Nigeria Property

Monday, April 6, 2015

So a deal was apparently reached in Lausanne. It is not quite final, and there might be zig-zags, but it looks likely that a deal will be reached between Iran and the AngloZionist Empire. Except for, in this case, the Anglos appear to be distinctly happier than the Zionists. So, what is going on here?

First and foremost, and I have said that innumerable times on this blog, this is not about some putative Iranian nuclear weapons program. I will not repeat all the arguments in detail here (those interested can look into the archives), but here is a short summary of why Iran never intended to have a nuclear weapon:

1) Iranians are very smart, not stupid. They fully understand that a few nuclear weapons would make absolutely no difference in a war against Israel or the US or anybody else. If used aggressively, they would trigger a massive response and if used defensively, in response to an attack, they would not be here in the first place, because any attack would begin by a counter-force disarming strike, possibly a nuclear one. Any putative Iranian nuclear forces lacks both the survivability and flexibility needed to be used or even to deter any attack.

2) Acquiring a military nuclear capability would instantly turn Iran into a pariah state. We saw the sanctions against Iran against an imaginary nuclear program; you can imagine what they would be against a real one.

3) Iran is uninvadable as a country – it is too big, the terrain too complex, the population too large and, frankly, its armed forces too strong. Compared to Iran, both Afghanistan and Iraq were easy targets (there is a reason why the US has not even attempted to invade Iran since 1979!). Iran can, however, be very heavily bombed with missiles and successive airstrikes. This is not the kind of threat a nuclear capability can deter. In other words, Iran does not even need nukes.

4) The US intelligence community has admitted that Iran has no military nuclear program. All they could claim is that Iran had one in the past. Considering the pressure the US intelligence community was under at the time, this is as exculpatory a report as can be realistically expected.

5) The Iranian spiritual leaders have gone on the record multiple times and most officially declared that nuclear weapons are immoral, un-Islamic and forbidden. Secularists tend to believe that religious folks are always liars, I tend to believe that they do follow the principles which they believe in.

6) It is most definitely not about anybody wanting to get (or prevent) and “Islamic bomb” as Pakistan already has just that.

So if this not about nukes, what is it?

Simple!

1) It is about not allowing the Islamic Republic of Iran to become a viable, vibrant and prosperous alternative to the Wahabi and Zionist client-states in the region.

2) Is is about showing that even Iran can and will be bullied into submission to the Axis of Kindness.

3) It is about preventing Iran from acquiring its own civilian nuclear research program, which is a source of technology and pride.

4) It is a pretext to impose vicious sanctions on Iran

5) It is a pretext to attack Iran militarily

6) It is about subverting the Iranian society

Now that we have listed the real stakes of the apparent agreement in Lausanne, we can also explain why Obama is pushing the deal while Netanyahu is appalled by it. The US deep state apparently came to the realization that a war with Iran would be a disaster for the USA and its Empire and the US might even be considering reaching some kind of modus vivendi with Iran before the entire Middle-East explodes, because of the multiple foreign policy mistakes of the USA in the region. We are not talking about a US-Iranian love fest, at least not quite yet, but rather a way from freeing the USA from this exhausting and useless confrontation with the key regional superpower. With now three major potential wars possible (Ukraine, Yemen, Iran), the US wants at least one put back on the back burner to free resources for the other two.

For the Israelis, this is very bad news indeed, not because Iran is about to “commit another Holocaust” (sic), but because they put all their power, prestige, influence and, last but not least, hysterics into whipping up a crazy anti-Iranian panic and they have failed. These feelings of failure and fear will now also be shared by the Saudis.

Will the Israelis strike alone?

Militarily, they don’t have what it takes to meaningfully strike Iran. But they sure can strike hard enough to create a crisis and since artificially creating fear, chaos and tensions is what Israel does best, there is a good chance they might try that in despair. The problem with any of such strategies is that Iran has numerous asymmetrical options which I listed as far back as 2007 in an article entitled Iran’s asymmetrical response options. Much has changed since 2007, but fundamentally these options for Iran are still there.

