What is d last price for the Serena need it as soon as I can get one within the range I want.

Is this still on ground ? If yes what is your last price !

What is price on it ?

Corruption, criminality and fraud unabatedly is now the order of the the day, in GEJ's Nigeria, since dem always "need to do the needful" and "na their time to chop".

China has asked Nigeria to close down a visa application centre in Biejing for what it called “illegal activities”.

It could not be confirmed if there was such development in Germany and the United States.

SUNDAY PUNCH gathered that China had written a protest letter to the Nigerian Embassy in Beijing to communicate its disapproval.

The private visa application centre had opened to business to receive requests for intending travellers from China to Nigeria.

But the host country said Nigeria did not follow due process in setting up the agency, thus making its activities illegal.

A source confirmed the development to our correspondent on Saturday.

He said, “The information is correct. But it is not the Nigerian consular office that was asked to close down, it was the ‘illegal’ visa application centre. The Nigerian authorities did not inform China of its intention to open a visa application centre through a private company before it started operation.

“There is a procedure which must be followed. It is good to avoid a diplomatic row and to continue with the good relationship between the two countries on one hand and the citizens on the other hand”, he added.

In the note verbale written to the Nigerian embassy, China requested Nigeria to follow due process in setting up the private company as an agency for visa processing.

Note verbale is a diplomatic language, memorandum or note not signed, sent when an affair has continued a long time without any reply, in order to avoid the appearance of an urgency, which, perhaps, the affair does not require; and, on the other hand, not to afford any ground for supposing that it is forgotten, or that there is no intention of not prosecuting it any further.

Another source in China said, “It is true that the Chinese authorities asked Nigerian authorities to follow due process. The host country in situation like this will not take laws into its hands by shutting down the centre itself. It will only request the concerned country to do the right thing by closing down the place until the right things are done.”

When contacted last night, the spokesperson of the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ogbole Ode, said he was not aware of the development.

“I am not aware. It is already midnight in China so there is no way to confirm now”, Ode said.

But the spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy, Mr. Ding Awhua, neither confirmed nor denied the report.

He said, as far as I know, the Nigerian Embassy or the cousular office in Beijing is open to business as usual. China and Nigeria enjoy cordial diplomatic relations, even if there is any issue between the two countries, there is a diplomatic channel of communication. Both China and Nigeria are law abiding countries and will not do anything contrary to the law.”



Link: http://www.punchng.com/news/china-shuts-down-nigeria-visa-centre-in-beijing/

The minister spoke well. This is the right cause of action. Let us see what follows.

Federal Government has demanded an unreserved apology from the Indian authorities over the death of a Nigerian, Obodo Uzoma Simeon, and discriminatory attacks on Nigerians in the Asian nation.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prof. Viola Onwuliri, disclosed this while answering questions from journalists at the pre-Commonwealth Head of Government Meeting press briefing in Abuja, Monday.

Tensions between Nigerians and Indians had escalated since Simeon was found dead in Goa, a popular tourist destination, in the country’s west region.

Simeon, according to reports, was stabbed to death on October 31 in Panaji, Goa State’s capital.

About 200 angry members of the Nigerian community were said to have blocked a highway while Simeon’s corpse was being taken to the hospital for a post-mortem examination.

Police reportedly brought the situation under control and registered cases of rioting, arson and damaging public property against 51 Nigerians and one Ghanaian.

Onwuliri, who emphasised that Nigeria would not tolerate any act of unruly behaviour from its citizens, however, said the conduct of Indian authorities was unacceptable.

She told journalists that the Acting Head of Mission of India in Nigeria had been summoned to her office to explain the rationale for the action.

She said, “Actually the growing violence around the countries should be a thing of worry for member states and for us in Nigeria too. We have continued to condemn violence especially against Nigerians in different states. The recent one in India is really a big one to worry about and I had summoned the acting head of Indian Mission to ask him about what happened to our citizens.

“The young man was coming back from lunch, they said there was a clash between two communities, he was not part of them but he was killed! We have also asked for unreserved apology from India, we have asked them to ensure that full-fledged investigations are carried out so that perpetrators of that act will be brought to book,” she added.

The minister said the Nigerian government would not hesitate to react appropriately if Nigerians were evicted from their homes in India.

“We have also heard that some of our citizens protested and were arrested and some were evicted from their homes. And we have also said while we are not supporting lawlessness, if Nigerians reacted because of extreme provocation, it should be so seen. And these Nigerians should be released and people should not be evicted from their homes, otherwise, that will also lead to a strain in the relations between the two countries and we will be forced to also react appropriately,” she maintained.

Onwuliri said Nigeria was determined to press on with the call for the abolition of visa regime among Commonwealth countries at this year’s meeting starting on Wednesday (tomorrow) in Colombo, Srilanka.

The country’s interim position is for the introduction of a pilot scheme which will facilitate visa free regime for holders of diplomatic and official passports from member countries.


Link: http://www.punchng.com/news/fg-india-in-diplomatic-row-over-nigerians-death/

9ja for show !

