₦airaland Forum

The National Conference sitting in Abuja yesterday adopted the recommendation of the Committee on Politics and Governance that Nigeria embraces a true federal structure with the states operating as the federating units.

With this, it was agreed that the creation of local government areas be done by the states as they deem necessary.

However, decision on establishment of structure, composition, finance and functions of local government councils were put on hold pending discussions on the Report of the Committee on Political Restructuring.

On right to self determination, the Conference agreed that minority groups that wish to exist as separate states and meet the criteria for state creation should be allowed to do so under the instrumentality of the relevant laws and procedures as part of their right to internal self determination.

In making this proposal, the Conference says it recognises the unconditional rights and freedom of every and any other ethnic nationality that considers itself as unjustly subjected to real and perceived injustice and marginalisation to join their kith and kin through the instrumentality of relevant laws.

The Conference also proposed stiff penalties for elected public office holders who move from one political party to another before the expiration of their mandates.

It said such elected public office holders who abandoned their parties midway for new ones without cogent reasons are to lose their seat.

It was also resolved that inducement of voters with money and materials on Election Day should be treated as a criminal offence and perpetrators severely punished.

The Independent National Electoral Commission INEC and the State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC) are to fashion ways to ensure that physically challenged persons, especially lepers, are registered and actually vote in elections.

These were parts of the recommendations adopted by the Conference during the debate and consideration of the Report of the Committee on Politics and Governance headed by Professor Jerry Gana with Chief Olu Falae as Co-chairman.

Conference also accepted the proposal that government should not fund any political party but that they should be funded through membership subscription, levies, donations, investments, sales of party cards and other fund raising activities.

The proposal that unelected chairmen of local governments often referred to as Transition Committee Chairmen or such unelected representatives at the local government areas should be sanctioned by withholding the statutory allocations pending the conduct of election into such local governments was also accepted by the conference.

On anti-corruption and ethics in governance, Conference accepted the proposal that Anti-Corruption Agencies (ACAs) especially the EFCC and the ICPC, should take up any corruption case that is in the public domain without waiting for a petition.

It said refusal by the anti-corruption agencies to act on any corruption cases that has come to their knowledge shall constitute an act of misconduct, criminal negligence or dereliction of duty that will attract appropriate sanctions.

The Conference also accepted the proposal that all anti-corruption agencies should be empowered to invite anybody living above their means to explain their source of wealth, and if the agencies are not satisfied with explanations to the acquisition of such wealth, the person shall be charged to court.

Upon conviction, the person shall forfeit the entire proceeds from corruption and be sentenced to half the prison term attached to the sum of the money or its equivalent.

It also resolved that asset declaration form submitted to the Code of Conduct Bureau should be made accessible to the general public. Such declaration of assets by public office holders should be before and after assumption of office.

The proposal that a special account be opened and designated as Infrastructure Development Fund (IDF) into which all recovered proceeds of corruption shall be paid into was adopted.

Conference also agreed to transfer the responsibility for ensuring compliance, on the FOI Act from the office of the Attorney General to the National Human Rights Commission.

It accepted the proposal for the establishment of a National Council of Traditional Rulers (NCTR).


http://www.newsexpressngr.com/news/detail.php?news=6394&title=National-Confab-approves-self-determination-by-minority-ethnic-groups,-adopts-true-federalism

The Department of State Security Services (SSS) has apprehended a man who allegedly sent 486 travellers suspected to be Boko Haram members to Port Harcourt, Rivers.

Ms Marilyn Ogar, Deputy Director, Public Relations Department of the SSS, disclosed this yesterday at a joint security briefing held at Emab plaza, the scene of a bomb blast that rocked Abuja on Wednesday.

Ogar said that the suspect was apprehended in Bauchi and would be taken to Abia.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the 486 travellers suspected to be members of the terrorists group, Boko Haram, were arrested in Abia on Sunday June 15.

“I want to seize this opportunity to say that the main man that sent the 486 travellers to Port Harcourt was apprehended in Bauchi and we are taking him straight to Abia,” she said.

On the Emab Plaza bombing, Ogar said that the security agencies had pre-information of a planned attack at a busy shopping mall or market in Abuja.

She explained that the service deployed its men to comb the shopping complexes, and create awareness and took preventive measures when they got the information.

Ogar also said that among the steps taken was to prevent those who had no business within the shopping malls from entry.

“Everyday, the surveillance group will go round to the motor parks, supermarkets and markets trying to ensure that the instructions we left behind were adhered to.

“Yesterday, the surveillance team was at the plaza up till 12.30 p.m. observing and when they noticed that the security people on duty were actually enforcing our directives, they had to retreat,” she said.

Ogar stressed that the proactive measures taken by the security assisted in preventing high casualty figure at the plaza.

“As you all know that when the man came, he tried to penetrate the main entrance but was refused.

“As it was typical of them (the terrorists) they would want to beat traffic or beat security to come in through the other entrance.

“In a forceful bid to enter the plaza, the explosion occurred,” she said.

She disclosed that among the injured at the incidence were two Turkish nationals.

Ogar appealed to Nigerians to continue to give information that would assist the security agencies to nip terrorism in the bud.

The Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Frank Mba, called for the institution of a very strict regime of access control in business places.

Mba said that it was the level of access control in the Emab Plaza that minimised the situation, noting that the terrorists did not find it easy to enter the complex.

“We want to encourage Nigerians, particularly managers of busy business malls, cinema houses and other big corporate entities that record a lot of visitors to help us by instituting a strong and strict access control regime.

“A strong, efficient and effective control, enough to serve as a deterrent to would be suicide bombers.

“Secondly, we want to encourage citizens, especially owners and managers of business malls to go a step further by installing CCTV cameras in their places of business.

“If we have cameras in places like this shopping mall, it will be of strong investigative value to security forces, as we commence investigations in to the incidence,” he said.

