Aug 1st, 2008
THANK YOU ONDO STATE! – Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, Governor-Elect
“THANK YOU ONDO STATE: A LAND OF FORTITUDE AND UNCOMMON COURAGE!”
Text of Dr Olusegun Mimiko. Ondo State Governor-Elect response to the Ondo State Election Tribunal Ruling on Friday 25, July 2008
The good people of Ondo State, it is with great joy and utmost gratitude to God that I stand on the threshold of history today to acknowledge your unprecedented fortitude and uncommon courage in the defense of truth and democracy. On April 14, 2007 , you made a choice on who you wanted as Governor. You demonstrated through your votes that you desired a new direction. For several months thereafter, in the face of the utmost level of abuse, physical and psychological torture to which any electorate anywhere in this country has ever been subjected, you insisted on your choice. But in doing so, you demonstrated an uncanny confidence in the ability of our Judiciary to do justice. You heeded our call on you not to be violent. You refused to be provoked, focusing only on the retrieval of your mandate through peaceful means.
My heart goes out today to the masses of our people, our real heroes and heroines, in the cities and villages of Ondo State, who have been in the frontline of our most difficult but ennobling struggle for the emancipation of our State. I share the feeling of our most traumatized citizens who watched mouth agape as governance in their beloved Sunshine State sank to an unprecedented low level, defined most unfortunately by a most brazen form of disregard for their sensibilities. I understand the frustrations of our people who only sought to earn a decent living but remained victims of deliberate disempowerment spurned by a regime of doubtful commitment to the common good. I salute those of our leaders who for what they believe in were made victims of media violence and objects of sundry politically motivated armed attacks and were hounded around these past 15 months as if they were common criminals.
I salute our civil servants, including Local Government employees, who were sentenced to working, these past months, in an environment increasingly polluted by mutual distrust, a heavy dose of politicization and arrant violation of the most cherished ethics of their calling. Our heart goes out to our teeming population of teachers. Their lot it has been since Election Day, April 14, 2007, to provide answers to the probing questions of our kids on the nature of the brigandage that occurred at some of our polling units on that day. This was truly traumatic coming against the backdrop of our age-old culture of admonition to our most impressionable children to be truthful, dutiful, diligent, patriotic and God-fearing in all their dealings and life engagements. I salute our farmers many of whom have had their farm lands and economic trees maliciously bulldozed away by a government to whom they should ordinarily turn for succour at times of peril. Our artisans, traders, drivers, ‘okada’ riders, market women and men deserve commendation for their resolute stand on the side of truth.
I appreciate the anger and frustrations of the youths of Ondo State whose thirst for a secured future has thus far failed to be assuaged. I empathize with the elites who trooped out to provide leadership for our people on Election Day but watched with utter disbelief the violent snatching of their mandate and the goings-on in our beloved State ever since.
We know what everyone of you has passed through these past months. Let us all take solace in the fact that now; 15 months after which you took the historic decision, on who you wanted as Governor, the Nigerian Judiciary has given effect to your decision! The Election Petition Tribunal has ruled that your votes deserve to count; and that your ballots should be consequential. It declared what the entire world had always known – that we won the April 14, 2007, gubernatorial election in Ondo State! It is now time, therefore, to begin to heal old wounds, build bridges across the political divide and bring all our people, citizens of Ondo State all, together. The challenge of governance that is ahead of us is enormous. We cannot afford to brood forever on the pains of the past.
I seize this wonderful opportunity to salute the Justices that sat on the Ondo State Election Petitions Tribunals. These great representatives of the Nigerian Judiciary conducted themselves with utmost sense of integrity. In the face of intimidation, sometimes subtle, sometimes overt, and other forms of unspeakable pressures, these gentlemen and women demonstrated a great sense of integrity, professionalism and patriotism. On behalf of the good people of Ondo State, I salute you for not providing a platform for avoidable carnage in this State. You came, you sought the truth, you saw the truth and you demonstrated character and the courage of your conviction to declare the truth. When the history of democracy shall be written in this State, nay in this country, be assured, Your Lordships, that your names shall appear in gold.
