Full Transcript Of Reverend Father Ejike Mbaka's New Year Message

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi813T8PqbfizJx55EOD8K9TCZH2K3ewotKURWF6SyPEnlWcCYunyYwxtQRNHj_TzjXCRysLWSxWNYrxA7FvyhIO-_CbvYE1FmEr7MCfW9eUvuuJZbiMPI_n10UfHip3zk0_Dz30mkubOw/s1600/Ejike-Mbaka-336x336.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi813T8PqbfizJx55EOD8K9TCZH2K3ewotKURWF6SyPEnlWcCYunyYwxtQRNHj_TzjXCRysLWSxWNYrxA7FvyhIO-_CbvYE1FmEr7MCfW9eUvuuJZbiMPI_n10UfHip3zk0_Dz30mkubOw/s1600/Ejike-Mbaka-336x336.jpg" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b><br /></b></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b>Reverend Father Ejike Mbaka bombed President Goodluck Jonathan in a sermon to thousands of his followers at his Adoration Prayer Ground in Enugu, on New Year’s Day, asking the President to "quietly resign honorably" for failing to arrest insecurity, joblessness and corruption in the country.</b></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Published below is a transcript of the sermon that has gone viral on YouTube. </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i>"In the year 2014, we had a lot of bloodshed in this country. People were dying like rats without anybody asking about them. This country suffered a lot of blood experience. Many of us witnessed that. People were in tears. Just like the ancient world, the year 2014, the 4 in it had the queen in it, which had to do with death. Our leaders failed us with reckless abandon and nobody asked them question.</i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> To watch the video again, follow the link below.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b>READ:</b> <b><a href="http://nigerianewsroom.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/must-watch-video-bombshell-from-pulpit.html">[Must Watch Video]: Bombshell From The Pulpit As Rev. Fr. Mbaka Asks President Jonathan To 'Quietly Resign Honorably'</a></b></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i>"The so-called democracy was a hidden autocracy. It was deceptive and questionable quagmire. Nigerians suffered hunger unnecessarily. We heard about oil subsidy being removed and added, whatever be(is) their jargon, nobody understood them. We heard about minimum wage, the civil servants suffered, the minimum wage was not paid and we were all calm. In 2015, Nigerians will not be calm again (shouts of AMEN!) </i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i><br /></i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i>"We need change. Whatever it will be, whatever it will be, let it be. This is my golden message to my beloved country. What actually is happening?  The multitude of our youths, the quality young men, quality young women, brilliant youths but nobody has plans for any of you. Our so-called leaders should come and apologize. In 2015, it shall not continue like that (shouts of AMEN). </i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i><br /></i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i>"By the Grace of God, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we are announcing spiritually, Change! 2015 should not be a year of any hooligan maneuvering to hijack power. This is our New Year message.</i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i><br /></i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i>"Listen! When you go home, tell anybody you see that from the oracle of the Holy Spirit, we are announcing change (AMEN). Can somebody help me to shout change! (shouts of change by the congregation). Change, in Jesus Holy name. </i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i><br /></i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i>"Look at what it’s like. As I’m yet to bless your families, bless your industries, bless your destinies, come 2015, your plans are blessed, your vision are blessed, your locomotive society are blessed. I cover this year with the blood of Jesus. I seal this year with the blood of Jesus.</i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i><br /></i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i>"My message is in two branches. Number one branch, the theme of this first message to my fellow countrymen is <b>From Good Luck to Bad Luck</b>. From Good Luck to Bad Luck.</i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i><br /></i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i>"Once upon a time, the whole countrymen were crying for a leader who will help us move forward with our economy, have an authentic democracy, give our unemployed youths jobs, enable our power to be steady, who will industrialize Nigeria, who will encourage mass education and agriculturalize Nigeria. Having in view that oil will soon drop, give us security in a maximum level. By the Grace of God, there emerged a Goodluck. There emerged a good luck. All of us were happy. The Good luck met Yar’Adua and Yar’Adua died. </i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i><br /></i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i>"May the Holy Spirit help me as I utter this message. I know many will misunderstand it, but it will stand the test of time and you will know I’m speaking the truth. </i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i><br /></i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i>"When the Goodluck met Yar’Adua, the Yar’Adua had a bad luck and died. Before you know it, the Goodluck met our oil and the oil had a bad luck and poured away, before we knew it, the Goodluck met our naira, our naira had a bad luck. Where are we going? What is the fate of this country? Shall we continue like this, we need change (shout of change from the congregation).</i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i><br /></i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i>"As I’m speaking with you, most of our civil servants did not celebrate their Christmas. The Christmas season that should be a good luck time became a bad luck time for our Nigerians, forgetting that very soon, from 3rd January, the children will go back to school and the parents are going to pay school fees. From where? Are they going to use their urine to pay? (Shout of NO from the congregation). Even if they are going to use their urine, you have to drink, but where is the good water? Are they going to use their stool to pay the school fees of their children? (Shout of NO from the congregation). You have to eat well to defecate.</i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i><br /></i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i>"All the prophetic voices in the country should open. All the muzzled voices should open, even if you were bought over, drop whatever they have given you and speak for the destiny of our children.</i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i><br /></i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i>"What is the fate of our children? Tears fill my eyes when I see our young graduates hoping and walking our streets. What is the meaning of kidnapping? Kidnapping is the grandson of unemployment. Boko Haram is a grand great great child of the same unemployment, mass looting, poor governance.</i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i><br /></i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i>"I’m not saying that Goodluck is a bad man. He is a good man. But he cannot lead Nigeria. As things stand right now, from the oracle of the Holy Spirit, Jonathan should quietly resign honourably and let Nigeria be. The destiny of Nigeria is greater than Goodluck Jonathan. The Goodluck in Jonathan has become a bad luck to Nigerians. Whatever brought him in should send him back and let Nigeria be.</i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i><br /></i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i>"Let me tell you, by this time in few months to come, many are going to lose their jobs and there is no alternative. During election, Jonathan will answer Azikiwe, and answer Ebele and become an Igbo man and after election, the Ebele, the Azikiwe and Goodluck will vanish from his identity. Who is fooling who actually?</i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i><br /></i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i>"Look at our federal roads, we are not even asking for new ones, roads built by Buharis and Babangidas - the so called Hausa people - cannot be maintained. Follow Enugu here to go to Onitsha, children born some years ago do not know that there was a lane along the other side of Isiagwu and we are all saying continue, continue. The continuity of Jonathan means disaster to Nigeria. </i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i><br /></i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i>"We need change. May the Holy Spirit help me to vocalize what he has given to me while I was waiting on him to give me a message for my people. I’m worried about the future of you my children. Go to school, go to school, mention any government school functioning in Nigeria now? Our schools are dilapidated. Nigeria like an egg is about to break in the hands of Jonathan Goodluck and we cannot allow it to happen. </i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i><br /></i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i>"It is so unfortunate that pastors are becoming vultures around the president. Pastors are becoming hawks around him, eating the porridge of Jacob and selling their prophetic rights. And anointing is being merchandised in Aso Rock, some carrying our nairas, turning it into dollars and carrying it in jets moving out of the country. </i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i><br /></i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i>"Listen, this is the voice on the pulpit: all these men of God, who are telling Jonathan to continue because they are benefitting one thing or the other, you should question your apostolic, prophetic anointing. What the Bible says is that Samson did not know that the Holy Spirit had left him. Let them watch if the Holy Spirit is still in them. When a man is eating well and the children are hungry, is that man worthy to be a father? A mama who is wearing clothes and the children are hungry and naked... </i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i><br /></i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i>"Listen, any moment they will begin to tell us this one is a Christian the other one is a Muslim. I don’t believe in that. Who is a Christian more than Judas? Did Judas not betray Jesus? Judas was not just a Christian, he was not just a mere apostle, he was a super apostle like a cardinal. But at a time he messed up and Bible says his office, let another take. That is the normal thing.</i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i><br /></i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i>"The way Nigeria is going right now, the office of Goodluck Jonathan let another take. </i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i><br /></i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i>"I’m not campaigning for anybody. I’m filled with tears over what is happening in Nigeria. Some of us who have non-governmental organisations funding charity, I know what I’m suffering. The more they are looting our resources, the more they are rending you unemployed, the more some of us suffer the more. If I have been paying for the school fees of 500 people, it would now jack up to 3000, or more. </i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i><br /></i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i>"What the government should do, individuals are now struggling to achieve. When there is no road, no power, all these fake promises… where is the power? That Onitsha Bridge, has it now been built? After six years, and Goodluck has the urge, what it takes to do whatever and he surrounded himself with hooligans. By the time he comes down, Jonathan will regret many people he worked with. He played himself into the hands of hooligans. </i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i><br /></i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i>"My interest is about the wellness of this country. Nigeria must survive what we are passing through by the help of God. The same God who saved us from Ebola will save us from this bad luck season (shouts of AMEN from the congregation).</i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i><br /></i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i>"Look at it: there was a time there was an argument about pension fund - such billions. Who is talking about it now? Billions and we were hearing it… from excess crude oil money, where is the impact of the excess crude oil money? The oil boom has now met a bad luck; it’s now oil doom. If my father will be my leader and my siblings will all die, let a stranger be my leader and let my family be.</i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i><br /></i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i>"All I’m trying to tell you is that we have not entered into any covenant with anybody.</i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i><br /></i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i>"Last time, the First Lady came here. We are not partisan; we welcomed her. We did a spiritual drama here...Lifted four birds to fly up. The main one that should fly up refused to go. I did everything possible and that one is the healthiest of them all. It refused to fly. One refused to fly for Jonathan. And the spirit of God said, don’t disturb him. Don’t you see the meaning? </i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i><br /></i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i>"When God rejected Saul, David took over. Let me tell you, in the annals, history of Nigeria, we have never experienced bloodshed as we have in the time of Goodluck. If Goodluck means bloodshed for Nigerians, are you waiting until your own blood is shed? (shouts of No from the congregation). </i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i><br /></i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i>"We need change, however God will do it. The Bible says in the Book of Jeremiah 8-22, are there no prophets in Gilead? Are there no more anointing in Gilead? Why are my people dying and perishing like this? </i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i><br /></i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i>"Look at the worst scenario, the insecurity...</i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i><br /></i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i>"If you go to the northern part of Nigeria...My fellow priests, my fellow pastors, don’t just stand up to attack this message, because you have mouth. Think well and pray well before you put your mouth into what is happening now. The voice is beyond your own contribution. Listen. Are you waiting for your own church to be bombed before you speak out? If you go to Maiduguri, some parishes have closed down. Go to Potiskum: People no longer go to church on Sundays in many parts of this country. </i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i><br /></i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i>"Now imagine a scenario where a president cannot fight a simple insurgence. This is not an external country attack o. It is not like another country invaded Nigeria. It is an intra-distraction. And many of us are claiming that it was because Buhari said that he was going to make Jonathan’s government ungovernable. </i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i><br /></i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i>"Listen, let’s assume Buhari said something like that, even though it’s not Buhari who said it. So if you are the president and somebody say something like that, will you not arrest such a person? (He slips into Igbo). Amen, Amen"</i></div>

