Steven Gerrard in ‘street brawl’ court battle; A Distraction of 2014 World Cup Finals with England...

Gerrard, his model wife Alex and the player’s close pal Lee McPartland are named in legal papers lodged at London’s High Court Report by UK MIRROR has it that England captain Steven Gerrard has been plunged into his worst ­nightmare – a hugely worrying court battle in his run-up to the World Cup finals.
The looming legal action centres on claims about a brawl in the street near the Liverpool idol’s home.
Gerrard, his model wife Alex and the player’s close pal Lee McPartland are named in legal papers lodged at London’s High Court.
A man named Paul Alan Lloyd is thought to be seeking damages from them in connection with the incident in August.
A source said last night: “This is the last thing Steven would have wanted in one of the biggest years of his career. His No 1 focus is leading England to glory at the World Cup in Brazil.”
The game’s biggest tournament kicks off next June and this case will be an unwelcome distraction for England boss Roy Hodgson, his players and backroom staff. Lloyd, who is believed to have hired top legal firm Mishcon de Reya, has four months to serve papers on Gerrard, 33, his 31-year-old wife and McPartland, 43.
The street clash, which left the Liverpool captain badly shaken, was revealed ­exclusively by the Sunday Mirror earlier this month.
The source said: “Steven and Alex are both huge icons in Liverpool – but there have always been people jealous of their success. The pair of them have had no option but to call in lawyers over this matter. It’s a case of conflicting ­explanations as to what happened that night.
“Mr Lloyd believes he has a good case. Steven and the other two might see things one way. But it is certainly not how Mr Lloyd is explaining away events.”
The incident came after millionaire Gerrard had just got out of his Range Rover outside a convenience store in the upmarket village near Liverpool where he lives with Alex and their daughters, aged nine, seven and two.
It has now emerged that WAG Alex and McPartland were in or near the area at the time. The clash sparked security fears for the player and his family.
Police took a statement from Gerrard and are thought to have spoken to him since.
Alex and McPartland, who runs a corporate hospitality company whose clients include Liverpool FC, also face being questioned.
Papers lodged at the Queen’s Bench Division in the Royal Courts of Justice in London on December 6 list Gerrard, Alex and McPartland as defendants in the civil case launched by Lloyd.
In a bizarre twist, a woman police officer has been charged over allegations that she tried to obtain CCTV footage of the street incident from a shop.
PC Helen Jones will face magistrates on January 6, accused of committing misconduct in public office.
Blonde Alex was pictured out shopping in Liverpool yesterday.
She picked up items from a Tesco after visiting the hairdresser’s.
Her husband is expected to be at Stamford Bridge in London today to watch Liverpool’s top-of-the-table clash with Chelsea.
McPartland’s firm Opus Events, based in Formby, Merseyside, works closely with Gerrard’s charity foundation to raise cash for needy kids. The ­businessman and footballer are pictured together on the firm’s website where they highlight their fundraising ­partnership. The page says: “Opus Events are delighted to be working closely with the Steven Gerrard Foundation.”
The Gerrards have been targeted in a series of incidents over recent years.
In September Gerrard had to be held back after a crazed fan scaled a perimeter wall at ­Liverpool’s training ground and yelled vile threats against the star’s family.
The man sped away on a bike shouting, “I’ll kill you and your f****** kids.”
Police were called to Gerrard’s heavily-protected home in December 2007 after masked raiders burst in and confronted Alex as the couple’s children slept. Alex was unharmed but it made Gerrard the sixth Liverpool player in succession to be targeted by robbers while the team played abroad.
A source close to the couple later said: “Alex is heartbroken by what’s happened. But she’s trying to be strong for Steven and the kids.”
Gerrard is noted for his ­professionalism and hard work on the pitch.
But there have been claims that his fame has led to gangsters in Liverpool trying to exert pressure on him.
In 2001, both Steven and Alex – who grew up in the city’s tough Huyton area – faced death threats from members of Liverpool’s underworld.
Police were drafted in to protect Gerrard after a local criminal Mr Big chased him through the streets of ­Liverpool in his car.
Steel gates 10ft high and state-of-the-art security cameras were installed at the star’s £3million mansion.
In 2009 Gerrard was cleared of affray after a row over controlling the music playing in a bar.
It was alleged at Liverpool Crown Court that the footballer punched Marcus McGee, 34, in the face in the incident in Southport in December 2008.
Gerrard admitted hitting McGee three times but he denied affray, saying he had been acting in self-defence because he thought the other man was about to strike him.
Three years ago Alex hit back at claims that her marriage to the Kop hero was in trouble.
She said: “There have been loads of rumours going around Liverpool saying that me and Steven have split up, that he’s moved to a hotel and ridiculous things like that. I’d like to set the record straight. We have never been happier.”
Alex added: “I wouldn’t mind but we don’t even argue.”

As Bus Rams Into Gov’s Car… Oshiomhole escapes death! ADAMS...

But for mother luck, Governor Adams Oshiomhole would have died after a bus lost control and crashed into his car along Auchi-Benin Road yesterday. The governor miraculously escaped death alongside his aide-de-camp (ADC) and driver in the accident which occurred at Ewu village.
We learnt that the impact of the accident left Oshiomhole’s vehicle damaged beyond repairs.
The governor was said to be returning from his Iyamho village when the crash occurred around 9.45 a.m.
This is the second time within a year that Oshiomhole’s convoy will be involved in an accident.
The first time, a tipper rammed into his car and another vehicle conveying the media crew in his convoy, killing some journalists.
Yesterday’s incident was said to have happened when a Peugeot J5 bus, marked XB 355 Fugar, conveying tomatoes and plantains, lost control while trying to overtake an articulated vehicle and crashed directly into the governor’s flag car, a BMW bullet proof vehicle, before ending in a ditch.
Three vehicles in the convoy were reportedly in front of the governor’s flag car and had passed the Peugeot J5 bus before it crashed into the flag car which had the governor, his ADC and driver inside.
Oshiomhole’s car was said to have been damaged beyond repairs but no injuries were sustained in the accident. The governor, who spoke to Sunday Vanguard on telephone, thanked God for his life, saying: “The almighty God is always on the throne and will surely protect his people. I thank God; we are all fine. Glory be to Jesus and honour to Mary”.
Meanwhile, a statement by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Prince Kassim Afegbua, narrated the incident. Afegbua said: “The Peugeot J5 bus was following a truck that was descending the Ewu slope when it suddenly veered off into the governor’s lane from the opposite direction and directly impacted on the governor’s vehicle, apparently because of brake failure.
“The good story is that nobody sustained injuries in both vehicles. The comrade governor is hale and hearty; his ADC and other occupants of the Peugeot J5 are also in good condition.
“The incident has been reported to the Divisional Police Station at Ewu for further investigation. This is to assure all good people of Edo State that there is no cause for alarm.
“Their loving comrade governor is fine, hale and hearty as well as other occupants of the other affected vehicle. The comrade governor is wishing everyone a prosperous new year ahead”
Source: Vanguard

NEXT CBN GOVERNOR: Tony Elumelu, Imuokhude favoured to succed Sanusi ELUMELU CBN...

It is no longer news that the incumbent Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi will cease to occupy the coveted position come April, following his fallout with the presidency over unaccounted billions of dollar to the Federation Account by NNPC, Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation. Though, Sanusi had earlier hinted that he was no longer interested in the job. Nigeria needs a CBN Governor who understands the importance of growth and Nation Building and support to Small Businesses.
It’s no longer news that the preparation for the apex financial body in Nigeria, the CBN to shop for a replacement for the Lamido Sanusi is in top gear. This search for a competent replacement for the incumbent governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi has become the trending topic in financial circles.
What has become a subject of discussion out there now is the possibility of who gets the plum and exalted position of the CBN governor between these two banking gurus, Tony Elumelu former boss United Bank of Africa who is now the Chairman of H.E.I.R.S Holdings Limited and Aig-Imuokhude, Managing Director, Access Bank .
Rumour has it that before now one of the top names being tipped for that enviable position in the banking sector in Nigeria, Central Bank of Nigeria governor was Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede who was described as the most favoured candidate of President Goodluck Jonathan. Obviously, there are two sides to a coin; the other side of the coin seems to be falling on Tony as he’s being considered to have an edge above Aig in the area of experience and exposure.
Another reason we learnt is that the presidency does not want to limit the option to just Aig hence a stronger contender like Tony.

PDP’s secret plan to suspend Tambuwal botched again Tambuwal...

