₦airaland Forum

President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari, has instructed police and military security personnel attached to him to respect traffic regulations during his movements.

In a statement by his media team in Abuja, General Buhari said law abiding would be the guiding philosophy of his administration, adding “without leadership by example, the ordinary citizens would become copycats of the lawlessness of their leaders.”
The President-elect's convoy obeying traffic rules at Transcorp Hilton Junction in Abuja,Wednesday, on his way from the Defence House to his private residence

The President-elect’s convoy obeying traffic rules at Transcorp Hilton Junction in Abuja,Wednesday, on his way from the Defence House to his private residence

The President-elect explained that the “arrogance of power, lawlessness and disregard for the rights and convenience of fellow citizens would have no place in his government.”

According to him, for leaders to inspire respect, they must obey the laws of country, adding that when leaders treat the country’s laws with contempt, they might send the wrong message to the citizens.

General Buhari lamented a situation where fellow citizens are punished at traffic points and public roads because of the “arrogant lawlessness of the leaders.”

He said in a democracy, leaders should not inflict inconveniences and other unbearable ordeals on the citizens for their own comfort.

The President-elect advised his military and police security personnel to be in tune with his philosophy of “bringing the rule of law in the conduct of leaders during their movements on public roads.”



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ABUJA— President-elect, Major-General Muhammadu Buhari (retd), has said that he is currently at a loss on how best to tell Nigerians that his promise of turning the economy around quickly upon assumption of office on May 29 may not be feasible after all.

Buhari premised his fear on the perception that the economy has been battered by the outgoing government of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP.

We’ll inherit empty treasuries – APC govs

This was even as governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, said empty treasuries may be awaiting them in their respective states.

The governors cried out that most state governments had gone bankrupt and, therefore, cannot pay workers’ salaries.
Vice President-elect, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari, Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha and APC National Chairman, Chief John Odigie Oyegun when the President-elect meet with APC Governors and Governors-elect at the Defence House in Abuja on Tuesday, 05 May 2015

Vice President-elect, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari, Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha and APC National Chairman, Chief John Odigie Oyegun when the President-elect meet with APC Governors and Governors-elect at the Defence House in Abuja on Tuesday, 05 May 2015

According to them, it was obvious that they were going to inherit huge debts which may delay speedy progress in their respective states. They were, however, silent on APC states like Lagos, Edo and Osun, which are currently the most indebted in the country.

Buhari and the governors expressed the fear when the governors paid him a congratulatory visit at the Defence House, Abuja.

Buhari to plead with Nigerians for patience

Buhari, who recalled what the regime of late General Sani Abacha did to establish the defunct Petroleum Trust Fund, PTF, however said he would plead with Nigerians for their understanding and patience even as he reiterated his commitment to restoring security.

He said: “The expectation is too high and I have started nervously to explain to people that Rome was not built in a day. For this to be corrected, please, give the incoming government a chance.

“Here, I will like to recall what happened during the Abacha regime which led to the emergence of PTF. The Abacha regime was a military regime and it thought that the only way was to increase the prices of petroleum products. But they were not taking Nigerians for a ride. They would have said that if Nigerians decide to riot, they have the guns and so they can have their way.

“They decided to tell Nigerians that they were going to increase prices of petroleum products and the money we get, we will put aside for development. That was how PTF came.

“So, this time around, under this system, to bounce back with the issue especially with the backlog of salaries which are of immediate concern to individuals and states, I think we should look for a better way to address the issue and think of how to persuade people to give us a chance to organise the economy immediately and get something to pay salaries. The people will give us a chance to stabilise the economy.”

Decayed infrastructure

Buhari who also lamented what he likened to destruction of social infrastructure especially in education, however, assured that his government would ensure that the country is improved in all ramifications.

Buhari also thanked the governors-elect, re-echoing that the formation of APC as an offspring of the merger of the legacy parties earned them victory at the polls.

He said: “The decision to merge was a good one because this helped us. At every step, there were many road blocks. During the merger, APGA and DPP wanted to come in, but we felt that if they are allowed to come in at that time, it will be used to frustrate the merger and so we asked them to stay action until after the merger. So we advised them to just be observers.

“We decided that the nine major people that were leading the Legacy parties should lead us to the first major convention where the new party will then elect its new leadership. These nine people were the national chairmen, the national secretaries and the treasurers.

“The next step was what earned us respect. I had thought that all INEC Commissioners were our enemies and they said, ‘no, take the documents for the registration back because you need presence in all the geopolitical zones of the country.’ There were lots of efforts by the PDP to frustrate our emergence as a party.”

How FG ruined our economy —Okorocha

Addressing journalists after their indoor meeting with Buhari, chairman of APC governors, Chief Rochas Okorocha of Imo State, said the outgoing government had ruined the economy.

According to him, the fact that the Federal Government has not paid April salaries was an indication that the economy was not healthy.

He said: “One of the issues that became of concern to all of us is the state of the Nigerian economy which is really in bad shape. We have come to notify the incoming president of the challenges ahead of him.
BUHARI MEETS APC GOVS/GOVS-ELECT—Front row from left: Govs Tanko Al-Makura (Nasarawa); AbdulFattah Ahmed (Kwara); Abdullahi Umaru Ganduje (Kano); National Chairman APC; Chief John Odigie Oyegun; Vice President-elect, Prof Yemi Osinbajo; President-Elect; Gen. Muhammadu Buhari; Gov. Rochas Okorocha (Imo); Speaker and Sokoto Governor Elect, Aminu Tambuwal; Kebbi Governor-Elect Senator Abubakar Bagaudu Atiku and Deputy Governor-Elect, Ngeri. Back row: Governor Kashim Shettima (Borno); Muhammad Bundow Jubrilla (Adamawa); Kaduna State Governor-Elect, Nasir El-Rufai; Governor Rauf Aregbesola (Osun); Governor Mohammad Abubakar (Bauchi); Plateau State Governor-Elect, Simon Lalong and former Governor of Ekiti State Dr. Kayode Fayemi when the President-Elect met APC governors and governors-elect, yesterday in Abuja to kick-start the new government as May 29 hand-over date approaches. Photo: Sunday Aghaeze.

BUHARI MEETS APC GOVS/GOVS-ELECT—Front row from left: Govs Tanko Al-Makura (Nasarawa); AbdulFattah Ahmed (Kwara); Abdullahi Umaru Ganduje (Kano); National Chairman APC; Chief John Odigie Oyegun; Vice President-elect, Prof Yemi Osinbajo; President-Elect; Gen. Muhammadu Buhari; Gov. Rochas Okorocha (Imo); Speaker and Sokoto Governor Elect, Aminu Tambuwal; Kebbi Governor-Elect Senator Abubakar Bagaudu Atiku and Deputy Governor-Elect, Ngeri. Back row: Governor Kashim Shettima (Borno); Muhammad Bundow Jubrilla (Adamawa); Kaduna State Governor-Elect, Nasir El-Rufai; Governor Rauf Aregbesola (Osun); Governor Mohammad Abubakar (Bauchi); Plateau State Governor-Elect, Simon Lalong and former Governor of Ekiti State Dr. Kayode Fayemi when the President-Elect met APC governors and governors-elect, yesterday in Abuja to kick-start the new government as May 29 hand-over date approaches. Photo: Sunday Aghaeze.