This is purely advance politics, the power belongs to the people. Good-luck Jonathan is not politically inclined as he does not have the capacity to understand the value of honesty in a diversified politics. He was elected as president but he has chosen to be commander of corruption and abused his mandate. I think president Jonathan should know what's going on around him now, he only needs to do things right for his people back home, because the game is over for him, it's now clear that he has to go home in 2015.

Our goat head president will not act because he is part of the problem. This shit has been going on now for over two weeks with nothing good coming from the goat head president except set up this shady committee.

I used to be proud to be called a Nigerian here in the USA but no more. I am only now attached to that place because I still have blood relations living/suffering there.

What is the work of EFCC/ICPC and Police in Nigeria? I feel sorry for the helpless people of Nigeria. Goat head president, it's time you throw in the towel honorably if at all you still have any honor left in you.

The peace process initiated by a committee of elders of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party can safely be said to be either on life support or dead.

This followed Monday’s decision by the Bamanga Tukur-led faction of the party to call the bluff of the Abubakar Baraje-led group by placing the group’s leading figures on suspension.

In the largely unexpected and unprecedented move, Tukur announced the suspension of the factional Chairman, Alhaji Abubakar Baraje and its Secretary Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, its deputy National Chairman, Sam Sam Jaja and Ambassador Kazaure who are considered pivotal to the operations of the group of aggrieved members.

Before Monday’s decision, the Tukur-led PDP had secured a court judgment declaring the Baraje-led faction of the party an illegal entity.

The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, had enjoined the security services to treat any member of the faction parading himself/ herself as a parallel official of the party as a criminal.

This happened before an Appeal Court in Abuja delivered a judgment in a suit filed by Oyinlola challenging his ouster as the party’s National Secretary.

Most political analysts failed to see the suspension of Baraje, Oyinlola and others coming largely because an Abuja Court of Appeal on Thursday last week reinstated Oyinlola as the party’s National Secretary.

Emboldened by this court decision, the aggrieved members of the party under the aegis of nPDP continued to function as a faction of the PDP.

Six out of the seven aggrieved PDP governors and the leadership of the outlawed nPDP met in Abuja, on Sunday night to deliberate on the Oyinlola’s victory which was considered a collective victory and chart a new course for their struggle.

One of the decisions reached after more than five hours of deliberations was a call for the immediate implementation of the court judgment reinstating Oyinlola.

Little did they know that an earlier claim by Chief Olisa Metuh that the party was yet to receive a copy of the said court judgment or any court order for Oyinlola’s reinstatement was a prelude to the suspension of some of their key members.

Governor Rotimi Ameachi of Rivers State is still serving out his indefinite suspension from the party.

Monday’s suspension order obviously took members of the aggrieved faction of the party off guard. Its National Publicity Secretary, Chief Chukwuemeka Eze said, “You see, the problem we are having with Tukur and his National Working Committee is that they lack common understanding of the PDP constitution.

“This is an abuse of the judiciary and the Nigeria constitution on fair hearing and most importantly, the PDP constitution of 2009 as amended Article 21 section 9 which states: ‘Notwithstanding any other provision of this constitution relating to discipline, no executive committee at any level except NEC shall entertain any question of discipline as may relate or concern…”

Apart from those just suspended, six aggrieved governors on the party platform namely: Sule Lamido (Jigawa), Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto), Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano), Murtala Nyako (Adamawa) and Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara) have continued to lead the revolt against Tukur’s leadership style.

They argue that Tukur’s style of administration has destroyed the cohesion the party once enjoyed.

It may be recalled that The PUNCH had in its Friday, November 8 edition exclusively reported that the party’s peace moves had hit a dead end.

The story entitled: “PDP peace moves hit a dead end”, which was sourced from a reliable source in the Presidency predicted correctly that the President was no longer favourably disposed to further discussions with the aggrieved governors and members of the faction.

It is now clear that the Tukur-led executive of the PDP, which still enjoys the support of the President, has opted to go for broke. It is left for aggrieved members of the party to prepare an appropriate response.


http://www.punchng.com/news/pdp-crisis-now-the-peace-process-is-dead/

am sure the nigeria govt is on top of the situation as usual after all their children can afford to go to the uk or even america kpakpa to write it. yeye de smell

The suspension of the conduct of Graduate Record Examination and the Test of English as a Foreign Language in Nigeria by the United States-based Educational Testing Service unsettles Nigerian candidates, Temitayo Famutimi reports

Nigerians seeking undergraduate and post-graduate degrees overseas, especially in North America, are now in a quandary.

On Thursday, the organisation that administers the Graduate Record Examination and the Test of English as a Foreign Language, the Education Testing Service based in the United States, announced on its website that it has suspended the conduct of both examinations indefinitely in Nigeria.

The GRE and TOEFL, two major tests required for university education in North America, will no longer be conducted in the country.

While TOEFL measures the ability of non-native speakers of English to use and understand North American English as it is spoken, written and heard in college and university settings, GRE measures the abilities of graduates in tasks of general academic nature, regardless of their fields of specialisation.

The ETS, which develops, administers and scores the two tests in more than 180 countries, at over 9,000 locations worldwide, cites ‘security concerns’ as the reason for the suspension of the examinations.

