₦airaland Forum

Gbawe:
Olodo with comprehension deficit . I advocated a prison cell for Dambazau and rightly so given his treasonous actions will land him there, ASAP, in serious nation under leaders of integrity :

Helloooooooooooooo! This thread is about EFCC! Wetin bring Dambazau?
Maybe when you get the power, you can send the EFCC to arrest soldiers for security breaches!
Damn!

Gbawe:
Everyone gets my point that obdurately blind and bigoted support will never allow you to see . I give up on you for good.

I can see you have turned to a god that can read minds. It was bound to happen. Ode!
Nobody understands your point, because you cannot start a vitriolic thread quarelling with the EFCC for very rightly going after corruption lords, only to jump on this thread a few hours later and say the exact opposite. Isn't integrity a virtue in your parts?

Gbawe:
Expected evasiveness as usual .Totally true to type also. I think we all learnt that 'art' in Primary school . When you can't answer the question put before you try doublespeak , nonsensical  waffle and confusionist rants .

You ranted first that EFCC shouldn't be used (on your earlier thread), now you are "counter-ranting" with your own list of villains. Thats why I'm still asking, Charlie, where do you really stand in this?

You are the confused one, you even dropped a three page rant about how specific people have not been arrested by the EFCC, including Dambazzau who is a soldier, not wanted for economic crimes! Who is the confused one, who is waffling?

Your battery is weak.

^
I'm open to idea's.

Gbawe:
"Cabal gangsters    and when will corrupt plus treasonous folks like Aondoakaa, Aliero, Ruma, Dambazau , etc, etc , etc, etc, etc receive their own prison uniform ? Oh I forget Aondoakaa et al are too busy spending their ill-gotten gain and enjoying the freedom they have secured via pledging allegiance to project Jonathan !!! You must think we are fools to come here writting patronising defence of shamelessly blatant leadership hypocrisy and double standards.

What Aondoakaa and co did , plus their numerous corrupt acts , is disgusting and deserving of instant Justice from any half-serious Pesident more keen to lead Nigerian than gain "endorsement" . The USA , a Country that takes treasonable action seriously, even imposed Visa ban on Aondoakaa to indicate their disgust at his actions against Nigeria

In Nigeria , meanwhile, Aondoakaa , and many ruinous AGIP sycophant deserving of a prison cell,  is solidly "endorsing" Jonathan and campaigning for Him !!! With Halliburton also America has tried and convicted those involved while Jonathan is dragging his feet because many of his benefactors are involved  !!!! Jonathans openly compromised AGF says he has 'cannot find' the report indicting IBB. The same man says he 'cannot' prosectute Yerima for peadophilia  in what is more or less a case an A-level law student will win while playing his playstation at the same time !! I could go on !!! Yet you somehow contend the Governors who are against Jonathan , and with the PDP Primaries drawing close , now top the list of those who must be shaken down Ogbulafor style (i.e shakara with no subsequent punishment if you comply) ?

Ogbulafor's corruption case is suddenly relevant yet Nwodo's eve greater acts of corruption is inconsequential ?  Similarly , and by your logic, those against Jonathan's ambition , in a democracy and even as they are entitled to their opinion, deserve prosecution ASAP while those who nearly destroyed Nigeria recently are allowed to openly work for Jonathan today!!! You are one funny guy with warped logic This partisan and witchunt-driven style of abusing executive power to cower political opponent is so indicative of what obtained under OBJ and then Yar Adua !!!! Another retrogressive and willing Student of of the establishment has arisen in Jonathan  !!! That is why some us call him "more of the same" . Get real dude and peddle your sycophantic ,patently flawed and hole-ridden mitigation elsewhere.

Guy, you can write plenty sha!
I always get tired before I've gone ten lines of vitriol.

I don't get the purpose of that long stuff, are you complaining that nobody is getting arrested while at the very same time, you are upset that EFCC is going out to fetch criminals? Cos thats damn confusing! An octupus wouldn't be able to twist in so many directions all at the same time.

Lets try to nail down your position, are you advocating that EFCC should investigate and arrest people or are you wishing they would sit in Abuja and twiddle their thumbs? Which?

