Obasanjo, Adeboye, Oyedepo, Jonathan meet in Abeokuta

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo and President Goodluck Jonathan met on Monday at Obasanjo’s mansion on Presidential Hilltop Estate, Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital.

Sources close to the Obasanjo home said the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye and founder of Winners’ Chapel, Bishop David Oyedepo, were at the meeting at the instance of the former President as one of conditions given by Obasanjo before any meeting with Jonathan could take place .

It was learnt that the men of God were called to be witnesses of what would transpire between Jonathan and his benefactor, Obasanjo, during the meeting after the terms of the outcome of previous series of discussions between the two were allegedly not followed by the President.

It was further learnt that Obasanjo would use the avenue to ask Jonathan salient questions to the hearing of Adeboye and Oyedepo bordering on security situation of the country, his loyalists who were weeded out of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) as well as the matter concerning the South West Organising Mobilisation Committee Chairman of PDP, Prince Buruji Kashamu, whom the former President said can’t be his leader.
The meeting still on – going as at the time of filing the report by 9:32pm.

However, earlier on Monday, Jonathan had arrived the M.K.O stadium in Abeokuta by 3: 50pm and headed straight to the State box at the MKO Abiola stadium, Kuto, Abeokuta for re-election campaign rally.

In his campaign train were BoT Chairman, Chief Tony Anenih, Governor Olusegun Mimiko, the party National Chairman, Adamu Muazu, ex – governor Gbenga Daniel, Chief Femi Fani – Kayode, PDP governorship candidate in the state, Prince Gboyega Isiaka, state party Chairman, Bayo Dayo, former Defence Minister, Musiliu Obanikoro, the agriculture Minister, Adesina Akinwunmi among others.

Addressing the rally earlier, Jonathan who pleaded with Ogun electorate to give him their mandate the second time,acknowledged the place of the state as having played and continued to play pivotal roles in annals of the nation.

The Nation

Ijaw Group Adopts Wike for Rivers Guber Polls

A pan-Ijaw group, Ijaw Progressive Agenda, on Sunday rose from an emergency meeting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, with a resolve to support the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in Rivers State, Mr. Nyesom Wike

Briefing journalists after the meeting, National President of the body, Mr. Richard Akinakah, said they resolved to look beyond ethnic considerations in the interest of good governance and development so that the best would emerge to the benefit of the greater number of people.

According to him, the primary concern should not be political expediency, though to massage the sensibilities and belongingness of sections of the state, the need to carry everybody along would arise.

Akinakah submitted that after the proper captain of a ship was in place to steer it to safety, representative considerations could safely be applied as danger to the vessel would have been averted by entrusting the fate of the ship to capable hands.

“Apart from political expediency in terms of carrying all ethnic groups in Rivers State along, there is a greater need of ensuring that a capable hand that is electable is given the mandate to wrestle power from the opposition party in the state and no other person is well positioned to do it than Nyesom Wike.

“Again, when the fight to save the party from being erased from the state, following the jumping of ship by Governor Chibuike Amaechi who abandoned the party under whose platform he ascended to power, it was only the bold and hard fighting Wike that was left standing and salvaged the party; a reason some of those contending with him have a platform to stand on to agitate.

“While other candidates, some of who do not even know the name of their ward chairmen in the party were busy fighting shy, Wike played his politics and transversed all the nooks and crannies of the state, putting up structures that today fly the flag of PDP, so he has demonstrated the will to fight and win election for the party.

“Where a candidate comes from does not really matter, but the ability of the person to touch the lives of Rivers people, use their vast resources and apply it prudently so that it would yield the best results for the people to enjoy. Our primary concern should be if the candidate is good and has a developmental agenda for the state. There are other ways of carrying every tribe along, not necessarily by handing power to people who are not ready for it,” he insisted.

On the effect of the threat by Ijaw Elders to dump PDP if the party refuse to change Wike with a riverine candidate, he carped the elders who he said had shown that they were not politicians, pointing out that there was no place power was given to people who did not fight for it.

He said if they were good party men, they would subsume whatever interest they had in that of the party which had presented a candidate they must support; adding that to do otherwise was to railroad the party against the decision of the people whose delegates nominated him.

He assured that the chances of Wike to win the governorship election was very high which people should not under any guise, jeopardise with threats.

He further charged Wike to go on in his stride as most of the elders handing down the threat may not have even registered to vote and therefore, not have any electoral value that would affect his fortune in the elections.

He charged the elders to show good examples for the younger generation to follow instead of enthroning threats of brigandage over dialogue which resolved all problems.