Full Transcript Of Reverend Father Ejike Mbaka's New Year Message

Reverend Father Ejike Mbaka bombed President Goodluck Jonathan in a sermon to thousands of his followers at his Adoration Prayer Ground in Enugu, on New Year’s Day, asking the President to "quietly r…

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La Liga: Valencia End Real Madrid's 22-Match Winning Streak

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVwQpoLJj2rP28ACWW_s79IWLUvltjKlfhgMwkE6AknTcVt3lxuyJlSu0-Wx7jSlB-NDjpAO62GbX8VC6_7SF0nKtMZqS-IAlLQLbdjdtw4soEOVPRod_jn0fq8DdHRFE-VPIQUrWuM1Q/s1600/Valencia+RMadrid.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVwQpoLJj2rP28ACWW_s79IWLUvltjKlfhgMwkE6AknTcVt3lxuyJlSu0-Wx7jSlB-NDjpAO62GbX8VC6_7SF0nKtMZqS-IAlLQLbdjdtw4soEOVPRod_jn0fq8DdHRFE-VPIQUrWuM1Q/s1600/Valencia+RMadrid.JPG" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b>The dawning of the New Year is often seen as a time for new beginnings.</b></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> But for <b>Real Madrid</b>, the first fixture of 2015 marked the end of a 22-game winning streak as Los Blancos went down 2-1 to an all-action <b>Valencia</b> side Sunday.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Cristiano Ronaldo opened the scoring from the penalty spot after 12 minutes but Los Blancos were pegged back at the beginning of the second half when Antonio Barragan's strike deflected off Pepe and beyond Iker Casillas.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Nicolas Otamendi then rose highest in the Madrid box to power a header beyond Casillas a little over 10 minutes later to give Valencia a lead they would refuse to relinquish.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Madrid did create numerous chances for the equalizer but were foiled by a mixture of poor finishing, heroic defending and some spectacular goalkeeping from Valencia's Diego Alves Carreira.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Valencia also had chances of their own as Madrid piled forward in the latter stages.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Barragan in particular was guilty of being wasteful as he fired wide when through on Casillas.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> After the match, Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti lamented his side's inability to kill the game off when they were ahead.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> "There were key moments in which we could make the second goal," Ancelotti told the Real Madrid website. "But it didn't materialize. You can not always be effective."</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> "We worked well and we had chances to score (and) we deserved at least a draw."</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Valencia boss, Nuno Espirito Santo, was in more ebullient mood when speaking to reporters.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> "This victory deserves a lot of credit, as does the fact that we came back from behind," he said in comments carried by the Valencia website.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> He continued, "I still believe that our biggest success is yet to come. It was a great win, but we still only have 34 points. It is not the time to celebrate anything, although of course the fans have to enjoy the victory."</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The result means Madrid's great rivals Barcelona can return to the summit of La Liga if they defeat Real Sociedad later on Sunday.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Valencia, meanwhile, move up to fourth and into the Champions League places.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b>Credit: <a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2015/01/04/football/real-madrid-valencia/index.html?sr=fbmainintl">CNN Sports</a></b></div>

La Liga: Valencia End Real Madrid's 22-Match Winning Streak

The dawning of the New Year is often seen as a time for new beginnings. But for Real Madrid, the first fixture of 2015 marked the end of a 22-game winning streak as Los Blancos went down 2-1 to an al…

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WizKid Acquires ₦42 Million Bentley Continental GT

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeCBe5v6t_9HbZhSl_51EpvlvxDllViKdPg6G52KKlOXuVxwpqnFReXG3u0k-CqyKpHh_3juwK8NO6Irr7soURJ6q9OJXo-TImGhyphenhyphena7tbh25Kx-1SFwjnSer7dLaZdF0x08W0Tst2uPYw/s1600/Wizkid-Bentely.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeCBe5v6t_9HbZhSl_51EpvlvxDllViKdPg6G52KKlOXuVxwpqnFReXG3u0k-CqyKpHh_3juwK8NO6Irr7soURJ6q9OJXo-TImGhyphenhyphena7tbh25Kx-1SFwjnSer7dLaZdF0x08W0Tst2uPYw/s1600/Wizkid-Bentely.jpg" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b><br /></b></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b>Less than 48 hours in and 2015 is already looking good for Ayo 'Wizkid' Balogun.</b></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The talented singer and <b>StarBoy</b> boss has announced that he has acquired a <b>Bentley Continental GT</b> automobile and he's quite excited about it too!</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Wizzy showed off his new toy on social media platform Instagram on Friday, January 2, 2015 with the caption 'New year whip! Thankful to God: we been grinding son!'.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The automobile, car experts say costs around ₦42 million.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b>Wizkid</b> then went on to micro-blogging site Twitter to celebrate with his fans, expressing his delight and other plans for the new year:</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i>"I've been working so hard on the low I can't wait for my fans to experience what I have planned! I've been so quiet watch me flip shit"</i>, he wrote on Twitter.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Rapper <b><a href="http://nigerianewsroom.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/rapper-olamide-flaunts-his-newly.html">Olamide who recently got for himself a Mercedes G Wagon and Ranger Rover SUV </a></b>immediately congratulated WizKid.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i>"Oshey Hot nigga...Awon eyan bobby shmurda congrats WizLion @wizkidayo my nigga"</i>, Olamide wrote on Instagram.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> And if you think Wizzy's stopping there, then you thought wrong. The Pop star says he's got another car coming.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i>"Now waiting for my other whip to get here!  2015 I'm ready for u!"</i> he added.</div>

WizKid Acquires ₦42 Million Bentley Continental GT

Less than 48 hours in and 2015 is already looking good for Ayo 'Wizkid' Balogun. The talented singer and StarBoy boss has announced that he has acquired a Bentley Continental GT automobile and he's q…

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Aborted Dreams: Tales of Nigerian Asylum Seekers

