Showing posts with label goodluck johanathan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label goodluck johanathan. Show all posts

Monday, July 2, 2012

The ‘gods’ stopped Oba of Benin from receiving Jonathan —Aide




President Goodluck Jonathan, state governors, chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and other top government officials received a rude shock in the ancient city of Benin on Saturday when the Oba of Benin, Omo N’Oba Erediauwa, declined to receive the president who was visiting his palace.
The president had arrived the Edo State capital for the grand rally of the state PDP ahead the July 14 governorship election and had been received at the Benin Airport earlier by Governor Adams Oshiomhole.
He, thereafter, proceeded to the monarch’s palace, but on taking his seat next to the oba’s throne, he was made to wait for about 15 minutes before a palace official announced to his delegation and the Bini chiefs that were also seated that the royal father would not be seeing him because of circumstances beyond his control.
However, the monarch’s  official added that the usual palace formalities would still be observed in the absence of the monarch, including prayers for the president and the distribution of cola nuts.
According to him, “because of circumstances beyond his control, the Oba cannot receive the president, but the normal procedures of prayer for our guest will still be carried out.”
President Jonathan, who was apparently taken aback by the announcement, looked calm as he simply lowered his gaze even as the palace official invited the most senior chief present to offer the prayers.
After the prayers, the palace official, again, announced that even though the Oba would not see the president in public, he would be willing to receive him alone in another section of the palace.
It was not immediately clear whether President Jonathan, who had removed his cap in line with Bini tradition to wait for the Oba,  later met the royal father alone despite security requirement which would have been against the president being alone outside the close monitoring of his body guards.
Even though, the palace did not reveal the reason for the monarch’s decision not to publicly welcome President Jonathan, sources in the palace volunteered that the traditional ruler was merely adhering to the dictates of the ‘gods’ who had made it impossible for him to appear in public to receive the president at that particular time.
Among those with the president in the palace, were Vice President Namadi Sambo, Governors Emmanuel Uduaghan (Delta), Idris Wada (Kogi) and Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa); top government officials and PDP chieftains, led by the National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, as well as former Acting National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje.
While speaking at the rally later in Ogbe Stadium Benin, President Jonathan, particularly, thanked the Esama of Benin, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, who he referred to as a “power traditional chief,” and other traditional rulers who came to the stadium to give the PDP their royal blessings.
“Let me appreciate other traditional rulers that are here with us with the Esama of Benin for coming to give us the royal blessing,” he said.
He thanked the people of Edo State for their massive support for him before the last presidential election and assured that he would fulfil the promises he made to them during the campaign.
He specifically referred to a previous incident where the Oba of Benin refused to see former Minister of State for Works who was on official visit to Edo State on the grounds that government had done nothing about the poor state of roads in the state.
According to him, “before my election, one of my ministers, incidentally your own son, who was the Minister of State for Works, came to visit the Oba of Benin and the Oba said he didn’t want to see him because the roads are very bad.
“He got back to me and when I came for the campaign, I told the Oba, ‘don’t worry. After the election, my minister will come back.’ Luckily, the (present) Minister of Works is from Edo State.
“The last time the Minister of Works came to Edo State, when he went back, I asked him, ‘did the Oba receive you?’ He said, ‘yes, Oba even promised to send the president a gift.’
“Let me assure you, my good brothers and sisters from Edo State, that we will continue to keep faith with our electoral promises.”
President Jonathan remarked that he has used the first year of his administration to plan and strategise, but that government was now moving on.
While urging the people to vote for the PDP candidate, Major General Charles Airhiavbere, he pointed out that the “PDP is the dominant party. As long as you mobilise and vote, PDP will win.”
Edo State chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Dan Orbih, in his welcome speech, thanked President Jonathan for the “great transformation work of his administration in Nigeria,” just as he commended him for the Universal Basic Education (UBE) projects being executed in the state.
Orbih described the ruling Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in the state as hypocrites who failed to practice what they preached, just as he thanked the president for being a true party man by coming to demonstrate his support for the Edo PDP and for the party’s candidate.
The state PDP, however, in an official statement, denied that the monarch did not receive the president.
Theparty said members of the ACN in the state had gone to town, shortly after President Jonathan’s visit to the Oba of Benin, before attending the PDP governorship rally, to spread what it described as “an untrue, wicked, mischievous and malicious lie” that the Benin monarch shunned the president and his entourage.
The state Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr. Matthew Urhoghide, in the statement issued on Saturday in Benin City, added that “at the palace, Oba Erediauwa, who, for reasons that the royal palace may explain at a later date, could not have a formal and open reception for the visiting president, most courteously invited the president to his inner sanctum where they both had a special meeting.
“The Oba’s invitation of President Jonathan into his very highly restricted bedchamber should have been seen for what it really is — a special meeting, the content and attendance of which was restricted only to the need-to-know.
“Not many non-Benin sons and daughters, in the history of the palace of the Oba of Benin, can claim to have been received in the special section where President Jonathan had audience with His Royal Majesty.
“Those who spread the wicked lie do our royal father grave wrong because Oba Erediauwa is reputed to be seeped in the observance of protocol, courtesy and decorum. A few weeks ago, he warmly received, Vice President Namadi Sambo and his entourage who were in Benin for the same reason as President Jonathan and paid a courtesy visit on him.”
The Edo PDP further said, “it is unthinkable that some people would claim that our revered royal father would openly refuse to see the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Those who spin this lie should stop for a minute to think of the damage such malicious lie would do to the image of the Benin Traditional Council.
Edo PDP cannot think of any twisted advantage they calculate to win from the lie.
“We are sure that the royal palace of the Oba of Benin will, at the appropriate time, officially correct this anomaly so that the good people of Edo State will be better informed.