I have to confess here that I have been predicting a US and/or Israeli attack on Iran since I created this blog in 2007 and, so far at least, I have been proven wrong. Will the Israeli Ziocrazies prove me right now? Possibly. For them, it has become a political necessity to show the region and the world “who is boss” and right now, it sure does not look like Israel is.

Between the the war in the Ukraine, the war in Yemen and the tensions around Iran – 2015 is shaping up to become an exceptionally dangerous year. And the key leaders are all either dumb, or crazy, or ideologically fanaticized. God help us all in our resistance to the Empire and its shock troops!

The Saker

Yes, Russia is still ready for war – even nuclear war

On March 1st of last year I wrote an article entitled “Obama just made things much, much worse in the Ukraine – now Russia is ready for war” in which I wrote the following: “I hope and pray that Obama, and his advisers, stop and think carefully about their next step, because make no mistake about that RUSSIA IS READY FOR WAR.” Using bolded red caps was my hope to get everybody’s attention, including the various US analysts reading my blog and thinking that maybe I knew a little something about Russia.

This was the first time in my (now ex-) career as a military analyst that I delivered such a warning, and it is a sweet irony for me that it was made publicly and not behind all sorts of secrecy walls.

I STILL very much believe that Russia is ready for war. And by “ready” I mean two things:

a) Russia is morally and psychologically willing to use military force to defend herself against the Empire

b) Russia does have the military means to defend herself against the Empire.

I fully agree with a recent article on Russia Insider entitled “NATO Would Probably Lose A War Against Russia“. I don’t know who the “Shellback” who wrote this article is, but I can immediately recognize a fellow “cold warrior” who, like me, must have spent many hours studying the works of V.G. Reznichenko and David Glantz and who knows what he is talking about. You can take what “Shellback” wrote to the bank.

Recently, the Times of London posted an article about threats allegedly made by senior Russian intelligence officers to their western colleagues. Since the Times’ website is behind a pay-wall, I will direct you to this reprint from The Australian. Let me immediately say, that all the details given about the alleged meeting sound totally true to me and that I have no reason whatsoever to doubt that this time around, The Times actually printed a true story. I am aware of the fact that Putin’s spokesman, Peskov, has immediately denied the story, but in this (very rare) case, I still believe the western corporate media. Why? Because everything in the story is absolutely credible. In particular these excerpts:

Among the “key messages delivered by Russian participants” was a warning that any military move by the West on Crimea would trigger a Russian response, possibly involving nuclear force. “The United States should also understand it would also be at risk.”

The Russian delegation said that any NATO build-up in the Baltics would prompt an increase in Russia’s “nuclear posture”, according to notes drawn up by a US participant. The warning is baldly recounted: “Russia will use its nuclear weapons against NATO.”

When discussing possible Russian action in the Baltics, it reported: “Russian members mentioned a spectrum of responses from nuclear to non-military.”

The most trenchant Russian remarks on eastern Europe were delivered by the former military intelligence chief Valentin Korabelnikov, who remains a senior adviser to the defence ministry. Since the GRU masterminded the annexation of Crimea, he is likely to have been involved in the planning. He said that the biggest threat to Russia was US activity along its borders, according to notes taken by Kevin Ryan, a retired US brigadier-general who served as defence attaché in Moscow.

Most people in the West, especially those who have not yet ditched their Idiot-Tube, are getting influenced by propaganda, whether they realized it or not. Just living in a highly propagandized society makes you absorb a lot of that propaganda, as if by osmosis. One such propaganda myth is about the condition and readiness of the Russian military. Of course, it is a very cozy “feel good” feeling to “know” that your military is just “the best”, as if by definition, but the reality is very different and ignoring it is very dangerous. Here are the raw facts:

1. In the Ukraine Russia has a *huge* terrain advantage over the US/NATO, simply because the Ukraine is right across Russia’s border. NATO simply does not have the power projection capability or numbers to intervene in the Ukraine.

