President Mahama of Ghana Visits President Jonathan In Abuja
President John Mahama of Ghana stresses a point when he visited Nigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan today, April 21 at the Presidential Aso Villa, Abuja, Nigerian. [myad]
Buhari Backs Jonathan’s Minister, Adesina For African Development Bank Presidency
Nigeria’s President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari of All Progressives Congress has thrown his support behind the minister of agriculture under the present government of President Goodluck Jonathan, in the person of Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina for the position of President of African Development Bank (ADB).
The President-elect has even requested the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to support the candidacy of Dr. Adesina. His position has been communicated to the Ghanaian President, John Dramani Mahama, who is the current chairperson of the ECOWAS.
In a statement today in Abuja today, General Buhari said that his support for Dr. Adesina’s candidacy was not just because he was Nigerian but that he “has a proven track record in a career that predates his position as Nigeria’s Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development.”
According to him Dr. Adesina had years of experience of working in Francophone and Anglophone countries, and a passion to help eradicate poverty in Africa by reducing unemployment and inequality among African youth.
“Dr. Adesina is also an agricultural development expert with 24 years of experience in developing and managing successful agricultural Programmes across Africa. Until his appointment as the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development in 2011, he was the Vice President, Policy and Partnerships Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA). Additionally, he has held senior leadership positions in a number of agricultural institutions in the world.” [myad]
Angry Jonathan Sacks Short-Lived Police Boss
A few weeks to the handing over of government to General Muhammadu Buhari, President Goodluck Jonathan has set the nation’s Police Force on confusion course as he sacked the Inspector General of Police, Suleiman Suleiman.
Suleiman was appointed Inspector General of Police and assumed office on August 1st last year, barely eight months, making him one of the nation’s police boss that served the shortest.
in a terse statement today, special adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on media and publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati simply said that Suleiman has been relieved of his appointment and duties with immediate effect. No reason was given for the sudden sack.
He went to say that President Jonathan has also appointed Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase as Acting Inspector-General of Police, also with immediate effect.
According to the statement, Arase was until his appointment, was the Head of the Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department.
It said that Arase holds Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Law, as well as Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Political Science and Strategic Studies and that he is also a Fellow of the Nigerian Defence College. [myad]
America Declares Orubebe, Dokubo, Others Persona None Grata
America has declared a former Nigeria Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Elder Godsday Orubebe, Rivers State Governor-elect, Nyesom Wike, former militant commanders, Mujahid Asari-Dokubo, Government Ekpemupolo (Tompolo) and several other persons who either encouraged violence through inciteful comments or interfered with the electoral process during the last general elections as persona non-grata, meaning that they are barred from entering the United States and subjected to visa sanctions.
Though the U.S government did not specifically name those it intends to punish for their actions before, during and after the elections, Orubebe, Wike, Tompolo, Asari-Dokubo, First Lady Patience Jonathan, Katsina State Governor, Ibrahim Shema and several other major political actors made national news headlines by their heated comments and actions.
Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, who disclosed this in an article captioned “When Nigeria decides, Nigeria wins”, hailed Nigerians for participating peacefully and enthusiastically in the electoral process which culminated in the election of General Muhammadu Buhari of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) as president.
The Assistant Secretary of State, who was also one of the international observers that monitored the elections, noted the commitments made by President Goodluck Jonathan, who lost his reelection bid and Buhari to work together in order to ensure a peaceful and smooth transition to the new government. She warned Nigerians that the next phase will be critical.
Here is the full text of her article reads:
When Nigeria Decides, Nigeria Wins
Now more than ever, it is up to all Nigerians to stay united so that Nigeria can move forward with a clear set of priorities for the future. We welcome the commitments made by both President Goodluck Jonathan and President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari to work closely together in order to ensure a smooth transition to the new government.
This next phase is critical as the world continues its hopeful watch for what happens in Nigeria. Indeed, because Nigerians showed up, stood in line, and respected the results of elections even when they may have disagreed with the outcome, Nigeria will serve as an example to other African countries and nations elsewhere in the world preparing for elections. Nigerian democracy will be a beacon across the continent and beyond.
With deep appreciation for the long friendship and partnership between our two great countries, the United States looks forward to the inauguration on May 29 and the beginning of a new chapter in our relationship.
The world takes notice when Nigerians, citizens of Africa’s largest democracy, decide.
