₦airaland Forum

asha 80: ...the problem now self is that the technical partner of eastern electrics seems to be suspect too which is spanco ltd of india as they have been stripped of their operating license in india.

awodman: According to him, “Since, we learnt that a mobile sub-
station was brought to the Agu Awka area to decongest
the Nibo power station, power supply has improved
drastically in that part of Awka, from the Millennium
Industry into the town. But, I can say that those who are
making use of the Nibo sub-station are yet to see this
improved power situation in Awka. Maybe it is yet to
come.”

awodman: In a Wikileaks document, an identified
American diplomat revealed that Elrufai
was “personally known to him to be
homeless” before he got into government.
Now Elrufai has never sued the diplomat
for libel or slander. But today, this man
who was known by a U.S. diplomat to be
homeless now boasts that ” I was already a self-made
man when I came into
government”. Since when did
homelessness amount to being “self-
made”?

kutchs: So many times these arm chair analysts confuse a governor with the entire state. A governor may be able to control some people in his state but not all. Does Shehu think that because Okorocha for instance is in APC then Imo people will vote APC in the presidential election? so stupid of him to think so who the hell is okorocha to decide who and how i vote?

Prof Corruption: Is this a joke?

taharqa: I think actual construction work has not started yet, but am not sure though..

taharqa: Great job... If this actuali happens, GEJ wud have suceeded in Entirely Rehabilitating and bringing to life more than 3000kms of Comatose/near Comatose narrow Guage rail lines (PH-Maiduguri, Lagos-Kano and their many Spur Lines) in less than 3 years- a feat that previous Govts have FAILED to do in more than 25 years regardless of money and effort spent. These, and the New Standard Modern Rail Lines (Aladja-Ajaokuta-Ore-Warri, Abuja-Kaduna, Abuja Metro, Lagos-Ibadan Lines) under various stages of construction, as well as Feasibility Studies for about 10 new proposed Routes.... The Entire Eastern, Eastern NorthCentral and NorthEastern Nigeria may now be OPEN for more business, in terms of Goods and People, after a reali long time. God bless this President..

President Goodluck Jonathan has ignored the advice given to him by the Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party Board of Trustees, Chief Tony Anenih, over his 2015 presidential ambition.

Anenih had during the PDP post-convention dinner held at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Sunday said the President could not afford to continue to tell Nigerians that time was not ripe for him to declare his interest in the Presidential race.

He advised the President to declare his ambition either this month or latest by October this year. The politician said the President’s declaration latest by October was necessary to give the party a proper direction and set the agenda straight as the party, for the first time, had embarked on discussing its future.

“I will appeal to our leader, the President of this country, that at the end of September or as we enter October, we should not tell anybody that the time is not right. I think the time is right. It is good that we tell our people where we are going to; what our journey will be like,” Anenih said in reference to Jonathan’s 2015 ambition.

But the Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, Alhaji Ahmed Gulak, told one of our correspondents in Abuja on Thursday that the President was not contemplating changing his mind on his decision to declare his position on the poll only in 2014.

He said regardless of that advice, the President would rather stick to the 2014 date which he had promised Nigerians, adding that Anenih’s admonition was the PDP chief’s personal opinion.

He said, “Chief Anenih gave his own opinion. As Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, I have told Nigerians before and I am repeating it now that President Jonathan will tell them whether he will contest or not in 2014. We stick to that decision, our plan is to tell Nigerians our position in 2014, not now.”

On whether the crisis in the ruling PDP, particularly the opposition of seven state governors, was not a hurdle to the President’s ambition, the presidential aide said the crisis in the party was not more than that of any other party in the country. He said the situation was a normal occurrence in a big political party like the PDP.

Gulak then expressed the conviction that the ugly situation would soon be a thing of the past. He said, “There is no crisis in the PDP that is more than any other party in the country. Internal disagreement is a normal thing. It will always happen in a big party like the PDP. It has happened before.

“I am assuring you that the crisis will become a thing of the past very soon.”

Meanwhile, the opposition All Progressives Congress has berated the President and the PDP for repeatedly breaking the law which forbids parties from campaigning for the 2015 elections.

The party was reacting to Thursday’s inauguration of the Elders Committee of the Goodluck Jonathan Support Group in Abuja.

A former Deputy Senate President, Senator Ibrahim Mantu, had said during the event that he was convinced that 2015 was in the pocket of the PDP.

But the Interim National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, told Saturday PUNCH in Abuja on Thursday that the Jonathan administration had enthroned a culture of impunity.

He explained that the President’s supporters had carried on as if there were no laws guiding the process.

