I greet and felicitate with you all as we enter the year 2014 which promises to be a momentous one for our country for several reasons, including the fact that it is also the year of our great nation’s centenary celebrations. I join you all in giving thanks to God Almighty for guiding us and our beloved nation safely through all the challenges of the outgoing year to the beginning of 2014.







Exactly 100 years ago today, on January 1, 1914, the British Colonial authorities amalgamated what was then the separate Protectorates of Southern Nigeria and Northern Nigeria, giving birth to the single geopolitical entity known as Nigeria. For us therefore, today is not just the beginning of a new year, but the end of a century of national existence and the beginning of another. It is a moment for sober reflection and for pride in all that is great about Nigeria.



Whatever challenges we may have faced, whatever storms we may have confronted and survived, Nigeria remains a truly blessed country, a country of gifted men and women who continue to distinguish themselves in all spheres of life, a country whose diversity remains a source of strength. We pay tribute today, as always to our founding fathers and mothers, and all the heroes and heroines whose toil and sweat over the century made this country what it is today.



As I noted, a few days ago, the amalgamation of 1914 was certainly not a mistake but a blessing. As we celebrate 100 years of nationhood, we must resolve to continue to work together as one, united people, to make our country even greater.



I assure you that our administration remains fully committed to the progressive development of our country and the consolidation of peace, unity and democratic governance in our fatherland. Despite several continuing domestic and global challenges, for us in Nigeria, the year 2013 witnessed many positive developments which we will strive to build upon in 2014.



We have diligently carried forward the purposeful and focused implementation of our agenda for national transformation in priority areas such as power, the rehabilitation and expansion of national infrastructure, agricultural development, education and employment generation.



You may recall that our 2013 Budget was on the theme, “Fiscal Consolidation with Inclusive Growth”, and I emphasized the need for us to “remain prudent with our fiscal resources and also ensure that the Nigerian economy keeps growing and creating jobs”. I am pleased to report that we have stayed focused on this goal.



Our national budget for 2014 which is now before the National Assembly is specifically targeted at job creation and inclusive growth. We are keenly aware that in spite of the estimated 1.6 million new jobs created across the country in the past 12 months as a result of our actions and policies, more jobs are still needed to support our growing population. Our economic priorities will be stability and equitable growth, building on the diverse sectors of our economy.



In 2013, we commenced implementation of the National Industrial Revolution Plan (NIRP) aimed at industrializing Nigeria and diversifying our economy into sectors such as agro-processing, light manufacturing, and petrochemicals. We have also negotiated a strong Common External Tariff (CET) agreement with our ECOWAS partners which would enable us to protect our strategic industries where necessary.



I am pleased to note that as a result of our backward integration policies, Nigeria has moved from a country that produced 2 million metric tonnes of cement in 2002, to a country that now has a capacity of 28.5 million metric tonnes. For the first time in our history, we have moved from being a net importer of cement to a net exporter. Foreign direct investment into Nigeria has also been strong. In fact, for the second year running, the UN Conference on Trade and Development has named Nigeria as the number 1 destination for investments in Africa.



We are witnessing a revolution in the agricultural sector and the results are evident. We have tackled corruption in the input distribution system as many farmers now obtain their fertilizers and seeds directly through an e-wallet system. In 2013, 4.2 million farmers received subsidized inputs via this programme. This scheme has restored dignity to our farmers.



Last year we produced over 8 million metric tonnes of additional food; and this year, inflation fell to its lowest level since 2008 partly due to higher domestic food production. Our food import bill has also reduced from N1.1 trillion in 2011, to N648 billion in 2012, placing Nigeria firmly on the path to food self-sufficiency.



The sector is also supporting more jobs. Last year, we produced 1.1 million metric tonnes of dry season rice across 10 Northern states; and over 250,000 farmers and youths in these States are now profitably engaged in farming even during the dry season.



This Administration is also developing our water resources which are key for both our food production and job creation goals. In 2013, we completed the construction of nine dams which increased the volume of our water reservoirs by 422 million cubic metres. Through our irrigation and drainage programme, we have increased the total irrigated area by over 31,000 hectares creating jobs for over 75,000 farming families while increasing production of over 400,000 metric tons of assorted irrigated food products.



Fellow Compatriots, I have always believed that the single greatest thing we can do to ensure all Nigerians realize their potential and play a full part in our nation’s future, is to invest in education. The education of our young people is a key priority for this Government. We take this responsibility very seriously and I urge all other stakeholders in the sector to recognize the national importance of their work, and to help advance the cause of education in our nation.



Between 2007 and 2013, we have almost tripled the allocation for education from N224 billion to N634 billion – and we will continue to vigorously support the sector. We have improved access to education in the country with the construction of 125 Almajiri schools, and the establishment of three additional Federal Universities in the North, bringing to twelve, the number of universities established by this administration.



In 2013, we rehabilitated 352 laboratories and constructed 72 new libraries in the Federal Unity Schools; and also rehabilitated laboratories of all the 51 Federal and State polytechnics across the country.



In the Health sector, we are building strong safety nets and improving access to primary health care under the Saving One Million Lives programme. In 2013, we recruited 11,300 frontline health workers who were deployed to under-served communities across the country. Over 400,000 lives have been saved through our various interventions. We have reached over 10,000 women and children with conditional cash transfer programmes across 8 States and the FCT and we intend to scale up this successful initiative.



Our national immunization coverage has exceeded 80%. And for the first time in the history of the country there has not been any transmission of the Type-3 Wild Polio virus for more than one year. We have also eradicated the guinea worm that previously affected the lives of over 800,000 Nigerians yearly. In tertiary health care, we upgraded medical facilities across the country. Two of our teaching hospitals – the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital in Enugu, and the University College Hospital in Ibadan – commenced open heart surgeries this year after the installation of new facilities.



Fellow Nigerians, I have dwelt on some of our administration’s achievements in 2013 to reassure you that we are working and results are being achieved on the ground. As we enter our Centennial year, there is still much work ahead. We are determined to sustain our strong macroeconomic fundamentals, to strengthen our domestic institutions, and to invest in priority sectors. These investments will create more jobs for our youth. Government will at the same time, continue to scale-up investments in safety nets and the MDGs to take care of the poor and the vulnerable so that they too can share in our growth and prosperity.



In 2014, we will continue to prioritize investments in key sectors such as infrastructure development, power, roads, rail transportation and aviation. In the past year, the Federal Government completed the privatization of four power generation companies and 10 power distribution companies. We are also in the process of privatizing 10 power plants under the National Integrated Power Projects (NIPP).



We shall boost investments in transmission to ensure power generated is properly evacuated and distributed. In this regard, we have already mobilized an additional $1.5 billion for the upgrade of the transmission network in 2014 and beyond. Government will also strengthen regulation of the sector, and closely monitor electricity delivery to increase this beyond 18 hours per day. We will complete the privatization of the NIPP projects, accelerate work on our gas pipeline infrastructure and also continue to invest in hydro-electric power and clean energy as we monitor the effects of climate change on our economy.



Our administration believes that the cost of governance in the country is still too high and must be further reduced. We will also take additional steps to stem the tide of corruption and leakages. We have worked hard to curb fraud in the administration of the pension system and the implementation of the petroleum subsidy scheme. We have introduced a Pensions Transition Arrangement Department under a new Director-General. This department will now ensure that those of our pensioners still under the old scheme receive their pensions and gratuities, and are not subjected to fraud. Prosecution of all those involved in robbing our retired people will continue. The Petroleum Subsidy Scheme is also now being operated under new strict guidelines to tackle previous leakages in the scheme and prevent fraud.



