Professional Soldiers ® - OHB taking $ from Nigeria

In my current job I don't have much to do but I do get access to different news sources. This one caught my eye.

I find it strange how Obama says he will not take money from lobbiests (BTW, my brother is a lobbiest and gave Obama a few grand last year), but to accept money from a foreign power seems to have been missed by the MSM.

100,000,000 naira equls close to $850,000. Plus, it seems like the Nigerians already have a list of favors to ask of Obama.

Feel free to share this...

XXXX

OSC - Mon 08 Sep 2008 at 11:51 GMT
NIGERIA, UNITED STATES

Article by Charles Etimete: "A Kind Gesture Not Required"

Publications

OSC Transcribed Text

Emotions and sentiments currently being expressed by Africa for
Barrack Obama, America's Democratic Party presidential candidate
in the November 4, 2008 elections are well placed. Obama is the
first African to attain that height in America's political
history, more so, when viewed from the background that his
ascendancy is in fulfillment of a long held dream by fellow black
forebear, Martin Luther King Jr, that advocacy peaked when Obama
was only two years old.

Obama in essence is representative of Africa's highest ideal and
potentials in the Diaspora; it does not matter that Obama has a
maternal background that is sufficient to pave his political
pathways in the God's own country. To Africans across the globe,
Obama is notebook that someday, blacks, no matter where they are
found, would raise their head high enough to be counted among all
races of people of the world, where their color shall no longer
posed a barrier. In fact, Obama's ascendancy, no matter how
remotely connected to such facts is the highest Africa, has ever
achieved in global politics.

Such sentiments have been stridently expressed in Nigeria once
Obama first succeeded in snatching the party's nomination from his
highly rated white opponent and wife of America's former
president, Hilary Clinton. America under Barrack Obama as
president would feel like ordaining one political despot from
Africa to go and lord it over the number one country of the
world, the thought of it alone radiates some sweet flavor for
Africa and Africans.

Besides, Nigeria, Africa's most populous and influential nation
must always raise herself up, and be taller than other miniature
states of Africa. Therefore, she must always show other Africans
the way to being a brother's keeper. Above informs why groups and
individuals have daily merged to mobilize support for Obama's
presidential campaigns, as a way of supporting Africa's course in
the Diaspora. Whatever amount Nigeria can generate individually
and corporately to support Obama is seed sewing, which at
appropriate time will germinate and yield fruits for Nigeria. The
reasoning cannot be described as "warped" it is indication that as
a people, we place our priority on the "unusual".

Let us even believe that making such contributions to Obama's
campaign was mandatory, or would it be reasonable for Nigeria to
make such contributions? This is Nigeria where every necessity of
life is luxury. This is Nigeria where majority is merely eking a
living, where the masses are merely surviving because they must
survive. Yet, this is Nigeria, this same Nigeria that the rich
who should give meaning to their existence are engaging in ego
chase. A visit to any rural community in the country today
readily present a sordid sight about fellow Nigerians who are
permanently wallowing in abject poverty, want and neglect. We are
talking about rural communities where provision of boreholes as
the only source of water is rare privilege and celebrated with
pomp and ceremony where one is provided.

Yet, there is America, high up there, where quality of life for
the citizenry is guaranteed by the authority. America that all
nations of the world look up to; or are forced or lured to look
up to for their socio-economic and political survival. Could that
be the same America funds are being harnessed to support her
presidential president?

Penultimate week, the director general of the Nigeria Stock
Exchange NSE Dr Ndi Okereke Onyiuke, was invited to the office
of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC. The big
lady's invitation was not unconnected with her recent involvement
with Africa for Obama group lunch where over 100 million naira is
said to have been raised, purportedly in aid of Obama's campaign
funds. The NSE director-general who gallantly chaired the said
Obama fund lunch is said to have made a high spirited donation of
10 million naira to the fund. And she owes nobody any apology for
that. Emerging robust from the EFCC'S house of questioning, Dr
Onyiuke felt rather in sulted by the EFCC and others who feel her
"kind" donation and involvement with the group was a sin.

