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Tag: Goodluck Jonathan

  • Dickson: I have no rift with Jonathan

    Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson has said there is no dispute between him and former President Goodluck Jonathan.

    Dickson, who spoke yesterday in a live media chat at the Government House in Yenagoa, criticised those aspiring for the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the November governorship election. He said they lacked courage.

    On the relationship between him and ex-President Jonathan, the governor said they were in good terms.

    He insisted that their cordial relationship was displayed during the last state function on the Bayelsa Education Development Fund (BEDF).

    Explaining the appointment he gave the former President during the launch of the BEDF, Dickson said he only pleaded with him to use his massive goodwill to attract support to the state.

    He said: “I know his passion when it comes to education. In my speech, I talked about his plans for our state, and I was part of that government. He started the scholarship programme and I came and redoubled it. It was in compliment to him and in recognition of the roles he played in supporting what is good in our state. I told him that the state would like him to use his massive goodwill to attract support to us.

    “That event should have shown to most people that there is no problem between us. He is my elder brother and leader, and he will continue to receive his respect, even in this transition. That event showed that we are united when it comes to what we do for our people…”

    Read also: How my successor will emerge, by Dickson

    “There is no relationship that lasted longer than our relationship. There is no issue. But aides and people around make careless statements and they manipulate stories and take advantage of the proximity they have with the former President.”

    Dickson said Jonathan was the first leader he consulted during the process to decide his successor and standard bearer of the PDP in the coming election.

    “I will sit down with former President Jonathan. When I am ready, I will visit him and we will compare notes. I have his support. The bottom-line remains that I am in charge of governance. There are many people I will sit down and rob minds with,” he said.

     

  • No rift with Jonathan, says Dickson

    Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, has said there is no dispute between him and former President Goodluck Jonathan.

    Dickson, in a live media chat in Government House Yenagoa, also criticised chieftains aspiring for ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the November governorship election saying they lacked courage.

    On the relationship between him and Jonathan, the governor said they were in good terms, insisting that their cordial relationship was displayed during the last state function on the Bayelsa Education Development Fund (BEDF).

    Explaining the appointment he gave to Jonathan during the launch of the BEDF, he said he only pleaded with the former President to use his massive goodwill to attract support to the state.

    He said: “I know his passion when it comes to education. In my speech I talked about his plans for our state and I was part of that government.

    “He started the scholarship programme and I came and redoubled it. It was in compliment to him and in recognition of the roles he played in supporting what is good in our state, I told him that the state will like him to use his massive goodwill to attract support to us.

    “That event should have shown to most people that there is no problem between us.

    “He is my elder brother and leader and he will continue to receive his respect. Even in this transition. That event shows that we are united when it comes to what we do for our people.

    Read Also: Obasanjo, Jonathan absent at Buhari’s inauguration

    “There is no relationship that had lasted longer than our relationship. There is no issue.

    “But aides and people around make careless statements and they manipulate stories and take advantage of the proximity they have with the former President”.

    Dickson said Jonathan would be the first leader he would consult during the process to decide his successor and standard bearer of the PDP in the coming election.

    “I will sit down with former President Jonathan. When I am ready I will visit him and we will compare notes. I have his support. The bottom line remains that I am in charge of governance. There are many people I will sit down and rub minds with,” he said.

  • Oghiadomhe to Wabara: I didn’t stop you from seeing Jonathan

    Chief Mike Oghiadomhe, a Chief of Staff to former President Goodluck Jonathan, has denied preventing former Senate President and Secretary of the Board of Trustees of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Adolphus Wabara, from seeing Jonathan.

    Ogiadomhe described the allegations by Wabara as “face saving”.

    Wabara had said he visited Jonathan in 2011 and warned him about the impending loss of power by the PDP if he contests the 2015 presidential poll. He claimed that Jonathan ignored his advice as the PDP lost power but his advice to Jonathan caused Oghiadomhe, then his Chief of Staff, to deny him further access to the President.

    But Oghiadomhe said Wabara’s submission was the lamentation of a failed politician.

