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Tag: Jonathan

  • Jonathan, Oshiomhole, Uduaghan seek media partnership for national development

    Jonathan, Oshiomhole, Uduaghan seek media partnership for national development

    President Goodluck Jonathan wants the media to report the country positively.

    A similar challenge came from Governors Adams Oshiomhole of Edo and Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta, both of whom asked the media to help fix the problems in the country.

    Jonathan spoke through the Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku, during the dinner to raise funds for the building of the Editors’ House by the Nigerian Guild of Editors in Abuja on Thursday.

    He hailed the leadership of the guild for its decision to build a befitting edifice that would serve as its secretariat.

    Describing the Nigerian press as one of the best and freest in the world,he said :”I will say that our profession is making progress. The Nigerian media represent the best and the freest on the continent today and everywhere around the continent, we are looked upon as the leaders of this profession.

    “This freedom did not just come overnight. It is something we have fought for and it is something Nigerians have recognized and in deepening this freedom, let us act with serious sense of responsibility and let us uphold the unity of this country.

    “Nigeria represents the basis of the freedom of Africa. Our country, no matter what challenges we have faced, had done tremendous things for this continent.

    “We must realize that the work of the Federal Government is huge. What President Jonathan has done in the last four yes has been very significant. The problem is that the rot has been there for a long time.”

    Mr.Maku said that the Jonathan administration has built 10 power plants, revitalized the railways and established 13 universities in the last four years.

    He said that the Federal Government now has the funding requirements to complete the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, saying: “But because Jonathan inherited a lot of problems, it is difficult to notice what he had done so far.”

    He added: “I want to call on my colleagues, because today when people read some of the things you write, the impression is that this country is so bad, they should not even come here.

    “The reality of it is that this country is the number one destination for investment in Africa for the last four years because of our policies and the nation is developing. We need patience.

    “This country has suffered from impatience. Each time we are having a breakthrough, something will happen.

    “My appeal to us is to also ensure we report our country positively. We are leading in several ways.”

    On his part, Governor Oshiomhole appealed to delegates at the ongoing National Dialogue to work towards the peace and development of the country.

    He noted that countries which are considered safe havens today have had to work for their development.

    Oshiomhole said: “My appeal is that anyone who has been nominated and is part of the confab would have been nominated on the assumption that he has no other country but Nigeria.

    “Therefore, since he does not have any other country but Nigeria, he will stay in that conference and work towards the progress and development of Nigeria.”

    He hoped that those who are privileged to lead the country cannot afford to become ethnic champions.

    “Let us leave ethnicity to those who are detained by their domains, so that those who have responsibility beyond domains, who are defined and identified by our green passports should speak for the people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria because we have no other country we can call our own,” he said.

    Also speaking,Governor Uduaghan noted that those agitating for war in the country are doing so because they have not witnessed any in their lives.

    He called on the media not to incite the younger ones to violence through their publications.

    He said: “I say to those who today are saying they are Biafrans that if they had seen war before they would be very careful in their agitations.

    “What I want to plead with the guild is that we should not incite, especially our young ones, to cause crisis because it does not pay. Nigeria is one.

    “We should not incite with our microphone; we should not incite with our pen because this country has a lot of potential.”

    President Jonathan announced a donation of N50million towards the building of the House, the Governors of Rivers and Kwara states donated N10million and N5million respectively.

    Most of the other dignitaries did not announce their donations.

  • So, Jonathan was embarrassed?

    So, Jonathan was embarrassed?

