial or bribing possible investigators. Please deal with this allegation transparently and let the truth be known.
The dramatis personae in this allegation and who they are working for will one day be public knowledge. Those who know are watching if the National Assembly will not be accomplice in the heinous crime and naked grand corruption. May God grant you the grace for at least one effective corrective action against high corruption, which seems to stink all around you in your government.
The international community knows us as we are and maybe more than we claim to know ourselves. And a good friend will tell you the truth no matter how bitter. Denials and cover-up of what is obvious, true and factual can detract from honour, dignity and respect. Truth and transparency dignify and earn respect. And life without passion for something can only achieve little. I was taken aback when an African Development Bank Director informed me that the water project for Port Harcourt, originally initiated by the Federal Government and to be financed by the bank, is being put in the cooler by the Federal Government because of the Amaechi-Jonathan face-off. Amaechi, whether he likes it or not, will cease to be governor over Rivers State, which Port Harcourt is part by the end of May 2015, but residents of Port Harcourt will continue to need improvement of their water supply. President Jonathan should rise above such pettiness and unpresidential act, if it is coming from him. But if not, and it is the action of overzealous officials reading the situation, he should give appropriate instruction for the project to be pursued. And there are other projects anywhere suffering the same coolness as a result of similar situation, let national interest supercede personal or political feud and the machinations of satanic officials.
Mr. President, let me plead with you for a few things that will stand you in good stead for the rest of your life. Don't always consider critics on national issues as enemies. Some of them may be as patriotic and nationalistic as you and I who have been in government. Some of them have as much passion for Nigeria as we have. I saw that among Nigerians living abroad, hence, I initiated Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation, NIDO. You must also differentiate between malevolent, mischievous and objective criticism. Analyses, criticisms and commentaries on government actions and policies are sinew of democracy.
Please, Mr. President, be very wary of assistants, aides and collaborators who look for enemies for you. I have seen them with you and some were around me when I was in your position. I knew how not to allow them create enemies for me. If you allow them, everybody except them will be your enemy. They are more dangerous than identified adversaries. May God save leaders from sycophants. They know what you want to hear and they feed you with it essentially for their own selfish interest. As far as you and Nigeria are concerned, they are wreckers. Where were they when God used others to achieve His will in your life. They possess you now for their interest. No interest should be higher or more important than the Nigerian interest to you. You have already made history and please do nothing to mar history. I supported you as I supported Yar'Adua. For me, there is neither North-South divide nor Christian-Moslem divide but one Nigeria.
Let me put it, that talks, loose and serious, abound about possible abuse and misuse of the military and the legitimate security apparatus for unwholesome personal and political interest to the detriment of the honour, dignity, oath and professionalism of these honourable and patriotic forces.
Let me urge the authorities not to embark on such destructive path for an important element of our national make-up. The roles of the military and the security agencies should be held sacrosanct in the best interest of the nation. Again, let not history repeat itself here.
I believe that with what Nigeria went through in the past, the worst should have already happened. It must be your responsibility as the captain of the ship to prevent the ship from going aground or from a shipwreck. For anybody close to you saying that if the worst happens, he or she would not be involved is idle and loose talk. If we leave God to do His will and we don't rely only on our own efforts, plans and wisdom, God will always do His best. And the power of money and belief in it is satanically tempting. As I go around Nigeria and the world, I always come across Nigerians who are first-class citizens of the world and who are doing well where they are and who are passionate to do well for Nigeria. My hope for our country lies in these people. They abound and I hope that all of us will realise that they are the jewels of Nigeria wherever they may be and not those who arrogate to themselves eternal for ephemeral.
Also, to my embarrassment at times, I learned more about what is going on in the public and private sectors of Nigeria from our development partners, international institutions and those transacting business in Nigeria most times I was abroad. On returning home to verify the veracity of these stories, I found some of them not only to be true but more horrifying than they were presented abroad. Other countries look up to Nigeria for regional leadership. Failure on the part of Nigeria will create a schism that will be bad for the region.
Knowing what happens around you, most of which you know of and condone or deny, this letter will provoke cacophony from hired and unhired attackers but I will maintain my serenity because by this letter, I have done my duty to you as I have always done, to your government, to the Party, PDP, and to our country, Nigeria. If I stuck out my neck and God used me and others as instrument to work hard for you to reach where you are today in what I considered the best political interest of Nigeria, tagging me as your enemy or the enemy of your administration by you, your kin or your aides can only be regarded as ridiculous to extreme. If I see any danger to your life, I will point it out to you or ward it off as I have done in the past.
But I will not support what I believe is not in the best interest of Nigeria, no matter who is putting it forward or who is behind it. Mr. President, I have passed the stage of being flattered, intimidated, threatened, frightened, induced or bought. I am never afraid to agree or disagree but it will always be on principles, and if on politics, in the national interest. After my prison experience in the close proximity of and sharing facilities with an asylum in Yola, there is nothing worse for anyone alive and well. And that was for a military dictator to perpetuate himself in power. Death is the end of all human beings and may it come when God wills it to come. The harassment of my relations and friends and innuendo that are coming from the Government security apparatus on whether they belong to new PDP or supporters of defected Governors and which are possibly authorised or are the work of overzealous aides and those reading your lips to act in your interest will be counter-productive. It is abuse of security apparatus. Such abuse took place last in the time of Abacha.
Lies and untruths about me emanating from the presidency is too absurd to contemplate. Saying that I recommended a wanted criminal by UK and USA authorities to you or your aides to supplant legitimately elected PDP leader in South-West is not only unwise and crude but also disingenuous. Nobody in his or her right senses will believe such a story and surely nobody in Ogun State or South-West zone will believe such nonsense. It is a clear indication of how unscrupulous and unethical the presidency can go to pursue your personal and political interest. Nothing else matters. What a pity! Nothing at this stage of my life would prevent me from standing for whatever I consider to be in the best interest of Nigeria – all Nigeria, Africa and the world in that order. I believe strongly that a united and strong PDP at all costs is in the best interest of Nigeria. In these respects, if our interests and views coincide, together we will march. Putting a certified unashamed criminal wanted abroad to face justice and who has greatly contributed to corruption within the judiciary on a high profile of politics as you and your aides have done with the man you enthrone as PDP Zonal leader in the South-West is the height of disservice to this country politically and height of insult to the people of South-West in general and members of PDP in that zone in particular.
For me, my politics goes with principles and morality and I will not be a party to highly profiling criminals in politics, not to say one would be my zonal leader. It destroys what PDP stands for from its inception…
God is never a supporter of evil and will surely save PDP and Nigeria from the hands of destroyers. If everything fails and the Party cannot be retrieved from the hands of criminals and commercial jobbers and discredited touts, men and women of honour, principles, morality and integrity must step aside to rethink.
Let me also appeal to and urge defected, dissatisfied, disgruntled and in any way displeased PDP Governors, legislators, party officials and party members to respond positively if the President seriously takes the initiative to find mutually agreeable solution to the current problems for which he alone has the key and the initiative. I have heard it said particularly within the presidency circle that the disaffected Governors and members of PDP are my children. I begin to wonder if, from top to bottom, any PDP 15 member in elective office today is not directly or indirectly a beneficiary and, so to say, my political child. Anyone who may claim otherwise will be like a river that has forgotten its source. But like a good father, all I seek is peaceful and amicable solution that will re-unite the family for victory and progress of the family and the nation and nothing else.
In a democracy, leaders are elected to lighten the burden of the people, give them freedom, choice and equity and ensure good governance and not to deceive them, burden them, oppress them, render them hopeless and helpless. Nothing should be done to undermine the tenets, and values of democratic principles and practice. Tyranny in all its manifestation may be appealing to a leader in trying times of political feud or disagreement. Democracy must, however, prevail and be held as sacrosanct. Today, you are the President of Nigeria, I acknowledge you and respect you as such.
The act of an individual has a way of rubbing off on the generality.
