With Buhari, hard work ‘ll now pay — Cally Ikpe

VETERAN broadcaster and founder of Civil Empowerment and Rule of Law Support Initiative, Mr. Cally Ikpe in this interview says that despite the myriad of challenges awaiting the President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, the incoming administration would be a people’s government. He also explained why he championed a suit challenging those against the usage of Smart Card Readers.

You were behind the law suit  challenging calls for the non usage of the Smart Card Readers during the last general election, can we know what informed that and other forms of support displayed by the All Progressives Congress, APC?

I got attracted by the rare anti-corruption posture of General Muhammadu Buhari. He is someone I see as a sure antidote to the impunity that has characterized Nigeria for too long. All his previous attempts at clinching the presidency had me and my entire family supporting completely. Really, who else has the will to confront corruption like him? Like he said, “if we don’t kill corruption, then corruption will kill Nigeria”.

Some mischievous elements had gone to court to challenge INEC’s decision to use the card reader for the general elections.

Particularly, a suit was filed by the United Democratic Party alleging that the use of the card reader amounted to electronic voting which ran contrary to our electoral laws as enshrined in the 1999 constitution.

We simply asked to be joined in the suit. Yes, I am part of an NGO; Civil Empowerment and Rule of Law Support Initiative. I personally swore to an affidavit that the card reader was in no way tantamount to electronic voting; but rather that the biometric system only served to prevent double registration. I was personally irked by the obvious mischief intended.

But the card readers were generally reported to have malfunctioned and is the basis of several petitions at the election tribunal.

Buhari

It was apparent that this was a case of the hand of Jacob and the voice of Esau. Seeing that the elections didn’t seem to favour the ruling party, its people became restless and at all cost wanted to frustrate the elections from holding or in the alternative, opening it up to the usual manipulation which the card reader served to check.

It was also a situation of preparing grounds for the elections to be nullified once the courts rule that card readers amounted to electronic voting.

The case was adjourned to a later date and as we speak it is still pending. I suspect they have developed cold feet. The usage of the card reader has come to stay.

It would better the electoral process as was seen during the election. Things will keep getting better on that, after all, some of the challenges encountered in its usage were attributed to human error.

So, how do you feel now and what are your expectations?

Impunity will be halted. Subsidy fraud will cease. We were going to get to a point where more than half of our total budget will only cater to the welfare of the executive and the legislators while the rest of the citizenry struggle to stay alive.

In the new dispensation, I hope people will not collect money for contracts they have no intention of executing any more. I am sure it hurts you too, that NEPA makes you pay for power they don’t supply.

It takes only a heartless leadership to look the other way while people are exploited in that inhumane manner.

Hate campaign not responsible for our defeat - Fani Kayode

Mr Femi Fani-Kayode has debunked claims that hate campaign by some members of PDP Presidential Campaign Orgnaisation caused its loss at the March 28 presidential election.

Fani-kayode, who served as Director of Media and Publicity of the organisation, spoke with newsmen in Abuja on Tuesday.
He said President Goodluck Jonathan would have lost the presidential election by at least 10 million votes but for the intervention of his campaign team.

He was reacting to recent accusation by the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) that the electoral misfortune that hit the party after the 2015 elections was due to hate campaigns by the party`s campaign organisation.

*Fani

Fani-kayode, who described some members of the party`s NWC as “enemy within us”, alleged that two members of the committee were working for the opposition in the course of the election.

He described most members of the NWC as ignorant of party campaigns, adding that the campaign organisation “stood up for the party, fought for the President and did not betray the cause.”

While calling for the resignation of the NWC, Fani-Kayode defended the media strategy used by the PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation.
He also exonerated the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, Gov. Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State of blame in the loss of the party.

Fani-kayode contended that while Jonathan was constantly under serious hostile pressure during the campaigns, the First Lady encouraged the organisation and inspired its members more than anyone else.

“I do not want to rock the boat out of respect for our President and our party elders; otherwise I would say a lot more that will shock the nation and the party faithful.

“I have a whole file on it which we compiled during the campaign. Two members of the NWC specifically were actually working for the APC and were on their payroll’’, he said.

Their job, he added, was to destroy the PDP fortunes, expose its secrets, create discord in its ranks and undermine the efforts of the campaign organisation in the media campaign.

“That is just one shocker and there are plenty more. The time to talk is not now. That time will come.
“You will be shocked by what we know about these people and their sordid efforts to stop Jonathan and betray their own party.

“The truth is that the NWC has to go and I add my voice to that of Govs. Aliyu Babaginda, Sule Lamido, Ayodele Fayose and that of so many other people’’, he said.
He added that there was need for a change at the top if the PDP was serious about forging party unity.

“This is critical to restoring its fortunes, redeeming it and winning the election in 2019.’’
Fani-Kayode, who described the APC media machine as awesome, maintained that for the first time since the establishment of APC, they were put on the defensive by the PDP presidential campaign organisation.

He, however, added that the PDP “must remain free of acrimony, united and focused”, stressing that they must “throw out the bad eggs in the NWC.

“In order to survive over the next four years as a party, we must make the necessary changes at the top; otherwise we will be utterly decimated.
“The present leadership of the party, particularly its information organ, has no chance of standing against an APC Federal Government because they are weak and lack understanding and courage.

