JONATHAN: I’M ELIGIBLE TO RUN 2015

JONATHAN: I’M ELIGIBLE to run 2015

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President Goodluck Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan has said he is eligible to run for reelection in the 2015 general election but stopped short of declaring he wpould do so.

The president said this in New York Sunday at a luncheon with Nigerian professionals in the United States.
His party, the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is now almost split down the middle with so many influential governors and key party members saying he is bound by an agreement reached before his election in 2011 that he would serve one term.
Jonathan has not commented on his but his close aides have been insisting no such agreement exists.
Jonathan, who is in New York for the 68th Session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, stressed, however, that just like Nigerian constitution allows a president or governor to seek a fresh mandate, Nigerians equally have the right to vote against him/her if dissatisfied with his/her style of governance.
He cautioned politicians against fanning the embers of disintegration, urging them to consider national interests greater than theirs.
The president asked them to shun “do-or-die” approach to politics and allow him to focus on governance which, according to him, is the mandate given him by the electorate.
He said: “Already, we have a constitution that makes a provision for a maximum of eight years for anyone who wants to become a president or a governor. There is no president or governor that all citizens vote for, but at the end of the election, if somebody emerges, you must allow the person to work. If you love your country, you would want your country to work. That does not mean that you will not vote against the person if you don’t like the way he works, but you must allow him to work”.
Apparently referring to the internal wrangling rocking the ruling PDP, Jonathan charged the nation’s political leaders, especially those eyeing his position, to be mindful of their utterances and actions in order not to undermine Nigeria’s sovereignty.
According to him, those aspiring for the 2015 presidency should not bother about who is there at the moment as power itself is transient and temporary.
He said, “No matter how you feel about the political situation, consider the interest of your country first before yourself. If you are struggling to enter a house, you must not put dynamite to destroy the house. By the time you get there, there will be no house for you to stay. So, first and foremost, we must collectively build our country. Don’t bother about who is there now, because power is transient, very temporary”.
The president said his administration is making a tremendous progress in the ongoing privatisation of the power sector.
He noted that the $3 billion privatisation exercise had so far been conducted in the most transparent manner, saying “Yes, we have not yet reached where we want to reach, but we are making progress”.
Reiterating his commitment to the fight against corruption, Jonathan queried the parameter being used by critics to score his administration low in this regard.
“So many people are saying that we are not doing well in fighting corruption and before you say that, there must be a parameter for judging us. What are the yardsticks they are using to judge us? Before the advent of this government, the Federal Government was spending a whopping N25 billion on fertiliser with only 11 percent reaching the farmers, but since the coming on board of this administration, the  government now spends between N5 to N6 billion on fertilizer, and we are getting 80 percent reach. If we wanted to continue to steal money or look for money for election, we could have continued,” he said.
The president added that his administration had achieved significant progress in reviving the nation’s transportation and aviation sectors as well as other infrastructure, contending that “The team that I am working with, we are doing our best to make sure that our country works”.

Exotic Delicacies Exclusive to Northern Nigeria

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Exotic Delicacies Exclusive to Northern Nigeria

The list will be incomplete without the famous snacks like;
Kuli-Kuli: this is one famous Nigerian snack that has its origin indigenous to the Northern Nigeria. It’s eaten by all tribes and can be found everywhere in Nigeria. It can simply be snacked on alone or enjoyed as supplement to semi-liquid foods like garri and akamu.
Kuli-kuli is made from ground peanut and seasoning, hardened and given a shape, mostly long, round and thin.
Masa: made from soaked and ground rice, prepared with clay forms with heat source from beneath. It is traditionally served with ‘miyan taushe’ or ‘yaji’ (Suya Pepper). Sugar and salt are added to Masa in its paste form to enhance taste, and yeast is also added, among other ingredients. Its flat variety is called ‘Sinasir’.
Suya: this is the famous thin barbeque meat you find on almost all streets in Nigeria. Its origin is the North, and it’s a business you see majorly northerners doing in those parts you find a Suya spot.
Kilishi: when you are travelling down from the north, everybody expects you to buy the delicious Kilishi. This is simply meat made into paste and heavily seasoned to taste, before dried. It’s usually brushed on both sides.
One notorious drinkable that makes the list is:
Fura De’Nunu: this is the first drinkable meal that comes to mind at the thought of Northern Nigerian delicacies. It is basically cow milk mixed with cooked and ground millet or sorghum. It is highly nutritious and can be taken alone as a whole meal.
 

Kenya Attack: Nigeria’s Shopping Malls Beef Up Security

ecurity has been beefed up at shopping malls in Lagos, Abuja and Kano.

Al Shabab terrorist group based in Somalia has claimed responsibility for the Kenya attack, which has claimed 68 lives with hundreds injured. The group is fighting for an Islamic state in Somalia, and Kenya has led a multinational force to stop it.

At some shopping malls in Abuja, LEADERSHIP saw more security personnel than usual as well as increased surveillance of the surroundings.