May it never be the wish of majority of Nigerians that Goodluck Jonathan, by his acts of omission or commission, would be the first and the last Nigerian President ever to come from Ijaw tribe. The idea and the possibility must give all of us food for thought. That was never what I worked for and that would never be what I will work for. But legacy is made of such or the opposite.
My last piece of advice, Mr. President, is that you should learn the lesson of history and please do not take Nigeria and Nigerians for granted.
Move away from culture of denials, cover-ups and proxies and deal honesty, sincerely and transparently with Nigerians to regain their trust and confidence. Nigerians are no fools, they can see, they can hear, they can talk among themselves, they can think, they can compare and they can act in the interest of their country and in their own self-interest. They keenly watch all actions and deeds that are associated with you if they cannot believe your words. I know you have the power to save PDP and the country. I beg you to have the courage and the will with patriotism to use the power for the good of the country. Please uphold some form of national core values. I will appeal to all Nigerians particularly all members of PDP to respect and dignify the Office of the President. We must all know that individuals will come and go but the Office will remain.
Once again, time is of the essence. Investors are already retreating 16 from Nigeria, adopting 'wait and see attitude' and knowing what we are deficient of, it will take time to reverse the trend and we may miss some golden opportunities.
Finally, your later-day conversion into National Conference is fraught with danger of disunity, confusion and chaos if not well handled. I believe in debate and dialogue but it must be purposeful, directed and managed well without ulterior motives. The ovation has not died out yet and there is always life after a decent descent.
Accept, Dear Mr. President, the assurances of my highest consideration.
I crave your indulgence to share the contents of this letter, in the first instance, with General Ibrahim Babangida and General Abdulsalami Abubakar, who, on a number of occasions in recent times, have shared with me their agonising thoughts, concerns and expressions on most of the issues I have raised in this letter concerning the situation and future of our country. I also crave your indulgence to share the contents with General Yakubu Danjuma and Dr. Alex Ekwueme, whose concerns for and commitments to the good of Nigeria have been known to be strong.
The limit of sharing of the contents may be extended as time goes on.
Baba has given his fatherly advice,those that has ears let him hear!
There comes a time, when truth must be told by patriotic citizens of Nigeria to move the Country Forward to greater achievements with available Natural and Human resources.
The track record of past Leaders has NOT been different from what is going on right now.
Let us have the "Sovereign National Conference Like Kenya, Ghana, South Africa did, and move Nigeria forward with genuine reconciliation, respect, fairness and equity.
Boko Haram, Militancy, Oil Stealing, G7 are all DISTRACTIONS for the President, to FOCUS on decade of dead Infrastructures, Education, Health, Railways, Airports, Roads and corruption in public and private sectors.
Well done baba for your focus.
Mr president GOODLUCK JONATHAN YOU HAVE TO BE A GOOD WHAT EVER YOU FIND YOUR SELF GOOD BYE AM ABBAH SHEHU
In every nonsense there is always and would be a sense Obj has said it all like Fela did too……..Hope all Nigerians are seeing what am seeing but if you ask me what am seeing that i cant tell vividly but am seeing something.
It is unfortunate that ex-presidents and leaders of this country are deceiver,.you should stop attacking one another because all of you are the same,corruption are in your bone marrows,stop attacking jonathan he is practicing a game he never new how to play that you thought him how to play,that man came with good intention but you infected him with you virus,you never gave him conducive atmosphere to function,same you asked him to attack,same you came in the open to attack him,how many oil wells does each of you own in this country and how many do you influence negatively?u talk crude stolen each day,who are those responsible and under whose influence are those boys operating?please for nigeria to move forward probe yourselves and let's start from there.
I cheer Obj's guts to wisely advertise his candidature 4 election into d position of d next living Mandela of our time having lost his 3rd term bid in 2007.Nature has now created another opportunity 4 him to sell to Nigerians and indeed to d rest of d world his past political achievements 4 consideration as he prepares himself 4 ds historic mission.God bls 9ja
Mr ex-president you have done a wonderful job to your country. but you too you play a very good role in making this nation incapacitate but due to the understanding your error has made we may forgive you in the nearest moment.
Thanks your
When elders talk children learn a lot. What hope have we in this country in the face of this revelations coming from a high ranking Nigerian who had a hand in the making of Jonathan.
Am smelling a dead rat…….
Obj has said it all… I only hope gej hear
God is giving Jonathan the chance to make amend by using his godfather to advise him. It will be so sad for him to ignore some salient issues raised in this letter. OBJ might done some bad things in the past but reading through this letter, I pity Jonathan he let things went bad between him and his godfather. OBJ supported him to greatness because he wanted to show Nigerians that u can become the president no matter where u come from. U can only help a person find a job u cannot help him do the job. I think Jonathan should ready this letter and ask for God's wisdom to act on it. He is a lucky man who God ordained to where he is today. He should not allow satan to use him as a Weapon which even God will regret giving this opportunity.
Two most important lessons r very clear 4rm Baba's letter to his pickin despite various interpretations people may give to it. (1) Nigerian political leaders tend to see more,know more,talk more, understand more and criticize more when they r out of power.(2)Nigerian political leaders r usually out of touch with d realities facing d country when they r in power.Obj has now realised these and should join millions of patroitic 9ja people to pray 4 GEJ since in human terms a servant cannot be greater than his master.
All i saw in dat letter is politics, D boss is playing his game against 2015 election. Although there is a truth in dat letter. Mr president go and settle wit ur boy d rivers state governor. Dont allow dem to deceive u. Both of u can go into negotiation…….. OBJ is upto something
At the grassroot , it is not well with Nigerians the reason being that 70% of Nigeria are jobless, our political leaders want to remain in power forever, there is no Nelson Mandela to save Nigeria, during Obj time billions of naira were withdrawn from government treasury for constant light but no value for the money but l thank Obj for telecommunication affordability. For GEJ he has not done anything legendary that will make win again , YouWin is a failure, unemployment is increasing, government agencies like Immigration is collecting N1000 from the numerous jobless youth without employment, Mr president sir do something about youth unemployment , we are ambry
Obj,sir we all know where u are coming from,also where u are going to.although u have spoken well. "LEADER" is a six letter words.but covered the continent,likes of ABRAHAM LYCON to the just passed away ICON. NELSON MANDELA. You guys are deceit rulers.Now that election is around the corner.by 2014.billboards will be splash with looters,thiefs,campaning 4 self interest.if anybody should speak or advise not from the past presidents or rulers.WE HAVE HONEST & DIGNITY,PATRIOTIC NIGERIAN'S WHO READY TO SERVE THE NATION. But,CABAL WILL NOT LET GO. Niger Beware! Beware!!Beware!!!
Obasanjo should examine his own records as twice past Nigeria Head of State. He is still superimposing himself on Jonathan and Nigerians. When will call a spade a spade.
Is obvious for Nigeria to have peace the 2 enemies of this country OBJ and IBB must be given their rightful place in Hell with Abacha!otherwise this beast would continue to hunt us.
Is obvious for Nigeria to have peace the 2 enemies of this country OBJ and IBB must be given their rightful place in Hell with Abacha! otherwise these beasts would continue to hunt us
Honestly, I think there is hope for our nation if only we could learn from errors of the past. This food for thought is all and sundry. For instance, what is always the basis of ur choice during election as a citizen, leaders, what is ur motive for contesting public offices. As electorates, do u choose ur candidate(s) based on a thousand naira distributed by politicians or objective assessment of candidates. In a nutshell, the letter is lesson for US all. Thank you. Olawale Omobaorun.
Obj should stop whining what did he do to odi?his political enemies,the economy of this great nation.What about is third term ambition,the privatization of nigeria to himself and his cronies or his operation feed the nation he should please clean his own house if he wants nigerians to believe the picture of himself his painting
I dey laugh!!!
We Nigerians, we should continue pray for the strong unity and undestading becouse God is with Nigerian that why OBJ come out and says reality to Good Luck, hope mr. President will look in to what former president observed on him to make neccessary corrections.
Let OBJ be. The truth from a repentant leader is bitter but it must be said. He knows what he is talking about from experience and courage to raise such patriotic issues is not easy to come by.Lets look at the issues and not the man that raised the issues.
well said!!
truth be told even if the heavens fall, an attack on the personality of OBJ does not falsify all these accusations against Jonathan, so lets face the matter as it is instead of committing fallacies. if Nigeria must progress GEJ must adjust himself especially on the area of his aides and the terrible advice they offer him.
After Mr. OBJ 12 years in tenure(military,and civilian president), in presidential sit he didn't remember to fight against corruption or to let go presidential sit to those who are seeking to rule.As NELSON Mandela DID, Now minorities are ruling as he said in his letter. Now he is try to stop the ambitious of good governance of the Mr. president…No way for u OBASANJO.LET ME ASK U MR PRESIDENT AND SUPPORTERS, WHO WILL RULE NIGERIA IF THOSE WHO RULE BEFORE ARE NOT SATISFY TO RULE? LET THOSE WHO THINK THEY ARE NOT MINORITY PROVIDE ALL THE RESOURCES NEEDED TO DEVELOPED NIGERIA OR ELSE, THEY SHOULD LET US BE…AH,I THINK NIGERIA LEADERSHIP IS NOT FOR "KITCHEN"
