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Tag: Jonathan

  • Jonathan due for impeachment -Lagos Assembly

    Jonathan due for impeachment -Lagos Assembly

    Lagos State House of Assembly yesterday condemned the sealing of the Federal House of Representatives complex and  use of tear-gas against All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmakers who were at the Assembly to attend an emergency plenary to discuss President Goodluck Jonathan’s request for extension of state of emergency in the three worst affected states by  Boko-Haram insurgency in the North East.

     The condemnation followed the ugly scenario that followed Speaker Aminu Tambuwal and other lawmakers’ attempt to enter the Assembly complex for the emergency sitting and the refusal of the police to allow them into the premises.

    The Police did not only  forcefully prevent them from entering the Assembly complex but also fired canisters of teargas at the lawmakers as they resorted to scaling defence to enter the premises.

     The spokesperson of Lagos Assembly Hon. Segun Olulade said: “What we are witnessing is nothing but pure anarchy. The Federal Government controls the police and I can tell that such weighty order to bar Mr Speaker of House of Representatives and Honourable members is a joke beyond a divisional police head or a commissioner”.

  • FG working hard to end Boko Haram onslaught – Jonathan

    FG working hard to end Boko Haram onslaught – Jonathan

    President Goodluck Jonathan on Friday said the Federal Government, the Nigerian Armed Forces and security agencies are working very hard to stop Boko Haram from capturing and holding any Nigerian territory.

    He made the remark while speaking at the opening of the meeting of Nigeria’s Honorary International Investment Council (HIIC) in London.

    The President, in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, maintained that the Armed Forces and security agencies were making steady gains in recovering areas recently taken by Boko Haram.

    He said: “We are improving on security. For about a week now there have been no reports of Boko Haram seizing more territory. Rather, we are steadily pushing them back. The impression being created by sections of the media that the situation is worsening is not true. I can assure you that it will never get worse.”

    The President also called for greater support from the National Assembly for the Federal Government’s efforts to curb terrorism, insurgency and insecurity in the country.

    He informed members of the council headed by Baroness Lynda Chalker that he had offered himself as a candidate in Nigeria’s next presidential elections because he was convinced that with four more years in office, he will be able to further consolidate the positive national reforms initiated by his administration and take them to a point of irreversibility for the good of all Nigerians.

    “As you already know, I have indicated my willingness to carry on for another four years if I am given the opportunity so that we can carry forward some of the reforms we have been talking about,” the President said.

    He cited the expansion of transportation infrastructure, improvement of local content in Nigeria’s oil industry, more inclusive economic growth, job creation and national security which are on the agenda of the meeting as some of the areas in which his administration still hoped to achieve further improvements.

    He said: “We cannot move the economy forward without good infrastructure. We have been working very hard in that area. We have improved our road network significantly. In the next three to four years, we should be able to resurface almost all federal roads in the country and begin new ones.

    “We are improving our airport terminals and aviation security. Reforms are also ongoing at our ports to drastically reduce the time required for import clearance formalities.

    “In the rail sector, we may require private sector funds to quicken the pace of development. Our goal is to link all state capitals by rail. It may not be an objective that can be achieved by a single administration, but we want to lay a solid foundation that others can build on.

    “We are also promoting the increase of local content in our oil industry, because that is the only way in which our people will benefit more from the industry and begin to see themselves as true stakeholders who need to protect and help in the development of our oil and gas resources.”

    He thanked Baroness Chalker and other members of the council for their valuable advice to the Federal Government over the years.

  • Jonathan marks 57th birthday with family, friends

    Jonathan marks 57th birthday with family, friends

    The official residence of President Goodluck Jonathan, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Thursday morning hosted family members, friends and aides as the President marked his 57th birthday.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the Chaplain of the Presidential Villa Chapel, Ven. Obioma Onwuzurumba, officiated the brief Holy Communion service to mark the event.

    Jonathan, who was joined by his wife, Dame Patience, and his mother, Eunice, later proceeded to cut his birthday cake.

    Speaking after cutting the cake at his official residence at the Presidential Villa,  President Jonathan pleaded with Nigerians to continue with their supports for him to move the nation forward.

    The President said: “Though we face challenges, we will surely get over them. Let us live together, work hard together and pray together.

    “No one individual or group of individuals can hold this nation to ransom. Let us be together and work hard, and pray to God and surely all of us will be saved.

    “On behalf of my wife and family, let me sincerely thank all of you that have made this highly successful.”