I salute our lawyers under the most distinguished leadership of Chief Oluwole Olanipekun, SAN, for their friendship and commitment. The same goes to our staff and team of experts that literally worked round the clock these past grueling but ennobling months to provide critical support to our legal team. I salute our Party leaders, at all levels, for their legendary doggedness and unshakeable commitment to justice and democracy. The friends of Ondo State across the nation who agonized with us when it seemed that the cord of peace was going to snap with all the dire consequences, and who supported us all the way in this long, tortuous but eye-opening exercise, I say a big thank you. To all those who joined us in prayers throughout all of these months, we appreciate you.
I thank President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua who in a graceful and most profound manner has spurned a political and social environment in Nigeria that made it possible for the best in our Judiciary to blossom.
Above all, our appreciation is to God – the all knowing, the omnipotent. He alone understood why all of us and our State had to take this tortuous path to this new beginning. Confident are we that having entirely packaged us for this purpose, the good Lord will continually stand by us to do according to His will at all times. The good people of Ondo State, is there any one out there that never believed in God and His mighty powers? Undoubtedly, the events of the past 15 months are enough testimony that God is not only a Nigerian; He indeed is of Ondo State extraction! He not only exists, but actually rules in the kingdom of men and gives power to whomsoever He wills. He indeed is an awesome God. We give Him praise!
Ondo State, by remaining on track these past months, you have demonstrated that you are a people with unequaled maturity, sense of history and decency. You remained unshaken and unshakeable. Be assured that I am fully conscious of the historical challenge attendant upon your demonstrated confidence in our leadership. It is to deliver a government that is so qualitative and so effective as to justify your confidence in us and the sacrifice you have made before, on and since April 14, 2007. Indeed, the sustained brutalization that our people suffered these past 15 months will only be worth their while if we can rapidly transform their socio-economic status within a very short period and for all time. This would no doubt require a lot of hardwork and selflessness. I therefore hereby solemnly pledge that by God’s own special grace, it is by the good of the people of this State alone that all our governmental activities will be driven. In the best of utilitarianism, the greatest good of the greatest number of citizens of Ondo State shall at all times constitute the compass by which all our actions in government shall be guided. I will put everything it has pleased God to give me into this task and ensure that we do not derail, and by the grace of God, we shall not derail. As we have said repeatedly, in the midst of the stupendous endowment of our State, human and material, no one deserves to be married to poverty.
The people of Ondo State spoke clearly on April 14. For 15 long and agonizing months of judicial battle and government-sponsored harassment, they held their ground. The courts have now spoken. It is time for Dr. Olusegun Agagu to leave. This is the only path of honour left. As well, I appeal to all of our compatriots, politicians and leaders, who found themselves staying back on the other side of the political divide these past one and half years. I say with all sense of responsibility that the time has come for you to now cast your lot with the people of this State. The old divisions need not linger forever. It is time to join hands, once again, in the larger interest of our people and our State.
I cannot thank you enough, the good people of Ondo State, for the very matured and dignified manner in which you have conducted yourselves during the obviously trying and difficult times that our dear State had been made to go through. As we wait patiently for events to further unfold in the next few days and weeks, I once again enjoin you all to be peaceful. Whatever the level of provocation that you may yet witness in the days ahead, let our civilized calmness continue to define the path we thread. It is our desire to have you alive and well as we walk the glorious alley together into a new dawn.
To this end, I sincerely appeal that as you go out to celebrate your well-deserved victory; do not do anything that can cause a breach of the peace. There is as yet no alternative to democracy and the rule of law in the affairs of nations. And as we celebrate, let us begin to roll up our sleeves in preparation for the work that lies ahead. Let us stand hand in hand, confidently as brothers and sisters, old and young, indigenes and non-indigenes but citizens all, on both sides of the political divide, in the conviction that in the new era unfolding before us in our Sunshine State, there is Room Enough for All!
Thank you Ondo State; and God bless you all.
Dr. Olusegun Mimiko,
Governor-elect,
Ondo State
18 Responses to “THANK YOU ONDO STATE! – Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, Governor-Elect”
The palm kernel that escaped from the burrow of the rat deserves more than congratulations. Mimiko oku EWU. Agagu and PDP came like Goliath but the masses and LP’s superiority, popularity,bestiality, the TRUTH and the power of God were unbeatable by whatever they believe in that gave them the confidence that they would win. At last JUSTICE prevails. Congratulations the Governor ELECT Dr. Mimiko. Let them pay the thugs to form crowd and protest or go to court of appeal, you are the Governor of Ondo State.
