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Tag: President Jonathan

  • Jonathan greets Alake at 70

    Jonathan greets Alake at 70

    President Goodluck Jonathan on Friday congratulated Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo on his 70th birthday.

    In a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, the President extolled the exemplary dedication of the Alake to the promotion of peace, unity, equity, justice and positive development in his domain and Nigeria as a whole.

    In the letter written to the Alake, the President praised him for upholding the highest ideals and virtues of traditional institutions in the country.

    He said: “I write on behalf of my family, the Government and people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to express warm felicitations to Your Highness as you celebrate your landmark 70th birthday.”

    “You have used your exalted throne to uphold the highest ideals of the traditional institution, steadfastly promoting peace, justice, harmony and positive development in Egbaland and beyond.”

    “I pray that Almighty God continues to strengthen and prosper you even as He blesses you with many more years of fulfillment,” he stated

    He wished Oba Gbadebo very happy 70th birthday celebrations.

     

  • President Jonathan to host Okagbare today

    President Jonathan to host Okagbare today

    President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan will host the new queen of track and field, Blessing Okagbare, on Wednesday morning at the Aso Rock Villa in Abuja.

    A statement signed by Olukayode Thomas Head of Communication Media Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) said the Presidential reception for Okagbare will be held during the council meeting.

    Okagbare did Nigeria proud at the just concluded Moscow 2013 IAAF World Championship where she won two medals, a silver in the long jump and bronze in the 200m. She also made the final of the 100m.

    President of the AFN, Evangelist Solomon Ogba, thanked President Jonathan for the honour and thanked the Minister of Sports for always bringing Mr. President’s attention to achievements of track and field, and for being a Minister of Sports, instead of Minister of Football, as is often the case in Nigeria.

    ‘’ the athletics family is grateful to President Jonathan; this is the third time he is hosting us. The President hosted us when we won the African Youth Championships, he hosted the Sydney 2000 team whose silver medal was upgraded to gold and now, he is hosting Okagbare, we are more than grateful’’.

    Evangelist Ogba also expressed gratitude to the Minister of Sports Mallam Abdullahi for always being there for track and field.

    ‘’we would not have been African Champions at Youth, Junior and Senior level without the support of Mallam Abdullahi. He was with us in Porto Novo when we won the African title, he was with us in Warri when we won the Youth title, he was with us in Moscow when we broke the 14 year no medal jinx at the IAAF World Championship, he attends our local Golden League and even the All Nigeria, he is the first Minister to give athletics priority, we are very grateful’’ said Ogba.

    Okagbare opened her international medal account at the 2007 All-Africa Games when she won the silver medal in the long jump.

    The following year she won a bronze medal in the women’s long jump event at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing

    She went on to win the double in 100 m and long jump double at the NCAA Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Championship for University of Texas at El Paso, completing an undefeated collegiate streak that year.

    At the African championships in 2010, she won gold in the long jump and gold in the 100m and gold again in the 4x100m.

  • PDP will resolve its internal disagreements – Jonathan

    PDP will resolve its internal disagreements – Jonathan

    President Goodluck Jonathan has assured Nigerians that the current political impasse in the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) will soon become history as efforts are being intensified by elders to resolve it.

    Jonathan gave the assurance at a post convention dinner of the party held at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential villa on Monday.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and some governors staged a walkout at the Special PDP Convention held on August 31 in Abuja.

    They later announced the formation of a new PDP during a news conference at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja.

    Jonathan, however, described the walkout of the aggrieved PDP members as a ‘’minor disagreement.”

    “Everybody knows what happened on Saturday. In families we disagree. These are minor disagreements that can be resolved.’’

    He, therefore, called on the dissenting party members to embrace dialogue as ‘’no other party can face PDP.”

    According to him, without PDP, there will be no democracy in Nigeria.

    ‘’The party is intact and will remain intact. We will continue to show leadership and do everything possible to ensure that the party grows stronger.

    “We will do our best to keep PDP one and Nigeria one,” he said.

    The Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BOT), PDP, Chief Tony Anenih, called on those interested in contesting for elective posts in 2015 general elections to declare their intention.

    He said the call had become necessary in view of the need for the party apparatus to prepare adequately for the exercise.

    “We must be ready for the journey. By the end of September we would not be able to tell anybody that the time is not right; we will be able to tell them where we are going through.

    ‘’It is good that we tell our people where we are going and how the journey will be like,” he said.

     

  • Harassment of Nigerians in Kenya to end soon – Jonathan

    Harassment of Nigerians in Kenya to end soon – Jonathan

    President Goodluck Jonathan has assured the Nigerian community in Kenya that he would end the challenges of intimidation, harassment,discrimination and extortion of the country citizens by the Kenyan security operatives.

    Jonathan gave the assurance on Thursday night in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, during an interactive session with Nigerians living in that country.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the meeting was part of the events lined up for the three-day state visit of the President to Kenya on the invitation of Kenyan President, Uhuru Kenyatta.

    The President made the remark as part of his response to several complaints from representatives of the Nigerian community.