    Ven. Onwuzurumba had earlier in a short exhortation observed that God’s hand was on the President, adding that there was nothing opposition could do to a man bearing the hand of God.

    Reading from the book of 1 Samuel 10:14 to 26, the Chaplain urged Jonathan to remain steadfast and focused on the task of transforming the nation.

    The clergy, who maintained that oppositions are unavoidable in life, said: “as we gather this morning, it is my joy to know that God chose His Excellency to direct the affairs of this country and certainly there will be and always be opposition‎.

    “One thing I know and I’m sure you’ll agree with me is that when God’s hand is upon a man, when God has selected you, it doesn’t matter from what stock he has come from, God will protect him.”

    The nation was not left out of the special prayers that were later offered for the President, his wife and family members.

     

  • Jonathan meets Mark, Ihedioha at Aso Rock

    Jonathan meets Mark, Ihedioha at Aso Rock

    President Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday met the Senate President, David Mark and the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    ‪None of them spoke with State House correspondents on discussions at the closed-door meeting.

    No official statement was issued after the meeting.

    But the meeting is not unconnected with the government’s desire to get the National Assembly nod for extension of emergency rule in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe and tackling matters generated by the recent defection of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, from the Peoples Democratic Party to the rival All Progressives Congress.

     

  • Day Jonathan shut down Abuja

    Day Jonathan shut down Abuja

    Many thought the declaration was insensitive, coming just after the killing of 47 schoolchildren and three teachers by a teenage suicide bomber on the assembly ground of Government Comprehensive School in Potiskum, Yobe State.  For Abuja residents, however, the day President Goodluck Jonathan told the nation he would seek to retain the presidency for another four years was one they will remember for all the wrong reasons.

    Although announcements had been made on air by the police that some of the roads leading to the Eagle Square would be closed, residents did not imagine the effect of the closure would be so devastating.

    Abuja metropolis was tense. Many people could not go to work because they could not access their offices. Those who attempted to get to the office ended up going through so many hurdles and mostly arrived late to work.

    Major roads leading to the Eagle Square venue of the event were blocked. Others were diverted.

    Since the ban of the 14-seater buses popularly called ‘Araba’ in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and with insufficient buses to convey residents, residents of Kubwa, Zuba, Deidei have learnt to supplement the transportation system with unpainted private taxis.

    Since most of the Abuja drivers of these private or unpainted taxis are civil servants and knowing well how civil servants enjoy free holidays and not having to show up at work, most of them did not drive into town that day. They knew well that the Central Area will be shutdown, which resulted in most residents in most areas being stranded especially since most of the el-Rufai buses that where to be used in transporting residents were used to transport Jonathan’s crowd from outside town.

    Their was a great lamentation from the frustrated  people especially those who were stuck in holdups for almost four hours. For those coming from the Mararaba Nyanya and Kubwa axis, they described the day as one of those that will not be easily forgotten. They described their experiences as hellish, especially since most residents had to walk for miles to arrive their destinations or get transportation.

    In spite of the heavy security operatives in town, The Nation observed that the roads were still not accessible.

    Although it was a smooth ride for those coming to town from the Airport Road, they also got stuck at the central area where the occasion took place.

    Many blamed the Jonathan administration for the inadequate arrangements that led to the heavy traffic jam in Abuja.

    Others were of the opinion that Jonathan would have shifted his declaration to mourn the dead Potiskum students and their teachers.

    Lanre Oba, a business man who was held up in the traffic for almost three hours while coming to town from Nyanya, told The Nation that he missed an important interview for a contract bid because of the event.

    Oba said: “I am not saying that President Goodluck Jonathan should not declare but there was not proper arrangement to avert traffic jam. The road was blocked and everybody was in a hurry to get to their various destinations.

    “Jonathan should even have shifted this declaration to mourn the dead Potiskum students and their teachers. Things should be done at the right time and the feelings of the masses should be considered at all time.”

    At the Kubwa 2nd gate, residents had to wait for over two hours on the side of the road and in most times struggle to eventually board vehicles into town, most of the El-rufai buses that drove by where filled to the brim, with more people standing than those seated and these buses most times where already filled up from Zuba and Dei-Dei, by the time these buses arrive Kubwa, it will be too filled up to bother and stop to the pleas of hysterical residents.

    Most angry residents were heard saying, “all these suffering because Jonathan is declaring, what will happen then if he wins?”

