₦airaland Forum

salt 1: Middle east respiratory syndrome. I didn't know that the middle east exports other things than religion and warfare. As if those two are not problem enough

Your id is Salt1, you are now adding salt to a bad injury. Mind you, middle east does not export religion and warfare; instead Nigeria exports religion because Nigerians have highest number of churches all over the world and USA exports warfare. You can't dispute this. For the few mad so-called Muslims terrorizing the world, we shall soon cage ourselves because they are damaging our already spoiled reputation no thanks to Western propaganda.

pistol: the elderly can go to sokoto na...
To the gravesite of usman dan fodio..
And the sultan can then alhaji them.
That way they save precious foreign exchange ...
Money that will then be channeled to eradicating almajiris from the streets of maiduguri and kano.

Money spent on pilgrimage to Isreal too can be used to rehabilitate the people deported to Onitsha by fashola.

FrostyZonn: Virus in an Holy land in a Ramaddan season? Something is fishy. Could it be that the religion is a farce after all?

People die of different diseases everyday in your holy land called Isreal also, including some from Palestinia bombs. Restrict your comment to the topic and don't derail this tread. If you try it, Senator Sanni Yerima will be coming for your 6-years old sister as wife after the Hajj and he will make her Alhaja.

STOP ABUSING OTHER PEOPLE's BELIEFs. It is called civilization and tolerance. Live and lets live.

TVT KOKO: Is the so called 'holy land' not supposed to cleanse them of their sicknesses? SMH for these 'Devil stoners'

people die of different diseases everyday in Isreal also, including some from Palestinia bombs. Restrict your comment to the topic and don't derail this tread. If you try it, Senator Sanni Yerima will be coming for your 6-years old sister as wife after the Hajj and he will make her Alhaja.

STOP ABUSING OTHER PEOPLE's BELIEF. That is civilization.

ivetech: na waoo. no one here got notified

So that you will not feel lonely, no one here is notified yet, maybe with time someone here will get notified and come to this tread. keep checking.

akpanbaba: Believe me this religion does not worth it.How can MURIC justify this nonsense?.This statement is a disgrace to their religion.This small pickin marriage that your prophet started must stop ooooo.Cant they reason?.What is the corelation between child marriage and prostitution?.Are we not still having prostitution in the islamic countries?.This is absolute backwardness.Why are they struggling with small girls on earth while the seventy-two virgins are waiting for them in their heaven?

My brother please do not let men make you sin against God; blasphemy is a sin. Islam never said that old men should me sleeping with small children; such people are sentenced to death by stoning in the Arab world and you know that Arabs mean what they say.

Arewa Warrior: If you are a muslim and grateful to Allah for being one you could start with knowing what the religion says about child marriage before you conclude. It is a choice. If u like you can give your daughters up when thr 30 or even older, however if others choose differently and are not breaking any Islamic law then who are we to objet? You see the white man has managed to poison most of our views on issues that are permissible like also marrying more than 1 wife, Part of the wisdom behind this practice of polygamy is that 99.99% of men are polygamous in nature, whoever tells you otherwise is a hypocrite. ask the xtians to produce any verse in the bible that states you have to marry 1.... that law was man made.

Personally, I cannot marry more than one wife but I am not against polygamy because I do not have evidence to prove it is wrong because many of the so-call monogamist are actually serial cheats with one wife but many girlfriends. But sleeping with small children is nauseating. I don't know how a sane man will be arose by the unclothedness of small children. I think pedophiles should be shot and I can see you are one of them, so five gun shots to your skull.

ihimami: My friend, I can see the effect of media harassments affecting you as a Muslim. You do not need to be proud of being Muslim in as much as you fail to comprehend the points the MURIC director is making. Islam is guided by Devine Law and order, so if your position is based on what those who have been influenced by western perspective says, I am sorry you are far from being a true Muslim. Islam is based on solid evidence, and if you can not provide Quran and hadith evidences that stipulated the age bracket when a daughter can be given out in marriage, it is wrong for you to come out and condemned the MURIC director's position. My candid advice, please don't allow those that have been misguided to lead you astray, because they have been programmed to hate anything Islamic even though they could see the positive impact it is having on Muslim Community all over the world, i,e compare the rate of immoral activities such as homosexuality, crimes, sexual promiscuity and other vices of western countries to that of Islamic countries. Peace.

Another PEDOPHILE! Ladies and gentlemen, that person sitting or standing beside you may be a pedophile just like this guy that typed rubbish here. Now Mr. ihimami, all these your rantings, let us put them into action. Please come and ask for my under-aged cousin or niece's hand in marriage and lets see whether you will be fit enough to type this rubbish. I am not practicing Islam to please you or according to your own self-specified beliefs. If you can give give out your daughters in primary school out for wedding, kindly contact Sanni Yerima. Stay away from me because I don't spare PEDOPHILES, I destroy them before they destroy the society.