THE NATION ONLINE reveals plot by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to suspend the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal, over his alleged romance with the opposition, has hit the rocks. The Speaker’s home chapter of the PDP in Tambuwal Local Government Area of Sokoto State rebuffed the national leadership of the party which had launched a hate campaign against him.
The plan was for the PDP local chapter to announce Tambuwal’s expulsion last Thursday with the national leadership intervening by converting the expulsion to suspension “pending further investigation.”
However, party sources said the local executive members of the party saw through the instigation and declared that it was beyond them to expel him.
They advised those who had complaints against the Speaker to lodge same with the state executive council of the party.
“The plan was to get the L.G.A chapter of the party to expel the Speaker. If that had happened, the national leadership would have intervened by revoking the expulsion order and placing the Speaker on suspension while it claims to be looking into the allegations against him,” sources said.
“That way, other lawmakers plotting to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC) would have been cowed. But in spite of the heavy pressure mounted on them, the leadership of the PDP in the council declined to go all the way with the plan. Instead, they requested that those with genuine complaints against Tambuwal should report him to the state executive committee.”
The Nation also learnt that days before the botched meeting, some chieftains of the party in the state had gone round urging PDP members in the LGA to append their signatures and names to a “vote of no confidence” motion meant to be passed on the Speaker after his planned expulsion.
It was however gathered that the Speaker survived the plot through the intervention of Governor Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko. The Governor, according to sources, prevailed upon the party chieftains in Tambuwal not to allow themselves to be used to disturb the peace of the state.
“The governor, though no longer a member of the PDP, enjoys the respect of many of the leading chieftains of the party, especially at the grassroots level. Aside that, he was able to explain to the politicians that any move that is capable of threatening the position of Tambuwal as the Speaker will create chaos in Sokoto State,” one source said.
The national leadership of the party is understood to have compiled a list of allegations against the Speaker with which it intended to defend the planned suspension.
The Nation learnt that senior party officials are not only displeased with the Speaker for his close relationship with the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) , they are also irked by his recent criticism of President Goodluck Jonathan.”His recent criticism of President Goodluck Jonathan and the party leadership and his presence at a meeting of APC stalwarts in Abuja are some of the reasons why the party wants to place him on suspension as soon as possible. He will soon be suspended,” a party source said.
It was also gathered that the current move against Tambuwal may be pre-emptive. According to party sources, some chieftains of the party and some senior presidency officials are of the opinion that it is better to take the shine off Tambuwal’s rumoured defection by kicking him out of the party first.
“Convinced that nothing can be done to stop the Speaker from joining the APC sooner or later, some stalwarts of the party within the presidency and the party leadership has been able to convince Tukur and Jonathan that it is better to kick him out of the party before he announces his defection to the APC. That way, they feel the shine will be taken off the Speaker’s alleged planned exit from the PDP.
Tambuwal may also have drawn the ire of his party leaders with his presence at a rally recently organised by the Sokoto State Governor, Aliyu Wamakko. The governor, along with four other governors of the PDP, recently defected to the opposition APC.
Before dumping the PDP, Wamakko himself was suspended by the party for allegedly disrespecting the PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur.
Tambuwal is close to the Governor.
Among other things, the party is also said to be angry with the Speaker because of his presence at the launch of Opon Imo, the initiative of the Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, in Osogbo.

Why I cut off my hubby’s manhood – Banker wife (+Photo of sliced husband’s manhood)...

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A staff of Eco Bank Plc, Mrs. Bimbo Ajetumobi Daniju (pictured with husband), was arrested for cutting her husband’s penis with knife but she has explained to PUNCH that she used a knife on him to escape being beaten to a pulp in her pregnant state.
Read both stories and you be the judge on who is lying.
“Please, kindly judge this by yourself. As a pregnant woman, will I willingly attempt to cut off my husband’s penis? I ordinarily would not have said anything. I did not realise this will escalate to this stage. The case is being handled by my lawyer at the moment.My husband is not a hot-tempered man but he gets angry once in a while. He lied that he washes my clothes. He only did that once or twice when I was ill. We had a disagreement that day and he beat me up. My mother came to the house and took away our son.
“Without telling anybody, I went to my hospital and was treated. I did not tell him. But when I got home, he continued to harass me. He said I must ensure his son was returned to the house.
“I was so tired and I went to sleep. But in the middle of the night, he woke me up and asked me again to produce his son. We started fighting and he was beating me. In order to escape his beating, I had to hold his penis. I wanted him to leave me alone. I held on to it until I had a chance to escape.”
Bimbo said it was a lie that he chased Lekan down the street or dropped his certificate on the street during a fight.
“Please ask him, which certificate is he even talking about? When I married my husband, he told me he graduated from the Ogun State University, Ago-Iwoye, but that he had an accident some time ago, in which his certificates were burnt,”
She said when she went to the police station after their last fight, the officer who heard their case at the station said the wound looked like a knife wound, saying that was why Lekan changed his story that she used knife on him.Bimbo insisted she loved her husband and never for once used the fact that he did not have a job to react to him at home.
“When I married him, he did not have a job. He said he was working on a CD and all the money I made, I spent on him.”
HER HUSBAND LEKAN SPEAKS
Lekan, a gospel singer in his church in Surulere, has emaciated. He was in pain as he explained that he got into marriage with Bimbo against his pastor’s advice.
He said, “My pastor had advised me against marrying her because of an encounter he had with her. Before we got married, in a meeting with Bimbo, my pastor said he asked her about her past and my wife said, ‘How dare you!’Of course, I did not believe my pastor at the time because I was in love. But now, I rue the day I met that woman.
Lekan alleged that his wife had been behaving strangely since he lost his job. He stated that he had done everything he could to ensure that she remained happy.
“I wash her clothes including her underwear. Even without a job, I ensure that the proceeds of my gospel music CD are used to take care of her and our son,” he said.
The apartment Lekan shared with his wife is a mini-flat. Asked who paid for the apartment, the man said the house belonged to his father.According to him, he was living in a rented apartment in Ikorodu before relocating to his father’s house in Surulere so that it would be easier for his wife to get to work.Lekan explained that Bimbo was a good woman at the time.
He said, “I married her legally. We did a church wedding, went to court and did the traditional wedding. But when I lost my job, I realised that after a little disagreement, she would rain abuses on me and my family.
“She would sometimes destroy things in the house. There was a time we had a disagreement and she chased me down the street with a stick. During another disagreement, she took my HND certificate to the end of the street and dropped it beside a gate. Neighbours had to plead with her to bring it back.”
HOW MY WIFE ATTACKED ME
“That fateful day, I was washing my wife’s clothes. She reminded me that she needed some money for foodstuffs and I told her that God would provide for us. Later, she came out of the house and said she had eaten noodles and had fed our son.When I finished with the clothes, I was so tired because the clothes were many. I ate the leftover of her noodles. There were about three-spoonfuls left.”
Lekan alleged that that did not go down well with his wife who said she still wanted to eat the leftover.He said he had to go to the street to buy bread for her since she said she was still hungry.He further explained that he had to go out shortly after to get some money from a salesman who handles his CD sales.
“I came home and informed my wife that I got some money from my CD. She told me that she would like to eat wheat and white soup which I usually buy for her from a restaurant. I bought that for her,” he said.
By that time, Lekan said the only thing he had eaten that day was the leftover noodles. He said the remaining money from the CD sales had been used to buy things needed in the house.But his elder sister who had a shop nearby was to later give him N500 when she noticed that he did not look like he was feeling well.
“I went out to buy rice and when I came in and she saw me eating that, she flared up. She said I lied to her that I had no money. She was shouting but I pleaded with her to calm down so that my people around would not hear. She replied that it would not be well with the people. She abused my relations and parents.
“The following day, a Sunday, I swallowed my pride. I woke up and asked which clothes she would like to wear to church so that I could iron it with mine. When she did not answer, I left for church but came back after the workers’ meeting.
“I got home and saw her preparing jollof rice but I went out to buy N60 bread and N40 beans. Trouble started again when she saw me eating that. She said I refused to give her money but I was buying food to eat. She said, ‘Before I say anything now, you will go and complain to your useless family.’ That was when I told her that it was her whole family that was useless. Had I known, I would have kept quiet. She took the plate of beans and poured it on my head.”
But Lekan said even though many men would have pummelled such a woman, he feared he might kill her in anger. The matter died down, or so it seemed.Around 2am, Lekan said he received a sudden and painful knock that woke him up from sleep and realised that it was from his wife.I knew she had decided to start her trouble again. But I did not in my wildest imagination think that she could do what she did next.Before I realised what she was doing, I felt a sharp pain in my manhood. I touched it and blood was gushing out. I screamed and my immediate thought was, ‘Is this the way I would die?”

We raided Fela’s Kalakuta Republic in search of missing girls — Babankowa, ex-police chief...

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In this concluding part of the intervie, former police commissioner, Alhaji Ahmed Ibrahim Babankowa, recounts how the police raided Fela Anikulapo-Kuti’s Kalakuta Republic. He also speaks on issues concerning the National Conference, among others.
Is there any need for the National Conference being spearheaded by the Federal Government?
I share the belief of those that say it is not necessary. It is absolutely unnecessary. Whatever that comes out of the conference will eventually return to the National Assembly for ratification otherwise you have done nothing. It is like constitutional amendment. In Nigeria today, we are living on a fake and false foundation. The Constitution is supposed to be the supreme law guiding this country, but the Constitution we have now is not a people- oriented one; it was foisted on us by the military. If you remember; during the Sani Abacha era between 1994 and 1995; there was a constitutional conference which saw members being elected by the grassroots and were in the conference for months and produced a Constitution. The members were people of honour, people of impeccable character. The members were housed in the present Apo Legislative Quarters then. It has been sold out now I am told. They produced the document which was supposed to be our Constitution. After that tedious exercise, there were some grey areas and people advised the government of the day that there should be constitutional review committee to look at the draft again and iron out the grey areas. One person from each state was taken; aside that, eight people were taken from the constitutional conference, four each from the South and the North to join the review committee. And the reason was simply because the eight were party to the drafting of the Constitution from the beginning and if there was anything that probably was not clear to the review committee members, these eight could be of help. And so the Constitution was produced. I was a member of that review committee representing Jigawa State. The report was submitted to General Abacha. Four days to signing the draft, he passed on. The government of Abdusalami Abubakar came and, instead of looking at it and if need be get another committee to look into it again, it threw it into the dustbin. I think that action was a terrible one. Not only that, he now organised a committee of not more than 10 to 15 people to draft a new one…(loud laughter) and that is the 1999 Constitution we now operate. That is why I said we are operating on a false foundation. What I would have expected this government to do was just to bring out the draft Constitution of the Abacha era and take a look at it again because there is nothing that can ever be discussed that you cannot find in that draft Constitution. And this is why I am of the opinion that this action of government is of no use. We are just dancing round the circles. This conference is of no use.
So you will rather go for that 1994 draft Constitution rather than the new one they are contemplating now.
Yes. I will go for the 1994 draft because it was done by all Nigerians. We are just about wasting resources, time and man power in this exercise. This one has already been done, reviewed and amended, all you need to do is, especially if you need to review it again, form another committee and let it look at the areas you feel may not be necessary.