Foreign travel by government personnel will be further curtailed. This directive shall apply to all Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the Federal Government. Our strategy to curb leakages will increasingly rely on introducing the right technologies such as biometrics and digitizing government payments.



I am therefore pleased to inform you that we shall complete the deployment of the three electronic platforms in 2014 – namely, the Treasury Single Account (TSA), the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) and the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) – which are all geared towards improving efficiency and transparency in our public finances. Through these reforms, we have already saved about N126 billion in leaked funds and intend to save more.



To sustain Nigeria’s ongoing agricultural transformation, we have planned further investments in the sector. We will provide input subsidies to five million farmers nationwide using the e-wallet system. This Administration recently launched a self-employment initiative under the Youth Employment in Agriculture Programme (YEAP), called the Nagropreneur programme. This scheme would encourage our youth to go into commercial agriculture as entrepreneurs and we plan to develop over 750,000 young Nagropreneurs by 2015.



We will also establish new agro-industrial clusters to complement the staple crop processing zones being developed across the country. In 2014, this Administration will continue to work with the private sector to improve financing in the agricultural sector. For example, we will launch the Fund for Agricultural Finance in Nigeria (FAFIN) which will serve as a private equity fund to invest in agri-businesses across the country.



Our Small and Medium scale enterprises (SMEs) will be the bedrock of Nigeria’s industrialization. We have about 17 million registered SMEs, and they employ over 32 million Nigerians. When our SMEs grow, more jobs will be created for our youth. Therefore, in 2014, this Administration will focus strongly on implementing the Nigeria Enterprise Development Programme (NEDEP) to address the needs of small businesses. Our interventions will include helping SMEs with access to affordable finance, business development services, and youth training. In addition, our new CET policies will enable us to support our emerging industries.



We will also intensify our investment promotion efforts abroad, to ensure we bring the biggest and best companies from around the world to invest in Nigeria.



Dear Compatriots, the housing and construction industry is a critical sector in most developed economies. When the housing sector booms, it creates additional jobs for architects and masons, for electricians and plumbers, for painters and interior decorators, and for those in the cement and furniture industries.



Today, I am pleased to inform you that this Administration is reinvigorating our housing and construction sector. We have established the Nigeria Mortgage Refinance Company (NMRC) which will increase liquidity in the housing sector, provide a secondary market for mortgages, and thereby increase the number of people able to purchase or build homes at an affordable price in the country.



In 2014, we will work in a number of pilot states where the State Governors have agreed to provide fast-track land titles, foreclosure arrangements, and serviced plots. This new institution will enable us to create over 200,000 mortgages over the next five years at affordable interest rates. In addition, those at the lower end of the economic ladder will not be left behind as this new initiative will expand mass housing schemes through a re-structured Federal Mortgage Bank and other institutions to provide rent-to-own and lease-to-own options. I am confident that very soon, many more hardworking Nigerian families will be able to realize their dream of owning a home.



In this our centenary year, we will continue our efforts, through the Saving One Million Lives initiative to strengthen primary health care services. We will scale up interventions in reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health, nutrition, routine immunization, HIV/AIDS, malaria elimination, tuberculosis, neglected tropical diseases, and non-communicable diseases. We will pay greater attention to the provision of universal health coverage. Besides the implementation of new initiatives such as my comprehensive response plan for HIV/AIDS, we shall continue to collaborate with global health partners to deliver our health sector transformation agenda.

I am glad that the issues responsible for the long-drawn ASUU strike have been resolved and our children are returning to their campuses. We are committed to making our tertiary institutions true centers of learning for our young people. We will therefore focus on upgrading hostels, laboratories, classrooms, and halls. As the 2015 deadline for the Millennium Development Goals approaches, we will continue to expand access to basic education for all Nigerian children. Working with State Governments, we shall decisively tackle the problem of the large numbers of out-of-school children in this country. We will also invest in technical and vocational education to promote skills development for our youth across the country.



Nigerian entrepreneurs still lack access to affordable financing, with medium-to-long-term tenors. To address this gap, a new wholesale development finance institution will be established in 2014 to provide medium-to long-term financing for Nigerian businesses. We are working with partners such as the World Bank, the Africa Development Bank, the BNDES Bank in Brazil, and KfW in Germany, to realize this project. Our existing Bank of Agriculture and Bank of Industry will be re-structured as specialized institutions to retail financing from this new wholesale development bank.



In addition to the foregoing, our administration will also do all within its powers to ensure the success of the forthcoming National Conference. The report of the Presidential Advisory Committee on the Conference is undergoing urgent review and the approved structure, guidelines and modalities for the conference will soon be published as a prelude to its commencement and expeditious conclusion.



It remains our sincere hope and expectation that the success of the national conference will further enhance national unity, peace and cohesion as we move ahead to the 2015 general elections.



In keeping with our avowed commitment to progressively enhancing the credibility of Nigeria’s electoral process by consistently upholding the principle of one man, one vote, our Administration will also ensure that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) receives all required support to ensure that it is adequately prepared for the next general elections.



As peace and security remain prerequisite conditions for the full realization of our objectives, we will also do more in 2014 to further empower our security agencies who are working in collaborative partnerships with our friends in the international community to stem the scourge of terrorism in our country and enhance the security of lives and property in all parts of Nigeria. The allocation of over N600 Billion to Defence and Policing in the 2014 Budget attests to this commitment.



Fellow compatriots, the task of making our dear nation a much better place for present and future generations cannot be left to government alone. I therefore urge you all to be ready and willing to do more this year to support the implementation of the Federal Government’s Agenda for National Transformation in every possible way.



Let us all therefore resolve as we celebrate the new year, and Nigeria’s Centenary, to place the higher interests of national unity, peace, stability and progress above all other considerations and work harder in our particular fields of human endeavour to contribute more significantly to the attainment of our collective aspirations. I urge all Nigerians, no matter their stations in life, to rededicate themselves to contributing meaningfully to further enrich our national heritage. The time for that re-dedication is now, not tomorrow.



I wish you all a happy and rewarding 2014. God bless Nigeria. Happy New Year.



Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR

President,

Federal Republic of Nigeria

December 31, 2013



via nigerianeye

Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, on Tuesday joined millions of people who are on the social media network, Twitter.





Dangote’s twitter account, @AlikoDangote, got an automatic verification from Twitter without a single tweet. His account already gathered 11,290 followers as at the time of this report.



The multi-billionaire philanthropist is President of Dangote Group of Companies and has diverse interests in various industries including oil and gas, food, cement, and telecommunications. He was listed as Africa’s richest man, 25th globally, by Forbes Magazine, which estimates the Kano-born businessman to be worth $20.8 billion.



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The last batch of Nigerians being repatriated from Saudi Arabia on Tuesday arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja, the News Agency of Nigeria reports.







The Director, Consular and Immigration Service in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr Abdulazeez Dan-Kano, told newsmen that the remaining 131 deportees out of 518 were transported home.



According to Dan-Kano, 51 of the deportees are from Kano State, while 17 are from Borno, with 16 from Katsina State, and 11 from Yobe.



He said nine of the deportees were from Jigawa, six from Plateau, while Kaduna and Bauchi states had five and four deportees respectively.



The director said Edo had three deportees, while Nasarawa had two, with one deportee each from Kebbi, Ogun, Niger and Adamawa states.



Dan-Kano said all the 518 deportees arrived in the country in six batches between Dec. 25 and Dec. 31.



He appealed to Nigerians still hiding in slums in Saudi Arabia to embrace the benevolence of the Federal Government and return home to avoid the wrath of the Saudi authorities.



