President Jonathan, Oritsejafor sued by Five Nigerians Over $9.3m controversial arms deal

Five  Nigerians  yesterday  approached  the Federal High court No 1 sitting in Kano  to compel President Goodluck Jonathan, and President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor,  to unravel the mystery  surrounding the $9.3 million (N1.5 bn)confiscated by the South African government.

The plaintiffs, led by Dr Saidu Ahmed Dukawa  who instituted  the matter, are seeking to compel President Jonathan  to explain the rationale behind the alleged transaction that culminated into the seizure  of  the money by the South African authorities.

Their prayers includes the handing out of the details that would clarify the tag of illegal deal embellished on the transaction by the South Africans, while further urging the court to compel the president to disclose the identity of those arrested in the possession of the huge sum that was confiscated.

WE ARE NOT YET CELEBRATING INDEPENDENCE – EDO IJAWS

While Nigerians both home and abroad are celebrating to mark the country’s 54th Independence from colonial rule, a time the country gained political freedom to determine its own affairs and develop at its own pace. The Ijaws of Edo State, President Goodluck Jonathan’s Kins men of Edo State origin said it is not yet independence for them.

The people said they have not seen the reason to celebrate their socio-political freedom, like every other ethnic group since the creation of the State in 1991.
If independence means political freedom and having the platform to aspire for anything either by election or by appointment, then we Ijaws of Edo State are not. speaking with newsmen in Ofunama town, the administrative headquarters of Egbema Clan in Ovia south West Local Government Area, during an expanded meeting of leaders and activist including representatives of the Joint Revolutionary Council (JRC), Front for Ijaw Survival and Hope (FISH), Samson Uroupa, who doubles as the chapter’s organizing secretary of Ijaw National Congress (INC) Edo State and National Coordinator Izon-Ebe Network for Good Governance, Justice and Accountability (INEGOJA) said, the Ijaws of Edo State are suffering the worst form of political marginalization, denial and deprivation to internal colonialism.
Whereas, the Ijaws of Edo State are in five (5) clans, balkanized into three local government areas have never produce a Local Government Chairman, House of Assembly member or have been appointed as Commissioner or Board Chairman at the State level not to talk of national level.

Speaking further, the people said, it was never as bad as this even in the pre-independent era. The Ijaws of present day Edo State who formed part of the then Western Ijaws were having three operational District council areas, namely Ofunama District council with headquarters at Ofunama Town; Ekenwan District Council with headquarters at Ekenwan and Siluko District Council with headquarters at Siluko Community respectively, recognized by Mr.
H. F. Marshall, the then District intelligent Officer of Western Region (1936). Ordinarily, these District Councils supposed to have been local government areas councils for the Ijaws people. Outside that, the then Bendel State constituent Assembly report of 1988 also recommended that the Ijaws of Ovia Local Government deserves a separate local government of their own to enable them have a platform to develop at their own pace, but that too did not come to pass, what then does independence mean to such people?

On his part, the technical adviser on media, Joint Revolutionary Council (JRC) Comrade Duduka Zumami said, we may soon be forced to speak in a language that is even audible to the deaf that all is not well with the Ijaws of Edo State.

PDP begs Obasanjo for forgiveness, asks him to lead them

Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national chairman has led his party to ask for forgiveness from former president of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo.

Mu’azu made the appeal after former Ogun state governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel asked for forgiveness from the two-time president. Mu’azu who commended Daniel for openly appealing to former President Obasanjo for forgiveness also pleaded for forgiveness on behalf of the party.

“I want to join Governor Daniel to appeal to our Baba, President Olusegun Obasonjo, to forgive us. We are your children and we have been making mistakes; we had made mistakes and so we apologise.

“Please Baba, we apologise, come and lead us, even the president is waiting for you to come and lead us; you are our leader, we appreciate you, we thank you for your leadership and your courage,” he said.

Mu’azu, however, said that power and glory belonged to God who made all decisions.