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcgp93sa-LaZOJy61Yx5Bv7-hlgvhNbgryARKOM9Njg_mVdhZ3U3kMACPOMqie9nVhFZ3wDawu1a1hOZKlsMZT8FQGC2WFHjLQpQupGmIKhE8ro9nWloxvKXBWoiOmrPPHm5Hi1_ecTi0/s1600/Deportees.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcgp93sa-LaZOJy61Yx5Bv7-hlgvhNbgryARKOM9Njg_mVdhZ3U3kMACPOMqie9nVhFZ3wDawu1a1hOZKlsMZT8FQGC2WFHjLQpQupGmIKhE8ro9nWloxvKXBWoiOmrPPHm5Hi1_ecTi0/s1600/Deportees.jpg" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b><br /></b></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b>About 100 Nigerians deported from four Scandinavian countries arrived at the international wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport two weeks ago for seeking asylum in those countries as well as committing immigration offences. </b></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b><br /></b></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b>SHOLA ADEKOLA, who was at the airport, reports that emotion was high the moment the deportees were herded to the cargo wing of the airport.</b></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Dressed in jeans trousers and different tops, the deportees, consisting of men, women and children were sent home from Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Norway for immigration related offences.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Their faces reflected despair and injustice, just as many of them were engaged in deep hushed conversations with their family members and among themselves. Though what they were discussing was not clear to the reporters nosing around, these, it was obvious, were worried about the uncertainty that surrounded the fate that awaited them.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> They were flown into the airport on a chartered aircraft from Oslo via Madrid, Spain. The chartered aircraft landed around 6:50 a.m. and taxied to the cargo wing of the airport, where they were handed over to security agents for proper documentation.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> According to information gathered, they were deported from Finland’s immigration camp after their asylum cases got disapproved.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Recounting his ordeal, one of the deportees, who refused to give his name, lamented how the Nigerian embassy officials in Sweden colluded with Norwegian authorities to facilitate their deportation.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> One of them, female and pregnant, also said even her condition did not deter the Finnish immigration officials from maltreating her.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i>“I went through hell. I was maltreated, even my condition did not prevent them from pushing, kicking me, though I didn’t commit any offence,”</i> she said.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The pregnant woman said she was in Finland to seek asylum from Greece, where she had spent over eight years while another male deportee said he spent 14 years in Finland with valid documents, yet he was sent home.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Conspicuous among the deportees was a man with his wife and their two teenage children born in Greece, who sought asylum in Finland, but were also deported.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The deportees revealed how the authorities in the Scandinavian countries were hostile towards Nigerian whereas nationals of other African countries were granted asylum.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b>Why seeking asylum?</b></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Many people who saw the deportees wondered why physically fit and sound citizens would leave their country to seek asylum in another country.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> A middleaged man, who was waiting to catch his flight to England, on the fateful day, told <b>Sunday Tribune</b> that it was worrisome to see young Nigerians who should either be schooling at home or contributing to the nation’s economy travelling to little-known countries without valid papers.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “It is embarrassing,” he said. “I feel betrayed seeing or hearing that Nigerians are abroad seeking asylum. Is the country at war or what?</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “Why would any reasonable person who is not lazy throw his country into shame by begging a foreign country to allow him stay in its country? I can’t fathom this. It is embarrassing,” he lamented.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> While others blamed the situation on the government, they maintained that the deportees must have lost hope in the country where hundreds of thousands of employable Nigerians are left without any job.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b>Constant deportation of Nigerians</b></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> It was observed that many Nigerians are being deported from Europe, the Americas as well as Asian and African countries in droves.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Hardly would a day pass by without a Nigerian deportee at the airport, though this has also been blamed on the inability of many of the deportees for living in foreign countries without valid papers.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> An airport source said the number of Nigerians going out of the country through illegal means on a daily basis had become a source of concern to government, adding that there seemed to be no end in sight since situation of things at home had refused to change.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “It has become a source of concern, because the same rate at which Nigerians troop out of the country is the same at which they are sent back home for various reasons, mostly immigration issues.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “Such reasons range from illegal entry, illegal travel papers to overstay and other misdemeanours. To say things are alright in the country may not be actually right, for if it is all that okay, Nigerians would not be desperate to leave the country the way they are trooping out,” the source explained.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Many of these deportees, <b>Sunday Tribune</b> learnt, have been accused of drug trafficking, prostitution while some who fall under the category of asylum seekers are not spared at all. Those who are not that lucky to be deported are either serving various jail terms or awaiting the hangman’s noose.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b>Hostility against Nigerians?</b></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> A man, who simply identified himself as Chidi, said there was a huge hostility against Nigerians who are usually the targets of hostility in foreign countries. He hinged his claim on the enterprising spirit of Nigerians wherever they found themselves.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “Besides, the embarrassing manner the foreign countries deport Nigerians is the peak of hostility against Nigerians. Some Nigerians even lose their lives in the process, particularly youths across the globe, yet the Nigerian government would never challenge the maltreatment of its citizens,” Chidi noted.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> It will be recalled that not too long ago, two Nigerian youths who were schooling in Dubai were cut down in their prime. Many people believed that the response of the government on the matter was not firm enough.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> This injustice is not limited to developed countries. Smaller African countries like Morocco, Mauritania, Sudan and Libya have deported over 5,000 Nigerians or more in the past five years.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “From investigations, the closeness of Libya to Europe has been a major attraction to Nigerians. No wonder 90 per cent of prisoners in Zamwia Zamzu prison and prostitutes in Libya are said to be Nigerians,” remarked an official in the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS).</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> According to him, Libya has been observed to be notorious for killing many black Africans, who are said to be illegal immigrants while those who narrowly escaped death were subjected to dehumanising tortures. Beside the inhuman treatment, many female immigrants were often subjected to rape, while their property would be confiscated by the security personnel in the country.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> A former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chief Ojo Madueke, had once in the past, declared that about 59,000 Nigerians carrying illegal travel documents were waiting in some African countries for an opportunity to cross over to Europe.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> According to him, 8,000 of them are in Morocco, 16,000 in Algeria, 20,000 in Libya, while 15,000 in Mauritania.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Former Nigeria’s ambassador to Libya, Alhaji Mohammed Ibrahim, corroborated Chief Madueke’s claim to revealing the gruesome rate such Nigerians took to enter Libya. Most, he said, came through the Sahara desert to the northern African country, adding that by the time they arrived in the country, they soon realized that it was almost a dead end and that it was too late for them to go back.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Alhaji Ibrahim, who lamented the way Nigerian youths moved outside the country, declared how thousands of the youth were being swallowed by the desert daily, all in the name of traveling abroad by all means.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Most of these deportees, who spoke with <b>Sunday Tribune</b> during questions and answers from the media, attributed reasons for  traveling out to hardship and unemployment, saying in order to fend for themselves they had chosen to use all means to achieve their dreams while others decided to travel out having become tired of what they called “Nigerian hostile environment towards youths”.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Most people who spoke with <b>Sunday Tribune</b> agreed that government ought to look into the reasons given by these deported Nigerians. Government, at best, is primarily empowered to make the country more comfortable for its citizens.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> According to Mrs Adebola Ayokunle, a banker in Lagos, there is an urgent need for the Federal Government to review its relationship with many countries across the world, taking into consideration the manner in which they treat its citizens.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “Maybe if the government uses one of  the foreign countries as example, others would begin to respect its citizens and not a case of singling out Nigerians for deportation or inhuman treatment at any slightest opportunity.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “Again, the government should make the environment more friendly to its citizens; this would reduce the high rate of injustice and hostility being meted out to Nigerians,” said the mother of two, who claimed to have left USA when she got tired of the situations of things there.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> She also called on the government to address infrastructural decay, erratic power supply, insecurity, political instability, unemployment, noting that all these were push factors that sent Nigerians away from their place of birth. </div>

Aborted Dreams: Tales of Nigerian Asylum Seekers

About 100 Nigerians deported from four Scandinavian countries arrived at the international wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport two weeks ago for seeking asylum in those countries as we…

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Boko Haram Seizes Nigerian Military Base - AFP

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh65Sm2jfqvkFTLaq3VfjcsDxB4ducn4xuOJ0wEvCD7sebIJVk66xv1eAgvQV37l6iz_T95AdsQLZEZNtXpHqc4KV3oGDo9npJom1MN2FNZUT-c7w8rE6JV8peNSlUyqU4SmIpOD9_Rm_M/s1600/BokoHaram1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh65Sm2jfqvkFTLaq3VfjcsDxB4ducn4xuOJ0wEvCD7sebIJVk66xv1eAgvQV37l6iz_T95AdsQLZEZNtXpHqc4KV3oGDo9npJom1MN2FNZUT-c7w8rE6JV8peNSlUyqU4SmIpOD9_Rm_M/s1600/BokoHaram1.jpg" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b><br /></b></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b>A report today by Sunday Trust newspaper says that suspected Boko Haram militants have defeated the Nigeria military and seized a base outside Baga, near Lake Chad.</b></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The development followed a fierce battle that lasted several hours, witnesses said.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> A local resident, Usman Danssubdu, told <b>AFP</b> after fleeing to neighbouring Chad following the militant’s raids on Saturday, "They overwhelmed the troops and forced them to abandon the base which the gunmen took over."</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> According to the report, the base was being used by the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), which was established in 1998 to battle cross-border crime but whose mandate was expanded to fighting Boko Haram when the Islamist group emerged.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The MNJTF comprises troops from Nigeria, Niger and Chad.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The report added that hundreds of fear-stricken residents from Baga and five other Nigerian towns and villages have poured into neighbouring Chad to escape Boko Haram raids on their homes on the shores of Lake Chad.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Speaking to <b>AFP</b> by telephone, Dansubdu said, "We are now seeking refuge in Gubuwa, Kangallam and Kaiga villages inside Chad near the border with Nigeria.”</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Also on Saturday, suspected Boko Haram gunmen raided the town of Babban Gida, 50 kilometres from Damaturu, the capital of neighboring Yobe State.</div>

