Director-General of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, Professor Ndi Okereke-Onyiuke lambasts the media in a fund-raising dinner for Senator Barack Obama
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By Nehru Odeh
Apart from her burly frame which stands her out in any crowd, and the vehemence with which she forces her opinions on others, Professor Ndi Okereke-Onyiuke has a reputation as the “no nonsense” Director-General of the Nigerian Stock Exchange. And she proved that trait on Monday 11 August at the Muson Centre, Onikan, Lagos, when the ‘Africans for Obama ’08’ – an organisation which has her as chairperson – organised a fund raising dinner/concert to mobilise support for Senator Barack Obama, the Presidential candidate of the Democratic Party in the United States. This was in disregard of an earlier call on the organisers by Lagos lawyer and human rights activist, Femi Falana, to desist from raising funds for Obama.
In a statement Falana had sent to the press, he said the fund raiser was illegal and contrary to the Electoral laws of the United States of America which forbids any form of external financing of political campaigns. “In view of the clear provisions of the United States Law on external funding of political campaigns, the “Africa for Obama 08” should be restrained from raising funds for Mr. Barack Obama’s campaign. Otherwise, Mr. Obama is surely going to be scandalised by a powerful section of the U.S. media controlled by the Republican Party,” the statement read. This was reported by some dailies on Monday 11 August, the day of the fund raising dinner/concert.
But rather than clarify the issue at stake, Okereke-Onyiuke used the occasion, in which she raised more than N100 million, to repeatedly cast aspersions on the Nigerian media. “Certain pessimistic people are writing nonsense in the papers that what business do we have with American elections. What business do we have? Are we not citizens of the world? The President of America is the President of the world. Is it not so? Those who are pessimistic will never be intelligent,” she said.In a bilious speech which lasted for more than 30 minutes, Okereke-Onyiuke tried to sell her project; but she did so by throwing caution to the winds, couching her words in a language not edifying of her status. “I am saying this for the benefit of those people that have wretched old typewriters typing nonsense, that whatever surplus we have we are going to use the money to mobilise on the day of the election,” she said.
The Director-General of the NSE did not stop there. She poured more vitriol on the media, saying that while they were “enjoying on the high table, with light food, conviviality” and all the corporate big wigs that were there, ‘they (in the media) will be sitting with an old wretched typewriter writing nonsense”. While hitting the media hard, Okereke-Onyiuke also went on an ego-trip, saying the money raised would be accounted for. She said she had been at the Stock Exchange for 25 years and if she wanted to be a millionaire fraudulently she would have done so. “But my boss Hayford Alile showed us that integrity is better than a pocket full of money,” she said. “The Stock Exchange and I are known for integrity. Instead of people to ask what can we do to help sensitise, to mobilise, to make sure that this man (Obama) becomes the President of the world and America, they are there calculating how much. Is it their money? In business we always say you put your money where your mouth is. Why must they put their mouth where their money isn’t?” asked an infuriated Okereke-Onyiuke.
Okereke-Onyiuke explained that the reason tickets were sold for amounts ranging from N275,000 per individual to N2.5million for corporate bodies was that the organisers did not want to ask politicians for money. “We are professionals to the core. We deliberately do not want money from politicians. We are spending money. We didn’t ask; we are not asking for donations from anybody. That is why we decided to print tickets,” she explained. And she further lambasted the press: “Yet you are sitting in Africa and writing nonsense in the papers: what business do we have with Obama? It is our business. And that’s why we are here. Is it not so?”
Describing the occasion as epoch-making, Okereke-Onyiuke said the decision to mobilise support for Obama was informed by the need for all Africans in the United States to participate in the convention. She also advised the over five million Africans living in the United States with the right to vote, to rally support for Obama at the Presidential election slated for November this year. “You can sit in your house and claim that you love Obama. [But] until you participate that dream will never become a reality,” she advised.In his speech, the Policy Adviser on Africa for Senator Barack Obama, Mr. Eric Wright said Obama’s emergence as U.S. president would kick-start dialogue between America and Africa and engender economic growth on the continent. However, Wright said he was speaking in his personal capacity and not on behalf of Obama.
