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Monday, September 30, 2013

Happy Independence Day Nigerians


Hope you all have a great celebration. And please say a prayer for Nigeria today...God bless us all!





Originally posted via Linda Ikeji Happy Independence Day Nigerians»

Apple overtakes Cocacola as world's number 1 most valuable brand


For thirteen years, Cocacola was the world's number one most valuable brand...but not anymore. In 2013, two brands took over - Apple and Google, leaving Cocacola at number three.



From New York Times


Apple is the new most valuable brand in the world, according to a closely followed annual report. The report, to be released next Monday , is from Interbrand, a corporate identity and brand consulting company owned by the Omnicom Group that has been compiling what it calls the Best Global Brands report since 2000. The previous No. 1 brand, Coca-Cola, fell to No. 3.



Not only has Apple replaced Coca-Cola as first among the 100 most valuable brands based on criteria that include financial performance, this is the first time that the soft drink known for slogans like “It’s the real thing” has not been No. 1.





Apple’s arrival in the top spot was perhaps “a matter of time,” Jez Frampton, global chief executive at Interbrand, said in a recent interview. Apple was No. 2 last year, climbing from No. 8 in the 2011 report.



“What is it they say, ‘Long live the king’?” Mr. Frampton asked. “This year, the king is Apple.”



The 2013 report begins: “Every so often, a company changes our lives, not just with its products, but with its ethos. This is why, following Coca-Cola’s 13-year run at the top of Best Global Brands, Interbrand has a new No. 1 — Apple.”



The report estimates the value of the Apple brand at $98.3 billion, up 28 percent from the 2012 report. The value of the Coca-Cola brand also rose, by 2 percent to $79.2 billion, but that was not sufficient to give Coca-Cola a 14th year as Interbrand’s most valuable brand.



Although “Coca-Cola is an efficient, outstanding brand marketer, no doubt about it,” Mr. Frampton said, Apple and other leading technology brands have become “very much the poster child of the marketing community.”



That is underscored by the brand in second place in the new report: Google, which rose from fourth place last year. In fact, of the top 10 Best Global Brands for 2013, five are in technology: Apple; Google; Microsoft, No. 5, unchanged from last year; Samsung, 8, compared with 9 last year; and Intel, 9, compared with 8 last year.



Samsung’s ascent followed the company’s adoption of a new brand strategy called the Brand Ideal, which includes “a greater focus on social purpose,” Sue Shim, executive vice president and chief marketing officer at Samsung, said by e-mail. That reflected research indicating American consumers would switch brands to “one that was associated with improving people’s lives,” she added.



I.B.M. — No. 4 in 2013, down a notch from 2012 — is ranked as a business services brand. Otherwise, technology would account for six of the top 10.



“Brands like Apple and Google and Samsung are changing our behavior: how we buy, how we communicate with each other, even whether we speak with each other,” Mr. Frampton said. “They have literally changed the way we live our lives.”



Among other transformative technology brands that performed well in the new report was Facebook, which climbed to 52 from 69 last year, its first year on the list.



However, not all technology brands fared well. BlackBerry, which tumbled last year to 93 from 56 in 2011, has disappeared from the list. And Nokia, which dropped to 19 from 14 in 2011, finished this year in 57th place — “the biggest faller” among the 100, Mr. Frampton said.



Among nontechnology brands, a notable addition to the list was Chevrolet, at 89, the first General Motors brand to rank among the Best Global Brands.



“It feels good to hit the list for the first time,” Alan Batey, global head of Chevrolet at G.M., said in a telephone interview. “It’s a great first step, but we’ve got a long way to go. There are a lot of big brands in front of us.”



The milestone reflects how General Motors has been “making a conscious effort to globalize Chevrolet,” Mr. Batey said, selling the brand in 140 countries in ads that play up attributes like “value for money and designs that move hearts and minds.”



Commonwealth, the creative agency for Chevrolet, “played a key role” in helping the brand make the list, he added. Commonwealth is part of the McCann Worldgroup division of the Interpublic Group of Companies.



Last year, when Coca-Cola finished atop the Best Global Brands list for the 13th consecutive time, an executive at the Coca-Cola Company acknowledged the streak but noted that “nothing lasts forever.”



A year later, the executive, Joseph V. Tripodi, executive vice president and chief marketing and commercial leadership officer, had this reaction: “Of course, we would like to remain on top of the list forever. That said, we are honored to continue to be included among such an esteemed group of global brands, and we congratulate Apple and Google, both valued partners of ours.”



