No fewer than 100 MASSOB members were yesterday beaten up and arrested at the entrance gate of Abakaliki Township Stadium during the Igbo Day celebration by the police in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State
Four of them who were wounded during the police action were later rushed to an undisclosed private hospital in Abakaliki for medical attention.

The National President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Ralph Uwechue had stated that no matter how big or small, people should be allowed free-play and equitable access to the country’s resources and strategic political posts, including the presidency.

According to the Ebonyi State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP John Eluu, who confirmed the arrest, they were arrested to avoid breach of peace at the venue. Though those arrested at the stadium and detained at the State CID were released but Mr. Uchenna Madu, the organisation’s director of information told Daily Sun that others arrested outside the stadium and held at two other police stations were still being held by the police.

The arrested MASSOB members who wore Biafran uniform and displayed Biafran flags were seen marching into the Abakaliki Stadium when they were confronted by the police. The spiritual leader who represented leader of the MASSOB, Chief Ralph Uwazurike, Bishop Chinedu Okeke, director of religious affairs said they were duly invited, as a result, did not constitute nuisance.

According to Okeke, as at the time of arrest no weapon was found on them and there was no sign of violence exhibited by them as they were in peaceful procession marching into the stadium when they were confronted by the police who manhandled and bundled them into the police van and took them to the police station.
Daily Sun reliably learnt that it was on the instruction of the Ebonyi State Governor, Chief Martin Elechi, who was said to have called on the state Police Commissioner, Mr. Adeniyi Adeola, for the immediate release of the MASSOB members.

The Director of Information, MASSOB Mr. Uchenna Madu who later spoke called on South-east governors to be careful in handling the affairs of MASSOB in the zone arguing


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no be small thing.

By 1st week of October 2nd list will be out.

By 1st week of October 2nd list will be out.

ninochukwubrown:

i scord 284 in d pume 4 2nd choice vyin 4 biochem, nd 230 in jamb, i knw am dere alredy ryt?

You will get admission, but still pray hard.

@Emmyk
We are giving ppl info.

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) has announced plans to bomb the Eagle Square, Abuja again on the nation’s 51st anniversary on Saturday. MEND issued the threat in a press statement released yesterday by its spokesman, Jomo Gbomo.

The terse three-paragraph statement said Nigerians had nothing to celebrate after 51 years of independence. MEND advised the public to take the release as the first and final warning before the detonation of the explosive devices.

The statement dated September 28 reads: “On October 1, 2011, The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) intends to place bombs within and in the immediate vicinity of Eagle Square, venue for the proposed 2011 independence anniversary celebrations.
“After fifty one years of independence, Nigerians still have nothing to celebrate.

“The general public is strongly advised to consider this as a first and final warning. No additional warnings will be issued subsequent to deployment or detonation of these devices which will be novel in nature.” MEND had a few days to the 50th anniversary of the nation last year similarly warned that several explosive devices had been successfully planted in and around the Eagle Square by its operatives.

It made real its threat when two cars exploded outside the justice ministry near the Eagle Square, while President Goodluck Jonathan was inspecting parade by the military. The incident, resulted in the death of at least 10 persons, while 36 others, including 11 policemen were seriously injured.

The blasts completely destroyed six cars, damaged 18 others and shattered the glasses of a hotel in the vicinity.
MEND leader, Henry Okah was arrested in South Africa and is currently facing trial in connection with the 2010 Abuja blasts.



http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2011/sept/29/national-29-09-2011-001.html

Tribunal Sacks 10 Cpc N’assembly Members


In less than two hours, supporters of no fewer than 10 members of the National Assembly yesterday watched in disbelief as the eye popping judgment of the Election Petition Tribunal in Katsina State stripped their lawmakers of their victory in the April 9 poll.

They are two senators and eight House of Representatives members elected on the platform of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC).

One of the upset recorded at the tribunal brought smiles to the daughter of late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, Mariam, candidate of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Katsina Central Federal Constituency and nine others, who urged the panel to swing victory in their favour.

The Justice S. A. Akinteye ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a fresh election in each of the constituencies within 90 days from the date of the judgment.
Other titans of the PDP whose petitions were upheld included Senator Ibrahim Ida (Katsina Central Senatorial District), Senator Kanti Bello (Katsina North Senatorial District) who left Senator Ahmed Sani Stores and Senator Abdu Yandoma beaten to a tight corner.

