₦airaland Forum

johncreek:
That election should better hold and stop making Nigerians Tensed.

I concur

The Independent National Electoral Commission on Wednesday said that the ballot papers for this month’s general elections were ready.

The spokesman for the INEC’s National Chairman, Kayode Idowu, made this known to The PUNCH just as feelers indicated that in Abuja that Thursday’s(today) Council of State meeting might be stormy.

The council, which consists of the President, the Vice President, all former Presidents and ex- Heads of State as well as all state governors, is expected to deliberate on the calls for the postponement of the elections.

Other members of the council are all former Chief Justices of Nigeria, the President of the Senate and the Attorney-General of the Federation.

One of the key responsibilities of the body is to advise the President in the exercise of his powers with respect to INEC, including the appointments of members of the commission.

The Presidency is believed to be favourably disposed to the postponement of the elections while the APC insists that the elections must hold as scheduled.

But while the Presidency and the APC were busy strategising on Wednesday evening on how to have an upper hand, Idowu told The PUNCH that INEC still stood by its timetable for the polls.

He said that apart from the ballot papers being ready, 65.5 per cent of the Permanent Voter Cards had as of Monday been distributed to registered voters across the country.

He said, “We have distributed 48,098,000 which represents 65.5 per cent of the PVCs . We have also taken delivery of ballot papers for the elections.”

Asked to be specific on whether the elections would be postponed as being canvassed in some quarters, he replied, “Has the commission issued any statement reneging on its earlier timetable?

“If we have not done that, that means nothing has changed.”

The PUNCH gathered on Wednesday night that the commission had commenced the movement of materials to states and local government areas ahead of the February 14 presidential and National Assembly elections.

Idowu, had in a statement on Wednesday, refuted an earlier report by Reuters, claiming that the elections might be postponed if voter cards distribution was too low.

He said that there was no reason for anyone to suggest that the exercise might be shifted because “the number of PVCs already collected rates highly in comparison to the level of voter turnout historically in Nigerian elections.”

He explained that a National Commissioner of INEC, Amina Zakari, gave a hint that the deadline for PVC collection might be further extended.

The statement read, “I write to refute your story in Reuters attributing National Commissioner of INEC, Zakari, as saying that the 2015 general elections may be delayed if the number of PVCs collected by voters is too low.

“I was at the Situation Room Dialogue with INEC in Abuja this (Wednesday) morning and I know that the commissioner spoke in regard to the February 8 deadline for the collection of PVCs, nothing about the schedule of the general elections.

“You said she spoke to you ‘on the sidelines’ of the event. Well, I have checked with the commissioner and she denied that the issue discussed was the schedule of the 2015 elections.

“You had during the question-and-answer session at the event asked about the notably low level of collection in some states and the implication for voter turnout, which the commission had missed out in her responses.

“Later ‘on the sidelines’ she explained to you that the number of PVCs already collected rates highly in comparison to the level of voter turnout historically in Nigerian elections.

“Still, she added, INEC has not completely foreclosed the possibility of granting a few days of extension in isolated cases of low percentage of collection after February 8.

“The inference you’ve made for the schedule of elections is entirely yours, and misrepresents the conversation that took place at the event this(Wednesday) morning.”

Our correspondents however gathered that former President Olusegun Obasanjo, the APC presidential candidate, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), and all the APC governors will attend the Council of State meeting.

Most of the APC governors had not been attending the meeting since the disagreement that led to the factionalisation of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum.

The last time the council meeting was held, only Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State attended.

Two APC governors, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that the party was mobilising ahead of the meeting.

One of them said, “We know the importance of the meeting and we have asked our members to attend at all costs.

“Apart from that, our presidential candidate will also be the attending. We don’t want any unpopular decision to be taken on our behalf.”

The other said, “We are not only going to attend the meeting, but also have our caucus meeting before going there. We are meeting tonight (Wednesday) to deliberate on issues and take a common position.

“You know that we (APC governors) have not been attending the meeting for long, but this time round, we would be there.”

The governor added that Obasanjo, who also has an event to attend in Abuja on Thursday (today), had promised that he would be at the meeting.

“The former President has promised to attend. We are expecting him to be on the side of the democrats and support that the elections must hold as announced by the INEC.”

Earlier on Wednesday, the APC National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, warned that the consequences of overheating the polity on account of the grand design to postpone the polls would be difficult to predict.

Odigie-Oyegun said that Nigerians had become aware of the build-up to the “dangerous events that are beginning to unfold in the nation.”

He noted that the National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd), was the first to fly the kite by citing unpreparedness on the part of INEC.

The APC chairman stressed that Dasuki was not speaking for the electoral management body because INEC had told all Nigerians that it was ready for the elections.

He alleged that as part of the larger plot by the PDP and the Presidency, groups had been sponsored to hold demonstrations to join the calls for postponement.

Odigie-Oyegun said, “We were afflicted with organised protests and a few days ago, we were told that some parties got together – I think about 16 of them and decided that yes, they want the elections postponed.

“But of course, every serious Nigerian knows that this election is between the APC and the PDP whatever else anybody will think. There has been a spate of organised radio programmes following the same trend. Oh this election should be postponed; election that we knew four years ago is going to happen this year.

“Unfortunately in the process, the polity is being overheated to such dangerous levels that the consequences of which will be difficult to predict at this stage.”

The party chairman also said the APC was aware that the Presidency might attempt to drag members of the Council of State into its effort to postpone the elections during Thursday’s (today) meeting .

Stating that the APC holds members of the council in high esteem,” he advised them against taking part in any project that could damage the democratic process.

“It will be necessary at this point to make the point very, clearly that the Council of State is a purely advisory body and ought not to be dragged into trying to provide justification in any form or shape for this very unfortunate direction which the Presidency and the PDP want to plunge this nation,” Odigie- Oyegun said.

A top Presidency official told one of our correspondents that whether the APC governors attended the meeting or not, the decision on whether or not the elections would be shifted would be based on the submission of the INEC chairman.

He said, “You may say it (the meeting) will be stormy. But I will prefer to say there will be intrigues.

“There is no problem in Amaechi and other APC governors attending. One thing that is sure is that decision will be made based on the presentation that will be made by the INEC chairman.

“If he says the commission needs more time, decision will be based on that. Nobody can force them to go ahead.”

Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State is expected to lead the PDP governors to the meeting.

Also in Abuja, the PDP Campaign Organisation has said that only INEC has the power to shift elections.

It said it was wrong for anyone to insinuate that the Presidency and the PDP were interfering in the work of the commission.

The Director of Media and Publicity of the organisation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, stated this at a press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday.

He said, “We wish to state that our party, the PDP, and our government under President Jonathan, do not superintend over electoral processes and elections in this country.

“There is an independent election body in place – the INEC under the chair of Prof. Attahiru Jega.

“It is within the purview of INEC to make decisions about the holding and/or postponement of elections. It is not within the functions of the PDP or the Federal Government.”

The former Minister of Aviation said that the PDP and the campaign organisation took exception to the fact that the APC had kept on making this allegation.

He said, “When they say that the PDP is controlling INEC they have become nothing but victims of their own delusions and they are obviously suffering from terrible hallucination.

“INEC is completely independent. We have called on INEC to ensure that everybody has the Permanent Voter Cards.

“We have done that public service; but as to whether election is to be postponed or not is INEC’s sole decision.

“Whichever way, we are very well prepared for elections. Let it be clear that the APC leaders and members are the ones who are afraid of elections.”

Fani-Kayode said it was also not true that the PDP was not ready for the elections and that it was plotting for an Interim National Government.

He said that the APC knew it would not win elections and that this could be the reason why it was making the allegations.

He said that Buhari had “attended 35 or thereabouts state rallies and in all, he has spoken for only 57 minutes.

He added, “The longest time he spoke in any single rally was for two minutes and 13 seconds. The shortest is one minute.

“He has used his so-called speeches for nothing but political demagoguery, charging his supporters with a clenched fist and spreading hate speech (with his supporters chanting ‘sai Buhari’) which is symptomatic of a violent character.

“It drives home the point that General Buhari has nothing to say and if he has anything to say, he simply does not know how to say it. That explains why he keeps running from debates even when choice platforms are offered.”

He also denied the allegation that some of those who instituted cases in court were doing so on behalf of the PDP and Jonathan.

Some protesters however blocked the entrance to the INEC headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday, demanding that the elections be shifted by two months.

They alleged marginalisation of the Southern part of the country in the distribution of PVCs in favour of the North.

The protesters, who came under the aegis of the Coalition of Civil Societies and Concerned Nigerians, claimed that the northern states had received 73 per cent of the PVCs, while the southern states had received only 46 per cent.

Their coordinator, Amanda Chisom, said their demand was in line with section 132, sub-sections 2 of the Electoral Act.

Chisom, who suggested March or April for the elections, later told journalists that they were received by an official of INEC from the Legal Department.

http://www.punchng.com/news/inec-ballot-papers-ready-48-million-pvcs-distributed/

THE Rivers State Governor and Chairman of Nigeria Governors Forum, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, said on Wednesday that corruption would disappear in Nigeria if the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), emerged the winner of the 2015 general election.

Amaechi specifically stated that Buhari would instill discipline and uprightness on corrupt public officials in the country should he win the forthcoming poll.