2. The Russian Ground Forces are much tougher, better trained and better commanded that their NATO counterparts.

3. The Russian Air Force is more capable that NATO’s, both in terms of personnel and in terms of equipment.

4. Russian Air Defense Forces are the best on the planet.

5. Russian nuclear forces are much more modern and capable than the US ones.

Spetsnaz GRU Operator

6. Russian special forces are, by far, the most capable on the planet and, unlike their US counterparts, their combat record (Operation Storm-333, “Polite Green Men” in Crimea) proves it. In any Ukrainian war, they will play a key role.

[Sidebar: Western propaganda always makes loud claims about this or that kind of training, this or that kind of weapons, this or that kind of quotes and statements about super-dooper, super-secret, “best in the world”, special forces, but I simply look at the combat record. You can train all you want, and spend 100 days in the desert eating lizards, but unless you have some real war time combat success to show, I don’t take your claims seriously. Recently, a commentator wrote that the best infantry in the world was the Australian one, because they had learned their skills from the Bushman. Great. One look at the territory currently controlled by the Bushmen and the size of Russia will tell you everything you need to know about that claim :-]

Now, make no mistake: Russia does not want war. If Russia wanted war, Putin would have sent the Russian military into the Donbass last year. In fact, Russia does not even want another “cold” war in Europe. But Russia is prepared to defend herself, if the AngloZionist Empire insists on making her submit to its hegemony.

As for Crimea, it is simply not negotiable. Any attempt to break Crimea away from Russia will be considered as an attack on Russia. You might as well try to seize the Kremlin.

Lastly, notice that I said “Russia is ready”. Not “Putin is ready”. Not only is Putin supported by something in the range of 85%+ of Russians, even though those who oppose him (LDPR, Communist Party, Just Russia) fully and totally support Putin’s refusal to surrender to the Empire. The size of the pro-western part of the Russian population must be roughly in the 3%-5% max, not even enough to get one single deputy into the Duma.

Let me explain something about Russian history here.

Russia began as a rather small principality, much smaller and weaker than Poland. And then Russia got invaded by a multi-ethnic mix of nomads from the East. Russia did not have any natural borders. Not only that, but most of Russia is, in military terms, much more similar to an ocean than to dry land: huge forests, infinite steppes, extreme climates, etc. Finally, unlike western Europe, where a surrendering force was usually spared, in the vast expanses of Russia, surrender was simply not an option. Surrender meant death. The Russian gene pool was directly affected by this selective pressure. As was Russian culture.

[Sidebar: my daughter always laughs that Russian songs are all about only three topics: love, the Motherland and war. She is right. War and everything it represents in an integral part of the Russian culture as is sacrificing your life for the Motherland.]

For those still dubious, I would recommend machine translating this page. It is an analysis of all the wars and battles Russia fought between 1700 and 1940. The results are clear:

For 250 years of its existence of the Russian military fought 392 regular army battles against the Swedes, the French, the Germans, the Turks, the Poles, the Tatars, the Finns, various ethnic groups from the Caucasus, the Japanese, the Chinese, the Austrians, the Hungarians, the British, the Italians, and Central Asian nations. Of those Russia won – 279.

Russia only lost 3 out of 34 wars:

1. Crimea
2. Russian-Japanese
3. Polish-Soviet 1920.

And in most these battles Russia has inferior numbers of troops and inferior weapons.

So much for the usual western myths about “winning by numbers” or “General Winter” (these myths are the output of bruised western egos, not military analysis).

This history creates a paradox: Russians absolutely hate war and even fear it, but in war they are determined and fearless. Furthermore, the “ocean like” terrain results in the Russians being unbeatable at two things: maneuver warfare and intelligence/reconnaissance. As for “retreat” on an ocean-like terrain, it has very different meaning than in traditional land warfare.

I believe that this is what the Russian intelligence officers were trying to convey to their counterpart at the meeting reported by The Times: we don’t want war, but if you force us to, we will defeat you.

