I have done my duty to you and will reply you no more – Obasanjo Tells President Jonathan

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has responded to the 17 page letter written to him by President Goodluck Jonathan. Obasanjo who replied through his aide, Tunde Oladunjoye during apress conference held at his Hilltop residence, Abeokuta,

Ogun State noted that pressure has been mounted on him by local and foreign media to reply Jonathan back, but he will do no such thing.

“Since the publication of the letter written by the President, Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, we have received several requests from local and international media asking to know Chief Obasanjo’s reaction to Mr. President’s response”, Mr Tunde stated.

He noted that he had received the letter from Mr. Jonathan, “however, Baba as he already indicated in his December 2, 2013 letter does not wish to make further comments beyond the contents of the last letter to Mr President or react to the said letter/response from Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan”.

Obasanjo stated that what he wrote to Mr President was his duty to him and to the country. “I will maintain my serenity, because by this letter, I have done my duty to you as I have always done, to your government, to the party, PDP, and to our country, Nigeria”, he said.

Jonathan had replied Obasanjo and defending himself of allegations raised in the former President letter to him. He noted that he had to reply so that Nigerians do not believe what the latter wrote. Writing as a man deeply pained; he berated Obasanjo who led before him, but has made the public believe that Nigeria problem began from his inception as President in 2011

Import waiver granted First Lady to import 200 cars: Ngozi Okonjo- Iweala replies Sahara Reporters

Sahara Reporters published a report a few days ago, claiming that the office of the 1st Lady obtained import waiver to import 200 BMW cars for her “Africa First Ladies” summit in 2012. The ministry of Finance says the report is false. Saharareporters insists it's true & has responded. Find a statement from the ministry of finance below and SR's response after the cut...

Saharareporter's story on waiver granted office of the First Lady is a complete distortion 

The story by Saharareporters on the so-called waivers scandal in which the notorious news website made outrageous allegations against the Office of the First Lady is a false exclusive based on distorted information.

The website merely extracted and distorted information on the list of beneficiaries of the revised waivers policy which the Federal Ministry of Finance voluntarily published as part of its drive for transparency and accountability. Continue...

The revised waivers policy replaces the old regime of individual waivers with the objective of boosting key sectors such as agriculture, power, gas and mines/steel. The strategy is to deploy waivers as a stronger tool of economic development.

Part of the information published by the Federal Ministry of Finance was a list of state governments, private sector organizations and other institutions which were granted waivers to bring in vehicles for various events including sports festivals, conferences and workshops. This practice did not begin with the Jonathan administration.

“Abati Should Shut Up and Let His Boss Speak For Himself” – Fani Kayode

Former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, has said the end of the President Goodluck Jonathanadministration has come based on the letter written to the President by ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Obasanjo had, in a letter, dated December 2, accused Jonathan of taking actions calculated at destroying Nigeria, by fanning the embers of ethnicity, encouraging corruption and also training and arming a killer squad.

Fani-Kayode on Thursday said, “OBJ has finally closed GEJ’s chapter with his letter. Jonathan is finished- mark my words. Abati should shut up and let his boss speak for himself on this one.

“The Ebora Owu has spoken and the issues that he has raised are too serious to be ignored or to be responded to with amateurish and cheeky insults and slurs from a mere staff of the Presidency.

“The President should find the courage to personally answer the charges and address the message rather than get his aides to attack the messenger. As Baba said, Jonathan is ‘bleeding Nigeria to death’. It is time for change.

“God used Obasanjo to put Jonathan in power and, by His grace, He will use that same Obasanjo to remove him.”

Jonathan To Contest In 2015 - Tukur Confirms President's Interest

National leader of Nigeria's ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) Bamanga Tukur has confirmed the interest of President Goodluck Jonathan to seek re-election for the office of president come 2015 when the Nigeria will hold its next general elections.


Although the president has not publicly announced his interest to contest in the next presidential election, there had been agitations by opposition parties and some members of the ruling party, who claimed that his body language and political developments across the country reveal his 'real interest'. For this reason, some strong members of the ruling PDP including governors had defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nigeria's strongest opposition party, with an aim to wrest power from President Jonathan and the ruling party.