Dan-Kano said the Nigerian Embassy in Saudi Arabia had since begun sensitisation campaign on the need for proper documentation of Nigerians who were legally resident in the country.



He said that most of the deportees were Nigerians who travelled to Saudi Arabia for Umrah, but stayed back at the end of the exercise in search of “greener pastures”.



The director said the affected Nigerians had requested government’s assistance to facilitate their return home.



Dan-Kano said that the Saudi Government had also started the deportation of more than 951 Nigerians in its custody.



He said the affected Nigerians were arrested by the Saudi authorities at the expiration of the November deadline for all illegal immigrants to leave the country.



NAN reports that officials of the National Emergency Management Agency were at the airport to register and provide relief to the deportees.



Some state emergency management agencies were at the airport to transport their indigenes back home.



via nigerianeye

Less than 24 hours to the New Year, a middle-aged man has committed suicide by setting himself ablaze at his Gwarimpa residence in Abuja on Tuesday.







Though details of the incident was sketchy at the time of filing this report, it was gathered that the smoke from the man’s apartment attracted neighbours, who on getting to his residence, found his charred remains.



The police evacuated the corpse to the mortuary of the General Hospital, Kubwa, Abuja.



via nigerianeye

A former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Austin Opara, has described as untrue, a claim credited to Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State that he (the governor) made him a deputy speaker.







He also said it was against the culture of Ikwere people to show disrespect to elders as Amaechi is currently doing to President Goodluck Jonathan and his wife, Patience.



Opara’s position was contained in a statement made available to journalists in Abuja on Tuesday.



Opara said Amaechi displayed his ignorance of parliamentary procedure when he, who was never a member of the House of Representatives, claimed that he was instrumental to his ascension to the position of the deputy speaker of the lower chamber of the National Assembly.



He said contrary to Amaechi’s claim that he betrayed him, the governor was the real betrayer having betrayed former Governor Peter Odili and the people of the state who entrusted him with their votes.



Media reports had quoted Amaechi as saying during convention of Ogbako Ikwere in Omohua Local Government of Rivers State as saying that he begged President Goodluck Jonathan to make the Supervising Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike, a minister and that he also made Opara Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives.



But Opara said, “It is unfortunate that a public officer of the status of a governor can make such careless statement of that magnitude. He was the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly.



“How can a member of the state House of Assembly make a Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives? It is a sign of ignorance on how parliamentary procedure works. Amaechi never made me deputy speaker so the issue of betrayal does not even arise.



“Presiding officers of the National Assembly are elected on the floor of the assembly by members. Amaechi was never a member of the National Assembly so whatever role he claims to have played and he is the only one that knows, does not mean he made me deputy speaker.



“I know that Amaechi was one of those who spoke to Peter Odili to support my aspiration. Even at that, Odili has never claimed to have made me deputy speaker of the House of Representatives.



“It is unfortunate that a governor can make such a statement. Amaechi requires our prayers and sympathy. I say so because Governor Odili practically forced me out of the contest for the Rivers State governorship election in favour of Amaechi. Today Amaechi is persecuting and prosecuting Odili.”



The former Deputy Speaker noted that the Ikwere people are known for their respect of elders, pointing out that if Amaechi was a thorough bred Ikwere man, he would not be insulting the President and his wife the way he is doing.



“It shows that he is not a thorough-bred of Ikwere. Which Ikwere man answers Rotimi? Ikwere people respect elders. Amaechi owes Rivers people and Nigerians explanation on why all his personal physicians are psychiatrists because it is our public funds that he is using for whatever treatment he undergoes.



“No governor in his right senses from the south south will oppose, lampoon and abuse the president the way Amaechi is doing. No governor in his right senses will abuse the wife of the president the way Amaechi is doing.



“In Rivers State, we no longer have a legislature, we no longer have a chief judge; the political class is destroyed. Amaechi is an embodiment of betrayal. He is the one who has betrayed Rivers people, the confidence and the votes that they gave him. He owes them apology for the betrayal,” Opara concluded.



via nigerianeye

The Federal Government on Tuesday appointed Brig-Gen. Johnson Olawunmi as the new Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).



In a statement issued in Abuja and signed by Sen. Anyim Pius Anyim, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the government said the appointment took effect from Dec. 23, 2013.





Also announced in the statement is the appointment of Mr Ibrahim Waziri as the Chairman of Transmission Company of Nigeria. His appointment took effect from Dec. 24, 2013.


According to the statement the new Director General of NYSC who hails from Iyin Ekiti, in Ekiti State, attended the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna, and was commissioned into the Nigerian Army on Sept. 23, 1989.



He has a Bachelor of Science’s degree in Mathematics from the Nigerian Defence Academy, a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Florin.



He holds a Master’s degree in Defence Studies from the Kings College, London, is happily married and has children.

Waziri chairs TCN

On the other hand, Waziri, who holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and an MBA from the University of Lagos, served as a non-executive Director of First Bank of Nigeria.



He has also served as a member of the Federal Government Technical Committee on Expenditure Review that advised the government on enhancing value of overhead expenditure and reducing waste in government spending.



Waziri attended various local and International trainings and conferences, including the famous University Executive Management Programme, the Harvest University Advanced Management Programme and the Oxford University Advance Management Programme.



“He was Group Executive Director, Corporate Service at the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) between 2003 and 2009 and is an alumnus of the Lagos Business School,’’ the statement said.







via nigerianeye

Sydney has kicked off New Year celebrations with a dazzling fireworks spectacular, the first in a wave of pyrotechnics to usher in 2014 from Hong Kong to Dubai.



Seven tonnes of explosives lit up Australia’s biggest city late on Tuesday, with fireworks shooting off the Opera House for the first time in more than 10 years as part of the December 31 extravaganza, focused on the Harbour Bridge.



Tonga, located near the international dateline, was one of the first nations to greet 2014, holding a prayer festival that culminated with a bamboo “cannon” fired into the air.



Antarctica was also among the first places to celebrate 2014. Passengers and crew on a ship awaiting rescue after being stuck for a week in ice rang in the New Year with their specially composed anthem.



Cities across Asia also hailed in the New Year, with Hong Kong boasting its biggest-ever countdown show.



In Rio de Janeiro, authorities are predicting that 2.3 million people – a third of them tourists – will crowd Copacabana Beach for fireworks and pop music.



Major spectaculars will also light up Moscow’s Red Square, Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate and central London when Big Ben chimes midnight.



An expected one million revellers will gather in New York to mark the stroke of midnight and the traditional New Year’s Eve ball-drop over Times Square.



Cape Town will have a free concert with fireworks and a 3D tribute to Nelson Mandela, who died on December 5.



via nigerianeye

The 35-year-old Nigerian, who was at the middle of a diplomatic kerfuffle between India and Nigeria after being killed in Goa, India, on October 30 has been buried in his hometown in Obogwe-Umunwaku in Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area of Imo State.

A representative of his family, Ejike Esinkoye, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in a telephone interview yesterday, that the funeral service for Simeon Obodo was held at St Paul’s Catholic Church, Obogwe-Umunwaku and expressed dismay that the federal government did not send any official delegation to the burial.

He also said that the family had not received any compensation or assistance from India.

Obodo was murdered during a violent clash in the Indian village, prompting some 200 Nigerians in India to protest by blocking a national highway and clashing with locals and police in the area.

Fifty-three of the protesting Nigerians were arrested and later released, after paying undisclosed sums of money to secure their release.

