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he Presidency admitted today that President Goodluck Jonathan has many worries, but argued that the crisis rocking the Rivers State House of Assembly is not one of them.

President Jonathan's Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, stated this in Abuja during a press briefing called in response to the call made by the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) for the impeachment of Mr. Jonathan because of the crisis in the Assembly.

“We wish to state categorically that in spite of what the ACN will want the Nigerian people to believe, President Goodluck Jonathan is absolutely unconnected and definitely not involved in the political crisis that seemed to have engulfed Rivers State in recent times,” he said, before going on to dodge most of the questions asked of him on happenings in the state.

After asserting that Mr. Jonathan has not and would not engineer any act that can cause disaffection between Governor Rotimi Amaechi or any other Governor and the state legislature or institution of government, he specifically put the governor down, describing Amaechi as “too small an entity to fight."

Okupe also refused to answer a question about a possible link between the two-week visit of Patience Jonathan to Rivers State two weeks ago.

In his prepared statement, the presidential aide dismissed the call for the impeachment of Mr. Jonathan as “the limit of tolerable nonsense and a clear descent into inglorious political rascality.”

Said the former medical doctor: “It is now increasingly obvious that the desperation of the ACN to bullishly acquire power by all means and at all cost, including mindless precipitation of anarchy, disaffection and break down of public order is the driving force behind their incessant, irresponsible and unpatriotic politics of hate and deceit and their high propensity to fan the embers of national discord, disunity and social disorder.”

TEXT OF A PRESS CONFERENCE ADDRESSED BY THE SENIOR SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT ON PUBLIC AFFAIRS,DR DOYIN OKUPE ON WEDNESDAY 10TH JULY, 2013.

Gentlemen of the Press,

The reaction of the Action Congress of Nigeria to the event in the Rivers State House of Assembly as contained in a Press release issued by the party’s publicity secretary this afternoon calls for concern by all patriotic Nigerians.

The statement blamed Mr President for the crisis and accused him of abhorrence for the rule of law, and supporting a group of Rivers state Assembly members to disrupt proceedings in the House.

Once again, this position of the ACN is another condemnable, extremist and fundamentally flawed position by the opposition party.

For the avoidance of doubt and at the risk of repetitiveness, we wish to state categorically that in spite of what the ACN will want the Nigerian people to believe, President Goodluck Jonathan is absolutely unconnected and definitely not involved in the political crisis that seemed to have engulfed Rivers State in recent times.

The President is not, has not and will never engineer any act that can cause disaffection between Governor Rotimi Amaechi or any other Governor and the state legislature or any other institution of government.

To avid watchers of Nigerian politics, President Goodluck Jonathan has not shown himself as a person who will deploy his immense constitutional powers against any governor or democratic institution to achieve personal goals.

Since his election as President, his personal and official mien reveals a personality that has utmost and distinct respect for democracy and rule of law.

It is sad therefore, that despite repeated clarifications including one recently made by ACN Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti state absolving President Goodluck Jonathan from the NGF crisis, Alhaji Lai Muhammed in his characteristic deafness to truth, continues to mischievously drag the exalted office of the President into controversies arising from the election of the Chairman of the Nigeria Governor’s Forum.

The call by the Action Congress of Nigeria for the impeachment of Mr President based on these frivolous, unsubstantiated allegations is the limit of tolerable nonsense and a clear descent into inglorious political rascality.

It is now increasingly obvious that the desperation of the ACN to bullishly acquire power by all means and at all cost, including mindless precipitation of anarchy, disaffection and break down of public order is the driving force behind their incessant, irresponsible and unpatriotic politics of hate and deceit and their high propensity to fan the embers of national discord, disunity and social disorder.

We therefore call on our distinguished and honorable parliamentarians and the general public to ignore and disregard the self-serving and unpatriotic call for impeachment of the President by the Action Congress of Nigeria.

Thank You

DR DOYIN OKUPE

SENIOR SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT ON PUBLIC AFFAIRS

10TH JULY, 2013

emorse: Ahn ahn. This your claim get k-leg o. How can you ask people to disregard a story with a confirmed source and accept yours that has no source? How are we sure you're not one of the desperate GEJ supporters? Its still 2013 and you people won't stop talking about re-election. Na wa o.

