Vice President Mohammed Namadi Sambo has inaugurated the Kaduna State Chapter of the Goodluck/Sambo Presidential Campaign Committee yesterday with a tall order to the committee to make sure the President gets at least two million votes in the February 14 Presidential election.
The vice-president who also commissioned the newly renovated secretariat of the campaign organization expressed confidence in the ability of the state to meet this target, adding that the party has kept faith with its promises to the State by its various meaningful policies, beneficial programmes and laudable projects.
“Kaduna state is a stronghold of the People’s Democratic Party and we have the objective of surpassing our previous record of performance by generating at least two million votes for the presidential election. I have no doubt in our ability to meet this expectation in view of the wide acceptability of the party and positive indications that greater victories await our great party the People’s Democratic Party. We have always been a popular pillar of the party and we shall prove our mettle of reliability and success again.
“We have kept faith with our promises to the electorate. In 2011 we sought for their mandate which they graciously and overwhelmingly gave us. We are also of the strong belief that this time around, you will once more rally round us give us your maximum support and ensure a landslide victory for our candidates at all levels in the states as the popular jingle declares:  The difference between the People’s Democratic Party and others is clear.”
Vice President Namadi Sambo said that the Jonathan administration has executed such laudable projects in the state as construction of roads, rail, power, agriculture, water resources and other infrastructural facilities which included the the 40mw Gurara power plant, the 215mw thermal Power plant in Gurara, the Kaduna-Abuja Standard Gauge rail project, the Abuja-Bwari express Way linking Kaduna State to the Federal Capital and several others. These projects, he added, have greatly improved socio-economic activities of the state.
He said that Jonathan administration has surpassed the records of previous administrations in areas of socio-economic  development, particularly in the area of education where it established twelve new universities across the federation.
The Vice President also took on the opposition on the claim that the administration’s record of the fight against corruption was poor and that the government had failed to provide security as well as disenfranchising the electorate.
According to him, the administration has adopted a paradigm shift in the fight against corruption by emphasizing on prevention rather than the traditional practice of trying to cure the ailment.
“This administration has made the fight against corruption a cardinal policy. We have recorded great success in that regard through the use of multiple modern techniques. Our approach incorporates preventive strategy as a departure from the traditional approach of trying to cure an endemic ailment. In this way, we tackle every form of corruption. Our e-wallet system of fertilizer distribution, for example, has eliminated the endemic corruption in fertilizer distribution to our farmers. In the past, less than 10 percent of the fertilizer distributed to farmers gets to them due to corruption in the distribution chain. But today farmers can get their input direct from the government by simply using their mobile GSMs. This was made possible by developing a computer software using our young and innovative talents drawn from the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Industry.”
The vice-president said that the government has repositioned, strengthened and equipped anti-graft institutions to fight corruption in all its ramifications and had made several arrests and initiated the prosecutions of several cases in the country of recent.
On voting, the vice president said that the government had kept faith with its promise of ensuring that every vote counts, adding: “Our ability to ensure that we keep faith with our promise of ensuring that every vote counts is responsible for the mass distribution of the PVC cards across the federation. This was not possible in the past when results were announced even before the ballot papers reached the electorate. We have never interfered with the operations of the independence of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). By equipping the body with all the necessary requirements for the conduct of free and fair elections, we have enhanced its independence”
On Boko Haram insurgency, vice-president Namadi Sambo described it as a global phenomenon but gave assurance that the nation’s armed forces has the ability to defeat the forces of evil.
“Nigeria, like other nations has found itself battling terrorists insurgency which has affected some parts of the country, especially the North-East. I assure you that very soon we shall triumph over these forces of evil as government is doing everything possible to restore peace and security to the affected communities. We are procuring sophisticated arms and ammunitions to equip our Armed Forces, and boosting their training to counter this new wave of terrorism that is threatening even the most advanced nations of the world.”
Namadi Sambos warned those taken advantage of the sordid situation in the country to desist from incisive and provocative statements, which he said are capable of overheating the polity.
“We have come a long way in our democratic journey and gone further to provide a level-playing field as well as allowing citizens to air their views and opinions in order to enhance the freedom of speech. This is one beautiful aspect of democracy we have promoted. However, some have taken this liberty for license by embarking on provocative criticism that lack substance. Nigeria belongs to all of us and everyone here is a stakeholder in the promotion of law and order and peaceful co-existence.”
Earlier, Governor Ramalan Yero of Kaduna state, who doubles as the party’s leader in the state, has called for issue-based politics and warned against acts of lawlessness which he said would be dealt with decisively. He called on the campaign organization to comb all corners of the state to take the party to victory.
He added said that PDP is a truly national party that has controlled the state for the past fifteen years and has achieved development in all areas. He congratulated President Jonathan for successfully leading the nation in the last five years.
In his welcome address, chairman of the Kaduna State chapter of the Campaign organization, Barr. Hussaini Jalo promised to deliver the state to the party. [myad]

Governor Sule Lamido of Jigawa State, elected under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has made it clear that he has no grudges with the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari, even as he described him as an incorruptible, honest, clean and patriotic leader.

Lamido, who spoke today as he addressed PDP supporters at a rally in Maigatari, Jigawa state, with correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in attendance, said that those he has grudges with are some of the General Buhari’s supporters, especially those that left the PDP to the APC.

