,

that's Chadian army not cameroon

As Bakassi natives mark the 12th anniversary of ceding of the Peninsula to Cameroon, the paramount ruler of Bakassi Local Government Area, Etim Okon Edet, has asked the Federal to do the right thing by resettling them instead of sending them rice and beans. He said the people were more concerned about relocation and resettlement, and not about relief materials they keep getting from the government.

Appealing to President Goodluck Jonathan to intervene in their plights, Edet, who is also the chairman of Cross River State Traditional Rulers’ Council, said the time has come for the government to address their problems as the people were beginning to run out of patience.

Addressing newsmen in Calabar, the paramount ruler said it was important to mark the day Bakassi was ceded, which was on October 10, 12 years ago, saying that the date was very significant in their lives.

Expressing his anger over the pain the situation had caused them, he said “the fight is not over until we the people are properly settled.”

Edet said: “We pray that what happened to Bakassi should not happen again anywhere in Nigeria because we are really suffering. Bakassi people are just scattered all over; we have been disenfranchised, we are refugees in our country. Not more than eight persons are benefiting from government policies and programmes of government since the ceding 12 years ago.


“Several committees have been set up with no positive results from the Federal Government. They know what to do with the particular area they ceded. I am the traditional and spiritual head of Bakassi. What would it cause them to resettle us? I think they lack political will to do that. Besides, we don’t have anybody at the centre and state to push forward our case.

“I can’t understand why we are being treated as if we are not human beings. Every now and then, people come and give us rice and beans. We are tired of it. We don’t need relief materials again. Is it not shameful for the Federal Government to keep us in one location and be feeding us with rice and beans? We don’t want it again. We are tired. We won’t take it again from government agencies. We want to be settled properly near the waters so that we can do our fishing business or they should give the people money to engage in trading.”

Warning other politicians to begin to respect their dignity as Nigerians, the former Bakassi council chairman said, “I also warn politicians to stop bringing relief materials to us because we are getting tired. We are in a critical stage of our development. We need help now from Nigerians. Let them ask why we have not been settled all this while.

Yes, Camerounian army were ablt to crush them because Boko haram passed their limit with Cameroun authority. If you hv been following the story, you will discover that Cameroun authority did not disturb them and this made the Boko Haram get settled down. It was as a result of the killing that they now stumbled on their hideout which they know from the onset. Boko Haram did not expect this either. Remember also that Nigeria authority pursued the insurgents to that point or location and they were handicapped because as a country you cannot cross to another country in the name of fighting terrorist. Is only the UN that can do just that. What are we saying, can't we give out Army a plus over this war? This is the war that has to be fought with caution hence innocent citizens will be killed along with insurgents as these people use innocent ones to setter themselves. I call on Nigerians to please see something good among our authority and put the detractors into shame.

A fierce gunfight launched against the fundamentalist Islamist group, Boko Haram, by Camerounian soldiers has led to the killing of no fewer than 180 insurgents and two gendarmes around a Nigerian border with Cameroun.

It was gathered that during the battle which took place on Tuesday evening, many of the wounded insurgents were also arrested.

About 200 rifles, 70 machine guns and heavy military hardware were said to have been recovered from the insurgents by the soldiers.

A reliable military source confirmed the development to our correspondent shortly after the the Nigerian Army in Kano State disclosed that it had foiled a plot to bomb Kano during the forthcoming Sallah festival by uncovering a bomb factory in Gezawa Local Government Area.

It was gathered that the Camerounian authorities directed the soldiers to launch the attack against the Nigerian gunmen, who had earlier on Tuesday, ambushed and killed two gendarmes on patrol in the border community.

Our source said the soldiers, while pursuing the insurgents, sent a signal to their Nigerian counterparts, to be on the alert to avoid the escape of the fleeing insurgents.

According to the source, the number of those killed, the arrests and the recovered arms indicated that many Boko Haram members, who were forced out of Nigeria through military operations, had already “settled comfortably” in Cameroun.

He said, “The Camerounian troops have been involved in a serious confrontation with the insurgents. They have killed over 180 of them.