IROKO!!! GBA SIBE, IROKO!!! GBA SIBE, IROKO GBA SIBE!!!
I GIVE ALMIGHTY ALLAH THANKS AND ADOURATIONS,PRAISES
BE UNTO HIS NAME.
MAY YOUR DAYS BE LONG ON THRONE.
LONG LIVE ONDO STATE LONG LIVE LABOUR PARTY LONG
LIVE OLUSEGUN MIMIKO.
NI GBATI GOLIATH PEGAN DAVID KOMA PE OGUN OLRUN LOUN PE NIJA, NITORI ORI DAVID NI ODOMAKUNRIN SUGBON OLORUN WA LEHIN DAVID. GOLIATH GBE OWO AGBARA SUGBON BABA TI N FI AGBARA GBA AGBARA LOWO ALAGBARA OSEGUN GOLIATH FUN DAVID.
BI AGAGU O BA DAWO JANDUKU RE DURO ASEGBE BI PHARAO TI SEGBE TI TORI MOSES IRANSE OLORUN ALAAYE.
IROKO JOO RIDE ON- OTIGBAPADA
What an eloquent speech from a God fearing, peace loving and gracious Governor-Elect. So humble is our governor that he did not personalise his message of gratitude and thank his wife and mother and family. Well we in Ondo State wish to use this medium to thank God for the life of Dr Olusegun Mimiko, for his wife, mother and family. We thank God for the great grace given for Mimiko to rise and shine in Ondo State. It could have been worse, but as God chose Joshua to lead the Israelites to the promised land, an accomplishment that even Moses could not complete, God chose Mimiko at the right time to help turn around the decadent state of Ondo State for good. Well done sir, especially for your Godly patience. How many people will be so cheated and still be the one to call for peace at all times. This shows you really love your people of Ondo State and for this God will continue to love you. God will uphold you and as he promised to Joshua in Joshua Chapter 1, God will be with you wherever you go sir, God will give you everywhere that the sole of your feet touches, God will never forsake you, and above all by the special grace of the living God, THE BOOK OF LAW SHALL NEVER DEPART FROM YOUR MOUTH. Sir this is the Lord’s doing and it is wonderful in our sight. Swearing in day is near at hand and the resounding sound of Halleluai, mingled with Iroko, and Gba si beeeeeee, will be melodious to the ears of the Lord on that day. Ondo ~State is so loved by God. Thank you Jesus.
PDP AND AGAGUS NOW CASTING ASPERTIONS ON THE HONORABLE TRIBUNAL MEMBERS BECAUSE THEY LOST WOEFULLY.
THEY ARE BAD LOSERS.
WHERE WERE THEY WHEN MIMIKO IS PRESENTING WITNESSES?
ARE THEY SLEEPING WHEN THEIR COMPUTER EXPERT COULD NOT PRESENT HIS FORENSIC EXPERIENCE?
THEY ARE MAD DOGS BERKING USELESSLY BECAUSE THEY KNOW THAT THERE IS NOTHING ASTAKE FOR THEM AND THEY ARE AFRAID OF IMMINENT PROBE THEY ARE EXPECTING BVECAUSE OF THEIR RECKLESS SPENDING.
GOD WILL PUNISH THEM COMPLETELY.
OLAFESO WHO IS NOW SHOUTING WAS KNOWN TO BE A CORRUPT PRSON DURING HIS DAYS AT UPS COURIER COMPANY IN U.S.A.
KEKEMEKE, A LAWYER WHO HAS NOT PROMISED FOR A DAY ? WE CAN ASK HIM WHERE HE GOT THE MONEY USED FOR BUILDING HIS LEGAL OFFICE AT ALAGBAKA AREA IN AKURE?
WHERE DID OLAITAN AYENI GOT HIS MONEY TO BUILD MANSION FOR HIS GIRLFRIEND/WOMANFRIEND?
GOD WILL PURNISH THEM.
Asking to investigate the `old` investigator.
