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Tag: Jonathan

‘Jonathan will be PDP’s last president’

The Founder/Spiritual Head of Inri Evangelical Church Lagos, Primate Elijah Ayodele, spoke with Adetutu Audu, on the forthcoming elections, among sundry issues. Excerpts:

What should Nigerians be looking forward to in 2015?

2015 is a year that Nigerians are expecting so many things. Many people have been saying that Nigeria will breakup but I can tell you that Nigeria will not breakup in 2015.

Nigeria will still remain a as, country in 2015 but we need a lot of prayers against bloodbath. We need prayers for God to protect the country especially in the political scene because so many unexpected things will happen.

Politically, what do you foresee?

Nigerian politics still needs a lot of prayers. We need to be prayerful to avert many politicians getting involved in accidents.

The election will not breakup Nigeria. There will be partial peace in some places while there will be no peace in some places. I don’t see Nigeria remaining a single nation in the next 30 years. Jonathan will be the last PDP’s president.

I see a new government coming up in this country. If Jonathan eventually wins in 2015, PDP will not have it in 2019. The party will break.

I don’t see APC capturing Abia State. If APGA works hard it will capture Abia, albeit I see rigging in the state. Rivers is another state we need to pray hard about so that there will be no stealing of ballot papers and there will be no killing. APC will want to retain the state and PDP too will not want to give up. These are the things we need to pray about for God to take total control. APC and PDP will share the northern part of the country.

Buhari should not be overwhelmed because the PDP will go with their foot soldiers to make sure that they get some. If the APC is not careful, PDP will take part of the south west from them. Let us pray that APC will not lose any of its BOT members and also in PDP.

A top APC leader, Obasanjo and Edwin Clark are playing their last politics. Some of them would be disappointed. We should pray so that there would not be crisis in the judiciary in Lagos, Rivers, Kano and Kaduna in particular.

There is going to be a change in our constitution as well. They will try to implement some of the things in the constitution and in the process there would be arguments. There would be a lot of discussion on our constitution after the elections.

Insecurity has been a serious challenge. Would this abate in 2015?

Jonathan must handle the issue of security very well because terrorism has come to stay in the country. Even if another government comes in today, it will not be able to fight Boko

Haram. Boko Haram will be targeting markets, motor parks and will abduct more children. We have Al Qaeda, ISIS teaming up with Boko Haram in the country right away.

We would need a lot of prayers to manage it. It is going to take the government a longer time to defeat Boko Haram. We also need to be very careful because I see explosions in many places, bomb blasts. Even in the South West here, we need to be very careful.

We also need to pray against tanker explosion. We are going to have ocean surge and also sea pirates with the federal government calling for assistance on this. Kidnapping will be on the increase and another wave of criminality will evolve. The police will try their best but there will be changes in our security network, namely the army, the Navy the Customs, the Immigration and the Prisons.

We should pray that there should not be a jail break. Journalists must be watchful. The NUJ in particular must be watchful because politics will tear the body apart. Some banks will face crisis. Let us pray against the death of any journalist in the year. Let us pray that we don’t lose any emir and prominent Oba in the southwest.

A traditional ruler will be dethroned in the east. We should also pray that the country does not run into debt. We must pray hard against ship capsize.

There are fears that the fall in oil price may spell doom for the country in 2015. What is your take on this?

I have not seen anything fantastic happening to our economy. Very soon, it will affect the rich too. I foresee a lot of problems in the CBN. There would re-organisation, re-shuffling and formation of policies that may not work for some commercial banks.

CBN will get it wrong in some areas and some banks will lay off some of their staff. Some communication companies will also lay off some of their staff. The prices of food stuff will go up. The prices of fish will go up.

I see shares doing fine in the early parts of the year. I have not seen anything fantastic happening to unemployment. The prices of petroleum will go up. Let us pray against pipeline explosion and breakdown. There is going to be a lot of crisis in the NNPC and there would be new refinery. Some of the oil we are having will dry up.

In the next 15 years, our oil may not be as rich as it has always been. Some states will break down economically in 2018 and 2019 because of debt. We need to pray hard so that 20 of all the states that we have do not break down economically. Our foreign reserve will experience crisis. I have not really seen anything cheering about it.

What other issues should the people look up to in the year?

Let us pray very well that no calamity happens in the aviation sector because it is possible that we are going to witness air crash. Nigeria Air Force will lose their plane through crash.

Let us pray as well so that we do not see death in the army. I want to beg the president to pardon these 54 soldiers that have been sentenced to death. There is so much blood that is crying and the land is not at peace. If the President allows them to be killed, it will affect the progress of this country.

He can dismiss them or punish them in another form instead of killing them. Boko Haram will want to attack the barracks and let us pray against any police headquarters being engulfed by fire.