“Almost 200 rifles and 70 machine guns were recovered from them by Camerounian soldiers.

“What led to this operation was that the insurgents killed two gendarmes on patrol around the border with Nigeria on Tuesday. I think this angered them to order a comprehensive raid of the hideouts of the insurgents.

“You can see from the casualty figure and the level of seizures that they were already comfortable in that part of Cameroun until this incident.

“Ironically, the Camerounians who had been reluctant in spite of complaints by Nigeria at the diplomatic level are the ones now reaching out to us to ensure that the fleeing insurgents are not allowed to escape. So, I can tell you that the heat is on them.”

It was also gathered that Nigerien soldiers in the Multinational Joint Task Force killed an unspecified number of Boko Haram members on some island communities near Lake Chad on Sunday.

Investigations revealed that the Nigerien component of the MNJTF went after the insurgents on learning of the killing of one of them.

Our source said the intensified military action against the insurgents had made the nation’s northern border rather too hot for them.

When our correspondent contacted the Director of Defence Information, Brig.-Gen Chris Olukolade, he said, “Our neighbouring countries, either through the instrumentality of the Multi National Joint Task Force or through their security instruments, are involved in operations to complement what we are doing against terrorism.

“I am aware that the MNJTF and Nigerian security agencies are combing everywhere for any strange movement in our territory,” Olukolade said.

Also in Abuja on Wednesday, the Commander ‘3’ Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Brig. Gen Illiyasu Abba, said that operatives raided a house in Gunduwawa, Gezawa LGA and discovered a bomb factory.

He told journalists at a press briefing in Kano that bomb making items recovered from the factory were meant to carry out attacks in Kano during the Sallah and other festivals this year.

A young man suspected to be a child of the owner of the house rented out to the suspected terrorists was shot dead.

Abba said, “At about 2 am on October 8, a combined team of the JTF troops and Department of State Services raided two Boko Haram terrorists’ hideouts at Gunduwawa village in the Gezawa Local Government Area.

“The raid, which was conducted following a lead on intelligence reports, made no arrests as the terrorists fled the village on the approach of the JTF troops and DSS personnel.

“The weapons and other dangerous materials were meant to wreak havoc on Kano during the Eid-el-Kabir and other festivities before the end of the year.’’

He listed Improvised Explosive Devices, ‘two AK 58 with 193 rounds of 5.56 mm ammunition, one AK 47 magazine with 107 rounds of 5.56 millimeter ammunition, bows and arrows as some of the recovered items.

Three primed cylinders of IEDs, one primed explosive suicide back pack, 18 empty IED cylinders, 24 detonators, a small bag of fertiliser, IED timers cortex wires, three remote control devices, five Motorola hand held radios, four communicators, six alarm clocks, two cartons of nine -volt batteries, a scale, one external hard drive and one heavy duty charger/battery were also recovered from the house.

Abuja — The Federal Government has promised to take appropriate action against attacks on Nigerians resident in Bakassi by the Camerounian gendarmes.

Speaking with State House correspondents, in Abuja, after the meeting of the Presidential Committee on the plight of the Displaced Bakassi People, the Minister of Interior, Comrade Abba Moro, said government was studying reports on the attack and would take appropriate action.

”As a good player on the international scene, Nigeria has subscribed to the Green Tree Agreement and on our own part we will continue to abide by the provisions of the agreement.

“For one reason or the other, resulting from skirmishes here and there, the Camerounian Gendarmes have attacked some innocent Nigerians.

”That report, is being presented to government and the Nigerian government will take appropriate action to redress the situation,” he said.

Comrade Moro called on the people of Bakassi to remain calm as government was determined to ensure that they are not left to their fate as government was taking every step to ensure their safety in the peninsula.

On the activities of the Presidential Committee on the Displaced Bakassi People, the minister said an interim progress report has been presented to the Vice President with a promise that the final report would be ready soon.

He assured that the Displaced Bakassi people would find succor in the recommendations of the Committee, which would be implemented by the Federal Government.

“I think at the moment we should not be attempting to segment solutions. The present crisis that we find in Bakassi, is a Nigerian crisis and Nigerian Government is taking every step in conjunction with State Governments to address the situation.

