The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Goodluck Jonathan

  • ASUU strike is subversive, says Jonathan

    ASUU strike is subversive, says Jonathan

    PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan believes the prolonged strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is more of subversion than a mere trade dispute.

    But following criticisms across the country of the December 4 ultimatum he handed down to ASUU to call off the strike or risk mass sack, the President says government may review its stance.

    He spoke in Yenagoa late Friday at the Bayelsa State PDP Caucus meeting.

    The President is from that state.

    Responding to an observation by his former boss, Chief Diepreye Alamieyesigha, that the deadline given the lecturers coincides with the burial of Professor Festus Iyayi who died in the course of resolving the dispute, President Jonathan said the leadership of ASUU showed utter contempt to his person and office.

    He said never in the history of Nigeria has the President sat through a labour dispute meeting the type of which he had with ASUU.

    He said:”What was expected, having met with the highest authorities in the land for long hours, was for ASUU to immediately issue a statement within 12 or latest 24 hours to state their position whether they were accepting government’s offer or not. And if they are not accepting, they should state the reason for that.

    “But despite the fact that I had the longest meeting with ASUU in my political history, we did not start that meeting until around 2 pm and the meeting ended the next day in the early hours of the morning.”

    He said ASUU has ceased to act like a trade union.

    “I have intervened in other labour issues before now. Once I invite them, they respond and after the meeting they take decision and call off the strike.

    “At times we don’t even give them a long notice unlike in the case of ASUU that was given four days notice before the meeting. As you are meeting to resolve trade disputes, you expect the trade unions to get their officials ready.

    “As far as the government of Nigeria was concerned, all the critical people that should be in a meeting were there, so what else do they want?

    “After that, they didn’t meet until one week, despite the fact that you met with the highest authority. It was unfortunate one of them, Prof. Iyayi died.

    “The way ASUU has conducted the matter shows they are extreme and when Iyayi died, they now said the strike was now indefinite. Our children have been at home for over five months.”

    He said the ultimatum was proposed by the Committee of Vice Chancellors and that the Supervising Minister of Education merely “passed on the decision.”

    He promised to hold consultation on the deadline “so that we will not be perceived to be insensitive.”

    Focusing on the PDP caucaus meeting, he urged unity in the party, stressing that without unity it would be difficult to achieve much in 2015.

    The state chairman of the party, Colonel Samuel Inokoba (rtd), who presided at the meeting dismissed the G7 governors as the voice of anarchy who were out to destroy what the nation’s founding fathers started.

    He urged all stakeholders in the state to continue to support the President as he faces the daunting task of ruling the country as well as the governor.

    Alamieyesigha described the recent defection of five PDP governors to the APC as “a national embarrassment.”

    The meeting started on Friday night and ended in the early hours of yesterday.

    Meanwhile, the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), and the Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), are set to resume academic activities tomorrow.

    They made the announcement in separate statements in Nsukka and Enugu yesterday.

    The Registrar of the UNN, Anthony Okonta, said that “normal academic activities would resume immediately.”

    He asked students who have pending examinations for the 2012/2013 session to report to their respective faculties and departments in Nsukka and Enugu campuses.

    The ESUT Registrar, Chris Igbokwe, also advised students and academic and non- academic staff to report to the institution on December 2.

    He advised students to return to their campuses at Agbani and Enugu campuses as the second semester examination would commence on Monday, December 9.

    The Federal Government, on Thursday, directed all federal universities to resume work on or before December 4.

    The Supervising Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike, said ASUU members who fail to report for duty that day should consider themselves fired.

     

  • National Confab will give us true democracy, says Archbishop Job

    National Confab will give us true democracy, says Archbishop Job

    The Catholic Bishop of Ibadan Archdiocese, Archbishop Felix Alaba Job, has stated that the National Dialogue being proposed by President Goodluck Jonathan will give Nigerians the opportunity to experience a true democracy.

    He spoke yesterday while addressing journalists at the Archbishop Chancery, Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, on preparations for his retirement by January next year after 42 years of service.

    Alaba Job expressed dismay that Nigeria is still operating under a constitution that was prepared by the military, adding that the country is made up of different federating regions that came together to form a country.

    According to him, the proposed national conference will allow Nigeria to solve the numerous challenges confronting it.

    The Catholic Archbishop said, “There is no country in the world that does not have its or her own problems; Nigeria’s problems are endless. America is made up of so many states and they have liberty till date, talk of China, Russia and the rest. For Nigeria to survive, we must tolerate one another so that we can develop and experience peace.

    “Do we have political parties in this country? We only have a group of selfish people that does not have the interest of the masses at heart. I believe that this confab will bring us out of the tentacles of military system, give us hope and allow us to practice a true democratic system.”

