Goodluck Jonathan explains why he conceded defeat to Buhari

President Goodluck Jonathan has revealed why he conceded defeat to President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari.

Jonathan placed a congratulatory phone call to Buhari on Tuesday, March 31, 2015, after losing the March 28 elections.

The President gave reasons for his action on Thursday, April 16, 2015, in response to comments made by the French ambassador to Nigeria, Denis Guaer.

“Nigeria is not only an economic power in the world today, but also a great democratic example. And it is all by your effort, Mr. President. The last elections and your response was truly a great achievement and you will always be remembered for it,” Guaer said.

In response Jonathan said:

“Since I assumed duty, I have been involved in quelling political crises in some African countries and I know what they passed through and what some are still going through. If you scuttle a system for personal ambition, it becomes a collective tragedy.”

“You need to have a nation before you can have an ambition. It should always be the nation first. You don’t have to scuttle national progress for personal ambition. Democracy has to be nurtured to grow. Strong democratic institutions are the backbone and future of our democracy. They must be protected and nurtured. As for me, as a matter of principle, it is always the nation first.”

Jonathan lost to Buhari by over two million votes and will formally hand over to the incoming president on March 28, 2015.

In Ondo; Strange disease kills 28 in three days

There is panic in Ondo State as a strange disease, which broke out a few days ago has killed many people already, health officials in the state confirmed on Thursday, April 16.

The disease broke out in Ode-Irele community of the state about three days ago and according to residents, its victim is killed within 24 hours.

Preliminary reports from victims revealed the symptoms of the ailment as blindness, and loss of consciousness.

Contrary to the State Health Commissioner, Dayo Adeyanju, who said 12 people have died from the disease; Ebola Alert, an evidence-driven group of volunteer professionals who helped with the Ebola Virus Disease interventions in the country put the death figure at 28.

According to Adeyanju who briefed journalists in Akure on Thursday, the state capital, preliminary investigations showed that the disease is not Ebola “as it does not manifest any of its symptoms, but it attacks the central nervous system of the victims”.

He assured that the state government is ensuring that the disease does not spread out of the town, as those infected are being quarantined at the General Hospital, Irele.

The cause of the disease is yet to be determined.

Meanwhile, leaders in the community who spoke to a journalist are attributing the ailment to a spiritual attack.

“Community leaders said some people broke into a shrine and the god became angry with them, striking all those people who have hands in the act,” the journalist told Premium Times.

It was reported that people in the town are performing rituals to appease the god.

SINGLE AIRLINER "STAND ALONE SYNDROME" : EXPERTS SUGGEST MERGERS

Air commodore O.A. Adesanya

The authority in the aviation industry has been called upon to ensure adequately the safety measures which is critical success factor in the sector; now that terrorism is everywhere, and as well to compliment the reformation agenda of the present administration on the air transport sector of Nigeria economy.

The commander Air force Detachment Ibadan Air commodore O.A. Adesanya who was a special guest at the NISER RESEARCH SEMINAR SERIES(NRSS) tittled “priority Areas for Air Transport Infrastructure Development In Nigeria” made the comments at the seminar in Ibadan.

audience cutaway shot

He urged the aviation authority to install in every strategic area of the country’s airports the close circuit TV cameras for crime tracking and the parameters fencing of all the airports with provision of search and rescue  personnel together with real equipment is among what they need in the aviation industry.

Prof . Samson O. Fadare

Overview the seminar topic the chairman Prof . Samson O. Fadore of department of Urban and regional planning Obafemi  Awolowo  University (O.A.U) ile-ife  Osun state commended the federal government on the public Private partnership initiative and enjoin government to reposition it to Public Private Professional partnership in order to give room for standard operational efficiency.

Prof. Fadare however laud the passing into law of the civil Aviation Act 2006 which empowers the the Nigerian  Civil Aviation safety without political inference and carry out oversight functions of airports, airspace and meteorological services advised the authority to always put policy trust and make the management to be autonomous.

