NIGERIAN TRIBUNE – As political parties
in Lagos State strategise to position
themselves for the governorship race
coming up in 2015, posters of richest
woman in Africa, according to Forbes
Magazine, Mrs Folorunsho Alakija, have
been posted online as an aspirants for
the exalted office.
The Forbes Magazine named Mrs Alakija
as the richest woman in Africa according
to its November 2012 edition while
Wikipedia described her as the richest
Black woman on earth with an estimated
net worth of $3.2 billion.
The poster, bearing the photograph of
the international businesswoman, who is
also into oil and gas, bears the
inscription: Lagos 2015, Vote Folorunso
Alakija for governor in Lagos 2015
Election.
However, findings are yet to show if any
of the posters have been sighted
anywhere in Lagos, just as the woman is
yet to be identified with any of the
political parties in the state.
A politician in the state, who spoke on
condition of anonymity, said he had
never seen Alakija in any political
gathering or identified her with any
political party in the state.

METRO NAIJA – The chapter of the All
Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa
State has accused policemen in the state
of dismantling party’s signpost and the
flags.
The claim has appeared in less than 24
hours after opening of APC’s proposed
secretariat complex along the Tombia
round-about in Yenagoa, the capital city
of Goodluck Jonathans’ home state.
Yesterday’s development has reportedly
attracted crowds, passersby, politicians
and motorists to the amazement of the
members of the ruling party in the state.
The Interim Secretary of APC, Mr. Sidi
Godwin, commented on the dismantling
of the party’s flags and signpost,
described such an act as undemocratic,
unconstitutional and political atrocity.
The Secretary narrated he had received
phone calls from private security men of
the APC that some plain clothes
policemen stormed the secretariat in the
morning and dismantled all the party
flags and signpost.
He alleged that after the action was
carried out, the security operatives took
APC’s symbols to an unknown
destination.
Mr. Sidi further expressed sadness at the
incident, wondered why Nigerians
should not be allowed to freely join
political parties of their choice in the
country, particularly in Bayelsa State.
The Party’s Interim Secretary said
nobody was arrested during the
intervention.
Mr. Hillary Opara, the Bayelsa State
Commissioner for Police, said in a
telephone conversation that he did not
authorise policemen to dismantle any
flags or signpost:
“I am not aware of that. I did not
authorise policemen to dismantle APC
flags and signpost.”

taharqa: You now have both Videos. Did SR remove parts of d complete Vid to make it look like NOI was d Aggressor here or not? Did they present d very uncultured and rude way the Chair of d Committee talked to NOI or did they remove most of those parts? Did SR manipulate their own video to push an agenda and make an individual look bad....PS: this Channels FULL Vid was what elicited d angry reaction towards d Childish behaviour of d Chair by very many Nigerians including Dr Ezekwelize. I remember Dr Ezekwesili saying matter-of-factly, that d Chair of d Committee wud not qualify as Research Assistant to NOI in d real world but for politics...

being a doctor or professor is not really a big deal,it doesn't mean u knw all things,it only means u knw alot about one thing............ so if someone is a Prof of economics,it only means he knows alot about economics

more like predictions but,all those people dat he sounded warning to should start praying n seek the face of God themselves

I think pdp is not really doing anything concerning dis crossing over,they should have met with dis guys,they would ave been a good tool in making d governor return to pdp or send packing for their man (d deputy governor ) n I think d decamping members too would have been a good tool for d citizens in keeping the governor in check,and ensuring dat he governs well

agbameta:


Olodo can't read and comprehend elementary school villager. Must you even open your rancid ignorant village mouth?

u dey mind am

ogologodimkpa: Please which thanksgiving is that?
The topic is misleading...
It should have been :Fashola's Speech at RCCG 2013 Annual Thanksgiving.

@ OP: If you mention RCCG thanksgiving in your write up, will it make you a less human

I believe u can read and you should be knw that lagos holds an annual thanksgiving service and dis was d 15th edition
Read
Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, it is with
warmest regards that I welcome you to the
15th annual thanksgiving service hosted by the
Government of Lagos State.

femi4: The phrase, “…the kingdom of heaven
suffers violence,” refers to how religious
men have used positions of authority to
bully their way into control of the
religious institution of Christ’s time, which
was the Jewish synagogue, but more
particular, the Jewish temple with its
wealth, prestige and status as a political
establishment.

The original Greek word biázœ (NT: 971)
in Matthew 11:12 is translated as suffers
violence; biázœ is a compound word
originating from a root bías (NT: 970),
meaning strength. Biázœ means literally
to overpower by rushing forcefully into.