But, for the first time since the beginning of the crisis rocking the PDP, Mr. Tukur declared Thursday at a local event held in Abuja, Nigeria's capital city that the Nigerian leader has been chosen as the ruling party's presidential candidate for 2015. Urging party faithful not to be deterred by the exodus of some of its key members, the ruling party leader maintained that PDP remains insurmountable as the strongest and biggest party in Nigeria and Africa, according to Abuja-based local Leadership Newspaper on Friday.

I’ll Drag Obasanjo To Court For Labeling Me A Drug Baron, Money Launderer In Jonathan’s Letter – Kashamu

The Chairman of the Peoples’ Democratic Party Campaign and Mobilisation Committee in theSouth West, Prince Buruji Kashamu has threatened to institute legal action against former president Olusegun Obasanjo for referring to him as a wanted criminal in the ex-president’s letter to President Goodluck Jonathan, which was widely published on Wednesday.

Chief Obasanjo had in his 18-page letter to Mr. Jonathan referred to Kashamu, the major financier of PDP in Ogun State, as a criminal wanted by Uk and USA authorities for drug trafficking andmoney laundering crimes and thus should not be seen as being a close associate of the president.

But Kashamu, who is also the major financier of the PDP in Chief Obasanjo’s home state of Ogun and indeed most of the Southwest, vowed to drag the former president to court for libel

In a statement Thursday by his Media Adviser, Austin Oniyokor, Kashamu said, “I do not know what extradiction Baba Obasanjo is talking about. We are already in court over a different case. With this one, he’s in for a big libel. Of course, I’m going to sue him immediately. Obasanjo is not above the law, so there is no reason why I will not sue him. By tomorrow (today) we’ll be in court because that is the last resort for an aggrieved person”.

Nigeria can produce great leaders like Mandela- Tukur

Abuja – The National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, on Wednesday said that Nigeria has the potential to produce great leaders like the late Nelson Mandela of South Africa.
He said this in Abuja during a ceremony organised by the All Niger Delta People’s Congress for the conferment of merit awards on deserving Nigerians.

Tukur said this was possible because of the huge human resources which the country was endowed with.
He said Mandela was noted for the struggles to liberate his race from oppression under the defunct apartheid regime in South Africa.

This, according to him, earns him global recognition even in death.
He urged members of the congress to emulate the virtues of the late Mandela in their agitation.
Tukur extolled the virtues of leaders of the South-South youths and commended their efforts in ensuring better life for the people in the zone.

He also commended their willingness to stand by the government of President Goodluck Jonathan to carry on with his transformation agenda.
He urged them to always be broad-minded in their approach to issues, adding that Nigerian youths in general, should begin to operate on the world stage.

Comic actor, Saka TURNED DOWN PRESIDENT JONATHAN'S APPOINTMENT offer!

Hafiz Oyetoro also known as Simply Saka has turned down the appointment given to him by his excellence, President Goodluck Jonathan of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as one of his ministers. The disappointment to Mr president seems to be the hottest in town as several comments begins to come up on the social networks from different angle.

Saka is said not to be happy with Mr President because he has not improved the lives of many Nigerians who really needed the help, but rather than helping the needs, Nigerian government is adding to those who are absolutely living better. Though, this act is very rare in this nation. According to Saka's tweet on his twitter account last September 14th "please ignore any rumour of me being made a minister. Yes, president GEJ called me and I declined for personal reasons". This tweet was retweeted by a Lagos based stand up comedian, Omobaba that same day.

POT CALLING KETTLE BLACK: Nigerians blast Obasanjo for his letter to Jonathan

Activists, lawyers and others have likened former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s letter bombing President Goodluck Jonathan as that of a pot calling kettle black, saying the former leader is guilty of the same offence.


Obasanjo had in an 18-page letter accused Jonathan of plunging the nation into darkness.

He accused President Jonathan, among others, of promoting corruption, ethnicity; having a killer squad; tackling Boko Haram with kid gloves and aspiring for a second term in office when he said he will only run for a single term.

Reacting to Obasanjo’s letter, National Publicity Secretary, Afenifere, Yinka Odumakin, said Obasanjo was as guilty as Jonathan as he did worst things than President Jonathan when he was in power.

“Nigerians should be weary of Obasanjo whenever he said something; it is either he is trying to settle scores, even though Jonathan is facing challenges,” he said.

Odumakin urged Nigerians not to allow Obasanjo to deceive them with his frank talks as whatever he did “is self-serving but that does not mean Jonathan should not address corruption.”