^
I don't parade myself as a supporter; I am a 100% behind Jonathan without regrets.
I still don't understand what you mean by sentiments. He can't have direct control over everybody. You support him too, so its all good.

[size=14pt]Jonathan Sets Up Campaign Team •May Name El-Rufai As DG [/size]
Written by Taiwo Adisa, Abuja
Saturday, 04 September 2010

There are strong indications that former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, may emerge the director general of President Goodluck Jonathan Campaign Organisation which will be unfolded next week.

Sources close to the workings of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the government confirmed that pressure is being mounted from within the party and the emerging campaign structure to ensure that the president names el-Rufai as the director general of his campaign.

Some members of the inner core of the emerging campaign group had earlier proposed Nigeria’s Ambassador to the United Kingdom (UK), Senator Dalhatu Tafida, as director general of the Goodluck/Sambo Campaign Organisation.

It was gathered that while the president’s strategy team met to analyse the implications of Tafida, a former Senate Leader, heading the campaign, some other strategists came up with el-Rufai’s name.

Those who canvassed against Tafida’s choice were said to have raised the question of his age as a barrier. They were said to have claimed that Tafida’s age could constitute an impediment because he may be unable to sustain the rigours of political campaign.

Those opposed to the choice of Tafida were also said to have insisted that the campaign needs an energetic young man, who could traverse the whole length of the country without possibly breaking down.

Sources also confirmed they also raised the need to galvanise the support of the teeming youth in the North who are desirous of supporting Jonathan, because of the advantage that his choice would guarantee generational change in the nation’s power configuration.

“The fact remains that notwithstanding whatever reservations anyone may hold against el-Rufai, the man still has a large following. It shows clearly on the face book and even in Nigeria. He performed creditably and acted courageously as FCT minister and that is why a lot of youths see him as somebody they can rely on,” a source close to the PDP quoted one of the strategists as saying at a meeting earlier in the week.

Again the issue of his absence from the country in the last three years, which they claimed has denied him the chance of being an active participant in the polity was raised.

But those who spoke in his favour were said to have argued that as campaign DG, all Tafida would need is to support himself with a number of young strategists who would do the job for him.

However, those who canvassed for the choice of Mallam el-Rufai insisted that a younger person who could be on ground in most of the venues of campaign would be preferred to an old man who could face health challenges as a result of the rigours of the campaign.

Besides, it was disclosed that Tafida, being an elderly man and a diplomat, would speak tongue in cheek on critical issues, while somebody like el-Rufai would not beg the issue.

It was confirmed that President Jonathan would announce himself as an aspirant for the 2011 presidential race on September 18.

Sources close to the administration confirmed that the date was picked at a meeting of the strategy committee which was held at the Presidential Villa on Tuesday.

It was gathered that the president actually delayed his declaration as a result of the fact that he wanted to conclude the ongoing Ramadan fast, which he is observing alongside Muslim faithful and the need to put in place some key aspects of the deliverables targeted by his administration.

“President Jonathan has resolved that after due consultations with all strata of the Nigerian polity, he has decided to offer himself for service for four years, after which he would retire and face his lifetime ambition as a scholar and researcher. He will declare his ambition on September 18 and he has ordered that a series of activities will herald the declaration,” a source close to the PDP said.

It was gathered that the president intends to market his campaign on these and other giant steps of his government, while he is also insisting that what Nigeria needs for 2011 election is issue-based campaign.

In that wise, a source said that the president would adopt the slogan: People Defeat Poverty (PDP) to underscore his desire to banish poverty, lack and squalor from his countrymen.

http://tribune.com.ng/sat/index.php/front-page-articles/1968-jonathan-sets-up-campaign-team-may-name-el-rufai-as-dg.html

koruji:
Do you have a concrete example to illustrate?

They never do, they keep playing on "our sentiments."

