₦airaland Forum

THE Peoples Democratic Party rose from an overnight meeting on Wednesday morning without reaching a consensus on whether to support President Goodluck Jonathan’s presidential ambition.



They also failed to agree on whether to support any other aspirant for the race during the meeting that coincided with the one held by the PDP National Chairman, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, with the state chairmen of the party.



The governors met after they were hosted in the Presidential Villa, Abuja by Jonathan, who intimated them about his ambition.



The meeting, which was held at the Kwara State Lodge, Asokoro, Abuja, was presided over by the Chairman of the Governors Forum, who is also the Governor of Kwara State, Dr. Bukola Saraki.



Sources close to the meeting told our correspondent that the governors took time to comment on their earlier meeting with the President.



It was learnt that all the governors from the South-South and the South-West expressed their support for the President’s aspiration.



However, a governor from the South-West was said to have advised that he would prefer that they (the South-West governors) extracted a word of promise from Jonathan before throwing their weight behind his ambition.



The governor was said to have called the attention of his colleagues to the way the President allegedly ignored the names of their nominees as ministers.



Not only that, he was also said to have informed his colleagues, especially those seeking a second term in office, to let the President be aware of their ambition.



One of our sources, who asked not to be named said, “The governor said it was apparent that some people don’t like the President with the way they have been positioning some people to take over from us even when some of us are seeking a second term ticket.



“He cited a particular state where a godfather is bent on removing the governor and installing his benefactor, which he said was not good enough because the President needs us.”



It was also leant that some governors from the North insisted that the region should be allowed to complete the tenure of the late President Umaru Yar’Adua.



A governor from the North-Central reportedly asked if any of his colleagues was interested in the race. But none of them was said to have openly shown interest.



The question, according to another source, was said to have particularly been directed at Saraki, but the Kwara State govenor was non-committal in his response.



“The question was thrown at him because of his perceived antagonism to the President’s ambition, surprisingly, he did not answer in a favourable way,’ the source added.



Among the northern governors said to be opposed to Jonathan’s ambition are those of Katsina, Zamfara, Kebbi and Sokoto states.



Asked why it was so, the source said such a position was unexpected because they had voted in favour of zoning when the Northern governors met in Kaduna recently.



Our correspondent further learnt that governors Jonah Jang (Plateau) and Gabriel Suswan (Benue) particularly asked their colleagues to support Jonathan.



At the end of the meeting, none of the governors volunteered to speak with the few journalists that monitored the meeting.



However, the Governor of Oyo State, Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala, said that he and his colleagues had agreed not to speak with journalists concerning the outcome of the meeting.



No statement was also issued, but Saraki sent one of his aides to the journalists to inform them that he would not be briefing them.



But some governors were said to have met after the enlarged meeting to further discuss the matter.



Apart from Saraki and Alao-Akala, other governors at the meeting were Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan (Delta); Bauchi, Obong Godswill Akpabio (Akwa-Ibom); Bauchi, Mr. Timipre Sylva (Bayelsa); Mr. Gabriel Suswan (Benue); Mr. Liyel Imoke (Cross River), Chief Martin Elechi (Ebonyi); and Mr. Segun Oni (Ekiti);



Others were Mr. Sullivan Chime (Enugu); Mr. Ikedi Ohakim (Imo); (Jigawa) Alh. Sule Lamido; (Kaduna) Mr. Patrick Yakowa; (Kastina) Alhaji Ibrahim Shema; Alhaji Sai’du Dakingari (Kebbi) Alhaji Aliyu Doma; Nasarawa; Chief Gbenga Daniel(Ogun); Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola (Oyo); Mr. Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers); Alhaji Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto); danbaba Suntai (Taraba) and Alhaji Aliyu Shinkafi (Zamfara).



The deputy governors of Niger and Taraba States also attended the meeting.



Nwodo was said to have sought the understanding of the PDP chairmen as the party prepares to release its guidelines for the 2011 general elections.



He was also said to have asked the chairmen to be impartial in their handling of the party’s affairs.


http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art20100826531745

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has said General Ibrahim Babangida (IBB) and himself are working together for the unity, stability and development of the country, adding that they are prepared to make necessary sacrifices in the service of their people.

He said no sacrifice would be too much for them to make in the service of their people and the unity of Nigeria. He made this statement in Yola, Adamawa State yesterday at a public lecture held in honour of Senator Jibril Aminu to mark his 71st birthday.

Gen. Babangida, who was the chairman on the occasion, also recommended the close relationship between him and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to other Nigerian politicians, saying that politics should not create enmity among them. Atiku, who paid tributes to Gen. Babangida at the event, said their relationship dates back to the 1970s.

“What many Nigerians don’t know is that I’ve been friends with General Babangida more than 10 years before I met the late Major-General Shehu Yar’Adua,” he said.
According to him, their relationship had been fostered by the need for Nigerian leaders to close ranks and focus on the challenges facing the country. “We have to work together to solve the problems facing us as a nation and making Nigeria a prosperous country for the benefit of our people.

“The challenges facing the country are immense and there is an urgent need for the Nigerian political elite to work together and reposition the country for the benefit of all Nigerians,” he said. Speaking on Prof. Aminu, who Atiku referred to as his elder brother, the former vice president said the Senator had made immense contributions to the development of Nigeria and deserved to continue as a Senator until he becomes the longest serving Senator in Nigerian’s history.

In his remarks, Senator Aminu said he admired two attributes in Atiku. The first was what he called Atiku’s doggedness. “If Atiku wants something done, he would go to whoever has the key to that thing regardless of how lowly placed the person is. Not all of us politicians can do this,” he said. Secondly, he described Atiku as a party organiser. He said he had witnessed Atiku organise the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and other parties and hoped that his return to the PDP would help make the ruling party better.

“Atiku is fully back in PDP, blood and flesh. I welcome it,” he said.
Commenting on the controversy over a waiver for the former vice president to contest the party’s presidential primaries for the 2011 polls, Aminu said he supports Atiku on the matter because he is from Adamawa State.
He queried the discriminatory granting of waivers by the PDP, saying that there was no reason why the ruling party should favour some aspirants to the detriment of Atiku.

“Is it because he is from Adamawa State,” he queried, adding that Adamawa deserved to be treated with respect and dignity internally and externally.

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2010/aug/26/national-26-08-2010-001.htm

We the Ogonis are not suprised nor worried by this report, we knew this from day one. We knew the game plan by Shell, UN and Nigeria government. But what they don't understand is that the biggest mistake they made was to kill Ken Saro-Wiwa. They can't get the Ogoni oil again. It is a done deal. We saw Father Krukah for what he is: a crook and bastard.

The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) has denied allegations that its three-year investigation into decades of oil pollution in the Niger Delta will exonerate Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), the Dutch oil giant operating in the region.

