₦airaland Forum

Subversion in state house
Posted by: Editorial in Editorial

Governor Seriake Dickson undermines the constitution and corporate peace of the land by hosting militants who threatened war
It was criminal enough for the militants to threaten fire and brimstone. But how deep is the treason when fire and brimstone against the state comes from the lips of yesterday’s outlaws now canonised as part of the ruling party’s high fliers and role models? How outrageous is it when the words are delivered under the roofs of a state house with the first citizen of that state, constitutionally called a governor, standing as host of the gathering from which those words of subversion emanated?
Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State hosted a number of the People’s Democratic Party’s (PDP) top members who were also stakeholders in the President Goodluck Jonathan administration. Also in attendance was a special adviser to the president on Niger Delta Affairs, and Chairman of the Amnesty implementation Committee, Kingsley Kuku. These two senior political figures participated in the meeting on January 24 at the State House in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
They declared that if President Jonathan did not win the presidential elections scheduled for February 14, they would plunge the country in war. This is a serious thing for a group of outlaws to make in a democracy. Neither the elite of the PDP nor the presidency has condemned their threats. But does it not mean that Governor Dickson and President Jonathan are in cahoots with subversion in Nigeria?
The ex-militants at the meeting included Mujahid Asari Dokubo who is the leader of the Niger Delta People’s Volunteer Force; Victor Ben Ebikabowei, a.k.a. Boyloaf and Government Ekpudomenowei, a.k.a. Tompolo. What these ex-militants saw as the intimidation of the president is the palpable unpopularity of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan.
“For every Goliath, God created a David. For every Pharaoh, there is a Moses. We are going to war. Everyone should go and fortify yourself,” threatened Asari Dokubo at the gathering, according to news reports. Boyloaf also added his incendiary rhetoric to the ominous evening. He said if the north won the election, they – the militants – would shut down the oil wells.
“Keep grudges and sentiments apart, we are ready to match them bumper to bumper,” said Boyloaf.
At the end, came official endorsement. Governor Dickson thanked the militants for their decisions to back the reelection of President Jonathan.
This sort of rhetoric is not new in this country, and some of the militants have been whipping up raw and divisive sentiments in the past year. This has defied the calls for restraint. The calls have not yielded any sort of civility in speech and spirit from the ex-militants. We condemn these words without reservation.
But for them to gather under the roofs of an elected officer and for the officer to endorse by way of gratitude what the gathering decided is a clear example not only of treason but a predilection for subversion. Governor Dickson has fallen short of his responsibility to the state, and he has undermined the sanctity of the constitution. The first task of a government is peace and security.
But Governor Dickson ran against the constitution by hosting a meeting that threatened the corporate peace and existence of the country he swore an oath to defend. Since the event was reported, the governor has not apologised, neither has he dissociated himself from the subversive rhetoric of his guests. Even if he did, he would have to explain in the context of the law why he thanked and supported the contents of the subversive words of the ex-militants who visited him.
The statements reechoed what the PDP governorship candidate for Lagos State, Mr. Jimi Agbaje, said late last year when he spoke to party supporters in London. He had said, in the context of revving up support for President Jonathan’s reelection, that if Jonathan loses the upcoming polls, the militants have the capacity to shut down the economy.
What is painfully ironic is that the incident took place barely two weeks after the president signed a peace pact with the presidential flag bearer of the All Progressives’ Congress (APC), retired General Muhammadu Buhari. The pact had no legal power but it was signature of the desire of those behind the deal to bring a moral strength to a political atmosphere overridden by a sense of savage intolerance, a fascination for blood and death and a mania to undermine law and order.
If the president saw what happened in Yenagoa in the State Hose of his home state and has not condemned them, it only means that the president did not see that paper as anything other than an impotent agreement and the whole ceremony that drew big wigs of international stature as a charade. The men were Chief Emeka Anyaoku, former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth and Kofi Annan, the former Secretary-General of the United Nations.
The PDP image makers have also charged that the Buhari side has not met its part of the bargain because of incidents of stoning in parts of the North against the campaign of President Jonathan. Clearly what happened to the Jonathan campaign was not acceptable. But only investigation can prove who encouraged it. Buhari has in his campaigns warned his followers against violence, and the incidents of missile-throwing came from unknown persons in crowds. It is possible they were inspired by fanatical impulses not encouraged by the higher notches of the Buhari campaign.
We cannot say this of the incident that took place in Yenagoa. Those involved are personal aides and cronies of the president. They are recognisable persons not only to the public but participants in the Jonathan administration. So, it is obvious the president condones the inciting language for his silence. It amounts to subversive silence, and therefore conspiracy.
Governor Dickson also is not unknown, being the most recognisable person of the state by law. What happened was crime in the State House in Yenagoa, and the absence of official consequences only shows why impunity has become an integral part of the Jonathan administration.
This portends evil for the upcoming polls. Those who have expressed optimisim over the coming elections must feel chastened by the incidents. Those, on the other hand, who doubted any peaceful election, only had their fears deepened.
The president must realise that his first job is to secure lives and preserve peace. If he fails in these and sacrifices harmony for election advantage, he fails woefully as the first citizen of the land.

http://thenationonlineng.net/new/subversion-state-house/

5,000 PDP members join Ondo APC

Posted by: Damisi Ojo, Akure in News

FIVE THOUSAND supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State defected yesterday to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
They included a former State Chairman, Chief Sanya Orungbemi, and a former senatorial aspirant, Jide Ipinsagba.
The defectors are from Akoko North East Local Government Area.
At a briefing in Ikare-Akoko, Ipinsagba, who is the leader of the defectors, said they dumped the PDP because of the injustice in the party.
He said prominent people had been moving out of PDP since Governor Olusegun Mimiko joined the party last October.
Ipinsagba said old members of the PDP were no longer allowed to have any say in the party.
He said: “We leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party and Labour Party in Akoko North East Local Government Area and over 5,000 teeming supporters are moving from a dead party to a progressive party.
“We are leaving PDP for APC to restore the glory and ensure the development of our area and our people.”

http://thenationonlineng.net/new/5000-pdp-members-join-ondo-apc/

PDP founding member, Jonathan’s women coordinator, others switch to APC

Published on January 28, 2015 by

The gale of defection hitting the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), across the nation on Wednesday swept through Edo state with the defection of the national president, Goodluck-for-Transformation and state Women Coordinator, Goodluck Campaign Organisation, Edo state, Chief (Mrs) Evelyn Igbafe and over 5000 others who dumped the party for the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Among other notable members from the PDP who abandoned the umbrella for the broom in the state were three-time member of the House of Representatives and Senatorial aspirant of the PDP in Edo South, Hon Ehiogie West-Idahosa and a former Commissioner in the old Bendel State and a founding member of the PDP, Hon. Roland Ehigiamusoe.
Chief Igbafe who was received to the APC by Governor Adams Oshiomhole, said she was merely on sabbatical before, but she is now fully back to the party where her heart truly belongs.
“I am back here, to my home. I have gone on sabbaticals, but I am now back home.”
She disclosed to the governor that many people are disenchanted with the PDP and “are on their way to the APC”.
To former national leader and founding member of the PDP, Hon. Roland Ehigiamusoe, the party is a sinking ship which is under the grip of a single man.
” have been a member of the PDP right from inception when it was formed on August 30, 1998. I have been there since and I have witnessed a lot of things.
“I am not surprised today that the PDP is sinking and sinking very fast because for quite a long time, it has been working for self-destruction. There are a lot of injustices in that party. That is why over two years now, I have been working behind the scene for the All Progressive Congress because of the great things that the governor has been doing and has done for us.
“Many of you think that the greatest thing that Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has done for us is tarring roads, building schools and infrastructure. Yes, that has been a revolution, very unique but the greatest thing he did for us was to free all of us from one man’s prison. We have all been in one man’s prison in Uromi since that 1998 and he came and in a wonderful way to freed all of us,” he said.
He further disclosed to the governor that, “I have been a gubernatorial aspirant, I have participated in many activities in the party and I found that there was nothing we could do unless you are given the opportunity by one man and so when you came with the one man, one vote, you freed all of us from the prison at Uromi, so I want to say thank you our Comrade Governor.”
On his part, three-time member of the House of Representatives, Hon Ehiogie West-Idahosa, said he joined the APC to propagate the message of ‘Change’.
“We went for a race, we lost not just the race, we lost a human being and we feel very pained that had we been here in APC, our safety would have been guaranteed.
“Many said to me, West, are you sure you can make it there? Are you sure that you are in the right place? Today, my position is clear. We are all supporters of change and for me, I believe in those values you represent, you (Oshiomhole) want water, light, good schools, good roads and the best standard of living for our people. Everything you want for our people is to add value to life and as far as we are concerned, we are here to support you and to mobilize the people to join you in pursuing the mandate of 2015 and after that mandate, Change will come to the nation,” Idahosa said.
Receiving the defectors, Governor Oshiomhole said, ‎”when, I saw the number of people here, I wondered if there is anybody of note that is left under the umbrella that is now severely tattered. I want to join my chairman in expressing my joy at the opportunity of being able to receive you back to the house that I believe is traditionally yours.
“I have argued this at the beginning and I will like to repeat it that I am convinced as our democracy matures, there are two forces in most democracy – the conservative forces that is dedicated to preserve the privileges of the few and the progressive forces that want an egalitarian society, a country that offers hope and opportunity to all its citizens and the political environment in which people can realize their potentials even if they do not have god fathers.
“Today is not just the fact of the huge number in this hall but it is also about the quality of the brains that have now joined us and in a world that is knowledge-driven, it is only the party that can parade the best brains that can drive the sustainable change that Nigeria is currently battling with in order to bail our people from its present political quagmire.”
Oshiomhole added that: “I think the main issues are clear now to many of our people and I have had several platforms to canvass these issues in the past few weeks. In this hall and outside, there are people who are not even members of any political party who cannot understand how and why 16 years of PDP federal government, Nigeria is still in the dark.
“The man who has a shop must close by 6:00 p.m. If he operates beyond 6:00 p.m., he must put on a generator, and buy petrol or diesel. For 16 years, PDP can’t give us light. But if they were to leave us in peace even in the dark, it will be bad enough but for them, that is not bad enough.
“Every day, people are protesting across Edo against PDP-approved policies where people who are in the dark for months are asked to pay what they call fixed charge without fixed light because even from the poor, they must extort money.
“Nigeria has been reduced to a Banana Republic as if there is no government in the land. People have no one to complain to because these economic vultures that are feasting and sucking the blood of the poor have protection in Abuja.”

http://www.pmnewsnigeria.com/2015/01/28/pdp-founding-member-jonathans-women-coordinator-others-switch-to-apc/

Jonathan has failed Nigerians – APC

Posted by: Our Reporter in News Update 5 hours ago

The All Progressive Congress Presidential Campaign Organisation (APCPCO) has said the claim by President Goodluck Jonathan that four years are not enough to transform the country is a “double-mouthing” by a President who has failed to deliver on his own timeline.
A statement signed by the Director of Media and Publicity of the APCPCO, Mallam Garba Shehu, on Tuesday, said: “It is very imprudent of Mr. President to shift the goal post mounted by him in the middle of the game.
“It was this same President Jonathan who said in 2010 that if he could not improve on the country’s power generation capacity within four years, then it means he could not do anything.
“What was the president thinking about when he said: ‘Four years are enough for anyone to make significant improvement, and if I can’t improve on power within this period, then it means I cannot do anything.’
“Nigerians expect that a President must own up to his own words and be responsible for his own beliefs.
“There can only be one reason why President Jonathan is changing his own beliefs about what it takes to transform the country and that is because he is incompetent for the job.
“Today, Nigerians are clamouring for change because, for six years the country has been led by a President who cannot give the people direction on how to stop corruption, how to provide security, create employment and provide infrastructure that will impact positively on the economy.
“We have said it in the past and we will be repeating it that the 2015 election, more than anything is a referendum on the performance of President Jonathan. The President has not measured up to the least expectations of Nigerians and that is why they are earnestly waiting for February 14 to pass their verdict.
“Whereas the Goodluck Jonathan administration has not been able to deliver on any of the promises the President made to Nigerians in 2010, the government under the President’s watch has surpassed every known boundaries on issues of corruption and impunity.
“Let us remind the President that if truly Rome was not built in a day, Rome is also not built forever. The President has failed to deliver by his own timelines and he should patiently wait for Nigerians to pass their verdict over the incompetence of his administration.”

