“Nigeria is so devastated by the flood. Sometimes when you watch on television, you do not appreciate what we are going through. I travelled from North to South and on Sunday I was in my village after touring my state.

“I left my village on Sunday morning and as at that time water was about entering my compound. As at this morning the information is that my house up to the windows level is under water.”

President Goodluck Jonathan while commending development partners and organisations that have so far responded to the cries for help by Nigeria, to rehabilitate those affected by the flood, has disclosed that the situation situation in Nigeria is very critical.

“So, you can see what people are passing through within this period. But with the assistance the development partners will give us and people who are in the humanitarian sector, we will soon get over it.”

NTA TV screenshot of President Goodluck Jonathan and wife in Germany

President Goodluck Jonathan moved on Sunday to dispell rumours concerning his wife’s sickness, releasing a few seconds video clip on Nigerian Television Authority showing the President and Patience Jonathan together.

According to SaharaReporters, a reliable source at the network said the clip of the purported visit was brought to the station by Presidency officials. The source said the tape might have been shot when Jonathan stopped by in Germany on his way to the United Nations General Assembly in New York last week.

Presidential spokesman, Dr. Reuben Abati, said the President actually travelled to Germany on Saturday and returned to Abuja today(sunday), a secret visit aimed at dispelling rumours of Mrs. Jonathan’s negative condition.

Pushing the new line today, Abati said, “You can see that the setting does not resemble that of a hospital. She is hale and hearty.”

Mrs. Jonathan has been out of the country for about five weeks, having been rushed to Germany in an emergency, but the presidency has told the public nothing authoritative about her condition.  Media reports have reported her as having undergone cosmetic surgery that went awry, while some have reported that she is suffering from Parkinson’s disease and cancer after she had fibroids removed from her womb.

…. If the First Lady is hale and hearty, what has she been doing in a German Hospital or Hotel?

AN ADDRESS BY HIS EXCELLENCY, PRESIDENT GOODLUCK EBELE JONATHAN, GCFR, ON THE OCCASION OF THE INDEPENDENCE DAY ANNIVERSARY ON MONDAY, 1^STOCTOBER, 2012

Those who witnessed the lowering of the Union Jack and the emergence of the Green White Green flag continue to relish the memory, because that ceremony was not just about the destiny of a nation, but the future of a people.

That future is here; we are the inheritors of a great legacy that goes even much farther into the past.

The worthy patriots who made this possible were young men and women in their twenties and thirties. They worked together to restore dignity and honour to the Nigerian people. Their resolve united a multicultural and multilingual nation of diverse peoples, with more than 250 distinct languages and ethnic groups.

In 1960, our diversity became a source of strength, and the new leaders resolved to carry the flag of independence for the benefit of future generations. They had their differences, but they placed a greater premium on the need to come together to build a new nation.

It is that resolve, and that glorious moment that we celebrate today. We also celebrate the patriotism of our heroes past: Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Sir Ahmadu Bello, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Sir Michael Okpara, Chief Anthony Enahoro, Herbert Macaulay, and several others who made the case for our independence.

We remember as always, their contributions to the making of the Nigerian nation, and the efforts of their successors since 1960. We also celebrate the unfailing optimism and resilience of Nigerians who remain proud of our national identity.

On this special day, I call on every Nigerian to remain steadfast, because our nation is indeed making progress. I call on every Nigerian to rediscover that special spirit that enables us to triumph over every adversity as a people:

We weathered the storm of the civil war, we have refused to be broken by sectarian crises; we have remained a strong nation.  I bring to you today, a message of renewed hope and faith in the immense possibilities that lie ahead.

Fellow citizens, I have an unshaken belief in the future of our great Country. I consider it a priority and sacred duty to continue to strengthen the bond of unity that holds our nation together and to promote and nourish the creative energies of our people. This is a central objective of our administration’s Transformation Agenda.  Nigeria, I assure you, will continue to grow from strength to strength.

Since I assumed office as President of our dear country on the 6^th of May 2010, I have continued to work with our countrymen and women to enhance our nation’s growth and development.

