₦airaland Forum

i dont undestand

I came across this picture, and i wonder what happened,

Useless Couple, GOD ppppuuniiisshhiii thheeemm

;d

oooho, please leave GEJ along,

he is a miracle worker!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

With my understanding, Thanksgiving is a positive emotion or attitude in acknowledgment of a benefit that one has received or will receive. while Sorry, is an expression of regret or condolence.

But i come to understand that the abuse of these two words "Thank You" and "Sorry" somethings hurts when used wrongly, House, how did you express your own sorry and thanks word

Aganga, Anenih, Kayode, Nwodo, Iyabo Obasanjo, Akala Lose out

Several members of the Federal Executive Council, FEC, may not be coming back to the cabinet as their names are conspicuously missing from the list of nominees for federal appointment, which the national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, will soon submit to the presidency.

According to the list of nominees from 26 states obtained by the Nigerian Pilot yesterday, the names of the minister of Finance, Olusegun Agagu, his Defence counterpart, Prince Adetokunbo Kayode and the minister of women affairs, Iyom Josephine Anenih were omitted by their state chapters of the party, which sent the list to the PDP national secretariat.

It was gathered that the Lagos State chapter of PDP had already written a petition to the presidency disclaiming the Finance minister, whom they said is an indigene of Edo State, while Prince Kayode’s troubles may not be unconnected with the crisis rocking the Ondo State chapter of the party.

This is coming just as the national leadership of the PDP is still maintaining Yobe State’s two different lists of nominees for federal appointment.
Billionaire investor, Jimoh Ibrahim; former speaker of the House of Representatives, Patricia Ette; wife of the former PDP national chairman, Mrs. Marian Ali; former Osun State governor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola and Senator Ayo Arise, were all included in the list of nominees.

While political associates of former President Olusegun Obasanjo dominated the list from Ogun State, the name of his daughter, Senator Iyabor Obasanjo-Bello was conspicuously missing from the Ogun State nominees.
Included in the Ogun nominees list are the PDP governorship candidate, Gen. Adetunji Olurin, Dr. Doyin Okupe and Sen. Felix Bajoma.

Chief Tony Anenih again asserted his control of the Edo State chapter of the party with only names of members of the faction loyal to him on the list, even though his wife, who is currently using Anambra State slot in the federal cabinet, did not scale through.

In Delta State, the unexpected nominee was the governorship candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria, Ovie Omo-Agege, whose name appeared with that of the minister of the Niger Delta, Goddey Orubebe and the wife of former PDP national chairman among others.

Contrary to speculations, the name of the PDP immediate past national chairman, Dr. Okwesilieze is not among those to be considered for federal appointment from Enugu State just as the name of the outgoing governor of Oyo State, Christopher Alao-Akala is missing from the list of nominees from the state.

However, close scrutiny of the list indicates that the PDP state chapters may not have taken into cognisance the desire of President Goodluck Jonathan to allocate 35 percent of the slots to women, as none of the states has up to three women in the list of ten nominees.

Most members of the PDP National Working Committee also made the list of nominees from their respective states excluding the acting national chairman, Bello Haliru Mohammed; national secretary, Kawu Baraje; national publicity secretary, Prof. Ahmed Rufai Alkali and the national woman leader, Hajia Inna Ciroma.

By Mike Odiakose

BY Gabriel Omoh, Clara Nwachukwu &Yemie Adeoye

LAGOS — The Federal Government, Thursday , ordered oil and gas industry regulator, the Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR, and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, to crash the high cost of Household Kerosene, HHK as well as make the commodity available to the masses, who rely on the scarce commodity for their domestic use.

Handing down the orders in Lagos at an interactive session with journalists in Lagos, Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, said the respective agencies must end the sufferings of Nigerians in accessing the product as soon as possible, even as the sector operates under a free market system.

She said: “Price of kerosene has increased so much in recent weeks, and we have directed that the DPR puts in place strong control mechanisms to arrest the situation.”





The minister blamed the scarcity and high cost of the commodity on marketers, who are profiteering from the situation at the expense of the people, but added government will not fold its arms while innocent Nigerians suffered unduly.

She noted that the NNPC, through its subsidiary, the Pipelines and Products Marketing Company, PPMC, has sufficient product to meet national demand.

“Our investigation shows that kerosene has however become scarce and selling at high price due to distribution problems caused by middlemen who have made it their vocation to profiteer from the product.”

As a way out, the Minister charged the Managements of the NNPC and the DPR to bring to an end the ugly situation within the next few days.

Under the arrangement the NNPC through its subsidiary PPMC will ensure that products are loaded out from the three refineries and the coastal jetties to all the nooks and crannies of the country while DPR has the mandate to activate compliance measures and all necessary control strategies to squelch the incidents of arbitrary pricing and sharp practices.

Already the Corporation has swung into action by increasing the volume of HHK allocation from 10million litres to record 12million litres per day to guarantee that the country is wet with kerosene. The 12 million figure is in excess of the national consumption level of about 10million litres per day.

Elaborating further, the Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Mr. Austen Oniwon, said that apart from increasing the daily volume of kerosene in the market, the NNPC/PPMC has put in place a special Monitoring Committee on kerosene distribution.

The Managing Director of the PPMC, Prince Haruna Momoh, speaking on the operation of the task force, said members of the committee traversed the length and breadth of the nation tracking the movement of kerosene from the refineries and coastal depots from the point of discharge through the tank farms.

With regard to the recent revocation of three oil blocks granted to American oil giant, ExxonMobil, in 2009, Mrs. Alison_Madueke, clarified that the decision was related to issues relating to the renewal process, which she said was not properly executed, particularly with regard to the cost of the blocks and were therefore, not in compliance with the provisions of the Petroleum Act of 1969.

The Act Empowers the Minister of Petroleum Resources to cancel leases that are not properly executed.
According to the Minister, “We have a certain due process that should be followed with the renewal of their leases. Some years ago, there were some issues raised that the renewal did not tally with the actual cost of the oil blocks.”

She, however, added that government and ExxonMobil are in talks with a view to an amicable resolution of the impasse, noting that, “In sorting out any legality with the leases, issues must be handled with the intensity it deserves. I have no doubt that we will come to an agreable resolution.”

