₦airaland Forum

Oh Lord, please when will a true and sincere leader leads your beloved country? Why has it because a crime in Nigeria to built a refinery? Why is it that nothing seems to work? Why have we become the laughing stock of the international community? Its a shame and insult on us Nigerians that at this age in time, we still imports petroluem products. Something tells me nobody is in charge as…………… I rest my case!

We all know that its no news ,by 2015 the counrty would have been on fire that GEJ wont have a choice but move to bayelsa or else face a disgrace at the pool..ive never seen nigeria this bad

Eleven months after promising to build three new refineries for the country, the Federal Government may have dumped the plan.

Saturday PUNCH investigations showed that the FG may have dropped the idea because of the unresolved issue of deregulation of the downstream sector of the petroleum industry.

This development came to the fore as organised labour expressed surprise at President Goodluck Jonathan’s N161bn supplementary budget on fuel subsidy for 2012.

The labour body advised the President to tackle corruption in the oil sector.

The President had in a letter to the National Assembly on Tuesday, said the N888bn budgeted for fuel subsidy this year would not be enough.

But as Jonathan is seeking an additional N161bn, the FG has yet to begin moves to build the three refineries it promised during the fuel subsidy protests last January.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation had in 2010 unfolded plans to build three new refineries.

The refineries are to be sited in Kogi, Lagos and Bayelsa states.

The NNPC Group Executive Director, Engineering and Technology, Mr. Billy Agha, who stood in then for the Group Managing Director in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, had said 7,000 job opportunities would be created by the Greenfield Refinery that would be built in the state by the corporation in partnership with the China State Construction Engineering Corporation.

Again in 2012, at the height of the fuel subsidy protests, the Federal Government said it would build three refineries.

The Minister of Works, Mr. Mike Onolememen, who spoke to douse the tension associated with the protests, had said, “I want Nigerians to know that when these new refineries are completed, we will be a net exporter of petroleum products and prices will begin to come down, just as we are witnessing in the telecommunications sector with the GSM regime.

“That is my message to Nigerians. Let us support the government. Let us join hands with the government because it cannot and will not take any decision with the aim of punishing fellow Nigerians. It is impossible. So, Nigerians should have this at the back of their minds.

“The one in Lagos is with the capacity of 200,000 barrels per day, while the ones in Kogi and Bayelsa have the capacity to produce 100,000 barrels per day.”

Investigations at the NNPC showed that 11 months after the government promised to build the three refineries, not much has been done to that effect.

A top official of the corporation told one of our correspondents that the three refineries were supposed to be part of the government’s effort to stop fuel importation.

He said, “The three refineries are to be built by the government in partnership with the private sector. They do not include the six that are solely private sector driven.

“But from all indications, the government has developed cold feet and the six by the private sector seem to be still-birth. There are various stakeholders who prefer fuel importation. These are the people that will not allow the plan to build refineries to succeed.”

President Goodluck Jonathan had said that private investors were not interested in building refineries in the country because of the fuel subsidy regime.

He had said, “Why is it that people are not building refineries in Nigeria despite the fact that it is big business? It is because of the policy of subsidy, and that is why we want to get out of it. Who will build refineries and end importation of petroleum products? Subsidy must go.”

The President had spoken in Abuja when he received the report of the graduating participants of the Senior Executive Course 34, 2012 of the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies.

Efforts to get NNPC’s comment on the status of the three refineries did not succeed.

Attempts to speak with the acting General Manager, Public Affairs at NNPC, Mr. Fidel Pepple, proved abortive as calls to his cell-phone did not go through. It was learnt that he was out of the country.

Similarly, attempts to speak with the General Manager, Media, Dr. Ibrahim Umar, were unsuccessful. He neither picked calls to his cell-phone nor replied a text on the status of the refineries.

Commenting on the failure of the government to build the three refineries, the President of the Trade Union Congress, Mr. Peter Esele, said the President should fulfil his promise.

He stated, “The people involved are just waiting for some form of assurance to take off. The President should take that step to commence action on it.

“He has made a promise, those people want to do it, but they want a guarantee from the government. It is important for the President to give them this before they start. It is incumbent on the President to break the ground for those refineries to be built. This thing has to do with credibility.”

He expressed surprise over the N161bn supplementary budget on fuel subsidy the President submitted to the National Assembly.

Esele said that there was the need to address the corruption in the fuel subsidy regime.

According to him, based on the increase in the pump price of fuel by 60 per cent in January, the amount spent on fuel subsidy should have reduced.

He said, “The thing came to me as a surprise because the pump price was increased by 60 per cent in January. When we had N1.7trn, there was so much corruption in the system. And now that we are getting the corruption out of the system, the subsidy should come down drastically.

“At least, it should reduce by over N500bn. It is expected that pump price would have reduced. With this additional demand, there is the impression that there is still corruption in the management of the subsidy.”

On her part, the president of the Campaign for Democracy, Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin, described the present government as profligate.

She said, “To spend N1trn on subsidy in a year at N32 per litre tax, which was imposed on petroleum, is the height of fiscal recklessness.

