Nigerian And World News

Saturday, May 30

Incredible Photos Of Former President Jonathan And President Buhari At The Inauguration

Former President Jonathan and president Buhari at the inauguration yesterday. Beautiful image. See more Pictures below;

Introducing the beautiful First Lady of Jigawa State. A new era of elegant First Ladies.

Photographer: Nonso Okoye
Make up: @bridesprofile

All our new First Ladies are beautiful.

The new First Lady of Rivers State. Beautiful woman.

Here's the new governor of Akwa-Ibom state. Congrats to him. More photos below;

The Emir of Zazzau Shehu Idris and the Chief Judge of Kaduna state Teyimma Zaiki were whisked out of the venue of the Kaduna state inauguration after aggrieved youths in the state began to stone them immediately after Governor Nasir El-Rufai finished taking his oath.

According to reports, the youths accused the Emir and the Chief Judge of conniving with the immediate past Governor of the state to plunder the resources meant for the development of the state. The youths also demanded for the Emir's immediate dethronement. The occasion had to be brought to a close as the youths continued to stone some other dignitaries with water sachets and stones.(above is a pic of the Emir being protected by his palace guards when the chaos started).

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike (CON ) being congratulated by the Bayelsa State Chief Judge, Justice Kate Abiri after his inauguration today at the Liberation Stadium, Port Harcourt. More photos below;

Former Minister of Finance Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and former Minister of Agriculture now President of the Africa Development Bank, Akinwunmi Adesina in a tight hug after it was announced he was the new President of the African Development Bank in a keenly contested election in Cote de Ivoire yesterday May 28th. She seems really happy for him! Congrats to him once again.

Great reception for former president Jonathan and wife on their arrival at Port Harcourt International Airport this afternoon. More photos below;

Presidential helicopter on ground for the journey to Bayelsa from PH International Airport.

Psquare performed At Buhari's Inauguration

Psquare at the inauguration ceremony in Abuja. Africa's leading pop duo, Paul and Peter Okoye better known Psquare just performed at the inauguration ceremony of Muhammadu Buhari as Nigeria's next President.

At the event ongoing at Eagle Square, Abuja, Psquare performed their hit song, 'E No Easy'.

The Future Of Ndigbo In The New Government

Some Igbos feel some type of way with the new Government from the election results announced all South Eastern States except Imo voted for President Goodluck Jonathan and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Presidential and National Assembly polls.

In order words, Ndigbo are perceived to have voted themselves out of relevance in the APC government except if they manage to integrate themselves into the system by some miracle.

However, as bad as it seems, many are still optimistic that there is a place for them in the new government, at least, as provided by the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Chekwas Okorie, one of the presidential candidates in the last general election said that although the voting pattern of Ndigbo will make it difficult for them to make claims in the APC government, there are certain things that are the rights of Ndigbo as guaranteed by the constitution.

"It is the constitutional provision that every state must be in the Federal Executive Council, FEC, every state have a Minister and that cannot be denied. "

However, it will be to Buhari's political benefit that some key positions be allotted to the South-East because he is the president of Nigeria and not the president of APC. South-East is part of the Nigerian state and therefore should not be sidelined because they voted mostly for PDP. From records, he got a significant number of votes from the South-East too and that should not be disregarded. "

The new president should also know that anybody in government wants to be there in the next government. I'm sure that he would want to continue in 2019 and it is the way he handles things that will determine the future. If he ignores Ndigbo now because they didn't vote for him, what happens in 2019? Will he come back to campaign? APC should have their eyes in 2019 and therefore, should not disregard Ndigbo because of their bloc vote.

"The new government should also realise that in 2015, more than 50% of traditional Igbo votes did not go to Jonathan or to Buhari. The truth of the matter is that many Igbo were aloof. They didn't vote at all because they were not with Jonathan and they were suspicious of Buhari. So, Buhari should not give Ndigbo cause to believe they were right in their suspicion of him by ignoring them. He is Nigeria's president and should therefore focus on the future and what determines the future is what happens now."

