₦airaland Forum

At least 45 new Ebola cases have been
reported in West Africa this month

"The outbreak is not over and the response
efforts must be sustained," a U.N. mission
says
(CNN)— It seemed like the number of
people contracting Ebola in West Africa
was on the decline. But now, officials say
that trend has stalled, with dozens of new
cases of the deadly virus reported so far
this month.
Last week, there were 31 new cases of
Ebola reported in a growing geographic
area in Guinea and Sierra Leone, the World
Health Organization said. At the beginning
of this week, 14 additional cases were
reported.

The latest figures mark the second
straight week that the number of Ebola
cases in West Africa has increased,
officials said.


Investigators are working to trace how the
latest cases of the disease were
contracted, the WHO said.
"The outbreak is not over and the response
efforts must be sustained until we get to
zero cases throughout the region and are
able to stay at zero for several months,"
the U.N. Mission for Ebola Emergency
Response said Thursday .


Last month, officials from the WHO
declared Liberia free of the disease . But
even as they trumpeted the news, officials
warned that outbreaks in Guinea and
Sierra Leone ran the risk of bringing the
virus back to Liberia, where more than
4,000 people died after contracting Ebola.
CNN's Debra Goldschmidt and Azadeh
Ansari contributed to this report.

centje:
Of course they are world apart, because the best credit I can give Obi is on stabilising Anambra state politics, and not allowing it slip into the hands of Business Moguls with zero knowledge of leadership as a Governor. Handing over to Obiano attest to this fact, Obiano is doing far better than Obi even in his few days as Governor. He is targeting factors that will drive investment to Anambra, check how he's changing security situation of Anambra.

Obi would have gained more for Anambra if GEJ had won, but now everyone has to sit up, opposition isn't a baby task, I have a strong feeling that Obiano will fair well in opposition but I have some concerns about Ifeanyi, I think he will follow Chime's path of depending on gains of his personal and team's effort rather than what he can gain from Federal government.

In this era, government hardly engage in business, they rather provide enabling environment and allow private sector take over. That's why according to you Obi built most roads leading to farming communities not that he built farms. If you tell me Chime did poorly in Education I did agree, but not Agriculture, because he attracted companies that built farms while he built roads to those farms and also farming communities in Enugu. As we speak, a storage facility is under construction in Enugu, handled by federal Government.

When we talk about this agriculture thing you should also think like you're the one on Governor's seat, we should consider the Market for the farm produce. To invest heavily in Agriculture you also need to expand the market which Chime tried to do that by exporting. Our local market is saturated by Produce from North and foreign importation. A friend of mine goes to Benue to buy Garri in trucks and sell in Aba. We, easterners, lost touch of Agriculture at some point, but North maintained it and they have the market and they also enjoy heavy support from Federal Government. Enugu state doesn't have the power to block Business men and women who travel to North to bring these produce to south, neither does it have power to stop foreign importation. There was a time Chime cried out concerning plots to frustrate his effort to export produce, we would have fared better as a separate country, if the Terminal was ready I am sure his efforts would have made more returns.

I know you're not in the country and you read mostly what you get on Web, we on ground know better. That Chime wasn't a media person doesn't mean we lost track of his administration. We are not concerned only about beauty of Enugu, We know What Chime got right, we know where he was moderate, we know where he got it badly. We also know the good efforts of Chime in Agricultural sector, that cannot be said about Obi. Give credits to Obi in other sectors but not Agriculture.

