₦airaland Forum

The Prime Minister David Cameron has written to President Goodluck Jonathan to ensure that Nigerian elections go ahead this weekend, warning that failure to do so ‘would risk national security and stability, and adversely affect Nigeria’s international reputation’.
In a letter to President Jonathan, the Prime Minister underlines the importance of the elections for the African continent and points out the pivotal role for the President.
In a statement made available to Vanguard saying, “As Africa’s biggest democracy, successful elections in Nigeria are important not only for Nigeria’s future, but as a signal to the rest of Africa. Delivering a credible process will be a lasting credit to you as President and to Nigeria as a nation.
The Prime Minister emphasises the vital role of the Independent National Electoral Commission and its head Professor Jega, writing:
“I am encouraged by INEC’s advances in recent weeks. The collection of over 80 per cent of Permanent Voter Cards and the broadly successful field tests of the card readers have improved their technical preparation for the election. Your support for Professor Jega’s continuing tenure and guidance of the process remains an important part of delivering successful elections.”
He also calls for a transparent process without violence, saying ‘With hundreds of lives lost after the last election, the eyes of the international community will be focused on Nigeria.’
The Prime Minister also said he was encouraged that Nigeria, alongside its neighbours, was tackling threat posed by Boko Haram – congratulating President Jonathan on the recent advances made by Nigerian troops. And he confirmed the UK’s commitment to support Nigeria in this effort with £5 million of UK support to the Multinational Joint Task Force to tackle Boko Haram in Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin area. The UK is also working towards the swift adoption of a Security Council resolution in New York to welcome the force and send an important message of international political support for the force.
Minister for Africa condemns latest Boko Haram abductions
Meanwhile Africa Minister James Duddridge has condemned the abhorrent abduction of women and children in northern Nigeria
Following reports of the further abductions from Damasak, Northern Nigeria, the Minister for Africa, James Duddridge MP said, “I am appalled at reports that up to 500 young women and children have been abducted from the town of Damask in northern Nigeria. I condemn Boko Haram’s abhorrent practice of abduction in the strongest terms and call for all those taken to be released immediately.
The UK stands with Nigeria and its people at this difficult time, and will continue to support the region in countering the threat posed by Boko Haram.”



http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/03/elections-prime-minister-david-cameron-writes-president-goodluck-jonathan/

The Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC) said the country recorded the highest exportation of Cocoa and its products valued at N131.2 billion in 2014.

This is contained in statistics made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) by the council on Wednesday in Abuja.

The exportation of the products is part of the Federal Government’s plans to develop and enhance market opportunities for non-oil export sector through the National Strategy Export Products (NSEP).

“Cocoa and Cocoa preparations were the highest exported products in 2014 with the trade volume on Cocoa amounting to N131.2 billion,’’ it noted.

The statistics showed that the country recorded N43.191 billion exportation of the products in the first quarter of the year while more than N18. 558 billion was recorded in the second quarter.

It noted that more than N24. 845 billion was recorded in the third quarter while N44. 695 billion was recorded in the fourth quarter.

It said cotton, yarns and woven also yielded N2.201 billion, N834.919 billion and N1.275 billion in the first and second quarters of 2014 respectively.

The statistics showed a grand total of N460.3 billion on all the products for the 2014 business trade.

NAN reports that the Federal Government, in January, through the Minister of Trade and Investments, Mr Olusegun Aganga, said it marked out 13 NSEP to replace over dependence on petroleum products.

Aganga said the prices petroleum products continued to tumble at the international markets, threatening the stability of the Nigerian economy.

He said that this was part of moves by the Federal Government to revive the dwindling national economy, with emphasis on rapid growth of the non-oil sector for exports.

http://dailyindependentnig.com/2015/03/nigeria-records-highest-cocoa-exports-n131b/

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http://lindaikeji..com/2015/03/horrific-photos-from-recaptured-town-of.html

The Central Bank of Nigeria has threatened to go after schools and landlords in Nigeria that demand fees and rents in dollars. Rising from its Monetary Policy Committee meeting in Abuja yesterday March 24th, the CBN maintained that the only currency officially recognized for business in Nigeria is the Naira.
“The official currency for doing business in Nigeria remains the Naira. Collecting rents or school fees in dollars in Nigeria is illegal. We like to advice those involved in these practices to desist from them, because CBN would very soon begin to go after them,” Mr. Emefiele warned.



http://lindaikeji..com/2015/03/cbn-threatens-to-go-after-landlords.html

[quote author=Orijin101 post=31978525][/quote]wetin be this

Wife of the President, Mrs. Patience Jonathan, has warned women against voting for the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Muhammadu Buhari, saying the retired soldier was planning to build prisons if elected into power.

Speaking at a rally organised by the women wing of the Peoples Democratic Party, in Akure, Ondo State, on Tuesday, the President’s wife said Nigerian women should reciprocate the gesture of her husband, who ensured that a large number of women was appointed into political offices during his administration.

She said the APC was a dying party that thrives on propaganda and lies, saying that women should not be deceived into “returning to bondage.”

She said, “If you vote Buhari, you vote for prison. When the PDP is busy building schools, they are busy thinking of building jails.

“We will not allow our children to be put in jail, God forbid. We pray for oneness, we pray for unity, we pray for peace.”

Patience urged the women to come out on Saturday and vote for “the government that has provided more access to education and health care and brought down by 50 per cent the maternal mortality rate.”

“He was a former Head of State, he did not build Almajiri schools. It was Goodluck Jonathan that built the schools.

“Ask him what he did for women when he was Head of State. It was Goodluck Jonathan that remembered women,” she said.

She also noted that the PDP government would increase the number of women in government to 45 per cent if returned on Saturday from the current 35 per cent.

“They said we should change, we can only move from bad to better, not from better to bad. Jonathan has done well and will do even better if returned. They have nothing to show,” she said.

She also promised to revive the works done by her predecessors, Mrs. Mariam Babangida and Maryam Abacha, in their efforts to better the lot of women.

Speaking earlier, Governor Olusegun Mimiko, said the President would get the maximum votes because of the impact of his programmes on the lives of the people of the state.



http://www.punchng.com/news/buhari-planning-to-build-prisons-patience-jonathan/

Prominent traditional rulers in Osun State have said their subjects are daily demanding their share of dollars, which President Goodluck Jonathan allegedly rained on some monarchs when he visited the state recently.