On reference to statements credited to Oba of Lagos, Oba Akiolu and Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka on the politics of Ndigbo, Chekwas Okorie refrained himself from commenting on what the traditional ruler said.

According to him, " He is not a politician and therefore I don't want to talk about him. As for Soyinka, let me give give him benefit of doubt especially as he denied ever saying what he was alleged to have said.

"My concern more is the attitude of the South-West in the whole issue of APC and their purview that they are the ones that gave Buhari the victory. That is not true and that is not right. Even if they did, I think they should be more accommodating especially in the way they portray themselves in the new government and stop talking down on others."

A former governor of Anambra state, Dr Chukwuemeka Ezeife however didn't see any problem for Ndigbo in Buhari's government. Ezeife opinion is based on the fact that Nigeria is operating a political party system and whoever wins at the end of the day becomes the people' president.

" General Buhari is Nigeria's president and not APC president. He contested on the platform of a political party as established but having won election, will he now become the president of APC? He is the peoples president and should therefore be a man of the people". In his own submission, Chief Nduka Eya, the Secretary-General of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo said that whatever becomes the fate of Ndigbo in the new administration should be blamed on the much desired change. " We must know that this is a democracy.

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, ruled for 16 years. We talked about change but nobody defined the change we talked about. Now, the reality has dawned on us. In the whole South-East, only Imo is APC. So, a lot depends on the government. They should realise that they cannot run the country without the South-East. Buhari is the president of Nigeria including those in opposition. So, the opposition should organise themselves because without Ndigbo, there will be no Nigeria. This is a pointer to any government . You cannot ignore someone because he is in opposition. This country is run with a constitution and therefore Ndigbo should not lose confidence. "

The South-East is not alone here. There is also the South-South. All South -East States are PDP except Imo which is APC and Anambra which is APGA. The entire South-South is also PDP except Edo state which is APC. So, what are we talking? Buhari must appoint a Minister from each state of the federation. It is for him to choose statesmen as ministers and not praise singers.

" Let me also tell you another thing. APC is as good or as bad as PDP. Nigerian politicians play politics of their pockets. Buhari is already in. Let us see what he will do differently. We must hold him to task on his promises because he must fulfill all and we want him to prove that APC politicians will be different from PDP politicians. He must keep to his words because that is what change is all about. And so, we must keep him on his toes on the top promises he made to Nigerians while campaigning such as : reducing fuel price to N45.00 per litre ; giving N5000 per month to every unemployed youth; creating 3,000,000 jobs per annum; providing free meals for all elementary/primary/almajiri schools; giving one year allowance for youth corps post NYSC members; promise of free and qualitative education up to SSS 3 ;. building 2 million houses yearly for the next four years; generating 48,000 megawatts of electricity within four years; applying zero tolerance for corruption, wiping out corruption by the force of his personal example; banning medical tourism by our politicians from May 29, 2015, annihilating Boko Haram within two months, equating N1.00 to $1.00 and stabilising the oil price .

We want to see Buhari ask questions about peoples wealth especially those of his party men. People should be able to account for the stupendous wealth they flaunt all over the place. I want to see change in all its ramifications, not selective change or abusive change." Dr Chinweoke Mbadinuju, another one-time governor who recently defected from PDP to APC opines that the way things are, the position of Ndigbo in today's political calculation is highly pathetic. "Igbo have not had it worse than this, from the time of Zik, to Okpara, to Ojukwu and a few others. It has been like from fire to frying pan. But it is entirely not the fault of Ndigbo. It was circumstantial.

