₦airaland Forum

May Her Soul Rest In Peace. AMEN.

Havoc struck today when a 46 year
old woman, identified as Hajiya
Belkisu Mahmoud suddenly slumped
and died in the office of the Niger
state governor, Dr. Mu’azu Babangida
Aliyu.
It was gathered that the woman a
mother of three had waited several
hours to see the governor but was
denied access to see the governor
who was said to have a lot of files to
treat due to the New Year break but
shortly after she was ushered into the
governor’s office that she slump.
Source in the governor’s office who
spoke in confidence said the woman
who was suspected to be asthmatic
was immediately rushed to the Minna
General Hospital where Doctor
confirmed her dead.
Our source said that the woman who
was on a private visit was delayed in
the waiting hall because her name
was not on the approved protocol list
of those to see the governor, but
being a former staff officer (SO) in the
Deputy Governor’s office.
There is no official statement from
the government as at the time of filing
this report but the governor was said
to have hurriedly left office after the
incident.
Doctors at the Minna General
Hospital also refused to comment on
the incident as they all kept sealed
lips and avoided efforts to get them to
comment.
http://thenationonlineng.net/new/woman-dies-in-governors-office/

cramjones: And some e-diots are planning to vote the Jonathians in 2015. Once again, if our elections are rigged by these armed miscreants and good-for-nothing goons, we will NOT go to the courts.. The APC and Nigerians will settle this once and for all, because there would be NO longer Nigeria. Not only that, we will unto our oil.

Is this the ideology of the APC which claims to be on a 'Rescue Mission'?....God needs to rescue us first from this Self -Seeking and Greedy APC before they cause further damage to our nascent Democracy!

The Presidency on Sunday said
President Goodluck Jonathan was
favourably disposed to mending
fences with former President
Olusegun.
The Special Adviser to the President
on Political Matters, Mr. Ahmed
Gulak, made this known on Sunday
just as The PUNCH gathered that the
feud between Jonathan and Obasanjo
was adding to the worries of the
leadership of the Peoples Democratic
Party.
The sour relationship between the
duo became public knowledge in
December 2013 when Obasanjo
wrote a letter titled “Before it is too
late” to Jonathan.
In the letter, he accused the President
of condoning corruption, training
snipers, putting some persons on a
watch list and engaging in other acts
capable of destroying the country.
Jonathan replied Obasanjo openly,
saying his letter was designed to
incite Nigerians against him.
There were however speculations that
some former leaders had approached
the President and Obasanjo to
reconcile them.
Although Gulak, in an exclusive
interview with one of our
correspondents in Abuja, said he was
not aware of such moves, he added
that there was nothing wrong with it.
He stated that in spite of the
exchange of letters between the two
leaders, Jonathan still held Obasanjo
in high esteem.
The presidential aide said the
President did not only see Obasanjo
as a leader but also as his father.
He said the President had nothing
against Obasanjo because he
believed strongly that only God was
perfect.
The Presidential aide said, “We are
not aware of the reconciliation moves
but there is nothing wrong with it. In
fact, it is a good development
because our party, the PDP, is always
open to reconciliation.
“Only God is perfect. If in the wisdom
of the nation’s elders, there is a need
for reconciliation, there is no problem.
“Let me assure you however that
President Jonathan has nothing
against Chief Obasanjo. He considers
the former President as a leader and
a father, that is why he calls him
Baba.
“President Jonathan has highest
respect for Chief Obasanjo. The recent
exchange of letters does not mean
that he does not hold the former
President in high esteem.
“Nobody is perfect. No leader is
perfect, it is only God that is perfect.
There is no alternative to peace in the
country and in our party.”
However, a media aide to Obasanjo,
Mr. Tunde Oladunjoye, said on
Sunday that the ex-president was not
at war with Jonathan.
Oladunjoye, in a telephone interview
with one of our correspondents in
Abuja, also said he was not aware of
any move to reconcile the two
leaders.
He said, “Baba did not write that
letter as an enemy. He said he wrote
the letter as part of his duties to his
political godson, the PDP and the
nation.
“I can tell you without any fear of
contradiction that Baba is not at war
with anybody, including the
President. That is why when the
President wrote his own letter, Baba
said he had no comment to make.”
Oladunjoye wondered why some
people felt they could profit from a
dispute that did not exist between
Obasanjo and Jonathan.
He added that Obasanjo had, in his
letter, stated that he would maintain
his serenity.
But a top source in the PDP said the
ruling party’s leadership was at a
crossroads on how to handle the
misunderstanding between the two
leaders.
The source said the disagreement
was not good for the PDP, especially
at this critical period when all hands
must be on the deck ahead of the
2015 general elections.
The source said, “Those who are
saying that the former President is
not popular and cannot even win
election in his home state are
ignorant of the enormous popularity
he has in and outside the country.
“The former President is very popular
in the North and even in the South-
South because he was responsible for
the Jonathan Presidency. So, people
there still respect him for that.
“Remember that it was this same
former President who calmed the
frayed nerves at the Eagles Square
during the 2011 presidential
primaries and he was also the one
who asked the late President, Alhaji
Umaru Yar’Adua to step aside if he
knew his health could no longer allow
him to do the job when he was sick.”
He added that some PDP governors
loyal to the former President could
secretly go to him to seek advice on
any issue, including the running of the
party and the country.
“The President should know that his
popularity and that of the party is
declining since the sycophants
around him would not tell him “ he
added.
He said he expected the President
and the PDP leadership to take
precautionary measures in dealing
with the crises in the party.
The source said, “We have lost five
governors and 37 members of the
House of Representatives and we
may also lose more.
“The 2014 budget is still there before
the National Assembly and all these
are happening in an election year.
Definitely, we have rookies at the
helm of affairs of the party and those
advising the President are not helping
him.”
http://www.punchng.com/news/president-open-to-reconciliation-with-obasanjo-presidency/