Objections on the revocation of the leases ended on Thursday, with ExxonMobil choosing the option of dialogue, as opposed to going to the courts.

The Minister, who spoke on a number of issues affecting the industry, expressed the hope that the controversial Petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, will be passed by the National Assembly and accented by President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan before his swearing in on May 29.

Forget the Mayan calendar's 2012 doomsday. One Christian radio network has calculated its own apocalyptic date: May 21, 2011.
You've seen the billboards and heard the ads. The Christian network Family Radio has proclaimed for months now about the impending date, which it is calling Judgment Day. But how did the network come to such a seemingly arbitrary date to basically guarantee the beginning of the end?


Read more: http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/05/15/judgment-day-no-way-what%e2%80%99s-behind-the-may-21-2011-end-of-the-world-rumors/#ixzz1MtwNm44G

Judgment Day!
May 21, 2011


And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man. Revelation 9:5

The End of the World
October 21, 2011

The purpose of this tract is to inform you of the great urgency there now is in the world for each and every person to be reconciled to God. The Bible is the Word of God! Everything the Bible declares has the full authority of God Himself. Now, at this time, information is coming forth from the Bible which clearly reveals God’s plan for Judgment Day and the end of the world itself. The Bible has opened up its secrets concerning the timeline of history. This information was never previously known because God had closed up His Word blocking any attempt to gain knowledge of the end of the world. We read about this in the book of Daniel:
Daniel 12:9 And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.
However, now in our present day, God has opened up His Word (the Bible) to reveal a great deal of truth concerning the end of time (and many other teachings). Also, in the same chapter of Daniel, it says:
Daniel 12:4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.
God is now opening up His Word because we have arrived at the time of the end. For this reason, it has become very obvious to the serious student of the Bible that we are now living in the last few days of earth’s history. As a matter of fact, because we are living at the end of time, God is now revealing to His people the following information:
THE BIBLE’S CALENDAR OF HISTORY

The Lord has opened up His people’s understanding to the “Biblical calendar” found on the pages of the Bible. The genealogies of the book of Genesis, primarily in chapters 5 and 11, can be shown to be a precise calendar of the history of mankind in this world. The Bible’s calendar of history is completely accurate and trustworthy.
Since this Bible calendar is given by God in His Word, it can be trusted wholeheartedly. In this brief pamphlet, we will share some of the conclusions derived from the Biblical calendar and from other studies in the Scriptures. However, the amount of information available is far too abundant and complex to get into much detail in this short pamphlet; but we can and will give precise and compelling dates. These dates can be trusted entirely because they come right out of the Bible. (EBiblefellowship has no affiliation with Family Radio; however, we highly recommend that you obtain a free copy of the book “We Are Almost There!” by writing to the following address: Family Stations, Inc., 290 Hegenberger Rd., Oakland, CA 94621. This book goes into far greater detail regarding the timing of Judgment Day and the end of the world. Also, you can read or download “We Are Almost There!” online at: www.familyradio.com).
TIMING OF IMPORTANT EVENTS IN HISTORY

11,013 BC—Creation. God created the world and man (Adam and Eve).
4990 BC—The flood of Noah’s day. All perished in a worldwide flood. Only Noah, his wife, and his 3 sons and their wives survived in the ark (6023 years from creation).
7 BC—The year Jesus Christ was born (11,006 years from creation).
33 AD—The year Jesus Christ was crucified and the church age began (11,045 years from creation; 5023 calendar years from the flood).
1988 AD—This year ended the church age and began the great tribulation period of 23 years (13,000 years from creation).
1994 AD—On September 7th, the first 2300-day period of the great tribulation came to an end and the latter rain began, commencing God’s plan to save a great multitude of people outside of the churches (13,006 years from creation).
2011 AD—On May 21st, Judgment Day will begin and the rapture (the taking up into heaven of God’s elect people) will occur at the end of the 23-year great tribulation. On October 21st, the world will be destroyed by fire (7000 years from the flood; 13,023 years from creation).
ONE DAY IS AS 1000 YEARS

The child of God has learned from the Bible that the language of Genesis 7 has a twofold meaning:
Genesis 7:4 For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living substance that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the earth.
Historically, as God spoke these words, there were seven days remaining for Noah, his family, and the animals to get into the safety of the ark; but spiritually (and the Bible is a spiritual book), God was speaking to all of the people of the world and was declaring that sinful mankind would have 7000 years to find refuge in the salvation provided by Jesus Christ. How can we know that? We know this is so based on what we read in 2 Peter, chapter 3:
2 Peter 3:6-8 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
The context of 2 Peter 3 is extremely important! In the first few verses, God refers us to the destruction of the world by the flood during Noah’s day. Then we find an interesting admonition that we ought not to be “ignorant” of one thing, which is, 1 day is as 1000 years, and 1000 years is as 1 day. Immediately following this bit of information is a very vivid description of the end of the present world by fire.
What could God be telling us by identifying 1 day along with 1000 years?
Since we recently have discovered the Biblical calendar of history on the pages of the Bible, we find that the flood of Noah’s day occurred in the year 4990 BC. This date is completely accurate (for further information on the Biblical timeline of history, please go to: www.familyradio.com). It was in the year 4990 BC that God revealed to Noah that there would be yet 7 days until the flood of waters would be upon the earth. Now, if we substitute 1000 years for each one of those 7 days, we get 7000 years. And when we project 7000 years into the future from 4990 BC, we find that it falls on the year 2011 AD.
   4990 + 2011 = 7001
Note: When counting from an Old Testament date to a New Testament date, always subtract one year because there is no year zero, resulting in:
   4990 + 2011 – 1 = 7000 years exactly.
The year 2011 AD will be the 7000th year from the flood of Noah’s day. It will be the end of the length of time given to mankind to find grace in God’s sight. This means that the time to find refuge in Christ has grown extremely short. We are only a little ways off from the year 2011 AD!
It is not unusual that God’s people have been given insight into the timing of the end of the world. Actually, the Bible tells us this is normally the case. In times past, God has warned His people of approaching periods of judgment:
Amos 3:7 Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.
Hebrews 11:7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.
JUDGMENT DAY: MAY 21st, 2011