The agency was reacting to Amnesty International's criticism of the credibility of data used in the research. In an email to NEXT, yesterday, Amnesty International challenged UNEP's reliance on figures which the international human rights organization said were produced by Nigerian regulatory agencies "that are known to depend heavily on the oil companies themselves when it comes to spill investigations.

"Relying on these figures would be a serious misjudgment, with potentially significant ramifications for those living in the Niger Delta," said Audrey Gaughran, Director of Amnesty International's Global Thematic Issues Program.

"UNEP must be aware that the figures have been strongly challenged for years by environmental groups and communities. They are totally lacking in credibility. The people of the Niger Delta have been lied to and denied justice for decades. The issue of oil spill causation is sensitive. If UNEP is going to comment on the cause of oil spills it should do so only on the basis of hard and credible evidence, not figures that are a source of conflict."

Although the investigation is yet to be completed, Amnesty International said the $9.5million probe by UNEP indicates that 90 per cent of oil spills in Ogoniland were due to sabotage and criminal activity, and just 10 per cent due to equipment failure and negligence by companies such as Shell. The investigation was reportedly financed by Shell.

UNEP's defence

UNEP has, however, said its assessment is yet to be completed, as it is still studying environmental damage in the region. The released data, according to a statement from the agency, did not reflect results of the uncompleted assessment.

"In referring to this data, UNEP clearly indicated that these figures represented official estimates of the Government of Nigeria, based in part on data supplied by the oil industry," said the statement, made available to the News Agency of Nigeria. "They therefore do not represent nor reflect results of UNEP's current assessment process, which is still ongoing. To link this data with UNEP's study or indeed any future attribution of responsibility is incorrect."

The agency also said the fieldwork involved in carrying out the environmental assessment is expected to finish by October 2010, adding that a report can only be released after laboratory analysis is concluded early next year. It also emphasised that the study is independent and that the funding from Shell is in "keeping with the polluter-pays principle."

According to the agency, the study is "an unprecedented effort to examine the location, nature and extent and implications of oil contamination in Ogoniland," adding that it is "a longer-term goal to clean up contaminated sites for the benefit of local communities and people living in parts of the Niger Delta and for the region's sustainable development."

Faulty investigation system

In June 2009, an Amnesty International report on the human rights impacts of oil pollution concluded that the oil spill investigation system in the Niger Delta was not independent. The organization also stated that the system was inadequate to determine the proportion of oil spills caused by sabotage, as opposed to equipment failure.

The report documents examples of cases where Shell claimed the cause of a spill was sabotage, but the claim was subsequently questioned by other investigations or the courts. The human rights organization therefore called for an independent oversight of the oil industry in the Niger Delta, including disclosure of all relevant information on the causes of oil pollution. "While sabotage and vandalism are serious problems, there is no evidence to support the figures offered by oil companies and the Nigerian government agencies," said Ms Gaughran.

More knocks for UNEP

Environmental rights group, the Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN), also described the data released by UNEP as "not only outrageous but scandalous." In a statement issued in Lagos, the group said the conclusion of the report is objectionable as it contradicts all verifiable facts about pipeline spills in Ogoniland and the entire Niger Delta. It also contradicts earlier reports on the oil spills by both Shell and the UNEP.

"We are aware that Shell has for years sponsored and orchestrated campaigns to white-wash itself from atrocities it committed on Ogoniland that led to the murder of Ken Saro-Wiwa," said Nnimmo Bassey, the Director of the organization.

"We are, however, appalled that a United Nation agency will risk its reputation and engage in image laundering for Shell. This is a case of who pays the piper dictates the tune."

The report, according to Mr Bassey, "should be consigned to the waste bins. It is another violent rape on Ogoniland and the Niger Delta people whose rivers, streams, farmlands and health have been adversely affected by the voracious appetite of Shell for oil in the last 50 years."

According to official reports, over 300 spills occur yearly in the Niger Delta damaging the environment and local livelihoods. The group pointed out that life expectancy in the Niger Delta is 41 years as against an average of 47 in other parts of Nigeria.

This is largely due to the extreme pollutions of gas flaring, oil spills and large-scale disposal of hazardous wastes into the Niger Delta environment. "While we frown at continued under reporting of oil spills by oil companies and their regulatory agencies, we reiterate our conviction that Shell has a moral duty to own up to its spills and to remediate and compensate the impacted people," said Mr Bassey. "We stand with the people of the Niger Delta and all well-meaning peoples across the globe saying no to this Shell-induced UNEP report. We also reject the lame defence being put up by UNEP on this monumental gaff. It will not pass even as a moonlight tale."

http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/Home/5610720-146/story.csp

To be honest we all nigerian know the simple truth

I think it is high time we sent most of these old recycled politicians who in their immaginations think they and (somtimes their kiths and kins) have the right to rule Nigeria at all cost even when it is evidently obvious that they no longer have anything to offer us to retirement and let Nigerians use their voting rights wisely to tell all these “traditional without me nigeria will not survive” political “business men” that we are no longer prepared to be taken for fools! enough is enough!

A former Vice-President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, and an ex-Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, on Tuesday lamented that some of the perpetrators of Nigeria’s democratic woes were planning to return to power.



They said at the launch of a book, ‘Diary of a debacle- Tracking Nigeria’s Democratic Transition,’ that Nigerians must wake up and ensure that democracy was not left in the hands of such people.



The launch of the book written by Dr. Olatunji Dare, a former Editorial Board chairman of The Guardian and a renown scholar, was used to mark the 73rd post-humous birthday of the winner of the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election, Chief MKO Abiola.



A former Military President, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, whose regime annulled the election is seeking to come back to power in 2011 on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party.



Tinubu, the chief launcher of the book, said that Dare had through the book “enlisted us to quickly wake up from our deep political slumber because the architects and harbingers of our political debacle have sought to return to the political stage they had earlier destroyed.”



He recalled the author’s “courageous write ups in the wake of the June 12 crisis,” saying that he was constantly harassed by the military.



Tinubu added that unlike many who turned a blind eye to the efforts by the late Abiola after benefitting from the June 12 struggle, Dare stood true to the struggle.



The former governor said, “In fact, one of the grand beneficiaries (Chief Olusegun Obasanjo) that the Almighty saved from the hangman’s noose and who later became President, did not even want to hear Abiola’s name muchless of honouring him.



“Yet, many like him (Obasanjo) reaped bountifully from his (Abiola) toil and still wanted more than their entitlement but for public outrage and vigilance.



“Today, rather than the celebration of this highly principled first-class intellectual by the nation, we prefer to give national awards to the enemies of democracy; those who truncated our lofty dreams, setting Nigeria back by several years through collaboration and active involvement in one of the worst electoral heist in human history.



“There are many of them now who preside over several of our democratic institutions, including amending the constitution for us as well as devising a tailor-made electoral Act with the intention of achieving a pre-determined objective while the grandmasters of the despicable cult of annulment are preparing to come back and reap from where they did not sow.”



