Friday, May 31, 2013
Wedding bells for Nedu of Wazobia FM
Their court wedding held in April. Congrats to them.
JTF uncovers Lebanese terror cell in Kano
The Joint Task Force on Thursday said it had uncovered a Lebanon-based Hezbollah armoury and terror cell in Bompai, Kano State.
The force, which said it found large cache of arms and ammunition, also confirmed the arrest of three persons in connection with the armoury and the cell.
A Lebanese national currently out of the country reportedly owns the premises where the armoury and the cell were found at No 3, Gaya Road, Off Bompai Road in the ancient city.
A statement by the JTF spokesman,
Captain Ikedichi Iweha, said the JTF operatives, comprising officials of
the 3rd Army Brigade in Kano and the State Security Service conducted
the operations.
The operatives, he said, uncovered an underground bunker in the premises where large quantities of assorted weapons were hidden.
Iweha, who said the construction of the
bunker was special, listed anti-tank weapons, rocket propelled guns and
anti-tank/personnel mines as some of the dangerous weapons found in the
premises.
He added that the weapons and ammunition were concealed in coolers, drums and bags.
According to him, the latest recovery followed an ongoing robust counter-terrorism investigation by the SSS.
Confirming the existence of a Hezbollah
cell in the country, Iweha noted that the SSS had arrested one Mustapha
Fawaz, co-owner of Amigo Supermarket and the Wonderland Amusement Park,
in Abuja.
The arrest of Fawaz, Iweha said, led to
the arrest of another Lebanese terror suspect, Abdullah Tahini, at the
Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport with over$60,000
He added, “Thereafter on May 26, 2013, one Talal Roda, also a Lebanese with a Nigerian Passport, was arrested in the same house.
“All those arrested have confessed to
have undergone Hezbollah Terrorist Training and further implicated one
Fauzi Fawad, also a co-owner of Amigo Supermarket and Wonderland
Amusement Park.”
When one of our correspondents contacted
the Director of Defence Information, Brig. Gen. Chris Olukolade, he
described the discovery of the arms and the arrest of the Lebanese
importers as “a major breakthrough.”
The action of the JTF operatives, he
said demonstrated the commitment of security agencies to riding the
country of illegal arms.
Meanwhile, the SSS said the weapons were intended for use against “Israeli and Western interests”.
“This is the handwork of Hezbollah,” Bassey Ettang, director of the SSS said in Kano.
“You can also be sure that if a group
like this is existing, then it may even lend support to some of the
local terrorists we have on the ground.”
Hezbollah is a Shia military and
political movement based in Lebanon considered by the United States to
be a terrorist organisation.
The sect was conceived by Muslim
clerics and funded by Iran following the Israeli invasion of Lebanon,
and was primarily formed to offer resistance to the Israeli occupation.
Its leaders were inspired by former
Iranian leader, Ayatollah Khomeini, and its forces were trained and
organised by a contingent of Iranian Revolutionary Guards.
Hezbollah’s 1985 manifesto listed its
four main goals as “Israel’s final departure from Lebanon as a prelude
to its final obliteration.”
SOURCE: PUNCH
Woolwich: Soldier's Family Appeals For Calm
The family of murdered soldier Lee Rigby has appealed for calm and an end to attacks in the wake of his death.
In a statement following the opening of an inquest into the killing of
the 25-year-old, the family said: "We would like to emphasise that Lee
would not want people to use his name as an excuse to carry out attacks
against others."We would not wish any other families to go through this harrowing experience and appeal to everyone to keep calm and show their respect in a peaceful manner."
The family also used the statement to thank the public for their "overwhelming support" since the soldier was hacked to death by two men as he returned to his barracks at Woolwich after a day working at the Tower of London.
It was issued through the Ministry of Defence on behalf of Drummer Rigby's stepfather Ian, his mother, Lyn and his estranged wife Rebecca with whom he has a two-year-old son, Jack.
It came after an inquest at Southwark Coroner's Court has heard how Drummer Rigby suffered "extensive and serious injuries" and had to be identified by a dental expert.
