₦airaland Forum

Another election gimmick, something government did not do for more than a year, it is now when they are not certain they will be voted into the office again that they deemed it fit to work on confab report.


Does government think Nigerians are daft or what?

The Federal Executive Council on Wednesday approved the main report of the 2014 National Conference at a meeting presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan.

The PUNCH had reported exclusively on Monday that the council would receive and debate a report of a committee set up by Jonathan to draw up the implementation strategy for the conference chaired by Justice Idris Kutigi (retd).

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Pius Anyim, and the Minster of Culture, Tourism and National Orientation, Edem Duke, briefed State House correspondents of the meeting’s outcome.

Anyim described the council’s approval as the first leg of concrete steps aimed at implementing the conference report.

He recalled that apart from the report, the national conference recommended to the government how to implement the recommendations and resolutions.

The SGF explained that what FEC did at the Wednesday meeting was to approve that those modalities be adopted in implementing the report.

Anyim said that recommendations and resolutions that require constitution amendment and enactment of new laws would be forwarded to the National Assembly for promulgation into law.

He said the Attorney-General of the Federation, Muhammed Adoke (SAN), had been asked to compile, vet and make such recommendations available to the President for onward transmission to the National Assembly for enactment into law.

He added that agencies’ policy matters in the report shall be referred to the affected agencies and the tier of government concerned, whether federal, states or local governments, for action.

The SGF said, “On other matters that require legal issues, for instance where it concerns constitutional amendment, it is not really the responsibility of the National Assembly alone.

“They have to work with the state assemblies in bringing effect to this.

“So, today, we are taking steps towards implementing the resolutions of the national conference and we believe that the vision of Mr. President in setting up the conference and the wonderful work done by eminent Nigerians who attended the conference in producing the report, the resolutions and recommendations, would be given consideration.

“We also believe our country will benefit immensely from the work of this conference.”

Anyim said while the process leading to the implementation of the report might not end during the life time of the present administration, a bold step forward had been taken with the approval.

Jonathan had in September 2014 shortly after the end of the conference approved the composition of a Presidential Committee to study and draw up the implementation strategy.

Adoke is chairman while Anyim is the Secretary.

Other members of the committee are the Minister of Transport, Idris Umar; the Minister of State for Finance, Bashir Yuguda; the Minister of Aviation, Osita Chidoka; the Minister of State for Federal Capital Territory Administration, Olajumoke Akinjide, and the Minister of Works, Mike Onolememen.

The committee’s terms of reference include studying the Report of the 2014 National Conference; articulating the recommendations therein and developing appropriate strategies for its implementation and advising the Federal Government on all matters necessary for the effective implementation of the report.

Confab recommendations

The national conference recommended among others, that anybody aspiring to become the country’s President must be a degree holder.

It approved the rotation of Presidency between the North and South and governorship among three senatorial districts of each state.

The conference also recommended the creation of additional 18 states.

The proposed states are Aba State to be created from Abia State; Adada State from Enugu State; Amana State from Adamawa State; Anioma State from the present Delta State; Appa State from Benue State and Edu State from Niger State.

Also listed are Etiti from the present South-Eastern Nigeria; Ghari to be created from the present Kano State; Gurara out of Kaduna State; Kanji from Kebbi and Niger states; Katagum from Bauchi State and Ijebu from Ogun State.

The conference also listed other expected states as New Oyo from Oyo State, Akana-Anim from Anambra and Imo states; Ogoja out of Cross River State; Oil Rivers out of Akwa Ibom State; Ose from Ondo State and Savanna from the present Borno State.

The conference voted in favour of drastic reduction of number ministers to 18.

Presently, there are about 42 ministers with one coming from each of the 36 states of the country and one each from the six geo-political zones of the country.

The conference also resolved that the Minister of Finance should be be presenting annual budget to the National Assembly instead of the President as it is currently obtainable.

