2019-02-01 09:26:10



Pope Franciss three-day trip to the United Arab Emirates Sunday marks the first time a pontiff has ever visited the conservative Muslim Arabian Peninsula, where over 2.6 million Catholics reside.

While the overwhelming majority of Catholics in the region are expatriates, according to the Apostolic Vicariates of southern and northern Arabia, the popes journey to the birthplace of Islam is another milestone in his efforts to boost interreligious ties.

Kuwait was the first country in the region to formalise relations with the Vatican in 1968. Yemen followed suit in 1998, Bahrain in 2000, Qatar in 2002, and the United Arab Emirates in 2007.

Saudi Arabia and Oman have yet to establish formal diplomatic relations with the Holy See.

Last year, Saudi Arabia, home to Islams holiest sites in Mecca and Medina, hosted a flurry of representatives of various Christian traditions, as Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman pushes for a more liberal kingdom.

In April 2018, Saudi Arabia hosted French Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, who headed the Vaticans Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue. Tauran, who died in July 2018, was seen as an energetic promoter of dialogue between the Catholic Church and Islam.

And in November 2017, the head of Lebanons Maronite church, Beshara Rai, paid an official visit to Saudi Arabia where he met King Salman and Prince Mohammed.

Overall, there are more than 3.5 million Christians in the Gulf, of which about 75 percent are Catholics, mostly migrant workers from the Philippines and India.

According to the Apostolic Vicariates, there are more than one million Catholics in Saudi Arabia alone, about 350,000 in Kuwait, 80,000 in Bahrain, and between 200,000 and 300,000 in Qatar, though no official figures exist.

Nearly one million Catholics live in the UAE, according to Bishop Paul Hinder of the Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia, which encompasses the UAE, Oman and Yemen.

There are 22 Catholic churches in the region, where worshippers are welcome to visit and pray.



The UAE has the largest number of Catholic churches in the region with eight. Oman, Kuwait and Yemen each have four, while Qatar and Bahrain have one each.

Mass held in churches on Friday, which marks the first day of the weekend in the region, usually sees the biggest turnout.

In the UAE, mass is held at different timings during the week and in different languages -- including English, Tagalog, Malayalam, and Urdu -- to accommodate the different nationalities.

According to the Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia -- covering Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia -- Catholics "enjoy freedom of worship within the confines of our parish compounds".

Although in Saudi Arabia, all non-Muslim houses of prayer are banned.

The Apostolic Vicariate added that Catholics face some difficulties by the "restriction on the number of priests, too few churches and limited space in the churches", especially during Christmas and Easter when mass attendance can reach up to 25,000.

"It is also forbidden (under threat of punishment) to engage in any public activity or display of religion, including proselytising (the act of attempting to convert people to Christianity)," says the Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia.

While a majority of Christians in the region are migrant workers, there are a small number of local Christians in Kuwait, Bahrain and Yemen.

According to Father Emmanuel Benjamin Jacob Gharib, head of the National Evangelical Church of Kuwait, there are about 260 Kuwaiti Christians from eight extended families.

Unofficial estimates show there are 1,000 Christian Bahraini citizens and thousands of Christian Yemenis.

Buhari, Atiku in Tight, Tough Race as Feb 16 Closes in

With just 13 days to the February 16 presidential election, the dynamics of the race for the nation’s top job indicate an interestingly tight and tough contest between the two leading candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Muhammadu Buhari.


This latest development is not only evidenced by the frenzy of their campaigns, which has seen both candidates traverse many states and across the geo-political zones, but more strongly connected to the degree of acceptability that the two candidates enjoy, in what is fast becoming a popularity contest.

THISDAY’s recent field intelligence gathering, which reports a tight and tough contest, however, presents both state-by-state and geo-political zone analyses of what is obtainable by each of the two front-runners in the states, thus giving an evolving picture of what might ultimately be the regional standing of the candidates and their parties.

North-west


In the Kano, for instance, the race pictures a 65 per cent victory for Buhari and 35 per cent for Atiku, In Kaduna, while Buhari is likely to get 55 per cent of the votes cast, Atiku may post just 45 per cent. The race in Katsina is a no-contest as Buhari is sure to secure 70 per cent to Atiku’s 30 per cent.

In Sokoto, Buhari manages an edge over Atiku with 55 to 45 per cent sharing, but in Zamfara, the contest promises a 50-50 contest. Kebbi looks comfortable for Buhari with a 60 per cent advantage over Atiku’s 40 per cent.

Thus, in the North-west, Buhari is sure of victory in at least five states, albeit with varying winning percentages, with a draw in one with Atiku.

Buhari is certain to prevail in Jigawa with a 60/40 mergin over Atiku.

North-east

The dynamics in North East varies differently from the North West, because here, in Bauchi for example, Buhari is sure of some 60 per cent to Atiku’s 40, while in Borno and in spite of the growing insurgency, the votes will still go the way of Buhari, also with 60 to 40 per cent voting.

Atiku will put up a good showing in Adamawa with a 65 per cent advantage, leaving Buhari with 35 per cent. Moving on to Yobe, Buhari is positioned to score 60 per cent, leaving 40 for Atiku and the same equation is shared in Gombe – 60/40 – also in favour of Atiku. But the Taraba contest is a different one as it sees Atiku coasting home with 70 per cent and 30 for Buhari.

Here in the North East, both candidates would have a very tight race with the states shared three each.

North -central


The battle for North Central appears an all-Atiku affair, because Benue is determined to deliver Atiku with 70 per cent, while leaving 30 per cent for Buhari. Plateau, although slightly tough, would also deliver Atiku with 55 per cent, while conceding 45 per cent to Buhari. A repeat of this is likely in Nasarawa, where Atiku might go home with 55 per cent and Buhari, 45 per cent.

Kogi State’s battle also looks good for Atiku even though with the same 55/45 sharing formula. But Niger might go the way of Buhari with 55 per cent to Atiku’s 45 per cent. However, Kwara is solidly PDP and would deliver Atiku but with 55 per cent to Buhari’s 45 per cent.

The summary here is five states for Atiku and one for Buhari.