“No country that runs on this template can make a progress.”

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria has also urged the FG to repair existing refineries and build new ones.

The group warned that import-driven deregulation would ruin the nation’s petroleum industry.

President of the association, Babatunde Ogun, said, “We call on the government to ensure that the existing refineries perform optimally and new ones are built within a specified time frame. It does not have to be giant refineries, but pockets of refineries across the country, especially in the oil-producing states.

“Similarly, operators in the upstream sector must be made to refine a specific percentage of their allocations locally.”



Link : http://www.punchng.com/news/fg-drops-planned-refinery-projects-%e2%80%a2jonathan-must-tackle-fuel-subsidy-corruption-labour/

Five children between the ages of four and 12 were killed in an inferno in the Kirikiri area of Lagos State on Thursday.

Saturday PUNCH learnt that the five children, Emeka 12, Ifeanyi 10, Chinasa eight, Joy six, and Bright four, who are of the same parents, were burnt alive at their home located at 29 Comfort Oboh Street, Kirikiri.

The parents of the victims were identified as Ogbonna and Margaret Igwuagwu.

Our correspondent learnt that although over 30 people live in the compound, which was completely consumed by the fire, only the five children died.

Sympathisers were said to have surrounded the premises crying and wailing over the incident, while charred remains of the victims were being evacuated.

According to residents, the fire started at about 11.30 pm in the room where the five children were sleeping and later spread to other rooms all made of wood.

The parents of the children were said to have locked them inside the room and lit a candle for them as there was no electricity supply.

Neighbours said it was the usual habit of the parents to lock the children inside the room whenever they were going to their shop in the evening.

It was learnt that the children slept off while the candle fell, thereby spreading the fire to other parts of the room. Woken by the heat, they were said to have shouted for help while the fire raged, but neighbours were too busy saving themselves.

One of the neighbours said the eldest son, Emeka, had begged his parents not to lock them in but allow them to spend sometime outside but their mother refused.

“I can vividly remember when Mama Emeka ordered her children to go and sleep, saying that she needed to go back to attend to customers who were waiting for her. Emeka, the eldest, pleaded that they should be allowed to stay outside for a while.

“She insisted that they should go to bed since they were to travel the following day. I believe that it was in a bid to prevent them from running out of the house that she locked them inside and went away with the key,” she said.

Some neighbours told journalists that they heard the wailing of the children when the fire was raging, but could not break through to rescue them due to a hard burglar proof that was used at the entrance of the room.

According to residents who witnessed the incident, firefighters were informed but could not get to the scene due to bad roads in Kirirkiri.

A resident, who wished to remain anonymous, said, “The road is not passable and there is always traffic congestion in that area. Men of the Naval Fire Service got here first, but they could not help the situation because the damage had already been done.”

One of the tenants, Udoh Bassey, whose room was also burnt, told journalists that no one could say exactly what caused the fire.

“It started at about 11.30 pm when some of us were still awake. It was the cry from that room that attracted my attention. The entire compound was razed down before help could come our way. I was able to save a few of my property because my room was located far away from the source of the fire.

“The children died because their parents locked them inside the house and went back to their shops close by. We tried but before we could reach them, there was an explosion from one room to the other as all the other rooms were razed down.”

When contacted, spokesperson for the state police command, Ngozi Braide, said the parents of the victims had suffered shock and were rushed to hospital.

“At about 11.20pm, police received a call that a house in Kirikiri was on fire. The house was made of wood and corrugated iron sheets and the fire engulfed it. Five children died in the fire,” she said.

Link: http://www.punchng.com/news/five-siblings-die-in-lagos-fire/

Leader of the Niger Delta Peoples Volunteers Force, Alhaji Mujahid Dokubo-Asari, has declared that President Goodluck Jonathan may not rule beyond 2015.

Dokubo-Asari based his statement on the facts that the President had lost the support of his political stronghold-South/East and South/South, going by the result of the 2011 presidential election.

The Ijaw activist had in March this year declared that Jonathan would occupy the Presidential Villa for eight years from 2011.

But at a news briefing on Friday in Abuja, he made a U-turn and declared that it would be difficult for Jonathan to go beyond 2015 because of the ‘greedy’ people around him.

He said these people were responsible for the current rift between Jonathan and ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo.

He said, “We have continued as Ijaw people and the entire Niger Delta and South-South to support President (Goodluck) Jonathan, but the time has come when silent cannot be golden. We must speak out on issues that are very critical for the survival of our people, the survival of the people of the South-South and the South-East, which is the political base Jonathan.

“Jonathan is surrounded by very greedy people who are only in the Presidency to enrich themselves at the expense of the President himself.

“This brings us to another Kalabari proverb which says: ‘Where there are elders, a goat cannot be allowed to deliver while tied to a stick.’ If we don’t talk and we continue to brush it aside, tomorrow we will be blamed and people will say: ‘Mujahid Dokubo-Asari was around when Jonathan was President, and he didn’t talk;’ then I will be an accomplice and accessory after the fact.”

Asari, who said he had benefited from Jonathan, stressed that whatever benefit he had gained from the President was not enough to silence him.