I really know where OBJ is driving at…you helped him get to where he is now, I don't think that's enough reason for u to interfere..we Nigerians believe in what Goodluck has for us, he is a man of integrity and honor and we believe he is fully aware of things happening around him. he will follow the due process… this letter is just a distraction and a kind of blackmailing against 2015 if he actually has the intention. OBJ has finished his tenure all he has to do is to sit back and watch…..P..E…R..I…O…D.!!!!
the same God dat spoke to prophet balam tru an ass is the one speaking tru obj to all political thieves in nigeria, they should pay attention on this Divine revelation before it things will get off hand,
PDP,People's demonic party has finally fallen,how art the mighty fallen? May the good lord take over the politics of the politicians,Nigerian politians are all curropt and criminals,will OBJ accepts this advices during his leadership?he is mr no all, his tenor was characterized by corruption, too, the content of this letter is good but the motive and method is completely unethical .2014 is a year of divine judgement against evil,wicked and occultic politians,so many of them won't live to see 2015 enough is enough.
Well said!! no matter what, the truth MUST be told….Lets ignore the source and act right based on it. If i may ask, why are those so called 'men of repute' keeping mute? The biblical Saul (persecutor of Christians) was converted to Paul (the evangelist). Listen to the WORD and let it transform us, and pay no attention to the SOURCE. Lets be WISE!
The fact is both are birds of a feather but for the safety of this nation let's consider the message and ignore the messanger because you will agree with me that Obasanjo has really made some valid points that can't t that can't be thrown away
OBJ and Goodluck Pls Settle this your Problems inside Chamber, Not Out side Because PDP is Always a PDP, and Majority Party,
There is sence in what u just said being the ex-president but the truth is, you are not better,we have seen your best being president twice,during ur time we witness what we call jungle justice,corruptions,unempoyment e.t.c. You hv given us ur best shot so,both of you should pack well make people like us for fit appear because we re just minority. Am sylvanus Onyeka
Kudos to OBJ for his fathely advice to his son GEJ, though truth is better but OBJ hv spoken, nw d ball is your court GEJ.
OBJ is looking for relevant. GEJ is a thief. OBJ is a theif. People who live in glass house don't throw stone.
OBJ is looking for relevant. Those who live in glass house don't throw stone.
Letter well written by OBJ. I see no harm in trying to advice the incumbent to make amends "before it is too late" but as someone rightly puts it there are three things in this case
1. the content of the letter which cannot be discounted
2. the motive behind the letter
3. the personality behind the letter.
I wish to talk about the personality behind the letter. OBJ is a personality that we all know you can never read his mind constructions on his face. But as he also rightly puts it people will read your actions and judge you irrespective of whether you say it or not.
The 8 years of OBJ rule or "misrule" were very eventful. It came to us with so much hope and believe that the messiah who more than anyone else understands the Nigerian system and would take us to atleast near promise land.
Unfortunately we neither got to near promise land nor did we even move an inch from where we have been. We supported the OBJ Government and gave it ample time to reach cruising altitude basically because of two reasons; our hunger for democracy and the need to give time to correct the wrong/errors of the various Military adventurists. Time went by and rather than seeing tangible dividends of democracy we were irritated by the success of the GSM communication channel for which OBJ only came to fast track but was actually kick started by the Abacha administration.
Today, one of the reliable sources of information on what transpired in the OBJ Government is the book written by El- Rufai "Accidental Public Servant" having read that book cover to cover one can easily see that the OBJ Government was filled with so much intrigues and self-serving actions such that National interest was obviously secondary. These were clearly seen from appointment of Government officials to even the spread of developmental projects. In the same book under reference it was stated that OBJ is a man that can easily speak from two sides of the mouth – talks about honesty and integrity and the next minute turn to the economic managers to find out how political conference could be financed without budgetary approvals.
Insincerity, pursuit and crippling of political enemies (VP inclusive), lack of transparency in the implementation of Government policies, semi dictatorianism were the order of the day. Needless to talk about the pains and agony Nigerians were made suffer with the advent of the "Third Term" agenda until it was brought to its knees by the true lovers of Nigeria and its future. Thanks to VP Atiku Abubakar and other heroic politicians like Ken Nnamani for their giant strides. Therefore, similar to OBJ, Jonathan is yet to declare any ambition to continue in Government after 2015 and in any case if he so wishes, he is much better than the former who wanted to amend Nigeria's constitution to sooth his personal interest. Jonathan is operating within the confines of the law not in any way planning to circumvent any known legal rule. As such wanting to continue in Government beyond 2015 is no issue and not worth wasting our time on it.
On inability to co-ordinate the security apparatus to promote security in the land, while we all agree that there is much to be done and the killing of innocent lives must be stopped at all cost, it is not right to conclude that the President is not concerned and I believe more than anyone else, the President is desirous of ending the killings in whatever guise. If not for the sake of the people of Nigeria atleast for the image of his Government even if it is self-serving. OBJ had the privilege of serving as a military man hence understood better the workings of the security apparatus and could draw better judgement therefrom. GEJ today is dealing with a faceless group and can at best only rely on the information provided to him by his security advisers. He can only take a course of action based on the information and advice received which sometimes may not be as effective. He therefore is handling the issue at the moment with the best known fact and measure.
Further on the personality of the writer (OBJ), it could be recalled that the administration of OBJ was notorious for the use of EFCC under Nuhu Ribadu to silence known anti OBJ Government or charge them to court for economic crimes without any substance and evidence. The same administration adopted the tactics of charging political enemies to court to divert their attention and that of the Public from the real issues of administration and bad governance at the time. The case of VP Atiku Abubakar is still fresh in our memories where he was antagonized majorly for his refusal to support 3rd term agenda. Thanks to the Supreme Court Judgment that clearly stated "……… the VP's loyalty was first to the Federal Republic of Nigeria and not Mr. President or the PDP which is alien to the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria" We remember vividly well that the then OBJ even attempted to strip off the VP of his constitutional role which led to the filing of the case and the judgement mentioned above. That was the height of impunity and abuse of office and power.
OBJ turned Nigeria into his personal property doing things with impunity and without a single worry as to the application of the rule of law. Nigeria was governed by what was later termed "Civilian Dictator" the prayer then was for time to come when the Government would naturally exit from power to usher in some fresh air. Then came the issue of third term which saw Nigerians united against evil doers who wanted to perpetuate themselves in power and enslave us all. Please recall the statement that was credited to OBJ where he likened himself to Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe and stated that if Mugabe could be in power for that long why couldn't he achieve same in Nigeria.
Wonders shall never end. Rather than comparing himself with the likes of Nelson Mandela, OBJ chose Mugabe as his role model. Today we all have seen the way the world stood still for the greatest African in history Nelson Mandela and I can swear with the Almighty that OBJ will not get a quarter of what Mandela got other than a mere mention in the news of his demise. Even within his house hold some people will not lose sleep talk more of Nigeria, Africa and the World.
Talking about writing name in gold and correcting seeming mistakes before it is too late. I will say here that if anyone ever had the opportunity of correcting his wrongs of the past and writing his name in the marble of history it was OBJ. Apart from serving as a military head of state and being out of power before his return, he was in prison the lowest level in the land and had the opportunity of becoming president to right the wrongs of the past and set the nation on the part of progress and prosperity rather he lost his sense of decorum and became the enemy number one against all Nigerians. Mr. former President wallahi you are a bigger looser when compared with GEJ.
In conclusion, I will say it is rather unfortunate that the content of the letter (as factual as they may be) are coming from a personality as OBJ who in all sense of the word lack the moral right to advice Mr. President in areas which he failed woefully and we hate to remember those agonizing days when Nigeria and Nigerians were denied access to basic infrastructural facilities and decent means of livelihood inspite of their sacrifices at supporting democracy in 1999. Time heal all wounds, Mr. OBJ you came you saw and you failed. Please allow those whose time it is to carry on with the job in which you failed so that posterity will judge them as it is already judging you the worst judgement of which will come after your demise.