In Matthew 11:12 biázetai is used in the
present indicative passive but also used
with middle voice (for self-interests);
present indicative affirms something that
is occurring while the speaker (Jesus) is
making his statement; passive voice
shows the subject (the kingdom of God)
as receiving the action (i.e. forceful
violence) of the verb; the middle voice
indicates the subject as acting in some
way upon himself or concerning himself
(i.e. the violent force their way into the
kingdom for their own interests not
God’s).

Men of violence, honoring the
Law and the Prophets, have
been seeking to take the
kingdom by force and violence
until now; but now, since John,
the good news of the non
violent kingdom is preached
and everyone who enters it
suffers violence.

tanx

it was a funny senario in my church today wen a family dedicated their child and wen d name was rolled out,I just couldn't stop laughing, they called him Ogunshakin Jesuseun

What does this verse mean, "And from the days of John the Baptist until now the KINGDOM OF HEAVEN SUFFERETH VIOLENCE, and the violent take it by force."? (Matthew 11:12).
please I need your view or opinion

In fact, despite the hysterical shibboleths
of sycophants, broad sections of
Nigerians believe, correctly, I am afraid,
that President Jonathan’s administration
is among the most corrupt since
independence. If religion were a force in
fostering good leadership, Nigeria would
have been the greatest country in the
world, even surpassing the United States,
given her incredible human and
material resources and clement weather
conditions.
Accordingly, outward show of religiosity
by our leaders does not have appreciable
positive impact – probably they are
pretending in order to deceive gullible
Nigerians. I am not surprised that
President Jonathan’s religious
devotedness has not really helped him
fight corruption and indiscipline
effectively, because reliance on
supernatural assistance for exemplary
leadership tends to discourage critical
and creative thinking that can generate
valid solutions to the problem of
haphazard development. That said, the
Islamic and Christian clergy currently
hobnobbing with Mr. President,
governors and so on are mostly cash-
and-carry “men of God” only interested
in boosting their bank accounts and
prestige. Prominent imams and pastors
supported the odious regimes of military
dictators, just as President Jonathan is
receiving unalloyed backing from
prominent pastors. Considering the
closeness of our failed leaders to
sycophantic pastors and imams, the
latter appear to have connived with the
former to impoverish the people more
and more since they do not want to lose
the benefits and privileges they enjoy
being close to the corridors of power.
Ideally, religious leaders should be bold
in speaking out against injustice,
corruption, and impunity in
government. In our own case, fawning
members of the clergy are
pusillanimous; they pretend that “it is
well,” and continuously ask Nigerians to
pray for their leaders. The only prayer
our leaders deserve, if indeed there is a
God that answers prayers, is the request
that those guilty of corruption and
incompetent leadership should be
afflicted with protracted terrible and
incurable diseases that will prevent them
from enjoying their ill-gotten wealth.
Looking at the main theme from a
different angle, on the strength of
Section 10 of the 1999 Constitution
which prohibits adoption of a state
religion, Nigeria is often referred to as a
secular state. But it is more accurate to
describe the country as a multi religious
society, judging by the overarching
influence of religion in all aspects of our
national life.
People hardly realise that the billions of
naira flowing out of the country for
government-sponsored pilgrimages and
religious tourism could have been put to
better use in education, health and
general infrastructural development. If
Nigeria were indeed a secular society,
why should the federal and state
governments be involved in financing
and organising pilgrimages to purported
holy lands outside Nigeria? What is the
benefit of wasting public resources in a
matter that should be more
appropriately handled by the intending
pilgrims and private organisations? The
way I see it, going to Jerusalem,
Bethlehem, and Mecca for religious
purposes is a waste of energy and
resources. For, assuming that Jehovah or
Allah is omnipresent as the faithful
claim, what is the point in spending vast
sums of money in holy pilgrimages, with
the risks associated with air travel, since
the supreme being can be worshipped
anywhere? If God can answer a sincere
believer in my village, Ishi-Owerri, what
is the need for travelling to the Middle
East? Another issue to consider is the
debilitating effects of Christian and
Islamic doctrines on the intellect,
especially on children and the youth
generally. The scriptures of both
religions contain numerous absurd
propositions that can only be accepted
with blind faith. Unquestioned belief in
virgin birth, resurrection, existence of
angels, hell fire and paradise, for
example, is based solely on faith, not on
scientific evidence. Thus, it is regarded
as a sign of piety for believers to be
indifferent to the question of truth
concerning these articles of faith. The
negative consequence of this attitude is
that believers hardly try to justify their
religious doctrines with sound argument;
the more violent ones among them
readily resort to violence against those
who refuse to believe what believers
believe dogmatically.
The best one gets from most religious
devotees is the sanctimonious fallacious
argument that one ought to believe
everything in The Holy Bible or The Holy
Koran because doing so is socially useful
or encourages ethical conduct. It must be
remarked that oftentimes people have
already accepted the fundamental
principles of morality on purely
mundane grounds before citing relevant
religious texts as justification. That is to
say, they have a theology based on their
conception of what is right and what is
wrong, and not the other way round.
Dogmatic assurance of the truth of
Christianity and Islam has done
incalculable harm to the cognitive and
affective faculties of Nigerian youths.
Think of all the hocus pocus about sin,
miracles and supernatural interventions
preached several days in a week from
different pulpits in all the churches
nationwide; consider the fiery
admonitions of fanatic imams to the
faithful on the need for martyrdom in
the cause of Allah. It is almost impossible
to discuss rationally the difficult
challenges of contemporary Nigeria with
the average Nigerian without the latter
expressing total reliance on the
inexorability of divine intervention in
the fullness of time.
A generation fed continuously with the
diet of religious superstition, as is the
case presently, can hardly incubate the
critical mass of creative and bold minds
capable of generating imaginative ideas
and implementing them for positive
social transformation. Devotion to the
teachings of Islam and Christianity,
usually distorted by power-hungry,
sexually perverted materialistic
preachers and evangelists, leads to
cognitive dissonance and all sorts of
mental disorientation. Pentecostal
churches are the biggest culprits in this
respect, because the general overseers,
by relentlessly regurgitating falsehoods
and uncorroborated accounts of miracles
that never took place, disconnect
millions of their followers from the real
world, many of whom suffer severe
mental torture bordering on insanity as
a result.
Moreover, there is compelling evidence
that many pastors and imams use
diabolical means to strengthen and
consolidate their entrapment of
prominent church members. Thousands
of gullible Nigerians have given away
billions in cash and property to wily
demagogues and criminals
masquerading as men and women of
God. Countless others have been
rendered useless by greedy and wicked
religious preachers who readily exploit
the existential fears and gullibility of
people to extort money and property
from them. It is impossible to forget
those that lost their means of livelihood
and whose families are destroyed simply
because they succumbed completely to
the sugary banalities of lunatic
demagogues in religious garments. What
about sincere worshippers who died
while under the illusion that they are
doing God’s work, and believers that
refused to seek medical help on time or
take their medication due to unshakable
trust in God’s alleged miraculous healing
powers?
To be continued.
copied from osundefender