Jarus:
Is it a coincidence that the people supporting are rabid AGIP? Name 3 credible political leader that has supported GEJ

The question is; how many "credible political leaders" are there in Nigeria? What is the definition of a credible leader? If it is good people like Wole Soyinka, Obahiagbon and others who mean well for the country, not a single bad word has been said about Jonathan, in fact there are quotes of enthusiasm for him. Let's leave this credible leader thing behind, because our definitions might differ; the leadership landscape in Nigeria is barren except for a few stars like Jonathan, Fashola and Chime.

ziddy:
Beaf, one of these days you're going to choke on Jonathan's come. Just keep at it, you hear

Abeg calm down o jare!
Compared to the rest of the field (the likes of Atiku and the evil IBB), GEJ is a champ; but more importantly, his programmes are genuinely great.

Jonathan just keeps doing the right things. Who would ever have believed fuel scarcity would ever be a thing of the past in Nigeria? Who would ever have thought that one day Nigerians would dare to dream of the possibility of 24/7 power? Good things are going on for once.

Foreign investor interest in the planned Eurobond has been strong, with some investors asking Nigeria to increase the size to $1 billion, Aganga said.

Jonathan is oiling all the wheels for Nigeria's industrial and finacial take-off!!! What a guy!
These are very important moments in this countries history, for once we have a President who stands tall enough to extract us from "donkeyhood" to a nation that knows its worth. For once in our history, there are well thought out visions for the future, manned by the very best minds in the Bart Nnaji's and Segun Aganga's.
Bloody good!

[size=14pt]Nigerian leader's supporters mobilise as polls near[/size]
Fri Sep 3, 2010 5:17pm GMT

ABUJA (Reuters) - Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan may not yet have declared whether he will run in elections due in January, but a growing number of his supporters are actively campaigning on his behalf.

Jonathan received members of a newly-formed coalition of more than 30 minor parties late on Thursday, grouped under the banner the Grand Coalition of Political Parties (GCPP), who told him they were ready to work to support his campaign.

"The president assured them that if he decides to seek re-election, they and their parties will be invited to play an important role in his national campaign," the presidency said in a statement on Friday.

Nigeria's electoral commission has not yet announced a full timetable for the parliamentary, presidential and state governorship polls but they are expected to be spread across a number of weeks in January.

Jonathan's office said last month he had not yet committed to whether or not he would run, but the latest policy announcements from his administration -- including the multi-billion dollar privatisation of the country's dilapidated power sector -- mean most Nigerians expect him to contest.

A bid by Jonathan would be controversial because of an agreement in the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) that power should rotate between the Muslim north and Christian south every two terms, meaning a northerner should be the next leader.

Jonathan is a Christian southerner from the Niger Delta oil heartland. His opponents have criticised him for failing to make his position clear with less than five months to go until the polls are due.

SUPPORT FOR JONATHAN

Niger Delta Minister Godsday Orubebe said Jonathan would unveil a "package for the transformation of this country" within the next two weeks, in what Nigerian newspapers took to mean he would declare his candidacy.
"If you go to Facebook, the man Jonathan is the most popular president in the world. The young and the old are clamouring for him," Orubebe, who is from the same southern Ijaw ethnic group as Jonathan, said in a statement.

Jonathan launched a page on Facebook in late June and has close to 190,000 followers.

Posters have appeared around the capital Abuja and the commercial hub Lagos vowing support for Jonathan. Mobile phone users have been bombarded with text messages from a volunteer group urging them to become "door to door" campaigners.

Former military leader Ibrahim Babangida, known by his initials IBB, has announced he will also seek the PDP nomination, a quarter of a century after first coming to power in a bloodless coup.

Former vice president Atiku Abubakar, who ran unsuccessfully for president as the opposition Action Congress candidate in the last polls in 2007, has also declared he will seek the ruling party ticket.

Both men are from the Muslim north.

http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE6820O320100903?sp=true

[size=14pt]Nigeria ‘Unwavering’ in Pursuit of Oil Jobs Law, Jonathan Says[/size]
By Elisha Bala-Gbogbo - Sep 3, 2010 7:13 PM GMT+0100

Business ExchangeTwitterDeliciousDiggFacebookLinkedInNewsvinePropellerYahoo! BuzzPrint Nigeria will be “consistent and unwavering” in implementing a new law that seeks more jobs and businesses in the oil and gas industry for citizens, President Goodluck Jonathan said.