“We’ve seen the value of technology brands rise as they create new ways for people to stay connected virtually,” Mr. Tripodi said by e-mail. “We understand this, as the lasting power of our brand is built on the social moment of sharing a Coca-Cola with friends and family.”



“Creating these simple moments and delivering on our brand promise each and every day remains our focus,” he added, “as we continue to grow the value of brand Coca-Cola for decades to come.”



If it is consolation, Coca-Cola remains far ahead of Apple and Google in likes on Facebook fan pages. Coca-Cola has 73.2 million, compared with 9.8 million for Apple and 15.1 million for Google.





Originally posted via Linda Ikeji Apple overtakes Cocacola as world's number 1 most valuable brand»

Actress Chika Ike wows in red as she's honored with HOG award


Actress, UN ambassador & refugee ambassador Chika Ike got a HOG (Hall Of Grace) Award for her humanitarian works on Friday September 27th. Congrats to her! Lovely dress...












Originally posted via Linda Ikeji Actress Chika Ike wows in red as she's honored with HOG award»

Increase in electricity tariff unacceptable —PENGASSAN

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Increase in electricity tariff unacceptable —PENGASSAN
Sep 30th 2013, 23:00

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria has called on the Federal Government to allow the roadmap for power generation and distribution to fully come on stream before contemplating a tariff increase.

PENGASSAN, in a statement made available to our correspondent on Monday, said any increase in electricity tariff would be rejected.

It said, "We watch with dismay and unbelief as the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission braces to implement its decision on pricing regime of electricity even as Nigerians groan under an irregular supply of the commodity nationwide.

 "At a first glance, new observers and watchers of policy somersault and abuse in the country may be tempted to fall in line with the reasoning advanced by the chairman of the Nigerian electricity regulatory body, Dr. Sam Amadi. His argument, however, flies when considered with the objective realities on ground."

The union said the situation on ground showed that even with the colossal amount that had been committed into power generation in the last 10 years, Nigeria, with over 160 million people, had only generated the highest output of 4,347 megawatts.

It, however, said Ghana, with a population of less than 25 million people, was generating 14,673MW; while South Africa, with a population of about 45 million people, was able to generate well over 42,000MW of electricity for its people.

"What South Africa generates is an amount 10 times more than the best our country has been able to generate with the entire outrageous amount so far spent in accumulating electricity for the use of the people," PENGASSAN said.

The statement noted that corruption had been at the root of government's inability to generate enough electricity for the people.

"We, therefore, charge the government to be more committed in its fight against this cankerworm and to do everything possible to give Nigerians a new lease of life and hope in the survival of this nation and its most disadvantaged population," the union added.

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Enterprise Bank begins gratuity payment to ex-workers

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Enterprise Bank begins gratuity payment to ex-workers
Sep 30th 2013, 23:00

Enterprise Bank, one of the three nationalised banks, says it has commenced the payment of gratuity to the former workers of the defunct Spring Bank Plc.

A statement by the Head, Corporate Communications, Enterprise, Olusola Longe-Okenimkpe, said about 817 ex-workers would benefit from the exercise meant to seal issues related to staff welfare of the defunct bank that ceased to exist two years ago.

Already, former employees of the defunct bank numbering about 235 had been fully paid, the bank said.

The statement quoted Longe-Okenimkpe as saying, "Under the defunct Spring Bank Staff Policy, as contained in the Staff Hand Book, the gratuity scheme states that any member of staff, who has served for five years and above and is retiring, or leaving service for reasons other than dismissal on account of fraud, miss-conduct or any criminal offence shall receive a gratuity based on total years of service.

"To uplift the morale of the 582 ex-workers of the defunct bank, who are still in the employment of Enterprise Bank but had stayed up to five years as stipulated in the policy, the management of Enterprise Bank has begun paying their calculated entitlements."

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Oyo NURTW clash ends court proceedings

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Oyo NURTW clash ends court proceedings
Sep 30th 2013, 23:14

Proceedings at the Federal High Court, Adeoyo, Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, ended abruptly on Monday when two factions of  the state branch of the National Union of Road Transport Workers  clashed outside the court premises.

The News Agency of  Nigeria reported that the clash was between the supporters of the ousted chairman of the union, Alhaji Lateef Akinsola also known as “Tokyo'' and Alhaji Taofeek Oyerinde, popularly known as Fele.