http://thenationonlineng.net/new/jonathan-failed-nigerians-apc/

INTERVIEW: President Jonathan is a joke – Festus Keyamo

January 24, 2015Micheal Abimboye

Lagos based lawyer, Festus Keyamo, has urged Nigerians not to be deceived by the lies of the Goodluck Jonathan campaign organization against the All Progressive Congress, APC, presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari.
Mr. Keyamo said the president and his handlers have failed to understand that the 2015 presidential election was not about human rights or religious issues, but about insecurity, corruption and the economy.
Speaking with PREMIUM TIMES earlier in the week, Mr. Keyamo said, “It is not a campaign that should be dominated by human rights record because that is not an issue now because we have a competition in place. Chapter 4 has not been suspended, unlike in 1984. Now, this campaign is dominated by two centre things – there is a third one that is also crucial – which are insecurity, corruption and of course the issues of the economy is hanging in there too. So, let us be clear in making our decision. We know exactly what we are doing. This not a campaign that should be dominated by human rights record; that is where the PDP is getting it wrong.”
He said it was time for Nigerians to realize that Mr. Jonathan had no clue or idea on how to run Nigeria. He added that the country was at a crossroad and needed a commander-in-chief at the helms of affair.
“This is the time we need a commander-in-chief in this country. At some other time when we want to be chopping cabbage, maybe Jonathan can come back,” Mr. Keyamo said. “But I cannot entrust the next four years of my life, my children, under the smoke of ethnicity in the hands of Jonathan. He has no clue, he has no idea of how to take this nation out of the hands of insurgents.
“It is under a Jonathan administration that insurgencies germinated, grew and dominated us because he does not have the knowledge either historically, learning by training or simple intelligence to understand the dynamics of war. This is what concerns us all, our lives and property, the primary duty of government – he does not have it and that is why whatever his military chiefs tell him, he takes. They are all feeding fat on the situation and because of the issue of corruption the so-called ex-generals are all part of the game.
“Ask yourself these questions: for the five years of insurgency where do these insurgents come from? Where are these camps? The Nigerian Air Force, Army, Nigerian Navy cannot find and destroy them? It is an indelicate mix of incompetence and corruption on the part of government.”
He noted that a part of the country had been annexed by the insurgents and this happened under Mr. Jonathan’s watch.
“Look at what is happening in other parts of the world, they nip (terrorism) in the bud, they do not allow it to grow. Here, it has become a daily affair. Even in Kenya, there is insurgency but you hear of it once in a while. Before Jonathan, there has not been a total control of a territory by insurgents but under Jonathan they have achieved that.”
Mr. Keyamo said it was not possible for Mr. Buhari to “islamize” Nigeria and rule like a dictator as the constitution was still in place and other arms of governments were there for checks and balances.
“There is the National Assembly and you have to get an average of two third of all the House of Assemblies across the federation,” he said. “There is a constitution that states that Nigeria shall be a secular state, so you have to amend the constitution. When they feed the country with all these rubbish it makes me cry. There is absolutely no truth in it.
“And then, I was shocked the other day when Pastor Tunde Bakare said all the aides of Buhari are Christians – the driver of many years is a Christian, the cook of many years is a Christian.
“This is a campaign that is so clear that it is between black and white and they are trying to create a shade of gray.”
He noted that times have changed since Mr. Buhari first ruled as head of state.
“We have a constitution that enables Chapter 4. The first thing the military does when they get into power is to put ouster clauses and form decrees in respect of the court, like Degree 2 is an ouster clause. These were the decrees and rules Buhari operated with. Now, times have change, things have change, that it is practically impossible for anybody to come in and suspend human rights. That means that person cannot be president.”
War on corruption
The Delta State born lawyer reiterated that Mr. Jonathan was not sincere with his anti-corruption fight. He questioned the supposed plan by the president to fight corruption if re-elected.
“After six years, he is just planning,” Mr. Keyamo said. “All the president represents about anti-corruption has come together in one singular act in the appointment of Femi Fani Kayode as director of media and publicity for his campaign organization. This a campaign dominated by the team of corruption, a person facing trial for money laundry. We have a problem of corruption and corrupt members are dominating this team. If (the United States President, Barack Obama) does this that is the end of Obama.”
Mr. Keyamo insisted that Mr. Jonathan had “no appetite” to fight corruption.
“He went to the east and said Jim Nwobodo should be prosecuted according to the volume of money he allegedly stole; if it’s too much the government would look into it, if not they would have to let him go.
“That is the president’s view on fighting corruption. After six years he wants to use technology to fight corruption. This man is a joke.”
Mr. Keyamo said some parts of the media, but not PREMIUM TIMES, were complicit by “burying” stories on corrupt leaders.
Fayose’s infamous advertorial
Mr. Keyamo condemned the advertorial by the Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, suggesting the possible death in power of Mr. Buhari if elected.
“That advertorial is spiritually offensive, politically incorrect,” he said, calling it the product of a warped mind.
“Is it the age that is more important than the character, or the character is more important than the age? Which is more important? Or do you want to put a man that is 35 and who is an armed robber? Or a prudent 90 years old with integrity. We are getting it wrong.”
He said his decision to back Mr. Buhari came after a careful study of the situation of things in Nigerian and going by the falsehood he sees in the media, it was time to stop fence-sitting.
“If you look at the mass media now, the volume of falsehood that is being fed to the people lately is so sickening. You will see fraud in the faces of those supposedly singing out achievement all just to swindle people to get their votes. For some of us who sit down to look at these things just keep getting angry because people who do not have access to facts, who do not have access to figures, who do not have access to history can be easily misled.
“There is a problem on ground and except we cry out from now to February 14 – I am ready to leave my work, leave my office and go on a campaign against this government. I can leave my life in their hands. Like (Mr. Jonathan) said, Americans supported George Bush (in the war on terror) so let us also support this government. But people are dying every day in Nigeria. Are people dying every day in America?”
Mr. Keyamo urged Nigerians to be careful as the elections get closer. He also warned that security agents not be used to rig elections. He said it was the character of the ruling party to use security agents to rig, but stated that while the PDP had the security agents, the APC has the people.

http://www.premiumtimesng.com/features-and-interviews/175521-interview-president-jonathan-joke-festus-keyamo.html

War threat: APC asks Jonathan to call Asari-Dokubo, Tompolo, others to order
January 25, 2015 Press Release

The All Progressives Congress Campaign Organisation, APCPCO, has urged President Goodluck Jonathan and his party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to call to order Niger Delta ex-militants who have threatened to wage war against the country in the event that their “son” loses the February 14 presidential election.
The APCPCO said in a statement by Garba Shehu, Director of Media & Publicity of the campaign, that the irresponsible ultimatum by the ex-militants is not only a barbaric threat on the sovereignty of our Republic, but goes against the spirit and letter of the non-violence pact to which President Jonathan is a signatory.
Mr. Shehu observed that the declaration of war against the state is causing panic and concern among Nigerians who are already embattled by so many challenges particularly of insecurity, which have been begging for attention.
The APCPCO reminded President Jonathan that as commander-in-chief it is his primary responsibility to ensure the protection of the citizens and their properties and that such open declaration of war by the ex-militants and several other acts of violence need to be denounced by him in the interest of the democracy, unity and stability of Nigeria.
According to Mr. Shehu, these drum beats by elements associated with President Jonathan need to change to peace beats so that the citizens, especially the youth need to be encouraged that the sustenance of the country’s democracy is better achieved through the ballot and not the bullet.
The APC Campaign called on Mr. Jonathan to make good on his declaration that his “re-election is not worth the blood of any Nigerian”, by calling these war mongers in his domain to order.
The Campaign noted that the latest threat is not an isolated act as the threat on General Muhammadu Buhari by Governor Fayose and the attacks on the party’s offices and rally in Rivers are pointers of coordinated insurrection against the APC ahead of next month’s general elections.
“It is disconcerting that the president has not immediately addressed such treasonable actions by persons who in the past have taken up arms against the Republic, and whose amnesty is dependent on their good behaviour and complete disarmament.
“The president needs to remember that he took an oath, as commander-in-chief, to protect Nigeria against all threats, external and internal. In this case, his silence could be misconstrued as an implicit approval of this declaration of war, seeing as the meeting of the warlords and subsequent declaration of war were from his own backyard, his home state,” Mr. Shehu said.
“The first step the President needs to take, to show seriousness in dealing with this issue is to dismiss from his government, his Special Adviser on Niger Delta, Kingsley Kuku who presided at the meeting at which this obnoxious resolution to dismember Nigeria was taken,” added the statement.
Signed:
Garba Shehu
Directorate of Media & Publicity

http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/more-news/175576-war-threat-apc-asks-jonathan-call-asari-dokubo-tompolo-others-order.html

President Jonathan Withholds Emir Lamido Sanusi’s Severance Benefits

BY SAHARAREPORTERS, NEW YORKJAN 21, 2015

President Goodluck Jonathan has refused to release the severance benefits of the former Central Bank Governor of Nigeria (CBN), Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, who is now the Emir of Kano.

In 2013, Sanusi sent a letter to President Jonathan in which he alleged that over a 19-month period, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) had failed to remit $49.8 billion into the federation account.

He alleged that between January 2012 and July 2013, the corporation lifted $65 billion worth of crude oil but remitted only $15 billion, meaning that about $50 billion was missing.

Mr. Jonathan ignored the letter until it subsequently leaked to the public. Eventually, with the reeling government arguing that only about $10 billion remained to be accounted for, Jonathan fired Sanusi from his post. A panel was set up to investigate that amount but its report has yet to be released.

SaharaReporters learnt that after some northern traditional leaders led by the Sultan of Sokoto brokered peace between both men, Sanusi’s passport, which was seized when he was fired, was returned to him. Efforts towards that recovery led Sanusi to visit Jonathan twice at the presidential villa.

Since then, however, the President has refused to allow the CBN to release its former governor’s severance package. Sources told SaharaReporters that Jonathan, who holds that stealing in office is not corruption, has not forgiven the Emir for exposing the monumental corruption at the NNPC.

President Jonathan paid a courtesy visit to the Emir today during a campaign stop in Kano.

http://saharareporters.com/2015/01/21/president-jonathan-withholds-emir-lamido-sanusi’s-severance-benefits

Published on January 22, 2015 by admin · 12 Comments

Kazeem Ugbodaga

The Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, has shut down the 35350 SMS platform for raising fund for the General Muhammed Buhari presidential campaign.
The platform was one of the five launched in Lagos on Tuesday, but the Director, Buhari-Osinbajo Fund Raising Campaign and Governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Fashola told a news conference on Thursday at the State House, Marina, Lagos, southwest Nigeria, that President Goodluck Jonathan has become so desperate that he is using the NCC to haunt the opposition party.
With the 35350 platform, Nigerians willing to donate to Buhari’s campaign simply had to send APC to the 35350 to contribute N100 to the campaign either using MTN, Glo, Etisalat, Airtel and Visaphone.

According to Fashola, the NCC shut down the platform on Wednesday afternoon after it wrote to the telecom operators not to carry such messages.
“The NCC has shut down the 35350 platform for sending N100 message to the Buhari fund raising campaign yesterday afternoon. Before it was shut down, 5400 people had contributed N100 to the Buhari campaign fund using the platform,” he said.
Fashola added that since Wednesday, he had been receiving messages from people wanting to contribute that they could not get through to the line because NCC had shut it down.
He said in 2010, the same platform was granted by the NCC to raise fund for the Jonathan-Sambo campaign, while appealing to the president to direct NCC to restore the platform as the people’s freedom was being gagged.
The governor restated that it entered into business relationship with the telecom operators and was never a political issue to make them partisan.
Fashola lamented that in recent time, Jonathan had become so desperate and intolerant that he oppressed the opposition in a bid to hold on to power at all costs.
He said he never expected to witness such brazen lawlessness and repression of the people’s freedom to express themselves all in the quest to cling to power at all costs.
“Why should a commercial transaction be frustrated because of one man’s desire to serve and why should they be shutting down generational platform?” he asked.
Fashola said the Federal Government had earlier shut down the APC’s website which made the party to launch another platform which is still being haunted by the presidency.
The governor said the APC would explore all legal means to fight for its interest but lamented that the courts had been shut down for long, thus, preventing the party from using it to seek redress.

http://www.pmnewsnigeria.com/2015/01/22/ncc-shuts-down-buharis-campaign-fund-raising-platform/

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Published on January 20, 2015 by

Eromosele Ebhomele

For the second time in three days, Festus Keyamo, a Nigeria-based lawyer and kinsman of President Goodluck Jonathan, has discredited the president by slamming him for appointing Femi Fani-Kayode who is known to be facing corruption charges as Director of Publicity, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign Organisation.
Keyamo said it was even distasteful to note that Fani-Kayode is supposedly being prosecuted by the same Jonathan government that has suddenly appointed him to champion the media and publicity angle of the Jonathan Campaign Organisation.
Keyamo had earlier accused Jonathan of trying to run Nigeria down and saying his inactivity had given him away as one of Nigeria’s weakest presidents.
In a statement signed by Keyamo on Tuesday, he said: “I have just read the diatribe of Chief Femi Fani-Kayode against me in reaction to my submission in my earlier release of Sunday, January 18, 2015, that the President has no single aversion against corruption by appointing him as spokesperson for his campaign organisation when he is facing corruption charges in court. And that this is made worse by the fact that the campaign is dominated by the theme of corruption. Chief Fani-Kayode in his response, claims that ‘Mr. Keyamo is motivated by malice, pettiness, showmanship and vengeance’.
“Nothing can be farther from the truth. There is no personal history or relationship between Chief Fani-Kayode and myself either by consanguinity, friendship, childhood association, family ties, etc to actuate malice, pettiness or vengeance.
“Chief Fani-Kayode has also forgotten that in the jurisprudence of criminal trials, it is the state that is prosecuting him and not me. Now, here is the tragedy of this scenario: all prosecutions are done in the name and with the authority of the Federal Government headed by the president. It follows that the president even undermines and trivialises the efforts of Federal Government agencies in the fight against corruption.
“Instead of being the catalyst in that fight, the president is now the cog in the wheel of progress in the fight against corruption. It is akin to a man who derides prostitutes in the day, but sneaks into red light zones at night. It is hypocrisy per excellence; it is blowing hot and cold at the same time; it amounts to probating and reprobating.
“Permit me the immodesty to say that I have a rich history of engaging the authorities, taking on the high and mighty, and confronting governments on issues of corruption, maladministration and the rule of law. Besides, I speak for millions of voiceless Nigerians who listen daily to the falsehoods, barefaced lies and chicanery of the likes of Femi Fani-Kayode when they defend the indefensible.
“Finally, Chief Fani-Kayode alluded to the fact that because the remaining counts in the criminal charge pending against him only contain few millions of naira that he allegedly laundered, it is not a case to be taken seriously.
“Chief Fani-Kayode should bear in mind that the court, and not me, has actually ruled that he has a case to answer on the remaining counts. He should also remember that in a criminal trial, one count is as serious as two hundred counts in a charge, so long as it contains allegation of infraction of the law.
[b]“Unfortunately, Chief Fani-Kayode has just helped me to further make the point that the perspective of Mr. President in the fight against corruption is so warped that Mr. President only sees corruption in terms of the volume of the loot involved.
“No wonder, Mr. President went to Enugu the other day and claimed that it was wrong for Jim Nwobodo to have been convicted by the Buhari administration in 1984 because the money involved was so infinitesimal!
“It follows that everything the president believes in the fight against corruption has come together in the singular act of appointing Fani-Kayode as his spokesman, and that is:
1. Nobody should be punished for corruption if the amount allegedly stolen is not too much.
2. Nobody should be punished for corruption if the person can be vociferous in support of the government.
3. Nobody should be punished for corruption if the allegation is mere stealing since “stealing is not corruption”.
4. The President has no qualms working with people who are actually accused of and standing trial for corruption. He has no balls to tell them to take a back seat in the scheme of things until they clear themselves.
5. The President does not believe in the seriousness of the work of anti-corruption agencies, hence he can ignore a Charge as serious as money laundering pending against his Director of Media and Publicity – the image and face of his campaign.
6. Finally, the President is insensitive to public opinion on corruption that is why he can still retain Femi Fani-Kayode as his Director of Media and Publicity despite public disgust and disillusionment since I blew the lid off his cover about his pending trial for money-laundering.[/b]
“God save our country with this President,” Keyamo said in the statement.

