Jonathan to use private sector to drive economy, gets business community endorsement

President Goodluck Jonathan said on Tuesday that he would use the private sector and Nigerians in the Diaspora to drive the nation’s economy in the next four years if given the mandate during Saturday presidential election.

Jonathan who spoke at a special breakfast meeting and endorsement by the business community, at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja, also gave his commitment to ending rice importation in the next four years.

He said “Any leader who wants to build this country must use people. I will use you and our sons and daughters in the Diaspora to develop this country so that the whole world will be proud of us.”

The President also maintained that he will focus on key sectors of the economy; such as road, rail transportation, stable power supply, job creation, education agriculture and security noted no investor would venture into Nigeria if the security of lives and property are not guaranteed

Foreign observers praise election conduct

Saturday’s National Assembly election has drawn rare praise from major international observer delegations including the Commonwealth and the American-led National Democratic Institute.

Ahead of the presidential and governorship election, both teams yesterday in Abuja separately issued formal preliminary verdicts on the April 9 parliamentary poll now acclaimed as one of Nigeria’s most peaceful and well conducted.

“In our experience, the National Assembly elections generally took place in a peaceful and orderly manner. The required staff and stakeholders were present and the various stages of the electoral process on polling day broadly proceeded smoothly and transparently,” read a statement by Festus Mogae, former president of Botswana, who leads the Commonwealth mission.

The American NDI said in a statement, “In contrast to past elections in Nigeria, last Saturday’s National Assembly polls provided a real opportunity for citizens to exercise their right to vote.”

WikiLeaks cable: Politicians, military - not militants - behind most Nigeria oil thefts

Politicians and military leaders — not militants — are responsible for the majority of oil thefts in Nigeria's crude-rich southern delta, according to a U.S. diplomatic cable quoting a Nigerian official and released by WikiLeaks.

A member of a government panel on troubles in nation's Niger Delta implicated Shehu Musa Yar'Adua, a general whose brother became president, and former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar as being the biggest forces behind the thefts, the cable claims. Those thefts also fuel arms sales to the restive region while causing environmental damage and cutting production in a nation crucial to U.S. oil supplies.

"It is in the interests of these people to make it appear that the Niger Delta problem is intractable," the Jan. 2009 cable quotes panel member Tony Uranta as saying. "As a result, they prop up the militants, including some who have an ideological basis for their actions."

Abubakar, who ran unsuccessfully this year as a presidential candidate in a ruling-party primary, denied the allegations Monday.

ACN recruits 5,000 volunteers in Ondo •To campaign for presidential election

The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), on Monday intensified efforts to win the presidential election in Ondo State with the recruitment of 5,000 volunteers/canvassers to reach 50,000 houses across the state before Saturday’s election.

The coordinator of the Ribadu Campaign Organisation in the state, Bola Ilori, said at the training of the leaders of the canvassers in Akure that the party was poised to win the state.

According to him, the campaign organisation had already consulted the political parties that would not be fielding candidates for the presidential election in the country to support the Ribadu/Adeola ticket.

He said the result of last Saturday’s National Assembly election had shown that the ACN was a great player in the presidential game in the country.

He said, “We know that as things are now, the ACN has a good chance of emerging a major player in the presidential game and we have every opportunity if proper realignment is done. The report of the last election showed that ACN is not only popular in the South-West, it is also a party of the entire Nigeria, it has won outside of the southwest.

Police nab 3 suspected inter-state robbers

LAGOS - Operatives of the Lagos State Police Command Special Anti-Robbery Squad, have arrested three suspected members of a notorious robbery gang that operate outside the state.

However, a suspected female member of the gang earlier arrested with a bag full of arms and ammunition, denied being a member of the gang .

Rather, she claimed that the weapons was handed to her by her boyfriend, whose identity she gave simply as Charles.

The 25-year-old lady, Mary Onwuka, was arrested at Agboju park two weeks ago while trying to board a bus to Koko, Delta State, where the gang reportedly planned to carry out a robbery operation

Corps members threaten to withdraw from elections in Delta

Some members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) serving as electoral officers in Delta State have threatened to withdraw their services in subsequent elections in the ongoing general election because of the ugly experiences they encountered during last Saturday’s National Assembly election in the state.

Those who spoke to the Nigerian Tribune recounted their experiences, saying they were harassed and humiliated during the conduct of the exercise by thugs and some political youth leaders for their resolve not to compromise and dance to their tune.

Incidentally, some of them succumbed to intimidation to save their lives by allowing the youth leaders in some wards in Uvwie Local Government Area who allegedly forced the electorate to vote for the candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the area.

A female youth corps member, who preferred to be anonymous, lamented to the Nigerian Tribune that she was thoroughly beaten and her skirt torn to shreds at one of the units in the local government area for refusing to cooperate with some political leaders in the area.

”Some political leaders in the unit I served in Uvwie said I should allow them take the election materials into a room to thumb print but I refused. I insisted that the people must be allowed to vote.

Ogun Education Commissioner, 6 others docked for firearms’ possession

AN Akure Chief Magistrate Court has ordered that the Ogun State Commissioner for Education, Elder Yemi Akinwoni and six others be remanded in prison custody till April 27.

Akinwoni and his team were docked for being in possession of one double barrel gun; one cut-to-size gun; two live cartridges; and four expended cartridges during the National Assembly polls.

Other items found on them included; 92 voters cards; one extra number plate with registration number Ogun: AV 897 AAB; and six wraps of Indian hemps.

Other accused persons including; Wasiri Buari, Ikuajuwajo Oluremi, 38; Salami Morufu, 43; Oluwole Oluwaseun, 26; Olorunsola Fadugba 44; and Omokuwajo Fadugba, 44; were arraigned before Chief Magistrate Siji Akinsola.

Nigerians abroad score INEC high

Nigerians living in South Africa on Sunday scored the conduct of Saturday’s National Assembly election high, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) has reported.

General Manager, Africa, Hay Group, based in Johannesburg Mr Gbenga Odusanya said the conduct of the elections showed that the country was putting the days of election rigging behind it.

He said: “We seem to be entering a new phase and politicians will begin to come to terms with the fact that the days of rigging elections in Nigeria are being done away with.

Odusanya said INEC’s adoption of the Modified Option A4 was an indication of its determination to ensure transparency in the polls.

Anambra govt denies bribery allegation

The Anambra State Government has debunked media reports alleging that government officials attempted to bribe an official of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Mr Alex Anene to announce Professor Dora Akunyili as the winner of the Anambra Central senatorial election conducted on Saturday, April 9, 2011.

A release signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Mike Udah made it clear that the Anambra State Government under Mr Peter Obi did not offer any bribe to any person or attempted in any way to thwart the genuine efforts of INEC to conduct a free, fair, credible and violence-free election in the state.

It noted that Governor Obi is civil, peaceful, democratic and humble and has never in the course of his political journey so far committed any fraud of any sort, not even when his mandate was brazenly stolen in2003 by Dr Chris Ngige. Udah observed that the present attempts by Dr Ngige to give the impression that the State Government and APGA are striving to shortchange him did not arise and will not fly.