“As it stands, most states of the federation have not been able to pay salaries and even the Federal Government has not paid April salary and that is very worrisome.

“By May and June, the salary will be in cumulative of three months. With the huge expectation from Nigerians and people who have voted us into power, we wonder. We are hoping that the president-elect will do whatever that is humanly possible to bring about a bailout not only in the states but the Federal Government, at least for people to get their salaries and turn around the economy.”

Okorocha, who secured his re-election as Imo State governor, called on Nigerians across party leanings to rally round the president-elect to achieve his aims.

Why APC govs visited Buhari

According to Okorocha, their visit to the Defence House was to congratulate Buhari and get him to familiarize with the new APC governors-elect.

His words: “We came here to pay a courtesy call on the president-elect who will be sworn in on the 29th of this month as the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and also to familiarize ourselves, both the new governors and the governors-elect.

“We have seen the reason to work together and support Mr President-elect and we have also called on all our brothers in other political parties to come along with us to build the Nigeria of our dream.

“In a nutshell, we have come to congratulate Buhari on a well deserved victory knowing that this victory, the change we have all been waiting for must only be dedicated to ordinary citizens of Nigeria, who stood up and voted accordingly.”


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By Omoh Gabriel

Six Nigerian banks have been identified as having the highest positive human capital value-added for Financial Year 2014 down from eight that made it in 2013. A research conducted by Thaddeus Investment Advisors & Research Ltd has shown that the six top value adding banks were among the top ten in the country. According to Thaddeus Investment Advisors & Research Ltd. the banks are UBA, GT Bank, Sterling Bank, Unity Bank, First Bank, FCMB, ETI, Zenith, Access and Diamond bank.
ATM-Naira-and-Dollar

ATM-Naira-and-Dollar

The research said that UBA emerged top to reclaim its position having been 1st in 2012, 2nd in 2013 and 1st in 2014. The report said that the last time UBA came 1st; the bank’s stock had the best investment return for 2013 among banks returning 94 per cent. It said that this year may just be the same.

GT Bank was named second this year but was 1st last year. According to the report “Its value added declined by 7 though financial productivity dropped by only 6 per cent. “We see this as a sign of employee discontentment with certain realities within the company. Sterling Bank came third for the second time in a row in the analysis while spending the lowest amount on its employees on average for the third consecutive year in the Nigerian Banking industry.

The report said that Unity Bank moved up eight spots from 12th. This is a bank to add to your watch list. First Bank on the other hand moved down one spot from 4th to fifth as it Human capital value-added declined from +4 to +3 despite average human capital expense rising by 11 per cent in 2014.
FCMB it said moved up one spot from 7th to 8th. Its human capital value-added remains at +1 for the second year in a row while average human capital expense rose by 9 per cent in FY 2014.

According to Thaddeus Investment Advisors & Research Ltd ETI moved up one spot from 8th to 9th as its human capital value-added remained at zero for the second consecutive year. This implies human capital is as efficient as they are remunerated.

The Nigeria cluster has started turning into an asset after being a liability since the Oceanic bank acquisition. Financial productivity of its human capital rose by a very impressive 131 per cent from FY 2013-2014. Ecobank did some staff rationalisation in 2013 and increased the headcount of its Nigerian cluster by 30.5 per cent in 2013. In $ terms, average human capital expense declined by 2 per cent in 2014. ETI finally appears to be getting a proper handle on its Nigerian cluster. This bodes well for the bank if sustained.

Zenith the report said moved down two spots from 6th to eight as the bank’s value-added declined from 2 to 0 despite a 21 per cent increase in its average human capital expense while its headcount remained flat from FY 2013-2014. Over the past two years, we keep seeing banks increasing their human capital expense and getting punished for it.

Access on its part moved up one spot from 10th to 9th as the bank reduced headcount by 19 per cent in 2013 and a further 20 per cent in 2014′ while average human capital expenses are rising 26 per cent increase in average human capital expense in FY 2014 either as a result of motivation for others to stay behind and/or there are less people doing more work who may now be better remunerated to carry on the expanded workload.

The bank’s employees improved their financial productivity by 14.6 per cent from FY 2013 – FY 2014 and are the second most financially aggressive in the industry after GT Bank. It said that “Diamond had 15 per cent increase in employee count in 2013 while average cost per employee stayed flat. We keep having this itch that Diamond Bank has swallowed the “quest for size” pill. Its strategy going forward does raise concern. 2 steps forward and 3 steps backward is one step backward. Its employees are now the 5th best paid in 2013 relative to 3rd in 2012. Meanwhile, its employees’ value added score improved from -3 to -1.”

In its assessment Thaddeus Investment Advisors & Research Ltd said that Stanbic IBTC Bank has taken up the challenge to get its human capital cranking properly. The bank’s employees are still generating negative value-added but have improved from -12 in 2012 to -7 in 2013 to -3 in FY 2014. Financial productivity improved by 50 per cent from FY 2013 – 2014. The bank has for the third year in a row invested the most financially on average in compensating its human capital.

Stanbic achieved the best ROE in the industry in 2014 of 26.6 per cent. There is a certain expense item that if reviewed upward will likely give the honor to GT Bank with ROE of 26.2 per cent. Q1 results show normalisation of the issue. Stanbic had the best price performance in 2014 of 26.5 per cent. GT Bank had the best human capital value added in the banking industry for FY 2013 which was released in 2014 as mentioned earlier.

Union Bank according to Thaddeus Investment Advisors & Research Ltd moved up three spots from 15th to 12th while Fidelity Bank moved down by two spots from 11th and human capital value-added worsened from -4 to -6. Wema Bank also moved down one spot from 13th to 14th as the financial productivity of its human capital improved by 41 per cent which is impressive. Human capital value-added declined from -7 to -9. Average human capital expense rose by 15 per cent from FY 2013 – 2014 and is now has the fifth most expensive human capital in the industry on average


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Make they live this man alone jare. Or are they also planning to blackmail him as they doing to others under this administration?

ABUJA—

Chairman of the committee and Deputy Leader of the House, Leo Ogor, made this known after fingers were pointed in the direction of the Ministry by participants, with regards to the administration of government policy on rice importation and payable duties/levies on import quota by investors.

He said if by today the minister failed to show up before the close of the investigative hearing, the committee would have no choice than to issue a bench warrant.

Ogor in his opening address, had stated that: ‘’This hearing was sequel to a resolution of the House mandating the Ad-hoc Committee to investigate alleged fraud abuses, evasion of import duties by rice importers.

“The aim is to uncover fraud and expose the endemic corruption in the importation of rice with a view to stemming the tide and boost employment generation as well as strengthen the nation’s depleting foreign reserve.

“The minister has no reason not to be here because the Ministry was duly served the invitation. I see no reason why people would be invited to a hearing that’s for the benefit of the people and will not turn up.