NAN reported that Oyerinde was the current caretaker chairman of the union.

The court presided over by Justice Abimbola Obaseki-Adejumo had barely adjourned the case of a contempt of  court  instituted by Akinsola against the caretaker committee and the Oyo State Government when the clash occurred at the court premises.

To curtail the violence, a team of policemen outside the court premises fired  tear-gas canisters which resulted in  a pandemonium.

The counsel representing the caretaker committee, Mr. Yomi Ogunlola, described the clash as a show of shame that should not have been allowed to take place.

"At the last sitting on June 24, the court ruled that Mr. Michael Lana representing the caretaker committee should withdraw from the suit because he had earlier represented Akinsola in a sister case.

"I was recently briefed to take over from him in this contempt of court case.

"All that took place in court today was the application for change of counsel and the matter was adjourned to October 21.

"However, what we are seeing outside now is a big surprise to me. This should not be allowed to happen in a civilised society," he said.

He expressed disappointment in the police for not being able to prevent the violence.

Akinsola, however, accused the Oyerinde faction of  being responsible for  the clash.

"My supporters were staying away from them, but they went over to my people and started beating them.

"I am worried that they may have injured or killed one of my boys and to think that the police were present makes it sad.

"If the police knew they would take sides, it would have been better they did not come. What is the importance of the armoured vehicle they brought?

"They could not even arrest one person to serve as a deterrent," he said.

But speaking with NAN, an Assistant Commissioner of Police, Christopher Luke, said that he was inside the court and came out when he heard some noise.

"I got down and saw that the whole place had been disorganised which made me to order that teargas be released."

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Tepco’s Fukushima nuclear plant needs special treatment

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Tepco's Fukushima nuclear plant needs special treatment
Sep 30th 2013, 23:00

The decommissioning of Tokyo Electric Power Co's Fukushima Daini nuclear power plant, which is near the wrecked Daiichi plant, cannot be dealt with in the same manner as the decommissioning of other nuclear plants, Japanese trade and industry minister Toshimitsu Motegi told Reuters on Monday.

"The decommissioning of nuclear plants is something the utilities should decide, but we cannot treat the Daini plant in the same manner as other plants when considering the sentiment of Fukushima residents," Motegi said at a parliamentary hearing.

Tokyo Electric, also known as Tepco, is working to contain radioactive water at the Fukushima Daiichi plant, which suffered meltdowns and hydrogen explosions after it was hit by a massive earthquake and tsunami in March 2011.

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AfDB, foundation inaugurate infrastructure fund

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AfDB, foundation inaugurate infrastructure fund
Sep 30th 2013, 23:00

The African Development Bank and Made in Africa Foundation have partnered to co-market initiatives that will catalyse funding for Africa's largest infrastructure delivery vehicle called Africa50.

 According to a statement from AfDB on Monday, the fundraising for the Africa50 project was done at the NASDAQ Stock Exchange in New York City, the United States.

The statement said, "With the critical objective of reducing the timing required to develop infrastructure projects in Africa, Africa50 is the result of experience and innovation. Over the past five years, AfDB has delivered over $5.4bn in critical infrastructure investment in Africa through private sector and public-private partnership financing."

On its part, MIAF was born when internationally renowned Ghanaian-born designer, Ozwald Boateng, and leading Nigerian entrepreneur, Kola Aluko, of Atlantic Energy realised that a few hundred million dollars of investment in project development could change the course of economic development for the whole of Africa.

The alliance between MIAF and AfDB aims to raise up to $500m for Africa50's project development arm by the first half of 2014, according to the statement.

The effort was supported live by Boateng; Aluko; Sam Kutesa, the Uganda's current Minister of Foreign Affairs and the next President of the United Nations General Assembly; Tas Anvaripour, Team Leader for Africa50; and Anne Kabagambe, Chief of Staff and Director of Cabinet at the President's office of the AfDB.

The NASDAQ event was followed by a luncheon hosted by Arthur Sulzberger, Jr., the publisher of The New York Times, where the AfDB Group President, Donald Kaberuka, delivered a video message on Africa50.

Discussion on Africa's newest infrastructure delivery vehicle involved participation by African business leaders, American investors, Patrick Zhong of the Fosun Group in China and former UK Foreign Minister and International Rescue CEO David Miliband.

The statement said that the Africa50 would comprise two funding arms: project development and project financing.