Ijaw Group Adopts Wike for Rivers Guber Polls

A pan-Ijaw group, Ijaw Progressive Agenda, on Sunday rose from an emergency meeting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, with a resolve to support the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in Rivers State, Mr. Nyesom Wike

Briefing journalists after the meeting, National President of the body, Mr. Richard Akinakah, said they resolved to look beyond ethnic considerations in the interest of good governance and development so that the best would emerge to the benefit of the greater number of people.

According to him, the primary concern should not be political expediency, though to massage the sensibilities and belongingness of sections of the state, the need to carry everybody along would arise.

Akinakah submitted that after the proper captain of a ship was in place to steer it to safety, representative considerations could safely be applied as danger to the vessel would have been averted by entrusting the fate of the ship to capable hands.

“Apart from political expediency in terms of carrying all ethnic groups in Rivers State along, there is a greater need of ensuring that a capable hand that is electable is given the mandate to wrestle power from the opposition party in the state and no other person is well positioned to do it than Nyesom Wike.

“Again, when the fight to save the party from being erased from the state, following the jumping of ship by Governor Chibuike Amaechi who abandoned the party under whose platform he ascended to power, it was only the bold and hard fighting Wike that was left standing and salvaged the party; a reason some of those contending with him have a platform to stand on to agitate.

“While other candidates, some of who do not even know the name of their ward chairmen in the party were busy fighting shy, Wike played his politics and transversed all the nooks and crannies of the state, putting up structures that today fly the flag of PDP, so he has demonstrated the will to fight and win election for the party.

“Where a candidate comes from does not really matter, but the ability of the person to touch the lives of Rivers people, use their vast resources and apply it prudently so that it would yield the best results for the people to enjoy. Our primary concern should be if the candidate is good and has a developmental agenda for the state. There are other ways of carrying every tribe along, not necessarily by handing power to people who are not ready for it,” he insisted.

On the effect of the threat by Ijaw Elders to dump PDP if the party refuse to change Wike with a riverine candidate, he carped the elders who he said had shown that they were not politicians, pointing out that there was no place power was given to people who did not fight for it.

He said if they were good party men, they would subsume whatever interest they had in that of the party which had presented a candidate they must support; adding that to do otherwise was to railroad the party against the decision of the people whose delegates nominated him.

He assured that the chances of Wike to win the governorship election was very high which people should not under any guise, jeopardise with threats.

He further charged Wike to go on in his stride as most of the elders handing down the threat may not have even registered to vote and therefore, not have any electoral value that would affect his fortune in the elections.

He charged the elders to show good examples for the younger generation to follow instead of enthroning threats of brigandage over dialogue which resolved all problems.

Abia Royal Fathers Disown Chieftaincy Title Conferred on Buhari

Traditional rulers in Abia State have disowned a chieftaincy title conferred on the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Major General Muhammadu Buhari, by the traditional ruler of Eziama Aba autonomous community, Eze Isaac Ajuonu Ikonne.

The Eziama Aba monarch had on Friday honoured Buhari with the chieftaincy title of Ogbuagu I of Aba kingdom (meaning lion killer, signifying a mark of valour) when the APC presidential candidate and his entourage paid him a courtesy visit during his presidential campaign rally in Aba.

But the leadership of the Abia State Council of Traditional Rulers faulted Eze Ikonne for going beyond his domain to give a chieftaincy title encompassing the entirety of Aba, which comprises over 400 communities spread across two local government areas, namely Aba North and Aba South.

Addressing journalists at Umuahia on Sunday, the chairman of the state Council of Traditional Rulers, Eze Eberechi Dick,who is the traditional ruler of Mgboko in Obingwa local government area, chided Ikonne, the Enyi I of Eziama for usurping the powers of other traditional rulers in Aba and acted as if he was the only traditional ruler in Aba.

“Eze Isaac Ajuonu Ikonne of Aba North has no powers to install Buhari as Ogbuagu I of Aba Kingdom,” he said.

He explained that since “Aba in stricter sense is made up of two local governments, namely Aba North and Aba South while as a zone, Aba is made up of nine local government areas with over 400 communities” Eze Ikonne has no power to act on behalf of the entire royal fathers whose domains are located within Aba.

“Ikonne is therefore incompetent to give somebody title on behalf of Aba. Abia traditional rulers, hereby condemn Ikonne’s resort to politics,” the Abia royal fathers council chairman stated.

