Thursday 28 May 2015

Buhari tours Aso Villa, receives handover notes from Jonathan [Full speech and photos inside]


President Goodluck Jonathan today took president-elect Muhammadu Buhari on a guided tour of Aso Villa, the official presidential residence in Abuja.

The tour was followed by a ceremony to mark the presentation of Jonathan’s handover notes to his successor. The full speech made by Jonathan on the occasion is at the bottom of the page.
tour
REMARKS BY
HIS EXCELLENCY, PRESIDENT GOODLUCK EBELE JONATHAN, GCFR,
ON THE OCCASION OF THE PRESENTATION OF HAND OVER NOTES
TO THE PRESIDENT-ELECT,
MUHAMMADU BUHARI, GCFR
THURSDAY, 28TH MAY, 2015
PROTOCOLS
  1. I welcome you all to this occasion of the formal presentation of the Hand-over notes of my Administration to the in-coming Administration of the President-Elect, General Muhammadu Buhari.
  2. This event and tomorrow’s inauguration of a new administration are truly historic as it is the first time in the history of our nation that we are witnessing the democratic and orderly transfer of power at the Federal level from one political party to another.
  3. The Hand-over notes which we now present, contain the governance philosophy, strategies, policies, programmes and activities of my Administration for the period – 2011-2015. Also to be found in the notes are the objectives, targets and implementation strategies, achievements and challenges of our key policies, schemes, initiatives as well as the status of commitments and liabilities of the various MDAs.
  4. As we hand over the affairs of the nation, it is appropriate to recall that at inception, in May 2011, we committed ourselves to consolidating national unity through democratization and good governance. Our assessment then, and our firm belief ever since, is that the unity of Nigeria, the security, well-being, greater freedoms and opportunities for all citizens must remain the primary objectives of government.
  5. The Agenda for National Transformation which we did our best to implement consisted of clear and consistent governance strategies, policies, plans, programmes and projects, in all facets of our national life. Emphasis was placed on human and state security, democratization, sound economic management, as well as structural and institutional reforms.
  6. Our foremost concern was the unity of Nigeria.In keeping with that concern, we engineered a process that began with a review of issues outstanding from previous Constitutional Conferences by the Belgore Committee. After that, we widened political consultations through a National Dialogue that was orchestrated through the Okurounmu Committee. These culminated in the all-inclusive National Conference which unanimously reaffirmed that Nigeria must remain united and indivisible.
  7. The Conference also made resolutions and recommendations for serious constitutional, political and governance reforms, which we have forwarded to the National Assembly for appropriate legislative action. It is our hope that the incoming Government will accord the Report of the National Conference the very high priority that it deserves, as a genuine expression of the will of our people.
  8. The recognition that the starting point for good governance is the legitimacy of the government itself informed our commitment to promoting free and fair elections.
  9. It also motivated innovations in the management and conduct of elections which we undertook. Hopefully, in the years ahead, those innovations will be properly and fully implemented so that Nigerians will be even more assured of the integrity of the electoral system and the legitimacy of any government that it produces.
  10.  To strengthen the social contract between the government and the governed, we institutionalized the rule of law as well as the independence of the legislature and the judiciary.  We also promoted group and individual freedoms. As a result, there is vast expansion in democratic, social and economic space for all citizens.
11.Our nation and citizens faced many new challenges over the past four years but the greatest was the vastly increased menace of Boko Haram with their mindless terror, mass killings, utter ruthlessness, kidnapping of innocent children and other unspeakable acts of brutality.
  1.   We should all remember that Boko Haram’s emergence predated our administration going as far back as 2002. The group however became extremely malignant with the killing of its leader, Mohammed Yusuf in July 2009.
  2.   It therefore became an urgent task for us to effectively confront the great threat Boko Haram posed to the security and well-being of our people. To do so, we overhauled and virtually reinvented our security architecture to confront Boko Haram and its insurgency. We re-organized our security apparatus. We re-equipped and fully motivated our forces.