Thursday, June 21, 2012

President Jonathan’s Delegation To Brazil Is World’s Largest, At 116! what a waste


As Nigerians lament the abrupt departure of President Goodluck Jonathan for Brazil in the middle of violence and counter-violence in the North, SaharaReporters has gathered that the Nigerian ruler arrived at his destination with 116 men and women, the largest national delegation, contrary to his pledge in January to travel at less weight and expense.
Our sources say the team is made up of:
•    25 personal aides
•    18 aides of Patience Jonathan
•    2 members of the National Assembly
•    5 Ministers
•    2 Governors, and
•    63 officials from the Ministries of Enviroment, Foreign Affairs, National Planning and Petroleum Resources.
The junket will continue for Mr. Jonathan next week Thursday when he will be in Brussels for the World Customs Conference, scheduled for June 28-30.  He will be taking with him about 57 people, including 26 aides, 3 Ministers, 8 members of the National Assembly, and 20 other government officials.  
From June 25 to 29, Mrs. Jonathan will be in Maryland, United States, accompanied by 36 people: 18 aides, 4 wives of Governors, and 14 friends and associates to attend a UNESCO First Lady’s “Youth Infusion” Summit in Annapolis, Maryland.
Nigerian political parties yesterday lambasted Mr. Jonathan’s decision to leave for Brazil, just hours after violence and counter-violence had reportedly resulted in over 74 dead and hundreds injured.  On Sunday, the president called on God to intervene in the violence.
But he has also promised to see to the end of the Islamic militant group militant Jama'atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda'awati Wal-Jihad, widely-known as Boko Haram, this month.  After he made that pledge in April, the militants promised to make June a bloody month in order to prove that Jonathan has no power over them.  Some helpless Christians have in the past few days resorted to reprisal attacks against Muslims.  
Only yesterday, as Jonathan hopped on one of his gleaming new executive jets and left the chaos in Nigeria behind, Boko Haram notified SaharaReporters that it would launch even more devastating attacks on churches and government buildings in the coming days.  
The group’s contact person said Boko Haram had line up about 300 suicide bombers to attack churches in Southern Kaduna and in Plateau State in its determination to exact considerable revenge for the Muslims killed in Christian reprisals in the last few days.

Saturday, February 18, 2012

‘I Didn’t Collect Money From Goodluck Jonathan’ – D’banj


On the eve of his New York debut, Mo’Hits/G.O.O.D Music act Dapo ‘D’banj’ Oyebanjo  was interviewed by online news agency Sahara Reporters where he talked about his style of music, rumoured affair with Nollywood actress Genevieve Nnaji, his political stance and his non-involvement with the recent Occupy Nigeria protest carried out across the world.
The entertainer will be performing at the Irving Plaza where the Live Nation concert will be going on today, Sunday, February 19, 2012.
Did you ever dream of being this big in music?
I dreamt about this. God is using us to take our message across from Africa to here.
You are the face of African Pop music don’t you feel a lot of pressure?
Yes a lot of pressure but I have nothing to be scared of. I have much responsibility.
 There are rumours that you are dating Genevieve Nnaji how true is that?
No! We are not dating.
What is your status?
I’m very single. I like Rihanna, I’m interested in her.
Will you Americanize your music now that you are working mostly in America?
What do you mean by Americanize?
I mean you use a lot of pidgin and Yoruba in your music will you still do that?
Yes I will. Did you hear ‘Scapegoat’, ‘Fall in love’ or ‘Oliver twist’? I do music depending on the message and who I want it to suite.
So will you maintain the identity?
I think American music is universal so I’ve a lot of work to do.
Ok, now on your interview with the President of Nigeria, there are talks that you collected money from him to sing and interview him.
I didn’t collect money from the President. It wasn’t an interview it was a request, watch the interview I asked the President and I can remember the statements ‘What are your plans for the Nigerian youth?’ Because I dedicated a track to him so I wanted the people to know why I said I was going to vote for him, I wanted them to know his plans.
We understand you run a foundation and you were appointed as the United Nations youth ambassador for peace, with your position what are your responsibilities and what have you done with you position?
I have much responsibility. I represent Africa, I represent Nigeria…do your research.
What was your take on the Occupy Nigeria and the fuel subsidy removal?
First of all, let’s take a minute silence for those who lost their lives during this period (a minute silence is observed)
Ok D’banj we really appreciate that, so carry on.
I did not know anything that was happening [in Nigeria during protests] because I was working on my album in the UK.
But there was a protest in London why didn’t you participate?
I didn’t know anything that was happening in London about the fuel protest because I was working… I am not a politician! And everyone that knows me well knows I don’t like cold, so I couldn’t go outside.
 So what do you have to say?
I don’t have anything to say, I wasn’t in the country when it was happening.
But I wasn’t in the country also.
I’ve told you I don’t want to say anything about that topic, I don’t say what I don’t know anything about, If you know me very well I speak about what I know. I will not speak on something that I don’t know about. You will not get me to speak about what I don’t know. I wish my publicist told me that this was a political interview…
 So who operates your twitter handle?
I operate it but I’m not always online, I’m on twitter when I want to pass information not when you want me to.
There has been increase in poverty in Nigeria what do you have to say about this?
Yes I know, but poverty has always been in Nigeria. Let us focus on what we have, why are you hammering on negativity? I’ll speak from the angle that I know well which is the entertainment that is what I know we can export, we should invest our talents to escape from poverty. I’ve a concert tomorrow, I need to practice and prepare well so I can represent Africa well.
Thank you very much D’banj. We appreciate the time you spent with us; we wish you all the best in your concert tomorrow.

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