http://www.pmnewsnigeria.com/2015/01/20/jonathan-undermines-trivialises-fight-against-corruption-keyamo/

Fashola to Jonathan: Stop Indiscriminate pasting of posters
Posted by: Miriam Ekene-Okoro in News

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), on Monday decried indiscriminate posting of President Goodluck Jonathan’s posters on major high ways in the state without paying for advert spaces to advertising firms.
Fashola, who spoke while addressing thousands of supporters at a party campaign held at Oworoshoki axis of the state, said supporters of the President are allegedly removing adverts on Lagos roads and replacing them with the President’s campaign posters and banners.
“Mr. President and his supporters have taken over those advertising spots. They will come and tell you that it is federal highways, but that is not the point. If you build the highway, the adverts on it belong to the local government anywhere in Nigeria. What has Mr. President done? Lagos State Signage and Advertising Agency already had existing contracts with people and private companies who have paid to use the space. But without applying to LASAA, without paying and respect for the existing contractual right of businesses in this country, Mr. President has taken over those places with his posters. Is that not lawlessness? Is that the kind of leaders you want to re-elect? Is that the kind of party you want in power?
He described the development as a breach of electoral act, urging the President to demonstrate what he preaches on election guidelines.
Fashola, who also took a swipe at President Jonathan and his supporters over alleged demonization of the All Progressive Congress presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, said after rigging the former head of state out in previous elections, the ruling party has come out with series of allegations and condemnations.
He argued that Buhari was the APC only presidential candidate that stood at the convention venue for over 24hours, saying that would not have been possible if the man was not hale and hearty as rumoured by the PDP.
The governor added: “They have rigged him out three times in the previous elections, but in all those elections they never said he had no certificates. Now that they see that he is going to win, they said he doesn’t have certificates. Tomorrow they will say he is sick. Who is sick among them?
“Buhari’s body is made of steel, he doesn’t drink before he speaks, we know those people that when they represent us abroad they will not show up when they are called to make a speech. Who is sick among the two?
Also, the APC governorship candidate in Lagos, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, took a swipe at the federal government over the reduction of fuel price from N97 to N87, saying that the Peoples Democratic Party cannot deceive Nigerians with the reduction coming less than four weeks to the general election.

http://thenationonlineng.net/new/fashola-jonathan-stop-indiscriminate-pasting-posters/

Fayose’s Death Wish for Buhari: Go To Afao Ekiti, Go To Aso Rock By Pius Adesanmi

BY PIUS ADESANMI JAN 19, 2015

In human tales, in animal tales, in riddles, in proverbs, in legends, in myths, in every genre, in every department in which his ancestors ever exercised their imagination and creative genius to produce a worldview, they created tragic protagonists - humans, animals, ghomids, iwin, anjonu of every colour and shape - who end up being guests of iku (death) and his his wife, arun, (illness, disease) long before those they wished death upon, long before those whose death they had predicted in the foolish self-assurance of man, the adarihurun whose heart is filled with so much evil. Anybody whose first educational institution in life is the bucolic world of alo (folk tales) would have grown up with examples of tragic characters and actors who died while predicting the death of others.

I guess the surfeit of such characters in a people's oral tradition is culture's way of denying the foolish and the ignorant alibis and excuses. I did not know that.... O yes, you did. You have no excuse. Your culture, your history, your worldview provided you example after example, template after template, of characters who did what you just did and came to peril.

So, when a state Governor who comes from this rich cultural background, who grew up in the alo generation, dips his hands into the public till to buy up newspaper front pages to predict, project, and hint at the possible death of his fellow man in the name of politics - and this despite the fact that his culture arms him with copious examples of those who went long before the innocent on whose head they had wished or predicted death - you know that it is not ordinary eyes.

You know that it is not ordinary eyes because this Governor also professes the Christian faith of the Deeper Life fundamentalist variety. And he knows more than anybody else the instances in which his Yoruba Bible refers to anybody as an "asiwere eniyan" for the translators of that Book to Yoruba were coming from deeper cultural intimations than those who brought it to them in English. Wherever the book speaks about the fool, the ignorant, and the vainglorious, the Yoruba translators went for "asiwere eniyan". For good reason.

If, knowing all these, a man goes ahead to place newspaper ads celebrating his anticipated death of his fellow man, you know that things have gone beyond blaming him or screaming your outrage at him like some of you are doing today. As it goes for Doyin Okupe, so it goes for this latest desecrator of culture. This is the point where you head out to Afao Ekiti. Somewhere in that town must be a Fayose family compound with an olori ebi, a family head. This is the point where you gently prod the extended family to do something before their son crosses the market.

Crossing the market is irreversible...

When you leave Afao Ekiti, you must go to Aso Rock to check out what is happening with the political “owners” of Fayose. Although Fayose walked to Afao Ekiti on his head, he walked to the camp of the Chief Occupant of Aso Rock on his legs. The two locations must therefore be scrutinized to understand the sources Fayose’s behaviour.

This is not by any means to suggest that President Jonathan is directly responsible for Fayose’s classlessness. After all, this is political season and political season is silly season. A candidate has no means of knowing or curtailing all the designs and excesses of overzealous supporters, especially those supporters motivated singularly by a desire to guarantee prebends and Federal rent collection. Indeed, it is highly unlikely that Fayose notified President Jonathan or even the Jonathan campaign of his desire to indulge in such crass stupidity as to buy up newspaper front pages and project a death wish on the President’s chief political opponent.

What makes it necessary for us to scrutinize Aso Rock is the need to understand why there is a certain part of Fayose’s brain sending a message to him that morally reprehensible acts and ethically sick actions are okay around President Jonathan, are okay on behalf of President Jonathan. What message, what body language is he getting from the President which tells him that this is okay? What exactly is the moral and ethical atmospherics around the President? What does Fayose see when he looks at that Presidential environment?
[b]
Well, he sees a campaign which has only just hired Femi Fani Kayode, a man indicted for stealing (by the way, is stealing corruption? I am confused.) and corruption with pending charges and a pending court date. He sees a man indicted by the President’s own anti-corruption agency standing on the same podium with a President who, by that token, is sending a symbolic message to the nation he leads that corruption pays. Corruption is rewarded and becomes a sure path to becoming the President’s ‘personal person.’ When Fayose looks beyond Femi Fani Kayode, he sees Doyin Okupe around the President. Doyin Okupe is a contract racketeer who still owes the people of Benue and Imo states money he collected from their commonwealth and disappeared until he was lucky to encounter a President who says to every thief: let them come unto me for theirs is the kingdom of King Jona. When Fayose looks beyond Doyin Okupe, he sees Pastor Wendell Simlin, a crooked document forger who forged documents in a fraudulent attempt to implicate the current Emir of Kano in terrorism.[/b]

This is the atmosphere devoid of integrity which Fayose sees around his boss in Abuja; this the pestilential environment run by characters who have created an ethical Ebola around the President. The President doesn’t give a damn. He is the one who hired and surrounds himself with this manner of characters. He is the one who enables and authorizes this kwashiorkored environment. This is what sends a message to Fayose’s brain that misbehaviour, ethical emptiness, and moral decadence are okay and will in fact be rewarded. This is why he could have acted alone, without needing to even seek the consent of his principal in Abuja. Fayose knows the terrain. He knows what his principal likes.

Mo mo awon aguntan mi, awon aguntan mi si mo mi…

President Jonathan knows his sheep.

President Jonathan’s sheep knows President Jonathan.

That is why they do these ‘unhearable’ and ‘unsayable’ things on his behalf.

http://saharareporters.com/2015/01/19/fayose’s-death-wish-buhari-go-afao-ekiti-go-aso-rock-pius-adesanmi

January 20, 2015 Mohammed Lere

The Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, has accused the Federal Government of defrauding unemployed Nigerian youth of over N800 million in a spurious employment deal.

The governor, who was addressing a rally of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Etsako Local Government Area of the state, also disputed claims by the Goodluck Jonathan administration of creating three million jobs.

According to Mr. Oshiomhole, Nigerians cannot point to any of their relations who have benefited from the government’s policy on job creation.

He, therefore, lampooned the Jonathan administration of not being able to deliver on promises he made to Nigerian electorate when he sought their mandates in 2011.

After spending over $30 billion on power, he said Nigerians still live in darkness while the promise of constructing a second bridge across the River Niger has not started despite billions already spent on the project.

“They claim to have created three million jobs. Among you people that are here, how many of your brothers have got Federal Government jobs. Over the years, government employment is done based on rules,” Mr. Oshiomhole said.

“The PDP Federal Government cheated unemployed people, poor youths. They used a private consultancy firm to ask people to pay one thousand naira to an account. Nigerian rules are clear; you cannot collect money from unemployed people looking for jobs.

“PDP wanted to make money even from people who cannot take three square meals a day. They collected over N800 million from unemployed youths in the country. Nigeria has to change. Have you ever heard where you do interview in a stadium?

The governor lamented the deaths at the Nigeria Immigrations Service, NIS, employment saga and queried the government for failing to punish those who were involved in the bloody scam.

He lambasted the Minister of Interior, Abba Moro, for going ahead to receive an award of excellence after conducting the fatal interview that claimed the lives of Nigerian youth.

In saner climes, Mr. Oshiomhole argued that the minister should have resigned and turned himself in for prosecution.

He urged Nigerians not to support a government that impoverishes the citizenry and destroys the productive sector through criminal importation policy that enriches a few people.

He said, “They will import kerosene and distribute it to their friends. We are supposed to be buying kerosene at fifty naira. They have spent over N200 billion subsidizing kerosene for their own pockets.

“So when we say they must go you need to understand why we must vote out Jonathan. The issue in this election is that we need a President whose word is binding. As we speak, we don’t have any pride when you say you are a Nigerian.”

He called on Nigerians to demand explanations from the Federal Government on how it spent over $30 billion in the power sector without a concomitant improvement in the sector.

Mr. Oshiomhole urged the people to vote for the APC presidential candidate, Muhmmadu Buhari, and APC candidates at all levels, saying an APC Government will fight corruption, indiscipline and insurgency.

Source:http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/more-news/175337-immigration-jobs-oshiomhole-accuses-jonathan-abba-moro-defrauding-nigerians.html

Buhari: Reports of my ill health, foreign trip false print

Published on January 19, 2015 by

Ayorinde Oluokun/Abuja

General Muhammadu Buhari: debunks ill-health report

Major General Muhammadu Buhari, the Presidential candidate of the opposition All Progressives Congress, APC on Sunday denied reports that he will be travelling abroad to seek medical attention over his failing health.
The presidential candidate spoke to reporters in Abuja on Sunday in reaction to newspaper reports earlier in the day that the former military head of state was terminally ill and has been flown out of the country for medical attention.
Buhari, who described the story of his ill health as the handiwork of desperate politicians out to gain political advantage, also debunked allegations that his tenure at the defunct Petroleum Trust Fund was marred with corruption.
He recalled that former President Olusegun Obasanjo who investigated how he ran the PTF recently gave him a clean bill of health.
“A national daily) reported that I was to jet out for medical checkup yesterday but here I am. I was at Nasarawa and Benue states yesterday; tomorrow I am going to be in two states. The day after tomorrow, in two more states. I am doing two states per day. How they got the impression that I was sick I do not know. Although I got cold and that did not stop me from going through my schedule.”
The former Head of State also dismissed a document, purported to be him medical report circulating on the internet: “I don’t know of this desperation. The issue we are telling Nigerians is that of corruption in this country. For the last 16 years the PDP has literally destroyed this country. This is the issue and what has my health got to do with that one? Have I been sick on daily basis? And (that) document has been put on paper, on tweeter that I am sick and the ABU (Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital) said they are forged documents. This desperation is beyond my understanding.”
Buhari however asserted that he can last the next 50 years on the field when asked to talk about the true state of his health.
“There is no fraud in PTF, there was an investigation and General Obasanjo has answered that question. He confirmed that there was an investigation and the report was brought to him and there was nothing on ground as far as my management and chairmanship of the PTF was concerned.
” So what else can I say? The person who did the investigation because he was the Head of State has cleared me. So what else can I say?,” Buhari said.

http://www.pmnewsnigeria.com/2015/01/19/buhari-reports-of-my-ill-health-foreign-trip-false/

APC Campaign Calls For Further Reduction In Price Of Petrol Says Subsidy System Is A Cesspool Of Corruption

BY GARBA SHEHUJAN 19, 2015

The All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Organisation (APCPCO) has described Sunday night sudden slash in the pump price of premium motor spirit (petrol) as a panicky political measure far too short of the people’s expectation and contrary to the 50 percent relief suggested by the Buhari Team.

Mallam Garba Shehu, Director of Media and Publicity of the APC Presidential Campaign said in a statement in Abuja on Monday that "the Jonathan-led PDP government is beginning to listen to public outcry about bad governance, extortion and exploitation of the Nigerian masses in the oil sector where billions of naira are daily being ripped off the pockets of the common men and women through inaccurate pump prices of petrol, diesel and kerosene, despite the dwindling world market prices of these products."

Shehu also faulted both the decrease ratio of N97 to N87 and the timing of the announcement by the Federal Government as “politically motivated, ill-timed and too little, too late.”

He noted that "the PDP has run out of ideas for the presidential campaign and has resulted to raking straws from inertia ponds," adding "this measure is not different from the President’s belated visit to a few places in the North East, a region which has been ravaged and devastated by Boko Haram’s brigandage, a situation to which the number one citizen seemed to be oblivious of until recently."