Tinubu added that the book was an expose on the steps, actions and statements of Babangida that showed he was not willing to quit office in 1993.



The former governor said, “It (book) will refresh the memory of many and illuminate on the roles played by gladiators of that era that later robbed Nigerians the opportunity of having entrenched democracy as far back as 1993.



“The book will surely make a loud scream about the satanic roles played regarding that epoch by those in power or still hanging around the corridors of power. Dare has also come out with the skeletons that some anti-June 12 have hidden for 17 years.



“Until Nigeria recognises him (Abiola) as the 4th president of Nigeria, justice is not done.”



He noted that if not for the death of Abiola, democracy would have still remained a mirage in the country.



On his part, Abubakar disclosed that his political mentor and one-time Chief of Defence Staff, the late Gen. Shehu Yar’Adua, foresaw the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election by Babangida.



Abubakar added that most Nigerians, including the chieftains of the defunct Social Democratic Party, did not trust the Babangida-led junta to accept the outcome of the June 12,1993 elections.



This, according to him, led to several meetings by the SDP chieftains to strategise before the elections.



He said, “Before the SDP primaries, Northern and Southern delegates met in Kaduna to vote for Abiola. Our calculation was that after the elections, Abiola would be the presidential candidate and I will be his running mate.



“There was however confusion in Jos, Plateau State, because what we had earlier discussed in Kaduna, Kaduna State, was not agreed in Jos.



“At that point, I called the Shehu Yar’Adua to come and settle the impasse.



“He (Yar’Adua) came to Jos and said we should vote for Abiola. His position was that the South-West voted for him (Yar’Adua) in the SDP primaries and there was need to pay back. He had argued that if either myself or Alhaji Babagana Kingibe emerged, Babangida would most likely annul the elections and if he did, the North could not protest.



“He also believed that if Abiola emerged, the South-West could lead a protest because they had the political will to fight the military, and that was how they (West) also chased the military out of power.



“That was how we elected the Abiola in the second ballot and he won, but Babangida annulled the election. We protested and then drove out the military from power.”



The former vice-president also extolled the late Abiola’s determination to actualise his mandate.



In his remarks, a former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, dismissed insinuations in the South-West that the annulment of the June 12 elections was the handiwork of the North.



Ribadu said, “That is the biggest lie of the century, all Nigerians voted for Abiola, including thee Northerners. It was the work of a few people who robbed 14 million voters of their franchise.



“ I was in the police force back then and I knew what happened. We almost lost Nigeria in 1993.”



He described Dare as one of Africa’s most talented narrators.



Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola, who spoke as the chief host, charged Nigerians to see the June 12 struggle as an opportunity to stand up for their rights and demand true democracy and governance from their leaders.



Also, the widow of the late politician, Dr. Doyin Abiola, lamented the backward slide the nation had experienced even with 10 years of uninterrupted democracy.



“I feel that something is about to give way; it may take some time. Soon people would tell us the truth. We are failing as a nation but I feel if this country must take a balance, women must be actively involved,” she said.



Dare, in his speech, said the book which he dedicated to Abiola, would reawaken the consciousness of Nigerians on the June 12 struggle.



“The June 12 spirit enjoins us to forgive, albeit it does not enjoin us to forget because a nation puts itself at a great risk when they forget,” he said.



The book launch was witnessed by the late Abiola’s wife, Dr. Doyin Abiola; a former military administrator of Lagos State, Rear Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu; the Chairman of the Action Congress of Nigeria, Chief Bisi Akande; the Chairman, Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria, Chief Ajibola Ogunshola.



Others were the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Diaspora, Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, a business mogul, Chief Molade Okoya-Thomas; the governorship candidates of the ACN in Osun and Ekiti states, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola and Dr. Kayode Fayemi respectively; and the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr. Adeyemi Ikuforiji.



http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art20100825523451

Good talk, but why dont we hear all these truths, during the moments?, why must we hear past leaders truths in past tense, why not present tense? and why must it be that these truths are told only when they are seeking, elections? who do we listen to, the annulled or annuller? something must be wrong some where, can someone tell these jokers that, Nigerians are more concerned with how, well infracstrutures could be fixed, how can we make our economy vibrant, how can we stop fuel scacity, which has been since i was small, how we can have a people oriented leadership. Not come and cajole us in other to get votes. Or rather do Nigerian leaders know what they call "election issues"? common?

Former Vice president, Atiku Abubakar, yesterday said that the late Shehu Musa Yar’Adua had predicted that the June 12, 1993 presidential election would be annulled by then President, Ibrahim Babangida.

He said that was why the late Yar’Adua asked him (Mr. Abubakar) and Baba Gana Kingibe to rally round the late Moshood Abiola rather than remain his opponents.

Mr Abubakar was speaking at the public presentation of a book, ‘Diary of a Debacle: Tracking Nigeria’s Failed Democratic Transition (1989-1994) written by essayist and former chair, editorial board of the Guardian, Olatunji Dare, to mark the 73rd posthumous birthday of Abiola.

The nerve to resist

Speaking at the event held at MUSON Centre, Onikan, Lagos, Mr. Abubakar said the late Yar’Adua who supported the late Mr. Abiola during the Social Democratic Party (SDP) primaries in Jos, Plateau State believed Mr. Babangida would annul the election, and it is only the South West that could confront him.

He added that the late Musa Yar’Adua believed the North lacked the sophistication to protest if a Northerner wins and Mr. Babangida annulled the election. Mr Abubakar said Mr YarAdua was sure the South West was more likely to lead a more potent protest.

Recalling what transpired after Mr. Abiola emerged first, he said, “Musa Yar’Adua drove all night, arrived Jos early in the morning and called those of us very close to him and said look. You guys, I want you to go and vote for MKO Abiola. I am telling you this because of two reasons: One, the West voted for me in the NCP primary twice. Two, if either you Atiku or Kingibe emerged as the elected candidate, Babangida will most likely annul this election.

Eternal hero

Governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Raji Fashola, who was among the scores of politicians at the event said he would never have been governor of the state if “MKO had not given up his life for the enthronement of democracy in this country.” Fashola also reiterated the importance of public debates for political office seekers so that the public can know “about those we entrusted power to and which of the candidates is best prepared.”

http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/News/5610870-146/why_we_backed_abiola__.csp

My guy you better not try it at all

This is a + to Nigeria, pls keep it up  

There is high rate of illetracy in the country and i think this increment in tution fee of students is a way forward in ekiti state. The governor, the vc would say that cos they earn more. Seriously it is when there is check and balance system in the education sector that when d country wl move ahead. This act is just slowing the growth of democracy, increasing i lleteracy

There was pandemonium at the University of Ado-Ekiti on Monday as hundreds of students of the institution attacked Governor Segun Oni at the university campus.



The incident happened after the maiden distinguished lecture of UNAD was delivered by the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Oluseyi Petinrin.