The Director General of Muhammadu Buhari Campaign Organization, who made this remark while swearing in nine Permanent Secretaries at the Government House in Port Harcourt, pointed out that Nigerians were tired of the PDP leadership under President Goodluck Jonathan and needed change.

Amaechi added that no matter the lies told by the leadership of the PDP, Nigerians were interested in the improvement in the country’s affairs.

“We were sharing some discussions in the bus in the cause of our campaign. The President and the PDP never knew that there will be a time like this in Nigeria when Nigerians will be asking for change, not because of APC or Amaechi but because they are tired of what is going on.

“No matter the lies you tell, Nigerians just want change any type of change they want it. It could be change for the better, it could be change even for the worse but they certainly want change,” the governor stressed.

Amaechi, however, charged the newly sworn-in permanent secretaries to see their appointment as a call to service delivery and ensure that they were not on the wrong side of history.

He observed that in the past, permanent secretaries were not corrupt, but upright, adding that currently, some of those occupying similar position have landed property everywhere.

The governor urged the new permanent secretaries to resign if they were not ready to serve and maintained that their current position came with challenges.

Amaechi said, “Don’t be one of those Permanent Secretaries that history will have on the wrong side of the society. If you don’t want to serve, please, resign because it comes with challenges.

“Just imagine the days when J. E. Amadi was a permanent secretary, now permanent secretaries have houses everywhere, estates they have built for themselves and busy sharing money.

“You better change because the Buhari’s government will force change on everybody. I hope you listened to him (Buhari); he is not talking about EFCC, he said there are rules of the civil service.

“If we obey those rules, corruption will seize. If we all run government by those rules, then we will have a better country. Let me congratulate you on behalf of the state government.”


http://www.punchng.com/news/corruptionll-disappear-if-buhari-wins-amaechi/

The calls for the postponement of this month’s general elections may be discussed during Thursday’s(tomorrow) Council of State meeting convened by President Goodluck Jonathan.

The council consists of the President, the Vice-President, all former Presidents or ex-Heads of State, all former Chief Justices of Nigeria, the President of the Senate, all state governors and the Attorney-General of the Federation.

One of the key responsibilities of the body is to advise the President in the exercise of his powers with respect to the Independent National Electoral Commission, including the appointments of members of the commission.

Proponents of the polls’ shift had hinged it on the inability of INEC to distribute enough Permanent Voter Cards to registered voters. The call is widely believed to be engineered by the Presidency, which though had denied the charge.

INEC had however insisted that there would be no postponement of the elections.

The PUNCH however learnt from a Presidency official in Abuja on Tuesday that the Council of State would review the preparations for the elections by INEC and the relevant security agencies.

He said that information available to the government showed that contrary to the claims by the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Attahiru Jega, the commission was not yet ready for the elections.

For example, the official claimed that INEC only awarded the contract for the printing of ballot papers for the February 14 presidential election last Monday.

He wondered how the ballot papers would be made ready before February 14 which is the first day of the polls.

The official said, “The truth of the matter is that if urgent step is not taken, Prof. Jega may end up ridiculing this country.

“Available information shows that the commission is not set for this election contrary to Jega’s claim.


“We learnt he actually summoned a meeting recently with a view to postponing the election but he is scared of the opposition who have been kicking against such.

“This Thursday (tomorrow) meeting will definitely review INEC’s preparations and take a stand.”

Another Presidency source also informed The PUNCH that Jonathan might use the opportunity provided by the meeting to garner support for the postponement of the polls.

“The Presidency is not resting on its oars concerning the plan to shift the elections. It is already in talks with some members of the council,” he said.

On what the Presidency would do if the plan fails, he replied, “we would opt for another plan, which is to return to the drawing board; plan a new strategy on how to deal with our opponents.”

To underscore the importance Jonathan attaches to the meeting, his re-election campaign rally earlier billed to hold on Thursday in Yenagoa, the capital of his home state, Bayelsa, has been put on hold.

It was gathered that the rally might hold later in the day if the meeting ended on time or be shifted to Friday.

The PUNCH has however learnt that some of the proponents of election postponement might have perfected plan to ensure that Jega did not return as INEC chairman if their plan materialises.

A week-long investigation by one of our correspondents showed that the Presidency was waiting patiently for INEC to yield to the pressure before coming out with its real plan for Jega.

It was gathered that the Presidency and the ruling Peoples Democratic Party were not ready for the elections and believed that their chances could be affected if the elections were held as scheduled.

Because of this, the Presidency, backed by some hawks in the PDP, are said to be waiting for an auspicious time to ask the INEC chairman to proceed on terminal leave. His tenure ends on June 9, 2015.

The PDP source said, “The plan is to discredit the election by forcing postponement. When this is done, sponsored people and groups would start asking for the sack of Jega.

“At this point, the government would then say because of this, he should proceed on terminal leave and then ask the most senior national commissioner to take over and conduct the election.”

Jega’s nomination as INEC chairman followed approval by a meeting of the Council of State.

Jonathan had said then that he had never known Jega, a former chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities.

Jega’s candidature for the job was said to have been facilitated by a presidency top official, Hassan Tukur, who is from Adamawa State.

Parties disagree on postponement

Indication that the 26 registered political parties are divided over the calls for the postponement of the elections emerged in Abuja with 16 of them and five presidential candidates in support.

They told a news conference on Tuesday that they would boycott the polls if their opinions were not respected.

The parties include the United Democratic Party, the Citizen Peoples Party, the Peoples Party of Nigeria, the Action Alliance, the Peoples Democratic Congress, the Labour Party; and Unity Party of Nigeria.

Others are the Alliance for Democracy, the Democratic Peoples Party, the New Nigerian Peoples Party, the Peoples Party of Nigeria and the Independent Democrat.

The five presidential candidates at the briefing were Godson Okoye, Sam Okoye, C.O Allagoe, Tunde Anifowose and Ganiu Galadima.

The political parties said, “We the concerned leaders of political parties have observed some dangerous trends, which if not checked may negatively and adversely affect our democracy.”

The political parties premised their argument for the postponement on security, distribution of PVCs and people deserting their places of abode for their villages.

Okoye, who spoke on their behalf, called on the Federal Government to take necessary steps to provide adequate security for Nigerians to go out and collect their PVCs in order to be able to exercise their civic and constitutional duty.

He called on INEC to consider shifting the date of elections to sometime in March or April.

“We are not urging INEC to do anything that is unlawful, illegal or unconstitutional. It is unfortunately becoming clear by the day that most Nigerians appear not to be ready for election but are ready for violence,” he said.

He also flayed the United States Secretary of State, John Kerry, for meeting with only the presidential candidates of the APC Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari and Jonathan in Lagos.

But at a different news conference, the presidential candidate of the United Progressive Party, Chekwas Okorie, condemned the call for the postponement of the elections.

Okorie described the call as a “mischievously contrived clamour.”

He said, “The reasons given by the proponents of the postponement that a great number of Nigerians will be disenfranchised having not been given their Permanent Voter Cards which will enable them to participate in the election is a contrived reason and to a large extent pedestrian.

“As we speak, over 80 per cent of registered voters have received their PVCs according to latest figures released by INEC and this may increase to 90 per cent or above after the close of distribution of PVCs on February 8 2015, as planned by INEC.”

Meanwhile, INEC has distributed 977,727 out of the 1,494169 PVCs received by its Ondo State office.

The state Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Segun Agbaje, disclosed this to journalists in Abuja on Tuesday.

He said that the distribution of the cards to all the Local Government Areas in the state would end on Saturday.

Agbaje said,”We are preparing very well for the elections as we ought to do in line with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended).

“All non-sensitive materials would be deployed in the LGAs before the end of the week as security arrangements for their movement are almost concluded.

“We received 1,494,169 PVCs out of which we have distributed 977,727, representing 65.4 per cent, remaining 516,442 representing 34.6 per cent.”

On other preparations for the elections, Agbaje said, ‘‘The training of electoral officers had been completed while that of Supervisory Presiding Officers started on February 2 and will end on February 4.”

According to him, the training of Presiding Officers and Assistant Presiding Officers will be between February 6 and 8.