Under the new arrangement, both the President and the ministers would be expected to appear before the National Assembly to render account of their stewardship on quarterly basis.


http://www.punchng.com/news/fec-approves-national-confab-report/

After all the politics he and his wife has played with their daughters life, after all the I don't care attitude displayed by our president over the case of those missing girls, after all the stupidity displayed by the first lady because of this girls, Gej thinks he can turn it to campaign strategy by visiting and reconstructing the school after more than one year without any visible effort by government to rescue those girl.

I love the wisdom of the parents and the villagers, they diplomatically told Mr president that it is their daughters that matters to them.


Why will a reasonable government call her citizen( in need of help) a liar, ignore their plight and sabotage the effort of external help only to turn around to offer same help after a year just because of election.

Honestly our government is sick so also any body that feels we did not deserve better.

For me it is not necessary to vote for APC but pls try and vote for another credible candidate in another party but don't return PDP.

Representatives of the Chibok community in Borno State on Wednesday in Abuja met with the Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, as part of efforts to ensure the successful implementation of the safe school initiative.

At the end of the meeting, which was attended by stakeholders from Chibok, the Chairman, Parents Teachers Association of the Government Secondary School, Chibok, Mr Dunoma Mpur, told journalists that at no time was the community against the reconstruction of the school.

President Goodluck Jonathan had two weeks ago laid the foundation stone for the reconstruction of the Government Secondary School, Chibok, which was destroyed by Boko Haram insurgents, who seized over 200 students of the school since April 14 last year.

The President had said his administration was determined to root out insurgency in the North-East region to enable residents of the area return to normal life.

However, following the inauguration, some indigenes of the Chibok community had rejected the gesture by the government to reconstruct the school, stating that the offer could not take priority over their daughters in the custody of insurgents.

But Mpur, who led the delegation to the finance minister, commended the Federal Government for standing by them and putting structures in place for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of their communities.

He said, “Our priority is the rescue of our daughters, please bring them back safe. We are here to dispel the reports of rejecting the building of the school.

“We parents who are at home need the reconstruction of this school, we welcome it wholeheartedly.

“Our prayers are with our daughters and we hope and pray to see them very soon.”
http://www.punchng.com/news/we-are-not-against-rebuilding-of-chibok-school/

Yeah sorry man, read your bible very well and you will see the answers to your question.

PDP and their sympathisers are too shameless for my liking, why can't they pretend to be lovers of good and progressive things for once in their life time.

Very funny indeed.

Organise any poll anywhere he will always lead him, why do you think dollars has been raining, millatry started fighting BH after 3 and half years of lies, deceit and blame game from presidency over BH and why do you think Gej has being paying unexpected visit to people at night.

The man is protecting his future, he knows Fanikayode has bitten more than he can chew, so he needs to run fast.

One Wale Ajisebutu has written to a Federal High Court in Lagos seeking to withdraw as a surety for a former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, who is facing money laundering charges.

Ajisebutu was one of the two persons who stood as sureties for Fani-Kayode in the fulfilment of the bail conditions granted him by Justice Ramat Mohammed in January 2009.

The bail was in the sum of N200m.

Ajisebutu’s application to withdraw was listed for hearing before Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia on Tuesday, but it was not taken as it was learnt that Fani-Kayode had written to the court seeking for an adjournment.

The surety said he was withdrawing because he had an urgent need for the documents of his landed property, which he had deposited into the court’s custody.

Further proceeding in Fani-Kayode’s trial had been adjourned till March 26.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had charged the ex-minister with 40 counts of money laundering.

The anti-graft agency alleged that as Minister of Culture and Tourism and later the Minister of Aviation, Fani-Kayode severally dealt in cash sums above N500, 000 without going through any financial institution.

The alleged offence was said to have contravened sections 15(1) (a) (b) (c) (d) and 15 (2) (a) (b) of the Money Laundering (prohibition) Act, 2004.