January 18, 2015
Who’s with Jonathan?

When people question the electoral value of former President Olusegun Obasanjo my answer is simple: whenever he speaks it goes straight to every newspaper’s front page. If he was of no consequence this would not be so.

If he were irrelevant the PDP and APC would not be trying to beat down his door in a bid to get his support. President Jonathan has done everything short of prostrating himself to get the old man’s endorsement. Obasanjo may still be pledging allegiance to the ruling party but his body language and utterances show he’s backing Buhari this time.

Former Vice President Alex Ekwueme is not known to be controversial. But the timing of the interview in which he tore present day PDP to shreds cannot be described in any other way but as pre-meditated. He said all he’s ever received from the ruling party was humiliation and warned Jonathan not to expect a 2011-type bumper harvest of votes. Coming from one of the grandees of the party in what it considers its stronghold, this is ominous.

Just like Obasanjo, former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, has just published in newspapers an open letter to Nigerians in which he paints a grim picture of the state of the nation and warns people to ‘vote wisely’.

His close pal and neighbor, former President Ibrahim Babangida, whose regime has often been accused of institutionalizing corruption, gave an interview recently in which he declared that compared to what happened in his day, current levels of malfeasance made him and his associates look like angels.

Former Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Anthony Cardinal Okogie, on Thursday labeled the administration ‘clueless’, warning that the country needed an urgent rescue from the “imminent brink of irredeemable destruction.”

From former Nigerian High Commissioner in the United Kingdom, Christopher Kolade to popular Catholic Priest, Ejike Mbaka, a growing list of influential voices are rising against the status quo. Where are all those non-partisan big names whose endorsement the president needs to counter this trend?

His supporters might be tempted to dismiss these individuals, but from a perception point of view this isn’t good news for Jonathan’s second term bid. Every campaign needs a boost from time to time – not an unending dripping of bad news.

January 18, 2015
Jonathan under attack over Maiduguri trip

A barrage of criticisms from across the nation yesterday greeted Thursday’s visit by President Goodluck Jonathan to Maiduguri, Borno State, with many Nigerians dismissing the trip as belated and politically motivated.

The President had used the visit – his first to the state since March 2013 when he held a town hall meeting with Borno Elders on the insurgency in the state -to address the soldiers involved in fighting terror in the Boko Haram troubled state, and to comfort citizens displaced by the sect’s acts of terrorism.

The Secretary of Northern Elders Forum (NEF), Professor Ango Abdullahi. said the President’s visit was a political move to get the votes of Borno people who were yet to be killed by Boko Haram.

Prof. Abdullahi wondered why it had become suddenly convenient for the President to visit the state 30 days to the presidential election after ignoring the same state in spite persistent terror attacks.

Abdullahi, a former Vice Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria told The Nation on the phone that the visit came too late.

His words: ”Mr. President knows quite well that thousands of people have lost their lives and property worth hundreds of millions of naira have been lost and thousands have been internally and externally displaced in their own country. And it has taken Mr. President more than four years to go and see things for himself.

“Therefore, my interpretation of his going there is that he wants the remaining people of Borno State who are still alive to vote for him. I think his visit is political and he thinks the Borno People and people of the North-East are that stupid.

“Even by the account of the Deputy Governor who addressed the President’s visit at one of the IDP camps, President Jonathan heard himself that NEMA has done virtually nothing to alleviate the suffering of the internally displaced persons since the beginning of the crisis.

“That report is a total shame on all of us and terrible shame on the President, for international community to hear that no assistance has been rendered to the IDPs.

“So, the visit is purely political. He wants votes. He is not interested in the security of the people. Now that election is about three weeks away, he wants votes and I will be surprised if he doesn’t have zero per cent in Borno.”

A Sokoto-based businessman and front row elder, Alhaji Abdullahi Aminu Tafida, called the President’s visit illogical.

He said: ”If he did that visit for political reason, it is going to work against him, because to watch a problem for four years and after 22 months of serious Boko Haram challenges only to wait until Amnesty International showed real pictures of the atrocities in the region over the BBC in addition to pressure instigated by foreign press before taking step, is shocking.”

A two-term council chairman in Sokoto State, Alhaji Ibrahim Magaji Gusau, expressed disappointment that President Jonathan did not visit Chibok.

“I thought he would go to Chibok, Baga and other crisis areas to sympathise with victims of Boko Haram attacks.

“Look at France where only 12 were killed. The government promptly rose up to the challenge to liberate its people from terrorists.

“ In fact, we do not have a leader. He has failed woefully. Jonathan has played into the hands of sycophants who do not care about the larger interests of Nigerians but personal gains.”

