National Dialogue c'tee to be inaugurated on Monday, Oct.7

President Goodluck Jonathan will inaugurate the Advisory Committee on National Dialogue on Monday, Oct. 7.
This is contained in a statement issued on Friday in Abuja and signed by Mr Sam
Nwaobasi, the Special Assistant (Media) to the

ASUU has ruined Nigerian students, over N10bn lost in rent

Its been 3 Months since the striking Lecturers of the Academic Staff Union Of Universities, ASUU Began her Indefinite Industrial action to protest the ill-treatment of the education sector by the federal government, citing the 2009 MOU signed as a point of reference.
ASUU according to the president Goodluck Jonathan, has been Politically engineered, which undoubtedly, made them pull out of negotiation, without any resolve in sight.
The Nigerian students on the receiving end have been at home, 3 months and still counting, while their annual rents keep running in their Various Universities.There are Over 70 Federal and State Owned Universities in Nigeria, education over 10 million Nigerian Students. Most of these Universities, especially state funded ones like the Imo State University, IMSU, Ebonyi State University, EBSU, Enugu State University, ESUT, among others have no provision for hostel facilities, while other federal Universities like the University Of Nigeria, Nsukka, UNN ,

Mr. President's Proposal For National Conference Sparks Mixed Reaction

President Goodluck Jonathan Tuesday announced the constitution of a committee to prepare the grounds for the convocation of a national conference, setting off a chain of reactions from critical stakeholders in the polity.

The president, in a national broadcast to mark Nigeria’s 53rd independence anniversary, said the 13-member advisory committee, which will establish the modalities for a national conference aimed at resolving issues causing friction in the polity, would be chaired by a chieftain of Afenifere, Dr. Femi Okurounmu.

The committee, with Dr. Akilu Indabawa as its secretary, has one month to submit its report and will be inaugurated by Jonathan on Monday.

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2015: Don't Contest, New PDP Urges Jonathan

The splinter group of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), under the leadership of Alhaji Abubakar Baraje, yesterday called on President Goodluck Jonathan not to contest the 2015 presidential election, urging him to be a hero and save the country from a needless crisis.

In the same vein, members of the House of Representatives loyal to the Speaker, Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, reacted to the pro-Jonathan members of the House, stating that they lacked the necessary capacity to defend the interest of the president in the lower legislative chamber.

Specifically referring to the pro-Jonathan lawmakers, led by Hon. Bethel Amadi, they said if they had the capacity, both the speaker and deputy speaker of the House would not have emerged against the resolution of the PDP, which had zoned both positions to the South-west and North-east respectively.

This is just as two of the aggrieved governors – Sule Lamido of Jigawa State and Rabiu Kwankwaso of Kano State – have stated that no amount of intimidation by the presidency or threats by the PDP to sanction them and other members of the New PDP will make them deviate from the path of “truth and justice”.

In a statement signed by the National Publicity Secretary of the breakaway PDP, Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, the New PDP said: “We wish to advise President Jonathan to abandon his plan to seek re-election in 2015 as this ambition of his is not in the best interest of the country.”

It added: “Though he has yet to categorically declare his intention to run, President Jonathan has given enough clues indicating that he is working towards doing so. The latest of such clues came on Sunday in New York, USA.
“Speaking at a luncheon with Nigerian professionals in the United States, President Jonathan insisted that he is eligible to contest in 2015, stating that we have a constitution that makes a provision for a maximum of eight years for anyone who wants to become a president or a governor.” 

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Shettima hails Jonathan On Directive Setting Supected Boko Haram Members Free

Making his position known in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media, Alhaji Isa Umar Gusau, the Governor said: “I am in the picture of the very welcome development and I look forward to receiving them. It is cheering news for me and the government of Borno State because it will no doubt help in fast tracking the peaceful resolution process which like

CAN Calls For Dissolution Of Amnesty Committee

The declaration of a state of emergency in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe has received the official endorsement of the umbrella body of Christians in the country, Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, even as they called for the dissolution of the amnesty committee saying it was no longer relevant. CAN president, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, in a statement by his Special Assistant,

President Goodluck Jonathan Declares State Of Emergency In Three Northern States

In a televised address, he said he had given the military powers to take over security in the states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe. He also ordered more troops to be sent to the north-eastern states. Islamist group Boko Haram has been blamed for most of the violence, killing some2,000 people since 2010.

Five Expertriates Kidnapped Off Bayelsa Coastline Gains Freedom

Five foreigners kidnapped aboard a German ship off the Niger Delta region coast in Bayelsa have regained their freedom. Some yet to be identified gunmen abducted the five expatriates aboard an oil support vessel along Sagana waterways in Brass LocalGovernment Area of Bayelsa on April 26 2013. Kidnappings and killings carried out by pirates, and former militants have increased dramatically in the area until recent times. The deployment of 20 gunboats recently acquired by Bayelsa government by the security forces has failed to reign in the rampaging pirates even as Gov. Seriake Dickson rarely stays in the state to address the worsening insecurity in his domain, oftentraveling to Abuja the nation's capital to see President Goodluck Jonathan. The Chief Press Secretary to Bayelsa Governor, Mr. Daniel Iworiso-Markson, assured that recent upsurge in kidnap of oil workers would soon be contained, assuring law-abiding residents in the coastal areas of their safety. Iworiso-Markson, reportedly said that the Seriake Dickson administration had a zero-tolerance policy for kidnapping in Bayelsa. Two persons arrested over two previous kidnapping are reportedly being prosecuted in the state. Joint Task Force (JTF) spokesperson, Lt.Colonel Oyenma Nwachukwu states further that the JTF was on the trail of the armed kidnappers who engaged troops in a shoot at Adagbarasa/Itagbene area recently SAHARA REPORTERS

No Regrets About Alamieyeseigha's Pardon- Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan on Saturday said he had no regret over the state pardon he recently granted his political benefactor, former governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, despite the public outcry that trailed the exercise.

Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, made the President’s position known while featuring on a Radio Nigeria programme, Business Hour, monitored by our correspondent in Abuja.

Jonathan, Service Chiefs Meets On Amnesty Committee Report

President Goodluck Jonathan

Barely 24 hours after President Goodluck Jonathan met with traditional rulers from the north on the possibility of granting amnesty to members of the Boko Haram sect, another meeting between him and the service chiefs was held Tuesday to consider the report of the Amnesty Security Committee set up two weeks ago.

The committee, which was set up by Jonathan following the agitation by northern leaders, who had met with him on the precarious security situation in the region, was mandated to consider the feasibility of granting pardon to Boko Haram adherents, among other terms of reference.

Boko Haram Is Your Child,Buhari Blasts JONATHAN

Former Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, slammed President Goodluck Jonathan, describing the virulent sect, Boko Haram, as a creation of the present administration.
President Jonathan, through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs, Dr Doyin Okupe had on Tuesday challenged General Buhari to persuade members of the sect to accept dialogue as a means of ending the orgy of violence in the North.
General Buhari, who apparently was angered by the Presidency’s attempt to link him with the sect, asked Jonathan to leave him alone and find ways of resolving the Boko Haram crisis, which he said, was borne out of the failure of his government.