Although the ETS, which is headquartered in New Jersey, United States, notes on its website that the tests have been suspended indefinitely, it does not elaborate on the type or source of security breaches the administration of the tests is facing in Nigeria.

“Due to security concerns in Nigeria, GRE and TOEFL testing in the country has been suspended for an indefinite period. Candidates who have appointments to take the TOEFL or GRE Tests will be contacted by ETS to process a refund,” ETS, which prides itself as the world’s largest private non-profit educational testing and assessment organisation, states.

Investigations by our correspondent reveal that candidates planning to take the tests had initially been barred from individually registering for it online. Individual registration used to be the norm.

Our findings reveal that intending test takers have to go through accredited testing centres, which conduct biometric registration for candidates, to enhance the credibility of the test administration in Nigeria.

Our correspondent who visited the Ikeja, Lagos office of First Logic, one of the major accredited centres for GRE and TOEFL, observed that intending test takers who visited to make inquiries on the two tests were disappointed on being informed about the suspension of the tests in Nigeria.

A senior coordinator of the tests at the centre, who craved anonymity, explained that they received a mail from ETS last week informing them of the suspension of the tests in the country.

The officials who was seen responding to enquiries on the tests on the telephone during the visit, politely advised the enquirers to go to neighbouring anglo-phone countries to take the tests.

She said the mail received from the firm stated that ETS intends to conduct an “administrative review” of the tests conducted in the country in the last few years.

She noted that they were also taken aback by the development, adding that they had started sensitising members of the public to the ways in which the suspension would not jeorpadise their dreams of studying abroad.

The official said, “Apart from the information posted on the ETS website concerning the conduct of GRE and TOEFL in Nigeria, we also received a mail stating that the test has been suspended indefinitely to enable it (ETS) carry out an administrative review of the tests conducted in Nigeria in the last few years.

“This development will not only affect us here, but also about 15 other centres in Nigeria, including our branches in Victoria Island, Abuja and Port Harcourt. For the avoidance of doubt, the credibility of the tests taken in this centre is never compromised. We subject our candidates to biometric registration as required to reduce the possibilities of fraud.

“Besides, apart from our dutiful invigilation of the tests by our members of staff, ‘observers’ from ETS also disguise as examinees and take the tests too. For instance, if you have 20 people taking any of the tests in a day, five of them are likely to be observers and this will be unknown to all of us.

“For emphasis sake, we can’t say for a fact what the issue is. Only ETS can provide answers to many of these questions.”

It was gathered that ETS had been contacting examinees on the phone and via electronic mail on the development. One of the registered GRE candidates, Hawa Abu, told our correspondent that she was shocked to be informed on the telephone on November 1, by an official of ETS from the US, who briefed her that her test scheduled for November 2, had been cancelled.

Abu, who said she registered for the test through First Logic, noted that she was given an option by the ETS agent who called her to either get a refund or reschedule the examination for a later date in another country.

Abu, a medical doctor, who said she is planning to enrol for a Master of Public Health degree programme in an American university, lamented that the development was making life more difficult for test takers.

She said, “With the way things are going, Nigerians may be asked someday to go to Ghana to take the West African Senior School Certificate Examination or how do we place this?

“The GRE test itself cost me N38, 500. Now if I have to travel to Ghana, the flight alone to and fro will cost me N52,000, needless to talk of the cost of hotel accommodation.

“Since I was informed about this suspension, things have been very difficult for me. I have been running helter skelter to adjust my schedules in order to be able to sit for the examination in Ghana. My productivity at work is now at stake. The suspension of GRE and TOEFL clearly reflects the state of affairs of our country. It is so unfortunate.”

Another prospective candidate, Emmanuel Olawusi, urged the Federal Government to seek diplomatic solution to the problem, adding that with a suspension many Nigerians planning to further their education abroad would be discouraged.

Olawusi said, “That I’m disappointed is to say the least. I have some admission deadlines to meet and as things are, my educational plans are being disrupted. We are not sure of the security concerns they cited.

“Is it the issue of Boko Haram insurgency or is it cyber security? ETS as an organisation has a right to suspend its examination in any country once they feel the conditions for the test administration is unsuitable. However, I strongly wish that the Federal Ministry of Education as well as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs liaise with it (ETS), so that the issues of concern are addressed.”

For Olamide Folorunsho, another prospective candidate, the suspension of TOEFL and GRE in Nigeria has further dented the image of Nigeria internationally. He said it was unfortunate that examinations which Nigerians sat for in their “comfort zones” are now to be taken in a foreign land.

Folorunsho, who had rescheduled the GRE examination for a later date next year, said, “This is unfortunate and this cannot be unconnected to one fraudulent practice or the other, as well as the technicalities of the examination process.

“At a point, ETS stopped Nigerians from paying directly from Nigeria online due to Internet fraud. Now that we have taken solace in making payments through accredited test centres, the examinations are being suspended in the country.