“So, the right thing to do is to look up to decision of government as to what to do with the Bakassi people, because the Bakassi people are Nigerians.”

The Nigerian Government on Thursday warned Cameroon to immediately halt the maltreatment of Nigerians living in the Bakassi Peninsula as it could affect the complete handing over process of the territory to Cameroon.

However, Cameroon immediately denied the allegation saying all citizens were being treated well.

The Nigerian government had said the maltreatment of its citizens in the Peninsula was not in consonance with Article 4 of the Green Tree Agreement (GTA) under which the Peninsula was handed over to Cameroon.

Nigerian Attorney General and the Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke, said at the opening ceremony of the 30th session of the Cameroon-Nigeria Mixed-Commission (CNMC) in Abuja that such reported cases of maltreatment were capable of generating political upheavals and eroding public confidence in the full implementation of the Agreement.

Adoke also warned that it could tie the hand of the government in its resolve to faithfully implement the judgement of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) which gave the peninsula to Cameroon.

However, the leader of the Cameroonian delegation, Vice-Prime Minister, Mr Amadou Ali, denied the allegation saying that Nigerians in the Peninsula were enjoying the same hospitality extended to over 3.5 million other Nigerians who live in other parts of Cameroon.

Mr Ali said between 10,000 and 15,000 Nigerians living in the Peninsula were rushing to obtain Cameroonian nationality.

The allegations, he said, were only aimed at constituting a hindrance to the peaceful implementation of the ICJ judgement.

‘Now, can somebody reasonably imagine that these populations that are harassed, tortured and even massacred, instead of finding means and ways to leave these areas, request to be made comfortable so as to live in the areas they find themselves?’ Mr Ali asked.

Meanwhile, chairman of the Cameroon-Nigeria Mixed-Commission (CNMC) and special representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Said Djinnit has stated that Nigeria and Cameroon have provided a positive example for other countries with similar challenges on how to peacefully resolve their border and territorial disputes.

Djinnit said Nigeria and Cameroon had reached agreement on 1,845 kilometres out of over 2000 kilometres of the land boundary in contention.

He noted that in 2004 alone, the process of transfer of withdrawal and transfer of authority in 30 villages in the Lake Chad area between the two countries were completed.

THE people of Bakassi Wednesday showed their anger over the loss of their territory as youths of the peninsula disrupted the United Nations (UN) demarcation of the maritime boundary between Nigeria and Cameroon in respect of the oil-rich area.

The Joint Technical Team comprising UN, Nigerian and Camerounian officials had arrived in Ikang, the temporary council secretariat, and paid a courtesy visit on the Chairman of Bakassi Local Council, Dr. Ekpo Bassey, to brief him on their mission.

Demonstrators who carried placards with different inscriptions such as, “UN leave Bakassi,” “Bakassians are Nigerians and not Cameroonians,” “Bakassi has the inalienable right to self-determination,“ prevented the team from moving to the peninsula for the exercise.

Leader of the youths, Augustine Omini Iwara, in an interview, condemned the UN and the Federal Government of Nigeria for allegedly treating the people of Bakassi with contempt.

He said it was surprising that the demarcation was being undertaken despite the case filed by the people of Bakassi asserting their right to self-determination in accordance with international law.

He called on the UN to urgently to conduct a referendum to enable the people of Bakassi decide where they want to belong, vowing that, “no Jupiter can force us to leave our territory to become Cameroonians.”

Bassey tried to calm down the youths and said that in a democracy people have the right to agitate, but advised them not to do anything that could lead to break down of peace and order.

The Director, International Boundary Commission, who was the leader of the Nigerian delegation, Sani Mohammed Isamni, a surveyor, called off the demarcation and said that the six-man team would communicate back to the council after discussion with the Federal Government.

The people of Bakassi have been threatening to declare self-determination, insisting that they cannot be in Cameroun.

President Goodluck Jonathan might have unwittingly incurred the wrath of Bakassi indigenes for openly welcoming a delegation sent by President Paul Biya of Cameroun to thank him for finally ceding the controversial peninsula to his country.

