The Greece Fiasco Exposes the Nigerian ‘Debt Cancellation/Forgiveness Hoax’

by Eze Eluchie

Nothing better exposes the fraud played out on Nigeria and Nigerians under the bogus claim of 'Debt Cancellation' or 'Debt forgiveness/Relief' supposedly accorded Nigeria by the London and Paris Clubs and other Bretton Woods institution under the rulership of Olusegun Obasanjo's and supervised under the watch of Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as Minister for Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, than the present impasse playing out between Greece and its creditor-countries and agencies, particularly the Trioka.

In one fell swoop in year 2005, Nigerians were informed that over US$18 Billion of debts Nigeria was purported to  owe such entities as the Paris Club, the London Club, the IMF et al were forgiven/cancelled on condition that in one fell swoop Nigeria pays the sum of over US$16 Billion. Most of the debts Nigeria was alleged to owe were actually spurious paper transactions domiciled outside the shores of Nigeria and the funds purported to have been loaned to Nigeria, in most cases, never left the vaults of foreign banks and the same ‘creditor institutions’.

A close look at the so-called 'Debt Cancellation' deal reveals it actually deepened our indebtedness and served to mortgage our future. Several States of the Nigerian Federation, who were accused of accumulating the debts that were purportedly cancelled/forgiven, denied ever receiving or soliciting for such debts in the first instance. No efforts were made for a comprehensive verification of these debts before Nigeria was forced to cough out the incredulous sum of over US $16 Billion to the creditor countries and ‘clubs’.

If it had been so easy to accord Nigeria a sweetheart 'Debt Cancellation' deal, why the difficulty in cancelling the debts owed by Greece to these same international financial institutions? Is it feasible that the Trioka and their Breton Woods accomplices would ‘love’ Nigeria far more than they love Greece? Is it possible that these creditor states and agencies would rather ‘save’ Nigerians from ‘economic collapse and not be bothered that Greece and the Greek people were going down?’ Methinks not!

Within a few years of the sweetheart debt cancellation/forgiveness deal, Nigeria was back to worse than where it was before the cancelation/forgiveness.

To believe that some Nigerians were made to hold celebratory Conferences and Seminars, while others danced on streets corners and parties held at official circles to celebrate the debt cancellation merely serves to concretize my description of our erstwhile Finance Minister, Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala as a truly ‘mercurial’ character.

Soon after the sweetheart ‘debt cancellation/forgiveness’ deal, our one and only mercurial ex-Finance Minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, was rewarded, for a job well done, with an appointment as Managing Director of the World Bank!!

Pictures: Greece Prime Minister and Foreign Minister: Alexis Tsiprars and Yanis Varoufakis and then Nigeria President and his Finance Minister: Olusegun Obasanjo and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

President Buhari’s First Act of Fiscal Irresponsibility.

by Eze Eluchie

The very first executive acts of President Muhammadu Buhari, ordering the release of Twenty One Million Dollars (US $21million) to the so-called Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), a most amorphous entity unknown to Nigerian law and practice  and whose rules of accountability is unknown, is  in addition to constituting an act of fiscal irresponsibility and  rascality also an impeachable offense. Worse still, the US $21million is merely a part of the One Hundred Million Dollars (US $100million) which President Buhari pledged to give the so-called MNJTF.

A combined reading of the provisions of Sections 59, 81 and 82 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic makes it clear that the National Assembly has to legislate for any monies withdrawn by Mr. President from the National purse. As at the time when the US $21million-giveaway was effected, the 8th National Assembly was yet to be inaugurated. From where did Mr. President get the authorization to giveaway public funds to an entity unknown to our laws?

Is the MNJTF a drain pipe? Into whose pocket?

Was the pledge of US $100million to MNJTF reflected in any Federal Budget?

Was the US $21million giveaway accorded MNJTF ever approved by the Senate of the Federal Republic as stipulated in the Nigerian Constitution?