He said the Independent National Electoral Commission had warned politicians against early campaigns, adding that Section 99 (1) of the Electoral Act 2010 ( As amended) stipulates that campaigns shall commence 90 days to the election and end 24 hours to the Election Day.

Mohammed, said, “They did not start (campaigns) today. The First Lady’s peace and empowerment rally that led to the closure of Abuja was the beginning of Jonathan’s campaign.

“The ladies were wearing T-shirts bearing Jonathan’s pictures. This government has enthroned a culture of impunity.”

But his counterpart for the PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh, dismissed these claims.

He explained that the inauguration of the elders committee for the Goodluck Support Group had nothing to do with the 2015 election.

According to him, the group was set up to propagate the activities of the Jonathan administration. This, he said, they had done successfully over the years. The publicity secretary insisted that no law had been broken.

Metuh said, “The opposition is quick to cry foul because they don’t have anything to do. The opposition in Nigeria cannot produce any agenda. They don’t have any plan for the country.

“So all they do is to criticise and cry wolf where there is none and the opposition we have in Nigeria is the worst opposition that we ever had in democracy anywhere. They are a bunch of frustrated people.”

He argued that the inauguration of the Elders Committee of the GSG was in continuation of its efforts to strengthen its activities and further enlighten members of the public about the achievements of the Jonathan administration.

Metuh also said PDP and Jonathan had not flouted any known law of the country.

Also speaking on the issue, the national coordinator of the group, Alhaji Ahmed Gulak, said the committee was not particular about 2015.

Gulak, who is also the Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, argued that the organisation had been in existence since 2010 and had made positive contributions towards the unity of the country.

He said, “We are not particular about 2015. The Goodluck Support Group has been in existence since 2010 and we are sure that the group has contributed its quota to the unity of this country in enlightening Nigerians on the programmes of the administration.

“We have been working at the grassroots level, we have been working conscientiously, we have been enlightening the people about the need for peace. And the group felt that it needed a council of elders that would sit back and use their wisdom and continue to advise us.”

The Independent National Electoral Commission has, however, declined to make a pronouncement on the issue.

When contacted, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC chairman, Mr. Kayode Idowu, said he was yet to get a full picture of what transpired at the event.

He told one of our correspondents, “ We need to get enough information on this issue before we make any pronouncement.”

INEC, had in a statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to its chairman, Kayode Idowu, on June 8, 2013 warned politicians against early campaigns citing provisions of Section 99(1) of the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended).

The section stipulates that campaigns shall commence 90 days to the election and end 24 hours to the Election Day.

The statement came against the backdrop of campaign posters of leading politicians such as President Goodluck Jonathan, Congress for Progress Change (CPC) national leader, Maj.-Gen Muhammadu Buhari; Rivers State Governor, Mr. Chibuike Amaechi; and his Jigawa State counterpart, Alhaji Sule Lamido, which had surfaced in various parts of the country.

The commission warned that it would not hesitate to sanction politicians and political parties that violated the provisions of the constitution and the Electoral Act as regard early campaigns.

It also called on security agencies to arrest violators as such campaigns were a threat to democracy.

Primate of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, Most Rev. Nicholas Okoh, has called for the disbandment of the national body of the Academic Staff Union of University.

He described the methods adopted by ASUU as immoral and self-enrichment.

Okoh spoke in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, on Thursday, during the Standing Committee Meeting of the Bishops Conference of the church.

He said, “The government should find a way either to privatise the universities or get ASUU to be limited to individual universities such that there will be no national ASUU body mandating even institutions without grievances to go on strike.

“There is no such body anywhere in the world. Challenges facing any institution should be treated locally without involving others.

“While the ASUU strike lasts, university lecturers are busy teaching in private universities (most of which lack lecturers) and earning money and when the strike is over, they will still be paid for the period of the strike.

“This is highly immoral and must be discouraged.”

He commended the strides of President Goodluck Jonathan in the areas of road network, turn around maintenance of airports, railways and power supply.

As a short term measure, Okoh urged government to accede to the demands of ASUU, describing the academic, moral and social implications of the strike as enormous.

He cautioned politicians about working for external detractors who had earlier predicted the disintegration of Nigeria in 2015.

He urged the Independent National Electoral Commission to ensure honesty and transparency while discharging its responsibility to the nation.

“INEC should rise above regional, ethnic, religious partisanship and deliver to Nigerians, the truth, the whole truth and nothing short of that,” Okoh said.

The cleric insisted that despite the ongoing power-play, leaders must maintain the unity of the country.

He appealed to the youths to avoid violence and other political vices while taking part in politics ahead of 2015.

Okoh said, “We make a sincere appeal to politicians as they plan, disagree, challenge one another and engage in high political maneuvering, to ensure that the entity called Nigeria is spared from harm.