Our vision is encapsulated in the Transformation Agenda. We are working hard and making progress on many fronts. We have cleaned up our electoral process; our elections are now globally acclaimed to be free and fair. Nigeria is now on a higher pedestal regarding elections.

Over the past five years, the global economy has been going through a weak and uncertain recovery. During the same period and particularly in the last two years, the Nigerian economy has done appreciably well despite the global financial crisis. Nigeria’s real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has grown by 7.1 per cent on average.

It is also significant that the GDP growth has been driven largely by the non-oil sector. In pursuance of the main goals of the Transformation Agenda, a number of reforms and initiatives are being pursued in key sectors of the economy with a view to consolidating the gains of the economic growth.

Our country’s power supply situation is improving gradually. We are successfully implementing a well-integrated power sector reform programme which includes institutional arrangements to facilitate and strengthen private-sector-led power generation, transmission and distribution.

We have also put in place a cost-reflective tariff structure that reduces the cost of power for a majority of electricity consumers. I am pleased with the feedback from across the country, of improvements in power supply.

We are continuing to improve and stabilize on our crude production volumes; our 12-month gas supply emergency plan, put in place earlier this year, has produced more than the targeted volumes of gas for power generation. A robust Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) has been placed before the National Assembly. Its passage into law will ensure far-reaching reforms, transparency, accountability, increased government revenue and predictability for investors in the Oil and Gas sector.

Several government programmes and projects are creating wealth and millions of job opportunities for our youth and general population. Such programmes include: You-Win, both for the youth and for the women, Public Works, the Local Content Initiative in the Oil and Gas Sector, and the Agricultural Transformation programme.

We have improved on our investment environment; more corporate bodies are investing in the Nigerian economy. Our Investment Climate Reform Programme has helped to attract over N6.8 trillion local and foreign direct investment commitments.

Nigeria has become the preferred destination for investment in Africa. It is ranked first in the top 5 host economies for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Africa, accounting for over 20 per cent of total FDI flows into the continent. We have streamlined bureaucratic activities at the ports to ensure greater efficiency in the handling of ports and port-related businesses.  Specifically, we have drastically reduced the goods clearing period in our ports from about six weeks to about one week and under. We have an ultimate target of 48 hours.

We have put in place, a new visa policy that makes it easier for legitimate investors to receive long stay visas. We have achieved a 24-hour timeline for registration of new businesses, leading to the registration of close to 7, 000 companies within the second quarter of 2012.

The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has disclosed that, as at July 2012, 249 new members across the country had joined the Association, and that capacity utilization has also improved. The multiplier effect of this development on our job creation programme cannot be over-emphasized.

In the last two years, we have put in place structures for an upgrade of the country’s health sector, to promote in every respect, the individual citizen’s right to quality, affordable and accessible healthcare.

In this regard, we are devoting resources under the Subsidy Reinvestment Program (SURE-P) to reducing malaria incidents, dramatically reducing maternal and child mortality, and eradicating polio.

Fellow Nigerians, in recent times, we have witnessed serious security challenges in parts of our country. We have taken pro-active measures to check the menace. This has included constant consultation and collaboration with our neighbours and other friendly nations on issues relating to internal and cross border security, and the sharing of information on smuggling and illegal dealing in small arms and light weapons.

Our security agencies are constantly being strengthened and repositioned for greater efficiency. Many Nigerians have acknowledged that there has been a significant decline in the spate of security breaches.

While expressing our condolences to the affected families, let me reiterate the commitment of this Administration to ensure the safety of lives and property of all Nigerians.

Even as we remain focused on the issue of security, the fight against the scourge of corruption is a top priority of our Administration.  We are fighting corruption in all facets of our economy, and we are succeeding. We have put an end to several decades of endemic corruption associated with fertilizer and tractor procurement and distribution.  We have exposed decades of scam in the management of pensions and fuel subsidy, and ensured that the culprits are being brought to book.

In its latest report, Transparency International (TI) noted that Nigeria is the second most improved country in the effort to curb corruption.

We will sustain the effort in this direction with an even stronger determination to strengthen the institutions that are statutorily entrusted with the task of ending this scourge.

I have given my commitment of non-interference in the work of the relevant agencies and I am keeping my word. What we require is the full cooperation of all tiers of government, and the public, especially civil society and the media.