The House of Representatives members who could not surmount the challenges that trailed April 9 victory are Umaru Abdul Dankama, Murtala Isah Faskari, Muntari Dandutse, Amniu Ashiru Bindawa, Umaru Adamu Katsayan, Mohammed Tukur and Tasiu Doguru. The blanket failure of the CPC lawmakers to wrigle out of the petitions against them, according to the tribunal, was grounded in an earlier judgment of the Appeal Court, which held that they were neither validly nominated nor sponsored by the opposition political party to contest the April poll.

The panel also dismissed the allegations of the lawmakers that it lacked the competency and the jurisdiction to entertain the petitions because they were based on nomination of candidates, which, they insisted, remained an internal matter of their party. The tribunal upheld the submission of counsel to the petitioners, Uyi Igunma and Mustapha Abubakar, contrary to the stance of the respondents counsel, Festus Okoye, that the petitions were properly brought before it and it had jurisdiction to entertain it.

The justices however refrained from awarding automatic victory to the PDP standard bearers, saying that would deny the electorate the right to elect the candidates of their choice. Reacting to the judgment, Uyi Iguna said they would be magnanimous in victory by refraining from demanding for cost against the lawmakers, but his counterpart, Okoye simply thanked the tribunal for its tolerance and asked when they could get copies of the verdict.



http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/features/newsonthehour/2011/sept/29/newsbreak-29-09-2011-001.html

independence anniversary will reach a climax in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory. Nigerians can expect, on that day, to listen to long boring speeches on the nation’s huge potentials and how the present government is set to fulfill the promise of the Nigerian Dream.

Nigerians have, up till now, not witnessed any independence celebration in which they did not received series of promises on the nation’s long-awaited glorious future and the efforts of incumbent administrations to bring them to pass. The problem has always been with implementation, as the promises appear to fizzle out as soon as they escape the lips of our leaders.

Unfortunately, long and fruitless waiting for fulfillment of promises makes the heart weary. These are certainly not my words. You will find statements to that effect in the Bible, but the situation aptly depicts many Nigerians’ attitude to assurances from the nation’s leaders. Our leaders always promise us the moon and the star, but the questions on the lips of ordinary Nigerians are:

When shall we be in a position to eat three “square” meals a day? How shall we give our children the best of education and wherewithal shall we and these children be gainfully employed? When will stable electricity supply become reality rather than a pipe dream, and when will we stop having to go abroad for medical treatment? When, indeed, will Nigeria be self sufficient in food production?

As the nation’s leaders celebrate the nation’s independence in Abuja on Saturday, we, the people will find ourselves asking one another these questions once again, as we have been doing in past years.

The older ones among us will recall the decades gone by when celebration of independence had so much cheer, with flags, exercise books and other little gifts distributed to pupils during “assembly” time in primary schools. The nation’s 51st independence anniversary is yet another opportunity to reassess our nationhood, to think of what might have been, and to individually resolve afresh how we can rekindle the hope of those days and launch a better way forward for our country.

Although the Federal Government has planned a low-key celebration compared to last year’s 50th Independence Anniversary, which gulped several billions of Naira, it is still important to consider our 51-year journey to see how the nation can truly be put back on course.

I do not think we need to awaken our dead past leaders to know that this is not their dream for the nation prior to independence in 1960. We have not reached that place of comfort where we can proudly hold up our heads as a strong, prosperous and independent nation. We are not on course in our quest to become one of the 20 leading nations of the world by the year 2020 (Vision 20-20-20). Our health, education and other human development indices are tumbling down the slope.

These are all critical issues on the centre stage of national discourse. Nigeria is turning 51 at a very difficult time in our national history. Insecurity, which has been continuously rearing its ugly head via bombings, kidnapping and armed robberies for some years now, appears to have taken a permanent seat in the country. The dastardly bombing in Abuja as the 50th anniversary celebration was drawing to a close at the Eagle Square, Abuja, last year set a bad tone for the nation that has been worsening since then. Since that embarrassing incident which killed about ten people, bomb attacks and killings appear to have become a legitimate way for disgruntled people to bring their grievances to the attention of the government.