Link :http://www.punchng.com/news/jonathan-may-not-rule-beyond-2015-dokubo-asari-says-quarrel-with-obasanjo-unnecessary/

Six (6)

Up ManU !

Car the ride fly for 1m ready to pay by friday.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Thursday said the introduction of the N5,000 note would kill production and affect small businesses negatively.

Obasanjo, who spoke at a roundtable advocacy forum organised by the Institute of Directors, Nigeria, in Lagos, said the way the Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Lamido Sanusi, was fighting inflation by removing money from circulation was improper.

While speaking on the cost of doing business in the country, Obasanjo called on stakeholders and government agencies to rise up to the challenge.

He said some observers had suggested that the Vision 2020 blueprint was somewhat of an ambitious agenda, which was unrealisable considering the daunting challenges confronting businesses in the country.

Obasanjo said the 2012 annual report of the International Finance Corporation and the World Bank publication titled, ‘Doing business in a more transparent world,’ noted that a record number of African countries took decisive steps to encourage more local entrepreneurs to come into the formal economy over the past 12 years.

He said, “Across the continent, 15 countries lowered barriers to entry for new businesses, 23 facilitated access to credit, and seven made it easier to pay taxes. Nigeria is not in any of these leagues.

“In its 2008 report, Nigeria ranked 108 out of 178 countries and in the space of four years, we rank 137 out of 183 countries measured. This is a damning report on our business environment and, therefore, calls for more concerted efforts by various stakeholders on how to ensure that this trend is reversed and the Nigeria business environment is made more conducive for investments and less costly for businesses to thrive. We cannot aim for 2020 if we do not halt the downward spiral.”

Also at the forum, the Minister of Trade and Investment, Mr. Olusegun Aganga, said nine industrial cities in the country would begin to enjoy uninterrupted electricity supply by the first quarter of 2013.

He said his ministry had made contacts with the Ministry of Power to ensure the provision of electricity to nine cities with high industrial activities.

This, he said, was aimed at reducing the cost of doing business in the country, as well as enhancing the economy, as the nation worked towards realising its Vision 2020 objectives.

“I have discussed with the Minister of Power for the provision of uninterrupted power supply to nine major industrial cities by the end of Q1 next year. The impact of this on our business environment will definitely mean well and this will also help bring down the cost of doing business in Nigeria,” he said.

The minister said his ministry was also working hard to ensure that the company registration process did not exceed 24 hours, as obtainable in some advanced nations.


http://www.punchng.com/news/n5000-note-will-kill-production-obasanjo/

Will like to buy the BMW, can you send the pix to - olawale_olowogoke@yahoo.co.uk Thanks.

Please, can i get tips on Land Rover Free Lander 2000 i will need the house to advice me on this, is the jeep a good one or not.

Please i will like you all to drop your advice.

Thanks.

I can do both anywhere and at anytime !

Can i get more views on this post !

@ Simplesoul05, thanks for the advice. But i already got one?

I will like the house to advice me on this, Any disadvantage when you change a UK used car from Right Hand to Life Hand.

Please advice from the house !

BARELY 24 hours after gunmen shot at the family residence of Vice-President Namadi Sambo in Zaria, Kaduna State, police on Tuesday said they had arrested two suspects believed to have launched the attack.

Curiously, the two suspects were said to have been arrested on their hospital beds while receiving treatment for injuries.

Acting Police Public Relations Officer Kaduna State Command, Balteh Abdulrazaq, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, told our correspondent that “one of the suspects who sustained injuries from gunshot during a gun fight with the policemen guarding the house was identified on a hospital bed by one of the injured policemen and he was arrested immediately.

“Also one of the policemen was able to identify one of the four robbery suspects we arrested this morning (yesterday) in Zaria as one of the suspects in the house attack. One of the robbery suspects was killed in a crossfire by our men.”

Gunmen on motorbikes on Monday shot at the two mobile policemen guarding Sambo’s house at Tundun-Wada, Zaria. While the policemen sustained injuries, a cobbler said to be mending one of the policemen’s shoes was hit and he died on the spot.

The house was under renovation and had not been lived in by the VP’s family since last year when it was attacked in the violence that followed the 2011 elections in Kaduna State.

A visit to the house on Tuesday by our correspondent showed that stern-looking soldiers had been deployed in the area. A barricade was mounted to prevent people from passing in front of the VP’s building.

Meanwhile, the force headquarters on Tuesday praised itself on its anti-terror strategies, saying it had been working and winning the war on terror and criminality.

The police said it was able to frustrate attacks on its formations and stations in Sokoto through a change of tactics.

Deputy Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba, told The PUNCH in Abuja that the suicide attacks on the Ungwar Rogo police station and the AIG zonal office at Marina, Sokoto, on Monday was foiled by the new security measures introduced by the force.

Mba said the two suicide attacks failed largely because the force had evolved proactive strategies which he said were assisting the police to record progress against hoodlums.

“No attack would be given primacy over others; every criminal incident would be treated as a threat against national security,” the police spokesman said.