What is your take on the defection of some PDP governors to the APC?
I think it is a good thing that the PDP governors are merging with the APC. This will narrow the problems of politicking in the country. It will now be just two major parties in the country like you have in the U.S and the U.K. But let us wait and see because you can never totally rely on Nigerian politicians.
Why did you say so?
You find out that someone is in a political party today, tomorrow he is in another party, the next day, he returns to his previous party. Another time, he goes to form his own political party. It is only in Nigeria that you see this happening. You don’t find it elsewhere. I think once you say you are a member of a political party, the normal thing for you is to stick to that party like it is done in other climes. Where did you hear that a Conservative has joined Labour in the UK? It is unheard of. So let us wait so that time can be the judge of all the decisions taken so far.
With this merger, do you see the strength of the ruling party reduced?
Even if it is one governor…….. Let us take Kano State, if it is only Kwankwaso who will be moving his people into APC, it will definitely affect the PDP not to talk of when you have five governors. In Kwara State, I was watching on television where the chairman of the PDP was saying the whole of the party in the state has merged with APC, will that not greatly reduce the strength of the party in the state? So I think this is the first danger they are going to face in the last 15 years.
How true is the claim that APC is mostly populated by Muslims and are more influential in the party?
I don’t think that is true. I don’t know why we always like to play the religious card in politics. It is damaging to our democracy. I think what we should be talking about is who has the capability to move the country forward. Whether he is a Christian, pagan or Muslim should really not matter. We should be more concerned about what he is bringing to the table. This sentiment of religion or ethnic colouration should not be brought to the table because these sentiments, on the long run, is one of the reasons why we are where are presently. If we have a pagan or even an atheist who can do the job of taking us to the next level, why not try him? General Gowon a Christian ruled this country for eight years. He is from the North but nobody raised any alarm because he was doing the job. I schooled in America where you can abuse an individual, call him a monkey or donkey, he might not be bothered, but say something negative about his country, America, and see what happens to you. That is the kind of value they place on their country. So we should put our country before any other thing; not ourselves, tribes or religion before our country. We are always marching backward instead of moving forward.
You met the late Fela Anikulapo in the course of your job.
Yes I did. I must say the man was extremely talented, very talented indeed except that he was using his talent in a way that I don’t think was right. He was said to be harbouring all sorts of girls including daughters of highly placed people. I liked him as a person.
And you led the team that raided his house then.
Oh yes. I led the team. I was in Mushin Division then. Kalakuta Republic was located within the division. I was asked to lead the team to Fela’s house by the IG. Isa Adeju was the commissioner of police. The IG through Adeju asked me to lead the team. Kam Salem was the IG then.
What was the basis for the raid as explained to you by your bosses then?
The information received by the police was that there were children particularly girls who ran away from their parents and were living with him. That was the allegation. It was said that there were High Court judges daughters among those living in his house. They made complaints to the IG and that is why we raided the house in order to rescue the girls and also to arrest Fela for harbouring them.
I thought that arrest had more political undertone than criminal?
Not at all. Forget about his songs which were political. That was not the reason for which he was arrested. He was arrested mainly because of the reason given earlier. He was in his usual pants when we arrested him. We took him to Alagbon.
Which of the events during your career would say was the toughest?
The first of them was the Tiv riot where six of my colleagues were beheaded. This was 1964 or 65. The second was the Tafawa Balewa sight. What I saw that day was terrible. The third was the Maitasine riot in Kano during the Shagari era. We discovered a mass grave.
Do you have any regret?
Not at all. I have served my country. I have satisfaction of that service rendered. If every policeman would put as much as I have done, Nigeria would not have been what it is now. People are no longer working to help the country; all they are after is money. Everything in this country has been devalued. The level of corruption in our country today is something else. Corruption has become a fashion, but I know it will not continue like this because there will be change somehow.
This change you are talking about, is it the one APC is talking about?
Yes. By the grace of God, they will change this country. They have good intentions for Nigeria.
The late Abacha was your friend.
No, he was not really my friend. He was my junior in secondary school. He respected me highly just as I did to him as well. You see the noise about Abacha being corrupt, I tell you, it is because he is not alive. If he were alive, I can tell you, there won’t be anybody talking about this. Like the corrupt leaders we have in this country presently who have done more atrocities even worse than Abacha, they are alive and nobody is saying anything about them. They can say anything about Abacha because he is not alive. If you take one of the leaders, I don’t have to mention any body’s name, and you open him up and see the kind of damage he has done to this country, it will triple what Abacha has done. The way the country is run now, if you are not corrupt you cannot go anywhere. That is the way things are done now. I have two things which I thank God for. I have patience. Whatever you do to me I will leave you to God, no matter how bad it may be. I have contentment. I stay within the limit of my resources. That is why I am always happy. I have no fear of somebody coming here to come and kill me. I used to have a policeman at my gate, I asked him to go.
Are you fulfilled.
100%. If I pass on today I will die a fulfilled person. I have no regret in life.
Are you ready to die here and now
I swear to God, if it comes now, I am ready. What am I looking for again? Money? What am going to do with it? House? Wife? Whatever that is being done with money in life I have done it in my own small way. That is why I said I am contented. God has blessed me with age and good health and kept me alive and upright. I have trained all my children to the university level. What else am I waiting for? Let me die now if death would come
Source: Vanguard

My trouble with Jonathan –Gov Amaechi...

Recently some reports had made the rounds that he impregnated the daughter of a prominent professor, and that the girl had already moved into his house. Another version of the story had it that the governor had problems with his wife, over her advice that he should soft-pedal on his approach to the rift between him and the presidency, for his own safety.
But the governor, during a chat with newsmen at the Government House, said his marriage was intact, contrary to what his opponents alleged that his wife ran away from Nigeria because he impregnated another girl.
He said: “That story is bad, but at least, it brought back my wife.

I don’t think she was planning to celebrate Christmas in Nigeria. But with that story, I said, listen, you need to come back, so that they would know that you have not divorced me.
So, she is back to see the husband, spend time with the husband, do some of her functions as wife of the governor; so that my opponents will know I’m still married. I am not just married, I am a Catholic. How many of you know what we say about Catholic marriage? As solid as a Catholic marriage, you have no room for divorce, you have absolutely no room for divorce.
What you have is room for annulment, and only one ground can a marriage be annulled in the Catholic Church. That means, the marriage never took place; that means, the woman either deceived you into marrying her or the man deceived you into marrying him. If there was no deceit, any other thing is, for better, for worse.
“So, for those of you who publish such information…if you know me, you would know that it didn’t bother me.
My wife has also become like me; it didn’t bother her. But when our parents began to say, ‘No, we want to confirm, come home for some weeks’…”
The governor also used the forum to give more reasons for the misunderstanding between him and President Goodlkuck Jonathan, and why he decided to dump the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for All Progressives Congress (APC).
He said: “Like most of you may have known, I have since left PDP to a better party, All Progressives Congress, because PDP is a drowning party.”
According to the governor, between now and March 2014, more members of the National Assembly, including the Senate, would decamp to APC, thereby, turning PDP into opposition, instead of the ruling party it is at present.
“I can assure you that more governors will leave. They are quite uncomfortable,” Amaechi said, stressing that it would be difficult for PDP to win the presidential election in 2015.
According to the governor, his problem with the president started when the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan attempted to interfere in the governance of Rivers State and he resisted the move.
“I left PDP because, there was an attempt by the wife of the President to micro-manage governance in Rivers State and I said, no, you can’t, I’m elected, if I fail, the people won’t say the wife of the president failed, they would say, Governor Amaechi failed.
So I’m accountable to God, to men and women of Rivers State,” Amaechi said.
Another reason he gave for his grouse with President Goodluck Jonathan was the injustice he meted out to Rivers State. Among them, he further explained, was the ceding of oil wells belonging to the state to Bayelsa and Abia States. He also adduced his rift with the president to his challenge to the Federal Government to account for N49 billion.
He said many Nigerians did not know that the governors were on strike for three months, as they refused to collect their monthly allocations.
He disclosed that under former President Olusegun Obasanjo and late Umaru Yar’Adua, the total money made from oil subsidy was N300 billion, adding that in the first year of Jonathan’s administration (2011), it moved up to N2.3 trillion. He said as the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, he was privileged to know the financial stand of the country during meetings with the president.
“I have been saying it for the past two years, since 2011, because I was Chairman of Governors’ Forum, I was sitting in the meetings with the president. I’m telling you why they want to crucify me. This fight is about change, it is about good governance and accountability,” Amaechi further said.
He insisted that people from the Niger Delta region, especially, Rivers people, were not benefitting from President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration, citing the East-West road as an example. He disclosed that it was after he challenged the Minister for the Niger Delta that money was borrowed to commence work on the road.
He also condemned the Federal Government’s failure to expedite action on the construction work going on at the Port Harcourt International Airport, as was the case in Abuja, Lagos, Cross Rivers, Sokoto airports, among others.
He said: “They don’t like Rivers State. They hate us.
I repeat, let Mr. President tell me what he has done for Rivers State. Should I remain in that kind of party that denies Rivers State its resources? Should I?”
Amaechi accused President Jonathan of diverting projects meant for Rivers to Bayelsa State. He mentioned the Zonal Air Force Base, which late President Umaru Yar’Adua recommended to be sited in Rivers State and work on Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), Bonny, Rivers State, which has been suspended in favour of Brass LNG. TheSun