Boko Haram Seizes Nigerian Military Base - AFP

A report today by Sunday Trust newspaper says that suspected Boko Haram militants have defeated the Nigeria military and seized a base outside Baga, near Lake Chad. The development followed a fierce …

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Lawmakers Flee Nigeria Over Debts

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpv2ZoWUaVjPwvFlkOvmtIxVZ_7x-V-4Dy1oYtMONLhczMrgHKreaCTb5AKOqxvAcWHTyZ4uWToId8TPCyo3IIGe53mqJkWgBiMBNjFR6tn8hloyUCeQrlpsP-viNq_9Lao-M0H_0mT2w/s1600/rep-chamber2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpv2ZoWUaVjPwvFlkOvmtIxVZ_7x-V-4Dy1oYtMONLhczMrgHKreaCTb5AKOqxvAcWHTyZ4uWToId8TPCyo3IIGe53mqJkWgBiMBNjFR6tn8hloyUCeQrlpsP-viNq_9Lao-M0H_0mT2w/s1600/rep-chamber2.jpg" /></a></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b><br /></b></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b>A large number of members of the National Assembly, who failed in their bid to return to the hallowed chambers after losing in the primaries of their different political parties last year may have started fleeing the country, Sunday Tribune can authoritatively report.</b></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> According to information pieced together by <b><a href="http://www.tribune.com.ng/news/top-stories/item/25856-lawmakers-flee-nigeria-over-debts">Sunday Tribune</a></b>, some of the serving members of the National Assembly who failed to clinch the tickets of their various political parties have started leaving the country owing to what an insider source called mounting debts.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Contrary to the popular belief that lawmakers at the national level earn jumbo salaries and allowances and as such are living the good life, many of them, it was revealed, are heavily indebted to banks, having borrowed money to finance their ambitions.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> A credible source told <b>Sunday Tribune</b> that many of the lawmakers, because of the huge debts they owed banks, have relocated abroad.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “Some of them are not even waiting for the February elections. They see no reason why they should wait; they are owing banks. I can also tell you that some of them have even sold off their houses in Abuja here to offset some of their debts,” disclosed the source.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “One of our friends just told me that he just finished paying off the loan he obtained from a bank to finance his election to the Senate. That was in October of this year [2014]. Our friend spent almost four years paying off the debt,” disclosed another source, a serving senator who recently won the primary of his political party.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “The public thinks we have money, but the situation on the ground is different. I can give a long list of many lawmakers who, today, are bankrupt. You know many of them in the South-West who now live from hand to mouth,” the source explained further.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Relating the story of a particular former senator, the source said after he failed to pay off his loan, having lost the bid to return to the Senate, “he had to sell his house to pay his debt. Meanwhile, he appealed to the buyer, a fellow senator, to give him the right of refusal to buy back the property, promising to look for money.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “But the senator could not find the money to buy back the house. Between the time he was looking for fund to repossess the house, he had asked the new owner to allow him stay there temporarily. Unfortunately for our friend, after the expiration of the six-month grace, he began to pay rent to the new owner.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “At some points, he could no longer afford to pay the rent and some of us his friends had to bail him out. We contributed money so that he could leave the country. He is out of the country now. I am not sure he would ever return to Nigeria or attempt politics again,” the source narrated.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> When asked how many senators and members of the House of Representatives had left the country, the source could not give a particular figure.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “What I can tell you is that many federal legislators who lost their primaries have left the country and many of them are still planning to leave, because of debts. Those among them who spoke with me said they had no reason why they should remain in the country and rake up more debts. They just want to leave Nigeria to avoid being harassed by the banks,” explained the source.</div>

Lawmakers Flee Nigeria Over Debts

A large number of members of the National Assembly, who failed in their bid to return to the hallowed chambers after losing in the primaries of their different political parties last year may have st…

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Jonathan Will Retire Buhari From Politics - Lagos PDP Chieftain

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_f9kKF8ouDxAXq3c_KGIFv19Rhfskg26eC7lLtPnLyQGBfijvQYJNzWzC6iqDmSEkz8j4RZSw16YCOFa5MYSLktjPuD21Vs0-uQf-YczVyeXX3mP60-UVFVMjJfWenirs5mtBfJOlrqI/s1600/BuhariAPC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_f9kKF8ouDxAXq3c_KGIFv19Rhfskg26eC7lLtPnLyQGBfijvQYJNzWzC6iqDmSEkz8j4RZSw16YCOFa5MYSLktjPuD21Vs0-uQf-YczVyeXX3mP60-UVFVMjJfWenirs5mtBfJOlrqI/s1600/BuhariAPC.jpg" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b><br /></b></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b>Amid growing concern in certain quarters that the emergence of Major-General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) as the flag bearer of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in next month general elections may pose a serious challenge to the re-election bid of President Goodluck Jonathan, a governorship aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Lagos State, Dr Akintoye Branco-Rhodes has declared that President Goodluck Jonathan will once again defeat the APC presidential candidate, General Buhari.</b></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Branco-Rhodes who expressed confidence about Jonathan‘s victory added that there was no cause for alarm.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i>"Jonathan has done it before, he defeated Buhari in 2011, and come 2015, it is going to be the same story of defeat for the retired army general. My humble advice to Buhari is that he should withdraw from this race. At 72 what is he looking for again? In 2011, President Jonathan defeated him, come 2015, Jonathan will not only defeat Buhari, he will retire him from politics"</i>, he declared</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> While describing critics of Jonathan’s administration as hypocrites and unpatriotic elements, Branco-Rhodes said the Federal Government led administration under Jonathan has recorded tremendous success in the aviation, agriculture, infrastructure, rail and power sectors.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Appealing to people in the South-West to vote massively for President Goodluck Jonathan and PDP in 2015, Branco-Rhodes said:</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i>"It is not in our interest in the South-West to be in opposition. We need to be in the main stream by being part of the government at the centre. What has APC done for the South-West? Nothing."</i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Describing APC led governments in the South-West as failures, he said:</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i>"They have been antagonistic of the central government thereby denying the people the opportunity of benefiting immensely from being part of dividends of democracy being enjoyed in PDP controlled states. We thank God that wind of change has started blowing with Ekiti State now in PDP fold, and that wind of change will blow away APC from South-West in 2015."</i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i><br /></i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i><br /></i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b>Credit: <a href="http://sunnewsonline.com/new/?p=98513">The Sun</a></b></div>

Jonathan Will Retire Buhari From Politics - Lagos PDP Chieftain

Amid growing concern in certain quarters that the emergence of Major-General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) as the flag bearer of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in next month general elections may pose …

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Kwara 2015: The Move To Break The Sarakis Hold