He added that INEC in the state had set up an Election Day Operations Situation Room to directly receive complaints and enquiries from voters, observers, journalists and the general public on the days of the elections.

http://www.punchng.com/news/council-of-state-may-discuss-poll-shift-tomorrow/

# Religion, Ethnicity Trump Ideas in Nigeria Presidential Vote


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Abdulkadir Nayalin balanced his 72-year-old frame on a walking stick and explained that when he votes in Nigeria’s presidential election this month two considerations will be paramount: the candidate’s home region and religion.
“Only death or severe illness” will stop Nayalin from voting for fellow northern Muslim Muhammadu Buhari, 72, in the Feb. 14 contest against President Goodluck Jonathan, 57, a Christian from the southern oil region, he said in an interview in Kano, the north’s biggest city. “I have never voted for a southerner or Christian and I will never do that.”
Since independence from the U.K. in 1960, ethnicity and religion in Nigeria’s elections have trumped ideas and policies in Africa’s top oil producer. Politicians whip up these sentiments to their advantage in a country that has as many as 250 ethnic groups and is almost evenly split between a largely Christian south and a predominately Muslim north.
For 34-year-old Emeka Eze, a Christian trader of vehicle spare parts in Kano, since neither candidate shares his Igbo ethnicity, religion will play the “vital” part of his choice.
“I didn’t vote during the 2007 elections when the two contenders were Muslims,” he said. “I will vote for a Christian fellow in this year’s elections.”
Religious Identity
The policies of Jonathan’s ruling People’s Democratic Party and former military ruler Buhari’s All Progressives Congress are strikingly similar. Both Jonathan and Buhari have pledged to end an Islamist insurgency that has killed thousands in the north since 2009. The APC has said it will maintain many of the PDP’s economic policies if elected.
“Many voters believe, or have been made to believe, that a candidate who shares with them a common religious or ethnic identity will serve their interests better if elected,” said Nnamdi Obasi, senior Nigeria analyst at Brussels-based International Crisis Group. “There is really no basis for this belief, but in the highly polarized atmosphere in which these elections are taking place, these sentiments will be very much at play.”
Even among the Christian minority in the north, Jonathan’s failure to stem the violent campaign by Islamist group Boko Haram isn’t enough to deter its support for him. The militants killed more than 4,700 people last year, double the amount in 2013, according to Bath, U.K.-based risk consultancy Verisk Maplecroft estimates.
“I believe Jonathan must have learnt one or two things, and if given another chance he will correct those mistakes,” said Esther Daramola, a 38-year-old Christian teacher in the northeastern city of Maiduguri, which the militants attacked twice in the past month. “A known devil is better than an unknown angel.”
If Jonathan is re-elected and holds power to 2019, a northerner would have been in the top office for only three of the 20 years since the return to civilian rule. Northerners were in power as civilian and military rulers for all but three and a half of the preceding 40 years.

Northern Opposition

The more prosperous south is home to Nigeria’s oil industry and the coastal commercial capital, Lagos, with the region outpacing the north’s agriculturally focused economy.
While serving as vice president, Jonathan succeeded Umaru Yar’Adua, a northern Muslim, who died in office in 2010. He won a fresh mandate a year later amid opposition from northern politicians who said he didn’t honor a party agreement to rotate the presidency every two terms between the north and south.
“These northern leaders consider this picture unfair and therefore unacceptable,” said Obasi of ICG. “More than for any previous election, the risk of violent protests along regional lines is very high.”
In 2011, about 800 people were killed and at least 75,000 forced to flee their homes after Jonathan was announced winner. Victory for him in February may spark clashes in the north. A loss would increase the risk of violence in the Niger River delta, his home region in the southeast.
The race is set to be the tightest ever, with both parties having 42 percent support among likely voters, according to an Afrobarometer poll released Jan. 27. About 68 million people are registered to vote, according to the electoral agency.

Ethnic Groups

It takes a majority of the vote of two of Nigeria’s three biggest ethnic groups and a sprinkling from the remaining minorities to win the presidential ballot. The Hausa-Fulani of the north, the Yoruba in the southwest and the Igbo of the southeast make up more than 60 percent of the population.
This calculation probably figured in the formation of the opposition All Progressives Congress, according to Malte Liewerscheidt, senior Africa analyst at Verisk Maplecroft. The APC includes parties dominant in the north and the southwest, in a bid to unseat Jonathan’s PDP, which has won all elections since the end of military rule in 1999.
Buhari, running in his fourth campaign for president, is characterized by supporters for being tough on corruption, and he’s sought to broaden his support in regions outside the north where he has an almost cult-like following, said Jideofor Adibe, a senior lecturer of political science at the Nassarawa State University.

Jonathan’s Support

Since Yar’Adua’s death, the PDP has lost support in the north under Jonathan, an ethnic Ijaw, who’s the first president from an ethnic minority.
For the residents of the oil-producing Niger delta region, where 56 percent of people live on less than $1 a day, according to the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics, support for Jonathan remains firm, said Anyakwee Nsirimovu, executive director of the Port Harcourt-based Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law.
“The campaign for Jonathan in the delta is: ‘he’s our son, we will vote for him’,” Nsirimovu said.
In the oil industry hub of Port Harcourt, Omubo Briggs, a 41-year-old mother of five who’s helping to canvass support for Jonathan’s re-election, said she backs the president because he is a fellow Ijaw.
“We know that our brothers and sisters in the north will vote for General Buhari,” she said. “So there is a need for us here to vote for President Jonathan.”


http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-02-03/religion-ethnicity-trump-ideas-in-nigerian-presidential-vote

The 2015 AFCON is well underway, and while the matches have been thrilling there have been quite a number of accommodation situations faced by the qualifying teams. Apparently, while Equatorial Guinea was very gallant in volunteering to host the tournament this year, there were questions as to whether the country would be ready to host on time. Recently we told you about the four beautiful cities hosting the tournament in Equatorial Guinea. If you’re thinking of going to see a game or two and wondering what a West African country like Equatorial Guinea might have in store for you. Great weather and a good game of football of course!

You may have heard talks about how hard it is to find a good hotel in Equatorial Guinea but some team parties like Ghana and South Africa were able to find suitable enough accommodation. The African Cup of Nations was carefully planned to accommodate teams of football champions from across Africa. Here are the top hotels in Equatorial Guinea where you are most likely to find your favourite football stars. The hotels are fit for superstars and superfans alike so look around and take your pick. You can book the best hotels in Equatorial Guinea on Jovago.com, Africa’s largest online booking portal.

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Providing heightened luxury in 120 rooms, Ibis Bata is a one of a kind hotel located by the seaside and only 10 minutes from the Bata International Airport. The rooms are equipped with air conditioning, WiFi and a safety deposit box, what more could you ask for? After a good night’s sleep, you can take a walk around this grand hotel and have a drink or grab a bite at the restaurant & bar. For a mid-afternoon swim, you can take a dive in the outdoor pool just to relax. With the perfect location and excellent amenities, Ibis Bata hotel is guaranteed to give you a wonderful experience.

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You wouldn’t be surprised to see an enormous hotel planted right in the centre of Equatorial Guinea’s capital city, Malabo but more than one thing sets the Ibis Malabo hotel apart. It is conveniently located in the Business District of Malabo and every one of its 130 rooms comes fully equipped with an inviting double bed that ignites a cosy, luxury experience.

The modern design of the hotel highlights the famous Ibis name and ensures that travellers get the very best. If that’s not enough to draw you in to take a peek, Ibis Malabo offers an all-you-can-eat buffet every day from 6.30 to 10 am, providing guests with locally accessible continental and traditional dishes.

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As the name suggests, the Sofitel Malabo Presidential Palace is a 5 star hotel designed for the high-fliers and those who want to get a taste of what it might feel like to be a king or president. Every inch of the Sofitel Malabo screams luxury, as it has long hosted several African Presidents and VIPs. The historic building has been transformed from a military training camp to one of the best hotels in the country. One can have a gourmet meal at the beautiful El Basile Restaurant with a terrace that overlooks the pool or catch a breathtaking view of the Malabo Cathedral while sipping tea after a day’s game.

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The newly built city of Sipopo has a gem in its midst. The Sofitel Malabo Sipopo Le Golff building is a magnificent piece of African architecture. Built on a golf course that overlooks Mount Cameroon, it draws attention to the quiet Guinean charm with a view of the surrounding city and countryside.

This hotel comes complete with its own private beach, tennis court and swimming pool overlooking the sea. You can also whet your appetite with exclusive French delicacies served in this mini-city. Book these luxury hotels at the lowest prices on Jovago.com

Considering the matches were being held at the stadiums in Mongomo and Ebebiyin, it makes sense that the players were lodged around this area. Teams found accommodation in small, unnamed lodges around the towns, granting them easy access to training fields and the match location. Now that the quarter final matches are being moved to Bata and Malabo, and considering the teams moving on to the quarter finals are much less than the 16 that qualified, accommodation should no longer be a problem, regardless of how many people they have in their parties.

http://www.ventures-africa.com/2015/02/afcon-2015-where-football-teams-are-staying-in-equitorial-guinea/

Reno Omokri On Twitter:
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[img]http://3.bp..com/-80yXvREgoQY/VMtS2vpx0rI/AAAAAAAEZ7M/YXNKb4X6Ayw/s1600/ren1.jpg[/img]
http://lindaikeji..com/2015/01/reno-omokri-shades-buhari-for-refusing.html

The past six months have meted on Nigeria the dire consequences of investing all (or most) of its wellbeing on revenue from crude oil exports. With the crash of global oil prices sending Africa’s number one producer of the product into financial austerity, the continent’s largest economy is now in a desperate search for new sources of revenue. One agricultural scion believes the answer could lie in another kind of oil– one with which the world’s most populous black nation is also abundantly blessed. Abdul Oroh is the Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources in Edo, one of the states in Nigeria’s oil producing Niger Delta region. Unlike its neighbours, Edo is not richly blessed with crude oil reserves, but for Oroh, the palm oil in the state as well as its other agricultural resources, are more than enough to tap from. The state’s palm oil resources is attracting investors, among them Dufil Prima, makers of Indomie Noodles, which is pouring in $600 million into Edo’s palm sector. In an interview with Femi Adekoya published in national daily the Guardian, Abdul makes a case for palm oil as an able alternative to crude, stating that it can generate even more export revenue. Here is an excerpt of the interview:

What is driving investors’ interests in the rice and oil palm industries in Edo State?