Comrade Jonathan Vatsa, the Niger State Publicity Secretary of All Progressives Party (APC), said the President’s visit to Maiduguri had political undertone and came too late.

He said: “A good leader would not have abandoned the parents of the Chibok girls. He ought to have gone to see the families of these girls.

“He claimed to be the father of the nation.What type of father would abandon his children for almost 300 days only to visit the area to go and canvass for votes?

“Our President is playing politics with Boko Haram. He is playing politics with the lives of people. Now that he has gone, is he expecting the dead or the maimed to vote for him?”

Minna-based public affairs commentator, Mr. Francis Bello, said the president should have gone to Baga and not Maiduguri.

“Baga and not Maiduguri is the hotbed of terrorism. His visit to Maiduguri was a smokescreen. He went to campaign and not to boost the morale of the military,” Bello said, adding: “How can our President explain his prompt condolence to the French people over the killing of 11 of their compatriots by a terror gang when he has lost over 11,000 souls in his own country? His visit was belated and ill-timed.”

But Mr.Abdul Kusherigi saw it differently.

He said the President should be commended for going to boost the morale of soldiers fighting Boko Haram and to comfort the Internally Displaced persons (IDPs).

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Anambra State , Chief Dennis Ngene said the president would be disappointed if he expected any political mileage from the visit.

He said: “This is a man who has abandoned the kidnapped school children for nine months and barely one month to presidential election he found time to visit the state.

“His visit does not show any sign of seriousness and the visit is pure deceit.

“What our president has done shows desperation because of the forthcoming presidential election.

But, the Anambra state coordinator of Transform Nigeria Movement (TNM), Comrade Obi Ochije, said what is of paramount importance to Nigeria now is peace.

“I will not say it is political or not, but our major interest is the unity of the country and the president should make sure that peace reigns “Ochije said.

Second Republic member of the House of Representatives, Dr. Junaidu Muhammed, said the President’s visit to Maiduguri was not only belated but a total ruse.

He said: “The visit shows clearly that he (President Jonathan) has nothing but contempt for the people of the North-East and, indeed, each and every Northerner. It is clear that he has been informed about the situation in the three states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe, and he has done nothing about it.

“I sincerely believe that if not for the elections which he is desperate to win by hook or crook, he wouldn’t have visited the North-East for the entire period of his presidency. So, I am persuaded that the people are not stupid—they know what it is all about, and they will reply him come 14th February when the elections are due.

“They will tell him what they think about him and what they think about his games and they will, by the grace of God, help to defeat him massively so that this presidency and this political party which he leads will be thrown into the dustbin of history forever.

“Nigerians are smart enough to know who is for them and who is against them; and they also respect performance. If you perform, they respect you, if you don’t perform, they simply ignore you and when the time comes, they vote you out—that is the essence of democracy and I don’t believe Goodluck will be an exception.

“President Jonathan’s visit to Borno is irrelevant. It is immaterial because if you have ignored people for five years and now you are remembering they exist because you want their votes and you think 24 hours visit is enough to deliver their votes to you, I think it shows that you are also utterly contemptuous of the people who you visited.

Elder statesman, Alhaji Tanko Yakasai, however differed.

He said the visit was a big challenge to the opposition “who had been pressurising him to visit the area.”

Yakasai added: “It is now left for them (opposition) to also visit the area. He is the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria with a lot of state engagements, therefore, he is the one to see how to arrange his schedules to enable him know where and when to visit.

“You cannot say that President Jonathan’s visit to Borno at this time is belated, because as the Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces and President of Nigeria, he can choose to visit any place at any time because all time is right. So, he decides by himself when it is convenient for him to visit anywhere.

“As such, he has broken the jinx and it is now left for his critics to follow his foot-steps.“

Secretary of the defunct National Party of Nigeria (NPN) in Kwara State in the Second Republic, Chief Olatunji Arosanyin said the Maiduguri visit was long overdue.

“When I heard the President Goodluck Jonathan visited Maiduguri, Borno State capital yesterday (Thursday), the first thing that came to my mind was that the President went there because of politics, but if it is not because of that it is a bold decision,” he said.

“Though, the president could have done it before. As the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed forces, he should have visited the place more than five times, because we hear how United States President Barack Obama pays impromptu visits to Afghanistan to address American troops.

“The visit though too little, too late is okay, perhaps it will boost the morale of the security personnel in the area.

“If it will make them happier and make them to be committed to fight the Boko Haram sect, then it is good. But if it is for politics that cannot earn him more vote than what he could have got.”

January 17, 2015
Non-violence accord US applauds Jonathan, Buhari

The U.S. Embassy in Nigeria has applauded President Jonathan and General Buhari for their signing of a non-violence pledge, the “Abuja Accord,” by which they have publicly committed to refraining from advocating, fomenting, or condoning electoral violence.

