2015: President Jonathan receives N21.27bn from donors to boost campaign

JONATHAN-SAMBO-1 (1)As the 2015 election campaign gets underway, President Goodluck Jonathan’s effort to return to office in 2015 has gotten a major boost as businessmen, multinational organisations, interest groups and individuals on Saturday donated about N21.27bn to his campaign organization. The donations were made at the Peoples Democratic Party Fundraising Dinner held at the old Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja. The donation was kick-started by the Chairman of the occasion, Mr. Tunde Ayeni, when he announced N2bn as his own contribution to the Jonathan’s dream. He further cleared that the sum contained N1bn donated by him and his partner, and another N1bn contributed by their friends whose names he did not mention. Heavy weights in the Oil and Gas sector announced a donation of N5bn; those in Real Estate and Building donated N4bn; Transport and Aviation, N1bn; Food and Agriculture, N500m; Power, N500m; Construction, N310m; Road Construction, N250m; National Automative Association, N450m; and Shelter Development Limited, N250m. Prof. Jerry Gana, the Chairman of the fundraiser committee, also announced the donation of N5bn by his friends and associates. Relatively, the PDP Governors Forum announced a total donation of N1.05 billion, as announced by the Bauchi State Governor, Isa Yuguda. He said each 21 of them would donate N50m each. The SIFAX Group announced N100m donation, just as PDP stakeholders in Rivers State supported Jonathan’s bid with N50m. A total of N15 Million was donated by the 15 states on the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission donated. Private individuals were not left out as they also donated generously. Meanwhile, in a remark, President Goodluck Jonathan, described the day a special one, while also thanking the donors for their generosity. He assured them that the funds would be utilized appropriately

Heartless: Okadaman beats Pregnant woman to coma in Lagos

Some people are heartless! A commercial motorcycle operator has beaten a seven- month pregnant woman to coma along the Lagos-Badagry expressway, near Oluti bus stop in Lagos. Trouble started after the woman was said to have paid the unknown rider a stipulated amount of money to convey her from Iyana Iba to First Gate bus stop, Maza Maza. According to an eyewitness, who identified herself simply as Mama Bola, the pregnant woman, Feyisara, when she regained consciousness in a private hospital, said the agreement was for the rider to move her to First Gate only for him to stop near Oluti, screaming at her to get off from the motorcycle. The source said Feyisara disclosed that an argument ensued and the rider wanted to move the bike but she held his clothes tight, preventing him from escaping. According to Mama Bola, “The pregnant woman, Feyisara said she had paid the okada rider the agreed amount only for him to lie that Alakija was the destination she told him. So, when they reached Alakija, he ordered the woman to get off but she refused insisting that she would get off at her destination. So, when the desperate rider wanted to escape and the woman stopped him, he attempted to remove her hands from his clothes but to no avail. The man parked the machine and forcefully removed her hands. "The woman said she had no choice than to go after his private part. An action which probably angered the man as he punched her in the neck and the woman fell on a stone and was rolling on the ground when sympathisers saw her and took her to a private hospital. She was bleeding”. Meanwhile, the Okadaman had zoomed off to an unknown destination. Police is on his trail.

North finally moves against President Jonathan completely

The emergence of a former Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari, as the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), appears to have changed the political calculations in the North. Vanguard learnt, last night, from very competent sources, that many of the northern political opinion leaders and groups had decided that all necessary support must be given to Buhari to win the February 14, 2015 presidential election so as to return power to them after their failed bid in 2011. “There is a serious change in the political mood in the North since Buhari was elected as the APC candidate last week. Right now, the people do not care whether they are in APC or PDP. All they are interested in is that power must return to the North through the election of the former Head of State.” A northern governor supportive of Jonathan’s presidential bid told Vanguard. Also, the Chairman of the northern influential group, Arewa Consultative Forum ACF, Alhaji Ibrahim Coomassie, lent credence to the move when he insisted in a chat with Vanguard that power, next year, must shift to the North. One of the sources, an influential northern leader and close confidante of President Goodluck Jonathan, revealed that since Buhari’s emergence, the ‘entire North’ had adopted his as its political candidate and was not afraid to stand by him to win the 2015 election. The PDP big wig pointed out that it was shocking to see how the support base of Buhari had evolved beyond political lines, with some radical elements threatening to deal ruthlessly with anyone who betrays Buhari in the North this time around. The governor, who spoke to Vanguard, showed two of such threat messages written in Hausa and English to him,warning him not to betray the North for the President as he did in the last presidential election. One of the mails came from a ranking federal northern lawmaker while the other was from a man the governor described as his friend. It was learnt that the current political mood in the North had since been relayed by the security agencies and some friendly PDP governors to Jonathan, who apparently expressed surprise over the turn of events but promised to do something urgent to swing support in his favour. Also, the Presidency, through the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr Doyin Okupe, said Nigerians will not vote their next President on the basis of ethnicity.

See this lovely photo of Actor Desmond Elliott, his Wife and Kids

The actor want you guys to remember that he's a responsible family man. Too cute!

Photo: Oyo state Governor and the beautiful women in his life

Oyo state governor, Sen. Abiola Ajimobi, pictured above with his wife, Florence and their beautiful daughters

Manchester United star Angel Di Maria beats Lionel Messi to win Argentine Player of Year 2014

Manchester United’s Angel Di Maria has edged out FC Barcelona superstar to win Argentina’s best foreign-based player of the year by the country’s sports journalists. Di Maria was awarded the Olimpia de Plata trophy at a ceremony in his homeland on Tuesday night. Di Maria’s honour came after a year in which the Noodle won the Champions League with Real Madrid, reached the World Cup final with the Albiceleste, before eventually signing on at Man United. As for the domestic prizes, Velez Sarsfield striker Lucas Pratto picked up the gong for the best player in the Argentine league.