Though the dinner/concert has come and gone, many are still wondering if the fund raiser was proper. The Federal Election Campaign Act, FECA, which was incorporated into the Federal Election Commission in 1974 prohibits any foreign national from contributing, donating or spending funds in connection with any federal, state or local government in the United States either directly or indirectly. It is also unlawful to help foreign nationals violate that ban or to solicit, receive or accept contributions or donations from them. Persons who knowingly and wilfully engage in these activities may be subject to fine and/or imprisonment.
segun olanrewaju
18 August 2008 14:41I think okerike or what ever her name is want’s to pocket this N100million or when does she realised it is good to raise money for American president. We all knew that American law forbid this kind of money, what will she do with the money if Obama rejected the money?
nwoko u.n
18 August 2008 16:45Somebody somewhere is about to throw spanner into the wheels. Unfortunately, it is no other person than our own Ndi. For years, it has been the prayer and wish of blacks all over the world for a black to mount the saddle of the American presidency - the president of the world. Let us not blacks be the cause why this cannot be realised. The money so collected should be returned to the good donors or chanalled into another worthy cause.
jacobs
18 August 2008 17:00Madam stock exchange. Raise funds for the impoverised people of your land and not for american elections or Obama. In your stupid naivity, you did not realise that in America, where the likes of Bill Gates are, an individual cannot contribute more than 2,300 dollars or thereabout. Yaradua shoud discipline the woman for this rubbish
Iheanyi
18 August 2008 18:14It is quite unfortunate that Ndi Okereke-Onyiuke now has the courage to abuse the media for raising questions on the need for a developing country to raise money for a presidential candidate in a dveloped country.
Okereke-Onyiuke has forgotton that whatever image she has now, what every success she claims she has achieved, and what ever status she claims to have risen. All are with the support of the media. If these set of people are not what associating with or listening to, she must be making a big mistake. Meanwhile, how many Nigerian presidents did she support in elections or did she do that in secret? Is she a private sector mogul or a politician??????? She is just raising dust for her self by abusing the media. I also want to believe that she should have media advisers who should advise her on the implication of what she said or says. How I wish she reads this. Cheers
sunny esho
19 August 2008 17:35This woman would be better off raising funds for the dissabled ,less-priviledged or untold legion of jobless youths who indeed are the most vulnerable in taking to untoward misdemeanor other than unsolicited busy-body fundraising for a said sensitisation jamboree of some sort.I really care less if this woman bought her doctorate and so she should save her tantrums to her self,look herself in the mirror and say: you know what babe,you screwed this one up BIGTIME.
sunny esho.
Felix
20 August 2008 08:33We see another OBJ with basket mouth here. It is a shame that she talked about people being intelligent. I can not see anything intelligent in her behaviour here. Sorry Mrs. ITK.
ADESHINA OMOTOSHO
20 August 2008 09:47this woman must be relive of her appointment as DG of the exchange before she cause more havoc. i will also like to urge the Nigeria university commission to investigate her honor.
philemon adjekuko
20 August 2008 12:06N100m will send 20 Nigerians for post graduate studies in either the UK or US. I say no more.
iJEOMA BROWN
20 August 2008 12:08Ndi may have a noble intention, she is going about it the wrong way. Obama does not need her funding, but her prayers. But the people who need her fund are the poor people of NIgerians. She will do better to channel her professional fund raising ability to help people, even if only for her people in Bonny.
Alelo Ameh
21 August 2008 09:14When people are not punished for past offences, they themnassume they are above the law. For her role in Transcorp, should should have been off that job since if not in prison. For example, I bought Transcorp during private placemen, ie before the IPO, I got the certificate after much trouble. As I write this mail, the certificate has not been cleared neither have I received the certificate for the so call one for one bonus before the IPO.
Don’t be surprised, she may be working for Obama’s opponent knowing that her action is against the US law. Or does she think is Nigeria where she is above the law!
Alelo Ameh,
Port Harcourt
John Pee.
21 August 2008 12:11Apart from the Amercan FEC act forbiding donations from non-Americans for electioneering campaigns, did Obama ask for money. Obama travelled to Berlin last month with his private jet, showing that he has enough money to take of his campaign. Ndidi should know that in her village, lots of children are selling pure water in the streets with lots of school drop-outs. She should organise high class fund raiser of this magnitude to alleviate the plights of her kins-children who want to go back to school.
Ishaq Mohammed
21 August 2008 12:56It is a shame that a woman of her calibre and intellect could throw caution to the wind and act in such a foolish way. Well! I now believe in the saying that ‘He who the Gods wants to destroy; He first of all makes him Mad’. That just happened to madam. Didnt she see how her friend at NAFDAC is laying low?? This is not Aremu’s Govt where every nonsense is accept.
EFCC, SEC and the board of NSE should please discipline her accordingly. Shikenan
David O.
