Monday, August 27, 2012
Saturday, August 18, 2012
PRESIDENT JONATHAN WILL BE THE BEST LOVED PRESIDENT IN NIGERIA EVER
The goldfish, they say, has no hiding place. As the President of Africa's most populous nation, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan aptly fits the bill given his visibility on the continental, global, political and economic fora. He has continuously been the focus of positive analyses by well-meaning and discerning critics of his Transformation Agenda and his contributions to global discourses at various conferences he has attended since he assumed office as Nigeria's democratically-elected President.
Of recent, there has been a rash of neo-negative commentaries, innuendoes, insinuations and outright abuses and condemnations of certain actions purportedly committed by those close to the President or Dr. Jonathan himself.
Of great concern, though, is the artful application of blatant lies and worst case scenarios erected by those Pull-Jonathan-Down critics. It goes without saying that the set-agenda of these people is to rubbish the President (and by inference, his ethnic stock, the Ijaw,his region,the Niger Delta ) and also set the larger mass of the Nigerian people against him, to boot.
In the last six months of this year, the President has been roped into scores of pre-fabricated cases or accusations that were, principally, directed to cast him in the mode of a ruler who is not people-friendly in his policies, programmes, and projects locations, just to spite and demonize him both nationally and internationally.
Three cases in point will suffice to illustrate the strident season of bile and insolence that was unleashed in the programmed campaign to tar-paint President Jonathan, either frontally or through peripheral attacks on those suspected to be close to him – especially Mrs. Diezani Alison – Madueke (the Minister of Petroleum Resources) and Elder GodsdayOrubebe (the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs). The duo are also of the Ijaw ethnic stock like the President.
Nigerians are withnesses to the high-wire sting operation that brought down Hon. Farouk Lawan from his lofty moral high-horse by a businessman called Mr. Femi Otedola. A lot of bile and disclosures have ensued since the incident blew open and non of the issues has involved the President or the Presidency as indicated by the media assault that tended to paint the Presidency as being the unseen hand behind the bribe scam and the covert operation that exposed Hon. Farouk Lawan.
The orchestrated hue and cry about a non-satisfactory implementation of the Federal Budget by President Jonathan has been dubbed by keen watchers of Nigeria politics as a "retaliatory measure" by a "slighted" House of Representatives that was still smarting from the Faroukgate affair. It is believed that a section of the House felt that the whole episode was directed at the topmost leadership using the bribe scam as a decoy.
The promoters of the anti-Jonathan lobby have even gone to the length of accusing the President of approving and releasing scarce government funds to purchase 200 "new and exotic" cars for the African First Ladies Peace Mission (AFLPM) summit in Abuja from Thursday, July 26, 2012. It has been revealed that the NGO is being supported by a private company – Coscharis Motors Limited, which supplied some cars to the organizers at no cost to it or the Federal Government of Nigeria. No fund was requested for, released or utilized for the purchase of 200 cars!
The current stage in the smear campaign unleashed by the anti-Jonathan lobby involves:
• The fictitious lies / claims by an online newspaper of contribution of over $1bn to President Jonathan's campaign funds in 2011 through Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke and Elder Orubebe.
• The fictitious and complete lie that Walter Wagbatsoma and Ontario Oil and Gas bought a private jet which he is holding in trust for the sitting Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke.
• The outright lie that the sum of $300m went into the campaign effort through Mrs. Alison – Madueke and the lie that Ms Adaoha Ngo-Ngadi bought a N600m mansion for Elder Orubebe in Abuja and further lied that he is an "invisible Director" of Ontario Oil and Gas – a firm headed by Ms Adaoha It is trite knowledge that the orchestrated media onslaught is designed to rope in Mr. President in a concocted and contrived web of lies, innuendoes and insinuations woven around fictitious accusations of graft and criminal connivance unbecoming of his exalted office. The authors and promoters of the "Rubbish– The-President-By-All-Means" media campaigns are employing all manners and shades of tricks to situate Dr. Goodluck Jonathan as "guilty as charged" before their selfish court of warped opinion skewed to achieve very narrow and parochial motives.