"The oil price decline is 55% and the cut in the pump price is 11%. The argument is that devaluation which is approximately 10% should be factored in. However the timing and the inadequate price cut smacks of incompetence, insincerity and desperation," the APC Campaign Spokesman said

According to him, "the US has witnessed price cuts in excess of 50% from $4.00 to $2.00 which translates into 50c per litre or N60 per litre including state taxes. How can petrol in the US be 25% cheaper than in Nigeria? It just does not make sense. This is too little too late. The alternative will be to further reduce petrol prices and overhaul the subsidy system which is a cesspool of fraud, money laundering and imperfect market structures."

He questioned the motive and justification for a mere N10 cut in petrol price considering that global price of crude oil per barrel on which the pricing of petroleum products is predicated, has plummeted from $105 to $50.

"How did they calculate the ratio? Aside, if the new price took effect from 18th January, 2015 what happens to the backlog that has existed since December? Will the Minister and her boss give coupons to Nigerians to fill their tanks to make up for the arrears? Or who is benefiting from this windfall?" Shehu queried, warning "any attempt by the ruling party to make a political gain out of this natural economic phenomenon of demand and supply would definitely hit the wrong notes with the voters come February 14."

Garba Shehu

Directorate of Media & Publicity

APC Presidential Campaign Organisation

http://saharareporters.com/2015/01/19/apc-campaign-calls-further-reduction-price-petrol-says-subsidy-system-cesspool-corruption

Open Letter: Dear President Goodluck Jonathan, You're A Fraud And Impostor

BY DOTUN OLOKOJAN 18, 2015

My Dear President: You are a fraud and an impostor. You are a public servant of the Federal Republic of Nigeria who is masquerading as an Emperor who considers Nigeria to be his private fiefdom, which he can do with as he pleases. However, you, like every other person living in Nigeria, are required to respect and observe the laws of the country, but you have built your tyrannical empire on a fallacy of impunity. The idea that any public servant will not be held to account for their actions and can therefore act with impunity is frankly risible and has no basis in the reality of today.

As I write, your Attorney-General and Oil Minister are the focus of multi-jurisdictional criminal investigations into corruption at the heart of your presidency. One such investigation is that into the acquisition of the oil prospecting licence, OPL 245 by the international oil companies Shell and Eni. In the United Kingdom that investigation goes by the name “Operation Zaphod”. In Italy criminal proceedings were registered in November 2013 and are pending against some Eni executives and others who were involved in what the prosecution has described as a conspiracy to bribe Nigerian public officials. In the US, the FBI are working extensively to track any OPL 245 assets and monies. For example $10 million dollars of OPL 245 funds have been successfully tracked to the former Attorney-General Bayo Ojo’s account in the US. Ojo not only returned the licence to Malabu in 2006 but is also known to have been involved in the subsequent efforts to transfer the licence to Eni and Shell.

As your Attorney-General, Finance Minister and EFCC Chairman can attest, I was a party to the filing of the complaint in Nigeria, Italy, UK and US. I am familiar with the case and, I can assure you that the Italians, the Americans and the British are working closely together to ensure that anyone who improperly benefited from this corrupt deal is brought to book. Extensive efforts are being made and have been made to track all monies and assets related to the deal. In addition to the $10 million referred to earlier, other items that have been identified range from a high value aircraft, to lower valued items including armoured cars and the shotgun that was purchased from Holland and Holland in London. Furthermore, some $190 million has been frozen in the UK and Switzerland at the request of the Italians.

In light of the above, your claim that your administration is fighting corruption is fraudulent, given that Nigeria is the only jurisdiction in which our submissions did not result in an investigation. The multi-jurisdictional investigations into OPL 245 that are taking place outside of Nigeria are being conducted without any support or assistance from your administration. We are aware that your administration has made unsuccessful efforts to truncate these investigations. Despite the fact that you have failed to take any action against two serving members of your cabinet, the Attorney-General and the Oil Minister, who are the focus of those multi-jurisdictional investigations, we fully expect that in this year, those multi-jurisdictional investigations will begin to result in assets linked to those ministers and others being seized.

Any former or current Nigerian public servant that believes that they can act with impunity in office simply because that was the way it used to be are living in the past. We live in a global world now and we have and will continue to ensure that wherever possible other jurisdictions are mobilized to act against those that would seek to loot public funds. Ibori who was cleared in Nigeria, is now doing time in England and efforts to recover his assets are in full swing. The US private equity firm, Emerging Capital Partners (“ECP”) that helped him to launder some of his assets are now facing multi-jurisdictional investigations and have now being formally interviewed.

In the same vein those who are leading the efforts to deceive Nigerians and others into believing that the $20 billion is not missing and the Sanusi allegations are unfounded are simply deceiving themselves. In this respect, I am challenging your corrupt Finance Minister or any other public servant to publicly declare that the monies did not go missing. I can assure you that we will seek for the prosecution of any such person on the grounds that they are accessories to the theft. I can also assure you that in the same way that ECP is now being investigated for its role in Ibori’s money laundering, the private equity firms Actis and Investec will also have to account for their investment in Seven Energy. Nigerians may have focussed themselves on the missing $20 billion, but we have now moved beyond that onto other matters including the oil mining licences that were granted to Seven Energy and Atlantic Energy. In this regard in addition to the private equity firms referred to earlier, Philip Ihenacho, Scott Aitken and others will have to account for their actions. In the case of Scott Aitken he will also have to account for other actions he took when he was at Weatherford.

In the same way that we have instigated investigations into OPL 245 and ECP we will continue to work to ensure that those responsible for looting public assets will be brought to book with or without the assistance of any Nigerian government. The biggest impediment to development is corruption and your record in fighting corruption is so abysmal as to suggest that your policy is to institutionalize the tyranny of impunity on which corruption thrives. This is clear evidence that you are not the one to move our nation forward and God willing you will be overthrown at the polls. I can assure you that any efforts to deny the will of the people in the coming elections will be stoutly resisted. Your presidency has cast a dark cloud over our beloved country and you and all those that have played a role in bringing us to this sorry state will surely be held to account.

Yours sincerely


Dotun Oloko

http://saharareporters.com/2015/01/18/open-letter-dear-president-goodluck-jonathan-youre-fraud-and-impostor

Jonathan has lost moral right to govern Nigeria - Adamu Ciroma

Published on January 18, 2015 by · 15 Comments


A former Nigerian minister of finance and agriculture, Alhaji Adamu Ciroma said President Goodluck Jonathan ought to have resigned as the leader of Nigeria in the aftermath of the arrest by South Africa of a plane carrying loads of dollars to buy arms.
“From the day that the plane-load carrying dollars landed in South Africa and was detained there, I really felt Jonathan had lost the right to be president of this country. How can a president send a plane-load of dollars to buy arms? What kind of people are these?
“I know that the president defended this scandal. The people around him say it happens in government. But It doesn’t happen. A president must know how things are done worldwide and in his own country. Nobody is going to do things differently. From that day, to me, he lost the moral right to be the president of this country,” Ciroma said.
Ciroma now 80 years old was a founding member of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party. The Potiskum, Yobe born former Central Bank Governor and newspaper editor, is generally reputed for his unequivocal views on national issues. He spoke in an interview published today by the Sunday Trust.
“Normally, in this world, military equipment – guns, aircraft, etc – are transacted always with the government of the producing countries. It’s the governments who sell the materials to other countries. But in this country, we go through Pastor Oritsejafor. He said he has nothing to do with it, that he had already leased the aircraft to some other party. If the aircraft had been caught carrying Quran and other Islamic books, would Oritsejafor have said he didn’t care? People are just doing the wrong things in this country!,” Ciroma added.
Ciroma explained that his decision to quit partisan politics was triggered by the decision of the PDP to allow PDP replace Yar’Adua in 2011, instead of allowing a northerner to complete the slot given to northern Nigeria.
“In 2011, when Yar’adua died, I was one of the people who believed that we should operate the process of zoning and power rotation in the PDP because PDP formally agreed to a policy of zoning and rotation during the Obasanjo period. That is the policy that allowed Chief Obasanjo to do two terms. He tried to extend it, but we all refused. So rotation and zoning based on two terms for North and South were the basis of the PDP policy. In 2011, PDP leaders, including Obasanjo, argued that the Vice-President should replace Yar’adua. I was one of those who said PDP must learn to stand by its words, and that somebody from the North should continue and complete the period allocated to the North.
“The PDP, in its operation and convention, decided that the current president should replace Yar’adua and I didn’t I agree with them. From that time, I stopped participating in party politics because if we formed a party with people you think you can trust and in the end they did something different, then there is no basis for thinking that that party could organize collective policies that are intended for the good of the electorate or for the good of the country.”
On the February election, Ciroma told his interviewers that he would vote for an anti-corruption candidate who could stand by his words.
“What I want to see is someone who does the job of governing effectively, who cares about the interest of the ordinary people, who would ensure that government is not ridden by corruption. I would like to see that happen again so that everybody would feel that the government cares about and promotes his interest,” he said.
[b]Ciroma also revealed how President Jonathan dismissed the suggestions made by 50 North east leaders on how to end the six-year old Boko Haram insurgency.
“There were about 50 of us who went to see the president. Our recommendations were based on the collective recommendation of these people. I made the presentation on their behalf. After making the presentation, the president rose to make a speech and said, yes, there were so many recommendations but he did not see any of them as being capable of dealing with the problem.
“At that time, the president didn’t believe that the Chibok girls had been abducted. We knew his view before we went to see him. We told him what we believed were honest views. And he maintained he had not seen among all the recommendations what would be useful in solving the problems. In a dismissive manner, he said, ‘maybe, Mr Ciroma and SGF, you can go and look at them and advise.’ It meant he was not serious about what he was saying.
“Believe me, all of us were highly disappointed. After the meeting with the president, we held another meeting and everybody was really upset. We then on our own decided to create an organization to assist the people who are suffering most from the effects of Boko Haram. We decided to raise funds to help them.”[/b]

http://www.pmnewsnigeria.com/2015/01/18/jonathan-has-lost-moral-right-to-govern-nigeria-adamu-ciroma/

Nigeria's 35million barrels of crude oil remain unsold

Saturday, 17 January 2015



BESIDE lingering decline in crude oil prices, which has greatly affected Nigeria’s revenue from crude oil exports, the country may have also lost buyers of essential commodity.

Specifically, about 35 million barrels of the country’s crude oil remained unsold at the international market as at December 2014.

Also, the country’s crude oil production dropped by 17,300 barrels per day from 1.919 million barrel per day it recorded in November to 1.902 million barrels per day in the month under review.

Unfortunately, Asian countries, which Nigeria turned to when the United States stopped buying Nigeria’s crude oil due to the shale boom, now prefer Angolan grades.

The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), which made this disclosure in its December report released yesterday, attributed this development to weak crude oil demand at the international market.

According to OPEC, low European refinery demand amid weak gasoline and naphtha margins has put pressured on West African crudes, most especially, Nigerian light sweet crude. “Asian refining margins dropped slightly during December on the back of losses seen in the gasoline and middle distillates cracks as the strong seasonal demand within the region was partially outweighed by increasing supplies from several countries in the region”, it added.

The cartel said that Angolan grades have predominantly sold out, supported by robust Chinese buying, though values have fallen for heavier Angolan grades, as they compete with cheaper Mideast Gulf supplies.

The report disclosed that the price of Nigerian Bonny Light dropped by $16.80 or 21.2 per cent in December to $62.53/b, accumulating about $49 in losses since June.

The cartel said that crude oil buyers are taking advantage of the price decline and current supply glut by buying and storing of product with the hope of selling at higher prices later in the year.

It stated: “The widening contango in the crude oil market is also reviving interest in Asia for the hiring of ships to store crude at sea, taking advantage of lower prices and the current supply glut. Besides Brent, the contango in the Asian sour crude market has also recently widened, reflecting an oversupplied market and an expected drop in demand for crude ahead of the region’s refinery maintenance season”.

OPEC said that the United States, which used to be Nigeria’s biggest crude oil buyer, has increase its export providing an outlet for additional production that would otherwise have added to the country’s stockpiles.

It disclosed: “US crude exports soared to 487,000 bpd in November, up from 360,270 bpd in October. In July, US crude exports topped 400,000 bpd, the highest since the 1950s. Mexico’s state-owned Pemex requested permission from the US Department of Commerce to import up to 100,000 bpd of light crude and condensate from the US. In return, Mexico will export heavy Mexican crudes to be processed at US refineries.

The prompt ICE Brent-Nymex WTI spread stood at $3.89/b on average in December”.

OPEC forecasts that demand for the group’s oil will drop to 28.78 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2015, down by 140,000 bpd from its previous figure and the lowest since 2004.

OPEC also trimmed the rate of growth in non-OPEC supply partly due to a slowdown in the U.S. shale boom.

“As drilling subsides due to high costs and a potentially sustained low oil price, production could be expected to follow, possibly late i 2015,” it said.

The rate of U.S. production growth will be slower than previously predicted, it said.

The main factors for the lower growth prediction in 2015 are lower oil price expectations, the declining number of active rigs in North America, the decrease in drilling permits in the U.S. and the reduction in international oil companies’ 2015 spending plans,” OPEC said.

Lamenting the continuous crude oil price decline, OPEC said that the OPEC Reference Basket (ORB) ended December down by 21 per cent to its lowest value since May 2009.

It stated: “In the second half of 2014, the ORB lost about half its value amid an imbalance in oil market supply/demand fundamentals. In December, the ORB dropped $16.11 to $59.46/b and its yearly value was down $9.58 to $96.29/b.

“Oil futures tumbled sharply by more than a hefty 20 per cent to their lowest values in more than five-and-a-half years amid an enduring bearish market environment, particularly from the supply side that has surrounded the oil market for six months now. The ICE Brent contract plunged $16.36 m-o-m to $63.27/b, ending 2014 at an average of $99.51/b.

