TY Danjuma to elite: Sell your jeeps, use money for the poor

by Nasir Imam

inShare

Retired General T.Y. Danjuma has called on the elites in the country to sell their jeeps that they do not use and use the money to assist the poor in the society.

Danjuma, who stated  this at the announcement and award to beneficiaries of the T.Y. Danjuma Foundation’s 2012 Grant Cycle in Abuja yesterday, called on top government officials and other wealthy Nigerians to “park their four-wheel jeeps that they do not use and utilize the money for the benefit of the poor in Nigeria.”

He said despite the poor quality of lives in Nigerian communities, philanthropic pace in the country is empty hence the reliance on foreign donors.

Danjuma said that the foundation has so far spent N809 million since its establishment in 2009 and that it has touched the people’s lives in the hard-to-reach rural poor communities in Nigeria.

He said N388 million was disbursed by the foundation to grantees in 2010, N193 million in 2011 and an additional N10 million for discretionary grant to enable the foundation respond to urgent interventions outside of the main grants.Danjuma said that in 2012, 516 applications were received and after a review, 17 were approved under the Foundation’s main grant while the Taraba and Edo Communities Fund each received seven grants.

The 17 approved grants, he said, will be receiving N3-30 million to implement projects in twelve states including Taraba, Edo, Ekiti, Ondo, Zamfara, Bauchi, Gombe and Nasarawa. Others include Kaduna, Niger and Lagos states.

Daily Trust

Flood In Uyo Prompts Mockery Of Gov Akpabio’s ‘Uncommon Transformation’ Slogan

Governor Godswill Akpabio and President Goodluck Jonathan in New York

By Monday Ateboh

Heavy flooding caused by torrential rainfall around the city of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, last week fired up public anger against the administration of Governor Godswill Akpabio, with most residents trapped within the chaotic traffic in the city publicly making jest of the governor’s ‘uncommon transformation’ slogan.
Mr.  Akpabio,  the two-term governor of Akwa Ibom State, is well known for praising self as the man behind ‘the uncommon transformation’, a boastful reference to his administration’s modest effort at building modern infrastructures like roads, bridges, a few public buildings for government use as offices and a cinema within the state capital.
But the curse of heavy rain these days is pushing the people to show just how low they think of Gov Akpabio’s claims.
During the heavy rainfall people in Uyo were busy taking photos of a city ravaged by flood and posting them along with their satirical comments on facebook and other social networking sites.
Princess Etim, a female journalist residing in Uyo is one of the few who were quick to post on her facebook page, a photo of the flood on Atiku Abubakar Avenue, Uyo. Etim took the photograph with her BlackBerry Smartphone, and mockingly tagged it as ‘Uncommon Atiku River’.
Commentators – most of them journalists living in Uyo – who responded to the facebook post, were quick to catch the joke and also used the word ‘uncommon’ to poke fun at Gov Akpabio’s most familiar phrase.
“The flood on Atiku Abubakar Avenue not bigger than uncommon IBB River,” says Helen John, whose facebook profile indicates she is an assistant editor with the Akwa Ibom State-owned The Pioneer newspaper.
“The one at Nsikak Edouk (avenue) is uncommon too, but (it is) the largest river in Africa,” writes Etorobong Ekpo who works as a principal reporter with a local private newspaper known as Quest.
The paper is said to be owned by a journalist-turned politician who currently serves as a chairman of a local government council in Akwa Ibom State.
A post from David Augustine, the editor-in-chief of Weekly Insight, reads: “ ‘After just three minutes of rain in Uyo, our drainage system (the best in Africa) would do the magic and it will be so dry, you would think it never rained’ Who said this and to whom and when….?”
And another post reads: “Akwa Ibom is working jare…you guys aren’t seen nothing yet…uncommon rain, uncommon flood… ado ok!”
Gov Akpabio is widely celebrated in the local media and the Peoples Democratic Party for “governing Akwa Ibom State well”.
But residents say beyond the facade, the poverty and unemployment rate in the state remained among the highest in the country.
Local contractors are routinely ignored for multinationals in the execution of infrastructural projects, and residents complain of huge capital flights from the state.
The largest employer of labour in the state remain the civil service which is already overstaffed.
Most state-owned industries have closed shop and the state is not known to have attracted any substantial investment in spite of Governor Akpabio’s several overseas trip in search of foreign investors.
The Anglican Bishop of Uyo Diocese, the Rt. Rev. Isaac Orama, recently advised Governor Akpabio to fight the widespread unemployment and poverty in the state.
Premium Times