By Tunde Opeseitan - Lagos
Rivers State Police Commissioner,
Joseph Mbu, has been ordered to
release the detained suspected armed
thugs of George Sekibo, a Senator;
and Evans Bipi, a member of the
Rivers State House of Assembly, Daily
Independent has authoritatively
gathered.
The release order, according to
findings, is coming from President
Goodluck Jonathan’s wife, Patience.
Sekibo and Bipi are both close
political allies of the First Lady.
The six suspected thugs were
arrested by the Joint Military Task
Force (JTF) in Ogu (hometown of the
two politicians) in Rivers State.
The JTF later handed them over to
the police for prosecution
But Mrs Jonathan was said to have
ordered Mbu to release the suspects
and return to them the arms and
ammunition found in their
possession.
At press time last night, it was not
clear whether Mbu had carried out the
order or not, but Bipi was said to be
to ensure the release of the suspects.
Meanwhile, a crisis of confidence
seems to be brewing between the
JTF/Army and the police in Rivers
State on how the story of the arrest of
the armed thugs leaked to the media.
An online newspaper,
‘Saharareporters’, broke the story.
Mbu was said to have complained
loudly that the story must have been
leaked to the media by the Army/JTF.
It was further gathered that Mbu
equally lamented that the other
security agencies, namely Army,
Navy, Air Force and SSS, in the state
are not helping him and the police in
the fight against Rivers State
Governor, Rotimi Amaechi.
According to a credible source, who
does not want to be named, Mbu
allegedly cited the arrest and the
subsequent leakage of it to the media
as an example, adding that if it was
the Rivers State Police Command that
made the arrest, the media won’t
have heard about it.
However, a source within the JTF/
Army dismissed Mbu’s claims and
described them as “ridiculous and
preposterous”.
The source maintained that the Army
do not get involved in politics, and
certainly do not take sides in political
fights.
According to the source, who also
spoke to the on line medium on
conditions of anonymity, “Mbu must
be a joker, if he expects the Army to
do otherwise.”
The source further stated that Mbu
should look inside the police on how
the story got to the media, as it was
after the Army handed over the
suspects to the police for prosecution
that the story went public.
It would be recalled that on January
3, members of the Joint Military Task
Force (JTF) arrested six youths, who
the military soon found out to be
armed thugs, around Ekporo road on
their way to Ogu in the Ogu Bolo
Local Government area of Rivers
State.
They were in an off white Land Rover
jeep with registration number
JJ441BZ.
The thugs were arrested based on
their suspicious movement.
Those arrested gave their names as
Sunday Elisha, Uche Jenikachi,
Ibinabo Lawson, Okechukwu Okoro,
Jerry Tonyeand Daniel Ibito-Anga
(leader of the thugs).
In fact, Ibito-Anga parades himself in
Ogu Bolo as Security Adviser/PA to
both Senator George Sekibo (who
represents Rivers East) and Bipi, who
had earlier paraded himself as
Speaker of the Rivers State House of
Assembly until he was stopped by an
order of the State High Court.
Both Sekibo and Bibi are from Ogu
and have confessed publicly to be
close allies of Mrs. Jonathan, who
hails from nearby Okrika.
They all speak the same native Okrika
dialect.
Bipi was also a domestic aide of Mrs
Jonathan before he was elected into
the Rivers State House of Assembly in
2011.
Sekibo, who nurses a governorship
ambition, is hoping to ride into Rivers
State Government House on the back
of the First Lady.
All of them are also known publicly to
be fighting Amaechi.
Recovered from the suspects are
seven AK47 assorted riffles, 164
rounds of 7.62mm special live
ammunition, 10 live magazines and
six locally made cannon launchers.
The JTF has confirmed the arrest and
the weapons found on them.
After their arrest, the suspects were
taken by the JTF team to Bori Camp,
the military base in Port Harcourt.
The thugs were then handed over to
the police in Rivers State for
prosecution.
Already, there were allegations that
the commissioner of police, Mbuh,
was brought to head the state police
command by Mrs Jonathan.
Amaechi had recently raised an alarm
that arms, ammunition and weapons
were being brought into the state by
politicians opposed to his
administration ahead of the next
general elections.
The Governor had specifically alleged
that the arms being built up in the
state were to be used to intimidate
and perpetrate violence against
Rivers people.
http://dailyindependentnig.com/2014/01/jonathans-wife-orders-release-suspected-thugs-rivers/

