COSHUP Press Release: Bayelsa Govt. Set toPartner COSHUP

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The Government of Bayelsa state has declared its intention topartner with the Community Social Humanitarian Project, COSHUP, in its bid toensure massive development of the rural areas of Nigeria.

 

Commissioner in charge of Bayelsa State Capital Development,Zuua Konugah declared the readiness of the state to partner with COSHUP duringa courtesy visit on the Organisation at her head office in Abuja yesterday.

 

Konugha, who commended COSHUP for her humanitarian Projects,described her areas of interest as impressive and all encompassing.

 

“The areas are very impressive. They tackle the basic needsof the people. Your concentration is on the rural people. You are coming to dothings that we have not been able to do for ourselves. We are willing and readyto partner with you. We shall also protect you.”

 

Adding his voice, Business Development Consultant to thegroup, Henry Daniel Elebiga  also  commended COSHUP for her people-orientedProjects.

 

He described the present Governor Seriake Dickson-led Administrationas having a strong vision of collaboration with Projects-centred Organisationslike COSHUP and further pledged their readiness for partnership.

 

“The new administration in Bayelsa has a strong vision ofcollaboration with programme-centred Organisations. The drive is to have anaggressive development to partner with well-established Institutions likeCOSHUP. Governor Dickson has a strong political will to change things in thestate for good.”

 

Responding, Country Representative and Executive Co-ordinatorof COSHUP, Mrs. Lilian Nkechi Omekara described the Organisation as aninterventionist Project, working in partnership with rural dwellers to bringsuccor to the rural people of Nigeria.

 

“When we see people thirsty for development, we getinterested. Our stakeholders are the rural dwellers. We want to do somethingdifferent to reduce rural-urban migration by taking development to thegrassroots.”

 

She mentioned some of the core areas of interest of COSHUP asincluding: Mass Housing, Agriculture, Education intervention, micro-Credit,among others.

 

Those in attendance during the visit were: Mrs. CarolNelson-Atuonwu, Ngozi Nwagbara, COSHUP head of Media, Walter Duru; Head ofAdmin, Victoria Ogoun (Mrs);  Bomo TonsFetepisi and Tony Ezediaro, legal practitioners.

 

It would be recalled that COSHUP recently had herground-breaking ceremony, marking the commencement of her Mass housing Project,as well as the unveiling of her other Projects.

 

The Organisation targets to build and donate a minimum ofninety three houses in each of the Local Government Areas of Nigeria.

 

COSHUP is International Non-governmental Organisation,working in partnership with rural dwellers to ensure massive rural andgrassroots development.

Walter Duru

 

Head of Media

Let’s Vote Physically Challenged For 2015 Presidency

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By Emmanel Onwubiko

 

In Nigeria today if an independent popularity contest is to be conducted by a body/group higher and purer in transparency and credibility than the current Independent National Electoral Commssion [INEC], I am sure that the contingent from Nigeria at the ongoing London Para-Olympics would rank among the very best to be closely followed by the wonderful set of  determined and highly patriotic young girls that constitute the Faconets Football Club that are paticipating at the ongoing Under-20 Women World Cup in Japan, the female national team which recently walloped national female teams from much developed and technologically advanced countries including Italy and Mexico. These Nigerian female footballers recently dispatched the Mexican national team to then qualify for the Semi-final of the Women Under-20 World Cup in Japan. This is a no mean feat indeed.

 

 

 

The male National team [Super Eagles] in the last two years failed spectacularly to win qualification to contest in any high profile global sporting competitions including the 2010 World Cup that took place for the first time on the African continent-in South Africa and even the African Nations’ Cup that took place in our South East neighboring nations of Gabon/Equatorial Guinea. There is therefore every reason to affirm that our Physically-challenged athletes at the London 2012 paralympic will come first in an popularity test.

 

 

 

This is because the Physically-challenged Team Nigeria at the Paralymics also in London has done Africa proud by winning two Gold Medals already in competitions as tough and competitive as Weighlifting. Mr. Yakubu Adesokan won Team Nigeria’s first Gold Medal in the Powerlifting event at the 2012 London ParaLympic Games.

 

 

 

Another of Mr. Adesokan’s team mate- Ivory Nwokorie won Team Nigeria’s second Gold medal in the Women’s 44kg powerlifting event of the London 2012 paralympic Games.