  • Ondo NDDC nominee replaced

    Ondo NDDC nominee replaced

    The Presidency yesterday withdrew Dr. Benson Enikuomehin’s name as the Ondo State nominee on the Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

    It was replaced with that of the former Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Chairman, Okitipupa Zone, Mr. Amuwa Benson.

    Sources hinged the development on a meeting President Goodluck Jonathan held with Governor Olusegun Mimiko and Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Anyim Pius Anyim at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Tuesday.

    Enikuomehin represented Ondo State on the commission’s board between 2009 and September, 2011.

    Sources said the change might not be unconnected with the Presidency’s resolution not to return any former member of the board.

    Mimiko arrived Abuja on Monday night on a chartered flight for the meeting. He was accompanied by his chief of protocol and two top government officials.

    The governor said he had no grudge against Enikuomehin but declined to give reasons for the change.

    A source said there were negative reactions to Enikuomehin’s nomination after he was cleared by the Department of State Security (DSS) in Abuja.

    Mimiko, in July, recommended Benson; the incumbent, Mr. Dele Omogbemi; and Enikuomehin to the Presidency for consideration.

    Benson was cleared by DSS last Thursday and his name was sent to the Senate yesterday for ratification.

    Enikuomehin confirmed the change but did not comment on it.

    The Senate Committee on NDDC is expected to begin the screening of the nominees immediately.

     

  • PDP: we’re unperturbed

    PDP: we’re unperturbed

    The ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said yesterday it was not perturbed by the defection of five of its governors.

    In what many see as a panic measure, the party said President Goodluck Jonathan had agreed to meet with the aggrieved governors on Sunday.

    Before yesterday, Jonathan and the leadership of the PDP were indecisive on the decision to meet with the aggrieved members to resolve the protracted crisis in the party.

    In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, the ruling party said: “We wish to state categorically that the PDP remains unperturbed as we are now rid of detractors and distractions. We urge all our members nationwide to remain focused and close ranks, now that agents of distraction have finally left our ranks.

    “We wish to use this opportunity to remind all PDP members that the peace process initiated by President Goodluck Jonathan is still on course and we wish to thank him for his patience, humility and spirit of accommodation. The meeting between the President and aggrieved members shall hold on Sunday, December 01, 2013.

    “We recognise the rights of freedom of association for all Nigerians and declare that it is within the rights of any Nigerian citizen to associate with anybody he/she deems fit.

    “By this open declaration today, those individuals have unveiled their true intent, which most Nigerians suspected ab initio. They have chosen to abandon a broad based national platform and embraced a narrow group of ethnic and religious bigots whose main intention is to unleash a state of anarchy on Nigeria.”

    The PDP maintained that there were no factions in the ruling party, citing a Federal High Court ruling to back its claim. It insisted that the party remained an indivisible entity under the leadership of Alhaja Bamanga Tukur as national chairman.

    The party, in a veiled attempt to cajole some of the aggrieved governors, said: “We wish to commend the wise decision of some of the aggrieved governors to dissociate themselves from the action of some of their colleagues.

    “ We assure all Nigerians that the PDP will continue to grow from strength to strength and will definitely emerge stronger from this event.

    “We reiterate that the position of the law is very clear – that there is no factions whatsoever in the PDP.

    “Finally, we wish to reassure our teeming members that our doors remain open to address all grievances. We shall, however, not condone any acts of internal subversion from any quarters.”

    According to the PDP, the beauty of democracy is that in a political party system, some members are bound to leave while others come in.

  • Oshiomhole at Villa

    Oshiomhole at Villa

    EDo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole was at the Presidential Villa, Abuja shortly after the aggrieved governors announced their defection. But it could not be confirmed if he actually met with President Goodluck Jonathan as he did not stay up to two minutes in the President’s office building.

    He, however, did not respond to reporters questions who tried to interview him on his mission at the villa.

  • Judge withdraws from suit against Leadership reporters

    Judge withdraws from suit against Leadership reporters

    Justice Peter Affen of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja yesterday withdrew from adjudicating the forgery case filed against two LEADERSHIP reporters by the Federal Government.

    His withdrawal followed a report that the case file was withdrawn from Justice Usman Musale, without any application from parties, and re-assigned to Justice Affen, who hails from Bayelsa, the same state as President Goodluck Jonathan.

    The Federal Government filed the criminal charge against the Group News Editor of the newspaper, Mr. Tony Amokeodo and political correspondent, Chibuzor Ukaibe.

    In the charge, it was alleged that they forged a letter from the Presidency.

    During yesterday’s proceeding, Justice Affen said he is withdrawing from the case to protect his integrity and that of the judiciary.

    Justice Affen is the third judge to handle the case since the action was instituted several months ago.

