DID SHE ACTUALLY SAID THIS?

OUR GOD ON EARTH IS PDP - Mama Peace 

I know First Lady was in Anambra state for a campaign rally on January 17th, what I don't know is exactly what she said there but this is what we discover from our ogas at the Top

We are fighting Corruption for your information - EFCC chairman

The Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mr. Ibrahim Larmorde, has said that the commission and the United Kingdom’s Metropolitan Police are investigating some serving and former governors, ministers, heads of service of the federation, and federal lawmakers.

Chairman, EFCC Mr. Ibrahim Larmorde

Lamorde said that the operatives of the EFCC and the Met Police were investigating the serving and former public office holders for money laundering and looting of public treasury.

The EFCC Chairman made the comment while playing host to the Metropolitan Police Special Crime and Operations Unit led by Detective Chief Inspector Jonathan Benton in Abuja, on Monday.

Lamorde refused to disclose the identities and the total number of the public office holders on the watch list of the commission and the Met Police on the premise that the investigation was jointly carried out by the EFCC and the UK Police.

He said the affected current and former public office holders would be arrested and their identities revealed after the commission must have concluded investigation into their cases.

He said, “You are also very much aware that the Metropolitan Police Proceeds of Corruption Unit is the unit that assisted us in the case of DSP Alamieyeseigha in the past, Joshua Dariye, and of course the big one that everybody is aware of, James Ibori, who is currently serving a jail term in the United Kingdom.

“In a few months’ time, there is also going to be a confiscation proceedings in respect of the assets of James Ibori in the United Kingdom which of course we have been working assiduously to make sure it will be successful.

“In respect of some of the new cases we have embarked upon, we are investigating some sitting state governors, some ministers that are serving, also ministers that have left office, some former heads of service of the federation and members of the National Assembly.

“We will never mention names, since it’s a joint investigation that we are doing, and you know unlike what we do here where some of our people here wants sensationalism, that’s not the way it works with them.

“The investigation has to be conducted properly first, it is when the matter is ready to go to court that publicities are given to individual cases; for the time being they are here, we are reviewing those investigations and when we are ready to go to court then names and these cases will be properly mentioned.”

Lamorde said that investigations into the cases against the public office holders would take some time to conclude just like the Ibori case which took up to six to seven years of investigation before he was arraigned in court.

Larmorde warned that any public office holder who got involved in the theft of public funds would not go free.

He said that the commission had put in place the machinery to track those stealing and taking such loot outside the country.

“…We cannot be in a hurry, the most important thing is that people should know that a lot is going on, and any person, either a man or woman, occupying public office, who decides to put her hand or his hand in government coffers to steal, would not have any hiding place.

“Whether you take the money outside this country or not, there is machinery in place to trace this money and also bring such individuals to justice,” Lamorde added

He commended the Met Police for complementing the efforts of the commission to discourage people from stealing public funds in the country.

Larmorde added that the UK had also ensured that assets bought with stolen money were returned to the Nigerian government.

He said some assets that had been confiscated by the UK would soon be returned to the country.

The leader of the Met Police Delegation, Benton, assured Nigerians of the readiness of the UK Police to support the EFCC as London remained one of the major destinations of people embarking on holidays and those who wanted to buy houses.

He said, “The International Financial Centre in London do play a part in the way money worked, the way money is flown and the way money is moved and where people like to buy houses and where they spent their holidays and some chose school.”

Lamorde also spoke on the state of the ongoing cases against some former governors in the country.

He complained about the criminal justice system that created room for lawyers to embark on deliberate measures to delay cases involving influential politicians.

The EFCC boss stated, “Abubakar Audu was charged to court in 2006; we started in Lokoja, we went to Supreme Court three times with him, for everything they will put an application that they don’t like the judge,. the judge is biased, but if you say no, then go to the Court of Appeal, then Supreme Court, we are now at the Federal High Court in Abuja.

