Lull In Health Sector: Government Sleeps As Nigerians Die

January 9, 2015

Over six weeks after the larger segment of the nation’s medical personnel that make Nigeria’s health sector bubble, embarked on nation-wide sit-at-home strike, and the federal government appears to be foot-dragging, the acting Chief Medical Director of the Lagos Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Professor Chris Bode has captured the situation in these few words: “one day of a strike is a loss of so many things, not only lives, but health to people.”
In essence, this is what the nation has been thrown into and, Nigerians in their hundreds are dying silently in their various homes even as the health sector headed for the abyss.
Health workers, under the canopy of Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) comprising nurses, physiotherapists, medical laboratory scientists, pharmacists, occupational therapists, optometrists, dieticians, medical social workers and clinical psychologists, embarked on an indefinite nationwide strike on November 12 over issues relating to appointments and relativity in federal health care institutions.
Since November 12, it has been a tale of sufferings for the populace, especially those who cannot afford the bills charged in private hospitals.
A relative of a patient on admission in one of the government hospitals said that his sister was operated on just before the strike but that since the health workers began to sit-at-home, nobody was available to do the dressing of the point of opening. “She had an appendicitis operation but had not fully healed when the health workers started their strike. Doctors have been checking her but she is not getting all the dressing she needs, so I will be taking her out of the hospital to a private clinic.”
For those who cannot afford the services of a private hospital, the situation is much tougher. While some have resorted to patronizing quacks, road-side patent medicine stores and chemists, and indulging in self-medication, others visit spiritual houses and some others prefer to stay at home with hopes that the strike would be called off soon enough. Not many live to see the lingering muscle-flexing between the health workers and the almighty government.
Across the country, there is a frightening development in which patients are not being admitted for medical attention, except in special circumstance, for emergency cases. Even at that, after being stabilized, patients that are attended to in emergency are discharged and shut out of further treatments. Only a very negligible few continue further treatment in private hospitals that charge cut-throat prices.
As a matter of fact, the common thing that runs in many poverty-ridden homes across the country now is the resort to local management of the sick persons, hundreds of who die in the process. This is as the nation’s health workers idle away at home because the government, more appropriately, the President of the country, has chosen to ignore them, treating the health of Nigerians with neglect and high level of levity.
Some of the demands of health workers which led to the declaration of an indefinite nationwide strike after the meeting of National Executive Council (NEC) of the union on August 30th, 2014 at Asokoro District Hospital are:
i. Adjustment of CONHESS salary as done for the NMA in the same sector.
ii. Payment of Arrears on skipping of CONHESS 10 since year 2010.
iii. Promotion of our members from CONHESS 14 to 15 for over ten years.
iv. Appointment of our members as Chief Medical Directors.
v. Abolition of the post of Deputy Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee.
vi. Immediate circularization of retirement age of Healthcare workers from 60 to 65 years.
vii. Immediate payment of arrears of Specialist allowance to all Hospital based Healthcare Professionals who possess relevant post graduate qualification, that is, MSc, Phd or post graduate fellowship who have attained the Consultant grade level 14 in the public service or CONHESS 13 in the Teaching Hospital sector and above.
viii. Immediate release of circular amending the extant circular for Medical Laboratory Scientists Interns to include post NYSC placement on grade level 09 step 2 and the upgrading of stale Officers across board.
ix. Others.
And since the strike began, the union’s leadership and federal government representatives were said to have held series of meetings, including the ones of 15th October, 2014, 9th November, 2014, 13th November, 2014, 19th November, 2014, 15th December, 2014 and 22nd December, 2014.
In all these meetings, the only progress said to have been made is the decision of the Federal Government to re-calculate the financial implication of the proposed salary adjustment of workers salary on CONHESS structure as against the one they did in April, 2014.
The Minister of Labour and Productivity who presided over the 22nd December 2014 meeting promised the aggrieved health workers that he would meet the President to receive approval leading to the issuance of circular on the said matter.
And, more than two weeks after such promise by the minister, nothing has come out of the government to indicate that a way out of the logjam has been found. As a matter of fact, it looks as if the campaigns for elections in February this year have now overwhelmed the President and relevant government functionaries, so much that the health sector of the nation has been pushed to the background.
How, for God sake, can the government be so callous that it feels virtually comfortable with a situation where the essential health workers stay out of work for more than six weeks and hundreds of its citizens are dying in silence? That the situation seems not to bother the leadership speaks volume about the character and personalities that are in the driving seat.
We in Greenbarge Reporters, are very sad about the situation, especially as poor masses are dying in silence in their hundreds daily for the levity with which the leaders are treating their health matters.
We don’t want to believe that President Goodluck Jonathan is inadvertently waiting for the politicians in opposition to come breathing down his neck again on how to handle the issue with the urgency it deserves: the move that the President would ascribe again to playing politics with the health of the citizenry. [myad]

