₦airaland Forum

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Your friend calls you in the middle of the night, crying. She sniffles and barely manages to say, "He did it again. He cheated!" You hold your breath because you aren't sure what to say. You want to say the right thing. However, what comes out may be the the worst thing you can say.

Right now, your friend or loved one is in a crisis. They just found out that their partner cheated. Sure, there are things they want to hear. And you want to say them, because you want to comfort your friend. And you want to let your friend know that you are there for him or her in their misery. But trust me, if you say the wrong thing now, it could come back to bite you later on. And some things you say could be even worse -- you could lose your friendship forever.

Do you want to really help them? Here are the things you should never say to a friend who's been cheated on:

Leave. This is the worst thing that you can say. When someone shares with you that they've been cheated on, they are basically opening up and sharing one of the most vulnerable and defeated moments of their life. It makes sense that you might tell them to leave. But when you first find out that your spouse or partner has cheated, whether it's disclosed or discovered, the last thing you should be doing is making a decision about what you want to do in the long term. In fact, if you want to give better advice to your friend right now, say to them them, "Don't make any decisions right now. Wait until the major feelings blow over."

Tell them this: It's important in this time of crisis to feel safe and to take care of one's health and safety. Find a place to sleep if you can't be in the same bed as your partner and take care of your health by remembering to eat and drink plenty of water. And remember that what you are feeling now is not what you are going to feel a few days or even a few months from now. Now is not the time to make any major decisions about your future. Moving out, breaking up or filing for divorce now may make it even harder later on.

Once a cheater always a cheater. That's just not true. Many affairs happen because of opportunity. And in fact, many relationships can be sound, happy and healthy and affairs still happen. And cheating partners may be very remorseful and willing to do anything they can to repair afterward. What may be more helpful to hear right now is that many relationships are stronger than ever after an affair.

It may not be clear right away if this relationship will make it or not, but if you are really a friend trying to give advice, what gives you the right to tell someone that if their partner cheats, they will always do it again? How do you know?

Men are such pigs. Or the equivalent: Women are such sluts. It's not helpful to classify someone's most important partner as just one of a whole group of unwholesome and awful people. Inferring that one's partner has no integrity, cannot be trusted and, in fact, is a lowly, awful person with no redeeming qualities may feel good in the moment, but if your friend ends up staying with that person, they will never want to look you in the eye again and you may end up not only losing your friend, but creating an enemy.

They should have just left you first. That's easy for you to say. The person being cheated on didn't want to be cheated on. What makes you think it's easier to hear that they should have been dumped instead? How would being broken up with have made their life any better? In fact, they probably don't want their partner to end their marriage or relationship, so you saying that it would have been better to divorce is going to sound like the ultimate insult. It is incredibly patronizing for a friend or loved one to assume that ending a marriage or committed partnership is better than being cheated on. Yes, being cheated on feels awful, but how is being dumped going to feel any better?

You'll meet someone better. Don't try and move your friend onto someone else or something else too soon. They aren't ready and they don't want to be. And no, they shouldn't have a "revenge" affair. Don't take your friend out to meet someone else. Don't encourage them to cheat to "get even." If they do that, then they will just have to get over two affairs: their partner's and their own.

So what do you say when to a friend that's been cheated on? You are allowed to have your own feelings, but let your friend know that they are yours: "I am so mad and upset that this happened to you. It's hard for me to forgive what they did to you right now. I am so upset for you."

Do yourself and them a favor: Be supportive by listening, being empathetic and validating their feelings. This might sound like, "I am so sorry you are going through this. It must feel awful right now. I understand that you are feeling so sad and angry. It sounds like you are feeling terrible. What can I do right now to help? What do you need from me? "

Perhaps the most important way to support a friend after infidelity is to simply let them know, "I love you and I am here for you. (Even if you can't resist throwing in a one-time "...Whether you stay with that cheating s-o-b or not."

Source: http://news.naij.com/33277.html

OX59: The only problem Buhari has is that majority of nigerians do not know what is good for them!

Bro, some nairalanders are not yet born during is days and they will come here and start saying rubbish with there mouth...

Don't mind them... They have been brainwash without prove for there propaganda...

Together we can make Nigeria great. One love!!!

OX59: The only problem Buhari has is that majority of nigerians do not know what is good for them!

Bro, some nairalanders are not yet born during is days and they will come here and start saying rubbish with there mouth...

Don't mind them... They have been brainwash without prove for there propaganda...

Together we can make Nigeria great. One love!!!

Militants, operating in the creeks of Southern Ijaw
Local Government Area, Bayelsa State, have killed
eight persons in Lobia community in a deadly attack
that occurred on Sunday afternoon.
Our correspondent gathered that Judah, the younger
brother to a former militant leader, Mr. Reuben
Wilson, popularly known as Pastor, was among the
victims of the onslaught that happened in the same
community, where 12 policemen were killed on April 5.
It was further gathered that five ex-militants, who
had embraced the Amnesty programme of the
Federal Government under Pastor, were among
persons confirmed dead after the violence.
While sources told our correspondent that the
incident occurred on Saturday night, the Joint Task
Force, code-named Operation Pulo Shield, said it
happened at about 2pm on Sunday.
But it was gathered that the victims were tricked to
their creeks by their attackers, who later shot them
dead and abandoned their corpses along the Lobia 1
waterside.
The killers were said to be the gunmen who killed
the 12 policemen.
While some persons said the victims were killed in
cold blood after they were led to the spot by
messengers of the gunmen, others said they died
after an exchange of gunfire.
Sympathisers were seen clustering the home of
Pastor, who confirmed the development to our
correspondent.
The Media Coordinator, JTF, Lt. Col. Onyema
Nwachukwu, said the incident occurred when two
armed gangs clashed in Lobia 1.
He, however, said unspecified number of people
died in the incident.
He said, "There was an armed collision between two
armed groups at Lobia 1 in Southern Ijaw Local
Government Area, which led to the death of
unspecified number of persons."

Source: mobile.punchng.com/output.php?link=http://www.punchng.com/news/gunmen-kill-eight-in-bayelsa-community/

The crisis over an aircraft owned by the Rivers State
Government deepened on Thursday, as the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
commenced a discreet probe to determine Governor
Rotimi Amaechi's link to the alleged inflation of the
cost of the plane by $10m. The aircraft has been the
subject of a row between the Rivers State
Government and the Nigerian Civil Aviation
Authority.
It was learnt that the anti-graft agency is looking into
the 'high possibility' of alleged money laundering in
relation to the purchase of the aircraft.
A source said on Thursday that while the state
government claimed to have purchased the
Bombardier aircraft with $57m, records available to
the EFCC showed that it may have been bought for
$47m, thereby creating room for suspicion on how
$10m was spent.
It was learnt that the state House of Assembly
approved the purchase of the controversial aircraft
within 24 hours.
It was further gathered that operatives of the EFCC
might also be looking into how two aircraft
purchased by the Rivers State Government under
former Governor Peter Odili were managed.
One of the aircraft was sold to the Cross River State
Government while the other aircraft manufactured
by a Brazilian firm, an air ambulance, was said to
have been phased out.
Investigations further revealed that the company
wrote the Rivers State Government to say it was
longer manufacturing the spare parts of the aircraft
and so it was returned.
A source said the anti-graft agency was probing the
management of the aircraft because rather than just
phasing it out, it should have been traded in for
another aircraft.
It was learnt that a focus of the investigation was to
find out if there was any link whatsoever between
the new aircraft and the aircraft in the area of cost.
Contacted, EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, said
he had not been briefed on the matter.
"I'm not aware of this," he said on the telephone.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority has
said that the aircraft it grounded does not belong to
the state government.
The General Manager, Public Affairs, NCAA, Mr. Fan
Ndubuoke, told our correspondent on Thursday that
the aircraft belonged to a private firm, contrary to
claims by the Rivers State Government that it owned
the controversial plane.
He said, "The document we have does not show
Rivers State Government as the owner of the aircraft.
The registration is saying that the plane is owned by
a company and not Rivers. So it is you people that
will ask Amaechi how he came in contact with the
aircraft. What is his relationship with the owner of
the aircraft? That is his own business and I cannot
answer that question for him.
"From the records we have, we have told you the
owner of the aircraft. So whether it is from his friend
or whoever, is it for me to know? It is not for me to
know. Because from our records there is nowhere
Rivers State Government is stated as the owner of the
aircraft."
He admitted that the aircraft was registered in the
name of Bank of Utah in the United States, stressing
that the governor should tell the public what he
knows about the controversial plane.
Ndubuoke explained that the plane, before it was
grounded, only had approval to move from Accra to
Port Harcourt. He wondered why the crew decided
to fly to other destinations outside the aircraft's
approved routes.
He said, "The clearance for the aircraft was sought
by Caverton Helicopters on March 27. Amaechi did
not seek clearance and the Rivers state government
did not seek clearance.
The route they were given the clearance to fly was
Accra-Port Harcourt-Accra.
"That does not mean it is the only place that they can
fly. But that was the route with which they applied
for the clearance. So if they now want to fly to
Owerri or Akure, they need to reapply for another
clearance. That is just the true matter, nothing more,
nothing less. Their movement to Akure was illegal
because it was not captured in the clearance."
The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency had last
Friday refused to grant approval to the governor's
aircraft to leave Akure airport.
According to NAMA, the development was due to the
failure of the pilot of the plane to submit the
required manifest of passengers on board. The
airspace agency also said it was untrue that the
aircraft was grounded by the airspace manager at
the Akure airport.
The Managing Director, NAMA, Mr. Nnamdi Udoh,
argued that contrary to the politicisation of the
incident, the agency carried out its functions in line
with the global aviation standard.
He was reported as saying, "By regulation, the
manager has no power to clear any aircraft at that
time of the day because Akure Airport operates day
light operations. Approval must be given through the
manager to the tower."
On Saturday, NCAA had declared that the
controversial aircraft operated illegally in the
country.
As a result, the civil aviation authority grounded the
Bombardier-BD 700 Global Express aircraft with
registration number N565RS. It said the plane had an
expired clearance approval effective April 2, 2013.
The Director, Airworthiness Standards, NCAA, Mr.
Benedict Adeyileka, explained that while the aircraft
was still operating illegally, it had been sighted in
several places, including Owerri and Akure.
The NCAA also stated that the grounding of the
aircraft had nothing to do with the President.
Ndubuoke said, "The media always say that
government grounded the aircraft because of issues
with Amaechi. Reports have it that it was because
the President and Amaechi are having problems,
and that that was what may have led to the
grounding of the aircraft.
"But I don't know how the President will come from
Aso Rock and say ground this airplane. In fact, I
don't how that will happen and I wonder why he will
do that in the first place. So what we are trying to say
that it is not true."
Contacted, the governor's Chief Press Secretary, Mr.
David Iyofor, said he would not react to speculations
about the state government's aircraft.
"I have no comment on the issue because I cannot
react to speculations," he stated.
However, the Rivers State Commissioner for
Information and Communications, Mrs. Ibim
Semenitari, in a statement on Friday faulted claims
by the Ministry of Aviation that the aircraft was
flown into Nigeria with forged documents.
The statement reads in part, "No aircraft can fly into
Nigerian airspace illegally and land at various
airports within the country unchallenged. The Rivers
State Government-owned aircraft has been in
operation since October 2012;
"The allegation that a state government would use
the name of Caverton Helicopters to obtain various
clearances is preposterous and embarrassing;
"The claim that the aircraft insured is owned by
Acass Canada Limited of 6700 Cote de Liesse, Suite
206,Montreal, QC H4T 2B5, Canada is a deliberate
distortion of facts. An insurance issued to Acass was
used for entry into service while flying between
Canada and the USA for pre-delivery tests. Rivers
State Government took delivery on 5th October, 2012
and duly insured the aircraft and the certificate of
insurance duly states this. Please note below:
"The Rivers State Government has been flying this
aircraft since October 2012 with this same certificate
and with the knowledge of the Ministry of Aviation.
The ownership of the aircraft is not in question as
we have clearly explained the relationship between
the Rivers State Government and the Bank of Utah.
"This is a verifiable relationship and is common
place in the aviation sector as practitioners and
stakeholders know. The Deed of Trust is proof that
the aircraft is held in trust by the Bank of Utah on
behalf of the Rivers State Government.
"We believe that all administrative procedures
should and must be complied with. However, the
state government is worried at what is beginning to
seem like a witch-hunt of it and related parties that
have conducted business with it. We will continue to
engage with aviation officials and follow through
with all administrative requirements and processes
as is most appropriate."
Also, the Majority Leader in the Rivers State House
Assembly, Mr. Chidi Lloyd, explained on Thursday
that the current administration traded off two
aircraft it met on the ground because they were not
durable.
Lloyd added that the state house of assembly
approved the purchase of the aircraft based on the
durability of the new one.
"When this state government came on board, it met
two aircraft on ground. It also discovered that the
two planes were not durable. Even the
manufacturing company said that particular type
had been phased out.
"The current administration decided to trade off the
two planes and bought a more durable aircraft
currently being used. The aircraft had been on the
ground for almost a year, why is it being talked
about now?" Lloyd wondered.