“The image of Nigeria is at stake here and something urgently needs to be done to salvage our image. I don’t think it’s the security concern raised borders on terrorism. At least, Lagos, Port Harcourt and Abuja where the tests are usually taken are peaceful.”



http://www.punchng.com/education/frustration-as-insecurity-forces-suspension-of-gre-toefl/

Five days after a promise to provide information on how Coscharis, which supplied the two armoured cars now at the center of a major scam in the aviation sector, paid BMW for the vehicles, the company’s management has disappeared from the radar of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The agency’s investigators last week grilled Josiah Samuels, the Managing Director of Coscharis Motors Limited, and he reportedly confessed that he was unsure how to find the information relating to payments made the BMW Group in Germany.

The vehicles were manufactured as part of BMW high security vehicles, and assembled at the BMW Plant Dingolfing, Germany. A source at the plant told SaharaReporters that the cost of a brand newB7 level security BMW 760 Li HSS is between 170,000-190,000 Euros at factory price.

However, Coscharis Motors ‘sold’ the vehicles to the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority for a gargantuan $800,000 apiece.

That highly inflated price of the vehicle was the principal subject of the EFCC interrogation of Coscharis officials last week. They were grilled over two days and told to return with full details of how Coscharis ended up paying 418,000 Euros for each of the vehicles but officials at the agency said Coscharis MD and officials have refused to provide the bank statements of their wire transfers showing the amount paid to BMW for the vehicles.


http://saharareporters.com/news-page/coscharis-motors-unable-provide-efcc-bank-transfer-information-germany-controversial-bmw-a

Governor Sullivan Chime of Enugu State today attempted to eject his wife, Clara Chime, from her State House quarters over her decision to go public about his illegal detention of her.

In effect, Mrs. Chime would have regained the freedom she has been denied for months, and for which she has campaigned publicly in the past week.

The governor’s action followed a marathon meeting the governor held with Clara’s Igwe family, during which the governor decided to let her leave the government house.

However, insiders say Mrs. Chime said she would prefer to travel out, preferably to the United Kingdom, to take care of herself and then be allowed to return to her matrimonial home upon completion of her trip.

Sources at the meeting said the governor turned down that offer, instead telling the First Lady to pack out immediately.

Security sources said that her refusal to leave immediately led to an attempt to forcefully eject her from the government house.

Following Mrs. Chime’s refusal to leave unceremoniously, the governor relented and called for another emergency meeting of the family. The meeting was still ongoing as at the time of filing this report.

On Friday, Governor Chime met with a delegation from the National Human Rights Commission for several hours to explain the reason for the confinement of the First Lady to a section of Government House.

Mrs. Chime's public outcry was first reported by SaharaReporters last week. In a letter, she complained she had been confined within Government House and had suffered depression. She subsequently also disclosed the harsh circumstances of her detention, including being threatened by the governor whenever she asked permission to leave.


Link: http://saharareporters.com/news-page/gov-chime-attempts-ejects-wife-state-house-detention

Nigerians are watching and may learn one or two things from all these before 2015
God bless Nigeria

A violent clash is looming at the Peoples Democratic Party headquarters, as there are indications that the reinstated National Secretary of the party, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, is determined to resume there on either Monday or Tuesday despite the opposition of the mainstream PDP.

While Oyinlola is insisting on resuming, the Bamanga Tukur faction of the party maintains that it has not taken any decision on the judgment of the Court of Appeal, which reinstated the former Osun State governor as the PDP national secretary.

A source close to Oyinlola, who spoke to SUNDAY PUNCH in Abuja on Friday, said the former governor was consulting on the verdict of the Court of Appeal.

The source, who pleaded anonymity, said, “Oyinlola is consulting. As a lawyer, he knows the implication of the judgment and he is ready to resume soon.

“If he does not resume on Monday, he will be there on Tuesday. Don’t forget that the Court of Appeal has not heard or granted any stay of execution.”

The source added that Oyinlola would be accompanied by his supporters when he resumes so that “Oyinlola would not be harassed by members of the main PDP.”

But feelers from the mainstream PDP, which controls the headquarters show that Oyinlola would not be allowed to enter the office.

The PDP National Secretary recognised by the Bamanga Tukur faction, Prof. Wale Oladipo, had on Wednesday said he remained the party’s secretary.

Already, the party’s National Working Committee has scheduled an emergency meeting for Monday, the day Oyinlola is expected to resume.

The National Publicity Secretary of the Kawu Baraje faction of the PDP, Mr. Chukwuemeka Eze, in an interview with one of our correspondents in Abuja on Friday, said Oyinlola did not need to take another oath of office before resuming as the PDP’s national secretary.

Eze argued that what Justice Abdul Kafarati of a Federal High Abuja did in January was to ask Oyinlola to step aside until the determination of the suit.

He stated that now that the Court of Appeal had recognised Oyinlola as the authentic secretary all he needed do was simply to go to his office and begin to function.

The National Publicity Secretary of the Bamanga faction, Mr. Olisa Metuh, however told SUNDAY PUNCH in Abuja on Friday that the party had yet to see the Court of Appeal judgment.

He explained that members of the party’s NWC read and heard about it via the media.

He said, “The National Chairman of our party, Bamanga Tukur, is currently out of the country.