The catalogue of the campaigns of calumny and subtle blackmail currently directed at the President has, in no small measure, enabled Nigerians to critically assess and evaluate the moral fiber and due diligence of a man who is being assailed by all manners of missiles and still not distracted or fazed.
As leaders evolve, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan will emerge from the raging cauldron of hate campaigns to become that quintessential manager of men, ideas and materials and a statesman whose moral make-up will ultimately become the benchmark for good governance best practices in Nigeria and beyond. This is especially so in the ongoing war against corrupt and corruptive activities in Nigeria, which he initiated and is prosecuting diligently.
PRESIDENT JONATHAN WILL BE THE BEST LOVED PRESIDENT EVER IN NIGERIA
SIGNED
ONE NIGERIA MOVEMENT
UGBUWANGUE,WARRI SOUTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT
SEQUEL:
Great presidents are made great by horrible circumstances combined with character, temperament and intelligence. Like firemen, cops, doctors or soldiers, presidents need a crisis
to shine
President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan took the oath of office on 29 May, 2011 amidst thunderous expectations of a new dawn, given the mountain of problems that characterized the nation.
Jonathan is one of the most intelligent presidents to ever step forward in Nigeria's history the second fully fit university graduate. The likes of his intellectual capabilities have not been surpassed in public life since the Founding Fathers put pen to paper. His personal character is also solid gold. Take heart, Nigeria: we have the leader for our times.
I say this as a Pan Africanist who believes totally in One Nigeria, former life-long siddon look Nigerian. I say this as a proud Nigerian . I speak as someone who knows it's time to forget tribal loyalty, party loyalty, ideology and pride and put the country first.
Jonathan is our last best chance. He's worth laying it all on the line for.
Where many leaders are two-faced; publicly kindly but privately feared and/or hated by people closest to them, Jonathan is consistent in the way he treats people, consistently kind and personally humble. He lives by the code that those who lead must serve. He believes that. He lives it. He lived it long before he was in the public eye.
Jonathan puts service ahead of ideology. He also knows that to succeed politically you need to be tough. He can be. He has been (Okerenkoko and Gbaramatu). This is a man who does what works, rather than scoring ideological points. In other words he is the quintessential non-ideological pragmatic Nigerian. He will (thank God!) disappoint ideologues and purists of the left and the right.
Jonathan has a reservoir of personal physical courage that is unmatched in our presidential history. Why unmatched? Because as the first monority contender for the presidency who has won, Jonathan, and all the rest of us, know that he is in great physical danger from the seemingly unlimited reserve of unhinged tribal hatred, and just plain unhinged ignorant hatred, that swirls in the bowels of our wounded and sinful country. By stepping forward to lead, Jonathan has literally put his life on the line for all of us in a way no other Nigerian ever has had to do. (And we all know how dangerous the presidency has been)
The greater point about Jonathan is that the midst of our worldwide financial meltdown, an expanding Boko Haram ,Niger Delta Militancy,Piracy,Kidnappings,Armed Robberies,Bribery and corruption etc, watching our educational levels decline to unbelievable levels of incompetence, facing a general loss of confidence in the government that has been exacerbated by the opposition doing all they can to undermine our government's capabilities and programs... President Jonathan has taken on the leadership of our country at a make or break time of historic proportions. He faces not one but dozens of crisis, each big enough to define any presidency in better times.
As luck, fate or divine grace would have it (depending on one's personal theology) Jonathan is blessedly, dare I say uniquely, well-suited to our dire circumstances. Jonathan is a person with hands-on experience, deep connections to top advisers from the renowned Universites in Nigeria being a former university lecturer , and a middle-class background that gives him an abiding knowledgeable empathy with the rest of us. As the son of poor parents, who has worked his way up with merit and brains, in three giant political steps to state office, national office and now the presidency, Jonathan clearly has the wit and drive to lead.
Jonathan is the sober voice of reason at a time of unreason. He is the fellow keeping his head while all around him are panicking. He is the healing presence at a time of national division and strife. He is also new enough to the political process so that he doesn't suffer from the terminally jaded cynicism, the seen-it-all-before syndrome afflicting most politicians in Nigeria. In that regard we Nigerians lucked out. It's as if having despaired of our political process we picked a name from the phone book to lead us and that person turned out to be a very man we needed.