  3.   Victory is now in sight and within our reach. However, the cost in blood of citizens and heroes; and the diversion of national treasure from urgent needs for development have been very high. While more than 500 women and children have been rescued from the clutches of Boko Haram thus far by our security forces, it remains my sincere hope and prayer that our beloved daughters from Chibok will soon be reunited with us.
  4.   I wish to thank the Nigerian people for their resilience and patience. I also wish to pay very special and personal tribute to all the men and women of our valiant armed forces and security agencies. Their sacrifice and dedication have brought us thus far.
  5.   While striving to overcome our national security challenges, we still gave necessary attention to economic development. Our goal was to achieve long-term economic growth and stability, improve the quality and quantum of infrastructure and enhance human capital development.
  6.   Our financial system reforms included the Treasury Single Account [TSA] that unified the structure of government accounts for all MDAs and thereby brought order to cash flow management; and Government Integrated Financial Management Information System [GIFMIS] was introduced to plug leakages and waste of resources. The Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System [IPPIS] weeded out60,450 ghost workers in 359 out of 425 MDAs, yielding N185.4 billion in savings to the Federal government.
  7. Improved Revenue Mobilization was achieved through improvements in the laws and compliance measures. In 2013 alone, these measures resulted in a 69% rise in Federal tax revenues from N2.8 trillion to N4.8 trillion. Also, Waiver Policy and Trade Facilitation were reformed to create a more rational regime. Our emphasis shifted to granting waivers to specific sectors instead of individual companies and the Sovereign Wealth Fund was established to provide stabilization from external shocks, provide funding for critical infrastructure and savings for future generations.
  8.   Our Financial Sector reforms addressed the issues of inefficiencies in the coordination and monitoring of the financial system. Our policies promoted transparency, better risk management, new banking models and payment systems. We established the Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria as a resolution mechanism for toxic banking assets. We strengthened banking supervision and enhanced public confidence in Nigerian Banks
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  1. Similarly, we undertook innovative reforms for job creation and repositioned the manufacturing, agriculture and housing sectors. Specifically, it was observed that over the years, job creation did not keep pace with economic growth. Thus unemployment, especially amongst the youth was assuming alarming dimensions.
  2.   To address this, my administration made job creation a key consideration for all programmes in the Transformation Agenda. Emphasis was also shifted towards empowering youths to become entrepreneurs rather than job seekers, through such initiatives as Youth Enterprise with Innovation in Nigeria (YOU-WIN), Graduate Internship Scheme (GIS), the SURE-P Technical Vocational Education and Training Programme (TVET) and the Youth Employment in Agriculture Programme (YEAP).
  3. Manufacturing in Nigeria faces many challenges, including poor power supply, high cost of input, high cost of doing business, multiple taxation, poor infrastructure and lack of synergy with the labour market.  To address these problems, we launched several programmes and initiatives including the National Industrial Revolution Plan and a new National Automobile Policy designed to boost domestic car production and expand existing capacity. Since then, five new private vehicle assembly plants have been established.
  4. Agriculture is critical to national survival and yet the sector was besieged with many problems. By year 2010, Nigeria was the second largest importer of food in the world, spending about N1.3 trillion on the importation of fish, rice and sugar alone.
  1. The reforms we introduced in agriculture dramatically increased local production of staple food and saved us vast amounts of money that we would have spent on the importation of food items.
  1. To address the glaring inadequacy of critical national infrastructure, we focused on the Power Sector, Roads, Railways, Aviation, Ports and Harbours as well as on Water and Sanitation, Information and Communication Technology.
  1. My government introduced the Power Sector Roadmap in 2010.Since then, we have privatized the generation and distribution aspects in a most transparent process. Obstacles to the private sector investments in power supply were removed and we developed cost effective electricity tariff to make the sector more attractive. It remains our hope that the successor companies to PHCN and also the private sector will step forward with the necessary investment to make the power reform work.