“The Nymex WTI contract lost $16.52 to $59.29/b, while its yearly value dropped to $93/b. Meanwhile, speculative bets on a rebound in oil prices rose sharply over the month, particularly for ICE Brent, as crude oil prices reached a five-year low”.

http://ngrguardiannews.com/business/194048-nigeria-s-35m-barrels-of-crude-oil-remain-unsold

Jonathan under attack over Maiduguri trip

Posted by: Abdulgafar Alabelewe, Kaduna; Adam Suleiman, Sokoto; Kolade Adeyemi,Kano; Nwanosike ONU,Awka; Jide Orintunsin,Minna and Adekunle Jimoh,Ilorin in Featured, News

A barrage of criticisms from across the nation yesterday greeted Thursday’s visit by President Goodluck Jonathan to Maiduguri, Borno State, with many Nigerians dismissing the trip as belated and politically motivated.
The President had used the visit – his first to the state since March 2013 when he held a town hall meeting with Borno Elders on the insurgency in the state -to address the soldiers involved in fighting terror in the Boko Haram troubled state, and to comfort citizens displaced by the sect’s acts of terrorism.
The Secretary of Northern Elders Forum (NEF), Professor Ango Abdullahi. said the President’s visit was a political move to get the votes of Borno people who were yet to be killed by Boko Haram.
Prof. Abdullahi wondered why it had become suddenly convenient for the President to visit the state 30 days to the presidential election after ignoring the same state in spite persistent terror attacks.
Abdullahi, a former Vice Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria told The Nation on the phone that the visit came too late.
His words: ”Mr. President knows quite well that thousands of people have lost their lives and property worth hundreds of millions of naira have been lost and thousands have been internally and externally displaced in their own country. And it has taken Mr. President more than four years to go and see things for himself.
“Therefore, my interpretation of his going there is that he wants the remaining people of Borno State who are still alive to vote for him. I think his visit is political and he thinks the Borno People and people of the North-East are that stupid.
“Even by the account of the Deputy Governor who addressed the President’s visit at one of the IDP camps, President Jonathan heard himself that NEMA has done virtually nothing to alleviate the suffering of the internally displaced persons since the beginning of the crisis.
“That report is a total shame on all of us and terrible shame on the President, for international community to hear that no assistance has been rendered to the IDPs.
“So, the visit is purely political. He wants votes. He is not interested in the security of the people. Now that election is about three weeks away, he wants votes and I will be surprised if he doesn’t have zero per cent in Borno.”
A Sokoto-based businessman and front row elder, Alhaji Abdullahi Aminu Tafida, called the President’s visit illogical.
He said: ”If he did that visit for political reason, it is going to work against him, because to watch a problem for four years and after 22 months of serious Boko Haram challenges only to wait until Amnesty International showed real pictures of the atrocities in the region over the BBC in addition to pressure instigated by foreign press before taking step, is shocking.”
A two-term council chairman in Sokoto State, Alhaji Ibrahim Magaji Gusau, expressed disappointment that President Jonathan did not visit Chibok.
“I thought he would go to Chibok, Baga and other crisis areas to sympathise with victims of Boko Haram attacks.
“Look at France where only 12 were killed. The government promptly rose up to the challenge to liberate its people from terrorists.
“ In fact, we do not have a leader. He has failed woefully. Jonathan has played into the hands of sycophants who do not care about the larger interests of Nigerians but personal gains.”
Comrade Jonathan Vatsa, the Niger State Publicity Secretary of All Progressives Party (APC), said the President’s visit to Maiduguri had political undertone and came too late.
He said: “A good leader would not have abandoned the parents of the Chibok girls. He ought to have gone to see the families of these girls.
“He claimed to be the father of the nation.What type of father would abandon his children for almost 300 days only to visit the area to go and canvass for votes?
“Our President is playing politics with Boko Haram. He is playing politics with the lives of people. Now that he has gone, is he expecting the dead or the maimed to vote for him?”
Minna-based public affairs commentator, Mr. Francis Bello, said the president should have gone to Baga and not Maiduguri.
“Baga and not Maiduguri is the hotbed of terrorism. His visit to Maiduguri was a smokescreen. He went to campaign and not to boost the morale of the military,” Bello said, adding: “How can our President explain his prompt condolence to the French people over the killing of 11 of their compatriots by a terror gang when he has lost over 11,000 souls in his own country? His visit was belated and ill-timed.”
But Mr.Abdul Kusherigi saw it differently.
He said the President should be commended for going to boost the morale of soldiers fighting Boko Haram and to comfort the Internally Displaced persons (IDPs).
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Anambra State , Chief Dennis Ngene said the president would be disappointed if he expected any political mileage from the visit.
He said: “This is a man who has abandoned the kidnapped school children for nine months and barely one month to presidential election he found time to visit the state.
“His visit does not show any sign of seriousness and the visit is pure deceit.
“What our president has done shows desperation because of the forthcoming presidential election.
But, the Anambra state coordinator of Transform Nigeria Movement (TNM), Comrade Obi Ochije, said what is of paramount importance to Nigeria now is peace.
“I will not say it is political or not, but our major interest is the unity of the country and the president should make sure that peace reigns “Ochije said.
Second Republic member of the House of Representatives, Dr. Junaidu Muhammed, said the President’s visit to Maiduguri was not only belated but a total ruse.
He said: “The visit shows clearly that he (President Jonathan) has nothing but contempt for the people of the North-East and, indeed, each and every Northerner. It is clear that he has been informed about the situation in the three states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe, and he has done nothing about it.
“I sincerely believe that if not for the elections which he is desperate to win by hook or crook, he wouldn’t have visited the North-East for the entire period of his presidency. So, I am persuaded that the people are not stupid—they know what it is all about, and they will reply him come 14th February when the elections are due.
“They will tell him what they think about him and what they think about his games and they will, by the grace of God, help to defeat him massively so that this presidency and this political party which he leads will be thrown into the dustbin of history forever.
“Nigerians are smart enough to know who is for them and who is against them; and they also respect performance. If you perform, they respect you, if you don’t perform, they simply ignore you and when the time comes, they vote you out—that is the essence of democracy and I don’t believe Goodluck will be an exception.
“President Jonathan’s visit to Borno is irrelevant. It is immaterial because if you have ignored people for five years and now you are remembering they exist because you want their votes and you think 24 hours visit is enough to deliver their votes to you, I think it shows that you are also utterly contemptuous of the people who you visited.
Elder statesman, Alhaji Tanko Yakasai, however differed.
He said the visit was a big challenge to the opposition “who had been pressurising him to visit the area.”
Yakasai added: “It is now left for them (opposition) to also visit the area. He is the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria with a lot of state engagements, therefore, he is the one to see how to arrange his schedules to enable him know where and when to visit.
“You cannot say that President Jonathan’s visit to Borno at this time is belated, because as the Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces and President of Nigeria, he can choose to visit any place at any time because all time is right. So, he decides by himself when it is convenient for him to visit anywhere.
“As such, he has broken the jinx and it is now left for his critics to follow his foot-steps.“
Secretary of the defunct National Party of Nigeria (NPN) in Kwara State in the Second Republic, Chief Olatunji Arosanyin said the Maiduguri visit was long overdue.
“When I heard the President Goodluck Jonathan visited Maiduguri, Borno State capital yesterday (Thursday), the first thing that came to my mind was that the President went there because of politics, but if it is not because of that it is a bold decision,” he said.
“Though, the president could have done it before. As the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed forces, he should have visited the place more than five times, because we hear how United States President Barack Obama pays impromptu visits to Afghanistan to address American troops.
“The visit though too little, too late is okay, perhaps it will boost the morale of the security personnel in the area.
“If it will make them happier and make them to be committed to fight the Boko Haram sect, then it is good. But if it is for politics that cannot earn him more vote than what he could have got.”

http://thenationonlineng.net/new/jonathan-attack-maiduguri-trip/

Jonathan trip to Borno, political – Ango Abdullahi

Posted by: Abdulgafar Alabelewe, Kaduna in News

Secretary of Northern Elders Forum (NEF), Prof. Ango Abdullahi , has described the Thursday’s visit of President Goodluck Jonathan to Borno State as a political move to get votes from people that are yet to be killed by Boko Haram.
He lamented that a visit the President could not make in four years of killings in the Northeast, is now considered necessary barely 30 days to presidential election.
‎
Abdullahi, who is a one- time Vice Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, told The Nation in on telephone that President Jonathan’s visit to Borno is too late.
He said,” Mr. President knows quite well that thousands of people have lost their lives and property worth hundreds of millions of naira have been lost to insurgency in the northeast.
“In addition, thousands have been internally and externally displaced in their own country. And it has taken Mr. President more than four years to go and see things for himself.
“Therefore, to me, my interpretation of his going there is that he wants the remaining people of Borno State who are still alive to vote for him‎. I think his visit is political and he thinks the Borno People and people of the Northeast are that stupid.
“Even by the account of the deputy governor who addressed the President during his visit to one of the Internally Displaced Persons’ camps, NEMA has done virtually nothing to alleviate the sufferings of the people since the beginning of the crisis.”