“You are a servant of the people just like we all are. What we are doing here is for the benefit of our nation’s economy so; before the end of the hearing; we are hoping to see people from the Ministry come in, otherwise we might be forced to make some very strong pronouncement.”


- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/05/reps-threaten-to-arrest-minister-of-agric-over-non-appearance/#sthash.pSF0gIYh.dpuf

By Johnbosco Agbakwuru

ABUJA—AS Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, members trade blames over its performance in the just-concluded general elections, Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba(SAN), has said it was impunity and sycophancy that caused the party’s defeat.

This came on the heels of the lamentation of Senator Suleiman Adokwe from Nasarawa State, who recently told journalists that the defeat of President Goodluck Jonathan and PDP was an institutional conspiracy where some leaders of the party worked for the opposition.

The party will from May 29 be in the minority, as All Progressives Congress, APC, takes control the Federal Government in the in-coming administration.

Senator Ndoma-Egba, who was stopped from coming back to the Senate in the 8th assembly, said the unfortunate massive defeat of the party started from the December 2014 primaries, when the governors imposed their preferred, but unpopular candidates, on the party.

He said the development resulted in some of the members of the party looking for other party platforms to achieve their dreams without any corresponding influx into the party.

The Senate Leader made this disclosure in a lead paper, Majority and Minority Parties in the Legislature: Party Defection (cross carpeting in the legislature), delivered at the induction course for legislators-elect of the 8th National Assembly held at the International Conference Centre in Abuja.

He said: “Within the parties, especially the PDP, government is no longer of the people and of the people. It is now government of governors, by governors and for governors.

“This has resulted in brazen injustice and restricted the political space for many.”


- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/05/impunity-sycophancy-led-to-pdps-loss-says-ndoma-egba/#sthash.G4OOJ6p3.dpuf

By Michael Eboh, with agency report

Indications emerged, yesterday, that Boko Haram is in disarray, following shortages of weapons and fuel that had caused tensions between its foot soldiers and leaders, women rescued from the Islamist jihadi fighters by Nigerian troops told newsmen.

The group abducted an estimated 2,000 women and girls last year as it sought to carve out an Islamic state in the North-East of Africa’s biggest economy.

Click to watch video of fleeing Boko Haram members

The army has freed nearly 700 in the past week as it advances on Boko Haram’s last stronghold in the vast Sambisa Forest.

Women, who were rescued from the terrorists, said the militants began complaining to their captives about lack of guns and ammunition last month, and many were reduced to carrying sticks, while some of their vehicles had either broken down or lacked gasoline.

A 45-year-old mother of two, Aisha Abbas, who was taken from Dikwa in April, said the fighters all had guns at first, but that recently only some had guns.

Even the wife of their captors’ leader, Adam Bitri, openly criticized him and subsequently fled, two of the women said, with one describing Bitri as short and fat with a beard.

Horror tales
*Boko haram

*Boko haram

Of the 275 freed captives brought to a government-run camp for internally displaced people in the Malkohi hamlet on the outskirts of Yola, Adamawa State capital, only 61 were over 18, and many small children hobbled around, visibly malnourished.

The women said they were kept inside, occasionally brought food and sometimes beaten severely.

The children were left to run around or do errands for Boko Haram members, while those of the fighters were trained to shoot guns.

One of the women, 18-year-old Binta Ibrahim from northern Adamawa State, said: “One evening in April, Boko Haram followers stood before us and said ‘Our leaders don’t want to give us enough fuel and guns and now the soldiers are encroaching on us in Sambisa. We will leave you’.

“They threatened us, but after they left, we were happy and prayed the soldiers would come and save us.”

Crushed

The women said once the militants spotted two helicopters circling at noon on the day of their rescue, they began trying to sell the women for up to 2,000 naira (about $10) each.

Towards evening, as the army approached, the captives refused to flee with Boko Haram fighters, who began stoning them, but then ran away.

Salamatu Mohamed, from Damboa area in Borno, said: “We heard bullets flying around and laid on the floor.

“Some of the women were crushed (by army vehicles) and others wounded by bullets. 18 were killed. We counted them; they included infants.”

Mohamed said she gave birth, while in captivity and had trouble feeding her newborn as there was not enough food.

The women said the men frequently threatened to sell them or bring them to Boko Haram’s elusive leader, Abubakar Shekau, deep in the forest.

Nigeria has claimed to have killed him several times.

Defence spokesman, Chris Olukolade, told newsmen the man was not a priority target.

Hanatu Musa, a 22-year old mother kidnapped in June last from Gwoza in Borno State, quoted the fighters as saying their leader had deceived them into fighting and killing in the name of religion.

While the Nigerian army, which launched its counter-attack in January, is confident it has the group cornered in the Sambisa nature reserve, a final push to clear them from the area has been curtailed by landmines.

Elusive Chibok schoolgirls

None of the women interviewed had seen any of the Chibok schoolgirls, but Abbas said fighters, who travelled from a camp in Sambisa where they were held, to source food, would describe the situation.

She said: “They said the Chibok girls were married off this year. Some sold to slavery, then some militants married two or four of the girls.”

Meanwhile, many of the women and girls rescued from Boko Haram are traumatized and showing signs of depression, with psychological counselling urgently needed as they recover in camps, relief officials said Monday.

“For some of them, who are really showing signs of trauma, we need to make them realize that this is not the end of life,” said Sa’ad Bello, National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, camp coordinator in Adamawa State.

“They need trauma counselling and psycho-social support to develop coping mechanisms,” he said, adding that many of the female hostages appeared to be suffering from serious depression, after enduring sustained abuse by their Islamists captors.

A total of 275 women and children were brought to a camp in Adamawa’s capital Yola, weekend, following a military operation to free them in Boko Haram’s Sambisa Forest stronghold.

NEMA spokesman, Manzo Ezekiel, said a priority was to provide “trauma management so they are not treated as outcasts when they go back to society.”

Ezekiel said the authorities were keen to avoid the women being stigmatized in religiously conservative northern Nigeria, with reports Boko Haram may have kept some as sex slaves.

Medical tests would not only check for conditions such as malaria, but sexually transmitted diseases, Ezekiel said.

Killed by landmines, tanks

Two women described how militant fighters tried to force them into marrying rebels after they were captured and how their escape turned to tragedy as about three women were killed by landmines.

Others were crushed by tanks as they hid in the undergrowth of the dense forest to avoid being caught in the crossfire between the soldiers and Boko Haram insurgents.


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By Henry Umoru

ABUJA — THE leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has washed its hands off the defeat of President Goodluck Jonathan in the last presidential election, blaming it on what it described as the tactlessness of the President’s hand-picked campaign team led by Dr. Ahmadu Ali.

The party directly blamed the hate campaign launched against the All Progressives Congress, APC, presidential candidate, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari for the defeat.
President Goodluck Jonathan displaying Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms at the People's Democratic Party's Secretariat in Abuja on Thursday (30/10/14).

File Photo: President Goodluck Jonathan displaying Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms at the People’s Democratic Party’s Secretariat in Abuja on Thursday (30/10/14).