Hundreds of UNAD students led by the President of Students’ Union Government, Mr. Kehinde Okunuga, had staged a protest over hiked fees and booed the governor, who is the visitor to the university.



Although there was a heavy security presence at the auditorium where the lecture was delivered, the students who had waited for the governor, heckled at him throughout the duration of the lecture.



Immediately the governor walked out of the auditorium, the irate students, who had been calling him unprintable names, started hurling pebbles and other objects at the governor. But he was shielded by policemen and his security aides.



Some of the vehicles parked close to the auditorium had their windscreen shattered as the students launched ‘missile attack’ on the fleeing governor.



Policemen fired tear gas canisters to disperse the students, who were bent on embarrassing the governor in presence of his visitors.



Although no student was shot as the security men handled the situation in a civil manner, some students who suffered shock, it was gathered, were taken to the university health centre for treatment.



Earlier, the SUG President who addressed the students after Oni’s convoy had gained entry said, “ The entire students of UNAD reject Mr. Segun Oni’s coming here to our campus. We reject his obnoxious policies. His policies on education are anti-student.”



The Vice-Chancellor of UNAD, Prof. Dipo Kolawole, who was angered by the embarrassment caused the governor, said that the masterminds of the protest would be made to face the music.



But Oni said that the hike in fees, which the students were protesting, would not be reversed because of the prevailing economic situation in the country.



The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Wale Ojo-Lanre, in a statement on Monday, described the students’ action as shameful and a demonstration of the opposition’s determination to further harm the future of the students.


He said that the implementation method which was adopted by the Governing Council of UNAD was ingenious.



He said that it was the first time fees increment would be introduced and old students were not affected.



Oni further said, “ As the Visitor to the university, I give you the governing council the approval to increase the fees as you deem fit. But it must not exceed 25 per cent in a session.”



At the point, some of the students in the auditorium rose up and said “No.” But the governor continued with his speech.



Security was beefed up in major streets of Ado-Ekiti on Monday while there was heavy security presence at the university. About seven vans loaded with armed policemen were stationed at the university while the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Kakwe Katso, led was also at the university to ensure that there was no breakdown of law and order.



In the new fees regime, the least fee in UNAD is N90,000 which is payable by students in Faculties of Arts and Education while medical students are expected to pay over sN200,000.


http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201008244402270

Nigeria has officially received the exclusive United States of America Category 1 air safety rating which allows direct flight operations to the US.

Nigeria’s aviation minister, Fidelia Njeze, received the certification from outgoing US ambassador to Nigeria, Robin Sanders, yesterday at a brief ceremony in Abuja, making Nigeria the sixth African nation after Cape Verde, Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, and South Africa to receive the status.

The rating is determined under the US Federal Aviation Administration’s assessment of how countries meet the International Civil Aviation Organization safety standards, and Nigeria’s certification is based on the results of July 2010 FAA review of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority.

The certification means Nigeria has complied with the safety regulations set by the international body, as assessed by the US aviation authorities, and Nigerian-registered flights have direct permits to the US. Such flights too would benefit from reduced premium charges and receive preference for leasing.

Ms. Njeze said the “covetous” status marks a “milestone” in the history of the nation’s aviation. “By this certification, Nigeria has been put in the premier league of aviation. We celebrate commitment today, we celebrate dedication, and celebrate success,” she said.

Nigeria’s aviation relations with the United States was seriously hurt after last December’s failed terrorist attack on the US by a Nigerian, Umar AbdulMutallab. In recent months, the NCAA director general, Harold Demuren, has assured of efforts the agency has made to secure the rating.

The US ambassador, Ms. Sanders, said the recognition was “hard fought and well-deserved” and praised Mr. Demuren, for the success.

“This achievement is an important milestone for Nigeria and US bilateral relations. The US Mission, NCAA, and FAA have worked together as a team in the true spirit of bilateral partnership over the last two years to achieve this goal,” she said.

The International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) carried out by the FAA, offers the category 1 rating to countries with laws and regulations that can oversee air carriers in accordance with minimum international standards for technical expertise, trained personnel, record keeping, and inspection procedures.

Ms. Njeze, becoming the first aviation minister to achieve this, said “it was a long journey that had ended well.” However, she said “the journey has just started.”

“I thank the American government for the confidence in Nigeria and assure them that we will maintain that.” She said the government will continue to upgrade the airports, personnel, and safety standards.

http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/News/Metro/Politics/5610270-147/us_grants_nigeria_direct_flight_permit.csp

Frank, what stops him from abiding by the rules and regulations of the party he toiled very hard to bring to this level. Or is it that the laws are made for the boys ,girls and the downtrodden? Simple, go back to Adamawa and validate your membership. You need a waiver to do that? Frank, by this request if you are speaking the mind of your man, then it is certain that he will not observe the rule of Law as President and Commander in chief of the Arm forces.

Who care for why he left PDP, what i just know that come 2011 Atiku, cannot rule Nigeria, either he is waive or not

The National Youth Director of the Atiku Campaign Organisation, Mr. Timi Frank, has called on President Goodluck Jonathan to intervene and ensure that former vice-president Atiku Abubakar is granted a waiver to contest next year’s presidential poll on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party.



Frank, who addressed journalists in Abuja, alleged that some unnamed politicians were trying to influence Jonathan to work against Abubakar’s aspiration to run for president on the platform of the PDP.



He said that nobody could stop Abubakar’s ambition to rule the country.



He said, “President Jonathan is being advised to deny him the waivers so that he does not challenge him at the polls.



“But to us, it is only a plan that has failed except the much talked about electoral reforms is a deception.



“Democracy demands that due process and rightful considerations are adopted in pursuing democracy and it is only by so doing that democracy can have meaning and respect.”



He also said, “What some people are doing is to prevent Atiku from contesting the elections using many avenues, some seeking to deny him waivers having returned to the party recently.



“But the constitution of the party is very clear on issues like that.



“As a founding member of the PDP and a BOT (Board of Trustees) member, it is the right thing to accept him back immediately in the interest of the party.



“The former Vice-President has done so much to take the party to this level, he left because of obvious reasons which everybody is aware of.


http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art20100824159295

Like always

One week ago, journalism in Nigeria stabbed itself in the stomach. About 50 journalists travelled to the palatial home of Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB), a brutal and treacherous former leader who wants another chance to be a brutal and treacherous leader.

As if he is a king who does not leave his palace, IBB enticed the journalists to his lair, choosing not to meet them in public or in daylight. Once in his clutches, he gave them a serve-serving praise speech about how important they are. And then he gave them “transport” fare: 10 million Naira, we learned.

Scandalously, the only dispute is whether IBB gave each of the journalists 10 million Naira. None of the journalists in attendance who called SaharaReporters to “protest” our report of the midnight madness has denied receiving some “transport fare.”

IBB is an important political figure. If he is running for office, we say: good for him. And we concede that he should be fairly reported like every other politician.