“In the case of Saminu Turaki, we had to obtain a bench warrant. Currently he is a wanted person because he has refused to show up for trial. We started here in Abuja, they contested jurisdiction; the trial was taken to Dutse. In the case of Jolly Nyame, we are still at the High Court in Abuja with him, and he is still contesting.

“In the case of Joshua Dariye, we have been in court and he has been a senator. The man in Ekiti, we were in court with him and he is now elected governor of Ekiti State again.

“I think we have to look at the criminal justice system in this country, it is not a question of arrest of the individuals; we have arrested people, we have charged them to court, 2006 to date is how many years? And yet we are still at the preliminary level because these people can afford good lawyers that will continue to prolong the trial.

“Please, continue to monitor the trial in court, because if journalists are there, a judge will think twice before granting some applications, he will think that people are watching me, and my decisions will be reported.

“It is time for all of us as a country to look at the criminal justice system so we can address some of these shortcomings and deal with them.”

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BUHARI GET BACK @FAYOSE

How can his campaign be talking about ex-dead leaders, jogging around the stadium and outright lies about health?

PRESIDENTIAL candidate of the All Progressives Congress for the February 14 election, Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), has said that campaigns should focus on national   issues and not on his state of health and dead Nigerian leaders.

Buhari’s advice came a day after some members of the Peoples Democratic Party raised doubts about his health status and after an advert by Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose warned Nigerians against voting for a 72-year-old man.

In the said advert, Fayose claimed that since three ex-leaders from the North-West had died in office, it would not be wise for Nigerians to vote for Buhari “because we are tired of state burials.”

Buhari, in a message on his official Twitter handle said, “How can his (President Goodluck Jonathan) campaign be talking about ex-dead leaders, jogging around the stadium and outright lies about health?”

Also, the Buhari Support Group Centre on Monday   condemned what it described as an orchestrated campaign of calumny and character assassination directed   at the APC candidate.

It specifically expressed displeasure with the Fayose’s advert, saying it was not decent.

“In line with the Abuja Accord signed by Gen. Buhari and President Jonathan, the advert in question is to say the least, in bad taste.

“Is it to say that our opponents have a death wish for our candidate? Political campaign should stick to issues and be decent,” the BSGC Director of Publicity,   Chidia Maduekwe, said   in a telephone interview with The PUNCH on Monday.

I will not vote on February 14 - Sultan of sokoto

I don’t have a PVC, so it means I will not vote on February 14.

Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, 

The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, on Monday told President Goodluck Jonathan that he might not vote during the next month’s general elections because he had yet to collect his Permanent Voter Card.

Jonathan, who was in the Sokoto State in continuation of the Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential campaign, visited the religious leader to seek his blessing.

The Sultan said it was imperative for the Federal Government to do everything within its powers to ensure that no eligible voter was disenfranchised.

He said, “Let us respect people’s wishes; let’s not try to disenfranchise anybody.

“We have had issues of the Permanent Voter Cards and I want to tell you that even myself, I don’t have a PVC, so it means I will not vote on February 14.

“So, we have to look for a way out, it is for your government to now look for what to do, how to ensure that all the cards get to the voters before the voting day or in the alternative, find a way out because for any problem there is a solution.

“We believe you will find a solution as regard this very serious hitch facing us because millions of Nigerians seem to be heading towards disenfranchisement and they won’t be able to vote. I have heard comments from the INEC Chairman, (Prof. Attahiru Jega), but we are still waiting for our cards to come.”

The religious leader expressed concerns that campaigns ahead of the general elections were taking religious colouration instead of being issue-based.

He urged all candidates to embrace peace and also caution their supporters against violence.

The religious leader urged the government to work hard to end insecurity in parts of the country.

He added, “As the leader of the Muslims in this country, I will not fail to intimate the President and his government with the problems Muslims face in this country, that is our own area of attention as Muslim leaders.

“We care about how we live as a people and we are very worried about how we are living now as a people and God Almighty who placed leadership of the country on your shoulders, we feel we must always alert you on how we have been living.

“I will say never a time in this country’s history that we face very serious challenges like what are facing now.