Dr. Adebukola .Y.Daramola

In her presentation tittled ”Priority Areas for Air Transport infrastructure Development in Nigeria” Dr. Adebukola Y. Daramola  from Economic Policy Research Department (EPRD)-NISER who comments on safety, airline operations and related challenges enumerated that the single owner “stand alone ” syndrome which already permeats the provision of airline services is a phenomenon that contrary to current global trends and call for mergers of the smaller carriers to be able to compete on lucrative international routes.

Foreign routes offer opportunities for foreign exchange earnings while domestic carriers can only be confined to domestic routes, they cannot be as viable as the foreign carriers she added. “Airline viability is closely related to airline safety performance.”    

Dr. Adesanya observed that since colossal amount of capital regularly invested on Nigeria’s air transport infrastructure; most of these components need capital infusion.

She suggested that priorities must be given in the face of scarce resources. She calls for comprehensive strategy to cover other ATI, the enforcement of SARPS which will guarantee the regular delivery of user benefits, safety, travel time savings and wider spill over effects which she said most important.

Prof.Olufemi Taiwo , DG NISER

                

Earlier in his opening address Prof. Oluwafemi Isreal  Taiwo Director General NISER and chief host commended the federal government regular support for the NRSS Seminar and call for collaboration from other institutions that can think with them for the nation’s economic reallance.

Prof. Taiwo noted that aviation sector  has witnessed tremendous improvement in the last two decades. He advised the airliners to strive for new aircrafts to replace the aged fleets

Prof.Taiwo urge the government to wooed the private investors to be able to engage in landside services provision and maintenance, including Hangers and terminar constructions.  

FRM L-R commodore Adesanya, Prof Fadare, Dr Adebukola Daramola and Prof  F.O.N Roberts

stoty by Gandhi and Adeoye Michael

President rejects constitutional amendments

President Goodluck Jonathan has rejected the amendments made to the 1999 Constitution by the National Assembly, according to reports.

The President is said to have rejected the changes because they did not comply with the provisions of Section 9 (3) of the Constitution.

News of the rejection was disclosed to Punch by a senior government official who chose to remain anonymous.

“The President has vetoed the constitution amendment and he has sent it back to the National Assembly,” the source said.

“The amendment did not meet the provision of Section 9 (3) of the constitution which talks about the need for four fifth of the National Assembly to agree with the amendment,” he added.

Jonathan is said to have rejected the document on Monday, April 13, 2015 and returned it to the Assembly.

The amendment and a letter accompanying will expectedly be read on the floors of the Senate and the House of Representatives any time from Wednesday, April 14.

Section 9 (3) of the Constitution reads:

“An Act of the National Assembly for the purpose of altering the provisions of this section, section 8 or Chapter IV of this Constitution shall not be passed by either House of the National Assembly unless the proposal is approved by the votes of not less than four-fifths majority of all the members of each House, and also approved by resolution of the House of Assembly of not less than two-third of all states.”

The rejected amendment seeks to approve the separation of the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation from that of Minister of Justice.

‘Chibok girls are well and healthy,’ journalist close to Boko Haram says

According to a journalist with ties to Boko Haram, the abducted Chibok girls are ‘well and healthy.

Ahmed Salkida, a Nigerian journalist resident in Dubai, told the BBC that the girls had not come to any harm.

"According to [the jihadists] the girls have converted to Islam, so they regard them as very important," Salkida said.

He also said that he had attempted to mediate between the sect and the Nigerian government to secure the girls’ release but the efforts failed.

“365 days in captivity. It should be a day of sackcloths & mourning for all. How can we rescue when we can't get basic information on Chibok Girls,” Salkida said via Twitter on April 14, 2015.

The over 200 girls were abducted from their school in Borno State on April 14, 2014.

Diezani Alison-Madueke" 6 countries reportedly deny Minister’s asylum request

Six countries have reportedly turned down asylum requests from Nigeria’s Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke.
This was revealed by the Business Council for Africa (BCA) in its recently released monthly report, according to Sahara Reporters.
The BCA also stated that US$ 1 trillion had been stolen from the Nigerian treasury between 1960 and 2005 alone.
“Given her reputation, it comes as no surprise to learn that 6 countries have already refused to grant her asylum to live in their countries as she now wishes to leave Nigeria at the earliest possible opportunity,” the report, dated March 2015 supposedly said.
Mrs Alison-Madueke is said to be planning to flee the country in order to avoid being probed or tried for corruption by the government of President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari.
The minister has however denied the allegations, saying that she has not sought asylum in any country.
Alison-Madueke said further, via a statement released by Group Public Affairs General Manager of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Ohi Alegbe, that she had no plans of relocating from the country.