South-west

Considered the real battleground because of the number of votes that is up for grab, the race in South-west is unavoidably tight. In Oyo, for example, Buhari will certainly top with 55 per cent, while Atiku gets the remaining 45 per cent of the vote count. But in Osun, the situation is too close to call and might flip either way. Is a 50/50 chance. The Osun equation is unlikely to be repeated in Ondo, which may give Buhari 55 per cent and Atiku 45 per cent.

Buhari appears comfortable in Ekiti, where he may likely get his highest votes in the zone with 60 per cent to Atiku’s 40 per cent. Interestingly, however, Ogun too may go the way of Atiku with 55 per cent to Buhari’s 45 per cent, because of the many factors that are currently playing out in the state. But the Lagos battle is a 50-50 ratio. The dynamics are quite intricate.

Curiously, the South-west goes the way of Atiku with three states to Buhari’s two, while drawing in one, Lagos.

South-east

Further South, the battle for the soul of South-east is almost predictable even without the enabling field work. This is because the entire zone would go the way of PDP, although with different percentages accruable to each state.

Starting with Imo, the heartland of the South-east, Atiku is sure of at least 60 per cent of the votes with 40 per cent concession to Buhari. The same ratio is obtainable in Abia, God’s own state: 60-40 in favour of Atiku. Ebonyi too is sharing her votes in the same 60-40 pattern, also in favour of Atiku, while Enugu, which is South-east safest state for the PDP, boasts 70 per cent for Atiku and 30 per cent for Buhari. In Anambra, where Peter Obi’s home-zone advantage is certain to work for Atiku, the PDP candidate stands to get 60 per cent votes to Buhari’s 40 per cent. The final analysis in this zone sees Atiku clearing all the five states.

South-south

Similar to what obtains in South-east, the entire South-south too might go the way of PDP, with votes contingent on their voting strengths.

Rivers promises to deliver the PDP with a percentage of 80 to 20 in favour of Atiku, while Cross River will post 70 per cent for Atiku and 30 per cent for Buhari. Akwa Ibom, despite the current state of play, will still deliver PDP with 60 per cent and concede 40 to Buhari.

Edo will deliver the PDP with 55 per cent, leaving Buhari with the remaining 45 per cent. In Delta too, the PDP will post some 75 per cent for Atiku and 25 per cent for Buhari, while Bayelsa, though with a relatively small voting strength, will hugely deliver Atiku’s PDP with 80 per cent, leaving the remaining 20 per cent for Buhari.

The South-south analysis also sees Atiku clearing the entire six states. As for the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, it looks like a 50/50 chance for the two candidates. And may go either way.


THISDAY’S

An Ogoja based business Mogul, Chief Austin Akan, has has expressed his determination to continue to contribute his quota to the realizations of Governor Ben Ayade's second term and it's successful completion on 2023.

The astute business man and contractor, who disclosed this in Calabar, Sunday, exactly one year as he donated the first campaign bus to Ayade for the purpose of aiding his second term campaign movement said that he has continued to stand and stay firmly behind the governor in terms of donations of more vehicles, among others.

Chief Akan, reasoned that putting his hard earned resources into supporting  Ayade second term endeavours is worth doing bearing in mind the monumental development the State has enjoyed within a space of less than four years.

He posited that the overwhelming evident and purposeful, focus and pragmatic leadership  displayed by Ayade in the first tenure is a lucid indication that the Obudu Born Governor has more development surprises for the people of Cross River State between 2019 and 2023,  and of which the people would be better for it.

"Ayade has done creditably wonderful and there already clear indications that he will equally perform superlatively well in his second term, and Cross Riverians would be better for it.

It is based on this premise that I do not and will never regret expending my resources to support his re-election campaign. As far as I'm concerned, governor Ayade is the best thing that has happened to Cross River State in recent years and the foundation is building will benefit and transform both the present and future generations, giving them a voice in the comity of Nigerian States and the world at large, Akan asserted.

Chief Akan therefore stressed the need for other well nmeaning Cross Riverians who have the love of the state at heart fall in line and strongly support Governor Ben Ayade's re-election come March 2,  2019.

END.

Chief Wole Olanipekun SAN (OFR) Wrote:

Some people don’t know and some pretend not to know that law has its technicalities-both civil and criminal proceedings. They talk of technicalities and say that lawyers delay cases, look, without being immodest; I have been involved in a lot of cases in this country.

I have defended a lot of people. During the run-up to the 2015 elections, I was one of the lawyers hired on pro bono basis to defend the All Progressives Congress and its candidate, Muhammadu Buhari. We employed all the tactics available, employable and allowable in the legal profession; why didn’t they blame us then? If we didn’t, the election would not have held.

If you do that today, some people, even within the profession, will blame you. I know what I’m talking about. The election was to hold on a Saturday and Justice Gabriel Kolawole of the Federal High Court, Abuja, said he was going to deliver his judgement on whether or not card readers should be used by the Independent National Electoral Commission on Thursday, two days to the election. We filed preliminary objection, he overruled it. I was in court with Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), Akin Olujinmi (SAN), and Kola Awodein, (when) Asiwaju Bola Tinubu sent an aircraft to pick me in Akure, saying that if we were not in court, the election would not hold. There are things that need to be unveiled in this country. Tinubu, Babatunde Fashola (former Lagos State Governor), the Vice President (Prof. Yemi Osibajo), Lai Mohammed, the AGF (Abubakar Malami) were in the know.  And Kolawole overruled us. Then he called the plaintiff and said, can you go ahead with originating summons? I will deliver my judgement tomorrow. Like someone who was possessed, I rose up and said I was applying for stay of proceedings. Then the other lawyer interjected and asked for my formal application. I gave him two authorities offhand that I could apply orally. That was two days to the election. Kolawole said well, whatever it is; I would want to listen to you. He listened to me. We did it pro bono in the sense that the APC hasn’t paid us. Nobody even wrote a letter to say thank you. Then thereafter, he wrote a ruling and granted stay of proceedings 48 hours to the election. The Supreme Court later held that, though the card reader was a good innovation, it was not yet in the law.