“We should not walk into the traps of our external detractors who had already predicted a break-up of the country in 2015.”

“We appeal to our youths to take part in politics but steer clear of political thuggery. You should not allow yourselves to be used for assassination, arson, kidnapping, maiming, looting, intimidation of opponents.

“Don’t die for any political party or any candidate because Nigeria needs you tomorrow.”

awodman: STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE

We consider the reports in a section of the media claiming
that the Nigerian government had ordered customized gold iPhones from a Dubai-based company to mark the
country’s 53rd independence anniversary in October not
only false and misleading, but utterly mischievous.

It is instructive that despite the refutation of the story by
the company, which ought to have laid the mischief to rest,a number of politically-minded news media continue to insist on promoting the blatant falsehood. We deplore their antics as yet another attempt to use any trick or means possible to discredit President Jonathan’s well-meaning, hardworking and focused administration.

It is certainly a matter of public record and knowledge that since his assumption of office, President Jonathan has ensured that October 1independence-day anniversaries are low-key, without any pomp or pageantry. Ironically, even this prudence generated criticisms from a cynical and opportunistic segment of the public which alleged, in 2011, and again in 2012, that the President was either too scared to celebrate or that the government was broke.

This administration has no intention to depart from its
established habit of prudent management of resources and modest celebration of the country’s independence
anniversary. This year, the public should be assured that
theOctober 1 anniversary will also be low-keyed. Neither
the Federal Government nor its agencies has ordered any
gold iPhones to mark the anniversary.

We do not see any justification for such extravagance
either now or at any other time. The Jonathan
administration’s gold standard is to continue to provide
responsible, committed, and result-oriented leadership, not to engage in the purchase and distribution of party gifts.

We urge the Dubai-based company, which has since said
that the order for the said 53 gold i-phones was placed by a private individual and not the Nigerian Government, to go ahead and disclose the identity of that individual.

We appeal to the public to beware of the increasing
desperation of those with politically vested interests,
seeking to pull down this administration. Their moral
bankruptcy is condemnable.

The Jonathan administration will remain focused as it
continues to serve the Nigerian people diligently.

Reuben Abati
Special Adviser to the President
(Media & Publicity)
September 12, 2013

Eurofighter: "lol...Eko ile the fact remains that GEJ launched the power sector roadmap in 2010 and have vigorously pursued it and it has attained a point of no return with the recent successful payment for the firms by the prefered bidders...so even if you choose to disagree, 'right thinking' Nigerians know who to give credit to..."

@awodman: Point of correction please. GEJ did not launch the power sector roadmap in 2010. He launched the continuation of Obasanjo's "National Integrated Power Project" (NIPP) which Yar'Adua had jettisoned for a new start. Jonathan was largely praised for continuing this Obj project in the hope that quick results will be achieved since Obj had already built 6 power stations before leaving.

agbameta: Even when that time show face, credit still goas to OBJ and not worthless and incompetent aso rock dullard because OBJ built all the power stations coming on line or already commissioned, even power sector transformation remains OBJ's brain child...

......but we'll give the dullard and his shepo wife the credit for pettiness and other troublesome acts in places like Rivers and political disruptions in Anambra and other places..

The Federal Government is set to reap billions of naira from the importation of generating sets, as the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, has introduced a N25,000 charge per unit of 100KVA generator imported into the country.

The NERC, in its recently released, ‘Guidelines for obtaining Clearance Certificate for the importation of generating sets and related matters,’ also fixed a charge of N3,500 per unit of between 25kva and 100kva generators imported into the country, while generators between 5kva and 25kva attract a charge of N1,000 per unit.

Other charges are: N250 per unit of between 2.5kva and 5kva, while between 0.45 Kva and 2.5 Kva generators attract a charge of N150 per unit.

The NERC is also charging 10 per cent of the fee paid on the initial certificate for renewal of import licenses.

The significance of this policy becomes enormous, especially when viewed against the backdrop that a couple of years ago, Nigerian businesses spent about N1.8 billion on importation of generators within one week.

This was contained in a data obtained from the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, which shows that 15 firms purchased $8.2 million from the CBN in one week to import generators alone.

Also, couple of weeks ago, another report published by a global research firm, GBI Research, projected that the importation of generating sets in Nigeria is expected to grow to about N151.16 billion ($950.7 million) by the year 2020.

According to the research firm, Nigeria, which is the largest market for diesel and gas generating sets in Africa, is forecast to see growth rate of about 8.7 per cent to drive up market volume from N71.55 billion ($450 million) in 2011, to about N151.16 billion ($950.7 million) by 2020.