skyfall: The little good news that come out of Nigeria are usually from the SW. That says a lot. Thumbs up to the SW governors and people.

this is why you see most foreigners who cum to Nigeria thinks Nigeria is only abt the yorubas, u even see dem trying to speak yoruba n some of dem even learn it before cumin

I agree with u totally,and that is why I have concern about ogun state with d way it is developing, cos this people will start seeing it as an alternative to lagos, well I think the federal government really need to support n compliment the effort of the lagos state government, because it gives Nigeria d highest non oil revenue and it is also d largest economy of d country it is also seen as the gateway to Nigeria by most around d world and lastly because, every family, tribe and state has someone in Lagos......

wahala dey dis country oooo, why dem go put person wey burn a whole local government secretariat, to cover up his fraud for ITF, dem cum even use am do chairman, now I knw why am yet to receive my IT fund after 3years

THE NATION – It was meant to be a
symbolic and colourful ceremony. But
Ondo State Governor Olusegun Mimiko’s
budget presentation was anything but
colourful.
Of the 26 members of the Assembly, 17
shunned the presentation.
Only nine lawmakers were present; 12
stayed around the premises of the
Assembly Complex as Mimiko presented
the N162 billion 2014 budget.
The Assembly is made up of 25 Labour
Party (LP) members and one Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) member.
It was gathered that the lawmakers who
shunned the presentation were aggrieved
over “non-consultation with the
Assembly on the budget presentation
and poor implementation of the 2013
budget”.
The presentation was presided over by
the Deputy Speaker, Dare Emiola.
The Speaker, Samuel Adesina, is ill.
The Majority Leader, Ifedayo
Akinsoyinu, was present.
Other principal officers, including the
Chairman, House Committee on Finance
and Appropriation, Fidelis
Akinwolemiwa (Ondo East); his Vice,
Akindele Adeniyi (Akure South);
Chairman, House Committee on
Information, Oyebo Aladetan (Ilaje I)
and Minority Leader Akpoebi Lubi, were
absent.
Though Akinsoyinu blamed the poor
turnout on official assignments, those
absent said they were not on any official
assignment.
They said they shunned the sitting
because they were not properly
informed of the presentation.
One of them, who pleaded for
anonymity, said: “We are not happy
with the level of development in Ondo
State. Projects have been moving at a
snail’s pace and the governor has failed
this year.”
Speaking with The Nation over the
phone, Lubi said the lawmakers were
not happy with the “poor”
implementation of the 2013 budget,
which “recorded 30 per cent
performance”.
He said on December 24, the lawmakers
rejected a re-ordering budget of N1.5
billion sent to the House by the
governor.
Describing the budget presentation as
“illegal”, Lubi said the governor needs
two-third majority of the House before
he can present a budget.
A chieftain of the All Progressives
Congress (APC), Mr. Ade Adetimehin,
praised the lawmakers for “standing
against illegality” and for being alive to
their duties.
Adetimehin alleged that Mimiko had
been mismanaging the state’s funds and
urged the lawmakers to impeach him.
Former Secretary of the defunct Action
Congress of Nigeria (ACN) Mr.
Adegboyega Adedipe challenged Mimiko
to tell the people what he achieved with
last year’s budget, adding: “We are not
surprised that the implementation of the
2013 budget was scored 30 per cent by
the lawmakers because we are aware
that Mimiko had been mismanaging the
state’s funds.
“People in the riverside areas are crying
because they have not enjoyed the
dividends of democracy, even though
President Goodluck Jonathan and his
wife, Patience, are their kinsmen. It is
well known that Mimiko is very close to
Jonathan, so we urge the President to
visit the riverside areas of Ondo State
and see how the people are suffering.”
In the proposed budget, tagged: “Caring
Heart Phase Five”, N69.681 billion was
earmarked for recurrent expenditure
and N92.319 billion for capital
expenditure.
Mimiko said the budget would be
financed with the N43 billion Statutory
Allocation; N15 billion Internally-
Generated Revenue (IGR); N10 billion
Value Added Tax (VAT); N7 billion roll
over fund; N20 billion Mineral
Derivation Fund and N5 billion from the
Subsidy Re-investment Programme
(SURE-P), among others.