Since that time, bombings and other security threats have been replicated at the Mogadishu Barracks in Abuja, the Police Force Headquarters also in the city, Borno and Plateau States, and the latest attack on the United Nations office building in Abuja which claimed 23 lives.

With the wave of insecurity, it is no wonder that this celebration is devoid of the usual pomp that attends independence anniversary celebrations in Nigeria.

On Monday, the Assistant Director, Press, to the Minister of Interior, Theodore Jackson, said the plans for the anniversary celebration, which are usually released weeks to the D-Day, have been put on hold. Reporters, as at Monday were unable to get details of the events, even as ambassadors who are usually invited to such celebrations said they were yet to get invites.

With the bombing near Eagle Square, venue of last year’s celebration, and the UN office incident, invited guests may be wary over this year’s celebration. Apart from economic considerations, insecurity is also a good reason to reduce the scale of the celebration.
Instead, it should encourage the government to look at various aspects of governance to determine whether Nigeria as a nation is on the path that leads to greatness. This assignment is best done looking at the critical areas such as education, health, employment, power, energy and other areas of development.

There is no doubt that Nigeria has not been able to fulfill the expectations of many of our people. Fifty-one years after independence, we are yet to get many sectors of the nation right. Universities are under-funded, and there is a dearth of both equipment and teaching personnel. At the secondary school level, poor results of public examinations have continued to raise concerns on the quality of teaching taking place in the schools. Health services are in the doldrums, with most of those who can afford to travel outside the country doing so to receive basic medical treatment.

For 51 years now, Nigerians have been reading of plans to make adequate power supply available to the people but this has not been done. This has negatively affected everything, from employment generation to quality of life. Instead of a respite, we have now been told we will start paying more for electricity from now.

Nigeria is an oil-rich country, yet we live on imported refined petroleum products. We pay through our noses for diesel and kerosene, yet pay lip service to getting our refineries back on full stream.
This anniversary should therefore be an occasion for sober reflection. It should be for introspection and projections on how to get out of the present problems. President Goodluck Jonathan, the man that we elected to lead the nation to the Promised Land, recently celebrated 100 days in office during which different ministries regaled the people with their list of achievements.

The president, on this eve of the nation’s 51st anniversary has also been quick to defend his style of governance. He told journalists, at an interdenominational service to mark the nations 51st independence anniversary at the National Christian Centre, Abuja, on Sunday, that he does not have to be a lion or General to change Nigeria.

He identified people who frustrate his administration as Goliaths, while juxtaposing what he called America’s Barack Obama’s commendation of his style, with Nigerians’ criticisms. In essence, the president has said he will not be harried into taking any decisions, but will work at his own chosen pace to solve Nigeria’s problems.

He has asked for prayers for God to use him to change Nigeria for the better. Waxing lyrical, he prayed that all Goliaths frustrating the development of the country would have their foreheads exposed for the stone of David.
By these statements, I believe the president is trying to pre-empt those who may want to use the occasion of this anniversary to latch on to what has been perceived as his inability to tackle the nation’s problems with the decisiveness they require, to castigate him. He, obviously, does not want the celebration to be another occasion for lamentations and criticism of his administration.

The problems of Nigeria, however, go beyond criticisms and lamentations. The nation has had more than enough of these over the years. The challenge now is for all hands to be on deck to address identified problems. This problem is no longer about what can the president do to change the situation, but what can we all do. That is the question Nigerians should ask themselves as the nation turns 51 on Saturday. The challenge is for all hands to be on deck in the quest for solutions to the problems. There is no doubt that Nigerians expect more dynamism from the president if the aforementioned problems are to be solved. He needs to provide the leadership and the people will follow.

So far, we have had series of promises on employment generation, food imports substitution, electricity generation, health, education and diversification of the economy. What has been missing is the bite to bring the plans to reality.