You might ask about nuclear war – would the Russians really risk death rather than surrender? After all, the USA *does* really have the means to wipe most Russian cities off the world map! Again, the answer is simple: Russia has almost always fought an existential threat. Sure, the US has nukes, but Hitler’s project for Russia was hardly any better (to turn the Russian subhumans into slaves for the Master’s Race). Unlike westerner, who have hardly ever faced a real existential threat (Hitler does not count – he was very much “our son of a bitch”), Russians have, numerous times. That is the big advantage of imperialism, especially for a power protected by the seas: wars happen away from home. In a nuclear war, both Russia and the USA would lose 20-50 million people. Now take a guess, which country is more capable of loosing anywhere between 1/5 to 1/2 of its population and then survive the nuclear winter and radioactive fallout?

In conclusion, I want to say the following to those who will dismiss all of the above as nonsense and still believe that the western military forces could prevail against Russia: you are welcome to dismiss all of the above, but please realize that the vast majority of Russians really do believe it! And as a direct result of that – they will not submit, they will not “blink”, they will not surrender and they will fight you with everything they have.

This topic makes me sick to my stomach. I hate it. I am also frustrated to tears that having survived the Cold War, I am now facing by far the most dangerous international situation since the Cuban Missile Crisis (and then, at least, everybody was terrified; today the propaganda zombified public is utterly unaware of what is happening). The only reason I feel that I have to repeat all these things is in the hope that somebody somewhere will take my warnings seriously and warn his/her bosses.

If you are that person – please do the right thing now.

The Saker

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Update on Alleged anti-Igbo comment: What Oba Akiolu really said — Palace

The royal residence of the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, has issued an announcement, clearing up the Oba’s announcement when Igbo pioneers in Lagos went to him on Sunday.

See full articulation bellow..

THE PALACE MAKES FURTHER CLARIFICATION ON THE STATEMENT BY THE OBA OF LAGOS.

‎My attention has been drawn to a publication in a national newspaper where HRM Oba Riliwanu Akinolu was alleged to have threatened Igbos in Lagos to make them vote for Ambode.

Last Sunday, all honorary Eze Ndigbos in Lagos paid a courtesy call to HRM Oba Akinolu. At the meeting the visitors praised the Oba for his fatherly support for and cooperation with Igbos in. Lagos. They assured him of their continued good neighborliness with other tribes in Lagos and support everything that’ll further strengthen that harmony.

Oba Akiolu on his part acknowledged the enviable performance of Governor Fashola and his contribution to the growth of investments in Lagos. He gave the assurance that he is not disturbed or angry with South-East and South- South votes for President Jonathan as perceived by the Eze Ndigbos. The Obas thereafter called on the Igbos chiefs to show appreciation to Lagos State by supporting his candidate Mr. Ambode for continuity of excellence as they have earlier promised.

He assured them of his continued support‎ and assistance where needed and the meeting ended with the traditional breaking of kolas, alligator pepper, and bitter kola and pouring of liberation on the ground. It was within this context that that the tradition of Lagos with regard to the lagoon came up. It was noted that whoever works against the throne and the interest and peaceful co-existence of Lagos would end up in the lagoon as per tradition.

2.Oba Akiolu stated further that the Igbo people have not betrayed the throne. Lagos has also not betrayed the Igbo people. Lagos has done so much to make the Igbos comfortable and to prosper. For this, we expect reciprocal respect and understanding. The Oba of Lagos prays that the Lagoon and the throne will continue to bless and protect all those who reside and visit Lagos.

3. Oba Akiolu is the father of all irrespective of tribe, religion or political persuasion. In Lagos, we have an old traditional proverb that relates to the Lagoon. The Lagoon is unique to Lagos. The proverb stresses the need for unity and understanding when you do business in an environment and in this case when you live and do business in Lagos.

Oba Akiolu prays for peace for the land of Lagos and prosperity for all its inhabitants.

