Corruption scandal rocks Jonathan Campaign Committee

The unit of the President Goodluck Jonathan campaign organisation responsible for mobilizing the civil society has been hit by a corruption scandal that has now paralysed its operations.
Members of the committee are divided over the leadership style of its chairman, Nick Eze, a professor.
They accused Mr. Eze of cornering the kick-off funds he received from the presidency and of sabotaging the entire campaign.
“As far as the presidential campaign organisation is concerned, the Civil Society committee is a fraud,” an aggrieved member told PREMIUM TIMES. “Professor Nick has abandoned his office and is now running the committee from his bedroom.”
Several members of the committee, who spoke with this newspaper, expressed frustration with Mr. Eze’s management of the committee.

80% Of Those Advising Me Have Nothing To Say – Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan said yesterday that more than 80 per cent of his advisers have nothing to say.

The president who spoke in Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa State, at a special funeral service for eight female politicians and their driver who died in a road accident on February 14, said this has been happening to him since his days as deputy governor of the state.

He stated this in reaction to Governor Seriake Dickson’s disclosure that he was advised against organising a state burial for the deceased.

Photos: NFF president meets Arsene Wenger, FIFA president

NFF President Amaju Pinnick met with Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger yesterday seeking closer ties. Arsenal has agreed to work closely with NFF for better club players and country relationship. Amaju also met FIFA president Sepp Blatter in Switzerland yesterday. See more photos after the cut

Revealed: Sudan’s President Reveals who is Behind Boko Haram And ISIS Groups..

The president of Sudan, Omar Al-Bashir, has accused US and Israeli intelligence of being behind the Boko Haram and ISIS groups.
Speaking with Euronews, he alleged that there was a connection between the American CIA, Israel's Mossad and the two extremist groups.
After ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) released a video apparently showing 21 Coptic Christians in Libya being beheaded, Al-Bashir said:
"I said CIA and the Mossad stand behind these organisations; there is no Muslim who would carry out such acts."

We Lack The Capacity To Prevent Corruption In Nigeria – Okonjo- Iweala

The Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, said on Tuesday that corruption persisted in the country because Nigeria lacked the institutions,
systems and processes to prevent it.
Okonjo-Iweala made this known when she spoke on the Topic: `Preventing Leakages in the Nigerian Economy` at the Catholic Caritas Foundation Forum
in Abuja.
According to her, the absence of the relevant systems and institutions that will help check corruption has created opportunities for people to engage in the act.
"This thing has been with us and we must crack it. This is not something that started in this country
today; but it is something that we must crack. "Fundamentally, we have to ask ourselves, why has this continued to be a problem; I am convinced that
it is because we constantly look at the symptoms and not the cause of the disease.
"The cause of the disease is we don't have in place the institutions, the systems and the processes to
block and prevent it in the first place.
"That's the only difference between us and the people abroad.`
The minister assured that people would be compelled to do the right thing always if the appropriate systems were in place to block and prevent corruption.
She urged youths in the country to ask the relevant questions that would help tackle corruption in the country.
She said: "This is so important now because of technology and I am a total fan of the use of technology and electronic platforms to block the
leakages in this country.
"We must use them the way they are being used in other countries."
Okonjo-Iweala said that the introduction of the Government Integrated Financial Management System (GIFMS) had helped to reduce physical movement of cash to make payments and curb corruption.
She said that the Integrated Personnel Payment System had also helped government to remove ghost workers from the system and save money in
the process.
She said, "We have been able to weed out about 62,893 ghost workers till date saving N208.7 billion and we have not finished in the system. That is
addressing the root cause."
The minister said that the names of the persons found to be involved in the act had been sent to the ICPC for further action.
OKonjo-Iweala said that through the electronic wallet system introduced by the Ministry of Agriculture, government had been able to reduce corruption in
fertilizer distribution in the country.
According to her, 10.5 million farmers have been registered under the system with more than 6 million being able to access the product personally.
This, she said, had contributed to increased food production.
The minister said that with the creation of the Pension Transmission Administration Department as
demanded by law, issues with old pension were being handled systematically...
She said that 14 people were presently under trial for various pension scams in the country. Commenting on the outcome of the forensic Audit on the alleged 20 billion dollars missing oil money,
she said the ministry had written to the NNPC asking it to remit the amount as directed by the auditors.
(NAN)

Meet the first female commercial pilot from North-West Nigeria

Mrs Fatima Abba Gwadabe pictured above is the First female commercial pilot in the North West of Nigeria.

Photos from the accident at Obafemi Awolowo way this morning

There was accident at Obafemi Awolowo Way in Ikeja this morning involving a bus carrying 13 passengers that lost control and veered off the road. At least four people were seriously injured and have been rushed to the hospital. More photos after the cut...

Obasanjo explains why his PDP membership card was torn in public

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has explained why his PDP membership card was publicly destroyed on Monday February 16th. He kinda blamed it on the man who tore it...

In a telephone interview with Premium Times, Chief Obasanjo said party members in his ward led by the ward Chairman, Mr Surajudeen Olajundoye paid him a visit that Monday to express their concern over his inactivity in the party, saying that his inaction has made them uncertain of their own political future in PDP. They also told him that they heard that the state party leadership was in the process of expelling him from the party. Continue...

INEC chairman appears before the Senate to explain election postponement

INEC Chairman Prof. Jega appeared before the National Assembly this afternoon to explain why the election was postponed and also demonstrate how they would use card readers during the elections.

Speaking to members of the Senate, Prof Jega talked about politicians who are rumoured to have bought PVCs in some parts of Nigeria like in Ebonyi state where about 300 PVCs were stolen. He said that stealing PVCs is an exercise in futility as the cards would be useless during elections.

He said those who have stolen cards are only disenfranchising people as only those with credible PVC's would be accredited during the elections. Continue...


He said there are rumors that politicians are buying cards to reduce the strength of their oppositions at a particular place. He said the PVCs would last at least 10 years and can be used in future elections.

Sad pic of a child doing his homework while waiting to polish shoes

According to Wall Street Journal Journalist, Ehsanullah Amiri - this heartbreaking pic was taken of a child on the street doing his school homework while waiting for customers so he'll perform his shoe - shining duties.