Must Read: Letter To Gen. Buhari By Prof. Banji Akintoye

First of all, I congratulate you warmly for winning the nomination of your party for the presidency of Nigeria. Though you and I are different in ethnicity and religion, we have many important things in common. I am a few years older than you – which means that if you and I had been Yoruba boys born in the same Yoruba town or village, we would have belonged to about the same age-grade Association ( with us Yoruba, age-grade loyalty is traditionally a very important factor of life). Moreover, you and I were young Nigerians in an era, the 1950s, when our up-and coming country of Nigeria was a source of great pride to its citizens, and an emerging titan eagerly awaited by most informed people all over the world. The three regions of our federation (East, North and West) were engaged in an ambitious rivalry for progress and for improvements in the quality of life of our people. They were able to do that and achieve considerable successes because our constitutional structure gave them much leeway to manage their own affairs within the common Nigerian family. We arrived at independence in 1960 believing that our country was set on the path to becoming the blackman’s world power of modern times. Unhappily, now that you and I are in our seventies, there is nothing left of our country’s ambitions and pride – indeed, there is hardly anything left of our country itself. Relentlessly crooked up, violated, robbed and depleted since 1960, our Nigeria seems now to be stumbling towards its demise. As you prepare for your election, I decided to write you this open letter concerning our country, because I know you will understand the pain and expectations behind my words. The purpose of most of Nigeria’s rulers since 1960 has been to weaken and even destroy regional and local initiatives in order to gather all power, control and influence together at the federal center. Their success in doing that has enabled them to remove the management of development far away from our people, and to institute at the federal centre a viciously corrupt, wasteful and incompetent monstrosity. Reduced to the status of beggar clients of the federal robber barons, the state governments, as well as the local governments, collapsed and fell in line as submissive incompetents and mini-robbers. In the process, real and productive enterprise quickly declined among our people, as the best and most ambitious rushed to join the ranks of the sharers of fraudulently acquired wealth from the public coffers. Our schools and universities, our public service, our police force, our military, our judiciary, all our governmental agencies (electoral commission, secret service, central bank, ports service, immigration service, public examination bodies, etc) – all collapsed under the weight of crooked control, massive corruption and generalized disloyalty. Poverty descended mightily into our country and became the lot of the overwhelming and increasing majority of our people. Our government itself admits that, today, about 70% of our citizens live in “absolute poverty” and that that percentage keeps increasing. With the growing poverty have escalated horrific crimes, a culture of dishonesty, a rush of our youths to Salafist fundamentalist terrorism, and mass flights of the educated to other lands – all of which are compounding the poverty. From your well-known record as a leader of our country, I know that you are not only aware of these things, but that, in common with many members of our generation, you are seriously pained by them. I confess that I was very angry with you during your brief stint as military ruler, 1983-5. First, you seemed to me to be power-drunk at the time— because you made no distinction between the corrupt who had been stealing and sharing public money under Shagari and those who were known to have been resisting the robbery. I belonged to the frontline of senators who were well known to have, on the floor of the Senate, resisted the mass corruption, and yet your military government detained me (and many like me), and I languished for four months in prison without any accusation–even without being asked any question by any official. And then, you and Idiagbon expended most of your obviously shining capabilities in pursuing nebulous and amateurish programmes like WAI (War Against Indiscipline), when what our country really needed was (after you had fiercely shot down corruption as you did) to massively divert our enormous oil revenues into investments in the lives of our people–through programmes for expansion and diversification of education, modern job skills development, entrepreneurial development, small business development, promotion of modern farming, policies for improving the quality and reputation of our labour force and thereby attracting investments and businesses into our country, policies for promotion of exports, etc. Put a people to work and persistently multiply the economic opportunities available to them, and the attraction to prosperity through competitive enterprise will gradually suppress indiscipline in their land. Fanciful programmes like WAI can have no lasting benefit or future – as I hope you must know by now. That is why the man who ousted you, Babangida, was able quite easily to wipe out all the patriotic gains of your regime. Furthermore, I though t it was a pity that you did not appear to recognize that the over- centralization that was being given to our federation was the foundation of our ills as a country. You were wrong in thinking that punishing the corrupt leaders would destroy corruption abidingly. What is needed is to change the system into which corruption has been built. In our country’s case, we needed (and we need) to reduce the magnitude of our federal government and empower our state and local governments, which are nearer the people, to bear most of the burden of development. Then we need to give recognition and respect to our various nationalities in structuring the federation – which should mean that our larger nations would each constitute a state, and contiguous groups of our smaller nationalities would be assisted to form states, just as the Indians sensibly and profitably did in the 1960s. By refusing to go that route, Nigeria has abysmally depressed its nationalities. For instance, my Yoruba nation came into Nigeria in 1914 as easily the fastest modernizing nationality in Black Africa; and we entered into independence with Nigeria in 1960 as the development front-liner and pace-setter in Africa. Today, we are a battered, poor, and disoriented nation, and most of our achievements have been wrecked, thanks to our being part of a Nigeria that destroys its peoples. Every other Nigerian nationality has similar stories to tell. My brother, I am, by nature and by upbringing, averse to merely lamenting an evil development; I act to change it. My potential urge, even as I write this, is to exert myself with others like me towards pulling my Yoruba nation out of Nigeria if Nigeria will not change course – and that is something that we Yoruba are perfectly capable to achieve if we are pushed to start upon it. And the same is true of some other persons and nations. In short, let’s not ignore or minimize the danger of Nigeria’s dissolution. I know you have what it takes to change and save Nigeria. I wish you luck in your election – and I wish Nigeria luck. Source: Sahara Reporters

Traditional Marriage: Actress Ibinabo Fiberesima

Ibinabo got married to her man, Uche Egbuka on Thursday in Port Harcourt. Congrats!