“They will be savaged beyond belief and torn apart if they try it because they do not have the stomach, the grit, the appetite or the wherewithal for a long drawn fight’’, he said.

He held that instead of preparing to defend the party faithful and fortunes of its members over the next four years, they were making allegations and alienating many party leaders

Man hit hammer on neighbour's forehead

A 56-year-old man, Patrick Amam, who allegedly hit one Nanya Dutse with a hammer on her forehead, on Thursday appeared before an Apapa Magistrates’ Court, Lagos. Amam, a resident of No.99, Orodu St., Ajegunle, Apapa in Lagos, is standing trial on a charge of assault. The Prosecutor, Cpl. John Iberedem, told the court that the accused committed the offence on May 6 at his residence.

Iberedem said that Amam unlawfully assaulted Dutse by beating and hitting her with a hammer on her forehead, which caused her bodily harm. “The complainant said she mistakenly poured part of the water she had fetched from a well on the body of Mr Amam’s wife who was standing by the same well. Dutse said that Amam’s wife did not give her the opportunity to apologise to her, only for Amam’s wife to be shouting and insulting her.

“The complainant said that the woman went into her apartment and reported the matter to her husband who came out with a hammer in his hand. “Dutse said the accused did not even listen to her side of the story, instead he pushed her away and hit her on her forehead with the hammer in his hand, ” Iberedem said. The prosecutor said that the offences contravened Section 171 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.
Section 171 stipulates three years’ imprisonment for assault occasioning harm. However, the accused pleaded not guilty of the charges preferred against him. The Senior Magistrate, Mr G.L. Otepo, granted the accused bail in the sum of N50,000, with one surety in like sum and he adjourned the case till May 18 for mention.

Adorable! Davido Shares His Baby Picture On Instagram

Davido is not new to “breaking the Nigerian Internet” with his Instagram posts. He was at it some hours ago.

The superstar took to his Instagram some hours ago to share a picture of himself and elder sister while he was still a baby. How cute.

In the snap, Davido was the baby being carried by his elder sister, Sharon Adeleke. This picture has gone viral and everyone seems to have one thing or the other to say about it.

Baby Davido in snap with Elder sister, Sharon Adeleke

Interesting! 

Jonathan’s govt not cooperating with its transition committee - APC

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has insisted, for the umpteenth time, that the Jonathan Administration is not cooperating with the party’s Transition Committee, while describing PDP’s spokesman Olisah Metuh as a man with an incurable disdain for the truth.

”We say, with all sense of responsibility, that as of today, May 14th 2015, just about two weeks to the May 29th handover date, no shred of information as to the status of governance from any Ministry, Department or Agency of government has been given to our Transition Committee,” the party said in a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday
by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.

Jonathan-Lai

”If that qualifies, in Metuh’s lexicon, as cooperation, then there is a problem somewhere. We dare Metuh or anyone for that matter, to controvert the fact that not a line of handover note has been handed over to our Transition Committee. Until then, Metuh has egg on his face,” it said.

APC restated its earlier advise to Metuh to urgently undertake a crash course in how to be an opposition party spokesman so he won’t talk or write himself into avoidable trouble in the days ahead.

The party admonished the PDP spokesman to always cross-check the information available to him in order to separate rumours from facts, saying had he done that, he would not have issued the statement in which he tried to cast aspersion on the APC by accusing it of ”fabricating lies” over the issue of the Jonathan Administration’s
non-cooperation with the APC’s Transition Committee.

”Metuh decided to put his foot in his mouth when he latched on to the statement made by our Transition Committee Chairman, forgetting that in making his statement, the Chairman was only acting the statesman
that he is by not saying anything that will put the federal government in bad light.

”A discerning party spokesman, rather than a rabble-rousing one, would have understood the elder statesman’s stand for what it is instead of using it as a peg to issue a needless, hollow statement that puts his party and government in bad light. We had decided to allow sleeping dogs to lie, but now that Metuh has stirred the
hornet’s nest, it is time to put out the facts for Nigerians to judge.

”What happened was that, following the request by our Transition Committee to meet with them, they invited us to what was the first formal meeting between both Transition Committees. But the meeting was a mere photo-op, as it yielded nothing concrete as far as handover notes are concerned.

”In fact, what we met at the so-called meeting was far worse than what we had thought. Whereas we had hoped to get their handover notes on May 14th (the date they had indicated to us informally), they told us point blank that the notes won’t be ready until May 24th. Because this date falls on a Sunday, that means we won’t be getting the
handover notes until May 25th, just four days before the May 29th handover date

”How do they honestly expect us to peruse thousands of pages of handover notes, ask pertinent questions and seek necessary clarifications within four days? Because we want a smooth transition, we asked if we could meet with some of the ministers pending the release of the handover notes, but they said no. When one of their members even suggested that the whole process be fast-tracked, they did not budge.

”Despite this set back, we decided not to put the whole issue in the public domain, until the babbling Metuh decided to look for trouble, describing the deliberate stonewalling by the Jonathan Administration as cooperation,” it said.

APC assured Nigerians that whether or not the Jonathan Administration cooperates with it during the transition, the party will live up to expectation by providing purposeful governance.

Emir of Kano Reveals How $12.5bn Disappeared Under GEJ

Emir of Kano reveals that under Goodluck Jonathan’s rule more than half a billion dollars in oil revenues were disappearing every month in the unknown direction. Thus, up to $40 billion could have been diverted from treasure during five years of GEJ rule.