The National Working Committee, NWC, of the party also, yesterday, dismissed reports of profiting from the N9 billion raised for the party’s campaigns, affirming its readiness to defend the N30 million paid to each NWC member which it claimed was approved by the President.

Contacted on the development, spokesman of the Presidential Campaign Organisation, PCO, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, promised to comment on the issues today.

Addressing journalists, yesterday, in Abuja, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, while exonerating the party from Jonathan’s failure, traced the defeat to the exclusion of the party and its leadership from running of the campaign. Metuh said even advice was ignored by those that ran the campaign.

Blames PDP’s failure on hate campaign against Buhari

Metuh particularly blamed the hate campaign by the Presidential Campaign Committee which resulted in the failure of the party, saying members of the NWC did not play any significant part in the 2015 presidential campaign of the party.

He said the abysmal performance of the party in the North was a result of the hate campaign adopted and executed by the party’s PCO against the APC and its presidential candidate, Buhari.

The denial follows recent reports of pressure on the NWC to resign from office on account of the loss of the presidency to the APC.

Jonathan failed because party was not carried along

Denying the culpability of the party leadership, Metuh said:

“We did not lead the party to failure, we were not involved in the campaigns and our advice was ignored. If we had handled the campaign, Mr. President would have won the election. We cannot be held responsible when our advice was ignored.”

Noting the issue of the hate campaign against Buhari, he said:

“Let me say this. In 2003, President Obasanjo ran an election against Odumegwu-Ojukwu in the South-East. In 2007, Yar’Adua ran election against Ojukwu. I can tell you, if PDP had engaged in name calling or abused Ojukwu in any way, PDP would have lost the elections in the South-East.”

Reacting to an online report that NWC members shared part of the presidential campaign funds among themselves, he said the NWC was never involved in the disbursement of campaign funds as he revealed that the party spent over N4 billion to sponsor their candidates in the presidential, governorship, National Assembly and Houses of Assembly elections.

N9bn generated from sale of expression of interest and nomination forms

According to Metuh, the party generated about N9 billion from the sale of expression of interest and nomination forms from aspirants to various offices on the platform of the party for the 2015 elections.

He said the party, out of the money generated, donated N500 million to the presidential campaign fund last December and gave out N100 million to each of the 29 gubernatorial candidates on the April 11 governorship election.

According to him, “we sponsored our House of Assembly candidates. The money was passed through the governors or through ministers and gubernatorial candidates in states where PDP has no sitting governor.”

Metuh, who disclosed that the party got approval from President Jonathan for all the expenditures, expressed the readiness of the NWC to make public its account, saying:

“For the avoidance of doubt, we wish to state categorically that this national leadership has remained very transparent in all its dealings since coming into office.

“No NWC member has been involved in any way in any sleaze or embezzlement of party funds. Also, no member of the NWC has ever been accused of embezzlement of funds in any ministry, department or agencies of government at any level whatsoever.”

On N30m paid to NWC members

On the allegation of N30 million paid to each member of the NWC, Metuh said:

“We state clearly that we have not been given any money, rather this NWC generated billions of naira from the sale of forms from where we funded our candidates for governorship and state assembly elections in all the states of the federation in addition to funds released to key leaders including NWC and BoT members to prosecute the campaigns in their various areas. The PDP spokesman, who explained that the NWC members had no knowledge of how the money voted for the PDP presidential campaign was spent, said the N30 million paid to NWC members received the approval of President Jonathan, saying it was meant for furniture, medical and other allowances accruable to members in the last three years.

“The NWC is willing and ready to make this account public in line with the Freedom of Information law.

“In the attempt to discredit the NWC, these elements pushed out series of misleading information to the unsuspecting public alleging that the party leadership mismanaged the presidential campaign funds, leading to the poor performance in the polls and as such NWC should be made to resign.

“When this wicked and baseless allegation was debunked by the NWC, which publicly clarified that it was not involved in the handling of the campaign and its funding, and that such were exclusively managed by the Presidential Campaign Organisation appointed by the President, these divisive elements in their desperation came up with another allegation claiming that the leadership embezzled funds belonging to the party.

“Even after the NWC also debunked this despicable allegation, showing that the party’s funds were judiciously appropriated for our state election campaigns, this group resorted to labelling the NWC with attempts to instigate President Jonathan, PDP governors and other well-meaning members of our party against the national leadership.

“This is in addition to recent sponsored publications accusing the NWC of corruption with claims that members shared monies generated from the sale of forms from aspirants for the general elections.”

No crisis in PDP national leadership

Metuh, who said the party had resolved its differences following the intervention of President Jonathan, the PDP governors and other key stakeholders of the party including governors and legislators elected, disclosed that PDP was joining forces with the NWC in its efforts at re-engineering and rebuilding the party as well as repositioning it to regain power in 2019.

NWC insists its tenure expires March 2016

He said:

“On this note, we wish to state clearly that there is no crisis in the national leadership of the PDP. The National Working Committee under the chairmanship of Ahmadu Adamu Mu’azu is duly elected and is fully in control of the administration of the party until the expiration of its tenure in March 2016 in line with the provisions of the constitution of our great party.”

We’re pained, we helped you to power, PDP tells Fayose

Meanwhile, the NWC has expressed shock that Governor Ayodele Fayose would join the chorus of those seeking the dissolution of the body after the national leadership made way for his emergence as the party’s governorship flag bearer in the Ekiti State governorship contest last year.

Metuh said it was least expected of him, having enjoyed the support of the same body to regain power.

He said: “The National Secretary of the party, Professor Oladipo, has already replied appropriately. But we feel pained by Governor Fayose’s action.”

“This is a man that got total support from the NWC during the governorship primaries in Ekiti State.

“At a stage, some stakeholders in the state wanted him to be excluded from partaking in the party primaries, but we in the NWC stood our ground that due process must be allowed. Through our internal democracy, he eventually won the ticket and we mobilised funds for his election, we give glory to God, he won the election.

“We are pained that such a man we supported so much could come around and call for our sack because of the outcome of an election not due to our faults.”


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This is the right thing to do

By Dan Quarrell
Last update 31 minutes ago - Published on 03/05/2015 at 11:24
Floyd Mayweather has announced his plans to relinquish his three welterweight titles after he beat Manny Pacquiao in what was dubbed as 'the fight of the century' in Las Vegas.

Mayweather moved his unbeaten record to 48-0 as he scooped the WBO welterweight title while retaining the WBA and WBC crowns.

Having underlined his class, Mayweather indicated that he would relinquish all of his belts in order to give other boxers a chance of competing for the titles.

"I don't know if it's Monday, maybe in a couple of weeks," he said after the fight. "I'll speak to my team and see what we decide.

"I'm not greedy. The other guys need a chance. It is time they fight for the belts.

"It is about giving the younger guys an opportunity."

Floyd Mayweather outclasses Manny Pacquiao to stay unbeaten

Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather productions, added: "Floyd has been in the sport 20 years and has accomplished everything in the sport.