Engr. Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola was born
in the month of May, 1957. He had his
primary and secondary education in
Ondo State, and later attended The
Polytechnic, Ibadan, where he studied
Mechanical Engineering and graduated
in 1980. As a pupil in the primary
school, Rauf was a centre-point around
whom his mates hovered for guidance
and direction. As a student, he was
focused for remarkable performance
which he made distinctively and
seamlessly. In the Polytechnic, he
positioned himself to conquer his
environment by engaging in prolific
studies.
The career man
Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of
Management (FNIM), Fellow of Nigerian
Society of Engineers (FNSE), Fellow of
the Nigerian Association of Technological
Engineers (FNATE) and Fellow of the
Certified Marketing Communications
Institute of Nigeria (FCMCIN), Rauf
Aregbesola has a wealth of experience
garnered through wide exposure in the
private sector, such as the Nigerian
External Telecommunications, now
renamed Nigerian Telecommunications
Ltd. and Lagos Airport Hotel, before
establishing his own Engineering
Services Company, Aurora Nigeria
Limited, in 1986. The company had
handled numerous major projects for
both government and private
organisations in most States of the
Federation.
The politician
Politically, Rauf has been no less a
phenomenon. His involvement in politics
dates back to his undergraduate days
when he was Speaker of the Students’
Parliament (1977/78), The Polytechnic,
Ibadan, and the President of the Black
Nationalist Movement (1978-1980). He
was also an active supporter of other
progressive students’ movements
nationwide, which earned him, for
instance, the life membership of
National Association of Technological
Students. In June 1990, he became an
elected delegate to the SDP Inaugural
Local Government Area Congress. In July
of the same year, he was also a delegate
to its first National Convention in Abuja.
Rauf Aregbesola, as a pro-democracy
and human rights activist, was a major
participant in the demilitarisation and
pro-democracy struggles of the 1990s.
Prior to his appointment as the Lagos
State Commissioner for Works and
Infrastructure (1999-2007), he was
Director of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu
Campaign Organisation (BATCO), which
engineered the electoral victory of
Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the
Governor of Lagos State in 1999. He
performed similar feat using the
platform of Independent Campaign
Group (ICG) to ensure the re-election of
Asiwaju for a second term in office.
The Commissioner
Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola acquitted
himself excellently as Commissioner for
Works and Infrastructure in Lagos State
between 1999 and 2007 with the strength
of his commitment to selfless service. His
diligence, sincerity and tirelessness in
the administration of the vast Ministry
of Works and Infrastructure, as well as
supervision of the Public Works
Corporation and State Electricity Board,
has been acknowledged as being
responsible for the outstanding success
recorded by the Tinubu administration,
especially in road rehabilitation/
maintenance and street lighting; and
achievement that solidly laid the
foundation for the actualisation of Lagos
as the model of development and good
governance as being sustained by
Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola today.
Indeed, it is a known fact that he is one
of the brains behind the infrastructural
re-engineering that has now resulted in
the transformation of social amenities in
Lagos State.
Some of the novel achievements and
innovations due to Aregbesola’s
visionary qualities and enterprise
include the redefinition and application
of new aesthetic standards to ministry
blocks and offices as corporate
workplaces; vision and mission
definition, annual staff retreats and
modern manpower capacity building
trainings; introduction of facility
management practices; pioneering
achievements in PR (ministry journal)
and IT (website) operation; Pioneering
Private/Public Sector Partnership
Ventures; Award-winning best practices
projects; etc.
The believer and advocate of the rule of
law
Aregbesola’s belief in the sanctity of the
rule of law is exemplary.