12 Christmas fun seekers killed as boats collide in Bayelsa CAPSIZED BOAT...

At least 12 persons among them four undergraduates were killed in a boat mishap along the Ikoli River at Ayama in Ogbia local government area of Bayelsa State leaving two others with fatal injuries. The injured persons are in critical condition at an undisclosed hospital.
The tragic incident, we learnt, occurred on Christmas Day at about 8.25 pm when a passenger speedboat collided with a local cargo boat.
While the driver of the speedboat and 11 of his passengers were killed in the deadly collision, two others were said to have sustained fatal injuries and were in critical condition.
Those who lost their lives in the boat mishap include a lecturer in one of the higher institutions in the state, some students of Niger Delta University and University of Calabar.
As at press time, eight corpses had been recovered by local divers, who are still combing the bed of the river for other missing bodies.
The decomposing corpses of the accident victims, it was learnt, were, yesterday, deposited at the morgue of the Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa.
The passengers, including men and women, mostly students, were said to be fun seekers heading for Otuabula for a beach party to celebrate Xmas.
The incident reportedly occurred when the boat had taken passengers aboard and was heading back to Onuegbum when it collided with a wooden boat around Ayama on the Ikoli River.
A source from the riverine enclave, who blamed the accident on poor visibility, lamented that “the two boats involved in the accident had no light and were sailing blindly when they collided.”
Also, a member of Bayelsa State chapter of Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, Lloyd Sese, who confirmed the accident, expressed sadness, saying the incident happened at night on Christmas Day.
Boat drivers, he noted, are barred from operating at night due to the windy and treacherous nature of the rivers and creeks so as to avert avoidable mishap.
Contacted, the state police public relations officer, Mr. Alex Akhigbe, confirmed the incident but said information at his disposal was sketchy.
He however promised to avail our correspondent the details of the tragic accident after being briefed by the DPO in charge of Ogbia Division.

Wenger on comeback, Podolski and Ramsey...

Arsène Wenger spoke to the media after his side beat West Ham United 3-1 on Boxing Day.  Read a transcript of what he had to say below:
on the teams performance…
I am delighted because overall I feel that we controlled the game but I we had a difficult period where the game could have changed. That was in the first 10 minutes of the second half where West Ham scored. They had a header on a cross which could have made it 2-0. That was certainly the turning point of the game but after that we had plenty of chances in the first half, we couldn't take our chances but after that we responded very well and won the game in a convincing way.
on whether he was worried or confident at 1-0…
I have confidence but I have confidence and [still] I worry. Because that's the nature of the game, you always worry but I'm proud of the character of this team because they always are focused and try to do well and respond. They did it but football is football.

I believe we had a difficult period just now but honestly that was mainly down to the schedule we had
Arsène Wenger

on the amount of first-half chances…
The positive is that we created chances, the negative is that we didn't take them. There is sometimes a guilt flying around the team when you don't take your chances you think basically we deserved to be punished and we were. For us it was down to not to make a defensive mistake and not to rush our game in the second half but we had our backs to the wall very quickly.
on West Ham's chances at the start of the second half…
Yes. What happened is that we were under a little bit of shock because we felt that we should have been two or three up. We had of course to open our game up even more and to give them some chances on the counter attacks.
on the seriousness of Ramsey's injury…
It looks [serious]. It looks like a thigh strain. I don't know how serious the thigh strain is but the Christmas period certainly is over for him. It was his birthday today.
on how long he will be out for…
I don't know how long. We will see tomorrow morning.
on Ramsey's gestures when he got injured…
He knew straight away but we have to see.
on Podolski's impact…
Yes we had two real wingers from that moment on and it made a huge difference because we had good width in our game and that created many problems for West Ham.

The team wants to do well and the character is great
Arsène Wenger

on what Podolski can bring to the team…
He has been out for four four months, he has not played one game. I try to get him slowly back to competitiveness and he has shown he can have a huge impact because he can score and make goals - he can give assists. But on the pitch we had Podolski and Walcott and Giroud and Ozil and Cazorla you know when you lose the ball you can be a bit vulnerable but we had to go for it.
on whether his side answered some big questions…
Yes. I agree and would we not have won we would have had to answer many questions today. That was a kind of game that of course many people would have questioned us had we not won today and even more if we had lost.
on proving that his team are title contenders…
Yes. For us we have another good game now on Sunday at Newcastle who are in full confidence as well so that will be another test. The team wants to do well and the character is great. The concentration is top. I believe we had a difficult period just now but honestly that was mainly down to the schedule we had. I think that the schedule was absolutely horrendous but we can show that in the future.
on getting momentum from this result…
When you do not win for four games it's important to come back for the confidence level of your environment and yourself as well to win.

I fasted for 10 months to become gov – Amaechi amaechi...

THE PUNCH – Rivers State Governor and Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum has attributed the increasing level of insecurity in the Federal Government. He also said God, and not man, installed him as the state governor because he fasted and prayed for 10 months before he became the governor.
Amaechi said rather than chase criminals away from the state, the police had decided to shoot innocent citizens.
The governor, who spoke at Saint Vincent De Paul Catholic Church in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, said insecurity in the state was growing because the police had failed to do their job in an unbiased manner.
Maintaining that his government was installed by Jesus Christ, Amaechi urged the people to disregard those who claimed to be responsible for his emergence as the governor of the state.
He said, “As a government led by me, a government installed by Christ, if anybody tells you he installed me, tell him it is a lie. Tell him that I said I prayed for 10 months and I fasted from 6am to 6pm, calling on Christ to come down and Christ came down mightily and installed me as governor.
“That is why you can see that in the face of human effontery, I have been able to stand face to face with them and I say I have Christ in me.
“You must rise in that same spirit of having Christ in you and confront those who are confronting you. You must stand up for Christ because the Bible says ‘faith without work is dead.’
“We must not die. We must live and the way to live is to celebrate Christ and the way to celebrate Christ is to confront Satan and Satan is in different forms and shapes.
“If the police shoot at you, they are satanic. If government denies you your right to live, that government is satanic,” Amaechi added.
“All these you may want to attribute to political disagreement in Rivers State; but it is not true. It is simply because of those who lead us in Abuja; because the police is an establishment of the Federal Government and they have refused to curb the excesses of the police.
“Instead of the police to chase away criminals, they are shooting at innocent citizens. Don’t stop at praying. We knew we prayed, but as you pray, you must rise on your feet and confront the challenges of insecurity

Photo: Lady attend party without bra...

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What can you say about this lady who went to a party without cover body?

Governor Aregbesola Joins Pastor Enoch Adeboye @ End of Year Prayer tagged LET’S GO A-FISHING...

From left, General Overseer, Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye; Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and his Deputy, Mrs Titi Laoye-Tomori, during the Special End of the Year Prayer tagged: 'Lets' go a Fishing at Federal Polytechnic Ede Sport Complex, Ede, the State of Osun, on Tuesday 24-12-2013

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From left, General Overseer, Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye; Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and his Deputy, Mrs Titi Laoye-Tomori, during the Special End of the Year Prayer tagged: ‘Lets’ go a Fishing at Federal Polytechnic Ede Sport Complex, Ede, the State of Osun, on Tuesday 24-12-2013

From left, General Overseer, Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye; Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and his Deputy, Mrs Titi Laoye-Tomori, during the Special End of the Year Prayer tagged: ‘Lets’ go a Fishing at Federal Polytechnic Ede Sport Complex, Ede, the State of Osun, on Tuesday 24-12-2013

A PRESIDENTIAL SPEECH FULL OF ERRORS: 20 mistakes spotted in Goodluck Jonathan’s Christmas Message JONATHAN...