My candid advice to Mr. President GEJ is to ignore the personality of the person writing this letter and whatever his motive may be, sift the aspects of the letter that have some substance in them and take necessary steps in addressing the much you can before this tenure expires. Your coming back for second term is in the hands of the Almighty and then He through Nigerians will decide your fate. The letter is common public knowledge and some of the allegations are true and known to the ordinary Nigerian. However the personality of the writer is in no way better and had also faced similar and even more challenges which approach of handling has left so much to be desired.
Ahmed Murtala
Wrote from Portharcourt
Obasanjo, i say great well done. This your courage to say the truth should be a common or united voice of all those that have political weight in Nigeria. This should even have come earlier than now. All that is supposed to be said has been said by the right person. For President Jonathan, he should think and ponder over this appeal, he must ignore the wrong advise of his bad aides who are blind folded with regional, relgious or tribal sentiments. The peace of this nation is most paramount. Neither he or his close aides will be at peace wherever they are if this nation is in crisis. As noted by Obasanjo, Jonathan will be held responsible for all that happened in Nigeria. Better digest the APPEAL PLEASE. LONG LIVE NIGERIA
where was this saint former president ? concerned only on pdp what of apc party. Our wishes as naja citizen most be respected.
its only a matter of time, which ever way time will tell
Life is like a mirrior it doesn't see itself but it sees others.. And experience is still the best teacher,a devil agent can get converted if he/she meet with Jesus, nevertheless Obj might be a bad man before, Madella death must could have change him. God care's
Blessed r those who listen to wise counsels and act accordingly as a show of repentance .After this life is eternity in either Heaven or Hell.Jesus Christ is both Lord and Saviour.Confess and forsake ur sins today, and accept Him into ur life.May God bls Nigeria.
I salute the courage of President Olusegun Obasengo for telling the truth nothing but truth. May God Almighty reward him ameen.
One thing about God is this; He uses anyone to deliver a message especially which is so important as the one on debate and when also He sees a power of influence on the messenger upon the owner of the message. for me i don't see any thing wrong in OBJ being used to disseminate the above information, all i call for is for GEJ to go through the piece and look at the area he feels he's been indicted and therefore take it in good faith and try to make amends. it will be untrue for mr president to feel he has no indictment in the above well worded piece from the former president Olusegun Obasanjo's letter to him. So GEJ should shun pride and see what he can do for national development and also for the interest of the masses who came out en mass to put him in the seat of power.
Going through the words and contributions of Mr Ahmed Murtala, i see a true Nigerian and not a sectarian or a tribal citizen of our great country Nigeria. its obvious that if the wheel of power is allowed to rotate appropriately, i could beat my chest to say we have people in this nation who understands what national unity and patriotism is all about and who will at all cost stand for such. GEJ, with my little advise and supporting what Mr Ahmed Murtala have said, i want to assure you that even if you are left with one hour to make your last leadership input, that with good analytical approach and well allotted mechanism you can still do justice to some, if not most of the national calling on the words of OBJ as contend in the eight page letter to you. Discard the convener and allow God to direct you on how to appropriate a good mental and physical touch resourcefully to ensure that Nigerians at last could receive the fresh air which you promised when you were about to assume office in 2011. OBJ, like many have reiterated, lack the morale right to advise you on national interest when he himself could do nothing when he was in power but instead was busy committing the same crime he is accusing you of today. We love your spirit of resilience and your ability to think before you talk and believe that God will help you paddle the ship of this nation to a good shore. LONG LIVE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA, LONG LIVE OUR PRESIDENT.
ukoha, write from portharcourt.
This is the epistle of a prostitute advising her off-springs/successors to urgently abandone the trade. His Excellency Chief Olusegun Obasango is guilty of all the his accusations against His Excellency Goodluck Jonathan-the grave of Chief Bola Ige and the promotion of Omisole will rise to salute this testimony, the abduction of a serving governor in Anambra state to enthrone his cronies by the commander in chief who was serving with the said governor & making that state a theater of assion is only a tip of the ice berg of the Obasango administration. Recall that the then deputy governor of Bayelsa state now President Goodluck Jonathan even went into hiding to avoid being used to humiliate his boss Alamiesya out of office was prevented by our present new messiah of good governance-Chief Obasanjo. Chief Obasbanjo saw in Our President the best of Nigerians to occupy that exalted office. Please allow him to acquit himself. He is no longer bound to your whims and caprices. If the constitution allows the third term which you promoted through your cronies including Goodluck as governor. What stops the president from promoting the passions of his father who is now a former president. How time changes everything that our former President would now want President Jonathan to share his self serving proposals with Gen. Danjuma whom he humiliated out of office for wanting to discharge the responsibilities of his office and with Babangida whom he harrassed his son with EFCC for his attempt to run for the office of President. The chances came twice for Chief Olusegun Obasanjo to become the Mandela of Nigeria nay Africa and twice he aborted. If Obasanjo had the opportunity to implement all his proposals and he willingly didn't what makes him think he could do it through a proxy. The messiah will come and he is coming.
This is the epistle of a prostitute advising her off-springs/successors to urgently abandone the trade. His Excellency Chief Olusegun Obasango is guilty of all his accusations against His Excellency Goodluck Jonathan-the grave of Chief Bola Ige and the promotion of Omisole will rise to salute this testimony, the abduction of a serving governor in Anambra state to enthrone his cronies by the commander in chief who was serving with the said governor & making that state a theater of arson is only a tip of the ice berg of the Obasango administration. Recall that the then deputy governor of Bayelsa state now President Goodluck Jonathan even went into hiding to avoid being used to humiliate his boss Alamiesya out of office but was prevented by our present new messiah of good governance-Chief Obasanjo. Chief Obasbanjo saw in Our President the best of Nigerians to occupy that exalted office. Please allow him to acquit himself. He is no longer bound to your whims and caprices. If the constitution allows him second, or the third term which you promoted through your cronies including Goodluck as governor, what stops the president from promoting the passions of his father who is now a former president. How time changes everything that our former President would now want President Jonathan to share his self serving proposals with Gen. Danjuma whom he humiliated out of office for wanting to discharge the responsibilities of his office and with Babangida whom he harrassed his son with EFCC for his attempt to run for the office of President. The chances came twice for Chief Olusegun Obasanjo to become the Mandela of Nigeria nay Africa and twice he aborted those chances. If Obasanjo had the opportunity to implement all his proposals and he willingly didn't what makes him think he could do it now through a proxy. The messiah will come and he is coming. Long live our beloved country Nigeria.
An hausa adage says; "idan manya na nan abu baya lalacewa".i really agree with this.i therefore call on all past presidents alive, all past head of states alive and our fathers i.e the Emirs and Obas to come together and share their wisdom in order to safe the prosperity of our dear country before its too late.
Dat is a good advice, the first lesson in history of Nigeria. Weldone
Psalm 127 Except the LORD build the house the labour in vain that build it , Except the LORD keep the city the watchman but vain ( this Agent call insecurity can be control in 3 months, the problem with Nigeria is that I want my brother is reason for this insecurity challenges) Roman 3;23 if the leaders are not careful youth will come up to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah ,( Remember 1978 and 1999) ether you are for EGJ OR for OBJ is all our problem.
Nigerians be wise. The chameleon will never leave us alone. Amala politics being played in the letter. We can't count the atrocities done in POBJ'S eight years; things only get worst by the day. I still blame GEJ for giving rooms for sacred cows like POBJ who should serving by now for crumbling Nigeria. They said that he's born again. What about the uncountable loots he went away with in his regimes? Has he returned them? Except he's talking to fools. Nigerians should open their eyes; it's transparent in his words that he's not being favored after the many loots he made away with. Jonathan better than Obj. I voted for J, nobody voted for Obj. I only pray that Jonathan should the politically backward Nigerians wrong and do something good. The problems of Nigeria just too many for him; then the politically sponsored Boko Haram surfaced. Remember Obj lost out totally in 2011 elections. What does he still want? He's talking about security and making comparison of J's regime witj Abacha's. Was it not in his regime political opponents were massively assassinated without those responsible for the acts brought to book? Or have we for gotten it was in his regime that people were made to resign their positions overnight, at gun points when people were fast asleep? Or we can't see that elections were never held, but selection? Did Obj solve the problem of militancy, kidnapping, and robbery, or it continues to increase by the day?
How soon we have forgotten it was the same Obj never listen to anybody, and bring their people that went against him? I'm not supporting J but Obj is not just the right person. He's even more bad than J. If J wants to tell us that he's not bad- let him do Nigerians just this favour- by bringing Obj and his like to book, then Nigerians will never forget him in her history book.