Since the killing there has been a significant increase in reports of attacks against Muslims and a number of arrests made over comments posted on social networking sites.
According to Faith Matters, an organisation that works to reduce extremism, some 212 incidents have been reported since Drummer Rigby's murder.
The Queen visited the barracks at Woolwich where she met personnel who co-ordinated the response of the Royal Artillery Barracks to the soldier's murder.
In the statement the family, who gave an emotional news conference a week ago, added that they were still struggling to come to terms with his death.
This week Drummer Rigby's fiancee Aimee West visited the scene of his death and released a short statement through Scotland Yard in which she paid tribute to the soldier.
Ms West said: "I am extremely proud of him and I am moved by all the flowers and tributes, and that he has been remembered by the nation as the great man that he was."
On Thursday, Michael Adebowale, 22, from Greenwich, appeared in court charged with the soldier's murder. He is due to appear again at the Old Bailey on Monday.
A second man, Michael Adebolajo, who was arrested on suspicion of the killing, remains in hospital after being shot by police.
:: A friend of Adbolajo has been charged with three terror offences after being arrested at the BBC, the Crown Prosecution Service has disclosed.
Abu Nusaybah, 28, was arrested after giving an interview to Newsnight last week.
The charges all relate to publishing material that could encourage the "commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism".
Empowering Minds & Enriching Lives in Osun! You are Invited to ‘Opon Imo’ | Monday 3rd June 2013
The government of Osun State is presenting the “Opon Imo”
– Tablet of Knowledge project. The initiative is directed at improving
the quality of education and its sector in the state by embracing
technology.
The government has identified key issues
especially in the area of performance of students in the Senior
Secondary School leaving Certificate(SSCE) and matriculation
examinations and are determined to do something positive to help the
students do better as it engages the use of modern state-of-the-art
curriculum and education materials to empower and enrich lives.
For more information on the ‘Opon Imo’ project visit any of the platforms below and be back to tell us what you think.Visit the Website www.oponimo.com | Follow on Twitter: @myoponimo | Like them on Facebook www.facebook.com/myoponimo
Date: Monday 3rd June 2013
Contact: To RSVP Please contact Gbenga: 08034012560, Biyi: 08034036622, Bola: 08033028079, Muyiwa: 08026043299, Olalekan: 08035171663 & Joy: 08027522373
Former IT Specialist Claims To Be Jesus Reborn
A man claiming to be Jesus is gaining followers and causing concern among cult experts in Australia.
Former IT specialist Alan John Miller, or AJ as he prefers to be
known, runs a religious movement known as the Divine Truth from his home
near the small town of Kingaroy in the state of Queensland.Mr Miller claims that not only is he Christ, but his partner, Australian Mary Luck, is in fact Mary Magdalene, who according to the Bible was present at the crucifixion.
He told Sky News: "I have very clear memories of the crucifixion, but it wasn't as harrowing for me as it was for others like Mary who was present.
"When you are one with God you are not in a state of fear, and you have quite good control over your body's sensations and the level of pain that you absorb from your body."
Mr Miller holds seminars near his home and also travels around the world teaching people how to have a personal relationship with God, often by delving deep into their emotions.
Dozens of his followers are understood to have bought properties in the area to be closer to him.
After his crucifixion the Australian claims he entered the spirit world where he met Plato, Socrates, popes and presidents.
He also says he remembers performing miracles.
He said: "I did resurrect quite a number of people ... including a friend of mine Lazarus, who most people know is mentioned in the Bible."
Whilst critics dismiss his claims the seminars attract large groups of people, up to 150 a time.
"It's just nice to instead of being surrounded by people who think you are nuts, to be surrounded by people who understand what you are going through and the difficulties of trying to deal with all the emotional stuff," she said.
She believes AJ Miller has helped her become happier and more fulfilled in life.
George Hamel has left behind a business and his wife in California to be closer to Mr Miller and his teachings. He firmly believes Mr Miller is Jesus Christ and insists there's nothing sinister about him.