But IBB is no political newcomer. An alter server he is not. He is no Boy Scout. He has ruled in the past, and his record is both of leaving Nigerians (including friends, enemies and journalists) in grief and despair; and Nigeria in tumult and disrepair.

This is why his candidacy for further public office has become a lightning rod of controversy. It is also why it ought to have been obvious even to the most inexperienced journalist that covering IBB must be done by the book.

The obvious, regrettably, is not often so when hidden agendas are involved. And so, against better judgment, many Nigerian journalists headed for IBB’s showpiece complex in Minna at midnight.

That is why they all took time—journalists in the line of duty—to write IBB lyrical little lines on a birthday card, as if they had left their homes and newsrooms to attend a birthday bash. [We wonder what birthday rhyme they sang for him, but there is no word on that at the moment!]

That is why they took time—journalists who should have been rushing off to meet deadlines with big IBB headlines—to hang around pillars built on blood to take pictures with the treacherous and discredited politician.

Not surprisingly, the following day’s reports did not have such important headlines. The reason for that is simple: the so-called no-holds-barred questions were never asked of IBB. That goes to show that 10 million Naira, or the promise of such largesse, can indeed leave all holds barred!


In our view, the press event in IBB’s home was a sham designed to provide “legitimate” opportunity for IBB—who is running a flagging, failing presidential campaign—to purchase journalists for his own political use.

Today, The Punch fired Mr. Adebolu Arowolo, an editor, having established he lacked official clearance. We commend the management of that enterprise for doing the right thing.

The question is whether the Nigeria mainstream media has true professional pride. If it does, practitioners ought to know that the first thing it owes the public is credibility. And if credibility matters to the media, publishers and media managers ought to have been out and about since the Minna Mess apologizing to the public, returning IBB’s money to him, and firing the errant journalists.

Those media houses that were represented in IBB’s midnight manipulation, and which choose to ignore the matter, must be conscious of the fact that the public may well believe that IBB has already bought their management. The public can choose to believe that the money IBB gave to the journalist present has been shared with his superiors. We do not think this is a risk any self-respecting journalist or publisher should take.

It is tragic to think that the public and—in the age of the Internet—the world are left to ponder not whether IBB paid out “transport fare,” but how much, and to whom. And beyond “transport fare” to IBB’s guests, who paid their accommodation and other expenses in Abuja and Minna?

We've never questioned the need for Nigerian journalists to meet or conduct their business with anyone who is newsworthy. That is the way it should be.

But it does not take a crowd, or midnight, to report the news. Furthermore, the news can and ought to be reported without treating the subject as though he is a hero or a celebrity.

Most of all, a journalist does not seek, or accept, alms. A true journalist does not accept gratification because it puts monetary value on the news. A journalist that accepts gifts is a journalist that sells the news. A journalism founded on a midnight principle of cash-for-coverage is a journalism that sells Nigerians into slavery.


http://www.saharareporters.com/news-page/sr-comments-journalists-ibb%E2%80%99s-trap

Former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, has described capitalism as exploitative. He said it is founded on ‘the best for me and the worst for you’ maxim, and thereby urged that Nigeria should get the best for itself and stop been overruled by the powerful economies of the world.

Speaking as the chairman of the Global Conference of Black Nationalities, which kicked off in Osogbo, Osun State, yesterday, Mr. Obasanjo said, “If we do not refuse and reject what is not our own, why should we accept what will never be our own?”

The former president said that when he was in office, “my friend, a European, said ‘capitalism is designed by us for ourselves, and not designed by us for you’ and I asked him ‘what do you mean?’ He said to me that capitalism is exploitative and he said to me, ‘give me a reason why I should buy your tonne of cocoa at $100, when I can buy it for $50 and also send it back to you for $2000?’

“I said the reason is in the interest of common humanity, and he told me that there is nowhere common humanity is written in economic books. So, what he is saying is that see, ‘Segun, capitalism means best for me and the worse for you.’ So, if that is what it means, let us get the best for ourselves. We are not even saying worst for others, but let us get the best for ourselves,” he said.

The former president, however, charged the participants at the event to all go back to their individual countries and let us “put our house in order. If we put our house in order, the world will respect us. What the world understands is success. Where you succeed, you will be acclaimed; and where you fail, you will be ignored. We must not accept where we are now. We must not use other people’s standard to condemn ourselves.”

The conference

The seven days is expected to promote general discourse and inter-cultural dialogue among the various peoples of the world; and also to invite the attention of the world to the rich cultural heritage of the black race; and opportunities for greater attainments, amongst other things.

In his welcome address, the host governor, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, said that it is the dawn of a new front, with the black nationalities coming together to upsurge its potentials.

He, however, said that the maiden edition holding in Osogbo would determine the plans on how the event would be coming up annually.

Olabiyi Yayi represented the president of Benin Republic, Boni Yayi, who is presently facing a massive political crisis back at home, wherein about 50 signatures from the 83-seat parliament have been gathered to impeach him in what it claims, was needed to summon the president for trial for treason and perjury.

Olabiyi Yayi said he is awaiting the end report of the event to apply the same to cultural integration in his country.

President Goodluck Jonathan was also represented by the minister of state FCT, Omoni Caleb Olubolade, who on behalf of Mr. Jonathan, urged the race to ensure that they foster ahead in unity.

The minister of culture and orientation, Sadiq Abubakar, and many other federal officials, including the representatives of Dora Akunyili, were all at the event.

Mr. Obasanjo said that any black person who wants to come back to Africa is welcome, but maintained that coming back is really not the issue, but to ensure that s/he should excel wherever s/he finds her/himself.

“I will not accept that I am inferior to some because I am black; and that was my own grudge against apartheid and we fought it to a standstill,” Obasanjo said.

http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/News/National/5610282-146/let_us_put_our_house_in.csp

The Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola yesterday fired Enoch Ajiboso, the commissioner for Agriculture and Cooperatives; and Sesan Olanrewaju, the special adviser on environment.

Opeyemi Bamidele, the commissioner for information and strategy, who made the announcement, described the incident as a “minor cabinet reshuffle”.

“I cannot at this moment [name those] who will be replacing them. These issues are left within the discretion of [the governor],” he said. When asked why the officials were sacked, Mr Bamidele said his mandate is only to make the announcement.

“Who serves, and who continues to serve are matters that lie within the discretion of His Excellency, Babatunde Fashola,” he said. “But I can assure you that these gentlemen have performed at their possible best. It is to be expected in a state like Lagos and it would not be anything unusual if more people leave the cabinet because it is a star-studded cabinet.”

However, there are indications that the two may have been dropped because of their political ambition. Mr Ajiboso and Mr Olanrewaju were both former local government chairmen in Agege and Somolu local government areas.

http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/Home/5610302-146/fashola_fires_commissioner_adviser__.csp

What appears to be a final solution to the epileptic power supply in the country was unfolded yesterday as government approved the steps for the sale of 11 power firms.