"What else can he accomplish? There are younger guys up and coming and they'll get an opportunity."
Floyd Mayweather vs Manny Pacquiao during their fight
Floyd Mayweather vs Manny Pacquiao during their fight - AFP

Pacquiao took issue with Mayweather's defensive style, saying: "He didn’t do nothing, he was always running ... I got him many times with solid punches ... I can handle his power."

Manny Pacquiao 'fought Floyd Mayweather with injured shoulder'

Unfortunately for Pacquiao, the judges did not see anything wrong with Mayweather's style, or the manner of his victory.

One scored the bout 118-110 in Mayweather's favour, while the other two had it 116-112.


http://www.eurosport.com/boxing/floyd-mayweather-to-relinquish-belts-after-defeating-manny-pacquiao_sto4702642/story.shtml

Its good as you people have started practicing how to trek from North to South, East to West and West to North during festive period as fuel subsidy have been removed. Its really going to be fun!!!

By Johnbosco Agbakwuru

ABUJA—THE President- elect, General Muhammadu Buhari yesterday painted a gloomy picture in the economic development of his administration as he said that the decline in the revenues due to fall in oil prices poses a great threat to his administration’s development agenda.

GBuhari-oilen. Buhari who visited the newly elected Senators and House of Representatives members who are undergoing induction course in preparation for the 8th National Assembly in Abuja also said that the decline in revenue would affect the reconstruction of devastated areas in the country as a result of insurgency.

He reminded the elected members of the 8th assembly of the challenges the nation had been facing which he also said would continue in the near future.

The challenges according to him include general insecurity and insurgency that has caused extreme human hardship and destruction of lives, livelihoods that would take over a decade to rebuild across most of North Eastern Nigeria and some parts of North western Nigeria.

Another threat to his administration according to him was the devastation and environmental degradation in the Niger Delta area which he said must be attended to.

Others include, “endemic corruption which has crippled human and infrastructure development for decades. Unacceptably poor provision of power supply which has had a crippling effect on development of small businesses and indeed the wider economy.

“Deindustrialization for the past three decades leading to closure of many industries and migration of many to other African countries. Unacceptably high levels of unemployment and especially Youth Unemployment reaching over 40 per cent.”

Besides, Gen. Buhari mentioned high cost of governance that has been crowding out the nation’s capital and human development, erosion of public social services such as infrastructure, health and education as well as lack of development in the agricultural and solid mineral sectors as areas that should be aggressively addressed.

While soliciting the support of the lawmakers, the President-elect said, “The legislature is a critical component and necessary ingredient of democracy and good governance. The legislature by nature is inherently democratic in the sense that all members are equal and are elected representatives of the Nigerian people.

“As President-elect, I recognize this fact and believe that legislators carry this heavy burden of representation with all the seriousness it deserves.

“For a president to be successful in addressing community development and general welfare of the various people of the country, he or she would benefit from working closely and in harmony with the legislative arm of government.

“I therefore commit myself to working with the legislature as development partners motivated by the desire to deliver good governance”.

He commended President Goodluck Jonathan for the role he played in the sustenance of democratic institution by accepting election result, saying that Nigeria was in the threshold of history.

Bemoaning high cost of governance, he said, “First and foremost, appropriate policies need to be put in place and such policies may have to be translated into laws.

“Secondly, the oversight functions of the legislature is critical in ensuring that policies are implemented effectively and transparently. Therefore, my mission to bring integrity into governance would better succeed if complemented with a strong culture of transparent oversight.

“We need to collaborate on the budget process and restructuring of the public sector so as to collectively tackle the menace of high recurrent cost at the expense of capital and human development.”

“There is an urgent need to contain this high state of insecurity. All of you are representing various communities. We need to work together to address the problem from both its roots and manifestations.

“The strongest mitigating forces at this point are to redress the power sector deficits, encourage investments that are job creating and focus on human development and reconstruction. We also need to deploy efforts in conflict resolution and peace building in all our communities.

“I am here today, to invite you to work with the executive as partners in progress, as champions of good governance and development and as warriors for change. Together, we can make this nation great and as a role model in Africa and other emerging economies and democracies.”

President of the Senate and Chairman of the National Assembly, David Mark, who ushered in the President-elect into the International Conference Centre, in company of other leaders of the National Assembly, described the visit as historic.

Noting that it was the first time a President-elect was considering it worthwhile to address a joint session of the National Assembly, Mark agreed it was a historic meeting in the journey of democracy.

For the Speaker, House of Representative and Governor-elect, Sokoto State, Honourable Aminu W. Tambuwal, Buhari has extended a hand of fellowship to the legislature by his personal visit.

Tambuwal however expressed hope that his colleagues would reciprocate Buhari’s gesture by also extending a sincere hand of fellowship to the President-elect when his government fully takes over.


http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/04/falling-oil-prices-threaten-my-agenda-buhari/#sthash.JVeafz3q.dpuf

I want to know how much is budgeted for feeding at Asorock Villa? Why no media outlets have mentioned this as they always do during Good luck tenure.

By Olufemi Ajasa
*Dagrin

*Dagrin

It is now five years since the rap king, Dagrin died, yet his fame and name never at any time disappeared in Nigeria’s rap game. Reminiscing on his death reminded me of his bravery and guts in the use and commands of language which he best displayed in his last song ‘If I die”.

In the chorus of this song, Grin as popularly called by some of his followers clearly stated his abhorrence for pretentious tears and developed his verse to tell of himself as a man who wanted his best and not self-pity.

Today, we celebrate him as a legend by obeying his lines:

“ If I die, if I die
Make you no cry for me
E jen simi, ejo kejen mi”

When the song was released shortly after his death , it triggered tremendous controversy, went viral and was even perceived as diabolical due to its’ contextual coincidence with the talent’s death but one can’t ignore that this same song gave the biggest succor to many of his fans who couldn’t bear his demise at the said time.

Putting the records straight, it will be unfair to misconstrue Dagrin’s creativity for diabolism as he is not the first artiste who did songs about the foreshadowing of one’s death. Foreshadowing, is just a literary technique which involves the use of indicative lines to set the stage for an event to unfold-Dagrin’s acclaimed mentor, 2pac Shakur had done something of this nature with songs like If I die tonight; I wonder if Heaven goota a Ghetto etc.

Dagrin mastered his musical works and he will forever remain unforgotten for it; his songs are trade-marked to sell both his brand and contents- From the release of his first album, “Still on the Matter” to his second album, “Chief Executive Omo-Ita, C.E.O”, he kept his head high and was unique among his competitors.

He had massive hits during his lifetime and he took this glory on even at his exit from Nigeria’s music scene with the track: “If I die”. He rocked parties with tracks like, “ Mo lenu bi Pon, Pon”; ‘Efimile'; Kondo (Magic Stick), Swag among others all sold out.

Do you remember that laughter signature, “A-haaaaaaa!” which always gives him the majestic street entrance into any song he finds himself? This among other techniques won him an ‘ocean-size’ kind of followers in his short reign in stardom.

Some will love him in a way that you won’t help but ask why? I once criticized a staunch Christ believer friend of mine who is also a fan of Dagrin, she was one of those who effortlessly sing in and out every track done by or any which featured the talented artiste. I asked her, “are you not aware this is a worldly song?” she replied, “Forget it! I am a born again Christian but I can’t just resist singing along the songs of Dagrin. He is deep, If singing him is wrong, please accept it as my bad habit.” She said smiling.