    President Goodluck Jonathan may not inspire anyone either as a raconteur or a gifted orator, but he sure has a way of knocking the truth on the head. He did exactly that earlier in the week when he confessed to being ‘embarrassed’ by the negative impact the electoral heist of 2007 inflicted on an administration in which he served as Vice President until he, fortuitously so, emerged as President following the death of President Umaru Yar’Adua. Personally, it was uplifting that a sitting President, who was also a direct beneficiary of an incredibly flawed election which was dubiously supervised by Prof. Maurice Iwu, would come out clean on the matter seven years after he and many others were dashed the stolen mandate in a do-or-die election. I just hope Iwu and his aides who spent millions of naira on advertorials trying to justify the shoddy job would find time for an introspective moment on Jonathan’s observation. It’s to Jonathan’s credit that the 2011 general election was a radical departure from the sickening madness foisted on the nation by Iwu and his gang in 2007. And isn’t it intriguing that we didn’t have to wait that long before the truth they so much struggled to bury had to catch up with them? No doubt, Nigeria is not anywhere near the conduct of a free, fair and acceptable election. Yet, it is soul-lifting that Jonathan did not just speak of his frustration but also promised an improvement in the 2015 election. Listen to him: “After taking the oath, …each time one travelled abroad, people asked all kinds of questions that even got one angry. That was when I promised myself that if I had an opportunity to oversee elections in Nigeria, no other president or vice president should suffer that can kind of harassment by the international community. That is why in the 2011 elections, even though I was a candidate, I said nobody should manipulate elections for me; that my ambition and the fate of the country are two different things. The interest of the nation is much more superior to any other ambition and I kept faith with that. At least, at the end of that election, observers accepted it locally and internationally. And I promise that 2015 elections will be better.” I just hope that, for his sake, Jonathan walks his talk as 2015 approaches. If he claims to typify a breath of fresh air, then let him show it both in word and in deed. We do understand how it feels when the President of Africa’s biggest economy is embarrassed, harassed or needlessly questioned over issues relating to his emergence as President in a shambolic voting process. We share his pains, anguish and anger. But then, there are a thousand and one things back home that should also embarrass him and probably nudge him to take urgent and immediate action. For example, he should be embarrassed that, in spite of the efforts being put into the fight against terrorism by the military, hundreds of lives are being hacked to death daily. It is embarrassing that gunmen now brazenly storm communities and eliminate hundreds of villagers without being challenged. I also believe the President should be outraged by the level at which blood now flows freely on our streets. He should be embarrassed by the tempo at which the country seamlessly slides into anarchy. We cannot, in all honesty, blame some government officials and voodoo economists for going into a wild frenzy following the fantastic figures released after the rebasing of the country’s economy. It is something to be celebrated by those who feel the impact and those who need to latch on it as a major tool for campaign. But that, I must confess, is pedestrian and untenable. Nigeria may jolly well have a great Gross Domestic Product totaling $510 thereby making it the 26th largest economy in the world. Now, how does that affect the price of fish? How does that eclipse the reality of biting poverty and incremental rate of unemployment in the country? What positive impact has this tremendous leap made on the society? How does it affect the health, education, power and other critical sectors? Why should our case be that of a big economy amid a growing tribe of poverty-ridden populace? Was Jonathan riled by the statement credited to his Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, that the ultimate picture painted by the humongous GDP figures was that of a nation whose citizens live worse than they were before the leap? Did he get a jolt of the realities before him as President or is he cool with the scenario of an economic leap that draws the citizenry backwards? For sure, it’s not just about what Ngozi said or didn’t say. It is more about how we feel about the contradictions in our lives. If they knew this rebasing thing would offer nothing other than a temporary bragging right for the economic juggernauts in high places to hug the limelight, why did they project the false impression of a looming economic Eldorado? Surely, the realities are quite different. On this matter, a little bit ‘harassment’ of the President should spur him to action. This time, his vow should be directed at correcting the anomalies in an economy with a rich dad breeding a generation of poor, malnourished kids. That is exactly what the Nigeria Labour Congress was alluding to in its statement titled, “Good GDP without sustainable and viable jobs: A time bomb.” Or is there still anyone out there doubting the union’s declaration that living conditions have continuously been nosediving in the last couple of years? What’s there to celebrate in a GDP that could not cater for the needs of millions of desperate, angry and traumatised unemployed youths in the economy? Shouldn’t the President be deeply embarrassed by this kind of economics and queer development? Does the situation in the real sector call for any partying? How many industries have emerged from the collapsed empire where multinational firms have had to relocate to neighbouring West African countries? Shouldn’t Jonathan be embarrassed that, few days after the official announcement of a soaring GDP that places Nigeria as the 26th largest economy in the world, the World Bank has come out to warn that the rebasing of the GDP does not necessarily translate into foreign financial inflow in the absence of good policies and prospects? To rub the message in, the Bank’s Chief Economist, Africa Region, Mr. Francisco Ferreira, was quoted as saying: “I think it’s great to have a sense of how large the economy is; it (Nigeria) is also the most populous country in the region. But going forward, what matters are living standards for everyone and the productivity that generate(s) those living standards. I don’t think investors seeking foreign investment in London, New York, Beijing or Tokyo are looking at GDP statistics necessarily, they are looking at how profitable investments they can make in that country are.” The question to ask, Ferreira said, is: can Nigeria boast of a marked improvement in per capita income and the living standards of its citizens? I guess even delegates being served a N4000 ticket per meal at the National Conference know the answer to this question. The embedded message is simple: we should all smell the coffee and stop celebrating inanities all in a bid to remain politically correct! On a lighter note, I guess the President should chew on this parable of the rich and his povertystricken children as posted by Biodun Komolafe on his Facebook wall: He writes: ‘The richest man on our continent is worth $510 billion. But he cannot afford food, accommodation and clothing for his children. Every day, armed robbers and terrorists attack his household, kill his children and plunder their belongings. In the 21st century, he is so much in love with hurricane lamps for supply of light at night. He is at the mercy of nature for agriculture. His manufacturing sector is dead. He depends on contaminated water from polluted environment for his family daily water needs. His children can only afford to buy secondhand materials to use. I want answer from all parts of the world, what manner of man is this superrich man on my continent?’ Does anyone have the answer?

