President Goodluck Jonathan seemed lost for words to thank Igbo people for the support they have been giving to him from the day he indicated his interest in the Presidency of Nigeria. He said that he has been overwhelmed by the kind of support he has been getting from Igbos since the inception of his administration.
The President, who hosted a group of Igbo market and town union leaders at the State House, Marina Lagos, under the auspices of Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN), today said: “I don’t know how to thank Igbos. I don’t know how to thank my brothers and sisters from the southeast. After serving this country, I will have to go and read literature and study all classical literary works by Chinua Achebe and others to be able to learn how to describe and thank my brothers from Igbo. The kind of support, love and prayers you have showered on me are unbelievable. I have gotten the kind of support I never expected from you all. “It is not about what I can do or what I have done; it is just God’s love.”
The President thanked the Igbo leaders across Lagos state for their promise to deliver all Igbo votes to him in the 2015 Presidential election added: “I can never pay you back for all what you do. I only pray I am able to give you a token of appreciation with my performance, not necessarily pay you back.
On the insecurity in the country caused by insurgents, President Jonathan said that the ‘intimidation’ tactics employed by terrorists will not last.
He said that  government would continue to update the necessary security infrastructure and architecture to be able to bring insurgency to an end.
He advised Nigerians to see the present security situation as a passing phase which the country would overcome, just like many other countries which also faced terrorism at one time or the other defeated it.
“Talking about the unfortunate bomb incident in Kano yesterday (Friday), I just want to tell Nigerians that this phase will surely pass. “This intimidation will not last. We will continue to improve on the technology needed to combat terrorism. “This intimidation will soon end, I can assure you. Other countries which faced terrorism later defeated it, we shall overcome also.”
Speaking earlier, Arthur Eze urged Igbos to keep mobilizing votes for Jonathan because he had the fear of God and sincerity to work for the nation.
Ifeanyi Ubah called on them to show their numerical strength in Lagos by mobilizing many votes for Jonathan.
TAN Secretary, Christian Okechukwu said that the organization planned to use mobile phone freebies and door to door mobilization to deliver the votes necessary to ensure a Jonathan victory in 2015.
The organization also displayed 50 vehicles which will be deployed for mobilization in all the local government areas in Lagos.
Several market and town union leaders who spoke one after the other also vowed to mobilize massively for the President to ensure  he doesn’t lose any Igbo votes.
Present at  the meeting were the national chairman of People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Adamu Muazu, chairman of Chukason Group Dr. Chika Okafor, chairman of Chisco Group, Dr. Chidi Sylvester,  Obinna Uzor, Dr.  Stella Okorie of Emzor Pharmaceuticals, the Anyiam Osigwe  brothers among others.

[myad]