Vessi: And she doesn't write well.

I've observed this too....Almost all her updates are/were poorly constructed....but she's making her money, so no big deal!

Alright..... Good to know..

President Goodluck Jonathan will declare his intention to contest for the 2015 presidential election next Thursday, DailyPost has gathered.

He is expected to do so before the National Executive Council, NEC, of the party, where a vote of confidence would be passed on the National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur.

PDP National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, who confirmed that the NEC meeting will hold next Thursday, however refused to give details of the agenda.

National Mirror reports that a member of the National Working Committee, NWC of the party, disclosed that NEC will be formally informed of the president’s intention.

He said: “President Jonathan will formally table his reelection bid and will seek the endorsement of the NEC to be given the opportunity to fly the flag of the party once again.


“The President has personally requested for this NEC as he intends to use the opportunity to clear the ground concerning the crisis in the party, the leadership of Tukur and his ambition to remain in power till 2019.

“Most Nigerians are aware that the President has the intention of remaining in power as far as the constitution permits and he has resolved after due consultations with his immediate family to also seek the permission of the party leaders to continue the good works he is doing.

“He will put the records straight and will ignore the opposition mounted by a segment of the elite who are bent on intimidating him out of power.”

It was also gathered that the meetings of the National Caucus of the party and the Board of Trustees (BoT) scheduled to take place on January 6 and 7 respectively, will pass a vote of confidence on the president and also endorse his re-election bid.

NEC sources disclosed that the party will discuss the defection of some party governors, lawmaker and members to the opposition All Progressives Congress, APC, among others.

http://dailypost.com.ng/2014/01/03/2015-jonathan-declare-re-election-ambition-next-week/

Shedysworld: I like this lady strategy of always keeping herself in the news.

Exactly

Yes, you read right. So excited to announce that Annie and 2face Idibia welcomed a daughter today January 3rd 2014. She gave birth in the past few hours in an Atlanta hospital.

Mother and child are said to be doing great.

The couple got married in March 2013, and already have 41/2 year old daughter, Isabella. Big congrats to them.

http://lindaikeji..com/2014/01/yay-annie-and-2face-idibia-welcome-new.html?m=1

Tonto Dikeh has warned her 'haters' to mind their business this new year. She made this known via her instagram page. Read her message below:

Quick and resolute action should be taken to forestall another round of crisis in the health sector.