    Another resident who refused to state his name, said, “See how we are suffering in this country just because a human being like me is declaring for office; apart from all this struggle for vehicle, solders have also mounted a check-point around Dutse Junction, just to waste people’s time because they are not checking anything; I feel sorry for this country, honestly.”

    Most of the stranded residents spent the time arguing over the country and government in power, while others insisted that the masses have been suffering so much in recent times and something needs to be done  urgently.

     

  • Fisticuffs at Jonathan’s declaration

    It is unclear whether it was for the love of the President or the money they hoped to get. Whatever the case, people came to blows right under the white mobile canopy at the Eagle Square where President Goodluck Jonathan said he would seek reelection.

    If not for Providence, your correspondent would have left the venue with red or swollen eyes as blows were freely exchanged over my head where I sat near the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) contingent from Abia State.

    To digress a bit, I had to take refuge at the Abia stand to rest my legs before the event started around 11.00a.m., as almost every seat at the venue was already taken up as early as 8.45 am. No area or stand was earmarked for journalists as they were just a part of the crowd.

    Trouble first started at the Abia stand where the Abia women in green wrappers, green headgear and green blouses were already seated under the canopy in white plastic mobile chairs.

    The party men from Imo State wearing white T-shirts, who were seated on the right side of the Abia delegates, looked for trouble by trying to take the unoccupied seats in the Abia people’s space.

    The Abia women tried hard to explain to them that the seats were reserved for their colleagues who had gone to dance round the venue. But the explanation fell on deaf ears as the Imo men helped themselves to the unoccupied seats.

    The Abia women, who reminded me of the Aba women’s riot of 1929, rushed forward with great strength and grabbed the Imo men to prevent them from taking the seats.

    The struggle between the two sides, which lasted for almost six minutes, was prevented from degenerating into a free-for-all by the policemen standing by the canopy.

    Just as the dust was settling, party men from Cross River State in white T-shirts seated on the left side of the Abia women also started another commotion with another group of Abia men and women in orange- coloured T-shirts seated on their left side.

    The Abia men tried to take some unoccupied seats in the Cross Rivers people’s space and that resulted in exchange of blows between two men from the two sides. It again took the intervention of the policemen and civil defence officers around to bring sanity to the area.

    The next commotion took place in the front of the pavilion where the Abia women and the Cross Rivers party men were seated. A Northerner carrying some PDP booklets was rushed by some people in attempt to get a copy of the booklet. The man had no choice than to throw the booklets on the floor to save his head.

    Another bigger commotion ensued again at the stand hosting the  Abia women in green wrapper, green headgear, and green blouse attire.

    When they returned from dancing round the venue, they found that their seats, which they kept in the custody of some boys have been taken by another Abia group.

    Some of the women first scrambled among themselves for the remaining few empty seats, while others had to face the intruders.

    After much shouting in Igbo language, the intruders had to leave the area for the women in green attire.

    Few minutes after the group settled down, another commotion started when it was time to share bottled water. They left their seats, pushing one another to get the water. Not all of them were lucky as they returned to their seats empty-handed.

    When it was the turn of the Cross Rivers state group sitting by the Abia women to dance round the venue, they folded all their chairs together in order to secure them. In the process, open space was created in their area.

    Before they returned back, some Abia state group have occupied the space by bringing seats from other areas to the open space. This caused another commotion when the Cross Rivers people returned from dancing round the venue.

    An Abia man in orange T-shirt sharing bottled water to his people was rushed by some Cross River state neighbours. This caused another exchange of blows

    Similar scenerio played out when minerals like Coke, Sprite, Fanta and food were shared in many areas under the white giant mobile canopy spanning over 100 meters.

    The people scrambled for anything in sight even before the programme commenced as they see it as part of the national cake.

    But there was much decorum at the permanent structures offering shelter and  immovable seats from the left and right sides of the state box.

    Another occasion when the true calibre of some of the people who masqueraded as party supporters was exposed was just before the end of the declaration ceremony.

    Just as the national anthem was been rendered to close the ceremony, the party supporters started to scramble for almost everything.

    They tore down and took away all the green, red and white coloured umbrellas used to decorate the podium.

    Most part of the red rug placed on the floor from the state box to the podium, which is about 50 meters, were fought for and taken away by the supporters.

    The rug with the seal of the president was not spared as the PDP ‘supporters’ made away with it.

    The red and white silk fabrics used for the decoration of the podium arena were also not spared. The supporters brought out razor to cut a sizeable portion for themselves.