  1. The major challenge in the road sector in Nigeria is the high cost of building roads and it continues to rise. The other challenge is the fact that because of regular use, roads are one of the fastest depreciating assets in developing countries.
  1. To address this, Government has developed the required legal and regulatory framework and created opportunities for Private Public Partnership (PPP) in road construction and maintenance.
  1. From Ore/Benin Road, Lagos/Ibadan Expressway to the Kano/Maiduguri dualisation projects, we made concerted efforts to address age-long problems of delays in construction, design defect, neglect and ineffective maintenance. The construction of the historic Second Niger Bridge has also commenced, and on completion, it will open new and far-reaching opportunities for greater trade and interaction among our people.
  1. In the Aviation Sector, our government developed a Master Plan to institutionalise safety and security, and to develop infrastructure at the airports and local airlines. We embarked on the reconstruction and rehabilitation of 22 airports nationwide. Construction work on five new international terminals in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Kano and Enugu are also on-going.
  1. There has been a revolution in rail transportation. We rehabilitated the old narrow gauge network and ensured that it has served our people steadily for three years running with new coaches and improved expanded services nationwide.

  1. We are in the construction stages of a new national network for standard gauge speed-train services, with the new rail line segment, from Abuja to Kaduna, successfully completed. In addition, we have initiated the process for the construction of an ultramodern coastal rail line that will run from Lagos to Calabar, with a link to Onitsha.

  1. We have also successfully completed the dredging of River Niger, from Warri in Delta State to Baro in Niger State, and completed construction works for the Onitsha River Port. Other River Ports at Baro, Lokoja and Oguta, are at advanced construction stages. Working with the states and development partners, we have facilitated the process towards the development of two new deep sea ports at Lekki in Lagos, and Ibaka in Akwa Ibom. We have also implemented reforms to streamline the clearing regime in existing ports, increasing cargo turnover time and easing business for all users.
  1. In the oil and gas sector, our local content policy has continued to empower Nigerian companies, particularly in technical and engineering projects. The Gas Revolution Industrial Park in Delta State is unprecedented in the sub
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sector, and will not only deliver Africa’s biggest industrial park, but all the accompanying benefits to local industry and job creation.
  1. We recognized Human Capital as the most important agent for transformational development. Our reforms in this sector focused on Health, Education and Social Development and also on Women and Youth Empowerment and Social Safety Nets.

  1. In the Health sector, the comprehensive National Strategic Health Development Plan (NSHDP) of 2011 laid the foundation for widening access and improving the quality of healthcare with lower infant mortality rates and higher life expectancy for the populace.Our effective curtailment of the Ebola epidemic has continued to receive worldwide acclaim as an example in prompt and effective national disease management. On our watch, guinea-worm has been eradicated from Nigeria and we are on the verge of wiping out polio entirely.
  1. In the Education sector, our objectives are clear and precise. They emphasise expansion of access and the upgrade of quality. I am proud that we have widened access by establishing 18 more Federal Universities and other specialized polytechnics. We strengthened TETFUND and used it to boldly address the problems of inadequate infrastructure in the existing institutions.
  1. I am particularly proud of our efforts with regards to Early Childhood Education and Out-of-School Children. We provided modern hybrid Almajiri Education Programme in the North, attended to schooling needs of boys in the South-East and ensured the construction of special girls’ schools in 13 States of the Federation to improve girl-child education. We expanded opportunities for open and distance learning and provided scholarships at all levels to help improve access to quality education for bright and promising Nigerians.
  1. We have promoted gender-mainstreaming with commensurate priority and opportunities for our womenfolk, beginning with ensuring that not less than 30 per cent of key Federal appointments go to women. Other initiatives that we have taken include: the National Gender Policy, Establishment of Gender Units in Federal MDAs, Women Empowerment Training Programmes, Micro-Credit for Women, Social Safety Net Programmes and the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) Scheme.
  2. My Administration has emphasized giving a free hand to our Anti-corruption agencies such as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC). We preferred that they mature into strong institutions instead of being the images, the hammer and the anvil of a strong man. We must encourage them to abide by the rule of law and due process instead of resorting to dramatic or illegal actions orchestrated for cheap applause
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  1. Beyond the very impressive records of enhanced convictions by statutory anti-corruption agencies like the EFCC and ICPC, our other strategy has been to fashion economic policies that deliver higher deterrence and frustrate concealment. In this regard, the Bureau of Public Procurement has played a central role and impacted strongly on the fight against corruption.
  2. In Sports, we have improved our national performance in team and individual events. The disappointment of not qualifying to defend our African Football Championship was cushioned by a decent FIFA World Cup appearance, an Under-17 World Cup win in addition to other victories in other international football tournaments and the Paralympics. We have also encouraged excellence in other sports, apart from football, resulting in exceptional performance in international sporting events, especially in athletics.
  1. Our foreign policy position remains strong. In October 2013, Nigeria was elected as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the second time on our watch. Our country had only served in that capacity thrice before 2011, since independence in 1960. Our Administration also played a leading role in the resolution of security and political challenges in our sub-region, particularly in Niger, Cote D’Ivoire, Mali, Guinea-Bissau and Burkina Faso.
  1. In addition, we increased engagement with Nigerians in the diaspora who contribute so much in remittances to their fatherland. Our Administration successfully encouraged more of them to invest in Nigeria and others to return home and join in the task of nation-building.
  2. In summary, Your Excellency, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, our administration has done its best to intervene robustly and impact positively on key aspects of our national life.
  3. There is no doubt that challenges still abound, but they are surmountable and overwhelming national transformation remains realisable, with continuity, commitment and consistency.
  4. Nigeria is blessed with citizens that will always remain faithful, firmly committed to national unity, accelerated political, social and economic development.
  5. As we hand over the reins of government, I believe that our nation is secure, our democracy is stable, and the future is bright. Let us all work together, and with greater resolve, continue to build a stronger and more prosperous nation.
  6. May God Almighty continue to bless our dear country, Nigeria.
  7. I thank you all.