Jonathan brings a healing and uplifting spiritual quality to our politics at the very time when our worst enemy is fear. Fearless Jonathan is the cure. He speaks a litany of hope rather than a litany of terror.
As we have watched Jonathan respond in a quiet reasoned manner to crisis after crisis, in both the way he has responded after being attacked and lied about , to his reasoned response to our multiplying national crises, what we see is the spirit of a trusted family doctor with a great bedside manner. Jonathan is perfectly suited to hold our hand and lead us through some very tough times. The word panic is not in the Jonathan dictionary.
Jonathan brings a moral clarity to his leadership reserved for those who have had to work for everything they've gotten and had to do twice as well as the person standing next to them because of the region they come from . His experience of succeeding in spite of his social background could have been embittering or one that fostered a spiritual rebirth of forgiveness and enlightenment. Jonathan radiates the calm inner peace of the spirit of forgiveness.
Speaking as a believing Nigerian I see the hand of a merciful God in Jonathans Presidency. The biblical metaphors abound. The stone the builder rejected is become the cornerstone... the last shall be first... he that would gain his life must first lose it... the meek shall inherit the earth...
For my secular friends I'll allow that we may have just been extraordinarily lucky! Either way Nigeria wins.
Only a brilliant man, with the spirit of a preacher and the humble heart of a kindly family doctor can lead us now. We are afraid, out of ideas, and worst of all out of hope. Jonathan is the cure. And we Nigerian's have it in us to rise to the occasion. We will. We're in one of the most frightening periods of Nigerian history. Our country has rarely faced more uncertainty. This is the time for greatness. We have a great leader. We must be a great people backing him, fighting for him, sacrificing for a cause greater than ourselves.
A hundred years from now Jonathan's portrait will be placed next to that of Obafemi Awolowo, Nnamdi Azikiwe,King Jaja Of Opobo,Ahmadu Bello and Nana Of Itsekiri etc. Long before that we'll be telling our children and grandchildren that we stepped out in faith and supported a man who stood up and led our country back from the brink of an abyss. We'll tell them about the power of love, faith and hope. We'll tell them about the power of creativity combined with humility and intellectual brilliance. We'll tell them that President Jonathan gave us the gift of regaining our faith in our country. We'll tell them that we all stood up and pitched in and won the day. We'll tell them that President Jonathan restored our standing in the world. We'll tell them that by the time he left office our schools were on the mend, our economy booming. We'll tell them that because of President Jonathan's example and leadership the integrity of the family was restored, divorce rates went down, more fathers took responsibility for their children, and abortion rates fell dramatically as women, families and children were cared for through compassionate social programs that worked. We'll tell them about how the gap closed between the middle class and the super rich, how we won health care for all, how crime rates fell, how kidnappings, militancy and terrorism were brought to an honourable conclusion.
We'll tell them that we were part of the inexplicably blessed miracle that happened to our country those many years ago in 2011 when an Ijaw man was sent by God, fate or luck to save our country. We'll tell them that it's good to live in Nigeria where anything is possible.
President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has been recording unique achievements.
1. President Goodluck Jonathan became the first Nigerian President to be WARNED PUBLICLY not to contest for elections on account of ethno-regional selfish interest, AND PROMISED MAYHEM and GRIDLOCK if he does.
2. First President to experience over 50 UNWARRANTED, UNPRECEDENTED BOMBINGS of CHURCHES, PRIMARY SCHOOLS, UNIVERSITY CAMPUSES, DRINKING PARLOURS, MATCH VIEWING CENTERS in less than 365 days after his swearing-in.
3. First President/Head of State from the ENTIRE SOUTHERN NIGERIA, who is neither a NORTHERNER nor an EX-MILITARY man
4. First SOCIAL MEDIA ERA President/ Head of State
5. First President/ Head of State to experience the malicious death of INNOCENT, HARMLESS, UNARMED Youth Corpers serving their fatherland.
6. First President/ Head of State to evacuate Nigerians from trouble spots overseas by airlifting thousands of stranded citizens back home.