Committee wants Obasanjo, Agagu, others investigated
By John Ameh with agency report
Published: Tuesday, 5 Aug 2008
The Ndudi Elumelu-led House of Representatives‘ committee, which probed the alleged spending of $13bn on the power sector between 1997 and 2007 may have recommended that former President Olusegun Obasanjo should be investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission.
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Reuters
former President Olusegun Obasanjo
Also believed to have been recommended for further investigation by the committee are Ondo State Governor Dr. Olusegun Agagu; a former Governor of Cross River State, Mr. Liyel Imoke; a former Minister of State for Energy, Alhaji Abdulhamid Ahmed, and many others.
An online news agency, Saharareporters.com, reported on Monday that a full report of the probe indicted them for connivance and subversion of due process in the award of contracts for the National Integrated Power Project.
Also believed to have been indicted are 16 companies which got contracts for the execution of the projects under the NIPP.
The House of Representatives had instituted a probe into the award of contracts for the rehabilitation of the power sector to the tune of $13bn.
The amount allegedly expended on the NIPP was however said to have been a huge waste as it has not been commensurate with the state of power supply in the country.
The report, according to the online agency, reads in part, “In view of the huge amounts involved, the committee recommends that the EFCC and ICPC should investigate the allegations with a view to prosecuting anyone found culpable.”
On Obasanjo, it said, “In view of the enormity of issues entailed in the findings above, it is recommended that he (Obasanjo) should be called to account for the recklessness in power sector during his time.”
The report, according to Saharareporters. com, described Imoke as the brain behind the executive waiver, which led to the jettisoning of the due process.
Also, the report allegedly blamed Ahmed “for his patently and wilful manipulation of due process, flagrant abuse of due process, gross abuse of financial procedures in the award of contracts and payments especially during the last weeks of the Obasanjo administration.”
The committee, according to the report, recommended that “if found culpable, Ahmed should be banned from holding public office for the next 10 years and if he is already holding any, he should be recalled and the appointment cancelled.”
The news agency also reported that many contracts were awarded to unregistered companies when Agagu was the Minister of Power and Steel.
Also reported to have been indicted by the committee is a former Managing Director of Power Holdings Company of Nigeria.
Saharareporters quoted the report as saying that the ex-PHCN boss has been recommended for further investigation by the EFCC and ICPC.
The news agency said that 16 companies, which got various contracts under the NIPP, were indicted for reasons ranging from inflation of contract sums, over-invoicing and connivance in the breach of due process.
They were also said to have been indicted for shoddy handling of the projects awarded to them.
Some of the companies are said to be owned by persons close to the indicted former officials and their cronies.
One of the companies is believed to be owned by a serving senator who is a prominent member of a senate committee.
However, attempts by our correspondent to speak with Elumelu on the issue were unsuccessful on Monday but the Chairman of the Technical Sub-committee of the probe panel, Mr. Ajibola Muraina, dismissed the report as speculative.
He said, “I am not aware that we released any report indicting anybody. Nigerians should be patient because it is dangerous to work with speculations.
“Facts are sacred and I don‘t deal with speculations. Why can‘t people allow the committee to lay the report on the table of the House?”
The lawmaker also argued that due to the interest the power probe had generated, it was not possible that the committee would be careless with the report before presenting it to the House.
“As a member of the committee, we know the report when it is presented to the House. I will apply for it and compare it with what I have.”
Attempts to speak with persons allegedly indicted on Monday were also not successful.
Telephone calls put through to the Chief Press Secretary to Agagu, Mr. Yemi Olowolabi, were not answered as at 8.30pm on Monday.
The report was slated for presentation two weeks ago but this was later postponed as the House Committee on Business and Rules failed to list it in the Order Paper.
No reason was given for the postponement, which fueled speculation that the House might be playing politics with the report.
The report was not presented before the House went on vacation on Thursday.
Some of us are not in partisan politics but we all know what leadership and governance is all about. How do you marry the two different statements of our ‘FIDI HE GOVERNOR’ when he made categorical statement immediately after the tribunal verdict that he ‘accepts the verdict of the tribunal’ and suddenly wore a sorrow face when he got to Abuja and twisted his statement that he was ’shocked and devastated’ with the verdict of the tribunal. No wonder, people say the first reaction is always the best reaction. At least, our leaders should learn how to be good loosers. Afterall Rogers Federer ruled the tennis world for 235weeks as number one only to concede supremacy to the youthful Rafeal Nadal! Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, you are the NAAADAAAL OF THE MOMENT. Ride on.