Shopping malls like Shoprite at Apo District, Ceddi Plaza and Grand Square, both at the Central Business Area, Abuja, have increased security personnel placed at strategic places to scrutinize prospective customers.

At the popular Shoprite located at Apo District, our correspondent saw over 10 heavily armed soldiers who were at the entrance of the shopping mall searching vehicles and women carrying bags while some policemen also stood around.

The branch manager of Shoprite in Apo District, Mr Samuel Asegiemhe, declined to speak to LEADERSHIP.

“I am not permitted to speak with the press.  There is actually nothing I have to say about what the management of the mall is doing to avert such thing because I am not in position to speak. You can speak to our head office in Lagos,” he said.

Some customers at the mall told LEADERSHIP that they were happy with the increased security there.

A customer at Shoprite, Mr Martins John, expressed satisfaction at the presence of armed security personnel at the shopping mall which, he said, is a good development following the recent happening in Nairobi, Kenya.

He told LEADERSHIP, “Nobody knows what this world is turning to, because you do not know where you will go to and be safe.  With the presence of these armed military men, you feel safe when you are inside the mall. But the question is how long they will keep these military men here to avert any attack. Although we do not pray for such a thing to happen, we are scared. Because, the truth now is that if such dastardly act can take place in Kenya that is close to us, what can we say about Nigeria where the security situation has been questionable for such a long time? We are appealing to operators and managers of plazas and shopping malls not to relent in ensuring proper security because nobody can predict anything.”

Another customer at Ceddi Plaza, Ms Chidimma Igwe, said, “When I was asked to stop by a security personnel so that they could check my bag, I was worried because my bag had never been checked before I entered the plaza.  I was wondering the reason for such tight security, until I heard about what happened in Kenya.

“It is unfortunate. I like coming here to shop and sometimes relax to enjoy myself.  When I came and saw these security guys, I felt safe and I pray they should continue with this security search.  I hope this kind of thing does not happen in Nigeria.  Our security agencies should please stay at alert because everybody is very scared presently.”

Also at the NEXT shopping mall in Kado, LEADERSHIP gathered that the management of the mall had adequate security plans on the ground to detect suspicious persons around the large shopping area.

When contacted, the general manager declined to speak much but acknowledged that there was enough security apparatus to provide sufficient security for the mall.

However, LEADERSHIP observed that despite the presence of police and internal security operatives at the entrance to the mall and the car park, people still moved into the place without scrutiny and cars were not checked.

When contacted, the force public relations officer, CSP Frank Mba, said that the Nigerian police were not unprepared for such terrorist attack if it occurred here.

Mba said, “I believe that other security agencies and the Nigeria Police Force are watching the events unfolding in Kenya. Looking at it both from operational, strategic and public sector perspectives, we will not want a similar thing to happen here, so we will rather take proactive measures. But however the measures, the details and extent of these measures, we will not disclose. We will do everything -- working with other security agencies in the country and ensure that such incident does not happen here.”

LEADERSHIP checks showed increased security presence at some of the shopping malls in Lagos and Abuja. In Lagos State, our correspondent visited Ikeja Mall located along Obafemi Awolowo Way and saw increased police presence there. Also, at one of the Shoprite Shopping malls in Ikeja, the number of armed police officers normally deployed increased significantly.

Our correspondent gathered from a police officer attached to the Lagos State Task Force near the mall that the state government has instructed the police formations in the state to beef up security around the mall.

He said, “The number of people that come to this place is much and Nigeria is now one of the countries known for violent attacks. This place is too close to the secretariat’ the governor and his deputy offices are nearby. In fact, this is the seat of power in Lagos State.

“It takes less than a minute for disaster to happen. So the best thing is to always be prepared to combat terrorism. Those people that went to the Westgate Mall in Kenya never knew terrorists would strike.”

Although the management of the mall refused to disclose measures taken so far by it to secure lives of the people that daily throng the mall, some of the customers urged the management to take proactive steps.

Andrew Efehi, who came to shop at the mall, lamented that the country was still using old methods of security surveillance, saying developed countries like the United States and the United Kingdom succeeded in keeping terrorism out of their countries through routine undercover and “sting” operations exposing terror plans before they are executed.

“This idea of keeping police officers at checkpoints no longer help in combating terrorist attacks. These people have gone far in their evil way of attacking innocent people,” he added.

All efforts by our correspondent to speak with the police public relations officer, Lagos Command, Ngozi Braide, met a brick wall, as two of her mobile phones were switched off.

Speaking on the issue, the president of Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mr Goodie M. Ibru, urged his members to be on the alert and take preventive measures, saying “we should not wait for the enemy to attack us”. He said that the Kenya attack was a wakeup call for the government and citizens of Nigeria to be vigilant and strengthen the security of the country.

Also, the director-general of Lagos, Chamber of Industry and Commerce, Muda Yusuf, called on Nigerians to be vigilant, stressing that the federal government should strengthen the security of the country. He added that the citizens have a role to play in this regard by giving timely quality information to the security agencies.