    Katsina State governor, Ibrahim Shema, who did not get into the bus that brought him and other governors in the President’s convoy on time, was momentarily held hostage by the party ‘supporters’ along with the remaining dignitaries in the state box. The supporters rushed in as soon as the president and the security details left the venue.

    But it could not be ascertained if Shema and others parted with any belongings to secure their freedom.

     

  • APC to Jonathan: beg Nigerians

    APC to Jonathan: beg Nigerians

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) has asked President Goodluck Jonathan to apologise to Nigerians for wasting the mandate they gave him rather than asking them for another.

    The party said in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, and made available to The Nation in Abuja that rather than deliver the dividends of democracy to the citizenry, the Jonathan administration was busy parading phantom achievements in its almost 60 months in the saddle.

    Describing the Jonathan administration as the worst government ever in Nigeria, the party said Nigerians cannot wait to elect one that will have positive impact on them.

    The party said that the President failed to get the usual bounce from such declarations because Nigerianswere not the least impressed by the so-called achievements, which have not positively impacted on the lives of the citizens.

    It said: “Mr. President, Nigerians have asked themselves a simple question: Are we better off today than we were before President Jonathan assumed office, and they have unanimously answered  in the negative. This is why your declaration failed to resonate, despite the hired crowds you ferried to Abuja.”

    The party also said it has weighed the President’s claims in his declaration speech against the reality on the ground and decided to present to Nigerians the true scorecard of President Jonathan in the critical spheres of life, including security, education, job creation, corruption, power sector, and poverty eradication.

    It explained that insecurity and job creation, which are intertwined, represent the biggest failure of the Jonathan Administration, irrespective of its claims to the contrary.

    “Today, after the Jonathan Administration has spent $32 billion on security and defence, Nigeria is not any safer, with thousands of deaths, 221,000 square kilometres of territory captured by Boko Haram, 650,000 Nigerians internally displaced and also a daily harvest of deaths from ethno-religious crises, clashes between pastoralists and farmers, armed robberies and kidnapping.

    “To make matters worse, our once proud and globally-acknowledged military has been brought to its knees by lack of necessary fighting equipment, even with $32 billion spent. One wonders where the huge funds went to”, the party said.

    APC said while the government claimed to have created 1.9 million jobs in five years, the truth is that this is a mere tokenism. “Even if the jobs they said they have created are not phantom, which we know they are, the situation on the ground is grim: 1.8 million Nigerians enter the job market every year, 5.3 million youths are unemployed and overall 20 million Nigerians are in the job market, and these are very conservative figures. Therefore, creating 1.9 million jobs over several years cannot amount to any achievement,’’ the party said.

    The party also said that while the President promised to eradicate corruption in all sectors of the economy, the facts on ground do not back the promise. “Mr. President, under your watch, Nigeria’s rating by the global anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International has fallen. In 2009, Nigeria was rated 133 out of 180 countries while in 2013, the country was rated 144 out of 177 countries.

    “Mr. President, under your watch, the list of corruption cases begging to be handled is long: The missing $20b oil money, the Malabu oil scandal, the fuel subsidy scandal, the police pension heist, kerosene subsidy, and the sudden drop in the total amount realised from the Victims Support Fund from N80b to N60b. Plus the Ministers like Abba Moro, who presided over the swindling and death of job seekers, and Diezani Alison Madueke, who has presided over the most opaque oil

    industry in history, have rather received presidential cuddling instead of sanctions.

    “Also, SURE-P, which was conceived to mitigate the hardship imposed on Nigerians by the needless increase in fuel prices, has now become a cesspit of corruption, a conduit for siphoning public funds and sure pit for money that could have ameliorated the suffering of ordinary Nigerians.”

    The APC also said that the statement by President Jonathan that his Administration’s ‘’bold move’’ in the sector has put the country ‘’on the road to guaranteed regular power supply in the months ahead’’ is nothing but sheer deceit.

    “Under the Jonathan Administration, Nigerians should not be in a hurry to throw away their generators. The facts on the ground show this to be true: While the FG has spent 533 billion naira (about $3 billion) on power, at best Nigerians enjoy less than six hours of electricity per day, where they enjoy it at all, while spending over 800 billion naira annually to fuel their generators.

    “Also, the 4,000MW of electricity being generated by Nigeria cannot guarantee stable power for 170 million people or propel the country towards industrialisation. By comparison, South Africa, with less than a third of Nigeria’s population, generates over 44,000MW of electricity. There is therefore no way that Nigeria can enjoy a stable power supply with a meagre 4,000MW in power generation,’’ it said.