For whosoever loses war goes on the receiving end which is where the Igbo now are on the receiving end apart from Zik whom the British awarded the office of ceremonial Governor of Nigeria and this was the highest political office an Igbo ever held. Even when Chief Alex Ekwueme became Vice President under Alhaji Shehu Shagari, still the Vice Presidency was without political powers except the much Shagari assigned to him. "Anyway, the constitution could grant a VP power like Chairmanship of Economic Council, but Dr. Ekwueme will know whether such power was good or ephemeral. "So since the end of the civil war, subsequent leaders did not see it good to integrate the Igbo into the mainstream. Abacha did not. Obasanjo did not. Even Mallam Yar' Adua and Jonathan did not. All they did was to pick up one Igbo man or woman and give them little, and they would be parading them as Igbo leaders. " But now, I know that political power is not given, it is taken. Igbos must learn to earn power and to exercise it. For now, it is not easy to know how President Muhammadu Buhari will pattern his methods. He was a soldier and former Head of State.

He knows his onion, and within this short time he won the Presidential election, he is showing capacity to lead Nigeria into prosperity. Nigeria will surely prosper. Nigerians will surely assist President Buhari to end corruption; build security around our people; employ the unemployed; build power and energy; reduce cost of governance; he will handle the electoral reform or confab as occasion warrants. "Whether we are Igbos or Nigerians, we must all embrace the Buhari's concept of "change" for Nigeria. If Nigerians, and indeed the PDP, had allowed Chief Ogbulafo and Dr. Nwodo to go on with their job of being Chairman of the Party (PDP) there would have been no collapse of the party which had wanted to rule for 64 years but stopped at 16 years. When some friends ask if I really defected to PDP which I helped to nurture, I told them I did not defect rather PDP defected.

"At the end of the day we must all embrace the concept of "change" , not just "change", but "positive change". Nigerians will see that the hunger for food and drinks are not that alone, but we must deal with physical hunger; spiritual hunger; monetized hunger' waste and wastages; and life of ostentation. "The Igbo people are not asking Muhammadu Buhari for many appointments.

It is enough that the South-East people knew or ought to know the adage that "He whose bread I eat, his song I will sing". So since the South-East did not vote for Buhari, it means that Igbo cannot complain if Buhari did not grant them appointments commensurate with other zones which got more and who worked harder and got more offers. "Good politics under Buhari will further enhance the neighbor to neighbor approach that will bridge any gap of good relationship. It is not God that will unite our people in understanding each other. This is the job Nigerians will do by themselves and it shall be well for all Nigerians.

It is true that there are so many ethnic groups competing among themselves for preservation, but good education will help in ceiling the gaps created by politics and politicians many years past. Today we still can re-capture the Nigerian factor if we work hard for it and one day we will see the North calling the Igbo "my brothers."

Vanguard

A New Nigeria Is Possibly Beginning Today Says By Bola Tinubu

Democracy Day statement by National leader Bola Tinubu...

May 29, 2015, shall be recorded in our history as the moment when democracy finally was allowed to participate in Democracy Day. The reason for this is the legion of average Nigerians who voted to make this happen. Should any of you wish to see a true hero of democracy, don't fret. Just look in the nearest mirror.

The celebrations prior to this were false showings; they were the commemoration of wrong.

The path we have taken to come to this august moment has not been one of easy victory or swift progress. Instead, it has been a path hewed by the triumph of resilience over broken promises and fraudulent avowals of representative governance. Reaching this fine moment has been a story told in the cadence of the victory of common good over arrogant power.

The voice of the solitary poor man, no one hears. But the votes of the poor became a potent army capable of toppling the very citadel of high privilege in order to bring forth national awakening no less historic and important than the very birth of this nation.

On this day, we shall witness the inauguration of Muhammadu Buhari, a great, honorable and dedicated public servant as our president. This is indeed an inspiring moment, a turning point in our national direction, and the reclamation of our best destiny.

We shall celebrate this achievement but not in mindless, care-free fashion. The road ahead is still choked with the debris of problems left too long unattended.

We are well aware of the challenges pitted against our wellbeing. Insecurity, economic decline and corruption, we must fight and fight as if we are going to war not a carnival.

Most of all, we must fight the temptation of hopelessness, the sense that little good will come out of even the greatest efforts.

This is where I want to thank and commend all those who voted in the past election.

It is you who turned this day into the true celebration of true democracy it was intended to be.