The three-man delegation dispatched by Biya to Jonathan comprised the country's Deputy Prime Minister, Ahmadu Ali; Cameroonian Ambassador to Nigeria, Abbas Iya Ibrahima and Minister of Foreign Affairs and African Cooperation, Jean Nguta.

The delegation told Jonathan that Biya was interested in working hand-in-hand with him to resolve all issues of common interests to the two countries.

Barely three days after the visit, the Bakassi Citizens' Advocacy Group, spurned the visit and the warm welcome extended to the delegation by the President.

In a document released to Vanguard last night, the group noted that it was wrong for the President to have accorded the delegation such a reception given the atrocities caused the natives of the peninsula by Cameroonian security agents.

President Goodluck Jonathan Thursday called on his Cameroonian counterpart, Paul Biya to guarantee the safety of Nigerians living in that country. President Jonathan’s request followed allegations of human rights abuses of Nigerians living in the area since the International Court of Justice ceded the Bakassi peninsula to Cameroon.

President Jonathan made that call when he received a special delegation of President Paul Biya of Cameroun at the presidential Villa, Abuja.

The three-man delegation sent by Biya to Jonathan include the country’s Deputy Prime Minister, Ahmadu Ali; Camerounian Ambassador to Nigeria, Abbas Iya Ibrahima; and the Minister of Foreign Affairs and African Cooperation, Jean Nguta.

Following the ceding of the Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon, relationships between both countries have been frosty over disputes on the ownership of the oil-rich Bakassi Peninsular.

Nigerians in the peninsula had earlier last month threatened to declare independence from Cameroon following the decision of the International Court of Justice to award the area to Cameroun.

This is just as Jonathan’s administration has ruled out the option of appealing the ICJ decision saying there were no new facts that could warrant such

The delegation told Jonathan that Biya was interested in working hand-in-hand with him to sort out all issues that border on the common interests of the two countries.

He expressed his willingness to further promote and strengthen relationship between the two countries.

Biya also requested for an audience with Jonathan as a way of encouraging regular consultations and interactions between the two leaders.

He sympathized with Jonathan on the recent floods in parts of the country, saying his country also witnessed a similar scenario recently.

In his response, Jonathan was said to have stressed the need for Nigerians living in Cameroun and Camerounians living in Nigeria to be treated well.

The President said the fundamental human rights of individuals must be respected irrespective of where they reside.

The two African will soon meet as a way of restoring the confidence of their countries

By Dibussi Tande

“Biya was concerned about the threat of Islamic extremism.… He was beginning to worry about Islamic extremists infiltrating Cameroon from Nigeria and making inroads through Cameroonian mosques.” Wikileaks


The wave of Christmas Day bombings in Nigeria carried out by Boko Haram, the extremist Islamist sect which has its base in northeastern Nigeria, has once again raised the specter of religious extremism gaining a foothold in Cameroon.

In fact, long before the Christmas Day bombings, Cameroonian political and religious authorities had began to publicly express their fears of a Boko Haram infiltration of Northern Cameroon, and the spread of its extremist, intolerant and violent ideology to cities as far south as Douala, Cameroon’s economic capital (in the Christian South), which has paradoxically been described as “the most important center of Islamic effervescence in Cameroon” (2), and a “fertile ground for the development of proselytism through a subtle process of grassroots Islamization.”( (See When the Periphery becomes the Center: New Islamic Dynamics in Douala-Cameroon by Gilbert L. Taguem Fah).
So what links, if any, exist concretely between Boko Haram and the Cameroonian Muslim community? Are the conditions that gave rise to the sect in Nigeria also present in Cameroon? Can the dominant brand of Islam practiced in Cameroon withstand the influence of Islamic extremism? Or, is Cameroon already fertile ground for the rise of extremist Islamic groups similar to Nigeria’s Boko Haram or the Al-Qaeda Organization in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) which operates in the Sahel countries (Mali, Niger, Mauritania)? To answer these questions, we must start with a quick look at Boko Haram and its ideology