21 August 2008 17:20Is Ndi aware of the mayhem in her native town-Bonny. #100m can go a long way to help fight the ongoing criminal activities on the waterways, where travellers are constantly harrassed by so-called ‘millitants who are actually common thieves. Sad that, the educated in Nigeria, are the very source of corrupt practices.
Juliem
21 August 2008 21:05It is amazing that even the so called intelligent educated fall short of what it takes to be truly intelligent, I am shocked that she did not think it through and wonder how her action would be viewed. Well since they have raised the funds please let them channel it to worthy causes you owe that much to the less priviledge who have given so much to the country and have nothing to show for it. I mean the jobless university graduates. DO SOMETHING FOR THEM.
3DOG
24 August 2008 08:51I cannot believe what this so called “intelligent person” has done. “Anything is possible if you dont know what you are talking about”. This project and her asinine defense of what she did is what is going to ruin the very thing that you want. If she is so intelligent why didnt she research the proper method/laws to support Obama. I am sure she and her plotters have already found a way to get the money to Obama another way so it cannot be traced(IF HE TAKES PUBLIC MONIES,THEN HE HAS REPORT THAT TO THE FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION-WHY DO YOU THINK HE REFUSES ). Since the American media is covering Obama 3 times as much as McCain we in America we are turning to the internet to get the truth that he seems to be hiding from. Currently, he will not provide a proper birth certificate(the one he provided on his internet site was examined by 3 forensics experts and all of them said it is a very bad forgery.) showing where he was born,this relates to him being qualified under our laws, his tactics in the primaries are coming under microscope and fraud is suspected, he has worked with man named Ayers who was in the Weather Underground(domestic terrorist group from 1960’s.),he cannot speak unless he has a teleprompter to tell what to say, he may sound good to you,but what we see is not good. There are many more I could list but I would encourage you to research what I am saying for yourself on the Internet and not his CNN,ABC,NBC cheerleaders. What she has done is going to add to already growing list of questions that we as Americans want answered. Just as many people in Nigeria dislike Ndi, there’s is alot of Americans that say the same about Obama. We see them as coming from the same mold. His choice of Biden is seen as catering to the same old mindset that has run our government for many years and this will prevent him from the change that he has promised all of us. His economic policies are same as former president Carter and that kept us down for some time. Nigeria is not the only foreign country sending money to his campaign and this is being looked at also. He is not what many of us had hoped for or would vote for. His 4 years of experience in the Senate is not enough to run our country, thats why he picked Biden for VP to counter that weakness.
You have put so much into this and now it appears it may not happen. All that Ndi did was add another nail to the bucket of nails that will nail his coffin shut in November Elections.
Tippins
24 August 2008 09:25It’s a shame that people are hungry in Nigeria and the likes of okereke Obama could not organise fund raising for them, rather she chooses to turn an american overnight. Charity begins at home but not for the likes of OkerekeObama who sees herself as an unfortunate Nigerian.
EFCC should do thorough investigations on her because I still believe she has some skeletons in her cupboard which we need to unravel. They should use her as an example if actually we want corruption to stop in high places in Nigeria.
She thinks she’s still in the Obasanjo era where she did all the mess at TRANSCORP and got away with it. Indeed, the world is watching us now.
TeX
24 August 2008 17:25This woman is an example of majority of Nigerian ruling elites, busy-body, academically educated but very uncivilized, crudely corrupt, and insensitively wicked to their Nigerian fellow, flagrant disregards to the rule of law, nothing will happen to her she will shamelessly keep her job since this is the way of life among Nigeria political and corporate class.
Political class in any decent society not only govern they set good and modern culture for the population to follow and refine the ircountry, this is scandalously shameful what onyiuke has be doing with her official position.
man pass man
17 November 2008 (5 days ago) 03:03it is the madness that blacks have………..
you go another man country you must die put for who go be president but for your own contry na so so yamayama
I am not impressed by an obama win as much as I applaud the white non prejudice in the election; the reason for win is clear “When evidence lags behind imagination, Imagination is preferred to evidence, let’s see what’s next, hope power does not get into him as a black Kenyan that he is, even though his father left him for another man to train and to be finally abandoned to his white grandmother.
Shameless black people
I don’t think Dr King will be dancing in his grave the key words are ………………..not by the colour but by content
How you dey Nehru ? na the man pass dey talk
leave Professor Ndi Okereke-Onyiuke she be naughty Professor no be only she de craze about this obama nonsense