Asked if security agencies had justified the huge security allocation to them, Mba parried the question, saying the issue was “beyond my domain.”


Link: http://www.punchng.com/news/sambos-house-suspected-gunmen-arrested-on-hospital-bed/

At least OBJ tried, but as for IBB who openly accepted that he is an evil genius has no right to speak after the open demonstration of corruption entrenched in the Nigerian system till date.
Abacha, OBJ, Yaradua tried to correct it but could not complete the process. Now GEJ is trying his best to bring it to a bearable level but facing resistance so that at the end it will be declared that ‘ no good thing can come from the south-south’. Their plans will not work by God’s grace. God do always fight for the innocent.
God Save Nigeria.

Lagos lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana, on Monday blamed the current woes confronting the country on two former heads of state Generals Olusegun Obasanjo and Ibrahim Babangida.

Falana critisised the two former leaders in a statement on Monday following a joint statement by the duo stating that there was “poverty, fear and uncertainty” in the country.

Obasanjo and Babangida had, in their statement on Sunday, warned that the consequences of the current state of the country were capable of affecting national unity. They added that the loss of innocent lives being experienced across the country was no longer bearable.

However, Falana accused the former heads of state of misrule, failing to harness the nation’s resources, a development which he said, led to the current condition of the country.

He said, “For about 20 years both of them misruled and wasted the rare oppotunity to harness our abundant resources to make Nigeria one of the leading nations in the world, hence, ence the current state of poverty, fear and uncertainty.”

He described as an arrogant posture, the failure of both of them to apologise to Nigerians in their statement for the havoc their regimes had caused the country.

The human rights lawyer said Nigeria had witnessed ethno-religious clashes which claimed many lives and destruction of property under their regimes.

http://www.punchng.com/news/falana-blames-obasanjo-ibb-for-nations-woes/

Renowned thief-catcher Ali Kwara has arrested a former army officer allegedly notorious for selling arms and ammunition to bandits and warring communities in Plateau State and other parts of the North.

Kwara told newsmen through telephone in Kano on Sunday he arrested the suspect (name withheld) in Zamfara State, where he (Kwara) is on an official mission to help check banditry.

He said some of the buyers of the weapons were also arrested.

He added that a Deputy Superintendent of Police was arrested with 1,000 ammunition.

Kwara alleged that the ex-soldier had been supplying arms to Fulani herdsmen.

He said seven other security operatives, which included an immigration officer, were arrested as a result of that operations, adding that among those arrested was a son to an ex-minister from Anambra State.

The hunter, who was appointed honorary adviser on security by the Inspector-General of Police about four years ago, claimed that the ex-army officer got his supplies from security agents.

Kwara named the areas where these weapons were used as Zamfara State as well as other troubled areas such as Plateau and as far as the Niger Delta states.

According to him, information reached him about the operations of the officer who was in possessions of deadly weapons.

He said in collaboration with the authorities the ex-soldier was arrested in possession with over 3,000 ammunition.

The hunter said, “There are some sold in Niger Delta while some are sold in Plateau State. The arrested ex-soldier has confessed to the selling of the weapons to both Christians and Muslims in Plateau. The thing has been turned into serious business. So far, we have arrested eight in Zamfara, four in Sokoto.”

He regretted that security operatives were involved in the dastardly business, stressing that a police officer serving in the Niger Delta was recently arrested based on information from him and his team.

“This will tell you how serious the whole thing has turned,” he said.

Kwara also revealed that a police orderly attached to a legislator was arrested for taking delivery of the illegal arms sent to the area.

http://www.punchng.com/news/thief-catcher-arrests-ex-soldier-supplying-guns-to-plateau-factions

If u have a Badoo account, just beware of all the lady's on the site for they are 98% guy's who plan to use the lady's pix to get guy's to them and the next thing you get from the lady you meet on the site is that she is in Abuja or Benin, she can't call u now lets chat on Badoo and when you call you get this male voice pretending to be a lady and when you tell her you will like to meet her the next thing is send money.

So guy's look out for this on Badoo !

Beware !!!

Is the President the cause of this mery-go round on this case?
Do the judge expect the president or the masses to help prosecute this man?
Some time i wonder the kind of judges we have in Nigeria.
God save Nigeria!

A serving Senator accused of sponsoring the Boko Haram Islamic sect, Senator Aliyu Ndume, was on Tuesday granted permission by an Abuja Federal High Court to travel to Saudi Arabia for the Lesser Hajj.

The court, presided by Justice Gabriel Kolawole, ordered the release of the Senator’s passport to enable him to travel between August 1 and 31, 2012.

However, Kolawole ordered that Ndume must upon his return to the country, on or before August 31, 2012, re-submit his passport to the court within 72 hours.

The court granted the Senator leave to travel outside the shores of the country while ruling on an application in which he sought permission to undertake the Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca.

In the application, Ndume had also said he intended to undergo a check-up in Saudi Arabia.

But the court frowned on the Senator’s plea that the trip would enable him to attend to his health.

Kolawole noted that Ndume’s application would have been refused, had it been based solely on the need to travel for check-up.

