₦airaland Forum

Adelaide2: Good checkmate to the Northern demands for compensation for Boko Haram. Imagine Northerners asking to be compensated for killing themselves and innocent others. Where can that happen but in Northern Nigeria?

Yoruba better make their own demands before the train leaves them behind

LOL....

JECBOSS: Interesting!
Let's see how it goes!

Exactly!

Source;

http://m.premiumtimesng.com/news/164928-igbos-write-jonathan-demand-n2-4-trillion-reparation-for-civil-war-killings.html?wpmp_tp=1

The Igbo also demand a state apology for wrongs said to have been visited on the race.

The South East geo-political zone has demanded the payment of N2.4 trillion as reparation to the five states that make up the zone as well as Delta State for the killing of Igbos during the civil war. The people of the zone, known as Ndigbo, also demanded a state apology for the alleged wrongs the state visited on them. The five states are Enugu, Anambra, Imo, Ebonyi and Abia State, all of which it said should be paid N400 billion each.

The zone also said the same amount should be paid to Delta State for the benefit of Anioma area of the state. It also asked the Federal Government to invest in the massive re-planning of Igbo cities with proper structures such as provision of urban water works, a sort of Marshall Plan often devised for war-ravaged area.

The demands are contained in a letter to President Goodluck Jonathan. The letter signed by Mbazulike Amechiand Raph Obioha, chairman and secretary of Reparation Committee of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, was attached to a document distributed to the delegates of the National Conference.

The 28-page document is titled “Ohanaeze Ndigbo: Atrocities and Injustices Against Ndigbo.”“It is incalculable to put a price on the death of millions of Igbos who were killed in the civil war and on other occasions,” it said. “The Federal Government should pay N400 billion each to the five states of the South East as compensation to those who lost loved ones, lost properties, and those still suffering dislocation today in Nigeria.

“The same amount should also be paid to the government of Delta State for the benefit of Anioma area of the state. ”The Committee said the Igbo had suffered gross injustice which culminated in an imposed civil war lasting 30 months. It stated that in the course of the horrendous war, millions of Igbo were not only killed, they suffered grave injuries while property were damaged, asset and property seized and families dislocated.
The Committee explained that the Igbo never conspired nor planned any military mutiny against the state of Nigeria in 1966. It said the action of the Nigerian army could not and should not be visited on a people on the scale perpetrated on the Igbos in Nigeria in what it described as a state calculated exercise of annihilation, pogrom and planned tribal cleansing of the magnitude of extermination on the pretext of resolving the “Igbo question.”“The principal function of state,” the committee argued, is to “guarantee the security and safety of its citizens.

It is heinous when rather than protect, the state turns its weapons on its defenceless citizens; wages war against them; deliberately imposes policies that marginalized them; refuses to atone for the injuries caused and pretends that all is well. ”It noted that the litany of what the Igbos had suffered in Nigeria should be presented if and when the Nigerian government sets up a body to work out the reparation to settle the civil war issue.

Stating that life had no duplicate, the committee said an unjust loss of life especially when caused by the state was a crime against humanity. The committee said it was only an act of miracle that the Igbo are still standing considering what has been visited on them since the creation of the Nigerian State. ”Starting from 1945, Igbos have been killed with the connivance of state authorities to appease misguided angers of local people especially on religious grounds,” it said.“Let us consider than an Indian writer, Rushdie, wrote the blasphemous book against Islam, Igbos living in northern cities of Nigeria were butchered in thousands for something they knew absolutely nothing about.

“The targeting of Igbos for the slightest provocation which the Igbos have absolutely nothing to do with has become so common place and hardly has the government made any resolution to assuage the damages.

”The committee told the president that having played a role in the resolution of the crisis arising from the activities of militants in the Niger Delta, providence had placed him to resolve the Igbo issue. It added,

“Your Excellency may question why now. The Igbos feel confident as a people that you are a man of conscience, a man of equity and above all, a leader who insists that justice must prevail at all times.