NEWS EXPRESS – My attention was drawn to President Jonathan’s goodwill message to Nigerians on Christmas. Having read many speeches from the President of Nigeria, I am always certain that there would be grammatical and other kinds of errors in his speeches. Indeed, I have stopped bothering about it. But when I read his present speech, I had to comment, initially for the benefit of my friends. The responses to my comment promoted me to further analyze that speech. (Before you go further, remember that anybody can make a mistake. It is a matter of degree; but the office of the President of Nigeria should not make the same type of mistake that an individual like me could make). The funny thing is that I am actually familiar with how the presidency works or should work. There are layers of personnel to ensure that anything coming from the President, directly in his name, reflects the best the country is capable of. That is supposed to be the general state of affair and everybody in the presidency understands and works towards that. The office of the President would therefore have the best secretaries and other support staff working in a structure where they are positioned to detect errors and correct them before the matter gets out.
For instance, it is a serious problem to submit a document to the President for his signature, where such a document has an error in it. We refer to documents signed by the President as documents that are watertight and perfect. They leave no room for typos or other problems. That is why a document bearing directly the name of the President would go through several checks and reviews before publication.
Note that this was not a speech delivered on behalf of the President by an aide. It is not a thing by a press rep. It is not a thing by his advisers. It is directly in the name of the President. So, efforts should have been expended to ensure that it met the highest standards. If they were not sure of that standard or they lack the time and resources to ensure the highest standards, they could have had the speech given on behalf of the President by some other official.
What I think happened was that they allowed a low grade, low talent (but highly paid) connected political player’s relative to man the President’s Facebook account. They forgot that even though it was Facebook, that was the President directly communicating with the world.
Some people naively think that this is just about grammatical error. They are satisfied that he even bothered to greet them on Christmas. But, rather, this matter reflects failure at several levels. It is failure to understand the use and significance of the social media in modern governance. It is failure to understand the people and the audience the President is trying to reach. It is a failure to select the right officials based on competence rather than political patronage. It is simply a huge failure to lead the country with any sense of modernity.
A few days ago, President Putin of Russia had a meet-the-press session attended by 3,000 press people. Putin communicated with the world with the latest and best technology that exists. He communicated like a pro. But here, the President of the most populous black nation in the world where 65% of the population comprises of people under age 30 could not even send a simple message on Facebook without so many basic errors.
Now, I used this simple issue to test Nigerians. I wanted to see how many of the youth would understand what is in issue here. Many do not understand that if you don’t speak any language of your choice in the correct grammatical format, that would cause you to say the opposite of what you meant to say. Now, may we examine in some specific details the statement by the President of Nigeria, as follows: (I placed my comments as Notes after the first four paragraphs). PRESIDENT JONATHAN’S SPEECH: FIRST PARAGRAPH: As the world marks the birth of Jesus Christ, let me, on behalf of myself, my family and the Federal Government, extend the good tidings of peace, progress and joy to every home throughout our beloved country Nigeria.
Note: This paragraph has the errors such as: (1) The world does not mark the birth of Jesus Christ, really. Only Christians do that. This is because the word “marks”, as used in this first paragraph means: “a festival to mark an anniversary: celebrate, observe, recognize, acknowledge, keep, honor, solemnize, pay tribute to, salute, commemorate, remember, memorialize.” Only Christians do that for the birth of “Jesus Christ”. Also, there is a difference in connotation between “Jesus of Nazareth” and “Jesus Christ”. Jesus of Nazareth is a historical figure that everybody agrees was born, lived and was killed in the region of Judea about 2000 years ago. The Jews and Muslims and everyone else really call him “Jesus of Nazareth”, but they do not accept that he is “Christ” the Messiah. So the world could not really “mark” the birth of “Jesus Christ”, any more than it would be correct to say “the world marks the birth of Mohammed”. (2) The use of the phrase, “on behalf of myself” is questionable on grounds of appropriateness. If you must add “myself” on the list of people the President was speaking for, that should be the last on the list. (3) The phrase, “the Federal Government”, is incomplete and ambiguous. While acceptable in some clear contexts, it is ambiguous to someone who might not automatically know that Jonathan is the President of Nigeria. So, that phrase ought to have been “Federal Government of Nigeria” or anything else that specifies the country in question. This is particularly so because the phrase is being used for the first time in the speech. It is true that he subsequently added in the same paragraph the word “Nigeria”. But that does not cure the error. (4) The last phrase in that paragraph, “our beloved country Nigeria” is incorrectly written. There ought to be a comma between “country” and “Nigeria”. The funny thing is that if the writer had used the readily available spell checker on his or her computer, many of these errors would have been highlighted and taken out. So, how could our officials be so lazy and daft?
SECOND PARAGRAPH: Christmas is a time of joyous family gatherings and as President, I see every Nigerian as a member of my family and I urge us all to retain the unique sense of brotherly love that this season evokes beyond the Yuletide period.
Note: (1) This paragraph is mostly meaningless. The President’s attempt to define Christmas only as “a time for joyous family gatherings” does not reflect an intelligible articulation of the purpose of Christmas. In fact, religious scholars do not believe that the central connotation of Christmas involves family gatherings, as there is no such religious obligation for families to gather. Of course, he could have avoided this ambiguity by indicating that this is his own understanding of the meaning of Christmas. (2) Also the use of the definite article “a” before “time” does not reflect the best practice. (3) Similarly, there ought to be the definite article “the” before the word “President” in that paragraph. (4) The most disturbing error in the second paragraph of the speech has to do with the last seven words in that paragraph, “this season evokes beyond the Yuletide period”. The problems here are: (a) What is the “season” mentioned here? That is Christmas season. (b) What is the “Yuletide period” mentioned here? That is Christmas period. So, that statement really says something like this: “This Christmas season evokes beyond the Christmas period”. You can see immediately the dumbness of such statement. It is a lazy statement by a lazy writer. And, by the way, what is the meaning of the word “Yuletide”? It is defined by Wikipedia as: “Yule or Yuletide (“Yule time”) is a Pagan religious festival observed by the historical Germanic peoples, later being absorbed into and equated with the Christian festival of Christmas.” The English Dictionary defined it as “Archaic way of saying “Christmas””. Now why would this writer use such term, really?
THIRD PARAGRAPH: While we will surely mark this holiday in our different ways and according to our established traditions, it is my desire that we all celebrate Christmas with some minimum comforts and my team and I have long prepared for this by working to improve our infrastructure especially those that most serve us during this season.
Note: This paragraph, like all other paragraphs in the speech, contains at least four errors. I don’t need to mention them here, except to point out the most bizarre of the errors. That has to do with the phrase: “it is my desire that we all celebrate Christmas with some minimum comfort…” What does the President mean to say here? Is he urging Nigerians to show restraint in their consumption during the period, which might make sense, or does he really mean that Nigerians should be minimally comfortable during the period? (If Nigerians don’t have electricity during the period, yes, that would be “minimum comfort” for them). It is totally bizarre for such ambiguity and confusion to emanate from a simple statement of goodwill from the President of Nigeria. I will not bother to list the errors in the remaining paragraphs. Those are even too disturbing for anyone to bother to point them out. It is easier to point out the correct statements here than to point out the errors because only about five sentences in the entire speech are correct grammatically and otherwise. And most of the factual assertions in the speech are false and most statements of opinion in it are illogical.
FOURTH PARAGRAPH: Knowing that this period is the peak period for cross country travels amongst our people, this administration has fast tracked the repair and reconstruction of artery roads nationwide. We have also ensured that the nightmare our citizens suffered at fuel stations during periods like this is put behind us. For the second year in a row, train services have continued to run from the Lagos Terminus all the way to The hinterlands of the North. This year, we also introduced cargo and haulage train services from the Lagos Port to up country locations.

FIFTH PARAGRAPH: With the Enugu airport now handling international flights, more of our people can fly directly to their localities resulting in reduced pressure on our roads.
SIXTH PARAGRAPH: Our policies to spur local production of staples such as rice and wheat are bearing fruits as evidenced by the 2013 Global Hunger Index.
SEVENTH PARAGRAPH: Although I will not depend on statistics until every Nigerian has enough to eat at all times and in every season, the report is salutary and only galvanizes us to further action. EIGHTH PARAGRAPH: I have also personally monitored government’s fiscal effort which we ensured were tightened for the purpose of avoiding or severely reducing the seasonal inflationary trends on consumer goods around this time of the year with the attendant result that inflation is at single digit rate.
NINETH PARAGRAPH: These steps have been undertaken because of my belief that every good and great thing is possible in our country if we desire to achieve it.
TENTH PARAGRAPH: So, as we all celebrate with friends and family, I say from me to you, Merry Christmas and may the joys of the season extend from our individual homes to those of our neighbors and neighboring communities irrespective of religion and region. GEJ
•Emeka Ugwuonye, Esquire, lawyer and activist, wrote from Lagos

NNPC Fraud: CBN Governor Sanusi To Proceed On Post-Retirement Leave In March...

By Sahara Reporters, New York SaharaReporters has learnt that Nigeria’s Central Bank Governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, will be forced to leave his post in March, 2014, two months before the formal expiration of his tenure. Two sources at the Presidency and a source at the Central Bank told SaharaReporters that Mr. Sanusi has been ordered to proceed on a post-retirement leave in March. All three sources concluded that the early exit for the CBN henchman was occasioned by Mr. Sanusi’s recent leaked letter to President Goodluck Jonathan detailing the theft of close to $50 billion in oil proceeds by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). Last week, Mr. Sanusi revised the figure of missing funds down to $12 billion, but the damage to the Jonathan Presidency is considered massive.
SaharaReporters learnt that Mr. Jonathan has concluded plans to speedily replace the CBN governor whom the president believes set out to embarrass his government. “[President] Jonathan thinks that Sanusi Lamido Sanusi has been making erratic pronouncements recently calculated to demean the office of the President,” said a source in the Presidency.
Presidency officials accused the CBN governor of leaking a private letter written to President Jonathan in which Nigeria’s chief banker complained about fraud perpetrated by officials of the NNPC and the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke. Ms. Alison-Madueke is extremely close to the president and is believed to be the arrowhead of Mr. Jonathan’s corrupt schemes, especially in the oil sector.
One of the sources at the Presidency told SaharaReporters that, although Mr. Sanusi’s allegations were substantially accurate, the CBN governor was forced to back down from the more damaging aspects of his claims after the president’s associates threatened to make an issue of his reckless spending and philandering. “Once Sanusi found out that the Presidency was determined to deal with him, both through the media and by instigating the EFCC to look into his spending habits, he was willing to retreat and to accept an early departure,” said our source.
Shortly after the CBN governor was effectively blackmailed and brought under control, he appeared before the Nigerian Senate and reversed his position, claiming that the NNPC was only unable to reconcile $12 billion of crude oil sale earnings.
It was shortly after Mr. Sanusi’s Senate appearance that President Jonathan ordered that the CBN governor’s retirement should be fast-tracked. Mr. Sanusi, who is believed to nurse an ambition to become the next Emir of Kano, had publicly stated that he does not intend to stay for another term.
His term as Nigeria’s Central Bank governor is due to expire in May 2014.