We know that the year 2011 is the 7000th year from the flood. We also know that God will destroy this world in that year. But when in 2011 will this occur?
The answer is amazing. Let’s take another look at the flood account in the book of Genesis:
Genesis 7:11 In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.
Faithful to His Word, God did bring the flood 7 days later in the 600th year, on the 17th day of the 2nd month of the calendar aligned with Noah’s lifespan. It was on this 17th day of the 2nd month that God shut the door on the ark, securing the safety of its occupants and also sealing the fate of everyone else in the world outside of the ark. They would all now certainly perish in that worldwide catastrophe.
Genesis 7:16,17 And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him: and the LORD shut him in. And the flood was forty days upon the earth; and the waters increased, and bare up the ark, and it was lift up above the earth.
Earlier it was mentioned that the church age came to an end in the year 1988 AD. It so happens that the church age began on the day of Pentecost (May 22nd) in the year 33 AD. Then 1955 years later, the church age came to its conclusion on May 21st, which was the day before Pentecost in 1988.
The Bible teaches that the end of the church age would occur simultaneously with the beginning of the great tribulation:
Matthew 24:21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
On May 21st, 1988, God finished using the churches and congregations of the world. The Spirit of God left all churches and Satan, the man of sin, entered into the churches to rule at that point in time. The Bible teaches us that this awful period of judgment upon the churches would last for 23 years. A full 23 years (8400 days exactly) would be from May 21 st, 1988 until May 21st, 2011. This information was discovered in the Bible completely apart from the information regarding the 7000 years from the flood.
Therefore, we see that the full 23-year tribulation period concludes on May 21st, 2011. This date is the exact day that the great tribulation comes to its end, and this is also the most likely landing spot for the 7000 years from the flood of Noah’s day.
Keep in mind that God shut the door on the ark on the 17th day of the 2nd month of Noah’s calendar. We also find that May 21 st, 2011 is the end of the great tribulation period. There is a strong relationship between the 2nd month and 17th day of Noah’s calendar and May 21st, 2011 of our Gregorian calendar. This relationship cannot be readily seen until we discover that there is another calendar to consider, which is the Hebrew (or Biblical) calendar. May 21 st, 2011 happens to be the 17th day of the 2nd month of the Hebrew calendar. By this, God is confirming to us that we have a very correct understanding regarding the 7000-year timeline from the flood. May 21 st, 2011 is the equivalent date to the date when God shut the door on Noah’s ark. Through this and much other Biblical information, we find that May 21 st, 2011 will be the day when God takes up into heaven His elect people. May 21st, 2011 will be Judgment Day! This is the day God shuts the door of salvation on the world.
In other words, in having the great tribulation period conclude on a day that identifies with the 17th day of the 2nd month of Noah’s calendar, God is without question confirming to us that this is the day He intends to shut forever the door of entry into heaven:
John 10:9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
The Bible is very clear that Christ is the only way into heaven. He is the only portal into the glorious kingdom of heaven.
Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
Once the door (Jesus) is shut on Judgment Day, there is no more salvation possible on earth:
Revelation 3:7 …These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;
The Bible teaches that on May 21st, 2011, only true believers elected by God to receive salvation will be raptured (taken up) out of this world to meet the Lord in the air and forever be with the Lord:
1 Thessalonians 4:16,17 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
All the rest of mankind (billions of people) will be left behind to experience the awful judgment of God, a horrible period of 5 months of torment upon earth:
Revelation 9:3-5 And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads. And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.
THE END OF THE WORLD: OCTOBER 21st, 2011

By God’s grace and tremendous mercy, He is giving us advanced warning as to what He is about to do. On Judgment Day, May 21st, 2011, this 5-month period of horrible torment will begin for all the inhabitants of the earth. It will be on May 21st that God will raise up all the dead that have ever died from their graves. Earthquakes will ravage the whole world as the earth will no longer conceal its dead (Isaiah 26:21). People who died as saved individuals will experience the resurrection of their bodies and immediately leave this world to forever be with the Lord. Those who died unsaved will be raised up as well, but only to have their lifeless bodies scattered about the face of all the earth. Death will be everywhere.
The Lord also emphasizes these awful 5 months of destruction in the final verse of Genesis, chapter 7:
Genesis 7:24 And the waters prevailed upon the earth an hundred and fifty days.
Five months after May 21st, 2011 will be October 21st, 2011. It so happens that October 21st of 2011 is also the last day of the Biblical Feast of Tabernacles (held simultaneously with the Feast of Ingathering). Tabernacles is held in the 7th month of the Hebrew calendar. The way God speaks of this feast in the Bible is very significant:
Exodus 23:16 …the feast of ingathering, which is in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labours out of the field.
Exodus 34:22 And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks, of the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of ingathering at the year's end.
The Feast of Tabernacles / Ingathering was said to be in the “end of the year” even though it was observed in the Hebrew 7th month, which is not the end of the year. The reason for this is that the spiritual fulfillment of this particular feast is the end of the world. The date October 21st, 2011 will be the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles and the last day of earth’s existence. The Bible describes what will take place on October 21st, 2011 in the following passage:
2 Peter 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
Along with the entire world and universe, all those who have sinned against God and were left behind will likewise be consumed by this fire and be eternally destroyed:
2 Thessalonians 1:8,9 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;
On October 21st, 2011, God will completely destroy this creation and all of the people who never experienced the salvation of Jesus Christ along with it. The awful payment for their sinful rebellion against God will be completed by the loss of everlasting life. On October 21st, 2011, all of these poor people will cease to exist from that point forward. How sad that noble man, made in God’s image, will die like a beast and perish forever:
Psalm 49:12 Nevertheless man being in honour abideth not: he is like the beasts that perish.
There is much more to share. But please, dear soul, be warned that the time for salvation is drawing to a rapid close! God has given the world 7000 years from the flood, and now only a few days remain until we reach May 21st, 2011. Before we know it, time will have run completely out. The few grains of sand remaining in our hourglass will have elapsed and be gone forever. Although little time remains, there is still wonderful hope for anyone today:
2 Corinthians 6:2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)
It does not take God much time at all to save someone. In the last hours of a terribly sinful life, the thief on the cross was saved by Christ:
Luke 23:42,43 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.
Our prayer is that you will receive this tract in the spirit of genuine concern in which it is being offered. As you read this pamphlet, please carefully consider the verses quoted from the Bible, for they are the Word of God, and as such, possess absolute power and authority. Our only hope for salvation is through the reading of the Word of God. It is now that the door of heaven (Christ) is open. It is now that God is saving a great multitude of people from around the world outside of the churches and congregations:
Revelation 7:9,13,14 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; …What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
God saves through the hearing of the Word of God and no other way:
Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Read the Bible with all your family (especially your children); and along with your reading, pray for mercy. Pray to the merciful and gracious God of the Bible that He might deliver you from the approaching destruction. We learn a little about God’s tremendous compassion in the book of Jonah. God also gave advance warning to the people of Nineveh regarding the destruction of their city:
Jonah 3:4-9 And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown. So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them. For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water: But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands. Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?
God did not destroy the people of Nineveh. Although there is no possibility that God will not follow through on His intention to destroy the world in 2011, we can know from His dealings with the people of Nineveh that God is tenderhearted and full of mercy. This should encourage each one of us to go to God and beseech Him for His great mercy.

