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 Politics › Why I Prefer Exile To Living Under Buhari — Bode George by SEHHYTEX(op): 1:53am On Feb 21, 2015 |
Chief Bode George was a former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). In this interview, he speaks on the decision by former President Olusegun Obasanjo to dump the PDP among other burning national issues. Excerpts: By Dapo Akinrefon Howdo you see the decision of former President Olusgun Obasanjo to dump the PDP? It is very sad. After he came out of incarceration, when most of his businesses were down, the party invited him and put a new beginning into baba. He has benefitted from the party. I don’t think that I have heard of this that a man, who has been to the pinnacle to tear the party’s card publicly. There are things you should not expect an old man to do. It is unfair. Very unfair. This leaves a sour taste in the mouth of those who were part of his rebuilding. It is a very bad decision. But Obasanjo says President Goodluck Jonathan plans to perpetuate himself in government like former Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo? He (Obasanjo) says he is a Christian and as a Christian, it is emphasised in the New Testament of the Bible where Christ said judge not so that you will not be judged. But his judgement is no longer about the policies of Jonathan. He has gone down to the extent of saying Gen. Muhammadu Buhari will jail you that is why you are afraid. Talking to elders with respect I am holding my breath because in an African setting, you talk to elders with respect and that is why I am trying to get the right words to describe my feelings. Baba (Obasanjo) is not a young man. He was head of state at 39. So averagely, he should be about 84 or 85 and I am requesting that he should graciously fade away into the midnight. http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/02/jimi-agbaje-has-no-godfather-bode-george/ |
| Politics › Polls: Secret Police Track Illegal Arms Among Politicians by SEHHYTEX(op): 1:46am On Feb 21, 2015 |
The police have said their undercover operatives are out to track the use of illegal arms and ammunition by politicians as the rescheduled general elections draw near. Force Public Relations Officer, Mr. Emmanuel Ojukwu, told our correspondent in a telephone interview that the Force was aware of the possibility of violence before and after the elections, but that it had “mapped out a strategy that would mop up arms being circulated illegally by political parties” for the use by thugs loyal to them. “Our plainclothes detectives are on the ground within parties to follow up and investigate any case of the use of arms,” he said. It will be recalled that a November 2014 report by the Belgium-based International Crisis Organisation, titled: “Nigeria’s dangerous 2015 elections: Limiting the violence” raised the alarm over “the continuing influx and wide-scale availability of firearms, ranging from pistols to assault rifles” in the country. “Nigerian elections are traditionally fiercely contested, but in 2015, risks of violence are particularly high,” the group said. The ICG recommended in the report that the Nigerian Police and other security agencies should “improve security arrangements by training more personnel for election duties and strengthening capacity to gather information, monitor developments and analyse threats; strengthen ongoing efforts to curb the influx and availability of illegal arms…” But Ojukwu said steps taken to track down such illegal arms had been extended to the country’s borders. He said, “We have strengthened border patrol by creating a network and collaborating with other security agencies at the borders. “We are not targeting only arms proliferation; we are focusing on ways violence can be perpetrated in this period.” This is coming on the heels of Tuesday’s shootings and bombing near the campaign venue of the All Progressives Congress in Okrika, Rivers State. Ojukwu added that the police were also depending on informants at large gatherings such as markets who could give valuable information on movement of arms and ammunition. “We have stepped up stop-and-search operations on roads and we recovered a large amount of arms recently through this means,” he said. Recent reports have pointed to the fact that political parties’ thugs are making use of such illegal arms. A few weeks ago, thugs shot at the campaign convoy of the Kwara State Governor, Alhaji Abdulfattah Ahmed, and injured two persons. http://www.punchng.com/news/polls-secret-police-track-illegal-arms-among-politicians/ |
| Politics › Buhari Receiving Treatment In UK, Fayose Alleges by SEHHYTEX(op): 1:39am On Feb 21, 2015 |
Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, on Friday alleged that the All Progressives Congress presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), who travelled to the United Kingdom for a supposed working visit, is in a London hospital. According to him, Buhari is being treated at a hospital located at Cavendish Street, Cavendish Square, W2 London West End, London. The governor said this had vindicated his earlier stand that Buhari was sick and lacked the required capacity to rule Nigeria. Speaking through his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, the governor described the claim by the APC that Buhari would give a talk at the Royal Institute of International Affairs, Chatham House, London as a “deceit taken too far.” He said, “The event is listed on Royal Institute of International Affairs website; www.chathamhouse.org/events. “For the avoidance of doubt; the event’s keynote speakers are former Brazil Minister of Defence, Celsius Amorin; UK Parliamentary Under Secretary of State and Minister of Defence Equipment Support and Technology, Celsius Amorin; Chief of the Defence Staff, UK Ministry of Defence, General Sir Nicholas Houghton; Chief Executive of BAE System, Ian King and Secretary General, Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, Dr. Abdulatif Bin Rashid Al Zayani. “Apart from the above listed five persons, 25 others are listed as speakers. “So, in which Royal Institute of International Affairs’ event is Buhari participating as a speaker? “This is not to mock Buhari or wish him dead. Rather, it is to expose the falsehood of the APC and desperation of its leaders, especially Senator Bola Tinubu to foist another Yar’Adua saga on Nigeria.” The governor challenged the APC to prove him wrong. “If the APC people are saying otherwise, let them publish the picture of Buhari boarding the plane and granting interview to aviation correspondents at the Abuja Airport. “While I am happy that the APC people that are packaging Buhari finally listened to my plea to allow him (Buhari) to seek medical treatment abroad, I must say that it is unpatriotic for the APC to have lied that Buhari travelled on a working visit. “The party should be honest enough to tell Nigerians that Buhari is actually sick and lack capacity to rule Nigeria and that they are only packaging him, hoping that he will become incapacitated if he becomes president so that they can take over power by proxy.” The National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said his party was not ready to join issues with unserious people, adding that those who are doubting General Buhari’s working visit could not be taken seriously and that they should prove it. “We are not ready to join issues with unserious people, but if they say General Buhari travelled for medical treatment, they should show us the photograph of Buhari on hospital bed,” Mohammed said. http://www.punchng.com/news/buhari-receiving-treatment-in-uk-fayose-alleges/ |
| Politics › Borno Declares Today Public Holiday For Buhari by SEHHYTEX(op): 4:33am On Feb 16, 2015 |
The Borno State government has declared Monday (today) a work-free-day for the visit of the All Progressives Congress presidential candidate, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) to the state. Secretary to the state government, Alhaji Ahmed Jidda, announced this on Sunday in a statement in Maiduguri, the state capital. Jidda said that the public holiday would enable residents of the state to receive Buhari during his campaign rally. The statement read, “The Borno State Government has declared Monday as a work-free day. The declaration is to enable the people of the state welcome the APC presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, who will arrive Maiduguri on a campaign visit on Monday. “Governor Kashim Shettima has enjoined all Borno residents to come out en mass and line up the streets to welcome the Peoples’ General.” Meanwhile, the National Christian Elders Forum on Sunday dissociated itself from the purported endorsement of Buhari by the Northern Christian Leaders Eagle-Eye Forum, led by one Pastor Aminchi Habu. The Secretary of NCEF, Pastor ‘Bosun Emmanuel, in a statement issued in Abuja, advised Christians “to resist the temptation of putting personal interests above the interests of the Lord Jesus Christ, because such compromise has terrible eternal consequences.” Emmanuel also called on politicians “to put the interest of the nation first in all forms of electioneering campaign and desist from acts that could be interpreted to imply desperate manipulation of the electorate for political power.” His statement partly read, “It has come to the notice of the NCEF that an unaccredited group, claiming Northern Christians Leaders Eagle Eye-Forum, purportedly on Thursday February 12, 2015, in Abuja, adopted the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the forthcoming elections, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.). “The National Christian Elders Forum wishes to state clearly that the only Northern Elders Forum accredited and recognised by the Christians Association of Nigeria is the Northern States Christian Elders Forum. “The Elders Forum hereby declares that neither CAN, NOSCEF nor the NCEF at any time supported or approved of the action of this unaccredited group. The National Christian Elders Forum wishes to admonish Christian leaders in Nigeria to resist the temptation of putting personal interests above the interests of the Lord Jesus Christ, because such compromise has terrible eternal consequences. “The Elders Forum also advises politicians to put the interest of the nation first in all forms of electioneering campaign and desist from acts that could be interpreted to imply desperate manipulation of the electorate for political power.” http://www.punchng.com/news/borno-declares-today-public-holiday-for-buhari/ |
| Politics › 22 Things President Jonathan Said During The Presidential Media Chat by SEHHYTEX(op): 8:39am On Feb 12, 2015 |