APC berates Jonathan’s response to Obasanjo’s letter JONATHAN...

VANGUARD – The All Progressives Congress (APC) says the presidency has been greatly diminished by its decision to throw decorum to the wind and engage former President Olusegun Obasanjo in a hot exchange of words in what may now be described as ‘lettergate’, the latest in a series of scandals to hit the Jonathan presidency. In a statement issued in Lagos on Thursday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said while it is not interested in joining the fray over the issues contained in the letters written by both men, the decision by the President to go personal in his reaction crossed the threshold of decency and brought the presidency – and indeed the country – into disrepute.
It said in other climes, the President would have simply issued a terse response to such a letter denying the allegations that border on national security, if any; as well as saying the former President’s observations have been noted, and that the government would study them and then engage with the former President in private, while assuring that the ship of state is on course.
”Instead, the President’s response read like the stuff of gossip magazines, and the exchange of words felt like what one would have expected in a beer parlour. At the end of the day, the Presidency allowed Obasanjo to take the higher moral ground by simply insisting on the allegations he made in his letter and saying he would not respond to the presidency’s reply
”The President, who accused Obasanjo of doing him a great injustice, has himself done a great injustice to the Presidency, which is an institution in which he is only a tenant. In the end, the President of Africa’s most populous nation, the leader of the foremost black nation on earth and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria simply desecrated his own presidency and allowed those who can only be likened to gravy train passengers, rascals and knaves to seize the initiative from him.
”This is what happens when a President is surrounded by self-serving, boot-licking and dishonest people, at the expense of seasoned technocrats and veteran policymakers, who would have reminded the President that while critics can afford to fire all sorts of darts at him, as the custodian of the presidency at this point in time, he cannot afford to respond in kind because, in doing so, he would be debasing the presidency as an institution,” APC said.

Mysterious 5 legged cow that gives male children to pregnant women 5 legged cow...

Raj Pratap’s three-year-old male calf called Raju has a fifth hoof which is believed to be lucky

DAILY MAIL UK – A five-legged cow has been hailed a miracle because when pregnant women touch its fifth hoof they give birth to baby boys. Raj Pratap’s three-year-old male calf, called Raju, has become famous in Raipur, India, since a woman with four daughters touched the animal’s fifth hoof and begged for her next child to be a boy.
When she gave birth to a twin boys in February this year, word soon spread that the calf’s fifth leg – a very rare condition which affects just one in every five million cows – was ‘lucky’.
Since news got out about the fifth leg, Mr Pratap, a cattle herder, has been swamped by pregnant women who pay to touch the hoof – with 30 women so far stumping up around 500 rupees, around £5, for the privilege.
Amazingly, all 30 women have given birth to boys and Mr Pratap is so confident of his ‘miracle calf’ that he offers refunds if the baby born is a girl.
This week, on Monday (Dec 23) the cow celebrated its 33rd baby boy after a woman who touched its ‘magical hoof’ gave birth to triplets….all of them boys.
Mr Pratap said: “All births have been positive and have resulted in a son – and this week a woman gave birth to triplets, all of them boys.
‘I don’t know why this has happened to us but Raju has a gift and I want to share it with the whole world.
‘Some day I dream of taking Raju to Europe or America and making every couple there happy.’
In India boys are ‘more valued’ than girls as they have ‘greater earning potential’ to support the family.
The parents of a bride are still expected to provide the groom with a dowry of cash, jewellery and other luxury items before the wedding ceremony can go ahead – despite it being outlawed in India since 1961.
One woman, who gave birth to a boy in October this year but asked not to be named, said: ‘It is a gift from god – touching Raju’s fifth leg has blessed me with a boy.
‘My whole family is so happy that I now have a beautiful son.’
Cows are considered sacred by Hindus who believe one of their most important gods Lord Krishna to have been a cattle herder.
Across India they are allowed to roam the streets of towns and cities and it is forbidden to move them, even if they are obstructing traffic.

Genevieve, Don Jazzy Are Lovers! Details that will shock you...

We are shocked. And we are sure you would too. But those who know are swearing by their progenitors that the acrimony between erstwhile collaborators, Don Jazzy and D’banj would never thaw as both have now started getting even with each other through the most unexpected channel. Reliable and redoubtable sources tell us that Don Jazzy has been knocking knees, merging sweaty bodies and burrowing at will into the widely sought-after sanctum of popular actress, Genevieve Nnaji’s. Confirmed by two A-List celebrities, the shocking tryst between the producer and the star actress, we gathered, has been on for a few months. “Since D’banj heard the story which he also confirmed from his own independent investigation, he has been unhappy and telling those within earshot how he further feels betrayed by Don Jazzy,” one of the sources told Epochng. Apart from the understandable sense of jealousy and anger, D’banj, we hear, is sad that of all women, Don Jazzy could croon his ways into Genny’s heart.
Nigerians have not forgotten the much talked about but oft-denied relationship between two of Africa’s biggest entertainers, D’banj and Genevieve, at the height of which the actress featured in the singer’s ‘Fall in Love’ video, which further fuelled tales of a robust romance. Sighted in several exotic places across the world, the innuendoes and insinuations of marriage were never proved. Recently though, D’banj was quoted in a newspaper interview as saying that he would really love to marry Genevieve.
Now, Don Jazzy has taken over where he left off with Genny. Yet, this is not the first time such incident is happening. Over the years, especially in their Mo’Hits days, we hear that this trend began with the producer. A source close to both parties recalled the story of a Dolapo who is married and now based in Malaysia; “Dolapo was D’banj’s girl but Don Jazzy used money to lure the girl into sleeping with her, the first instalment, I remember was N300, 000. Don Jazzy can give a limb when he likes a woman.”
The source is however critical of D’banj whining about Don Jazzy making out with Genevieve saying, “After all, he is also dating An A CLASS contovisial Actress who was Don Jazzy’s babe for a long time. In fact, they were at the grand finale of the Hennessey Artistry together so why is he making it look like he had been betrayed?”

No, Obasanjo Should Not Be Your Navigator – Soyinka squeals at Tinubu tinubu...

PM NEWS LAGOS – Professor Wole Soyinka, has reacted to a statement credited to Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu that APC would like General Obasanjo to be the navigator of his party. The Nobel Laureate said that the move will lead to ‘’the guaranteed crash’’ of the APC’s ship. Soyinka then threw in this jibe: ‘’Don’t forget to alert the coast guards – ECOWAS, AU, UNO etc etc – to be on the alert for possible salvage operations. He concluded: “By the way, if General Sani Abacha were alive today, would he also have been on the ship’s complement? As captain perhaps

APGA Wants Court To Declare Okorocha’s Seat Vacant apga...

#The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has asked a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja to declare the seat of Governor Rochas Okorocha vacant over his defection to the All Progressive Congress (APC). APGA also asked the court to order the swearing-in of Imo state Deputy Governor as governor.
The party’s National Executive Committee (NEC), after its meeting in Abuja on August 3, 2013, unanimously resolved to commence a legal action reclaim the mandate of the party from Okorocha, who defected to a party whose policies are different from that of APGA’s.
In the suit filed through its ounsel Victor Odjemu, APGA is praying the court for an order directing the Deputy Governor of Imo State or Speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly or any officer next in line to fill the position of the Governor of Imo, who is a member of the plaintiff (APGA) to be sworn in as the governor of Imo State.
The party is also asking the court for an order directing the 2nd defendant, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to issue a certificate of return to the person declared as Governor as the prayer above and an order annulling the certificate of return issued to Okorocha (1st defendant) by virtue of his defection to the APC.
APGA Cannot Recall Okorocha – APC
Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has described the recent threat by APGA) to recall Governor Okorocha a political brouhaha, and unnecessary ranting.
Coordinator of APC in the state , prince Marshall Okaforayanwu while briefing newsmen in Owerri yesterday , said that those behind the threat were only seeking cheap publicity and added that it was only the people of the state who gave him the mandate that could recall him.
“Somebody planning a recall should first check the number of votes they have . APGA does not have the members to recall Okorocha because when we left the party we left with all the members,” he said. leadership.ng

508 Nigerians to be repatriated from Saudi Arabia by FG– envoy Saudi Migrants...

This is sequel to the clampdown on illegal immigrants by the Saudi authorities after the expiration of the four months amnesty given them to regularise their stay.
Nigeria’s Consul-General in Jeddah, Amb. Ahmed Umar, on Tuesday, stated in Abuja that the 508 Nigerians were those who voluntarily decided to return home.
He recalled that the repatriation, earlier scheduled to begin on Dec. 22, was stalled when the aircraft that was meant to convey them developed technical problems on the eve of their departure.
Umar commended the federal government’s generosity in repatriating those who chose to return home. “The federal government responded promptly to the need of those Nigerians who indicated their desire to return home.
“The consulate had provided items such as food, blankets and other needs for women and children.
“The consulate had maintained round the clock presence with the deportees to ensure that all their immediate needs were met, including medical attention.
“The sick were regularly taken to the clinic located within the facility for instant examination and treatment.” Umar explained.
He said the arrest of illegal immigrants including Nigerians in that country was still going on.
“Out of those arrested by the Saudi authorities 1,150 had been transported home by the Saudi government,” the consul-general said.
Last month, Nigeria’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Amb. Abubakar Bunu, told NAN that an estimated one million Nigerians lived and worked in the country, although it remained unknown how many were illegal.
He observed that not many Nigerians had come forward to seek consular help since the crackdown began, and warned that those staying illegally could face arrest and detention, if caught.
Source: Vanguard

Advertising guru,Ogunro, murdered and steal vehicle Ogunro...

The Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Eminent Communications Limited, one of the biggest advertising agencies in the country, Mr. Sesan Ogunro, was murdered at Alausa area of Lagos State on Sunday evening. Mr. Ogunro was also the Chairman of the Board of Broadcasting Services of Ekiti State before his untimely death.
His son, Sesan Ogunro (jnr.), is a popular video director, who directed popular musical videos, including Jayejaye by Wizkid.
According to police authorities, the victim was shot on Jobi Felle Way, Alausa, around 10.40pm by a four-man robbery gang.
The victim was said to have been returning from a church programme with members of his family, who were in a separate car, when they were accosted by the robbers in a Honda minivan.
The robbers were said to have attempted to snatch the victim’s Mercedes Benz Sports Utility Vehicle, but he was said to have refused to cooperate with them.
PUNCH Metro learnt that after shooting the deceased, the robbers snatched his wife’s Toyota car and sped off.
A police source at the Alausa Police Division, said, “Around 11.24pm, on Sunday, we received a distress call that about four armed men, operating in one Honda Odyssey beside Regency Hall, attempted snatching a Mercedes jeep from one Mr. Ogunro. We were told that Ogunro resisted and the armed men shot him.
“The robbers abandoned the Honda Oddsey and escaped with a red Toyota Yaris car, belonging to the wife of the victim who was also at the scene. We visited the scene and the Divisional Police Officer visited Lagoon Hospital where the victim was receiving treatment.”
Our correspondent learnt that Ogunro, however, died two hours after being rushed to the hospital.
Police authorities said preliminary investigations revealed that the Honda vehicle, which the robbers used for the operation, was stolen from one Ali Balogun in the Ebute Meta area of the state two hours before Ogunro was attacked.
A family friend, who wished to remain anonymous because he had no authority to speak on behalf of the family, said the family did not understand why the robbers shot the deceased.
“I was not at the scene, but I was told that he (Ogunro) did not do anything to annoy the robbers. In fact, they stole all their valuables as well. We are all in shock as he was killed in the presence of his family during the Christmas period.
“This is a trying time for all of us and all we want is prayers.”
Police Public Relations Officer, Ngozi Braide, told our correspondent that investigations were ongoing.
Braide added that efforts were on to apprehend the fleeing suspects.
“None of his relations could volunteer any statement yet. The Honda which the robbers used was confirmed to have been snatched from one Ali Balogun at Ebute Meta around 8pm on Sunday. She was dropped at Jobi Felle way, Alausa, where she was rescued and taken to the station. Efforts are on to apprehend the fleeing suspects.”
Meanwhile, Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, expressed shock at the killing, saying Ogunro’s (Snr) murder had broken the hearts of the people of the state whom he served diligently in his lifetime.
Fayemi in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Olayinka Oyebode, urged security agencies to work hard and ensure that the killers were brought to justice within the shortest possible time.

D’banj unveiled as Globacom ambassador again...

GOOD Music artiste, D’banj, has been re-appointed a Globacom ambassador. The pop star was unveiled at the Adenuga Towers on Monday at a press briefing. As usual, the endorsement fee wasn’t revealed, but those close to D’banj say the deal is worth millions of naira. The deal also comes with a soon to be released Glo line and a Nokia Asha phone autographed by D’banj with 50 of D’banj’s hit songs pre-loaded in the phone that will hit the market soon.
D’banj who was with billionaire Globacom chairman, Mike Adenuga, during the unveiling, was a Glo ambassador between 2008 and 2009. premiumtimesng.com

2015: I’m on Jonathan’s watch list, says Amaechi Amaechi Rally...

Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi joined yesterday the raging controversy sparked by former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s letter to President Goodluck Jonathan. The former President accused Dr. Jonathan of training snipers and putting 1,000 Nigerians on a watch list ahead of the 2015 elections. Jonathan denied it all, saying Obasanjo should prove the allegations. “I’m number one on the list. They want to kill me,” Amaechi told a huge crowd at the Liberation Stadium in Port Harcourt, the state capital. It was at an exciting rally organised by the Save Rivers Movement – a political group backing Amaechi’s stand on the state’s political future.
Amaechi dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Listening to Amaechi were many APC leaders, interim National Chairman Chief Bisi Akande; former House of Representatives Speaker Aminu Bello Masari, who is the party’s interim Deputy National Chairman; interim National Vice Chairman (Southsouth) Chief Tom Ikimi and Dr. Sam Sam-Jaja.
Edo State Governor Comrade Adams Oshiomhole was represented by his deputy, Dr. Pius Egberanmwen Odubu. Also there were the interim National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed; two senators from Rivers State – Magnus Abe (Rivers Southeast) and Wilson Ake (Rivers West)- as well as a member of the House of Representatives from Rivers state, Dakuku Peterside (Andoni-Opobo/Nkoro constituency). There were many other eminent personalities.
One of the leaders, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari described the Jonathan’s administration as “lawless” vowing that the main opposition party will deliver Nigeria democratically in 2015. Gen. Buhari, a former Head of State, also promised that he and other stakeholders, especially of the APC, would do everything constitutional, to ensure the 2015 elections were credible.
Another national leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, said the party would sweep away evil, corruption and abuse of power from Rivers State and other parts of Nigeria.
Amaechi, who is also the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) chairman, said: “Today (yesterday), I am not declaring. I said I would declare at the new stadium. The reason for gathering today is to remind Nigerians that the current Federal Government is carrying on with impunity.
There is no rule of law in Nigeria. They are using police to molest us. Where police fail to molest us, they are using thugs to shoot dynamites and guns against innocent people.
“I read the President’s (Jonathan’s) letter and he said ex-President Obasanjo should prove the 1,000 names on the watch list. I am number one on the list. They want to kill me, but they have no God. The God we worship will protect me. Before the end of the year, I will address the state.
“They will shoot you. They have no fear for your blood. They want the position at all costs. Whether you all die, they do not mind governing just the land. You must know that if you read the story of revolution, you must sacrifice. Somebody said my son should come to the front. If you want my son tomorrow, I will produce him.
“If I have surrendered myself and I am ready to be in front, let them shoot. Anytime you start a street march and you do not see me in the front, you must know something must be wrong and you must know that they have arrested me. I am not a big man governor. I am a governor that is on the streets with his people.
“One other thing that is bothering me is that all those who are on the other side, saying they want Southsouth President, I agree with them, they want Southsouth President. In politics, you are not here today (yesterday) because you like Amaechi; you are here because of your own political interest. If a Southsouth President refused to give you water, you will push him out.
“We gave the President (Jonathan in 2011) nearly two million votes, let him tell us one project he has done for us. I have challenged the President that I belong to the APC. If he wants Rivers people to vote for him, let him give Kalabari people back their oil wells and I will come back (to the PDP). He cannot. The President cannot. Instead, he will take more.”
Amaechi also admonished the people, especially his teeming supporters, to be prepared for the struggle ahead, stating that on elections’ days, the “oppressors” would come with tanks and policemen, but urged them to stand and watch their votes.
The Rivers governor said: “They said Buhari is not a Christian. Buhari is a Muslim. We are not preaching religious politics. Everybody in Nigeria has the right to worship where he wants to worship. I am a Catholic and I will worship Christ. I will die a Christian, but do not bring politics into good governance.
“It is only when there is bad governance that they begin to look for who is an Ikwerre man, who is an Ijaw man, who is an Hausa man, who is a Yoruba man. If there is good governance, you will be talking about schools. Have I told you I am an Ikwerre man? I told you I have done schools, health centres and roads. I am facing power. They should tell us what they are doing. We are prepared for a debate with them.
“In Etche, they have taken our 41 oil wells across (to Abia State). They are denying us our rights. We have suffered enough. I was a students’ leader. I learnt in the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) that nobody should trample on your rights. If I did not fight for my rights, I would not have been governor. I suffered and my children suffered, but today we are in government.
“If you listen to them closely, our brothers, who are on the other side, they are hungry. They have been out of power for nearly eight years. If you vote them into power, what will happen? They will steal all the money. They are broke. The ones that are not broke, that are in government, they are busy stealing and building mansions everywhere. They have no fear. I have never seen corruption like this in Nigeria before.
“President Jonathan said in his letter that former President Obasanjo should apologise on the issue of $49.8 billion. Right on television, a debate between the Minister of Finance (Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala) and the CBN (Central Bank of Nigeria) Governor (Sanusi Lamido Sanusi). The CBN Governor said they had reconciled, but they had not found $12 billion, but the Minister for Finance said it was $10.8 billion. Even if it is $1 billion, it is stealing. $1 billion is N170 billion. There are some states that their budget (annually) is N130 billion. Bring our money. I have never seen corruption like this.
“They are busy pursuing us with the EFCC (Economic and Financial Crimes Commission), they have never pursed any federal agency with EFCC. I will quote the Governor of Edo State (Comrade Adams Oshiomhole); he said if you write examination and you score 26 per cent, have you passed? If you score 52 per cent, have you not passed? The Federal Government is holding 52 per cent of our money. EFCC should pursue the 52 per cent and leave 26 per cent. If EFCC succeeds in doing that, have we not succeeded?”
Amaechi also stated that President Jonathan, in his reply of ex-President Obasanjo’s letter said the African Development Bank (AFDB) was carrying out the process of giving Rivers peoples water.
The NGF chairman said: “Tell Mr. President that World Bank, not AFDB. Two banks are involved. One is AfDB’ the other is World Bank. We were told by the staff of the World Bank that they are ready. Tell the President (Jonathan) to give us our water.
“If it is the President, I can understand, because the President has not served in any international organisation, but what about the woman (Finance Minister, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala), whose job it is to sign off, to give the water project.
“The Minister of Finance has refused to sign off, despite the fact that she served in the World Bank. She wants you (Rivers people) to die of water-borne diseases, in the name of politics. Holy Ghost fire.
“They are quarrelling with Amaechi and they want you (Rivers people) to die the death of Amaechi. I will not die. I drink bottled water. You do not drink bottled water. So, the best I can do for you and the best that the President can do for you, because he is your President, is to ask the World Bank, we hereby sign this document, that in 40 years, Rivers State will pay you your money, but they have refused to sign, just because of politics.
“If they tell us that it is AFDB, tell them I said it is both AFDB and the World Bank and we have completed everything we need to complete. All parties are ready, including the AFDB and the World Bank. They do not want to sign. They want you to die of water-borne diseases.”
The Rivers governor spoke also of the metaphor of the broom – Amaechi studied Literature at the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) – stressing that the broom would sweep out dirt, but while sweeping, the sweeper must bend down.
He noted that the sweeper must suffer a bit and in suffering, the broom would be sweeping, but at the end, the house would be clean. He urged his teeming supporters to prepare to suffer under the current government, but assured them that come 2015, things would get better.
Amaechi said: “One of our sons, a Kalabari son, said that the oil wells were taken under Rufus Ada-George (former Rivers governor, from Okrika). Tell him I said he is lying. He has never been in government.
“I served in Rufus Ada-George’s government. There was no oil well taken from Rivers State. I served in Dr. Peter Odili’s government. The oil wells were taken in 2006. They put the money in an escrow account.
“By 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010, they took all the money from the escrow account and gave to our brothers (in Bayelsa State) and they converted Soku to Bayelsa. My friend and brother in Bayelsa (Governor) said we do not want Soku, we just want the oil wells.”
The Rivers governor also stated that he was determined to continue to develop the state, adding that truth would prevail at the end.
The Chief Felix Obuah-led Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, through the Special Adviser to the Chairman on Media, Jerry Needam, however, alleged that Amaechi was no longer relevant in the Niger Delta state’s political calculation.
Gen. Buhari said: “I congratulate the people of Rivers State for moving to the APC. The fundamental thing is one Nigeria. In spite of our differences, we have found ourselves as one people. Nigeria is a country with tremendous resources and talented people, but we are unable to organise ourselves to raise this country.
“The efforts we are making is for Nigeria. We have to put the party firmly on the ground. We will do everything constitutional to make sure that 2015 elections are credible.
“We are in an extremely difficult position, where a government is lawless. Courageous Amaechi has done well. Let us support him. We are behind his government. We are going to deliver our country democratically come 2015. Nigeria will survive.”
The interim National Chairman of the APC (Akande) also stated that the last time the leaders of the opposition party were at the Government House, Port Harcourt, they came to persuade Amaechi to join the APC, while describing Rivers as an APC state.
Akande also presented the opposition party’s flag to the interim Rivers Chairman of the party, Chief Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, a former Rivers Commissioner for Special Duties, while asking him to ensure that the PDP became totally dead in the state.
While also speaking, Tinubu, a former Governor of Lagos State, described the Rivers governor as a “wonderboy,” while disclosing that it was only on Sunday that Buhari was communicated about yesterday’s journey to Port Harcourt, while he (Buhari) was in Lagos, but rushed back to Kaduna to have a change of clothes and was in the Rivers State capital yesterday morning, ahead of most leaders of the party.
Tinubu also stated that Akande planned to travel, but because of yesterday’s rally of the APC, he decided to postpone the journey, while lauding the leaders of the party, particularly the members of the House of Representatives, whom he said at the threat of the fraudulent declaration of their seats vacant, pulled the courage together and were strongly determined and got into the progressives camp, for the progress and good of Rivers State and Nigeria.
The former Lagos governor assured the people that members of the House of Representatives who defected to the opposition party that they would “never” regret joining the APC.
Tinubu said: “The great quality of leadership is the ability to convince his followers and admirers that courage and determination are omnipotent. Amaechi, thank you. Few weeks ago, we came and we said we wanted you in our party, because of your courage, achievements and strong determination to liberate humans from the shackles of oppression, mismanagement and misgovernance.
“Thank you, for overcoming the primordial blackmail, all the plans and punishment available in the rank of the oppressors. We salute Rotimi Amaechi, because without your courage, determination, perseverance, degree of honesty and the prominent level you are, we will not witness today (yesterday) in Rivers State. You are no chicken; you are an eagle.
“The great people of Rivers State, the Save Rivers Movement and many other movements, today is the launch of the broom revolution. We want to sweep the evil away from Rivers State. We are here to sweep corruption away from Rivers State. We are here to sweep the abuse of power away from Rivers State.
“We are here to be with you, to help you clean the cobweb of lies, the cockroach of destruction, the termites of democracy, the enemies of progress and usurpation of power. Your courage is the answer.”
The APC leader (Tinubu) also urged members of the opposition party in the state not to submit to intimidation, stressing that he had experienced it before, but he is a very proud man today.
The ex-Lagos governor reiterated that the APC now has 16 governors. More will join the camp of the progressives and the challenge would be for the leaders to liberate the people, he said.
Ikimi, who is also a patron of the Save Rivers Movement, in his remarks, noted that Amaechi was fully in charge of Rivers State and had taken a giant step forward, while embracing change.
The national vice chairman, Southsouth, of the APC, stated that the NGF chairman had given Nigerians the opportunity of having an idea of what would happen in the country in the next few months, declaring that there would be fundamental change in Nigeria, describing the APC as a true national party.
He assured the people that more states in the Southsouth would soon be taken over by the APC, to bring about the desired change in Nigeria, thereby putting an end to misgovernance in the country.
Ikimi declared that persons parading themselves as leaders of the Southsouth were hangers-on and impostors, who were deceiving and taking money from President Jonathan, while asking him (the President) to chase them away.
The APC’s national vice chairman, Southsouth, later inaugurated the 37-member interim executive of the opposition party in Rivers State, with Chief Davies Ibiamu Ikanya as the chairman, while urging them to ensure that the opposition party was firmly rooted in the state.
Ikanya, earlier in his welcome address, stated that Amaechi’s entrance into the APC had brought the entire Rivers State into the opposition party, while declaring that the PDP no longer existed in the state.
The chairmen of the 23 local government areas of Rivers State, led by the Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Rivers chapter, Chimbiko Iche Akarolo, came with thousands of their supporters to the stadium, and were singing, drumming and dancing.
Akarolo, who is also the Chairman of Port Harcourt Local Government Council, described Amaechi as the symbol and pillar of democracy in Nigeria, assuring them that the people would continue to support him.
The Chairman of the Steering Committee of the Save Rivers Movement, Igo Aguma, stressed that the Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) was to secure the future of Rivers people, while insisting that Soku is in Rivers State.
Aguma noted that he and other leaders of the PDP decided to move to the APC to get the Soku oil wells back to Rivers State, while lamenting that the Amaechi’s administration had so far spent N130 billion on Federal Government’s roads in Rivers State, without refund, while similar funds were being refunded to other state governments, describing it as double standard and injustice.
The Save Rivers Movement boss also lamented the refusal of the Federal Government to release the $1 billion for Ogoniland’s development, recommended by the United Nations’ Environment Programme (UNEP), in view of the four LGAs’ (Khana, Gokana, Tai and Eleme’s) years of pollution and marginalisation.
Aguma described the list of injustice done to Rivers State and its people as very long, while assuring that they would continue to support Amaechi and fight with him.
The Rivers PDP, yesterday in an online statement, titled: “Port Harcourt APC Rally: An Eye Opener To Amaechi – PDP,” alleged that the near empty stadium that greeted the Rivers governor’s guests, whom it said were mobilised to witness his official declaration for the APC, was enough counsel that Amaechi was no longer relevant in the Rivers political calculation.
The PDP said: “The poor turnout of supporters that marked the APC’s rally, which left the only 14,000 capacity stadium yawning for occupation, should be a source of worry to Governor Amaechi, who had earlier boasted of over 40 million crowds.
“Even with the scanty turn-out, those that attended the rally were mainly a rented crowd, who were pad N30,000 each by Amaechi’s council chairmen under duress.
“The surprise package has forced a bewildered Amaechi to claim that today’s event is no longer a declaration rally, but to announce that the Federal Government is ruling with impunity.
“Is mere observation or announcement of one’s assumption enough reason to bring the national executive of the APC, including a former Head of State, to Rivers State, for a rally at this busy period of Christmas?”
The Rivers PDP also described as a contradiction, in 2011, while Amaechi was addressing a political rally in Port Harcourt and openly declared that those who were carrying brooms were night soil-men and juju priests, stating that a juju priest should have no place in a Christian state like Rivers.
The Obuah-led PDP also advised persons allegedly rented to fill the empty stadium as APC’s supporters, with the promise of monthly salaries through the SURE-P, to beware of a man, who would allegedly change his statements every minute. TheNation