But Ofili-Ajumogobia, had on November 17, 2014 dismissed 38 of the counts for failure of the EFCC to prove the particulars of the offence.

Fani-Kayode, who is currently the Director of Media and Publicity of the Peoples Democratic Party’s Presidential Campaign Organisation, had been canvassing arguments to exonerate himself of the remaining two counts.

The counts read, “That you, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode on or before September 20, 2006, while serving as Minister of Culture and Tourism of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, made a transaction exceeding N500,000 which was not done through financial institution, by accepting cash payment of N1m, which sum was further paid into your personal account number, 103450252601 with First Inland Bank PLc Apapa branch, now FCMB, through one Supo Agbaje, your administrative staff, now at large.

“That you, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode on or before September 20, 2006, while serving as Minister of Culture and Tourism of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, made a transaction exceeding N500,000, which was not done through financial institution, by accepting cash payment of N1.1m, which sum was further paid into your personal account number, 103450252601 with First Inland Bank PLc Apapa branch, now FCMB, through one Supo Agbaje, your administrative staff, now at large.”

http://www.punchng.com/news/money-laundering-fani-kayodes-surety-applies-to-withdraw-2/

I hope this is true because my electricity bill since November last year says other wise, every months the thing increases by 50%.

The Federal Government on Tuesday announced a reduction in electricity tariffs by 50 per cent.

It explained that the reduction which came barely two months after it cut the pump price of petrol by N10, followed a series of complaints by electricity consumers.

The government through the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission added that it took the decision after it removed the collection loss component of the Multi Year Tariff Order 2.1 of the affected Discos.

NERC Chairman, Sam Amadi, said the addition of the Aggregate Technical, Commercial and Collection losses to the reviewed tariff that was implemented on January 1, 2015 was responsible for the skyrocketed tariff.

The addition, according to him, was done after the regulatory commission conducted a fact-finding tour of the Discos and noted that it was aimed at ensuring a cost reflective tariff by passing the bulk to ‘‘paying’’ consumers for losses incurred from ‘‘non-paying’’ consumers.

He said although the increment in residential tariff was pending till June 2015, the total removal of the collection loss applied to all consumer categories, including industrial and commercial consumers.

Energy charges vary from one Disco to another. In Abuja for instance, residential consumers, based on the MYTO 2.1, pay N4 per kilowatt hour, while the amount charged commercial customers, depending on their respective category, range from N23.32 to N37.68 per KWH.

Fixed charges for most residential consumers is between N650 and N750 while energy charge has an average of about N4 for every KWH.

With the new directive, it therefore means that the energy charge, which forms the larger part of the tariff paid by customers when computed by Discos, will be reduced by half.

Nigeria has 11 Discos that distribute power to consumers.

Amadi said the commission listened to consumers and took full account of the impact of high tariff paid by consumers and the economy and therefore reviewed the basis of the MYTO 2.1 assumptions.

He explained that after the review, it was agreed that it was inappropriate to transfer the collection losses that were controllable by Discos to consumers.

The NERC chief said, “It is the responsibility of the Discos to collect their revenue from their customers. Failure to do so should not be a penalty to customers who pay their bills. It is clear that removing the collection losses will lead to lower tariffs for consumers.

“The removal of collection losses from customer tariff has reduced tariff by more than 50 per cent in some places. Please note that the reduction does not affect the Central Bank of Nigeria facility and its repayment.”

Since January 1, 2015 when NERC approved the MYTO 2.1, there had been several complaints against the increase in tariff of different consumer classes.

Industrial and commercial consumers under the auspices of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria petitioned the commission asking for a review of the MYTO 2.1 and requested drastic reduction of their tariff.

MAN had stated that such astronomical increase in tariff was capable of killing their business and leading to massive job losses.

The association also threatened to shut down its factories if NERC failed to revert to the rate that was obtainable before the announcement of the “astronomical increase” which took effect on January 1, 2015.