"It's natural that people form fears when they don't know about something," he said.
"Anyone who has a chance to look into it aren't going to find anything too upsetting."
Some, however, are concerned - like the Rev David Millikan, who has met AJ Miller and has studied cults for 30 years.
He said: "The danger is you'll be drawn closer and closer into his web to a point that you lose access to your social life, you spend all your money, you'll have the curses of all your family ringing in your ears and you may well lose your relationship."
But Mr Miller says he does not demand anything of those who come and listen to him speak. He claims donations are welcome, but not obligatory.
He refutes any suggestion that he forces anyone to do anything they are uncomfortable with.
"All we do is present seminars and answer people's questions. I still for the life of me can't quite understand where the cult thing has come from," he told Sky News.
He added: "There were lots of people in the first century who didn't believe I was the Messiah and were offended by what I said - and in fact I died at the hands of some of them.
"Unfortunately they didn't learn love either and my suggestion is, even if you don't believe I am Jesus, at least learn how to love."
Mary Luck admits her family have not supported her relationship with Mr Miller.
She said: "My parents became very afraid simply because AJ was saying he was Jesus publicly and by their own admission they feared for what my life would be like.
"They also had some fundamental issues with looking at emotions which is core to these teachings."
Through DVDs, the internet and in person AJ Miller is spreading his word globally.
Whether he is the Messiah or just make believe, there are plenty of people who are prepared to listen.
US CONSUMER SPENDING FALLS
US consumer spending fell in April as incomes dipped fractionally,
the Commerce Department said Friday in a report pointing to weakening
economic growth.
Consumer spending, the key driver of the world's largest economy, dropped by 0.2 percent, following a 0.1 percent rise in March.
Personal income was down less than 0.1 percent, essentially flat, after a 0.3 percent gain in the prior month.
But disposable personal income -- income less current taxes -- fell 0.1 percent after March's 0.2 percent rise.
The personal savings rate was unchanged from March at 2.5 percent.
The price index for personal consumption expenditures, watched by the Federal Reserve to assess inflation, dropped 0.3 percent, following a 0.1 percent dip in March.
The core PCE price index, excluding food and energy, was flat, dipping less than 0.1 percent compared with an increase of 0.1 percent the prior month.
Consumer spending, the key driver of the world's largest economy, dropped by 0.2 percent, following a 0.1 percent rise in March.
Personal income was down less than 0.1 percent, essentially flat, after a 0.3 percent gain in the prior month.
But disposable personal income -- income less current taxes -- fell 0.1 percent after March's 0.2 percent rise.
The personal savings rate was unchanged from March at 2.5 percent.
The price index for personal consumption expenditures, watched by the Federal Reserve to assess inflation, dropped 0.3 percent, following a 0.1 percent dip in March.
The core PCE price index, excluding food and energy, was flat, dipping less than 0.1 percent compared with an increase of 0.1 percent the prior month.
Same sex marriage: Reps approve 14 years imprisonment
The lawmakers took these decisions while considering the report on a “Bill for an Act to prohibit marriage or civil union entered between persons of same sex, solemnization of same and other matters related”.
The House also placed a 10 years jail term for members of gay associations or those engaged in gay processions. The lawmakers resolved that any marriage or civil union entered into by persons of same gender is prohibited.
The bill on same sex was introduced on the floor of the House last year. A public hearing on the matter was held in October, 2012.
The senate had also passed a bill prohibiting same sex union with similar jail terms for offenders.
With the consideration of the report, the bill will now wait for harmonisation with the senate’s version.
Yesterday’s consideration of the report was presided over by the Deputy Speaker, Emeka Iheioha. The House resolved that “marriage contract or civil union entered between persons of same gender by virtue of a certificate issued by a foreign country shall be void in Nigeria, and any benefits accruing therefrom by virtue of the certificate shall not be enforced by any court of law in Nigeria”.
It outrightly banned solemnization of same sex marriage in place of worship like church, mosque, traditional places .