This anniversary, therefore, offers the president another opportunity to review his activities. Let him not feel self-satisfied with the so-called commendations from America. Nigerians actually know better where the shoe pinches than Obama who is enjoying the best of America. We expect more decisive action on the nation’s problems so that subsequent independence anniversary celebrations will offer more to cheer.


http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/opinion/2011/sept/28/opinion-28-09-2011-001.html

September 10, 2011, will remain evergreen in the minds of Anambra State indigenes resident in Kano State under the aegis of Anambra Community Association (ACS). It was a day they rolled out the drums to honour their deserving sons.

The occasion was convened in honour of Ikenga Alphonsus Osinachi Ubaneche, Chief Obi Adimora and Chief (Alhaji) Abdullahi Ndidi Obinwa, who were conferred with the honour of patrons of the association. The three men, by the estimation of members of ACS, had contributed hugely towards the wellbeing of Anambra people in the state. The event, they said, was just their own way of showing appreciation and recognition to them.

Unarguably, the event was a success. It was a simple family gathering, which ended as one of the most flamboyant gatherings of Ndigbo in the state. Apart from the cocktail of attendees, including a number of titled men and their wives, several other segments of the Igbo society in the state made it a point of duty to celebrate with them. The guest list included the Onye Ndu Ndigbo in Kano State, Igwe John Chiejina Nnaji; the leadership of the Igbo Community Association (ICA) in the state, members of Ohaneze Ndi Igbo, Kano State chapter, and some other communities in the state.

There was enough to eat and drink and kola nuts to spice the day. Expectedly, various women groups that attended the occasion dressed in their glitzy attires, sparkled as they sang and danced. They complimented the rest of the cultural troupes that added spice to the occasion and for as long as the event lasted, the joy and excitement of Anambrarians, living in the city knew no bounds.

The speeches were few but touchy. Many people spoke in support of peace and unity. They all wanted the distressed umbrella body of the Igbo leadership, ICA, in Kano State, which has since broken into splinter groups, to come back to reason, embrace peace and speak with one voice.

In his remark, Ikenga Alphonsus Osinachi Ubaneche expressed appreciation for the honour done to him and tasked Ndigbo in Kano to embrace peace and unity, adding that without peace, progress would elude the community. On the contrary, he expressed bitterness at the waste of resources as a result of the subsisting cases in court and in various police stations in respect of the Igbo leadership crisis in the state. He said those resources could be deployed to more useful causes such as the award of scholarships and soft loans to Igbo sons and daughters through a foundation.

“We should, therefore, continue to conduct ourselves in such a manner that will protect our dignity and respect. Today remains one of the memorable days in my life. I feel highly honoured. There could have been better people than I but I’m humbled by this recognition and I want to say that I will do my best for not only the Anambra people but the Igbos in Kano.”

President General of Anambra community in Kano, Chief Ugo Reginald Ozoemena, said the day was a special day for all the people of Anambra State at home and in the Diaspora, since it brought about the coming together of all the sons and daughters of the state in Kano State, including those who were aggrieved but were appeased by the conduct of a general election that was acceptable to all.
Also speaking on the occasion, Igwe John Chiejina Nnaji, Onye Ndu Ndigbo in Kano, said he was pleased with the way and manner Anambra people had conducted themselves. “It may not be an over statement to say that the Anambra community remains the most organised community among the Igbo-speaking states in Kano; members of my cabinet and I are happy with them.”

“We ask them to keep it up as I urge other communities to emulate their good conduct,” he said, adding that peace had returned to the Igbo community in Kano. “The Igbo race is peace loving. Although there is no community devoid of crisis, I want to say that we are doing everything possible to ensure peace in all our communities and peace has really come to stay,” he said.
Also the Ohaneze Ndigbo in Kano, through its president, Chief Tobias Michael Idika, urged other Igbo communities in the state to emulate their Anambra brothers and sisters. He charged them to engage their time and resources in ventures that would benefit mankind and bring about development to their communities.


http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/features/citysun/2011/sept/28/citysun-28-09-2011-001.html

Boko Haram Rejects Amnesty

Deputy spokesman of the sect, Abu Kaka, told journalists in a telephone interview that the committee was on its own. Kaka said that the Islamist sect still maintained its course of ensuring strict Islamic laws in the country and wage war against the people it called infidels.

