Nigeria Property: 04/05/15

Sunday, April 5, 2015

PDP chieftain beaten to stupor in Benue

I was in a cage for 16 good years –President Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan on Sunday looked back at his 16 years in public service and concluded that he was “in a cage” during the period.

But he was quick to admit that he had yet to see anybody luckier than he had been. Jonathan spoke while receiving residents of the Federal Capital Territory who were led by Vice President Namadi Sambo to pay him Easter homage at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

He said,

“For me as an individual, this Easter concides with the time I am leaving(office) but I always say that I am one of the luckiest Nigerians. I have yet to see somebody luckier than me.

“I have been in government for 16 years beginning from 1999. Not in government as a parliamentarian because if you are a Senator or House of Representatives member, you take care of yourself, you live in your own house.

“I was in a cage, being taken care of by government. From May 29, 1999 to date; 16 good years. I think it is enough and I am happy.

“Please help me to thank God for that. I will continue to thank Nigerians for giving me that privilege. I became a deputy governor because Bayelsans voted for me and my governor then (Diepreye Alamieyeseigha). I became a Vice-President because Nigerians voted for (Umaru)Yar’Adua and myself.

“I continued in 2011 because Nigerians voted for me and Namadi Sambo. I have to thank all Nigerians. Wherever I will be, I will remain grateful to this great country. Today is a glorious day for me.”

Jonathan said Nigerians should be ready to make sacrifices for the survival of the government at every given time. He said during his days as deputy governor, he kept telling people that what he needed was patriotism and not loyalty. The President cited the examples of soldiers and policemen who, according to him, are dying daily in the fight against Boko Haram in order for others to live.

He added,

“So as a people, as a government, what I   believe we should always ask is: ‘What sacrifice   are we making?

“Now, it is not about supporting Jonathan or his government. Now, Buhari is coming on board; it is not about supporting Buhari or his government but the sacrifice   we are willing to make for government and for the nation?

“If you are a businessman and you say you are supporting government but you don’t pay tax, how then do you expect that government to survive?

“While in Bayelsa State as a deputy governor, people used to come to me to say ‘I’m loyal;’ but I always tell them   to   say that   they are patriotic to the country.

“To me, whenever I travel out of the country and see things work, I tell myself that those things didn’t fall down like manna; people made sacrifices. Therefore,   people in Nigeria must also be ready to make   sacrifice.

“Whoever becomes President is immaterial so long as the citizens are happy: our children go to school, the sick   go to good hospital and of course, the economy is working. But for them to take place, people must make the required sacrifices.

“In the ECOWAS sub-region for example, Nigeria has the lowest rate of Value Added Tax which is five per cent. Other countries in the region pay up to 12 per cent.

“If for instance, Buhari decides to increase VAT from five to 10 per cent, will Nigerians support him? That is sacrifice and we must make sacrifice. “Nation building depends on   sacrifice by individuals and patriotism.

“We are talking about Boko Haram or terror, soldiers are dying so that others can   live, policemen are dying while protecting us. These people are making sacrifices. As individuals we don’t need to die but there   roles we need to play and one of them is to make   sacrifice.”

Jonathan cited the case of China, saying when its economy was threatened, the citizens locked up themselves for a period of time. He recalled that by the time they opened their doors, the country became a threat to the biggest economies. The President wondered if Nigerians were ready for that kind of sacrifice which, according to him, is one of the key lessons of Easter.

Sambo, in his remarks, thanked Jonathan for what he described as achievements.The Vice President said by accepting defeat in the last elections, Jonathan had saved the country and made it a pride of Africa and a global star.

“For your contributions and actions, your name will forever be in gold in the history of the world ,” Sambo said.

The Vice President said he was proud to remain the President’s deputy, friend and brother. He said since the five years he spent with the President were enough to obtain first and second degrees in a university, he had obtained Ph.D under Jonathan’s tutelage.

“I will forever be loyal to you. We are members of one family. We are very proud of you. All Nigerians appreciate the strong foundation you have put in place,” he added.

A giant Easter greeting card was presented to the President during the event that was attended by the deputy governor of Sokoto State, Muktar Shagari; the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim; the Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, Cardinal John Onaiyekan; and the Primate, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Most Revd. Nicholas Okoh.