Source: mobile.punchng.com/output.php?link=http://www.punchng.com/news/private-jet-efcc-probes-amaechi-over-missing-10m/

The three-member Ondo Governorship Election
Petition Tribunal on Friday upheld the declaration of
Governor Olusegun Mimiko as the winner of the
October 2012 governorship election in the state.
The Independent National Electoral Commission had
on October 21, 2012, announced Mimiko as the
winner of the poll, which was widely adjudged as
free, fair and very credible by local and foreign
election observers and monitors.
Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Andovar Kaka'an
dismissed the petitions of Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu of
the Action Congress of Nigeria and Chief Olusola Oke
of the Peoples Democratic Party for lacking in merit.
Kaka'an added that the petitioners and their
witnesses failed to prove beyond reasonable doubts,
allegations of irregularities, violence and non-
compliance with the Electoral Act pleaded in the
suits.
Kaka'an also ruled that the issue of illegal injection
of voter register allegedly carried out by the
Independent National Electoral Commission was a
pre-election matter that should have been challenged
at a high court before the October 20, 2012 election.
He said since INEC had supplied soft copies of the
voter register 30 days before the poll to all parties in
the election, anyone who discovered any form of
irregularity should have approached a high court to
complain.
The panel also dismissed the reports of the expert
witnesses of the petitioners, because apart from the
fact that their submissions were discovered not to be
factual, they confessed during cross-examination
that their services were not at the instance of the
court.
Kaka'an further held that there was no evidence
supplied either by the petitioners or their witnesses
to justify the fact that the 164,072 names allegedly
injected into the 2012 register by INEC was done in
collaboration with the Labour Party, whose
candidate won the poll.
He added that there was no proof to show that either
Mimiko, who won the poll, or his party benefited
from the alleged injection of the register with illegal
voters.
He said the expert witnesses confessed during cross-
examination by counsel to the defendants that they
carried out their assignments for financial
considerations and that their clients needed their
report to substantiate claims in their petitions.
He declared that all the submissions of Akeredolu
and Oke in their petitions and the evidences of their
witnesses were "bundles of primary and secondary
hearsay, which failed woefully to substantiate their
claims.
The panel chairman said the petitioners were
inconsistent and failed to substantiate their
allegations with adequate proofs.
He said, "The petitioners failed woefully to prove
their allegations of crimes allegedly perpetrated
during the poll by the defendants beyond any
reasonable doubts.
"No single witness testified that he or she did not
vote or that the votes were taken away to
unauthorised places after the election while no
police report, which indicated violence during the
election, was tendered by any of the parties.
"The issues relating to the voter register are pre-
election matters which the tribunal has no
jurisdiction to entertain."
The tribunal also carpeted the petitioners for their
failure to extend pleadings to all the polling units in
the state while none of them brought a single voter
card or ballot box to the court to prove their
allegations of non-compliance with the Electoral Act
2010.
He stated that none of the witnesses called by the
petitioners actually witnessed the commission of
crimes during the election by the defendants but
relied substantially on information from their
friends and party members.
He, therefore, dismissed both suits for lacking in
merit and their inability to prove all allegations
raised beyond reasonable doubts.
However, both Akeredolu and Oke had said their
legal teams had been directed to start a fresh process
to appeal the judgment.
Oke said, "The ruling fell short of the expectation of
the Ondo State people and we shall challenge it at the
Court of Appeal.
"The party is not surprised as we had earlier
reported the compromising attitude of this panel,
when it erroneously struck out the name of our party
and vital paragraphs of our petition, which we
challenged at the Appeal Court and our prayers were
upheld.
"We are consulting as a party with our candidate,
Chief Olusola Oke and the national leadership of the
party and our legion of counsel on the next step we
are going to take."
Akeredolu, through a statement by the Publicity
Secretary of the ACN in the state, Mr. Rotimi Agbede,
also expressed his resolve to head for the appellate
court.
He said, "It is rather unfortunate that the trial judges
chose to close their eyes on the overwhelming oral
and documentary evidences presented by the
petitioners even when INEC principally refused to
defend itself at the tribunal.
"The ruling of the tribunal, no doubt, had put the
judiciary on trial in the open court of the people who
relied heavily on the courts to dispense justice
without fair or favour."
But Mimiko said the verdict had confirmed that the
Nigerian judiciary was living up to its role as the
final impartial arbiter in all contentious matters.
He said, "We, as government, are mindful of the
onerous task of meeting the development challenges
of our people; we know that the fostering of
understanding between the government and the
people will engender a more conducive environment
for the deepening of the dividends of good
governance."

Source: mobile.punchng.com/output.php?link=http://www.punchng.com/news/acn-pdp-kick-as-tribunal-upholds-mimikos-victory/

Messi girlfriend was trying to wake Messi up this morning.

In the process, she said, "Messi, Messi, its 8!

Messi Jump up and replied: THEY SCORED AGAIN?

"Girlfriend: NO, its 8am... I mean your training time.



Well, the report reaching me now is that the girl is still in hospital...

A student asks a teacher, "What is LOVE?"

The teacher said, "in order to answer your question, go to the wheat field and choose the biggest wheat and come back. But the rule is: you can go through them only once and cannot turn back to pick."

The student went to the field, go thru first row, he saw one big wheat, but he wonders....may be there is a bigger one later. Then he saw another bigger one. But may be there is an even bigger one waiting for him. Later, when he finished more than half of the wheat field, he start to realize that the wheat is not as big as the previous one he saw, he know he has missed the biggest one, and he regretted. So, he ended up went back to the teacher with empty hand.

The teacher told him, "...this is Love... You keep looking for a better one, but when later you realize, you have already miss the person...."

"What is marriage then?" the student asked.

The teacher said, "in order to answer your question, go to the corn field and choose the biggest corn and come back. But the rule is: you can go through them only once and cannot turn back to pick."

The student went to the corn field, this time he is careful not to repeat the previous mistake, when he reach the middle of the field, he has picked one medium corn that he feel satisfy, and come back to the teacher.

The teacher told him, "This time you bring back a corn.... You look for one that is just nice, and you have faith and believe this is the best one you get.... This is marriage."

What Do You Think?

This tread has been hidden!

Mtsheww!!!