 

 

 

The media reported that Miss.Nwokorie who won a bronze medal in the Para-powerlifting Championship held in Dubai recently, lifted a combined weight of 109kg to finish ahead of Cigdem Dede of Turkey [Silver] and Lidia Soloviova of Ukraine [Bronze]. Sports analysts are hopeful that with the high spirit in the Team Nigeria’s camp at the ParaLympics in London, Nigeria will smile home with more high profile tournament’s medals. This is a very cheerful news.

 

 

 

If you read this trend of thought and still not convinced of the philosophical veracity and accuracy of this top popularity claim that physically challenged athletes have brought fame and international pride to the Nigerian nation, then wait a minute so I demolish all doubts in your mind.

 

 

 

Are you aware of the abysmal performance of the Nigerian contingent to the London Games that has just ended? For three weeks and some few days that the 2012 main Olympic took place in London, the United Kingdom, Nigeria came tops from the very rear [last position on the table]with no medal in all the categories of competitions that we entered for even after the highly compromised and corrupt Government officials and their collaborators from the sports committees of the two chambers of the National Assembly led the Nigerian able bodied athletes to that tournament that has turn out as our monumental show -of- shame said they blew away a whooping sum of N3 Billion at the event.

 

 

 

It is a fact that even the most unrepentant doubting Thomas will accept that our national psyche was heavily bruised, harassed and thoroughly insulted with the unverifiable and false claim by Sports ministry officials that over N3 Billion of tax payers money were expended to ensure the participation of Team Nigeria at the Games which turned out as our worst ever Olympic in recorded history since Nigeria became politically independent more than half a century now.

 

 

 

I use the word “False claim” because in Nigeria’s Government circle, there is a conventional tradition of total disregard for accountability so much so that all kinds of unsubstantiated receipts are raised by Government officials during international sporting events with the anticipation that if the outcome of such global sporting carnival becomes successful/favourable and eventful on our side, then most critical -minded Nigerian analysts would not find time to raise probing questions that border on transparency or lack of it in the use of the approved and cash-backed financial resources for that game since virtually all Nigerians would have been swallowed by euphoria and excitement surrounding such pyrrhic victories at global sporting tournaments.

 

 

 

But in this instance whereby the Team Nigeria failed woefully to pick up any medal of whatever colour at the London 2012 Olympics, attention was immediatelly turned to this bogus claim by the Federal Ministry of Sports of this monumental amount of cash wasted to attend the event that turned out a historic sporting fiasco in the sporting history of the largest country of the black people-Nigeria.

 

 

 

One of the most outspoken members of the athletes that made up the Team Nigeria at the just concluded Games in London told the international media that he does not believe that such huge amount of money was ever released or cash-backed for the purposes of training and participation of members of the Team Nigeria to the London Olympics. He said that he came to that conclusion because he practically paid for all his pre-olympic’s training programes and that the Nigerian ministry of Sports are not forthcoming with financial refund for the athletes that constituted the teamNigeria to the Games most of whom live abroad.

 

 

 

Another insider source alleged massive corruption on the part of the Federal Ministry of Sports in the deployment of the budget for the London Games. So far no independent financial audit of the expenses incurred at the 2012 London Olympic has been done and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission[EFCC] are in no mood to investigate the false financial claims.

 

 

 

In his reaction, President Good Luck Jonathan ordered what he termed total ‘overhaul’ of the Ministry of Sports/National Sports Commission but most people know that the current Federal administration and much of the administrations at the state and local Government levels are not committed to the eradication of economic crime and corruption among political office holders and so they do not trust a single word of the warning reportedly issued by the President to ‘restructure’ the near-moribund and corrupt sports minstry.

 

 

 

Already, those who have discerning and articulate minds must have read another sickening story that Government has given the National Sports Commission the ‘matching order’ to ensure that Team Nigeria at the Rio ‘De Janerio-Brazil Olympic in four Years time wins five Gold medals. In the just concluded London Games, the contingent were initially handed an order to win at least eight medals but the Team Nigeria could not pick a single medal even when smaller African Countries like Uganda, Kenya and Ethiopia won several medals without spending one fourth of the total heavy cash claimed to have been blown away by the ministry of Sports of Nigeria in the London Olympics.