Jonathan And His Team Are Pick-Pockets, Northern Elders Forum Says

Greenbarge Reporters

January 9, 2015

The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has frowned at President Goodluck Jonathan for referring to some of the country’s elder statesmen as touts, saying that the President and members of his team are pick-pockets and thieves.
President had, Wednesday, while receiving members of the Northern Elders Council (NEC) who paid him a visit at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, said that some statesmen were causing problems for the country by their provocative utterances, and likened them to motor park touts.
Responding to the President’s remark at a press conference in Zaria, Kaduna state yesterday, the NEF spokesman, Ango Abdullahi, a professor and former vice-chancellor of the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), said: “President Jonathan should know that in a motor park, there are touts and there are pick-pockets, so if some past leaders are touts, some sitting leaders are pick-pockets and thieves. So, you have to make your pick from that.
“This is a country that is complaining about corruption and the President himself has said that stealing is a small corruption. So, for him to even come around and refer to some people as touts, he should remember that some ‎of them sitting there are pick-pockets.”
Professor Ango Abdullahi insisted that the north must produce the next president of Nigeria and that NEF has therefore endorsed Muhammadu Buhari in the 2015 presidential poll.
“In 2011, some people including some governors supported the incumbent president (Goodluck Jonathan) to contest. It is disrespect for the party’s constitution and in 2015, they present him as a sole candidate.
“This forum is agitating for a candidate from the north and no party has fulfilled such condition except the All Progressives Congress (APC).”
APC is fielding Buhari, a northerner, against Jonathan, a southerner, who is flying the flag of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The issue of return of power to the north dominated debate in 2011 as Jonathan was accused of flouting the rotation policy in his party after the death of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.
“This PDP constitution hinges on fairness, equity and justice to all and that was what made PDP the greatest and biggest party then. Therefore, I am in a better position to give account of the party and zoning is part of the party’s constitution and must be obeyed. In view of this, Northern Elders Forum will not support PDP in the forthcoming elections.
“I do not see any reason why Nigeria should break up, based on the indicators available at hand. Remember, there are a few selfish Nigerians who had stolen and siphoned Nigeria’s money, and they would not want us to live together. But from all indications, majority of Nigerians want to live together in peace.” [myad]

President Jonathan Won’t Resort To Jungle Justice To Fight Corruption, Governor Uduaghan Says

