IBB Faults PDP’s Plan to Sanction Him, Others

25 April 2011 03:15 Chinyere Amalu, Abuja
　General Ibrahim Babangida has described as "ridiculous", the newspaper report on the purported sanctioning of himself, Vice President Atiku Abubakar and General Aliyu Mohammed Gusau by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party over alleged anti-party activities.In a statement signed by his spokesman, Prince Kassim Afegua, Babangida, said that such recommendation by PDP NWC to sanction them for accepting to mediate in the alliance talk between CPC and ACN was wrong and unacceptable.
The statement reads "the fact of the matter was that, the two political parties involved considered the option of an alliance before the elections, and needed a neutral, honest, forthright and patriotic body to broker the talks so that any possible outcome would be respected and carried through."
He explained that lot fell on the Northern Political Leaders Forum to ensure justice, fairness and equity in the political equation of the country.
Babangida pointed out that those who were asking for sanctions were neither members nor participants 13 years ago, when they formed PDP.
He, however, called on the NWC of the PDP to advise President Goodluck Jonathan and proffer meaningful solutions to address the myriad of problems facing the country rather than "this mundane and pedestrian suggestion of sanctions against individuals whose contributions to Nigeria cannot be quantified."
"They should not drag the president into disruptive and distractive influences because he needs more than a presence of mind to articulate solutions to the challenges of nation building. All the solidarity visits by interest groups, traditional rulers and political groupings," he stated.

 leadershipeditors.com/ns/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=29632:ibb-faults-pdps-plan-to-sanction-him-others&catid=51:cover-stories&Itemid=142

Fake Generator Importation: Chinese Manufacturer Flays Nigerian Collaborators

25 April 2011 Isaac Aimurie, Abuja with agency report

Irked by the ease with which sub-standard power generating sets manufactured in China make inroad into the Nigerian market due largely to poor monitoring by Nigeria’s regulatory agencies, a Chinese manufacturer has called on the Federal Government to set up a mechanism to check the importation of fake generators into Nigeria.Mr Bill Cai, marketing director, Launtop Group, manufacturers of generators, made the call yesterday in Fuzhou, China, while speaking with a correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

He said the call became necessary in view of the many complaints being received of many fake generators flooding the Nigerian market.

He said while it was true that such generators originated from China but Nigerian dealers encouraged unscrupulous Chinese manufacturers to manufacture fake products in order to make more profit.

“In Nigeria, the Tiger brand of generator is on the high demand and people complain of having lots of fake from China.

“In China, we have more than five different companies using the brand name Tiger while it is only one that is the original manufacturer, so most marketers from your country prefer to purchase from cheaper source,” Cai said.

He said he was optimistic that when such mechanism was put in place, it would ensure that only original products are produced and exported to Nigeria.

 leadershipeditors.com/ns/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=29636:fake-generator-importation-chinese-manufacturer-flays-nigerian-collaborators&catid=51:cover-stories&Itemid=142

Yakowa Reads Riot Act To Troublemakers In Kaduna

Saturday, 23 April 2011 03:31 .

Kaduna State Governor Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa yesterday warned troublemakers in the state to desist from the act; enough is enough. According to the governor, saying there is the need for people of the state to embrace peace and dialogue as a catalyst for national development and growth.

Kaduna State Governor
Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa

Addressing journalist at Government House, Kaduna, Yakowa said, “We are all we can to protect lives and properties in the state, and like Mr. President said and I want to quote him, as the leader of our nation, enough is enough let us embrace peace, let us embrace dialogue.

I want to repeat that there is enough in the laws of our land, there is enough in the electoral laws for anybody who felt aggrieved to use instead of resorting to violence, violence does not help and it does not solve any problems rather it compounds. Please let us shun violence and embrace peace and dialogue”.

Assuring the people of the state maximum security, the governor further said, “Since the unfortunate incident and unnecessary development that started in Kaduna. And spread to all parts of the state, the state government has ensured that the security agencies have been able to rise to the security demand of the state. We have been able to contain the political violence that snowballed, which it is unfortunate and unnecessary, and have resulted to the loss of lives and properties and places of worship. All these have been contained and I must express appreciation to the Inspector-General Police, Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Air Staff for assisting in bring normalcy to the state.

“With the massive deployment of security agencies to the state, I am confident that the elections earlier scheduled for 26th April, now rescheduled for 28th for Kaduna and Bauchi will be done in a peaceful atmosphere. In all nooks and crannies of the state, and all polling units there will be security and no one will be threaten. I want to call on all people to come out and vote candidates of their choice. Their security is guaranteed and I am thanking the people of the state for their understanding”. 