http://thenationonlineng.net/new/jonathan-trip-borno-political-ango-abdullahi/

Why PDP can’t rule Lagos, by Tinubu

Posted by: Emmanuel Oladesu Group Political Editor

Tinubu, who addressed a huge crowd of party members and supporters at the flag off of the APC governorship campaigns in Lagos, described the PDP an an Ebola-infested party, urging the people to flee from its candidates at the elections. He said Agbaje’s decision to contest on the platform of the PDP is worrisome and embarrassing, adding that he took the wrong decision at a time Nigerians were fed up with the ruling party at the centre.
At the carnival-like campaign held at the Skypower Ground, Government Reservation Area, Ikeja, party flags were presented to the governorship candidate, Mr. Akinwumi Ambode, his running mate, Dr. Oluranti Adebule, the Lagos West senatorial candidate, Yayi Adeola Olamilekan, the House of Representatives candidate for Ikeja District, Hon. James Faleke, and the House of Assembly candidates for Ikeja Constituency I and 11, Gbolahan Lai-Mohammed and Damola Kasumu, by the party chairman, Otunba Oladele Ajomale.
Ambode, who was described as the choice of the youths, promised to run an accountable government, if elected at the February 28 poll. Exuding confidence, the flag bearer, who was accompanied by his wife, Bola, said: “I have been an accountant all my life. I will be accountable to you. We will make life more economically viable. We will make Lagos safer. We will set up an Employment Trust fund that will make youths have access to finance for entrepreneurship.
“I will be like BRF. I will be like Asiwaju. I have learned under them. They will pray for me. I will perform better than them. I will not disappoint Lagosians.”
The flag bearer added: “The moment of history has come. We are excited. We are grateful to God for this day. Our party exists in all local governments and nooks and crannies. We stand for the protection of lives and property. We will carry all the people along, irrespective of their tribes.
“At the centre, we need change. The economy may collapse, if it is left in the hands of the PDP. Some parts of the North has been taken over by the Boko Haram. Enough of suffering under the PDP. We should vote for Buhari and Osinbajo on February 14 and 28.”
Noting that the job of the governor is tedious, Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN) urged Lagosians to endorse the youthful governorship candidate, saying that he is full of vigour, zest and energy.
He stressed: “It is a tough job. I took the job at the age of 44. Now, I am 52. When I took the job, I could count the number of grey hairs I had. Now, I can’t count them again. I thank Lagosians for giving me the job. I thank Lagosians for also taking care of me. Akinwumi Ambode is younger than me. You need youthfulness to do this job. That man (the PDP candidate) is already 60. An old man cannot do the job. If you call him at midnight, he will not pick your call.”
Many stakeholders, interest groups, women and youth organisations from 57 local councils joined party faithful for the campaign, which lasted for almost eight hours. Thrilling the crowd were the ace fuji musician, Alhaji Ayinde Wasiu, Buga, and other artisists-Kunle Afuad, Iyabo Oke, Mrs. Surutu, Doris Simon, Segun Ogungbe, Sikiratu Sindodo, Ojo arowosoge ((adeyi Oloro).
At the campaign presided over by Ajomale were the deputy governor, Hon. Joke Orelope-Adefulire, her predecessors, Princess Sarah Sosan and Otunba Olufemi Pedro, the wife of Lagos State governor, Mrs. Abimbola Fashola, Senators Oluremi Tinubu (Lagos Central), Ganiyu Solomon (Lagos West) and Gbenga Ashafa (Lagos East), Chief Pius Akinyelure, Prince Oluyole Olusi, Chief Kayode Olowu, Second Republic Deputy Governor Rafiu Jafojo, Col. Adedeji Ajala (rtd), Dr. Abayomi Finnih, Hon. Olawale Oshun, Chief Lanre Rasak, APC National Publicity Alhaji lai Mohammed, House of Representatives Minority Leader Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, Cardinal James Odunmbaku, Women Leader Mrs. Kemi Nelson, Mrs. Folake Shokunbi, former Heads of Service Hon. Yakubu Balogun and Adesegun Ogunlewe, former party secretary Primate Charles Odugbesi, Hon. Rotimi Agunsoye, Hon. Cornelius Ojelabi, Mrs. Sola Oworu, Chief Wale Mogaji, Cpmrade Ayodele Adewale, Otunba Oyewole Fasawe, Hon. Lateef Raji, Mr. Tunde Temionu, and Mrs. Jumoke Okoye-Thomas.
Other chieftains are the ceremony were House of Assembly Speaker Yemi Ikuforiji, his predecessor, Joko Pelumi, Hon. Bola Olujobi Badmus, Chief Demola Seriki, Chief Chris Ekwilo, Mrs. Toke Benson, Hon. Hakeem Gbamgbola, Ademorin Kuye, Abdullahi Enilolobo, Fuad Oki, Kola Pregrillo, Chief Raheem Daramola, Dr. Bunmi Omoseyindemi, Ademola Sodiq, and Hon. Kolawole taiwo, Gbolahan Yishau, Alhaji ganiyu Badmus, Hon. Olamide Kasali, Comrade Joe Igbokwe, and Hon. Wale Ahmed, Hon. Paul Kalejaye, who was the master of ceremony.
Excited at the urge crowd, Tinubu, who thanked them and other party chieftains, said it was an evidence that the APC will win the general elections. The former governor told them that Ambode is better than Agbaje, who he said lacked experience about governance.
Tinubu said: “There is no way for the Poverty Development Party, the Peoples Deception Party in Lagos. Lagos is not for experimentation. He (Agbaje) was with us in the AD. He failed. He said hewas going to Afenifere. He was in the ACN. He contested against Fashola. He failed. We said Fashola is more knowledgable; he is a man who listens to instructions. We asked him to be his deputy and learn so that he can be a good governor later; that he should go through aprehenticeship. He rejected the offer of a deputy governor. He went to the DPA. he became their leader. In DPA, he contested against Fashola.
“Lagos has faith in a better and rewarding future. We said Lagos will not spoil (Eko o ni baje). He was defeated; he came back and we said he should go to the cabinet; he said no; well, we have many people to do the job in our party; In a twinkle of an eye, Jk went to the PDP; PDP is Ebola. But, we say Lagos is not for experiment. We know where we are coming from. We know where we are going. How many drugs does he have in his pharmacy to cure Lagos. We don’t need experiment in Lagos.”
Tinubu said the APC government has lived up to expectation in the last eight years under Fashola, adding that continuity is desirable. Tinubu described himself as an expert in talent hunt, adding that the choice of Fashola as the 2007 flag bearer has produced fruits of development, progress and prosperity for Lagosians.
He added: “Today is a great day. I am a proud man. I am happy. I thank the Almighty God. This crowd makes me to be proud of Lagosians. In 2007, I handed over to one young man. I brought him before you. I told you he will perform better; that he is a SAN with a sound mind. That man is Babatunde Raji Fashola.
“It has been eight years of performance, unequalled performance, unbroken promises, sound experience, construction of good schools and roads, employment for younger people, youth skill development. Mother and Child hospitals are getting better. The state has made progress under rhe leadership of Fashola.
“I am a proud leader and father. Whatever they may say, who is the father of this talent? I am the one. Our prayer is that our children will live and perform better than us. May your children live and perform better than you.”
Tinubu reflected on how Ambode became the candidate, recalling that the youths of Lagos rooted for him. He said: “Many leaders, women and youths came to me. You said you wanted a talented, experienced youth to continue where Fashola would stop. We cannot experiment in Lagos. I said, wait. Don’t be in a hurry. Help is on the way. Voluntarily, you identofied that help. It is my joy to present Akinwumi Ambode to you.”
The former governor thanked the governorship aspirants who participated at the primaries for their dedication, loyalty and understanding, adding that their conduct has portrayed the APC as a great family. Tinubu thanked Senator Ganiyu Solomon and Dr. Obafemi Hamzat for their spirit of sportsmanship and Dr. Leke Pitan, Dr. Tola Kasali, Tayo Ayinde, Yemi Ikuforiji, Adekunle Disu and mrs. Agbesanwa for their commitment to the party.
Noting that Lagos State also produced Prof. Yemi Oshinbajo (SAN) as the APC vice presidential candidate, he said the legal scholar will team up with General Muhammadu Buhari in the implementation of the commonsense revolution. He said, since Nigeria is facing grace challenges, it needs special leaders at the state and federal levels to navigate the ship of the state.
Tinubue stressed: “I am happy that Osinbajo, a former member of Lagos State cabinet, is the running mate to Buhari, who is a straightforward, bold, honest Nigerian. A nation needs a special leader in its time of trial. Nigeria made a mistake in electing Jonathan in 2011. Jonathan is a man who gives excuses. He has admitted that he has failed. No more repeat. We want Buhari. Jonathan must go.
“Jonathan has spent all the money. He is spendthrift. Now, revenue is dropping. We need a man of intellect and an expert in financial engineering. When the Lagos money was seized, Ambode found solution to the problem. He has done good to Lagos. He must reap goodness.”
Fashola, who urged Lagosians to reject the PDP at the polls, said that PDP leaders are fond of peddling falsehood. Noting that Tinubu has described the party as Ebola, the governor said: ‘PDP is more terrible than Ebola.”
Fashola advised Lagosians of 18 years and above to vote wisely, adding that they cannot be disqualified when they are armed with their permanent or temporary voter’s cards. The governor, who berated the President for failing to fight the infrastructure battle, said that he does not deserve re-election.
He added: “Jonathan is complaining that Buhari who was in power in 1985 did not buy guns for the military. But, Nigerians solders have been part of the ECOMOG in their peace-keeping mission in West Africa. Does Jonathan wants to fight insecurity with 1985 guns?”
Noting that the next administration will face some challenges, Fashola said, since the next challenge is financial management, Ambode is fit for the job.
Second Republic House of Representatives member Olusi, who said he was overwhelmed by the crowd of supporters, added that it has strengthened his belief that victory is at hand.
Urging Lagosians to embrace the elections as a contribution to the cause of popular rule, he said: “Be prepared. Get ready. get your voter’s cards ready. Patience and endurance are required to collect the cards. Our country in mess. You know the position f the economy, transportation and electricity. We need to reduce to the barest minimum corruption. Obasanjo, who has been with them, said that the economy has been mismanaged. Since change is desirable, vote for the APC.
Reflecting of the succession struggle in the state, he said: “Tinubu ruled for eight years. God used him to chose Raji Fashola as the governor. He ruled well. APC governors are doing well. That is why APC is fit to rule the state and the country.”
Former Commissioner Nelson, who doubles as the Southwest Women Leader, advised Lagosians to vote for continuity in their own interest. She described Ambode as a better candidate, assuring that he will nt disappoint the people.
She added: “You should go and collect your PVCs. They cannot rig it. We have brought out a good candidate. Ambode will perform better than Fashola. There will be more development. Nigerians should not vote for those who cannot liberate the Chibok girls. Women in Lagos should vote for the APC because the APC has always defended the interest of women.”
Former APC Youth Leader Enilolobo said: “PDP has wrecked havoc on democracy. Under the miliary rule, we paid N60 per litre for petrol. It is now N96. Cement was N80. It is now N2,000. There is no electricity. PDP has brought misery.”
Ajomale said: “By the grace of God, we are going to win. Somebody who has destroyed the economy of the country does not deserve re-election. When America had problem, they changed their government. We are having problems now.”

http://thenationonlineng.net/new/pdp-cant-rule-lagos-tinubu-2/

‘You Can’t Use Buhari’s 1985 Guns To Fight Insecurity’

Published on January 15, 2015 by admin

Kazeem Ugbodaga

Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola has attacked President Goodluck Jonathan for saying that he cannot fight insecurity because Major General Muhammed Buhari did not buy arms during his tenure as military head of state in 1985.
The governor, who spoke at the flag-off of the All Progresives Congress, APC, campaign in Lagos at the Skypower Ground, Ikeja, Lagos, southwest Nigeria, on Wednesday, berated Jonathan for giving excuses over the fight against insecurity by hinging it on the fact that the APC presidential candidate, Muhammed Buhari did not purchase guns for the armed forces in 1985.
“I cannot come to the public and say I can’t do my job because people failed. You cannot say you can’t fight insecurity because they did not buy you guns. Buhari left in 1985. If he bought guns, do you want to use 1985 guns to fight today’s insecurity?” he asked.
The governor urged all registered voters to vote massively for APC to ensure continuity at the state level and change at the national level, saying that all adults of voting age in the state must collect their Permanent Voter’s Cards in their various local governments to ensure that the APC remained in office in Lagos State.
He maintained that the right of every voter to exercise his franchise is an inalienable right that could not be taken away by any government or institution, adding that on Election Day, every eligible voter would be entitled to vote irrespective of whether what he has is a Permanent Voter’s Card or a Temporary Voter’s Card.
Describing the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state as “a party that delights in peddling falsehoods,” Fashola alleged that every sector that the party had touched had been destroyed, urging Lagosians not to allow them destroy what had been built in the state.
He stated that what the PDP-led Federal Government found impossible to achieve has been put in place by the Lagos State Government through its Independent Power Projects which have provided dedicated power to selected public institutions in different parts of the state.
According to the Governor, the State Government has provided dedicated power to the State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, where surgical operations can be carried out without disruptions due to power failure and established a Power Academy where young people would be trained “to fill the vacancies that would exist in the power generation and distribution sectors in the foreseeable future.”
Fashola added, “as the complexity of the state emerges, the challenge ahead needs an expert in financial management and an answer has been found in Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode”.
The national leader of the APC, Bola Tinubu said the PDP is a political Ebola and should be voted out of power in next month’s election.
According to Tinubu, it was unfortunate that Jimi Agbaje, the PDP’s governorship candidate moved to the party after wandering from several parties to the place and finally settled with a party that is worse than Ebola.
The former governor said, PDP, as an Ebola party, had totally crippled the economy of the nation, saying that Nigeria is going through trial today because it chose the wrong leader in 2011, lamenting President Goodluck Jonathan had been justifying his failure until recently when he admitted his failure.
“We want a change, we want Buhari, the economy has failed, Jonathan has finished spending our money. We need somebody whose head is correct, the revolution we need is here,” he said.
Tinubu added that Lagos is too important for the PDP to experiment with, saying that Ambode is the right man for the job as he had lots of experience in governance.
He said eight years ago when he brought Governor Babatunde Fashola forward, he believed he could do the job, saying that the results were there for all to see, adding that now, he had brought Ambode forward and wanted maximum support for him because he had the needed experience to do the job.
“I am proud that I am the father of successors. Our prayer is that our children should live and perform better than us,” he said.
Reiterating that Lagos is too strategic to be experimented with, Tinubu said the PDP gubernatorial candidate, Mr. Jimi Agbaje, “lacked the cognate experience to rule Lagos as he failed to take advantage of the several offers made to him in the past to learn the ropes about the art of governance due to his inordinate ambition.”
The APC gubernatorial candidate, Akinwunmi Ambode, said his administration would continue to ensure the welfare of the residents of the state irrespective of tribe, creed or religion.
He promised to build on the legacy of the Fashola administration to ensure a cleaner Lagos and a government that would be accountable to every resident of the state by making life more economically viable for them.
Ambode also promised to set up an Employment Trust Fund that would be similar to the State Security Trust Fund and provide job creation opportunities to the teeming army of unemployed youths, urging the people to ensure that they vote massively for the APC candidates in all elections.

http://www.pmnewsnigeria.com/2015/01/15/you-cant-use-buharis-1985-guns-to-fight-insecurity/

Lawyers walk for Buhari/ Osinbajo candidacy

Posted by: Adebisi Onanuga in News Update 1 hour ago

Hundreds of lawyers on Wednesday embarked on a “Walk for Change” in support of the Muhammadu Buhari and Pro. Yemi Osinbajo presidential ticket.
The duo are the All Progressives Congress representatives in the February 14 election.
Lead by the National Coordinator of the Lawyers4Change, Adesina Ogunlana, the lawyers walked through some major streets in Ikeja, campaigning for a change of government at the federal level when election holds on February 14.
The walk took off from the Bar Centre of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Ikeja, through Oba Akinjobi Way, Oba Akran Road, Obafemi Awolowo Way, Allen Avenue, Toyin Street, Olowu Street and back to the centre.
Addressing the crowd at Obafemi Awolowo junction and Alade Market, Ogunlana urged the people to vote for a change of government during the elections.
Ogunlana said the presidential candidate of the APC, Buhari and his deputy, Prof. Osinbajo, would bring integrity into governance in the country.
According to him, the combination of Buhari and Osinbajo represented honour, integrity, hardwork and respect for rule of law in the country.
Describing them as system builders, Ogunlana urged the people to support the ticket, which he insisted represented a change from the “bad government” of the outgoing administration.

http://thenationonlineng.net/new/lawyers-walk-buhari-osinbajo-candidacy/

Olusegun Obasanjo Declares He Is Now ‘ABJ’ - Anything But Jonathan


BY SAHARAREPORTERS, NEW YORKJAN 13, 2015

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo today escalated his rejection of President Goodluck Jonathan’s second term bid by declaring his current mindset to be “Anything But Jonathan” (ABJ).

Obasanjo and APC leaders in a group photograph after the meeting t his hilltop mansion in Abeokuta
He expressed his feelings to several of his aides following a late evening meeting with President Jonathan at his home in Abeokuta. Both men were in the presence of Pastor Adejare Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, and Bishop David Oyedepo of Winner’s Chapel.

To make matters worse, a few hours after meeting with Jonathan, Obasanjo met with leaders of the All People’s Congress (APC) and their presidential candidate, Muhammad Buhari, where he affirmed he will support the best candidate regardless of party affiliation.

Jonathan’s closed-door meeting with Obasanjo clearly failed to soften the former leader’s hostility towards his floundering re-election bid as Obasanjo bluntly told him that having referred to him as a “tout”, it was hypocritical for Jonathan to turn around to describe him as the best president Nigeria ever had. It would also be recalled that two months ago, presidential adviser Doyin Okupe gave Jonathan that honor.

On Sunday, as he received members of the Northern Elders Council in Abuja, an angry Mr. Jonathan had in a barely-veiled description of Obasanjo, dismissed him as a statesman.

"Some people call themselves statesmen but they are not, they are just ordinary politicians,” Jonathan told his guests. “To be a statesman is not because you have occupied a big office before, but the question is what are you bringing to bear? Are you building this country or are you a part of people who tell lies to destroy the country?”

Upon arriving at the meeting with Obasanjo today, Jonathan tried to turn on the charm, lavishing praise on Obasanjo as he blamed the escalation of attacks on him as the work of his (Jonathan) aides.

President Obasanjo apparently did not buy any of the goods Jonathan was hawking. Shortly after the encounter, he told his aides he would not change his position on Jonathan’s presidential bid.

Obasanjo’s subsequent and open display of affection towards the APC leadership is reportedly sending shock waves up and down Jonathan’s camp, where it is regarded as confirmation that the conciliation efforts with Obasanjo have collapsed, leaving him in grave political danger with the election just one month away. It will be the first time a PDP candidate tried to win the presidency with Obasanjo not the candidate, or firmly on his side.