“The whole politicking had been turned into either religion or ethnic matters and this should not be so because we see what happens across the world.

“We are worried because religion had been brought into it, we made it very clear in 2011, there is no way religion should be part of the election campaigns or even the election itself.

“As you have seen here, I think there are more Muslims in this room than Christians and coming here now to come for prayers for success of your campaigns goes to show that as the leader of the Muslims, I have no choice than to pray for you.”

The Sultan advised the President on the need to tackle insecurity and unemployment.

“On insecurity issues facing us in all parts of country, we have heard campaign promises left, right and centre but we want to hear from our political leaders, how do you intend to resolve the security issues? How do you intend to tackle unemployment? How do you intend to tackle the rot in education?

“These are issues that should concern the various political leaders instead of mudslinging, calling each other names and whatever.

“We are very worried what we see in newspapers, watch on television and hear comments from our people, brothers and friends.

“Politics of this country have now been turned into a war, families are being divided, friends have become enemies just because of seeking for political office,” he lamented.

He wished the Jonathan’s campaign team well in its endeavours as he prayed for peaceful and fair elections.

Jonathan told the Sultan that his administration was committed to transforming the country.

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President is a failure-Azuka

What has President Goodluck Jonathan achieved in the

 four years and 11 months of his administration 

Since February 9, 2010 when he became the Acting President? Let him show us one thing he has achieved.

For example, I just came back from the South-East through the Sagamu-Benin Expressway. This was a road that was as smooth and beautiful as the German autobahn all through the eight years of President Olusegun Obasanjo and the two and half years of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua. The Ore portion of this road was such a delight then that people spent just two minutes there instead of two days. When Yar’Adua became president in 2007, that portion of the expressway was so beautiful that his Minister of Transport, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke, visited it but did not weep. Rather, she sang the Halleluya Chorus in ecstasy because of the beauty of the road. But Jonathan came in and destroyed that road and all other roads.

When I passed through Ore this Christmas/New Year season, I was surprised at the havoc Jonathan had done to that road through the SURE-P programme. It took me six days to travel from Lagos to Onitsha and five and half days on my return trip! Last year, Jonathan inaugurated the destruction of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, with Julius Berger handling the Lagos to Sagamu part and RCC handling the Sagamu to Ibadan part. When I visited Ibadan/Osogbo two months ago, I noticed that some portions of the road had already been destroyed. If the companies keep to the four-year destruction plan, by 2017, that road would have been fully destroyed. The Apapa-Oshodi Expressway that used to be loved by drivers of heavy-duty trucks because of its smoothness has now been destroyed by Jonathan. He has done the same thing to other wonderful roads in other parts of the country. What a man!

Before 2010, farmers were being begged to collect as many bags of fertiliser as they liked. There was no iota of bribery and racketeering in fertiliser distribution. If you were passing by a bus stop, you would be begged to collect as many bags as you wanted. Consequently, Nigerian farmers produced so much food that Nigeria was able to feed itself and the entire Africa. But since Jonathan took over, fertiliser has become as scarce as elephant tusk. Bribery has taken over the distribution. We have not produced even a bag of rice since he came in.

Who says that Jonathan is not a failure? When he came in, our aviation industry was the best in the world. Aeroplanes were not dropping from the Nigerian skies: EAS Airlines (May 4, 2002); Bellview Airlines (October 22, 2005), Sosoliso Airlines (December 10, 2005), ADC Airlines (October 29, 2006). Our airports were world class. In fact, the air conditioning system worked so well that the airport lounges were freezing to the point that snow formed inside them! Under Jonathan’s tenure, contracts were awarded to simultaneously destroy all the airports. In addition, Nigeria did not attain the prestigious Category 1 Certification in aviation.

What about health? In 2014, the World Health Organsiation did not certify Nigeria free of the guinea worm disease. In 2014, it did not declare us Ebola-free. Bill Gates did not tweet in December 2014 – “One of my favourite stories of 2014: In just one year, Nigeria went from 50 polio cases to six”. Maternal mortality did not drop from 545/100,000 to 350/100,000 in four years under Jonathan.