With the general elections in Nigeria a few months away, many citizens are still apprehensive about the success of the election, especially with the security challenges still staring the country in the face.
Greenbarge Reporters went to town across the country to hear what Nigerians have to say about the elections. Callistus Emmanuel, a civil servant in Enugu said that he has no quarrel with INEC preparations for the 2015 elections, especially with the openness being displayed by its chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega.
According to him, INEC has so far been following the electoral programme it drew up “and wherever there are changes, the chairman would always come out to explain to Nigerians.”
Dr. Abdulrahman Adeiza, President of Ebira Peoples Association in Kogi Central Senatorial District, said that the hope he has about the possible success of 2015 polls is that INEC has continually been correcting mistakes in the electoral processes as the nation approaches the general elections in 2015. He advised the electoral body to open its ears to listen to genuine complaints from all quarters and addressing such complaints.
Mrs. Hajara N. Y, a Matron in one the hospitals in the nation’s Federal Capital Territory, said that
One of the INEC’s challenges has been the issuance of Permanent Voter’s Card (PVC). She said that a lot of Nigerians who moved from one state to the other after the registration a couple of years ago are now being asked to go and collect their PVC from the original states where they registered. She sees this as a recipe for disenfranchising those Nigerian because, according to her, even if they can go and collect their PVCs, would they be expected to also travel again to those states to cast their votes in 2015? She advised that since the registration information was supposed to have been fed into centralized system, INEC should find ways of capturing such voters anywhere in the country with a view to issuing them the PVC.
“This is the only observation I have and it is very serious. I don’t actually know the level of INEC preparations on a ageneral note.”
Stephen Adebayo of the Africa Independent Television (AIT) commended the preparations for the 2015 elections so far, but noted that the biggest challenge now is that less than 50 percent Nigerian voters have not been able to get their Permanent Voters Cards.
According to him, if INEC bungle this part of the important aspect of the electoral process, many politicians who will contest election will feel cheated because most of their supporters, in one way or the other don’t have PVC.
“I am calling on INEC to address this issue properly and if possible, extend the date for people to sort out themselves, so that at least, no fewer than 65 percent Nigerians who are qualified to vote would obtain their voter’s cards.”
Moses Tom, in Benue state said that the complaints that had trailed the recent concluded issuance of the Permanent Voters Card (PVC) should not be taken lightly. According to him, voters’ names have been reported missing, and many eligible voters’ not successfully captured in the continuous voters’ registration across the country, making him to doubt if trully INEC is ready for the poll.
Saheed Biodun in Lagos said: ” From the look of things, I am not convinced that INEC is prepared for the 2015 general elections. How can they say they are prepared when many voters’ can’t have their PVC’s, and others that are eligible cannot also register to vote? Then, what are we saying? ”
In her own response, Adeseun Bunmi in Ibadan queried: ” What preparation are you talking about? When it was reported that many voters’ can’t get their PVCs including myself. You cannot build something on nothing.”
Other respondents shared the opinion that with eleven weeks to the poll, intensive voter’s education ought to have commence on a large scale by the umpire body, aimed at equipping the electorates of detailed knowledge on the election.
They noted that, for a successful election which INEC had always assured Nigerians of, the electorates needed to be adequately sensitized and informed on roles expected of them, and on what are against the law they shouldn’t engage themselves during the election period.
Danladi Usman in Kaduna said: “the preparation of the electoral body for the upcoming poll is not encouraging at all. If election is already here as we currently have it, is it not enough for them to have started the election education or what do they call it. Or, will they be starting when campaigns have already occupied the media? ”
Ariyo Ola in Ekiti state posited that INEC has not done enough to prove to the electorate that it is prepared to conduct the 2015 elections, otherwise, it would have commenced massive sensitization of the voters.
“Now is when it is needed most. If INEC fails to do its job of sensitizing the electorate against violence, as some politicians are threatening, then, I fear the 2015 elections may fail.” [myad]

Nigeria Senate has hit back at former President Olusegun Obasanjo over his allegation that members of the Senate and House of Representatives have been stealing constituency funds, and extorting government officials they supervise through blackmail and intimidation. The senate said that Obasanjo lied.
in a statement by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe today, the Senate that Obasanjo’s claim about constituency project funds was an outright lie aimed at misinforming Nigerians.

​“The allegation, spurious as it were, is very distant from the truth and is nowhere near reality. President Obasanjo for the avoidance of doubt, was the initiator of the constituency project in the year 2000 as a means of ensuring that projects were fairly spread across the country using the Senatorial zones as the spring board.

“To ensure execution of the projects, President Obasanjo again factored the constituency projects into the annual budgets to be implemented by the executive depending on availability of funds. That is to say that no lawmaker ever comes close to the funds or even determine the contractor for the said projects or when the said contract would be awarded.”

He said that it was curious that Obasanjo would turn around after over 10 years of initiating such a project to accuse the National Assembly of misusing such money.

“Such allegation stands logic on its head, as it amounts to an indictment of the Presidency for wilfully contravening the budget laws by ceding its power to execute to the National Assembly, if it was the case.

“It will also help to clear the allegation once and for all, if any presidency official not only from the time past but currently, could come forward and explain the true position of the so called constituency projects. Doing so would at least set the records straight.” [myad]