Mba also underscored the need for hawkers to be kept away from places like shopping malls and other big business places. (NAN)


http://www.newsexpressngr.com/news/detail.php?news=6393

It wasn't really funny at all staying so many days without NL. With this I have come to know how much I've become addicted to NL. It's a pity I virtually lost all my posts.

shymexx: I'm not going to lie, most times I feel sorry for Igbo's. Greed and the lust for power at all cost would always make you isolated. Sometimes, you just have to play smart. Imagine a big ethnic group second-fiddle to a small group like Ijaw. And there's no love lost between the two groups - despite GEJ's romance with certain Igbo's elements. Perhaps, that's why a lot of them are disenfranchised - and they all run away from home, trying to make it by any means necessary, hence why they're tagged as being industrious. I feel sorry for my Igbo friends.

Anyway, I just want to post something that crossed my mind while watching a movie just now. If the momentum in APC continues the way it's, and Igbo elites think they've lost out completely in the power tussle. I won't be surprised if there's a coup in Nigeria, orchestrated by Igbo's, to get rid of GEJ and put Iherika (COAS) there. They know the Ijaws won't be able to fight back. So they would probably start looking for ways to negotiate how to get back into the power-tussle, with that. Anything is possible. Make sure you bookmark this particular post!

I'm out of NL for a few days.

Shalom!

This is really where the whole problem lies. So because the Igbos are supporting a man from the Ijaw minority tribe now means they're playing second-fiddle. As a minority tribe I suppose they have every right to any position in the land as any other human being.


That you're fortunate to be born into the so called majority tribe does not make you more human than an Ijaw man or make your tribe superior to the Ijaw tribe in the presence of God.

You really need to change that mindset of yours my brother.

You can't hide because we already know you are FFK. Even if you achieve to convince everybody on this fora that you are not FFK, I'll still maintain that you are, because the same way you write on other forums is the same way you write here on NL also. So it will be very difficult for you to dissimulate or hide your personality anymore.

I have followed you and have read much of your articles and I can say with certainty that Cranjones is equals to Femi Fani Kayode

This FFK is really obssessed with madam Odua. Hatred is really a bad thing. It becloudes one's vision to an extent you can no longer dissimulate it even in the open.

FFK/Cramjones, based on what I have noticed reading your comments of FB and the manner you harass and attack anyone who opposes your views, I've come to understand that you're a very difficult fellow with an attitudinal problem.

It's really off-putting and unimaginable that somebody like you with such a puerile behavior once held a very high position in the most populous black nation on the face of the earth.

It would've been somewhat understandable if the championing of the castigation of Madam Odua was coming from someone who never held this same position the woman is currently holding and yet did absolutely nada.

He who pursues the fowl owns a mighty fall; but the fowl owns the swift escape.

^^
Noted, I'll modify as suggested

zomby: She is not being singled out by Sahara Reporters.
If you pay attention you will discover that Sahara Reporters has gone after a few other Nigerian undercover criminals, therefore, this should not be seen as nothing, but a job well done by this organization.

My question to you people is: Why are you guys so fixated on defending a thief, a fraud and an enemy to our country?

If we want things to get better in Nigeria, together we must find a way to fish out and stone all these corrupt leaders, regardless of which part of the country they're from.

I'll never condone a fraud or support an enemy to the nation. If she is found culpable of any of the charges leveled against her she should face the full weight of the law; that's my opinion.

My question is, why are they being selective in this their alleged investigations? Even a close blind and sightless observer will decipher that some people are really after this woman for some apparent reasons which in actual fact are very conspicuous to us all.

Why didn't anyone ask the simple question: why was Sahara Reporters so fixated on her to the extent of investigating her certificates? What of other ministers? Did they also investigate their certificates?

They want to pull this woman down at all cost. This their update was simply because they are now facing likelihood of legal actions including from the university under reference. Profile on Wikipedia is absolute rubbish and if you contact wikipedia they will tell you it is a user updated site. No university in the world will permit me to cite wikipedia references. Nigerians, oh Nigerians!

``

By Saharareporters, New York

An original copy of Princess Stella Oduah curriculum vitae obtained by SaharaReporters today reveals that the embattled Minister of Aviation never obtained an MBA degree from any university in the United States as was previously claimed on the official page of Nigeria’s Ministry of Aviation as well as her biography on Wikipedia.

The CV only makes reference only to the fact that Ms. Oduah possesses a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from St. Paul’s College in Lawrenceville, Virginia in 1982.

In the CV, Ms. Oduah also claimed to have an honorary Ph.D degree in Business Administration from “Pacific Christian University Glendale, California” in 1998, but SaharaReporters is so far unable to verify that information.

A preliminary investigation of "Pacific Christian University" shows it does not exist as one of the 93 accredited theology schools in California. The nearest result, by name and geography, is "Azusa Pacific University", which is in Azusa, not Glendale. There is as yet no information about the status of honorary Ph.Ds at that institution

Mrs. Oduah had carefully padded her qualifications by claiming to have earned a “Masters Degree in the United States” after completing her Bachelors. In the edited official profile on the Aviation ministry’s website, Mrs. Oduah now claims she “received her Bachelors and Masters Degree (in Accounting and Business Administration respectively) in the United States.”

The citation does not mention the college where she obtained both degrees, more so because in the last 24 hours since SaharaReporters broke the news, Ms. Oduah has made several efforts both on Facebook and Wikipedia to remove any word linking her to St. Paul’s College, a historic black college where in previous posts and newspaper reports she claimed she received a degree.

St. Paul’s College closed down in June 2013.

The new President of the college, Millard D. “Pete” Stith Jr. told SaharaReporters yesterday that the college is working to confirm if Ms. Oduah graduated from the college as she claims, stating that the college registrar had been on leave due to illness. Mr. Stith categorically reiterated that the college has never offered a Masters’ degree in its 125-year existence.

SaharaReporters has learned that the Minister is working to change her story line working with her aides from Brazil where she is currently on vacation.

Since SaharaReporters broke the news about the certificate scam, Ms. Oduah and her aides have officially kept mum over the revelation. Instead they have embarked on using Facebook and the comments sections of various websites into which they sign anonymously to make the spurious claim that she simply didn't state where she obtained her Masters degree. They also suggest that she is being targeted because of her ethnicity.

http://saharareporters.com/news-page/official-cv-stella-oduah-confirms-she-never-obtained-masters%E2%80%99-degree-us

cramjones: If you know what a real international airport looks like you won't dare say what you are saying. That said, focus on the topic and don't get distracted with the-my-people mentality that the Jonathanians have enslaved you with.

