DON'T LET BUHARI AND APC DECEIVE YOU by Amadasu Evans.

1999 is not history for people like me. President Obasanjo did not inherit a great legacy from chains of visionless military governments. There was no oil boom when Obasanjo took over. But once he took over, he looked up and not down. He looked forward and not backward. Not even the mind-blowing looting of Abacha's government, a government President Buhari served could dissuade Obasanjo from looking up to a brighter future. Did we need to recover and repatriate the Abacha loot? Yes, But Obasanjo was more interested in using the budget at the time to meet our challenges. He did not go about branding Nigeria and Nigerians as a rogue nation or thieves. Obasanjo assembled the right people. Charles Soludo made the Banking smooth. Ernest Ndukwe engineered the GSM Resolution. El Rufai fired from BPE. Oby Ezekwesili and Okonjo Iweala were drafted to teach him what he didn't know about international financial and economic community. Nuhu Ribadu and EFCC and ICPC were brought to buy confidence in the world to do business with Nigeria. Debt relief was fought and gains came.

Institutions were built and before you know it there was political and economic stability. Foreign Direct Investments began to rain in. Obasanjo did not meet a super economy. Virtually all the infrastructure we enjoy today came from 1999. The military looted, ruined and destroyed everything including our psyche.

Did Obasanjo dwell in the past? No. Did he continue complaining IBB did this, Abacha did that, Abdusalami did that? No. Even Buhari's Boss's (Abacha) loot are still being repatriated till date. Thus if Obasanjo hinged development on that loot we wouldn't have attained the milestone we achieved so far.

Now listen up. Oil price is not lower than Obasanjo met in 1999 or Yaradua in 2007. It's simply the fault of Buhari and APC. They simply failed to hit the ground running. Out of their malice, they missed million dollar goodwill from people like Okonjo Iwela and Akinwumi Adeshina. Buhari by his rhetoric de-marketed Nigeria. 

He created massive shock in the economy that turned away international monetary agencies and financial institutions. He did not know his rhetoric made foreign investors fear. He created uncertainty rather than assuring all that all investments are safe and that there won't be a radical change of policies. His interference with CBN monetary policies finished the business for would be investors.

If President Buhari had proper guidance from key figures like Pat Utomi or Charles Soludo, yes economy would have slowed down, but the slide wouldn't have been sharp and unpredictable as it is today. Some things would have been salvaged.

Buhari and APC talk as if they campaigned to take over from PDP prosperity, abundant power supply etc. They forget these were the reasons they asked for a chance to rule. Obama took over an economy in recession. Massive job losses. Major financial companies going bankrupt. Deficit Budget. Etc. When he won, he did not go wailing about Bush Bush Bush who spent all the wealth in Defence And Military Budget. He simply brought his head down and work. He Bailedout financial institutions like Morgans Stanley and Leman Bros. He Bailed out Ohio Auto Industries. He nearly lost 2nd term for the slow economy, but he pleaded with American people saying the jobs were coming. And Alas! The jobs came. Even though not optimum level, but he doesn't remind anyone that it was GOP and Bush that created it. 

Buhari and APC stop complaining. Stop passing the buck. You longed for this for nearly 10 years. Leave Goodluck Jonathan and PDP and show us what you got.

N. Korea has 'more gift packages' for US.

North Korea remains defiant in the face of an international uproar over its latest nuclear missile test.

Amid an international uproar over North Korea's latest and biggest nuclear weapons test, one of its top diplomats says it's ready to send "more gift packages to the United States.

Han Tae Song, ambassador of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to the UN in Geneva, on Tuesday addressed the UN-sponsored Conference on Disarmament two days after his country detonated its sixth nuclear test explosion.

"I am proud of saying that just two days ago on the 3rd of September, DPRK successfully carried out a hydrogen bomb test for intercontinental ballistic rocket under its plan for building a strategic nuclear force," Han told the Geneva forum.

"The recent self-defense measures by my country, DPRK, are a 'gift package' addressed to none other than the US," Han said.

"The US will receive more 'gift packages' from my country as long as it relies on reckless provocations and futile attempts to put pressure on the DPRK," he added without elaborating.

Military measures being taken by North Korea were "an exercise of restraint and justified self-defense right" to counter "the ever-growing and decade-long US nuclear threat and hostile policy aimed at isolating my country".

US disarmament ambassador Robert Wood said North Korea had defied the international community once again with its test.

"It can no longer be business as usual with this regime."

The White House said on Monday President Donald Trump had agreed "in principle" to scrap a warhead weight limit on South Korea's missiles in the wake of the North's latest test.

The United States accused North Korea's trading partners of aiding its nuclear ambitions and said Pyongyang was "begging for war".

Russia's UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said on Tuesday that the US aim for the United Nations Security Council to vote on Monday on new sanctions on North Korea over its latest nuclear test is "a little premature".

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Japanese Prime Minister spoke by telephone on Tuesday and agreed that sanctions against Pyongyang should be stepped up.

"She agreed with Prime Minister Abe that North Korea's latest nuclear test threatened the security of the entire world and that this massive violation of the UN Security Council's resolution must result in a resolute reaction from the international community as well as tougher sanctions," spokesman Steffen Seibert said.

Source: News.com.au

BREAKING: Nigerian Chigozie killed in India over Biafra.

The argument over the desirability of Biafra by some Nigerians in India has been blamed for the death of N. Chigozie, a 33-year-old who came to India with a student visa. Indian police in Bengaluru are already probing the death.