Would Buhari have been President if we had not done that? What could be more technical than that? They filed action against Buhari, we looked at it; we raised objections and we were dragging that. Is that not technicality? And some people will now accuse me when I do it for other people that I’m defending looters. But when you do it for them, it is right; that is double standard. And what baffles me is that some high lawyers, who should know better, also accuse some lawyers of defending looters? To hell with anybody who has looted the treasury. I believe in my profession and I thank God for what I am. I am a fulfilled person and don’t want any position from any government, but then government should allow those of us who are privately engaged to do our work. In our offices in Lagos and Abuja, we have over 75 members of staff- professionals and supporting staff. We pay more than what the government pays and don’t owe workers. A cleaner in my office earns far more than what government calls minimum wage. And when you say someone is a looter, who is a looter?

Anybody who loots will have his day in court and God will punish looters, but at the same time, judge not, so that you are not judged. And let the accused person defend himself. All religions give room for fair hearing. I grew up to know that when people came to my father to settle disputes, he would say ‘e je ko so tie, agba ti o gbo ejo enikan dajo, agba osika ni’ (let him say his side of the story; an elder who bases his judgement on only one side of the story is wicked). I grew up to know that. So you don’t want people to be heard? If that is the case, change the constitution. So once someone is accused, he is arrested and taken to prison. Then, abolish the courts. That is my position. And what goes around comes around. You may be the accuser today, tomorrow; it may be your turn to face accusations. Let the law take its course.

It is tyrannical, dictatorial and smacks of militarism when you start accusing lawyers who defend people. You cannot have democracy without free speech and people having access to courts. You cannot be the accuser, the lawyer and the judge. They say lawyers and judges delay the prosecution of looters, then if they have already been adjudged looters, don’t prosecute them. It is only a court of law that can come to the conclusion that someone has looted the treasury after evidence has been produced.

I believe in anti-corruption, you know, I said earlier that woe betide anybody who has looted the treasury or any person who uses his position to amass wealth. But when you keep on describing Nigeria as a country that is corrupt, investors will stay off. And if you know some judges are corrupt, deal with them, but don’t go to another country to say that the judiciary in your country is corrupt; nobody will come there because it is about investment and the rule of law.

And when you talk of corruption among lawyers, who are the people? It takes two to tango. Let every politician in Nigeria swear by the god of thunder that he has not tried to induce a judge.

Let the President take a cue from the United States President, Barack Obama. George W. Bush squandered American funds on the Gulf War as President of the US because he wanted Saddam Hussein by all means –dead or alive- after the September 11 attack. The economy of the US was comatose when Obama took over, but did you hear him say any bad thing about Bush? He had his own agenda. He started issuing presidential orders and proclamations and within two or three years, the economy was revived without him condemning anybody.

To me, government is a continuum. I’m not in the Peoples Democratic Party or the APC; I don’t even see any difference between the two of them when it is so easy for the PDP people to move to the APC and immediately become progressives. You don’t sell that to me. Mr. President.

Cross River State Governor, professor Ben Ayade  has expressed utter shock and Sadness Over the Death of APC Chieftain, Chief Paul Adah.
As mark of respect to the late Politician, the governor announced his withdrawal from the Peoples Democratic party PDP, Campaign activities for two days.
The governor in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Christian Ita , said Chief adah's demise was devastating and painful not only to him but to the people of Cross River State as a whole.
The statement quoted professor Ayade as describing the late Adah as a statesman whose life was defined by service to his state and country.
Ayade while praying for the repose of Adah's soul, urged his immediate family to see his demise as an act of God and asked them to uphold the cherised values which Paul was known for while alive.
"Paul's politics was anchored on the philosophy that it can be played without bitterness and this was exemplified by his popular Alias 'Paul For All  and All For Paul'  which the general public knew him for until his death.
"I'm devastated not only because we have lost a worthy Cross Riverian, a  two term former member of House of Representatives, a former NDDC Commissioner, a fellow Obudu man and until recently a  governorship aspirant, but because I have lost a soulmate with whom I shared a common political philosophy; politics with ethics,” the statement quoted the governor.

A helicopter conveying Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has crash landed in Kabba Kogi State.
All occupants on board are however said to be safe.

Confirming the incident on his verified twitter handle, Media aide to the vice president Laolu Akande said inspite of the incident the nation's number two citizen is continuing with his engagements and plans for the day in Kogi State.

A similar incident had occurred in June last year when the Vice President's helicopter made an emergency landing in Gwagwalada, Abuja.

The Sustainable Development International (SUSDEVI) is currently recruiting suitably qualified candidates across the six geopolitical regions of Nigeria.

Interested candidates should secure this opportunity using the guide as provided.

Successful candidates will work on the Market Access Project (MAP) as well as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Action program which are respectively aimed at providing market support to start-ups and SMEs and helping Nigeria achieve the United Nations SDGs.

Applications are hereby invited from interested and suitably qualified candidates for immediate employment into the following positions:

-Project Manager, Market Access Project (MAP)
–1Project Manager, SDGs Action
–1Accounts and Finance Manager
–1Deputy Accounts Officer
-Manager, Monitoring and Evaluation
–1Project Coordinator, sub-state outstation
-Administrative Officer
-ICT and Social media officer
-Project Development/Innovation Officer
-Project Officer, Monitoring and Evaluation
-Project Officer, IEC and Training
-Project Officer, Procurement and Logistics
-Project Officer, Supervision
-Market Access Field Assistant
-SDGs Focal Officer, Health
-SDGs Focal Officer, Agriculture and Food Security
-SDGs Focal Officer, Energy and Environment
-SDGs Focal Officer, Gender and Youth
-SDGs Focal Officer, Education
-SDGs Focal Officer, Partnerships

Requirements/Qualifications

Candidates must possess a minimum of a post-secondary school qualification (OND, NCE, RN, HND, BSc, MSc, PhD, etc). Candidates must be citizens of Nigeria or non-Nigerians with required residency status for employment with the correct visa or work permit.This recruitment will be carried out in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and all other States in Nigeria except Adamawa, Borno and Yobe States.

Candidates must live in Nigeria and be willing to work in diverse environments, including cities and remote locations. Candidates must be able to read and write in English language. Specific proof of English language proficiency may be requested. In addition to having good internet access, candidates must have a working email address (preferably Gmail), access to YouTube and accounts in Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram. These are required for the second stage of the recruitment process.

Successful candidates must be available to start by February or March (latest) 2019.