You can suspend a man, but you cannot suspend the truth, told the Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II, reacting to the results of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation’s (NNPS) audit conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers.

In his article in the Financial Times titled “Unanswered questions on Nigeria’s missing oil revenue billions” Emir of Kano reminded that he was fired by Goodluck Jonathan from the post of the head of Central Bank of Nigeria for exactly the same thing PricewaterhouseCoopers specialists did – questioning where around $ 20 billion in oil revenues have gone instead of the national treasury.

Emir Muhammad Sanusi II stated in his article that it raises serious questions that should be addressed to the  outgoing government officials of highest level including Petroleum Minister Diezani Alison-Madueke –and  he also says Diezani Alison-Madueke doesn’t have anything to tell in defense. In case these officials are guilty of embezzlement they must be charged, insists Muhammad Sanusi II, claiming that “Nigerians did not vote for an amnesty for anyone”.

“Contrary to the claims of petroleum minister Diezani Alison-Madueke, the audit report doesn’t exonerate the NNPC“, claims Emir of Kano, “it [PwC audit report] establishes that the gap between the company’s oil revenues between January 2012 and July 2013 and cash remitted to the government for the same period was $18.5bn.”

Emir of Kano also revealed one of the embezzlement schemes which made it possible to divert several billion dollars in the unknown direction.

The so-called kerosene subsidy scam included $3.4 billion withheld by NNPC to pay for subsidies on kerosene to bring it to a price of 50 naira per litre. But common Nigerians have never seen any effect to that, having to pay up to 140 naira a litre, because this subsidy on kerosene simply didn’t exist in the 2012 and 2013 budgets.

The other way of diverting money from national treasure was through the NNPC’s subsidiary company, Nigerian Petroleum Development Company which paid only $ 100 million for oil assets worth at least $6.8bn.

“It was extracting crude worth billions of dollars but yielding very little revenue for the treasury”, told Emir of Kano, claiming also that “of the $18.5bn in revenues [for 19 months] that the state oil company [NNPC] did not send to the government, about $12.5bn appears by my calculations to have been diverted”. Thus, at least $0.65 billion were diverted monthly. Hence, it is easy to calculate that up to $40 billion could have been diverted during the outgoing president’s five-year term, if that trend was continuous throughout his rule.

Earlier Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has spoken exclusively to Al Jazeera following his sacking by Goodluck Jonathan.

“I’m not afraid [to be jailed]… the only way this country will change is if people stop being intimidated by the state,” he said.

Sanusi, who was suspended by the President Jonathan over allegations of misconduct, has rejected the claims against him, insisting he was removed for highlighting alleged widespread corruption in the oil and gas sector.

Mad woman gives birth to twins in public

AN unidentified female lunatic on Wednesday at the busy Eku junction in Ethiope East Local Government Area of Delta State gave birth to a set of male and female twins with the assistance of concerned female citizens in the area.

It was gathered that the lunatic who is a regular face in the community, normally solicit for alms from street to street and sleeps at any available shelter within around the community.

Recounting the delivery process, Beatrice Ejeta, a staff of Shepherd Care International Orphanage home, stated that she was at home when the proprietor of the orphanage home called her and others that a mad woman at the Eku junction was in labour.

According to her, “I was initially worried if she would comply with us trying to assist her but when I signaled her to come with my hand, she responded. With the assistance of some female shop owners around the junction, we were able to hold her still and I coordinated the delivery with the male twin coming out leg first.

“We were delighted when the first baby came out thinking that was all and released our grip on her only for us to notice that as she trekked to an adjourning junction, another baby was coming out. Immediately, we ran back to her and delivered her of the second child which was a girl.”

Though a community source disclosed that nobody has claimed responsibility for her pregnancy, the source stated that the babies were taken to the Eku Baptist Government hospital for medical attention.

Confirming the presence of the babies in the hospital, the Public Relation Officer, PRO of Eku Baptist Government hospital, Mr. Sagay Tuoyo stated that though he has not been fully briefed on the matter, the hospital is equipped with facilities to handle the immediate demands and challenges of the babies.

Four Edo govt officials arrested over cult activities

Barely 24 hours after the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Solomon Arase, dispatched a special squad to Edo State to tackle the spate of cultism, kidnapping, robbery and other related crimes, the team has arrested 11 suspected leaders of cult groups in the state, among them, four state government functionaries.

Police sources said the team, led by the Deputy Commissioner of Police in-charge of Federal Special Anti-robbery Squad, FEDSARS, Chris Ezike, stormed the hideout of the cultists few hours after arriving Benin City and successfully arrested leaders of cult confraternities for alleged complicity and murder of 10 Nigerians in the last one month in Edo State.

The cult leaders were arrested on suspicion of conspiratorial involvement in  alleged murder of one Ojo Ayeadu, 55, at old Benin-Auchi Road  and nine other persons at different locations in Benin City and its environs.

Reacting to the development, an Edo State Government official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said: “Those arrested, from what we gathered, are junior workers of the War Against Indiscipline. The state governor does not condone cultism, which explains why when one of his bodyguards was accused of being involved in cultism, he ordered his arrest, which was done immediately.”