    When the case came up yesterday, Counsel to the Federal Government, Chief Adegboyega Awomolo ((SAN), said he saw the publication and expressed shock over it.

    “I saw the publication this morning and I must say that it is objectionable and unfair. I knew nothing about it but its effect is enormous,” he said.

    Counsel to the journalists, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN) said: “I was surprised when I saw the report yesterday. I hold your lordship in high esteem and from my investigation, the court did not ask for the case.”

    Falana added: “Having regard to the integrity and the independence of the judiciary, your lordship may wish to send the case file back to the Chief Judge. This humble application is hinged on need to preserve the integrity of the judiciary.”

    Justice Affen, in his short ruling, said the only thing that connects him with President Jonathan is that they are from the same state.

    “I must place on record my profound gratitude to counsel in this matter for seeking to protect not only my integrity but that of the judiciary. It is correct that justice is rooted in confidence and must not only be done but seen to have been done.

    “The implication of the publication is far too damaging to ignore. I will, therefore, in the interest of justice return the case file to the Chief Judge for re-assignment to another judge that is not from Bayelsa State,” the judge said.

  • Nyako berates Akpabio on G7 comment

    Nyako berates Akpabio on G7 comment

    GOvernor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State has urged President Goodluck Jonathan to be wary of politicians, who drive away people from him through their arrogant disposition.

    He was reacting to a statement credited to his Akwa-Ibom State counterpart, Godswill Akpabio, who said there would be a rebellion in the states of the G7 Governors.

    Nyako urged the President to have it in mind that people like Akpabio would be among the first to leave him if they discovered that his supporters had deserted him.

    Nyako, who spoke through his Director, Press and Public Affairs, Ahmad Sajoh, said Adamawa government would have ignored Akpabio’s statement, but for his (Akpabio’s) closeness to the presidency and the utterances of some Bamanga Tukur-led PDP members in the state, who were eager to foment trouble.

    Said he: “We view Governor Akpabio’s closeness to the presidency and his ignominious role in the 16 is greater than 19 debacle as too obvious to be ignored.

    “It is therefore in consideration of the above reasons that we see the veiled threat by the Akwa-Ibom governor as a pointer to the possibility of incitement of civil revolt in our state.

    “We equally capture the allusion to the abuse of the President’s humility and patience as a direct threat to the effect that they will advise him (the President) to take drastic measures against the G7 Governors. “Considering that a peaceful meeting of the governors was recently interrupted by a DPO, it means that any threat from either presidential advisers or acolytes should be viewed seriously.”

    Nyako urged President Jonathan to be wary of those trying to keep people away from him, saying such people would soon betray him.

    He reiterated his commitment to provide effective leadership to the people and enjoined them to resist attempt by desperate politicians bent on creating disharmony in the state.

  • NDDC’s marginalization of Ondo State

    SIR: I have followed the activities of the Niger/Delta Development Commission (NDDC) for some time now. The commission, for reason best known to it and the federal government, has consigned the people of Ondo State into perpetual slavery.

    It beats common sense that despite the simple, clear and unambiguous conditions for the appointment of executive board members of the commision, only four states – Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta and Akwa Ibom out of the nine Niger Delta states have continued to occupy the executive positions of Managing Director, Eexecutive Director, Projects and Eexecutive Director, Finance and Administration.

    It is disheartening that for the past 13 years, the aforementioned four states have constituted themselves into a cabal at the expense of the other five Niger Delta states. I consider this as an abuse of the principle of federal character and the law that established NDDC. The height of injustice at NDDC however, was witnessed last week when President Goodluck Jonathan released a fresh list of appointees for the NDDC board.

    True to the norm, the chairman was given to Cross Rivers State which is next logical state based on the the statutory provision of the NDDCAct.

    The President ceded the Managing Director to Akwa Ibom state, which has occupied the position of ED Projects twice.He also gave ED Projects to Delta State which has never missed any executive appointment since 2001 and gave ED Finance and Administration to Rivers State which had occupied ED Projects and M.D in the previous boards.

    It is obvious that the four states have maintained their hold on the three valuable executive positions despite that it is clearly stated that the positions shall be rotated amongst the nine member states.

    It is curious that the five marginalized states have maintained a criminal silence over this matter for 13 years with four sessions already observed. If the current list sent to the Senate for approval scales through, then, it would have been 17 years that Edo, Ondo, Abia, Imo and Cross-Rivers States have been deprived of their constitutional rights.

    It is far more suspicious as well that Senators and House of Representatives members from these disadvantaged, marginalized, cheated and caged states have continued to keep quiet over such an important issue and instead have constantly joined other senators to approve these lists in time past without raising any questions. What a shame!