Dick further upbraided Ikonne delving into politics by using the occasion of the visit APC chieftains, including Buhari, Rochas Okorocha of Imo State and Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers State, who is also the Director General of Buhari campaign organisation, to attack Abia State Government and the Federal Government of Nigeria

“We disown him and his statements,” the enraged monarch said, adding that “reports reaching the state traditional rulers indicate that Ikonne was influenced to do what he did (hence) we shall investigate it and take appropriate actions.”

The state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Chief Anthony Agbazuere, who was present at the press conference, accused Ikonne of turning himself into an opposition party by his consistently but incoherently misdirected attacks on Abia State government led by Governor Theodore Orji.

He said it would do Ikonne a lot of good by defining his role as a royal father and choose between being a traditional ruler and active opposition politician, adding that there was no way the Eziama royal father could operate effectively if he failed to retrace his steps.

Thisday

Buhari is now a captive of Bourdillion — Agbaje

IN a manner suggestive of the new realities around the All Progressives Congress, APC, presidential candidate, Gen Mohammadu Buhari ,rtd, he has been described as a captive of his new political associates.

Peoples Democratic Party,PDP, governorship candidate in Lagos State, Mr. Jimi Agbaje who conceded that Buhari had vision that distinguished him in past, speaking at an interactive media session at the weekend, however, regretted that all his known sterling qualities have been subsumed by circumstances beyond his control.

“The Buhari of now is not the same Buhari of 2007 and 2011 and I can defend this anywhere. The Buhari of 2011 was running on his own steam. The Buhari of 2015 is a captive.

We know who is behind his running mate. We know those who put all those working in his team where they are today.

We can’t be fighting bondage in Lagos and also put ourselves in bondage at the national level. The same model that is paying out in Lagos is what they want to replicate at the national level. We have to fight it. That is the reality on ground. We have to refuse the attempt at bringing the same me failed model in Lagos State to the centre.”

Vanguard

Researcher asks court to disqualify Jonathan from contesting 2015 elections

A researcher and public affairs analyst, Mr Nkemjika Nkemjika has filed a suit before a Federal High Court in Abuja seeking to stop President Goodluck Jonathan from contesting the February 14 presidential election. In an originating summons by his counsel Chris Ugwuala,

Nkemjika seeks a declaration that the two terms limit allowed Jonathan under the 1999 Constitution as democratically elected president shall expire on May 29, 2015.

He further wants the court to declare that by the provisions of Section 135 (1) (b) and 135 (2) (b) of the 1999 Constitution,

Jonathan is not qualified for re-election either under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) platform or any other political party. He further prays that in the event that the court agrees that Jonathan is ineligible for any further election as president of Nigeria, the court should make an order nullifying the nomination of Jonathan as the PDP presidential candidate for the election.
Nkemjika further contends that the only condition that would have qualified Jonathan to lawfully contest the February 14 election is if he had won an election overseen by the Senate President in 2010 in accordance with Section 142 (2) of the Constitution and not the “Doctrine of Necessity.”

Those joined as defendants in the suit are: the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), PDP, and the National Assembly. No date has been fixed for hearing.

DSS, PDP working to postpone elections –APC

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has said the claim made by the Directorate of Security Services (DSS) about its purported findings at the party’s Data Center in Lagos was part of a plot to postpone the 2015 elections.

National Publicity Secretary of the party, Lai Mohammed, stated this in Lagos yesterday while addressing a press conference at the Data Centre where he also presented the staff of the centre arrested by the DSS during the raid.

He described the “findings” by the DSS as part of the ongoing efforts by the Jonathan Administration to postpone next month’s general elections.

“Having seen the handwriting on the wall vis-a-vis the growing rejection of the PDP by Nigerians, the Jonathan Administration has gone into a panic mode, while embarking on a plan to postpone the elections,” he said. It alleged that the DSS, which is working in cahoots with the PDP, thought that its report that the APC planned to hack into the voters’ registration Data Base of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) would raise doubts about the integrity of the voter’s register to be used for the forthcoming polls, and subsequently force a postponement of the elections since the existing register cannot be used for the polls.

Daily Trust

Fed Govt can’t account for oil money, says Fashola

PDP has failed Nigerians Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola has decried the Federal Government’s inability to properly account for the nation’s oil revenue.

He spoke at the weekend at the inauguration of the 8.5-kilometre Amedokhian-Ugboha road, as part of activities marking the sixth year anniversary of Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole’s administration.

Fashola said: “We have a national government that is unable to account for money for crude oil that they did not extract; it is the white people that are extracting it for them. The price is fixed internationally, the quantity is known, just to add up and tally.
They say it is $20 billion that is missing, some say $10 billion. Should one dollar have been missing in any responsible government? So that is why corruption and accountability is an issue in the next election.”