    He said: “Ordinarily I would have ignored the lamentation of the former Senate President as I hate to join issues publicly, but since he cowardly ignored my calls thrice in an attempt to privately seek clarification from him on the unguarded, unsubstantiated and baseless accusations, it is imperative for me to reply him on the same medium.

    Read Also: Jonathan tasks 9th Assembly on electoral reforms

    “I found his submission ridiculous and wondered if he was misquoted. In the first place, he said he visited former President Goodluck Jonathan and warned him not to contest election in 2015. The questions I want Senator Wabara to answer are: “Was I present at his meeting with the former President? What makes him feel that I was privy to the detail of the discussion and resolution of that private meeting? Did he raise the issues with me at any time? If I was not part of such private meeting between him and the former President, how could the decision of such meeting which I was not part of influence me to take action against him?

    “It is important to state that Senator Adolphus Wabara, by virtue of his position as former Senate President, is expected to rise above petty helplessness and political despair.

    “The PDP collectively decided to field Jonathan as its presidential candidate in 2015. If the decision led to an unfavourable consequence, stakeholders like Senator Wabara should accept collective responsibility and not fish for fall guys.

    “Let it be known to the former Senate President that I remain a patriotic Nigerian committed to the wellbeing, unity and progress of the nation, that is my priority.”

  • $40m laundering charge: Jonathan’s cousin freed

    A Federal High Court in Abuja has freed Mr. Robert Azibaola, a cousin of former President Goodluck Jonathan, of laundering $40 million.

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) charged Azibaola and his firm, One Plus Holdings Nigeria Limited, with receiving $40 million from the Office of the then National Security Adviser (ONSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki, in September 2014 for the “supply of tactical communication equipment”.

    The prosecution alleged that the job was not done.

    In a judgment on Monday, Justice Nnamdi Dimgba discharged and acquitted the defendants on the grounds that the prosecution failed to prove its case against them.

    But the judge held that the prosecution failed to contradict the explanation given by the defendants on how the funds were expended.

    He said the prosecution failed to fault the explanation by the defendants that the actual purpose for which the ONSA paid the $40 million was concealed as “supply of tactical communication equipment” as was the practice in security management.

    Justice Dimgba also held that the defendants, at trial, led oral and documentary evidence to the effect that the money was actually meant to be paid to Niger Delta militants, who were into oil bunkering to achieve peace in the region and boost oil revenue in the country.

    Read Also: Jonathan tasks 9th Assembly on electoral reforms

    The judge said the defendants also provided evidence in support of their claim that the militants were paid, and they called one of them to testify that he received payment from the defendants, after stopping oil bunkering.

    He added that the defendants tendered vouchers to show that they equally paid other militant groups from the funds provided by the ONSA.

    Justice Dimgba said the defendants alos tendered bank account statements and lists of accounts of affiliated firms – Kakatar CE Limited and Oneplus Holdings Nigeria Limited – to prove the financial capacity and capability of the firms to execute the contract.

    The judge noted that the first defendant, (Aziboala) also gave evidence to, among others, establish his capacity to carry out the assignments for which the funds were provided.

    He added: “I keenly watched the countenance of DW1 (Azibaola) during his testimony and must state that as fantastic and as incredulous as the claims might sound, I had a sense that he was speaking truthfully and I had no real reasons to disbelieve him.

    “To prove execution, the defence gave evidence of performance of the assignment, tendering Exhibit ASO 33 (A-G), being cash disbursement vouchers, and Exhibit ASO 36, being sample signature of DW 2 acknowledging receipt of disbursement.

    “All these were necessary to show that the assignment allegedly given to the defendants by the former NSA was not just a flash in the pan.”

    The judge noted that the accounts of Kakatar CE “showed where withdrawals were made in naira, representing the equivalent of the Unted States dollars (USD) sums said to have been transferred to Kakatar, a sister company, by One Plus, the second defendant, and allegedly applied to the assignment.