This is just one out the thousands overwhelming compliments awaken on the lips of the fan of this gifted artiste. More tributes are coming in, Dagrin lives on.

RIP Dagrin


- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/04/dagrin/#sthash.8dqZbErf.dpuf

Governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu in Abia State in this interview gives his narration of the recent governorship election in Abia State and plans by his rival to shortchange him. Excerpts:

By Emmanuel Aziken, Political Editor

How will you situate your experiences in the last governorship election in Abia State?

What happened on April 11 was that election umpires during the guber elections in Abia State at a point lost control and it looked like they were confused.

The stipulation according to the Electoral Act is that once elections are conducted they are declared and pasted in all the units; once this is done, the results are collated at the ward level where they are announced and taken to the local government level where they are collated globally and announced.

At that point one could see a clear picture of the House of Assembly winners and losers.

Rancour or violence

That same result is then forwarded by the electoral officers to the INEC office in Umuahia but on that day the elections went on smoothly, went on very well and the security agents including the DIG, the Commissioner of Police and the state director of SSS reported that the elections were largely free and fair and without rancour; the elections went on smoothly without rancour or violence.

Suddenly as the collation of results were on-going at the INEC office in Umuahia, the Resident Electoral Commissioner Prof Selina Oko in collaboration with the Returning Officer (RO) decided to embark on a summersault by cancelling results that had already been announced at the polling units; when their attention was drawn to the fact that they did not have the right to embark on such cancellations they abandoned the strategy and went ahead to announce the results in the 17 LGAs of Abia State and my party represented by my humble self was leading clearly with 83,000 votes plus.

When they saw the tally and realised it was not going their way, they spent six good hours doing some arithmetic that led to serial cancellation of some of the results which to my mind was arbitrary because going by the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, we had a clear majority and we had also won a quarter of the votes in more than two thirds of the local governments of the state, clearly defining us as victors in the contest.

The heavens were let loose. People started agitating, people started suspecting in all manner of directions and questions were asked. Unknown to us the REC is an auntie of my opponent, Dr Alex Otti. So we now knew why it was difficult for them to announce the results and declare us winner.

We won that election but they have asked for a re-run in certain areas they have cancelled at the state level. We are watching to see what those who sent them to Abia will do about it.

What role did the report of international observers play in deciding the results?
Otti and Ikpeazu

Otti and Ikpeazu

Initially they said an international observer raised her hand to say the elections were marked by violence and the question was you know the procedure for the operation of international observers. Their own is to write their reports to their leaders who would go ahead to submit their findings to the appropriate quarters.

They are not to be heard during the collation of results. Incidentally, that international observer happens to be an Arochukwu girl who lives in the US. So how can an Arochukwu girl who comes from the same place as Otti be a reasonable source of information for the cancellation of results?

It does not even matter who was involved; nobody has the right to cancel results that have been collated and announced at the units because the INEC chairman is represented by the REC who is represented by the EOs at the various LGAs while the EOs are also represented by the presiding officers at the various units and once the presiding officers and all the agents sign, that result is said to be valid; no person has the right to cancel or alter the results emanating from such polling units.

Apart from the international observers, who else had reason to have the results cancelled?

It was just the international observer. I must also say that there were no video clips supporting this cancellation unlike in states where results were declared even with clear cases of violence or disturbances; yet in Abia there is no evidence supported by a video clip.

What contention from APGA led to the cancellation?

APGA had no contention whatsoever; APGA was saying that an international observer reported or witnessed evidence of violence. Yet there was no video clip supporting such report. So many things happened. There were claims and counter claims that Jega had called to ask for cancellation and when Jega was raised on phone, he said no that he never called for cancellation. He said no, that he did not call anybody. It was a very messy situation.

However I want to say that the background to all this is that my opponent had a chair that was standing on three legs; he didn’t plan for a bloc vote anywhere unlike my candidacy that took a bearing from the Ukwa Ngwa bloc that has nine local governments out of 17 LGAs in Abia State and these are people from Abia South, people who have not tasted power in the state until the PDP through its rotational arrangement zoned this power to it.

Rotational arrangement

Consistently I come from a local government that delivers the highest number of votes in the state. During the Presidential election from 1999, Obingwa had the highest or second highest number of votes in Abia. During the Presidential election, we voted 64,000 and during the governorship it went up to 82,000.

The reasons are clear; I come from Obingwa, my wife comes from Obingwa; everything about my family tree revolves around Obingwa; again because my opponent is completely new in politics, he does not understand these things; besides whereas I am from Abia South, my running mate is from Abia North but in his own case he is from Arochukwu and ended up choosing a running mate from the same Federal Constituency, Ohafia all in Abia North.

How is he expecting people to take him seriously? He did not take into cognizance the geopolitical setting of Ndi Abia.

His surprise that I am being supported by my people is neither here nor there. Again, the so called international observer is a biased party, an international observer cannot cancel a result. It is not in our constitution.

Standing by to see; are you hopeful given the situation on ground?

I am very hopeful, given everything and consistently. Except a miracle happens, there is no way Otti and Oko can turn around the results.


- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/04/with-the-people-behind-me-i-will-win-ikpeazu/#sthash.mmaIgKSc.dpuf

By Simon Ebegbulem

BENIN CITY—THE South South Voice, a pressure group in the Niger Delta, has described as unacceptable the way and manner the North and the West truncated the second term ambition of President Goodluck Jonathan and warned that the nation may face another round of crisis unless issues relating to alleged conspiracy against the people of the South South is addressed.

In a letter addressed to President Jonathan, signed by its National Coordinator, Mr Victor Tamarapreye and Michael Akpodore made available to Vanguard, it alleged that President Goodluck Jonathan was manipulated out of the contest therefore it will be unjust to hand over power to Gen.Muhammadu Buhari “who is a beneficiary of the Hausa,Yoruba conspiracy”.

According to the letter“ We the under signed for and on behalf of numerous concerned people of the South South geo-political region of Nigeria, wish to inform you that, we are not happy with the way and manner the election was conducted and it will be wrong to hand over power to the wrong person.

“The election was rigged massively to favour Gen.Buhari and we will not accept such result. Even though we are heading to court but we want to warn first so that Nigerians will understand where the trouble is coming from when it commences.

“Secondly, You Mr President was coaxed and intimidated to accept the outcome of the election by the International Community and the so called peace makers Committee in Nigeria.

“There was a gang-up against you from the Northern part of Nigeria irrespective of party line, as well as the issue of under-age voters which we all saw in several northern states. You have performed more than any Nigerian president has ever produced in your first term in office.”
- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/04/hausa-yoruba-conspiracy-against-jonathan-must-be-addressed-before-may-29/#sthash.awkAYNWK.dpuf

By Soni Daniel, Regional Editor, North & Kingsley Omonobi

ABUJA — THE Inspector-General of Police, Mr Suleiman Abba, yesterday, became the first major casualty of the just concluded general elections, which President Goodluck Jonathan and his party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, lost to the opposition.