*.In 2011, I was already in my village when INEC announced elections had been moved by 2 weeks. I didn't know *.INEC did not consult me before postponing elections. I don't even want to be consulted by INEC-President Jonathan *.INEC is an independent body and if INEC conducts this election poorly, it's on my head *.People are not being fair to me over postponement of election, I do not decide the date for the elections *.Few people are doing things for me i think are not the best, there must be a nation before you do what you want to do *.I appointed Jega and if I think he's not good, I have the power by constitution to remove him *.I've not told anyone I want to remove Jega *.I don't see why we continue to doubt that elections will hold. Elections will hold! *.Election is like any tournament, FIFA says March, later say April or May. The winning team will still win. No big deal *.Let me reassure Nigerians that elections will be conducted in this country and a govt will be inaugurated on May 29th *.We found it difficult to contain BH because we didn't get the necessary equipment and our neighbours were not too committed *.Nobody is saying Boko Haram must be wiped out completely before they conduct elections *.I had meetings with the President of Chad and he said before he can send troops the AU have to be involved *.Is it by going to carry flags and singing around the world that we'll bring our girls back? Why use your international links negatively? *.I cannot give a time frame that the Chibok girls will be rescued, I don't want to be quoted *.I am more hopeful now than before on the Chibok girls *.If you put a goat where yam is, it will eat it. If you put people where money is, they'll steal it *.The word corruption we have abused it and it's not making so much sense. I did not say stealing is not corruption *.A thief is a thief. Don't use the word corruption to cover stealing. Call the person a thief *.We must not destroy Nigeria because of elections *.I attend Muslim programmes like youth programmes *.Nobody will go to war. Nigeria will remain Nigeria http://www.nigerianbulletin.com/threads/22-things-president-jonathan-said-during-the-presidential-media-chat.107859/ |
| Politics › Northern Governments Fail To Sponsor Christian Pilgrimage – Jonathan by SEHHYTEX(op): 6:24am On Feb 10, 2015 |
President Goodluck Jonathan on Monday expressed concern over the report that northern state governments did not sponsor Christian pilgrims during the 2014 pilgrimage to Israel. He raised the concern when the leader of the Federal Government’s delegation to the pilgrimage, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, led other members to present their report at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Oritsejafor, who is the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, had earlier told the President that all Christian pilgrims from all the states in the North were sponsored by individuals or were self-sponsored. He said with the total of 12,890 pilgrims that performed the exercise, the Nigeria Christian Pilgrims Commission recorded about 45 per cent increase in self-sponsorship. The President, however, said economic pressure might have forced the affected state governments to withdraw from sponsoring pilgrims. He, however, promised to encourage the affected state governments on the need to change their stand. He said, “The only thing I noticed is that various state governments are trying to withdraw from sponsorship of pilgrimage; maybe because of the economic pressure on them. But we will encourage them to do so. “Luckily, private institutions have shown interest and I believe that religious bodies, individuals and private institutions will gradually begin to key into the pilgrimage operations. “So, if sub-national governments relax a little, the gap will be filled up.” He expressed delight that the exercise was hitch-free despite the huge number of people involved. He promised that his administration would study the report and implement the various recommendations made. The President thereafter dissolved the 10-man delegation, with a promise to constitute that of 2015 very soon. As part of the delegation’s report, Oritsejafor called for the adequate funding of Nigerian embassies in Rome, Greece and Tel Aviv to assist in the handling of pilgrims. He also called on various governments, both at the state and local levels, to sponsor Christians for pilgrimage especially as the Commission was using the pilgrimage as a tool for moral and spiritual transformation. http://www.punchng.com/news/northern-govts-fail-to-sponsor-christian-pilgrimage-jonathan/ 2 Likes 1 Share |
| Politics › Polls: ‘apc’ll Win’ by SEHHYTEX(op): 6:19am On Feb 10, 2015 |
A former Commissioner of Information, Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Ita Awak, has berated the Peoples Democratic Party for the postponement of the 2015 general elections. Awak, who spoke with our correspondent in Uyo on Monday, added that whatever strategy the PDP might adopt, the All Progressives Congress would be victorious. He stated that the rationale for postponing the election was not based on security reports as alleged. He said it was based on reports by International Election Monitors that said the APC presidential candidate, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) would have 70 per cent of the votes while President Goodluck Jonathan would get only 30 per cent. He added that the PDP embarked on election postponement to enable it to draw a scheme on how to compromise the electoral process. Awak revealed that some youth groups in the state had started canvassing for the elimination of the card readers, saying the technology was not reliable. “Election postponement is a big blow to democracy in Nigeria. By this action, Nigerians even hate the PDP the more. The peaceful election that would have been conducted, Jonathan has ruined it. “We are sure of ourselves. We are the Nigerians’ party; people are by our sides. Whatever strategy the PDP deploys, the APC will prevail,” he said. He added that the only remedy for Jonathan would be to conduct a free and fair election. He noted that by postponing the election based on whatever strategies, the ruling party would even lose more votes. Meanwhile, the Civil Liberties Organisation, Akwa Ibom State chapter, has condemned the postponement of the general elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission. The Chairman of the organisation, Mr. Clifford Thomas, said that the only justifiable reason for postponing the election could be to enable greater number of voters to participate. “Assuming you have 45 million registered voters and only 12 million of them vote, it does not legitimise the government; government must have legitimacy, power and influence. All these equal to authority. People must give the government legitimacy to function. “You can’t have less than 20 million Nigerians voting and expect to have legitimacy,” he said. Source http://www.punchng.com/news/polls-apcll-win/ |
| Politics › General Elections: I See Bloodshed by SEHHYTEX(op): 7:37am On Feb 07, 2015 |
Cardinal Okogie declares ■ Says only prayers can avert looming danger Outspoken Catholic priest and former Archbishop of Lagos, Cardinal Anthony Olubunmi Okogie has expressed fears that there will be bloodshed occasioned by the general elections slated for this month. The renowned cleric, who spoke with VERA WISDOM-BASSEY in his Ikoyi, Lagos residence last week, warned that only intense prayers can avert the danger he is seeing ahead. Excerpts: How has it been since you retired? There is a slight difference between when I was in office and now, because people still come to consult me, I still run around to do a few things. I do make sure I keep myself busy, life has been very pleasant. I am no more in office, I have to have my own schedule, I am not tired yet. But in Roman Catholic, there is a law that once you are 75 years, you have to inform authorities in Rome meaning you have to retire, that is generous enough. Look at our lifespan here, some don’t even get to 60, I can still go another round if I am allowed but that is not the case in Roman Catholic. Well, I missed moving around with people, not that I don’t move around but it is curtailed, I always go around schools to make sure that things are in order, it’s quite good, that’s the beauty of Catholic church, you don’t hold on to anything, things are given to you to use for the good of others, I own nothing. When I left, I had no place to stay, if we really want to make Nigeria one as it should be, we should see one another as brothers and sisters, that’s the correct thing to do. What does it take to keep Nigeria one? I think they say to keep Nigeria one is a task that must be done but we are not keeping the nation one, look at the innocent soldiers that risked their lives, where are they today? How many people remembered them? It’s painful, and look at all the people eating and drinking and spending the money the way they like. Look atBoko Haram, how many of those leaders are ready to go and sympathise with the parents of those children who were kidnapped in Chibok? I feel bad. Look at the newspapers, instead of addressing the issues, the political campaigns are nothing but abuses, unearthing the past, disgracing themselves. When you look at it realistically, those thinking they are disgracing their opponent, are indirectly campaigning for that person. I expect the issues to be on education, unemployment and how they are going to address them. How many manifestos have you seen out and we are preparing for elections. My fear in this election is bloodshed and it’s already happening and am praying seriously, am begging God to avert it, you can see the atmosphere is tense, look at what is happening in Ekiti for example, how somebody will be doing as he likes without being checked, just because he belongs to a party. This is not a joke, Nigeria belongs to all of us, there is no other nation we can call ours, the good Lord that brought us under one umbrella and call us Nigeria knows what He is doing. Thank God Nigeria is changing; revolution. Are you saying there is silent revolution going on? The youths are coming up, there is a silent revolution coming up, the youths are watching, that was the kind of thing Ojukwu wanted to do but he was too ambitious, but our heavenly Father knows what He is doing with everyone of us, He knows when to call the break, He is wisdom personified, so you can’t outdo things. When you look at the way the nation is going on, some people must be checked and if they don’t listen, they should be behind bars for peace sake, let’s be frank. We started getting it wrong from political godfathers, and they are gradually dying out, they are fading away fast, then you will find refined godfathers because they will always be there, the refined ones will not ask for all the powers, they will just tell you this is what they want you to do, if you don’t obey, they will keep quiet and wait for you. How do you rate the administration of President Jonathan on the fight against corruption? The current administration the way I see them, they plan many things in the air but you will not see them on the ground, the one you find on the ground, they don’t last, waste of money and that to me doesn’t augur well. People travel, they see all these roads, are they stupid, talk of Chibok girls, these are minus, even if they are doing very well, all these things are minus, for a nation like Nigeria we expect something better, not that they are not capable but eye-service is too much, and then of course, when you begin to look at faces because they are members of your party, you are wasting your time, the people that are really serious will just look at you and smile http://sunnewsonline.com/new/?p=103643 |