How to Apply for Sustainable Development International Recruitment 2019:

The mode of application is online, interested candidates should visit the official recruitment portal via https://ng.susdevi.org/ to register and create a profile.

Application Closing Date: Monday, January 31, 2019.

Dear parent, dear mom...you need to read this story
to prevent this from happening to your child.

This is a story all parents should learn from.

It is a very sad one.

Just follow carefully and read every letter till the end.

This happened 5yrs ago in Georgia, USA.

There was a little boy, William, in his first year in high school
(that is like JSS1 here in Nigeria)

William was a shy boy. He had so little confidence in his own abilities as a result of his small stature, and a rare disease that made his head bigger than normal.

Williams classmates used to laugh a lot a William, and would call him
"Head Master, Head Boy, Head of Horror.."

All sorts of names - but these kids were just being kids.

They had no idea they were damaging William.

William would go to school everyday with fears in his heart,
and he would return home with tears in his eyes.

Such a poor and lonely boy, nobody wanted to be his friend, except Samantha, his
neighbour.

Little William's parents were not helping matters as well.

At home, Williams parents were always complaining about his poor grades.

"You had an F in Maths again?! What are you thinking with your head?

Can't you see Andrew? He's also your mate. Why can't you just be like him for once"

And one Friday...the worst happened.

4 boys met William in class, and
they started abusing him. When he tried to defend himself, they beat him up.

Fed up with life, William went to the middle of the road, and...

He ran into an oncoming truck.

Many people rushed to the scene, and they rushed William to the hospital.

But he died before they got there.

A letter was found in his bag:

It said - "Mom and dad, I'm sorry for not being the son you hoped I would be. I truly hope you find another son who makes you proud. Love, William."

It was a hearbreaking thing to read..

William's mother read the letter and cried her heart out - She was totally torn to pieces..

She had failed her only son. The community had failed William as well.

Listen dear parent, bullying is real and it could come in so many forms..

It could be physical or mental.

Your kids may be bullied in school either by their peers or teachers.

Let me explain - if another kid likes to beat up your kid, for no reason, this is physical bullying.

If they abuse your child, this is emotional bullying.

If a teacher asks other kids to sing an abusive song to your child for failing a class assignment, this is
emotional bullying.

As a parent, if you constantly compare your kids to other children, you are emotionally bullying them.

A example is this statement - "Can't you see Mary? Does she have two heads? Is she not
your mate? Can't you just be like her? You this stubborn girl"

A better way to say this is - "Listen Ann, I know you're a good girl. But I want you to do better, just like your friend, Mary. Do you promise me to do better next time?"

This way your child would feel more confident in her ability.

If your child is being bullied, please call a meeting with the parent of that child, and have a discussion with them.

If a teacher is bullying your child, by calling him names for failing an assignment or a test, please see them and ask them to stop it. This is really dangerous.

If your child is the one bullying people, please don't just think he would outgrow it, help him see that he is causing damage to another person.

Kids who are being bullied would have the following -

Depression and anxiety, increased feelings of sadness and loneliness, changes in sleep and eating patterns, and loss of interest in activities they used to enjoy. These issues may persist into adulthood.

Kids who bully are most likely to -

 - Abuse alcohol and other drugs in adolescence and as adults
 - Get into fights, vandalize property, and drop out of school
 - Engage in early sexual activity
 - Have criminal convictions and traffic citations as adults
 - Be abusive toward their romantic partners, spouses, or children as adults


And please share this post. Let's spread this message to every parent out there to save our kids.

Being an Address Delivered by His Excellency, Atiku Abubakar, Vice President of Nigeria 1999-2007 and Presidential flag bearer of the People's Democratic Party - PDP on Wednesday, 30th January 2019

I thank the Lagos Island Club for giving me this platform to speak to such a distinguished audience and on such a germane issue. I specifically want to thank you for giving me the liberty to suggest a topic for today's discourse. I had  no hesitation seizing this great opportunity to speak to you on my vision for this great country.

However before I delve into this subject I need to say a few words on a fact that many of you already know: our democracy is in peril.

After unsuccessfully abusing the instruments of state to remove the leadership of the legislature, President Muhammadu Buhari has turned his sights on the judiciary.

The action of unilaterally suspending the Chief Justice of Nigeria by President Buhari is unconstitutional. The Constitution provides laid down rules for the suspension or removal of the CJN and this has not been followed.  This is a grave attack on our constitution and the people of our country.  As someone who has vigorously defended our constitution over a number of decades you can be rest assured that I will do all in my power to ensure the matter is resolved in accordance with our constitution.   For a key part of my vision for Nigeria is respect for the rule of law, because without it you can have no society.

My preference for this topic is informed by one major consideration. It has always been my view that those who aspire to govern Nigeria must begin to unveil their policy priorities and their strategies for dealing with a plethora of local and national issues from the mundane to the most complex. Indeed, it is time for citizens to demand as a matter of right, from people aspiring to lead them, a plan on what they want to accomplish and how. Political slogans should not take the place of development plans and propaganda is a poor substitute for proper socio-economic and political agenda.

As a matter of fact, it has now been universally established that the ability to articulate a possible future status, whether for a private organization or a nation state, has been a vital component of successful leadership. We are all awed by the strategic prowess of Steve Jobs of Apple, Bill Gates of Microsoft or the Maverick Elon Reeve Musk of Tesla Inc.

Mr. Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore, Dr. Mahathir of Malaysia and Xi Jinping of the Peoples Republic of China, are just a few of illustrious 'CEOs' of nations because they were visionary and had a positive notion of development.

The lesson we all learn from the success stories of countries such as South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, and People’s Republic of China is that economic development does not happen by accident. Their experience teaches that to be successful, economic reforms require a progressive and forward-looking government that has the capacity to craft a coherent vision and to develop coherent policies that will actualize its vision.

I have faith in the capacity of Nigeria to make a quantum leap from third world to first that Singapore, under Lee Kuan Yew, or Malaysia under Dr. Mahathir, made. We have the human and material resources required to make the leap and in fact, many of our nationals have helped other nations make that transition.

However, I also have reasons to worry about the current status and future prospects of our great country as neither our economy or our society is working for our people.