The police officer, who was elevated to the post only last year, incurred the wrath of the Presidency on the eve of the governorship and House of Assembly elections for allegedly arguing with the government officials over the directive to recall the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in Charge of Zone 6, Tunde Ogunshakin, from Rivers State.
DIG Solomon Arase replaces Suleiman Abba as Inspector General of Police

DIG Solomon Arase replaces Suleiman Abba as Inspector General of Police

Abba, it was learnt, had deployed Ogunshakin from his base in Calabar to Port Harcourt to oversee the governorship election in Rivers State following complaints by Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State, that the police had collaborated with the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and the PDP to intimidate APC members and rig the presidential and National Assembly elections in the state.

His refusal to pick calls over Ogunshakin’s recall

Another source said the former police boss reportedly ignored presidency official’s objection to the deployment of Ogunshakin to Rivers State on the allegation that the police officer was sympathetic to Amaechi and his party and would, therefore, not allow the PDP win the state.

A Presidency source told Vanguard that on learning that the IG had defied its order by redeploying Ogunshakin to Rivers State to supervise the governorship elections. A presidency official called the former police boss to recall the AIG with immediate effect from Rivers State or face the consequences.

The source said the presidency felt slighted when it could not get through to Abba.

The former police boss reportedly told the Presidency that AIG Ogunshakin was a formidable Police officer whom he described as a ‘no-nonsense officer’ feared and respected in the Police Force hierarchy and capable of ensuring law and order in the place of new assignment.

Vanguard learnt that although the sacked IG reluctantly recalled Ogunshakin from Rivers State, forcing him to quit Port Harcourt by 5 am on the election day, Presidency did not forgive Abba for redeploying Ogunshakin reluctantly.

Presence at Buhari’s certificate of return presentation

Another sin of the former IG was his presence at the presentation of the Certificate of Return to Muhammadu Buhari at the International Conference Centre on April 1, 2015, which convinced the Presidency that the IG was actually working for the opposition and it moved quickly against him.

Arase replaces Abba

The Senior Special Adviser to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, could not also be reached for comments on the development.

Abba’s sack was announced by the president’s spokesman, Reuben Abati, in a statement yesterday. No reason was given for the sack while a Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase, was appointed to act in his stead.

Abati’s statement read in full: “President Goodluck Jonathan has relieved the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Suleiman Abba, of his appointment and duties with immediate effect.

“President Jonathan has also appointed Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase, as Acting Inspector-General of Police, also with immediate effect.

“Until his appointment as Mr. Abba’s replacement, Mr. Arase was the Head of the Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department.

“Mr. Arase holds Bachelors and Masters degrees in Law, as well as Bachelors and Masters degrees in Political Science and Strategic Studies.

“He is also a Fellow of the Nigerian Defence College.”

Mr. Abba, 56, became acting Inspector General on August 1, 2014 following the retirement of his predecessor, Mohammed Abubakar, after 35 years of public service.

He was confirmed substantive IGP on November 4, 2014.

Abba was, until that appointment, an Assistant Inspector General, AIG, in charge of Zone 7 Command, a position he occupied since May 25, 2012. He was also an Aide-De-Camp, ADC, to the wife of a former military Head of State, Maryam Abacha.

With his removal, Mr. Abba will proceed on forced retirement, four years before he attains retirement age.

He enlisted in the Nigeria Police as Cadet Inspector on December 31, 1984 and is actually due for retirement on March 22, 2019.

- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/04/why-jonathan-fired-igp-suleiman-abba/#sthash.tG5riYTO.dpuf

Lagos—National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has blasted controversial businessman and Peoples Democratic Party, PDP senator-elect, Prince Buruji Kashamu.

Kashamu-TinubuTinubu said he does not need praises from Kashamu, saying they are not in the same class.

Kashamu had in an advertisement praised Tinubu over the outcome of the 2015 general elections.

The APC national leader asked Kashamu, a PDP financier, to make a trip to the United States of America to answer drug charges against himself.

“Please keep your peace until you make your trip to the USA as a Senator-elect. Upon your return we can then have a conversation. We can then proceed with your repudiation of the PDP with a promise that you will stop corrupting and fouling the political system,” Tinubu said in a statement signed by his media adviser, Sunday Dare.

“Our attention has been drawn to the recently advertised letter by Mr. Buruji Kashamu to Asiwaju Bola Tinubu in which he described Tinubu in superlative terms and as his role model. Kashamu needs to stop this cynical fawning. It will not work.

“The days of false adulation are gone in Nigerian politics. Fake praise singers like Kashamu will find that their particular craft is no longer in vogue. During this election cycle, their practice has dramatically turned from the way things are to how it used to be.

“Henceforth, there will be consequences for the positions a politician takes and the words they utter.

“Politicians will no longer be able to change direction and loyalties as if they were changing clothes. Those in politics must know that responsibility and accountability shall now follow them. One can no longer walk both sides of the street at the same time. In case Kashamu has not noticed, the politics of principle defeated the politics of posturing.

“That Kashumu undermined the democratic process by buying his victory does not mean he is part of the new Nigeria. He is merely an isolated vestige of a dying past. The man is an extinct species the realization of which will soon dawn on him.

“For him to liken himself to Bola Tinubu is for a small rut to call itself a mountain. For Kashamu to call Tinubu a role model is Kashamu’s admission that he does not know the meaning of the term. There are no grounds for comparison. There is only contrast. Tinubu has sacrificed years trying to bring democracy to Nigeria. He struggled in opposition to the powers that be. Without this, at times, lonesome fight and singular determination, the great change in Nigerian politics would not have happened as it did. TInubu is an architect of democracy. Kashamu is a failed demolisher of that which Tinubu has strived to build. Under Kashamu’s designs, our elections would be a wholly mercantile undertaking.

“Meanwhile, Kashamu has blown wherever the prevailing winds took him. He stood for nothing and sacrificed nothing except the people’s welfare.

“This same Kashamu rained insults on former President Obasanjo in a vicious campaign of calumny. Kashamu’s party, PDP sponsored defamatory documentaries full of lies and innuendos against me, General Muhammadu Buhari and other leaders of APC. Please keep your peace until you make your trip to the USA as a Senator-elect. Upon your return we can then have a conversation. We can then proceed with your repudiation of the PDP with a promise that you will stop corrupting and fouling the political system.

“That Kashamu would deign to compare himself with Tinubu is a distasteful insult to Tinubu and to anyone who knows Nigerian politics. If he has any sense of propriety, Kashamu should retract the corrupt missive and apologize for this latest lie to the public.”

“Kashamu in a factory of incoherent mischief aimed at achieving selfish goals. Before the election, Tinubu was his arch-enemy. Now he seeks to be the prodigal son returned home. This scam will fail.

“Kashamu may be prodigal but he is no political son of Tinubu. Kashamu’s political lineage tracks to people like Bode George and President Jonathan. He should direct his encomiums to these men who are his true role models. They need his contrived affections more than Tinubu does,’’ the statement added.