The Director, Consular and Immigration Services at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abdulazeez Dankano, had on December 16, said the diplomatic rift between both countries that Obodo’s murder caused was now “under control”.

Dankano was part of a federal government delegation that visited New Delhi in early December to conclude negotiations on three agreements affecting the welfare of Nigerians in that country.

He said the Indian government had made some arrests in connection with Obodo’s murder but did not say whether the suspects had been charged.

Late Obodo was born on November 1, 1977. He attended Umunwaku Primary School in Ohaji/Egbema and Umunwaku Secondary School from 1992 to 1998.

He was said to have left Nigeria for India on January 9, before his death on November 30, few days to his 36th birthday.

Obodo left behind an aged mother, a daughter and a wife.

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Wife of the President, Mrs. Patience Jonathan, on Tuesday sought the support and partnership of the Nigerian women for the rebirth and transformation of a new and improved Nigeria in 2014.





She also urged women to pray for peace and progress of the country in the New Year.



Mrs. Jonathan made the call in her New Year message made available by her media assistant, Ayo Adewuyi.



She asked Nigerian women to further put to the benefit of the nation, those virtues of intellect, determination, resilience, hardwork, and care which she said were the hallmark of the Nigerian woman.



She further urged women to use the New Year to strengthen their family bonds, adding that once the family was united and at peace, the society generally would enjoy peace and progress.



She prayed that 2014 would be a year of peace, prosperity, development and many good things in Nigeria.



The statement read in part, “The First Lady restates her devotion to the socio-economic well being of the people, particularly the women, indigent and the vulnerable, assuring that her NGOs, will continue to initiate programmes that will make women at all levels, aware of their human rights and obligations as citizens of Nigeria.



“Dame Patience Jonathan seeks the support and partnership of the Nigerian women for the rebirth and transformation of a new and improved Nigeria in 2014.



“The First Lady wishes all Nigerians a Happy, Prosperous and a fulfilling New Year.”



via nigerianeye

It was the dream of sporting glory that drew talented Cameroonian striker Salomon Bengondo to Indonesia — but his story ended in poverty, illness and an untimely death, in a country failing to pay its footballers.





The withholding of wages by Indonesian clubs has reached “catastrophic proportions” according to international players’ union FIFPro — and Bengondo is the second foreign player known to have died after going unpaid.



In 2012 Paraguayan striker Diego Mendieta died of a viral infection after he too was unable to afford treatment, following months without wages.



Bengondo arrived in Indonesia in 2005, a promising young footballer who hoped to build a career in Southeast Asia’s biggest nation.



“He had every chance, he had great hopes,” his brother Beliby Ferdinand told AFP this week at the modest house that they used to share, near the capital Jakarta.



Bengondo died last month at the age of 32, unable to afford hospital treatment for a mystery illness. His former club, Persipro Bond-U, still owed him large sums of money, according to his brother and Indonesian football officials.



Like many African players, Bengondo came to Indonesia in search of a higher salary. While the wages may not be in the same league as European clubs, Indonesian sides are generally better-paying than those in Africa.



He had been so incensed at his treatment that he took to the streets to beg in protest with his African teammates in 2012, apparently with little effect. “The club still did nothing”, Ferdinand, 27, said.



Brendan Schwab of FIFPro warned the issue of Indonesian clubs failing to pay players had reached “literally catastrophic proportions”.



“We can’t think of a country in the world of football where the problems of the players are more pronounced or more serious than Indonesia,” Schwab, head of FIFPro’s Asian division, told AFP.



It is not just foreign players going unpaid. The Indonesian professional footballers’ association (APPI) says 14 clubs in the country’s two top-tier divisions still owe salaries from the 2012/2013 season.



Bengondo played for several clubs and was signed by Persipro, based in Probolinggo in the east of the main island of Java, for the 2011/12 season. The club is in the Premier Division, the second highest level of football in Indonesia.



But according to his brother, Bengondo received only 20 million rupiah (around $1,650) when he started with the club, and nothing afterwards.



He was supposed to receive an extra lump sum and 16,625,000 rupiah a month for eight months, according to a copy of his contract seen by AFP.



Persipro could not be contacted for comment on Bengondo’s case despite repeated attempts by AFP to get in touch with the club.



Despite the lack of salary, Bengondo played for the club until the end of the season before returning to the city of Tangerang, outside Jakarta, where he lived with his brother.



He was already feeling unwell, suffering from chest pains as well as stomach problems, Ferdinand said.



In Tangerang he continued to train with other Cameroonians and eked out a living playing in occasional matches between villages.



Towards the end of November, he began feeling increasingly ill and visited a local hospital and later a clinic where he underwent tests and was given medication to help with his stomach problems.



As his health deteriorated, he would have like to seek treatment at a bigger hospital or even return to Cameroon.



But he did not have the means, his repeated appeals to Persipro to give him the money he was owed having failed, his brother said. He died in the early hours of November 29.



His brother said it is still unclear what exactly he was suffering from and he is waiting for the results of an autopsy.



Bengondo’s body was flown back to Cameroon earlier this month with funding from the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI).



Ferdinand, also a footballer but currently not signed to any club, said he still hoped to claw back the money from Persipro and then return to Cameroon. The APPI is also trying to help.



PSSI chairman Djohar Arifin Husin said clubs were suffering funding problems as competition for sponsorship was tough and since 2011 professional teams have been banned from getting local government funding, a vital source of revenue in the past.



Attempts to improve players’ rights have also been overlooked in recent years as Indonesian football chiefs struggled to resolve a feud between two rival federations, which spawned two top-tier divisions.



Both sides agreed in March to reunite under the PSSI after world governing body FIFA warned Indonesia could be banned from international competition.



Despite the distractions, Husin insisted the PSSI is trying to resolve the issue of players going unpaid, saying all clubs had been given a deadline of January 15 to pay outstanding salaries or face being banned from competitions.



But such commitments are unlikely to reassure Ferdinand after his bitter experience in the world of Indonesian football.



“Footballers are not respected in this country,” he said.



AFP



via nigerianeye

The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas workers (NUPENG) yesterday reiterated its preparedness to begin a nationwide strike in the New Year to protest the plan by the federal government to privatise the nation’s four refineries.

In a statement, NUPENG President, Igwe Achese dismissed reports that the union had suspended the strike, adding that the union will go ahead with the industrial action as planned unless government rescinds its decision on the privatisation of the refineries.

The union said it was aware of the January 7 meeting with the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Emeka Wogu, but hoped that the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Maduekwe, will attend, as the issues involved are critical to her ministry.

“NUPENG has not suspended the proposed strike coming up in the New Year. The union states that the prayer sessions are still ongoing in the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and its subsidiaries over governments plan to privatise the refineries by our members,” the statement said.

“The union reiterates therefore that it has not suspended the proposed nationwide strike over government plans to privatise the four refineries located at Port Harcourt, 1&2 Kaduna and Warri. The union states that the government plans to privatise the refineries are not in the best interest of the nation. NUPENG will therefore resist it, if all efforts at the talks fail.

“The refineries as we have always reiterated need turn around maintenance to make petroleum products available and not the rush – rush method of passing through the backdoor to attempt to sell them as scrap s to their (government officials’) cronies, which NUPENG will resist,” the statement added.

The union restated its opposition to the bid to privatise the refineries, which it said was not in the best interest of the nation, stressing that it would mobilise its members to resist the sale if the intervention meeting fails to resolve the issues raised by unions in the oil and gas industry.

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President Goodluck Jonathan, Monday, condoled with the family of Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, over the death of his daughter, Iyetade, describing her demise as unfortunate.