IGP Arase

Confirming the arrests, Force Public Relations Officer, Ag Commissioner of Police, Mr Emmanuel Ojukwu, told Vanguard on phone: “Yes, a good number of arrests has been made, irrespective of their status.  The figures are still coming in.  The thrust of the IG is yielding positive results.”

Sources said the suspects include Engr. David Olukoga, 46, who is the Chairman, Edo State Committee on War Against Indiscipline and  Senior Special Assistant on Youth Enhancement to the Governor of the State, Osunde Aigbedo, 48; Executive Director, Special Duties, Government House, Edo State, Dr. Salako Adebowale, 43, of UBTH, Benin-City; Ernest Amadasun, 49, the Managing Director, Pohien Investments and National Coordinator, Human Assistant Initiative and Adebo Ejuaoje, 46, of the Ministry of Education, Science and Tech Vocational, Iyaro, Benin City.

Other arrested suspects, according to police sources, include Isabor Larry, 34, staff of Edo State House of Assembly; Totti Omonuwa, 42, of No. 97, Igun Street, Benin-City, Ahunwan-ID Orlando, 39, of No. 2, Ighodalo Street, Benin-City; Josuah Ehiabhi, 36, of No. 11, Upper Mission Road, off Ewa Raod, Benin-City; Felix Evbodi, 46, of No. 12, Aibelegbe Street, Benin-City and Uche Chukwuka, 36, the Private Secretary to the Chairman, Committee on Environment, Ministry of Environment, Edo State.

They were alleged to belong to Eiye, Black Axe, Buccaneers, Aiye and Jurist confraternities.

The suspects, Vanguard gathered, denied complicity in the murder charge but made very useful statements to the police.  It was learned from sources that the suspects, with others at large, have been fingered as brains behind the sustained and vicious inter and intra-cult war that engulfed Edo State in recent times leading to avoidable loss of lives.

It was gathered that following the development, the Inspector-General of Police ordered that robust and coordinated anti-robbery patrols of identified black spots along Isua – Ibillo Road, Ibillo –Lakpese – Okene roads while all Area Commanders and Divisional Police Officers in the area are to partake in the special operation.

We planned Lekki bank robbery in 24 hours – SUSPECT

Police in Lagos have arrested four suspected members of the 22-man robbery gang that invaded the Lekki branch of First City Monument Bank, FCMB, two months ago in Lagos, killing five persons.

Recovered from the suspects were a 2008 model Honda Accord car purchased by one of the suspects from his share of the loot; a white Blackberry Z10 phone, one Apple i-Phone 5, one military face cap, used during the operation, and 120 expended ammunition.

Preliminary investigation revealed that some of the suspects were oil bunkerers recruited from Delta, Ondo states and Arepo in Ogun State. They were identified as Duke Odogbo, 38; Lawrence Kingsley, 31; Ebi Tosan, 20, and Ekelemo Kuete, 30.

One of the suspects, Odogbo, who gave a graphic explanation of how the bank robbery took place, revealed that it took the gang 24 hours to plan the operation at Tarkwa Bay.

He further told a crowd at the Police Command headquarters, where they were paraded, that his share of the N15 million loot was N500,000.

‘I was invited from Warri’
According to him, “I was invited by a friend from Warri, Delta State, to come for bunkering job. But on reaching Lagos, I was told it was a bank robbery.

“I told them I was into bunkering and not robbery. But because they told me we were going to make much money from it, I decided to join them.
“On the day of the operation, we left Tarkwa Bay at about 4.30 p.m., in two boats; with 11 persons on each. But one of the boats developed fault on the way. We all entered the good one.

“We got to the bank few minutes after 5p.m. Immediately we left the canal, some of us went to the road and started firing, thereby making way for those of us that would go inside. I led the team that went in.

“We were all putting on Army camouflage. I shattered the entrance glass with bullets and when we got inside, we demanded for the money realized for that day. The manager told us they did not make much.

“But we broke into one of their strong rooms where we got some money. We also broke into two ATM boxes, but there was no money in either of them. We told ourselves that the operation must not exceed 40 minutes.

“To my surprise, by the time we were leaving, I discovered that my colleagues were with seven extra rifles. When I asked, they said they saw some policemen in a van, concluded they were there for us and shot at them. I was not the one that shot the policemen. I did not kill anyone.

“It was when we got to the forest, located in an island in Ikorodu that we discovered that the amount stolen was N15 million and I got N500,000. I used my share to boost my bunkering business.”

I was in charge of  the boat—Kuete

On his part, Kuete confessed that he drove one of the speed boats, adding that he was given N50,000 at the end of the operation.
Kuete, who resides at Arepo area of Ogun State, said: “I must confess, I knew that we were going to rob a bank. I am a bunkerer at Arepo and I make at least N80,000 from each operation.

“I was hired to take them to the bank. I remained in the boat with four others, while the rest left for the bank.
“When they came back, we headed straight for our hideout, where our leaders shared the money according to individual’s involvement. I got N50,000.”

The dead
Parading the suspects before journalists, the command boss gave the identities of those who lost their lives in the operation as Inspector Bethel Agbobu, Sergeant Odehowho George, Corporal Imoise Ikechukwu, Mr. Sowemimo Kabiru and Miss Sarah Ibikunle, the 15-year-old girl, who sold fish close to the bank.