The monarchs said this in a communique they signed after a meeting held at the palace of Akinrun of Ikirun, Oba Olayiwola Olawale, in Ikirun on Tuesday.
The monarchs stated that not all monarchs in Osun State were given dollars by the President and demanding the demand by their subjects was embarrassing.
Other monarchs, who were present are Olokuku of Okuku, Oba Abioye Oluronke; Aragbiji of Iragbiji, Oba Rasheed Olabomi; Olunisa of Inisa, Oba Joseph Fadikun; Elende of Eko-Ende, Oba Rauf Olaniyan; Oloyan of Oyan, Oba Kelani Oyedare; Onirun of Oke Irun, Oba Adetoyi Adetunlurese; and the Elerin of Erin Osun, Oba Yusuf Omoleye.
Although the Timi of Ede, Oba Muniru Lawal, was not physically present but the the Akinrun said his counterpart from Ede was part of the monarch dissociating themselves from the dollar rain.
The communique read ” Of recent the press is awash with the report of endorsement of a particular presidential candidate by some traditional rulers in Osun State and the use of their beaded walking sticks to pray for him. It was also alleged that in the process, huge amount of hard currency was doled out. This has become the general talk in the public domain.
“The general impression is that all traditional rulers in Osun State without exception were involved. Consequently, our subjects have been accosting us, demanding our explanation for engaging in such act. Some of our subjects have also demanded for their own share of money we collected.
” No doubt this is an embarrassing situation to us. For this reason, we have decided to make it clear to the public that not all traditional rulers were involved in this act.”


http://www.punchng.com/news/chiefs-demanding-share-of-jonathan-dollars-monarchs/

Goodluck Jonathan or Muhammadu Buhari? Muhammadu Buhari or Goodluck Jonathan? Both have their strengths and weaknesses.
General Buhari is running as a presidential candidate for the 4th time in a row. The only difference between his current effort and the three previous ones is the fact that this time, he goes to the polls as a clear favourite. Surely, there must be a reason why a man who, it looked like, never had a chance in the last 12 years is now solidly placed to win.
The reason? Two words: Goodluck Jonathan.
President Jonathan said he deserved credit for the APC becoming what it is today. The president is right, but he missed the irony in his own assertion. He wants the world to believe the APC exists because his government created an enabling environment for the opposition to thrive when, in actual fact, the opposition rose on the hills of Jonathan’s incompetence.
General Buhari has always been a phenomenon in the North – he still is – but the same could not have been said of the South until the run-up to the 2015 elections. Why is that? Because of the same old gee, Goodluck Jonathan. Nigeria’s current president has failed so many times many Nigerians are inclined to choose to vote for just about any form of matter over him.
Where exactly has Jonathan failed and why his failures should not be overlooked?
The president’s most telling failure is his inability to address the insurgency in the North. For many years, the president’s disposition to Boko Haram was: “they are killing themselves to make my government look bad.” This position was echoed by the president’s men and allies.
The belated response to the killing of 59 Buni Yadi boys in Yobe, the absurd delay in even believing the Chibok girls were truly abducted until some 18 days later, the Kano rally dance that came 24 hours after the Nyanya bomb blast, and several other shocking responses to Boko Haram’s activities sold the president out as being indifferent to the pains of Nigerians who live under the constant menace of terror.
Meanwhile, General Buhari’s history as a no-nonsense leader proves he will not approach Boko Haram with kid gloves or underrate the terror group, to which President Jonathan has confessed. Corruption and government accountability are major issues in this election, and understandably so.
A November 2012 report says some N5 trillion was either misappropriated or outright stolen under the Jonathan administration. At least N1 trillion was stolen under the guise of fuel subsidies, if the House of Representatives’ report is correct.
There is the $20 billion the then-Central Bank governor and now Emir of Kano, HRH Muhammed Sanusi II, said wasn’t remitted to the Federation Account. Two days ago, he was on CNN’s Amanpour insisting the government’s explanation for that was not satisfactory.
Another former CBN governor, Prof. Charles Soludo, insisted some N30 trillion has been lost due to the current administration’s mismanagement. As these words get written, the government has not issued a reasonable response to his charges. They offered a lot of emotional tantrums through President Jonathan’s campaign and the Ministry of Finance.
On this front, Buhari comes out on top again because of his reputation of never being the one about amassing wealth or using his privileged position to loot the country. He is generally perceived as upright. His choice of Pastor Yemi Osinbajo helped to cement that perception.
The third major deciding issue for this election is the economy. The Nigerian economy is walking on tightropes. The government likes to claim it has made Nigeria Africa’s No.1 economy. The economy was rebased in 2014. All the government did with the “rebasing” was to account for the inclusion of new sectors like the entertainment industry and telecoms into the calculation of the country’s GDP.
This was accumulated over the previous 20 years or so, but the government has sold this as one of its achievements.
Pictures of Cameroon were presented as completed road projects of this administration, and an image of a housing estate in Lekki was used as that of completed housing projects in the Northeast.
Four out of every five Nigerian graduates are out of jobs. Extreme poverty is unacceptably high, the naira is seeing worst trading days ever. Perhaps, the greatest picture of that reality is Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest man, losing $7 billion in November 2014 alone; since then, he has lost enough money to make another person the 2nd richest on the continent.
Nigeria’s foreign reserves continue to take a plunge. Its debts, local and foreign, continue to rise. It is all a mess out here.
This is what the elections are about. It is a direct Yes/No referendum on President Jonathan. Not a few people voting for General Buhari will do so just to vote against President Jonathan.
Voting Buhari is the right thing if this really is about the future of Nigeria. Of the two available options, President Jonathan is a failed president. In a sane world, he would not even dream to be a candidate, let alone become one.
General Buhari used to be a dictator. He has since learnt democratic tenets having, without resorting to violence, trusted the courts three times after losing previous elections. It is obvious he is in this because he firmly believes he can be the wise old man who sets Nigeria on the road to socio-political and economic recovery.
General Buhari gets my vote. Easily. It is the most logical decision. In a country where money and materialism hold sway (including in the so-called religious houses), those who are able to share dollars will certainly turn many heads. What will matter in the end is how much Nigerians want “change”. Another four years with Goodluck Jonathan would be a disaster for Nigeria. It is time for Buhari.



http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/03/omojuwa-on-chances-of-buhari-and-jonathan-in-2015-election/

Africa’s most populous country and top economy, Nigeria, holds general elections this Saturday — the fifth since civilian rule was restored in 1999.

Here are five key figures whose actions could shape the outcome of the vote and its aftermath.

- Goodluck Jonathan -

Nigeria’s 57-year-old leader is seeking a second term after a tumultuous five years plagued by the dramatic rise in strength of Boko Haram Islamists and a widely criticised job performance.

Critics say he has failed to tackle corruption or improve infrastructure, especially electricity supply, but Jonathan still has supporters, particularly in the mainly Christian south of the religiously divided nation.

Nigerians have never seen power change hands through the ballot since independence from Britain in 1960 but Jonathan has repeatedly vowed to respect the will of the voters.