text:
Register now for free, or sign in with any of these services:
Want to set your local edition?
Select an edition for more focused local news coverage when you visit NOLA.com.
Don't worry. You can change this setting at any time to another local edition.
Friedshwimps, are you serious? I'm sure the 9,000 volunteers and the 150+ families they've helped would disagree with you.. How someone can find something negative with what Zack and Liz are doing is amazing to me... Sounds like someone has an ax to grind.. Take it somewhere else..

subset: commoncrawl


text:
In trading on Tuesday, shipping shares were relative leaders, up on the day by about 1.2%. Leading the group were shares of Frontline Limited (FRO), up about 4% and shares of Excel Maritime Carriers (EXM) up about 3.2% on the day.
Also showing relative strength are insurance brokers shares, up on the day by about 1.1% as a group, led by Assured Guaranty Limited (AGO), trading higher by about 5.5% and The Travelers Companies (TRV), trading up by about 3.6% on Tuesday.


text:
JMU Summer in Ghana and Internship
LocationAccra, Ghana
Program Description
This is the oldest JMU Africa program and we have taken students to Ghana since 1997. We have over 18 University of Ghana faculty members present lectures, we have NGO leaders discuss their work with students, we have volunteering opportunities that also serve as internship locations for our students, and our travels are to historic and cultural sites. Our student evaluations of the program are among the best.
Location Description
Program locations include the cities of Accra, Kumasi, Cape Coast and Elmina. Students stay at safe and well cared for hotels. Safety is number one, and parents will have access by phone and email 24/7. Our classes are held at the University of Ghana, and you can check our volunteer sites online (Glona Academy, Apam Hospital and New Horizon all in Ghana).
DirectorProgram Director: David Owusu-Ansah | firstname.lastname@example.com | History/Africana Studies
Co-Director: Lamont King | email@example.com | History
Internships: Aderonke Adesanya | firstname.lastname@example.com | Art History
Participating faculty members for the 2015 program will include Dr. Aderonke Adesanya, Dr. David Owusu-Ansah, Dr. Gabrielle Lanier (Chair of History Department and Director of the JMU Museum Program), and our Ghana associate is Professor Nkunu Akyea (Chair of the Board of the Ghana National Service Scheme and former Director of the Ghana Heritage Trust).
Students looking for international experience and cultural competency will be well supported through this program.
Applicant Criteria
Applicants must have a GPA minimum of 2.0
Application Process
This list serves as an application preview. To apply, students will need to complete the following:
- Study Abroad Online Application ($25 fee)
- Short essay
- Official transcript required for non-JMU and first semester transfer students.
Apply to the Ghana Study Abroad/Internship Program
Application Deadline
All dates are tentative and subject to change
CoursesANTH 391: Study Abroad: Anthropology Travel Study (3 credits)
ARTH 210: African Art & Culture in the Humanities (3 credits)
ARTH 312: African Art: Sub-Saharan (3 credits)
ARTH 320: Travel Study in the Art History (3 credits)
ENG 377: Introduction to African Literature (3 credits)
ENG 430: Advance Studies in Contemporary Literature
ART 200: Art in General Culture: Ghana (3 credits)
GEOG 350: Special Topics in Geography: Studies in Ghana (3 credits)
HUM 252: Cross-Cultural Perspectives: Cultural Perspectives in Ghana (3 credits)
HIST 263: Introduction to African History (3 credits)
HIST 391: History Travel Study (3 credits)
HIST 470: Modern Africa (3 credits)
IBUS 298: Special Topics: International Business (3 credits)
IDLS 391: Study Abroad
POSC 371: Special Topics in Comparative Politics (3 credits)
PSYC 200: Topics in Psychology (3 credits)
REL 490: Special Topics in Religion (3 credits)
SCOM 395: Communication Studies Abroad Seminar (3 credits)
SOCI 391: Sociology Travel Study (3 credits)
SOWK 487: Special Topics in Social Work (3 credits)
THEA 303: Special Topics in Theatre (3 credits)
WGS 495: Women's Studies Special Topics (3 credits)
Courses listed here are to be used as a general guideline for program curriculum. *All courses are considered pending until approved by the Academic Department, Program, and/or College.