By participating peacefully and enthusiastically in the recent electoral processes in March and April, millions of Nigerians stood strong to re-affirm Nigeria as a leader for democracy in Africa — and around the world.
It was an honor for me to lead the U.S. observer mission during the presidential and National Assembly elections last month. Today, I join the chorus congratulating Nigerians and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the April 11 vote, which built upon the earlier successes in March.
Many Nigerians waited for hours, in sun and rain, to cast their ballots and see their votes counted. When I spoke with voters, I was struck not only by their patience, but also by their determination to show Nigeria’s dedication to democracy and to democratic principles.
Elections are ultimately about people—the volunteers and poll workers who manage polling stations, the party candidates and supporters who craft policies and political platforms, the civil society activists who work for transparency, the journalists who report on the campaigns and events on election day, the political leaders who accept victory or concede defeat, especially when stepping down is in the country’s best interest.
It is about those men and women who shared their stories with me as they stood in line and those members of the security services who remained neutral and vigilantly guarded against fraud and intimidation. Again, we salute you all.
I especially want to reiterate President Obama’s accolades for INEC Chairman, Attahiru Jega.
Under Chairman Jega’s steadfast leadership, the staff of INEC succeeded in conducting a generally smooth electoral process and making improvements between March 28 and April 11. We commend INEC for its extensive efforts to increase credibility and transparency in the electoral process, including through the use of technology.
Despite some technical glitches, it is clear that technology and use of social media—INEC’s online posting of results for each polling unit, live tweeting of results, the use of biometric permanent voter cards and electronic card readers—improved efficiency and limited fraud.
I encourage Nigeria and other nations to continue to explore the use of relevant technologies in future elections.
This electoral process, however, was not without violence and irregularities in a number of states.
Some individuals worked to undermine the will of the Nigerian people, interfering with electoral processes and resorting to violence and voter intimidation.
We regret any loss of life and destruction of property. As Secretary Kerry said when he visited Nigeria in January, violence and rigging have no place in democratic elections.
Anyone found to have incited violence or interfered with electoral processes will be unwelcome in the United States and subject to visa sanctions.
When President Obama spoke to Nigerians last month, he said successful elections and democratic progress will help Nigeria meet the urgent challenges Nigerians face today.
Now more than ever, it is up to all Nigerians to stay united so that Nigeria can move forward with a clear set of priorities for the future. We welcome the commitments made by both President Goodluck Jonathan and President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari to work closely together in order to ensure a smooth transition to the new government.
This next phase is critical as the world continues its hopeful watch for what happens in Nigeria. Indeed, because Nigerians showed up, stood in line, and respected the results of elections even when they may have disagreed with the outcome, Nigeria will serve as an example to other African countries and nations elsewhere in the world preparing for elections. Nigerian democracy will be a beacon across the continent and beyond.
With deep appreciation for the long friendship and partnership between our two great countries, the United States looks forward to the inauguration on May 29 and the beginning of a new chapter in our relationship.
We are deeply committed to working with you, the Nigerian people, for many years to come. Nigeria, you made us all proud! [myad]
30 Die Of Cholera In Delta From Polluted Water
No fewer than 30 people have been reported to have died in the latest cholera outbreak in Isoko South community of Nigeria’s oil-rich Delta State as a result of the intake of polluted water.
The chief epidemiologist at the Delta State health ministry, Steven Ofili said that people of the local community have been facing challenges of cholera disease since 2010, as their main source of drinking water was polluted.
He said that rather than seeking medical help at the local health center in the area, the people resorted to traditional medicines and self-medication to cure themselves.
“It was not until after the disease had claimed five lives that they (the local residents) brought it to the knowledge of the local authorities.”
Confirmed cases of cholera were promptly treated at the local health facility where medical workers, in addition to examination and administration of preventive drugs, have been giving tips on how to combat the disease, the senior health official said.
In 2010, more than 30 people had died when the first cholera outbreak was recorded following the pollution of the main source of water supply in the same area of Delta State.
Cholera, an infectious disease, causes severe watery diarrhea and can lead to dehydration and even death if untreated. [myad]
Dr. Okupe Thrown Out Of His Job In Presidency
There are indications that President Goodluck Jonathan has dispensed with the services of his senior special assistant on public affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe. The President hired him a couple of years ago to launder the image of his administration, and, according to political analysts, also as an “attack dog.”