If the election tilts in the opposition’s favour, all eyes will be on the president to see if he keeps that promise.

- Muhammadu Buhari -

The former military ruler is taking his fourth shot at the presidency since democracy was restored in 1999, and has tried to position himself as Nigeria’s top anti-corruption crusader.

Buhari, 72, insists he will win this time, refusing to even discuss the prospect of another defeat.

If Jonathan is declared the winner, Buhari’s actions could prove crucial in avoiding widespread post-election unrest.

Experts say the predominantly Muslim north is a tinderbox that may explode if Buhari, the region’s favourite son, is perceived as having been cheated out of an electoral win.

Buhari’s moves as the results come in will therefore be closely watched.

- Abubakar Shekau -

Boko Haram’s leader, a wanted criminal who is suspected of orchestrating crimes against humanity, has vowed to disrupt the polls, which the Islamist group views as “un-Islamic”.

That sinister pledge may turn out to be empty bluster but given Boko Haram’s proven ability to sow chaos across northern Nigeria, the possibility exists of widespread attacks, including bombings, on polling day.

- Attahiru Jega -

The head of Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission has faced fierce criticism from both the opposition and the ruling party during the campaign.

But impartial observers broadly see him as tough-minded, independent administrator committed to overseeing a fair and credible vote.

The career academic cut his political teeth opposing the brutal military dictatorship of Sani Abacha in the late 1990s.

Given his background, most experts believe Jega will seek to declare an accurate result as quickly as possible, regardless of any political interference he may face.

- Security chiefs -

The independence of Nigeria’s military and police around election day will likely be crucial in ensuring the vote is respected nationwide.

The defence ministry has issued clear statements declaring itself to be a completely non-partisan actor in the polls but troubling events in recent months have raised concern.

Officers, believed to be from the police force, fired teargas on senior opposition lawmakers as they tried to enter parliament for a key vote in November.

The opposition has specifically identified the police chief in the capital Abuja, Joseph Mbu, as being an outspoken loyalist of the ruling party.

Observers say that avoiding confrontation between the security services and political demonstrators should be a top priority.

http://www.punchng.com/news/afp-polls-five-key-figures-to-watch/

Wife of President Goodluck Jonathan, Patience, on Monday, described an allegation of extortion levelled against her by the Rivers State Governor and Director-General of the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, as laughable.

Amaechi had, on Saturday, claimed that the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the state, Chief Nyesom Wike, had been paying $1m (N199m) monthly to Mrs. Jonathan.

The governor had claimed that Wike was giving the money to the President’s wife in order to gain political favour.

Mrs. Jonathan, who spoke with our correspondent through her media aide, Mr. Ayo Adewuyi, however said there was no truth in the claim.

Adewuyi described Amaechi’s claim as laughable and ridiculous, saying that nothing short of such was expected from Amaechi.

He said, “The allegation that the First Lady is collecting money from Chief Wike monthly is laughable and ridiculous.

“You cannot but hear things like this from someone who is home alone.”

Wike himself had earlier denied the claim.

The governorship candidate, who spoke through his media aide, Mr. Simeon Nwakudu, described Amaechi’s allegation as false and asked the governor to respond to the allegations of corruption against him.

Amaechi had said, “Do you know that the PDP governorship candidate, Nyesom Wike, has been giving one million dollars monthly to the wife of the President, Mrs Patience Jonathan? He has been doing this to gain political favour in the Presidency and to retain the favour.”


http://www.punchng.com/news/amaechis-allegation-against-me-laughable-says-patience-jonathan/

Credit agency Standard & Poor's downgraded Nigeria's rating to B+ from BB- on Friday, saying the decline in oil prices in the past seven months had significantly affected the country's finances.

Setting a stable outlook on the new rating, it also said political risk was a significant factor while the country's non-oil sector would support economic growth.

Nigeria holds a presidential election on March 28 when Goodluck Jonathan will seek another term. He faces former military ruler Muhammadu Buhari in what is expected to be the tightest ballot since the start of civilian government in 1999.

S&P said that while the west African country had taken numerous measures to counteract the effects of falling oil prices, such as tightening the 2015 budget and monetary policy, it believed the tense political atmosphere might undermine efforts to introduce other measures.

"The tightly contested general elections and potential underperformance on oil production may pose risks to the implementation of the federal economic management team's proactive and ambitious fiscal consolidation plans," it said.

S&P noted that Nigeria relies on oil and gas for about two-thirds of its fiscal revenues and over 90 percent of its exports, and that falling oil prices had notably impacted current account position.

But it added that the fastest growing sector, services, now accounted for more than 50 percent of GDP while oil and gas had shrunk to 14 percent.

An average current account deficit of 1.8 percent of GDP was expected for the period 2015-2018, it said, and annual economic growth was expected to average 5 percent in the same period.

The growth forecast was down from S&P's September report that expected a rate of 6.2 percent for the 2015-2017 period.


http://af.reuters.com/article/investingNews/idAFKBN0MH06D20150321

President Jonathan was in Damaturu, Yobe state on Thursday 19th March 2015 where he campaigned and also met traditional rulers in the state.

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http://news2.onlinenigeria.com/news/general/405053-colorful-pictures-of-president-jonathans-visit-to-damaturu.html

There are a few assertions as to how the late General died, whether he died naturally or was assassinated.
But who would had the guts to actually kill the General Abacha, [/b]considering how much power he had then.

[b]Below are a few of my thoughts as to how the General died


# 1: The General was assassinated by the US Government for the role he played in the death of[b] Ken Saro wiwa[/b], using the alledged imported prostitutes he was with the night he died.

#2: He was Killed by Major Al Mustapha, who wanted to take over from his Boss as Military Head of State (remember Mustapher was his go-to-guy)

#3 He was assassinated by General Bamaiyi who also had the same intentions as Al Mustapha above.

#4 Probably GOD heard the cries of Nigerians, as many churches today believe that General Abacha was killed by GOD who answered their prayers.

#5 OR he died of natural causes, maybe a hearth attack, or probably was ill and nobody new about it.

Theese are just my thoughts, feel free to add yours.

The United States government has thrown its weight behind the Independent National Electoral Commission to use the Permanent Voter Cards and the smart card readers in the March 28 and April 11 elections.

The introduction of the PVC and the SCR for use in the 2015 general elections has been a subject of hot debate and litigation in the country.

The American government conveyed its approval of the card readers through Vice President Joe Biden on Wednesday.

Biden spoke with Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party and the presidential candidate of the opposition All Progressives Congress, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) on the forthcoming election, a statement on Thursday by the US embassy in Nigeria indicated.

The US Vice President commended President Jonathan and Buhari for signing the Abuja Peace Accord in mid-January, describing it as a show of their commitment to non-violence throughout the election process.