So you know what a real International airport looks like? Yet you never did anything to improve our airports to anything close to what is obtained elsewhere when you occupied that post.

You did not even initiate any road map that would have been followed up by your successor to get our airports to the said international standard; yet you're always at the forefront to criticize this women. You must really be a bitter person!

Our politicians, especially of northern extraction, should stop playing politics with this boko haram madness. Be they Christians or Muslims, partisan or nonpartisan, all hands must be on deck to put an end to the festering sore.Boko haram has gone beyond politicization.It is a clear and present danger to the continued existence of Nigeria.

IN the past few weeks, key federal officials have made pronouncements suggesting that, at long last, the Nigerian state has come to terms with the dynamics of Boko Haram terrorism. From security chiefs to the political class and the local population, stakeholders have finally gained deep insights into the real, virulent nature of jihadist terrorism. The tragedy is that it has taken almost four years to admit the obvious, during which over 5,000 persons have died, the economy of the North-East zone shattered and the country polarised.

In the light of the recent admission that Boko Haram is driven solely by an exclusive, hate-filled religious ideology, we at The PUNCH would have been tempted to say, “We told you so.” But the unfolding tragedy, the gory body count and the foothold gained by international terrorism in the country as a result of inept handling make that a luxury. Rather, we strongly suggest that, going forward, the government and all other stakeholders should henceforth drop all partisan, sectarian and narrow interests and commit themselves to defeating terrorism.
The epiphany started with President Goodluck Jonathan, when, early in December, he declared emphatically that the Boko Haram insurgency is not caused by poverty as frequently and wrongly canvassed. Noting that this notion “comes from people who are not well-informed,” Jonathan vowed to crush the insurgency. Here is a President who at the outset of the terrorist campaign naively said it would “fizzle out,” while refusing to acknowledge its capacity for tenacious violence and its momentum. His failure to confront it with an iron fist enabled the group to consolidate, link up with global jihadists and operate partly unhindered for three years. Our repeated expositions of its jihadist modus operandi and calls for a state-of-emergency were equally ignored until about seven months ago, by which time Nigeria had been firmly sucked into the vortex of global terrorism. The figure of over 5,000 persons killed so far given by Human Rights Watch looks understated. The United States State Department has listed Nigeria as the scene of the second highest number of terrorism-related deaths in 2012 with 792 killed, according to an Associated Press tally.

Though it has always been obvious that Boko Haram is a salafist cult that rejects orthodox Islam and, like similar jihadist groups everywhere, seeks to violently overthrow the existing order and impose sharia rule based on its own narrow interpretation of Islam, partisan northern politicians and some misguided apologists continued to attribute its campaign to poverty, societal injustice, inequality and economic demands.
Sambo Dasuki, who took over as the National Security Adviser in 2012, touting dialogue as the solution, has, in a recent statement, now rightly acknowledged Boko Haram as part of a global movement that represents an existential threat to Nigeria. Even the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar, who has led a phalanx of the Northern elite to hobble the war on terror by erroneously citing poverty and canvassing amnesty, is calling for the defeat of the murderous sect.

But perhaps the game changer is found in the confessions of Tanimu Turaki, Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Dialogue with the sect. “These are people that are salafists; insurgents hinging their agitation on ideology, based first on rejecting Western education. There is nothing economic about their agitation. These are people that are ready to die and go to heaven. In all discussions we’ve had with them, the issue of them asking for compensation never arose.” In response to his interviewer’s question on whether the terrorists complained of neglect or poverty, Turaki was emphatic: “None made such a complaint; not one.” This puts paid to his and others’ misguided calls for amnesty and dialogue, and the stock excuses of poverty and deprivation copied zombie-like from Western liberals.
Now is the time for the Nigerian state to declare total war on terrorism. Make no mistake: Boko Haram is part of the international jihadist terrorism movement committed to the establishment of a global caliphate. It is motivated by a virulent, hate-fuelled ideology in which mass murder, arson, abductions and anarchy are favoured tools. Its rabidity was confirmed last week in a statement by its leader that they had a divine mission to decapitate believers and unbelievers alike! Turaki and other would-be peacemakers before him have all testified to the sect’s core leadership’s rejection of amnesty.
For years, Northern Nigeria has been targeted by jihadists as a ripe base, and the chaos in Libya, Mali, parts of Niger Republic and Chad, coupled with our own security lapses, have facilitated the influx of jihadists and military hardware into the country. The US State Department that has sided with some misguided Americans in falsely blaming poverty for the insurgency is also changing gear. The United Nations has cited Boko Haram for crimes against humanity. Our government should drop the folly of thinking it can go it alone; no country successfully overcomes terrorism alone. We should actively seek assistance from all friendly nations to destroy this tumour. The war should be intelligence-led, for this is an asymmetrical warfare; the insurgents easily melt into the population and move in and out through our porous borders with Chad, Cameroon and Niger Republic.
We maintain that, ultimately, past federal governments and the northern state governments bear some responsibility for sowing the seeds of terrorism. Many northern states continue to violate the 1999 Constitution by promoting religion. Indeed, the encouragement by sections of the northern political and clerical elite of religious extremists from 1986 onwards laid the ground for the emergence of extremist sects. By using the apparatus and resources of the state to promote and fund religion, failing to prosecute sectarian rioters and mass murderers and imposing penal aspects of sharia law, northern politicians provided fertile ground for virulent extremist groups. The recent destruction of 240,000 bottles of beer in Kano, for instance, not only violated the constitutional rights of the owners, but amounted to state-sponsored terrorism. Such irresponsible acts embolden extremists who feel such illegalities can be extended outside the purview of the state.

Instead of devoting resources to religion, which, over time, has fostered extremism, division, violence, mass illiteracy and poverty, state governors should embark on free and compulsory mass education, rural development and creative economic programmes to provide jobs.
In the meantime, the war against terrorism must never waver again. Thankfully, Turaki has laid to rest the bizarre comparison of Niger Delta militancy to the Boko Haram madness: the first was about economic agitation; the other is, in our view, only about treason. There can be neither dialogue nor amnesty for terrorists; only an iron resolve by the state to crush insurgency and bring mass murderers to justice. This is our stand.
Copyright PUNCH.