President Goodluck Jonathan on Monday took a look
at the various security challenges facing the country
and returned a verdict: Nigeria is passing through a
trying moment.
"This is quite a trying moment for this country in
terms of security. A number of our police officers
have lost their lives while serving their fatherland.
We have challenges from the South to the North and
from the East to the West. We sleep but some people
will keep awake and these are the security
personnel," he said.
Jonathan spoke at the grand finale of the 2013 Police
Week Celebrations at the Eagle Square, Abuja.
The event, which featured a ceremonial parade by
policemen and the inauguration of police
equipment, including seven helicopters, 10
Armoured Personnel Carriers and 275 patrol vans,
was attended by top government officials and
security experts.
The President, who called for a minute silence in
honour of security agents who have lost their lives in
the process of securing the people, regretted that no
part of the country was spared in the security
challenges.
While condoling with the families of security
personnel who died in the various attacks Jonathan
assured them that the Federal Government would
never abandon them.
He said in his quest to tackle the security challenges
headlong, his vision was to ensure that all the 36
state police commands and that of the Federal
Capital Territory had helicopters for effective
aerial surveillance.
Jonathan said, "The police must be well equipped
and kitted to protect us while on land, water and air.
You can see the helicopters that will be inaugurated
and my commitment is that every state command
must have a helicopter.
"That was why we set up a special fund because the
idea that armed robbers will take over a state and be
operating for hours without any challenge must be
a thing of the past. That is why we must invest in air
power for the Nigeria police."
He promised that his administration would create a
more friendly police force that would be united with
the community through a shared sense of
responsibility and partnership.
This, the President said, was possible if all
stakeholders such as the government, the citizens,
the police leadership, officers and men worked
together for a common purpose.
Jonathan asked all policemen to rise to the current
reality and challenges facing the nation.
While admitting that policing was a challenging
task, he said every policeman and woman must
change with the time, adding that that was the
minimum standard expected of them by Nigerians.
The President also warned policemen to always be
mindful of the rights of innocent Nigerians while
carrying out their assignments.
He said, "I also charge the police, while doing their
work to be mindful of the rights of the ordinary
citizens because rights are very sensitive. While
policing us, you must know that the rights of the
citizens of this country must be protected. In that
regard, we expect maximum discipline from officers
and men of the Nigeria Police."
Jonathan said his presence at the ceremony was in
furtherance of his administration's determination to
reposition the nation's security structure for a more
effective policing.
He said, "The police have a daunting task of
enforcing the laws, keeping the peace and protecting
lives and property which are exceedingly vital for
societal well-being and development.
"It is therefore why every nation expects so much
from its police. For the police to be effective,
government must also provide the police what they
require to work, tools must be provided.
"That is one of the reasons we are here to
inaugurate some of the items and we will continue to
do more. We are today going to inaugurate some
helicopters and vehicles for the use of the police.
"I expect that these facilities will enhance police
capability in prevention of crimes. They shall be
instruments of justice and protection of all men and
women. As they use the equipment, one thing I will
urge the police to do is to maintain them. As a
nation, we are not good at maintaining what we
have."
The President also made a case for training and re-
training in the police force.
"We must emphasise the need to train. For you to
remain gallant and functional in whatever you do
and especially in security tactics, training is
paramount. " he added.
Earlier, the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed
Abubakar, said with the resuscitation of the Police
Week which was last celebrated in 1976, he was
passing a clear message to criminals that the wind
of change was now blowing through the police.
Abubakar said the new police force would display
"team spirit, loyalty, zeal, courage, civility and
renewed commitment" towards confronting
criminals.
He said, "My sense of pride stems from the fact that
with the blessing of the Almighty God and support of
my lieutenants, it is under my stewardship as the
Inspector-General of Police that the concept of
Nigeria Police Week which was last celebrated in
1976, was reintroduced.
"For over 37 years, a veritable instrument and
opportunity to strengthen the bond between the
police and the public was kept on hold, while the gap
between the police and the community kept
widening.
"Mistrust grew and the public and the police started
reacting based on mutual suspicion. All because, the
opportunity for social interaction, the Police Week
Celebrations provided was allowed to fizzle away."
He recalled with nostalgia the times when police
stations were opened for members of the public to
walk in and interact with their policemen and
officers; when police commanders and smartly
dressed policewomen would proudly interact with
the youth community and security stakeholders in
the society; and when the expertise of the Force
would be showcased in form of demonstrations by
versatile police motorcycle riders among others.
He said with the Monday event, the Force leadership
was giving practical meaning to its firm
determination to restore the lost glory of the Force
and re-enact those practices which bind the citizens
to their police and elicit fond memories of the force.
Minister of Police Affairs, Caleb Olubolade, who
described the ceremony as another first in the
present administration's transformation agenda,
said the event provided another opportunity for the
police to reconnect with the people in tackling
security challenges.
Olubolade urged the police to reciprocate the good
gesture of government in providing the equipment
by working hard to tackle the insecurity in the land.
About 17 policemen were honoured at the ceremony
with two of them receiving post-humus awards.
The recipients were rewarded for various activities,
including counter-insurgency efforts, investigation of
high profile murder cases and commanding
ceremonial parades.

Source: mobile.punchng.com/output.php?link=http://www.punchng.com/news/nigeria-passing-through-a-trying-moment-jonathan/

NOBEL laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has urged
politicians to desist from manipulating the judiciary
to prevent a state of anarchy in the country.
Soyinka explained that though the judiciary was
making headway in reforms, there was still the need
to tackle some dark areas in the sector.
The literary giant, who spoke with reporters on
Monday in Port Harcourt, pointed out that such dark
areas had created the political crisis rocking the
state.
Soyinka was in the state to mark the emergence of
Port Harcourt as the 2014 World Book Capital.
Decrying pettiness in governance, the Nobel laureate
urged politicians and those in authority to pay
attention always to issues that affect the people
instead of focusing on inconsequential things.
He said, "The judiciary right now, while it is trying to
reform itself, we recognise that there are still some
dark areas, such areas appear to have created the
political crisis in the state.
"I think pettiness at any level is unbecoming of any
democratic situation. That is all I want to say about
that. I see that I cannot escape all what is going on. I
have also put some questions myself, I mean,
obviously, I am a citizen of this nation. So, I am
affected personally by what is happening at the
opposite end of the nation.
"I am very much concerned about the imbroglio in
which the state (Rivers State) appears to be involved
at the moment and my main comment is for
heaven's sake, whatever happens internally between
parties and so on, please do not debase and do not
manipulate the judiciary.
"That is my appeal to governance at all levels. Please
do not manipulate the judiciary because when you
do, you have chaos, you have total anarchy, you
reduce the nation to a space of complete breakdown
of law and order, which is what this nation had
better avoid."
Soyinka, however, congratulated the government
and people of the state on the emergence of Port
Harcourt as the World Book Capital.
He expressed the need to use knowledge to fight the
forces of retrogression, violent negativist as
represented by members of the Boko Haram sect.

Source: mobile.punchng.com/output.php?link=http://www.punchng.com/news/manipulating-judiciary-will-lead-to-chaos-soyinka/

IN an arrangement that may put a stop to the 2015
ambition of President Goodluck Jonathan, the Senate
Committee on the Review of the Constitution has
recommended non-renewable single six year tenure
for the office of President, Vice-President, governors
and their deputies.
The Senate panel's recommendation also disqualifies
Jonathan and incumbent governors from
benefitting from the new arrangement if the
recommendation becomes law.
The PUNCH learnt on Monday that members of the
committee, who held a three-day working retreat
which ended in Lagos on Sunday, arrived at the
decision after a heated debate.
A National Assembly member who was privy to the
recommendation confided in one of our
correspondents that, "We thought hard before
arriving at this decision. We considered the current
heating up of the polity by those interested in
running for office in 2015.
"We also looked at what normally happens each time
we are about to enter into an election year.
"If the recommendation scales through, none of the
current office holders from the President down will
benefit from it.
"It is couched in such a way that if someone is
elected as Vice-President for instance and he
becomes President for the reason of the removal
from office of the President, either through ill health,
impeachment or death, he can only serve out the
term of the President even if it is just one month.
"He or she, as the case may be, will be ineligible to
present himself for election as President in
subsequent elections; the same applies to the office
of the governor and deputy governor."
The source revealed further that the committee also
recommended autonomy for local government
administrations and if the recommendation scales
through the legislative process, local government
councils will collect their monthly allocations from
the federation account.
"There is a caveat. Only local government councils
with elected council chairmen and properly
constituted councils will receive such payments," the
source added.
There is however fear that the ruling Peoples
Democratic Party and the Presidency will oppose
these recommendations.
Jonathan had in the past expressed his preference
for a seven-year single tenure for elective officers.
This he justified during his first media chat on
assumption of office.
He had said, "The issue is that in Africa, elections
create social unrest and we need to manage this. In a
situation where you elect a governor and that
governor has not sat down, another election is
around the corner.
"Every four years you conduct elections, you create
so much tension in the political environment. As we
are talking, some people are busy holding meetings
for the 2015 elections.
"It creates series of confusion in the political
environment. I am not saying that single tenure,
alone, will bring one hundred per cent stability.
"There is no political system that is one hundred per
cent stable, you must have some tension. That was
why I came up with that."
The President had also on November 17, 2011
empanelled the Justice Alfa Belgore-led committee,
officially designated as Committee to Review
Outstanding Issues from Recent Constitutional
Conferences.
The committee was mandated to identify gaps in the
current constitution and propose amendments as
adopted by previous constitutional conferences.
The committee was, however, limited in scope as it
was only required to making suggestions on issues
adopted by consensus by the previous constitutional
conferences.
The Belgore panel did not delve into the issue of
tenure as earlier proposed by the President.
Public opinion weighed heavily against the item
following fears that the President was interested in
tenure elongation.
When asked to confirm the Senate committee
recommendation, the Clerk of the Senate Committee
on Constitution Review, Mr. Innocent Mebiri, did not
deny the development but said details would be
made available to the Senate at plenary.
"Don't bother yourself, when it gets to the Senate at
plenary, you will know whether it is true or not," he
told one of our correspondents.
The report of the People's Public Sessions conducted
on the constitution by the House of Representatives
indicated that Nigerians massively supported
autonomy for local government councils.
More than 90 per cent of voters in the 360 federal
constituencies where the sessions were held
supported abolition of State/Local Government Joint
Account in order to grant financial independence to
the councils.
But, they opposed a single term of five, six or seven
years for the President, state governors and other
political office holders.
Rather, they voted in support of retaining the present
two terms of four years each.
The public sessions were held on November 10, 2012.
The results of the sessions will be incorporated into
bills on constitution amendment to be passed by the
House.