The statement read in part, “The Vice President further expressed the United States’ support for the Nigerian Independent National Electoral Commission and its work to deliver free, fair, and credible elections, in part through its essential efforts to distribute Permanent Voter Cards and help ensure that electronic voter card readers are in place and fully operational.”

Biden also registered his concern on the violence recorded during some recent election-related events and re-emphasised the need for both presidential candidates to make clear that such violence had no place in a democratic process.

The US vice president stated further that the American government would stand with the Nigerian people in support of credible and peaceful elections, and would continue to stand with the Nigerian people whatever the outcome of the presidential poll.



http://www.punchng.com/news/us-vp-phones-jonathan-backs-card-reader-for-elections/

GboyegaD:
Nice of the guy.

yea very funny

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http://lindaikeji..com/2015/03/lolsee-note-this-man-came-home-to.html

With about 10 days to the scheduled presidential election, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, yesterday, said it was yet to print only 500, 000 copies of the Permanent Voters’ Card, PVC.
Chairman of the Commission, Professor Attahiru Jega who made the disclosure at a dialogue session he had with the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room in Abuja yesterday, said the contract for printing of the remaining PVCs was awarded to an indigenous firm that is based in the Federal Capital Territory.

Prof. Jega explained that the inability of the Abuja firm to print and deliver the voter cards on time was due to the fact that it ran out of “blank cards” for the production.
The INEC boss described the development as regrettable, even as he assured Nigerians that all the PVCs that will be used for the impending elections will be ready for distribution before Sunday.
Besides, Jega who noted that as at February 14 when the presidential election was initially billed to hold, only 67 per cent of the PVCs were ready for use, said that as at yesterday, INEC had achieved 81 per cent success with regards to the production and distribution of the cards.
He stressed that the cards in the last phase of the production will be distributed at the polling unit level.
He said: “I want to further assure Nigerians that anybody who has registered and has the PVC will be allowed to vote. We have done our best to look at every aspect and angle. We have tried to see what improvements that can be brought about so that the 2015 election will be free, fair and credible. Though our deadline would have expired by Sunday, we have concluded plans for targeted distribution of the remaining PVCs. All the new cards that are taken in this last phase are to be distributed at the polling unit level”, he added.
Jega said that INEC was able to surmount challenges it met in the distribution of the PVCs, especially in Jos and Owerri North, adding, “As I am talking to you today (yesterday), all outstanding cards for Edo state would have been distributed”.
On the feasibility of all eligible voters getting their PVCs before the March 22 deadline for collection, Jega said the commission has considered the idea of further extending the deadline, “but we are still holding back in the meantime because if we go ahead and make that announcement now people will relax. That is why we decided to still peg the deadline at Sunday. However, when push comes to shove then we can make announcement of the new date”, Jega said.
He noted that there has been remarkable improvement on the issue of security within the North Eastern part of the country, saying that information within his disposal showed that only three Local Government Areas in Borno state are still within the grip of insurgents.
Meanwhile, the INEC Chairman warned that the commission would not allow Governors, Ministers, Senators and other highly placed public officers to parade the streets with armed security men on the election days in the guise that they are monitoring the electoral process.
“This is an area that we really want the security agencies to do a better job than they did in 2011 and all the subsequent elections we have had in this country. No public officer should be accompanied to the polling unit by armed security men.
“The Governors while going to the polling units to vote may be accompanied by two unarmed security men on plain clothes. Some of the breaches we had in previous elections were from high profile people. We want the security agencies to be more diligent in ensuring that the guidelines are complied with this time around”.
While reacting to questions pertaining to the workability of the card reader machines, the Director of ICT at INEC, Mr. Chidi Nwafor, said the machines were programmed to work with all the terrestrial networks in Nigeria, “like MTN, Glo, Airtel and Etisalat, using dedicated lines”.
He said: “It is a known fact that Nigeria is not covered 100 per cent by the network providers, however, the unavailability of network will not stop the card readers from carrying out the authentication and verification of voters on the election days”.
Nwafor said that though the accreditation is supposed to stop by 1:30pm on the election day, he said that the card readers can still continue the accreditation of voters till 6pm.
“The machines are not programmed in such a way that it stops accreditation at 1:30pm. People tend to get us wrong on this issue, we are not saying that once it is 1:30pm then nobody should be accredited again, no! The process will continue until the last man on the line is accredited to vote”, he stated.
Jega gave instances that could lead to the postponement of election in any given polling unit.
He said: “If a card reader fails to function at all at a polling unit, we agreed with all the political parties that it should be replaced. However, if it fails and is not replaced before 1pm on the election-day, we agreed that the election in such polling unit should be postponed till the next day. We have learnt from Ghana where such incidences occurred”.
He said that INEC is currently in possession of 182, 000 card readers, adding that 400 of the machines were dead on arrival as they could not boot after several attempts.
“We are comfortable with the credibility of the card readers and in all the tests we have conducted none of the card readers failed”, he said.
Jega revealed that INEC will use the International Conference Center, ICC, in Abuja as its collation center.
“If there is any result that we feel lacks integrity, we will not hesitate to cancel that result. Likewise, wherever a ballot box is snatched, we will cancel election in that place. We will work together with the police towards making sure that we prevent snatching of the card readers. If people target the card readers and start snatching them, it will constitute a sufficient reason for us to cancel the election”, Jega added.



http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/03/abuja-firm-yet-to-print-500000-pvcs-for-inec-jega/

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Aminu Tambuwal, now has full security protection provided by the police and the Department of State Service protection.

The Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Suleiman Abba, following last Wednesday’s deployment of DSS operatives to guard the Speaker, has also restored Tambuwal’s police escorts.

The PUNCH learnt on Wednesday that the policemen resumed duties at Tambuwal’s Abuja residence on Friday last week, two days after the DSS also restored its operatives.

Tambuwal’s Special Adviser on Media, Mr. Imam Imam, in a statement on Wednesday, confirmed the restoration of his principal’s security aides.

The statement thanked all Nigerians and groups that showed concern over the withdrawal of the Speaker’s police escorts and DSS operatives.

Part of the statement read, “The policemen attached to the Speaker resumed duties few days after men of the Department of State Service returned to their duty posts.

“As we have always maintained, it is the duty of the state to provide special security for certain public office holders, of which the Speaker of the House of Representatives is one.

“We thank all Nigerians who voiced their opinion on the withdrawal, and the subsequent reinstatement of the security personnel.

“No further comment will be made on this issue.”

Before Imam’s statement, our correspondent had learnt that the Speaker had travelled out of Abuja by the time the escorts arrived at his residence.

“You know, the DSS men came on Wednesday; that was why they accompanied the Speaker to work on Thursday (next day).