“Providence has placed you at the position to resolve this issue once and for all, after all you were pivotal in the peaceful resolution of the Niger Delta militancy. The jackboot approach at Odi and Zaki Ibiam was totally condemned by the civilized world.”

http://m.premiumtimesng.com/news/164928-igbos-write-jonathan-demand-n2-4-trillion-reparation-for-civil-war-killings.html?wpmp_tp=1

BY GBENGA ARIYIBI
ADO EKITI —OVER three weeks after conceding victory to Peoples
Democratic Party, PDP, in the Ekiti Governorship election of June 21, in the state, the All Progressive Congress, APC, has made a U-turn
and decided to challenge the result of the election at the election petition tribunal sitting in Ado Ekiti,the state capital.

The Independent National Electoral
Commission, INEC, has declared the candidate of the PDP, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, winner of the election, having polled majority of votes in all the 16 local government areas of the state to defeat the incumbent governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi of APC and the Labour Party, LP, candidate, Hon. Opeyemi Bamidele.

Though details of the contents of APC petition at the tribunal were sketchy at the time this report, the interim chairman of the party in the state, Chief Jide Awe said he personally submitted the petition at the secretariat of the tribunal on behalf of the party on Saturday, since according to him, the law allowed the tribunal to operate on weekends.

Awe said the party had sought the assistance of the tribunal to “unravel the hidden facts surrounding the election,” contending that the election
was more of “a mechanical exercise than conventional casting of votes.”

The grouse on which the party is
contesting at the tribunal, according
to him, included alleged manipulation of the election in favour of the PDP candidate, undue militarisation, impeachment of Mr Fayose in 2006, as well as EFCC’s cases hanging on the governor-elect.

Awe claimed that Fayose was not qualified in the first place to participate in the election exercise,
“aside from the process of the poll’s
conduct, which was faulty.”

According to him, the party did not
want to take laws into its hands or
resort to self-helps, hence its decision to follow constitutional and peaceful line of seeking redress in the court, claiming “The results of the election were embarrassing to us as a party and we hold the view that there is no smoke without fire.”

Awe explained that the decision of the party to challenge the conduct of the election at the tribunal was not at variance with the earlier position of the Governor Fayemi, who had accepted defeat and congratulated Mr Fayose.

He said “The governor does not own
the party. It is the party that owns the governor, and so the party can decide for him. You will observe that there is no name of Dr Kayode Fayemi on the ballot papers, what was on it was the name of the party and its logo. So, the issue is beyond the governor. Let it be known to you that our candidate, Dr Fayemi only conceded victory to guarantee continued peace that was prevalent in the state at the time as well as allow the siege laid on the state by the military to end. You can see that as soon as he announced that he had accepted defeat, the soldiers immediately vacated the state.”

Meanwhile, the Governor-Elect, Mr
Ayo Fayose, has said APC’s members are jittery over the PDP’s victory in the state, saying he will continue to work with other members of the party in the South West geo political zone.

Speaking through his Chief Press
Secretary, Mr Idowu Adelusi, in a
statement weekend while reacting to a statement credited to the Oyo State chapter of the APC, warning Fayose to stay away from the state, said “The Constitution of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria guarantees freedom of association and movement among many freedoms
enshrined in it. It is in exercise of the
freedom that people came together to form the PDP and which people also freely joined.

”Fayose and others are members of
the PDP, I don’t know how that has
injured the APC. Also, it is in the
exercise of the freedom of movement that PDP members and leaders converged in Ibadan, to hold a sensitisation rally and necessary,
legally-mandated security agencies
performed their duties that led to the
success of the event.”

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/07/apc-challenges-fayoses-election-tribunal/

Bulama (Minister, Sc.&Tech), Orise-
Oru (Min.N/Delta), Adeyeye (Min.of State, Works), Shekarau (Min.of Education) today.

President Jonathan &VP Sambo with new Ministers: Abdu Bulama, Steve Orise-Oru, Dayo Adeyeye & Ibrahim Shekarau today.

President Jonathan congratulating
Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, after his swearing-in as Minister of Education today.

President Goodluck Jonathan being
decorated today as Grand Patron of
the FRSC, Special Marshal.

Just hope he can revitalize the deplorable nature of our educational system!