| Politics › Buhari Can’t Tackle B’haram Except He’s Their Commander –okupe by SEHHYTEX(op): 7:07am On Feb 07, 2015 |
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, in this interview withOLALEKAN ADETAYO, reacts to some of the criticisms trailing President Goodluck Jonathan and gives reasons why he deserves a second term Despite the achievements President Goodluck Jonathan claims to have made, what will you say is responsible for the general perception that this government has performed below expectation? I like it that you used the word perception. There is a negative sinister perception created by the opposition. I will tell you how. The opposition has a tremendous influence on Nigerian media and therefore, most of these achievements are suppressed from coming to public glare. The second one is that achievements and good news do not make news but when Boko Haram keeps bombing and killing, that is the news. I have looked at newspapers’ headlines for one year, 75 per cent of headlines are on Boko Haram. It doesn’t matter even if you say that the President had just gone to commission an industry somewhere but when you say 285 killed in Monduga, Borno State, that is what people will remember. Insurgency has been overplayed to the extent that it has overshadowed the laudable achievements of this administration and it is deliberate. I know for a fact that the issue of Boko Haram was designed and executed from the beginning to malign this administration. There was Boko Haram before this administration, but the evil people in the society who felt there was no way they could remove the administration saw an opportunity and they encouraged it one way or the other to the extent that we never had rest in the last two to three years. Do you exercise any fear of possible post-election violence in the country? That question should go to APC people. They are the ones that are identified with violence and also canvass for violence and perpetrate violence. There is no doubt about it, they have said it before and they have made it happen. We have nothing to do with violence. We win all the time, we are going to win again. We just pray that when we win, people will accept it readily and not create violence as they did in 2011. Many people who suffered the 2011 violence have not recovered from it. One of the achievements being pointed to by this administration is the unbundling of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, why is it that Nigerians still do not have electricity? The unbundling of the PHCN is a major event. It took 15 years and finally it took the courage, tenacity and commitment of President Jonathan to see it through. Without the unbundling of the PHCN, we will be a non-starter in terms of power generation. Government cannot provide what is required to provide Nigerians’ electricity needs. Nigerians today need 50,000MW. We are looking at about $40bn to $50b, that is multiple trillions in naira. All we have in our capital vote in a year is about N1tr, where will we get that kind of money from? So we have to break down the power infrastructure so as to encourage foreign direct investors to come and invest and take it over just like the telecommunications. Don’t you think the issue of the missing Chibok girls has affected the political fortune of the President? It is not just Chibok girls; everything that has to do with this insurgency has affected the political fortune of the President. The good news however is that in spite of it all, this administration has verifiable and concrete achievements that nobody can argue about. How do you react to the claim by the opposition that the President lacks the capacity to fight Boko Haram? It is only the mentally derailed that will say that. Because there is insurgency here, then the government is not doing well. It is nonsense talk. It is absolute nonsense talk. Insurgency is not a Nigerian affair. How much is our national budget? About N4tr. How much is that in dollars? Is that not $2b? That is not up to what America gives to Egypt on a yearly basis. It is only foolish people and some not too experienced politicians as well as ignorant and mischief makers that will say that because Jonathan’s administration has not been able to end insurgency, then he does not have what it takes to tackle Boko Haram. When Buhari says he will end insurgency, that is total rubbish. He does not know what he is talking about, it is not going to happen unless he is the one who controls the boys on the field. That is the only reason why he can end insurgency immediately. Because in that case, what he needs to do as their commander is to ask them to stop and they will stop. If that is not the case, nobody can say he will end insurgency like that. That is just political gimmick and nobody should take him seriously. The issue of insurgency is not a campaign performance of President Jonathan. http://www.punchng.com/feature/hotseat/buhari-cant-tackle-bharam-except-hes-their-commander-okupe/ |
| Politics › Jonathan Visits Redemption Camp, Urges Peaceful Polls by SEHHYTEX(op): 7:00am On Feb 07, 2015 |
President Goodluck Jonathan has urged Nigerians to pray for the peaceful conduct of the general elections. He said this when he visited the monthly Holy Ghost Service of the Redeemed Christian Church of God at the Redemption Camp, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway on Friday. Stating that he did not intend to campaign in the church service, he said, “Firstly, let me sincerely thank all of you for the good work you have been doing for our country. I have attended services in some of the branches of this church before. “I’m not here to campaign because you know very well that Daddy G.O. will not allow his altar to be used for campaign. “I am here to thank you for your prayers for this country. Everyone passes through challenges. The whole world is passing through the challenge of extremism. Unfortunately, we are having our share of the challenge. “But we are working harder and with our collaboration with other neighbouring countries, we will soon smile as a country. “As we are going for the general elections, I request you to devote time to pray for peace in our land. Pray for the elections. The Almighty God knows the best for the country and His Will will come to pass. With your prayers, we will conquer.” Adeboye led the congregation to pray for the President and the country. “There will be peace before, during and after the elections. The perfect will of God for this country will come to pass,” he said Meanwhile, the presidential campaign rally of the Peoples Democratic Party in Bayelsa State on Friday literally shut the state down. Schools, markets and shops at Yenagoa, the state capital, were closed to give President Goodluck Jonathan, who hails from the state, a welcome. Major roads leading to the Samson Siasia Sports Complex venue of the rally were cordoned off by security operatives. There was heavy presence of security personnel all over the place, ostensibly to contain threats by some militant groups that they would disgrace wife of President, Dame Patience Jonathan. President Jonathan arrived the rally about 2.15pm with a large entourage comprising his deputy, Namadi Sambo, Senate President David Mark, Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson, First Lady Dame Patience Jonathan and PDP National Chairman, Adamu Muazu, among others. Jonathan urged the people of Bayelsa to vote for him as they had always done. He also urged them to support Governor Dickson, saying there was a synergy between them. However, some groups in the crowd booed the governor, not minding the President’s appeal to the people that they should work with Dickson. Dickson was also booed while making his welcome address. The reason for the consistent booing of the governor could not be ascertained, but it was learnt that people were indignant at Dickson because of his alleged tight-fistedness and absence of stomach infrastructure policies in the state. http://www.punchng.com/news/jonathan-visits-redemption-camp-urges-peaceful-polls/ |
| Politics › PDP Gave Pastors N6bn To Campaign Against Buhari –amaechi by SEHHYTEX(op): 2:34am On Feb 04, 2015 |
Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, has alleged that the Peoples Democratic Party bribed some Christian religious leaders with N6bn to campaign against the All Progressives Congress and its presidential candidate, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.). Amaechi said that the religious leaders had been circulating documents to convince Nigerians that the APC and Buhari would islamise Nigeria if voted into power on February 14. He told a crowd at the state APC governorship rally in Emohua that the PDP ought to know that Nigerians were too enlightened for any political party or an individual to make the country a Muslim nation. The governor, who is also the Director-General of Buhari Presidential Campaign Organisation, therefore advised the religious leaders, whom he accused of commercialising the Christian faith, to return the bribe money to the Federal Government. He said, “Some pastors collected N6bn and they are circulating document and telling you not to vote for an Hausa man; not to vote for a Muslim; that they want to Islamise Nigeria. Tell them to return our N6bn. “They gave them N6bn; they should return it to the Federal Government coffers. They will tell you that Buhari wants to Islamise Nigeria; tell them we are too educated. “I am a Catholic, but no Catholic priest has told me that story right now in the Catholic Church because, I will ask him how. If any pastor tells you that, tell him to return the money. “Nobody can Islamise Nigeria; they have commercialised Jesus Christ. They should stop commercialising the Christian faith. You know what Jesus Christ did in the temple? He chased them away. “We shall chase away those pastors who have collected money from the PDP to tell us lies. We shall chase them away