Source: mobile.punchng.com/output.php?link=http://www.punchng.com/news/senate-proposes-six-year-single-term-for-president-govs/

The cold war between the Federal Government and
Lagos State Government may be the reason why the
latter has stopped the Lagos Safe City Project, a
scheme aimed at providing 10,000 solar-powered
closed circuit cameras all over the metropolis,
Saturday PUNCH has learnt.
This emerged against the backdrop of the increasing
cases of kidnapping in Lagos, a menace that has
defied efforts by the police and other in the state.
While making enquiries about police effort in
tracking kidnappers through the security cameras in
the state, a police source at the State Criminal
Investigation Department told our correspondent
that security cameras had never been used in their
investigations.
"The only time we make use of CCTV cameras is
when our investigation takes us to a hotel or mall
with security cameras. But if it is a crime committed
on a Lagos road, forget it," the source said.
Governor Babatunde Fashola had stated in January
2009 that the 10,000 cameras the state planned to
install were to help to reduce crime in the state.
At a demonstration event, Fashola said the number
of policemen in the state was inadequate
considering the number of people in the state.
He said at the time, "Eighteen million people cannot
be protected and policed by 33,000 people. This is
impossible. No matter how much we try to increase
the number of policemen, we cannot continue to do
the same thing and expect a different result.
"In an information technology-driven world, we
have to be counted as one of those states and
communities which will adopt best practices.
Cameras, sensors, tracking devices are the nerve
centre of these facilities that would assist men and
officers of the police force, fire service among others
to do their duty much more effectively."
The project was to be funded by the Lagos Security
Trust Fund while the cameras were supposed to be
managed remotely through a central security
command unit. Four years after this announcement
was made, the state has not had a taste of those
promises.
Our correspondent contacted the state Commissioner
for Information, Mr. Lateef Ibirogba, on why the
cameras have yet to be installed as the governor
promised.
Ibirogba simply said the matter was out of the hands
of the state government.
He said, "The problem with the issue of security
cameras has nothing to do with the state
government.
"When we were about to embark on their
installation, the Federal Government contacted us
and said we needed to stop. The reason we were
given was that the FG had a scheme in the pipeline,
which involved the installation of security cameras
all over major cities in the country.
"According to the Federal Government, Lagos was
going to be in the first phase of the project. That was
why we stopped our own project.
"But we have since written a letter to the Federal
Government, asking it to tell us those locations where
the cameras will be installed so that when we begin
to install ours, we would not duplicate locations.
That is where we currently stand."
A state government official, who is also familiar with
the issue, said the Federal Government's negative
attitude to it might be political.
"We all know the security cameras issue may remain
buried as far as the Federal Government is
concerned. If you think the Federal Government is
overly concerned about Lagos, a state that is not
controlled by the Peoples Democratic Party, then you
are naïve," the government source said.
Efforts to get the Presidency's reaction did not yield
positive result on Thursday as the Special Adviser to
the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben
Abati, could not be reached on his not pick the calls
made to his telephone line.

Source: mobile.punchng.com/output.php?link=http://www.punchng.com/news/fg-blocks-installation-of-10000-security-cameras-in-lagos/

Fasehun's OPC Threatens To Expel Gani Adams

https://punch.iwayafricanigeri.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Gani-Adams-and-Dr-Frederick-Fasehun-360x225.jpg

A fresh crisis may be brewing in the South-West as Dr. Frederick Fasehun- led faction of the Oodua Peoples Congress on Friday warned Gani Adams, the leader of a breakaway faction of the pan Yoruba group, to desist from making negative remarks against Fasheun or risk expulsion.

Clashes between the two factions in the past had led to deaths in some South-West cities.

Deputy National Coordinator of the Fasheun-led faction, Mr. Ogunmoye Odunayo, who issued the warning at a press conference in Lagos on Friday, said the office of the national coordinator of the OPC which Adams currently occupies could be given to another deserving member of the group.

He said the warning was based on Adams interview in Saturday PUNCH of April 20, 2013.

Odunayo, who claimed that Adams’ comments in the media were meant to whip up undue support, warned the national coordinator to remember the Yoruba culture of honouring elders.

He said, “In recent times, we have read some comments about the establishment and formation of the Oodua Peoples Congress. Gani joined the congress four years after it was formed. We expect him to have used the peace brokered by former Governor Gbenga Daniel of Ogun State to retrace his steps back to the congress.

“Instead, he has continued to use abusive comments against the person of our founder and president who is old enough to be his father. In Yoruba culture, you do not slap your elders. We want to say enough is enough.

“The position of national coordinator or any other office in the OPC are neither permanent nor a family affair. It can be revoked at any time and given to other deserving member of the congress.”

The deputy national coordinator said Adams was never a founding member of OPC, contrary to his claim in the interview.

He noted that Gani Adams formed a breakaway faction of OPC on March 1, 1999 “for reasons best known to him,” a few years after he joined the group.

Odunayo said, “As far back as 1994 in the early days of the OPC founded by Dr. Fredrick Fasehun, Gani Adams was not known to our president or members of the congress.”

Adams, he claimed, came to the limelight in 1998 “after the arrest of Dr. Fredrick Fasheun by the late head of state, Gen. Sani Abacha, during our meeting at Olusoga in Mushin, Lagos State, when he (Gani) contributed to the discussions.”

The deputy coordinator however stated that a former Minister of Health, the late Dr. Beko Ransome-Kuti, was one of the founders of OPC.

On Fasehun’s plan to resuscitate the defunct Unity Party of Nigeria, Odunayo said the OPC founder was simply exercising his “inalienable right like every other Nigerian.”

Reacting on behalf of Gani Adams, his Personal Assistant, Mr. Segun Akanni, described Odunayo as a ‘faceless person’.

He said it was strange that someone who did not know how or when OPC came to be could issue a threat of expulsion against a key founder of the organisation.

He said nine persons, including Adams, Fasehun and others, sat down in the chambers of Opeyemi Bamidele, a former commissioner in Lagos State and currently a member of the House of Representatives, at 110, Palm Avenue, Mushin Lagos, on August 25, 1994 to form the group.

Akanni said, “The person speaking, Ogunoye Odunayo, is a faceless person and there is no place in OPC record where such a name exists. Those who formed OPC were Dr. Fredrick Fasehun, Gani Adams, late Tony Ngurube, late Olumide Adeniji, Silas Alani, Evangelist Kunle Adesokan, late Ibrahim Abobanawo, late Ibrahim Atanda and Mrs. Idowu Adebowale.

“And in the document which Fasehun and Adams signed after the reconciliation of the two leaders in Ogun State Government House in Abeokuta in 2005, the only two people recognised as leaders of OPC are Fredrick Fasehun as founding father and spiritual father and Gani Adams as national coordinator. So, we don’t know anybody as deputy national coordinator. In fact, I am hearing the name for the first time.

“When the battle was tough, where was the busybody called Ogunoye Odunayo? How can such a faceless person threaten to expel a founding figure like Gani Adams from OPC? As far as we are concerned, such a threat from Fasehun’s camp is a non-issue.”

http://www.punchng.com/news/fasehuns-opc-threatens-to-expel-gani-adams/

Boko Haram were paid N500 million ($3.15
million) to free seven French hostages kidnapped
in February, a confidential document from the
Nigerian government available to Reuters states.
The insurgent group kidnapped the French
hostages in Cameroon on February 19 near Wasa
National Park in Northern Cameroon, which
borders North-Eastern Nigeria.
The hostages, a family of seven including four
children, are believed to have been brought into
Borno State after the kidnap. They were released
two months after the kidnap on April 19.
The document, according to Reuters, did not state
who paid the ransom although French and
Cameroonian authorities denied that any ransom
was paid.
The Negotiations
Apart from the money the insurgents were paid,
the document states, Cameroonian authorities also
released some Boko Haram suspects in detention
as part of the deal.
The sect had threatened, in a video released on
YouTube in March, to kill the hostages unless
Nigeria and Cameroon release some of its
members in custody.
The report also states that Abubakar Shekau, the
sect’s leader had asked for N1 billion to free the
hostages but finally accepted half of the money,
after agreeing to the release of his members in
Cameroonian jails as part of the deal.
French President, Francois Hollande, denied that
any ransom was paid when the hostages were
released, same as Cameroonian authorities. No
one has, however, said what got the insurgents to
release the hostages.
Boko Haram is blamed for killings of several
hundreds of people in Northern Nigeria and has
claimed responsibility for several attacks.
Efforts to get the federal government to react to the
report were unsuccessful. The Minister of
Information, Labaran Maku, and his
spokesperson, Joseph Mutah, could not be reached
as their telephone numbers were not reachable on
Friday evening.
The spokespersons to the Nigerian President,
Reuben Abati and Doyin Okupe, did not pick or
return calls to their phone as at press time.
According to Reuters, the report suggests that the
ransom was paid because officials did not want to
endanger the lives of the hostages in a rescue
attempt; after a rescue attempt last year March to
save a Briton and an Italian hostage kidnapped by
another Nigerian sect, Ansaru, led to the death of
the hostages.
A rich Boko Haram
Apart from waging a war against the Nigerian
Government, Christians and Muslims opposed to
his terrorist acts, Boko Haram has also delved into
kidnapping for ransom, largely to finance its
operations.
Apart from kidnapping for ransom, the group also
robs banks in Northern Nigeria to finance its
operations.
PREMIUM TIMES had also exclusively reported
how a security report sent to the Nigerian
Presidency last year showed that Boko Haram got
N40 million from an Algerian terrorist sect as part
of a long term international terrorism
collaboration.

Source: mobile.saharareporters.com/news-page/boko-haram-got-315-million-free-french-hostages-premium-times

Broken TV: k

You are nothing but a product of wasted SPERM and
ENERGY.

Where is my sledge hammer?

You deserve a nail on your bald head...