Sadly, in the last four years, Nigerians have witnessed a deterioration of all aspects of basic human development as our country suffered avoidable social and economic decline. The absence of coherent and comprehensive economic policy has robbed the economy of its capacity to attract investment, to support the growth of small businesses and absorb a fast-growing labour force. Africa’s largest economy, with GDP of US$450 billion, remains paradoxically, ‘one of the poorest and most unequal countries’ in the world. According to the UN last year Nigeria overtook India, a country with 6 times our population, as the world capital for people living in extreme poverty.

Under the present Administration our people are not working. 

Unemployment has unfortunately been our only boom industry with over 13 million people joining the ranks of people without a job, which now totals 21 million. If people do not have a job they struggle to feed their families which is why 0ver 100 million of our people cannot afford one decent meal a day.

What is also of cause for concern is that the majority of the unemployed are young men and women, who lack not only the means to survive but any hope for the future. 

On the political front, our unity as a nation has been fatally bruised. Social cohesion is being eroded, democratic consolidation being undermined, and national unity and security threatened by ethno-religious tensions, agitations, restiveness and disputes over titles and entitlements.

Over the years, Nigeria has promoted, tolerated and indeed celebrated a defective political structure. Our states and local governments are too weak to meet their constitutional responsibilities. Consequently, the Federal Government has succeeded in emasculating them and taking away those responsibilities and, along with these, the resources which belong to them.

The structure of our country is not working.

If we are to develop into a United, Secure and Prosperous nation we must be bold enough to stitch all the structural faults lines that have arrested our development as a nation.  We must adopt a new economic management model and a new political structure that will cure all the federating units of their addiction to oil revenues. We must re-structure the polity and the economy.

So having outlined the challenges we face, you may quite rightly ask me: what is my vision to get Nigeria working again?

My Vision for Nigeria has been encapsulated in the #TheAtikuPlan which I launched on the 19th of November 2018. As I demonstrated in the #TheAtikuPlan, Nigeria does not need a complex vision. All we need, and will assiduously work to achieve, is a United, Secure and Prosperous nation that will work for all Nigerians irrespective of their gender, age, religious beliefs, ethnic identity, local government, state or geo-political zone.

Nigerian citizens want a Better Tomorrow.

We envision a New Nigeria that will have, as a minimum, seven basic features.

1. An indivisible, indissoluble, ethnically diverse but strong country that protects its citizens and secures their socio-economic benefits.

2. A modern, dynamic and competitive economy that is capable of taking its rightful place among the top 20 economies of the world. Nigeria has the potential to double its GDP by 2025.

3. A strong economy that is capable of providing in the next 5 years, a minimum 3 million job opportunities annually, reducing poverty rates to below 20%  and significantly closing the income inequality gaps.

4. A Nigeria that guarantees citizens' access to economic opportunities and makes the basic needs of life, including health, education, electricity, water and housing, readily available and affordable for everyone.

5. A new political structure that guarantees freedoms and ensures accountability at all levels of government. Tomorrow's polity shall reinforce the country’s concept of true Federalism by conceding unfettered autonomy to the subordinating units.

6. A Nigeria that promotes the politics of inclusiveness and minimizes citizens’ frustration and alienation and completely eliminates the compulsion to take up arms against the society or fellow countrymen. 

7. A country that recognizes the central place of the rule of law and ensures the supremacy of law over all persons and authorities. The Nigerian constitution will be the anchor on which the independence of the judiciary, personal liberty and democratic and other fundamental rights rest.

So that is all very well and good, I hear you say, but what will I do to actualize my Vision?

Ladies and Gentlemen, as you are aware, I have been in politics for a number of decades and have also been in the private sector running my own businesses that employ tens of thousands of Nigerians. Both experiences have afforded me the ability to think about the policies my team and I will enact that will have the benefit of practical application to create an environment conducive to economic growth and job creation.

Given your time, here are just 10 examples of the sort of and pragmatic policies we plan to enact immediately should I be so fortunate so to be chosen by the Nigerian people to lead them:

1. We will restore investor confidence on the Nigerian economy.

We all know that over the last four years, the actions or inactions of the Federal Government, have resulted in a significant drop in investor confidence on the Nigerian economy. As a consequence, there has been significant decline in capital importation since the regime came into power in 2015.

Today, Ghana – a country with just 14% of our population - attracts more FDI than Nigeria. In order to reverse the trend, our economic policies will be more coherent, consistent and therefore, more predictable by the business community. Nothing could be more threatening to investment flows than an environment that is full of policy flip-flops.

2. We will support the private sector by undertaking reforms to unleash its growth potential and to play a key role in the economy.

#TheAtikuPlan recognizes the private sector as the engine of growth of our economy.  A strong, productive and pro-growth private sector is needed to create wealth, generate employment opportunities and help fight poverty.  We pledge to improve government consultations with the private sector in policy design and policy implementation. We will work with the Organized Private Sector to identify ways to reduce the cost of borrowing, tackle incidences of multiple taxation and improve availability of foreign exchange for legitimate production input purchases.

3. We will liberalise the economic space and privatise all ailing enterprises. In particular, the #TheAtikuPlan will undertake a de-regulation of the downstream sector of the economy, review the PIB and privatise all four State refineries that operate at 10% of their installed capacities.. We shall channel the proceeds from the privatisation into a special fund for the development of education and health.

4. We will assist the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises to grow bigger and to be more productive. As we all know, small businesses offer the greatest opportunities for achieving inclusive pro-poor growth, through increased self-employment.  Our focus shall be on improving their access to affordable, long term funds, provision of critical infrastructure as well as adequate training for their workforce to improve productive capacity.

5. We will prioritize Human Capital Development. Our philosophy is that people are the fundamental reason for economic growth. Accordingly, we will increase investments in the human development sub-sectors especially education and health by committing 25% of the budget to education and 15% to health under a collaborative process and within the 3G partnership; 

6. We will create jobs by growing the economy and promoting  innovative  flagship job creation programmes such as:  The National Open Apprenticeship Programme through which we shall enhance the capacity of Master-Crafts men and women to train 1,000,000 apprentices every year.  Our National Innovation Fund and SME Venture Capital Fund initiatives will provide stable and sustainable long-term support to aspiring entrepreneurs.