At a recent meeting of African Central Banks in Mauritius, AfDB President Donald Kaberuka explained that "to increase the rate of infrastructure delivery in Africa we need to speed up project preparation and project development. The critical objective is to shorten the time between the idea and financial close from a current average of seven years to less than three years."

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Yobe killings: Death toll rises to 90

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Yobe killings: Death toll rises to 90
Sep 30th 2013, 23:12

The death toll in the  Sunday   attack  by suspected Boko Haram members on the Yobe State  College of Agriculture, Guijba,  has increased from  50 to  90.

 A security  top source  made this known on Monday just as  the Amnesty International, the  Nigeria Labour Congress, the  All Progressives Congress, the Arewa Consultative Forum and     the  Jama'atu Nasril Islam flayed the incident as  ignoble, wicked and horrendous.

Our source said that the authorities of the school, while searching  the bushes around the school with local hunters and soldiers on Monday ,  recovered  28 more bodies.

 He added  that the search became necessary when the authorities conducted a headcount of the students that survived and discovered that some were still missing.

 Before  the source spoke,   an international human rights group, the Amnesty International,  had in a statement on Monday , quoted a Damaturu resident as having said that 62 bodies  were counted at the Sani Abacha General Hospital Mortuary, Damaturu.

"One resident of Damaturu said that on Sunday he counted 62 bodies at the Sani Abacha General Hospital mortuary in Damaturu, Yobe State,"AI said in a statement by its Africa Deputy Director, Lucy Freeman.

 The AI called on the government to adopt urgent measures to prevent further killing of students, especially  in the North-East.

 It  observed that the attack on educational institutions and students had increased since 2012 and should be brought to an end immediately.

 "Since 2012, we have seen an escalation of lethal attacks against students and schools. On top of the tragic loss of life, children are being prevented from accessing education.  It is high time for the authorities not only to investigate these deplorable incidents and take those responsible to justice but to take measures to prevent them," the group added.

 The group  stated that the attacks on schools had become more vicious and brutal since the beginning of 2013 with the latest taking place when schools were in session.

 The AI  said  that Boko Haram, its affiliate organisations  and  individuals "in northern Nigeria must immediately stop all attacks on schools, students, teachers and pupils."

 When contacted, the Director of Defence Information, Brig.- Gen Chris Olukolade, said,   "I have not got that report on the number of casualties so far."

Efforts to get the comments of the Yobe State Director of Press, Abdullahi Bego, did not yield result  as calls to his two mobile phones did not go through.

The PUNCH however gathered that Boko Haram  members  on Monday engaged soldiers in a fierce battle at the deserted college.

Investigations revealed that the insurgents regrouped and engaged the troops who were deployed in the school after the Sunday mayhem.

 Another  security source confided in one of our correspondents that the soldiers, however, repelled the attack even though no casualty figure was given.

"Several trucks of soldiers have moved into the area. As we are talking, soldiers are also fighting the insurgents  at one border community between Borno and Yobe states, where the insurgents burnt a Dangote truck and killed seven people on Sunday," he added.

  But Olukolade  said there were no insurgents around the college of agriculture.  He  confirmed  that   there was an  encounter between soldiers and the gunmen in a forest  between Borno and Yobe states.

 He said, "There are troops already deployed in and around the school. At the moment, there are no insurgents around the school. Troops are still in pursuit of the terrorists.

 "Right now there is an ongoing operation in a forest area between Yobe and Borno states where the terrorists were sighted."

When contacted  Spokesman  for the JTF in Yobe State, Lt Eli  Lazarus, said   he was not aware of the recovery of 28 additional bodies from the school's environs.

He also said that it was not correct to say that the insurgents attacked troops at a  location around the institution.

According to him, the soldiers were on the ground on the institution's premises and were holding it as a crime scene.

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Labour Congress, the  All Progressives Congress, the Arewa Consultative Forum,    the  Jama'atu Nasril Islam,  the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Aminu Tambuwal, and two former governors – Ahmed Bola Tinubu and Orji Kalu – joined the AI on Monday in condemning the college massacre.

They appealed to the Federal Government and security agencies to  step up the tempo against terrorism and bring the culprits to book.

To the  Boko Haram, they said: Stop immediately, the senseless killings of hapless people, especially students.

The  NLC , which was  the first to react,  said the killing of the  students in their sleep   was  reprehensible   and should not be allowed to happen again.