All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, and President Goodluck Jonathan Wednesday signed a non-violence accord ahead of the February 14 presidential election.

“We encourage all candidates and political leaders across Nigeria to make similar pledges.

“We remain committed to working with Nigeria to strengthen its democratic institutions in the years to come. As part of that effort, we continue to support the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in its crucial task of achieving transparent, credible, inclusive and non-violent elections in February.”

January 17, 2015
Jonathan: we’ll reclaim lost territories

President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday visited Maiduguri – the beleaguered Borno State capital that has been troubled by Boko Haram insurgents.

This is the President’s first trip to the Northeat since the government declared a state of emergency in three states – Borno, Yobe and Adamawa – in May 2013.

His unannounced visit is believed to be a prelude to his political campaign in the state slated for January 24.

Dr. Jonathan left the venue of the Armed Forces Remembrance Day ceremony in Abuja and headed for Maiduguri, accompanied by Chief of Defence Staff Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, Chief of Army Staff Lt.-Gen. Kenneth Minimah, National Security Adviser (NSA) Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd), National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Director General Sani Sidi and a few other aides.

The delegation was received by Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima.

No fewer than 10 of the 27 local government areas of the state are in control of the Boko Haram insurgents.

Thousands of people have been killed by the murderous sect members whose activities have led to the displacement of about one million Nigerians internally and thousands of others as refugees in neigbouring countries – Cameroon, Chad and Niger.

The sect has also been attacking Northern Cameroon villages after its leader Abubakar Shekau issued a threat to retaliate the attack on its members by that country.

The visit — Jonathan’s first to Maiduguri since March 2013 —came after a previous trip to the restive region in May last year was cancelled.

Jonathan had planned to visit Chibok where Boko Haram militants kidnapped 276 schoolgirls from their dormitory. There was no world yesterday about the girls.

The cancellation, reportedly for security reasons, dealt Jonathan a further blow in his perceived woeful handling of the kidnapping crisis.

Boko Haram’s January 3 attack on Baga in what is feared could be its worst atrocity in a six-year campaign, is currently creating ripples

The President visited the headquarters of the 7 Division of the Nigerian Army in Maiduguri and the Teachers’ Village – home to victims of the horrendous Baga attack.

Dr. Jonathan promised the displaced people that they will soon return to their communities.

At the Teachers’ Village where he met with them, the President noted that the security briefing he had received indicated that the territories lost to Boko Haram would in no distant future be reclaimed by the military.

“Let me assure you that we will soon take over all the areas. From the briefing I have received from the service chiefs, I assure we will take over the towns and communities,” the president said.

He told officers and soldiers of the 7 Division that the nation was very proud of them and grateful for their dedication to the defence of the civilian population against terrorists and violent extremists.

He assured the troops that the Federal Government would continue to do everything possible to ensure that they get the weapons, equipment, welfare and logistics support they require to completely rout the insurgents and restore security and normalcy to affected parts of the country.

Describing the troops as a special breed of men who were undertaking a great assignment for their fatherland, the President assured them that actions were being taken to address challenges facing them in their operations against Boko Haram.

He said: “In terms of equipment and logistics, we have already made considerable progress since the insurgency started and we will continue to improve in that regard until your operations are successfully concluded.”

President Jonathan also toured wards of the 7 Division Hospital and Medical Services Centre where he met with soldiers recovering from injuries sustained in operations against Boko Haram.

He wished them speedy recovery.

President Jonathan said: “The Nigerian military is now better off in term of equipment than it was in the past. We will continue to do our best to ensure the armed forces are better equipped to handle this security challenges and even after now,” he said.

He praised the troops for their sacrifice, loyalty and dedication to the fight against insurgency, adding:

“What you’re doing is not easy. We thank you as a nation. Terrorism is a global phenomenon. We’re working day and night, trying to curtail this madness.

“We will assist you to succeed in your effort. We will give you what is due to you. Government will make sure you get it. We appreciate your dutiful service, loyalty and commitment and dedication to this fight.”

Chief of Army Staff Lt.- Gen Minimah said the President was at the barrack to interact with men and officers in the operation, adding that his visit was a boost to the operations, especially coming on the day set aside to remember the Nation’s fallen heroes (the Armed Forces Remembrance Day).

Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima thanked the president for the visit which, he said has rekindled hope and confidence of the people that the insurgency problem will soon come to an end.

He said the state is ever ready to cooperate with National Emergency Management Agency and all other federal agencies to ensure that the needs of the displaced people are catered for.

January 16, 2015
Jonathan, Sambo, others lay wreaths for heroes

President Goodluck Jonathan and Vice President Namadi Sambo led other top government officials and service chiefs yesterday to lay wreaths in honour of soldiers, who died in active national service and international assignments.