on behalf of Christ.” The governor described the election in the state as a referendum between him and President Goodluck Jonathan, whom he challenged to show Rivers people what he had done for them. “I told the President that the election in Rivers State is a referendum between him and myself. I told him anywhere I go, I will show what I have done. Let him show what he has done,” Amaechi stressed. The national leadership of the PDP described the allegation by Amaechi as a “crime against God.” “It is also a crime to the Church and Christianity. It is an insult on Christianity. To say that pastors are paid to support the President is height of recklessness. Such allegation is despicable and should be condemned. There was nothing like that from us as a party and there was nothing like that from our candidate,” its National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, added. Reacting, the state Assistant Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Samuel Nwanosike, challenged Amaechi, to name the pastors that collected the N6bn. Nwanosike argued that the allegation was an indication that the governor had conceded defeat to Jonathan. He said, “It shows clearly that Governor Amaechi has conceded defeat and that Dr. Jonathan has what it takes to continue as the President of this country.” In his remark at the rally, the APC governorship candidate in the state, Dakuku Peterside, said that if voted into power on February 28, he would complete all projects embarked upon by the Amaechi government. The candidate also promised to combat insecurity in the communities http://www.punchng.com/news/pdp-gave-pastors-n6bn-to-campaign-against-buhari-amaechi/ |
| Politics › Council Of State May Discuss Poll Shift Tomorrow by SEHHYTEX(op): 2:28am On Feb 04, 2015 |
The calls for the postponement of this month’s general elections may be discussed during Thursday’s(tomorrow) Council of State meeting convened by President Goodluck Jonathan. The council consists of the President, the Vice-President, all former Presidents or ex-Heads of State, all former Chief Justices of Nigeria, the President of the Senate, all state governors and the Attorney-General of the Federation. One of the key responsibilities of the body is to advise the President in the exercise of his powers with respect to the Independent National Electoral Commission, including the appointments of members of the commission. Proponents of the polls’ shift had hinged it on the inability of INEC to distribute enough Permanent Voter Cards to registered voters. The call is widely believed to be engineered by the Presidency, which though had denied the charge. INEC had however insisted that there would be no postponement of the elections. The PUNCHhowever learnt from a Presidency official in Abuja on Tuesday that the Council of State would review the preparations for the elections by INEC and the relevant security agencies. He said that information available to the government showed that contrary to the claims by the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Attahiru Jega, the commission was not yet ready for the elections. For example, the official claimed that INEC only awarded the contract for the printing of ballot papers for the February 14 presidential election last Monday. He wondered how the ballot papers would be made ready before February 14 which is the first day of the polls. The official said, “The truth of the matter is that if urgent step is not taken, Prof. Jega may end up ridiculing this country. “Available information shows that the commission is not set for this election contrary to Jega’s claim. “We learnt he actually summoned a meeting recently with a view to postponing the election but he is scared of the opposition who have been kicking against such. “This Thursday (tomorrow) meeting will definitely review INEC’s preparations and take a stand.” Another Presidency source also informedThe PUNCHthat Jonathan might use the opportunity provided by the meeting to garner support for the postponement of the polls. “The Presidency is not resting on its oars concerning the plan to shift the elections. It is already in talks with some members of the council,” he said. On what the Presidency would do if the plan fails, he replied, “we would opt for another plan, which is to return to the drawing board; plan a new strategy on how to deal with our opponents.” To underscore the importance Jonathan attaches to the meeting, his re-election campaign rally earlier billed to hold on Thursday in Yenagoa, the capital of his home state, Bayelsa, has been put on hold. It was gathered that the rally might hold later in the day if the meeting ended on time or be shifted to Friday. The PUNCHhas however learnt that some of the proponents of election postponement might have perfected plan to ensure that Jega did not return as INEC chairman if their plan materialises. A week-long investigation by one of our correspondents showed that the Presidency was waiting patiently for INEC to yield to the pressure before coming out with its real plan for Jega. It was gathered that the Presidency and the ruling Peoples Democratic Party were not ready for the elections and believed that their chances could be affected if the elections were held as scheduled. Because of this, the Presidency, backed by some hawks in the PDP, are said to be waiting for an auspicious time to ask the INEC chairman to proceed on terminal leave. His tenure ends on June 9, 2015. The PDP source said, “The plan is to discredit the election by forcing postponement. When this is done, sponsored people and groups would start asking for the sack of Jega. “At this point, the government would then say because of this, he should proceed on terminal leave and then ask the most senior national commissioner to take over and conduct the election.” Jega’s nomination as INEC chairman followed approval by a meeting of the Council of State. Jonathan had said then that he had never known Jega, a former chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities. Jega’s candidature for the job was said to have been facilitated by a presidency top official, Hassan Tukur, who is from Adamawa State. Parties disagree on postponement Indication that the 26 registered political parties are divided over the calls for the postponement of the elections emerged in Abuja with 16 of them and five presidential candidates in support. They told a news conference on Tuesday that they would boycott the polls if their opinions were not respected. http://www.punchng.com/news/council-of-state-may-discuss-poll-shift-tomorrow/ |
| Education › We Won’t Shut Down Schools For Polls –FG by SEHHYTEX(op): 6:39am On Feb 03, 2015 |
The Federal Government on Monday met with the 36 states Commissioners for Education, including the F.C.T. Education Secretary where they all agreed that schools should not be shut down for the coming general elections. The Minister of Education, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, presided over the meeting, which was held in his office in Abuja. Those in attendance included stakeholders in the education sector drawn from the National Universities Commission, the National Board for Technical Education and the National Commission for Colleges of Education. The government hinged the decision to keep the schools running on the academic lapses that were occasioned by the Ebola Virus Disease that broke out in West Africa and other western nations last year. Shekarau, however, said state governments would be mobilised to provide adequate security for boarding institutions marked as polling units for the elections. He advised that “nobody should anticipate violence or crisis during the elections as elections had been conducted in the past while schools were in session.” The stakeholders meeting also placed on hold mid-term breaks for both the public and private institutions. Shekarau said, “The Federal Ministry of Education and managements of NUC, NBTE, NCCE and all other stakeholders in education, after due consultations and deliberations in respect of whether or not schools and all institutions should be closed for the period of the election, hereby resolved as follows: “That all schools and institutions should remain in session while the elections take place over the weekends as stipulated by the INEC timetable. It our belief that we have had elections in the past when schools were in session and in view of the fact that we are just almost halfway into the second term of the school calendar, it is not right to close down the schools now. “Again, we have suffered a lot in our schools during the last Ebola crisis and many schools are battling to catch up with the lost period and there is no reason before us that compels us to decide otherwise in closing the schools. “We also agreed that all schools that are used to having mid-term breaks that have not yet gone on that mid-term break should put it on hold. All mid-term breaks in all schools should be suspended for this term; those on mid-term break already should resume back to their schools immediately and continue their lessons. “Also in schools where we have polling stations, particularly boarding schools whose premises are being used as polling stations, we have decided to call upon the state governments and Ministries of Education to ensure the provision of adequate security.” http://www.punchng.com/news/we-wont-shut-down-schools-for-polls-fg/ |
| Politics › Buhari: Court Orders Service In Fresh Disqualification Suit by SEHHYTEX(op): 6:27am On Feb 03, 2015 |
A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the service of court papers on the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) in a fresh suit seeking an order disqualifying him from participating in the February 14 poll. Already, there is a pending direct criminal complaint against Buhari before a Federal Capital Territory Magistrate’s Court in Abuja asking the court to direct that the former Head of State “be brought to book” for allegedly claiming on oath that he had a certificate he did not obtain. Justice Adeniyi Ademola, who is presiding over the fresh suit, on Monday made an order of substituted service on Buhari and the Independent National Electoral Commission. Buhari and INEC are the two defendants in the suit. The court has fixed February 9 for the hearing of the suit. The plaintiff, Max Ozoaka, wants the court to disqualify Buhari from participating in the election for failing to accompany his form submitted to INEC with all relevant academic credentials. He contended that the INEC FORM CF 001 submitted to INEC by the APC candidate was incomplete and therefore urged the court to declare the form as “incompetent some being inchoate and not in conformity with the form prescribed under the Electoral Act.” He further stated that alleged failure of Buhari to accompany the INEC Form with evidence of his educational qualifications and evidence of his birth certificate or affidavit of declaration of age had altogether rendered the form inchoate. Ozoaka, in a supporting affidavit to the originating summons, stated that the INEC Form submitted by Buhari did not meet the requirements under sections 31(1)(2) & (3), and 31(  of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended)http://www.punchng.com/news/buhari-court-orders-service-in-fresh-disqualification-suit/ |