Buhari finally takes his 2015 Campaign to the Social Media

You can't be a serious politician and ignore the social media, not in this generation. The presidential candidate of the APC, General Muhammadu Buhari, has deployed the use of major social networking sites, to worm his way into the hearts of the electorate ahead of the critical 2015 presidential election. Checks by iPUNCH on Facebook showed that the retired general had begun keeping up with the use of the social service with a view to attracting the support of the younger generation. Although many online analysts might argue that Buhari registered his presence on social media late, the level of followership he enjoys has begun growing in leaps and bounds. Since he emerged the flag bearer of APC rarely a day goes by without a fresh update on his Facebook page. He now boasts a following of over 149,000 people who subscribe to his online posts. However, Buhari’s online standing is a far cry from the influence President Goodluck Jonathan wields there. Jonathan, who signed up for Facebook in 2010, has a flowing of over 1.7m people. In his latest post following the emergence of Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, Buhari stated that he had begun settling down to strategise with the APC vice-presidential candidate in the build-up to the election. The former head-of-state noted that he would create time to read through the comments and observations of his fans via his Facebook page, as he moves to dislodge Jonathan from Aso Rock in 2015. “I take note of every comment, suggestion and feedback you give me. Please keep them coming. Thank you for your support,” Buhari wrote on Facebook. The APC presidential candidate promised his fans that he would work with all Nigerians irrespective of their religious or ethnicity to “help make our societies more compassionate, more just, and more equitable"

Photo: Obasanjo with his wife and kids back in the 80's

Can y'all see Iyabo Obasanjo? She's sitting to Obasanjo's right. His first wife Remi Obasanjo is sitting to his left...

SEE Africa's Top 10 Most Prosperous Countries

What is Africa's most prosperous country? According to new research from the Legatum Institute, which last week ranked prosperity in 38 African countries around criteria ranging from economics to education to health, the title belongs to Botswana, the diamond-rich country in southern Africa. As well as posting a relatively high per capita Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of $15,176, Botswana also fared well in terms of governance, education and personal freedom. As the country spends 8% of its GDP on education, it is among the biggest proportional spenders in the world according to the World Bank. This is the third year in a row that Botswana has topped the index. In contrast, the Central African Republic was the lowest ranked country on the continent. The country, which has a per capita GDP of $584, has seen increasing violence since the end of 2012, and only 21.5% of the population have access to sanitation according to the prosperity index. 10. Senegal Senegal ranks as the continent's 10th most prosperous nation, according to Legatum Institute's 2014 Africa Prosperity Report, up nine places since 2012. 9. Burkina Faso Burkina Faso ranks ninth in the 2014 report, having risen by five places since 2012. 8. Rwanda Rwanda was ranked the eighth most prosperous African nation. The report praised the country for "actively encouraging women" to shape the future of their country. 7. Ghana Ghana has a vibrant economic spirit. The West African nation was ranked seventh in the prosperity rankings and was considered the second safest nation on the continent. 6. Algeria The sixth most prosperous nation in Africa is Algeria. The country, where 93% of respondents have a cell phone, topped the economy index. 5. Tunisia Tunisia is the fifth most prosperous African nation in 2014 according to the Legatum Institute. The country ranks first in the health sub-index and citizens have a life expectancy of 75 years -- 17 years higher than the African average. 4. Namibia Fourth most prosperous African country: Namibia, ranked second in the governance sub- index. 3. Morocco Morocco is the third most prosperous African nation. 2. South Africa South Africa ranked as the second most prosperous country in Africa, with nearly 40% of people surveyed saying it's a good time to find a job. 1. Botswana As well as beautiful natural heritage, Botswana is the most prosperous African country according to research conducted by the Legatum Institute. The landlocked country ranks first in the report's governance index.

Not Again! Boko Haram kills 32, kidnaps 185 in Borno!

Boko Haram has kidnapped at least 185 people, including women and children, from a Nigerian village, carting the hostages away on trucks towards Sambisa Forest, a notorious rebel stronghold, two local officials and a vigilante leader said Thursday. The mass abduction, part of an attack that also killed 32 people, occurred Sunday in the village of Gumsuri, Borno state, in the embattled northeast. Both officials, who requested anonymity, said the local government established the number of those abducted through contacting families, ward heads and emirs. A vigilante leader based in the Borno state capital Maiduguri, Usman Kakani, told AFP that fighters who were in Gumsuri during the attack provided a figure of 191 abducted, including women, girls and boys. Gumsuri is roughly 70 kilometres (43 miles) south of Maiduguri and falls on the road that leads to Chibok, where Boko Haram kidnapped more than 200 schoolgirls in April. Details of the Gumsuri attack took four days to emerge because the mobile phone network in the region has completely collapsed and many roads are impassable. Those who fled the village said it was too dangerous to head directly to Maiduguri. Instead, they travelled several hundred kilometres in the opposite direction to connect with the main road that leads to the state capital. Mukhtar Buba, a Gumsuri resident who fled to Maiduguri, also confirmed that women and children were taken. "After killing our youths, the insurgents have taken away our wives and daughters," he said. PmNews!

SEE Transformation! Check-Out Pastor E.A Adeboye Back When He Was still a Lecturer!(PHOTO)

Wow!...He's The One By the Far Left Sitting!

Fuel Scarcity hits Abuja, Lagos, Kwara, others!