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Obama Urges INEC To Address Poll Irregularities

United States President Barack Obama has advised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to correct the election anomalies recorded during the last two balloting exercises.

Speaking through the US secretary of state, Hilary Clinton, Obama said while the general elections have been a success for the people of Nigeria, the electoral process was far from perfect.

“We urge INEC to transparently review and take appropriate and transparent action on all allegations of ‘under-age’ voters, violence and intimidation, ballot stuffing, and inordinately high turnout in some areas of the country,” the statement issued from the public affairs section of the US diplomatic mission to Nigeria read, “I applaud the of people of Nigeria for their enthusiastic and orderly participation in the April 16 presidential election. This historic event marks a dramatic shift from decades of failed elections and a substantial improvement over the 2007 presidential election.”



United States President Barack Obama



On the post-election violence recorded in some parts of northern Nigeria, the statement from Secretary Clinton condemned the development.

“The US condemns the acts of violence related to elections and we call upon all candidates, political parties, and supporters to respect the results of the election and channel any grievances or challenges peacefully through established, administrative and legal redress

The statement said the international community will be closely watching the upcoming gubernatorial elections.

Obama commended the INEC chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega, and other stakeholders on what he described as “their strong collaboration and dedication to democracy.”

“They provided a real opportunity for the Nigerian people to select their most senior leaders and will position Nigeria to build its democracy through strong governance, transparent institutions, and economic developments” It said.

Congratulating the returning president, the statement said: “The United states congratulates President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan on his election and wishes him well in meeting the many challenges facing Nigeria and in providing the good governance Nigerians deserve.”

Sanusi among world’s 100 most influential people

Barely a month after his investiture with the Global and African Central Banker of 2011 awards by The Banker Magazine, the influential Time Magazine yesterday followed suit, listing the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, among ‘The 2011 TIME 100.’ Time Magazine said on its website yesterday that The Time 100 list, now in its eighth year, sets out to recognise the innovation, activism and achievement of the world’s most influential individuals. “The TIME 100 is not a list of the most powerful people in the world; it’s not a list of the smartest people in the world, it is a list of the most influential people in the world. They’re scientists, thinkers, philosophers, leaders, icons, artists and visionaries; people who are using their ideas, their visions and their actions to transform the world and have an effect on a multitude of people”, explained the TIME Managing Editor, Richard Stengel.

The New York-based magazine, in the May 2 edition, published Mr Sanusi’s name in the 11th position, along with great political leaders as the United States President, Barack Obama, and wife, Michelle; United States Vice President, Joe Biden current first female Chancellor of Germany and Christian Democratic Union leader, Angela Merkel; French President, Nicolas Sarkozy, and British Prime Minister, David Cameron as well as wife of the former U.S President and American secretary of State, Hillary Clinton.

Others listed in by the publication include: Nobel laureate and professor of economics at the Columbia University, Joseph Stiglitz; WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange, and Wael Ghonim, the young Google marketing executive who became one of the heroes of recent anti-Mubarak street movement that led to the ouster of the Egyptian leader as well as one of the world’s richest Internet entrepreneurs, Reed Hastings.

Achievement well deserved



Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor,
Sanusi Lamido Sanusi,



Mr Sanusi is one of the only two Africans to have made the current list. The other is a Senegalese and President of a non-governmental organisation, Femmes Africa Solidarité (FAS), that champions the cause of women in Africa.

In his reaction to the development, Managing Director, Global Markets, Ifeanyi Bede said: “The recognition is well deserved as he has distinguished himself as the astute, conscientious and courageous leader of the Central Bank of Africa’s most populous nation, at a time when the sector required tough and decisive intervention. His vision and actions earned him the reputation as one of the most respected and authoritative voices on financial and economic matters on the continent, including a special invitation in November 2010 by the US Congressional Sub-Committee on International Monetary Policy and Trade, to give testimony at a congressional hearing titled The Global Financial Crisis and Financial Reforms in Nigeria,”.

www.nigeriannewsservice.com/nns-news-archive/lead-stories/sanusi-among-worlds-100-most-influential-people

ACN/CPC alliance breakdown: The untold story, by Tunde Bakare

 

Written by Seyi Gesinde Sunday, 17 April 2011

The vice-presidential candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Pastor Tunde Bakare, has revealed the untold story of why the alliance talks between his party and the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) failed.

Bakare, who spoke with Sunday Tribune on the telephone at the weekend, debunked media reports that it was his refusal to accede to the ACN request that he (Bakare) should step down as a vice-presidential candidate of the CPC for an ACN nominee to occupy that position that brought a dead end to the alliance talks.

He said he was not a party to a meeting where such request was made.