By God's Grace I am a muslim and I am forever grateful to God for being a muslim; however I am very very disappointed and ashamed of the actions and inactions of some of my so-called muslim brothers and sisters. How can any sane human give any reason to support child marriage. This MURIC Director should tell us how many of his daughters got married while in primary school. If this so called MURIC Director is sure of what he is saying and he is ready to defend it, please someone tell him to come and ask for the hand of my under-aged cousin, niece in marriage, he will come and tell Nigerians the outcome of such evil demand.

TRY AND DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS FOR YOUR PEOPLE SO THAT BIAFRA WILL BE UNITED AND STOP RUNNING TO "DEVELOP" AND POLUTE OTHER REGIONS.

IBADAN — Governor Olusegun Mimiko, of Ondo State, yesterday, boycotted the commissioning of the office of Development Agenda for Western Nigeria Commission which other governors in the South West zone attended.

Governors Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo), Rauf Aregbesola (Osun), Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun), Raji Fashola (Lagos), and Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti) attended the meeting.

The Director General, Dawn Commission, Dipo Famakinwa, said all the governors were invited, saying that he could not say what prevented Mimiko from attending.

Governor Ajimobi said “all the governors in the South-West belong to the council of the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria, DAWN Commission.

“All the governors were invited, but you can’t really say why a particular governor was absent. “Some of those who came must have made a lot of sacrifices. We expect that the Ondo State governor would be at the next meeting slated for August.

“I don’t want us to look at it as a Yoruba thing, but as a development taking place in the western part of Nigeria because we need the strength of everybody. The development of our states is not going to be by the Yoruba alone.”

While speaking after a brief closed door meeting, Ajimobi said: ”What we have done today is first of all the inauguration of the Dawn Commission office. We are having sub-committees that will go deeper into all the areas of development.

“In the end, our objective is to turn our region to a hub for development in terms of being the first area of call for investors visiting Nigeria.

“Primarily, the Yoruba people inhabit the place called western Nigeria, but we are trying to annex the strength and capability of everybody, including foreign investors to enjoy the development framework that we put together.

“Also, we want to build regional cooperation in cultural development, education, health, rail transportation, governance and institution, security and all facets of development that are critical to the region.”

The Director General, DAWN Commission, Dipo Famakinwa, said: “What the governors have done today is to inaugurate the Dawn Commission which will midwife the process of ensuring that the regional integration agenda of the South-West states begins to get attraction.

“You will begin to see a lot more activities on the regional integration agenda. The governors have made a formal declaration on the commencement of the process of integration. We will now begin to see development along the line.”


http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/07/mimiko-absent-as-s-west-govs-converge-in-ibadan/

next excel: I am from enugu but i hate boasting or noise trully my igbo brothers are making mistake,if ur trully hurt my all this tretment on the igbos take a step to address it,now ethiopain airline has included enugu in their in ternational flight (visit their site they will start with ten cities on august 29)start by patronising them no matter how cheap ar expensive it is and try move ur head office to the east and gradually all this will stope,i dont respond youruba ppls cus i now they are not worth being compard with us in any feild of life.

Your five line sentence is separated by comas meaning that you don't know when and where to end a sentence and start another. Each phrase of your sentence has so many wrong spellings and incorrect grammar. You cannot even make a simple correct sentence. Is this the type of people that wants to develop the Biafra? I doubt it. You all claim Yorubas are tribalist, yet Mazi Ben Akabueze is the Commissioner for Budget and planning in Lagos. Joe Ogbokwe is the ACN publicity secretary in Lagos. Please can you give examples of Yorubas holding political positions in Biafra region? We don't want destitutes in Lagos! Pure and Simple! Even some Yoruba destitutes were deported to their respective Odua states last year.

Summary; Stay in your region and develop it. This fraud called Nigeria will break up sooner or later.

Onlytruth: The fact remains that if Lagos state is tired of the Nigerian project, it should go ahead and secede today.
What Lagos is doing is CRIMINAL VIOLATION of Nigerian citizens CONSTITUTIONAL rights.

When Igbo got tired of Nigeria in 1967, we sacrificed 2 million of our people to try to secede. To me that is a demonstration of seriousness and bravery.

This cowardly backdoor secession won't work.

We Ndigbo really should hold the IG accountable because it seems that the IG is constantly making NIGERIAN POLICE men available for these types of open violation of the Nigerian constitution.

Our governors should hold Jonathan's feet to fire over the IG's indirect support for discrimination against innocent Nigerians by cowards who can't speak directly.