On the 8.5km Amedokhian-Ugboha road built by the Oshiomhole administration, Fashola said: “If a government at the state level that collects one over 96 per cent – because what the state gets is that the 36 states and Abuja share nine per cent of the total revenue. And they can do this kind of roads and all the red roofs that I have seen. Imagine what will happen, if you have a president and vice president that care.

“The story of this road is the celebration of a community that has put its votes in support of a party that used to be the party in opposition. A community that has renewed its social contract to depart from a party that has deceived them and embrace change; a community that has seen what change is if people vote right.
“This road will benefit the pedestrian; it will benefit the car owner; it will benefit the motorcyclist; and it will benefit the farmer and produce buyer and the market women. This is the economy of development. This road facilitates transport; it facilitates trade; it facilitates health care delivery and this really is the heart of democracy.

“Government that builds roads does not build roads simply because they want to build roads. They are governments that understand that a community or society cannot be bigger than its infrastructure and the wider the roads the bigger the prosperity that comes to that community.”

To Oshiomhole, Nigerians must vote out the PDP for failing to provide electricity after 16 years in power.

He stressed the need for the people to vote for the APC at all levels as the PDP has failed to provide the basic facilities needed by the people.

Oshiomhole said: “I need you to connect with this election. There are no miracles in development. It is about planning, commitment, honesty and judicious application of resources. PDP’s only resolve is to steal.

“Sixteen years of PDP, Nigerians have no water and no light; they are still using generators. In the name of privatisation, they handed over electricity in Edo to their friends; they are collecting money from you without light.”

Oshiomhole said the elections were around the corner, urging the people to elect the House of Assembly that would support the appropriation of funds for projects.
“That is why this coming election is very important,” he said.

“The import of electing responsible people to the House of Assembly should not be lost on you. There are people who are there only for money. They will ask the governor to bring the money to share rather than build roads – our people need to understand that. Understand that membership of the House of Assembly is not a small job.

“The other party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), over the years, found that election rigging is easier in communities that are not accessible. So, they benefit from their own criminal neglect of providing infrastructure, particularly access roads to rural communities. I am a believer of even development.

“Central to rural development and to consign poverty to history, it is important we invest in rural infrastructure, particularly road network.”

No tenure extension for SEC’s DG Oteh. Spends N850,000 daily on hotel according to committee report

President Goodluck Jonathan has rejected a request for the extension of Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Director-General Ms Arunma Oteh’s tenure, it emerged yesterday.

He has approved the appointment of a Commissioner in the Commission, Mr. Mounir Gwarzo, as acting Director-General.

The President rejected a memo from the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, seeking a second term for Oteh.
The memo was said to be based on the Secretary to the Government of the Federation SGF) Anyim Pius Anyim’s recommendation.
Ms. Oteh’s controversial tenure ended on January 6.
Although she lobbied to return, the President was said to have thought otherwise.

It was learnt an evaluation showed that her performance was “neither sterling nor spectacular.”
The government found that the stock market has not recovered from the 2008 financial crisis.
The President, findings showed, rejected her return to resolve the lingering “Executive-National Assembly face-off” over her tenure.

A source said: “Despite intense lobbying by some government officials and business players, the President stood his ground that Ms. Oteh should not come back.

“Jonathan rejected a memo from the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala seeking the retention of Ms. Oteh. The Minister based the case for Oteh on a strong recommendation by the SGF, Anyim Pius Anyim.

“To some extent, the SGF misled the Minister because the indices did not add up for Oteh as to earn a renewal of tenure. There was no convincing statistics to prove that Oteh has led the stock market to a leap recovery.
“No one could explain why the Office of the SGF which suspended her while in office will be the one championing her retention. I think there was a tribal connotation to it.

“The evaluation of her tenure indicated an average performance because she was rated as ‘neither sterling nor spectacular. The President chose to look beyond ethnic sentiments and stood on the side of truth and the public yearning for a change in SEC.

“Stakeholders in the Stock Exchange Market, workers and others alike wanted a fresh breath of air in SEC. You will recall that at the peak of SEC crisis in 2012, Ms. Oteh’s commissioners even disowned her.

It could not be ascertained if Ms. Oteh will remain a member of the President’s Economic Management Team (EMT).

“Another source added: “She earned First Class in Computer Science from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, the nation might still engage her elsewhere.

“No nation will allow a First Class brain and respected intellectual to waste away. Definitely, the Presidency may accommodate her elsewhere.”