  • Jonathan: Abandoned projects ‘ll be completed

    Jonathan: Abandoned projects ‘ll be completed

    President Goodluck Jonathan has promised to complete abandoned projects to end the lack of continuity in the country.

    The President said he had started a national development planning policy to complete such projects, which would improve the lives of Nigerians.

    He said his administration was putting substantial resources in the plan to complete water projects started before the inception of his administration.

    Jonathan said the completion of such projects would ensure that clean water gets to Nigerians, eradicate water born diseases and create employment opportunities for water-related businesses.

    The President spoke yesterday in Abuja at the inauguration of the phases three and four of Lower Usman Dam water treatment plant.

    He said between 2012 and last year, his administration completed 12 dams to pump water supply across the country, for domestic and irrigation purposes.

    Jonathan said: “The lack of continuity that results in abandoned projects in the country have led to a necessary form of national development planning. We have initiated a policy of completing abandoned projects that will directly improve the lives of our people.

    “To this end, we are investing substantial resources in the completion of all water projects that were begun long before the inception of this administration.

    “We are giving priority to reduce the plight of all residents of our cities, including Abuja.

    “No matter the beautiful layouts, buildings or road networks in Abuja, which facilitate our movements, we cannot say Abuja is a modern town, if people have to have boreholes or generate their own electricity. So, the government must be committed and, of course, we are determined to provide adequate utilities to the residents of this great city.

    “This administration will ensure it provides facilities, such as power, transportation, housing, water resources and telecommunication, among others.”

  • Jonathan, Igbo leaders hold PDP unity rally in Enugu

    Jonathan, Igbo leaders hold PDP unity rally in Enugu

    President Goodluck Jonathan will, today, lead Igbo leaders in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to a “Unity Rally”in Enugu.

    The rally is PDP’s initiative to consolidate its hold in the Southeast, as as it plans to reclaim the two states it lost to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), in 2015.

    A statement by the National Vice Chairman PDP (Southeast) Col Austin Akobundu, said the President would be accompanied by Vice President Namadi Sambo; PDP National Chairman Adamu Muazu; Board of Trustees Chairman Chief Tony Anenih; Senate President David Mark; Chairman of Southeast Governor’s Forum and Abia State Governor Theodore Orji and Governors of Enugu State (Sullivan Chime) and Ebonyi State (Martin Elechi)

    Also to be present are notable personalities from the Southeast, including Second Republic Vice President Alex Ekwueme; Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu; Deputy Speaker House of Representatives Emeka Ihedioha; two former Senate Presidents Adolphus Wabara and Ken Nnamani; Secretary to the Government of the Federation Anyim Pius Anyim; lawmakers and ministers as well as other prominent PDP faithful.

    The statement from Akobundu said: ‘’This grand rally will showcase our party’s unbeatable record in the zone which, since the Jonathan Presidency, has witnessed transformation.”

    The event will also be used to welcome returnees and other new entrants from the Southeast to the PDP.

  • Jonathan appoints new D.G for NITA

    President Goodluck Jonathan has appointed Mr. Peter Jack as the Director General of the National Information Technology Agency.

    The appointment is for four years.

    This in contained in a one-paragraph statement issued Wednesday by Sam Nwaobasi, who is the Special Assistant (media) to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim.

    The statement reads: “His Excellency, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has approved the appointment of Mr. Peter Jack as the Director General of the National Information Technology Agency for a first Term of Four Years, with effect from the 7th of April, 2014.”