Say anything you want; Do your worst; But stay in your region and develop your region; I thought you people said that you own Lagos and the whole of South-West; You said you develop Lagos and the whole of South-West; Now we are telling you directly and indirectly that Lagos is part of Oduduwa Nation and not part of Biafra or Arewa. You sacrificed 2 millions of your people for civil war the last time; Our people are precious to us and we shall never ever sacrifice our people for anything; If you start another senseless unprepared war again, we shall still use the old trick to put you where you belong.

ojubi: Sad but that is the bitter truth.
The government never sat in One table with ASUU as partners to draft the said agreement.
During the presidency of YARADUA ASSU single handedly drafted that agreement and forced the government with series of strikes to assent it, which they did due to public out cry to stop the strike then.
But come to think of it ASUU wanting the addition of another 90 billion naira to their recurrent expenditure is crazy, once the fed govt agree to do it the state universities will ask for the same amount and trust me state governments will never be able to pay the money.
If they eventually have their way which i doubt then we should be ready for the worse because the price of school fees will sky rocket and an average Nigerian will not be able to acquire university education.
Workers from other sectors will also come out and tell the government; you raise ASSU budget by 90 billion, we need a raise too which is not healthy for the economy at the moment especially with the oil theft.
So ASSU just need to find a way to lower their expectation.

BUT Jonathan and his nuclear family can use over One million naira for each meal making three million naira per day. This statement is not hearsay because the permanent secretary at the presidency came to the national assembly during 2013 budget defense to request for more money saying that one million naira is too small for Jonathan per meal. Jonathan can also give Asari Dokubo and other millitant leaders billions of naira monthly as security bribes; this is not hearsay either because the minister for niger delta said on national television that if they don't bribe militants, nigeria will not be able to export oil. Note that these billions of naira in security bribes to Asari Dokubo and Co is not the monthly salary paid to repentant militants.

YET, you are telling me FG cannot fulfill the signed and sealed agreement. I BEG NO MAKE ME VEX OOO.

One more down. Still many more to go. Those that are sucking the masses blood through looting of the common wealth shall not go unpunished. Either they are Hausas, Yorubas, Ibos, Ijaws, Fulanis or even foreigners. The blood of the thousands of people that have died on the death traps called road shall not let you have peace. Well, her daughter Impatience died and resurrected after 5 days, maybe she will resurrect too.

neyobillz: Why in the world would an erudite prof descend so low to start giving names to the first lady of his beloved country,firstly i dont see any reason why the MOP would be so much concerned about Rivers politics when he isnt actually from there,at least the first lady is from there so she has every right to meddle into their political affairs,i think we are simply making a mountain out of a molehill,worse scenarios have happened in Oyo state legistlative chambers but we didnt hear the MOP voice out then,remember the Adedibu-Ladoja saga few years back,besides why does everyone label Amaechi the new saintly governor,just because he is having a scuffle with GEJ over the NGF issue,for crying out loud this guy has been suspended fro PDP so even if he had won,the position would have been given to the runner up,why isnt anyone talking about Amaechi sacking over 10 local govt chairmen due to trivial reasons,if the MOP can call the first lady a SHEPOPOTAMUS,then he his as equally untamed as any hippo in the wild.

Over the years, right from the first republic, Wole Soyinka took a toy gun to the radio station, took the broadcasters hostage and made them to broadcast inciting statements against the then Premier Ladoke Akintola; Where were your generations then? Wole Soyinka took on Obasanjo btw 1976 and 1979 and spent many years in detention. He took on Shagari until Shagari government crunbled. He took on Idiagbon & Buhari and spent many years in detention. IBB also detained him, Gani Fawehinmi and others several times for many years. Wole Soyinka and NADECO took on Abacha until they arrested Abacha with Cardiac Arrest. He took on Abdulsalami such that Abdulsalami has to quickly pack his things and leave. Wole Soyinka took on Obasanjo again on his second return, you can confirm from Obasanjo how Wole chased him in dreams every day. Where were your generations then? Wole Soyinka and the Save Nigeria Group matched to the National Assembly to force David Mark and other looters there to make Jonathan acting president and remove Jonathan and his wife husband Sheppopotamus Patience from the kitchen where Turai Yar'Adua put them. Where were your generations then? Please point to any member of your family or any of those shouting Jona for ever in the picture attached. Where were Asari Dokubo, Edwin Clark, Jonah Jang, Godswill Akpabio, Nyesom Wike, Dishonorable Evans Bapakaye Bipialaka - Patience's cousin (I dont know why Hon Chidi Lloy did not break his head too) and other fools? Or have you forgotten so soon? Pls cure your amnesia before it sends you to your early grave like Patience mother.

