₦airaland Forum

He is on point. Though he remains the best candidate for 2015, let's support him to consolidate the transformational Structure he is putting on ground for now, then vote him again later.

24 hours after he was blacklisted by Arik, Arik Website was hacked, confirming the fact fact that Omojuwa is not only a destructive critic, but a criminal used by Elrufai &Co to further their heinous agenda. Although he made fruitless efforts to launder his rented image, the idea of having a hacker as a friend on social platform stinks. He shot himself on the leg

Well meaning Nigerians should key in, the Nigerian dream requires collective efforts

These Representathieves are saboteurs

On point. Ride on

Whether he is alive and with security agents or dead, the most important thing is that the fight is gradually coming to an end. Very soon, GEJ will draw the curtain and usher in a new era devoid of terror, insurgency, and the likes. Welldone JTF And SS people

Now GEJ can comfortably say he is on top of the situation. He has finally over powered the evil people

This guys in the green chamber are bunch of unserious people. So because Otedola exposed their member, they want to rope him in? Is this how the country will grow? Instead of celebrating Otedola for doing what a law abiding ought to do in all similar cases, they are bent on working hard to see that Otedola is floored too. Nigerians are watching, shamelessness doesn't pay.

Enemy of progress.

Gej has demostrated again that the interest of Nigerians occupies the front seat In his administration. He Who hears the people enjoys their goodwill. Carry go

If you look at the Govt agencies and parastatals, you fine unnecessary duplication; two agencies performing the same responsibilities and so on. This move should be greeted with commendation. Atleast the country will have more fund for capital projects.

It is shameful that members of the House are demanding for an additiona 7million even when ordinary Nigerians are crying for job creation, good infracstructtures and so on. So they used impeachment threat to push their demand for pay increase abi? God go punish them

Her health will be restored, ami o

bigtt76: So? How did this affect the cost of 9arri in the m@rket?

There are indications that the National Leader of Action Congress of Nigeria and former Lagos State Gov. Bola TINUBU may opt out of the lame merger talk that is ongoing. TINUBU's decision may have been triggered by the recent decision reached by CPC to dump Buhari with Sanusi as the preferred choice. This move is believed to have angered TINUBU who claims that Sanusi's choice doesn't reflect the image the merger talk intends to create. Sources close to him argued that Asiwaju was not consulted before Sanusi was picked, making it obvious that if Sanusi wins, his allegiance will not be to Him. The ACN leader who currently controls Five state Govs, ought to have played a paramount role in the emergence of any candidate because of the stake he controls, but this never happened. Were they playing a fast one?
Recalled that recently, CPC leaders included smaller parties like ANPP in the talk because of their fear that TINUBU may disappoint them, citing Ribbadu's case as an eye opener. The Question is, if TINUBU opts out, will the merger talk be productive? Why was TINUBU undermined by CPC? Is this talk a fruitful venture?

Govt with humane face.

Boko Haram

That goes to show that ACN is the worst Political party in Nigeria. Same thing is happening in Oyo, Ekiti, Osun, and Ogun except for Fashola who has decided not to toe the part of Thiefnobu

Now that the National Assembly has resumed sitting, maybe the hullabaloo surrounding this 5k will be put to rest.

The House cannot impeach the peoples president without first impeaching the people. Mere ranting

The Osun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has questioned the rationale behind the recent trip of Mr Rauf Aregbesola to Qatar, which, according to the party, is the 34th in the 22-month-old government.

The party is also challenging Mr Aregbesola to refute its findings that over N1 billion had been expended on the 34 trips with nothing to show in the state despite the government’s claim of meeting and inviting investors.

But the state Commissioner for Information, Chief Sunday Akere, denied that the government had spent so much on foreign trips, adding that “we are not reckless in spending as Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola’s administration and our governor, Mr Aregbesola, has never embarked on any trip that would not bring benefits to the people of Osun State.”

He said that Aregbesola was in Qatar to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with foreign partners on Dagbolu International Market.

The PDP, in a statement issued by its Director of Publicity, Prince Diran Odeyemi, said, “we are aware that Mr Aregbesola is right now in Qatar with the Speaker of the State House of Assembly Honourable Najeem Salaam, two aides and 10 of his Lagos-based business associates.”