January 15th every year is dedicated to remembering and appreciating departed Nigerian military men and their surviving colleagues, who have retired from active service.

The leaders laid wreaths at the National Arcade in the Three Arms Zone in Abuja, a month after the president launched this year’s Armed Forces Remembrance Day emblem and Appeal.

The brief ceremony started at 10a.m. after the president arrived at the National Arcade and inspected the guard of honour.

Muslim and Christian officers prayed for the departed souls and the nation.

The president laid the wreath after a minute silence in honour of the dead.

The vice president, Senate President David Mark, House of Representatives’ Deputy Speaker Emeka Ihedioha, Chief Justice Mahmud Mohammed and Minister of Defence Aliyu Gusau were among top government officials, who also laid wreaths.

Others include Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Bala Mohammed and Chief of Defence Staff Alex Badeh, who led service chiefs, Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Suleiman Abba and national chairman of the Nigerian Legion.

A 21-gun salute preceded the wreath-laying ceremony.

Jonathan led the dignitaries to release white pigeons at the arcade.

Other top government officials, including cabinet members, attended the ceremony.

January 16, 2015
Jonathan visits as Ebonyi PDP boils

President Goodluck Jonathan will be in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital, today, in continuation of his campaign.

He is expected to present the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) flag to the governorship candidate, Dave Umahi, who is the present deputy governor.

Government said yesterday that all was set to give President Jonathan a warm reception.

The supervising Commissioner for Information and State Orientation and substantive Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Dr. Ifeanyi Ike, spoke to The Nation.

He said government had set up an Executive Council Committee to ensure effective planning for the success of the presidential rally.

Ike went on: “Mr. President deserves support, as he is doing a lot to salvage our country.”

He urged the indigenes to turn out en masse and receive the President.

The visit is happening at a time PDP is facing crisis, following the primaries it held.

The national body of the party reportedly took the leadership from Governor Martin Elechi and gave it to his deputy, Umahi and a group of politicians, who are his partners.

They conducted a controversial primary, which made the governor’s supporters to defect to the Labour Party (LP).

Since then, the popularity of the PDP has waned. That of the LP and All Progressives Congress APC) has soared.

The President, it was learnt, would attempt to resolve the crisis during the visit.

January 16, 2015
Waku: Nigerians ‘ll not re-elect Jonathan

Senator Joseph Waku is a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Benue State. He is also a leader of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF). In this interview with TONY AKOWE in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), he speaks on the controversy sorrounding the party’s governorship primaries in Benue, the North’s quest for power-shift and the chances of the APC at the polls.

What is your assessment of the campaigns by the President and his challenger, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari?

I spent about one hour listening to my President soliciting for votes from Nigerians. All I could deduce is that the man is out of ideas, out of touch and he will soon be out of power. I found a frustrating President, rather than a confident man. I saw a lot of frustration in him. I saw how visibly angry he was with himself. Above all, I discovered that he himself is a thug rather than saying Obasanjo looks like one, behaves or acts like a thug. He did not speak the way a President should speak. As a normal human being, you will realise that even our tradition does not allow you to talk about a father in the manner he did. No matter how angry you are against Obasanjo, you cannot call him a thug because he fought to keep this country united before becoming President. He risked his life at the war front to liberate Jonathan. Otherwise, he would have been enslaved by the Igbos. If not for the civil war, which Obasanjo fought to keep Nigeria together, he would been enslaved and his identity would have been totally lost. For you to get up and address that man in such a way is uncivilized. No wonder that Nigeria need a President who is civilized, cultured, learned and has tradition to respect. I believe that he should slow down, convince Nigerians about what he need to do, rather than abuse leaders that have made this country survive for you to come and benefit from.

Dr. Jonathan said that Buhari, who did not buy any weapon for the military, is not talking about tackling insurgency. What is your reaction?

That is to show you clearly that the man is not intelligent. Buhari spent 18 months in office and Jonathan has spent six years. What Buhari achieved, even as a GOC, Jonathan has not achieved as the President. When Chad invaded Nigerian territory during the Shagari administration, Buhari moved in and recaptured the villages and even went ahead to seize some Cameroonian villages. He just not informed. As President, you don’t rule the country by emotions. You rule with fact and articulate position. Do you compare somebody who rule for 18 months with that who rule for six years? Even the budget preparation, how long does it take? Even Buhari had bought weapons for the military then, how useful would they have been now when he was in power over 30 years ago? What has he done with the new innovations in place now. If Buhari had bought vehicles for the military 30 years ago, would they have been useful in the current dispensation? So, you can clearly see Nigeria’s misfortune, by bringing somebody who has no idea of governance into a training school. Nigeria is no longer about training people to rule. We have gotten to the position where we need people with lots of experience, especially in a situation like this when the nation is about collapsing under a novice.