The government wants to ensure a “significant proportion” of funds flowing into the country’s energy industry is retained locally through the participation of Nigerian companies and jobs in producing communities, Jonathan said in statement e-mailed by his office today.

Nigeria estimates that more than 80 percent of the $18 billion annual spending by joint ventures it runs with international energy companies flows to foreign companies. State-owned Nigerian National Petroleum Corp. owns a 59 percent stake in five joint ventures that pump most of its oil.

Royal Dutch Shell Plc, Exxon Mobil Corp., Chevron Corp., Total SA and Eni SpA are joint venture partners with the state oil company. Nigeria is Africa’s top oil producer and the fifth- biggest source of U.S. oil imports.

The new law, signed by Jonathan on April 22, prescribes oil and gas industry jobs and services that must be reserved for Nigerians.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-09-03/nigeria-unwavering-in-pursuit-of-oil-jobs-law-jonathan-says.html

[size=14pt]FG targets N32trillion for development[/size]
Abuja : Nigeria | Sep 03, 2010 By eeudomyahoocom

By EMMANUEL UDOM
THE federal government of Nigeria is targeting to raise N32trillion for the execution of development projects in the next three years. Speaking recently, President Goodluck Jonathan said that the money is needed to develop critical economic sectors across various states of the federation, beginning from 2010 to 2013
This is the first phase in the national development project, which is likely to ensure that ultimately, our country is ranked among the 20 best economies of the world by 2020, Jonathan said
Speaking further, the Nigerian president explained that the federal government is expected to provide N10 trillion, while the State and Local Governments would make available N9 trillion, with the balance N13 trillion expected from the private sector.
Checks by this writer show that the second and third phases of the project have been scheduled to cover 2014 - 2017 and 2018 – 2020 periods, respectively.
It could be recalled that the Jonathan regime recently harmonized the 7-point agenda, the t National Economic Empowerment & Development Strategy (NEEDS) with the National Development Plan
The bottom-line is to ensure that the Vision 20:2020 targets of becoming one of the top 20 global economies by 2020. SOME federal government agencies have been mandated to collate inputs from all the stakeholders involved in the development project, allvoices gathered

Nigeria Plans $1 Billion Wealth Fund to Spur Growth
September 03, 2010, 11:41 AM EDT

By Nasreen Seria and Paul Okolo

(Updates with economist’s comment in 11th paragraph.)

Sept. 3 (Bloomberg) -- Nigeria’s government is targeting economic growth of 10 percent as it creates an oil-financed infrastructure fund, encourages foreign investment in the power industry and abolishes fuel subsidies that have drained the national purse, Finance Minister Olusegun Aganga said.

Africa’s top oil producer also plans to sell its first global bond of $500 million in October, Aganga, 55, said in an interview in London today.

President Goodluck Jonathan said on Aug. 26 that the government plans to dissolve the state power monopoly and expand electricity generation through private investment to ease shortages in the continent’s most populous nation. A sovereign wealth fund financed by oil revenue is also expected to be set up by October to help pay for infrastructure, Aganga said. The fund will start off with about $1 billion, he said.

“Today we have a government that’s committed to encouraging investment,” Aganga said. “We have a government ready to deliver infrastructure.”

Power outages are a daily occurrence in Nigeria, where demand for electricity is almost double the current supply of 3,000 megawatts. Nigeria, Africa’s second-largest economy after South Africa, has a population of 140 million.

‘Achievable’

Boosting growth to a minimum of 10 percent in coming years is “achievable” as investment in infrastructure climbs, Aganga said. The economy expanded 7.4 percent in the first half of the year, compared with 5.9 percent in the same period last year, driven by growth in the non-oil industries, he said.

The sovereign wealth fund will replace the Excess Crude Oil Account, which the government has often used to finance expenditure, Aganga said. Part of the new fund will be dedicated to savings that the government can’t touch unless oil prices plummet, while most will finance infrastructure projects, he said.

The Excess Crude Oil Account should reach about $1 billion by the end of the year, from between $500 million and $800 million currently, Aganga said. That will be transferred to the sovereign wealth fund and act “as a catalyst for both local and international investors,” he said.