frosbel: "The coming of the lawless one will be accompanied by the power of Satan. He will use every kind of power, including miraculous signs, lying wonder" - 2 Thessalonians 2:9

"And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light." - 2 Corinthians 11:14

"For false messiahs and false prophets will rise u[b]p and perform great signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God's chosen ones." - Matthew 24:24

Thank you very much Mr Frosbel. You have been wonderful. All your answers and comments are with quotes from the scriptures. This is how to really make other people know what they don't instead of ranting like politricians the way most Nairalanders do without supporting evidence. Thank you once again.

frosbel: bii

Thank you very much sir. But, If all the dead are in their graves and will be awoken and judged after the trumpet sounds, then how come some people are claiming to see people in heaven and hell? Are these fictions or just dreams of drunkards?

sleekdot: https://africanspotlight.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Picture-383.png

Please why is the elderly woman putting her palm on the boy's big belle na? Is she trying to tell us that the boy is the hippopo?

The First Lady, Mrs Patience Jonathan, said in Abuja on Wednesday that she had committed the ongoing crisis in Rivers to prayer and that crisis started as far back as four years ago.

Rivers has been embroiled in a political crisis which culminated in a free for all at the House of Assembly last week, with some members injured. Patience Jonathan Jonathan said this during a courtesy visit to the Presidential Villa by 16 bishops from the South-South geo-political zone.

“Rivers state issue is one thing I’ve committed to prayer because I believe there is nothing God cannot do. God restored me and I’ll do His work without the fear of man.

“The truth will always remain the truth and what God ordains must come to pass and so Rivers issue is something we’ve handed over to God.’’

The president’s wife said contrary to some reports, she had always mediated between Gov. Chibuike Amaechi and other parties in a crisis that began four years ago.

“This matter started as far back as four years ago at Anyugubiri in Okrika when I begged him not to demolish a part of Okrika but (that he should) dialogue first with the people.

“After that incident, he called the chairman of Okrika (local government) and sacked him for holding a reception in our honour; that boy was the first victim.

“He also put my people on curfew for nine months. I called him and pleaded with him but he refused. Then I began to hear all sort of propaganda in the media against me; this is not the way.

“I’ve never spoken about this issue but as men of God, I believe you’ll say the truth always because there are a lot of conflicting interests; some will hear one thing and say the exact opposite.

“I also want you to know the genesis of this problem and pray that God touches Amaechi’s heart as per his hot temper because when two elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers.’’

Jonathan urged the parties involved in the crisis to help to resolve issues plaguing the state and not “whip up sentiments that will aggravate the problem.

“I appeal to Amaechi to sheathe his sword so that we can defend our state and this country with love, unity, patriotism and truth at all time.

“Hebrews 12:14 urges us to embrace peace with all men without which, we cannot see God.

“Amaechi is my son, I cannot fight him and I cannot kill him. He shouldn’t be used by outsiders against his own blood because this seat is vanity.

“One day, no matter how long it takes, we will leave this seat. Power is not forever. This seat is vanity, others sat here and left so one day I’ll also leave and we will meet at home; so why should I fight him?

“Let’s take it easy, face issues, leave non-existent matters, stop magnifying lies and respect our leaders and people in authority. Let’s give peace a chance,’’ she said.

Earlier, Bishop God-Do-Well Awomapara, Chairman, Niger Delta Bishops Forum, who led the delegation, said the visit was significant “in view of emerging situations in our region.

“We are on a quest to unravel the mysteries surrounding the Rivers issue and mediate where necessary.’’ (NAN)

SO, PATIENCE JONATHAN HAS CONFIRMED THAT SHE IS THE ROOT CAUSE OF THIS FIGHTINGS JUST AS HON. BIPI SAID IN THE WIDELY CIRCULATED VIDEO/

SOURCE : http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/07/rivers-crisis-started-as-far-back-as-four-years-ago-says-first-lady/

frosbel: John Wesley , Justin Martyr and William Tyndale agree with you :

William Tyndale who, with Coverdale, translated the Bible from Hebrew and Greek into English for the first time in 1535, said this, when debating with a Roman priest about resurrection: "Ye, in putting departed souls in heaven, hell, and purgatory, destroy the arguments wherewith Christ and Paul prove the resurrection. If there should be a heaven, tell me why they are not in as good care as the angels be, and then what cause is there of a resurrection?" The same error causes people today to ask- "If the dead are already in a blissful paradise, why must there yet be a resurrection?" If, however, we accept the Bible truth that the dead know not anything, that they sleep in death, then the resurrection at Jesus' return assumes the importance the Bible places upon it.