Information reaching Greenbarge Reporters in Abuja today indicated that already, the office from where Dr. Okupe has been operating has been disbanded and the supporting staff sent home.
One of the senior staff in his office confided in our reporter that no staff has been reporting in office since March 28 when the Presidential and National Assembly elections were held and lost by his employer, President Jonathan.
“The office has remained closed since then,” the senior staff complained, adding that even their March salary is yet to be paid. [myad]
Iran Vows Not To Allow Foreigners To Inspect Its Military Sites
Brigadier General Hossein Salami, the number two official in Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps has vowed that Tehran will never allow outsiders to inspect the regime’s military sites under any nuclear agreement, the state media organ, Press Television quoted Brigadier General Salami as making it clear that harsh response would await anyone who raised the subject of inspections.
“Visiting a military base by a foreign inspector would mean the occupation of our land,” Salami said. Even discussing the subject is tantamount to “national humiliation,” he added.
There had been reports in Western media outlets that broached the possibility that Tehran might permit international inspectors to visit its military sites in an effort to determine whether there had been nuclear-related activities there.
But according to Salami, the Iranian regime “will respond with hot lead (bullets) to those who speak of it.”
He declared that Iran “will not become a paradise for spies” and “will not roll out the red carpet for the enemy.”
Iran and six world powers – the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Russia, and China – announced earlier this month that they had reached a framework deal to curb Iran’s nuclear program in return for lifting sanctions. Participants said they would work to conclude a final agreement by June 30.
A fact sheet on the framework accord issued by the State Department said Iran would be required to grant the U.N.-affiliated International Atomic Energy Agency access to any “suspicious sites,” the Associated Press noted.
But Iran has questioned numerous points in the fact sheet – including Washington’s claim that sanctions against the Islamic Republic would be lifted only after the IAEA verified Tehran’s compliance with commitments it made in the talks.
Iranian leaders, by contrast, have said the deal requires that sanctions be removed immediately, and have accused Washington of lying about its contents.
The U.S. fact sheet said Iran has agreed to implement the Additional Protocol to the Non-Proliferation Treaty, which grants the IAEA expanded access to both declared and undeclared nuclear facilities, including military bases.
But Salami declared that permitting foreign inspectors to visit a military base was unacceptable because it would potentially expose Iranian “military and defense secrets,” the Associated Press reported. [myad]
Smart Adeyemi Wants Tribunal To Nullify Dino Melaye’s Electon As Senator
Defeated Senator in Kogi West Senatorial Area of Kogi state in the March 28 National Assembly election in the country, Smart Adeyemi has dragged the winner of the election, Dino Melaye before the National Assembly Petitions Tribunal sitting in Lokoja, the state capital, alleging irregularities in the conduct of the election as well as the result declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, on March 28, 2015.
In the petition filed by his counsel, Mr. J.O. Olatoke (SAN), Adeyemi said that Melaye was not duly elected or returned by the majority of the lawful votes cast during the election adding that he (Adeyemi) should be declared the winner.
The petitioner said he scored the majority of lawful votes cast during the election and ought to have been declared the winner.
According to the petitioner, the declaration of Melaye as winner was wrongful and invalid.
“Melaye was declared the winner of the election because of wrong and/or incorrect computation of lawful votes cast and intentional omission of collating results of the polling units won by the petitioners and counting of spoilt ballots in his favour.”
He also sought an order withdrawing or nullifying the Certificate of Return, CoR, already issued to Melaye as the winner of the election and then directing INEC, which is the third respondent in the petition to issue a fresh CoR to him, as according to him, he scored the highest number of lawful votes cast at the election contrary to the result declared by the INEC.
He further stated that Melaye, who is the first respondent was also not qualified as at the time of the election to contest for the Kogi West Senatorial District by reason of substantial non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended), and therefore sought for his disqualification as the candidate for the election .
Adeyemi, on the alternative, however, asked the tribunal to order INEC to conduct a fresh election into the Kogi West Senatorial District on the basis of alleged irregularities.
No date has however been fixed for the hearing of the petition.
INEC has declared Adeyemi, who contested on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, second with 38,148 votes as against Melaye of the All Progressives Congress, APC, who scored 41,120. [myad]
Federation Account Allocation Committee Investigates Unremitted $1.48 Billion By NNPC
The Nigerian Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) has constituted a committee to find out the reasons for the inability of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to pay the $1.48bn into the federation account as directed by PriceWaterHouse Coopers in its forensic audit of the corporation.