In Kano State, the managing director, Country Mall, Alhaji Abdulfatah Muhammad, said security is the responsibility of the state. He told our correspondent that his mall has police surveillance 24 hours a day and there has been no lull in patronage for business in the mall due to any fear of insecurity. 

ASUU STRIKE: Group Drags Union To Court

THE strike action embarked upon by university lecturers has assumed another dimension as the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has been dragged before the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) over the lingering strike action.

The suit, with the number NICW/Abj/242/2013 which also has ministers of labour and productivity, education, finance and justice, as well as secretary to the government of the federation as defendants, was instituted by the registered trustees of Golden Women of Integrity and Vision Association and Mrs. Florence Uche Ojieh.

In the suit, the claimants are asking the court to determine whether the strike action embarked upon by ASUU is not illegal and contrary to law and whether members of the union are not bound by the policy of ‘no work no pay’ and therefore not entitled to their salary during the period of the strike.

They also asked the court to determine whether members of ASUU are entitled to continue to retain their employment, having abandoned or deemed to have abandoned their work in the universities; whether or not the union complied with the mandatory provisions of Section 4 and 5 of the Trade Dispute Act CAP T8 LFN 2004 before embarking on the strike; whether the union has complied with the provision of Section 8 of the Trade Disputes Act CAP T8 LFN 2004; whether or not the minister of education is not entitled to determine the employment of the union, same having abandoned or deemed to have abandoned their work in their universities and whether or not the doctrine of collective bargain or the purported 2009 agreement can be the basis for the strike action by ASUU same not having been incorporated in their contract of employment between it and the federal government.

The reliefs sought by the claimants include a declaration that the strike action embarked upon by ASUU since July 2, 2013 is illegal, unconstitutional, null and void.

Other reliefs are an order of mandatory injunction directing the union to go back to work immediately and unconditionally; an order directing the union to return or refund all monies paid to it by the federal government in error or otherwise; an order directing ASUU to return to the negotiation table and a declaration that the strike action is illegal, unconstitutional, null and void.

2015 ELECTIONS: Presidency Campaigning In US

Notwithstanding his constant denial that he has made up his mind to seek re-election in 2015, President Goodluck Jonathan has already kick-started his campaign in the United States.

A major outfit, the Goodluck Jonathan Support Group (GJSG), run by his foot soldiers has berthed in America.

The group’s national coordinator is President Jonathan’s political adviser, Ahmed Ali Gulak, and it is oiled by the chairperson of a federal government agency. GJSG was recently inaugurated in Abuja.

The launch of the US chapter of GJSG by Gulak came three days to the visit of President Jonathan to the country where he had gone to attend the meeting of the United Nations General Assembly. But the presidency has denied that it gave its blessing to the move, just as it re-iterated that President Jonathan was focused on providing quality leadership to the country.

Gulak, accompanied by his deputy, Dr Eddy Eniola Olafeso, on Friday launched the US chapter of the Dr (Mrs) Temitope Ajayi-led GJSG at the Millennium Hotel at the United Nations Plaza in New York with a charge to the members of the body to serve as good ambassadors of President Jonathan’s Transformation Agenda.

“We are not telling anybody that we are campaigning for the 2015 re-election of President Goodluck Jonathan; what we are here for is simply to tell Nigerians what the president is doing back home and to charge them to be good ambassadors by propagating the ideals and achievements of the Transformation Agenda,” he said.

"ASUU Strike Is Not Politically Motivated"

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) says the current nationwide strike by the union is not politically motivated.

The Zonal Coordinator of the union in charge of Calabar Zone, Dr. Charles Ononuju, made the clarification at a news conference on Tuesday in Umuahia.

“We wish to emphasise strongly that our struggle has no political undertone as being falsely and mischievously propagated, those saying otherwise are being economical with the truth.

“No amount of blackmail will make the union jettison our resolve to get the government implement the 2009 agreement and MoU of January 24, 2012,” he said.

He said that the unions’ position was for the proper funding of education because Nigerians deserved quality education.

Mr. Ononuju described the insinuation as part of the misinformation intended at causing disaffection.

He said that the union had rejected the offer of N130 billion made to the Pro-Chancellors and Vice Chancellors of universities by the Federal Government.

The zonal coordinator said that the arbitrary release of money by the Federal Government negated the 2009 agreement as well as the 2012 Memorandum of Understanding.

Mr. Ononuju urged the Federal Government to honour the 2009 agreement it freely entered into with the union, adding that the union was not making fresh demands.

He said the union was not insensitive to the plight of students and parents but that the strike was meant to salvage public education through proper funding.

The briefing was attended by the chairman of ASUU in MOUAU, Uzochukwu Onyebinama, and James Okpiliya of the University of Calabar.

Other members present at the news conference were Nwachukwu Anyim of the University of Uyo and Nsing Ogar of the Cross River State University of Technology.

