Sunday, October 18, 2015

Jonathan seeks Obasanjo’s support for his foundation



Former President Goodluck Jonathan has written a letter to ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo informing him of his desire to set up a foundation as part of his plans to promote peace and prosperity.
In the alleged letter dated September 22, which perhaps will be his first since leaving office, obtained by Sahara Reporters and part of which was posted online, Jonathan informed Obasanjo that he would be devoting the rest of his life and energy to making the world a better place.
In the letter, he was quoted to have begun the letter with ‘Dear Baba’, seeking Obasanjo’s blessing on his yet-to-be established organisation, The Goodluck Jonathan Foundation, adding that he is finalising efforts to set up the foundation which is expected to take off by the third quarter of 2016.
The ex-president told Obasanjo that the foundation would be set up in Bayelsa State, urging the latter to reach him through his staff in case of any enquiries.
In the message written on a letterhead which the online medium said carried the inscription ‘The Office of Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, President, Federal Republic of Nigeria 2010 and 2015’, Jonathan told Obasanjo what he had been doing since he handed over power to President Muhammadu Buhari in May.
“On Friday, 29 May, 2015; I completed my term of office as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and successfully handed over government to President Muhammadu Buhari, I immediately proceeded on a long deserved break; I have enjoyed a delightful time with my family and close friends.
“Furthermore, I will be devoting the rest of my life and energy to making the world a better place.  I am currently finalising efforts to set up The Goodluck Jonathan Foundation.  More details on the work of the Foundation will be available at the launch, which I believe should take place by the 3rd quarter of 2016,” he wrote.
Jonathan, according to the online report, said he looked forward to Obasanjo’s continuous support, counsel and cooperation.
The online news medium reported that Obasanjo responded to Jonathan with a terse letter saying he wishes him good luck in his future endeavours.
In the past, the two former presidents had exchanged contentious letters which were leaked to the press revealing the frosty relationship between them.
Meanwhile, Jonathan is expected to be in Tanzania this week as part of the team to monitor the country’s general election which comes up on October 25. According to the acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Ambassador Hassan Yahya, Jonathan will lead the Commonwealth team.
He is expected to hold press conferences in Tanzania before and after the elections.
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Pope to visit Africa




The Vatican, on Saturday, released the itinerary for Pope Francis’ visit to Africa, scheduled for November 25 to 30.
A statement made available on the Vatican’s official website noted that Pope Francis’ Apostolic Voyage to Kenya, Uganda, and the Central African Republic will be the Pontiff’s first visit to Africa as Pope.
“The five-day visit will include a visit to a poor neighbourhood in Nairobi, Kenya; a visit to the Anglican and Catholic martyrs’ shrines in Namugongo, Uganda; and a visit to a refugee camp in the Central African Republic,” the statement read.
According to the itinerary, on Wednesday, November 25, the visit will depart at 7:45 am from Rome Fiumicino to Nairobi, Kenya. At 5 pm, he is scheduled to arrive at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi and attend a welcome ceremony at the State House in Kenya.
A courtesy visit to the President of the Republic at the State House in Nairobi is slated for 6 pm and 30 minutes after, a meeting with the civil authorities of Kenya and with the diplomatic corps
On Thursday, November 26, at 8:15 am, there will be an interreligious and ecumenical meeting in the Salon of the Apostolic Nunciature in Nairobi. At 10:00 am, the Pope will attend a Holy Mass on the Campus of the University of Nairobi and at 3.45 pm, a meeting with “clergy, religious men and women, and seminarians, at the athletic field of St Mary’s School.”
The Pope will then embark on a 5:30 pm visit to the United Nations Office in Nairobi.
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Boko Haram: UK group urges police to work with scholars