 

 

 

The poor performance of the Team Nigeria at the 2012 Olympic got to the level of the absurd when a certain claim circulated in the local press in Nigeria that the then Nigeria’s medal hopeful from athletics- Miss. Blessing Okagbare could not win a medal at the final of the 100-meters Women championship won by the Jamaican at the London Olympic because of some ‘Spiritual forces’ caused by ‘African magic”.

 

 

 

By the way, I was not shocked to have read such a weird version in the local media because it is in this same Country that a high profile Government official serving on the Governing Board of the Niger Delta Developemnt Commission [NDDC] from Akwa Ibom state was arraigned by the Economic and Fiancial Crimes Commission [EFCC] and convicted alongside his ‘Witch/native doctor’ for allegedly diverting nearly one Billion Naira to perform rituals so that he can be made the Chairman of the Niger Delta Development Commission by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

 

 

 

It is this same country whereby some of the richest aristocrats are members of the Clergy of the many family run faith-based organzations. These very affluent clergy fly around in private exotic jets even when the clear majority of their members are wallowing in unmitigated absolute poverty and can barely afford three quality square meals daily. It is only in Nigeria whereby a Government anti-graft institution will arrest a former Governor of Delta State in the person of Jmaes Ibori for alegedly offering bribe of almost $15 million USD so that he could be set free from the indictment over theft of several Billions of fund belonging to the people of Delta state, only for the serving Governor who is the first cousin of the suspected fraudstar and former Governor to first reportedly claim that Delta State money is not missing but turned around after few years to claim that the same alleged bride money was indeed stolen from the Delta State Government and is now demanding the refund from the Central Bank of Nigeria.

 

 

 

It is only in Nigeria, a country of seemingly unending drama, that this same alleged bribe money that is a criminal case exhibit in the custody of the Central Bank of Nigeria is now being claimed by a private business man who has proceeded to the Federal High Court, Abuja division to aver that the said bribe money actually belonged to him and that it was sent to the former Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s Chairman, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu allegedly through the then Presidential Domestic Assistant to the then President Obasanjo and  a serving Senator Andy Uba for the funding of the 2007 Presidential Election and he is demanding the refund of this bribe money.

 

 

 

Wonders they say shall never end in Nigeria!  But when the inventors of this phrase-‘wonders shall never end’ discovered this saying, little did they know that a time will indeed arrive in a country like Nigeria whereby supposed rational Beings will elevate abasurdity and all-time fallacy to the level of craftmanship and indeed a career and even proceed to swear affidavits in a Court of law claiming that the person owns a controversial bribe/criminal exhibit.

 

 

 

This is shameful despicable and reprehensible to say the least.

 

 

 

Now I know that I have successfully demolished and wiped off all cobwebs and traces of doubts on your mind regarding my first premise that the Physicly-challenged athletes at the ongoing London 2012 ParaLympics with their impressive performance so far will come first in any transparent, free, fair and peaceful popularity contest now and most likely in 2015. So why not let one of the Physically-challenged persons of any of the two gender with formidable academic and moral records to contest the 2015 Presidential Election so Nigerians may witness the midas and golden touch to political leadership that may be brought to bear if a Physically-challenged but morally and academically sound Nigerian citizen is voted in as President in 2015?

 

 

 

I make this emphatic statement because from recorded history since Nigeria gained Independence, we have all but being ruled by persons with all the physical abilities and human physical attributes but lacking in moral rectitude and this is one of the likely reasons for our current state of backwardness in virtually all fields of human endeavor including sports.

 

 

 

I believe that the wonderful peformance of our Physically-challenged athletes at the 2012 London Paralympic Games has demonstrated that there is indeed ability in disability. Nigeria will be better if we vote in one of the many wonderfully gifted, intelligent, morally sound and incorruptible Physically-challenged compatriot to lead us as President in 2015 rather than keep going round in a notorious barbers’ chair syndrome of motion without movement [apologies to one public policy analyst in the early 80’s]. It is sickening and shameful that some persons who claimed to be rational to start campaigning that the current non-performing President Jonathan to contest election in 2015 when it is clear even to the most hopeless mentally wrecked person that this Government is presiding over the worst case of genocide and mass killings in Nigeria’s political history perpetrated in Northern Nigeria by members of the armed Islamic rebels seeking to overthrow the Government and curtail Nigeria’s religious pluralism and the Government has failed woefully to combat this menace. Under this Government, the data of the top officers of the State Security Service [SSS] was hacked into successfully and posted online by suspected fifth columnists within the ranks of the Government funded security agency.  How then will any rational person drum up campaign for the return of this non-performing Jonathan in 2015? This madness must stop. Period!