Convener, Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders, CACOL, Comrade Debo Adeniran said Obasanjo’s letter is like that of a pot calling kettle black.

“It is unfortunate that it is now that Obasanjo sees the fight against corruption as waning. In his days, he frustrated the fight against corruption.

“The ICPC under Obasanjo was underfunded. The EFCC under him was used to suppress the voice of political enemies. Obasanjo came to power with less than N20,000 and left power as a multi-billionaire,” he said.

According to him, “Obasanjo has no moral right to criticise Jonathan even though things are bad with this government. He should keep quiet and allow people with integrity to talk.”

A member of the House of Representatives, Lanre Odubote said Obasanjo is not different from Jonathan as the former president promoted the culture of lawlessness and impunity.

“They are birds of the same feather. He is only talking now because he has misunderstanding with the president but this is good for our democracy,” he stated.

Activist, Bamidele Aturu described Obasanjo’s letter to Jonathan as damning, saying what the former president had revealed was what Nigerians already knew.

FG to close National Assembly complex for one year

The Federal Executive Council on Wednesday approved a contract of N40.2bn for the construction of the Phase III, Part III of the National Assembly complex and the upgrading of the assembly’s two chambers.


To pave the way for the smooth implementation of the project, the two chambers would be closed to legislative duties for 12 months.

The approval was given by FEC on Wednesday at its weekly meeting presided over by Vice President Namadi Sambo.

President Goodluck Jonathan was away in South Africa where he participated in the funeral rites for the country’s former President, Dr. Nelson Mandela.

Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku; and the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Senator Bala Muhammed, briefed State House correspondents on the outcome of the meeting.

Muhammed said the National Assembly project, which was awarded to construction giant, Julius Berger, included the construction of library, budget office, printing press, clinic, restaurants, banquet hall, places of worship, plenary hall (auditorium), TV/radio/press facilities, fitness room, administrative offices, technical rooms, meeting rooms and the upgrading of the two chambers.

Five lawmakers, Wike plan to impeach Amaechi, deputy

Reminiscent of the July 9 fracas on the floor of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Port Harcourt, the six lawmakers opposed to Governor Rotimi Amaechi are set to sit today to begin impeachment proceedings against governor.


It was learnt last night that the impeachment was not targeted at only Amaechi, who is the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), his deputy, Tele Ikuru, is also to be removed.

The six legislators are being backed by the Minister of State for Education, Chief Nyesom Wike.

The sitting will be presided over by the self-acclaimed Speaker of the Rivers Assembly, Evans Bipi, who represents Ogu/Bolo Constituency, and according to investigation, he will be made the acting governor, after removing Amaechi and Ikuru.

The anti-Amaechi lawmakers, to be backed by policemen and the Armed Forces, will first declare vacant the seats of the 25 legislators loyal to the NGF chairman and to be accused of defecting to the opposition party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).

FG cancels resumption ultimatum, pays N200b requested by ASUU

With the apparent stance of the Academic Staff Union of Universities on non resumption until the agreement between them and the Federal government has been honored, the Federal Government in a re-conciliatory move removed the ultimatum earlier placed on lecturers to resume otherwise their appointments would be terminated. FG has also provided proof of disbursement of N200billion to the educational trust account which was one of the criteria earlier given by lecturers for resumption.

Addressing newsmen yesterday, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr Doyin Okupe, showed a letter with reference number GVD/DGO/GEN/MP/05/151 which was addressed to the Auditor-General of the Federation and titled: “Confirmation of the Execution of your Mandate for the Credit of Account No…Revitalization of Universities Infrastructure Account.” Continue...

D’banj, Burna Boy, 2Face, Tiwa Savage, Others To Perform At Mandela Tribute Concert

EbonyLife TV, Africa’s first Global Black Entertainment Network, have initiated and concluded plans for an unprecedented and star-studded tribute, titled “The Legacy Lives … A Tribute Concert”, in celebration of the extraordinary life and times of the legendary freedom fighter, nation builder, liberator, humanitarian, democrat, unity promoter, instrument of change, philanthropist, Nobel Peace Prize winner, the first democratically elected black South African President and an inspiration to leadership for the rest of the world.

 Headline acts for the concert include Dbanj, Tuface, Darey, Burna Boy, Ikechukwu, Eldee the Don, Zaina, Mo Easy, Engager, Chioma, DJ Babus, Timi Dakolo, Waje, Julius Agwu, Mike Aremu, J. Martins, Niyola, Omawunmi, Tiwa Savage, Rocksteady, amongst others.