It said through its  Deputy National President, Mr. Promise Adewusi,  that the killing   represented the height of bestiality which all Nigerians must be united to confront and prevent.

 The congress  said, "It is a very dastardly act, it is something that every well-meaning human being must condemn. Going and sneaking in like a thief to slaughter innocent students is the height of bestiality.

 "Everything must be done to halt it. We have had 22 students killed in the past but this is the height of bestiality that we have had in the country.

 "If those behind these heinous acts  are fighting for social development or whatever they claim,  what have those students got to do with it. The government should take it more seriously; this thing will consume everybody if nothing is done.

 "These are no longer Christians alone, there are northerners among them. Let us stop playing politics with this thing. We think the time has come for all Nigerians to come together to fight and defeat this threat of terrorism."

The APC, in a statement  by its Interim National Publicity, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, enjoined  Boko Haram to immediately cease all attacks and embrace dialogue in the interest of national peace and security.

 The party called on traditional, religious, political and opinion leaders in the North-East to intervene urgently to end the cycle of violence by the sect.

It stated, ''It is clear that this Boko Haram menace cannot be resolved by the government alone, hence all stakeholders must urgently intervene to complement government's efforts to end the insurgency and get those behind it to embrace dialogue.

''There can be no justification for Boko Haram to continue to kill and maim innocent citizens, especially because the victims are not just fellow Nigerians like them, but most are actually their kith and kin."

Also, the ACF and the Sultan  Abubakar Sa'ad lll-led JNI said the killing  was barbaric.

The  ACF,    in a statement  by its National Publicity  Secretary, Mr. Anthony Sani, therefore  urged the intelligence community  and security agents to brace themselves  and  nip such wicked acts in the bud.

It called on the Boko Haram members  to lay down their  arms  and embrace peaceful means of resolving their grievances.

The statement reads in part, "The report of cruel killing of many students of College of Agriculture in Yobe State by gunmen is dastardly as it is aimless, precisely because students have not done anything in the society or government that can possibly grate the nerves of those who have committed the gruel- some acts.

"As to those who relish in violence, it bears repeating that there can be no way killing of innocent people and students can address their concerns. More so that all religions preach peace and love of neighbour."

 "Our hearts go to those who have lost their wards to the dastardly acts in the hope that God will provide them with the fortitude to bear the irreparable losses," it said.

On its part, the JNI  said that it received the news of the  Yobe  killing and that of   Attakar Chiefdom in the Kaura Local Government Area of Kaduna State with consternation.

Its  Secretary-General, Dr. Khalid Aliyu, said in a statement that the killings were utterly  callous and condemnable.

The group called on the Federal Government to  restore the use of GSM to  the affected states to facilitate security alert/tip-off in situation(s) where insecurity, has wreaked unprecedented havoc.

It said, "JNI will continue to ask questions: Who are these blood thirsty fellows? How did they gain access to the college? Why were they not prevented or arrested? What was the motive behind such heinous act? Isn't intelligent gathering supposed to aid security operatives and why is it not yielding the desired results? Indeed there is much more than meets the eyes.

"We make bold to say that Muslims are worst hit in this quandary situation. We therefore call on government at all levels to do everything possible as a matter of urgency to stop these evil acts of terror repeatedly being unleashed on innocent souls and restore the use of GSM in the affected states to facilitate security alert/tip-off in situation(s) where insecurity, has wrecked unprecedented havoc against innocent citizens."

Also, Tambuwal described the attack "as ignoble, wicked and horrendous."

The speaker said killing defenceless students was "inhuman", especially coming about two months after gunmen murdered  another set of students at the Government Secondary School, Mamudo, also in Yobe State.

Tambuwal, who tasked security agencies to bring the killers to justice, noted that they must also introduce new strategies to be a step ahead of terrorist groups.

In a statement by his Special Adviser, Media and Public Affairs, Mr. Imam Imam,  the speaker called on Nigerians to be vigilant and assist security agencies with information on the hideout of suspected criminals.

Part of the statement reads, "We in the House of Representatives feel the grief and pain of the families of the victims.

"In this their hour of need, we will stand with them hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder.

"We want to assure them that as brothers, we will continue to confront the threats of terror confronting our nation, and we know we will come out stronger and victorious."

 On its part, the National Congress of Nigeria Students described the killings as shocking.

The group, in a statement in Abuja  by its National President, Abdulsalam Abdulfatah, said the incident was a  display of  barbaric mentality.