A third part of the sovereign wealth fund will be a stability fund, which will be similar to the current Excess Crude account, though harder for the government to access, Aganga said.

Power Industry

Nigeria is also aiming to attract investment in its power industry, and has received interest from investors in China, Brazil and Germany, Aganga said in an interview with Maryam Nemazee on Bloomberg TV’s “The Pulse” in London today.

“We’ve had calls from so many investors,” he said. Even before recent changes to the industry were announced, “I received at least two to three calls from major investors.”

Investors are skeptical Nigeria will be able to attract a wave of investment in power plants and infrastructure as it prepares for general elections, due as early as January, and the global economic recovery loses momentum, said Yvonne Mhango, an economist at Standard Bank Group Ltd., Africa’s biggest lender.

“These are very ambitious policies that are necessary to unlock the bottlenecks in the economy,” Mhango said in a phone interview from Johannesburg today. “Whether the political environment will allow them to do so is a different thing.”

Jonathan, who appointed Aganga to his position in April, has driven the government’s plans to overhaul the power sector. The president hasn’t said yet whether he will run to keep his post.

‘Uncertain Times’

“Jonathan has put a greater emphasis on the power sector,” said Mhango. “The durability of that depends on whether he stays in power. It’s still uncertain times.”

The benchmark Nigerian Stock Exchange All Share Index has gained 5.6 percent in the past six months, while the naira dropped 0.6 percent against the dollar in the same period.

The sale of Nigeria’s first Eurobond will act as a benchmark, so that companies can price their bonds accordingly, Aganga said. The government has already selected advisers for the sale and is in the process of appointing book runners, he said.

[size=14pt]Foreign investor interest in the planned Eurobond has been strong, with some investors asking Nigeria to increase the size to $1 billion, Aganga said.[/size]

The government also plans to remove fuel subsidies, possibly within six months, Aganga said. The subsidies cost the government 1 trillion naira ($6.6 billion) in 2009, central bank Governor Lamido Sanusi said on June 7.

Nigeria imports more than 80 percent of its domestic fuel due to a lack of refining capacity, according to the country’s Petroleum Ministry.

“In three to four years’ time, Nigeria will be a different country,” Aganga said. “We have a great story. The numbers tell you that.”

--Editors: Philip Sanders, Heather Langan

To contact the reporters on this story: Nasreen Seria in Johannesburg at nseria@bloomberg.net; Paul Okolo in Abuja at pokolo@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Peter Hirschberg at phirschberg@bloomberg.net


http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-09-03/nigeria-plans-1-billion-wealth-fund-to-spur-growth.html

This is an old discredited story.

mikeansy:
And I think it is working, because we have more and more people asking the right question, which is.

Wait a minute, What does Jonathan stand for?

You mean there are just the 3 on NL.
Everybody else is witnessing improved power and fuel supply. We are witnessing the birth of a very promising govt and we want it to contimue.

Jonathan for 2011.

[quote author=~Bluetooth link=topic=508433.msg6693281#msg6693281 date=1283537163]I've suggested that JTF should be sent in sometimes but somebody attacked me that it will lead to another war.meaning that the ibo would object deployment of troops.[/quote]JTF is overkill, they are the best armed soldiers in the country. Its just kidnappers.

Spyker:
This was the case in Rivers State, Theodore Orji should contact Celestine Omehia as soon as possible to teach him how to handle criminals. Amaechi came in and continue where he stopped. I now see why only Umuahia is developing in Abia State. He has forgotten Aba.

Someone called from Aba on a radio programme and said exactly what you posted and i was bitter because just as Obiehi (hope i got this right) junction, a young man I know was killed along side five other passengers when there bus (commercial) was fired upon by armed men.

I wonder what Orji will tell Aba people now that he is seeking a second term.

The governor needs to dump any shame, get his act together and get on the phone to the President to send in some troops; because, its difficult to see how he can sort it without outside help.