Nigeria has a huge population and a market but we import huge volume of rice especially for a commodity that has become a staple food for humanity. From China to the United States and to the whole world, their primary food is rice so is Nigeria. Although we eat a lot of cassava based foods too, but virtually everybody eats rice and we spend a lot of money either importing it or getting it smuggled into our country. Today as we speak, a tonne of crude palm oil is about $700 ($83 per barrel) and the value of crude oil is about $46. For us, we are not panicking in Edo State because we are not dependent on oil. We want to develop agriculture and this is an opportunity for us.

How come there is still a demand-supply gap in the oil palm industry despite the huge potential of the industry?

The problem is that people in Abuja still keep giving waivers to importers and I also know that they are giving out these waivers because the propensity to import is still there and there is a supply vacuum ‎which means what is produced locally cannot meet the demand. So even if we double or triple our local production now, we probably will still not meet the local demand.

What is your assessment of federal government’s backward integration policy?

Well, to have a backward integration policy is not a bad policy. I just told you the price of crude palm oil but I have not told you about palm kernel oil which is almost twice the amount of crude oil palm and not to talk of the vegetables that we eat. Presco generates about 95 per cent of electricity from palm kernel oil waste. We commissioned the plant sometime last year and they are even flaring some. They do not depend on PHCN and they also distribute power to some of their communities while the remaining five per cent is diesel. There is so much advantage in putting a lot of investment in agriculture. If we invest in oil palm, production or rice, cocoa and even cassava because of the value chain, we will gain the whole word. We have the advantage of the European Union market and we have an ambition to grow more than we are today.

How will investors help to drive this market?

They will be driving the market in many ways. For instance, investors like Dufil Prima Industries coming into the state are not coming in to learn on the job, they have experience and are already on ground producing Indomie. In fact Nigerians and Americans eat Indomie. Indomie is a very successful brand and the producers of this brand have also diversified into vegetable oil. The advantages are very many and the best way to start is what we are doing presently which is to provide lands for investment in agriculture. Land, labour and capital in elementary economics. We have a fairly educated labour force or trainable labour force. We have a friendlyiInfrastructural base ‎where most of our rural areas are connected with accessible roads. So, with their experience in other countries and Nigeria, and their capacity to raise money from the banks or from international community to invest, the sky is our stepping stone. All we need is just to give them incentives, security, lands, visible co-existence and according to the Governor of the State, once we see that you are serious, we will give you a free certificate of occupancy, but I also expect the federal government to give their own incentives. We do not control international trade as a sub national state, we do not control waivers and imports, we cannot guarantee a loan for investments, only the federal government can do this under their various promotional schemes. We expect that if the federal government is serious about the agricultural transformation schemes, they should be able to support industries to grow. We do not have time to waste as a nation.

What seems to be the challenge in Nigeria’s processing industry, especially the agro-allied value chain?

People still do their garri, lafun, starch and the rest, but we are talking about cassava to produce ethanol, quality flour, pharmaceutical products, sweetners, but all the industries are not here. The promise to get Chinese to establish industries have not been fulfilled even after we gave land to the federal government. The money they said they are going to set aside for the local millers is yet to materialized too. As for the oil palm industry, like I said if you plant cassava today, in 8 months you can harvest it, but for you to get the maximum result, within 24 hours, you must take it to the mill otherwise it will go bad, but oil palm is different because it takes about 18 months. Clearly, the market is big, open and wide for investments. We do not need to be importing vegetable oil from anywhere, people should import from Nigeria. We need to make Nigerian oil the benchmark for the world market. I will advise that anything we can produce must be encouraged so that we can produce more. In this modern world of globalisation, you cannot impose total ban on import, but I believe if we are producing sufficiently, the market forces will determine whether to import or not, but because we are not producing enough we have to import. If people know they can get palm oil in Edo State, why will they want to import from Malaysia.

What is the level of investment being expected by the state under the current drive?

We are looking at a $1.5 billion, with a company like Dulfil Prima accounting for about $600 million. This is just the beginning. Other investors are also willing to spend $30 million and some are planning to start small while some plan to start big. They are ready to start off in a big way and we know that when we finish the paper work with Dulfil, they also have the capacity to come out in a big way. The good news is that we have a government that is trusted by the people because they have seen developmental changes in the State and they yearn for more.

http://www.ventures-africa.com/2015/01/forget-crude-palm-can-be-nigerias-next-oil-cash-cow/

President Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday, described as wicked, the allegations that he was supporting the Boko Haram insurgency in the north eastern part of the country for political reasons.
Addressing a large crowd at the Ribadu Square where the Presidential rally took place, Jonathan said no sane leader would support insurgency of any type in a country that he presides over.
According to the president, his administration is totally committed to reclaiming all the territories being occupied by Boko Haram terrorists in Adamawa State, noting that from the earlier five local governments being occupied by the terrorists, government forces have reclaimed some, including Michika which he said was reclaimed yesterday morning.
He said: “Some people have insinuated that I am behind Boko Haram and I say, may Allah forgive them. There is no human being that will be the leader of his country and instigate crisis. Why should I bring Boko Haram to Adamawa State?
“In 2011, I got 65 per cent of the votes in Adamawa State. How can any mad person insinuate that I am in support of Boko Haram for political reasons? God willing, we will recover all the remaining local governments and join you in redeveloping Adamawa State again.”
The president noted that he supported the former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, for the governorship position of the state because he will join governement in fighting insecurity in the country through his international contacts and exposure.
National Chairman of the PDP, Adamu Muazu, who announced the lifting of the suspension on both the former national Chairman of the party, Bamanga Tukur as well as that of the exco of the state PDP enjoined the people of Adamawa State to vote for the PDP “because of what PDP has done and not what others have promised to do.”
The governor of Adamawa State, Bala Ngilari who said the state had always belonged to the PDP promised that every stakeholder in the state will work towards delivering the state to the PDP.


http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/01/allegations-support-boko-haram-wicked-jonathan/

The Governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Ayo Fayose has alleged that the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari is terribly ill but being denied access to foreign medical treatment by his campaign team.

Special Assistant to the Governor on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, released a statement quoting the Governor.

He said; “In all the campaign rallies held by the APC, Buhari never spoke for more than six minutes.

“Buhari will just utter some words that he had rehearsed and any attempt to bring in new words always result to confusion in his brain due to senility. That was the reason he called his running mate Osunbade instead of Osinbajo and also referred to Imo State as Ibo State.

“This is clear evidence of ill-health, old age and senility. Those packaging Buhari to achieve their personal ambition of gaining unhindered access to the wealth of Nigeria should fear God and allow this old man to take care of his health,” the governor said.

Speaking further, Fayose, who insisted that “Buhari is old and sick said; “they had programmed Buhari to travel to the U.S on 26th of this month, but they opted out when the secret trip was reported in the media.

“As a cover-up, the APC cabal sold a story to the press that Buhari was invited to attend a programme in the US by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, (CSIS).

“Interestingly, the CSIS programme was billed for January 26, the same day Buhari was said to have planned his medical trip to the United States of America.

“However, the programme was cancelled, leaving Buhari with no excuse to travel and instead of them to allow the man to travel as he had planned, the APC cabal, who are obviously more interested in the presidency than Buhari’s welfare are urging him on.”



http://news2.onlinenigeria.com/news/top-stories/397557-039buhari039-terribly-ill-but-is-denied-treatment-ayo-fayose.html

iahmed:
this is done only when election is around corner,SMH

It is a good thing at least the mothers can buy cheap kero

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has released 1,500 trucks of kerosene to be sold to the general public at the regulated price. Media Officer of the Port Harcourt Refinery Petroleum Company Limited, Ikenna Okpani, revealed this on Wednesday at the unveiling of the ‘Kero-Correct’ campaign in Calabar, Cross River State, South-South Nigeria. Okpani, who led the campaign in the state, said the move is to ensure that kerosene is made available at the government approved price of N50 per litre. The NNPC said the 1,500 trucks of kerosene, 40, 000 litres each, will be used for the three month campaign. “These trucks of kerosene would be distributed to the 37 NNPC mega stations, 12 floating mega stations and 524 NNPC affiliate stations across the country over the period of three months,” said Okpani. He also explained that his team will work tirelessly to ensure that the product is available at all consumer selling points. Certain rules will also be enforced to guide buyers through the distribution process. “Consumers are to queue for the products at every station; they are also restricted from buying above 25 litres of the products at a time.” Anyone who wishes to purchase over 25 litres will be required to re-join the queue for an additional order. The Cross River State leader of the Kero-Correct, Ms. Comfort Effiong, while speaking at the event, stated that the organisation would stick around to ensure that the price of kerosene does not surpass N50 per litre and also reach people in the rural areas. To kick start this initiative, NNPC had conducted a flag-off ceremony which took place in Abuja over the weekend. The Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Joseph T. Dawha,declared the commitment of the Corporation this project. “The Kero-Correct scheme is aimed at making kerosene available, accessible and affordable in all NNPC Mega and Affiliate Stations across the country. It is our expectation that this Scheme will enable Nigerians access this essential commodity at the right price, right quality, right quantity and at all times,” he said


http://www.ventures-africa.com/2015/01/nigerias-state-owned-petroleum-corp-distributes-60m-litres-of-kerosene-to-curb-inflated-prices/

Wuuworld:
They don dey fear....inferiority complex...semi WASC holder

Funny People

Citing an alleged record of huge revenue losses on the account of the federal government’s recent reduction of petrol pump price from N97 per litre to N87, petrol marketers on Tuesday demanded a refund from the government to at least cushion their shock from the unexpected price drop.