http://www.ebiblefellowship.com/outreach/tracts/may21/

http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/05/15/judgment-day-no-way-what%E2%80%99s-behind-the-may-21-2011-end-of-the-world-rumors/

I go spend N300 on fuel
then buy 1 Don Simon N500
and roasted full chicken N1200

Total N2000

e  no even reach the N2,500 self

then i no go bother to enter and expensive drop at rush our at N1500 to my house. 

I have being wondering why mtn is so kind to their customers this days.
Mtn has a package called happy link bundle. Its costs N400 to activate it. Instantly 1320 secs wil app. Today,I calmly calculated this so calld bonus, i realised its equal to 22mins. Meanwhile with ur N400.
N400/22mins = N18.1 they charged N18.1 per min MTN-MTN. NOW Whats d gain or d unbeatable discount they are shouting?
AIRTEL charges 12\min to any network.
ETISALAT charges 12/min to any netwk. But mtn charges 18.1/min to their own netwk. They can never change. They have different strategics to dupe pple. Is dat not greediness?

Former Minister of information and Communication, Prof. Dora Akunyili, has sensationally revealed what transpired in the inconclusive Anambra Central Senatorial District election on April 9, which she contested. In an interview, in her Abuja residence, Akunyili dismisses the bribery allegation made by the former returning officer in the election.

She told Saturday Sun that there was more to the allegation than the controversial returning officer is willing to admit. She also explained why his major opponent in the poll, Dr. Chris Ngige, is not comfortable with the idea of a run-off.

You have been in the trenches, sort of, since after the inconclusive Anambra Central Senatorial election. How has it been?
When I went to run for the election and therefore serve my people as senator for Anambra Central District, I knew that the terrain would be rough. I didn’t, however, know that it would be totally crazy. But because of my determination to go through the process, irrespective of the emotional and physical stress involved, I continued to the end. Campaigns were tedious. Most of the time, we started by 5.30pm, especially on Sundays, till midnight. But God gave me the strength to go through it, to the end. We had election, and during the election, I couldn’t believe what I saw, the level of desperation of politicians; the issue of I-must-win attitude, has actually caused most of the things that happened.

Could you explain what you mean by desperation of politicians as per the contest for the Anambra Central Senatorial seat?
Politicians always trigger fracas in the areas of strength of their opponent, and when they don’t succeed in destabilising a polling unit, they send thugs to snatch result sheets, so that result sheets would not get to collation centres. They do one thing or the other. In fact, in some instances, ballot boxes were totally carted away. In one of the instances, a ballot box was snatched and carried to a private home, in the full glare of the public. It was not hidden because everybody knows the man that carried it to a private residence. It’s as bad as that; it’s impunity. But at the end, we just felt that no matter what happened, the wish of the people would prevail.

The election in which you were a candidate has been dogged by controversy. Could you tell us what actually happened?
On Sunday, the former returning officer kept telling every person that he had been threatened that if he ever announced Prof. Akunyili a winner, he would be in trouble. He was rattled. But little did I know that the man that was telling people that he was being threatened was no longer the returning officer. The first retuning officer for Anambra Central was Prof. Godwin Onu. But by 10am on Saturday, Prof. Godwin Onu, either had not reported or had declined the assignment. Because Prof. Onu did not take up the job, the REC quickly appointed Dr. Alex Anene. Dr. Anene even admitted on television that he had no training for the job.

Midway, people believed that he must have abducted or gone into hiding. When he absconded, the REC appointed a third returning officer, and that was Prof. Charles Esimone. Prof Charles Esimone was the returning officer for Idemili North Local Government Area. It was when he returned the result for Idemili North that the REC appointed him to work as returning officer for Anambra Central. Just as he quickly employed Alex Anene, he also quickly employed Charles Esimone, and the next day, that was on Monday, the results were announced, and we were told that some of the places were inconclusive, for many reasons.

For instance, in Nimo 1 and 3, the result sheets did not get to the collation centre, and these are my areas of strength. There were cases of result sheets being snatched en route to collation centre. Thugs were shooting; there was a lot of shooting. But I feel comfortable each time I remind myself that I never had one thug, and I will never have any. In the announcement by Esimone, in the company with the REC, he said that the election was inconclusive in some areas, although I was leading by almost 700. This was around 10am.

We were given the areas for rerun, and we had to abide by the directive given by INEC. But at about 10.30 to 11pm the same night, we started getting phone calls that Dr. Ngige was declared winner by Dr. Alex Anene. At first, it was like a joke, and we said, where? They said it was in a hotel in Awka. And no INEC person was present in that hotel, not even one person. Only Ngige’s supporters were there, because from the hotel, where they declared him, they went to his second hotel – Old English Hotel –where they interviewed him close to midnight.

And by morning, we started seeing all television and radio stations announcing Ngige as winner. Then when I called Radio Nigeria and asked what was going. What kind of lawlessness is this? How can Radio Nigeria be announcing the result of an election that is inconclusive, a result declared in a hotel room at night by a former returning officer who was no longer the returning officer? And by law returning officers are supposed to collate the result in the INEC office and the results had not even all come in by the time he absconded, like Idemili North had not come in.