Earlier, Daniel who was at the PDP Headquarters in Abuja appealed to Obasanjo for forgiveness, if he had in anyway erred against him.

He made the appeal at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National headquarters, where he formally announced his return to the PDP from Labour Party.

President Jonathan isn’t Worth $100m:Reoprt is baseless-Presidency

A US-based website, Richest Lifestyle, listed President Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria as the 6th Richest African president.

In the article titled, ‘Richest African Presidents 2014′ , the US website compiled a list of the nine richest presidents and kings in Africa and according to the article, President Jonathan is worth $100million.

President Goodluck Jonathan has however reacted to the list and has threatened legal action Wednesday calling the report baseless and an attempt to incite Nigerians against him.

The United States-based publication, Richest Lifestyle, ranked Mr. Jonathan alongside King Mswati III of Swaziland, both men reportedly worth $100 million (about N16.5 billion).

The presidency condemned the publication, and described it as another attempt to unjustifiably portray Mr. Jonathan as a corrupt leader.

According to presidential spokesperson, Reuben Abati, there was no factual basis to the report. The presidency demanded a retraction of the “libellous” publication and an apology, vowing to institute a legal action within and outside Nigeria.

In a statemennt, the presidency said, “We have noted with consternation the listing of President Goodluck Jonathan by a website – RichestLifestyle[.]com – as the sixth richest African President with an estimated net worth of $100 Million U.S. Dollars.

“The Presidency condemns the totally unwarranted inclusion of President Jonathan in the publication titled “Africa’s Richest Presidents 2014” as another attempt to unjustifiably portray the President as a corrupt leader and incite public disaffection against him.

“We therefore demand a retraction and an unreserved apology from Richest Lifestyle.com and all those who have reproduced the offensive article. Otherwise, they should be prepared to substantiate their libelous claims against the president in courts of law within and outside Nigeria.”

The president, till date, has not publicly declared his asset.

As vice president, Mr. Jonathan managed to declare his asset, apparently prodded by then President Umar Yar’adua.

In the assets he made public at the time, the then Vice President Jonathan said he had not bought any car of his own even after serving as deputy governor, governor and vice president. The only car Mr. Jonathan admitted to owning, was a gift. He also listed other properties, including a boat.

Richest Lifestyle did not state how it arrived at its figure of $100 million except that Goodluck Jonathan is the President of Nigeria. His net worth is estimated to be around $100 million. He launched a ‘Roadmap for Power Sector Reform’, launched the Youth Enterprise with Innovation in Nigeria and launched the Transformation Agenda. He is a member of the ruling ‘People Democratic Party’.

The presidency in a reaction said the report was flawed and without basis.

“We categorically assert that there is no factual basis for ranking President Jonathan as the sixth richest African Head of State with a net worth of about $100 Million U.S. Dollars.  As is well known, President Jonathan has never been a businessman or entrepreneur, but a life-long public servant.

“The President has held public office since 1999 and has regularly declared his assets as required by Nigerian laws. He has had no personal income since 1999 other than his official remuneration as deputy governor, governor, vice president, acting president and president which are matters of public record.

“There has been no significant variation in the totality of his personal assets as contained in his last declaration to the Nigerian Code of Conduct Bureau in 2011 which, as can be verified, was a very, very far cry from the $100 million figure now being bandied about by Richest Lifestyle.com and other irresponsible, copy-cat publications.

“The clear and unacceptable imputation of the claim that President Jonathan is now worth about $100 Million is that the President has corruptly enriched himself while in office which is certainly not the case,” it said.

Fuel subsidy:Bayelsa, Other States drags FG to Supreme Court over deductions

Governments of the 36 states in the country are challenging at the Supreme Court, Federal Government’s deductions of funds for fuel subsidy and related expenses from crude oil proceeds before making payment into the Federation Account.

They are unconvinced about the federal government’s transparency in its handling of proceeds from crude oil sales and urged the apex court to stop the practice.
The states, in a suit filed by their Attorneys General, described as “unwholesome and unconstitutional,” the practice of deducting “fuel subsidy funds and other expenditure from oil proceeds before it is paid into the Federation Account.”