In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, President Jonathan said: “On behalf of himself and the federal government, President Goodluck Jonathan extends sincere condolences to Prof. Wole Soyinka and other members of the Soyinka family on the death of the Nobel laureate’s daughter, Iyetade at the age of 48.”

Jonathan prayed that God Almighty will comfort the Nobel Laureate and all others who mourn his late daughter.

He also urged them to take solace in the belief that Iyetade had gone away from all earthly troubles to rest for eternity in the bosom of the Lord.

Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, also commiserated with Soyinka, stating that his daughter’s death was most regrettable.

In a press release signed by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Mrs. Funmi Wakama, Amosun said: “It is most unfortunate that the cold hands of death has snatched away Dr. Iyetade Soyinka, at the prime of her life, when her knowledge and expertise would have been invaluable to her immediate family and the society at large.

“Our heartfelt sympathy goes to Professor Wole Soyinka and his family at this trying period, although we know that only God can comfort him,” the governor said.

Amosun also extended his heartfelt condolences to the mother, children and other family members of the deceased, just as he prayed to almighty God to grant the family the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.

The death of Iyetade, who died after a brief illness at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan was, yesterday, formally announced by the Soyinka family.

“She took ill quite suddenly and passed away while being treated at UCH, Ibadan. Affable, intelligent and sometimes capricious, who struggled with her health in recent years. In spite of this, she greeted every day with a smile and doted on her two children,” the family statement read in part.

Born on June 6, 1965 in Ibadan, Iyetade attended University of Ibadan Staff School and Queens School, Ibadan before studying Medicine at the University of Ibadan (UI).

She was survived by two children, both parents, numerous siblings, nieces and nephews.

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The All Progressives Congress, APC, has assured Nigerians of its readiness and determination to make the necessary sacrifices to reverse the prevailing gloomy situation in the country and bring about the much-needed change for the better in the interest of the long-suffering citizens.





In a statement issued in Lagos on Tuesday by its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Lai Mohammed, the party said Nigerians should go into the New Year with an unyielding commitment to be part of ongoing efforts to set the country on the path of growth and development, rather than get into a state of depression on the basis of the ‘cumulative mis-governance’ of the past 14 years by the PDP-led Federal Government.



”While wishing all Nigerians a great 2014, we hereby solicit their unalloyed support for our efforts to reshape the country’s political landscape, shake off the heavy yoke imposed on them by their selfish, self-serving and clueless leaders and make the country a source of pride not only to its citizens but to all black people in the world,” it said.



The APC said the first step in what will be a tough but final battle to rescue Nigeria from the clutches of rapacious leaders will be, to bring the citizenry on board the train of change that is barrelling through the country, and to ensure that elections in the country are free, fair and credible.



”As we wrote in the preamble to our manifesto, ‘democracy, to be stable and meaningful, must be anchored on the principle that government derives its powers from the consent of the governed…This means that governments are instituted on the basis of free, fair and credible elections, and are maintained through responsiveness to public opinion.



”In addition, the exercise of political authority is rooted in the rule of law. APC believes in the doctrine of social contract between the leaders and the led; which means that the public office holder is a trustee of the people and that power must be used in the interest of the people rather than in the interest of the public office holder,” the party said.



Registration of members starts soon



The party said in order to ensure that as many Nigerians as possible are brought aboard the APC train of change, the party will kick-start its membership registration drive early in the year, targeting in particular the youth who they described as indispensable in any effort to bring about change.



”We ask all those who are yearning for genuine change to seize the moment and embrace the engine of change, which the APC represents! Our compatriots who have lost faith in our dear country because of inefficient and corrupt leadership can count on us, because we represent committed, transparent and focused leadership,” APC said.



The party pledged to halt the country’s drift towards a failed state with a conscious plan for a post-oil economy in Nigeria, details of which will be outlined in the weeks and months ahead; and to make the welfare and security of the citizenry, which is the main duty of any government, its top priority; APC said that in order to extricate Nigeria from the dire straits in which it has been plunged by the successive PDP governments, the party has decided to make as its priority the ‘War Against Corruption; Food Security; Accelerated Power Supply; Integrated Transport Network; Free Education; Devolution of Power; Accelerated Economic Growth and Affordable Health Care.’



”We know skeptics will sneer at these and deride them as mere sloganeering. After all, Nigerians have been taken for a ride for the past 14 years by those who have mistaken transmogrification for transformation, and those who have relentless pursued power for the sake of power, rather than to use it to harness the country’s abundant human resources.



”But most things look impossible until they have been achieved, and the impressive record of performance in the states under our control, from Kano to Imo states and from Lagos to Edo, testifies to our ability, determination and willingness to make things happen for the benefit of our people,” the party said.



2013 the worst year in Nigeria’s history



The APC also said 2013 is among the worst years, if not the worst, for the citizenry, who have been pauperized and dehumanized by a ‘government that keeps touting favourable economic statistics in the face of an unprecedented fall in the standard of living of its people.’



”They say President Jonathan’s achievement in 2013 is unprecedented, yet Nigerians celebrated the Christmas and New Year holidays in unprecedented pitch darkness and an unprecedented number of our youths are unemployed; They say they are winning the war against corruption, yet key government officials, including the so-called Coordinating Minister of the Economy, do not even know how much Nigeria earns from crude oil and gas sales, and what happened to 12 billion dollars earned from domestic crude lifting; They are so eager to cling to any straw of ‘achievement’ that they are celebrating the revival of the locomotive engine in the 21st century ”Such is their insensitivity and total lack of compassion for human beings that the Jonathan administration will rather spend the nation’s scarce resources on importing animals for the villa zoo and on purchasing presidential jets that they do not need.



”Because this government has become numb to reason, because this government has deteriorated from cluelessness to hopelessness and because this government has totally lost any sense of direction, we say it is time for Nigerians to gird their loins and join hands with all those who are seeking genuine change. To adapt Mahatma Gandhi’s timeless quote, Nigerians must be the change they wish to see in their country, and the year 2014 must be our Year of Change!” APC said.



via nigerianeye

Following the United States designation of Boko Haram as a terrorist organisation, the Canadian government, Monday, listed the outlawed group a terrorist organisation under the country’s Criminal Code.





The Canadian government also listed the Caucasus Emirate blamed for recent bombings in Russia a terrorist organisation.



Rights groups have blamed Boko Haram for the death of more than 3000 people mostly in the Northern part of Nigeria.

Boko Haram started an insurgency against the Federal Government of Nigeria in 2009. The group says it wants the northern states of Nigeria placed under Sharia law.



The U.S. government says the leader of the group, Abubakar Shekau, is the ninth most wanted person in the world and has placed a $7 million (N1.1 billion) bounty on his head. The Nigerian military, however, believes Mr. Shekau might be dead after getting caught in a shootout.



“Boko Haram is an organization that is responsible for over 300 attacks in Northern Nigeria, which have resulted in the deaths of over 1,000 people,” says Steven Blaney, Canadian Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness.



“The actions of Boko Haram and the Caucasus Emirate meet the legal threshold set out in the Criminal Code, which requires the existence of reasonable grounds to believe that the entity has knowingly participated in or facilitated a terrorist activity or is knowingly acting on behalf of, at the direction of, or in association with such an entity,” reads a statement from the ministry of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness.



“The Government of Canada is keeping our streets and communities safe. Listing terrorist entities facilitates the prosecution of perpetrators and supporters of terrorism, as well as countering terrorist financing,” added Mr. Blaney.



By virtue of these listing the asset of the groups and anyone associated with them in Canada will be “seized and forfeited.”