Amadi explained that the Electric Power Sector Reform Act and the Business Rules of the commission mandated NERC to review its decision if a complaint by an interested party has a merit.

He added that pursuant to these rules, the commission organised public hearing and received evidence from consumer classes on the affordability of the new tariff.

He said, “The commission also invited the chief executive officers of the Discos to the hearing to respond to the case of the consumer groups. Furthermore, the commission reviewed the technical and financial assumption of MYTO 2.1.

“The review shows that the major underlying cause of the skyrocketing increase in the tariff is the huge ATC&C losses, which are passed through to consumers. In some Discos, ATC&C losses increased tariff by as much as 80 to 103 per cent.

“Therefore, on Monday, March 9, 2015 the commission issued a new order to the effect that henceforth collection loss, which is defined as the ‘amount billed but not collected’, will not be automatically passed on to consumers of electricity.

“Consequently, the collection loss for all Discos is set at zero. It is now the responsibility of Discos to convince the regulator of any exceptional circumstances for such loss to be passed to the consumers.”

The NERC boss added that the new direction came as part of the commencement of the Transitional Electricity Market.

TEM is built on bilateral trading between parties and is geared towards ensuring an efficient market where cost reflectivity will lead to more affordable electric services for consumers.

Amadi further explained that as part of preparations for TEM, NERC had issued a tariff review regulation that required the utilities to consult with relevant consumer classes before presenting a tariff review application to the commission for approval.

http://www.punchng.com/news/fg-slashes-electricity-tariff-by-50-2/

Nawahoooo there is no name this people did not call themselves, from Jesus to messiah. I think the next is God.

Wife of President Goodluck Jonathan, Patience, on Tuesday in Ilorin, Kwara State, said her husband was the messiah hence she told Nigerian women not to vote for Maj.Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress.

“Nigerian women, if they (APC) come, tell them that your mother said you should not listen to them. They have nothing to offer. They have nothing to give you, Nigerian women; because the battle has already been conquered, God has opened the way for us. God has brought down the messiah for us. And PDP is the messiah.
Goodluck is the messiah,” the President’s wife said at the Peoples Democratic Party’s women presidential rally in Ilorin.

She asked Buhari to leave politics and governance to younger people.

“I am a person that will tell the truth. I will not abuse people, but if you are old you are old, so leave it to younger people,” she said in a veiled reference to her husband’s main challenger, whom the PDP had said was too old to occupy the President’s office.

Buhari was born December 17, 1942.

The President’s wife likened the opposition APC to an “expired and adulterated drug” and urged the Nigerian electorate not to vote for the party, saying it could lead to their death.

She said God had told her that the APC would lose the general elections rescheduled for March 28 and April 11 general elections.

Mrs. Jonathan said, “What are we going to take expired drug to do? Have you seen anywhere where APC cured any person? If you vote and drink it and die, it is not my business. Do not go near APC. It is an expired drug and an adulterated drug.”

She said the Jonathan-led Federal Government had positively transformed the country through provision of massive infrastructure as well as good and functional health care and good educational system.

She also promised that the PDP would reclaim governance of Kwara State, saying the state was stolen from the PDP.

“They stole our mandate. This is opposition state. All these provisions of the Federal Government, they are claiming that they are the ones providing them, meanwhile they are embezzling the money.

“Anyone that comes, they eat it up. This time, PDP says no to them.”

Patience also cautioned APC leaders against making its campaign to clash with that of the PDP. She accused the APC of deliberately planning the political events of Aishat Buhari, the wife of the APC presidential candidate, to coincide with her own rally in order to create an atmosphere for violence between the two camps.

She said, “PDP is not shaken; as far as we are there, there is no need for trouble. You know that Mama Peace, your mother, is peace-loving, so the children must also be peace-loving. Women are peace makers and no woman that makes trouble is worth to be called a woman.