This is just damn terrible! I really feel for you, we should all put you in prayer.
The army needs to be sent in to maintain security.

bones1:
I thought IBB is alleged to have made off with $2.8b
All Buhari wants is a free and fair contest
Soyinka is untouchable

No, IBB is the "hero", $2.8billion is small beans for him. He made off with a whopping [size=14pt]$12.4billion![/size]

[quote author=kola_yusuf link=topic=508085.msg6692583#msg6692583 date=1283528946]If indeed Goodluck Jonathan is the best option that we have in 2011, then Nigeria has truly come to a bad pass. There is nothing to celebrate in the possibility of the emergence of GEJ - it is a sobering signal that our political space is bereft of quality leadership material. Only in a broken and dysfunctional national the emergence of a mediocrity and journeyman like Goodluck Jonathan arouse significant public support. Cry the beloved country![/quote]Saraki's implants don land!

There isn't one logical point in anything you said above, its all an appeal to base emotions. Thats one thread that runs through anti-GJ folk, its always a clutch at straws.
Jonathan is a visible performer as his no nonsense reorganisation of the NNPC has proven. Abi you no de enjoy cheap fuel without suffering for a few drops? 3 brand new part private sector refineries are being built for $23billion.
Jonathans hand has shown strongly in the power sector, there is massively improved power supply and bids have gone out for the construction of a $3.5 billion supergrid.
His vision has been proven in the finance sector with the Sovereign Wealth Fund. Until this time Nigeria was the only oil producing nation without such a facility. Yes, for the first time, our oil money will actually go into a plan, rather than the hand to mouth spending we are so used to.

I could go on! But, all the above have come in just 3+ months. Wow!
To the best of my knowledge, Saraki only has a bridge to his name after 4 years.

Gbawe:
You must not understand how Nigeria works under "do-or-die" leaders like OBJ. If they want to take you down , because you stand in the way of their nefarious agenda , you must use the style Atiku deployed to survive when OBJ threw the kitchen sink at him i.e fight back with everything you have !!! If guys like Jonathan , using supreme executive power and under the tutelage of OBJ, are trying to take you down , then you must go down fighting . Obi tried the same gentleman's approach of dialogue and respectful engagement with OBJ yet our former President ensured he was impeached to clear the way for his annointed son Andy Uba. Guys like ONJ have no qualms ignoring the will of the electorate to plant ruinous usurpers eveywhere. Jonathan has now transmuted into OBJ . Those who are genuinely popular like Ameachi must use the power of the people to resist dictatorship that wan't t keep Nigeria underdeveloped for the benefit of a few.

You haven't realised that the problems in Rivers are due to wars between murderous confraternities and its got to stop before 2011 (or you'll be the first here with a horror song).
Ameachi has himself to blame; let the law take its cause, there is no point making hero's out of anyone, just because you are desperate to pin things on your hate figure. Life and limb are being lost in Rivers state over dodgy money, if Ameachi is not involved, he can prove it to the EFCC; NL is no court.

[quote author=Smart K. link=topic=78299.msg6665347#msg6665347 date=1283169798]Beaf

How you dey? I love the code you provided, but really have not found any need for database mapping in my applications. Could u please give me some scenario. I really would like to know more about this stuff.

Thanx.

Note: I am not talking about creating classes that maps table fields.[/quote]I de kampe, how your side?
That code is not only useful for mapping. You will find that, at the very least, it can list all Sql Servers on a network.
More important though, if you wish to take it a little further, its an intro to SQL Server Management Objects (SMO). With SMO, you can do every single thing SQL Server is capable of, what I've submitted is just a peep in.

I haven't expressed any feelings, neither am I certain that both men are linked. I have also mentioned strong allegations against Buhari, it is the courts that declare a man guilty. Fairplay.

Ok, lets talk about Soyinka.

[quote author=Akanbi_edu link=topic=508056.msg6692160#msg6692160 date=1283524625]I believe you. It is obvious the Guy is not respected in political circles even as the president - he has never contested to win anything before. He will always have to prove that he is not weak to those who thought him weak. This is naturally a recipe for disaster. The guy has to be stopped by all means.[/quote]So if people thought he was weak and find out he isn't, the best thing is to stop him by all means?
Something rings alarm bells in that analysis.

freegaza:
The same beaf that said Buhari stole $2bn as a military head of state, Yes,he wil for sure support the candidate that emerges in a free and fair election becoz if there wil be free n fair election then Buhari is already the president of Nigeria

It is $2[b].8[/b]billion not $2billion sir, that he is alleged to have made off with.

