Jonathan, others steal 400,000 barrels of oil daily

Asiwaju Bola Tinubu
| credits: File copy

The National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, Senator Bola Tinubu, has accused President Goodluck Jonathan of being insincere that he knows nothing about the 400,000 barrels of crude oil which the former Lagos State governor said was being stolen from Nigeria daily.

Tinubu, who spoke at the flag-off of Governor Abiola Ajimobi’s campaign in Ibadan on Saturday, insisted that Jonathan was allegedly responsible for oil theft and that he should be removed by all Nigerians during presidential election.

Leaders of the APC present at the campaign included former Chairman of the party, Bisi Akande; former Governors of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi and Segun Oni; former Governor of Osun State, Olagunsoye Oyinlola; Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State; APC Chairman in Oyo State, Akin Oke; and South-West party executives.

Tinubu described the Peoples Democratic Party as “Poverty Development Party,” while calling on market women, teachers and civil servants in Oyo State not to allow the party to return them to the dark days.

He said, “God will not take us back to the bad days again. We will not see PDP here again because God has chased them away. Segun Oni and Oyinlola have realised that PDP is not the right party. Leaders of the party have deceived us for too long but I did not allow them in Lagos.

“In the past, Oyo was a violent state but that has disappeared and we will not go back to the dark days. APC stands for the actualisation of better future for our children.

“Jonathan and his government are stealing 400,000 barrels of crude oil every day in Nigeria. He is telling us that he cannot see that amount of crude oil being stolen in the system, yet he calls himself the President. He is running a government of thieves and we will use our votes to send him away. He is taking away all our wealth.”

Tinubu also spoke about former Governor Rashidi Ladoja’s removal from office, the role he (Tinubu) played to restore him and how Ladoja refused to work with Ajimobi despite his (Tinubu’s) several appeals.

He said he was surprised that Ladoja had to form the Accord Party.

Aregesola, in his remarks, also accused the PDP of bringing suffering and corruption to the country, adding that the administration of the party since 1999 had sent Nigerians to slavery.

He said, “A litre of kerosene is now N120 but the landing cost is just N40.90k. They give to marketers at the rate of N95. That can only be done by a fraudulent government. They feed on fraudulent act perpetrated in the oil industry. PDP is a shameless party and they must go.”

The Presidency however described Tinubu’s allegation as “an idle campaign talk.”

Abati warned members and the leadership of the opposition party to refrain from what he called “verbal violence.”

Abati said, “”Opposition members and leaders should be warned to refrain from verbal violence.

They should tell Nigerians what they can do for them if elected. Now that they have seen that their lies about government not fighting corruption is no longer convincing, they are resorting to verbal violence.

Don’t abandon Jonathan, Daniel begs Obasanjo

ormer Governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, has begged former President Olusegun Obasanjo not to abandon President Goodluck Jonathan ahead of the February 14 presidential election.

Daniel’s plea came less than 24 hours after Obasanjo openly declared support for the re-election of Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun, who is a member of the opposition All Progressives Congress.

Daniel, while addressing members of the Peoples Democratic Party at the inauguration of the Goodluck/Sambo Independent Support Team in Lagos on Saturday, said Obasanjo gave the people of the South-South region a sense of belonging by ensuring that Jonathan emerged as vice-president in 2007 and as President in 2011.

He, therefore, begged Obasanjo to finish what he started by ensuring that Jonathan completes his second term as President.

Daniel said, “Obasanjo should finish the job he started in 2011 because a job that is half-done is not done at all. It is the height of injustice for Jonathan and the South-South people not to be allowed to do a second-term. We, the Yoruba people are saying that for the reason of equity, Jonathan should be allowed for a second term and after that, power can shift to the North.”

Meanwhile, the Presidency on Saturday said President Goodluck Jonathan was ready at all times to appease former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

It also agreed with the ex-President that candidates in the forthcoming general elections should be judged by their performance.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, said this in an interview with SUNDAY PUNCH.

Okupe was reacting to a statement credited to Obasanjo that performance, as against party loyalty, should be the overriding factor in voting for candidates in the February elections.

Okupe said Obasanjo was correct in his submission, which he described as statesman-like.