“Before I went to Edo State, the APC was there, all to make trouble. I have always been telling them that they like to make trouble. I wanted to go to Edo, they were there. Why? To make trouble. I wanted to come to Kwara, they were there. Why? To make trouble. As I was coming today at the airport, they were also coming so that there would be trouble but I told my security people that I am a mother of peace, so let them go in peace. We, wives of political leaders should not make trouble, so even if they come to you to make trouble, don’t fall for their tricks.”

Mrs. Buhari’s convoy was attacked by suspected thugs in Ilorin on Monday.

Patience added, “Kwara is PDP. They only stole the mandate because the Government House they are occupying today is in the name of PDP. We shall take it over. Everyday they change from one name to another and very soon they will change to Ebola and then death will come. My God that I serve has told me that they will fail. So don’t be deceived, don’t listen to their lies.

“There is office for wife of President but they were saying there is none. But soon they brought one ‘Hajia’ as wife of the President and she is now saying, ‘don’t worry, my husband made a mistake, we shall make provisions as necessary.’ Don’t believe what they are saying, hold to what you have because it is better than what you are yet to see.”

http://www.punchng.com/news/my-husband-is-the-messiah-patience-jonathan-says/

See as some people want to take credit for what they did not do.

Reigning African queen of the track, Blessing Okagbare has denounced the use of her image and footage by a body said to be working for President Goodluck Jonathan who is also the Peoples Democratic Party presidential candidate, without seeking her consent.

An advertorial by GoodHouse Nigeria tagged GEJ Okagbare, which she said had been running on various electronic media in Nigeria and also on Youtube, the athlete said it was wrong for anyone to use her image or footage for a presidential campaign without seeking her approval. The PUNCH verified one of such videos on YouTube which expressively had the Commonwealth Games gold medallist in action. The video details achievements made by the government especially around the Nigerian railway system.

Okagbare who confirmed her displeasure over the development via Twitter from her base in Los Angeles, USA, on Thursday said that her attention was drawn to the advertorial by friends and relatives in Nigeria about two months ago

She said, “I just wanted to be patient at first, but my agent is not happy because he thinks I am a woman and very far from home too.

“Someone out there is using my image, footage and everything I have worked for to make money through advert and campaign without seeking my approval. If an advert is being made with my footage and I am not aware of it, it shows how some of my countrymen back home can be so selfish, disrespecting and have no regard for people’s privacy.”

Okagbare was quoted two years ago during the All Nigerian Open Championship in Calabar lamenting that the Federal Government of Nigeria was not doing enough to support her athletics career saying that the only support she got was from Delta State government.

Okagbare added in statement sent by her agent to The PUNCH, “Now, I am here struggling on my own to pay my coach, nutritionist, doctor and others to make sure I am in good shape for the All African Games and the IAAF World Championship in Beijing, China, later in the year, and some people back home are using my image and footage for presidential campaign advertorial without seeking for my approval.

“This is fraudulent because I am totally not in support of it. We called the people (GoodHouse Nigeria) and they denied using my image and footage for PDP presidential advertorial. Who did it then? Why are they lying?”

The star athlete told our correspondent that she was condemning the act because those involved were not doing the right thing whether for sports or business.

“It is not about financial support. It is about me and what I represent,” she said.

http://www.punchng.com/sports/okagbare-slams-jonathans-campaign-group-over-image-use/

See all this useless PDP dogs, are u not tired? Your ogas at the top has changed strategy, they have seen that it does not work, you have to move on with their strategy.

The elders also want their share.

It seems Nigerians have dressing sense than the Americans, we just don't have the economy.

Don't let us over flog that matter, we all know PDP want election prosponement and they plan to rigged it but Jega is a big obstacle to the big plan.

Honestly we need a strong leader who may not be perfect but can stand up to the cabals in all aspect to enforce the rule of law and deliver the divident of democrasy to Nigerians. Whether it is Buhari or another presidential candidate( chekwos okorie, Matin onovo, kowa etc) I don't know but certainly it is not Jonathan.