Radio Nigeria now quickly investigated and I was told that one Adaora in Abuja directed the correspondent in Awka to go and cover it that night and give her the report. The boy covered the event and gave her the report and in the report he duly said it was done in a hotel and there was no INEC official. The lady left all these details out and only said Ngige was declared winner by INEC. So, Radio Nigeria had to retract the story because they saw the illegality in the process and Adaora was sanctioned, I learnt.

What was your reaction?
Naturally, I was rattled. I was unhappy. I felt robbed because even though it cannot stand because it doesn’t make sense, it still rubs off when your opponent is claiming victory in an inconclusive election. It can even deceive the electorate. And psychologically it can deal a blow on people, and I believe they knew what they were doing. It was clear in their heads, because Dr. Ngige knows that if we run this election 10 times he will not win, and the run-off, he will not win. It is getting clearer by the day. In Channels Television interview this night (Wednesday), he was saying that he was not ready to go for rerun. But he said he believed he won. If he won, he should be ready for run-off any day any time. I am ready, even tomorrow, I will find a way to make phone calls and make sure the agents are around, and we go to the run-off.

It’s very embarrassing, not just to me, but also to this country because I feel that when you go on the Internet and say election result of a senatorial zone in Nigeria was announced in a hotel, it’s a disgrace to the country. It doesn’t make us look good; it makes nonsense of our rebranding, that we cannot even do the right thing in a simple election of vote, count and collate. As far as I am concerned, it is simple, it is do-or-die politicians, the I-must-win politicians that are creating the crisis because they don’t want to face election, because they are used to election rigging; they have been used to writing results, so when it comes to proper elections, they are confused.

They don’t want to face it; they want it to be rigged. But thank God for Prof. (Attahiru) Jega, this particular election is very difficult to be rigged because from polling booth level, people have results, ward level, local government, state, everybody has result. It is even impossible to mutilate. What are you going to mutilate? Are you going to mutilate in every party schedule? It is impossible. So, I feel very comfortable with the process, but unfortunately, the process was not completed.

Anene alleged that some elements in your party wanted to compromise him. What really happened?
Coming to the allegations of bribery, that one has hurt me more than all the confusion, because I have built my integrity almost at the risk of my life. I will never be party to any bribery discussion. First of all, he said that APGA wanted to bribe him, that government agents wanted to compromise him. Mind you, he never mentioned my name, or linked me with bribery. He said that they wanted to give him N10 million, a jeep, a house and scholarship to all his children.

When I heard this, I said this man, did they say he has a PhD? He should be smarter because some lies when they are prepared in a smart way can convince. How do you convince people that anybody can offer you all these? Is it Gov. Peter Obi that everybody knows that his hand is tight? Governor Obi cannot give anybody that kind of thing. People accuse him of having aradite hand, but I always say he is prudent with resources. I know that my governor cannot give him a house; you can’t give what you don’t have. If you go to Agulu (where Peter Obi comes from), he is still living in a house built by his own mother.

When you ask him, why can’t you build your own house, he says this flat is enough for me. So, how can somebody living in his mother’s house build a house for another? Is it a ready-made house? And how can somebody keep an agreement of training your children for the future?
And this brings me to another point: how INEC recruits ad-hoc staff, because that is another bomb waiting to explode. The kind of human beings that are working as ad-hoc staff, some of them are not mentally together. Then when you come to the issue of money, inducement, I want to tell you something; some people were actually looking for money from everybody. But when they came to me, they hit the wall.

Was there any discussion between you and the said returning officer?
Erike, one of my key supporters, called me. I was in company with some people. He said they wanted him to tell me to provide security and other “considerations,” so that they would declare me winner. I was so angry with Erike because I have worked all my life for integrity, and I have worked hard for my election, I campaigned very hard, people are supporting me, and I am winning.

Even if I am not winning, I will not negotiate with anybody. I said so much to him, and he was so rattled. I told him, listen, Erike, if anything happened to my result, I will hold you responsible because I don’t need help. Let them announce our results, I am not discussing with anybody. So, he got angry because of the way I shouted at him. He felt very unhappy and left for Lagos.

Were there some police officers and security personnel at the collation centre? If there were, what did they do?
The way the policemen were behaving that day, it’s something I can’t explain. They were all looking helpless, all.

How? They were not armed or what?
They had guns, but the thugs looked fiercer than them; the thugs were too many; they overwhelmed them. That was on Sunday. We were waiting for the result to be announced. The result from Idemili North had not arrived.

Why did the result from Idemili North delay? Is the terrain so difficult that its result could not arrive when other arrived?
They don’t have rivers or any difficult terrain, but they did a lot of rigging there. In fact, in Alor, the rigging was so bad that party agents could not sign the result; it can be checked out. But we let it to go; no problem because no matter how much you rig, it is difficult to rig out a popular candidate, except if the rigging gets out of hand. There was so much rigging in Alor that my people refused to sign, and no other party agent signed.

Now that the man had alleged attempts to compromise him, what next do you do?
He never said I offered him bribe. He said government agents and APGA officials. The man did not have the courage to call me, because the people he was sending as middlemen must have said, listen, “Dora Akunyili? Not me, I don’t want to be arrested.” He did not even have the courage to say Dora Akunyili wanted to compromise him; listen carefully, he never said so.

Are you satisfied with the way INEC has responded to the matter?
Prof. Jega is a man we all respect in this country; he has earned that respect. I believe that his judgment is correct, because he wants to be very careful before he comes out with a statement. If he came out today with a statement declaring me winner, people will say did you look at this thing properly? Because there are only two scenarios: declaring me winner or having a re-run in those few places.

For me, re-run 10 times, I am ready; if he declares me winner, I will be happy. If he says there will be rerun, no problem. But the one I find criminal is the former returning officer who had absconded going to a hotel, at the dead of the night, to announce results with only Ngige’s supporters; no INEC presence. If he had requested for security, I believe that the REC would have provided him with security. REC has never said this man asked me to provide him with security. I thank God that he has no boldness to say Dora Akunyili offered him bribe.

But a number of people from your senatorial zone have been congratulating Ngige and telling INEC to uphold the “election” of Ngige. How do you react to this?
I am an information person. It’s very easy. If I want to organise 20 groups to write press statements, I will do that. So, these people are all organised, and they keep calling me, “can our group do this for you? Can our group organise this?”