Decoration firm vows to drag Pres Jonathan to court over N360 million debt


With less than 48 hours to the inauguration of a new administration, the company which handled the contract for the decoration of Peoples Democratic Party presidential campaigns in all the states of the federation on Wednesday threatened to drag President Goodluck Jonathan and the party to court over unpaid debts estimated at N360m.

The decoration firm has, however, scheduled a protest for today (Thursday) at the PDP Headquarters in Wadata House, Abuja to possibly prevail on the party to release its funds.

The Managing Director of Twinkles World Ltd., Mr. Tunde Agarawu, and the Project Coordinator, Mr. Awonaiya Olayemi, at a press briefing in Abuja, said their lawyer had already issued a seven-day ultimatum on the PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation within which to offset the debt or face a legal action.

Agarawu said since Jonathan lost the presidential election to Muhammadu Buhari, he and the PDP hierarchy had failed to pay most debts incurred for the campaigns.

He alleged that Prof. Jerry Gana and other members of the PDPPCO deliberately withheld their money, even though a directive had been given by the immediate-past chairman of the party, Adamu Mu’azu, that the debts be cleared.

While several efforts by journalists to get Jerry Gana for response were not successful, calls and text messages to his Personal Assistant, Mr. James Agbo, over the same matter were not replied.

Agarawu, who said no mobilisation fund was given to them before the commencement of the project, added that banks and corporate bodies where they sourced loans to execute the project were already demanding for payment of their funds.

Animal right activist comes for Khloe Kardashian for taking photos with wild Animals


It seems the Kardashians can do no right, they don't freely get away with stuffs other people or even celeb does. Well, its one of those things that comes with Stardom. One of the Kardashian beauty 'Khloe' is under fire for taking pictures with wild animals in Dubai. 
We're disappointed to see yet another celebrity posing with a wild animal,' Silia Smith of WorldAnimal Protection told DailyMail.com. 'Tiger cubs belong in the wild, with their mothers – not incaptivity for use as entertainment or photo props.''While interacting with wild tigers may seem harmless, people posing with wildlife don't realize that a "once in a lifetime" photo for them means a lifetime of misery for the animal. To be used for entertainment, wild tigers are cruelly poached from the wild as babies or bred in captivity,' Smith added. 

Jonathan to Buhari: If you probe me, probe Obasanjo, Abdulsalami, others too


President Goodluck Jonathan has advised the incoming president, Muhammadu Buhari, not to single his administration out for probe.

He said if Mr. Buhari must investigate him and his administration, he should do the same for the past governments.

A probe centred only on the Jonathan administration will amount to a “witch hunt”, the president said Wednesday at a valedictory cabinet meeting attended by ministers ahead of his handing over to Mr. Buhari on Friday.

Mr. Jonathan said his comments followed calls from different quarters for his administration to be investigated.
Some people are even calling for the probe of the government, but I think in Nigeria, there are a lot of many things that will be probed, very many things, even debts owed by states and debts owed by this country from 1960 up to this time. 
“They say it is Jonathan’s administration that is owing these debts. I believe that anybody that is calling for probe must also ensure that this probe is extended beyond the Jonathan administration. 
“Otherwise, to me, it will be witch-hunt. If we are very sincere, it is not only the Jonathan administration that should be probed. 
“If you are very sincere, then it is not only the Jonathan administration that you probe. 
“A number of things have gone wrong, we have done our best. The Attorney-General is aware of massive judgment debts, if you aggregate all the judgment debts, the recent ones that we discovered is going into 1 billion dollars. 
“How did we come to these kinds of judgment debts? These issues should be probed. How did we allocate our oil fields, oil wells, marginal fields and so on? Did we follow our laws? All these should be probed and I believe many more areas need to be looked at.’’
 The president said the cabinet had tried very well under a very difficult political situation.