Introducing Boko Haram
The origins of Boko Haram and the conditions that made Northern Nigeria susceptible to this brand of Islam, which is violently opposed to the modern state and its institutions, and seeks to establish an Islamic state governed by Sharia, are well documented elsewhere. According to Nigerian scholar N. D. Danjibo [Islamic Fundamentalism and Sectarian Violence: The “Maitatsine” and “Boko Haram” Crises in Northern Nigeria],

“The ideology and philosophy of the movement can best be understood by explicating the two words- “Boko” and “Haram”. In Hausa language, the word “boko” is an equivocal term which means either “Western” or foreign; while the word “haram” is an Arabic derivative meaning “forbidden”. Piecing the two words together, ‘boko haram’ means to forbid everything Western and Western education. The intent is to replace modern state formation with the traditional Islamic state, because Western values run contrary to Islamic values. Umma Mahammadiya (Muslim faithful) and Dar-ul-Islam (Islamic community) cannot be compromised in the face of Western influence. Evil in the society is as a result of the embrace of Western civilization, and in order to curb such evil an Islamic society must be entrenched by destroying modern state institutions. The philosophy goes hand in hand with the entrenchment of the Shari’a law in the society. This accounts for the reason why police formations and government establishments and properties became the target of destruction by the sect." (7)

A distinguishing – and disturbing - element of Boko Haram’s evolution (at least for neighboring countries, particularly Cameroon), is its identification with the current global Jihadist struggle, manifested in an evolution in its rhetoric, and its links to Al-Queda, al-Shabab in Somalia and AQIM, which announced last year that it would support Boko Haram with weapons and training. This has led to fears of a Boko Haram “infiltration” into Cameroon, or of a Boko Haram-inspired homegrown radical Islamic movement.

Boko Haram’s Cameroon Connection
So what exactly is Boko Haram’s connection to Cameroon at the moment? According to Nigerian security officials, the sect uses Northern Cameroon both as a staging ground for its attacks and as a source for weapons. For example, in February 2011, the police in Borno unearthed a cache of arms (AK 47 rifles, pistols, rocket launchers, RPG Bombs, detonating bomb cables) which had supposedly been smuggled from Cameroon.

And, following the Christmas Day attack, Nigeria declared a State of Emergency in Northern Nigeria, and closed Nigeria’s porous border with Northern Cameroon.

Equally significant, is the fact that many Boko Haram foot soldiers are from Cameroon. According to one report:

"In June this year, the Shehu of Borno State accused aliens from Chad and Cameroon of masterminding of Boko Haram attacks that left several people dead. A month later, 36 nationals including Chadians and Cameroonians were identified among those killed in a gun battle between police and suspected Boko Haram activists. Earlier this month, 43 Cameroonians, suspected of belonging to the group were expelled."

Sheik Ibrahim Mbombo Mubarak, Imam at the Central Mosque in Douala and the President of the Association of Cameroonian Imams, confirms the involvement of Cameroonians in Boko Haram, and recently claimed “that some prominent members of the group, including Mohammad Nour and Mohamed Kahirou are Cameroonians who actually grew up in Douala and have since returned following the ongoing crackdown against the sect in Nigeria.”

The involvement of Cameroonians in Nigerian Muslim fundamentalist groups is not a new phenomenon. The most notable case is that of Al Hadji Mohammed Marwa (also known as "Maitatsine" an Islamic scholar from the Northern Cameroon town of Marwa, who was the founder of the Maitatsine” sect. The sect was behind the Great Kano Massacre of December 1980 which left over 4,000 dead, including Marwa himself. The Maitatsine sect is generally considered the precursor to Boko Haram because of its penchant for violence and murder, and its anti-establishment and anti-Western philosophy (See Islamic Fundamentalism and Sectarian Violence: The “Maitatsine” and “Boko Haram” Crises in Northern Nigeria):

[Marwa] believed that Islam had been corrupted by modernization (Westernization) and the formation of the modern state.

He was opposed to most aspects of modernization and to all Western influence. He decried such technological commonplace as radios, wrist watches, automobiles, motorcycles, and even bicycles. Those who use these things or who read books other than the Qur’an were viewed as hell-bound ‘pagans’.”