“There is no evidence to indicate that the ailment cannot be treated locally. There is no medical report to show referral to a foreign hospital,” he said.

The judge did not agree with the prosecution’s argument that a permission to travel abroad would enable the Senator to jump bail and escape trial.

He also faulted the prosecution’s argument that the application should be refused as Ndume could always undertake the pilgrimage after the trial.

Noting that the offence for which the Senator was facing trial could attract a prison term of up to 20 years, the judge noted that, in case the accused person was eventually convicted, “I don’t know of any prison sentence that can allow a prisoner travel for pilgrimage.”

The matter was adjourned to October 24, 2012 for continuation of trial.

Link: http://www.punchng.com/news/alleged-boko-haram-financier-gets-permission-for-hajj/

President Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday described as extremely embarrassing, that it is only in Nigeria that crude oil is stolen, asking both the Nigerians and foreigners indulging in the criminal act should hide their heads in shame. He assured that he was not only determined to stop the act but bring the perpetrators to book.

The President spoke at the opening of the Maritime sector Presidential retreat with the theme, “Harnessing the Potential of Nigeria’s Maritime Sector for Sustainable Economic Development” at the Banquette Hall of the Presidential Villa.

“It is embarrassing that it is only in Nigeria that crude oil is stolen. It is a very bad news and I believe that Nigerians and foreigners who are indulged in that act need to throw their heads under the pillow because all over the world, it is only in Nigeria that crude oil is stolen.


We are not the only oil producing country why is it that its only in Nigeria that people steal crude oil? This must stop. We will be decisive in putting an end to this malaise. Our charge to all relevant agencies and departments of government is to work cooperatively with the required urgency this challenge deserves.”


In the same vein, it has been revealed that the insecurity in the Gulf of Guinea of which Nigeria is a major stakeholder has steadily risen from 45 per cent in 2010 to 64 per cent in 2012, creating a major economic problems for the country, threatening Nigeria’s over $600 million fishing business.

Also, the country loses over N2 trillion annually in capital flight to foreign countries following the inability of the indigenous ship owners to fully participate in the lifting of the over 150 million tons of cargo from the country, including crude oil exports, the Coordinating Minister and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has disclosed.


The President, while admitting that the maritime sector was a critical component in the economic development of a modern state, added, that it was in this regard that it was incorporated as a major component of the Transformation Agenda. “The sector, without doubt, facilitates approximately 90 per cent of world trade, creates millions of jobs and generates billions of dollars in economic output. The sector, to say the least, is a major engine in our national growth strategy.”

Jonathan said the sector has helped to enhance Nigeria’s position as a regional leader in several areas. “Besides improved prospects in traditional sea-related activities such as fishing, shipping, ship-building and repairs, agriculture and tourism, the sector is a major hub in offshore oil exploration and production activities and will remain so in the foreseeable future.


“Given its importance in the national economy, we have an uncompromising obligation to safeguard our territorial waters against all threats: poaching, piracy, pipeline vandalism, coastal insecurity, crude oil theft, illegal bunkering, non-payment of statutory levies and charges, illegal entry of ships into our territorial waters, illegal importation of arms and hard drugs, among other sundry crimes.

“Even though it is generally known that the West African coast has the richest fishery resources in Africa, our inability to take advantage of our endowment has been attributed to inadequate law enforcement and industry capacity.


“The cost of piracy to our economy is unacceptably high. Pirates frustrate fishing activities and threaten investments in the West African Coast. Higher insurance premiums and charges on ships sailing along the Gulf of Guinea impact negatively on our economy and image.


“Similarly, pipeline vandalism and crude oil theft result in serious loss of revenue to Government even as maritime environmental degradation from such disasters affect our people and well-being. “Government is determined to reverse this situation. We will protect our natural resources and ensure their sustainable use for the benefit of present and future generations”, he said. Okonjo-Iweala said the cost of inadequate maritime safety and security to Nigerian society and the economy “has been significant”.


“You will hear more as we look as the issue of oil theft and piracy. The numbers are up on piracy incidence in the Gulf of Guinea from 45 in 2010 to 64 now and this is worrisome. This threatens close to $600 million of fishing exports. We have unfortunately not been able to solve this issue and I wonder why. I hope today will mark the end of this illegal practices.”


Speaking also on the issue of increasing local participation in the sector and carbortage, the Minister noted that “the indigenous Ship Owners association of Nigeria said that we now lose over N2 trillion annually in capital flight to foreign countries which own vessels used to lift about 150 million tons of cargos including oil products from this country as there is no Nigerian flag ship is currently plying international routes. Nigerian own vessels make up less than one percent of the global fleets and are quite old with an average of 30 years of age”.


Issues looked at during the one day retreat that drew attendance from all the stakeholders in the sector according to the Minister, include “safety and security of our maritime waters, increasing local participation and carbortage; completing the reform of our ports; Maximizing our revenue potentials from the sector”.

Iweala disclosed that though the Presidential Retreat on Maritime Sector focus on harnessing the potentials of the Nigerian’s Maritime sector, its objective was to “come up with concrete initiatives that we can implement over the next six to 18 months to allow Nigerians to harness the opportunities we have in the sector”.

