We Didn’t Endorse Jonathan – NLC

 

Thursday, 31 March 2011 Moses John, Abuja

Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has said that the congress did not endorse any of the presidential candidates ahead of the 2011 general elections just as it warned that any state governments that refused to pay the N18,000 minimum wage just signed by the president would be inviting trouble.

Speaking with Labour correspondents in Abuja yesterday, the NLC President Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar said the organized labour would battle any state government that failed to implement the new wage.

Comrade Omar pointed out that the NLC and Nigerian workers would prefer a labour-friendly president. He, however, denied endorsing any candidates for the April polls and advised the electorate to vote for anyone of their choice.

“We were at the Presidential Villa yesterday to meet with Mr. President; at least you did not hear us say that we have endorsed the president or any of the candidates. We cannot endorse any candidate but we will want a labour friendly president. Anyone that is labour friendly, we will identify with at our individual level and vote for such candidate,” Omar said.

Comrade Omar also warned against unnecessary delay in the implementation of the new wage.

“We will encourage employers to immediately commence implementation,” he said. “Any employer that decides to drag the implementation will only be doing that at his own peril because the law is clear and the law takes effect from the day the president assented to the bill and, therefore, if anybody wishes to accumulate arrears,  he is only doing that on its own, but as much as possible we will encourage that payment and implementation commence immediately so as to avoid accumulation of unnecessary arrears.”

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Jonathan Promises Jobs Via Agriculture, Oil Sector

Thursday, 31 March 2011 Tony Icheku and Igho Oyoyo, Abuja

Experts applaud debate

President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday described himself as a responsible leader who would not put his personal interest above the nation’s interest in the course of his official responsibility.

He restated his commitment to transforming the nation if reelected as president in the coming general elections, and promised to fight poverty through massive job creation from commercial agriculture and the oil sector.
The president spoke during a presidential debate boycotted by his main opponents, General Muhammadu Buhari (CPC), Malam Nuhu Ribadu (ACN) and Malam Ibrahim Shekarau (ANPP) in Abuja yesterday.
A mass communication expert, Dr, Salihu Ibrahim, last night described the president’s performance in the debate as “excellent”, saying: “I wish his opponents participated in the debate so that the public can assess all of them together.”
The chief of party, Centre For Public Opinion and Media Research, Mr. Osaro Odemwingie, also applauded Jonathan’s debate. “The president needs to be applauded; he did very well. I see a candidate with a clear vision, a candidate who is very coherent, a candidate with a clear vision in his programme,” he said.
The mass communication expert said his only regret was that his opponents boycotted the programme.
Responding to questions by a panel made up of the national president of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, Mr. Gbenga Adefaye; the president of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Malam Muhammed Garuba, and the executive director (news) of Africa Independent Television (AIT), Mr. Imoni Amarere, the president said he could not participate in the presidential debate organised by NN24 because of exigency of time and official duties.
He said before he got the invitation of the NN24, he had received over 12 similar invitations from other groups and that, as a president, he did not have the luxury of time to attend all the debates.
Jonathan said he had no problem debating with anybody because he believes that, as a public officeholder, he must be accountable to the people.
The president said he was committed to transforming Nigeria to the huge expectation of Nigerians and the international community. “My presidency will bring hope to Nigerians - that wherever you come from, you can aspire to any position in the country. I will not discriminate against anybody,” he said.
In order to deploy more financial resources to the grass roots, Jonathan said he would accede to the recommendation of the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) on revenue-sharing formula.
On the issue of corruption, Jonathan said it was the responsibility of everybody to fight corruption. He said though institutions like the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) were created to fight corruption, the battle should not be limited to the institutions. The president said he would continue to give free hand to the anti–corruption agencies to do their jobs within the laid down rules and regulations.
The president said his immediate priority, if elected, is to ensure effective power generation and distribution, noting that if the power problems are fixed, most of the challenges facing the nation would be easily tackled. He said there were many ongoing projects to fix the problems and expressed strong confidence that power would be stabilized.
He also promised to assent to the Freedom of Information Bill once it is sent to him, saying it would promote transparency and accountability in governance.
President Jonathan restated his commitment to free, fair and credible elections in spite of the fact that he is contesting an election. He advised the electorate to shun any action that is capable of causing violence during the elections, saying the security agencies had been instructed to deal with anybody found committing crime during the elections. 