An official of the Federal Ministry of Environment, who gave his name simply as Nnamdi, said, “This strike came as a surprise. I was lucky to make it to work this(Monday) morning and you can see that the place is virtually empty. Many workers are stranded because many stations had no fuel to sell due to the strike by oil and gas workers.” Black market operators cashed in on the scarcity by selling the product in jerrycans on the major roads and streets in the FCT at prices above the pump price of N97. The situation was the same in Makurdi, Gboko, Kastina – Ala, Oturkpo and Ukum Local Government Areas of Benue State, where motorists paid between N105 and N135 instead of N97. On the streets, the product sold for as much as N200 per litre. Commercial drivers and private car owners told our correspondent in the state that the scarcity would cause untold hardship to the people, especially as Christmas approaches. Our correspondent in Kwara State observed that over 90 per cent of the filling stations in llorin which were selling fuel before 8am on Monday, suddenly locked their entrance . The managers of the filling stations declined comments but surprised motorists described their action as shocking. One of the motorists, Kunle Ajana, said, “What I am witnessing here now is surprising. Some of my friends bought fuel in the morning and I am surprised that I cannot find anywhere to buy now.” In Jos, Plateau State, there were also long queues in the afternoon at most of the filling stations which initially sold petrol in the morning. At the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Mega station in the city, the queue stretched to about two kilometres, thereby causing traffic congestion along the major high- ways in the city. However, motorists in Oyo and Delta states did not experience any difficulty as most stations were seen dispensing fuel. At the NNPC depot in Apata, Ibadan, normal activities went on even as black market operators still sold fuel at N90 per litre instead of N97. An attendant in one of the fuel stations in Boluwaji area of Ibadan told The PUNCH that there was no instruction from the owner of the station to them to stop selling petroleum products. “The owner of this place is in Lagos. We called him to take instruction concerning the scarcity but he said that we should continue to sell fuel. We took delivery of 33,000 litres on Saturday so we have plenty of petrol in our tanks,” he said. Our correspondent in Delta State learnt that junior workers under the umbrella of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas did not join in the strike. The NNPC depot in Warri did not close down as petroleum marketers loaded their trucks with ease on Monday. When one of our correspondents visited the NNPC Ejigbo depot in Lagos on Monday afternoon,loading activities were also going on. The Lagos Zonal Chairman, PENGASSAN, Mr. Abel Agarin, said, “The people you saw at Ejigbo are NUPENG members who were allowed to load. But immediately we got there, workers from the PEF who were signing their documents and the DPR workers were asked to stop working.” He said that some tankers that loaded earlier in the day at the depot were allowed to move out because of the danger they posed if left there. Agarin added, “In Lagos, most depots were shut and there was no loading. After Ejigbo depot, we went to Mobil on Mobil Road. We also visited Oando loading bay. At the Apapa depot and those owned by Mobil and Oando, there was total compliance. There was work by NUPENG members at Total depot which was later stopped in the course of the day. “But by tomorrow (today), I believe that loading activities would not take place there. In the early hours of Monday, trucks were seen loading products at Apapa depots in Lagos but at a reduced pace. Our correspondent gathered from oil marketers that the Petroleum Tanker Drivers arm of NUPENG in the state were yet to join the strike. But a petrol tanker driver, who identified himself as Shola, said that some depots were having difficulties exiting their trucks from the point of loading. He also said that trucks ready to leave Lagos for other states were being constrained by the Petroleum Equalisation Fund processes. PEF is a parastatal of the Federal Government established by law to equalise the cost of transporting petroleum products from product depots to filling stations. This is to ensure that petroleum products are made available at uniform prices throughout Nigeria. To operate the price equalisation mechanism, marketers whose petrol stations are located close to depots contribute to the Equalisation Fund while others with petrol stations farther away from depots make claim from the Fund. The President, PENGASSAN, Mr. Francis Johnson, said the unions had issued a 15-day ultimatum to the government before embarking on the strike. “Before we met on October 30 and 31, the two unions had met in Enugu. We issued an ultimatum, which expired on November 15. After the expiration of the ultimatum, we also engaged government agencies and the international oil companies involved, but it was not fruitful. We don’t like Nigerians to go through what is going on now,” he added. The Media and Information Officer, PENGASSAN, Mr. Babatunde Oke, however said that the Federal Government had invited the two unions for a meeting in Abuja on Tuesday (today). He said that “in Warri, there was no loading, but NUPENG members were seen wearing red to signify their protest. In Port Harcourt, there was total compliance in all oil and gas locations, including the upstream and midstream as the loading bays were shut. “In Kaduna and Abuja, there was total compliance on the part of PENGASSAN members. In Kaduna, the gate of the Kaduna Refinery was shut and no entrance was allowed . There was no loading also in Kaduna.” Oke added that “earlier on Monday morning, the NNPC towers was opened for business and workers were at their desks but they were later called to stop work at about 11.45 a.m.” Meanwhile, the NNPC has assured the public that the strike would not dislocate the distribution and sale of fuel to members of the public. The Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, NNPC, Mr. Ohi Alegbe, said the NNPC was in talks with the leadership of the unions which gave the assurance that they would not disrupt the fuel supply and distribution system as the strike was basically aimed at addressing the anti-labour issues by some of the international oil companies. The corporation and its downstream subsidiary, the Pipelines and Products Marketing Company, also revealed that it had over 32 days stock of petroleum products available for supply across the nation during the Yuletide season and beyond. It said 17 additional petroleum laden vessels were at the Lagos Port waiting to discharge to the various depots for onward distribution to members of the public. It further assured that everything was being done to ensure that there was no hitch whatsoever in the supply system that could bring any form of hardship to motorists and those who intend to travel during the period. The NNPC advised marketers to desist from hoarding or diversion of petroleum products as those caught would be sanctioned. The Head, Public Affairs Department of the Petroleum Resources, Ms. Dorothy Bassey, told one of our correspondents on the telephone that there were still meetings going on to resolve the issues raised by the oil and gas workers. She said at the management level, work would continue to go on at the DPR until the situation was brought under control. The oil and gas workers are protesting the failure of the Federal Government to carry out turnaround maintenance of the nation’s four refineries, the non-reduction of pump price of petrol in line with the slump in global prices of crude oil and the delayed passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill. They had vowed that the strike would continue until the government addressed their grievances, which also included the non- implementation of the Nigeria Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act. Source: PunchNg

