Former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, yesterday said it is insulting and ridiculous to question the academic credentials of APC presidential candidate, retired Gen. Muhammad Buhari.

Speaking at the launch of his book, My Watch, in London, Obasanjo said when he joined the army, it was mandatory that one must have WASC or GCE before enlisting in the armed forces.

He said the requirements were the same when Gen. Buhari joined the army in 1961, adding that even if Buhari did not have the required qualifications then, he had gone through the staff college which is equivalent to a first degree and the U.S. War College which is equivalent to a master’s degree.

“If anybody thinks that I’m illiterate or uneducated after attending many military institutions in the UK, India and the US, they should read my books”, he said, and urged those engaged in Buhari’s qualification debacle to “focus on real issues and stop degenerating into trivialities”.

Obasanjo, who answered questions from the audience on various socio-political issues affecting Nigeria, said he would assess the candidates in the election and “vote for one with the best record”.

The former president remarked that God would not have forgiven him if he had allowed vice-president Atiku Abubakar to succeed him, noting that with his experience, he knew what the job of running Nigeria entailed and who could do it well.

On whether he was overheating the Nigerian polity with his comments, Obasanjo said: “I am not heating anything. When things are going bad and you can’t say anything, you are an accomplice. If anybody can prove that what I am saying is wrong, I will apologise”.

On the Chibok girls, Obasanjo berated the federal government for taking long to acknowledge the incident, but not doing enough to bring back the girls, stressing that though the girls may never come together again, “we must not forget them”.

He said in spite of the problems bedeviling Nigeria, the country’s future is “rosy” and bright, emphasizing that the country faced similar problems in the past, including the civil war but came out stronger.

“God will see Nigeria through. Nigeria will emerge successfully and move up and forward”, he said.

The book launch which was attended by mainly Nigerians in Diaspora, was anchored by Richard Dowden of the Royal African Society, London, and Zeinab Badawi, a renowned television broadcaster.

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The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation on Wednesday said it had engaged the services of in-house engineers to rehabilitate the country’s three ailing refineries at a cost of $550m (N99bn), down from the $1.6bn (N288bn) presented to it by foreign contractors.

The refineries are the Port Harcourt Refining Company, Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company Limited and the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company Limited.

The Group Executive Director, Refining and Petrochemicals, NNPC, Mr. Ian Udoh, stated that the corporation resolved to use indigenous engineers because it could not pay the bills of foreign contractors who were nominated by the original builders of the refineries.

Udoh spoke during a press briefing organised by the corporation to refute claims that it was indicted by the report of the forensic audit carried out on its operations by PriceWaterhouseCoopers.

He said, “For the three refineries, the estimates going with the nominees of the original builders of the refineries would have come up to $1.6bn. But we can’t afford that because we are not going to get any funding from the government for that.

“We examined the work scope and picked up the essential things that we must do to get these refineries to operate optimally at around 90 per cent of capacity. That was done and we did the pricing template; not the international rates, we used the local rates. And everything for the three refineries combined came to around $550m, which is significant, maybe up to 70 per cent reduction.

“Even the $550m is quite much. So, we amortised it over 18 months so that we will be able to swallow it in bits more easily. The 18 months started since last October and this means that early next year, the refineries should be in shape.”

He stated that the original builders of the refineries were not willing to come to Nigeria but nominated their partners to handle the turnaround maintenance of the facilities.

The partners, according to Udoh, are not willing to give post rehabilitation performance guarantee, adding that their prices were exceedingly high.

He said, “So, a new pact had to be taken, which is more affordable for the NNPC, that is, to rehabilitate all the refineries simultaneously, resorting more to what is locally available. And these include the in-house engineers and such contractors that have been working with us all these years who are familiar with the plant.

“Part of that plan is that if there is any challenging big equipment, we resort to the original manufacturers to send a representative to join our engineers on the ground to carry out whatever is needed to be done.”

Earlier in his address, the Group Managing Director, NNPC, Dr. Joseph Dawha, had explained that the $1.48bn, which PwC directed it to remit to the Federation Account, was the balance of the book value of the divested assets that were transferred to the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company, excluding taxes and royalties.

“This value is still being reconciled with the Department of Petroleum Resources,” he added.

He stated that what the DPR sent to the corporation as the estimated value of the assets was $1.847bn, out of which the NNPC paid over $300m as a token to indicate its commitment to acquiring the assets pending resolution and reconciliation by both organisations.

