Jonathan, Amaechi Share Chopper on Their Way to Patience Mum's Burial

Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers state was at the Port Harcourt International Airport to welcome President Goodluck Jonathan and later flew in the same chopper to Okrika town for the burial of the adopted mother of Mrs. Patience Jonathan.

They were joined on the trip by Bayelsa State governor, Seriake Dickson.

This fuelled excitement within the political circles, with speculations that President Jonathan and Ameachi, both politically estranged duo will use the joint flight to have a heart to heart talk.

Governor Amaechi and members of the state executive council had arrived Port Harcourt Airport and waited for the arrival of the President.

Supporters of Seriake Dickson, Nyesom Wike, the supervising Minister of Education, with his political group; Grassroots Democratic Movement (GDI), as well as members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, all jostled for space and attention while also awaiting the president’s aircraft as it touched down at the airport at about 1.40 p.m.

Okrika town and its environs were choked with soldiers, policemen, men of the Department of the Secret Service, Civil Defence Corps and Federal Road Safety Commission, all strategically positioned.

There were several naval war boats patrolling the Okrika waterways.

There were also military fighter helicopters on air surveillance, just as there was an aerial camera bearing balloon, overlooking the perimeters of the area where the event took place in Okrika.

Mrs. Jonathan, was accompanied to the Port Harcourt Polo Club, venue of the service of songs, by the wife of the vice president, Hajia Amina Namadi Sambo.

Football and Nollywood stars were also at the service of songs to show solidarity with the First Lady.

Most of the women clad in specially designed apparels for the occasion went into a frenzy when Patience Ozokwu, made her appearance on the ground of the Port Harcourt Polo Club.

Nollywood stars present were Zachee Orji and Kanayo Kanayo, the Akin and Paw-paw fame.

The people of Wakrike, (that is the Okrika people) used the opportunity of the burial rites of Madam Charity Oba, the adopted mother of the First Lady in Okrika to confer Chieftaincy titles on the President and his Wife.

Source:najj

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Jonathan Will Lose In 2015- Ayo Akande

A chieftain of the All Progressive Congress in Lagos State, Chief Ayo Akande, has said that President Goodluck Jonathan will lose the 2015 election given the factionalisation of the President’s Peoples Democratic Party.

In a statement in Lagos on Sunday, Akande said Jonathan had focused more on the crisis in the PDP than finding solutions to the economic and infrastructural problems facing the country.

He said, “President Jonathan has not impressed the citizens with the performance of his government. Many that voted for him in the 2011 election have been disappointed.

“Even if his party gives him automatic ticket for the 2015 election he cannot win. The President’s low performance apart, there is no President that can win a credible poll with a factionalised party on the eve of election.

“The PDP has become a divided house, with one faction fighting the other. The President now spends his time trying to patch the PDP’s tattered umbrella such that he has no time for the worsening state of the economy and insecurity in the country. He will definitely lose the 2015 election and if by any means he wins then there are questions to be answered.”

The APC chief said there was no way the PDP could win the Presidency again given the performance of the party at the federal level since 1999.

“The PDP has imposed to much of social, economic and political misery on the people since 1999 for the electorate to vote for the party again,” he said.

Akande said the common man in the country would continue to suffer except there was a change at the very top of governance in the country.

Source: Punch Nigeria 

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Governors Demand Okonjo-Iweala’s Resignation

Members of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum have called on the Minister of Finance, who is also the Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, to resign her appointment if she knew she would not be able to adhere strictly with the Appropriation Act 2013.

They said the non-compliance with the revenue projections of the Federal Government 2013 Budget was also a direct breach of the provisions of the Appropriation Act, 2013.

These decisions were part of the resolutions of the Governor Rotimi Amaechi-led NGF, which met in Abuja on Tuesday evening.

States which were represented by their governors at the meeting were those of Rivers, Niger, Kwara, Osun, Ekiti, Ogun, Adamawa, Oyo,  Lagos, Sokoto, Jigawa, Kano and Zamfara while deputy governors  of Edo, Borno and Nasarawa states represented their governors.

The governors also called for the immediate dissolution of the Economic Management Team.

Reading the communique of the meeting, Amaechi, who was flanked by other members said, “Members expressed concern in the management of the economy by the Minister of Finance and Co-ordinating Minister of the Economy and called for a strict adherence to the Appropriation Act, 2013, failing which she should resign.