Signed: Chief Lateef Aderibigbe Ajose, Opeluwa of Lagos

April 6, 2015

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Sunday, April 5, 2015

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I was in a cage for 16 good years –President Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan on Sunday looked back at his 16 years in public service and concluded that he was “in a cage” during the period.

But he was quick to admit that he had yet to see anybody luckier than he had been. Jonathan spoke while receiving residents of the Federal Capital Territory who were led by Vice President Namadi Sambo to pay him Easter homage at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

He said,

“For me as an individual, this Easter concides with the time I am leaving(office) but I always say that I am one of the luckiest Nigerians. I have yet to see somebody luckier than me.

“I have been in government for 16 years beginning from 1999. Not in government as a parliamentarian because if you are a Senator or House of Representatives member, you take care of yourself, you live in your own house.

“I was in a cage, being taken care of by government. From May 29, 1999 to date; 16 good years. I think it is enough and I am happy.

“Please help me to thank God for that. I will continue to thank Nigerians for giving me that privilege. I became a deputy governor because Bayelsans voted for me and my governor then (Diepreye Alamieyeseigha). I became a Vice-President because Nigerians voted for (Umaru)Yar’Adua and myself.

“I continued in 2011 because Nigerians voted for me and Namadi Sambo. I have to thank all Nigerians. Wherever I will be, I will remain grateful to this great country. Today is a glorious day for me.”

Jonathan said Nigerians should be ready to make sacrifices for the survival of the government at every given time. He said during his days as deputy governor, he kept telling people that what he needed was patriotism and not loyalty. The President cited the examples of soldiers and policemen who, according to him, are dying daily in the fight against Boko Haram in order for others to live.

He added,

“So as a people, as a government, what I   believe we should always ask is: ‘What sacrifice   are we making?

“Now, it is not about supporting Jonathan or his government. Now, Buhari is coming on board; it is not about supporting Buhari or his government but the sacrifice   we are willing to make for government and for the nation?

“If you are a businessman and you say you are supporting government but you don’t pay tax, how then do you expect that government to survive?

“While in Bayelsa State as a deputy governor, people used to come to me to say ‘I’m loyal;’ but I always tell them   to   say that   they are patriotic to the country.

“To me, whenever I travel out of the country and see things work, I tell myself that those things didn’t fall down like manna; people made sacrifices. Therefore,   people in Nigeria must also be ready to make   sacrifice.

“Whoever becomes President is immaterial so long as the citizens are happy: our children go to school, the sick   go to good hospital and of course, the economy is working. But for them to take place, people must make the required sacrifices.

“In the ECOWAS sub-region for example, Nigeria has the lowest rate of Value Added Tax which is five per cent. Other countries in the region pay up to 12 per cent.

“If for instance, Buhari decides to increase VAT from five to 10 per cent, will Nigerians support him? That is sacrifice and we must make sacrifice. “Nation building depends on   sacrifice by individuals and patriotism.

“We are talking about Boko Haram or terror, soldiers are dying so that others can   live, policemen are dying while protecting us. These people are making sacrifices. As individuals we don’t need to die but there   roles we need to play and one of them is to make   sacrifice.”

Jonathan cited the case of China, saying when its economy was threatened, the citizens locked up themselves for a period of time. He recalled that by the time they opened their doors, the country became a threat to the biggest economies. The President wondered if Nigerians were ready for that kind of sacrifice which, according to him, is one of the key lessons of Easter.

Sambo, in his remarks, thanked Jonathan for what he described as achievements.The Vice President said by accepting defeat in the last elections, Jonathan had saved the country and made it a pride of Africa and a global star.

“For your contributions and actions, your name will forever be in gold in the history of the world ,” Sambo said.

The Vice President said he was proud to remain the President’s deputy, friend and brother. He said since the five years he spent with the President were enough to obtain first and second degrees in a university, he had obtained Ph.D under Jonathan’s tutelage.

“I will forever be loyal to you. We are members of one family. We are very proud of you. All Nigerians appreciate the strong foundation you have put in place,” he added.