PriceWaterHouse was last year, hired to carry out the exercise following an allegation by the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, that $20 billion was not remitted to the Federation Account by the NNPC.
Sanusi, who is now the Emir of Kano, had written a letter to President Goodluck Jonathan that $49bn was not remitted to the Federation Account by the NNPC.
But following the controversy, which the letter generated, a committee was set up to reconcile the account.
Sanusi later recanted and said the unremitted fund was $12bn. He later again changed the figure to $20bn.
PwC, in the report, had stated that while the total gross revenues generated from crude oil liftings was $69.34bn between January 2012 and July 2013 and not $67bn as earlier stated by the Senate Reconciliation Committee, what was remitted to the federation account was $50.81bn and not $47bn.
Within the $69.34bn, the audit report revealed that $28.22bn was the value of domestic crude oil allocated to NNPC, adding that total amount spent on subsidy for Premium Motor Spirit amounted to $5.32bn.
But the Chairman, Forum of Finance Commissioners of FAAC, Mr. Timothy Odaah,while speaking on the matter during an interview with journalists after this month’s allocation committee meeting today said that the committee is worried about the delay in releasing the fund.
He said that while the President had given directive for the fund to be made available, the corporation had yet to release the fund with about a month to the end of the current administration.
Considering the persistent drop in allocations to the three tiers of government, he said the money was needed by the states so that they could meet up with their obligations since majority of them had yet to pay salaries and contractors.
“We are making a clarion call that the directive on the $1.48bn, coming from the audit of NNPC, should be made available so that we can clear that.
“The coming (April) FAAC is the last FAAC and we believe it should come during that period because if it doesn’t come in by then, it is belated and we don’t want it to escape that period.
“Today, there was a committee constituted for the purpose of ensuring that we meet with the NNPC so that everything would be ironed out because we know that Mr President had already given the directive and we also know that the minister had directed that it should be paid but we don’t know exactly what is happening.
“We need that money, the Federal Government needs it, the states and local governments also need it and if it is not released with this type of abysmal funding we have, it will be very terrible.” [myad]
Jamila Tangaza, The Iron Lady At AGIS, By Ibrahim Biu
Hajiya Jamila Tangazah has come to epitomize hard work full of energy as the pilot of the Abuja Geographic and information System (AGIS). As a matter of fact, since she assumed duties at the AGIS office, Jamila has shown a leadership that has turned out to be an example to those who believe in hard work, efficiency, transparency and self discipline.
Those who are working with her would confess that AGIS has been able to deliver on its mandate as a result of the quality of her leadership.
The easy going woman of honesty has, within her short stay at AGIS, ensured that things are getting better in terms of revenue which the institution was able to collect at the end of 2014 as against what was collected in 2013.
Though a lot might have been written about Jamila and her laudable achievements, but I believe that the best is yet to come out from her.
Anyone who does an overview of the development at AGIS will conclude that it has indeed achieved a lot within the past two years or so, of Jamila’s leadership, made possible by the support she received from Senator Bala Mohammed who is the FCTA Minister.
The pro-active measures Jamila introduced like double checking of C of Os and data base have yielded fruit as AGIS has been able to collect a lot of revenue apart from drastically reducing the incidence of fraud and other nefarious activities of land racketeers.
It is on record that during her tenure at the AGIS, she received commendations from the management of the FCTA/FCDA and from her colleagues at the PPP and other public and private institutions.
Jamila has evidently transformed the land information management through investment in modern technology at AGIS
Some sophisticated facilities that have been installed at AGIS have made it to be a centre of excellent in geographic information system AGIS.
It is on record that the recent systems upgrade has made it possible for the production of C of O to be done within ten minutes. AGIS is now in a position to produce an average of 50-100 C of Os every week, besides other areas of service improvement.
Jamila who could also be described as a change agent is a combination of brain and beauty. Apart from being a workaholic public servant, she started her Journalism job as a producer with the British broadcasting corporation (BBC) London and rose through the ranks to the position of a senior executive. She did her fellowship at the Oxford University. From BBC Jamila was appointed the FCT Ministers SSA Media before her present appointment as Director AGIS. [myad]