The Bill provides that: “Marriage or civil union entered between persons of same gender shall not be solemnised in any place of worship either in a church or Mosque or in any other place in Nigeria”.
The House insisted that “Only marriage contract between a man and a woman either under Islamic law, Customary law and Marriage Act is recoganised as valid in Nigeria.
Same sex marriage, an absurdity
The bill described same sex marriage as an absurdity that should not be allowed in the country. The House ruled that no person should be allowed to operate a gay club.
The bill further stated that “any person who registers, operates or participates in gay clubs, societies and organisations or directly or indirectly makes a public show of same sex amorous relationship commits an offence and shall each be liable on convictions to a term of 10 years imprisonment .
“Any persons or group of persons that witnesses, screens, shields and aids the solemnization of a same sex marriage contract or civil union or supports the registration of gay clubs, societies and organisations, processions or meetings in Nigeria commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a term of 10 years imprisonment”.
On the courts that will have the jurisdiction to entertain same sex marriage litigations, the bill provides that both the state and Federal Capital Territory, FCT, courts are empowered to hear cases of breach of any provision of the bill.
The bill further provides that “the High Court of a State or of the Federal Capital Territory shall have jurisdiction to entertain matters arising from the breach of the provisions of the bill.”
Married couples who never have sex but insist they're happy
Most evenings, with their little girl safely tucked up in bed, Charlotte and Chris Everiss (pictured right) enjoy a kiss and a cuddle on the sofa in front of the television.
Happily married for a decade, the couple cannot bear to even imagine their lives without one another. Yet, astonishingly, they haven’t made love for more than two years.
Both insist that their marriage, which followed a two-year courtship after meeting on a dating website, is stronger than most. It’s just that sex, they say, is not important to their happiness.
‘I find it hard switching off knowing that our four-year-old, Addison, is in the next bedroom. I think if Chris really missed sex he would tell me, or I’d catch him watching porn on the internet as a substitute.
‘But he doesn’t seem to want to go back to having sex, either.
‘We sound like Darby and Joan, I know - even though I’m only 34 and Chris is 40 - but that, to us, is contentment.'
Charlotte and Chris, it seems, aren’t the only ones whose sex life has dwindled to nothing. A recent survey estimated that 15 to 20 per cent of couples have sexless relationships - defined by experts as making love fewer than ten times a year - while around 5 per cent go without altogether.
Actress Helen Mirren spoke for many of these couples earlier this year when she said: ‘I think the power of partnership in marriage is under-recognised in our society. That’s what makes marriages work, not sex.’
In a sex-obsessed society, where everyone - young, old, male and female - seems to be boasting of how many times a week they ‘do it’, it may come as a relief to many that couples like Charlotte and Chris are happy to admit that sex plays no part in their marriages at all.
Most couples who find themselves at a point where sexual intimacy has died tend to confide their predicament to no one at all. But today three brave couples reveal to Femail how they have learned to live contented lives without sex.
You don’t need a degree in psychology to work out why Charlotte, a social media consultant from Great Wyrley, Staffordshire - who in the early years of her marriage made love to her husband three times a week - may have problems surrounding sex.
Three years ago, when their daughter was 18 months old, Charlotte almost died after an ectopic pregnancy resulted in her having a partial hysterectomy during a six-hour operation. Since then, she and Chris have made love only once, around ten months after her loss, an encounter from which she derived no pleasure.
Chris is understanding about her aversion to sex. ‘It can be hard knowing that our cuddles will never lead to anything more intimate,’ he says. ‘Charlotte is a gorgeous woman and I’m still very attracted to her, but she nearly died and I count my blessings every day that she’s even still here.’
‘I have an hour-long commute at either end of my working day so, to be honest, most of the time I’m too tired for sex anyway.’
Chris, a digital marketing manager, says he doesn’t discuss with friends the absence of sex from his marriage, but believes it is more common than people admit.
‘I don’t know that we’re all that different from other couples, we’re just more open about it,’ he says.