He said the current fuel scarcity was politically motivated as the nation had 31 days reserve but those who wanted to bring the administration down refused to lift petroleum.




President Elect Buhari and his vice Osibanjo to tour Aso Rock today ahead of tomorrow's handing over ceremony


Part of the procedures leading to the handing over ceremony which is to take place tomorrow May 29th have it that President-elect Muhammadu Buhari and his vice, Professor Yemi Osinbajo will be led on a facility tour to Aso Rock by President Jonathan and Vice President Namadi Sambo.

Oshiomhole attacks Okonjo-Iweala, says Minister destroyed Nigerian economy


The Edo State governor, Adams Oshiomhole, has lambasted outgoing finance minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, over her claims that states received N2.92 trillion excess crude money between 2011 and 2014 with little to show, Premium Times reports.

Mr. Oshiomhole accused the minister of gross mismanagement of the Nigerian economy, saying she was merely feeding Nigerians with half-truths in the last four years.
Mr. Oshiomhole said the minister has herself to blame as she ran the Excess Crude Account as a “one-man show”.
The governor said Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala’s recent outcry against oil marketers over falsification of fuel subsidy claims may have been out of in fear about the incoming President, Muhammadu Buhari.
“It is quite intriguing that with barely few days left in office, she has suddenly woken up from her slumber to realize that oil marketers have all along been falsifying subsidy claims and defrauding the nation of billions of naira and dollars,” the governor said.
He said the person best placed to explain the state of the country’s economy at the moment was Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala.

As a member of the National Economic Council, Mr. Oshiomhole said he had spoken out publicly at different times about the way the economy was managed by Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala.
“The question to ask is: how come that it is now, for the first time, that we are hearing from the Minister of Finance about fraudulent claims by the oil marketers amounting to billions of Naira? At what point did the Minister of Finance and CME realize that these fraudulent and similar claims are going on?When did it start? Is it just recently or it has been going on all along? These questions are pertinent because we know that if the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) were doing its work diligently, all claims by oil marketers would be vetted on a daily basis before their payments are processed by the Ministry of Finance. Hence, there should be no dispute about the amount due to oil marketers at any point in time.
“What the foregoing, therefore, suggests is that all along, PPPRA, the Ministry of Finance and the oil marketers have been involved in an unholy alliance, in the mismanagement of the fuel subsidy regime and in the process defrauding the nation of its revenues,” the governor said.

Photo: Nigerian Proposed after 6 Months, then Told Wife He Only Wedded Her for Visa


Deana Charles was left humiliated when her Nigerian groom was found texting another woman just half an hour after their wedding. Then he admitted he only married her for a visa.
Sales assistant Deana, from Tiverton, Devon, met Ben, 25, on a dating site in 2010. She was instantly attracted to his looks and was hooked after he struck up a flirty conversation with her. 
“My whole world came crashing down when I found out my marriage was a fake. I loved Ben with all my heart. We’d made loads of plans for the future and he seemed desperate to start a family.
”I wasn’t serious about finding love, I’d only signed up for a bit of a laugh. As soon as I saw Ben’s picture, though, I was smitten. He had gorgeous brown eyes and a great body — just my type. We started chatting and he explained he’d come to the UK from Nigeria to study for a business degree. I couldn’t imagine being so far away from my family and friends and I told him he was really brave.”
Ben was persistent online and was keen to meet up as soon as possible. Deana was nervous at first but, three months after they started talking, she agreed to travel to London to meet him for a day of sightseeing. She continued:


