Nigerians have expressed outrage over the N21.27 billion fund raised by President Goodluck Jonathan from friends at the weekend to prosecute his re-election bid in 2015.
In the midst of collapsed economy, high state of insecurity, poor power supply, rising unemployment and pervasive poverty, the president raised N21.27 billion at the weekend from cronies believed to be paying back in kind for the contracts and other benefits they enjoy from the presidency.
The anger stems from the fact that such donations in the midst of poverty and insecurity are uncalled for or at best the donations would have been channelled to employment generation, fighting insecurity or for taking care of thousands of abandoned internally dieplaced persons by the Boko Haram insurgency.
Prof. Itse Sagay, Constitutional lawyer said the fund raising was a deception in the midst of under development.
Sagay said since the PDP was the ruling party and had the resources of the nation at its disposal, it could organise any fund raising to raise money.
“But for me, it is all more of a camouflage because they already have the state’s money at their disposal. We have a very serious problem in this country where the government in power tries to plough into the state’s resources for party campaigns. Legally, there is a law but it is neither observed nor enforced; these are reforms that affect conduct and culture which will have to be enforced in future if we have to develop,” he said.
Sagay said the N21 billion might not be the actual money the president would spend in his campaign but might be more.
“It shows the level of insensitivity of the government and the corporate sector to the plight of the generality of Nigerians. Corporate Social Responsibility is now directed at those who will reward the corporate individuals,” says Comrade Debo Adeniran, Executive Director, Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders, CACOL.
“It is sad that the president who has failed in offering proper governance to the nation takes his re-election more important than defending the constitution to protect the people. It shows the president loves himself more than Nigerians. That money could have provided arms and ammunition to battle insurgency,” says Adeniran.
He was of the opinion that such donations smack of insensitiveness and greed on the part of those ruling the nation.
“I have no problem with the fund raising for re-election. The problem is that it is those who have stolen money from the nation, who are now giving back part of their loot to the president and it is not about the private sector giving to the president,” Festus Keyamo, a Lagos radical lawyer said.
Keyamo said the money being given back was Nigeria’s money, saying it was government prarastatals contributing the money for the president’s re-election.
“What we saw that day was obscene against the Electoral law and it is unfortunate that INEC is very reluctant to punish them,” he stated.
Rotimi Akeredolu, former President, Nigeria Bar Association, NBA, does not see anything wrong raising fund for election as long as such activity complies with the provisions of the Electoral Act, but is concerned where the money donated comes from, especially at a time the Federal Government is not paying salaries.
“The fund raasing is obscene in view of the economic crises we are experiencing in this county of ours,” he stated.
Activist, Moshood Erubami said with such outrageous donations, it showed that INEC is not monitoring how the various political parties were raising money for the forthcoming elections.
He said what happened was that all those who had got contracts from the government were simply paying back in kind to get the president back to power in order to get more contracts.
Erubami is optimistic that the wish of the people would surely prevail next year as they people would vote for Buhari who would liberate this nation.
Another activist, Alhaji Yerima Shetima lamented that it was those benefitting from the government through contracts who were paying back in kind.
“In the midst of insecurity where people die daily, the president is still working to get to power. The values and norms have been lost. It is left for the people to go back to the trenches and ensure we are saved from these characters,” he said.
Mr Joe Igbokwe, Publicity Secretary, APC, Lagos State said the PDP had failed Nigerians, saying “how much did they raise to fight Boko Haram? How much money did they raise to fight unemployment? How much money did those people raise to build security architecture in Nigeria?
“How much money did they raise to build our schools and hospitals? How much money did they raise to build our roads? I can ask you 20 questions about this money; they are just bringing out the missing $20 billion about which the Emir of Kano complained as former Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN.”
Igbokwe added that “where will someone get N5 billion from? If you give Nigerians all the money in the world, we will not get to the moon because it takes expertise. In the same vein, give PDP all the money in the world, it cannot win the 2015 general elections.”
In his reaction, the chairman, Lagos House of Assembly Committee on Transportation; Commerce and Industry, Prince Bisi Yusuf said, if they could raise such huge amount in few hours from businessmen, friends, associates and sectors, including those that needed to be overhauled, why had they not done same to save the dying sectors?
“Is it not embarrassing that in a country where there is no functional refinery the oil and gas sector donated N5 billion, the Aviation Sector where safety is questionable donated N1 billion? The Power Sector at a time Nigerians are grappling with darkness donated N500 million, while the Road Construction Sector donated N560 million when almost of the major roads across the nation are death traps?” Yusuf pointed out.