I wonder a little about Buhari's reply (bolded). Is "love" in the air?

[size=14pt]Buhari, Soyinka back Jonathan on credible polls[/size]
Posted by Aliyu ADEKUNLE S on September 3, 2010 at 9:00am
.By Emeka Mamah & Dayo Johnson

KADUNA—FORMER Head of State and presidential aspirant of Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, Major-Gen. Mohammadu Buhari (rtd) and Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, yesterday, expressed confidence on the ability of President Goodluck Jonathan to conduct free, fair and credible elections next year and urged Nigerians to give him a chance to do so.

General Buhari spoke in a Kaduna State Radio programme “Vision Nigeria”, while Professor Soyinka had an interactive session with newsmen in Akure, Ondo State.

Buhari who said he was at the Presidential Villa last Monday on invitation of President Goodluck Jonathan to break the Ramadan fast for that day denied insinuations that he had discussed 2011 with the President.

He said: “I went there to honour the President’s invitation to break my fast. There were about 20 people there. We did not talk on any issue. Right from my car, I went straight to the breakfast table and after that, I went back to my car and left. So, I do not know where people got the idea that we discussed. That is not true.”

He expressed confidence that Jonathan would conduct free, fair and credible elections adding that he was ready to support any government that emerges through such credible polls.

Buhari who regretted that he spent 50 months in the courts challenging the conduct of the 2003 and 2007 presidential elections because both were adjudged by both local and international observers as not free and fair, added: “I will continue to fight for credible democracy in the country.”

He said: “When the Supreme Court validated the election of late President Uamru Musa Yar’Adua, my faith in the Nigerian judiciary was shaken but since the Supreme Court is the apex court in the land, there was nothing anybody could do about the judgment.

Conduct of free,fair polls

“The conduct of free, fair and credible election is not dependent on the candidates contesting the election, but the will of the people especially the elite to mobilize and deliver credible election to the people.

“If people are well informed and well led by their constituencies, I do not think we should be afraid for whoever wants to contest, including the President himself. I always bring the case of Bauchi, Kano and Lagos.

He added: “Nigerians have the capacity to reject any candidate they know is not capable to deliver the dividends of democracy.

Meanwhile, Prof Soyinka has urged Nigerians to give President Goodluck Jonathan the benefit of doubt to conduct next year’s election before condemning the approach towards the poll.

Soyinka also cautioned the media to stop portraying the internal policy of a single political party to mean the political policy of the entire country.

The Nobel laureate who spoke with newsmen in Akure after delivering a lecture on Culture and Politics at the First International Conference on Culture in the state said: “President Jonathan seems determined to make the elections free and fair hence the people should watch and see how he wished to achieve that. The President seems determined that the elections will be free and fair. The decorations are marvelous but we are waiting to see the results.

Condemning the approach


“Nigerians should, therefore, await the results of the 2011 general elections before condemning the approach towards the poll.”

Cautioning the media against dwelling so much on the internal policy of a political party, Soyinka said: “There is this habit in the media which tries to turn the internal practices of a particular party to mean the constitutional rights of the nation. That is wrong. So the press should stop portraying the internal policy of a single political party to mean the political policy of the entire country”.

In the lecture, Soyinka said the use of thugs to scuttle or disrupt election process, kidnappings and all forms of social insecurity which are yet to be tackled by government was a threat to the nation’s democracy.

He noted: “After about three decades of military rule in the country, the civilian administrations in the last 11 years are yet to restore civility to our system.”

The Nobel Laureate argued that “a better way to promote and nurture democracy in the country was for the people to respect and uphold their traditional culture and expressed concern that lack of respect for the traditional values was affecting democracy in Nigeria.”

He said that rather that questioning the source of sudden wealth of some individuals in the society, Nigerians ended up celebrating them, adding that Nigerians were fond of celebrating mediocrity while the “architects of Nigerian woes are currently being celebrated.”