    “The defence argued that these various huge withdrawals in naira from the Kakatar CE account, running through the period of September 2014 through early 2015, coincide with the duration of the assignment.”

    Justice Dimgba faulted the prosecution for not calling either Dasuki or officials of ONSA as its witness. He also wondered why Dasuki was not charged in the case.

  • Jonathan tasks 9th Assembly on electoral reforms

    Former President Goodluck Jonathan has urged elected members of the incoming Ninth National Assembly to take the issue of electoral reforms a notch further by adopting measures that would deepen confidence in the electoral system.

    He made the call in Port Harcourt at a Public Lecture and Presentation of a book titled ‘Excellence in Governance and Creativity: Legal Essays in Honour of His Excellency, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike,’

    Jonathan also enjoined the African Union to provide the leadership towards establishing minimum requirements for constituting electoral management bodies on the continent.

    The former President noted that some of the issues that arose during the 2019 general elections were caused by lack of confidence in the electoral system. He, therefore, urged the incoming Assembly to take measures that would address that.

    Read Also: Court frees Jonathan’s cousin charged with laundering $40m

    He said: ” Parliamentarian who have won elections to go the National Assembly should take a look at what happened in the 2019 elections. We must modify our laws to make sure that in the 2023 elections, some of these things don’t repeat.”

    “As a nation, we must move forward. Nigeria is a very important country in Africa and we must set the pace in some of these areas. We must not wait for other countries to come and teach us how we should elect our people.”

    He said further: “If democracy must endure in Africa, then the process leading to elections and the conduct of elections must be done in a way that people will have confidence in the system.”

    Making a case for a continent-wide minimum standards for constituting electoral management bodies, Dr Jonathan urged African nations to consider vesting the appointing authority on established bodies, as a means of deepening the credibility of the process.
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  • Jonathan, Dickson in strange romance ahead of guber poll

    The sight of former President Goodluck Jonathan and Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson walking, sitting and laughing together in a state function at the weekend surprised many onlookers.

    Most people described the romance between the two political leaders ahead of the November governorship election as strange following reports hitherto suggesting that the duo were not in good terms.

    Jonathan hardly attended state functions. He was conspicuously absent in important state functions including ceremonies for inauguration of critical projects, which had  former Head of State, Yakubu Gowon and former President Olusegun Obasanjo in attendance.

    Besides, Dickson’s and Jonathan’s paths hardly crossed in public as each of them would either send representative or find cogent reason to be absent in events that could bring them together.

    Speculations of frosty political relationship between the duo became rife at the buildup to the last general elections especially after the primary elections that produced the candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    The duo were said to have worked in cross purposes with Jonathan and his foot soldiers reportedly working against the candidates of the PDP in Ogbia, his local government area, following misgivings that Dickson frustrated Jonathan’s preferred aspirants at the primaries.

    But the atmosphere at the launching of the Bayelsa Education Development Trust Fund at the Banquet Hall, Yenagoa, on Friday betrayed all the speculations as the two leaders worked harmoniously throughout the programme.

    Jonathan and Dickson including the governor’s wife sat together, constantly engaged in whispering and cooperated with each other.

    In fact, Jonathan stunned the guests when he praised Dickson’s achievements in the educational sector. A day before the event, Jonathan in another function organised by Ijaw elders in search of peaceful election, also poured encomiums on Dickson.

    Read Also: Dickson is chair PDP govs forum

    In his goodwill message at the launch of the fund, Jonathan said: “Let me just say that I appreciate what the governor and government of Bayelsa state is doing regarding education and we all know, and I tell people that the only way you can liberate people, you can uplift people is through education.

    “Only on Wednesday when our elders, from Lagos came up with a programme, though our governor was not there himself, the deputy governor was there. I did mention that we must all commend what the state Governor was doing regarding education.

    “The governor has gone much higher than we projected in 2006 in terms of the expansion of educational web. I have to thank you sincerely and for today, for this initiative because most problems we have in governance, is to come up with a good idea but how will that endure in most cases, immediately you leave the system collapses.