He said the alleged split in its fold was the making of the security agencies in the media.
“The brotherhood remains indivisible entity. There is no split and no splinter group. The story of the split in our fold is a lie, given to the media the SSS,” the Jama’atu ahlus Sunnah lid Da’awati wal Jihad, originally known as Yusufiyya movement maintained.

The Presidential Committee on Security Challenges in the North-east zone, had on Monday recommended that the Federal Government grant amnesty to members willing to surrender.
The committee was set up following the bomb attacks by the Islamic sect in parts of the country and with specific targets of government establishment.

While submitting the report at the State House to Vice President Namadi Sambo, who received it on behalf of President Goodluck Jonathan, the panel headed by Ambassador Usman Gaji Galtimari, urged that “the Federal Government should fundamentally, consider the option of dialogue and negotiation which should be contingent upon the renunciation of all forms of violence and surrender of arms to be followed by rehabilitation.”

The committee also told Sambo, that Boko Haram, has nominated the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III or his representative, the Emir of Bauchi and Sheik Abubakar Gero Argungu, as its representative in any Federal Government team that will negotiate with its members.

To this end, the panel, which had earlier submitted its preliminary report to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Chief Pius Anyim Pius, said “therefore Government may consider constituting another committee with wider powers and with increased membership to handle the assignment within a reasonable time frame but not weeks as was given to this committee.”

The committee, which said it had interacted with various stakeholders including the State Governors of Bornu, Bauchi, Kano, Niger and Sokoto and the Sultan of Sokoto among other traditional rulers, also urged, “the Federal Government to diversify and strengthen its means of creating avenues for international intelligence sharing and inter-agency cooperation through diplomatic channels/pacts.”
It added that, “the Federal Government should create an informal forum at the highest level, where Mr. President will discuss national security issues with governors and other major stakeholders from time to time. Again, there is an urgent need for arranging an informal forum where Mr. President will grant audience to each state governor on one-to-one basis where issues on security, could be addressed.”

“It further recommended that “the Federal Government and Borno State Government should ensure that human and organisational victims most especially, churches and mosques including schools, which were destroyed during religious crises in the past and even in the recent past, should be compensated monetarily and by way of resuscitating and reconstructing their properties. Survivors of the deceased victims should be compensated appropriately.”

The panel listed the remote and immediate causes of the present security challenges in the country, to include among others: “high level of poverty and illiteracy existing in the North-east; massive unemployment of youths, both skilled and unskilled; and existence of private militias that were established, funded and used by politicians and individuals and then dumped after having been trained to handle arms.”
Other causes, according to the panel, are “presence of large number of almajiris who together with those mentioned above could easily be used as canon-fodders to ignite and sustain crisis and “ influx of illegal aliens resulting from porous and unmanned borders coupled with provocative and inciting preaching by some religious clerics.”

Also listed to be the immediate causes of the ongoing terrorist attacks are “the extra-judicial killing of the sect leader, Mohammed Yusuf and some members of the sect by security agents”, and “weak governance and failure to deliver services in the wake of huge resources accruing to state and local governments.”
The panel further stressed that on the part of the security forces there are palpable operational lapses, service rivalry, under funding, under-equipment and lack of collaboration; while governments have failed to deliver justice and bring immediate relief to victims of the crises.

Also cited as a major discovery by the panel is the “general failure of effective and coordinated intelligence gathering and its deployment to forestall events with undesirable consequences,” stressing that, “in this direction, there is no high level security network/forum (outside the statutory national security institutions) that will enable an informal meeting between Mr. President and the governors as well as other top level security stakeholders.”

It further noted that crises became more frequent due to “the lack of an institutional structure/arrangment to primarily cater for inter-religious affairs to promote harmonious co-existence confounded the problems.”
“The committee was inundated with series of complaints that the increasing level of insecurity in the country was amongst other reasons due to the failure of governments to implement reports of various committees that were constituted and had submitted useful recommendations in the past.”