The research firm expects the growth in the Nigerian generating sets market to be driven by the epileptic power situation in the country going by the current state of generation, transmission and distribution networks, and economic growth in the country.

Importation guidelines

The NERC, in the document obtained on its website, signed by the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, NERC, Dr. Sam Amadi, said the provisions of the guidelines cover every importation into Nigeria. This includes fully assembled generators and knocked-down parts imported for domestic assembling of electric generating sets or retail as spares.

To qualify for the license to import generators into the country, the NERC said every applicant shall submit annual report of generating sets or knocked down parts imported by them in the last 12 months. The report is expected to show the various capacities and the number sold in each category.

The NERC further stated that the annual report of generating sets imported should be submitted before the end of the first quarter of the following year.

The NERC is also seeking to regulate the noise level of generators in the country, as those with noise level above the stated minimum will not be allowed into the country.

It said: “A certificate may be issued for the importation of generating sets or knocked down parts which comply with the relevant provisions on noise level of 35 decibels, as specified under the National Environmental (Noise Standards and Control) Regulations 2009, issued by the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), and as amended from time to time.

“Every imported and locally assembled generator shall be fitted with optimizers to reduce environmental pollution arising from incomplete combustion.”

Continuing, the NERC said: “A certificate issued by the Commission under these Guidelines shall be for a period of six months only from the date of issue, provided that where a certificate is not utilized for the importation of generating sets or knocked down parts of generating sets stated therein, such certificate shall lapse.

“A certificate may be renewed for a further period of six months and no more subject to the payment of renewal fees.

A certificate issued by the Commission shall be for the purpose of importation of the generating sets and or knocked down parts listed therein and none other whatsoever.

“An application for renewal of clearance certificate shall be within 30 days after the expiration of the initial clearance Certificate issued.

PapaBrowne: But seriously, since Jonathan's enemies believe he doesn't deserve a second term, shouldn't they be happy if he contests since that should automatically give them the opportunity to boot him out of office with their votes. But no, they know they are not in the majority so they want to force him out before elections since in a free and fair election, he would trounce any of the current contenders.


Imagine West Brom or Hull City or some near relegation club claiming to be a much stronger team than say Chelsea or Manchester United and yet telling those teams not to play in a forth coming match so they can claim 3 points without a fight. If you are stronger as you claim, you should happily go to the pitch with your opponent.

Or Imagine PDP telling Amosun not to contest the next elections since they believe he isn't performing. Why not go and meet him in the polls.

Its just pathetic how much cowardice these nitwits express. How can you tell a full grown man not to exercise his inalienable constitutional rights. Absolutely pathetic. Do they not realize they offend the sensibilities of 22 million Nigerians that voted him when they make all this noise.

dioradegreat: youwin is about the greatest programm of the federal government of Nigeria , i have seen many the winners and there projects here in Anambra stata

Sincere 9gerian: By the way, I bought a bag of locally milled rice recently. It is cheaper, fresher and tastier. At the moment, the markets in Enugu are filled with high quality locally milled rice. That is TRANSFORMATION. Proudly Nigeria. Haters go and die!

Orikinla: President Goodluck Jonathan may not be perfect or a saint, but economically he is in fact doing his best in agriculture, labour and productivity.

As much as I am one of his critics, I must commend his administration, because there has been an increase of active textile mills from 25 active mills in 2009 to 32 mills in 2012. Our textile industry is one of the pillars of the Nigerian economy.

And even though I am one of his unapologetic critics, I am in fact one of the biggest beneficiaries of his $200m Entertainment fund to launch community cinemas in our Screen Naija One Village, One Cinema Project in all the 774 local government areas in Nigeria and that project attracted the foreign investment of the IMAX Corporation (NYSE: IMAX; TSX: IMX) to build IMAX theaters in over 30 states in Nigeria.

Some of these foreign reports are often erroneous like the one that wrongly labeled Lagos as among the worst cities on earth which I dismissed and EIU quickly corrected and even called me on phone to admit the wrong report.

Therefore, I advise that we should not let these questionable economic reports by self appointed foreign experts mislead us to dismiss the significant economic developments in Nigeria.

Obiagelli: no vex, PDP things. I forgot gej has to please his northern masters. Pls remember me when your loyalty gets rewarded.

Obiagelli: compensation, the hallmark of gej's appointments. Corrupt president,morally and otherwise

Sincere 9gerian: Even the fool called Baraje is the current board chairman of Nigeria Railway Corporation. The president did that to compensate the fool but obviously he is not satisfied. He wants a bigger position. The next thing is to sack him from that position.

@OP.., Baraje is not entitled to personal security in the first place. Those who give him security personnel in the first place should be sanctioned. We must insist on the RIGHT thing at all times