“We just heard about this judgment in the media like everybody else, we expect that our chairman will return this weekend and we will study the judgment, listen to legal advice and make our position public this weekend. We have nothing to hide.”

He was however non-committal when asked about the specific day such a public announcement should be expected.

The Legal Adviser of the party, Mr. Victor Kwom, had earlier said the party was still studying the judgment as such it would be hasty to offer an opinion.

But Eze warned that Oladipo would be doing himself and democracy a lot of good if he stopped parading himself as the party’s national secretary.

Eze said, “Oyinlola doesn’t need any oath of office to return to work as PDP national secretary.

“He subscribed to the oath of office alongside other members of the NWC that were sworn in at the Eagle Square on March 24, 2012.

“The lower court invalidated his election on January 11, 2003 and the appellate court returned Oyinlola to office on November 6, 2013. That rendered the Federal High Court ruling null, void and of no effect whatsoever.”

The New PDP (Baraje faction) further said Tukur must obey the Court of Appeal judgment that reinstated Oyinlola.

It said Tukur and other leaders of the party had no excuse not to allow Oyinlola assume office in line with the court pronouncement on the issue.

Also, a member of the party loyal to the seven aggrieved governors, Senator Danladi Sankara, said the judgment did not come to him and other members of the group as a surprise.

He said, “The court judgment only affirmed our long held position that Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola is the secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party.

“We have known all along that the Peoples Democratic Party led by Kawu Baraje is the authentic PDP, I don’t know what the problem is.”

Meanwhile, the executive of the PDP Ogun State chapter, has explained why it has asked the Supreme Court to stop Oyinlola from being reinstated as national Secretary of the PDP.

Speaking to one of our correspondents on Friday, the Chairman, Ogun PDP, Adebayo Dayo, said, “We have already gone to the Supreme Court to challenge the reinstatement. I can assure you, at the end of the day, it will be nothing good to talk about with Oyinlola.

“Oyinlola has gone to another party; he said he now belongs to the New PDP. He is no more one of us. It is a very straightforward case. He has the constitutional right to go to court at anytime; we also have the right to appeal, which we have done.”

Dayo and the Secretary, Semiu Sodipo, through their counsel, Ajibola Oluyede, had proceeded to the apex court on Thursday to challenge the Wednesday judgment of the Court of Appeal that ordered Oyinlola’s reinstatement for and on behalf of other state officers.



http://www.punchng.com/news/oyinlola-clash-looms-at-pdp-headquarters/

The Interim National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, Mr. Lai Mohammed, on Saturday, said the party was optimistic that the Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, and other rebel Peoples Democratic Party governors would join APC.

Mohammed told SUNDAY PUNCH that they were still waiting for Amaechi to get back to them after consulting with President Goodluck Jonathan as he promised.

“Amaechi told us to give him time to consult with the President. We are still waiting for him. For now, we can say we are happy with the reception we got in all the states that we visited. We believe that soon we will be reaping the benefits,” he said.

Also a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in Rivers State, Mr. Esuku Esuku, has expressed optimism that the state Governor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, will soon dump the Peoples Democratic Party for the APC.

Esuku, who said the visit of the APC leadership to the state would not be in vain, added that the party would soon take the South-South geopolitical zone by storm.

Describing the APC as formidable, Esuku stated that every person that was of voting age was also an asset to the party.

“By the grace of God, I am a Christian and I work with faith. I remained in the ACN up to the day it merged with the CPC and ANPP to form APC. The visit of the APC leaders to Rivers State can never be for nothing.

“Governor Chibuike Amaechi will move to the APC. The signs are there and we know that every person that is of voting age is an asset to the APC, not to talk of a governor of a state,” he said.

He pointed out that the opposition party had demonstrated that it had the capacity to change the fortunes of the country with sacrifice and good government.

Esuku observed that the PDP failed as the ruling party because it refused to make sacrifices for the improvement of Nigerians’ living standard.

He said the merger of three political parties to form the APC was a sacrifice made by the leaders of the affected political parties in order to save Nigerians from the maladministration of the PDP.

He said, “The APC has demonstrated that it has what it takes to change the fortunes of Nigerians. APC has love for Nigerians and that explains why three political parties collapsed into one to form a formidable party.

“What the country needs is sacrifice. The PDP does not want to sacrifice for the country. The problem we have is that the PDP thinks it will stay in power forever. But the APC is saying the time has come for it to bring the desired change to the country.”


http://www.punchng.com/news/amaechill-soon-dump-pdp-apc/

Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Rivers State Chapter, Felix Obuah, has said that Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi’s planned defection to All Progressives Congress(APC), does not pose any threat to the party in 2015 general elections.

Instead, he disclosed that his exit from the party is a blessing in disguise . Obuah, who spoke in Port Harcourt yesterday, through his Special Adviser on Media, Mr. Jerry Needam, accused Amaechi of being a clog in the wheel of progress of the party.

Obuah was reacting to Amaechi’s claim that PDP was jittery because of his planned defection to APC.