Reacting to the allegation, the state Commissioner for Information, Chief Sunday Akere, explained that Rauf Aregbesola and the Speaker, Osun State House of Assembly, were in Qatar to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with foreign partners on the development of Dagbolu International Market which was targeted to serve the whole of the South-West zone.

http://tribune.com.ng/index.php/news/47752-pdp-faults-aregbesolas-34th-foreign-trip-in-22-months-

Elder statesman and a former Governor of Kaduna State, Balarabe Musa on Monday told the House of Representatives that the reason(s) to impeach President Goodluck was not convincing and justifiable enough.

Musa said this recently in Lagos while challenging the lawmaker’s continuous threats to impeach the President when it resumes sitting.

Condemning the move, Musa said that the impeachment move based on low implementation of budget cannot be justified, noting that low budget implementation is not the same as non-implementation of budget. He stressed further that the issue of body language as a reason that cannot even be defined.

He said, “There should be fundamental reasons for the president to be impeached. “The reasons the lawmakers are giving, low-level of budget implementation and body language of the President, are unacceptable. “The lawmakers did not say non-implementation of the budget. The body language reason cannot be defined.”

Musa warned that the lawmaker’s move should not be seen as a means to compelling Jonathan to allocate more resources to them; hence, they should search diligently for other reasons why Jonathan must be impeached.

He also cautioned that the national award should not be meant for people who do not deserve to be honored, but for  outstanding and credible people in the country. Reiterating his support for the National Assembly to amend the law on National honour, he said, “I support the plan by the National Assembly to amend the law from honouring distinguished Nigerians, to honoring only those who have done exceptional things outside the capability of vast majority of other Nigerians.”

After two months break, the house will reconvene today (Tuesday)

Meanwhile, a member of the house, Dr. Samuel Adejare, had said that there would be no going back in the move to impeach Mr. President, unless something urgently is done to meet up with the expectation of the house on budget implementation.

Barely three months after President Goodluck Jonathan fired Gen. Owoye Azazi (retd) as the National Security Adviser, leaders of the South-South geopolitical zone have X-rayed the performance of his successor, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd), with some giving a damning verdict, noting that Boko Haram bombings and gun battles are escalating.
Consequently, they wondered why the president sacked Azazi.
But others say Dasuki needs more time to take the bull by the horns as the situation is very complex.
Investigations by SUNDAY PUNCH showed that over 254 people had lost their lives to a rash of bombings and gunfights perpetrated by suspected terrorists and Fulani herdsmen in the North, in the 11 weeks that Dasuki had been in the saddle. He came to office on June 22.

Findings showed that 45 of the cases were bombings, 20 gun attacks, mostly battles with security agencies, while there were 26 attacks on public buildings and infrastructure, such as telecommunication equipment of MTN, Airtel, Globacom and Etisalat in Potiskum and Damaturu.

Also, within the period under review, the sect successfully extended its operations to Sokoto and Kogi states and scaled up attacks in the cities of Kano, Jos, Kaduna, Maiduguri, Damaturu and Okene.

Deeply worried by this development, the President engaged two of his predecessors — Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (retd) — to intervene; and on July 29, they warned that Nigeria was on the brink of disintegration.

They had said, “The loss of innocent lives by the day across the nation is simply unbearable. Currently, the nation is gripped by a regime of fear and uncertainty that virtually all citizens have difficulties going about their normal day-to-day activities without great anxiety and trepidation. This cannot be allowed to continue.”

Reviewing the situation, the spokesperson for the Ijaw Republican Assembly, Ankio Briggs, said the violence in the North had escalated under Dasuki’s watch, adding that it was an indication that the sacking of Azazi was politically motivated.

She said, “I don’t think for one bit that Azazi was removed because of incompetence, but due to political pressure and the need to appease the Peoples Democratic Party and a section of the country.

“Nothing has changed since Azazi was removed. In fact, it is even worse right now. They (Boko Haram) have gone to another level by now targeting telecommunications masts. If you know the importance of telecommunications to Nigerians and to government, then you would realise how serious these recent attacks are.”

Briggs also accused the political class of double standards, stressing that Dasuki had made worse political comments on the violence in the North than Azazi.

Prior to his removal, the former NSA had blamed the PDP for the insurgency.