The one that pained me most about this Jonathan was the automotive policy. Before him, Nigeria was the number one exporter of cars. Cars were even being produced in the backyard of every Nigerian house. But since he came up with the new auto policy, auto companies have been running away from our country.

What about electoral reforms? This President has destroyed our exceptional electoral system that was planted by former president Olusegun Obasanjo in 1999. In 2003, Obasanjo gave us one of the best elections. Peter Obi was not rigged out in Anambra. In 2007, while we were still jubilating about the magic of 2003, Obasanjo blessed us with the 2007 electoral miracle. All local and international observers endorsed the elections as the best in world history. Candidates did not protest. Chibuike Amaechi’s candidacy in Rivers State did not have any “K-leg”. Olusegun Mimiko was not rigged out in Ondo. In Edo, Osun and Ekiti governorship candidates of the opposition party were not rigged out.

The 2007 presidential election was so good that Yar’Adua, who benefitted from the electoral artistry, praised the election to high heavens. Even the United States and the European countries flew in to beg Obasanjo and Prof Maurice Iwu of INEC to teach them how to organise exceptional elections. Nigerians felt tall.

But when Jonathan supervised the 2011 elections, he gave us the worst ever. The Peoples Democratic Party bigwigs like Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala, Speaker Dimeji Bankole, Obasanjo’s daughter, Senator Iyabo Obasanjo, won by a landslide. The PDP won all the 36 states.

Just last month, some ministers appointed by Jonathan resigned to contest governorship primaries in their states. This same Jonathan influenced the primaries and made them governorship candidates of the PDP in all the states for the February 2015 elections: Mr Musuliu Obanikoro (Lagos), Mr Labaran Maku (Nasarawa); Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu (Ebonyi), Mr Emeka Worgu (Abia), Dr Samuel Ortom (Benue), and Elder Godsday Orubebe (Delta). If it was Obasanjo, Senator Bola Tinubu, Maj. Gen Muhammadu Buhari or Amaechi – who hate interfering in states – they would not influence the primaries for their associates to win. But this Jonathan is just too overbearing! Haba!

Before now, other past presidents supported local production which resulted in Nigeria producing every single product it needed. Then, we were even exporting cement to the US and Europe. All the cement used for construction was bought from Nigeria. Immediately he came in, for the first time in history, we began to import cement. From 30 years ago to five years ago, we were exporting rice to Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and the rest of the world. Our cocoa production was the highest in the world. Palm oil flowed like River Niger everywhere in the nation. Cotton was like saw dust. Groundnut pyramids filled every part of the North and even the South. Agriculture boomed. Other presidents supported agriculture massively. But today Jonathan has completely destroyed agriculture! This President needs to be whipped.

What about the railway system? Before Jonathan came in, other presidents had so much supported the railway system that we had the best rail system in the world. Rail lines and modern trains traversed every state and local government area. But since he came in, he had given instructions that the rail tracks across the nation be excavated and that the rail system be killed forthwith. What a leader!

This is a man who hates equity. He noticed that all states had federal institutions of higher learning. He went to nine states and closed down their federal universities: six in the North and three in the South. These states are Nasarawa, Taraba, Katsina, Jigawa, Gombe, Kogi, Bayelsa, Ekiti and Ebonyi. How can these states ever forgive this unjust man?

Which one should I talk about and which one should I leave? This Jonathan has not done anything. He met a land flowing with milk and honey, a land where the infrastructure was the envy of even the US, a land that had the best economy in the world, a land with the best democratic ideals, a land of justice and fairness, but what did he do? He just destroyed everything and added no value.

Let’s shave his head with a bottle shard, tie him to a pole at the Eagle Square and put an inscription over his head which reads: “Behold the father of failure!” After that, we then grab the guys at Oxford Dictionaries by the neck and force them to change the meaning of the word “failure.”