The firms are to emerge out of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN). This is coming as the government expressed deep concern over the high aggregate technical, commercial, and collection losses suffered in the course of electricity generation and distribution in the country.

At present, a large volume of electricity generated by the PHCN hardly gets to the final consumer due to technical reasons, including defective transmission and distribution lines, while billions of naira is lost every day due to the inability of the power company to collect accumulated revenues from debtor consumers, including government institutions.

But as part of the strategy approved last week for the core investors in the 11 power distribution firms created out of the PHCN, the National Council on Privatisation (NCP) underlined the need for prospective bidders to demonstrate capacity to curb these losses.

How to move the sector forward

The selection of bidders, the privatization agency said, must not only be on the basis of “efficiency improvement - reduction of Aggregate Technical, Commercial and Collection (ATCC) losses that they would achieve over a five-year period, but also that the preferred bidder “yields the highest net present value in terms of consequential benefits.”

The privatisation council, chaired by vice president, Mohammed Sambo, noted that the current ATCC losses, estimated at between 40 and 50 percent of the electricity distributed through the various power distribution companies, is unsustainable and must be halted if the country’s electricity industry is to be attractive for full private sector participation.

Under the proposed strategy, private sector operators are free to acquire controlling equity interest in any of the distribution companies with a view to rapidly improving its operational efficiency, while bidders would be allowed to bid on the basis of a trajectory of technical, commercial, and collection loss improvements capacity, unlike the traditional transaction approach where bidders merely bid on price for the equity shares.

The proposed method would be built around the Multi Year Tariff Order (MYTO) issued by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), which establishes the commercial and economic indices and the financial model for the entire electricity industry.

As part of the 2001 Electricity Power Sector Reform (EPSR) initiated by the government, the PHCN Plc was in November 2005 broken into 18 new successor incorporated companies, consisting of six power generation companies (GENCOS), one transmission company (TRANSCO), and 11 distribution companies (DISCOS).

States can generate power

Apart from approving a minority equity interest for state governments interested in participating in the privatisation of the distribution companies, the privatisation council also approved the privatisation strategy for some of the generation companies and their assets.

They include the sale of PHCN non-operational assets located at Ijora, Calabar, and Oji River plants, with the divestiture method approved for the sale of Sapele Power Plc, Afam Power Plc, and Ughelli Power Plc, while Kainji Hydro Power Plc and Shiroro Hydro Power Plc are to be privatised through the concessioning process.

http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/News/National/5610274-146/government_approves_sale_of_11_power.csp

Hundreds of youth under the aegis of the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF), on Monday, staged a protest at the Ministry of Justice, Abuja, calling for the release of Hamza Al-Mustapha, former chief security officer to the late head of state, Sani Abacha, and three others.

The others are former Lagos commissioner of police, James Danbaba, former Zamfara State military administrator, Jubrin Bala Yakubu, and former chief superintendent of police, Mohammed Rabo Lawal. The youth carried various placards with pictures of Mr Al-Mustapha, with various inscriptions calling for their immediate release.

Some placards read: ‘President Goodluck Jonathan, free Al-Mustapha and others for democracy’, ‘The youths want Al-Mustapha released’, ‘Justice delayed amounts to justice denied’, among others.

Let justice reign

However, another human rights group, Education Right Campaign, called on Goodluck Jonathan to ignore the calls for the release of the four who are currently standing trial in a Lagos court.

According to Taiwo Soweto and Chinedu Bosah, Mr Al-Mustapha and the others committed various nefarious activities under the late Abacha, and must face justice rather than be released.

But the leader of the AYCF, Shettima Yerima, said that keeping Mr Al-Mustapha and others behind bars contradicted Nigeria’s position as a signatory to UN and Commonwealth Conventions and Resolutions on Human Rights, Torture, Detention and Imprisonment.

According to him, all the witnesses that the state has pushed forward in the court have, by and large, debunked the allegations levelled against these gentlemen.

Neither the Attorney General of the Federation, Mohammed Adoke, nor any official from the ministry, addressed the protesting youth, while the two gates to the ministry were locked, thereby preventing people from going in or coming out of the building.

http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/News/National/5610236-147/protesters_demand_al-mustaphas_release__.csp

Afrobeat creator, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, his brother, Olikoye, Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka, and novelist, Abubakar Imam, are among 28 eminent Nigerians to be inducted into The Nigerian Hall of Fame for Letters and The Nigerian Hall of Fame for Science.

The induction ceremony of the quartet and others including the late mathematician, Chike Obi; psychiatrist, Adeoye Lambo; neurologist, Benjamin Osuntokun; artist, Ben Enwonwu; poet, Christopher Okigbo; and Oladipo Akinkugbe will hold at a gala night on Saturday, October 9.

Honour for excellence

A statement from Ifeanyi Mbanefo, manager, corporate communications and public affairs of Nigeria LNG Limited, said, “They will be honoured for outstanding contribution to science and letters, which has put Nigeria on the world literary and scientific map, promoted learning and scholarship, and bettered the lives of Nigerians.”

The gas company is co-organising the ceremony with The Nigerian Academy of Science and The Nigerian Academy of Letters.

Mr. Mbanefo added that the list of 28 people was arrived at after “three months of extensive consultations and scrutiny by eminent panellists empowered by The Nigerian Academy of Science and The Nigerian Academy of Letters.”

President, Nigerian Academy of Science, Oye Ibidapo-Obe, and two other academics, Ekanem Braide and Sunday Bwala, were on the science panel; while Romanus Egudu, president, Nigerian Academy of Letters, worked with Ayo Banjo and novelist, Zaynab Alkali.

Author of the popular ‘Things Fall Apart’, Chinua Achebe; the late master potter, Ladi Kwali; and Gordian Ezekwe of the Biafran Ogbunigwe fame, are also amongst the 28 people that will be honoured at the event where winners of The Nigerian Prize for Science and The Nigerian Prize for Literature will receive their prizes.

http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/News/National/5610293-147/imam_fela_soyinka_others_to_be.csp

Jonathan is fast losing supporters due to the unguarded utterances of his naive campaign team. Firstly, they wanted the presidency to be REZONED to Southsouth due to their SABOTAGE of Biafra and they suddenly lost the support of the Igbos as result. Now they are saying Jonathan became president by DIVINE intervention meaning that God killed Yar’adua because of Jonathan. They will soon understand the folly of such argument.

The main promoter of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan’s presidential ambition, the Friends of Democracy, has summoned its leaders to two separate emergency meetings to map out fresh strategies to ensure that the President emerged a presidential candidate in the 2011 elections.



A source close to the group told our correspondent in Abuja that the first meeting was billed to take place at the residence of the Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters, Senator Mohammed Aba-Aji, on Monday night.



As at press time on Monday, the meeting was yet to commence but it was learnt the second meeting by the Aba-Aji-led Friends of Democracy, would take place on Tuesday (today) at a yet-to-be determined location.