President Jonathan's Mother Leaves Aso Villa

Madam Eunice Jonathan, the mother of incumbent President Goodluck, has moved into the family home in Otuoke, Bayelsa state as part of the ongoing plan to move out of the presidential villa ahead of the handover date of May 29. 

It was reported recently that President Jonathan would be moving into an estate in his home town of Otuoke when he leaves office. His estate covers a large expanse of land contrasting sharply with its rustic surroundings in Otuoke, the small island community in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

Over the past few weeks, work has been stepped up on the estate which overlooks a creek that links Otuoke to other coastal communities of Bayelsa. Last week, his mother relocated to the newly refurbished estate as she did not return to Abuja with the president.

A source from the presidency said “It is not an abnormal thing for the president’s mother to have relocated to the village after the president lost his re-election bid. Do you expect her to remain at the State House till May 29 when the president will hand over?”  

They are both expected to return to Otuoke together on May 29, by which time all renovation work on the seven acre estate is expected to have been completed.

However the estate is dominated by a central mansion while new structures including guest chalets, staff quarters and storage facilities have been erected around the main building which will be befitting for a former president.

Ever since President Jonathan lost the presidential election very little has been seen of his wife Dame Patience Jonathan until May 10 when she was spotted at the Thanksgiving and farewell service organized in his honour.

‘Nigerians will value Jonathan in the future’

FORMER Minister of Police Affairs, Alaowei Broderick Bozimo, has said that Nigerians will value President Goodluck Jonathan later for his love and sacrifice for the country, insisting that the outgoing president is a hero.

Bozimo made the statement at Erhowha in Isoko South Local Government Council of Delta State weekend during the burial of his late father in-law, Chief Ezekiel Ukodie.

Bozimo also said that it was wrong to blame the spate of insecurity in Nigeria on exhibition of lack of courage or selfish political considerations by President Goodluck Jonathan.

The former minister on the issue of Boko Haram asserted that nobody could state with certainty what was the genesis of Boko Haram just like the root cause of ISIS and other terrorist groups.

Bozimo said that it could not also be rightly said that economic reasons such as unemployment were the cause of the religious fanaticism and the related reign of violence in Nigeria and other parts of the world.

“You can see what is happening all over the world. I doubt if it is because of economic circumstances. I don’t subscribe to that.”

According to him, “When I left (as Police Affairs Minister) in 2007 Boko Haram has just started rearing its ugly head. They were coming in from the Borno axis and I visited there; they burnt down police stations.

“We thought it wasn’t anything serious or that it was a passing thing, we did the best we could to arrest the situation. So, I don’t think it’s unemployment.”

We’re leaving solid economic legacies behind — Okonjo-Iweala

The Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, said yesterday that despite the economic challenges the country is facing, the Jonathan administration is leaving some solid economic legacies for the incoming Buhari government.

Insisting that “the allegations that the economy is in ruins are absolutely untrue,” the minister warned those she claimed were running the economy down for political gains, saying there could be unintended consequences of loss of investor confidence in the Nigerian economy.

*Finance Minister, Ngozi-Okonjo-Iweala

According to her, “we cannot take away the fact that the Jonathan administration, in spite of the challenges caused by 50 per cent decline in the price of oil, has made a clear and measurable difference in many important areas and anyone who says nothing has been done and nothing is being left behind is being very unfair to facts and to history.

“Attempts to rewrite history will not stand. You cannot just wipe the slate clean for political reasons. We are not perfect but no one can take away the fact that we are leaving some good legacies behind.”

Sweeping, negative statements not in nation’s interest

The minister also advised politicians and opinion leaders not to talk down the economy because negative and unfactual comments on the economy can have negative impact on the economy, the exchange rate and the stock market and reduce investor confidence. Her words: “These negative and unsubstantiated comments are not wise because they can lead to what we do not want for the economy.

“There is nothing wrong with factual assessments of the economy. I have always told Nigerians the truth about the economy. But sweeping and negative statements are not in the interest of the country. The statements being made by some personalities about the economy collapsing are not only incorrect they are also potentially dangerous.

Sectors that witnessedgreat revolution

She identified the agricultural sector which has seen the rise in food production with attendant positive effect on food prices as one major legacy of the Jonathan government. She then listed other sectors that witnessed great revolution which include “the National Industrial Revolution scheme and the Automotive Policy whose implementation has led to the opening of factories for car manufacturing and assembly for the first time in the country.

“The impressive rise in the cement production due to positive government policies. Nigeria is now a net exporter of cement “The creation of about 1.4 million jobs a year out of the 1.8m needed. “Various job creation and job enhancement schemes such as Youwin which has seen the creation of over 27,000 jobs by young entrepreneurs sponsored and trained by government for other youths; the Graduate Internship Scheme.

“The creation of the NMRC which is helping to create a mortgage market and is helping to provide affordable housing for Nigerians. “The recently launched Development Bank of Nigeria which will help to achieve strong growth of small businesses by providing SMEs, for the first time in recent memory, affordable interest loans of up to 10 years.

“The support for the creative industries which has helped to strengthen the capacity of script writers, producers, directors and other professionals in the motion picture industry and led, in turn, to the production of higher quality films, and creation of more jobs.”