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbXzOc4EVh8VWdHOekQsgIrsNTGjfSIFQNNYr54M_vg6On2oKkegq1xoVkpSeBe9xxKIG077O1HgH0k31BBgVLXOJDZ_XkS7hSoIOXDu9pv8U86NxjV3U2mqGiXCjl1m10MCSci9Ld-sE/s1600/saraki-ahmed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbXzOc4EVh8VWdHOekQsgIrsNTGjfSIFQNNYr54M_vg6On2oKkegq1xoVkpSeBe9xxKIG077O1HgH0k31BBgVLXOJDZ_XkS7hSoIOXDu9pv8U86NxjV3U2mqGiXCjl1m10MCSci9Ld-sE/s1600/saraki-ahmed.jpg" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b><br /></b></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b>One can hardly discuss Kwara politics today without making reference to the Sarakis, particularly the late elder statesman and second republic Senate leader, Dr Abubakar Olusola Saraki, who died two years ago.</b></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i>Oloye</i>, as he was fondly called, built the Kwara school of politics which many of today’s key players attended at one time or the other. Whether they internalised the acquired knowledge or not, however, is another matter.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> So, to say that majority of the main actors in the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, have had brief and deep romance with Sarakis political dynasty to cut their own teeth politically is, therefore, stating the obvious.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The opposition PDP in Kwara has never been so resolute to wrestle power from the Saraki political dynasty than now.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The dynasty is presently led by Senator Bukola Saraki, the first born of the late strongman of Kwara politics, the late Olusola Saraki.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Interestingly, the capacity of Senator Bukola Saraki, currently the Chairman, Committee on Environment and Ecology in the Senate, is not in doubt as he successfully overthrew his father even when he was alive by installing Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed against the <i>Oloye’s</i> desire for Senator Gbemisola Saraki, his younger sister.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Today, there is new twist in the political developments in Kwara as Gbemisola has pitched his tent with the opposition PDP, while Bukola remains in control of the  government and the structure of the ruling party in the state.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b>Sunday Vanguard</b> checks revealed that this development made it easy for Bukola to move the government and party to the APC when the leadership crisis of the PDP under the chairmanship of Alhaji Bamanga Tukur reached the peak.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The fall out of that exit is what the opposition PDP is banking on to defeat the ruling government in Kwara in the 2015 general elections.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Some politicians, who had worked with Bukola for eight years as Governor of Kwara, and had one problem or the other over the way political appointments and elective offices were shared by him in the present dispensation of Governor Ahmed, saw an opportunity to vent their anger against him in the opposition PDP.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Alhaji Ahmed Yinka Aluko, who emerged as the running mate of Senator Suleiman Simeon Ajibola, the gubernatorial candidate of PDP, was the Special Assistant to Bukola Saraki on Security Matters when he was the governor for eight years.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Aluko earlier emerged as the flag bearer of the PDP for Kwara Central, the same senatorial district with Bukola.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> So the exit of his boss from the PDP was seen as an advantage to achieve his own political ambition. He is claiming that all the strategies Bukola used to stay on politically came from him and that he is ready to use them against him in the forthcoming elections.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Similarly, Ajibola, the gubernatorial candidate of the PDP in the state, who is in the Senate for the third term courtesy of the Saraki dynasty, publicly fell out with the family shortly after the death of the strongman of Kwara politics two years ago.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Same with many politicians who had deep relationships with Bukola such as Engineer Jani Ibrahim, Engineer Sunday Babalola, Alhaji Isa Bio Ibrahim, Senator Makanjuola Ajadi, Professor Shuaib Oba Abdulraheem, and Arc Kale Belogre.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> But, perhaps, because of the different backgrounds they came from, it took too long a time for the combination of these human forces to realize the need for unity against a common enemy in the person of Bukola.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The in fighting over who to be accepted as nominee for the ministerial slot from the state took six clear months before Hajia Bola Shagaya, widely believed to have a strong contact in the Presidency, allegedly nominated Dr Suleiman Abubakar single handedly around October, 2014.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The vacancy was created shortly after President Goodluck Jonathan came for what was described as the mother of all rallies in Ilorin, the state capital in March, 2014.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The then Minister of Sports, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, who was expected to take a stand, backed down because of his loyalty to Bukola and so sacrificed that office.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Also,the emergence of Ajibola as the gubernatorial candidate of the PDP took not a few by surprise because he was largely seen to be ridiculously low in the rank of political profile <i>vis-a-vis</i> his alleged poor attitude to the people of his constituency when one compares his achievements to his being in the Senate for three times non-stop.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> He is also seen in many quarters to be a bench warmer in the Senate having not be seen to have significantly contributed to any serious national issues talk less of  sponsoring any bill in the three terms but merely enjoying the privilege of the political consideration for him by the Sarakis irrespective of his performance and peoples perspective about him.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> But while unveiling his running mate at a press conference in Ilorin, last weekend, during his historic home coming after his emergence as the gubernatorial candidate of PDP, Ajibola hit back at his critics, dismissing insinuations against him and saying he had never lost any election since his advent into politics and so the forthcoming election will not be an exception.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The candidate vowed that his party men had put their crisis behind them and resolved to unseat the ruling APC in Kwara in the 2015 election.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> He addressed the press conference in the company of the state PDP chairman, Akogun Iyiola Oyedepo, and three of the former gubernatorial aspirants of the party: Arc Kale Belgore, Deacon John Dara and Abdulraheem.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “As we all know, a bird can never fly with one wing. In this voyage, therefore, there is the need for running mate. After having considered the opinion of our party leaders and members at local, state and national levels, I hereby present to you my running mate in the person of Alhaji Ahmed Yinka Aluko”, Ajibola said.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The PDP gubernatorial candidate posited that the ruling APC which was declaring the next election as a walk over for it because of his emergence was actually afraid of him; so it needed to pretend to the public.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The state Chairman o f the PDP, Oyedepo, in his remark, assured that no member of the party will leave for APC, adding that the emergence of Ajibola has made the party stronger than before.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Unlike APC, which imposed the incumbent, Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed, on the party, he said Ajibola emerged from a rigorous process desirable for the much needed change in Kwara.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Abdulraheem who spoke on behalf of other former gubernatorial aspirants pledged their loyalty and support for the party to win the 2015 elections in Kwara.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Earlier, the ruling APC had warned the PDP in the state not to allow internal lingering crisis snowball to political unrest in Kwara.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> In a statement in Ilorin by its Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Sulyman Buhari, the party said: “Senator Simeon Ajibola and other 12 aspirants who lost out at the primaries do not constitute a threat to the re-election bid of our governorship candidate, Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed”.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Having suffered defeat in the PDP gubernatorial primary by coming third, Gbemisola is quietly out of the political calculations of the state in the forthcoming election.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> But Bukola, who is the main focus in the 2015 political battle with his deep understanding of Kwara politics, is not leaving anything to chances if the political changes he has made within the his political structure are to go by.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> He is playing a political chess game with the strategic movement of his aides and supporters to various offices based on their strengths and weaknesses in a bid to achieve landslide victory in the 2015 elections.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> But with some of his former strategists also in the opposition PDP battle ready to outwit him in the political game, how far can Bukola go this time is just a matter of less than two months.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b>Credit: <a href="http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/01/kwara-2015-move-break-sarakis-hold/">Vanguard</a></b></div>

Kwara 2015: The Move To Break The Sarakis Hold

One can hardly discuss Kwara politics today without making reference to the Sarakis, particularly the late elder statesman and second republic Senate leader, Dr Abubakar Olusola Saraki, who died two …

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Atiku, Kwankwaso Dismiss PDP’s Offer To Return

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCum_34YAq252WTsW9Ix7oR2I7gH9s2fpFI7SsQU2_OLkHlwNthNnBt2SGxFRxU1NfKl4FocTxsgewhR2uycXhxp_GspSn6XLeBZXdxr3HBgCmPm73Kv8Zs5m-cnYis-t3bqrJOxmp1nY/s1600/Atiku+Kwankwaso.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCum_34YAq252WTsW9Ix7oR2I7gH9s2fpFI7SsQU2_OLkHlwNthNnBt2SGxFRxU1NfKl4FocTxsgewhR2uycXhxp_GspSn6XLeBZXdxr3HBgCmPm73Kv8Zs5m-cnYis-t3bqrJOxmp1nY/s1600/Atiku+Kwankwaso.jpg" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b>Attempts by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to commence the process of wooing back former vice president, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, and Kano State governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, from the All Progressives Congress (APC) has hit a brick wall as the duo said they are through with the PDP.</b></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> PDP’s national secretary, Prof. Wale Oladipo, recently said he was personally commencing <b><a href="http://nigerianewsroom.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/pdp-woos-atiku-kwankwaso.html">moves that would bring both Atiku and Kwankwaso back to the party</a></b> they left in August 2014 during the special convention of the party in Abuja.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Oladipo added further that it would be better for them to return to the party and allow President Goodluck Jonathan to complete his second term so that they can have the opportunity of taking a shot at the presidency in 2019.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The scribe of the party even hinted that Kwankwaso might regain control of the PDP structure in Kano State if he decides to return.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> But in a swift reaction, Atiku’s spokesman, Mallam Garba Shehu, dismissed the story with a wave of hands, saying his principal had bade farewell to PDP and nothing would take him back to the party again.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The Kano State governor, while reacting to the offer, said attempt to woo him back to PDP is a confirmation and acknowledgement that the PDP is going to lose Kano in the 2015 general elections without his help.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The director of press to the governor, Baba Halilu Dantiye, who spoke on behalf of Kwankwaso, said asking the governor to abandon the APC and rejoin PDP signified a vote of no confidence on the Kano PDP leadership.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Kwankwaso, who is presently the APC Kano Central senatorial candidate and came second in the just-concluded APC presidential primaries, said he has never contemplated abandoning the APC because of the platform it gave him to render service to his people.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> It would be recalled that former vice president, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, and some governors had walked out of the PDP convention at the Eagle Square in Abuja.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Atiku was the first to walk out alongside Governors Sule Lamido and Kwankwaso, followed later by delegates from Kwara, Adamawa, Niger, Sokoto and Rivers who converged at the Yar’Adua Centre for a meeting that later resulted in them embracing the APC.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b>Credit: <a href="http://leadership.ng/news/399558/atiku-kwankwaso-dismiss-pdps-offer-return">Leadership</a></b></div>

Atiku, Kwankwaso Dismiss PDP’s Offer To Return

Attempts by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to commence the process of wooing back former vice president, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, and Kano State governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, from the All Progre…

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We'll Congratulate Jonathan, PDP If They Win In 'Free And Fair' Elections - APC