They noted at a meeting with the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) in Abuja that the abrupt reduction in the pump price of petrol by N10 per litre by the government had left them with “enormous loss.” They however, did not quantify the alleged financial loss.

Under the aegis of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) and the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN), the marketers stated that the announcement by the federal government came to them as a surprise and that they had no prior knowledge of a planned reduction in fuel pump price.

Notwithstanding the development and extant of old stock of petrol in their possession, the Vice-President, IPMAN, Mr. Matgandi Shettima, said the marketers had to comply despite the fact that they were never informed.

“The price reduction came to many of us as a surprise. This is because we had lots of stock in our underground tanks before the announcement was made. We had to comply as responsible citizens but the fact remains that we were taken unawares. I don’t know how they intend to pay for the huge loses and if the loses will be paid. But we want it to be paid,” Shettima said.

Similarly, a representative of MOMAN, Mr. Wasiu Alade, said at the meeting that the price reduction was tough for many marketers to comply with as directed by the government.

Alade stated that the association had met with the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), Pipelines and Product Marketing Company (PPMC), as well as other related agencies to demand for a refund for its members.

According to him: “I will like to state here that although we complied, it was not easy for many of us. In fact, complying was a tough decision for many marketers but we had to because we are law abiding.

“We are having talks with the PPPRA, PPMC and others on how to get a refund but we are yet to get any good response from these agencies of the federal government. We however hope that something will be done about this soon.”

He added that: “It is a heavy blow for us in the new calendar year it has already affected our operations, we never found it funny but we don’t have options than to comply in order not to sabotage government efforts.”

But responding to the demands of the marketers, the Chief Regulatory Officer, Planning of PPPRA, Mr. Michael Nwonu, said he would not comment on the issue as it was coming at a sensitive period when the country was preparing for elections.

Nwonu said: “I will urge you to always visit our website because we update it regularly in order to address some of your concerns. You can still visit our office for further clarification.

Meanwhile, the DPR has said that it was considering a review of filling station licence fees for oil marketers and operators in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
The Zonal Controller of Operation DPR, Mr. Mohammed Usman, stated at the meeting that the licence fees paid by filling station owner was the lowest paid by all business enterprises operating in Nigeria.

He noted that with N30,000 charged for two years, operators of filling stations in the country can probably be regarded to be on holiday.


“If those that are selling potatoes heard that it is N30,000 we are charging the filling stations as licence fees for two years, I am sure they will want to lynch us,” Usman said.

He further noted: “Therefore DPR is considering upward review of the licence fees for filling stations.”

Usman also said the agency would increase the tenure of the licence from two to five years so that it will be more convenient for oil marketers.

Shetima had earlier urged the DPR to review the span of the license from two to five years. He also called on the agency to ensure that the tank farm owners do not sell refined products above official price.

“In most of the places where we buy this product at the tank farm they sell above stipulated rate and when we bring this to our various stations we encounter difficulties in selling. We want the DPR to look into this problem especially as regards to petrol and kerosene.

“They sell the fuel to us at the rate of between N80 to N81 instead of N77.66k so that when we come to our filling station we sell at the official rate,” Shetima said.


http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/oil-marketers-demand-refund-on-new-petrol-pump-price/200414/

The Nigeria Election Debate Group (NEDG), yesterday, debunked rumours that the group had leaked election debate questions to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, President Goodluck Jonathan, just as it fixed 1, 8 February 2015 for Vice Presidential and Presidential debates respectively.
The Chairman of the NEDG, Mr Shola Omole stated this during a press conference on the preparation of the Presidential Debates organised by the NEDG, in Abuja.
Omole, who is also the Director General of the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA), said 13 out of 14 political parties recognized by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had indicated interest to take part in the debate.

He maintained that NEDG is an apolitical group that was made up of the media and people of impeccable characters from the society, therefore, it had no interest on who wins the forthcoming presidential election.
According to him, “As of right now I can say that 13 political parties have confirmed that they will attend the debate. We are still working on it and we still have a few days to go before the debate.
“I will like to state that the NEDG is not a partisan organization but a collection of media people, civil society organizations, professional associations who have an interest in ensuring that Nigerians have better adequate and relevant information to enhance their ability to be able to take a decision on voting day.
“As we speak, the questions that are going to be asked on the date of the debate are still being worked upon by our debate committee. Those questions are not ready; as I am speaking to you, the questions are not yet ready; there is still work in progress. Therefore, there is absolutely no reason why anybody will have the questions right now.”
The Media Consultant to the NEDG, Mr Taiwo Allimi disclosed that over 3,000 questions had been submitted to the group from Nigerians, adding that the election debate would be “issues based and issues driven”.
Allimi explained that the platform would not give any score card, and that, “there will be non-participatory audience; the audience is not to clap, yell or laugh during the entire debate.
“It is on the date of the debate, when the debate is about to go on air that we (the NEDG) will now give the moderators and the panelists the questions they will be asking the candidates.”


http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/01/election-debate-nedg-denies-leaking-questions-jonathan-pdp/

Promhize:
I'm weeping for you but at the same time I can't hold laughing at your stupidity

Na wah for people ooo

rozayx5:
nice one

let the daura cattle farmer keep counting kirkiri as his 20 months achievements

Funny

starlingbawa:
My guy, you funny sha!
'Nothing to see here people, continue with your lives'
very funny!!!

I can't stop laughing!

Not funny at all

French multinational exploration and production company, Total, today announced that it has completed work in its facility that transports gas to the 500 million dollar Alaoji power plant in Abia state, South east Nigeria. The commencement of transportation of gas to this plant will help resuscitate the plant which has since been completed in 2013. The Managing Director of Total E&P Nigeria, Elisabeth Proust, commenting on the development, stated that the project was a clear demonstration of the company’s commitment to deliver “better energy”. Alaoji Power plant Alaoji Power plant is located along the Imo River in Abia state. The power plant covers nine Local Government Areas in Abia state referred to as Aba/Ariaria Business District. Former President of the West African country, Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration gave the concession for the construction of the plant to a private power construction giant, Geometric Company Limited, with funds needed for the project raised from financial institutions. The project carried out with the help of some technical partners was completed in 2013. Power Plants Plans in Nigeria In the government’s effort to ensure quick supply of gas to the newly built power plants in Nigeria, the federal government asked Total E&P Nigeria (TEPNG) to complete a section of The Northern Option Pipeline (NOPL) from Km 38 to Km 50. This NOPL connects to Nigeria gas company (NGC) facilities. The project, which is being executed in a joint venture between Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and TEPNG is expected to be completed this year. It will deliver about 100 million cubic feet of gas daily to strategic power plants. However, TEPNG noted that the gas being supplied to Alaoji during this period will come from Seven Energy, while NGC will convey the gas through its pipeline and the section of TEPNG NOPL. The completion of the work will boost the federal government’s efforts at improving electric power supply in the country, with the plant expected to generate 1000Megawatts of electricity.

http://www.ventures-africa.com/2015/01/total-completes-gas-pipeline-for-1000mw-power-plant-in-nigeria/

Troops in Maiduguri, Borno State, ‘mistakenly’ opened fire on the convoy of Governor Kashim Shettima as it approached a military garrison near the airport.

Shettima was on his way to visit soldiers, who were wounded in the simultenous Boko Haram attacks on Maiduguri, Monguno and Kodunga when the incident occurred on Monday.

Security sources, according to SaharaReporters, said the governor’s protocol unit was to blame for the incident as it failed to notify the military authorities about Shettima’s intention to visit the military facility on Monday evening.

An aide to the governor was quoted by the online news portal as having said that the governor, who was unharmed in the encounter, returned to his office unruffled.

The report however did not say if anyone in the convoy was hurt. It also was silent on whether or not Shettima’s security aides returned fired.

A Government House source however claimed that the governor’s convoy heard sporadic gunshots about one kilometre from the 33 Battalion and therefore made a U-turn.

He added that Shettima stopped his convoy at the 707 Housing Estate to calm tensions and debunk the rumours that the gunshots were by Boko Haram insurgents that were attacking people at Njimtilo.

Our correspondents could not get the spokesman for the 7th Div., Col S.K. Usman, to comment on the issue as calls to his mobile did not connect.

Attempts to also get the reaction of the Director of Press and Communication to the governor, Mallam Isa Gusau, were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.

Calls to his mobile indicated that it was either switched off or out of coverage area.

But the state Commissioner for Infromation, Mohammed Bulama, said what happened was a “friendly gunshot.”

“It was not an attack on the governor. It was a friendly gunshot that was not directed at Gov. Shettima nor his convoy. The shots were fired into the air by soldiers who were hailing the governor for saluting their effort in repelling the insurgents.”

Fleeing residents of Monguno on Tuesday told The PUNCH in Maiduguri, that corpses of people were decomposing on the streets of the captured town.

One of them, Babagana Modu, who arrived in Maiduguri on Monday evening, said, “The pathetic thing is that our dead family members are allowed to decompose on the streets without burial.