According to him“majority of those who should be in jail were now major players in the nation’s political sphere. Soyinka, however, paid glowing tributes to the former Oyo State Governor and Minister of Justice, late Bola Ige and the foremost writer, late D.O Fagunwa. He said: “I advised the late Ige to accept the appointment as the Power and Steel Minister because I knew he had the solution to the energy crisis in the country then. The hawks in the system threw the spanner and he was taken to the Justice ministry where he was humiliated out of the system through a brutal death carried out in his bedroom.”

Governor Olusegun Mimiko spoke in the same vein saying that instead of questioning sudden wealth by some people they ended up being celebrate and honored.

http://community.vanguardngr.com/profiles/blogs/buhari-soyinka-back-jonathan

[size=14pt]US, Nigeria dialogue on Niger Delta crisis[/size]
Posted by Aliyu ADEKUNLE S on September 2, 2010 at 7:30pm
.By Austin Ogwuda

Asaba—A delegation of the Nigeria/US Bi-National Commission on Niger Delta is discussing with the state government on how to curb youth restiveness by re-directing the energy of youths into productive ventures.

Leader of the delegation and an Under Secretary in Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador O. Kuku, said the visit was necessitated by the fact that the Niger Delta region had become the window through which the world assesses Nigeria.
Kuku said that any crisis in the region would have negative impact on the country and urged stakeholders to take steps which could ameliorate the problems in the region.

The Commission had earlier visited Rivers and Bayelsa States.

Meanwhile, the Director General of the Uduaghan Campaign Organisation for actualization of his second tenure, Prof. Godini Darah, has commended the role the Governor played in resolving the Niger Delta crisis, which led to the post amnesty programme.

Addressing a meeting of Coordinators drawn from the 25 local government areas of the state, he said, “we are confident that our Governor would be re-elected in 2011.

You can see the responses from the Coordinators.

You heard what they said that he (Governor) had impacted positively on the lives of Deltans with his three-point agenda.”

Darah added thay the United Nations was interested in him and Delta State because of the role he played in the resolution of the Niger Delta crisis.

http://community.vanguardngr.com/profiles/blogs/us-nigeria-dialogue-on-niger

The fact that EFCC is going after the cabal gangsters has nothing to do with zoning. These people should have been in jail like yesterday. It doesn't take much imagination to link the cabal from Rivers to Katsina, Zamfara etc.

Let EFCC arrest their dusty arses jare!
If it was about zoning, gov Aliyu Babangida would have been the first to be arrested, but trust the crap tribalistic paper, Daily Trust to invent strange angles.

ferari90:
How much did Jonathan pay you?
Anyway enjoy the ,mullah" while it last .
cos in a few months from now, it will be all over.

October 10

Funny.
IBB has no plans for the country, many times, he has said, "when we get there, we will see what we will do." He is an incredibly corrupt man who has had his chance, but the time to develop the nation was spent plotting how to do in Dele Giwa, engineering the aircrash of 200 youthful officers at Ejigbo and a host of other terrible stuff.

2011 is for those with plans and the moral fibre to deliver to the masses.

[quote author=~Bluetooth link=topic=507917.msg6691551#msg6691551 date=1283518307]My own religion does not control the masses because it has gone beyond reasonable doubt to explain many issues that science itself has not been able to confirm.i've done my serch to reach that conclusion.[/quote]There is no such religion. Even science cannot provide answers, cos scientists that hit the news tend to be arrogant know alls.
Mankind should learn the simple and more practical honesty of saying "we don't know," if we did that, there would be no Boko Haram in Nigeria or Lords Army in Uganda or people like Steven Hawking, arguing about "the beginning of time.".

[quote author=~Bluetooth link=topic=507917.msg6691493#msg6691493 date=1283517740]Not really,nobody know Him but i believe He's not some sick fellow on a wheel chair doing stuff.however,religion has been a useful medium to create the awareness that He exists and that life is not a circumstance,hence the need to respect that awareness is a thing of individual minds.[/quote]Religion has been a means to control the masses and extort money. Religion is evil.
If nobody really knows God, what is the purpose of religion, if not dishonesty?