    The time has come for the four states that have unduly enjoyed what

    rightfully belongs to nine states to step aside and allow the other five states enjoy these positions in the spirit of fairness, equity and justice. It is clearly and unambiguously stated that member states are to rotate these positions.In the case of chairman, this is religiously observed. Why should it be different for the other three critically important executive positions? Let there be equity, justice and fairness!

     

    • Maxwell Adeyemi Adeleye,

    Magodo, Lagos.

  • Hic! Hic! HIIC… Hiccup!

    Dear reader, this is a precautionary write-up, having taken a cue from our president going in for ‘precautionary treatment’ last week. Hardball therefore suggests that you read it with half your mind, or with one eye closed or any how the spirit leads you. But even then, it depends on what manner of spirits hold sway in your realm. We need not introduce the issue at hand to our plucky readers who we suppose are on top of the top issues of last weekend. President Goodluck Jonathan jetted off to London last Wednesday (November 20), which also happened to be his 56th birthday. He had gone to head the meeting of a body called the Nigerian Honorary International Investors Council (NHIIC) and had reportedly fallen ill.

    Recall that on this page yesterday, Hardball had taken the pleasure to ‘probe’ this so-called HIIC; questioning its value, authenticity and import. We had questioned why the president of the ‘giant of Africa’, the country with the second largest economy on the continent would go all the way to London to head a meeting of retired and inconsequential people? In all the condescension, why would our President hurl governors, some key ministers, Central Bank governor and special aides to London at huge material and time costs?

    Hardball is saying that no responsible government even in Africa would inflict such indignity upon itself as to inveigle the office of its president into this event. Without any disrespect to her, Baroness Lynda Chalker of Wallasey was a former minister of state at the United Kingdom Foreign Office. She was also a member of the British Parliament representing Wallasey. Ms Chalker, who is now an international consultant, is chairman of Africa Matters Limited, a consulting firm which specialises in African businesses. NHIIC is a sweet-heart organ floated by Ms Chalker during the reign of ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo ostensibly to marshal foreign investors. She and her local comrades have been able to push NHIIC through the administrations of late Umaru Yar’Adua and now Jonathan.

    The only other equivalent of NHIIC in Africa is Uganda’s Presidential Investors Round Table (PIRT) in which she is a consultant and which advises President Yoweri Musevi on ways to improve Uganda’s investment climate. Would you imagine President Jacob Zuma herding off half of his ministerial team to London to go discuss some fictitious foreign investors? No Nigerian president ever needs to travel abroad. Considering the huge potentialities in Nigeria, the biggest investors and the most prized multinationals would work their way into this place the moment the conditions are conducive.

    Now in the midst of this doggone London carousel the President had to have a big blast of a hic… HIIC… hiccup!!! That our President went on this London trip was bad enough; to fall ill there to the point that he could not step out in the morning to address the meeting for which he left these shores was unsettling. Talk of a scapegrace and you have it streaming in nonstop from jonathan.com. Recall that this is not the first time our President had failed to meet his appointment on a foreign trip the morning after… The last time was in far away Australia where after madam’s birthday the night before, the morning after became a bit tacky. This time in London it was the night of our president’s birthday and the morning after was overhung by a sickness that required ‘precautionary treatment’. Dear reader while we remember to record this new phrase in our book of presidential speak, let us thank our stars that it was only a morning hiccup. We are most gladdened that our dear president is now home, up and bouncing again. Let him hand the remains of his ‘precautionary medicine’ to rumour mongers and detractors!

  • Ondo lawmaker sues Jonathan, Adoke, Mark over NDDC board nominees

    The member representing Ilaje II Constituency in the Ondo State House of Assembly, Mr. Olugbenga Edema, yesterday sued President Goodluck Jonathan over his nominations for the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

    Joined in the suit filed at the Federal High Court, Abuja, are Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) Mohammed Adoke; Senate President David Mark and the Senate.

    The President recently forwarded the names of Senator Bassey Ewa-Henshaw and Mr. Bassey Dan-Abia to the Senate for screening and confirmation as NDDC Chairman and Managing Director.

    While Ewa-Henshaw was nominated to represent Cross River State, Dan-Abia was named to represent Akwa Ibom State.

    He is seeking a declaration that the oil producing areas of Ondo State are “entitled to one of the Executive Director positions” in the incoming board by “virtue of their position as the fifth largest oil producing area in the federation”.

    Edema is seeking an order restraining the Senate from screening or confirming the nominees pending the determination of the suit and an order restraining it from screening any other list of nominees that does not include an indigene of the Ondo oil producing areas.

    He urged the court to restrain the President from inaugurating the NDDC’s board without the inclusion of an indigene of the Ondo oil producing areas as the managing director or any of the executive directors.

    Edema argued that while Ondo is the fifth largest oil producing state, the positions had been rotating among Akwa Ibom, Delta, Rivers and Bayelsa states since the inception of the commission in 2001.