On why the NNPC had not been able to tackle pipeline vandalism despite installing electronic monitoring gadgets on them, the corporation’s Group Executive Director, Engineering and Technical, Mr. Adebayo Ibirogba, stated that the technology might detect immediately where a pipeline had been blown up, but the ability to respond speedily was an issue.

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The Peoples Democratic Party in Bayelsa State has suspended its Chairman, Col. Sam Inokoba (retd.), over alleged financial impropriety.

Inokoba was suspended by the members of the State Working Committee on Wednesday for alleged misconduct and diversion of N40m gift provided for the party by the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Allison-Madueke.

It was learnt that the decision to suspend Inokoba was taken on Tuesday after deliberation by members of the State Executive Council.

Publicity Secretary of the PDP in the state, Mr. Osom Makebre, who confirmed the suspension, declined to give further details.

He however explained that the decision of the SEC had been forwarded to the national leadership of the party for ratification.

Makbere said in accordance with the party’s constitution, it was expected that the Deputy Chairman of the party, King Serena Dokubo-Spiff, would take over the running of the party within the next 30 days.

A source at the meeting said the suspended chairman had been invited to appear before the enlarged SEC but that he refused and reportedly travelled to Abuja.

According to the source, SEC members deliberated on a five-count charge of misconduct levelled against Inokoba.

Inokoba was also accused of refusing to join in the ongoing campaigns for candidates of the Bayelsa Central Senatorial district because the candidates were not his choice.

The party source, who craved anonymity, said, “He has since neglected to carry out his official duties as party chairman. He sponsored aspirants during the party primaries instead of engaging in neutrality as the chairman of the party.

“He also publicly, in the presence of party members, ordered his security aides and thugs to beat a party member due to dispute over party primaries materials.

“He also engaged in promoting factions within the state PDP and engaged in financial dishonesty with funds provided by members of the PDP from the state and national level.”

But reacting to the suspension, media aide to the suspended chairman, Mr. Nelson Agadi, described the suspension as illegal and “a sponsored action.”

“The suspension is a lie that cannot hold and it is a violation of the Section 10 sub section 7 of the party constitution,” Agadi said

Source: PunchNg

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OTUNBA Gani Adams is the National Coordinator of the Odua People’s Congress, OPC. In this interview, Adams explains why leaders of South West zone are divided over the choice of presidential candidates to support in the forthcoming elections.

He also bares his mind on the postponement of the general elections among other issues. Excerpts:

How will you react to the INEC’s shift of the elections dates by six weeks?

Well, the shift in dates is as a result of necessities for cogent reasons such as the issues of security and adequate logistics for the exercise. Let me explain these by reminding you of the fact that the shared Permanent Voters’ Card (PVCs) was just 66 per cent while the remaining 34 per cent were still to be given out and that is about 24 million eligible Nigerians. I was so sad with the way the opposition handled the development. I just can’t imagine how comfortable they are that about 24 million Nigerians were to be disenfranchised; as a matter of fact, I won’t even be comfortable with 10,000 Nigerians not to talk of 24 million.

Secondly, the security chiefs declared they couldn’t guarantee security of INEC’s ad-hoc staff. How then will any sane person push for the exercise without the support of security chiefs? For these two cogent reasons, I don’t see us going for free, fair and credible elections. We still have more than three months for the handover of government; there is no need for them to be too anxious more than the umpire.

Moreover, we have 27 political parties and 17 of them have declared that the election should be postponed and eight insisted that it be held, in as much as 17 has indicated interest in the shifting, it simply means majority of Nigerians have spoken.

Security challenges

The opposition has always been hiding behind security issue to condemn Jonathan, now the president wanted to tackle security challenges before the election, the opposition is again shouting foul. What they are criticizing Jonathan for is what the gentleman wanted to face in six weeks. Come to think of it, with or without the necessary amend, he has insisted on May 29 as handover date.

But some people alleged that President Jonathan is working towards interim government, what is your view of this?

Jonathan cannot propose an interim government and at the end of the day be the head of such arrangement, such move won’t be in the interest of Jonathan.

But most Yoruba are not supporting Jonathan’s re-election bid, how do you see this development?

Jonathan or Buhari who will you pick ?

We don’t need to deceive ourselves. The main group in Yorubaland, Afenifere has spoken; Afenifere the political arrowhead of Yoruba people has declared support for Jonathan. Even Dr. Frederick Fasehun, the owner of the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) has endorsed Jonathan, even before Afenifere. I don’t have problem with Buhari, but I have serious problem with the people that surround him. So in conclusion, 85 per cent of Lagosians want Jonathan.