This Administration has also introduced for the first time in Nigeria’s history, a Performance Contract System for all Ministers, and other officials of government. This is to further place emphasis on performance, efficiency, and service delivery.

Fellow Nigerians, our determined efforts on several fronts not-withstanding, our country still faces a number of challenges.

Those challenges should not deter us. In the last few weeks, for example, many of our communities have been ravaged by floods, resulting in the loss of lives and property, and the displacement of persons.

I want to reassure all affected Nigerians that I share in their grief, and our Administration is taking steps to address these incidents, in collaboration with the States and Local Governments.

I have received the interim Report of the Presidential team that I set up to assess the flooding situation across the country.

The Federal Government has taken measures to assist the affected States, while considering long term measures to check future reoccurrence.

We must continue to work together, confidently and faithfully, to ensure that our country’s potentials are realised to the fullest; that our dreams are translated into reality; and that our goals are achieved.

Let me reiterate that our administration is committed to the pursuit of fundamental objectives of an open society: the pursuit of freedom, security and prosperity for the Nigerian people, and the rule of law.

In the next few days, I shall lay before the National Assembly the 2013 Federal Budget Proposal so that deliberations can commence in earnest on the key policies, programmes and projects that will mark a decisive year for our development and transformation.

I have no doubt that by the time I address you on our next independence anniversary, many of our reform efforts would have yielded even better results.

Over the years, several leaders have built on the foundation laid by our Founding Fathers. The baton is now in our hands. Let me assure all Nigerians that we shall not fail.

I am confident that Nigeria will continue to be a source of pride to its citizens; to Africa and the Black Race and to humanity; a land that is known for progress, freedom, peace and the promotion of human dignity.

May God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria. May God bless you all.

Patience Jonathan

Nigeria’s First Lady, Patience Jonathan, is battling an onset of Parkinson’s disease that has complicated her recovery from a surgical procedure in Germany, several reliable sources have disclosed to SaharaReporters.

SaharaReporters broke the news that Mrs. Jonathan was flown to a hospital in Wiesbaden, Germany close to a month ago to undergo emergency treatment after a botched procedure in Dubai.

In interviews with three sources familiar with Mrs. Jonathan’s health status, SaharaReporters learnt that the Nigerian president’s wife is beset by Parkinson’s disease, a degenerative syndrome. The disease is a progressive disorder of the nervous system. A medical source described it as “a fairly common disorder that occasions degeneration of the nervous system.” The source added that the disease leads to “progressive impairment and disorder of movement.” An online medical site notes that Parkinson’s “is characterized by progressive loss of muscle control, which leads to trembling of the limbs and head while at rest, stiffness, slowness, and impaired balance. As symptoms worsen, it may become difficult to walk, talk, and complete simple tasks.”

The bombshell revelation about the First Lady’s medical woes was first made by a source familiar with Mrs. Jonathan’s previous secret treatments in Spain and Italy. The source disclosed that Mrs. Jonathan had battled Parkinson’s for some years now. In addition, doctors had advised her to “do something urgent about her morbid body mass index (BMI),” said the source. She added that Mrs. Jonathan had indeed considered undergoing the kind of tummy tuck procedure that former Governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha once had.

Two other sources close to the Jonathans confirmed that the First Lady has been dogged by Parkinson’s. One said the disease was largely responsible for her clumsiness, drawling speech and slow movement at public events. He added that Mrs. Jonathan has been suffering serious trembling in the left hand. “That’s why she always uses her right to hold the microphone when speaking at public events,” the source revealed. Mrs. Jonathan also reportedly is affected by stiffness of the limbs and trunk which affects her movement.

A news staffer at the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) told SaharaReporters that Mrs. Jonathan’s aides warned reporters covering her never to film her beyond her waist. “Her senior personal assistant told the crew covering her long ago: ‘Don’t ever film Madam’s waist. Show her face only.’ That’s been the code at NTA.”

Two of our sources stated that Mrs. Jonathan had made efforts to slow the disease that had started to ravage her. “She has been visiting a health farm in Italy on a regular basis since 2010,” one source revealed. “To alleviate her pain, she has been taking her medication religiously.”