Nigerian Labour Congress has condemned the plan by the Senate to remove the Minimum Wage Law from the Exclusive List.

The move, the NLC said, was inimical to the well-being of the weak and economically disadvantaged persons in the country.

The NLC President, Mr. Abdulwahed Omar, who stated this in a statement on Sunday, added that the initiative had serious implications for national security, productivity and well-being of the low-income earners.

He noted that if given the opportunity to fix their respective minimum wages, state governments would not hesitate to pay minimum wages as low as N1,000 to their workers in spite of the huge resources available to them.

He said “The Nigeria Labour Congress notes with concern efforts by the Senate to remove the national Minimum Wage Law from the Exclusive List in defiance of reason, popular opinion and protection of the interest of the weak and the vulnerable.

“The removal will unnecessarily expose Nigerian workers, especially, those in the low-income bracket, with grave implications for security, productivity and national well-being, as most state governments if given the latitude, will pay wages as low as N1,000 per month in spite of the relatively enormous resources available to them.

“This fear is justified or underscored by the reluctance or refusal of some of them to implement the N18, 000 Minimum Wage Law. Even for some of them that implemented the law, it took a heroic struggle.”

He added that the inclusion of the minimum wage in the concurrent list would lead to confusion, and anarchy in the country.

Omar said the NLC demanded the retention of the Minimum Wage Law in the Exclusive List for the maintenance of a standard national minimum wage as obtainable in the developed world and for protecting the weak and vulnerable workers, in a memo to the National Assembly on the amendment of the 1999 Constitution.

He noted that in spite of the N18, 000 Minimum Wage, the Nigerian workers remained among the least paid in the world.

Omar said the cost of living in the country had increased with the rise in inflation resulting in abominable costs for food, accommodation, and utilities.

Prowizy2: Tears of joy or what? But come to think of it.. So this guy is just doing beatz n producing for other artist's making them stars and rich but hez not worth 16M.. #WONDERING

MissYuzedo: i have tolded my huzband supa dupa yuzedo to pay all this money so dat the world will knows we are richable

drake2005: Once again, typical MO of unintelligent people. Imploring Red herring and chewbacca defense mechanism to escape their inability to debate intelligently. This is my last reply to you.

drake2005: Very typical of MO of ignorant Nigerians with no sense of reasoning. If you need to debate me; we can do that respectfully. Define paganism for us? How does it relate to my post? Can you refute my claims? All I stated have been backed up by researchers and the global world for years.

Please define Paganism for us. You must do this since you raised it Now and hence forth, I will intelligently deal with some of you stup$id Nigerians with IQ below 100.

collynzo2: And the idiot posted that with a device made by white people.

drake2005: The same White people who inflicted this pain on him and his country men for years, brought Christianity to Africa for us and We Africans continue to stupidly worship it. Most of us are very Stup$id with lack of ability to reason and think critically. Don't know what is wrong with us.

The Federal Government on Tuesday banned the conferment of chieftaincy titles and “other sundry awards” on civil servants until after their retirement or disengagement from service.

The Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Alhaji Bukar Goni Aji, in a circular sent to all Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government however directed that where the traditional titles were mandatory by inheritance, “due clearance must be obtained from the Secretary to the Government of the Federation” through his office.

A statement issued in Abuja by the Director (Communications) in the Office of the HOS, Mr. Tope Ajakaiye, said “it has come to the notice of government that some civil servants are in the practice of soliciting for chieftaincy titles and sundry awards, an act, which is inimical to the principles of anonymity, integrity and political neutrality which are the core values of the civil service.”

The statement reads: “Federal Civil Servants have been banned from accepting chieftaincy titles and other sundry awards until after their retirement or disengagement from the civil service.

“In a circular sent to all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the Federal Government, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Alhaji Bukar Goni Aji said that it has come to the notice of government that some civil servants are in the practice of soliciting for chieftaincy titles and sundry awards, an act, which he said, is inimical to the principles of anonymity, integrity and political neutrality which are the core values of the civil service.”