In all other respects, the Everisses have an enviable lifestyle. They live in a beautiful, four-bedroom detached home, have a Mini Cooper convertible and a VW Golf parked on the driveway, and enjoy several foreign holidays a year.
And, while she admits there have been times when she has felt like walking out of their immaculate, three-bedroom semi-detached home in Rugby, Warwickshire, over the lack of intimacy, Tracey values other aspects of their marriage too highly.
‘We got married in 2007 after only knowing each other for six months, so it was pretty whirlwind,’ says Tracey, a wedding fair organiser. ‘When we were dating, we’d have sex up to three times a night, which was wonderful, but after the wedding we only made love once or twice a week. We started going months between encounters and now we haven’t made love for well over a year.’
Tracey still feels very attracted to her husband, and he says the same of her. The couple are loving in other ways, holding hands when they go out together, kissing one another goodnight before going to sleep and saying “I love you” at the end of telephone conversations.
Weekends are no more relaxing as Julian also runs a photography business, which he is hoping will take off enough for him to concentrate on it full time.
They are both keen to have a family together. They’ve had IVF and plan to have another round of it in August.
‘We talk about rekindling our love life but never seem to get around to it,’ says Julian. ‘We had a weekend away at a country hotel a couple of weeks ago and I was so exhausted I spent most of the time asleep.’
Julian regards Tracey as his best friend and soulmate - a fact common, it seems, to many couples enduring sexless marriages - and believes that once he retires they will be able to rekindle some semblance of romance.
Once a couple gets out of the habit of having sex, however, this can be easier said than done.
‘Couples who don’t make love start living like brother and sister or friends and get out of the habit of seeing one another in a sexual way,’ says Relate counsellor Paula Hall.
‘If both partners want to reintroduce sex, we encourage them to do so slowly, learning how to be sensual with each other and gradually building up to intercourse.’
source: Uk Daily Mail
Dbanj's Oliver Twist surpasses 20 million youtube viewship
Recent U.S. survey also listed the song in Top 5 workout songs in U.S.A. , according to U.S. morning show, Live With Kelly and Michael. Dbanj's Oliver Twist has confirmed itself as a classic.
27 year old man claims he is former US president Bill Clinton's son
From Globe Magazine
Bill Clinton has a secret son he fathered with a hooker – and the now 27-year-old young man is desperate to meet his biological dad.
In a bombshell exclusive interview, Danney Lee Williams Jr., the love child the then-governor of Arkansas conceived with ‘working girl’ Bobbie Ann Williams, tells GLOBE he fears Clinton, 66, who’s battling heart disease and also suffers from Parkinson’s, will pass away before they can meet.
“I read he doesn’t have long to live and I want to meet him face to face before he dies,” says Danney, who lives in Little Rock Ark.
“I just want to shake his hand and say, “Hi Dad,’ before he dies. I’d like to have a relationship with Chelsea, too. She’s my half-sister."
Danney also wants Clinton to acknowledge and meet his five children, who he says are the former President’s only grandchildren and range in age from 10 years to just 4 months old.
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Wind threatens Kim K's modesty! :-)
I ‘ve done well, says Jonathan
ABUJA— President Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday, gave a robust defence of
his administration’s performance at mid-term and dismissed public and
media assessment of his ministers, saying the criticisms were mostly
bereft of objectivity.
President Jonathan spoke at the public presentation of the administration’s mid-term report in Abuja during which administration officials rolled out positive financial indicators which among others was that Nigeria has become the highest investment destination in the continent.
The presentation was graced by former Nigerian leaders, including
former President Shehu Shagari, General Yakubu Gowon, Chief Ernest
Shonekan, former Chief of General Staff, Gen. Oladipo Diya; one-time
United States presidential candidate, Jesse Jackson among others.
Also present at the event were the Senate President, Sen. David Mark; Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha and the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Aloma Mukhtar.
Jackson, speaking at the occasion, commended the president for giving a mid-term report of his performance. He said that it was indicative that the ship of the nation was sailing in the right direction.
Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim also commended the leadership of President Jonathan, who he said had shown impressive democratic culture through his restraint in the face of unparalleled challenges to his authority.
President Jonathan was nevertheless dismissive of media assessment of his administration. He said that as a former teacher, he was conscious of the fact that any examination should be guided by a marking scheme.
He said: “Only on Monday, I looked through a particular publication in one of our dailies, which gave an assessment of the performance of the ministers.
“The first thing I looked for that I did not see was the criteria they used to assess the performance of the ministers. As a teacher, I know that for you to mark a student, you must have a marking scheme. Because, assessment could be very subjective, and if a fellow politician is assessing another politician, you assess the person based on heartbeats.”
He said two ministries; the ministries of Trade and Investments and National Planning which performed creditably well were rated average.
“Since I came to the centre in 2007, I have worked with three ministers of National Planning and three ministers of Trade and Investments. They have never done what is being done today.
“In terms of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) attracted to this country by activities of that ministry, it has never happened. In spite of our security challenges, there is so much interest from business men wanting to come to Nigeria.
“Before now, that Ministry of Trade and Investments was a dead end, but now they are very active. Talk about Ministry of Planning, people say that until Shamsudeen came on board, we did not even know that we had a Planning Ministry.
“But these two ministries were scored average and I asked what are the criteria? That is the purpose of today, our elders, ladies and gentlemen. The idea is to formally present a document to all Nigerians about the activities of the government these past two years.
“I plead with all of us especially those who want to assess and write about it to develop criteria because without a marking scheme, you cannot mark anybody’s paper. Develop your own, compare with previous governments. Develop your marking scheme and mark us.”
Making her presentation earlier, the Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said that despite challenges of inequality and inclusion, the nation’s economy was waxing strong.
She said in the last two years, the GDP had recorded significant growth and dollar exchange rate had remained stable between N155 and N160.
She said the rate of inflation had dropped to 9.1 per cent from 12.4 per cent in May 2011, while the external reserve had risen from $32.08 billion in May 2011 to $48.4 billion as at May, 2013.
Specifically, she said the External Crude Account (ECA) had risen from about $4 billion in May, 2011 to about $9 billion at the end of 2012 and presently $6 billion in May 2013.
The minister said the ECA had been of help in improving the economy since oil production had fallen from the projected 2.53 million bpd to between 2.1 and 2.2 million bpd, adding that there were deliberate government policies to reduce recurrent expenditure and complete unfinished capital projects.
She said: ”Recurrent expenditure has dropped from 70.4 per cent of total budget in 2011 to 68.7 per cent in 2013″.
She added that government’s annual borrowing had fallen from N852 billion in 2011 to N588 billion in 2013 while the debt to GDP is 21 per cent.
According to her, the administration’s waiver and tariff policies had also changed positively. She said: “Government is focusing on sectoral waivers such as agriculture, power, aircraft spare parts, solid minerals at zero duty. Trade has improved and exports are up in plastics and rubber, vegetable products, prepared food stuff and beverages.”
The minister explained that exports have increased from nine per cent in 2008 to 31 per cent in 2012, saying oil export had increased to 69 per cent of total exports compared to 91 per cent in 2008.
She said with over $7 billion foreign direct investment into the country in 2012, Nigeria has become the highest investment destination in Africa.
Also speaking at the event, the Minister of National Planning, Dr Shamsudeen Usman said the Federal Government has achieved eight of 14 points in its transformation agenda.
Giving sectoral appraisal of the achieve
ments of the administration, he said the railway which had become irrelevant in the national transportation system for over 30 years was back on track, adding that the western rail corridor from Lagos to Kano as well as intra-city train services in Lagos, Kaduna and Kano are now fully operational.
In the road sector, the Minister said there had been key improvement on key access roads across the country, citing the Benin-Ore Road, Kano-Maiduguri Road and the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano Road among others.
The minister added that there has also been significant improvements in power and the government was working hard to ensure that Nigerians were provided with uninterrupted power supply.