  • Jonathan, Nyako and Shettima

    It is of immense interest that some governors from the north-east have been making spirited efforts to exculpate themselves from the raging insurgency in that part of the country. President Jonathan had at the North-east zonal rally of the PDP said, more than anyone else the governors should take responsibility for the reign of terror imposed by Boko Haram in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states.

    For him, it is shameful for a governor who has stayed in office for six years or more to talk of bad leadership when in his state more than 60 per cent of the youths have not even attended primary schools and they are doing nothing about it. In Jonathan’s words, “state governors should be ashamed when our children do not go to primary and secondary schools and they decide to carry arms”.

    Governors’ Murtala Nyako and Kashim Shettima of Adamawa and Borno states respectively have risen to defend themselves of culpability, even remotely, for the raging insurgency.

    Shettima anchored his case on the grounds that he has only stayed in office for barely three years and that Boko Haram insurgency was at its full swing in Borno before he assumed office.

    He argued that the short duration of his regime and the fact that insurgency was thriving before he assumed office were enough reasons why he did not qualify for the blanket blame by Jonathan. This is even the more as he recounted the efforts made by both his administration and the federal government to make Maiduguri safer since he assumed office.

    Shettima may have a point here. And that point is that he has not stayed in office for a long time while insurgency was already thriving in the state before he took over. Therefore, he could neither be largely responsible for the abysmal primary and secondary school enrolment nor the insurgency he met on ground when he assumed office.

    Yet, that is not all there is to the issue. As germane as the issues canvassed by Shettma are, they only succeeded in shifting the blame to his predecessors. Inadvertently, he admitted that governors in states where insurgency has been the order of the day have some blame to share. That is the logical inference from his argument.

    If Shettima’s alibi can be excused, Nyako’s reaction was rather brash and puerile. He would want the blame for the insurgency in the north to be heaped at the doorsteps of the Jonathan regime for what he called poor leadership. According to him, governors cannot be held responsible for the security challenges because they have no control over the security apparatus. He missed the point because he sees the phenomenon only from the prism of curative response rather than prevention. Fighting insurgency through the force of arms is not the matter under reference here. Even then, governors being the chief security officers of their states share vicarious responsibility in it.

    It is obvious from Nyako’s responses that the heuristic value of the issues raised by Jonathan is completely lost on him. By arguing the way he did, he failed to appreciate the role of development in stemming crimes of various hues, including terrorism.

    Yet, he has been in the vanguard of those who have stridently sought to construct a positive correlation between the insurgency in the north and the high level of poverty, unemployment and illiteracy there. It was for the same reasons that agitations for amnesty and the application of the carrot and stick strategy as therapeutic responses to the phenomenon have been severally canvassed by the northern elite.

    Having recognized that poverty is at the root of the quick resort to violence in the north, Nyako could not have convinced anyone when he strove to exculpate his regime from the failure to significantly reduce the phenomenon in Adamawa after nearly eight years in office. If he could not take the blame for not developing his state, it remains a puzzle at what level of governance the blame will be heaped.

    Take the case of primary and secondary school enrolment which Jonathan cited, it will be difficult to imagine how the federal government will take the blame for the inability of the affected states to guarantee access to their indigenes to education at those levels.

    The folly in stretching this argument any further is easily exposed by the disparities in school enrolment between states. By the logic of Nyako, Jonathan should then take the credit for the high school enrolment in some other states of the country. That is the incongruity in pushing the argument any further.

    It is true the policies of the federal authority bear great influence on what happens in the states. Yet, these policies ought to be adopted by other levels of government to suit local peculiarities. But the overall responsibility for the development of the states rests squarely on the shoulders of their respective governors. Neither Nyako, nor Shettima can shy away from that responsibility.

    Ironically, the two were part of the 13 northern governors who met with US officials a couple of weeks back on how to stem Boko Haram insurgency by addressing the socio-economic factors underlying underdevelopment in the north. The import of that engagement is that northern governors must focus more on exploiting local resources to uplift their people from ignorance, disease, hunger and illiteracy which combine to accentuate the quick resort to violence. It is therefore confounding that so soon after that visionary engagement in the US, Nyako still wants to hold the federal government responsible for all there is to insurgency in that part of the country.

    With such a jaundiced mindset, it would appear that not much progress can be made in the fight until his likes come to terms with the high demands of their mandate vis-à-vis the fundamental issues of development raised by Jonathan.

