Just read this interview given by Prof. Uche Azikiwe, the widow of

She is complaining that the promise Yar Adua made to pay them their allowance and change their car every 5 years has not materialized. She will also like the group of widows to have 2 weeks paid vacation abroad and medical attention abroad.

If the country continues to use most of it's petrol dollars.to cater for our leaders and ex-leaders, what are we going to use to develop the country.

See article below



Zik’s widow laments non-payment of stipends
From Kassidy Uchendu, Nsukka
Wednesday, December 28 , 2011

•Azikiwe
Photo:The Sun Publishing
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‘Y ar’Adua increased our stipend and approved cars for us to be changed after every five years, but up till now, not even the old stipend, was paid to us for the past two years and the cars are yet to be given to us.’ The failure to pay stipend to widows of the country’s deceased Heads of State can be classified as a dereliction on the part of whoever is responsible. This is especially so when the promise of the said stipend and renewable car gift, was made by a presidential fiat, courtesy of the former president, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.

In this interview, Prof. Uche Azikiwe, widow of the first president of Nigeria and Governor-General, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Owelle of Onitsha, laments the non payment of stipend as well as provision of five yearly renewable car gift approved by Yar’Adua. She alleges that they have not received a dime from the Federal Government since 2009.
Excerpts;

Recently you cried out about the delay by the Federal Government in the completion of the mausoleum to immortalize your husband
I have always said that I am a Christian and believe in God. I also believe that the Federal Government that started the project will one day complete it, because it is something that is worthy to be completed. Government is doing a lot of other things, otherwise to complete the mausoleum wouldn’t have been delayed. Any person coming to Nigeria would want to find the resting place of Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe. It is not a good intention for government to see it abandoned like that. From my investigation, I was also informed that almost every other year the government budgets for that mausoleum to be completed. My problem is that there is no work going on there. I hope that this time around it will not go like other years after announcing it and publishing in the newspapers and at the end, nothing will come out of it. I pray that there will be no more stories on that mausoleum as they have started.

I also pray that the minister in charge who is a woman, Ama Pepple, that there should be a change of attitude to that mausoleum. I believe a woman will do exactly what her ministry presented to government. I sincerely beg the minister to see the project completed during her tenure. Let it not be like the old stories, women are usually more dedicated when it comes to issues of this nature, I believe that Pepple will ensure the mausoleum is completed and on time.

Allowances to widows of late Presidents, heads of state
Another thing I want to say is the allowances, allowances paid spouses of deceased Presidents and Heads of State. It is saddening that in 2010 we were not paid a dime, in 2008, Yar’Adua increased our allowances to be reviewed every five years. We were all happy, the six of us including Mrs. Yar’Adua now. But since 2008 of that presidential magnanimity till now, the cars are yet to be given to us. Our allowances were not paid in 2010 before we begin to think of our cars being renewed every five years. Information reaching us was that the National Assembly trimmed down the budget of the SGF because the affairs of spouses of decreased President and Heads of State is under the office of SGF. It is incredible and unbelievable that it is only the allowance of widows of dead Heads of State of this country was affected by the National Assembly’s trimming down of the SGF’s budget.

We will apply and they will tell us there is no money, so, I hope National Assembly will rescind their decision. Let them spell out the stipend of spouses of former Heads of State. We are begging them and appealing to people who will reach them to help us to enable them pay us our stipends and also give us the cars.Yar’Adua approved. We applied, we wrote to him, few months later, he reviewed our allowances upwards with a car renewable every five years.

Medical attention overseas
We also requested for medical attention overseas, two weeks vacation abroad and a vehicle.
He graciously approved a vehicle but since 2008 till 2011 we have not been given the vehicle, 2010 allowance not paid. I am begging on behalf of five others that National Assembly should do something to change our standard of living because, it is not easy to take care of the premises and other domestic issues affecting us.

First of all, she stands a true first lady, one that never benefitted from thugs called military men in khaki, that took the banana republic from the British and turned it into the Worlds funniest video, unlike the current Dame, the former Yar Adua, and the rest of the lot.

In the Western world, and even in the Arab world, things work well, and thats largely because they decided not to over copy others and put their own culture as inferior.

The average Southernor carrys himself as if he's a white man, loves the EPL as if his grandfather founded Chelsea, and goes to a Pastor who's training came from watching Oyibo pastors on TV.

The avergae Northernor has totally alienated his true Hausa abi Fulani (for example) history and way of life in preference of Turbans, Bedsheets, and names that have nothing to do with Kano, Sokoto, or Zaria. He wants to out-Arab the Arab man himself (how insulting) and now these Boko boys, instead of trying to develop their towns like the ARabs in Dubai, are now dare devil Muslims lol.

Although I was disappointed that she asked for foreign vacations and medical car, my intention was not to personalize this to Zik's wife because we should not make laws targeting specific individuals.

The question is, should we use our resources to support the widows/wives of our ex-presidents? Should they be treated like civil servant---salary/allowances, official car, foreign vacations etc

Can the country afford these packages for ex-presidents and their wives?