 

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You Can’t Afford To Fail, Obama Tells Nigeria

Thursday, 31 March 2011  Abiodun Oluwarotimi, Washington DC

Warns against violence

United States President Barack Obama has warned the Goodluck Jonathan-led administration to avoid rigging and violence during the forthcoming general election in Nigeria.

Speaking through Ambassador Johnnie Carson, the United States assistant secretary on African affairs, in Washington DC, President Obama urged Nigerians to demonstrate their ability to hold fair and democratic elections as the country prepares for legislative, presidential and state balloting scheduled for April 2, April 9 and April 16 respectively.
Saying it is “absolutely essential” that Nigeria holds better elections in 2011 than it held in 2007, the diplomat noted that the 2007 elections “were deeply flawed and, in fact, were poorly administered and poorly run”.
“The 2007 elections in no way reflected the ability and the capacity of Nigeria to organise and run successful elections. In 2011, the Obama administration wants to see Nigeria reverse its ‘trajectory of bad elections’ and substantially improve its election management and processes,” he said.
Carson warned that a flawed electoral process will lead to a loss of confidence by Nigerians in their leaders, their country’s governing institutions and democracy itself, stressing that this an opportunity for Nigeria to demonstrate its capacity to both manage and hold democratic elections, which are the desire of the people.
Although the level of violence in the run-up to the elections is not as serious as it was in 2007, Carson said the violence already perpetrated has been “too much”.
He called on Nigerian security authorities to do everything they can to ensure the safety of polling places and prevent violence, harassment and intimidation against Nigerian voters and candidates.
“Violence has no place in a democratic society or in a democratic electoral process, and all of the country’s leaders … must work to do everything they can to make these elections as free of violence and intimidation as possible,” he said.
The assistant secretary praised Attahiru Jega, chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, for doing “an outstanding job of managing this process and helping to reshape an election commission whose reputation had been deeply tarnished by the leadership.”
The United States has supported Jega’s efforts through technical assistance and funding.
Carson urged all election officials to respect Jega’s leadership and direction, and added that Nigeria’s state-level election officials will also be scrutinized for their conduct.
Carson said there are 17 presidential elections scheduled to occur in Africa during 2011 and the Obama administration would be watching all of them. He said that to strengthen democracy, the focus should be on the institutions rather than the individual candidates.
“The era of ‘big man’ politics in Africa should be history and behind us,” he said. “It is good, strong institutions which are most important.”
All Africans have a right to participate in the election of their local, regional and national leaders, and those elections “should be transparent, fair and credible,” Carson said.
“Election commissions should be independent of executive control and authority and independent of political manipulation,” he said. The electoral process, he added, should be “monitored by domestic groups as well as international groups and open to observation by the media.

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CBN, NNPC, ISAN, Others Meet Over Crude Oil Lifting

 

The Minister of Transport, Alhaji Yusuf Suleiman, stated recently that the inability of both the NNPC and ISAN to reach a compromise is responsible for the exclusion of indigenous operators in the lifting of the nation’s crude oil.