Contact: editor@punchng.com

Ebonyi is a blessed state I would say. They're naturally endowed with myriad of resources that are yet to be exploited. I remember some years back when I was in Ishiagu for some agricultural projects and I know there were some companies there then, like ''The CrushRock'' that was extracting Limestone and others.

Their land is so fertile for the cultivation of rice and other agricultural produce and their people are mostly agrarians. They're unlike other Igbos because they're not too ambitious. The place I knew they traveled much to then, was Aba, I don't really know for now. They are really good people.

If Ebonyi could have a good and visionary leader who could harness and tap into all those resources I believe that state would be great

E

^^
I am not in any way saying that GEJ is perfect or that he has fulfilled to the latter all his campaign promises, but with what he has done so far and is doing in the areas of resuscitating some of the sectors that have been moribund and in dilapidated state, and also the privatization of the power sector which I trust will start yielding proceeds before the mid of 2014, you will see that GEJ has surpassed his predecessors. And I believe that if the people in the grass root could feel the positive impact of some of these policies he has already initiated before 2015, then GEJ will be the song that will be sang till 2019.

You should first of all get you facts correct before concluding that it applies to all the Universities in the country

Donalð Genes: So, I heard this on channelsTv this morning during their morning daily rise program after an indepth interview with The minister for Information via skype,that is if you ever watch it by 7 am.
The presenter said it will take come into effect from year two in all our Ivory towers curriculum.

Hmmmmph! And i ask'd, ''What happens to other language like Ibibio and Efit,Yoruba and Hausa,Delat Igbo,Kunari, I think they should do same for all languages as it is highly improbable it will not create an unhealthy dose of political hatred even in school..This is a no brainer political move at all to who ever birth this kind of idea..Lets watch and see

Looking for source, you may ask channels News on their Twitter handle and they will confirm it to you

Kanwulia: His azzze has been in that 'office' for almost 6 years.
Why are we just seeing the 'tribulations'?
Lamentations nko?

Mtcheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeew!!!!

The whole thing became conspicuous and palpable at this time because some cliques who put their personal or regional interest over that of the whole nation are now coming to terms that their ambitions are unattainable, hence their resolved obvious diatribes and blatant disparage against GEJ. These cliques are majorly the same crops of marauders who have been in our political arena for as long as we can remember.

If GEJ could get all that you mentioned here right before 2015 I can assure you that he'll certainly win the hearts of majority of people in the grass root who in actual sense are the real voters and determiners of who stays in Aso rock.

Sincere 9gerian: Great article! My position is that no matter the gang up, the president has both the knife and yam in this battle.

The quick win for him in 2014 will be to do everything possible to stabilise power across the country. Now that the govt has crossed the very important hurdle of privatisation, the president should now order 24 hrs surveillance of all gas pipelines supplying all the power plants. This is to forestall rampant cases of vandalism by sabotuers. If necessary, the military should be used. If gas keeps flowing, the generation capacity will be sufficient for the distribution companies to distribute. Then the yet to be completed NIPP power plants should be completed latest first quarter of next year.

Also the govt should just continue and where possible increase the tempo of other of its programmes in agriculture, road construction, SURE-P, railways,etc.

Nigerians are not fools. They will surely reciprocate during elections. People who use the restored railways will reciprocate. People who now receive fertilizers, free seeds,etc and beneficiaries of other programmes of govt will reciprocate. The beneficiaries of SURE-P will reciprocate. Those who see stability in power supply in their homes and offices will reciprocate.

Above all, victory is sure for the president. But he has to spend more money and work harder

If really you want to be truthful to yourself, you will agree with me that all this things you wrote down here are not the main reason for the gang up and hatred against GEJ

Perfectwazobia: YOU REALLY CAN'T SEE.

When he was told on how to stop Boko haram attack from infancy, what did he do?

When he was to remove fuel subsidy, was January 1st early hours the best day?

When petroleum minister was indicted in all form of coruption ranging in trillions of naira, what did he do?

When he allocated 1bn for feeding when more than 80% of the population can't even afford #100 for a meal is that a leader?

When he promised 1million job during election has he given 10000 job?
and lot more...
NOTE: Some people are saying former President Obasanjo used 16bn to buy darkness anybody or group of people saying that are ignorant. You think President Goodluck built the power plant NO !NO!NO!

OBASANJO built what is known as NIPP PHASE 1 and were Operational before he left;OLORUNSHOGO PLANT PHASE1;OMOTOSHO PHASE1;GEREGU PHASE1 ETC

OBASANJO built what is know as NIPP PHASE2 and he paid the money to the last kobo FRAME 9E GAS TURBINE PLANT ;OMOTOSHO PHASE2 ;OLORUNSHOGO COMBINE CYCLE PHASE2;IHOVBOR PLANT;SAPELE PLANT;GEREGU PLANT;ALAOJI PLANT; CALABAR PLANT;GBARAN PLANT ,The least capacity of this phase2 is 425MW installation capacity.

I

• In 1880, Sunandha Kumariratana , the 19 years old Queen of Thailand drowned when her boat capsized on her way to Bang Pa-In Royal Palace.

The worrisome thing about her death is that she drowned while a couple of bodyguards and aides, most of them professional swimmers, stood by and watched. They couldn't save her. Why? Traditionally, they were forbidden to touch the queen. They didn't want to break the rules. It was better for her to die, than for them to break the laws.

Since Rotimi Amaechi became the Governor of Rivers State, through the opportunity given him by his political godfather, Dr Peter Odili, whom he has severed relationship with and even denied publicly, I've been trying to decipher who advises him. I'm beginning to suspect that nobody does . He doesn't have that DNA to use the brain or intelligence of others . He is too intelligent for that. His close associates knows this very well, so advising him seems forbidden. So, unknowingly he is isolated even amongst his supporters who cheer him on . Rumors of commissioners who were tongue lashed for disagreeing with him further helped in isolating him. He can't be helped. He knows it all. Any advise has to be in tune with his thoughts. Any contrary advise is sacrilegious .