“The fools (insurgents) are treating us worse than an animal. Definitely, these people do not know any God.”

A woman, Yagana Mohammed, who lost her husband and two children to the attack, said she would have preferred to die too.

She said, “I would have liked to be killed with my dead husband rather than living with the memory of the day he was slaughtered. The matter is made worse by the fact that there would be no grave for me to show to my other surviving children.

“How will I explain to them when they grow up that their father and brothers were slaughtered and left to rot on the streets.”

The military is however still engaging the insurgents in a battle to reclaim the town.

It was gathered that more troops were deployed in the town with an instruction to chase the terrorists out .

“As I am speaking to you our men are still engaging the insurgents and hopefully they will push them back soon and allow the people of the town to return home,” a military source told The PUNCH.

Meanwhile, a suspected Boko Haram bomb maker has been arrested by security operatives in Potiskum, Yobe State.The man, identified simply as Ba’na, is suspected to be behind the fabrication of explosives used in a series of Boko Haram suicide attacks.

According to an Agence France Presse report on Tuesday, the suspect was arrested with nine accomplices.

“He confessed to being responsible for the manufacture of the explosives used in at least three suicide attacks and the car explosion outside the divisional police station,” a police officer told the AFP.

Ba’na was said to have moved to Potiskum from Damaturu three years ago and worked as a stonemason and water vendor before getting married.

“He was quite good at his disguise and his mason and water vending jobs gave him perfect cover,” the officer said.

But the spokesman for the Nigerian Police Force, Emmanuel Ojukwu, told the news agency that he did not have any information on the arrest.

Potiskum, the commercial capital of Yobe State, has been hit by a wave of bombings in recent months, including a suicide attack on a secondary school in November in which 58 people were killed.


http://www.punchng.com/news/soldiers-open-fire-on-borno-governors-convoy-in-error/

DaGC:
Kudos. Keep it up.
God bless the armed forces.

#PeacefulNigeria
#UnitedNigeria

Amen

Gunshots boomed again in Monguno, Borno State on Monday as troops, backed by fighter jets, launched a major offensive to recapture the city from militant islamist sect, Boko Haram.

“The operation resumed on Monguno this (Monday) morning through air bombardment to dislodge the insurgents,” a Defence Headquarters source told Reuters news agency.

The source made this known as the death toll from the foiled bid by the sect to capture Maiduguri is believed to have risen from 65 to 100.

The sect had launched simultaneous attacks on Maiduguri, Monguno, Kodunga and Gubio on Sunday. While its fighters were repelled in Maiduguri, Gubio and Kodunga, they overran Monguno after soldiers who engaged them in gun battle retreated.

A military barracks in the city was seized and the Brigade commander wounded by the insurgents.

The Defence Headquarters, in one of its tweets on Monday, said the troops inflicted more casualties on fleeing insurgents while military locations in Maiduguri and Konduga were reinforced.

It further stated that the troops captured a large number of heavy military hardware from the insurgents.

The tweet read, “Our forces recorded some casualties. Meanwhile, ground troops are in charge and Air Force patrol on going at Maiduguri and Konduga.

“Substantial amount of heavy weapons have been captured as more terrorists died in the fight which lasted till early Monday morning.”

5,000 flee to Maiduguri

The National Emergency Management Agency Information Officer in the North-East, AbdulKadir Ibrahim, told The PUNCH, that 5,000 persons that fled the captured town had been registered in Maiduguri.

He said that the Borno State Government provided an almost completed housing estate for the IDPs.

Ibrahim explained that 2,000 of them arrived the state capital on Sunday and 3,000 on Monday.

He said, “We are expecting more people; we have put the needed materials for them to settle well in the camp.”

Reuters also reported that majority of those killed in the Maiduguri fighting were Boko Haram members.

It said that a Maiduguri-based journalist, Bello Dukku, who visited a mortuary in the city counted 100 bodies, including 15 soldiers.

According to Dukku, 50 people injured in the fighting.

Meanwhile, the curfew imposed on Maiduguri after the Sunday attack has been lifted.

A spokesman for the Army in the state, Col. Sani Usman, said, “The curfew has been lifted. People can go about their legitimate business.”

The state Governor, Kashim Shettima, had earlier on Monday explained to the residents of the city that the curfew was imposed “to enable security personnel to carry out their operations.”

He said, “I call on the people of Borno State not to panic. This is our land. No fear, no flight, no retreat. We should not flee. We have a history dating back 1,000 years and I swear by Allah, we are going to subdue them (Boko Haram).”

The governor, who also described the attack on Monguno as bad, said, “ I will not lie to you. People are trooping to Maiduguri. They are being protected by the military outside the city.

“There is a need for screening before they are allowed in.”

Meanwhile, an A online news medium, TheCable, said in its report on Monday that the insurgents attacked Michika, in Adamawa State, “killing people and burning houses”.

It quoted a a source as having said that the terrorists arrived in the town at about 2pm on Monday “firing gunshots indiscriminately and burning houses.”

“People who are running, trying to escape but are being shot. The soldiers are engaging them(insurgents) right now and I hope they overcome them,” he added.


http://www.punchng.com/news/fighter-jets-pound-bharam-locations-in-monguno/

Residents of Maiduguri, the troubled Borno State capital, stayed indoors all yesterday – no thanks to a curfew imposed on the city, which is a prime target of the Islamist sect, Boko Haram.
The Defence Headquarters said troops killed scores of Boko Haram members and captured a Cobra Armoured Vehicle, heavy Artillery guns, and some machine guns from the insurgents.
Also, three Golf cars laden with explosives were destroyed by troops.
But the military admitted that a Brigade Commander and some troops were injured in the encounters.
The injured soldiers have been evacuated, even as the military has launched air strikes against the insurgents.
The DHQ made the statement in Abuja through the Director of Defence Information, Maj-Gen. Chris Olukolade, on the update on Boko Haram invasion of Maiduguri.
The statement said: “Terrorists who attacked Maiduguri in the early hours of today (yesterday) have been successfully repelled.
”An extensive cordon and search is ongoing as part of the mopping up operation to determine details of the heavy casualties suffered by the terrorists.
”Meanwhile, scores of the terrorists have died in the course of the attack, while many of them were also captured with wounds.
”A Cobra Armoured Vehicle, heavy Artillery guns, as well as some Machine Guns and other weapons were captured from the fleeing terrorists. Three Golf cars loaded with explosives were also destroyed.
”Similarly, troops in Konduga successfully repelled terrorists’ attacks twice today, Sunday.
”Some of the troops however lost their lives in the series of operations to repel the terrorists today. Those that were wounded have been evacuated for appropriate medical treatment.
”The 24-hour curfew imposed in the course of the operation is expected to be lifted as soon as mopping operation is concluded. Citizens will be allowed to go about their lawful activities from 6 am tomorrow, Monday, January 26, 2015.”
The DHQ said air strikes were ongoing in Monguno following the wounding of a Brigade Commander and some soldiers by Boko Haram, which led to the tactical withdrawal of ground force.
The statement added: “Meanwhile, an exclusive coordinated air campaign had taken over from ground forces in Monguno, as troops had to retreat from the location after the Brigade Commander and some of the troops were wounded while repelling terrorists attack on the town today.
“ Calm has been restored in Maiduguri and Konduga as operation continues with patrols and surveillance.”
Troops blocked roads leading into Maiduguri, preventing civilians from escaping.
“We believe hundreds of thousands of civilians are now at grave risk,” Amnesty International said.
The attacks came as United States (U.S.) Secretary of State John Kerry was in Lagos,meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan and Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, the main presidential candidates.
The extremists attacked on three fronts around Maiduguri soon after midnight and troops battled to hold them at bay, according to an officer involved in the fighting.
He said he saw dozens of combatants killed. A hospital worker said they were treating dozens of wounded soldiers. Both men spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorised to speak to the press.
Gen. Olukolade said the militants simultaneously attacked Maiduguri and Monguno town, 180 kilometres (112 miles) away.
While soldiers were succeeding in holding off the attack on Maiduguri, it appeared they might lose Monguno, according to Abbas Gava, a spokesman for the civilian self-defence groups fighting Boko Haram.
The 7th Division of the Army in Maiduguri announced a 24-hour curfew on Maiduguri.
The Spokesman of the Division, Col. Sani Usman, said in a statement:“Be informed of the imposition of a curfew on Maiduguri immediately. “The curfew will remain till further notice.’’
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) learnt that insurgents had attempted to storm Maiduguri through Jimtilo on Maiduguri-Kano road on Saturday night. But NAN learnt that the attempt was repelled by the military.
Explosions and gunfire erupted on the outskirts of the city in the middle of the night, marking the start of a major attack, according to Maiduguri residents. The sound of constant shelling could be heard from the Njimtilo area, about 20 kilometres away from the city, until around 11 am.
Hours after the predawn raid, troops, backed by heavy weaponry and fighter jets, fought pitched battles with the militants, according to local officials.
The city was being patrolled by military, police and members of Cvillian Joint Task Force (JTF), a group of government-supported militias, a former Maiduguri local government official, Mohammed Bolori, told FRANCE 24 on the telephone.
”You can leave your house, but only on foot,” said Bolori. “For the first time, the city has banned movement even on bicycles. They suspect that some Boko Haram members had already entered the city and that is why they are enforcing security.
“The brazen attack on Maiduguri comes a few days ahead of the general elections. President Jonathan visited the city on a campaign stop barely 24 hours before the attack.
Maiduguri resident Tarhodjidongar Boukar told FRANCE 24 that church services had been cut short as people scrambled to return home. “The ceremony was shortened and people began to walk home,” said Boukar. “Now I am at home. Everything depends on the army. If they open up circulation [traffic] today, I will move around. If not, I will stay here,” he said.
Another Maiduguri resident, Fatima Zannah, a civil servant, said she was staying at home with her children.
“Everything stops when there is a curfew. It’s so frustrating to be at home. You hear the sounds and you are scared. You are just trying to find out information about the outside by listening to the radio, calling people and looking at the net,” she said.
The insurgents carried out multiple attacks, trying to invade the city from various directions.
Residents said the Boko Haram gunmen in a convoy of Toyota Hilux vehicles loaded with Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and rapid propelled grenades attacked the 333 Artillery base and troops hostel located along Damatru/Jos/Kano.
A top security source told our correspondent that over 200 people were killed including soldiers, the insurgents and some civilians who were running for their dear lives.
Security have also confirmed the fall of the only remaining military formation in Monguno, in the northern part of the state, along Baga area.
The insurgents at the same time lunched another fierce battle on Konduga about 50km to Maiduguri. Report of the number of casualties in the Konduga battle was still not clear but a security source said “it was a fierce battle”.
A member of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) said: “The Boko Haram sneaked into Maiduguri through that river, south of 333 Artillery military bases that accommodate our soldiers on Kano Road around Maronti village. When we heard of their infiltration at about 1am, some of us immediately alerted some soldiers at the hostel and Nigerian Air Force (NAF) base, before the gunmen in Hilux vehicles attacked this village and killed some of our soldiers last night,” said CJTF.
Residents of 777 and 1, 000 Housing Estates along Damaturu/Kano road coupled with some villagers on the same route were engulfed in sporadic gunshots and deafening sounds of fired grenades and heavy artillery sounds that lasted throughout the night.
The entire estates were deserted as residents scampered for safety. There was a grid lock on the Damaturu/Kano/Jos road up to the Post Office, the centre of Maiduguri metropolis.
A NAF jet was hovering over the city.
There were reports that hundreds of travellers and motorists travelling into Maiduguri from Damaturu, Potiskum, Kano, Jos and Abuja had to turn back for their safety as the road was closed.
A military source said: ”We have successfully decimated insurgents with several of them killed, the casualty on their side is more than our men. I believe over 200 people were killed. Out of that figure, we lost our men as well and some civilians also died but the terrorists suffered the brunt of the attack.
“The bad news is that Mungonu has fallen in the hands of the Boko Haram terrorists.
The Damaturu/Potiskum/Jos/Kano highway remains the only safe route in and out of Maiduguri as the insurgents have captured from Damboa up to Bama, Gwoza down to Baga and now Monguno, hence closing up on Maiduguri.
The Boko Haram insurgents have also made several frantic attempts to capture Damaturu, the Yobe State capital, “a situation that will leave Maiduguri at the centre should the insurgents succeed”, said a security source.