The chairman explained that , rather than regretting Governor Amaechi’s planned exit, his last minute decision to quit PDP, having been suspended and stripped of his powers, as the state party leaders, is the best thing to happen to the party.

“This is good for any group that is desirous of true democracy and freedom of the people. For the entire period that Governor Chibuike held sway, as the leader of the PDP in the state, it was one controversy or the other, as though, we are cursed, with no appreciable impact on the people, despite the huge resources accruing to the state every month.”

While wishing Amaechi well in APC, Obuah challenged that it was high time he demonstrated his claim of having magic wand, boasting that he would be defeated, even in his ward, come 2015.

“It’s a pity that Amaechi has chosen to play the proverbial man, who erroneously thought his detractors were dead or, had become his friends, and went ahead to kill his herbalist, only to realize, though, too late, that he had shot himself in the leg, as he was subsequently trapped by his enemies,” the PDP chairman said.

He therefore called on Rivers people to be vigilante, to ensure that money belonging to the state was not used to fund APC.

“We are watching to see what becomes of Amaechi and the APC, as we go for elections in the state, to determine who actually owns the land”, he boasted.

Obuah also urged the people to join him to celebrated the new air of freedom in Rivers PDP, which he claimed was made possible by Amaechi’s planned defection to APC, and assured them of better days ahead.


http://sunnewsonline.com/new/cover/amaechis-planned-defection-apc-threat-pdp-obuah/

Members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities have given the Federal Government certain conditions to be met before the union could call off its four-month old strike.

Part of this condition, Saturday PUNCH learnt, is that all federal parastatals in charge of fund, labour, and education must sign the agreement purportedly reached between its leadership and the Federal Government on Tuesday.

A prominent member of the union, who craved anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on behalf of the union, told Saturday PUNCH that doing this would give the association the confidence that “the Federal Government knows what it is doing when it signed the agreement.”

He said, “I must tell you that our mandate remains. The only mandate we have is that 2009 agreement must be met. We have not reached any agreement with the Federal Government.

“Since the Federal Government wants to be releasing N220bn every year for five years, then all monetary and regulatory agencies must sign. The Central Bank of Nigeria, Ministries of Finance and Labour, National Assembly, Office of the Presidency, National Universities Commission, Tertiary Education Trust Fund, Trade Union Congress and our umbrella body, the Nigeria Labour Congress, must sign with consequences stated.

“The reason we will ensure this is that we don’t want argument tomorrow that the agreement was entered in error or that they don’t know the implication of signing the agreement. If possible, documents that will provide for automatic deduction of the agreed money at a particular/agreed date must be provided.”

The leadership of the union had engaged in a 13-hour marathon meeting with government delegation led by President Goodluck Jonathan in Abuja between Monday and Tuesday.

Though it was generally perceived that both ASUU and the Federal Government achieved breakthrough in negotiation for the first time after the lengthy meeting with the President, Saturday PUNCH learnt that the lecturers might not be in a hurry to go back to class.

Another source close to ASUU who was also part of the marathon meeting with the President in Abuja, said there was nothing new in what the President promised members of the union.

According to him, government had always failed in implementing agreements reached with ASUU. He said, “Truly the President sat down for more than 13 hours with us. He told us that we were not leaving the venue until the issues were resolved. The Federal Government also promised to inject funds into the system, but a promissory note is not enough.

“Where would the money come from? There is no assurance that government will provide money especially with the mop-up policy in place that ensures that unspent money is refunded to government’s coffers at the end of every year.’’

Asked when the lecturers would call off the strike, he said, “I doubt if the strike is ending soon. The problem is with the Finance Minister. Where is government getting N1trn from? A government that could not implement agreement between 2009 and 2013, what is the guarantee that they would honour this agreement.

“It is all politics. We are still awaiting directives from our branches. We have told them the outcome of the meeting with the President but we are waiting for them to tell us what they think of government’s proposal.

“Imagine the Minister of Education has travelled out of the country. He was appointed Vice President for UNESCO General Assembly. How can he travel out of the country without resolving the crisis in the education sector?’’

He said the Federal Government should spend the trillions of dollars in its Sovereign Wealth Fund to finance university education and improve infrastructure in the country.

A key component of the agreement reached by both ASUU and the Federal Government was that government would inject N1.1trn into public universities in the next five years. Government is expected to inject N220bn yearly into the public university sector beginning from 2014. But government said it could only release N100bn this year, noting that the amount had already been processed.

The Federal Government also indicated that the N1.1trn would be domiciled at the Central Bank of Nigeria to show its commitment to the agreement. The money is expected to be released on quarterly basis to the universities so that there won’t be any problem about funding the deal.

The National Universities Commission and the Trade Union Congress will be the joint guarantors of the agreement while the Minister of Education will be the implementing officer. Government, according to sources at the meeting, also agreed to revamp public universities by ensuring that all the issues that always lead to strike are dealt with once and for all.

Asked to confirm if lecturers were planning to call off their strike, ASUU Chairman, University of Calabar branch, Dr. James Okpiliya, said the local chapter was yet to get formal briefing on the meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan.

He, however, said the union would make its position known to the press on the President’s offer after the end of a meeting scheduled for mid-night Thursday.