7. First President/ Head of State under whose tenure, MULTI PARTY DEMOCRACY blossomed most: 6 different political parties have governors in Nigeria: LP, ACN, PDP, APGA, ANPP, CPC (Please note: all court orders overturned in favour of opposition parties were all obeyed: Osun, Ekiti, etc)
8. First President/ Head of State to sign into law the FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT
9. First President/ Head of State to EFFECTIVELY outlaw toll-collecting illegal police checkpoints in Nigeria
10. First President/ Head of State to introduce a national tax policy to create a self-sufficient economy that could bring development to the people.
11. First president to pay attention to our International and local Airports - Kano airport upgraded after 57 years, other airports upgrades in progress.
12. Kaduna Refinery rehabilitated after 15 years
13. The first President to summon the courage to unbundle Electricity distribution after 52 years, power supply more than doubled after almost 100 years after amalgamation (met power supply at about 2,200 mw, now 4,237 mw) States Begin Electricity Distribution
14. First President to address the bad state of the Benin-Ore road which was rehabilitated after 20 years.
15. First president to rejuvenate our comatose Railways back to life after 20 years of lull in the sector, Colonial laws under review, States and Private investors welcome in the railways sector.
16. First to introduce 35% female appointments in government positions.
17. First in decades to reduce salaries of public servants and examine the proliferation of different salary structures in the public service in the federation
18. First to deliver on Nine New Varsities, to accommodate, the growing number of admission candidates/population
19. First to promise Almajiri school, promise kept
20. First to follow due process/rule of law in government conduct
21. First president to be thought of, by the average Nigerian, as his/her COUNCILLOR, LGA CHAIRMAN, ASSEMBLYMAN, GOVERNOR, REP OR SENATOR and CHIEF JUSTICE in one fell swoop, not minding the fact that everyone has his/her job cut out in a democracy as this is not a MILITARY DICTATORSHIP- that the buck does not stop at his desk in matters involving states, LGAs and the Judiciary or Legislature; that their jobs are complementary and they are allocated funds every month from FAAC, not to 'chop', but to work!
22.PIB
23.FIGHTING FOR FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS
24.PROSECUTION OF FUEL SUBSIDY THIEVES
25.FIGHT AGAINST BRIBERY AND CORRUPTION
26.FIRST FEMALE CHIEF JUSTICE OF NIGERIA
27.SUSTENANCE OF AMNESTY PROGRAMME
28.PERMANENTLY FLOW OF PETROLUEM PRODUCTS EVER IN NIGERIA
29.INCREASE OF OUR DAILY OIL PRODUCTION OUTPUT TO THE HIGEST EVER
30.PROMISE TO REVIEW IMMUNITY LAWS
31.ENTRY OF IMPORTED GOODS INTO NIGERIA IN 48 HOURS
SO MANY GREAT AND RESPONSIVE GOVERNMENT STRIDES ACHIEVED ON A DAILY BASIS
BY THE PUBLISHER
www.ipaidabribenaija.com
Contributions from Henry Omoregie
Adaptation from Frank Schaeffer writings
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Man, 25, bags 4 months in jail for clutching black polythene bag, causing security scare
Jos – A Chief Magistrates’ Court in Jos on Thursday sentenced a 25-year-old man, Salisu Rabiu, to four months imprisonment for causing public disturbance.
Rabiu was convicted for causing stampede in a hotel, which he entered with a black polythene bag, a situation that caused panic among the customers that were drinking.
The court, however, gave the convict an option of N1,000 fine.
The Chief Magistrate, Mrs Talatu Gada, said that the prosecution had convinced the court that the accused committed the offence.
Gada said that the confessional statement of the accused had assisted the court to convict him.
“The court relied heavily on section 157 (1) of the criminal procedure code (CPC) to convict the accused,” she said.
Earlier, the prosecutor, Mr. Ado Ali, had told the court that the accused on July 27, at about 7.00 p.m. entered the bar of the Valley Hotel, Jos at Angwan-Jummai Area of Jos.
Ali said that the accused entered the hotel and stood in the centre of the bar clutching the bag.
The prosecution said his action scared the customers, who started running away thinking that he was a suicide bomber who wanted to bomb the hotel.
He said that the accused was arrested by the hotel security personnel.
The accused person was subsequently handed over to the police at `A Division Police Station for interrogation and during investigation the accused pleaded guilty.
The prosecutor said that the accused committed an offence contrary to section 114 of the Penal Code.