The insurgency seems to have defiled solutions. What is the best way to handle it?

If you remember, some years ago when the insurgency started, I said that Jonathan was benefiting from it. In fact, I went further to say that he created this insurgency. He told Nigerians that he knows those who are sponsoring Boko Haram and went further to say the areas where they exist. He said they were in his government, in the legislature and in the judiciary, as well as the police. We expected him to arrest them. A commander-in-chief and chief security officer of the federation telling you that he know those involved in the insurgency; what stopped him from arresting them? I think he is benefiting from it. As I keep saying, he knows that he is losing this election very fast and so, he created this insurgency to cut away part of the country, so that the voting population there might be reduced. But, what he does not know is that the people are determined to vote where ever they are.

Why is the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), which has been agitating for power shift, is divided over the candidature of Buhari?

There is no division in the ACF regarding who becomes the candidate of any political party, not even Buhari. We are non-partisan and so, our job is like that of an umpire. We moderate and for all our children who wants to get into politics, we advise them not to get into crisis. So, we are non partisan. I am sure you are referring to a dissident group called Northern Elders Council headed by an outdated northerner who has never in his life won an election, even as a councillor, Tanko Yakassai. I am sure that he is the person you are referring to. Otherwise, the north is united about who become President of this country, particularly a northerner. They always believe that based on the PDP zoning system, a northerner should be a candidate. The APC, which does not subscribe to zoning, has decided on a credible Nigerian, who happens to be a northerner. There is no division in the north. There is division and hatred for those who are either criminally-minded and are afraid of going back to jail or who intends to take to crime. These are the people against Buhari in the north and in Nigeria generally. No Nigerian who wants this country to progress is against Buhari. It is only people whose hands are not clean that are afraid. But, we keep telling them that Buhari will not run a vengeance government. He will not witch-hunt anybody. We are all Nigerians and together, we shall build a united Nigeria. But, that is not to say that law and order will not be allowed to take its course. Some of those who mismanaged the responsibility may be called to question. It may not even be Buhari. Assuming that I am the governor of Benue State today and I decided to look into the multitude of loans that has been accumulated over the years and how they will benefit the people of Benue, would you say I am witch-hunting? Of course not, because I just want to articulate the position and prioritize some areas of governance to move forward. That is bound to happen in any organisation for there to be sanity.

How can violence be averted at the general elections?

You can clearly see evidence of violence in the PDP and its presidential candidate. Look at the way he spoke as if he were a garage boy who is ready to release the hunting dogs. On his part, Buhari tells you exactly what he wants to do. But, Jonathan is short of mentioning the names of those he wants to attack for fears of the electoral laws. He really has nothing to offer. They are banking on the security. How can the Directorate of State Security become the mouthpiece of a political party, like Merilyn Oga has been doing and she has not been checked or called to order by the authorities. This is most unfortunate. What is the duty of the PDP publicity secretary? If you say my party is inflating membership, what has that got to do with INEC or the electoral processes. It is not every party member that has voting card and so, what has that got to do with hacking into INEC website? You can see the provocation and yet, the government is not saying anything. So, we are not preparing ourselves for violence and we will not. We know the consequences of violence because it can lead to loss of life. When we form government, are we going to preside over corpses? We want to provide services to Nigerians. Therefore, we are not interested in violence and we cannot encourage violence from any quarters.

There are those who believe that INEC will not be able to deliver a free, fair and credible election and those who hold this view have consistently pointed at the distribution of the Permanent Voters Cards…

Look at what the President said, that he has ordered INEC that is supposed to be an independent body. The President could not even tell that the nation that he has advised INEC, but that he has ordered. What that means is that he was holding them before for reasons best known to government. Why do you now want to order them when we have less than 40 days to elections. At the same time, INEC came out to say that whoever has his name on the register will be allowed to vote. But if such people are not allowed to vote, that is where problem will arise because we will not support any Nigerian being disenfranchised. Here again, the President has gifted. The last election was held in 2011 and four years is enough time for INEC to have concluded all these things. It is only now that he is saying that he has ordered INEC, an independent body. He is only telling Nigerians that he with held this before and maybe now, he has seen that it will not be in his advantage or he has worked out the mechanism to make it work in his favour. We are too intelligent in this country and we are monitoring the activities of everybody, no matter how highly placed.

What actually happened during the APC governorship primaries in Benue?

You heard correctly that there was no primary to elect or select a governorship candidate. Samuel Ortom’s name was forwarded. I thought that was April fool.

Don’t you think that this will affect the chances of the party in the state?

