BREAKING NEWS: BOMB BLAST ROCKS BAUCHI MARKET THIS EVENING !

Another bomb explosion has occurred at a market in Bauchi, this evening around 5.30pm. According to eyewitnesses the bomb exploded near a police outpost inside the market as traders were about closing for the day, at least 15 people have died.
Bauchi state police command spokesman also confirmed the explosion.

MUHAMMADU BUHARI: NIGERIAN MUST BRACE UP FOR CHANGE...

There should be no complacency as the fact of Nigeria’s President-elect is yet to be formalized in less than two months. But that fact is already known to Nigerians and the outside world. Accordingly, voters must perfect their cards; turn out as never before in Nigeria’s political history to cast their ballots.

Above all, they must defend their votes, a legitimate right all over the world but ever blackmailingly twisted in Nigeria as incitement to post-election violence.

Muhammadu Buhari’s emergence as All Progressive Congress’ presidential candidate was at a stage threatened by the prospective chances of the other four aspirants but his ten minute speech canvassing for support before the votes were cast at the party’s convention threw delegates in their thousands into wild acclamation.

The icing on the cake of Buhari’s victory was the transparent voting pattern watched throughout by all delegates at the convention and millions of Nigerians watching live on the television or listening on radio sets in their homes throughout the country all night.
Very much like a carnival.

 General Buhari’s speech destroyed erstwhile political encumbrances, not the least money influence. He made it clear he had neither dollars nor naira and according to him, even if he had, he would not bribe delegates because he does not believe Nigerian leadership should be for sale. Such bluntness was a risk only Buhari could have taken with the potential of losing votes of the delegates.

In the past, such delegates would have, instead, fallen for money to cast their votes, a bane which had disgusted respectable names from taking part in politics. Before the convention, as proof of his sincerity, there were advertorials in various newspapers (soliciting financial support) by Buhari Supporters Organisation but with a signed personal undertaking by General Buhari as the sole signatory with a pledge to account for every kobo donated.

General Buhari’s speech at the convention also destroyed the current bogey of political hustlers parading as youths exploiting emotive sentiments to demand a purported generational change. Reading that mood, one of APC’s presidential aspirants, Rochas Okorocha, in his speech at the convention, solicited for nomination among others, as the youngest of the lot at the age of 52. Rather politely, Okorocha was turned down with shouts of “Arugbo la fe,” literally meaning “we prefer older ones.” Like Bashorun M.K.O. Abiola 20 years earlier, General Buhari’s candidacy bridged every divide – religious, ethnic, class, zone, state, etc. Christians, non-Northerners, non-Fulanis, all embracing him. Buhari has ignited how a President should be elected on a platform of reputation, nation-wide acclamation, integrity and people’s trust.

The current crusade is for Nigeria on behalf of Nigerians. So far, Muhammadu Buhari and his associates have done their best in assembling a somewhat national coalition. That is the first leg. The second and final leg is financing the campaigns. Buhari made the case clear in soliciting for campaign donations.
Millions of Nigerians must contribute their effort from one hundred naira each to millions, scores and hundreds of millions of naira. It may not be easy but every effort is worthwhile. Buhari staked his integrity as the sole signatory. Nigerians must show their trust from the beginning. The Buhari Supporters Organisation must also reach out to Nigerians in Diaspora for donation.

Then, there was Buhari’s master stroke in the choice of his running mate, Yemi Osinbajo. Who else? The choice of the young man completely blocks all other possible outstanding loopholes. The young ones, the modest, the professionals and, as a fitting complement to General Buhari’s stature, Osinbajo’s virtual all-round personal distinction. The delay in announcing Osinbajo as General Buhari’s running mate particularly lured their political opponents into a foolish belligerence of deriding the method.

With the announcement and choice of Osinbajo as Buhari’s running mate, their political opponents now stand bereaved. Since the return of civilian rule in 1999, the Buhari-Osinbajo is the first invincible presidential platform. It’s been a long journey, which started in 2003 and the destination is now nearest. In 1983, the then Imo State governor, Sam Mbakwe alerted Nigerians that if he was rigged out of office, there would be perpetual dispute between his family and the counterpart of whoever rigged him out of office. This time, such a dispute would not be between the family of Buhari-Osinbajo but between the outside world and whoever rigged the 2015 elections.

Reactions of ordinary Nigerians in South West shown on television screens in Lagos also confirm the Buhari fever. Buhari under Tinubu? The decision of APC presidential candidate Muhammadu Buhari to pick his running mate through close consultations with his party associates especially the top shots like Odigie-Oyegun, Bola Tinubu, Bisi Akande etc, generated derisive remarks from PDP that if elected, Buhari would be controlled by Tinubu. Pity this ignorance. Former President Ibrahim Babangida once disclosed that in the military, officers are trained to dominate their environment. That should about counter the PDP naivety..........