It said that it had raised the alarm that schools  in the North should be provided with adequate security.

"It takes a government that does not value the lives of its citizens to turn a deaf ear to such a call. This shows how far the Nigerian government values the life of its citizens," the group said.

A former Lagos State Governor, Ashiwaju  Tinubu,  condoled with the Governor of  Yobe State, Alhaji Ibrahim Gaidam, over the incident, which he said, "jars the conscience and reminds us of the sinister nature of the enemy our nation now faces."

 In a statement to The PUNCH, Tinubu  said, "I was moved to deep sorrow upon hearing the news of the tragedy that befell the college.

"As a governor, you are the father of all residents in your state. Thus you carry the heavy grief of a father; but you don't carry this grief alone; Nigeria grieves with you."

Urging Gaidam to "look beyond the death and spilled blood of these innocent children, he added that  "in times like these, it is easy to give up and retreat into the shadows these evil forces have created but we must not give way to sorrow."

"This is a contest for the soul of Yobe State and Nigeria; we dare not lose it. Should these murderers accomplish this, they will only attack another institution, then another, until they are all flattened," Tinubu said.

Kalu, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Oyekunle Oyewumi, charged security agents to put a stop to the killings   to restore confidence of Nigerians in the  country.

 "It is sad that despite the efforts of the government, very little appears to have changed," he said and prayed  that such  would not occur again

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Jonathan didn’t tell the truth about 2015 –New PDP

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Jonathan didn't tell the truth about 2015 –New PDP
Sep 30th 2013, 23:13

The New Peoples Democratic Party said on Monday that President Goodluck Jonathan did not tell the truth when he  claimed on Sunday evening that he  never told  anyone that  he would not contest in 2015.

Rather, the faction of the ruling party insisted that the President promised in February 2011 not to contest after one term.

Jonathan had during  a media chat said, "There was no agreement with anybody that I will serve for only one term. If I had signed any agreement with anybody, they would have shown you the agreement.

"I did not say that I will not contest in 2015. In Addis Ababa, that was when I advocated single term of seven years. My argument was that to  be more productive, maybe we should consider single term of seven years.

"I said if Nigerians agree to that, I may not be involved. I did not say I will contest or not. Those who said I have signed an agreement, they should show the agreement."

But the New PDP,  insisted on Monday that Jonathan  had in 2011   promised not to contest in 2015.

The National Publicity Secretary of the New PDP, Chief Chukwuemeka Eze,  in a telephone interview with our correspondent, said,    "In  February, 2011, while interacting with Nigerians and diplomats working in the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and the African Union in Ankara, Turkey, the President  said that he would have loved that the Nigerians in Diaspora voted during the election that year, but added that that would be very difficult.

 "Presently, the law does not allow voting outside Nigeria and so this year Nigerians in Diaspora will not vote but I will work towards it by 2015 even though I will not be running for election."

Eze  also said the President went ahead to say that four years was enough for anyone in power to make significant improvement and that if he couldn't improve on power within this period, it then means he would not do anything even if he was there for another four years.

He  said that at the appropriate time, members of the New PDP would expose the President, adding that with his statement on Sunday, it would be more difficult for Nigerians to believe him.

The New PDP spokesman added,  "Why would our President deny the statement he made in a broad-day light, even in the presence of international media?

"Why, because of ambition, would our President deny the words that came out of his mouth and statements he made not under duress? Truly, the President is desperate and with this;  he has shown that he cannot be trusted."

Eze said that at the appropriate time, Nigerians would get a copy of the communiqué of the PDP governors meeting, which he said was attended by 20 governors in December 2010.

The meeting, he added, was a prelude to the meeting of the National Executive Committee  meeting that approved the guidelines for the 2011 elections, including the presidential primaries.

He said that it was at the meeting convened  by  the  then National Chairman of the party, Dr.  Okweliseze Nwodo, that an agreement was reached that Jonathan would be in office for just four years.

A copy of the agreement reached at the meeting was said to be with one of the   governors of the South-South supporting  the President.

 Meanwhile, a former Vice-President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has criticised the silence of the government over the rumour  that some   members of the Peoples Democratic Party were  being picked and detained for no identifiable crime against the country or anybody.

In a statement by his media office in Abuja, Abubakar  said the PDP crisis  was an internal family disagreement, which should not give anybody the right to arrest those who  express dissenting voice.