#i.d.i.o.t#

Step down 2013 Appropriation amendment
DETERMINED to stop the indiscriminate influx
of foreigners into the country, the House of
Representatives Thursday unanimously passed a
motion permitting the construction of perimeter
fence on Nigeria’s borders with neighbouring
countries.
Nevertheless, the lawmakers stepped down debate
on the bill seeking to amend the 2013 Appropriation
Act to authorise the issuance, from the consolidation
revenue fund, the sum of N4, 987,382,196,690 trillion
only.
Of the amount, N388,063,000,000 billion only is for
statutory transfers, N591,764,000.00 billion only is for
debt servicing, N2,418,976,391,494 trillion only is for
recurrent (non-debt) expenditure while the balance
of N1,588,578,805,197 trillion only is contribution to
the development fund for capital expenditure for the
year ending December 31, 2013.
Speaker of the House, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, who
presided over the plenary sitting, ordered the bill to
be stepped down after the Chairman of Committee
on Appropriation, Mr. John Enoh, briefed the House
that the voluminous copy providing details of the
proposed expenditure would be ready next Tuesday.
Prior to that decision, the House had okayed the
construction of parameter fence around the country
following a motion sponsored by Mr. Hassan Saleh.
He argued that there was need to secure the
country’s 3,140 square kilometre-border, running
from Malaville, north of Republic of Benin,
stretching through Kebbi, Sokoto, Katsina, Jigawa,
Yobe and Borno states, down to Mfun in Cross River
State, which has boundary with Cameroun.
Saleh, who incidentally hails from the same
constituency with the Minister of Interior, who is
responsible for securing the borders, Mr. Abba
Moro, had said: “I am concerned that the rising tide
of insecurity bedevilling our country today is a direct
fallout of the porosity of our borders.”
This adds up with “the lack of effective manpower,
inadequate logistics and lack of conducive working
conditions for those charged with the responsibility
of manning our border posts, thereby making them
to either fail in their duties or compromise their
position by allowing all sorts of persons without
proper documentation access into the country
unhindered.”
The House also enjoined the Executive arm to
provide better working conditions and incentives for
those posted to the borders to keep them focused and
committed to their duties and responsibilities.

Source: www.theguardianmobile.com/readNewsItem1.php?nid=12947

The Defence Headquarters
dispatched yesterday a fact-
finding mission to Baga, the
border town 180 kilometres
north of Maiduguri, the Borno
State capital, where 185 peoples
were killed last Friday.
The massacre drew more flaks
from a cross-session of the
society yesterday.
Majority of the dead were
women and children.
In Yobe State yesterday, 25
people died in a battle between
security forces and Boko Haram
insurgents.
The Action Congress of Nigeria
(ACN) described the attacks on
the civilian population as crimes
against humanity, which it said
should attract the attention of the
International Criminal Court
(ICC).
The party said the intervention
of the ICC became necessary
because the Federal Government
has not demonstrated enough
willingness to bring the
masterminds of the killings to
book.
It said the killings in the North,
especially the latest at Baga, fall
within the temporal jurisdiction
of the global court.
In a statement issued in Lagos by
its National Publicity Secretary,
Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party
said far beyond the justifiable
call for a judicial commission of
inquiry into the massacre, the
time has come to hold to account
the leaders under whose watch
these killings are being
perpetrated.
The statement reads: “The
killings in Baga, like previous
ones in the areas where Boko
Haram and the military Joint
Task Force (JTF) have been
engaged in clashes, are
undoubtedly a widespread or
systematic attack against a
civilian population – the
definition of crimes against
humanity, which is one of the
four groups of crimes under the
jurisdiction of the ICC.
“Those engaged in the killings,
including the Boko Haram sect,
cannot and must not get away
with these heinous crimes. The
only reasons that the killing and
maiming of innocent citizens
have continued unabated in
Nigeria is because such killings
in the past, either in Odi, Bayelsa
State, or in Zaki-Biam, Benue
State, under the watch of the then
President Olusegun Obasanjo,
went unpunished.
‘’Enough is enough! Even in
countries at war, innocent
citizens are not being daily
mowed to death either by
insurgents or state forces, as we
are experiencing in Nigeria. It is
clear that the Nigerian
government is either unwilling
or unable to prosecute these
crimes, despite the deceptive
assurances by those at the helm,
hence the ICC must immediately
beam its search-light on the
situation in Nigeria.
‘’While we are aware that the
killings in Odi and Zaki Biam
occurred before July 1, 2002,
when the Rome Statute setting up
the ICC came into force, the
killings in the North, especially at
Baga, fall within the temporal
jurisdiction of the global court.”
The party blamed the Baga
killings on President Goodluck
Jonathan, who it accused of
failing to distinguish between
support for security agencies
battling the insurgents in the
North and the incitement of the
same forces against civilians
who are caught in the crossfire.
It said: “When the President
issued his tactless vituperations
against community leaders, and
by extension hapless civilians,
during his visit to Borno and
Yobe States, we warned that he
was further victimising the
victims of the insurgents’ attack.
That action helped to set the
stage for the mindless massacre
in Baga.
“According to a statement signed
by the Director of Defence
Information Brig-Gen Chris
Olukolade, the military
delegation to Baga is being led by
Maj-Gen Lawrence Ngubani, the
Chief of Training and Operations
(CTOPS) in the DHQ.
The DHQ statement said the
Multi National Joint Task Force
troops on routine patrol in Baga,
Malam Garati Road, had an
encounter with some members
of the Boko Haram at about
7.30pm on April 16.
According to the statement, a
soldier was killed and five others
injured in the confrontation.
It stated that 30 Boko Haram
terrorists died five were arrested
and many escaped with bullet
wounds.
The release also stated that six
civilians were killed and 10
others were injured in the
crossfire.
But some clerics urged the
military to apply the rules of
engagement in tackling
insurgency, with a view to
avoiding civilian casualty.
Allegation insulting, says
Presidency
The Presidency reacted last night
to the allegation that the
President Goodluck Jonathan’s
statement may have sparked the
Baga massacre.
Presidential spokesman Dr.
Reuben Abati said: “Must ACN
play politics with everything?
Reducing the Baga incident to
another opportunity for name-
calling and the politics of blame
and abuse is irresponsible to say
the least. In no manner can
President Goodluck Jonathan be
accused of having incited the
security agencies or the
insurgents against the people of
Bagga during his visit to Yobe
and Borno states. To make such
an allegation is preposterous and
insulting.
“President Jonathan is
committed to the cause of peace
and stability, and he has
remained consistent in this
regard. He is a responsible
leader, a man of peace and a
defender of the people’s causes.
Trying to say what he did not
say, or trying to twist his
statements out of context to
justify their own purposes seems
to be a stock in trade for those
who seem desperate to discredit
the administration at every
score.
“These promoters of the
aphorism that a lie when
reported too often may begin to
sound like the truth, must begin
to realize that they cannot fool
the people all the time. President
Jonathan has ordered an
investigation into the incident in
Bagga and has publicly
condemned it, including clear
assurances that whoever may be
behind the incident will be
sanctioned accordingly, and
where rules of engagement have
been violated, appropriate cause
of action will be taken. He has
also ordered the deployment of
relief materials to the area, and
directed immediate
collaboration between Federal
agencies and the Borno state
government.
“It is further amazing that Lai
Mohammed has not heard of the
Multinational Joint Task Force
that was set up under the
auspices of the Lake Chad Basin
Commission to ensure security
along the joint borders, involving
Nigeria, Niger, Chad, and
Cameroon. He could simply have
done a little research to know
this. Having failed to do so, I
recommend that simple exercise
to him now and always, as a
reality check before he makes his
usual wild and incorrect
allegations.”

Source: thenationonlineng.net/new/news/acn-activists-jonathan-should-face-criminal-court/