A friend of Mrs. Jonathan’s said that the First Lady’s health maladies include anxiety, occasional memory loss and disorientation. In addition, her blood pressure often rises to dangerous levels, forcing her to take a cocktail of anti-hypertensive drugs.

Also, our sources said that some officials attached to the First Lady’s office described her as constantly depressed, prone to snapping at people at the slightest provocation. “The First Lady can just get angry at the slightest provocation and rain abuses at anybody in sight,” he said.

As happened during the health crisis of the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, the Nigerian Presidency’s reaction to Mrs. Jonathan’s health condition is to be mum. When SaharaReporters contacted a senior aide of President Jonathan on the matter of the First Lady’s illness, he sharply said, “I’m not saying anything. And please don’t mention that you spoke to me.” SaharaReporters learnt that officials of the Presidency are under a virtual oath of secrecy on the issue of Mrs. Jonathan’s health crisis.

source saharaReporters

Special adviser to the president on media and publicity, Reuben Abati on Thursday disclosed to newsmen that the president has ordered the suspension of the planned introduction of the N5,000 scheduled to come into circulation next year.

According to him, the president Jonathan’s latest disposition to the issue was based on the need for more “enlightenment and consultation”.

Abati said, “The introduction of the new note is being suspended for now to enable the CBN do more enlightenment on the issue. Yes, President Jonathan has directed that the implementation of the new N5,000 note be suspended for now.

“This is to enable the apex bank to do more in terms of enabling Nigerians understand why it proposed it in the first place. So, for now, the full implementation is on hold.”

Jonathan was reported to have expressed his readiness to halt the process when he met with the president of the Senate, David Mark, and speaker, House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwwal, on Tuesday.

To confirm the presidential directive to put the currency review on hold, the Central Bank of Nigeria through its spokesman, Ugo Okoroafor, yesterday released a statement saying: “The CBN hereby informs the general public that the president, on Thursday, September 20, 2012, directed that further action on the approved restructuring exercise be stopped.

“It is important to stress that till date, no contract whatsoever has been awarded by the CBN in connection with the printing and minting of the new currency notes and coins. Consequently, no currency note or coin has been printed or minted under the proposed exercise.”

Since the announcement of the proposed currency review exercise, analysts have expressed their opposition to the policy saying it was contrary to the apex bank’s cashless programme.

Others had posited that the introduction of the N5,000 note is unnecessary and will tend to encourage inflation.

So, its bye-bye to the N5,000 note… at least for now.

by Isi Esene[ynaija]

President Goodluck Jonathan hosted the Nigerian athlethes at the just concluded 2012 London Paralympic Games at the presidential Villa, Aso Rock, Abuja. During the event, the president announced a cash prize award of N5 million, N3million and N2 million to each of Nigeria’s Paralympic Gold, Silver and Bronze winners respectively. Their officials will receive a cash award of N2.5 million each. In addition, each of the six paralympic Gold winners will be conferred with the national honour of Member of the Order of the Niger (MON) on Monday September 17th.

Other members of the Paralympic team who did not win any medal at the Games, were also rewarded with 500,000 Naira each.

Each of our Falconets will receive a cash award of N1million as a token of appreciation from the federal government. Their coaches will get N1.2 million each.

President Jonathan said no amount of money or award would be enough to reward the two groups of Nigerian sports figures, noting that the reception was a modest recognition of their achievements.

Oil & Gas Gala Night – September 29th, 2012. Ticket – N10 million. VIP – N30million. Table – N100 million. VIP Table – N300 million.

I saw this on lindaikeji’s blog but didn’t believe it till i saw it myself. It was advertised on Thisday Newspaper.

Via  SaharaReporters, New York

SaharaReporters learnt that President Goodluck Jonathan arrived in Abuja last night after abruptly departing from a three-day tour of Malawi and Botswana. A source within the Presidency reported that the president retired to his private quarters at Aso Rock Villa after telling some close aides that his wife, Patience Jonathan, is still alive. Mrs. Jonathan was airlifted more than a week ago to a hospital in Wiesbaden, Germany.