THE FACTS: Why Jonathan Will Win In 2015

By Reno Omokri: My dear brothers and sisters, a number of you have asked me, particularly on Social Media, why I think President Goodluck Jonathan deserves your vote. I will use this space to answer that question headlong and unequivocally, because I believe with every fiber of my being that reelecting President Jonathan is the best course of action that Nigerians can take if we do not want to go back to the old ways in which the government dictated to us rather than related to us. || Nigerians want to know what a candidate will do for them. They do not want to listen to candidates bicker like motor park touts. Even those that do not support the President or the PDP have at least heard of the Transformation Agenda. Have you heard of the opposition's agenda? Everything about the emergence of President Jonathan as the candidate of the PDP shows his party and it's candidate as the only truly national candidate. The National Convention in the Federal Capital Territory, which is known as the 'Center of Unity' was auspicious and befitting as the PDP is the only political party that projects one united and indivisible Nigeria. Nigerians can take pride in the PDP and its pan Nigerian credentials. The party does not have regional bases. The whole nation is its base. The ruling has a unique ability to unite as a party that goes on to unite Nigeria as a nation. The PDP is the largest party in Africa and under this banner, we have grown our economy to the point where it is now the largest economy in Africa proving that as the PDP grows stronger, Nigeria grows stronger. And with all due respect, the choice between the PDP's candidate, President Goodluck Jonathan and the opposition's candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari is clear. Lagosians who are today escaping Lagos traffic via the air conditioned Goodluck train must be under no illusion that this service just appeared from nowhere. No. It came about via a visionary long term plan whose ultimate goal when fully implanted will see a Lagos-Ibadan High Speed metro line that will enable people live in Ibadan and work in Lagos. The contract was signed in August 2012 for $1.5 billion and the management of the Chinese Firm CCECC has mobilized to site. The project itself, being part of the Interstate Rail Project, has been listed by KPMG as one of the world's top 100 infrastructure projects! This is a fulfillment of the idea that Alhaji Lateef Kayode Jakande had way back in 1982-3 but which was delayed when the military thought they had murdered that idea by canceling the project. But that project has been given new life today by the President Goodluck Jonathan administration because as Thomas Sankara said "you cannot kill ideas". Some people erroneously think that President Jonathan will not do well in the 2015 election in Katsina State, but the people of Katsina will vote for President Jonathan because he built the only Federal University in Katsina state as well as the only 6 Almajiri schools in that state. Before the ascension of the President to power, Katsina and 11 other states had no Federal Universities.! The 2015 election is about records. The President has his record and the opposition have theirs. The days of selling a candidate based on his ethnicity, region and religion must go forever. 2015 must be about issues, records and ideas! I, Reno Omokri, am proud to say that President Jonathan has never publicly or privately called for violence or bloodshed. President Jonathan's has bequeathed a good Human Right Record to Nigeria. No political Prisoners exist in Nigeria. No one is imprisoned for their views under President Jonathan. What is the opposition's Human Right record? When President Jonathan took office in 2010, it used to take an average of 7-8 hours to go from Benin to Lagos. Today, after the reconstruction (bot repair) of the Benin-Ore road, that same journey can be done in 3 hours and the President sent the Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr. Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, to undertake the journey and verify the Estimated Travel Time on that road. Some people say the opposition is coming to fight corruption and I ask them if they have seen the latest Corruption Perception Index released by Transparency International 2 weeks ago? Under President Jonathan, Nigeria progressed 8 points upward in the scale proving that the President is tackling corruption headlong. The major progress Nigeria made in the 2014 Corruption Perception Index released by Transparency International are the result of the clinical surgical incision made by President Jonathan at the root of corruption in Nigeria. Gone are the show trials that glorify style over substance with media prosecutions that do not lead to convictions. Under Jonathan, Nigeria has had more corruption convictions than at any other time and Transparency International noticed. Remember that the Fertilizer Procurement and Distribution sub sector of the Agricultural sector was a veritable channel of corruption. Billions of dollars went into private pockets as middlemen inflated costs and supplied adulterated products to farmers. But under President Jonathan's watch, 14 million farmers were registered by the Ministry of Agriculture who connected them directly to the product through an e-wallet system by which the Agriculture ministry send texts to farmers to go and pick up their fertilizer and seeds direct from their locality. What greater anti corruption credential can you have than to weed out 50,000 ghost workers from the Federal Civil service saving Nigeria almost 350 billion Naira per annum? As I speak to you, the Abuja-Kaduna Rail project has been completed, under budget and under the time frame for which this administration promised which is as a result of the new efficiency of the Federal Civil Service which, through the Federal Ministry of Works, had been able to supervise the contractors efficiently because no kickbacks exchanged hands. My brothers and sisters, as I unveil my candidate to you, I am confident not only that he will win the 2015 Presidential elections based on his record, I will further call on you and other well meaning Nigerians, that If you value human life, please urge INEC to make candidates take an oath not to incite violence when they lose in 2015. I sometimes wonder if the opposition think that President Jonathan is a time traveller. Why do I say so? When the opposition says Nigeria's problem is Jonathan perhaps they should explain why we had problems when some of them where in power. Is it that President Jonathan travelled back into the past to create the problems they faced? They say that President Jonathan has not achieved anything. In that case is it that President Jonathan bribed the UN to say that Nigeria's average Life Expectancy rose from 47 to 52 years under his administration, or he bribed the International Monetary Fund, IMF, to promote Nigeria to a Middle Income Nation in 2013 from a Low Income Nation before that? Or he bribed KPMG to list our interstate High Speed Rail project as one of the world's top 100 infrastructure projects? Did he compromise the International Food Policy Research Institute to say that hunger has reduced in Nigeria under Jonathan from 16% to 14.1%? I am not saying that Nigeria's problems are all solved. How could they be? It took us 50 years to get to the point we were before President Jonathan became president in 2010. Surely it will take us more than four years to get out of the problems we faced for half a century.' But one thing I can say is that we are making progress under President Jonathan. Elections are now free and fair and we have bade farewell to do or die elections. People can say what they like and be assured of freedom of speech and freedom after the speech. The era of politically motivated assassinations are gone. Our railways have been revived, our major highways have either been revived or are in a state of being revived. All those 12 states that did not have universities prior to Jonathan's ascension now have universities. In today's Nigeria, you cannot name a state in Nigeria where Jonathan has not built either a brand new university, a secondary school, a hospital or a new road! President Jonathan knows that a mind is a terrible thing to waste thus Jonathan built 150 schools for Almajiri. And then some say that he has only scratched the surface. My response to them is that if previous administrations had likewise scratched the surface, we won't have 12 million children out of the formal education system in Nigeria! President Jonathan is building schools in every state because if disadvantaged kids had schools in the 80s they would not have grown up into adults that believe that books are haram! Those regions that did not have international airports before Jonathan now have. Today, Hyundai, Kia and Nissan have opened up vehicle manufacturing/ assembly plants in Nigeria even as the government, most especially the Presidency, is patronizing Innoson cars as official cars. Nigerians want stability in their leader. You won't marry a person who jumps from relationship to relationship, so why support a Presidential aspirant who jumps from party to party? From 1999 till today, President Goodluck Jonathan has remained in one party come rain come shine. Who in the opposition can make such a claim? As elections approach, expect more panic attacks from a party that spent its time insulting and criticizing the President instead of selling its ideas to Nigerians. They say that they will form a parallel government if they lose in 2015. Under Jonathan, elections held in Edo, Anambra, Ondo, Ekiti and Osun. Which of them were rigged? Why is APC rejecting 2015 elections in 2014? My brother and sisters, never allow those who swore that they were determined to make some parts of Nigeria "ungovernable" shake you and turn your focus from the verifiable progress Nigeria is making under President Goodluck Jonathan. I can assure that just as he said when he declared his interest to contest the 2015 Presidential elections, under President Jonathan's leadership, Nigeria "will never go back to the old ways"! Reno Omokri is the Special Assistant to President Jonathan on New Media