The proposed World Fashion University to be established in Bayelsa State has been named after President Goodluck Jonathan in recognition of his administration’s achievements in all facets of the economy.

This was announced at the weekend during the closing ceremony and gala night of the three-day Africa Fashion Reception, held at the Banquet Hall of Government House in Yenagoa.

The Goodluck Jonathan World Fashion University would be equipped with a research centre, amphitheatre, faculty of social sciences, conference centre, textile plant building and sports complex, among other facilities.

Speaking at the event, Jonathan, who was represented by the Minister of Culture, Tourism and National Orientation, Edem Duke, expressed gratitude for the honour done him, describing the gesture as a milestone development. He noted that Africa had come of age in view of the number of notable designers, who had made a mark in the creative industry and must be given their pride of place in the world, as the industry contributes 40 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP) across the continent.

Underscoring the need for a policy of fair trade to grow economies in Africa, Jonathan solicited the support of men and women of goodwill to make the university a reality.

In his remarks, the Governor of Bayelsa State, Seriake Dickson, said his administration intended to make the state a key player in the tourism industry. Dickson said facilities such as the golf course, polo club and other infrastructure were being put in place to actualise the vision.

He said his administration was prepared to host one major international event monthly to place Bayelsa on the world tourism map and urged investors to explore the potentials that abound in the state, as Bayelsa is open for business. The governor said the state government would give appropriate support to models from the state, who participated at the event, to attend the forthcoming World Fashion Week in Paris, France, in September this year.

http://dailyindependentnig.com/2014/07/proposed-world-fashion-university-named-jonathan/

President Jonathan at the World Pension Summit for Africa in Abuja

Some participants at the World Pension Summit for Africa in
Abuja

L-R: Chairman World Pension Summit for Africa Grace Usoro, Chairman WPS Mr Harry Smorenberg, Acting DG PENCOM Ms. Chinelo Anohu - Amazu, President Goodluck Jonathan, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, co-chair Mr Eric Eggink and Chairman Senate Committee on Pension Senator Alosius Etuk at World Pension Summit (Africa Special) in Abuja

Chairman for the World Pension Summit, Harry Smorenberg, has said that Africa has the potentials ofleapfrogging the developments taking place in other countries.Smorenberg, who was speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Monday on the commencement of the World Pension Summit for Africa holding in Abuja, said that by learning and sharing best practices, Africa can set a new pace by being a leader in social security and pension market development in the nearer future.“The agenda for the pension market development for Africa is challenging and this is the first step where we provide a platform where we can exchange truly, expertise from not mainly African countries but also from outside Africa because in my view, Africa can really leapfrog on the development taking place in other countries.”He revealed that there would be a lotof messages in the summit on strengthening the social security system as it was the base for securing people. He explained that this was all about managing people,having equal right and avoiding social unrest which makes pension market development crucial and important as people have to feel safe to save money for their future.On the credibility and transparency of the pension market development and measures to be put in place for a lot of people to buy in to the scheme, especially for a young Nigerian market, Mr. Smorenberg emphasized the importance of education and understanding that saving money for later is better.“If we can educate people, which is where our financial literacy comes in, and have kids in school understand what interest is and the effect of inflation on your savings, which are complex things to understand, then it would be better.”In what he described as ‘Personal Economy’, he reiterated that they were very simple basic steps which should continue each year at schoolfor people to have the perfect enlightenment about the pension market development.
The World Pension Summit for Africa holds from Monday, July 7 to Tuesday July 8 in Abuja.
http://www.channelstv.com/2014/07/07/world-pension-summit-africa-can-leapfrog-development-countries-harry-smorenberg/

More PHOTOS;
Members of PDP National
Working Committee toast to Fayose's victory with President Jonathan at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Members of PDP National
Working Committee toast to Fayose's victory with President Jonathan at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

President Jonathan Welcomes PDP Chairman, Muazu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja

President Jonathan and PDP Chairman Muazu toasting to PDP's victory in Ekiti during PDP National Working Committee Visit to Presidential Villa, Abuja

President Jonathan and VP Sambo toasting to PDP's victory in Ekiti during PDP National Working Committee Visit to Presidential Villa, Abuja

PHOTO: President Jonathan, Vice President Sambo and PDP Chairman Muazu toasting to PDP's victory in Ekiti during PDP National Working Committee Visit to Presidential Villa, Abuja

Basking in the euphoria of the victory of the Peoples Democratic Party in Saturday’s Ekiti State gubernatorial election, President Goodluck Jonathan directed the party leadership to work harder to ensure that the party takes other states under the control of the opposition.