Speaking at a stakeholders meeting  attended by members of ISAN and officials of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NCS) at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, the minister said the major reason indigenous shipping operators have not been participating in the lifting of Nigeria’s crude oil is because   ISAN and NNPC have been unable to reach a compromise over the lingering issue.
Suleiman explained that the NNPC requires indigenous operators to buy certain class of vessels before they can participate in the lifting of the nation’s crude oil, while members of ISAN harp on getting the jobs before the acquisition of the vessels that meet the NNPC’s specifications.
“This meeting does not change the position of the NNPC, in the sense that they want to be sure that it would not jeopardize their operations by engaging ISAN and Nigerian shipping companies to move the crude oil. They want to be sure that you have the capacity to do it. That is basically the bottomline. And I remember that that was why during our meeting in Abuja, myself and the Minister of Finance specifically said that we will talk to NNPC to start the process,” he said.
“And that was why the issue of bilateral cargo came in, and we said that, let us say that now ISAN would start carrying bilateral cargo and let us ask the Nigerian shipping companies to start carrying bilateral cargo and let’s see the progress made in that direction, which will enable government to a take decision with respect to other cargo,” Suleiman said.
The Transport Minister lamented that Nigeria copied the Jones Act of the United States (US) wholesale as its own version of the Cabotage Act without putting into consideration, Nigeria’s present state of development, which, he said, has been the major problem with the Act.
In his words: “I believe what we did was to import the Jones Act fully without putting into account our present state of development. In the United States, it was said that all government cargo must be carried by American flagged ships, built ships and manned ships. That is understandable, because they had the capacity and the resources to do that, because, by the time the act was enacted, they were one of the greatest ship building countries in the world.”
Chairman of ISAN, Chief Isaac Jolapamo, in his contribution lamented that, going by the  association’s research , the country was losing an estimated N1.56 trillion annually due to foreign participation in the lifting of Nigeria’s crude oil, adding that  in the process, about five million jobs are given to foreigners annually. He explained that that is because  key stakeholders are not contacted before decisions are taken by government. He noted that of the 2,000 vessels owned by his members, none is involved in the lifting of Nigeria’s crude oil.

 pmnewsnigeria.com/2011/03/28/cbn-nnpc-isan-others-meet-over-crude-oil-lifting/

Nigeria’s Gas Industry Targets $25 Billion Investments, 500,000 Jobs

  Mar 24th, 2011.

Nigeria’s President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan said Thursday in Abuja that with the full implementation of his administration’s gas master-plan, Nigeria will become the undisputed regional hub for gas-related industries within the next three years.

Speaking at the formal launching of the plan at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, President Jonathan declared that the occasion also marks the beginning of the end of gas flaring in the country.

The President said that the full implementation of the entire gas master-plan agenda will result in about $25 Billion worth of investments in gas processing, transmission and downstream gas utilization projects.

“Beyond the quantum of foreign direct investment, the economic impact of this agenda will be enormous. In terms of employment and wealth creation, we estimate that over 100,000 engineering design and construction related jobs will be created from about 2012 and beyond to deliver all these plants.

“The strategy we have adopted for the fertilizer project means that we can expect a significant increase in employment from the agricultural sector. In total, this initiative will
Nigeria’s President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan said Thursday in Abuja that with the full implementation of his administration’s gas master-plan, Nigeria will become the undisputed regional hub for gas-related industries within the next three years.

Speaking at the formal launching of the plan at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, President Jonathan declared that the occasion also marks the beginning of the end of gas flaring in the country.

The President said that the full implementation of the entire gas master-plan agenda will result in about $25 Billion worth of investments in gas processing, transmission and downstream gas utilization projects.

“Beyond the quantum of foreign direct investment, the economic impact of this agenda will be enormous. In terms of employment and wealth creation, we estimate that over 100,000 engineering design and construction related jobs will be created from about 2012 and beyond to deliver all these plants.

“The strategy we have adopted for the fertilizer project means that we can expect a significant increase in employment from the agricultural sector. In total, this initiative will result in over 500,000 direct and indirect jobs from construction, logistics, hotels and hospitality services, fabrication, banking and above all, agriculture,” President Jonathan said.

Memoranda of Understanding (MOU), between Xenel/Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC); Nagarjuna, NNPC and Chevron also took place at the occasion at which the award of a Central Franchise Area (CPF) to OANDO and AGIP was announced.

Under a public-private sector partnership arrangement, the three fold gas industrialization agenda that will elevate Nigeria beyond current gas to power initiatives, involves the establishment of a Central Processing Facility in Oviakwu, Rivers State; a Mega Petrochemical Plant; and two Fertilizer Plants to be sited in Lagos and Delta States.

“This agenda sets the tone for the final elimination of gas flaring in Nigeria as the markets created provide a sink for all currently flared gas. Today’s event marks the beginning of what I believe will be fulfilling journey towards the restoration of Nigeria into the league of nations which have successfully leveraged on the advantage derivable from the abundance of natural gas to positively impact on the lives of present and future generations of our citizens,” President Jonathan told the gathering.