He said, “Obasanjo is right. I want Nigerians to vote for the next President based on performance. Let Buhari tell us his performance and Goodluck Jonathan should tell us his performance.

“Obasanjo is correct; there is nothing wrong with that. That is very statesman-like of him.

“I want my party’s candidates to win but this election is about performance. Luckily, Buhari has been a Head of State before, it does not matter how long he was in government. He was in government for 20 months; Murtala Muhammed was in government for six months and he became a hero.

“It is not an excuse that 20 months is not enough. In 20 months, Buhari showed clear attributes of indolence and incompetence. He did not add any value to the nation. He did not achieve anything. All he did was to be hard and harsh on people. He was busy harassing southerners like Awolowo and Ajasin.

“If you put that side-by-side with the performance of Jonathan, he has touched everything he met. All 24 airports have been refurbished. He has brought railway back to life. There is substantial achievement in power. We can only go forward, we can’t come back.”

When asked whether the President was still ready to mend fence with Obasanjo, the presidential aide said Jonathan had tremendous respect for the ex-President.

“This President is a liberal-minded President and he has a lot of respect for Obasanjo. He has never hidden that. He believes that Obasanjo is his political father, no matter whether they have disagreements or not.

“The President is ready at all times to make peace and appease the elderly gentleman,” Okupe said.

Similarly, the national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party has said it will not join issues with Obasanjo.

National Publicity Secretary of the party, Prof. Wale Oladipo, stated this in a telephone interview with our correspondent in Abuja on Saturday.

He said, “Baba (Obasanjo) remains our leader and therefore we won’t join issues with him. We will continue to work with him and other leaders of our party in Ogun State and Nigeria to achieve success.

“I can however assure you that Gboyega Isiaka is poised to win the governorship election in the state with the support of other members of our party in the state like the Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina.”

‘We won’t support Jonathan, unless…

A coalition of socio-political groups in the South-East has asked President Goodluck Jonathan to fulfill the promises he made to the Igbo or risk losing their support in the forthcoming presidential election.

Chibok schoolgirls’ parents blast Jonathan

Two-hundred and sixty-two days after their daughters were kidnapped from school, some of the distraught parents of the students of Government Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, on Thursday criticised President Goodluck Jonathan for not fulfilling his promise to rescue the girls from the custody of Boko Haram.

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Buhari, Atiku’s wife attend Aregbesola’s inauguration

Head of State, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd) and wife of former Vice President, Titi Abubakar, are among the dignitaries attending the second term inauguration of Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun

The Nigeria Export Promotion Commission on Wednesday said the current insecurity challenge in the country would not affect the drive of the commission to attract more investors into the country.

The Executive Secretary/ Chief Executive, NIPC, Mrs Saratu Umar, disclosed this in Abuja during an interactive session with members of the diplomatic community.

She said rather than witnessing decline in the level of investments coming into the country, statistics have shown that for the second year running, Nigeria still remained the preferred investment destination in the continent of Africa.

Reps may intervene in Ekiti Assembly crisis

Strong indications have emerged that the National Assembly may intervene in the crisis rocking the Ekiti State House of Assembly.

Specifically, the House of Representatives has indicated its readiness to take over legislative functions in the state, as allowed by the Constitution, should the crisis in the state Assembly persist.

Tambuwal blasts police, says he’s ready for arrest

The Speaker of House of the House of Representatives, Mr. Aminu Tambuwal, on Saturday asked the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Suleiman Abba, to invite him for questioning and possible arrest if found to have fallen fowl of the law.

FG to link state capitals with rail system

President  Goodluck Jonathan said all  state capitals would be linked with rail transportation to boost the nation’s economy.

Jonathan stated this in London at the 17th meeting of the Honorary International Investment Council with the theme: Rail Transportation.

He said that with such nationwide rail coverage, roads and highways would be better maintained, adding “if we do not

Deadly snowstorm hits US

A massive snowstorm has wreaked havoc in the north-eastern US and left seven people dead in upstate New York.

After sweeping across the Great Lakes, the storm dumped 5ft (1.5m) of snow in the Buffalo area, with more forecast.

The storm caused seven deaths there - one in a car crash, one trapped in a car and five from heart attacks.