Cameroonian Fears of Boko Haram Infiltration

What is most worrying to Cameroonian political and religious authorities, however, is not the fact that some Cameroonian Muslims may be actively involved in the activities of Boko Haram in Nigeria. Their main concern is that Boko Haram members have infiltrated Cameroon’s Muslim community, and are spreading the group’s extremist message within that community and winning converts who may eventually plunge Cameroon into sectarian mayhem similar to Nigeria’s. In February 2010, for example, President Biya expressed his fears to former US ambassador Janet Garvey:

“Biya was concerned about the threat of Islamic extremism.… He was beginning to worry about Islamic extremists infiltrating Cameroon from Nigeria and making inroads through Cameroonian mosques… His concerns about Islamic extremism echoed similar concerns we have been recently picking up in the north and among our moderate Muslim contacts, who worry about dangerous influences both from Nigeria and Iran.”

Marafa Hamidou Yaya, the former Minister of Territorial Administration (Interior) also expressed similar fears in another meeting with the US ambassador:

“Marafa was very concerned about Islamic extremism in Nigeria and Cameroon. There were a lot of desperate people among the Muslim communities in the north and Douala, in particular, and some of them had unexplained money. The GRC didn't have enough means to monitor the situation, he worried.”

These fears have been amplified in recent months by Muslim traditional rulers and clerics such as Alim Garga Hayatou, the Lamido of Garoua, who in August 2011 warned the faithful to guard against “foreign influence”, and urged them to stick to "basic Islam" and steer clear of alien doctrines which have nothing to do with their religion. "We understand our Islam and we don't need those who think they understand this religion better than us," he added.

Still in August, 2011, Sheikh Ibrahim Mbombo Mubarak revealed that Boko Haram already had a foothold in the country:

“I make this claim based on clear indicators. The administration has been served several indices which have confirmed that these people are in Cameroon and are even propagating their doctrine in various chapels and mosques. There are other indicators like CDs which carry their ideology and are being distributed across the national territory.”

Early in December 2011, Bernard Okalia Bilaï, the Senior Divisional Officer for Wouri Division, met with Imams in Douala to discuss strategies to counter the spread of Boko Haram ideology in Cameroon’s economic capital:

“We have been informed of attempts of Boko Haram infiltration. Their doctrine is anti-social as it condemns western education. It’s a doctrine that persuades young graduates to rip their degrees because it’s satanic. It’s a doctrine that condemns what today constitutes the values of our society and top authorities of the country don’t accept that such hateful dogma is established in our communities, and thus the necessity of this meeting. We must be vigilant.”

During a meeting on December 29, 2011 between President Biya and President Idriss Deby of Chad, the main item on the agenda was the question of staving off Boko Haram’s influence in these two countries which share a common border with Northeastern Nigeria.

And most recently, in January 2012, media reports in Cameroon identified the Northern town of Lagdo (southeast of Garoua) as the new base for Boko Haram activities in Cameroon, from where its members go from village to village proselytizing, setting up branches and distributing huge sums of money to those who agree to adhere to their extremist ideology.

So, is the increasing concern and near panic over a potential or even ongoing Boko Haram spillover into Cameroon justified, or is this fear simply overblown? To begin to answer this question, one must first understand the similarities and differences between the type(s) of Islam practiced in Cameroon and Nigeria, the evolution of Islam in Cameroon, along with the receptiveness (or lack thereof) of traditional Cameroonian Islam to Islamic fundamentalist teachings.

killayut:

Your Igbo tribalism when we were under  eastern region deprived  us of  education at that time. The KALABARIS / OKRIKAS AND  BONNY  were lucky since they have attained education already before  the eastern Region era and so were able to use that to penetrate  the   Igbo tribalism. and they were clser to the schools in Igbo land . They were able to go to school all the way from  the coast to the Igbo land were the schools were hyjacked to by the Igbo eastern government rulers,  the section of Ijaw that is now BAYELSA WAS the worse hit, EASTERN REGION GOVERNMENT never developed it and that was why ADAKA BORO started his rebelion, It is that same hate and tribalism you nasty fools have till today that you are vexed with Ijaw development, Too bad you can not derail us now, we have come to realize this tribalism thing and we are now ready to face it . watch out for BAYELSA state in another 10 yrs and weep for your IGBO land.