    The central message in Jonathan’s speech is that governors have vital roles in uplifting the standard of living of their constituents. And when this point is internalized and realistically addressed, the objective conditions that accentuate violence will be considerably reduced. That point is unassailable as it has direct links with the massive corruption in public places that has stultified all efforts at development.

    The other value deriving from Jonathan’s contention is to raise the consciousness of the affected states against the culture of heaping blames on the federal government without doing their own part to stem violence through development. Boko Haram rose as a protest against all those directly linked with western education. Ironically, these are people directly or indirectly linked with leadership roles. The original philosophy which was displaced along the line was to stigmatize and overthrow this class of people for the unmitigated liability they had become to society. It is akin to the proletarian revolution as aptly captured by Marx and Engels.

    The northern leadership must identify and redress those social conditions that force the illiterate, the unemployed and innocent but brainwashed youths to take quick resort to violence. This is imperative given the ambivalence or suspected tacit support of sections of the elite for the insurgents. That appears to be Jonathan’s message and it tallies with that which the 13 governors got from their US trip.

  • Security upbeat in Bayelsa over Jonathan daughter’s marriage

    * Residents kick against roadblocks

    Security was Thursday heightened in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital and Otuoke, Ogbia local government area in preparation for the traditional marriage of President Goodluck Jonathan’s daughter.

    Residents of Yenagoa, however, kicked against security blockade of some internal roads that lead to the Yenagoa home of the President.

    Passerby and motorists were unhappy that all the roads close to the Jonathan’s house in Kpansia area of the capital city were close to traffic.

    Stern-looking security operatives took over the roads and diverted traffic leading to chaotic traffic situation in Yenagoa.

    All security commanders, the police, air force, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), relocated temporarily to Otuoke, the hometown of the President to ensure a hitch-free ceremony.

    Dignitaries including Patience Jonathan and the Chief of Staff, Aso Rock, were said to have arrived the state for the marriage.

    The President is expected to arrive Friday for the marriage.

    Investigation revealed that motoists were groaning over the traffic gridlock that resulted from preparations for the marriage.

    The wedding was said to have taken toll on commericial activities as a popular market at Kpansia which holds on Saturday has been reportedly closed.

    Traders from neighbouring states usually gather at the market along Isaac Boro Road to do business every Saturday.

    Some traders who spoke with our correspondent decried the closure which they described as ill-advised.

  • Boko Haram: Global responsibility to identify sponsors, says Jonathan

    Boko Haram: Global responsibility to identify sponsors, says Jonathan

    President Goodluck Jonathan Wednesday maintained that it is the collective responsibility of all nations of the world to identify sponsors and supporters of terror groups like Boko Haram in Nigeria.

    He made the remark while speaking on peace and security at the opening of the ongoing Fourth European Union (EU) – Africa Summit in Brussels, the Belgian capital.

    According to him, the terrorists should be held responsible for their actions aiming to destabilise the African continent.

    He said that a terror attack on one nation is an attack on everybody.

    Jonathan thanked the EU and other development partners for their assistance towards addressing the menace of terror in the continent.

    He said, “The weapons of choice of these terror groups are the Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW). Of recent, they have acquired the rapid propelled grenades and even surface-to-air missiles.  Where do they get these sophisticated weapons?”

    “The total value of what these terrorists possess as individuals, in terms of what they wear, where they live cannot buy an assault rifle. We all have the collective responsibility to un-earth their sponsors and supporters who are determined to destabilise Africa. We should hold them responsible and accountable for their actions.”

    Stressing that the issue of peace and security called for a holistic and integrated approach, he said that peace and development are two sides of the same coin.

    Because of the importance Nigeria attaches to the issue of terror, he said that it informed the decision to organize a summit on “Human Security, Peace and Development: An Agenda for the 21st Century” during Nigeria’s recent Centenary Celebrations.

    The summit, he said, resolved, in part, that all countries must continue to strengthen existing mechanisms for national and international conflict management, and create new avenues for co-operation within and between peoples and nations.

    According to him, African Union since year 2000, have demonstrated sustained desire for the development of collective security arrangement among its member states and its Regional Economic Communities.

    To this end, he said that the countries have established a security management system and the codification of standards within Africa’s Peace and Security Architecture, which he said, included the Peace and Security Council, a continental early warning system, the Panel of the Wise and the African Standby Force (ASF).