The Head of Service, Danladi Kifasi; the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Bala Muhammed; the Minister of State, FCT, Olajumoke Akinjide; and the Chief Imam of Abuja, Muhammed Musa were in the delegation.

Nigerians’ll look for Jonathan

– President’s chaplain

Meanwhile, the Chaplain to the President, Ven. Obioma Onwuzurumba, has said that Nigerians would still look for Jonathan.

He said this while delivering a sermon titled “The Lord is risen indeed” during the Easter Sunday service held at the Aso Villa Chapel.

The cleric likened Jonathan to Jesus Christ whose disciples, he said, were not even convinced that he was the messiah and that he would resurrect.

The clergyman said, “This Jonathan they did not want, they will look for him. This Jonathan they despised, they will look for him. They will seek his advice. He is not Jesus but he is like Jesus. I am not here to praise him.

“The disciples did not have the confidence that Jesus who did many things in their lives and that of the people was the messiah and if indeed he would resurrect again.”

Onwuzurumba argued that irrespective of what anybody would say, Jesus Christ resurrected and is alive.

The first lesson of the service was read by the chaplain’s wife from Psalm 16:1 to the end while the second lesson taken from Luke 24:13-35. It was read by the Senator representing FCT, Philip Aduda.

It service which also featured special renditions and special prayers was not attended by Jonathan’s wife, Patience and his mother, Eunice.

Naira reacts to president-elect Buhari, set to rise further against the dollar this week

The naira will rise further against the dollar on the parallel market this week, analysts and foreign exchange dealers have predicted.

They argued that the peaceful outcome of the presidential election and the hard stance of the President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, against corruption and economic leakages had boosted investor confidence in the economy. The naira, which fell to a record high of 228 against the greenback before the election, rose to 210 on Friday.

However, the local currency traded within the 199-199.50 band on the official interbank market, where it has been stuck since February, after the Central Bank of Nigeria pegged the rate.

The Acting President, Association of Bureau de Change Operators of Nigeria, Alhaji Aminu Gwadabe, told our correspondent he expected the local currency to rise further this week and beyond.

Gwadabe, who said the naira had firmed to 204 against the dollar on Thursday, believe the trend would continue this week, adding that “the naira may appreciate to something below 197 currently at the interbank market.”

Foreign exchange dealers said the demand for dollar had reduced compared to what happened before the presidential election.

A currency analyst at Ecobank Nigeria, Mr. Kunle Ezun, had said the market was trading around the general elections and Buhari’s person.

He had said, “The market has been trading around sentiments and emotions, this is why the naira is appreciating; nothing has really changed in the fundamentals. There was high demand for the dollar before the election because some people predicted post-election violence. Now, the game is over and there is no violence. So, the demand for the greenback is abating.

“The market is also trading around the sentiment that Buhari will fight corruption, strengthen institutions and eliminate wastages. But after his inauguration, the market will trade around the fundamentals like the oil price, external reserves and others.”

In a sign of relief, individuals who had stockpiled dollars to hedge against political risk fearing the election could be marred by violence, were exchanging their funds for the naira, Reuters reported.

“We are not going to see much of movement in the pricing of the naira at the interbank market until the central bank reviews the present measure which has stagnated the rate,” a dealer said.

The naira-dollar exchange rate has yet to witness any change at the interbank market.

According to Reuters, the Kenyan shilling is expected to weaken, hurt by negative sentiment after a deadly attack by al Shaabab near the frontier with Somalia threatened its tourism fortunes.

The shilling has lost ground steadily since last year, partly due to a downturn in tourism following attacks by al Shabaab militants. Tourists are a leading source of hard currencies for East Africa’s biggest economy.

The shilling could trade between 92.50-93.20 to the dollar, with a move beyond 93 likely triggering intervention from the central bank, National Bank of Kenya trader, Chris Muiga, said.

Traders said a government bond could lend support to the shilling. Kenya’s central bank has invited bids for a 12-year infrastructure bond worth 25 billion shillings ($270m).

Ghana’s cedi could be buoyed by demand from businesses looking to settle domestic quarterly bills.

The West African currency has weakened by about 11 per cent since January, but looks set to reverse some of those losses, partly helped by a $940m International Monetary Fund aid deal this month that is expected to unlock additional offshore inflows.