Gwarzo, the Executive Commissioner for Operations, graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from Bayero University, Kano in 1987.

He obtained a Post-Graduate Degree in Development Finance from the University of Birmingham in 1999.

He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers.

A third source said: “Gwarzo will act pending the appointment of a substantive DG. The President has the discretion to appoint a DG in line with Section 5(1 and 2) of the Investments and Securities Act 2007.

The section says: “The DG and the three full time commissioners shall be appointed by the President upon the recommendation of the Minister and confirmation by the Senate.

“The DG shall hold office for a period of five years in the first instance and may be reappointed for a further period of five years and no more.”
Ms. Oteh was suspended on June 12, 2012 and was recalled via a letter by the SGF.

The reinstatement followed an audit report on SEC by PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Her recall created bad blood between the Presidency and the House of Representatives because she was reinstated on the eve of the presentation of the Ad Hoc Committee on Capital Market’s report on the SEC’s activities.
The crisis between the House and Ms. Oteh followed a public hearing into the capital market operations.

During the hearing, the then Chairman of the House Committee on Capital market and Other Institutions, Mr. Herman Hembe, alleged that Ms. Oteh was not qualified to be DG.

He said the committee also discovered how Ms. Oteh allegedly spent N850, 000 on hotel accommodation in a day and N85, 000 on a meal.

But Ms. Oteh took exception to the allegations, saying: “This has been a Kangaroo court. Not even in Idi Amin’s Uganda did we have this type of public hearing. You had implied that as a regulator, that by having people on secondment from the private sector, it could undermine the capacity of the regulatory functions of the commission.

“In asking the SEC to contribute N39m for this public hearing, don’t you think that you are undermining your capacity to carry out your duties?”

The Nation

Fuel importation will end in 2018 – Minister of trade and investment

The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr. Olusegun Aganga, has said that the Federal Government
plans to ensure that the country stops the importation of petroleum products by 2018.
He said this during an interview on Friday during a visit to Mikano International Limited in Ogba, Lagos.

Aganga, who also inspected the manufacturing plants of the company, said going by the government’s Industrial Revolution Plan, which became effective in 2012, there were plans to make the country to stop the importation of refined petroleum products by 2018.

The minister said, “There are many sectors we should have developed over the years, but for decades, we relied entirely on exporting raw materials. That era has gone. That was why this administration launched the Industrial

Revolution plan in 2012. We have started it already, and you can see it in the auto, the sugar, and the cotton and textile industries.

“If this investment goes according to plan; then by 2018, we will no longer import petroleum products into this country.

We can no longer be a country that is import-dependent, especially in products we can produce ourselves. Nigeria has a comparative advantage in the agro-industrial, mining- related and petroleum sectors.

“Stopping the importation of oil will save us a minimum of $10bn. We have spent about $3bn importing steel. We spent about $6bn importing cars and spare parts. We spent about $1.7bn importing sugar, but we can in fact grow sugar cane in this country.

“As part of the industrial revolution plan, we have also identified 13 products that will replace oil. These are areas where Nigeria has comparative advantage and export capacity. Mexico did it in seven years. We can also start and diversify our economy and revenue sources.”

Aganga, who commended the management of Mikano for
its role in the industrial revolution plan, noted that the government would also create an enabling environment for
it and others to operate.

Receiving the minister on behalf of the company were the Chairman, Mikano International Limited, Mr. Mofeed Karameh; Managing Director, Mr. Christian Faren; Financial Director, Mr. Muneer Nassr; and other officials.

The minister was conducted round the plant steel fabrication, power solutions and other divisions by the officials.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government has identified out 13 national strategic export products that can replace crude oil whose prices have continued to decline in the international market.

Aganga, who stated this, noted that the need to identify the products became imperative since the drop in the prices of crude oil was currently threatening the stability of the Nigerian economy.

A statement from the Nigeria Export Promotion Council on Sunday in Abuja quoted the minister as saying this during a meeting with the Executive Director of the council, Mr. Olusegun Awolowo, and members of the management team of the NEPC

The minister, according to the statement, said this was part of the spirited moves by the government to revive the national economy.

While unveiling plans by the Federal Government to diversify the economy, Aganga listed the 13 national strategic export products in three categories thus: agro-industrial (palm oil, cocoa, cashew, sugar and rice); mining-related (cement, iron ore/metals, auto parts/cars, aluminium, and oil and gas); and industrial products (petroleum products, fertilizer/Urea, petrochemical and methanol).

Punch