Peter Okoye’s Wife reveals how she was molested by pastor

According to the story, as shared by Lola Omotayo-Okoye herself, not only was she molested by a Catholic pries, her ex-lover also abused her and this went a long way to affect her. Lola, who now has two children for Peter, shared her touching experience to encourage young ladies at the recently held Kinabuti Dare2Dream Project in Lagos. According to her, she was molested when she was in high school – by a priest – and for the longest time she blamed herself and kept quiet about it because she did not think anybody will believe her. She couldn’t even go to her family to talk about it… “You shouldn’t let your past determine what your destiny will be, we all have our past whether good or bad or makes us unhappy, we all had a life that we lived that we are not happy about, you shouldn’t let it bother you from succeeding. When I was a young girl in my early teens in high school, I was molested by a catholic priest, i blamed myself, i didn’t tell anyone because i was ashamed, couldn’t tell anyone cos i felt everyone would blame me, so i carried on the guilt and bitterness with me for years. I was filled with hate and i became a angry person, i was rebellious, i didn’t want to listen to anybody…and because i wanted to be expelled from school to avoid seeing this person, i would do so many terrible things, everything around me was just so negative, i felt i wasn’t good enough…. Anyway i moved on to the university, met the love of my life and i’m like, okay this guy is cool, he loves me…and then he started to abuse me….i was beaten black and blue all the time, in front of friends, in public and at a point i felt, you know what I am not worthy enough, there is nothing about me that is nice, nobody loves me. But i hid this from my family….i felt like a loser..so it was hard for me to focus..so one day i woke up and said i am going to change my story and i dumped that person, focus on my education and decided to be serious and be something….i decided to get a job and go to school full time in America… I worked hard…my parents were sending me money cos I didn’t tell them i was working but i was working because i wanted to be independent…I didn’t want to depend on any man or on my parents even though they would have done anything for me…so i did all sorts of job, i was a make up artiste, i worked in a cafe, school library, i did so many things and i didn’t realise that these jobs were building me up as a person, building my resume, my confidence….people began to like me because i was adding value to their lives….at work i was excellent and so was i in school and that built me as a strong woman…and at some point, i sought counseling to get over my molestation issues where i was made to see reasons why i wasn’t at fault cos i was a child then…today I am accomplished. You can be whatever woman you want to be but you have to believe in yourself, if they reject you today, it doesn’t mean you should let your dreams die, you have something unique about you. Look at my husband (Peter Okoye), when i met him peeps were like what are you doing with him, he has nothing but i stood my ground and choose to stick with him cos he had a dream. He and his twin brother did not let their dream die, they worked hard..look at them today! I stuck by him cos he had focus and drive and today i am happy, i have a good life, we are happy and we have got a beautiful family. No one can make you a loser.” – That is life people, learn to be a good person and things will turn out for your good!

President Jonathan congratulates Gen. Buhari on his 72nd birthday

As Gen. Buhari clocks 72 tomorrow, President Jonathan wishes him many more years of good health and personal fulfillment. Read the press statement below… President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has written to congratulate General Muhammadu Buhari on the occasion of his 72nd birthday anniversary which comes up tomorrow, Wednesday, December 17, 2014.  In a congratulatory letter addressed to the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in next year’s presidential election, President Jonathan prayed that God Almighty should grant him many more years of good health and personal fulfillment. “As you mark your 72nd birthday anniversary, I write, on behalf of my family, the Government and people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, to extend warm felicitations to you. “I join your family, friends, and well-wishers to thank God for your life and to pray that He continues to guide, guard and prosper you even as He blesses you with many more years of abounding health and personal fulfillment,” President Jonathan wrote. He wished General Buhari a very happy birthday. Reuben Abati Special Adviser to the President (Media & Publicity)

