By Princess Tanimola
The Jonathan administration secretly, and in open violation of lawful contracting procedures, has awarded an Israeli firm, Elbit Systems, with headquarters in Haifa, a $40million contract to help it spy on citizens’ computers and Internet communications under the guise of intelligence gathering and national security.
—Premium Times
The Presidency could no longer take the heat in the kitchen and opted for internet surveillance at a whopping cost of $40 Million. Are the State Security Service, other security agencies and government bullies not enough? What is more important between securing the border between neighbouring countries and lavishing millions on internet spies?
It will be recalled that we went against the Presidential posters in Abuja which stated that there would be no vacancy in Aso Rock by 2015 apart from Jonathan. We were of the opinion that a bad term did not deserve another despite Jonathan’s legal rights to contest. It must be emphasized that he promised that he would NOT contest again before he won the last Presidential election.
The Presidency later did a U-turn by saying that Jonathan would not contest the 2015 Presidential election. What we found mind boggling is the presidential ‘attack’ on Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State because of the upcoming 2015 Presidential elections since Jonathan is 'not' contesting. The bullying of Amaechi by the Presidency and the scolding of Amaechi by the First Lady in the infamous Okrika imbroglio are laughable occurrences e.g., Must Amaechi say must? 'She shouted at Amaechi: "Listen!, you must listen to me!"
Nevertheless, it is unnecessary to spend $40 Million on internet surveillance while millions of Nigerians are living in penury. A good democratic government would not spend so much on playing Big Brother instead of creating jobs, basic amenities and a welfare reform for the masses. President Jonathan has overstayed his welcome. Like a previous rally banner, Say no to government waste!
What can the Presidency do with $40 Million? It could easily add more funding to $40 Million in order to start two important projects. What? It can start new ‘Igbo Made’ factories that could later compete with Chinese products e.g., the ‘Igbo Made’ products that we once had in Nigeria. Another project could be the Rice Revolution which we ‘discussed’ as far back as 2008. Both projects would create rapid employment.
The agricultural revolution is not limited to rice. President Jonathan, the Minister of Agriculture and Presidential spin doctors AKA Dokupemus and Reuben the Ogunite should visit British supermarkets the next time they travel to Britain. They should find out the countries where specific produce are imported from. They would discover that Nigeria is behind time and has lost opportunities to export rice, fruits and vegetables to Britain and some other countries.
As they say, If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. We hope internet surveillance would not lead to the clampdown of the social media in Nigeria. We also hope that the Presidency is aware that a clampdown on the social media could affect the trade of goods and services. Nigeria should be competing with China in mass production not in internet censorship. If that is what the Presidency is planning then the battle has just begun.
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The House ordered an investigation of the contract award.
The secret $40 million internet surveillance project awarded by the Nigerian government to an Israeli tech firm to spy on Nigeria’s over 47 million internet users, will violate citizens’ constitutional rights, and breach the Fiscal Responsibility Act, the House of Representatives said Thursday.
The House ordered the immediate suspension of the project on Thursday to allow three committees review its details in three weeks.
—Premium Times
Reps to probe alleged $40m internet spying contract
Nigerian Lawmakers Order Immediate Suspension of U.S.$40 Million Internet Surveillance Contract
He was born into a prominent family. He was a spoilt child. His mother was a lovely Princess like me. I actually wanted to meet her although I had no plans to marry him. Since I refused to marry him he did not allow me to see his mum. …Tit-for-tat? I admired men who loved their mothers.
It was the fourth ‘shotgun marriage proposal’ that I encountered in five years. I thought they were vulnerable proposals. He used the shotgun approach because he was not looking for a girlfriend but a wife to manage his life and mansion. He lived alone although he had a butler and house helps. He had a girlfriend. I asked him why he was not willing to marry her. He said he knew she was a gold digger. He had to give her specific amount of money each time she came to see him apart from special requests.
He gave me a week to answer his marriage proposal. I turned him down blatantly because we had never kissed and I was not in love with him. Some years later, I literally realized that marriage was more or less a contract. It depends on how you manage it! 
A lot of people spend useless time trying to change their spouses or partners rather than accept them for what they are. He had some bad manners that I could not cope with. The most glaring was drinking a glass of expensive champagne every morning. Never more than a glass… The rest of the bottle was for anybody that came on visit or thrown down the drain. I thought it was strange. What would happen the day he could longer afford that kind of luxury?
He only drove a specific brand of cars and never wanted to be seen in any other brand. His chauffeurs were instructed to leave the keys in the ignition overnight. I was surprised and wondered what would happen if he were attacked by armed robbers. He told me he would allow them to drive his cars away. He said robbers would rather drive off than attack him. He claimed that robbers once raided his cellar and took away crates of assorted alcohol instead of his cars.
He was a refined gentleman with a rigorous lifestyle. I was not up to his ‘game’. I knew my limit and took a bow. Once again, what I learnt from him was as simple as ABC that marriage is a 'contract'. Tina Turner was absolutely correct to ask, what’s love got to do with it?