http://thenationonlineng.net/new/troops-repel-boko-harams-attack-maiduguri/

The United States has advised Nigeria against postponing the general elections scheduled for next month.

The US Secretary of State, Mr. John Kerry, gave the advice after he met the candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party, President Goodluck Jonathan and All Progressives Congress Maj. Gen. Muhamadu Buhari (retd.) in Lagos on Sunday.

Kerry said that the US would deny entry visa to any Nigerian politician responsible for fomenting violence during the February elections.

He urged the Federal Government not to postpone the elections as being canvassed by the National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.).

The secretary of state said, “Given the stakes, it’s absolutely critical that these elections are conducted peacefully.”

Kerry was in Nigeria to urge the political class to respect the outcome of the February 14 presidential election.

He explained that Washington was concerned that post-election violence could undermine the stability of Nigeria and hamper the fight against terrorism.

It will be recalled that three days of rioting trailed the 2011 general elections which saw Buhari losing to Jonathan.

Kerry said, “Nobody gains by violence, nobody gains by turning a political disagreement into a killing spree … The proof will be in the actions that are taken in the course of the election and afterwards.

, “Anyone who participates in, plans or calls for violence against the civilian population must be held accountable, including by ineligibility for an American visa. Perpetrators of such violence would not be welcome in the US.”

In an apparent response to Dasuki’s call, Kerry said, “It is imperative that Nigeria holds its elections on time.”

Dasuki had in London last week called for the postponement of the elections to allow the Independent National Electoral Commission distribute more Permanent Voter Cards to Nigerians.

An unconfirmed source said Kerry also spoke with the INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, on the telephone.

He was said to have urged Jega to ensure that the polls, which would determine how the US relates to Nigeria in future, were credible.

Kerry also said that the US remained committed to helping Nigeria fight Boko Haram.


http://www.punchng.com/news/us-to-nigeria-dont-postpone-elections/

Hajia Aisha Buhari, wife of Maj.-Gen Muhammadu Buhari, presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, has said that she is not a foreigner as being speculated in some quarters.

She spoke through Mrs. Deborah Iliya, a chieftain of APC in Kaduna State who represented her at the public presentation of a book, “Wind of change: 72 leadership qualities of Buhari,” written by a civil rights activist and Executive Director of Gatekeepers Foundation, Mr. Blessing Agbomhere, on Friday.

“Let me use this opportunity to deliver a message because there may not be another opportunity to deliver it. We know what is going on in the country today. It has reached the stage that people are hunting for Buhari not to reach that day of election.

“They have also said that Aisha Buhari is not a Nigerian. Aisha said I should tell everyone that she is a Nigerian. Does it even matter if she is not a Nigerian? What has that got to do with what is happening in this country?” Iliya stated.

Iliya further quoted Buhari’s wife to have rooted for a woman president in Nigeria in the nearest future as part of the total change package.

She said, “Aisha said she is pleased because the author is a young man; this is an indication that our youths have always understood the problems of this country and they are really pulling us together to fight a common front and that is change.

“We need change in Nigeria. For the past six years, we have been suffering; I wish a woman has been President we wouldn’t have been in this mess. So women, she (Aisha) has asked that I should encourage you to come out and be part of nation building. We are powerful; we are strong and stronger than the men.

“Please support women and next time we will have a woman President in Nigeria.”

The APC deputy national publicity secretary, Mr. Timi Frank, said at the event that the call by the National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.), for the postponement of the 2015 elections signified the coming of another “June 12” and that the party and all Nigerians would resist the postponement of the February elections.

The June 12, 1993 presidential election, won by the late businessman, Chief Moshood Abiola, was annulled by a former dictator, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, thus plunging the country into years of political crisis.

Frank said, “That call for election postponement can lead to revolution. If Nigeria were to be a sane clime, this country would have been on fire because this is another June 12 annulment coming.

“These are part of the comments why people are stoning the President in the North. People in government don’t know how to speak and so they will say it is the opposition. When you anger the people, they will rise up against you. The voice of the people is the voice of God and that has come to stay.

“The National Security Adviser’s call for election postponement is a call against the wishes of Nigerians; that call is anti-people and a call for anarchy. That call for postponement is the personal view of the NSA. He’s not speaking for Nigerians. That call for postponement will not stand; we will resist it in any form.

“One man or a cabal cannot dictate for Nigerians. For us in APC, elections must hold on February 14 and if the Peoples Democratic Party is not prepared for election, let them back out of it. Nigerians are ready for the election and nothing on earth can change that date.”

Also, a member of Board of Trustees of APC and former Minister of Information, Prince Tony Momoh, said what Nigeria needed at the moment was change.

He said the call by Dasuki for the postponement of the 2015 elections was unrealistic.

He said, “The NSA is an individual, he expressed his opinion and he has even denied it.

“INEC said they are prepared; is NSA INEC? He is my friend and I know him very well. I think he was misquoted.

“Why should the elections be violent? People who want change will not fight, we in APC have been asking for change. We know we are more than PDP now and so anybody who is asking for postponement is the one who is not sure of winning the election.

“There will be change; there will be election and it will be non-violent, it will be free, fair and transparent. The results will be announced and the heavens won’t fall.”

http://www.punchng.com/news/im-not-a-foreigner-buharis-wife/

All over Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy, talks about next month’s elections have assumed centre stage. A rather absurd amount of attention has been poured on the presidential candidates for the elections without acknowledging, so much, the gubernatorial candidates who, after the elections, will also be critical for the smooth running of the economy.

Below is a summarized account of some of the fiercest gubernatorial campaign battles currently ongoing in Nigeria. The initial list was developed by the Sunday Trust.

This Election is Nigeria's Fiercest governorship campaigns among all the candidates, and it is going to be the most expensive in the history of governorship elections in Nigeria.

Lagos: Many believe the very soul of the topmost state economy in Nigeria has been sold to the All Progressive Congress (APC) because of the straight victories its candidates have enjoyed over the years. However, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has released a prominent personality, Jimi Agbaje, to contest with Akinwunmi Ambode of the APC. Ambode appears to enjoy the blessings of notable personalities in the state including former Governor Bola Tinubu and incumbent Governor Babatunde Fashola. But with a political heavy-weight in the person of Chief Bode George supporting Jimi Agbaje, as well key players of the present Federal Government, the perception is that the playing field is becoming sufficiently levelled for both candidates to compete.
Jimi Agbaje could spring an unlikely surprise in the race to replace incumbent Governor Babatunde Fashola

Benue: This state has been dominated by the PDP since the present political democratic dispensation began in 1999, hence, the party, whose candidate is Prince Terhemen Tarzoor, already enjoys some advantages. However, Dr Samuel Ortom of the APC has galvanized strong grassroots support and may be giving the PDP a big run for their money. However, the PDP continues to exert some influence in certain zones within the 7 Idoma speaking local government areas where APC lacks any significant presence.

Katsina: The situation here is rather peculiar as five candidates are currently jostling for the top state job. They include Yakubu Lado of the Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM), Aminu Masari of APC, Musa Nashuni of PDP, Abdulmumin Aliyu of NCP and Abdullahi Tsauri of APGA. Of the five, the PDP and APC candidates, as usual, are believed to be the only two with any real chance at grabbing the seat. Masari is perceived to have more political clout than Nashuni who is, more or less, a political newbie enjoying the blessings of the present state government.

Kaduna: Here, former Minister of the FCT Malam Nasir el-Rufa’i (APC) will be competing with the current state governor Dr Mukhtar Ramalan Yero (PDP). Just like Benue and, indeed, Nigeria, the PDP has dominated elections in Kaduna since 1999 and would be sure to leverage this strategic advantage in the elections. However, certain aggrieved former PDP members have defected to the APC and this could increase the chances of el-Rufai emerging governor come February.



Oyo: Like Katsina, Oyo State has five rather formidable governorship candidates including incumbent Governor Isiaka Abiola Ajimobi of the APC, Senator Teslim Folarin of the PDP, Senator Rashidi Ladoja of the Accord Party, former governor Adebayo Alao-Akala of the Labour Party (LP) and Engr. Seyi Makinde of the Social Democratic Party (SDP). All five contenders are heavyweights in their own right and may stand relatively equal chances of winning.

Akwa Ibom: In Akwa Ibom, the fierce gubernatorial battle is between two former Secretaries to the State Government (SSG), Mr. Udom Gabriel of the PDP and Mr Umana Okon Umana of the APC. Gabriel, who took over from Umana, is perceived to be the preferred candidate by incumbent Governor Godswill Akpabio after Umana was allegedly forced to resign by Governor Akpabio after he openly declared his interest in the 2015 governorship race. Mr Umana subsequently defected to the APC upon realizing he could not win the PDP ticket. The configuration in this southern Nigerian state is particularly delicate as both candidates are prominent locals with significant political leverage.

Adamawa: The chances of APC candidate Senator Muhammad Jibrilla Bindow has heightened following the crisis over the primaries that produced Mallam Nuhu Ribadu (PDP) as governorship candidate. Also, a group of aggrieved aspirants have also defected from the PDP to the People’s Democratic Movement (PDM) in order to boost their chances of winning. This fragmented configuration will likely give the APC a competitive advantage in the elections

Sokoto: In a rather dramatic twist, the two contenders here are brothers-in-law. The APC candidate is the present Speaker of the Nigerian House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, while Senator Abdallah Wali, Nigerian ambassador to the kingdom of Morocco, represents the PDP. Tambuwal is married to one of the Wali’s sisters, Mariya, and both candidates are from the same local government area. It would be interesting to note which of the two peculiar candidate eventually steps in as governor of the north-western Nigerian state.

Nasarawa: Again, five political parties have presented candidates for the 2015 election in Nasarawa. The APC seeks the re-election of Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, while Yusuf Agabi is the preferred candidate of the PDP. Other contending parties including the Labour Party (LP), All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) and Accord Party are fielding Barrister Lagi Innocent, Mathew Ombugaku and Arc. Stanley Buba respectively. Incumbent governor Al-Makura has the relatively sound track record of being the first to give the state a foundation for development but Agabi has recently acquired the confidence of the people and will wield no small influence in the forthcoming polls.

Bauchi: The battle here is between the PDP and APC. Auwal Jatau of the House of Representatives represents the PDP while the APC has presented Barrister Muhammad Abubakar as its candidate.


http://www.ventures-africa.com/2015/01/nigerias-fiercest-gubernatorial-campaigns-this-year/

tpacalipse:
^^ Because Diazane and co are fraud stars.

It is because it is smaller than all the other African countries

It first happened in the United States of America, and now it is spreading all across sub-Saharan Africa – fuel prices are actually reducing!

Thanks, or no thanks, to the oil price crash, consumers can now heave a sigh of relief, though some remain disgruntled that the price point reduction is not commensurate with the magnitude of the oil crash.

Here are the 11 sub-Saharan African countries that have cut down fuel prices according to Mail & Guardian Africa:

Kenya: The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) in this significant East African player last week cut prices by 16 percent to an average 93 Shillings ($1.02) from Sh110 ($1.20). Over the next couple of weeks, Diesel is expected to sell at Sh83.3 ($0.91). However, the ERC has indicated that it would likely reduce prices again sometime in February as cheaper purchases are acquired.

Tanzania: Here, the excuse for not having lower prices is tax. The Energy and Water Utility Regulatory Authority says a litre of fuel carries additional costs regardless of global prices. However, a litre of petrol now sells for Sh1,955 ($1.1), a reduction from Sh2,267 ($1.28) in September 2014. Diesel is obtainable at Sh1,846 ($1.02) all the way from Sh2,091 ($1.16) in September.

Uganda: Uganda, unlike its Eastern African colleagues, does not have a regulatory agency; therefore, the free market largely dictates prices. Nationals now purchase petrol now at 3,650 Ugandan shillings ($1.26) for a litre, a reduction from about Sh3,760 ($1.30) in October 2014. Diesel retails at Sh3,150 ($1.09).

Rwanda: Like Kenya, prices in Rwanda have reduced and are expected to reduce some more. As of this week, petrol retails at 1,030 Rwandan Francs ($1.49), falling from Rwf 895 ($1.29). The Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority (RURA) has, after negotiations with operators, reduced public transport fares from Rwf 20 ($0.03) per kilometer, to Rwf18 ($0.02).

Ethiopia: Price reductions in Ethiopia have been in effect since last month, with new rates of 19.4 birr ($0.96) per litre of petrol, and 17.49 (0.86) for every litre of diesel. This was the first time in over a year such reductions were seen in the Horn of Africa, and the effects were seen in fuel shortages.

Ghana: Prices have been slashed by 10 percent this month, but the citizens want more, understandably. Petrol now sells for 4.5 cedis ($1.36) per litre, and the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) says this is the best it can do if it will recoup subsidy losses and clear debts.

Senegal: Here, prices were reduced last month from 889 CFA ($1.57) to 799 CFA ($1.4). The case in this West African country is unique, though, as prices of other commodities like rice, flour, gas and rents were reduced as well.

South Africa: Petrol currently retails at 11.15 rand ($0.96) per litre in the southernmost African country. While the South African government regulates the retail price of petrol, it doesn’t have complete control over diesel prices.

Malawi: The country ranks very high on the list of African countries with rather expensive petroleum prices. Falling from 856.7 kwacha ($1.84) last year, petrol is now available at 760.40 kwacha ($1.64) effective this month while diesel goes for 758 kwacha ($1.65).

Zimbabwe: Setting price points of $1.20 level for diesel and $1.32 for petrol as well as a deadline of Wednesday, January 14, 2015 for full compliance, the Zimbabwean government has upset the dynamics in the country’s oil sector and fuel stations are scrambling to adhere to the new directive. Prices were at an average of $1.49 last year.

Nigeria: Africa’s largest economy is the latest country to join the price slash train. The country’s Petroleum Minister, Deziani Alison-Madueke, who is now the new OPEC President, made the announced officially on Sunday night. In an official statement, she said due to a fall in oil prices, the landing cost of petroleum products have seen a drastic drop, making it cheaper for marketers and subsequently consumers. The government therefore cut petrol prices by N10, from N97 to N87.

Globally, oil prices are still falling. With the Brent crude selling for $48 as of yesterday, it will be quite some time before these trends reverse.

http://www.ventures-africa.com/2015/01/these-are-the-11-african-countries-that-have-slashed-fuel-prices/

Raiders:
yes. I am ready to occupy naija for subsidy to be remove but first the federal government should repair and build more refineries then they should remove the so called subsidy and let demand and supply determine the price of fuel. its a shame that we are the only OPEC member that import fuel because we don't have operating refineries

Saudi Arabia imports fuel, do your research

dguy4:
Op pls get ur facts right before you post anything, America is not an oil producing state, you just can't compare them with us when it comes to crude oil, u compare your stats. with an oil producing state.

WHO TOLD YOU THE US DOES NOT PRODUCE OIL, ARE U DREAMING, THE US PRODUCES 9MILLION BARRELS A DAY

[quote author=playnaija post=29989109][/quote]I thot they said he attained a diploma and not a masters degree in the US

mikhaildr:
if not for any reason, GEJ must go because of the first lady. we cannot afford that woman another 4 years with that much power it could drive her crazy. #14thfeBuhari!

you no well