With no guarantee save your faith and armed solely with the hope and promise of a better tomorrow through better governance, you fought the mounting tide of power and money. That tide tried to induce you to sell your democratic rights and your chance for a greater future on the cheap.
In the eyes of those who were self-exalted, you had been debased and brought low by visible circumstance of poverty and lack. You seemed to them ripe for purchase. Yet, inside, you retained a greatness of character and a loyalty to the democratic ideal incomprehensible to those who believed that everything can be purchased.

You showed them that your self-definition as human beings and as Nigerians was not for sale or tender. As a result, he who had been given so much, so easily by so many was humbled. You who have been ridiculed, reduced and written off were lifted up. The will of the people hath reclaimed its sovereignty.

This has been a blossoming of justice and the illumination of the power of human decency. So often, Nigeria has been portrayed negatively before the world. Not this time.

The world is proud of what you have done and how you have advanced the cause of fairness and right. What you have done has lent solace to those still struggling to establish democracy and responsive governance in their homelands. They now see Nigeria as an inspiring example. They seek to be like you, to travel the road you just trod.

Today, the old Nigeria is no longer in chains as we move into a new era and take hold of our new selves. From President Buhari to the state governors inaugurated this day, I wish them well and pray they govern in an open, democratic way that assures your optimal wellbeing.

I ask that you, the people, maintain your diligence and help guide those you have just elected.

The issues that confront us are deep and complex. They are not susceptible to facile solution or inattention. Wise and sound policy is within our capacity. But, we must have the will to accomplish it. If both the governed and government work in league, there is nothing our beloved nation cannot overcome.

Let it be said that on this day, the nation consecrate itself to the ideal that governance is the sacred instrument of the people and never again shall it be the exclusive recreation of a select few. No longer shall Democracy day be a shallow ritual. Henceforth, it is a living truth.

Below is what the new president said;

I am immensely grateful to God Who Has preserved us to witness this day and this occasion. Today marks a triumph for Nigeria and an occasion to celebrate her freedom and cherish her democracy. Nigerians have shown their commitment to democracy and are determined to entrench its culture. Our journey has not been easy but thanks to the determination of our people and strong support from friends abroad we have today a truly democratically elected government in place.

I would like to thank President Goodluck Jonathan for his display of statesmanship in setting a precedent for us that has now made our people proud to be Nigerians wherever they are. With the support and cooperation he has given to the transition process, he has made it possible for us to show the world that despite the perceived tension in the land we can be a united people capable of doing what is right for our nation. Together we co-operated to surprise the world that had come to expect only the worst from Nigeria. I hope this act of graciously accepting defeat by the outgoing President will become the standard of political conduct in the country.

I would like to thank the millions of our supporters who believed in us even when the cause seemed hopeless. I salute their resolve in waiting long hours in rain and hot sunshine to register and cast their votes and stay all night if necessary to protect and ensure their votes count and were counted. I thank those who tirelessly carried the campaign on the social media.

At the same time, I thank our other countrymen and women who did not vote for us but contributed to make our democratic culture truly competitive, strong and definitive. I thank all of you. Having just a few minutes ago sworn on the Holy Book, I intend to keep my oath and serve as President to all Nigerians. I belong to everybody and I belong to nobody. A few people have privately voiced fears that on coming back to office I shall go after them. These fears are groundless.

There will be no paying off old scores. The past is prologue. Our neighbours in the Sub-region and our African brethenen should rest assured that Nigeria under our administration will be ready to play any leadership role that Africa expects of it. Here I would like to thank the governments and people of Cameroon, Chad and Niger for committing their armed forces to fight Boko Haram in Nigeria.

I also wish to assure the wider international community of our readiness to cooperate and help to combat threats of cross-border terrorism, sea piracy, refugees and boat people, financial crime, cyber crime, climate change, the spread of communicable diseases and other challenges of the 21 st century.

At home we face enormous challenges. Insecurity, pervasive corruption, the hitherto unending and seemingly impossible fuel and power shortages are the immediate concerns. We are going to tackle them head on. Nigerians will not regret that they have entrusted national responsibility to us. We must not succumb to hopelessness and defeatism. We can fix our problems.