Receiving the report from the committee members, Vice President Sambo who was joined by the National Security Adviser, General Andrew Azazi, the Secretary to Government of Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal, promised to implement the recommendations as contained in the report; even as he thanked the members of panel for a job well done.
The committee was inaugurated by the SGF in August with a two-week life span but after expiration of the duration, it turned-in its first report, and requested for more time to do a thorough job, which government graciously granted.



http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2011/sept/28/national-28-09-2011-003.html

GOOGLE


2



MUCH

Ondo State Governor Olusegun Mimiko has reiterated the need for a forum, where stakeholders can discuss about the structure of the Nigerian federation. Delivering a paper, ‘People, Power, Good Governance and the Future of Democracy in Nigeria,’ at the public presentation of a book, Nigeria’s Golden Book, published by The Sun Publishing Limited, yesterday in Abuja, the governor noted that the continuing imbalance in the operation of the federal system is a manifest threat to good governance and enduring democracy.

“On the issue of the structure of Nigeria, the point has been made yet, we have to repeat it: no other federal entity is being run as a unitary enclave like Nigeria. It is the perversion of the federal structure that has birthed the disparate distortions in the polity. Because we are a federation running on a loose spin, the functional and symbiotic relationship expected between the federating states and the centre, on one hand, and among the federating states on the other, are non-existent.

“Apart from the unitary structure presented as a federation, what exist informally are regional structures, anchored in most cases on religious/ethnic and regional colourations, which are run most of the time in the interest of these regions and in such cases may not be unwilling to subvert the sanctity of the federation.”

The governor expressed concern that certain forces are frustrating the urgent need for a forum, where Nigerians could ventilate their feelings on the structural imbalances in the amalgam, Nigeria.
“We must be prepared for an all inclusive engagement. We must talk by whatever name it is called. We must discuss our anxieties and build the necessary consensus for the way forward! We have said there is a mutual reinforcing relationship between the skewed structure, elections and leadership. What should be added is that there are a set of manifestations of their combined effects on Nigeria.

“These manifestations are also direct results of the distortions occasioning the two problems. Nigeria must talk about the structure of this country. We cannot pretend that there are no structural problems in our nation. If we do not talk, hoodlums, kidnappers will talk for us from the streets. Issues of structures must be discussed.”
While he noted that democracy is synonymous with good governance all over the world, the guest speaker lamented that it has not translated to human development for Nigerians.

“Today, 12 years after the restoration of civilian democratic rule, there are horrendous challenges towards the deepening of democracy in Nigeria. Furthermore, many Nigerians of political perambulation and inept leadership have stunted Nigeria’s development, accentuated ineffective governance and deepened alienation of the people from the political process.”

Governor Mimiko painted unsavoury pictures in all sectors of the economy: agriculture, education, health and security, declaring that successive governments have not been able to create enabling environment for job creation.

“One of the major determinants of good governance is the extent to which government is able to create the enabling environment for job creation. The reality about Nigeria is that, in spite of the cost of formal education, and its attendant difficulties, the prospect of employment is less promising. Overall, there is an obvious mismatch between the graduate turnout and graduate employment in Nigeria thus reinforcing that sense of hopelessness amongst the youth.”





http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2011/sept/28/national-28-09-2011-001.html

President Goodluck Jonathan has vowed to fix public institutions, adding that strengthening the frameworks was the solution to the long years of rot and corruption that had characterised the Nigerian state.

He assured that his administration would begin the process of restructuring and building institutions that would create the enabling environment for the nation’s diversification from reliance on crude oil in the next 10 years.

Jonathan at a National Lecture: “Nigeria in Transformation”, to mark Nigeria’s 51st Independence Anniversary held at the International Hall of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abuja, stated that Nigeria, like many developed countries of the world, had the potential to grow and become great, but noted that strong institutional base was needed to drive the process for the desired growth.

He expressed optimism that Nigerians have the capacity to transform the country into a world-class economy, but prescribed the building of strong institutions in all sectors of the economy as the antidotes that Nigeria needed to heal her current socio-economic and political woes.

“A country (Nigeria) where we have good people in athletics, in academics, why can’t we fix our country and that is the kernel. If we have this people, fantastic people all over the world, medical doctors. In America alone, we have about 25,000 medical doctors that are from Nigeria and that is a society where if you treat somebody and something happens, you will be taken to court unlike here that medical doctors can kill people and nobody cares. They don’t employ butchers, they employ doctors. So, for us to have 25,000 medical doctors working there, that means we have the people”, he said.
The President vowed that one of his major priorities for the next four years was to build strong institutions by fixing the existing ones, upon which the government would kick-start the process of the development.