When the case came up for hearing, the accused pleaded guilty to the charge and begged the court for leniency saying that he was a first offender.
The judge warned him to desist from the bad habit of scaring innocent people.
She said the court would not be lenient with him in future if he appeared before it on a similar charge. (NAN)
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
D’Tigers lose to Lithuania in LONDON OLYMPICS
Lithuania dominated on the stands and on the court, it was a one way traffic for them at the Basketball Arena here yesterday.
And when it ended, Nigerian players and their coach Ayo Bakare admitted that the team that they beat by a point in Venezuela to qualify for the Olympics had become a better team.
Nigerian forward Al Farouk Aminu (L) vies with Lithuanian centre Jonas Valanciunas during the Men’s preliminary round group A basketball match of the London 2012 Olympic Games Lithuania vs Nigeria on July 31, 2012 at the basketball arena in London. Lithuania won 72 to 53.AFP PHOTO
The match ended 72-53 but Bakare added in the post mach press conference that “nothing has changed” as the battle to qualify for the next round continues. They have more matches to play and should be facing Argentina, France and favourites USA.
“The defeat has not changed anything but it has made things more difficult,” he said. It will truly be difficult for the team on Thursday when they face a Kobbe Bryant led USA team that is here to defend the gold they won in Beijing. Lithuania had a seeming easy game against Nigeria.
They led 14-8 in the first quarter and were never challenged. the second quarter ended 34-27 and by the end of the third quarter they led 56-40, winning the match at 72-53.
They enjoyed the game as the Lithuanians in the arena outnumbered the Nigerians who expected the D’Tigers to end their second victory after beating Tunisia on Sunday.
Quotes from basketballers
Aminu Alade
We didn’t play well. They played better and won. We hope to turn things around. When you are down getting up is what matters.
That’s what makes you a man. We hope to get up. But you must know that this is a youg Nigerian team that has been together for just three weeks. With time we will be stronger. There’s future in Nigerian basketball.
Diogu Dike
We didn’t play well. Defensively, we tried but other things failed. We didn’t make shots and when you don’t make shots you don’t win.
Skinn Tonny
They played better. They did a better job than us.
Coach Kestutis Kemura
It was a good game for us. We were good mentally and matched that with good play. When you wi against a good team, a physically strong team you feel good. We knew the Nigerian team. They beat us in the qualification tournament and we came here and lost our first match against Argentina.
So, we were mentally ready, knowing that we just had to win although it was not going to be easy.We did a great job defensively and took away a great part of their game -one on one. We took 42 rebounds and didn’t let them to dominate. We played aggresively but we played absolutley defensively.
When they beat us, we didn’t expect the kind of game they played.
Ayo Bakare
In all things you give glory to God. We thank God for coming this far. Unfortunately we didn’t get the results. Lithuania played well. I don’t like complaining about officiating but this game was poorly officiated. Some referees took things personal.
They did poorly but that should not take anything away from the victory of Lithuania. I the officiating was good I’m not sure that we could have won. We had injuries and were not able to play as aggressive as we would have wanted. Injuries took a toll on our rotation.
They played so good to win and we played bad to lose. But we still have matches to play. We won our first match, Lithuania lost their first match and I strongly feel that it is still open although it will be tough.
Operation Restore Order yesterday made a great interception as eight rocket launchers other equipment of mass destruction were recovered from the dreaded Boko Haram sect.
MAIDUGURI – The Joint Task Force (JTF) in Borno, Operation Restore Order yesterday made a great interception as eight rocket launchers other equipment of mass destruction were recovered from the dreaded Boko Haram sect.
According to the Task Force, two members of the sect were killed in the process of interception.
8 Rocket Propelled Launchers Confiscate By JTF
The spokesman of the task force, Lt. Col. Sagir Musa in a press statement last night said the members of the JTF in conjunction with the Department of State Services, Multi National Joint Task Force and other security agencies intercepted large consignment of arms and ammunition including 8 Rocket Propelled Launchers at Daban Masara in Monguno LocalGovernment Area, Borno state based on intelligence.
He further revealed that “the incident happened at about 9 pm on Monday 30 July 2012 during which two suspected Boko Haram terrorists escorting the consignment were killed in an exchange of fire.”