Greenbarge Reporters

January 9, 2015

Delta state governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan has defended the method adopted by President Goodluck Jonathan in the fight against corruption in the country, saying he is being criticised because he has not been using jungle justice.
“Because the President has not used the jungle justice style, some people are criticising him.”
Governor Uduaghan who was answering questions on a live programme (Sunrise), Channels Television, was not comfortable with people who condemned the President on the basis of his speech in Lagos, Thursday on how he would fight corruption if he is voted back for second term.
“We should not just pick the speech of yesterday and think that is the beginning
and end of the campaign.
“The list of those who have been successfully prosecuted (for corruption) will be released.
“I can tell you that the President is fighting corruption. This administration has its own way of fighting corruption.
“We should not do it the jungle justice way: working from the answer to the question, holding press conferences on a person who has not been proven guilty.
“Investigation can go on for 10 years. It should be thoroughly done. We just have to be patient.”
Governor Uduaghan disclosed that many names associated with oil theft have been compiled but said: “I can’t come here now and be reading out (those) names. That is not good at all.”
On his jettisoned Senatorial bid, Dr. Uduaghan said that he sacrificed his ambition for peace to reign in Delta state, adding that the peace of the South-South state is greater than his personal ambition.
Uduaghan, a medical doctor, succeeded former Governor James Ibori on May 29, 2007. He will hand over on May 29, 2015.
A few days to the primaries, he suddenly announced that he was no longer interested in the senatorial race, paving the way for Senator James Manager to recontest and return to the upper chamber on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Uduaghan was sure that if he had insisted on picking the party’s ticket to go to the Senate, it would lead to electoral violence.
“Knowing what I know about Delta State, I took the decision to sacrifice my personal ambition. Whatever will destroy the peace of my state, I won’t be party to it.
“Some people will not think like that. They will always think of their interests first before that of their state or country. We should not be thinking like that.
“As a governor, I want to leave Delta State better than I met it.”
On defection by some PDP members to other parties, Uduaghan said such action will not affect the chances of the party to win the presidential election and governorship seats.
“People who move from PDP to other parties are impatient. In those other parties, they will also be impatient. They don’t want to be part of the development of our party.
“Every primary has its own challenges. But there are structures to deal with challenges.
“I am happy the national leadership of our party is about to deal with the challenges of the primaries. A special team has been set up to deal with that. It also happened in Delta State.
“About two of them have moved to other parties because they are desperate.”
On the presidential election, Uduaghan called on candidates to also think of the country first before their individual ambitions.
“Various stakeholders should sit down and look at the interest of the country. In 2011, there was violence in some parts of the country. If you had contested before and people died, why do you still want to contest?
“We don’t want violence this time around and violence will be stopped if all stakeholders agree that Nigeria is greater than individual ambition.” [myad]

Mali’s Prime Minister, Moussa Mara, Resigns

Greenbarge Reporters

January 9, 2015

Prime Minister of Mali, Moussa Mara has resigned after just eight months in the saddle. He was said to have resigned under pressure from the President of the strife-torn west African nation.
The President, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita has named Modibo Keita to replace Mara.
Modibo Keita has been leading peace negotiations with rebel groups, and was appointed in accordance to a presidential decree.
A source close to Mara said that “he wanted to carry on, but it’s not him who decides.
“The president wanted to change the prime minister, so the premier (Mara) issued his resignation to the President.”
Modibo Keita had been appointed as the President’s representative in peace talks that began in July, bringing together the government and jihadist rebels based in Northern Mali.
The peace talks appear to be heading towards an accord this month, although there has been an upsurge in jihadist attacks in recent weeks. [myad]

Fashola Asks Jonathan To Get Out Of The Kitchen If It Is Too Hot For Him

Greenbarge Reporters

January 8, 2015

Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola (SAN), has asked President Goodluck ‎Jonathan to “get out of the kitchen, if it is becoming too hot for him” carpeting him for blaming past leaders for the problems facing the country and his administration.

Fashola who spoke today during the mobilisation visit of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign held at Imaguero College in Benin, Edo State accused President of displaying anger about Nigeria’s problems and blaming “everybody,” during the commencement of the presidential campaign of the People’s Democratic Party today in Lagos without proffering solutions.

He said that the February 14 presidential election would centre on the assessment of the president in his six years in office, and that unlike the PDP, the presidential‎ candidates of the APC had provided viable solutions to the myriad of problems facing the country in three weeks.

“I spent about an hour this afternoon listening to the President in my state and, for almost the same period, I saw a very angry president. I saw a president who was recriminating ab‎out people criticising his job performance and was blaming all those who ruled before him, forgetting that he had been on this job for six years.