I say organise nothing, don’t organise anything for me. Election has been done, and we want to know the result; so these things are all arranged, and its Nigerian style. Let me tell you, they will organise more than 20 groups; just pay them and they will issue a statement in your favour. Look at the man that came on AIT; he called himself chairman of Anambra Forum for Good Governance, and yet he was one of Ngige’s campaign directors.

And he came and was talking about the votes I got in my local government, Aniocha being over 25, 000. Blatant lies. Aniocha votes were even fewer than those Ngige got from Idemili North, a sister local government to his own. He comes from Idemili South. Aniocha votes (for APGA) were 22, 451, Idemili North votes (for Ngige) were 22, 569, and Aniocha has over 77, 000 registered voters. He was crying wolves over 22, 451 in my local government, but the 22, 569 in his neighbouring local government were okay.

It is very painful! How i wish he becomes the next president. Jonathan is a good man who is willing to do the right thing. But he works with educated crooks who cares for their families alone. I have not decided who to vote in at present.i belief God is in control.

it becoming tougher!!!

BISI AKANDE MAKE IT CLEAR THAT THERES NO ALLIANCE BETWEEN CPC AND ACN!!

AS EARLIER STATED THAT CPC AND ACN MIGHT MERGE TO BID ON SATURDAY.
THE CONDITION GIVEN TO CPC (BUHARI) THAT BAKARE MIGHT NEED TO STEP DOWN FOR FMR LAGOS STATE GOVERNOR (ASIWAJU AHMED TINUBU) AS VICE PRESIDENT HAS FAILED.

BUHARI REALISED TO STEP DOWN HIS RUNNING FOR HIM (TINUBU) IS A GREAT TARNISH OF IMAGE TO BAKARE. HE SUMMONED ASIWAJU TO PLEASE RE CONSIDER HIS CONDITION AND GIVE HIM OTHER CONDITIONS. BUT ASIWAJU INSISTED OF BAKARE TO STEP DOWN FOR HIM TO BE HIS RUNNING MATE.

WHO WILL WIN THE RACE,

RIBADU
JONATHAN
BUHARI
SHAKARAU

Lagos – Workers in the electricity sector, Thursday, in Lagos insisted they would go on strike should the Federal Government liquidate the power sector without settling their entitlements.
Mr Bede Opara, President, Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies (SSAEAC) told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the workers still stand by their words.
“We are still waiting for the government to call us for a parley.
“But the day the committee announces the posting of staff of Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) or its winding down, we will shut the sector,’’ he said.
He, however, expressed the hope that before the committee on privatisation of the PHCN would conclude its job, all issues on workers welfare would have been resolved.
NAN recalls that in March, SSAEAC and the National Union of Electricity Employee (NUEE) rejected the committee set up by the Presidential Action Committee to liquidate the PHCN.
They alleged that the committee was illegal, unconstitutional, unacceptable and had no legal power to discuss the issues of the sector.
Opara also queried the statement by the Minister of State for Power, Mr Nuhu Wya that PHCN workers would not benefit from the new Minimum Wage recently signed into law by President Goodluck Jonathan.
“I do not know if we do not work for the same government and are we not Nigerians. Don’t we have up to 50 staff in the PHCN?
“I do not know why the Minister said we can not benefit from the new minimum wage,’’ the SSAEAC president asked.
The Minister of State had argued that the PHCN workers were already being paid higher salaries than the civil servants.
“The N18,000 minimum wage is for civil servants and not for a company like PHCN,’’ Wya said.

Again, INEC postpones NASS polls in 48 federal constituencies, 15 senatorial districts
From FRANCIS AWOWOLE-BROWNE, Abuja
Friday, April 08, 2011


• Jega
Photo: Sun News Publishing
More Stories on This Section
Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Attahiru Jega, again assured the nation of the readiness of his commission for tomorrow’s National Assembly election even as the problem of logistics appeared to be far from over.

As the INEC Chairman was reeling out arrangements made for the election, yesterday, sources as at the commission disclosed that logistics challenges being faced by the electoral agency were still very much on ground and that “all he was saying was a mere window dressing.”

Jega confirmed at a news briefing the exclusive report by Daily Sun that election would not hold in some senatorial districts and federal constituencies, disclosing that elections had been suspended in 15 out of the 109 senatorial districts and 48 out of the 360 federal constituencies spread across 27 states.

The election, Jega said, had been rescheduled for Tuesday, April 26 when the governorship and state Assemblies elections would be held. According to Jega, areas where election would not hold represented 86 per cent of the senatorial districts and 87 per cent of the federal constituencies, and that the election would not be held in those areas because the commission could not meet up with the printing of ballot papers to cover all the areas.

He stated that the commission met both local and foreign contractors on the possibility of having fresh ballot papers printed before Saturday and seeing the impracticability and the fact that the commission did not want to take chances, it decided to postpone the elections so that printers would have two weeks within which to supply the papers.

The INEC boss also admitted the logistics challenges being faced by the commission was far from being solved as he said the commission could only boast of 600 pick-up vans for all the 774 local government electoral officers. He explained that the commission had mobilised the state electoral commission to arrange for transportation for the movement of Electoral Officers and materials.
He regretted that governors did not comply with the directive of the commission that they should not bombard the polling units with their retinue of aides and securitymen warning that securitymen had been placed on alert to resist such conduct tomorrow.

On the defaulting contractors, Jega explained that the commission was already exploring judicial means of redress because there were clauses in the contractual terms governing the contract and the breach of the term should necessarily be taken up.

However, he stated that the commission was being very cautious because of the clauses and since the commission was still investigating the matter. Jega said that was the reason the commission would not disclose the identities of the vendors. “We are fine-tuning our judicial options to take appropriate step,” he said.

Jega said the commission was trying all it could to revive hopes and confidence of Nigerians following their disappointment at the sudden shift of the elections last Saturday. On his rumoured threat of resignation, Jega would neither confirm nor deny it, saying “no comment, it is not everything in the media that I have to react to.”

Jega pleaded with Nigerians for understanding saying “when the commission last Saturday, April 2, 2011, rescheduled the National Assembly elections, it stated very clearly that the elections will hold this Saturday, April 9, 2011. We are happy to say that the elections will go ahead this weekend as planned.