Our source, who declined to be named, explained that the meetings were neccessitated by the decision of the governors of the South-East not to support Jonathan until other presidential aspirants had declared their interests in the presidential race.



The South-East governors had at the end of their meeting in Enugu, Enugu State on Sunday, said they would back a candidate with the best programme for the South East.



“We will support for presidency, a candidate with the best programme that will address the imbalance in the country and marginalisation of the South-East zone,” they had said.



But our source said part of the strategies of the Friends of Democracy was to continue to woo the governors and the leaders in the South-East to back Jonathan’s bid for the presidency.



He said, “We did not expect the governors to hold such view because we have discussed with them and the President has taken them to confidence on his ambition.



“But that notwithstanding, we are going to meet again and map out fresh strategies on how to convince the governors and the leaders from the zone to support the President.



“Mind you, they (governors) have not said they would not support Jonathan. Their action could be tactical and we appreciate that.”



When contacted on the telephone by our correspondent, Aba-Aji confirmed the two meetings.



He, however, explained that the meetings were not called because of fear in Jonathan’s camp.



The presidential aide said, “Yes, we are meeting on Monday night and Tuesday. But I cannot tell you the details of the two meetings now.



“I can tell you that there is nothing to be afraid or panicking about. We are sure that at the end of the day, they (South-East governors ) will support us because Jonathan remains the best candidate so far.”



The signs that there were cracks in the rank of the leaders of the South-East on whether to support Jonathan in his ambition started manifesting when some of them (leaders) met with their northern counterparts in Abuja recently.



At the meeting, which was held on August 10, the South-East leaders had told their northern counterparts that they wanted another state created from their zone and that they should be allowed to produce the President in 2015.



A former governor of Anambra State, Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife, who was at the meeting, had said, “We met with a Northern group and they agreed to our minimum demands and made their own.



“My people wanted a creation of additional state and to be allowed to produce the President in 2015.”



The outcome of this meeting necessitated another one between some South-South and South-East leaders at the residence of a former Minister of Information, Chief Edwin Clark, on Thursday.



At the end of the meeting, the South-East leaders allegedly expressed their support for Jonathan to run for the office of President in 2011.



However, a former minister of Education, Prof. Chinwe Obaji, on Sunday dissociated herself from a statement issued at the end of the meeting.



Obaji said the meeting was merely summoned to look into ways of improving relations between the South-South and South-East.



She insisted that the people of the zone would want to take a shot at the Presidency in 2015.



Obaji said, “South-East delegates (at the meeting) raised issues at the meeting that we considered impediments to fostering good and smooth relationship between the two zones and tried to proffer solutions.



“Some of those issues are quite sensitive and are sore spots to the average South-Easterner.



“It was unfortunate that some positions we took did not go down well with notable leaders from the South-South who telephoned me the next day, threatening me.”


http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art2010082445535

A foundation member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and member, Board of Trustees (BoT), Alhaji Muhammadu Bamanga Tukur, has decried politics of exclusion being perpetrated over former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s status in the party.

The elderstatesman, who spoke with Daily Sun, in Yola, Adamawa State, also wondered why Dr. Alex Ekweme’s reconciliation report designed to bring back all the aggrieved members was discarded. He questioned why the views of the revered members of the party like himself and other founders were not sought by the PDP leadership both at the national and state levels.

The former governor of the defunct Gongola State frowned at the way Atiku’s re-entry into PDP was being handled by a group he described as a cabal, who never knew how the party was formed from its inception: “They had the opportunity to be stakeholders and had misused their vantage positions by creating confusion left and right for political gains.”
Tukur stated that his kinsman, Atiku, was being unfairly treated and argued that if the former vice president offended the party, he should be tried in accordance with the party’s constitution and not by an individual or a cabal.

The BoT member said that Atiku had been a member of the PDP and he should remain in the PDP despite the fact that he got out of the PDP. He said Atiku returned to reshape the party for the good of all as a foundation member: “Nobody could stop him from being a member of the party because he has not offended the party’s constitution.
“Truly, unless he offends the constitution of the party and it is the exclusive right of the party to judge him and not an individual. Nobody has the right to endorse Atiku’s return to the PDP. Some of those parading themselves as deciders of fate of Atiku, where were they when Alex Ekweme, the late Sunday Awoniyi and myself were forming the PDP?

“We don’t want a situation whereby they will bastardise the party because they found themselves in control of the party or they arrogate to themselves positions that are really not in our PDP constitution. But if you decide to come and take something and impose on people, it is unfair, it is unfair, it is unfair.”
For the party to regain its lost glory, the elder statesman maintained that Ekweme’s reconciliation report must be implemented: “It has given a new direction to bring back all those who were aggrieved. The report would help in consolidating the gains of democracy and internal democracy in the party.”
Tukur also decried non-holding of the BoT meetings in the open. He questioned why the ugly trend in a party that claimed to command the overwhelming acceptance of Nigerians or a party that prided itself as the largest party in Africa should allow that:

“As party members, they deserve to know who are their Board of Trustees members. If the media is asking them, the leaders of PDP will say the truth. Is there any company that will hide its board of directors, so, any company that will not register its own shareholders is not a serious company. Is it a serious company? Tell me please, is it a serious company?”
He stressed that the way Atiku’s case is being handled negated the principles of democracy and capable of causing internal wrangling which Ekweme’s report has guided against:

“It will destroy the party. A house divided is bound to be in disarray and is bound to fall. I wish not to be part of the fall that is why I am kicking against it if they will hear me.”
He regretted that nothing had been done to address the Ekweme report which he said has more or less become rhetorical, because as a member of the BoT, he never knew when Ekweme’s report was presented for discussion or ractification.
He alleged that meetings were only held in people’s compounds from one venue to the other which he said was not fair. Tukur claimed that he only read in the newspapers about certain decisions of the BoT, other than a common forum where every recognized member would be privileged to attend and contribute his/her best to the growth of the party:
“Does Nigeria not deserve to know who are the BoT members? You, the newsmen, should continue to ask them to tell the nation who are the BoT members of this or that political party.”






http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/features/newsonthehour/2010/aug/24/newsbreak-24-08-2010-001.htm

Former Action Congress gubernatorial candidate in Rivers State, Tony Princewill has advised President Goodluck Jonathan to officially declare his interest in the race. Princewill who spoke with journalists after a meeting with PDP National Chairman, Dr Okwesilizie Nwodo at Wadata Plaza, the Party national secretariat, submitted that a presidential ambition should not be shrouded in secrecy, as Nigerians are tired of reluctant presidents.
Excerpts :

We would like to know your mission here? Are you on your way back to PDP?
Well, one of the real reasons why I want to come back to the Peoples Democratic Party, is because one of the gentlemen who guided me in my early years in AC, is now the PDP national chairman. I am talking about Dr Nwodo himself. He is a very good friend of mine and he is somebody who has taken special interest in my political growth.
Since his assumption of office, he has scored a significant plus and that’s one the main reasons I came back to the Party.