7. We will create an Economic Stimulus Fund with an initial investment capacity of approximately US$25 billion to support private sector investments in infrastructure. Power sector reform will be a critical policy priority. Our vision is to accelerate investment to double our infrastructure stock to approximately 50% of GDP by 2025 and 70% by 2030.  Re-building infrastructure and reducing infrastructure deficit will enhance the carrying capacity of the economy and unleash growth and wealth creation.

8.  We will improve liquidity by undertaking  fiscal restructuring and improving the management of our fiscal resources by:

a. Improving spending efficiency by reducing the share of recurrent expenditure and increasing the share of capital expenditure in budget. Recurrent expenditure over the medium term should not exceed 45% of budget. 

b. Raising additional revenue by blocking leakages from exchange rate adjustment. The official rate on which the 2019 budget is based US$/N305 with a parallel market rate of approximately US$/365. FGN will appropriate the premium in excess of N60/US$

c. Reviewing subsidy payments on PMS. The Federal Government has set aside billions of Naira for subsidy payment in the 2019 budget.  This will instead go into the funding of education and health.
9. We will build strong and efficient service delivery institutions  for more effective co-ordination of government policies and for effective  support to the development of a dynamic and internationally competitive private sector. We will re-position the public sector to become more disciplined and performance-oriented.

10. We shall, through constitutional means, achieve a new political structure that guarantees freedoms and ensure government accountability at all levels. Our political reform shall reinforce the country’s concept of true Federalism by conceding unfettered autonomy to the subordinating units (States and Local Governments);

So, in conclusion:

Since the return of the country to democratic governance in 1999, I cannot think of a more important election than the one we face in just over two weeks, given our daunting development challenges. The opportunity to change the course of history and rebuild the country begins on February 16th when Nigerians will exercise their sacred duty to elect their President and other political leaders.  Nigerians must reject the status quo and bring in a leader who has a history of economic reform and political transformation.

Nigeria needs a leader who shares its hopes and aspirations, who understands the complexities of the development process and who has the capacity to articulate an acceptable notion of development.

It requires strong commitment, bold initiatives, and a discernible shift from the mistakes of the past, to lift Nigeria from the abyss, and make its people happier, healthier, wealthier.

So I appeal to you, as well as the entire nation, to go out and vote on February 16th so together we can Get Nigeria Working Again.

                     

The economy and social status of the people of Nothern Cross River State  will soon change upon the Completion of the construction of the 148km mini super highway which cuts across the five local government areas of the Senatorial District, so says Governor Ben Ayade.
Governor Ayade disclosed that this recently after inspecting the completed portion of the dual carriage way fitted with street lightings along   Obudu, Bekwara axis of the road.
Ayade  said the mini superhighway which  stretches through the northern senatorial   district   of the state is intended  to bring back life  to the Africa Tourism hotspot of Obudu Ranch Resort amongst others.
 "This road is intended to stretch into Obudu Ranch to bring back life to the Ranch. People think the Ranch is dying, it is dying for the things that keep killing any city or project that is stranded. The Ranch is located in too far a place and the access has been a problem, so I knew that the only way we can bring back life to the Ranch is to make the approach to Ranch very worthy," the governor intimated.
He maintained that, "as a son of the northern senatorial district, this mini superhighway, giving a dual carriage way through the heart of the north represents a true message that this place has also seen civilization."
The governor who was accompanied during the inspection by his deputy, Prof Ivara Esu, hinted that every local government area in the state will see something striking in his administration as he had taken a study of what will make a major transformational change in the lives of the people and how to go about them.
According to him, "in three years plus, a 148km dual carriage way is already in this level of beauty. Where we are standing is Obudu local government area, we are not in London, not in Calabar and this is what will stretch to the entire Cross River as this is also what the people want."
On how he was able to conceive and institute the project in spite of the lean resources in the state, the governor explained that, "it comes from intellectual money which is the advance college of thought that believes that the brain is higher than the pocket," adding, "anytime the pocket is empty, you switch on the brain and you will never fail."
Continuing, Ayade explained that, "when intellectualism takes over your governance architecture, materialism becomes zero, so the search to make money is out. What I am looking for now is making a name."
He added that, "you cannot look at making money without looking at my integrity, internal transparency and fear of God, that is why my elections is almost like a walkover. I am satisfied with this."
On his part, the deputy governor, Prof Ivara Esu said, "I don't even know where I am because Obudu has been totally transformed and I stand here, I won't tell a lie, my heart is full of praises not for the governor but for the people of northern Cross River who donated him to Cross River . This indeed, is the kind of democracy dividend that we are really talking about."
Esu pointed out that, "the people of the north will know that their son who loves them and have traveled all over the world wants to truly transform the state from a third world to a first world. I am really overwhelmed".

 _Party Agent ( Polling Agent) is an accredited official of a political party overseeing an election on behalf of a candidate_

They are critical STAKEHOLDERS on the voting process

The Role Agents play is very essential in providing an environment of transparency in the polling, sorting and counting process

 *ROLES OF PARTY AGENTS*

Polling Agents are representatives of the party/ Candidates who are to monitor / observe / witness the proceedings at each POLLING UNIT

PARTY Agent is the party Representative at each collation centre

PARTY Representative is the party official at each point of distribution

Witness all aspect of the voting and counting processes at the polling venues where they have been deployed

Prior to the commencement of voting at voting venues, inspect the polling venues, polling booth, examine the polling venues, equipment and materials, examine the ballot box to ensure it empty, and to witness the sealing of the ballot box by presiding officer (PO)

May through the polling officer challenge and/ or identify the identity of a voter

To witness the making of ballot papers for incapacitated voters

May through the PO challenge the rejection or acceptance of a cast ballot paper

 _NOTE_ :

Only party Agents appointed by political parties and accredited by INEC will be allowed into the polling, counting and collation centres

Non attendance or the absence of party agents will not delay or invalidate the proceeding at the pooling, counting and collation centres

 *RIGHTS OF A PARTY AGENTS*

unlimited access to the polling, counting and collation venues at all times

Observe the polling, counting and collation processes on behalf of their political parties st designated venues where they have been deployed

Ensure that polling, counting and collation processes are conducted with rules and regulations governing the processes

File a Claim/ objection to any action which they consider contravenes the provisions of the election rules