“There may be severe penalties for persons and organizations that deal in the property or finances of a listed entity. In addition, it is a crime to knowingly participate in, or contribute to, any activity of a listed entity for the purpose of enhancing the ability of the entity to facilitate or carry out a terrorist activity,” the statement reads.



via nigerianeye

The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) has called on the federal government to pay civil servants their December salaries and outstanding emoluments since July 2013 or risk industrial action.

In a statement, Monday, the union disclosed that thousands of federal civil servants were yet to be paid their December 2013 salaries, adding that the affected workers and their families spent Christmas in pain and bore the pangs of hunger.

The ASCSN maintained that the inability of the federal government to pay salaries had lent credence to the belief in some quarters that the managers of the public sector economy were “grossly incompetent and rabidly corrupt”.

The statement signed by the union’s secretary, Alade Lawal, therefore called on the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, to explain to Nigerians why the federal government could no longer pay salaries to its employees as at when due.

It added that it had become necessary for the minister to address the nation on the embarrassing situation since she has continued to maintain that the country is not broke.

The union said it was disheartening that the civil servants, who are the least paid in Africa, South of the Sahara, could no longer get their meagre salaries on due date, stressing that the delay was pushing the workers and their unions to the wall.

“We wish to emphasise that if federal civil servants are not paid their December 2013 salary and arrears outstanding since July 2013 immediately, the entire Federal Civil Service will be shut down shortly.

“It is difficult to understand why civil servants cannot be paid their paltry salaries in an economy where the political elite are carting away millions of naira monthly as remunerations while billions of public funds are also being looted without qualms and those involved in the stealing spree are not being brought to book.

“We have never had a situation in this country where the federal government cannot pay the salary of civil servants, particularly during festive periods. This development is very unfortunate and is making Nigeria a laughing stock before the international community,” the union stated.

The union emphasised that it would not stand by and watch the salary of members being looted, as had been the case with the pension funds.

It therefore appealed to President Goodluck Jonathan to step in and order the finance minister to pay civil servants their salaries without further delay, adding that the necessary machinery should be put in place to ensure that such an embarrassing situation does not repeat itself.

It further called on the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), civil society groups and prominent individuals to prevail on government to pay members their salaries to avert disruption of services in the public service.

Reacting to the threat by civil servants to go on strike, the finance ministry said yesterday that it was investigating the complaint on the non-payment of December salaries and emoluments for six months this year.

In a statement issued by the minister’s media aide, Paul Nwauikwu, the ministry said: “It has come to our attention that an association of senior civil servants has issued a statement protesting the non-payment of their December 2013 salaries as well as some emoluments.

“We are yet to see the statement but the issue of prompt salary payment is one that the Federal Ministry of Finance has prioritised for several months now.

“The Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance has made it absolutely clear that prompt salary payment cannot be compromised for any reason and this has been communicated to all relevant agencies. And we have received feedback from many civil servants who expressed their happiness about the early payment of salaries.

“While we investigate this complaint which is yet to be formally communicated, the initial feedback from some senior servants consulted is that government is not owing them any entitlements. So it is clear this is not a generalised problem.”

The minister added that it was aware of a few delays caused by the failure of individual civil servants and their ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to update their account numbers to meet the requirements of the CBN approved 10 digit NUBAN account numbers and communicate same to the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation.

But this, the ministry said in the statement, “involves pockets of civil servants, certainly not the entire senior civil servants. Any legitimate inconveniences are regretted.”

It promised to provide updates as appropriate. [Thisday]

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A minor altercation has led to the death of a commercial bus driver, Bashiru Adebayo, who was allegedly beaten to death by a soldier identified as Private Ezinne Benjamin.

Benjamin, who is now being detained at the 81 Division of the Nigerian Army, Victoria Island, Lagos, was arrested after an angry mob stormed Dodan Barracks chanting war songs and threatening wanton destruction.

Eyewitnesses said disagreement broke out between the soldier and the deceased driver after Benjamin refused to pay his transport fare despite entreaties from the bus conductor and passengers.

Commercial bus drivers in Lagos usually convey military and paramilitary personnel in uniforms for free, but Benjamin was not wearing uniform, neither did he identify himself as a soldier, according to eyewitnesses.

He was however angered by the insistence of the driver that he had to pay up and in the heat of the ensuing altercation between them, he brought out his gun and hit the driver’s head with its b*tt.

The deceased, who was the driver of the commercial bus with registration No. LSG 451 XG, was said to have demanded for the soldier’s transport fare, after he had snubbed the conductor.

His persistent demand was said to have triggered off the soldier’s anger and the argument between them soon degenerated into a scuffle after the driver had parked his bus at Obalende in a bid to collect the fare before going any further.

The soldier hit the driver with the b*tt of his gun and fled after he slumped on the road.

Attempts to revive the driver proved abortive and he was later confirmed dead at the Lagos Island Hospital, where he was rushed to for treatment.

His death angered some youths in the area who pursued the fleeing soldier and caught up with him close to Dodan Barracks.

They were about lynching him when he was rescued and taken to the Lion Building Police Station before he was handed over to the military for an orderly room trial, which has already been set up.

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Governor of Adamawa State, Murtala Nyako yesterday, asked President Goodluck Jonathan to forget about the proposed national conference and pay more attention to delivering the dividends of democracy to Nigerians.

Nyako described the planned confab as a waste of time and scarce resources, which ordinarily should have been used to provide social amenities.

According to the governor, Nigerians need concrete development projects that could enhance their life expectancy and not talk shops that add no real value to life.

Nyako’s criticism of the planned national dialogue comes on the heels of the Ebonyi State governor, Martin Elechi’s opposition to the talks which he said was a huge joke, waste of time and distraction to the president.

Nyako said: “Governor Elechi is absolutely right. What we need now is a development programme and not national conference or dialogue.

“We need critical infrastructure; we need ports and railway system, functional and compulsory education for Nigerians and not talk shops that cannot take us to anywhere.

“We need primary schools that can be described as the best in the world. We do not need too much grammar about developing Nigeria, but concrete efforts and the political will by the government to translate talks into reality for the overall benefit of Nigerians”.

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Kelechi Iheanacho’s transfer to Manchester City is back on track after it looked like it had collapsed over a delayed payment.




MTNFootball.com reveals that agents working on the move to the EPL side for the FIFA U-17 World Cup MVP are now working on getting the player and father to England for a meeting to address “some vexed issues.”



“Both the agents in the United States and those in London are now co-operating to get visas to the United Kingdom for the Iheanachos so that they meet with Manchester City officials on the contract they have signed,” a top source informed MTNFootball.com



“You could therefore say the transfer is back on track,” he added.



Issues to be discussed would include the January 2015 payments to the player, his father and the Taye Football Academy in Owerri.



via nigerianeye

A 27-man gang on Friday abducted a pastor, Mr. Godson Akubiro, and six of his children from their Adeosun Street residence, Koya Estate, Igbo Olomu, Ikorodu, Lagos State.

Akubiro is said to be the founder of Mountain of Breakthrough Church in the area. The incident was said to have occurred about 1.30am.

Neighbours, who requested anonymity, told PUNCH Metro that the gunmen arrived at Akubiro residence in three jeeps and a Toyota Tundra vehicle. The number plates of the vehicles were said to have been covered. The gunmen, who wore army camouflage, had allegedly gained entrance into the house with the aid of an iron cutter.

It was learnt that since the abduction, no one had heard from Akubiro and his six children.

The Community Developmen Association Chairman, Mr. Yinka Obasan, said he was alerted about the development about 2am.