Freezing temperatures were recorded across the country, and there were more deaths elsewhere in the country.

"We have tried to get out of our house, and we are lucky to be able to shovel so we can open the door," said Linda Oakley, a resident of Buffalo.

"We're just thinking that in case of an emergency we can at least get out the door," she added. "We can't go any further."

Residents were reported trapped in their homes and cars, and strong winds and icy roads caused motorway accidents and forced school closures in parts of the US.

About 20 people have died across the US since Saturday.
Three firefighters in Indiana were also injured when a trailer struck a fire truck on a snow-covered roadway.
Amid the weather, the State University of New York Buffalo announced it planned to go ahead with a nationally televised football game on Wednesday evening, although all pre-game activities were cancelled.

Pro-Fayose’s Lawmakers Remove Ekiti Speaker, Deputy

The pro-Fayose lawmakers in the Ekiti State House of Assembly on Thursday  removed  Hon. Adewale Omirin as the Speaker of the House and elevated the Speaker Protempore, Hon. Dele Olugbemi, to occupy the seat.  The Deputy Speaker, Hon Tunji Orisalade, suffered   a similar fate as his boss as he was booted out and replaced with  a female lawmaker, Hon.  Abeni Olayinka, representing Ado Constituency 2. 

The new Speaker is a foundation member of  the Campaign for Democracy, a human rights organization.  Omirin had , however, insisted that he remains the Speaker of the Assembly, saying  2/3 majority of the House is required to unseat him as stipulated by the 1999 constitution. 

Omirin , who reacted  to the situation on a Lagos- based television, African Independent Television, said: “The 19 APC members are intact and we are outside the State because Ekiti is not safe for us. I don’t know where they got the 2/3 strength to remove me because that was what the laws required .

http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/pro-fayose-s-lawmakers-remove-ekiti-speaker-deputy/194611/

Man pleads not guilty to homosexual act

A 29-year-old man, Uchenna Maduakor, has pleaded not guilty to a charge of homosexuality levelled against him.

Maduakor was accused of having unlawful sexual intercourse with his roommate, one Veneginus

Why Jonathan may win re-election

In this two-part series, I examine the strengths and weaknesses of the two major parties, the Peoples Democratic Party and the All Progressives Congress, as they engage in interesting political gymnastics, preparatory to the 2015 presidential election, which is barely four months away. My

Fayemi, Fayose’s feud deepens over inauguration

The feud between the outgoing Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, and the Governor-elect, Ayodele Fayose, is affecting the plans for the October 16 inauguration, it was learnt on Monday.

On September 15, Fayemi inaugurated a 19-member transition committee, comprising members from his administration and those nominated by Fayose.

Taliban kills 22 in mountain ambush

Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan have killed at least 22 security force members in an ambush in Sar-e-Pol province north of Kabul, officials say.

The Taliban attacked from the mountains as the convoy was travelling through Laghman valley, officials say, and at least 22 insurgents were also killed.

China sentences 12 to death over killings

China has sentenced 12 people to death for involvement in an attack that left 96 people dead in July, as part of a “strike hard” campaign against violence in the mostly Muslim Xinjiang province.

State broadcaster, China Central Television said on Monday that 12 people had been condemned to death and 15 others handed suspended death sentences, for their role in attacks on a police station and government offices that killed 37 civilians.

Thai diplomat summoned over British tourists murders

The Thai charge d’affaires has been summoned to the UK Foreign Office over concerns about the inquiry into the murders of two British tourists.

Lagos ‘bird woman’ dies in hospital

A middle-aged woman who caused a stir at Cappa Bus Stop, Oshodi Lagos on Friday, after being accused of witchcraft, has died.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the woman, who was badly burnt, was accused of transforming from a bird into a human being.

External reserves may drop by $4.44 bn

Economists are of the view that Nigeria’s foreign reserves will be seriously depleted in the coming months if the fall in global crude oil prices continues, thus posing a threat to the economy, OKECHUKWU NNODIM writes

We now pay App developers online

The Programmes Manager, Google, sub-Saharan Africa, Mr. Chukwuemeka Afigbo, speaks with OZIOMA UBABUKOH on the company’s online payments for App developers, among other issues

Why is Google spending so many resources on its developer initiatives? Why is this group important to you?