+Emmanuel Onwubiko, HEAD, Human Rights Writers’ Association of Nigeria, blogs @www.huriwa.blogspot.com

Rape of Judiciary: Appeal Court Judgment Was Doctored – Imoro Kubor

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*** Kubor heads for Supreme Court

*** President can’t lose his party for another- PDP

Appeal Court today ruled that the Governor of Bayelsa State, Hon.

Henry Seriake Dickson is the rightful candidate of the Peoples

Democratic Party (PDP). In a unanimous judgment delivered this morning

in Port-Harcourt , Rivers State, the Presiding Justices said they

admitted all the grounds filed by the Petitioners of Change Advocacy

Party (CAP) Dr. Imoro Kubor on merit, but dismissed the case on the

ground that Exhibits “N”, “D” and “L” were only but an internet print

out of the list of candidates of the election. Therefore they upheld

the Judgment of the lower Trial Tribunal.

Dr.  Imoro Goodhead Kubor, who earlier filed an appeal at the higher

Court challenging the ruling of the Justice Muhahmmed Ibrahim

Sirajo-led Tribunal but reverse is the case when all the grounds apart

from one that was objected, but wondered why the ruling was still

against the Change Advocacy Party’s candidate, Dr. Imoro Kubor,  You

can see a chameleon in the judgment. The judiciary is always working

hand in gloves with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)”, the National

Publicity Secretary, Hon. Anne Bonny said.

“We knew this would happen because in the morning at the gate of

Appeal Court was locked with key and people were barred from entry. I

as the National Publicity Secretary of the Change Advocacy Party (CAP)

was refused entry with party supporters. But when the PDP State

Chairman of Bayelsa came, he was allowed in to the court room.

Infact, our supporters were aggrieved and the gate was opened after

two hour of delivery of Judgment. And when the five appeal court

judges arrived, they apologies to both parties for coming behind time.

This also showed that the Judgment was well doctored before its

delivery”, CAP National Publicity Secretary said.

Counsel to the Change Advocacy Party, A.J. Owonikoko, SAN still stood

on his grounds of appeal that whether invalidly sponsored candidate by

a political party can rise on his stage of nomination? That Hon. Henry

Seriake Dickson was not nominated by the party. That the right of a

party to nominate is separate from the duty of the party to validly

sponsor a candidate. Now in this case, as par the close of nomination,

Hon. Henry Seriake Dickson was not a candidate with Independent

National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Peoples Democratic Party

(PDP) has no candidate.

He further contended that every grounds on the Notice Appeal heard on

merit by the Presiding Justices when the facts are very clear as

they(Judges) admitted but went ahead to give such Judgment.

When the candidate of the Change Advocacy Party (CAP) Dr. Imoro Kubor

was contacted on phone, said this has exposed the Judiciary on the

level of its image as it is no longer the hope of the common man. “I

have seen never seen this type of Judgment even though am not lawyer.

Even the common man at home will not give such judgment to two

families. You have accepted the grounds but give such judgment at the

end. This is unbelievable in the eyes of many. I will proceed to

Supreme Court for more interpretation of the matter since it is the

last arbiter of justice in the country”, Dr. Kubor lamented.

When our roving crew met a strong PDP member of Bayelsa State who

pleaded not to be on print said, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)

will be in danger of losing Bayelsa State to an unknown political

party when the nation’s President is from the place. He further

averred that it will be a slap on Mr. President if he allowed being

use by any political party in the state. Even if they go to Supreme

Court it will be same because that is where the seat of power is, he

boosted.

Don’t drag me into $15m Ibori bribe saga – Senator Uba

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The Senator representing Anambra South Senatorial District of Anambra
State and former Special Adviser to President Olusegun Obasanjo on
Special Duties, Dr. Andy Uba, has denied any involvement in the $15
million Ibori bribe saga.