Jonathan declares three days of national mourning for Mandela

President Goodluck Jonathan on Friday arrived in Paris, France, to join other world leaders that are participating in a summit on peace and security in Africa.


Also the President has declared three days of national mourning for former South African President, Dr. Nelson Mandela who passed away yesterday.

Flags are to be flown at half-mast across Nigeria during the period and President Jonathan urges all Nigerians to unite in solidarity with the brotherly people of South Africa as they mourn the great liberator, freedom fighter and hero of the black race.

The President also calls for special prayers in mosques and churches in Nigeria during the period of mourning which begins today, for the peaceful repose of Dr. Mandela’s soul.

A special inter-denominational memorial service for Dr. Mandela will be held at the State House Chapel on Sunday.

The president and his entourage arrived at a Military Airforce Base in Paris at about 10.30 a.m.

Jonathan was accompanied by the First Lady, Dame Patience and some Presidential Aides.

He was received at the airport by the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Dr Nurudeen Mohammed, and the Nigerian Ambassador to France, Mr Hakeem Suleiman.

No fewer than 50 Heads of State and Government are participating in the Elysee Palace Summit being hosted by President Francois Hollande of France.

The UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, heads of European institutions and leaders of Africa’s sub-regional and continental organisations such as the AU and ECOWAS are also participating in the summit.

The summit is scheduled to discuss peace and security in Africa, economic partnership, sustainable development and climate change.

Presidency blasts Amaechi, says he is pretending to be Rivers’ “messiah”

The Presidency has debunked claims by the Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Amaechi that President Goodluck Jonathan was deploying oil revenues meant for the state to his (Jonathan) native Bayelsa State.
It said Mr. Amaechi was mischievously packaging a personal interest as group interest in his desperate move to justify his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, under which he was elected, to the All Progressives Congress, APC.
In what he described as “a classic case of robbing Peter to pay Paul,” the governor, while explaining why he left the PDP for the opposition APC in a statement on Wednesday, alleged that the Jonathan-led federal government had been paying Bayelsa State the revenues due to Rivers State despite a decision reached that the monies derived from the disputed Soku oil well should remain in an escrow account till all matters were resolved.

Bayelsa State was excised from Rivers State in 1996. While Mr Jonathan hails from the former, his wife is an indigene of the latter.
Mr. Amaechi also noted that his administration had made several representations formally and informally on the matter while chiefs and elders from the state had held several meetings and protested the injustice to no avail, adding “as your governor entrusted to keep guard over your commonwealth, we could not keep quiet and allow this grave injustice.”
Mr. Amaechi also revealed that apart from Bayelsa State, oil wells belonging to Rivers State had also been ceded to Akwa Ibom and Abia. According to him, even after the state got judgement that the oil wells were wrongly ceded to Akwa Ibom state and should be returned, only dry wells that were no longer producing oil were returned.

APC to Jonathan: Stop threatening ASUU

After meeting for about five hours in Abuja, All Progressive Congress (APC)leaders issued yesterday a damming verdict on the state of the nation.



The party scolded President Goodluck Jonathan for handling security and the Boko Haram insurgency with “political naivety”.

It urged the President to dust up the Lemu Panel’s Report and compensate victims of the insurgency.

Besides, the party advised the President to show leadership by working with striking university lecturers instead of threatening them.

It accused the Federal Government of using anti-graft agencies to persecute governors and perceived political enemies.

The party expressed regrets that the police had been turned into a wing of the Presidency and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to deal with opponents.

It said the deployment of the police for intimidation and coercion in some states is against the principle of federalism

The APC, which made its position known in a communiqué at the end of a strategic session at the Kano Governor’s Lodge in Asokoro District, Abuja, said Nigeria was becoming a neo-fascist state.

The session, which began at about 8.30pm on Tuesday, ended at about 12.20am yesterday.

Amaechi, others did not leave PDP - Tukur

The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, on Wednesday said he was not aware of any member of the PDP defecting to another party.



Tukur said this while fielding questions from journalists after meeting behind closed doors with the PDP Senate caucus and the Central Working Committee of the party.