According to him, "criminalising legitimate dissent over internal disagreements could lead Nigeria to a police state and thereby, defeat all the basic features of the democratic system."

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Taraba crisis: Suntai seeks out-of-court settlement

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Taraba crisis: Suntai seeks out-of-court settlement
Sep 30th 2013, 23:15

Governor Danbaba Suntai of Taraba State on Monday sought for an out-of-court settlement in a suit he filed challenging the state House of Assembly's decision to reject his letter of resumption to duty.

Suntai had filed an action before a Jalingo High Court challenging the decision of the assembly, which rejected his  letter of resumption of duty after returning from a medical treatment abroad.

The presiding judge, Justice Ali Andenyatso, adjourned the case to October 28, for further hearing or for the court to receive the outcome of the out-of-the-court settlement.

Counsel to Suntai, Elijah Nyaro, who stood in for Mr. Alex Iziyon (SAN), filed an oral application seeking a three-week adjournment to enable the parties to reach an out-of-court settlement.

Counsel to the Assembly and Speaker Haruna Tsokwa, Mr. Yusuf Ali (SAN) and Mr. Yusufu Akirikwen, respectively, did not object to the request.

Justice Andenyatso said, "Even though the ruling on the application for the transfer of the matter to the Court of Appeal as requested by the Taraba Assembly was ready, I am adjourning the case to October 28 as prayed by the lawyers."

The News Agency of Nigeria reported that the majority of the lawmakers had rejected the letter sent in by Suntai, on his return from treatment abroad on August 25, seeking to resume full duties as the state governor.

They raised questions as to whether the letter was written by the governor and, therefore, directed the acting governor, Alhaji Garba Umar, to continue in office and advised Suntai to go back and continue with his treatment in the US.

Following this, Suntai went to court seeking the interpretation of section 190 of the 1999 Constitution.

The section provides that "if a governor transmits a written declaration that he is proceeding on a vacation or he is otherwise unable to discharge his duties his functions shall be discharged by his deputy in  an acting capacity until he transmits to the Speaker of the House of Assembly a written declaration to the contrary."

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Group urges EFCC to probe Rivers govt

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Group urges EFCC to probe Rivers govt
Sep 30th 2013, 23:16

THE Rivers State Integrity and Development Forum has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to investigate the management of funds accruing to the state since the inception of the Rotimi Amaechi administration.

The group in a statement on Monday asked the EFCC to probe an alleged reckless borrowing, inflation of contract and the management of the Greater Port Harcourt N100bn take-off grant by the Amaechi administration.

The statement signed by the Chairman of the group, Mr. Warigbani Ezekiel and its Secretary, Sotonye George, recalled that the current administration in the state had received N2.4trn and a huge internally generated revenue, adding that the state has an external debt profile that remains scary.

It expressed the need for the anti-graft commission to probe the monorail project, the stadium project, the 10-kilometre Trans-Amadi Road, sale of government property and the displacement of over 800,000 people through the demolition of Abonema Wharf.

"In a strange governance style, since October 27, 2007, the story of Rivers is replete with demolition and sale of government properties, communal land and forceful illegal seizures of whole communities," the group stated.

However, the Chief of Staff, Government House, Port Harcourt, Chief Tony Okocha, said that the Amaechi administration was not afraid of EFCC, adding that the current administration had managed the funds accruing to the state to the benefit of the people.

Describing the group as comprising faceless and disgruntled politicians, Okocha argued that though criticism was necessary in democracy, it (criticism) should be constructive.

He challenged members of the group to take a tour of the 23 local government areas to see what the Amaechi, administration had done in the area of human and capital development.

Okocha said, "Those calling on the EFCC to probe us should know that we are not afraid of the EFCC because we have managed Rivers funds to the benefit of the people of the state. In education, Rivers remains the best in the country."

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New PDP asks court to dismiss Tukur suit

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New PDP asks court to dismiss Tukur suit
Sep 30th 2013, 23:18

The leaders of the New Peoples Democratic Party have asked an Abuja Federal High Court to dismiss a suit in which the Alhaji Bamanga Tukur faction of the PDP sought to restrain them from parading themselves as the national executive members of the party.

The lawyers of the New PDP maintained that the dispute was an internal affair of the party, and as a result, the court had no jurisdiction to hear and determine it.

The suit was filed before the Abuja FHC by PDP, Tukur and the national officers of the party after the respondents – Abubakar Baraje, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Sam Jaja and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar formed the breakaway faction of the party on August 31, 2013.