Jonathan said “if we have well managed ports alone, the income we receive as a government from the trading activities alone will be enough but we are still running a deficit budget because there are a lot of leakages, things are not being done properly”.
“If we fix a number of institutions that we must fix, it may be painful but we have to do that. People will complain that politics is being used but must be done by the time these institutions are fixed, I believe in the next 10 years or so, we should be able to run our economy without oil. For the 53 African states, about 20 or so produce oil. We are getting oil everywhere but the quantity may differ. If we continue to rely on oil, of course oil is also a wasting asset, you cannot replace it easily.”

Jonathan declared that he was not unmindful of the politicisation of his action whenever the reforms of such public institution commences, but stated that no amount of politics or political pressure would made him to retrace his steps on the planned reform.
He explained that it is a common experience the world over that no nation can attain and achieve its maximum desires without first building a strong and proper institutional base as a driving force for the process; saying that Nigeria can’t be an exception.
The President who was accompanied to the lecture by Vice President Namadi Sambo, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator Pius Anyim Pius, and other cabinet members regretted that over the years Nigeria has not been a able to develop adequate institutional framework upon which to drive the process of economic recovery.

“I used to tell people in my office that ministers don’t need to see me if the system is working well, even if I am sick for six months, ordinary Nigerians will not know the President is sick because the system is supposed to run. Ministers have budgets approved by the National Assembly for them to run their ministries, their recurrent and capital projects, so even if a minister does not see Mr. President for four years, that minister if he is competent can run the ministry in a way that Nigerians will know that we are moving.”
He lamented that, “so many things are not done properly. So almost everything needs the President’s intervention because we want to alter something that has been there before but is not good enough, in that case you need the signature of the President to give you the power, now we are in the process of that transformation, by the time we finish setting up all these structures, surely Nigeria will get to where we are all hoping that we will get to. I have no fear about that.”

Reacting to the Guest Lecturer, Mr Richard’s claim on oil and corruption, Jonathan said, “the problem of oil is true. Not just the oil but any country that is blessed with a mineral, extractive industry generally breed corruption and that is the perception of the people.”
“I am hoping for a Nigeria that will in the next 10 years or there about be able to run our government without oil and we can do it. If you look at the size of Nigeria, all the general import that come into Africa, about 20 percent of them come into this country”, he said.

Jonathan explained that “some goods that are supposed to be cleared through Nigerian whalfs are being cleared through other countries and smuggled into Nigeria, we consume all those goods here but we cannot clear them through our wavers, they have to be cleared through neighbouring countries and they will transfer them though all kinds of means to Nigerians for us to consume.”
According to him, “developed countries are thinking about alternatives. They are developing generators that don’t require hydrocarbon fuel in the next 50 years you do not know what the world would be. People may be driving without oil, so we need to plan a nation that can do without oil.”

He said while he was not against comparison as a measurement function, “the purpose of comparing yourself is to improve and not to go backward. You can not reinvent the wheel, if bicycle has been already discovered, Nigerians doing research to discover bicycle is a waste of time.”

The President said “societies have made it from mistakes and have developed to some level. At this point we should start from where they have reached and move forward. We may not go back and retrace their history. So to us as a people, we must look at what others have done well, forget about the areas they did not do well”.

He maintained that “you have to compare from where you are and I know that as a nation, just like the speaker in his summary has described Nigeria, especially the Lagos situation that if you look at Nigeria everybody expected that the country was going to collapse, that is why there is a lot of prediction about Nigeria collapsing but when we look Nigeria is moving people begin to get worried that why should Nigeria move. A country that everybody expected to collapse and he concluded in saying that Nigeria looks like a heated oven that the heat was so much that it gave out the best”.

He pointed that the problem of Nigeria is not lack of talents but how to use these talents and brains that we have and move this country forward; assuring that “ I promised Nigerians that surely we would move our country forward. We would exploit all that is available and build strong institutions that will support us.”

Jonathan argued that though Nigerians may not care so much about the politics, they can easily brian washed, stressing that “theoretically, you would say that yes people don’t care much but people could be brain wash to the extent that they don’t listen again. People can be so brain washed that they begin to behave in a particular way so no matter what you do the perception will not be changed and that is why people talk about rebranding Nigeria.”