“And he kept saying that, ‘They say we don’t have a plan.’‎ But for 25 minutes, he did not reveal a plan on power; he did not reveal a plan on security; he did not reveal a plan on corruption.

“Now, after six years, without being able to articulate what he is doing and what he will do and he keeps blaming everybody, forgetting that he is the Commander-in-Chief, if the kitchen is too hot, as it is becoming of late, you must get out of the kitchen.”

The governor also assured Nigerians that, drawing from the developmental success recorded by the APC states, Nigeria could be better, if the right kind of people managed the nation’s resources.‎

The Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, ‎lamented that while many Nigerians languished in poverty, some of their leaders are only interested in their personal interests.

Oshiomhole, who recalled that the nation’s past leaders had provided infrastructure not based on ethnicity or religion but on the basis of developing the country, challenged Nigerians to choose the path they desired.

“So, no more lamentation: we have got to choose whether to continue to say, ‘God dey’ or to recognise that God gave us everything and he didn’t ask us just to rely on Him for manner to drop from heaven.

“In 2015, Nigerians must make a decision, today, to interrogate those who will drive those changes so that your children don’t inherit a culture and tradition of lamentation.”

Vice presidential candidate of the party, Professor Yemi Osinbajo,‎ said that the APC presidential candidate, Major General Muhammadu Buhari, is known for his stand on corruption.

He added that an APC-led Federal Government would revive the nation’s power sector by encouraging the establishment of more independent power projects, as alternative sources to ensure 24 hours of power supply to different parts of the country.

“In solving our power problems, we have to ensure that we do something about the cost of gas. We need to rewrite the regulation so that many, who are producing can make some money from their gas, as an incentive to supply gas.” [myad]

Obasanjo To Jonathan: It Is Stupid To Say Nigeria Does Not Belong To Anybody

Greenbarge Reporters

January 8, 2015

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has again hit hard at his estrange godson, President Goodluck Jonathan who recently said that Nigeria did not belong to anybody.

Obasanjo said that those who say that “Nigeria doesn’t belong to anybody; I believe that is a stupid saying. Nigeria belongs to all of us because anything that doesn’t belong to anybody, anything can happen to it. For me, Nigeria belongs to all of us and we are stakeholders in this country.”

Obasanjo who received in audience today the presidential candidate of the National Conscience Party (NCP), Dr. Martins Onovo at his Hilltop residence in Abeokuta, emphasized that it would be foolish for anyone to say that Nigeria does not belong to anybody.

He made it clear that he would not keep quiet and watch things degenerate in this country, saying that though he is a card-carrying member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on which platform he ruled the country for eight years, but that he would not sacrifice his life for any political party or Presidential candidate as he is determined to do for the country..

He explained that since he left office, his pre-occupation had been to work for the interest of the country.

“My first pre-occupation is what is best for Nigeria: Nigeria first, political party second and any other thing third. Nigeria first means I’ll not sacrifice anything for the interest of Nigeria and I can sacrifice my own life for the interest of Nigeria.

“I can’t sacrifice my life for the interest of a party; I’ll sacrifice my life for the interest of Nigeria.”

He wished the candidate every success in his endeavour even as he paid tribute to the founder of the party, Gani Fawehinmi, saying: “I believe he was a genuine social critic and though, you may not agree with all he said or how he went about it, but he was definitely a genuine social critic.

“So if you, as the flag bearer of the party, believed that you should follow in his footstep of integrity and genuine critical analysis and committed analysis and criticism of the situation in the country, I think nobody will fault you.”

He advised the party to accept whatever is the outcome of the election if the election is free, fair and uninterrupted, stressing that people should not necessarily be in government before contributing their own quota to the development of the country.