Also, Chairman of ASUU in Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Prof. Adegbola Akinola, said that members must be properly briefed on the resolution between the Federal Government and representatives of ASUU in the last marathon meeting.

He said the only condition that could make its members accept any offer would be the provision of necessary documents.

He said, “The NEC meeting may not hold now. It is the local congress that is expected to hold first which is either tomorrow or Monday.

“Our members are not yet briefed about the details, so it is when we meet that we will know the details and then discuss whether what we got is sufficient enough to justify our action or demand.

“I can’t really pre-empt the mind of other members. But if we are to accept any offer, there must be document to back that up. We need to obtain documents on that. Maybe if there is a document, people may look at it critically.”

However, the Federal Government said it would include the N1.1trn promised ASUU in the education budget starting from next year. It also said it was waiting for the union to know the next step to take.

The Director, Press and Public Relations of the Ministry of Education, Mr. Olu Lipide, told one of our correspondents on Thursday that government was waiting for ASUU to take the necessary steps.

Meanwhile, the Dean of Social Sciences, University of Lagos, Prof. Omololu Soyombo, has said that the general ASUU body must agree before the strike could be called off.

He said, “It is difficult to believe the President but we give him the benefit of doubt. We believe that the President is noble, the ASUU president promised to give him a feedback. If this had been done earlier, the strike wouldn’t have extended for so long.”

Corroborating his view, the Chairman, Lagos State University, ASUU, Dr. Jamiu Oluwatoki said, “It won’t be long again. By next week there should be a NEC meeting and subsequently the congress meetings before the president can call off the strike.”



http://www.punchng.com/news/ASUU-seeks-watertight-deal-from-fg/

The Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, on Friday commenced hearing in a suit seeking to remove Governor Sullivan Chime of Enugu State from office.

In the appeal, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party in the state, Chief Alexander Obiechina, is challenging the refusal of an Abuja Federal High Court to nullify the nomination process that led to Chime’s emergence as the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party on April 26, 2011.

Obiechina is asking the appellate court to determine whether there was a valid special congress or primary election held in Enugu State on January 12, 2011, in which Chime was nominated as the PDP candidate.

Insisting that the laid down conditions for the nomination of candidates for governorship positions, as enshrined in sections 85(1) and 87(1)(4)(b) of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended), were not fulfilled when Chime emerged, Obiechina is arguing that January 9, 2011, was the valid date set for the governorship primaries in Enugu State.

Obiechina has asked the appellate court to nullify the primary election and order Chime to vacate the office forthwith.

At the commencement of hearing in the matter on Friday, the panel of justices of the Court of Appeal granted an application in which Obiechina’s counsel, Oba Maduabuchi, asked it to proceed to determine the matter even though one of the respondents, the Independent National Electoral Commission, was yet to file its brief and relevant processes.

Maduabuchi noted that INEC failed to file and serve any brief or application for extension of time in respect of the appeal.

INEC’s withdrawal from the suit was not surprising, as the Commission had frowned at Chime’s nomination while the suit was before the Abuja FHC.

Chime’s lawyer, Mrs O. J. Offia, and that of the PDP, O. K. Akuyibo, did not object to the appellant’s wish to leave out INEC in the appeal.

However, PDP lawyer, Akuyibo, vehemently opposed the court’s jurisdiction to hear the appeal.

“This is not a proper case where the court can invoke its powers under Section 15 of Court of Appeal rules for the simple reason that the trial had declined jurisdiction over the appellant’s suit,” he argued, adding that the subject matter of the appeal was to determine whether the Abuja FHC was right or not to decline jurisdiction in the case.

The Court of Appeal also granted another application in which the appellant’s lawyer sought to withdraw prayer one in his motion paper, which required the appellate court’s invocation of Section 15 of the Court of Appeal Rules to enable it assume jurisdiction over the matter as court of first instance.

But the court asked Maduabuchi to get prepared to address it on the interpretation and provision of Section 141 of the Electoral Act as amended, in the event that the court agrees with his submissions.

“Assuming we agree with you, can we after an election, going by a Supreme Court decision based on Section 141 of the Electoral Act, make you occupy the position of governor in an election you did not participate?,” the panel, which was led by Justice M. D. Dongban-Mensem, asked the appellant’s counsel.


Link: http://www.punchng.com/news/appeal-court-commences-suit-seeking-to-sack-chime/

By allowing Ms. Stella Oduah to attend the executive council meeting, under the shadow of N250 million misappropriation, President GEJ is indirectly saying it is okay to be corrupt in Nigeria. Above all, GEJ and PDP led administration has wittingly institutionalized corruption.

Perhaps, this is the beginning of the end of the republic as we know it. Too bad, the poor masses will pay the price; perhaps, they will learn how not to get deceive by PDP come 2015. I won't hold my breath, though, since the same poor masses are willing and ready to sell their future for N1000 without asking question.

His he trying to cover her up ?

God knows best !

Rotimi Amaechi will join the APC, and APC will win the entire south south and south east on a total sweep, in fact, PDP will be lucky to win 3 states in the entire country in the next general election. It all starts this month in Anambra.