Edo State: Tribunal Dismisses Airhiavbere's Petition Against Gov. Oshiomhole

Governor Adams Oshiomhole in court yesterday

By SaharaReporters, New York

The Edo State Election Petition Tribunal  in Benin City dismissed the petition filed by Major General Charles Ehigie Airhiavbere (Rtd) in which he challenged the educational qualifications of Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole, describing it as a wide goose chase.
In his ruling, the Tribunal Chairman, Suleiman Ambursa said the petition is a pre-election matter that ought to have been dispensed with long before the July 14, 2012 governorship election.
After examining the affidavits, counter affidavits and submissions of the counsels for the respondents and petitioner, the chairman said, the tribunal concluded it had no jurisdiction over what took place in 2007.
Mr. Ambursa averred that in line with the provisions of the constitution, candidates are expected to submit copies of their documents to the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) before the election and that the same constitution mandates the electoral body to publish the said documents in order that any other candidate that is not satisfied with the information therein contained might approach the Federal High Court for appropriate interpretation.
“Any person who has any reasonable ground to contest the educational qualification of the first respondent, should seek a declaration in the high court,” he said.
Describing the action as a “wild goose chase” for failing to follow the constitutional provisions, the tribunal struck out the petition. 
The tribunal will deliver its ruling today on the motion by the petitioner that the governorship election itself was marred by irregularities.  The petitioner seeks to have INEC release the voters’ register to him.

“FG must pay us before selling power firms” – Workers

Workers of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria have vowed to halt the handover of the five power generating firms to successful bidders unless the Federal Government pays off their severance packages.
The workers were reacting to Tuesday’s opening of bids for five power generation companies and the naming of the preferred bidders by the National Council on Privatisation.
The General Secretary, National Union of Electricity Employees, Mr. Joe Ajaero, told our correspondent on Wednesday that the workers would resist any attempt to take over the Ugheli, Geregu, Sapele, Shiroro and Kainji power plants if the severance packages of the workers were not fully settled.
He said, “If they feel they can allocate it to themselves, let them go ahead. But like we have said, nobody takes any of those companies without the workers getting their rightful entitlements. That is an area that is not negotiable; but if they like, let them not complete negotiations, let them continue with their bidding.
“From the list of preferred bidders, it is pertinent to observe that the winners are those that have little or no technical expertise to manage and drive the power needs of the country. But one thing is sure; Nigerians should not expect that the workers will need to sacrifice by settling for anything short of the contents of the Condition of Service.”
“If the government claims lack of funds to settle the labour issues; that concept will be vehemently resisted, since they have decided to sell the companies at ridiculous prices,” he added.
In his reaction, the General Secretary, Senior Staff Association of Electricity and Allied Companies, Mr. Abiodun Ogunsegha, said, “We have decided not to disturb the bidding process because our primary concern is the payment of our benefits.
“After the bidders have finished bidding, the next thing will be for them to take over, but we will not allow that to happen if our benefits are not paid.”
Asked if the government had given assurances on the payment of workers’ benefits before the firms would be taken over, Ogunsegha said the parties were still negotiating.
He said, “The BPE is doing the bidding and the sales but the government is the one to pay staff liabilities.
“But that is not our business. Our business is that before any of these companies take over a company where it will be obvious that the employees will no longer be needed or would have ceased to be employees of PHCN; our members must be paid, or we will not allow that to happen.”
Ogunsegha said the pronouncement of the government and the report of the eight-member Ajiboye committee on the loss of over N200bn in the PHCN Superannuation Fund were aimed at watering down the demands of the unions.
“No amount of tricks, misinformation or manipulation will remove the fact that the demands of the workers are factual, legitimate and right,” he said.
BusinessNews