Rise above pettiness, Kashamu replies Tinubu

Reacting, Senator-elect, Buruji Kashamu said; ‘’My attention has been drawn to Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s reaction to the innocuous congratulatory messages that I sent to him and other leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

‘’First, I must say that I doubt if the statement was approved by him. However, if it was, I must state that I am taken aback by the unwarranted attacks against me as if we were still campaigning. It is unbecoming of someone of his stature and calibre.

‘’It is high time politicians and leaders rose above petty issues and raise the bar in constitutional democracy. We should not just be democrats in words but also in deeds. We should play politics without bitterness.

‘’ It is on record that no Nigerian politician has taken former President Olusegun Obasanjo to the cleaners even as a sitting President like Asiwaju Tinubu did. Yet, Chief Obasanjo forgave him. As for me and Baba Obasanjo, he remains my father and leader, just as I am his son and follower. At no time did I abuse Gen. Muhammadu Buhari.

‘’As a true party man, I campaigned vigorously for my party and its candidates. Now, the elections are over, and as a true sportsman, I thought I should congratulate those who won.

‘’ Short of any praise-singing, what I said in the congratulatory message that they chose to react to a week after it was published was that there was no way anyone can wish away the achievements of Asiwaju Tinubu in the nation’s political annals, particularly in Yoruba land.

Part of the message also reads: “Although I now belong to the opposition, your achievements transcend political divides and I am not ashamed to publicly acknowledge them.

“I salute your courage, commitment, doggedness, forthrightness and tenacity of purpose even in the face of daunting opposition and challenges.

“By your sheer wit and unwavering commitment to democratic ethos, true federalism and economic prosperity, you led the Alliance for Democracy (AD) from a one-party state to a regional party, and now a national party that is about to form the government at the centre.”

He therefore asked; ‘’How do these translate to praise-singing? Are they not facts of history that I merely adumbrated?

‘’He accused me of purchasing my election with money, the appropriate forum to prove that is the election petitions tribunal and not the pages of newspaper.

‘’ On the U.S case, I wish to state for the umpteenth time that the United States as the bastion of democracy and the Rule of Law would not lend itself to any form of abuse of the fundamental human rights of an innocent soul, especially one that has been arrested, tried and freed by its most trusted ally – the United Kingdom.

‘’ I am not running from any trial. All I have asked is for the relevant parties to follow due process – if they believe that I yet have a case to answer.

‘’ I believe in the supremacy of the almighty Allah who frustrates the signs of liars and makes fools of diviners, who turns wise men back and makes their knowledge foolish. He is the ultimate decider of the fate of all mortals. When He says yes, no man can say no and when He says no, no man can say yes!

‘’I stand with the almighty Allah Subhana Wa Tala. He is the protector of all humans. He is my refuge and shield. Let no one play God!’’ he said.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/04/tinubu-to-kashamu-go-face-your-charges-in-us/#sthash.6I2hF1Bd.dpuf

Everybody should stop quoting Arch1 he is mocking Igbo people

By Innocent Anaba

The Lower Niger Congress, LNC, made up of people of the South-East and South-South geo-political regions, has called for the restructuring of the country to allow each region feel equal with other regions in the country and to control their resources for the betterment of their people.

It insisted that the outcome of the just concluded general elections was a conspiracy by the South-West and the Northern regions to sustain a master/slave relationship between and among the federating units.

Spokesman of the group, Mr Tony Nnadi, who addressed newsmen in Lagos on the just concluded general elections, that said the 75 million people who make up the Lower Niger, will decide whether they want to remain in the Nigeria federation and under what constitution such relationship will be.

Artists representing Nigeria perform during the opening ceremony of the FIFA Confederations Cup Brazil 2013, held before the Group A football match between Brazil and Japan, at the National Stadium in Brasilia on June 15, 2013. AFP PHOTO /

Nnadi said that the celebrated democracy in Nigeria has left a deeply fractured nation where the ethnic nationalities that make up the Lower Niger region are treated as conquered people, who have lost their power to participate in the Nigerian state as equal pruners.

Nnadi said the brazen manner in which the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, treated the Electoral Act with disdain, the flagrant abuse of voting in the North, the manipulation of the card reader scheme were all done to weaken the voting strength of the Lower Niger region while the North was given unfair advantage in the electoral contest.

He added that the Lower Niger Congress was planning a self determination referendum in the region comprising of the South-South and South-East zones.

Meanwhile, President of LNC, Elder Fred Agbeyegbe, said: “Even though many disputations around our constitutional foundation remain unattended to and particularly without any hope of federalism being ushered into Nigeria, Nigeria has, once again, had an election, which the international community with their so-called interest in the workings of democracy, have, from reports submitted by their appointed observers, adjudged peaceful, free and fair.

“We are, nevertheless, compelled to observe that, even if the rest of the world cannot see through the facade of a penchant for democracy, we, the ethnic nationalities, minorities, owners of the resources, victims of and for whose sake the Nigerian brand of democracy was wrought, are aware that their commercial interests in a peaceful Nigeria, overrides any pretended interest in democracy.

“Why else should the European Union and the United States of America, the citadels of the principles of equality, equity, fairness and justice, accept rules of democracy couched from a slavery-enacting document like the 1999 Nigerian Constitution imposed by one group in Nigeria over all else who had no participation in its making and from whence comes the Nigerian notion of democracy, considering that the Constitution is the instrument mandating the elections they came to Nigeria to observe?

“Perhaps it is better left to posterity to ponder Foreign Secretary Kerry’s goading to quick elections in Nigeria in the same 2015, in which, based upon knowledge that so many ethnicities are entrapped in its slavery, some other Americans predicted that 2015 would usher in the death of Nigeria as a nation state. For our part, the writing is now on all walls, that it is time that those of us entrapped in the Lower Niger, the area more at the receiving end of Nigeria’s feudalistic system driven by the 1999 Constitution, should, soonest, examine our obviously un-abating status of ‘’slaves.”
- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/04/s-east-s-south-regions-call-for-nigerias-restructuring/#sthash.MfFLjCTD.dpuf

All you people saying Igbo's shouldn't celebrate the achievement of this Igbo lady I hope when the headline will read Emeka is caught with drugs in Malaysia, you people will not be the first to shout " Igbo's are disgrace Nigeria.

You people are here making noise how legitimately But Buhari won the election. If my memory serves me right there were under age voting and so on in the north, if that is not rigging I don't know what else is.

You APC supporters are do funny. You are here complaining that it is not lawful to lock up state house of Assembly by a governor because it's Fayose but when Amaechi did same you people were celebrating him as the strongest and wisest governor. This is pure hypocrisy.

Maybe PDP should also take Amaechi to ICC for saying that they will form a parallel government if the election is rigged. Useless slowpoke!

Nice one guys

Our people said that, when flies were following a mad man no one sees it, but when the mad man start eating the flies people will start shouting that the mad man is eating flies.

Now that APC as a party are denigrating the first lady b calling her a motor park tout none of the APC bloggers and sympathizers will condemn their party but when the first lady reciprocates, there will be noise all over the place.

This is pure hypocrisy.