The lawmaker who secured the mandate as the standard bearer of the All Progressives Congress, APC for a second term as representative of Alimosho Constituency 01 in the 2015 general election, said his heart bled for the nation considering the way it was being ‘raped’ by those who should be concerned about the country’s wellbeing.
Prince Yusuf said if such monies were in the coffers of the mentioned sectors and were truly donated by them, why were such monies not used to solve the problems which have turned to national disgrace in the sectors such as Oil and Gas, Power, Aviation and Transportation.
He said he believes that the real source of the funds raised was being kept secret but would be revealed soon.
Shola Giwa, an All Progressives Congress, APC, candidate for the Lagos State House of Assembly in next year’s election decried the donations, saying it showed that the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, did not have anything to offer the nation.
He wondered why such should happen in a country where everything had virtually collapsed and also wondered where the money came from, saying it showed the unseriousness of the government in power.
According to Giwa, the PDP had impoverished the nation and the people, adding that Major General Muhammed Buhari is the man the nation needed at this crucial period to restore hope to the people as records had shown that he is uncorruptible.
List of Donors to President Goodluck Jonathan's Re-election Campaign.
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Jealous? We all know that elections need money. Are they angry that they are able to raise the money? Without the fund raising the money in the hands of the donors will not go and solve unemployment and security problems
ReplyDeleteExactly how a FOOL reason.
DeleteHe is truly a big FOOL!!!!!
DeleteAboki's commenting as if this is the 1st time of presidential fund raising in Nigeria......There was a fund raising during OBJ and Yaradua's election or is it because GEJ is a Southerner,whatever he does is vividly wrong in the eyes of the Aboki's.......Well you have only 2 options.....1. GEJ... 2..Or...No Nigeria..... but i know you useless born to rule Aboki's are all afraid of the 2nd option,meaning you will all cry till 2019.
DeleteHe is a slimmy buffoon
Delete80% of Nigerian's graduates cannot find a job, except as okada riders. Yet you see young people running up and down shouting PDP, PDP, which means they do not understand that they are doomed. Do you remember the President saying "I don't give a damn?" He truly does not give a damn. The President is counting on the fact that 60% of Nigeria's electorate are illiterate, uninformed, and very hungry. With half a cup of rice they will give you their vote. The nation is doomed under the current leadership, believe it or not.
ReplyDeleteGod bless u for ur response.
DeleteStop talking nonsense! The rot did not start now and for your information, this government has achieved more than the previous governments. Those aggrieved now are those who are no longer allowed to loot as they had been doing and those who want to loot more like Tinubu. GEJ till 2019!
DeleteNIGERIAN YOUTHS, ARISE AND TAKE WHAT BELONGS TO YOU. LETS VOTE OUT pdp; VOTE IN APC FOR CHANGE.
DeleteAND IF AFTER FOUR YEARS THEY [APC] FAIL TO BRING ABOUT THE MOST DESIRED CHANGE, WE WILL VOTE THEM OUT AND VOTE IN YET ANOTHER GOVERNMENT, IRRESPECTIVE OF THE POLITICAL PARTY UNTIL WE GET IT RIGHT. THIS WAY, OUR POLITICIANS WILL SIT UP; HAVING KNOWN THAT ITS PERFORMANCE OR NOTHING.
THIS IS THE GLOBAL POLITICAL TREND IN THE WORLD TODAY - THE AMERICAN DEMOCRAT/REPUBLICAN EXPERIENCE IS THERE FOR ALL TO SEE; NOT STICKING TO A PARTY IN THE NAME OF "MY PARTY SLOGANEERING" EVEN IF ITS DYING IN OUR HANDS AS IS OUR EXPERIENCE WITH THE "LOOTOCRATIC pdp".
LETS GIVE BUHARI AND HIS PARTY A BENEFIT OF DOUBT IN TWENTY-FIFTEEN BY VOTING HIM TO POWER.
I CAPTION THIS SO CALLED fund raising "FINAL FALL OF FIGHT AGAINST BRIBERY AND CORRUPTION IN NIGERIA". THIS IS POSSIBLE ONLY IN A COUNTRY LIKE NIGERIA WHERE pdp HAS HIGHJACKED POWER AND RULES UNCHALLENGED.
ReplyDeleteWHERE ARE THE CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS? HOW I WISH I CAN AFFORD TO GO TO COURT, BUT THEN, WHICH COURT? IS IT NOT pdp's COURT?