Musa said the large consignment was been moved by the sect members from Baga/Daban Masara heading towards Maiduguri in a blue Hilux vehicle with registration number NGU19XA.
Details of the weapons of mass destruction recovered include eight rocket launchers, 10 rocket bombs, 10 rocket chargers, two AK 47 rifles, 13 magazines with 6 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition and a Bank PHB ATM card
The JTF in the release reinstated its appealed to members of the public to provide useful information to security agencies in order to stop the spate of isolated killings in the state.
Meantime, Members of the Jama’atuAhlissunnah Lidda’awati Wal Jihad, otherwise known as Boko Haram had yesterday claimed responsibility for the attacks on police formations in Sokoto.
This was contained in an email statement sent to journalists in Maiduguri, Borno state capital.
In the statement signed by the sect’s spokesman, Abul Qaqa said ‘All praises goes to Almighty Allah. This is a very important message from the Jama’atu Ahlis Sunnah Lidda’awati Wal Jihad.
‘We wish to extend our profound gratitude to Almighty Allah for giving us the opportunity to fulfil the promise we made on launching spontaneous attacks in Sokoto.
‘We have reasons for all our activities and we only kill those who wronged us. We attacked Sokoto because many of our brethren have been incarcerated there. We are gladdened by the successes we recorded at the office of the AIG in Marina and the police divisional office at Unguwan Rogo as well as the police station at Arkila.
‘We wish to reiterate that our crusade is not for personal gain; it is meant to ensure the establishment of an Islamic state by liberating all Muslims from the excesses of the infidels.
We strongly believe that Almighty Allah will reward us with his famous paradise in the hereafter as he rightly said in chapter 9 verse 111 of the Holy Qur’an.
‘We want to stress that in our struggle, we only kill government functionaries, security agents, Christians and anyone who pretends to be a Muslim but engage in assisting security agents to arrest us’.
‘We wish to strongly warn people to desist from collaborating with security agents. The fact is that we are the warriors of the Almighty and even the security forces are finding it difficult to contain our activities.
‘We are also aware of the activities of some women who have been recruited to spy on us. This is a final warning to all of them. By God, whenever we catch any woman spying on us, we would slaughter her like ram.
‘We are responsible for the attacks in Bauchi and at the residence of Namadi Sambo in Zaria as well as the one in Damaturu where we bombed a patrol vehicle.
‘We equally dealt a big blow on JTF operatives in Maiduguri who, out of frustration went back and killed innocent and defenceless citizens.
‘It is erroneous to say that we are killing Muslims. We do not kill innocent Muslims. The fact is the bottom line of our struggle is to set the Muslims free from enslavement. We only kill the unbelievers.’
Navy foils attempt to defraud Benin Republic minister of N25bn
*Nabs five crude oil syndicate members
By Emma Amaize & Akpos Akpokona
WARRI – AN attempt by a suspected international crude oil syndicate based in Nigeria to defraud a Minister from the Republic of Benin of over N25 billion under the pretext of selling crude oil to him, has landed five members of the group in trouble.
The five fraudsters, including a former secretary of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, western zone, (name withheld) were arrested in a hotel at Effurun, near Warri, Delta State, while holding a meeting with a delegation from Republic of Benin, sent by the Minister to further discuss the business. Commander, NNS Delta, Commodore Stephen Kor, confirmed the arrest of members of the syndicate in a briefing, yesterday, in Warri.
He said: “The syndicate specialises in defrauding individuals and companies with fake Nigerian Navy and NNPC letter headed documents for clearance of vessel.”
Vanguard learnt that members of the syndicate who usually posed as top Navy and Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, officials contact unsuspecting companies and persons, claiming that they would bunker crude oil to them.
Commander Kor said: “Following a tip off, NNS Delta special patrol team at about 10:00 on Monday, July 30, arrested five suspected fraudsters that specialise in using fake Nigerian Navy and NNPC letter-headed documents to defraud unsuspecting members of the public.
The arrest was carried out at one of the hotels in Warri, where the suspects were to hold a meeting with some of their earlier victims. This arrest is part of the Nigerian Navy’s efforts at curbing illegalities in its areas of operations.