“I agreed like every other person that Buhari is an incorruptible, honest, clean and patriotic Nigerian. My concern has always been defectors who our party, PDP, had made ministers, governors, speakers and members of the National Assembly and left us after benefiting so much.”

Lamido urged the electorate in the area to vote for PDP candidates in the coming elections, saying that the party’s governorship candidate, Aminu Ibrahim, and his running mate, Dr. Nurudeen Mohammed, will continue from wherever he would stop “and will not betray the trust, if elected. [myad]

President Goodluck Jonathan has said it is not the number of Nigerians jailed that would stop corruption, saying: “If I try 10 million Nigerians and jail 5 million, that does not stop corruption problem.”

The President, who spoke today at the ancient Mapo Hall, the venue for the flag-off of his campaign for a second term ticket in the 2015 elections made it clear that his commitment and method of solving corruption problems is  not dependent on the number of people his administration tries or jails in court.

He said that though, his government has tried many Nigerians to show that it did not support corruption, but that the number of people tried for corruption related offences  would never stem the tide of hydra-headed problem.

“Let me re-assure Nigerians that we will win war against terror. My commitment and method of solving corruption is not in terms of the number of people I try or jail.”

President Jonathan who used the forum to reel out the achievements of his administration noted that his government had empowered over one million people through its various intervention programmes.

Other achievements, he said, include Lagos-ibadan expressway, power projects, Ibadan Airport renovation, Ibadan-Lagos-Kano, among other empowerment projects cited in Oyo state.

This came just as the president urged Nigerian women to vote him for another four years to liberate themselves or risk being restricted to the kitchen by the opposition.

Though the president did not mention any political party, it was apparent he was talking about the opposition who allegedly promised to cancel the offices of first ladies.

He added that the offices of first ladies galvanised women who run NGOS and enabled women use their cognitive abilities for development.” [myad]

Presidential Candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), General Muhammadu Buhari has asked President Goodluck Jonathan to stop robbing the poor masses of Nigeria to satisfy those he called few money-bags.
In a statement today by his Campaign Council, signed by the Director of Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, General Buhari urged President Jonathan and his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Federal Government to allow the poor masses of Nigeria to enjoy the relief that has come to petroleum products globally.
Buhari felt disturbed that in spite of the fall in the global prices of crude oil, Nigerians are still being made to buy petroleum products at pump prices as if the global price of crude oil had remained at $100 (USD) per barrel.
The statement reads: “The current attempt by the government to deregulate the prices of some petroleum products has been completely compromised to satisfy few money bags to the detriment of the Nigerian people and the economy.
“The price of diesel which has been deregulated since 2009 still sells at the pump price of N150 and N170 per litre, the same pump price when the international benchmark per barrel of crude was over $100. Now that the international benchmark has dropped to $47.5 (USD) per barrel as at Monday, we ask: where is the deregulation and the relief which it ought to bring to local consumers of diesel?
“For the Nigerian consumers, unfortunately the collapse of crude oil price since October 2014 has not translated into any change in diesel, kerosene and PMS prices across the country.
“We challenge the federal government to reconcile the information on the website of the Petroleum Products Pricing and Regulatory Agency, indicating the maximum open market price of diesel pay per litre in December 2014 as being at N111.6 and the fact that the price has come down to less than $50 (USD) as at Monday.
“We want to posit that that the maximum indicative benchmark open consumers of diesel should pay is at a margin below N100 per litre. Therefore, Nigerians are being short-changed by about N50 to N70 on every litre of diesel sold by government.
“The implication of this is that with average consumption of about 12 to 15 million litres, Nigerians are currently extorted of amounts between N600 Million to N1 Billion daily due to corruption-induced poor regulatory oversight of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources. No wonder some few industry players are smiling to the banks and buying private jets while small scale industrialists who buy diesel on daily basis for power generation and transportation find it difficult to break-even with their businesses.
“Similarly on Kerosene, information available on the website of the PPPRA puts the Open Market Price at N114.71 per litre although the market price is anything above N150 per litre when the global price for a barrel of crude oil was $65 (USD). Now that international price of crude is at $47.5 (USD) per barrel, why are Nigerians still buying kerosene per litre at the same price? Why are Nigerians not benefitting from the global shortfall in the prices of crude by having a cut in the pump prices of petroleum products?
“We are aware that there are examples in other African countries where governments have cut the pump prices of petroleum products to reflect the changes in the global oil market. Countries like South Africa, Zambia, Tanzania and Kenya have announced cuts in pump prices of petroleum products, why can’t the Nigerian government do same?
“Given the failure of government to do the right thing by announcing a cut in the pump prices of these products, we are compelled to draw the conclusion that the federal government is short-changing Nigerians ostensibly to fund the campaign of the PDP presidential candidate.
“The APC Presidential Campaign challenges the federal government to make explanations on why Nigerians cannot benefit pricing reliefs on petroleum products as occasioned by the fall in the global price of crude oil. Anything should of this is a fraud and Nigerians should take note.
“As for PMS (petrol) the only product the government agrees as regulated at N97 per litre, the irony is that it does not even cost much as in the United States, a country that was importing oil from Nigeria until recently.
“Moreover, even the current budget is still heavy on subsidy with an allocation of N458.68 billion, a scheme that has become a conduit pipe over the years for which the children of ruling party leaders have been beneficiaries.” [myad]