President Jonathan said this when he played host to the
Adamu Muazu led National Working Committee of PDP who were in the presidential villa to congratulate him over the party victory in the Ekiti election.

While commending the leadership of the party for the victory in the Ekiti election, the President urged them not to rest on their oars until they bring states like Lagos, Osun and others under the fold of the party.

“At least, we have seen clearly that Ekiti is now a PDP state. We pray that we will work very hard, sell our ideas, our programmes, manifesto to Nigerians so that they will accept us for what we are.

“We always say that we will not disappoint Nigerians. We believe that we will even do more in other states.”

The President also commended the security agencies, the Independent National Electoral Commission and other stakeholders for ensuring smooth and peaceful conduct of the election.

• Uduaghan pledges loyalty to PDP,
throws hat into senatorial ring
Jaiyeola Andrews and Omon-Julius
Onabu
Despite the crisis rocking the party
and loss of its members to the
opposition All Progressives Congress
(APC), President Goodluck Jonathan
has expressed confidence that the
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
remains the party to beat, saying the
party “dey bam bam, no shaking.”
Jonathan spoke yesterday at the
Presidential Villa, Abuja, when he
interacted with members of the party
from the North-west geopolitical
zone.
While acknowledging that there was
so much hype about the opposition in
the media, he maintained that the
opposition would not stop PDP in the
2015 elections.
“There is so much noise in the media,
whether is electronic or newspapers
or even social media, sometimes it
seems as if the world is coming to an
end. At times when they come to me
with some of these things I smile and
say from 1959 down the story has
changed," he said.
Taking a pot shot at the APC, the
president said: “Some people can call
themselves progressives they have
done that before, did they change the
system? Today if you can abuse
Jonathan you are a progressive, if
you can attack the federal
government you are a progressive,
even if nothing is happening in your
state you are a progressive. We have
seen the progressives.”
According to him, there is no ward or
no voting unit where PDP members
are not found, adding that in some
areas of the country, the APC remains
unknown.
“If you go to some areas, they don’t
even know this new name yet, much
less where to thumb print on the
ballot paper; they don't even know.
So be rest assured our members will
continue to work together to
strengthen the party and it will
continue to be the number one party
in this country,” he said.
He charged members of the PDP not
to be deceived by the antics of the
opposition who had been lobbying for
their decampment, saying PDP
members should not leave certainty
for uncertainty.
Responding, Dr. Haliru Bello said the
PDP North-west remained one and
indivisible entity. He equally assured
Jonathan that the party was fully in
support of him in the zone.
He commended Vice-President
Namadi Sambo for working hard to
organise and reinvigorate the party
and to maintain its vibrancy in the
zone and the north generally.
Those present during the solidarity
visit were the vice-president; Kaduna
State Governor, Ramahlan Yero;
Kebbi State Governor, Seidu
Dakingari; Katisina State Governor,
Ibrahim Shema, PDP National
Chairman, Bamanga Tukur;
Mohammed Abacha; and a host of
others.
Meanwhile, the Delta State Governor,
Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, has ruled
out the possibility of his departure
from the PDP.
He told reporters in Asaba yesterday
during an interactive session that he
was a founding member of the party
and would remain so.
His clarification followed a report in
the media that he was considering
leaving the ruling party for an
unnamed party.
However, Uduaghan, who is billed to
end his two-term tenure in 2015,
dropped the hint that he might run for
the Senate after leaving the
Government House, as he is qualified
to do so.
Reacting to the media report on his
plan to defect from the PDP, he said:
“There is absolutely no truth in the
report. I have no plans to leave the
party. I will swim and sink with PDP.
PDP is the only party in Nigeria that
has maintained its name since its
formation in 1998; all the other
parties have either merged, re-
merged or died.
“As a foundation member and a life
member of the PDP, I would,
therefore, not even contemplate
leaving the party for any reason
whatever. So I beg una, I no dey go
anywhere."
According to the governor, Delta State
remains a strong PDP stronghold,
which is prepared to always support
Jonathan.
He added: “Delta State is a PDP state;
it is PDP all the way. So I have no
reason to run to any other party. And
in Delta, we are more united now, as
you saw at the last Delta Central
senatorial election where we cleared
all the wards, leaving only one ward
for the opposition party.”
On his reported ambition to run for
the Senate in 2015, Uduaghan said he
was eminently qualified to vie,
adding that by the unwritten
understanding of his Delta South
senatorial zone, a candidate of
Itsekiri extraction would be vying for
the seat this time around.
http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/jonathan-apc-is-unknown-quantity/168486/