“Liquidity has been weak on the local market … and this is likely to hold the dollar/cedi at current levels next week,” Barclays Bank analyst, Michael Akpakli, said.

The outlook points to a firmer Zambian kwacha this week, after the central bank hiked the amount of money commercial banks should deposit with the regulator and as the government plans to resolve a mining tax row with foreign investors.

The Bank of Zambia will raise the statutory reserve ratio to 18 per cent from 14 per cent on Wednesday.

“The increase will reduce liquidity and that should render support to the kwacha,” analyst Maambo Hamaundu told Reuters.

President Edgar Lungu last month directed the finance and mining ministers to adjust royalties on mining firms by April 8, saying the copper-producer could consider temporarily reverting to the less punitive tax regime which was in place in 2014.

Traders predicted a stable shilling on tightening liquidity but some investors were concerned about the impact of a planned increase in government spending.

The Ugandan government is planning to increase spending before the 2016 elections, although the central Bank of Uganda has vowed to use its key interest rate to keep inflation in check.

The shilling traded at 3,000/3,016, weaker than 2,975/2,985 a week ago.

“Liquidity is getting tighter in the market, we see this tightening slowing any weakening of the unit (shilling),” a trader at Bank of Africa, Ahmed Kalule, said.

Integrity not enough to run government.. fight corruption, Bakare tells Buhari

The General Overseer of the Latter Rain Assembly, Pastor Tunde Bakare, on Sunday in Lagos cautioned the President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, against appointing persons with questionable character into his government. Some of these people, the cleric said, were among those who facilitated Buhari’s success on March 28.

Bakare, who was the running mate to Buhari in the 2011 Presidential election on the platform of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change, said this at the 26th anniversary of his church. He delivered a message titled, ‘Democracy audit: chances, choices and consequences.’

The 60 year-old pastor urged Buhari to start the fight against corruption from his circle and lay a good example, saying change cannot be achieved if these were not done.

He said, “I congratulate Nigerians; we have chosen a man of integrity as our President. But integrity is not enough to run a government.

“May the good Lord surround the President-elect with men and women of goodwill, great intellectual capacity, competence and character to help restore our wasted years.

“I pray sincerely that not all those who facilitated his winning the election will be among those who run the government. I did say before the election that I trust the person of General Buhari but not all those around him.

“I mean every word of it because many of them are nothing but Ali Baba and 40 thieves. And if these are the same who would go into government, you can’t fight evil with evil. You can as well kiss the anti-corruption stance of Mr. President-elect goodbye.”

Bakare prayed for Buhari to have the needed wisdom and strength, noting that people were already submitting applications to him to serve in the incoming administration.

“You don’t know how many applications are in my phone. I am not the Vice-President; I am not looking for a job. They said ‘we know General Buhari listens to you; if I cannot get Minister of Works, maybe I will get Minister of Aviation’.

“The vultures are now going round and round. If he does not have quality people around him, then they will put round pegs in square holes and within two years, we are back to square one.”

The cleric saluted INEC chairman, Attahiru Jega for his leadership and “comportment in the face of grave accusation and provocation.”

He also commended President Goodluck Jonathan for conceding defeat, noting that he had written his name in gold.

Meanwhile, a former Chaplain of Aso Villa during the administration of ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, Reverend William Okoye, has called on Buhari to reduce the cost of governance by reducing the number of political offices in the country.

Why Jonathan lost to Buhari – Emire Sanusi

Previous Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria and the current Emir of Kano, Lamido Sanusi, says President Goodluck Jonathan lost due to the disposition of voters which was controlled by the financial conditions and level of neediness the nation over.

sanusi_emir

Sanusi, who is currently known as Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II, said this amid a meeting with our reporter on Saturday.

He said the voting showed that areas which had a high rate of poverty felt neglected by the Peoples Democratic Party-led Federal Government over the years. Sanusi said the presidential poll results showed that the figures of the PDP in presidential elections from 1999 had continued to dwindle significantly.

The monarch said the PDP got fewer votes in 2007, less in 2011 and then fewer votes in 2015 causing the ruling party to finally lose to the opposition party, the All Progressives Congress.