Justice For Victims Of Criminal Negligence

Ace footballer Rasheed Yekini died in the hands of some healthcare giver. Nobody has been called to answer for it. David Akingbehin has not stopped weeping because of the way his wife was treated and she consequently died at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital on March 1. He alleged that negligence and unprofessional conduct of staff of the hospital caused the death because “the preferential treatment given to a patient who displaced Margaret (his wife) in the theatre killed her”. His petition lies unattended to at the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN). Two years before, the parents of Obaloluwa David that died of pneumonia at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) claimed they “counted four dead babies that night” as a result of exposure to jaundice, yellow fever and other severe ailments in the same hospital.

Negligence, insensitivity and professional misconduct are now commonplace in the country. There are at least 30 cases pending before the MDCN. Amputation of the wrong limb digits, missed fractures (especially the scaffold), right plaster casts and poor results from spinal procedures are common complaints in orthopaedics. Others are damage to new-borns from anoxia of forceps, failed tubal sterilisation, transfusion, injections, airways, intravenous catheters, diathermy and hot-water bottle burns during anaesthetics. There are also complaints about retention of swabs, packs, towels or instruments in the abdomen after operations, and forced imprisonment of patients who were unable to pay their bills. There are even cases that border on manslaughter but unattended to.

It is sad to note that these victims of criminal negligence and indiscretion cannot get justice or hope for it because the MDCN, the only body empowered by law, has been in a coma for over two years. Cries by the Nigerian Medical Association against erring practitioners have become an embarrassment to the body that says it believes in the MDCN Tribunal that has the status of a high court. It is the height of irresponsibility for government to allow itself to become vicariously liable for the “slaughtering” of Nigerians by these merchants of death masquerading surgeons, paediatricians, gynaecologists, dentists, psychiatrists and even herbalists.  Where the duty of care to a patient is breached due to the doctor’s ignorance, unskillfulness, incompetence and recklessness, and a patient suffers some bodily, mental or financial disability or even loss of life, the doctor in question has no business being in practice.

As a matter of urgent national importance, the MDCN should be constituted immediately. That the council has only functioned for four years in the last decade is insensitive and shameful. It suggests government’s insensitivity to the plight of its citizens.

FRANCE TO ASSIST NIGERIA ON POWER SECTOR TRAINING

FRANCE TO ASSIST NIGERIA ON POWER SECTOR TRAININg8

The Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo has commended France for its planned assistance on training and capacity building for power sector personnel through the National Power Training Institute of Nigeria (NAPTIN).

Prof. Nebo who received the French Minister of External Trade, Nicole Bricq recently, appreciated the planned assistance on capacity building and assured on the completing the Katsina Wind Farm project.
Bricq in her address disclosed that France is prepared to assist Nigeria in all critical areas that will increase power generation capacity, adding that, it will assist Nigeria in the development of vocational and technical co-operation that will benefit at least 10 million youth.
The French assistance on power related development projects will get participation from the French Development Agency, the European Union and private companies operating in Nigeria.
Meanwhile, Nebo has disclosed a planned synergy between the ministry and the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) to advance the nation’s power projects development.
Prof. Nebo in a statement issued by the ministry’s Deputy Director, Press, Mr Timothy Oyedeji, said the ministry is prepared to explore all avenues on funding power projects and would soon work out the proposed synergy with regulatory body.
The chairman of ICRC board, Senator Ken Nnamani, assured the ministry that the commission is prepared to work with the power ministry to fill all identified gaps.
“We are prepared to work out Public Private Participation (PPP) models that are seamless and on track. Our job at ICRC is to revitalize the synergy between us and the power ministry especially now that the sector is in transition,” he said.

No More Paper, Pencil Test By 2015-JAMB

 The Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) said on Monday that its Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) would be computer-based from 2015.

The JAMB Registrar, Prof. Dibu Ojerinde, said this in Akure at an advocacy campaign on the advantages of the Computer-Based Test (CBT).

According to the registrar, ``any person who can use the mobile phone can also take part in the test.’’

Ojerinde said that candidates in the 2014 UTME could still choose between CBT and the normal ``pencil and paper’’ method.

``After 2014, there will be no option for any candidate to choose again. CBT is the key. The world is changing and technology has reached an advanced stage.

``The way to go now is technology. If we don't want to remain in the same place,’’ he said.

Ojerinde, who said that there were enough facilities for the CBT in Ondo state, also made it clear that candidates who chose to write the next UTME in the state would have no option than the CBT.

``With the FUTA Centre, the Adeyemi College of Education (ACE), Ondo and the Rufus Giwa Polytechnic , Owo, there is no reason for anybody to write UTME by the PTP (Pen-To, Paper),’’ he said.

Ojerinde said that the board would encourage candidates in Akure and environs to take the CBT because of facilities at FUTA, Adeyemi College of Education (ACE), Ondo and Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo,

The registrar assured that the exam would be free from hackers ``because the board will not go through the server of another institution.’’

No fewer than 100 secondary school students from 10 schools in Akure sat for a mock version of the CBT at the Information and Technology Resource Centre, Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA).

Immediately after the test all the candidates got their results before they logged out of the system. (NAN)

Jose Mourinho Applauds Mikel Obi's Performance

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has applauded John Obi Mikel's performance in their ' 2-0 victory over Fulham last Saturday at Stamford Bridge.