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Following the death of Bashorun M.K.O. Abiola in detention, Nigeria was compelled by the reality that a political compensation was inevitable to appease South-West. Debate was therefore hottest on whether Yoruba should exercise their right of choice. Instead, a Gang of Four, former President Ibrahim Babangida, ex-Head of State General Abdulsalami Abubakar, retired army Chief of Staff Lt. General Theo Danjuma and one of his successors Lt. General Aliyu Gusau, unilaterally and self-servingly imposed one of their own, General Olusegun Obasanjo not only on Yoruba but consequently on Nigeria.

In the midst of that debate, a compromise was reached to keep Jonathan in office. For one or two terms? That was another divisive debate which eventually splintered the PDP into virtually North and South factions. This particular debate was an off-shoot of the post-2011 elections violent protests against alleged widespread rigging of the elections.
By far, the decided debate which has foreclosed any debate for the 2015 elections totally unwarranted is the widespread public perception of the performance of President Goodluck Jonathan in the last four years. Boko Haram, the economy, disappearance of billions of dollars of public funds from NNPC, payment of fraudulent subsidy claims of over two trillion naira to oil importers with neither Jonathan’s knowledge nor National Assembly’s appropriation, level of corruption, Chibok girls, Jonathan’s eligibility to contest, gerrymandering of nominations of candidates on PDP platform etc. On all these issues, are based the campaigns for people’s votes in 2015.
Nigerians have listened to the criticism of PDP and its candidate Goodluck Jonathan. Nigerians have therefore made up their minds on who to vote for and nothing new can come from a useless debate to make the average voter change his mind. Election debate for 2015 elections? My foot!

Read full article here: http://www.opinions.ng/president-elect-federal-republic-of-nigeria/

LINGERIE THAT EMIT LIGHT IN DARKNESS....

Ladies this is a bra or a pant that emit light in darkness? The concept of this idea is great, especially in Nigeria with power supply by NEPA or PHCN as u called it.  In fact, men don’t need to fiddle with the light to....... So ladies, will you wear this?  More after cut…

POLICE FOILED BOMB ATTACK IN YOBE

According to statement from the Nigerian Police below...

‘On December 16th at about 9:10am, military personnel on Stop and Search along Potiskum Road by Ashaka/Bajoga Junction intercepted one Honda Odyssey vehicle with registration number AT 670 DKA (Yobe) driven by a man later identified as Nuru Fika.

The driver who claimed that the car was faulty requested the security personnel to assist him in pushing the car. But the driver was requested to open the booth for searching which he refused. The booth was forced opened and Improvised Explosive Device (IED) were discovered there in.

The driver took to flight but was arrested after sustaining gunshot wound, he was pronounced dead at the Hospital. Police EOD team moved to the scene where ten (10) cylinders were recovered from different compartments of the vehicle, all recovered IEDs were safely detonated. State CID Gombe is investigating.’

BREAKING NEWS: ACCESS BANK ROBBERY IN AGBOR DELTA STATE

Group of armed robbers raided Access bank in Agbor, Delta state this afternoon! However, due to the prompt interventions of Nigerian police and the Army their plan were foiled. Meanwhile, one of the armed robbers was shot dead and others were reportedly fled  away.....See pics after the cut....

FRAUD: THE DECEIT CALLED 2ND NIGER BRIDGE

The fraud or can we say deceit called 2^nd Niger Bridge would always be an illusion to the good people of Igbos unless God intervene. Read the article written by a concerned citizen unedited:

‘’The construction of 2nd Niger Bridge through a Public Private Partnership involving Julius Berger -NSIA Consortium and tolling the Igbo people for 25 years thereafter is another 419 on the Biafran Igbo citizens of South East Nigeria. According to the terms of this fraudulent business, the project is a Design, Finance, Build, Operate and Transfer (DFBOT) model to cost N117 Billion naira with the Federal Government contributing a paltry N30 billion naira while the consortium will raise the rest of the funds and thereafter hold the Igbo people to ransom by collecting a 25 year toll tax for raising the rest of the funds offshore.

                                                                                                             

President Jonathan speaking at the ground breaking ceremony at Onitsha in March 2014 said that “as part of our administration’s Transformation Agenda in the road sector, we have set out to construct two very important new bridges, across our Nation’s two great rivers – the River Niger and River Benue.These are the Loko-Oweto Bridge linking Nasarawa and Benue States,which is progressing satisfactorily, and this 2nd Niger Bridge, connecting Anambra and Delta States.” It is worthy to note that the other bridges are being constructed by Jonathan regime without any PPP and without any toll tax on the people of Benue and Nasarawa States.

This means that all President Ebele Jonathan can do for the Igbos since they gave him unprecedented support since 2010 is to contribute only N30 billion naira while some Shylock consortium raises the rest of the money and milks the Igbo nation for 25 years.