We, as a commission, fully appreciate the enormous sacrifices made by millions of Nigerian voters who turned out for the exercise on April 2. I urge you to also do the same this weekend. “Since the postponement, the commission has worked tirelessly to address the challenges observed in the conduct of the rescheduled elections. Thus, result sheets have not only been delivered to the country, but have been received by states and local government areas nationwide.

Similarly, other election materials needed at the State and Local Governments have been supplied. Logistic challenges have been addressed and we have had further consultations with political parties, security services and other stakeholders to address other challenges that emerged last Saturday. Consequently, all is now set for the National Assembly election to hold across the country on Saturday.

“However, some challenges emerging from the fact that voting took place in some areas in spite of the postponement require more time than we have had since last Saturday. For example, in some areas a good quantity of ballot papers had been used and it is not possible to reprint enough replacement ballot papers before the elections. Also, in a few constituencies, party names and logos were missing on ballot papers. While some of these resulted from human errors in compiling the names of qualified candidates and parties for the elections, others are related to sudden changes emanating from several judicial pronouncements on party nominations. These challenges dictate that fresh ballot papers be printed prior to conducting the elections.

“The commission has made strenuous efforts to get these ballot papers printed within the available time; but given the security requirements of the printing of ballot papers and the inability of domestic and international companies to deliver on time, it has become imperative that sufficient time be given for the printing of these ballot papers. Consequently, while elections will in general take place on Saturday, it has become inevitable to postpone elections in a few affected constituencies, that is 15 Senatorial Districts and 48 Federal Constituencies which are as follows: [See Attached]

“I should say that the postponed elections affect only about 14% of all Senatorial Districts and 13% of Federal Constituencies. This means that elections will take place this Saturday in 86% and 87% of Senatorial Districts and Federal Constituencies respectively. “Elections in these affected constituencies will now hold on Tuesday the 26th of April 2011 together with the Governorship and State Assembly elections.

“For purposes of clarity, it is not everywhere that voting took place last week that is affected by this rescheduling. In some areas, only very few ballots were used, which means that elections can go on unhindered in those places this Saturday. “I want to seize this opportunity to advise all voters to be orderly and peaceful during the elections. Those who choose to stay behind after voting must be orderly and non-violent. I appeal to political parties to implore their supporters to eschew violence. We are working closely with the security agencies to arrest political thugs and vigilantes. Also, underage voters will be arrested. I appeal to parents and community leaders not to allow their children to indulge in this illegal act.

“We also noticed last Saturday that some governors did not comply with the appeal to them not to move around with their security orderlies during the elections. Although we recognize that governors are chief executives of their states, I once more appeal to them to vote and return home in order to reduce political tensions during the elections. Security agencies will strictly enforce compliance with this directive.

“Let me once again thank Nigerians for their understanding and support for the commission in its efforts to deliver free, fair and credible elections. I urge you all to come out on Saturday, April 9, to exercise your right to vote,” Jega said.

How PDP plans to rig National Assembly poll
From OUR REPORTERS
Friday, April 08, 2011


•Gov. Orji
Photo: Sun News Publishing

More Stories on This Section
In its desperation to win tomorrow’s rescheduled National Assembly poll, the chiefT.A Orji-led government in Abia State has hatched a plan to use the military and other security agencies to intimidate opposition candidates and their supporters.

A source told Daily Sun that feelers from the botched Saturday’s polls sobered the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) government. “It brought home clearly to them their dwindling popularity to the point. They were so shocked that they have decided that the only way out of the woods is to cause mayhem with the use of the military that is already playing along with them,” the source said.

At high level meeting in Umuahia which had the governor in attendance, to review the poll, was said to have told the governor point blank that the popularity of the opposition was so pronounced that the only way to checkmate them is to throw caution to the wind.

The governor and his kitchen cabinet at the meeting held in a secret location was said to have tagged their mission, “Stop Orji Kalu and his boys at all cost.” “They did not understand why people voted the opposition, particularly PPA during last Saturday’s polls despite all the money they have spent on the electorate,” the source said. Even one of their members was said to have told the governor’s think-tank that the only thing they can do to win at the poll was to “take it by force and violence.

According to the aide, “any attempt to play by the rules of the game will surely fail us. Since we have the soldiers on our side, we should use them and get victory first; then if there is any need for explanation, that will be done later. We have the money, we have the military and can influence other security operatives, so why can’t we use what we have to get what we want?” the aide said.
In fact, a security adviser to the governor, who is a retired military personnel, reportedly boasted before an audience in Ohafia they would use the military to effect victory for PDP on Saturday.
He was said to have advised government to leave Ebem and other parts of Ohafia to him and his military boys, which he vowed to “deliver on a platter of gold.”

Other places they have planned to “take by force” are Obingwa, Isialangwa South, Ukwa East and west as well as Osisioma, Umunneochi, Isuikwuato etc. These are areas considered as stronghold of the opposition. “The plot is to rattle them with violence and once that is done, they will substitute such areas with already prepared results.

Investigation also revealed that there are plans to use his house and those of other well placed PDP Ohafia natives as rigging points, since he will provide the security that would guide them .
“His exploits during last Saturday’s polls where some soldiers were reporting back to him whatwas happening on the field during the polls shows that democracy has been thrown into the dustbin in Abia,” our Source said.

Another meeting has been slated for today to fine-tune the winning plan, which will not be without violence. They are said to have boasted that they have the military, police and other Security agencies and so cannot fold their arms and allow somebody who is not in government to over-run them in the “battle.” Meanwhile, Mr. Aloy Nwabueze, a youth leader in Umunneochi who was battered by the military has cried out to President Goodluck Jonathan and the Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika for justice.

Speaking with journalists in Umuahia on his experience in the hands of soldiers at his community during the last postponed National Assembly election, Nwabueze said he was forcefully arrested by the soldiers over trump-up charges that he slapped the soldier’s niece. He said the soldiers took him to Leru hill, where he was undressed and flogged with cable. He said he was saved by a captain after interrogating him. “He asked them if they found any incriminating tools with me and they said no before I was released.”