In a statement issued by his aide, Mr. Chike Okeke, in Abuja, on
Friday, the senator said, “When I was in the presidency, my house in
the Villa was a convenient place for many top people in Nigeria to
come.

“Probably, Chief Ibori didn’t want to go to the EFCC office to hand
over the money and so decided to use my house.

“All I know about this matter is that Chief James Ibori brought some
money to the then EFCC chairman, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.

“The details of the transaction were undisclosed to me at the time.
The money was handed to Mallam Nuhu Ribadu who invited his then
Director of Operations, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, to fetch it.

“I was never a party to the transaction between Ibori and Ribadu.

“That my house was used as the venue for the transaction is not in
question as an affidavit to that effect has been sworn to by the
current EFCC chairman, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, which is probably the
point of confusion.

“I hereby state unequivocally that I have no involvement in this
matter beyond that stated above.

“So, I’m not involved and will not be involved in this matter. Nobody
should drag me into it please.”

Romney takes lead over Obama with convention “bounce”: Reuters/Ipsos poll

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Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney is shown around the stage during a walk through before the fourth day of the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida, August 30, 2012.

(Reuters) – Mitt Romney has moved into a narrow lead over U.S. President Barack Obama in a small bounce for him from the Republican National Convention, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found on Thursday.

Romney entered the week four points behind Obama in the first installment of a Reuters/Ipsos rolling poll, with Obama leading 46 percent to 42 percent.

But the most recent daily rolling poll gave Romney a two-point lead of 44 percent to 42 percent among likely voters.

The former governor of Massachusetts has been in the spotlight at the convention in Tampa, Florida, and was to make his acceptance speech on Thursday night in the biggest test of his White House bid.

Ipsos pollster Julia Clark said the poll results were proof that Romney is getting a positive outcome from the three-day Republican gathering.

“I’d say the convention is going very well for him,” she said.

So-called convention “bounces” are typically short-lived. With Obama to accept his party’s nomination for a second term next week at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, the incumbent could quickly rebound.

But the poll was further evidence of an extremely close race between Romney and Obama as they seek to energize party activists and appeal to undecided voters in battleground states who could determine the outcome of the election on November 6.

The Reuters/Ipsos poll also found signs that Romney’s likability rating is slowly improving among voters, two days after his wife, Ann, talked up her husband’s personal attributes and declared, “This man will not fail.”

While he still trails Obama by almost 20 points on likability, Romney is now at 30 percent for “likable,” up from 26 percent on Monday.

And 32 percent reported Romney is a “good person,” up from 29 percent on Monday. Obama still leads by 10 points in this category.

Clark said the improvement in polling on his personality traits is important because of how far he lags behind Obama in these areas.

“Any ground that he can gain on this is very critical,” she said.

Romney, 65, is basing his campaign for defeating Obama on promises to improve the U.S. economy and reduce its 8.3 percent unemployment rate.

This continues to be Romney’s strongest argument, as 76 percent of those polled said the U.S. economy is on the wrong track.

Voters remain split on Romney’s vice presidential running mate, Paul Ryan, who delivered a stinging rebuke of Obama during a prime-time convention speech on Wednesday night.

The survey found 47 percent of registered voters had a favorable view of Ryan, compared to 53 percent unfavorable.

For the survey, a sample of 1,481 American registered voters was interviewed online. The precision of the Reuters/Ipsos online polls is measured using a credibility interval. In this case, the poll has a credibility interval of plus or minus 2.9 percentage points for all respondents.

Zimbabwe Court Hands Mugabe Victory on By-Election Delay

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Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe attends the African Union conference in Addis Ababa on July 15, 2012

