₦airaland Forum

At the just concluded Redeemed Christian Church of God Holy Ghost Congress at the international headquarters, Daddy GO Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye led prayers for mercy concerning Nigeria. He explained the importance of prayers in stopping the shedding of innocent blood across Nigeria. In his words:

"..blood is a very powerful thing. The bible says the life of the animal is in the blood. So the blood is powerful and it speaks. It has a voice. So when you shed innocent blood the blood speaks from the earth. Something many people don't know, when the ground of a nation becomes full of innocent blood, the ground responds with a plague. When the ground of Sierra Leone became saturated with the blood of the innocent, a plague came called Ebola. Somebody then came and brought that Ebola to Nigeria. He brought it at the time of our convention and people had already come by their thousands from all over Africa. They were already here for the Ministers conference leading to the convention. All the governments around panicked and wrote to me, what do we do? I ran to God..." Hear what God tells him in this video:

https://streamable.com/vyfc7

There was a protest recently by some Nigerians who may have missed this important prayer point from Daddy GO possibly because the media paid more attention to his counsel to young ministers considering recent happenings across the body of Christ in Nigeria.

cc: lalasticlala, Freiburger

Magalan:
Obviously shehu forgot to tell him he could not manipulate the NBS statistics.

Exactly!!! this is what happened and obviously the speech was prepared. I am still very sure Mr. President is unaware of things happening in his government o..God help Nigeria

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has given his own personal account of the circumstances around his concession of the 2015 presidential election to Muhammadu Buhari, the then candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

There are conflicting accounts of the final moments before that momentous phone call, with many believing that the former President had bowed to pressure from some of the nation’s former leaders to make the phone call.

However, writing in ‘My Transition Hours’, a book he launched in Abuja on Tuesday, Jonathan said it was his own personal decision even though many of his supporters across the nation would have liked for him to act otherwise.

“I knew what was coming the day before I called General Muhammadu Buhari. I had reports on the polls around the country. It was clear the results were not going to favour me. Apparently, there were many instances of irregularities. There were series of problems with card readers, resulting from widespread technical hitches leading to the non-uniform application throughout the country,” he said.

“For some inexplicable reason, the INEC had been able to achieve near 100% distribution of Permanent Voters Cards in the North, including the North East, which was under siege with the Boko Haram insurgency but failed to record a similar level of distribution in the South which was relatively more peaceful.

“Social media was filled with all manner of stories, pictures and videos. I was settled in my mind that I was not going to be the sitting President pointing out these infractions and accusing the opposition and the very INEC I helped to strengthen.

“The world saw my ordeal at the polling unit in my community in Bayelsa State, where the card reader refused my PVC even after we tried repeatedly during accreditation, and it was the same with my wife and my mother. It was a moment that exposed the shortcomings of INEC. However, I was heading towards peace. Stopping the election on voting day would have been like detonating an atomic bomb. After we managed to vote upon filling the incident forms, I left Bayelsa for Abuja to monitor the elections and collation of results all over the country from the 29th to 31st of March, 2015.

“The country was tense. I had to do something; I could no longer wait for the collation of the final results. The pressure on the country was palpable. In Lagos, people were ready to burst loose on the streets and in the North, the stage was set for envisaged violence. One of my party’s agents at the INEC National Collation Centre in Abuja, Elder Godsday Orubebe, eventually got into a heated argument with the INEC chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega. That further raised the tension in the country. Everyone was expecting the worst; I knew it was time to douse the tension.”

Jonathan added that he knew the consequences of hanging on to power would include bloodshed for the country, so the phone call was an easy decision to reach.

“As I said earlier, I was fully informed about the manipulation, intrigues, intimidations and betrayals. The consequences of the not conceding were only better imagined. My natural instinct for peace automatically surfaced. I was going to make a decision which reflected my commitment to that ideal. This is the foundation of my essence. In my periodic projection into the future, I did not see how I would be presiding over any kind of chaos. I was prepared to promote the peace unity and progress of Nigeria,” he wrote in the book.

“This is a huge sacrifice, but I hope my readers believe me when I say it turned out to be one of the easiest decisions I ever took while in office. With my mind made up, I knew it was time for me to inject peace into the tense polity, especially before INEC completed collation.