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2AAi7twscp9AQ9D4YIySvej14Uhwy1j5q82bu9HehyvRnXdwxdg_Z08zLp7eireAkVZNFK9wHzcxUEDy55k5lrpHMVVcWbM0orqG-XSoyhoHMN3iwQFVXz11nSkeSisPqUqSD9QzIR1A/s1600/APC+chair.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2AAi7twscp9AQ9D4YIySvej14Uhwy1j5q82bu9HehyvRnXdwxdg_Z08zLp7eireAkVZNFK9wHzcxUEDy55k5lrpHMVVcWbM0orqG-XSoyhoHMN3iwQFVXz11nSkeSisPqUqSD9QzIR1A/s1600/APC+chair.JPG" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b>Despite a warning by the Department of State Security Services against inflammatory statements by politicians, the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Saturday reiterated its threat to form a parallel government if the February 14 presidential election was rigged to hand President Goodluck Jonathan a second term. </b></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> APC, however, expressed its readiness to congratulate the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) if he won re-election in a transparent and credible process. The national chairman of APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, stated this in a New Year message, which he personally signed.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> But APC did not say if it would be the judge and jury to decide if elections were rigged.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> This was as the race for the presidency entered its final stages, with PDP fixing January 8 for the kick-off of its nationwide presidential election campaign in Lagos, and APC scheduling a presidential campaign rally for January 5 in Rivers State. Although, it is not clear if the proposed rally would mark the formal commencement of APC’s nationwide presidential campaign.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh; Head, Media and Publicity of the presidential campaign team, Femi Fani-Kayode; and Deputy National Chairman of PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, were among key party officials that confirmed the campaign kick-off arrangements at the weekend.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Though, the main opposition party, APC, is yet to announce a date for the start of its presidential campaign, indications are that it may be launched this week at the resumption of work after the Yuletide and <i>Eid-el-Maulud</i> holidays.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Odigie-Oyegun said in the statement released at the weekend, <i>“As a party, we assure you that we will congratulate President Goodluck Jonathan and the Peoples Democratic Party if our presidential election candidate and the party are defeated in free and ‎fair elections and will not go to court.</i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i>“However, as a party, we wish to reiterate that‎ we will not hesitate to consider forming a parallel government if the 2015 elections are rigged either by use of security agencies (police and military) to harass, intimidate and cajole voters or through the use of a compromised Independent National Electoral Commission.”</i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The APC National Chairman congratulated Nigerians on the Christmas, <i>Eid-el-Maulud</i>, and New Year celebrations, but stressed, <i>“We are aware that it has been bleak celebrations for all of us because of the poor performance of the economy, litany of failed promises and general decay in governance in our dear country, including unpaid salaries, which is as a result of the drop in the state and local government revenues.</i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i><br /></i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i>“The drop in state and local government revenue is as a result of corruption in government, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and oil theft supervised by government. We ask all Nigerians to exercise fortitude because the change we seek is almost here.</i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i><br /></i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i>“We wish to also remind you that the change we expect will be a consequence of your action. That action will be to vote massively for the All Progressives Congress in the next election to herald a new dawn and bid farewell to the failed leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party.</i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i><br /></i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i>“We ask you to collectively insist on free, fair and transparent ‎elections because that is the only way to allow the wishes of the people to manifest.”</i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i><br /></i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The week will be a busy one for the two main parties.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> A member of the PDP presidential campaign team, who did not want to be named, said Lagos was strategically picked for the commencement of the campaign for Jonathan’s re-election to “make tremendous impact in the South-west states.”</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> At the last presidential election in 2011, PDP had launched the campaign to elect Jonathan, then acting president, in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital. The kick-off of the campaign in the North-central was an apparent attempt to boost the party’s strength in the zone that had seemed to hold important swing votes in that election. The strategy, obviously, was to use the North-central votes to whittle down the effect of Buhari, the then Congress for Progress Change (CPC) candidate’s fiercely growing popularity in the North. It seemed to work for PDP then.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Ahead of the next presidential election, PDP has, apparently, chosen Lagos for the kick-off of its campaign to strategically poach on the APC territory. South-west has the second highest voter population after North-west, and Lagos has the highest number of registered voters in the country. Besides, Lagos is a stronghold of APC and the home of APC national leader, Ashiwaju Bola Tinubu, and the party is popular in all the states of the South-west.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> A source in PDP said the kick-off of the presidential campaigns in the South-west was to ensure that the governorship candidates of the party in the zone were handed the party’s flags for the elections.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The source added, <i>“The decision of the party to kick off from the South-west is to tell the world that PDP is serious about capturing the South-west.</i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i><br /></i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i>“A good start with our campaigns in the zone is a way of telling the world that the zone is a good fishing ground for votes and letting the APC know that it would not be allowed or given a‎ free hand in the South-west states.”</i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Buhari will formally open his new campaign office located along Herbert Macaulay Way, near the War College, in the Central Business District of Abuja, this week.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> As part of preparations for the launch of its presidential campaign, the national leadership of APC has been consulting with various stakeholders on how to build a common national campaign platform. A reliable party source told <b>THISDAY</b> that the party’s national leadership would most likely meet on or before Tuesday this week to inaugurate the campaign team.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Buhari had in 2011 launched his campaign in Kaduna, a strategic support base for the former Head of State and then CPC presidential candidate. The state was, however, governed by PDP and is the home of Vice President Namadi Sambo. Now as APC presidential candidate, there is strong speculation that his campaign kick-off may take place in Rivers State, an important state for both Buhari and Jonathan. The state governor, Chibuike Amaechi, is the Director-General of the Buhari Campaign Organisation and the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, is from the State.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> APC plans to get all the critical stakeholders of the party involved in the campaign to return its presidential candidate. The Director of Communications of the Buhari Campaign Organisation, Mr. Dele Alake, said Buhari had secured the full support of all the other presidential aspirants, namely, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso, and Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha, and Sam Nda-Isaiah.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Alake said all the aspirants had agreed to collapse their campaign structures into a central body that will soon be inaugurated by the leadership of the party.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> In the meantime, APC has faulted the constitution of the composition of the PDP presidential campaign team, especially the inclusion of Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, and former Minister of Aviation, Chief Fani-Kayode, in the team. APC said the composition of the team was the height of partisanship.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> APC National Publicity Secretary Lai Mohammed said, <i>“Appointing a person like Fani-Kayode as his campaign director of publicity is telling Nigerians once again that this man is not capable of fighting corruption. President Jonathan is rather hugging corruption. Just like some people have rightly observed, the president has surrounded himself with people of questionable characters.</i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i><br /></i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i>“In the case of the membership of the campaign team by the Finance Minister, it shows clearly that as far as these people are concerned, professionalism and patriotism are sacrificed on the altar of partisan politics. The minister no longer sees herself as Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria but as Minister of the PDP.</i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i><br /></i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i>“However, we feel it does not matter who they put in their campaign team, they have lost this election because as you can see, the people of Nigeria are now campaigning for us. Our party has now become like a movement and we are getting support from unlikely quarters, such as from Reverend Father Mbaka.”</i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Meanwhile, against the backdrop of concerns about the safety of the insurgency-prone areas for political campaigns, the military has assured that Jonathan and the APC presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari, as well as other candidates are safe to campaign anywhere in the country. This, the military said, includes parts of the North-east where the Boko Haram terrorist group has launched a murderous onslaught since 2009.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> An authoritative military source, who spoke on Saturday on condition of anonymity, assured that no part of the country would be a “no go area” for the president of the country, not even the notorious Sambisa forest in Borno State.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The military source said, <i>“We are doing our job as usual and our major concern is the North-east. As for whether it is safe for the presidential aspirants to campaign in those areas, that is left for their respective parties to decide.</i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i><br /></i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i>“Ours is to keep working to ensure that the atmosphere is safe and conducive enough for campaign and elections.</i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i><br /></i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i>“After all, you could remember that there was even local elections recently in Gombe State. This was done in all the local government areas successfully and, therefore, if you can conduct elections, why not a campaign.</i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i><br /></i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i>“We want to assure that whatever it takes for us to take the president anywhere in this country, we will do it. This is one critical element of our sovereignty, as there can be no-go area for the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces in this country. We will not allow such no-go area for him, even if he decides to campaign in Sambisa, we will take him there.”</i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Also, as controversy continued to trail the academic credentials of Buhari, the Nigerian Army has said it is not in custody of his original certificates.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The Director of Army Public Relations (DAPR), Brig-Gen. Olajide Laleye, while responding to <b>THISDAY</b> enquiries confirmed that even though the Military Secretary had copies of credentials, the original certificates are with the individual officers.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Laleye pointed out that the copies in its possession domiciled in the Military Secretary’s office were accessible to their owners, including Buhari, within 24 hours.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> According to him, <i>“the Military Secretary is the custodian of the military records of all officers serving, retired or deceased.  Therefore original credentials are with the officer while copies are with the Military Secretary. Gaining access to one’s credentials in the Military Secretary’s office is possible within 24 hours,”</i> he said.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The Army PR director however wondered why Buhari’s certificates should be an issue when the same candidate had contested three times for Presidency and must have presented some sort of credentials to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i>“If I may ask: Where are your credentials? With you or your employer? For someone who is attempting this for the fourth time, what did he do in the first three attempts that makes the fourth attempt different?,”</i> he queried.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> This clarification is coming on the heels of controversy generated by media reports few days after Buhari had sworn to an affidavit submitted to INEC that all his academic credentials were with the Military Board.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> A copy of the CV made available to <b>THISDAY</b> by the APC presidential candidate’s Press Secretary, Mr. Salisu Suleiman, yesterday showed that the retired general attended  Elementary School Daura & Mai Aduwa from 1948  to 1952  and Middle School, Katsina from 1953 – 1956. From there, he proceeded to Katsina Provincial Secondary School (now Government College, Katsina),  where he studied between 1956  and 1961.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Thereafter, he pursued military education starting with a stint at Nigerian Military Training School, Kaduna in 1963 to his training at Cadet Officer Course Aldershot, UK (1963); Platoon Commander Course at Nigeria Military College, Kaduna (1963 - 1964);  Army Mechanical Transport School, Bordan, England (1965), Defence Service Staff College, Wellington India (1973 - 1974), culminating in  a course at the United States Army War College between 1979  and 1980.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> His military career spans 22 years starting from when he was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in 1963 to when his regime was ousted by a <i>coup d’etat</i>  led by Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (rtd) in 1985.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div>