SaharaReporters has also learnt that before the meeting with Buhari today in Abeokuta, the former president had written a letter to Buhari to smoothen their relationship.

http://saharareporters.com/2015/01/13/olusegun-obasanjo-declares-he-now-‘abj’-anything-jonathan

Oil Crisis: Buhari demands immediate reduction in fuel prices

January 13, 2015 Premium Times


The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Muhammadu Buhari, has called on the Nigerian government to implement immediate price reduction on fuel products to reflect the downscaling in global oil prices.
Speaking through his campaign organization, the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council, on Monday, Mr. Buhari asked the government to “stop stealing from Nigerians and allow them enjoy the relief that has come to consumers of petroleum products globally”.
A statement from the Directorate of Media and Publicity of the APC presidential campaign said it was disturbing that in spite of the fall in the global price of crude oil, Nigerians still buy petroleum products at pump prices as if the global price of crude oil had remained at $100 (USD) per barrel.
The statement said: “The current attempt by the government to deregulate the prices of some petroleum products has been completely compromised to satisfy few money bags to the detriment of the Nigerian people and the economy.
“The price of diesel which has been deregulated since 2009 still sells at the pump price of N150 and N170 per litre, the same pump price when the international benchmark per barrel of crude was over $100. Now that the international benchmark has dropped to $47.5 (USD) per barrel as at Monday, we ask: where is the deregulation and the relief which it ought to bring to local consumers of diesel?
“For the Nigerian consumers, unfortunately the collapse of crude oil price since October 2014 has not translated into any change in diesel, kerosene and PMS prices across the country.
“We challenge the federal government to reconcile the information on the website of the Petroleum Products Pricing and Regulatory Agency, indicating the maximum open market price of diesel per litre in December 2014 as being at N111.6 and the fact that the price has come down to less than $50 (USD) as at Monday.
“We want to posit that that the maximum indicative benchmark open consumers of diesel should pay is at a margin below N100 per litre. Therefore, Nigerians are being short-changed by about N50 to N70 on every litre of diesel sold by government.
“The implication of this is that with average consumption of about 12 to 15 million litres, Nigerians are currently extorted of amounts between N600 Million to N1 Billion daily due to corruption-induced poor regulatory oversight of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources. No wonder some few industry players are smiling to the banks and buying private jets while small scale industrialists who buy diesel on daily basis for power generation and transportation find it difficult to break-even with their businesses.
“Similarly on Kerosene, information available on the website of the PPPRA puts the Open Market Price at N114.71 per litre although the market price is anything above N150 per litre when the global price for a barrel of crude oil was $65 (USD). Now that international price of crude is at $47.5 (USD) per barrel, why are Nigerians still buying kerosene per litre at the same price? Why are Nigerians not benefitting from the global shortfall in the prices of crude by having a cut in the pump prices of petroleum products?
“We are aware that there are examples in other African countries where governments have cut the pump prices of petroleum products to reflect the changes in the global oil market. Countries like South Africa, Zambia, Tanzania and Kenya have announced cuts in pump prices of petroleum products, why can’t the Nigerian government do same?
“Given the failure of government to do the right thing by announcing a cut in the pump prices of these products, we are compelled to draw the conclusion that the federal government is short-changing Nigerians ostensibly to fund the campaign of the PDP presidential candidate.
“The APC Presidential Campaign challenges the federal government to make explanations on why Nigerians cannot benefit pricing reliefs on petroleum products as occasioned by the fall in the global price of crude oil. Anything should of this is a fraud and Nigerians should take note.
“As for PMS (petrol) the only product the government agrees as regulated at N97 per litre, the irony is that it does not even cost much as in the United States, a country that was importing oil from Nigeria until recently.
“Moreover, even the current budget is still heavy on subsidy with an allocation of N458.68 billion, a scheme that has become a conduit pipe over the years for which the children of ruling party leaders have been beneficiaries.”

http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/174805-oil-crisis-buhari-demands-immediate-reduction-fuel-prices.html

Jonathan should release $20bn NNPC audit if he’s not corrupt

Jonathan campaign buses torched by PDP supporters – Buhari

January 12, 2015Adebayo Hassan

The presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress, Muhammadu Buhari, has told the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to count him and his party out of the issues that led to the burning of a campaign bus of President Goodluck Jonathan in Jos, Plateau State, on Saturday.
The presidency and PDP had accused APC of culpability in the incident, with the presidency telling Mr. Buhari to caution his supporters.
But Mr. Buhari, speaking through his campaign organization, said the incident was caused by controversy over a “rigged” PDP election in Plateau state.
“PDP should leave us out of their wahala (trouble),” a statement by the Director of Media and Publicity of the Buhari Presidential Campaign Organisation, Garba Shehu, read.
“The incident in Jos was passed as a ‘PDP on PDP violence’ yesterday evening, flowing from their rigged primaries.
“That is the earliest security report we got. Nobody should change that and use it to demonize opponents.”
Mr. Shehu said Mr. Buhari was the first to condemn the incident the moment it was reported on Saturday.
He quoted Mr. Buhari as saying: “I have been informed of the burning of PDP campaign buses in Jos today. This is unacceptable! There is no excuse for this violence.
“I am hoping that the Police will immediately investigate, arrest and prosecute the culprits. Our democracy cannot tolerate violence in any form.”

http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/174733-jonathan-campaign-buses-torched-pdp-supporters-buhari.html

In view of what you just said, how will you rate President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration?

I don’t want to talk about rating or not rating. What I am concerned about is the increasing impunity in all forms and in all areas that you find in Nigeria today, especially in the area of corrupt practices; that’s what bothers me. There is corruption all over the world but what is different is that they deal with it head on when a corrupt person is caught. However, in our own case, when a corrupt person is caught we pretend that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission have investigated and taken the person to court and we will not hear about it anymore. Therefore, we should concentrate our attention more on dealing with cases of impunity and talk less about corruption. In this case, the anti-corruption agencies, the law enforcement agencies, the judiciary, the Nigerian Bar Association, accountants and journalists are responsible; because journalists don’t follow up on those cases and find out what has happened. Once in a while, the newspapers will come up with a few things. The lawyers are benefitting from the situation too. The judiciary keeps postponing the cases and keeps appointing new judges everyday; those judges have refused to adopt modern information and communication technology system to enhance their productivity. These are some of the challenges that we face but in the real sense of it, if we are prepared to face these challenges, we can overcome them. We have the men, we have the materials and we have the tools to overcome them. But be that as it may, we also believe that throwing money at something or recruiting people who are incompetent will solve the problem.

How do you think the issue of impunity can be decisively dealt with?

One, it’s about the lawyers. If our lawyers today decide that cases of impunity will stop, the NBA will lead the fight; and as for extrajudicial killing, anytime that happens, the lawyers take it up as an institution, not as an organisation. An institution is different from an organisation in that they exist for a cause not only for their own interest but for the interest of the people that they serve too; because they are supposed to serve the people as an institution. Therefore, they are supposed to lead what is good for the people of the country but they are not doing that. Two, the accountants have to join them because for all those in the accounting field and financial field, everything boils down to money in most cases. But do they care? They pay lip service and nothing is done. Then, you come to the journalists who write all the stories, who are supposed to expose the good, the bad and the ugly side: maybe the reporters are willing, but are the editors willing? These things should not happen to people who have a sense of integrity and ethical standards — whether they are suffering or not, they adhere to these ethical standards. These three professions are very important in the fight against corruption. The day they come together and maintain that sense of integrity, I can assure you that corruption and impunity will reduce to the barest minimum.

Besides the journalists, the lawyers and the accountants, you seem to hold the Nigerian people responsible for the country’s endemic corruption. Doesn’t the government have any share in this?

The mistake we tend to make in this is that, how did the people in government get there? You see, we have a President who is selected by me and you. We have members of the National Assembly. You know why they are there? They are there for the purpose of oversight or to check the executive. We have the judiciary to check the executive and the National Assembly. What else do we want? And above all, we have the journalists to keep tabs on the three on behalf of the people. You publish your newspapers for the people to read — without the readers you all will be out of jobs. Therefore, what we are interested in is for journalists to tell us how the government is operating; journalists are the town-criers. They must rise up to their responsibility and do investigative journalism. That is why the government is sometimes careful; it is afraid of being exposed. Through the Freedom of Information Act, the position of the journalists has been enhanced. You can demand for information and then you will be able to get that information. If not, you can go to court.

http://www.punchng.com/feature/interview/jonathan-should-release-20bn-nnpc-audit-if-hes-not-corrupt-gen-ishola-williams/

Jonathan should release $20bn NNPC audit if he’s not corrupt—Gen. Ishola Williams

JANUARY 11, 2015 BY GBENGA ADENIJI AND BAYO AKINLOYE 17 COMMENTS

A former Chairman of the Nigerian chapter of Transparency International, Maj. Gen. Ishola Williams (retd), tells GBENGA ADENIJI and BAYO AKINLOYE that Goodluck Jonathan is used to the country’s corrupt system and that hosting the recent campaign fundraiser in the Presidential Villa was ill-conceived

Ahead of the presidential election, there is a clamour for change in leadership. Do you think that’s the way out of the nation’s woes?

People always say the problem of Nigeria is leadership. No, I refuse to agree. Our problem is followership. Among those who want to become the president of this country are clowns and jokers. But, at least they are contesting. The point is this: we as followers have seven choices to choose from. Therefore, what are our criteria for choosing the leader that we want? Nigerians are saddled with the responsibility of deciding those criteria. Unfortunately, the criteria for most of the followers can be narrowed down to one thing: the naira. At primaries and conventions, money is distributed for the delegates to change their minds. As it is, in most cases people don’t make their choice. Now, we have two prominent presidential candidates, President Goodluck Jonathan and Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari. We have an opportunity to have been able to judge Jonathan over the past six years; Buhari was a former Head of State about 20 years ago — nobody knows how he can perform. The only thing we can do is look at his track record as a former head of state and the other position that he held. What we need is for people who have served under him to come out and say, ‘This is the type of person that this man is as a leader because I worked directly with him.’ One person who has done that is Professor Tam David-West. He has come out clearly that Buhari is honest and incorruptible. We need more people like that to come out and talk. The general impression people have of Buhari is that he’s incorruptible and that if he gets there he will fight corruption. However, being the head of state in the 1980s is different from being the President in the 21st century. As a civilian elected leader, no more decrees; he has to work with the National Assembly and the corrupt civil service all the time. He cannot do it alone; he has to look for people who have the same passion for anti-corruption and are ready to work with him. Can he find them within the All Progressives Congress? Or, will the APC allow him to choose the people that will work with him and not fall by the wayside in the fight against corruption and impunity? And above all, can he change the current civil service? The challenge facing Buhari (if he becomes the President) is tough; he cannot tackle them in four years. I hope he’s gathering now the team that can help him if he succeeds in the February 14 election.


[b]What’s your view on Jonathan?

As for Jonathan, he is used to the (corrupt) system; life continues. And for me, the only way the President can convince me — I don’t know about other people — is to release the forensic audit (on the allegedly missing $20bn from the accounts of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation), between now and end of April. If he can do that, that will change my opinion about the system of government we run in this country. But I doubt that happening. In this case, the person I empathise with is the Finance Minister, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. If she doesn’t release that report and she has kept quiet in spite of series of editorials and opinions written on the issue, the reputation that she has abroad will go to pieces — and, already it’s going to pieces. She’s about the longest-serving finance minister in this country or in the whole of Africa; even in the whole world. And if this government is to change, she will leave on a very low-key with the present economic situation. And as usual, she is fond of blaming others. She has never accepted responsibility for the failing economy; she’s always painting a rosy picture about the Nigerian economy. We’re however lucky that we have a largely informal economy that has not been tied to the global economy. If our informal economy had been tied to the global market we would be groaning and suffering because if we are not careful, one dollar may exchange for N200. Unfortunately, our economists have not been able to come up with a model that can transform the informal sector, build on it and make the economy more resilient. And to be able to operate in the intra-West African trade which Nigeria should dominate. Also, we should be looking into Central Africa. If you look farther a bit, the African Union wants to establish a continental free trade area by 2017. I’ve been trying to push the Ministry of Internal Affairs to take a leadership position but they have no vision; same thing with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We are a people who think of today alone. We don’t think of the future. We are not a strategic thinking and planning nation despite all the technocrats that we have in government.
[/b]
The focus for 2015 is the general elections. How can the Independent National Electoral Commission conduct credible, free and fair elections?

I have always been against having governorship, parliamentary and presidential elections conducted by the INEC because of the logistics involved. Fortunately, because of litigation from the last elections some of these elections are now staggered. But left to me, it is not the business of the electoral commission to conduct elections for state Houses of Assembly and office of the governor. Electing governors and members of the House of Assembly is the business of each state of the federation. What is the business of INEC as a federal institution? And the earlier we de-federalise the electoral system, the better. And to hope that one day, local governments can conduct their elections — city councils all over the world, town councils all over the world and metropolitan councils all over the world conduct their own elections. Lagos City Council was conducting its elections before. It’s nothing new. If we can do that, then the states can choose their governments. People may shout, ‘They will rig; they will rig!’ At the federal level, don’t they rig? After some time we will mature. But we must start. I can tell you one thing about Nigerians: if you choose the wrong person for them, they’ll fight. If that’s done, INEC can then concentrate on conducting elections only for the Presidency and the National Assembly. It will reduce the cost and logistics of conducting elections. It will also reduce the possibility of rigging of the presidential and parliamentarian elections because the commission will not be conducting many elections at the same time. Right now, the electoral body’s principal officers are chosen by the President and approved by the Senate. An independent INEC should not be formed that way. The commissioners should be chosen by recommendation of INEC to the National Assembly. All these people should be completely independent of any political party. And there are many people in Nigeria — men and women — who have high integrity to be in INEC.

Using soldiers to maintain law and order seems to have worked in the last two governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states. Will you recommend the same thing for the 2015 elections?

Now coming to security, there should not be a single soldier seen anywhere. I do not accept that civil defence, police and the mobile police are not capable or competent enough to maintain electoral security — they are; we don’t need soldiers except the government has some hidden agenda. If they are talking about political violence, why do they train mobile police to be different from the ordinary police? Is it not to handle violence? The government has no excuse at all including soldiers in any electoral process. It is abominable. If I were the Chief of Defence Staff, I would beg Mr. President to leave the military out of electoral exercises.