Trouble: Oil Workers Begin Nationwide Strike Today

This strike should not be allowed to go on as it will spoil the yuletide season for Nigerians. Oil workers under the aegis of the NUPENG and PENGASSAN are set commence a nationwide strike on Monday to protest the inability of the Federal Government to carry out turnaround maintenance of the nation’s four refineries and reduce pump prices of petrol in line with the slump in global prices of crude oil. The unions said their members had been fully mobilised, adding that the strike would not be suspended until there was a strong commitment from the government and managements/operators of affected oil companies on the issues. They said in a joint statement on Sunday by PENGASSAN Media and Information Officer, Babatunde Oke, that the strike would affect all oil and gas operations in the upstream, midstream and downstream sectors. The over 40 percent decline in the price of crude oil is expected to have brought about a reduction in the pump prices of petroleum products in the country, as seen in other countries around the world. The oil workers had last Monday threatened to embark on the industrial action should the government fail to meet their demands. PENGASSAN's President, Francis Johnson, in a telephone interview with Punch on Sunday night, confirmed the strike report. “We are starting the strike and as events unfold, we will let people know.” The workers are also protesting the termination of national officers of two unions without justification. They also demanded that government put in place alternative strategies to stop pipeline vandalism and crude oil theft, convene an industry stakeholders’ forum on the PIB status and falling crude oil prices and address the ongoing high rate divestment in the industry and its attendant job losses.

Photos: Gen Buhari visits Atiku Abubakar at his home

APC presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari today Dec. 14th paid a courtery visit to former VP Atiku Abubakar at his home in Abuja. While receiving him, Atiiku promised to work with him to bring the change Nigeria needs.

Lemon Water: A Dynamite

Have been told that drinking lemon water first thing in the morning is especially good for cleansing the liver and to kick start our digestive system, and it is completely true, but lemon water does much more than that. Drink Lemon Water in the morning for health and vitality! Here is the top 10, out of many, benefits of drinking lemon water. 1. Boosts your immune system: Lemons are high in vitamin C and potassium, which stimulates brain and nerve function. Potassium also helps control blood pressure. 2. Balances pH: Lemon is one of the most alkaline foods around. Yes, lemon has citric acid but it does not create acidity in the body once metabolized, so, you’ll reduce your body’s overall acidity. 3. Helps with weight loss: To fight hunger cravings maintain a more alkaline diet, this is because lemons are high in pectin fiber. 4. Aids in digestion: It encourages the liver to produce bile which is an acid that required for digestion, which reduces heartburn and constipation. 5. Is a diuretic: Lemons increase the rate of urination in the body, which helps purify it from toxins, therefore, helps keep your urinary tract healthy. 6. Clears skin: Lemon water purges toxins from the blood which helps keep skin clear as well, this is thanks to the vitamin C component, which helps decrease wrinkles and blemishes. 7. Freshens breath: The citric acid can kill the bacteria, so it can help relieve tooth pain and gingivitis. 8. Relieves respiratory problems: Warm lemon water helps get rid of chest infections and halt those pesky coughs. 9. Keeps you zen: Vitamin C is one of the first things depleted when your mind and body are subjected to stress, and in the lives we lead, who is not? 10. Helps kick the coffee habit: Normally after a glass of hot lemon water, you don’t crave coffee in the morning. Try it yourself! The recipe is really simple – a cup of warm water (not hot) and the juice from half of a lemon. Take Lemon, Its Good for you.

Health matters:Curbing Mouth Odour

Mouth odour has remained a constant embarrassing issue today. Sometimes, it tends to make the individual in question feel unimportant especially in a public place leading to unexpressed feelings and alike. Here are tips in curbing mouth odour: Clean your mouth thoroughly and regularly and be sure to brush between the tongue and teeth, not just to look good, but for oral health and cleaner breath. Two major sources of mouth odour are: *.bacteria and *.decayingfoodparticles. There are hundreds of nooks and crannies in the fertile landscape of your mouth where these offending bits of “rot” can get lodged. Brushing is not enough. *.Clean your tongue. Your tongue,unfortunately, is like a shaggy carpet whereall kindsof smelly stuff can hide. Suctionyour tongue, a little – and always swishyourdrinks all around the mouth and betweenteeth to dislodge some of these materials. *.When you brush your teeth (which shouldbe at least twice a day).Use yourtoothbrush, theedge of a spoon, or a tonguecleaner to “scrape” your tongue. If you havea sensitive gag reflex, you might not like thistask. You need to clean your entire tongue,including the part close to your tonsils. *.Floss:Make it as much of a mindless habitasbrushing your teeth. At first, your gumsmight bleed as you dislodge chunks of foodthat have “stuck” to your teeth and gum forwho knows how long. But take a second tosmell the floss after you pass it through yourteeth, if you dare. You’ll see (orsmell) wherethe bad breath is coming from. *.Use mouthwash:Mouthwash helps to keepyour mouth moist and helps to prevent badbreath, also try to get the alcohol-freebrands.Health is Wealth!

This is the 13yrs Old Girl sent by Boko Haram to Bomb Kano

She was arrested wearing explosives after vigilant Kano residents caught her in the act. Disheartening!

Photos: Gas Explosion rocks Akure, Ondo state

A gas explosion rocked Arakele road in Akure, Ondo state this evening Dec. 13th, killing several people. According to eyewitnesses, the explosion happened at a gas station in the area and the fire from the explosion spread to residential houses within the area. Men of the fire service just arrived the scene. Details later