    “By setting up a board, established by law for the educational development trust fund , he has made this to endure beyond his eight  and that really makes me very happy, I have two meetings with the board and  I promised that even my foundation as little as we are will continue to partner with this trust fund board”.

    Dickson after speaking had earlier invited Jonathan to the podium to make his remarks and stood beside the former President throughout his speech.

    Jonathan also accepted an appointment from the governor to serve as an Honorary Special Adviser to the board on fund donations and promised to use his contacts to attract funds to the board.

    Many people, however, believe that unfolding events in the buildup to the November governorship election especially in the PDP will determine whether the cordial relationship between Jonathan and Dickson will last beyond the launch of the trust fund.

  • OPL 245: Jonathan, Diezani received bribes, FG tells London court

    The Federal Government has approached a London commercial court with claims that former President Goodluck Jonathan and former oil minister Diezani Alison-Madueke conspired to “receive bribes and make a secret profit” in respect of the controversial OPL 245 offshore oilfield.

    Although the case is largely against Shell and the Italian oil giant Eni, the federal government accused Jonathan and Diezani of denying Nigeria what it was owed from the oil deal.

    It said the duo accepted bribes and broke the laws in brokering the $1.3 billion oil deal in 2011.

    “Bribes were paid. The receipt of those bribes and the participation in the scheme of said officials was in breach of their fiduciary duties and Nigerian criminal law,” it said.

    The bone of contention is payment   made by Shell and Eni to acquire the licence for the oilfield thought to be one of the most lucrative in the country.

    Read also: PDP campaign fund not from Diezani, says Belgore

    Its reserves are estimated at nine billion barrels.

    Shell and Eni jointly acquired the rights to the OPL 245 offshore oilfield but the deal went awry, leading to legal cases in several countries.

    Nigeria claims to have  received only  $209 million as signature bonus on the  deal, it estimates the value of the oilfield to have been “at least $3.5 billion”.

    The Nigerian government has also filed a London case against U.S. bank JPMorgan for its role in transferring over $800 million of government funds to another former oil minister Chief Dan Etete, who has been convicted of money laundering.

    JPMorgan has denied any wrongdoing.

     

  • Jonathan worked against PDP in last election – Group

    The Save Ogbia Movement (SOM) has insisted that former President Goodluck Jonathan and his wife, Patience, worked against the interests of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the last general elections.

    The group in a statement said the former President despite benefitting immensely from PDP abandoned candidates of his party especially in Ogbia Local Government Area and the entire East Senatorial District in the last elections.

    The statement signed by the Secretary of the group, Franklin Azibola James, noted that few days to the election, the former President called a meeting of his loyalists in the party at his Otuoke home and told them to vote for the PDP Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and other candidates of their choice in the National and house of assembly elections.

    James lamented that Jonathan’s disposition and lack of contributions to the party made the elections very difficult for the PDP and brought the ugly narrative of an opposition party winning his senatorial district.

    He recalled that while holding sway as the President on the platform of the PDP, Jonathan failed to contribute to the unity of his party at home but allowed his presidential aides to sow seeds of discord, that almost destabilize Bayelsa.

    James said having failed to attract any meaningful development to Bayelsa and his own local government, Jonathan was expected to return home and help the PDP to withstand the force of opposition.

    He said: But this is far from the truth. Instead the former President has continued to promote his personal interest against the collective aspirations of the PDP. Whatever he is today was made possible by the PDP.

    “As a poor creek boy, he rose to become a deputy governor, governor, Vice-President and President on the platform of the PDP. It is unimaginable that a man that had risen to prominence, will turn around to work against the same platform that supported him.

    Read Also: EFCC holds Jonathan’s associate King Turner

    “The last election is a case study. Instead supporting his party, our former president worked for the candidates of the ADC. We can no longer keep quiet. I mean how long will we continue to cover up for the anti-PDP posture of Jonathan at his home state?

    “We are still disappointed at his outing at the Presidency. He squandered a glorious opportunity to develop Bayelsa, his home state. He couldn’t even complete the East-West Road. In fact, Bayelsa section of the road had remained deplorable. He couldn’t construct roads in our own Ogbia local government area.