text:
How to Solve the Innovator's Dilemma
By Sean Michael Kerner | Article Published March 04, 2011
Juniper Networks executives explain how to get around the Innovator's Dilemma and build a pipeline of disruptive technologies.
Tags: software, networking, Enterprise IT, start ups, innovation
IBM Extends Helping Hand to Software Startups
By Larry Barrett | Article Published April 01, 2010
Big Blue announces it will give away free access to its software and technologists to startups as part of its Smarter Planet marketing strategy -- and build its brand in the process.
Tags: software, IBM, developers, venture capital, start ups


text:
Puddin's Training Tips
La Trenda lives with 4 dogs, all rescues who came to her with special needs. She spent 8 years volunteering and working for various shelters and rescues. She now spends most of her time going to dog training classes and studying training and behavior books to learn about better ways to connect with her dogs.
Posts filtered on Tag
So you want to be a professional dog trainer?
Responding to a question that Puddin and I received. [Read More]


text:
Pho Hoa Vietnamese Noodle Soup @ Holland VillageBook-a-Table
|Cuisine Type:
|Best For:
|Business, Lunch, Vegetarian
|18 Lorong Mambong;Singapore 277678
|Opening Hours:
|Mon - Sun 11am
|Average Price:
Pho Hoa restaurants specialize in naturally flavored; low-calorie and delicious soups that are affordable and appetizing. Each bowl of our soup is carefully prepared and accompanied with fresh coriander leaves; bean sprouts; hot chili peppers; lemon wedges and basil leaves. With many choices of meat toppings like steak; meatballs; brisket and chicken; customers can select to accommodate their taste buds. Pho Hoa; a conscious choice to health and a well-balanced meal!
Be the first to review, click Add Review and share your opinion with more than 100,000 readers.
Reviews from Yelp
~ No reviews to display ~


text:
Awards - Aussie Whip Maker
Gayle Nemeth has excelled not only in whip making but also in running her business. Gayle has won the 2004 Queensland Office of State Development Excellent in Export Award and the "Best Corporate Gift" award from the Queensland Merchandise Awards held by the Australian Arts Enterprise.
Our Awards
Winner of the 2004 Queensland Office of State Development Excellent in Export Award.
Success Breeds Confidence Gayle Nemeth, winner of the 2004 Queensland Office of State Development Excellent in Export Award.
Australian Arts Enterprise Award
We are proud to announce the recent winning of the "Best Corporate Gift" award from the Queensland Merchandise Awards held by the Australian Arts Enterprise.
Letters of Recognition
Congratulation letter from
|Congratulation letter
from John English – Local MP [PDF 100KB]
Gayle Nemeth - Year of the Outback Ambassador 2006
Year of the Outback 2006 Gayle is an Australian Icon. She is well known from her annual promotional tours with the show circuit.
This exposure also allows Gayle to undertake her roll as an Ambassador for the 2006 Year of the Outback on behalf of the Australian Outback Development Consortium LTD. The 2002 Year of the Outback was a stunning success and 2006 will be even larger, emotionally influencing millions of people.
To many Australians, the Australian Outback is much more than a sun burnt country. It is a place where mates look out for mates; a place where hard work and good times are one and the same, and a place where we all pitch in to make things happen.
2006 is the Year of the Outback, and when Gayle Nemeth was asked to be an Ambassador for this national event, naturally, she agreed.
"There is a spirit to the outback and outback people. It is a part of my life - a part of me and every whip that I make", commented Gayle.
The focus of events for this year is kids - raising awareness among city kids and bringing new opportunities to kids in the bush. As part of this Outback celebration, thousands of events will be held across the country, many of which will be attended by Gayle in her role of Ambassador.
"I want to use my craft to bring something special to these kids. Showing them their heritage through demonstrations of whip making, and stories about the role of whips in outback life remind kids from both the city and the bush of their shared history."
But history is only a part of the Nemeth story. As creator of the growing sport of Whipboxing, Gayle will take the national whipboxing team to many of these locations.
"There are a lot of life-lessons to be learned from whipboxing - and many of these are encompassed in our national slang. 'Fair Crack of the Whip' is all about playing fair, and doing things right - the cornerstone principle of whip boxing; and cracking 'em right between the eyes is the only way to score a win."
Gayle's whips, whip making demonstrations and whipboxing championships are renowned across Australia, and Gayle's role as Ambassador will allow her to share her craft with many outback and city people - providing inspiration, awakening memories, and for some, creating a tear in the eye.
And in true Aussie, Outback style, Gayle accepted the role as Ambassador without blinking an eye - and over the year, you can be sure that if there are city or bush kids that need to be shown the secret of the whip; if there is an outback part or show or if there is a community looking for some fresh entertainment - Gayle will be there.
We guarantee our product and its delivery safe to your hands. If there is any problem, we will sort it out. Thousands of people world wide own and love our whips... If you want quality and traditional workmanship, trust an Aussie Whip Maker whip!
Customer Quote: "My new whips arrived last week and I couldn't be more pleased with their performance. I ordered the 8' bull whip for myself and the yard whip for my kids. My kids are starting to get the hang of how to crack a whip, but still need lots of practice. I started cracking my whip and am very impressed not only with the performance but the quality of construction of both whips. I look forward to doing business with you in the future. All my best wishes go to you and yours. - Shawn"


text:
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art photographs of Arthur Dove, [ca. 1920-1946]
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art,
est. 1920
Collection size: 17 items.
Collection Summary: 17 photographs of Arthur Dove, his boat (the Mona), his homes in Geneva and Centreport, New York, and Helen Torr. The photographs were printed for the exhibition, "Arthur Dove" in 1974 at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.
Biographical/Historical Note: Art museum; San Francisco, Calif. Arthur Dove was a painter.
Donated 1982 by the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.
How to Use this Collection
- Reproduction and/or publication is forbidden. To be used for study purposes only.
- Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C., Research Center. Contact Reference Services for more information.
- For more information on using the Archives' resources, see the FAQ or Ask Us.


text:
RSVP today for Lunch-n-Learn
October 8, 2007
The Division of Academic Outreach and Continuing Education is hosting a Lunch-n-Learn Oct. 10 in Coskrey Auditorium of Memorial Hall at noon.
AOCE is hosting monthly luncheons to promote the services and programs offered through the division. October's topic is "Distance Learning--Wave of the Future."
President Robert H. "Doc" Foglesong will open the presentation with remarks on distance learning and its future at MSU, followed by Provost Peter Rabideau. The keynote speaker will be Dr. Barbara Spencer, director of graduate studies in the College of Business and Industry, home of the distance MBA program. Spencer will discuss how to design and implement a successful distance learning program. She also will address how a successful distance program can benefit on-campus faculty and students.
Anyone interested in participating should reserve a spot by e-mailing email@example.com by Oct. 8. Lunch will be provided only for those who RSVP.