Photo: Boko Haram victim in search of his wife and seven children

A 40 year old identified as Matthew Zira, (pictured above) says he's searching for his wife and seven children after members of Boko haram invaded their village in Michika LGA of Adamawa state on September 7th. A distraught Matthew narrated his ordeal to The Nation. Read what he said below.. My name is Matthew Zira. I am from Vi village in Minchika Local Government Area, Adamawa State. I was living comfortably with my family until that fateful Friday. Before that day, there had been rumours that Boko Haram would attack the village, but no one knew when they would come. So on that day, as usual, I went out of the house to look for my daily bread. I ride commercial motorcycle in the village, I am also a farmer, and did the commercial motorcycle work when farm work was over.  So, I left home as early as 6 am on the 7th of September 2014 on my motorcycle to commence the business of the day. But at about noon, I started hearing gunshots and everyone said Boko Haram had arrived town. I immediately rushed back home to go and evacuate my family, but before I got home, they had fled along with other villagers to an unknown destination. I went round town looking for them but could not find them. I went to the police station, hospitals and everywhere but could not find them. Before the evening of that day, Boko Haram had already taken over the entire village completely. I was advised not to go back home because all the houses in the village had been razed by Boko Haram. I fled to Minchika to continue the search for my children. Later, we had to flee to Yola when we heard that Boko Haram would attack Minchika. I spent one month in Yola searching everywhere for my children but I could not find them. Those of us who escaped from Vi village and other surrounding villages were camped at the NYSC camp in Yola. I thought of meeting my children there in the camp but they were not there. I had to come to Jos because I was told that thousands of Adamawa people ran to Jos. But I have searched all the IDP camps in Jos since the 5th of November when I arrived, I can’t still find them. There is even no iota of information about where I could find them. “Others who lost their families during the rush to escape have found their people, but in my own case, I’m still searching in vain. It is only God that will reveal to me what happened to my family. So, I am only looking up to God now because I have done all that is humanly possible. I am really in trauma; at night I can’t sleep, I keep thinking of my children. At times, if I am eating and the thought of the whereabouts of my children came to my mind, I will not be able to eat any longer, from that moment I will lose appetite. I am pleading with any Nigerian who knows where I can locate my children to contact me on my phone – 07037728905. My wife’s name is Tinana Mathew. My seven children are Rita, Ziramatu, Tumbamatu, Kwata, Racheal and one-yearold Doris. Please, I am eagerly waiting for any information on their whereabouts.” he said

There are rumours that Gov. Amaechi is Buhari's running mate

It's just rumour o...don't take this as fact! We will know for sure in the coming hours or days...:-). The party met today in Lagos to pick a running mate for Buhari and I hear it was Amaechi they picked.  The two men were spotted having breakfast this morning at Intercontinental...so...*fingers crossed*

Photos: Yinka Aiyefele Remembers Accident 17 Years After

Yinka Aiyefele today wrote on his Facebook page how today 12th December, 2014 marks the 17th year he had an accident on his way to Abeokuta, Ogun State.  He thanked God for sparing his life in the accident he termed his turning point. His words; Rejoice and thank God with me. the journey started exactly 17yrs ago, it was on Friday December 12th 1997. On my way to Abeokuta where I had that ghastly motor accident. it was indeed MY TURNING POINT. "ODUNMBAKU" I will for ever be grateful to you my Lord. Thank you all for your love, support and encouragement. When there is life there is hope.

Why I Criticize Jonathan Publicly' - Obasanjo Finally reveals!

At an occasion in Lagos where he publicly presented his controversial memoir, former President, Olusegun Obasanjo spoke in defense of why he publicly criticizes President Goodluck Jonathan in recent time despite having access to him. He linked his open criticism of the present administration to Jonathan’s lack of receptive ears. Speaking Obasanjo said: “You will see a few letters I put in the book that were correspondences between me and the president and how I described my frustration of going privately to the president, taking up issues with him and getting no reaction. "When I was president, I had my predecessors who would come to me, some with written notes and I would give answers and react and if I cannot give answers and react there immediately, I will say: ‘give me time, let me do something’ and I would react. "That’s the way I believe it should be. He should be able to come, talk to me and I give you an answer. You would see in the book some of my reactions in the past. So if you have audience but you have no receptive ears, then you must have another way of communication. That’s what has happened," he said. The former president, who used his speech to react to a court injunction against the publication of the book secured by the Chairman Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) South-West Committee on Mobilisation and Organisation, Chief Buruji Kashamu, said he refused to obey the court injunction because he completed the production of the book three weeks before the presentation. "The book had been printed and published before that man went to court. I don’t regard that. Another thing you don’t know is that the man went to court and today (the day the book was presented) was fixed for hearing. After that, he went to another judge to get injunction at 5pm on Friday. What is that? If there is anything illegal, you know I won’t be part of it. We are here lawfully, legally and we will continue to act lawfully and legally," he assured. Culled from DailyPostNg

Sad! Another Popular Actor Is Dead! [Photo]

The death of the popular Hausa actor, Rabilu Musa Popularly Known as Dan Ibro has been announced, Though details of death are still sketchy as at the time of this report, He His a recognized personality in the Kannywood comedy scene. He was jailed several times by the Kano State Government under the ex-Governor, Ibrahim Shekarau, for acting in movies believed to be violating the censorship rules in Kano. Dan Ibro subsequently laid low until recently. He is believed to have appeared in more movies than any actor in the Kannywood industry.

Popular Actor, Aki Reveal How He Asked His Wife three years ago out

Popular actor, Aki has revealed the line he use to wooed his wife . According to him, nothing really special happened as he asked her out the way people do it.  Read Below: “God will not forgive you if you know you love a girl and she loves you and you know you can make a family. So, what stops you from telling her you love her? What stops you from telling her ‘common baby, let’s do this.’ I just told her baby, lets do this and the rest is history.”

Photo: 16 year old Nigerian girl goes missing in London

A 16-year-old Nigerian girl named Kiahmarah Nwagwu (pictured above) has been declared missing. According to London24, Kiamarah was last seen leaving her school, Hammersmith Academy on Wednesday December 3rd at about 1.30pm. Kiahmarah is slim and between 5ft 6ins and 5ft 8ins tall. At the time of her disappearance, she had shoulder-length Afro-style hair, and was last seen wearing a dark knee-length wax coat, but might have taken a change of clothes. Anyone who has seen Kiahmarah or who knows of her whereabouts is asked to call Hammersmith & Fulham police on 101 or the charity Missing People on 116 000.

Fayemi and arch Rival, Fayose Finally shake hands in public! [Photos]

Both men, who sat together, smiled as they exchanged pleasantries during the ceremony....despite their Rivalry!