The body of the Nigerian was found near the railway gate in Hennur, northeast Bengaluru, in the wee hours of Monday. Chigozie, a resident of Hennur, was found with head injuries at 2 am; his motorcycle had skidded off the road. While the body has been shifted to Ambedkar hospital for autopsy. Kothanur police, based on his brother’s statement have registered a murder case, reports the Times of India. “It seems to be an accidental death. Preliminary evidence shows Chigozie, who was speeding on his bike, crashed into an iron railing and died of head injuries. He was not wearing a helmet. But his younger brother Nieskho claims he was murdered,” police said. 

On Sunday evening, Chigozie, Nieskho and four other Nigerians partied at African Kitchen restaurant at Byrathi near Hennur. “The six revellers quarrelled over sharing food and assaulted each other. Nieskho went to a nearby hospital to treat his injuries and Chigozie followed him on the bike. While returning from the hospital, Chigozie died,” police said. 

But in another account given by BangaloreMirror, Chigozie’s brother, whose name was spelt as Nanso, claimed his brother was killed after an argument with other friends over Biafra. Here is the report in the newspaper: A 33-year-old man from Nigeria was found dead under mysterious circumstances near Geddalahalli on Hennur Road in the early hours of Monday. The brother of the victim, identified as Chigozie, said he may have been murdered. Chigozie was found dead near the Railway bridge at Geddalahalli. The victim, who came to India on a student visa, was doing some business in the city, according to police. The victim, along with his brother Nanso, is said to have partied with a group of friends at a house in Byrathi. During the party, it is alleged that the brothers and their friends had an argument over a political development in their country. Police said both the brothers were allegedly beaten up. 

Nanso, who had come in his car, drove to a nearby private hospital and is said to have taken treatment. Chigozie, who was returning home on his bike, was found dead near the railway bridge. “Nanso suspects that his brother could have been killed. However prima facie evidence suggests that the death could also be due to an accident. The victim could have skidded and fallen from the bike while riding home. It was raining heavily. But a murder case has been registered based on his brother’s complaint and investigations are on,” S Girish, DCP (North East) told BM. The Kothanur police, investigating the case, said the group of friends who were partying were discussing the political turmoil back home over the formation of a separate state in Nigeria(Biafra) The discussion led to assault and the brothers were badly beaten up.

Source: Vanguard Newspapers.

North Korea Crisis: Russia’s Putin Warns of ‘Global Catastrophe’ by F. BRINLEY BRUTON and ALAN KAYTUKOV

MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin warned Tuesday that ramping up the "military hysteria" around North Korea's escalating nuclear and missile tests could lead to a "global catastrophe."

He also questioned the effectiveness of tightening sanctions, as the U.S. has suggested, saying that they will not change the behavior of Kim Jong Un and his regime.

North Korea "would rather eat grass" than abandon its nuclear program "as long as they do not feel safe," Putin said.

The Russian leader urged dialogue with Pyongyang.

"In this situation, pressing on military hysteria will not bring anything. This may end up in a global catastrophe and huge amount of human life lost," Putin told reporters during a visit to China.

His comments came two days after Kim's government detonated its sixth and largest nuclear test.

On Monday, South Korea responded by firing missiles into the sea to simulate an attack on the North with more military drills being held on Tuesday. President Donald Trump later tweeted that he had given the go-ahead for Japan and South Korea to buy a "substantially increased amount" of sophisticated military equipment from the U.S.

Putin also suggested that Kim's government had learned lessons from the U.S. invasion of Iraq that toppled Saddam Hussein, pointing out that after that dictator "abandoned weapons of mass destruction, everyone remembers how he ended up. North Korea remembers this too."

North Korea has said in public statements that it wants an official end to the Korean War. The conflict was halted by a 1953 armistice but no peace treaty has been signed. It also says it wants nothing short of full normalization of relations with the U.S. and to be treated with respect and as an equal in the global arena.

China has warned North Korea against launching another ballistic missile, saying it should not worsen tensions.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un looks up at the sky at what is said to have been a missile launch in this image taken from a news bulletin aired by state-run broadcaster KRT on Wednesday. KRT / via AP Video

On Monday, the U.S. urged the United Nations to step up pressure on Kim and accused him of "begging for war."

Nikki Haley, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N., said: "Enough is enough ... we must adopt the strongest possible measures." She added: "We have kicked the can down the road long enough. There is no more road left."

On Sunday, Trump tweeted that he was considering stopping all trade with any country doing business with the secretive regime.

The United States is considering, in addition to other options, stopping all trade with any country doing business with North Korea.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 3, 2017

North Korea imports or exports from more than 100 nations. However, around 90 percent of Pyongyang's trade is with Beijing and Trump has often said the Chinese should take more steps to rein in Kim's nuclear ambitions.

Experts told NBC News that Trump's suggestion would strip consumer goods from the shelves of American stores, jeopardize hundreds of thousands of U.S. jobs and spark a meltdown across the global economy.

Taylor Griffin, a former Treasury spokesman and White House staffer under President George W. Bush, warned that such a policy would result in a "very painful lesson in economics" for Americans.

He added: "There would be ripple effects everywhere. People talk about a butterfly flapping its wings and causing a tornado on the other side of the world. This wouldn't be a butterfly — it would be a 747 taking off."

Kim has been very open about his regime's ambitions. North Korea regularly issues apocalyptic warnings to the U.S. and its allies.

Last month, the regime’s official Rodong Sinmun newspaper said the U.S. would be "catapulted into an unimaginable sea of fire" if it imposed more sanctions or threatened military action. In May, the paper said the North was "waiting for the moment it will reduce the whole of the U.S. mainland to ruins" after Trump dispatched a naval strike group to the region.

Such threats have been a staple of Kim's regime since he took power after his father's death in 2011.

In October, Lee Yong Pil, a top North Korean official, told NBC News that "a preemptive nuclear strike is not something the U.S. has a monopoly on." He added: "If we see that the U.S. would do it to us, we would do it first."

Sources: NBC news