NIGERIA IS DOOMED IF pdp RETAINS POWER BEYOND TWENTY-FIFTEEN, PERIOD.
NIGERIAN YOUTHS, LEAVE POLITICAL STIPENDS AND SAVE YOUR NIGERIA BY VOTING OUT jONATHAN AND HIS cOHORTS NEXT YEAR AND LIVE IN A DECENT COUNTRY.
THIS IS ECONOMIC SABOTAGE.
The first person to comment doesn't have a brain he reasons with.
ReplyDeleteLet us have determination for change.Vote henestly come Febr,2015 and stand by your vote.Then change will automatically come our way.PDP is fooling the illitrate Nigerians.Change must come .So think of future for Nigeria and vote honestly for change.U do not sit down at home and be complaining.Nigerians,Participate in making a change by voting credible leader.
ReplyDeleteThe end of PDP era has finally come come 2015
ReplyDeleteHmmmmmmmmm. I weep for Nigeria. God please hear our cries and save us from jonathan , patience and their cohorts
ReplyDeleteAnyone can raise funds but when States and parastatals are also donating, let's ask if it's from the purse of those failed parastatals. We seem to be very educated illiterates blinded by religious and ethnic sentiments. If GEJ has failed which as a thinking man I have observed he has, let's vote him out and change the system. If GMB fails also, we have a choice to also vote him out after 4years or even impeach him. We can manage bad things in this country cos we are blind to reality. This government has failed and has been recorded to lie about national issues and the state of our economy. They care less about their people. It's just thieves donating for a thief for protection from the law. Let's so n sentiments and see through our real issues. Check facts, Nigeria is nose diving before our very eyes and we are contented with the happenings because GEJ is from the south. Our children will blame us for this if we allow it continue.
ReplyDeleteIt is a fool that does thing the same way day in day out and expects a different result. PDP has been in power for sixteen years without a positive change. All we see is criminality, corrupion at highest order, insecurity, poor infrastructure, educational decadence, illegality, darkness in our streets to mention but a few. Nigerians, should we continue in this way? It is time for change. Vote wisely to avoid mortagaing your life and the future of your children for money.
ReplyDeleteI based in Lagos suburb, in my Area we have been contributing to buy a transformer for ourself, some old woman where compel to dished out little our of the borrowed funds which they get from micro finance. The transformer is estimated to be less than 2M for 500kva. And yet power holding gave millions for election but can give transformer to the people. You people in power can do whatever you choose but trust me, God almighty will judge you people one day.
ReplyDeleteSo the power sector also had the guts to donate and PDP accepted it.? That's cursed money cos I av not had electricity for months
DeleteMy brother, the good Lord has made it possible for you see the people the way they are. All that is required of you is to act not only by voting against them but encouraging other people to join you.
Deleteit's a pity that some youths are hopelessly lost in ethno-religious divide thus becoming blind to the realities of our predicament. if you are in Abuja, go to Orozo and see the state of the roads there. If you are in Bayelsa, go to Kaiama during rainy season and see things for urself. In Izombe in Imo state, communities contribute money to go and beg PHCN to repair electricity. But these sectors donates millions for campaign. when South Africa broke free from apartheid regime, Nigeria had already witnessed the 2nd republic. But today we queue for South Africa visa. our leaders go there for medical checkup. we launder money through their banks in the name of buying arms. And somebody has the mouth to talk nonsense. Go to Ghana and see a good example of an organised country. where Christians and Muslims leave together without bringing religion into politics. They don't wanna empower you cos they don't want you to have a voice. This is our chance to shout a big NOOOO . the choice is yours.
ReplyDeleteFailed government, failed president, failed parastatals. Failed country. We want CHANGE.
ReplyDeleteguys if you want change, it shouldn't be on the pages of social media or newspapers alone. how many of those of us clamoring for change are truly ready. where is your PVC?
ReplyDeleteensure you fight your way to getting your PVC. that is the wayyyyy
Like I use to clamour. .. If Jonathan could have been able to provide constant electricity. .. life would have been much easier. .. He has been there for six years but Nigeria has never witnessed much bloodbath even during the civil war... He has done nothing and I am so disappointed. . I got my pvc already and I am gonna vote for a change and I implore you all to do the same. Nigeria belongs to all of us. So they could raise such amount for campaign. .. where we're the contributors when ebola struck or during the bring back our girls campaign. God is not asleep.
ReplyDelete