HARARE — A court in Zimbabwe has a granted President Robert Mugabe’s request to extend a deadline to call for elections to fill nearly 200 parliamentary and municipal seats.  Earlier this week, Mugabe asked the court for more time to generate the money needed to run the vote.
Mugabe was given until the first of October to organize the by-election by High Court Judge Justice George Chiweshe.
Advocate Ray Goba, who represented the president, leader of the ZANU-PF party, explained why his client cannot call for elections immediately as ordered by the court.
“Why is the president seeking an extension?  Well, the applicant is desirous to comply with the order,” Goba said. “Conducting 28 parliamentary and 164 local authority by-elections is tantamount is to holding a mini-general election.  To conduct such by-election, [the] government would require to mobilize huge financial resources and to consult wildly over the matter.”
Earlier this week, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai of the Movement for Democratic Change party, who formed a fragile power sharing government with Mugabe in 2009, told journalists that the president would not call for an election since there were some “administrative” issues to be dealt with.
Now that he has more time, Mugabe is expected to call for the “mini-general election” as ordered by the court.
The seats that have to be filled became vacant for reasons ranging from deaths to expulsions of the incumbents.
Zimbabwe is due to have general elections sometime next year, once ZANU-PF and the MDC sort out differences over a new constitution.  Mr. Tsvangirai and the MDC have said the elections can not take place until the new constitution has been adopted, in order to ensure free and fair elections.
Zimbabwe’s last elections in 2008 were deeply marred by violence, most of it by ZANU-PF supporters against perceived supporters of the MDC.

Michelle Obama: I haven’t watched the GOP convention

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David Letterman laughs while talking with first lady Michelle Obama on the set of the “Late Show with David Letterman,” Wednesday, Aug. 29, 2012, in New York.
(Credit: Jeffrey R. Staab,AP Photo/CBS)

(CBS News) Democrats shouldn’t follow Michelle Obama’s lead when it comes to paying attention to the Republican National Convention proceedings in Tampa, Fla., the first lady said in an appearance Wednesday on CBS’ “Late Show” with David Letterman.

 

“I, as the wife of the guy they’re running against, I tend not to watch it,” she said in the interview, which aired shortly after Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., accepted the GOP presidential nomination. “But I think it’s important for everyone to watch these conventions, because this is the time you get to know the party, you understand the platform, you understand the candidates.

 

“You know, this is technically where the campaign begins,” she continued. “So I think it’s very important for everyone to watch as much of both conventions as possible to make their decisions.”

 

Just days before her own party’s convention kicks off in Charlotte, N.C., Mrs. Obama said she’s “one of the few people” who’s not yet been worn down by the campaign season. “Being out there really does pump me back up,” she said.

Though she said her husband, President Obama, doesn’t bring his own energy from the trail home at the end of the day in an effort “to keep the home as a place of peace and solace,” she added “there are moments when there are interesting things that happen, and we discuss them.”

 

Case in point: Missouri Rep. Todd Akin’s “legitimate rape” remark, to which, when brought up by Letterman, Mrs. Obama rolled her eyes and groaned, “Oh, God!” Asked by Letterman if Akin’s comment is “not a big deal – I don’t know, dumb guys are allowed to say dumb things?” the first lady quipped, “That’s how guys are.”

 

Putting politics aside, Mrs. Obama also talked with Letterman about her work with the Joining Forces program, which helps veterans find jobs and tries to debunk certain stigmas that come with hiring them, like their potential for post-traumatic stress disorder. Letterman lauded the program for reaching its goal several weeks ago to hire 100,000 veterans and military spouses by 2013.

 

And since the appearance was billed by the White House as promotional for the first lady’s food and fitness initiatives, the two also talked about the first-ever “Kids’ State Dinner” she held recently, which hosted one child from each state, chosen by submitting his or her own healthy recipe. Challenged by Letterman on the kinds of healthy snacks featured, Mrs. Obama told him, “They were grubbin’ on the kale chips, I’m telling you!”

Ngige, Etiaba, Soludo Hail Orient Petroleum

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Prof Charles Soludo, former CBN Governor

*as Anambra becomes 10th oil producing state

Two former Anambra governors Senator Chris Ngige, Dame Virgy Etiaba and the former Governor of the Central Bank, Professor Chukwuma Soludo have described the declaration of the state as the tenth member of the oil producing states club vide the commissioning of oil production facilities of the Orient Petroleum Resources at Aguleri by President Goodluck Jonathan as a blessing to state.

Senator Ngige in an interview noted that, “This is a mile stone in the anals of our dear Anambra State because at last our state has officially been confirmed as an oil producing state.

“While I was here as governor my administration invited investors from far and wide when we made public the shares of Orient Petroleum and it was chaired by Chief Emeka Anyaoku at Tourist Garden Hotel Awka. On that day we made a draft of N100 million and promised to make available substantial amount of money when all the paper works have been concluded”

“So I congratulate Orient Petroleum and the entire people of Anambra State for this great achievement. But I must add that the revenue accruing from oil should be put to use judiciously and provide social security for the people of Anambra State and cost communities.