“I got a call that night from a resident who was coming from a vigil. He told me that he noticed some military vehicles parked outside Akubiro’s home. He said the vehicles belonged to a high ranking military official because the insignia was covered.

“I told the man to wait for me and together we went to Akubiro’s home. When we got there, I greeted the men I met outside and introduced myself as the CDA chairman. I asked them if there was a problem. Instead of answering me, they turned on my companion and accused him of alerting me.

“After berating both of us for not minding our business, they forced us to sit on the ground and seized our phones. There was another resident sitting on the ground; they had detained him since 12am when they arrived. Then they started beating us.”

It was learnt that inside the Akubiro residence six of Akubiro’s children were in the sitting room watching a movie, when the men, said to be dressed in dark googles, black jeans and heavy bullet proof vests entered.

It was gathered that they told the terrified children that they were policemen and proceeded to drag their father, who was sleeping, from his bedroom into the sitting room. The six children, whose ages ranged between 30 and eight years, were beaten up.

One of them, an eight-year-old named Emeka, was allegedly tied to a tree in the compound. No reason was allegedly given by the gunmen for their actions.

Another 18-year-old boy named Obiora was said to have been tortured with a taser. Akubiro’s wife, Rita, was said to be away on a trip to South Africa at the time.

It was learnt that the gunmen later took Akubiro away along with Ada, his first daughter, Obiora, Oyinyenchi, Felicia,, Nonso and Kingsley. Three person were allegedly left behind – Emeka, Chidera and a baby.

Obasan said, “Around 2.45am, those who were inside came out with Akubiro and his children. They said they were going to the man’s church to burn it down – Akubiro is the founder and head of the Mountain of Breakthrough Church on Breakthrough Street in this estate.

“They put their victims in their vehicles and zoomed off. Before leaving, they threw our phones at us.”

It was gathered that immediately the gunmen left, a report was lodged at the Owutu Police Division.

However, the DPO was said to have denied that the gunmen were policemen.

It was learnt that since the incident, no one had been able to establish contact with Akubiro and his children. His wife Rita, who returned from South Africa the following day, was said to have received no calls concerning their whereabouts.

via NaijaGossip

I wonder what was going through the owner's mind when he/she decided to get a cake like this





via NaijaGossip

The signs are now obvious that the APC is coasting home to victory and the PDP will become a minority in the country by early 2014. Consequently, President Goodluck Jonathan's camp is now in panic mood.

The President is mounting serious pressure on the leadership of the Senate to persuade aggrieve.PDP men in the Senate not to carry out their plan to dump the party in 2014, promising to "compensate" them.

But one of the senators, who confirmed that meetings were held at the instance of the Presidency, said most of them had made up their minds to already defect to the APC and it is final.

The senator said, “Already some of us have made up our minds to defect and there is no amount of pressure that would stop us. We will formally write the Senate president when we resume in January."

The Senator told Punch that apart from the meetings, Mark had made it a point to contact each of them daily on the telephone, pleading with them to remain in the PDP.

Another source close to the Senate leadership said that the Senate President, David Mark, had personally held a series of meetings with some of the aggrieved senators with a view to making them have a rethink.

"Meetings are being held to prevent the PDP senators from going ahead with their planned action. I am sure the peace moves are yielding fruitful results," he told a Punch correspondents on condition of anonymity.

At the moment, the PDP has 73 senators as against the APC’s 33, Labour Party’s three and one for the All Progressives Grand Alliance.

But with the mass defection, the APC is set to have as much as 80 Senators and take over the Senate.

via NaijaGossip

A 32-year-old lady, Chizoba Vivian Anya, has been arrested by officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for allegedly excreting wraps of substance which tested positive for methamphetamine, on-board a Qatar Airline flight from Malaysia.

The suspect was said to have aroused suspicion from other passengers on-board the flight following her frequent visits to the toilet. On arrival at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) Lagos, three wraps of methamphetamine were found in her possession.

NDLEA commander at the Lagos Airport, Mr. Hamza Umar, said the suspect while under observation excreted two additional wraps of the same substance.

“The suspect was found with three wraps which she excreted in the aircraft. While she was under observation at the Lagos airport, she excreted two additional wraps of drugs. The five wraps which tested positive for methamphetamine weighed 80 grammes.”

Preliminary investigation also revealed that the suspect left from Ghana where she ingested the drugs enroute to Malaysia. In Malaysia, she was denied entry and made to board another flight back to Nigeria. She started excreting the drugs at the airport in Malaysia.

In her statement, the suspect said she was offered half a million naira to smuggle the drugs to Malaysia.

“I was promised the sum of half a million naira but my problem started when I had immigration problem in Malaysia. I was denied entry and made to return to Nigeria after two days. While in the aircraft, I excreted three wraps and two other wraps in the NDLEA office,” Anya stated.

The suspect, who hails from Onitsha, Anambra State and yet to be married said she just completed her Higher National Diploma (HND) in Business Administration at the Federal Polytechnic Oko, Anambra State.

“I just completed my HND programme and I am from a very poor family. I wanted to use the money they promised me to assist my siblings by smuggling the drug to Malaysia,” she said.

Reacting, Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Ahmadu Giade warned against the get-rich-quick syndrome.

“Drug traffickers must avoid the get-rich-quick syndrome and understand that a good name is better than ill-gotten wealth that comes without peace of mind,” Giade stated.

Giade also urged passengers to be vigilant and report suspicious passengers to authorities.

The suspect will soon be charged to court.

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The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) will be setting up a committee to investigate the allegations of human rights violations contained in former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s letter to President Goodluck Jonathan.

This is coming following the directive by the president through the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN).

A source at the commission, who confirmed this on Monday said, the committee would have been constituted but for the yuletide holiday season.

According to the source, the commission has taken the instruction from the presidency seriously and would do all within its powers to investigate the allegations.

President Jonathan had last week directed NHRC to investigate the said rights abuses contained in Obasanjo’s letter.

Acting on the instruction of the president, the attorney-general had forwarded Obasanjo’s letter to the commission for investigation.

In a memo dated December 23 and addressed to the Executive Secretary of NHRC, Prof. Bem Angwe, the attorney general had requested the commission to investigate the allegations bordering on human rights violations contained on pages 9-10 of Obasanjo’s letter.

Meanwhile, a non-governmental organisation, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has also sent a petition to the NHRC requesting it “to urgently investigate the recent allegation by former President Olusegun Obasanjo that the government of President Goodluck Jonathan is training snipers and other armed personnel secretly and clandestinely acquiring weapons to match for political purposes like Abacha, and training them where Abacha trained his own killers.”

SERAP urged the commission to ensure that anyone found to be involved in the training of snipers should be held responsible.

SERAP said it was concerned that the allegation, if found to be true, amounted to a grave breach of international law, and directly undermines the government’s responsibility to safeguard the safety and security of the citizens.

“It also constitutes an assault on the rule of law, and is entirely inconsistent with the practice of a democratic society, which Nigeria strives to become,” SERAP said.

SERAP added that government had a particular responsibility to protect all citizens and others resident in the country against human rights violations.

“The training of snipers will lead to a pervasive climate of insecurity and the absence of the rule of law. The legal right to life and protection against extrajudicial execution is recognized by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to which Nigeria is a state party.

“Article 6 of the Covenant states that ‘No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his life.’ This right is non-derogable even in times of emergency,” SERAP noted.

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At a time when the banning of fireworks is popular due to the havoc wreaked in the past in several states of Nigeria, Osun State Government has said it had concluded plans to usher in the new year with fireworks displays in 10 towns across the state.