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Don’t be northern Nigeria’s president, Maitama Sule charges Buhari

Elder Statesman and former Nigeria’s Permanent Representatives to the United Nations, UN, Maitama Sule, has charged President-elect, General Mohammadu Buhari, to see himself as a Nigerian President and not only President of  Northern Nigeria when sworn in on May 29. Referring to Buhari’s election as an act of God, Sule also asked him to use the opportunity to correct the social ills of the past.

Maitama Sule spoke yesterday, when he led a delegation of northern elders, including Professor Ango Abudalhi, to pay a congratulatory visit to Buhari in Abuja.

According to him, God granted Nigeria a peaceful election against scary predictions that the country would disintegrate in 2015.

Extolling the virtues of discipline and uprightness in Buhari, the elder states man also urged him to relentlessly pursue justice and make truth his watch word throughout his tenure.

He said:  “You are the president of Nigeria, you are not the president of Northern Nigeria by the grace of God. Your excellency, we have come to congratulate you.

‘’We first of all thank God. What has recently happened to Nigeria is an act of God. Nobody can claim credit for it. Allah has done it for us. Allah has listened to our prayers and our pleas to bring about this change, a change for the betterment of all.

“Nobody expected that the elections would be peaceful, nobody expected that the elections would not lead to the disintegration of the country. By the grace of God, the elections were held peacefully.

‘’We are living in peace with one another. By the grace of God, power will also be handed over to you  (Buhari) and we’ll be living peacefully thereafter by the grace of God.

“On many occasions, I’ve called   for a revolution  but I made it quite clear that I was not calling for a violent or bloody revolution.

“I wanted a kind of revolution led by Mahatma Gandhi, non-violent, bloodless revolution with the philosophy of Sathia Gria. A revolution is a change of attitude.

“Glory be to God, having listened to our prayers, he gave us somebody who has a good record of being a man of God, a truthful man, a man of integrity, a man of discipline.

‘’Yes, you (Buhari) were a military leader. I’ve always said it that when you were a military leader, you instilled discipline into our society.  You fought corruption and you gave Nigeria a sense of direction.

“I am sure you will not compromise your principle but you’ll bring justice, wisdom and diplomacy. I’m sure you’ll not compromise your principline. Let it be the same Buhari that gave the country a sense of direction when he was a military leader.”

My wives know am a criminal - suspect

A 27-year-old suspected kidnapper, Rasheed Adetunji, who was paraded alongside other suspects, has confessed that his two wives knew he was a criminal and not a kidnapper.

He also revealed that he used part of the ransom money collected from victims to get married to them.

According to the Osun State-born Adetunji, his love for women is responsible for his having two wives at his age and had hoped to marry more before he was arrested.

He told Vanguard that one of his wives had a premonition of his current travails and warned him to stay away from members of his gang.

He regretted that he would miss his wives and family who, he claimed, he was trying to make happy.

On how he joined the kidnapping gang, he said it was Niyi Omosola that introduced and placed him and other members of the gang on an oath administered by a native doctor, known as Baba.

Rasheed

The other suspects are Ifeanyi Chukwuleta, 25, from Oguta in Imo State, and Kolawale Alani, 26, from Ekiti State.

The suspects were arrested after the kidnap of a 62-year-old woman, Kudirat Adeboye, along Eleko-Epe Expressway by six armed men.

It was gathered that the gang contacted the victim’s family and demanded N50 million but eventually accepted N3 million after six days of keeping the victim.

The kidnappers directed the victim’s son to drop the money at a spot on Ijebu-Ode Road, where one of the kidnappers came out from the bush to collect the ransom.

Operatives of Special Anti-robbery Squad, SARS, who were deployed to the area pursued the kidnappers and one of them, Niyi Omosola, was caught.

He said it was Omosola that took operatives to a forest along Epe Road where the victim was rescued. Omosola later died from the gunshot injuries he sustained.

I’ll pay every HIV-positive South African N0.84m to wear a tatoo — ZUMA

CONFIRMED HIV positive South Africans that volunteer to be marked near their genital area with a  tatoo depicting their status, will in addition to free counselling and medication. be paid an equivalent of N840, 000 (50 000 Rands) each, according to a  bill newly signed by President Jacob Zuma.

The bill, according to a report by Radio City, a local South  African radio station, is widely regarded as one of the greatest steps in the history of combating the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the country which has the highest HIV prevalence in Africa.

Zuma who is reported to to have volunteered to be the first South African citizen to get hisHIV status tatted near his genitals, however  announced that only the first 10 million people (who already tested positive) to volunteer to have their HIV statuses tatted on their genitals would be given the money in form of a funeral expense voucher.

After signing the bill, Zuma was quoted as saying: “The mark is to protect those who can’t say no to sex. I mean if you can’t read between the lines you should read between the legs because that’s where the status would be tatted.

“The choice to be HIV positive is now in your hands or your genitals for that matter…. We also encourage those who had been living with the virus to go to the nearest public hospitals to get their status tatted in,” he noted.

South Africa has the world’s highest HIV caseload and premature deaths of 300,000 people. The government is distributing life-prolonging anti-retroviral drugs to people infected with the virus.

Particularly, HIV-positive infants and children  under one year obtain free ARVs, while pregnant women and patients with  tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS with CD4 cell counts below 350 are treated free.

In 2006, Zuma faced charges of raping an HIV-positive family friend, and was ridiculed for testifying that he took a shower after sex to lower the risk of infection with HIV. His determination to help millions South Africans infected with HIV and around 60,000 babies born HIV infected each year.