Ekiti CJ to brief NJC on crisis today

The Chief Judge of the Ekiti State, Justice Ayodele Daramola, is to brief the National Judicial Council on the crisis rocking the state judiciary at its meeting in Abuja today (Monday).

The council chaired by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Mariam Aloma-Mukhtar, is to among others, review the development in Ekiti State after political thugs attacked judges in separate incidents on September 22 and 25 respectively.

11 killed, others injured in Ibadan market fire

At least 11 people lost their lives while several others sustained varying degrees of burns after a tanker laden with petrol burst in flames around Molete Market, Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

An employee of the Nigerian Tribune, Mr. Samson Oyewole, and an eight year-old girl were among the victims of the fire which burnt 45 shops at the market on Saturday night.

Mimiko intimidating lawmakers seeking to join us

The All Progressives Congress in Ondo State has alleged that Ondo State Governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, has been intimidating some members of the state House of Assembly who have the intention of joining the party.

I have no grudge against anyone in PDP

The former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, on Sunday said he bore no grudge against anybody in the Peoples Democratic Party.

He, however, said he was not happy with the choice of Mr. Buruji Kashamu as the Chairman, Mobilisation and Organisation committee of the party in the South-West.

Amosun’s convoy involved in crash, aides injured

The convoy of the Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, was on Sunday involved in an accident, leaving two of his aides injured.

Turkey to let US use bases against IS

Turkey has agreed to let the US use its military bases in the campaign against Islamic State militants, US National Security Adviser Susan Rice says.
Ms Rice said the US welcomed the new agreement, which included use of the Incirlik air base in Turkey’s south.

Liberian health workers plan strike

Liberian health officials are appealing to nurses and medical assistants not to go ahead with a national strike, as the Ebola epidemic continues.

Nigeria, others may lose $40bn to Ebola

The International Monetary Fund says Nigeria and other West African countries will lose a combined sum of $40bn in their Gross Domestic Products if governments fail to curtail the dreaded Ebola Virus Disease on time.

‘Jonathan, 6th richest African president’

Richest Lifestyle, a US-based website, has listed President Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria as the 6th Richest African president.
In an article titled, ‘Richest African Presidents 2014′ , the US website compiled a list of the nine richest presidents and kings in Africa. According to the article, President Jonathan is worth $100million. Other African presidents and kings on the list include;
1. Jose Eduardo dos Santos of Angola – Net Worth: $20 Billion
2. Mohammed VI of Morocco – Net Worth: $2.5 Billion
3. Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea – $600 Million
4. Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya – Net Worth: $500 Million
5. Paul Biya of Cameroon – Net Worth: $200 Million
6. King Mswati III of Swaziland – Net Worth: $100 Million (The monarch shares the number 6 spot with President Jonathan)
7. Idriss Deby of Chad – Net Worth: $50 Million
8. Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe – Net Worth: $10 Million

‘Jonathan, 6th richest African president’

Richest Lifestyle, a US-based website, has listed President Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria as the 6th Richest African president.

Chile stops Canadian mine company from operating

Chile’s supreme court has halted the development of a gold and copper mine owned by the Canadian conglomerate, Goldcorp, until indigenous communities are consulted.
The court upheld an appeal filed on the El Morro mine by the Diaguita community in northern Chile.
The community said the mine, worth almost $4bn, could pollute a local river.
Several recent mining projects in Chile were blocked after local opposition.
In April, a lower court rejected the Diaguita’s request to halt the project because, the community said, Goldcorp had not conducted proper consultations with local communities.
In an interview with Associated Press, a Diaguita leader, Maglene Campilley said after the Supreme Court ruling, “The Diaguita people are happy that justice is on the side of the humble, of those who defend Mother Earth, our water resources and our indigenous land.”

ICC set for Kenyatta appearance at The Hague

The International Criminal Court in The Hague is set to hold the first of two days of hearings in which Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta will be the first head of state to come before it.

We are Lagosians

The President of the Association of Ewe Indigenes of Nigeria, Mr. Albert Ayeadun, has urged the Lagos State Government to accord the people all benefits due to citizens.

Ewe people are mainly found on Lagos coastline, with their primary business being fishing.