    The union, he said, has also subscribed to modalities and action plans to confront the new challenges and threat of piracy in some maritime boundaries and curb the menace of oil theft.

    Beside these initiatives, he said that there were organs within the AU with mandates to strengthen the peace and security architecture.

    Jonathan described the coming into force of the African Charter on Democracy, Election and Government as a legally binding instrument as a further re-affirmation of collective resolve at outlawing unconstitutional change of government in Africa.

    He said: “Notwithstanding these initiatives, new and emerging threats that necessitate concerted and holistic focus have emerged. These include political conflicts that threaten hard-won peace and democracies, and worse still, the phenomenon of piracy and terrorism.”

    “In the face of these new threats and challenges, the Peace and Security Architecture needs to be strengthened and the African Standby Force needs to be fully operationalised.”

    “We need to give stronger impetus to capacity building and logistical support to boost Africa’s capability and preparedness to take pre-emptive steps to contain conflict situations, quell violence and deal with the scourges of terrorism.”

    Continuing, he said: “There is need for renewed efforts to address the challenges at hand, in the context of our partnership. The modest successes recorded in tackling the peace and security challenges confronting us notwithstanding, the fact remains that we may continue to fall short of the target of ridding Africa of conflicts if the nexus that exists between peace and development is not fully explored and developed.”

    “Our approaches must therefore be integrated while simultaneously addressing the socio-political factors that push countries to conflict, with their attendant humanitarian and socio-economic consequences.”

    The summit brought together the Heads of State and Government of the EU and the African continent together with the EU and AU institutions.

    The EU was represented at the summit which has “Investing in people, prosperity and peace” as its theme by President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy and President of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso.

  • G.O.K. Ajayi may be buried May 29

    G.O.K. Ajayi may be buried May 29

    •Jonathan, Tambuwal, governors extol his virtues

     

    The remains of legal icon, Chief Godwin Olusegun Kolawole (G.O.K.) Ajayi (SAN), who died last weekend, may be buried on May 29 in his home town, Ijebu Ode, Ogun State.

    He would have been 83 on that day.

    Family sources said yesterday that Ajayi instructed his eldest daughter, Tola, on how he wanted to be buried. She was said to have flown into the country from Canada, following her father’s death.

    Ajayi’s burial site could not be confirmed yesterday, whether it would be the Anglican Communion Church cemetery or his house at the Government Reservation Area (GRA), Ijebu Ode.

    The deceased’s ancestral home is at Itantebo quarters in Ijebu Ode.

    Sources, said yesterday, at his home in Surulere, Lagos that Ajayi was taken to three hospitals between January 25, when he became ill and March 29, when he died.

    They said while in the hospitals, he read law books, which he sent his aides to bring either from his library at home or from his office.

    Mr. Kehinde Okuneye, who spoke on behalf of the family, said they were meeting and making arrangements on how to give him a befitting funeral.

    He said Ajayi was a senior member of the Anglican Communion and that he served the primate of the church several times as the registrar.

    His widow, Mrs. Margret Olayinka Ajayi, said her friend and companion was gone.

    Mrs. Ajayi, who spoke through one of her relations, Mrs. Mojoyin Adetona-Thomas, said they were married for 52 years.

    She described the late senior advocate as her best friend, companion, brother and husband.

    Mrs. Ajayi said she would miss him for his companionship and friendship.

    President Goodluck Jonathan, House of Representatives Speaker Aminu Tambuwal, Governors Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti) Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun), Senate Leader Ndoma Egba and others yesterday eulogised the late Ajayi.

    Jonathan, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, extended condolences to his family, friends, colleagues and associates, and to Nigerians, whose cause and rights he defended.

    The President urged them to “be consoled that the deceased lived a fulfilled life and would even in death, continue to serve as a model of dedication to truth, equity and justice.”

    Tambuwal, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs, Mallam Imam Imam, said Ajayi was a disciplinarian, whose work would be cherished for a long time.

    He described his death as a huge loss to the legal profession in particular and the nation in general.

    Tambuwal said: “GOK Ajayi was an advocate’s advocate and a legal titan. Although he made his name as a lawyer, his charisma, brilliance and philanthropy stood him out as a humanist, who used his deep knowledge of the law to better the society.”

    The Speaker prayed God to give his family and loved ones the fortitude to bear the loss.

    Fayemi described the demise of Ajayi as the end of a chapter, which shaped the legal profession.