On the significance of the sector, she noted that it “ facilitate trade and commerce and enables the country to export its goods as well as earn foreign exchange amongst other. “The sector also generate significant revenue for government basically by Customs and Excise duties, and by leveraging our Maritime resources such as fishing. In addition, a significant number of Nigerians are employed by the sector”.

“However, there are challenges, preliminary analysis and interviews of some key stakeholders in this sector conducted by Mackenzie and Company highlighted some key Challenges which we must focus on addressing today’

Adding “Increasing Nigeria participation in this sector will not only ensure will not only ensure most of these factor is retained locally, but will lead to increased jobs for Nigerians.

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/article/jonathan-oil-thieves-we%E2%80%99ll-get-you

I DEY LAUGH ! Can PDP win in Edo State?

FORMER Peoples Democratic Party Chairman, Board of Trustees, Chief Tony Anenih, has predicted victory for the PDP in Saturday’s Edo State governorship election.

Anenih, who spoke at a campaign rally in Okada, Ovia North East Local Government Area on Tuesday, said the PDP candidate, Charles Airhiavbere, would have an easy ride because his rival, Governor Adams Oshiomhole of the Action Congress of Nigeria “lacks the capacity to remain governor”.

He said, “It’s true that the governor of Edo State is from the Northern Senatorial District. When you have children, you give them responsibility, but Oshiomhole can’t carry any responsibility. We have a candidate who will deliver health care and quality education.”

Anenih however dismissed reports that the party’s candidate labelled students of the state-owned Ambrose Alli University “armed robbers”, saying the PDP would lift the standard of the institution if voted to power.

He said, “What we have in AAU are Oshiomhole’s kinsmen. We have an institution whose entire management, including the Vice-Chancellor, Registrar, Bursar and even Student Union Government, are in acting capacity.

“The words of elders are words of wisdom. Edo cannot be left out in the South-South which is controlled by the PDP.”

Another leader of the party in the state, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, urged the people to vote “massively for the PDP on Saturday”.

Airhiavbere on his part, promised to reabsorb sacked workers of the state-owned transport company, Edo Line, within his first 24 hours of being sworn-in as governor. He also promised to domesticate Federal Government transformation agenda.


http://www.punchng.com/news/pdpll-displace-oshiomhole-anenih/

I met the number one celebrity JESUS !

Okay thanks will get back to u soon on it.

Hi, i need a BMW 323i 2000 model with full opition at what price can i get it. Thanks.

Do we really have a President or Leader in this Country? who should call the shot! Leaders make history. In this case a very negative history. JONA wakeup from slumber, be a man for you can only die once dont be a coward, afriad of what they will say and be a leader my friend. Dont let people and those around you rubbish you and your reign… as being the worst leader Nigeria has produced.

THE messy bribery scandal involving a member of the House of Representatives, Farouk Lawan, and owner of Zenon Oil and Gas Limited, Femi Otedola, took an interesting twist on Monday.

First, The PUNCH learnt early yesterday that the bribery video might be aired on national television anytime soon. Our correspodents gathered that six video tapes and 16 audio tapes were likely to be made available to major television networks in the coming days. However, our correspondents could not confirm if the tapes were to be released by the State Security Service or one of the parties to the dispute.

Also on Monday, one of the audio clips of the‘transaction was played by a Lagos-based independent Channels Television.

The tape,which ran for about two minutes, contained a conversation believed to be between Otedola and Lawan.

In the tape, a voice believed to be Otedola’s was heard discussing the venue, where the bribe money would be given to Lawan. The audio clip apparently indicated the duo was already in the middle of a conversation before the tape started rolling. It also indicated that one ‘TJ’ perhaps served as a go-between for the bribe giver and the bribe taker.

From the conversation too, it could be deduced that the first instalment of the $620,000 allegedly paid Lawan by Otedola was delivered at an airport though the name of the airport remained unknown.

It was also not clear who released the audio clip to the television station.

Reacting in Abuja on Monday, Lawan denounced the audio tape recording, adding that it was manipulated.

Lawan, who spoke through one of his lawyers, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), challenged Otedola to release the complete audio and visual recordings without editing them. He described the audio tape as being “funny, phoney, satanic and manipulated.”

A statement signed by the counsel reads in part, “We are counsel to Mr Farouk Lawan. He has drawn our attention to an audio visual piece of news aired on Channels Television which purported to be a conversation between Mr Femi Otedola and our client, Mr. Farouk Lawan.

“We have listened to and watched the audio with our client, Mr. Farouk Lawan.

“On his instructions, we hereby state that the audio is infertile, vague, puerile and inadmissible in evidence by any court of law or Tribunal.

“One simple question here: where is the visual of the audio?”

Lawan also challenged Otedola, or the Police or the SSS to produce this complete audio video, unedited and undoctored.

He said Otedola had the opportunity of doing this through Channels TV, but regretted that the oil magnate did not do this.

“He will certainly require forensic evidence to prove this to be true in this highly technologised world of manipulative evidence that can easily turn a man into a woman,” the statement says.