“Let there be no more shame, no more blame, no more discrimination and no more stigm. Let the politicisation and endless debates about HIV and AIDS stop,” Zuma noted.

Many factors contribute to the wide spread of HIV in the country. These include: poverty; inequality and social instability; high levels of sexually transmitted infections; the low status of women; sexual violence; high mobility (particularly migrant labour); limited and uneven access to quality medical care; and a history of poor leadership in the response to the epidemic.

HIV and AIDS estimates by UNAIDS (2013), show that the number of people living with HIV in South Africa averages 6.3 million. Adults aged 15 to 49 have average prevalence rate of 19.1 percent while youths aged 15 and above living with HIV number 5.9 million.

Women aged 15 and above living with HIV number  3. 5 million while children aged 0 to 14 living with the virus are 3.6 million in number.

Total deaths due to AIDS range between 170,000 – 220,000, while an estimated 2.4 million orphans aged 0 to 17 months due to AIDS are on record.

Woman, 70, kidnaps 3-yr-old-girl in Kwara; uses her for begging

It was drama in Ilorin, yesterday, as Kwara State Police Command  arrested a 70-year-old woman (names withheld) for allegedly kidnapping a three-year-old girl (names withheld).

Speaking in an interview with journalists, a relative of the girl’s mother, Mrs. Maryam Abdulganiyu, said the girl was found in a worship place, popularly called Ori-Oke at Basin area of Ilorin, being used by the suspect for begging.

She added that the suspect had claimed that she used the proceeds from the alms begging to feed and clothe the girl.

Vanguard gathered that the girl was declared missing on March 25 by her parents, who reside at Old Shao Garage, Ilorin.

Father of the girl was said to have approached a cleric at Ori-Oke. While the search for the girl was on, her grandfather, Mallam Isa, went to the same Ori-Oke to worship and saw the septuagenarian with the missing girl.

He was said to have alerted the man of God in charge of the centre that he had seen his missing grandchild with an unknown person.

They accosted the woman, who claimed the child was her grandchild. An argument followed and t he matter was reported to the police at Basin Divisional Police Station, Ilorin.

Police reportedly detained the two persons laying claim to the child and another suspect, while investigation into the matter was still ongoing.

However, relations of the victim requested the police to probe the suspect thoroughly, saying the girl appeared to be psychologically imbalanced and could hardly remember her name.

Contacted, the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Mr. Ajayi Okasanmi, who confirmed the arrest, said the victim had been released to her parents.

Buhari rejects ministerial list from APC governors

President-elect Buhari appeared to have dashed the hopes of the governors elected on the platform of the APC when he rejected their plans to submit a ministerial list to him.

The APC governors, led by Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State, had, last Tuesday, visited Buhari in Abuja to pledge loyalty and make some demands. At the meeting, some requests were placed on the table openly, while the request to drop the list of possible ministers came up for discussion behind the closed door.

Sources close to the meeting between the governors and General Buhari indicated that the state chief executives came out of the visit with heavy minds.

Planning to maintain the tradition already instituted by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) where the state governors as party leaders in the states are requested to submit list of possible ministers and Ambassadorial appointees to the president, the governors threw the request at Buhari.

But it was learnt that the General rejected the proposal and declared that the Constitution does not mandate him to take a list of ministerial nominees from them.

The president-elect was also said to have rejected the call for a bailout for the states that have been unable to pay salaries, with a source informing Sunday Tribune that the General flatly rejected the proposal, saying the he was aware the Federal Government was not owing the states their allocations.

A source close to the discussion told the Sunday Tribune that General Buhari told the governors that those of them in their second terms could not complain about the state of government finances, as they have all been collecting allocations from the Federal Government all along.

The source quoted Buhari as saying that “I do not think we can discuss that issue of Ministerial list. The Constitution clearly does not mandate me to take a list from the governors. To me, the governors should concentrate on getting good hands to help them in discharging their duties in the states.”

Do not expect radical revolution from Buhari - Okogie

The Catholic Archbishop Emeritus, Anthony Cardinal Okogie, on Sunday told Nigerians not to expect too much from the President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, stressing that change is a gradual process.

 Okogie gave the advice in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos. The cardinal said, “Nigeria seems to be on a collision course with destiny and the hopes of many are hanging in the balance.

 I can understand the sense of urgency and expediency in the expectations of Nigerians. “Yet, sincerely, I think we are expecting too much too soon.

Change will come but it will be gradual but
surely. “It will amount to putting the cart before the horse to expect radical revolution from the General. “We must exercise patience and give him chance to deliver on his promises.

 What he needs more than anything is our support, cooperation, collaboration and goodwill.” Okogie urged Buhari to focus on providing quality governance on assuming office, and pay less attention to distractions.

 He advised the President-elect to adhere to the blueprint and road-map of his party that had brought about growth and development in the states, where they had been implemented. The renowned cleric said, “It is
heartening to know that he has made anti-corruption campaign the metier of his administration.

 “In order for this not to run out of steam, he must build institutions, both formal and informal, that will fight corruption and ensure Nigeria becomes a society of law abiding citizens. “His transition team and board of advisers should shun the temptation to secure their selfish interest and come up with pragmatic action plan that will help the president-elect to realise his goal.