We'll Congratulate Jonathan, PDP If They Win In 'Free And Fair' Elections - APC

Despite a warning by the Department of State Security Services against inflammatory statements by politicians, the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Saturday reiterated its threat to form a parallel…

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Sad! President Jonathan Loses Younger Sister

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoF1sAMOdv3pK5b6Y5nomhToppdCessvz7Y7HrZgJL0aD9CHTkE8o4cTTaR3NYtYBSd34PunNRSjVu35ScIA2BN8tu7MCJ9JGCat_6TrGsuZ1ZO7DU9N9cNtWpaADxqOBw9ofy7RG8NxU/s1600/Goodluck-Jonathan-d.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoF1sAMOdv3pK5b6Y5nomhToppdCessvz7Y7HrZgJL0aD9CHTkE8o4cTTaR3NYtYBSd34PunNRSjVu35ScIA2BN8tu7MCJ9JGCat_6TrGsuZ1ZO7DU9N9cNtWpaADxqOBw9ofy7RG8NxU/s1600/Goodluck-Jonathan-d.jpeg" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b>Younger sister of President Goodluck Jonathan, Mrs. Nancy Jonathan-Olei, 52, is dead.</b></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Mrs. Jonathan-Olei according to a statement by Presidential Spokesman, Dr Reuben Abati, passed away on Sunday at a hospital in Yenagoa after a brief illness.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Burial arrangements will be announced later by the family.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> May her soul rest in peace.</div>

Sad! President Jonathan Loses Younger Sister

Younger sister of President Goodluck Jonathan, Mrs. Nancy Jonathan-Olei, 52, is dead. Mrs. Jonathan-Olei according to a statement by Presidential Spokesman, Dr Reuben Abati, passed away on Sunday at …

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Ogun APC To Provide Agents With Special Phones To Monitor Elections

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Ck-Aw5JZUHfVpP_R00clbldeLl-YsUiSBChDbr9FQccQuEpu88pvCyQ1tcYPRXJUgCNxmXehLZ1tJ34UKUP4KaTJd3FVhwqoppbUTrPiN4F2RQgrMSqPPbQ7JyNdHCz03Lq69pJek-8/s1600/APC-logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Ck-Aw5JZUHfVpP_R00clbldeLl-YsUiSBChDbr9FQccQuEpu88pvCyQ1tcYPRXJUgCNxmXehLZ1tJ34UKUP4KaTJd3FVhwqoppbUTrPiN4F2RQgrMSqPPbQ7JyNdHCz03Lq69pJek-8/s1600/APC-logo.jpg" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b><br /></b></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b>The All Progressives Congress, APC, has said party agents in all the 1,130 polling stations in Ogun East Senatorial District, including party coordinators, would be equipped with mobile telephones during the forthcoming general elections.</b></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> In a statement issued to journalists on Saturday, the party’s senatorial candidate for the disctrict, Dapo Abiodun, explained that the gadgets would assist the agents in monitoring the elections at their respective polling booths and pass on necessary information to the party secretariat seamlessly.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> According to the senatorial candidate, this is part of strategies being put in place to check any form of electoral fraud that any party or individual may plan to perpetrate during the polls.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Abiodun added that the agents and coordinators would be given special telephone numbers through which they would communicate with the team in charge of monitoring and collation of election results.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “The special numbers will be given to them before the election day. Apart from relaying election results, they would give situation reports at the individual polling booths, so that if necessary, security agencies would be contacted on their emergency lines to check any electoral malpractices.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “We are doing this so that the people’s votes would not be undermined by those who want to force themselves on the people and undermine the electoral process”, he said.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Abiodun further urged the people of the State to go out <i>en masse</i> on Election Day to vote for the APC candidates in the presidential, governorship and state assembly polls, assuring them that the election would be given “hi-tech attention to forestall any plan to rig” and that their votes would count.</div>

Ogun APC To Provide Agents With Special Phones To Monitor Elections

The All Progressives Congress, APC, has said party agents in all the 1,130 polling stations in Ogun East Senatorial District, including party coordinators, would be equipped with mobile telephones du…

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Bestiality! Man Arrested In Jigawa For Having Sex With A Goat

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg02Zu8QRQ4kkAr9s8R2uf9J5jK27YhTwvKYzfHK7JT4irSliK7BjSzN3eCgyvsNcO_vwzFsf4zWFWZGbcaVKPZvbpwOiSuCq0Y5cqi2ReiQwSmNqKJKEyqkS08M2VWCdQO-wbKZbf4NYU/s1600/GOAT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg02Zu8QRQ4kkAr9s8R2uf9J5jK27YhTwvKYzfHK7JT4irSliK7BjSzN3eCgyvsNcO_vwzFsf4zWFWZGbcaVKPZvbpwOiSuCq0Y5cqi2ReiQwSmNqKJKEyqkS08M2VWCdQO-wbKZbf4NYU/s1600/GOAT.jpg" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b>Jigawa State Police Command has arrested a 20-year-old man for allegedly having sexual intercourse with a goat at Baranda forest in Dutse Local Government Area.</b> </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The <b><a href="http://www.diamondreport.com.ng/2014/12/man-killed-for-reading-bible-in.html">Diamond Report</a></b> has more:</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The 20-year-old man, Kamisu Baranda, was arrested by the village head and handed over to the police after asking the goat to have sex with him.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Kamisu who was said to have admitted to being the owner of the goat explained it was not his first time of having sex with animals inside the bush that he has done it over 10 times and has never been arrested.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Kamisu who seem to enjoy having sex with animals made a shocking revelation that the animals satisfy his sexual desire hence his reason for not being into women and making love to any woman in his area.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> He said he regretted his action saying he knew it was an offence to a society and against the Islamic injunctions, he called on the court to do justice for him.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The chief magistrate’s court sitting in Dutse ordered the accused, Kamisu Baranda, be remanded in prison for two weeks. Magistrate Auwalu Sani Balago said the accused person did not confess that he committed the act but the court remanded him to allow police make further inquiries.</div>

Bestiality! Man Arrested In Jigawa For Having Sex With A Goat

Jigawa State Police Command has arrested a 20-year-old man for allegedly having sexual intercourse with a goat at Baranda forest in Dutse Local Government Area.  The Diamond Report has more: The 20-y…

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Jonathan’s PhD Versus Buhari’s “Semi-Illiteracy” (1) - By Dele Sobowale