Experts have told me that the bridge is not supposed to cost anything above N50 billion , going by Nigerian standard of cost inflation, including the 11 km access roads. However, this contract cost was doubled overnight to N117 billion naira to justify the financial heist on Ndigbo. The fraudulent construction will cost N117 billion for a 1.5 km bridge while the 1.3 km Lekki-Ikoyi suspension Bridge cost only N29 billion naira. Thus the thieves jerked the cost of constructing the 2nd Niger bridge to 4 times the actual cost just to justify the rape on the over grateful Igbo nation.

Informed sources within Ohanaeze and among Igbo leaders and All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) have continued to echo that this 2nd Niger Bridge business venture is actually between Julius Berger, Ebele Jonathan and Peter Obi and that Mr Peter Obi’s 2nd Niger Bridge business venture will yield at least N12 billion naira annually. Reliable sources have revealed that whenever the bridge is finished, all heavy duty vehicles will pay N1000 toll fee while cars and mini buses will pay N500 naira. Tricycles will pay N200 while cyclists will pay N100 naira each time they pass through the bridge.

This criminal toll gate will yield the corrupt business consortium and their secret sponsors about N1 billion monthly. This means that in 4 years, the thieves would have recovered N50 billion which is the actual over-exaggerated cost of constructing (going by the Federal Ministry of Works Corrupt Standard). Going by the Governor Fashola Run Lagos State standard, the bridge will not cost anything above N30 billion naira and thieves will take about two years plus to recover their investments and the rest 22 years will be excess profit.

The financial interpretation of this criminality is that for 25 years with static revenue of N12 billion annually (ignoring the tendencies to increase the toll fee after 2 years) , the thieves will make N300 billion naira turnover with 250 billion naira as profit. This means that their investment is recouped within 4 years and the rest 21 years is profit. If the cost of such offshore long term cost is factored, usually 2.5 -5% per annum, and its future value for 25 years is factored, it cannot get any anywhere near N60 billion naira and yet the financial bandits are bandying N117 billion naira as cost of constructing the bridge.

The implication is that some politicians within the presidency and Anambra State Govt House have done 419 on the Igbo nation and we are all smiling like charmed drunks. If the entire Igbo nation is charmed, I am not. God will definitely disgrace the thieves that want to put the Igbo race into a slavish bondage of paying through the nose for a Niger Bridge when all the rest of Nigeria, from Benue to Kogi , Calabar to Lagos,Maiduguri to Sokoto and all over Nigeria has bridges, dams, silos, roads etc built with Federal Government money while the defeated Biafran Igbos of South East will have theirs built and tolled for 25 years.

For all the support Ndigbo gave Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan since 2010, a PPP modeled 2nd Niger Bridge is far worse that what Awolowo did when Ojukwu released him from Calabar prison and he promised to declare Oduduwa Republic, but chickened out at the deceptive offer of Gowon. This time around, this disappointment is not from a Soyinka nor Obasanjo nor Tinubu, rather it is under the supervision of “our cousin” Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan, and our former Chairman, Board of Trustees of All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) ‘Igbo Party” Peter Obi and world acclaimed Igbo Economist Okonjo Iweala whose economic wisdom failed to notice the injustice and criminality in this transaction.

Condemning the fraud called 2nd Niger Bridge, former governor of Anambra State and serving senator, Dr Chris Ngige said that “The first is that the bridge is being built on a Public Private Partnership(PPP) deal, with overseas financiers. For that reason, the cost of the bridge suffered double inflation, both from the Nigeria end and the financiers who alleged cost of fund.

“The bridge, which should have cost N70 billion is now to cost N114 billion, that was why I told the South-East Senate Caucus that I was not going to be a part of it”. Ngige even got it wrong-the bridge should have cost between N30-N50 billion naira, and factoring cost of funds it should be t around N40-N60 Billion if PPP should be used.

Ohanaeze and all Igbo leaders should condemn this enslavement of Ndigbo through this over-bloated and fraudulent construction of a bridge and must demand immediately the cancellation of this PPP Design, Finance, Build, Operate and Transfer model .

Jonathan led Government should takeover the responsibility for the full construction of that bridge, and settle off the fraudulent consortium. This fraudulent 419 2nd Niger Bridge should be revised for a full scale Federal Government Built arrangement before another scandal erupts.

Obinna Akukwe
profetobinna2@yahoo.com

DONATE N21.2BN CAMPAIGN MONEY TO FIX ELECTRICITY...BUHARI'S GROUP TELLS JONATHAN

President  Goodluck Jonathan  have been asked to spend the N21.27bn donated by businessmen, multinationals and PDP governors  to finance his 2015 presidential election campaign, on electricity.

The Buhari 2015 Support Group Centre said Nigerians have witnessed the worst power supply in his regime and says instead of spending the money to campaign on his re-election, the president should spend it to improve power supply for Nigerians.

It will be recalled that the oil and gas sector, doled out N5bn; road and construction, N560m; power, N500m and Chief Tunde Ayeni and his associates, gave out N2bn at the event which took place on Saturday at the Presidential Villa!