Engr. Rauf Aregbesola, on the platform
of the then Action Congress (AC)
contested for the Governorship of Osun
State in the April 2007 elections, and
won. To be so declared, however, took
close to four years of what must go down
as one of the most titanic mandate
recovery legal battles of all time, and a
moment for the manifestation of the
omnipotence of the Almighty God and his
steadfastness in support of those who
rely on him.
Having gone through the tribunal of first
instance, an appeal and a retrial
tribunal, the second appeal court,
delivering judgment on October 26, 2010,
declared Aregbesola governor and
ordered he be sworn in the next day.
Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola, since
assuming office as Governor of the State
of Osun on October 27, 2010, has
redefined the meaning of governance in
the public sector, not just with symbolic
posturing, but real and sustainable
interventions that will presently enhance
the quality of life of everyone that lives
or works in the State of Osun.
Rebranding of the state as the ipinle
Omoluabi (State of the Virtuous) started
from himself, adopting the title Ogbeni,
simply Mister, in deference to the
singular Excellency of the Almighty God.
In just over a year, the chronicle of his
achievements is astounding, and may be
summarised as a chain of “O-Models”,
the most astonishing been the
engagement of 20,000 youth in the Osun
Youth Empowerment Scheme within his
first 100 days in office; an
accomplishment without precedence that
has become the model for others to
follow.
The strategist/visionary
Rauf is a born strategist. Throughout his
life, whether as a pupil, student or
career man; political appointee or
Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji
Aregbesola has applied the art and
science of strategy to ensure success in
all endeavours in which he is engaged.
He strategised and was outstanding as a
student. He strategised and was efficient
and effective as a career man. He
strategised and was accomplished as a
grassroots politician. He strategised and
was excellent as a commissioner in
Lagos State. He strategised to reclaim his
mandate when he was rigged out in the
race to offer selfless service to the good
people of Osun. He strategised to lay a
sound foundation for a regenerated
Osun State knowing that sustainable
development does not happen with
‘quick fix’ methods, tools, and
techniques. He is strategising to position
Osun and the good people of the state
appropriately in the geo-economic
milieu of Nigeria. He is a fervent
believer in the dictum that strategists do
not fail and so will not fail the people of
Osun.
Committed to a better, egalitarian
society, Aregbesola, though fully anxious
to build a society with massive physical
infrastructures that promote better
living, believes in first pursuit of those
human values that can pave the way for
the emergence of that total man, who is
socially responsible. Hence his dogged
pursuit of programmes extra-curricular
schemes, such as the Calisthenics,
Omoluabi Boys and Girls Club, and other
schemes aimed at re-orientating the
youths to channel their energies towards
a society where the promotion of the
common, collective goods will dominate
the crazy pursuit of the good of the self.
He stirs the hornet’s nests often; but,
these are in his determined attempts to
break the norms to achieve extra-
ordinary results. To date, he has ignited
debates on federalism, restructuring of
education towards functionality, equity,
justice and fairness in all spheres of life.
Even in the face of mounting criticisms,
he holds tenaciously to his ideas,
convinced that oppositions to them are
products of long years of military rule,
ignorance of what is even good for
humanity and the acute manipulative
capacities of those whose interest it is to
keep the ordinary people perpetually
subjugated.
The family man
An exemplary family man, Rauf
Aregbesola is a loving husband and
caring father. Married to Alhaja Sherifat
Aregbesola, he has nurtured his family
with equal devotion and commitment.
For these reasons, he is a thinker, ardent
performer, a visionary leader, a
transformational leader, an agent of
strategic change, a man for the people;
Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola,
Governor of the State of Osun.