GBAM! true

After more than 50 years in a land,people should no longer be seen as migrants. The Ijaws of Edo have right just as obua,Ebocha and other clans in Rivers state who migrated from EDO have

The igbo people here claiming parts of Rivers state
the Ijaw nation=d. Eastern Delta
1. Nembe
2. Kalabari
3. Okrika
4. Ibani Bonny

e. Eastern Delta Fringe
1. Nkoro
2. Opobo

These are the Ijaw towns in Rivers state. If you doubt you can go kick rocks

ident Goodluck Jonathan of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is the indisputable winner of the Saturday’s presidential election in Rivers State, scoring a total of 1,817,762 votes out of the total valid votes of 1,854,116 votes.

Jonathan overwhelmingly won in the twenty three local government areas of the state, recording the highest votes in Obio/Akpor local government area, where he scored 370, 000 votes, while the presidential candidates of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, and the Gen. Muhammadu Buhari of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), scored 1, 170, and 3, 470 respectively.

In Asari Toru local government area, where Jonathan pulled 37, 523 votes, the lowest in the 23 councils, Ribadu scored 104, while Buhari scored 71 votes.

The figure, which was announced by the collating officer, Prof. Joseph Ajienka, the VC of the University of Port Harcourt, at the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), also announced that out of the total vote cast of 1875476, there were a total of 1,854116 valid votes. A total of 21, 360 votes were voided or rejected.

According to the total figure released, the ACN pulled a total vote of 16, 383, while CPC pulled 13,182 to emerge second and third respectively.

The state Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Aniedi Ikoiwak, commended the INEC officials, returning officers, and others who participated in making the polls a success.

Reacting on the outcome of the election, the chairman of the Goodluck/Sambo Campaign Organisation, Hon Victor Giadom, said it was a demonstration that the people of the state had spoken of their love for Jonathan and Sambo.

“Rivers people have spoken clearly. If you have a good product, its very easy to sell. Tomorrow will be better. This process has been very transparent, so there wont be any need to go to court. Ninety five per cent of the voters in Rivers voted for the PDP, it’s a mass movement,” he said.

Giadom urged the people of the state to translate the victory at the presidential polls, to victory at the governorship and state assembly polls.

Also speaking, the state agent for PDP, Chief Nyeson Wike, said he was not surprised at the victory, noting that the performance of Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi in the state would enable the people to vote for the party.

“It shows that there are no other party challenging the PDP in Rivers State,” he said, adding that the party was expecting Jonathan to win the majority vote cast, and avoid a run-off.

“We are not afraid of any run-off. We don’t envisage there will be a run-off.”

Wike, who is also the Chief of Staff Government House, said he was also expecting Amaechi to defeat all other candidates in the governorship election.

Rivers state gives President Goodluck Jonathan the highest number of votes to enable him win the 2011 presidential election. 1.8 M votes. we too much

love, love tongue piercing
I am thinking of getting one

They will have their challenges but Gh will be okay. .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HiMzxJVWSDs

Goodluck to Ghana

So Ghana has joined the club of oil producing nations. The taps have been turned on at the offshore Jubilee field.

So what does this mean for Ghana? How will ordinary Ghanaians benefit from this resource windfall?

The first concern that should be addressed is the perception that suddenly the country will become flush with petrodollars. Importantly, expectations must be managed. As those citizens in Nigeria or Angola know, the oil money often doesn't trickle down to the people.

Firstly, Ghanaians have to not think that oil will magically create more jobs, or make people richer. Secondly, civil society has to be tough on government and ensure they constantly monitor how proceeds are being spent.

Also, Ghanaians need to quickly implement legislation to govern the administration of this new industry; hopefully these laws will be passed soon. An independent regulator is also needed to oversee the sector.

Luckily, Ghana has a relatively diversified economy compared to other oil-rich African nations. ­The country earns foreign currency from gold and cocoa. This alone makes it more likely to avoid the mistakes of places like Nigeria, where oil revenue accounts for approximately 92% of the GDP, or Angola, which is just about entirely reliant on oil proceeds.