John Wesley, founder of the Methodist Church, said in a sermon on Luke 16:31, "It is indeed generally supposed that the souls of good men as soon as dislodged from the body, go directly to heaven, but this opinion has not the least foundation in the oracles of God."


Other church leaders have stated their beliefs on the state of man in death: "In AD 150, Justin Martyr wrote, 'If you meet some that are called Christians, who say there is no resurrection of the dead, but immediately when they die their souls are received up into heaven, take care that you do not look on these as Christians.' " Justin was a recognized leader in the first century after Christ, a man still known to have been firm in the true Christian faith.

Prof. thank you very much for the insight, but em em sorry; i am still confused despite your lecture. Please what can we derive from your premises.

a. there is no heaven or hell
b. there is heaven and hell
i. when people die, they are judged immediately
ii. when people die, they remain in the grave until the trumpet or saxophone sounds; all the dead are then awoken and judged.

pls select answer:
a.
b.i.
b.ii.

KwoiZabo: Soyinka tell us the things the presidential aid told you and the ones Amaechi denied if not we will not belive you. And you've been talking too much lately you better keep quiet and talk occasionally like Emeka Anyaoku if not you will loose the little respect that is remaining.

Emeka Anyaoku has not been talking and has in fact never talked because he is benefiting from the status quo and sucking the masses blood. Wole Soyinka took on Obasanjo (you can ask OBJ), Shagari, Buhari, IBB, Shonekan, Abacha and even matched to National Assembly to demand that GEJ be made acting president when Yar'Adua became vegetarian, WHERE WAS EMEKA ANYAOKU THEN? Don't compare men with boys. Where were all you lapdogs clowns when Wole Soyinka matched to National Assembly for GEJ and Nigeria's future? Could even the hippopotamus Patience Jonathan talk then?

Pls kindly educate me bible teachers and students; I thought everybody will be judge on the same day when the trumpet (or saxophone) sounds, how come some people are already in heaven and some in hell? Does it mean that some people are already judged before the sound of the trumpet or does it mean that each person will be judged immediately he/she dies. Please backup your answers with bible verses.

sanniemoe: Stop hating. No one said u should come from a poor family. Femi Otedola is a business man and not a Politician

Femi Otedola's father was governor of Lagos state in the third republic. Femi Otedola has also be mentioned as one of the crook oil importers that collected subsidy money far above what they import. It is better for a man to remain poor than to steal from the common wealth. Just my thought.

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But how come she forgot to wear skirt or trousers in the picture na?

Dike Chimezie: And the winner is Goodluck Ebele Azikwe Godsent Jonathan.One good turn deserves another.Once a winner,always a winner.

Please respond to this and stop day dreaming: https://www.nairaland.com/1362224/north-must-produce-president-2015

THE NORTH DETERMINES WHO RULES NIGERIA BECAUSE OF ITS NUMERICAL STRENGHT. Take it or leave it. I prefer you leave it because it's hot.

Six Northern organisations, including the Arewa Consultative Forum and the Northern Elders’ Forum, on Tuesday insisted that the North must produce the nation’s President in 2015.

The ACF, the NEF, Arewa Reawakening Forum, Arewa Research and Development Project, Northern Union and the Code Group , said at a news conference in Kaduna, that an existing agreement that the Presidency should return to the region must be strictly followed.

NEF spokesman and former Adviser on Food Security to ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, Prof. Ango Abdullahi, who spoke for the groups, warned that if parties to the pact failed to adhere to it, the North would use its numerical strength to ensure that power returned to it in 2015.

“The North is determined and is insistent that the leadership of this country will rotate to it in 2015 and I am making that very very clear to you (journalists), Abdullahi said.

[b][b]“The North on the basis of one man, one vote can keep power indefinitely in the present Nigerian state. If it is on the basis of one man, one vote, demography shows that the North can keep power as long as it wants because it will always win elections,” [/b][/b]he added.

Abdullahi, who stated that the ACF was in the forefront of the quest by the region to have a Northerner as President, added that even the Middle Belt Forum and other groups in the region were clear in their calls for a Northern President in 2015.

“All of us have this very tough and common agenda. Not that the North is power hungry . No; it (power rotation) in 2015 will be argued on the rational agreement that is on the ground today,” he explained.

The former presidential aide pointed out that it was morally wrong for President Goodluck Jonathan to contemplate contesting in 2015 since he was aware that such a pact existed.

Abdullahi mentioned former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Jonathan as some of those who signed the pact. Jonathan, according to him, signed as number 37 when he was the deputy governor of Bayelsa State.