The Northern Governors' Forum on Thursday
lamented the effect of the Boko Haram insurgency
on the North and pleaded with members of the
violent Islamic sect to accept the planned amnesty
for them by the Federal Government.
The Chairman of the forum and Niger State
Governor, Dr. Babangida Aliyu, stated this while
receiving the report of the forum's Committee on
Reconciliation, Healing and Security, in Abuja on
Thursday.
Aliyu, who said the activities of the insurgents had
led to destruction of many lives and property, also
advised the Federal Government to complement the
resolve of the forum by taking into account, the
findings and recommendations of its committee.
"Members of the insurgent group are called upon for
immediate ceasefire; accept the offer made by the
Federal Government and come forward for dialogue
and eventual submission of arms," the governor
said.
Boko Haram Leader, Abubakar Shekau had 0n April
10, said the sect members did not need anmesty
because they believed they had done nothing wrong.
He stated that it was the Federal Government that
needed pardon by the group whose activities in the
past few years had led to the loss of at least 3,000
lives and property worth millions of naira in parts of
the North.
"Surprisingly, the Nigerian government is talking
about granting us amnesty. What wrong have we
done? On the contrary, it is we that should grant you
(a) pardon," Agence France Presse had quoted him
as saying in Hausa language.
But Aliyu, who said the governors were determined
to ensure that the amnesty succeeded, explained
that "the formation of the Reconciliation, Healing
and Security Committee was as a result of recurring
incidence of violence and wanton destruction of
lives and property which crippled the economy of
Northern states and paralysed socio-political
activities of the region."
He therefore urged "the Federal Government to
operationalise and streamline critical components
of the (proposed) amnesty in line with conclusions of
this committee (Northern governors' committee)
towards successful and sustainable achievement of
the noble objectives of the peace process.
"This will no doubt go a long way in evolving a
robust framework for peace building and
enforcement, wealth creation, and economic
regeneration in providing practicable solutions to
the security challenges."
The chairman said it was time Northerners began to
see themselves as one because they were treated as
such in other parts of the country irrespective of
their ethno-religious backgrounds.
He also decried what he called an increase in the
fraud associated with fuel subsidy payments which,
according to him, was now a case of outright
stealing with nobody asking questions.
The forum's chairman noted that the masses
believed that governors were doing nothing over the
development.
He said, "Today, we were asking a question when
reports of issues came ( at the National Economic
Council meeting); we were asking: 'how many of you
people have gone to the filling stations and bought
fuel at subsidised rates?' Very few, where is the
subsidy going?
"There were some people discovered to have lied
and collected money in the name of subsidy. Where
are they? Today, we are told that there is more
thievery in our oil sector than before.
"The illegal bunkering and the stealing of oil are
affecting what comes to the federation account. Why
because, if you catch one thief and you do not punish
him, an honest man will think that it is better to
become a thief than to be honest. We must as
individuals, as parents and administrators, stop
these things. We must punish those who have been
caught."
Giving a background of the formation of the
Northern Governors' Forum Committee on
Reconciliation, Healing and Security, Aliyu said, "You
may wish to recall that concerned about the
destruction, killings and instability in the northern
states, and in response to these challenges, the
committee was set up on July 26 , 2012 and
inaugurated on August 22 in Abuja."
Aliyu said the first step towards peace process
begins at the family level through proper
upbringing of children and adherence to moral
obligations.
He added that the governors would soon meet in
Kaduna to study the recommendations contained in
the report with a view to implementing them.
In his remarks, Bauchi State Governor, Isa Yuguda,
said, "We have investigated enough, we have killed
our people enough, the entire northern Nigeria is
filled with our own blood, that of our wives, our
parents and our grandparents without reason.
"We must appreciate that in the Nigerian nation, we
are talking about 400 tribes and only 20 are from the
South . The remaining are in northern Nigeria. I
have about 50 tribes in Bauchi.
He said Islam got to Southern Nigeria first before it
came to the north and pointed out that Muslims in
the South were living in peace with Christians.
"Why are they not killing themselves? he queried,
saying there is a lesson those in the north must learn
from the South.
Governor Ibrahim Shema of Katsina State said, "The
north is a sleeping giant. It has potential in terms of
human and material resources. Its eminent sons and
daughters have performed credibly well in the
affairs of this nation for decades. There is no excuse
for the north to keep hurting itself."
Earlier, Chairman of the Committee, Ambassador
Zakari Ibrahim, observed that the insecurity in the
north had dire consequences for the corporate
existence of Nigeria.
He recalled that the committee submitted its interim
report on February 14, 2013 and requested an
extension of time to enable it to complete its
assignment.
Zakari said, "The north has suffered very serious
economic, social and psychological devastation with
relationships among the people severely fractured.
Specifically, the underlying sources of insecurity in
the northern states are deeply rooted in the
following:
o Economic inequality and narrowing opportunities,
conflicts and unhealthy competition among ethnic
and religious identities , ownership and access to
resources (land and territory), unequal access to
political power among groups and the feeling of lack
of respect; and
o Appointments into traditional headship positions,
the deterioration in personal and inter-group
relationships, poverty, illiteracy and ignorance,
widespread impunity, injustice and disregard for
the rule of law."
Zakari said those factors were surmountable if
serious consideration was given to some of the
recommendations in the committee's report.
He added, "Your excellencies, the people of the north
are tired of having committees formed every time a
crisis erupts, while the recommendations of reports
of the committees are hardly implemented.
"It is the collective view of the committee members
that the north must get its act together. For too long,
it has been seen by the rest of the country as lagging
behind despite its huge human and natural
resources."

Source: mobile.punchng.com/output.php?link=http://www.punchng.com/news/northern-govs-beg-boko-haram-to-accept-amnesty/

Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State has
described as a "media creation" the purported rift
between him and President Goodluck Jonathan.
"I am not aware that Mr. President and I are
quarrelling. As far as I am concerned, we are not
quarrelling", Amaechi told reporters on Thursday in
Kano State.
The governor stated this even as he said the planned
election into the Nigerian Governors' Forum was not
a do-or-die.
Amaechi was in the ancient city on the invitation of
his Kano State counterpart, Rabiu Kwankwaso.
Amaechi, the NGF chairman said, "Governor
Kwankwaso invited me to Kano to come and inspect
some of the projects on the ground, and that is why I
am here."
On the forthcoming NGF election, Amaechi said it
was not a do-or-die thing, as he would bow out if not
given the chance to continue in that capacity.
He added, "If I am not re-elected as the Chairman of
the Governors' Forum, there is nothing to lose, I will
still remain a member of the forum, and work
towards its success."
Concerning his posters for the 2015 presidential race,
which had appeared in some cities, Amaechi said,
"My picture with that of Kano governor as well as
Jigawa governor, Sule Lamido; will I be vice-
president to both of them?"
Meanwhile, civil rights groups, Africa Network for
Environment and Economic Justice and the Ogoni
Solidarity Forum on Thursday in Abuja urged
President Goodluck Jonathan to stop muzzling the
opposition.
According to them, there is a "gradual attempt to
muzzle opposition and human right groups".
Instead, they asked the Federal Government to learn
to tolerate opposing voices since constructive
criticism remained the hallmark of democracy.
The Executive Director of ANEEJ, Rev. David Ugolor,
and the National Coordinator of OSF, Mr. Celestine
Akpobori, at a joint briefing, also pleaded with the
judiciary to redeem its image by maintaining its
independence and integrity.

Source: mobile.punchng.com/output.php?link=http://www.punchng.com/news/i-have-no-quarrel-with-jonathan-amaechi/

Chaiiiii.....

Nairaland is in trouble the day Tonto Dike go do her wedding!

Fayemi weeps as Olayinka’s body arrives Ekiti

https://punch.iwayafricanigeri.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Olayinka-360x239.jpg

The body of the Deputy Governor of Ekiti State, Mrs. Funmi Olayinka, arrived in Ado Ekiti on Wednesday as her final rite of passage began.

Governor Kayode Fayemi, who received her corpse at the Governor’s Office, initially broke down in tears before summoning courage to eulogise the deceased.

Olayinka died of breast cancer in Lagos on April 6 at the age of 52.

The body, brought to Akure Airport aboard an Aero aircraft, was received by a delegation led by the governor’s wife, Mrs. Bisi Fayemi, and Senator Babafemi Ojudu.

The deceased daughters, Ololade, Olamide and Yeside, who were dressed in blue lace, yellow headgears and dark sun glasses, accompanied the corpse.

The casket, draped in Nigeria Flag was later taken to Ado Ekiti in a wine colour hearse accompanied by a convoy of vehicles and sympathisers.

Police outriders and Okada riders led the convoy which stopped at the secretariat of the Action Congress of Nigeria along Ajilosun Road where party executives, led by Chief Jide Awe, paid their last respect to the banker-turned politician.

The convoy later proceeded to the Governor’s Office.

At the Governor’s Office, Fayemi, who tried in vain to stop weeping, received the body of his deputy even as some others present broke down in tears.

Fayemi said, “We thank God for the arrival of our Princess, who sacrificed herself for the service of the people. On behalf of good people of Ekiti State, we cannot thank her enough. She lived a short and eventful life. We thank God for given her to us; we also thank God for taking her to the world where there would be no more worries.”


http://www.punchng.com/news/fayemi-weeps-as-olayinkas-body-arrives-ekiti/

Click like if you believe NGIGE(ACN) will win...

@OP,

Please try and first solve your own problem which is grammatical error.

What do you mean by PRECIDENT?

@MOD...

Who are this people fighting?

Somebody should please get me my sledge hammer.

I need to crack there head for a BRAIN transplant.

If you really wan to fight, i beg commot here and move argument to any nearest railway line...