Speaking in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Osogbo on Monday, Mr Sunday Akere, the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, said the towns where the government would officially display fireworks to usher in 2014 include Ilesa, Ife, Ikirun, Iwo and Osogbo.

Others are Ikire, Ede, Ejigbo, Ila and Okuku.

According to the commissioner, the display would be a way of “letting the people know that government activities should not be localised and centralised to the capital alone”.

“The essence of a responsible government is to spread its policies and programme with a view to allowing the populace to have a feel of government at all times”.

“It is our way of celebrating and welcoming the year in conformity with global practice.”

“It is the desire of government to ensure that the new year is celebrated with funfair.”

The commissioner said that government officials from each of the constituencies would monitor the display.

He therefore appealed for calm from the people of the state during the exercise, adding that there would be no reason for panic.

The move by the government means residents of the state can freely use fireworks on the streets without fear of being arrested as we have in states where use of fireworks is banned. Several religious organisations have however banned the use of fireworks in their premises while celebrating the new year.

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Gov. Theodore Orji of the eastern Nigerian state of Abia, on Monday, said the proposed Umuahia Airport and a seaport would be constructed through the Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) initiative.





Orji made the disclosure in Umuahia while fielding questions from newsmen after presenting the state’s 2014 Appropriation Bill to the House of Assembly.



The lawmakers had asked Orji to explain how the government intended to fund the projects, as they were not captured in the budget estimates.



The governor said “we will source the funds from PPP.’’



He said the state government would partner with investors who indicated interest to partner with it.



He added that the process of funding the projects would be articulated in the memorandum of understanding to be signed between the government and the investors.



“My intention is just to start the projects. I will not tell you that I must complete them because they are capital intensive but the two projects are vital to the economy of the state and I know that the incoming government will not abandon them.



“The important thing is for me to commence them because they are important to the state.’’



The governor hoped that the N149.6 billion appropriation would be given accelerated passage by the legislature.



via nigerianeye

The presidency yesterday reviewed its performance in the year 2013 and gave itself as pass mark, saying the activities of insurgents are restricted to only two states unlike in the past.





Senior special assistant to the President on public affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, who stated this in a statement yesterday, said those that use the security challenges in some parts of the country as the only barometer to measure President Jonathan’s performance are not being fair to the President considering the fact that the war on insurgency and terrorism has never been a quick fix anywhere in the world.





The presidency while reminding the public that bombings and killings by insurgents happened in Kano, Kogi, Niger, Yobe, Born, Sokoto, Adamawa and the Federal Capital Territory in 2011 and 2012, said the activities of these terrorists have been largely contained and restricted to one or two states in 2013.

“Yes, we are not where we hope to be but it will be sheer mischief to insist that we are where we were or as some wickedly say we are worse than we were. Definitely, their position is not based on facts and so should be ignored by Nigerians” Okupe stated



The presidency described the out -going year 2013 as a year unprecedented policy decisions were taken and major projects executed for the good of Nigerians in spite of pockets of distractions.



He said contrary to what the opposition parties are saying, Nigeria under President Goodluck Jonathan has moved significantly forward in many sectors than it was in 2011.



The Presidential aide said the transformation which has taken place in the economy, trans-portation, agriculture, power and other critical sectors are the routes which all developed Nations had taken before now but which unfortunately had not been taken by Nigeria before now.



“It is an incontrovertible fact that Nigeria under Jonathan has reduced its food imports by about forty percent and increased its local production of rice, cassava, sorghum, cotton and cocoa in percentages ranging from 25 to 56 in the last two years. For the first time since independence, the Nigerian agricultural sector is attracting unprecedented Foreign Direct Investment. Over the past 2 years, the sector has attracted $ 4 billion in private sector executed letters of commitment to invest in agricultural value chains, from food crops, to export crops, fisheries and livestock. The number of private sector seed companies grew from 10 to 70 within one year. Over $ 7 billion of investments from Nigerian businesses have been made to develop new fertilizer manufacturing plants, which will make Nigeria the largest producer and exporter of fertilizers in Africa. It is also noteworthy that agricultural lending as a share of total bank lending has risen from two percent to six percent in two years,” he said.



via nigerianeye

Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah, yesterday said government is working on constructing a second runway for the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.







The minister gave the assurance during a visit to Media Trust Limited.



Passengers have called on aviation authorities to expedite action on the construction of a second runway following the blockade of the only runway in the airport by a Saudi cargo air plane on December 4, forcing flight cancellations.



“It is not proper for us to have one runway for airport such as busy as Abuja,” Oduah said.

“We are waiting for the resources to be able to do the second runway. The second runway was started and had an issue along with it. So, instead of putting it at the back burner, we are bringing it up again because it is very crucial.”



She added: “If anything happens, the nearest airport will be Minna but Minna has its limitation. There are some sizes of aircraft that Minna cannot take…Government will do the second runway as soon as possible but it is expensive.”



She dismissed criticism that it took 17 hours to reopen Abuja airport after a Saudi Arabian cargo plane run into repair equipment, saying her officials worked round the clock to remove the huge plane and that they deserve commendation for the work they did.



The Abuja airport is the nation’s second busiest, with an average monthly passenger movement of over 10,000, according to the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).



via nigerianeye

Hundreds of members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Benue State at the weekend defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with a resolve to help the ruling party in the state retain its leading position in the forth coming general election.





The state House of Assembly member representing Gboko East Constituency, Dehiin Dzuayi, who led the defectors said they were no longer comfortable with APC due to the party’s inability to chart the right course for its followers.

Governor Gabriel Suswam in his speech while receiving the returnees on behalf of the PDP assured them of equal treatment, stressing that they would not be discriminated against by old members for taking the right step to abandon the APC.

“We will treat you equally. The party will never abandon you”, he pledged. Suswam who boasted that the PDP would continue to rule Nigeria and Benue State also promised to construct the road linking Gboko Local government Area to its neigbouring Gwer West.



via nigerianeye

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuade, has said a woman will rule Nigeria someday.





Speaking on Sunday at the Seventh Convention of the Hour of Mercy Prayer



Life Ministry at Akinyele Local Government Area of Oyo State, Oba Sijuade said women are qualified to rule Nigeria.



He said: “I can see a woman ruling Nigeria in the future because they are equally talented to lead the country.”



Oba Sijuade, who inaugurated the Mountain Guest House and Restaurant, urged women to acquire standard education to prepare them for the task of ruling the country.



He urged Nigerians to emulate the owner of the ministry, Mr. Moses Kasali, who he described as selfless and honest.



Advising Nigerians to be prayerful, Oba Sijuade said: “Prayer is the only solution to the country’s problems.”



Kasali urged Nigerians to embrace God as the only way to salvation, adding: “If the likes of our royal father, who has seen everything in life, can embrace God, then who are we not to? When there is life there is hope and I know God will grant us our desires.” Warning Nigerians to watch their tongues in the New Year, he said: “A lot of politicians will die in 2014, but those who are of God need not fear.”



Osun State Deputy Governor Mrs. Titilayo Laoye-Tomori urged the congregation to serve God whole-heartedly.



She told the people that her boss, Governor Rauf Aregbesola, was a God-fearing man, who believed in religious freedom, adding: “He allows Christians, Muslims and Atheists to serve God the way they want.”



Also at the convention were retired Assistant Inspector-General of Police Junior Orubebe; former Director-General (DG), Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Dr. John Aknaya; Osun State Commissioner for Environment Prof. Bukola Oyawoye; Akinyele Local Government Chairman Abiola Ambali; Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs Ade Fadaunsi and Prince Tokunbo Sijuade.



via nigerianeye