| Politics › Don’t Threaten Danjuma, ACF Warns Tompolo, Dokubo by SEHHYTEX(op): 6:22am On Feb 03, 2015 |
The northern socio-political organisation, Arewa Consultative Forum, has warned Niger Delta ex-militants not to threaten a former Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Theophilus Danjuma (retd.). The northern group said neither Danjuma nor any citizen of the country for that matter should be threatened with attacks by the ex-militants, who have been threatening fire and brimstone should President Goodluck Jonathan loses the February 14 presidential poll. The ex-militants had threatened to attack Danjuma’s business interest in the Niger Delta for daring to ask that security agencies should arrest leader of the Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force, Mujahid Dokubo-Asari;and other ex-militants. Dokubo-Asari, Victor Ben Ebikabowei a.k.a Boy Loaf; Government Ekpudomenowei, a.k.a Tompolo and other militants had, during a meeting at the Bayelse State Government House, vowed to unleash violence on Nigerians if Jonathan failed in his re-election bid. They said any attempt to unseat the President would be seen as a direct affront to the Ijaw nation. The ACF said it viewed the threat by the ex-militants as not only a direct affront on Danjuma but on the President Goodluck Jonathan-led Federal Government. National Publicity Secretary of the ACF, Muhammadu Ibrahim, in a statement in Kaduna on Monday, said, “ACF and indeed all Nigerians hold Gen T.Y. Danjuma, former Chief of Army Staff and Defence Minister in high esteem, as a revered patriot, elder statesman and a philanthropist of repute who fought for the unity of Nigeria and has continued to play this fatherly role even in his old age. “ACF will therefore not accept any threat to his person or business assets or to any law-abiding citizen by any group or individuals in the name of militancy.” The northern body therefore asked security operatives to take urgent steps to avert what it described as “ugly consequences” of war threats by the ex-militants. Danjuma had penultimate Wednesday asked the Federal Government to as a matter of urgency arrest the Niger Delta ex-militants who threatened war in the country if Nigerians failed to re-elect Jonathan. Danjuma spoke at the inauguration of Kwakwasiya City in Kano. He had said, “You should arrest Dokubo-Asari, Tompolo, Boyloaf and other Niger Delta militants for making reckless statements, which in any way does not mean keeping Nigeria as one entity and creating war situation. “Those were reckless statements coming from irresponsible individuals; they should be condemned and be arrested immediately.” Neither President Jonathan nor the Federal Government has reacted to the threat by the former militants. The ACF warned that nothing must tamper with the business empire of Danjuma because there was nothing wrong with his call for the arrest of ex-militants that had been threatening the peace of the entire country. The ACF reminded the ex-militants that the President was not elected by Nigerians in 2011 based on threat or intimidation from any section of the country. It stressed, “ACF wishes to remind the Niger Delta militants that President Jonathan did not ascend to his present position through threats and intimidation, but rather through democratic means of canvassing for votes without any form of molestation throughout the length and breadth of Nigeria in 2011. “The same process the President and other candidates vying for the office shall go through to emerge as Nigeria’s President in 2015 and not through intimidation, threats and ultimatum. “ACF therefore views such threats and intimidation by the ex-militants as an affront not only to Gen. Danjuma but an attack on a democratically elected Federal Government of Nigeria, over which President Jonathan presides. “It is also an open challenge to the nation’s security agencies, especially the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Security and even the Nigerian military that are responsible for maintaining law and order and any form of internal and external aggression against Nigeria. “ACF hereby calls upon the Federal Government to urgently take necessary steps and contain this emerging threat to national security by Niger Delta ex- militants to avert any ugly consequences.” http://www.punchng.com/news/dont-threaten-danjuma-acf-warns-tompolo-dokubo/ |
| Politics › ‘PDP Plans To Use Court To Stop Polls’ by SEHHYTEX(op): 7:00am On Jan 28, 2015 |
The All Progressives Congress said having failed to convince Nigerians to accept the postponement of the February elections, the Peoples Democratic Party had set in motion plans to shift the polls by ensuring that the APC presidential candidate, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), was disqualified. The National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said this in a statement on Tuesday. It said the case instituted at a Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday, seeking a declaration that Buhari lacked the requisite qualification to contest the February 14 presidential election, was the first in a series of court cases to be instituted just so that the elections would not hold. The statement partly read, “We are not surprised at this, because these desperadoes are so predictable. They are following the footsteps of the infamous Association for Better Nigeria which helped to annul the 1993 elections and which threw Nigeria into a crisis from which it has yet to fully recover, over 20 years later. ‘’We can only appeal to the judiciary not to become a willing tool in the hands of those who will stop at nothing to scuttle the elections, just to perpetuate their firm grip on power.” The party said President Goodluck Jonathan was aware that if the elections went ahead as scheduled, he would lose to Buhari by a landslide. It said the threats issued by those close to Jonathan that they would not accept the outcome of the election, should Jonathan lose, was evidence that the President was not prepared for transparent elections. It said, “An ally of presidential aide, Doyin Okupe, has revealed that President Jonathan will rather have the military takeover than hand over to the APC candidate. Although Okupe has made a tepid denial, the revelation has exposed the thinking and the desperation within the Presidency, ahead of the elections. ‘’We are also aware that up till this moment, the President has yet to repudiate the ex-militants in the Niger Delta who have threatened the country’s very existence if he is not re-elected, as if elections are won by fiat. When this is added to ongoing moves to depopulate the North-East, which is an opposition stronghold, using scare tactics, one can see that this Presidency and the PDP are as terrified and desperate as they can be.” The party urged the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke, to advise Jonathan and his aides not to abuse the courts or use it as a tool to truncate democracy, as this could throw the country into chaos. http://www.punchng.com/news/pdp-plans-to-use-court-to-stop-polls/ |
| Politics › Nigeria, A Failed State Under Jonathan –david-west by SEHHYTEX(op): 6:53am On Jan 28, 2015 |
A former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Prof. Tam David-West, on Tuesday described Nigeria as a failed state. David-West, at a news conference in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, said that any government that could not protect its citizens was a failed government. He said, “We have a failed state in Nigeria today. I have been reading what is happening in Rivers State. Any government that cannot protect its citizens is not worth being called a government.” The professor of virology expressed his support for Governor Rotimi Amaechi and any party that would bring light over the country’s current darkness. “I stand for a government that knows that 19 is bigger than 16. I stand for a party that I know will bring light to the darkness in Nigeria. I stand for a party of people of substance both in words and in character,” he said. Also at the news conference, the All Progressives Congress in the state called on the United Nations, the Amnesty International and other relevant international organisations to intervene in the continued attacks on its members. It said through its Chairman, Dr. Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, that while some of its members had been killed by suspected Peoples Democratic Party thugs, others had been seriously injured. The party urged humanitarian and democratic organisations to send high-powered election monitoring teams to the state. According to the APC, doing so would help to avert bloodbath and make the election outcomes in the state acceptable. It said, “We call on Amnesty International, the International Red Cross, the relevant organs of the Economic Community of West African States, the African Union and the United Nations to immediately begin investigation into the gruesome killings in Rivers State. “An acceptable electoral outcome is possible in Rivers State only if the elections are truly free and fair. There cannot be free and fair elections if the spate of violent high handedness, intimidation and terror is not halted. “As the 2015 general election approaches, the scale, magnitude and intensity of the orchestrated violence against members of the APC are assuming a frightful dimension.” The APC which however called on its members to remain calm and law-abiding, criticised the police in the state for their inability to arrest any of those that participated in 13 different attacks on them. It said, “This press conference is our distress call to all men, women, organisations, nations and people, who cherish democracy to intervene before it is too late. “It is unimaginable that a President (Goodluck Jonathan), who himself claims his roots from Niger Delta would permit unprovoked and premeditated violent attacks on the same people he hopes to ride on their sentiments to retain his Presidency.” Also, the lawmaker representing Rivers South-East, Senator Magnus Abe, attributed the harassment and intimidation of APC members to Jonathan’s fear that he might lose the state during the forthcoming elections. “Another reason is because the PDP is bent on taking over power in Rivers State as a result of its (Rivers) economic significance in the country,” Abe said. He, however, expressed dissatisfaction over the attitude of the police, saying, “We have reported many times to the police, but nothing has happened. There is no pretence about the partiality of security operatives. There is nothing we are saying that the authorities are not aware of.” Also, the governorship candidate of the APC in the state, Dakuku Peterside, claimed that as of the time of the news conference, members of the party were being attacked in Khana and Etche Local Government Areas of the state. “We have been receiving text messages from our members who are currently going through distress in the hands of political thugs,” Peterside added http://www.punchng.com/news/nigeria-a-failed-state-under-jonathan-david-west/ |