“If what you’re trying to do is in the best interest of Nigeria and Nigerians accept and vote for you, who I am not to accept you as President of Nigeria, I will. But in this your campaign, try to inform, woo and to convince the electorate. Whatever may be the outcome of the election after you have done all that, once the election is free and fear and undisturbed, uninterrupted, then you have to accept the verdict of the people.” [myad]

I Am Not A Weak President, Jonathan Swears

Greenbarge Reporters

January 8, 2015

President Goodluck Jonathan has dismissed insinuations in Nigeria and other parts of the world that his government is weak.
He said that if he is weak and lack focus,, he would not have been able to record many achievements.
President Jonathan spoke today when he kick-started his 2015 presidential campaign in Lagos.
Addressing a mammoth crowd at the Tafawa Balewa Square, Jonathan said that the 2015 election will be about the young people whose interest he assured, he would continue to protect.
“2015 election is about the young people. It is either you vote to be relevant in the Nigerian history or to be irrelevant.”
He urged those who are voting for the first time to vote rightly “to be relevant in this country”.
He said INEC has already been directed to ensure that all eligible voters are allowed to discharge their civic duty, saying “Nigeria is for the youths, the youths must defend this country.”
President Jonathan said that his government has been tackling corruption. He said that if his predecessors had fought corruption, it would not have grown to the magnitude it is today.
He promised to focus on three critical areas: insecurity, corruption and governance in his campaign across the 36 States and the FCT.
The President said that the Presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), General Muhammadu Buhari, who he said has been promising to end insecurity if elected in February 14, did not purchase single rifle for the soldiers when he was military Head of State.
The President wanted Nigerians to ask the APC candidate what he did with the defence budget when he was iHead of State.
Jonathan said that Buhari has nothing new to offer the country now, even as he said that his government has invested in the Armed Forces.
According to him, military hardware cannot be purchased overnight but over a period of time, adding: “somebody who wakes up and tell you people of 23 years old that he wants to fight insecurity, ask him when he was the Head of State, did he buy one rifle for the Nigerian soldiers?
“These people did not buy anything for the Nigerian soldiers.
“They refused to equip them. Ask them what they did with the defence budget that the whole time they were in office they couldn’t equip the Armed Forces.
“No country equip Armed Forces overnight because what they need are quite expensive, they are built over the years.
“Even if you spend $10 billion today, you cannot equip the Air Force, equip the Navy, equip the Army. The capacity is built over a period of time.
“They refused to build the capacity, they instigated crisis and now they are telling us they are going to fight insecurity.”
Speaking at the rally, the National Chairman of PDP, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, said the leadership appreciated the members for been loyal and committed.
He assured them that PDP remains the only party that guarantees equal opportunity, adding: “Whatever your ethnic group, whatever your religion, you equally have an opportunity to whatever you intend in this party”.
Mu’azu presented party flag to President Jonathan as party’s presidential candidate as well as to all the governorship candidates in the 36 States of the Federation.
Also speaking on behalf of the 36 governorship candidates, Jimi Agbaje of Lagos State, assured that they would put up impressive campaigns that will ensure victory for the party in their respective states.
Present at the rally were Vice President Namadi Sambo, who said the Jonathan administration has transformed the country, Senate President David Mark, party chieftains, ministers and top government functionaries. [myad]

Jonathan Is First Nigerian President To Turn Churches Into Political Arena, APC Alleges