That is what we are trying to avert, otherwise, we will have no candidate from the point of view of the law.

January 16, 2015
Jonathan’s second term bid divides Urhobo

Crisis is brewing in Urhoboland over alleged moves by prominent leaders of the Urhobo Progressives Union (UPU) to mobilise support for the second term ambition of President Goodluck Jonathan and other Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) flag bearers in the general election.

Members of the group said that the move to tilt support towards the PDP has violated the last year’s “Ovwiamughe Declaration” that the ethnic group will cast one million bloc votes for the All progressives Congress (APC) at the general elections,because the PDP failed to zone its governorship ticket to Urhoboland.

Following the death of the former UPU leader, Gen. Patrick Aziza, under whose leadership the Urhobo nation backed the PDP, his successor, Chief Joe Omene, allegedly reneged on the declaration when he indicated that Urhobo could support Chief Great Ogboru, the Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate. That was few weeks after he assured the APC governorship candidate, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, of his support. However, Omene denied the allegation, saying that he will always protect the interest of the tribe.

A meeting of UPU stakeholders at Mosogar, Ethiope East Council Area to explore the possibility of fielding a single Urhobo candidate, in line with Ovwiamughe Declaration, ended abruptly. Many leaders of the association rose against the pressure on Urhobo people to support the PDP, following its failure to zone the ticket to the ethnic group.

It was alleged that majority of the UPU executives were bent on actualising the original Uvwiamuge Declaration that Emerhor should be adopted as the consensus candidate. But, the meeting had to adjourn, following a resolution that the matter should be brought before the Urhobo Council of Traditional Rulers, and the youth and women wings for ratification.

An executive member who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said: “Majority of the executives agreed in a voice vote at the meeting that the Ovwiamughe Declaration should stand and that a drastic decision must be taken to checkmate the unbecoming attitude of those violating the declaration.”

Some Urhobos had earlier called for the resignation and or removal of Omene as the President-General of the UPU, following the allegation that he was rooting for the President’s second term ambition. But, he denied the allegation, saying that he cannot go against the wishes of the group.

Justice Otitiri, a political analyst, said: “Urhobo must now know we have a PDP mole as UPU leader. The reality is staring us in the face now.

“Omene has been championing the suspension of the Amoris, Magages, and other Urhobos by the UPU, for supporting Anioma governorship ambition and the PDP generally. Now, he is the one trying to truncate the collective decision the Urhobo has made on the alter of his selfish pact with President Jonathan. He should honourably resign or be dismissed as the UPU leader.”

The National Vice Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Mumakai-Unagha, who was at meeting, said: “I am very surprised by this confusion of a U-turn being promoted by some of us. Urhobo must not be deceived that President is willing to support Urhobo governorship through Labour Party.

“If he is interested in Urhobo governorship, he would have supported us for the Delta PDP ticket when we wrote him six months ago. This resentful u-turn if allowed to succeed it would have long term negative consequences for the Urhobo nation.

“The UPU would have lost all its credibility. Nobody would respect UPU anymore. Ovwiamughe Declaration had space for only PDP and APC. Since PDP has failed and undermined us, APC is the exclusive choice for Urhobo to support. It an oath we all, especially the UPU leadership, swore to abide. There is no going back.”

January 16, 2015
Tears of Jonathan’s Otuoke neigbours

They initially taught it was a joke but it turned out to be a shocking reality. The poor neighbours of President Goodluck Jonathan at Nikton Road, Yenagoa, Local Government Area, were recently evicted from their homes.

They did not just lose their homes temporarily, they were permanently displaced by the President who bought all the property, including the land surrounding his exotic home in the area. Jonathan’s handlers, with the aid of bulldozers, pulverised the buildings in the hitherto busy neighborhood and swept away all the President’s neighbours.

But investigations by the Niger Delta Report showed that not all the houses were acquired by the President. A few mansions owned by some wealthy friends and political associates of the President are still standing close to Jonathan’s building.

For instance, an edifice owned by the King of Opueme Kingdom, King A.J. Turner, who is known to be one of the political backbones of the President, and the expansive compound of the former Commissioner for Agriculture and immediate past Chief of Staff, Government House, Abuja, Chief Dikivie Ikiogha, were spared by the bulldozers despite their proximity to Jonathan’s home.

But other homes, shops, caravans and kiosks were pulverised. The road leading to his home, which hitherto was characterised by human activities, is now desolate creating an ambience of a reserved neighborhood. The “noisy” neighbours of Mr. President are gone. People who initially lived in the area with the President and perhaps occasionally waved and shared pleasantries with him had been forced to relocate.