text:
eBook Category: Erotica/BDSM Erotica
eBook Description: Number 1 Bestselling Erotic Novel. A Slave Trader With A Problem He Never Expected! Donald and Drew are astrological twins. They formed a friendship in elementary school and became lovers in high school. Now they are both doms and world famous slave traders. From their secluded cabin in central Vermont, they train and sell slaves. Donald and Drew each have their own personal slave. In addition, they usually have two to four slaves in training at any given time. They are busy but truly enjoy their work. They are intense, demanding and sadistic as they mold people into slaves worthy of their reputation. Then he falls in love with a new trainee, Olivia, and decides she is not to be sold. She is to be trained to be his personal slave!
eBook Publisher: Renaissance E Books/Sizzler Editions
Fictionwise Release Date: September 2007
19 Reader Ratings:
The cabin as they called it was in reality a fortress with the latest in security devices protecting the property from intruders or prying eyes. It was located in a secluded part of central Vermont surrounded by a dense forest with a narrow, unmarked, and unpaved driveway leading from the highway. The driveway was over a half a mile long and lined with cameras and other sensing devices to insure their privacy and to make sure that no unwanted visitors wandered near the cabin.
The cabin was an expansive two-story log cabin situated on one hundred and sixty areas of dense forest. It blended well into its environment and was almost invisible to the casual eye even from the air. It was designed to be environmentally friendly and self-contained. The main floor had a state of the art kitchen, a huge living room, a study that connected it to the outside world with the most advanced computer and satellite communications. There was a massive granite fireplace in the family room with a sliding glass door leading to a deck. Upstairs were four huge bedrooms. Each one had a private bathroom. Two were identical master bedrooms with a large walk-in closets, a bath with a whirlpool and a sauna, and a small deck that enabled one to look over the property at the rear of the cabin and at the deck below. They were located at opposite ends of the second floor and separated by the two other smaller bedrooms. The walkout basement was divided into a large room with several smaller rooms located adjacent to it. It also contained another large bathroom complete with a whirlpool and sauna. The sliding patio door opened onto a small concrete patio below the main deck and gave access to the small back yard and forest beyond.
The location of the cabin had been carefully selected to be very isolated and yet within an easy drive from Harford, Connecticut, Boston, Massachusetts, and New York City, New York. Privacy was of the utmost importance for the owners. And no expense was spared to ensure that they had exactly what they wanted. After all, their business demanded the kind of privacy that Vermont along with its sparse population and thick forests could offer. Or course, the addition of the latest in security devices both in and outside of the cabin made sure that they encountered no surprise intrusions into their private and secret world.
Drew Harper and Donald Stevens owned the property. They were born on the same day in the same year in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts. So astrologically speaking, they were twins. Drew was a raven haired beauty with deep blue eyes. She was almost six feet tall with long, slender, toned legs. Her narrow waist emphasized her hour-glass figure which kept its precise balance thanks to a rigorous fitness program. Donald was slightly shorter by half an inch. His hair was black and his eyes were medium blue. And by any standards, he was handsome and charming. Sharing the same passion for a rigorous workout with Drew, his chest was developed, his waist was narrow and his muscular arms and legs exuded strength and power.
As evidence of her dominant nature, Drew was valedictorian at her high school. And she graduated magna cum laude from the university with a degree in international law.
Donald was born a half hour later than Drew. He, too, was intelligent but preferred to demonstrate his leadership on the athletic field. He received a full-ride scholarship in baseball to the same university that Drew attended. He played shortstop on the varsity team three out of four years. He graduated with honors with a degree in psychology.
Friends from the first grade, Drew and Donald were always close and felt comfortable in sharing their innermost secrets and desires. After venturing out into the world after graduation, they decided to follow their passion which not only satisfied their perverse sexual needs but also provided the avenue to becoming wealthy--very wealth--to which the lavish cabin in Vermont and their house on the Cape attested. From her years of experience with an influential law firm that negotiated contracts around the world, Drew had contacts with a diverse population of wealthy people. After graduation, Donald continued to explore the human psyche and honed his skills in behavioral modification at a famous think tank in New England. Capitalizing on their education, experience and special connection as astrological twins, they became international slave traders with a reputation of procuring only the highest quality slaves for their clients in terms of training and physical attributes.
Drew and Donald worked hard in maintaining their reputation of delivering only the best trained and obedient slaves available anywhere in the world. They were very discerning in their selection of those whom they would train. Their training was harsh, demanding and thorough in every detail. As a result, they were able to demand premium prices for their slaves. As clients reaped the rewards of their work, witnessed their training techniques and heard stories of what else happened at the cabin, they were known around world as the "evil twins". They took pride in this world view of themselves and their work.


text:
View all available promotions
Everything was worth the price, no complaints. Recommend.
See full review
Everything was worth the price, no complaints. Recommend.
Staff was very courteous, especially the front desk and the dining room.
See full review
Staff was very courteous, especially the front desk and the dining room.
The Gresham Belson Hotel Brussels' location is perfect for visitors to NATO, the European Parliament and Berlaymont business district. Refurbished in 2008, this modern hotel has spacious rooms and up to date amenities. Guests take advantage of the free shuttle to the airport or business districts. Hot and cold breakfasts wait in the hotel, and the Shannon Lounge is open for drinks, cocktails and light snacks. Underground parking is available, maximum height 1.75 meters (fees apply).
This hotel has 136 modern and comfortably equipped guest accommodations. Guests choose from deluxe rooms, executive rooms, junior suites or apartments, all generously appointed. Quadriga Genesis Interactive TVs and radio systems allow Internet access, or guests can use free Wi-Fi or wired Internet access in their rooms with their personal devices. Work desks feature in all rooms and hair dryers and ironing boards are complimentary, for the convenience of guests. Luxury bedding and tea/coffee making facilities are on hand to help guests unwind. Spacious apartments provide kitchenettes with combi-microwaves, minibars, separate dining areas and terraces. The elegant guest room interiors are characterized by muted colors and sharp, sleek lines. Floor to ceiling windows enhance the feeling of space and give an airy ambiance. Corporate visitors to the Gresham Belson Hotel Brussels benefit from an onsite business center, meeting and conferencing facilities and secretarial services.
Free Wi-Fi and wired Internet is available throughout the hotel
Great location that is close to NATO and Berlaymont business district
Complimentary fresh fruit, spring water and towels in the fitness room
Center for Fine Arts (2.6mi/4.2km)
Beer Planet (2.7mi/4.4km)
Jeanneke Pis (2.7mi/4.3km)
Les Halles Saint Gery (3mi/4.8km)
Cantillon Brewery (3.6mi/5.8km)
Colonne du Congres (3.6mi/5.8km)
Manneken Pis (3.8mi/6.2km)
Mini Europa (4.1mi/6.6km)
Rue des Bouchers (4.4mi/7km)
Zaventem Brussels Airport (5.6mi/9km)
Customers who viewed Gresham Belson Hotel Brussels also booked these hotels.
Rates quoted in currencies other than the hotel's base currency are subject to the rate of the international exchange. Rate may change throughout stay. Rate may reflect average nightly rate. Extra charges may apply. Incidental charges, such as room service, are not included in the rate.
The amenities and/or facilities may not be located at the hotel, but within a reasonable distance, and additional charges may apply for use.
Overall score
Reviewer score
Would recommend
Adequate, not great, but not bad
Staff was very courteous, especially the front desk and the dining room.
great stay
Everything was worth the price, no complaints. Recommend.
priced to high but not bad at all
asked for 2 beds but got 1 bed and pull-out couch. staff very friendly but price was outrageous for this hotel room. 4km from grand palace not bad. free breakfast...very good --not your average breakfast.
Orbitz guards your privacy and security. We're certified by TRUSTe and Verisign.© 2001 - 2015, Orbitz, LLC. All rights reserved.CST 2063530-50; Hawaii TAR-6881; Iowa 644; Washington 602-108-724