 *EXPECTATIONS OF PARTY AGENTS*

Locate your polling units or Voting points before Election day

Be at the polling Unit as Early as 7: 30AM

Examine the ballot box and make sure its empty

Inspect the voting booth and make sure its free of any material that can influence voters

Observe the accreditation, Voting, Sorting, Counting, Collating of the Ballot and Declaration of Results

Challenge/ Verify the identity of any voter ( this may be done through the presiding officer PO)

 *EXPECTATION OF PARTY AGENT 2*

Draw attention to breaches in electoral rules and regulations

Countersign the appropriate result forms at polling unit and collation centers

Party Agent must be at the RA centres as early as 7:00AM to witness the distribution of material and please go with a writing pad to write down the serial numbers of all ballot papers, result sheet and other's

 *RETURNING OFFICER*

Collates ( tabulates and sums up) the votes cast, announces the score of candidates and declares the winner in the election in a party constituency

Decides any question. Arising from or relating to unmarked ballots, rejected ballots, announcement of scores of candidates and the return of a winner.

 *RESIDENT ELECTORAL COMMISSIONER (REC)*

He/ She is the head of  INEC in a state, a position which confers on him / her the responsibility to oversee the activities of the commission in that state

 *COLLATION OFFICERS (COS)*

He/ She collates and announces the votes scored by candidates at any of the levels of collation

 *A. Registration Area/ Ward CO.*

Collates and announces result from polling units within a Registration Area RA ward

 *B. Local Government Area CO.*

Announces results from the various Registration Area//wares for the various council, State assembly, Governorship, National Assembly and presidential Election at the LGA level).

 *C. State Constituency CO* .

Collate and announces result from all the RAs/ LGAs within a state constituency for the state assembly election.  He shall also be the state constituency Returning officer in the state house of Assembly Election.

 *COLLATION OFFICERS ( CO) 2*

 **D. Federal constituency CO.*
*
Collates and announces results from LGAs within a Federal Constituency. He/ She shall also be the Federal constituency Returning Officer in the election of the House of Representatives.

 *C. Senatorial District CO*

Collates and announces result from LGAs within a Senatorial district. He/ She shall also be the Senatorial district Returning officer in the election to the Senate.

 *State CO*

Collates and announces results from all LGAs within a state in the presidential and Governorship Elections. He/ She shall also be the Returning officer in the Governorship Election

 *G. Chief Electoral Commissioner*

Collates and announces the results from all the states of the federation in the presidential Election and is the Returning officer in that election. This shall be the Chairman of INEC or his delegated Representative

 *COLLATION CENTRE*

Collect a copy of the OU result sheet _ EC8a at the end of the result declaration, and also snap the result pasted on the wall at the PU_ EC60E

If there are discrepancies, the PU party Agent should inform the RA party who should raise an objection

 *E_ COLLATION & RESULTS TRANSMISSION*

Ensure that the PO enters the result into the eCollation  application installed on the card readers at the end of counting and declaration of result

If there is no network, he should be told to use the offline mode to enter the result and save it on the card reader

On the way to the ward collation centre, there may be network, so the PO transmits the result,

If there is no network, he proceeds to the RA, where there is a high possibility of network and transmit the result.

Obudu the home local government area of Cross River State governor, Senator Ben Ayade,. literally stood still as monster crowd of enthusiastic supporters welcomed him home on Thursday as he arrived to Campaign in Obudu Township Stadium, venue of the campaign rally.

The Mammoth and enthusiastic crowd filled the entire Stadium and took over the nearby areas up to the LGA Council ground, and all the adjoining streets causing serious traffic grid throughout the day.

Addressing his people, Governor Ben Ayade lauded the people for turning out in their thousands to welcome him and his campaign team home, and said that he was overwhelmed with Joy for the huge Honour accorded him.

Ayade stated that the turn out of huge crowd  from all the nooks and crannies of the LGA, Utugwang to Ukpe, Alage and Ubang and from the Bette axis for the campaign is a clear indications of the people preparedness to give him and other PDP candidates 100 percent votes during the general elections fixed for February 16 and March 2 this year.

Ayade said that he has done well for the first tenure and will continue to do his best for the people of Cross River State, the northern senatorial district and Obudu, adding that the dual carriage way cutting across the entire five LGAs of the North is meant to boost economic viability of the area.and create a single access road as well as turn Obudu and other areas in the north to modern ur an cities.

Ayade, therefore assured the people that he will continue to be their good ambassador in Government between now and 2023, and that by the grace of God, the development vision he and his team have for the state will be fully actualize at the end of his second term in office.

Speaking, the Director General of the campaign organization and former Deputy Governor of the state, Barr.. Efiok Cobham, commended the people for coming out in such great Numbers to welcome them.

He charged them to make sure that they turn out in their numbers with their PVCs to give their son 100 percent of their votes as well as other PDP candidates from the President to all other positions and candidates.

While meeting with the the Obudu Traditional Rulers headed by the longest serving monarch in Africa and second only to Queen Elizabeth of England in the world, HRM, Uti J. D Agba, praised the governor for the monumnetal development carry out under the administration of their son, Ayade.

The meeting of the Obudu Traditional Rulers Council anchored by HRH, Utsu Augustine Nawa, Clan Head of Ukwel-Obudu, unanimously agreed that Ayade has done wonderfully well and that they have all resolved that their subjects, who are his own brothers and sisters will give 100 percent votes to Ayade and other PDP candidates.

The custodian of the customs and traditions of Obudu people, HRM, Uti J. D Agba, prayed fervently for  governor Ayade and blessed him to go and have total victory during the election and continuous wisdom and sense of direction throughout this period till 2023 and other future endeavours.

END.

Press Release:

Inauguration of Coalition of Cross River State Student Groups Endorsement/Support Committee of Sen Prof Benedict Ayade Re-election bid/PDP Presidential Rally

There will be a meeting/inauguration of a coalition of student support groups leaders as follows:

Members of the committee

1.Com Bebiawhobe Akpanke
2.Com Helen Effenji
3.Com Michael Okom Jnr
4.ComIchar Godswill Ogar
5.Com Abbey Moses
6.Com Ojie Nelson
7.Com Mike Okom.
8.Com Beatrice Archiving
9.Com Akpet Ayang
10.Com Ekpo, Blessing Joseph
11.Com Rose Ofem
12.Com Abigail Ita

Date

Saturday, 2nd Feb, 2019

Venue

Axari Hotels

Time

4pm

Please note that the said meeting is strictly on invitation.Thanks and best regards.