    The APC maintained that the President’s claims that the country has met Millennium Development Goal 1, which is the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger, flies in the face of the reality on the ground, adding: ‘’How can we claim to have eradicated extreme poverty and hunger when over 100 million Nigerians live on less than $2 per day, according to verifiable statistics?’’

    According to the party, with 51% of Nigerians, representing 90 million people, being illiterate, the establishment of 150 Almajiri schools has not even scratched the surface of the problem.

    It also accused the President of insensitivity to the plight of the people who voted him into office, as he would rather fly to Burkina Faso than visit Chibok, Buni Yadi and Potiskum, which are some of the places where dozens of youth have been killed and maimed by the Boko Haram terrorists in recent times.

    “The President should not just be the Commander-in-Chief but also the Consoler-in-Chief. A President who delights in comparing himself the the likes of Obama must learn to act like the US President, who did not hesitate to visit his nation’s troops in Iraq and Afghanistan despite the risks involved,’’ APC said.

    It stressed that with his Administration’s litany of failures, President Jonathan should rather apologise to Nigerians for wasting the mandate they freely gave to him in 2011, instead of daring to ask them for another mandate.

  • Adamawa hunters’ message to Jonathan

    Adamawa hunters’ message to Jonathan

    THE saying that power belongs to the people found practical expression in Adamawa State on Wednesday. With the monumental failure of the military to checkmate the rampaging army of the Boko Haram sect, which in recent weeks, has overrun many towns in Borno and Adamawa states, the people decided to take their destiny in their own hands. Local hunters, armed with bows and arrows, flushed out the dreaded Boko Haram insurgents from Maiha, one of the numerous towns earlier captured by the sect in the North East, killing no fewer than 75 sect members in the process. They followed this up a day later with another offensive on the sect in Mubi, flushing out its army of occupation and killing the stooge they installed as the new Emir of the town.

    Armed with Dane guns, bows, arrows, cudgels and amulets, the brave hunters confronted the army of insurgents that had humiliated our military, capturing town after town and forcing our soldiers to flee with their tails between their legs. Before Wednesday’s exploits by the brave hunters the news media were frequently awash with tales of Nigerian soldiers fleeing to Cameroun in their hundreds at the sight of the army of the dreaded sect. And while the authorities of the Nigerian Army told the worried public that the soldiers only made a tactical detour into the neighbouring country, it is on record that many of the soldiers deployed to fight insurgency are currently on trial for mutiny. And for the first time in history, we had soldiers’ wives protesting the deployment of their husbands to Boko Haram enclaves.

    Coming barely 24 hours after President Goodluck Jonathan declared his decision to vie for four more years in office, the hunters’ action was an eloquent and unambiguous passage of a vote of no confidence in the ability of the armed forces and their commander-in-chief to protect the lives of hapless inhabitants of the South East zone against the ruthless sect that has slaughtered the people in thousands. Like his predecessor, the late Umaru Yar’Adua, who ordered the military to quell an uprising the sect began in parts of the North in 2009, President Jonathan had every chance to nip the activities of the sect in the bud after the Christmas Day bombing of Saint Theresa Catholic Church, Madalla, near Abuja where 42 worshippers were killed in 2011. But rather than move decisively against the sect, he adopted a phrase that has since become a mantra: “We will name their sponsors.”

    So, when the sect bombed the United Nations House in Abuja, the President said: “We will name their sponsors. When they attacked churches in Yola, Gombe, Bauchi, Maiduguri and other parts of the North, the President said: “We will name their sponsors.” When they unleashed terror on markets and motor parks in Kano, Kaduna, Abuja and other parts of the country, the President said: “We will name their sponsors.” When they attacked prisons in Bauchi, Bama, Gwoza, Kotonkarfe and other parts of Nigeria, setting thousands of prisoners free and killing scores of prison officials and inmates, the President said: “We will name their sponsors.”

    Weary of empty promises and shocked at the ease with which the sect took over Mubi, the second largest town in Adamawa, while the soldiers on ground simply abandoned the armoury and fled, the people decided that the time had come to take their destiny in their own hands. The people borrowed from the Yoruba saying that when a load defies the head and rejects the shoulder, there is yet another place you can keep it. They were simply not taken in by yet another pledge by the president during his declaration of interest in the 2015 presidential race that he would not take a flight in the face of the security challenges that have rocked that part of the country since 2009.