” Okogie said the task ahead of the President-elect was enormous and appealed to him to explore available economic and social opportunities in rebuilding the nation.

 “More than anything, the Gen. Buhari-led government must run an inclusive government of credible people with requisite competence that will ensure that no part of the country is left behind,’’ he said.

 According to him, Buhari must do so bearing in mind the fact that he will preside over a nation that comprises people who voted for him, people who did not vote for him and people who did not vote at all. He added, “He must ensure that no group, class, gender or religion is discriminated against politically, economically, socially and infrastructurally.

 “This is the watershed moment to break the walls of ethnicity, elitism and religious bigotry that has continued to polarise the fragile unity of our nation.

 “He has a duty to turn the nation into a bridge in which every person, irrespective of his background and orientation, would see the state as a collaborator and an ally through which his dreams and ambitions can be realised.”    

Friends deserted me – Jonathan

Outgoing President Goodluck Jonathan said Sunday that some of his friends deserted him shortly after he conceded defeat to his rival General Muhammadu Buhari in the March election.

Jonathan publicly conceded defeat to Buhari on March 31, a decision which was commended by local and foreign commentators and doused tension in the country.

“Some hard decisions have their own costs. No doubt about that. It is a very costly decision but I must be very ready to pay for it,” Jonathan said during a farewell church service in Abuja.

Thanksgiving & Farewell service in honour of President Jonathan & First Lady, Patience at the Church of the Advent, Abuja, Sunday.

Jonathan’s public admission of defeat in the nail-biting election came more than six hours after he rang Buhari to concede, earning him widespread praise for statesmanship.

“If you take certain decisions, you should know that people close to you will even abandon you at some point. I tell people that more of my so-called friends will disappear.”

Many party faithful and erstwhile loyalists of Jonathan have either crossed over to Buhari’s All Progressives Congress or made harsh statements against Jonathan’s party or its leaders.

Jonathan said he was not surprised by the desertions or statements by his former loyalists, adding that former South African president Frederik de Klerk faced a similar situation when he decided to abolish minority rule in that country.

Jonathan said that de Klerk’s marriage to his wife, Marike, broke down after he took that decision.

“But that is the only decision that made South Africa to still be a global player. If by this time we still have minority rule in South africa, nobody would have been talking about South Africa in the present generation,” he said.

He said that ministers who served under him should brace themselves for “persecution” following his loss and his decision to concede defeat.

Buhari, a former military leader, is scheduled to be sworn into office on May 29.

Six armed robbery suspects killed by Police in Delta

Six suspected armed robbers have been shot dead by the police in the Delta State.

It was learned that three of the suspects were killed in a gun duel with the police Friday night in the Ughelli metropolis, Ughelli North Local Government Area of the state.

Two suspected armed robbers were killed in Afiesere community and another in Iyede, Isoko North Local Government Area.

Briefing newsmen on the Friday incident, Area Commander in charge of the Ughelli Area command, Mr. Alali Pedro, said the police had engaged a gang of armed robbers operating in the metropolis “and three of them were gunned down.”

The Real Reason We Published Fayose’s Hate Advert On Buhari - The Sun

Mr Femi Adesina, The Sun’s Editor-in-Chief, four months after publishing a hate advert sponsored by Gov. Ayo Fayose on Gen. Buhari has explained why his publication, The Sun newspaper published it. According to him, the owner of a media house has a ‘major’ influence in its publication.

While speaking during this year’s World Press Freedom Day in Lagos, on the topic ‘Influence of Media Owners on 

Fair and Balanced Reporting and Commentaries in 2015 Election,’Mr Adesina explained why he approved the hate advert and even said if Nigerians had seen the original advert sent to him, he wondered how they would have reacted, explaining that the one published by them was a toned-down version. Hear him;

“That hate advert, two newspapers published it, The Sun and The Punch.”

“Now you can ask me: why did we publish? That advert came on a Sunday, January 18th, and we published it on 

January 19th. The advert that was eventually published had been watered down considerably. I came back from church, I opened my system and when I saw it I screamed.

“It had been sent to me from the office to clear for publication. When I saw it I screamed. I then called Bolaji Tunji, our Executive Director, Special Services, ‘Can we publish this and Nigeria will not burn?’ Then we began to discuss and we began to tone it down. We removed so many things from that advert. And what eventually appeared on January 19th was the toned-down version.

“So if we had published the original…. So it was the toned-down version that I approved that they eventually sent to The Punch that appeared the next day.”

Mr. Adesina explained that he is widely regarded as an “APC man” although he does not belong to the party, and that rejecting the advert would have meant trouble from Orji Uzor Kalu, the newspaper’s proprietor and a founding member of the PDP.

“Now but if you ask me, why did I approve that advert?”

“I knew that the toned-down version was still bad enough. But don’t forget the ownership of my newspaper. A PDP chieftain owns the newspaper.

“If I had rejected that advert, they would have told my publisher that this APC man has denied your paper revenue. He has rejected this advert because he doesn’t like Jonathan.

“So, after we watered it down, we decided to take it. Punch also took it. But we know the uproar that still came after it. But I tell you, if you see the original of that advert, you would still then have to commend the media.

“So ownership will always matter where press freedom is concerned. There is no freedom without boundaries and the owners will always constitute the boundary,” he said.