    NAN reports that complaints by the community revolved around illegal deportation and maltreatment of Nigerians by Kenyan authority.

    Jonathan said that his government was aware of the development and that it was one of the major issues to be addressed during talks with his Kenyan counterpart.

    “We are aware that there were issues and that is why we are here to see how we can work with the government of Kenya to resolve the issues raised.”

    “The Minister of Interior, Mr. Aba, Moro, is here because we want to sign a Bilateral Agreement and Memorandum of Understanding on this and other issues between Kenya and Nigeria during talks which the two Presidents will preside over.

    “We have a number of issues and many complaints have come to us.

    “I remember when my wife was to come here for a programme, there were issues.

    “Some Nigerians were just sent back home without passing through the normal procedure which almost created a diplomatic row between Nigeria and Kenya.

    “But I said that Nigeria will not have to engage in unnecessary diplomatic row with any African country but would rather look at positive ways of managing the situation because we have Nigerians everywhere.

    “It is better we manage the development to the benefit of the two countries than going into unnecessary diplomatic issues.

    “Of course, the President is my good friend and I believe myself and the President of Kenya will be able to solve all the problems,’’ he said.

     

  • Dangote attributes success to Jonathan’s ‘favourable’ policies

    Dangote attributes success to Jonathan’s ‘favourable’ policies

    Business mogul, Aliko Dangote, on Thursday said his achievements as Africa’s richest man and 25th richest person on earth was due to the favourable policies of President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.

    Dangote spoke on Thursday night in Nairobi when President Jonathan met with the Nigerian community in the East African country.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the meeting was part of the activities lined-up for the three-day visit of President Jonathan to Kenya which began Thursday.

    Dangote, who was on the President’s entourage told the gathering that Jonathan had done a lot to improve business climate in Nigeria.

    He said, “I want to tell you what the President has been doing in Nigeria. He is very humble and may not want to sing about what he has been doing.

    “I will tell you what he has been doing to Nigerians and to some of us who are in business in Nigeria.

    “We are very grateful for some of the policies he has introduced.

    “As you all know, without the good policies of government, there is no way a person like me from the big town like Kano can rise from a humble beginning to become the 25th richest person on earth.

    “Without the policies of Mr. President and also making sure that yes, there is consistency in the policies of government this could not have happened.

    “If Government has bad policies, the whole economy will crumble, and if they have good policies people will be able to prosper, and that is what it is happening now.”

    Dangote also attributed his success story to the reforms carried out by the Federal Government in the banking sector.

     

  • Nigeria to ‘help develop’ Kenyan oil sector

    Nigeria’s High Commissioner to Kenya, Mr. Akin Oyateru, said in Nairobi on Thursday that Nigeria would assist Kenya in the management of its oil industry.

    Oyateru made the plan known in a chat with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) ahead of the three-day official visit of President Goodluck Jonathan to the East African country.

    He said with Nigeria’s comparative advantage over Kenya in the oil sector, the Federal Government would be willing to assist that country in many ways.

    Oyateru said the visit of Jonathan, which would focus on the expansion of co-operation between both countries would be used to achieve the purpose.

    “Kenya just discovered oil, so we have a lot of comparative advantages there, which we can actually impart in them.

    “We will assist in exchanging ideas, collaborate and cooperate in the area of training and capacity building,

    “We could also help them in the area of redrafting their legislation to have a proper legislation in that sector,’’ he said.

    NAN reports that it was recently announced that Kenya oil resources met the threshold for commercial exploitation raising hope of that country joining the league of oil producing nations.

    Specifically, Africa Oil, a Canadian oil and gas company together with British explorer, Tullow Oil Plc had put Kenyan oil reserves at the estimate of 368 million barrels, a level capable of commercial exploitation.

    Oyateru said that Nigeria would also tap from the broad knowledge of Kenya in the areas of horticulture, floriculture, dairy production, hospitality and tourism.

    “In the area of hospitality and tourism, we can learn a lot from Kenya. As you know, Kenya is one of the preferred destinations for tourists,’’ he said.

     

  • Nigeria will remain proactive against terrorism – Jonathan

    Nigeria will remain proactive against terrorism – Jonathan

    President Goodluck Jonathan on Friday said the Federal Government will keep on doing everything possible to further enhance security in all parts of the country.

    The President stated that several measures had been taken by his administration to secure the nation, stressing that these had resulted in a significant reduction in terrorist attacks in the country,

    He spoke while receiving the outgoing Representative of the Delegation of the European Union to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Mr. David Mac Rae, at the State House, Abuja.

    Jonathan, in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, said that his administration will remain very proactive in combating terrorism and insecurity.

    He said: “As a government, we are doing everything possible to improve our country on all fronts. We are consistently adapting our security architecture to deal with terrorism which has become a challenge to the whole world.”

    “Boko Haram is being progressively weakened but we are not resting on our oars. We will continue to do everything possible to achieve greater security for all who reside within our borders.”

    He also said his administration will continue to do its best to correct negative perceptions about the country, particularly the notion of widespread insecurity and corruption.