#idiots#

There was public outrage on Tuesday over the
massacre of no fewer than 185 people during a clash
on Saturday between the militant Islamic sect, Boko
Haram and the Multinational Joint Task Force in
Baga, Borno State.
The condemnation came from the National
Assembly, the Northern Elders Forum, the Action
Congress of Nigeria, the Congress for Progressive
Change and Spain.
While members of the Senate decided after
hearing a motion on the clash to probe the
killings, lawmakers in the House called for a
judicial commission of inquiry.
In Kaduna, the Northern Elders Forum, after its
meeting with the Arewa Consultative Forum, feared
that the massacre could threaten the planned
amnesty for Boko Haram members.
Immediately after hearing a motion by Maina
Lawan, President of the Senate, David Mark,
directed the Committees on Defence, Police and
National Security and Intelligence to probe the
allegations that most of the victims were civilians.
The committees are to report back in two weeks.
Mark did not allow the motion to be debated on the
grounds of security implications and the sensitive
nature of the matter.
He said, "There are standard rules of engagement
and that do not include mass and extrajudicial
killings. The level of death is just too high and we
cannot accept that."
Maina had in his motion, said that Baga which is his
hometown, was in ruins following the onslaught.
He said, "My hometown of Baga is today in ruins,
with 180 to 200 human lives lost and numerous
others unaccounted for. About 2000 homes, 62 cars
and 284 motorcycles and tons and tons of foodstuff
were also destroyed.
"At this stage, I do not want to immerse myself in the
blame game of whether it is the multinational task
force or not. The task force or the insurgents
carried out the atrocities that bear the hallmark of
the Odi massacre.
"Whoever did it, that level of atrocity is
condemnable and is hereby condemned. I call for a
full scale investigation to unearth the truth as this
has become a recurring decimal in all such past
instances in Borno State."
Lawan told journalists after plenary that there was
no contesting the fact that the insurgents attacked
members of the task force.
"It is true that the insurgents provoked the event.
One soldier was shot, but the military went back and
came back reinforced and Baga was levelled," the
lawmaker said.
He said the killing of innocent people over the
action of a few miscreants was unfair.
In the House, members passed a resolution asking
President Goodluck Jonathan to set up a commission
of inquiry to investigate the clash.
A lawmaker from Borno State, Mr. Mohammed
Mungono, told the House that about 195 civilians and
one soldier were killed in the incident.
He informed his colleagues that trouble started
when Boko Haram members attacked the soldiers
and then infiltrated civilian population.
According to him, in an attempt to retaliate, the
soldiers fired in whatever direction the attackers ran
to, killing non-sect members in the process.
He noted that while the soldiers were in Borno State
to provide security, the aim could be defeated if they
were "not professional" in the manner they
conducted their operations.
The lawmakers then observed a minute's silence in
honour of the dead and adopted the prayers of
Mungono, calling for a judicial commission to
investigate the killings.
But, there was a mild drama when another prayer
asking the House to send a delegation to
commiserate with the families of the victims, elicited
murmurs of rejection from members.
Speaker Aminu Tambuwal had suggested that the
Deputy House Leader, Mr. Leo Ogor, would lead the
delegation.
In Kaduna, the Northern Elders Forum which like
the House members called for a commission of
inquiry instead of probe as promised by President
Goodluck Jonathan, said the killings were highly
uncalled for.
Its spokesman, Prof. Ango Abdullahi, said the latest
onslaught cast doubt on the planned amnesty for
members of Boko Haram.
According to him, an allegation that a soldier was
killed could not have warranted the Army to wipe
out an entire community.
He said,"We advised against it much earlier than
now. The fact that the President is saying there
should be a probe means he is not saying more than
he had said before.There have been so many
people who were mercilessly killed in their sleep
and their houses ransacked in the name of
searching for Boko Haram members.
"This certainly is not the way an operation like this
should be conducted. That is why we believe the
President need not order a probe. We need a
judicial commission of inquiry to unravel what has
happened in Baga. The commission of inquiry
should have expanded terms of reference for people
to come before it to raise issues that have been
happening in Borno and Yobe states."
Abdullahi said the National Executive Committee of
the ACF and NEF to deliberate on the state of the
nation.
He said, "We elders of the North came to ACF to
exchange ideas and views on the state of the nation
generally and the state of the north in particular.
Most of these soldiers that are posted to these areas
(Yobe and Borno states) are not only raw as soldiers,
but they are coming from totally different
backgrounds. ACF Publicity Secretary, Anthony
Sani, said the forum would meet today
(Wednesday) over the Baga killings.
The Commander of the MNJTF, Brig.- Gen. Austin
Edokpaye, has however claimed that only six
civilians were killed and not the 185 widely reported
by the media on Monday.
Edokpaye, in a three-paragraph statement he sent
to journalists in Maiduguri, also said that 30 thatch
houses were burnt as against 2,000 which Baga
residents told Borno State Governor, Kashim
Shettima, when he visited the community.
Edokpaye said the troops killed 30 Boko Haram
gunmen and arrested five others. According to him,
a soldier died and five others sustained injuries.
He said "Contrary to media speculation that
hundreds of houses were burnt, instead, it was the
explosion from Boko Haram terrorists'rocket
propelled grenade bombs, anti -aircraft guns and
sophisticated IED materials that triggered fire to
about 30 thatch houses in the predominantly fishing
community."
He also said that three rocket propelled grenade
launchers, two rocket propelled grenade bombs; four
AK 47 rifles, 435 assorted ammunitions, seven
quantities of IED material, and three Toyota Land
Cruisers, were recovered from the sect members.
The Borno State Government said on Tuesday that
'over 100 people' were killed.
In Lagos, the ACN criticised the Federal
Government's handling of the killings, calling it slow
and disrespectful to the sanctity of human lives
The party, in a statement by its National Publicity
Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said the security
agencies must respect the relevant rules of
engagement in their onslaught against the sect.
This, it added, was necessary in order to spare the
lives and property of innocent civilians.
The party said it hoped that the probe ordered into
the tragedy by President Goodluck Jonathan would
not be another window dressing.
Also, the CPC said it was outraged by what it called
the wanton destruction of lives and property in
Baga.
Its National Publicity Secretary, Rotimi Fashakin,
noted in a statement that the attendant ecological
disruption and huge humanitarian calamity had
attracted so much attention.
But Spain condemned the clash and expressed
worry about weapons used by the group to fight
soldiers.
A statement made available by its Embassy in
Abuja, reads, "Spain expresses its serious concern
on the use on this occasion of heavy artillery which
indicates a qualitative increase in the escalation of
tension on the part of the insurgents causing at the
time more damage and pain among the population.
"Spain expresses its solidarity and support to the
victims and their families and hopes that those
responsible for these terrorist attacks are brought to
justice according to the law.
"In the same vein Spain supports the Nigerian
government in its flight against the terrorist
challenge and maintains its commitment to the flight
against any form of terrorism."
Meanwhile, the National Human Rights Commission
has said that it will discuss the Baga killings on
Thursday and Friday.
The killings, it said, would be among activities and
events its board would review.
The two-day meeting will be attended by the 12
members of the board which has the Executive
Secretary of the Commission, Prof. Bem Angwe, as
secretary.
Confirming the meeting , the NHRC Board Chairman,
Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, said, " It is true we are meeting
on Thursday and Friday. We will come up with a
position on that day".

Source: mobile.punchng.com/output.php?link=http://www.punchng.com/news/outrage-over-baga-borno-state-massacre/

This is the simple definition of INJUSTICE...

Barca Fans, HOW MARKET?

Margaret Hilda Thatcher, the first female British
Prime Minister was born on October 13, 1925, at
Grantham to Alfred and Beatrice Roberts. She
married Denis Thatcher in 1951 and they had two
children, twins Mark and Carol.Her father was a
local businessman and grocery store owner. Her
father served as both alderman and Mayor of
Grantham. Margaret Thatcher attended Oxford
University where she graduated with a degree in
Chemistry. While attending Oxford she served as
president of the Oxford University Conservative
Association. After graduating in 1947 she got a job
working as a chemist. After running for the
parliamentary seat in Dartford twice, losing both
times, she then went back to Oxford and earned her
law degree in 1953 to better prepare her for a career
in public life. In 1959 Thatcher won a seat on the
House of Commons representing Finchley. She
served there in same manner for 30 years. In 1970
Margaret was appointed to the position of Education
Secretary. While Secretary of Education she ended a
free milk program in the schools and was known for
a time as “Thatcher, the milk snatcher”.
Her position in the Conservative Party continued to
rise over the next few years. In 1975 when the
Conservative Party lost the majority position, she
took over the leadership of the party, becoming the
first woman to become Leader of the
Opposition. Thatcher became Prime Minister on
May 4, 1979, a position she held for over 10 years.
Under Thatcher’s term, British armed forces took
back the Falklands on June 14, 1982 from Argentina
which had invaded the Falkland Islands on April 2,
1982. She played an important role in the Cold War.
Aligning with President Ronald Reagan of the US,
who held a very hard line against communism and
worked with Mikhail Gorbachev to end the Cold
War. She was nicknamed “The Iron Lady” from
Soviet Captain Yuri Gavrilov in response to her
strong opposition to communism.
Margaret Thatcher was a controversial figure of
conservative ideology during her time in office. It is
recalled that during the general crisis and
depression of the 1930s, John Keynes had
emphasised the need for the state to intervene in the
economy through appropriate fiscal and monetary
policies to ensure stability and provide welfare. The
application of the Keynesian programme led to the
post-World War II boom with its prolonged period of
full employment. But its large government became
too difficult to finance, and its bureaucracy too large
to control. The state’s inefficiency was linked to a
claim that it had succumbed to workers’ interest
through social expenditure.
The stagflation of the 1970s and the unemployment
of the 1980s finally ended the reign of Keynesian
economics. Thatcher’s government intervened in the
economy to create a free market by lowering taxes,
privatizing state industries and increasing restraints
on trade unionism. She stood her ground in a major
face off with miners. As many as 200,000 miners lost
their jobs while mining communities were destroyed
as pits that were still economically viable were shut
down. At first things did not go well. Unemployment
skyrocketed and crime went up. There were riots
against the Poll Tax, a regressive taxation that hit the
poor the hardest. But after a few years the economy
began to improve, witnessing the rise of the financial
banks. Her policies are believed to have provided
the foundation for the economic crisis that gripped
the world since 2008. Thatcher never had faith in
society. She claimed it didn’t exist. Her belief in the
individual led to selling off council homes and
refusing to build new ones, leading to record waiting
lists for social housing and homelessness. On
October 12, 1984 a bomb went off at the Brighton
Hotel where Thatcher was staying. But she was not
hurt.
Thatcher’s economic policies, Thatcherism, were
transmitted through World Bank and the
International Monetary Fund (IMF). Her policies
also affected Africa negatively. Africa’s economic
crisis was ascribed to the expansion of the
interventionist state and public expenditures,
worsened by the falling prices of primary
commodities, low workers’ productivity, high wages
and low savings. The IMF and the World Bank
therefore promoted a Structural Adjustment
Programme (SAP) to withdraw the government from
the economy through cuts in subsidies on social
services, across-the-board privatisation and
commercialisation of public enterprises, and
currency devaluation.
These measures adversely affected the living
conditions of workers, the urban and rural poor,
causing upheavals in the process.
Indeed, in the face of this resistance, the World Bank
and the IMF encouraged African leaders to become
tougher with civil servants and other actors who are
undermining public policies, thereby directly
promoting authoritarianism. Thatcher never
supported the anti-Apartheid struggle in South Africa
and she branded Nelson Mandela a terrorist.
On November 28, 1990 Thatcher resigned from office
under pressure from the conservatives that her
policies on taxes were going to hurt them in the
coming elections. She passed away on April 8, 2013
at the ripe age of 87 years after suffering a stroke in
a London hotel.

Source: tribune.com.ng/news2013/index.php/en/editorial/item/10150-the-exit-of-margaret-thatcher

Corruption level in Nigeria exaggerated - Jonathan •Issues certificates to PHCN successor companies

IN an apparent reaction to the excitement of opposition over a reported United States (US) Congress report, which reportedly confirmed mass corruption at all levels of government in Nigeria, President Goodluck Jonathan, on Monday, assured that such claims of corruption in the country were over-amplified.

The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) had, in a statement at the weekend, observed that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the government it controlled were at the centre as a “cesspool of corruption,” following the report submitted to the US Congress by Secretary of State, John Kerry.