Greenbarge Reporters

January 8, 2015

The opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused President Goodluck Jonathan of being the first leader in the history of Nigeria to have turned the house of worship into a political arena.
The party said that President Jonathan has been using the pulpit to make political and policy statements and making a show of what should ordinarily be a very personal religious affair.
In a statement issued in Abuja today by its National Publicity Secretary, Lai Mohammed, APC said that President Jonathan has only been shedding crocodile tears with his lamentation over the fact that Nigeria has become more divided along religious and ethnic lines today than at any time in its history.
”Mr. President, there is no point being sanctimonious about an issue for which you bear the most responsibility. You are the most divisive leader in the history of Nigeria, having ceaselessly exploited the country’s fault lines for political gains.”
APC said that President Jonathan’s belated lamentation is aimed at pulling the wool over the eyes of Nigerians with a view to extracting undeserved political gains, especially a few weeks before the elections.
”Where was President Jonathan when his spokespersons and party members sought to pit Christians against Muslims by labelling the country’s main opposition party, the APC, as an Islamic Party? “Where was President Jonathan when his spokespersons and party members sought to portray all adherents of a particular faith as terrorists? Not once did this President call his loquacious and sycophantic supporters to order when they were denigrating people of other tribes, calling them unprintable names. “Not once did he call his supporters to order when they were threatening to bring the country down if he is not re-elected.
”President Jonathan himself led the divisive band by tagging the leaders of a whole people ‘rascals’ just because people dared to protest against his Administration’s policies. A man who got a pan-Nigerian mandate turned himself into a tribal leader, running a government that excludes a critical mass of the nation’s demography and pigeon-holing himself into an ethnic cocoon.
”A President who has undermined the nation’s unity with his actions and utterances, and a President who has cashed in on all the nation’s fault lines to feather his own political nest definitely lacks the moral authority to preach to anyone about unity. He is the embodiment of divisiveness, hence he has no business being self-righteous.”
APC called on Nigerians of all hues to repudiate the divisiveness that is embodied in President Jonathan and his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), so that the country’s ‘unity in diversity’ can once again become a reality. [myad]

America Predicts Nigeria’ll Not Disintegrate After 2015 Polls, As Nigerians Troop To Take Refuge In Ghana

Greenbarge Reporters

January 8, 2015

The government of the United States of America has predicted that Nigeria will survive the 2015 elections, contrary to the earlier prediction that the elections would divide the country, even as Nigerians are said to be trooping in their hundreds to take refuge in Ghana ahead of the February elections.

The US Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. James Entwistle who took a look at what he called Nigeria’s “big challenges,” today said that the problems at stake are surmountable.

According to the American envoy, Nigerians should “throw out of the window” the idea from “some think-tank or somebody outside the (US) government” stating that Nigeria would fall apart in 2015.

Entwistle spoke in Lagos during an interactive session with journalists on the recent donation of a US naval ship, christened NNS Okpabana, to the Nigerian Navy.

The US diplomat said: “I have been plagued by the question (on Nigeria’s possible disintegration in 2015) and I have gone back to look and I can’t find any government report that said Nigeria would disintegrate in 2015. Maybe some think-tank or somebody outside the government said it; I don’t know.

“But in my opinion as the US Ambassador to this country, I am not worried in the least that Nigeria is going to disintegrate in 2015. Regardless of what someone may have said, the question is that we are now here in 2015: Do we see signs that Nigeria is going to disintegrate or fall apart or something? I don’t know what you think. But I don’t see those signs.

“But I see signs of growth, optimism and I see that to minimise the challenges that you have, in this life, you have to keep on keeping on and I think the future is quite bright.”

Entwistle added that if the Federal Government did what would need to be done in the coming years, especially as pertaining to “security, corruption and all of these things,” the future of Nigeria would be “very bright.”

He debunked the insinuation that the President Barack Obama administration has imposed “an arms embargo” on Nigeria following the reported refusal of the American government to sell Cobra helicopters to the Federal Government to prosecute the ongoing war against terrorism.

Citing human rights considerations for the development, Entwistle hinted that the US Diplomatic Mission to Nigeria, was “still talking about a number of other types of equipment and different types of helicopters that might be more appropriate” for the Nigerian military services.

Respecting human rights among the civilian population, he argued, should not be an impediment to fighting terrorism in the three north-eastern states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe.

Meanwhile, reports have it that thousands of Nigerians have been trooping into the neighbouring Ghana to take refuge as they feared that the 2015 election would dovetail into unimaginable crisis that could divide the country.