He said,

“I think in 2011, it was very clear that Jonathan had lost many states in the North that had previously been won by former President Olusegun Obasanjo. And it was clear that there was a general sense by people of the Federal Government not investing in the areas where there is a high level of poverty.

“I believe more and more of those states began to feel that sense of not feeling the federal presence and not feeling the impact of democracy in their pockets and I think it is extremely important for people to connect with the government and when you have such conditions after 16 years of democracy, it was natural that people would want to have a change and I think this is basically what has happened.

“I don’t think it is something about an individual, I think it is something that has been going on for a number of years and you could see the states won by the PDP in 1999 and what they won in 2003, what they won in 2007, 2011 and you would begin to see the changes in the way Nigerians were responding so it was a matter of time.”

Sanusi, however, commended Jonathan, the President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari; and the Independent National Electoral Commission for the conduct and atmosphere of the election. He said change of leadership was good for democracy as it encouraged healthy competition. He said it was the trend in democracies across the world.

“I think it is good for the country that you have different parties winning and if the APC performs, they get another term and if they don’t, they get voted out after four years and it is extremely important that this happens so let us not see it in terms of somebody losing,” he said.

Sanusi also urged Buhari not to focus solely on corruption but on other areas that required urgent government attention such as education, decaying infrastructure, diversifying the economy and fixing power.

President-elect Buhari: ‘We feared Jonathan would not accept defeat’ - APC

The APC said when they figured out they’d won the race, they expected that Pres. Jonathan would dismiss the outcome and invent a military mediation to prevent Buhari from being president however were surprised when, not just did Pres. Jonathan concede defeat, however called Buhari to salute him.

This was something the APC didn’t expect and would be always be grateful to Jonathan for…

The Director, Media and Publicity Directorate of the APC Presidential Campaign Organization, Mallam Garba Shehu, conversed with

Vanguard about APC’s surprise on GEJ’s phenomenal move…

“I can say that the President acted with grace. He surprised us because we never expected that they would accept defeat. In fact, the sense everyone had was that they probably had plan A, B, C or D. And in any case, with the kind of thing that Mr. Orubebe did at the collation center, you knew that even when the President had grace, given the chance with the community of people around him, they could have threatened this democracy.

“Look, I have been involved in presidential campaigns about three or four times in the past, the difference is that this is the most fearful campaign that I have ever experienced. This is the most life threatening campaign because we were dealing with opponents we thought would stop at nothing because they were throwing everything into it.

So, we were not taking anything for granted. It affected our lives. Would you see me in a night club? You couldn’t risk it because you didn’t even know who was trailing you. And it came as a huge relief.

“Again, we were getting security reports from our own sources. Until the President said ‘I concede’ and congratulated Buhari, we felt every minute that something wrong would happen. There was a clear and discernible threat to democracy as a system of government.

“Look, everyone felt concerned because, what if, God forbid, he declared a coup? These scenarios had been laid before Nigerians. Mr. Okupe, the Special Adviser to the President, was he not on Youtube, recorded on video, saying that Buhari will never become President? What do you take that for? It means that Buhari would win and they will take it away from him.

“This careless talk, arrogant display of power, it had come from the Villa. Many sources with linkages to power: Asari-Dokubo, Chief E.K. Clark and all of them, were they not sounding words to the President? They had said it that they would take away their part of the country from Nigeria if Buhari won.

“But for the President to have come and say ‘I accept defeat as the leader of the country’; that had an effect of really calming things down. And that’s why, whether they like it or not, President Jonathan has written his name in gold in so far as this is concerned.” Shehu said.

He then assured that the Buhari would not avenge the attacks on his person by the allies of Jonathan, saying there was enough work to do to meet the aspirations of Nigerians than pursuing mundane things.

Source: Vanguard

I am not a miracle worker, Do not expect miracles - Buhari Changes Tone

I told Jonathan he would lose -– TB Joshua

By Ihechukwu Njoku

Controversial cleric of the Synagogue Church of All Nations, T.B. Joshua, on Sunday said he told the outgoing Nigerian president, Goodluck Jonathan, that he would lose last week’s presidential election.