Seriously, this mans political strategy confuses me. He seems like a man playing football without a goal post. So there is no place to even score no matter how well he plays. His target can't be seen. He picks fights at will and when he has boxed himself into a corner, he'd start playing victim. He'd tell you he drives himself and eats in public restaurants to show he is very popular and fearless , then the next moment he is crying that his security has been withdrawn even when the Rivers Police command has given the total number of police men attached to him. The last police officer we saw with him was his ADC, attempting to give someone the Aluu treatment .

Some people say he is strategizing to become Vice President in 2015, but that is not true. First of all, the man is not acting like someone who can be under another person. He lacks the ability to work with as a team player. He can't even pretend about it. He clearly can't work under anyone. He can challenge anyone to a wresting contest at the market square. Anybody who opposes him in Rivers State is trying to steal Rivers People's money.

On the other hand everyone knows that political permutations that will present a stronger challenge to Jonathan in 2015 should have an Igbo man in the team. So Rochas Okorocha, Ngige and Oby Ezekwesili stands as more suitable brides amongst the opposition . Amaechi knows this very well and understands that he is not an option .

Hear him " I have warned police not to arrest anybody who abuses me. I have mouth to abuse them back ". Yes sir, we know you have mouth. Every Nigerian knows you have mouth. Kai!, even women are jealous of your mouth. When candor gets extreme,It becomes carelessness. By the way, who told you the police needs your warning to stop arresting anybody . Jonathan receives same from mouths like yours daily and nobody is arrested. Fela said " You can't dash me human right ". As. Governor, you have so much time and energy to use your mouth in abusing any one that barks at you .


In trying to abuse Chibudom Nwuche, he said he will look for work after political office, accusing Chibudom of not looking for work and running around with politicians . I hope your ready to go back to Pamo Clinics as a hustler, bringing sick clients and collecting commission. That's the last job you had.

King Solomon once said " He who has no rule over his emotions, is like city without walls". Amaechi has confessed at times that he has been advised to be discrete in his public utterances, but he claims he can't help it when he comes out in . This is probably how he gets an erection, because he says it makes him go home and sleep comfortably. He probably doesn't know or doesn't want to know the virtue associated with discretion as a characteristics of nobility . That's why I've come to wonder if the young man has a target or he is just having fun from the attention he is getting.

When he was in court after President Obasanjo took away the party ticket which he got through a consensus arrangement, he went to almost all the pastors in Rivers State. He repeated the visits after he became governor, sharing testimonies here and there .

On assumption of office, the arrogance manifested . At the Holy Ghost Congress of the Redeemed Christian Chruch of God at Aluu, he was invited by the General overseer , Pastor Enoch Adeboye to come and bring a word of greeting to the Christian faithfuls . As soon as he climbed the podium, he said " GO, I hope all these land you people acquired has papers. Because, I've instructed the commissioner of lands to reclaim all lands without documentation . That's the kind of drama he likes . A question he would have asked in private.

In one vein he is attending peace meeting with the President, in another vein he is on BBC pouring aspersion on the President . Tomorrow, he will say he needs to consult the President . The next day, he will call him a dictator or say he is not part of his transformation agenda.

Out of the shock of seeing less than twelve governors attending his NGF retreat in Sokoto, knowing that the press can't hide that one, no matter how much brown envelopes he spreads, he quickly used his mouth against Okonji Iweala . Accusing her of stealing 5 billion dollars . When the poor lady finds time to explain and told him how much he took from the amount, he checked his pocket, found the money in his pocket and starts another round of talks, how have you been spending our money, why didnt you apporove my loan. Bla bla bla according to my friend Emy Onunwor. Sorry ma, oops, sir . But madam Ngo is afraid of a woman's mouth. Sorry, a mans mouth.

Ask him how he spent the billions that came to his pocket, he will accuse you of wanting to steal Rivers People's money. He is the new messiah of Rivers State. The first and the last. Beginning and the end. For him, the sun must rise and set over his mouth.

During the Yardua succession imbroglio . There were strong rumors that Governors Amaechi and Sylva were against Jonathan . After the crises, Jonathan became President and announced Rivers State as the first state he will be visiting, in other to mend fences and quell the rumors. On the project inspection of a model Secondary at Eleme, Jonathan praised the governor and highly commended the school. Then he committed sacrilege by trying to advise the governor . The President said " But I'd advise that subsequent schools, the students can be made to stay like four in a room rather than two, because as a teacher, I'm know that it's important for students to also bond more after school hours as this will help their academics . Thank you so much Governor Amaechi for making us proud.

Nearly grabbing the microphone from the President, Governor Amaechi shot from the hips " Thank you Mr President, but we will not do that. The students can bond more when they are in their dining halls, class rooms or during games. For now this is our plans and we are not ready to change it. I watched the newly installed President turn red with embarrassment . How dare you advise Mr Know it all.

Of all the member of the G7, the new PDP and opposition members, nobody shows greater disdain for the President than Rotimi Amaechi . You can see him glowing with joy whenever he is disparaging the President . He loves the applauds that comes with it. For him, the squaring up makes him on equal terms with the President . After all, he is the Chairman of the governors forum, a position that led him into hallucinations of having massive powers.

In the early years of Jonathan Presidency, the Nigerian security forces were faced with a new kind of insecurity. The terrorist were always one step ahead of them. Our security architecture was not prepared for this kind of challenge and they struggled to catch up . Governor Amaechi in an interview stated that leaders can be impeached on grounds of insecurity in the land. He was subtly sending a message to the National Assembly that Jonathan can be sacrificed for peace to reign .

Ironically, it was the same Amaechi who openly challenged the President for declaring a state of emergency in some northern states . Even when governors of the states involved, the Northern governors forum, PDP governors forum, southern governors forum, south south and south east governors forum, all came out to endorse the moves. Governor amaechi released a statement, under the auspices of the Nigerian governors forum attacking the move.

In politics , it's a game of people and numbers . So politicians court people, make new friends and form alliances . In the case of Amaechi it's different . He is ready to fight anybody fight able . Anybody that disgaree with him wants to come and steal Rivers Peoples money. He enjoys this new status of an activist . He sounds like El Rufai, Dino Melaye and Lai Muhammed all bonded in one. The press love him. He has that natural gift to talk and he doesn't fail to put the gift into effective use. He is an interviewers delight.

