PDP warns state chapters against endorsing any gov aspirants

Less than a month after the National Executive Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party endorsed President Goodluck Jonathan as its sole candidate for the 2015 election, the party has warned its state chapters against giving the same privilege to any governorship aspirant.
It said that it would be wrong for its state chapters to endorse any of the governorship aspirants, saying only the NEC of the party has such powers under the party’s constitution.

This warning was contained in a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday by the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Chief Olisa Metuh.

He said the warning became necessary after the members of the National Working Committee of the party noticed that some persons were already anointing some aspirants for the position of governors. While saying that the party was not against this, he however warned elected party officials at the state level not to be part of those anointing candidates.

He said, “The NWC has noted the activities of some persons and groups supporting some aspirants for the 2015 general election at the state level.

“While the party cannot stop individuals, groups or communities from endorsing persons of their choice, the national leadership wishes to restate in the strongest possible terms that elected party officials at the state, local government and ward levels must not be involved in such, as they must remain as unbiased umpires in the nomination process.

“For the avoidance of doubt, only the National Executive Committee, as an organ of the party can officially endorse a candidate under the PDP constitution. All party officials at all levels are expected to be guided by this.”

Meanwhile, following the release of detailed guidelines for congresses and primaries for the 2015 general elections, Metuh said that the closing date for the sale of party nomination forms remains October 30.

He advised aspirants to adhere strictly to this directive as the party shall not extend the sales beyond this date.

He urges all aspirants to carefully study the guidelines and party’s code of conduct for elections and ensure that they conduct their campaigns accordingly as the PDP shall not condone any aberration or abuse of its internal electoral process.

Italy investigates $533m bribe paid to secure oil deal in Nigeria

Italian prosecutors investigating state-backed firm Eni SpA over the purchase of a Nigerian oil field three years ago allege that at least half of the $1.1 billion paid was used to bribe local politicians, intermediaries and others, according to official documents and a person close to the investigation.

The Milan prosecutors have placed the Italian oil company, its former chief executive Paolo Scaroni and current CEO Claudio Descalzi under investigation for alleged international corruption surrounding the deal for the OPL 245 offshore oil field concession.

Eni and both managers, neither of whom have been charged, have denied any wrongdoing.

Calling on their UK counterpart to assist in freezing suspect assets, Italian prosecutors said in a letter to the UK’s Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) seen by Reuters that at least $533 million was paid to Nigerian officials and intermediaries who helped secure the sale.

The case has been a setback for the government of Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, because Italy’s 39-year-old leader hand-picked company veteran Descalzi to run Eni as part of a recent management overhaul at the country’s state-controlled companies. Renzi has publicly supported Descalzi and said no conclusions should be drawn before the investigation is completed.

Eni and  Royal Dutch Shell, which is not under investigation, bought the rights to the OPL 245 offshore oil licence block from the Nigerian government in 2011.

Production from the deep water oil field is expected to begin in 2016 with the field estimated to hold up to 9.23 billion barrels of crude, equivalent to nearly a quarter of the country’s total proven reserves, according to industry figures.

An aide to Renzi told Reuters the case involving Eni, which is Italy’s biggest company by market capitalisation and the state’s biggest asset, was “not a big cause for concern at the moment.”

As part of their investigation, the Italian prosecutors in May asked the UK’s CPS to freeze $85 million in assets related to a Nigerian company, Malabu Oil & Gas, that prosecutors say was involved in the sale, according to a copy of the official request sent by the Milan investigators and seen by Reuters.

Jonathan lying about poverty alleviation, job creation, electricity – APC

The All Progressives Congress, APC, Lagos State Chapter has described claims by President Goodluck Jonathan that poverty has been reduced by 50 per cent and his administration had created millions of jobs as false.

The party also advised the President to refrain from taking Nigerians for a ride by claiming that electricity had improved drastically.

In a statement issued by it’s  Publicity Secretary, Mr. Joe Igbokwe titled, ‘Nigeria at 50’ the party said power generation had not risen above 4,000Megawatts since 1999 and wondered why the Jonathan administration was boasting of improved electricity.

The APC said if it was true that millions of jobs had been created, “why did millions of youths scramble for the Nigeria Immigration Service jobs where about 20 youths were killed?”

The party said despite the occurrence of the aforementioned, Jonathan still went ahead to bestow a national honour on the Comptroller General of the NIS, Mr. David Parradang, on Monday.

The statement read in part, “Recently President Jonathan said poverty has been reduced by 50 per cent in Nigeria. Now, how can anybody believe that we have reduced poverty by 50 per cent when there is massive unemployment in the land? Are we working with statistics or is it just doing guess work? Is it just dropping mere figures to please the political hangers-on?

“Why should a President of a country be talking so off cuff in his belief that Nigerians know nothing and are not bound to interrogate? Do we just quote figures just for the sake of it thinking that we are all gullible people who will accept it hook, line and sinker? Are we not living witnesses of the NIS recruitment tragedy recently?

“Did you not witness nearly two million young Nigerians scrambling for 3000 jobs that may have been given out to girlfriends, relations and friends even before that fatal tragedy? Did you not see the tragedy of losing nearly 30 young Nigerians due to stampede for jobs that were not there in the first place?

“Did you not see one of the characters of the immigration tragedy, Mr. David Parradang, being honoured with National Award in Abuja few days back? If millions of young graduates are out of jobs, it becomes a joke taken too far when the President claims that poverty has been reduced by 50 per cent.”

At Last, Mimiko Dumps LP For PDP

After months of speculations, Ondo State Governor Olusegun Mimiko Thursday dumped Labour Party (LP), for  Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

All the members of his state House of Assembly, his cabinet members and two National Assembly’s members, as well as his supporters, defected with him from LP to PDP.

Mimiko’s formal defection took place  at the Presidential Villa,  Vice President Namadi Sambo presiding.

“I, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, following extensive consultations across the land, today finally announce the decision of members of the National Assembly from the LP in Ondo State, members of the LP in the Ondo State, members of the LP in the Ondo State House of Assembly, members of the State Executive Council and indeed all those who share our aspirations, to join the PDP” Mimiko said

President of the Senate, David Mark; Delta State Governor, Emmanuel Uduaghan, as well as PDP leaders from the South-west were all present at the event.

Before Mimiko cross-carpeted to LP on which platform he contested and won the governorship election, he was originally PDP’s member.

The governor said he decided  to defect to PDP after wide consultations with all stakeholders, in the interest of the nation and it democratic tenets .

He said the re-election of President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015 was paramount to him.

Remarking, the Senate President who expressed delight, noted that the governor returned from “self-exile.”

He charged Mimiko to play a pivotal role in the reconciliation going on within PDP’s fold.

EBOLA: Canada ships experimental vaccine to Geneva, US hospitals as precaution

Canada has shipped small amounts of its experimental vaccine for the Ebola virus to hospitals in Geneva and Atlanta, Georgia for possible use by exposed health care workers, Canadian chief public health officer Greg Taylor said on Wednesday.

Taylor said Canada “pre-shipped” some vaccine to Geneva some time ago, but that its donation to the World Health Organization of 800 to 1,000 doses remains in a Canadian government lab. Canada also shipped some vaccine to Atlanta’s Emory University Hospital and is considering shipping some of the vaccine to Canadian hospitals as a precaution as well