“After the sitting of the House ended, he left Abuja for Zamfara State to attend a function.

“By Friday when the policemen resumed for work, Tambuwal was not available in Abuja,” a National Assembly official told our correspondent.

Imam had also earlier told our correspondent that policemen were ‘sighted’ at the Speaker’s house in Sokoto.

“Yes, some policemen have been sighted in Sokoto. We are not in Abuja right now.

“They have been at the Speaker’s residence. That is the much I can tell you,” Imam had stated before he issued his statement later in the day.

Asked whether he was aware that Tambuwal’s escorts resumed work in Abuja, Imam replied that he “heard” but that his boss was yet to meet with the men because he had been out of the Federal Capital City since Friday.

The police and the DSS had six months ago, precisely on October 28, 2014, withdrawn their men from Tambuwal following the Speaker’s defection to the All Progressives Congress from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party.

Tambuwal, who later emerged as the APC’s governorship candidate in Sokoto State, remained without official security protection until the latest turn of events.

Although, he had challenged the action of the police in court, the matter is still pending.

It is still unclear what informed the U-turn made by the police and the DSS just days to the March 28 poll.

In the absence of police protection, the Speaker was often seen moving around the country in company with his personal aides and some lawmakers.

At his residences, men of the National Sergeant-at-Arms and Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps provided security.

The IG, in defending the withdrawal of his men, had interpreted the defection of Tambuwal as a breach of Section 68 (1) (g) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

He had argued that the PDP not being in divisions, the Speaker lost his seat and position by defecting to the APC.

Abba had said that Tambuwal’s defection meant that he was no longer entitled to police protection.


http://www.punchng.com/news/ig-restores-tambuwals-police-escorts/

Former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria and the current Emir of Kano, Lamido Sanusi, says the issues surrounding the missing $20bn oil money have not been adequately addressed by the Federal Government.

Sanusi, who is now known as Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II, had last year raised the alarm about missing $20bn but was removed shortly after by President Goodluck Jonathan.

The Federal Government later hired an international audit firm, Pricewaterhousecoopers, to audit the account of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation. The PWC report stated that NNPC must remit $1.48bn to the Federation Account.

However, Sanusi, said during an interview with Christiane Amanpour on the Cable News Network on Wednesday, that the level of corruption in the oil sector was still high.

He said for instance, no one had accounted for the billions of dollars paid in kerosene subsidy which was not approved by the National Assembly.

Sanusi added that Nigeria’s economic crisis caused by the fall in oil prices, the stock market crash and the devaluation of the naira, was due to the mismanagement of oil funds.

He said, “My position in the Central Bank was that there was always this gap of $20bn after reconciliation between what the NNPC exported and what it deposited into the Federation Account. I raised a number of issues that I think have not yet been discussed and addressed sufficiently.

“One of them is the billions of dollars being paid in kerosene subsidies without appropriation by the National Assembly and against a presidential order and we don’t know who authorised those payments and yet no one has owned up to say I authorised the payments, I made a mistake. It must stop. I think those issues need to be addressed and until we address them and begin to close all the loopholes in government revenues, we are going to continue to create opportunity for the destruction of the economy.

“It could be $20bn at the end of the day. After reconciliation it could amount to $14(bn) or $12(bn) and I think these issues reflect unconstitutional and illegal withholding of revenues from the Federation Account.

“The country is paying the price today; oil prices have crashed, the currency has been devalued, the stock market has collapsed, government revenues are in a very bad shape. Whoever wins, whether this government or the opposition, will have to deal with these issues. The petroleum sector is a major drain on the resources of the country and this has to be looked at.”

Sanusi, who said the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Maj.Gen Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), was right to say that corruption was killing Nigeria, added that Nigeria must stop living in denial.

The Emir praised the military for its recent successes in the fight against terrorism, saying Boko Haram would have been curtailed if the anti-terror war had started a long time ago.

Reacting to a question about threats by Boko Haram to kill him, Sanusi said, “If I had a way of knowing that if Boko Haram took my life, they would stop killing people in Nigeria, I would give my life. I have nothing else to aspire to, I have achieved.

I think the important thing is for every Muslim leader to speak up.”


http://www.punchng.com/news/missing-20bn-issue-not-adequately-addressed-sanusi/

The General Overseer of the Latter Rain Assembly, Pastor Tunde Bakare, on Tuesday said that he trusted the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) but not the credibility of “his environment”.

“Yes I trust Buhari and this is because I have worked closely with him but I doubt his environment. The Peoples Democratic Party and the All Progressives Congress, which one is really clean? Only God can give us true leaders,” Bakare said.

The pastor spoke while addressing Christians at the annual Lenten lecture of the Island Club in Lagos.

“I believe in contact without contamination,” he said.

Bakare, who was the running mate of Buhari on the platform of the Congress for Progressive Change in the 2011 presidential election, said he was not a politician but a nation-builder.

He said, “If General Buhari wins, let President Goodluck Jonathan accept defeat. Whoever loses is not a loser and if the winner is President Goodluck Jonathan, Buhari should accept this as the will of God.

“The 2015 election is a serious crossroad and we might be playing with fire but with wisdom and prayer, we shall end well.

“ I am not a politician; I am not a PDP nor APC member. I am a nation-builder. Whoever I support is not the issue, God’s will must prevail. My loyalty is first to God and to my country but God knows Nigeria’s next president.”

Speaking on fasting, he urged Christians in the country to examine the true spirit behind the Lenten fast, saying fasting was not an antidote to problems but an opportunity to submit to the will of God.

The pastor attributed the wrong attitude of Christians to fasting to biblical illiteracy, saying that true fasting ordained by God was explained in Isaiah 58, highlighting the need to help the poor and be led by God to observe it.


http://www.punchng.com/news/i-trust-buhari-but-doubt-his-environment-bakare-2/

kestolove95:
Our buhari will inherit empty Treasury when he assume office by may29

funny

The Senate on Tuesday approved the request of President Goodluck Jonathan to raise additional $200m Diaspora Bond from the international capital market.

Jonathan had, in a letter addressed to Senate President David Mark, on February 4, 2014, sought the approval of the red chamber to increase the initial $100m earlier approved by the senators in the 2012 – 2014 Borrowing Plan.

The president had explained that the $200m increment being sought by him was necessary in order to fund critical infrastructure in Nigeria and also afford citizens in diaspora an opportunity to invest in the development of their country.

Chairman of the Joint Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debts, and that of Finance, Senator Ehigie Uzamere, while presenting the report, noted that several meetings were held with officials of the Debt Management Office in the course of their assignment.