The ripples generated by the letter of
former President Olusegun Obasanjo
to President Goodluck Jonathan are
yet to settle, as the Senate has stated
that it will investigate the allegations
contained in the letter when it
resumes from the yuletide break.
Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba,
who said this when he spoke to
THISDAY yesterday, said though
Jonathan had responded to the
former president, the allegations
concerning security issues in
Obasanjo’s letter are weighty enough
to prompt the Senate’s investigation.
He debunked rumours that the
legislature was compromised,
insisting that the allegations made in
the letter were too weighty to be
glossed over hence the Senate would
probe those allegations within its
jurisdiction and leave those that had
to do with crime and fraud to the
relevant agencies.
Ndoma-Egba, who represents Cross
River Central Senatorial District in the
upper chamber of the National
Assembly, stated that it was not true
that the legislature was avoiding the
probe of the content of the letter,
noting that the allegations contained
therein were of national interest and
could not be overlooked.
He said on resumption from the
Christmas recess, the letter would be
considered as lawmakers are aware
that Nigerians are awaiting their
action on the Obasanjo bombshell
and advised Nigerians to be patient
as everything was being done to
ascertain the veracity or otherwise of
the allegations.
However, he made it clear that the
legislature was not interested in
persecuting anybody but to know
who is telling the truth, as even
Jonathan’s reply would also be
considered.
Time, he added, had passed when
prominent Nigerians made
allegations and they are swept under
the carpet.
On the proposed National Conference,
the Senate Leader said there was
nothing wrong if Nigerians decide to
meet to voice their opinion on issues
they are concerned about and finding
a solution to them, stressing that if
Nigerians through their delegates
agree to resolve differences in the
polity, the job of the National
Assembly would no longer be
tedious.
He said the National Conference
could not take the place of the
legislature because the latter is
constitutionally empowered to make
laws for the good governance of the
country, while the former would be
set up to allow Nigerians give their
opinions on knotty issues and proffer
solutions to them.
Reacting to calls for a unitary system
of government given that the
presidential system is expensive and
operates a bicameral legislature,
Ndoma-Egba said the federal system
which Nigeria operates is the best for
the country, considering that Nigeria
is diverse and heterogeneous.
A bicameral legislature is good for a
country that is diverse in nature.
Nigeria is made up of major and
minor tribes. This means the majority
tribes have a higher numerical
strength than the minorities. If this is
allowed to prevail, the minorities will
not be able to produce a legislator,
governor or president.
“Federalism and by extension the
bicameral legislature, which we
practise, guarantees the political
rights of the minorities as they are
free from oppression and domination
by the majority tribes. Those who say
the bicameral system is a waste of
resources are ill-informed.
“A country that is as diverse as
Nigeria needs representation that will
reflect its makeup for peace to
prevail,” he said.
Ndoma-Egba called for the
devolution of powers to states and
local government councils to truly
reflect the federal system of
government practised in the country,
adding that the centre has too much
power at its disposal, a development
that does not allow the federating
units have a say especially in the
management of the country’s
resources.
He said once power is devolved, true
federalism will begin to be practised
leading to healthy economic
competition under the principle of
comparative advantage which in the
main would see states and local
government areas looking inwards
rather than always waiting for
handouts from the centre.
On the alleged cold war between him
and Governor Liyel Imoke of Cross
River State, the Senate leader said he
had no issues with the governor as
rumoured and that he had always
participated in state functions
involving the governor whenever he is
in the state.
He pointed out that if all was not well
between them, he would not have
participated in the 2013 Calabar
Carnival where he walked and danced
on its 12 kilometre route.
He also said at no point did he
endorse anybody as governor of the
state for the 2015 election, let alone
introduce anyone to Aso Rock for
endorsement, adding that he and
Imoke were not at loggerheads over
the latter’s successor as had been
speculated in Calabar, the Cross River
State capital, recently.
http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/senate-to-investigate-obasanjo-s-letter-to-jonathan/167904/

Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State
has scored President Goodluck
Jonathan high for his performance in
2013 and called on Nigerians to give
him total support this year for him to
continue to improve . Obi, while
answering questions from journalists
in Awka yesterday, also wished
Nigerians God’s protection in the New
Year.
Reeling out areas where Jonathan
had done well, Obi singled out the
area of power and insisted that in few
years, the president’s revolution in
that area would become clear to even
doubting Thomases.
He stated: “The President has done
very well. He is trying to introduce a
new order and the so much bickering
as we hear are mostly from those
resisting the new order; most of them
being those that benefited from the
old order. Look at the power sector;
the President has succeeded in
unbundling the area and I bet you, in
a few years we shall see the effect
and at that time he will surely go
down in history as one of the best
presidents Nigeria has had.”
Obi said that comparing past
governors and the present ones has
shown that governance was
improving by the day in Nigeria. He
expressed confidence that it would
continue to improve.
“In the South-East, for instance, riding
from the airport through Enugu, reveal
commendable progress. The same
with visits to Umuahia and Abakaliki.
Even among our neighbours, Delta
has changed a lot; Akwa Ibom is no
longer the same; in Cross Rivers and
Bayelsa, one sees efforts to provide
democracy dividends to the people. I
knew what Benin and Akure used to
be and what they are now,” Obi
submitted. Meanwhile, a community
leader in Anambra State, Chief
Paulinus Anagboso, has commended
Governor Obi for what he described as
the best Christmas Anambra State
has witnessed in recent times.
Anagboso said that besides absence
of any form of crime, no part of the
state experienced any form of heavy
traffic because of good network of
road that Gov. Obi had provided
throughout the state.
“Governor Obi is a wonderful man.
Without making a noise, without
arranging praise singers as some
past governors did, he has
revolutionalised Anambra State in all
sectors: health, education, industry,
roads and many more. Unlike in the
past when gridlock marred festive
periods because of influx of vehicles,
today, even if all vehicles in Nigeria
were moved to Anambra, there would
be no traffic jam due to artery of
roads crisscrossing the state,” he
said.
Anagboso, who linked APGA’s victory
in the last governorship election to
the good work of the governor,
expressed satisfaction that the New
Year celebration was equally
peaceful.
Congratulating the state’s Governor-
elect, Dr. Willie Obiano, Anagboso
advised him to understudy Governor
Obi and discover the secrets of his
success.
http://sunnewsonline.com/new/cover/jonathan-done-well-obi/

olupentane: That thread is full of liked post, and I think some evil forces are behind that and luckily you got the highest likes.

That thread is full of liked post, and I think some evil forces are behind that and luckily you got the highest likes.

evil forces?...lol... u funny..

A Prosperous NEW YEAR to Us All!

Toktee: If at your age you cannot make used of your brain,when do you intend to start using it,maybe in your grave.

Thanks but the main thing is that U got my message. Happy New Year!

What a Way to End the Year 2013! I'm not surprised the statement is coming from the leader of the 'much touted Progressive Party'. APC claims to be on a 'rescue mission' but God needs to rescue us from such a Self-Seeking party first. May God see us through 2014. AMEN.