In recent times Nigerian leaders appear to have misread our mission. Our founding fathers, Mr. Herbert Macauley, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Alhaji Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto, Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Malam Aminu Kano, Chief J.S. Tarka, Mr Eyo Ita, Chief Denis Osadeby, Chief Ladoke Akintola and their colleagues worked to establish certain standards of governance. They might have differed in their methods or tactics or details, but they were united in establishing a viable and progressive country.

Some of their successors behaved like spoilt children breaking everything and bringing disorder to the house. Furthermore, we as Nigerians must remind ourselves that we are heirs to great civilizations: Shehu Othman Dan Fodio's caliphate, the Kanem Borno Empire, the Oyo Empire, the Benin Empire and King Jaja's formidable domain.

The blood of those great ancestors flow in our veins. What is now required is to build on these legacies, to modernize and uplift Nigeria. Daunting as the task may be it is by no means insurmountable. There is now a national consensus that our chosen route to national development is democracy. To achieve our objectives we must consciously work the democratic system. The Federal Executive under my watch will not seek to encroach on the duties and functions of the Legislative and Judicial arms of government.

The law enforcing authorities will be charged to operate within the Constitution. We shall rebuild and reform the public service to become more effective and more serviceable. We shall charge them to apply themselves with integrity to stabilize the system. For their part the legislative arm must keep to their brief of making laws, carrying out over-sight functions and doing so expeditiously. The judicial system needs reform to cleanse itself from its immediate past.

The country now expects the judiciary to act with dispatch on all cases especially on corruption, serious financial crimes or abuse of office. It is only when the three arms act constitutionally that government will be enabled to serve the country optimally and avoid the confusion all too often bedeviling governance today. Elsewhere relations between Abuja and the States have to be clarified if we are to serve the country better.

Constitutionally there are limits to powers of each of the three tiers of government but that should not mean the Federal Government should fold its arms and close its eyes to what is going on in the states and local governments. Not least the operations of the Local Government Joint Account. While the Federal Government can not interfere in the details of its operations it will ensure that the gross corruption at the local level is checked.

As far as the constitution allows me I will try to ensure that there is responsible and accountable governance at all levels of government in the country. For I will not have kept my own trust with the Nigerian people if I allow others abuse theirs under my watch. However, no matter how well organized the governments of the federation are they can not succeed without the support, understanding and cooperation of labour unions, organized private sector, the press and civil society organizations. I appeal to employers and workers alike to unite in raising productivity so that everybody will have the opportunity to share in increased prosperity. The Nigerian press is the most vibrant in Africa.

My appeal to the media today – and this includes the social media – is to exercise its considerable powers with responsibility and patriotism. My appeal for unity is predicated on the seriousness of the legacy we are getting into. With depleted foreign reserves, falling oil prices, leakages and debts the Nigerian economy is in deep trouble and will require careful management to bring it round and to tackle the immediate challenges confronting us, namely; Boko Haram, the Niger Delta situation, the power shortages and unemployment especially among young people. For the longer term we have to improve the standards of our education.

We have to look at the whole field of medicare. We have to upgrade our dilapidated physical infrastructure. The most immediate is Boko Haram's insurgency. Progress has been made in recent weeks by our security forces but victory can not be achieved by basing the Command and Control Centre in Abuja. The command centre will be relocated to Maiduguri and remain until Boko Haram is completely subdued. But we can not claim to have defeated Boko Haram without rescuing the Chibok girls and all other innocent persons held hostage by insurgents. This government will do all it can to rescue them alive.

Boko Haram is a typical example of small fires causing large fires. An eccentric and unorthodox preacher with a tiny following was given posthumous fame and following by his extra judicial murder at the hands of the police. Since then through official bungling, negligence, complacency or collusion Boko Haram became a terrifying force taking tens of thousands of lives and capturing several towns and villages covering swathes of Nigerian sovereign territory. Boko Haram is a mindless, godless group who are as far away from Islam as one can think of. At the end of the hostilities when the group is subdued the Government intends to commission a sociological study to determine its origins, remote and immediate causes of the movement, its sponsors, the international connections to ensure that measures are taken to prevent a recurrence of this evil. For now the Armed Forces will be fully charged with prosecuting the fight against Boko Haram.