Uzamere added that his committee considered the Nigeria’s Medium Term Debt Management Strategy (2012-2015), The Debt Sustainability Analysis (2013), Fiscal Responsibility Act (2007), Debt Management Act (2003) and the 2014-2016 MTEF/FSP, to arrive at its submission.

He noted that the committee considered the $100m earlier approved in the 2012 – 2014 Borrowing Plan as too small “considering the life of Nigerians in the Diaspora.”

Uzamere said the dwindling revenue from crude oil sale has made it necessary to diversify sources of funding for government.

He said, “The Diaspora bond is necessary to create more space in the domestic market for other borrowers particularly private firms.

“The Federal Government plans to utilise the proceeds of the diaspora bond in the construction of key capital projects in priority sectors of the economy.”

He explained that proceeds from the bond would be used to fund the construction of the second Niger Bridge, Lagos-Ibadan expressway, and provision of facilities at the Abuja Medical City.


http://www.punchng.com/news/senate-approves-additional-200m-loan-for-jonathan/

President Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday said any leader in the country who robes the military into the nation’s political activities is reckless.

He said men of the nation’s armed forces must be appreciated by all Nigerians and be insulated from politics.

Jonathan spoke while receiving a cheque of N1m from Mr. Dotun Oyetunde, in support of the nation’s armed forces.

The presentation was done before a meeting of the Security Council presided over by Jonathan went into a closed-door session.

Jonathan said he always feels bad whenever he hears people making insulting statements about the nation’s military.

He said nations that Nigeria build its democracy after do not behave in that manner.

The President said, “We must continue to commend men of the Nigerian armed forces. A nation must honour men of its armed forces.

“All the nations that we emulate and build our democracy after do not insult their military.

“They must be appreciated and insulated from politics. I feel bad when leaders robe military into our day to day political activities. That is reckless.

“These men stay in the rain while we are under roofs. They stay awake for us to sleep well.”

Jonathan acknowledged the supports the military is currently receiving from Nigerians.

He specifically commended youth groups that have been demonstrating in support of the troops.

He urged other Nigerians to borrow a leaf from those who have been donating in cash and kind to the troops.

He said such assistance could be channeled through the Chief of Defence Staff, National Security Adviser on the Minister of Defence.

The donor said he and his wife were moved by the plight of troops in the hands of members of the Boko Haram sect.

He said he was surprised that everybody seemed to be criticising the military and are seeing Boko Haram as political as if the insurgents ask for their victims’ political affiliations before attacking them.

The Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, while introducing the donor, told the President that the military had received various donations such as drugs, bags of rice and cartons of instant noodles among others.

He said when he received Oyetunde’s message, he discussed with the National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.), who suggested that the donor should be brought to personally present the cheque to the President during the meeting.



http://www.punchng.com/news/critics-of-military-reckless-jonathan/

THE International Criminal Court (ICC) has restated its resolve to prosecute any Nigerian politician who engages in or incites his/her followers to violence.

ICC’s Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda, in a statement yesterday, warned that politicians risk being prosecuted either by the court or the Nigerian courts, should they persist in the campaign pattern dominated by hate speech and violence-inducing languages.

The warning by the ICC came barely a week after the Presidential Campaign Organisation of the All Progressives Congress (APC) said it will report President Goodluck Jonathan’s wife, Patience, to the court for making inciting statements.

The ICC had issued a similar statement in February, in which it urged the nation’s major political actors to strive to prevent violence among their supporters.

“Following my statement of the February 2, 2015, and my Office’s subsequent visit to Nigeria from the February 3 to 5, I reiterate my previous message.

“At a time when abhorrent levels of violence already plague parts of the country, I recall that the ICC has jurisdiction over Rome Statute crimes committed on the territory of Nigeria.



“Any person who incites or engages in acts of violence in the context of the upcoming elections or otherwise – including by ordering, inciting, encouraging or contributing to the commission of crimes that fall within ICC’s jurisdiction – is liable to prosecution; either by Nigerian courts or by the ICC.

“No one should doubt my office’s resolve to prosecute individuals responsible for the commission of ICC crimes, whenever necessary.

“Violence is not a solution. The conduct and outcome of elections in Nigeria, free from violence, will not only prevent further instability in the country, but will also send a clear message that electoral competition does not have to result in violence and crimes that shock the conscience of humanity,” ICC said.

The Office of the ICC’s Prosecutor has the powers to conduct independent and impartial investigations and prosecution of the crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.

It is conducting preliminary examinations relating to such situations in Nigeria, Afghanistan, Colombia, Georgia, Guinea, Honduras, Iraq, Ukraine and Palestine.

It has also opened investigations in Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Darfur (Sudan), Central African Republic, Kenya, Libya, Côte d’Ivoire and Mali.


http://thenationonlineng.net/new/icc-threatens-to-try-politicians-promoting-violence/

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Aminu Tambuwal, has said that himself and other members of the House who defected to the All Progressives Congress from the Peoples Democratic Party would have been richer politicians today had they remained in the PDP.

Tambuwal explained that remaining in the PDP would have been an easier choice as all the lawmakers would have enjoyed the financial benefits of being in the same party as the Federal Government.

The Speaker said the ex-members of the PDP opted to leave the party for the love of Nigeria and the need to turn the country around for good.

He claimed that the PDP had not done much for the country since it assumed control of leadership in 1999.

But, a member of the House, who is serving on the PDP’s Presidential Campaign Committee, Mr. Bitrus Kaze, has disagreed with Tambuwal.

A statement on Monday in Abuja by his Special Adviser on Media, Mr. Imam Imam, quoted Tambuwal as making the submission at an APC town hall meeting held in the Tsafe Emirate, Zamfara State.

He reportedly said, “Many patriotic Nigerians who felt the need to change the course of our country have protested the inept administrative style visited on this country.

“They made their voices known by abandoning the PDP and teaming up with progressive-minded Nigerians.

“Remaining in the PDP would have been the easy option for us. We would have been richer and would been enjoying the benefits of being in the same political camp with the Federal Government.

“But, we chose a different option because we felt enough is enough. We felt Nigeria deserves better leadership that is why we are in the APC.”

Tambuwal also advised the electorate against voting for the PDP on the grounds that it was not dignifying to do so.

“So, a vote for PDP would be undignified. We must re-discover our self-worth as a people, we must move the country forward,” Tambuwal said.

Traditional rulers and other interest groups at the Emirate as well as the Zamfara State Governor, Mr. Abdulaziz Yari, attended the APC town hall meeting.

In his reaction to the speaker’s comments, Kaze, who is from Plateau State, said it was “unfortunate” that Tambuwal, who was until six months ago a member of the PDP, could paint the party in such bad light.

He argued that so long as Nigeria was not yet practising politics of ideology, a change of political party merely served personal interest and nothing more.