Two months to the March deadline for the completion of bid rounds for new marginal oil fields in Nigeria, the Federal Government is yet to make public the list of oil blocks it plans to offer for sale, in what some investors say is not unconnected with scheming for the 2015 polls.
For the first time in 12 years,
government on November 28, 2013,
began the process for the second
marginal field licensing round,
offering 31 on-shore and off-shore
fields.
Minister of Petroleum Resources,
Diezani Alison-Madueke, while
briefing newsmen in Abuja, said the
process for the fields, 16 of which are
located onshore, and the remaining
15 in the continental shelf, will be
completed in the next four months
(March 2014), while urging interested
local companies to form consortia
and increase their chances of winning
the fields.
According to her, “over the next two
weeks, the Department of Petroleum
Resources (DPR) will undertake a
road show to different parts of the
country about the programme. This
will be followed by a three and half
months of competitive bidding
process, in line with the federal
government’s commitment to
openness and transparency in the
conduct of business activities in the
country.
About two months after this
declaration, followed by road shows
to kick-start the process, the
Department of Petroleum Resources
(DPR) is yet to publish the list of oil
blocks for sale in the new bid round.
Investigations by Daily Independent
showed that the agency and the
Ministry of Petroleum Resources
neither released the list nor publish it
on their websites, triggering worries
among prospective bidders.
Some of the bidders who craved
anonymity because of the “sensitive
nature of the issues” to their
“business interests,” however said a
version of the list of the juicy blocks
is already in circulation among some
political heavy weights through their
highly connected Nigerian oil
companies.
According to one source, a marginal
field operator, on the list for example,
including “Uzuaku field on Oil Mining
Lease (OML) 11 in Ogoni land, the
Egbolom field on OML 23 that was
previously operated by Shell in Rivers
State, three offshore fields on OML
100 (Usoro, Ikong, Ibiom) and two on
OML 67 (Amaniba and Ekpat).”
Executive vice chairman, Terra Energy
Services Nigeria Limited, Akin
Adetunji had earlier urged the DPR to
explain why the list has not been
published.
“It is only the DPR that knows why
the list has not been published. If
they are calling for bids and
publishing guidelines, they should tell
why the list of the assets is not yet
out,” he said.
A management staff of DPR
confirmed in a telephone interview
with Daily Independent that the
official list of marginal fields to be
auctioned had not been made public.
He however debunked allegations
that some prospective bidders whose
companies have political
heavyweights as stakeholders have
seen the list. “What is circulating
among some people is not the
authentic list,” he said.
http://dailyindependentnig.com/2014/01/2015-elections-fg-wooing-opposition-oil-blocks/