Former President Olusegun
Obasanjo’s allegation that President
Goodluck Jonathan is training
snipers keeps generating the heat.
Although, Obasanjo did not name
anybody, the founder of the militant
Niger Delta People’s Volunteer Force
(NDPV), Alhaji Mujahid Asari-
Dokubo, thinks he is the one the
former president was referring to.
Asari-Dokubo was recently detained
in the Republic of Benin.
He said yesterday that he was not
training snipers either in Nigeria or
abroad for the presidency.
He said although Obasanjo should be
bold enough to indict him for a
response.
Asari-Dokubo said he was neither
flown in a private jet nor in a
presidential jet after being
investigated by security agencies in
Benin Republic.
He said he flew to Abuja from Lagos
in an Aero Contractors plane.
He said the last time he enjoyed the
luxury of a presidential jet was when
Obasanjo sent one to fly him from the
creeks as part of the search for
solutions to the crisis in the Niger
Delta.
He admitted that he had a problem in
Benin Republic following what he
called a false security alarm and the
Federal Government waded in.
Asari-Dokubo, who spoke exclusively
with our correspondent, said he was
only suspected of being a Boko
Haram leader in Benin Republic and
after investigations by Beninoise
authorities, he was let off.
He said: “I don’t know what is called
snipers; I will revisit my dictionary for
the meaning of snipers.
“I am not training snipers for either
the Presidency or anybody. If ex-
President Olusegun Obasanjo wants
to point a finger at me, I will know the
path to take or the relevant
authorities to contact.
“I have not seen my name mentioned
directly by anybody, but I know what
to do if this is so.
“If I am being invited by security
agencies on issues that have to do
with denting my image, I know what
to do.”
Asked why he was arrested, Asari-
Dokubo said: “Information reached
Beninoise security agencies that I
was a Boko Haram leader. And from
all investigations, they said they did
not find any clue linking me with
Boko Haram.
“Some people gave Benin Republic
false information to see that Dokubo
dies before the 2015 general election.
So, we are in a political era and from
all investigations, my encounter in
Benin Republic had to do with
politics.”
On how he returned to his base in
Abuja from Benin Republic, Asari-
Dokubo said: “I came in through Aero
Contractors plane from Lagos to
Abuja. Many people were on board
and they saw me.
“I was not flown into the country
either in a private or presidential jet
at all.
“I had problem in Benin Republic and
the government waded in the matter
because nothing incriminating was
found against me.”
Responding to a question, the founder
of the NDPV said: “If I was nobody,
why did ex-President Obasanjo send
a private jet to convey me to Abuja
from Port Harcourt to negotiate for
militants? ”
http://thenationonlineng.net/new/obasanjos-letter-im-not-training-snipers-says-asari-dokubo/

Senator Uche Chukwumerije (Abia
North) on Tuesday said that only
rotation of the Presidency among the
six geo-political zones could
guarantee lasting peace in the
country.
Chukwumerije, who stated this in a
statement in Abuja on Monday was
commenting on a letter written by
former President Olusegun Obasanjo
to President Goodluck Jonathan.
The senator also said that Jonathan
should be allowed to spend a second
term in office.
He stated, “The formal acceptance of
the current six-zone structure, (the
successor to the former regions,
should be the most effective mode of
implementation of the formula.
“A second term for Jonathan is
important to establish this necessity.
This gives to the federal edifice the
solid foundation.”
According to him, if the participation
of all ethnic components in the
management of Nigeria is the prime
purpose of rotation of the Presidency,
six zones should be the basis.
He said that zoning of the Presidency
between the North and the South
could not serve the interest of Nigeria.
Chukwumerije stated, “The
dichotomy is too general to
guarantee access of feasible
constituents of the federation to the
post of CEO. A formula that will
guarantee Obasanjo’s assurance to
all groups that if Obasanjo could be
there, Yar’ Adua could get there and
Jonathan can get there, any Nigerian
can, should delineate a less unwieldy
territorial swathe than the former
region.
“The current six-zonal administrative
structure offers a surer guarantee of
access to all than the former
regions.”
According to him, the turbulent
history of Nigeria suggests the six-
zone format as a dialectical necessity
in the current phase of nation-
building.
He added that the six zones structure
would bring all the sectors of the
federation nearer to a level playing
ground.
He said that an enabling legislation
was required to make the six-zone
structure the base of the federal union
and to make the zone the unit of
rotation of office of the President
(preferably for a specified transitional
period).
Chukwumerije added, “Alternatively,
all political parties should be
persuaded to voluntarily include the
zone-based format in their
constitutions.
“Ndigbo and all other deprived
groups on the wrong side of the
political divide have also a herculean
task of purging themselves of
sanctimonious self-righteousness
and bracing themselves for hard
bargains and strategic negotiations
with other power blocs.”
http://www.punchng.com/news/rotating-presidency-among-zones-ll-promote-peace-chukwumerije/