Whilst not calling for Mr. President to be impeached now, the Buhari regime must watch it! The President must, at all times be reminded that he is presiding over a supposedly democratic arrangement and not an autocratic era where he can wake up and do whatsoever he feels like with national resources. Such mannerisms, as displayed by the reckless throwing around of national funds, are the root causes of corruption and other vices which serve to undermine whatsoever efforts being made to pull our contraption out of the woods.

President Buhari, as part of the transitional processes, should be forgiven this time around, but such lapses must never occur again. The Legislative houses are enjoined to ensure that such lapses never occur again and that this present misadventure is corrected.



Picture: President Buhari clearly in need of learning fiscal practices of the presidential system

Reward For Terror.

by Eze Eluchie

From its very onset, I had recognized and classified the ‘abductions’ at Chibok as a monumental fraud, a game changer.

It sure did change the game! Unfortunately, so many others, including the 1st Lady of the United States, the British Prime Minister, amongst others, failed to see through the sophisticated charade Governor Shettima of Bornu State and his team, Oby Ezekwesili and her #bringbackourgirls gang were foisting on hapless Nigerians and the international community.

As leaders of the #bringbackourgirls gang and other principal actors in the ‘abduction’ saga at the secondary school at Chibok line up to be rewarded with political appointments at various strata's of governance under the newly elected governments in Nigeria, for a ’job well done’, some as Federal Ministers, State Commissioners and other political appointments, one only hopes that the remainder of the girls still been played as pawns in a lethal political chess game who have suffered irreparable harm and deprivation, if they are still alive, are allowed to go back home to their parents.

Perhaps its high time Nigeria apologizes to the international community over the fiasco at Government Day Secondary School, Chibok.

The only specie of the human race worse than terrorists are those who benefit from terrorism!



Picture: Some of those who were mesmerized into carrying the #bringbackourgirls placard (above) and the 'principal actors' in the Chibok fiasco (below). 

The Dumber You Are; The More We Support You!

by Eze Eluchie

A close study of the relationship between the characters that have been opportune to rule over sub-Sahara Africa States and some non-African powers will reveal a startling reality: the less intellectually endowed rulers have clearly received more support from the 'international community' than rulers perceived to be intellectually savvy or patriotic to their countries of origin.

Until the ‘misstep’ of the threatened mass deportation of persons of Indian ancestry from Uganda, one of the most vicious, dumbass, ignorant and senile rulers who any country has ever had the misfortune to be governed by, who also happened to be an acclaimed cannibal, ‘field marshall’ Idi Amin Dada of Uganda, had a most cordial, near fraternal relationship with the erstwhile colonial masters of his country, the United Kingdom, and by extension, the ‘international community’.

In a similar vein, a kleptocrat-per-excellence, butcher of his population and sadistic despot who stole so much from his richly endowed country that he once had the effrontery to loan money to his country, Mobutu Sese Seko of the Democratic Republic of Congo, was a much ‘loved’ and ‘respected’ African ‘leader’ in the corridors of power in Paris. This ‘love’ and ‘respect’ for Mr.  Mobutu by the erstwhile colonial overlords of the DRC, France, and by extension the ‘international community’, continued until the very last days of the brute’s regime.

Similar support for despots whose hands are soiled with the bloods of their countrymen and whose pockets are lined with loot from their country’s treasury, by the ‘international community’, permeates the entire African continent across history and into the present. It really takes spectacular intellectual depravity for anyone to deliberately set out to hurt his own country, deplete its resources only to enrich foreign domains.

Nigeria has been particularly afflicted with this syndrome with some of ours receiving the most support from the 'international community' both whilst in office and after being forced out/leaving office (such as the old despot, Olusegun Obasanjo) and perhaps the most patriotic {and devious, if you factor in his role in the Asaba massacre of 1968} been cut short the moment they begin to display some common sense (such as Murtala Mohammed).

The relationship between the ‘international community’ and leaders in the African continent who have shown a remarkable disposition towards the wellbeing of their populations and a willingness to assert an independent and patriotic disposition is, on the other hand, hardly cordial, mostly fraught with suspicion and certainly no mutual ‘love’ and ‘respect’.