How do you feel about the level of insurgency in the country and how will you rate the performance of the military?

I was shocked when the governor of Borno State announced that 20 out of 27 local government areas in the state are under the control of Boko Haram. As it is, the governor only governs seven local government areas in the state. I didn’t know it was as bad as that. Having said that, I’ll say I am not part of the retired officers that are current or have friends among the present crop of officers to get enough information for me to be able to pass a judgment but whether I get information or not, what I read in newspapers is not detailed enough also for me to determine what is happening there. I have had opportunities of listening to some of the civilian joint military task force about the condition there. From what I had read and heard from some people in Maiduguri, I get the impression that the civilian JTF is doing more of the job than the intelligence services and the Army should be doing. In addition to that, I do not know if they really know how to use the civilian JTF to the maximum effect. That’s on one hand; on the other hand, I do hope that all the challenges that we read about in the newspapers with respect to the soldiers have been taken care of.

While in the military, did you play a role in any of the nation’s coups?

No. I’ve always believed coups are stupid. They are stupid in the sense that they are unsustainable. And unfortunately in the case of Nigeria, we have not been lucky like some of the Asian and Latin American coups in which those soldiers who are in command and control of the country laid the foundation for some developments in countries like Brazil and Argentina. In spite of their past — and some of the coupists are already paying for their actions notwithstanding their old age — they laid the foundation for development. The same cannot be said of Nigeria even though at that time we had plenty of money to do whatever we wanted to do. There’s one general trend that I see among all Nigerian leaders, except for persons like Obafemi Awolowo and Sardauna of Sokoto, Ahmadu Bello, we haven’t got people with great vision. In view of this lack of vision by many Nigerian leaders they don’t encourage people who have vision to come close to them. We’re a nation without strategic thinking and planning. There’s no place for think-tank in Nigeria. If you look at the civil wars that have been fought all over the world, the Nigerian Civil War has taught us a lesson that we must always find a way to resolve our differences sitting around the table rather than shooting at one another across an open field. At the end of the day, we’ll come back and negotiate. At that point of our history, the war was unnecessary. We should take seriously the lessons learnt and tell ourselves never again to walk that path.

[b]How will you describe the recent campaign fundraiser organised by the Peoples Democratic Party on behalf of Jonathan?

On two grounds, the PDP fundraiser is a bad precedent; first of all, using the Presidential Villa to hold such an event. Those who have asked the President to do that must have their heads examined. What took place means that any President that is in charge of the country can call people together to the Villa to come and contribute money to his political campaign. Even if the President had wanted to show power of incumbency, he should have respected the Villa as a non-political ground. The second aspect is that — based on my gut feeling — it is not true that people contributed any money in the Villa. That N21bn or some more was already there. The money for (the 2015) elections have been building up over the past six years or, at least the past four years. Since some people have already made up their minds that the President should rule the country for another four years. If one sees people spending that amount of money one begins to ask, where did all that money come from? There were no real donations. The money was there; that event was a cover-up. If I were the President, I’d give three-quarter of that money — about N17bn — to victims of terrorist acts. I’ll not use it for the election. Those who donated that amount of money should be ashamed of themselves. They should have donated such money to their fellow citizens who are suffering; N17bn will change the lives of many of these people. Their donor action was a shameful one.
[/b]

Do you think the Federal Government can rescue the Chibok schoolgirls who have been in Boko Haram’s captivity since April last year?

I doubt whether the Federal Government is capable of rescuing those girls because the Boko Haram insurgents have held them hostage for more than six months. I cannot imagine what those demons would have done with them. I feel the pains of their parents; most Nigerians do. We’re helpless. In fact, the whole world looks helpless, not just Nigeria. We don’t even know where the girls are right now. But the young girls being used for suicide bombing by the terrorists even bother me more. We are in a very terrible situation.

Recently, Transparency International rated Nigeria the 39th most corrupt nation in the world. Shouldn’t the FG be bothered?

No, I don’t think so — I think we should not bother our heads about what Transparency International says or doesn’t say. We should be more concerned about the way our own people — Nigerians — see how transparent and accountable the government is; that is the key issue because the people who feel the impact of this corruption most are Nigerians. To a certain extent, foreigners who come in here to do business or have to interact with Nigerians either inside or outside the country do run into some of these problems and that affects our business image. But if you look at what is happening in reality, there are some foreigners who have accepted that we have a system that is corrupt. But I think what is important is more about us Nigerians and how corruption impacts on our daily lives. We have been talking about corruption for the past 50 years. Like Edwin Clark said in one of the newspaper interviews he granted, corruption has been with us for a long time; it was not Jonathan that started it — we have all sorts of funny excuses from old people like that. But, does it mean corruption should continue? Does it mean someone who has been in power for the past six years cannot do anything about it? What is the need of having a President who cannot make any changes — to allow the status quo or make it worse? Such excuses to me did not make sense at all; and does not help our country. Let Nigerians decide what they want to do about this issue of corruption. As far as I am concerned, most Nigerians don’t care and that is the challenge of those who want to fight corruption. And except we get to a stage in which we can convince Nigerians that if corruption can be reduced to the minimum, we can have more good roads, good schools and better hospitals, then our lives will be better. Here’s another face of corruption: our civil servants make things worse. If for example, a civil servant in the Ministry of Education doesn’t send his or her children to the public school, how can the public school be better? Some of these civil servants take bribes and establish some of the private schools that are not up to standard and some of these private schools pay teachers about N15, 000 monthly. Things are not getting better.

cont--

Nigerians now pay more than Americans for petrol, diesel
Published on January 6, 2015 by

Bayo Onanuga


Nigerians are now paying more money than Americans in real terms for petrol and diesel, bye-products of the crude oil for which Nigeria is Africa’s leading producer.
As oil prices tumbled close to $50 after the New Year, US consumers have reaped the benefit in lower prices for gasoline and diesel , according to the latest statistics by US Energy Information Administration.
As at 5 January, pump price for petrol fell to $1.974 and $1.993 in US Midwest and Gulf Coast states. The national average was $2.214. In naira terms, petrol is now being sold in the Midwest at N363 per gallon, compared to N388 in Nigeria. In the US Gulf Coast areas, petrol is now N366 per gallon, compared to Nigeria’s N388. The American gallon is an equivalent of Nigeria’s four litres.(N388 is equal to N97x4litres).
Americans are also paying between N60 and N50 less than Nigerians for diesel. Pump price for diesel in the Gulf Coast fell to $3.045 on 5 January. And it was $3.102 in the Midwest. The US average was $3.137. The Naira equivalent for the Gulf Coast buyer is N560 for four litres as against the N620 that a Nigerian pays for a similar volume at N155 per litre. In the Midwest of the USA, the American consumer pays N570 for four litres. In Nigeria, the consumer pays N620.
The US consumer began enjoying pump price relief since 29 December, with petrol prices falling to $2.088 in the Midwest and $2.073 in the Gulf Coast. At the exchange rate of N184, these figures translate into N384 and N381. All the calculations here have been based on N184 to a dollar.http://www.eia.gov/petroleum/gasdiesel/
By now, Nigerian officials cannot justifiably claim any kobo of subsidy on petrol, but Nigeria’s co-ordinating minister of the economy said on television Monday night that a 90 kobo subsidy remains on the petrol consumed in the country.
Analysts said Dr. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala was pushing this phantom subsidy to justify funding for Sure-P, since there is no more subsidy money saved to be invested in this fund.
Last December, as Nigeria watched with alarm, the southward move of oil prices, Okonjo-Iweala had said government will not reduce the pump price of fuel despite the clear implication the falling oil prices should have on the local pump price.
She said government would not review the price until the revenue crisis occasioned by the dwindling oil rates is over.
As quoted by news reports, Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala said in Abuja that the decision to review fuel price either upwards or downwards would only be taken after the current crisis in global oil prices has been settled.
The minister, however, said the government would await expert advice from the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency, PPPRA, which is updating the fuel pricing template, to help proffer the best way to address the issue.
The PPPRA is the government agency responsible for monitoring and regulating the price of petroleum products in the country.
“With declining crude oil prices by about 49 percent, soon there will no longer be subsidy in petroleum products as usual,” the minister said.
“But, government is not going to take a decision till after the current volatility in crude oil prices has stabilised.”
The minister said the Nigerian government does not want to reduce fuel price today “only for crude oil price to rise tomorrow and we have to adjust the pump price again”. When she spoke, oil prices were around $60. They are now in the $50 region.
When will there be a respite for the long suffering Nigerian people?

http://www.pmnewsnigeria.com/2015/01/06/nigerians-now-pay-more-than-americans-for-petrol-diesel/

Election 2015: No Fence To Sit On By Sonala Olumhense

BY SONALA OLUMHENSEJAN 03, 2015

Four years ago, ahead of the 2011 election, I endorsed General Muhammadu Buhari for president of Nigeria in his face-to-face battle with Goodluck Jonathan.

I argued that in all of the years of the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP), its mission had been simply to provide for itself, and that Mr. Jonathan was a part of that mission.

“Anyone giving his vote to Jonathan gives him the permission to serve the PDP, to protect its army of crooks and looters, and to spend the federal treasury until it is empty,” I said, and that despite Buhari’s shortcomings, he was “an opportunity” for Nigeria.

Buhari, who ran on the platform of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) lost that election.

Mr. Jonathan, who had anchored his candidature on this armada of electoral promises, won. Some of his supporters were people who agreed they shared my views about the PDP; they said in their ingenuous defense they had voted only for Jonathan, not the party.

Full disclosure: in June 2012, I argued against what was then a rumoured 2015 presidential run by Buhari. In it, I criticized Buhari and the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) chieftain Asiwaju Tinubu for their historic failure to unite their parties against the PDP in the 2011. I reiterated that Nigeria’s key political players do far too little in-between elections to advance Nigeria’s democracy.

The 2015 elections come up next month, and Nigeria again faces a presidential election slate in which both Jonathan and Buhari will be the principal players. Buhari’s All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket is bolstered and boosted by the emergence of Yemi Osinbajo, an excellent compatriot and friend. It is also the beneficiary of Mr. Jonathan’s awful performance which continues to be an advertisement of incoherence of policy, confusion of character, and embarrassment in delivery.

Nigerians are stuck in a position that is at best flattered as a stalemate; in real terms, it is a tragedy. It is therefore clearly time for them to reject, resoundingly, the betrayal of the existing political order.

In 2003, I first called the PDP the Profoundly Decadent Party. Twelve years later, the party has decayed further. It must be denounced and disgraced at the polling booth.

How deep is this decay?

In 2011, there were people who thought that the Dr. by which Jonathan precedes his name was an academic title, indicating he had earned a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) degree. His ethical, intellectual and administrative hollowness has become so pronounced in his five years in charge that people now openly question who he really is.

Who is President Jonathan?

Probably a good man in his home, but he seems to have no grasp as to what day it is outside of it. He reads a good speech when one is penned for him, but he appears to be out of his depth the moment he has to articulate his own thoughts or react to anything more complicated than a simple proposal. He presents no inspiration and no command; he offers no one the solace he says what he means or means what he says. He was never presidential material.

"I do not make empty promises in my campaign because whatever I promise to do, I had already carried out adequate study to make sure I can accomplish it in the next four years," he bragged about his candidacy before the Igbo on February 27, 2011 in Onitsha.

In that case, he cannot—can he?—be the same person who made these promises or these vows? If it is, why is he making a fresh batch for next month’s election? If it is not, why has he not denounced the impostor who made them in his name?

Anywhere else on earth, Mr. Jonathan’s track record would be accepted, especially by his party, as the reason why he should not be running again. In Nigeria, it is being presented as the reason for a new coronation.

That proves that those who want Mr. Jonathan to remain in power are the people who are benefitting from the cover of haplessness he provides. There is nobody, not one, who can campaign for Mr. Jonathan on the basis of the quality he presents.

Mr. Jonathan is, in that sense, the equivalent of an I-pad. But an I-pad is coveted only for the wonderful window it is for consumption; it is no use if your objective is to produce. Mr. Jonathan is the I-pad for the consumption of Nigeria’s commonwealth, not for its production.

That is why he is being carried on the shoulders by those who want power without responsibility, and in the case of the wealthy barons of the petroleum and electricity sectors, by those who want no power for Nigerians. Everyone knows the objective is to make sure Nigeria continues to be available to be raped.

Little wonder: under his watch, accountability has been rejected and looting, standardized; officials who pause from harvesting for themselves are helping powerful friends outside the gates to do so. In the Jonathanian Era, you can steal with confidence, protected by presidential complicity and duplicity. That is not the transformation President Jonathan advertises, but it is the real transformation he has achieved.

In his care, Nigeria has therefore shrunk by every conceivable measure. Insurgents control vast expanses of land. Crooks control Abuja and most states. Kidnappers control widespread killing and extortion fields. The economy has shrunk in every meaningful category. There is still the same limited electricity. There are fewer jobs. Hope is in increasingly shorter and more dangerous supply.

This is the terrain on which the 2015 elections will be held. The difference from previous elections is that in 2015, there will be no secrets. Jonathan, who received the dubious benefit of the doubt in 2011, has disrobed for the world to see.

The election is being billed as APC versus PDP. That is mischievous because the corollary—which is advanced by those carefully hiding their PDP sympathies—is that the parties are “the same.”

This is nonsense. Every Nigerian has the right to form a party, and to invite into it only those angels who fit a particular description. Unless you have done that—or you have a coup or a revolution in the works, or you are running for president—the only honest position is to pronounce publicly you want the PDP and its instruments of savagery contained.

You may not even have a vote. The least you can do is pronounce that those who inflicted the wounds of the past 15 years cannot be expected to be the doctors of the next four.

On this point, there is no fence to sit on, and no place to hide: The PDP, and Mr. Jonathan, have run Nigeria aground. Next month, they must be held to account at the polls, and thereafter.

sonala.olumhense@gmail.com

Twitter: @SonalaOlumhense

http://saharareporters.com/2015/01/03/election-2015-no-fence-sit-sonala-olumhense