According to the President of the All Nigerian Community in Ghana, Moses Owaru, the influx of Nigerians into Ghana over the past few weeks can also be attributed to the general security challenges facing the country.
“Nigerians are coming to Ghana; yes I agree that the rate has increased a little bit but the issue of security in Nigeria – the Boko Haram is also making people come to Ghana,” he explained.
According to him, many Nigerian students are also coming to Ghana to study at the various tertiary institutions.
“Some students are also coming to Ghana so I wouldn’t say that it’s just because of the election that is why they are coming to Ghana,” he remarked.
Owaru indicated that the security situation in Nigeria is likely to escalate during and after the elections which is why some Nigerians “wish to come to Ghana to stay till the election is over.”
He said that since the Nigerian community in Ghana is expected to grow during this period, its leadership will “organize programmes to sensitize both the contestants in Nigeria and the Nigerians who are living in Ghana and even those who are coming.”
“It is to help them know how to comport themselves. They must live by the law and make sure they understand the environment they are coming in,” he added.
Reacting to the influx of Nigerians into Ghana, the Director of Operations at the Ghana Police Service, COP John Kudalor said that the Police are adequately prepared to address any security challenge that may arise due to the impending Nigerian elections.
“We have put in place measures and patrolling. I am sure very soon, NADMO will get in touch with us. Meanwhile, we are making our security arrangements to make sure that if anything unforeseen happens, we will be able to contain it,” he assured.
According to him, the Ghana Police Service is on high alert due to the existing security situation in the sub-region.
“It’s not only in Nigeria, it’s a sub-regional issue with very important dimensions but we will make adequate preparations,” he said.
COP Kudalor further disclosed that from November 2014, his outfit began preparations “and during the Christmas operations, that was also in mind.” [myad]

Henry Okah, MEND Leader, Had Never Liked Me, Jonathan Confesses

Greenbarge Reporters

January 8, 2015

President Goodluck Jonathan has confirmed that the leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND) Henry Okah had never at any time liked him as fellow Niger Deltan.

The President, through his special adviser on media and publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati today said: “the latest assault on the President by Henry Okah and his stooges did not come as a surprise to us at all. It was very much to be expected, coming as it did from an individual and group who have never hidden their vengeful personal animosity against the President and who have even gone to the extent of launching murderous assaults on venues at which the President was present on two occasions.

The President was reacting to what he called, “the vituperations against President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan by the renegade faction of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) headed by the convicted terrorist, Henry Okah in a statement issued to endorse the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), General Muhammadu Buhari.”

He regretted that rather than show remorse for the terrorist acts against his fatherland for which he is now rightly serving a term of imprisonment in South Africa, Henry Okah has continued to pursue a pointless personal vendetta against President Jonathan who continues to advance and protect the interests of the people of the Niger Delta which Okah and his group threatened with their misguided actions.

He said that the vituperations against him in the MEND statement endorsing General Buhari are mischievous, baseless and deliberately styled to denigrate his good works, even as he said that he played a significant role in ending the militancy and insurgency in the Niger Delta.

Under his watch, he stresses, the destruction of oil facilities and the incessant kidnapping and killing of expatriates in the Niger Delta waterways have become a thing of the past.

“The attempt by Jomo Gbomo’s MEND to rewrite history by tarnishing the person of President Jonathan for selfish, pecuniary and political gains will amount to an exercise in futility.

“All patriotic and right-thinking Nigerians must consider an endorsement from a convicted criminal and his group who harbor evil intentions against the unity and progress of their country as a poisoned chalice.

“While we thank all people of the Niger Delta, including the former militants whom MEND claims to represent who have already disassociated themselves from the statement issued by the faceless Jomo Gbomo and reaffirmed their unflinching support for President Jonathan’s re-election, we will like to state that.”

President Jonathan made it clear that he would never have accepted such an endorsement from terrorists and renegades and advises General Buhari not to place any stock on his purported endorsement by the renegade faction of MEND which is led by a convicted and unrepentant terrorist with whom no leader who truly means well for Nigeria should be associated. [myad]

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