In fairness to our ousted Governor Agagu, he apprears to be a honest and peace loving individual who is unfortunate to be surrounded by retinue of bad advisers. Sincerely, the gentleman was not in anyway expecting victory at the tribunal but at best a RE-RUN of a well conducted election as presented by his information commissioner. What a deceitful statement from a man who surpose to be the number one leader in the sunshine state! His unfortunate position could be likened to that famous Biblical case adjudicated by King Solomon in the case of two women who quarrelled over the parenthood of a baby. In his Godly wisdom, King Solomon’s verdict apparently exposed the FAKE MOTHER of the disputed baby after the pronouncement of his judgement. The rest is history. How could ousted Agagu ask for cancellation of what he claimed to be a landslide victory or is it stolen victory at the poll? Just like the referenced biblical judgment, the REAL WINNER only asked for his mandate. who says the HOLY BIBLE IS OBSOLETE! Governor Agagu should feel the pulse of the international communities particularly the Ondo state indigenes, he will forever feel ashamed of himself and his uneducated information commissioner. DR. MIMIKO MAY NOT BE THE LONG AWAITED MESSIAH BUT HE IS THE DAVID OF OUR TIME.
Koylex you got it right when u said is like Agagu is a peace loving man surrounded by sycophants like Eddy ,Laitan Ayeni and co,but he is enjoying it cos he wants to be lord over pple around him,just check the cvs of pple working with Agagu you will be disappointed like Eddy after working with a courier company all he did was to go to the US to do menial jobs abandon his family there come back to ondo state stayed in an hotel for two yrs,built ahouse with d pples money,marry a young girl moved into d house with d new wife and Laitan since graduation has not done any other thing than sell wares i mean pants ,bras dresses etc and then cement and snatched somebody elses wife built a house for her with d pples money, when u make such men commissioners what do you expect.I beg Segun and Femi Agagu shd just leave our state in peace.
FAMILIAR TERRAIN OF ABANDONMENT
Dr. Agagu, for Heaven sake, should listen to his conscience and voice of wisdom and safe the impoverish people of Ondo state the agony of waiting for another series of legal bruhaha that leads no where. Waysout? Let him ABANDON the appeal and handover to the rightful winner – IROOOKOOOOOO. Afterall, the antecedents of our ‘unlucky’ ousted Governor exhibits his managerial capability in handling ABANDONMENT! For doubting Thomases, check-out his profiles: University lecturing career (ABANDONED), NPA – series of uncompleted projects (ABANDONED), POWER & STEEL PROJECTS- endless waiting for turbines & other equipment(ABANDONED), OLOKOLA Refineries- in the verge of being ABANDONED. So, what is special in abandoning the appeal. Koks, tell them you are familiar with the TERRAIN OF ABANDONMENT. Ju ji relay si le jo, ko so shi. (Drop your relay baton, no shaken).
I am a non-resident indigene of Ondo State but visits the state at least once a month to see my siblings. By special Grace of God, i have being to a number of places both locally and internationally and could attest to what quality means. To establish my position, i operate in the private sector of the economy, so not patronising any politician for survival. Now, i want to honestly state that i have nothing personal against the embattled Governor other than the poor quality of the few projects executed by his government. Most annoying is the extension of the dualisation project of Oba Adesida/Oyemekun/Ilesa Road to Owo/Ilesa Road junction. The other one is the dualisation of Alagbaka Road from FirstBank axis through Governor’s office all in the state capital. AGAGU should take a personal ride with his commissioner for Works or the human being in charge of road contruction on both sides of the road and ask themselves the bitter truth. Or could it be that quality cannot be achived in our days! Apart from roads, look at the Governor’s chalet or is it lodge along Owena Motels way – Adekunle Ajasin Road. For heaven sake, what a quality! I could remember I was in primary school in Akure when the original Oba Adesida/Oyemekun Road was constructed to Ilesa garage by the likes of Taylor Woodroow, Sonel Boneh & Co., Otegbola & Co., etc by the then Military Governor of Ondo State, Col. David Ikpeme. Chief Ajasin continued with the quality works until when everything became ’scatter-scatter’. Go to the GREAT IFE where Agagu was a lecturer, you will see what quality and vision is all about. Sincerely, you can’t deny the fact that the embattled Governor has