Similarly, a former Bayelsa State Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association, Mr. Stanley Damabide, said the prevailing insecurity had shown that the fault was not with Azazi.

He said, “It is obvious that the removal of Azazi has not really made any difference. The insecurity situation is a problem that has grown beyond the office of the NSA.

“It requires a deep incisive surgical operation in the security system.”

The Coordinator, Ijaw Monitoring Group, Comrade Joseph Eva, in the same vein said, “Now it is obvious to everybody that since Azazi was removed, things have gone worse.

“It was under Dasuki that they started destroying telecom facilities and I think they have a plan.  The ones in government are pushing Jonathan to make unpopular decisions so that the President will be unpopular towards 2015.

“This is giving the South-South people a serious concern. In fact, we are still protesting the removal of Azazi.”

The communal concern was evinced on August 24, in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, at a meeting of Ijaw leaders where Jonathan’s safety was on the agenda as most of his security chiefs were not from South-South.

However, the Publicity Secretary, Ijaw National Congress, Mr. Victor Burubo, told one of our correspondents the President had the prerogative to hire and fire anybody.

Burubo expressed optimism that Dasuki had what it takes to perform as NSA, adding that the decision to remove Azazi was not a mistake.

He said, “As the President of the country, he (Jonathan) has the prerogative to hire and fire. We should also know that no two situations can be similar.

“We have to give Dasuki a chance and I know he will prove that the President did not make a mistake by appointing him a National Security Adviser.”

Similarly, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Defence and Army, Senator George Sekibo, from Rivers State, said “The appointment of the new NSA was in response to calls by Nigerians. Now that he has assumed office, he has to continue to build consensus. The security situation can only improve with time.

“We cannot expect the security situation to be totally resolved suddenly. As time goes on, things will normalise.”

A former President, Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People,  Mr.Ledum Mitee, told SUNDAY PUNCH that national security should not be the sole responsibility of the NSA just as he said where the occupant of the position hails from was irrelevant.

According to him, addressing the problem requires a blend of social security and military approach.

He explained, “Bombings in the North are national issues. They (Boko Haram) have been attacking churches and also mosques. Even if you take someone from Maiduguri and make him the NSA, it is not a guarantee that the violence will cease. It does no matter what part of the country the NSA hails from.”

A political economist, Prof. Pat Utomi, corroborated Mitee’s position, and maintained that the insurgency had gone out of hand, stretching beyond the original interests that fuelled it.

Utomi, in an interview, said, “Anybody that thinks the violence is still running on the political or religious interests that originated it, is making a mistake.

“On issues like these, ancillary interests take over along the line; then, it becomes difficult to control. So, it has become a national problem and all of us are paying a price, one way or the other.”

Shortly after Azazi was sacked, Jonathan said he had to go because the Federal Government was changing strategy in its fight against terrorism. Dasuki, perhaps, demonstrated this when made spirited visits to Maiduguri, Damaturu, Potiskum and Jos seen as haven for the terrorists.

However, the series of visits, during which Dasuki met with political and religious leaders in the affected areas, as well as the purported ongoing negotiation between the Federal Government and the Boko Haram sect, were yet to impact positively.

....

ABUJA-  THE National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP,  Alhaji Bamanga Tukur yesterday pleaded with aggrieved members of the party and those who left to in the spirit of his birthday return to the fold.
He said if they do that, it will be the greatest honour that will be done to him.

Tukur who is marking his 77th birthday  yesterday, promised that the  PDP would make special arrangement for members who are prepared to return to  the party to feel comfortable, adding that plans have been concluded  to engage them in the ongoing reform.

The PDP national chairman who noted that  special roles will  be assigned to them, said,

“For us as to be one, indivisible and indissoluble political party ruling Nigeria since 1999, it may be necessary for me to beg our members who are aggrieved and hence left the party into different strange camps to come back home. It is time to re-build Nigeria and all hands are needed to do so.
“The umbrella is big enough to accommodate all of us. So our members who left us should please come back into the party so we can resolve our differences and begin to move on as one people for one Nation Nigeria”

Tukur who said that he did not accept the position of national chairman  to acquire fame or fortune, explained that he came on board  to give back to Nigeria much of what the country had offered him all along to become who he is today.
The PDP National Chairman who urged members of the party and Nigerians to  support President Goodluck Jonathan to  succeed in his Transformation Agenda, however reiterated that the PDP would soon set machinery in motion to engage its founding fathers, elders and stakeholders in rebuilding the party through his 12-point agenda of Reconciliation, Reformation and Re-building based on equity and justice, such that PDP would continue to remain in the saddle with spread to all parts of the federation.
On the security challenge in the country, Tukur said that  the PDP has always been in league with Federal Government and security agencies in their efforts to mitigate the problem and return Nigeria to the path of peace.