A giant Easter greeting card was presented to the President during the event that was attended by the deputy governor of Sokoto State, Muktar Shagari; the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim; the Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, Cardinal John Onaiyekan; and the Primate, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Most Revd. Nicholas Okoh.

The Head of Service, Danladi Kifasi; the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Bala Muhammed; the Minister of State, FCT, Olajumoke Akinjide; and the Chief Imam of Abuja, Muhammed Musa were in the delegation.

Nigerians’ll look for Jonathan

– President’s chaplain

Meanwhile, the Chaplain to the President, Ven. Obioma Onwuzurumba, has said that Nigerians would still look for Jonathan.

He said this while delivering a sermon titled “The Lord is risen indeed” during the Easter Sunday service held at the Aso Villa Chapel.

The cleric likened Jonathan to Jesus Christ whose disciples, he said, were not even convinced that he was the messiah and that he would resurrect.

The clergyman said, “This Jonathan they did not want, they will look for him. This Jonathan they despised, they will look for him. They will seek his advice. He is not Jesus but he is like Jesus. I am not here to praise him.

“The disciples did not have the confidence that Jesus who did many things in their lives and that of the people was the messiah and if indeed he would resurrect again.”

Onwuzurumba argued that irrespective of what anybody would say, Jesus Christ resurrected and is alive.

The first lesson of the service was read by the chaplain’s wife from Psalm 16:1 to the end while the second lesson taken from Luke 24:13-35. It was read by the Senator representing FCT, Philip Aduda.

It service which also featured special renditions and special prayers was not attended by Jonathan’s wife, Patience and his mother, Eunice.

Naira reacts to president-elect Buhari, set to rise further against the dollar this week

The naira will rise further against the dollar on the parallel market this week, analysts and foreign exchange dealers have predicted.

They argued that the peaceful outcome of the presidential election and the hard stance of the President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, against corruption and economic leakages had boosted investor confidence in the economy. The naira, which fell to a record high of 228 against the greenback before the election, rose to 210 on Friday.

However, the local currency traded within the 199-199.50 band on the official interbank market, where it has been stuck since February, after the Central Bank of Nigeria pegged the rate.

The Acting President, Association of Bureau de Change Operators of Nigeria, Alhaji Aminu Gwadabe, told our correspondent he expected the local currency to rise further this week and beyond.

Gwadabe, who said the naira had firmed to 204 against the dollar on Thursday, believe the trend would continue this week, adding that “the naira may appreciate to something below 197 currently at the interbank market.”

Foreign exchange dealers said the demand for dollar had reduced compared to what happened before the presidential election.

A currency analyst at Ecobank Nigeria, Mr. Kunle Ezun, had said the market was trading around the general elections and Buhari’s person.

He had said, “The market has been trading around sentiments and emotions, this is why the naira is appreciating; nothing has really changed in the fundamentals. There was high demand for the dollar before the election because some people predicted post-election violence. Now, the game is over and there is no violence. So, the demand for the greenback is abating.

“The market is also trading around the sentiment that Buhari will fight corruption, strengthen institutions and eliminate wastages. But after his inauguration, the market will trade around the fundamentals like the oil price, external reserves and others.”

In a sign of relief, individuals who had stockpiled dollars to hedge against political risk fearing the election could be marred by violence, were exchanging their funds for the naira, Reuters reported.

“We are not going to see much of movement in the pricing of the naira at the interbank market until the central bank reviews the present measure which has stagnated the rate,” a dealer said.

The naira-dollar exchange rate has yet to witness any change at the interbank market.

According to Reuters, the Kenyan shilling is expected to weaken, hurt by negative sentiment after a deadly attack by al Shaabab near the frontier with Somalia threatened its tourism fortunes.

The shilling has lost ground steadily since last year, partly due to a downturn in tourism following attacks by al Shabaab militants. Tourists are a leading source of hard currencies for East Africa’s biggest economy.