The youth leader said that his niece ha told him when he was released that she wanted him to join her party the PDP, but that he went and joined the wrong party, “I told her that I do not belong to any political party and do not care what happens politically only came home to vote”. He said that he had gone to the police to lay his complain after he was discharged from hospital where he went to after the soldiers allowed him to go, stressing that he is not ready to go to court, but only want those in authority to call they soldiers to order.

Nwabueze said that he went home from school where he is studying law to perform his civic duty and that while waiting for the INEC officials to come, a to that the deputy chairman of the council Daniel Okoli came in with some soldiers and asked for his brother. He said that while this was going his niece Obiageli Okereke brought the soldiers to where he was and pointed him out as the one that slapped her, after which the soldiers came after him and ran upstairs in a bid to escape from them.

He said, “On getting to him they started beating him and threw him down from upstairs and forced him into their armoured car and took me away, saying that they are going to waste me, after all many people have died before you and you will not be the last”. The youth leader said that they also told him that the elections have been concluded and that there is nothing he or any other person for that matter can do about it, stressing that there need for the authorities to define the role of the army in the elections.

Nwabueze noted that when he asked them what his offences were, they told him that he is a cultist and trouble maker, “but I told them that I just came back to the village to vote and a law student that I know what it means to be a law breaker and that I know my right”. Nwabuze explained that his aim is to bring to the public what the soldiers are doing in some communities in the rural areas, like parading the roads of the villages with armoured cars and swinging their guns from the top of the armoured cars, making people to run away.

He warned that if the soldiers are not called to order that their behaviour will not make room for a free and fair credible elections in both the state and country, stressing that it could lead to breach of peace as some people may not be ready to allow some few people in cloths bought with public funds to scuttle the elections.

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/features/newsonthehour/2011/apr/08/newsbreak-08-04-2011-001.htm

*Voting materials arrive from China
By JIDE AJANI, OKEY NDIRIBE & BABATUNDE JIMOH
ABUJA – THE Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, yesterday, launched a stock taking mechanism to ensure that materials already used in some parts of the country before the postponement of last Saturday’s elections were not used in subsequent elections.
The commission said its electoral officers in the field would have to account for all the electoral materials that had already been used last Saturday
Vanguard gathered that this was to ensure that “voting materials already used last weekend before the postponement would not find their way back into the system on Saturday when the fresh round of elections hold”.
An INEC commissioner told Vanguard: “INEC is determined to ensure that any form of rigging is nipped in the bud as much as possible so that is why we are putting these mechanisms in place.
Retrieval of materials
“In as much as the places where actual voting commenced is of insignificance when interfaced with the larger Nigerian nation, we are still interested in and committed to ensuring that at the end of the day, none of the few already used materials make their way back into the system and all electoral officers are being made to account for all the materials that they were given and which they signed for.”
In a related development, the commission has commenced moves to penalize some of its vendors whose failure to supply electoral materials resulted in the postponement of elections into the National Assembly.

Police guard some INEC's voting material during the botched Saturday N/Assembly election.
Vanguard was reliably informed that this was part of the fallout of last Saturday’s National Security Council, NSC, meeting between INEC Chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega and members of the NSC which includes but is not limited to President Jonathan and the National Security Adviser, NSA, General Azazi.
The process of penalizing the vendors was disclosed by the Chief Press Secretary to the Chairman of the Commission, Mr. Kayode Idowu, in an interview with several journalists at the Abuja INEC headquarters.
He said the commission was adhering to the terms of the contractual agreements between it and the vendors which stipulates that INEC should not engage in a media trial before meting out the appropriate penalty to the vendor involved adding that it was for this reason that the commission’s boss refrained from mentioning the name of the actual vendor.
Idowu said: “Engaging in a media trial is not one of the terms of the contract and will not help the process of penalising anyone who has breached the agreement.”
He dismissed fears expressed in some quarters that electoral materials which may have been smuggled out of various polling units across the country could be used for cheating when the re_scheduled election holds next Saturday, stressing: “The voting which took place in some parts of the country before the entire poll was postponed could be described as inconclusive since electoral officials who conducted these exercises did not have result sheets in which to record the outcome of such polls.
Recording of results
“Perhaps the intention of such electoral officers was to record the results of the election they conducted in ordinary sheets of paper which was exactly the sham process the Commission wanted to avoid. So, the commission said no.”
Idowu stated that an election did not entail just counting the ballot papers cast adding that there were series of processes involved. He noted that the late arrival of electoral personnel at some of the voting centres across the country was due to the fact that many of them were waiting for the arrival of the electoral materials.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia Airlines was said to have brought into the country yesterday some voting materials belonging to INEC. The materials which arrived the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos was said to have been brought in from China.
A source told Vanguard: “Those materials that came in last night had been cleared and taken away this morning,” adding that other cargo airlines were involved in the airlifting of the election materials into the country.
Arrival of election materials
It was also learnt that some election materials brought in last week Friday by the Saudi Arabia Airlines were taken to one of the South-South states, and that the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company, NAHCO, was involved in the ground handling of the aircraft that brought in the election materials.
The Skyway Aviation Handling Company, SAHCOL, official who spoke with Vanguard on condition of anonymity said they were not involved in any handling of INEC materials in the last two days.
He noted: “We have been involved in handling of INEC materials, but in the last two days we have not handled any of such materials. Except the other handling company did that, but not Sahcol.”
There are indications that more election materials are still coming into the country, according to airport sources.
INEC Chairman, Atahiru Jega, during the cancelled elections on Saturday had blamed the distribution of relief materials to Libya and Japan by Boeing which had been contracted by their vendors for the delay in the arrivals of the materials.
Jega said then that government had stationed Airforce aircraft on ground for the distribution of the materials as soon as they arrive Nigeria through the various airports.

Lets just watch. Think on who exactly to vote for. because as 4me,i feel like 2b in my house dat day self.

Thanks all for you illumination,      oh sorry!

let me think about what one of my people says ,  that GEJ is using another man's regime, so he has limited authority over some issues,  but if he enter on his own, he would perform tremendously, am I suppose to believe this? how? 

My brother in nairaland, i luv jonathan because of his commitment, hardworking, ability to compose esay, huminity and the act of giving less privilege chance to prove his/her ability, but i want to do away with PDP, WHATs d best step?

Join BB2011 ON FACEBOOK

vote Buhari Bakare on FACEBOOK!!!

this is worst dan HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis