Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Diaspora Affairs, Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has described Nigeria First Lady, Patience Jonathan as “crude” in her actions, adding that she is “an embarrassment to Nigerians and Nigeria.”

Dabiri-Erewa added that the utterances during the recent campaign in the country by Dame Patience Jonathan took away the “poise” associated with the office of the First Lady, stressing that the First Lady remained the “worst.”

Abike was also reacting to a recent statement by the president’s wife where he described General Buhari as a dead-brain, adding: “Mrs. Jonathan is an embarrassment to the whole country. The only people shouting her praise or listening to her are the sycophants; outside them, nobody else does.

“She is crude and unrefined. When you travel out of the country, Nigerians keep asking you how we came this bad.”

Earlier, APC in a statement signed by the APC’s campaign’s Director of Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, in Abuja on Wednesday, the party said the President’s wife was insultive. [myad]

Senior Special Adviser to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, has said that his boss is meek but does not mean that he is weak even as he said Nigerians misunderstood him
(President Jonathan).
Okupe, who expressed his feeling about the President on his facebook wall, said: “Nigerians misunderstood meekness for weakness, Restraint for lack of strength, reticence for inaction and calmness for indecisiveness.

“President Jonathan has done well and served his country well. He exits office as a great President, perhaps Nigeria’s greatest President for all times. Greater than the best before him. He excelled in achievement, in humility, tranquility and simplicity.

Okupe said that history would judge President Jonathan differently, adding: “he would be remembered as a great man, a good man, humble and humane, purposeful and focused. A great African Hero who fought against all manners of evil and conspiracies, religious, ethnic, national and international, and lost the war, but ultimately, triumphed because of the inherent goodness that God Almighty deposited in hm.”

He recalled that Jonathan said his ambition was not worth the life of any Nigerian, saying that he meant what he said and stood by what he said even to his detriment and millions who believed in him.

The presidential aide urged Nigerians not to weep for Jonathan, adding: “rather weep and pray that our Nation will remain, united and stable; that its people will prosper and that God will guide our incoming leaders.” [myad]

Nigeria President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari, has assured the re-elected British Prime Minister, David Cameron that he would collaborate with him for the good of the two countries and the world.
In a goodwill message he sent to Cameron, congratulating him on his victory in the just concluded elections in his country, General Buhari said that from May 29 when he assumes office, he would find ways of working with the leadership of Britain to better the lot of the citizens of the two countries.
“Nigeria and the Britain have enjoyed good relationships, and we look forward to developing even stronger ties.”
A statement issued from his media office in Abuja today quoted the President-elect as commending Cameron for the role that the British government played before, during and after the Nigerian general elections.
“Britain, the United States of America, the European Union, ECOWAS, African Union and the United Nations played vital roles in ensuring that democratic norms were adhered to during our elections. Their role in the smooth outcome of the just concluded Nigerian elections can never be overemphasized.”
General Buhari emphasised that he looked forward to furthering the “special, warm and friendly relationships” between the government and people of Nigeria and the United Kingdom under the new government of Mr. Cameron.

[myad]

The National Leader of the Oodua Progressives Union (OPU), Otunba Gani Adams has said that the group was founded as a way of sustaining the Yoruba identity.

Speaking at a dinner party in his honour by the Turkey branch of the OPU in Istanbul, Turkey yesterday night, Adams said the OPU was not a self-determination organization, but a socio-cultural organization.

According to him Yoruba people all over the world must have a sense of belonging and identify with their roots all the times even as he advised Yoruba people in the Diaspora to cultivate the attitude of returning home to invest and prepare for their journey back home.

“Come back home and invest. Build houses in Nigeria.You do not know when you will want to seek elective positions back home. Get to know your people at home. Come back home to invest. Contribute to the development of Nigeria.

“Let it not be that it is when you need to seek elective positions that you will run back home and start running helter-skelter. Let your people know you. Things are not as bad as you read out here. Things are moving fast and getting better in Nigeria.Come back home and invest.”

Adams also told the OPU members in Turkey that the OPU back in Nigeria in the last eight years had become a better organized group. OPU is now properly structured.The last eight years has been peaceful and we have made progress.”

Among those who attended the event was the Zaki of Arigidi, Oba Yisa Olanipekun; and the European Coordinator of the OPU, Akogun Banji Ojo.

The Coordinators of OPU from other countries such as Italy, Ireland and Australia were also in attendance at the event, which was used to mark the 45th birthday of Adams.

Popular fuji musician, Abass Akande Obesere, was on the band stand. [myad]