The shilling could trade between 92.50-93.20 to the dollar, with a move beyond 93 likely triggering intervention from the central bank, National Bank of Kenya trader, Chris Muiga, said.

Traders said a government bond could lend support to the shilling. Kenya’s central bank has invited bids for a 12-year infrastructure bond worth 25 billion shillings ($270m).

Ghana’s cedi could be buoyed by demand from businesses looking to settle domestic quarterly bills.

The West African currency has weakened by about 11 per cent since January, but looks set to reverse some of those losses, partly helped by a $940m International Monetary Fund aid deal this month that is expected to unlock additional offshore inflows.

“Liquidity has been weak on the local market … and this is likely to hold the dollar/cedi at current levels next week,” Barclays Bank analyst, Michael Akpakli, said.

The outlook points to a firmer Zambian kwacha this week, after the central bank hiked the amount of money commercial banks should deposit with the regulator and as the government plans to resolve a mining tax row with foreign investors.

The Bank of Zambia will raise the statutory reserve ratio to 18 per cent from 14 per cent on Wednesday.

“The increase will reduce liquidity and that should render support to the kwacha,” analyst Maambo Hamaundu told Reuters.

President Edgar Lungu last month directed the finance and mining ministers to adjust royalties on mining firms by April 8, saying the copper-producer could consider temporarily reverting to the less punitive tax regime which was in place in 2014.

Traders predicted a stable shilling on tightening liquidity but some investors were concerned about the impact of a planned increase in government spending.

The Ugandan government is planning to increase spending before the 2016 elections, although the central Bank of Uganda has vowed to use its key interest rate to keep inflation in check.

The shilling traded at 3,000/3,016, weaker than 2,975/2,985 a week ago.

“Liquidity is getting tighter in the market, we see this tightening slowing any weakening of the unit (shilling),” a trader at Bank of Africa, Ahmed Kalule, said.

Integrity not enough to run government.. fight corruption, Bakare tells Buhari

The General Overseer of the Latter Rain Assembly, Pastor Tunde Bakare, on Sunday in Lagos cautioned the President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, against appointing persons with questionable character into his government. Some of these people, the cleric said, were among those who facilitated Buhari’s success on March 28.

Bakare, who was the running mate to Buhari in the 2011 Presidential election on the platform of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change, said this at the 26th anniversary of his church. He delivered a message titled, ‘Democracy audit: chances, choices and consequences.’

The 60 year-old pastor urged Buhari to start the fight against corruption from his circle and lay a good example, saying change cannot be achieved if these were not done.

He said, “I congratulate Nigerians; we have chosen a man of integrity as our President. But integrity is not enough to run a government.

“May the good Lord surround the President-elect with men and women of goodwill, great intellectual capacity, competence and character to help restore our wasted years.

“I pray sincerely that not all those who facilitated his winning the election will be among those who run the government. I did say before the election that I trust the person of General Buhari but not all those around him.

“I mean every word of it because many of them are nothing but Ali Baba and 40 thieves. And if these are the same who would go into government, you can’t fight evil with evil. You can as well kiss the anti-corruption stance of Mr. President-elect goodbye.”

Bakare prayed for Buhari to have the needed wisdom and strength, noting that people were already submitting applications to him to serve in the incoming administration.

“You don’t know how many applications are in my phone. I am not the Vice-President; I am not looking for a job. They said ‘we know General Buhari listens to you; if I cannot get Minister of Works, maybe I will get Minister of Aviation’.

“The vultures are now going round and round. If he does not have quality people around him, then they will put round pegs in square holes and within two years, we are back to square one.”

The cleric saluted INEC chairman, Attahiru Jega for his leadership and “comportment in the face of grave accusation and provocation.”

He also commended President Goodluck Jonathan for conceding defeat, noting that he had written his name in gold.

Meanwhile, a former Chaplain of Aso Villa during the administration of ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, Reverend William Okoye, has called on Buhari to reduce the cost of governance by reducing the number of political offices in the country.