    The demystification of the dreaded sect by hunters who tread where soldiers dread appear to lend credence to the conspiracy theory of the Boko Haram crisis. Although the Federal Government has vigorously denied it, Nigerians are increasingly alligning themselves to the view that the crisis in the North East is being fuelled by the PDP-led government for political gains. The reasoning is that the North East is a stronghold of the All Progressives Congress (APC), hence there is a grand plot by the ruling party to make it ungovernable in order to ensure that elections are not held in that part of the country in 2015. Such a situation would put the APC at a disadvantage and brighten the chance of the ruling party to sustain its ambition to rule Nigeria for 60 years.

    Two major developments have lent credence to the foregoing. The first was the confession of the Australian negotiator, Steven Davis, that Nigerian politicians were sponsoring Boko Haram. He went ahead to name specific individuals as sponsors of the group and the Central Bank of Nigeria as the financial institution that helps the sect to move funds around. Although the Federal Government was quick in refuting the allegation and distancing itself from Davis, subsequent events, including the President’s clandestine rapport with some individuals accused of funding the group. Also of great concern to observers was the ease with which the sect captured Mubi after the soldiers deployed to guard the city capitulated without firing a shot. Not a few residents of the city raised the alarm that the soldiers were only acting a script prepared by a higher authority, a view that has been stregthened by the relative ease with which cudgel-wielding hunters flushed out the sect from Mahia and Mubi

    The exploits of the hunters could signal the beginning of a major revolution in our national life. The subtle declaration of loss of faith in the ability of the government of the day to secure the people’s lives in the face of clear and present danger could rub off on other Nigerians who could now live with the belief that entrusting their future in the hands of the current administration could amount to suicide.

  • Itsekiri leaders to Jonathan: you’re pursuing Ijaw agenda

    Itsekiri leaders to Jonathan: you’re pursuing Ijaw agenda

    THE Itsekiri Leaders of Thought (ILOT), the apex national body of Itsekiri people, has accused President Goodluck Jonathan of pursuing an agenda that is detriment to the interest of other ethnic nations in the country, saying the president was pursuing an Ijaw agenda.

    A statement signed by the secretary of the organisation, Barrister Edward Ekpoko, said that the Itsekiri nation would not hesitate to seek secession from Nigeria and seek the protection of other developed nations if the Federal Government fails to halt an alleged systematic extermination of its people. The statement, which was read in the presence of Pa Ayo Ayomike, the president of the organisation, berated President Jonathan for allowing himself to be deceived by the threats from his Ijaw brothers.

    Addressing the contentious issue of the ownership of the land on which the Exporting Processing Zone (EPZ) is situated, the ILOT explained that the project is completely sited in Ogidigben, an Itsekiri town, where an approximate of 2,560 hectares of land had been mapped for the project. “EPZ is completely sited in Ogidigben, an Itsekiri town in Ugborodo, in Warri South-West council area of Delta State. The closest Ijaw enclave, which lies to the south, is Yokiri and it is about 14 kilometres from Ogidigben. “

  • Jonathan has abandoned Nigerians, says APC

    Jonathan has abandoned Nigerians, says APC

    All Progressives Congress(APC) Chairman John Odigie-Oyegun yesterday said President Goodluck Jonathan has abandoned Nigerians and cannot lay claim to a re-election ticket.

    He dismissed Jonathan’s speech at Tuesday’s  declaration as empty and full of voodoo statistics.

    He asked Nigerians not to give PDP which had savaged the nation for 15 years another opportunity to “finish off” Nigeria.

    He said if given the chance, APC will rebuild Nigeria and reclaim all seized territories from Boko Haram insurgents.

    Oyegun, who made the submissions on the state of the nation at a briefing in Abuja, said the APC will make history in the next few months by defeating the ruling party.

    He insisted that APC will conduct the affairs of the nation “differently and better than the PDP.”

    He listed the party’s priorities as follows:Uniting Nigerians; openness and transparency; upholding the Rule of Law; defence of the territorial integrity of the nation:motivate and  equip the Armed Forces; true federalism; to rebuild and expand infrastructure; investment in human capital among others.

    He said: “The 2015 election will be decided on the character and leadership qualities of the Nigerian President. The Commander-in-Chief should also be “Consoler-in-Chief” bringing comfort and succor to our people in time of grief and distress.

    “You heard two days ago President Jonathan saying that good leaders do not walk away from the people, sadly though the statement is true, our President who wants another four years does not show evidence of sympathy for hundreds of thousands of our fellow citizens who are now Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) as a result of the occupation of their land by Boko Haram.