“He (Obasanjo) was the first to sign. This particular President (Jonathan) was there as deputy governor representing the then governor of Bayelsa State. He signed as number 37. It was found in the document,” the NEF spokesman claimed.

Abdullahi, a former Vice-Chancellor of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, also said that Obasanjo started the circumvention of the pact by seeking a third term in office.

“We had agreed that the South will have eight years and then, the North will have eight years but when Obasanjo saw some loopholes, he tried to abandon the zoning as well as the constitution to seek third term,” the former presidential adviser alleged.

He noted that even after Obasanjo’s tenure, the North was short-changed due to the death of President Umaru Yar’Adua, who only spent two and half years instead of eight years of two terms contained in the said agreement.

When reminded of a former Information Minister Chief Edwin Clark’s insistence that Jonathan must rule in 2015, the former Vice- Chancellor, argued that the South-South where he (Clark) hails from is “a tiny enclave of a few people, perhaps not bigger than Kaduna State.”

Abdullahi added that the North would have continued to dominate the political turf if not for the voluntary sacrifices it had continued to make in the cause of the nation’s history.

He said, “Some of us who participated in constitutional conferences from 1987 till the last one – the Political Reform Conference – accepted that every part of this country should have a taste of leadership and this is the basis of the acceptance of the rotation between the North and the South.”

He explained that it was based on the afforementioned that the South through Obasanjo had its share of the eight years of two terms before handing over to Yar’Adua, who could not complete his own eight years before his death.

Abdullahi said, “It is obvious the constitution says if the President for whatever reason is not there, his deputy will take over. And this was why Jonathan as vice-president then became the President. We thought at the end of that four years, the North should take over. If we didn’t have eight years because of that truncation, at least, we should have had six years but they said no.

“So, it is mainly on the grounds that first, there was an agreement for rotation of power and that there is immorality in their refusal to hand over to us that we are insisting on clinching power in 2015. The North is insisting that the Presidency will come whether on the basis of rotation or on the basis of voting power since we have the voting power to make sure that it (Presidency) comes to the North .”

He stated that the region would pick a competent person from either “the core-north or Middle Belt” as a candidate for the presidential poll in 2015.

The Presidency, immediately reacted to the groups’ comment on Jonathan’s alleged ambition, saying Nigerians, and not Northern elders as represented by Abdullahi, would decide who rules Nigeria in 2015.

Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, Ahmed Gulak, in an interview with one of our correspondents, said Abdullahi did not represent the North as the region did not believe in his leadership.

He warned the elder statesman and his ilk to avoid heating up the polity by their utterances.

The presidential aide added that while Abdullahi and his group had the constitutional right not to vote for Jonathan, others also had the right to vote for him.

He said, “In the first place, Abdullahi is not a character that represents the North because the region does not believe in his leadership. Nigerians will be the ones that will decide who becomes President in 2015 and not Abdullahi. He has no say in who becomes the President.

“As we speak, President Jonathan has not made up his mind to re-contest. People should be calm. This is the time for the President to work for Nigeria. He will tell them when he makes up his mind.

“Abdullahi and his ilk should not heat up the polity. They should act as elder statesmen and not as restive elders.

“They have constitutional right not to vote for President Jonathan. Other Nigerians also have constitutional right to vote for him. At the end, the majority will carry the day, that is the beauty of democracy. Minority may have their say but the majority will have their way.”


SOURCE: http://www.punchng.com/news/north-must-produce-president-in-2015-acf-others/

My brothers from SE & SS who have been saying that it is either GEJ or nobody, please react to the colored paragraphs.

Despite the erratic power supply in the country and frequent system collapses, electricity tariff will continue to rise, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission has said.

NERC, while defending the Federal Government’s position on the recent increase in fixed electricity charges, said the Multi Year Tariff Order had an approved tariff stipulated for 2012 to 2016.

The MYTO, which was prepared by NERC and obtained by our correspondents, showed that there would be increases in electricity tariff every year till 2016.

The tariff schedule showed that consumers would have to pay higher on two fronts. Every year, the fixed cost will go up. Similarly, the energy cost or cost per kilowatt hour of electricity will also go up.

NERC had consistently said that increase in electricity tariff would be for the short run and that the amount payable by consumers would begin to fall when the country had produced enough electricity.

The annual tariff increase, our correspondents gathered, would be automatic not minding whether there was appreciable improvement in power supply or not.

The Chairman, NERC, Dr. Sam Amadi, while briefing journalists on Monday following public outcry against the recent increase in the fixed charge from N500 to N700 or N800, depending on the location, said, “The truth is that the tariff must increase despite shortfalls in service delivery.”

He argued that the inability of power distribution companies to live up to expectation was not a tenable reason to slash tariff, adding that it was in the interest of Nigerians not to reduce the charges.