The President expressed worries over Nigeria’s image outside the country, stating that “the perception of Nigeria outside is bad. What am saying is that we Nigerians also owe our country a responsibility to protect our country”


http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/features/newsonthehour/2011/sept/28/newsbreak-28-09-2011-001.html

Second list will be out soon, Wishing all the students good luck.

Your scores are good but you need to pray so hard so that your admission will work out.

Emmyk:

BULL-S.HIT!
Thread Locked!

What is the problem?

Is out at school portal, Wishing all the students good luck.

Wishing all the students good luck.

Wishing all the students good luck.

Wishing all the students good luck.

Wishing all the students good luck.

Is out

[size=13pt]Presidential Election Trial Jonathan Won, Inec Insists[/size]


The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday urged the Presidential Election Tribunal to dismiss the petition filed by the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), challenging the victory of President Goodluck Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party [PDP] and to uphold the poll’s result as credible, free and fair.
INEC made the submissions yesterday as the ruling PDP expressed confidence that Jonathan’s election would be validated by the tribunal.

The electoral body told the five-man panel of Justices led by Justice Kumas Akaahs that the election that produced President Jonathan was adjudged to be free and fair by both local and international observers as well as majority of Nigerians.

Giving evidence on the credibility of the poll, the Vice Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Prof. Boniface Egboka, who was the Collation Officer for Anambra State, said there was no case of manipulation of results as alleged by the petitioner in favour of President Jonathan.

Egboka, who was led in evidence by INEC’s counsel, Chief Onyechi Ikepeazu (SAN), said: “All accredited agents of the political parties, had free access to me at the designated centre, but none of the agents lodged any complaint to me of any malpractice with regards to the results of the elections. In addition, available and willing agents endorsed the final result sheet and copies were given to them.

“I know that there was no case of manipulation of results of any sort, whether physical or through electronic means from the polling units to the Collation Centre at the state level where the final results were eventually collated and were subsequently submitted to the Chief Returning Officer.
He said: “All the allegations of multiple voting, manipulation of results, ballot box stuffing or any malpractice in the polling units did not come to my attention.”

Prof. Egboka denied allegations by the CPC that collation of the election result in Anambra State was done at Barnhill Hotel.
“I categorically state that the Collation Centre for Anambra State was the INEC head quarters, Awka. I collated the result from the Local Government Areas of Anambra State only at the legally-designated centre, which was the INEC headquarters. I did not at any time proceed to Barnhill Hotel for that purpose or for any purpose connected with the presidential election of April 16, 2011. I know that what I collated at the state level was the true and accurate reflection of the votes cast and recorded in the respective polling units and collated at the wards and local government area collation centres.

Another witness, Amadi Chukwunolum Chinyere, also testified to the authenticity of Anambra result.
The witness, who participated in the election as a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member, denied allegations by the petitioner that she was arrested with thump-printed ballot papers in favour of President Jonathan during the election.
They were both cross-examined by counsel to the petitioner and Director of Legal Services, Abubakar Malami (SAN), even as they maintained their positions on the matter.

After their submissions, Chief Ikepeazu prayed the tribunal for an adjournment to call other witnesses today. The request was granted and the tribunal adjourned proceedings for today.
INEC is to call 16 witnesses to prove that the election was free, and fair in compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2010 [as amended].

The five-man panel was led by Justice Kumas Akaahs
Meanwhile, the PDP has expressed confidence that the petition would be thrown out at the end of the day because the election that produced its candidate as President was free and fair.

Speaking through its National Secretary, Prof. Rufai Akali, the party said that although the CPC had the right to challenge the result of the election in court, it is 100 per cent sure that victory will come the way of President Jonathan “because he won convincingly and there is absolutely nothing in the CPC’s petition that can sway the minds of the court to invalidate the election.
Prof Akali, who was in court with the National Legal Adviser, Chief Olusola Oke to observe the proceedings, appealed to opposition parties and all Nigerians to rally round the President and give him the maximum support to implement his transformation agenda.



http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2011/sept/27/national-27-09-2011-001.html

Is now fully online @ unizik website.

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PAPA

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GO

HELP

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