They contended that the practice by the federal government, carried out through the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation formed one of the measures through which the FG shortchanges the states and local governments.

The states claimed that the practice has occasioned inaccuracies in the computation of oil revenue remitted to the Federation Account by the FG and its relevant agencies and urged the court to abolish the practice.

Nigerian postgraduates set to outnumber Indian students in UK universities

In the UK, China accounts for 44% of growth in the international postgraduate market. Photograph: Rii Schroer/Rex Features
Claire Shaw and Rebecca Ratcliffe
Tuesday 7 October 2014 07.00 BST

Nigeria will soon overtake India to become the UK’s second biggest source of international postgraduate students, according to research compiled by the British Council.

Forecasting by the organisation suggests that the UK will host 241,000 postgraduate international students by 2024, allowing it to remain one of the top two destinations for studying a postgrad abroad – second only to the US.

But researchers warn the UK is too dependent on China for its international numbers, and that it is losing out on Indian students. Demographic changes mean India’s appetite for higher education is expanding quickly and providing a source of international postgrad students that the US is exploiting.

While in the UK, China accounts for 44% of growth in the international postgraduate market, this figure stands at 33% in the US. More than half (54%) of the US’ international students arrive from India – which, by 2024, will be home to the largest tertiary-aged population, numbering over 119 million.

“No single market should drive the growth and composition of a country’s incoming postgraduate body,” said Zainab Malik, director of research for British Council education intelligence. “As such, it is essential for institutions and policy-makers to continue to attract students from expanding economies besides China and India, including Nigeria, Indonesia, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Vietnam.”

The study forecasts that the annual growth rate of the UK’s international postgraduate numbers will dip over the next 10 years, falling 4.1% during the period 2007-12 to 3.5% between 2013-24. This means the UK’s international postgraduate market will grow more slowly than the US, Canada and Australia.

The predictions for the next decade were generated by researchers who examined the demographic and economic data for 23 origin countries and six destination countries, as well as examining historical trends. The study did not look at the impact of specific political factors such as visa arrangements.

Whats happening to other destinations – and who will be leading the way by 2024?

Australia and Canada are forecast to have the highest annual average growth rate of international postgraduate students, at 4.1% each.

China is expected to account for 44% of growth in international postgraduate students going to study in the UK.
Over half (54%) of the US’ growth in international postgraduate students is expected to come from India.
In absolute terms, the US is set to be the fastest-growing destination for international postgraduate students over the next decade, with an increase of 154,000 students expected by 2024. The UK is set to see an increase of 83,000, Australia 42,000 and Germany 39,000.
The UK is expected to be the second-slowest growing nation, with an annual growth rate of 3.5% from 2012 to 2024, which is only ahead of Japan.

Why is demand for postgraduate degrees increasing?

Countries around the world are recognising the important role that education plays in creating a skilled workforce that meets the needs of industry and employers. As a result, there has been a huge increase in undergraduate enrolment the world over. The ever-changing marketplace has allowed for the growth of emerging economies, particularly in Asia, where students are looking to gain the qualifications they need to better their chances of getting a skilled job. This increase in undergraduate students has had a knock on effect, and seen more graduates applying for higher-level study.

Some countries are actively fuelling this enrolement growth, such as Australia, which saw an increase of more than 5% in the first two years of the policy since it lifted the cap on student numbers in 2012. And the UK is set to do the same next year. Universities too, are having a big impact. Since research output plays an increasingly important role in determining university funding and where they are ranked in the world, universities are looking to expand their talent pool by recruiting postgrad students.

Although a large proportion of international students is still expected to come from China, the number of postgraduate students elsewhere who are looking to study overseas is increasing rapidly. The growth rate of internationally mobile postgraduate students is especially high in Nigeria ( 8.3%) India ( 7.5%), Indonesia ( 7.2%), Pakistan ( 6.4%) and Saudi Arabia ( 5.2%).

Culled from: the guardian (UK)