We shall overhaul the rules of engagement to avoid human rights violations in operations. We shall improve operational and legal mechanisms so that disciplinary steps are taken against proven human right violations by the Armed Forces. Boko Haram is not only the security issue bedeviling our country. The spate of kidnappings, armed robberies, herdsmen/farmers clashes, cattle rustlings all help to add to the general air of insecurity in our land.

We are going to erect and maintain an efficient, disciplined people – friendly and well – compensated security forces within an over – all security architecture. The amnesty programme in the Niger Delta is due to end in December, but the Government intends to invest heavily in the projects, and programmes currently in place. I call on the leadership and people in these areas to cooperate with the State and Federal Government in the rehabilitation programmes which will be streamlined and made more effective. As ever, I am ready to listen to grievances of my fellow Nigerians. I extend my hand of fellowship to them so that we can bring peace and build prosperity for our people. No single cause can be identified to explain Nigerian's poor economic performance over the years than the power situation.

It is a national shame that an economy of 180 million generates only 4,000MW, and distributes even less. Continuous tinkering with the structures of power supply and distribution and close on $20b expanded since 1999 have only brought darkness, frustration, misery, and resignation among Nigerians. We will not allow this to go on. Careful studies are under way during this transition to identify the quickest, safest and most cost-effective way to bring light and relief to Nigerians. Unemployment, notably youth un-employment features strongly in our Party's Manifesto. We intend to attack the problem frontally through revival of agriculture, solid minerals mining as well as credits to small and medium size businesses to kick – start these enterprises.

We shall quickly examine the best way to revive major industries and accelerate the revival and development of our railways, roads and general infrastructure. Your Excellencies, My fellow Nigerians I can not recall when Nigeria enjoyed so much goodwill abroad as now. The messages I received from East and West, from powerful and small countries are indicative of international expectations on us. At home the newly elected government is basking in a reservoir of goodwill and high expectations. Nigeria therefore has a window of opportunity to fulfill our long – standing potential of pulling ourselves together and realizing our mission as a great nation.

Our situation somehow reminds one of a passage in Shakespeare's Julius Ceasar There is a tide in the affairs of men which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune; Omitted, all the voyage of their life, Is bound in shallows and miseries. We have an opportunity. Let us take it.

Thank you Muhammadu Buhari
President Federal Republic of NIGERIA and Commander in-chief-of the Armed Forces.

Nigeria's New President, Muhammadu Buhari Rides In The Presidential G-Wagon

Nigeria has a new president, Muhammadu Buhari. More photos below;

See Gen. Buhari when he was sworn in as Head of State in 1983 and right in 2015 as he was sworn in as a democratically elected president.

Khloe Kardashian is currently in Dubai and she's staying in an underwater hotel - she's staying at the at the luxury aquarium suites at Atlantis, The Palm in Dubai. She wakes up to sharks and stingrays in her bedroom. To some, this is a dream, to others, it will probably be a nightmare. I would never stay in a hotel like this. It's quite an expensive suite - it's about $8,000 a night. That's like N1.5 million a night. See more photos below;

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghTNHvF2KJ6zbyIi9sPfH-FYVe5mSB61tSoUNYTKf6OksNu7iHE85-om87jkFJF49dmPDJQH952Tx8JSslggkmF2yXm5KL-TKL8yEkJhyphenhypheniXX_O9h62wAH-XwI6HjTzbkZJVvK810wYzASv/s1600/292361C800000578-0-image-m-55_1432808807789.jpg
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It's a three-storey suite that comes with 24-carat gold flaked soap, Dom Perignon Champagne for non-Muslim guests, a non-alcoholic sparkling date drink for Muslim guests, 1,776 square foot floor plan of living space and 24-hour private butler service.