| Politics › Soldiers Open Fire On Borno Governor’s Convoy In Error by SEHHYTEX(op): 6:47am On Jan 28, 2015 |
Troops in Maiduguri, Borno State, ‘mistakenly’ opened fire on the convoy of Governor Kashim Shettima as it approached a military garrison near the airport. 2 Likes |
| Politics › Ghana Pulls Down Jonathan, Buhari Billboards by SEHHYTEX(op): 8:57am On Jan 27, 2015 |
The campaign billboards of two Nigerian presidential candidates erected in Ghana’s capital, Accra have been pulled down following an order by the country’s (Ghana) national security agency. The billboards of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party featuring President Goodluck Jonathan, as well as those of the main opposition All Progressives Congress of Muhammadu Buhari, located on Accra roads, were pulled down over the weekend by the Accra Metropolitan Assembly. The decision to pull down the billboards was said to have come amid fears by some Ghanaians that their country could be drawn indirectly into the politics of Nigeria, with security implications, especially with the Boko Haram terrorists wreaking havoc in Nigeria. Following the order by the National Security, according toGhanaWeb, a security expert at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre, Dr. Kwesi Annin, had indicated that Ghana had been saved from a possible attack by the terrorist group, Boko Haram, by pulling down the billboards put up in some parts of Accra. He was quoted to have said that political elite in the country could have been targeted by Boko Haram if the political campaign in Ghana was not stopped. He said, “I think it is critical that the National Security and Accra Metropolitan Assembly have listened to the concerns and voices raised by ordinary citizens that these billboards and some level of active political engagement might pose potential threat in the future.” He said the removal of the billboards should not only be about Boko Haram, but also about whether or not laws governing the country permit foreign political entities to campaign in Ghana. Meanwhile, an international relations expert, Dr. Vladmir Antwi Danso, said Ghana had been saved from severing future relations with Nigeria. He was reported to have explained that if there was the perception that Ghana was supporting one candidate over the other, then the relationship between Ghana and Nigeria after the elections would be marred. “What if after the elections the scales change, then the relationship between our country and Nigeria will also have some hiccups,” Danso said. http://www.punchng.com/news/ghana-pulls-down-jonathan-buhari-billboards/ |
| Politics › I Won’t Run Government Like A Zoo, Says Jonathan by SEHHYTEX(op): 6:18am On Jan 27, 2015 |
President Goodluck Jonathan on Monday promised that he would not run a government of intimidation if re-elected for the second term during the February 14 presidential election. He said he would run a government that would allow Nigerians to express their minds without any fear of intimidation. Jonathan made the promise during the Peoples Democratic Party presidential rally held at the Metropolitan Square, Ilorin, Kwara State. He said he would not preside over an administration under which Nigerians would be thinking they are in a zoo, where small animals would be afraid of the big ones. He said, “My message to you is that we will work with you to ensure that Nigerians are free. “We will ensure that you are not governed by intimidation. “You must be able to express yourself without fear of intimidation. That is why I signed the Freedom of Information Act. “We will not allow a situation where Nigerians will think they are in a zoo, where small animals are afraid of the big ones.” He said his administration was forming a government of young minds because of its conviction that Nigeria belonged to the youth. He said since the inception of his administration, he had shown commitment to repositioning the country. The President said his administration had done so much that he would not disappoint Nigerians. He mentioned some of the areas his administration had made giant leaps to include railway, health care, agriculture and the economy. Jonathan recalled that the nation’s economy had grown under his watch to become the largest in Africa. This, he said, was not achieved by chance. He said the feat was achieved by the commitment of the economic team that was working day and night. The President said world bodies such as the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, theCable News Networkand others had spoken in support of the visible growth in the nation’s economy. He wondered if Nigerians who criticised his government’s economic policies were more brilliant than the world bodies. President Jonathan warned such people to stop deceiving Nigerians. Earlier, Vice President Namadi Sambo had said that the present administration had transformed the nation’s economy to become the best in Africa. He said the administration transformed the power sector to a stage that the nation now generates over 4,000MW contrary to the about 2,000MW at the inception of their administration. He also noted that the Federal Government had reformed the transport sector by adding 20,000km of tarred roads to the nation’s road network. In the education sector, Sambo recalled that 12 federal universities were established by the administration, saying Jonathan deserved a second term. The National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, regretted that some people were trying to rubbish the President’s achievements for political gains. He said the President had performed better than all his predecessors. “The President has performed more than the others that have come before him. No Nigerian leader before him has done as much as he is doing,” Mu’azu said. http://www.punchng.com/news/i-wont-run-government-like-a-zoo-says-jonathan/ |
| Politics › Buhari ’ll Lead Military To Fight B’haram – Osinbajo by SEHHYTEX(op): 6:11am On Jan 27, 2015 |
The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) will lead the military to the North-East to fight the Boko Haram insurgents if voted into power on February 14, his running mate, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), said on Monday. Osinbajo expressed concern over deepening insecurity in the country and accused President Goodluck Jonathan of reneging on his promise to protect Nigerians. Fielding questions from a group of youths at a town hall meeting in Abuja, the APC vice presidential candidate said Buhari as President and Commander-In-Chief would lead by example. The town hall meeting held under the aegis of Act Now Professionals. Osinbajo told the gathering how the Buhari-led government would end insurgency in the country, especially in the North-East states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa. He also explained how the APC-led government would rescue the over 200 female students of Government Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, seized since April 14 2014; equip the military and give the country a sense of protection. Osinbajo said, “The first priority is security and to question what has gone wrong in the military. Then, funding the military adequately and ensuring that the Commander-In-Chief leads from the front. But when he was Commander-In-Chief, Buhari led from the front as a soldier. You cannot lead from the rear. You cannot fail to go to where the insurgency is taking place and that is what Buhari has been saying. “I think that the major problem with the question of security is again that it was not prioritised by this government. It was not taken seriously enough from the beginning. When you have a situation, you do not politicise the insurgency like that. You do not point to the opposition and say it is the opposition that is sponsoring it until General Buhari almost lost his life when Boko Haram attacked him. “We must start by understanding that there is a war going on in that part of the country and what the government need to do is to get the nation behind it, not pointing accusing fingers at wrong places. “We need to look at the whole question of funding and equipping the military. The military at the moment is not equipped. I worked with Femi Falana on the mutiny of some solders and what is the complaint of those soldiers who were charged with mutiny? Their complaint is that they were not given equipment and they wanted them to go to battle. So, how do you say that? How does anybody think that you can fight the insurgents without ammunitions?” The APC vice presidential candidate said that there would be no hiding place for perpetrators of graft as the country’s laws that forbid looting of public treasury would be activated. According to him, the APC will run a transparent government where public officials would be accountable to the people. Osinbajo said creation of jobs for the country’s youths remained on top of the agenda of the APC if elected into office. “Jobs and creation of employment opportunities have been major issues in the manifesto of the APC,” he told the audience. He re-echoed the party’s earlier promise that the Buhari-led government would place jobless and poor Nigerians on monthly stipends of N5,000 and N7,000 respectively. “The idea is to take 2.5 million people out of poverty every year. We will give free healthcare to children. We will follow the example of Osun State where such has been done successfully,” he said. http://www.punchng.com/news/buhari-ll-lead-military-to-fight-bharam-osinbajo/ |
| Politics › Jonathan Lacks Will To Crush Boko Haram, Buhari Tells Kerry by SEHHYTEX(op): 6:06am On Jan 27, 2015 |
The All Progressives Congress presidential candidate, Maj.Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), has listed the strategies that he would adopt to end insecurity in the country if elected President. 7 Likes 2 Shares |
| Politics › Illegitimate
24-year-old Man Claims To Be Gej's Son by SEHHYTEX(op): 4:11pm On Jan 24, 2015 |