US congratulates Nigeria on success of governorship, state assembly polls

the United States has ​congratulated Nigeria and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the successful conduct of the April 11 Governorship and State House of Assembly elections.

The US government extended its congratulations via a statement issued on Monday, April 13, 2015, saying that the elections “generally went well.”

“We have seen the reports of violence and alleged irregularities, particularly in Rivers and Akwa Ibom states, and call on those dissatisfied to pursue their grievances peacefully in the judicial arena,” the statement reads.

“We regret any loss of life and destruction of property,” it adds.

 The US also based the success of Saturday’s elections on the peaceful conduct of the March 28 Presidential and National Assembly elections.

"We'll go back to drawing board," Akala congratulates Ajimobi

Former Governor of Oyo State and Labour Party gubernatorial candidate, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala, has congratulated Governor Abiola Ajimobi of the All Progressives Congress on his re-election as the Governor of the state.

Akala reportedly telephoned Ajimobi  after he was given a situation report from the collation centre, which showed that the APC candidate had already won.

According to a release by Akala’s director of public affairs, Oludare Ogunlana, his decision to congratulate ‎the governor was borne out of the need to respect the people's wish and in order for the state forward to be moved forward, advising the governor to be magnanimous in victory and device ways of taking the state to higher heights.

He stressed that he did not see himself as a loser as he heeded the people's call to serve.

"Defeat makes people stronger. We will go back to the drawing board to see where we went wrong and readjust for future aspiration. Our supporters should not be sad; rather they should be happy that a party they joined few months ago is able to make a good showing at the poll,” the statement said.

Governor Ajimobi defeated his major challengers to retain the governorship seat in Oyo State. They include, Teslim Folarin of the People’s Democratic Party, Adewolu Ladoja of Accord Party and Alao-Akala of Labour Party.

Akinwunmi Ambode“Lagos under my watch will not discriminate,”

The Governor-elect of Lagos State, Akinwunmi Ambode has assured residents of the state that there would be no discrimination of any sort during his tenure.

Ambode, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, also thanked Lagosians for voting for him in the governorship elections which held on Saturday, April 11, 2015.

He made the statements as part of his acceptance speech which was given at the APC secretariat in the Ikeja area of the state.

“The people of Lagos have demonstrated that it is not about ethnicity, or religion but about a common desire to enthrone good governance. Lagos under my watch will not discriminate. It has not in the past. It has not in the present. Not even in the future. There will be no political victimization,” Ambode said.

“In your collective wisdom you refused to reward a party that failed at the national level by giving that party the stewardship of our beloved Lagos. You have for the first time in 16 years married progressive governance at the national level with progressive governance at the state level,” he added.

“Our state government and the Federal government will be one vision, one mind and one accord and that is to govern you wisely not rule over you rudely. Lagos will enjoy optimal development and growth through APC working in tandem at the state and federal levels. This cooperation and enhanced policy harmony will surely pay handsome dividends,” Ambode said.

The Governor-elect also pledged himself to increasing the prosperity of Lagos.

“I am humbled that you have placed your trust and faith in me. The love of this state and our common belief in what we can accomplish, our belief in what this state already is, and in what it is destined to become binds us together in a social and moral contract of high purpose,” Ambode said.

“I shall honor that contract with every fibre of my being.  This day I pledge to you that I shall devote myself to bringing even greater prosperity, growth and development to every inch of this state, that I shall build on the legacy and progress of the Bola Tinubu and Babatunde Fashola administrations, I shall bring the best of Lagos into my government and I shall make you proud and glad that you chose me as your next governor,” he added.

Ambode had earlier promised an all-inclusive government after the Oba of Lagos, threatened Igbos in the state to either vote for the APC candidate or die.

Ambode who won 811,994 votes to beat Jimi Agbaje of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who won 659,788 votes