Such leaders are systematically isolated, portrayed as pariah and evil and efforts made to effect ‘regime change’ either via direct coups or energetic support for stooges propped up as ‘opposition’ elements, elements that will be effectively backed by a deluge of ‘civil society activists’, ‘international election observers’ and international right organizations. The late leader of Burkina Faso, Captain Thomas Sankara, is a clear example of what happens to leaders in sub-Sahara Africa who try to exhibit any semblance of intellectual sagacity.

It is perhaps, thus, no surprise whatsoever that the most vilified, head of any African country, also happens to be the one that is by far most educated amongst the lot – Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe.

Picture: Two dumbass African rulers: Uganda's Idi Amin Dada and Zaires (DRC) Mobbbutu Sese Seko; Two intellectually sound African leaders: Burkina Faso's Capt. Thomas Sankara and Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe.

Continuing Protection Of Religious And Other Freedoms

by Eze Eluchie

The sycophantic disposition of Consul-General at Nigeria’s High Commission to South Africa, Mrs Uju Ajulu Okeke, during the recent visit of President Buhari to Johannesburg, is worrisome and hopefully not a precedent others will feel compelled to imitate.

Though there is no indication that Mr. President made any insistence that the Nigerian Ambassador MUST cover herself up in Islamic Hijab whenever she is around the President, was any such preference subtly communicated?

A key question that crops up is: Will others in Ambassador Ajulu Okeke’s shoes, who feel a need to ingratiate themselves to the new helmsman, need to conform to particular religious dress-codes, or religious doctrines, to keep their jobs, continue to provide for their families, continue to be relevant under a regime headed by Mr. Buhari, a self-confessed devout Muslim.

It is hoped that basic freedoms, particularly of religious preferences, right to expression and other fundamental rights, continue to be respected and preserved as we march on our tenuous and precarious route towards democratic governance. 

Picture: President Buhari with Ambassador Ajulu Okeke in Johannesburg and the Ambassador alone.

Will President Buhari Stand By Our Heroes?

by Eze Eluchie

I have just read the skewed, unfortunate and unprofessional Amnesty International report (released today, 3rd June 2015) on Nigeria’s effort at tackling BH.

Blame should not go solely to the characters who crafted such insensitively biased reports but perhaps we have to inquire into the local collaborators who, for lucre and some grants, would even sell their mothers.

I wonder why similar calls for probe of Chief’s of Army Staff’s, Senior Generals and commanding officers has not emanated from Amnesty International for the role played by the various armies which battled Al Qeida in Iraq and Afghanistan and those confronting ISIS across the Middle East.

Our soldiers continue to sacrifice daily to defend the rest of the contraption – efforts to portray them in bad light, deflate their morale or shake their resolve should be condemned by all well meaning Nigerians and persons everywhere interested in eradicating terrorism.

Considering that:

a.      As Presidential Candidate of the opposition, current President and Commander in Chief of Nigeria's Armed Forces, Muhammadu Buhari, had stated that the efforts by the Nigerian military against Boko Haram terrorists in the North was an attack against the North and Northerners; and

b.      The haste with which President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed 'concern for the enormity of evidence' contained in the just released scathing Report by Amnesty International against the Nigeria Armed Forces and some of its principal officers, regarding Nigeria's war against terror;

Can the President, Muhammadu Buhari be trusted to be fair in his reactions to the AI reports and his dealings with our heroic military forces? Can Mr. President 'cover the back of our boys'?

If no, what if anything, can our military do to ameliorate the situation.

Will he seek to sacrifice our heroes to appease external interests?

Our military, like all soldiers the world over (including the military of the US, UK and those of EU member states), engaged in tackling unconventional forces/terrorists, are faced with serious challenges in containing terrorists whilst adhering to the international rules of engagement. Collateral damages may occur, but such should not dilute the overall objective of rooting out terror.

Nigeria's push against terror must be unwavering and must succeed - alternatives to this are unworthy of consideration.

Picture: President Buhari in his first meeting with Service Chiefs of the Nigeria Military and Security agencies.