The Presidency on Wednesday said Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State was at liberty to dump the ruling Peoples Democratic Party for the opposition All Progressive Congress.

Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on Political Matters, Mr. Ahmed Gulak, said this in an interview with our correspondent. Gulak was reacting to a statement credited to Amaechi that he would consult Jonathan before joining the APC.

The governor was quoted to have made the remark on Tuesday while receiving chieftains of the opposition APC who were in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, to woo him into their fold.

“Before I join the APC, I will consult the President. I will. He is from our zone. I will consult all the consultable,” he was quoted to have said.

But Gulak said the governor was only trivialising the issue at stake as he deliberately engaged in anti-party activities.

He said since Amaechi did not consult the President before inviting the APC leaders and giving them tumultuous reception in his state, he should not bother to consult Jonathan before leaving the PDP.

He said it was unfortunate that the governor did not understand the gravity of the voyage he had embarked upon.

The President’s aide said, “Governor Amaechi did not consult the President before inviting APC leaders to Rivers State and giving them tumultuous welcome, so he does not need to consult the President before joining APC because he knows that the President will not allow any PDP member to go to APC.

“Governor Amaechi is at liberty to join APC. This is belittling the issue. We are not small boys; we are in a serious business of politics.

“You cannot as a governor on the platform of PDP invite APC leaders to your state and make a show of it and now say that you will consult the President who is the leader of the PDP before you join APC.



Link: http://www.punchng.com/news/presidency-dares-amaechi-to-join-apc/

Falana is within his "moral rights" to fight for the woman's right. Shame on all those fools who claimed SaharaReporters were lying when they broke the story. That the woman is locked up for whatever reason is a clear violation of her fundamental human rights. What is most troubling (& dangerous) is that Chime has hired doctors to tinker with an otherwise normal lady. Too many questions arise that beg for answers... was she ever mentally ill, was she being treated for depression or psychiatric illness prior to marrying Chime, when and how did this sudden sickness begin...

Probable cause:
If the rumor about Chime fathering her sister's child is correct, the shock may have caused her "momentary madness" which by itself is no "medical condition" as claimed by the Governor. If Chime is sincere about her condition, why not send her to London for proper medical too. Afterall, the Bible says: Do unto others...

When a man is "elected" then a term begins. It ends at the next election. In our case, four years.
When he stands in for another, it is the elected officer's term that he is "filling in". Hope you've been educated.

Truth is universal... Stamp out ignorance!
Long Live the Federal Republic of Nigeria!!!

A source close to President Goodluck Jonathan told SaharaReporters that the president has commissioned a group of political pundits to begin to counteract former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s reported secret plans to work for the emergence of a Northerner as president in 2015.



The source added that the Jonathan’s team is charged with strategizing on the best maneuvers to contain Mr. Obasanjo’s moves.



The source added that Mr. Jonathan did not yet have a full understanding of where Mr. Obasanjo stands in the crisis tearing apart the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), but added that the president has decided not to take chances by ignoring the former president. The Northern members of the team set up by the president have been mandated to lead the first stage of Mr. Jonathan’s campaigns and consultations across the entire Northern states.



“Some of the president’s pundits have swung into action in the ‘core’ Northern states of Sokoto, Kano, Jigawa, Zamfara, Kebbi, Katsina and northern Kaduna,” our source disclosed.



He added that Jerry Gana, Jonathan Silas Zwingina, Abdulkadir Kure, and Isaiah Balat were among those assigned to run the early stages of the president’s campaign in the Middle Belt. “Another group led by Alhaji Bamanga Tukur and Barrister Ahmed Gulak is working on the same mission in the North-East axis,” he said.



The source revealed that a key strategy of the president’s group was to seek the support of top Islamic and Christian clerics in the North. The well-funded presidential group is offering millions of naira to selected clerics in return for their political sympathy for Mr. Jonathan’s reelection campaign.



Our source stated that Mr. Jonathan had decided not to remain passive about Mr. Obasanjo’s antics. “Mr. President is aware of Chief Obasanjo’s previous antecedents. Look at [Mr. Obasanjo’s] close relationship with the arrowheads of the rebellion in the PDP. He is the one who made Sule Lamido, Aliyu Babangida of Niger and Wammako of Sokoto. It’s the same thing with Nyako in Adamawa State.””



The source added: “We gathered that Obasanjo is having serious problems with the IBB [Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida] and Abdulsalami circle that made it possible for him to be president in 1999. And we know that Chief Obasanjo wants to settle the Umaru Yar’Adua saga that led to the emergence of Jonathan. He thinks it is best to help install a Northern President in 2015. And he is also not happy with Jonathan’s style and some power blocks influencing the president.”


Link: http://saharareporters.com/news-page/jonathan-responds-obasanjo’s-plot-install-northern-president-2015

if the meeting was closed door how did Punch know the subject of their discussion anyway, they won't do anything to Oduah. She's a thief like them. She only got caught

somebody is lying here. I think there is a cover up somewhere. we can only hear the truth when this woman is completely alone with human rights people and trusted police. not those from enugu state.