Renowned Nigerian Prophet T.B. Joshua has
declared 2014 as a year of ‘crossing the bridge’,
prophesying it to be a year of destiny where
corruption would be corrected in Nigeria as
corrupt leaders would go down.
It was an electric atmosphere in The Synagogue
Church Of All Nations (SCOAN) where large
crowds thronged to usher in the New Year 2014.
T.B. Joshua came out around 11pm to deliver his
much anticipated prophetic message in a
broadcast beamed live via the churches popular
television station Emmanuel TV.
He first counseled believers to stay steadfast in
faith despite the challenges that would arise in
the coming year. “We are tempted so that we
may pray the more. Afflictions are meant for our
spiritual benefit,” he encouraged the congregants
and television viewers.
Moving on, he spoke about what was to be
expected in the New Year, attendees listening with
rapt attention and scribbling notes as he spoke.
“This New Year 2014 is not like any other year in
the past. It is a year of crossing bridge. To cross
the bridge, you need to grab onto faith,” he
began. “This is not going to be easy for the
mighty. Many of the mighty will fall. Pray for
them. The rich, famous and popular people –
many will fall this 2014 because crossing the
bridge is not going to be easy; they need God.
Many of them believe it is their own making to be
great in their own area of expertise.”
He went on to decry the effect this ‘fall’ would
have on the business world as, according to him,
“98% of businesses and companies are owned by
these people.” Specifying a field of business that
would especially be affected, he said the airline
industry would face multiple challenges, leading
to an unprecedented rise in ticket prices,
particularly noting that African airlines would be
most affected. Joshua further declared 2014 to be
a year of destiny for those would ‘follow the ways
of the Lord’. “Many people that are not known
will be rise by destiny,” he prophesied.
Talking about the current Nigerian political
situation, Joshua said, “There will be a leadership
tussle on who will lead and who will be
presidential candidate in APC which will affect
them as a political party. They should be vigilant.
Many are with them in flesh but not with them in
spirit.” Talking about the current crisis Nigeria’s
ruling party PDP are embroiled in, the prophet
stated that they would ‘pay any price to unite’
but that the issue of who would be the
presidential candidate would cause challenges.
“Many of the key leaders in political parties will
go down in 2014,” Joshua then announced to the
somber audience. “If many key leaders go down
with 2014, what will now happen in 2015? Pray
for 2015 to be fulfilled. The beginner is not the
owner but the finisher.”
He then stated to thunderous applause that 2014
would see a positive improvement for the nation
in the area of corruption. “What will happen in
2014 will result in the correction of the corruption
in Nigeria because many corrupt leaders will go
down in 2014.”
Joshua then prayed for the congregants who all
lit candles to symbolize the dawn of the New
Year. “God has promised that 2014 is the year of
destiny. Your destiny cannot be changed. This
New Year, your destiny cannot be tampered with.
I command your dream to come true, your dream
to come to fulfillment, in Jesus’ name.”

nice write up,I hope una no go disappoint

TeaParty: You or your source is a pure liar. I have seen the budget and only 700M naira is budgeted for the national conference.

you don read paper today?......it's in every newspaper, get one.

WHOEVER says talk is cheap has not seen
details of the Federal Government’s budget for
next year.
The government is to spend N11 billion to host
the national dialogue and the World Economic
Forum (WEF) in Abuja.
This figure is contained in the details of the 2014
budget breakdown, which states that N7 billion
is to be spent on the national dialogue.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, on January
18, 2005, requested the approval of N932 million
to fund a three-month National Political Reform
Conference scheduled to begin mid-February of
the same year.
In the breakdown, Obasanjo said delegates
would earn N21.68million as sitting allowance
and N650. 25 million as allowances in lieu of
accommodation. Also included was N1.7million
for return tickets from London, Washington,
Beijing and Johannesburg, in addition to N28,800
for return flights to Abuja for the inaugural
session and subsequent conference meetings.
Delegates, he noted, would be given N14,400 for
airport taxi and local transportation within Abuja.
There was provision for, at least, two CVU long
wheel cars to be hired and fuelled at N2.9
million.
However, in the case of the Dr. Jonathan
administration’s national dialogue, there is no
breakdown of how the N 7 billion will be spent.
Besides, N4 billion is to be spent on hosting the
WEF in Abuja.
These figures are captured under the Service
Wide Vote of the Federal Ministry of Finance for
2014, with other expenses submitted for
appropriation to the National Assembly. They
include N35,409,859,962 to fund the presidential
amnesty programme for the reintegration of
transformed ex-militants; N546,300,000 for the
presidential amnesty programme for the
reintegration/transition safety allowances for
3,642 ex-militants (third phase) and
N3,699,933,814 as operational cost for the
programme.
Besides, the fund allocated to the Independent
National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct
elections, N21 billion is voted by the Ministry
under its service wide vote for election logistics
support. There is also N7 billion proposal for
payment of outsourced services.
Under the miscellaneous heading of the
ministry’s service wide vote in 2014, N27.5
billion is proposed to be spent on unexplained
contingency funding; N5,149,600,000 is set aside
for adjustments to the recurrent budget and N5
billion for capital cost adjustments.
The capital expenditure of the ministry’s service
wide vote is estimated to cost N433,584,612357.
From this amount, N100 billion will go to finance
constituency projects for legislators of the
National Assembly; N62.8 billion for special
intervention; N8 billion for national job creation
scheme; N30 billion for the sinking fund for
infrastructural development; N14 billion for
Nigeria Electricity Liability Management
Company (NELMCO) and N16 billion for the bulk
trader.
In the budget, N5 billion is budgeted to be spent
on “2011 election violence and civil disturbance
(damage done to public property and places of
worship) and N12.6 billion on special
intervention Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs 1 and 2).
About N10 billion is to be returned to a special
account (not specified) and another N10 billion
to fund the Multi Year Tariff Order (MYTO) under
the electricity provision programme. The
government, through the ministry is asking for
N25 billion to pay off maturing domestic bonds
and N5 billion for payment of local contractors’
debts; N16 billion for Development Finance
Institution (DFI) and N4,060,000,000 to fund
galaxy backbone infrastructure.