“I was in my living room with some ministers, aides and friends. Among them were the Coordinating Minister for the Economy/ Honourable Minster of Finance, Dr. Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo- Iweala; Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN); the Honourable Minister of Aviation, Mr. Osita Chidoka; and Waripamower Dudafa, my Senior Special Assistant on Domestic Affairs.

“They were recommending sundry alternatives, but I was quiet in the midst of their discussion. I hugged my thoughts, figuring out how to do that which was best for the country. My personal interest was receding rapidly and the interest of Nigeria looming large. I excused myself and left the sitting room. I walked into my study. Even here, my mantra was a strong circle around me, supporting and comforting me. Let the country survive. Let democracy survive. My political ambition is not worth people being ‘soaked in blood’.

“More reports flowed in and I could not wait anymore, the announcement of the final result could take issues out of all our hands. It was time for me to take action and bring peace to the nation. I felt it was destined by God at that point in time to inject the peace serum and douse the palpable tension in the country.

“I reached for my telephone and placed a call through the State House operators at about 4:45 pm. A peace I had never felt since my political sojourn descended on me. It showed me where I had been in the past 16 years and where I was then. I smiled at the thought of what I was about to do. I waited calmly for the person at the other end of my call to answer.”

The ensuing conversation went thus:

Buhari: “Hello Your Excellency”

Me: “Your Excellency how are you?”

Buhari: “I am alright Your Excellency”

Me: “Congratulations”

Buhari: “Thank you very much your Excellency…”

“For several seconds the line was seized by the loudest silence I have ever known. Then we had a brief discussion. I could sense his relief too. He knew what could have been. Here is a man who had contested three times and lost. Maybe my gesture humbled him against his expectations because he thanked me and we talked about the handover processes,” Jonathan continued.

“Everywhere all over Africa, Asia and other parts of the world, countless deaths have been recorded on the scores of elections and power disputes. I mentioned Cote d’Ivoire earlier, where people died in their thousands during post-election violence. A similar scenario had unfolded in Kenya. African nations are more prone to post-election violence than other parts of the world. Only very few African nations have not experienced post-election violence on a very grand scale or some bitter power tussle fed by tribal or ethnic sentiments.

“I hung up the phone, confident that my decision was right for Nigeria and would probably have a great impact on Africa. This may well be the beginning of a new perspective which places national interest above personal preference. It should not always be about winning.”

Jonathan revealed that after his conversation with Buhari, which lifted his spirits greatly, he felt better and lighter.

“It was time to break the news to my ministers and aides. I wandered back into the living room. These are people I came to know over a period of time. I anticipated what their response will be.

“In my newfound calm, I stood before them and told them what I had just done. The elections were over. I had called and congratulated Muhammadu Buhari on his victory. It was time for all of us to move on. Stunned silence greeted the room for some time and after they overcame their shock, they all congratulated me.

“My Aviation Minister, Osita Chidoka, sought my permission to tweet my phone conversation with Muhammadu Buhari. I obliged and he did. The country was no longer waiting for the declaration of the election results. The nationwide tension automatically dissipated as though a red hot piece of iron had been dipped in a bowl of water. Thereafter I addressed the nation.”

Jonathan formally handed over power to Buhari on May 29, 2015. He has sent the bulk of his time since then observing elections across the continent and helping other African countries strengthen their democracies.

http://saharareporters.com/2018/11/21/details-final-minutes-jonathan-phoned-buhari-concede-2015-election

cc: lalasticlala

chuksey1:
Let me tell u wat I know of. I once attended interview for one of these scholarships and surprisingly I met one our our respected professors in the university I finished from as one of the panelist for the scholarship I also met his son who finish from same faculty and school as me and was not even up to an average student he struggled to graduate. Surprisingly he got the scholarship and we went home empty handed..

That's the reality of Nigeria whether you agree with me or not.

I don't know where you are studying but I know in Germany part time menial jobs can take care of your living expenses an you work full time during the holliday to save money

I see. You should not generalize your experience. The scholarship was pure merit for first class candidates. Aptitude test scores were released immediately after exams and SSCE results were weighted with that to select candidates. No interview or man know man. This was the first of it's kind in Nigeria. Do you pay tuition in Germany? Are you an undergraduate or a postgraduate student? Where do you go on holidays in a research programme?