Were you one of those granted waiver; if not, are you expecting to be granted?
Well, I am yet to come back. As many will know, I contested for governor in 2007 and looking at 2011, my interest is good governance and I am not particularly interested in any political position, but if I get a waiver, unlike some people my party in my state is very much in harmony with me, so the issue of waiver doesn’t bother me.

What is your relationship with Rivers State governor and are you comfortable with his performance?
Yes, very comfortable. He is a good gentleman and doing well. I will score him six over ten. So far, so good. We have a lot of structures coming up, he is doing a very good job and I think we should encourage him to make sure that he scored more. South- south leaders had adopted President Goodluck Jonathan, but your group adopted former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar.

Why?
Well, it is because we aren’t analogue politicians. We see ourselves as digital politicians. This is a new age, we don’t just follow people, because of where they come from. In the words of Dr Marthin Luther King, we are looking at people, not just because of the colour of their skin, but based on the content of their character.
Right now, people are clamouring for a south- south president, but I don’t see anybody coming out from the south-south to say he wants to be president and I am tired of reluctant leaders— people who are being cajoled to become president .

I believe if somebody wants to be President, he should come out and say so. Come and tell the people that you want to be president. Be bold, don’t be afraid and tell the people why you want to be president.
Tell us what you are going to do and let people challenge you or test you on the basis of the content of what you want to deliver. That to me is more important than just where you come from. I am not the kind of person who believes that just because of where somebody comes from, that’s not enough.

But the south- south leaders have adopted him; don’t you think you would be running against the tide, considering the zone where you come from.?
Well, anybody who thinks that a jamboree like that could actually make significant difference in the politics of the south-south is kidding himself. Actually what is true is that Goodluck is a very good person, he has been doing his best to pilot the affairs of Nigeria, but he hasn’t said that he wants to run. He should come out, he doesn’t need to be afraid, he needs to be very bold. If he does so, on the basis of what he said, people would make a judgment call on it.
I think for now anybody who expects me to support something that doesn’t exists doesn’t know who I am and the kind of politics I play. My politics is based on substance, not symbol.

So, we want politics of issues. For instance, we need to know what happened to the technical committee report on Niger Delta—two years now gathering dust, nothing is happening and we have a president from Niger Delta. I think our people want answer on that.

And you think Atiku would address that?
Well, if you follow the meeting we had with him, two nights ago, he made a direct commitment to address that issue. He said that within the first week or month of his presidency, he would issue a white paper and start the process of implementation of the white paper. So, that’s the kind of commitment I want to hear. I am interested in substance.

But what do you make of IBB presidential ambition?
Well, unlike those who are asking what he forgot at Aso Rock, I think what these guys are trying to do is to rewrite their history. Take IBB for instance, June 12, he is trying to rewrite his role in history. So, let give him the opportunity to come out and contest. If the people and the Party want him, then he would know and that would be the end of the matter, but now, Nigerians are very cynical people and it doesn’t matter who comes up they will look at the person negatively .
So, let him give opportunity to prove himself. Like I said, let us address the key issues. I have been listening to IBB and on the key issues of Niger Delta, I haven’t heard the right thing. May be if we get them talking some of these candidates would get noticed.

Don’t you think pitching tent with Atiku at this time could be politically unwise, considering the cloud over his membership of the party?
I don’t think his membership records are being questioned. I think what is being questioned is whether he has been given or granted a waiver. But this party as you can see now under the leadership of Nwodo is trying to create a level playing field for everybody. If anyone is trying to prevent Atiku from presenting himself as an aspirant, why not allow all of them to try their popularity. That’s the best thing and the best way of establishing who-is-who. So, I don’t think PDP as a party would want to prevent Atiku from coming out to contest. People want to support him, he should be allowed to contest. Let the party members make their choice at the convention.

You were involved in 2007, you contested for the Rivers State governorship seat .
Why are you not interested now?
It is because too many of us are driven by personal ambitions. I don’t even think I want to be involved now. History wouldn’t be kind to people who are involved at this stage. I think Nigeria is still in a mess, our leadership in complete disarray. We have failed our people. At least, I can be at the other side blaming the leadership. I think it isn’t time for some of us. Let be where we are. The atmosphere isn’t conducive. Yes, Nwodo is trying to instill discipline, but today PDP doesn’t have any ideology and what exactly are we talking about? I have been talking to the chairman about this and it is good to see that it is one of his agenda as national chairman, .politicians should be able to answer questions on manifesto, irrespective of party affiliation.
.3

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2010/aug/24/national-24-08-2010-027.htm

Chief DSP Alamieyeseigha, the former governor of Bayelsa State has taken over headship of the campaign team of President Goodluck Jonathan for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential ticket in the 2011 polls. The decision was based on the opposition from some northern leaders to the issue of the President Jonathan’s candidature for the 2011 polls and most importantly on the uncoordinated approach of the various groups purporting to be campaigning for the interest of the president.

To give bite to his resolve to ensure that his godson emerges victorious at the PDP primaries, Alamieyeseigha held a meeting at the weekend with selected PDP leaders from various states of the federation under the auspices of the Goodluck Grassroot Movement.

Chief DSP Alamieyeseigha at the meeting stated that Dr. Jonathan’s presidency in 2011 would go a long way to assuage the feeling of marginization against the people of the Niger Delta and that his presidency would showcase the diversity of Nigeria and help to restore confidence to other minority groups who felt they were marginalized.

Meanwhile, Mr. Jimoh Ibrahim, who is the chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT), Goodluck Grassroot Movement is set to donate over 800 vehicles to the movement for the propagation of the candidacy of President Goodluck Jonathan. According to Ibrahim, the movement was created to ensure that President Jonathan wins the presidential primaries of the PDP whenever it holds.

According to a statement issued by Otunba Wasiu Banjo, the director general of Goodluck Grassroot Movement, it was resolved at the meeting that genuine leaders of the PDP should be mobilized towards ensuring that President Jonathan emerges as the candidate of the PDP at the forthcoming presidential primaries despite the resolve of some northern leaders to uphold the zoning principle which makes the ticket the exclusive preserve of PDP members from the northern part of the country.
Among the notable leaders, who attended the meeting hosted by Jimoh Ibrahim were Senator Rasheed Ladoja, Chris Ukpabi, Silvanus Ngele, Chief Chris Ekpeyong, Sergeant Awuse, Emmanuel Mangni and Kenneth Gbagi.

Others were Victor Nwokolo, Mr. Emmanuel Ibeshi, Frank Ugwu, Vital Opara, Otunba Rueben Famuyibo, Otunba Segun Adekoya and Alhaji Isa Tafida.
Also in attendance were Mr. Y.Y. Sanni, Alhaji Abdul Rahman Abubakar and Mr. Dolapo Balogun.



http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2010/aug/24/national-24-08-2010-009.htm