Aggrieved members of the PDP in the Senate such as Bukola Saraki, Shaaba Lafiaji, Wilson Ake, Danjuma Goje, Ali Ndume, Adamu Abdullahi, Magnus Abe, Hassan Barata, Jubrin Bindo and Aishat Al-Hassan, did not attend the meeting which lasted about four hours.

But Tukur said the meeting was silent on the reported issue of defection because it (meeting) was a family talk aimed at reviewing the activities of the party.

He said, “We did not talk about people who want to go or stay (defection) I came here because this is the first time I am coming to meet my family members; they are my members.”

Tukur explained that the need for the entrenchment of democracy, discipline and good governance formed the basis of his message to the senators during the meeting.

Defected PDP members courageous – APC govs

The 11 governors of the All Progressives Congress have congratulated the five governors of the Peoples Democratic Party who defected to the opposition party.

They described the defected governors as “courageous for taking the historic step of leaving the governing, albeit, fast crumbling PDP into the progressives fold.”

A statement signed by the 11 APC governors, including Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State on Monday night, said that their coming to the APC, “despite all manners of intimidation, harassment and persecution by the Federal Government and the PDP is worthy of commendation and is indicative of a strong personal principles and commitment to the progress of Nigeria.”

They said considering the nature of achievements recorded in their respective states, the defected governors had no business belonging to a party they described as a party that had no democratic traditions.

They said the PDP had no plan for Nigeria beyond wasting public resources and further impoverishing Nigerians in spite of unprecedented oil revenues.

Wife of the late Chief Moshood Abiola, Doyin Abiola Arrested For Fraud!

By SaharaReporters, New York 

 Former Managing Director of the defunct Concord Newspapers, Dr. Doyin Abiola has been arraigned before the Federal High Court, Lagos, for fraud.
 A statement signed by Police Public Relations Officer DSP Ngozi Isintume-Agu said that the Financial Malpractices Investigation Unit (FMIU) of Special Fraud Unit (SFU) said that between 2006 and 2008, as a Director of the Integrated Microfinance Bank, Dr. Abiola granted to herself without collateral and approval from the Management, the sum of N26,611,246.48.
 Dr. Abiola, of 42/46 Moshood Abiola Crescent, Ikeja, Lagos, and wife of the late Chief Moshood Abiola, is one of four Managing Directors or Directors of Integrated Microfinance Bank (IMFB) located at 6A Adeniyi Jones Avenue, Ikeja, who were arrested and charged by the SFU.
 The others are Akinteye Simon Ademola, Dr. Jerry Orimovuohoma and Oladapo Bello.
 The SFU said the four officials of IMFB unauthorized credit facilities to the tune of N327,566,000 to themselves and other related companies without collateral and that the loans are still outstanding.  In the forensic investigation conducted by FMIU of SFU, the Directors were found wanting in the discharge of their duties while on the Board of Integrated Microfinance Bank (IMFB).

G-7 governors join APC

The crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party reached the climax today with the seven aggrieved governors of the ruling party joining the All Progressive Party.

The aggrieved governors of the People’s Democratic Party reached this decision in a meeting held last night at the Kano State governors’ lodge in Abuja. The meeting ended at about 12.30am

The governors are Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano), Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto), Muazu Aliyu (Niger), Murtala Nyako (Adamawa), Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara), Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers) and  Sule Lamido (Jigawa State).

Nigerians doubt alleged attack on Stella Oduah’s car

An alleged attack on the car of the Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah, at Maitama, Abuja on Friday was reported to the Federal Capital Territory Police Command on Monday and many Nigerians have suggested that it was stage-managed.

  
An Escalade car belonging to the minister was reportedly attacked by unknown gunmen at Ministers’ Hill, Abuja on Friday, but the incident was reported to the police, three days after the attack.

Deputy Superintendent of Police, Altine Daniel, speaking for the police, told newsmen that the incident occurred at about 10PM on Friday, but was only reported to the police on Monday. 

Confirming the incident, the minister’s spokesperson, Joe Obi claimed that the shooting took place at Ministers’ Hill in Maitama area of the Federal capital territory, Abuja.

It was not clear if the vehicle was the Minister’s private car, or an official one, but Ms. Daniel also said Ms. Oduah was not in the vehicle when the incident took place.

According to the police spokesperson, some strange metal objects were discovered in the vehicle, which will be subjected to ballistics examination.

Mrs. Oduah recently stepped into hot water when news broke she authorized the purchase with official funds of two bullet proof cars by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority for her use.