good

prophet T.b Joshua has declared 2014 has the year of crossing bridges, when the rich and flamboyant will fall and the poor will rise,he also said small nations will rise, he said there will be scarcity of money and many individuals will even be richer than their nation, he said the price of crude oil will fall drastically and we will need to go back to farming, he says leaders will face greater opposition that may destroy some government, he says people in aviation should pray because many airline company will be stranded and will not be able to repair or purchase aircraft which will cause people to be stranded at airports for days especially Africa, he says a lot of banks will close up,in 2014 he says the oppressed will be free from their oppressor, he says there will be lots of challenges for the mighty in the society ........He says more to come on tuesday.

Warren buffet a humanitarian worth $50bn still flies commercial airlines......While Nigeria's bishiop oyedepo hoards for private jets worth $30million each,surely if a business tycoon such as Warren buffett still flies commercial airlines,it is needless for Bishop oyedepo to own 4 private jets

haka_nai:

Amin brother!!! Peace shall come .The only constant thing is change,komai nisan jifa kasa za ta dawo. A time to cry and a time smile. Insha Allah it will pass and the enemies of the state and its people shall be put to shame.
Meanwhile we continue to thank God and appreciate sacrifices of the uniformed men/women of this nation.The people who sacrifice and continue to support the path to peace and normalcy in the 3 states.
Above all the victims and citizens who choose to remain and keep in prayers. God wipe there tears and protect them from the evil of men,jins & satan.

A big amen

PREMIUM TIME – Voters across Yobe on
Saturday turned out in large numbers to
cast their votes to elect chairmen and
councillors of the 17 local government
areas in the state.
A News Agency of Nigeria correspondent
who visited some polling booths in the
capital Damaturu as well as some local
government areas reports that scores of
people lined up at the various polling
booths as early as 7 a.m. to accredit and
cast their votes.
A correspondent, who also visited
Bamari, Kalalawa, Ajeri, Gaidam and
Bukarti towns, also reported large
turnout of voters.
There was, however, heavy security
presence in all the polling booths as well
as major streets in Damaturu with a
combined team of soldiers, police, civil
defence corps and immigration officers
watching over.
Shops and other businesses were closed
while restriction on movement was
imposed throughout the state from 8
a.m. to 3 p.m.
Reports from other parts of the state also
spoke of security build up to forestall
any unforeseen circumstances.
Only 10 parties participated in the polls
while the major opposition party in the
state, the PDP, boycotted the election.
Speaking to journalists after casting his
vote, the state Governor, Ibrahim
Gaidam, said the conduct of the election
had proved skeptics wrong on the
security situation in the state.
He blamed “mischievous politicians’’ for
raising false alarm of a possible
breakdown of law of order in the state.
Yobe is one of the three states under
emergency rule following the activities
of the Boko Haram.
“We know what is going on here because
we are here on the ground. We know the
security situation in our state that is why
we went ahead to conduct the election,”
Mr. Gaidam said.
The governor said that from the reports
he received, eligible voters cast their
votes peacefully in all the 17 local
government areas in the state.
“You can see we have gotten relative
peace when I was coming here; I
inspected about three areas and the
elections were going on peacefully and I
am sure we will conclude it safely.
“So, I think politicians should stop
making noise since they are not on
ground. We are the ones on the ground;
anytime this kind of thing is happening,
they should call us to give them the true
positions of things on the ground,’’ Mr.
Gaidam said.
Also speaking to journalists, a member of
the House of Representatives, Goni
Lawal, described the election as
successful, adding that many people
came out to cast their votes.
Mr. Lawal said that he went round about
10 local government areas to inspect the
conduct of the polls and found that a
large turnout of voters was recorded in
the many areas.
Femi Bafunsho, Chairman Justice and
Equity for All, an NGO, who was
observing the conduct of the polls, said
the turnout in most polling units was
commendable.
The Chairman of the State Independent
Electoral Commission, Hannatu Binyat,
said that reports received from across
the state indicate a peaceful conduct of
the elections.