Learn not to generalize your experience and cast aspersions on what you know little about. By the way, none of us struggled to graduate, they were over three thousand first class students across the country.

seyitone:
Interesting that the comment above easily forgot one of the easyfix mantra whenever GEJ supporters shout PMB is only finishing what GEJ started. Scholarship like PRESSID are really one of the essence of govt in continuum. Nothing in the post says the beneficiaries fees were not paid until change in govt.
The problem really lies in the lack of any serious interest that the present govt has in tertiary institutions. How can you abandon your citizen who were on scholarship abroad? The commentary said that GEJ should be responsible. I partially agree... Since it was his initiative, in saner climes, ex-presidents have incredible lobby and leverage power but not in Nigeria.
The present govt should do the needful. If it cannot continue paying their fees, let them be brought home peacefully.
So please, it is 100% the responsibility of the present administration to pay that fee... The scholarship was by The Federal government of Nigeria not Federal govt of Jonathan.

Thanks for adding your voice to this. The current government is totally responsible for this. GEJ has played his part and this was one of his best achievements that Nigeria would celebrate in the near future. He cannot do much now that him and his party are out of power. There seems to be a conspiracy to abandon the scholars abroad because majority are southerners and that is very sad. It is also sad that a Professor as Vice President does not see how grievous this is for our human capacity development as a nation. If I say this has not made me give up on the current arrangement of the entity called Nigeria, I would be lying. I hope they hear our cries and do the needful.

God help Nigeria.

chuksey1:
These guys should stop whining. As if nor b padi padi dem use get the scholarship.

Are you guys too big to do menial jobs? We wey use our hustle go the abroad go school and dey do menial jobs to survive we nor get two head.

At least you dey d abroad. Many naija guys dey resign their white collar jobs in naija to come hustle with menial jobs in Europe and de still make good money..

Padi Padi means what though? This kind of mindset is why the country is where it is today. The scholarship was pure merit and many of us are from humble backgrounds, you think if top politicians had their kids on this we would be coming to nairaland here. Menial job is not the problem but if you went to school abroad you would know menial jobs cannot pay your tuition fees, rent and still live decently except you are doing the menial jobs full time! Is it not stupid that we have to resign "white collar" and go be slaves in another country?

You do menial jobs to survive and do not even have any empathy, God help you.

XaviDayo:
Bro...cool down na....

Wicked loun loun....na joke we dey na

For real, I had tot of the lost time and I do feel sad about it. I apologise if I sounded too cold.

Pray you guys get a positive response soon.

One love bro.

Thank you. Bless you bro

XaviDayo:
They offered to bring you charlatans back to Naija and enrol you cows in a Nigerian university and you all refused.


Stay there and be doing menial jobs. You are supposed to be heckling Buhari who decided to abandon what GEJ started.

Who offered to bring who back? Where did you hear that? It could work if the government offers to bring us back but how do you pay for the wasted years? Considering many of us left what we were doing back home for this?

...Don't be wicked Dayo and talk anyhow. you are too young for that, you have a lot of life ahead of you..don't write anyhow about what you know not of.

Hisxellency:
APC Sponsored this!!! They wanna dent GEJ's image.

it is not sponsored, we just need our money. This is the problem, our voices are being clouded by politics, very unfair....you know what it means to stay in a foreign land without no promise of your income and so much debts

I am one of this scholars and the pain is unbearable. Please help us make this viral.

One year after the Nigerian Senate moved to intervene in the non-payment of tuition fees and living allowances of Nigerians studying abroad on Federal Government scholarship, the scholars are still stranded in various universities across the globe.

According to Ayoola Shoneye, one of the Presidential Special Scholarship Scheme for Innovation and Development (PRESSID) scholars, he and his colleagues are now in huge debt, while many of them have had to drop out of school to find other means of survival.

There seems to be no hope in sight as the Federal Scholarship Board (FSB) gave no assurance of payment, after a meeting with a director of the scholarship board.

Chinedu Ugwu, another scholar who was recently in a meeting with the director, told SaharaReporters that he was told funds had not been released for their programmes.

PRESSID was an initiative of former President Goodluck Jonathan to train some of the best brains in Nigeria in different development sectors, so that they can be better equipped to foster innovations across these sectors.

However, trouble began in 2016 when the Federal Government failed to pay both tuition and living stipends of the scholars.