The irony is that, I've studied and read the entire history of the Niger Delta struggle for emancipation, from Adaka Boro to Ken Saro wiwa, to the Kaiama declaration, yet I couldn't see a whimper from this modern day crusader . I also studied the fight against military rule, the struggle for the realization of June 12 mandate, but his name was missing . It's either he was invisible then or he hasn't understood how sweet his voice sounds.

Recently, he hosted the APC in the state and this much talked about ceremony was holed up inside the government house. This shows the level of political isolation the man has incurred on himself at home. When his supporters post pictures of the crowd that gathered, I wonder the kind of crowd that can fit into government house. But when he wants to employ teachers, he goes to the stadium .


My concern is the army of young vibrant politicians who are either tied to his structure or tied to someone who is tied to his structure. In Proverbs 2:11, King Solomon said " discretion will protect you...". The English dictionary defines discretion as the quality of behaving or speaking in such a manner that as to avoid the picking of offense or revealing information that is classified. Discretion is a virtue of any leader. When you lack it, you won't last long.


http://www.nigerianpilot.com/more-govs-set-to-dump-amaechi/

This is the real truth about this whole thing.

CHRONICLES OF PRESIDENT JONATHAN’S TRIBULATIONS

One thing is certain about the Jonathan Presidency. It will go down in history as the most attacked presidency in our democratic history – whether rightly or wrongly, history shall tell. His ascension to power as acting President was very turbulent, even when the constitution was clear as to what should be done. His election was fraught with many battles as well.

There was the gang up by a group of Northern elders who worked to ensure that only a candidate from the North emerges President. They harmonized their ambitions and came up with a consensus candidate. They failed! There was also the post election violence where lots of innocents were massacred unjustly in protest against Goodluck’s victory; not minding that the election was adjudged free and fair by both local and international observers. Within this period, Boko Haram got international reputation, unleashing countless mayhem.

Bombs blasted with reckless abandon, limbs blown apart, churches and mosques torched, charred bodies littering the streets. The Goodluck Jonathan presidency has met several “landmines”; most of which seemed to have been deliberately kept by those who do not even want him to settle into his job, let alone succeed. Thus far, the exploded “mines” are so many that it’s pretty difficult to track every single one of them, but in this article, I shall attempt to chronicle a few.

Dateline 6th June, 2011: In strong defiance against party rules, zoning structure and corporate preferences, Tambuwal emerged as the 7th Speaker of the House of Representatives. Some members of the ruling PDP had formed an alliance with opposition parties, and so Speaker Tambuwal was elected without the blessings of the Presidency and the leadership structure of the party. This was a political ambush ab initio. It was a clear affront to the President and the leadership of the party. The “political mine” exploded right in their face. For political observers, this was the first major sign that the Jonathan Presidency was in for a tough sail.

Time has proved them right, as Tambuwal has been over time embroiled in a steamy romance with the opposition; a relationship that seems to have birth several children out of “political wedlock”. While the reason for this rebellion is debatable, however, one thing seems common in all the analyses – regional politics and other clandestine and interloping interests were at play. Certain PDP politicians, especially of core northern extraction, were not happy that President Jonathan unbalanced the zoning equation; not minding the fact that President Jonathan’s initial emergence was more of a force majeure than conscious political maneuver.

However, the truth is, if President Jonathan’s emergence unbalanced the equation (albeit unintentionally), Speaker Tambuwal’s emergence was a product of conscious strategy that clearly jettisoned whatever was left of zoning. It left a picture of a President with no control over of his party’s congressmen. On the surface of it, this looked like victory for democracy, or so they sold it to the public; however, this was the first real political ambush on the President, and it laid the foundation for the stormy sail that was to come.

Next stop, composition of the federal cabinet. If the President was in doubt of the opposing forces within his party following Tambuwal’s emergence, I’m sure this exercise would have made things clearer to him. President Jonathan had gone out to get certain technocrats who were not known politicians, to occupy key positions in his cabinet. Finance, Power, Agriculture, Trade and Industry, Communication Technology, etc where some of the ministry that looked to be given to purely technocrats with little or no political standing.

This annoyed some of the top brass of the status quo benefitting politicians. Appointing Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, and increasing her powers, was met with severally criticisms from within the President’s party. Her world-class qualifications and reputation didn’t count for them. Her new role as the Minister for Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy means she was firmly rooted as the head of the fiscal arm of government, and this was bad news for certain politicians. For some, she was too strict for their liking and might not do their bidding. For others, they felt this might be a slight on former President Obasanjo, considering how his relationship with the Finance Minister ended during his regime.

They did all they could (something they are still doing) to undermine her world-class profile. President Jonathan held his ground and nominated her, but this left several “strong” politicians fuming. President Jonathan also nominated a politically unknown but professionally astute Akinwumi Adesina as the Minister for Agriculture. They fumed! How could he? That ministry has been exclusively for Northerners, and so it must be. To make matters worse, he is not even a politician and has no known history of compromise. Oh no, what becomes of the fertilizer racketeering? Anyway, President Jonathan held his ground and appointed this fine professional. Today, he is the “Golden Boy” of this administration, and the results are there for all to see.

But, wait a minute; do these folks care about results? Definitely, No! Money, regional politics all come ahead of results and performance on their scale. Jonathan was not done yet in stepping on toes. The nomination of Olusegun Aganga angered the core politicians as well. They argued that President Jonathan should look within the party and he’ll see professionals since he seemed obsessed with technocrats. There was even a heated debate as to which state he comes from, just to thwart his nomination – Edo? Lagos? Never mind, Nigerians understand. Prof. Barth Nnaji’s nomination was also met with stiff opposition. He was not politically known, and his time as a Special adviser to the President, he clearly showed his desire to turn around the power sector through privatization.

This, we all know was bad news for certain elements and so they fought his nomination as a substantive minister. Need I mention the appointment of the late Gen. Andrew Azazi as NSA at the time? Yes, NSA – that office that is an exclusive preserve of a section of the country – so they say/think/want. Truth is, President Jonathan made appointments that were patriotic and professionally correct, but politically incorrect (given our dirty politics), and so certain powerful politicians teamed up and fought back. That fight, is still raging on. These were powerful offices with huge budget sizes, and the politicians expected to lord over such ministries and oil their political machinery as usual.