The Independent National Electoral Commission was equally joined among the defendants, as the Tukur faction asked the court to order the electoral commission to refrain from engaging in any business with the New PDP.

The Tukur faction was insisting that the Baraje group was not elected, and as a result, asked the court to stop them from acting as the PDP executive.

However, at a hearing in the matter on Monday, the New PDP maintained that the court lacked the jurisdiction to hear the matter.

Counsel to the leaders of the New PDP, Ahmed Raji, SAN, Robert Clarke, SAN, and E. R. Emukpoeruo, in their preliminary objections, insisted that the matter was an internal affair of the PDP, which was beyond the jurisdiction of the court.

They also argued that the suit should not have been filed before a FHC, since it did not complain about the action of any agency of the Federal Government.

"I urge the court to decline jurisdiction in this matter because it bothers on the domestic affairs of a political party which is not justiciable.

"All they are asking the court to determine is who are the elected leaders of the PDP," Raji contended.

He maintained that the party was in the best position to resolve the dispute through relevant internal organs.

Clarke insisted that the suit was not competent enough to be brought before the court.

He urged the court to "throw away the case for lack of competence for no effectual order or orders can be made by this court in relation to the suit."

In the same vein, Emukpoeruo, argued that the suit was an abuse of the court process, as the Tukur-led PDP had also filed a similar, pending case before the Lagos FHC.

"In the Lagos suit, PDP is the 4th plaintiff and in this case PDP is the 1st plaintiff, so it is misleading to say PDP did not sue in Lagos," he said.

But counsel to the Tukur-led PDP, Tochukwu Onwugbufor, SAN, insisted that the court had the powers to hear the suit.

He stressed that the court had the powers to interpret provisions of the 1999 Constitution, the Electoral Act and the PDP constitution, which were relevant to the determination of the dispute.

"We are seeking your Lordship's interpretation of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Electoral Act and the PDP constitution," Onwugbufor said.

He refuted the defendants' claim that the suit was an abuse of the court process.

The presiding judge, Justice Elvis Chukwu, adjourned the matter for judgment.

However, the date for the judgment was not disclosed.

Justice Chukwu said the date would be communicated to the parties.

Meanwhile, a suit filed before the court by one of the factional governorship candidates of the PDP in Anambra State, Tony Nwoye, has been struck out.

The development followed the withdrawal of the suit by the plaintiff.

Nwoye had asked the court to order INEC and PDP to recognise him as the party's candidate for the forthcoming poll.

Nwoye filed the suit after a Port Harcourt FHC disqualified him from contesting the election while affirming Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu as the PDP candidate.

The development prompted Ukachukwu to ask the Abuja FHC to join him as a party in the suit.

Before the withdrawal of the suit, the court had directed the rival PDP candidates to address it on the implications of the Port Harcourt FHC judgment.

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TalkAfrika.com: Daring vandals hit Sanjika, drain oil from transformer

TalkAfrika.com
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Daring vandals hit Sanjika, drain oil from transformer
Sep 30th 2013, 23:10, by Talk Afrika

Sep 30 • Front Page, National News • Written by : Frank Namangale

Part of the main presidential palace at Sanjika which was affected by blackout

Part of the main presidential palace at Sanjika which was affected by blackout

If a presidential compound can be attacked and robbed, then who is safe? Some daring vandals on Saturday night found their way into the grounds of the official residence of State President Joyce Banda in Blantyre, Sanjika Palace, and vandalised an electricity transformer.

The vandals drained oil from the transformer, causing a blackout to staff houses.

Confirming the incident yesterday, police said they have launched an investigation to trace the suspects who entered one of the most highly guarded State residences in the country.

National Police spokesperson Rhoda Manjolo said in an interview that police and the Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (Escom) Limited were jointly working on the matter.

Said Manjolo: "There was a blackout at the staff houses [within the Sanjika Palace compound].

"The blackout was reported to Escom and Escom officials were trying to establish the cause. It was in that process that they later found out that oil had been drained from a transformer."

However, Manjolo said the blackout did not affect the main presidential palace.

She said police would welcome tip-offs that could lead to the arrest of the suspected vandals.

Oil drainage by vandals has been a major setback to Escom's operations in recent years, costing the organisation millions of kwacha to repair or replace the vandalised transformers.

But all along it has never been imagined that vandals could be that daring as to enter premises that house a Head of State,  which is heavily guarded around the clock.

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