Is there any truth is this young man's claim that he is President Jonathan's son? (Twitter) In the past few days, the photo of this young man, Ibime Belema-Jonathan, has been viral on thesocial mediawith him claiming to be President Goodluck Jonathan's illegitimate son. According to the reports, the 24-year-old guy believes he is one of the president's sons born outside wedlock and the photo that has been passed around speaks of a striking resemblance with the Nigerian leader and with the explanation that follows, one may not need to look too far to see that there may be some truth in it. Though the President's spokesperson, Dr Rueben Abati has come out to state that the allegation is false, many think there could be a truth in the claim of the young man. This is how it a Twitter user, @, put it: "According to Belema-Jonathan, hismotherwas a receptionist in a Port Harcourt hotel (which shall remain undisclosed) when she met Goodluck nearly 25 years ago. Their relationship was made private because of the risks it posed to Goodluck's then fledgling political career. He has decided to disclose this information after recently being informed by his mother, who had just passed away. It is his desire for his father to assume and fulfill his fatherly duties after a lifetime of absence." Read the tweet here. Could this be another political smear campaign on the President? http://pulse.ng/gist/illegitimate-24-year-old-man-claims-to-be-gejs-son-id3421845.html?utm_campaign=art-illegitimate-24-year-old-man-claims-to-be-gejs-son-jan21&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook
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| Politics › We Regret Voting Jonathan In 2011 –middle Belt by SEHHYTEX(op): 7:38am On Jan 24, 2015 |
The people of the Middle Belt said they regretted voting for President Goodluck Jonathn during the 2011 general elections. They said that in spite of their support for the President, they had nothing to show for it. The Middle Belt people, however, said despite their disappointment, they would still vote for him again in the February 14 general elections. In a communiqué issued after a summit of the Middle Belt Dialogue in Jos which drew delegates from the Federal Capital Territory, Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Gombe, Kaduna, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger, Plateau, Taraba and Yobe states, the region said, “There is general anger and disappointment in our communities against the Jonathan-led Federal Government as a result of the sad reality that despite the huge political investment by our people for the purpose of electing him in 2011, there has been no commensurate political patronage in terms of projects and appointments.” The communiqué, which was signed by the facilitators of the summit – Messrs Aminu Zang, Lanre Obafemi, Rima Shawulu and Mark Jacob – read, “It is obvious that as a result of the huge political investment of our communities in 2011, our communities have been exposed to unimaginable genocide and consequent untold hardship, while governments at the state and federal levels have appeared indifferent to the suffering of our people. “As a result of the genocide, agriculture which has been the mainstay of the Middle Belt and a major source of economic stability of our people, has been disrupted thereby laying the foundation for food insecurity in the country at large.” http://www.punchng.com/news/we-regret-voting-jonathan-in-2011-middle-belt/ |
| Politics › Lawmakers Vow To Fight Poll Shift by SEHHYTEX(op): 3:35am On Jan 24, 2015 |
Members of the National Assembly on Friday kicked against the call by the National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd), that the February 14 general elections should be shifted to give the Independent National Electoral Commission time to distribute over 30 million outstanding permanent voter cards. The lawmakers said the postponement of the elections would lead the country to constitutional crisis. The House of Representatives spokesperson, Mr. Zakari Mohammed, said the House would not back any proposal to shift the polls. He said, “The call for postponement of the elections is a decoy for third term agenda and as a House of the Nigerian people, we will resist it. “There is nowhere in the world where 100 per cent of registered voters must vote in an election. “It will be a breach of the constitution to postpone the polls by whatever guise. This is a ploy and we know where it is coming from.” Deputy House Majority Leader, Mr. Leo Ogor, also said postponing the elections would not serve the interest of the country. Ogor said if insufficient PVCs was the major reason Dasuki cited for the call for the postponement of the elections, INEC should admit those with temporary voter cards to vote in line with a resolution recently passed by the House. He said, “INEC should speak up and tell us the way forward instead of keeping Nigerians in suspense. “Let voters use TVCs and PVCs in line with the position already taken by the House. No eligible voter should be disenfranchised.” The House Minority Leader, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, also described the call for postponement of the polls as a trap for third term agenda. Gbajabiamila had moved the motion asking INEC to allow the use of TVCs since it was apparent that many voters might not get the PVCs before February 14. He said shifting the polls was a ploy for third term agenda which he warned would be resisted by Nigerians. “The NSA has no role to play in the distribution of PVCs,” Gbajabiamila said. The same sentiments were shared in the Senate, where senators asked INEC to go ahead with the poll. The Senator representing Oyo South, Olufemi Lanlehin, said non-distribution of the outstanding PVCs was not enough reason to call for the elections postponement. He said, “It is true that INEC has not performed up to the task concerning PVCs distribution. The situation affects all and sundry; it affects political parties and every geo-political zone. So, it is not as if it is only one particular region or group that is affected. “The election should not be postponed for whatever reason. Since the issuance of PVC affects region, the result of the election will not affect any part of the country adversely than others. No part of the country would have advantage above another. So, the call for the postponement is unacceptable based on the reasons given.” Similarly, the Senator representing Plateau South, Victor Lar, said the elections should be conducted because the number of registered voters is substantial. He said, “The issue of elections is a constitutional provision. The constitution has clearly stipulated that at least not more than 90 days to the expiration of the tenure. So, the February 14 elections should be conducted. “We must also realise that the issue of security is a serious matter. The number of registered voters is substantial. It is for the National Assembly to decide either to suspend the elections or not.” Also the Chairman, Senate Committee on Ecology and Environment, Dr. Bukola Saraki, asked Nigerians to reject attempts to postpone the polls. Saraki, who spoke at a campaign rally in Fufu, the headquarters of Ilorin South Local Government Area of Kwara State, asked lovers of democracy to prevail on the Federal Government that the elections were held as scheduled. In the same vein, the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties has stated that the reason adduced by the NSA to call for the elections postponement was puerile and dummy meant to deceive the international community as well as portray Nigeria in bad light. In a statement by its publicity secretary, Mr. Osita Okechukwu, the CNPP said over 60 per cent PVCs had been collected nationwide by anxious Nigerians yearning to participate in the February 14 polls. The statement read, “CNPP is worried that NSA has joined some anti-democrats to plant land mines to scuttle our Nigeria’s fledgling democracy. “Dasuki’s statement clearly exposed his gross incompetence in his primary mandate to secure the country; hence the Boko Haram insurgents escalated since his appointment on 22nd June, 2012.” The Buhari Support Organisation also agreed that the consequence of the postponement of the polls could be disastrous. The group said in Abuja on Friday that the shift would be tantamount to rigging. http://www.punchng.com/news/lawmakers-vow-to-fight-poll-shift/ |
| Politics › I Fulfilled My 2011 Campaign Promises –jonathan by SEHHYTEX(op): 3:27am On Jan 24, 2015 |
President Goodluck Jonathan Friday said he had fulfilled the promises he made to Nigerians during his 2011 campaign. He said this while inaugurating a five-seater air-conditioned passenger inter-city rail transport system that will link Makurdi, Benue State with Port-Harcourt, Rivers State. Jonathan, who was represented by Vice-President Namadi Sambo, said the country had witnessed transformation, especially in the transport sector during his administration. He said, “President Jonathan has ensured the fulfilment of the promises he made to Nigerians by transforming the country, especially the transport sector as a critical infrastructure. “Today’s event is a commitment of our unflinching services. This transformation is in three phases: System transition, system modernisation and system stabilisation”. Governor Gabriel Suswam of Benue State applauded the President for reviving the “moribund” railway system which he said had been abandoned for the past thirty years. He said, “Transformation does not need noise. We need young people to run government, but not old people who are too weak; the old people should guide us to continue the Transformation Agenda.” The Chairman, Nigerian Railway Cooperation and former National Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party, Bamanga Tukur, said the commitment of the Federal Government in the railway sector had boosted the economy. The Minister of Transport, Idris Umar, also charged the people to take advantage of the opportunity provided by the present administration in the railway sector. However, some Makurdi residents have described the inauguration as “window dressing.” One of them, simply identified as Terkuma, asked, “How can a dead railway system that has been moribund in the last thirty years come to life in just three days?” He described the event as a campaign strategy to woo the Benue electorate. http://www.punchng.com/news/i-fulfilled-my-2011-campaign-promises-jonathan/ |
| Politics › Buhari Identifies Nigeria's Three Fundamental Problems by SEHHYTEX(op): 7:31am On Jan 23, 2015 |