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde
Fashola (SAN) has regretted the loss
of over 15 lives in Tuesday’s tanker
explosion in Apapa area of the state.
Fashola spoke to journalists after
inspecting ongoing projects in
Ikorodu on Thursday.
Describing the incident as
devastating, Fashola noted that the
era of moving PMS by road has gone.
He noted that Nigeria was one of the
few oil producing countries still
transporting fuel with trucks through
metropolitan cities, berating the
Federal Government for not living up
to its responsibility of making the rail
transportation system work.
“Everyone must take his own share of
the responsibility on this issue. First,
the federal government. There isn’t a
rocket science about restoring the old
rail tracks. If the rail is working as
they say, then we should begin to use
it to transport our petroleum products
rather than use the road. It will save
the roads and fuel,” the governor said.
He said the incident coming just few
months after the revelation of
mismanagement of funds in the
Nigeria National Petroleum
Corporation raises serious questions
on how the federal government
appropriated the funds.
He said, “When one looks at the
waste in NNPC. Now we were talking
about $45billion that was missing.
They seem to be quite satisfied to tell
us that it was only $10 billion that
was missing. This is a lot of money.
One dollar of public money is a lot of
money. But later they told us that
they spent the money actually.
“Now serious questions must be
asked by the National Assembly,
chartered accountants and Nigerians
about who appropriated the money.
Was it spent during the period that
the CBN governor said that they
didn’t account for the money or was it
before? And if there was
appropriation for it, then we can now
begin to seriously talk that were they
the right places to spend the money?
Given that if we had spent $10 billion
to try and use it to build rails for
evacuation of fuel from Apapa and
Tin Can Island, maybe those people
wouldn’t have died. They are serious
questions. First was that the priority?
Were those the things to spend them
on assuming there was
appropriation? They are serious
questions that we all must ask at this
moment.”
http://thenationonlineng.net/new/blame-fg-for-tanker-explosion-fashola/

The lawmakers said they took the decision to join Governor Wamakko in the APC.

The majority of the members of the Sokoto State House of Assembly have defected to the All Progressives Congress, APC, from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
Twenty seven out of the 30 members of the Assembly took the decision to move the APC on Wednesday, lawmakers said.

The Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Malami Basakkwace, informed PREMIUM TIMES over the telephone that the members decided to move to the APC to follow the state governor, Aliyu Wamakko, who was one of the five governors that defected to the APC.

“We are moving in line the decision of his Excellency Governor Aliyu Wamakko to also move over to the APC,” he said. The defectors include the speaker of the assembly and other principal officials.

Mr. Basakkwace also said since the defection of the governors, people from the 27 constituencies have mounted pressure on the legislators to follow the governor. He added that the crisis in the PDP, which led to the factionalisation of the party at both state and national level, also made them leave.

Another member, Abdulsamad Dasuki, also told PREMIUM TIMES that Nigeria’s constitution allows them freedom of association, and that the crisis in the PDP appears to be increasing by the day.

“The PDP Umbrella is torn and we have to follow the wishes of our people,” he said.

Mr. Dasuki also said the three remaining members may also defect.

“I am sure they would do the same when they finally came back, they were absent today (Wednesday) due to illness and other commitments,” he said.

PREMIUM TIMES learnt that the lawmakers moved from the Assembly complex, where they took the decision to defect on Wednesday, to the Sokoto Government House to inform Mr. Wamakko of their decision.

Mr. Wamakko had, alongside four of his fellow governors – Rabiu Kwankwaso of Kano, Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers, Murtala Nyako of Adamawa and Ahmed Abdulfatah of Kwara- announced in October their decision to defect to the APC.

http://premiumtimesng.com/news/152914-breaking-news-27-30-sokoto-legislators-decamp-apc.html

jjcbuthot: Those are the heavy weight and thinkers in GEJ administration.

She contested the last presidential election and got only 1 vote... Her family members didnt even vote for her.

LOL..