“I don’t believe that the speaker would have spoken in such manner about the PDP.

“But, if he did, he was in PDP until just six months back. He also knows that over half of the people in the APC are from PDP.

“We should not be embarking on campaign of calumny, which only aims at attacking other political parties and personalities”, Kaze added.

The PDP had controlled the House with an overwhelming majority of 208 out of 360 members until December 2013.

The party started losing ground after 37 lawmakers defected to the APC in December 2013.

Since the incident, more members continued to leave the PDP for the APC and other parties.

On October 28, 2014, Tambuwal too left the party and subsequently became the APC’s governorship candidate in Sokoto State.



http://www.punchng.com/news/i-would-have-been-richer-in-pdp-tambuwal-2/

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, has denied allegations that he is under pressure to resign.

Jega said this at a town hall meeting organised by REINVENT Media and some stakeholders in Abuja on Monday.
The INEC boss said the protests and calls for his resignation by some groups would not deter the commission from delivering a free and fair election to Nigerians.
Jega said, “I have heard of the several calls for me to be removed. In fact, am aware that some groups have been protesting. Well, I have a job to do and I will do it. Nobody has asked me to resign and all of us at INEC are focused on ensuring that this election is free and fair.”
He added that the commission had put in place measures to prevent multiple voting in the elections.
Jega said the time lapse between the accreditation and voting exercise was aimed at restricting movement of voters from one polling unit to the other and also ensuring that people would not vote more than once.
“Multiple voting is unfortunately the factor that has bedeviled many voting exercises in Nigeria. This problem is posed by politicians, who pay voters to vote many times or plan to snatch ballot boxes once the voting exercise starts.
“But the time lapse will ensure that voting takes place and ends in the various polling units at the same time and voters, who want to engage in this fraudulent acts will not be able to move around.
Jega blamed political parties in the country for shirking their responsibility of sensitising the public on the need for them to collect their PVCs, saying they were also stakeholders in the electoral process.
“Many usually think it’s only INEC that should be sensitising people that they need to collect their PVCs but this is not correct. Political parties have the mandate and responsibility to sensitise voters to pick their PVCs because, if people collect or do not collect, it will affect their electoral fortunes,” he stated.

http://www.punchng.com/news/nobody-has-asked-me-to-resign-jega/

ABEOKUTA – The National Cordinator of Oodua Peoples’ Congress, Chief Gani Adams has explained that his group resolved to endorse President Goodluck Jonathan for a second term, because of the promise to implement the report of national confab.
Adams also explained that, the OPC decided to dump former Lagos State governor and national leader of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tibubu for the People’s Democratic Party candidate because the former governor had lost the focus.
The OPC leader said this, during the Olokun festival and 2015 Lisabi day held in Abeokuta , Weekend, describing the festival as very important to Yoruba race.
While fielding questions with newsmen on the coming elections, Adams disclosed that, most groups have adopted President Jonathan for second term because of the pledge to implement 633 recommendations of the confab.
According to him, If it is the wish of President Jonathan to implement the outcome of the National Conference, let him be the President for a second term. That’s our position. That’s the position of OPC. Gani Adams, Fasehun; that’s the position of Afenifere. That’s the position of the Yoruba Council of Elders, that’s the position of many self-determination groups.
“Yet some civil society groups have kept quiet on these issues. So, we need to move this country forward on the basis of structure and not about saying Buhari will come to perform miracle. When Buhari was in power, it was Buhari/Idiagbon government, not only Buhari. Idiagbon did much of the job in government. Buhari was just the administrator. Idiagbon was the master-strategist of that government”, he said .
While explaining the reason the OPC dumped Tinubu’s party, for Jonathan, Adams said ” and my brother, Tinubu ,was the one that said that it’s a diversionary tactics .Tinubu was one of the people we learnt true Federalism from. I learnt true Federalism from Tinubu. We saw him as a hero 12 years ago, but , a sudden change in his ideology gave me a serious thought. I don’t have any serious issue about them because I’m not a government official but notwithstanding I have the right to defend my own future. I’m leading an organization of millions of people and I will not lead them the wrong way”.


http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/03/why-we-dumped-buhari-for-jonathan-gani-adams/

Vice President Namadi Sambo on Thursday boasted that the ruling Peoples Democratic Party was not afraid of the use of card readers by the Independent National Electoral Commission for the forthcoming general elections.

A statement by his spokesman, Umar Sani, quoted Sambo as speaking during an interactive session he had with members of the Kano State chapter of the Nigerian Union of Journalists.

The PDP Governors’ Forum and some top officials of the party have openly kicked against the use of the device for the elections.

Sambo explained that rather than opposing the issue of the card reader, the party’s major concern would be to ensure that no eligible voter was disenfranchised.

He said, “One thing I will tell you is that PDP is not afraid of anything, not even the card reader. We are not afraid of the card reader. To be very honest, what we want is free and fair elections.

“We don’t want anything to go wrong through the use of the card reader. In Ebonyi State, the INEC commissioner there said he is going to repeat the testing and in so many other states there have been problems with the card reader, to the extent that INEC themselves have introduced an incidence form.

“That is why we are saying, let us do this thing properly.”

Also, while speaking with journalists at the residence of the Minister of Education, Ibrahim Shekarau, in Kano on Thursday, the vice president boasted that the PDP would win the elections and that the party was indeed only waiting to celebrate its victory.

Sambo has been in Kano for the past three days holding consultations with stakeholders in the coming elections.

The vice president described the issue of Boko Haram as a fresh challenge to the corporate existence of the country and that the matter should not be politicised.

He said, “Boko Haram is not different from ISIS in Iraq; as well as Taliban and Al-Qeda. The issue of terrorism started before this administration. The issue of terrorism is a new challenge to Nigeria and it came when we were unprepared.

“We have been able to train our security agencies; procure armaments for our military, and today we are succeeding as our military have succeeded in recapturing most of the towns and villages captured by the insurgents.”