Yes we should support them but has to be those who were democratically elected. No military persons who planned coups and got power therefrom should be included

And what happens to a poor man's widow?, Arrant nonsense! They shouldn't support them. They have stolen enough to keep them through out their life time.

Must every policy in Nigeria be in favor of serving or late govt officials and the wards without considering the entire citizenry?

My Brother why should we support People that have benefited from the National Cake so much, There are Millions of Widows out there that needs Help and Support and not some Proud Ex-president or head of state's wife that was not able to advice their Husband while in power to turn the Nation Around for Good, This is my Opinion and I stand Corrected if need be,

Eeeyyyaah,after touching so much money,these women r now beggin. They should be given a little consideration. That will not stop FG from performing.

Yes they should support them by giving them the cash realised from fuel subsidy removal,not only the widows should benefit from it but all the widows in the ex presidents family. Hisssssssssssss

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@sugar 001 - You are my star this morning. what happens to widows of the poor?

yes. The president should take out a few millions from d near 1 billion naira allocated for feeding. Though dame may not like it.

Bleep em'. . . . .

All those lobbyists who ran around their husbands when they were in power should come and show their allegance. Govt. money is not for funding the wives of ex-presidents.

Its like paying allimony to your ex-girlfriend who screwed you in the as's.

No No No

Exactly, neither really cares about the tyranny of government. They just want their preferred government to have the most power.


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They should only be paid their widow allowance as stipulated in law. Don't they have widow and widower allowance in Nigeria? They should not expect us to give them royalty treatment all their lives as if they are different from every one else in the country.

They should only be paid their widow allowance as stipulated in law. Don't they have widow and widower allowance in Nigeria? They should not expect us to give them royalty treatment all their lives as if they are different from every one else in the country.

Am sure their husbands were dully paid while in service. Not just paid but with other exotic pecks which the common man cannot afford. What do these people want from us; to handover the nations treasury to them for them to die on top of it? please! please!! the woman should go and sit down.

Nchara:

Yes we should support them but has to be those who were democratically elected. No military persons who planned coups and got power therefrom should be included

Are you on crack?!
I don't know about you, but I pay taxes faithfully. I have no desire to see my tax money be used to fund people who should have managed their resources better.

There is no 'jara' from the Federal Government to the masses. Why should any of the elites be an exception?

If her husband was not in the system of budgeting money for one project and pocketing the money the health service in Nigeria would have been in better shape to the extend she won't be thinking about going abroad for treatment. An't she ashame of saying that. The place she is thinking of going for treatment health service was built by there politicians to what extend have her husband did to make sure there is ago os health service for the country when he was alive and active in politics.

I believe that as a nation, we ought to take care of those who served us. Now this includes catering for their widows perhaps in form of a stipend (assuming she didn't have a job from which she earns a pension).

That said, the widows should know that Nigeria has become a nation of aberrations and the fact that they receive belated/no care from the government of the day should serve as an indication to them and the current First Lady that and indeed to us all that our beds will remain the way we made them, and we will have to lie on them that way.

what of Ex-governors? No

Support wetin? After all the money they've seen,taken and stolen?imagine,going abroad for medical attention, why can't they use the hospitals here?please let's move on to important issues.

I think these so called widows and whatever have no iota of shame in them. they are not concerned about the state of the nation and her citizens. What is the state of things when 'they 'ruled and now that they are asking for pocket money.

No. There is a provision for their late husbands already.

No. we the masses r being asked to sacrifice for our nation in form of subsidy removal so they should bear too. the woman is a prof and I don't think they give that title honourarily so she should have another source of income (or pension if retired.) they also had over budgeted first lady pet project kick backs to last for lifetimes.
hell, Turai can take care of all of them with the money she made during her husbands absence.

on the other hand, what grounds do those legislators have to Trim budget of the SGF when it took them months after SLS blew d lid on thier bumper pay. the sixth reduced it only because the time was up for some of them but the fact is some of them r still in the NASS so it might have gone up subtly withouth our knowledge.

cant they c that the purse is so lean now that our leadership is saying they can't pay the largesse to d subsidy cabal but we d pple should squeeze out the largesse from our already lean resources

[size=20pt]NO [/size]


This is another avenue to loot more, this will set a dangerous precedent which will be extended to other people in Gov including Judiciary, and Legislative. Did I also mention, payment will not be in ten's of thousands or perhaps hundred, this will be in the millions of naira per month. NO, every head of state who has served his country, has done so, they have retirement benefits, with the best healthcare and BEST savings, so why pay them more?

But it was said, one of them, some years back, claimed, though most of the loot was recovered from them, yet they would never be as poor as DANGOTE. Where is the lot they accumulated while in power? should the Govt responsible for the taking care of the late presidents' families, would'nt that lead to another subsidy remover or increase in tax for the common man?

the common man is dieing struggling, she's talking about a new car and travlling abroad. even burial ground! very  funny.
I think these people should just face their life and stop disturbbing  us.