Lawan challenged Otedola to air the entire audio and also the complete video for Nigerians to see the setting and the environment in which the alleged bribe took place.

He said this would contain the complete conversation between the two of them. He said the entire footage of the released audio was “devilish, satanic, luciferous, mischievous and completely taken out of context.”

Even at that, he insisted that the audio showed that it was Otedola, who offered to pay the balance of the alleged bribe of 2.5 million US dollars and not that Lawan demanded it.

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives Committee on Ethics and Privileges said on Monday that it would not allow Otedola to dictate how it should conduct its proceedings.

The panel insisted that its sittings with the key actors involved in the $620, 000 bribery allegation must be held behind closed doors.

There were speculations on Monday that Otedola, who is due to appear before the panel on Tuesday (today), had given a condition to honour the invitation only if the proceedings would be broadcast live.

Chairman of the committee, Mr. Gambo Musa, told The PUNCH that Otedola had neither reached him nor any member of the panel to give a condition.

N96m telephone conversation

OTEDOLA: How are you sir? I don’t want to bring it (money) to my house.

LAWAN: Your house?

OTEDOLA: No, I don’t want to bring it to my house. It’s a lot of money.

LAWAN: Oh yes. So where, because I’m hastening to the…

You are in the airport now?

OTEDOLA: Yes. At the airport; in an aircraft.

LAWAN: And before they can come over now… unless I send somebody to the airport. I can’t leave by the time they come; I will be in the chambers. I have a lot of things to do myself.

OTEDOLA: Is there anybody you trust that I can give it to? Or maybe I should just postpone my travelling to China till tomorrow?

LAWAN: No, no, no. in fact I will arrange with someone. Let me give you his number.

OTEDOLA: Ok.

LAWAN: His number is 080…

OTEDOLA: Hold on, hold on, hold on.

LAWAN: 08036513355

OTEDOLA: What is the name?

LAWAN: TJ.

OTEDOLA: Teezay?

LAWAN: No, TJ.

FEMI: Ok, so I will give him the balance. That is $2.5m.

LAWAN: That is right. Just hold on. I am calling him to be sure his phone is through.

OTEDOLA: Where will I meet him?

LAWAN: Hold on, hold on, just hold on, just hold on.

Don’t quick send…..


http://www.punchng.com/news/lawan-bribery-video-to-be-shown-on-national-tv/

The Oodua People’s Congress has warned the violent sect, Boko Haram, to steer clear of the South-West.

In a statement on Sunday, Founder and President of OPC, Dr. Frederick Fasehun, asked the insurgents not to “export” violence to Yorubaland.

He said although Boko Haram’s current agitation justified OPC’s age-old demand for a Sovereign National Conference, his organisation would view the attack of the region as a declaration of war.

Fasehun said, “Nigeria has been experiencing some muscle flexing that has led to the death of many citizens in the North. But since such muscle flexing is not pitching geographical zones against one another, OPC has always felt that Nigeria’s current crisis has not assumed warfare proportions.

“We sympathise with those who have causes to struggle for. However, we believe that local struggles for social justice should be contained within local boundaries.

“Any extension beyond such boundaries clearly connotes the pursuing of a territorial ambition; and any people provoking other people through territorial ambition should ultimately expect a war. And in warfare, everything and anything is fair.”

Fasehun said the Yoruba people had elected to live in peace and harmony with other ethnic nationalities.

He, however, said they would do everything necessary to protect and defend their land and people from external aggression.

Meanwhile, the Coordinator of the Kwara State Chapter of OPC, Moruf Abdulsalam, said the organisation could assist the Federal Government to combat the current insecurity in Nigeria.

Speaking during its state meeting in the state on Saturday, he said the organisation was ready to partner with the Federal Government and security agencies if invited.

He claimed the group hasd discovered ‘new and scientific methods of averting bomb blasts’.

Abdulsalam said, “We did not collect any money from security votes. They know those that are collecting the huge fund. But if President Jonathan Goodluck invites us, we shall do something about the present insecurity and bomb blasts because our national leaders have spoke on this issue before.”

http://www.punchng.com/news/keep-off-swest-opc-warns-boko-haram/

From the President came reasons he sacked General Patrick Azazi as the National Security Adviser (NSA) and Defence Minister, Dr. Mohammed Haliru Bello last Friday. He also gave an insight yesterday into why he made the trip to the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil at a time Boko Haram attacked three churches in Zaria and Kaduna which recorded some deaths last week.

President Goodluck Jonathan also said despite insinuations over the fuel subsidy probe crisis, he had “nothing to hide”. These were some of the highlights of his Presidential Media Chat aired on the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) in Abuja yesterday. It was anchored by a media consultant, Mr. Ohi Alegbe. Members of the panel are Daily Editor, Tribune Newspaper, Edward Dickson and Ms Maupe Ogun of Channels Television and Mr. Modibo Kawu, a columnist with The Vanguard Newspapers.