Twitter @BrandAzuka

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President Goodluck Jonathan’s tactics stopped the Boko Haram

If not for Jonathan’s actions and dexterity in the fight against insurgency, members of the dreaded sect would have taken over about half of Nigeria.

PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh

The Peoples Democratic Party on Monday boasted that it was President Goodluck Jonathan’s tactics that stopped the Boko Haram from overrunning half of the country.

The party also said it would not fight former President Olusegun Obasanjo because some of the PDP’s achievements were recorded during his regime.

It said if not for Jonathan’s actions and dexterity in the fight against insurgency, members of the dreaded sect would have taken over about half of Nigeria.

As a result of this, the party said the President deserved commendations from Nigerians rather than being vilified.

The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Olisa Metuh, said this at a press briefing in Abuja.

He said the problem of insecurity in the North-East should not be attributed to Jonathan, adding that the President had been trying to contain it.

Metuh said, “The problem that we have in the North-East to deal with is insurgency; it is not the making of this government. This government has tried as much as possible to contain it.

“I must proclaim, every now and then, Nigerians encourage us by saying that if not for the character, candour and the personality of the President, these insurgents would have overrun more than half of Nigeria.

“We would have been under occupation of terrorists if not for the determination, the style and the character and personality of the president.”

Explaining how the President had been working to stop Boko Haram, he said the government had been able to secure a ceasefire, dialogue with members of the sect and the use of other methods.

“He has been able to offer a ceasefire, dialogue and other things to engage them. He has been trying all sorts of methods and engaging them in serious warfare and Nigerians have noted that if not for his character, Boko Haram would have overrun half of Nigeria,” he added.

He said that the Jonathan administration had done more than other administrations in the history of the country for the people of the northern region.

Metuh said, “Jonathan’s administration has been very fair to the North in terms of projects, political appointments and the establishment of almajiri schools which have improved education in the region.

“The present administration has done a lot more for the three zones in the North than any of the administrations before him in the areas of agriculture, education, roads, railways and many more.

Expressing optimism on the outcome of the Presidential election, come February 14, Metuh boasted that the PDP would win convincingly in the six geo-political zones of the country.

He said, “The PDP will win in the North-West, North-Central, North-East, South-South, South-East and South-West. The All Progressives Congress will not win in any of the zones and our victory will be very convincing.”

On the activities of Obasanjo, who is believed not to be working for the party but the opposition, Metuh said that the party would continue to appeal to him to support its candidates.

He said there was no way the party would fight the former Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the party, saying some of the achievements recorded by the party were made under his regime.

Metuh said, “Concerning our leader, our Baba Obasanjo, we have big respect for him. This party gave him the ticket that brought him to power and brought him back to reckoning.

“Some of our achievements were made under Obasanjo. We can’t discuss him in the public. We will continue to urge him to support us. We want his support.”

On the gale of defections in the party, Metuh said that the party was aware that there were grievances concerning its primaries. He however urged those that were wronged to reconsider their position and return to the PDP.

In an emotion-laden voice, Metuh said, “I hope that we have learnt lessons from these (primaries). We won’t celebrate those who have defected (to other political parties).”

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Killed by a Computer Game

A Taiwanese man who was on a three-day computer gaming binge died inside an Internet cafe and went unnoticed for many hours, the second of such death in the area in less than a month. UPI reports:
The man, identified as Hsieh, went into the Internet cafe on Jan. 6 and was found motionless on a table on Jan. 8. Investigators said the man had a heart attack. His death went unnoticed for several hours as gamers continued around him.
“The CCTV footage from the Internet cafe showed that he had a small struggle before he collapsed motionless,” Jennifer Wu, a police spokesperson from the Hunei district, told CNN.

Family members told police the 32-year-old man was unemployed and would often disappear for several consecutive days. Workers said they didn’t notice the man had died because he would often take naps.
“Hsieh was a regular customer here and always played for consecutive days. When tired, he would sleep face-down on the table or doze off slumped in his chair. That is why we were not aware of his condition in the beginning,” a cafe attendant told the Taipei Times.