Mr. Jonathan hastily left a state luncheon organized for him in Botswana and headed straight for the airport. After a short visit to a mine by helicopter, he met with the Nigerian community at the airport, and then boarded his presidential jet bound for Abuja.

Several sources in Malawi and Bostwana earlier told SaharaReporters that Mr. Jonathan’s surprise departure for Abuja left some members of his contingent wondering if the First Lady had passed on.

“Before he went into his residence today, the president told some of his senior aides that it is   his wife is still alive,” said a source in Abuja.

Calls and text messages to Mr. Jonathan’s spokesman, Reuben Abati, were not answered.

Speculations remain rife in Abuja that the condition of the president’s wife may have taken a dire turn.

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Reuben Abati in a short press statement issued on Tuesday said “President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has accepted the resignation with immediate effect of the Minister of Power, Prof. Barth Nnaji.

“President Jonathan thanks Prof. Nnaji for his services to the nation under the present administration and wishes him well in his future endeavours.”

Details of the circumstances surrounding the resignation of the Ministers were not available as at the time of publishing this report.

The africanexaminer reported that the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) has alleged that the Minister of Power Prof. Barth Nnaji corruptly enriched himself, friends and cronies with the ministry’s funds.

The union, through its General Secretary Joe Ajaero, warns that “Nigerians should not be surprised to wake up one morning to realize that the Power Sector has been cornered by Prof. Barth Nnaji and his cronies.”

His words: “Preparatory to the manipulations, Nnaji had appointed his kinsmen, classmates and others to key sensitive positions like Bulk Trader, Market Operator, CEOs and others.

“To buttress our position, we challenge Nnaji to respond to the
issues as here understated.

• N395m collected from PHCN allegedly for the Media, for 3 months;
  

• N280m collected from PHCN allegedly for Nigeria Army
  

• N200m collected from PHCN allegedly for Unknown Project in the Power Ministry
  

• N86m collected from PHCN allegedly for Bullet Proof Vehicle
  

• N3m collected from PHCN and donated to Enugu State University of Technology (ESUT)
  

• Employment of 20 people in Enugu Zone of PHCN who are his kith and kins as staff two years after the closing date of casual employment and close of PHCN biometrics exercise.
  

• Refusal to pay Regularized Casual Staff their salaries since February 2012
  

• Appointment of Geometric staff as Bulk Trader in the Sector thereby giving advantage of load allocation to his company.
  

• Dual Role as Chairman Geometrics Power Ltd, Chairman Aba Power Ltd and Minister of Power on pretence of blind thrust that is non existent in Nigeria.
  

• Explain to Nigerians why a man who ran Geometric to bankruptcy and is being rescued by Government owned AMCON should continue to run the affairs of the Power Sector.
  

• Besides, he should explain his interests on Afam Power Plant and Enugu Electricity Distribution Company which has been our fears of vested interest which we raised earlier.

“Until these issues are addressed the Union will continue to press for accountability and probity. “We insist that proper investigation must be conducted on PHCN before any form of privatization is carried out.”

The Radical sect popularly known as Boko Haram has called on president Goodluck Jonathan to honourably resign and convert to Islam,  saying that it is not negotiating with any government representative and has no plans to do so.

The Jamaatu Ahlis Sunnah Lil Daawati wal Jihad, better known as  Boko Haram disclosed this  in a half-hour video made in Hausa and posted on YouTube.

The video was very abusive with the group offering no logical explanation or reason for its demands and positions.

In the video, which was made by the group’s leader, Abubakar Shekau, in the form of an Islamic lecture, the group claimed that it doesn’t kill “women and children,” but those “who have offended us, arrested our people and killed them.”

The group also alleged that some people were committing evil acts in its name and that it would go after such people.

The group also rejected any plans by the Federal Government to legislate on the number of children Nigerians can have, describing such proposal as “blasphemy.”

The Federal Government has made dialogue with the Boko Haram sect a major way of curtailing the group’s insurgency in Northern Nigeria.

It would be recalled that the National Security Adviser,  Ahmed Dasuki  pledged to seek ceasefire with the group before the commencement of the Islamic month of Ramadan which entered its 17th day Sunday.