    The President welcomed declaration by the outgoing ambassador that he had recently traveled to the Niger Delta and some northern states and found people there going about their normal lives and businesses without fear.

    He urged him to assist in correcting current misconceptions about Nigeria by taking that positive message to the EU and the rest of the world.

     

     

  • ‘Why Jonathan sacked youth minister’

    ‘Why Jonathan sacked youth minister’

    The inability of the sacked Minister of Youth Development, Alhaji Abdulkhadir Turaki, to effectively manage his portfolio and the presentation of a forged list of new executive of National Council of Youth of Nigeria (NCYN) to President Goodluck Jonathan when no election took place cost him his job.

    President Jonathan relieved the minister of his appointment on Monday.

    Disclosing why the minister was sacked in Minna on Wednesday, the Chairman of the Northern States Governors Forum (NSGF) and Niger State governor, Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, said the minister did not show enough understanding of his job as he failed to present the actual facts to the President on the botched NCYN election that took place last February in Makurdi, Benue state.

    Aliyu said the NCYN election did not hold in Makurdi and a transition committee was put in place, but he alleged that the minister and his aides presented a forged list of new executive members of the council to the President.

    The governor, who commended the action of the President made these revelations while receiving the Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Christian Pilgrims Commission Mr. Kennedy Okpara, in his office.

    He said,” Please thank the President for me for what he did to the Minister of Youth.

    “The President did what was expected of a leader that does not want any of his officials to cause disharmony among the people.”

     

  • Only constitution can stop Jonathan – Clark

    Only constitution can stop Jonathan – Clark

    A former federal commissioner for information, Chief Edwin Clark, has said that it is only the constitution that can stop President Goodluck Jonathan from contesting the 2015 presidential election.

    He noted that the purported agreement between the president and some governors on the platform of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) does not hold water.

    The Ijaw leader explained that since the constitution made provision for two terms, every other agreement on number of terms for the president is illegal.

    Clark blamed the ongoing noise about the president second term bid on some few politicians who he accused of overheating the polity for their personal ambitions.

    He spoke on Tuesday when he received a delegation of Second Republic federal legislatures at his Asokoro House, Abuja.

    He said, “So Nigeria is great, only few people want to confuse this country because of their personal ambitions.

    “Today is Mr. President’s turn, tomorrow it will be another man’s turn. That is why we have the constitution. The constitution says that before you can be qualified to be a president of this country, you must have contested through elections and after the first term of four years, you can contest again for a second term of another four years. Thereafter, you will not be eligible again, that is the law.

    “The law does not state that you remain in office for one term, you can enter into agreement with some individuals that after your one term, someone else will come in, that will be illegal. Such an agreement will be null and void, unconstitutional; nobody can change the constitution of Nigeria that is the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

    “Even though people are saying that it is imperfect, it is perfect until it is changed or amended. I think under section 137, Mr. President is entitle to two terms of eight years and as a former member you recognize that in your time Alhaji Shehu Shagari, the president during the Second Republic of Nigeria was elected president of this country in 1979 and he remained in office until 1983 when we sat down again at the convention and re- elected him.

    “You were all there and that was the time all of you left but that was the time some of us were elected as senators but for the military intervention. Some of them here said it is time for military to rule so they over threw our government in December 1983.

    “We woke up and they said we are no longer in office otherwise Alhaji Shagari should have remained in office until the end of his second term. Then, Obasanjo was elected the president of this country in 1999. In 2003, he re- contested in accordance with the provision of the Nigerian Constitution for another four years even though his deputy was trying to over throw him, he couldn’t succeed because of the constitution.

    “Nigeria said come back again for another four years. It was when he wanted to go beyond what the constitution provided that Nigerians said enough is enough.”

     

     

     

  • Jonathan appoints inventor as entrepreneurship Ambassador

    President Goodluck Jonathan on Friday appointed a United Stated-based Nigerian, Jessica Mathews, who invented energy generating football and skipping rope as Entrepreneurship Ambassador.

    The Minister of Trade and Investment, Dr. Olusegun Aganga, disclosed this to State House correspondents after the football and skipping rope was demonstrated to President Goodluck Jonathan at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    He said: “The product is actually versatile, it is not just about the electricity you see, you can use it to charge your mobile phones, for fans so there are so many things for which it can be used.”

    “We are also looking at the possibilities of manufacturing it in Nigeria and see how we can make it cheaper in this country.”

    “I am glad that Jessica has also agreed to be our ambassador in terms of promoting entrepreneurship in our Universities. What we want to do is to bring successful entrepreneurs like Jessica to inspire the students and make them more creative so that they can also be employers of labour,’’ he stated

    According to the 25 years old Edo State -born inventor, the football could generate three hours of electricity after 30 minutes of play and could store power for 72 hours.

    The electricity generated by the ball, she said, could be used as electricity source to power lighting points and household equipments.

    Mathews, who is the co-founder of Unchartedplay, said that the airless football when not in use can span for 18 months before replacement.

    She also disclosed that she studied Psychology and Economics at Havard University, but taught herself Electrical and Mechanical Engineering because of her interest in the field.