However, the numbers are staggering. ­The Jubilee fields are some of the richest and largest oil deposits discovered in many years. In the long term, oil production is estimated to bring in $1 billion a year. This is a lot of responsibility, as well as a wonderful gift for Ghana.http://business.blogs.cnn.com/tag/robyn-curnow/

So my questions: Is this oil discovery a blessing or a curse? Can Ghana avoid the mistakes of some other African countries where oil revenue is used to enrich the elites and not the ordinary people?



http://business.blogs.cnn.com/tag/robyn-curnow/

If they like, they should bomb everywhere in Nigeria,it is still Jonathan for president!

If they like, they should bomb everywhere in Nigeria,it is still Jonathan for president!

PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan has formally endorsed Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi as the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State for the 2011 polls.



The President, who said he endorsed all that Amaechi has achieved as a governor, has asked other governorship aspirants in Rivers State biding for the office to drop their ambition till 2015.



Jonathan stated this at the formal declaration of Amaechi to seek another mandate as governor of Rivers State for the next four years in Port Harcourt yesterday.



Represented by his deputy, Namadi Sambo, the President said he was impressed by the remarkable developmental strides of the governor since assumption of office in 2007, hence believes he deserves to continue.



Jonathan, who described the governor as “our man,” said Rivers State people had made a wise choice by first endorsing the governor to seek fresh mandate.



“I have seen primary schools of international standard. I have seen secondary schools of international standard. I have seen power plants of international standard. I have seen mono rail like the ones in Dubia. I have seen roads, I have seen flyovers and I have seen programmes. Now, I know that Rivers people are wise people because what you are telling us is that you have endorsed Amaechi,” he said.



However, the governor told the teeming crowd that gathered at the Liberation Stadium for the formal declaration that his focus for the next four years would be based on his “change agenda”.



Amaechi said he would do everything possible to base his campaign on only issues such as education, poverty reduction, security, healthcare, power and other infrastructural developmental programmes, which his administration has pursued since 2007.



The governor said he welcomes his political opponents who created the security challenges, which the state was subjected to before he came into office, to fix them.



He challenged his political opponents who have all served in the past administrations in the state to present their track records to the people for assessment.



According to him, “let us see who God will make the governor of Rivers State. We are open to debate the past, the present and the future.”



He said the people of Rivers State are tired of their retrogressive past and urged the people to judge all those who are vying for the office of governor on their past performances and ability to walk on the streets of the state after they left office.“



I am ready for the competition and as far as Rivers State government is concerned, we will do everything possible to ensure that election is not only free, but that the people will decide who their governor will be,” he said.



The chairman of the occasion, Tony Anineh, said the leadership of the PDP is firmly behind the candidature of the governor.



To this end, he urged all those aspiring for the position to wait till 2015.

‎'Whoever thinks of stopping our struggle before it achieves its goals is daydreaming.We will not stop until the Ijaw flag flies over all Ijaw towns and villages,The Ijaw national passport becomes our international travel document,The Ijaw currency becomes our legal tender,The Ijaw anthem is sang by our children and all of us.The Ijaw pledge becomes our daily prayer.Insha Allah,God will grant us victory' Dokubo -Asari

;d

Photographs showing a delegation of Rivers State men and women and His Excellency, President Goodluck Jonathan during a visit by Elder Statesmen and women, to Aso Rock Villa to consolidate the Rivers State support for Mr. President's 2011 Presidential Ambition, 17th September, 2010.
LikeUnlike

*
*

Governor Amaechi

gracefull !!! ALL FOR JONATHAN

Mr. President in a warm handshake with Chief Victor Odili (Onwa), The Marine Magnate from Rivers State who was a part of the delegation.

Mr President, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and Governor Amaechi pose with the Traditional Rulers and other distinguished Rivers elders

The confirmation of unalloyed support for President Goodluck's Presidential bid for 2011.

Governor Amaechi pledges his support to an elated President Jonathan.

Ibime is half Ibo and Ijo, Proudly Ibojo.  Na so una want am to call himself?