The President said that the new gas industrialization initiatives will have a far reaching secondary multiplier effect on the economy in terms of employment and wealth creation as a result of numerous secondary industries that will spring up, while assuring of full application of National Content Law to projects in the master plan.

“We can only be truly successful if our actions impact on the common man in Nigeria. The initiatives provide a platform for full application of our National Content Law. A significant portion of the jobs created will be for Nigerians and when we are done, our youths can clearly see the roadmap to engagement and self-worth as they get gainfully employed,” the President said.

He commended investors from Saudi Arabia, India, Italy and the United States (US), as well as Nigeria, who have signed on as stakeholders in the implementation of the Nigerian Gas Revolution.

“Your decision to invest in Nigeria testifies to the confidence you have in our vision and faith you have in our country. I assure you that as you have taken the bold step to invest in our economy, the Federal Government will be unstinting in its support for you, every step of the way. Your commitment will no doubt serve as a challenge to other investors elsewhere, letting them know that Nigeria is indeed open and ready for business,” the President said.

Also speaking at the occasion, the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Dieziani Allison Madueke said that the gas revolution would be championed along three critical investment areas.

“We see huge opportunities being created across all levels as a result of this imitative. However, the symbolism of today lies not only in the declaration of Mr. President’s vision, but also in the confirmation that it is moving from vision to reality,” she said.

In his remarks, the NNPC Group Managing Director, Mr. Austin Oniwon, said that the accelerated implementation of the gas master-plan set in motion by the President had created a platform for the next wave of economic growth in Nigeria.

“The vision of Mr. President creates a future not just for Nigeria as a whole, but also for NNPC,” he said.

Presidential debate: No candidate has withdraw – Alimi

  Mar 28, 2011

 

BY BEN AGANDE

ABUJA-The Nigeria Elections Debate Group yesterday said it has not received any letter or information from any presidential candidate opting out of the Presidential debate which begins today.
Addressing newsmen, Alimi said the NEDG read about the planned withdrawal of some candidates from the debate in the media.
The presidential candidates of the Action Congress of Nigeria; the Congress for Progressive Change and the All Nigeria Peoples Party have all withdrawn from the planned debate citing the failure of the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, President Goodluck Jonathan to appear in a debate organised by a private television station, NN24 even after he had given assurances that he would appear.
Mr Alimi said the group has not been formally communicated by any body that he is withdrawing from the debate.
He said the group was working to ensure that the debate is credible and acceptable to not only Nigerians but the international community.
The NEDG debunked reports that the questions for the debate had been leaked to a particular candidate, pointing out that the questions for the debate would be handed to the moderator on the day of the debate.


vanguardngr.com/2011/03/presidential-debate-no-candidate-has-withdraw-alimi/

Daniel dares OBJ

 Mar 28, 2011

By LEKE ADESERI
ABEOKUTA – OGUN STATE Governor Gbenga Daniel, yesterday, challenged former President Olusegun Obasanjo to give him a copy of the petition he reportedly sent to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, about financial improprieties by his administration.

Gbenga and Obasanjo
The governor who was speaking at his Asoludero home in Sagamu said: “I heard former President Olusegun Obasanjo  has written a petition to the EFCC against our government and we have challenged EFCC to come forward with that petition and they have not.
“If he feels strong enough to write a petition against a sitting governor, if  he is not a coward, he should be able to copy that governor to say ‘I have written a petition against you and this is a copy of the petition.’
“I can only believe or assume that it is not true. One newspaper reported it and no other paper said anything about it, but because it was speculative and we heard it in the media, we believe that for whatever it is worth, let the Attorney General write to the EFCC so that the copy of the petition can come out.
“When we are still here, we can dig out the facts because it is in the public court. It should be brought out for the world to see. At least, as I speak with  you, it is still in the speculative and that was why I challenge anybody who had any information about any missing dime of Ogun State to say so publicly.
Open administration
“Fraud is fraud and if something has gone wrong it has gone wrong. What we run in Ogun State is completely open administration. I think this is part of the deliberate ploy, because most of the time, what people want to believe about public deterrents is the negative.
“I don’t want to walk on  the street and some one will accuse me of something I know nothing of  because someone has written a petition which he is not bold enough to bring forward.

 vanguardngr.com/2011/03/daniel-dares-obj/