Mourinho who watched Mikel break his 261-game goal drought that had lasted since his first spell in charge said the Nigerian international gave his side the needed balance.

“Good for him, good for us. I think it is good for his confidence. And I think people enjoyed seeing John (Obi Mikel) score a goal.'

“The goal was a shot in a set-piece, in a corner, a rebound, the finishing was good and he was in the position, but the important thing for me is he played a good game, he gave balance and stability.

"He kept very good control of the game, so I am happy with the way John is playing,” Mourinho concluded.

PDP Rebel Governors To Join New Party

There is no let up in the crises in the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, as the seven “rebel” governors may have resolved to turn their backs finally against the party and shut out further reconciliations.

They are heading to the Accord Party,and former president Olusegun Obasanjo is being touted as the national leader.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the aggrieved leaders  of the nPDP in Abuja yesterday. A competent source close to the group told Sunday sun that the  choice of Accord Party was arrived at following a careful study of current trends in the polity, the terrain and current political dynamics.

However, only six of the governors opted for the Accord party.Sokoto state governor,Aliu Wammakko was said to have a preference for the All Peoples congress,APC.The group is mulling an electoral alliance with the APC in the 2015 elections.

Contary to widely held belief that the nPDP would likely wash up in the APC, the party was jettisioned following fears that it might  be “swallowed”and it’s cause and identity lost.

The source hinted: "Tinubu and Buhari are already firmly established in the party and may not be willing to concede much grounds.Besides their ambitions are not hidden. We want a party where positions are still open and nothing is foreclosed. We also want to be respected.”

The likely presidential candidate of the party was still a closely guided secret as the source said it was not discussed. Sunday sun however learnt that Obasanjo is disposed towards  a Muhammadu Buhari candidacy when the alliance with Apc is formed.

Again the source said:”A most likely source of friction is the position of running mate to the presidential candidate in the alliance.six governors in nPDP compares in strength with the six in the former ACN.”

A former governor of oyo state Rasheed Ladoja  who is now a leader of Accord Party was said to be part of the meeting. The announcement may be made during the week.

Obasanjo has been a force in the various negotiations for peace in the party since the August 31 rebellion that that trailed the special convention of the PDP.Although a hotch-potch peace pact was reached at the last meeting last Sunday, the protagonists had since dug back to their original positions.If the movement to Accord Party pulls through, the stenght of the PDP in the National Assembly will be vitiated,but it will not yet make for easy change of leadership at the relevant arms of government.

An Open Letter To President Goodluck Jonathan: As You Meet President Obama In New York

An Open Letter To President Goodluck Jonathan: As You Meet President Obama In New Yo

I write to you on behalf of my Party, Peoples Democratic Movement, and on behalf of the multitude of Nigerians who do not have a voice in how your government frames the foreign policy agenda of our country. We believe you have the best interest of Nigeria at heart in its relations with the world powers but we also believe your government needs help if it is to recover the disappearing stature of Nigeria as a leading player in world affairs and a leader in the African continent. Since you took over the mantle of leadership in 2010, the reputation and influence of Nigeria in world affairs has suffered an embarrassing setback. We feel it is time you stand up to be counted as the leader of a great country and step forward to offer our continent statesmanly leadership.

You have a rare opportunity to do this when you meet on Monday September 23, 2013, with President Barack Obama of United States of America in New York. It is a meeting you have earned on the back of your July visit to Beijing, which has served as a befitting diplomatic response to the decision of President Obama to avoid Nigeria during his 3-nation tour of Africa in June. With the meeting taking place on the side of the 68th General Assembly of the United Nations in New York, not in the White House in Washington, your diplomatic gamble has somewhat paid off. As our President you have, nonetheless, sent the signal to Washington that Nigeria could not be ignored. You have made us proud and I congratulate you on this modest achievement.

However, I believe you understand that President Obama did not avoid Nigeria in June to spite the largest African supplier of energy to the US and the second largest economy on the continent. He visited Senegal and Tanzania, after all. These countries are not central to the strategic interests of the United States. Nigeria is. There must be good reasons, therefore, why President Obama has avoided Nigeria like a plague and, let’s face it, we all know what those reasons are.

Nigeria under you, Mr. President, has issues with the US and, I believe, you are fully aware of this. It is, therefore, not enough for you to court and earn a meeting with the President of the United States. It is way past time for another photo-op. You must seize the rare opportunity provided by the New York meeting to address those critical issues which continue to dog the medium and long term future of Nigeria’s bilateral relations with the United States. Although I’m sure you have a list of topics to discuss in New York, I would like to suggest four key items which should feature among them.

Rising Levels of Corruption in Nigeria

Corruption has plagued our institutions and has embedded itself in our governance and society as the routine, standard modus operandi for transactions amongst public and private entities alike. Despite marginal improvement, Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index still ranked Nigeria as the 35th most corrupt nation in the world in 2012. The Government, the Police, and the Judiciary are perceived as the most corrupted institutions in Nigeria today.