This was not possible with the technocrats, as all of them still had a strong career ahead of them. In all fairness, the technocrats in the cabinet have done very well, professionally. However, same cannot be said of their contributions politically. So, should a President jettison his oath of office to satisfy a few politicians just to have his calm? Should he sacrifice performance for political expediency? Should the President trade-off the people for the politicians? You see why the landmines will keep exploding?

The president’s policies have also contributed to his turbulence. While I could name several of such controversial (but not necessarily negative) policies of the GEJ administration, I will constrain myself to just three for lack of space and time. President Jonathan, after consulting with the governors and industry stakeholders decided to withdraw fuel subsidy. This was greeted with a loud uproar by the masses, and rightly so. They felt they were suffocating under the yoke of failed governance, lack of infrastructure and a complete absence of social security over the years and so were not ready to embrace any policy that will make them pay more for anything, no matter the academic advantages outlined on paper.

After series of protests, the government reconsidered their decision and made a partial reduction rather than the complete withdrawal. However, the truth is, while the masses were making genuine protests against this policy, there was a small but powerful group that was benefitting from this huge subsidy drain, and who did everything to scuttle this proposed policy. Theirs was not for concern for the masses, but for personal gains at the expense of the masses. They did everything possible to unsettle the government, just so they can continue in their act. This powerful cabal infiltrated every strata – the media, unsuspecting masses, etc; stirred up all manner of controversies, just so this policy will fail. Today, through the public hearings, we all know the magnitude of fraud perpetuated by these people.

The second is the transformation going on in the agriculture sector. The overhaul of the fertilizer distribution and the introduction of the electronic wallet scheme was greeted with protests. Even before it started, certain persons who have over the years benefitted immensely (at the detriment of the poor farmers) from the fertilizer racketeering, did all they could to discredit this scheme. This group of persons, mainly from a section of the country, had engaged in racketeering of the product, at the expense of their own people, and making billions off the scheme. They would not go down without a fight. They manipulated unsuspecting masses, they modulated the media. Today, these reforms in the sector are internationally acclaimed as successful; however, this has left a privileged but strong cartel out of business. They have been fighting and will continue to fight.

Lastly, the privatization of the power sector had its fair share of turbulence. While the average Nigerian may not understand the battles fought to get this done, this remains one of President Jonathan’s biggest achievements. There were those who benefitted from the current epileptic power situation. There were others who saw power as the last frontier – they felt if President Jonathan succeeded with the privatization and over time solve the power problem, it would be difficult to unseat him. Together they fought every move made by government to privatize the sector. They sponsored newspaper adverts, rallied willing tools in the organized labour, and tried to dampen the whole process to make it lose public goodwill. Prof. Barth Nnaji was a casualty of this (even though I personally believe he should have known the battle he faced, and be more careful). Today, the Jonathan administration has successfully crossed that huddle; power is now in the hands of the organized private sector. I am hopeful, in the coming years, clear improvements will be felt in every home. Still wondering how the President picked up so many enemies?

Date line, 31st August 2013. A group led by former vice President Atiku Abubakar and seven other governors, most of which are loyal to former President Obasanjo, stormed out of their party’s (PDP) National Convention, apparently sensing that the election will not go in the way of their candidates. The group which was later known as New PDP, held a press conference where they announced what they referred to as the new leadership of the party with Baraje as the Chairman. The G7 and Baraje barraged the Jonathan presidency with lots of invectives, throwing in every available spanner in the wheel.

While the rest of Jonathan’s battles were waged by masked men with clandestine motives, this was an open confrontation of the Presidency and the leadership of the party. The secret moves against President Jonathan had precipitated to the open; the men behind it had taken off their masks. To cut the long story short, following unfavourable court judgment, loss of public goodwill and the lack of the wherewithal to fight the leadership of the ruling party from within, five of the renegade Governors have since crossed over to the opposition APC. It would be recalled that these political “stowaways” have been embroiled in a long standing “extra-marital affair” with the APC before the eventual cross pollination. The hatred of the Jonathan Presidency has seen enemies gravitating together and becoming lovers in the process. Anything to get Jonathan out of Power will do; after all the Chinese say: The enemy of your enemy is your friend. And so, the “political mines” kept exploding.

Date line 9th December, 2013: Enter Speaker Tambuwal with a scathing attack on President Jonathan. In that speech, the speaker accused the President that his body language showed he was encouraging corruption. As expected, this speech was given amplitude, airtime and large bandwidth, especially at a time the opposition was in “war mood”. While many saw this as a politically correct speech, properly embellished to get public sympathy, others saw buried in it a grand plan to deliberately undermine the President, as the coming events would suggest.

This was the beginning of what would appear to be a series of synchronized torpedo attacks and artillery bombardment of the Jonathan Presidency. The biggest political ambush in recent times had just begun. While Nigerians were digesting this scathing attack on the President by the speaker, the media was awash with another shocker the next day: a certain letter from the CBN Governor Lamido Sanusi to President Jonathan, informing the President of a missing $50 billion in oil proceeds – an amount almost twice the country’s annual budget. Again, this was amplified to the high heavens, especially by the opposition. However, amidst the outrage, many sensed something sinister. Several questions came to analytical minds:

(1) How is it possible that the nation lost an amount equivalent to the size of her budget for 2 years, yet stayed afloat?

(2) Is it possible to lose over 70% of your primary income, yet remain afloat?

(3) How come this letter, written months earlier, only surfaced shortly after the Speaker’s scathing attack on the President?

(4) It’s also curious that the CBN governor did not draw the attention of the President to these “missing” funds for almost 2 years. How did he balance his books for the year ending 31st Dec. 2012? How has he been doing his monthly and quarterly reconciliation with such amount hanging unexplained?

(5) How come his figures are below that declared by the NNPC? How long has he been working with such “wrong” figures without noticing?

(6) What efforts were made to clarify the figures with NNPC and other agencies before going public with a letter of such damaging effect to our economic outlook?