Amadi said most of the shortcomings in the sector were structural and insisted that the commission would not reverse itself on the approved tariff regardless of the underperformances of power distribution companies.

He said, “We regret that the distribution companies have not been very committed to meeting their obligations in the MYTO. NERC recognises that the quality of service has not seen significant improvement, especially in the area of metering and accurate billing of customers.

“Our expectation for significant and sustained improvement in electricity supply and quality service lies in the expected takeover by the privatisation preferred bidders, who have better incentives and commitment, and have made enforceable promises to invest continuously in providing better services to consumers.

“These investments and commensurate improvements will not all be made in one day but over the coming months, years and decades following the entry of new investors and managers of our distribution companies.”

The Nigeria Labour Congress on Sunday condemned the new tariff designed by NERC, with its President, Mr. Abdulwaheed Omar, saying the body rejected the latest figures because of the epileptic electricity supply and the low purchasing power of the working people.

But reacting to the NLC position, Amadi argued that two minor reviews conducted by the commission did not result in increase in tariff.

This, he said, was because the fundamentals of the MYTO and the financial model published on NERC’s website had not significantly changed.

“We must state that the commencement and results of both minor reviews were announced via various national print and electronic media, including some that carried various provocative statements that bear absolutely no connection with the truth,” Amadi said.

On what the penalty was for distribution companies that failed to provide stable electricity despite collecting high fixed charges, the NERC boss stated that the commission had responded with regulations to enforce correct billing of unmetered customers.

He said NERC had also introduced the Credited Advance Payment for Metering Implementation policy to help protect electricity consumers.

“We will continue to enforce these regulations and interventions to improve quality supply before the preferred bidders take over the networks,” Amadi said.


SOURCE: http://www.punchng.com/news/electricity-tariff-will-increase-despite-poor-supply-nerc/

When Nigeria dispatched a jet from its Presidential Air Fleet late last month to fetch Malawi’s President, Joyce Banda, to Abuja, it unwittingly drew attention to our government’s fiscal recklessness. It was lost on President Goodluck Jonathan that while Banda had sold her cash-strapped country’s only presidential jet to save costs, he has, in three years in office, expanded Nigeria’s executive fleet to 10 aircraft.

Neither the reality of over 60 per cent of the population living in poverty, nor the recent alarming revelation by the Finance Minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, that government’s revenue inflow had dwindled to a dangerous level, has persuaded Jonathan to pare down the size of the Presidential Air Fleet. Instead, it is projected to rise as provision has reportedly been made to purchase two additional helicopters to ensure the President, Vice-President, their families, and other top functionaries travel in luxury at public expense.

Banda was in Nigeria to deliver the keynote address at the Global Power Women Network Africa summit in Abuja at the invitation of Nigeria’s First Lady. To ease her trip to Nigeria’s capital, our generous government dispatched a jet to pick her from Lilongwe, Malawi’s capital, and return her home after the event. That is to be expected since Malawi lacks a presidential aircraft.

Shortly after assuming the presidency in 2012, Banda had taken a critical look at her country’s economy. Almost 40 per cent of the national budget came from aid donors, while revenues from its major exports – tobacco, tea, coffee and sugar – were falling due to lower global demand and prices. Moreover, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank had withdrawn most aid in response to the purchase in 2009 of a presidential jet by Banda’s predecessor, Bingu wa Mutharika, and his abandonment of an IMF-dictated adjustment programme. Other donors followed the World Bank/IMF lead.

Besides selling the presidential plane for $15 million, Banda also sold off a fleet of 35 Mercedes Benz limousines reserved for the president and the cabinet. She cut her own salary by 30 per cent, among other austerity measures. Her actions won praise around the world and convinced the IMF and other aid donors to return with credit and handouts to back the government’s ongoing painful structural adjustment programme.

But Nigerian leaders will not sacrifice their own comfort for anything. Even in a rich country like Britain, Prime Minister David Cameron and cabinet members took pay cuts in response to the global recession and the spending cuts that the government introduced. Here, our leaders are obsessed with living in luxury, regardless of the mass of people who are poor, the lack of infrastructure, mass unemployment and dwindling revenues. Okonjo-Iweala’s warning that the government may run out of money to pay salaries by October in the face of massive oil theft and vandalism of pipelines that have sharply reduced oil production and revenues has not jolted officials. Neither the wasteful Executive nor the overpaid legislators are ready to give up their luxurious lifestyles.