From JULIANA TAIWO-OBALONYE,
Abuja
Special Adviser to the President on
Ethics and Values, Mrs. Sarah Jibril,
has described those who delight in
insulting President Goodluck
Jonathan as lacking home training,
good manners and ethical maturity.
While commending Jonathan for not
responding to every insult that comes
his way, she stated that insulting the
president of the country is a bad
definition of politics, adding that it
boils down to philosophical
bankruptcy or ignorance.
Jibril, while fielding questions from
newsmen at a roundtable on cultural
diplomacy in Nigeria and Africa,
organised by her office, said choosing
to criticise rather than make
contributions boils down to personal
ego.
She stated: “It (insulting the
president) boils down to
philosophical bankruptcy or
ignorance. It is a matter of personal
ego for people to criticise rather than
make contributions. It is the
responsibility of the government to
re-educate them.
“I appreciate that Mr. President is not
responding to every insult that is
coming up. Our business in
government is to tolerantly, patiently
and lovingly continue to educate
people explaining what we are trying
to do.
“Insulting the president is a bad
definition of politics. There is a way
you can raise observations. But I
think they would have much more
human civilisation input that you are
talking to a person you voted for and
you have avenue of advice but you
take it personally to insult the
president of the Federal Republic of
your country, it means that person is
showing the lack of home training,
good manner and ethical maturity.
“They are better advised to now show
that indeed they can observe some
inputs that must be used. At the
same time, they must also show that
they have decorum of self-respect
and national respect.”
Earlier at opening of the roundtable,
Jibril described ethics and values as
cornerstones of national unity.
She said Nigerians deserved
commendations for living together for
100 years without breaking up,
expressing the confidence that
despite Nigeria’s diversity, the nation
would not break up, adding that with
the beginning of another centenary,
the nation was on the threshold of a
new beginning.
Jibril commended members of the
National Assembly for their stance
against same marriage, saying no
Nigerian growing up ever witnessed a
male horse mating with another male
horse nor an hen mating with another
end, adding that no pressure from the
West should make Nigeria change her
mind.
Chairman of the roundtable discuss,
Emeka Ejiafor, noted that the greatest
challenge in the country today
bothers on ethics and values.
He stressed that attitudinal change
was key to the transformation of
Nigeria. “We should not be exporting
corruption. You don’t need to acquire
what you don’t deserve. The police
and military we have is a product of
the society we have.”
He added that it was hypocritical for
public servants to join in shouting
corruption in government circles
when 80 per cent of houses in Abuja,
for instance, is owned by them, urging
them to change for real.
Representative of the Minister of
Foreign Affairs, Mrs. Uche Ajuku
Okeke, said what was wrong with
ethics and value in Nigeria was
because the actors were high on the
talk and low on the doing.
Okeke, who is the Director of Training
and Staff Welfare in the Ministry,
noted that several tradition practice is
low on talk but high on the doing.
She advised that Nigeria should
emulate the Chinese, who sell their
culture through their cuisine and
making more money from it than
crude oil, saying it was high time
Nigeria induce compliance by
attaching conditions to the services
provided.
“Inducing compliance through
demand driven conditions will
transform the country for the better,”
he said.
http://sunnewsonline.com/new/cover/jonathans-critics-lack-home-training-sarah-jibril/

YENAGOA—Hundreds of half-nude
women in Peremabiri community in
Bayelsa State, Niger Delta, yesterday,
staged a protest against non-
implementation of an existing
agreement by Shell.
The women disrupted movement of
workers into the oil platforms and
boat houses operated by Shell in the
area, alleging non-implementation of
the memorandum of understanding
Shell entered into with the
community.
The protesting women tied red cloth
to block the entrance to the oil
platform located within the
community.
They further alleged that Shell had
failed to redeem the two-year-old
promise to replace a faulty
community generator, renovate
existing community school and
provide potable water for its host
community.
Some of the women carried placards
with various inscriptions such as
“Shell: Give us Light”, “Implement
MoU or go”, “We need water, Light,
School for our children” among
others.
The protesters claimed that the oil
firm had adopted delay tactics to
avoid providing the amenities which
they said were time-bound.
Reacting to the development, the
spokesman for Shell Petroleum
Development Company, SPDC,
Precious Okolobo, urged the
aggrieved women to adopt the spelt-
out channel of addressing their
grievances.
“The SPDC has continued to work
with the Peremabiri community on
the implementation of the MoU in
their area. The MoU model has
provision for addressing grievances.”
On the broken down generator at
Peremabiri, Okolobo said SPDC
procured a new set that is being
transported to the area for installation
and commissioning.
He said the set was twice the
capacity of the bad one, and would be
commissioned as soon as possible.
“The Bayelsa State Government and
MoU Cluster Development Board are
aware of the situation and are
engaging the Community
Development Committee,” Okolobo
said.
Nigeria is one of the world’s major oil
producers, but the oil- producing
Niger Delta region remains one of the
country’s poorest and least developed
regions.
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/01/half-naked-women-protest-shell-bayelsa/