Why did the President dislocate his neighbours? Residents in the area gave Niger Delta Report many reasons. Some people said Jonathan simply wanted to expand his house. It is just lustful acquisition of wealth associated with politicians, they said.

thers also opined that the President was sending a message that “levels have changed”. He could no longer stand the wrinkled poverty-stricken faces of the neighbours he once tolerated. They reason that Jonathan was conscious of his distinguished visitors and would not want his neighbours to constitute nuisances whenever they come. But some people were of the opinion that Mr. President just wanted to build a home that befits his status.

Niger Delta Report gathered that the President spent a lot of money to compensate owners and tenants of the acquired property. The transaction was said to have been conducted by King Turner, his friend.

Indeed, the planned acquisition initially hit Jonathan’s neighbors like a rumour. They were said to have doubted it. Some of them vowed to resist it insisting that they would not condescend to selling their life-time property.

Others categorically dismissed it as falsehood. They were said to have reasoned that Jonathan, an agent of transformation, would rather prefer to take his bulldozers to any part of the vast virgin land and creeks in the capital city to erect an eye-catching edifice. This, they argued among themselves, would help to develop the city and perhaps act as a tourist site to visitors. In fact, they shuddered at the idea of Jonathan oppressing them by undertaking the project of recreating a house he built when he was a deputy governor.

But they were wrong. Their fears manifested faster than they had thought. They had no choice but to forego their property after accepting compensation from the coordinators of the transaction.

When the Niger Delta Report visited the area, the victims of the transaction shied away from talking about it. They were all scared of possible victimisation by the rich people who smiled to the bank after the transaction. However, some persons spoke on strict condition of anonymity. Most of the speakers were former tenants of the acquired buildings.

A middle-aged man who owned a shop in one of the demolished houses said he was still trying to recover from the pains of the destruction. He said: “When we heard that the President was coming to acquire the property surrounding his house, it seemed like a rumour. But it later became a reality.

“What kind of man is Goodluck? Why did he choose to expand a house he built as a deputy governor knowing that there are people who live around him? I am still confused because Yenagoa has many undeveloped parts and it yearns for development. I thought that a President would help in developing this town by going to one of these bushes and creeks to build his house. Doing that would have attracted people to such area.

“Goodluck did not do that. He chose Nikton, a congested neighborhood without considering that there are many people whose means of livelihood depended in that area. This is oppression. I mean, how can Mr. President send us packing overnight from our ancestral homes and our business places? We have undeveloped parcels of land which the President would have acquired and developed to look like the Hiltop of IBB in Minna. This is man’s inhumanity to man”.

Another affected shop owner said they were giving only six months to evacuate the area.

“When the order came from the Federal Government, we accepted the offer with fear because since we are poor we have no voice. Who can represent us, or even plead on behalf of us? The caterpillars rammed through our property. They started the destruction overnight. Only few houses belonging to his rich friends remained in this same location we were sacked”, he said.

The angry victims said their main problem was that persons who conducted the transaction failed to pay them adequate compensation. He said the amount of money given to the tenants could not rent another accommodation in Yenagoa. Specifically, he said only 30 per cent of the compensation they demanded was paid them.

He said about 22 families were evicted from the site. He said: “Even the compasation fee we ask the government to pay us was not paid. It was only 30 per cent of the money that was given to us.

“Our government officials are indeed heartless. They asked 22 of us to evacuate the area. We gave Mr. President a quotation but only 30 per cent of the money was paid.”

He said they demanded N2.6m for a room apartment but the government paid N45,000; N4m for self-content but they got 90,000; N6.6m for two-bedroom but they received N250,000 while shop owners were paid N150,000 each despite the sizes of their shops.

“Where do we start from?” He queried. Though the Niger Delta Report could not locate landowners to gauge their feelings about the transaction, the shop owner said the landowners also got a bad deal. He said the money that was paid them would not even acquire land elsewhere to build a house.

“The landowners are also brooding over the deal. They were paid chicken fees for the destruction off their ancestral homes and buildings they inherited many years ago

“I am angry with the government and the initiator of this idea. Our government officials are just there to satisfy their own interest. Who said they have us at heart? To say that this kind of treatment is coming from the President who hails from this area is difficult to understand”, he said.

There are fears on Nikton Road that the President was not through with them yet. Other buildings in the area have been marked for demolition. A woman who lamented the development said a building housing her shop had been marked.

“This issue came up immediately I rented this shop. The building has not been demolished but it has been marked. We are afraid and because of this I have not been buying more goods. We are expecting the return of the bulldozers”, she said.

She added: “The landlord told me that he would not settle for what they paid previous landowners if eventually they come for negotiation. I am angry with the government. How can they punish me like this?

“My shop is empty because am scarred of buying more goods since no one knows when the caterpillar will come for the second phase of demolition. We have vast land In this state the government should live the poor people alone.”

January 16, 2015