text:
The Highland Mint Detroit Red Wings Pavel Datsyuk Bronze Coin Panoramic Photo Mint
Product Information:
Celebrate your favorite Red Wing with The Highland Mint® Detroit Red Wings Pavel Datsyuk Panoramic Photo Mint. The action photo collage of Datsyuk and the team-colored double matting keeps your team pride at its ultimate high. The 39mm team coin in the middle comes adorned with the Red Wings logo, proving your loyalty. The durable frame with the glass front panel makes this limited edition collectible perfect for any Datsyuk fan.
- The Highland Mint® Detroit Red Wings Pavel Datsyuk panoramic photo
- Features panoramic collage of Pavel Datsyuk
- Team-colored double matting on front for quality and pride
- Minted bronze 39mm team-specific commemorative coin in middle
- Durable frame and glass front panel
- Frame measures approximately 12" x 20"
- Collage measures approximately 7" x 15"
- Accompanied by a certificate of authenticity
- Limited edition of 5,000
- Officially licensed by the NHL®
- The Highland Mint
Country of Origin: ImportedWeb ID: 32070116


text:
Recent Comments
- dickdastardly on Did Vermont violate an NCAA rule?
- UVM Student Section on Did Vermont violate an NCAA rule?
- UVM Student Section on McCarthy, Massar key contributors to Hockey Cats' success
- UVM Student Section on Ice chips: UVM players accountable for bad penalties
- UVM Student Section on Ice chips: How will Sneddon handle goalies; Cadets face SMC
Recent Posts
Tags2011 America East tournament Amanda Pelkey america east tournament Bill Beaney Brendan Bald Brett Leonard Brian Voelkel Brody Hoffman Castleton State College Chris McCarthy Colin Markison college men's hockey Connor Brickley evan fjeld Hockey East Jim Plumer joey accaoui John Becker Justin Milo Kevin Sneddon Kyle Reynolds Lori McBride Luke Apfeld marqus blakely Matt Glass men's hockey Middlebury Middlebury College Mike Lonergan Nick Bruneteau Norwich Norwich University Rob Madore Sandro Carissimo Sebastian Stalberg St. Michael's St. Michael's College Tim Thomas University of Vermont UVM uvm men's basketball uvm men's hockey uvm women's basketball uvm women's hockey Vermont
Tag Archives: Tom Forgione
UVM Fr D Trey Phillips to miss 15 games over NCAA eligibility issue
Touted freshman defenseman Trey Phillips will miss the first 15 games of the University of Vermont men's hockey regular season due to an NCAA eligibility issue, coach Kevin Sneddon confirmed Tuesday. Referring to a statement from the UVM compliance office, … Continue reading
Tagged Kevin Sneddon, Kyle Reynolds, Tom Forgione, Trey Phillips Comments Off
McCarthy, Massar key contributors to Hockey Cats' success
Following Vermont's 5-1 victory over St. Lawrence on Saturday, UVM senior defenseman Nick Bruneteau addressed the Catamounts' five-game win streak. "Everybody loves to win," he said. "I would go back to that thing about how close we are as a … Continue reading


text:
MyPlate Kids' Place
For the last three years, the White House has challenged America's junior chefs to create original lunchtime recipes that were healthy, affordable, delicious, and followed the nutritional guidelines of MyPlate. The 2014 Healthy Lunchtime Challenge Cookbook contains the most recent group of 54 winning recipes -- some of which were featured at the Kids' State Dinner at the White House. This event, which was hosted by President and Mrs. Obama, celebrated the ingenuity of the budding young chefs. The 2013 and 2012 cookbooks are also available to download.
Treat your taste buds to these yummy recipes created and tested by kids just like you!!
Black Bean Wrap with Jicama–Grilled Corn Salsa
Chef Taddy
from Illinois
Garden Stir-Fry
Chef Kaitlyn
from Minnesota
Kickin' Colorful Bell Peppers with Quinoa
Chef Anisha
from Ohio
Zucchini Pancakes & Passion Fruit Smoothie
Chef Sakari
from U.S. Virgin Islands
Wisconsin Solar
Hungry for more recipes??
The What's Cooking? USDA Mixing Bowl is an interactive tool to help with healthy meal planning, cooking, and grocery shopping. The site features a searchable database of healthy recipes, options to save recipes to a cookbook, print recipe cards, and share recipes via social media.
And remember, when it's time to eat at home, at school, at a friend's house... Think "MyPlate"!


text:
And, of course, the fine print:
Get free shipping on your next order when you spend over $100. The discount will be automatically applied to your purchase; no promo code required. The subtotal of your purchase must be $100.01 or greater after any promotional discounts have been applied. Additional fees such as tax or shipping and handling do not apply toward your minimum subtotal requirement of $100.01. Offer applies to standard shipping only. Certain items that require additional shipping and handling are excluded from this promotion and do not apply towards your $100.01 subtotal minimum. Offer subject to change.
These sleek leather and felt coasters prove that merely wanting to protect your various surfaces doesn't mean sacrificing design. Each of the four coasters included in this set is reversible — one side is tan leather and the other is made with 100% merino wool felt. So go ahead, set that mug down with confidence.
- Set of 4
- Reversible coasters
- Leather and felt
- Measures 4"" in diameter
Shipping: This product ships from the maker within 7 days, via FedEx
Returns: Full refund issued for items returned within 30 days of receipt


text:
Cornhusker Youth State Basketball Championship
Come be a part of the FIRST EVER Nebraska Youth State Championships at the Cornhusker Youth State Basketball Championships (CYSBC) in Lincoln, Nebraska March 6-8, 2015!
3rd - 8th grade boys and girls teams will have the option of registering as Gold, Silver or Bronze Level Teams, and the CYSBC will host state championships for each of these divisions. All teams that wish to participate in the Cornhusker Youth State Basketball Championships must follow the following process:
- Register your team on our website at www.
cornhuskerbballchampionships. com. This process is simple. You will fill out a short questionnaire that asks for team name, coaches name and contact info, and the level of play which you intend to be ranked/participate.
- Register to participate in the State Rankings Process, also found on the above website.
- To Participate in the State Tournament, a team must qualify. To Qualify, a team must either:
2) Participate in two qualifying tournaments. A list of qualifying events can be found at www.
Note: Teams from 100 miles outside of Omaha will only need to participate in one qualifier to be eligible for the CYSBT.
For state rankings and for purposes of seeding the state tournament, points will be awarded in the following manner:
Ex. If a team were to go 3-0 and finish in first place, they would be awarded 9 points for finishing first, 6 points for the three wins (two points per victory) and one participation point – 16 points total.
The more you play the more points you earn!!! It is important to note that teams will be ranked and seeded based on point totals, not average per event.
The first set of state rankings will be released on Wednesday January 7th.
Rules and all other information can be found at www.
CLICK HERE to DOWNLOAD THE CYSBC MOBILE APP!