“The problem started when the PMB administration gave a directive that the Federal Scholarship Board (FSB) should manage all Federal Government scholarships,” Shoneye told SaharaReporters.

The students wrote a letter to Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo in August 2017, saying since the beginning of the 2016/17 session, majority of the PRESSID scholars — part-sponsored by TETFund — had not received payment for their tuition fees and living allowances.

In the letter, signed by Oluwadamilola Oluwole, they said: “All our efforts to reach officials at the National Universities Commission (NUC) who have been our primary point of contact and scholarship administrators have been futile, as they have stopped replying our emails. Our various academic institutions have also reached out to them, all to no avail."

Also, prior to their letter to the Vice-President, the students had written to President Muhammadu Buhari; Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Senior Special Adviser to the President on Diaspora and Youth Affairs; and Adamu Adamu, the Minister of Education, but got no definite solution.

A flicker of light was, however, flashed on their predicament in November 2017 when Senate President Bukola Saraki held a meeting with representatives of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) responsible for the welfare of Nigerians.

The Senate President directed FSB to immediately compile the list of all Nigerians on scholarships across the 25 best universities in the world with their due entitlements, so that the Senate could make appropriations for their payment.

It has been a year since this directive was given and though there was provision for the payment in the 2018 budget, FSB has continuously informed the scholars that funds have not been made available for them, Shoneye told SaharaRepoters.

“FSB included our outstanding and present living expenses in the 2018 Federal budget," he said. "However, nothing is forthcoming and we are afraid as the election period draws near. At present, some of us do odd jobs to get bills paid and survive at least.”

Shoneye lamented that some of his colleagues have been resorting to menial labour to keep themselves in school, while some have been grounded in Nigeria, unable to proceed with the PhD programmes.

All attempts to reach Lateef Olagunju, the acting director of the scholarship board were unsuccessful; calls and text messages sent to his phone number went unanswered.

http://saharareporters.com/2018/10/31/nigerians-jonathan-govt-scholarships-abandoned-abroad-resort-menial-jobs

DamienW:
Y’all seriously posing as the candidate for Alliance for New Nigeria ��

Not to worry, INECs list is gonna be out soon and your gig is gonna be up.

Till then, thanks for making ANN popular

Fela Durotoye Is the Presidential Candidate of the Alliance for New Nigeria ��

Thanks for sharing this. This Olawepo-Hashim's fraud knows no bounds. How wicked can people be? Why is he allowing himself to be used by the APC? #IstandWithFD2019. A new Nigeria can be reborn

The failure of the Federal Government to pay tuition and allowances of Nigerian students on its overseas scholarships has forced the academically-gifted beneficiaries into the worst phase of their lives, writes TOLUWANI ENIOLA

Ugwu Chinedu grew up reading about Oxford and Cambridge universities in textbooks. Though he aspired to study in either of the two world-class varsities, he didn’t imagine it would be possible.

But fate smiled on him in 2012. It was the year the Goodluck Jonathan-led administration launched the Presidential Scholarship for Innovation and Development to sponsor students, who earned first-class grades in their undergraduate studies in Nigerian universities, to pursue master’s degrees and PhD in any top 25 universities in the world.



When Chinedu saw the call for application for the PRESSID scheme, he did not waste time to apply. Two years before the inauguration of the scholarship, he graduated with a first-class in veterinary medicine from the University of Ibadan.

He said, “I got the PRESSID scholarship in 2012 after my application and successful participation in an aptitude test in Abuja. I remember vividly the then Executive Secretary of the National University Commission, Prof. Julius Okojie, told us at the inauguration to drop every other scholarship we had or aspire to have because we had been chosen to lead innovation in Nigeria. I was elated and privileged.

“I started the master’s programme in Integrated Immunology at the University of Oxford in 2013. My tuition, living expenses and flight tickets were borne by the Federal Government. I completed MSc in September 2014 and a month after, I resumed for PhD in Veterinary Science at the University of Cambridge. I am currently in final year and should complete the programme by September 2018.”

Chinedu’s story is different now because rather than be happy that he is near completion of his PhD programme, he is uncertain of his fate.


https://punchng.com/from-best-brain-scholarship-beneficiaries-to-traumatised-students-nigerias-first-class-graduates-recall-tale-of-woe/