 Many of Nigeria’s leaders have fallen victim to the ease with which unsavory business is conducted, losing sight of the goals of democracy and communal progress that our Founding Fathers and millions of Nigerians hoped would become an impenetrable foundation and guiding light for Nigeria’s future. In order to regain our vision as a country, our leaders must change their mindset of greed and complacency that has only managed to subject the Nigerian people to rising levels of poverty, insecurity and misfortune as these have combined to alter the perception of Nigeria and its role, from the regional leader that it used to be to the semi-pariah nation that it is today.

The United States and other international allies have actively collaborated with and offered assistance to Nigeria in its fight against corruption, especially between 2002 and 2009.  However, its enthusiasm and that of our international allies began to wane when business-as-usual began to creep back, culminating in your grant of pardon to the convicted former Governor of Bayelsa State. That action has robbed you of the moral capital you need to fight corruption in your government and in the rest of the nation at large. Before you meet President Obama in New York, it would do Nigeria a world of good if you would reverse that pardon and then, when you meet him, renew the commitment of your government to a genuine fight against corruption beyond meaningless media sound bites. For if corruption continues to grow at the current rate, there will be no hope of confronting and conquering insecurity, unemployment, piracy and the host of other afflictions that obstruct the nation’s growth, prosperity and progress.

Insecurity

Last week, about One Hundred and Fifty innocent Nigerians were massacred in the small town of Beni Shek in Yobe State where a State of Emergency you declared is still in force. Similarly, Ombatse, a traditional religious cult in Nasarawa State, which has been implicated in the massacre of over One Hundred on-duty security personnel in May, has again allegedly ransacked and burnt down a whole community while killing scores of innocent citizens who looked up to the Government for protection. Furthermore the uncertainty surrounding last week’s shootings in Abuja points towards a crisis of confidence and trust. In a time of deep-rooted and widespread insecurity it becomes far too easy for corrupted officials and leaders to conduct operations of self-interest under the auspices of security and counter-insurgency.

Spats of violence, including attacks on innocent school children across the north, the deliberate and extra-judicial murder of civilians in Baga, rampant kidnapping, armed robbery and other instances of unspeakable violence across the county, may have led Vision of Humanity’s Global Peace Index to rank Nigeria at 148 out of 162 countries, using violent crime, political terror, terrorist activity, and political instability as justification for the failing marks. The Fund for Peace casts a shadow over Nigeria’s prospects as a successful state, placing the country in the “high alert” category of prospective failed states. If Nigeria continues on its current trajectory, there may be no state remaining for you to preside over before very long. It is in nobody’s best interest to permit this to happen.

With all these happening under your watch, Nigeria’s insecurity ought be at the top of the checklist of items you will be tabling in your meeting in New York.

Nigeria needs material and technical support to create a workable and sustainable public security framework, including the establishment of genuine counter-insurgency measures, which will have the winning of hearts of minds as its centrepiece, not just the deployment of brute force. The combination of high-level corruption, the disastrous state of our infrastructure, jobless growth and the record levels of unemployment currently at an astonishing 22% with 38% youth unemployment, are the main drivers of insecurity and violence in our country. We should be humble enough, given the debilitating political quagmire in which we have found ourselves, and the lack of capacity exhibited by the government which you lead, to seek enduring partnerships with our international allies before they eventually write us off as too far gone to be salvaged.

Intensification of Crude Oil Theft in the Delta

 Just last week, Chatham House, a London-based think tank, released an unflattering report on crude oil theft in Nigeria, with estimates of up to 150,000 barrels of oil stolen each day, costing us upwards of $6 billion in annual revenue. This is what the respected think tank has to say:

Nigerian crude is being stolen on an industrial scale. Some of what is stolen is exported. Proceeds are laundered through world financial centres and used to buy assets in and outside Nigeria. In Nigeria, politicians, military officers, militants, oil industry personnel, oil traders and communities profit, as do organised criminal groups. The trade also supports other transnational organised crime in the Gulf of Guinea.

The figure of 150,000 barrels per day is the lowest that has been placed, so far, in the public domain. Other figures coming out of the industry, including from Shell, indicate that as much as 300,000 barrels of crude, worth almost a billion dollars a month, is stolen everyday. It is inconceivable this industrial scale theft of our crude oil is taking place without the active collaboration and connivance of political leaders at the highest level as well as other agents of the state. In the last year, incidents of piracy and fuel theft have increased so much so that piracy in the Gulf of Guinea has surpassed that in the waters off of Somalia.

The United States and other international allies also suffer the consequences of oil theft and piracy and have a keen interest in assisting Nigeria to tackle this issue head on. Nigeria needs to ratchet up its collaboration with the United States on anti-piracy measures, using the East African model, to eliminate piracy in the Gulf of Guinea and help us save much-needed revenue. The precipitate decline in Nigeria’s oil receipt is unsustainable and could spell doom for our country in our time of need.