    The Governor in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Yinka Oyebode, said Ajayi’s place in the annals of the evolution of democracy was eternally-secured.

    Describing the octogenarian as a fearless lawyer and the people’s advocate, Fayemi said he chose to stay on the side of the people by defending the mandate given to the late Chief M.K.O. Abiola in the court at the risk of his life.

    He noted that Ajayi was an inspiration to Abiola and other pro-democracy activists in the struggle to re- validate the June 12, 1993 Presidential Election widely acknowledged as the freest and fairest in the nation’s history.

    Amosun recalled the roles Ajayi played in high profile cases.

    “I remember the controversial issue of 12 2/3 in the Awolowo vs Shagari case over the 1979 Presidential Election, the Abdul Rahman Shugaba vs Minister of Internal Affairs suit and the legal battle of the late Chief Abiola, following the annulment of the June 12 election, among others, which are still reference points till today.”

    The Ogun governor said he joined members of the bar and the bench and other Nigerians to mourn the passing of “this last colossus of first generation of Nigerian lawyers.”

    “He was a progressive lawyer and that explained his closeness to the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo. His death is a great loss to the legal community,” he said.

    Senate Leader Victor Ndoma-Egba (SAN) described the death of Ajayi as the “end of a great legal titan.”

    Said he: “The late Ajayi was a great legal mind; a titan of the profession in every sense. His grasp of ‘The Law of Evidence’ was legendary. He was a fine gentleman.”

  • New security architecture to end Boko Haram, says Jonathan

    New security architecture to end Boko Haram, says Jonathan

    President Goodluck Jonathan Monday maintained that the Federal Government is adopting new security architecture to end the Boko Haram insurgency, farmers/herdsmen crisis and other security challenges in the country.

    He made the remark when the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Stakeholders from the North Central zone led by former PDP Chairman, Senator Ahmadu Ali paid him a solidarity visit at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    Stressing that the government through the National Security Adviser (NSA) is tackling the security issues in the country, he said that the North Central zone is a zone for the PDP.

    He said: “The security personnel are moving in to strengthen the conventional security, that is the police. But we are working very hard with  the NSA office to make sure that the security challenges that we have across the country, whether in Borno state or the kidnapping in Edo, Bayelsa, Rivers, Abia and so on.”

    “We are coming up with different architecture that will deal with this insurgence.  As we progress, we will begin to bring the situation under control.” He said

    Disclosing that litigations in court has been delaying the privatization process of Ajaokuta Steel project, he promised that the issues will soon be resolved.

    Jonathan said: “Of course on Ajaokuta, the key thing is that we had some challenges with the privatisation process. The people that got it there were some issues but because of these litigations, the project was held down.”

    “And all along, we have been trying one way or the other but the project cannot take off very effectively because we want the private sector to come in robustly. If we must get out from where we are but they will find it difficult except the legal issues are sorted out.”

    “So, what the AGF is saying is that the issues are being sorted out because without mines and steel, the nation cannot industrialize, yes you can import but its easier when you are producing locally because we believe that Ajaokuta will be one of the bedrock for own industrialization programme. So it is a project that is dear to anybody who wants to move this country forward.” He added

    Stressing that the north central is known for solid minerals and provides food, power for the whole country among other good things, he said: “We thank you for this solidarity visit and for giving us a senate president that has been able to stabilize the National Assembly.”

    On the governors’ forum crisis, he said: “The governors from the zone who have been stabilizing the country because the way  some of the governors talk and behave, if 50 percent of the governors behave that way, probably, we would have vacated this place and allow others to come and manage it for us. But they have been able to help to stabilize the whole country. When the governors forum became a monster and we had a lot of challenges, it was the north central that came on board to stabilize the governors’ forum.”

    “So, the zone has been able to produce very great leaders, not just great leaders but they are patriotic leaders, so, we will continue to work with this zone, we will continue  to encourage you. As we approach elections next year, let us know the problems on time, we will work with you to ensure PDP continues to maintain the zone,” he said.

    Speaking on behalf of the governors from the zone, Benue State Governor, Gabriel Suswam urged for the full attention of the Federal Government in tackling the farmers/Fulani crisis in the zone, noting that the Fulanis fermenting the trouble are not the normal ones as they are carrying sophisticated weapons and well trained to kill.

    According to him, once the north central is destabilized, all the other zones will be easily destabilized.