Before addressing hundreds of party supporters who came yesterday to the venue to meet their candidate, Buhari shared his opinion during the courtesy to the Sultan of Sokoto and president-general, Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Sa’ad Abubakar III, in his palace. READ ALSO: Buhari’s Team Arrives In Sokoto The former military Head of State lamented that over 60 million Nigerian youths are believed to be unemployed adding however that his administration will resolve this problem if the APC gets elected in February. Buhari also promised to strengthen agriculture sector in Nigeria. The opposition candidate identified the 3 serious problems of the nation: insecurity, economic challenges, corruption. Buhari was quoted as saying by Leadership: “There are three fundamental issues that is before us in this country. And these are the question of security, the question of economy and the question of corruption. All other things can be under those three fundamental problems. “On security, Your Eminence, we asked what we can do to solve the situation. Luckily, we share the same profession with you. And from the experiences, I think we will make sure that the security enforcement agencies, including the military, are once more the pride of Nigeria. “Unemployment, which is another problem, forms the vicious cycle of security because of bribery and corruption. With the number of youths, it is estimated that over 60 million Nigerian youths are unemployed whether they go to school or not. We have to do something quickly about it. “The way we can do something about it is to go to farming, Your Eminence. Farming to make sure how much we can put in that line because of mechanization or increased fertilizer distribution and so on – for extension farmers to get the best. And then, like what is happening in Zamfara about the mining of gold and the effect of lead on people and communities is very clear. So that we quickly take a lot of the unemployed youths. Dignitaries in the campaign include, Buhari’s running mate, Prof. Osibanjo, Senator Saraki, APC national chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun and other party faithful.” It should be recalled that a bomb scare was reported yesterday ahead of the Sokoto rally, following which the venue was changed from the Sokoto State Stadium to the Sokoto Trade Fair complex. The event successfully took place and no alerting happenings were recorded. Before addressing hundreds of party supporters who came yesterday to the venue to meet their candidate, Buhari shared his opinion during the courtesy to the Sultan of Sokoto and president-general, Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Sa’ad Abubakar III, in his palace. The former military Head of State lamented that over 60 million Nigerian youths are believed to be unemployed adding however that his administration will resolve this problem if the APC gets elected in February. Buhari also promised to strengthen agriculture sector in Nigeria. The opposition candidate identified the 3 serious problems of the nation: insecurity, economic challenges, corruption. Buhari was quoted as saying by Leadership: “There are three fundamental issues that is before us in this country. And these are the question of security, the question of economy and the question of corruption. All other things can be under those three fundamental problems. “On security, Your Eminence, we asked what we can do to solve the situation. Luckily, we share the same profession with you. And from the experiences, I think we will make sure that the security enforcement agencies, including the military, are once more the pride of Nigeria. “Unemployment, which is another problem, forms the vicious cycle of security because of bribery and corruption. With the number of youths, it is estimated that over 60 million Nigerian youths are unemployed whether they go to school or not. We have to do something quickly about it. “The way we can do something about it is to go to farming, Your Eminence. Farming to make sure how much we can put in that line because of mechanization or increased fertilizer distribution and so on – for extension farmers to get the best. And then, like what is happening in Zamfara about the mining of gold and the effect of lead on people and communities is very clear. So that we quickly take a lot of the unemployed youths. Dignitaries in the campaign include, Buhari’s running mate, Prof. Osibanjo, Senator Saraki, APC national chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun and other party faithful.” It should be recalled that a bomb scare was reported yesterday ahead of the Sokoto rally, following which the venue was changed from the Sokoto State Stadium to the Sokoto Trade Fair complex. The event successfully took place and no alerting happenings were recorded. Sourcehttp://www.naij.com/370592-buhari-identifies-nigerias-three-fundamental-problems.html |
| Politics › ‘PDP Planning To Stone Buhari In Ondo’ - Buhari Campaign Co-ordinator by SEHHYTEX(op): 7:18am On Jan 23, 2015 |
The Buhari Campaign Co-ordinator for Ondo State, Mr. Ife Oyedele, has alleged that the Peoples Democratic Party in the state is plotting to organise youths to attack the convoy of Maj.-Gen Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), the presidential candidate of the opposition All Progressives Congress, during his campaign in Akure on Saturday (tomorrow).http://www.punchng.com/news/pdp-planning-to-stone-buhari-in-ondo/ 6 Likes 1 Share |
| Politics › Nobody Can Stop Me From Visiting Bayelsa –patience Jonathan by SEHHYTEX(op): 7:07am On Jan 23, 2015 |
Wife of the President, Mrs. Patience Jonathan, on Thursday said nobody or group could threaten her if she decided to visit any part of the country. Mrs. Jonathan, who spoke with one of our correspondents through her media assistant, Ayo Adewuyi, was reacting to statements by some youth groups threatening to disgrace her if she attends the grand rally of the Peoples Democratic Party in Yenagoa on February 5. Two youth groups – Bayelsa Youth Vanguard and the Mangrove Boys of Bayelsa – had, in different statements, issued in Abuja and Yenagoa, barred the President’s wife from accompanying her husband to the rally in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital. The youths, who accused Mrs. Jonathan of instigating political crisis in the state and working against Governor Seriake Dickson, had vowed to embarrass and disgrace her at the rally. But the spokesman for the President’s wife described the groups as faceless. He said Mrs. Jonathan would not be cowed into avoiding any part of the country because of threats from such groups. He said, “We will not descend so low to be joining issues with faceless groups. “The fact however remains that the First Lady as the wife of the President cannot be threatened by anybody or any group if she decides to visit any part of the country.” Meanwhile, the Bayelsa State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Valentine Ntomchukwu, has issued a warning to some youth groups threatening to disgrace the wife of the President if she attends the grand rally of the PDP on February 5. Two youth groups – Bayelsa Youth Vanguard and the Mangrove Boys of Bayelsa – had in different statements issued in Abuja and Yenagoa, barred the First Lady from accompanying her husband to the rally in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital. But Ntomchukwu, while addressing a select journalists in Yenagoa on Thursday, urged members of the public to disregard the threat, saying it was the handiwork of some faceless groups. The commissioner said, “I want to appeal to the general public to come out in large numbers to welcome the President and the First Lady who have done so much for this country. So, these miscreants cannot disrupt the peace of Bayelsa. “We have been enjoying peace and even on that day we will be celebrating because it is the day the President is coming, not necessarily as the PDP, but as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. So, they cannot come and tarnish the image of President in his home state. “ Ntomchukwu said the police would provide adequate security for the President’s wife and other political groups visiting the state for rallies, campaigns and legitimate businesses. He asked the BYV and the MBB to desist from making such provocative and inciting statements, which he said, were capable of puncturing the existing peace in the state. He added, “The police will not hesitate to deal decisively according to the extant laws with any such groups when arrested. I want to assure you that we are already trailing the Mangrove Boys anywhere they may be. “So, my advice is that these boys should just go away from the state entirely because since they have done this publication, they have put themselves on the firing line and we are definitely going to pursue them. “We are operating with intelligence and all the security agencies are at our disposal. As soon as we catch them, they will face the wrath of the law. Even though they are faceless, any time they become visible, we are definitely going to deal with them. “We are asking the well meaning Nigerians to come forward and give information not only on these boys but on all criminal activities. We have already identified them by their names and we are trailing them.” source http://www.punchng.com/news/nobody-can-stop-me-from-visiting-bayelsa-patience-jonathan/ |
| Art, Graphics & Video › 8-)lets Post Our Christmas Card Designs8-) by SEHHYTEX(op): 2:16pm On Dec 27, 2014 |
Shoutout to great designers in the haus. We may not be celebrities yet but that cant stop us from designing our Christmas cards. Abeg show what u designed maybe for others or urself. Source https://m.facebook.com/photo.php?_e_pi_=7%2CPAGE_ID10%2C9616696965 1 Like
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| Music/Radio › What "Goons" Mean In Olamide's Song by SEHHYTEX(op): 1:52pm On Dec 27, 2014 |
I was drawn to the fact by someone to find out what "Goons" mean in the dictionary, and my findings scared me as i thought it mean fwends. Goon according to Oxford dictionary means 1. Stupid / silly person 2. Criminal who is paid to frighten or injure people Now my question is why does our musicians use words out of context in their songs. I imagine myseld and a whole lot of others using that word flagrantly because our musicians use it. A plea to muscians to use right language as there are kids listening and funny enough these kids memorise these songs. #my 1kobo #Sehhytex |
| Events › Wishing Nairalanders Merry Christmas by SEHHYTEX(op): 1:00am On Dec 25, 2014 |
Sometimes we look back at our childhood days and wish we could have it back. Stop dreaming, its gone for good. But i wish we can make that wish of when we hold microphones and say those words "I want to make a shoutout to my daddy, mummy, my teacher even though he is wicked, friends nd ....". Let us use this medium to make shoutouts. MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL THOSE WHO HAVE MADE IMPACT IN MY LIFE... ND ESPECIALLY TO ALL NAIRALANDERS... LeggO |