The vice president therefore appealed to the opposition to desist from utterances and insinuations that the Federal Government was behind the Boko Haram insurgents, describing such mindset as unpatriotic.


http://www.punchng.com/news/we-are-not-afraid-of-card-reader-sambo/

The Special Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan on New Media, Reno Omokri, has berated the governor of Osun State, Rauf Aregbesola for allegedly budgeting a whopping 18.6 billion for the running of his office while workers in the state are yet to be paid salary since October 2014.
It will be recalled that in January, during the budget defense at the State House of Assembly, Mr Gboyega Oyetola, the Chief of Staff to Governor Aregbesola, disclosed that the budget for the Governor’s Office for 2015 is N18,645,514,610.
reno-omokriAccording to Oyetola, N1,159,000,000 is expected to be expended on salaries, allowances and other remuneration of career officers and political office holders in the Office of the Governor.
The sum of N3,775,000,000 is expected to be spent on general administration of bureaus and agencies in the Office of the Governor, as part of overhead costs.
The payment of salaries to the Governor, the Deputy Governor, Judges, the State Independent Electoral Commission and others would gulp N2billion.
On Tuesday, civil servants in Osun State staged a protest against the alleged non-payment of five months salaries by the state government.
The workers, led by the Chairman of the Trade Union Congress in the state, Mr. Olatunji Akinyemi, marched through the Osogbo/Gbongan road, chanting anti-government songs.
RenoOsunThe workers said that apart from the failure of the Governor Rauf Aregbesola -led administration to pay them the outstanding salaries, the same government had refused to remit pension deducted from their previous salaries to their various retirement savings accounts.
They claimed that the governor was busy spending the state’s resources on campaigns of the All Progressives Congress and left workers to suffer untold hardship
Omokri, took to his Twitter page, on Wednesday, to question the manner of change been promoted by the All Progressives Congress, APC, if one of its governors cannot pay workers’ salaries, describing it as a foretaste of the change APC promises
[img]http://cdn2.vanguardngr.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/396x136xRenoOsun.jpg.pagespeed.ic.Bo4TOLhXLU.webp[/img]



http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/03/omokri-berates-aregbesola-you-budget-18-6-billion-for-your-office-yet-cant-pay-workers-for-5-months/

Police in Ekiti State on Thursday killed a notorious armed robbery suspect, Gbenga Mattew, popularly known as Orimeji (two heads) in the state.
Orimeji was shot dead during an early morning gun duel with the police while trying to rob Akodi-Edemo community in Odo-Ado area of Ado Ekiti.
Police Public Relations Officer of the state command, Alberto Adeyemi, told journalists that Orimeji met his Waterloo when he and his gang of five robbers dared the officers of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad and shot sporadically at them.
Adeyemi said, “Early this morning (Thursday, March 12) the Officer in Charge of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad got a tip-off that some robbers were robbing in Akodi Edemo community. So, he swung into action with his men and met about five robbers in operation and the robbers opened fire on the SARS team but the team did its best to arrest them alive.
“Two of the officials of our SARS team were wounded in the gun battle. Orimeji jumped down from the house and was trying to reload his riffle and shoot the SARS men, it was at that point that our men were left with no choice than to shoot him.
“The other members of the robbery gang had escaped with bullet wounds. We are appealing to members of the public and the hospitals, if they see anybody with bullet wounds, they should not move close to them but call the nearest police station. So that we can come and arrest them.
“The leader of the gang that was shot dead is Gbenga Mattew, alias Orimeji, he is a very notorious armed robber with a track record of armed robbery of about 12 years. We have arrested him on many occasions and charged him to court.
“He was among the escapees in the last prison break in Ekiti. They call him Orimeji Omo Bose.
“We understand that Ekiti has three notoriuos armed robbery gangs, so we have smashed one by the killing of Orimeji. We have intensified efforts to get the other two. We have already mapped out strategies to get them; I cannot disclose such strategies to you here, but I can tell you that in the next two days, we will have another breakthrough that would be bigger than this.
“About N120,000 and three US dollars were recovered from him. His riffle, a locally made one, was also recovered.
“I am sure the residents of the Akodi Edemo Area will tell you that they have never seen the kind of massive gun fight between the police and the robbers that occurred around 3.15am early this morning in the area before.”


http://www.punchng.com/news/police-kill-notorious-ekiti-robbery-suspect-orimeji/

APC released these photos of Buhari and other chieftains visiting a primary school in Rivers state today and claimed that this is how all public primary school in the state look like. A member of the APC Presidential team, Lola Shoneyin shared the photos and wrote "All primary schools in Rivers State look like this. Happy pupils thrilled to meet 'President Buhari!'


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http://lindaikeji..com/2015/03/if-i-hear-is-this-how-all-public-pry.html

Nigerians in the Diaspora yesterday kick against the use of the electronic Card Readers, arguing that it is capable of disenfranchising millions of Nigerians.

Speaking with journalists in Abuja, the Global Chairman of All Nigerian Nationals in the Diaspora, Dr. Peter Mozie, said the insistence by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and its Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega shows that they were “unmindful of disenfranchising Nigerians in the forthcoming general election.”

Mozie explained that “the card readers are not in compliance with our grassroots people, they are not educated. The use of card readers has to be postponed to next elections,” he maintained.

The group which is also spearheading the re-election of President Jonathan, observed that “not only would a vote for Jonathan continue to foster the unity of Nigeria, but also kick against the incompetence of General Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC), a man that increased the emigration in his illegal coup of 1983, a man that did nothing for the power, rail, road and housing sectors, as well as the economy.

“His ignoble attempt to smuggle back Umaru Dikko in 1984 from the UK shows he has no regard for the rule of law nor human rights. Today, President Jonathan is being judged by what Buhari failed to do during his tenure. President Jonathan has corrected most of the wrongs Buhari could not correct. APC is audacious enough to say they have the solution to a new Nigeria.”

They also called on “well-meaning Nigerians that registered to vote to go out and pick their permanent voters’ cards (PVCs) and cast their votes for President Jonathan/Namadi Sambo come March 28, 2015.

“We appeal to all Nigerians to shun violence in any disguise. The unity of Nigeria is more supreme than our personal interests or that of any of the contestant.”

They opined that their resolve to support President Jonathan stemmed from the need to do a fair assessment and reportage of a government that has so far achieved what was tagged “un-achievable” by previous administrations. Secondly, to put before the Nigerian electorates, the records of the Jonathan/Sambo administration, which should serve as a basis for getting another mandate come March 28, 2015.”

According to the group the policies put in place by the administration for the progress of all sectors has led to economic growth, stressing that “the international community believes and INVESTS in the Nigerian market, and the nation is moving forward.”

They stated that the “report of the national conference, when implemented, will further cement our nation building. The president has assured that the report will be implemented.

“We in the Diaspora endorse the implementation of this report because it will extend the expiry period of the national passport from five years to 10 years. The extension of the passports will save Nigerians in the Diaspora millions of dollars of passport fees and that money can be reinvested in their family.

“Give Nigerians in Diaspora the right to vote. This will ensure that no Nigerian, both home and abroad is left behind in the electoral process. Diasporas must have a say in our governance.”

“Set up the Diaspora commission. This commission, when set up, will be the one point stop for all Nigerians abroad in our national development.

“We, in the Diaspora appeal to fellow Nigerians to re-elect the Jonathan/Sambo administration, so as to further implement and solidify these projects.


http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/nigerians-in-diaspora-oppose-use-of-card-readers/203873/