The declining prospects for free and fair elections

Which brings me to the issue of free and fair elections and smooth transition to a democratically elected government in Nigeria in 2015. There are ominous signs, Mr. President, that desperation to stay in power by agents of your party is already pushing our country to the edge of the precipice. Statements such as “2015 is already in the pocket of PDP” is not helping matters in the face of growing discontent with and desire to change the face of politics and governance in Nigeria as we know them since 1999.

When your party assumed power in 1999, the level of poverty in Nigeria was bad enough at 52%. Today, about three in every four Nigerians live in abject poverty and above one in every four is unemployed. There is fear in the land arising from rising insecurity with about 300 Nigerians killed by violent means in this month of September alone. All this is happening when Nigeria is recording record numbers of private jets purchased by people with questionable means, some of whom are fairly close to you. Poverty, unemployment, insecurity and corruption are bad enough. It would be disastrous if we add bad elections to this combination by denying Nigerians their right to choose leaders of their choice in 2015.

As you and President Obama meet in New York, I am certain your host will expect to hear reassuring words from you about the sanctity of the ballot in the forthcoming elections and a pledge from you that your party will not use state resources, including security personnel, to perpetuate itself. While it was possible to bend the rules and confer advantage on your party in the past, the emergence of new alternative political parties has profoundly altered the political landscape. It would be truly transformational if you will use the platform of your meeting to reassure President Obama and the international community in the after-meeting press briefing or Communique that Nigeria will follow in the footsteps of Ghana, Senegal and Mali in the quality of the election it will hold.

I wish Mr. President a successful meeting in New York and pray you return home safely, with renewed energy to kickstart the transformation which you promised Nigerians two and a half years ago.

PARTY DISCIPLINE: PDP TO ADOPT CHINESE MODEL

PARTY DISCIPLINE: PDP TO ADOPT CHINESE MODEL

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said it would be adopting the model of party discipline used in the Chinese communist party to ensure discipline within the PDP.

PDP national chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, who received leaders of the National Peoples Congress of China yesterday in Abuja, said the two parties have a lot to learn from each other as Nigeria and China have a long history of partnership in the areas of economics, culture and governance.
 He said the PDP admires the sense of patriotism in the Chinese party noting that such sense of patriotism cannot come without discipline which he said would be imbibed by the PDP.
 The PDP national chairman also said the party would  strive to imbibe the culture of sustainability and party independence  saying such a practice would make those entrusted with the affairs of the party to be more committed.
“The Peoples Democratic Party will strive to cooperate with your party in order to strengthen its leadership control, acquire more power, develop the existing powers it has and ensure its sustainability and independence.
“The need  for the enactment of true party values between both parties and their countries are of paramount importance to us all, as this will help streamline ideologies, modify beliefs, manage conflicts, accelerate functionality of internal party democracy, set new roles and make those entrusted with the leadership of the party acquire more zeal and exposure internally and internationally, “ he said.
Bamanga said the PDP has equally taken note of the unequalled powers vested on Party leaders in the Chinese Communist party, and would strive to copy it.
Chairman of the study committee of the National Peoples Congress of China, Zhang Dejiang in his remark said they were encouraged to come to the PDP national chairman  by President Goodluck Jonathan when he visited China in July as a way of strengthening party politics in Nigeria.
He expressed hope that  the interaction would strengthen understanding between the two parties. He said the National Peoples Congress has been around since 1921 and has grown from membership strength of 50 people to 85 million people
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One Simple Tip For Stronger Erection

It has been revealed that this one simple tip would help every man with erectile problems.

Logging at least 3 hours of exercise a week will strengthen your erection, says new research.

Over 6 months, overweight men reduced their daily caloric intake by 400 calories while sticking to an exercise regimen. Half of the guys were placed in a low-volume group (90 to 150 minutes of moderately intense exercise per week) while the others spent anywhere from 200 to 300 minutes in the gym a week. In the end, both groups dropped weight and saw spikes in erectile function and testosterone, but the serious sweaters showed the biggest improvements.

If you’re overweight, losing 3 to 6 percent of your total body weight through exercise and dieting should be enough to boost the quality of your erections.

The reason: Decreases in weight, waist circumference, and fat mass all improve blood circulation and smooth muscle function in your penis and bladder. So if you’re in good shape, your blood vessels will be, too.

BABY BORN WITH TEETH: Mother Refuses Breastfeeding (PHOTOS)

A 26-year-old mother, Vicki Griffiths has declined breastfeeding her new born baby after she discovered she was born with two fully formed front teeth.

It was when Vicki went to have a bath after giving birth that her husband Steven noticed the teeth in his daughter’s lower jaw. Vicki said, ‘When I came back into the room Steven said, “she’s got teeth, you know!” and then we both burst out laughing. ‘We were in shock, and so were the midwives.

According to Vicki, she had planned to breastfeed the baby but changed her mind when she saw the teeth.

The mother-of-three said she went to see her GP after she came out of hospital and "he said that he had never heard of this happening before. Midwives with 25-years’ experience were also saying they’d never seen it."