Human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi
Falana (SAN), has said that the
Supreme Court was wrong in
quashing the conviction of a former
Chairman of the board of Nigerian
Ports Authority, Chief Olabode George
and five former members.
Falana, in a release on Sunday, said
the judgment of the Supreme Court
was “highly erroneous,” insisting that
“it was based on wrong legal
foundation.”
The Supreme Court on December 13
set aside the judgment of Justice
Olubunmi Oyewole of the Lagos High
Court, who jailed George and others.
The judgment of the Lagos High
Court had earlier been affirmed by the
Court of Appeal in Lagos before the
apex court reversed it on December
13.
The apex court in its judgment
quashed the conviction on the
grounds that the offence of contract
splitting which they were found guilty
of by the trial court was unknown to
the law at the time the judgment was
handed down.
But the rights lawyer, who maintained
that the validity of the Supreme
Court’s judgment “remains
questionable,” said George and others
were not convicted for contract
splitting but for “abuse of powers”
and “disobedience of lawful order”.
He added that his criticism of the
Supreme Court judgment would not
amount to contempt even as he cited
previous pronouncements of the apex
court “which always welcomed a
constructive criticism of its
decisions.”
He said, “It is submitted, without any
fear of contradiction, that the
appellants were not charged for
contract splitting by the Economic
and Financial Crimes Commission
but for “abuse of powers” and
“disobedience of lawful order”
contrary to sections 104 and 203 of
the Criminal Code of Lagos State
respectively.
“In summarising the unassailable
judgment of the learned trial judge,
Clara Ogunbiyi JCA (as she then was)
had, in her lead judgment, said that
the appellants were arraigned “on 68
counts of offences bordering on
inflation of contracts, conspiracy to
disobey lawful orders and abuse of
office…”
“Since both sections 104 and 203
have been part of the Criminal Code
as far back as 1914, it is unbelievable
that the Supreme Court held that the
appellants were charged under an
unknown law. The crime of
disobedience to lawful order by
splitting contracts was not unknown
before the enactment of the Public
Procurement Act, 2007.”
Falana also described as
embarrassing aspect of the judgment
where the Supreme Court annulled
two provisions of the Criminal Code
of Lagos “without hearing from the
Attorney-General of Lagos State in
line with established practice.”
“With profound respect to their
lordships, there is no legal
justification whatsoever for declaring
sections 104 and 203 of the Criminal
Code illegal and unconstitutional,” he
said.
He expressed the hope that the
Supreme Court would “soon have
another opportunity to reverse the
highly erroneous judgment so as to
restore sections 104 and 203 of the
Lagos State Criminal Code which
were struck down for no justifiable
legal reasons.”
http://www.punchng.com/news/scourt-wrongly-freed-bode-george-falana/

The All Progressives Congress (APC)
candidate in the 16 November
Anambra State Governorship Election,
Dr. Chris Ngige has sued the
Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC) and four others
at the Anambra State Governorship
and Legislative Houses Elections
Petition Tribunal at Awka.
Also joined as respondents in the
petition instituted by Ngige and APC
are the INEC Resident Electoral
Commissioner for Anambra State,
Prof. Chukwuemeka Onukaogu; the
All Progressives Grand Alliance
(APGA); Chief Willie Obiano, the
APGA candidate in the election, and
the Advanced Congress of Democrats
(ACD).
In the petition filed by their counsel,
Messrs Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN),
George Uwechue (SAN) and Emeka
Ngige (SAN) among others, the APC
and Ngige are asking the tribunal to
nullify the controversial election,
claiming that it was vitiated by
substantial non-compliance with
mandatory statutory requirements
and irregularities and that “none of
the candidates in the said election
was entitled to be returned.”
The petitioners said they were
aggrieved with the declaration of
Obiano as the winner of the election,
and argued that while the APGA
candidate did not satisfy the
mandatory requirements of the 1999
Constitution and the Electoral Act,
2010 as amended, the election was
conducted in a manner which was
manifestly and substantially not in
compliance with the provisions of the
Constitution and the Electoral Act.
The petitioners thus pray the tribunal
to declare that Obiano was not duly
elected or returned and that his
election was void. They are also
asking the tribunal to determine that
the use of an invalid Voters’ Register
rendered the elections of 16,th 17th
and 30th November, 2013 invalid by
reason of non-compliance with
provisions of Electoral Act 2010 as
amended.
Ngige and APC are also seeking a
declaration that the election was
invalid by reason of corrupt practices
and/or non-compliance with the
provisions of the Electoral Act 2010
as amended, and that Obiano was not
qualified to contest the questioned
election as the APGA candidate.
They want the tribunal to declare that
Obiano was not duly elected by
majority of lawful votes cast at the
election and that the APGA candidate
did not receive 25 per cent of votes
cast in two-thirds of the 21 local
councils of Anambra State as
required by the 1999 Constitution as
amended.
The petitioners therefore seek a
declaration by the tribunal that “the
election and return of the 3rd
Respondent be nullified and a fresh
election be ordered amongst the
parties and candidates who
contested the said election save 3rd
and 4th Respondents.”
Meanwhile, the tribunal has ordered
that Obiano and APGA be served by
substituted means by pasting the
petition on the tribunal’s notice
board. The order was made on 22nd
December, 2013 while the
respondents are expected to respond
within 14 days.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
governorship candidate, Mr. Tony
Nwoye has also filed a petition at the
tribunal. Mr. Nwoye was one of those
disenfranchised during the election,
as he and several members of his
family did not find their names on the
voters’ register used for the election,
though they had their voters’ cards.
http://pmnewsnigeria.com/2013/12/29/ngige-wants-anambra-poll-cancelled-sues-inec-obiano/