    “He brings no relief or comfort to those living under the reign of terror. About 50 young Nigerian School Children were killed and several others injured in Potiskum just a few days before the extravaganza show of his declaration.

    “Yet we do not hear of a Presidential visit to the families of the victims, a pattern that has become usual. Our President lives in his comfort zone, content to utter words, and ‘minutes of silence’ that have no meaning to the victims.

     ”The President has abandoned the Nigerian people. We should end the journey with President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015 and elect a leader who will be part of our lives and lead with courage and empathy.”

    Oyegun also said Jonathan has nothing new to offer since he could not fix the epileptic power sector and address the insecurity nationwide.

    He said the President’s declaration speech was full of voodoo statistics and excuses for failure.

    He added: “ Two days ago, you heard President Goodluck Jonathan announce himself as the candidate of the PDP and asked Nigerians for another four years as President. You heard a lot of claims, misrepresentations and voodoo statistics, none of which can stand the barest scrutiny. Disregard them!

    “You heard excuses for failure to fix basic infrastructure, arrest unprecedented levels of corruption and halt the march of terrorists daily inching nearer all of us. You heard promises that sound familiar because you have heard them all before since his six (6) years as President.

    “Do not give the party that has savaged Nigeria in the last 16 years an opportunity to finally finish off our dear nation. The PDP cannot deliver on any of the same promises it has failed to honour in over a decade and a half in power.”

    The APC National Chiarman assured that  the party will do things differently if elected into power in 2015.

    He said the party was aware that the battle to dislodge PDP from power will be tough but it is relying on the votes of Nigerians who are already frustrated with Jonathan’s administration.

    He said: “In a few months, our great party will make history. It will defeat an incumbent administration at the federal level, and secure most of the governorships and federal and state legislatures.

    “It will then proceed to change the way our nation is governed, by restoring the valued requirements of governance, which are rooted in supremacy of the law, integrity and competence of leaders, and compassion and fairness in the treatment of the people.

     ” Our party stands united and confident in its ability to lead Nigeria to a new beginning. I call on all Nigerians both at home and in the Diaspora to embrace our vision of a great nation that works for all of its citizens; a nation that guarantees security for all its people; and a nation able to generate and allocate its resources in the just and equitable manner intended by God who so graciously blessed us with so much.

     ”We are under no illusions about the magnitude of the task our party will be called to embark upon. It will be a massive challenge. But we draw strength and inspiration from the knowledge that the overwhelming majority of Nigerians recognize that a continuing PDP administration cannot guarantee Nigerians a future of prosperity, dignity and peace.

    “We, in the APC, are in touch with the sentiments, aspirations and concerns of our people. To those who are now living and dying in occupied parts of our nation; to those who are displaced and living in refugee camps because their homeland is occupied by terrorists, to those who are in fear of the imminent occupation of their homeland by savage elements, we say help is on the way and positive change is near.

     ”Our party will chart a new course of recovery and regeneration for our nation. We will set very high standards of respect for the rule of law, such that our nation will never again experience the unprecedented scale of impunity that has been the central feature of this PDP led administration.”

    Oyegun, who pledged to make the briefing regular, pleaded with Nigerians to give APC the opportunity to effect changes in the country from 2015.

    He said: “To all Nigerians, I say, our party, the APC, will change Nigeria for good. We have the men and women who can do this because they passionately believe in Nigeria and are aggrieved by the 16 years of wasted opportunities under the PDP. “We have developed the ideas and strategies to achieve this. We have the faith and confidence that this can be done in short order.

    “We are resolved never to give up on Nigeria, or to abandon the imperatives of ensuring that the democratic process translates into better lives and opportunities for the present generation and a solid foundation to build an even better life for future generations.

    “The only people who will fear, or resist, the type of change we represent and promise, are the tiny blood sucking minority who benefit from Nigeria’s current social and economic degradation.

    “It is with a sense of deep patriotism that we in the APC appeal to Nigerians to join us, because we need to work together to make Nigeria the great country it should be.

    “I want to call on all Nigerians to work with us, support us and vote for our candidates in the forthcoming elections. APC governments at all levels will be your governments, and we assure you that you will feel the difference in the very first few months of our administration at all levels.

     ”We assure our brother African nations who agonize over the decline in Nigeria’s leadership that our nation will rise again and give Africa the exemplary leadership it deserves. We assure the International Community particularly, our friends, that the APC treasures their friendship and treasures their concern for our nation.