The G6 lawmakers were absent at the
event
The Rivers State Governor, Chibuike
Amaechi, on Tuesday defied the
raging crisis in the Rivers State House
of Assembly and threats from
political foes to present the state’s
2014 budget proposal of N485.524
billion to the Assembly at the old
auditorium within the Government
House, Port Harcourt.
However, the group of six lawmakers,
led by Evans Bipi, was absent from
the event, which was presided over by
the Speaker, Otelemaba Amachree.
Mr. Bipi had been parading himself
as the Speaker until last December
when he was restrained by the state
High Court, Ahoada, which was due
to continue hearing on the matter on
Monday before its premises was
rocked by explosion.
The Rivers State House of Assembly
had been in crisis since July last year
prompting the National Assembly to
pass a resolution the following
month taking over its functions in
accordance with Section 11 (4) of the
1999 Constitution.
A court, however, nullified the action
of the National Assembly.
At Monday’s budget presentation, the
Deputy Leader of the House moved a
motion requesting the Speaker to
designate the Old Auditorium located
close to the Deputy Governor’s Office
as the chamber of the House for the
purpose of the presentation. The
motion was seconded by the Deputy
Whip.
The governor and his entourage,
which comprised mostly
commissioners and advisers, were
admitted to the auditorium after the
motion was unanimously passed.
Mr. Amaechi, who apparently relied
on last month’s judgment of the
Federal High Court, Abuja voiding of
the resolution of the National
Assembly to take over the functions
of the state legislature, said the 2014
budget estimate was N4.79 billion
(0.98%) lower than the 2013 budget,
which was N490.32 billion.
A breakdown of the proposed budget,
which the governor said would focus
on the completion of ongoing projects
in about eight key sectors, showed
that a total of N247.573 billion was
allocated for capital expenditure
while N237.950 would be for
recurrent expenditure.
Mr. Amaechi said the proposal was
arrived at after due consultations with
relevant stakeholders within and
outside the public service.
“Rt. Honourable Speaker, with due
consultations with relevant
stakeholders within and outside the
public service, we are proposing an
aggregate Budget of N485.524 billion
for the year 2014,” the governor said.
“This is N4.797 billion (0.98%) lower
than the 2013 budget of N490.320
billion. The focus of the budget will
be on completing ongoing projects in
Health, Education, Roads, Transport,
power, Water and Agriculture and
other critical infrastructure. Capital
and Recurrent provisions are
N247.573 billion and N237.950
billion, respectively.
“Our Capital to Recurrent ratio
is76:24 for the financial year 2014 as
against 70:30 achieved as at
September, in this outgoing year.”
He said the 2014 budget would be
funded by FAAC allocation of
N241.243 billion and Internally
Generated Revenue, IGR, of N92.420
billion; prior year balance ofN10.717
billion; proposed loans ofN100
billion; credit from World Bank-
N6.983 billion; European Union grant
of N0.660 billion; and sale of asset of
N33 billion.
The sectoral allocations show that
the Ministry of Works got the highest
with N60 billion budgeted for its
activities; Education, N30 billion;
Greater Port Harcourt City Authority
20 billion; Office of the Secretary to
the Government N11 billion; Rivers
State Sustainable Agency N10 billion;
and Transport N10 billion; Others are
Sports N8 billion; Water Resources
N8 billion; Power N7 billion; Water
Resources Management Agency N6.5
billion; Rivers State House of
Assembly N6.1 billion.
The Rivers State Urban Beautification,
Parks and Garden got the lowest with
N80 million.
On the performance of the 2013
Budget, Mr. Amaechi said, “Combined
actual total expenditure (recurrent
plus capital) is (N314.871 billion) for
the period ending September showing
a performance rate of N64.22 per
cent.”
http://premiumtimesng.com/news/152862-ameachi-defies-rivers-crisis-presents-n485-billion-budget-2014.html