This doesn't have to be about defending one's state governor. Chime tried generally as a state governor but he failed when it comes to agriculture. Though he tried investing initially through the songhai integrated farm system. The project was hijacked by politicians who saw it as an opportunity to send their relatives to "benin republic" leaving the real farmers behind. There was also no continuity, the songhai farmers have gone and the program is dead.
The government did not also encourage the farmers with good roads as you stated cos uzouwani LGA which I can say is the food basket of Enugu has the worst access roads in the state. Even the roads to the Adarice settlement and songhai farm are in a bad state. Compared to Ayamelum LGA the Agricultural equivalent of Uzouwani in Anambra now has good access roads to an extent.
The farmers still practice crude means of storage while the perishable products either spoil or a sold for peanuts cos There are no storage facilities and electricity.
There was also no community participation as you won't yield results when you hand over the management of these farms as political appointments to people who reside in Enugu an know nothing about farm management or even farming.
I have read he invested in acquiring tractors but the first hand information from farmers show they go as far as northern states to hire tractors.
Some individuals claim the college of agriculture at iwollo is in a sorry state (i haven't been there).
I will give him credit for the San Carlos pineapple farm though hoping the news about export is not the usual political propaganda because the average Enugu man hasn't felt the impact of the money invested.
The benefits that come from investing in agriculture will be clear for all to see (adiro enyo ya enyo).
I feels as a whole agriculture was down there in his scale of preference.

I don't insult elders. But what prevented this idio.t garba from making a final substitution. NFF has been rewarding mediocrity so he feels his job is secure.

Manu garba laughing while his opponent is busy ensuring his lead isn't thrown away. Bring on iheanacho or any striker as you have no other option than to attack

Manu garba laughing while his opponent is busy ensuring his lead isn't thrown away. Bring on iheanacho or any striker.

awoniyi was just selfish there. pass the ball

Ball possession Germany 65% Nigeria 35%.

Enaholo or wat is his name is a minus

chamboy:
no b biafran dogs

bigot

successmatters:
It was the power move that twisted PDP out of Chime hand that helped Nnaji. He was on the way out only for Ekweremmadu to hijack the primaries and then kick Ifeoma Nwobodo into the gutters. Gil Nnaji bu iti mpataka that does not know his left from his right.

Interesting...... an iti that has been in elective position since 1997. He obviously knows how to win but may not be a good leader. Just pray he doesn't find his way into the government house as I feel that is probably his end game.

Unemadu:
Chime invested in agriculture more than Obi, at least there are pics to back it up.

I would really love to see the pix

InyinyaAgbaOku:
PDP rigging, nothing else.
Grassroot support ebee? I ga asikwa

Remember chime never wanted to give him the PDP ticket which he finally got defeating the influential ifeoma nwobodo. The masses may not love him but the stakeholders from the zone are playing to his tune. After all which politician did not rig? Chimaroke?

Emperoh:
And i wonder why he keeps getting back?

he just knows how to play the game of numbers .....and his grassroot support is wonderful

Meanwhile in other news a son of the soil Senator Ike Ekweremmadu (ikeoha ndi igbo) returns as deputy Senate president. Congrats to him and congrats to ndigbo. I pray he represents us well.

OdenigboAroli:
Agro industrialization!!!!

100% with you on this one brother 100%

over to the green chambers. let the best candidate win

congratulations to distinguished senators @bukolasaraki and Ike ekweremmadu (ikeoha ndi igbo) #Godwin #leadwell

Dmony:
Hmm time shall tell but when did she grant this interview cos according to another article she's been hospitalized for breast cancer..

people grant interviews even on their sick beds....especially in situations like this when you want to clear your name