    “ We assure them all that we will rebuild our capacities to operate at the global level as a responsible and responsive pillar of global governance, a beacon of hope for all mankind.”

    While advising Nigerians to collect their Permanent Voters Cards, Oyegun asked the international community to be vigilant on 2015 poll.

    He said APC is determined to respect the integrity of the electoral process.

    He said: “I therefore appeal to all Nigerians to endeavour to collect their Permanent Voters Cards, and use them to vote out the PDP and vote in the brighter, safer and more prosperous future, which the APC represents. I call on INEC, the security agencies and other institutions of government to discharge their responsibilities courageously, fairly and firmly. Their prime responsibility is to the nation.

    “I appeal to the international community to remain vigilant and continue to work with all Nigerians to ensure that the 2015 elections are credible. On our part, we remain committed to respecting the integrity of the electoral process, and we will discourage its subversion and will resist vigorously the use of violence, official or otherwise, to prevent the triumph of the will of the people.”

     Oyegun gave insights into what the APC will offer the nation although the details will soon be unfolded to Nigerians.

    He said: “Once in office, our party will govern with openness and transparency, and every kobo belonging to the public will be judiciously utilized and meticulously accounted for. We will call corruption by its name and fight it with the vehemence it deserves. We will restore the faith of the public in the necessity for leaders to live honestly and lead with vision, competence and compassion.

      ”An APC Federal administration will unite all Nigerians by eliminating policies and sentiments such as religion and ethnicity which the PDP has deliberately exploited to divide the nation. We will restore the faith and confidence of Nigerians in each other, and ensure that no Nigerian anywhere suffers any disadvantage on account of his or her religious affiliation or ethnic origin. We will uphold the rule of law and protect the human rights of all our citizens.

     ”The defense of the territorial integrity of our fatherland and the protection of the lives and property of all who live within our borders shall be a non-negotiable priority of an APC Federal Government.

    “We will reclaim every inch of Nigerian territory, and liberate fellow citizens who, under the current dispensation, are resigned to life as captured and conquered citizens.

    “Our armed forces will be massively motivated and given the necessary manpower and materials to enable them perform their sacred duty of protecting our country. Our people will be mobilized to support and honour our men and women in uniform who put their lives on the line to ensure that we are all protected.”

    The APC chairman condemned the Nigeria Police and the Department of the State Security Service for withdrawing the security details of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal.

    He also faulted the recent release to Capital Oil Ltd all its assets hitherto lawfully acquired by AMCON because the proprietor of the company is one of the coordinators of the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria(TAN) which is at the forefront of Jonathan’s reelection campaign.

    He said:”We will ask Nigerians to vote for genuine and enduring change; change in the manner young Nigerians see their future; change in the attitude of leaders, from oppressive and arrogant leadership, to leadership anchored on respect for rule of law, fear of God and deep commitment to the service of the people; and change from a life of insecurity and daily threats to our lives and property to a life of maximum security and peace.

     “We see this impunity on display in the administration’s tyrannical reaction to the exercise of the right of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal to change his party.

    “The Police arrogated to itself the power of the judiciary to interpret the Constitution and withdrew the security details of the Speaker. The illegal and high-handed action by the Police in removing the security details of a sitting Speaker of the House of Representatives has attracted strong and widespread condemnation from within and outside Nigeria.

    “The Department of Security Services, a service which was hitherto insulated from partisan politics have also been directed and has similarly withdrawn its operatives from the Speaker.

     ”We see another manifestation of the PDP administration’s fondness for impunity and its disturbing tendency to cuddle corruption, in the recent release to Capital Oil Ltd all its assets hitherto lawfully acquired by AMCON as a result of its said involvement in the fuel subsidy scam.

    “It is not a secret that the proprietor of Capital Oil is the coordinator or convener of the widely derided Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN) that is at the forefront of the obscene and doomed campaign for the reelection of President Goodluck Jonathan. A great nation like Nigeria should not be run with such crass disdain for decency, common sense and the rule of law.”

    Party leaders at the session were the Deputy National Chairman( North), Senator Lawal Shuaibu; the Deputy National Chairman (South), Engr. Segun Oni; the National Secretary of APC, Mai Mala Buni; the National Publicity Secretary, Alh. Lai Mohammed; National Treasurer, Alh. Bala Mohammed Gwagwawa; the National Vice Chairman(South-South), Prince Hilliard Etagbo Eta.