What he said “transpired in the secret” was that at a meeting where representatives of both parties met, the condition placed before them by the ACN, to enter into an alliance agreement with the CPC, was that he should sign a post-dated letter, that after his swearing-in as a vice-president on May 29, he would resign on June 1 for an ACN nominee to come in, a condition he said was never in their plan ab initio.

“To move this nation forward, we have agreed that we will not touch the office of the president and the vice-president because it is illegal to do so now. But they asked me to sign a post-dated letter that when I’m sworn-in on the 29th of May, I will step down on the 1st of June. I have copies with me.

“I can’t sign such letters in secret. How do I face millions of people within and outside the country that I went in secret to sign a letter that I will be sworn-in on the 29th of May and step down on the 1st of June? What kind of negotiation is that?

“That is not a sacrifice, that is compromise and compromise always brings about captivity.

“The same people held on to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to demand that they would appoint ministers and attorney-general. You are fighting the PDP at the centre and you want to go and form a government with them. They didn’t hold on to the CPC, they’ve also gone to the PDP.

“What is going on is horse-trading and prostitution and I’m not a party to that. A destructive means cannot bring a constructive end. It is not about me; it is the secrecy of me signing a letter that is post-dated. They just wanted to take a chance. With or without alliance, we are winning the election,” Bakare said.

When asked to confirm the validity of a report that it was former head of state, General Ibrahim Babangida, who hosted the purported meeting, Bakare said he could not confirm if it was true because he was not at the meeting.

According to him, “I’m not in a position to confirm that because I wasn’t there.

But when asked if he too was fed with such information, Bakare said, “you know information these days; people say different kinds of things. But I know that part of those who brokered the meeting of the Northern consensus candidacy were there, maybe. I didn’t see him. I was not at any meeting with anybody.”

On the insinuation that the role played by former Governor Bola Tinubu of Lagos State in  the alliance talk and his status in the party might not go down well with Buhari’s philosophies and that this might have contributed to the failure of the alliance talks, Bakare said he did not know.

“General Muhammadu Buhari is ready to work with anybody to move this nation forward. He said it at the last press conference we had in Abuja to round off our campaign for 2011,” he stated.

tribune.com.ng/sun/index.php/front-page-articles/3667-acncpc-alliance-breakdown-the-untold-story-by-tunde-bakare

Why Northern governors backed Jonathan

Written by Stephen Gbadamosi Sunday, 24 April 2011

GOVERNORS of northern states on the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had to throw their weight behind President Goodluck Jonathan in penultimate Saturday’s presidential election in their bid to establish a new crop of leadership for the region, Sunday Tribune has authoritatively learnt.
Sources disclosed that this agenda had begun even as parties were making preparations for presidential primaries and it cut across party lines.
It will be recalled that delegates of the party to its presidential primaries in January shocked the Northern leaders, under the aegis of Northern Political Leaders Forum (NPLF), who backed the Northern consensus candidate, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. The delegates, believed to have been under the influence of the state governors, overwhelmingly voted for Jonathan to emerge as the PDP candidate.
However, investigation has shown that the decision to back Jonathan all the way was arrived at to relax the clutch of those considered to be the old order on the leadership and politics of the region.
Sunday Tribune sources revealed that governors of the region considered that supporting Jonathan to be president would demystify leaders like Generals Aliyu Gusau and Ibrahim Babangida as well as Atiku, all of whom indicated interest in the Presidency at the outset.
This, they reasoned, would add four more years to the ages of the said old order politicians and that by the time next election comes in 2015, most of them would have become too old to take active part in the political process, apart from the fact that the new crops of northern politicians would have stamped their authority on the politics of the region by then.
President Jonathan had promised that he would not go for more than one term, a promise upon which the permutations of the Northern governors were based.
Investigations further revealed that the agenda of the emerging leaders of the North also largely affected the fortunes of defeated presidential candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), General Muhammadu Buhari, at the poll two Saturdays ago.
It was learnt that the so-called young political leaders in the North did not consider General Buhari as the face of the current generation of the region.
It was, therefore, calculated that Buhari, who is already 69 years old, would also have been ruled out by age when the next presidential election comes in 2015. Besides, the gap-toothed general, himself, had said while rounding off his campaign in Abuja that it would be the last time he would vie for the Presidency of Nigeria.
A governor of one of the North-Western states who is an in-law to a prominent family confirmed the development, claiming that it is the emerging political leaders’ means of bouncing into the centre stage of power equation in the North.
He noted that by the time Jonathan’s tenure would have ended in 2015, the influence of the old order politicians in the region would have waned further and that some of the ‘new boys’ would have been in position to control power firmly.

 tribune.com.ng/sun/index.php/front-page-articles/3719-why-northern-governors-backed-jonathan