But British leaders often take commercial flights and, occasionally, trains when travelling for state functions. Japan, with its Gross Domestic Product of $4.52 trillion and per capita income of $36,200, (at Purchasing Power Parity), has only two aircraft – Boeing 747 – 400 – for use of the prime minister and the emperor; the Netherlands, with GDP of $770.2 billion and PCI of $42,300, has two; the British Queen, Elizabeth II, and Cameron travel on chartered British Airways flights, despite their country’s $2.32 trillion GDP and PCI of $38,700; South Africa has just one presidential aircraft with its GDP of $678.6 billion and PCI of $11,300, though it expects another soon, while Malaysia has one, but has also ordered a second; but with its GDP of $492 billion and PCI of $16,900, like others cited, Malaysia is ahead of Nigeria with a GDP of $450.5 billion and PCI of $2,700.

Given these scenarios, it is high time we ended this absurdity. Today, the aviation sector is in dire straits. How does one explain that only two domestic airlines – Arik, with 23 planes, and Aero Contractors with 14 – have larger fleets than this one kept for a few at public expense? Over N9 billion is believed to be spent on the maintenance of the presidential fleet each year, while the PAF required 47 Nigerian Air Force officers, 173 airmen/airwomen and 96 civilian employees on full time call in 2012.

Nigerians, however, desperately need a government that exists to serve the people, not a few. Successive governments have demonstrated incompetence and abused and misused public funds. There should be minimum ethical standards and decorum in public office. Other developing nations like Ghana where a former president, John Kufuor, once disposed of a spare presidential aircraft, retaining only one, should shame us into prudent conduct.

Jonathan has no excuse to continue keeping 10 aircraft and our under-performing legislators have no reason to keep approving new purchases or the billions of naira they appropriate for their maintenance each year. But, ultimately, it is only when the electorate shakes off its lethargy and demands accountability and responsibility from public officials that things will change for the better.

SOURCE: http://www.punchng.com/editorial/nigerian-jet-for-malawian-president/

Omexonomy: if you look closely you will see that the peeps who buy sarahreporters lies most are people from south west. People who do not know their left from their right. People who never wast time in trowing insult at other people for disagreeing with them.

The same sahara reporters reported that Impatience Jonathan was sick and in a German hospital, you and my other brothers and sisters from the SE and SS said it was a lie, but that she was resting and needs our prayers; even the Impatience Jonathan said at the airport when she returned that she was not sick and does not even know the hospital sahara reporters and other "enemies of progress" were talking about. Few weeks later, Impatience Jonathan threw a 500 million naira thanks-giving party where she told 6 billion world population that she died for more than a week and resurrected - surpassing Lazarus record in the Bible; See pictures in this link http://saharareporters.com/gallery/photonews-first-lady-patience-jonathans-n500-million-resurrection-thanksgiving-service-abuja. Now whom do we believe more? Sahara reporters or Impatience Jonathan or my brothers and sisters from the SE and SS?

My brothers and sisters from the SE and SS follow Jonathan and his family religiously just because he is from your side, he is your son and he is spending your oyel money as you always say. Remember however, that when the Chimpanzee looking OBJ (just like chimpanzee looking Impatience) was president; South-Westerners were stoutly in opposition. We were policing OBJ left and right without breathing space. South-Westerners kept OBJ on his toes throughout his unfortunate rule. Even when OBJ wanted 3rd term; It was the South-Westerners and the Northerners that frustrated all OBJ 3rd term efforts after my from brothers SE and SS have collected money from OBJ and supported his 3rd term agenda. However, I should single out Rt Hon. Senator Ken Nnamani for his bravery to stand for truth by teaming up with SW and the North to frustrate OBJ 3rd term even after almost all SE & SS Senators have supported the devilish agenda then.

NONE. They are all compliments.

[quote author=Joe.]so obtaining undeserved submission and favor is the reason you are advancing as an advantage of cultism.......i pity the school where you graduated from. you sure have questions to answer.....[/quote]Na wetin I talk wey bring all these harassment na? You even pity the school where I graduated becos I dey form cultist for NYSC camp. Make I tell you another incidence that will make you more crazy. I was easing myself at the back of one of the hostels in NYSC camp then; one useless Man-O-War walked up to me and the following conversation followed:

Man-O-War: wetin you dey do there?
Me: wetin you dey see?
Man-O-War: my friend don't answer question with question.
Me: you boy's scout don't start what you cannot end ooo. Me, I no be pastor's pikin and somebody just vex me now,
I beg, no let me test instrument for your body.

By the time I checked my side again, I no see the guy; whether the guy ran or he disappeared I can't say

Cultism is a sure way to self destruction and a path to end in HELL; but I enjoyed the privileges while in NYSC camp despite the fact that dem no born me well make I go near cultists dey.. It's sad that illiterate soldiers and Men-O-War harass and intimate graduates.