Professor Soludo said that with Orient Petroleum the state is going through transformation in the area of economy and social development. 

“I call it wonderful. It is a great day for Anambra State and the beginning of a long journey towards transformation of our state. Oil can be a blessing and can also be a cause. But let it be only blessing to our dear state. 

“Anambra should utilize such great achievement effectively such that in the next six to eight years it will not need a kobo to run the recurrent expenditure of the State”. 

“Soludo noted that it would jump start aggressive and strategic socio economic development of the state adding that;

“I pray that the production of oil would also create a friendly environment in our state and I urge those involved in this to see it as a challenge in liberating the economic status of the state from what it sis now to higher level. That is why I say it is wonderful”.

Etiaba pointed out that Anambra state was going to be an oil producing state with a difference as it began with pioneering the first wholly indigenous and private oil prospecting and refining company.

That she during her stint as the governor of the state did well to ensure the realization of the epoch making event of the day.

Jonathan Declares Anambra 10th Oil State , Commissions Orient Oil Production

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President Goodluck Jonathan at the Orient Petroleum Resources oil production commissioning yesterday at Aguleri, Anambra state

*promises FG assistance to oil sector investors

Anambra state yesterday became the latest oil producing state in the country when President Goodluck Jonathan commissioned the production of oil at the Aguleri, facility of the Orient Petroleum Resources (OPR), Ltd.

The drilling of oil at the facility which became productive few months ago was the high point of the journey which began in 2002 when the Federal Government granted license to the company to establish and approval to construct a 55,000bpd refinery.

According to the visibly elated President Jonathan, “the good of today is not just for the people of Anambra state or Orient Petroleum Resources, but for the entire nation. Anambraa basin has a lot of gas that would be explored…” He therefore called investors in the sector to come in, but not just to export the crude but to refine the product and add value to it as people who add value to it makes more money than those who export just raw crude. He commended Orient for going ahead to pioneer the initiative, by even diversifying into refining of products.

the helicopters that brought President and his entourage to Anambra state

He noted that the transformation agenda of his administration encourages private partnership assuring that the FG would support Orient to succeed. At this juncture, he formally announced the admission of Anambra state as the latest oil producing state in the federation.

President Jonatthan jocularly pointed out that as his helicopter touched down and he saw the blazing flames from gas flaring he then believed the oil production was true, real and was no deceit at all. While the site of large barges containing the produced crude was indeed very reassuring.

He admitted that “the vision of Orient to diversify and venture into refining is the way to go. And challenged other investors in the sector to emulate them.

That it was reason the transformation agenda of the administration was private sector driven, as the governments would not do it alone. He said the government was already working out ways to assist companies like Orient to go further.

He said that with the discovery of oil in Anambra basin, Anambra state has now joined the league of oil producing states, as its newest member. And that with that, “The flag of Resource Control is now flying in Anambra state”. He thanked the management team of OPR led by its board chairman and former Secretary General of Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyoku for the feat”, Mr President stated.

Gov Peter Obi in his remark described the event as “historical which was due to the resilience and perseverance of the management of Orient”. That the state today became an oil producing and is pioneering it through private sector initiative in the country.

Anyoku pointed out that due diligence has been taken by the company in every step of their operations and over every form of community relations and has in conjunction with the state government set up a conflict resolution committee to nip all communal disagreements.

He said they have already been stockpiling the crude in readiness for the first phase of their refinery coming on next year.

The Minister said the FG is giving attention to the nation’s inland sedimentary basin as well as finding ways to support local investors in the oil sector. She promised to assist the Orient succeed as the first indigenous inland oil prospector.

Jonathan who came early afternoon aboard white airforce helicopter marked NAF-541 escorted by another painted in airforce fatigue colour reg NAF-571 and another reg NNPC 5N-AQL painted with the NNPC stripes, along with a retinue of his Ministers including Finance, and petroleum resources was received by Senator chris Ngige, Gov Obi, Anyoku, former Vice President Alex Ekwueme, former Gov Dr Chinwoke Mbadinuju, former CBN governor Prof Chukwuma Soludo, Prof Dora Akunyili. He left straight to Onitsha where he commissioned some private sector projects.