In agriculture, Usman said the administration had saved significant amount of money through the blocking of loopholes in the procurement of fertiliser and other agricultural inputs and ensuring the direct distribution to farmers. She added that with the policy, there has been increased production of crops like cassava, wheat and rice, thereby moving the country to self sufficiency in food and liberating the people from poverty.
He said there had also been a significant improvement in the airports across the country with the expansion, renovation and remodelling works in the existing airports.
Appraising the mid-term report, he said that there was no doubt that Nigeria was on the right course and called for support from every strata of society.
According to him, “the world takes Nigeria serious and it cannot afford to let the world down. Nigeria must do everything to get it right. It is an obligation that Nigeria must meet”.
Former head of the Interim Government in Liberia, Professor Amos Sawyer also speaking, praised Nigeria’s contributions to international peace keeping in the continent and thus urged the country’s political leaders to join hands at critical times of national challenges.
Anyim noted that the uncommon restraint by President Jonathan in the face of different provocative challenges had helped to deepen democracy in the last two years.
He noted that there had been unprecedented growth in the numbers of civil society groups and the administration had expanded and made the space free to encourage people to come together.
Anyim said the widened space had made citizens bolder and more assertive while opposition parties enjoyed total liberty.
The SGF said the Freedom of Information law made by the administration had granted unfettered freedom to the media while the judiciary had become the last hope of the common man.
Source: vanguard newspapers
President Jonathan spoke at the public presentation of the administration’s mid-term report in Abuja during which administration officials rolled out positive financial indicators which among others was that Nigeria has become the highest investment destination in the continent.
PRESIDENT
GOODLUCK JONATHAN PRESENTING HIS ADMINISTRATIONS MID-TERM REPORT AT THE
2013 DEMOCRACY DAY CELEBRATION IN ABUJA ON WEDNESDAY (29/5/13). STATE
HOUSE PHOTO
Also present at the event were the Senate President, Sen. David Mark; Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha and the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Aloma Mukhtar.
Jackson, speaking at the occasion, commended the president for giving a mid-term report of his performance. He said that it was indicative that the ship of the nation was sailing in the right direction.
Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim also commended the leadership of President Jonathan, who he said had shown impressive democratic culture through his restraint in the face of unparalleled challenges to his authority.
President Jonathan was nevertheless dismissive of media assessment of his administration. He said that as a former teacher, he was conscious of the fact that any examination should be guided by a marking scheme.
Challenges media of objective assessment
He thus challenged the media to use the 234-page report as a veritable tool for any objective assessment.He said: “Only on Monday, I looked through a particular publication in one of our dailies, which gave an assessment of the performance of the ministers.
“The first thing I looked for that I did not see was the criteria they used to assess the performance of the ministers. As a teacher, I know that for you to mark a student, you must have a marking scheme. Because, assessment could be very subjective, and if a fellow politician is assessing another politician, you assess the person based on heartbeats.”
He said two ministries; the ministries of Trade and Investments and National Planning which performed creditably well were rated average.
“Since I came to the centre in 2007, I have worked with three ministers of National Planning and three ministers of Trade and Investments. They have never done what is being done today.
“In terms of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) attracted to this country by activities of that ministry, it has never happened. In spite of our security challenges, there is so much interest from business men wanting to come to Nigeria.
“Before now, that Ministry of Trade and Investments was a dead end, but now they are very active. Talk about Ministry of Planning, people say that until Shamsudeen came on board, we did not even know that we had a Planning Ministry.
“But these two ministries were scored average and I asked what are the criteria? That is the purpose of today, our elders, ladies and gentlemen. The idea is to formally present a document to all Nigerians about the activities of the government these past two years.
“I plead with all of us especially those who want to assess and write about it to develop criteria because without a marking scheme, you cannot mark anybody’s paper. Develop your own, compare with previous governments. Develop your marking scheme and mark us.”