Sincere 9gerian: Removal of fuel subsidy alone would balance the federal budget to about 50% capital versus 50% recurrent expenditure. Ghana has already removed fuel subsidy but because of dirty, evil and tribal politics we have not done the needful in Nigeria. Shame on all those who supported the retention of fuel subsidy in Nigeria. And these are same people that shamelessly compare Nigeria with Ghana but they conveniently forget that while Ghana was taking difficult but necessary steps to move their country forward, Nigeria was busy playing dirty politics.

Are we even suppose to be subsidizing anything in the first place? isn't it insane for u to be subsidizing something u own?pls do not compare Nigeria with Ghana,cos dey do not own d oil,and how many opec countries subsidise their oil?place do ur research n tell me....

Lifebender: Source

beer parlor

addicted268:

He has been blamed for that one too.u come late o.think of something else.lol

ok why he no allow him wife sit for him left hand,abi na she be d husband?

addicted268:

Someone has blamed him for that already.think of something else to blame him for. :p hehehe.

me go blame am for not putting on his wedding ring

– The spectre of terrorism may have come tostay
permanently in Nigeria, President
Goodluck Jonathan said yesterday.
Speaking on the security challenges in
some parts of the country, the president
said cited countries like Pakistan, Syria
and South Sudan and pointed out that
Nigerians have a lot to thank God for
even though the problems are not yet
over.
Jonathan made the call while delivering
his remarks at the Cathedral Church of
the Advent, in Life Camp, Abuja, during
this year’s Christmas service.
He called on stakeholders to work hard
to keep the country at peace, saying
there is no African country that would
be able to accommodate Nigerian
refugees in case of any major uprising.
He said: “So, I urge you to continue to
pray.
“I also thank the religious leaders of this
country. They have been praying and I
believe God has been hearing our
prayers. We will do our best within the
period that God has asked us to occupy
the positions we are occupying.”
He added: “The Primate (of the church)
mentioned a number of issues that deal
with nations which have crises. For
those who know about terrorism,
countries that are infested with terror
will hardly get out of it.
“If you look at Pakistan, we even go
there to train our soldiers, in some parts
of Pakistan as we are even talking now,
there appears to be no government. So,
this country could have been worse.
“Look at the incidences in Abuja; even
the police headquarters was bombed.
The UN building right here in the seat of
government was bombed. Maybe the
next target would have been State House.
“So, we have to thank God that we have
been able to bring it to a reasonable
level, though we are far from getting
through. There are a lot of challenges but
we have to thank God.
“The Primate said if it were to be like
Syria.
“Look at South Sudan, too. They were
part of Sudan and they felt that they
were being dominated. They have
resources, there is oil in parts of South
Sudan. They carried arms against the
state. Finally the whole world, through
the UN, liberated them.
“In fact, within this week, we will be
going for a Security Council meeting on
South Sudan under the African Union.
My envoy just came back on Sunday
from where he had a conversation with
them. How do we stop this madness?
“So, we have to thank God. Even though
we still have these security challenges in
our country, at least, we are reasonably
better.
“In terms of Nigeria, if we have crises.
The Primate was mentioning whether
Ghana or Sierra Leone can accommodate
us?
“Even now, Nigerians in these countries,
the people who own the country, are not
even comfortable with the number.
From Cameroon to Senegal, Nigerians
are everywhere. If not for political and
diplomatic reasons, they would have
even asked some of them to go.
“Then, assuming we have crises, what
would be your state, where will you go.
Is it the Atlantic Ocean?”
Jonathan also called on religious leaders
to continue to pray for the country in
order to save it from the activities of
politicians who do what they ought not
to have done or write letters that are not
expected from them.
Apparently referring to former President
Olusegun Obasanjo, who wrote an 18-
page letter accusing him of trying to
destroy the country, he called for
prayers against politicians “who think
the country belongs to them.”
Those who attended the church service
included the First Lady, Dame Patience
Jonathan; the president’s mother,
Madam Eunice Jonathan; ministers and
other top government officials.

where gej wedding ring?