Leke Baiyewu and Bayo Akinloye


The Nigeria Diaspora Security Forum has advised the Nigeria Police to pay more attention to soft targets, as they focus on Boko Haram attacks.
It urged the police to set up a committee comprising security agents, security consultants and academicians on how to protect the citizenry.
Coordinator of the United Kingdom-based group, Mr. Temitope Olodo, in a press release sent to SUNDAY PUNCH on Friday, described the sect’s attack on a mosque in Borno State on Thursday as “malicious and diabolical.”
The terrorist group had attacked a mosque in Maiduguri, killing 37 worshippers.
Olodo stated that terrorism was alien to Nigerian culture.
According to him, Nigerians should know that the actions of the individuals responsible for this carnage and their sponsors do not align with the desire of the great people of Nigeria who are peace loving people.
He said, “NDSF is calling on the leadership of Nigeria Police to set up a committee of academicians, serving police officers and security consultants to investigate Boko Haram’s interest in soft-target attacks to develop practical solutions and recommendations on how best to protect ordinary Nigerians.
“NDSF is calling on the Ministry of Education to work on design, development and implementation of a civic education and de-radicalisation curriculum for primary and secondary schools across Nigeria to ensure that we, as a nation, eradicate the drivers of terrorism and block the recruitment of vulnerable youths to acts of terrorism.
The group also called on governors of the 36 states to work with all relevant stakeholders and community leaders to revive the spirit of communality and empower the youth.
Meanwhile, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, Atiku Abubakar, has described the renewed violent attacks by the insurgents as worrisome, urging the Federal Government to crush the terrorist group.
“The ongoing situation in Maiduguri (Borno) is a desperate and heart-breaking one, and makes even more urgent the need to crush the insurgency.
‘‘My heart goes out to the people of Maiduguri. We know that the terrorists’ offensives (have increased) because they have been pressured on many sides. My support and prayers are with our people in Borno and North-East, as we navigate this difficult period towards bringing back peace to the North- East,” Atiku said in a Facebook post.
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Gov polls: INEC, police, others meet this week


Adelani Adepegba and Tobi Aworinde


The Independent National Electoral Commission has said it will meet with security agencies in the country over the forthcoming governorship elections in Kogi and Bayelsa states.
The election in Kogi State is scheduled for November 21, while that of Bayelsa is slated for December 5.
The Director of Voter Education and Publicity, INEC, Mr. Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, in a telephone interview with SUNDAY PUNCH, said the preparations were underway for a smooth conduct of the polls.
He said, “I cannot speak for the resident commissioner but I know that recruiting and training is ongoing, so there is no problem with corps members and the usual officials. The IG has met with the acting chairman (of INEC) and they have discussed a little bit.
“They have been with the commissioner of police repeatedly and the Director of the DSS. Next week, there will be a meeting with the Inter-Agency Confluence Committee, where all the major security agencies will meet with INEC, co-chaired by the chairman. Preparations are ongoing but the formal meeting will hold next week (this week).
“Many parties had their primaries and we were waiting for submission of their lists of candidates. In everything we do, we either invite IPAC or the individual parties. We wrote to them and gave them a timetable, which they accepted. Many of them have held their congresses.”
Osaze-Uzzi noted that the commission would present the confirmed list of candidates to the political parties in the state this week, adding that it had also published the register of voters in line with the Electoral Act.
“Next week, as provided by the Electoral Act, we will give the certified list to the parties. We have published the register of voters for the elections. So the next major item, as provided by the law, is for us to come up with the list of candidates for the elections,” the INEC official said.
Meanwhile, the police had expressed readiness for the coming governorship elections in the two states.
The Force Public Relations Officer, Olabisi Kolawole, stated that the governorship elections “will be the best in terms of security in the country.”
According to her, the security for the polls was part of the discussions at the strategic police conference convened by the Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase, last Tuesday in Abuja, which was attended by senior police officers.
Kolawole explained that the police had mapped out security strategies to ensure that the elections were violence-free, noting that the necessary equipment and manpower would be deployed to the two states shortly before the polls.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Executive Director, United Nations Counter -Terrorism Directorate, Mr. Weixiong Chen has assured Nigeria of the support of the UN in the fight against terrorism.
Arase had said the police needed support to combat terrorism in the areas of capacity building, international cooperation and mechanism for coordinating operational activities of all law enforcement agencies with counter-terrorism mandate.
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