The NSE woman, acting the familiar Nigerian way, was quick to
take the ego trip flaunting her academic acclaims and rights as
qualifying her to engage in blind "revel," Ndi Okereke Onyiuke was
quoted as thundering, "I am a very intelligent person. I have a
PhD that I did not buy" More so, when she doesn't understand why
Nigerians like to be negative" She said "people have been
mobilizing support for Obama all over the world and they are not
being castigated. I want to make it clear that I am a Nigerian and
I have the right to do anything with my time and my money: Sounds
a "very intelligent" way of defending one's rights.

Dr Onyiuke is not an ordinary Nigerian who would just fall flat
and be easily intimidated by the stone-face officers of the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. It does not matter
whether there are laws and ethics regulating conduct s of public
officers, particularly regarding actions that tend to portray them
as being imprudent with resources. Perhaps Ndi Okereke-Onyiuke
and her likes whose charity must begin abroad need to be reminded
that it takes more than toga of intelligence hoisted by academic

regalia to know that Obama does not need any donations from any
African country, including the self acclaimed "giant of Africa"
to prosecute his campaigns.

It translates that the NSE boss and her co "aid givers" were
seeking friendship and are giving where none is required. Chief
Perry Opara, national chairman of the National Unity Party, told
journalists last week that Obama had not mandated anybody any
where in the world to raise funds for his forthcoming
presidential contests. Chief Opara, speaking as the coordinator
of Obama, Nigeria team, had warned Nigerians to desist from
extorting money from Nigerians, using the name of Obama, declaring
that this group had never been involved in any attempt to take
money from people to support Obama. Obama campaign team in
America in a letter said to have been signed by one Mr. Kendall
Burman, coordinator of the team had earlier warned that the Obama
campaign team would not accept any money from any group or
individual in aid of the team's activities or any other programmes
for that matter.

It could only be warned that those claiming to be hanging on here
for Obama should desist from it because the only interest should
be seeing that everything necessary is done to ensure that "the
African son", Barrack Obama, scales through to become the next
American president. Certainly, no African country is grown enough
to understand its workings. Our sentiments here could only help
in building up the perceived African content of the Democratic
Party presidential candidate, and capable of presenting further
campaign stuff for his opponent in the Republican Party.

Already, "Barrack Obama" are strange names to some political
analysts in the west- "sounding more African", a bit faraway from
Stick, Nose, and Bush. Africans and Nigerians in particular must
be tutored that America and Americans are forever prepared to
resist any attempt by any country at cross-infecting by the
slightest means, her internal politics and Nigeria is not in the
least a threat. Little mischief, we believe, are Africans: or
even our swiftness in taking advantage of every opportunity
globally to "survive" could only add in giving the rats the
reason to continue catching the mouse.

Africans and Nigerians must realize that Obama does not have any
history in the "thirteen colonies" history. His ascendancy is
merely the work of silent political evolution currently sweeping
through the world; and for which America is at the verge of
making the final history, if Obama, black man is voted the next
American president come 4 November this year. Ndi Okereke Onyiuke
and company must be reminded that there are villages and
communities in Nigeria that need assistance more than Obama.

Indeed, Ndi must remember that even in her local community in B
onny Island, life is still on the up-beat where a bore hole of
less than one million naira is utmost gift to the people. She
should equally be reminded that it takes some communities in
Nigeria decades to make contributions to string their electricity
cables in their different communities. This is besides efforts at
ensuing that they secure a roof over their head.

But in case the "big woman" is still bitter that the EFCC has
succeeded in stopping her kind gesture to Obama, pity!. She
shoprogramsuld be advised to look inwards again to see what she
can use the money to do to help the local folks. And if she is
still confused, I will be willing to send her a list of what she
should do with the money to help her people. This service will be
given free of charge on request.

Description of Source: Uyo The Pioneer in English - Akwa Ibom
state-owned daily