“Forum observed that the National Economic Council is constitutionally responsible for the management of the economy and should be used for that purpose as opposed to the Economic Management Team constituted by the Presidency.”

The governors also called on the National Assembly to separate the office of the Accountant-General of the Federation from that of the Accountant-General of the Federal Government for the purpose of accountability and better management of the economy.

On polio eradication war, the governors said they noted that some progress had been made in 2013 compared to 2012.

They, therefore, enjoined all governors to remain focused and continue to drive the programme in their irrespective states until polio was completely eradicated in the country.

The governors also expressed condolence to the wife of President Goodluck Jonathan,  Patience, for the loss of her foster mother and also condoled with the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Raji Fashola (SAN) over the death of his father.

They also expressed their condolence to the family of a former Governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Agagu.

Amaechi also announced that the governors would hold a retreat in November, but he did not state where it would hold.

The notice of meeting sent to the governors for the meeting showed that money by the Federation Account Allocation Committee topped the agenda at the meeting.

Also on the agenda was the Excess Crude Account, which had been a major disagreement between the governors and the Federal Government.

The Sovereign  Wealth Fund was also discussed.

Amaechi’s opening remark, which kick-started the meeting, dwelt on fresh and subsisting litigations, state peer review mechanism and publication of inaugural speeches by the chairman.

A source at the meeting, said that Amaechi’s speech also covered the capacity building meetings in Galilee Institute, Israel, and investment in the United States of America and Russia.

The source added that oil theft was also part of the issues the governors discussed. The parallel forum is being led by the Governor of Plateau State, Mr. Jonah Jang. Jang and those in his group were not at the meeting.

Source: Punch Nigeria 

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Jonathan Begs Amaechi, Others Not To Join APC: Stop talking to media and lets settle

It is now obvious to President Goodluck Jonathan that he cannot win the 2015 presidential election with just 10 PDP governors loyal to him and probably One governor from APGA and Labour Party.

Consequently, President Jonathan has pleaded with Governor Rotimi Amaechi and other members of the G-7 group not to dump him and the PDP for the opposition APC.

Jonathan, who described Governor Amaechi as his brother, said if Amaechi want peace with him he should stop talking to the media and allow them to settle everything as a big family.

Amaechi said he doesn't have anything against President Jonathan as a person but the actions of people who take orders from him are ridiculing the powers of a governor under the constitution. Amaechi said governors of PDP and other parties voted for him as NGF Chairman, hence he should be recognized as such.

But  Jonathan is still afraid that recognizing Amaechi as NGF chairman might be dangerous as the opposition can easily win Amaechi and other G-7 governors over.

As a result, Jonathan refused to agree that Amaechi be recognized as NGF chairman but proposed that they should meet again on October 7, 2013, to appraise the demands.

At the end of the meeting, Governor Liyel Imoke of Cross River state wrote a statement that was read, as both parties agree to speak less on the problems until they meet again.

The New PDP governors are however suspecting that Jonathan is trying to buy time with his frequent shifting of meeting dates until such a time that it would be too late.

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Why Amaechi Was Blocked From Entering Government House

Governor Rotimi Amaechi was on Thursday evening returning from an inspection tour of projects in the state barred by gun-totting policemen who barricaded the entrance.

The Rivers state police command has explained the reason for barring the governor of the state from using the main entrance(Forces Avenue) to the Government House.

According to the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Angela Agabe (DSP), the entrance was blocked as a measure to prevent a breakdown of law and order after a splinter group of the Peoples’ Democratic Party in the state opened a secretariat on the same road. All roads leading to Forces Avenue were immediately closed.

The governor’s Chief of Staff, Tony Okocha had earlier led members of a faction of the PDP to open the secretariat at 38, Forces Avenue, Old GRA, Port Harcourt. The ‘secretariat’ was, however, later closed down by the police who were said to be acting on superior orders.

“You can’t do this. Not here. We will not allow it,” ordered the police deputy commissioner, Sam Ogaora, who reportedly led the police team.

“We will go all out to ensure that we maintain law and order in this state. Anybody that takes the law into his hands will be dealt with accordingly. That is exactly what we have done here. We don’t have any secretariat here and anybody who has come here to hoist any flag will be dealt with. Nothing more than that,” he said.

While explaining the closure, the state police PPRO says the governor could have made use of other entrances to the Government House seeing no reason for the ruckus being generated. “The governor has other routes to get to the Government House. So I don’t see how this should be an issue,” Agabe said.