Who is this man? Menh! The guy chop wella under jona oooo almost everything that deals with military plane etc are done by this guy.

mekaboy:
The light situation in Nigeria was far better than it is today under Bath Nnaji as minister. I wondering what he did to achieve it that Nebo is not doing.

I agree with you on this one, we enjoyed improved electricity supply during Bath Nnaji. I think the full privatisation is the problem, greedy people who really does not want to invest might have bought the power facilities, while they take immediately profit rather than put more investment to stabilise the industry.
During Nnaji's days, government was investing on those facilities but now little or no investment is going into those area especially from those organisation that bought those facilities.
NERC is to be blame for this, however we are in a nation where the few greedy and corrupt individuals are more powerful than government agencies that is meant to checkmate them.

My honest and unbiased opinion, it may not represent the true picture of the situation on ground.

Uummnh see lies, after babangida talked to Gej he has done everything lure Amaechi but it was already too late. Man can only take so much b4 he how's on his own, Amaechi has gone since.

Sorry bishop, we know the gate of hell people and those that desecreat church with # 10 billionon.

B4 now, l thought the bad advisers forced themselves on jona, now I see that he does not know how to choose a friend.

It true, that means their plan to prospone election through that means as been truncated, PDP back to the drawing board find another means to prospone the election God is waiting to shatter that effort also.

This people are sick, first he was a sharia man, later he want to islamise Nigeria, then he sponsor Bokoharam, then he has no certificate, then he was a dictator, then he will jail your corrupt uncle and father,then he was sick and he will die soon, then he can't go for second term and now he has pledged guy for world power to win election.
PDP is really confused and sick, isn't it obvious that we are in one chance all this while, we just did not know because we don't have opposition (even though not perfect people and perfect party ) to open our eyes to it.

Thank God

theoctopus:
It seems you dont even understand English at all. Okonjo Iweala did not admit any missing money. "Short fall remittance" is not missing money! Please go back to school! Shioor!

See me see trouble ooo, first you said it was APC that said so, now you said remittance shortfall is not missing?
Which language did you want her to use?
Pls enough of all this brother the more I provide evidence and you lie the more I hate PDP.

theoctopus:
Okonjo Iweala did not accept it! Please stop posting quotes from Lie Mohammed! Post facts please. Thank you

Why do you people like to lie like this?
This is what you can find in public domain.
This link will help you http://pointblanknews.com/pbn/exclusive/alleged-missing-20-billion-okonjo-iweala-insists-on-the-whole-truth/

Note the highlighted words and tell me when lai Mohammed turned to okonjo.
Is it that you people don't really know what re defending or you are deliberately lieing as usual "the hallmark of PDP" blame the opposition for every wrong pdp's actions?

Alleged Missing $20 Billion: Okonjo-Iweala Insists On The Whole Truth
The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy Dr.
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has demanded to know the whole truth about the alleged
missing $20b which the suspended Central Bank Governor, Mallam Sanusi
Lamido Sanusi said is missing from the federation account.

A statement Tuesday from the finance ministry to the BBC, said the
minister, “ asked for urgent action with regard to an independent forensic
audit of conflicting claims of unaccounted funds made by the Nigerian
National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and suspended Governor of the
Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mallam Sanusi Lamdio Sanusi.”

According to the BBC, the direct statement from Dr Okonjo Iweala, said,
“My position on this has been clear from the start. The Ministry of
Finance’s reconciliation showed a shortfall of $10.8bn in NNPC remittances
to the Federation account. [/b]After this, the conflicting claims continued
with new figures such as $20bn being mentioned. So since 13th February I
have called for an independent forensic audit. President Goodluck Jonathan
indeed announced last night that there will be an investigation into
whether there are any funds missing from NNPC. He also indicated that the
correct process needs to be followed in this investigation and I
understand that the entity that has the proper authority to initiate such
an investigation is the Auditor General of the federation.