Mr. Joshua said he sent his message to the President several week before the election. “I want to use this moment to congratulate Nigerians in our midst here,” Mr. Joshua began in a message to his multi-national congregation, televised live via his Christian network Emmanuel TV.

Alluding to his prediction a week to the election that the dark cloud he saw covering Nigeria was lifting, he said that a bloody ‘war’ would have ensued if not for the prompt concession of power by President Jonathan. “Look, Nigeria wanted change – everyone was yearning for change. An attempt to stop change leads to war, to a bloodbath… If Nigeria knows what we have overcome, we would dance,” Mr. Joshua said.

Mr. Joshua praised Mr. Jonathan’s tenure insisting that he had served his nation well despite the immense security challenges.

“I really want to salute President Jonathan. The President has served; he has done his best. It was just the season of crisis – and unfortunately he found himself at the lead in the season of crisis ,” he said.

The cleric said ‘God’ spoke to him with a message for Mr. Jonathan several weeks before the general elections.

He said God told him -“This message should be delivered to your president, that whatever the outcome of this election, his regime has come to an end. He should accept to save the lives of millions,” he told the congregation. Mr. Joshua claimed he called Mr. Jonathan by phone, adding that he had previously shared with him many revelations about Nigeria which eventually came to pass. Insisting the seriousness of the revelation was such that it had to be relayed personally so as not affect votes, Mr. Joshua said Mr. Jonathan promptly sent a close aide to meet the cleric.

After the presidential aide had worshipped at his church during a Sunday service, Mr. Joshua said he met him and relayed the revelation that Mr. Jonathan’s regime had come to an end. “Soft landing – that is the language I sent to the president,” he told attendees.

Mr. Joshua described President Jonathan as a man who ‘has a heart for God’, revealing that he even spoke with the Nigerian president shortly before his historic concession call to President-elect Mr. Buhari.

“I said to him, ‘Your Excellency – all you need to say is thank You, Jesus, even when it seems there is nothing to be thankful for. He said, ‘Thank you, man of God’. Before I knew it, I saw the news on CNN that he had congratulated his opponent ,” Mr. Joshua said.

He prayed that people from the ‘South-South’ region in Nigeria where President Jonathan hails from would understand that ‘their son has become a hero’, adding that his actions prove the region is after a united Nigeria.

Mr. Joshua reminded his congregants that he had given a similar message in 2010 to Laurent Gbagbo, the former President of Ivory Coast.

“In a vision, I saw crisis – thousands of people being killed in Ivory Coast – just because of the outcome of the election,” he said to congregants.

After sending the message across to the then Ivorian leader, a delegation of government figures and presidential aides was dispatched to Nigeria.

“I told them that whatever the outcome of the election – whether the popular or unpopular voice of people – our President should concede. His regime has come to an end,” Joshua reminisced.

According to the cleric, Mr. Gbagbo had personally called him regarding the prediction, looking for an avenue to avert it and inviting him to Ivory Coast. Joshua insisted that nothing more could be done. When Mr. Gbagbo refused to concede power to Alassane Ouattara in the controversial 2010 elections, a bloody onslaught ensued leading to the deaths of thousands and his eventual incarceration and public disgrace.

Mr. Joshua also told his faithful how he had personally warned MKO Abiola that God was not backing his presidency in the ill-fated Nigerian elections of 1993 despite overwhelming public support in his favour.

He further recalled how, as a young man, he met the former Governor of Lagos State, Lateef Jakande, and told him that his beloved daughter was close to the grave. Both revelations came to pass, he said. The cleric added that his prophetic ministry is the reason he does not take sides in politics. “That is why I don’t belong to any party. All the parties are my own. I love everyone. If I belong to this party and the message of God is now against that party, how will I present it – when no one knows the mind of God? It is better I am free to deliver God’s message.”

He said that material gain was not his mission and that no exchange of money can be involved when it comes to spiritual matters such as prophecy.

“I am a material to be used that will not cost you any money. I am afraid to collect money from you because if I collect it, it will affect the gift and grace of God in my life.”

Mr. Joshua prayed for the new government to be led by the All Progressives Congress. “Join me to pray for the new government, headed by President-Elect Buhari. Ask God to give our President a hearing heart – a heart that will listen to what the public is saying and want to know God’s opinion,” he said.