The Minister of Works, Mike Onolememen, has said that some federal roads will be fixed in 2013.

The minister said this while introducing Project Safe Passage during a meeting with Federal Government road project contractors across the country.

He said the essence of the new initiative was to ensure that by Dec.2012, Nigerians had good road corridors devoid of potholes, thus promoting safe motoring on federal roads.

The minister’s strategy for realising the Project Safe Passage requires contractors and FERMA to fix all sections of roads that had failed or had pot-holes before proceeding with the other contracts.

“In other words, Project Safe Passage would be considered as a contingency for failed sections of road alignments. Federal roads without subsisting contracts will be taken over by FERMA through its direct labour scheme for the implementation of Project Safe Passage,” the statement said.

Mallam managed to be objective today. Abi na becos of the power ministry position when him want?

Badbelle people.

Worshippers should consider the lives of innocent citizens, and leave spiritual fights for the owner. Movie producers should also learn to produce non provocative films. Abel o

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has received ballot paper design machines as the election agency intensifies  preparations for the 2015 elections.
The election agency confirmed that it is in receipt of 17 out of 22 equipment meant for its Graphics Centre where ballot papers for the 2015 polls will be designed.
The commission also explained that once it is in control of design of its ballot papers, the issue of fake copies will not arise.
It claimed that it is restructuring its personnel to put square pegs in square holes.
Chief Press Secretary to INEC chairman, Mr. Kayode Idowu, who  made the clarifications in an interview with our correspondent,  said the costs of the equipment are borne by  International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES).
Since 2007 elections, IFES has been providing technical assistance and strategic capacity building for INEC.
Idowu said: “INEC, with the support of the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) is setting up a Graphics Centre that will give it in-house capacity to develop and produce its civic / voter education materials, design and produce training manuals and allied materials, design drafts of ballot papers, print small-scale education materials, among others. 
“So far, 17 items of equipment have been delivered; five more items will be coming in a couple of days; and others by month-end.”
Idowu gave an insight into how the graphics centre will be managed.
He added: “The centre will be fully manned by specially trained staff of the Commission, with all the quality-control processes in place; hence the issue of fake ballot papers does not arise.
 “The staff with graphics and computer skills are being pooled, both from the headquarters and state offices of INEC. 
“The centre is largely a graphics centre; the issue of printing of ballot papers is not in the equation (maybe yet). As for costs (of the Centre equipment?), these are borne largely by IFES.”
Idowu added: “Mechanisms for stopping late delivery of ballot papers “by contractors” include ensuring early printing.
“But really, late delivery of ballot papers hasn’t been an issue for the Commission even before now.”
On the ongoing reforms in the commission, he said it is aimed at achieving efficiency.
He added: “Highlights of restructuring in INEC involves “putting square pegs in square holes” and making the entire organisation very nimble and efficient; such that it could deliver free, fair and credible elections as a norm, not an exception.”
The Nation had exclusively reported that the Chairman of INEC and his team have agreed to merge the 29 departments in the commission into nine (9) between now and January 2013.
Although the chairman wanted seven departments, the National Commissioners insisted on nine.
The restructuring is based on the system review of the commission by PricewaterhouseCoopers.
The audit firm’s report reads in part: “Over departmentalised and sectionalised corporate structure. The corporate structure has too many departments, directorates and units, some of which were created to satisfy selfish growth interests and in some cases to prevent discord between staff on the sa
“Absence of a strategic thinking role for the commission. The corporate structure did not make provision for a corporate planning and development functions whose responsibility will include facilitation of strategic planning process and the coordination of the commission’s development initiatives. This creates difficulty in strategic planning and continuous improvement.”