The former Minister also addressed the
allegation of renting a N10 million jet for
personal use as Minister
"Well, I don’t know whether that issue is still
in court. But the reason that I went to court
was simple. First of all, nobody can lease a
jet for N10 billion over a period. You can
buy three jets for N10 billion. So that was
obviously a nonsensical argument and I did
not lease any jet. The NNPC leases jets and
NNPC leased those jets to the best of my
knowledge because at that point in time,
they had no official planes. As an oil and
gas ministry, we have purview over
everything and it was actually very wrong
that we had to borrow planes from these
multinationals whom we were supposed to
oversight. So over the years, I am talking
about over the last 15 or 20 years, NNPC
had either owned, leased or borrowed, both
jets and helicopters. That was the case when
I came in.
Yes, we had a very old jet which nobody was
going to touch and another jet had just been
bought by late Alhaji Lukman just before he
left, a Hawker. Unfortunately, the moment
it came, because it had been sitting unused
for over a year it became a problem. In
fact, NNPC was advised to sell it because it
was a problematic model and had sat unused
for a long period. They were advised to sell
it, but they didn’t sell it. Then after a year
of its purchase, it crash-landed in Nsubi
and we had to actually give it out for spare
parts to the National Security Adviser’s
office at the end of the day. It was during
this period that they leased the private jets
for executive movement and operations in
general, which we also used, as had always
been the case. In that respect, the reason
for the leasing and the amount involved are
all available and I am sure the NNPC would
be willing to give that information to
whoever wants to look at them for public
records. So again, it was a fabrication that
came out from nowhere and was thrown at
us as if suddenly out of the blues and for
the first time in history, the NNPC was
leasing jets or helicopters".
The Former Minister stated that the jet was
never for personal use "No it was not for
my personal use, it was for executive
movement, which is has always been the
case. I am saying just like the $20 billion,
you find something, you throw it on the
person to feel smart or to make it look as if
the person is junketing all over the place or
as if nobody had done that before in the
annals of the NNPC. Of course we were not
junketing all over the place. To be very
honest, if they had never done that contract
to lease the jet, we would have been hiring
at a higher cost and which probably would
have caused less of an issue. But to be
frank, the lease that was put in place, to
the best of my knowledge, was done with a
company which even Shell and others have
been using. So there was a known company
with a very good track record and was being
used in the industry by other multinationals.
But the other issue that you raised in terms
of the National Assembly was not even
because of the plane. The reason the plane
was used in the legal brief was because that
was the topical issue at the time. It was
because in that year, the Minister of
Petroleum had been summoned to the
National Assembly, according to my officers,
almost 200 times. And at this point, it
became apparent that we were not going to
be able to work or to perform our duties as
a government agency anymore. So it was
now becoming a situation whereby every
week, they summoned the Minister of
Petroleum, one of the parastatals or NNPC,
and it was now becoming virtually impossible
to actually perform our duties as an MDA.
As such, at that point, our lawyers just felt
we needed to stop it because it was
becoming extremely disruptive. That was the
basis on which the legal action that was
taken, just to allow us some space to
continue working" she said

lindaikeji..com/2015/06/at-no-point-did-i-steal-from-nigerian.html

In a fresh interview with ThisDay ,
immediate past Minister of Petroleum
Resources, Dieziani Alison Madueke reacted
to all the allegations of corruptions leveled
against her while she served as Minister.
Alison-Madueke said contrary to reports,
she never stole from the Nigerian state. She
said she worked for the betterment of
Nigeria while she was Minister and
sacrificed her time to ensure the petroleum
sector was developed.
In the interview, Alison-Madueke
acknowledged that she and her team might
have made mistakes. Read full interview
after the cut...

"Did we make mistakes? There would always
be mistakes. People would always make
mistakes. Everybody make mistakes and
there is no question about that. Have we
learnt from our mistakes? Of course we
have. But please do not say I stole $20
billion or $18.5 billion because I did not at
any point in time. And if NNPC
misappropriated funds or so, they have the
entire explanation and more forensic audit
should be done to determine how and why.
But people should not make damaging
accusations which have nothing to do with an
individual. At no point did I steal from the
Nigerian state. And if NNPC
misappropriated funds or so, they have the
entire explanation and more forensic audit
should be done to determine how and why.
But people should not make damaging
accusations which have nothing to do with an
individual. At no point did I steal from the
Nigerian state. In fact, the first mantra I
had from the time I came in was that I will
never touch anything that has to do with the
Federation Account and I never did and I
will take that to my grave. So I will suggest
that this issue of $20 billion or $18 billion
be dropped because that is the major
problem I had with my job. I was accused of
unsavoury things, but which were actually
accusations against NNPC and the audit was
deployed to clarify all these things. So let
us deal with the issues. I have never gone
around accusing people of doing this or that,
I have always stuck with the issues even
when I was the most abused minister, I was
professional, I stuck to the issues and
responded only to the issues.”she said
The former Minister addressed allegations
made against her by Emir of Kano and
former CBN governor, Sanusi Muhammad
1st, that she disobeyed the directive of
former President Umar Yar'Adua to stop the
subsidy plan on Kerosine.

"Let me just make this very clear to Nigeria
as a whole because this is an area of great
pain for me. That Sanusi should say I
sustained the subsidy is not true, when very
clearly in 2009, the late President Yar’Adua
gave a written directive to the late Minister
of Petroleum Resources Alhaji Rilwan
Lukman that he should remove the subsidy
on DPK. This subsidy on DPK was never
removed by the late Minister of Petroleum
Resources, whom I considered to be
somebody that I regarded almost as a
mentor. For reasons best known to late Alhaji
Rilwan Lukman and the then economic team,
the Finance Minister and others, they never
implemented the directive to remove the
subsidy. By law and the Petroleum Act, you
must gazette such a removal for it to
become law and of course it has to be
published so that Nigerians would know that
there has been a change in the price of the
petroleum product. It is illegal to do it or to
say you have done it, if you have not
gazetted it. Even before that, former
President Goodluck Jonathan who was the
vice-president at that time, had also
clarified, even in a public media broadcast
and in person as well, that the subsidy was
never removed. So I sought clarification
from him and he also made the clarification
clear in a public media broadcast about a
year and a half ago, that the subsidy was
never removed. So at no time did I go
against a president’s directive. It is not
possible that I would have come in as a
Minister of Petroleum in 2010 and found
that kerosene subsidy no longer existed and
that it had been gazetted and I would have
suddenly upturned it. Government is a
continuum and so it was not possible that I
could have done that. So I feel very pained
that Sanusi would make it sound like I was
the one who went against late President
Yar’Adua’s directive. I think this should
clarify this issue once and for all. It’s
high time Nigerians got some insight into
your personality, because there were lots of
complaints that you are aloof, inaccessible
and some even alleged that you were an
absentee minister who spent more time at
home than in the office"she said.

Handsomegod:
@Kcinho.Did you just say "if the above will not affect "only" the rich"? Do you really understand the multiplier effects of capital investment in an economy? Innoson and Dnagote are industrialists but the real beneficiaries of their economic production are their employees ie technicians,managers,suppliers,staff and the endless chain of direct and indirect stakeholders who play key parts in their production process. Such trickle and multiplier effect as described are the bases and catalyst for the vibrant economies we adore the world over.The place of governement policies cannot be over-emphasised of course and that is where i expect the state government to step up. Tax holidays,industrial estates and assisting the foreign investments in securing operational licenses,devoid of the needless bottlenecks which hinder business growth in Nigeria should also form the bedrock of our businness policies.I also expect government at all levels to make laws that restrict capital flight and ensure profits are re-invested into the country.

Nobody doubts the importance of industrialisation. But Till the investors come in, I still believe investing in agriculture is the fastest way to getting to a larger percentage of the populace.

chernest2002:
Mr president the begging is too much,we will only give you till 2019 nothing more

Didn't see any form of begging here though I feel 4 years are enough to make an impact. But remember he can't fix Nigeria completely in 4years.

lekkie073:
............,..............................
For how long sir?

probably when $1=#1

I feel if all his aides and those within his government do same it will be more significant while making sure he blocks leakage too

President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday
evening appealed to Nigerians to bear with
his administration as he and Vice President
Yemi Osinbajo begin the earnest work of
reconstructing the country.

He says the appeal is necessary because of
the collateral damage that had been done
to the system before the new team comes
on board.
Buhari made the appeal in his remarks at
the inauguration gala night held at the old
Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa,
Abuja.

The event took place a few hours after he
and Osinbajo took their oaths of office
and oaths of allegiance before Nigerians
at the Eagles Square, Abuja, where he
promised to be the President of all.
The President said the enormous damage
inflicted on the country could easily be
appreciated by comparing the nation’s
infrastructure in 1999 with what currently
prevails.
“I ask Nigerians to please bear with us. A
lot of damage has been done. You can look
at our infrastructure in 1999 and now and
you will appreciate this,” he said.
Buhari also regretted the high rate of
unemployment among youths, who he said
represented about 60 per cent of the
country’s population.

The President said the nation was sitting
on a keg of gun powder with the prevailing
unpleasant situation.
He added that his administration would
focus on agriculture and mining to engage
some of the unemployed youths.
He asked Nigerians to pray for the country
more than they are currently doing.
“Nigeria prays a lot; we need to even pray
the more for luck so that the expectations
our people have, especially the youth, would
be met,” he said.

Buhari promised to seek the supports of
Europe, America and Nigeria’s neighbours
in tackling the unemployment and security
problems confronting the country.
The President noted that if Nigeria was
enmeshed in crisis, the backlash on
neighbouring countries would be
monumental.

He added, “Nigeria has to be well secured
and efficiently managed; this is what the
APC is all about.
“This was why the legacy parties made the
sacrifice of jettisoning their personal
ambitions, tried to come together and took
the bull by the horn and therefore brought
it down and slaughtered it literally.’’
He said the new party in power had
realised its problems and made the
sacrifice.

Buhari added that his administration would
articulate the nation’s requirements after
studying the handover notes from the past
administration and consult the immediate
neighbours, Europe and US to help the
nation.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar
described Nigeria and democracy as the
winners of the last general elections.
“Democracy is the winner and Nigeria is
the winner.
“I congratulate all who made the election
possible. I also congratulate former
President Goodluck Jonathan for deepening
democracy,’’ he said.
Atiku believed the path of honour Jonathan
took would not be forgotten.
He urged the President to recognise the
diversity of the country and accommodate
all since the nation’s diversity remained its
strength.

A National Leader of the All Progressives
Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, said a new
era had come for Nigeria.
He said a commitment to build a new
Nigeria had been consecrated, adding that
Buhari is principled, passionate and
determined to develop the country.

“The challenge is yours. We that are
looking up to you will continue to do so with
great commitment, perseverance and we
have to show that Africa can compete,
Nigeria must lead,’’ Tinubu added.

www.punchng.com/news/bear-with-us-as-we-tackle-the-rot-buhari/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Handsomegod:
I recalled informing you,my learned brethren on this thread, a month ago about the collection of diaspora technocrats whose sole aim is to drive an influx of FDIs never seen before into Enugu under Ugwuanyi.I equally told you guys some of them were already enroute to China and Europe? Gburugburu just confirmed that in his opening speech. The contigent to South Africa will be enroute to Joburg next week and the target is 3 billion dollars worth of Investments with low cost housing and solid mineral development having the upper focus.
Suffice it to say that great times are here in Enugu and the good news is that this bunch of technocrats are not only wawa born but also brothers from other states with prime interests in Enugu's mega-super-bright future! I pray Gburugburu does not become parochial and clannish! An all inclusive government is the real deal.
In another vein,mods,supermods,super-super mods,please,I beg all of you in the name of whatever (G) god you worship,push this thread back to the politics section where it belongs! There are countless trashy garbagges a.k.a threads with no substance for enlightenment and life occupying Politics section. This thread,just like the Anambra and Imo threads are our mirrors and meters to assess the quality of governance in the eastern states. The focus is pure State and Economy(Political Economy) and I struggle to know why and what d heck it is doing here@Travel session.
Meanwhile,have urself a soulful and sober Biafra remebrance day! I lost countless uncles and relatives,including 4 lawyers and 6 Engineers in the war.They did not die in vain.God bless us all!

I hope the above will not only affect the rich. Cos the vast majority of enugu people are middle class and lower class individuals. I just need him to fix our agricultural sector and watch our ppl call him a saviour.

Governor Nasiru El-Rufa’i of Kaduna State, on Friday
said he would forfeit 50 per cent of his salary
pending when the financial situation of the state
improves.

The governor stated this in his inaugural
address, after he was sworn-in by the state
Chief Judge, Justice Tanimu Zailani in
Kaduna.

He said that the pay cut would also affect
the Deputy Governor, Mr Barnabas Bala.
El-Rufa’i also declared that the
administration would “guarantee free and
compulsory basic education for every child
up to JS3, regardless of gender, religion or
ethnicity.”

He said that in spite of the challenges
facing the state, the administration would
also “focus on jobs, security, education, and
healthcare.”

“The fact is that today Kaduna State
cannot meet its obligations without handouts
from the federal government.

“We cannot comfortably pay salaries of our
teachers and nurses and civil servants.
And after struggling to pay salaries, we
can do little else.

“We cannot fix the schools, help our
farmers, repair our roads, or treat the sick.
We have arrived at a dead end. The patient
is sick, and it needs radical therapy.”

El-Rufa’i said the situation demanded for
“difficult decisions”, adding that political
office holders must sacrifice the comfort
of their offices for the greater good of all.
“In recognition of the difficult challenges
we face, our deputy Governor and I have
concluded that the sacrifices that change
requires must begin with us.

“We have decided to take a pay cut and
donate 50 percent of our salaries and
allowances, until our fiscal situation
improves.

“We understand that leadership by example
is the most persuasive way to demand
sacrifices from all of us as citizens.
“We pledge to avoid ostentation and foolish
bigmanism, and to value transparency,
modesty and accountability.

“We will obey the same rules that we
demand of all of you; After all, the law is
the difference between civilization and
anarchy.

“We submit ourselves to the principle that
all are equal before the Law.”
On security, the governor said he would work
with law enforcement officials to
drastically reduce violent crime in the state
including “communal violence, cattle-rustling
and armed robbery.”

“We will reform the administration of
justice to ensure speedy conclusion of cases
and send a clear message that there will be
sanctions for unlawful conduct.”

He therefore solicited for maximum support
from the people of the state to enable the
administration deliver on its promises.

“Four years from now, by the grace of God
and the active support of you all, we will all
be able to say that the leaders in whose
care you have placed your affairs today
have given their all for the brighter future
that we all seek

http://dailypost.ng/2015/05/29/el-rufai-deputy-to-forfeit-50-per-cent-salary/

From GMB to PMB....... I pray he takes Nigeria to glory. God bless Nigeria God bless President Muhammadu Buhari

Does anyone have details about the Esut Vice chancellor saga?

spyder880:
N6m.

Thanks bro.

which part of Nike in particular?

neutrotoba:
Well... I don't blame this man, just because Jonathan has been a figure head for the past six years, he has forgotten what good governance feels like... hence, he termed fighting corruption e.t.c MIRACLES

Onuesoke or whatever, if Mr. President-elect doesn't deliver on his promises, we will vote him out and vote in another party that's not PDP.

In short, keep quiet

What is first to comment to a G like me

so you vote party and not what the individual is capable of..........I see.

jidebaba69:
I have a lot of Igbo friends but sometimes their reasoning baffles me.
I'm a Yoruba man by birth but I was born in London and believe that every man or woman should be judged by the content of their character not by ethnic or tribal leanings. I have noticed that when a Yoruba person does something wrong his people will roundly condemn him but if an igbo person does same his people will mostly support him and claim that the other critics from another tribe are tribalists.
I'm not saying that all Igbos do this but you must admit that a lot of them do it.
I think we need to look at things through the eyes of what is good or bad.
It will help our growth as a nation.

Like you condemned your oba akiolu right? Tell me another story.