“It was the perfect first date. Ben took me to see Big Ben and we went to the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich. As soon as we shared our first kiss I could feel myself falling for him.
He asked me to stay for a few days and I said yes. It felt like I’d known him for ages.”
 Days turned into weeks and, after a fleeting visit home to pick up some belongings, Deana agreed to move in with Ben in Catford, South East London.
“I was surprised when he asked me to move in with him so soon but I was also really excited. But my mum was really concerned that I was giving up everything for someone I’d only just met.Some of my friends said the same. No one was completely sure of him. I just shrugged off their concerns because I was convinced he was the right man for me.”In August 2011, six months after they first met in person, Ben popped the question. 
“Ben asked me to marry him while we were having breakfast at home. It wasn’t very romantic. He didn’t even get down on one knee, but he did buy me an imitation diamond ring. I was shocked he wanted to marry me so soon but I was completely in love.”
Though she’d dreamt of a big, romantic wedding, Ben was determined to wed as soon as possible. So Deana agreed to a register office wedding in January 2012, with a low-key reception at a local Chinese restaurant.
“My family were concerned but they all turned out and supported me. When I walked down the aisle Ben told me I looked stunning. And I meant every word of my vows.”After the ceremony, Deana urged Ben to call his family to tell them the good news.
“He was reluctant to get his phone out. He eventually agreed to call his mum but when I looked over his shoulder at the screen, a message flashed up from a girl. She’d texted Ben to tell him she loved and missed him. My legs turned to jelly as I remembered she was his ex-girlfriend in Nigeria. was in pieces but Ben begged me for another chance. He said he’d only text her because of last-minute nerves. I didn’t want to storm out of my wedding so, after lots of tears, I let it go.”
“I wanted to wait a few years before getting pregnant as I was still worried about the message. But Ben was determined to be a dad. I thought it was his way of showing he was serious. We tried for a baby but we struggled to conceive.”
But 13 months into their marriage, Deana borrowed Ben’s laptop and her worst fears were confirmed.

“My heart stopped when I saw he’d been sending messages to a girl on a social network site and she had sent him explicit pictures. Ben told her he loved her and wanted a baby with her.
Minutes later I received a message from the girl — she felt so guilty, she’d messaged me to come clean.”
 Devastated Deana confronted Ben.

“When he realised there was no way back, he told me he’d only married me for a visa. It explained why he’d been so keen to get me pregnant — the authorities would find it harder to deport him.”Disgusted Deana packed her bags, returned to Devon the next day and filed for divorce. After two years, Ben finally agreed to it. Deana says: 
“I felt relieved. Looking back, I realise how naive I was. Ben was due to finish his degree when he proposed, which meant his student visa would expire. He had to get me up the aisle as soon as possible.”
Deana, who has not spoken to Ben since their divorce and no longer knows where he lives, says:
“It took me a long time to trust another man but I have recently met someone and am trying to move on.”
 Ben says:

“My mate used to send me dirty pictures of girls he was seeing. I knew my wife would get jealous if she saw them on my phone so I got rid of them or sent them to my email. She must have checked my email that day and then found the pictures.”

Culled from sun.co.uk

Buhari Arrives Nigeria Ahead Of His Swearing-In Tomorrow (Photos)


President-elect Mohammadu Buhari arrived Nigeria via British Airways this morning after 6 days in the UK ...His flight landed at 5:20am at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja ahead of the Presidential inaugaration ceremony tommorow May 29th.

Buhari on board British Airways Abuja bound flight 


Welcome back!


Kim K shares adorable photo of North West laughing in bath tub

Aww, too cute!

I was a motor park tout-Benue Governor-Elect Reveals


The Benue State Governor-elect, Chief Samuel Ortom, has revealed his grass to grace story.He ays he was once a motor park tout and his election as governor as a divine arrangement and the handiwork of God.Speaking to Punch in an exclusive chat in Makurdi,he owed his success to God and hardwork.
He said, “My journey from being a motor park tout to an elected governor is purely a divine arrangement. I cast my mind back to when I dropped out of school in Form 2 but I remained hardworking and I did not engage in crime to survive. One thing I know is that hard work pays and you must keep faith with God; power belongs to God and He alone gives it to whoever He will.”
The former Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment said he had dropped out of school in Form 2 due to lack of funds but this did not force him to engage in criminal activities to survive.

Inauguration Day: All The Must See Pre-May 29 Photos


With just few hours to go, preparations is at top gear for the May 29 Inauguration Day that would usher in the incoming administration of President-Elect Muhammadu Buhari.

The high-octane event is expected to attract world leaders and will hold at Eagles Square, Abuja.

Peep below for some pre-event photos showing parade rehearsals and equipment set-up among others.

Fuel Scarcity: Aviation Minister Rides Bicycle To Final FEC Meeting (Photos)


Aviation Minister, Osita Chidoka rode a bicycle to finalFECmeetinginAbuja. Yesterday's FEC meeting is the last in the life of the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan.

Speaking to journalists, Chidoka said he rode the bicycle to the meeting in a bid to drive home a point that all means of transportation are very vital.

The minister expressed immense gratitude for the opportunity he received to serve the nation under President Jonathan’s administration which would be officially over on Friday, May 29, 2015.

He said, “The most important thing is that we have done our best and we are moving on. The president has allowed the widening of democracy.”