Prince Michael Nku Abuo, JP
Special Adviser Student Affairs and Youth Mobilization


Cc

His Excellency,Prof Ivara Esu, Deputy Governor,CRS

His Barr Efiok Cobham,The Director General PDP Campaign Committe, CRS

Barr Chris Agara,The Director General/Chairman PDP Presidential Committe, CRS

Ntufam Edim Inok,Chairman PDP CRS

Barr Donclemz Enameh, Chairman PDP Presidential Mobilization Committee, CRS

IF APC is not the answer to our Problems, there is no reason going back to the instigators of the problem.
I'm not a politician but I would do everything not to have PDP in Government in Nigeria.
The greatest tragedy that can befall a nation is for her citizens to suffer collective amnesia. I believe PDP believes Nigerians have short memories, if not, Ibori would not have been included in their convention committee and Jonathan would not have been allowed to talk (He ended up indicting himself as usual anyway).
For those who may have forgotten, kindly joggle your memories with the following words on marble and you will agree with me that what happened in Eagle square on saturday was nothing but gathering of rogues.
Happy reading:

1. I acted based on Jonathan's instruction - Dasuki

2. I didn't give order - Jonathan

3. I collected 350M from Dasuki for consultation - Iyorchia Ayu

4. I only collected $30,000 from Dasuki not N100m - Bode George

5. I got N4.6b from Dasuki for spiritual purposes - Bafarawa

6. I got N650M from Dasuki for my Abuja burnt office - Thisday Obaigbena.

7. I got N2.1b from Dasuki for publicity - Dokpesi

8. I got another N100m from Yuguda he didn't tell me from where - Bafarawa.

9. I gave N100m each to Odili, Jim Nwobodo Bode George and others - Yuguda

10. The president asked me to change N10B to foreign currency for PDP delegates - Dasuki

11. My boss asked me to get $11M from the CBN - Dasuki's account officer.

12. I got order from above to pay Tompolo N13B for Maritime university land. - Nimasa DG.

13. 950m was shared in my house -- Shekarau

With all this looting and many more revealed, some people are still shouting no sign of change yet, they even say it's political persecution.

But I believe, it is the right thing to do.
If you believe too, send this to other people to garner more support for the fight against corruption and looting in our nation. There must be consequences for such crimes otherwise Nigeria will not develop.

WHERE ARE THE #WAILERS?
"Over 20 billion dollars unremitted to the Federation account, and if nothing is done by 2015 upward, Nigeria will know what economic crisis is"
*~ Emir Sanusi Lamido Sanusi*

"Whoever wins 2015 will NEVER find it easy to govern. Over 30 trillion is mismanaged, unaccounted for or missing under Jonathan."
*~ Prof Charles Soludo*

"Our reserve is depleted and our savings are squandered. Our nation is in trouble."
*~ Dr Oby Ezekwesili.*

"For seven months, NNPC did not remit any money into federation account. When I called as a sitting governor and major oil producing state, Deziani Alison Madueke refused to pick my calls."
*~ Godswill Akpabio*

"I told them to save ahead of eventualities but Jonathan had no political will to do so and this is the reason why we are in crisis, because we squandered our boom."
*~ Okonjo Iweala*

"Okonjo-Iweala, Sanusi urged us to save but we state Governors refused to save for the unseen future during the tenure of Goodluck Jonathan, despite warning from economic experts."
*~ Peter Obi*

"Jonathan is a blessed ATM machine that doesn't have secret pin number"
*~ Bala Mohammed*

* Tompolo was paid 13Billion.!
* Ex-CDS,Alex Badeh dug a pit toilet to hide $32m.
* Patience Jonathan is claiming $31m, she has sued the Nigerian state.
* Femi Fani-Kayode took N740M.
* Dasuki used trucks to load over $35B from the CBN.
* Olisa Metuh took N400M.
* Aziboala, GEJ's cousin took 6B naira.
* Nenadi Usman took 3.5B naira.
* Fayose took 3B naira.
* Obanikoro took 4Billion naira.
* Olu Falae took 100M naira.
* Tony Anenih - 400M naira.
* Oritsejafor - $35M
* Former Air Chief Amosu - 2Billion naira.
* Lucky Igbinedion-16B naira.
*Bode-George and Dabo -100B naira
* Jolly Nyame-2.4B naira.
* Joshua Dariye-700M naira.
*Nyesom Wike stole #4b.
* Diezzani with $20 billion missing oil money?
15 billon dollars missing from arms fund, 10 billion naira, converted to dollars and given as gift to delegates of PDP Nation convention, Bafarawa collected 3 billion for spiritual purposes , 12. 7 billon naria for deceased NEPA staff grew wings and disappeared, 20 billion dollars missing from NNPC accounts, 23 billon naira as bribe to INEC staffs to rig the general election. The list is endless. They only left what they can't carry or unable to lay their hands on. The list continues.....
Recession didn't just happen, people looted Nigeria into RECESSION happening

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I just heard that a court has restrained INEC from listing, declaring or announcing Owan Enoh or any other person as the APC candidate in Cross River State pending the determination of the suit before it. This order was granted after INEC has already published Owan Enoh as the APC Candidate in Cross River State.

So, can a court grant an interlocutory injunction restraining a party from doing something that has already been done?

The Court of Appeal in the case of FRANCIS MORGAN UDO V. INCORPORATED TRUSTEES OF CHRISTIAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH (2008) LPELR-8548(CA) answered this question whether an interlocutory injunction can be granted where the acts it seeks to remedy has been carried out?

The court stated that "It is the law that when a court is asked to restrain a party from doing an act pending the decision in a matter before it, but the act has been done, no order to restrain will be made. This is so because what is sought to be prevented had happened. In other words an interlocutory injunction is not a remedy of an act which has already been carried out, and will not be granted where the act complained of is irregular." Per ORJI-ABADUA, J.C.A.

I will say no more, for now.

- First Baba Isa (FBI).