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Obasanjo Is The Master-mind Behind PDP Crisis' - PDP Chieftain

A Chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ogun State, Prince Buruji Kashamu, has accused former President Olusegun Obasanjo of master-minding the ongoing crisis in the ruling party at the national level.

Kashamu in a statement, yesterday, in Abeokuta, described Obasanjo action as deceitful. He said the actions of the “so-called seven aggrieved governors and their collaborators” explained better.

According to him: “The events leading to the current storm in a tea cup are all too familiar to warrant a recount here. But true to my character, what I find unsettling and difficult to stomach is the pretensions of some of our leaders who are now masquerading as peace makers.”

“There is sufficient evidence that they were part and parcel of the gang up against the Presidency and the leadership of the party.

“Let me state from the outset that while it is true that former President Olusegun Obasanjo is my adopted political father and I am one of his foot soldiers, it is also true that I have learnt from him the virtues of courage and how to speak the truth to power, irrespective of whose ox is gored.”

Source: Vanguard 

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Meet These Demands Or We'll Collapse PDP –– Atiku Faction

There was serious horse-trading and political grandstanding on Friday in Abuja as the two factions of the PDP met with the Chief Olusegun Obasanjo's elders committee on her to resolve the crises that have engulfed the party since its last mini-convention.

First, Governors Rotimi Aaechi and Sule Lamido, told a lady who described Bamanga Tukur as chairman of the PDP to correct herself. They told her that Tukur is just a mere factional chairman of Goodluck Jonathan's group and that the faction is no longer recognized. Trouble!

And when Obasanjo and other elders of PDP met with the two factions at Hilton Hotel in Abuja to discuss how to settle the differences among the warring factions. But both parties insisted that their conditions for peace must be satisfied before the party could move forward.

Those on the elders table with Obasanjo were ex-head of state, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida; former chairmen of PDP, Dr. Ahmadu Ali, Sen. Barnabas Gemade and Chairman PDP Board of Trustees, Tony Anenih.

The National Chairman of the Jonathan faction of PDP, Dr. Bamanga Tukur, also led some members of his own National Working Committee to the meeting.

Members of New PDP, who were at the meeting were its National Chairman, Alhaji Kawu Baraje; National Secretary, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola; Deputy National Chairman, Dr. Sam Jaja; former Governor of Gombe State, Sen. Danjuma Goje; and the former Governor of Kwara State, Sen. Bukola Saraki.

Others are the Governor of Jigawa State., Alhaji Sule Lamido; Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi and the Governor of Sokoto State, Alhaji Aliyu Wamakko.

Governors on the side of the Tukur group included Liyel Imoke (Cross River), Idris Wada (Kogi), Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa), Theordore Orji (Abia), Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom), Emmanuel Uduaghan (Delta), Ibrahim Shem (Katsina) and Isa Yuguda (Bauchi).

Here that the demands of the Atiku Faction:

*The sacking of Tukur as the chairman of the party 

*The recognition of Amaechi as the Chairman of Nigeria Governors’ Forum by Jonathan.

*The lifting of the suspension placed on Amaechi by the party.

*A new Convention be held in an atmosphere free of intimidation.

*President Jonathan should forget about 2015 after six years in office.

But the Tukur group was said to have insisted that most of the demands of the other group could not be met.

For example, it was gathered that the Tukur group claimed that the NWC was validly elected and that the decision to leave office would be determined by individuals.

On Amaechi's suspension, it was gathered that the group said the governor’s court case was an impediment to the lifting of the suspension.

They also said that only President Jonathan was capable of deciding whether to recognise Amaechi as the chairman of the NGF or not.

In a chat with Punch, a governor who was part of the meeting but who craved anonymity said, “My brother, we are still at the same point. We have not moved an inch away from the point”.

Another one said, "Well, with what has happened, it will be difficult to say we have achieved anything. But we wait to see. We are waiting to see the report of the Obasanjo’s committee."

Speaking with journalists at the end of the meeting, which ended at 2:58pm Obasanjo said he and members of his mediating team were trying to salvage the party.

“We have taken it upon ourselves to prevent the worst from happening to our dear party. Two of our members are abroad and could not join us. And I want to say that we have met with the two sides of the family, we have listened to them and of course we are going to put our heads together and go on from there.”

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