The President disclosed that the two erstwhile security chiefs were sacked because the government had to change strategies in order to nip the menace of security challenges in the bud. According to him, “security is a global challenge now; it is not just in Nigeria. It is just like the issue of economic recession that is global with different countries having their shares. The issue of Boko Haram is really giving a great share of the challenges. The government is on it, we’ll continue to be on it and definitely, we will get over it.

“Relating to the changes we’ve made; the Defence Minister, I have not appointed anyone as the Minister of Defence, yet. Of course, that one has to go through the Senate. We have not announced the name. It is the Senate that can clear him. We will not announce the name until the Senate cleared him. But the National Security Adviser is a special adviser position, another person has taken over. “Those who have held these offices have done well. But if you look at the evolution of Boko Haram, they are changing their tactics everyday. The interest of terrorists is to destabilise the government. And if that one doesn’t work, they will just use another trick.

“So, you must also change your personnel, change your style, change your strategies. So, we are also changing and we think it is time some other hands would have to come in to do things slightly differently. It’s not that the people who were there before were not working hard like good Nigerians. “We will continue to adjust our security architecture. Where there is the need to change personnel to fit into a new programme, we’ll surely do that.”

On dialogue with the members of Boko Haram, Jonathan maintained that he preferred to talk with members of the group to using force, insisting that he would rather toe a different path from some people who might not want dialogue because of their belief that terrorists are criminals.

“But to us in this country and to me in particular, the Boko Haram members are Nigerians. We did not want to lose the life of one Nigerian. I would rather wish that the criminals become reasonable and we’ll train them as we have trained people (militants) from the Niger Delta to become productive members of the Nigerian society.

“So, I want a situation where the Boko Haram people stopped the rubbish they are doing and are trained in different skills so that they become productive and contribute to our economy. “The government will dialogue with Boko Haram but presently, Boko Haram has no face. Nobody could come and tell me that he is a leader of Boko Haram and the government will not dialogue with a faceless group. You must have face. You must tell us the reason why you are doing what you are doing. Then of course, we will dialogue. We want them to change. We want them to become decent citizens to move freely and involve in businesses,” Jonathan said.

On whether he knows what the group is agitating for, he remarked: “I don’t know what they want, but I know terrorists all over the world have common agenda, to destabilise the government. If you look at the evolution of Boko Haram, initially they were not attacking the churches. The very first time, they were even very much antagonistic to their fellow Muslims; rather, they believed that they were not worshipping the way they supposed to. The idea is to destabilise the government.

“When that did not work, they started attacking institutions of government. But that was not working. They have not been able to bring the government down. They started attacking churches. They are attacking churches to instigate religious crisis. They believe that when they attack a church, Christian youths will revolt against Muslim youths. They don’t care who dies in the process and the government would be destabilised.

“If the way they are attacking churches doesn’t work, watch out, the same Boko Haram will start attacking mosques to instigate Muslim youths against Christians. So they change their tactics. Of course, we are working. We will stop it”, he said. Asked why he embarked on the Brazil trip he said if he did not go, it would have sent a wrong signal to the international community.

The President had received mixed reactions. He said with the journey to Brazil, he had been able to prove to the Boko Haram that they will not succeed in their objective of bringing government to a halt. According to him, if he had not gone on the trip, the terrorist group would have by now been celebrating that they stopped the President from travelling. He added that the day the President, Vice President or Senate President is prevented from travelling by terrorists, then the country is finished. Jonathan said the objective of the terrorist groups in every part of the world is to destabilize government.

“ Government must not stop for a second because of Boko Haram. If the president fails to travel because Boko Haram struck, they will celebrate. go and interview presidents who have experienced terror. One thing they will tell you that government must continue no matter the attacks. The day the international community hears that the Nigerian President could not travel because of Boko Haram, then we are finished. Boko Haram and its sponsors cannot stop us from moving.

President Jonathan also debunked the insinuations that he was protecting some people from being exposed in the fuel subsidy probe scam. He said: “I have nothing to hide.” He was asked if he had any hidden agenda, the President said if there was any, he would not have chosen the former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, to head a committee to find out what was going on in the petroleum industry.

His words: “Even before the Senate and House of Representatives started their probe into the oil subsidy, the Federal Government set up panels to look into the issues of subsidy. One of them is (Mallam Nuhu) Ribadu. Ribadu is not a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Ribadu was Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) presidential candidate. And somebody who headed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), you know his worth. So, I have nothing to hide in the Petroleum Ministry. If I had, I wouldn’t have brought somebody like Ribadu.”

Mr. President affirmed that “this country belongs to all of us, (and) If errors are being committed somewhere, we must address them,” reminding that “when I was acting President, even before I became President, I asked (Olusegun) Aganga when he was Minister of Finance, and Deziani Allison-madueke was the Minister of Petroleum, to get an international audit firm to audit the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and all these major areas where we spend money.”

He lamented that “the belief of Nigerians is that we don’t know the quantity of crude we sell” (and that) there are so many insinuations that led him to ask Aganga to get internationally recognized audit firm to audit NNPC and Petroleum Development Fund and also agencies that see to the money that is being spent. .


http://www.sunnewsonline.com/article/why-i-sacked-azazi-defence-minister-%E2%80%93jonathan