    “Anybody that visits Ogbia will never believe that we once produced the President. We tried to swallow all of these unforgivable shortcomings. But the one that we can’t tolerate is working against the interests of PDP in elections”.

    James advised the former President to forego his personal interests and work with the party leadership in the state as a demonstration of gratitude to the PDP.

    “Jonathan should work with the state leadership of the PDP to promote the general interests of the party in the state. He has benefited so much in the party that his name should not be mentioned in any activity against PDP”, James said.

    But the ex-President’s media aide, Ikechukwu Eze, in a recent statement said there was no truth in the claim that Jonathan was engaging in anti-party activities.

    He said: “It is manifestly dishonest, deceitful and preposterous for anybody to suggest that former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan is working against the interest of the party under which he rose to occupy the highest office in the land.”

  • We’ve confidence in South African elections – Jonathan

    The head of the election observer mission of the Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa (EISA), former President Goodluck Jonathan has expressed confidence in the South African electoral process.

    Jonathan posited that the observer mission was thrilled from what it has observed in the course of the rallies.

    The former President who is in the Mandela country for the general election said good leadership does not depend on age but individual’s ability and capacity.

    Jonathan, who spoke to the SABC News at the Independent Electoral Commission’s Results Operation Centrein Pretoria, said the body that manages the elections plays an important role in ensuring safe and successful elections.

    “This year’s election appears to be one of the strongly contested elections so far in the history of SA democracy and everybody is interested in the outcome. We have observed some of the rallies and we are quite comfortable how things are going.

    “The key thing about elections is the body managing the election and of course the security, the police. If the stakeholders, the political parties have confidence in these two organisations, then of course we are quite hopeful.”

    Read Also: Honour for ex-President Jonathan, others

    The former President also expressed the optimism that management of elections is improving across the continent. “I have gone to many African nations as leader of different observation missions including the Commonwealth, African Union, National Democratic Institute, and of course EISA and I am quite impressed and hopeful that the standard of managing of our elections will continue to improve.”

    According to him, the trend of well managed elections would bring about marked improvement in leadership and development on the continent. “I believe that If we improve our standard of elections we will get to that point where people, using their vote, can remove a leader they feel is not leading them well.”

    Jonathan who admitted that young people have a role to play in governance however added that the issue of leadership in Africa should not focus on age alone but on competence and ability of leaders  to understand new trends in the areas of governance and information technology, especially in the age of knowledge-based economy.

    “Good leadership does not depend on age alone.  It has to do with the individual… The key thing is being able to lead your country well.”

  • Easter message: Nigeria has what it takes to overcome challenges – Jonathan

    Former President Dr.  Goodluck Jonathan has said that the country has what it takes to overcome its challenges.

    He, therefore, urged Nigerians not to give up on the nation in the face of unabating violence and misery.

    The Ex-President who stated this in his Easter goodwill message also enjoined Nigerians to imbibe the spirit of love, unity, sacrifice and hardwork as necessary instruments for the fixing of what has gone wrong in our society.

    He said: “Through our faith and collective actions, we will overcome the tempests of violence, misery and insecurity that threaten our nation.

    “Easter is a time Christians celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ who offered Himself as a sacrifice for the remission of the sins of the world. Christ’s resurrection as a testimony of the new covenant is the justification for Christians’ commemoration of the triumph of life over death, freedom over bondage and hope over despair, at this time.

    Read also: Easter: IGP tells Christians to be security conscious

    “I, therefore, urge us not to give up on our ourselves and our nation no matter the challenges that confront us today. At all times we must remain resolute on our love for God and our nation and work towards building a country that we can all be proud of.

    “Through our faith and collective actions, we will overcome the tempests of violence, misery and insecurity that threaten our nation. We are more than conquerors and the future of our nation is bright, if we work as one.

    “May God fill our homes with peace, love and joy even as we enjoy the abundance of Grace that Easter brings. Happy Easter!”