However, speaking at the Presidential Power Reform Transaction signing ceremony at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Jonathan pointed out that the way government business was conducted in the country had led to a reduction in corruption in the country.

Jonathan was presiding over the handing over of payment certificates to bidders who had successfully paid down the first (25 per cent) instalment of the purchase for five of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) successor generating companies (GENCOs).

He also gave out payment certificates to the bidders that had successfully paid down the first (25 per cent) instalment of the purchase for 10 of the PHCN successor distribution companies (DISCOs).

Citing fertiliser distribution and the power sector, President Jonathan noted that government had since cleaned them up through various transparent initiatives that had been attested to by the private sector and, therefore, pleaded with all Nigerians to see the country as their own.

The president said the signing ceremony underscored the commitment of his administration to transparency, its renewed emphasis on inclusiveness in core transactions and sustenance of the current tempo of transformation in the power sector.

Jonathan noted that the signing signalled a major step forward in the implementation of power sector roadmap, while commending all private sector players for their commitment to and confidence in the Nigerian economy.

“What we have done so far and will continue to do is to set the rules of the game and act as a responsible facilitator and regulator,” he stressed.

Jonathan assured that “this government cares about you and will not rest until you can sleep well at night without the irritating noise of generators.”

In his remarks, Minister of Power, Professor Chinedu Nebo, said the government was expecting to add additional generation capacity of about 2,200 megawatts from the National Integrated Power Projects (NIPP) before the end of 2013.

He said the Federal Government was also investing to boost generation through the large, medium and small hydros, with total capacity of over 4,234 megawatts, which include Zungeru, 700mw; Mabilla, 3,050mw; Gurara 2, 360mw; Itsi, 40mw and Small Hydro Power, 84mw.

Nebo added that a total capital outlay of $3.4 billion was required up to 2016 to bring the country’s transmission grid to evacuate the generated power, noting that government was working out the funding of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) long term expansion plan.

In her speech, the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke, said the event was yet another milestone, not only in the act of executing agreements, but also a testimony to the holistic approach the administration had taken in solving in a sustainable manner, gas supply and development in Nigeria.

http://tribune.com.ng/news2013/index.php/en/component/k2/item/10173-corruption-level-in-nigeria-exaggerated-jonathan-issues-certificates-to-phcn-successor-companies

Buhari, Tinubu to PDP: Pack and Go

https://thenationonlineng.net/new/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/PIC2-660x330.jpg

For the umpteenth time, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday got the red card from the opposition camp.
Gen. Muhammadu Buhari of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) National Leader Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu told the PDP to be ready to quit in 2015.

The duo spoke in Lagos at the public presentation of a book “Witness to history: Action Congress of Nigeria and its struggle for democracy, liberty and justice”.

The 642-page book, written by ACN National Publicity Secretary Alhaji Lai Mohammed, was unveiled at the Civic Centre, Ozumba Mbadiwe, Victoria Island, Lagos.

The event was chaired by Niger State Governor Babangida Aliyu.

The opposition leaders reiterated their determination for change in 2015. They urged Nigerians to support the push for power shift to the progressives by the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Gen. Buhari, the CPC leader and former military Head of State, spoke on the need to consolidate the merger of the like-minded opposition parties before stepping up the mobilisation of the various constituencies for political action.

Tinubu charged Nigerians to get set for the future electoral contests, adding that “PDP should go in 2015”.

Seasoned poet, Odia Ofeimun, who reviewed the book, praised the author for his courage and sense of duty. He said: “This is not a review, but a statement; a compendium of the publicity output of the party’s spokesman challenging the business-as-usual approach of those in power at the centre. The book is the defender of the public memory of the political situation in the country”.

Dignitaries at the ceremony included: host governor Mr. Babatunde Fashola former Lagos State Governor Lateef Jakande, his wife, Alhaja Abimbola, ACN National Chairman Chief Bisi Akande, Aremo Olusegun Osoba, Otunba Niyi Adebayo and wife, Angela, former Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, former Lagos State Deputy Governor Sarah Sosan, Gen. Alani Akinrinade (rtd), Dr. Amos Akingba, Chief Tom Ikimi, Senators James Kolawole, Olabiyi Durojaye, Chris Ngige, Olufemi Lanlehin, Oluremi Tinubu, Babafemi Ojudu, Gbenga Obadara, Ayo Adeseun, Sola Adeyeye, Ganiyu Solomon, Olorunnimbe Mamora and Prof. Adebayo Williams, and Prof. Ropo Sekoni.

Also at the ceremony were the Lagos State House of Assembly Speaker, Adeyemi Ikuforiji, his deputy, Kolawole Taiwo, Secretary to Lagos State Government Dr. Oluranti Adebule, Olawale Osun, Oba Olatunji Hamzat, Otunba Busura Alebiosu, Mr. Olorunfunmi Basorun, Prince Tajudeen Olusi, Otunba Dele Ajomale, Chief Rasak Okoya, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, Mr. Ayo Opadokun, Prof. Idowu Sobowale, Cardinal James Odunmbaku, Alhaji Ganiyu Badmus, Mrs. Wonuola Folami, Yemi Cardoso, Chief Sam Bolarinde, Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Ade Ipaye, who was the Master of Ceremony and Mohammed’s wife, Kudira Adeoti.

Urging the progressives to remain committed to change, Buhari said: “Let us agree to come together and give an alternative to Nigeria. We should consummate this merger and mobilise our constituencies.”

The CPC leader noted that Nigerians were eagerly awaiting the conclusion of the merger in readiness for the next elections, stressing that “nobody will want to rig because it will not pay.” Buhari commended the ACN for its successful convention in Lagos, assuring that the CPC and the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) will follow suit in Abuja and Zamfara State respectively on May 11.

Hailing the author, Buhari, who wrote the foreward to the book, applauded his single mindedness, intellectual capacity, hardwork, consistency and courage, adding that every school library in the country should have the book on its shelve.
Tinubu observed that the presentation of the book was timely, coming after the last convention of the APC, which has heralded its merger into the APC. Noting that the APC has a permanent place in history, the former Lagos State governor said: “Democracy, justice and liberty may move slowly, but when they gain momentum, nobody can stop them. That is why I talked about positive storm.

“With the APC, we will form a bigger party that will accomplish bigger things for Nigeria. This is a bigger project with an agenda for change. That was why ACN has made a sacrifice for the greater good. We should not call ourselves the opposition again. We are the progressives and government-in-waiting. Those in power only believe in what good governance oppose.

“We have witnessed their empty history. Let them be a witness for our fruitful one. The US State Department has been decrying their impunity and corruption. The presidential aides are blind people embellishing facts. They attack the messengers, rather than heeding the message. We do not oppose for the sake of it. We stand for democracy, fairness, justice, harmony, unity, the eradication of corruption. We oppose indifference to bad governance, unemployment and insecurity.

“Our overriding vision is to gain power at the centre for progressive change. The storm is here. That storm is a positive storm. APC is the storm that will sweep them away. It is time for those in power to go.”

Lauding Mohammed, who he described as a wise man and a one-man army for his sagacity, competence and commitment to the growth of democracy, Tinubu said that he has been issuing press releases with the rapidity of a machine gun and turned them into a weapon of truth.

Fashola, who welcomed the guests, recalled that he had succeeded Mohammed as Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, noting that the astute lawyer and politician performed well in office by setting up the logistics, which facilitated the success of his tenure.

He said the book has told the story of a party that has become yardstick for good government and governance.

Firing the salvo at the PDP, Fashola said: “A party is saying that there is no vacancy in the highest office in the land. Why are they organising elections then? There will be vacancy in 2015.”

Governor Aliyu frowned at late-coming to events, advising dignitaries to send representatives, if they cannot keep to time. He observed that the ceremony was rich in attendance by attracting tall people like Gen. Buhari and Speaker Ikuforiji and short people like Mallam el-Rufai and Dr. Ngige.

Replying Fashola, he said: “We are not saying that there will be no election. There will be election to give you the task to participate. We are not saying that there will be no vacancy. We are saying that you should work hard. I was the first party to pray for the success of the merger so that we will not take things for granted. There is the need for options in democracy. But we should not allow personal ambition to becloud the general interest.”

Aliyu clarified that his presence at the book presentation did not translate into defection from the PDP, stressing that he had deliberately asked the Niger State PDP chairman, Alhaji Mahmud Batanga, to accompany him to Lagos for the ceremony.

The governor cautioned against viewing issues of national importance from the prism of narrow partisan ship, adding that nation-building and development go beyond political partisanship.

He added: “As politicians, we are not up to 10 percent of the people and we decide the fate of all the people. We must listen to all perspectives.”

Applauding the role of the opposition, Aliyu said: “Lai Mohammed has been asking us to understand what Nigerian politics has been and what it will be. If you want to excel, you must have enemies that will put you on your toes. opposition is always there to help you to look at the other side of the coin.”

Osinbajo praised Mohammed’s devotion to image making, he said that he has become the peoples’ publicity secretary.
Ipaye, who read Mohammed’s profile, said that as the country has proceeded on the fast lane to development, it should be remembered that the author is one of the engineers of the movement. He added: ‘He is a thinker, strategist and wise counselor.”

Other dignitaries at the ceremony included Dr. Remi Desalu, Dr. Wale Adebanwi, Hon. Omotilewa Aro-Lambo, Dr. Samuel Adedayo, Hakeem Fashinro, Dr. Leke Pitan, Prof. Abisogun Leigh, Jide Jimoh, Ayodele Adewale, Abiodun Mafe, James Faleke, Rotimi Agunsoye, Jide Sanwolou, Kaoli Olusanya, Segun Dawodu, Chris Ekwilo, Ademola Seriki, Femi Gbajabiamila, Yakubu Balogun, Kemi Nelson, Dele Belgore (SAN), Pastor Eze Iyamu, Chief Adedoyin, Sunday Adepoju, Yekini Alabi, Ismaila Tua, Bolaji Ariyoh, Ife Oyedele, Segun Babatope, Meriko Ebikebina, and Wale Ahmed.

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