Nigeria‘s economy waxing strong — Okonjo-Iweala
Making her presentation earlier, the Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said that despite challenges of inequality and inclusion, the nation’s economy was waxing strong.
She said in the last two years, the GDP had recorded significant growth and dollar exchange rate had remained stable between N155 and N160.
She said the rate of inflation had dropped to 9.1 per cent from 12.4 per cent in May 2011, while the external reserve had risen from $32.08 billion in May 2011 to $48.4 billion as at May, 2013.
Specifically, she said the External Crude Account (ECA) had risen from about $4 billion in May, 2011 to about $9 billion at the end of 2012 and presently $6 billion in May 2013.
The minister said the ECA had been of help in improving the economy since oil production had fallen from the projected 2.53 million bpd to between 2.1 and 2.2 million bpd, adding that there were deliberate government policies to reduce recurrent expenditure and complete unfinished capital projects.
She said: ”Recurrent expenditure has dropped from 70.4 per cent of total budget in 2011 to 68.7 per cent in 2013″.
She added that government’s annual borrowing had fallen from N852 billion in 2011 to N588 billion in 2013 while the debt to GDP is 21 per cent.
According to her, the administration’s waiver and tariff policies had also changed positively. She said: “Government is focusing on sectoral waivers such as agriculture, power, aircraft spare parts, solid minerals at zero duty. Trade has improved and exports are up in plastics and rubber, vegetable products, prepared food stuff and beverages.”
The minister explained that exports have increased from nine per cent in 2008 to 31 per cent in 2012, saying oil export had increased to 69 per cent of total exports compared to 91 per cent in 2008.
She said with over $7 billion foreign direct investment into the country in 2012, Nigeria has become the highest investment destination in Africa.
Also speaking at the event, the Minister of National Planning, Dr Shamsudeen Usman said the Federal Government has achieved eight of 14 points in its transformation agenda.
Giving sectoral appraisal of the achieve
ments of the administration, he said the railway which had become irrelevant in the national transportation system for over 30 years was back on track, adding that the western rail corridor from Lagos to Kano as well as intra-city train services in Lagos, Kaduna and Kano are now fully operational.
In the road sector, the Minister said there had been key improvement on key access roads across the country, citing the Benin-Ore Road, Kano-Maiduguri Road and the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano Road among others.
The minister added that there has also been significant improvements in power and the government was working hard to ensure that Nigerians were provided with uninterrupted power supply.
In agriculture, Usman said the administration had saved significant amount of money through the blocking of loopholes in the procurement of fertiliser and other agricultural inputs and ensuring the direct distribution to farmers. She added that with the policy, there has been increased production of crops like cassava, wheat and rice, thereby moving the country to self sufficiency in food and liberating the people from poverty.
He said there had also been a significant improvement in the airports across the country with the expansion, renovation and remodelling works in the existing airports.
Nigeria on right course — Jackson
Jackson, a 1994 and 1998 United States Democratic Party presidential
candidate also speaking at the occasion, said there was much expectation
on Nigeria as the most populous black nation on earth and that the
country should not disappoint the world.Appraising the mid-term report, he said that there was no doubt that Nigeria was on the right course and called for support from every strata of society.
According to him, “the world takes Nigeria serious and it cannot afford to let the world down. Nigeria must do everything to get it right. It is an obligation that Nigeria must meet”.
Former head of the Interim Government in Liberia, Professor Amos Sawyer also speaking, praised Nigeria’s contributions to international peace keeping in the continent and thus urged the country’s political leaders to join hands at critical times of national challenges.
Anyim noted that the uncommon restraint by President Jonathan in the face of different provocative challenges had helped to deepen democracy in the last two years.
He noted that there had been unprecedented growth in the numbers of civil society groups and the administration had expanded and made the space free to encourage people to come together.
Anyim said the widened space had made citizens bolder and more assertive while opposition parties enjoyed total liberty.
The SGF said the Freedom of Information law made by the administration had granted unfettered freedom to the media while the judiciary had become the last hope of the common man.
Source: vanguard newspapers
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