What is your assessment of the campaign?

They should stop blackmailing or discrediting each other. They should come out with facts to convince people, stop calling people who have sacrificed for the nation different names. In my own opinion there is no difference between the two major political parties, the APC and the PDP

They are calling for personality change but they are not calling for institutional change. When you said the present structure should not change and you are saying the president should change. If you say Buhari should be the president what of the institutions that have not changed. We went to the national conference to restructure Nigeria, to change the institutions. And the institutions are always more powerful than any individual.

I am not saying Jonathan is a saint because if those people around him are corrupt and he cannot deal with them, then it means he also has some skeletons in his cupboard. But Jonathan is quite different from the caliber of people we have in APC. You know what is happening in Ogun State when somebody was building bridges where there is no water. When you are having a billion naira bridges and there is no free education. People of Oyo State are crying because the government of the state shut its door against the masses.

But despite Afenifere’s endorsement of Jonathan, prominent Yoruba leaders are supporting Buhari. What do you have to say to this?


I think you are having the mindset that some Yoruba leaders are supporting Jonathan. How many of them were in the struggle except for General Alani Akinrinade and Hon. Wale Oshun? Oshun is very close to APC. And there is no way you can separate Akinrinade and Tinubu. Yes they are always together. Akinrinade may not be partisan but you can separate him from Tinubu, they have close relationship.

I got to know that when we were in the national conference. When you are however talking about the core people who always fight for the course of the Yoruba and those whose voice you hear about regionalism and introduction of parliamentary system, you talk of myself as the leader of the Oodua People’s Congress, OPC leader at the conference and the Afeniferes who believe that no matter the situation, the course of Yoruba must be championed at the conference.

Enough education

In Yorubaland I remember when I became leader of OPC, people say I did not have enough education to be a leader. Therefore, I went to school, I trained myself and I went to school. I went to even write WAEC, I went to write NECO, I wrote WAEC again. I went to Ghana to get a diploma, I got a diploma in Lagos State University onward to receiving a degree, but now Buhari is being alleged of not having a School Certificate.

The opposition said the election was postponed because Jonathan was afraid to lose the election.

That is propaganda, many things you hear from them, about 50 per cent of them is propaganda. Sultan of Sokoto said he has not got his PVC, I just got my PVC on Friday and in my house almost all the 35 people that registered, it is only me and two others that got theirs, 32 other are yet to receive theirs, and you now say the election should hold, and you are blaming Jonathan.

If there is crisis after the election, they will now say Jonathan has caused crisis. The Service Chiefs said they were not ready for the election.

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You already know I’m in basking in the glory of the award season but I just had to remind you. Woo! ☺

Terry G puts out what many would call a “potential” hit titled Terry G (Part 2) (Produced By Jay Pizzle). This self-titled

C.O.W.H Promotions & LayLow Productions presents the behind the scene footage and pictures for the video to the single ‘Keys To My

Singer Paul Play Dairo has filed a N200m lawsuit

against telecommunications company, Etisalat for

using his song, Mosorire in its popular reality series,

Nigerian Idol, without seeking his consent. In the suit

filed at a Lagos High court and marked FHC/

CS/581/2014, Optima Media Group was made co-

defendant. Paul stated that the defendants had used

his hit song, Mosorire, which he composed himself,

to promote their TV show, Nigerian Idol in 2012 and

2013.

He alleged that during the course of the programme,

a contestant was made to reproduce his song and

sing it without his express permission as the owner

of the song.

The court paper in part reads

“I am the copyright owner of the work named and

tagged “Mosorire”, contained in my repertoire,

exclusively for the jurisdiction of Nigeria and the

authority or permission to exploit such work can only

be obtained from me. However, the defendants being

an organiser of a television reality show tagged,

“Nigerian Idol” caused the use, adaptation and

deployment of my said work titled, “Mosorire” on the

said show without my consent, and which was

broadcast to several millions of television viewers

throughout the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the

rest of Africa for 2012 and 2013 editions.”

Paul Play said that as a singer and composer, he was

entitled to an annual fee of N100m on the track. He

said for having made use of his song without

reaching out to him for permission, the defendants,

Etisalat and Optima media group had made him

loose some money while according to him, they

“made gains and improved on their own brand

image.”. No date has been fixed for the hearing.