Patience Jonathan Battles Parkinson’s Disease

First Lady , Mrs. Patience Jonathan

By SaharaReporters, New York

Nigeria’s First Lady, Patience Jonathan, is battling an onset of Parkinson’s disease that has complicated her recovery from a surgical procedure in Germany, several reliable sources have disclosed to SaharaReporters.
SaharaReporters broke the news that Mrs. Jonathan was flown to a hospital in Wiesbaden, Germany close to a month ago to undergo emergency treatment after a botched procedure in Dubai.
In interviews with three sources familiar with Mrs. Jonathan’s health status, SaharaReporters learnt that the Nigerian president’s wife is beset by Parkinson’s disease, a degenerative syndrome. The disease is a progressive disorder of the nervous system. A medical source described it as “a fairly common disorder that occasions degeneration of the nervous system.” The source added that the disease leads to “progressive impairment and disorder of movement.” An online medical site notes that Parkinson’s “is characterized by progressive loss of muscle control, which leads to trembling of the limbs and head while at rest, stiffness, slowness, and impaired balance. As symptoms worsen, it may become difficult to walk, talk, and complete simple tasks.”
The bombshell revelation about the First Lady’s medical woes was first made by a source familiar with Mrs. Jonathan’s previous secret treatments in Spain and Italy. The source disclosed that Mrs. Jonathan had battled Parkinson’s for some years now. In addition, doctors had advised her to “do something urgent about her morbid body mass index (BMI),” said the source. She added that Mrs. Jonathan had indeed considered undergoing the kind of tummy tuck procedure that former Governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha once had.
Two other sources close to the Jonathans confirmed that the First Lady has been dogged by Parkinson’s. One said the disease was largely responsible for her clumsiness, drawling speech and slow movement at public events. He added that Mrs. Jonathan has been suffering serious trembling in the left hand. “That’s why she always uses her right to hold the microphone when speaking at public events,” the source revealed. Mrs. Jonathan also reportedly is affected by stiffness of the limbs and trunk which affects her movement.
A news staffer at the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) told SaharaReporters that Mrs. Jonathan’s aides warned reporters covering her never to film her beyond her waist. “Her senior personal assistant told the crew covering her long ago: ‘Don’t ever film Madam’s waist. Show her face only.’ That’s been the code at NTA.”
Two of our sources stated that Mrs. Jonathan had made efforts to slow the disease that had started to ravage her. “She has been visiting a health farm in Italy on a regular basis since 2010,” one source revealed. “To alleviate her pain, she has been taking her medication religiously.”
A friend of Mrs. Jonathan’s said that the First Lady’s health maladies include anxiety, occasional memory loss and disorientation. In addition, her blood pressure often rises to dangerous levels, forcing her to take a cocktail of anti-hypertensive drugs.
Also, our sources said that some officials attached to the First Lady’s office described her as constantly depressed, prone to snapping at people at the slightest provocation. “The First Lady can just get angry at the slightest provocation and rain abuses at anybody in sight,” he said.
As happened during the health crisis of the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, the Nigerian Presidency’s reaction to Mrs. Jonathan’s health condition is to be mum. When SaharaReporters contacted a senior aide of President Jonathan on the matter of the First Lady’s illness, he sharply said, “I’m not saying anything. And please don’t mention that you spoke to me.” SaharaReporters learnt that officials of the Presidency are under a virtual oath of secrecy on the issue of Mrs. Jonathan’s health crisis.

How four Northern Governors robbed their states of N1b for PDP Chairman Bamanga Tukur

SaharaReporters has unearthed a fraudulent contribution of a whopping N1 billion by the governors of Gombe, Bauchi, Adamawa, and Taraba as a gift to the Peoples Democratic Party Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur on the occasion of the launch of his biography.
Each of the four Northeastern governors contributed an astounding N250 million to the launch of “The Global Villager in Abuja,” written by a veteran journalist, Eddie Aderinokun, to commemorate the 77th birthday of Tukur.
It would be recalled that early last week, President Goodluck Jonathan pleaded with PDP governors for “donations” for the launch, which they had boycotted.
President Jonathan, who was accompanied to the event by Chief Edwin Clarke, Professor Jerry Gana, Chief Arthur Eze and several others, was surprised to find that only three of the party’s 23 governors were present, although they were all in town for a meeting with the president.
New revelations show that the state governors made substantial donations to the event after all, with some of them also donating expensive memorabilia for distribution to guests at the event. Some of the memorabilia obtained by Saharareporters included handmade leather iPad covers emblazoned with embossed photo and name of Mr. Tukur “BMT@77″ on them.
DailyPost

PHCN Swindle: IBB, Otedola’s Involvement An “Insult” To Nigerians, Says CDHR

Former military dictator Ibrahim Babangida And Femi Otedola

By SaharaReporters, New York

The Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) says the ongoing process to acquire the nation’s power plants is only an exercise to further enrich the looters of Nigeria’s collective wealth.
In a statement signed by its National Vice-President, Comrade Taiwo Otitolaye, the group called the participation in the process of former military dictator, Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida (IBB), an insult to Nigeria’s collective intelligence, and called for his North-South Power Company Ltd and Elumelu’s Transcorp and Otedola’s Forte to be disqualified from bidding.
CDHR expressed regret over the role of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, describing them as moribund anti-graft institutions.
“Were it to be in other climes, the likes of Babangida should not be walking the streets as a free man,”
CDHR said.  “With likes of Femi Otedola and IBB, the credibility of the bid process is highly undermined,” the statement said, recalling that Otedola still has a case to answer in the “Farouk Gate” affair.
Stating that in a decent polity, people like IBB would be tried for grave economic and political crimes against humanity, it recalled that the transition he implemented and then truncated on June 23rd, 1993 gulped over N40 billion.
warned that the country is yet to recover from the trauma and political turbulence of that electioneering period, and that IBB’s interest in North-South Power Company Ltd alone is enough to disqualify the company.
“Nigerians want to know the source of the company’s wealth giving its connection to Babangida,” the statement demanded.  “Going by Pius Okigbo’s report on Gulf War Oil gains, IBB was indicted and the CDHR demands for the implementation of that report.”
CDHR warned that not all Nigerians have lost their memory and sanity, stating that the deceit, looting of the collective treasury, political trickery and institutionalization of corruption that characterized IBB’s regime has not been forgotten.
“For how long can we continue to struggle with old-soiled recycled hands in our polity and economic circles?” the statement asked, calling for the probe of IBB in the $12.4b Gulf War oil swindle.