sound cerebral capability but definitely not a good Manager of resources cos it takes two to tango! The issue is who awards those contracts and who certifies them? My submission is, whosoever awards and accepts those qualities of jobs should find something else doing, period. Initially, i was worried that perharps the Governor lacks ideas but my investigation revealed that Governor Agagu has the best proposal for infrastructural development programmes on paper, ONLY ON PAPER which probably caught the attention of the likes of Obasanjo & Co. If the truth should be told, DR. AGAGU cannot manage resources and the peolple of Ondo state like myself categorically expressed that position through the election of 14th April, 2007 as upheld by the Tribunal. AGAGU & Co. should let that be! No doubt, we are not equally talented and the people of Ondo State should not throw away the baby with the Bad Water, lets tap the cerebral competence of this brillant gentleman for FEE and allow a man of vision and quality to execute. We need not to tar all the roads or build all the schools in four years not even in eight years, but the few ones that our resources can accommodate should be of good quality. I was in the YONKERS, NY USA some couples of weeks back and saw a bridge constructed in 1686 when we were still struggling with the EKITIPARAPO /KIRIJI WAR IN THE OLD Oyo empire. The bridge is as solid as rock and i have no doubt that the AGAGUS of this world must have visited and seen better places. CAN AGAGU’S roads last four years? The answer is CAPITAL NO. ‘SO THEREFORE’, Agagu case, from people’s parliament, is closed for GOOD. DR. MIMIKO, NOTE THAT THE ROAD IS GOING TO BE BUMPY but with your antecedents, nothing stopping you. Long live Mimiko. Long Live Ondo State.
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@Koylex, Agagu is not a honest man, I really beg to differ with you here for how do we measure the word honesty? By sapping or should I say lapping up the people’s money? ~By buying or believing you could buy your way out of anything with state funds? By being inbroiled in the power sector corruption charge? By showing doublemindedness all the time? By presenting fake professors at Tribunal to try to fool the people? OH NO AGAGU IS FAR FROM BEING HONEST.
Now can we truly say that Agagu is a peace loving man? Well let us have a test case: What peace loving man would pay people to engage in shambolic rallies? What peaceful man would state that he would never relinquish the governor seat in spite of the courts ruling? What peaceful man would predict 2011 saying he would hand over to another PDP governor then? (Yeah right). What peaceful man would allow the politics of do or die to have help Ondo State captive, much against the people’s wishes for 16 months? What peaceful man would not let peace reign in Ondo State?
If Agagu is so damned gullible, stupid and toothless as to allow evil people to influence him, then you must agree with me that he is not fit to be a governor of any state! I am sure that Agagu does not put food in his nose so he should know his left from right. If by now Agagu pretends he doesnt know then he will never know. But one thing the voice of the people know and say is this, AGAGU IS A GONER and should stop playing the fool. What is he trying to but time for? Igbawo ni Maku o ni ku (when will Maku i.e. dont die not die)? EFCC will get you Mr Agagu you like it or not. Maybe if you give in sooner than later you may be spared total annihilation for you have not fared well anywhere you have headed.
Koylex you are right in one thing though and that is: IT IS TIME TO TRY THE CEREBRAL COMPETENCE OF A MAN WITH VISION (going by your words). Peace
Admin, many thanks for providing the full judgement. A worthwhile document for those interested in the history of politics in Ondo state, for now and posterity.
U’re welcome.
WHAT NEXT
Testing for updates
Two more days to the 21 day deadline. I havent heard that Agagu has put in his appeal yet. Well maybe he has just done that or maybe for once in his governorship lie, sorry life, he would do the sacrosanct thing and deserve some praise for finally coming to his senses. That said, one would expect that with all the ‘noise’ and shakara of Agagu and PDP that it wouldnt have taken them 7 days to appeal if they were so self assured as they noised all over the country. Nabaruma’ head go catch them for trying to smear his name, just like our oga, Mimiko head don catch all him enemies i.e. Mimiko did not take them as enemies but they behaved ‘enemically’ towards him, starting with the likes of OBJ himself. Whom God has blessed, no man can curse (and of course vice versa). Peace