    Pointing out that the crisis needs to be brought under control as the 2015 general election is fast approaching, he expressed worries that since the Fulani attacks in the zone, no single individual has been arrested.

    He said: “The security situation in the north central. Virtually all the states in the zone are affected by the activities of the ‘herdsmen’ in quote, we believe that its not just the Fulani herdsmen that are doing what they are doing in the zone but some insurgents who are  camouflaging as Fulani men.”

    “Because the Fulani men that will all know and we have lived with them, some of them are part and parcel of the north central, we know that they carry sticks  and at times, few of them carry den guns to catch bush meat for Tiv people.”

    “But Mr. President, what we have witnessed lately are well trained people who are trained to kill and destroy and the manner of destruction is so massive and is unimaginable. The north central is very worried. The state mostly  affected are plateau, Nasarawa and Benue. That is not to say that other states are not affected,” he said.

    Even as he said that he cannot claim ignorant of the efforts the President is making to address security issues in the country, he said that he had to call for special attention for the north central zone because of its stabilizing factor.

    “The reason being that if the north central is disorganized, Mr. President you are disorganized because that is where you have your stability and so whatever it will take Mr. President to address the security challenges that we have in the north central.

    “You have just directed the military to move in, they have started moving in between Nasarawa and Benue. As of last night, there were lot a security movement between Benue and Nasarawa state and we hope  that the same thing will be applicable in Plateau state because the state has had a longer history of this than any one of us.

    “Mr President, what has worried us as governors who are also leaders is that inspite of the magnitude of destruction, no one person has been arrested and these destroyers move in large numbers. We are worried that without appropriate sanctions, they will continue with impunity because once people are not sanctioned, they don’t take that serious and I think the appropriate example must be shown.

    “Mr president how these people get their arms, because they are carrying very sophisticated weapons, is also an issue that we are worried about and I believe that Mr. president is also very worried because all of us swore to the constitution to protect lives and property.

    “But in a situation where we have some evil men deliberately conniving with some forces that we believe are subterranean forces to destroy this country and the good achievements that you have put in place should be something that should worry all of us. So, the governors of the zone ask me to urge you to continue to put in all efforts in addressing these very important security problems,” he said

    He went on: “One great U.S president said if we want peace, we must prepare for war. I think that the fact that we are peaceful, a lot of our neighbours  are not happy about it and we must be ready because we are being, to some large extent, attacked in our country by people that are not known to us.

    “I have  interacted with a lot of Fulani friends and they have told me that those people are not the fulanis that are indigenous to Nigeria. Last night, the president general of Miyetti Allah spent the night with me in Benue state. He told me there was a need for us to form a joint force, that is the Benue and the Fulani communities to fight these people who are creating these problems which clearly shows that these are people who are foreign even to the fulanis  that we know.”

    “And so we are all worried because elections are around the corner and most of your strong areas which will bring millions of votes are being destroyed and people are moving out enmasse. We pray that God will keep giving you the wisdom, the knowledge to tackle these security problems.” He said

    The Senate President, Senator David Mark, maintained that the North Central zone remained essential to the stability of Jonathan’s administration and that is why some unscrupulous people want to destabilise the zone using insecurity.

    He promised the President maximum support from the North-Central zone, especially from the National Assembly which he heads despite the antics of those he called ‘rebels’ in the House.

    “We cannot betray you, our word is our bond. We want you to trust us because we trust you. All we want is mutual confidence, and so far, you have shown it” he said

    Mark assured that the huge electoral support Jonathan got from North Central in 2011 will be repeated in 2015.

    The leader of the delegation, Ahmadu Ali said that the PDP North Central remained proud of him and commended him for what he has been doing   for the zone.

    Declaring that the zone will continue support Jonathan in future elections, urged Jonathan to find solution to the challenges hindering the Ajaokuta Steel Complex from contributing to national development.

    He also canvassed for the establishment of a solid minerals development commission for the zone.

    PDP Chairman, Adamu Muazu noted that the PDP will continue to wax stronger in the zone, he said that the centre will give the 100% support especially towards the 2015 general election.

    Among the delegation include Plateau State Governor, Jonah Jang, Kogi State governor, Idrus Wada.

    Also on the visit are the  former Kogi State governor, Ibrahim Idris, former Deputy Senate President, Ibrahim Mantu, former Information Minister, Prof. Jerry Gana, Senator Tunde Ogbeha, and Senator Khariat Gwadabe.

    Many cabinet members from the zone were also among the delegate.