(7) How come the CBN Governor who is supposed to be the calming figure in the economy was now the alarmist?

Questions, questions, questions. Anyway, the explanation by NNPC and the other agencies, and the admission of the CBN Governor of his “error”, has cleared the questions above. With the emergence of overwhelming facts, he was fed the humble pie. If his letter was meant to put President Jonathan in bad light, it did a lot more than that. It also painted the nation’s economy as one that is poorly managed, and for someone who is the head of the monetary policy wing of the economy, he unknowingly passed a vote of no confidence in himself. In that press conference, the once steely and confident Sanusi, caught a solitary and dejected figure – he was caught “pants down” and so had to admit that he was indeed the one with the wrong figures.

That said, as an observer, it’s pretty easy to note that while the leaked letter travelled at supersonic speeds, Sanusi’s confession of using the wrong figures crawled at snail speed, receiving little space in the media and airwaves. Media complicity or simply our penchant for peddling bad news? Anyway, let’s move on the real shocker.

While Nigerians were struggling to come to terms with Sanusi’s leaked letter, another letter was leaked to the press the next day. This time, the writer was former President Olusegun Obasanjo. This was one massive “landmine”! That 18 page stinger contained all sorts: President Jonathan accused of being an ethnic champion and clannish, a dishonest person, a dictator who is intent on killing his own people (snipers trained abroad, political watch list, etc), an anti-party operative, encouraging corruption (reechoing Tambuwal’s point), etc.

The letter even cited the false alarm raised by Sanusi’s letter, suggesting the former President had seen a copy of the letter even before it was leaked to the public. Surprised? What other evidence do you need to know that this looked like a well hatched chain bombardment? The former President, who was a civilian president for 8 years and military head of state for 3 years knows very well, the effect of such a letter (especially the security implication) in the hands of the public. The former President also knows how to access and verify most of the information fed to him, yet he didn’t seem to do that. I’m sure he must be embarrassed by Sanusi’s fictitious figures by now. Well, I won’t dwell too much on this; President Jonathan has already responded for himself and Nigerians have both letters at their disposal to draw their inferences.

That said, my chronicle of “landmines” is not an excuse for President Jonathan not to perform. Rather, it is an x-ray of his unfortunate working condition. The President still needs to do more to earn the trust of the people of Nigeria. He must continue upgrading infrastructures and create an atmosphere that encourages job creation. He must also realize that his office is political in nature and therefore he must get his politics right as well as his policies.

There are certain political liabilities in his cabinet that he must purge. If those managing his politics can offer as much politically as the technocrats in his cabinet are contributing to the economy, most of these landmines would have been defused effectively before they exploded. The President must fold his sleeves and realize that it is not easy to be President of a robust country like Nigeria. The intrigues, the gang-ups, the scheming, etc, they will always be there but he has to rise above them. He must be ready to take tough decisions, both in his politics and in his policies. Most importantly, he should ensure he is on the side of people by making people-centric policies. No matter the gang-up, if you are on the side of the people, there will be very little to fear.

That said, I still want to emphasize again that there is no President in our short democratic history that has been so ganged up against like President Jonathan – sworn enemies uniting to fight him, ideologically incompatible groups becoming compatible over night, Political parties merging to form a stronger front, acidic letters flying around, etc. The President must realize that the storm is gathering, and at this point, the battle seems inevitable. More “landmines” will explode. From the tone of the President’s reply to Chief Obasanjo, I want to believe he is fully aware of this. Permit me to end with a quote from that letter: “…your letter conveys to me the feeling that landmines have been laid for me. Therefore, Nigerians need to have my response to the issues raised before the mines explode.” Mr. President, roll your “anti-bomb squad”!

****By Engr. Robinson Tombari Sibe

Wow Naija!!! I no fit shout. This guys are really creative

George Onmonya Daniel posted this on his facebook page .....

Rainbow FM radio station has denied interviewing Iyabo. The radio station has debunked that information. They did not feature her today. CALL THE RADIO STATION ON TEL: 0809-941-9418 0808-033-2991 0806-291-4850 SMS PORTAL: 9401 FACEBOOOK: rainbow94.1fm TWITTER: rainbow941fm

romeo: Esto quiere decir que hablas muy bien Español? Me gustaria comprobar tu nivel de Español como un buen Ecuatoguineano que pretendes ser.


Google Translate will not help you here.

Me gusta como el google te esta ayudando..lol

Equatorial Guinea which was formerly known as SANTA ISABEL with its capital Malabo (also formerly known as Fernando Póo) is comprised of the ethnic groups which include FANG, BUBI, COMBE, NDOWE, BISIO, and ANNOBON. The Fang being the largest ethnic group are from the main land, known as Rio-Muni, followed by the Bubi who are the original inhabitants of Malabo the capital city. Malabo is one of Equatorial Guinea Islands. (Bioko Island)


The Fang ethnic group is spread as far as Cameroon and Gabon. Although there was an extremely large presence of Nigerians during the colonial epoch who were imported through Calabar port by the Spaniards and used as peons and laborers working in cocoa farms until they gained their independence from Spain in 1968. Yet, after independence they kept on bringing more Nigerians till around 1979.


The crop of Nigerians now found in Equatorial Guinea are just contemporary businessmen and women who travel to and fro Nigeria doing their business. The above six mentioned ethnic groups are the only ethnic groups there are in Equatorial Guinea. All those sites you posted are just peddling lies. Igbo is not officially nor remotely recognized as an Equatorial Guinea ethnic Language. I’m gobsmacked how this untrue information made FP on NL. Na wa 4 the mods. oo! Que mentira diabolica!

I watched it live as he gave those prophecies. I hope people will take this serious and get down on their knees to pray so we can avert this, but I know they'll not, they would instead call him all sort of names. If my people who are called by my name would humble themselves and pray, God promised that He will hear us and heal the land...


I like the part where he assured us that Nigeria will not break, but that around 50% of the leaders would be eliminated before 2015.
He even said that though they are corrupt death shouldn't be meted to them.

Que bien encontrar alquien que puede hablar y escribir el castillano por aqui, me alegro.

philusaau: Estoy feliz de que puedo hablar muy bien el español