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhli65P3kXr63fDrdTq0GTPG7WAJzsRYu_vhz62dM-rIL2W1AmXs83N7PPJxjE2oWr4C6O5XfSKh6FNZEp3sS1ljF004mYJOLzGkE3ww-9UVIQOeL2xjRXLR02Bj-aQmNePkAo0VUEWK2w/s1600/Buhari-and-Jonathan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhli65P3kXr63fDrdTq0GTPG7WAJzsRYu_vhz62dM-rIL2W1AmXs83N7PPJxjE2oWr4C6O5XfSKh6FNZEp3sS1ljF004mYJOLzGkE3ww-9UVIQOeL2xjRXLR02Bj-aQmNePkAo0VUEWK2w/s1600/Buhari-and-Jonathan.jpg" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b><br /></b></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b><i>"An excellent plumber is infinitely more admirable than an incompetent philosopher [PhD holder]. A society which scorns excellence in plumbing, because it is humble activity, and tolerates shoddiness in philosophy, because it is an exalted activity, will have neither good plumbing nor good philosophy. Neither its pipes nor its theories will hold water.”</i> John Gardener, US Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare.</b></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> I was living and studying, in the USA, in the late 1960s when Gardener rendered this piece of good advice to graduating students at Harvard University. His aim was to warn the students not to think that their degrees made them superior to others who might not have university education but who were contributing greatly to society.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> I also worked at Polaroid Corporation, founded by Dr (Honorary) Edwin Land, the university drop-out who started the revolution in photography by inventing the first instant camera - which all professors of Physics said could not be done. Dr Land eventually employed nothing less than 345 PhD holders in various departments of Polaroid Corporation. Some of those who came in with B.Sc received doctorate degrees based on experience and research they conducted at Polaroid.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> This is important because Professor Wale Oladipo, National Secretary of the People's Democratic Party had been wasting everybody's time comparing Jonathan, a PhD holder with Buhari - who he described as a semi-illiterate. Oladipo, naturally, failed to define semi-illiteracy in his bid to score cheap political points. That is standard practice for Nigerian professors once they enter the murky waters of politics - they invariably fail the minimum test of scholarship which calls for the definition of terms used in their presentations.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> But, let me now take Oladipo up on his own terms by acknowledging that Jonathan holds a doctorate in Zoology. To begin with few, if any, applicants for admission to university apply for Botany or Zoology. Their first preferences are often Medicine or Pharmacy. It is when their cut-off marks fall below the requirements for those two highly exalted professions that they are offered Zoology or Botany as a condition for admission to university. It would be interesting to know if Jonathan, <i>ab initio</i>, opted for Zoology or was shunted into that course.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> More to the point, my questions are: what had he done with it? In what way had the Nigerian society benefited from his work as a Zoologist? How many papers had he got published in reputable academic journals of Zoology? In what ways had he advanced knowledge in Zoology? Those are the minimum requirements for excellence in academic work and not just the mere possession of a degree - which is a personal thing. There are millions of people all over the world with doctorate degrees who do nothing with them; they are just contented to hold the certificates. Meanwhile, there are technicians who have invented millions of useful equipment, household items, medical and diagnostic materials without the benefit of doctorate degrees. Professor Oladipo will surely agree with me, if he is not too far gone for redemption, that a Bill Gates or Edwin Land, both without PhD, had benefited the world far more than a million Jonathans and Oladipos who have nothing comparative to their credit but their certificates.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> CONTINUITY – FROM THOSE WHO MADE YOUR CHRISTMAS MISERABLE</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “Continuity” Jonathan’s adverts lining Abuja Airport.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Nigerians had the worst Christmas since I was born. There was no money. Even Federal Government staff were not paid. There was even black out for several hours on the 25th. Lean pickings at dinning tables and thread-bare clothes rounded up the dreary occasion.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Still PDP wants continuity. Among other horrors and atrocities implied in that request, consider these - continuity of bleak Yuletides; continuity of excuses for not generating more than 4000MW of electricity in 16 years; continuity of frequent ASUU strikes; continuity of mass failure in WASC and, now, Law School; continuity of Ministers purchasing bullet-proof cars and spending billions chartering jets; continuity of Ministry of Interior and other services collecting money from young job applicants and killing some of them and nobody got punished for it; continuity of pensioners dying on queues; continuity of missing Chibok Girls and kidnapped women; continuity of 400,000 barrels of crude stolen everyday in the Niger Delta; continuity of an unelected woman going about disrupting the lives of people everywhere she goes; continuity of NNPC not accounting fully for revenue generated; continuity of depleting External Reserves; continuity of depleted Excess Crude Oil….Need I continue?</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> In short CONTINUITY at your own peril. You will have a choice in February - to decide if that is what you want.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> POWER SECTOR VERSUS NIGERIANS: WAR DECLARED</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i>“A man [or group] cannot be too careful in its choice of enemies.”</i> - Oscar Wilde, 1854-1900</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> I spent the whole of last year persuading people in my community that Power Distributors were slow in providing metres because they didn’t have the funds. I pleaded they be given more time. After that stupid ₦500m donation, I will lead the attack on DISCOS from now on.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> THANKS FOR STAYING WITH US IN 2014.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> I received more Yuletide greetings than I could possibly acknowledge one by one. As usual, I thank everyone - those who agreed, and especially, those who disagreed with me, even Aribisala, on anything written last year. Have a pleasant 2015. Those who disagree and live, live to disagree another day. We shall all live. Amen.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b>www.delesobowale.com or www.facebook.com/biolasobowale or @DrDeleSobowale</b></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b>Source: Vanguard</b> </div>

Jonathan’s PhD Versus Buhari’s “Semi-Illiteracy” (1) - By Dele Sobowale

"An excellent plumber is infinitely more admirable than an incompetent philosopher [PhD holder]. A society which scorns excellence in plumbing, because it is humble activity, and tolerates shoddiness…

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Jonathan, We Want Out! - By Oluwadamilola Adesanya

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8O6Qg-0PzMpAUOr_66gFdzWuiWtvt304M70e0Wc9HQGMvDxiuJd4IUL8PjI3FP6fZ-FhveOLpba7NHVpFZ6R94xlWUOI_Uwpo1d0Xwu-Tg32dFtDhRMspY90NMcthrDA-ruu0sY5AwQM/s1600/jonathan_goodluck52-640x330.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8O6Qg-0PzMpAUOr_66gFdzWuiWtvt304M70e0Wc9HQGMvDxiuJd4IUL8PjI3FP6fZ-FhveOLpba7NHVpFZ6R94xlWUOI_Uwpo1d0Xwu-Tg32dFtDhRMspY90NMcthrDA-ruu0sY5AwQM/s1600/jonathan_goodluck52-640x330.jpg" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b>President Goodluck is set to give us a gift again just like he did on January 1st 2012. It’s a different gift entirely unlike that of the increment in fuel price; it is the upward review of the electricity tariff. I just wonder how great our shortcomings are for us to deserve this unfeeling and anti-masses government. Or is this supposed to be a kind of joke? I am sure the thoughts going through the minds of many Nigerians now are that we didn’t bargain for this. <i>O nse mi, o tun gba mi</i> (you are inflicting pain on us and yet you are proposing anesthesia for the pain), they pretend as if all they can ever think of is the welfare of Nigerians but all their actions point towards deceit and oppression.</b></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The hardship inflicted on the citizens does not seem enough, they just had to pile it up. Yet, this present government want us to be foolhardy enough to return them to power in 2015 so that we can have cause to praise Goodluck Jonathan in five years. Well, O will say he should not worry about the praise, his people in Otuoke are waiting to give it to him in great proportions. All he needs to do is just go and meet them in 2015 and leave Nigeria in peace.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> This has been a very bad year in the history of this country; 219 Chibok girls are still missing, Police officers abducted from Police Training College Gwoza have not been returned, many more have been taken into hostage, need I mention more? To tackle all these daunting challenges, we have a clueless and incompetent President who still wants to continue taking fresh air at the <b>Aso Villa</b> when what we need is someone who will work his fingers to the bone. According to him, he knows who they are and he is on top of the situation, then why does Boko Haram still attack with impunity? At least if you know who is behind your problems, you will work towards a solution either covertly or overtly. I don’t think Dame Patience Jonathan has reminded her husband lately that there is God, who can still uproot people the way he did to Abacha.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> On Christmas day, passionate Nigerians came out to ask for the return of the Chibok girls but they were ambushed by Security operatives unleashed by our <i>Ogas</i> at the top. Even our First Lady that was “moved to tears” could not organize a rally to show solidarity. Her tears are dried and forgotten. Our rulers have decided to move on and they want to  forcefully drag the <b><i>#BBOG</i></b> activists along. But we will not move on, like Japheth Omojuwa said in a tweet <i>“we will march, we will speak, we will tweet, we will blog, we will demand.”</i></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> It gets even worse when I remember the ₦21.27 billion or more that was raised for the presidential campaign. It wasn’t the fact that money was raised for the campaign that was upsetting (because the wheels of political campaigns are oiled with money) but that salaries are still being owed at federal and state levels. Civil servants celebrated Christmas without the November salary not to talk of early payment of December salary. That is not to say that some States under the aegis of APC don’t owe too, their hands are not clean as well. Was the fundraising supposed to endear us to them? To show us they are ready to spend so much on the re-election of the President at the workers’ expense?</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Now, as Nigerians, we need to get our strategies right. The first and most important step is to get our permanent voters’ card because we can shout from today till kingdom come, if we do not get this <i>visa for change</i>, we will not be able to unseat this regime. INEC too has to be taken to task concerning those who could not get the PVC because of some technical shortcoming. The temporary one should be used since it is accepted in corporate and government organizations.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> We have to look this gift horse in the mouth and reject this brand of gift. We have to let them know that we want out.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b> @ajoke_adesanya</b></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b>Credit: Omojuwa.com</b></div>

Jonathan, We Want Out! - By Oluwadamilola Adesanya

President Goodluck is set to give us a gift again just like he did on January 1st 2012. It’s a different gift entirely unlike that of the increment in fuel price; it is the upward review of the elect…

Read more »