The president promised to work
towards a united Nigeria.
President Goodluck Jonathan on
Sunday said the amalgamation of
Nigeria was ordained by God and not
a mistake.
He also stated that his
administration was doing all it could
to ensure that future generations
meet a more united Nigeria without
the ethnic challenges.
Nigeria will next year celebrate 100
years of amalgamation of north and
south, an amalgamation done under
the British colonial government in
1914. The most populous African
country eventually got its
independence in 1960.
Speaking at the Apostolic Faith
Church, Awolowo Road, Jabi, Abuja,
Mr. Jonathan said Nigeria has its
own fair share of challenges with the
major problem being absence of love
and unity among citizens.
“As a nation, we have our challenges,
no doubt about that and anytime I
look at the history of Nigeria and the
challenges we face and when I read
parts of the old testament about when
the Israelites decided to move out of
Egypt to the Promised Land, we have
something quite similar.
“As you are getting closer, you meet
more obstacles and thank God for the
sermon we heard and of course the
songs showed that the greatest
problem we have is love and unity.
Yes, Nigeria was amalgamated by
our colonial masters in 1914. By 1st
January next year, Nigeria as a state
will be 100 years old. But I totally
agree with our man of God that it was
not by chance, it was ordained by
God. If God didn’t will it at that point,
the north and south would not have
come together.
“The details of the north and south
coming together makes Nigeria a
very great country. I use to say that
Nigeria is great not because of oil, we
have countries that produce more oil
than Nigeria but nobody talks about
them,” the president said.
“We have countries that have multi
billion dollars in reserve because of
their wealth and nobody talks about
them. But the biggest to the smallest
country talks about Nigeria. Why?
Because of the diversity from the
north to the south, the human and
natural resources, the potentials and
the population that we have.
“So, Nigeria is a country that has a
special blessing from God. It is left for
us to appreciate God and continue to
pray for God’s intervention and this
country will continue to be great.
“I promise our children that we are
totally committed to make sure that
they meet a different Nigeria.
We will collectively work hard to
overcome these barriers, these
feelings of oh that I am Christian, I
am a Muslim, I am Hausa, I am Ijaw.
Immediately we cross that barrier
and we begin to believe that we are
all Nigerians and we are committed
to the development of this country ,
our children will surely meet a better
Nigeria, we will try our best but this is
not the time to reel out what we are
doing or what we are not doing,
otherwise they will think I am here to
campaign.
But I assure you, this congregation
and indeed all Nigerians that by the
will of God and your support, I am
here today from nowhere. Any child of
Nigeria can be where I am. I come
from the smallest state in this
country, even within the state, one of
the smallest communities in Bayelsa
state. Even within the community,
one of the smallest families, but I am
here today by the grace of God. That
is the type of Nigeria we want to
create, a Nigeria where you can get
what you want if you work hard, its
not because you know somebody
who know somebody that will talk to
somebody. A Nigeria that our children
If they work hard will get whatever
they want just like in other free
societies like America and so on. We
will work with you to help you to get
to wherever you want to go,” he said.
Mr. Jonathan also commended
clerics for all they have “been doing
for this country, for your prayers and I
always say that I will continue to say
it but for your prayers probably it
would have been worse than this”.
http://premiumtimesng.com/news/152255-nigerias-amalgamation-ordained-god-jonathan.html