Nigerian named World Muslimah beauty queen

Miss Obabiyi Aishah Ajibola of Nigeria has been named World Muslimah 2013 during the third Annual Award of World Muslimah in Jakarta held on Wednesday.

The annual pageant, held exclusively for Muslim women, assessed not only contestants' appearance but also their piety and religious knowledge.

There was no shortage of sparkles, high heels and sashes when Miss Nigeria was crowned the pageant winner.

She dropped to her knees and cried tears of happiness.

The contest was for Muslims only, and the contestants wore scarves and floor-sweeping gowns that covered their chests and shoulders.

The top 10 finalists for the World Muslimah on Wednesday shared their thoughts on the importance of motherhood, dangers of the Internet and the value of Islamic finance.

They were vying for the "crown of modesty", a golden statue of a woman giving thanks to Allah and an all expenses paid trip to Mecca.

The event took place for three years now but this year’s happened at the same time and in the same country as the Miss World competition, a pageant that raised angry protests from Islamic hardliners who described it as pornographic and demanded it be stopped.

The founder of the World Muslimah Pageant, Eka Shanti, said ``the pageant is aimed at showcasing women who are smart, stylish and display good Islamic morals.

"It is an international event to appreciate women who have talent, dedication and a reputation in their communities for being young, but also giving back to others.

"The pageant is based on Sholehah, an Islamic term for someone who is pious, has good morals and observes Islamic rules and codes.

"It is an antidote to the Miss World pageant, which is taking place this week just 730 miles away on the resort Island of Bali, also in the Indonesian capital.

"It is also a formula for understanding the ideal woman, regardless of her religion."

Shanti said the pageant was not intended to challenge the Miss World pageant, but as a way of expelling negative stereotypes about Muslim women.

"People think we are against the Miss World pageant but we are not. We are only against its nudity. We now want the world to know that there is beauty in the covered woman because the woman’s beauty is supposed to be a jewel which must be treasured.

"The protests against the Miss World competition started in Indonesia in June and in response, the London-based organisation agreed to swap bikinis for one-piece swimsuits and more modest Balinese sarongs out of respect to local customs and values."

In recent weeks, she said, the protests heated up again in opposition to a pageant being labelled as an affront to Islamic morals.

Under pressure, the government requested that the Miss World event, parts of which were to be held outside Jakarta, be confined to Bali, which is majority Hindu.

The event’s organisers fumed, saying the change of plans was typical of a government that often capitulated to the demands of religious extremists.

More than 90 per cent of Indonesia’s 250 million people are Muslims, making it home to the world’s largest Muslim population and some have become increasingly conservative in recent years.

The Miss World, which started in 1951, had faced its share of controversy. In the 1970s and ‘80s, feminist groups protested the bikini section and scrapped it in previous competitions.

BREAKING NEWS (UPDATE): Many Feared Dead As Gunmen Storm Abuja (PHOTOS, VIEWER DISCRETION)

A press release signed by the spokesperson of the State Security Service, Marilyn Ogar following shootings at the Apo Legislative Quarters has said,"in the early hours of today 20th September, 2013, about 0030 hours, a combined security team went for an operation behind the Apo legislative quarters." 

"The operation was sequel to information obtained from two (2) Boko Haram elements Kamal ABDULLAHI and Mohammed ADAMU, who had earlier been arrested for terrorist activities. They led the security team to uncompleted buildings where arms were purported to have been buried underground."

Ogar said, "No sooner had the team commenced digging for the arms, than they came under heavy gunfire attack by other Boko Haram elements within the area, which prompted immediate response from the security team. As a result, some persons were injured and twelve (12) others have been arrested in connection with the incident, and are making useful statements."

According to the release, "Normalcy has returned to the area. Members of the public are advised to go about their normal businesses, as appropriate security measures have been placed to ensure the safety of citizens in the FCT.

"We want to reiterate the need for all Nigerians to be vigilant of their immediate environment and promptly report suspicious activities to security agencies. Our National security must remain the collective responsibility of all Nigerians," she added.

It was reported earlier that unknown gunmen dressed in military clothes, this morning, Friday September 20, stormed an uncompleted building at Legislator’s Quarters in Apo, Abuja, killing eight people.

DSP Altine Daniel, the police public relations officer in Abuja has confirmed the incident, saying that investigation is ongoing.

The incident was said to have occurred around 3:00am in an uncompleted building owned by an army general but was occupied illegally by truck pushers, scavengers and water vendors popularly known as 'mai ruwa.'

According to one eyewitness "those people living inside the building had been told to vacate the building on the orders of the Army General who owned the house but they refused to leave. It was unfortunate however, that some men in army uniform came in around midnight and opened fire on these innocent people.

Another eyewitness also said "I personally  counted eight dead bodies this morning in the pool of their blood, I saw bullets everywhere in the building ."

 

Some identity cards of the alleged "soldiers" (gunmen) were said to have been found at the scene.

Meanwhile the scene of the incident has been condoned off  by the men of State Security Service (SSS), soldiers and police.

Photos Below (Viewer Discretion Advised):

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